Hobby Lobby Anyone?????

First... 

again...

apologies...

Can I just say life has been one whirl wind after another around here ~

 some days I'm not sure if I'm even standing upright! 

 I feel much like a revolving door lately ~ never really knowing when I'm suppose to step out for fear of getting stuck somewhere in between and getting "smooshed!"  But, I'm sure you ALL feel the same way... sometimes anyway... I hope... I'd hate to be all alone .... hmmmm... I'm going to tell myself that I'm not alone if that's OK.... 

All I can say is ~  I'm sure glad I started thinking Christmas on Dec. 27! And yet,  I'm still very concerned that I'm not going to meet my deadline date... that clock just seems to keep on tickin'... even when I take the batteries out!

And now back to my question.... 

Today, Saturday morning was to start out REALLY early ~ especially for a Saturday!  (but honestly, between you and I, I would rather start early then spend the day "sleepin' it away - no matter HOW tired I THINK I am!) I set my alarm for 6 am ~ because I didn't want to forget to pick up my Bountiful Basket at 7:00 am - (This is a PLUG IN.....have you ever tried the Bountiful Basket Food Co-op?~Take a look at it here, and see if it is in your area ~ AMAZING! That is all I can say... AMAZING! SO, SO WORTH IT!) Anyway... after that I had several places I needed to run and makes some returns/exchanges, go grocery shopping, clean the house, pull weeds, mow the lawn, WASH my car...and all by 4:00 (should I be worried that I'm exhausted just typing it?... it's no wonder I didn't get it all accomplished - sheesh!)  Well, my youngest wanted to go with me to pick up the food basket so she made me promise I would wake her up early to go... so I did. It honestly took all of 10 minutes to pick up and get back home - can't do that at the store! SO EASY!  Anyway on our way home this was our conversation.... (now remember she is 9 years old - not 30!) "Mom do you think that we could go to Hobby Lobby today?"  "For what?"  "Oh, just to look around and you know, get some ideas... I think my room is ready for a makeover.  Do you know how long it's been since I've been there?  I think I need a Hobby Lobby run today... So, what do you think? Can we go mom?".... (long pause because I'm trying not to loose it in laughter as she is talking to me in her 30 year old voice, legs crossed on the seat in the car and of course she has the hand motions to go with it....) ..... and then she adds in her little "teasy-snide bribery voice".... "They might have Christmas decorations out...."  and she is smiling ear to ear!  OH MY HEART BEAT!!! I think I've created a MINI-ME!!!!  

Well, needless to say,  after all the errands that HAD to be done were done - she was BORED and just wanted to come home! LOL.... I guess she isn't 100% converted! 

I just thought I would check in and see how everyone is doing on their Christmas planning... project making and such.  If you haven't started - it isn't too late yet!  If you need a jump start or a "RE-LIGHT" - maybe this will help!  Coming up, very soon!  .... I'll be doing "CHRISTMAS IN JULY!" posts, so.... get a move on it ~ get your projects going and be sure to take pictures ~ I'll take entries July 1-15 and then spotlight them the 16th - 31st - this way we can ALL get some AMAZING ideas to help get us on the right track.... who knows ~ maybe even beat HOBBY LOBBY to the Christmas Decorations!  Wouldn't that be fun!!!  :)  (There will be lots of different categories too - decorations, cards, neighbor gifts, inexpensive gifts, gifts for him, gifts for her, family gifts, etc.... lots of ideas I'm hoping to gather! )..... 

SO.... 

On your MARKS....

GET SET....

GO!!!! 

Get creative!!!!  

Together ~ we'll make Christmas COUNT!  

I'm getting SO SUPER excited!!!! Are YOU!?!?!

MY APOLOGIES!!!!!!!!

OH MY GOSH!!! 

I'm am such a SLACKER!!!!! 

And now... I feel like such a LOOSER!!!!! 

HOW DARE I!?!?!?! 

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE - accept my apologies!

Remember a couple of weeks ago, this post .... I entered a picture into a few  LINKY par-tays!!!  Do you remember???? Well... it was so fun!!! AND.... there was a BONUS Linky Par-tay give away on one of them... this one! over at SAVVYSEASON  and she was doing a DOUBLE give-away..... Well, I asked a lot of my family, friends and even strangers to VOTE for me.... even if you didn't think I had the best PORCH display - because HEAVEN knows!  There were a LOT of amazing PORCH displays much better than my little "whimpy" effort... but it was effort - and I have great AMAZING friends!!! That VOTED!!! And I won!!!!!  (with 27 votes!!!! I have the BESTEST support group!!!!)  I forgot to tell you all!!! I got so excited myself - and sat on pins and needles waiting for my "AMAZING" treat to arrive... that when it arrived - I completely forgot to THANK ALL OF YOU for helping me!!!  WHAT A LOOSER I AM!!!!! 

I see it every day - several times a day - and it reminds me of the wonderful friends and family that I have.... and today - it just HIT me like a BRICK! I didn't even take time to POST a picture of my AWESOME win!!!! and.... most of all I didn't even THANK YOU!  I'm a terrible friend.... I'm so so sorry!  Please forgive me! I was not meaning to seem UNGRATEFUL at all!!! I just got so caught up in my "RE-DO DECORATING" and caught up in mainly my EXCITEMENT.... and I'm sure it came across as "UNGRATEFUL!".... BUT that I am not!!!!  I NEVER win anything - EVER!  So this was SO SUPER exciting to me!!! I'm pretty sure you heard me screaming and shouting for joy (although you probably had no clue what it was all about) and I'm sure you felt the minor earth quake as I jumped for joy in my excited state!!! and again.... you just ran for cover not realizing that it was just "I".... EXCITED!!!!!  

So..... here is my shout.....

THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH!  

I'VE GOT THE BEST FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF ALL! 

AND THANK YOU LIZ FROM SAVVY-SEASONS! YOU ARE TRULY TALENTED! AMAZING! AND I'M SO PROUD TO TELL MY STORY OF THIS BEEE-UUUUT-TIFUL GIFT HANGING ON MY DOOR!!!!! THANK YOU ALL!!!!!

Don't you just LOVE it?!?!?! 

And the funny part of all of this..

It matches the garland that I made for my door - 

almost exact! 

The only difference is in the ribbon.... 

and you can't even tell it is different unless you get REALLY close!

It was just meant to be! 

Thank you every one! 

Thank you! Thank you!!

Take a break for FALL!

I love FALL!!! Have I said that before.... Well - I do! And... if you have ever been in my house - you would know that....It is FALL inside my house .... all..... year...... LONG!!!!!! (well - at least in the Family room and Kitchen) ... I JUST LOVE LOVE LOVE the colors of fall! I love the crisp air, brisky mornings, the smells of FALL!... you know, like PUMPKIN WASSAIL, CINNAMON NUTS.... mmm mmm! I love fall foods! Like SOUPS and BREADSTICKS..... PUMPKIN CAKE! (I'm getting hungry!) It all just makes me feel good!
To me - fall says....

warm

cozy

family

fun

gatherings

friends
visits
pretty COLORS

days are getting slower

life is slowing down

it is just ....

HEAVENLY!

I like that I can start decorating for fall (more than my usual daily stuff) in September... and carry it on through November..... and then I take a little break from my FALL-ness and decorate with Christmas....
then right back to FALL!!!! I just love it!

Remember the bench that I saved from going to the FIRE pit!?!?!

Well, I spruced him up for fall...

I love my bench!

Hmm... Looks like my door wreath and frame are hanging a tad big crooked...

If I could just keep everyone from running in and out of the house...

It might stay straight!

and... don't mind my messed up mess of baby punkins...

The grand-girls were here and they LOVE playing with my punkins!

I finally gave up on making them look "my-kinda-perfect"...

I'm quite liking THEIR kinda perfect better!

I am a bit distraught...

With our recent "FLOODING" in the basement,

I can NOT find my LEAF garland! AGH!

It is really bothering me!

I need it to wrap around the stair railing to make it look a little more complete....

And then of course the ORANGE lights....

I've gotta keep looking!

It's buggin' me!

Looks like my flower pot needs some fall sprucing too!

Guess I better get on that!

Sometimes I just dislike still shots...

I find everything WRONG that I didin't notice when I was just

STEPPING BACK and LOOKING.....

I love LOVE this frame & wreath!

A very DEAR friend made it for me!

And I just cherish it!

YOWZA! Crooked frame... crooked door valance...

What was I on???

and somedays... I just feel just like this...

"If I only had a brain!"

I love scare-crows too!
And unfortunately, this little guy got a bit wet with all our rain the past few days!

But I still LOVE him!

awe.... I love fall....

Have I told you that before????

Well, it's true.

I've joined up in the following LINKY partays!!!

Be sure to look around - I KNOW PROMISE you won't be disappointed! There is just soooo much... to take in..... and dream about.... and wish for... and OH MY!!!!
But, I can't promise you won't be OVERWHELMED! HAVE FUN!!!!!

Confessions..... (and a NEW BLOG!)

I can't believe that "I".... the QUEEN of "If it ain't hot glued, I don't do it" land, is even about to admit this....

Remember.... I'm the mom of 4 girls and 1 boy!
(should sew.... but don't... didn't....hmmmm)
I'll never forget the first year that my son was on the ALL STAR Little League Baseball team... They handed out patches to be sewn on their uniforms.... and now that I look back I guess my face gave it all away (but at the time I was rather HURT at what took place) .... One of the other moms came over to me and said, "Let me take J's jersey home, I'll sew his patches on for you, because "hot glue" will not hold up in this heat."
AGH! OFFENDED!!!!!
I let her take his shirt.

OR.... maybe it was the time when I "wonder-undered" his TROOP numbers and other badges on his scout shirt, (HEY! we were changing troops faster than I could even wash the dang shirt!... just sayin) and they slowly, one by one, fell off during the awards night.... J was a bit embarrassed... BUT HEY! They were NOT hot glued! (in my defense!) I came home and I learned how to sew them on.... ok, I KNEW how to sew them on, I just didn't have time... I'm a busy full time working mom! SHEESH! PEOPLE!!! I KNOW that needles and thread exist! :)

OK.... back to my confession...or my next confession in this case.....

I'm in LOVE.....
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!

I have a FABRIC fetish!
I SPEND hours... OK! I COULD spend HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS just wondering through a fabric store .... dreaming... dreaming.... dreaming..... and purchasing too! (SHHHH please don't tell on me!) Well, IF you did - anyone that KNOWS me would NOT believe you anyway - so go ahead - take a chance.... they'll just laugh at you.... and then I'm afraid I might have to laugh with them... because REALLY! REALLY! ME! SEW!?!?!?!

I DREAM! DREAM DREAM DREAM!

BUT.... I have a few places I DREAM at... and I just HOPE and PRAY that someday... SOMEDAY something will CLICK for me and I'll be able to CREATE something that is of little value... and NOT hot glued!

So.... I'm going to share a secret... It's a NEW blog... and OH MY GOODNESS it is AWESOME!!! And.... I THINK ;) that they are having a GIVEAWAY... but don't bother to enter.... I'm sure they already picked me :) (hee hee hee, crossing fingers....DREAMING AGAIN!) .... but go ahead... take a look.... You will be AMAZED!!!!

HURRY!.... The blog title is "SEW" me right now..... :)
(Sew a little happiness.....)
well, maybe not the HAPPINESS to others...
but happiness to MY sew-l .....

And... maybe in the next day or two or more... I'll be brave enough to post a picture of my FETISH.... it's getting OUT OF HAND.... and I LOVE IT!!!! I mean... I'm confused.... :)

Don't you just love.....

Giveaways????

It's always fun to see what people giveaway ... and THIS is another AMAZING item!
Go ahead... take a look... I bet you'll PURCHASE too!!!

Checkin my Christmas list once again!

OH!! it's been a fun day!!!!

HURRY!!! It ends today!!!!!!

If you are interested....

There is a great giveaway going on.... over here.

Plus... there are a few things I can check off my Christmas list as well.... They make GREAT gifts...

I just ENVY talented people!

IF YOU ever see anyone giving away CREATIVITY - will you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know! I must get in line! I always seem to miss the good stuff... DANG!  But until then... I'll just have to FOLLOW those creative people around... HEY! Maybe - just MAYBE they will get tired of me following and decide to GIVE some to me... what do you think!?!?!?

We are breaking ......

For a VERY important announcement....
No! Christmas was not changed... don't get too excited!
But CHRISTMAS around here would be a LOT more fun because of my BREAK!

I REALLY WANT TO WIN THIS.... (and I'm sure you don't!) - but I'm going to share, because I said I would... and I ALWAYS keep my word! :)

I stumbled - somehow across this blog that stated another blogger was giving away not ONE but TWO embroidery machines....
ARE.... YOU..... KIDDING!?!?!?!?! OH MY!!! Heart be still!!!
Can I just say how much I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to WIN WIN WIN!!!!!

So yes - you read right.... TWO EMBROIDERY MACHINES!!!! FREE!
So.... go ahead.... click here to enter yourself..... but remember.... I WANT TO WIN!!!!! :)

Here is what they have to say.....
To celebrate the launch of this new show, our friends at Janome are letting us give away TWO (yes, TWO!!) dream machines! Someone is going to win the Janome 350e EMBROIDERY machine and a second person is going to win the Janome DC4030 SEWING machine! Now how cool is that?!

(You can also see their FUN FANCY STUFF by clicking the DIY-Dish button to the right)