Simply Me

Another cute giveaway on mycakies

2011-08-01T20:07:00.002-04:00

Click here for another great giveaway.

Cute giveaway at mycakies blog

2011-08-01T20:04:00.002-04:00

Click here for a cute giveaway.

Jewelry giveaway

2011-07-14T20:24:00.000-04:00

I found some cool giveaway with handmade jewelry giveaway,click here:
Moonstone Shop

Favor requested....

2011-06-18T17:18:00.002-04:00

Hi.I know there are not many people that read my little blog since I don't post very much,but I have a request for those of you that do read.My daughter has just entered a writing contest and is trying to win the prize of $1,000 so she can buy herself a wacom drawing tablet since she really loves drawing and would love to do art on the computer,so this would allow her to do what she loves.I think her story is awesome,of course,so I hope you will click on it and read it and vote for hers....I think you have to heart it and the ten stories with the most hearts will be the finalists for the prize.Please read her story when you can and vote for hers of you like it....she would be thrilled and appreciative since this is her first writing contest that she has entered into.You can click on the title of her story,Vignis here to read it and vote for her.Thanks from Fatima and myself,of course.She's so excited about having a chance to win!Ok,I just found out that you need to make an account to log in and vote,so I hope you can quickly make an account to vote for her and if you can,we'd be thrilled to have you spread the word,thanks!

Homeschool books we are reading...

2011-06-09T20:53:00.000-04:00

Here are some of the books my girls have been reading in place of textbooks.As you can see,most of the books are actually by National Geographic and I think they are wonderful.We got them all from our library.I know I usually find great books by looking at other homeschool blogs so if you have posted some books that your children read,please leave a link to your blog in the comments section,thanks!

Homemade poptarts

2011-06-09T20:12:00.002-04:00

Ok,you will have to excuse the bad photos since I don't have much light in my kitchen and my family was in a mad rush to try them,but luckily I got a photo in before they grabbed them all.Let me say,they may not look pretty,but tasted just like a poptart and were so flaky!We used some local strawberry jam for the filling for half of them and the other half had a cinnamon filling and everybody in my family thought they were great and keep requesting I make more.The recipe can be found here at Smitten Kitchen.I made the frosting with powdered sugar and milk until I got the consistency I liked.

Blythe items giveaway....

2011-06-04T20:20:00.002-04:00

Click here for a super cute giveaway for blythe items. :)

Diddl giveaway....

2011-05-31T20:42:00.000-04:00

Follow the link below to enter a great Diddl giveaway...
Diddl Giveaway

New blog look...

2011-05-29T22:31:00.000-04:00

As you may have noticed,my fabulous middle daughter has made me a new blogger background and banner.I think it may be the last one she makes me as she says it was time consuming and I was a little too picky after all the work she did and I requested a few simple changes. :) Now I just need to get the motivation to start posting.I have been busy with homeschooling,cleaning house,cooking and of course my bil recently moved in,so I've been very tired.I have been working on our 2011 letters blog,which has been quite successful.We're going on 200 letters soon and it's been really fun learning about different people and places.

Homeschooling has definitely been a learning experience since this is our second round after five years of public schools.After skimming through the Teenage Liberation Handbook,I've decided to dump all textbooks and go for books that go more in detail of what we are learning,like real life stories,etc.Textbooks are so dull and boring and the kids usually forget what they read since they are reading it b/c I say so and that's not right,they should be reading to want to learn something.

I have gotten some great books at our library recently and will take a picture of them since I think the are really great.I also found some great books at a "book sale" a homeschooling family was having.They started homeschooling twenty years ago and was finally getting rid of some books.Some they were keeping b/c their grandkids are being homeschooled,too. :) I will try to take some pictures soon to share what great books we found.I know I always love book recommendations,so I would love to share with you all,too.

Beautiful blythe doll clothes

2011-04-15T09:27:00.001-04:00

I just found this etsy shop called Pistachio Libby with gorgeous blythe doll clothes and had to share it with all of you.My youngest daughter has a small collection of blythe dolls and she loves the dresses this etsy shop has.You have to see her Marie Antoinette costume...simply stunning!Libby is an amazing seamstress!If you are looking for blythe doll clothes...check her out,her prices are very reasonable,too. :) Here is the link to her store: Pistachio Libby. Look below at some of the clothes she has made,these are just three of my favorites,there are too many more,so you will have to see for yourself.Also be sure to look at her past sales,so you can see just how great her dresses are.She is currently working on the spring season clothing and at her prices,you can afford to buy your dolls an entire season's worth of clothes without going into debt. ;) Just look at these dresses below,aren't they beautiful!?

Crafty giveaway...

2011-03-14T19:16:00.000-04:00

Follow the link to win some crafty items...books and craft goodies.Click here to enter.

Please join our letter project...

2011-01-01T13:08:00.003-05:00

Happy to new to you all.I hope everybody had a safe and fun new year's eve/day.My daughters and I have started a new project to try to get 2011 letters this year from all over the world.Don't miss out on being a part of something so fun.We have already had people sign up to send letters.We are accepting letters from people of all ages,so don't worry if you think your handwriting isn't so good,we want to hear from you.Please take a look at our blog for details:

2011 letters

We hope you'll want to take part in our project which will help us achieve one of our new year's goals.We hope to hear from you soon!

Grab our button there to the left.

Book giveaway...

2010-12-28T09:42:00.002-05:00

Lost on Spirit River book giveaway going on at the Children's Book Review website.Click here.

If you love book giveaways,read on...

2010-12-26T15:17:00.001-05:00

Here we go,this book is called Modern Fairies,Dwarves,Goblins and other Nasties.Here is the link.

Another book giveaway

2010-12-26T13:57:00.000-05:00

The book is called Show me How...go here to enter.

Ivy & Bean book giveaway

2010-12-22T10:05:00.001-05:00

Here's the link to the giveaway: Ivy & Bean

Book giveaway...

2010-12-22T09:58:00.001-05:00

Go here for your chance to win a great book: Children's book review

Great books giveaway.

2010-12-09T06:27:00.000-05:00

Visit this lovely website!

Cool headband giveaway

2010-11-22T09:47:00.001-05:00

Found here at Cakies blog. I hope I can win this giveaway.... it looks like it came from the Anthropology store. :)

Another book giveaway....

2010-11-12T07:22:00.000-05:00

The book is called Saraswati's Way.Good luck!

Great hoodie giveaway....

2010-11-10T13:59:00.001-05:00

My daughter just found this great hoodie giveaway that ends tomorrow.Click here to enter.Good luck!

Want to see a view of my city

2010-11-02T08:53:00.004-04:00

Here is a view of Roanoke Valley....I'm quite sure where I live is not in view, but oh well,you can still see a pretty nice view of the city from Mill Mountain.

Lost Lagoon Book giveaway

2010-11-02T08:32:00.001-04:00

This is a children's book,contest can be found here. Good luck!

Check out Gifted Magazine

2010-11-02T08:19:00.003-04:00

This is a brand new online magazine I just found out about & I am LOVING it! It's amazing.I especially love that one of my fave bloggers is featured in the magazine....with a recipe! Check it out,you will love it!

Gifted Magazine

Book giveaway...

2010-10-30T20:32:00.000-04:00

Here's another book giveaway going on here:

http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2010/10/the-lost-lagoon-by-reg-down.html#more-8027

Things I am loving today...

2010-10-12T19:07:00.003-04:00

Here are some things that I am in love with today...

A fab kitchen calendar poster

Another kitchen must have

Frankie's diary... love it! ( I would love to get the 2 cookbooks,too!)

Brooklyn Diary - got it in today & love it!

Anthology magazine - can't wait to see this one!

Sweet Paul online magazine - oh,how I wish this was on paper....lovely!

Lovely ring

Pretty dress

Postcrossing- we love to get and send postcards.... we are a homeschooling family & our goal is to get postcards from every country

I want this stuffed sewing machine so badly!

Also,if you don't mind,could you visit my daughter's blogs there to your left & say hi. They have just made their own blogs and would love to get some comments.Thanks! :)

Another great French book giveaway!

2010-10-10T15:28:00.001-04:00

http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2010/09/giveaway-il-etait-une-fois-une-maison.html

Here is the author's website so you can read more about her....she is quite interesting. :)

www.dulcerodrigues.info

Win a children's book written in French.

2010-10-10T15:22:00.000-04:00

http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2010/09/giveaway-le-theatre-des-animaux.html

Book giveaway...

2010-09-26T17:18:00.001-04:00

Hello everybody!

Here's another great giveaway for a children's book:

http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2010/09/guardians-of-gahoole-kathryn-lasky-legend-of-guardians.html

Found another giveaway...

2010-09-01T22:14:00.000-04:00

Here you go...this one is huge! :)

http://bearypixie.blogspot.com/2010/08/craft-room-de-stash-giveaway.html

Rip the page book giveaway...

2010-08-29T14:28:00.000-04:00

Go here to enter. :)

http://blog.imaginechildhood.com/imagine-childhood/2010/08/tell-me-a-story-rip-the-page.html#comment-6a0120a765554d970b0133f3663846970b

Alice in wonderland book giveaway

2010-07-11T16:50:00.000-04:00

Enter here:

http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2010/06/giveaway-alice-in-verse-the-lost-rhymes-of-wonderland.html#respond

Book giveaway...

2010-07-05T18:40:00.000-04:00

http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2010/06/giveaway-alice-in-verse-the-lost-rhymes-of-wonderland.html#respond

Last days for this giveaway....

2010-06-26T08:56:00.002-04:00

Time's almost up for the princess book giveaway,enter here:

http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2010/06/giveaway-the-secret-lives-of-princesses.html#respond

Beautiful star giveaway...

2010-06-24T08:59:00.001-04:00

Here is the link to win your choice of a beautiful hanging star...

http://thedillspiel.blogspot.com/2010/06/if-it-were-me.html

Handmade doll giveaway

2010-06-24T07:53:00.002-04:00

Here is a giveaway for the most precious handmade doll... I really hope I win it ;)

http://nathaliebearden.com/blog/?p=606

Another book giveaway

2010-06-21T08:15:00.001-04:00

http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2010/06/giveaway-the-secret-lives-of-princesses.html

Book giveaway...3 books available

2010-06-21T08:11:00.001-04:00

Found here:

http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2010/06/giveaway-alice-in-verse-the-lost-rhymes-of-wonderland.html#more-6654

Amazing giveaway! Ends soon!

2010-06-17T08:24:00.001-04:00

http://emjayandme.blogspot.com/

Another giveaway going on....

2010-06-14T18:13:00.001-04:00

Here you go-

http://alexandraraedesign.blogspot.com/2010/06/giveaway.html

Book giveaways

2010-06-10T06:19:00.001-04:00

There are just so many great giveaways out in blogland! :)

http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2010/06/giveaway-the-prometheus-project—books-one-two.html/comment-page-1#comment-4079

Another great giveaway going on....

2010-06-09T14:19:00.001-04:00

Have fun entering!

http://apronthriftgirl.typepad.com/apron_thrift_girl/2010/06/once-upon-a-time.html

Win a lovely camera strap

2010-06-04T09:38:00.001-04:00

This camera strap is so awesome!!!!

http://walkslowlylivewildly.com/2010/06/03/emily-falconbridge-camera-strap-giveaway/

Win a bag of 32 goodies!

2010-05-26T16:00:00.001-04:00

Here ya go: http://inspiredmess.blogspot.com/2010/05/you-could-win-32-of-my-favorite-things.html

My fave etsy sellers

2010-05-24T10:21:00.002-04:00

Check them out,they are great & have great items! :)

Updating

2010-05-24T10:18:00.001-04:00

Hi.I just went through my list of my fave blogs and deleted those that are no longer active or no longer interests me and added my faves that I visit quite often.I hope you enjoy these blogs as much as I do. :)

Woohoo! another giveaway...

2010-05-22T08:03:00.001-04:00

go here to win a flower garland from one of my MOST favorite bloggers ever-

http://lovelybym.blogspot.com/2010/05/giveaway_19.html

Here's another giveaway :)

2010-05-19T14:16:00.001-04:00

This is a great giveaway for those of us that love to write to penpals. :) Go here-

http://bearypixie.blogspot.com/2010/05/huge-giveaway.html

Here's a pic of the 1st place prize:

Giveaway

2010-05-11T14:43:00.001-04:00

If you're like me and love giveaways,well,I have found another one for you here- http://lovelybud.typepad.com/lovely-bud/2010/05/my-entry.html

Make sure you sign up for her google connect to be entered and good luck! :)

DeeDee is having another giveaway....

2010-05-01T08:18:00.001-04:00

Go here for a chance to win a cute kids shirt:

http://www.whateverdeedeewants.com/2010/04/giveaway-juice-kids-haute-couture.html

Here's another giveaway going on....

2010-04-29T09:25:00.001-04:00

Go here for the chance to win a great purse:

http://postgradhaircut.blogspot.com/2010/04/giveaway-sam-made.html

Earth day giveaway...

2010-04-23T09:45:00.000-04:00

Here's the link to a sweet little giveaway...

http://www.sweetjessie.com/2010/04/earth-day-giveaway.html

Another great giveaway...oh my! :)

2010-04-21T14:11:00.001-04:00

Here ya go:

http://racheldenbow.blogspot.com/2010/04/lisa-leonard-giveaway.html

Another great giveaway...follow the yellow brick road :)

2010-04-21T14:04:00.001-04:00

Go here & good luck! :) You gotta visit to find out what it is. :)

http://healinghillary.typepad.com/healing-hillary/2010/04/giveaway-snackbags.html#comment-6a0115712bdf77970c013480085082970c

Giveaway-Magpie Lovely

2010-04-06T14:24:00.000-04:00

Here's the link to DeeDee's giveaway:

http://www.whateverdeedeewants.com/2010/04/giveaway-magpie-lovely.html

Need a blog makeover?

2010-04-05T19:14:00.001-04:00

Go here to try to win a great blog makeover-

http://www.whateverdeedeewants.com/

I know I could use this as I have never figured out how to make my own banner. :(

Another great giveaway...

2010-03-31T12:55:00.002-04:00

Beautiful necklace giveaway here...

http://lolasgirl.blogspot.com/2010/03/with-gratitude.html

Woohoo...yet another giveaway...

2010-03-29T09:10:00.002-04:00

Go here-

http://www.prudentbaby.com/2010/03/giveaway-easy-quilt-projects.html

She's giving away an easy quilt projects book....ends on March 31st,so hurry over. :)

Another great giveaway at oh hello friend...

2010-03-22T16:40:00.001-04:00

Go here http://ohhellofriend.blogspot.com/ to win a gift certificate for some beatiful bags...don't miss out on this great giveaway! :)

Free sandals giveaway...follow the link

2010-03-22T15:13:00.002-04:00

Check out this great blog to enter for some lovely sandals that I would love to win.

http://www.whateverdeedeewants.com/ Momma needs a new pair of sandals. :) Good luck to all who enter! :)

Giveaway at my fave blog... cakies!

2010-03-14T09:31:00.002-04:00

You must check out this blog.....first of all I visit every single day b/c it's filled with the beauty of her family life. But as of right now she's having a fabulous giveaway going on that you don't want to miss, here's the link http://mycakies.blogspot.com/ You can thank me later if you win. :)

Giveaway at Grosgrain

2009-11-10T10:12:00.002-05:00

Visit Grosgrain Blog here to enter a giveaway for 2 fabulous girls dress patterns. They are so pretty. I have always loved this blog with all the beautiful dresses/costumes...wish I was a little girl again so I could wear all those pretties.Good luck to those who go & enter! :)

I'm Moving to Virginia!!!!

2009-05-18T09:37:00.004-04:00

If anybody has followed my blog,you know that we have been trying to sell our home here in Michigan.Well,it still hasn't sold after over 2 years up on the market.Things are really bad up here,foreclosures in my city keep popping up & we can't compete with those prices,so we have decided to leave and move with my husband in Virginia.I'm so excited to be back with him,it's been too long that we have been separated.I'm moving in 4 weeks so I have been busy with my school finishing up & having to prepare for the move.My in-laws (whom I have never met in our 14 yrs. of marriage) are coming to Viriginia this Wednesday & my husband will probably bring them up here this weekend to stay a week with all of us,so it's pretty hectic here.I'm hoping to start blogging more by July & revamp this blog after reading up more about what I can do and how since I'm new at all this computer stuff.I hope I'll have some visitors when I start blogging again.I'll also update my blogroll & maybe I'll have some giveaways later on.But for now,this will probbaly be my last post for a while.Bye!

Looking for something to do?

2009-01-25T06:35:00.009-05:00

Well, you've come to the right place!

First off, if you have little kids, you may want to check out this super blog about creating a writer's workshop for kids and other great learning ideas.It's called The Write Start. I wish my girls were little again so I could do all of these wondeful activities with them.I guess I'll just have to look for some blogs featuring teen writing centers.

Next is a healthy treat that is so easy to do (but very, very sticky).I had my 10 year old daughter make them all by herself & they were so good.Even my picky 14 year old ate them. ( I didn't tell her they had flaxseed in them...shame on me) ;) We didn't have nuts or dried fruit but we'll get some next time b/c they are so easy to make & are great to pack in lunches & wonderful to pack along on those long outings.Here is the recipe courtesy of Wondertime. P.S.-Both of these great things were posted on Jill's blog who always has something wonderful to post about! :)

Powerball Cookies

These wholesome little snacks are simple to make and rival cookie dough eaten right out of the bowl (not that we'd do that). The easiest way to make them is to combine all the ingredients in a stand mixer, but the fun way is to push up your kid's sleeves and let her mush it all by hand.
Makes 40-48 cookies
Mix together 1 cup peanut butter and 1 cup honey until smooth. Gradually add in 3 cups old fashioned oats and 1/2 cup ground flaxseed. Add 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup any combination of nuts and soft dried fruit(try 1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanuts and 1/4 cup each of raisins and dried cranberries) and mix gently in your stand mixer or smush together by hand.
Roll into Ping-Pong-size balls and, for maximum presentation value, put in paper mini muffin cups. You can eat them right away, but they'll be less sticky after a night in the fridge. They freeze well too, layered on wax

Well, there's another blogger who just announced she's prego, so if you haven't already, please stop by Emily's blog to congratulate her.She is such a cool mom, her new baby will have lots of fun.Wonder if she'll have another girl?

Do you love garlands as much as I do?How about wreaths?Well, then you need to check out this blog that has some pics and tutorials so that we can all make these beautiful, yet easy acessories for our homes.I'm going to make some garlands for my daughter's party...but which ones?Decisions,decisions. :) Just check out GaGa for Garlands for some wonderful inspiration.

Ok, be prepared to fall in love with Laurie's elegant, yet simple creations.I personally love the "natural bling" especially with all the snow outside.It would be so beautiful to hang indoors maybe by some candles.I can also picture them hanging in the backyard for a springtime picnic.I am so going to make some of these one day. :) I also love her tulle poofs.Isn't amazing just how great tulle is all by itslef?!You'll see that she has so many beautiful things to keep you busy.I can't wait to get started on these activities.I think the girls & I will have lots of little parties of our own pretty soon. :)

Help President Obama meet the Nation's Challenges. I would do a bazillion hours of community service if they would help pay my college tuition. ;) This is also a great educational website for children to check out with facts and fun.Pretty cool, I think.

How about making some paint chip bookmarks? How About Orange shows you how to turn those paint chip pieces into something other than trash. :) I know they have disney color paints so you could make some for little girls & put on some princess stickers,etc. I think one day stores like Home Depot will not let people take free samples once they find out what people can do with them. :)

I hope you have found some really fun stuff to do either alone or with your family.If you have something you'd like to share on my blog, please do so.Have a great Sunday!

16 Random Facts...

2009-01-23T10:45:00.002-05:00

I saw this on one of my fave blogs- Lobster & Swan , which I highly suggest you check out for the utmost beautiful photography ever! I wish I could visit her in person. Anyways, she's posting 16 random facts about herself,so I thought I should post mine,too.I don't think I've had such an interesting life (besides my family,of course), so here goes...

1. I'm 31 years old.
2.I'm a freshman studying International Affairs.
3.I've been married 14 years to a wonderful man from Bangladesh.
4.I've never met my in-laws (could be happening this year,but not
holding my breath since they haven't come before.
5.I get really scared when we have to use computers at school b/c all I
know how to do on computers is get on the internet to read blogs &
comment. :)
6. I was born & raised in Louisiana.
7. We moved to Michigan in 1999.
8. I have 3 girls..one in elementary school,1 in middle school & 1 in high
school.
9.I would love to have more kids.
10. I homeschooled for 5 years and miss it.
11. I would like to become a professor one day.
12.My favorite stores are Home Goods,Marshalls,Anthroplogie,Forever
21, & JCrew.
13. I used to do counted cross stitching as a teen.
14. I own a hello kitty sewing machine that I have never used.
15. I hate fish but I eat tuna fish from a can,go figure. ;)
16.I have pierced ears.

Please feel free to share some facts about yourself. :)

Visit a new "blob"

2009-01-17T13:05:00.003-05:00

Please take a moment to visit this little girls "blob". She posts pics that she draws of dogs & she's really good at it. She really likes getting comments as she just started her "blob" as she calls it, which she wanted her own after seeing her mom do hers. :) If you know of any other kids blogs, please let me know so I can link to them, thanks!

Another giveaway going on....

2009-01-17T12:44:00.002-05:00

Follow this link to visit DeeDee to see her cute giveaway that I hope I win & see her cute little baby boy. DeeDee has great taste!I was her swap partner a while back & she sent the cutest things that my daughters and I gush over all the time!She has such a happy little family so stop by and enter for a chance to win....you'll have to visit her blog to see what she's giving away!Also,please stop and say hi & let me know if you enjoy my posts & if you like the links to the giveaways. Thanks!

A great winter recipe

2009-01-14T12:30:00.002-05:00

I just had to share this with you all since it's the perfect weather for soup, visit Jill's blog for a great minstrone recipe that I do hope to make soon, but don't want to drive to my produce store to get the ingredients with all the snow we are getting. Jill has some amazing recipes but also some sad pictures she shared with us of their farm out in Washington. Scroll down for a delicious baby pic...who doesn't want to picnh those cheeks?!

Fun things to do during these cold days....

2009-01-14T11:10:00.004-05:00

Here at Emily's blog she has a 52Q challenge going on...she asks 1 ? a week & you jornnal/draw, whatever you want to express your answer. I really need to get started on that with my daughters...it would be a great mother/daughter activity. I just love Emily's art & also check her acrchives for fabulous pics of her trip abroad....jealous overlaod here. :)

Next, Artsymama has a private blog called "A Year of Color" for only $1 a month where she has lined up some fabulous artists to give craft tutorials, swaps, photography tips and so much more so rush over there now for some great fun! I am planning on joining so I don't miss out on the fun! :)

Here at one of my new fave blogs - Sunday Baker she has a cute giveaway going on...so check it out.

Ok,so this is a request, I just found out one of my new fave bloggers is pregnant. So maybe you could stop by & wish her a big Congrats! You can tell her how you found out, but she really doesn't know me. ;) But I thought a bunch of congrats comments would be nice. Her blog is Marvelous Kiddo .

Next, go check out Pam Garrison's blog to get you in the mood to at least stitch some samplers. She has some really pretty eye candy to look at. Then scroll down for her coffee filter pompoms... I want to make some of those with the girls...who would have ever thought of such an idea!

Do you want some more eye candy? Then you must check out Zee at Pixie Blossoms. Her blog is so vibrant & colorful & the girl is majorly talented. Check out her photos, bags, embroidery...what can't she do?? If you get a chance, stop by & say hello! Scroll down for her cute styrofoam trees....you could make some like that for any time of the year.... so festive.

Want to see some really beautiful (and I mean BEAUTIFUL!) jewelry, well check out Second Sister Suaviloquy blog & here is the link to her etsy shop. Please leave her a comment on her blog as she is feeling a little unloved at the moment & we all know we can't have bloggers feel that way...she's one of us...our sister. :)

Wanna make a swipe file? Ok,stop making that alien looking face as if you don't know what that is! Ok, just kidding, I didn't know what that was either until I checked it out on Rebecca Sower's Blog . Once you see it you'll want to make your own, too....all thanks to me. :)

We are hoping for schools to close tomorrow as the wind chill goes to -25, this morning was 0 degrees & it's no fun to walk on a college campus in this weather...by the time I got to class, my toes were numb. I wish global warming would warm us up!!! Anyways, hopefully we can stay in tomorrow & craft with some hot chocolate. If you have some great art or ideas you'd like to share, please let me know so I can link to your blog...the more the merrier...right? ;) I hope you all enjoy this post as I hope to do more like this & hopefully get my own challenges & swaps started but for now, I will share the lovelies I find with you all & hope that you enjoy them as much as I do. :) Just in case anyone out there is interested, we still haven't sold our home & probably won't within the next few years as the housing market in Michigan is soo terrible & gets worse by the day with way to many homes up for sale & most people not even able to sell at such low prices, they just leave the house to foreclosure, which we have thought about as renting would be a pain b/c we would eventually have to sell & you can't sell a house with renters living in it & who knows how long it would take to sell in the future, so things are crazy. I'm finishing up my freshman year (already) & my major is international affairs.....can anybody help me find a job? :) Well,bye for now & keep warm!!

A Giveaway!

2009-01-11T07:31:00.002-05:00

Well, who doesn't like free stuff, check out this blog, she's giving away some really cute stamps, some stickers, etc. so be sure to visit her blog. Good luck!

Sad day...happy day....

2008-12-19T06:05:00.002-05:00

Well, my mom called me crying yesterday & I knew what it was.My pawpaw (grandfather) passed away from lung cancer. He was first diagnosed with it about a year ago & they removed a piece of his lung then he had to go for checkups & was fine, then almost 2 months ago his side was hurting, so they had to bring him to the dr. & they did an xray,etc & found the cancer had returned & was all over his body & there was nothing they could do about it....had he waited for his next appointment, he would have died never knowing he had cancer again b/c his appointment was this month. Since he lives over 1,000 miles away in Louisiana, I'd call & since he couldn't talk, they would just put the phone by his ear so he could listen to me talk...well, mostly cry. He taught me how to play card games, I'd ride in the bed of his cherry red Ford truck all giddy with the wind blowing in my hair, but holding on to dear life b/c he'd always drink before we went to pick up my mawmaw....some days I wondered how I ever made it back alive. :) Before I heard from my mom, I was shopping & every old man I saw walking reminded me of him. He was only 78 years old, this is my mawmaw's (grandma) 2nd husband to pass away. she was first married 3 years to her first husband then 59 years to my pawpaw.We had thought about going next week to see him, but I guess the decision has been made since he has passed.He used to call me his "little Kiki"...maybe I'll change my blog name...again. :)

Onto more lighter thoughts...today is a snow day....no school!!!!hooray!We're supposed to get 6-10 inches of snow...we don't always get that much snow in our part of Michigan in one day.The not so good news is that my husband was planning to leave Virginia today to come spend vacation time with us..I'm trying to convince him to leave tomorrow instead, but you know how men are and he so badly wants to be home with us, but I requested that he make it home alive. the wind is blowing like crazy & in just an hour we have really picked up some snow, so it's accumulating fast.I guess my girls will be making lots of huge snowmen this weekend. :) i'll be busy baking goodies and cleaning today & probably doing some reading with the girls today.Hope you are all enjoying your Friday....especially if you're having a snow day!Oh yeah, don't forget the hot chocolate. :)

Etsy Love continues....

2008-12-13T11:30:00.005-05:00

Ok,I could literally spend hours looking through etsy...it doesn't help that I have dial up that makes it a slow process,but it's an enjoyable way to spend my time....drooling over wonderful handmade creations. :) For now I will start with some fabulous whimsical art that I am so in love with. It would be so cute in a nursery or kids room or maybe even an older girls room...I know I would love to have one for my future art studio. It was hard to pick which pics I wanted to show you,so you must go to her shop to check out this fabulous artist & please let her know you found her through me...thanks!By the way,feel free to add my to your blog rolls,I'd love to have some visitors over & I love reading comments. :)

Lauren Alexander Art

Time to shop!

2008-12-12T16:31:00.010-05:00

Here are some more great etsy finds that I think would make great gifts...go check them out! Tell me what you think about my finds....

Tanner Glass

Tanner glass is the place to go for all things glass. Just look at those beautiful glass ornaments. They also have all sorts of great goodies made of glass...take a look...here's an oil candle below...

Now for some fabulous jewelry,check this out...so romantic & beautiful!

byCJ

Well, must study for my next exam.. tata for now!

I Heart This...

2008-12-12T14:16:00.010-05:00

Well,I just finished taking my hardest final of the semester, 1 down, 2 to go. Anyways, since the semester is almost over, I want to try to make my blog a place for all thing pretty. I know I enjoy seeing what other bloggers love so I wanted to share some of my faves,too.

Pottery by Whitney Smith

First would have to be this oh so beautiful pottery that I have fallen in love with when I saw her items on another blog & I think you will agree with me that she is superb at what she does!It was a special piece and not something she usually makes. The glaze on the pieces are so beautiful & the colors are fabulous! I don't own any of her pieces, but I sure do hope to one day b/c it's so lovely to look at. I even have a spot picked out for it on my bathroom counter....is that pathetic or what? :) She had more pieces that I love, but it seems she has sold a lot of items....you go girl! :) Anyways,take a look, you won't be disappointed. By the way, tell her Renee sent you. :)
She has a variety of items at all price levels, too. So what are you waiting for...go check her out! :)

Time for updates...

2008-08-28T08:31:00.003-04:00

Well,for anybody out there who may slightly care about my boring life, I decided to let you all know how it's going. First and most important has been our house, it has now been on the market for about 18 months now, with over 140 shoiwngs & still not a single pathetic offer...we are constantly told how beautiful our house is, but there is way more than a years worth of houses on the market in our town & many are foreclosed, which means not many people can compete with those prices. My husband's job has extended relocation benefits twice & have made it quite clear that they will not extend it again or do anymore to help us, so our relcation pkg. is up in November, so if we don't get an offer in 2 months, the girls & I will definitely be staying in Michigan permanently. My husband has been trying so hard to get a good job back here in Michigan, but our economy is so awful that it's impossible. One possibility is that he transfer 3 hours west of us, but it's in an area that gets a lot more snow than us & he's already talked to the people there & he may need experience in a field he hasn't worked in, he's been in the auto industry here in Michigan, but in Virginia he works in energy....I very good job to be in at this time.So,please wish us the best that my husband can get a good job here b/c we can't keep lowering our selling price at the rate it's going, we're already at a huge loss with the price we're at now, but buyers want really,really cheap houses.

I just finished my first semester at college and loved every minute of it. I'm attending Eastern Michigan University, it was voted #6 for best midwestern universities....I absolutely love it there, the campus is so nice & not overwhelming, the professors are fabulous, I just love everything about it. I was so hesitant to start, but I'm glad I finally did b/c I don't regret it one bit! I didn't do as good as I had hoped, but I didn't do bad either, I got B's in both classes for the semester. My current major is elementary education, but I'm thinking to go into something in the political science field...pre-law is even an option at this time. Now that I'm in college, I truly feel like I can be anything I want....how cool is that??The possibilities are endless. I think I will just go to college and take all the classes I like.....maybe work on getting a phd or something. :)

For labor day weekend, the girls and I are taking a plane to Roanoke,Virginia to visit my husband. It's only our 2nd time in Virginia and my husband said that the forecast is predicting rain all weekend...boo.I was hoping to go walk on the mountains,etc. & maybe take some nature pictures to share. But if we have to be stuck in the hotel, at least it's a really nice one, my husband's job already paid us a lump sum for our hotel & food that was meant to be used when we came to look for a house to live in, but since we are not moving, we are hurrying up to use our free plane ride there before they take that away, so we get a free trip there & we get to stay in a beautiful hotel we would never stay in if we were paying out of our own pockets, the pics are really beautiful, so even just being the hotel is like a vacation. :)

I'm still getting the girls ready for school....I think I'll wait till the first day of school to see what exactly the teachers request, since they always want something different than on the regular list. This year I will have girls in each school...elementary,middle & high school, the middle & elementary are less than 5 minutes from each other on the same road, but the high school is much farther, so I hope I never have to pick her up when it's snowing outside b/c I hate driving in the snow...ugh!

I've already registered for my fall classes & I'm one class short of being full time, I'm waiting on a class to get an empty seat so I can sign in. So far, I'll have 1 class 3 days a week for an hour & 2 classes twice a week for a total of 2 hours, so I'll get to be home early for my girls. The best part is that I'm taking an art class, too on Saturday's that is a beginner's jewelry making class, so I am really excited about that as I've been wanting to make my own jewelry for a while now & I'll actually be able to have a class that will teach me & I'll also get credit for it at school...how cool is that?!?

Well,gotta be going, have some things to take care of at school today, have to prepare for tomorrow's trip,too. So you all have a great & safe labor day weekend!I know I will! :)
Renee

Just a quick update...

2008-07-24T07:46:00.003-04:00

For anyone out there that may be reading my boring & not up to date blog, I just wanted to let you all know what has been going on. I started school this past June at Eastern Michigan and I am loving it! The classes are 2 lecture type classes - American Government & World Regions. Each class is 2 hours long, 3 days a week, which is perfect for me. So far I am doing pretty good....if you listen & take good notes,then you'll get it b/c whatever they say will be on the test. As far as our house goes, we've been playing the lowering game,last time taking our price down $15,000 & still no offers, we have had over 100 showings....honestly,with not even one silly offer!!Can you believe it!Only 3 years ago we would have sold it in no time for so much more money.My husband has been trying to get a job back here, but that's impossible. He's even thinking of trying to find a job in Chicago or Grand Rapids so he can be closer to us.I wish something could happen soon b/c he's been gone 14 months now & we don't really see anything positive coming our way any time soon...it's virtually impossible to sell a house & impossible to get a good paying job back here. :( Well,must go now, have classes today! Bye!

New look

2008-02-26T06:51:00.002-05:00

My blog has been in dire need of a new look,so I will slowly start changing it while I have some time to spare.Now I need to figure out how to do a banner so I can have a pretty one instead of this boring one.We got our camera fixed but now I need to find the cord that goes to the computer so I can upload some pretty pictures of my stuff.I am also trying to think of a really pretty name for my blog,something different & unique that tells about me...hmm,that might take a while to figure out,but oh well.One of these days I hope to have my blog featured in the Artful Blogging magazine,but in order to do that, I need to get my behind moving & make this blog look good by adding photos & other stuff instead of the regular boring stuff.

So far since my last post, I have done the Love of Supplies swap that Artsymama hosted,which was really fun. Me & my younger 2 daughters swapped with a mom & her 2 daughters & they were fantastic swappers....we haven't taken anything out of the heart shaped boxes as of yet b/c we like to keep looking at it.The mom even sent me a beautful scarf that I ABSOLUTELY love!Here is her blog... oh no,I just realized I deleted the email with her blog address & I have been too lazy to update my blog list,so I will have to email her for it,sorry.My older daughter's swap from a different partner never arrived,so Artsymama sent her something which my daughter loved....we'll have to take pics of that,as well.

Now I am working on decorating a bird nest for the bird nest swap.I am so excited about this b/c my partner is so crafty,she buys things at the thrift shop at makes them look like a million bucks once she alters it!Just fabulous,I tell you! She posted a pic of my bird nest,but as soon as I read my name telling me not to peek,I really did not peek,so I haven't been to her blog lately b/c I want it to be a surprise. Here is her blog so you can stop by, don't forget to tell her you found her blog through mine. :) http://thriftymissprissy.typepad.com I think you will agree that she is ver crafty!That is one of the things I love about swaps is meeting new people. I am planning to host my very first swap.I will post more details by the weekend, so I hope I can get a lot of people to join since I don't have many visitors,but please pass the word onto your friends about a new swap coming so we can have a lot of participants. :) Thanks! Later I will start posting some of my favorite things, I love seeing what other bloggers like, so I thought I would share mine.

Another movie to watch

2008-01-10T13:21:00.000-05:00

Ok,while doing laundry,I decided to watch a movie I borrowed from my library,it's a new movie called Reign Over Me with Adam Sandler.It's a must watch movie....I've been attracted to these sad movies probably b/c I am feeling so sad myself.Anyways,it's a really sad movie about how this guy (Adam Sandler) is trying to forget about his wife & kids that all died in the 9/11 attacks.His life is really just awful as he tries to forget it all.Then his old college roomate runs into him and doesn't know what's wrong with him,but then helps him out after learning all about his past.You just gotta see this movie...I couldn't stop crying,it's so fantastic.Although I was hoping for something more to happen at the end, I guess they wanted you to imagine what happened.I wonder if this movie could have been based on somebody's real life story.It's really sad.Well, have to return it now since it was only a 3 day loan, didn't think I would like it, but I'm glad I got it.Let me know about your fave muct watch movies.

Resolutions for 2008....

2008-01-05T06:11:00.000-05:00

Well, I haven't made resolutions on years since I never kept up with them anyways,but this year I felt like making some, so maybe if I write them down, I will be more likely to follow through....I hope. :) Here they are...(in no particular order)....

*Lose weight....why is it so easy to put on,why can't I wake up skinny one day?!?
*Eat healthier & cook healthier for my family
*Spend more time with family
*Learn to cook better...which leads to eating out less & saving money ;)
*Get crafty...I keep planning to do it,but with the house for sale,I just give up...never know when that surprise showing will happen. :)
*Make a budget & stick with it
*Host a swap
*Get published in a crafty magazine
*Write in my new journal daily
*Declutter....why do I have so many clothes in my closet that I will never wear?
*Sell our car
*Sell our old kitchen table and get a new one
*Save money
*Start letterboxing with the girls
*Exercise more
*Give more freely of myself

Ok,well, I guess that's a start...they may not seem like such big things, but these are things that can tremedously make a big impact on my life. I want to wish you all good luck on your resolutions & hope you can stick to them, too! :)

Welcome 2008!

2008-01-04T08:17:00.000-05:00

Well,another year has passed.I thought I would have been in Virginia by now,but it obviously is not meant to be at this time.We have had the house up for sale since May 2007,had probably around 50 showings,not 1 single offer,so all they tell us is to lower the price another $15,000.We can't even compete with the house prices now b/c we would lose such a ridiculous amount of money since we haven't been here very long.My husband just left after spending over a week with us,but that time sadly went by way tooo fast.We both miss having each other to talk with & even just be there if all there is is silence.I'm hoping he can find a job back here so he can move back asap but even most companies aren't hiring right now & they are expecting our housing market to be even worse this year....at this rate houses will be free!I've watched one particular house that started off close to $400,000 & continue to watch it drop every week & now this week it's at $249,000!And this is in a very upper class,prestigious neighborhood....if that house can't sell,how will mine sell?I've also watched as more & more houses are listed,therefore knocking us close to the bottom of the list since there is always something new & exciting for buyers to see,so they just hang on until their dream house comes up.ugh!When we moved here,we moved here b/c of the prestige of this city even though we knew that meant high taxes,etc. b/c we knew how easy it was to make money off your house here b/c everybody wants to live here,well,those days are gone.But even during these bad times of foreclosures,businesses are popping up all over our small city.We have a walmart,but now getting super walmart,a 2nd target & kohls,borders opened up,plus lots of small businesses,but we wonder where all the people are that we thought the businesses would attract?What an economy!?!

Anyways,I was fortunate enough to check out Artsymama's blog for her new Valentine's swap where you take a heart shaped box,fill it with 20 mini muffin cups & fill those with items such as lace,etc.I thought it would be so fun to get something like that in the mail.....I'm having my girls participate,too to cheer us all up.....nothing is more fun than getting fun mail.I can't wait to see how this swap goes.I've only got to do 1 swap....the Partea swap & that was fabulous!My 2nd swap was a cupcake swap but that unfortunately didn't happen,my 1st partner backed out at the last minute then my 2nd partner stopped contact with me,so we were disappointed with that one,so hopefully this one goes much better!I know if it's a swap on Artsymama's blog that it will be spectacular!

Well,must be going now,have some errands to run & then my oldest 2 girls are making beaded snowflakes at our library...can't wait to see how those come out! :) Well,hope you are all having a great day & stay warm! :)
Renee

Party at Karla's Cottage

2007-12-12T16:14:00.000-05:00

I know I'm a little late posting this,but I have been so busy around the house.Anyways,just wanted to let you know about a great party going on today at Karla's cottage I'm hoping I did the link correctly so you should be able to click on it & get to it.Anyways,everybody is showing their fave parts of their holiday home with some wonderful pics...so please stop on by & tell Karla about your blog and what you like about your holiday home. :) Her blog is so nice & cozy, great way to escape from this cold weather.So sit down,get some hot chocolate & enjoy some new blogs to visit...be warned,there are many visitors that have posted their blogs,so prepare to stay a while. :) Gotta go for now.Stay warm! PS-You may want to try her easy fudge recipe,too.

Must watch movie....Premonition

2007-11-30T14:19:00.000-05:00

Ok,I just finished watching a fabulous movie I got from the library & just had to share with you all,it's called Premonition starring Sandra Bullock.At first it is very confusing & made me nuts but after I decided to put up with it,it got so much better.She thinks she sees the future & everyday these things happen to her but then reality hits...it's so hard to explain without giving it away.All I have to say is it's a really great movie to watch!In the middle I was angry but at the end I was so happy & at the very end is a really great surprise.Please let me know if you watch it & what you thought about it!It is filled with all kinds of emotions.I would also love to hear your movie recommendations,too.Thanks!

Time to be thankful....

2007-11-30T11:02:00.000-05:00

I figured after all my depressing posts,I should try posting something happy for once.So I will post all the things I am thankful for in my life since I really do have a lot to be thankful for. :)

I'm thankful for......

the good health of my husband,kids, & myself
having such wonderful,helpful daughters
having a place to call home
my husband having a job
my children able to have a free education
having a vehicle to get around
having made a new friend since blogging ;)
being able to be a stay at home mom
having food for my family
having clothing for my family
having this blog so that I can meet people & also get inspiration

And I know there's much more I should be thankful for...oh yeah,like the showing for our house tomorrow....that could be a good thing....as Martha would say. :)

Well,hope you all have a great weekend!
Renee

Another day goes by...

2007-11-29T11:53:00.000-05:00

Well,it has almost been 7 months since my husband left & we still have not sold our house.We are down to practically no showings & the ones we do get don't like our floor plan....ugh!We just keep dropping down our house price and watch as we quickly lose so much money,when just 2 years ago we could have made a great profit off this house.It really saddens me.My husband is not happy where he has to live and being without the girls and myself.And I'm so sad & lonely...luckly I have the girls to occupy me during the evenings or I would literally go nuts.There's too many houses on the market here in Michigan at ridiculous prices & even those houses aren't moving.My husband can't even get a job back here,so we are basically stuck & don't know what to expect.They are expecting a worse housing market for our area next year.Plus the part of Virginia my husband is in,the houses are more expensive than when our market was good here,so maybe we will have to get a smaller house...who knows.

I have to start planning my youngest daughter's birthday....we moved to Michigan when she was 9 months old & she's never had abirthday party so this is her first one & I want to make it special for her.Unfortunately I can't even take pictures since our digital camera broke down not too long ago & it was one that consumer reports said at the time was a great camera...oh well...I lost a bunch of great pics on it,too...my middle daughter's 5th grade graduation & our family trip to visit Virgina...all gone in the blink of an eye. :(

The weather here is brutally cold...the wind is just awful.I tell eveerybody I feel like I live in the North Pole b/c it feels that cold here.We're supposed to get some accumulating snow this weekend....which isn't fun since my husband has my 4 runner that I loved driving in the snow,but now I have to drive our old Honda which is quite scary since I have no traction control or anything to help me from sliding off the road....just have to drive very slowly. :)

I can't wait till this whole ordeal is over with so my blog can be full of happy thoughts and crafts that I had planned on making,but just don't feel like doing at this time.I hope one day my blog becomes popular & I hope to have an etsy shop like everybody else.My daughters love to make crafts so I will have them help me make many things to sell.Well,guess I will go check out a few blogs before I have to get off.Have a great day & stay warm! Renee

Yes,I am alive....still :)

2007-10-05T20:10:00.000-04:00

Well,nothing new to say if you have been following my blog.We are about to hire our 3rd realtor,we just hired the current one 1 month ago & she kept telling us how great a price we are at,now she is asking us to price our house $30,000 less,so that equals to $40,000 less than what we bough our house for just 4 years ago...very upsetting & then she's only brought in 2 buyers while other houses are selling,it's very depressing.

My youngest daughter is also having a tough time in school b/c of her speech problems & not being in a small class...there are only 2 third grade classes at the school,her class has 26 students and she's just not getting the help she needs in such a big class & I'm afraid she will only get left behind more & more as time progresses on. :(

My husband had to move out of the first apartment he was in & now is in a place far worse b/c it's the cheapest & he didn't have to sign a lease in case our house sells,he needs to move out quickly.

My girls all have their MEAP tests next week so I have to help them study & I almost forgot my middle daughter's birthday is coming in less than 2 weeks....I had so much planned but as life goes on here,I just get to upset & too tired to do what I really want.It's just very upsetting being in this situation.

Anyways,don't know if I posted this before or not...I haven't checked my previous posts,but my daughters are looking for some penpals to write to & maybe share drawings & stories & book suggestions.If you know some girls interested,let me know.We'd be really happy to get some pals overseas,too.

Well,gotta go...I've missed checking out everybody's blogs,but hopefully things will get better soon!

PS-Hi Carolyn! :)

Will be hosting a swap...any interest?

2007-08-28T20:34:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to post real quickly that I was thinking of hosting a swap with a Marie Antoinette theme,so if you know somebody who may be interested, please have them visit my blog & leave a comment.I don't think I have any regular visitors (except for my dear friend Carolyn) so I could use all the advertising I could get so that we can get a lot of swappers.I haven't decided just yet when I will start it, but I figured I could give any visitors some time to maybe ask their blog friends to join in. I appreciate it! Thanks! Renee

My hubby is home for a visit...Yipee :)

2007-08-28T20:13:00.000-04:00

Well,he left Virginia at 8am & arrived here at 6:15pm. He was really in no condition to drive, but I guess he really wanted to sleep in his own bed. :) He has a pretty bad cold....fever,body aches,etc. :( So he came home,took a shower,ate & is now in bed sleeping. :) I'm just happy to have him home...even if all I can do is watch him sleep. :)

We fired our realtor last night & will be getting a new one before my husband leaves. We also have some things to fix around the house, I just hope my husband doesn't try to do too much at once & make himself sicker. The girls are so excited about him being home....when he drove up,my youngest daughter got her pom poms & started cheering. :) They have so much to say to him but he was too tired to stay awake to hear it all. :)

School is just around the corner and I'm so sad as I will miss my girls dearly. I had planned for a better summer before we knew we were going to be selling our house, so all my crafty plans were put on hold since we have to keep the house looking nice for showings...ugh!It will be so nice when we don't have to worry about showings anymore. :) I just want to be with my husband so we can go back to being a normal family. :)My youngest just doesn't understand why he has to keep leaving even though I try explaining it to her, she just finds it quite weird that daddy can't just stay home with us. It will probably be one of those memories she will never forget.

Well,I must be going now.Not really sure what I will do now, but I'm sure I'll find something. :) Hope you are all having a great day, too. :)

My so called life....

2007-08-19T07:59:00.000-04:00

Well,things are about the same here,nothing really new.We haven't had many showings for our house.The complaints are the small things,like not liking the kitchen layout,the backyard is too small,etc.....all things we cannot change.We thought we had 2 potential buyers but that didn't work out for the reasons I just listed. :( Oh well,whatever is meant to happen,will surely happen. :) I had hoped to be able to turn this blog onto a crafty blog,but that will have to wait since we have dial up & don't have call waiting,so I can't stay online too long in case somebody calls.

I had so many plans of what to do with the girls this summer before we even knew we were moving & now I feel like I've let my girls down. We have spent most of our time at library programs. They have done some book discussions where they got to keep the book they were reading,they just showed up at the library to talk about the book & eat pizza. Here are some of the books my daughters have read- Martin's Mice (this was for my 3rd grade daughter),Dairy Queen,Sisterhood of the traveling Pants,Maximum Ride,The Five People you meet in heaven & Sea of Trolls are what my oldest (grades 6&8) have been reading for their book clubs.I had hoped to get my girls started on their own blogs,too but cannot do that just yet.As soon as our house sells,it will be a big sigh of relief!

On to happier thoughts...my dearest friend Carolyn sent my daughters & I the most amazing package from the U.K.!She sent us all types of scrapbooking goodies that we absoulutely love!It's like she really new us & what we like.She even had a separate package for my girls & they were really happy to see the goodies inside as we don't get any good mail these days.So it was really nice to get something so nice in the mail.I didn't think I'd get a crafty friend since my blog isn't very appealing,but I guess it's just one of those things that happen. ;) I'm so glad it did!She has even called me twice on the phone!It was so nice hearing her voice along with seeing her picture.You should check out her blog as she finds really pretty vintage things at her charity shops over there.

I've had a great summer this year finding vintage stuff for my new home.I really hope to have my own craft room for the girls & I to do crafts in. Just yesterday I found a garage sale with some really pretty vintage pieces that she was selling quite cheap,but since I am trying to move,I don't need to accumulate too much stuff. :) But here is what I did get,some really nice dress shirts (all name brands like JCrew,Ann Taylor,etc) for my daughter for $.50 each,a lamp with beads hanging (I think it's from world market ) for $1,the cutest 2 tier tray with a pretty pink & green flowered shape plate on it,with tags from target for only $3!It looks really vintage & shabby chic,so my daughter luckily spotted it for me.Then we found some earrings for $.10 each,only 2 pairs looked vintage,so we got those & some new ones.Then I found this really pretty & old clear green glass plate with some decorations on it for only $1, & a vintage set,I think it's a creamer & matching bowl for $2,it was made in England.Then she had a little table that she had primed,so I'm thinking of paiting it a vintage green color & put in my laundry room or maybe for my future craft room...who knows.I did see another garage sale with really pretty vintage stuff but she was asking way too much money for her stuff,so I had to pass.

I've been saving my amazon certificates from surveys & have been really excited about all the craft books they have for making collages,altered items,etc.It seems like I may have to earn some more as I keep finding way too many books that I like. :) I had read about the new magazine called Artful Blogging on artsymama's blog & really wanted to see it,but not pay $14 for it & when I looked to see where they sold it,it wasn't close to me,so I figured I might have to pay full price,but I'm do glad I didn't as I found it in my local Joann's store!Plus I was able to use my 40% off coupon...woohoo!I do like it for it's pictures & the fact that I will have some new blogs to visit....but I think next time I will buy somerset studio as I like the crafty stuff.Now I just need another 40% off coupon. ;)

Well,I hope my posts don't put anybody to sleep.This is a nice little way to journal my life & maybe have it transform into something really nice one day.I'm sure their are others in my situation,so maybe they will like knowing that they are not alone.Being away from my husabnd for so long is really lonely.He's only able to come on holidays & it's a 10 1/2 hour drive to come meet us,he took a plane last time,but it gets rather costly,so he'll just drive as it's still a little cheaper that the airplane.Hopefully he'll have a safe trip here & back.I keep telling him when he comes, we won't let him go back. :) He says he really prefers it there in Virginia because supposedly they don't get much snow...don't know how being that he's right by the mountains,in a valley. :) I guess he'll find out soon enough how much snow they get as winter seems to be just around the corner.Burr!We've been leaving all our windows open b/c it's been so nice & cool,but last night was quite chilly,which was nice,but reminded us that old man winter is coming.I love seeing the snow on the ground,but once it's all shoveled,it gets all dirty & when it melts it looks even more gross so snow isn't so pretty,unless you live on a farm where it doesn't have to be shoveled,then you can enjoy the prettiness of it. :)

Oh,in case any crafty people happen to be reading this post...if you didn't fall asleep by now,that is. :) I was really wanting to do something special for my girls for their birthdays since daddy is far away.I was hoping maybe somebody would like to help do a page in a small little booklet,like scrapbooking,then pass it on to the next person,until it's done & then send it to my girls.Or maybe somebody has some better ideas...birthday artist trading cards or something.They just love all the crafts on people's blogs that I visit & because they are such sweet,honest & sincere girls,I would really love for them to have something crafty for their birthdays as they really do love that better than things from stores.They have birthdays in October,November, & December,so I guess I need to get started soon.If you can help me out,that would be great,my email is on the sidebar.Or if you know a crafty person that would like to help me out & make this a great surprise for my girls,please send them to my blog...thanks so much!I'm going to hoepfully attempt to make them a birthday banner with fabric,hopefully that goes good & make cupcakes to serve on our pretty vintage dishes.I would like their birthdays to be really memorable & very girly....it will just be the 4 of us. :)

Well,if you have read this entire post,thanks for staying with me!I think this is a great outlet for many things & maybe I will meet somebody in a similar situation.If you would like to email me,please feel free to do so.I love meeting new people.Well,have a great day...it's raining over here. :)

Long time,no post....

2007-07-16T09:59:00.000-04:00

Well,I've been a little busy with the girls going to all sorts of programs at the library,running errands,etc.This summer is just flying by!We've barely had any showings for our house,which is usually not the case for this area,but with all the automotive jobs going away,people are practically giving away nice big homes.We are already priced below what we bought our home for 3 years ago & not to mention the $5,000 in property tax every year that we pay,we won't be able to get that back like we had hoped we would. :(

I received my lovely swap from my partner for the partea swap and of course I took pictures,but don't know how to get them onto the computer. :( Anyways,it is the sweetest stuff I ever did see,cute vintage yellow napkins,a pink flowered tea pot,the cutest set of tea cups with saucers (4 -one for me and the girls),a pretty pink flowered tea pot, a tag recipe book,the cutest little spoons with tea pots on the handle (probably my most,most favorite thing),a big wooden letter R for me to decorate,stickers,a set of blanl cards to decorate,a pink photo album for pictures of our "partea"....oh and something I have been wanting for quite some time...tea pot cookie cutters!Just the most adorable thing I have ever seen!I have looked all over for some & couldn't find any,so I am quite happ to finally have some.Here is my partners blog,hopefully she doesn't mind me posting it here. http://www.whateverdeedeewants.blogspot.com/ She should have gotten her swap from me by now and so I hope she likes it as it was my very first swap.

I just recently signed up for a new swap called a cupcake swap...one item must be bought & another handmade...this swap will be much easier for me,I hope because I had a hard time finding tea party stuff at my stores,but this time we will try to be a little more crafty.My middle daughter loves to draw,so maybe she can help me out. :)

I've also made a new blogger friend,her name is Carolyn (Hi Carolyn!),you can find her blog on my list,she's so nice...we email each other every day,which is nice when you have nobody else to really talk to.Hopefully we will be friends for a long time. :)

My husband calls us several times a day,he's looked at some houses in the Salem/Roanoke area & they are so expensive & some are priced high that need a lot of work,so we don't know what we'll do...but since our current house isn't selling,we really can't do much anyways. :( Please send us some much needed luck so we can all be together as a family again.My girls and I really miss us all being together.It's just not the same with him gone.He visited us on Memorial Day & for the 4th of July but probably won't be back until Labor Day. :( Every week the girls & I participate in this walk called Explore Canton (the name of our city) & every time we go,we are all entered into a contest for a trip to Mackinaw Island,which we would so love to go.You can only get to the island by ferry & their are no cars allowed on the island...seems so cool.Anyways,please send us some luck as we haven't been on a vacation in years & if we win it's on Labor Day weekend,so my husband would be able to come with us & it would be so great!

Please also enter the contest to the right,if you mention my name and blog (I think) then we both can win a prize...something that never happens to me. :( Also,if you would like me to visit your blog,please send me your blog address & if you have a swap going on,please let me know as I might like to enter it to make some new friends....and get some mail of course!Getting the mail is the highlight of our day around here. :) Well,have a super Monday!

I signed up for my first swap!

2007-05-21T09:29:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited!I signed up for my first swap at the partea planner!I hope I didn't get in over my head because I have never done a swap & I don't want my partner or I to be disappointed.I am always admiring all the pretties people get in their swaps & I want some pretties in my mailbox,too. :) Maybe I'll start getting some friends by doing this,kind of like getting out into the world.Well,I have some things to take care of in the basement for whenever we do sell the house.Just wanted to post a quick hello since I am sooo excited about swapping for the first time!Bye!

I've been tagged....boy am I special. :)

2007-05-16T12:19:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I was tagged by the wonderful Anna,you can find her blog on my list it's the 3rd one-Auntie. I know I'm supposed to tag somebody but the people's blogs I visit have already been tagged, but maybe if you are reading this and haven't been tagged,then you're it! :) Ok, so here goes my 7 wonderful random facts about my wonderful self! lol! :)

#1-I just turned 30 on May 4 of this year. But I still feel like a 16 year old inside. :)

#2-Just about 3 weeks ago I found my first gray hair, it's about 2 inches long....not fair,I thought I had at least a good 10 more years before seeing that ugly fellow! :)

#3- I've been with my husband almost half of my life, started going out when I was 16, married at 17.

#4- I am scared to death of heights or stairs that have the cracks between them where you can see below you, it just makes me feel like I'm going to fall down....my girls have the same fear. :(

#5- I am a very girly girl....love to have little parties with my girls and bake up cupcakes,cookies,etc. I also love to collect cookbooks that are more recent and have lots of pictures.

#6- I love to shop at Marshall's...it's so addictive b/c they always have pretty stuff the girls & I can use for our parties.

#7- I try to shave my legs everyday. I love having soft legs...even if I'm the only one that will feel them since my husband is away. :)

Ok,ok,I know....so boring...but what else could I say?Maybe I could come up with more, but I guess that's it for now. :) Gotta go!Have a great day!

P.S.-If you have a blog you would like me to add to my list,please let me know,there are some more I defnitely want to add, but will have to do that later!I would love to make some blogger friends! Thanks! :)

Renee

Lonely life...

2007-05-12T16:23:00.000-04:00

Well, my dear husband left for Virginia exactly a week ago today & is living with a roommate who is not very clean,but it's the cheapest thing for him right now. :( He calls us everyday to see how we're doing.I keep myself busy while the girls are in school....cleaning,organizing,doing my exercise bike & my yoga booty ballet dvd,which I totally love!

Thursday my middle daughter went to a scrapbooking program at our public library & they gave her a whole new scrapbook all free of charge & they let her make 2 pages.....I just love how it came out!I've been too chicken to start a scrapbook b/c I'm so afraid I'll ruin the pictures & waste the supplies if it comes out ugly. :( Today my youngest attended a fairy tea party at the same library...they made fairy dust & a fairy wand....there were only 4-5 other girls.They don't have many kids participating in these wonderful library programs,but I hope they continue to offer these great programs.We really can't wait until the summer reading program starts....we love getting prizes just for doing something we love...READING!Looks like we'll be here long enough to join & attend the party the way it's going with selling our house.So far we've only had 3 people come look at our house and no comments to help us out....although people are looking for real bargains considering we're in a Detroit suburb & most people have moved out due to the automotive jobs being cut,so instead of our area increasing 10%+ a year it has gone down drastically!Our realtor was really pushing us to price it for at least $40,000 less than what we paid just 3 years ago....we don't think so,it's a lot of money to just lt fly out the window.

Anyways,the weather has been so great!Before the fairy party, I cut the grass...it was starting to look like a rainforest after all the rain we got a few days ago.After the party,I let the girls play outside,we made sunprints,then had ice cream cones.Well,gotta run for now.Will post more later!

Still alive....

2007-04-08T08:15:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been a while since I posted and I had told myself I'd try to post regularly, so here I am. The last week was crazy as my husband was waiting to hear back from the new company that hired him since he already quit his current job, so they tell him we'll hear back from them in a week,which is this past Thursday to get the results of background check & relocation info,etc. Well, Thursday comes & so by the time 4pm comes, husband decides to call them to see what's going on, the employees had already sent emails way earlier asking when he was going, can't wait to meet him....blah,blah,blah. Basically saying he had the job, but then waiting to hear back about the paperwork drove my husband crazy b/c he technically didn't have the job until all that paperwork was settled....so he calls them only to find out that he's been in the clear long ago & that they actually put in the worng phone number!Ok, didn't somebody realize they didn't talk to my husband?!? So we were able to log onto their wesbite to find out more info. We are planning our first trip to Virginia Tuesday, we'll actually drive there....we recently drove to New Jersey so we can handle Virginia. We've also drove from Louisiana to Michigan to move here, which was a 24 hour drive, so we can handle just about anything. :) I'm really looking forward to it. I'm really hoping we can sell our current home for a good price so we can get another home quickly in Virginia, I really don't want to be in an apartment with 3 kids.ugh! I've already sent off for information about the community college there that I hope to attend.It's been quite a while since I've been in school, so I may have to take remedial courses, although I really hope I don't have to...it's such a waste of time to take a class that doesn't count for anything. :(

Onto more interesting things,I have been finding some more great blogs lately...now I just need to stop being lazy about adding them to my blog. I find blogs so inspirational! They really give me great ideas about what I can do with my daughters. I especially love when they post pictures. Who can resist eye candy?!? Anyways, last week I visited the antiques shop my daughter's teacher told me about...there were 2 stores next to each other & not very far from my house either....now that's a good thing. :) Anyways,it was like total eye candy there, I just wanted everything....until I saw the prices,I wanted to cry. I guess I was hoping for more thrift store pricing b/c I know most of the stuff was most likely thrifted & was not even priced half of what these antique stores were asking for. Even the tiny things were expensive. ugh! I need some better thrift stores in my area, well, around my new home, that is. :) I did leave with 4 small spools of thread & 2 small baggies of vintage buttons, but that was all. I hope for the day I can find me a beautiful vintage tablecloth with those beautiful flowers on it & some really sweet tea towels...I've never seen any of those around here. :( Oh well, one day I will find them. At least I did find some goodies at our Marshall's store...as always. I love it there as I'm always finding the cutest things there. I found this cute vintage looking basket with the cutest flower material on it...I couldn't resist it's cuteness! I think I'll use it to store things like ribbons in it or something so I can display it. I also found a beautiful flowered dinner plate which will look so pretty with cupcakes on it. We love cupcakes around here....maybe we'll bake some today...we do need to use up our eggs and butter before we move. :) I just can't wait till we move so I can set up all my pretty things to take pictures of them to share with all of you like others do. Then I can hopefully plan a tea party for all...that way I can make some new friends from around the world. :) My birthday is coming up, so maybe I can do something then if we are settled into our new place by then.

Well,I must be going now.I hope everyone is having a super day!

Life

2007-03-31T09:19:00.000-04:00

Things haven't been too interesting here as of lately,although last week I was gifted a great old sewing machine thanks to freecycle.It's a Hallmark brand sewing machine that has the presser foot on the side of the table,just below the machine itself...quite interesting to see how anybody could sew that way,but I guess you get used to it.When I offered to take it,I didn't know what brand it was,how old it was or anything.But now I am wondering just how old this sewing machine is.I've tried looking it up on the internet with no luck.Of course all i find for Hallmark is cards,no sewing machine.Husband & I are wondering if this is truly an antique that could be worth some money?He already tried it out & it works great so far.When I went pick it up,all I could think was that my husband would not be too thrilled with it b/c it come with one of those tables where it folds down into it,but I was pleasantly surprised when he said he likes it better than a newer,although a little older one we got from a garage sale a few years back.My plans are to sell the garage sale one & get me a newer one with all those fancy designs on it that I could never make on my own.That should motivate me to try to learn to sew all over again. :)

My husband has officially quit his job as of yesterday,so now he'll be at home with us for all of April.We are still waiting to hear back from the job that he accepted just over 2 weeks ago.We didn't expect it to take so long,he has been calling them for updates b/c they didn't call us to let us know how long things would take.He's expected to start working there May 7,but we have to go check out the area for a home,the schools for the girls & the university for myself.We don't even know yet if they will give us enough money for movers or if we'll only get enough to cover us moving ourselves,if so we really have to get busy packing things.I have been selling items very slowly thanks to craigslist.So far I've made around $71....but the items I sold only cost me around $25,but then subtract around $18 from that since I had bought one of those items with a gift card,so it was free,so I made a nice profit.Now if I can get our furniture sold,I'd be so happy!

Husband and I went look around Ikea the other day to see what furniture he likes,of course,liek always,he wasn't thrilled with anything.I do have to say myself that I was not impressed with the bed choices I saw.Then his complaint was that the beds were too low,right now he doesn't like that our bed is so high. :) When we first bought this bed,my youngest daughter was around 3 or so and couldn't even climb up onto our bed,we had to help her b/c it's so high. :) It really doesn't matter to me if we have a high bed or low bed,I just want something more comfortable than what we have now & our current bed has a pillow top mattress.Why did I think it would be softer when our old bed was without the pillowtop?

My daughters and I went to Plymouth the other day to visit my daughter's 4th grade teacher.She was (is) the sweetest teacher she's had & we all have the same likes,so we had been planning to get together,so when we saw her at school the other day,we told her we were going to be moving and she invited us over.Well,of course with her living in Plymouth,I figured she would have a cute house,but little did I know that she would have all these cute cake plates & just plain beautiful things.It was as oif I had walked into one of the beautiful blogs that I check out daily!Her daughter had this beautiful playhouse in the backyard that was built to look just like their real house and it had the cutest little vintage kitchen set that they painted and put on these cute little knobs....makes you just want to be a little girl all over again.Then her daughter wanted us to see her room.Why was I not surprised to see that it was so darn cute!She had these beautiful dresses that looked vintage that she had outgrown on the walls on what looked like vintage hangers,she had a vintage quilt handmade from a relative years ago....so beautiful,I could just go on & on....I seriously want a room like that,it was just screaming cute,vintage,girly all over.Talk about uiltimate eye candy any girl/woman would love.If only I had a camera with me to share the loveliness you would agree with me.Her entire home was just cozy & lovely!The girls and I couldn't stop talking about how pretty everything was.We asked her teacher if we could move in....we would still love to...we'd promise to help by doing chores just so we could be surrounded by pretties all over. :) She told us about some antique stores in the area...hopefully we'll be able to visit those stores before we leave as Plymouth (Michigan) is such a cute little town that I would really love to explore before we move.If you ever come to the Detroit area,you have to make a stop in Plymouth,which is only about 20 minutes from the Metro airport.I've only seen a small area & trust me,just by seeing that tiny bit,I can tell you you woldn't want to leave...so much character in that town,so much eye candy,you'll need to bring your pepto bismol! lol!

I just saw somebody's blog that showed the new Home Companion magazine and since I just recently found out about this beautiful magazine,I realized Joann's sells it and that I could use one of those 40% off coupons they always mail me,but of course they haven't mailed me one in a while...ugh!I really want that magazine,they better send me some coupons soon! :) I also recently bought the spring issue of Quilts & More & couldn't stop looking at it.I've also looked everywhere for that Adorn magazine a lot of bloggers talk about but can't find it anywhere...surely Detroit is a big enough city that they would get this magazine somewhere,right?I really would love to see what's in it.I'm sure I would love it if I could just see it. :)

Well,I guess I will sign off for today.It's quite chilly today so maybe the girls & I will do some baking to enjoy some warm goodies & warm up the house. :)

Anybody from around Roanoke,VA?

2007-03-20T19:06:00.000-04:00

Well,I've been checking out homes online as my husband will be working in Salem,VA but didn't see anything I like there but did find some houses that I love in Roanoke,so I would love to hear from any bloggers in the area.I would love to know about the schools,stores & thrift stores,etc.We'll get to only go twice to find us a home before we actually move there & we would love to have a house to go to when we move from here.I hope we like it over there & I hope it doesn't get so cold down there. :) Well,must go now....been busy trying to sell things for our move and help the girls with their schoolwork while husband remains working out of state at his current job. :( Well,good night to you all. :)

Just Another Day....

2007-03-19T18:49:00.000-04:00

Well,the day started off looking not so pretty,snow coming down as I drove my youngest 2 girls to school....the roads were all slushy and a little slippery,but we made it safely there and back.We got almost an inch of snow but now it has all melted.I am so ready for spring time.I love when the sun shines and there's a cool breeze and you hear the birds chirping and you can go outside and have a picnic and just enjoy life.....ahh.

My middle daughter is a little sad right now,she learned that she will be missing mini society at her school because of our move.That's when the 5th graders make things to sell.She was so proud that she earned the most good work passes in her class to be able to "buy" other people's creations with,but now she feels cheated that she worked so hard to be able to buy some crafty stuff only to find out they won't be doing it until sometime in May & we'll be moving next month.She will also miss her 5th grade graduation with her two greatest friends.She will be missing out on a lot of things and is sad about it.I wish I could make her feel better about all this.I doubt the new school will have 5th grade graduation & even though,she will be with people she's only known for about a month or so,depending when school is out there in Virginia.

My oldest daughter said all of her friends are very sad to see her leave,so they will take pictures of themselves so she will never forget them and they plan to buy her a t-shirt that they will all sign and give to her.

My youngest daughter doesn't seemed bothered by this move really,but she is delayed in speech and other areas,so I don't know how she will cope at a school that really doesn't know her or understand how she speaks. :( I just hope all goes well with them and that they make great new friends.I know how it is to be the new kid in school and it's very scary,so I hope all goes well as they are very sensitive girls and I don't want to see them hurt as they went through enough their first year of school after being homeschooled for 4 years.Hopefully I can homeschool again in the future....I really miss all that I learned with them & have since found so much for homeschoolers to do,it's amazing.

Well,I must be signing off now to cook dinner.I had fried some samoosas but my oldest didn't like them and my younger two said they were too spicy,which they were so I need to fix them something to fill their little tummies.Good night!

This weekend....

2007-03-17T17:35:00.000-04:00

Well,my husband has to work out of state for a few days,so it's just me and the girls so we first went to the library.My middle daughter had signed up for their book club discussion.They had pizza and talked about the book called Chasing Vermeer,she really liked it since there was codes you had to figure out and she got them.She was also happy to found out that they got to keep the book.We also signed her up for the next book club,they wil be reading a book called Shredderman.We also signed up for the parent/kid book discussion,I already forgot the name of that book,but they gave me the book and my daughter the book to read and keep.I love the fact that my daughters all enjoy reading books,as a teen I was really into reading books & think it's so great because it can open up a whole new world.I just wish they had more of these.I tried to start a mother/daughter book club in my area,but there seemed to be no interest....maybe I can try when we move to Virginia.I like finding ways to spend real quality time with my daughters.My middle daughter also participates in teh accelerated reader at her school...certain books in their library have the stickers on them and after they read those books,they take a quiz on the computer to earn points then the points are redeemed for prizes,unfortunately she just learned about it this year as they seem to keep it a secret b/c not many kids know about it and they never mention it at school.So far she has gotten prizes like a free kids meal from Quiznos,a free pizza from Jet's Pizza and other little goodies.It really makes reading even more fun when you can earn something for doing what you love already. :)

After that we headed to a much busy Chuck e Cheese...it usually is only this busy during the holidays,so I don't know what the big deal was today,I know it's St. Patricks Day,but I don't think that had anything to do with it.The girls all had a blast & since it was so busy we didn't have a table,so I had to stand and walk around with them,so I am tired and so are they. :) I think they'll all fall asleep a little earlier tonight.I will try now to post a pic of my little princesses...hopefully I can do it.

A Great Mail day!

2007-03-16T19:41:00.000-04:00

Well,about a week ago I placed at order at www.yesasia.com for some Japanese craft books that I just had to have after seeing everybody talk about them on blogs.Everyday I practically ran to the mailbox hoping my books were in and finally they arrived today.They have some great ideas, but I don't know what I got myself into as I haven't sewed since I was in middle school,so I hope I can figure all this stuff out...especially the idea of felting...I'll have to do some research on this to make sure I understand this....sometimes I have a tendency to make something so easy seem complicated. :) Later on I will have to take some pictures to share with you all which books I picked out.I was really happy with this company as they hadn't expected to ship my items until April...guess they found my items earlier,so I got lucky. :) My girls will be so excited to see these books,it's going to be a surprise.I know they will want to try to make everything b/c everything is just sooo cute!

Today I found another absolutely stunning post called Everyday is a holiday...it's in my list of fave blogs....just as the others I have listed,you will also have to check this one out b/c it's so much eye candy without the guilt of gaining weight. :) It just makes you feel all pretty and girly.What's even more amazing is last month I was actually visiting relatives in New Jersey that live in her same apt. complex...I only wish I would have known about her blog sooner.I think she may be happy that I didn't know her as I probably wouldn't have wanted to ever leave all her pretty things,I may have become a permanent roommate. :) So please check out her blog and my other fave blogs posted,you won't be disappointed as these ladies are all so talented!I want to be like them when I grow up. :)

On to some exciting news from my daughter,on the 14th her math class celebrated pie (3.14) day by bringing in circular snacks & they also had 3 contests to guess how many round items were in the jars....well,my daughter guessed 210 of those bouncy balls in 1 jar & won a prize,a pretty cool water bottle,it's almost 2 feet tall,it sort of looks like a hand weight the way it's shaped & it transluscent,anyways,the actual number of balls was 211!She missed it by only 1 number!She was so excited because she's never been good at those type of contests where you have to guess how many of something is in the jar,so this was some happy news from her.

I just wanted to try to make a post for today,so now I wil have to go as we have a busy day planned tomorrow...middle daughter has a book club meeting at the public library,we'll be visiting Chuck e Cheese & maybe we'll be visiting an antique store that I just saw today as we were driving through another city.The city I live in is pretty boring....no thrift stores or antique stores,but we did have IKEA open up here a few months back....love it!I think I could actually live in their stores with all there little room setups,it makes me want everything I see,so we try to not to there very often as you just want it all. :)

Well,good night to any bloggers reading my posts...thanks for stopping by....I hope I am not so boring. :)
Renee

My First Post...WooHoo! :)

2007-03-15T11:07:00.000-04:00

Well,today is my first blog post.I have been so inspired by some great blogs I have been visiting lately...I have become quite addicted to them.I really love the crafty type blogs and food blogs.They have inspired me to try new things with my family.

Let me also start off by introducing myself since this is my first post.My name is Renee,I'm happily married (it will be 13 years this coming October),I have 3 really beautiful & helpful daughters that are ages 12,10 & 8.We live in Southeastern Michigan,but my daughters and I were all born in Lafayette,Louisiana.My sweet hubby is from Bangladesh.We moved up here to Michigan in 1999 & now we are preparing for another big move to Salem,Virginia at the end of April.I'm so excited as I've always wanted to live close to some mountains,although I'm not sure just how close we'll be...we will be taking a trip there soon to check out the area.I'm so excited...maybe I'll meet some crafty people there or if you are from the area,please let me know your blog address so I can visit you. :) I'm dreaming of living in an old farmhouse with mountains in the background where I can hang my clothes out to dry and not worry about what the association or neighbors think...I want to enjoy life.I hope to spend more time cooking healthy foods for my family instead of buying all those bad foods from the store.I would love to learn to sew to make things for us & maybe to sell,but first I need to check out the sewing for dummies book.lol!I also hope to start college there and maybe one day I'll be a nurse...although I have a real fear of somebody losing their mind & sticking me with the needle...I'm not even sure I could be the one to give somebody a shot....ouch!I also plan to start making my own natural cleaners instead of filling our home with such toxic chemicals.I only wish I had thought of this when my girls were younger.I also enjoy bargain hunting.I have a basement full of great deals....mostly free food that I was actually paid to take home. :) Ahh,the sweet life.

I also enjoy spending time with my girls....they love it when I plan little parties for just us girls.We fix the table with pretty decorations,fix pretty foods,like cupcakes & cookies & just enjoy spending time together.My girls are definitely one in a million....they are not into wanting cell phones,ipods,expensive clothes,etc.All they think about is growing up to be pediatricians & taking me & their dad on trips around the world.My middle daughter even said she'll pay for me to take cooking classes since I mentioned I would love to do that one day.They are always trying to help us out without complaining.When I'm sick they wait on me hand and foot without being asked...last time they cleaned up my whole kitchen & put out a vase with flowers on the table. :) They are already great mothers. :) I'm so proud...can't you tell?Once I find a picture of them I will post it for you all to see.And if you are reading my post,thanks for visiting!Maybe it will become a post you visit regularly once we move and get settled in and I can start posting more fun stuff with pictures. :)I plan to post about recipes,any crafts we make and just anything that I think people would enjoy seeing as I do.I think that will be all for now.Visit again soon! :)