I'm dreaming of a felted Christmas....

I am SOOOO excited!!!  We hit the After-Christmas (75% off) section of target the other night... and along with getting various rollls of wrapping paper, for less than $1 EACH... I found these handsome felted snowman & snowman balls, for only 50¢ a piece!!! They were so adorable, I just couldn't help but snatch up every one I could find!!

Mobile Update: Praise the Lord!

FWD: He got! He got it! B got the Job!!! ~ Thank you Lord! Thank you....

Edit to add:  He's working for a franchise store, for Verizon Wireless!  He has (paid) training all this week, and is very excited about it! -- So relieved! :-)

Exultations of Adoration...

There is no effect more disproportionate to its cause
than the happiness bestowed by a small compliment.  ~Robert Brault

 KB has always been a very empathetic, thoughtful little person.... but lately, she has become very complimentary, as well.  Everywhere we go.... every person we meet... she has something- at least one thing - that she "likes" about the person.  From their dress to their shoes... their earrings to their nails... their eyes to their hair.... . to  their skills - like [music] playing...  She always seems to know just how to bring a smile to a person's face!  And I smile, because after all, everyone needs a little adoration every once in a while... :)

Mark Twain once said: "I can live for two months on a good compliment." ~ And I like to think that people all over, are living even a smidgen happier lives... all because of one little girl's attentiveness to detail...  her big, sincere heart... and her kind, compassionate & loving words! ~  I am so proud of her!!

eBay finds:: Robeez!!

When KB wears shoes (haha!), about 80% of the time, they are still soft-soled.... so, needless to say, when I won this auction  earlier today... I was  pretty stoked!  To find *three* pairs of lightly used Robeez  - all coming  from the same seller.... in the size we were needing (2-3 years) - that were priced low at the end of an auction --  and then. to win them all for a total of only $28.40 - shipped!! -  it was only by the Lord's provision!! 

Calendar!

(click to see a little bigger)

Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy

Growing up in a family of all girls (whose mom dressed us alike on various occasions)... I love  matching mama/daughter dresses. Of course being frugal, I prefer to find them gently used...  for a portion of the price. - Enter... eBay! The only thing about eBay is, of the few Mother/daughter sets that actually exist at any one time, the average size of the mommy's dress is usually a large or XL  - way too big for me...

City Calendar - update...

It's official.... the photos have been sent in, the release is going in the mail this afternoon... and in a couple of months, three of MY pictures will be featured in the 2010 Sarasota City calendar -- a seasonal calendar starting in March 2010, and running by the seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall and then Winter.

City Calendar!

Back in Sept/Oct, our city's Facebook page posted, asking everyone to post their best pictures of the city... which they would randomly publish on the website... as well as pick a few to publish in the 2010 Calendar.  With very little expectation, I (along with dozens of other people, and at least a hundred other photos) posted a handful of my favorite pictures, excited to share my view of our beautiful city.

Well, I just opened my email, and look what I found waiting for my in my inbox...

Free book from Vision Forum!!

I am SO excited about this offer! I have been wanting to read Passionate Housewives Desperate for God for some time! :)

Fluffy mail!!

They're here! They're here! That's right! We got fluffy mail on Tuesday! The long awaited new diapers, are finally here!


The new, unwashed prefolds look so rough &... weird!

New "Thirsties" covers: periwinkle blue, lavender & cotton candy pink

And the item I'm probly most thrilled about... The (purple!) wet bag!!!

God Provides: KB's new fluffies!!!

Thanx to a very generous gift, from a very dear friend... I was finally able to order KB some much-needed, new diapers!! I was able to get 2 dozen, brand-new, Chinese prefolds (a HUGE blessing, since ours were handed down from Marmee, are really old, and are quickly becoming thread bare!), several new Thirsties covers, as well as a bonus purchase of a $10 [purple] diaper pail liner... and still remain well into the limits of my monetary "allowance"!! After some research, I decided to order from: Nickisdiapers.com... as they had a trustworthy & professional looking site... the best price for the UBCPF (by the dozen)... and FREE shipping! :-) Then.... I found a separate seller, who had two of the (v1) covers, marked for almost 25% off of the going price..... with no shipping!!! So I was able to get two more covers (the next size up!) to add to my stash.... and only because of the splurged pail liner, did it put me a few dollars over my spending goal!! I am SO excited! Thanx again, JAM.... you're the best! :)

blessed.... grateful.... excited!!!

Tiph Chatzistamatis is blessed beyond words.... overwhelmingly grateful.... and OH.SO.VERY excited!!!

Over the last few weeks, B has been building a website for a friend's new business he's co-constructing. In order to help him get more done & make his time most efficient, I have been helping him put the product up (basically just a bunch of copy/paste) . Grateful for my help, and knowing how much I wanted (and was *praying*) to be able to go see Heather & the baby.... B decided that he'd give me $1 for every product I finished. So, I set to work. (part of the reason my blogging has been lacking lately.)

Jump to present day.... afore mentioned friend called us this afternoon, asking if we wanted to join his family at CiCi's for dinner (their treat!) Blessed already, we joined them. Throughout dinner conversation of business & personal... his wife (a fellow homebirth mama) asked me about Heather, my new nephew, how things were going, etc. and asked if I was going to be able to see him. I shared with her, that while I had hoped to get there, due to our current financial situation, it just was not looking possible. We enjoyed the rest of our dinner, and then went our separate ways. Just as we were arriving home, B's phone rang. It was the husband of the couple, asking B if we had found a plane ticket for me... ??? B told him that while looking, we had found one for just around $150, but didn't/couldn't' get it. They talked a bit more, and then I heard him say "hold on". Next thing I know, his phone was on speaker and the friend was telling me to go buy a ticket, up to $200, and they would pay for it. I was so overwhelmed, I was literally speechless! I am not usually an overly emotional person, but was so happy, grateful, and excited, I just could not hold back the tears!

This afternoon, I didn't think I was going to get to see them anytime soon... and now I am buying my ticket, to go for a whole week!! (AND the ticket is looking like it's going to be $10 less than I originally thought!!) yayayayay!!! ::happy dance::

God is SO good.... ALL the time!!!

I can't wait to meet this little guy!!! <3>

Vera Bradley...

Vera Bradley.... the relish & even somewhat of a guilty pleasure of all us girls: sisters, cousins, & sister-in-law, alike... just released four new patterns for Spring 2009!!

Cupcake Pink, Cupcake Green (neither of which, do I care for!)
Hope Garden (the new breast cancer color) & [the long awaited]... Purple Punch!!!

Counting down the days...

Thanksgiving is coming... and with it, ALL the people I love most! Marmee and the girls arrived Saturday night (yay!) and Heather & Bryce will be here in approx 47 hours 33 mins... I can't wait!! The last time we were all together, was last April (the picture above) for my grandfather's funeral...

Bridesmaid

One of my dearest & closest friends, is getting married.... and I am going to be a bridesmaid! She just asked me tonight!! I am SOO excited!

BFF... engaged!

My childhood-long best friend just called.... and her boyfriend proposed to her tonight!! I cannot tell you how excited I am for her!! Her ring is the one pictured above.... Isn't it absolutely gorgeous?! I can't *wait* to see it in person!! The really neat thing about her call last night.... is that I called her the night B proposed to me, and she thought it to be so special, that she wanted to make sure I was one of the first to know of her happy news! Wasn't that so sweet of her?!

Congratulations Vanessa! I wish you ALL the best! Let me know if there is *anything* I can do for you!! Love you!!

My new clothes line!

I have been wanting a clothesline for sometime now.... (I have been hanging KB's diapers on the kitchen chairs or DH's 6-foot ladder to dry)... and this weekend, B bought me the stuff and put one up! Yay!! Due to the rain, today was the first day I could use it.... and I *love* it!!