New Things I Discovered About Myself this Week

Val from Yarni Gras gave me this award last week and I'm suppose to list 7 things about myself that you don't know. I decided to put down 7 things I learned about myself in the last week.

1. Water and Peeing: I really don't like the taste of water so drinking 6 glasses a day was a challenge for the first 5-6 days. I'm doing better now by adding tons of ice to my water. I love ice! I do have to remind myself to drink though. I've never been one to drink a lot of fluids during the day. Peeing: I hate to stop what I'm doing to go pee........another reason I don't like to drink a lot of water and I've been doing a lot of peeing lately! I've carried 8 children and my bladder just isn't what it used to be. To much info, I know, but it's true!


2. Boobs: I love being a woman so don't get me wrong, but boobs can definitely be an annoyance! I was jump roping with the kids and bounce, bounce, bounce. When you run what happens? Bounce, bounce, bounce. Maybe I need a better bra? I don't know, maybe as I loose weight and the boobs start to disappear I'll like them better!


3. Walking: I hate the idea of stopping what I'm doing to take a walk, but once I start I'm really glad I did and feel much better afterwards. I also realized that if your taking a serious walk don't wear flip-flops! I also realized that taking walks provides some great quality time with the kids.


4. Cravings: I realize that I don't really crave things unless I tell myself I can't have something and then I can't quit thinking about the forbidden item. So I guess I won't tell myself I can't have something, I'll just have less of that something!


5. Bloggers: Bloggers are great friends and very supportive! What a lucky world we live in that we can have friends all over the world to help us in our trials and share our joys with us! Thanks everyone for your support and Thank you Val for your daily notes to me to keep me going!


6. Neti Pot: I think that using the Neti Pot has not only helped my sinus problem but it is helping the area around my eyes not to be so puffy and I'm not nearly as tired. The water and walking could be helping with the fatigue too, but I think getting the pressure off of my face helps a lot! I really noticed it when I skipped a day of using the Neti Pot.


7. Hope: I am feeling better about myself this week and hope this continues. My sister Cathy has been wonderful about keeping me laughing with her encouraging comments and Jeremy did take a picture of me jump roping last night Cathy.......but I'm not quite ready to show the world that photo yet!


8. Bonus Item: Even though I'm overweight, 47 years old and a Nana to 9 grand kids I can still "jump in and jump out" on the jump rope and get through the Cinderella song and 25 jumps after that. I surprised my kids and grand daughter with that one (and my poor heart)!!
   

Okay, that wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to think of 7 things about myself to tell all of you. Whew! Now to put 7 other bloggers on the spot, I mean pass this award on to 7 other bloggers:

1. Valerie from Life's Little Garden


2. Twyla from Two Crazy Crafter's


3. Denise from Polka Dot Moon


4. Gillian from I Heart Crafts


5. Valerie from Queens Chocolate


6. Lindsay from The Cross Stitch House


7. Cathy from The Life and Adventures of Cateepoo

I'm off to do some yard work before it starts storming and then to do some more sewing. I love not babysitting because I can actually go into my sewing room now and get some sewing done! Yay! Tomorrow I'm going to post the projects I finished up over the weekend.

Have a great day!

The other day my sweet friend Awtemnymf gave me this award.

Meaning of the Award:
‘This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes for self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propogated. Please give more attention to these writers!’
I honestly never know who to pass awards on to. I really enjoy everyone's blogs and it's so hard to choose a few people. I'm going to give the award though to some of my closest blogging friends that hopefully haven't already received this award from someone else. I know several you that I would list already have the award, Missy, Lindsay-Ann, etc.......

1. Angela is such a sweetie and so talented. Actually, I just read in her blog that she was surprised to be flipping through Somerset Magazine (here's the link to order a copy) yesterday and realized that her work was in the magazine not only once, but twice. Congratulations to Angela!!! Be sure and check out Angela's Etsy Shop, she has the prettiest things in there!
2. Melinda has been a wonderful friend and she is an amazing artist. I am always absolutely blown away with her artwork. Melinda is also being published in the February issue of an Apronology magazine that I think Stampington has. I'm not sure which one but I will definitely let you know when it comes out!
3. Twyla has also been a wonderful friend to me. She is such a great friend and encourager to me. Twyla and Lindsey sell some wonderful vintage things and Lindsey's artwork in their Etsy Shop along with Twyla's crocheted crocheted slippers, scarves and dish clothes.
4. Mary Ann is one of the nicest and funniest people and one of my first blogger friends. Mary Ann is very generous and has made my day many times with surprises at my door. Mary Ann has two Etsy Shops, one with things she finds and the other with some really neat things she makes and her packaging is really nice!! Thanks Mary Ann for bringing a smile to my face so many times!
5. Jean is also a wonderful person. Jean is always there to listen and give advice when needed. She is an amazing woman and is always encouraging us to support other woman by buying from their Etsy Shops. Jean does quilting and she is raising 3 of her grand kids along with work and everything else she does. Jean is an amazing person!
6. Dianne is another sweet friend and she is so talented in her artwork and photography. Dianne has some gorgeous photos on her blog. I want to be a photographer like her when I grow up!
7. Cathy is another not only friend but one of the best sisters anyone could ask for! Cathy was the only one who read my blog for the first several months and she always encourages me. Cathy has a wonderful way of looking at life and is very knowledgeable. Cathy "unschools" her kids and has a blog about unschooling. If you want to get some positive vibes going you definitely need to read Cathy's blog!
8. Lisa always is sweet and makes some of the most incredible things out of polymer clay. She does a lot of other artwork too, but I love her polymer clay stuff. Lisa is involved in Bottles of Hope. She made a beautiful bottle called "Healing Wings" in honor of her daughter who has Juv. Diabetes and is in the top 25 of the Staedtler Fimo clay Bottles of Hope challenge. Congratulations to Lisa!!

Thank you Awtemnymf for the award! You are always such a sweet friend!

Then Super Sweet Sara gave me this award the other day too.

It's a Mom of the Year Award.

I think that all of you moms out there deserve this award!!!!

Well, no baby yet for Chad & Jenn.

The little guy wants a BD of his own I guess!
Jace had a great BD. He liked it he said.

Lexie stopped by and gave him some presents.

Daddy and Jace made cheese and roni pizza

and all of the kids got 3 candles in their pizza to blow out.and Jace got to blow out his candles on his cake.

He had so much fun!

I hope everyone has a great day! It snowed hear again last night, not a lot, but it's still winter.

I'm off to eat a piece of leftover pizza. MMMMmmm!

My Football Stars

I sent both of the kids to get their pictures taken with clean pants.

Check out who's pants are clean and who's are dirty.

That's my girl!!

Ezie and Mallory received their trophies yesterday for football.

They only won 2 games but they had fun and learned a lot.

Mallory said she is going back to cheerleading next year

But

the football coach told her "No Way!"

I've Been "Thanksed"!

My niece Sophia has "Thanksed" me.

Here's what I need to do now.

1. Give this to at least three or more other blog friends.

2. On your blog, tell who you "thanksed" and why you are thankful for them as afriend or family.

3. Leave a comment on the people you "thanksed" so they know to visit your blog andfind out more.

4. Copy the rules onto your blog.

5. Copy and paste the "Happy Thanksgiving" photo in my sidebar on to your sidebar.

It's so hard to only pick 3 people because I am so thankful for having so many blogger friends and family now too!!

I would like to "THANKSED" the following people:

1. I am thankful for my daughter Mallory for being such a wonderful daughter and always being so creative, kind, generous and just being herself!!
2. I am thankful for new blogger friends like Saucy who stand up for what they believe in and for being so knowledgeable and concerned about not only her country but ours as well.
3. I am thankful for all my blogger friends and I can't just choose one of you. So all of you please take the award and show thanks to your blogger friends.

I've Been Tagged!

Jessica at Kids Knapping? I’m Scrapping! tagged me with a meme.

1. These are the rules for this meme:
2. Link to the person who tagged you.
3. Post the rules on your blog.
4. Write six random things/unspectacular quirks about yourself.
5. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
6. Let each person you have tagged know by leaving a comment on their blog.
7. Let the tagger know when your entry is posted.
   

Six quirks about me…..Does Jessica think I have 6 quirks???? Just kidding! Six random, unspectacular or quirks about me.

1. For unspectacular: I am a pretty boring person. I am a plain Jane. I stay home ALL the time and am pretty much a hermit.
2. For random: I’m only 4’9 ½”
3. For my quirks: I hate to wear socks and shoes. I go barefoot most of the time. My feet are very Closter phobic!!
4. Another unspectacular: I dress like a slob. Since I very seldom leave the house I wear flannel pants and t-shirts all the time.
5. Another random thing: I love westerns and cowboy stuff!
6. Another quirky thing: If I do go somewhere I always bring my craft bag with me just in case the car breaks down or I have to wait I’ll have something to do.
   

Well, that's it. Six kind of random things about me. So, I'm going to tag these six people Dianne, Dawn, Victoria, Missy, Lindsey-Ann and Awtemnyph.

I Love Your Blog Awards!

Denise from Polka Dot Moon gave me this award a week or so ago and I've been trying to decide who to pass it on to because I have so many blogs that I really love. Well, I finally decided on who I wanted to pass it on to. Here are the guidelines for the award.

1. The winner can put the logo on their blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs. (I know, I'm bad, I only did 5)
4. Put links of those on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you’ve nominated.
   

There are 5 young bloggers who I really admire for the fact that they do blog and for their creativity. They are:

1. Alexander from Zandyman's Favorite Stuff and More. Alexander enjoys woodworking, video games and he makes some really cool things out of Lego's. He is also enjoying spending time with his Dad on the shooting range and is very knowledgeable about guns and gun safety. I love your Blog Alexander!!
2. Sophia from Sophia and Stuff is another great blogger. Sophia loves animals and is very much into the hippie era. Sophia has been my inspiration on the "Going Green" crusade. Sophia usually has some polls on her blog that are fun to participate in. I love your Blog Sophia!
3. Ezie from Hi! It's Ezie! blog is next. Ezie is to busy to do much blogging, but when he does I love what he puts on it. Ezie also enjoys woodworking, video games, football, and wrestling. He likes to make silly Blingee pictures and MEEZ guys. Ezie, I love your Blog!
4. Then there is Mallory from News from the Desk of Mallory. Mallory enjoys sharing things about her family as well as what is going on in her life. She LOVES to make silly Blingee pictures as you can see on her side bar and she also loves to cook. Mallory, I love you Blog!
5. Alexis from Letting Yourself Free is another blog that I love. Alexis has been quite open about some of the things that have happened in her life. I am very proud of her and that she can share with us some of the issues that teenage girls are going through. She also has some great photos of her and her own family. I love your Blog Lexie!!

I think blogging is a great way for these four to keep in contact with each other and since all four of them live a distance from the rest of their families it is a great way to keep everyone updated with what is going on in their lives.

Their are security measures you can use on your children's blogs. I have Ezie and Mallory's set to where I have to approve any comments before they see them just in case they get one from a weirdo or an inappropriate comment. Also blogging with your child is a great way to spend some quality time with them. I love blogging with my kids!!

Thanks Alexander, Sophia, Lexie, Ezie and Mallory for sharing your lives and the things you do with the rest of us!! I really do Love Your Blogs!!!

Arte y Pico Award and MY New Etsy Shop

I received this award yesterday evening from Twyla and Lindsey of Two Crazy Crafters. Thank you for thinking of me! I "met" Twyla and Lindsey through Shannon's Paper and Parasol Swap and have enjoyed their blog ever since. Thanks again Twlya and Lindsey for passing the Arte y Pico Award on to me!

How does this award work?

1. You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also contribute to the blogging community, no matter what language.

2. Each award has to have the name of the author and a link to his/her blog to be visited by everyone.

3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name of and link to the blog that presented her/him with the award.

4. The award winner and one who has given the prize have to show the link of "Arte y Pico" blog so everyone will know the origin of this award.

I pass this award on to (and not in any particular order):

Angela Harris is an unbelievable person. She is so young, has 3 beautiful kids and still finds time to be extremely creative and join in on so many swaps. Angela always comments back if you leave her a comment. I love that she takes the time to show she cares! I really admire Angela, she seems to have it “all together” for being a young busy woman. Angela has a tattoo on her wrist that says “LIVE” in her own handwriting to remind herself to live every day to it’s fullest. Thanks Angela for being an inspiration to me!

Melinda Cornish is another unbelievable person. Melinda is an amazing grandmother and and from what I can tell a strong, independent woman! I would love to be as creative as Melinda is!! makes some beautiful artwork and quilts! Melinda is another person who takes the time to comment on your blogs and answer you back when you leave her a comment and I really appreciate that! Thanks Melinda for inspiring me with your creativeness!

Vallen Queen is such a nice, intelligent and funny woman. I love reading her blog for her recipes (not that I’ve actually ever made any of them! SSSHHHH!!) but I love reading them and imagining I’m making them! I love her wit and charm and her art work is so creative. Vallen is always busy making something and I love, love the fact that she always replies to my comments. Thanks Vallen for being a friend and listening to me!

Mary Ann Abbott is a creative, intelligent and witty woman and she is always giving something away! Very Mary has so many “followers” in the blogging community because of her humor and charm. She makes the cutest things and has the best luck at thrift stores which she shares with other people through her Etsy Shop and her giveaways. Thanks for making life "interesting" Very Mary!

Sandy Chidester from Out World Arts is an amazingly talented woman. I “met” Sandy when she bought some of my handmade paper from my Etsy Shop. Then she sent me a picture of a book she had made out of some of my papers and other papers she had purchased from other people. She does an awesome job at bookbinding! Sandy’s Etsy Shop is filled with homemade soaps. Sandy’s blog is filled with book titles, video clips, music, quotes and other very inspiring things. Sandy makes breads, she paints, she takes beautiful pictures, and on and on… Thanks Sandy for just being you and sharing your many talents with all of us!

I also wanted to tell everyone that I split my Etsy Shop. I know have 2 Etsy Shops, A Pinch of This - A Dash of That which is my fibers, handmade cards and tags and other scrapbooking type stuff.

My new shop, Sherry's Sewing and Crocheting Shop, has exactly what it says, sewn and crocheted items. I am going to be adding lots of tote bags to try to do my part in the reduction of the use of plastic bags. My mom sent me this link about plastic bags and please, please watch and share it with others!! http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080506/MULTIMEDIA02/80505016

This large tote bag is in my shop or the Etsy for Charity Shop

I am throwing in this small tote bag FOR FREE that I made out of fusing plastic bags together and then sewing it up! The tutorial is on Etsy Labs.