I'm still here!

Wow!  It's been awhile but things had been so hectic here!  The new job has been great.  The commute is a bit much.  I had switched my hours from 9:30-6 to 10-6:30.  There had been a lot of construction going on and it was taking me 2 hours to drive to work.  I couldn't imagine going in any earlier so i opted for the different shift.  It's not so bad except now that the construction has died down, I've been getting to work now a 1/2 hour early.  But I just take the time to sit in my car either reading, listening to an audiobook or going through bills.

Since March, my Mom has been in and out of the hospital 4 times now. First when she first had the kidney failure and started dialysis, then a blood clot, colitis and then another clot.  But she's been doing much better now.  She's doing the treatment she can do from home.  I think it's called Parataneal.  She does it at night when she's sleeping rather than go for dialysis several times a week. 

So we are still busy here setting up her supplies and stuff but hopefully things will start getting back to a little normal. I just put in the application for the one show we do in November so I have to start concentrating on crafting on the weekends.  I get home so late now that getting anything during the week is just impossible. 

With that said, I couldn't stand it any longer not being able to get on the computer at night when I come home so I broke down and got the Inspiron Duo from Dell.



Isn't it the cutest??  The screen flips so you can use it as a tablet or a laptop.  So at least I can come home at night and sit with it in the living room rather than go upstairs to the computer/craftroom.  And I take to work to use during the day at lunchtime.  So hopefully I won't feel I'm missing out on checking in on all of my great prim sites and blogs!!!

Hope everyone is doing well!  Now to check in all of the blog posts I've been missing out on!!!

Have a great night!
Dawn
"Aunt DeeDee"

Happy Mothers Day!

Happy Mother's Day!

And Happy NSD to those happy scrappers out there!  Sad to say I've just gotten a moment to myself to sit down and get on the computer and hopefully can find some good NSD scrapbook sales still going on at this hour.  I haven't had the chance to get on the computer much in these past few weeks.  Mom had gone into the hospital on Good Friday.  She wound up with a blood clot up by her neck and an infection with the 1st port they put in for dialysis.  So she had a 9 day stay in the hospital.  They removed that port and put in another on the other side of her chest.  And they also put the one in her stomach for the kind of treatment she can do from home rather than going to dialysis.  This one has to heal and she has to be trained on how to do it so in the meantime she still needed the chest port to do regular dialysis.

This time we said we did not want the same surgeon who did it the first time. HORRIBLE bedside manner.  She had gone to him just a day or 2 before she got so bad and in such pain that she finally went to the ER at the hospital.  He didn't seem concerned by what he saw when she visited him.  Ugh!   And then just this past Thursday I had called home from work to check in and was worried when Dad said she was sleeping every time I called.  Told my sis she had to go and check on her when she got out from work (she's a teacher so she gets out earlier than me).  Such a big down side to my job - not getting out until 6 and the good hour and fifteen minute drive home, and that's a good night without traffic!  So she was pretty bad but Mom was adamant about not going to the hospital and they didn't argue with her.  I was so mad at them for not just calling 911 to come to the house.  So by yesterday she was feeling so bad she finally decided to go.  We were really worried that something was happening with the stomach port.  Turns out to be colitis and after treating her for the day she looks so much better!  She'll most likely be coming home tomorrow.  Thank goodness!!!

However, I told her the next time I have that feeling that she is that bad I'm just calling 911 from work and that's the end of it.  Or else I'm calling my uncle, her brother, who will simply go get her and put her in a car.  My aunt asked why I didn't call him and I said I had trusted that my sister and father would be able to "handle" my mom and get her to the hospital.  Oh well, lesson learned.  Mom better hope she stays on the mend because I have full intentions on making good on my threat next time!

So hoping my momma will be home in time for Mommy's Day tomorrow!  She had to spend Easter in the hospital, I would like to have her be able to spend Mommy's Day home and on the front porch taking in the nice weather.

Ok...off I go to try and find some good scrapbook deals!!
Wishing all Moms out there a happy Mother's Day!
Dawn
"Aunt DeeDee"

Swan dive off the sidewalk!

So if things weren't hectic enough with everything else going on, I decide to take a swan dive (and it most likely resemble more of a dodo bird landing) off our sidewalk on Wednesday.  I had just finally gotten to my regular hours at work and no more training, so I had to readjust the time I leave for work on Wednesday (luckily later in the morning as I'm now working 9:30 to 6).  I walk out of the house and go down the front porch steps fine.  Nothing was wet, the sun was out, no frost on my car.  Walk down the sidewalk and step off the last step into the driveway and a flying I go!  I had NO CLUE what had just happened except that I'm now laying in a muddy driveway, my travel cup opened up and ice goes all over.  I knew I hurt my knee and eventually got up.  Put my hand on the step to help myself up and wouldn't you know it.....it was  FROSTY!  Couldn't even see it!  Luckily it was my knee and not my ankle.  I've twisted that ankle so many times, the last time it was MONTHS that it hurt to walk on it.  So I had to hobble back inside and change clothes and got to work.  It was sore throughout the day but manageable.  Stupid me didn't think better when I came home to put ice on it or anything and night time was horrible trying to sleep.  Thursday morning....couldn't walk.  It was so sore, swollen and stiff.  I had to call out to work.  Just killed me to do so since I've only been there a month and to waste a day on something like that.  Grrrrrrr!!!!!

Thanks to everyone with their kind words last week, still trying to get back to my replys.   Mom is still hanging in there but just depressed.   Hoping we can get her spirits up a bit. 

On the crafting front, my sister brought me 2 big bags of soda cans so I have to start cleaning them out.  I've been cutting out 3d barn stars and snowflakes out of the tin with my Big Shot Pro (I am in LOVE with my Big Shot Pro!!).  I've got to get going on some stitcheries but I seem to do those more in the spring and summer months sitting out on my porch so I'll get my mojo back on those soon!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!

Dawn
"Aunt DeeDee"

Life got hectic and I'm tired!

I haven't posted recently but life got a little hectic and worrisome at home.  Mom had to go into the hospital.  She has a cancer but more recently had gotten sick in October and November which was what her regular doctor chalked up to pnuemonia, but she never quite shook it.  So she finally got back to her specialist doctor and had blood work done.  Her doctor called one morning and said I want you in the hospital.  She had fluid in her lungs and her kidneys were down to less than 10% function.   So she was in for just over a week and is now getting dialysis (probably spelling that totally wrong!!).  So we are all working together to get through all of this.  I am so glad I moved into the other half of the house.   Now that I'm working further away from home I at least know that when I am home, I'm just next door. 

So between helping out my parents and getting into the swing of things with the new job I haven't had a chance to be on the computer much.   But I'm hoping to have some time this weekend to work on projects....oh and get caught up on laundry, the cleaning.......but I swear I'm fitting in some crafting time!!!

Take care,
Dawn "Aunt DeeDee"

Giveaway Winner Announced!

Whew....it's been a long past two days for me!  Rough getting back into the swing of things with starting a new job.  But after almost 6 months of unemployment it's most definitely a welcome change!  The ONLY downside I see so far in this job is the commute.  REALLY not used to that at all but it is what it is!  I'm hoping that once training is done and I start my normal hours which will be 9:30 to 6 that I will miss a good portion of rush hour.  Without the traffic the drive is 45 minutes.  Today it took an hour and a half and I didn't have a minute to spare.  So tomorrow I'll leave even earlier.  You just never know with this major highway of ours what may pop up and delay traffic.  But otherwise, everyone has been so nice and I think it's going to be a nice work environment!

OK......so on to the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!   Please excuse me that I don't have pictures of the list of entries or a screen print of the random # generator but the camer isn't charged and I wasn't sure how to get a screen print of the # generator.  But after listing each entry and the double entry for those adding it to their sidebar, there was a total of 27 entries.  The random # generator picked # 26 which was...................

LIL RAGGEDY ANGIE!!!!!!!!!    CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Please email your mailing address so Peter Cottontail can jump in his box and be mailed off to you!!

And to show my appreciation of all of those who took the time to leave me a comment and also those who helped spread the word, I picked 5 more winners!  Please email your info and a lil something will be on it's way to you as well!

1. Carmen @ primcats
2. Connie
3. Amy @ cottageprims
4. Michelle
5. Lecia @ Farmhouse prims

I had a few inquiries on the shabby barn stars, if they would be for sale.  I should have some listed this weekend and will post a note here when I do for anyone that may be interested.  

Have a great night and thanks again to all who entered the giveaway and helped spread the word about my blog!   I'll be planning another giveaway soon so stay tuned!

Aunt DeeDee

Barnstars and a GIVEAWAY!

Well good news.........I was offered a job!!  Woohoo!!!  I accepted and now it's just subject to the background check.  So once that goes through ok, then I should get the final offer and start date.   So now I'm preparing to going back to working days and because of the commute.....longer hours.  But my nights and weekends will still be my crafting time!!   I'll be working this weekend in getting all the cleaning and laundry done so I don't have to worry about it coming home at night.  And I also found time to work on some new stuff. 

I had gotten the Sizzix Big Shot for Christmas and have been playing with it since.  Was excited to get the 3D 5 point star die and experimented with recycling soda cans and I also had some nice cardboard/chipboard type of scraps.  Where I used to work in an insurance agency, we ordered ID card holders.  And they had these nice strips of cardboard in the packaging.  I had been grabbing those for awhile knowing they could be recycled somehow.  I used a lot for Santa Key doorknob hangers.  And then I knew I could use them for the 3D star!   (Mental note to contact one of my old co-workers and see if she can still collect those for me!)

So here is the one made from recycled soda cans.  It took 2 and 1/2 soda cans to make one star.  I die cut the pieces, embossed them with the curly embossing folder and then used Ranger alcohol inks (total of 3 colors and a little gold) to color the pieces.  And then assembled.

The 2nd one is made with the recycled cardboard pieces and used a nice shabby set of coordinating papers.  Distressed the edges with inks and also assembled. 

And now onto the giveaway!  With spring and Easter on it's way, I decided to offer up one of my Peter Cottontails.  He's really looking to go to a nice loving home and I hear he's planning on bringing some extra goodies along with him.  So what is needed to bring Peter to your home?   Easy!  Just be a follower and leave a comment for one entry.   Want a second entry?   Post on your blog or facebook and let me know in your comment and that will earn you the 2nd entry.  New followers......the more the merrier!  Please enter!!!  Signup by Monday, March 7th Midnight EST.  Winner will be announced on March 8th!   Good luck!

Have a great night,

Dawn "Aunt DeeDee"