Wonderful Packages I Received

The first package was from Suzie who was my partner in Linda from A Swap for All Seasons An Altered Treasured Tin Swap. Susie made this beautiful tin for me.

Check out this knob......so cool!

and then all of the goodies inside the tin. There are magnets, paperclips, buttons, ribbon, a tag, flowers and the prettiest little images in glass. Thank you so much Susie for such a beautiful tin and so many fun things to sit and awe over.

This is the tin I made for Susie.



This is the package that Gillian sent to me all the way from Ireland for the Sleepover Swap. It has been held up in our postal system for a couple of months now, but it finally arrived the other day. Gillian made the eye mask, the pouch and the barrettes. She has the tiniest and most perfect stitching I have ever seen! The kids decided this was a fun swap package and that I needed to share some of the things with them. Ezie ate the candy that she sent before I could get a picture, Jace has claimed the comb and mirror and Mallory wants the barrettes.
Thank you Gillian for a fun swap!

and this is the Annie pattern I won from Awtem Nymf's giveaway to celebrate Annie's Birthday. There is the 2 doll patterns and the cat included. Yay! I can't wait to get started!

Thanks Awtem Nymf!!

Apple Pickin' ......My Favorite Part of Fall!

It's Apple Pickin' Time!!!! I love to go apple picking! It is one of my favorite things to do together as a family. Yesterday we went with our neighbors.....the more people you take the more fun it is!!

Ezie, Mallory, Jace and our neighbor Lillia

Ezie and Jace had more fun just running through the apple orchard all by themselves


Earl is the official apple taster during picking. He usually eats at least 3 while we are picking.

Now I can't wait to get started making some yummy things with all of our apples! Yummy, yummy! Apples and cinnamon are one of my favorite things about fall!!

Help!! I Need some suggestions!

My 5ooth post will be coming up next month and I'd like to do a giveaway. Any suggestions for that??? Crocheted Item, tote bags, coasters, something I've made before for a swap????? Take a look at what I have for sell in my shops and give me an idea. Here is the link to see what I have in all 3 shops

http://apinchofthis-adashofthat.blogspot.com/

Please give me some suggestions because I'd like to give something away that people really would like to have.

Also, I bought these Michael Miller fabrics on Ebay last week. I love the colors!!! What should I make out of them. I have a yard of the top piece and 1/2 yard of the other 3. Tote bags? Pillows? What do you think? This fabric is a little more expensive than I usually buy, but I love Michael Miller fabrics and I couldn't resist.

Right now I'm just content with taking these fabric pieces out and gazing at them, but I suppose I should eventually make something out of them.


Thanks for your suggestions!!

Autism and Jace

Jace was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder. PDD falls in the umbrella of autism. In August it was determined that Jace, after 2 years, no longer needed speech therapy and I think the diagnosis of PDD definitely does not fit my little guy anymore.

Every morning when Earl takes the kids to the bus stop Ezie and Mallory race up and down our long drive way. Jace is so funny. You can see how far behind he is. He gets half way down the drive way and then turns around really quick and runs back up and then he is "The Winner!!"

This is Jace one morning after the school bus left without him. He was so disappointed!! He has his Superman lunch box packed with a snack and is ready to go learn. Poor guy....he still has 2 more years.



Jace is into Power Rangers big time. Earl went out yesterday morning and bought this costume for Jace as a surprise present. He was in heaven!

I love this picture of Ezie and Jace. Ezie is being his antagonistic self and Jace is cracking up laughing. This picture makes me smile every time I look at it!!

Part of the reason Jace was diagnosed with PDD was because of his regression in speech and then because of his being very nonsocial. He doesn't shut up now and he has become very social. When we go out he will talk to anyone and everyone. He even makes eye contact now when he talks. I'm so proud of Jace and all of his accomplishments!! He is such a wonderful little guy and a blessing!!

The Last 2 Kiddie Halloween Swap Packages

Mallory's partner was Marcus. Marcus and Kelly put this wonderful package together for Mallory. Mallory opened everything slowly so she wouldn't tear the neat black wrapping paper.

Here is Mallory being.....well......Mallory!


Mallory laid everything out herself so I could hurry and take the picture. Marcus and Kelly sent a ton of goodies. There is a sewing kit for a felt jack-0-lantern, Click Clacks (Clackers), spider web tights, candy, tons of stickers, pens, paper, beads (Mallory and I both have bracelets now!), a really neat craft book and there is even more. Thank you so much Marcus and Kelly!!! Your package was a huge hit not only with Mallory, but with her drooling brothers waiting to get into the candy!

Katie and Lori sent Sabrina this really nice swap package. I didn't get to actually see it but Sabrina and her mom, Nikki, sent me a picture. Sabrina loves the Tinkerbell necklace!!! She was so excited telling me about everything on the phone. The clipboard has a chalkboard paint on it so Sabrina can write on it (very clever idea!!) and then the nail kit, candy and other Tink stuff were a big hit too!! Thank you Katie and Lori!!

This is what we sent to Katie. It was fun making something for a girl!!

This is the bag I made for Marcus. He likes WWE and I just so happen to have some fabric on hand from something I made for Ezie before.

Thanks Marcus, Kelly, Katie and Lori for a wonderful swap!!!

Thank you Denise for hosting such a fun swap!

The Girls Kiddie Swap Packages

Vivianna and Olivia were so excited to get there Kiddie Halloween Swap packages!! They came over last weekend and it was all I could do to get a couple of pictures.

Vivianna's partner was Chasen. Look at how creative Chasen and his mom Donna were in the packaging. Everything was in this cauldron with tulle wrapped around it. All of the kids were like, "Wow!" Make sure you go to Donna's blog and check out her pictures of everything and her parties that she has planned for kids. You will be in awe!!

I couldn't get a picture of everything, but there was a really cool cup with glitter and stuff in it, a bobble head witch, candy, and all kinds of little goodies.

Vivianna LOVED everything!!

Liv's partner was Carter and his mom Megan.

Olivia had these cute little rolls in her package that were filled with goodies.

She also got her favorite sour candies, a kit to make her own cards, fingernail polish, barrettes and lots of other things.

Sorry I couldn't get pictures fast enough with all the little hands grabbing stuff to look at it.

Here's what we sent to Chasen and Carter.

This is what I made for Olivia's partner.

Mom said he likes Thomas the Train so I made him a Thomas Tote Bag.

This is the pirate bag for Vivianna's partner Chasen. I love this fabric! I hope both of the boys enjoyed their packages as much as the girls did!!!

Thanks for a wonderful swap Chasen, Donna, Carter and Megan!

Kiddie Halloween Swap

I signed up my 3 kids and my 3 grandaughters for Denise from Polka Dot Moon's Kiddie Halloween Swap. The kids all LOVED getting packages in the mail and getting their packages ready to mail out. I'll show 2 of the swap packages today.

Ezie's partner was Memphis

This is the swap package that Memphis and his mom Margaret put together for Ezie.

Thank you guys!! Ezie loved his package and all 3 of the kids enjoyed the fruit snacks.

This is what we sent to Memphis. His mom said he likes super heros so I made him the SpiderMan tote bag.


Jace's partner was Gavin

This is the package that Gavin and his mom Noelle put together for Jace.

He was so excited!! Jace loved everything.

He immediately ate the whole lollipop and we did the crafts after that. He was very excited to say that this package was "MINE". Thanks Noelle and Gavin!!

This is the package we sent to Gavin. His mom said he liked Pokeman and I just so happen to have some Pokeman stuff in my stash.

Thanks to Margaret, Memphis, Noelle and Gavin for a fun swap!!

A Big Thank you!!

Thank you everyone for all of your super sweet birthday wishes!! Between my kids, my family, my blogger friends and all of my friends on Facebook I had the best birthday ever!!! I seriously had the nicest day even though I just stayed at home. Two of my grandaughters asked me what I did yesterday and I said, "Nothing really, dishes and stuff", and they said "On your birthday, ugh!" I told them that was okay I still had the best day ever....even doing dishes!

One of my daughter's friends (and mine), Amber, brought me these yummy pumpkin cookies. They are so good!!! Thank you so much Amber!!! You wouldn't believe how good these cookies are especially with no calories, carbs or fat added. Amber knows I'm dieting so I'm sure she took all of that stuff out of the cookies. Yes, I think I could quite possibly live on these cookies! By the way Amber, Ezie wants the recipe....he took 4 of them to school today for his snack.

It's My Birthday!

This is the cake that Lexie made for me on Sunday for the surprise party.

It was so yummy!!

Thanks Lexie and everyone else for a wonderful day!

I am 48 today.....but I thought I was 48 for over half of last year,

until my sister corrected me,

so I don't feel like I aged at all!

A Surprise Party for Me!

My sneaky daughter, Lexie planned a surprise party yesterday for my upcoming birthday. She had all the kids (except 1 who was at a wedding) and grandkids there and she definitely did surprise me. I can't believe that all the kids and Earl kept the party a secret. I had so much fun!!!

Me and my girls

My sneaky daughter Lexie

Earl and the two Jesse's being silly!

I'll show some more pictures tomorrow.

Thanks again guys!!!

You made your momma very happy!

It's National Sewing Month.....Who Knew?

Who else but the sweet AwtemNymf. She knew it was National Sewing Month and she is having a giveaway.

To enter the giveaway I have to tell you my favorite thing about pumpkins. Mine has to do with food, of course.

I LOVE pumpkin muffins.

I could live on pumpkin muffins!!

I think I need a pumpkin muffin right now!!

I also LOVE pumpkin chocolate chip cheesecake.....and pumpkin roll with cream cheese in the middle...and pumpkin pie....oh my gosh, now you can understand why I am 90lbs overweight!! I love the color of pumpkins and the smell of pumpkiny things baking in my oven. I even don't mind cleaning the pumpkins out......I love pumpkin seeds. I received an apron last year in a swap and it has pumpkins all over it.....I think I'll wear it while I'm baking some of these yummy pumpkin goodies!!

Okay AwtemNymf, look what you started. I've been doing pretty good on my diet too. Moderation will have to be my new word with pumpkins and their yumminess this year!

Make sure you stop by AwtemNymf's blog and enter her giveaway.

Melinda's Quilt Give Away, Granny's Quilt and My Kids

My friend Melinda from Melinda's Fabric Fancies is giving away this awesome quilt for her 250th post. I can't believe she's giving away a quilt!! Melinda is amazing and so is her work so (even though I don't want to many people to sign up because I want to win!) go to Melinda's blog and see her work and you'll agree she is amazing. Someone is going to be a very happy and warm person this winter!



Next I have to share with you this wonderful quilt I bought from my friend Val's Granny. I met Val through a swap and I look forward to her posts on her Granny every week. Granny is 96 years old and she makes a quilt every week. They are machine quilted and get this, she only uses 3 pins at the most to hold the quilt in place while she is quilting it. That amazes me! I am a pin and stitch witchery freak when I machine quilt something. Anyway, I received the quilt from Val on Tuesday and Jace immediately claimed it. He threw the quilt off of him that he had on and said, "Oh, that's for me!". The quilt is going to stay on the couch because everyone wants to use "Granny's Quilt". Ezie wants me to buy one for him and I probably should buy one for myself since Jace has laid claim to this one!

PLEASE excuse my couch!!! The slipcovers are in the wash.

This is a big quilt too! Thanks so much Val and Granny! I will treasure this quilt forever!!


Lexie on her first day of college. Whoo-Hoo!

I'm so proud of my daughter!! She's going to a 2 year program to become a Medical Assistant.


The there's Jace. Yesterday he got his backpack ready and Ezie packed him a snack in a old lunch box and he was on his way to the bus stop to go to school. He was so serious and so cute!

He wasn't even upset when he didn't get to get on the bus......because him and his Dad raced back to the house and he came in and opened up his backpack and had his snack.

Jace loves this one show, Yo-Gabba-Gabba. I knew when it came on last year that he was going to like it and even though I am used to watching kids shows and don't mind them, this show was one I was hoping he wouldn't like......but, he loves it and I've grown used to it. Click on the link though and check this guy out that hosts the show. Anyway on Yo-Gabba-Gabba they have a kid show his special talent. The special talent can be anything....like putting a spoon on your nose. Jace has decided that stacking the containers of Play-doh is his special talent. He spends a lot of time rearranging and restacking these containers. Every time he does this we have to clap for him and tell him how great his special talent is. It is pretty special and so is Jace!

The First Day of School

Today is Ezie and Mal's first day of school. They were so excited last night that neither one got to sleep until after 11:00. They are probably going to be running on adrenalin today. I remember those first days of school and the excitement of having new school supplies and clothes......and a million butterflies in my stomache. Jace isn't to happy about being left behind. I'm not babysitting this year so it's just me and Jace.

The Shoes. We had to get a picture of the shoes. Nikes and plaid.....what more could a kid ask for?!?! Mallory LOVES plaid and was so excited when we found this pair of shoes at Wal-mart. Of course we have the barefoot look on Jace.....who is like is mom and doesn't like to wear shoes.

I hope this is going to be a good school year!