Another giveaway today - check out Lisa Leonard's blog for a gift you will "L-O-V-E"!!http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/blog/hello-monday/hello-monday-giveaway#comments

Hey, got a great link for anyone who loves to support crafters and artisans AND WIN STUFF!- check out the Wiegand's Giveaway!http://www.thewiegands.com/2012/01/group-giveaway-day.html

V and Co: on the radio: with mark lipinski of creative mojo

V and Co: on the radio: with mark lipinski of creative mojo

I had the pleasure of listening to Vanessa today on my first experience with Creative Mojo's Mark Lipinski - great stuff! Check out his online radio show Wednesdays at 3 pm - go to Toginet.com.

Reflections on this winter we are having!

I must say this has not been a terrible winter thus far here in Fowler, Indiana, but it certainly has been very changeable! One day it goes from 30 to 55, then overnight it storms like in middle of summer, following by plummeting temps the next day and then snow. Well, then it warms up enough to spark more thunderstorms and melts the snow, then it gets cold again! It is a wonder we don't all have pneumonia! And this is all happening in January!!! Kind of makes one wonder when and if the other shoe will drop, and we will finally get winter. I kind of hope not. I have been spending an inordinate amount of time surfing the internet and discovering all kinds of great blogs and crafty websites lately. Getting lots of ideas and inspiration, but it occurred to me today that I should get off the computer and get busy crafting myself! I need to get organized and start making purses, and get my shop up and running on ETSY. Plus, in my web exploration, I found a few contests I would like to enter, all of which require me to actually MAKE SOMETHING!!!!!!!!! Two of the three contests involve making purses, and the other is kind of an art quilt. A lot to bite off, which is not surprising for me, so we will see what happens. The next few months are going to fly by, I am sure, because I want to fit in a trip to Tennessee to see my granddaughters Sarah and Madi, as well as my daughter Jennifer. Plus, we want to go to Michigan if we can for birthdays for our other grandchildren Seraphine, Warrick and Rowan, in February, March and April. And, our 18th anniversary is February 12. And, I will need to be working on the flowers for my friend Megan's wedding coming up in May. Phew, I am getting exhausted already. Then, Steve and I are planning to take our first ever real vacation together in July while he is off during SIA's shutdown. We are having a bit of trouble planning it because it has to be somewhere we can also take Emma - too bad most places don't allow pets - Emma is nicer than some people I know so that makes it very unfair in my estimation!!!!  Speaking of Emma, the precious puppy girl spends most of her time sleeping on my lap, or draped across my shoulder while she perches on the back of the couch. Today, she threw up on me - it ran down my back - ick!!! Not sure what was going on with her, but she seems ok now.  Steve also has some races he wants to run, including his first marathon probably in October up in Detroit.  So, methinks I need to get up off the couch and do something!!!! I still haven't finished unpacking from our move in August, but as I already chronicled in earlier posts, life had been full of some pretty significant stressors, the biggest one of which was the illness and death of my momma a little more than two months ago now.  I seem to have slumped into a bit of depression over that and I know I need to get myself up and over that hump, with the help of the Lord and my wonderful hubby.  I have also gotten much comfort from my frequent conversations with my sister these past several months.  I feel closer to her than I ever have, which is wonderful!   I just heard the familiar sound of my turn coming up on Words with Friends that I am playing with several people on Facebook.  Here's hoping for productivity to TAKE OFF pretty quickly in my house.

Some blogs and websites to check out!!

I have been exploring the internet, and have come up with a list of  crafting sites that are worth checking out. I will add more as I find them. Have fun!

www.papernstitchblog.com
www.psimadethis.com
www.crafterhours.blogspot.com
www.thecraftingchicks.com
www.vanessachristenson.com
www.sewmamasew.com
www.blogalacart.com

Thankful for Dr. King

Today is Martin Luther King Day. I remember that fateful day so many years ago when Dr. King was gunned down. I was only thirteen years old at the time, but I was old enough to realize the significance of that event and I was old enough to understand that there was a real problem in our country with regard to relationships between the races. I always felt that there should not be such division, even as a youngster. Over the years, as I matured as a Christian, I found myself continually wondering why people can't get along - if only we could all treat one another with respect and love and compassion, as Jesus charges us to do, things would be so much better! Thank you, Dr. King, for your vision, your dream, your faith and your commitment to breaking down that division. So, I need to give an update concerning the goals I set for yesterday. I DID get my Christmas decorations packed away, and I managed to unpack ONE box (to make room for some of the Christmas decorations), and got SOME laundry done. I am working on laundry again today (though I do find myself wondering how two people generate so much). For the remainder of the week, I will commit to emptying two boxes per day as another goal, and in doing that, I will make progress toward setting up my creating space so I can work toward getting my purse making business under way!! I am excited to report also, that I started working on our tax return today - much earlier than before, because we got our W-2 forms already!!! I still have a couple of things to add as soon as I receive some forms I need, but hopefully will have taxes complete by the end of the month. Woo Hoo! I have been exploring lots of websites and blogs lately, and want to list a few of my favorites so far. They are primarily crafter's blogs. Check them out!

Getting back to the business of living!

Well, it is Saturday morning and I find myself sitting on the couch like I do most mornings, with my puppy Emma either stretched out on my lap or lying across one shoulder looking like she is watching what I am doing. Steve is sleeping, in fact, I should still be asleep too since I waited up for him and we didn't get to bed until about 5 am. I have been checking my email, Facebook, playing Words with Friends, and basically just killing time til Steve wakes up. Something hit me a while ago, and I am sitting here feeling terrible about it. We have been "celebrating" our "monthly anniversary" every month since we got married, almost 18 years ago. It has become somewhat of a competition to see who remembers first, and we have each gone to great lengths to "win" - one time I got up in the middle of the night and wrote Happy (whatever month like 120 months) Anniversary on the bathroom mirror in lipstick, so when he got up I would have already positioned myself to be the "winner"!! Anyway, for whatever the reason, we both forgot on Thursday, the 12th. That is the first time I think we have actually forgotten since we got married!!!!! Anyway, he is still the love of my life, my hero, best friend, encourager, you name it!!! Now Emma is snoring on my shoulder. What a dog! I love her so much - her presence brings me such calm and peace. She is going to be 8 years old in April. Hard to believe she has been with us for that long. Sure hope she is with us for a long time still! I still find myself lacking enough motivation to finish unpacking boxes and organizing the house. We have been here since August 5. Now I have to say it is not because I am lazy, though sometimes I do need to be more active than I am. I hadn't been here a month before I went to Michigan for 6 weeks to be with my momma who was starting to decline. After I went back home, the next month found me almost paralyzed as I spent hours on the phone checking in with mom, my sister, mom's caregivers who were required after I left, and worrying so much about my momma, I couldn't get anything done. Then, on November 18 I rushed back to Michigan in time to tell her I loved her before she passed away on November 20. And, ever since then, I have struggled to keep going. I dissolve into tears without warning a lot of the time. I miss her so much. Now both of my parents are gone - Momma died just ten days before the one year anniversary of my dad's passing. Steve has been incredibly supportive during this tough time, but I know that I need to pull something out of somewhere to get up and get going with my life. I need to get my sewing room organized, or even somewhat organized, so I can start sewing and making the purses I want to sell on Etsy. I think putting this out here in print is going to help me. Anyway, today I will set down a couple of goals for the weekend and then hold myself accountable and get back on my blog Monday and report my progress. My goals are: 1. Finish putting away the Christmas decorations. 2. Catch up on the laundry. 3. Empty at least two boxes. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Giveaway by Marie Madeline Studio

Well, just realized I forgot to say that Marie Madeline Studio is having a giveaway RIGHT NOW!! You can win some great fabric by Tanya Whelan as well as her book, "Sew What You Love". So, again let me encourage you to check out their website!! Annette

Marie-Madeline Studio

Want to let you know about a great website you need to check out. A friend of mine, Kristie Long and her four daughters have a website offering amazing fabric, patterns they design, tutorials, as well as selling their creations which include purses and very cute clothes, and occasional giveaways. Marie-Madeline Studio is one of my favorite sites to go to when I am looking for fabric I don't see in the fabric store! The selection is wonderful and their prices are good too (and they often have sales!!) They also have a great blog and a shop on Etsy. I am trying to figure out how to add a button to my blog for them, but in the meantime, go to their website, http://www.mariemadelinestudio.com/. Happy New Year, everyone!!

http://www.wherewomencreate.com

This is a great website for fellow "sisters in crafting". Check it out!

In my earlier post I erroneously referred to Greg and Mel's three adorable GRANDCHILDREN when I meant MY adorable grandchildren!!!!!!

Pics of Wool Felt Christmas Tree

Crafting again!!

While my step-son Greg, his wife Mel and their three adorable grandchildren were with us for Thanksgiving (providing me a much appreciated temporary distraction from my Momma's funeral up in Michigan the day before, I decided to make a wool felt Christmas tree using a kit that had arrived while I was up in Michigan. It is from www.joggles.com, a website I simply LOVE - it is full of wonderful ideas and products, and is run by a delightful woman named Barbara. Mel and I worked on our trees together, and after they left I finished mine. I am posting pictures here for you to see. I am going to make a few more for gifts because they go together really quickly. Check out the website for the tutorial that will show you exactly how to do it. Embellishment possibilities are endless!!!

Been a tough year

I decided to get back on here and talk about my parents. On December 1, 2010 my wonderful dad passed away at the age of 92 after a long battle with Parkinson's. He and my momma had just moved into a really nice assisted living facility just two weeks before he passed away. I believe he wasn't concerned about himself at that point (because he did NOT like it there!!), but was more concerned about my momma being in a place where she would be content and not alone. They had been married almost 67 years when he passed. Momma had a rough time initially but gradually got used to the place and actually started to enjoy herself a little. She made a few friends there, but really depended heavily on daily visits from my sister and frequent visits from my two brothers, and daily phone calls from me because I was the only one not living twenty minutes away. I spent time with her right after Daddy died, then came back at Easter this year when we committed Daddy's ashes to the memorial garden at the church we grew up in. Momma felt the other folks in the assisted living facility were jealous of her because of her daily visitors and very frequent lunch outings with my sister!! At the end of August this year, Momma suffered a heart attack, and though it was not severe (she did not realize she had one), it started a downhill trend for her - she was hospitalized four times in 6 weeks for various issues, and each hospitalization took its toll on her. After the fourth visit (at that point I had been up living with her in her apartment taking care of her), the family decided that Hospice would be a good alternative for Momma, to keep her out of the hospital and manage her various issues as they came up. It worked well, but she continued to decline. I spent six weeks with her, and finally went home just before Halloween to tend to some doctor appointments of my own. I had intended to ride back up to Michigan with my step-son and his family following their visit to us for Thanksgiving. On Friday morning, November 18, learning of a sudden and scary turn for the worse in Momma's condition, I threw clothes in the car and drove up as fast as I could go - about 80 mph the whole five hour trip. I arrived at 8 pm, to my momma's delight as she then knew all four of her children were surrounding her. We talked for a few minutes and I had a chance to tell her I loved her. About a half hour later, she fell asleep and for the next 30 hours remained that way. I sat up Friday night holding her hand and reading a book, then Saturday my sister and two brothers and I held vigil around her bedside, talking, laughing, sharing stories and playing some of my momma's favorite hymns. Saturday night I again camped out next to her, rubbing her foot, praying over her, and then I nodded off for just a short while. When I awakened, she had rejoined my daddy in heaven. She passed away just ten days short of the one year anniversary of my daddy's passing and twenty days before her 94th birthday. So in the course of a year, I suddenly find myself without my parents. They adopted me when I was three months old, and I have continually thanked the Lord for bringing them into my life fifty-six years ago, for giving me a loving home and three fabulous siblings who were born after I was adopted. (You see, my momma had three miscarriages and thought she would never have a baby, so they adopted me. Then, one year later and then five and six years later, my brothers and sister were born!) I miss them both so immensely - I rejoice in the knowledge that they are reunited in heaven, and that I will see them again one day. But for now, I deal with the pain and the loss - I keep thinking I need to call momma to check on her as I did daily and sometimes twice daily. My sister is going through the same thing because she was with her daily and in contact constantly. She was our momma's angel, though she would humbly deny that!!! My prayer would be that if your parents are still alive, embrace them and love them and enjoy them while they are here!!!!

www.postconsumers.com

Hey,just realized I posted under comments instead of a regular post. Be sure to read the comment under the information about www.postconsumers.com, an interesting new website I just found tonite.

Postconsumers.com - Get Satisfied Cartoon Gallery by Mike Swofford

Postconsumers.com - Get Satisfied Cartoon Gallery by Mike Swofford

Steve's Honduras mission trip

This morning at church, Steve and the team he led to building a house in Honduras the week in July, spoke during the entire sermon time at both services, recounting their experiences. I cried during both services as I listened to the ways in which each person had been touched his or her time there. One of the young women, Katie Hands, put together an awesome video of pictures put to music. I will try to figure out a way to put it up so everyone can watch it. It was AMAZING! One of Steve's stories which he had forgotten to tell me, gave me goose bumps and made me cry as well. Back in 2005 when he was spending the entire year living in Honduras, he saw some really tough things. One was a horrific accident during a rainstorm, that he came upon immediately after it had happened. A semi and a pick up had collided head-on, and there were bodies in the roadway. At first he thought they were crash dummies, but as he drove past he could see that they were real people, people who had died in the wreck. I won't go into the gory details, but suffice to say, it was a scene that he has never been able to erase from his memory. While on this trip and building the house, he was working beside a young Honduran man who had a big scar on his arm. Scott, one of the missionaries who lives in Honduras and who, along with his wife, are good friends of ours, told Steve this guy had trouble with his arm due to a terrible accident he had in 2005. Steve knew this young man was a cousin of Caloi, the man for whom the house was being built, and that Caloi had some relatives who had died in 2005 in an accident. Long story short, the man named Will, turned out to be the only survivor of this accident. He had been driving the truck and had been thrown from the vehicle, and was very likely one of the people Steve saw in the road that day. Steve was dumbfounded by this connection, and then realized that God had a plan for him to be one of the first witnesses on the scene that day, because five years later, He would have him working side by side this man. Steve talked with him about that day, and the young man explained what had happened and that he was the only survivor of the accident, that he had lost control of the truck in the rain. He appreciated the compassion Steve showed him, and it seemed to do him some good to talk about it that day. God is an amazing God, and has the ability to make connections we have no idea are possible!!!! The team was so affected by their experiences in Honduras, that they are already planning to return next year, some of whom plan to have a vacation Bible school of sorts for the tons of kids that will be around. I hope to make that trip myself, as they are thinking of going in May. Today, I am grateful for my husband, who ten years ago, started praying the Prayer of Jabez, in which Jabez asks the Lord to widen his territory or give him more responsibility, and was promptly given an opportunity to do a short term mission trip in Honduras. That trip changed his life and he felt called to serve the people in Honduras, so much so that we will very likely retire there someday to be full time missionaries. I challenge everyone to listen for God's call in your life, because He surely has great things planned for each one of us if we will only stop planning our own lives, and listen for His plan for us.

Here I go with my blog!!!

So I have decided to become a blogger. Not sure how much time I will be able to devote to this, but I will give it my best shot. I like to think of myself as a creative person, and the first thing I will be talking about, is a website called Marie-Madeline Studio. This is a company run by a friend of mine who used to live in Tipton, Kristie Long. She and her beautiful daughters now live in Missouri and they started a company to sell beautiful fabric and they design their own patterns for clothing and purses, and they also sell their custom made creations. Right now they are having a fabulous giveaway of a gorgeous collection of 21 fat quarters. Check out the website, or their Facebook Page, and you too can enter to win. Of course, I hope to win myself!! As my blog title implies, one of the things I plan to do each time I blog is to give thanks for something or someone in my life. For this first blog, I have to give thanks to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for giving me my fabulous life!!! His plan is my plan - I love Him and try to live each day for Him. I thank Him for His sacrifice on my behalf! My favorite Bible verse is Phillipians 4:13 which says "I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me". Until next time, be creative in your own ways!!