Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the most wonderful celebration!  It is a time of family love and togetherness.  It's my family's favorite holiday.  This year, we might:

cook

Besides Thanksgiving fare, my family loves to cook.  We'll spend many happy hours in the kitchen creating, talking, laughing.  (photo of vegetable soup)

hike in the woods  (behind my backyard)

play games
Check these links out!

1.  Yehuda-Top Ten Board Games 
2.  about.com's Top Ten Free Board Games includes links to more games

Nectar Collector by Animal town Game Company was independently published in 1978.  Have fun while learning about honeybees. Maybe you will become the "Super Beekeeper!"  We played this game with our children when they were young, and brought it out again a couple years ago.  We had the most fun, laughing and laughing! 

have our own wine tasting

go to a movie

talk

laugh  

visit friends

 
go on  a photography shoot (Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park)

rest and play with kitties

This is for the etsy bloggers' street team

photos by me © 2008-2009 (except for photo of board game)
PS  Blogger is being very persnickety, and will not let me place elements where I want them!

FEATURES!                                                                                                                                                
1.  I'm featured on Linda Pruitt's blog!  (angel earrings)  
2.   I'm in  a treasury, too, thanks to The Goblet!       See it HERE! (holiday cheer earrings/3rd row down on left)
3.  I'm in another treasury!  This one is by Irina Photography.   See it HERE!   (T shirt, bottom right) 
THANK YOU!!!

Thanksgiving in the USA is always the 3rd Thursday in November.  This year it is November 26 which also happens to be my brother's birthday!

card for Jaimie

It is very painful to even write about the events that happened to Jaimie.  It hurts my heart just to think of it.  Here is a little bit of information. 

Mont Vernon is a very small town in new Hampshire.  On the night of October 4th, 2009, Jaimie Cates and her family went to bed.   Four local teenagers armed with knives, broke into their home and brutally murdered Kim (Jaimie's mother) and seriously injured 11 year old Jaimie. They chose the home for no other reason than its location, and for no other purpose than to bring harm to the occupants. It was a senseless, random crime that shook the small town and much of the state.

More information and links to a news article:

HERE
(scroll down to near the end of the entry) 

and HERE

Erin and Denise are raising cards for Jaimie!

my card (click to enlarge and see detail)

cardstock:  hot pink, black

handmade paper

Stampin' Up stamps:  Kanji, Bamboo

DP Artworks stamp:  swirl background  online shop  blog

a little note:  I have personally met Deena a number of times over several years.  In addition, our booths have been next to each other at a yearly November craft show.  I will also vouch for the high quality of her stamps!

opaque pigment gold ink

black ink

gold metallic thread

stick

cuttlebug textile on black paper, over-inked and edged with gold

The words--tranquility, harmony, love, and wisdom (inside) express my wishes for Jaimie.

Virginia's card

To read about this project and 3 other special projects, see my blog post HOPE.

PLEASE:  Click on the Spread the Love button on the right side side of my blog for more information and to send Jaimie a card. 

photos by me © 2009
PS  I am featured on a BLOG for comments on blogging.

Nigella: Today's Flowers

See more of Today's Flowers HERE. 

photo by me © 2009

Idaho:SkyWatch Friday

LINKS to past SkyWatch posts by me:

Pagosa Springs Colorado

Glacier Skies Montana

Sunset Over Cupecoy St. Maarten, NA

For more skies, visit this blog,  and do join in!

photo by me © 2008

Echinacea: Today's Flowers

Echinacea purpurea (coneflower)

Named for the prickly scales in its large conical seed head, the herb resembles the spines of an angry hedgehog.  Echinos is Greek for hedgehog.

See more of Today's Flowers HERE.

LINKS and INFORMATION:

▪ Echinacea and Bee  This is a much better photo!

▪ basic information

▪ garden guides.com
▪ attracts bees, butterflys, birds

▪ Native American medicinal plant, used to treat upper respiratory tract infection.  Echinacea contains several chemicals that play a role in its therapeutic effects--polysaccharides, glycoproteins, alkamides, volatile oils, and flavonoids. (Science is not in complete agreement on its effectiveness.)

▪ garden guides medicinal information

▪ perennial which blooms mid-summer through early Fall, zones 3-9, full sun to part shade  (I grew mine from seed, and it has very slowly self-seeded over time.)

photos by me © 2009

HOPE

Through the wonderful world of blogland, I have "met"  people who are sharing their talents, love, and hope with others----  all through hand~made goodness!  Here are 4 of them:


ONE
Early on in my blogging life (late January this year), I met Sinclair through her blog Nature With Me, a wonderful blog about nature, homesteading, family life, crafts, and green living.  Now Sinclair has begun a new blog, Sharing Our Gifts:

"I am so excited to finally launch the real purpose of this blog... I want to help at least one charity in each of the 50 states. I want to offer quality handmade goods to people who might not otherwise have the opportunity to purchase or have handmade. I want to help charitable organizations and people at the same time."

Project #2 is about to begin!  Go to Sinclair's blog to find out more!
LINK


Project # 1 was hats and slippers for Veterans at the Southern Oregon White City Rehabilitation Center. 

(Sinclair's hat on left/hat made by my friend Virginia below.)

                                     

TWO

"A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history." --Gandhi

So reads a quote on the next website:

Craft Hope is currently working on project #5 (deadline November 15)--quilts for homeless children.  HERE is the organization being benefited.   
"This project is easy.  We are calling this quilt pattern HOPE SQUARED.  Make a quilt out of squares.  Any size, any number, any color.  If you are new to quilting and don’t know how to finish and bind a quilt or if you have limited time, you can construct the top of the quilt (the squares) and send that to them and they will gladly finish the rest for you."   
more information and 2 quilt patterns are  provided on the website. 
Here are some photos from past projects:

 sock monkeys for Little Heroes Burn Camp







blankets, booties, and beanies for NEWBORNS in India




Oh, there is more!  To find out and see some wonderful photos, go to the website!

THREE

Scrap, Stamp, and Be Merry is "raising cards for my 13 year old neighbor who recently had her arm amputated after a boating accident."

LINKS:
♥ news article   
Here it says they've run out of room for flowers and stuffed animals, but cards are welcome.  Erin says, "Well my family and I really want to do  something and I thought amazing cards from all you wonderful ladies would be just what would cheer Paige up.  She is one of those girls who ALWAYS wears a smile." 

♥ read about the card drive HERE and HERE. 
♥ There is also a link to a digital stamp that was created by Denise just for Paige.  Proceeds  will go right to Paige's medical fund!!

♥ UPDATE from Paige's mom
♥ email Erin @ stampingrocks@yahoo.com for the address to which to send the cards.

 Here is the card Erin made using Denise's stamp.








FOUR

Stamp Something...for Jaimie is a new blog begun by Erin and Denise, dedicated to sending support to Jamie and her family.

"Four local teenagers armed with knives, broke into their  (Jaimie's) home and brutally murdered Kim Cates and seriously injured 11 year old Jaimie. They chose the home for no other reason than its location and for no other purpose than to bring harm to the occupants. It was a senseless, random crime that shook the small town and much of the state (of New Hampshire)."

"After receiving a grief filled email from my friend asking for help for the family, I knew I needed to help however I could. I asked my fellow stamper, New Hampshire gal, and long time friend Denise Lynn for ideas. Together, and with the artistic talents of Ann Vento, we came up with the idea of an international blog hop and this blog to raise awareness of the crime. We are hoping to shower Jaimie with wishes of love and hope from around the world to help her recover some of what was lost."

"The hop starts at 10am ET on Monday, November 2nd and will include over 60 talented stampers, donations from fabulous stamp companies and lots of love. We are asking everyone to make and send a card to Jaimie as quickly as possible. If you are unable to make a card or wish to do more, please visit our sidebar and click on the donations link." ~Erin

"There will be prizes but most of all...appreciation for anyone who can help to brighten a little girl's day...even for just a second :o)" ~Kim from Paper in the Works
"I hope the many, many cards she receives puts a smile back on her face, and that she can at least peek at the future ahead of her as she its going to take a long time to recover and will forever morn her Mum!" ~Kimmi from Poppy Petal designs
♥ For more information, and an address to which to send the cards, go HERE.
♥ Start the blog HOP HERE.
♥ news article  
♥ Denise helped organize the Spread the Love blog Hop along with Erin.  See her website Stamping With Denise  HERE.

photos © 2009 by the above entities  all rights reserved.

Halloween

This is for the etsy bloggers' team carnival--

Halloween -- What are you doing to celebrate this year? ( Etsy Shop, with your family and friends, or even home decor)  This carnival will be published on Monday (10/26) on A Keeper's Jackpot's BLOG.

This year, we will be handing out candy (yes, I did try non-sugar items in the past) to little beggars of the goblin and witch variety.  I love to see the neighbor kids dressed up in creative costumes.

Here are a couple items from my shop that  would be great for this time of year:

Here are 2 customers in their costumes:

Aren't they cute?!









Find these items in my Splendid Little Stars SHOP.
JACK
SWIRL SHIRT  (both children's and adult's, and long and short sleeve are available) 
Here are 2 little witches I love.  A friend who owned the gift shop with me, made these for me a few years ago.  One of them sits on a yellow wooden moon that then hangs on the wall.

photos by me © 2009