Whatever Strikes Mrs. Kwitty's Fancy....

Sunday Sunday

2008-07-13T17:05:00.005-05:00

Hi friends! It's been a pretty quiet weekend, all things considered--which is actually kind of nice after the hustle and bustle of last (looooong) weekend!

I now have 48 new gray hairs that I didn't have before....but Joe's driving lessons are coming along quite nicely (haha)! Really, he is proving to be a pretty calm driver and is getting a little better at steering smoothly, braking smoothly, and stepping on the gas pedal smoothly. It's a good thing---whiplash is not a good thing! (see below--Joe has always enjoyed driving!)We had a big wind storm come through yesterday (the bad storms were to the north of us and we just got the residual winds)--lots of tree branches laying around. The hub had to miss church this morning because the richest man in Duluth had a big branch come down, hit another tree, which uprooted and fell onto his driveway--so Hubby had to get over there and take care of those trees ASAP so he could get out of his driveway! lol I had to ask--why the heck doesn't he just take the helicopter? *wink*

I'm in the thick of my big wholesale order and haven't had time for much else crafty--but did manage to make this cute bag with the sweet puppy

--I always enjoy digging through the feedsack prints--working with the old patterns and lovely colors always makes me happy!I also had a customer who wanted me to make her some sheep tags--she is yarn dyer and spinner and wanted special tags to hang on her product. I did some up for her--and then decided that maybe others would like some sheep tags too--so I made up some colorful ones for my shop! I thought these would be really fun for people who knit or crocheted to add to their gifts or products!-- Don't you think?

Last, but CERTAINLY not least---I've been honored with this award from the lovely Southern Lady Vintage-- Brilliante Weblog Award! Seriously, it is so seldom that I am called anything even remotely close to brilliant--so I really like this one!! LOL In all seriousness-- I am honored Barbara, thank you so much!!Now, as you know, blog awards are for sharing! So, here are the rules.....

The rules for receiving this award are:1) Put the logo on your blog.2) Add a link to the person who awarded you.3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.4) Add links to those blogs on yours.5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

There are so many blogs that I read and love--in fact there is a big list of them off in my right hand side column--that it would be really impossible for me to just pick 7 to award this to--it makes me uncomfortable---I think you are all BRILLIANTE! So I've decided to award it to my 2 pregnant blog friends! Just because I love them both and I also know that we all need a little boost when in the "delicate" condition! lol Their blogs really are Brilliant--so they deserve it.
Please go pay them a visit and say HI! and read their wonderful blogs

Diana of A Muted Palette
AND
The Fabulous Pinky of Inspiration comes Easy

Congrats Ladies --hugs!!

Fun With Flickr

2008-07-10T17:06:00.003-05:00

Here's a bit of fun---I saw this over on Dirty Pretty Thing's blog, and thought I'd give it a shot!

Here's what you do to create your own "Twelve with Flickr" Mosaic.The Concept...

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.

b. Using only the first page, pick an image.c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

Questions...
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name

You might want to copy the link list that it shows you when you first create your mosaic so that when you put it in your Flickr or Blog you can give credit to those who's pictures you used (once you click away from that screen you lose the ability to go back to it) I wish I had done that!

Go ahead and make one of your own--it's a fun little game to play and you get to see a lot of really cool pics that you might otherwise not have seen! If you do one, let me know so I can check it out--Okey doke?

Blog Friends Cuties and Pretties

2008-07-09T11:29:00.003-05:00

I was just sitting here reading blogs and checking out some of the wonderful creations made by my talented blog friends, when it dawned on me "hey dipstick--why not share some of this with your readers so they can enjoy them too!" So I will! Here are a few of the beauties I ran across.

First up is Calamity Kim--today she has a wonderful tale in her blog...pop by and have a read! Kim is so fantastically talented, I love her magical concoctions and her fearlessness in combining patterns and colors and textures! Here is a wonderful example of this in this gorgeous.....GORGEOUS! concoction of an apron named "Tea with Jane Austen" OMGosh.

The lovely and talented Jenn Maruska just turned 29 yesterday (again) !! Happy Birthday Jenn, you don't look a day over 28! Her's is another blog I love to read. She has a background in illustration and impeccable sewing skills--and you just never know what new little cutie she will be coming up with! Being the wise lady that she is...she has already gotten a jump on the Christmas season and made up these absolutely adorable little house ornaments and snowmen too! Handstitched cuteness ---yeah Jenn!!

Next up---GeorgiaPeachez. Everyone needs to pop over to her blog and tease her about what a disaster area her craftroom is!! LOL (yes, we tease, but underneath we are green with envy!!) She makes wonderful and colorful creations--bags, laptop sleeves, and wonderful aprons (I guess I am really feeling drawn to the aprons today!) Check out this lovely apron listed in her Etsy shop---loving, loving the pattern mix on this!

Well, that is just a small drop in the bucket of the talented things you can find over on my BLOG LINK LIST over on the right---feel free to click away and find some treasures!

This was fun....I think I will be doing this again, stay tuned!!

OH...and p.s. Welcome Back JunieMoon---we missed you and are happy you are home!

Pansies and other Monday morning tidbits

2008-07-07T06:49:00.003-05:00

Hello!! Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July--isn't that just one of the best holidays? Sun and fun and family and friends and picnics and fireworks! We are fortunate enough to have some good friends (the best man at our wedding and his wife) who throw a big 4th bash each year--so all I have to do is whip up something for the potluck and go enjoy! YEAH!

I just finished up a new project that I am very happy with! I had this vintage hanky sitting on my sewing table for a while now--I wanted to make something with it, but hadn't found the perfect project yet. The hanky had a big blank white center and it just needed something.....***light bulb!!*** I went to my stash of vintage embroidery patterns and found a lovely old pansy stem--perfect!! It fit just right in the blank spot, so I stitched it up and turned it into a really pretty bagkeeper. A little cottage charm for your kitchen (or other rooms--so far I've had customers use them in the laundry room, by the back door for doggy poopy bags , & by the changing table in their baby's room) Click the pic and it will take you to it's Etsy listing!!

I don't know if you noticed it--but Blogger has a new blog link thingee, you can see it over on my sidebar. You have to load all your blog links into it (which took a while for me, cuz' I have lots of blogs that I love to read) but it was worth it! It then shows your links with the title and time of their newest post--a good way to keep up with who's got new postings! I love it. Hit "customize" on your Blogger blog and you will see it at the top with a little NEW sign on it.

Charmingdesigns just had a post about making your own CHALKBOARD PAINT! Say it along with me.......Oooooooooh........ the ideas are swirling around in your head right now, aren't they?!! lol Pop on over to her fun blog and have a look

Here is a new batch of birdy tags--clickey click the pic and it will take you to it's listing! I am really enjoying pink and black lately!

Well, I better go take my walk and get a little work done this morning!! Have a great day!

Walking

2008-07-04T09:11:00.005-05:00

In case anyone is interested....I am doing very well with my walking. I've been sticking with it and have lost 10 pounds already, and am feeling a lot stronger--which makes me happy.

I like to drive to someplace in town, park my car, and walk--so it keeps it interesting and I have new things to see. Early in the morning, before it gets hot out, is the best time to go....and it has the added advantage of being able to watch all the little birdies as they go about their chores early in the morning! I got an email this morning with some interesting walking and exercise tidbits...thought I'd share.

My grandpa started walking five miles a day when he was 60... Now he's 97 years old and we don't know where the hell he is.

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.

The main reason I took up walking is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.

I have to walk early in the morning, before my brain figures out what I'm doing...

I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks; haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to go there. Every time I hear the dirty word 'exercise', I wash my mouth out with chocolate.

I do have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them. (LOL--my personal favorite!!) If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.

I know I got a lot of exercise the last few years, just by getting over the hill.

We all get heavier as we get older, because there's a lot more information in our heads. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

All the cutey birds in this post are available in my Etsy shop--Mrs. Kwitty's Cottage--just click the pic and it will take you there!!

Have a wonderful 4th my friends--God Bless America!!

When I put out.......

2008-07-01T23:30:00.007-05:00

I had to laugh today--in fact, the big glug of joe that I had just inhaled made a hasty exit when I spotted this little faux pas....There I was, happily cutting out and inking little birdy wings made from some vintage sheet music when I happened to notice the wording, LOL!! Whew, that was fun! I'm certainly glad that I spotted it before it actually went out to a customer!! I've glued it to the front of one of my button drawers for two reasons--one is to remind me to check the wording on things, and the other is to make me smile! Here are some sweet new tags I made today---I really like the chartreuse with the brown! If you are interested --just clickity click the pic!!
It has been too dang hot! Really, and it's only July--we are having August weather, and I don't like it--and neither does Miss Rosie! Mentalpause and heat do not mix well!! lol

Isn't my little monkey, Hannah Banana, just too cute?? She was originally made to be a cup cozy, but I have greened up and started bringing my insulated cup from home instead of using the paper or styro cups at the coffee shop--so I had to find a new use for her. She fits perfectly around the glass vase that I keep my pencils and stuff in by the computer--so now I get to look at her cute smiley face all the time! Yeah! Made by the fantabulous MonkeyTravelClub on Etsy. Sadly, the gal who makes these is having some trouble with her hands and isn't able to make custom right now, but she does have some in stock at the shop. Keep her in your prayers!!

The lovely KJ is having a Blogoversary!!! Run, don't walk, over to her always entertaining blog , Eye-dyllic, and sign up for her drawing!!

Oh, one more thing---my little red and white dotty bird tags (see last post) were featured on Cuteable today!! What a fun blog that is---if you are not already a reader , you should check it out!!

I have no idea.

2008-06-29T07:51:00.005-05:00

Like the title of my post?? LOL I really have no idea what I will talk about today--I'm just gonna fly around here by the seat of my pants--wherever the wind may blow! :oD

It's been busier than usual around here and I have hardly crafted at all--and that makes me stressy! Are you like that? Creating things takes me to my happy place and it invigorates me and relaxes me at the same time. I am feeling a need to get back to it!

It should be a little easier now that Joe just finished up his driver's ed classroom work---his classes were about a half hour drive from here and so dropping off and picking up was taking up 2 hours of my morning (prime creating time! I am definitely a morning person)--and I am still determined to walk every day--so that is taking up another hour each morning.....see! Now we are going to go take his permit test on Monday--and then I suppose it's gonna be "Mom, will you take me driving....." right?? !

We had a fun birthday--my little goddaughter, Meggie, just turned 6!! She is such a darling and is now starting to lose her teeth ( I just love that!! cute, cute, cute!) She enjoyed her party and we had a beautiful day so the party could be outside.

Here's a pic of Meggie's nephew!! (yup!) Swinging with Daddy.Some new tags that I've added to my shop. (sadly, that is about all I've been able to craft lately!) But that's OK--cuz' I love making them and finding new paper combinations to make them with. Oh, and poor Linds sprained her toe during dance last week. So she is hobbling around a bit and is mostly bummed because she can't wear her flip flops! lol

Have a fun day friends--What is everyone doing for the 4th??

Mrs. Whiney

2008-06-25T21:36:00.003-05:00

Just a fair warning here--there may be a little whining to follow, just the teensiest, tiniest little bit.......

WAAHHHHH! *sobs* I always feel a little better after I complain a bit. :o)

I have had such a dang sinus infection this week, my whole head hurts--even my teeth! It sucks. I haven't felt up to doing any crafting and it hurts worse when I lay down so I can't even lay on the couch and feel sorry for myself. AND, my eyes hurt and my head is pounding and I can't stand to be on the computer. AND, as if that wasn't enough--it's HOT. I hate hot. Anything over 75 or 80 tops. It's been like 90 for two days now. Ewww.

OK, I'm almost done now, LOL!! The one thing that really bummed me out is that I missed the promo in the new street team I'm in on Etsy---OFG (Old Farmhouse Gathering). They do mostly prim and handstitching and painting--and they ran a promotion today :red, white, & blue "SUMMER CHALLENGE". I didn't finish my project in time. *pouts* I did manage to finish it during the day today, but was too late to get in on the promo part of it. Sigh. I did make a pretty cute little item too....wanna see??

I hadn't done a bagkeeper for a while, so I did! I love these old patterns, they are such a joy to embroider. You can find it in my shop.

Anywhooo---go to Etsy and search OFG and check out all the great stuff. It's a really talented bunch. Here, I'll make it easy for you CLICK ME!

Speaking of OFG--one of the members, pocomedio of Gravel Alley Primitives makes the cutest little dolls. You have to see THIS ONE , seriously, you just can't go wrong with a polka dot cat with attitude!

Thanks for letting me whine, I do feel a little better now. :o) Oh, there' s Linds, maybe she will pamper me for a minute, I could go for some hot sleepytime tea.......

Well....lookee here!

2008-06-22T17:02:00.003-05:00

Look what came in the mail on Saturday.......

AND guess who is on page 78?? !! The book turned out so cute, and I am thrilled to be among all the talent in these pages. There are a lot of familiar names in here! The book is published by Lark Books and I'm not sure where ALL they sell them, but it is available at Barnes & Noble. and Amazon. Great projects!

SWANKY!

2008-06-20T13:59:00.004-05:00

Hello!! How do you like my new purse?? Isn't it a sweety? Guess what---it was a prize I won from the Vintage Indie Swanky Swag giveaway!! Yup! Seriously, Gabreial has such a wonderful blog "Vintage Indie" --full of really great stuff & interviews with fantastic indie artists. To top it all off, she does these fantastic giveaways too. You HAVE to check it out! I was lucky enough to win the Spring into Summer giveaway--check out my winnings! The purse you see above was made by the talented BACK HOME AGAIN , it's just my style (vintage tablecloth, yum!) and so well made. She also included that cute little, wonderfully scented lavender sachet to match. Thanks so much BackHomeAgain--I just love it! I can't wait to take my new purse to church!

Then there is this beautiful bit of wall art---a beautiful portion from a vintage appliqued quilt skillfully mounted on a lightweight base, and finished so nicely on the back (I've attempted to mount fabric items and know it's not as easy as it looks to get a nice finish!) This was donated by the talented HighDesertDiva . Thank you so much for such a lovely bit of the past!! This is going in my studio!Then, there is this darling tea cozy! It is really so cute, and you can't tell by the pic, but it is beautifully beaded and had the cutest little buttons and charms attached here and there! Love it! And check out the lovely crocheted pull at the top--charming! This was donated by a lovely Mother/Daughter team-- Brissonte . It's so lovely--thank you!Last, but not least!! is this pretty little locket from CharmingSam --it is just so old fashioned and sweet--I love it!! Thank you Charming Sam--I will enjoy wearing this very much!Here are a few of my new cuties to finish off the post! Swing by my shop if you need a cute little pin to dress up your purse or jacket!

Seventeen Years and Counting!

2008-06-14T05:56:00.005-05:00

Yup---17 years ago today my sweetheart and I tied the knot! I feel very blessed to have such a friend and companion to share my life with all these years.

Now, Diana of A Muted Palette tagged me with a meme a while back, which I haven't gotten around to doing (sorry!--I am such a blabber on here that I think you all already know all the weird things about me that you could ever care to know! lol). How about if I do one about 7 things about my hubby and I?? 1...We were set up by a mutual friend. A friend that I worked with at the nursing home kept on bugging me to call this "guy who is PERFECT for you!" I never was the kind of gal who called guys in the first place so it took a long time (around 6 months!) for me to finally tell her that I would call him if she would just shut up!

2...I had never dated much---I married my high school sweetheart the first time around and had only been divorced for about a year when all this started. I really didn't even care to have a relationship with anyone. I was enjoying going out on occasional dates and having time to myself! Mark was a bachelor and hadn't been married before. 3...The guy my friend wanted me to call was named Mark---and there were 2 other men who I was dating occasionally, at the time...both named Mark. LOL At least I didn't have to worry about calling them the wrong names!

4...I totally missed our first date!! LOL As I was getting ready to leave, some people I knew came knocking on my door. By the time I got them to leave and got to the place we were supposed to meet, Mark was walking out the back door as I was walking in the front one! 5...I went to a local bar one night, to meet up with some friends, and ended up meeting this handsome and sweet guy--we really hit it off right away! We spent most of the evening talking and shooting pool and dancing to the great blues band that was there (both die hard blues fans!). Come to find out....guess who it was?? Yup! LOL Want to know how I found out it was him?? When we had arranged our first date (the one I missed), he had told me to look for his bright green coat (the one that I had seen going out the back door !!) Soooo.....at one point in the evening he went to grab a pack of smokes out of his coat that was hanging on a chair over in the corner....tah dah! Yup...that crazy bright green coat!! I just couldn't believe it! 6...We seem to have a weird physic connection--even from the beginning! Seriously, the first night I met him, we were talking about families (Mark comes from a large family) and I asked him to guess how many kids my Grandparent had had....(my Dad comes from a LARGE family!) and Mark looked at me for a minute and then said "17". Just out of the blue!! He was exactly right! LOL AND Now...after all these years of marriage, we totally are in each other's head! It's a little weird really.

7....I was actually a little bummed out that I met Mark. I really had no intention of getting married again, at least so soon. I was enjoying being single for really the first time in my life, had a nice adorable little apartment all to myself, a good job. AND I knew, as soon as we met, that all that was over! LOL Oooh, the Lord works in mysterious ways!
8...When we knew that things were getting serious between us, I had to tell him my sad news. I was unable to get pregnant. I had met his family and saw how he loved them all and was so good with all his nieces and nephews....and I had to tell him that he might want to break it off with me and find some nice girl to marry and have babies with. I thought for sure that would be the deal breaker! lol Nope, silly man....he wanted me anyways. :o) Turns out---I was only unable to get pregnant with my FIRST hubby! LOL ( Guess who ended up preggy right away? huh?) 9...Mark proposed to me and gave me a ring...and I turned him down. I loved him but I really didn't want to get married again. He told me to keep the ring, and I put it in my underwear drawer and kept it there for a long time. He finally convinced me that we were going to be together forever and I might just as well get used to the idea...and he was going to be my husband and that was that. Period. He was so right. We got married at the courthouse. 10...Last summer we finally had our church wedding. So we are looking forward to our first anniversary at the end of this month... but first we have to celebrate our 17th!

CHEERS!

They love each other...they really Do!

2008-06-10T17:22:00.003-05:00

Exchange recently overheard between my two TEENAGE children while doing the dishes::

*side note, my son drives my daughter nuts by taking a word from the sentence she says and turns it around and says she is one of those...you'll see.....!)

Linds: "I sure could go for some pizza."

Joe: "You are a pizza."

Linds: "STOP It! You are making me nuts!" pause "Did you know that they cook pizzas at 800 degrees at the pizza parlors?"

Joe: "You're 800 degrees."

Linds: "Arghhh, knock it off Joe! And besides, if I were 800 degrees I would start on fire and be burned up!"

Long pause.

Joe (quiet voice): "You're a fire."

Linds: Loud exasperated sigh.

Long pause.

Joe: "Linds, would you wash off the stove for me please?"

Linds: "You're a stove."

Peals of laughter from both!!!

A Jewel

2008-06-08T23:17:00.003-05:00

A Jewel
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys

I was going through a bag of old hankies at my fav second hand shop and *gasped* when I spotted this tattered beauty! Her loveliness shone through her stains and tattered edges and I just had to bring her home and try and revive her to her former beauty. I was able to remove or fade out her stains and carefully trimmed the tattered edges and added some interfacing to strengthen her frail fabric---and turned her into a lovely and usable bag. New life. I think she is pleased. Available HERE.

Shop Drawing

2008-06-08T13:43:00.005-05:00

Well, yesterday I made the 700+ sale in my Etsy shop and, as promised, I did a drawing from the last 25 sales made. Sooo, I called upon my faithful helper, Miss Rosie, and we drew the name of ......(drumroll please!) CATNIPSTUDIO!!!
Congratulation Catnip!!! Thank you so much for being such a wonderful customer--I appreciate your support!! (as you can see from the list above, she is a very loyal customer!!)

AND, just so you don't think that Miss Rosie just chose CatnipStudio because, well....it' CATNIP! Here is a really strange looking picture of Mr. Kwitty to show you that there was actually a human behind the cat paw!! lol

My thanks to all of my other customers too, I appreciate each and every one of you very much. Have a great day!!

Lunch Ladies

2008-06-06T07:26:00.006-05:00

Hi friends! I just have to tell you about the wonderful time I had on Wednesday--my pinky finger still keeps popping up in the air!!

I'm sure you remember me talking about my favorite little antique shop...well, the lady who owns the shop invited me and 4 other of her "favorite" customers to have lunch at her home. What a nice surprise!! All 5 of us are people "who make things" and she thought it would be fun to get us all together. I was very excited for 2 reasons... one being that I've always wanted to see the home of someone who deals antiques (yeah!) and the other one being that I love to meet new people, especially ones who "make things" AND are into antiques! I decided to make her a corsage pin for a hostess gift:

Let's just say I wasn't disappointed with either of them!! We had such a lovely time, her home was fabulous. She collects art deco, beautiful silhouette work, cobalt glass, and vintage linens that were tastefully displayed in little surprise areas around her home. It was just gorgeous, not overdone at all...Lovely. I also brought cupcakes (sorry for the bad photo-- I forgot to photograph without the plastic)--but they were cute...chocolate with heart sprinkles and I made little pinwheels (with magnets on the back) to decorate them--for the guests to bring home and put on their fridge.

She also gave us a tour of her beautiful gardens. The surprising thing was that she takes vintage plates and other cool things that are broken and uses them in her gardens...so as you are looking you spot a beautiful plate here, a delicate teacup there, a salt cellar over yonder.......it's just darling! She originally had planned on an outdoor lunch but, as it so often happens here in Minnesota, the weather didn't cooperate . It's alright! haha We dined inside on a beautifully set table--pink depression glass plates, antique stemware, and delicate bone china teacups all atop a lovely pink roses vintage linen tablecloth. Great food and lively conversation--a wonderful lunch!!

Well, yesterday was the last day of school for the kids---let's just say they were happy about it.

I haven't had a whole lot of time for crafting lately--and I hate that! lol I did manage to make a new little tissue keeper from a hanky, which turned out pretty cute! It's in my shop HERE.

I also tried my hand at doing something new with my little bird art--A brooch! I created a little bird, who has a song stuck in his head, atop of a wooden disc--and then added a thick glaze over the top. What do you think? Available HERE.

Well, I have to go and start the CSSTeam daily promo thread ( it's in the Etsy forums and can be found by searching CSSTeam in the forums titles--feel free to pop by to say HI and see all the beautiful cottage and shabby chic that our lovely group offers, and even show off some of your own!) It's my job to start it on Friday mornings. Here's today's thread--sure to be full of lovely links!

After that---I'm headed to one of my favorite little quilt shops--she's having a fat quarter sale today!! (hey, 25 fat quarters for $25!! yeah!) AND my Sweety takes me out for breakfast on Friday mornings---so I have a pretty good morning planned!! yeah

Have a fantastic day!!

Fatty Boombalatty

2008-06-02T06:43:00.005-05:00

Well....sadly, it's finally happened. Mrs. Kwitty has gone from plump to fat. Yup (we will pause here for a minute while I weep). I have some health problems that make it difficult and painful for me to exercise, and I've gotten lazy and don't do it as much as I should....and with doing crafts and working on the computer for my business--well that is all pretty dang sedentary work! (a moment of silence for my lost waistline and thigh definition).

Sooo, I have finally gotten off of my lazy bunns and started walking --every day. Well.....just about every day. Ok.......5 days a week!!! lol It really depends on the weather (and not what you think, I don't mind walking in the rain....but changes COMING in the weather make my legs and feet hurt too much to do it) Yes, I AM a human barometer. LOL It's coming along pretty good so far. I got an MP3 player for Mother's day so I have some good tunes to listen to while I walk, which really helps. So far I've lost about 5 pounds and my legs feel stronger, yeah, so I'm happy!

My blog is suffering because of it though. I usually do my blogging in the early morning, that is my time of day. The brain is fresh and lively! lol Later in the day I just have a hard time thinking of things to write about and seem to get a sort of paranoia about the whole thing...weird huh? I'm going to try to do better and keep up with my blog AND get the walking in....bear with me!Look at this little beauty I got in the mail this week!! Remember the lovely art I won in Sweet Repeats drawing a while back?? Well, I love it! And decided I needed this pretty piece to go with it! Thanks hun, it's gorgeous! Be sure to check out her Etsy shop LucySweetLucy
and get something sweet for yourself!!

I also got these darling monkey love tags in the mail this weekend--aren't they cute?!! I won them in a drawing from CutesyGlamDesign --I really love them...and I need to keep an eye on Linds, cuz' I think she has got her eye on them too!! Thank you Ken--they are adorable!

Here are my newest tags---I did these up in this pretty coraly pink and brown

AND in blue and black!! They make me smile! (just click the pics and it will bring you to the item listing in my Etsy shop!! )

OK--I'm off to walk. Wish me luck.

A Quick Brag.....

2008-05-29T13:15:00.005-05:00

Here's my son and his ROTC unit, they are marching in the Memorial Day parade (we have a pretty good parade here for Memorial Day due to the fact that we have a Medal of Honor recipient that lives in our town and we are home to a Vietnam Memorial and a Korean War Memorial that encompasses the men who lost their lives in state of Minnesota).
That's Joe front and center (right behind the white shirted guy with the flag) It was only about 40 degrees out and pouring rain! But they persevered.
Last night we went to the awards ceremony for the NJROTC unit that my son is involved in. This is his 3 rd year. I just have to brag a little--he just raked in the awards...my goodness!! He has come a long way over the last 3 years...starting off as a stay-in-the-background, all D's and F's on his report card to all B's, C's, and even a couple A's!!

Last night they honored him with the Purple Heart for Leadership--which encompasses community service, academic excellence, physical training excellence, and leadership in his unit. He has volunteered for many of the community service projects that the unit has been involved in and never complained about the hard work or it taking up his valuable time off.

He also got the Volunteer of the Year award, for time and cheerful disposition while serving. AND, as if that weren't enough--he got an award for Most Improved Cadet and Cadet of the Month. Yeah JoE!!!

Pretty Birds drawstring bag

2008-05-27T21:16:00.002-05:00

Pretty Birds drawstring bag
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys

Just wanted to show off my newest creation-- OMGosh--this is the cutest fabric ever! I just about plotzed when I spotted it in the fabric shop!! lol Just the cutest little birds and the bright teal and pink foilage, add in some butterflies and pretty little speckled eggs! wow.

I've paired it up with a pretty teal cotton print--to match the leaves--and some soft golden rick rack. Available HERE!

OH! I don't think I've told you guys about the drawing I'm doing in my Etsy shop :

Since 7 is my favorite number--and I am close to having 700 sales in my little shop--I've decided to do a DRAWING!! From now until I reach 700 sales, each item purchased will get a entry in the hat--and I will draw a name the day after 700 is reached. (So, if you buy 3 things, you will get 3 entries in the hat!) There will be only 25 entries in this drawing--so your chances are pretty darn good to win! The PRIZE will be a goodie bag!! A cute little handmade drawstring bag loaded up with some of my handmade goodies and fun crafty supplies--I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Good Luck...and Thank You!

Getting my sh....stuff together

2008-05-21T10:53:00.004-05:00

Ok--so my life really isn't all that exciting, to say the least! It's ok--I actually had enough excitement in the first half of my life so that I appreciate the lack of constant excitement here in the second half! lol

One thing that plagues me is the constant need to get organized. Keeping a home with all the people and stuff involved is truly a challenge, and especially if one of the people in the home is a crafter/treasure hunter/sew-er/etc.--- ***ahem*** so I get EXCITED when I find some cool and easy way to help me. While breaking down boxes yesterday to get ready for the recycle truck, I ran across an empty cheese box--you know the long narrow ones that Velveeta and/or Land O Lakes comes in? It dawned on me that my carded trims would probably fit in there nicely! Ran down to my studio and.......

AND...as if THAT weren't enough.....the two boxes fit perfectly, side-by-side into one of those shoebox size plastic tote boxes (which is where I had all my rick rack in the first place). Now I can see what I have at a glance, without having to dig through the box. I love it!

So, now I just need more of those boxes for the seam binding I have stashed......grilled cheese anyone??

Creeeeepy

2008-05-19T22:40:00.004-05:00

Do you ever get that strange feeling that you are being watched?

Wait!---there it goes again.........
~~~shiver~~~~

Panic!

2008-05-14T08:29:00.004-05:00

ONE MONTH AGO

OMGosh--it's time for my usual rant about how fast time is going by! Am I the only one who gets totally freaked out by this? I swear, I think something happened a week ago, and come to find out it was a month ago! Gheez. I don't like it! I was informed by my daughter yesterday--quite happily I might add--that there are only 15 school days left to the year! WHAT? It's just not possible.

2 WEEKS AGO

My baby boy is ready to get his driving permit. He will be going through his driver's ed this summer (OMG--have you any idea how much this costs?--I was totally shocked and now, sadly, I have to sell one of my kidneys--which I am quite fond of and don't want to lose).

YESTERDAY

So....how was everyone's Mother's day?? Mine was so nice this year...I really feel cherished. The kids were so sweet to me and spoiled me rotten all day!

We went to church first thing in the morning, and they both dressed nicely (no jeans!) and sang along with me during mass (which I love!). Then they took me out to breakfast--and they paid! That's a pretty big deal for a couple of kids who don't have jobs or allowance. They actually asked their Dad for some extra chores the weekend before so they could make some money to take me out to eat. HOW SCHWEET IS THAT??

Then! they cleaned my car for me when we got home! Seriously, at the end of winter, when we start getting some warm days and the permafrost that has taken up residence in the carpetting starts to thaw, it begins to smell a bit like the lion's cage at the zoo in there. Ewww. Well, it's all clean and sparkly and Fabreezed in there now, what a pleasure!

Then Linds baked me some brownies with cream cheese frosting and Joe did up all the dishes and cleaned the kitchen. Mark came home from fishing and made a big dinner. Then to top it all off, I got an MP3 player as a gift (yeah!) which the kids took the time to load up ahead of time with all my favorite songs! So now I have some tunes to listen to on my walks. Am I spoiled or WHAT!

Well, that's my blab for the day. Now I have to go and get my wholesale order done....it's the one I started 2 weeks ago......(omg, has it been over a month?) Panic.

Take time for the important things......

2008-05-07T15:30:00.003-05:00

Well, I got up this morning, as I usually do...grabbed myself a giant cup of joe and headed down to my shop to get a little work done. Do ya ever have those days when you just have absolutely no ambition to do what you should be doing? I looked at my fabric, blah....looked at my buttons, blah....looked at a couple paper projects that are sitting on my worktable, blah.....blah, blah, blah! I glanced over at my shop monkey--JoJo, and he gave me one of those looks! ( He just knows me too well.) Go play today Karen...you need a day off! Well, he didn't have to tell me twice!

Yesterday I was over at Sweet Repeats blog and was enjoying her music while I was there--so I decided that it was just what my blog needed to perk it up a bit! So, say hello to my new music player. I had a really good time deciding what to put on there--and found a bunch of my favorites for you to listen to while you visit.

If you've never heard the song "Oreo Cookie Blues"--make sure you give it a listen...it is my unofficial theme song! lol (though if you were to ask Mr. Kwitty, he would say it was "Still Crazy after All These Years"--not sure if that is because he thinks I am still crazy after all these years OR if it's because I tend to sing that song with particular gusto every time I get a few cocktails in my system) Either way, they are both good songs and I hope you enjoy listening while you are here!

Another cool thing is that you can just minimize the page and still listen to the music, which has added a whole new dimension to my computing experience! Yeah.

I then decided that my SIL will probably enjoy a little gift for her birthday. She is one of those gals who really doesn't get the appeal of handmade--so I have to actually go to a store and buy her stuff. (she's so weird!) So I parked the car waaaaaaay down the road and had a nice long walk to go along with my shopping....it's a beautiful day, and the sun is shining and no coat required! Awesome.

Now, I'm home--feeling rejuvenated! I've a few minutes to spare before the kids get home from school and I have to make dinner--so I'm just gonna sit here and enjoy my tunes and play a couple games of solitaire--so there!I did manage to list this new bag yesterday--grass and skies and butterflies! It's available in my shop.

Oh, and would someone please go purchase something from my shop--I've been sitting at 666 sales for 2 days now and it's freaking me out a little! I'll put something special in your package........

Have a great day friends!

xoxo Karen

P.S. JoJo told me to tell you all that you are to take the rest of the day off!

Strawberry Shortcake anyone?

2008-05-04T12:05:00.003-05:00

Who would like a nice big slice of strawberry shortcake--with gobs of whipped cream on top?

Aww--dang! Too slow! Sorry you missed it, it was scrumptious, now excuse me while I lick my plate!

Look what I got this week!! I'll tell ya, I am so lucky at these blog drawings lately! I won this beautiful necklace from KatRoman in a drawing on the blog Dirty Pretty Things to Ponder

Many thanks to both--I love the necklace (in fact, I wore it to church this morning).

I'm thinking spring this week! The temp is actually around 52 right now and the sun is shining--yeah! Makes me think birds (yah, so what else is new?!) Someone on Etsy recently called me the "Bird Lady of Etsy"!! LOL so...it's come to that has it? I always thought I'd be the crazy cat lady, but bird lady will work for me. I listed these cute bird tags yesterday. I went through my paper stash and pulled out all the pink and aqua polka dot papers I had, and cut a tag from each one. I like the contrast of the serious black songbird silhouette against the playful pastel polka dots. Available HERE.
Another sure sign of spring is the fishing opener--which is coming up next weekend! You can already feel the excitement in the air around here. You know, land of 10,000 lakes and all that--fishing is BIG around here! Personally, I love to fish-- I keep a fishing pole in the trunk of my car at all times, just in case!

I've made this very cool fish tag in honor of fishing season. It's sometimes so hard to know what to get for those GUYS-- you know, those hunting, fishing, sports guys! Here is one solution to your gift giving dilemma. It's a cool crappie collage on the front and I've sewn a pocket in the back so you can tuck a little surprise in there. There is even a cool library pocket type sleeve for gift giving.

I've actually made one of these for my husband and surprised him by buying his fishing license for him, and tucking it into the pocket on the back, and tucking it in his tacklebox--so when he was getting ready to go fishing on opener weekend, he realized that at least one of his errands was already done! It really made him smile, and now he uses the tag as a bookmark every day too.

Or how about sticking a little love letter to him in the pocket and tucking it in the book he's currently reading?

My brother got one for his birthday with 2 tickets to a local ballgame tucked into the pocket on the back. Or you could tuck in a gift card from his favorite store.

You could have the kids make up handmade coupons for car washes, yard work, garage clean-up, etc. and stick those in the pocket! A great Father's Day idea.Oh, one more thing. I made up this cute little pocket for your tea bags--so they don't get all smushed up in your purse (0f course, your business cards or other cards will fit in there too, if you are not the tea type). When I was ironing on the little teapot applique, it slid off center a bit, so I am offering it in my shop at an OOPSY price!

Ok--well, I'm gonna go and soak up some sun! Yeah! Have great day.

A Little Fun with Nature

2008-04-29T21:25:00.005-05:00

WHAT???? He doesn't want to be locked out of the dam again!

They always look sooooooo innocent, and then.........! Blammmo, splat.And last, but not least--a little cuteness!

Snow and Chickens and Wallets and Love

2008-04-26T10:38:00.008-05:00

It is flippin' snowing again! I was just noticing yesterday that the grass is starting to get a green tinge to it......and now it's white. Grrrrr........ LOL, it's pretty much melting right away, but still! This is a little something for the Apron Queen! I just wanted you all to see what I have to put up with with my rooster--He is such a bad a**!

The Apron Queen has a really interesting blog post about the Legend of the Rooster --be sure to check it out!! AND what sounds like a really yummy Chick, taters, and beans recipe.

Look what my SIL sent me yesterday! Pics of my sweety and her cousin all ready to go to the Ball. I just can't get over how old they are getting, and what lovely young ladies they are getting to be. I sure wish I knew how to photoshop in a new background though (ooopsy!! lol--it looks like the unicorn has gored poor Rissa right through her head!).I just finished and listed a beautiful new collage--I made this one with Mother's Day in mind--though it would be a lovely gift for any time of year. The main elements are a super cute olive green polka dotted vintage linen napkin used for the background, a lovely vintage millinery flower (purchased from LisaCook at Etsy) , a beautiful old rhinestone heart button, and some pretty feminine papers. I did some interesting things with the frame on this one--pop over to my shop and check it out!I got a request this week from our mutual friend--Sweet Repeats aka Lucy Sweet Lucy at Etsy--to make her a pretty wallet for her business cards. Well, I went a little crazy and made up a few different ones for her to choose from, plus some extras for my shop! lol Yeah, that's how I roll!They are listed in my Etsy shop--if anyone else needs a cute new wallet!

If you click on any of the pictures, it will bring you directly to it's listing--easy peasy!This is the one she ended up choosing--know what? I had a feeling that she would pick this one!! lol The design on this one was inspired by the lovely artwork I won from her...see here and HERE .

Well, that's it for today--Have a wonderful weekend!

xoxoxo Karen