Merry Christmas from Alex!!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas with family and friends. See you next year!

For YOU, Mom!!

Mom mentioned that I have not posted anything in a while. Besides being busy, (like everyone this time of year), I've had some stupid health issues, although minor, that have pulled me into a mild depression. More about that later......So here is some of what I've been doing lately:

another custom order 

 

 

gift for a friend 

 

 

 

 

Don't use double sided tape for these!!!

I'm getting ready for my grandson and his family, who are going to be here for Christmas, YAY! So back to decorating, cleaning, cooking and wrapping presents, and, yes, I have more shopping to do !
I also have to figure out which camera I want for Christmas, (thank you, hubby)! Mine is finally losing it! Any suggestions would be great! I have loved my Cannon power shot for the last 6 years, but it is time....
 Until next time, have a great Holiday season! Love you Mom!

EEEEKKK! Christmas is coming!

Sometimes I just need a break from sewing, so I play with paper. I got some new punches, and made a little banner for a friend's baby. Isn't is sweet?

 I bought some German glass-glitter from  Glitter your world  and can't find enough ways to use it! It is so sparklely!
 I sold a Christmas Stocking from my new Artfire shop and from Etsy, got an order for three more, and  have to finish my grandson's.

(sold)   http://dorahdesigns.artfire.com

(sold)  http://dorahdesigns.etsy.com

Then I looked at my calendar to book our annual trip to Nevada City's Victorian Christmas, and went into a major panic attack (just what I need, which is another story in itself) EEEEEEKKKK! There is only a few more weeks left before Christmas! I am so far behind this year it is ridiculous! Were are all of those little elves when you need them?
Gotta run..... talk to you later! Have a great and productive week everyone!

My Christmas Stocking Made Etsy Front Page!

'vintage cottage christmas' by xoxolesley

Set of 5 HANDMADE V... hydrangeahippo $	Vintage Christmas C... Frippelous $	Vintage Gold Glitte... ismoyo $4.50	Vintage Craftint Gl... snowandmistlet... $
Holiday Sale Christ... dorahdesigns $36.00	Festive Christmas T... $	Tiny Doilies Square... IlovedielineSt... $	Yarn Wreath Felt Ha... ItzFitz $40.00
Here comes a Chihua... ChiWowWow $45.00	Vintage White Tail ... gazaboo $24.95	Vintage Inspired Or... sosorosey $18.00	forest woodland tre... rikrak $18.00
Hand Knit Eco-Frien... KnitsbyJess $30.00	Set of Five Putz Ho... DodadChick $30.00	Vanilla Paper Star ... kissadesign $20.00	Sugar Spoon mug MrPS $12.50

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites. 

 Woo Hoo! Have a great weekend!

Custom order FINISHED!!!

I had a great custom order to work on and finally finished! My customer had some fabric she wanted me to use for sentimental reasons.  Its actually harder, having a little freedom, than making something just to please ME! I really agonized over this, hoping she liked the ideas I came up with. I'll be delivering the order this afternoon, wish me luck!!! Here are the pics

All 5 bags (the tote on the bottom left is reversible)

Leather pocket and flower parts

Kids lunch totes with Chalkboard fabric for personal messages

The tote is the reverse side 

 

 

                                                     

 I delivered the order halfway thru writing this, and she was really pleased! She ordered 2 Christmas stockings and an I- phone bag too! Thank you, Lee and Marie!
Back to work...........

Bring some Calm to your life!

       I am passing this on to you because it definitely works, and we could all
       use a little more calmness in our lives. By following simple advice heard
       on the Dr. Phil show, you too can find inner peace. Dr Phil proclaimed,  

       "The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have     

       started and have never finished."  

How peaceful is this?!

                                      

        So, I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn't  
       finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a    
       bottle of White Zinfandel, a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream, a package of
       Oreos, the remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the      
       cheesecake, some Doritos, and a box of chocolates, and a half bottle of  
       scotch.                                                                  
                                                                                
       You have no idea how freaking good I feel right now.                     
       Pass this on to those whom you think might be in need of inner peace.

Stay calm this weekend!!!!

A Quiet Autumn morning

Just sitting here admiring the color before the rain washes it all away! 

 Enjoy your weekend!!

Paperback Novel Pumpkin Tutorial

I was perusing some of your wonderful blogs and came across this really cute pumpkin, made from an old paperback! How great would this be among your autumn decor?  This is my version of it. I used distress ink on some pages and even VERY CAREFULLY burned some edges.

 I found this tutorial on Craftberry Bush  She has tons of great ideas on her blog, check it out!
                                                    Happy Autumn!

Welcome pumpkin and droopy plants....

Happy Fall!

To all of you that warned me NOT to forget to water my new plants, OOPS!!!

The perfect week with my Daughter and Grandson!

loving his cereal

My beautiful daughter and cute "as a button" grandson, went home 1 week ago today. It was the perfect week, the weather even cooperated, although a little too warm. Then they left, it rained for 4 days, and I'm still trying to get out of my funk and get back to everyday life... It was so nice to see them everyday for a whole week. Alex is the happiest little guy! We dragged him around everywhere and he just hung out, smiling and playing with his toys. 

 
I spent every free minute holding, hugging, kissing, or feeding him. It was great!

telling grandma secrets

Alex and his mommy

 

 

 

meeting new people!

 

 

  

Family BBQ - hanging with Uncle Tom!

 So, until Christmas, its back to Skyping and everyday life. Miss and Love you two! Oh yea, I will have my camera's video feature figured out by then......that's another story, DAH!

It's begining to look alot like Christmas.......

I decided this year I would try to get some Christmas items listed on Etsy. I always say I'll start making things right away, in January. But you know how that goes.......Well, at least this year, I know what I'm going to do. Lets just see how far I actually get. LOL! Here are the first two items I not only finished, but actually listed today! ( I'm so proud). I do love the holidays!!

If all goes well, I'll be busy creating more!!!!

LOL- STUPID- story!

  Just try reading this without laughing till you cry!!!
Pocket Tazer Stun Gun, a great gift for the wife. A guy who purchased his lovely wife a pocket Tazer for their anniversary submitted this:
"Last weekend I saw something at Larry's Pistol & Pawn Shop that sparked my interest. The occasion was our 15th anniversary and I was looking for a little something extra for my wife Julie. What I came across was a 100,000-volt, pocket/purse- sized tazer. The effects of the tazer were supposed to be short lived, with no long-term adverse affect on your assailant, allowing her adequate time to retreat to safety....??
WAY TOO COOL! Long story short, I bought the device and brought it home.. I loaded two AAA batteries in the darn thing and pushed the button. Nothing! I was disappointed. I learned, however, that if I pushed the button and pressed it against a metal surface at the same time; I'd get the blue arc of electricity darting back and forth between the prongs.
AWESOME!!!
Unfortunately, I have yet to explain to Julie what that burn spot is on the face of her microwave.
Okay, so I was home alone with this new toy, thinking to myself that it couldn't be all that bad with only two triple-A batteries, right? There I sat in my recliner, my cat Gracie looking on intently (trusting little soul) while I was reading the directions and thinking that I really needed to try this thing out on a flesh & blood moving target. I must admit I thought about zapping Gracie (for a fraction of a second) and thought better of it. She is such a sweet cat. But, if I was going to give this thing to my wife to protect herself against a mugger, I did want some assurance that it would work as advertised. Am I wrong?
So, there I sat in a pair of shorts and a tank top with my reading glasses perched delicately on the bridge of my nose, directions in one hand, and tazer in another. The directions said that a one-second burst would shock and disorient your assailant; a two-second burst was supposed to cause muscle spasms and a major loss of bodily control; a three-second burst would purportedly make your assailant flop on the ground like a fish out of water. Any burst longer than three seconds would be wasting the batteries.
All the while I'm looking at this little device measuring about 5" long, less than 3/4 inch in circumference; pretty cute really and (loaded with two itsy, bitsy triple-A batteries) thinking to myself, 'no possible way!' What happened next is almost beyond description, but I'll do my best.. .?
I'm sitting there alone, Gracie looking on with her head cocked to one side as to say, 'don't do it dipshit,' reasoning that a one second burst from such a tiny little ole thing couldn't hurt all that bad. I decided to give myself a one second burst just for heck of it. I touched the prongs to my naked thigh, pushed the button, and . .
HOLY MOTHER OF GOD . . WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION . . . WHAT THE HELL!!!
I'm pretty sure Jessie Ventura ran in through the side door, picked me up in the recliner, then body slammed us both on the carpet, over and over and over again. I vaguely recall waking up on my side in the fetal position, with tears in my eyes, body soaking wet, both nipples on fire, testicles nowhere to be found, with my left arm tucked under my body in the oddest position, and tingling in my legs? The cat was making meowing sounds I had never heard before, clinging to a picture frame hanging above the fireplace, obviously in an attempt to avoid getting slammed by my body flopping all over the living room.
Note: If you ever feel compelled to 'mug' yourself with a tazer, one note of caution: there is no such thing as a one second burst when you zap yourself! You will not let go of that thing until it is dislodged from your hand by a violent thrashing about on the floor.. A three second burst would be considered conservative?
IT HURT LIKE HELL!!!
A minute or so later (I can't be sure, as time was a relative thing at that point), I collected my wits (what little I had left), sat up and surveyed the landscape. My bent reading glasses were on the mantel of the fireplace. The recliner was upside down and about 8 feet or so from where it originally was. My triceps, right thigh and both nipples were still twitching. My face felt like it had been shot up with Novocain, and my bottom lip weighed 88 lbs. I had no control over the drooling.
Apparently I pooped on myself, but was too numb to know for sure and my sense of smell was gone. I saw a faint smoke cloud above my head which I believe came from my hair. I'm still looking for my nuts and I'm offering a significant reward for their safe return!
P.s... My wife, can't stop laughing about my experience, loved the gift, and now regularly threatens me with it!
If you think education is difficult, try being stupid !!

Wedding Do-Over

Ahhhh......to be young again!

 Which one would You wear?

Another airport (oops) !!!

A while back, I had my luggage searched at the airport, for carrying a "concealed spatula" (see it here) 
So, yesterday, I picked up my daughter and grandson for their visit, (Yahoo). I noticed a few people waiting for their loved ones upstairs, so I went up too.(Yah, I know, if everyone jumped off the bridge, would you too?) Then I took a bad picture of them walking towards me, when lo and behold, security approached me and informed me that,( nicely) I was not allowed upstairs and especially not allowed to take pics because of security? reasons.  OOPS, in trouble again! Hopefully I won't be arrested for posting this! What's a grandma to do? I don't care, THEY'RE HERE!!!!! for a whole week!!! Hopefully my photo skills will improve quickly and Grandma doesn't end up in jail.......

Preview

I just wanted to show you a preview of my new favorite extra large tote!!! I love it!

Graciously modeled by my friend, Ann. ( I hijacked her before our lunch date yesterday)!