Meeting a Blogging Friend In Person

When Michael asked me what I wanted to do on Mother's Day weekend, I knew right away what the answer was.  I wanted to take a day trip to Warrenton, Virginia to meet my blogging friend, Janet, and visit her shop, The Empty Nest.

I started blogging in 2009 and it wasn't long before I noticed she was leaving comments regularly.  When I checked out her blog, The Empty Nest, I was hooked right away.  Her creativity was inspiring and she posted some pretty yummy recipes too!  Eventually, Janet discovered Annie Sloan chalk paint and was painting all kinds of furniture pieces, frames, lamps and anything else she could think of.  This led to her getting a space at an antique mall which led to her opening her very own shop in downtown Warrenton.

The shop was full of vintage and vintage inspired treasures, tea pots and teacups, exquisite china, frames, linens, and of course Annie Sloan chalk paint and supplies.  Janet is a stockist and has posted numerous videos showing different techniques using the chalk paint.  She was gracious enough to show me how to wax and distress so I can get started on my own projects.

As much as I loved the the shop, I was just happy to meet Janet in person.  She was as warm and friendly as I had imagined.  Visiting with her made me realize just how lucky we are to have this blogging community of friends.  I've met so many people that I consider a friend that I never would have if it wasn't for blogging.  We might never meet in person, but I hope we do someday!

These are the treasures I brought home from The Empty Nest.  A painting by Janet, a teacup, and eleven embroidered napkins.

You can follow The Empty Nest on Facebook here
Have a great Monday!

xo Annette xo

305.  fresh air and sunshine

306.  day trips

307.  meeting a blogging friend in person

308.  finding a new happy place

309.  being Sean's and Erin's mom

310.  still having my mom

311.  my nephew graduating from college

312.  birthday surprises and love

313.  disconnecting from the internet for a few days

A Good Day

It was one of those days that was good from start to finish.  We got up early and drove three hours so Michael could work at the home office and I could see my girls.  I enjoy the drive in the fall because the turning trees can be breathtaking.  I took all the tree pictures through the windshield!  It's a good day when that drive is enjoyable!

One of the iconic landmarks of Baltimore is the smoke stack.  I've tried so many times to capture it and this is the first one that turned out half way decent.  It's always a good day when a picture turns out!  Especially through the window!

I only got to see Erin for about an hour before she had to leave to go to Shylee's Halloween parade at school and put in some volunteer hours.  But that was okay because I got to spend the afternoon with a friend.  And it's always a good day when I get to hang out with one of my favorite people.

I picked up Michael at work and we headed back to Erin's to see Shylee dressed up for trick or treating.  She was so proud of her Elsa shoes to go with her dress.  It was fun for me to see her get made up and witness her almost uncontrollable excitement for the evening.  It's always a good day when I get to see her completely happy!

What is a good day for you?

I hope today is a good one!

xo Annette xo

187. a friend who gets me

188. getting a doctor appointment a week out instead of 3 months away

189. good days

190.  being a grandma

191.  pure joy and excitement

Thankful Thursday

Every Thursday I share what I'm thankful for.  Sometimes it's a serious or big thing, and sometimes it's a goofy or small thing.  I believe that no matter what is going on in our lives, there is always something to be thankful for.  Always.

Today I'm thankful for
     *  sunshine and the pretty pattern on the floor when it shines through the front door
     *  eye candy in my sewing room
     *  progress on the sewing room
     *  running into a friend I haven't seen in two years
     *  the faithful few who continue to read and comment here

What are you thankful for today?

Have a terrific Thursday!

xo Annette xo

Thankful Thursday~Blogtoberfest 2012 Day 25

Dear Friends,
Every Thursday I share what I'm thankful for.  Sometimes it's a serious or big thing, and sometimes it's a goofy or small thing.  I believe that no matter what is going on in our lives, there is always something to be thankful for.  Always. 

source:  Just Something I Made

I'm thankful for my blog friends.  Your understanding, encouragement, and support mean so much to me.  If it wasn't for this blogging community, I probably would have given up blogging long ago.  Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging comments this week.  You're the best!!

I'm also thankful for
     *  good music
     *  inspiration from unexpected sources
     *  outside lights that work
     *  people who can write good tutorials
     

What are you thankful for today?

xo Annette xo

An Apron For A Bracelet

A couple of months ago, my bloggy friend Patty from My Life Under the Bus and The Junquerie on Etsy, asked me if I would make her a custom apron.  After explaining what she wanted and agreeing on a price, I told her I would be happy to make one.  Not long after that she asked me if I would be interested in a trade.  She had made a bracelet that I just fell in love with and she would trade the bracelet for the apron.  Well, I jumped at that suggestion!  Who wouldn't want this bracelet?

I waited for Patty to send the fabric and I just couldn't believe what came in that package.  I couldn't believe how wonderfully decorated the envelopes were.  I felt special before I even opened it up!  There were two envelopes.  One contained the fabric and the other was full of goodies I wasn't expecting.

There were the sweetest paper dolls and these wonderful teacup prints 'wrapped' in toile.

Don't you love this wrapping?  I was just in awe of it.  It is a page from a book and Patty did a tutorial on book paper that you can see here and here and here.

.
These little note cards were in there!

And then of course there was THE bracelet!  This bracelet won a Facebook contest and you can have one of your very own because there is one in Patty's Etsy shop, The Junquerie!  My photos don't do it justice.  Trust me when I say it is simply beautiful.

Patty wanted a full apron that she could wear to do craft shows.  She wanted the skirt to be ruffles and she wanted pockets on the inside so she could use them for money at the show.  Isn't that just a great idea?    This is what I came up with.

I also made her a lavender sachet to let her know how special she is to me.

Patty was one of my very first blog followers and has been a constant source of encouragement and support.  I was happy to make her an apron and even more happy to have one of her original bracelets.

Thank you Patty for everything!

Thankful Thursday ~ Laughter

It's so easy to get caught up in the every day struggles and problems, that we sometimes forget the good and positive things in our life.  So every Thursday I share something I'm thankful for.

That's me on the right with my best friend in 1982.  We were laughing as we were getting into position after setting the timer on the camera!

Today I'm thankful for laughter!  The kind that sends tears down your face, makes it hard to breathe, hurts your stomach and maybe even causes you to tinkle a little!  The kind of laughter that makes you forget all your worries and concerns for a brief moment.  The kind of laughter that starts all over again when you recall the reason for it days, weeks, months even years later.   My daughter and I shared that kind of moment this week when trying to open a bottle of wine!  It feels so good to laugh!

I'm also thankful for

     The warm sunshine

     The beautiful light of a full moon

     Advil and Tylenol

     Coupons and sales

     Chocolate

What are you thankful for today???

     

Thankful Thursday

This week I'm thankful that my daughter, Erin, came through her hand/wrist surgery just fine and is recovering slowly but surely.  A mama never stops worrying about her children, no matter how old they are!  I was able to stay with her a few days to help out and then I brought Shylee home with me.  I'm also thankful she has friends who are looking after her since Dan is deployed.

Other things I'm thankful for this week
     Answered prayer for friends and family
     Air conditioning
     Quiet time with a cup of tea when Shylee takes a nap
     My thoughtful husband for more reasons than I can count
     Pretty flowers that are everywhere
   

   

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful Thursday

Every Thursday I share something I am thankful for.  Today I'm thankful for everyone who commented on yesterday's blog post!  You all made me laugh out loud and really helped me to get over it!  If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can read about the dill pickle debacle here or you can scroll down to the previous post.

In response to your comments....Yes, he was in the doghouse for quite a while and I promise I didn't 'accidentally' do it.  There are still three jars left!  For a brief moment, I thought about putting the pickles back in the jar and back in the fridge, but I do love him too much to do that.  The doghouse doesn't have pillows and the strawberries had to be thrown out!  Yes, the fridge is now clean and at least I didn't have sauerkraut dripping like tinsel on the Christmas tree or broken eggs everywhere.  He did apologize and he still owes me!

Thank you all for making my day every time you leave a comment!

What are you thankful for today?

We Went To Charleston SC

To celebrate our thirty second anniversary, we went to Charleston, South Carolina.  What a treat that was on so many different levels!  We stayed at a beautiful B&B and did a lot of walking, shopping, eating and driving around.  The highlight of the trip was seeing our friend, Linda, who introduced us and we haven't seen since 1988!   It was also nice to be in a warmer climate for a few days!

There will be more later!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!!!