Hurry - Time is running out for my first giveaway!

MARTHA STEWART CRAFTS GIVEAWAY

TINY PARTY IN A BOX!!!!!!

There's only 2 days left and some lucky winner will have a new craft to play with. It could be you!!!



To enter, just leave a comment and please be sure I have a way to get in touch with you if you don't have a blog. If you would like a second chance to win, post about this giveaway on your blog and leave another comments saying you posted it. This will run until Sept 31, 2009 at midnight and the winner will be announced on October 1st.
This is my first giveaway so if I forgot anything please let me know. I'm always happy to get tips and ideas from readers. Have fun....Tracy

My interpertation of a farm girl

I really enjoy Swap-Bot. It's kind of like having someone challenge you to come up with something new. Sometimes that's just the motivation I need. The latest was ATC tags with the farm girl theme. It could be what ever you take is, whether it be Daisy Mae or Rebecca of Sunny Brook farms. This is my take. If you notice I took a vintage image that I found online that had a little Halloween to it and added a touch of glitter and once I came across this other pic I new where I was going. As you can see God knows clearly what he's doing just look at my before and after. Ha-Ha! He gives us lovely young faces and bodies so that we can find that wonderful soul mate before our pampering takes a backseat to everything else.

I think maybe he worked it out for the widows too. The men lose their hair, hearing and most important sight as they get older. God has a plan with checks and balances.

I hoped you got a laugh or at least smiled. Hugs...Tracy :)

Guess What I Did With This

A tiny wallet, a need for wall art, expensive taste, can't paint but have a creative spirit. What does this mean? It means that it adds up to the old adage - necessity is the mother of invention - and thank goodness for the hardware store. It means that I can't go to the Bombay store. What now? Oh yeah, what about all those pretty wallpaper samples at Lowes! Okay now what about frames? Lets see think cheap but remember it can't look cheap. It's not trash day no chance of seeing something fantastic on the side of the road. How about Big Lots -no, how about Family dollar - no. I don't want to waste gas going all over town. Not enough money for TJMaxx, Marshalls or Home Goods, which I personally love. I've got it Freds. Freds always has something. It might not be what your looking for at the moment but they always have something decorative that can be used somehow.

That's right I now have art work that only cost approximately $2.00 each for a total of $6.00. I took the wall paper border that they allow you to have free samples of and cut them into individual pieces to fit in the frames and TA-DA you have gorgeous new art! Could it get any simpler. The wallpaper has a nice texture that gives it a much better look than just a piece of paper. My little wallet is saved, I feel like I created something even though I'm most definitely not an artist, and my wall makes me smile every time I walk by.

I would love to see your money saving and creative decorating ideas. Please share them with me. I'd love to show them here.

Blessing to you all dear friends.....Tracy :)

Gifting From The Gifted

Have you ever noticed it seems that people who are very creative seem to also be such joyous givers. They genuinely seem to be pleased at the thought of sharing and making someone else happy. I'm not the most talented but God did give me a love of all things sweet and kind and a joy of giving.

When I receive a gift it always makes me feel so special but actually it's gift giver who is special. Let me introduce those of you who have not had the good fortune of meeting Elizabeth from Creative Breathing she is one of these joyous people. Just take a look at these sweet books that she gifted me with. I was so excited to receive them that I sat down and had the most relaxing evening reading these and then looking at the pictures over and over (Neil always says what are you doing, looking at the pictures? You know you can't read. - ha-ha, he's so funny). She is one of the most talented and modest crafters, no make that artist that I know. I feel so privileged to call her my dear friend. I have to admit, I am addicted to her blog. Not only for the most wonderful cheery photographs of her lovely creations and more but her writings that just let me drift aways to a bygone era of simple sweetness, gentleness and kindness that we have to search a little harder to find today. Her title is so apropos "Creative Breathing". Sometimes it's hard to find time to slow down. I want to thank Elizabeth for that special moment when I open my dashboard and sigh "Oh' goody, a new post from E.".

Have a blessed evening ya'll!!!

I Love Giveaways...How About You?

For the love of Pink!!!! Look at this giveaway. Anne at Carol Anne's Boutique is having a wonderful giveaway loaded with lots of girly pink. If you have never been to her site before you must check it out. She loves to collect vintage cabinet cards, postcards, sheet music and all kinds of ephemera which generously shares with everyone!

Above you will see her wonderful photo of the all the pretty items including the 2009 issue of Somerset "In Love" magazine as well as cardstock & paper, ribbon, roses, seam binding, lace, stickers, & collage sheets!

Also included is a box of hand dyed ribbon with metallic gold threads, 2 lovely silk and lace Roses and 1 silk Cabbage Rose from Flights of Fancy (you really must visit this website if you haven't already), a card of vintage white lace with flowers, the prettiest crinkle ribbon from Counting Your Blessings(Love this website), puffy stickers from K and Company and a trio of mini Roses in lovely pastel shades from Prima.

You'll be so happy you checked out her site! There is so many eye pleasing goodies!

P.S. Don't forget to take a peek and leave a comment for my Martha Stewart Giveaway as well.

Like I said I love giveaways and here is another.

Mary Green at Green Paper is hosting a drawing for the September ephemera envelope giveaway. I know you'll enjoy her blog as much as I do. She has a wonderful collection of ephemera. Be sure to check it out!

Thanks, Tracy

MARTHA STEWART CRAFTS GIVEAWAY

TINY PARTY IN A BOX!!!!!!

I've been wanting to have my first giveaway and just look at this cute kit that I found. It seems like all of August we were celebrating birthdays in our family. Luckily September gives us a break because in October my niece Stephanie and my granddaught Ki'a have birthdays.

So in honor of Kia's 7th birthday coming one month from today I'm giving away Martha Stewart's "Tiny Party In A Box Kit". This kit contains coordinating elements for a pint-sized party. Beginning with a tiny invitation and ending with little favor boxes that you can fill with miniature gifts, everything is tiny about this party except the fun. Add to the tiny theme by serving bite size finger foods.

To enter, just leave a comment and please be sure I have a way to get in touch with you if you don't have a blog. If you would like a second chance to win, post about this giveaway on your blog and leave another comments saying you posted it. This will run until Sept 31, 2009 at midnight and the winner will be announced on October 1st.

This is my first giveaway so if I forgot anything please let me know. I'm always happy to get tips and ideas from readers. Have fun....Tracy

Swaps are just fun!

Here comes Halloween and I have a Fairy Witch for you.

A close up of my fairy all decked out for Halloween.

Do you do swaps?

I'd like to know. I love seeing people sharing with each other and who doesn't love to find a surprise in the mail. It just makes me smile and makes the world feel a little kinder. This week was another first for me. I joined a QTA (quick turn around) swap on swap-bot. We were swapping Halloween Button Fairies. This was my interpretation of a fairy and it was really fun to make. If you look on flickr under button fairy you will see some very cute ones. This was fun and quick. I might try making some more of these in different categories of course. Wouldn't a Thanksgiving garland with pilgrims be cute and Christmas is right around the corner. Any ideas? Let me know, I love your comments.

A closeup of the vellum wings that I embossed and glittered - They're a little large which I'll keep in mind when I attempt my next Fairy.

Please share your latest creations and comments with me.

Have a blessed day....Tracy

She's Gone Home

Hi everyone.


First I'd like to thank you to so many people who have left kind words and kept my sister & her family in your prayers. Lula did pass away during the night, just after midnight and not long after the ventilator was removed. My sister who was in Atlanta got the call from her husband and he was of coarse terribly torn up. I can only remember how four short years ago Neils brother passed away unexpectedly at 52. Neil is still so lost. It is such a long road to that healing place of acceptance. I only have the one sister and I don't know what I would ever do without her. Though she lives in Atlanta hardly a day passes that we don't talk to each other. Our parents passed away when I was on 26 & 27 and Joni was only 31 & 32. I thought I'd never recover. I can assure you my life changed forever. I am better now but they are desperately missed. I think we feel like a child forever when it comes to our parents. My heart goes out to Oli, his parents & siblings and Lula's children. May God bless them with strength and peace.


I've listed a couple of comforting quotes that I found below. Take care all my friends and enjoy each day of time on this earth for it is short as we never know the Lords plans for each of us.

Hold on to what is good even if it is a handful of earth. Hold on to what you believe even if it is a tree which stands by itself. Hold on to what you must do even if it is a long way from here. Hold on to life even when it is easier letting go. Hold on to my hand even when I have gone away from you.
- Pueblo Blessing


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There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness,but of power. They speak more eloquently than 10,000 tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief,of deep contrition,and of unspeakable love.
- Washington Irving

Terrific Little Sayings with a Big Impact

Hey Ya'll. Sorry I haven't been blogged in a few days. It seems something's always going on. I've had several Drs. visits lately. Nothing big just doing a lot of checking. I have another on Friday and then lucky me a colonoscopy and whatever it's called when they go down the thoat too on the following Thursday. My bil's sister who is only in her 30's I think is in Texas and she is dying. He left Atlanta to go be with his sister and the family. I believe they are going to remove the ventilator tonight and they haven't said how long she might last. My heart goes out to the entire family. He just lost a brother a few years ago and it was very unexpected. Please keep my sister and her family in your prayers.

I keep a little homemade booklet that I call "My Little Book of Terrific Sayings". Anytime I find something that I really love I write it down, that way if it's not committed to my memory at least I can find it. I really need to create a journal book for these. Something with a little artsy style, something cute.

I shared a couple of these below. Take a peek.

I'm planning to have my first give away listed later this week, so please keep watching. And as always please leave me your comments. They are what inspire me and motivate me and I could use a lot of that right now. Hugs.....Tracy

Indian Summer Sale

Hey ya'll. Well it's September which means I'm in the official fall state of mind. The magazines are all showing the fall displays, clothes, home decor, etc... Go to the stores and it's the same thing. The only problem is the same problem I've had since I was a child. I LIVE IN FREAKIN' FLORIDA, the sunshine state - UUUUGGGHHH!!

Autumn is my favorite time of year and it's probably because we get so little of it. Take today for instance...is almost 90 degrees but the calendar and the rest of the United States say it's fall. Believe it are not, even though we can still go to the beach, you can tell a slight difference in the weather & the water. Not enough to cut our sacred air conditioning off but a light breeze, a bluer sky, a difference. My son calls from upper New York to remind me why he will never live in Florida again. The lows are now going into the 40's and the summer wasn't that bad. Just wait, I'll get my revenge when he's shoveling that snow out of the drive just to take the kids to school and shoveling it again to get back in. Seems he has moved to the snow belt region. I never thought he would make it up there, with his slow Southern temperament and Beach Boy Surfing ways. He never ceases to amaze me. His goal is to live an hour from the beach in maybe North Carolina. Which I would love because we have mountain property just no cabin there and maybe I would get to see him more often. It's just so odd how you think we'd do that later and later turns in to years and the grands are in school and I'm suddenly much older.

Ooops.....How did I spend that much time on the weather when all I wanted to do was let ya'll know that I'm having a sale at my ebay store with 15% off 250 items. Please take a moment to peek here in my store north-florida.

What about you, yeah you, the person reading this right now. Do you have an ebay store or perhaps some other store. Leave me a comment, let me know. I love to get your comments and see what you're up to!!! Have a fun weekend...Tracy

Win, Win, Win a Cricut with Today's Mama Contest

I came across this contest while visiting http://turtletaylor.blogspot.com/2009/09/great-escape-meme-contest.html TurtleTaylor blohg. Cricut has teamed up with Today's Mama for this awesome contest. Cricut and Today's Mama Great Escape Meme Contest. I have wanted one of these for so long. What about you? If so you definitely want to check this out. You can use this in every kind of craft imaginable. They are giving away some terrific prizes like a Cricut machine or all 4 of the new cartridges.

It's easy, to enter all you need to do is copy and paste the Great Escape Meme from the link above, create a blog post of your own about it and then send an email to Today's Mama with a link to it.

This is the contest entry for those crazy folks at TodaysMama and Cricut. Be sure to check out Cricut's cool new cartridges and the chance at $30,000 in travel for you and your friends at the Great Gypsy Escape site!

Great Escape Meme

1. If you could escape to anywhere in the world where would it be?

I have always wanted to see Egypt but after this long hot summer a nice fall trip to any mountain area sounds good.

2. What song do you play when you are by yourself in the car?

Living Color's Cult Of Personality (reminds me of the 80's fun we used to have).

3. If you had a night to yourself, and money was no object, what would you do?

I would plan a widely pampered night. I would take a private jet to a luxurious spa where I would be served a gourmet meal, followed by a walk on the beach, and then the full spa treatment with the most relaxing massage given in my private suite where I could go right to sleep afterwards.

4. What is your guilty pleasure?

Chocolate and coke. I can never have enough of either.

5. What is the farthest place you have traveled away from your home?

Seattle Washington - clear across the country.

6. Last book that you couldn't put down?

There isn't one, my attention span is way to short. I'm always flipping through mags or the paper, then it's on to the next thing.

7. When you want to escape into another time, what movie do you watch?

To Kill a Mockingbird and just about any black and white except for war pics.

8. What is your favorite local escape?

The beaches of course.

9. How do you escape on a budget?

We'll hit the road for a day trip to one of the historical (with lots of shopping) areas nearby such as: St. Augustine, Fl, Ameila Island, Fl. or Jekyll Island or St. Simons Island, Ga.

10. Best food you've ever had while on vacation.

That's easy - it's good old fashioned Southern country or bar-b-que that you get by riding the back roads on vacation. Less chain restaurants the better.

Post and answer the meme questions on your blog and then send us a link to your post via email with “Cricut Meme” in the subject line. You can even tag a few friends to participate in the meme. (Spread that love!)

Blocks, Tags, Swaps & Friends

Busy fun, don't you enjoy that. I'd much rather be tired from busy fun than the usual house work, errand running work. Click here http://creativebreathing.blogspot.com/2009/08/lucky-13.html#links to take a look at the ewwwy/ahhhy cute block that Elizabeth from Creative Breathing sent me.

This is the front of the block - don't you just love it!

Here's the back - she leaves nothing missing.

She is the most creative person. If you haven't checked out her blog yet I highly encourage you to, you want be disappointed. Plan to stay awhile there are tons of older post to see. You'll be hooked! I'm surprised she hasn't already been published, not only for her creative designs but for her writing. You know how they have little one page stories in the back of Southern Living - she has so many and they are so relaxing to read. I go there every day.


This was the first time I've ever created a block and I had so much fun I couldn't stop. These are the two I sent Elizabeth.

First one I made

Here's number two that I sent Elizabeth

I'm addicted, I couldn't quit. Here's the one I made for my sister Joni's birthday. This is Sally from the Dick and Jane readers that we read in school. She reminded me so much of Joni. The first thing Joni said was "Mom used to fix my hair just like that". I even remember her wearing cute little dresses like that.

I'll be back to post more photos from the tags swaps later. Do you like to make blocks? Please share your comments (which I love) and photos with me. By the way I've got some blog questions since I'm relatively new to all this. If anybody can offer any help, please let me know. They're just general questions about posts, tags, sidebar, etc... Thanks ya'll...Tracy

I'm back & look at what I've been doing

Hey ya'll!
Boy is it good to be getting back to normal again. We had to replace our whole a/c unit and I stayed away for 2 weeks. Luckily we have a vacant rental house with furniture that we were able to stay at and Neil did most of the a/c and cut the middle guy out. Saved over $2000.00 that way. It may be stressful but I am so lucky that he is so handy and takes on any project. The a/c guys that did the finish work asked Neil if he wanted to work for them because he had done such a good job - HA-HA! Who wants a broken a/c in Florida in August when the heat index is over 100 degrees? Boy were our tempers getting short. But going to the other house gave me the opportunity to work on projects I couldn't get to when at home and doing everything else. It was nice not having the usual distractions. But while over there I didn't have the internet and lightening struck at our house and we didn't have it over here either. We went through 3 different things trying to get back on line. We finally got one computer up & we sent both to the computer guy & got them cleaned up but our router now has to be replaced so that we can have both working at the same time.

All this going on and I had swaps and ebay that needed my attention. Not to mention that August is birthday month for my family. On the 17th is my niece Miranda's birthday - she turned 10, the 18th is my sister Joni's (Miranda's Nay-nay) - she turned - well I'll just keep that between her & me, on the 19th is my nephew Hoopie's (Joni's son) - I want to say he was 24 or 25, on the 20th is my Mother-In-Law's she turned 89, she now lives with us, and finally on the 23rd it was my son Ty's 30th birthday. Can you imagine that, where did the time go, I was just 26 myself. My sister & her family all live in the Atlanta area and my son lives in upper New York so I didn't get to celebrate with any of them.

Above, I've posted some pics of the tags I made for the "Spooky Halloween Tag Swap" hosted by the sweet Sarah at http://gypsymermaidlife.blogspot.com/. Please excuse my awful pics, I'm hoping and wishing for a new camera for Christmas. I might have better luck writing to Santa. I decorated both the front and the back of the tags. I wanted to glitter them up but with all that was going on I was late as it was. I also made her a glittery mermaid for a hostess gift. She has a great blog and this my second swap. I was fortunate enough to do my first ever swap with Sarah and she was very generous. I can't wait to get the tags everyone has made. I know they're going to be fabulous! We each made 13 and she is putting them together and sending each of us a set.

So now it's show & tell time, show me what you've been up to. Leave me a comment I love hearing from you. We'll I'd better go but I won't be long because I've got more to share....Tracy

Pay It Forward Game

I just found this and though it would be fun to play along. I found this Pay It Forward Game on Craft Crazy blog. If you haven't checked out Beth's blog before now is a good time.

Here’s how it works. I am making a commitment to make a special handmade item for five people. In order to qualify, you must post about this game on your blog and commit to make items for five of your readers in return. To sign up, just comment on this post and leave the URL of the post where you blogged about the Pay It Forward Game.
Here are the rules of the game:
1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make. Whatcha get is whatcha get.2. What I create will be just for you, with love.3. It’ll be done this year (2009).4. I will not give you any clue what it’s going to be. It will be something made in the real world and not something cyber.5. I reserve the right to do something strange or weird.6. In return, all you need to do is post this text on your blog and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to your blog post.7. Send your mailing address – after I contact you. I am willing to ship anywhere worldwide.
I will make an effort to do something that you like based on what I see on your blog, BUT there are no guarantees. Like Beth my blog is new so it might take awhile to get five people to sign up. If you come across this post a year from now and I still don’t have five signed up in the comments, I will still honor the commitment, so don’t hesitate to sign up. This is a great way to meet others and to give at the same time. I love random acts of kindness, what about you?