i have to say...

i want...

...one of these super-cool bikes:

At Newport Beach in California, these are all over the place sporting a rainbow of pastel colors and even polka-dots.  Of course, they are mostly ridden by skinny girls in bikinis. 

When I was a kid I wanted one badly, but never got it.  Funny how those things we wished for in childhood seem to stay with us forever.  I always imagined myself on a watermelon-pink one.    Maybe a wicker basket on the handlebars?

Now I am older and I live in the mountains, so having a beach cruiser would be pointless.

A girl can dream, can't she?

The blog will be rather quiet next week due to friends and family visiting for the week.  I will probably check in at some point, because I am obsessive about my blog cool like that, but you may also find crickets chirping when you pop in.  The shop, however, will be open, and orders sent out promptly.

See you all soon!

Our weekend, even though it was busy, was a good one.  We got lots of stuff done, but took some time out to play also.  A day of hiking and geocaching was perfect since the weather dipped down to 80 degrees; only the day before it was 95!  Funny how 15 degrees can make such a big difference.

As usual, my husband was more than willing to accomodate my need for good blog photos.  Here he is doing his best Nacho Libre pose---sans the white polyester pants:

When we got to the creek the kids wondered what the temperature of the water was, so my hubs tested it out for them:

Aubry, of course had to be just like daddy:

What was your weekend like?

does this mean that I have to quit calling her "snaggletooth"?

we're a little goofy--or at least that is what the pictures tell us!

We had a hot, fun summery weekend filled with lots of pool time and, of course, trampoline time.  I held my usual position of photographer, but I did take the time to get in on the fun.  My kids tell me that I spend too much time on the sidelines so I actually put on a bathing suit and swam, and after that, I jumped.  I guess I need to quit acting my age!

We cracked up when we downloaded this photo on the computer. My daughter said I needed to save it for future blackmailing opportunities when he is a teenager:

Imagine our surprise when this photo came up soon after.  Does he get his graceful moves from daddy?:

I about fell off my chair when this photo showed up.  Yes, that is me in a bathing suit.  Get a good look because I will NEVER show myself in such attire again!  It just seemed too funny not to post!:

Here is Maddie looking cool in some googles:

I know.    Poor dog!  At least we don't dress her up in people-clothes!

my dog and a recipe box swap!

Maddie is spoiled.  I bought her a watermelon this week---one all for herself. 

A few weeks ago we discovered that she liked frozen watermelon when she stole a piece from Aubry.  Since then we have been sharing ours with her, and this weekend I bought one just for her. I figure it is cheap and good for her and it lasts for about a month since we freeze it. 

Really, this just proves that she is spoiled, but I am trying to justify the fact that my dog has her very own watermelon.

Did I ever mention that a couple of weeks ago she ate a dead mouse?  One that had been poisoned by D-Con?  And that I had to induce vomiting by forcing her to drink hydrogen peroxide?

That was probably the most disgusting thing that I have ever had to do.  I won't give you the gory details, but I will say that I was tempted to hang a little "for sale" sign around her neck for a day or two after she did it.

Somehow she has managed to woo me since then.

This is probably a weird time to mention this, but Thursday is the Recipe Box Swap and the theme is "BBQ's---main dishes and sides".  Is there a dish that is a must-have at a BBQ?  It doesn't have to be prepared on the grill (although it can!), it just needs to be eaten alongside something from the grill.  A favorite potato salad?  A secret sauce for ribs?  How about grandma's famous baked beans?

Post your recipe on your blog and I  will provide an auto-link at the bottom of my post so that you can leave your post URL and others can visit and see what you have cookin'.

Who knows?  Maybe you will find a wonderful new recipe for the 4th of July!

Hope to see you on Thursday!

oh deer!

Well, they got me! 

I have four rose bushes outside my kitchen window and they are were bursting with ready to open buds.  I took the time to spray them with deer repellent, but forgot to re-apply after it rained at night.  Our neighborhood gang of deer must have come under cover of night and snacked until their hearts and tummies were content, because all I have left are a bunch of empty, sad looking branches looking like they are reaching up to find their bud.  They can stop reaching since all is lost.

Each year is a battle between the deer and myself, but even though they have won this first round, I WILL rein supreme in the end.  I WILL!

Before I make this sound worse than it really is, I leave you with a picture of the lone bud they left on one of the bushes.  At least they were thinking of me just a tiny bit!:

going bananas!

My post over at The Heart of Matter is a sweet one and it contains an idea for what to do on "one of those days"!

"We were having "one of those days" when I realized that we needed to shut the books, put away the paper and pencils, and have some fun together. These days are usually few and far between, but I have found that making a mess in the kitchen is a great way to fix things up. Adding chocolate to mix only enhances things!"

Have a great day!

Also:  The Homeschool Lounge is up and running.   Click over to take a peek!

happy valentine's day!

Happy Valentine's Day to all who visit here!  You certainly make my days sweeter!

nothing says "love" like a toilet

I can be a cynic when it comes to Valentine's Day.  All it takes is being in Walmart at 5:30 tomorrow afternoon where the check-outs will be crammed with men carrying chocolates, stuffed bears and cards, all in an effort to keep their ladies happy.   Temporarily, anyway.

I do love Valentine's Day, in my own way.  My world is made better by the 6 people who surround me on a daily basis, and I enjoy letting them know that they are special.  I do, however, make sure they know it all year long, and I am proud to say that I am teaching my kids to do the same.  My boys in particular know that giving from the heart is always better than giving from the credit card.   They know that girls appreciate feeling loved.

In no particular order, here are the boxes that my kids have crafted for tomorrow's festivities:

Aubry, of course, sees this holiday as a day of love and loveliness.  Life and love are gardens of sweetness and light, ready to picked and enjoyed.

Micah views Valentine's Day as an opportunity to flex his man-muscles.  You see the car?  You see the man.

Josiah, well, I am not sure what Valentine's Day means to him, and I suspect we have a long way to go with this kid lest we end up with a distraught daughter-in-law someday.  Poor girl, I think she will have to work long and hard to make my boy into the man of her dreams.

My hope is that your Valentine's Day is filled with much love and happiness.

Until tomorrow...

weekend in review

This weekend was spent at home trying to figure out if we were coming down with the dreaded flu that seems to have have everyone sick these days.  My boys and I had huge headaches on Thursday and Friday (which is one of the symptoms that you are getting sick), but  we seem to be fine now.   Since we  weren't sure if we were contagious  we stayed home ALL WEEKEND LONG.  We only went out to get necessities like movies and snacks, and this left us with lots of time to cook!

I made pitas using Joannas' recipe.  They tasted great and it was easy to double the recipe.  It took me a couple of batches to figure out how thick to roll them, but once I got the hang of it they came out perfect.  Next time I will make them when my hubs is not around so that we have more left over.  He sampled freely and the kids followed suit, so I only ended up with one package of 6 in the freezer.

We also made breakfast burritos using Barb's recipe.  It is a mass-production, in-the-freezer type of recipe (I love those!) and we ended up with 41 all ready for busy mornings (which, technically, is every morning!). ( See Barb's sidebar for all kinds of great recipes!)

We also celebrated my hubby's birthday on Sunday.  He turned 43.  Aubry was under the impression that he was turning 475 (I think I might have given her that impression!) and she proceeded to give him as many birthday spanks, but gave up when her hand started hurting.  She let him know that she would finish up later.

I love my man.

On the photography front, I haven't been taking pictures much lately and I think it has something to do with the weather.  When it is cold I stay inside, and there is only so much picture-material in my house.  I tried to coax Aubry into a photo session and this is what she did:

She isn't always cooperative, but she sure is cute.

Have a happy Monday!

***I am pretty sure that we were not sick.  I think.?.

she got me!

I have been tagged by my sweet friend, The Kentucky Woman, to tell six non-important things/habits/quirks about myself.  Here are the rules:

(1) Link to the person that tagged you.

(2) List the rules on your blog.

(3) Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.

(4) Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.

(5) Let each random person know they have been tagged.

Here goes:

1.  I am a night-owl.  At midnight I am often awake even though I have to be up by 6:00AM.

2.  In spite of the fact that I own about 20 lipsticks, I only use one.  In the future I will probably buy more because I "need to try something new", but I won't use it.

3.  It is impossible to sell something to me.  I am an irritatingly wary consumer and if I feel pressured, I will automatically back off.  (Thanks, Dad!)

4.  My first car was a Volkswagen Squareback.  I loved it and felt very cool driving it even though it wouldn't go over 50 miles per hour without the steering wheel shaking uncontrollably.

5.  My fingernails are almost never painted.  At the most I have painted my nail 10 times in my whole life.

6.  I have been without coffee for two weeks and I haven't missed it a bit.  Not one little bit!

If you would like to play along, consider yourself tagged!

Have a wonderful weekend!

we got 'em!

We passed our tests and are now wearers of the green.  Technically we are junior-green belts, but I can't get used to how that sounds--"junior".

One of the first things we did was to do all of the forms and the only two that I messed up on at that point were the two I was planning to test on.  I had an immediate panic and I considered changing my plan, but I decided to stick with it and all was well when it was my turn.  The best part was that I wasn't overly nervous which was REALLY unusual for me, and it makes me think that taking this class has been good for me, and not just because I can give a pretty good round-house kick to an opponent.  The class has helped me to be more confident.

For most of my years I have only attempted things that I felt were easy for me.  "Challenge" is something that I didn't engage in.  Karate has somehow been a catalyst in tearing away many of my inhibitions and for this I happily accept my belt of green, my symbol that something inside me is slowly changing.

Here are some pics of the day:

Our Sensei and friend taking my hubs down to the ground:

Josiah doing a cool flip, just like Jackie Chan:

Micah (the one in the background of the photograph) being attacked from all sides:

I looked for a really cool picture of myself, one that looked tough and full of strength, but this was the best I could find:

A fun day! 

And besides, did you notice how cute my belt looks with my pink faux-Chucks in the first picture?   A perfect color combination, if you ask me!  The only way the look could be improved is if there was a a piece of tiny pink ric-rac down the white center stripe of my belt.  Ah, the possibilities!

Have a great Monday!

just call me jet

This Saturday my hubs and I and our boys will be testing for our green belts in Karate, and I feel utterly unprepared.  Our teacher (and friend) says otherwise, so forward I go.

Maybe I have never mentioned this before, but I seriously dislike being the focus of attention.  Being in front of people is a huge challenge and my heart tends to race and my lip almost always starts quivering.  Feeling unprepared only makes this worse.

My plan of attack for testing is this:  pretend like I know what I am doing.  Be strong in my moves and loud with my "kias".  And with all this, try not to fall over or start crying.  Maybe I can mentally be Jet Li.

Imagine that.

Lucky for me we get to out to lunch afterwards and I will be able to drown my insecurities in some food and fun.  Always a plus!

I hope your weekend is filled with happiness and moments of confidence--and I hope mine is too!  ;)

it's snow fun!

I have posted some fun snow-day ideas over at Me and My Girl.

Enjoy!

 

i'm feelin' groovy...

...in my new L.L. Bean Wicked Good Clogs.  They were a Christmas gift from my Dad and his lovely wife, and I wear these all the time.  I am not kidding when I say it feels like I am walking on air when I have these on; I am having to refrain from wearing these out of the house since that would embarrass my children.  You know, the moms-shouldn't-wear-slippers-in-public rule.

I also love that they are called wicked-good.  What a cool phrase.  I have a friend from Vermont who says that now and then, but when you are from the West it just sounds silly to say it.  Only North-Easterners can get away with dropping it into their sentences.

My hubs and I have decided to quit eating so much meat and work on trying to eat healthier.  This is great since I have been thinking about this for quite a while now, but my hubs is kind of a meat-eatin' junk food junkie.  Nothing against him, he just loves food that is bad for you.  So this new direction is very exciting for me.  I have had a number of people tell me how great they felt after cutting meat from their diet and eating vegetarian.  We won't be cutting the meat altogether, but 2-3 times per week is better than 7 days a week, right?

Today is laundry day for me.  Not the most exciting day of the week, but it is made better by the comfort of my fabulous slippers.  I will be walking on air, my friends, walking on air!

Have a great Monday!

happy new year!

i don't make resolutions because i don't keep them.  however, in the interest of blogging i will share my list of "will do's and won't do's" for 2008.  keep in mind that these are not resolutions!  not at all.

10 things i will do in 2008:

1.  keep God #1.  be consistent about this.
2.  listen to my kids
3.  hug my hubby
4.  take chances---don't be afraid to fail
5.  spend more time with friends
6.  pay attention to people's needs.  help them.
7.  make more crafty stuff for myself and my family
8.  learn to use photoshop elements (i need to buy it at some point)
9.  go to san fransisco on vacation with my hubs
10.spend less time on the computer

10 things i won't do in 2008:

1.  vow to lose these unwanted holiday pounds. 
2.  try to keep a cleaner house
3.  post every day (i stole this one from Gretchen!)
4.  lecture my kids.  yell at my kids.  (i will try!)
5.  make my hubs feel like he is bugging me
6.  avoid people because it feels like a hassle
7.  forget to call my grandma for months at a time
8.  miss another good exhibit at the denver art museum
9.  complain about aging or act old
10.buy clothes that are too small just because i would rather wear the smaller sounding size

what about you?  any will or won't do's for you ?

***maybe i should add that i won't write any more posts in all lowercase letters?!?  this was quite a hassle because i kept having to go back on switch letters from uppercase to lowercase.  habits, you know!

we were dreaming of a white christmas!

When you get ready to throw a snowball at someone,

You should be sure that your brother is not standing behind you with a shovel full of snow ready to go.   And the brother with the shovel should make sure that the dad isn't standing behind him with an even bigger shovel full of snow:

In case your Christmas wasn't white, I saved a snowball for you:

if you haven't seen the movie "elf"

you are missing out!

the good news

I finally got my gifts in the mail today and they are sure to be late. 

The good news?  I am not stressed about it AT ALL!   

We are between batches of caramel and butter toffee right now.  I told my boys to give me a few minutes on the computer and then we will start the candy factory again.  So far we have melted a stick of butter in the microwave--with no plate or bowl under it, found that we were using the wrong pan when it came time to pour the caramels, and almost ran out of corn syrup.

The good news?  I am not stressed about it AT ALL!

I am two days late getting to the grocery store.  I have no list made and nothing to fix for dinner.

The good news?  I am not stressed about it AT ALL!

I guess after all these years of stressful Christmases, I have finally gotten to where I can really take it easy and enjoy, no matter what happens.

Which, of course, is good news!

Enjoy your Christmas preparations!

some sweetness and links

I have posted at Me and My Girl today.  If you are in the mood for some sweetness, you will have to take a peek!

Here are some fun Christmas links for you:

***My kids have enjoyed making snowflakes here.  Be careful, this can addictive!

***I love gumdrops and we will surely be making these!

***Have you ever wondered about mistletoe?  Who else but Martha could clear up the mystery?

***Jenny has created some Holiday Dangles for your tree, garland, or whatever you choose.  These would also be perfect for a young child who is learning their ABC's.  As usual, you can't beat Jenny's brand of cuteness!

***Tracy has how-to's for hard-tack candy, peanut brittle and hot cocoa mix.

Have a great day!

little button wreath

If you are looking for a fun Christmas project to make with your kids, click here.  This one is simple, but it is oh-so-cute!

I have a post over at Me and My Girl today.  This mama thinks my girl has gone too far!

how to make a simple headband

I have posted a simple tutorial on Me and My Girl for making  a headband.  This would be a great way to teach your daughter (ages 10 and up, approximately) some beginning cutting and sewing skills.

Sets of 3 headbands would be perfect gifts for your daughter's siblings or friends.

Happy sewing!

something new

I have been hard at work on a secret project and the time has come to show you what it is! 

A number of months ago I hatched a plan to start making patterns.  Initially I thought I would be working on patterns for adults to sew things like purses or quilts, but as time went on I decided to change course and design patterns for moms and daughters to make together.  Making crafty goods with my girls has been one of the sweetest things about being a mom, so I suppose that I am sticking with what I know by doing this.

My first two patterns are for The Sweetest Sugar Cookies Ever (ages 5 and up) and Big and Little Drawstring Bags (ages 10 and up).  Both are available in my new shop and they will remain in the sidebar of the Me and My Girl blog with links to the shop.  There are also fabric and wool felt kits available so that making these is as easy as 1-2-3!

I know all kinds of new things about my computer due to making these patterns.  I really had no idea that my lowly computer did so many amazing tricks.  Impatience was by best teacher because it is hard to find people to give computer lessons at a moment's notice, and when I want something done, it gets done!  My hope is that my next round of patterns will be a smoother process with fewer roadblocks to conquer!

It feels so good to be posting these as there were times when I thought this day would never come!  Now maybe I can spend some time with my neglected sewing machine who is looking a bit lonely on the craft table.  Poor girl!

Have a great day!

five things i don't like

1. Mushy-gushy greeting cards.  Cards that let someone know that they are like a "lighthouse in the stormy sea of my life" get left at the store, while something funny will always get taken home. 

2. Halloween.  Decorating with tombstones and spider-webs just seems odd to me.  I just can't get into the spirit of the thing.  Also, my kids talk about their costumes MONTHS ahead of time and I generally tell them to talk amongst themselves, because until one week prior to the holiday this mommy doesn't engage in it!

3. Books by Jodi Piccoult.  OK, I said it.  Reading one of her books is like reading one really long mushy-gushy greeting card.  I just don't think that real people are quite as insightful as her characters are.  I mean, once in a while you run into someone who gleans awesome, philisophical significance out of any situation, but on a daily basis it doesn't happen--at least in my life.

4. Being told what to do.  My dad always taught me to be a "thinker" and a "wary-consumer".  And that I am.  One way to get me riled is to demand something of me rather than treating me like the person-that-I-am and letting me make that choice for myself.

5. Syrup on pancakes.  Butter and jam is the only way to go when it comes to pancakes.  I don't know why, but syrup gives me the shivers, literally.

6.  OK, so I said five things I don't like, but I must add a number six:  I don't like a post without a picture, so I give you this:

Have a nice Monday!

lollipop, lollipop...

I posted over at Me and My Girl today.  If you are in the mood for something fun and sweet you may want to check it out!

butterfly wings

I know that I am supposed to be on blogging break, but my gal wanted to post a tutorial on Me and My Girl.  How could I resist? 

Besides it gives me an opportunity to pop in and say "hi"!

"Hi"!

See you next week!

a messy post

Today you can find my post on Me and My Girl.  But be forewarned:  it's a messy one!  ;)

a scarf that small hands can make

Today's post is here.

I have also started a "Me and My Girl Creations" Flickr Group.  It is easy to sign-up and download pictures, so come along and join the fun!

like mommy, like daughter--almost

A couple of days ago my gal asked me to show her how to twist a towel on her head after the bath.  She wanted to do it like I do it.

Today she came downstairs to show me her new look. 

Just like mommy, but with a bit of flash!

a fun project

I posted a how-to on Me and My Girl today.  All you need is two 5-inch squares of fabric and you can sew up a little bean-bag, pincushion or doll pillow.

See you there!

Today I have posted on "Me and My Girl" about getting your child started on the sewing machine:

practice makes perfect

Have a nice day!

something new

I have been a mom for 19 years now and I have to say that one of my favorite things to do with my kids is to teach them to craft.  Many memories have been made with fabric, scissors, glue and paper.

I can remember helping my oldest make a quilt for her sister's birthday when she was six years old.  We still have that quilt and it has become a treasure.  At the time we sat at the table cutting and sewing, I had no idea the value of that moment.  Now, in hindsight, I am aware that that moment has become priceless, not because of the item made, but because of the time spent and the bond made with each other.

I have started a new blog called "Me and My Girl" which I hope will be a blessing to anyone trying to teach their little ones to craft.  Once a week I will be posting simple tutorials and tips that will be fun for both mom and daughter.  Whether you are a beginner when it comes to crafting, or if you have some skills yourself, I think you will find things to spark your interest and inspire you to get out those scissors and some thread and get to making something.

There is no time like the present when it comes to making a memory with your kids!

Happy Crafting!

creepy crawlies in colorado

Isn't she lovely?  I named her Broomhilda, Hilda for short. 

We found her outside frolicing in our driveway yesterday.  Aubry screamed when Hilda ran towards her feet and let me say that it was the highest pitched girly-scream EVER! 

A few years ago, my oldest daughter caught one of these and put it in a jar in our garage.  In the morning the captured tarantula was nowhere to be found which was completely disconcerting to me.  For about a week I wasn't sure if I was going to be sitting in my car and find a tarantula crawling on my shoulder or on the dashboard!  Lucky for me, the escapee seemed to have made a good getaway.

Hilda didn't stick around either and she ran for cover in the bushes across the street.  This, of course, was fine with me!

Bye-bye, Hilda!

the friday skirt post

By now you know that I am a skirt wearer.  This is new to me--a little girly but I am not experiencing any bad side-effects, so I go forward.  There are a few good reasons to wear skirts and I will share some of them with you:

--They hide not-so-perfect summer legs.

--You can find them in abundance at the thrift store.

--Resizing is very simple as long as the skirt is a couple of sizes to big.

--Your husband, if he is anything like mine, will thank you for it and overlook the fact that you cut your hair a little shorter this time.

--I said this in my last post, but they do double as dishtowels in a pinch.

Lyn suggested that I share my skirt collection and because she is so very sweet, I decided to go for it:

All but two are thrifted and three of them are resized.    My daughter, Emily, dislikes my "laundry day" skirt--the one on the right--because she says it makes me look matronly, but almost every  Monday you will find me in it.  The matronly look might be because of the fact that I wear no make-up on laundry day and I generally wear my gardening clogs if I need to go outside.  I will put your mind at ease by telling you that laundry day is a stay-at-home day.  I am not running around town scaring the residents of our fair city on Mondays!

Well, that's it.  The Friday skirt post.  I hope you enjoyed it and I will see you all next week.  Until then, be sure to enjoy yourself!

__________________________________________________

This is the last day for Nan's Apronpalooza!  The last time I checked there were 16 posts about 16 apron-makers who are just itching to give you some of their wares.  Here is the post about my little apron business, Simple Things.

Really, you need to go check this out!

it's an apron extravaganza!

Ooops, I mean an apronpalooza!  Nan is hosting a week-long apron-fest and you need to go check it out.  There are tons of prizes and sponsors and fun.  See you there!

a great day to fly a kite!

thank goodness we are at world's end

My house is abuzz with excitement over the release of the new Pirates of the Carribean movie.  My girls attended the midnight showing in the wee hours of this morning, so as of yet, I don't have a movie review for myself because they are sleeping!

So far these movies have been confusing for me, leaving me with many questions and few answers, possibly because I am just not paying attention.  But this newest release is calling my name because Keith Richards apparently plays Johnny Depps' dead pirate father, and  I don't know if a role has ever been so perfectly suited for someone!

My hubby does a perfect impression of Keith Richards, complete with half closed eyes, bobbing head and slurred, incoherent speech, all blanketed with a British accent.  It is hilarious!  All that my husband lacks are the deeply etched facial lines and the roach clips hanging from his hair.

After the last movie, I walked out wondering what on earth the story was all about and when I asked my daughter about Jeffrey Rush's character, "Wasn't he in the last movie?", I realized that maybe I needed to simply give it up.  But now, well, I just don't know if I want to miss out on Keith's performance!

Have a happy Friday!

the first installment...

...in Aubry's summer wardrobe.  Handmade by mommy.

Next up is a shirt for me.  Have I mentioned that I dislike sewing for myself because of the pattern sizing?  On most patterns I have to use a size that is at least three sizes bigger than my normal size and I can hardly stand it!  Yes, I realize that I have a hang-up in this area, but I have decided to move forward and just do it.  And if the shirt looks wearable, I may even post a picture, but I certainly won't tell you what size it is!  ;)

friday hello!

Hello, it's Friday.  Yippee! 

Our homeschool group has field day this morning so I will be immersed in running, jumping, screaming kids who are all trying to come in first!  Somehow, this is my idea of a fun day!

Not much to post today, except that I wanted to say that I paid a $67.50 library fine this week.  Have I mentioned that there are two things that I hate to waste?  Time and money!  My thoughts have been ruminating on all the things I could have bought with that money such as: clothes, groceries, fabric, new shoes, fabric, paint for my bathroom, dinner and a movie, fabric, manicure, or most importantly, fabric!

***Note to self:  Put library due dates on the calendar, especially when I check out more than 50 books at a time!

I hope your Friday is a good one!

it's all about aprons!

Did you know that May 14 is National Apron's Day?  Well, now you do!

On most afternoons I can be found in the kitchen with an apron wrapped around myself, in large part because I am a messy cook and my clothes last longer this way.  My apron is simple, but useful, and I have even been known to wear it outside to retrieve the mail from the mailbox.  No apron hang-ups here!

What about you?  Do you wear an apron for cooking, gardening, crafting or anything else?  If so, how about snapping a picture of yourself wearing it and posting it on your blog on Monday?  Come on, girls, it'll be fun!  I will even post an autolink here on my Monday post so that we can add a sort of club-like quality to this.  A Suzy-Homemaker-Apron-Wearing-Club!  Wanna join in?

Thanks to NotQuiteJuneCleaver who made this darling graphic!  She is also having an apron giveaway with sign-ups lasting until Mother's Day, so check out her blog!  I also came across Tracy's apron giveaway today.  Not only does she make lovely aprons, but she also has a very sweet and encouraging blog!

My wish to you is a Happy Mother's Day on Sunday!  May your day be filled with blessings!

and the handbag goes to...

OK, first off I want to say thanks for all the sweetness you ladies left in the comments!  What a blessing you are to me.  I wasn't sure what kind of response this would get, but your enthusiam has been an encouragement, for sure.  This blogosphere is an amazing place.

I used a very scientific method (NOT!) for picking the recipient of the handbag.  I simply typed in the number of comments on the post (108) and then I  clicked the "get numbers" button and I used the number to pick the comment. 

Today the stars were shining for Sarah @ Sing For Him!

Sarah, if you will email me your address (there is a link in the left sidebar) I will get the bag in the mail ASAP!  I hope you enjoy it!

Many thanks to everyone who participated!

a thank you!

I have always wanted to have a giveaway here on my blog but I always miss things like my 100th post or my 1,000th comment, which are the typical reasons to celebrate.  Of course, I could do it for Mother's Day, but that would leave some people out and I don't like to do that. 

So in honor of my sweet-bloggy-friends we are going to celebrate.   Daily I find myself blessed by the ladies who drop in to say "hi", and your comments and encouragement have been a surprising part of this blogging venture.  This is just my way of saying "thank you"!

The totebag in the picture is "the giveaway".  All you have to do is leave a comment (with your email included) in this post by Thursday, May 10 at 6:00 PM (mountain time), and on May 11 I will draw one name out of the pile.  That person will find this totebag in the mail the following week.  If you are new to my blog or if you have never commented, feel free to do so.  I am always happy to make new friends!

"Any woman who sews or knits, or weaves, blends colors in a tapestry or creates a patchwork quilt, knows by the feel that a single thread is weak but the weaving, the blending, the intertwining with many others makes it strong.

Any woman alone without friends to sustain her, to nurture and support her, to hold with loving arms, like a single thread is weak.   But the weaving, the loving, the nurturing of others, the networks of friendships makes her strong."
---Barbara, The Kinship of Women