~* I can't wait any longer *~

It is only 10:30 New Year's Eve & I can't wait any longer.... to sleep or to give the first gift. :)

The poll is still open ~ so if you haven't voted, please do. I have plans to make this a year of giving. Based on the poll so far, it seems most of you want patterns here on my blog. So, I will give mostly patterns here.... but will still give some of the other things too. Watch for drawings or some sort of contest for those goodies.

My first gift pattern to you is simple. I have had my 5 yr old on my heels all week because school is out for Winter break. We went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks today... but have had a full week of sharing together.

***A note on the patterns, please use them in any medium you want. Feel free to reduce or enlarge them to what you need. Feel free to sell your finished items - in limited quantities on Ebay (or other online sites) or small craft shows. Please do not sell the pattern. Please do not mass-produce items with the pattern either. Also, please give credit for the inspiration/pattern to the designer, me.... Betty Dekat aka primitivebettys.***

I will put the patterns here on my blog, but am also filling an album on my picture trail (link is to your left) for easy access to them all should you not be able to find/search for them on my blog. I would love to have another album there to display YOUR finished goods too. Send me a picture to share with everyone! :)

So.... without further delay.... here is your first pattern gift!

~* Hearts Pair 1857 *~



I thought it would be nice to plan a little in advance for Valentines Day ~ hence the hearts. But also... as many of you know.... the skeleton key & year of 1857 seem to follow me along in the things I do.

I hope you approve of the first gift. Please keep watching for more ~ many more. Have fun & be creative!!

Warm smiles to you,
Betty

~* A New Year *~

My best wishes in the New Year to you all! May you have more joy than you can imagine in 2008!

I have been thinking of my resolutions. It has become quite a list! One thing that I want to do.... is to give more. Of course that isn't the only thing on my list.... but this one concerns YOU! I want to give more to YOU this year! You may be asking, "What are you going to give?" Well..... I don't know exactly yet. However, you will find your gifts or how to get your gift HERE - on my blog!! Check out the poll & leave your best choice. Then check back often!

In the meantime.... have a great New Years celebration & be safe.

Hugs and smiles to you,

Betty

~* Merry Christmas! *~

In the next few days many of us will be rushing from one home to another to celebrate with family and friends. Because we will be so busy, I wanted to post a Christmas wish for you a few days early.....

May you all be blessed with joy and merriment... may you all be surrounded by your loved ones if not in body, but in spirit... and may you all make happy memories to cherish for a lifetime.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you!

Warm smiles to ya.... Betty

~* 1st Snowfall of the Season *~

Hello All! It is snowing here!!! We had a big ice storm last week & now we have snow.... it just must be Winter! With Christmas so close, it makes me wonder if we will have a white one.

Trinity wanted to build a snowman, but the snow isn't packing yet. We still went out to run around in it for awhile.... I am sure we will be back out again later in the day to try one more time for that snowman!

Trinity trying to catch snowflakes on his tongue...



His snow angel.....



My snow angel....



Mom, I am cold!



Stay warm & cozy! Smiles, Betty

~*It is COLD on the prairie*~

I bared the cold & stepped out in the backyard to snap this picture for you. It is a COLD 19 degrees here! We are getting freezing rain & expecting more throughout the week. It is a good time to stay in, sip cocoa, watch movies with the family, and do some tiny stitches!

Here is a picture of my latest needle book. It will be listed on Ebay tonight. I have a few more almost finished. One is for a gift so I can't show it yet. These are fun to make & a nice way to display a cross stitched piece.




Stay warm! Smiles, Betty

~* Our Start of Holiday Decorating *~

My son, Trinity & I started our holiday decorating last night. We strung cranberries and popcorn, hung tiny candy canes, and dug in my old trunk to find our treasured bears.

Our 'olde tyme' tree (yes, it stands a little crooked too) ~





His button says 'Merry Christmas'.



A close up of the garland. Trinity said this was sort of like the A B pattern his teacher told him about at school.



This weekend we will be working on the big tree & lights outside.

~*Holiday Shopping*~

Hello my dear friends! How is your holiday shopping coming along? Are you finding some good deals? Follow this link for some important shopping information!



http://mysite.verizon.net/vze201j5/countdown.htm


Now, ya know.... I am feeling the pressure too! We have started our shopping, but are no where near the end of the list! We did not go out on Black Friday, but we did enjoy a little online shopping on Cyber Monday.

Enjoy your shopping & be safe in your travel and with the rushing crowds!

~* I am so HAPPY! *~

We have it almost finished! I have some 'touch-ups' on the paint to do & hubby has a little patching left on the floor. Then, of course, I have to hang the rest of our things.... but our living room is just so wonderful! I feel like the luckiest girl around to have such a wonderful place to 'hang out'! Not to mention.... I am blessed to have such a gracious & loving husband to have made it all possible!!

Here is how the room looked before..... see the green carpet & plain 'ol white wall.....





Now.... here is how it looks now! We painted the walls a nice golden~tan & put down wood laminate flooring. We re-arranged the placement of the furniture (putting the big TV on the opposite wall). Oh... and the sofa, chair, and ottoman are BRAND NEW!





I still have lots of my things to put away & hang on the wall. Here is one of my favorite spots. The cupboard holds my vintage pinkeep collection, my sheep collectibles, and my white ironstone. The two little baskets on the top are hand-made that I purchased at a local antique/junque store last weekend for a total of only $7! The cupboard was found at a garage sale for $40. The olde sled and bunny lamp were gifts to me from my loving Momma.



This is our kitchen. When Tony took the baseboards off to install the new floor, he found a piece of paper sandwiched between the board & wall. On it was the signature & date of the previous owner, Mr. B.E. Sowers. It was dated Dec. 1970. Mr. Sowers obviously but a lot of sweat & love into building his home. It was charming to find a personal touch like this. What did my hubby do with it? He added his own signature & date ~ then placed it right back were it was.

I still have some decorating to do on the top of the cupboards. I am wanting to add a little 'cut work' paper trim to hang over the edge. Maybe I can get it finished up next week.... along with putting everything else away.



To add to my joyous weekend.... my Mother-in-Law called me wanting to know if I knew anyone interested in purchasing her Hoosier cabinet. Well.... YES, I sure did! Here it now stands proudly. Mary (my sweet MIL) knows that I love the vintage red & white things. She gave me her spice set when we picked up the cupboard. How sweet is that?! The Dutch Girl String holder belonged to Tony's Grandma. She has the perfect spot to hang now too.



I wanted to get some pics posted for you all to see...... really, I do feel lucky & blessed with this new change and all the love my husband & family have given me. Watch for more pics coming soon as I get the rest of our things put away.

In the meantime..... please have a Happy Thanksgiving! Be safe in your travels & don't eat too much pie!

Smiles,
Betty

~* Artisan Tan *~

So beige is not real exciting..... but painting our livingroom is! We are also getting new wood laminate flooring! AND...... our new sofa will be delivered next Tuesday! We have lived happily in our home for just over a year now. Our home is a 1970's humble ranch ~ that we do LOVE! However, it is still decorated with 1970's decor..... complete with avocado green carpet, 'stone' print linoleum, and gold specks on the counter tops. The livingroom changes are the first on our list & will take most of our time this coming weekend...... but it will be worth it!

Watch for photos next week.... both before & after!

Early Holiday Greetings to You!

With Thanksgiving just a few weeks away and Christmas less than two months off...... we are all going to be gloriously busy. May you all have happy, healthy, fun-loving times with the up coming holidays. Treasure your family and friends & cheerish each and every moment.

I am still trying to get ready for the Holiday Gathering that is this coming weekend and haven't had much to put up for auction. This is my latest sampler....



I have this one listed on Ebay right now as part of the BLESTB Colonial Yuletide launch. If you haven't been by to view all the fabulous offerings.... get over there and look! WOW! Everyone has put up some stunning work!

Peace be with you all.....

Betty

Kids can be so cute!

Yup.... this turtle came from me! Trinity and I had a great time Trick or Treating on Halloween. We walked all over our little town & were out for almost two hours! We have way too much candy.... but he had a great time getting it.

The funny thing about this picture.... when I was transferring it from our digital camera ~ I looked at it real close. Through the breathing hole in the turtle's teeth I can see his own pearly whites. He was giving Mom a great big smile as I was taking the photo!

HERE YE HERE YE ~ MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW!

This Thursday, November 1st is The update on The Primitive Gatherings website. There will be lots of goodies to see & shop for. I will be offering up more needle punch dollies and a little samper. You can find the link on the left to get you there... :)



Also.... thus coming Sunday, November 4th is the scheduled launch on Ebay for BLESTB. I am working up another sampler special for the launch, but you won't want to miss all the offerings from these talented stitchers! Search Ebay by putting in the letters BLESTB. :)



(BTW.... don't ya just love this banner? It was made by Shelly of primitive-stitchin.)

Now.... I have to get back to feverously working on items for the show in Baldwin City, Kansas on November 9th & 10th. Hey.... if you are going to be in this part of Kansas and want to stop by.... drop me a line and I will get you directions!!

Bye for now.... Betty

~* Belsnickle and Ginger *~

Yes.... the third in the series is ready. Belsnickle and Ginger are a darling duo ~ perfect for the holidays. Each dolly is about 8 inches tall and reach about 5 inches from hand to hand. These two have a little wider body than the others so far.... this allows you to put a little pocket on their backs. What is the pocket for? You could put your list for Santa, tuck in a small candy cane, or even a gold coin. Adding the decorations to these are so much fun.... rust bells, sweet annie, olde keys, vintage buttons ~ whatever your heart desires. Also, I have seen Santa's in so many different colors. It would be great fun to make a whole collection ~ red, blue, green, and gold ~ then display them with your other seasonal decor. The pattern will be listed on Ebay soon.... but is also available directly from me. $10.00 plus $1.50 travel fare

Enjoy & have a warm, beautiful day!

Stitchin' they day away.....

That is how I have been spending this beautiful, Fall Sunday! I just finished this olde lookin' sampler.....




I love the way this one turned out. It is stitched on a 30 count linen with single strands of cotton floss. I didn't use a pattern ~ instead, I stitched like the young girls would have done so many years ago. Then ~ so it would like like it was made way-back-when ~ I aged it will lots of love.

This one will be listed on Ebay tonight ~ starting at about 8:30 central time. (The link to my Ebay offerings is on the left.)

Mirror Mirror On the Wall......

One thing I love to collect are old mirrors. My favorite are those with simple frames & worn silvering. I love to think about who gazed into them & how long ago it may have been. Who were these people? What were their lives like? Were they beautiful? Were they hard-working? Were they happy? So many questions come to mind as I admire my simple collection.

I don't have a photo to show.... it is very difficult to take a picture of a mirror. The ones in my collection have all been very inexpensively purchased.... some even given to me so the previous owner didn't have to throw them away. My very favorite is one from my Mother and Father-In-Law. It is a cut tombstone shape with some etching along the top. There are holes in the glass for hanging... maybe it was a bathroom vanity mirror. The silvering is almost half gone from it. They found it leaning up against the wall of an old shed when they moved into their home years ago. If I had to put an age on it, I would probably say it was from the 1920s. It is hanging proudly above our bathtub. Really it is too small for the area in which it is hung..... but I feel it makes a statement there. Hanging there it represents my thoughts of how I feel about these olde, forgotten items.

Next in the series is ready....

Kindly meet Miss Purrudence and Miss Briar May Bell..... a pair to warm your heart during these cool, crisp Fall days.



The pattern is now available ~ either through Ebay or email me directly. (click the link on the right to go to my Ebay listings)

I am working my fingers to the bone getting the other dolls works up & still trying to get things ready for my up-coming show. What would life be like if it wasn't busy? Boring, I think.

Have a blessed day!

~** Chicken Soup **~

As the weather cools..... here is something to warm you from the inside.



Homemade Chicken Soup

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I used two full breasts.... keep a large bag frozen in the freezer at all times.) Cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium stalk celery, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 1/2 cups baby carrots
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
5 cans Campbell's chicken broth (Collect those labels for your local school!)
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup Rotini noodles



1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken enough to brown.

2. Mix all ingredients EXCEPT peas & noodles in the Crock-Pot.

3. Cover and let cook on low heat for about 7 hours.... until veggies are tender & chicken is cooked through.

4. Rinse peas to separate. Stir peas & noodles into soup. Turn the heat up to high & cook for another 15 minutes.... until noodles are tender.

This will make about 4 serving. It is healthy for the body & soul.

Anyone that knows me .... knows that I am not a Grand Chef by any means, but I did make this tonight & it was SUPER GOOD! It is nice to let the Crock-Pot do all the work too.

Happy Eatin' my friends!!!!

Blestb 'Harvest Moon' Launch

It is only a few days away.... Sunday, October 7th on Ebay!! There is sure to be plenty to please the eye!!

Good Monday Morning to you!!!!

Ok... so I am posting this on Sunday night.... I am just so durned excited!!! Monday, October 1st is my debute on The Primitive Gathering website & it is such an honor! Please, take a look at all these talented artists and their stunning offerings!! (the link is on the left)



While you are there... be sure to sign up for the Autumn Gift Away. You could win one of many fabulously-prim prizes!

Also.... I would like to give a BIG THANK YOU to my friend Deena. She is the webmaster for Primtiive Gatherings, the leader of our Ebay group, and the one that has added the 'frosting' to my picture trail(link is also on the left). I updated it the other day... but it was really like just plain ol' chocolate cake - yummy... but needs more sugar. Now it has the 'sweetness' added to it! Oh ya.... Deena's web name is SweetAnnee. Be sure to visit her web site... you will be D*E*L*I*G*H*T*E*D!

http://www.sweetannee.com/

I have a serious confession to make......

I am so addicted to candy corn! I can eat it by the bag full!!



The very BEST way though.... is to make Fall Trail Mix! Here is what ya need....

1 (or 2) bags candy corn.... remember Brach's is the BESTEST
1 medium size bag of plain M&Ms
1 jar of dry roasted peanuts
1 cup of raisins

Now... how fattening do you think this is? It is just soooooo yummy though!!!

My son loves to pick the M&Ms out and only eat them.... that is okay with me ~ because that leaves more of the candy corn for me!

Fall is officially here!

Isn't it great?! Sunday was the first day of Fall & it was in the 90s here. That wasn't so great! We spent the day at the Renaissance Festival in Bonner Springs, Kansas. We did have a fun family day.... but were ready to get back to the a/c! Now, this morning when I got up it was only 47 degrees. The high this afternoon is only going to be in the upper 70s. Now that is just perfect to me!

I have been keeping my fingers busy. Saturday I finished hooking a mat for my Primitive Gatherings debut. Then, for the 2 hour car ride on Sunday, I started another cross stitch. It is now ready to be assembled today. My good friend Sher gave me some green linen that arrived in the mail yesterday.... so last night, I started yet another cross stitch. Because the linen is green.... it makes a yummy Halloween back drop. Thank you Sher!!

Here is one of the cross stitched pinkeeps that I recently finished. It is listed on Ebay now. :) (the link to my Ebay listings is on the left if you want to see)


I added a hanger to it so it can be displayed on an old cupboard or peg hook. (This blue linen was also given to me by my friend Sher! She is so good to me!)

I did it earlier than planned....

The 'Punkin and Holly' pattern is available now on Ebay or through email with me directly. I picked them up from the printer today and had time to get the listing done. Now.... I am going to get busy on the 2nd in the series!!

Here is the link to the listing...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=140160599583&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=004

Or... you can search Ebay id ~ primitivebettys :)

Smiles,
Betty

What is on the list today?

Trinity just got on the bus to head for school. So, I am taking a lil' bit of a breather before diving into my daily routine..... a little exercise on the elliptical (no, I haven't reached the 45 minute mark yet.... 20 minutes is enough!!), maybe some house cleaning and laundry (aarrrgghhh), and hopefully LOTS of hooking, punching, and stitching! I have a small rug on my frame that is about half finished. (Maybe it will be done by the time my head hits the pillow tonight.) I have an eye appointment that will take a big chunk out of the afternoon.... so there will be a little magazine time.

Speaking of magazines..... why the heck do I get so many? It seems I am quickly becoming a magazine-o-holic! I have subscriptions to Country Sampler, Merchantile Gatherings, Create and Decorate, The Wool Street Journal (my FAVORITE!), Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion, Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly, and Food & Family (a freeby from Kraft). Believe it or not.... there once were more. I have let some run out! Although.... there is one more I would like to add to my list ~ Early American Life. It is very hard to make time to read them all! 'Picture' reading is great fun though!! geeezzzzz - right?!

Hey.... before I end this note, I have a new needle punch pattern coming out! It will be listed on Ebay very soon ~ maybe by Sunday evening. It is for a couple of very fun-n-folky dollies. I have plans to do a whole line of these patterns. So please, stop by my listings to take a look.



Also, on October 1st ~ I will have items listed on The Primitive Gathering website. I am so honored to be a part of this talented group!

Ok.... time to get busy here now. Have a glorious day & spend it doing things you love!

Smiles,
Betty

This is my Parent's bedroom!!!!!!

I am so proud of my Mom & Dad! They have done it again! If memory serves me right... this would be their third magazine showing. My parents have lived in several homes over the years & truly enjoy decorating and gardening. Each home has been better than the last. My Mom has an eye for style ~ and my Dad has an 'eye' for my Mom. :)

This magazine, 'Country Victorian' is a Winter 2008 Special for 'Country Almanac' and is on sale at newsstands now. My parents have about six pages of photos in this one. (The largest magazine spread yet for my them!)

http://www.countryalmanacmag.com/

If you look real close on page 26, there is a picture of Trinity when he was a baby ~ but you would probably need a magnifying glass to see it! Also, on page 23, you can see a needle punched bunny that I made Mom for her birthday last year (2006). It is on a shelf in her garden room. Oh how proud I am! LOL

What does my house look like ~ you might ask? While Tony and I would love it to be magazine perfect ~ we know it is not and probably never will be. We do love our home because it is 'home'. We have mix-matched furniture and plain-painted walls.... along with our icky green carpet (you can see that in the last post!). We also have three boys, 2 indoor cats, 1 outdoor cat, and 1 little dog that is always hiding somewhere! Someday..... maybe when my parents stop decorating their home - they can come here and help us with ours. I would prefer ours be on the primitive side though. Until then ~ I can just be proud of my parents for their accomplishments!

This is clean?

Believe it or not.... yes - this is clean.... well sort of!



At least I can see the floor - even if it is our icky green carpet! The other day I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with my 'to-do' list & was suffering from 'artists-block'.... straightening up my mess was just what I needed!



At least for now... the wool is folded on the shelves & grouped by color. My books are on the shelf & my multitude of magazines are piled neatly on the floor. My clutter is still cluttered..... but hey - I gotta be me!!!

The photos are a little blurry - you can't see the dust that way! LOL I have many many many things to get caught up on. At least now I have somewhat of an organization. Oh... I also wrote down my 'to-do' list. Now I have a starting point!

Isn't this beautiful?

My copy of the pattern came in the mail yesterday & I can't wait to stitch this one.... of course, I have to add it to my growing 'To Do' list. (Look at that velvet penny rug it is sitting on too! Wowzers!)



I was so thrilled when I came upon the web site for Carriage House Samplings.

http://www.carriagehousesamplings.com/index.htm

If you don't know.... I live in a small town - close to a larger college town, but don't have many places here for buying supplies & patterns. We do have one great quilt shop that I do enjoy getting fabric from..... but there isn't anything here for buying stitching supplies & patterns. When I came across the pattern.... you should have seen how quick I got on the phone with credit card in hand! Kathy was so nice to ship my order fast.... and the patterns are put together so professional with clear instructions.

So.... what is on your 'To Do' list? I have rugs to hook, stitches to make, punches to poke, and patterns that need to be drawn up & taken to the printer so I can offer them to you! All this on top of the daily routine.... speaking of.... it is time to go walkin' on the elliptical now..... I have been a bad girl & have let it collect dust for the last four days. Time to get back on track!

Many smiles to ya! :)

Fall is on its way!

We were lucky to have a few pumpkins grow this year. Remember we live in the country.... last year we discarded our jack-o-lanterns by our brush pile & some of them decided to return this year. They aren't grand by any means ~ but cute as a button they are! They are early too. We have about 5 ripe ones with no more on the vine. I guess we just get to enjoy them at the beginning of Fall this year.... and can go get a few more from the store for Halloween. Trinity & I also planted some gourd seeds. We were hoping to have lots of colorful treasures..... but neither of us have much of a green thumb. We will just have to make a little go a long way.

Today I decided to use our pumpkins & gourds for photo props. Last night I put the finishing touches on a few needle punch pieces..... a cupboard pillow & these darling dolls.



The dolls were inspired by a pattern of Carriage House Samplings. I thought they were so unique..... always looking for something different to do with my punch needle!

I listed the pillow & dolls on Ebay tonight.... but really need to get busy getting things ready for my Primitive Gathering debut on October 1st! :)

(remember to search Ebay id primitivebettys)

Enjoy the changes of the season.... my smiles to you.... Betty

This is good ~ right?

Ok... this is good for me right? Recently I bought an Elliptical like this........



I am trying to get past the feeling of this being an Out-ta-kill-me-machine!!! It is here in the house.... no excuses about taking a walk with it being to hot or too cold out. No excuses about not riding the bike because we live out in the country & taking it to town is too much of a hassle. No excuses about not going to the gym because I am too shy or they want money for me to join.

You should know ~ I hate to sweat, exercise, or eat right. Ya Ya Ya.... you know ~ all the things we are suppose to do for our health. Growing up, I was always the last one picked for dodge ball and stood out in right field ~ day dreamin' like Lucy when I was suppose to be watching the ball in softball. (The team I played on was called the Illusions ~ that in itself is a joke!) I love to eat anything sweet & feel that french fries (or any fried food) should be a part of the food group chart. My daily allowance of water is in the form of Diet Pepsi..... apparently another big no-no. (My oldest stepson says that diet sodas lead to memory loss..... or was it the youngest that said that? humm....)

It seems now that as I am getting a little older ~ that those bad habits are starting to catch up with me. I don't feel I am about to kick the bucket & am not breaking the scale.... but the commercial about the badonka-donk butts & thunder thighs feels appropriate for the way I see my body changing. And have you all heard of 'matronly' arms? Yup.... got those now too.

A couple weeks ago, my buddy Tammy of Skip to my Ewe, posted on her blog about the 5 Centers of Wellness. It was just a day or so later that I bought this mid-evil death machine. The first day, I was able to stay on it for about 5 minutes. Wooohoo! Right? Well, I am happy to say.... it is not collecting dust & today I reached my 35 minute goal. By next week, my new goal will be 45 minutes a day for 5 days a week. It is a step in the right direction - maybe.

I have been trying to eat a little better and have one or two 12 oz bottles of water in place of my soda per day..... but I am not gonna give up my french fries completely!!!! No way - no how!!!

Please vote in my pinkeep poll.....

Hello my friends! As you know.... I seem to have this fascination with pinkeeps. I have made them with needle punched & tiny cross stitched tops. They have been filled with a variety of different things..... from sand, raw wool, rags, sawdust & crushed walnut shells. I have never used regular poly fill - because I know this will dull your needles.... and it just isn't old-tyme enough for me. It would be great to have your opinion on the filling. What do you like? Please tell me!!! You opinion matters to me & will help me with my stuffings!! LOL

Here are a few of the pinkeep that I have listed on Ebay right now. One is filled with crushed walnut shells and the other two have sawdust stuffing.



You can see all the pinkeeps listed by searching Ebay id.... primitivebettys or clicking on this link...

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZprimitivebettys

I have been TAGGED!!!!!

Shocked and excited..... I need to complete my blogger duty! Angie of lovetheprimlook tagged me for this fun Middle Name Game. To play the game...... you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog post containing your own middle name game facts. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog. Ok so here it goes: My middle name is Ann.... (ya, real cute huh? Betty Ann :) I was named after both my Grandmas ~ one is Betty the other Anna)

A ~ Artistic..... or, at least, wanna be ~ there has always been a strong desire to make something creative with my hands

N ~ Nurturing...... my love for my son & stepsons guides me through every day of my life

N ~ Nice..... I asked my hubby for help on another 'n' word & this was his idea. What do you think? Am I nice? LOL

So, I suppose at this time I have to tag three of my dear friends.... and they are.....

Deena of Nestled in the Singing Woods.... aka sweetanne

and

Kelley of With Hook and Needle....kanknchester

and

Tammy of Skip to my Ewe

Yup.... these three friends have been tagged before - many times - but never by me! ;0

Smiles to you all my sweet friends!

As promised..... finally :)

As promised, here are some moments from our Birthday Bash last weekend. I meant to post yesterday, but had to have a day to recover! I think everyone had a great time. Trinity was speechless when he was given his go kart..... that is VERY uncommon for this 5-year-old! He is normally full of words! He took to the kart instantly..... like a little Tony Stewart!


He was given the helmet first..... but didn't know why!


You can't see his face.... but you can tell he was amazed as he looked it over!


Look at how he kicks up the dirt!


I wonder where he gets it from - Dad?!?

My Mom loved her pinkeep & already has a spot in her entry way to display it. This is xstitched on linen that is probably something like a 40 count.... just dinky! :) The design is my creation, but the birds are from a book of Lori Brechlin's, called 'Stitches in Tyme'. (She is so GREAT!) I wanted it to have the look of olde blackwork.


This is about 3 1/5 by 4 inches ~ filled lightly with crushed walnut shells ~ backed with an old looking quilt cotton print.



One more photo that I just have to share! This is my beautiful niece Emma! She is 19 months & just the sweetest!!!! She took a few minutes from the party to snuggle up to Grandpa....



*~*~* On Sunday, September 1st I am putting up some new offerings on Ebay. They will be part of the BLESTB and AB4B Fall launches. Also, I may sneak one up during the week for PGKS too. Please try to stop by for a peek! *~*~*