Opps!!

So sorry I didn't get here to post the giveaway winner yesterday as promised. Packing, traveling, setting up camp, dinner, minature golf, go-carting (yes, and seeing me get out of that thing wasn't a pretty picture) campfire stories and me falling face first into bed....Hope you will forgive me.

Before Mr. SS  put on his Avila Beach golf hat this morning and left for the golf course, we put in about 49 slips of paper and he drew

Marcia of BlessedMom's Simple Home.
Congratulations, Marcia!!

All of you should pop over and visit Marcia. Hers is one of the first blogs I followed. She's a Mom with 6 kids and has a really sweet blog.

Remember, I said there were a few things inside the tote.

Two of my favorite magazines

A really wonderful smelling bar of soap ( but the box with the Eifel Tower is what got me),a magnetic "to do" list notepad, a vintage hankie, a sparklely brooch (not vintage, but pretty), three shabby roses that came from Strawberry Patches. (I plan on showing you some ways to use those later. Or go here and see what Suzanne has done and order some now.

And my personal favorite, this little key holder that just hooks over the side of your purse so you can always find your keys

Thanks for all your comments and support. I love visiting all of you, made so many new friends, renewed an old friendship, learned so much, gotten to see places and things I would never have otherwise, been inspired by all of you,

and just in general had fun.  I am looking forward to the next 100 and my head spins, always looking at things from a "post" viewpoint.

Now, I'm off to fix breakfast and head for Avila Beach to wiggle my toes in the sand and get those same toes wet, playing in the water with 9 of the best grandkids a "Mamaw" could have.

Madi, if you read this....Mamaw misses you!!

Celebrate!!

When I first learned a little about blogging, I would see giveaways and wonder...why?  One of the first I entered was for the bloggers 100th post.  Well, I said to myself, I could never find enough to say to log 100 posts. Mr. SS would differ with that statement, but I really believed it.

Here I am just eight months later, celebrating 100 posts.  Yeah!! I can't believe it.

So this post isn't about me, my family, my home, my cooking or my sewing...well maybe a little about my sewing.

This post is about you!! Yes you.  I want to have a giveaway, so one of you who read or follow me can win.  I appreciate each and every one of you who reads my blog and leaves a comment.  It is fun getting comments and I always follow up with a visit to your blog.  And if you don't have a blog I appreciate you too, and will answer with an email.

This is what I am giving away to one of you, and after you see the pictures, I'll tell you how you can enter to win.

This is where my sewing comes in, because I made this for one of you.

I started this almost a year ago when we were in Tucson on a job. I had lost interest until my friend Suzanne posted about a bag she had been given by a customer/friend.

Click on her name to read about it and see her cute bag. It is the smaller purse version of this tote which is Bow Tucks by Quilts Illistrated.

I knew right away I wanted to finish this tote and use it for my very 1st giveaway.

Anyway....back to how you can win. 

 1.  Leave a comment (even if you don't have a blog, check back and if you win you can e-mail me how to send it to you)

  2.  Become a follower (Google on my sidebar).  If you are already a follower, leave a comment telling me so.

 3.  Last, if you have a blog, please mention my giveaway on your blog and leave a link and come back and leave me a comment telling me you did so.

You will have until July 31st to enter and I will announce the winner on Aug. 1st.

As I reread this, I thought you might think you need to do all three to get a chance to win. You will get one entry for each one. Of course I would love it if you do all three and have three chances to win.

This will be an out of the hat draw and I will have Mr. SS draw.  I don't know how to do it any other way...yet.

Oh! One more thing.  Since this is a roomy tote with lots of pockets, there will be some suprises inside.

Winner....Again

Before telling about my win....I have been experiencing internet connection problems for almost a week, so if I haven't been able to visit all of you as much, or respond to your comments, that's why. I know I am on this thing a lot, but until you don't have it, you don't realize how much you use it. My computer sits next to my sewing machine, and I often just click on a blog for a break or check my e-mail often. I have really missed being able to do that, but.....and you all know where I am going.  I sure get a lot more done when I can't just click.

I'm almost embarrassed to post about this, but not that embarrassed. I won again. Now really, I don't enter that many giveaways...really.  This time my win came from Suzanne. Click on her name to go to her blog.  She has written several posts that have inspired and uplifted me.  One of the recent ones challenged everyone to set a goal by finishing the sentence "I will..."  I did that,  and it has helped me set some priorities.  But the one post that sticks out in my mind was the first one I read on her blog. It was on perspective. As a new blogger at the time, it really made an impression on me and I go back and read it often.  You can find that Here.  Back to the giveaway. Suzanne is a consultant for Southern Living at Home. It is a home party type business and their cataloge is full of useful and beautiful items for your home. In honor of some changes and a name change in her business she was giving away one of the items from the cataloge. This is what I won.

It is a bronze ice beverage container with a tray to catch the condensation.  It is lovely and since we do a lot of outdoor BBQ's and family meals, I will use it alot.  Thanks Suzanne for a great giveaway.

Sunday afternoon a group of friends got together at my home to celebrate a birthday.  I will be sharing pictures of that later in the week and joining http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/ for Tablescape Thursday.

                                                                             

                                                                               

A Litttle "This and That"

Starting with the little (or not so little) Baby Emmy. I just happened to get a couple of pictures this morning after she got back from her first doctor visit. She is 5 weeks old and weighs in at a whopping 10lbs. 13 oz. She has been smiling for a while, but I got my first big smile today. Of couse not for the camera. Don't ya just want to pinch those sweet cheeks.

Today, I finally put together 29 (of 30) fat quarters I needed for a quilt pattern I got from http://alittlebitbiased.blogspot.com/. I had many of these in my stash.  Some from 10 yrs ago when I first started collecting 30's reproductions, some from my red, white and blue collection, some I had Amber send me that I liked in her quilt and a couple I picked up at my favorite quilt store, Strawberry Patches.  I still need one more, but I started cutting them out today. Here are the fabrics.

Here is the quilt.  I am doing this for my grandson Cade who will be 6 in July.  His room is sports and red, white and blue.  I really thought this would be perfect for him.  These pictures are from Amber's blog (click on the link above) She has an Etsy Store where you can get her patterns.

Today, my prize from the giveaway on Barb's blog arrived.

She made the cutest little gift card with a really sweet note. You can't see it very well, but she sent me a vintage hankie too. (not part of the giveaway). It was her Nana's. Isn't that just the sweetest gift of all. Little did she know, that I collect hankies. But this one I will treasure.

I truely have met the nicest ladies through my blogging and feel so blessed by each of you.

One of the blogs I visit often is Southern Inspiration.  Suzanne is having a giveaway that ends on Friday. She sells "Southern Living @ Home" products and is giving away two of them in celebration of changes in the company and name change.  If you have a chance to hop over there and enter, be sure to read some of her posts. I have really gotten a  lot of inspiration and encouragement from her. Very sweet lady.

That's all for now. I'm working on a couple of cute little dresses for models at Strawberry Patches and made some more purses. I'll show those soon and have a yummy recipe to share on Friday.

I'm a Winner!!

Last week during my craziness trying to get everything ready for Easter and weekend guests, I received an e-mail from Barb of Dogmom Diva. She told me I had won her recent giveaway. "Little ole me" won something. I have entered several giveaways since I became involved in this blog world thing, but this is the first win for me. I don't enter every one I come across, but this one just had my name written all over it.

Beautiful eye shadow and lip gloss for Mary Kay.  I love Mary Kay. I have used her products for years (since 1973). Wow, that really dates me, doesn't it?  I even sold it for years. The necklace and earrings are hand made by Karen @ Funky Chunky Jewelry. It is black and pink stone necklace with heart enhancer and earings to match. It is something I would wear (my granddaughters will love it) and I already have an outfit to wear it with.

I heard from UPS today that it has been shipped and is on it's way. I am so excited to get it. Thank you  Barb for a great giveaway just designed for me to win.

It would mean a lot to me if any of you would click on Barbs name and go say hello and thanks for me.

She is a really sweet lady and new blog friend.

Something that I did not expect when I started my blog  was that  I would meet so many kind and generous women that have so much in common.  I have been enriched by getting to know all of you.  I have learned new things and laughed at your stories and cried with some of you.

Thank you all for being a part of my life.

This crazy thing called blogging also brought me back to a friendship and my love of sewing that I had sadly neglected for way too long. YOU know who you are and you started me on this ride and I thank you for that.