Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I am most thankful for these things. First, I am thankful for my mom and dad because they are my family. Next, I am thankful for my dog Sadie because she loves me and she is fun to play with. Last, I am thankful for God and Jesus because they help me do my work. Thanksgiving is a special time to be thankful for these things. written by Rianna Schultz, 2nd grade

Give Away Today

Check out the daily give aways on this blog, Monday through Friday!

NYC - How spectacular!!!!!

We had such a great time on our 4 day, girls only trip to The City!

From the top of the Empire State Building

"Sam & Ella"

"Sam & Ella" were playing lots of nasty games in Jaden's belly! Poor little guy! He missed a whole week of school already and had to be hospitalized to treat the dehydration. I don't usually scare easily, but this really scared me! I felt so helpless watching my son just lay there, writhing in pain, and having to get up to the bathroom every 30 minutes. Thankfully, he has rounded the corner and is starting to eat again!
The doctors have thoughts that he acquired this nasty Salmonella bug by touching the reptiles at the Aquarium at the City Museum in St. Louis, when we visited just a few days before school started. That is the only connection to the bug; and the delay in symptoms was probably due to not actually eating large amounts, but rather contracting only a few organisms through the brief contact.

I can't wait 'til he is eating us out of the house again, LOL!

I had to get me some......

these watch bands are TDF!!!!
I got a watch face and 2 bands. I can see more in my future though;)
You can check them out here!

Candy Wrapper Bucket

How cute is this??????
You can find the directions here

Check out my new listings on ebay!!!

The Sock Frog!!!!!

The custom 2 piece set


The necklace


The bracelet

Check out this great site!

A New Giveaway.......

Look.......over HERE!

A Yummy New Side Dish for the Grill

Yesterday, Syd and I went to a pool (B-day) party. It was a cookout and we had THE BEST green beans ever!!!!!! Bacon wrapped green bean bundles!!!!! Here is the recipe

I think you know what we are having for supper tonight;)

Raffle for a good cause!

Blossom Leigh Boutique design group on eBay has come together for a great cause! My niece Courtney is turning 16 years old this summer and is now old enough to walk in the 3 day 60 mile walk against breast cancer. She has decided she wants to walk and donate money to research in lieu of a sweet 16 party! She has a heart of gold.
Remember - Everyone deserves a lifetime!
This is a link to her page on the 3-day walk.
Courtney Emerson
Now our group BLB Boutique has decided to help her raise money by donating our time and expertise in making custom boutique items. We have 3 prizes to give away and are selling raffle tickets for $10 a piece. These tickets are numbered 1-100 and we will ONLY sell 100 tickets. Tickets are available for purchase from May 15th to June 15th. On July 1st we will draw 3 names. The first name drawn is the grand prize winner, the 2nd name is the 2nd prize, and the 3rd is the 3rd prize. You can purchase more than one ticket to increase your odds, but once sold out there will not be any more! We will announce the winners on July 1st for everyone to congratulate.
Here is our group's page
Blossom Leigh Boutique
The winners will work directly with the designer of each item won to create an item just how they want it including custom colors, sizing, etc. Each designer has a stock of supplies that will offer a large variety to choose from and the designers are committed to making sure you get EXACTLY what you want! See below for prize details and click on the designers name to see their quality work!

1st prize - Retail Value $350+
Cloche hat by Jenni of belle*elysse
Set of Bows by Monica of maddiesbowtique
Jewelry set by Karen of growing*up*with*rosy
Dolly set by Nancy of luvnstitches
Library Bag by Christy of little*shamrocks
Girl's Set by Pam of liltumblebugs
Bling T by Patricia of one*boy*one*girl*boutique
Applique T by Nicole of baby*chloes*closet
Insa skirt by Amy of sewsweetstudio
Jacket by Trina of ooh!wee!

2nd Prize - Retail Value $150+
Dolly set by Nancy of luvnstitches
Cloche hat by Jenni of belle*elysse
Clippies by Monica of maddiesbowtique
Necklace by Karen of growing*up*with*rosy
Appliqe T by Allison of sugarplumsllc
Boutique Pants by Pam of liltumblebugs
Peasant Dress by Terri of pink*freckled*frogs

3rd prize - Retail Value $60+
Applique T dress by Beth of katkatcreations
Bracelet by Karen of growing*up*with*rosy
Pocket Pal by Nancy of luvnstitches
To purchase your ticket(s) simply send an email to this address: deilke@sbcglobal.net with the number of tickets you would like and your paypal address. You will receive an invoice shortly afterwards. If you do not have a paypal account please let us know your preferred method of payment.

I am unbelievably hooked.........

on the Twilight Series. I cannot put these books down!



Honestly, I have never read anything so captivating! I am on book 3 of 4 and I just started reading the series 1 week ago! Last night, hubby and I watched the Twilight movie. It was a very good movie, but it just skims the main points of the first book. You HAVE to read the books!

The Wedding

Here are just a few pics from last weekend. Our batteries went dead very early into the weekend.

Rianna at the salon getting her pedicure & medicure!!! LOL!







Ready for rehearsal. She had me straighten her hair!!!!



All ready in the church basement.



The little ones. Aren't they cute?! The little boy is my nephew, Caden.



My mom, step-sister Nikki, and my step-dad.



My 3 gorgeous step-sisters: Lindsay, Nikki, Jamie

Our new baby girl!

We picked her up last night. She's 9 weeks old and just adorable.



We call her Sadie and her Registered name is Pour Some Sugar On Me. This litter was named based on classic rock.

Dance

Last night, we got a sneak peek of a couple of the routines for dance recital. Here is Randi



And Sydney in Hip Hop, trying on their costumes



And Syd showing us one of her hip hop "tricks"

The Easter Bunny

The kids left him a nice little note and some carrots for a treat.



And he left lots of messy tracks to clean up!

I have found my Elvis!

I never quite understood the "love" of Elvis from my mother's generation. You know, those who get weak in the knees at the mere mention of Elvis or a song of his! Now I get it. I have found my Elvis! There is just something about him and his voice, his face, his edginess, everything!

The Newest Member of our Church

Bruce is officially a Catholic! I have never asked him to convert. We've been married nearly 10 years and we have been raising the kids Catholic. I am not one who believes in making a person join you in your own religion, not even a spouse. But he did it, and on his own I might add. He met with Father & read "the book". This week, he made his First Confession. Yesterday, he had his First Communion and was Confirmed. We are so happy!

We will be having another little one running around.....

In just a couple of weeks, we will be bringing home one of these gorgeous little ladies!

March Student of the Month

February Student of the Month

Wow, it's been a while!!!!!

Last month, my dad came down for a short visit and brought a doll house. It's a doll house that had been created for me, but I didn't even know it! I guess, when I was little, my grandpa started to build it for me. What a surprise to find out it was mine! It is quite an heirloom and more of a show piece than a play house.

New site and a fabulous giveaway!

Just click on the ad to sign up for the free newsletter and to be entered in the giveaway of an embroidery machine!

Big Sales!!!

I have listed all of my current etsy store items at a HUGE discount! Check them out here!

Also, my design group~BLB~is having a spring cleaning with lots of great deals on brand name and boutique items! Check it out here!

My poor Sydney!

The last week at our house has been nothing but bad luck! But poor Syd jammed her foot into the corner of our baseboard trim and ended up in the ER getting stitches. She is off PE, recess, and dance til next Tuesday or Wednesday!


Gotta love her self-done pedicure;)

Our Disney weekend without the kids!

Since Bruce had a CME course in Disney World, I got to tag along! We left on Thursday morning and came home Monday night. It was just a 3 day course for him, so it really was a mini trip. Unfortunately, we got horrible colds the day before we left. But we made the most of it!
It was very different seeing THE WORLD without our pint-sized ones in tow. The evening we arrived, we went down on the Boardwalk, where we stayed, and ate at the microbrewery~~~Fantastic food!!! It was fun sampling all of their different beers and deciding on a favorite. After that, we hit the dualing piano bar called Jellyrolls. What a fun spot, and we would have never been able to check it out if not for this trip! I had a Jellyroll (a 32 oz Kool Aid tasting drink).
Bruce's classes ended by 1pm everyday so we got the reduced park tickets. Day one we went to Epcot, where 2 of my favorite rides are: Soarin' and Test Track, and actually experienced each of the countries somewhat. We've never done that the 3 times before. We enjoyed snacks in Mexico and supper in Morocco just before catching the evening fireworks show. Day two, Valentine's Day, was spent in Hollywood Studios. After getting a quick reservation for lunch at the 50's Prime Time Cafe (OMG, what an experience all on it's own! The wait staff made sure you were on your best behavior and using manners and if you weren't you'd definitely hear about it! When Bruce asked for more water, the waiter just picked up my water glass and filled his!). Then we thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the evening in the park, including a couple of "drops" on The Tower of Terror. After closing, we hit the microbrewery again, for another delicious supper. Sunday was Magic Kingdom~my favorite park! The rides I've never done during our last 3 trips, were on my to do list! Space Mountain and Splash Mountain for sure! And, if the day couldn't have gotten any better, we saw the lovely fireworks show as we were climbing up the steep incline of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Coaster. So amazing!
Monday was spent packing and last-minute shopping at Downtown Disney. We traded our first pins and now Bruce is totally hooked! Once getting checked in at the Orlando airport, we had ample time to shop and have an early dinner. We now have a new favorite restaurant~~The Macaroni Grill~~~to die for!!! It's bitter/sweet that we are not close to one!!!

All in all, it was a fun vacation, but definitely not as "magical" as when we go as a family. There was definitely something missing without the kids!

Do you know the symptoms?

It seems as though everyone I speak with, year after year, thinks of the flu as vomiting and diarrhea. The true influenza is quite different. This is the one you get the flu vaccine for.

Cold vs influenza: What's the difference?
Although people tend to lump "colds" and influenza (commonly called "the flu") together, they really are distinct infections, caused by different viruses. A very bad cold cannot turn into influenza (although a person with a cold could certainly come down with influenza if he or she came in contact with influenza virus).

How can you tell the difference between a cold and influenza? The following comparison points out the similarities and differences. Of course, in the case of any severe or long-lasting illness, you should contact your doctor.

Symptom / Cold / Influenza


Fever / Rare in adults and older children, but can be as high as 102°F in infants and
small children / Usually 102°F, but can go up to 104°F and usually lasts 3 to 4 days

Headache / Rare / Sudden onset and can be severe

Muscle aches / Mild / Usually, and often severe

Tiredness and weakness / Mild / Can last 2 or more weeks

Extreme exhaustion / Never / Sudden onset and can be severe

Runny nose / Often / Sometimes

Sneezing / Often / Sometimes

Sore throat / Often / Sometimes

Cough / Mild, hacking cough / Usually, and can become severe

Andalucia

Click here to see all of the beautiful creations made with the glorious fabrics designed by Patty of Modkidboutique!

New Year's Resolutions......To make them or not to make them

I don't always make New Year's Resolutions, but this year I did make some. Not necessarily specific ones (such as losing X pounds or stop drinking diet soda), but ones that might make life a little bit more fun and enjoyable, kwim?

So here goes:

* take better care of myself so I can be a better wife, mother, and person (eat even healthier, exercise more, etc)

* Say "NO" to things asked of me that I have no desire to participate in or that I don't have time for (Amy and I WILL NOT direct the Christmas Program at Church anymore)

* Re-evaluate the business: I always told myself that I would quit when it got to the point that it wasn't fun anymore and it isn't! I haven't been able to sew Christmas dresses for my girls in over 2 years (I have yards of Red Dupioni Silk sitting here, waiting to be made into holiday dresses). I am not making any profits on my sales and I have lost the "fun" that I had when I first started up. My true love is sewing children's clothing, especially for my own. That had been so hindered that I am more frustrated than anything at this point.

* I probably will not take any more custom orders, unless it is an ebay/etsy listing. Those will be offered in custom sizes and on a limited basis.

* I want to spend even more fun time with the kids. The business and others take so much time away from my quality family time and I am going to try to be a bit more selfish when it comes to compromising my family time. I also only have a few (8) months left before my baby girl goes off to school and I don't want to waste a minute of those 8 months doing anything but family and mommy/me time cuz I will never get those back! There will always be time for business and helping others. I am just too busy as it is! I don't need to save the world and I don't need to put out everyone's fires!

* Finish organizing my sewing room; it's been a disaster for the whole entire time we have lived in this house!

* Go through more boxes in the garage. We need to de-clutter out there too!

* Check into nursing jobs in the area. When Randi starts Kindergarten in the Fall, I might want to get something part time and feel like the educated woman I really am.