Cards For Little Hearts - Card Drive for Children's Hospital

It's approaching that time where the 

CARDS FOR LITTLE HEARTS 

card drive takes place!

All the details are found here for card guidelines and fabulous prizes.
EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATES WILL RECEIVE TWO DIGITAL SETS.

Not only will you cheer the heart of a hospitalized pediatric cardiac patient (ages 0 thru 19),

but you'll have chances at winning several great prizes donated by a number of sponsors.

I will be having blog candy here as well, 

kindly donated by Bugaboo Designs accompanied by fun, new sentiments, 

during our blog hop which will begin on August 1!

The card drive is from July 1st thru August 25th so get ready to make those cards.

Please be sure to read all the guidelines before sweetly creating for little children!

Here are two cards I'll be sending, just to give you an idea of how simple these thoughtful gestures can be:

Precolored snowman with additional shading and coloring with pastel chalks:

Here is the same snowman in pink and brown, sporting a heart on his vest, and shedding a little hopeful light with the starry night and candle. I love those rosy cheeks!

On a personal note:

Thankfully, about 2 weeks ago we came out of our Fire Season (drought) with wonderful daily rains, so well known in Florida's hot, humid summertime. Today's unusually overcast morning provided the perfect opportunity to show a few photos of what happens after 3 or 4 days of drizzle and/or rain. (apologizing in advance for my very shaky hands)

The cap on this white mushroom is about 4" across. It was not here yesterday.
It grew so quickly, that the damp leaf and twig debris covering the ground is sticking to the cap as it grows!

Despite the severe drought, the 8 foot-tall (2.5 meter) gardenia bushes are amass with fragrant blossoms. Each blossom is about 3 inches across (7,6 cm). Mmmmm, smells yummy!
The older, yellower blossoms don't look as pretty, but they are far more fragrant!
Kind of like the people and pets in our lives! (giggle)

These staghorn ferns are over 35 years old. They have moved with us 3 times and adjusted to their new environments. Even here when the temps dip below freezing, they not only survive, but allow squirrels to make winter homes in the middle! The squirrels climb down into the "hole" in the top center of the plant. It's way too hot for summertime habitation, but perfect in the winter. The ferns are at least 6-7 feet across (2 meters) during the "end-stage" of winter. Their fronds will thrive in the summer humidity, and grow even more. The remnants of our winter/spring vegetable garden are in the background:

For my favorite part!
I love the wood mushrooms. They are colorful and always artistically arrange themselves. They usually grow out of a lightning wound in a still-living (oak) tree. But sometimes, we have to take trees down as they age or are damaged. These mushrooms were growing out of a tree "stump" remnant from years ago:

The cluster grew in a matter of days because the old stump was damp, and ripe with "rot".
In case you cannot see the stump, it is below ground level. The following smaller cluster is from the same tree, but growing out of an old "surface" root a few feet away:

Such interesting color patterns - each cap growing from ivory to rusty hues. I wonder if a wood mushroom's coloring is similar to the interior of a tree, since that is what it is feeding on?
Whatever, they are amazing, and prolific, too!

Wishing you loveliness no matter what the weather or circumstance.
We can usually see beauty if we take time to look for it.

Challenges I'd like to support:

1. The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #8 anything Christmas Goes 6/28
2. Christmas Card Challenge #14 anything Christmas 6/25
3. Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #337 Non Traditional Colors 6/17
4. Jingle Belles Christmas Challenge (June 9) All Bundled Up (using more than 3 layers) 6/22
5. A Snowflake's Promise #41 Anything winter/Christmas Goes 7/11
6. Crafting from the Heart #163 Anything Goes 6/19

hugs,