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?

I haven't forgotten....

I wanted to let everyone know that I'm not able to use my computer right now and am using the one at the library. As soon as I'm back up I'll get back to anyone who has emailed me. I don't want you to think that I forgot you.

FROM BED TO STREET CRED

Poor Neil was outside mowing the yard today and look what fun I was having stealing the sheets off the bed. Just kidding. I found this sheet and some others a few weeks ago and finally got a chance to make a top. I went out looking for pretty sheets that would be summery and cool after seeing all the cute ones that everybody else was creating. What a great upcycle project that's easy. Talk about stretching the budget. This sheet was probably a queen so there's a ton of fabric left. And it was very easy too. If you plan it right you don't even have to hem it. I cut it out so that the hem at the top of the sheet was the hem of the blouse. I used the seam reaper to undo the hem at the side seams, sewed up the sides and then re hemmed those little sections on the machine.


After it was finished I noticed 2 little stain marks on the yoke. Where did those come from? I looked that sheet over really good. But a bad thing turned out okay. I just used some buttons I found around the house to hide them. I added a few extra just for balance. At first I thought ol' flip! Of all places to have 2 little stains they had to be on the front most noticeable place. But that's where the cup half empty or half full comes in. If the stains had been any place else I would have had a hard if not impossible time hiding them. Can you picture buttons just a little lower - Ha-Ha!!! I would look like a stripper (one that doesn't make a very good living at that, ha).

This top is perfect for me 8 months out of the year here in Florida. It is so hot and so humid, you feel like your chocking with anything more on. I had been looking everywhere for some tops with this thin cotton feel and I didn't have any luck. Now I know... just check the bedding dept.

LOOKIE AT MY GOODIES

It's been awhile since my last post but look at the goodies I've been holding on to and waiting to show you. It seems that teapots are popping up everywhere I go even though I'm not looking for them. You'll have to excuse my photos. I definately need a new camera. I love this little sparkly ornament. I buy these things with the intentions of selling them and then have a hard time letting them go.

I just love this bombay photo frame. The second one is missing the glass but that's an easy and cheap fix. When I first saw it I immediately thought of painting it a shabby white or pink but now I'm not so sure that I shouldn't leave it as is. What do you guys think? I can't decide if I want to keep it or list it in my ebay store click here http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/north-florida or maybe the esty store that I hope to open this week. I've got tons of items in my ebay store - lots of vintage and Christmas among other things.

I really like this old set of New Orleans playing cards? I don't even know if the decks are complete, I just thought they would be great to use in some altered art creations.

And this set I just adore. I don't know what they are called for sure but as you can see it's the cutest couple in young love and years later in old love. They're from Norman Rockwell prints. Aren't they sweet. I have lots of ideas for these.

Here's the other teapot. Wouldn't this make a great planter or maybe put a small glass inside and have real flowers coming out the top? The lid can be removed so it just hangs at the side. From the lid it looks like it was used as a candle holder. I also thought maybe I could fill it with a stash of ribbons or buttons or just little collectibles. So many ideas and just one little tea pot. I love the heart on the side.

Neil had a whole roll of these vintage watermelon labels and I had to have some! These are so old probably from the 1940's. They'll be great on something/things!!! I'll probably sell some of these too.

Stayed tuned ya'll and lets see what I come up with. Please leave comments, ideas, suggestions, etc... - I Love Them!!!!