T.........reasury Queen

This weekend, 11 of my fellow Etsy Bloggers Team and I were lucky enough to be featured by the true Etsy Treasury Queen, Vicki Diane, in one of her famous "Exposed Treasuries". To the right you will see our pictures, most of us with an item we have for sale in our Etsy Shops. If you need any information about Etsy, the premier site for handmade goods, please ask!

The true credit goes to Vicki Diane herself and if you have not visited her shop, you're in for a treat. Her striking jewelry is equaled only by her more striking personality and her delightful sense of humor. Please take a moment to enjoy http://vickidianedesigns.etsy.com

O.........riginal Holiday Art

How about spreading Christmas cheer this year with a card or cards with original artwork! Our Etsy Blogger of the Month, Becky aka "The Fab Miss B", presents her Christmas Cookie card for 2009. A reproduction of her original drawing, primitive style cookies that we all remember so fondly, dance across this card whose message reads, "Eat, Drink and Be Merry!" She'll even personalize them if you order certain quantities. Why not take a moment to visit her shop http://thefabmissb.etsy.com to see this card and other cards and unique ornaments, and, if you're into vintage, her other shop at http://beckykazana.etsy.com Nice work, Becky!

T.........ime for Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving for me has always been about family. As in many homes, my mom was always the center of that family. This year, we are particularly grateful, as our 95 year old mother is making a recovery from some serious falls and a relatively long hospital stay. She's pictured here a couple of years ago with her first great, great grandchild. She continues to bless us with her spirit and caring so this Thanksgiving will be extra special!

P.........ractice safe eating. Use condiments!

Two of our friends are known for their creativity and sense of humor. At no time of the year is that so apparent as Halloween when they create their new costumes. This year they've outdone themselves and decided that this would also be the picture on their Christmas card, (I think they may have a different sentiment on that card than their present "theme") and we were invited to take the pictures. You'll see them in full regalia to the right. With the help of the manager at our local JoAnn's store, they whipped these up much more quickly than you would imagine.

Then they insisted that I try on the mustard costume, so I'm in the second picture. DH insisted that he couldn't put on the ketchup outfit because he had to hold the camera....right....sure!

We're tempted to send these photos on to the Mustard Museum right here in Wisconsin. The "curator" there has a great sense of humor as well.

The photo shoot was done with much quipping and laughter, especially when the wind adjusted the mustard costume and their was some reference to Mustard Gas.

We feel blessed and certainly happy to have these dear friends!

S.........eeing Pink Elephants!

Amigurumi, small crocheted animals and other objects is one of the fortes of Melissa from http://madebymelissa.etsy.com She's the Etsy Blogger of the Month and it certainly is a great month to visit her shop! Besides darling amigurumi animals, such as this pretty pink elephant, and other beautifully crocheted items, she features hand made jewelry, including Halloween items. Besides, she's having a terrific sale on the "spooky" items, just in time for your celebration. Please take a minute to enjoy her shop; it's great fun!

H.........appy Haunting!

Halloween has always been one of my favorite times of year. It is, for the most part, a light-hearted, even humorous holiday, and I find it inspires universal creativity. So when the Etsy Bloggers Carnival suggested telling about Halloween at our house, I thought I'd show one of my greeting cards, an original design, just for this occasion. Here I made use of inky black silhouette paper for the carved pumpkin, with a base of other colorful jack-o-lanterns. My favorite part is the little spider hanging in the upper right hand corner. Hope you receive many cards, treats and a few chuckles this year!

T.........he Big Dig

Bang!! Bang!!! Bang!!!! I jumped about three feet at 7:30 am. I knew that construction workers had arrived but didn't know they needed to take a sledge hammer to the bricks on back of the house that soon. Our new kitchen had begun! After I had picked myself up, we ran out to see the first steps which included ther use of some very large and interesting machines. How they maneuvered that power shovel in such a small space was amazing and here you can see the first scoop and the finished trench. The last photo is of the workers beginning to frame up for the footings. The only glitches were a few unusual pipes that came up during the dig, which had long been out of use. Will the new kitchen/crafting area be done by Christmas? Stay tuned for more construction updates!