A little parcel arrived in the mail for me the other day...
but not just any parcel...
A SNOWBEAR'S CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN kind of parcel!!!
'cause now it's in paperback...
and not the Scholastic book school edition neither--it's now the SQUARE FISH see you in the stores edition!!!
Which means I get a nice thing on the back with some of my rave reviews posted for all to see. Pretty cool, huh?
And just in case you can't read the fine print:
oh boy, oh boy!
I still have a Halloween Recap to do--but I need the pics from Hubby's camera so that will have to wait. I also have to do my Flea Market post from October--BUT the good news is I have a November Flea Market post right here. Yesterday I ran off bright and early to go to the flea market and was pleasantly surprised that I had an extra hour to eat a decent breakfast first before I did so. The last few weeks have been crazy busy--my boy had three birthday celebrations--which I haven't even gotten to yet either. Soon. Soon. So Running off by my lonesome was the perfect reward for all the crazy hard work this past month.
Here is my loot from yesterday:
Thankfully one vendor still had some Halloween Loot to share After all it's just the day after for crying out loud--I got these Beistle and Dennison die-cuts as well as two bags of New-in-the-package vintage treat bags.
A box full of vintage Dennison seals--some Halloween, Valentine's Day and Thanksgiving--HOORAY! The rest animals, birds and butterflys. Rolls of vintage Halloween Crepe paper, 2 asian crepe paper hats with ponytails coming out the back, and an old treat bag from a grocery store.
A box full of vintage Christmas seals and tags and old strings.
Old sugar bells, some spun cotton fellows, honeycomb trees, 3 jewel-like ornament cases with spun cotton figures in them, and misc. christmas goodies.
And one of my favorite finds of the day--a parade of snowmen who are on their way to the *hatu* hospital for new pip noses and eye surgeries and candy canes from the lost and found.
tiny ornament balls, at half price--which really means a normal decent price.
Another favorite find--this spun cotton figure disciplining her child--just the sort of thing you want in a holiday ornament. Those crazy people from the 50's!!!
Putz houses, a perfect celluloid reindeer, Christmas corsage, bottle brush wreath and a new-in-the-package garland of mercury beads.
And this must mean someday soon I will return to my sewing. I got a pile of old handmade doll clothing--just the thing for a bear I will soon get to know.
and a bag of old milk caps. Everybody needs those.
Today I have very good news to share!
Today I sold a book!!! My easter book--only no pig--it's gotta be a rabbit. I guess people only want chicks and rabbits on easter not pigs. I was trying to be different. ah well...So, there are some revisions to do--but holy smokes--I'm an author and illustrator again!!!
I was wondering if that was ever going to happen again~~~well, NOW it's happening! We have yet to discuss the timeframe and my deadline but I imagine we're looking at 2011 here. Now it's going to be a real challenge to keep the holiday decor in the etsy shoppe going and this book. But I don't want to give up the holiday crafting---I hope I can find a way to produce a few things at least.
Now I guess they all will be very limited editions!
Anyhow, tonite we drink champagne! I've waited for this for quite a long time. I feel good.
And luckily I finished up my atcs for Amy's Halloween Swap just in the nick of time! These little buggers took me quite a while to make but I'm happy with the result. Just give me some crepe paper and pipe cleaners and vintage seals and I'm a happy camper. Yes, indeedy.
And I made little trick or treat bags to put them in, with an extra treat or two.
Hopefully I'll catch up on somethings now.
And My boy turns 7 in a few days--there's a lot to celebrate! I can't help but notice the coincidence of 7 btw. And I can't resist ending this post with this image from my first book:
Yep, I guess I still got it.
Allelueia!
;-)
I finished up my Thanksgiving Centerpiece~really liked the way it came out too.
And there's 24 more to come if I want! YOWZA! This one is in the shoppe as I type and I wonder if I'll make another one this year. It's hard for me to repeat--I like to keep exploring the possibilities--although I would certainly save time if I repeated. I already worked out all the details and that is part of what takes up so much time. Hmmmmmmmmmm...
There's one more fall thingie I want to make before I go full force into Christmas though. I hope to start it today but I have a little boy who is having a birthday party this weekend here at our house. I've got goodie bags to make as well as finish my favors. I'll show those later...like when I'm done with them!!!
Did I already tell you how much I'm having fun with all this? Feeling very thankful at the moment that things seem to be going in the right direction.
Well, my idea to post everyday isn't working out too well is it? Ah well, I tried. I'm just too darn busy these days. The kiddo has a ton of homework that we both have to plow through each afternoon, and that is just plain sucking up the day. Ridiculous--but he is doing great. Me, I am back in first grade. So, these days the hours he is in school are my only hours to accomplish anything. Grocery shopping, cleaning and everything else has to wait--it's a matter of priorities these days. We are living in a whole other world. What an adjustment! I feel like a hamster in one of those wheels. Flying ahead but feeling I'm not getting where I want to be as soon as I would like.
So, now that Halloween is a thing of the past--I am on to Thanksgiving--the forgotten holiday when it comes to holiday decor. We will have to fix that. After all, company is guarranteed and everyone needs to oogle and ahhhh over something in the house. Hence the need for...
cute and vintage tabletop displays. This time I'm using real vintage spun cotton heads--remember my big glass pumpkin jar? It is two heads less full now. The turkey I'm making completely from scratch and doing the crepe paper thing which I'm getting more and more enthused about. I'm happy that I've gathered a nice supply of "stuff" around which makes it fun, and I keep thinking about the video of Martha Stewart and Jennifer Murphy a couple of years ago now where Martha and Jennifer talk about the importance of using vintage supplies in your work--really adds something to it--"cause they just don't make Quality stuff like this anymore. Ain't it the truth.
