What Does it Feel like to turn the Big 5-0?

No different than any other day................................LOL! Honestly, it didn't hurt at all hitting that milestone. I woke up on that special day to this sign stuck on my front porch for everyone to see, since I live right on the Main St. of town. My hubby had a gifted artistic co-worker of his make this sign in honor of my special birthday(Thanks Troy!). Thank goodness that it was hard to read by the car passerbys....lol But when I left for work, I looked back towards the house and the little 3-5 year old preschoolers were out on their walk with their teachers and I saw one of the teachers pointing up towards my porch! Hahaha! See, I had tied an inflatable Sponge Bob up along the side of the sign so that hubby would know that yes indeed, I had spied the infamous BD sign..........lol I wonder how many of the little ones noticed the "Girl Gone Wild at 50" sign beside Sponge Bob and if they had any questions about what those things were hanging out of those holes??????????????? One thing about 50........Depends can be your friend!!! *giggle*

Now, I have to show you the most special of gifts that I received form me dear friend Joyce Stahl of Enchanted Productions. Joycee knows how crazy I am about pumpkins and even more crazy about the white (Lumina) ones. I knew that she was working on a doll that was going to be wearing the special "dream dress". One that had came to her in her dreams.

So when she came down to the shoppe with a special birthday lunch for me, I knew she was bringing the doll wearing the special dream dress which I thought I would be listing on eBay this weekend. I was so excited to see what this doll with the special dress was going to look like! One of my favorite parts of listing Joyce's dolls on eBay for her is taking their pictures and when I saw her, I was already thinking how amazing she was going to look standing in front of my vintage ceiling tin tile that I had just given a makeover!

After Oohing and Aahing and drooling all over her...................Joyce said, "Read her name tag!" I turned over the tag and this is what it said, "Happy Birthday Nana...Because you're so special!" Love, JoycEE. "Elizabeth Ann 2009" Elizabeth is my middle name and Ann is JoycEE's. All I could do, as soon as I started reading that tag, was sob like a baby. I had no idea that this special doll was going to be mine...........=o)

Then JoycEE started to tell me what every little piece and scrap of material, trim and buttons meant and where they came from. Each and every one had a special meaning. Some of the materials were the same materials that were used on dolls that had special meaning and or marked special occasions. Some of the vintage buttons I had given to her, some came from vintage jewelry that was purchased during trips that we had taken together on the hunt for treasures to be used on her magical dollies. The vintage seam binding came from Antiques by the Bay which was one of our amazing day trips during our trip to California for PFATT Fest 2008. So many memories................and all stitched by hand with love to create this amazing dream dress and doll. =o)

I can't even begin to tell you how touched I was to be the recipient of such a heart felt gift. There were many tears shed and a whole lot of hugging going on! =o)

Elizabeth Ann holds in her hand the sweetest little heart shaped pumpkin which signifies the love for Halloween that both JoycEE and I share and also our membership in the EHAG eBay group.

JoycEE even whittled her little pumpkin head stem! I know how many hours she has put into creating this precious little gift and I will always think of her and all those special times that we have shared together when I look at ELizabeth Ann!

Thank you JoycEE!!! You helped make my "half way to a century" birthday the most special one ever and one that I will never ever forget!

Hugs,

New Painting on EBay Listed Tonight!

I just listed this new 12"x12" chunky canvas painting on eBay this evening! This is the largest canvas painting that I have done to date.

Her name is Saffron the Sunflower Diva and those icy robin egg blue eyes just pop off the canvas at you!

Just click on any of her pictures to go see her eBay auction!

Saffron ends next Friday evening May 29th at 9:00pm EST-6:00pm PDT.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Here's what I made for my PFATT and EHAG Swap Gifts....

I forgot to post pics here of the two paintings that I did for my PFATT & EHAG swaps! I've been anxious to share them with you all!

First is the swap that I made for a dear PFATT friend......Kaf Grimm of Grimitives. This little painting traveled all the way to Cape Cod, Massachusetts! Wish I could have packed myself in with it and surprised Kaf! I think it would have cost and arm and a leg to send me Priority Mail though.......HAHA!


And my EHAG Anniversary swap went to dear Iva Wilcox of Halloween Alchemy & Ivascreations! This swap package traveled all the way to the Bay Area of Northern California! I was lucky enough to get to visit there last year and would absolutely love to go back again! At least a little part of me has a home there now! *giggle*

Here's all the goodies that were included in both ladies swap packages. I wrapped each painting in orange tissue paper tied with a vintage silver seam binding bow. I included one of my new postcards and I also made hang tags out of my business cards. Each of them also got one of my champagne cork ornies made with real silver glitter and a vintage seam binding hanger (lots of BLING!). I wrote a personal not to each of them on Halloween notecards that were purchased from Megan Wommack of Magpiefeathers. I have a hoarded these little beauties for the last couple of years and only give them out to special recipients.....=o)


(Above photo courtesy of Kaf Grimm.)

I just wanted to tell both you ladies what fun I had creating these swap gifts for you both and I hope you will treasure them for many years to come! =o)

Hugs...............

Happy Mother's Day & Happy Birthday Morgan!

I remember what I was doing 25 years ago today at 8:36pm. I was in Akron City Hospital giving birth to my daughter Morgan. I will never forget that day because I never thought that I would ever be lucky enough to have a baby.

(7 years earlier, on May 9th, 1977, I gave birth to a stillborn baby that I had carried for 8th months. For the next 7 years, I suffered several miscarriages. So, now I think you can understand why I thought I would never have a baby.)

I was hospitalized twice during my pregnancy with Morgan. The first time when I was just 6 1/2 months, when my cervix started to thin out and it was feared that I wouldn't carry the baby full term. I was sent home after spending 4 days in the hospital with strict orders to be on complete bed rest. I had to go to Akron City Hospital every week for non stress tests to make sure that everything was alright for the rest of my pregnancy. About 3 weeks before my due date, I was hospitalized again when my blood pressure started to go up and they feared that I might develop toxemia. I spent 3 days in the hospital before being sent home once again.

I was so lucky to have found such a wonderful doctor that specialized in high risk pregnancies and had his office right there in the hospital. I know that it was because of him that I carried her full term. He took no chances with me and was extra cautious.

I never knew what we were having while I was carrying her. They didn't do things back then like they do now. In fact, the nurses that did my stress test every week were betting from the heart rate and stubbornness that "she" was a "he"........LOL

Well, they were wrong! Although the name that we had picked out (Morgan) could have been a boy's or a girl's.

I spent my very first Mother's Day in the hospital crying because we were supposed to be released that day, but a case of jaundice prevented that. We were getting her dressed and ready to leave and her pictures taken when the nurse said that she looked a little yellow and that they had better check her for it. She came back in later and told us that we couldn't go home. Well, we mother's all know how our hormones are all out of whack and we can cry at the drop of a hat............and that's just what I did!

Well, it all turned out just fine and 25 years later, she's all grown up and a Mommy now too! =o)

SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY MORGAN!!!! And THANK YOU for giving me the best Mother's Day gift ever and that's for making my a Nana! I even got a gift from her and Jadyn today of beautiful heart shaped necklace with the word Nana on it.

Love You, Mom

(I also want to wish all the Mother's out there that have lost a child, suffered a miscarriage or a stillbirth a Happy Mother's Day also. We all share the same heartache and bond.)

Let The Hunt Begin!

Hurry over to the EHAG BLOG to find out all the detail!
Just click on the skeleton key banner above!

And here's a picture of my donation. This is a set of 4 adorable printed Halloween notecards that I have purchased over the years from fellow EHAG member artist Megan Wommack. These are prints of original paintings of hers.

THE MAY 1st PFATT BLOG GIVEAWAY IS UP!

Just a reminder!! Here's my giveaway for the month of May over on the PFATT BLOG! Make sure that you hurry over there and sign up for 1 of 3 gorgeous pieces of art from three of Primitive Folk Art Talk & Tea's artists!