Shop news and very Creative websites

My tags are on sale this week with free shipping....only for this week however.....so if you don't want to take the chance of not winning my giveaway...you can still have some.......I just had to post this snowman as he's my favorite......and yes, I am having a giveaway....which ends on the 6th (why the 6th? it was my mom's birthday and is the birthday of one of my dearest friends)
here is the link to my Inspiration shop and the link for the giveaway is on the left side of the blog...
I have only one set of 4 redwork towels left! ..next year I plan on making more but not enough time now......I am also planning on making some very vintage embroidered pillows using patterns from the early part of the last century......and some bookmarks with scriptures...perhaps a Bible cover or two...more redwork,,,.lots of ideas brewing......also want to explore more crafting using vintage images......
Ten Two Studios is having their annual holiday countdown with free graphic images for each day of December.......here is the link...this will start tomorrow, Dec. 1st.....
I also wanted to mention another website called Artella Land..which is absolutely fantastic....and right now if you sign up for their newsletter, you can download a free copy (bless my frugal heart) of their 58 page ebook (pdf file) called Artella Mae's Altered Ancestors which usually costs around $18.00....... techniques for using old photos in artwork...very interesting and gives great inspiration.....

I am so sorry...I just realized I didn't give you the link for downloading the Artella ebook....here it is...just look at the bottom of the page for the downloading link....

These came in the mail today....the little gold shoe ornaments I won from Penniwigs !!
so pretty, and festive....please visit her blog when you get the chance if you haven't already...
they will have a place of honor on our tree...
This Saturday has been a quiet day for us..both of the boys are at the dog rescue so the house is very quiet.....its also a rainy day, it really poured last night, has sprinkled on and off all day...a real blessing...we are wondering if that means a wet winter...everyone here hopes so as we've had 4 years of drought.....we've been watching old black and white movies this afternoon and eating turkey sandwiches......Nick and Nora "The Thin Man" and others......

Yesterday ..my clothes dryer kept going and going......and the clothes weren't drying..the heating element seemed ok..so Alan took it apart and discovered the entire inside was clogged up with lint....he got the shop vac and cleaned it all out...works fine now so something that needs to be done every so often......I always clean out the lint trap but the lint had worked its way down into the workings of the dryer itself...could have started a fire.....we were thankful we found out about it before anything happened......I know one day we'll need a new one..we've had this set about 10 years. So if you haven't cleaned out your dryer...you may want to....on ours the front bottom panel pops out..........

The Day After

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving..we had tons of food and were very thankful......still have lots left, except I think our 18 year old raided the turkey last night....this happens about every year....its getting to be a tradition....the boys put the leaf in the table......and set it for me...

Alan wanted me to read about the first Thanksgiving by Rush Limbaugh.... which I did (I highly recommend )..we then prayed, holding hands as a family..the reading sparked a interesting discussion about socialism vs free market principles..who the pilgrims were, their beliefs and compared all of that to our beliefs today...we all agreed we liked to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter (Resurrection Day), something the early settlers didn't do...as they saw no scriptural basis but we think as the Israelites had feast and fast days, there is some basis for holidays (holy days) and its good to be thankful to the One who provides so bountifully.....

I cleaned off the table..its getting a little beat up now after 20 years of dinners....the boys ate there when they were little.....there are marks where they hit the top of the table with their first spoons....lots of memories.....

Later we watched a TV movie on the history channel about the First Thanksgiving and facts we didn't know...it was a 180 minute movie so the boys lost interest about half way through and decided to hang out with their friends but I think they made a good effort.....and we all learned something new.........
Alan and I would love to visit the Plimoth plantation..maybe one day when our ship comes in....the website is very informative....did you know the early pilgrims got along well with the
Wampanoag Indians for the most part......they did trespass to begin with and got into some trouble but once they understood, they became allies and friends.
We ended the evening with hot apple cider and pumpkin pie (homemade, sugar free, of course)

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you and yours a very happy Thankful day tomorrow.......now off to make pies!

Tuesday Chat

Is your turkey getting thawed out? Are the pies done? Is the bread getting dried out for dressing? Not me....our son has a whole dinner ordered and he will be bringing over everything tomorrow..all I have to do is heat it up on Thursday..rather nice........but I am making a sugar free pumpkin pie tomorrow.....for my sweet hubby and he is going to make his famous cranberry relish which is to die for......one year we made so much (cranberries were cheap that year) we froze pints of it and had it through January....good to snack on and so healthy.....

If you have little ones, or will be having some visiting and need some little fun ideas for them to be amused...no greater source I can recommend is The Toymaker...
this site has so much..hard for me to describe but believe me..you will have loads of fun exploring....I have posting the link here this is for the Christmas page..you will find the greatest little paper crafts to do....from making a little mouse that actually will roll across the floor( via a marble) to an elf ball, paper mazes, coloring pages..all kinds of fun things for children to make and play with, adults too.. its all free also...they do have paypal button for donations.....and you can sign up for a free newsletter which comes out 3 times a year.

I won! + a great video

Guess what I won! These fabulous little silver (I stand corrected they are old gold) shoe ornaments from Penniwigs..thank you so much...I usually never win anything....these shoes remind me of my mother, she adored pretty shoes...every time we go to the mall, we'd have to hit every shoe store...after she went into the home (she had dementia to the point I could no longer take care of her), we went through her closet and found over 150 pairs of lovely shoes, still in their boxes.....I know she would have loved these......if you haven't visited Penniwigs..please do..she has free graphics just about every day and the best earrings in her Etsy shop that would make wonderful gifts...

Be sure to sign up for my giveaway..if you would rather have another design and are the winner, let me know..I can make any design I have in my shop for you. In fact..I will change the rules slightly..for every ten sign ups, a new set so you will have a 1 in 10 chance of winning!


I just have to post this wonderful youtube video of the AMAZING Kings Firecrackers jump rope team exibition at the US Navy academy...


just watch the reaction of the crowd........be sure to watch it all the way through....these girls are totally awesome!

A Tag Giveaway!!!

I received another tag pattern from Primitive Stitches and just finished my first set of these Saint Nicolas tags....added jingle bells on Santas cap so they would make cute tree ornaments....
to open the holiday season, I am giving away this first set!
Here are the rules....just comment for one entry...if you blog, mention my giveaway on yours, link back to my blog for a second entry....
This giveaway will run until Dec. 6th where I will use the random generator to pick out the winner...for every 10 sign ups..I will add another set..so you have a 1 in 10 chance of winning!

Thursday at Our House

I just happened to run across a very interesting website called The First Thanksgiving
..Squanto's Garden and how it saved the first Thanksgiving......

You can download a free ebook with a total history of the Piligrims and their struggle with the poor soil of New England...how Squanto showed them how to garden..I haven't read it all but what I did read was very informative..as we have poor soil here too..you also, (of course there is always a catch with something that is free) get an advertisement for their fish emulsion product that sounds very good indeed...I know that fish emulsion is good gardening as when my dad would go fishing, he would take the trimmings, heads, tails, etc..and bury them in the flower beds...we had the most beautiful elephant ear plants and calla lilies in the San Diego neighborhood..maybe next spring, I will order some..a little late in the year right now..for gardening but the ebook is a winner....so check it if you are so inclined.........

speaking of gardening...do you remember the fig tree twig Alan planted in a pot this summer?
We were both so pleasantly surprised to find it growing, and leafing out...never realizing it would actually produce fruit but lo and behold!


A fig in November! the mini me tree is growing also...he may need to repot it...we are thinking of bringing it in the house soon as the nights are getting a mite chilly..almost down to freezing.....


We are having a difficult time financially right now so I covet your prayers.....don't want to go into details but we are praying the Lord will provide us with funds to cover so several important
bills..like getting our home modification, taxes, lawyer fees and more..of course, this all comes right during the holiday season...He is able, I know and have faith......
I am selling some of my treasured items to help. I have this very rare and special cooky plate on Ebay right now..been in the family for decades....its Californian pottery from the 1950s or late 40s........

Wednesday Dog of the Week

This is little Lucas...he is a Poodle, Toy/Bichon Frise mix...another senior at 8 years old..how old is that in doggy years....54? he is very healthy and had to be given up as his owner could no longer keep him.....the man brought him in crying as he loved him so.....times are tough...the first few days in the shelter are tough on the dogs too as they are confused and scared...most new comers are kept separate from the other dogs, given comfort and attention...if you think you'd like to help financially or as a volunteer or are interested in Lucas...please go to Sun City K-9 Rescue
I follow quite a few blogs...and one I am very fond of is Johanna Parker Design..she is a wonderful artist and I know you will enjoy clicking on the link and visiting her blog today.....very festive..I'm not going to say more, just go over and see if I'm right.......all I needed was some eggnog and holiday music to go along with me....
I am resisting the urge to start decorating this blog for Christmas...I will have to use all my self control to wait but did cave in on my other blog, Daniv's Newsletter..I posted a great video on there too, about candy cane making in a small town.......

Road Trip, Victorville, Ca

Here is a mince pie for Thanksgiving day...and again, so huge!

We drove up to Victorville, Ca on Sunday to re key a foreclosed house...its a nice drive up through the El Cajon pass.......and the traffic was fairly good..no back ups except for one spot where they were working on the side of the road.......on the way up, I spied a train coming round the bend...see if you can see it in the photo...you will have to click on it....

The house was in a new tract and I liked it...it had 3 bedrooms plus a room that could be used as a office, large living room with a fireplace, and a good sized kitchen with plenty of cupboards.....it was in very good condition also...I don't think the realtor will have a problem selling it....good neighborhood too with nice lawns and trees.......you really wouldn't know you were in the high desert......while Alan was working on a lock, I decided to stroll around the yard and found some cactus plants that were interesting.....

The spent flower heads look like birds heads, don't they? At least that's what it looked like to me from a distance.......

On the way back, we found this old chimney on the side of the freeway, standing all by itself...being shaded by a Joshua tree... Joshua trees dotted the landscape everywhere you look....sadly the high desert has been invaded by non-native weeds of all types....when we lived in Barstow in the 1960s, the desert floor was cleaner and didn't have all the weeds that you see now....it was mainly sand, rocks, cacti, Joshua trees and some mesquite.....the desert floor is scarred also by off road vehicle tracks..and takes centuries to recover. Thankfully, the county has now sectioned off certain areas for the off road crowd in order to save the desert....but damage has been done that the desert may never fully recover from.....in fact, when we lived there, we found covered wagon tracks off in the Calico mountain range from the silver miners that looked like they could have been made yesterday....the desert heals slowly...very slowly.

Friday

My goodness, that pie looks huge! Did they used to make them that large? I don't think so.....it sure would be hard to take out of the oven!

Thought I'd post one of my favorite songs by Casting Crowns...

have a great day!

More Thanksgiving postcards+

I only have a few more Thanksgiving cards.....would really like to start collecting again.......!

One of my mice.... rather chubby...guess he got his feast early...LOL..... these are made from flannel so are very soft.....I am not happy with his hands though...I've been trying to come up with something different......I have to keep them up from the cats as they look at them as toys.....this is one of the larger ones and can be dressed....
speaking of cats......we were watching Cats 101 on the Animal channel the other evening and discovered that our rescue cat, Bandit might very well be a Norwegian Forest Cat! She has all the physical characteristics......here is a stock photo of a pure bred Wegie


here is Bandit
She has the wedge shaped head, stocky build, double coat, and fur between her toes (hobbit like)...she also has the nature, very calm, and loving....her coat never gets matted either...her poor tail is shortened....we think she got it caught in a door at some point...when you feel it, the bones are kinked at the end.
She has the "look" too just as the purebred does.We did some research and found out these are an old breed, and were kept on the Norwegian ships by the Vikings to take care of mice and she is a wonderful mouser. We rescued her from a humane society..she was lucky they kept her as long as they did...they put thousands of animals to sleep every year.

Wednesday Dog of the Week - Shelly

Shelly was found as a stray, she is a German Shepherd mix and about 2-3 years old..a little shy but loves people once she gets to know them....intelligent and very trainable...her eyes say she'd like to have a nice family .....won't someone give her a chance? Shelly is very healthy, no health problems, but will need a large yard or someone who will walk her often as she is a large, active dog..for more info, please visit the Sun City K-9 Rescue



As today is Veterans Day, I wanted to wish all our veterans a wonderful day..thank you for your service and dedication, God Bless our troops! I am the daughter of a Marine Corps veteran who served 35 years and the sister of a retired Air Force veteran.

before I go, another Thanksgiving postcard....
My blogs have been mentioned in the Vintage Images newsletter...thanks so much, Scott and Martin!

Apple Crisp!

I made a apple crisp over the weekend for the man.......as he's diabetic, its sugarfree...and was very good, not much left now but I thought I'd post the recipe, if you can have sugar, just use the same amount as the Splenda.......

Sugar free Apple Crisp
6 or 7 large apples, peeled and sliced
2 cups water
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 cup Splenda
Simmer until the apples are tender (don't overcook)
remove the apples to your Pammed baking pan, saving the juice
Thicken the juice with 3 T. cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 c. water
Pour thickened juice over apples.
Topping:
1 cube melted butter (I didn't say it was lo cal!)
1 cup flour
1 cup quick oats
1/2 cup Splenda
1 t. salt
Mix well and sprinkle over apples. Bake at 350 degrees
for about 40 minutes.

Don (our oldest son) brought home some wonderful huge Honey Crisp apples that were perfect for this dessert........I would use brown sugar in the topping if I could. It smelled so good while it was cooking.........you could use the new brown sugar Splenda has come out with but it does have some sugar in it........and also add other fruit besides the apples, golden raisins would be wonderful or fresh cranberries.
Here is another Thanks giving postcard!

Postcard Collections

As you may know, if you've followed my blog for very long, I have a collection of vintage postcards..mainly Valentines but also a few other holidays.....I love old graphics and such.......thought I'd post some of these Thanksgiving ones again...you can use these on your blog or in making cards, etc...public domain entirely.......

For quite a while I collected postcards of my husbands hometown, Independence, Iowa...bought them on Ebay and I am finding that the cards are getting rare and cost big bucks now..cards I bought for 3 or 4 dollars are now listed at $25-30 each! So postcard collecting can be a profitable hobby and an enjoyable one...it doesn't take as much room either as other collectibles. A few albums on a bookshelf is alot better than crowded shelves of knick knacks...

Another one of my friends, Judy of Judy's Postcards Plus
has an interesting blog and she sells postcards. It would be a good way to start an enjoyable hobby and also is good for young collectors. If I had a grandchild, I think I'd get them started, depending on their interests....our youngest has a large collection of baseball cards but they are not as popular right now...I advised him to hang onto them for the future.

Sunday (posted Saturday night)

we are going to be looking for a turkey or two this week for the coming feast...I always have to post this drawing..LOL, poor old Tom is a clever bird, huh?

Funny laws that guide us.....

Law of Mechanical Repair

After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch.

Law of Gravity
Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner. (this is a common occurrence in locksmithing)

Law of Probability
The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

Law of Random Numbers
If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal and someone always answers.

Law of the Alibi
If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire.

Variation Law
If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will always move faster than the one you are in now (works every time).

Law of the Bath
When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.

Law of the Result
When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.

Law of Biomechanics
The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.

Law of the Theater
At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last.

The Starbucks Law
As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.

Murphy's Law of Lockers
If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.

Law of Physical Surfaces
The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet/rug.

Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.

Brown's Law of Physical Appearance
If the shoe fits, it's ugly.

Oliver's Law of Public Speaking
A closed mouth gathers no feet.

Wilson's Law of Commercial Marketing Strategy
As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it, or improve it.

A Nice Surprise

While I was cleaning out and reorganizing my craft chest, I found my dear old friend, Chico......Chico was given to me when I was 3 while I was re cooperating
from surgery at the Balboa Naval Hospital...I was born with a heart vessel defect called Patent ductus arteriosus

the doctors waited as long as they could before operating, at that time, in 1954, it was a risky operation..I was one of the few children that survived at the time and one of the first for that hospital........the other older child had the same surgery at the same time, and she passed away......now the operation is rather common.

I was a very sick little girl....had no energy, and usually just watched the other children play before the surgery...after I was a little firecracker.
I remember the hospital, my bed, and the nice Navy corpsman who would bring me sweets and one gave me this little monkey to keep me company....I loved Chico, he kept me company through loneliness, I remember crying as they wouldn't let Mama stay...I took him every where with me after I left the hospital......

I especially love his sweet little feet!

Do you have a cherished childhood toy or doll? Love to hear your story.....

Newletters

I get several newsletters every month and this month, got a one I just have to tell you about...I don't know about you, but I like to craft something special for the holidays every year and usually make my own cards..the ones for friends and family........Vintage Image Craft.com has come out with a ebook of vintage Christmas cards with the images and directions on how to make 10 unique cards that I guarantee will wow your loved ones..most of them are made with things you probably already have...its an immediate download too so you will have plenty of time to get them finished..
Scott and Martin are the clever people who are behind this site ....please check the site out and sign up for their newsletter....lots of free ideas, images and inspiration..and no, I do not get any compensation for mentioning them...I just like to share when I find something so terrific....here is a photo of one of their easier and fun ideas.....

The directions to make these candles is on the site, under Christmas and the images are free for the taking...these would be fun to do with children ..when our boys were little, I always included them in baking and crafting.
I ordered the ebook last night and am looking forward to working on the cards...have to pull together my paper crafting stuff....the little chest of drawers I keep everything in is in chaos right now......!!
Another newsletter I get, twice a month is HillBilly Housewife...Susanne is the owner and the goal is low cost, home cooking from scratch..everyone is trying to save $ ...there are not only food recipes but recipes for other necessities like laundry soap and ideas to save in all areas of the house.....readers send in recipes and ideas that have worked for them too.....the newsletter is free..there are emergency menus starting at $45 a week, bread machine recipes, homemade convenience foods, etc.

I really don't think things in the country are going to get better any time soon...despite what some of the news stations report....so its going to pay us in the long run to be frugal. When times are good, squirrel away for the lean times......personally, our income fluctuates quite a bit from month to month, depending on how busy we are.......I am learning to live with this type of income...can't say I've mastered it yet......for over 25 years we had a good income and probably splurged more than we should have at times.....like most people...now I am having to learn to use everything and not waste as much....and deeply appreciate everything we do get......
Living now like my parents and grandparents did...no charging, saving for what we want and knowing the difference between wants and needs........
now..
I have a few prayer requests......please pray for the health of my dear friends husband, Joseph..he had to go to the ER yesterday afternoon with severe heart pain.....just terrible pain..turns out he has a very tiny blood vessel blockage and will be treated with medication. His EKG came back ok..and is feeling a little better this morning.....
also we will be trying a loan modification on our house......please pray we can keep it.....our lender called us with the idea so we thought we'd try.......our loan adjusts in January, yikes!

Wednesday Dog of the Week

The rescue has dogs of all ages....and Whiskey is a senior at 11 years old....he is a miniature smooth haired dachshund...his owner could no longer take care of him as they were going into a nursing home...he was a little nervous having his photo taken but really needs a loving home to live out his days...he still has alot of spunk and would make a good companion.
This Saturday adoption fees will be reduced by $50! They are having a special day....having a huge sale of dog related to thrift shop items..everything must go.......you can find out more about the rescue, adoption, and the sale at Sun City K9 Rescue



I posted yesterday that we were going on a road trip...we went up to Beaumont, Ca...its north east of us by about 40 miles......pretty foothills close to the San Bearnadino Mountains....it was a tract house.....rather nice but way too big for my taste.......tons of locks and it took us longer than we thought...this was the view from the end of the street.....odd to me that this house was so new and in foreclosure when just two blocks over, they had models and building going on.....in the same housing tract...why buy a new house and pay full price when you could go over a block or two and get the same for so much cheaper? Odd to say the least...sign of the times, I guess.


I am getting the dining room ready for Thanksgiving.......haven't found the faux turkey yet but everything else.....we will put the leaf in the table when the time comes..so much to be thankful for........to my new readers, the china cabinet that you see was built by my talented husband...the grandfather clock was my mom's...we've been thinking we need to paint again as its been 5 years and starting to show a little wear......I am pushing for a warmer color, not just white.......perhaps a soft sage green, mustard yellow. or a sandy color....Alan is the painter and very conservative.
If I can't talk him into a different color, maybe a different white as there are many...

We watched the election coverage last night....very interesting and encouraging...now I hope the Republicans that were elected, remember that they are the servants and their employers are watching...I hope and pray that God will keep them safe from temptation and hold themselves accountable.

Tuesday

Just a note for now..we are going to some jobs today and I hope to snap some nice photos......
how do you like the new blog background? I saw it and couldn't resist... think its so pretty....
yesterday, I spent the day, taking down the few Halloween things we had up....changing to Thanksgiving...I have several Piligrim statues and have a turkey one somewhere (haven't found it yet), put fall placemats on the dining room table...and spruced things up.....getting ready for the holiday season.....
I also listed a few more things in my Inspiration shop....I washed this old Santa apron and asked our neighbors 15 year old daughter to be a model...she was so excited and cute trying different model poses...

The apron's cute too...

Halloween was fun....we had quite a few Trick or Treaters..and had to close the door a little after 8:30 as we ran out of candy.....mostly little ones and only a few of the big kids....mainly ones who were taking their siblings out and decided to dress up.....our cats were not a little upset with the door bell ringing constantly and hid.....we watched Johnny Depp in the latest Pirates movie, Worlds End....we bought it when it came out on DVD but hadn't seen it.....

I was reading about what type of health insurance our elected officials in Washington have...they pay $503 a year, total cost and get immediate help whenever they are feeling sick..no waiting but an entire team of doctors, nurses, and technicians at their beck and call...I get the feeling they have forgotten who they are ....they are OUR employees. I could say alot more but I think you get the idea.....