Surprise!..........I Won A Giveway

I know, can you believe it? I actually won a giveaway from a dear sweet blogger named Cecelia, or better known as Sissy, who is a HUGE fan of WVU (whom I might add is in the final four for the NCAA tournament). She was contacted by CSN about doing a giveaway for them and she jumped right on it. I had my choice of a set of cookware or this ADORABLE birdie clock.
Isn't this just the cutest little clock? I love the 'chippy' paint and the little flowers, just too cute.
Thanks Sissy!

{OOPS, it looks like I neglected to dust the shelf. Oh well, now you know I am a terrible houskeeper, Drats!}

What's Up With Sun Chips?

What are they thinking over at the Sun Chips plant? I will tell you what, they have a vendetta against people like me that likes to sneak....ummm....that is SNACK on Sun Chips. The packaging makes so much noise now that your neighbors can tell when you are snacking on them. This must be the food Nazi's idea in Washington to fight obesity in the United States. What's next, M&M's with whistles that blow when you reach in for a handful? Meters on cookie packages?

I say that us Junk Food Junkies should unite and write our Senators and Representatives immediately, this is discrimination plain and simple!!!!

WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO?

Another Great Giveway

Gail at Faithfulness Farm is having a '100th' post giveaway. Go check her out, she has a wonderful blog with some very tantalizing recipes and beautiful posts with beautiful pictures. Take a few minutes and mosey around.

Finally...Four Finished Frames!!!

Try saying that five times, really fast. {I know you tried, 'cause I can just hear it}. As promised yesterday, I have posted the finished picture frames. Here is a picture of my niece's boys. Aren't they adorable.
Three of the sweetest grandchildren, ever. {And no, I am not prejudiced}
The frame on the far left is the only one I didn't get a close-up of. It would be sweet with a picture of a cute baby girl in it. Hmmm, I need to search for just the right one.
Thanks so much for stopping by.

I have joined up with the 'Creative Cats' party at Poppies at Play.

Four Year Old Photographer

This is what happens when a four year old little boy gets a hold of Grandma's camera.

A close-up...

The kitchen sink...
his hand...
Glenn Beck television show...



Another shot of his hand...





Storage room...
{he actually did a pretty good job here}





The toaster oven...



And a dish towel!

Thank goodness for digital cameras, I would have been a little upset if I paid to have pictures developed and found these on the roll of film.

Naw, I wouldn't have been upset, after all grandchildren can do no wrong! HA!

I've Been Framed

Here is one of four wooden picture frames I made today. Why only one, you might ask? Because #2 and #3 frames didn't turn out well in the pictures I took of them, {camera issues}.
The fourth picture frame isn't quite finished, I still need to apply the lettering to that one.

I found these 12x12 wood frames at Michael's for $2.99 each, regular price was $7.99 and could not pass them up. The 12x12 scrapbook paper was perfect for them, I just shot the frames with spray adhesive and applied the paper onto them. Then the fun began...how was I going to embellish them? I just started digging into my scrapbook supplies and this is where it took me.

I will be posting about the other three tomorrow. STAY TUNED, they turned out adorable {well I think so anyway}.

Now I am off to find some parties to link up to.............see ya later!

I have hooked up with Kara's "Look What I Made" linky party again. Head on over for some fun and inspiration.

I am also joining the part at Life As Lori.

AM I CHEAP OR THRIFTY?

I LOVE A BARGAIN, FINDING TREASURES ON SALE OR CLEARANCE JUST MAKES MY DAY. I WOULD RATHER GO WITHOUT SOMETHING THAN PAY FULL PRICE.

DOES THAT MEAN I AM CHEAP OR THRIFTY?

I have become a big fan of soup tureens. Over the last six or seven months I have been on the lookout for these, (only white ones will do) and am surprised at how many I have been able to find just by stopping by thrift stores and garage sales. I currently have six and I'm not sure when enough is enough. I have run out of room on this small rustic barn board hutch so I am now looking on craigslist for something a little bigger to display them on.

I'm not real sure if the one with the carrots on the top is a soup tureen or not but thought it looked right at home with this collection..






Do you collect anything? If so, I would like to know what it is and if you would like to post about your collection I would love to see and hear about it.

Another Giveaway!!!!!

There is so much generosity in blog land. I'll bet on any given day there are thousands of giveaways. I think blogging is the best kept secret. (Shhhhh, don't tell too many people, it makes the odds go down on the giveaway's, LOL.)

My daughter is doing a giveaway if you would like to go check it out. She made this cute laundry room sign and even threw in some cute sticky note pads and a journal. Be sure to head on over to Rainy Day Farm for all of the details.

What Would You Do?

I have thought long and hard for the last week on whether or not to post about this subject. As some of you may have noticed I have had to put up a block so that my pictures from my blog cannot be taken. Unfortunately, I have had an unstable family member take pictures from my blog and post them on hers and then proceeded to demean and slander me, my husband and my children. It has now turned so ugly that she is not only slandering me on her blog but has taken it upon herself to email false accusations and lies to other family members. I can't begin to tell you how harmful this has been to me and my family. Having our integrity and character trashed has taken it's toll. The misery she feels in her life is just so sad. Probably the most hurtful thing about this whole situation is that my own mother is perpetuating this hatred by feeding this 'unstable' relative information.

I am not sure what to do from here. Confronting either one of them is not an option, (I already tried that with disastrous results).

HELP!!!! What would you do?

Get A Jump on Summer...FABULOUS Flipflops

Are you ready for flip-flop weather? Pedicures and capri's? Well head on over to Make It And Love It for a great tutorial on how to make theses interchangeable accessories for flip-flops. THEY ARE DA BOMB. I am headed to Target to buy a basic pair of these must haves for summer. Oh, the possibilities!

Listen Up...There is a Cricut Giveaway!!!!!!!

A fairly new blogger has offered a new Cricut as a giveaway so that she may get more followers to her blog. Help her out by checking out her blog, 'Women Who Do It All' here.

TENDER MERCIES

WARNING: LONG POST

Tender mercies

from the Lord are all about us, especially in these tough time. I would like to share one such tender mercy that is unfolding as I write this.

I have a very special friend who adopted a little girl about 24 years ago after not being able to have more children after her son was born.

This baby, Jenna (not her real name because I wouldn't want to expose too much information right now as things unfold) was a beautiful blue eyed blond with the most angelic personality.

She fit so well into her new family that most people didn't even know she was adopted.

Fast forward about 23 years and you find Jenna married with a small daughter (perfect image of her mom).

Jenna recently was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. After much discussion and many tears with her parents and husband, she decided to begin her search

for her birth mother to help answer some of the questions she had about her medical history. Her mother shared with me some of the fears Jenna had about

finding her birth mother. Was she a loser, drug addict or a not so nice person? Questions I'm sure most people would have in the same situation.

I love what her mother told her, "Jenna you at least know she was a decent person because think about it. Abortion was legal when you were born and she made the decision not to abort you but to give you life. That says volumes about her." (Her mother is the nicest, sweetest and most wonderful person I know.)

Because Jenna was born in a state where birth records are open she was able to write to that state and get a copy of her birth certificate. Included on the certificate was the name of her mother.

Just yesterday Jenna was able to locate a name of who she thought was her birth mother's

parents. She dialed that number and a gentleman answered. After explaining her situation and a after a few questions she determined that she indeed was speaking to her biological grandfather.

Side note: Jenna just lost a grandfather last summer to cancer, which was extremely hard on her, she was very close to him. Her wise mother said to her, "You lost a grandfather last summer but now you have gained another one. Not everyone gets second chance like that."

(Don't you just love her tender wisdom and council to her daughter?)

Jenna was told that her biological mother had moved back to the original state that she gave birth to her in a couple of years ago.

Here is where a sweet tender mercy is displayed. Jenna's husband is scheduled to interview for graduate school this weekend near the place where her biological grandparents live (which is in another state from where she now lives).

She will

able to meet them and spend some time with them. Can you just imagine? Just three days

after making contact she will be able to meet some of her family members.

She did

get a phone number for her bio mother and was able to talk with her on the phone. They had a wonderful conversation and were able to share many things.

So that is where it stands right now. The Lord does bless us in ways that are personal and tender. I wish nothing but the best for this young woman, she has had some pretty scary news with this diagnosis of MS.
She said it is like ' a novel unfolding before her eyes'.

I can't wait until the next chapter...

We Have A Winner!!!!!!!!

Thank you to everyone who responded to this giveaway and a special WELCOME to my new followers. I hope to get to know each of you better in the future. And now without further ado.....................
Congratulations to

AMIE from Adventures With Audrie.
Amie, please email me at connie_hall57@yahoo.com with your address so I can get your new set of blocks to you right away.

A "JUST BECAUSE" Giveaway

I am doing a Just Because giveaway...well...just because. It is not because of any particular milestone, like my 1000th post (only my 135th) or because I have been blogging for 5 years or any other spectacular reason...Just Because I think that people who blog are wonderful people and I want to share one of my talents with them.

To enter all you need to do is (1)blog about my giveaway on your blog with a link back to my blog or (2)sign up to be a follower. Oh ya,(3) leave a comment and a way to contact you should you win.

The color scheme for these blocks are brown, tan, green, and turquoise/greenish colors with ribbon and other embellishments.

.

I will be drawing randomly from a hat on Wednesday Morning.
Good luck and please pass the word along. Thanks a bunch

HILARIOUS HORMONE REPLACEMENT STORY

If you have hit menopause, had a hysterectomy, or are pre-menopausal then you must go check out the post by Jenny Matlock. "A tale of fear and romance"

This post may come in handy someday if you are prescribed medication in this container, it may also save your marriage.

SPRING TIME SIMPLE PLEASURE

I couldn't resist, the sun is shinning, the breeze is blowing gently, the temperature is 62 degrees outside. Don't you just love to see clothes hung on a line gently fluttering in the breeze...oh yes, such a simple pleasure. And then when you put the sheets back on the bed and you crawl into bed, HEAVENLY. The flower beds are beckoning me, the day lilies are aggressively putting forth their leaves and the weeds are awakening too. I better get a jump on them.
The crocuses are welcoming the warmer weather.
These little princesses seem to be dancing in the nice warm weather.
I hope that if spring hasn't arrived where you live that you can somehow find hope in the pictures I have posted.
Have a wonderful day, I know I am.

Mini Pie Marathon

My daughter, Maria, over at Rainy Day Farm posted about our day of making twenty six of these delicious little pies. I posted a couple of weeks ago about these pies but was not able to make any because my stove was broken. Go check out her tutorial and crust recipes that we used to make these little yummies.

Pictured below are some of the pies before we baked them.

She is a much better photographer than I am so be sure and go take a look-see at her blog.

I came across this beautiful song and video on Ann Bradshaw's blog and was so touched by it's message and pictures that I felt I needed to share it.

My Name Is Hope (written by Kirsten Millsap), sung by Debbie West Coon , from the currently available Debbie West Coon album, You Are Loved (http://www.debbiewestcoon.com/). Producer/Engineer - Richard Talbot; Arranger - Sam Cardon. Background vocals by Richelle Talbot.

Debbie says, "Captured Miracles is a collection of fine art photography, by Helen Thomas Robson, created as a way to use her talents to give back to children (http://www.capturedmiracles.org/). Helen and I didnt know each other before this and through a random series of events and people, we kept running across each other but never meeting up. When we met, we realized it was meant to be. Within minutes of meeting each other, we were putting My Name Is Hope together with her art. When we saw and heard the music and prints together we were amazed. We knew that they were a perfect fit; just what we had both been looking for.

What A Waste!

Nice choice Jake...I think I will go throw up.
Just sayin'

Craft Bazaar Inventory 2010

Here are a few more items I have completed for the November craft bazaar.

I am linking with Kara for 'Look what I made' for her linky party.