I'm still lucky!!!

Even though I fear that you might think that I indulge myself too much I still can't go without sharing my latest fun. My theory is that you have to do what you can to treat yourself on a daily basis. No, not always material things. One of my very favorite things to do is to lay in the grass under a tree and gaze through the leaves into the sky. I also think reading time, Oreos, and bubble baths qualify as great options for daily self-nurturing. Sometimes, however, I do treat myself to material items. They have to be really special so they can be, you know, really special. So, I recently allowed myself to browse through Earth Angels (link is on the right) knowing very well that it could be financial trouble but, more importantly, soul-soothing, but I was very responsible. I'd been on before and knew that a lot of my favorite "heavy hitters" are on there but I also found someone I hadn't heard of before~Caramia's (come on, the name alone requires purchase)Hotcakes Jewelry. I got a necklace and a ring. I can't take photos like they can so you'll either have to wait to see them on me (my hand is not worthy of the ring until it gets a manicure) or look at them on their website. I can tell you that they are even more beautiful in person and I'm filled with much material happiness as to last for a very long time. I shall desire nothing else until which time I see something else I want! I ordered only the the necklace and ring but, as you can see above, like Amy of Inspire Co., they add even more fun with unexpected treats like the POLKA DOT socks wrapped with ribbon imprinted with "HI", a POLKA DOT wrapped Tootsie Roll and a peppermint candy. Fugetabout Santa who?

I added this other photo view of the prizes because you can also see one of Stacey Bear's button cards. Stacey is also one of the artists who offers her wonderful artwork on Earth Angels. I was lucky enough to be first acquainted with Stacey in person when she, along with a couple of other very creative friends of hers, did the DC Big Flea of which my group and I are a regular part. We had just finished setting up our booth for the show and walking around checking out the other booths we found their booth. We were hysterical but we decided to be respectful of the pink "Booth Closed" sign posted and not go in. Then we ran into our friends, Amy (Inspire Co.), and Ann and Linda (the cottage) and they were on their way to pillage Stacey's booth. Amy had gotten permission from Stacey to go into the closed booth, make selections in piles leaving names on the piles, and come back the next day to pay. You should have seen (and heard) Amy, Ann, Linda, Karen, and I going through the thousands of small pieces they had in that booth. They had to close the building to get us out of there, and that's late. We hid our piles under their draped table and it was well into the next afternoon before there was a line short enough for me to justify standing in line to pay while leaving Karen at our booth alone. Linesssssssssssssssssssssssss, not many vendors have linessssssssssssssssssss. So are you going to check out their website or not? All the artists are equally fabulous. People with wonderful taste like me should win the lottery (I think you have to actively buy a ticket~I'll have to investigate that further). Not just to buy all this fab stuff; I'd give a lot of money to Code Pink, Oprah, my church, Young Life, and I'd find a lot of needy people to help (yes, Sis, that's you, too), ect. first.

Here are some fab freebies that are just one of the endless perks of being friends with Mellie (Mel Lobdell of Little Melfie's). Check out the above. Come on! This was a gift from her when we met Hope (Wallace, Paper Relics) for lunch. As if having lunch with Mellie and Hope is not enough of a blessed gift, she brings this. Don't even think I'm going to eat those chocolates, how much cuter can you get? I'm still researching the best way to permanently preserve them. So far keeping them in a locked, airtight safe is working out okay but the fact that it's not a SEE-THROUGH safe is making having them a little less fun. Any suggestions?

The last fun I'm going to share with you today is this little dittie I won on eBay last week. How I got so lucky, I don't know. I think there must have been a misspelled word in the title. To give you an idea of how much pleasure this baby brings is that it is over a foot tall. It's a wonderful uplifting, addition to my dining room. I have no idea who the artist is who put this together but I got if from an eBay dealer called victoriagardenaz.

That's it for today folks. Let's try to make our world better inside and out. I have to have pretty things to look at, my art work, and this blog to keep some of the drool off my chin from what comes from the outside world. It's what helps me be stronger, if I know there's a little leopard print box with a POLKA DOT ribbon and glitter S with chocolates inside waiting for me when I get home, I can get through the rat race of who can get to the best parking space at the post office without killing a little old lady walking back to her car. Have a blessed, creative day.

P.S. Please, if you are inclined, pray for my sister and her family, Gabi, and all the folks at Virginia Tech. Thank you.