June's Take 12 Page for Ella Publishing

Submitted this for Ella Publishing's Take 12 for June

This is what a typical June day looks like around our yard and garden. There's Mike throwing the ball for Katie who in turn hides it between her front legs. There's Harley jumping around like Wire Fox Terriers do. Charlie lazily hanging around hoping Harley won't eat him up for dinner. Oh and the pears are ripening quickly! Eegads there must be a gazillion of them on that little tree!!!

Another prize from Ella Publishing!

I was so excited when I found out that my entry for Ella Publishing's Take 12 Project was randomly chosen for the May prize!!! I haven't received it yet because the book is still fresh off the press, but you can go to the author's web site to read all about it. The book is called Everyday Storyteller by Jennifer Wilson and promises to fill the reader with oodles of ideas about scrapbooking as a way to tell your life stories. Let me tell you, if ANYONE needs a book like this it's ME! Last night I found not one, but TWO journals on my nightstand from 2009, the year my daughter got married. One had exactly ONE entry and the other just a few! SHEESH! So maybe formal, written journals are not my thing you say? You're probably absolutely correct-o-mondo! Here's the site with all the scoop on her book and guess what? You can order it online! Yup, either download it or order the print and download version at Everyday Storyteller. Oh and did I mention that her baby girl is named after my daughter Emily? Well she doesn't know me from Eve, but she obviously has good taste in baby girl names! I can't wait to go look at all the blogs listed on the contributors page and soak up all their awesome talent! If only I had my dream iPad so I could do the reading in the car (as a passenger of course!) while headed down to Wichita to visit our parents. Please keep my dad in your prayers as he recovers from a bad infection (cellulitis) in both lower legs. He's been in the hospital for a week on IV antibiotics, so is in very good hands. Have a beautiful Sunday (or whichever day of the week you're reading this!)

The best news a mother could ask for!

I've been beside myself, upside down, turned around and jumping for joy for the past couple of weeks just waiting until I could FINALLY make the announcement that my daughter and her husband are expecting a baby in December!!!!! WOOHOO!!!! She's an only child, so this is our first grandchild and I can't begin to tell you how excited her father and I are! Soon it'll be time to dust off the old serger and sewing machine and start sewing. My daughter lost 120 pounds and has transitioned in to some very small clothes, now will need a few items to get her through, then there will be a little one to sew for. Oh boy oh joy!!!

Mike, Emily and Matt

Time for celebration of 100th item listed in Eco Chique Boutique on Etsy!

I've been very busy taking pictures and replenishing the shelves in our Etsy shop and finally listed our 100th item! Well actually if you count all the sales we hit 100 a long time ago, however it was my goal to get 100 items listed at the same time and I finally reached that goal today. If you like EcoChiqueBoutique on Facebook maybe you've already seen the announcement, if not it will be worth your time to go read it now because there's a gift involved if you're not too late.

Mother's Day cards I made

Wait until you see these awesome cards I made for my mom and mother-in-law for Mother's Day! I cut them on my Cricut using the Mothers Garden SVG Kit from SVGCuts.com. They even have video tutorials showing how to put these things together. I think my moms will enjoy these, especially the way the sunlight comes through that vellum window inside! Have you ever seen anything so beautiful made out of paper? Me neither!

Restocking the Eco Chique Boutique Shelves!

Yesterday after doing my Saturday morning errands (LOVE our local Farmers' Market!) I spent some time taking pictures of all my upcycled drink can brooches and restocking my Etsy shop's virtual shelves. After church today I'll take pics of badge reels and if time permits will get some of my oodles and oodles of upcycled paper embellishments posted. I kind of got carried away making all those die cuts out of assorted food and tissue boxes, wallpaper samples and security envelopes. Here's a few of the new brooches just listed in Eco Chique Boutique.

The Real Secret to Having It All

“Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling.” Margaret Lee Runbeck, Author, 1905-1956

What does that quote have to do with my craft room transformation? Well actually quite a lot! How many of us continue to buy, buy, BUY stuff, whether that means paper or other craft supplies, fabric, recipe books or whatever else it is that we collect with good intentions to make something all the while thinking to ourselves that it will make us happy? Ok, so incredibly long run-on sentence that we were taught not to use, but I'm only human and my thoughts go that way. So one of the email subscriptions that I ignore far too often caught my eye today. It's from Living Better at 50+ and I'm very glad that I read the article because it spoke to me. I hope you take the time to read it too. The link below will take you to the article written by a woman who I think I'll get to know more now that I've discovered her blog. Her name is Claire Vorster and I'm sure anyone who has a big duck's beak on their "about me" page has got to be a really cool person. If you're wondering if you'll ever have it all or need some encouragement, go check it out!


The Real Secret to Having It All