grateful.

Feeling grateful for...

• Family...so many good people that surround me and have influence in my life. I am blessed.
• Good food...this was our Easter meal at my aunt's house yesterday...salad, green beans, cheesy potatoes, ham and ambrosia with homemade marshmallows. SO.GOOD.
• Time...I'm off this week. And I am grateful. There will be a little work, a little play and a little rest. 
• Peace...knowing how to deal with anxiety and depression in a healthy way, and knowing how to stave it off and not let it have power over me is a HUGE victory. I am grateful every day that God has shown me that I don't have to live at the mercy of my fears and emotions.
• My job...I like what I do, make a decent wage and get to spend my days with good people.
• Benefits...such a relief knowing we have medical coverage. After not having it for far too long, there is a peace in knowing that we're covered.  
• My hubby...he is a good man with a good heart who has stood by me through good and bad. I love him.
• My boys...they are amazing. They make me laugh, the make me proud, they make me think, they make me grow. And they bless me every single day. 

Today is Monday.

Me and my boys
in 2005. Time goes
so fast...

Yesterday was Sunday. And Mother's Day. I went and picked up my mom around 9:30am and we headed out to the cemetery to take Noni some flowers. Mom got her a big, beautiful bouquet and I got her a corsage. Noni loved flowers. And she loved corsages. If she were still here I'd have given her a box of Almond Roca to go along with it.
We stayed a while arranging Noni's flowers...and talking to her a bit...telling her we missed her...and crying some. It was a nice time...and we know Noni would have appreciated it all.

I miss Noni...a lot.


Afterward mom and I went to get some lunch. We went to Panera for some soup and a sandwich and ended up sitting and talking for 2 and a half hours! But...that's nothing new for my mom and me. We always talk a lot. (You may have figured out by now...I can be a bit chatty. Ahem.) Chris knows that once I get on the phone with my mom it's gonna be a while. I love that my mom and I can talk like that...I love my mom.
 
She gave me a sweet card and a Starbuck's gift card for Mother's Day...so nice. She didn't need to do that. She and my dad also gave me a bag full of succulent clippings. Can't wait to get those planted!
 
I found my way home around 2:30 or so and walked in to a family happy to see me, a stack of cards and gifts and steaks marinating in the fridge! They'd washed dishes and the dog! I opened my cards that were very sweet and funny. I got a cool bird feeder, two packages of Ghirardelli chocolates and a Starbuck's gift card. Do my guys know me or what? They're very thoughtful gift givers. (And so is my brother, by the way. I'm always so impressed by his gift giving...her really thinks about what the person wants, or would like. He's a good gift giver.)
 
I relaxed the rest of the afternoon and into the evening while Chris and the boys prepared dinner for me. It was delicious! Steak and salad and corn on the cob and french bread. SO GOOD. Then...they even cleaned the kitchen afterward!
 
It was a great day. One of the best Mother's Day's ever I'd say....
 
But...today is Monday. And Mother's Day is over. Today it's back to the real world and I have to take care of some stuff around here. It seems to have gotten out of hand again...piles, as always...piles, piles everywhere. And laundry. Laundry, laundry everywhere!
 
I'd like to plant some lettuce seeds. And get the succulent clippings in some soil. Maybe I'll find some time to make granola. I haven't done that in a while.
 
How was your Mother's Day? (I hope you were spoiled rotten!)

black + white = gray.

you know the drill...wanna know more?

It's gray here today...and drizzly. Fine by me. I've already decided today was a day in...house needs cleaning, laundry needs doing, menu needs planning.

The boys have been on vacation the past two weeks...it's been nice having them home. Today is their first day back to school. I'm going to miss them. I hate that they are gone so long during the day...then off to practices for another couple hours...then doing homework for more hours...then it's time for bed. Not a lot of time for...family. I realize it more and more as they grow older...and more independent.

Easter was nice...lots of family, and food. Oh...so much food. We went to my aunt and uncle's...the kids played wiffle ball. The adults talked and laughed and...ate. The little ones played and ran around in diapers and tasted one of each from their Easter baskets.

Papa was there...he recently turned 95. He shared stories of when he was growing up...I love when he does that. His parents immigrated from the Ukraine (we always thought it was Czechoslovakia...turns out it wasn't!). They had...um...11 children? Somewhere around there. A LOT...how about that?

He asked me about my chickens and talked about how they, too, had some, "lots of chickens"...and a BIG garden. He told of how his mother, Maria Stoyka, made the best roast chicken "with lots of butter"...and homemade pirogi's. He talked of foraging mushrooms like his father taught him to...and sneaking homemade sausage from the cold cellar on a Friday (mother said no meat on Fridays!) and getting whacked on the head when she caught him. He talked of swimming in the river on Sundays...all day...then coming home hungry enough to eat cold pirogi then finding a quiet place in the grass to rest in the sun.

Papa's father was a coal miner...and a very hard worker. He worked in the mines all day...then at home the rest of the time. Papa said his father was an innovator...always creating things to make tasks easier...more efficient. I told Papa that's where he got it...he too is that way. He nodded in agreement. I love hearing about Papa's childhood...he always talks of it so fondly.

Another vacation...come and gone. Another holiday...come and gone.

Not all good...not all bad.

Not all black...not all white.

A gray day...to fit a bit of a gray mood.

Merry Christmas...



beautiful flickr favorites...

 Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Pretty exciting, isn't it? Although not as exciting as when I was a little girl. Oh my goodness...what great memories I have of Christmas Eves and Christmas mornings. Do you ever wonder if you're really remembering something...or if you are just saw a photo of it and only think you are remembering? Weird..

When I was little we always spent Christmas Eve with my dad's family and Christmas Day with my mom's. Two whole days of CHRISTMAS. It was great...

I remember...
peanut butter on celery...
Cheez Whiz...
the smell of onions and cigarette smoke...
Vodka Gimlets (for the grown ups, of course)...
new pj's on Christmas Eve...
waiting and waiting and waiting for Santa and watching for him in the sky on the way home from my grandparent's house. I think I saw him once!
a new blue bike with rainbow tape and a denim seat...the coolest...
passing out the wrong gifts to the grandmothers...
my first 8" plant on a groovy wood and tile stand from Santa...I felt so grown...
Bonne Bell lip smackers in my stocking...the big fat ones! in strawberry or bubble gum...
a wood and wool sheep given to me by my uncle...from a Neiman window display in San Francisco...

There's more...lots and lots more....for another time.

Christmas was always wonderful in our house when I was growing up. I'm thankful...

Merry Christmas...
xo

Christmastime is near...

I can't believe we are 5 days away from Christmas 2010. I also can't believe I am pretty much ready! I've got most of my shopping done...most of my wrapping done...and have all of the supplies to do some holiday baking and candy making!

The boys made sugar cookies this afternoon...good thing they like to bake! I am not a big fan of baking. I'm not sure why, really. Precise measurements? Big messes? I don't know. It's just not my preference. BUT, my boys like to bake...so there ya go! Sugar cookies are currently being iced in blue...and eaten!

We got our tree last Monday...finally! It's a beautiful little 4-foot tree that fits on the end table perfectly. It's just the right size for our little house. Not to mention it was so easy to put the lights on...bonus!

And for the next few days our house will be full of lovely messes...baking supplies and baked goods, wrapping paper, lists that I'm checking twice (and three times if they're not careful!)...and lots of pretty presents under the tree! Typically, Christmas makes me grumpy every year...it's usually over the financial aspect. But once I get going I really do enjoy it. I love the lights...and I love to give gifts...and I love being with family. Oh...and I love eating cookies!

I better go wrap a few more gifts...

Are you ready for Christmas? What's left on your to-do list?

Give thanks...

 Happy Thanksgiving

I'm thankful for you...have a blessed and safe day.

xo

The Boutique.



the main display table in the living room

  The Holiday Boutique was on Saturday...and it was so much fun! And it was also a success! My aunt's house was completely transformed into a true boutique...it was great.
There were about a dozen of us who participated and there was a wide variety of items for sale...vintage finds like thimble shaped shot glasses, beautiful floral dessert plates, silver salt and pepper shakers, beautiful dish sets...and more. Very cool stuff...it was hard not to buy, buy, buy!

We also had handmade items...ornaments, hand knit wash cloths, adorable appliqued onesies, homemade dog treats, lots and lots of yummy baked goods, handmade wreaths, adorable sock monkeys, quilts...and more! 

We had a steady stream of visitors from start to finish. We mulled some delicious apple cider...we had Christmas music playing in the background...there was lots of laughter...and lots of SHOPPING!

baked goods beautifully displayed on the island

 

ornaments, glitzy wreaths (made by my aunt), glassware and
 rustic snowmen (made by yours truly...)



vintage-like glitter ornaments...one of my offerings.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Come-a-Calling...my mom made
these adorable little Christmas mice...and my
friend Sue took them home as a pair!



My Aunt Lisa made this sweet little mouse sitting
in a snowball...isn't he darling?

You might recognize this young lady...it's a
Mimi Angel complete with wings and a halo!



Appliqued onesies and fancy tutus...so stinkin' cute.
My cousin made these sweet little numbers and
they are adorable.


And would you believe...it was pouring down rain! It rained like crazy when I arrived in the morning...just in time to unload my wares. And then...it POURED in the evening, complete with thunder and lightning, just in time to load our cars and go home!! But that was OK...what's a little water?

Thank you to my Aunt Lisa for opening up her home for this endeavor. And I'd like to extend a HUGE thank you to my uncle D...poor guy was misplaced for about three days while his house was torn up and transformed into the Holiday Boutique extravaganza. But, being the amazingly good sport that he is...he made the best of it! (Thanks, D!)

be inspired.



these are not my photos. they are some of my Favorites on
flickr...such an incredible amount inspiration
to be found there...people's creativity is amazing!



My aunt is hosting a Holiday Boutique in her home this coming Saturday...and I am participating. I'll be selling framed photographs, photo note cards, handmade ornaments and some snowmen made from old weathered fence boards and rusty embellishments. I have 5 days until the boutique...and a lot of work left to do!

I love making things...I love paint on my fingers, wrestling with hot glue strings, bits of fabric and ribbon on the floor...love it. I have a big pile of a MESS at the end of my dining room table...circle cutter, paints, brushes, scissors, jingles bells, ric rac, Mod Podge, glitter, glue, buttons...and more! My table seats 6...but only three of us can fit at one time because of all the stuff....thank goodness Seth was at the movies at dinner time last night!

So for the next few days I'll be painting snowmen and Mod Podging old papers onto ornaments and snipping fabric and sprinkling glitter and...serving dinner buffet style.

What have you got going on this week? Anything fun and messy?

a good day...

Happy Belated Mother's Day! I hope yours was as nice as mine. I actually had the Mother's Day weekend...

Our celebration started Saturday with a barbecue at my brother's. Man...do we put together a good buffet! Would you believe I forgot my camera? What a dummy. But...if I hadn't forgotten my camera you'd see a picture of a giant platter of perfectly grilled teriyaki beef skewers, a giant bowl of fried rice with lots of bacon and green onions, a big bowl of strawberry salad with mixed greens and champagne vinaigrette, fresh green beans and an abundance of garlic bread.

Oh my...we ate very well. And were all stuffed to the gills...but somehow made room for strawberry shortcake! What? Yep...strawberry shortcake with homemade shortcakes! Yum. Mom made them...and they were delicious!

After dinner we all crammed on the sofas to watch Avatar in Blueray on my brother's big screen. After a while, because we're all getting old, we were dozing off and decided to head home. Of course the kids were wide awake...but us oldies were done for the day.

OK...so that was Saturday. Not even Mother's Day yet and already we've celebrated very well. I woke up Sunday morning to a pile of cards, a box of Mike and Ike's (one of my favorites), a Starbucks gift card from the boys and a pedicure gift certificate from Chris! Nice! So sweet...and the cards were so nice. Funny...sappy...lovey dovey...perfect.

We headed off to church which was nice. Our pastor gave a nice sermon about mom's...and then gave all the mom's a gift! It was a cute notepad, a bookmark and a piece of chocolate in a gold box. Don't tell anyone, but I bought the notepads with my discount at the book store! I'm friends with our new pastor's wife so she popped in to the store last week and we picked out some nice gifts to give to the ladies. She added the chocolate as a surprise...so that was nice!

We ended up socializing at church for a long while...it was good. I was the one doing most of the socializing...Chris and the boys went to the car and Chris let Seth drive for a while. What?!! I about fell over when I saw my son drive past the church...in MY car...wasn't he just born last week?

Anyway...we finally left church and headed to our favorite Mexican food restaurant for some lunch. We ate way too many chips and salsa so we all had enough leftovers for dinner, too! Perfect! I hadn't planned anything for dinner anyway! Instead, I took a nap! All in all, it was a really good weekend. Lots of fun...lots of family...lots of friends...even a little rain, I believe it was just for me.

and now...

...will the real chicken...

...please...

...stand....up!

At Christmas we decided to play a gift game for the adults. My Aunt Lisa drew a letter from a hat (or something) to decide what letter the gift would begin with. She drew the letter "T". So...each adult had to purchase a gift that began with "T" and cost no more than $10. I bought "tumblers"...even though it said "glasses" on the box. I may have pushed my luck a little...but, that's OK. We're a creative family and everyone understood my thinking! I think...

So the game got started...and each person chose a gift based on the number they drew. I drew number 12...which was a good number because by then the majority of the presents are opened and revealed and you know what you want to steal...or if you want to open a new package.

Well...I decided to steal...I mean, choose this chicken timer. How could I not? My sweet cousin Megan (hi Megan!)opened the present originally...and as soon as I saw it I gasped and she yelled, "NO! You're the only one I worried about for this gift!"

And she had every reason TO worry. I mean seriously...like I'm going to choose truffles or tumblers or a toilet plunger over a chicken timer? No way.

Is it not the cutest thing ever? I love it. And it is so comfy and cozy in my kitchen.

What's funny is that I got the gift my aunt bought, Chris got the gift my uncle bought, my aunt got the gift Chris bought and my uncle got the gift I bought! Great minds, eh? I wonder what the letter is for next year? As fast as time is going...I'll know soon enough!

2010. Jumping in!

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me." ~Erma Bombeck

Well, here it is. The New Year. We stayed up until midnight watching movies. Then we watched the ball drop. We hugged and kissed and wished one another a Happy New Year! And then...we went to bed because we had a LOT to do today!!

Chris went into the shop for a while. He needs to clean up a bit and finish the last little bit of a cabinet install.

Seth slept at a friend's house last night. He's still there. And probably still asleep!

Ian stayed up with us until midnight. He's been staying up late this whole vacation...so he's still asleep. I think I'm going to have to start getting him back on track for school night's soon. He's going to be all out of whack!

And me? Wellll....I'm still in bed, still in my jammies and still reading blogs and browsing flickr. Flickr never ceases to amaze me...the talent of everyday average people blows me away. Amazing. And inspiring.

However...my little leisure time is about up because I have work to do today! Wanna know what I've got on my "to-do" list? Here goes:

• Get Crock Pot going. I have a ham hock. And it's crying out to be turned into a big pot of beans. It will be nice to have dinner ready for me after my long day of working around the house.
• Clean my closet. I need to get rid of some clothes. And some shoes. I also have to make room for some stacks that have been here and there in our room. And...I said "no more piles"...so, they must be sorted through and whatever is left, into the closet it goes, neat and tidy on the shelf, possibly boxed or basket-ed (?) for organization's sake.
• Clean my room. This will happen automatically by the reorganization of my teeny, tiny closet.
• Take down Christmas tree. Honestly, this may happen tomorrow. But today would be nice if I can swing it.
• Organize new mail center. I splurged the other night. I needed a small piece of furniture...like a phone table type thing...to serve as a mail center/bill paying center. (I actually found three...and brought them all home. I ended up keeping two...because one actually worked on my side of the bed to help organize that mess.) This goes along with "no more piles". I had piles of mail...piles of bills...piles of coupons and fliers...piles, piles, PILES! This new piece of furniture is going to help eliminate that...so long as I can refrain from piling on IT.
• Organize eating area. Our house is small. I've mentioned this a time or seventeen. We don't have a nook...or a dining room. It's more like the end of the living area that I call an "eating area". And this area has gotten...piled up. Surprise, eh? There is one specific pile that is also going to be relocated to my closet. It's our file box of important papers. (And really, I should go through those, too, because some of them may not even be important anymore. I just thought of that....hmmm...anyway. First things first, though. Stay focused, girl.)

Because I'm crazy, I took before pictures. And unlike my haircut, I will share them. (The haircut is fine...just not a real big, dramatic change. Plus, I forgot the "before"!) I took pictures of my messy room...my messy dining room...my piles and piles...I did. And I'm going to share them. Because I have no shame. And I like keeping things real around here. We tend to take pictures of the good stuff. Which is wonderful. But...there's also some stuff that ain't so pretty. The good news? It CAN be with a little work and effort! So...on that note...it's time for me to get GOING! I've got a LOT to do today...

Happy New Year...it's going to be a GOOD one!

I'm ready.

It's New Year's Eve. The end of 2009...hours away from 2010.

And I am ready.

I have never really been one to make resolutions. And I'm still not. But I do want to set some goals for myself. Some small. Some big. Some that will be hard. And some that will be....harder. But I'm ready.

I am more excited for this New Year to come than I have ever been about a new year...ever. Partly, yes, because last year sucked! But also because I just have this excitement. This expectancy. This knowing that the coming year is going to good. I believe that God is going to do amazing things in 2010. Not that He doesn't always do amazing things. But I just really believe that 2010 is going to be mind-blowing. And I cannot WAIT to see what's in store! And I am SO ready.

"I'm ready". This is something I've been hearing in my heart during my quiet time...or sometimes during worship at church. I hear it deep inside my heart..."I'm ready". It's a quiet whisper from my heart to God's...letting Him know that "I'm ready". I whisper it before I even really know what I'm whispering. Ready for what? I have no idea. Or maybe I do have a little idea but no idea how to put it into words yet. It's all still little thoughts and snippets and flashes in my mind. He'll iron it out for me...in His time. And...I'm ready when He is.

Ultimately, my bottom line is, "Your will be done." I want to do what God wants me to do. I want to be in His will. So I pray that my goals are His goals. I pray that as I type them out, they are what He has prompted me to do. I pray that He has given me the desires of my heart and that I have heard Him clearly during quiet time and prayer time...and that I am on the same page as He is.

I pray that as I go through this next year...carefully taking the steps He places before me...that I am in His will and living out His plan for me. He had a plan for me even before I was placed on this earth. And I want all He has for me. And I want it to start in 2010. Because...I'm ready.

So...the goals. Right.

• Return to school and complete my bachelor's degree. This will take longer than a year. But that's OK. This one is long-term. And guess what? I'm ready.
• Get organized. There are aspects of my life that are very organized. Like my kitchen. I know where everything is. But I need help in the organizing of my life category. So I bought a day planner...that I will actually use...to keep appointments and classes and such. But also to write down things like "mop floors", "pay PG&E", "cable due", "change oil"...that kind of stuff that I let slip. No more.
• Stop piling. I pile, pile, pile. Paper piles. Book piles. Magazine piles. Piles here at the house. Piles at the office. Piles, everywhere! This goal goes along with getting organized. I need to organize my mail process...which includes a "bill paying center". I am better at tossing junk mail immediately. But I still have those little piles that I keep to "look at later". Then next thing I know, it's a pile! And I haven't looked at a single one! How long do I need to hang on to expired coupons, I ask you? The piles of books might be a bit more of a challenge because I am really taking advantage of my public library. But maybe I can find a basket or something to keep them contained at least!
• Create a budget. Whew. That was a hard one to type! Do you know that I have never had a budget? Ever? I'm 42. I think it's time. This new day planner I purchased has a page at the beginning of each month that is the "budget page". I took it as a sign. Even though I wanted the day planner with the pockets on the inside of the covers...I opted for the planner with the budget page. I'm thinkin' that was a God thing! Because I really wanted those dang pockets! (Maybe I'll make some out of cute stock weight scrapbook papers...)
• Focus on what I CAN do and learn to do it WELL. I need to do what I can and stop wishing I could do something else. Because when I do this, NONE of it gets done. This is a new revelation. An example would be me, browsing Etsy, admiring all of the beautiful knit items and wishing that I could knit. Well, you know what? I can't. But I CAN crochet. So why not work at getting really good at crochet rather than coveting the skills to knit? You know? Rather than wishing I could draw and trying really hard to do it and frustrating myself to the hilt because what I see in my mind and what I see on the page are NOT THE SAME...how about focusing on something I CAN do, like photography. Why not really hone my skills with my camera? Why not really learn about my camera and what it can do? Focus on what I CAN do. Stop wishing I could do something else. Stop starting new hobbies and doing them halfway. I have this problem of wanting to do it all. And really thinking that I CAN do it all! And I CAN do a lot of things. But can I do them really well? No. So why be a jack-of-all-trades and spend time wishing life away? Instead, I want to focus on things I CAN do and get better at them. Those things? Photography, writing, crochet, gardening and preserving.

  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

So there they are. The goals. The things I want to do. The things I believe God has placed inside of me to accomplish and/or start in the coming year. There are other things that I would like to do. But I don't know that it's what God would have me do. So I will start with what I believe He spoke to me...and if any of the other little things happen as a by-product then I'll just be grateful for the perks. I've learned that it's a lot easier to walk in the will of God than to walk in my own will. His blessing makes all the difference.

So, Lord...thank you for 2009. And bring on 2010. I'm ready when You are.

we made it...

Whew...what a whirlwind!

Thursday night to my mom's.

Friday afternoon to my aunt's.

Today to my father in law's.

And now? Home.

Christmas was very nice. I got a few surprises! The boys were thrilled. Family was fun. Food, as always, was delicious.

And now I...am tired.

Until tomorrow....

Merry Christmas...

Merry Christmas...xoxoxo

must.do.something.soon.

My Aunt Lisa gifted me with a big bag of beautiful Meyer lemons. They're gorgeous...and they smell soooo good.

And...they've been waiting ever so patiently for me to DO SOMETHING with them.

I've had grand plans for them...marmalade... and curd...maybe some juice to freeze in cubes for later use...and of course, the random eating of one sliced in half and sprinkled with sugar. Or, if you're really brave, salt.

The only problem is...it's Christmas time. There's a lot going on. I've been busy. Right? And something like marmalade isn't something you can just whip up real quick. Well, maybe someone can. But not me. I've got to gear up for an endeavor such as marmalade making. I did get the jars washed. Does that count? I got the cutest little jars at the hardware store. 4 oz I think...with brushed silver lids. So stinkin' cute.

Maybe someday I'll actually fill them with something beautiful...ahem.

Today is another busy one. I have an appointment to have my eyebrows done. As in waxed. Some of you don't know this about me, but I was a smoker, for years. Years and years. And about 5 years ago God helped me quit. (Thank you, God...I am forever grateful.) So...to celebrate...I decided that since I wasn't spending a million dollars on cigarettes every month, instead I'd spend a bit on having my brows waxed. I decided to do something to make me look pretty...and not ugly.

So...yes. Eyebrows at 10. And then, finally, I'm getting my hair cut at 11. Oh my goodness...my hair is way too long. It grows pretty fast...to the point that I've been able to give to Locks of Love...twice in the past 5 years or so.

When I was in junior high and high school my hair was down to my waist. And on into my 20's, too. But when I was 25 I needed a change. I decided I needed to cut the hair off. And I did. To my shoulders. And I loved it!

Since then I've pretty much kept it just below my shoulders...maybe to my bra strap. And that's a good length...it's manageable. And not too heavy. But since we've been pinching pennies so very tightly this past year, I can't remember the last time I had my hair cut! So at church on Sunday, I saw Kay, my hairdresser. And asked her if she had any appointments available for this week. She said yes...and that she had her appointment book in her car!

Kay: "Will Monday work?"

Me: "Tuesday would be better."

Kay: "Tuesday it is! 11 OK?"

Me: "Perfect! See you then!"

That was easy enough!

So...today at 11...I'm getting my hair cut. And I cannot WAIT! If I'm feeling brave...I may do a before and after. And I mean, really brave. So...no promises! You may just get the "after"...!

So what's on your list of things to do today?

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

...finally! Boy, it sure took me long enough to find my holiday spirit.

But, find it, I did. And just in time.

"Mercury Glass" acorns adorn the fixture in the dining area...

...another bargain from Ballard Designs. A glittery Merry Christmas jazzes up a manzanita wreath that hangs year-round.

Sweet berry wreath on the back door.

Another little thing that makes me happy...nothing like walking into the kitchen and being greeted by a cheery berry wreath hanging on my back door!

We were so late in getting the tree up our poor kids didn't think we were going to even get one. Is that sad, or what?

But...I did get one. At Michael's. On sale. It came in a box. And is pre-lit. PRE-LIT. Did you hear me? Whoever invented pre-lit is a genius. And a very, very nice person. I'm sure of it.

Oh, and did I mention? It's only 4 feet tall. And sits atop an end table. And I have to say....even though it reminds Seth of "old people"...I am loving this dang little tree!

Speaking of love. I know we can't really love inanimate objects. BUT. If we could? I would totally love this little mouse. Oh my...

Is he not the cutest little mouse you've ever seen? And that glittery star? Be still my heart. Mom got him for me last year. He clips onto the branch...and yes, I love him.

Pretty glass bird ornament...

...looking so pretty in the shimmer of the lights.

This is the closest we'll get to snow in these parts.

And I have to say...it's just not the same. Good thing Mr. Snowman is cute...or we'd have issues.

And...wait...what's this?

Hmmm...do you think someone is excited for Christmas?!
Just a few more days, Ian...just a few more days.

grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Today is my favorite day of the year. I love Thanksgiving. I love the food. The family. There are no expectations. No financial pressures. Just family and love and goodness.

I pray that each of you has a blessed Thanksgiving...xo

Mini pocket journals for sale!

I've been busy at work creating these little journals for the craft boutique I'm taking part in come December. Just because, I'm also offering some for sale HERE on my blog...grab bag style. Trust me?

Go directly to Paypal and enter moonshinelane at aol dot com...then in the notes section specify which color tones you'd prefer: reds/pinks, blues/greens, or browns/sepia. Or hey...one of each! They're small!

Each journal is $5.50...shipping is FREE. Each journal measures 4.5 x 3.25 inches and has 80 pages of lined composition paper. The covers are embellished inside and out with new and old papers. Each journal contains at least one mini pocket...sometimes two! What better way to keep hold of ticket stubs, business cards, dried leaves, a wood violet waiting to be dried and pressed....you name it. As long as it's little!

These are perfect to carry in your purse to jot down memorable quotes...or sketch a quick creative idea...or to document the days events. They're also wonderful as gifts...think stocking stuffer or gift topper! Or even just as a simple "thank you" or hostess gift.

I will admit, I have a bit of a journal fetish...so I would love it for any reason.

Off to get more glue on my fingers!

Boo!

Last week I worked on a special order of Witch Mimi Dolls for my aunt and her coworker. I made some extra so they'd have plenty to choose from. I have 6 little witchy poo's left....looking for a place to call home.

Now it's time to begin work on angel ornaments...and a few other goodies I've been working on. So I need to clear out the black and orange and restock with whites and creams and sweet little halos. A far cry from these mischievous little gals!

These will be sold "grab bag" style...once you place your order I'll just pop a witch in an envelope and send her to you. Do you trust me? If you would like to purchase a little witch doll you can go to my Paypal directly, moonshinelane@aol.com...deposit $5, shipping is on me since it's so close to Halloween.

Thank you for your support and all of your encouragement on my creative endeavors...I appreciate all of you and am so glad that we have crossed paths. God is good like that, isn't He?