giveaway winner(s)

Okay, I put all the names in a bowl this morning and here are the results....

megan is the winner of the giveaway!!

So, megan send me your address at my email - traciu73atyahoodotcom

And, I couldn't just pick one, so I chose three more names for more undetermined prizes. I will have something ready to send for the next three by next week. I haven't had my sewing machine working or lights and heat up in my craft room this week, so it might take me a bit to come up with something. But, it will be Valentines related and hopefully, you will like it.

Jenni, Amy, Michaele are the other prize winners

Ladies, email me your addresses too!

frozen in ice

We have been without power and buried in snow and ice since Tuesday. We lost power Wednesday morning and it finally came on this afternoon. Trees are frozen sideways and some just snapped in half - frozen. I have never been so grateful to have a generator in all my life. We didn't get one until Tuesday night and we all slept in the same room with little beds made for each of the kids on different spaces on the floor. We still ended up with a few in our bed each night, but we had heat in that one room and whether from the space heater or our bodies, I am not sure, but I am thankful for that heat. Last night we got our TV up for a bit and let the kids all watch a movie before they fell asleep. We had fun together and we had dad around a lot - when he wasn't waiting in a four hour line for a generator, buying flashlights, or fuel! It has been sort of like a mini vacation - just a very cold vacation! I kept thinking how hard this would have been if my husband was still in Las Vegas and it was just me and my mom here. Thank goodness for dad! It also reminds me of how much better things are when you are prepared and that we need to add a lot to our 72 hour kit!

Okay, I am excited about the giveaway. It ends at midnight tonight eastern time. I will pick tomorrow morning and let you know tomorrow. Thanks for everyone who signed up and if you know me...there probably won't just be one winner. I just can't keep to one. But, I am not sure what else I will give away. I will just start gathering stuff upstairs if I am not careful!

gift from a friend

I have been blessed with some great friends. Some live across the country and I miss those ones dearly. Some of very best friends live across the street or 10 minutes away. How much luckier can a girl get. My friend made me an awesome birthday gift that I got last Friday. It's a little scrapbook album with a page with the space for one picture for each month of this year. Each page also has a pull out tab to record the events as well. Isn't it sweet?

giveaway

For my blog's 1st anniversary I am having a little giveaway. It has a slight Valentine theme. I love Valentines Day and not for the typical reasons. I ask my husband to make sure we don't go out that night and to not spend money on me (okay a little money - a card, a Twix candy bar -maybe). I don't think I like the romance part of the holiday. I think I like it because I get to decorate and craft with a lot of my favorite color - RED. I also like it because we traditionally put on a family dinner that night that involves great food and fun desserts. I fold dollar bills in to different shapes for the kids and put them under their plates and add a few small toys to their place settings. Last year we had our cousins in town and we had a fantastic Kentucky Butter Cake for dessert. Memorable. Okay, so on to the giveaway. I have made a few things for the giveaway which include some magnets from scrap booking brads, clear marbles, and bottle caps and put them in a heart shaped tin that I attached magnets to the back of. That way you can put the tin on your fridge or magnet board and just pull out the magnets you need. Then, there is a pincushion (which my 2 year old wishes to keep to play with the pins - so safe) made of red and white heart and polka dot fabric. Finally, there are 6 vintage looking Valentine cupcake toppers and a bit of pink and white Sugar and Cream yarn that can be used to wrap gifts or hang tags with. Just leave a comment by midnight on Friday, January 30th and I will pick a comment on Saturday morning.

baby doll, new calendar, and overcoming the fear of knitting

Mallory's (we call her Miss Mae) 2nd Birthday was on Friday. I know she is a big fan of Dora, but I wanted to introduce her to a new love - a handmade doll. I found the perfect pattern with the perfect name -the Mae Doll- on You Can Make This. It was easy and I love how it turned out. Mallory seems to pay more attention to the Dora napkins and plates from her party than the doll, but I still have hope. The doll will last while I know the love of Dora will end...someday.


Ever since I saw Heather's block calendar over at Lark & Lola I have had it on my list to make. I knew they would make great Christmas gifts. Well, obviously I didn't get them made before Christmas. But, I could make tons and be sooooo early for Christmas this year, right? Probably not going to happen, but my mom and I tested them out while she was here and they are so easy and fun to make. I found a stamp set at Michael's that had numbers, days of the week, and months on them. That made it easy. We were thinking that you could make one extra so that there was 8 in a set and put different stamps of holidays (heart for Valentines, snowflake, egg, flag, pumpkin, etc.) and then if you could find a cute metal tin to put them in that would be the perfect presentation for a gift. I am going to be on the hunt for a tin that they will fit in.

Also, I haven't forgotten about the giveaway. I will post it this week. I just took my mom to the airport on Saturday and sent her back to the warm weather of California. My husband came back that same day from a week long trip to the National Home Builder's Show in Las Vegas where his company, Urbane Homes, won some awards for their affordable energy efficient homes. So, we are getting back to reality and back on schedule.

PS - I finally learned how to knit. My mom was determined to get me over my fear and have a heart shaped pot holder to prove it. You got to start small! She, on the other hand, has this knitting thing down. Here are a few of the things that she made while she was here.

anniversaries and birthdays and giveaways...oh my

It's my blog's first birthday (well, last week) and miss mae's second birthday tomorrow. So, it's time for a giveaway. Of course, I am not quite sure what it will be just yet, but it is coming soon. I have had my mom here all week and we have been venturing outside in the cold just long enough to get supplies, then we come back in and try to get a few things made before the kids come off the bus. I am not sure how much she likes this cold weather seeing as it has been in the high eighties where she's from. But, I am glad she put up with the cold for me (and the grand kids). So, stay tuned for an upcoming giveaway.

i'm either a little late or really early

I had all those embellishements that I bought for pennies. So, I am either getting a jump start on next year's decorating or I am really a bit late for 2008's!

valentine cards and such

Check out these ones I have found. Some have fun ideas and cards to make with your kids others would just make cool printable valentines -

Ed Emberley.com - Valentines, coloring pages, masks, and paper airplanes.

orange beautiful's wee valentine boxes via daily candy

yoonie-at-home's sweet valentines

awesome retro valentines via valart2008 at flickr

cool valentines from hipstercards.com

FamilyFun.com printables

new favorite site...for now

I am new to this one. Click on the image above and you can check it out for yourself. I love all her ideas. I am loving these blogs with collective ideas because it makes playing and crafting with my kids so much fun.

valentine banner

not quite sure

I don't know if this is what I wanted this wreath to look like. It might be missing something or over the top. I am going to keep working on it or take a step back and see what I think. Maybe silk flowers? Any suggestions?
I quickly made this heart and stuck it on a skewer the other night. I am going to make a few and stick them in the vases on top of my piano. Maybe fill the vases with conversation hearts or red hots.

i'm working on

I'll show you the rest when I finish. I am trying something I have wanted to make for awhile and it's for Valentines Day. I picked up enough little red accents at the after Christmas sales in San Diego to make it work for Valentines.

valentine ideas

heart pounders from bh&g

be mine brownies from bh&g

felt fortune cookies from martha

doily envelopes from martha

folding heart valentines from martha

miniature gift bags from martha

home at last and ready to go

We just returned last night from San Diego. I love San Diego. I grew up there and I forget how much I LOVE it until I get there. The only bad thing about the entire trip was flying in on my birthday (the 30th) and trying to land for 2 hours in fog. You could see it like a blanket and I kept praying for a break in the cloud cover. But, it was a no go so we had to fly up to Ontario and my sister's husband and my mom kindly came and got us. Unfortunately, we didn't get home until really late, so we missed my birthday dinner at Rubios. But, we made up for it with plenty of eating at all our favorites for the rest of the week. My kids didn't want to come home to Kentucky. But, for me, it always feels good to get back in to a routine. I loved the craft stores there. I bought so many little things that were 80% off that we almost needed another suitcase. I don't even know what I am going to do with them all. I got a lot of ideas from my mom as well. I found my old Raggedy Ann doll that my mom made me when I was little and brought it home for Mallory. It is taller than she is and needs a good cleaning. She found the pattern and I might just make a new one if I can't clean it. She was carrying around all my old dolls and played with my sister's tea set. It was cute to see. We had a great New Years celebration with my family and I am excited for what the new year brings - new ideas, refining of old ones, and lots of positive energy. So, I am back and ready to go (as soon as the suitcases are unpacked and many loads of laundry are done)!