Time Flies When You Are Having Fun!

Oh, my goodness, oh, my goodness how time has flown by. Since I wrote last, we had our 5th Successful Holiday Hodgepodge. 5 Years?! So many of my "regular" customers came to see our wares. We had several new vendors and missed some of our old vendors. Just a few of our vendors: Linzee's wonderful pottery was a hit. Ali's vinyl signs. Lois' aprons and amazing hairbows. Kerian's bows and Scentsy. And of course, Linda's incredible floral arrangements and wreaths. And all the other great creators joined us for two weekends.

My top seller this year was my new Bitty Bucket Buddy. I just had a feeling folks would like them so I made a "gazillion" of them. Then I decided to do something different and cover the handles which really dresses them up. So I had to go back and cover handles for the earlier ones. One customer bought one for all of her grandchildren then tucked goodies in all the pockets. What a great idea! Wish I had thought of that. In fact, that is what I'm going to give all of them for their birthdays this year. She came back and bought them for her adult children for their cars. Again, I need to do that for my own children! We embroidered names on all of them, and that made them even more special. How much I enjoy making things that people love!

Another Nina joins the group

We've had just 3 little seamstresses, but we've just added another. Had our first sleepover with her and cousins. So all 4 girls were enjoying playing with make-up, watching movies, etc. But what made my heart sing was when we were cutting out more squares to another Hospice quilt...I heard one of the older girls say, "We've got to serve people." AHA, she gets it!! So we've finished another quilt and another is in process. Soon we'll add a fifth nina as she gets old enough to help. What a blessed Nana, I am!

Nana's Ninas Service Project

We are heavily weighted with boys in our family--both sons and grandsons. So we have created a little "club" called Nana's Ninas just for the granddaughters. We have sleepovers, make cookies, watch movies, and I've been working to teach the older girls how to sew. Here is the quilt we made to give to a local Hospice Group. The girls enjoyed making it (and they did almost every bit of the sewing). They understand that important life lesson that "serving others makes you feel good and forget your own problems." I hope we will do many more projects together and that this is something they will remember the rest of their lives--the service, the good feeling and the being with their Nana!!

Something New--- SETS

Checkbook Covers and Sunglass Cases

We have wanted to make "sets" of matching accessories since we started making so many wonderful and different items. So far a complete "set" includes a checkbook cover, a camera bag/make-up bag (whatever you want to use it for), a tissue holder, and an sunglass holder. I love matching things. The "problem" comes in when someone loves just one item,-- then the little "set" is missing a member of their family! But they are cute, and I'm having such fun with all the different fabrics. See what you think about our new "sets."

I've included pictures of some of the different items to show fabric and color choices.

"SETS!!"

ENTERING INTO A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I love a New Year. Everything seems fresh. To me it seems almost like a reverent time...a time to reflect on what happened last year, and a time to look forward with excitement to possible adventures, meeting new people, becoming a better person, enjoying and connecting with old friends. 2010 was supposed to be -by my definition-the "year of the purge"--meaning I was going to clean up, toss out, and reorganize. Not much of that happened, but I'm hopeful that I will do better in 2011. I have a hard time getting rid of "stuff". I might "need" that at some future point so I can't possibly get rid of it. I will do better this year. It actually feels so good to winnow out those things I don't use, don't need, don't want any more. It is a very freeing thing to give things away. I love when the American Kidney Fund calls. It becomes a good excuse to come up with a bag of things that can find a new home.

I'm so very grateful for my wonderful family and my amazing friends. They are all such good examples to me. And that is where I get my real joy--not from "stuff" but from my loved ones!!

Here is to a happy, healthy, peaceful, prosperous, and blessed New Year to one and all!!!!