My Daily Dose of Crazy

February Photo Challenge

2012-02-05T15:03:00.000-05:00

Day 3: Stranger....no strangers today, just Performers

Day 4: 10AM

Photo Fun

2012-01-31T09:00:00.001-05:00

I started following along in the Photo365 Challenge by Fatmumslim. I LOVE it!!! It is right in line with my other goals for 2012. I love taking pictures and it is so fun and easy with my handy dandy iPhone! I barely get out my BIG camera anymore!

I thought I would share a few of the ones I use!

First off...Instagram. Great way to share photos

Twitter.....

My365

My go to Apps on my iPhone to edit photos or add fun words:

Phonto

Labelbox

Frametastic

I am sure that there are MANY more, but these are the ones I use the most!

Have fun, check it out....follow along if you want!

OF course, I don't always follow it EXACTLY...I didn't take a picture of the inside of my fridge. Nobody wants to see that! Plus, for some reason when I feel that I HAVE to do things a certain way, sometimes I buck the system and bit...can't help it....don't know what gets into me??

A few examples:

Getting Crafty

2012-01-30T22:18:00.000-05:00

I have been having so much fun creating Crafty Valentines Decor! Margie's Ecourse really helped to jump start this! She had some great ideas - just fun stuff that got me motivated! Here are a few things that I did....

Lollies...

I also made about a dozen different garlands and just realized that I don't have any pictures of them! I'll snap one tomorrow and post it!

I also decided to host a Craft Night at my house. I have always talked about doing it with a group, but usually only do a one on one thing.

I gathered all my supplies, purchased enough of a few things for everyone. It was so much fun to gather all my goodies! I loved pulling all the colors out and grouping them for Valentines Day. It inspired me to start doing this more often...for other holidays, to keep my creative energy going.

I love to be inspired!

Who doesn't??

This little bird in a nest was inspired by a swap I participated in last year.

I received so many pretty little birds! I have been keeping them up all year long, just keep updating them with the holiday decor.

I made this Banner using chipboard and some Valentines paper. Threw a few little extras on and there ya go!

I hope that some of my pictures have inspired you to go get crafty!

Mornings with Pop

2012-01-20T08:45:00.001-05:00

A collection of this past weeks moments

6 years with the Bean

2012-01-18T08:45:00.003-05:00

I love watching my children grow, but I really wish that they would stop....

My baby is turning 6 today! I can't really believe that 6 years have gone by already....I think we all say that, but it really is hard to grasp sometimes!

I have mentioned that this child completed our circle of love...she really completes the "Mom" piece of my life. She just fills me up! She is like my little "soul mate".

We took a little trip to Candy Land for this Birthday!

Every day I thank God for this beautiful child. She has been an amazing gift to me!

Learn and Grow

2012-01-16T16:59:00.000-05:00

I have signed up for 2 online workshops this month.

I am really loving them both....

I sometimes forget how much I love both, Paint and Mixed media and Paper crafting!

I have been spending so much time lately on jewelry and jewelry design I haven't done much of anything else.

The first workshop is Jeanne Oliver's

I LOVE IT!

I am so inspired and motivated to create again!

The second is Margie Romney-Aslett's

Spark the Event

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Online Ecourse. Super cute projects today. Fun banners and Garlands today...can't wait to see what Wednesday has to offer!

Lots to look forward to this week!

Congratulations

2012-01-15T08:42:00.000-05:00

Yeah...

We have some winners!

I have gotten 5 comments on my little blog here...so I will be sending those lucky ladies out a cute little handmade treat!

It was nice to hear from a few of you,

I was starting to hear crickets chirping...

I don't mind talking to myself, but it is nice to

know somebody is listening...

otherwise, people start to talk about you and think your crazy!

LOL....

First 5

2012-01-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

Checking to see who is paying attention....Little Fun for the New Year!!

I saw this on one of my FAVORITE people's FB post a couple of nights ago and I thought it was such a great idea! Plus, it keeps in line with - sending more snail mail!

SO! The first 5 people to leave me a comment on this post - I will send something Hand made from me to you!

I'm excited, are you???

XOXO!

Just Leave me a comment and include your email where I can reach you!

What a great idea!

2012-01-10T08:30:00.002-05:00

I think this is such a great idea! I saw it on Skip to my Lou the other day!

You know what else is great?? I have everything I need to complete the project...lol.

Craft Hoarder, right here....

My Lil' loves herself a bag...any kind of bag...so this is a perfect little project for her and all her little "stuff".

I will of course be doing the sewing and following THIS tutorial!

One man's tool

2012-01-09T09:00:00.001-05:00

This knife is well worn and well used.

It was used for everything.

It has been sharpened many times over.

It has seen many mornings and nights in my Pops kitchen.

Now I use this knife to cut the hole in my Pops water bottle for a straw.

Not what it was once used for...

Mornings with Pop

2012-01-06T09:00:00.043-05:00

Since the beginning of June 2011, my cousin, his wife and I have been full time caregivers for our Grandfather. Up to that point I had filled in to cook for him or spend the day with him when the time was needed. He had a been a very capable man, strong as an Ox and never-ever accepting any help. In June some things changed in his life very quickly and the three of us took over.

This is one of those things that you jump into with both feet, full speed ahead and then part way through find yourself shaking your head like a scared little kid saying over and over, "...I can't do this, I can't do this..."

Then...you snap out of it and become the woman God created you to be, and you do it. No matter what it is, you just do it.

I have experienced these feelings before, mostly with my son Hayden, but a few other times as well. Sometimes it takes me a minute to step through that fire ring that fear laid in front of you, but you do. We all do...

My Grandfather and cousin are intensely private people and because of that I have not shared too much of this journey, but it is a journey and it is a part of my life that I want and need to remember. We have gone through many stages over the past 6 months, and the two years prior that led up to this point. I developed a different relationship with a man that I once respected with and hint of fear and now I respect with an intense amount of compassion.

I will continue to respect his privacy and the privacy of my family, but I will be doing a photo journal.On my Mornings, Day's or Evenings with Pop I plan to take pictures of the things that strike me in that moment.

If you have ever been a care taker for someone you love, you know that this journey can be intense, uplifting, heartbreaking and just plain hard at times. There are even small moments where you feel anger and frustration..never with the "person" your caring for but for what is happening to them.

My back porch view....

Committed to Me for 2012

2012-01-05T15:00:00.004-05:00

POST EDIT: LIGHTENED UP A BIT.....This year, 2012, I have decided that it is time to be "more me". The Me who makes me happy, the Me that wants to live more creatively, the Me who wants to paint her mantel Blue instead of the accepted white. The Me who creates from my heart and not to try to create something that I think it will make someone else happy.

A "Truer" Me

A more "Complete" Me

I want to work towards being the Me that ultimately makes me the most happy and not always the one that makes everyone else happy.
I also want to be a more aaccountable Me to the things that make me happy.

I will continue to be the Me who is confident, and confident in myself. I will continue to speak from my heart and give 100% to the ones I love. I will continue to be the Me who loves BIG and gives as much of myself as I can. I will continue to be the Me who is FILLED to the brim with pride in my children and the Me who sees the beautiful amid the chaos.

I will not however be the Me who gets a half sleeve tattoo with all my hearts desires on it. My husband threatened divorce if I decided to live my life that openly...he is a little more reserved than me. All American Apple Pie and Baseball kinda guy. Not a big fan of living outside the box...not even with one foot outside the box. lol...

So...for myself and for the entire world to read...here are some of my Big Plans for 2012.

Be true to myself

Be Happier with my Physical appearance

(lose weight #1 on that list)...if you read yesterday you know I am on my way with that one.

#takingcharge

Create what makes MY heart sing....

I want to make and sell more of my creations and designs that make ME happy, not things I have created because I think it "needs to be like this so somebody will like it...." No more filler...just ME!

#livefromtheglitterlounge

Photo Journal my time with Pop

(read my post tomorrow....)

#morningswithpop

Photo a day for the entire year

always wanted to do thi 365 project

#photoaday

More Pictures....

#mynotsoglamorousbeautifullife

#dailydose

Scrapbook more often

....seems like a silly thing to "commit" too, but my life, right? And not everything needs to be so "heavy"...lol.

Actually Print the pictures I take

my pictures are like that commercial of the kid halfway off the diving board...on a flash drive but not on paper.

Send more Snail Mail

because I love to get mail and not the kind that is demanding $$

Commit to more time alone with my husband

Commit more time to my Faith and beliefs

Tackle my "personal" dreams! and hold myself Accountable for what I truly want!

Have Fun and be happy doing all of the above...

Post EDIT:
Forgot to include...
Sew more...

Wear more skirts..
(because they make me happy and hide my thighs:)

Possibly become a vegetarian...
(meat makes my tummy NOT happy...TMI?? lol)

Attend more Art retreats...

so...I noticed this morning that I lost a "follower" after this post....lol. OOPS...sorry you didn't want to hang out for the fun!

Good times ahead people!

Motivated for 2012

2012-01-03T09:27:00.000-05:00

Even though I have been living by Pooh's motto of

"I am short and fat and proud of that..."

...it is time for some changes!

Every year in January people decided that they are going to either "lose weight", "eat healthier", or exercise more"....I am one of them!

I have done it before...lost 50+ pounds in 2007-2008.. Took 1 year, lots of hard work and major discipline, but I did it!!! I was so happy, felt so strong and knew I was healthy. Since we closed our shop in August of 2010 I have gained 25 pounds...that is half of what I lost! I am very disappointed in myself! I can't think of one single meal or one single glass of wine that was worth that weight gain! None of it tasted as good as the feeling I had when I passed my goal weight so long ago. Well....one meal might have been worth it....authentic Carne Asada with my BFF in CA. Authentic...seriously!

I have once again mastered the art of NOT looking at myself in any mirror. I can even blow my hair dry without really "looking"...I hate my fat arms!

My cute clothes don't fit as comfortable as they once did...and I am NOT buying larger sizes. NO WAY

AND! I found myself out of breath after walking up the stairs to the Dr's office the other day! RIDICULOUS!!!

So!!! Today is the 3rd or January - it is the coldest day of the winter so far - and I am starting my journey again!

No JOKE!

Plus...the stomach flu helped to give me that jump start!

2012-01-02T02:02:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!!

I hope your New Year has started off Merry and Bright!!!

Mine started off with the stomach flu....YUCKKK!!

However....the bright side is that I have a jump start on my weight loss goal!

There is always a silver lining right?????

Replicas

2011-12-28T00:17:00.001-05:00

Over the Holiday's I made myself a few replica necklaces....found the original designs on etsy and on pinterest. Who doesn't LOVE Pinterest!!! I made these for myself, not for selling....

I made these Bird nest necklaces. One for myself and one for a girlfriend of mine (and one as a spare...lol). She bought several other little trinkets from me this Christmas so I thought I would make her one of these as a Thank You gift.

I saw a similar necklace on etsy that was a Lump of CoaL necklace. I loved the idea of it so I made myself one using a vintage glass button. I thought it was great for when I had to go Christmas shopping....

The kids are home for Christmas break and we have been making so many fun things! I found this tutorial on Pinterest about making lip gloss....did this today with one of my high school girlfriends.

We MIGHT have used a bit too much Kool-Aid and it MIGHT have been a bit "tart". We laughed and laughed making this stuff! I am going to try again!

After the kids head back to school I will recap all our handmade gifts. The kids really did a great job this year! I was SO impressed with their level of creating! My one son even learned to solder...and he did a great job with it! My youngest daughter is SO creative for a 5 year old! She made her gifts and wrapped her gifts with barely any guidance from me! She knew exactly what she wanted to do! Very impressive!!! My other son made these beautiful ornaments without any creative input from me...and then together he made some lovely body scrub!

7 days

2011-12-20T00:39:00.000-05:00

I might or might not have been working this "Crazy Eye" elf look today! I have been creating Christmas magic morning-noon-night for the past 2 weeks. It is getting down to the wire!

I hope everyone else is having as much fun as me! I can't wait to show you!!

Handmade Holidays and Decorating 2011

2011-12-06T10:06:00.000-05:00

Once again we are taking the pledge to participate in a Handmade Christmas Holiday. This is not our first year and it won't be the last! Of course there are a few items that I can't make, you know the electronic variety, but Santa usually brings those in his sleigh!

I read a really interesting blog post about taking the Handmade Pledge for gift buying, and I really wish I could find it! I would love to share it with you. I can summarize that the blog post talked about how it can be difficult to really follow through with this type of pledge, but to do the best you can. I am sure I didn't do the post justice with that summarizing...but, you get the point!

On to Christmas decorating....
The day before Thanksgiving the girls and I spent a few hours in The Glitter Lounge (my craft room) and made a few fun little things! I gave them their choice of plates or cake stands and then let them loose in the boxes and cabinets to make their own little Christmas scene. It was fun to see them get all glittery and covered in glue.

Then the day after Thanksgiving, we rearranged furniture and set the tree up. Fun stuff!! Ordered pizza, jammed to the Christmas music, etc. As you can see, Lily is giving her best to the Christmas music!

Trees (2) done and the mantel before calling it quits for the evening! I have a little left to do, but the big stuff is done!

More Holiday fun to come tomorrow!

Etsy Shop Update...My Fancy Finds

2011-11-28T07:14:00.000-05:00

Handmade Holidays 2011!

Sterling Silver soldered keepsake necklace.

2 Charms, 24" beaded chain.

Available in my Etsy shop!

Simple, Sterling Silver soldered 1" charm on chain.

Sterling Silver Soldered 1" photo pendant on a beaded 18" chain!

All purchases come gift boxed!

Cyber Monday special....

FREE coordinating earrings with each purchase.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-25T23:48:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving was a nice LOW-KEY holiday for us this year! We had much to be thankful for! Healthy families, good friends, beautiful weather, delicious food!

I was not the hostess this year for Thanksgiving dinner, our wonderful friends hosted Thanksgiving and we will host Christmas dinner. This was the first year that we broke tradition and followed our hearts to make Thanksgiving not just about our immediate family but also our close friends. We have hosted Christmas dinner in this tradition for the past 3 years....and it has been so much fun!

Dinner was lovely and delicious! I was in charge of appetizers, a few sides and a dessert! The boys made a delicious Apple pie, I made my favorite roasted brussels sprouts with bacon and red onions and 2 different types of sweet potatoes (actually 3, but who is counting). I had some great helpers in the kitchen! Even after peeling 10lbs of potatoes, Hayden still had a sense of humor and broke out his creative side!

I did end up having to come up with an additional sweet potatoes dish because this was the result of 5lbs of potatoes! Not enough for 10 people!!!

So...I ran out on Thanksgiving morning and picked up 5 more lbs of sweet potatoes and whipped up a delicious side of mashed sweet potatoes! MY favorite!!! However, those roasted potatoes were like little bits of candy! Incredible!!!

Because my Thanksgiving responsibilities were not as great as they usually are, I decided to try out a great tutorial by "My Cotton Creations" I found on Pinterest. It was for PJ pants, but I decided to use it to make Lil' Beansie some pants to wear on Thanksgiving! And, because she can be somewhat of a fickle girl (plus the tute seemed SO easy) I decided to make her 2 pairs! That way she had options! lol...

We spent today (Friday) at home in our PJ's - NOT out frantically purchasing gifts! I will be honest in saying that I did get lured into JoAnne's this afternoon for $1.49 snuggle flannel. I couldn't resist the opportunity to make Christmas PJ pants for the entire family for less than $20.00!! However I did buy a few more yards than I had planned to make a few extra Christmas gifts.

We will be participating a handmade Christmas again this year! After watching the news this evening and hearing horror stories of people being Pepper sprayed and robbed during the chaos of Black Friday shopping, I couldn't be happier or feel stronger about my decision to continue this tradition!

I wish I could remember where I found this image! Online somewhere...

Etsy Shop Update...My Fancy Finds

2011-11-21T08:31:00.000-05:00

I have been a busy little bee working all hours of the day in The Glitter Lounge! I have a few new creations listed on Etsy. I thought I would share them with you....

Both, my original design and creation! Both, available for purchase!!

I hope you love them as much as I do!!!

XOXO~Heather

Life is Precious

2011-10-18T09:46:00.000-04:00

Last week I received one of the most stunning phone calls I have had in a long time. My very dear friend lost her husband, in an instant. It was sudden....He was only 38 years old! They have two little boys and my heart just breaks for them. There are some trials and challenges in life that nothing will prepare you for. This is definitely one of them.

This is not my story to tell, it is hers, and I hope that she will continue to pass on her loving memories. I encouraged her to set up a blog so that she could write her thoughts and memories, and so that others could share their memories of her wonderful husband. I hope that it will also be a place for her boys to read stories of their dad that they might not have heard otherwise.

I am sharing this with you on my blog to remind myself in the future how precious life really is...it truly can change in an instant. I cherish my children and my husbands love, but some days I get wrapped up in the ridiculous little things that irritate me and forget how quickly it could all change. My girlfriend and her husband were away celebrating their 10 year wedding anniversary, so she will have wonderful memories of their last moments together. I shared with her how lucky I felt she was to have had that time just before his passing. I know "lucky" doesn't seem like the right word, but it could have been one of those ugly mornings where someone forgot to take out the trash (this would be my house) or some other trivial situation.

They have beautiful pictures of one another from the week spent together. So nice... Their boys will be able to look at these pictures and see the love that their mom and dad had for one another. Their dad was a good man who cherished - adored - their mom. I am sure that they will remember that every time they see those pictures.

I doubt that I am going to stop being annoyed by the bowl of sunflower seed shells that are left behind every night, or the socks that never seem to make it from the side of the bed to the laundry basket. But, I am sure that the morning I wake up and they aren't there, I will miss them terribly.

This was also a BIG wake up call to get my plans in order. I don't want my children to have to make decisions that they shouldn't. I also hope and pray that someone would step up for my husband and help with all the little things...there are so many little things that go into the final moments of someones life. Gathering pictures, picking out their clothes, what music they want, what prayers/poems/blessings they would want. These are things that a grieving spouse or loved one really needs support with.

Go LOVE on someone you LOVE.

If you would like to hear more about this great man and his loving family, you can check them out here.

http://www.glennmccall.blogspot.com/

My Fancy Finds

2011-10-04T15:50:00.000-04:00

I have been working on some lovely new creations! I am in the process of selling some in a local jewelry store and also listing a few on Etsy. I am trying my hand at both.....

Please pop over to my other little blog and let me know what you think!

Click the little birdie to visit....My Fancy Finds.

It is like a little birdie told you...lol...I crack myself up sometimes!

XOXO~ Heather

Fall Decor

2011-10-01T08:30:00.001-04:00

A little post about Fall Door Decor...try saying that 5 times fast! Ha!

Little DIY project I was able to complete this week. I really like the way it turned out! My front door is glass so I did the best I could with the pictures!

I love Fall decorating...can't wait to do some more!

All Grown Up

2011-09-30T12:55:00.000-04:00

Homecoming was this past weekend.... I have always loved Homecoming - probably because it and all of its activities take place in my absolute favorite time of year, Fall!!

Our Homecoming was early this year..much earlier than I ever remember it being. It rained so long and so hard the day of the football game (actually for days prior too) I thought I was going to need an ark to get home. Put a damper on the festivities..no pun intended. The day of the dance, the sun finally came out!

I was so happy that my daughter wouldn't be a soggy mess going to the dance, and I am pretty sure that she was happy too! I still can't get over how grown up and BEAUTIFUL she has become!

I love this picture of her and her Dad. We feel it best for him to start wearing his uniform 24/7...you know, keep the boys away ....

I also fell in love with the way her hair turned out...I took so many pictures of it. She has the most beautiful hair to start with, but the side french braid into a bun looked gorgeous on her!

My baby is growing up...I must have cried 10 times that day just looking at how beautiful she is - INSIDE and OUT!

PS: on a Lily note....Lily is adjusting so much better to school. We still have a "moment" here or there, but they are becoming less frequent. I am so glad she is starting to enjoy herself more!!

Week 2

2011-09-13T08:30:00.001-04:00

We have moved into the 2nd week of school and the tears have not stopped. They were just as bad this morning as they were last week. I am really hoping that by the end of this week the tears will be gone!!! Lets keep our fingers crossed!!!

I have been trying to keep myself busy in The Glitter Lounge while Lily has been at school. I have made many-a-accessory prior to the start of school...Lily has her very own Accessory line! I will be showing that to you next week!!!

Today I want to show you a little something I made for one of my favorite girlfriends! It was for her Birthday, and I LOVE the way it turned out! Love it!!

Using Vintage Mother of Pearl buttons and a little velvet ribbon, pearl chain and a few little rhinestones...I made this little beauty! I love the way it turned out!

School...and all the Tears...

2011-09-07T08:30:00.002-04:00

This week is the first long week of school....between staggered entrance for Kindergarten, Earthquakes and Hurricanes it has been a little tough completing a week of school.

Yesterday I put Lily on the bus - she was in total hysterics - I was in a cold sweat and on the verge of tears....This was NO picture perfect moment!

As soon as I loosened her grip on my rain coat and exited the bus, I busted out in tears. It was horrible, and still feels horrible....just thinking about it makes me tear up. I have never had a child go through this before. I know she has an issue with separation anxiety....but I prayed this wouldn't happen! I prayed that she wouldn't feel the anxiety each day....but it is happening. Most people don't believe me when I tell them she has a bit of a "separation" issue. They usually look at me as if I am crazy... right up to the moment when they see her white knuckles attached to my clothing! She is such a happy little girl, so funny and full of excitement! But only after she gets comfortable with her surroundings....and usually only if there is a "familiar" face with her.

I don't negotiate when it comes to situations like this. I have to stand firm....while my knees are weak and my stomach is flopping around like a fish out of water....I can't give in. They (all the professionals...) tell me it is the wrong thing to do....so, I just cry all day thinking about it! I can't help but worry if she is feeling sad or scared. It is causing me just as much anxiety as it is causing her!

I fretted all day...worried about how she was feeling. When she finally came home, she was just as happy to see me as I was to see her. Her sweet little face was priceless coming off that bus. She still was pretty unhappy about her ride to school...and about having to stay there all day...but she was very happy to be home. I didn't have the heart to tell her that she had to go back tomorrow....

I pray tomorrow goes better.....praying.....really - really hard!

Good BYE Irene

2011-09-06T21:46:00.000-04:00

I know traditionally the saying is "Goodnight Irene" but this week - after the lovely Hurricane Irene was here to visit...it is a big FAT GOOD BYE!!!

She wasn't too horrible to us...mostly wind damage and power outages. We did a lot of "House Camping"...not the most fun end of the summer but we made the best of it!

I am very happy to have our power fully restored - and some nice yummy food in the refrigerator! I did hear a tiny rumor that there is another hurricane brewing, but I am pretending to not hear it...

The morning after the hurricane we headed down to my grandfathers. He is only 5 miles away from us and right on the tip of a little peninsula....needless to say he didn't have any power and there was a tiny bit of flooding in his basement. We made it a family affair!

After a mile long walk to his house...we couldn't get anywhere closer because of downed trees and branches...and power lines!! It was kind of scary....we did our chores and then the kids took off to collect bottles and whatever else they could pull from the creek bed while the tide was so far out.

They really had a great time and found a really cool collection of bottles. They even came across a snake...NOBODY was very happy about that! They all scattered...including my husband! lol...

If you notice, Lily has her ears covered the entire time we were there because of the wind. She is so sensitive to the "noise" the wind makes.

This is ONE of the trees that prevented our ability to drive down the road. I felt horrible for the people who live in this house...they were very lucky to have had no injury to themselves. This tree was HUGE!!!

And here is our oldest standing on a HUGE tree...one of 6 that fell like dominoes in our back yard. I personally did not take or condone this picture....in fact I freaked out when I saw her up there and started screaming like a maniac for her to get down.....they all thought I was crazy! ...I am, but that is besides the point!!

Little "Pre" School project

2011-08-26T10:12:00.001-04:00

In preparation for Kindergarten we needed to work on our sight words so we didn't fall behind!! Lily and I turned the "work" into a little crafty project!!

Everyone else might have just plain little pieces of paper with some black letters...but not mine! We have vintage playing cards with our sight words stuck to them!!!

We ran them through the Xyron to make them all nice and sticky...

And stuck them to the cards! I was a little sad to cover up the cute little snoopy, but the other side was just as cute...maybe cuter...so snoopy is now a sight word!

I punched a hole in the top corner and attached them to a ring - WhaLa...sight words! Now I can just add more words to the ring! when I need to!

The lighting is horrible in The Glitter Lounge right now ( it has a new location ), I need to find an electrician! Another project to add to the "After kids return to school - To Do - list"!

Today...was the day

2011-08-25T14:12:00.000-04:00

Today was the day that Lily "Officially" started Kindergarten......my heart hurts! I cried..... She did pretty good....me on the hand, I had to leave the bus stop as soon as she boarded.... I was crying.

I am pretty sure I saw the bus driver give some instruction to the other Kindergarten parent but I couldn't go back..

She was Adorable of course in one of her new school outfits! This morning I asked her what she was most excited about for her new school...she said..."wearing all my new clothes!".

That's my girl!

Every day will be a little different now...NONE of my kids are home with me during the day now. For the past 15 years I have had a small person by my side for all or most part of my day. There have of course been some "Ugly" days along the way where you can't believe that this is what you have signed up for...but I have NEVER been one of those Mom's who was ready for all my kids to be in school so I could do my "own thing". I actually heard a mom say that the other day and I thought to myself...Wow..that is not at ALL how I am feeling!

Not judging someone Else's feelings, those are just not the feelings I have about my kids all being gone.

Life just keeps going...faster and faster each day.

My oldest is in the 10th grade...that means only 2 more years before she will leave me and go to College!!! AGGHHH...

My boys are in Middle school together...voices are changing, their getting bigger..taking on more grownup features.

I can't take it...thank goodness they still tell me they love me and give me hugs and kisses!!!

And, now...my baby is in school...ALL DAY LONG!!!

Guess, I better find something to do with myself in The Glitter Lounge!

Long ago and Far Away..

2011-08-08T11:02:00.000-04:00

I used to visit my little blog almost every day...then my crazy life got in the way!!

So much has been happening - so much that I wish I had written down!

Spring sports, Promotion from Elementary School to Middle School, Pre-School Graduations

Blueberry Picking, Garden Harvesting, Festivals, Summer Sunburns, Birthdays, Summer Sundays....and the list goes on!

Way too much to detail...here is a little recap in pictures

Pre-School Graduation

My soon to be Kindergartener....where has my time gone!

5th Grade Promotion

Strawberry Festival

The ONLY two strawberries I was able to get from my plants...the others were consumed by my puppies, my Lily and the squirrels....

Summer Sunday's...

I hope everyone is having a Fabulous Summer!!!

Inspired - Birthday Issue

2011-05-12T09:48:00.000-04:00

Amy Powers is not only adorable, but she is super talented and extremely generous!!! She has once again put together a FAB-U-LOUS, Inspired Ideas E-zine!!! There are over 200+ beautiful pages there for only $3.30!! Can you believe it! That is less than a cup of coffee or a gallon of gas!!

I am not just saying that because the cute little project you see below is featured, but because I truly believe it!!

There are so many great projects in there! I hope you check it out!!

Spring

2011-05-11T10:24:00.000-04:00

Life is so busy - all the time - but the Spring is always busy for us with 3 kids playing Spring sports! Sunday's are the days where we do "nothing" but spend the day together or with close friends. These are the days that I remember most during the chaos of the week. I still reflect back on my Sunday with my family and it makes me smile and calms me down a bit..

Days like this one stay with me for a long time.....

A few new creations

2011-04-14T13:05:00.000-04:00

Wanted to show a few things I have made recently...

Rosary style necklace with a resin covered picture

I had so much resin left over so I threw together this collage pendant really fast...I love it!!

This is a cuff made from a old piece of lace. I saw the idea on etsy and tried it out. It is going to look super cute with this trim that I bought recently to add to a shirt!

I have also been working on more Soldering pieces. I am trying to perfect my skills....although in the words of Sally Jean...I just might need to "embrace the imperfections".

This is a little "technique" I tried...I like the dimension that it adds...This piece I actually sold...excited!

Vintage Dragonfly Swap

2011-04-13T08:30:00.000-04:00

I joined Danielle Muller of The Vintage Dragonfly

in her

A Bird in the Hand swap

These were my pieces I made...

I wish the lighting on the canvas was better...it turned out to be a really pretty buttery color with champagne highlights. I really liked the way it turned out. My nest was made from twigs, shredded bags, sheet music and yarn scraps. I paper mache'd the eggs....

I hope that they will be well liked in their new home!

Petite Inspiration Swap

2011-04-12T08:30:00.003-04:00

I participated in Speckled Egg's Petite Inspiration Box, Flea Market Edition. I love Heather's swaps!

My swap partners were

Jody Jara

She sent me this beautiful little box filled with the most adorable petite pieces! I LOVED it!!! Then there was this lovely little package of sheet music and ephemera...with a beautiful dresser scarf.

And

Peace Schuyler

Peace sent me this cute box filled with lots of trinkets...buttons, some trims, a cute little collection of ephemera, etc. It was GREAT!!

NOW...I am working on my next set of boxes for the....

She Art Workshop

2011-04-11T08:30:00.002-04:00

I am VERY excited about this....had seen this little blog button on several different sites that I peruse and decided to check it out.

I am hooked by this cute lady! And decided to sign up for her online workshop! Super excited!!!!

I am starting this workshop today, taught by Christy Tomlinson!

So Excited!!!

I have always - always loved painting and putting images together - but I am NO fine artist! This is right up my alley!!

I am also pretty excited to learn from Christy...she seems very down to earth and pretty funny from her blog and videos!

Winners, Musicians and a Sinner

2011-04-03T12:23:00.000-04:00

I picked my winner for my National Craft Month giveaway!!

Lucky Lady....The Junque Seeker!

I hope she enjoys her little goodies!!

Working at Trader Joe's has been so much fun, and I have met so many talented people...I mean really

talented people!!!

In fact, I have never worked with so many talented people in one place, ever!

One of my favorite people there, Alexander Peters, just released a CD that I LOVE!! I love music, and I really love good music!! I mean, who likes bad music, but you know what I mean!!

My point...check out this CD!

I love it!

Has such a unique sound!

While, I have never thought of myself as a "Sinner"...my mother has decided that I am going to burn in

H.E....double hockey sticks because of my latest project....

I have been working on my soldering skills, but I also got a little creative with a vintage Rosary that I bought last year ....

I quite like it...

I am sure that there are many "rules" to a Rosary...I just don't know them....to me it just looked like a pretty piece of vintage goodness!

Game Day

2011-03-23T22:39:00.000-04:00

Today was the first game for the Southern JV Softball team....My girl, starting Shortstop! I talk so much about my little Lily because she is "my" girl...but my first girl, the most beautiful blonde, blue eyed girl that I was blessed to bring to this earth....she is the athlete. She is the talent that makes you sick because it comes with so much ease.....she is her Daddy's girl. HIS talent, his ease....I won't lie...I am jealous some times that she doesn't like glitter as much as I do...

BUT, she is AWESOME....she is UN-BELIEVABLE!!!

This is the face of an AWESOME - SUPER excited girl!!!!

Love her!!! So excited to see her playing in the first game of her high school "career"...so many days and games to come!! The best is yet to come!!!

A moment of Bliss

2011-03-08T00:18:00.022-05:00

This is one of my favorite pictures...

I look at it this picture and realize that no matter what "things" I create with my trinkets in my craft room....this is one of the most beautiful creations I have ever created.

Perfect little nose
Perfect little lips
Perfect little fingers and toes..

I am awestruck by the blessings that have been bestowed upon me...

March is for Crafters - Giveaway

2011-03-04T10:14:00.000-05:00

I am welcoming March with open arms because not only is it one month closer to the Summer Sun, but did you know it is also National Craft Month??

Of course you did, your a craft addict like me!!!

During the OWOH (One World One Heart) I met so many wonderful new people and several of them decided to follow along in my Crazy crafty little life...so I am offering another giveaway!

Would you like to win?? It is pretty simple! Leave me a comment and your entered! If you are already one of my followers, you have an entry in already! If your not a follower, and you want to have an extra chance...just join me, as a new follower and I will enter you again!

So...that means!

Leave me a comment = one entry

Already following me = one entry

Join me = one entry

Pretty simple!

And what will you receive???

This sweet little jar of goodies!!

A petite little mason jar filled with little goodies...petite fabric and paper flowers, a petite ballerina, beads, buttons, ribbons, etc. Just simple little goodies!

A simple Sunday

2011-02-28T08:30:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was spent pretty relaxed...

A few games of Scrabble, a few plates of Veggies and Hummus...a big ol' chunk of cheese and some yummy crackers.....

And Rockin' out with my Lily listening to Pandora...Playing with my NEW iPhone...hubby surprised me yesterday when I got home from work!!!

Have a few pictures to share with you from my Paris Inspiration Boxes for Heather's swap.

See you tomorrow.....

An empty nest

2011-02-24T08:30:00.008-05:00

I have entered the first stage of an "empty nest"....

Yesterday I spent the entire day in my craft room/studio. It was really nice, but also a tad bit lonely....I was enjoying the silence when I noticed Lily's little bird next to me at my work table. I realized at that moment that not only was I working nicely in silence, but I was also by myself...this made me sad....

It dawned on me that in 6 short months my baby will be headed off to full day of Kindergarten. I will enter the stage in life that a few short years ago I thought would never happen....all my kids will be in school, all day long! What???

I was lonely...

Today Lily decided that she wanted to stay for a "long" day at preschool, so instead of 2 hours of school she went for 5 1/2....most weeks I can barely get her to go all three days! It was a taste of the future. She will be gone for 7 1/2 hours a day next year!

I have friends who are just starting their families and here mine is growing up so fast! Bree will be 15 in 3 months, and Lily will start Kindergarten in 6...Really, where has the time gone????

When I picked her up from school today I squeezed on her like she was a piece of fruit...she has always fit my hip or my tummy like a perfect puzzle piece when I hold her. I don't know if I will be able to handle the day that she is too big for me to hold! I always say that Lily completed our circle of "love"..she was my final piece. She is perfect to me, and I cherish the moments I have with her like no other.

It is no secret that I have had the baby blues lately, I don't want to have any more, I just don't want my babies to be so grown up....

These cute little birdies left my nest today, and I am not looking forward to any of the "real" birdies to leave for good.....

These are my "birds" for Jennifer's swap...I made a nest out of shredded sheet music, book pages, and sewing patterns then painted, and distressed some little wooden birds. I added some vintage lace as wings and a few flower petals as a crown. I hope my fellow swap partners like them...they were a labor of love!

Playing Catch-up

2011-02-23T13:35:00.000-05:00

Wow...I have been going full steam ahead and time has been flying by! I feel like I am missing something, but I am getting so much done!

I have been working on several projects the past few weeks and then we had a bit of the "sickies" over here. That was a tad scary and took up a lot of energy!

I last posted about my winner for my giveaway and didn't have a chance to post about my SUPER-Sweet, talented swap partner for my Valentines Swap! I did a small swap with a few Bella sisters, Stephanie was my partner and BOY did she spoil me for Valentines day!! I have been very blessed to have met Stephanie, and even more blessed that we have been able to get to know each other more since Silver Bella. She is someone I know I will be able to be keep "growing" with....I love the growth of friendships...you just keep learning and loving more about each other!

It was so awesome to receive such a fun box of goodies!!! I really needed!! Here is a little peak of what she sent me...I didn't take enough pictures...but you can see just from this one that there were SO many little treasures!! Not only did she fill our standard match box size box with goodies, but she included the most adorable little dessert plate, FUN NEW JEWELRY, vintage wallpaper and vintage post cards...the cutest little porcelain birdie..in PINK...my favorite color, and she included beautiful little pieces of vintage jewelry! MAN was I a LUCKY girl!!!!

This is a view from my seat right now...I am working on 3 projects right this second. One for a friend who lost everything in a fire, one for a magazine submission and one for Heather's swap! Fun, Fun!!! I moved some of the goods over a bit so you can't see too much....you will just have to wait a little bit longer... but I am pretty excited to show you so it won't be long!

Can't wait to get started on my next swap project.....a Tussie Mussie!!!

Jennifer has been having a Swap every month...so much fun!

Winner, Winner....OHOW Winner

2011-02-17T09:53:00.000-05:00

This fun Collection of Goodies has gone to.....

Drum Roll Please.....

Ellen from

Shimmer & Tulle

YEAH for Ellen!!!!

I sure hope she enjoys it....this has been so much fun!

There are so many more blogs that I want to check out...I could spend hours reading blogs...oh, wait...I do... ;)

Valentines Day Re-do

2011-02-16T00:56:00.000-05:00

There is going to be a "do-over" for Valentines day in my house....

This Weekend...Be there or Be SQUARE!!

And this is what you will have to face if your not "there"....

One Heart One World 2011

2011-02-02T23:14:00.000-05:00

Hello! I am Heather....thanks for stopping by!

This is my first time participating in this unbelievable blog event hosted by Lisa, and I am very excited!

What is One World One Heart????
One World One Heart is a worldwide event for bloggers only. It gives all those who blog a chance to meet and mingle and form connections with those they may not have otherwise met from all over the world. In the past 4 years this event has grown to over 1,000 participants with lasting friendships (and even one love connection) formed along the way. Think of it as a GIGANTIC open house allowing you to travel without ever leaving your home....going from blog to blog(in various countries) seeing the wonder each one has created and meeting all the fabulous people behind those blogs. As a bonus each blogger participant will offer up a "door prize or prizes"....just for dropping by, saying hello and seeing their world.

This is my story...and I am sticking to it...

When I was little I dreamt of living a life like June Cleaver, making cupcakes and packing lunches and having a "Ward" come home every day and kiss me on the cheek. I am a hopeless romantic and want all things in life to have that soft romantic glow around them...but I am a realist...and life isn't always romantic. Cupcakes burn....and "Ward" is sometimes grouchy.
Now, I find myself living a CRAZY~ Beautiful life as the mother to four beautiful children...I didn't like being an only child very much, married to a great big husband who I drive crazy with all my BIG ideas...my craft addictions and my glitter. He is very patient!!

I create whenever possible, so I don't go insane, and bake cupcakes once a week...and have found myself to be a little vintage and a little whimsical...a little Martha Stewart but with more of a Jenny Holiday (Heid) style! If I could live my life "out loud" - right now - I would rock some pink hair in a completely vintage day dress, wearing a pair of heels and some pearls...with a cute little cupcake tattoo on my arm.....

I love to Create in all mediums...sewing, paper crafts, mixed media art, knitting, crochet...cooking, baking, party planning. I am just a crafter with ADD!

...I LOVE to talk to people and get to know them....which is another reason why I LOVE blogging. I love getting to know people and their families, their creative interests...the list goes on!

This is NOT Mommy Blog, NOT just a craft blog...and NOT just a life journal.

It is all of the above...

I write my blog for many different reasons...

1. To remember these days that are flying by so fast
2. To keep my ADD in check
3. To share my creative endeavors
4. For my children to know more of me...the me that they don't see. Not the mom, but the actual person inside the mom.
5. For me to know more about me....
6. I am a major craft addict...a craft addict with ADD
7. I wanted to be a writer when I was a little girl..

And for a little added fun with this blog event...Door Prizes!

Do you like how I added that to the middle of this post...wanted to see if you were still with me??

I will be drawing a lucky winner on February 17th!!

Here is what I will be sending....I was feeling a little Vintage and June Cleaver'esque when I put together my giveaway...

For the Modern Day vintage Girl...

What is in that lovely little pile??

A retro inspired pair of rubber gloves - with a flowery ruffle

A vintage corsage, that I updated with some beautiful dyed Pink silk seam binding

2 dozen pearly buttons - in case you want to update a little cardigan for the Spring with a bit of vintage flair..

A glam nail file..

My favorite course glitter in Pink and Green - my favorite spring colors!

And a pack of fab vintage revisited tissues...Domestically Disabled..because we would really rather be crafting than doing domestic duties, right??

And just because....a cute little ballerina cupcake topper for your personal cupcake!

It is very easy to be eligible...

Have an established blog and leave me a comment on this post.
Please include your email address or blog address so that I can easily find you!

I will get in touch with the winner on February 17!

In case your still wanting to know more about me and my little blog?? ...a few of my favorite things...all of which will be covered on this blog at any particular time and in no particular order!

I really LOVE textiles...paper, fabric, ribbons, trims....

Old photos, sheet music, and other ephemera.

Stamping...

Glitter

Baking Cupcakes

Sewing

Crochet/Knitting

Recycled creations...Jewelry making..

Party Planning

Decorating

Red Wine

Diet Coke

vintage jewelry boxes

vintage broaches

HATS...I love hats!

If your here and reading this, you now know more about me than most people who see me every day in real life...I don't even think most know I have a blog...I hope you like it here at My Daily Dose of Crazy....maybe you'll come visit me some time...maybe you'll find a new idea, or just have a good chuckle??

Jumpin' in....PMOT

2011-02-01T23:57:00.002-05:00

I have always loved Jenny Holiday and her adorable work...I have been a lurker of hers for some time...and decided to join in on her "PMOT" challenge. What does PMOT stand for????

Putting myself out There....

You know...like in pictures - of yourself - on your blog,

Facebook, etc. and other things....say "submitting" some of your projects to certain publications???
That is my big one for 2011...challenging myself to actually "Put myself" out there! This was a private goal for me this year and after I read Jenny's post, it seemed like it was meant to be..
SO....it is time to PMOT!!

I find myself reverting back to removing myself from pictures lately. I know it is because I have gained back *significant* weight over the past year and I am pretty bummed about it...but, enough is enough. I have already started making changes with that situation...and now I have decided that I am going to PMOT...no matter what!

So here I am in all my tired glory...still in one of my 3 layers of shirts from work...nice BLEMISH on my face (when do we stop getting those????) and my crazy hair....funny story there!

Hope it doesn't offend anyone...but I don't know why it would?? It didn't offend me!

Yesterday a lady asked me if my hair was "naturally curly", I replied yes...but that normally I just straighten it. At which point she replied...."You must have some black in you!" ...I just started laughing and said, she must be right because my favorite uncle had a blazing red Afro when I was a little girl! It was really funny...I love people!!

Check out the BEAUTIFUL Jenny Holiday and her campaign to PMOT

New Hat and W.I.P.

2011-02-01T10:29:00.000-05:00

I have been on a bit of a knit/crochet kick lately...probably because I am avoiding cleaning up the mess below!!

This is what happens when a glitter obsessed 5 year old is left alone in your craft room while your at work....her father had some 'esplaining' to do....

Here is a new hat that I made...this is take 2...the first one became Bree's...her head is a tad bigger than mine and the hat came out much bigger than I anticipated.

I am helping out a friend today and watching her two little ones. A quick fix for the baby blues I have been having since Lily turned 5. I am only 3 hours into it the day with them and I am already cured! Wink, wink...

I am also in the process of writing my blog post for the One World One Heart blog event....hope to get that posted by Thursday.

Hey! Check out my friend Karla's blog giveaway...she is the cutest thing you'll ever meet!! Love her and what she can do with an old sweater...or two!

Warm and Cozy in my Cowl

2011-01-28T08:30:00.001-05:00

I knit up a Cowl over the past weekend. I put it to use the other night when I was cleaning my car off in the snow....it was MUCH warmer before it got all sopping wet in the snow!

It was so easy, I didn't even count anything! No pattern, just knit... I wanted something simple and washable that I could just throw on with everything.

This fit the bill...

Snow Day!

2011-01-27T09:10:00.000-05:00

We finally had a real snow storm last night...the weather men had been crying wolf so much this year that nobody took them seriously...until it dropped over an inch in less than an hour..People got serious then!

I worked last night and drove home in ABSOLUTE terror! I slid all over the place and questioned my decision to have stayed for my full shift at work...I am a pretty confident driver in all weather, but I didn't account for the roads not being touched AT ALL by the snow plows. I was a wee bit scared when my car went sliding all over the place on one of our country roads. I was having major "flashes".....I promptly came home and broke all my rules...Ate junk and even had a glass (or two) of wine!

I tried to take a picture last night at a stop light because it was so beautiful...and crazy...kinda like my life...but the pictures wouldn't come out..it just looked like crazy streaks of white! I snapped this picture this morning...it looked like there is a little opening to heaven in the sky just above the trees..so pretty!

Which brings me to a Snow Day!!

Yeah!!

Today we are going to eat Pizza for lunch...

Watch Movies in our Jammie's....

Read, Knit, or whatever our little hearts desire...

Have Soup and Panini's for dinner..none of which will be low fat!

I have laundry to do, dishes to put up, rooms to clean and a million other things...but guess what...none of them are going to get done today!

I hope you have a great day!!!

A Proper Birthday dedication post

2011-01-21T08:30:00.001-05:00

I discovered that last year I didn't give my son a proper Birthday Dedication on this here blog...what kind of mother am I????

So, without further a-do....

Jacob; AKA ~ The Senator turns 13 today. He is a FINE example of a young man. Insanely smart, SUPER sweet, such a good kid. Finding his way into the depths of adolescence. I know that he is going to be such a wonderful man that I feel it is only right to let me keep him a "little boy" just a while longer!!! Why won't anyone cooperate with me on keeping these kids from growing up on me?!?!?!

Jacob came into this world wrapped in the Wings of an Angel ~ spent a week in the NICU and beat some pretty mean odds. I used to snuggle him when he was a baby like someone was trying to rip him away from me...I never wanted to let go of the little bugger.

Last year for his birthday I took a picture that spoke a MILLION words....I want to you to look at it and tell me if you don't think it looks like he has little Angels flying in a halo around his head or all the beautiful wishes that are coming from his cake....

It is getting harder to get pictures of my fine young man, but I have managed to snap a few along the way. He is so handsome....I love that freckled little face!!

Amazed...

2011-01-20T08:30:00.004-05:00

My kids amaze me every day. Some times in the best of ways and other times not so much...today was a good one!

I have always said that Hayden has a passion about him. It is what gives him his spunk, his fire, his fight and his unbelievably BIG heart. We share a very special bond together because we have been through a lot together...more than most kids should have to go through. I see a lot of myself in him and today he brought home a poem. It was a writing exercise that they had to do in class, but it made me tear up because I could feel his passionate little heart in this short little poem. I hope he keeps writing his thoughts...I used to do it all the time when I was younger, it helped me express what I couldn't say out loud.

I wanted to share part of it with you....

Hayden Lee

Honorable, Knowledgeable and Strong

Brother of Lily, Jacob and Breeanna

Loves his family, sports and food

Feels happy with friends, and watching sports

Gives love, happiness and care....

I loved the way he described himself as honorable and strong, and most importantly, knowledgeable. I loved that he included food in his "love" because food is such a battle for him most days....And, he couldn't have hit the nail harder when he said he gives love, happiness and care.

I LOVE That Boy!!!

Maybe I am feeling a bit "emotional" or maybe I am just so happy to see that he isn't jaded or angry about all the nonsense he has been put through his whole life...whatever it is, it made me a very happy Mama.

If you ever want to read more about Hayden, check out our other blog

Hayden's Hungry

The Big 5

2011-01-20T00:28:00.000-05:00

Lily's actual birthday was yesterday. I can't believe she is 5...I feel like we have crossed out of the "little" ~ toddler phase and are officially in the "kid" stage.

There is no going back...she is growing up,they all are, but she is my baby,...and I can't stand it!

...I have been scanning over pictures of her from the past several years. I am amazed at how much she continues to change and become more beautiful with each day.

Her imagination grows just as much as she does...she is a creative little bean with so much energy, and HI-larious antics! You would not believe some of the stuff she comes up with...I know we can't believe it half the time!

Follow me on a little stroll down memory lane if you will....

2007 ~ First birthday (dinosaur poster for her brothers party)

Spring ~ Summer of 2008

Thanksgiving 2008

Apple Picking 2009

Classic Lily look 2010

Late summer early Fall 2010

Christmas 2010

Some of my favorites this year....

Thanks for sharing in my memories....

A Snow Princess and Cinderella

2011-01-12T11:00:00.000-05:00

I fell off the blog planet for a brief time ~it was all for a good reason....I got wrapped up planning and creating a Winter Wonderland in my house for a special little Princess who will be turning 5 very shortly.

We planned a Snow Princess Party and invited Cinderella to attend along with Lily's best little girlfriends. I scooped up tons of silver and snowflake decorations right around Christmas when everything was going on sale and added it to my stash of holiday decorations. It turned out magical...everything a little girl could possibly hope for!

We had PB&J's shaped like snowflakes

Snowball Meringues

Strawberries covered in Snow (powdered sugar)

Cupcakes with Marshmallow frosting

Birds nests filled with chocolate eggs

& Princess Punch

Here is the Grand tour....

Cinderella was absolutely Beautiful & Magical!!! Her arrival threw Lily for a loop...she was incredibly overwhelmed and became the shy Lily we all know to well. Thankfully when we were taking pictures she had warmed up to her, but when Cinderella was singing to her, she could barely look at her...Cinderella was very understanding because she actually knows Lily first hand (she never even recognized her the entire time she was here!!!) and we had discussed what we thought would happen. After Cinderella left ~ Lily never stopped talking about her...literally! I think she fell asleep talking, lol.

Have a Happy New Year

2010-12-30T12:32:00.001-05:00

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and have a Happy New Year ...

I have been taking a little blog-break while enjoying the Holidays with the family.

Can't wait to catch up in the New Year.

A Pony for Christmas

2010-12-21T08:30:00.001-05:00

Well....Lily would REALLY like a pony of her very own...but we can't buy a pony!

So, what is a girl to do....

Make your own Pony!

Yes, yes.... that is a trash can, a trash can turned into a rockin' cowgirl Pony!

I love a resourceful girl!!

And, I love this girl more than anything!!!

Dressing for the Holidays

2010-12-20T08:30:00.001-05:00

All I want for Christmas are these two dresses....

Please Santa!!!!!

Talk about Vintage Deliciousness!!!!!

A few Christmas Crafties and a Paycheck....

2010-12-16T08:30:00.001-05:00

Hello my friends!

I am having some fun experimenting with a few Christmas crafts...I spent Monday "Multi-Crafting"...I like that word...I will be using it a LOT more in the future..seems to be the way I work anyway. Glue something while spray paint is drying on something else...then off to sew something or cut something while both of those are drying...

Any-hoo....

Here are a few pictures of my projects on Monday....all completed before I headed off to earn my very own Paycheck!

As mentioned above...I had to join the rest of the world and get a J.O.B. I would love to make a living off of glitter and cupcakes but the truth is...I never get my Etsy shop filled with my little creations and I am always all over the place with my crafting...I haven't found my niche yet. The life of a Crafter with ADD...No worries...I actually love my new job. I was SO SORE though that I could barely raise my arms on Sunday! How is that for being out of shape??? WhoooHoo

So, where you might be asking????

Trader Joe's is my new home away from home...

I am a produce girl....

I need flannel panties....seriously!
I LOVE it....

One World One Heart Blog event

2010-12-14T08:30:00.003-05:00

I am excited to say that I am going to participate in this fun event!! I have some ideas already for my door prizes ~ giveaways!!

Click the picture above to read all about it! And if that doesn't take you to it...Click HERE

Lisa @ A Whimsical Bohemian seems like an amazing woman and I have enjoyed reading back through her blog a bit...can't wait to meet new woman through this blogging adventure!

A few Christmas wishes

2010-12-13T11:30:00.005-05:00

We all have them...that little wish list...or maybe not so little??

You'll notice that my lists are all over the place...obviously some are things I will never really get...just fun to think about!

I love this artist...and I love these prints. Check her etsy shop out!

And since this is Wish List....I would LOVE to have this under the tree!! But...I am not sure I have anywhere to where it....

I am a lover of Anthropologie - but can never bring myself to buy much more than tiny things....I would love ~ love to have any of these beauties...but they are NOT practical for my daily life so I know that they would not end up under my tree...again it is a WISH list!

These I could see getting some use out of...and I love the sock/skirt/shoe combo....

NOW....I may get these under the tree! I need a few replacements...all my little bowls took a beating this year and my mug got chipped recently. I love pretty coffee mugs - go figure - and always enjoy a new one. I am also a sucker for Monograms!

Another favorite....Ruche. Such cute clothes and much more affordable! How cute is this green sweater?? Under $45 too...might have to be removed from the wish list to the MINE list....

This jacket is adorable! I love the entire collection that it is paired with in the catalog...check it out. Click on the jacket and it will take you right to it.

And for the Whimsical side of me....

How cute are these little candy canes...handmade and super cute!

This would be so fun behind my couch!

or this...

How about some Eye Candy...fancy shimmering shades for our eyeballs!

Brave Girl give-away

2010-12-10T12:03:00.000-05:00

Jeanne over at A Bushel and a Peck is giving away one spot into Soul Restoration Online Workshop offered by Brave Girls. I REALLY want the opportunity to take this class - I would really love to go to the actual Brave Girl camp but that is not in my future right now. I would love to do the mother ~ daughter one some day. That would be a dreamy!

I could list MANY, many reason why I need to go to this retreat....can't we all????

I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed that I win!!!

Jeanne writes one of my favorite blogs...I visit her every day!

Visit is such a nicer word than Stalk...isn't it??

A Few of my Favorites

2010-12-10T11:02:00.000-05:00

Sharing a few of my favorite little spots in the house right now. Usually I do different - but coordinating - themes all through the house. This year I went with a few favorites instead....and decided that I had a problem with buying Christmas decorations! I put away 7 HUGE boxes of decorations without even touching them.

My mantel at night (before putting my nativity scene up)...these tall "candles" are from an auction we went to last year. Lily spotted them and had to have them. We got them for $5!!! I love them!! I switched out the bulbs and put all white in, I love their golden glow they give off.

They had colored bulbs in at first and they looked magical to her... She wanted them in her room year round...

The hall holds the Advent calendar and this is Lily's favorite spot in the entire house because every morning the Christmas Fairy has left her a little treat in there.

The Dining room has one of my vintage houses and a sparkly silver and white vignette.

I have more of these little houses but they live upstairs in my craft room (year round)....

I love the little pink sparkly houses and trees!

The dining room also has a tree...Lily's tree. NOBODY is allowed to put anything on Lily's tree unless Lily approves it....I think I have a problem with this little person.... But her love of glitter, big blue eyes and genuine Cuteness saves her! How many little four year olds do you know that want vintage hankies folded up and stuffed in their tree????

I can't show you a picture of our tree yet....realized after taking pictures that I needed to make a few adjustments.

But..I will show you something I found on my tree! My mother and I have a little bit of a running joke/dialogue about how she is little by little unloading her house into my house (which is much smaller than hers!!)

I was sitting there last night and almost choked when I saw it...how would you like to see this staring at you from your Christmas tree???

Freaks me out a bit...

There is a funny story behind these clown ornaments...I will share later.

Dinner, Decorating and Family fun

2010-12-06T12:25:00.000-05:00

This weekend was filled with all of the above. Dinner out with my hubby for his birthday, then hanging out with some of our friends...always fun!

On Saturday we went as a family to the dreaded Mall...I know...can you believe it?? We didn't actually buy anything, we just wandered. Not exactly the best time to wander when there are hundreds of people in that frenzied state of mind for holiday buying. But we had fun...

We puttered and decorated around the house all day Sunday, it was fun to have nothing to do but hang out together. I will have a few pictures to share with you tomorrow.

For now, it is off to the store to try to get some meals cooked for the week. Don't forget to pop over to Hayden's Hungry for a few Festive or Cozy recipes. On this weeks Menu ~ Hearty Chili, Cozy Chicken pot pie, and Russian Tea Cookies

Happy Birthday Baby....

2010-12-03T00:01:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to my beloved..

You work HARD for us - very HARD, every day....we don't say it enough...but we appreciate it and we love you for it!

I love this picture of you....it reminds me of you when we first got married!

Answers...

2010-12-02T10:10:00.000-05:00

I had a few emails/questions that I wanted to clarify regarding our Handmade Christmas.

1. No, my kids don't feel deprived

2. No, my kids do not spoil "Santa" for anyone else

3. We do "buy" gifts...

4. YES, I do shop at chain stores when I need to....geesh!

5. We try to give at least 1 handmade gift to everyone that is on our list, and we sometimes include a handmade item with a purchased item.

We support as many local businesses and Artisans as possible!

Our point was to cut down on all the "Stuff" that is given at Christmas. To remember what the "Meaning" of Christmas is and get to the meat and potatoes of what they really wanted.

Also, I would rather my kids give a gift from their heart, made from their hands and their imaginations than go buy some "thing" from a store.

Merry Christmas!

Work in Progress

2010-12-01T08:00:00.004-05:00

I have several little projects going on right now. I need to figure out "exactly" what I will be making this year for everyone and who everyone is...sometimes I forget who all needs to be on our list. That is never good!

I took a page from Karla Nathan about bleaching Christmas trees from the craft store. I have a growing collection of bottle brush tree's and my collections growing even bigger now!! I have so many plans for these little trees! I can tell you right now that "place cards" for Lily's Snow Princess Tea party is one of the plans....this is not the best picture, but you get the point!

I also worked on an Art Journal...I thought it would be fun to participate in one of Jessica Spragues online classes. This was a free one and I thought it would get me motivated on the rest of my Christmas projects. I love having a notebook or sketch book handy to write down all my ideas/thoughts...there is always one in my purse.

The first 2 days were The Cover and a Dedication page

The best part about Jessica's online class is she did all the work for everyone....everyone except me that is because I am a "Digi-moron" when it came to getting the pages she made to scale down. I decided to just work with what I know best...paper, and embellishments! I had all the paper and embellishments on hand so this is a $$ free project for me. She recommends a bigger journal, but I like the 5X8 size so I can throw it in my bag.

Let's see....what else have I been working on???

Tearing my house apart trying to decorate....

Posting some yummy recipes on Hayden's blog....

Thrifting and Treasure hunting! Man did I score some goodies this week!!

Handmade Holiday - How our journey began

2010-11-29T08:03:00.003-05:00

Post Edit...I have made a few explanations throughout this post to answer some emails...
As I mentioned yesterday, this is our 3rd year doing Handmade holiday. We are still evolving with this event and so far, I really like where it is going. Let me give you a bit of the background on how we got to where we are today.... This is a long Christmas story.....

I LOVE Christmas...I mean, I REALLY LOVE Christmas....like decorate my little house (approx. 3000 sq. ft) with at least 5 Christmas trees...change all the dishes in the kitchen over to holiday decorations...etc.

I DESPISE commercialized Christmas....I hadn't been to the mall or to the big box stores during Christmas for over 1 1/2 years until last year. When my older 3 children were little we went over the top every year with their gifts ~ and I always felt awful about it. I always felt like it was too much..and it was!..Yes, I am aware that it was my choice to buy those gifts....

My husband and I have always taught our Children (based on his Ukrainian heritage and my German/Irish heritage) about the story of St. Nicholas, the Magic of Christmas, the Christmas Spirit, and the gift of Giving.

As the years progressed with the older 3, we began to alter our gift giving strategy because we didn't like the excess and the 5 foot Christmas list (literally...) of toys that they didn't really need or want, but had seen commercials that made them crazy for that toy! We began to explain to them, that they could make their list as long as they wanted, but to really highlight the TOP 3 because ~ St. Nicholas brought children 1 present and it was always a handmade toy...and Jesus only received 3 gifts from the Wisemen....so, they would only be receiving 3 "toy" gifts from Santa and the rest will be Mommy/Daddy presents.

Fast forward to 3 years ago when we were fast approaching Christmas and all commercial toys were looking the same to me and my babies (Lily was just over 1 at the time) toys were all being recalled! Ta Da ~ handmade Christmas emerged into our lives...I had been reading in blogland about this concept and I adopted it and adapted it to our family.

We have tweaked it each year and thrown in a few challenges here and there...like NO big box store purchases last year....that was fun, and it didn't work because two kids wanted electronic items that we were forced to purchase at a major retailer!
Part 2 of our Story...The Gig is Up~Santa
As I mentioned earlier in this post, we have always taught our children about the real meaning of Christmas, and tried not to just focus on the Big Guy in a red suit! Last year I read a book called The Glass Castle, which is a true story and very moving. It brought a deep dark fear/belief of mine to a head for me no~my fear is NOT that I am crazy!....the mother who was TRULY crazy in this story had what I believed to be, a moment of brilliance, when she explained to her children that just because "Santa" didn't bring them tons of toys or ANY toys, it wasn't because they were less deserving or bad kids. She popped the Santa bubble for them because they were VERY poor and couldn't provide for their children what other children were being given. BUT she wanted her children to know without doubt, that they were worthy of the best in life. I give this woman credit for nothing more than the explanation of Santa For me...It brought to light the fact that I didn't want my children to think they were less worthy or bad because they didn't get TONS of presents from "Santa". I didn't want to go into debt to keep up with the Jones...I saw that at times we bought for our kids because we wanted them to have what "other kids" were getting - to be equal - to not feel like they were not as worthy. Our financial situation is obviously much better than the family in the book, but I don't like the way people put themselves into debt to give to their children, and I refuse to do so.... The recession brought a new twist to many families and for our growing family, with a small business in a small town, this was no different.

My older kids had already started to not believe, based on school and their age...So...I sat my three older children down and we talked about Christmas and Santa.... I never came out and said that Santa didn't exist, but we talked about whether or not we believed that Santa was a big guy in a red suit who came down the chimney? Did Santa bring their friends BIGGER gifts (say a pinball machine) because they were a better kid? ...Or was it just luck of the draw? ....Or was it because their parent had more means than we did? In the end we came to the conclusion that The Spirit of Christmas is where the real magic is, and spending countless hours as a family, making crafts and foods together ~ to share ~ is truly the beauty of Christmas.I recently mentioned in conversation that our older kids know the "truth" about Santa and one of the women I was talking to had the saddest look on her face and said "Awww..." but honestly, the truth has been quite wonderful. To me, to see my kids really embrace the spirit of Christmas and make it magical for the ones that they love ~ especially their little sister has been quite wonderful.

So we focus on Handmade, we give 3 Santa gifts, Mom and Dad give gifts that they may want and may need....no one is missing out! Etsy has been a wonderful treat for handmade shopping! Sometimes Santa and his little elves have to visit the box stores to produce one of their gifts - but Santa really loves the Internet so much better than the actual store!

PLUS...this is the reaction you get when you are really committed to your Christmas list!

Handmade Holiday 2010 - Yr. 3

2010-11-28T11:30:00.094-05:00

We will once again be doing Handmade Holidays at our house...this is our third year. Christmas has evolved over the years in our house and I really like where it is going. Please read tomorrow for a further explanation about how this holiday has become what it is today in our house....

No Crazy Black Friday shopping for us! We just had our first installment of Handmade Holiday this weekend! My in-laws come for Thanksgiving and we also did Birthdays and Christmas all at the same time...it is a Mega Holiday weekend. A bit stressful bringing it all together, but it works out great! We introduced our in-laws to Handmade Holiday this year..it was fun. My older nephew was not really on board, but my younger nephew loved it! The best part is that they participated in it fully!

Here are the Guidelines for our family...just in case your wondering...
1. You must make and give a gift to receive a gift.
2. If your an adult male who is unable to "craft" or "make" anything, you can purchase a handmade item.
3. Santa only brings 3 gifts to each child. (I will explain this in a later post)
Maybe I should have reversed the order of those guidelines...

For my In-laws we changed the rules a bit...
1. You must make a gift to receive a gift
2. Each individual had to make something...rule #1 had to be clarified a bit..
3. We will exchange one "family" gift that could be purchased.
**AND...we added a bit of fun to our event by having a "Tacky Sweater" contest with our gift exchange...**

We also like to throw a hitch or challenge in at our house..we like to attempt to make all gifts from items on hand - recycle or upcycle whenever possible. I have a competitive bunch here...lol.

We had a really good time! It was great to see everyone bring their creativity to the table. My sister-in-law broke the rules a bit by purchasing more than just ONE family gift. She purchased everyONE an individual gift. ...I did NOT.

our projects...hence why my camera got glued to the table. That darn *cancer glue* ate a hole in itself and leaked out onto the table where one of the kids had put my camera down "near" the glue. NOT a happy mama!!

Here are some of the pretties that my family has made! Pictures of all gifts made by each child...

Breeanna made a picture collage for her Grandparents, Duct tape wallets for her cousins, a bird feeder for her uncle and a picture holder for her aunt.

Lily drew pictures for her uncle and one cousin (the big envelopes hold the pictures), she hand rolled Fimo to make beads and then strung them into bracelets for her aunt and grandmother, and the CD envelope has a few "supplies" for her other cousin who likes to "make stuff" too...

Jacob made a bud vase for his aunt, a snake sculpture for his one cousin, a turtle paper weight for the other cousin and a jewelry tray for his grandmother. NOT PICTURED is a bird house for his uncle made from a barn we had on our farm.

My submission the event...Felted sweaters made into hats. These pictures are really bad because they were done at 2:30 in the morning....I used the body of one sweater for both of these hats, and an arm of another sweater for the one below. NOT pictured...two neckwarmers that I crocheted, one for my sisternlaw and for my mothernlaw

I AM VERY UPSET WITH MYSELF because in our rush to get everything wrapped and given out, I did not get pictures of the boxes that Hayden made for everyone. Using Cigar boxes he made a box to hold his cousins Xbox controller's, a treasure box for his other cousin. A jewelry box for his grandmother and a trinket box for his aunt, and a box to hold keys and change for his uncle. He did an excellent job on each of them.

Our family gift was a basket filled with food from Trader Joe's (they don't have one in NY where my in-laws live) and a cookbook of family favorite recipes with a subscription to Food Network magazine.

Our gifts in return were fleece pillows for the kids (the hand tied style) and a playing card holder for each kid made out of a jeans pocket. (The kids and their NY family love to play card games whenever they are together and apparently there is never a full deck of cards here.....no pun intended!) And homemade cookies and chocolates. Very yummy.... our family gift was "Just Dance 2" for the Wii....HOLY COW! That is funny!!!

FUN and laughter were had by all, I was a proud mama watching my children hand out their handmade wares and the joy that was on the faces of those receiving them made me even more proud!

Hayden won the Tacky Christmas sweater contest - and I won the Tackiest sweater of the night! Good times!!

Thankful Indeed

2010-11-25T11:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! May your day be filled with Blessings!!!

~ Heather

Giving Thanks - Silver Bella Edition

2010-11-24T11:00:00.000-05:00

I am a little behind on my Thank You's from Silver Bella and since I am offering a bit of Thanks every day this week....I thought I would include these wonderful women in my gratitude!!

I would LOVE to show you all the pictures that I have taken...but...my Big camera wont connect to the computer...so I used my little camera! Well... *somehow* my little camera got glued to the table....check back on Friday and you'll understand why! So I turned to my phone...took all the pictures AGAIN and the darn thing ATE the pictures! I can't find them ANYWHERE!!

Since, I am just so thankful for the Women and all the cute little things they gifted to me, I am going on with the post anyway! Here goes...

To my two lovely travel partners...
Pam ~ You have truly inspired me in many ways...many ways...
Sue ~ Thank you for taking me under your wing! It was a warm and cozy wing indeed!!

To my beautiful and gracious roommates....
Jen ~ thank you for all the wonderful little goodies you gave me ~ and thank you for not letting me put those cute little "lip glosses" on my lips! They are for painting, really??

Kathi ~ thank you for the lovely necklace! I have worn it several times so far...really appreciate it!

Terri! ~ Oh Terri...how I LOVE my cute little hat! I might even where it on Thanksgiving??? Just never know....and the goodies that were included with the fabulous hat....THANK YOU! I am a lover of Bingo cards and hankies!! Thank you for your help with the swap as well!

Kana ~ thank you for the box of toffee....it was DELICIOUS..thank goodness I was able to have a few pieces before my kids ate EVERY last bit!!

Kana and I on Vendor night...photo from her blog

Kim ~ Thank you for the lovely soap...I love lavender!! MMMM....thank you!

Shawn ~ Thank you for the yummy lavender sachet!

Jill G. ~ Thank you for the adorable milk container filled with chocolate! That was ADORABLE!! It will take a place in the holiday decor!

To my Swap partner Jill.....NO WORDS...JUST NO WORDS to express my incredible gratitude for my beautiful box filled with amazing goodies!! It literally brought tears to my eyes!
To my swap partner Susan ~ Thank you for the adorable vintage bag and tussy and all the other goodies!! So many to play with - thank you!

Michelle ~ Thank you for letting us have a sneak peak at your vendor goodies...I love you for that! :) And...my cute little key is still in my change pouch!

Suz ~ thank you for the little trinket you passed on to me in our Tea Cup Fairy Class

HOPE~thank you for getting me through our soldering class....I really couldn't have made it without you...literally...I enjoyed all our conversations and look forward to spending time with you again!

Jennifer ~ Thank you for my trinket in our Gilded Fairy Class!

JULIE B. ~ The Chocolate....MMMMMM....the chocolate! So yummy!!! Thank you for everything, I LOVED spending time with you!

Swiped this picture of Julie and Jennifer and I from Michelle's blog...thank you!

Roxie & Robin ~ Thanks for the laughs!!!

And to all the other Silver Bella Ladies....Thank you for making my first year a wonderful year! If you didn't see your name here ~ it doesn't mean I didn't LOVE YA!!

I did a little photo swiping to show you some of these ladies...so glad SOMEONE has pictures!

Offering Thanks ~ Part 3

2010-11-23T11:00:00.000-05:00

Image from The Graphics Fairy
Today I am having a difficult time picking just one thing to be Thankful for. There have been so many blessings bestowed upon me in life ~ not to be confused with having an "easy" life or that things have "come easy" to me in life.

I have worked hard, and I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to do so.

I have loved, and thankful for the broken hearts that brought me to my husband and blessed me with the four beautiful children that I have today.

I have been blessed with some degree of creativity and talent. I have been blessed to be a part of creative events and meet creative women. I am so thankful to have an outlet for all the ideas that are running around in my brain all day long!

I am blessed and thankful for the mundane...the Grocery Shopping, the laundry, the pick-up/drop off for sports practices, the house cleaning. Without these things it would mean no food to eat, no clothes on our backs, no home to clean and no little people in our lives.

Today I give Thanks for all the "Dailies" of my life....all the things we forget to be thankful for!

Thanksgiving Offerings ~ Part 2

2010-11-22T11:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes Blessings come in different packages...sometimes the blessings are not always wrapped in ribbons and pretty shiny papers.

This place is a blessing I never thought I would have to be Thankful for! Ronald McDonald houses offer a comfortable environment for those who are going through a very uncomfortable time. Our family has been fortunate enough to stay in one of their facilities....I say "fortunate" because they are sadly, always packed and difficult to get into, but without the Ronald McDonald house our family would have been separated for an extended period of time when we REALLY needed to be together.

I FIRMLY believe in this charity and always throw some extra change their way. You would be amazed how even a little bit of money can make a difference!

If you are feeling so inclined, please show some love and support to this wonderful charity!

Thanksgiving Offerings

2010-11-21T11:34:00.001-05:00

I have been blessed to be wrapped up in Silver Bella excitement for the past few weeks, but with Thanksgiving approaching this week I wanted to take some time to GIVE and be THANKFUL.

Things have been difficult since losing our business a few months ago, but we are still more fortunate than others and I will not ever forget that.

My blessings are abundant in life~Beautiful children, a home that keeps us warm and cozy and a husband who comes home from work every day.

I like to support charities that are in my own "backyard" so to speak and I like to give to charities that are important to me. Here is one that I want to share with you.....

Visit the Share our Strength website to see how you can help!

Silver Bella Part 1 ~ The Ladies

2010-11-17T10:03:00.000-05:00

Silver Bella was wonderful! I had so much fun ~ I came home with no voice...my excitement and wee bit of nervousness about being at this event made me partially crazy, lol. Being my first year and participating in swaps, worrying about my contributions to the swaps, packing and all the other extra stuff that goes on before hand had me pretty much in a frenzy the entire time I was there. I am sure that my little hummingbird wings were out the entire time!

This will be my first Silver Bella post...I want to showcase some of the wonderful ladies I met and then I will show you my projects...Some of these pictures are from other sources because I was so excited that I didn't really take many pictures!! Plus, I had to sacrifice my big camera for the sake of a crown that I needed to travel with. OH...the Silver Bella Sacrifices!

My classes were wonderful ~ I took classes from amazing teachers and stretched myself to learn a few new skills! I made wonderful new friends!

Jill and I...she is by far one of the sweetest people I have ever met! I LOVE her...and she was my swap partner for our inspiration box swap...INCREDIBLE!!! Hope Ellington, Jill Sibbald and myself. We were all swap partners in Heather's B/W petite inspiration boxes ~ Friday night was Vendor Night and "Hats on Parade"...Kaari Meng of French General...she is awesome!!!!! I am dying to go on the French Chateau trip with her. Charlotte Lyons...(Day one) I loved her class, it was fun ~ relaxing ~ and she is so sweet and down to earth!

There were many other wonderful women that I didn't get pictures of...guess I better go stalk some blogs and get some pictures!

2010-11-15T07:41:00.000-05:00

I have returned from the Fabulous Silver Bella!

I brought home so many great things....new friends, new skills, new ideas....and a little bit of a cold.

I have so many things to share with you....(not the cold of course) and plan on doing so tomorrow.

Right now, I have a excited little girl that is craving some one-on-one time with her mama and a slight bit of chaos to attend to in the house. Amazing what being gone for 4 days can do to your relatively clean house...

I will share this one picture with you...the smile on my face and the crown on my head are a definite indication of the fun that was had!

Just Listen....

2010-11-06T01:13:00.000-04:00

No words tonight...just listen......

Actually....you might need to scroll down and press pause on my play list to enjoy this beautiful song...

Hope your as inspired as I was by this song...

Sneaky....Peaky....

2010-11-04T23:47:00.000-04:00

I have surfaced for a moment to bring you a sneak peak of what I have been working on. In exactly 1 week from now, like right now, I will be attending Silver Bella and exchanging wonderful trinkets and goodies with fabulous women. I am over the moon excited...seriously....

Here are a few of the things that I have been working on. Hope you enjoy...

Back to work...

Inspired Ideas, Christmas Issue

2010-11-02T22:40:00.000-04:00

I am SOOO blessed and excited and over the top giddy....PLEASE take the time to look through it!
Amy Powers has put forth a tremendous amount of time on this - and it is absolutely beautiful!! Enjoy!

Open publication - Free publishing - More happy

Enjoy!

Halloween in a Nutshell

2010-11-02T22:28:00.000-04:00

Halloween is Over...I missed our last installment of Frightful Friday..Sorry!

Bonfires, Costumes, Costume Changes, Last minute plans...all in all...a GREAT Time!

Mr. Monopoly...completely his idea! Loved it!

A Billionaire....oh, how I wish we had one of those!!And...the cutest little Fairy in all the land!

We also had a 80's Teenager..but no pictures to show of it!

PS: This years costumes...total cost...under $20.00

2 Spectacular Events

2010-10-26T22:34:00.001-04:00

Saturday held Two spectacular events...One you have already seen a few pictures of and the other was my Beautiful *growing up way toooooooo fast* daughters Homecoming. she is a freshman this year....time is flying by!

She got ready with a girlfriend so I only have a two picture spread to show!! If I was in charge of picture taking....there would be MORE!

Because I have great friends....I have a few more pictures of my big event on Saturday to show you!

The Cat Eyes glowing from the upstairs windows...Very spooooky....

Beautiful picture of the Candlelight set table...

A full view of the lit table....

Full view of my outfit!...

Off now for a few days to complete some projects that I am way behind on....see you on Friday for our LAST Frightful Friday!

Divine Witches Dinner party 2010

2010-10-25T14:17:00.000-04:00

Please NOTE: I am NOT a witch, Nor do I believe in Witchcraft of any sort....this is a dinner party for my girlfriends during the Halloween season and we enjoy dressing up for the occasion!

Saturday night I held my annual Dinner party of the...

Divine Witches

My Mom...we were calling her the Silver Fox. She made this outfit from head to toe...the hat, the dress...everything!

This is "Esmerelda"...my mom created her and made every bit of her. My mother is a talented woman!

Me again.... I wanted to show you both the Day and Night versions of the pictures. This party is held outside under the stars and in this years case, under the Full Moon! The decor really takes on a new look at night. It is really very beautiful....if I do say so myself!
Drink Table

Drink table at nightOur photo tree during the Day...Night...Food Table at nightDaytime...Nighttime...This is what you look like at the end of the night.....lol.

Frightful Friday...Witchy Tea Party

2010-10-21T23:15:00.000-04:00

When did Friday get here so fast?????...

LET ME BE VERY CLEAR...I AM NOT A WITCH, NOR DO I BELIEVE IN WITCH CRAFT...WE HAVE THESE LITTLE "WITCH" PARTIES AS A FUN WAY TO GET TOGETHER WITH GIRLFRIENDS DURING THE HALLOWEEN SEASON....PLUS, IN THE WORDS OF "Olivia"..."NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION, IT IS ALWAYS BETTER WITH A COSTUME!"

This Friday, I bring you my Little Lily's very FIRST Witch Tea Party. She WAS SOOOO EXCITED!!

Frightful Friday Photos for YOU!

The Dining room...Goody bags...Table Settings for each little witch!

Frog Nests.....Lily decorated her own cupcakes! Love it...the girl handles her sprinkles like she handles her Glitter......HEAVY handed!!

Hope your having a Fun Frightful Friday!

Saturday night lends us two great BIG events...my annual Witch Dinner Party and my daughters first Homecoming as a Freshman!

Monday, Monday

2010-10-18T08:12:00.000-04:00

Ahh....Monday is here again! Monday always feels like complete madness around here...Getting everything cleaned up from the weekend and planned out for the week! As promised I have a heavy dose of last week...right here in this one post :)

We got "Ghosted"...we had never been ghosted before!

After visiting with a girlfriend last week who lives in a much tighter knit community than ours, Lily became fascinated with the ghost hanging on her door. After Jen explained it to Lily, it was all Lily could talk about....her fascination became an obsession!!

I was thinking I was going to have to "ghost" our own house just to make it happen for her! Luckily I have great friends and she ghosted us on Monday night...It was so fun! It was even more fun seeing how excited Lily was! She couldn't have been any happier.

We made a trip to the Pumpkin Patch....another first with Lily. Yes, she is 4....she prefers to grow her own or buy them at the local little market.

She is a silly child!

Last year she refused to go on her preschool trip to the pumpkin patch. She told me and everyone else who asked her that she had her own pumpkin patch in the backyard and didn't need to go! So there....lol. It was actually really tough, it was all part of her separation issues last year...remember, she quit school...at 3! This year we seemed to have turned a corner! YEAH!!!

My Finds Finds opened it's first booth at an Antique mall this week. I need a bigger space, but it is a start! I also need more shelving!

Yesterday we were Vendors at The Oyster Festival. It was an absolutely beautiful day, the best weather we have had in the 3 years we have done this festival! My phone died so there is not a picture to prove it! lol... We sold 3 of my mom's custom witch hats - that was great!! They are so beautiful! Hopefully she will be able to sell the last 4 she has before Halloween! You can see them over here.....My Fancy Finds blog

T on Tuesday

2010-10-12T23:42:00.000-04:00

Today is Tuesday

Today was torture...not really but it rhymed...and I did have to drive 2 1/2 hours each way to the Doctors for my son!

I have TOO much going on right now....

So, I am going to need TO....

Take a "Time out"...

"Tap out"...

Take a Break....

Tune in later....

Take a Breather....

Tell all my stories NEXT week!

I have so many fun things to share.....check in with me on Monday. Here is what will be on the list:

Getting "Ghosted"

A Festival that we are a vendor at this weekend

A little witch tea party

A trip to the pumpkin patch

My new booth at the Antique Mall

Monday Madness and a linky!

2010-10-11T20:48:00.001-04:00

I am feeling a little Monday Madness.....

My mother laughed at me and said I had a "Crazy-eye" going on today!

I was frantically working on a slew of projects!

Samples (prototypes...lol) for my final swap projects....purses, crowns, packets of trim and my arch Nemesis.....Millinery! I knew I was pushing myself on that one!!!

I FINALLY dropped off my invitations tonight for The Witches Divine Dinner Party! Just a little behind on that one.....they are, however, my favorites!! They consisted of two tags and a skeleton with a toe-tag for an address label.

I used several different mediums to make these tags; Tim Holtz stamps, a picture from The Graphics Fairy, Stampin'Up stamp, silk millinery flowers, ribbon, dollar store skeletons, artificial branches....and my absolute favorite...Glow in the Dark glitter from Martha Stewart!

I used this picture from The Graphics Fairy and am linking this to her...Brag Monday

I WANT to show you snippets from the other projects but I just can't....too much of a spoiler! I will say this...the Crown is shaping up to be AWESOME! I am in total trim heaven putting together my swap pieces for that....I can't wait for Silver Bella! Only 30 days until I will be in Omaha!

Frightful Friday..#2

2010-10-08T19:41:00.000-04:00

It is late, but it is still Friday! My Frightful Friday offering....Scarecrows!

We made Scarecrows yesterday with the cutest little people in the world! Lily had a few of her friends from school come over to join in the fun. There was a lot more stuffing going on by the parents than by the kiddos...but it was fun either way!

Our finished product....

Planning on finishing the front porch tomorrow...more pumpkins needed!!

Wednesday Whimsy

2010-10-05T23:40:00.000-04:00

..30 Minutes early

OK, technically it is still Tuesday for another 30 minutes but I need to get to bed! ;)

I am using my recent swap boxes as my Whimsy for this Wednesday!

They were all soooo great and full of whimsical and awesome Halloween goodies!

I loved them!

First let me show you the ones I made....

This was for LuLu....she likes her Halloween a little scarier than me..so I used a skull that was a little creepy to decorate her box.

Now these boxes started off as cardboard cigar boxes, available VERY inexpensive at a local smoke shop!

I painted, distressed and then dressed it all up!

My second box was done for Tabitha...she likes her Halloween a little Diva-licous!...just like me!

I had fun decorating her box with a blingy skull.

Sadly....her cute little crown came off before she made it to Tabitha!

Their boxes were so stuffed I could barely get them to shut!

I got the BEST swap boxes in return!! I will show you tomorrow...

Makeover Monday

2010-10-04T00:33:00.001-04:00

A little makeover for Monday!

Remember this horse collection that I picked up on a recent treasure hunt?

Well, here they are all made up and pretty in pink!!!

Here is the painting reframed in a frame that I picked up for .25 cents!! It was silver, I painted it PINK...of course. All of the horses were mine when I was little.

This is the brown plaster horse that had a beer cap as a hanger. Doesn't she look pretty in pink???This is yet another frame from a treasure hunt...it was a very strange golden brown but had the prettiest flower detail, which you can't really see in the picture. But, AGAIN...PINK makes it all much better!

I love Pink...and a can of spraypaint! Total makeover.....

$7.50

Good Ol' Mother Nature is giving our area quite the Makeover!! Check out this picture of the water at the end of our street! It is crazy around here....

9" total in 24 hours!

And, guess what??? It is POURING out again! Planning on raining for the next three days! Fine by me...plenty of time to be in The Glitter Lounge!

Frightful Friday

2010-10-01T10:31:00.001-04:00

Halloween is one of my FAVORITE holidays!! I always have lots of things going on this month because I can't get enough of it!!

I thought it would be fun to post Halloween creations - ideas - or clip art on Fridays throughout the month! Your welcome to join me...just link it back to my blog.

Here are a few pictures that I found in my stash of "found family"... use them if you like..I found them all a bit creepy. I do a fantastic witch dinner party every year and these type of pictures are used a lot. Invitations, place cards, etc. I even had some blown up last year and put them in old frames in our shop.

You should be able to save them and use them...but please show me the love and don't steal them and sell them...know what I mean???

15 Years and counting

2010-09-30T13:03:00.000-04:00

15 Years ago I married this guy...

I was passionately in love with him...
We met and married within 6 months....
Had a Honeymoon baby 9 months later...
We were young, in love and pretty broke...

I married this young Marine with a plan to live our lives madly in love, raise beautiful children and hold hands for the rest of our lives....

It really was the most beautiful day you could ask for...
I can still remember the feeling I had in the limo on the way back from the church.
It was like I was full - ready to BUST I was so happy!

It was perfection...
Married in the Historic Church where my parents were married.
HUGE reception with all our friends and family on the farm I grew up on.
Every picture of that day is filled with smiles and laughter...
It was beautiful, and I was so happy!

15 years later we are still living with Passion...not always the kind we started out with, but none the less, Passion.
We are raising four beautiful children...
And I am still completely full ....

Thank YOU Jerry Buhaj!
Happy Anniversary Honey!

Wednesday Whimsy

2010-09-29T09:51:00.000-04:00

I was playing around with my photo software the other night and discovered the cutest effect!

The original picture looked like this....she really did have a butterfly on her finger. It landed on her finger while we were watching a soccer game. Pretty cool....

Off to do real work now....

Sweet Mother of Treasure Hunting!!!

2010-09-26T20:24:00.000-04:00

She was smiling on me today!!! I mean...really smiling on me! I have been in search of a Vintage typewriter for some time now....not an all out treasure hunt, just keeping my eyes open. I found one 2 weeks ago but it had a hefty price tag - heftier than I was willing to pay after seeing multiple small children banging on the keys while I was in the store - so I passed on it.

Today my mom and went to check out a new spot...we were thinking of renting booth space to unload some of our treasures. We did some hunting and then stumbled upon a yard sale in the back of a thrift store!
Lucky for me, I have some finds to show on Southern Hospitality....it is her last week...boohoo....

I was browsing and finding some GREAT treasures! I almost walked right past it...but something about the case caught my eye. Maybe it was the $2.00 price tag....did I mention I am super thrifty when I treasure hunt????....but whatever it was, I cracked the case and Seriously, JUMPED!
I grabbed it off the table so fast I think I almost knocked my mother down! Look at it...isn't it beautiful!!! It isn't perfect, but darn close! Who needs perfect when you just want it for fun!!

Everything in the above 4 pictures, cost me a total of $22.00!!!

Then there were the Antique Mall finds...not quite as cheap but not too expensive either! Remember...I am pretty cheap when I am treasure hunting!

I scored LOTS of treasures this weekend (Thursday-Sunday).....
Vintage Jewelry box
Vintage mirrored dresser tray
BEAUTIFUL milk glass vase
Tea cup and saucers for tea sets
Multiple pieces of Rhinestone bling
Planters....and more planters....and more planters (all vintage)
Trim for my Silver Bella Swap
Wade collectibles for my kids
Fireking bowls
hankies

Pictures!!!

These are terrible pictures....but pictures! I just realized that my big camera is not working with our new laptop???

Spanky & the Nose

2010-09-23T11:20:00.001-04:00

I have a little problem...

See it????

My nose piercing has some sort of little gross bubbly blood blister going on....it barely looks like anything in this picture, but I assure you, it has gotten WAY worse than this! I couldn't bear taking a picture of it...YUCK! I am hoping it will get better in the next day or so!

I went to see Spanky....he pierced me....I asked if I could take his picture, he said NO....

I didn't argue...

So, what is the problem??? Too much cleaning, irritated the site and he said I am a little "stressed" and that can cause issues with healing....

Good advice Spanky!

Weekend Treasure Hunting

2010-09-20T10:47:00.000-04:00

I am jumping in on a little blog I found recently. I love seeing everyones thrifty finds! Unfortunately, I read this morning that next week will be the last time that she is doing this for the year....sigh.....always late to the party!!

I have a few favorite "Treasure" spots that I like to visit on a regular basis and we hit them over the weekend.

Honestly, I like to go on Thursday - before all the 9-5 people come out on the weekend! Sorry...being a bit greedy....lol.

These three little treasures are actually a 2-parter because I am changing them up to fit into Lily's room. She is totally loving horses right now and wants to start taking Riding lessons (thank you!!!) So...I just rearranged her room this weekend and added these pieces. I will show you the after picture tomorrow....you will be suprised!

The one picture is painted on canvas (easy to pop out of that gross frame) and the other two cost me $1 each!

I love these little vintage ornaments....I don't think I will be keeping all of these. I have some plans for them! They were about to make their way out to a yard sale the Antique store was having. See....being early pays off!

Last but not least...I found these babies! No pun intended!! But the shoes are in their original box and even have the date of someone's christening!

The trim is vintage cotton lace! The trims only cost me .25 Cents!

I spent about $15.00 for everything....