Let's catch up.........

These past few weeks have been filled with some fun and exciting events that I wanted to be sure to share with you all.  So before time gets away from me, grab a cup of tea and maybe a cookie or two  and lets catch up.......
On October 17 Alex and I celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary.  Wow 22 years ago we said " I do" and began our lives together as man and wife.  When Alex asked me how I wanted to celebrate this anniversary, I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do.  Then he asked the question in a different way..."Do you want to go out for a really nice dinner or do you want to get another puppy"?  I had to think about that for about one second---"Let's have pizza and get a puppy" We had been talking about getting a friend for Sassy and this seemed like the perfect way to celebrate our anniversary.  I have always wanted a Golden Retreiver but Alex wasn't sure that he wanted such a big dog.  He just could not be convinced that it was a good idea but since this was a gift for our anniversary he gave in.  I called around and found a breeder who had one little girl left---I knew she was ment for us.  After talking with the breeder for a long while she invited us to come and meet this sweet little pup.  How do I know that my husband loves me.... I forgot to mention that we had to drive about 2 1/2 hours from home,  on a Sunday afternoon , during the STEELER game. I think that says "true love".  Oh boy was it worth it---I fell in love with her the minute I saw her.  Let me introduce to you the newest member of our family......

Mabel Vanilla Grace

Oh yes,  I asked the little girls I babysit to help name her--I chose her first name but her middle names were carefully and lovingly choosen by Kate and Emma.

Mable is settling in wonderfully at her new home.  She and Sassy love each other and it sure is a blast to watch them play.  She is going to be the perfect addition to our family.

Another exciting event occured last Friday night at my son's football game. It is a tradition that before the last home game of the regular season all of the senior band members, cheerleaders, and football players along with their parents walk onto the field to be recognized.  It was a beautiful night, warm temperatures and NO rain.   We had watched this event for many years and it seemed surreal  that we were actually apart of  this year's Senior Night celebration.  

 

All of the moms were give the most beautiful yellow rose corsage and a family picture was taken to commerate the event.  I have not received a copy of that photo yet but I will share it with you at a later post. The night continued on with a win for the team which made 100 wins for our head coach.  The boys were so excited as the game was played against our number one rival. 

 It was a wonderful night--one that I will remember for a long time.

This weekends activity will be the last event I share for this post.  It is a weekend event that my mom and I look forward to every year.   We work all year creating items to display and sell at a local craft fair.  It is a large show with many vendors.  The weather was beautiful this year which brought many shoppers our way. 

I displayed my soldered charms, scrapbooks, and cards while my mom shared her beautiful quilts, purses, and embellished jean shirts.  We had so much fun this year as my good friends Joyce and Bethanie had their tables next to ours.  I also have so much fun meeting new people and talking about my art.  After the craft show my mom and I ended the day with a nice dinner at one of my favorite local restrauants .  It was a great day for many reasons but it was extra special because I got to share it with my mom. 

Thanks for catching up with me.  It has been a long day and I am headed off to bed for some much needed sleep.  Have a great rest of the weekend.  Check back soon as I have some Christmas projects that I can't wait to share with you.

xoxoxo

Mimi~

Happy Halloween

I have such fond childhood memories of Halloween night. I grew up in a large neighborhood with lots of children. It was great fun walking the neighborhood with my sister and my best friend, Heidi while our dads led the way from house to house. I loved walking up to each door and ringing the bell. "TRICK OR TREAT" We knew all the neighbors and loved for them to guess who was under each costume. Some of the neighbors would have special treat bags for us while others would hand out huge chocolate bars. I think my favorite treat was the homemade popcorn balls. As we walked up the sidewalk to the front door you could smell the popcorn popping. When you entered the front door the sweet smell of candied popcorn was there to greet us. YUM!!! As the evening came to a close and our legs were tired from walking, when we thought we couldn't take another step we would head home for a nice warm cup of hot chocolate. The evening would always end up by dumping all of our loot onto the floor, sorting it into piles, and trading each other for our favorites.

Yes that's me--I am the bunny and my sister the little leopard. My mom always made our costumes. When I became a mom, I couldn't wait to carry on the tradition of making Alex's Halloween costumes. My favorite was the year he was a robot.

Oh such fun memories.......

Before I close this Halloween post for tonight, I wanted to share a few little projects that I completed for my little shop at Sweet Peas.

Trick or Treat candy boxes and Halloween peek a boo notes.

I hope you all have a Happy Halloween making special memories that will last a life time. As for me, I am off to eat some leftover trick or treat candy---Butterfingers here I come.......

Leather and Lace

Did you ever feel so proud of your child that you thought you might just burst? That's how my husband and I are feeling lately about Alex. Of course we are always proud of him and the fine young man he has grown into but lately we just can't help ourselves from sounding his praises a little more. Alex has been playing football since he was just eight years old. First playing for Tiger Pride, an organization affiliated with our school district for young boys interested in football. He moved on to middle school football and then to JV. Last year, being a junior, he played a little varsity but this year with a lot of hard work and determination has worked his way to becoming an important member of the varsity squad. My husband and I sit in the stands, watching him play with so much intensity giving the team 110%. We watch as the other team members and coaches pat him on the helmet after a great play and as the camaraderie between he and the other players grow. We watch as he runs out of the locker room with the team while the school fight song is played by the band. It can almost bring tears to our eyes. (ok I must admit--it has brought a tear to my eye) This past Friday was so special as both sets of grandparents were able to attend to cheer Alex on.....

We were so excited to wake up this past Saturday to find that Alex had made the front page of the sports section of our local paper. It was such a shame that it was not a win for the team but Alex played a great game....

Thanks for letting a proud mom do a little bragging...now onto the lace portion of this post. My friend Bethanie recently went to an estate sale and boy did she hit the jackpot!!! The estate belonged to a lady who was a seamstress for many years. Bethanie was able to purchase yards and yards of vintage lace. Being such a good friend, she willing shared her treasure with me. I could hardly wait to make some soldered charms with this beautiful lace. Here are just a few that I took to SweetPeas.

I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week. I am off to create----the craft shows will be here before you know it.

Happy Labor Day

What exactly is the Labor Day holiday all about? When I looked up the meaning of Labor Day on the Internet, it stated that it is a day created by the Labor movement to celebrate all the achievements made by the American workforce for the benefit and well-being of our country. To me, Labor Day is that but oh so much more. A day filled with rest, picnics, family, and parades. It's the symbolic marking of the end of Summer. Wow the end of Summer already. Time to close the swimming pools and get ready for the beauty of Autumn and all the fun activities this new season will bring. On this holiday weekend, I wish you a wonderful time of rest and special memories with your family. Before I close this post for tonight, I thought I would share a few projects that I recently completed for my shop at SweetPeas. I have been working on altering compositions notebooks. I love making these notebooks--a fun and simple project.

These first books were decorated using a delightful stamp set created by a wonderful company called Papertrey ink. The set is called Everyday Button Bits. Just stamp and add buttons---so much fun!!!

This last little book fits perfectly into this sweet bag that my mom created. We have been working on these together for an up and coming craft show. She creates the bags and I decorate the coordinating notebook to fit inside. What a team we are....

She has been busy sewing so look for more of these little cuties in a future post.... Until then Happy Labor Day and Happy creating :)

Are You Ready For Some Football??

One of my favorite things about Autumn is the start of football season. Living and growing up in Pittsburgh I could not help but to become a football fan. In fact my parents were such Steeler fans that my friends would never come to my house on Sundays because of all the loud cheering. When my son started to play football at the age of eight, I never dreamed he would continue until his senior year. I must admit I am really going to miss those Friday night high school games. There is something about sitting on those bleachers all bundled up in our hooded sweatshirts, surrounded by other parents all cheering for our sons. The band plays loudly while the cheerleaders encourage everyone to show their school spirit. At the far end of the bleachers is the student section. They come equipped with noise makers, painted faces and I love to see all the school spirit exhibited in their outfits. One of my favorite traditions at the start of the season is Media Day. A morning set aside for team and individual photos. Parents are encouraged to attend with cameras in hand to capture special memories. This year was extra special for me as it is our last Media Day. Alex usually hides from the camera but he must have felt the excitement of this day because he cooperated so nicely.




After Summer conditioning, three a day camp and playing in two scrimmages, our team is finally ready for the season to begin. All that is left to say is GO TIGERS!!!!