Time For A Giggle

Do you need a laugh? I think we all do...so here are some giggles for you...

And my Hannah's favorite....

I'm still giggling.....

Be blessed,

Debbi

A Busy End Of Summer

Wow, I haven't been here much at all this summer.  I don't know why, we didn't go anywhere or do anything special.  I know that I have been busy online working for The Craftstar, which put Yankee Burrow on the back burner for a little while, but I think I finally have a good working schedule.  But for now let me share with you some fun pictures.

 My cute grandson discovered Ravioli

Our homeschool group had our first gathering with a pizza in the park party.  Our group has almost doubled in size from last year. :0)

The weather got cool enough for some childhood comfort food.  Tuna and peas on toast, yum yum.  I remember my mom LOVING this stuff, but she called it s**t on a shingle.  Chuck remembers eating this in the Navy. lol

In August we discovered a young stray cat living under the shop.  Chuck felt bad for it and started feeding him.  (Yeah, he's a softie at heart <3)  Within a few weeks Tom moved onto our back deck.  He still won't let us touch him (yet) but he loves it when we come and sit out there.  He just meows and talks to us and lays under our chairs.  He hangs out by our back door, mostly because of our female cat Patches, BUT when we take our dog Pee Wee out, Tom will rub right up against him.  He's bigger than Pee Wee, so Pee Wee is not too sure about this.

The word must have gotten out because a few weeks later, Little One moved onto our porch.  Tom shares his food without too much argument.  Little One is super cute, but super skittish.  I finally have him to the point where he will stay on the porch when I come out...but he watches us closely.

The last Saturday of September is the Hiddenite Festival of the Arts, and we attend most every year.  This year they put an actual rope around the tractors, instead of just the keep off signs that all the kids ignored.  Owen was disappointed. lol

And this????  One of my favorite reasons for the fall season!  Totally bad for me, but totally tasty.  I'm still waiting for the pumpkin spice coffee creamer. :0)

So how was your summer?  Busy?  Relaxing?  Stressful?  Fun?  Share your story with a comment.

 Be blessed,

Debbi

What's new in handmade....

Let's visit several places today and see what's new out there in handmade land.

Here's a little cutie from The Craft Star, 

American Flag Mouse

by Warmth.

At Handmade Artists I found

a Steam Bee Steampunk Necklace

by Designs Bloom.

For a country girl, I have to admit I am strangely attracted to steampunk. lol

I haven't been here for ages, but at Artfire I found a

3D white persian cat mug

by

MadamePomm.

And my final stop is at Zibbet.  I love this

Laser Cut Leather Cuff

by  Lydia Wall Millinery.

Well, that's it for today.  Now it's up to you.

Remember, when you buy handmade, you are supporting small business.

Be blessed,

Debbi

Meet the newest member of our family....

Chuck wanted to surprise me  with a special gift on Mother's Day.

Isn't she a cutie?  She fits in one hand and came from our neighbors....free.  Well, not really free,

cat food and dish to go into the baby

cat litter and box for what comes out of the baby

cat toys and treats to amuse the baby

$45.00

when she cuddles on my chest and purrs

priceless!

She purrs so hard her whole body vibrates.

Pee Wee is not too sure yet, he loves to follow her around and play, but she was too young to be weaned (the stray momma took the other kittens and left this one under the neighbor's shed)

so last night she tried to nurse on PeeWee.  HE was NOT amused.

She sure does love to eat.  And because of her coloring, I named her Patches.  I love my kitty.

Do you have, or love, cats?  How can you not?

"A dog watches his owner feed him and pet him and love him, and thinks his owner is god.

A cat watches his owner feed him and pet him and loves him, and thinks he is god."

Be blessed,

Debbi

We love our cats

I have almost always had a cat in my life, and my children (especially Amanda) has inherited my love of all things feline.  Right now she has a grey tabby named Droopy.  He's named that because he is probably the laziest of cats in history.  Droopy is now up in age and very ill, he can't keep food down, and is nothing but bones, but still loves to just sit and be loved.  So, because I know that the end is near for Droopy, and will be hard for Amanda, let me share some of my favorite pictures of Droopy from when he was young and healthy.  And when you read this, please say a little prayer for Amanda, because if you have ever loved a pet, you'll understand.

"Look, out the window, should I chase that bird?"

"Naaaaah."

No box, or basket, was safe from Droopy.  He could sleep anywhere at anytime.  Stuff still in the box?  So what, he'd climb in anyway.

 Ok, is that ham I smell?"  He would wait till he thought we weren't looking, then slip his paw up and steal from the plate.

Now go hug and pet your pet.  All they desire is your attention, and what they give in return can make all your problems just disappear.

Debbi

Saturday Shopping Link Up - free for all

Well, I didn't have a lot of time this week to think of a theme, so this week is a free for all, lol.  Post anything you like!!!  So I looked thru some of my older cirlce friends to see what was new, so here's some Etsy things I like...

Look at the color!!!!  I love it!  These are Frosted Cerulean Blue Wire Wrapped earrings from the shop of byebyebirdy.  I know Wendy, and she is a wonderful person who takes great pride in her work.  You'll love her shop.

And here's my friend Nina from You Are My Sunshine.  I have purchased several items from her, and even had a custom order with her, and everything she sent me was even better then I expected.  Lovely and soft and feminin and simply wonderful.  Just like this Statement Necklace, vivid fuschia silk flowers and reclaimed vintage earrings make this a truly one of a kind necklace.

And lastly is a shop I have not purchased from (I don't have a cat) but I just love what  Amélie creates, so I like to check in often to see what's new, like this Southern Belle Hat with Wig.  ToScarboroughFair has been features all over the place, in movies, and lately on Good Morning America.  Wow!  And Congrats!!



And now it's your turn.  Link up and share....and let's party!!!
Debbi

here kitty kitty

Here's some Besteam kitty kitties! This week I pulled 3 totally different shops for my BESTeam weekly feature, and was "almost" stumped as to how to tie them all together for my feature. That's when I noticed that all 3 shops had a cat item for sale, so here we are, "here kitty kitty kitty". lol

First up from the shop of UpcycleRecycleReuse I found this way too cute orange tabby kitten.  I had a kitten just like this as a kid, we called him Kris Kringle (yes I brought him home at Christmastime).  This Orange Tabby Cat envelope was created from recycled paper, which is the foundation of this Etsy shop.  You can also find UpcycleRecycleReuse on facebook, and follow the Recycle blog.

Next I found this Vintage Siamese Cat Perfume bottle and vase in the wonderful Hawaiian shop, Redemption Art.  Let me tell you....Connie finds the neatest stuff, and graciously shares them with us.  You can like Connie on facebook, or follow her tweets on twitter.  But I'm telling you, her blog is a must read.  She has a great way with words, and shares life on the island so well, you'll feel like you're really there, so bring your lei and grass skirt and enjoy.

And finally Michelle from Mossy Creek Soaps handpainted this Black Cat on a pumpkin for those who celebrate Halloween.  Michelle makes all her soaps from natural ingredients right in her own studio in Georgia, USA.  She also teaches soap making there and in case you were wondering, she is a certified soap maker with the Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild.  And you can find her all over the web...at her own site, read her blog, on facebook, on twitter, and the first place I met her, on Creating the Hive, another cool social site for artists.

Well, that's all the Best for this week.  You can click on any of the links above to get you where you want to go.  And remember, if your an an Etsy artist that likes to blog, and is looking for support, friendship, and promotion, the BESTeam is the team for you.

Debbi

Besteam feature on UpcycleRecycleReuse

Upcycle, Recycle, Reuse is a fairly new member of the Besteam, and has a great theology about life....waste not, want not.  Based in Vermont (beautiful country by the way), this Etsy shop believes in saving wasted material and changing it to enhance and beautify this world.  In her shop you'll find cards, envelopes, boxes, embellishments, anything that can be created with paper.  Here's a few of my favorites...

this is a Classic Cat Journal or Notebook, and it is hand sewn for durability and strength.  And from the choices in this shop, cats are her favorite animal, heehee.  I can so easily see me writing my prayer requests in this book, I love cats too.

Here we have more cats adorning this great little Classic Cat Handmade Envelopes.  At about 3 1/4" square, these are the perfect size for small thank you notes, or gifting small photos, whatever you can think of that will fit.  Even cat nip.

And what is a cat's favorite pet?  Why, a bird of course.  These handmade Spring Envelopes are the same size at the cat envelopes above, and the colors just pop!

Upcycle, Recycle, Reuse also has a really informational blog aptly named...

Upcycle, Recycle, Reuse.

Here you will find great shops and items that have been repurposed and renewed.  Like items made from old barn wood and pallets.

You can find also this great shop on facebook.

If you are an Etsy artist that likes to blog, check out the BESTeam here.

And if you are a blogger with an Etsy shop, check out the BESTeam here.

Besteam feature on AllAboutCats from Etsy

Before I talk about AllAboutCats, I thought I would share with y'all a picture of our Baby. She was a stray kitten that "found" us one spring day 10 years ago. She was so small that she fit into the palm of my husband's hand, and when he put her back down, she raced us home, slapped our dog, and promptly moved into our home and our hearts. She lost her life to cancer just this past spring, and as any pet lover will tell you, losing a pet is hard, and we miss her. We did not get another cat (yet), but when we do, you can bet that we will shop here, at AllAboutCats. Linda must love her cats, because she not only makes items for them, she makes items about them.

And her catnip is organic, so you can rest assured that your baby will be playing with only the best! Linda also has another etsy shop, ThisAndThatInVermont, where she sells other non-feline handmade and vintage items. And I just noticed that she only opened that shop yesterday, so bookmark it and check in frequently as she builds up her inventory. Linda is from Vermont, beautiful country indeed. Her blog is great reading, especially the "about me" page. She talked about the fad of the month her mother belonged to, and it brought to my mind the packages of "stuff" my mother used to get also, :). So stop by her shop and blog, you'll be glad you did. I am.

heeeeere's Maria Bella Jewelry

ok, I know, a sad beginning. But my brain is fried. I've lost the wireless connection to my laptop, and in the process of installing one of those "easy plug and play" units, I lost the internet connection on both computers. Blah.....


But now things are looking up. I've just finished checking out Maria Bella Jewelry, another BESTeam member. And she has some great items for sale in her shop. Like this georgeous humming bird locket. What a great accent for any outfit. Right now she is offering a free pair of earrings with purchase thru her etsy shop. Now that's a great deal!









MaryAnn hails from northern CA, I wonder if she's near my brother?? But I'm as bad at geography as I am at computer installation, so there's just no telling. LOL.











Back to MaryAnn, she's been making jewelry for about 6 years now, and you can tell by looking at her pieces, like this lady in blue necklace, that she is passionate about her craft. She has a 100% positive rating, so she truly knows how to make her customers happy.



She loves beads sooooo much, she has a store strickly for beads at TigerBeadStore.com. But my favorite thing has to be her personal blog about cats, the very best cats.blogspot. A person who loves cats, is the best kind of person. So visit her stores and blogs, and say "hello".