Doggie love to open her gifts......

She starts ripping....


She's almost got it!


Success!!!!

(Excuse the vacume cleaner, someone forgot it was time to take it upstairs!)

Happy New Year! Hugs, michelle

Have the Best Christmas Ever!

Just a little post to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! I cant' wait to see my kids open all the gifts I was able to buy them, thanks to my husband working so hard all year! I have been having fun listening to my little girl, Angela, having fun exchanging gifts and fun with her little friends. She is such a sweet, thoughtful girl. Always thinking of someone else, helping me through this Christmas Season, by wrapping most of my gifts, helping with some of the baking, helping me with a few of my crafted gifts, selling bake goods at our craft show, so many things! She is a doll! She has had the worst last few weeks though, she fell and hurt her wrist (in the home), then her croup has been acting up something terrible, not sleeping, then the poor thing was going to school yesterday, with her teachers gifts of large coffee mugs and hand made coasters in her bag, and she fell on the ice, and the mugs came up and hit the poor thing in the back of her head!!! I felt so badly for her. She went to school, but I called the school nurse to please keep a check on her, and she did. I ended up going and giving her Tylenol for her slight headache, and then she was fine. My heart broke for her when she came into the house crying, she was having such a morning! Anyway, back to the holiday. I baked my butt off this week, cooked it off today too! LOL! Got some things ready for tomorow nite, a friend is coming over and we are exchanging gifts. Then I am going to kick her out early, get the younger kids to bed, and play Santa Claus! I can't wait! I can't wait to cook my dinner on Christmas day. We are so blessed to be able to have a big dinner, and there are so many that I personally know that will not be so blessed. I wish I could invite them all over for dinner! Wouldn't that be nice? It will be a nice holiday, because my husband will be home till Jan. 3, and the kids will be home till the 4th. I am hoping to be able to do a few fun things this year, since he will be here to take us! Nicholas is patiently waiting to see if he is getting the D-Rex he asked for, and a few other things. He is not even getting any toys out to play with because he does not want Santa to see a mess in the house! He's a sweetie! Last nite my older son's girlfriend brought gifts over. She got the kids some cute things, and she got me a set of 88 gel pens! She loves my handmade things, and she noticed I did not have gel pens, so she got me them. She is a cute girl, and a really nice one, too. I have to remind my son to be nice to her, sometimes he is a bit miserable with her, and I told him not to start out that way. Be nice, listen to her, don't blame her for things her parents do, she might be 18 but she still lives there and must repect them. My older daughter will be here with her boyfriend on Christmas Day. We will visit my mother tomorow, Christmas Eve.

Have a Blessed and Happy Holiday, and I hope you all can visit with friends , family. I hope you can all stop and say a prayer for those less fortunate, or those who are unhappy or dont' seem to want to celebrate such a wonderful time of year, that they may find some kind of comfort in the Christmas Season, and the celebration of the Birth of our Lord, Jesus.....he is the reason for this Season! Hugs, to all! Michelle

Some things to share....

These are just some pics of some large tags and a couple tag boxes I made with Whimsie Doodle digital images. I really hate to use them on gifts because I don't want anyone to throw them away! They took me some time! LOL! Anyway, Aren't those digital's so cute! I enjoyed coloring them, even thought I don't really like to color! I try to stay away from it! I am going to put some Avon products in the little boxes to give to some people that I don't usually buy gifts for. Maybe I'll get a couple new customers! The large scallop tags were made from the Big Shot, and Sizzix dies. I used the large scallop die (Bigz)and cut it out so that it would be like a card, and used the circle, (bigz die) for the middle. I used a Cuttlebug die for the snowflakes. For the shaped tags, (bells, stockings) those too are Sizzix dies. I also positioned the die so I would get the card affect. Fun!

On to some more things I have been working on.





These are some quilted coasters I found directions for somewhere on the internet, I will find the link and post it later. They are pretty quick and easy. My daughter helped make some for some of her teachers. We are going to put a coaster in a coffee mug, with some hot chocolate mix in each one. We don't know if they like coffee or not! The others are some cute emboidered ornaments made from Wild Olive's patterns. I got the finishing idea from visiting Pip Stitch (on my sidebar). I need to made 21 for my son's class. I better get busy!

Well, that's it for today. I really have to get to the store today, but not sure if I will. It is supposed to snow today! I dont' drive in it! I almost went out this past Sunday, I was going to take my mom shopping for a little. It was supposed to freezin drizzle very early, then change to all rain. Well, around 9:50 I was getting ready to leave. It was raining pretty good, but I was ok with the rain. My son called from his gf's house where he'd spent the nite from all nite bowling, and said to my husband "Hey did you hear all the interstates and major roadways are closed?". My husband was surprised and of course asked why, and he proceeded to tellus we are in the middle of a major ice storm! We looked out, and sure enough the streets where a sheet of ice, the sidewalks, my flag was stiff with ice, and my car was covered in ice! We had no idea! Turned on the t.v., you should have seen the mayhem! It came as a surprise, like one second the road was wet, the next it was all ice, and people were driving like it was wet only, and suddenly they started to collide with one another, go off roads, cars were piling up, it was just a mess! Sadly, a 22 year old girl, a vet assistant on her way to work for a pet emergency, was killed in the ice storm, when she unexpectedly hit the icy roads, when off the road, over an embankment, and was killed. How sad.....Fortunatley that was the only fatality, some minor injuries, but lot's and lot's of fender benders, and damgage to property from cars carreening into yards and things. The Pa. turnpike was littered with car parts, my husband said, as he was driving to Ohio, later that day! So glad I was not out in it. I would have never drove again! I freak when there is a flurry, let alone ice!!!! Especially here, in all the hills we have around here! I am not far from the Laurel Mountains, about 45 minutes, so we are pretty hilly!!! I live in a valley, and you can't get into my town without some major hills to tackle!

Anyway, off to embroider and get lunches packed! Hugs to all! Michelle

A little peek of decorations in my home....

I'm just posting a few pics of my decorations I put up today. (click on pics to make them bigger) I have made most of my decorations over the years. I painted the Christmas balls,the light bulb ornaments, the bucket under the little Christmas Tree, and the candy canes on the little tree, and the large canes hanging on the step railing. I also made the rag lighted garland on the little tree, as well as the stacked box snoman. All the ornaments on the garland, I made the plastic canvas train on the coffee table, which is an antique from my gramma. I made that train probably 20 years ago! A friend and I were seeing how long it would take us to each make one. I won! It took me two weeks, and took her three! I have not done that kind of craft for years, but I really love that train, and my kids always love it too. It does not go with my other decorations, but it will always come out, each year! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my little peek at my decorations. There will be more soon. Merry CHRISTmas to you all! Hugs, michelle

Is it really the 7th of December?

I cannot beleive it! I finally got hubby to get my decorations out of the basement cubby yesterday before he left for Ohio. I am hoping to get my steps decorated at least today, that is always a hard job! I would like to get alot of the stuff up, but we'll see. I have to go to Wal-mart to pick up a gift for my little guy today, and get myself back home. It's going to snow! I do not drive in snow, at all. I get so upset when I am out and it starts to even flurry. I just can't do it! Anyway, here area a couple things I got done last week. They are tealite holders I made from a tutorial at SplitCoast Stampers. I made a bunch, that I plan on giving the girls at the bank that put up with me and my P.T.O. treasurer duties! The last time I was over there, I have probably 7 deposits to make, which of course, have to be made seperately so that I have a slip for each transaction I do, so I can have the record, and so the accountant can have the record also. I can't wait till he see's my book! I know it is a disaster! Anyway, here are one of the tealite holder.
I thought I had another picture of another tealite holder saved, but I must have somehow deleted it! I only have one to share today! I used my BigKick to emboss the cardstock, I used my oval nesties to make the openings, and the image is a Whimsie Doodle Digital stamp! I have not had any time to get out my rubber stamps lately, but I had these printed out and colored them while watching t.v. one nite. I am not the best colorer, I know that is not a word! But I like the tealite holders, I think they are cute gifts! I'll be back hopefully later with some pics of decorating! I' hope! Hugs, michelle

The kids....

Finally got them all in one room! Back row, Angela, David, Tara, and in the front row, Nicholas,all my kids. The other two boys are my nephews Victor (left), and Alan (right) those are my brother's boys. I am making this short, I'm not feeling well today. Not sure if I ate too much yesterday, or I am getting what others have had around me! Had a nice day yesterday, how about you? I will stop in tomorow with some crafts I have done this week! Hugs, michelle

Gingerbreads all over the place!

Good morning! Are you all getting ready for Thanksgiving? Are you having dinner at your house? I am. My brother and sister in law and thier two boys will be here with us this year! I'm so glad they are coming! Not sure if my oldest daughter will be here or not, she has issues.....believe me! Nicholas has another cold, poor little guy, and the other two are just fine! Anyway, the gingerbreads! I wanted to share with you my ginger breads I have in my kitchen. Make sure you click on the pics to make them bigger! I made most of them. Let me take you thru the pics. The top one is my corner in my kitchen breakfast nook. I made the little stuffed dolls, I sewed them by hand a while back. I painted the old coffee cup and the hearts I sewed, and the ginger is made of Faster Plaster (anyone remember that stuff?). I used a rice krispes treat mold to make it, then painted it. The candle holder I made too, just a jar with the heart taped off with contact paper, painted, then antiqued. The little dangly leg ginger is a gift, and the plushie is also a gift.

Then next one is a little old chest my husbands grampa made from old crates many, many years ago. I have on this an old lunchbox I painted one time, a little coffe pot I painted, a jar candle holder I made, and little "smooshie" pillow I made, courtesy of Lollychops pattern(visit Lolly from my sidebar!) The candle holder (the gingerbread one laying down)is rom Yankee, and the stuffed ginger is a gift from a good friend. If you squeeze his hand he plays Christmas music, but it's really loud! The raisin candle is from Home Interiors, which is not called that anymore, I forget what it is now.

The next is a shelf above my kitchen nook table. I painted the muffin tin, and the little round face at the bottom, that's a candy tin, and there is a little guy peeking from behind the tea set, that is a wooden one we cut out a while back and I painted him, he's hard to see, I will take a pic of him later, he is really cute! The tea set is a gift from my mom. And there is a recylced jar candle holder I made.










One more. This is just the things hanging from the shelf. I made the two wooden gingers hanging there, and the Welcome star with the berries was bought at at craft show a while back. I was kinda mad about this particular thing, though, because I bought it and a little spindley tree with berries and bows, and something else, can't remember. Anyway, when I got the star home, there was a sticker on the back that said "made in china". I thought it was handmade!!!!! That was the first time I realized that people dont' always make what they sell. They sell things from china at a craft show. I am more careful now. I like it, that is the only reason it is used, but I look at it and get mad about it sometimes! Anyway, those are my kitchen things. There is more, but that's all I have time for today! Take care, have a safe and Happy Thanks giving, whatever you do! Hugs, michelle