Meet my new friend and see her first time giveaway

Hey my fetching Ghosts and Goblins. The bewitching hour is almost upon us and I hope you'll all had a treat filled night of fun and trickery! This post is to introduce you to someone a lot of you might not know yet. I just found her. Her name is Debbie and her blog is Love the Decor. She has lots of decorating ideas and is now hosting her first giveaway. And who wouldn't want three new candles, which are great anytime of the year but they really make everything so cozy in the fall and winter. These are beautiful unscented candles - great for those with allergies. The best part they have beautiful embedded designs that glow when illuminated. Please stop by and see Debbie and be sure to tell her I sent you. You could be her first winner! Just click here. Hurry the winner will be chosen on November the 3rd!

While your at it be to sure to enter my Fall giveaway by clicking here.

Have a Sweet Sunday Ya'll.....Tracy

Have A Cup Of Tea Or Cider And Reminicse With Me

When fall comes it always brings warm memories of time spent with my mother. That's probably because for those few years before starting school it was just Mama and me time. My Daddy was at work and my sister was in school. I spent my day mostly following mom around, staying underfoot and in general getting in the way. I was a very clingy child ~ sometimes I don't know how she made it.

We had the most wonderful set of books called My Book House. I believe there were 12 volumes. The first book was nursery rhymes, the second was a little longer stories and so on and so on. I just loved the books, I mean truly loved them. They were originally purchased after my sister Joni was born in 1955 and they were kept in our bedroom and these were the ones our bedtime stories came from. I so wish I had a set now, at least the first two.

Back to those days at home with Mama.

I can clearly remember some of those days. Like the day she found me sitting on the bathroom sink covered in her beautiful red lipstick. Oh the shock on her face.

Then there was the time I remember walking around with my head stuck up her dress as she tried to move from room to room to clean the house. It was one of those wonderful June Cleaver cotton shirt dresses all pleated at the bottom and cinched at the waist with a matching belt in a soft blue green. Mama seemed so tall to a little kid like me. Well she was tall. Mom was 5 ft 9 inches tall and very thin. I was always a little thing taking more after my fathers side of the family. I'm only 5'3 now and seem to be shrinking. I'm sure by 70 if I live that long, I will be a whopping munchkin at 4'8".

Oh and how could I forget Mama just having finished mopping the kitchen floor and me being the helpful little girl I was taking out the brand new FULL GLASS jug of milk, which in my defense I might say was very heavy, and immediately dropping it on the floor where it promptly shattered. Ewe-wee she was not smiling and I received a nice reprimand for that one. To tell you the truth I can still remember feeling so sorry for her after having just mopped the kitchen.

But there's also lots of memories of picking up pecans outside and going to the our small little country county fair only a few miles from home. When the fair came, which was every October they actually had a kids day where school closed and students got in free that day. My Mom was a wonderful seamstress. She made beautiful tailored clothes for herself and little dresses for us. She had a very classic style. The clothes she bought or made for herself were never extremely trendy but so stylish that you could look at it twenty years later and still love it. I remember her entering a couple of her creations in the fair and receiving blue ribbons. She also entered crochet and knitting projects with the results producing more blue ribbons. I loved going to the fair grounds before it opened while Mama set up displays or helped with the band booth or work at the front office. Then a couple of weeks later Mom would be back at the fairgrounds again helping to set up the Halloween carnival for the school. A few days before halloween they would have a carnival inside one of the buildings were they had all the little booths that you could win all those little plastic toy spiders and such at. There was always the fortune telling booth with the gypsy where they would put the little cellophane fish in you hand that would move because of the heat of you hand ~ ewe spooky. What a wonderful time that was. By the time I was about 9 or 10 all this stopped and she spent more time at home and didn't socialize to much anymore.

I guess I got a little sidetracked because this post on Mama all got started because I was thinking about the book story set. There was this other set of books, that I always associate with the book story set because they were always with them. They were black and white pictures or drawings of crafts to do with children. I can remember pulling those down every week countless times and asking can we make this? What about that? The answer was always the same - Not today. Mom never had cared for crafting and my desire to make silly little crafts never left. I'm so grateful to my Mom for teaching me how to sew. My sister never wanted to learn and never did. It was a real bond for Mama and me one that I cherish to this day. Unfortunately between her being left handed and me being right handed and also a little klutzy and impatient I never could learn to do more than a chain stitch when crocheting. Oh how I wish she were here to make me a Afghan now. The yarns are so soft and so beautiful. I'd even be willing to try her patience and attempt to learn again.

I hope on these last two days of October you're enjoying fond memories of your childhood too.

Love and hugs to you all...Tracy

Family Holidays and Great Giveaways

Well it took me a while but I'm back with a new give away for you. This time I'm hosting. I know I was going to post this a week or so ago but well you know how life gets in the way, it's demanding like that.

With fall and Thanksgiving in mind I put together a few items for you. It includes 3 fabric pumpkins that I made (which was fun and easy), there is also an adorable scarecrow box, a Give Thanks door banner with hanger and a couple of fall kitchen towels. I hope it helps ready your house for the gathering of friends and family. The giveaway is opened through Wednesday midnight November 11, 2009. I will draw the winner on Thursday November 12th. Because of the size and weight I will only be able to ship this inside the continental United States. If you live outside the United States and would still like to enter, I could ship you the banner and kitchen towels since they would fit in an envelope.

I have to tell you this giveaway is a little self serving (okay, a lot). I've had a store in ebay for quite sometime and it's mostly vintage items. Ebay has gotten so expensive that I'm just ready to get rid of it. I have a lot of stuff there. I've recently marked things down and could use some help clearing this place out. So if you can take a peek. You never know you might find something you like. In return I will be happy to give you an extra "6" entries into this fall giveaway.

Hopefully this will be the first step to opening an etsy store. Yeah!! But please make sure you enter whether you check ebay out or not. Thank you all for indulging me and my self promoting ways.

This time I'm offering you 4 ways to enter. Here are the simple rules:

1 entry- for each comment left throughout the event.
2 (extra) entries - for signing up as a follower.
4 (extra) entries - post to your sidebar... the giveaway, picture, with a link, to Cotton Pickin Cute(let me know with a comment).
6 (extra) entries - for any purchase made from my ebay store north-florida. Just click here to go to my store. (Be sure to post a comment and let me know if you purchase so you can get the extra entries)

GOOD LUCK MY FRIENDS!!!

Best of luck and Happy Thanksgiving to all....Tracy

I'm Sharing A New Giveaway For You To Enter

Hi everyone. I found another giveaway to share with ya'll. I really do need to get busy and finish some of my own projects but you know how it is. You want to check out every ones latest post and then you click on something else and find a whole new post and well there you go. So much time lost but what a fun way to lose it. There's just so many creative people and ideas out there and here is another one. Don't ask how I got there ~ I oh' so simply started out at Elizabeth's Creative Living and well who knows where I went next.

Anyway back to the adorable giveaway. Are you ready? I know you are. Here it is.......

It's an adorable creation from Andrea over at Vintage Bella Studio. She's giving away a cute Audrey Hepburn inspired bag. Don't you just love it. I know I do. So be sure to stop by and enter. I'm sure your going to end up sticking around like I did.

Sara's Sweet Surprise Give Away

Have you ever checked out Sara's Sweet Surprise. Shes got a cute blog with lots of cute ideas. And you will really love this give away. It's a gorgeous 2 gallon cut glass Apothecary Spigot Jar. I have wanted one of these for so long for the simple reason of they are so pretty. What other reason do I need. So I don't give to many teas or showers. I want it, I want it, I want it! Gosh, I learned to say that about 2 and never stopped. Tee-hee. So why am I posting this and asking for more competition in the give away? Well because I'm just so dang nice, well, um that's not quite the truth, I get 10 extra entries for posting. But I do like to share information when I find a really good blog site or give away. So I hope you take a peek, just click here.

Cheryl's having a October goodie give away

There's a new give away in town. If you haven't already checked out Cheryl's blog Zany Mayd you will be glad you did. She's hosting a Vintage October ~ Giveaway #2. Such cute goodies. She must love making people smile, what a sweetie! Just click here to leave Cheryl a comment and be entered into her give away.

A Day In The Life...of a woman after God's heart

Hi Ya'll. I thought tonight I might share with you the new blog that I'm following. Actually it's really much more than a blog ~ it's an online bible study. Debra from Common Ground has begun a new bible study blog and I'm really excited about it. It's called a day in the life ...of a woman after God's heart.

As Debra has said this is sort of opening up her quite time that she spends with God. Quoting Debra "It should be interactive. Questions, thoughts, ideas, opinions, they are all valuable to me. I'm not going to get into any doctrinal or theological debates here." She shares passages with us to read so that we can discuss (or just read if you would like).

For me it gives me some direction and reminds me to take that quite time and spend with God. And then I love going back and sharing ideas with the others. This is open to anyone who would like to be a part of this. If you haven't visited Debra at Common Ground please take a moment to you will find her to be just as sweet & loving as can be. I also hope you take a peek at a day in the life, I believe you'll feel as blessed as I do.

The Garden Bell: THE WINNER IS............

IT'S ME....IT'S ME....CAN YOU BELIEVE IT'S ME!!!!


I just love all the bright cheery colors. Sweet Kate from The Garden Bell created this on the way home from Door County - hence the name door bell. She is so creative and witty, what a winning combination.

If you've never visited her blog you can click here and boy will you be glad you did. She has beautiful pictures and creates the most beautiful blankets, Afghans and more. Something I admire that I most definitely cannot do. Thank you Kate for making my day.

Welcome To My Grave Yard

**** I'm sorry about the photos. I spent hours trying to correct this post by reloading the pics and checking small but it came out the same as the first time. I'm so disappointed you can't even see my son Ty. If anybody else has had trouble with loading photos please give me you tips. I never can move photos around once I send them here. I either don't know something (which is very possible) or there is an easier way. TIA....Tracy

Hey Ya'll. It's officially fall for me, seeing as how we have actually had 2 days of weather in the sixties. Sadly though it will be back in the 80's in the next few days. But while I'm feelin' the cool and feelin' the mood, I thought I'd share last years Halloween pictures with you.

So I'm warning you now this is a proud Grandma's picture post sooooo it may take awhile.

Just a little background. My son Ty, daughter-in-law Christal, and their two children Zack and Ki'a lived in Nebraska last year (they are now in up state NY). Zack has cystic fibrosis and the make a wish foundation granted his wish to go to Disney World. So the family came last October and had a week of fun. They then headed to our house about 2 1/2 hours North on Nov 1st the day after halloween. I went crazy knowing they would be here and put ALL the decorations out.

Ki'a had just turned 6 a week earlier and Zack was 7 (soon to be 8 on New Years Eve).

I usually pick up the decorations when they go on sale for 75-90% off after Halloween.


Please ignore all my nasty cords. I promise to do better next time. There are actually 3 of these ghost. I made them from black and white flannel with white buttons a few years ago. You hang them on some up side down metal tomato cages with white holiday lights wrapped around the cage. So sew easy. I did have a pattern but it's simple straight stitches (I have a fear of drawing anything without a pattern - trying to gutsy up and get over that).


Here's one of Neil and Zack. He adores his Granddaddy and vice-versa. Zack hasn't lived here since he was about 2.

Zack and Ki'a waiting on Zelda the Gypsy to tell them they stay at Disney World forever.


Here's a picture of the ghost I made lit up. Don't they look fun, who could be scared of those faces?


Dead Harry here, well he's a little more frightening.



Here's Kia saying "I ain't afraid of no ghost" and playing ring around the rosies with our singing ghost group. She fits right in with them except for the tan.



Ki'a's holding Esmeralda the witches hand. What a freaking tiny hand that witch has. She moves her hand and arms back and forth and hers eyes glow green. She looks like she's stirring the pot I added.


I think they're singing a belated Happy Birthday to Ki'a.


This girl is Fearless with a capital F. Of couse it might have been a little cooler if they had seen it before they had gone to Disney - the land of realistic pirates. The cauldron looks a lot cooler at night too. I took a couple of grape vine wreaths and put some white Christmas tree lights around them (orange ones would work great). Then I took an orange disposable table cloth and cut it up and weave it around the wreaths cutting it like little flames. I've got bricks holding the Caldron up above the grape wreaths More bricks in the Calderon hold the LED light changing skull up enough to see it. Then I just took pillow fillers and pulled it all bubbly looking and overflowing to look like a boiling cauldron. You can see Esmeralda's just waiting to drop another head into the pot. The black cat had changing LED colors too. It's very hard to imagine how much different the scene looks after dark.

I found this light up skeleton at the thrift store for a couple of dollars. It really looks neat at night because you don't see the cords. You only notice the head and hands lit up. I told you she was brave.

Can you see Frankenstein peeking around the post?





Here's a great picture of Zack holding my faux pumpkins. He's alot harder to get a picture of since he's got Granddaddy to play with. These pumpkins were the best purchase ever. I found these at Michael's about 10 years ago when they first came out. They were a lot more expensive than now but I used 40% coupons and I knew that I was saving a bundle over the long run because I always bought so many real pumpkins (which I still love). I never liked the orange plastic pumpkins growing up because they were so fake and these are so amazingly life like. Now that I'm oldish I love the kitsch of the old stuff too.


That witch makes the coolest cackling sounds as she moves up and down and is lit up.

Here we all are. As most of you know Neils mother now lives with us. She turned 89 this last August. Sorry for all the squinting and eye rubbing but the sun was directly in our eyes. Ki'a's holding the baby doll I made for her birthday which we celebrated while she was here even though it was late.




Here we are again. I love this picture with Ty and Christal smiling and laughing. Zack's holding our baby Mattie. She'll be 10 next month.

There's my sweet boy Zack flying his airplane with Granddad.


I know Ty is tall. I'm only 5'3" but my mom was 5'9" and his dad was close to 6 ft - he just passed them a little. His best friend from school is like 6 ft 7".

Ki'a is all girl and so dainty.


It's so funny. You call Zack's name and he turns automatically with a smile as if cued for his shot and Ki'a is always so introspective & dreamy looking. I miss them all so much.


Well - whew - that's my long butt post. I warned you. Hope you had fun. Show me yours now.

Have a blessed night....Tracy :)

Update on the new give away

Hi ya'll. I know I told ya'll I would post the new giveaway today ~ well as you can see that hasn't happen. I didn't forget but I've either pulled a muscle in my back or pinched a nerve or something. Anyway it hurts terribly to move and I have a splitting headache that won't go away. I hope to be better tomorrow but I promise I will post it as soon as I can get back to normal.

Thanks ya'll & have a blessed night. Hugs...Tracy

Vintage Images For You To Be Creative With

Hey Ya'll. I know it's been over a week since I posted and promised to get you those scanned vintage photos. Well here are some of them. I have scanned both photos and the backs of the cards because I just love their penmanship and advertising. I'm not used to scanning so I hope that these came out okay. You may or may not have to size them. And believe me this isn't even the half of them. I have lots more that I'll be sharing with you. I wish I could claim these as being from my long line of distinguished family members but alas, I cannot. Aren't they great though? These are free for you to use ~ ya'll all share so much with me. Please just link back to me if you post them. Most of all if you make something with them please send me pics so I can show them. I just love to see every ones creations. That's the best part.

Hey, I know there must be someone who can help me out there. I would like to host Fall Friday's starting this week. Everyone could link their fall photos, whether it be nature scenes, porch decorating (one of my favorites), Halloween or fall decorating, fall in the cemeteries ( I think it's such a peaceful place, I know I'm weird), just use your imagination. Oh' an especially fall craft/decorating projects. Ya' know I gotta love them. The only problem is (big to me, maybe little to you) I have never hosted a link up site type thing before. How do you create a tag or button or whatever you call it. HELP ME, HELP ME! I would love to have all your help in posting to make this a success too.

Also be sure to come back tomorrow. I should have a new give away listed by then. I'll give you a hint ~ Halloween.

Awe.... Isn't she (or maybe he) cute!

Look at that date ~ 1887

Doesn't she look young in an everybody looks 50 back then sorta way.

Don't you just want to squeeze those cheeks?

You don't see beautiful scrolling like that anymore. I so wish I have the talent of drawing and penmanship.
Wouldn't you just love to have all that old lace. She's so precious.



Umm...looks like he's at a ball just before leaving for the Civil War. This one is an actual tin type photo.

I'm assumming this is 1897. I love it being to: Auntie Snow.

I hate to say, but you know your all thinking it, is this a man or a woman. Ha-ha.



Isn't the back of this card pretty.


That's all for now but come back again because I'll be listing these for awhile. Don't forget to send me a photo of what you create. I'd love to see what you do with these images.

I'll be posting Free Vintage Photographs this week

I've got some online goodies coming up this week. Neil went to an auction yesterday and brought these 2 antique photograph albums home. He will be selling these in his ebay store later but I told him first I would need to scan them all. The albums themselves are in worse for wear condition but there are a lot of photographs. The only dates I found so far I think were around 1878. Some of the photos are missing ~ I'd love to know what they were. Probably civil war soldiers because those sale for quite a bit more. Even the backs of these are really neat. I love how decorative the writing was during this period. It looks like the photos were mostly done in New York. I'm waiting for Neil to get them out of the frames in the books because the pages are so fragile and I don't want to hear how I tore it up. Once I scan them I put them up so anyone who wants to save to use can. Looks like they'll be wonderful for altered art. Keep watching I'll be posting them this week. Below you just see some photos I took. There are a lot more and scanning hopefully will be much better.

Have a great day ya'll....Tracy :)

You can see how ornate these books would have been just from the corner metal pieces. It's a shame that the celluloid is all broken and missing. The books are covered in velvet & leather.