Catching Up.....

Hello Dear Peeps....

(Not to be confused with the Peeps in my nest, although they're very dear too...at least tonight....for the time being....)

I told you I may be sporadic, and sporadic I've been....so very sorry....

I wanted to say thank you, again, for the outpouring of prayers, good thoughts, kind words, and wishes that have been sent our way....My mom is having a go at it, but is doing better....She was released from the hospital today, and is now in a nursing home (:o() for what we hope will be a short stay....They are saying it will likely be 6 months or better before the clots dissolve.  Yikes.

I need to catch up on things...and since blogging is much more preferable to laundry, dishes, and the dust bunnies that now know me by name (and taunt me every chance they get), I'll start with blogging... First, thank you to The Primitive and Folk Artists Group ("PAFA") and, specifically, Becky from Country Lane Folk Art.  In July, PAFA had a "Christmas In July" Celebration with a giveaway of 11 wonderful prizes.  I was fortunate enough to win these wonderful coasters handpainted by Becky:

How cute are these? Each, like a snowflake, is different - from their faces to their lacy, snowy, flakes....Thank you so very much, Becky (and PAFA!!)....

Becky makes a variety of wonderful hand-painted items and you can find her work at the following places:

www.countrylanefolkart.com
http://www.facebook.com/countrylanefolkart
http://www.etsy.com/shop/countrylanefolkart
http://twitter.com/#!/beckythepainter

I also want to send "thanks & hugs" to Melissa from M's Prim 'N' Country.  I recently ordered some crow (what else??!!) bowl fillers from her new fall line and they arrived today....They were every bit as adorable (and more so) than I thought they would be....

Although it wasn't much of an order (Melissa's items are very reasonably priced), Melissa was so sweet and sent me two wonderful little pumpkins as "a little something extra" as well:

They are adorable, Melissa...Thank you - and thank you, again, for your kind thoughts and prayers.....
Melissa has been busy, busy, busy, getting a bunch of fun fall offerings together for her selling blog, Prim In The Country.  She is also having a couple of giveaways....The first is for some of her sweet "Halloween Pals" and sign up ends August 15th...When that's done, she's doing another one with one of her fall items (she's keeping exactly "what" a surprise for now....) for those who might not be into Halloween (come on, really??? Are there folks like that out there???!!)
Anyway...Melissa is one of the sweetest folk you'll come upon - with bunches of prim talent - so check out her new goodes!!  And click on the link to her blog above (or on my sidebar) to enter her giveaways....

And one last thing....take a look at this:

Not the best photos, I know - but I'm having a heck of a time with the camera tonight....Anyway, this is a bracelet my dear (still blogless) niece made me....with....can you guess????  Shrinky Dinks!!! (Remember those???)  Isn't it the coolest thing?? It looks awesome on - but it's kind of hard to photograph that way (you know, us crows are a little "limb challenged...")  Anyway - thank you Tamara...LOVE it!!!

Thank you all again for your many kindnesses...they will not be forgotten....Have a wonderful blessing-filled Sunday!