A scrapbooking weekend

I am off for a weekend of scrappin' fun!  I'll be scrapping pictures of Annabelle and Zoey, for the most part!

A day off

Good Morning!
I have the day off today and am spending a quite day with Annabelle and Zoey. The perfect day!  I was reminded today at a different blogspot, to remember to be thankful this year.   I needed that reminder. I will be mindful of that every day. Today, I am thankful for a sunny day off from work and for Annabelle and Zoey! 

Happy New Years Eve

It is hard to believe it is the last day of the year.   This has certainly been a year of changes.  I hope the new year will bring lots of joy!   I am glad to say that Annabelle and Zoey are going strong and will have their 4th birthday in March!!  That is going to be a great party!!

A long time as past

A long time has past since I have posted.  This year has been a crazy one and I am ready for a new start in 2012.  I hope to start posting a litte more regularly now. I have been working on quite a few sewing projects and have actually finished them!!  Here is a little pink pick me up,in winter!!

The Cheer Up Swap

Hello Friends!

I joined a Cheer Up swap that Brandy hosted and it couldn't have come at a better time! I am having hip surgery on Monday and my package of goodies came today!!!  Brandy filled my package with so many wonderful goodies!!   Chocolate is ALWAYS a must and I will have yummy dove chocolates to eat and I always love the sayings on the wrappers!  See the picture frame with the cute little bulldog in the corner?!   LOVE IT!!  The pink socks are SO soft and they will be so nice to keep me cuddly warm!

Super fun dish towels for my kitchen are so cute and there is a butterfly oven mit and pot holder!  I love butterflies and pink and purple, so they couldn't be more perfect.  I am going to hang them in my kitchen, because they are too pretty to get messy!   Brandy sent a beautiful  album also, which I already know that I am going to put my winter pictures of Annabelle and Zoey in that!!!

There are sweet butterfly note cards that I know I will put to good use and a really beautiful bag!  I can't believe how perfect everything is!!  It was such a fun swap and just the ticket to cheer us all up in the middle of winter!!    Thanks Brandy for hosting this swap and for being such a GREAT swap partner!!

Finally Friday! :)

Hello Friends!!
Hope you are all doing well!! I can't believe it is almost the end of January!  Soon it will be Valentine's Day!

Not too  much going on this weekend!  My sewing machine is getting a little tune up. I have a one day retreat next Saturday and then the next weekend is my "Young Chicks" sewing retreat.  We are a group of gals that have been meeting for about 5 years now. It is super fun, but I must confess, I tend to like the socializing part more than the sewing part!  I can sew anytime I want at home, since I don't have two-leggged kids.  Alot of the Young Chicks are moms, so it is such a wonderful time for them to be able to get away for some sewing and friend-fun!  

The hard part about retreats is that I really miss Annabelle and Zoey!  Oh!! And Paul too! :)  Sometimes he will bring the girls for a little visit, depending on how far away from home I am.   I guess it is good that after 17 years, I still miss my hubby when I am away!

Hope you all have a super great weekend!!  Here's a picture, just in case you wanted to see two precious faces! :)  I caught Annabelle in the act of playing with an ornament on my tree!!  I had to snap a shot of that cuteness!!!  As you can see, I am not a very good at discipline!

Oh my goodness! Zoey was SO tired! :) 

Secret Sister goodies!!

Hello There!  My dear hubby got an Ipod for Christmas and after trying to download songs, ended up frying our computer!  So......after many phone calls and trips to the computer store, we are back on line! Seems like we have no end to computer related problems!  Hopefully this is the last!

Anyway..................I have a new Secret Pal this year, from the Dear Jane website!   I received a wonderful package this week and took a picture!  Everything was packaged up in such a cute box! I'll put my cards in that.  The pink pin cushion fits on your wrist. So cute!  The tape measure is perfect, because it is pink with a pink tassle and believe it or not, I didn't own one until now! :)    The mulling spices are wonderful!  I had a little in my tea this morning and it was a taste treat.  And the glass candle. Beautiful. It is the Love chapter from the Bible and I can't wait to light it up in my quiet room.  Here's a funny "small world" thing!  My Secret Pal actually lived in Neenah, Wisconsin while she was little.   She got a little Schnauzer puppy at Thanksgiving, so I know her household must be very busy! :)   And full of puppy fun!   Oh how I love dogs!  :)   

Annabelle and Zoey are ready for their supper, so I'd better go feed the little princesses!

Hello Friends!
My computer is working again and I am very glad for that, but so sad that I didn't get my matchbox pictures up on the days.  I can't seeem to get my pictures loaded on my computer, but now that I can e-mail, I have A LOT of thank yous to send to all the wonderful matchbox Christmas ornament makers that I was lucky enough to receive treasures from!  That's is what I'll work on this weekend.  And, a HUGE task, is going to be organizing my sewing room.  I seem to be forever working on that. 

Annabelle, Zoey and my Dear Hubby are having a quiet New Year's Eve with me.  We had a party to go to, but it is so foggy out that we decided it would be safer to stay home.  

I am not one for making new year resolutions, but I have been thinking about what I'd like to accomplish in 2011.  I have been inspired by a few blogs I have read today and also by taking a look at what I need to improve upon in my own life.   I do love that a new year is here, fresh and new, and that I can begin the new year with a hopeful heart.    I have so much to be thankful for, including my family and friends.  And also Annabelle and Zoey!!  I thank God for each and every day that Annabelle is with us!   She has a spunky spirit and is so full of love and I know that it is only by God's Grace that I have been blessed with her for so much longer that we expected!   Right now, Zoey and Annabelle are sleeping away and their beautiful snores are a reminder that God is so loving and does care about the little details in our lives.   God knew just what I needed when Gracie Anne passed up almost three years ago now, and with a new year just a couple of hours away, I am reminded that He loves me enough to take me through anything that comes my way this year.

I hope that your new year will be a very good one and that it will be filled with peace, love and friends.

A little behind!

Hello Friends!   Computer problems abound, but now are fixed!!   I couldn't get my pictures to load up.  I will be getting caught up on my pictures and thank yous this weekend!   :) 

On the 3rd Day of Christmas Paris came to me..........

Good Morning, Friends!!
I am having so much fun with my matchbox swap!!  Today's creation is from Marcia Chunn from Colorado!  She turned the matchbox into a house!! It is so sweet with Santa and the front with two Christmas trees and a red bird on top of the house, a french hen for the 3rd day of Christmas, perhaps?! :)  .  The gift inside is stamped with Paris Noel and a Crown!!  I love princess crowns and there is one at the top of my blogspot, so I was especially excited to see that!!  So lovely!!  Thank you so much Marcia!  Bop on over to Marica's blog at vintagefrenchhen.blogspot.com.     Here are pictures for you to see............................

On the 2nd day of Christmas, another angel for my tree!

Hello Friends!
I got a late start today, so I am sorry this wasn't posted this morning.
Today's matchbox is so lovely! It came all the way from Kansas.  Patty Powell is the sweetie that made it for me.  Her blog is bloominginkansas.blogspot.com.  I'll be hopping over there soon, so hop on over too!  The matchbox is an angel made from fabric and on the inside is a sweet victorian girl with s snowball in her hand.  Beautiful!  The gift is a pink hair pin with a yo-yo!  And that is perfect, since pink is the most wonderful color of all!!  Thank you so much Patty!!  :) 

I will be away this weekend, but hope to have internet access so I can post Saturday's matchbox.  But, if i don't, I'll post it on Sunday when I get back.

December 1, First Matchbox from our swap

Good Morning Friends!
Each day until December 25th, I'll be posting a matchbox I received in our matchbox swap.  We took ordinary matchboxes and turned them into beautiful ornaments to share!  This Angelic Beauty is from Mary Pernula in Washington!  Thanks, Mary!  I'll be hopping over to your blog soon! How fitting that an angel is the first one I get to hang up!  The gift inside is a cute santa ornament, which you can see above the matchbox!  All my matchboxes will be hung on my pink Christmas tree!  Enjoy!!

A Quilt in Pinks, Bulldogs at my side and the ocean...pure bliss!!!!

Hello Friends!Not sure anyone is out there, but just in case, I thought I'd update!  Well, I did go to Mexico and had a great time,but I ended up sick as the dickens for three weeks after I got home!  I missed another week of work after my vacation. Now, I know people who have been sick with worse things, but you're sick, you're sick, no matter what it is.  So, I got back home and eased back into life. I have to say, I will not be going to Mexico anytime in the near or far future!   I loved being at the ocean for a while, but I think I will find a different place to enjoy the ocean next time!But, there's nothing like having my toes in the ocean sand!! 

Annabelle, above, and Zoey, below, are still cute as ever!  Annabelle had pretty bad seizure attack a few weeks ago and was in the hosptial for a couple of days.  We are working on adjusting her meds and just thankful for each day God blesses us with her!  

I joined a Christmas Altered Matchbox Swap and here is a peek at the matchboxes I made.  I will be getting 25 matchboxes from other swappers and from December 1 to 25th, I'll be putting a picture on my blog each day!
Till next time.................:)

Getting Ready for the Ocean and A little time at The Quilt Expo

Hello Friends!!
In two weeks from tomorrow, I am going to an all inclusive resort near Cancun with 5 girlfriends!!  I am SO excited, because I think I would have made a great mermaid!  I love the ocean SO much!   But, I am a VERY VERY fair skinned mermaid and burn easily!  So.....I bought a new sun hat for the trip!  It is a really big floppy one and it is PINK!!!  It goes perfectly with my  a beach bag I already had.   What do you think?  I decided that I really need to be careful not to burn, when a friend of mine asked me if I had even seen the sun this summer!  That's how un-tan I am!  What do you think of my hat?

Each year, we have a big Quilt Expo and tons of vendors from all over the country come to display their quilty things!  I actually didn't buy too much,which was a first for me.  And I did not buy anything pink!  Can you believe it!?!?!   I already have tons of pink, so I went outside of my comfort zone and went to purple!!
This will be a beautiful quilt, when I get around to making it!  I have a couple of friends coming over tomorrow for a show and tell of what treasures we all found at the expo!  Here's a little picture of my fabric

And I think you probably want to see Annabelle and Zoey, so here is a little picture!  Annabelle likes to hide behind the curtains and make Zoey find her!

Oh,one more thing!  Thanks for leaving comments for me!  I read them all, but I am not sure if I am supposed to e-mail back and tell you that I have read them or not.  Does that clog up your e-mails?  I am not sure about blogging ettiquite yet, but don't want to be rude either!  I wish there was a blog on that! :)  

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Annabelle, the Naughty Crafter

Hello!
Annabelle decided she wanted to make somthing out of fabric and ribbon!  I knew I should have put things up!  I used the fabric and ribbon for my Crafty Goodness swap partner's box of goodies!  She should get it soon! :)

Now Annabelle is tired!  Being naughty really takes a lot out of a bulldog!

I am off to my sewing room!  Thanks for stopping by!

A birthday, a sewn bag and a bulldog pillow!!

Hello Friends!
I have to show you a pillow I received today from the "Crafty Goodiness" Swap I am in!  It is SO beautiful! It was made by, Jessica, who did an amazing job!! She took pictures from my blog and made them into a pillow!!  SO talented!!

 Also, I made a bag tonight, with the help of my friend, Cary! 

My dear hubby's birthday was last weekend and we had super-fun football party for him! 

My friend, Steph, came over last Friday night to sew and I actually sewed!  Well, I talked a lot too, but I did manage to get some blocks done too!  These are in fairy frosts and eventually will be the center of a butterfly quilt! :)  I not sure why my picture is sideways, but you get the idea! Lots of frosty pastels!  And who is that sweetie pie in the background? Why that is Annabelle Mae Linde!!  PRECIOUS!!  Zoey is currently sleeping, so she missed the photo op!

I am hoping to get better about blogging a little more often!  Thanks to all of you who pop in from time to time!
Good night!! :)