Back To Business

Hey kids, did you miss me???  I apologize for being gone for most of this month, but it’s been chaos around my world.  Between my real world job, school activities, and making most of my Christmas gifts, life just got away from me.  I did manage to get my Christmas gifts finished, but did so at the 11th hour and didn’t get a chance to take any pictures.

I will tell you about these gifts though, as I”m thinking about making more and selling them.  May even be opening my own online store to do so.  I’ve been doing a lot of research into online stores and alternatives to both Ebay and Etsy.  I know Etsy is almost everyone’s favorite, but I”m broke and need something that isn’t going to cost me any start up fees at all.  As soon as I get it together, I’ll pass along the information I’ve collected so everyone can have a shot.

Anyway, I love to sew and make quilt blocks.  Problem is I’m not so great at making quilts.  I’m still working on my daughter’s, but it’s almost done….just need to put the back on and it’s ready to use.  So I decided to take some of my quilt blocks and turn them into purses.  I call them Rag Bags as they’re basically a big tote bag.  I had a ball making them and the cool thing is that no 2 are exactly alike.  I say that because I do the whole thing by hand and sometimes my seams are a bit off, or like one that I made for Christmas, the bags decide to design themselves and I’m only there to run the sewing machine.  LOL

In February, I’ll be holding my first giveaway thanks to Simply Stacie and her Handmade With Love Giveaway.  I’ll be holding my part on my other site, Redhead Rants.  I’m very excited and am already working on a couple of items to give away.  I’m hoping to have a store opened up and ready to go by then, with real things ready for sale.  LOL.  As soon as I get more information on this giveaway, I’ll let you know.

Well, I’d better get back to work.  I missed you all very much and I hope you all had a great Christmas.  I pray that you all have a great New Year and that we can all say at the end that it was the best one ever.

Ornamental Mondays~~Happy Halloween

Well, I’d started an entirely different post for this week, but remembered that Halloween was just around the corner and I’d better get one done for this holiday before it was over and gone.  So before I forget again, here’s a few things you might like to have around the house this coming Halloween.

From the Etsy store fronts, I found this cute little Halloween Monster.  He’s supposed to be scary, but he’s too cute for words.  You can find him and several other Halloween items at 3BoysGrandma’s shop.  It’s a neat little place and I’m sure you’ll have a ball looking at all her other items.

On my rummage through Bonanza.com , I found these cute little vintage style Halloween ornaments.  They remind me of the things I’d find around my grandmother’s house at Halloween time.  She didn’t go all out, but there was always a little something there to keep us kids amused.

And finally over at Ecrater.com, I found this really cool Folk Art handpainted moon.  I think this thing is just cool.  I grew up around the items deemed Primitive American Folk Art thanks to my dad, so things like this bring back fond memorie—no matter how odd the things may seem.

There you go, kids.  I know it’s almost Halloween now, but  this will give you some great ideas for you own homes and maybe make you want a few of these thing anyway.  Have fun and enjoy your week.

Tuesday’s Treasures~~~Candy Apples

I love this time of year.  The changing of the leaves, the crispness of the morning air, and the smell of candy apples in my kitchen.  But, not all candy apples are made to be eaten.  I know, sad huh?  I found a couple places where you can find candy apples in forms that will still make your mouth water, but it’s probably not a good idea to eat them.  Let’s see what we have.

1.) Candy Apple Dead by: Sammi Carter
This book is about a young woman who leaves her big city life behind and returns to her hometown to help run her aunt’s candy shop.  But she ends up becoming an amateur sleuth when her brother becomes the #1 suspect in an arson…and a death.  With a 4 out of 5 stars rating on Amazon.com, this is a great little book to sink your teeth into.

2.) Kawaii Candy Apple Magnets
This just proves that you can find just about anything on a magnet.  These are just adorable with 3 little candy apples set on a black background.  I just love their cute little faces and almost makes me think that it would just be mean to eat them…almost.  They can be purchased in 3 different sizes, and either on square or circular magnets.

3.) Candied Apples Keychain
Now here’s a way to stand out from the crowd, even while driving.  This sweet little keychain will tell everyone around you that you love your candy apples in a big way.  What better way to emphasize the candy apple red paint job on your motorized baby than with this awesome little tidbit?

4.) Lola Originals Handcrafted Candy Apples
As a kid, I loved playing with my doll houses.  But even though I had a few pieces bought from a store, most of my pieces were made from little things my mom had lying around the house.  I never had things like these miniature candy apples for my dolls.  These are just too cute and look as close to the real thing as you can get.  This would make any doll house the hit of the miniature neighborhood.

Okay, now that I’ve got your mouth set for all these sweet little treasures, make sure you get out there and find something to your own personal taste.  Even if you can’t eat