Terri's Holiday Wish List

Today's Mama and Game Stop are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.


1. What is your holiday wish for your family? I just want my family to have a happy safe holiday and to enjoy the time spent with friends and family.

2. What is your Christmas morning tradition? Christmas morning my daughter wakes up and we go out to the tree to open her presents and then stocking (presents are always first).  Then we eat breakfast and "play" with her new stuff. 


3. If you could ask Santa for one, completely decadent wish for yourself, what would it be? Ok well I would ask Santa for a HUGE shopping spree.  Just pass me the pre-paid Visa with about $5000 or $10000 on it and I will go off and buy...lets see..Tickets to concerts and shows in NY, clothes for everyone, a trip for the family.  Hmmmm.... that would be nice right about now actually.  


4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money? We decorate the house and tree.  We play Christmas music in the car until we just can't handle it anymore....lol.  


5. What games did you play with your family growing up?  We played the standard games Monopoly, Trouble, Sorry and such.  We were also a big card family 500 rummy and Poker!  Oh and we likes to play Pokeno  do they have that anymore??? :o)


6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own childhood?  Spending the Holiday's with my Grandma is our tradition that I have carried on from my own childhood.  She is 84 now and can't do the holiday herself anymore so I will go where ever she is which currently will be my brother's home.  She makes the best home made ravioli's they are DELICIOUS!


7. Where would you go for a Christmas-away-from-home trip? I would never go away for Christmas unless I could take EVERYONE with me.  Now if were leaving the day after Christmas Sign us up for the happiest place on Earth.... Beach Club Villas I've never been able to stay there but I here its absolutely FABULOUS!!!

8. Check out Game Stop and tell us, what are the three top items on your GameStop Wish List this year? 

#1 Xbox 360 4GB Console with Kinect for the girlie if her Santa had the money!


#2 Donkey Kong Country Returns I think the girlie would enjoy playing this and a second one for my niece and nephew would got the Nintendo Wii Red Bundle for their birthday last week.  


#3 Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Super Bundle for Wii  for the girlie since she only has Guitar Hero for the Playstation 2 and would like to play it with her Uncle and he has the Wii now (see #2).


#4 I'm adding a fourth and going with   Singstar  for the Playstation 2 for the girlie to play with her momma!



Ok so that is my meme and my Game Stop wish I could afford..lol... list!!!! You should head over to Today's Mama and enter too!!!

Here comes the Holidays....ready or not!

So we are just waiting for the Holidays to begin here.  I love Christmastime!  It is truly my favorite time of year.  Which is saying a lot for me because I hate COLD and WINTER, I am a SUMMER girl.  But Christmas is special.  I lost my mom in December 2007.  She was a very young 61.  But she got sick and she fought to the very end trying EVERYTHING she could to spend more time with us, the people she really truly loved, but it just wasn't in the cards for us and we lost someone very special to us.  I'd like to say I don't cry over losing my mom anymore that I understand that when your time is up there is nothing that can be done and life for the living goes on but truthfully I still cry and just wish she was here where she belongs.  The reason why I bring up my mom because she is the reason I love Christmas! She loved Christmas! And let me tell you it wasn't in a crazy decorating, food cooking kind of way.  She was a busy woman.  Very rarely did she even decorate before Christmas Eve and when my brother and I moved out to start our own families she sometimes only found time to put out her ceramic table top tree.  But that didn't stop her from loving Christmas.  My Grandma is the BIG decorator in the family when it comes to Holidays (seriously even now at 84 when she does so much less then she used to she does 100% more then me!),  and every time my mom walked in her house even during the day she'd flip the switch to turn the lights on on the tree.  My mom used to complain that she didn't know what gifts to get anyone and would shop until the last day possible.  She was SO generous and just wanted to get people something they'd really love.  She is where I get my generous nature from I just want to give people something they will love and will make them smile! It's going to be a tough Christmas this year.  Times are very tight here so hopefully I can be "creative" and still make people smile.  Anyway what Was I writing about?  Oh yes the Holidays...We start with Thanksgiving....spending the day with family and eating delicious food...who can beat THAT?  The week before Thanksgiving I have my twin niece and nephew's 5th Birthday.  Ice Cream Cake & Pizza! Mmmmm.   Then the big shopping season begins....I as rule don't normally do Black Friday Shopping.  It is TOO crazy for me but this year I am considering it.... we'll see if I can wake up that early!  Then before you know it the BIG day is here and gone then there's New Year's and then I am counting the days until SUMMER...lol.  But I will enjoy the special time with family and friends and I hope you will too.

Ok so anyway that was just me rambling, this is me talking about crafting.  I have been crocheting away at my owl hats! I made 5 my daughters plus 4 others.  They are all a little different! Each was a different color and had different add-ons by the ear and some had open eyes some had closed eyes, some had "hairs" on the tips of the ears some didn't but they were all SO cute!  I also have been making cards, working on a scarpbook layout (it takes me forever to finish one!), made some head pieces for my daughter to go to a 1920's themed Sweet 16 party.  I will add pictures in my next post which will be before December I swear! 

Apparently I'm a Once a Month Poster?

Ok so I guess I am not a very good blogger.  I did a layout last night and decided to post it! Also, I just finished making a hat for my daughter.  I crocheted it from a pattern I got off etsy with a few alterations, artistic liberties if you will...lol.  I have to say for my first hat it didn't come out half bad!  What do you think??? :o)

Wow talk about random! But that's just me! ;o)

Apparently I'm not a very good blogger.  I don't have any followers so I am not very diligent about writing all the time!  But then I think oh but why would anyone want to follow if they stop by and there are no posts?! So here I am catching up on what I've been working on.  Took pictures of two layouts I made! I am still working on how to photograph my crafts and pages.  Today is my daughters first day of school.  She is a SOPHMORE this year!  Getting too big in my opinion *sigh*.  I feel like it wasn't that long ago that I was a sophmore but in reality it was 30 years ago.  30 years? Can that be right?  But alas it is.......lol.  Ok well here are some pics of a few things I have finished.  I made a card for the girlie on her first day today.  Two layouts of some pics i liked which just happened to  be from the same year. I drew two pictures one for my niece and one for my nephew.  The felt pig i am going to put on a bracelet for my niece. I googled felt pig and copied one of the ones I found so it totally is not my design!  The card with the sun my daughter made for her boyfriend's dad.  I love watching her create! The felt owl is a ponytail holder i made my niece has decided it should be a bracelet! She is so cute! I do that a lot if the kids say ..."can you draw a (fill in the blank) I just google it and do the best I can with something i find! I have been making a few cute things like head bands and crocheting flowers I don't have pictures of everything yet!  Ok so here is my stuff....well at least the pics i remembered to take! If you stop by please leave a comment!

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Birthday Card made by Francesca

My daughter has been making cards for whatever comes up...Birthdays, Get well, etc.... When she's done and takes a picture she has been saying..."Mom will you put this up on your blog?"....lol  So of course i say yes.  So here is a picture of a birthday card she made for her friend.  She likes to make cards that don't open more like a oversized "post card".

What I've been working on...

So this week i finally finished my layout I had been working on for my daughter.  It's the first layout I've done in a long while so I'm not sure about it yet...lol  We are our own worst critics right?  In addition to that this week I've been making a few hair accessories for my daughter and niece.  I did a few more of the pinwheels.  My daughter was a volunteer at Amity Acres Day Camp last week and we wanted one to "match" her shirt so blue and orange it was!
Oh and I also crocheted a little flower with some baker's twine I got from The Twinery  I purchased the sample pack to see how I'd like it and I love it!!! My daughter can't wait to use some for a friendship bracelet!  I made the cutest flower with the Lemondrop color and then stitched a blue bead in the center and sewed it to a bobby pin I also put a dab of "super glue" and the stitching by the bobby pin and under the bead for extra security! 
Then late last night I crocheted another flower out of some DMC floss in purples for my niece then when I was picking the bead for the center I decided to try to use the tiny letter beads I have to add something extra special to hers because she's an extra special girl!!!  (She did give me free kisses yesterday!!...lol)  I haven't attached to a bobby pin yet because I'm not sure if I want to do that or get a clip and attach it to stay in her hair better? Hmmm... what to do.  Oh AND then I remembered another flossy flower I had crocheted the other night in golden yellow so I did the bead with the tiny word "cutie" in the center because the purple one came out so CUTE!!!  What do you think??? I would love to do one with her name but it's 9 letters...lol

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Finally!

I finally finished the altered clipboard I was making!  Put all the little touches on it I wanted.  I used My Mind's Eye paper for the background.  Prima flowers! Glimmer Mist on the butterflies.  Stickles on some of the flowers and the butterfly's bodies. And then of course random ribbon  from my stash and assorted bling from I am not sure who right now!  The pictures are of My Mom & Me circa 1970ish! I loved looking through the old photos to find just the right ones... I sure do miss her.  The poem on the top was written by my mother.  I wish you could read it ... it is beautiful it's titled Remember Me and that is how we remember her now.  Also, the photos on the bottom of the irises were taken by my mother of some of her favorite flowers that she grew herself of course!

Lets try to add a pic...

This morning I found the cutest hair pins on a blog...Paper n Stitch.  They were SO cute when I showed my daughter she loved them so we went out got some supplies and I proceeded to make a cute bobby pin pinwheel hair accessory that she wore on her date tonight! Then I came home from my dinner out with some of my favorite women (good food, good talk and margaritas!) and made another for one of my favorite 7 year olds. 

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Thursday

Took the girlie and one of her friends to the waterpark today.  It's HOT here in NJ but there was actually a pleasant breeze today and it wasn't as HUMID as it has been.  We (my daughter & I) get season passes and usually start going to the waterpark in June her birthday is the 2nd and I usually let her take some friends there in lieu of a party at home.  This year today was our first visit.  It just hasn't been the right time I guess. But we did have a nice time even though I spent most of it by myself while they were off doing the slides and wave pool.  But that was fine with me I had a book I just started reading...Historical Romance...(these are my favorites and I used to read like 4 or 5 books a week! Now I'm lucky if I read 4 or 5 a year ...loss of concentration is a symptom that goes along with the "void" in my life!)...Julia Quinn's new book... Ten Things I Love about You and a chair right in the front row so when I got too hot i could just hop up and get wet and then sit back down! 

I worked a little more on my altered clipboard yesterday.  It is coming along nicely almost done just need to find a pic for it and maybe add a little stickles here and there!  I also helped my daughter make a card for her girlfriend last night.  She will be going to her Sweet 16 (mardi gras theme) this Friday and has been bitten by my "card making" bug!  It's so much fun drawing out her creativeness! Lets see what else have I done...colored a couple of pictures for my niece and nephew...lol.  They are 4 (twins) and my niece sent me a picture she colored me in the mail.  So when I called to thank her for the beautiful picture she asked me to color one for her!  And of course if I bring one for her I have to bring one for her brother! 

Well that's a quick update on me for now.  More soon! 

Still trying to get the hang of this...

Well I am still trying to get the hang of this "blog" writing thing. Had a nice weekend. Didn't do much just hung around at home. Did a little crocheting of flowers and butterflies got the patterns from  here
and here . I added a little twist to the flower and made it have two rows of petals and got the thumbs up from my daughter so it must look ok...lol. Also, I had altered a clipboard and added some flowers and bling to it last night. Not sure if I am done with it yet I am thinking of adding a few ribbons and maybe a butterfly or two. Well that is all for now I am going to see if my links worked on this... :o)

And so it begins...

I am new to this whole "blog" thing. Well as a doer. I have been reading random blogs for quite a while.

I have been bitten by the craft bug once again in my life. What brought this on? I'm not sure I have been searching for something to fill a void in my life for a few years now. I haven't been the same since I lost my mother at the way to young age of 61 that was in Dec 2007. My daughter is now well into her teens (15) and doesn't need me as much anymore and once she drives in 2 years will need me even less! *sigh*

So Anywayyyyy... I have decided that even though I have been "collecting" scrapbook supplies for years and only made 3 pages...lol, that it's ok (I have been blaming in on not having any "work" space) it's not a lost cause! I am going to scrapbook my photos and memories. I love taking pictures of my "people" and am very rarely found without my camera at a function or gathering or party or trip to the beach. I am going to make cards since I usually have to run out and pick up a card before a party anyway I can just make one at home so much easier! I am going to crochet a blanket for my daughter who felt a little neglected (she is so NOT) when she found out I made one for my girlfriend's daughter when she was born, you know when I was single and didn't have a child of my own and everyone was having boys (who I LOVE) but she was the first girl! I also painted her a piggy bank, cross stitched her a pillow (counted NOT stamped) and probably a few other things that aren't around anymore...lol. SO I will crochet my girlie a blanket she can keep forever...she is the apple of my eye, the love of my life, my most important reason for being. What else will I do? I will use the patterns I have had for well over a year and make those handbags I knew we would love and well probably anything else that catches my eye... Oh yes I forgot I have been making jewelry! Well making bracelets and anklets and watch bands. Of course this started out of not only randomness but ,also, necessity I am a "Fluffy" girl and it is down right difficult to find cute things that fit the fluffiness of me. :o) Now you understand a little of the randomness of my craftiness. I can't walk into the craft store without wanting to do a millions things! Take cake decorating classes, Make a flower arrangement, do crafts with the kiddies, tie dye a shirt! I am overwhelmed by it all. So now I will blog about it...share a picture or two or thousand...lol. And who knows maybe if I work hard enough I will decide to go to those crafts fairs and sell my wares or maybe sell some "handmade by" things here online... The Possibilities are Endless... My mother would encourage me if she were still here with us. She would tell me to do it! try it! you'll love it! So maybe with my little angel on my shoulder (my mom) I will do it, try it, love it! What do you think? Should I?