Happy New Year!!!

I can't believe it... 2012 is around the corner!  Where has the time gone?!
Here's to another amazing year!  I wish you all the very best.  I look forward to meeting new friends and reading more blogs!

And of course, I would like to thank all of my bloggy friends for their support this year.  It's hard to find good friends... but when you find them -- hang on tight.  Good people are hard to find.  I am very fortunate to have stumbled upon these lovely ladies.  Happy New Year to you all!

Thank you to:
Veronica at:


Steph at:



Susan at:



Courtney and Betina at:

Michelle at:



Katherine at:



Kelly at Billhime, Party of Four:



Lisa at:



Kelly at:



Aurie at:

Merry Christmas!!!

A bit late... but I hope your Christmas was as AMAZING as ours!  The children had a great Christmas day... and now we are enjoying each other's company!  Life is good.... 2 weeks of  school break... hanging out together... not rushing off to school...lessons -- even dad is home with us!  What more could we ask for, right?!

(We went with an eco-friendly look this year -- personalized pillow cases for Santa to fill!)

And fill he did!!!

Chocolate dipped pretzels!

Their treats of choice for this year's class party:

Of course, there were lots of sampling involved... and we ALL approved!  ;)

New Item!

I am so excited that I am now adding a new item to my list -- charm bracelets!

The bracelets are 7" long (almost 8" with the additional jump rings I'm adding at the end ).  I can make longer if needed, just let me know!

All the bracelets start at $25 and then the rest is a la carte!  Choose what charms or pendants you see and add it on.   And the BEST part ?  I am including in the bracelets, UP to 6 birthstones or pearls at NO CHARGE!!!  (mix and match, go for it, it's okay!)  The possibilities are endless!!!

These are so simple, yet so "charm"ing!  (haha, I crack myself up at midnight!).  I'm in love with them already... (wait til Baby girl sees these in the morning!).

My partner makes her own pendant!

Tomorrow, 12/12 is Auntie Clare's birthday.  MG couldn't think of what to make her...  So with a few tips from me... She got started:

She drew a picture first -- This is her and Auntie Clare, of course!

 Then she cut out the picture:

 She used mod podge to stick the picture onto a glass tile:

 I helped her glue on a bail:

 Voila!!!!  A pendant is born!

Pictures of Auntie Clare wearing upon presentation of gift... coming soon!
(update 12/13/11 -- Auntie Clare wearing MG's pendant with pride)

Beef Wellington and Quinoa

Made something new...
Beef Wellington ( Did I say I love Trader Joe's?  Well, I do... it's because they have the best puff pastry pack!)  with Quinoa and Black Beans

 Both recipes were easy to follow, easy to make, and approved by the children... who all had a blast saying "keen wah" all night during dinner.  FUN!

I love GLEE

...and making this wedding day highlights was SO much fun because of this song they chose!  I sang throughout the night (I tried to sing in my head, but every now and then I found it a bit difficult!)... and even though I went to bed at 3 AM, I went to bed happy!

I hope they like it!!!!

What do you think?!

A hard day's work...

but so worth the time!  They did a great job...

Looks almost good enough to eat... well, I wouldn't, but youngest did (thinking I didn't see... well, I didn't, wink, wink) and then proceeded to lick his fingers as he continued to "help" finish the activity!

My Pendant Giveaway!

So... if you want to win one of my single layer pendant... head on over to my blog swap buddy's blog and enter.   Her name is Susan and she is the lovely lady behind Ava Grace's Closet.  Cute name, huh?  It makes it hard to forget and so easy to remember.  Her little girl is Ava Grace and she is as cute as cute can get.... really!  When you stop by and see her cute little face, you can remember me telling you now... see, I told you so!  ;)




I hope you enter.  It's very easy!  Okay, Good luck!!!!  Have a great week friends!

It's official

Christmas is just around the corner...

Sweater Pumpkins!!!!

How cute are these?!



Maybe this is a project for next year's fall decorations?  Or maybe to decorate the harvest festival table? I'm sure baby girl can help me.  :)
Pop on over to That's My Story and check out the awesome tutorial!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

May your day be filled with *more* love, laughter... and good food!

Baby girl went to her first (gasp!) sleep over last week.  She and her buddy, O, played school.  MG was the student and this was her assignment.  She wrote this and i found it in her bag along with all the clothes and things she packed: (unedited)
---------------------------------------
There are 4 things I am thankful for.
First of all, I am thankful for that my mom paks me lunch so I doun't nee (need) hot lunch because it coudld be cold when I get in line to get.
She is a very, very, very, very, very, (yes, she wrote that many!) nice and kind mom.
Next of all, I am thankful that my mom helps me with my homework so I doun't get a bad grade. (I'd better get cracking on her spelling! lol)
She is very good at helping with homework.
Last, I am thankful that my family has money so my broter and I can go to school and get some nolege (aka knowledge) into our brains. (not sure what that means - they attend a public school!)
I like my school.
Now you see why I am thankful for the things I have!
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I am so thankful for the things she is thankful for -- so sweet coming from an 8 year old!  

Do you sew?!

If yes....Go here


buy a pattern or two or three... they are so reasonably priced and all for a wonderful cause!  This organization is raising funds for orphans of the world through the sale of electronic sewing patterns!

I read about it here from Kathy.  She then linked me to this blog.  The pillow pattern is so adorable... I think I'm going to give reading instructions a try!  ;)  If you know me, you know that I do not like to read instructions (carefully)... so following a pattern is a challenge for me.  I like to skip ahead and just do it... only to discover later that I had missed an important step.  You would think that I would be more careful... HA!  I will let you know how my projects goes... if you do not see a post about the pillow in a long time... it would most likely mean that I could not follow the instructions and put the project at the bottom of the pile... "for another day."  :)

Head on over and support this great cause!
Have a fabulous week... I am going to try to take it easy this week.  I am thankful for so much... so I must take things slowly so I may enjoy what I am most thankful for... my family!

Dear Haley...

Your passing has been very sad for me... I did not know you, but my blog friend, Kelly, knew your mom and she knew you since you were a baby.  She wrote such wonderful things about you and your family. So when you  passed away and she was heart broken... We all felt her pain.  I have been trying to hold my babies more because of your story.  I am enjoying my time with my children... knowing that they will grow up quickly and may or may not want to cuddle with me or be held by me much longer.  I want to enjoy them so they can enjoy life... like you did.  I hope that you are watching over your family while you are in a better place.  Farewell, Haley.  You will never be forgotten...

I made this for your mom.  My dear friend, Debby, helped me think of what to stamp on your mom's pendant.  I hope these words will help her smile and think of you.

and this is for your sister:

Rest in peace, Haley...

Sad news...

Many of you have been reading about Haley and helping her through prayers... Today, Haley's family had to say goodbye to her...  (November 8, 2011 -- An updated post from Kelly here... saying goodbye to Haley)
I do not have the right words to say anything right now ....  I did not know Haley, but my heart feels so broken for her family...
This is the last thing Kelly wrote on her blog.  Please read and then follow Haley's Facebook page...

Fall Wreath Inspiration

Fall is here... I can finally *feel* it... brrrrr... whooooosh!!!!  So, head on over to V and Co. and learn how to make this for your front door.  Heck, you can hang it anywhere once you've made it!  She is a  great blogger.  She makes me laugh... I'm just stalking her... She doesn't know I exist!  She has tons of followers, friends, all sorts of talent... So check her out here. Oh, and she has a book that we can buy starting on January 10, 2012!!!

For a Sweet Little Girl

Last month my college friend (well, she was actually Vince's friend... I happen to come along at the right time!), Debby, emailed and asked if I could make her daughter a pendant.  This is what she wrote:

Steph, hope all is well with you and your gang. We are adjusting to C's transition to middle school and it's been a family affair. Part of that is that we started a carpool since we have two different schools to go to. G is having a hard time w/ that as I can only walk her to class every other week. It's sad when the other parents say, "boy she was missing you last week!". So to help her, I lent her one of my necklaces w/ a heart on it that is special to me. I told her that I would fill it w/ all of my love, and when she was missing me that she could touch the necklace and know that i love her very much. It's worked so far, but she mentioned that she wanted a pendant of her own.
So I'm thinking about making one just for her.

Thanks,  Deb

  

So this is what we came up with -- it is small, simple, and has the right words for a little girl to wear close to her heart:

Prayer needed for Haley

This is Haley.  She needs our help NOW.  Go here and read more.



Kelly posted this:

HALEY'S STORY

Update: November 1, 2011 - Haley is currently in ICU on a ventilator - the doctors are Not giving the Family much hope right now - Please pray for a miracle....

Haley is 17 and was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) - this is a very rare bone marrow disease. She needed a bone marrow transplant - she received one last August - unfortunately it did not take - since the transplant - she developed a life threatening infection in her lungs - with the help of donor white cells much of the infection is gone... Haley still has a very long battle ahead of her. She must get rid of the residual infection in her lung with a possible surgery to remove the infected area in her lung - find another donor - go through another round of chemotherapy.. She needs our prayers - our support - our love.. If you would like to help the family with the costs of marrow testing - please donate via the paypal link below. I will keep you posted..
Information accurate as of October 6, 2011

Wordless Wednesday -- my first!

Happy Halloween!!!

What a fun time we've had this weekend...

 And today... so much more to look forward to!

Greetings from Mario, Lady Morgan, and Luigi!

Heartfelt Balance l Handmade Life -- Sit and Relax Weekend Hop!

Here I am again -- I wasn't consistent last week because the children and I had so much going on!  But I am going to make an effort this time around!  JOIN ME!!!
Michelle is so fun to get to know -- so visit her blog!  This week's co-host is Gratefully Growing in Grace.

 

This weekend is busy, so I am off now!  Have a great weekend everyone!!!  Happy early Halloween!!!

Halloween LOVE

The children are getting more excited about the upcoming holiday... (Is it just me or has the month flown by?!)  So here are some more fun things to keep you busy:

1) The Mother Huddle  --   Printable Halloween Theater 
My youngest has been into puppets this month so he is going to LOVE this project!


2)  Art Projects for Kids  -- Funky Witch Feet
I love the vibrant colors!


3) Make and Takes -- Cute Little Q-Tip Spiders:
Frankly, I don't think all spiders *need* to be scary!  Aren't these adorable?!


4)  Now to warm your tummies... after all the above activities!
Katherine's Corner -- Meatless Monday Pumpkin Soup:
Licking my lips as I type this in the middle of the night!



Have fun!

Fall Harvest Festival

My daughter's school had their Harvest Festival today and it was busy!  The parents have been working so hard the last couple of months to put this event together.  Therefore, I am happy to report that the weather was beautiful, the children all had a great time, and although I did not sell a lot of pendants, I met many wonderful people who grabbed my business cards and will contact me to put together some pendants as gifts for the holiday!  I am so excited to get this going, as Christmas is creeping up!  Eeeek!  For those of you visiting my blog because you grabbed my cards, welcome!!!!  I will be posting photos of my pendants on the sidebar this week.  (sorry!)

Melinda came to sell her lovely handmade beaded jewelry with me.  Even Astrid came to support us!   Aren't they THE best?!  (what did I tell you... I am very lucky to have such wonderful friends!)

At the end of the day... Mel and I finally grabbed a picture together.  It was fun and I am glad she was there by my side.  I look forward to many more festivals and boutiques.  I have a few new items that I am working on that were a big hit today.  More pictures to come!

Table decorations courtesy of my dear friend, Matt.  Matt, you know how I feel about you.  You are awesome and I thank you for your continued support.  You helped put this beautiful table together for me and it definitely did not go unnoticed by numerous customers.  (Sorry, we had started cleaning up when I realized we did not take a picture... so the table looks a bit uneven and empty, especially on the right hand corner!)

And Matt, thank you for spending your afternoon shopping with me AND helping me create this beautiful setting in your backyard a week before the festival!