Chookeyblue SSS

This is what Kate sent me for the Chookeyblue SSS. The fabric is absolutely gorgeous and the coasters are so cute that Kate made. She also sent me a pinchushion that reminded her of her childhood and some yummy candies and scrapbook stuff. Thanks Kate for a wonderful swap!

This is what I sent to my partner Tatania who lives in Australia. I made some fabric garland, owl notecards, yo-yo pins,

tissue holder, owl trivets, a tissue holder and some fabric.

Then I wrapped everything up in some reusable fabric Christmas bags that I made.

Thanks Kate for a wonderful swap!

I'm just checking in real quick I'll still don't have internet service at the new house. I hope everyone had a great holiday!!!

Christmas Wishes and Thank yous!

I just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and to thank Kate for the wonderful package she sent me all the way from Australia for the Chookeyblue Secret Santa Swap. I'll post pictures tomorrow. I have the computer at one house and the camera at the other. Goofy me! I'll be checking my email and blogging in between moving stuff. They won't turn my internet service or phone on at the new house until 1/6???? I can't believe it is going to take them so long, but Oh Well, such is life!

Have a wonderful and blessed day!!

Christmas Angels

This Christmas has been so "different" to say the least. We don't even have a tree up yet (it's going up tonight!!) Moving, only having one car (and it's a pickup) swaps, and babysitting have all been very time consuming and we are so far behind on everything. Anyway, even though this Christmas is not as I had planned I know it is going to be wonderful and magical for the kids.



I wanted to share a story about a year that I missed Christmas, but I did have Christmas Angels. Eighteen years ago I was pregnant with my daughter Lexie. All four of my other pregnancies had gone fine but with Lexie about 3 weeks before Christmas I developed toxemia. I was put on strict bed rest. How is a mom with 4 kids suppose to be on bed rest right before Christmas. It was hard and after a week my boys found me in bed having seizures. They called their dad and 911 and then went and caught the bus for school. They were such little troopers. I was admitted to the hospital and wasn't allowed any stimulation. No lights, baths, limited visitors, etc.... I was on Mag Sulfate, which is a very strong med to keep your blood pressure down. It wasn't the best timing!



Anyway, my sweet sisters, Cathy, Robyn and Stacey went over and put up our Christmas tree and decorated it with the boys. My Mom and Dad took my kids for Christmas break and kept them at their house. Mom, Dad and my brothers and sisters all made sure the boys were taken care of so I didn't have to worry about them. My mom was a nurse at the hospital so besides taking care of my boys she also would go to work and always stop in and take care of me. One evening she even came in with some kind of dry powder shampoo stuff and "washed" my hair for me so I wouldn't feel so gross. My sister, Cathy, brought me a little Christmas tree with little decorations and put it on my bedside table at the hospital. I collect music boxes and my mom brought me a globe music box with the Nativity scene in it and put it by the tree and then there was a light that shined right over the tree and music box. It was so beautiful and so nice to look over at and have a little Christmas of my own.



On Dec. 27 they finally decided they'd better take the baby because I was deteriorating so fast. So I was put under general anesthesia and woke up to find out that I finally had my beautiful baby girl. Lexie only weighed 3lbs. 6 ozs. and so she was in ICU for a couple of weeks.


After I got out of the hospital my brother, Mike, organized a nightly dinner drop off for us. For well over a week someone would drop a wonderful dinner off at our house. It was so nice to not have to worry about dinner every night while I was recovering, taking care of the boys and trying to make daily trips up to see Lexie.



I don't know if my family realized how much that meant to me, but I will never forget their kindness towards me and my boys. I truly have a wonderful family and they are all angels to me!

Our First Big Snow this Winter

Friday we had our first big snow.

It was only 12 degrees yesterday, but that didn't stop the kids from getting out there and playing and sledding.

Jace had the best time!

Mallory and Jace

Ezie and Jace on the hill across the street

My grandson Anthony, enjoyed the snow on Friday when his mommy had a snow day from school. He wanted to eat the snow.

After playing outside in the 12 degree weather for an hour or so the kids finally came in.
Mallory was crying because her little feet were so cold
and Jace was crying because they had to come in.
We are suppose to get another 6-10 inches today and have white outs from the wind.
Moving has not been happening much with this weather!

Sugar Cookie Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Sugar Cookie Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Every Couple of Days Seems Like Christmas With All of the Swaps!

I received this wonderful swap package the other day but I was waiting until my partner received hers before I posted it. This swap was A Very Vintage Christmas Swap hosted by Heidi and my partner was Kim. Kim sent me 2 Little Golden books (I collect them), 2 glass Santa ornaments, a jar filled with beautiful ornaments, a Christmasy scarf, and some gorgoues and special lace that she had inherited from her recently deceased Grandma. I am going to use the lace on something special. I love everything you sent Kim!! Thanks for a wonderful swap!
Here's what I sent to Kim. I made matching aprons for her and her little girl and a matching bib for the baby. I made her son an apron out of cowboyish fabric. Kim wanted an apron and something that would involve her kids. I hope she likes pink!

The next swap is Priscila’s Vintage Christmas Stocking Swap and my partner was Ellen. Ellen sent me this wonderful package. This is package before Mallory got to it.

and then this is the opened package. A wonderful stocking, chocolates, ribbon candy, hot chocolate and coffee's, a hanging Santa, a yo-yo lollipop, a little bag that Ellen made filled with tags, a pincushion she made, and then

finally this beautiful little girl that has a planter in the back. She is so pretty!!!! Thanks so much Ellen! Everything is so perfect and I really love it all!! Thank you so much!

This is what I sent to Ellen. She collects tea cups so I sent her a stocking, a tea cup, a vintage hankie and doily, a tissure cover, a couple of yo-yo pins, some ribbon, an ornament, candies, notecards and aprons for her 2 little girls.

Please go check out both Kim and Ellens blogs and Etsy Shops!! They both have beautiful families and wonderful things in their shops. Kim makes baby carriers that are so nice for busy moms and she also has some of the cutest pillowcase dresses for girls. Ellen makes the most amazing pincushions that you have ever seen!

I also received my package from the Monique from the Netherlands for the Snowflake and Sparkles Swap hosted by Holly, but I'm waiting for her to receive my package before I post.

And the Swaps Are Coming In!

I participated in the Polka Dot & Ric Rac Swap hosted by Sharon - Red Geranium Cottage . I received the most beautiful quilted "Welcome" wall hanging from Nan. She also sent a couple of Moda Packs of bright fabric squares that will be fun to make something up with and a cute little notepad. I can't wait to hang the wall hanging up in the new house! It's so bright and cheery! Thanks so much Nan! You did such a wonderful job!

My partner from the swap was Dawn who lives in Australia. I'm not sure if she's rec'd my package yet because she's been having computer problems, but I hope she has. I made her an apron that the beautiful Mallory is modeling for me.

and then some notecards and a polka dot yo-yo pin and a ric rac pin and a tissue holder. The ric rac pin was fun to make. I found the directions on Knick Knacks and Ric Rac. It's a really cute blog!

Then Melissa was my swap partner for Jennifer's Vintage Pink Christmas Swap. Melissa made a cute stocking out of a vintage dress and sent some yummy peppermint bark and some other candies ("Yes!" said the kids), some candles, scrapbook stuff, a CD, Christmas coasters, a necklace with my initial on it, a vintage candy cane pin, a nutcracker ornament and some cards. I probably forgot something there was so many neat little things tucked in. Thanks so much Melissa! I love everything you sent and it was nice to get you for a swap partner!

I sent Melissa a pink start ornament that I got from Funky Shique on of my favorite Etsy Shops and I found some vintage Putz houses on Ebay since Melissa is starting to collect them. Then I made her a couple of yo-yo pins, cards and a tissue holder, a vintage pink doily and added an ornament and some candies.

Then my feet were freezing last week so after making and ripping apart a couple of different slippers I finally found a pattern that I liked. I made a pair for me and for Jace. Jace wanted nothing to do with them though so Anthony took gladly took them. Thanks Anthony! Ezie and Mallory have already picked out colors for 2 pairs each for me to make for them. They did turn out to be comfy and not to constraining on my feet,

because after all,

I am a barefoot kind of a girl,

but darn it my tootsies wouldn't stay warm.

Now they will though!

Cherishing a Pregnancy

My daughter-in-law Jenn is pregnant with her and my son Chad's first baby. Chad, Jr. is due Jan 20. All through her pregnancy Jenn has been having pictures taken of her showing her developing belly. I love the way she is cherishing her pregnancy! Here are some of the recent photos taken last week. Oh, it helps that Jenn works at a photography studio!

This is my favorite picture!

and Chad, Jr. looks like he is getting plump and ready to be born next month.

I can't wait to meet my little grandson!

Some Pics of Our New House

As many of you know I have been talking about the possibility of us moving. Well, we finally are!! Earl lost his job a little over 8 years ago, 2 weeks before Mallory was born. We were so broke and were pretty much forced to move to public housing. The apartment we moved into wasn't so bad, but the neighborhood was a cultural shock to me. The police were on our street several times a week and the adult neighbors were constantly fighting.

Two and 1/2 years ago we moved up a street and into a 4 bedroom which is a lot nicer but still it is public housing and still it is in a terrible neighborhood. We can here our neighbors cussing their kids out through our walls and it just hasn't been our idea of a decent place to live. Also every room is on a different floor which has been really hard with little ones!!

Earl's second job is at a church and they have a house they rent to the maintenance person. I couldn't believe the house when Earl finally got to take me to look at it last week. We started moving in the next day.

It's a real house, with a real yard

and we're really going to live in it!!!!

The front porch is enclosed so the little ones can play on it when the weathers nice and then there is a little entry way before you walk into the living room.

This is one corner of the living room

Look, the walls actually have color on them.

I haven't lived in a house with color on the walls in probably 13 years.

LOVE IT!!

This is looking into the dining room from the living room

(yes, a real dining room!!!)

This is just a little indentation between the dining room and the kitchen that we are using for a computer room. We can fit a bookshelf on one wall and the computer desk on the other. There is a 1/2 bathroom across from this room.

This is one side of the kitchen. I think I am going to do a little bit of painting in it to make everything match a little better.
This is the other side of the kitchen looking down into the dining room.

On the other side of the kitchen is the laundry room which has a door that leads to a full storage basement and another door that leads to the back porch.


and then the best room in the whole house

a craft room just for me!!!

It has these built in cabinets and this beautiful door that also leads to the back porch. It also has 2 beautiful windows to let the sunshine in and room for my sewing table, ironing board and some more cabinets for storage.

It is a dream come true!!

For the last 8 years the computer, baby toys and all my craft stuff have been in the living room. Now they will all be spread out over 4 rooms.

We can have a living room that will not be cluttered!!

This is our room

This is Mallory's room and then there are 2 more bedrooms.

All 4 bedrooms are upstairs along with a full bathroom.

There is also a nice full attic off one of the bedrooms for more storage.

Check this out! I love that most of the doors in the house have glass doorknobs.

They are so beautiful!!!!!

We have a huge front yard for my flowers, a side yard and a small backyard that Earl can plant his garden in. There is also a 2 car garage that Earl shares with the church. The backyard is also connected to the church parking lot so the kids can ride their bikes there when church isn't in service and a big playground from the church run nursery school that the kids can play on when the school isn't in session.

I'm sorry if it seems like I'm bragging

BUT

considering where we have lived for the last 8 years

this house is like a piece of heaven!!!

Check Out A Very Mary's Blog for a Great Giveaway!!

The Lovely and Generous Mary Ann

from A Very Mary Design is having a giveaway on her blog

until Dec.12.

Make sure you go and enter!!!

Christmas Swaps, Oh What Fun they Are!!

I have been so busy doing Christmas Swaps and most of them are in the mail on there way to my swap partners.

Yay!!!

Check out the this banner from Chooyblue's blog for her Secret Santa Swap.

It is an amazing swap with 156 people from 19 different countries.

Isn't that so cool???

We don't know who our partners are in this swap......ssshhh.....it's a secret. We also aren't allowed to open our packages until Christmas day. I think it will be so much fun. I'm also in the Pink Christmas Swap and it is being run the same way. I can't wait to get a tree up in our new house and put some presents for me underneath it!!

My package was mailed out to another country on 12/1/08.

I hope it makes it to it's destination safe and in time for Christmas morning!

This swap package is on it's way to my blogger friend Melissa.

It is full of some pinky vintage goodness!! This stocking and swap package is off to another wonderful blogger Ellen.

I can't wait to get to know her better! and this Stocking Swap is going out tomorrow or as soon as I get Jill's address. Sorry Jill, I'm a scatter brain and I can't find your address anywhere.

I will have more packages going out by Friday and then on to Christmas for my family and moving into my wonderful new house!!

Have a fantastic day!!

Sherry