THE WINNER IS:

First I want to thank each and everyone of you who entered my give away and sent cards, prayers and well wishes for my brother, Gene, who is in the hospital.

I put everyone's name in a basket and drew out the winner.

Congratulations to Sherry at Edie Marie's Attic

I had so much fun doing this give away that I'm going to be doing another one really soon. So please keep coming back so you don't miss out.

Hugs to all of you.
Joanne

A DOG DAY AFTERNOON!

It's bath time for the dogs! They hate getting baths. Even though they are good when they get them. Look at the look on Elton's face. He is saying "Help! Get me out of here!"
Zeke hates water! He shivers when he gets a bath. Poor guy.
Thankfully the bath part is over but now it's time to dry off. Elton doesn't like this part at all. He waits until he knows the time is right and then he darts away from me and hides under the bed so I can't get him. Then he runs all over the house and rubs his body on anything he can to get his nice dirty smell back. He is all boy and hates being clean.

Zeke on the other hand let's you dry him off and then waits for his treat for being a good boy. He really is the best dog. Other then barking at everything and everyone that walks by he doesn't do anything wrong.

Well now that the boys are clean, I'm off to go see Sex In the City. I've always been a fan of that show and I can't wait to see what the girls have been up to in the past few years.

Hugs to everyone!

Joanne

SO MANY GIVE AWAYS GOING ON

Don't you just love all the give aways going on these days.

Of course there is the big one which is the 2nd annual cottage charm give away at http://owcl.blogspot.com/2008/05/sign-up-for-2nd-annual-cottage-charm.html I think there are 54 people who signed up on the give away. This one ends tomorrow though so you must be fast!

Then there is a great one at Three Guys, A girl and a Prim at http://3guysagirlandaprimplace.blogspot.com/2008/05/grand-opening-giveaway.html she just opened up her Etsy store and will be giving away not one but two great items. One is a painting and one is a sign. While you are there, check out her store. I'm sure you will find things you love either for yourself or for gifts.

Another one is at The Simple Woman at http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/2008/05/time-away-and-apron-giveaway.html This is for a darling apron that is homemade. You can also buy one from her. The prices are wonderful and the aprons are some of the nicest I've seen.

Also over at The Simple Woman Cannery she is doing a super give away for Ball Blue Canning supplies. If you have ever wanted to try your hand at canning or if you already love to can (like I do) then stop by at http://thesimplewomanscannery.blogspot.com/2008/05/ball-blue-gift-away.html

Then of course there is mine at: http://cottageinthemaking.blogspot.com/2008/05/give-away-link.html

If you know of any more that are not part of the 2nd Annual Cottage Charm Give away please let me know.

So hurry up everyone. Go sign up if you have not already. You may be missing out and there are some wonderful give aways out there.

Hugs,
Joanne

MY COLLECTIONS ARE GROWING

I got some great jars for my birthday. So I put some shells in one, Starfish and Sand Dollars in one and white vintage buttons in the other one.

I think I have a new obsession with these kinds of jars. I have several more but I'm not sure what to put in them.

I did put the start of my vintage blue button collection in this little one though. I have to find some more blue buttons to fill it up though. Anyone have any they no longer want? If so, let me know!

Today I got these three vintage hand painted blue plates in the mail. I won all of them from EBay. They are perfect for my bedroom that I'm redecorating in blue. I'm going to hang them up on the wall.
Aren't these flowers darling. So dainty.
This plate has a beautiful ruffled edge as well as lovely hand painted flowers.

Then this one has little clusters of blue flowers around it. So romantic looking.

I love all of them.

Don't you just love adding to your collections? Leave me a note and let me know what you collect.

Don't forget, you still have time to join my give away. I'm not picking a name until the 31st so if you have not signed up go here http://cottageinthemaking.blogspot.com/2008/05/give-away-with-catch.html and sign up before it's to late.

Hugs,
Joanne

I'VE BEEN GONE TO LONG!

I know, I have not been around the past few days. I've been pretty busy and just couldn't find the time to blog. So it's time to play catch up.

This past Sunday my two sisters, Maureen and Pat, my brother in law, Jeff, my nephew, John and my great niece, Trinity, and I all went to breakfast at this hotel that is not far from where I live. We went to celebrate my birthday.

It was so nice. We sat outside, had wonderful food and a nice view of the lake. The best part was they allowed you bring your dogs! It was the first time I've been able to bring them (legally) to a restaurant with me. I say legally because when my dog was little I used to put him in my purse and take him everywhere. To restaurants, movies and stores. He was so small that no one noticed him. But now he is to big.


That's him under the table. His name is Elton and he is a long hair chihuahua. I know, I know, he needs to lose weight.
Both Elton and my sister Pat's dog, Zeke, were so good. We were a bit worried they would bark at the other dogs but they couldn't have been better. They loved going.

This little guy was sitting next to us and wanted his picture taken so badly. I couldn't let him down. He was so cute.

Zeke is a short haired dog and gets cold a lot so Trinity put her jacket on him and kept him warm.

Even birds came by to join us. Wasn't it nice of the people who left him a little breakfast.

After we ate, we walked around the lake and saw ducks. This is mommy and daddy duck. They had two little ones but the picture I took of them didn't come out.

We all decided it was one of the best breakfasts we ever had and we will be going back again. The price was very good and they even donate a part of the money to a dog rescue.

On Memorial Day I went to a movie with my sister. I'm so blessed to have my family all living close to me so I can see them a lot. We are all very close and get along great...........most of the time. LOL

Tues I went and spent the day with my brother, Gene, at the hospital. It was great day. He took his first steps! The best part of that was it showed him he will walk again one day. It gave him a boost he really needed. Sometimes it's hard to stay upbeat when the progress is so slow.

He also was moving his arm a little bit better.

While I was there he got a few cards. He wanted me to tell everyone thank you so much. They mean a lot to him. He loves to see where the cards come from and he shocked so many people he has never met cares so much and really are praying he gets better. Cards are coming even from other countries!

Before his stroke, we had plans to travel soon. On May 30th he was set to retire and was going to free to travel with me. Well of course, those plans got pushed back, But Tues he said when he gets better he still wants to travel. He wants us to go around and met all the wonderful people who sent the cards so he could thank them in person. Wouldn't that be fun!

Today I spent a few hours in the garden planting flowers. It was nice to play in the dirt for awhile. Oh, I should have taken photos. What is the matter with me! Well maybe I'll do that tomorrow as I'll be around home all day again working on projects.

So until then, be safe and take care of yourself.

Hugs to you all,

Joanne

THE WINNER OF MY 50th BIRTHDAY GIVE AWAY IS.....

Well I decided, since I like old things and the ways of the past, I would hand write everyone's name down on paper and then put them all in my pretty new box I got for my birthday. I shut the lid and shook them all up to mix them well. No computer print outs or computer picks for this give away. We are doing it the old fashioned way of pulling the name out of the hat. Only we are using a box. I closed my eyes and picked a name out. Oh no! I got two that were stuck together. So without peeking (I promise) I dropped one of the names and opened up the the other.
The winner was..........A COTTAGE INDUSTRY! Congratulations! You win. I will mail the package out on Tues since there is no mail tomorrow or Monday due to the holiday.

This was so fun for me to do. I think I'm going to have to search for another reason to have a give away soon. I'm already gathering things up. So keep coming back so you don't miss out.

Don't forget my other give away that I'm having on May 31st. Scroll down to enter that one if you have not already done so.

I also want to thank each and everyone one of you who left me jokes and happy birthday messages. You really made my day and gave me lots of smiles. Thank you so much!

Hugs,
Joanne

PROJECTS IN THE RAIN

Yesterday was a great day! My sister, Maureen, and my great niece, Trinity who is 7, came over and made me some cupcakes for my birthday.

While they were doing that I thought I would try to finish a project or two. So I gathered up a few things I wanted to paint white and headed outside. I took an old picture frame I got at a thrift store, the cute little cherub statute I won from Debra's Cottage and the cute cupcake holder I won on eBay. I went outside, put the plastic cover over the table and started to spray away.

Just as I finished up the with the frame and cherub statute I heard a loud crack sound! Oh no, the thunder was there. I knew it was just a matter of time before the storm I heard about was overhead. So I grabbed my things and ran inside with them still wet. I only got one coat on the cupcake holder and didn't get to finish it.

One of my gifts from my sister was a big bag of shells. So I thought I would put a candle in the cherub and put a few shells around it. I think it came out pretty cute. I am going to leave it this way for awhile at least.

You can see it in the photo along with the frame. Also in the photo is a small dish/bowl I found at the thrift store. I don't know what it was really used for. Maybe soap??? I thought a few more shells would be nice in there too.

My sister also bought me the box in the photo. I love the colors. It will go perfectly in my new redecorated bedroom.

Since I didn't get the cupcake holder done I didn't put the cupcakes in there. I'll show that to you when the rain goes away and I can finish it.

Don't forget that tomorrow I will draw the name for the winner of my 50th birthday give away. So, if you have not yet signed up, scroll down and leave a post before it's to late.

I won't be drawing the winner for the Cottage Give Away until May 31st so you still have a little time to sign up for that one as well.

Hugs,
Joanne

IT'S OFFICIAL! I'M 50!

Today is my birthday and I hit the big 5 0! Yes that is right, I'm 1/2 of a century old. I'm on the down side of that big hill of life.

I can finally sign up for AARP now. Yippee!

Well I sure have seen a lot of history in my life time. Here are a few things that I can remember that have come about since I was born.

A man walked on the moon. My mom made me watch this even though I couldn't care less at the time. She said some day I would be happy I did. I guess she is right.

TV got remote controls. The first one we got only had a few buttons. Nothing like the ones we have today. You could turn the TV on or off and the channel could be turned, one station at a time and only in one direction. But, that was OK. There were only a few channels. No cable back then. Oh, and if you turned the TV off with the remote only and not on the TV itself, it would turn back on if a plane flew over. Strange.

Microwaves were not around until I was already living on my own. Everything had to be cooked the good old fashioned way. Slowly. If you wanted to thaw something you took it out of the freezer and a few hours later you could have it thawed. If you needed it thawed quicker you put the frozen item in the sink with water in it. Still took forever though.

ATMs weren't around either. You could only go to the bank when it was opened. You wrote checks a lot more. When the first ATM cards came out people were scared to make a deposit through the machine. They worried that their money would get lost or stolen.

The world seemed smaller. You never heard of places like IRAQ, IRAN or anywhere in the middle east much. Russia was a big country that we feared. They were the bad guys. Had spies and wanted to take over us. We even had "duck and cover" drills at school. I wondered just how much safety was really under those little desks. If a bomb was dropped would that desk really help to save us from getting hurt???

Planes were much smaller and didn't go as fast as the ones we have now. So travel out of the country was not as popular as it is today. Most families would drive if they went on vacation.

There were no DVRs, DVDs or CDs. In fact cassette tapes were not even around in the first part of my life. When 8 track tapes came out they were WONDERFUL! I never could understand why the track would change right in the middle of a song though. Oh and no one listened to FM radio. Even car radios only had AM.

Home computers weren't even thought about when I was little. Once they did come out most people never dreamed they would ever buy one. They couldn't even think of a reason of why someone would need or even want one.

No one worried about eating healthy. Everything was fried in grease that you saved from cooking bacon for breakfast. Gravy was a normal part of dinner. Everyone ate meals sitting down at the table as a family. We didn't have fast food drive through places.

We were able to pray in school, say the Plead of Allegiance to the flag and even end it with "One Nation Under GOD". Teachers were respected and we had to listen to what they said. You wouldn't dream of talking back to your teacher.

People were proud to be Americans. You never heard anyone put the President down or burn the flag.

Mother's were always home when kids got home from school. They went to PTA meetings and knew your teacher.

Dogs were "just pets". They ate table scraps, lived outside for the most part, never went to the vets for check ups or teeth cleaning. There were no stores that sold doggy clothes or fancy collars. If you gave your dog a bath it was outside with the hose and there was never any special conditioner to use to make them softer.

Yes, times have change. Most things seem better now. But, not everything. It's called progress. Growing up.

I can't wait to see what the next 1/2 of my life brings.

Have a great day everyone!

Hugs to you,

Joanne

MY 50th BIRTHDAY GIVE AWAY

Well on May 22nd I will be turning the big 50 and thought it would be fun if I was the one who gave the presents. So I thought a birthday give away would be just the thing to do.

Since my birthday is in May and my birth stone is Emerald I picked the color green.
First there is a darling vintage green depression glass cake plate. The pattern in Sunflower.
Then I'm adding four cute white vintage linen napkins trimmed in lace.
There is also a green handle vintage egg better. Remember them? Also a cookie cutter with a green handle. It's in the shape of a flower.

There is even a green glass vintage hat pin. This photo doesn't show it off very well.
Then you will get four cute vintage dessert plates with darling Green roses on them and trimmed in gold. Just in case you wanted to invite some friends over for tea and cake I'm also giving some sweet blank cards that can be turned into invitations.
This is a close up of the plates.

Now here are the rules. Rather then just sign up I figured I could use a few good laughs. So leave me a post with a joke. No matter how silly, dumb or corny it is. They you will be entered.

I will draw a name this Sat so hurry. Also, let your friends know about this give away and if they tell me you sent them then you get another entry.

Oh and don't forget the other give away I have going too. Scroll down to enter if you have not already done so.

Good luck everyone.

Hugs to you all,

Joanne

SORRY

I spent the day with my brother and didn't have time to get my birthday give away together. I promise to do it when I get home tomorrow.

Joanne

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?

Well I do! I noticed that all around our house we have clocks to let us know.

There is a pretty clock on the side table. Just in case anyone wanted to know what time it was.

A clock in the other bedroom with an alarm to wake me up.

A clock in the dinning room so you know when it's time to eat.

An Elvis clock that swings his legs in the office lets me know how long I've been on the computer.

A cute little Brighton clock on the dresser lets you know how much time you have to get dressed.

The little heart clock in the bathroom will show you how long it takes to put on your makeup.

The clock on the fireplace mantel will be sure to let you know when it's time for your favorite TV show.

The other bathroom has a sweet little clock too.

Then of course if I'm outside I need to know what time it is also.

I never noticed how many clocks I have everywhere in my home. There are clocks on the phone that shows when someone called. Clocks on the DVD player and DVR that can be set to record a show. A clock on the oven and microwave that allows you to time how long to cook something. A clock on the computer that hides from me unless I click on it. Even a clock in the garage shows what time I get home.


I think I counted 16 clocks in our home. That's a lot seeing as how we just have a small three bedroom 1400 sq. foot home. Do we really need to know what time it is that often?


How many clocks do you have?


Well, it looks like the clocks are telling me I'm done with my blog post today so I will say good bye until tomorrow. But, be sure to set your clock to come back then.


My birthday is on the 22nd of this month and I thought I would be the one to give the present to you! I'll be having a birthday give away in addition to the give away I'm already having. I'll let you know what the give away is tomorrow. See you then!


Hugs to you all,
Joanne

I WON! I WON!

I got a call from Debra's Cottage saying my name was pulled out from the raffle drawing they had over Mother's Day weekend and I was a winner!

I ran right down to see what I won and it was this darling little cherub statute.

I'm going to give it a coat of white spray paint and then I'm not sure what I will use it for. To hold a candle? A small bird feeder? To hold some shells or vintage buttons? Should I glue a pretty china plate on it and use it as a serving dish?

I have no idea. Do you? I would love to hear everyone's clever ideas.

Then I got this darling cupcake holder in the mail today. I won it off of eBay! I love it. But again, I think a nice spray paint of white would make it look even a bit better. How about you? Do you think I should leave dark or paint it white?

This can also be used to hold candles. I could see small clear glass votive holders in each space and all the candles lit up.

The fun thing is there are other tops that go with this. There is a pumpkin and a birthday present. So depending on the occasion you can use whatever top is best.

It can also be turned into a one, two or three tier holder.

I have lots of different cupcake holders but this by far is the best one I have.

Now I need to make some cupcakes.

Hugs to everyone,
Joanne

EVERYONE LOVES A PARTY!

Who doesn't like a party? I sure do. I love to plan for them, buy things to decorate with, make the food, invite the people and have fun!

So I thought I would show you a few of the parties I've had in the past.

My brother in law loves to golf so the theme for his birthday was of course golfing. With a green grass table cloth, golf balls all around, a straw that shows the wavy movement the balls make when hit by people like me and of course the take away gift at the place setting. In this case it was a box with golf balls all over and full of chocolate. You can't really see it but in the vase there are tees in the water and ribbon that says golf wrapped around the top.

Even the ice cubes were made in a golf ball mold.

This year my great niece turned 7 and wanted a Paris/Pink Poodle theme birthday party. The cups are Eiffel Towers, the little boxes on the table have a pink poodle on top and are filled with pink M&M's wrapped up with an Eiffel Tower charm to take home. The plates and blowers are French Pink Poodles. So are the cupcakes.

This was a company that wanted to throw a Irish Pub party for their clients. The colors were the Green, Orange and White as that is the color of the Irish Flag.

Lots of food of course. Gold coins scattered around the table that also had shamrock lights.

No better place to throw the party then at a real Irish Pub.


My good friend and I used to have a luncheon once a month. We would take turns having it our house. This months theme was rubber ducks. So of course the plates and napkins are yellow rubber ducks. There were tea sandwiches that were cut in the shape of a rubber duck and used whole pepper corns for the eyes. I found a darling little dish that held dip that was in the shape of the duck and even little candy shaped like rubber ducks.

A Hawaiian Luau was the theme of my sister I live with. We went all out for this party as she was turning the big 60!

Everyone, even the younger guys, got with the spirit of the party and wore leis as we sat outside and ate.

This was another company party with a Jazz theme. It was held outside at night and we even had a wonderful Jazz band there.

The color scheme was pink and blue as that was the logo colors of the company.

Every year we host an Academy Award Party.

The fun starts as you walk up on a red carpet. Ok it's not really a carpet but you get the idea.

Desserts are always an Oscar theme too. This year was white chocolate Oscars that were painted with edable gold paint and the Hollywood sign also made from chocolate and cheese cake.

Goodie bags are a must at all my parties so the guests can remember the parties even after they go home.

Even the floor gets decorated with stars just like on the Hollywood walk of fame.

Another party for my great niece was dog theme. Little dog houses held a stuffed puppy for everyone to take home. The glasses were shaped like bones. Everyone had a little bowl with cookies that looked like dog food in them. The cake was in the shape of a dog house.

I think I liked this party the best of all the ones I've given.

Oh let's not forget every year there is a Halloween party for the kids. Each year is a different theme also. A pumpkin theme was this year. As the kids get older the parties become a bit more scary. I can't wait until I can do a real haunted house for them.

A Christmas tea party was given for friends and family. I had fun finding cute tea cups and saucers and tea pots in Christmas themes off of eBay. I now have a wonderful collection.

There have been many many more parties but I think you get the idea of how much I like to give parties. No matter how big or small. There is always a reason to have a party. It could be a Holiday, birthday, company party or just to sit down and share a few hours with a friend. You don't really need a reason to make every day a party day.

Hugs to you all,

Joanne