To Grandma's House we go...

Wishing you and your family the most Happiest and Wonderful Thanksgiving ever!!!

(created by me at Polyvore.com)
Going to Grandma's house this weekend...how about trying this on for size?
Wish I could afford some of those lovely items...hmm Christmas is coming,
nah...way too expensive...just gives you neat ideas...
...my Sweet friend Gracie of Gracie Bella Butterfly (sweet Aussie gal who is an artist that creates paper sweetness...she also has a beautiful shoppe with some of her beautiful paper stationaries and other delicious items.
I love Gracie because she's so wise beyond her years! She travels to wonderful places and she has such a loving family...plus she's absolutely gorgeous...both inside and out! I have learned alot from her (she has so many goals and dreams...so inspiring!) and I am so grateful that she's entered my world...
in one of Gracie's posts, she introduced me to this fab site called Polyvore.com (merci beaucoup, sweet Gracie!!!!!!) where you can design away just about on anything you'd like (Reya, this is the site I've been clamouring about!). It started out for designing fashion pages and now it's grown to interiors and art+expression. I'm totally addicted and I've been having fun with it. I LOVE POLYVORE! I'm sure you will too...if you have time, please check them out, have some fun and create away! Polyvore is a finalist in the Open Web Award . Please vote for them here. I sure did!!!

Quest Twenty Eight...I Heart your ORNAMENTS...

...Just a Quick-NEWS FLASH...

one of the things I adore are HEARTS...simple pictures, paintings, photos, creations of perfect hearts...you name it...in fact, down below on the righthand side of this on-line journal of mine is a slideshow from flickr all about 'HEARTS'...

this morning, I was checking my page and my eyes caught these pictures of beautiful red + cream hearts on tree branches...I simply adore photos and plus hearts...oh, was I on a high...I had to click on it to see where these pretty lil' hearts were coming from and well...I stumbled on this amazing artist's flickr pages and basically going ga-ga over her photos of these amazing hearts...

(Photo courtesy of Elizabeth of Quest Twenty Eight)

(Photo courtesy of Elizabeth of Quest Twenty Eight)
(Photo courtesy of Elizabeth of Quest Twenty Eight)

Elizabeth has a wonderful blog called Quest Twenty Eight . Her photos are crisp and simply delightful to look at. She's an artist/designer from the UK and she features her own handmade creations (she likes to recycle materials and turn them into beautiful creations, paintings, illustrations, etc...), she also features a variety of different UK artists/designers and a fun 'Word of the Day' post on her blog.
Elizabeth also just opened her Etsy Shoppe called QUEST 28
Right now, she has these beautiful hearts in her shoppe.
These hearts are made of old children encyclopedia pages then crocheted with fabulous colours from you'll never guess...a SWEATER!!!

Elizabeth is entering these beauties in the Folksy Angel Competition (Please vote for your favourite on Dec. 1st to Dec. 3rd at the Folksy Angel Blog ! I think you know who MY FAVOURITE IS! If you want to see some of the other entries check it out here also the most popular photo will be made into Greeting cards and sold at Folksy and at We Make Christmas...how COOOOL is that?!!!):

Here's what Folksy Angel Competition is all about:

"We’re running a competition called “Folksy Angels”. This has no reference to the gaudy 70s ‘Charlie’ variety but to a new breed of metrosexual dudey doers, i.e. you. To see the competition brief in all its glory go to the flickr group Folksy Angels. If you can’t be bothered to do that and want to know the basics here they are:

~Create a Christmas (or Hannukah or any other wintry, celebratory festival) decoration using recycled or upcycled materials (majority)
~Submit you thing as an image on the Flickr group Folksy Angels
~Add a description on the item about what it’s made with and why you made it
~Entries close on the 30th November
~We’ll start a blog post on the 1st Dec where your comment will act as your vote on the item. ~Voting will close at midnight on the 3rd
~The winner gets free listings and no commission from sales on Folksy for A WHOLE YEAR starting 1st January 2009 and ending 31st December 2009. In addition to this the winning entry will become part of the special Promotional Goodie bag given away as a prize at the We Make Christmas raffle.
~The most popular photographs will also be made into Greetings Cards which will be available for sale via Folksy and at We Make Christmas. "

If I didn't have so much going on, I'd love to join...maybe next year! But if you have some time, why not join in on the fun?! Check it out here.

Go check her blog out to see how she made these beauties...she can also create custom orders! So perfect for the holidays, Valentine's Day or just ANY or EVERY DAY...
Please visit her world and learn a new word or just relax and enjoy art + design from the UK!
Or simply visit her shoppe and check out her beautiful creations!

ENJOY!
xoxo jo ;)

To help me organize my upcoming weeks here's a weekly reminder for myself:

My Weekly To Do List:

~working on editing some pics (about Fantasmagorique goodies, Autumn Swap, Philippa Gregory, lil' hostess gifts received from special hearts this past fall-whew!) to post here soon
~working on some custom orders
~working on some sunshine cards for my sis' Follow Your Bliss Ning Sunshine Club'
~working on 27 links to post for the Marie Antoinette Award
~creating a vintage stocking + lil' surprises for Rhondamum
~working on cookie swap recipe + baking cookies for Tangee
~working on Thanksgiving Feast with all the trimmings for Thursday
~oh yes...getting ready to 'Deck the Halls' with lil' munchkins on Friday

Hoping you have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

You better watch out...

my lil' munchkins just finished performing their "Thanksgiving Feast" at School...who would've thought that I'd get so overly emotional when they started singing 'My Country 'Tis of Thee...' this year (1st grade) they are Indians...2nd graders were Pilgrims...absolutely a heart warming treat to watch my lil' miracle babies singing their lil' hearts out 'Indians in the Forest...never make a sound...ssshhhh...' so darling!!!!! i'm sooo happy that tim & i were there...precious memories!

anyway, i know Thanksgiving hasn't even happened yet...but we're gearing up for Christmas around here...lil' ones have been humming 'Jingle Bells, Rudy the red-nosed riendeer, Silent Night...' i just finished my itty bitty Vintage Christmas pages hosted by Callieflowergirl:

now, i'm working on my sis' Vintage Christmas Stocking Swap for my sweet + dear French Sister, Rhondamum . i'm so very lucky to have her as my partner...i asked for an extension (i know...shame on me....but i want to make her some extra special things and i want to do a very good job for her!) Please visit Rhonda's blog if you love the French, Sweet Marie, to learn more about her beautiful creations or just to be amazed...please visit her! she is so sweet, adorable and quite BEAUTIFUL (inside + out) ...she gave me a very special award...Marie Antoinette Award...

i'm so honoured and absolutely thrilled that you even thought about me and are sharing this with me... (just curious, though...who creates these awards?!...anyway, i'm just so lucky to even receive yet another one...so honoured, really...i still can't even believe someone thinks this blog or even i am even worthy of such an award...how lucky am i????)

thank you sweet Rhonda from the bottom of my heart-you are one sweetheart and i adore you!!!! i absolutely love anything and everything French and Sweet Marie is one unique person that i think was quite misunderstood...i'm reading more about her life and truly feel she was not given a fair chance...

Here are the Rules for the Award:

1. Please put the logo on your blog- check
2. Link to the person from whom you received the award- check
3. Nominate at least 7 or more blogs- see below
4. Put the links of those blogs on your blog- will work on this...
5. Leave a message on their blogs to tell them- will work on this...

y'know, i just started this on-line journal this past summer and i'm still trying to get my feet wet out there. there are so many worthy blogs out there that truly deserves this award...but for now, i am going to dedicate this award to all the 27 BEAUTIFUL CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS of our Sweet Marie-Pour l'amour du Francais Itty Bitty Book Swap that we have just completed about 2 weeks ago...once i find more time, i will post all 27 links soon... (i can do that, right?...it said to 'Nominate AT LEAST 7 or MORE blogs...' hmmm....wonder if i'm breaking some rules...oh well, rules were went to be broken! hee-hee!)

will write all 27 links soon!

(to all those who have so sweetly sent their love my way, i am basking in the joy you've sent...thank you so much for visiting me and always sending such sweetness my way! i will try to send replies to your comments/questions soon...esp. to those sweethearts that would love to swap with me...i've just got to get through the next 3 swaps and clear my calendar...will send e-mails to you soon...)

(pps...for those kind hearts that sent me beautiful hostess gifts for the Sweet Marie itty bitty book swap...WOW!!! Thank you from my heart to yours...you truly warmed my heart and LOVE, simply LOVE everything you sent to me...esp. all the MAGNIFICENT French items, Eiffel Towers oh, the beauty you've shared with me has touched me deeply! THANK YOU!!!!!!)

bonne nuit, xoxo jo ;)

C'est Si Bon...Sweet Marie...

(sorry for again being MIA...been sooooooo busy...and have so much to show + tell...but first, i only have time to show you this slideshow...will share so much more later in a different post...)

here's a lil' slideshow of our amazing Sweet Marie-Pour l'amour du Francais itty bitty book collaborative. 27 amazing artists lovingly created pages about Sweet Marie Antoinette or anything French. simply magnifique!!! merci beacoup to all the beautiful artists that truly created one-of-a-kind pages...my sis, Mary Ann is an angel! she helped me tremendously by binding every page into these lovely itty bitty books, packaged up the books and favours and sent them to all the gorgeous soules who made this book simply AMAZING!!!enjoy!

as always...thank you so much for stopping by!

Until next time...bonne nuit!
xoxo jo ;)

Autumn in Paris...

i did have time to make a lil' 'comfort' surprise for my swap partner in Sofia Barao's 'Autumn Swap'. See other beautiful swap presents here .

i wanted to fill that box with full of sunshine for my partner. this is a 'mini' Eiffel Tower that i created with love. my partner has visited Paris and longs for it as i too long for it since i only can dream of the city of love. i wanted to make a lil' gift box to go with it but alas, time was not on my side. but, i'll make them with my next commissioned work.

this was a joy to make...my lil' shioban fell in love with this one and i promised to make her one...but of course, in PINK!

so sweet...

...la petit tour eiffel

here are a some shots of the wrapped 'comfort' suprises...

oh partner of mine, i'm hoping you'll like it...again, my lil' ones sure thought it was Christmas...

i'm also hoping it gets there in ONE piece...i truly tried to pack them safely...

i also made some mini banana bundt cakes...

la petit tour eiffel +

mini banana bundt cakes topped with powdered sugar...i'm thinking that's a delish combo...

hoping everything arrives to you safely...

ms. postwoman told me that my box should arrive to your sweet home on 11/4/08 Tuesday by 12:00 pm...Enjoy!

xoxo jo;)

Autumn Swap continuation...

from my last post (Masquarade 10/31/08) and (Autumn in Paris 11/01/08) i couldn't download some pics of this awesome swap i'm participating in...finally, here are those pics i promised for Sofia Barao's Autumn Swap:

my partner has such a powerful mind...every thought means something and for the past few weeks i truly have been reading their on-line journal with passion...every post is like a very good novel, you just can't stop reading it. there's so much i've already learned because of the wisdom that soule has put out into the world. i wanted to send so many things...to comfort, to give a sense of peacefulness...just to enjoy the simple things in life...so here goes, i surely hope this kind spirit will enjoy these lil' treasures as much as i loved finding them for this inspirational soule...
this amazing person loves chocolate, tea and has magnificent tastes in novels.

reading is one of this individual's favourite pastime...

hmmm....this book was oozing with magnificence...wish i could've snagged a copy for myself...hmmm...

i saw this sweet pattern and felt such a warmth about it...i'm hoping this kindred spirit will be able to use it...

these are somethings my partner absolutely enjoys...

brrrr...it's getting a bit nippy out there, hoping my partner can use this to pour a cuppa yumminess...

mmmmmm...one favourite flavour...

who wouldn't love to take a huge bite out of this?!
so perfect with a cup of tea...

can you guess what's in the upper righthand corner...mmmm

hoping my lil' box of sunshine will brighten your day...connecting with you through Sofia's Autumn Swap surely brought more wisdom+sweetness into my life-merci!...thank you, Sofia, for hosting such a creative and unique swap... for more gorgeous pics of sweet Autumn Swap presents...go here!

looking so forward to see what surprises await in my mailbox this week...until next time...

bonne nuit...

xoxo jo ;)