To New BEGINNINGS...

It sure has been a YEAR! So many things have happened and time sure has flown by. It seems as the years go on, the time goes faster. Tonight, it will be just me and the kiddies. It has been that way for the past 3 or 4 years. Hubby always seems to have to work...which is fine, I guess. At least I know that we are safe...at night this time of the year there can be a lot of careless people out there.

Bringing in 2010, I am very HOPEFUL!! New beginnings, NEW adventures, New memories. Let's not forget what we have gone through, to become who were are today, but let's move forward and become better beings. Wishing you the BEST in 2010, because after all...THE BEST IS YET TO COME! Be safe & Happy New Year! Cheers, ~Tonya

Lotza Nothin'

Ya like that language? Nothing like not having proper grammer eh? *smirk* I thought I would show ya'all a picture of my crazy Lulu! This picture was actually taken laying down on the floor and aiming up. Lulu is the most curious cat and is always trying to lay in the strangest places. We were going through the drawer, to this hutch and Lu just thought he had to jump up in the empty drawer, to see what was in there.....or not in there, in this case...I only use the hutch for receipts and pretties. Nope, no fancy dishes. LOL

Well, Christmas is over and soon the year will be over. We did have Christmas at my Mom's, but it was two days late. The weather here in Minnesota was just awful around Christmas, but it all worked out just fine. It is cold here, but at least it isn't snowing....God only knows we have had quite enough of that to last for the whole winter!

I am trying to kick a NASTY cold, that I feel is going to get must worse, before it gets better. It is starting to go into my lungs and sooooo much coughing. I even slept (tried to sleep, but didn't get much sleeping done) on the couch last night, so that I would not keep hubby up all night. I have not been getting much done...in the creating department.

We have been playing lots of BOGGLE! I love BOGGLE and so does Courtney. She is my little brainiac! When she gets older, her and I will have to play lots and lots of Scrabble. That is my FAVORITE! I have been trying to get a little something done for the Mercantile update....but it isn't looking too good. The kids are keeping me busy, along with this nasty cold. So, I may just not even try to win a losing battle. We shall see.

Other then ~Lotza Nothin' getting done...we are just hanging around the olde homestead and trying to keep warm. I did however manage to get my computer cleaned out! I had a ton of pictures of my dolls and such from as far back at 2006!! Sheer craziness. It runs much better now and I did purchase a bit more memory...so she should be running like a top dog, once that gets here and we install it. Toodles for now kiddies! ~Tonya

~Merry Wishes...

I purchased tickets for ~Circque Dreams Holidaze~ for my Mom and I, (I surprised her with the tickets and it was part of her Christmas present). I must say, it was FANTASTIC! Not a dull moment, so much sparkle, so much talent and you did not want the show to be over. Here is a link on YouTube for Circque Dreams Holidaze, if you want to view a sample of it.

We had a fun filled day with the show and then a bit of shopping...just roaming around really. I stayed the night and then drove back before another storm hit. There was really bad weather on Monday and I was worried that I would not be able to make it to Mom's and then from there, get to the show. I took it slow and made it fine. Along the way, there were so many cars in the ditch and accidents. Some from the night before and others that had just gone in. It did not look like the roads were slippery, but they were. Most of the vehicles that I seen in ditch were SUV's and trucks. For some reason they think they are invincible on ice, with 4-wheel drive. I will never understand that.

I got home around 3 pm yesterday, just in time for another storm to hit! Lots of snow, blowing and then last night rain. Hubby got called into work....and worked his 12 hour shift, until 6 this morning and now at 9:45, he is out there moving snow, so that we can all go to my Mom's. I feel so bad for him. He must be so very tired. We are suppose to get up to 20 inches of snow (or more) by Saturday...Oh Happy Day!!

I just wanted to WISH each of you a Wonderful Holiday. Merry Wishes to each of you. May you feel the JOY of the SEASON in your HEARTS. Peaceful Blessings to you, ~Tonya

Glitter & Glisten....

I ♥love♥ all things that glitter and in the winter, I can honestly say the older I get, the less I like winter. A postitive thing that I can say about winter is, I love the snow when it glisten's in the moonlight. It is beautiful. Or when there is a new blanket of snow on Mother Earth. When the snow has been un-touched and the sunlight or moonlight hit it...Oh MY!!

So why am I talking about glitter and snow? Well, I have been playing with paper again and well glitter. Two of some of my very favoite things. I should be working on something to list...but this time of the year, I consider it to be "down-time". People are busy doing the hustling and the bustling around. Me, I am on top of things this year! YES, can you BELIEVE IT? I think this is a first for me, since I have had kids.

Tomorrow, the kids and I are going to my Mom's to bake Christmas goodies and stay over night. We have never gone to Mom's for Christmas baking before...and well, we thought we could make some new memories, spend some quality time together, listen to Christmas music and stay far away from the hustle & bustle of it all. I am taking up a bunch of ingredients....we each have a couple of things we want to make and for the rest, we will just wing it! Something we make every year is the yummy Sugar cookies with icing. We all love to decorate the cookies with the colored frosting and tips....so MUCH FUN! My kids especially look forward to decorating the sugar cookies.

I hope each of you have a wonderful weekend. Try to do something relaxing this weekend, rather then being stressed about Christmas. Peaceful Blessings to each of you, ~Tonya

~Just CHILLIN' Snowman~

This is my NEWEST Handmade! I have decided to call him ~Just Chillin'~ Doesn't he look like his is "just chillin". I have just been chillin too....hoping it would warm up. Today I took the kids down to the bus stop and it was 9 below ZERO and that is not with the wind-chill factored in! Just too cold. We have a wind-chill advisory out until around noon...

You will find this neat Snowman on Etsy. I just finished listing him. I hope to get some more smaller things made, but Christmas is just around the corner, so that means no Santa's, probably just snowfolk (which I love to make).

Here is the link to my ETSY SHOP. I do hope that yo will stop by and take a peek. I hope you all have a GRAND Day....as for me, lots to do and time is not standing still. Toodles for now, ~Tonya

A bit WORRIED...

Today we are suppose to get some really bad weather moving in...a BLIZZARD Warning is already sitting atop of us and they have told us, you normally do not see it this far ahead. Where we are located, we are sitting right in the EYE OF THE STORM. That is not the only reason I am worried...

My middle child, Courtney is off to Minneapolis to a theate/play, for a School field trip. The play is at 10:30 am, but the news report says if you have anything to do, get it done and get home!! It is suppose to start snowing and then all this wind is going to kick up and it is going to be terrible. There is a weird haze outside and it is pretty cold -- eerie feeling out there! My biggest fear is....they get stuck on a bus or they get home late, too late for me to try to go and get her in town, at school.

Last year, one day before my kids left for school...I must have said it at least 10 times, I don't think you guys should go to school. Well, that day they were released a bit early (too late in my eyes) and it took the bus over 2 hours to get home. They almost hit the ditch a couple of times, white out conditions and such high winds, I was so scared the whole almost 3 hours I sat down at the end of my driveway waiting for them. I could not see 2 inches in front of me and all my van did was shake. I was scared. They were scared and I thanked God, the minute I seen the bus.

I know I am probably just being a Mom, but something is just not sitting well in my stomach. I just called the school and they said, they have they have taken everything into consideration and that the storm is not going to start until late today and they should be back before then. I heard around NOON, the wind is going to pick up. We shall see.

I hope Courtney has a nice time and the weather holds out for her to make it back safe! I hope the blizzard isn't as bad as they say. The storm is stretching across Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota...with Minnesota (the very southern tip of MN - where I live) is right in the eye, the worst part. I must go. I have lots to do. Peaceful Blessings to you, ~Tonya

~Sweet Sophie Angel~

This is Sweet Sophie...she is a late bloomer and one of the handmades that I didn't finish last night, to make it onto TDIPT Mercantile. Time has a way of sneaking up on me now-a-dayz. She turned out so pretty, but pictures simply do not do her justice. I know I have said that before, but it is so true. I make an ANGEL around this time every year, as I feel that during the HOLIDAY SEASON there are ANGELS all around us, watching over us...

Sweet Sophie has so much detail and so many vintage/antique embellishments, they make her so very pretty. I will be editing pictures and she will be on ebay this evening. I made Sophie, so that she can be left out all year through...so that she can keep watch *smirk*

I must go. I have much to do and the day is slipping by. I have been quiet on my blog lately and I have not had time to stop by blogs just to say Hi. I am so sorry about that. I have just been so very busy...but yes, I know we all are and that is no excuse. I hope you all have a wonderful evening. Oh, one last thing...it is Dec. 1st and normally this time of year here in Minnesota, is it normally so cold and we also normally have some white stuff on the ground and today, it was in the high 40's! MARK IT DOWN! I am a happy camper and would keep this weather for the whole winter, if I could. Toodles, ~Tonya