Christmas and New Year's Wishes!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and are looking forward to starting a brand new year! I spent a nice quiet Christmas with my parents. This is the 1st time in my 39 years that I didn't sleep at my parents house! But since we live in a 2 family house connected by a garage in the middle and all I had to do was wake up in the morning, go through my kitchen door into the garage and into their kitchen.....just sayin' it's not really much different!!! BUT it was nice to sleep cigarette and smoke free for once on Christmas Eve! Mom decided to bake a ham so she didn't have to cook much in the way of dinner.


I had mentioned about how we used to always get a puzzle for Christmas when my sister and I were little. And then mom commented how she thought a Thomas Kincaid puzzle would be pretty. So I wound up getting her a 1000 piece Thomas Kincaid puzzle and she wound up getting me 2 Springbok winter puzzles- one 500 pieces and the other 1000. Christmas day we put together the 500 piece one and the last piece was put into place at 3am! Boy that was hard!! And the other day we started the Thomas Kincaid one and we've been cursing that one out ALOT. I have no clue why we thought puzzles were so much fun!!!  Here's the one we did on Christmas, it was pretty when finished.

The most fun I have at Christmas is taking pictures of my parents cats on Christmas morning.  They currently have a total of 8 cats!  Yikes!  This year I didn't even get pics of all of them put here are a few of them:

This is Jack, but I call him Mr. Jack.   He and his sister Jill aka Beanie were mine for awhile.  We had found a home for them but the person had to give them back.  I kept them for a bit while trying to find a home for them but got in trouble when the landlord found I had them.  So mom took them for a bit and we knew at that point they'd stay with her.  She already had their brother so it was a happy family reunion with them.  Jack is still my baby boy though.  Isn't he just the most handsome lil guy???  And he ALWAYS hangs his legs over the edges of things.  Sometimes he has both hanging down....he has unually long legs. 

This is Jill aka Beanie.  She's just a teeny tiny tot.  She is really a small little girl.  All of the mean kids in the family seem to pick on her, but just like her brother, she's still my lil girl!! 

And this is Woody, their brother.  Caught him in mid yawn!  Guess we were tiring him out!!  His a big ol' boy!  I think he and his brother got all of their mama's nutrients and poor Beanie didn't!!

Awwww.....the newest additions to the house!  My parents lost 2 of their males this year within a week apart.  They were Dad's boys and he was really missing them.  While at the garden center this summer, we found the farm had kittens there and well......here are Gizmo (left) and Ralphie (right).  I hear them getting yelled at alot!!   But they had fun on Christmas morning.  Ralphie loves to shred paper...at which he gets yelled at for.  Well, he thought Santa was just the coolest for bringing lots of paper to shred that morn!

And should my mom EVER find out that I posted this picture I will surely meet my demise, but I just had to.  Snapped this while we were baking peanut butter cookies.  I'm pretty sure I got yelled at after snapping this!

And here is my little tiny prim and country tree.  You can see a bit in the above picture of my mom's tree.  She still does a more traditional tree....colored lights, various ornaments, garland.  When I went out on my own, I went different.  I love the white lights opposed to the colored lights.  And the past few years, I've participated in prim ornie swaps so just about all of my tree is handmade ornies.  Only the top portion has store bought ornaments that are small, but still prim in nature!  :)   And then I have some wooden candy canes and metal icicles that were also bought.  I found a new tree at Lowe's that I wanted to buy this year, but after losing my job I couldn't justify buying a new tree.  I always think I need a new tree but then after putting my little Charlie Brown tree up, I just love it.  So I think it will be a keeper for at least another year!

And finally I must post a picture of one of my girls, Gracie.  I tortured her this year by buying a Santa cape.  She was the only one stupid.....uhhhh I mean gracious enough to leave it on long enough to snap a pic!  She really was not amused by it!!!

Have a safe and Happy New Year!!

Aunt DeeDee

Giveaway by the Rusty Thimble

Brenda from the Rusty Thimble has been so generous with her giveaways this year.  Each month she has offered some wonderful items and given them to lucky followers of her blog.  As we close in on the end of 2010, Brenda has one last giveaway and it doesn't disappoint!!!  Go on over to her blog and check out the darling snow girl ornies that she is offering to a lucky reader! 

http://therustythimble2.blogspot.com/2010/12/december-giveaway.html

Now I'm off to do some errands and visit the craft stores.

Take care,
Aunt DeeDee

Hard Candy Christmas

Tonight I was listening to my Christmas music and Dolly Parton's Hard Candy Christmas was playing.  And as I was listening to the words, I was thinking that yes in deed, this is a hard candy Christmas.  Being out of work since mid September has been depressing.  I've had a 2 jobs in particular here in town that I wanted so bad and came really close but not close enough and all of the other jobs have quite a commute attached to them.  When I was first laid off, I thought well at least I have time to get ready for our November show but I just lacked the enthusiasm to craft.  The show finally came and I had stuff prepared but not like I would have liked.  However at the end of the day and tallying up sales, you know what? I actually had better sales than last year.  Huh?  How did that happen?   So that started to get my spirits up and at least it has renewed my creativity and I have the desire to craft.  And the job hunt continues.  So I've decided that....

I'll be fine and dandy, Lord it's like a hard candy christmas, I'm barely getting through tomorrow, But still I won't let sorrow get me way down........Dolly Parton can be SO inspiring!  :)

I hoped everyone had a great Thanksgiving and had a special time with friends and family.  It's hard to believe that Christmas is approaching at a very rapid rate.  I hope to get the house cleaned up and start decorating this week.  I've been listening to Christmas music, well I've been actually listening to it before Thanksgiving but I so love the music of this holiday.  I could listen to it all year long.  It's just so inspirational.

And lastly, I'll leave you with this story!

As you can see my Gracie Ann is not a small cat. She prefers to be called fluffy and I don't have the heart to tell her that her fur isn't all that fluffy. You would imagine it's hard to misplace a cat of Gracie's size, errr sorry, FLUFF. So one day I can't find her. I look in her all of her usual sleeping spots (since that's all she does all day long). I cannot find her anywhere. This is a small apartment, where in the world could she be? Then I notice my kitchen cabinet ajar. She has a really BAD habit of opening the cabinets under the sink so now they all get locked. But never would I have imagined what I was about to discover!

So I spy with my little eye a bit of FLUFF sticking out of the upper cabinet!



I seriously have no clue how she got up there, she's not the most agile of cats!  And to see this big ol' girl curled up so tightly in the bowl, I couldn't even be mad at her.  She must have thought that was the most uncomfortable bed!

So next time you open that kitchen cupboard, BEWARE!  You never know what may be lurking inside! 

Have a great night!
Aunt DeeDee

7Gypsies New Holiday Goodies!

Oh my 7Gypsies has their new holiday goodies out and they are just great!!!    The holiday stamps are awesome.    Check out their blog and new products and their holiday giveaway.

http://sevengypsies.blogspot.com/2010/10/very-merry-gypsy-holiday-indeed-and.html

Update on life and GIVEAWAY alert!

Sorry I haven't posted in a bit!   I was laid off from my job a few weeks ago and I've been in a bit of a slump.  Not many hiring out there for what I do so it's a little discouraging.  I've got my fingers crossed and saying prayers for a job here in town.  The office is just at the bottom our hill....it would be so nice to be that close for work.  No worries about the cost of gas, wear and tear on the car, etc.   But since Mom hasn't been able to craft since they are working on an addition for their side of the house, I've got the time right now to be working on stuff for the show in November.  So I guess that's a plus!    I'll post pics soon of things I've been working on.  I just did a big batch of bottlecaps on Sunday and they're hard now so I can work on getting them made into pins, magnets or necklaces.

Now for the giveaway alert.....not one from me but Brenda over at the Rusty Thimble!  She's got a GORGEOUS prim santa up for grabs for a giveaway this month made from a pattern of Sandy's at The Olde Country Cupboard.   Check it out!!! 

Until later,
Aunt DeeDee

By Your Hands Blog...Have you checked them out?

Good morning!  What's everyone planning for their weekend???  My day is going to be cleaning.  I have so much crafting to do but everyone thing is a mess and disorganized so I thought I'd feel better taking today to do a good cleaning and then I can concentrate on crafting tomorrow.

So have you found By Your Hands Blog ?  It's a great blog that showcases Featured Artists, Tutorials, Tips on Organizing (I really enjoy that one!!), Trash to Treasure and many more different elements.  Go on over and check them out!  They also have a giveaway this month from Krsital Norton of Rags N Tags . 

Click here to visit By Your Hands Blogspot!

Aunt DeeDee

Some of my favorite things!

Fall, Halloween and mice!!!  I just think fall babies (I was born in October) just appreciate and love fall so much!  Whenever I come across a person that loves Fall, they always seem to be born in the fall months.  Halloween is my ultimate favorite holiday....LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!    And well, mice??  I've loved mice since I was little.  I love collecting things with mice on it....they are just so cute!!!!   They don't make go EEEEK....just Awwww!

So what has brought on my love fest of my favorite things?   Well, that would be Old Road Primitives newest creation and giveaway!   She is having a giveaway of a Fall Meadow Mouse n Witch Hat.

Head on over to her blog for a peek....just don't go EEK when you see the mouse!  :)

Have a great night,
Aunt DeeDee

Another day closer to fall!

It's supposed to get warmer today, about 90 I believe but I can take it now.  I know we are one day closer to fall!  Well I didn't get much accomplished from the to-do list from yesterday.   Mom and Dad are still working on their addition.  Mom had bought the cabinet pieces from Lowe's and the sink vanity isn't the same brand and although we were told they matched the other pieces.....it didn't.  So we had to pack my van up with the sink vanity and sink top, a tall cabinet and the medicine cabinet.....not that any men around here offered any help!  And off to the next town over to return it.  That and food shopping took up pretty much half of our day. 

Earlier in the day when I went out to run errands I went past a yard sale and saw a nice set of drawers.  From the road I could see I liked it.  (Wish I took a pic!)  So went back home and grabbed mom to go look.  It was GORGEOUS!  It needed to be refinished as the woman who was selling had started the process.  Once we saw it we knew it was an older piece.  Nice and heavy.  I've been trying to find something to use as a new TV/entertainment stand.  I knew the $60 I grabbed on the way wasn't going to be enough but I was in love with and was willing to spend $100...............turns out she wanted $500!  WAY past my budget!  So now the search continues!  

I came across another blog to follow today and another great giveaway!!   Hop on over to Cricket Hollow Primitives  and check out her great Halloween giveaway!!!!!

Ok...off to check email, run to the local grocery store and then off to accomplish some of those items from yesterday!

Aunt DeeDee

Look at what I won!

What a GREAT way to wake up this morning.  First of all, the weather out is perfect.  Sunny and warm but not too warm.  And then,  I just checked on my favorite blogs and found out that I won 10.....TEN!!!.....stitchery patterns from Samantha's Accessories.    That was so hard picking out just 10 patterns, so I also have a shipping list now too! 

Samantha has been talking on her blog about being more organized which I really have to start doing as well.  So my list today is:

• Take mom into town for shopping
• Sew up the blocks for 2 rag quilt table toppers
• Sew up the strips for rag trees
• Go through the UFO (UnFinished Objects) pile I have and see what I need to complete them!
• List the Halloween Bottlecap necklaces on Etsy

That should do it for the day!   What is everyone else working on today?

Aunt DeeDee

Giveaway Winners!

Yes, I said winners!  Both Brenda from of The Rusty Thimble and "B" from Wood N Stitches have both won a bottlecap necklace. AND..........so has "B"s granddaughter!!!   :)

I'll be emailing you both and thank you for posting!!

Enjoy your night and for those who didn't see this post or get to sign up in time, there will be more goodies coming down the line!

Aunt DeeDee

My 1st Giveaway!

Now that I'm settled in the apartment a bit more and am able to post and craft more, I wanted to do a giveaway.  And this giveaway is to just my current followers!  I'll do another one soon in hopes to gather more followers but right now the only thing needed to enter this giveaway is to be a current follower and comment on this post.  Nice and easy!!!   This will be a quickie.....I will pick a winner tomorrow night so all comments to be posted by 9pm EST. 

And what will be the giveaway?   A bottlecap pendant that says "Hope" because we could all use a little Hope in our lives!  Although the picture does not show it, a necklace will be inclued with the bottlecap.

Aunt DeeDee

Ahhhh Cooler Weather!

So happy things have cooled off around here.  Still warm but lower humidity and nice sleeping weather at night.  Now this is the kind of summer weather I can live with, you can function in it!

Mom and I went out shopping today.  We're on the border of PA and there's a super Walmart in Milford PA so we headed up there but EEEK!  They were having "Milford Day" and the traffic was horrible.  We did stop out a few yard sales on the way and I picked up 2 wooden bowls to paint for $1 so yippee!!!

My parents are getting an addition to their side of the house but for some reason I'm getting all of the junk over on my side!  I came home yesterday and looked down at my garden and was like ACK!  They...they being the work MEN (yes I stress MEN because what woman would do this???) dug up this big round cement circle and instead of putting it on the grass it was in the corner of my little garden and crushed all of my......well I don't know what it was!  LOL   I'm horrible with gardening!   I buy plants that appeal to me and then get frustrated when my mom explains that it will only bloom for another week, or won't come up til next year and so on.  I "think" the stuff in the front of my garden is alysum or something like that.  Anywho......they crushed it!!!  Grrrrrr!!!!!    Oh and I'm SO keeping that round cement thingy!!  Not sure how to use it yet in the garden but it is kind of cool!!  The white cicrle is where that big round thing WAS until I moved it.  MEN!

And picture of said junk surrounding my lil garden!

And this has been my favorite plant this year....a gerbena daisy (and I only know that because I just yelled out the window asking mom what it was called!  LOL)

It's hard to see in the picture, but there's a neat old cement wall around my garden.  I'm more excited with my plans for Halloween for the side of my apartment!  Tomb stones in the garden, neat black fence around it, cobweds....can't wait!!!!  

And I finally made a rag quilt.  This is a table runner I made for Mom and I love how it turned out so I will definitely be making more of these.  I take my big rag quilt that someone made me to use as a table cloth at our craftshow and every year people want to buy it, so hoping to get some done for our show in November!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend and come back tomorrow as I will be posting my 1st GIVEAWAY!!!!!!

Aunt DeeDee

By Your Hands Blog

By Your Hands Blog is a great blog featuring many different and talented artists!  When you have a moment, go check them out...you'll be amazed at all of the talent over there!!!

http://byyourhands.blogspot.com/

Hope everyone is keeping cool is this heat!  Would you believe that there isn't one single air conditioner to be found in ANY of the local stores?!  They're "SEASONAL".....ummmm......and exactly WHAT season is this???   Hmmm....perhaps the season you'd actually buy an air conditioner in????   Uggh!!   The craftroom is so hot that I haven't been able to get anything done.  Luckily my aunt that lives down the street has a spare that I'm going to go pick up tomorrow.  So hopefully I'll get that in and be abe to accomplish something tomorrow!!!

Stay cool!
Aunt DeeDee

Well, what did I accomplish today?

Even though those darned construction workers had me up early this morning it was so hot today that I still didn't get anything done!   Well, not totally true!  Mom and I went to check out a flea market and went through a few antique centers.   And I did get 2 digi scrap pages done for my niece's album.  I'm so proud of Becky.  She is such a thoughtful little girl....she's so active in girl scouts, donates her time at soup kitchens on the holidays and just donated her hair to http://www.locksoflove.org/ .  All of this and she isn't even 9 years old yet!!   I think that's totally amazing.  My sister got some great pics of her getting her hair cut and I was able to work up 2 more pages for her album.  These pages were done using the kit Wild Heart from Little Dreamer Designs.

So there you have it....been awake for 15 hours today and this is all I have to show for it!! 

Aunt DeeDee

What to do today??

Well, the construction people are here on a SATURDAY working on my parents half of the house with an addition.  SATURDAY??????    What's up with that??  Ughhh....after a long week at work I was looking forward to sleeping in but that didn't happen since a cement mixer was running outside of my bedroom window before 8am!  Grrrr!  So I'm up, I've done cleaning and have some more to do before I can start crafting.   I just hope it doesn't get too hot today otherwise the craftroom will be unbearable to be in.

What is everyone else working on today?

Aunt DeeDee

I Love 7gypsies!

I do, I do, I do!!!  If you're not familiar with the 7gypsies brand....oh my, you MUST go and get acquainted with them.   Their stuff has such a nice vintage feel to them and perfect for those of you who like to do paper crafts and altered art!    Go on.....scoot....go check them out!

Help spread the word!

Jodi from Raggedy Haven Orphanage has asked for help to spread the word of her Ebay auctions.  Please take a moment to check out her sweet and adorable creations up for adoption at the orphanage!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Primitive-RAGGEDY-ANN-Folk-Art-HANDMADE-Home-o-t-Brave-/260627427929?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Folk_Art&hash=item3cae9af259

Thanks and have a great day tomorrow!
Dawn/Aunt DeeDee

Remembering my Grandmother

It's been a year since my grandmother passed away and it just seems impossible that she hasn't been a part of lives for that long already! I was going through some of my pictures and scrapbook pages and came across some of the pages I did for a little album for her and just wanted to share them today as a remembrance to her. I know she's a constant presence in our lives and think of her daily, whether it's walking past one of her paintings or seeing her in a picture, she is thought of often.

Giveaway @ The Old Cupboard Door

Willa is generously giving away a gorgeous handpainted enamel spoon.  Hop on over to her blog to check it out!!!

http://www.theoldcupboarddoorblog.com/

I really hope some relief is coming with this hot, sticky weather!!!    Since moving, I have no air conditioning here and trying to get motivated in the craftroom is getting pretty hard.   I have a 3 day weekend coming up next weekend and hoping it cools down some so I can get something accomplished!

Hope everyone is keeping cool!

Aunt DeeDee

Adorable Country Classics blog

It's so neat finding new blogs to follow.  Carol from Firecracker Kid posted about a great giveaway happening at Adorable Country Classics.  Oh my goodness....what talent!!!   Please stop by and check her out!!

 http://adorablecountryclassics.blogspot.com/2010/06/4th-of-july-giveaway.html#comment-form

Dawn/Aunt DeeDee

Meet Michelle of Raggedy Pants Designs

I just love coming across new blogs to follow and get even more excited when I realize...."Hey, I have some of her patterns!"  LOL   Michelle has an offering for a free pattern offer for spreading the word about her blog.  Unfortunately she has also just suffered the loss of her favor, so she could really use some LOVE right about now too!!!

http://raggedypants.blogspot.com/

Enjoy the weekend....it's going to be a hot one here!

Aunt DeeDee

Soft in the Head is 3 years old!

Well....3 years old in blogtime that is!!  And she is having a fantastic giveaway!  If you're a lover of mice and halloween you definitely need to check her blog out!!

http://softinthehead.blogspot.com/2010/06/im-three-and-having-giveaway.html

Aunt DeeDee

Painting Thyme Needful has 300 followers!

Wowzers!!!   But it's no mystery that she has so many followers when you see her blog and the gorgeous creations she comes up with!!   If you haven't checked her blog out, please do so!!  And for reaching over 300 followers Lynn is doing a giveaway!  Check out those neat watermelon creations!!

http://paintingthymeneedfuls.blogspot.com/2010/06/thyme-for-picnic-and-summer-thyme-give.html

Have a great day!
Aunt DeeDee

Gizmo has a brother!

And then there were two!   Well Mom went back to the garden center to pick up her patio plant that she forgot to get when she was sidetracked by kittens and came home with Gizmo instead.  She mentions that the kitten is doing well to one of the girls and they mention that the mommy won't feed 2 of the kittens now.  Mom thought it was the 2 kittens we left at the farm but it seems that the 2 that were taken by someone else were returned.  So now Gizmo has a brother Gremlin!   We think they're from the same litter but won't be sure until she talks to the owner of the garden place.  He is a mouthy lil guy and he LOVES your face.   Another cutie but Mom and Dad have their hands full of feeding, sleeping and playful babies!   Luckily they have a built in babysitter living next door and I'll go get them ANYTIME they need a break.   Although my girls didn't think much of me sitting on my porch tonight holding this baby!!!!  I was tempted to go get the little girl kitten but I have my 3 girls and Nutmeg has been acting strange and the last time I had 2 kittens living with me for awhile she totally went nuts so I don't want to put her through that.

Gremlin's first baby picture.....

Getting Settled!

Wowzers...I haven't posted in AGES!   Well, I'm all moved into the apartment next to my parents house.  It's a little getting used to......it's SO nice having a porch to sit out on and enjoy the fresh air but I was used to alot more privacy than I do now.  My "girls" like having Grandmommy next door.  Well Gracie Ann does at least!  My mom comes over and gives them treats all of the time.  Pumpkin is starting to warm up to her now but Nutmeg....no way Jose!!!  She still won't come out of hiding for anyone. 

I still have boxes that haven't been unpacked (then again....I moved boxes to this place that were STILL packed from the last move!!  LOL) and things still have to be hung up. 

My parents lost 2 of their cats within a weeks time about a month ago. 

Mischief was diabetic (their SECOND cat with Diabetes...what's up with that???) and unfortunately the illness became too much for him.  He was a kitten when he was dropped off at my parents house about 17 years ago.  He was such a lil man!

Freddie was Dad's other boy.  He and his two sisters were the litter after my two girls, Pumpkin and Nutmeg, so he was their younger brother.  He was 13 and we still don't know what happened to him but he had a whole bunch of things become wrong with him all of the sudden.  He was such a good boy, never bothered anyone and usually more scared of everyone and everything!

So Mom and Dad kept talking about getting another kitten (had to be another orange boy for dad) from a shelter.  But Mom kept holding off saying they never went out seeking a cat; one (or more) always seemed to find them.  So on Saturday Mom and I were at the local flower/farm place and saw some people holding kittens.  There had been 2 litters of kittens recently born on the farm and up for the adoption!  The woman took Mom and I out to the field by the barn and there were 3 ADORABLE AND TINY kittens.  2 buff colored (male and female) and a black female.  Even though they were still so young, Mom wound up taking the lil boy.   The ower was afraid that the mommy would wind up moving the kittens now that people were taking them. He's only about 4 weeks old, eyes are open but doesn't look like they've been for long and he's still shakey on his feet.  His been drinking kitten milk from a bottle and is just THE CUTEST!  Because he's Dad's, he got to name him., so here's...................................................GIZMO!

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend!  I actually got some stitcheries done this weekend and I just have to frame them now, so I feel somewhat accomplished!

Aunt DeeDee

A little update and a giveaway alert!

I haven't posted in a bit but more recently I've found out that I'll be moving.  To where???   Well I've gone full circle....heading back home.  Well, to the other half of my original home to be exact!  LOL  My parents tenant is moving out and even though I only live 3 houses away now and giving up my SPACIOUS apartment here, I decided to move into their apartment.  Even though I have more space here and I think a bit more privacy, I'm on the 3rd floor which is ICKY.  Now I'll have an apartment with an upstairs and downstairs, a HUGE craftroom and a nice porch.  Ohhhh, I'll have a little garden too and I'll be surrounded by family just like when I was growing up.  Mom and Dad will be in the other half of the house.  My great aunt and uncle still live in the house on one side (along with their little dog that doesn't like me too much!) and my uncle now lives in what was my grandparents house on the other side.  So needless to say I've been packing away and clearing out some stuff since I won't have as much room now.  I am DETERMINED to fit my prim hutch in my living room one way or another.  Do I really need a couch????   :)   I'll take pics once I'm in......Mom and I think I'll have a cute lil prim place!

And now onto the GIVEAWAY ALERT!!!  Head on over to Firecracker Kid's blog to see the great giveaway Carol and her hubby are giving away and read the cute story about their first date!!!!   So cute to see they still talk about it today!

http://firecrackerkid.blogspot.com/2010/02/my-st-patricks-day-first-date-giveaway.html

Take Care,
Aunt DeeDee