The End ~ Blogtoberfest Day 31

Kathy, this one is for you!

I can't believe Blogtoberfest 2011 has come to an end.  I was determined to blog every single day and I actually did it!  I admit to struggling a couple of times with what to blog about, but it wasn't as hard as in the past.  There is just tremendous personal satisfaction when setting a goal and achieving it.

What goal have you reached recently?

I Heart Macro ~ Blogtoberfest Day 30

It's a pine cone!!

I'm joining Studio Waterstone for I Heart Macro

Hot Rod Annie ~ Blogtoberfest Day 29

Yay for the weekend!  I'll be heading out later to spend a few days with my daughter and granddaughter and hopefully see my son as well.  I hope you all have something fun planned, perhaps a party or two before trick or treating on Monday!

source

Yesterday's fun blog post had some of you wanting to know more about Hot Rod Annie.  When I was a senior in high school, my family moved to White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico which is in the absolute middle of nowhere.  The high school was thirty miles away in Las Cruces.  It was a very long bus ride and when our parents would let us have the car, my friends and I would pile in and make an adventure of going to and from school.

It was during that year I discovered the joys of driving FAST!  I would roll the window down, crank up the radio and fly across that highway to and from school.  It was equally terrifying and exhilarating  for all of us and I felt like I could do anything.  Kind of like I was queen of the world!  My friends nicknamed me Hot Rod Annie.  (My name is Annette)

I have loved driving fast ever since.  I was in heaven when my husband was stationed in Germany and we could drive on the autobahn.  While some parts of the autobahn have no speed limit, most stretches of the highway do.  Even so, I could drive way faster there than I could in the US.  I drove our poor Ford Taurus into the ground!

I'm much better today!  I might not always follow the speed limit, but I don't drive nearly as fast as I used to.  But every now and then, Hot Rod Annie gets that urge to fly...

What about you...do you like to drive fast?

My Life From A To Z ~ Blogtoberfest Day 28

Because I know you're just dying to know more about me, here is my life according to the alphabet.  I'm borrowing from Sarah at Yes, Teacher

A.  age:  50ish

B.  Bed size:  king

C.  Chore that you hate:  cleaning the bathroom

D.  Dog:  Annie, our black lab mix

E.  Essential start to your day:  a cup of tea and checking email

F.  Favorite color:  PINK!

G.  Gold or silver:  silver

H.  Height:  5'3

I.  Instruments you play:  none :(

J.  Job Title:  Owner and CEO of So Many Memories 

K.  Kids:  a son and a daughter

L.  Live:  Southern Maryland

M.  Mother's name:  Allene

N.  Nicknames:  Nette.  When I was in high school it was Hot Rod Annie!

O.  Overnight hospital stays:  more than I want to remember

P.  Pet Peeve:  people who don't/won't make eye contact when talking to me

Q.  Quote from a movie:  "Take me to bed or lose me forever" from Top Gun

R.  Right or left handed:  right

S.  Siblings:  2 younger sisters

T.  Time you wake up:  between 8 and 9

U.  Underwear:  yes, everyday!

V.  Vegetable you hate:  I don't hate it, but my least favorite is eggplant

W.  What makes you run late:  my husband

X.  X-rays you've had:  both knees

Y.  Yummy food that you make:  Chocolate chip pecan cookies

Z.  Zoo animals:  polar bears

Have a fabulous Friday!

Thankful Thursday ~ Blogtoberfest Day 27

Every Thursday I share something I'm thankful for.  Sometimes it's the big or obvious things and sometimes it's the small things.  I believe there is always something to be thankful for!

ear trumpet portrait

I don't know about you, but I don't really pay attention to my body and how it works until something hurts.  I've had an ear infection for over a week and it has made me very aware of my ears and hearing!  I am so thankful that I can hear.  I know too many people who deal with hearing loss and I can't imagine how frustrating that would be.  Or how scary.  My niece has to wear hearing aids and shared how scared she was during tornado season.  The night of the Joplin tornado, the part of Arkansas she lives in also was dealing with tornadoes.  She couldn't hear the storms or the sirens and she has a three year old.  I don't want to take anything I have for granted, including my hearing.

What are you thankful for today?

Next week will begin the link up for Thankful Thursday.  That is if I can figure it out and make a button!  I hope you will join me in sharing what you are thankful for each week.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Blogtoberfest Day 26

A lone colored leaf in the grass

I'm joining Aquariann's Wordless Wednesday

Tickle Me Tuesday ~ Blogtoberfest Day 25

Pink and gray is one of my favorite color combinations!

Stitchin Stash

cuff bracelet

neck warmer 

I'm joining Yes, Teacher for Tickle Me Tuesday

What's tickling your fancy this week?

Unexpected Diversion ~ Blogtoberfest Day 24

My daughter and granddaughter came to visit yesterday.  We've been having a wonderful time.  They were going to leave this morning, but decided to stay another day after we stayed up all night talking about tattoos, Barbie and North Korean tourism!  They are the reason this is all I could do for a blog post today!  Gotta love Blogtoberfest!

Have a marvelous Monday!

I Heart Macro ~ Blogtoberfest Day 23

I didn't get to get out with the camera this week so I pulled up this photo from a couple of months ago and played around with it in Picnik.  This is with the HDR-ish effect.

This is the original before playing with the effects.  This is pretty but the first one is just kind of cool with the details.

I'm joining Studio Waterstone for I Heart Macro.

Go on over and see the incredible macro and close up photos!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

The Ears Have It ~ Blogtoberfest Day 22

I haven't been able to concentrate or focus on much of anything the last two days.  I have an ear infection and the pain is unbelievably distracting.  However,  I didn't want to skip a blog post during Blogtoberfest, so I did a search on Etsy for "ears" and found some fun items!

Baby Hat

Feather Ear Cuff

1896 Anatomy of the Human Ear

1930s Mug

Fantasy Elf Ears

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

It's Official! ~ Blogtoberfest Day 21

My Etsy shop, So Many Memories, is officially open for business!  After closing up shop last April, I've been thinking and rethinking what I want to do.  I don't agree with all the decisions Etsy makes and I especially don't agree with how they announce (or don't announce) the decisions.  But I enjoy what I do and and I especially like being a part of the Etsy community.  I've met some incredibly talented people and been inspired in ways I never dreamed of.

I've begun listing items, and working on new ideas, and obsessing over views, and all that goes with having an online business!  My expectations are more realistic this time around and I'll work hard to keep it that way.

Have you had to rethink a decision or change your expectations?  I would like to hear about it.  We can learn a lot from each other!

Have a fabulous Friday!

Thankful Thursday ~ Blogtoberfest Day 20

Hello dear friends and welcome to another Thankful Thursday.  No matter what your days are like, I believe there is always something to be thankful for, no matter how small.

Earlier this week I had a chocolate craving.  I was craving M&Ms to be exact.  So I went to the store and bought a big bag.  I didn't open it right away after I got home.  It was later in the evening when I settled in to watch a favorite TV show.  By then, I really wanted them and was practically drooling at the thought of the chocolaty goodness.  I opened the bag and poured them in the bowl.  Right away I noticed this white stuff that looked like cake crumbs that covered the candy.  When I picked it up and rubbed it between my fingers, it melted and was greasy like butter.  I don't know what it was and I wasn't going to taste it, so I dumped the bowl of M&Ms in the trash.

Are you wondering yet what I'm thankful for?  I'm thankful that I didn't eat a whole big bag of M&Ms!  I was in just that kind of mood where I would have mindlessly eaten them til they were gone and that's the last thing I needed to do.  By the next day the craving was gone anyway!  See, there's always something to be thankful for, lol !

Beginning Thursday, November 3, Thankful Thursday will become a linky party.  I hope you will join in!

What are you thankful for this week?

Wordless Wednesday ~ Blogtoberfest Day 19

Chesapeake Bay at Point Lookout, Maryland

I'm joining Aquariann's Wordless Wednesday

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Tickle Me Tuesday ~ Blogtoberfest Day 18

I'm joining Sarah at Yes, Teacher for Tickle Me Tuesday.  Why don't you join us?!

iPad case from Studio Waterstone

Earrings from Silver Rose Designs

Hand embroidered wrist cuff from Waterrose

What has been tickling your fancy this week?

Point Lookout ~ Blogtoberfest Day 17

At the southernmost tip of Maryland's western shore is a peninsula formed by the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River.  It's known as Point Lookout.  We spent Sunday walking around the park and enjoying a mildly warm albeit windy day.

This is the Potomac side.  That is a lighthouse on the left and is not in use anymore.

This is the Bay side.  It has much less beach than the river side, but has a couple of fishing piers.

While on the Bay side we found deer tracks

While on the river side we saw deer.

It was fun to come across this while walking on the beach before the tide washed it away.

The park is full of pine trees.  Pine cones covered the ground and reminded us of the time we lived in North Carolina.  I brought a couple of them home, but I might have to go back for more for holiday decorating!

What kind of fun did you have over the weekend?

Have a marvelous Monday!

I Heart Macro ~ Blogtoberfest Day 16

I got a macro extension tube set for my camera, and boy does it take some getting used to!  I took 100 photos of little acorns and got 2 that were okay.  I have to use manual focus and couldn't get the whole acorn to focus at once.  This was my favorite shot.  If it wasn't 1:00 am, I would play a little more!

I'm joining Lori at Studio Waterstone for I Heart Macro.

Why don't you take a look at the incredible macro and close up pictures.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

A Big Apology

The post for today with links to blogging and business tips is currently down.  I'm sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.  If you want any of the links, please contact me and I will be happy to provide it for you.

Thank you,
Annette

A Is For Apron ~ Blogtoberfest Day 14

This apron was so fun to make.  I pulled the fabric from my stash because I thought it was pretty, but I had no idea what I was going to do with it.  So I piled up fabric with similar patterns and colors, vintage hankies, vintage lace of all sizes and vintage buttons.  I wish I had taken a picture of the table!  One by one, I chose each element, and when I was done I saw an apron.

I used four vintage hankies cut in half diagonally and gathered at the waist.  Each one is different and each one is trimmed in beautiful lace.

The ties are white roses, leaves and vines on a sweet pink background.  It is the perfect compliment to the pink roses on front of the apron.

The bottom is trimmed in a double row of gathered vintage lace that has the perfect pink edging.  Vintage mother of pearl buttons line the top edge of the lace.

I waited all week for the sun to shine so I could get some good pictures, but it didn't happen.   I was just too impatient to wait any longer to show you my newest creation!

I'm joining 

My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

2805 for Potpourri Friday

Thankful Thursday ~ Blogtoberfest Day 13

Hello and welcome back!  I hope your week is going great so far and you have something to be thankful for.  No matter what is going on, there is always something to be grateful for.

Today I'm thankful for my son, Sean.  His birthday was yesterday and we were all together last weekend to help him celebrate.  Sean is and always has been a quiet, gentle soul.  That doesn't mean he didn't get into his fair share of mischief!  He was quite good at that.  He is funny and smart, sometimes cynical, and always a joy to be around.  I don't see him often enough, but am grateful for the times when I can.

I'm also thankful we could all be together.  It's been too long.  I enjoyed seeing my Sweet Pea and letting her help me make Sean's birthday pie.  She's at the age to get excited about birthdays, so we're doing candles and decorations again for her sake.  

I'm also thankful for 

     the beauty of the season

     encouragement from friends

     the last outing for ice cream while it was still warm

     music that brings back memories of falling in love

     not seeing anymore frogs

I have been thinking about making Thankful Thursday a weekly linky party if enough people are interested.  Please let me know if this is something you would be interested in.  It would start the first Thursday in November.

What are you thankful for today?

Wordless Wednesday ~ Blogtoberfest Day 12

From a grocery store bouquet of roses.

I'm joining Aquariann's Wordless Wednesday

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Tickle Me Tuesday ~ Blogtoberfest Day 11

I have a love for all things vintage but especially linens.  I use them in my sewing projects and enjoy seeing how others use them in their projects.  Here's what I found.

Vintage hankie wall hanging

Vintage hankie bunting

Vintage tablecloth bird

Vintage tablecloth purse

I'm linking up with Sarah at Yes, Teacher! for Tickle Me Tuesday.

What's tickling your fancy this week?

Not One But Two Packages On The Porch ~ Blogtoberfest Day 10

Happy Monday, friends!  I had a wonderful weekend with family, celebrating my son's birthday that is this week.  It's been a while since we were all together so it was a fun time.

I told you last week about a package waiting for me on my porch one day.  A couple of days later, there was another one!  Yes, two packages in one week.  I can't tell you how excited I was.  Both of them contained fabric, so how could I not be excited?  I entered two different fabric giveaways and won one of them.  The one I won was hosted by Maureen from Maureen Cracknell Handmade.  One of her sponsors, Moona Fabrics, was giving away some of Anna Maria Horner's Hugs and Kisses fabric from her Loulouthi collection.  This is what I won.

Isn't it just gorgeous?  It's so pretty to look at, I don't know if I can cut it!  I have some ideas about what to do with it, but nothing has been decided yet.  I think I need to just enjoy the cheerful colors for a little longer!

The second box of fabric came from my long time bloggy buddy, Janet, from The Empty Nest.  Janet had a giveaway on her blog for a gift certificate from a fabric shop.  I didn't win, but  Janet chose three lucky ladies to receive some fabric from her personal stash.  I was thrilled that I was one of the three.  If you have seen anything she sews, you will understand my excitement!  There was beautiful decorator fabrics fun juvenile prints, and a princess fabric that screamed Shylee's (my granddaughter) name when I saw it.

Doesn't that just make you want to be a little girl again?  Shylee loved it and thought it was a blanket!  I'll have to figure out something extra special to make her.

I have to say, that was a good week!  I will be sure to share with you whatever these beautiful fabrics turn out to be!

What have you been excited about lately?