So, what did you do on Memorial Day?

While I have some surprises up my sleeve for later in the week, I wanted to "unwrap" what our family did yesterday.

Nothing.

Blessed, relaxing, absolutely...nothing.

We haven't done that in a loooooooong time. No where to go, nothing to have to do. Sigh....it really was nice.

I won't tell you the ungodly hour we slept until, but suffice it to say that Kiddo beat us up by a while. Long enough for him to concoct a plan for the day. He came in our room and announced that he was in charge of breakfast, lunch, and dinner that day, and informed us of what we'd be eating. And while we had to burst his bubble about dinner (we had planned on hamburgers on the grill, after all), we moved some stuff around and enjoyed his plans for the most part.

For breakfast, cinnamon rolls and a banana, with a glass of milk on the side. For dinner (I'll get to lunch in a sec), to go along with our burgers, cheese fries a la Outback, with fries, cheese, and bacon bits piled on top. He had a great idea that Sound Man and I would probably never have thought of!

And now, for lunch, I give you...Kiddo's Gourmet Sandwiches: (sorry I didn't take any pictures)

(btw, this is directly from my Kiddo's instructions, written the way he wrote them)

Ingredients
2 pc. Whole Wheat bread
(about) 1 TBSP.Mayonnaise
3 slices lunch meat
1/2 cup Parmesan, Colby, Monterey Jack, and cheddar mixed cheeses
Lettuce (optional)
Toast bread.
Put all ingredients
together in
between
slices
of
bread.

So there you go. A nine-year old's version of a gourmet sandwich. And let me say, they were really good! Especially since Momma didn't have to make lunch!

He made us so proud yesterday, wanting to serve his parents. I hope he gets those ideas more often, not just because I want him to serve me, but because I want him to learn to serve others. To feel the joy that comes from giving to someone else just because. As an only child, it's hard for him to "get it" because we have no other children he has to share with. So, when he wakes us up with these kinds of surprises, he delights his parents in more ways than one!

See what others are unwrapping at Emily's blog, Chatting at the Sky.

Happy Memorial Day!

Over the past few days,
seeing the men and women stand
in recognition of their service,
watching videos of past wars,
I have realized all over again
that the freedom I enjoy
as an American
was, and still is, hard-fought.

Freedom is never free.

While we are enjoying our families today, let's
Pray for our soldiers, and thank a veteran for our freedom.

All those tassels....

Well, I did it. I made it to 100 tassels. Oh, they were so pretty. And 92 of them still are. Yep, I sold 8. Eight. That would be 8. Out of 100.

I guess I had my expectations set too high. No, I KNOW I had my expectations set too high. But while not selling more of my tassels was disappointing, I saw God work. I'll start from the beginning.

Sound Man and I stayed up working until 2:45 in the morning getting ready for the next day. I said I wanted to have 100 ready, and by midnight I had 98. So, by golly, I had two more to do. And did them I did. (Wait...what?) Anyway, so after getting about 2 hours of sleep, we were up the next morning, headed down to Hernando, MS for the A'Fair. As we were driving down, I kept looking to the west to see the clouds forming. Man, they were ugly. As in, U.G.L.Y. As in, "you ain't got no alibi" ugly. As in, I'm starting to panic. As in, hyperventilating. Well, I hadn't gotten quite that bad, but I was a hair's breadth away from it. I did want to throw up. I did want to turn around and forget the whole thing. But I stuck with it. Partly because my husband kept saying, "Would you STOP looking around at the clouds?"So, we got down to the square (I had a REALLY great spot, by the way) and started to set up. Our friends Jeff and Lisa came and helped ALL DAY (I couldn't believe they were there at 6:30 in the morning!) and while we were setting up, this U.G.L.I.E.R. cloud came up. As in, it looked like the kind that come up before it tornadoes. I'm not kidding. The lady organizing all of us told us that whatever happened, we could run in the courthouse and be safe. But you know what happened? Nothing. The cloud moved over us and it started to clear up. That is, until it started raining. It rained pretty hard for about 15 minutes, scaring me to death. We got everything under the canopy, thinking it was waterproof. It wasn't. My tables started getting water all over them. I started to cry, but Sound Man wouldn't let me. Thankfully, I hadn't gotten my tassels out yet. But after 15 or so minutes, it was over. And that was it. Flood warnings had been posted for the whole area for the whole day, but it rained less than 30 minutes. Can I tell you how good God is?

So, even though my tassels didn't sell, I sent out a lot of business cards (oh, that's a whole other post in and of itself!), and got good responses from the people who did come in and look. All of them said they were "pretty", "cute", "beautiful" but I think they just didn't know what to do with them, even though I had cards and a sign that explained what you DO with a tassel.

I learned so much. I learned that I CAN set out and do something scary and out of my comfort zone. I learned that I CAN meet a goal even though I procrastinate until it looks like I've forced myself into failure. I learned that I have a husband who is proud of me and believes in me, even when I don't believe in myself. I learned that I have friends who will stick by me, no matter what. Not just Jeff and Lisa, but all but two of the tassels that sold were to friends. God love 'em.

But the most important thing I learned was this: God is still faithful, even when we don't understand what He's doing. He kept the rain away, but He didn't bring in the throngs of buyers. Why would he answer one prayer and seemingly ignore the other? I still can't say, but I know that He is faithful. I have learned that over the years, and He keeps reinforcing it. Even during circumstances I think shouldn't be.

Now, having said all of that, I want to show some of my sweet tassels. These are the ones I love the most. Well, some of them. I love most of them. The Ole Miss really took a lot for me to make. Ahem. (I didn't even bother to make any Tennessee tassels...I would have been disowned for sure)

Anyway, back to my pretties. Here are my faves. At least some of them...

My favorite. Oh, how pretty she is. Pretty pink and brown toile, pretty pink fringe...
And one of my sweet puppy dogs.

A fun rooster with toile ribbon and black fringe.

Another favorite bunny. She's tiny...much tinier than this picture shows.

My favorite black rooster with gorgeous ribbon. You can't really see it, but the ribbon underneath is black with beautiful red scrollwork all over. Bee-yoo-tee-fulllll.

Another bunny. He was my favorite until I found those flop-eared bunnies, poor guy.

And here's this thingie. I'm not even sure what to call it. It's a frame with a toile background with a black and white gingham checked button in the middle. So, what do you call that? It's cute, anyway. I had wanted to make a lot more, but just ran out of time. Lessons for next year.

And my favorite of my double tassels. No, I take that back. My second favorite. For some reason we didn't get a picture of my favorite. Anyway, WHY would someone not want to take these cute little chickens home? Cute, cute, CUTE! Oh, well.

Will I participate next year? Probably. Sound Man wants to. I think he was delirious when he said that. You know, lack of sleep. But I picked up an application for next year, nonetheless. I learned many lessons, from having a variety of things to choose from, to pricing, to displaying. Lots to help with next year.

But will it be another year before you see these tassels again? Oh, I'm thinking not....

Just wait till my NEXT post!

Wanna hear me sing?

You've heard (or read, I guess) me go on and on and on about being an alto and singing in the worship team at church. Well, Sarah Mae at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee convinced me to start her blogaversary (or blogiversary, or blgoghenosywy, whatever) party off with a "Happy" song.

Party? What party? Well, Sarah decided to do her blogaversary up right. And how. She has so many prizes she's giving away I stopped reading them...there are seriously that many. I just know I'm going to comment and comment and comment and...well, you get my drift.

If you'd like to win, just head on over to her place and get in on the fun! Just click the button above and head on over!

The Countdown

It's begun...a week from today I will be loading up and heading to Hernando, MS, for a craft fair. My goal this whole time has been 100 tassels, several bookmarks (that I haven't even told you about), and some of my little tissue paper decorations as fillers. I have to admit, I'm nervous. Excited, yes, but nervous.

Can I get all of this done? I have 68 tassels made. Oh, I wish I could show you all of them. They are so pretty. I'm not just tooting my own horn. The thought that I could acutally create something as pretty as these things amazes me. Look at this penquin!

Trust me, he is SO much cuter in person! The whole time I worked on him I kept thinking, "Oh, man, this is gonna be so cute!" And I was right! He's going to be so hard to let go.

In fact, a lot of them are like that. How can I sell my babies? Huh, you stick some cash in my face and watch how fast I can say, "Buh-bye!"

I'm nervous about all the other "little" things that have to be done before then, too. My display is not finished yet, I haven't made up price tags, I haven't gotten the bags I'll put the buyer's stuff in, haven't done a lot of things. I have a lot to get done in a week. If Sound Man and I make it without getting a divorce, we can make it through anything. I'm just kidding. He puts up with so much of my yuck it's unbelieveable.

So, this next week my blogging and commenting may be sporadic at best. Just know that I'm here in spirit, and will be back after the 16th with bells on. What does that even mean?

5-9-09

Last year on this day, I posted about what would have been my Grandaddy's 99th birthday. Today he would have celebrated his 100th birthday. Happy Birthday, Grandaddy. I love you more.

We have a Winner!

Drumroll, please.......

Okay, wait, I have to say, this was so fun for me but at the same time it was hard! I wanted all of y'all to win! I'm so thankful for the ones who've read my blog from the beginning (Kat, who also has a blog, and my beautiful sister, Carlyn, who doesn't have a blog, but should...I've told her that a hundred times), all the way to new readers whom I hope to become "friends" with. You all are what makes writing this blog fun. Thank you!

Alrighty, then, where were we? Since I've seen a ton of other important people use Random.org for their giveaway numbers, I thought even though I had a small number it would keep me from writing names down and cutting them out and putting them in a hat. It's way too late for me to be thinking about all that mess. So, I put my tiny number in and it gave me a randomly selected number....6. Who was number 6?

Jen - Balancing Beauty and Bedlam!

Congratulations, Jen! Email me and I'll get your shipping info. I'll be sending your little birdie out this week! For those of you who didn't win but would like to see more of my "stuff," I will have something special going in in the next couple of weeks. Check back for the low down.

Thank you all who left comments. I appreciate you!

Birdie Giveaway!

It's not too late to enter to win this pretty birdie tassel! But you must go to the giveaway post to enter. Hurry! Go now! As in, NOW!

Remember, you have to go to this post to enter. If you leave a comment on this post, you won't be entered. But, if you leave one on THIS post, you will be entered. This one, not this one. Got it? 'Cause if you don't got it, you won't get it. Get it?

A Giveaway, a Craft Fair, And a Man...Not necessarily in that order

You know in yesterday's post I said that Sound Man was gonna kill me for committing to finishing that step-stool right now? Well, the reason why is that I have a craft fair May 16th that I am busily trying to get ready for, and really don't need any more distractions. He is so wonderful, though, because he is helping me in so many ways, even making one of the things I'm selling at the fair. It's even Kat's favorite. Traitor. He's also making my display, because I know that if I tried to it would not be pretty. For realz.

He is giving me the day off of school, even taking Kiddo to work after lunch so that I have uninterrupted time gathering the things I need to pull this thing off. I am so thankful to have such a supportive husband.

You didn't know you were gonna get a "My Husband Rocks" in this here post, did you? Well, he does, so I had to share.

So, what is all the commotion about? Why am I frantically working my hands to the bone (or burn as it may be)? I am busy as a bee creating not 20, not 50, but 100...

Tassels! Most of you guessed it when I teased you with the giveaway a few days ago. Yep, my plan is to make a hundred of these puppies (and birds, and roosters, and bunnies...). I'm five away from being half-way there. Whew. And my hands have the glue-gun burns to prove it.

So, in honor of my blogday (get it, birthday, blogday...nevermind) that I totally missed on April 14th, I am holding a giveaway! Now, I'm not expecting traffic like Kimba or Nester or Susie Harris gets, but I do hope this gets some of you lurkers (a.k.a. the ones who've told me, "Oh, I read your blog all the time, I just never comment.") out of the woodwork and let me know you're there. How can I show my appreciation for reading if I don't know you're reading?

Sorry, I got off subject, which is not uncommon for me to do, but I need to get back to the subject at hand. I lurve this tassel. If I can find another brown bird like this, I'm so gonna make this same exact one for me. Seriously.

He's brown with brown, bright blue, and the-fringe-that-I-love-so-much fringe. I love him. Oh, and by the way, I realize that he has the same fringe as the tassel that Nester made for the Everything Etsy giveaway, and it is purely coincidental. This was one of the first tassels I made, several weeks ago. Great minds think alike, huh?

Paisley ribbon, a pretty button...he's so much prettier in person.

Sorry the pictures are not that wonderful...it's very overcast today and my house has sporadic natural light anyway (huh?), so I had to take these with just the room lights.

So, if you'd like to win him (or her...she probably is a she with her pretty ribbons and frills), just leave me a comment. Now, for all you lurkers, you have to leave me a comment to win. Even if you don't have a Blogger account. You can click the "Anonymous" and it will let you leave a comment. Just make sure you tell me who you are, or I won't know who to give it to if I pick you. I will leave this open until Tuesday, May 5th, and I'll draw a name randomly on May 6th. I'll leave a reminder up so that you know to come here to comment.

When you leave a comment, let me know what you like about this blog. Tell me if you'd like to see more of something, or less of something. I promise not to get my feelings hurt. Too much. Hee hee.

Now, let the commenting commence!