Back in the Groove

Hello friends! I feel so bad for neglecting you--but after the RIDICULOUSLY BAD week I had last week, I've been busy as heck trying to get back in the groove!

Thank you all so much for your lovely sentiments and prayers and encouragement and hugs--I just re-read through them this morning and am touched to tears by all you caring and lovely people. Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Your kindess has inspired me to create this cutey pie---see that smile on her face, it's just like the one I have on mine (oh no, I think our figure is about the same too! yikes!)

I was also smiling pretty big when I got this package in the mail!! I was fortunate enough to win a blog giveaway over at Gina's Lilly*s of London*ish blog!! yeah! Thanks so much Gina--it's a very fun and generous gift !! Check out the goodies:

I've been crafting full swing making up some handy and pretty day planners/appointment books for the new year (the agendas I found have the dates starting in June 2008 and going to January 2010 (yup 2010! aaaarrghhh! can you believe that-- aint' it crazy how the time slips away!) Here is the newest of the bunch

I just love the Free Spirit fabrics--so colorful and whimsical!!

AND last, but not least--lol! I scored a little bit of the vintage rick rack that I like to use on my little shabby coasters, so I whipped this one up. I really enjoy working on these in the evening, they make me happy!

Brother Update: They let Paul go home on Wednesday--he was happy to get home and seemed in very good spirits. He says he isn't really having much pain at all, with the exception of the the skin grafts (I was happy to hear that!) He goes for a follow-up with his surgeon today and a visit to the cancer doc on Tuesday. We are still praying, and so far all the scans haven't turned up any new surprises, thank GOD! We will know more after Tuesday I guess, but I am feeling very hopeful that they got it all. Thanks again to you all for the support, I appreciate it more than you will ever know!

Have a great day!

Brother Update

Hi! I would just like to thank you all for the kindness and prayers...it's been a rough few days, but brother is doing well. His surgery went very well, they removed a golf ball sized tumor from his chest and 3 others from under his arm (one large one in the lymph node and 2 smaller from the area). He is still in the hospital and they are doing some scans and such to make sure the cancer hasn't spread elsewhere--so keep on praying!! He feels good though, and is in good spirits....I just love him so much, he was MY baby when he was small. He's 5 years younger than I and after my parent divorced I took it upon myself to be his mommy--which he didn't mind at all! lol


So, to top it off, my Grandpa died last week too. He was 94, lived a good life, was pretty healthy for most of it, and died peacefully in his sleep--which was a blessing. We had to go out-of-town for his funeral on Saturday. It was a lovely funeral and it was really nice to see so many of my relatives that I don't see often.

Let me tell you, I am ready for a regular old boring week around here--I can do without all the excitement for sure! I just wanted to thank you all for your prayers and good wishes--they are so appreciated! Bye.

Special Prayers Needed

I have a big favor to ask of all you special blog friends---my youngest brother, Paul, has to go in for surgery today to have a melanoma removed, it has progressed rapidly and it is believed that it may have gotten into one of his lymph nodes. All your prayers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks . Hugs.

Back to School is coming up quick.....

Yup--soon the kids will be heading back to school and we all know what that means......time to think up a good way to butter up those teachers!!

You want to make sure that your kids get on the good side of the teacher every year...so they will turn a deaf ear when they hear your child talking about what a hangover their Dad had last weekend, and they just smile and nod when they find out the reason your kid was late to school this morning is because Mom forgot to add coffee grounds to the pot when she pre-made coffee last night and she totally can't function without that half a pot of Joe in the a.m. They will be apt to be more forgiving when your child comes with her History of Minnesota report on 4 sheets of printer paper all taped together instead of a nice sheet of posterboard.

I've learned from experience that it is a good idea to send along little goodies to grease the wheels, so to speak. Like, for instance, send along three or four boxes of Kleenex instead of the one that they ask for...make up a nice muffin basket ....and always include a lovely and thoughtful gift that they will use DAILY, so your kindness won't easily be forgotten. Like a nice agenda/day planner, for instance, would make a lovely gift and something they would use daily.....

Or how about a nice coaster for their desk--something pretty for them to look at while your child is busily shooting spitballs at the ceiling and eating paste. (You might even want to include a nice big box of chamomile tea with this, for calming jangled nerves).

Heck, maybe you ought to make it a coaster SET..........for those days when the kids just had a big old bowl of Captain Crunch for breakfast and are all sugared up when they get to class

Just some helpful ideas for you to ease the whole Going back to School thing.....now let's get those little darlings all dressed up in their new outfits and glowing white tennies and off to SCHOOL! Yeah!

Now....off to make sure the champagne is properly chilled for the big day......

count your blessings

count your blessings
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys

It dawned on me, as I looked at this pic, that my blessings are as numerous as the ridiculous amount of buttons in the drawers behind it! LOL

Do we like the way my desk blotter shows in the pic bottom, or does it just look messy??

Fresh Old Stuff

Hi peeps! I only have a few minutes right now--but wanted to share a couple new items I put in my shop this week. A gal contacted me about making her a bagkeeper for her green/yellow kitchen, so....as I often do, I made 2 of them--you know, so she could have a couple to pick from. Well, I got them done and she didn't like either of them (she doesn't like polka dots, what a weirdo! I had heard that there were people like that out in the world, but I had never actually met one before!!) LOL!

Nooo, I'm just kidding around! Different strokes for different folks, ya know?! Personally, I love polka dots, I think they are charming and sweet--but they are not for everyone :o) Sooooo, now I have a couple new bagkeepers for my Etsy shop!

Here is the first one--it's focal point is a really pretty yellow hanky covered with white flowers-fresh and pretty with it's yellow, green, and cream borders

The next one is called Cottage Roses--again I used a vintage hanky--but this one has pretty coral pink and yellow roses--and that particular lovely vintage green. I used more of the feedsack prints for the borders in this one to give it a real vintage flair. Oh, and a pretty yoyo in the center, just for fun!

Oh, and I also added this sweet little hobnail dish---what a cutey!! Don't you just love those white maple leaves with the shiny gilt?? AND that perfect shade of vintagey Paris pink? Love it!

OK--I have to run! I'm "this close" to finishing my big order and want to get it done today! I have been on the comp way too long already this morning (I had to write up answers to a nice interview on another blog--details soon!) Have a great day everyone--and thanks so much for stopping by--you all make me SO happy when you stop by and leave a comment--it just makes my day!!

HUGS!

Experiment in Blogging

I am always quite sure that the things I'm going to try on the computer have no way of working! Somehow I always think that they only work for other people :oP Seriously, this whole computering stuff just seems like magic to me, hahaha--you do very simple things and amazing things happen--don't ask me how!! See...I am a dork! lol But, I just go ahead and give it the old college try anyways...so here goes.......

The Dance Line Team my daughter is in did a performance at the Spirit Valley Days celebrations this year. I tested out my new camera's video capabilities (which worked just fine! yeah) and now let's see if it can be seen on here.........

She's the cute little blondish one who is off to the left and a little behind the lead center gal through most of the tape and ends up right behind the lead gal at the end. Enjoy!

I just finished watching the video on my blog!! Yeah, it actually worked--I'm so proud **grin**