Lucky Lucky Me!!!

Oh' Happy Days, Oh' Happy Days!!!!! Whats only 2nd to God, Friends and Family? Why winning or being gifted by someone who makes you feel so special. After such a dark couple of weeks all the prayers and love and kindness took hold and I started feeling better and now the man in brown brought me some blog love today and I couldn't have been more thrilled. I was one of the LUCKY or should I say BLESSED winners of Barbara Jeans lovely giveaway. I can't imagine anyone not knowing her blog Treasures From The Heart but just in case you haven't you can click on her name, the name of her blog or here and stop in to visit her. She is such a sweet person I'm sure you'll end up following her just like me. So please go by and give her some love. I just love this precious birds nest with egg included in this cute vintage funnel. All dressed up with a little gauze and lace and a sweet little flag that says blessings. And look at the beautiful tag she included! It couldn't say what I experienced in the last few weeks any better. Blessings and Friends, they do go hand in hand. Thank you dearest Barbara Jean for you beautiful and handcrafted loveliness! Thanks for sending some SPRING my way!

Be Warm Hugs and Sweet Dreams Friends. xxxooo's.....Tracy :)

I Felt Like This But Because of You I Now Feel Like This!

Yes ~ This was me just last week

But look at me now! See the me after the clouds parted. Oh' yeah, I guess the miracle is I turned into a grinning Cheshire Cat from a Sad Little Puppy!!!! (I don't know where I found these pictures but think they are so cute and thank you to someone).

Oh' My Goodness. Because of all your love and all your warmth and kindness I have so much to be grateful for today. I wish I could paint a different picture of what the last two weeks have been like but I'm not going to do that. It was what it was. It was not pretty. It was not fun. It was a struggle. But it was a struggle that I could have never gotten through had it not been for the people that loved me enough here in blogland. I'm not exaggerating.....it's true the words that you shared with me. The time you spent to visit me is truly and most certainly what saw me through. Thank you all so much. I wish I could send every single one of you a bouquet of spring flowers.

There you go not a huge Miracle Monday for most but quite a big one from me. The miracle itself besides changing from a dog to a cat, is the way The Lord has used each and everyone of you to help me. You've sent me messages of love and comfort. Suggestions and overall support to encourage me. I know so many of you have prayed for me and lifted me up to our Father. Thank you, Thank you!!! I know there have probably been prayers that I never knew about but our Father did and they did not go unheard. Thank you for those who thought of me but didn't say anything. I have been amazed!

And Kate you've were a lifeline. Thank you for checking in on me many times per day and seeing me through. Thank you immensely!!!

I love each of you and pray that you know just what you all have done for me. I know that it takes more than prayer. It takes searching for answers with Drs, my life, and a lot of hard work. The crisis time has passed for now. I know my battle of depression is not over but I'm hear today only because of the kindness you have given me. May God bless each of you over and over for your kindness and love.

Warmest of love and hugs to each of you......Tracy :)

I Want This and I Bet You Will Too!

There is a new giveaway in Blogland and to be quite honest I really hope I win this. It looks so calming and precious.

Julie over at Prairie Thistle is celebrating her 400th blog post. She has created this absolutely gorgeous Madonna and Child Reliquary for a Giveaway.

Click on her name or here to go to Prairie Thistle. Here's what you need to do to be entered in the Giveaway...

1. Become a follower of Prairie Thistle blog.

2. Post a link on your blog, feel free to use any of the images from her giveaway.

3. Leave a comment on Prairie Thistle blog.

Julie's is a mixed media artist. Her blog is full of beautiful photos and where you can see her love of nature, vintage nostalgia, yoga and living on the prairie. I really think you will enjoy her blog as much as I did. I just found her today and thought I would pass this along to you ~ oh' yeah and I wanted to enter and win this, BAD!!!

Hugs Dear Friends.....Tracy :)

Do You Have A Miracle You'd Like To Share?

Calling all angels / friends (same thing to me). I'm having a little trouble. I have so many people in blog land that I love. People, like you that I just love to visit. I enjoy seeing all your beautiful creations, hearing about all of your memories and family love. So today I'm asking if you can share a little love with me and my readers.

Do you have a miracle big or small? Do you have just a thankful heart for something? It can be the simplest of things. Maybe you have a really big something. Maybe you've just heard or read a good news story in your town. I know I would sure love to hear it and I bet a lot of other people would too. Good news does the heart good! And I love, I mean I really do love small town news stories. It must be the small town girl in me. Is there someone who took a moment to speak to you? Something that just radiated with you? I'd love to be able to appreciate it with you.

To those who noticed.... I was absent last Monday. I'd been sick and going to the Dr. so I didn't get to post anything. This week I am just a bad girl. Here it is 8pm and all I have for you is this post with more questions than answers.

I really want this blog to be a happy place. I am grateful to our Lord for every blessing. I am not somehow happy with myself. I shouldn't say it out loud it really doesn't accomplish a thing. I feel like I'm at the end of I don't know what. I hope I haven't ran anyone off yet. Who wants to keep hearing drama? But I feel sick, literally sick of myself. I just hurt inside. I hurt in my heart, and I hurt in my gut. And I'm sorry to say it to all of you but I just feel like a rag twisted tight and like gushes of water are going to come pouring out. Have you ever just wanted to run and get under the blankets until it passes? I really want to run into a loving Grandmothers arms and just cry and not have to feel better to make her happy but to just have her love and comfort me until it passes. I would love to have a retreat, like a women's church retreat to go to but I don't belong to a particular church anymore and if I did right now I couldn't come up with the money. I feel so lost and so unhappy with me. Not with anyone but me. Not my circumstances but with me. And it's all my fault if you want things to be better you have to do something about them. What's wrong with me, I just don't. Why can't I be grateful that I don't have a devastating illness or I've had a better life then so many others.

And don't get me wrong, even worse I know I have nothing physical to be upset about. I have the most wonderful people in blog land stop by and say some of the kindest things. And I swear I'm not fishing for compliments. I just genuinely hurt/ache! God forgive me for complaining or not appreciating enough of what has be given to me. I hate sounding desperate, but right now I feel desperate. I love each of you. I admire all of you. I hope you all know that.

Best of everything to all of you. All my love, Tracy

Petite Valentine Inspiration Box Swap

Hi Ya'll. I'm dying to show you all the pretties that I received from my latest swap. Heather at Speckled-Egg hosted the most fun swap for Valentine's Day called Petite Valentine Inspiration Box Swap. She put us in groups of 4 and we all made made altered match boxes and filled them with lots of little goodies. All my swap partners were just so generous. Look at all the different things. That's what's so fun about swapping, you get to see everyone elses take on the theme. I hope you'll take a minute to stop by Heather, Kris, Tia & Stacy's blogs. They are all so creative.

The first one above is from Kris at Loves Me Some Crafts it was filled to the brim and over flowing with vintage goodies! There were tons of charms and valentines and even chocolates packaged so sweetly. Um, you're not seeing a picture of those because, well ya'll know I can't wait on chocolate. It went quick. And there was even a little vintage note book in there. My terribly old camera doesn't take the best pictures but her beautiful box is in there. It was covered in a wonderful vintage map with glittery (we all love glitter) red hearts and pink vintage wings. And it was all packaged in a pretty red burlap! Thank you so much Kris. I love it all.


Above you'll find the oh' so cute box that Tia from Domestic Underground created and covered in vintage paper. On the outside she had this precious little porcelain baby's hand holding the pretties glittery pink heart. And it was filled with the most precious items. There was a sweet little Valentine box covered with lace and inside a tiny little bottle of precious silver glitter. I get excited over miniature things. Did you notice the darlin' cupcake picture holder? There was a pretty pink flocked velvet heart, pink tickets to craft with, lots of cards, a bingo card and other crafting goodies which I love. Tia, thank you for so many lovelies!

Above is a photo of the stash that Stacy from Creative Muse sent me. This lovely box full of pink and red goodies covered in a pretty pink paper and tied up with tulle was just precious. Every time I see tulle I automatically think of weddings. Look at the beautiful heart and jeweled pin she created! Isn't it just so sweet. It had the sweetest little cigar wraps in red and gold. There were satin roses and even candy beads for a necklace, which promptly got eaten. Really you can't leave sweets around me. This was so fun Stacy. Thanks for being my swap buddy!

I'll come back and post the boxes I sent them tomorrow. Thank you Heather for putting this together. And a big thanks to Kris, Tia and Stacy for being such generous swap partners.

Happy Valentine's Weekend Ya'll. Hugs....Tracy :)

3 More Giveaways For You

Wow, there are so many giveaways out there. I'm trying to keep up ~ no, make that catch up, and I'm doing my best to try and put them together for you in a few posts.

No. 1 - My friend Melissa over at Melissa's Home and Heart is hosting a giveaway featuring Lisa Leonard custom stamped silver jewelry. I love these necklaces. Stop by Melissa's by clicking here. You can click on Lisa's name above to visit her sight and view all her lovelies. She has several ways for you to enter. Good luck!


Giveaway #2


What says Valentines more than jewelry. And bloggers are so lucky because we have access to the most creative people in the world. I found a new blog today. Patine Soul is devoted to "The love of all things old, time worn, chipped, tattered, torn and aged to perfect". I know you'll like this blog. She is hosting a giveaway featuring jewelry designs Erin Kate, from www.eKate.etsy.com.

The winner of this giveaway will get a $40.00 Gift Certificate to use to purchase one of her wonderful hand-stamped jewelry designs. On February 14th one lucky winner will be chosen. So be sure to stop by Patina Soul , just click on her name and enter. To see more of Erin's jewelry designs just click on her etsy address above.

Giveaway # 3

Oh' all you girls out there that love wonderful old goodies, you're going to be so happy about this! Sweet Lisa over at Tarnished and Tattered is giving away a wonderful basket full of goodies to say thank you to her readers. My heart is still skipping beats. Just go by Lisa's blog Tarnished and Tattered and leave her a comment. Her blog is so lovely. I bet you'll stick around for awhile once you get there.

Well that's it for now ya'll, not that there isn't a ton more out there. Maybe I can get some more listed tomorrow. Good luck!

Hugs Sweet Friends

Bloggers Syndrome

I hope you can see this whole picture. I don't remember where I found this image it's been so long. But I love it. I would love to have a secret garden and a place where you could just stumble upon this amazing sculpture. I just thought this perfectly symbolizes how I feel in this blog post. I just can't keep up with Martha and I'm beginning to think ya'll might have her beat.

When I was younger, it was Martha Stewart syndrome and now it's bloggers syndrome. I was so naive in the early years of Martha. Like most women I thought she is amazing, how does she do it all. What a failure I am ~ I don't have that energy. Well neither did she. You would have to be inhuman to make 40 hours fit into 24. Admittedly she does have incredible amounts of energy but if you think that her house and family were bright and shiny with fresh baked Christmas ornaments well how wrong you would be.

You'd think I would have learned but no I'm now blinded by the glitzy shine of it all. I can't stop looking and I keep thinking how are they doing it all. I don't even have children at home. How do you look and create, much less keep a home or have a real life. I just love blogging. I too would love to get paid or even perks for it but for now I'm just pedaling as fast as I can trying to catch up.

There are so many wonderful giveaways out there and I want to share them with everyone but right now it seems I'm barely keeping up just leaving a basic post myself. I've got lots of things I've worked on that I'd like to post soon. And I'm going to try to get you a big ole' list of giveaways posted too. Stay tuned and try to stay warm. This is the craziest weather.

Love ya'll.....Tracy :)