Saturday, December 12, 2009

LAST DAY FOR 12 DAYS OF GIVEAWAYS!

Final day for giveaways at April's blog.  There are some adorable clip arts to choose from and some cute stamps.  I can always use stamps...yeah, right!  I just got them out the other day and found some I didn't even know I had!  oops!  Crafting can easily become collecting, can't it? :)  Have a good weekend...I'll be back with some pics (hopefully) next week!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

SHE'S OUTDONE HERSELF!

I can't believe the cute shops April has had on her 12 days of giveaways this week!  Another great shop was featured later this afternoon!  It has the cutest little inspiration packs, etc.  Go take a look and try to win yet ANOTHER great giveaway from her!  Just when I think my favorites on Etsy is going to explode or reach a "limit", I find more talented people!  Does this happen to you too??

DO YOU LOVE FABRIC?

Even if you don't sew, you have to admit there are some fabrics that just beg to come home with you or your mouse seems to come alive and all of a sudden it's grabbing that bundle or that yard and adding it to your "cart."  All of a sudden your checking out, (whether online or in the store) and you've discovered you'll be adding a new set of colors to your fabric stash.  Well, today my friends there is a wonderful place here where you can win a bundle!!!  Go now and try to claim it!!  Maybe this will be your first stack of fabric or maybe it'll just add some new colors to your stash, but either way, I promise it won't be your last!  :)

I LOVE MACS, BUT...

Check, thisthis and this out!!  That's all I have to say about that! So many chances to win an amazing computer!  Technology just blows me away sometimes!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

WARNING TO ALL...AND ANOTHER GIVEAWAY TO MENTION!

Ok...sorry for a boring post with no pictures, but guess what??  My hard drive is on the fritz!!!  This means all the pics I've taken in the past year and haven't printed are on very shaky ground right now.  I'm in the process of backing everything up.  So...if you don't back up your pictures, documents, etc...here's my warning...PLEASE DO IT NOW!!  When I walked into the Apple store last night and the guy told me what was happening I almost started to cry!  I started to think of the pics of my daughter's first haircut, the pics of all my son's firsts while my husband was deployed, etc.  So...consider this a friendly reminder to please back up your pics somewhere, and anything else that is important to you.  On a lighter note...I have mentioned April's 12 days of giveaways a few times already this week, but the shop featured this morning is amazing and the talented owner of the shop is here in San Diego...yay!!  If you love vintage and Christmas and goodies of all sorts, please head over there right now for this amazing giveaway!  Thanks and hopefully I'll be back later this week with a perfect-working hard drive.  

Monday, December 7, 2009

BIRDCAGE SALE

I personally love my birdcages...they are so cute and whimsical. Yes, I realize that's tooting my own horn a bit, but I really do LOVE them!! Anyways...I'm making up some new ones and put the 2 that are left in my Etsy shop on sale for 1/2 off!!! Please go see them and if they suit you, I'll send them along with a free thrifted vintage ornament!!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

CHRISTMAS IS HERE





Ahhhh...the twinkling Christmas lights, the tree, and the home decor came out this weekend. It is simply magical to watch. I love twinkling lights! Something about them makes everything feel cozy, magical, even emotional. As I watched my 2 yr old son put on ornaments this year and pull out ornaments that were created by his big-big-sister (my step daughter), I couldn't help but get teary eyed. December 12th will mark a year since the decision was made by a family court judge to allow her to move to her mother's after living with her father for 8 years (and with me for 6 years). In some ways I am so happy to have made it through this year, but on some days I can hardly believe that our family has become so incomplete without her here. I put an ornament on the tree that she had made during December of last year at her school. She was smiling a silly 8-yr-old smile that just hit me so hard. I had to go in her room and "let it out." She was so happy here and as I looked at that picture I thought how sad it was that at that moment in time she had no idea how much her life was going to change in the next month. Ok...so I'm getting sappy instead of excited about my tree and our lights, etc. Anyways...she'll be here the day after Christmas this year and hopefully it will be a week of joy and laughter and togetherness. So...to end...it was a wonderful feeling to put up the tree and remind the children of Jesus' birthday, but also a small, sad reminder that our family is minus one until she returns. I pray that although she is far away and in a home so different from ours that she will remember what Christmas is all about and be filled with excitement for her next visit. Thanks for reading my sappiness! :) Oops...pictures are out of order! Oh....and remember I take horrible pictures, so yes...these are the best ones I captured! Pretty horrible, huh? Oh, well...maybe that can be a New Year's resolution! :)

A SHORT BLURB

Ok...I have to tell you about this giveaway! And yes...I'm mainly doing it because I want this one, but hey...I've already mentioned that she's doing 12 days (yes, you read that right) of giveaways and many days have more than 1 giveaway!! The one for today is so cute...where do people come up with all these great ideas...and do them so well!! I'll be back later with our Christmas tree post...it's up!! Yay!!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

I ALMOST FORGOT!!


This girl is doing something spectacular this holiday season and I'm determined to be in on it. Go here. Some cool things are gonna be up for grabs (I'll be donating some items)...but this is NOT a normal giveaway...no, no, no. This requires more than a comment, but you will be providing something for others that we take for granted everyday. Go take a look, please? You'll be happy you did.

First Step Photo Vinyl Wall Art $50 Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY

First Step Photo Vinyl Wall Art $50 Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY

ANOTHER GIVEAWAY!!

Ok...I might overload you with some giveaways now...I just found a bunch! Go here! Such cute stuff to be won!!

GREAT GIVEAWAY TIME FOR BLOGS!


I love this time of year when all the crafty blogs start doing giveaways! It was this time of year when I originally started following blogs regularly just because it was so much fun to think I might just win some amazing item (or possibly even two!). I have won some things here and there, but never from the infamous Pioneer Woman (the chances with her are like playing the lottery!)...nor have I won anything from this creative girl (who by the way has one of the cutest Etsy shops ever!)....nor have I won anything from this creative girl (who has another Etsy shop that I frequent a lot!). I decided that all my luck is going to change this season because I'm going to try even harder to win whatever is being offered....especially if I love it. Well...there's an great 12 day giveaway over at her blog and the most current offer is from such a cute Etsy shop...you have to go check it out! I'm gonna win this giveaway...but if not...I'd be happy if one of you won it too! :) I'm actually ruining my chances of winning by telling you about it, aren't I?? Oh, well. Go head over there and check 'em out everyday! This girl has great taste! I'll keep you posted on other fabulous giveaways I find! Have a great Friday!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

CONTENT AND GRATEFUL


Well, I have to be honest. I stopped posting for a while because....well....I didn't feel very thankful. There, I said it. It was so hard to go to Facebook and read everyone's "thankful posts". I just wasn't feeling it. I thought to myself, "here I am the week before Thanksgiving with my step daughter visiting, hardly any money because we had to pay so much to fly her here, and my husband and I have been fighting over everything." Yes, I was having a major pity party and being totally selfish. If I could only find the words to share with you on how wrong I was to feel so ungrateful! God has done some AMAZING things in my life and our family that I shouldn't let a day go by without thanking him for the life I have. You see, there was a time a few years back when I made a choice that almost made me lose my ability to raise my own children. It was a time when I didn't know if my new husband (very new) was going to stay married to me. Everything was up for grabs. Thank you Jesus for pulling me out of the pits last week and waking me from my ungratefulness! I went to church on Sunday feeling desperate to hear from God and grasp onto to anything and did he ever give me something to go on! Sometimes I think God is so funny how he works. I actually didn't even decide to go to church until the very last minute. My husband had plans to go to a football game and wasn't going to be able to go to church and make the game on time, so I thought I might as well stay home with him, but like I said I went. The whole way there I was speeding because I had left so late and I didn't want to miss more worship songs than I had to...that's my favorite part of course. When I got there I only got about a song and a half and then it was time to sit. I was pouting on the inside. Then the youth pastor gets up to preach (I had forgotten the pastor would be out of town for his daughter's wedding.) I pouted some more. Some more brutal honesty here...I thought there was no way God was going to teach me anything using the youth pastor's sermon....I mean, come on - his sermons are geared towards kids, right? :) Yeah, right. He had the most amazing sermon and at one point he made a side note about the lies that can get in our heads and directly affect how we treat the people around us and how we feel. We know where those lies come from...NOT from God. Then he said this..."You know, the lies that say, "I can't believe you're still dealing with that", "You are the worst person ever", "You'll never be like her/him/them, etc". This may mean nothing to you as a reader of this post/blog, but this hit me like a complete ton of bricks. This was and is me A LOT of the time! But, like he said, these are lies! How dare I let those lies cover up the joy and happiness that Jesus has brought into my life. Those lies are sent to destroy the contentment I should be feeling on a daily basis because my life has been restored! Thank you God for using the youth pastor to reveal this truth to me! Needless to say, I feel more content and thankful this week than I have in a long, long, time. God has totally changed my life and I would be happy to share about it in depth if you are curious about the details. If not, I will continue to post more regularly about my life, my kids, my crafts, etc. Be thankful every day!