MOM IS 90!!!

 Poor dear, can't even have her 90th birthday just for herself. Hubby turned 70 and it is so hard to gather the whole family together that we catch as catch can.  So I thought I would do this in pink, just for her.  

Hubby and Mom

We really had the majority of the family able to make her little dinner at a local restaurant.  One of the granddaughters drove in from the other side of the state only to have to drive back for work in the morning.  I love my family!

We all pitched in and made her a $$ cake.  She really liked it and has just now started taking the money off to buy herself a treat.  Silly lady, she didn't want to spoil the cake.

We did get a yummy real cake and we all ate and spent some wonderful time together.  We even had a few notes and poems from non-local friends and family for Mom to keep.  You must know my Mother does not go around with a tiara on her head and my hubby does not usually wear a blinking bow tie, just an FYI ;)

Baby Sis and spouse, hubby and me

Almost the whole grand and great grand putting a big smile on Mom's face!!

I believe it was a fine fine day when you can sing happy 90th birthday to your Mother!!!

Hope this finds you all happy and healthy, Barb aka Tilly

2014 AT THE VILLAGES

I promised the vacation, yes another smashing time at The Villages.  Flossie and Mr Wonderful just open their home to us to use as our own, or maybe I should say it turns into a geriatric dorm!!
Hubby and Mr Wonderful were the most active this year, with Flossie suffering from near exhaustion and I in the waning throws of a very bad infection after a little surgery.  
And, yes it can be told now, I was feeling so very awful thru the wedding, I was just going on sheer willpower and a whole lot of prayer.
Really the last few days of our time in Florida, I was starting to feel like a normal human again.  Flossie and I packed a lot in those last few days, with only a tiny hit to my pocketbook ;)
But the boys, oh my.  Off to lectures, Eisenhower Center  http://thevillagesideas.com/eisenhower-recreation-center-villages-fl-must-see-video/, dragon boat practice, and hubby went fishing, morning, noon and early evening. Being within walking distance of 3 ponds was his idea of heaven on earth.
Now, none of our ailments stopped our dominos evenings on the lanai.  This is a very serious affair, with hubby blocking his dominos in case we are trying to peek and my insisting I am winning, since I always have the highest score.

A little video and a good nite for now.  Hope this finds you all healthy and happy!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYR-dyM9IOU&list=UUl86FADVCPD77mg0xe5qFHw

HOW CAN I GET SO FAR BEHIND MYSELF?? Part #1

How do I do it?  How do I think about writing a little each month and I turn around and it has been eons!

It will soon be a year since the Dx of lymphedema.  I have been a very good do-bee, and have done my massage and wear my totally stylish 20/30 knee high compression stockings.  Now not being a Hilton, or Kardashian, my trying to start fashion statement with these crazy sox is just not happening.

But, let me tell you what has been happening. 

The wedding, yes it has come and gone, can you believe??  250 German origami bells, filled with 5 candy almonds wrapped in netting with the wedding wish attached.  A photo board with a large stiffened burlap bow, 25 burlap tags with the table #'s on them and a not so prolific cutting of the white hydrangea bush, that suffered greatly from our super hard winter.  My baby sis did hundreds of cookies with the children's initials done in icing served on silver tray on the side of the wedding cake, which was done by a friend.  An aunt did the bridesmaids necklaces, they were stunning, and another aunt and uncle did all the photos.  Lucy did the #'s on the burlap tags and we did the flowers together with hubby doing a lot of the cutting for us.  Lucy did her designer hangers twisting the wire to form the names of all her bridesmaids.  They were beautiful.

I have a lavalier made from a single drop earing that belonged to my grandmother, hanging on a small gold chain that I wore, both my daughters and my baby sis wore and now my granddaughter wore on our wedding days.  The wedding was a church wedding and the reception was held at a charming winery in our area.  A fun 'old' car was parked next to the vine covered walkway with the trunk open for the gifts to be placed and the day was so beautiful we were able to eat outside with the food set up inside the barn along with a separate room where silly videos were being made of all the guests.

Would I ever say oh, my granddaughter made a fair to midland bride???  Not me, and I have no need to, for our 'MacGillicuddy' (for everyone younger than dirt, MacGillcuddy was the fictional maiden name of 'I Love Lucy' Lucy Ricardo, and has been a pet name for this Gram for years and years, for my little Lucy) was stunning.  That is the best I can come up with, she was stunning.  I have only a few pictures so far and will, as they come in, add more to my blog.  Thought I would get to some pictures now, to give you some rest.

I will, I promise, get to our vacation which came 2 days after the wedding and then to my Mother's 90th birthday a week after our return and then another family wedding this last weekend.  But, breath easy, I will do these in order in the next blog.

May this find you all happy and healthy and enjoying each day
Barb aka Tilly

 

 

TAKING A CUE

My last post was seen by my friend and fellow crafter Kimmer, that would be MommaRock at http://krazycraftycreations.blogspot.com/.  We could be almost the same person, hahaha,  When she looked at the compartments of her life she knew she needed to make some changes.  As I read, I knew that would be very important to my quality of life as well.  So rather than just ponder, I took action, inspired by Kimmer. 

I stayed up a little later than normal and went thru my YouTube list.  I was over whelmed each day with 100 emails in my mail, most all YouTube friends and acquaintances.  As I tackled my list ( that looked like I would be doing an overnighter back from my school days) it started moving a little faster than I imagined.   

I changed many to 'show only in feed' I found many that I needed to remove, those that had not had a video in over a year.  And, I still may fiddle with a few more.  Late in the evening, I don't function as well as early morning.

I consider each that I receive, Kimmer has vowed not to watch 'haul' videos and for the most part, that will be my vow also.   And, though I love to learn, there are things I am not likely to try, so I have given myself permission to just pass on those, also.  We all love just a word or two when we publish a video, and in my beginning stage with few subscribers that was an easy task.  However, now my list of those I am subscribed to, is so long that to comment on all would be a full time job, so I have now given myself permission to, at times, just give a thumbs up and be off to the next.

In the past few days, I have had the time to do some projects of my own, view some videos, read some blog entries by friends and I have even started a grand mystery on my Kindle :)

I believe I am going to like this new improved compartment.  As the weather improves and the pool calls to me, I may make a few summer tweeks ;)

I will leave you now with a few things I have worked on.  Hoping this post finds you happy and healthy, here thy are:

One on the right is the one she will wear, on the left is the one the groom will throw.  Granddaughter wants to keep the one she will wear ;)

THINKING I LIKE MY LIFE IN COMPARTMENTS

I am finding that I put my life in compartments.  My work (tongue in cheek) is creating.  That goes on down in 'God Bless My Mess' aka my crafting and stitching room.  My computer fun and work goes on in the great room (first floor consists of kitchen and great room and 1/2 bath).  My sleeping goes on, of course, upstairs in the bedroom.

My YouTube compartment is almost 99% crafters, my blog compartment is almost 99% personal sharing of life type bloggers.  My social life is almost 99% family.

I will have to ponder this, and see if I need to shake this up a bit, or just be content that I am happy this way.

I need to, rein in, my YouTube compartment, for it is starting to overwhelm my work, blogging and social life.  Will have to ponder this ;)

I gave myself permission, just this week, to add a few blogs to follow and have found an oldie and a brand new one I would like to follow.  Some of my crafty friends will recognize Natasha Hensel's  http://cleversoiree.blogspot.com.      I enjoy her vlogs, feeding her chickens and hearing how her day is going and what she has chosen to prepare for dinner.  She is a good cook.  She is my oldie.  Just yesterday, I met a young woman, by chance, (if you believe in chance) and find out she is an Author, Speaker, Teen Life Coach and Blogger at www.elizabethbourgeret.com.  I have only had the time to go thru her February and March 2014 posts, but I believe I will enjoy going back in time to read more, while going forward on any of her new blogging.  And, to always leave a comment, so fellow bloggers know I have stopped for a peek!!!!!

For now, I need to go to my work compartment ;)  And, will leave you with a few things I have made and the hope that this post will find you all happy and healthy,

hugs
Barb aka Tilly
PS  don't be afraid to sign up to follow me, you can always just delete the notice that I have done something, if you don't want to spend time with me that day ::))  (that is a double smiley face)

Tag swap for CCL

March friendship page swap for CCL

 

CAN IT BE THE END OF FEBRUARY???

One of new year resolutions was to be more faithful to the blog.  As you can see, true to form, I failed in the first month.  Why do I even think about resolutions?  Why do I set myself up for failure?  My February resolution is to never make another resolution for as long as I live.  That gets easier to say the older I am, cause there is so little time left to be resolute ;)



I have been having some fun with my YouTube friends and my real life friends and family.  We are in full throws of our oldest granddaughter's wedding plans.  I have finished 200 origami German Bells, (thank you Bernadette aka Auntie Bernie on YouTube)



Would you believe I have no picture of the German Bells and went to Bernadette's blog and she doesn't have a finished picture either ;(  I will take one when we get all the bows in them.  They will be used on the tables with the wedding, candy almonds inside them.  I am so honored to have been asked to do them.  Her mother, our oldest daughter, is putting all the seam binding in them and her soon to be mother-in-law is taking care of the candies, I just love family togetherness!!! 

Have also been having fun with my craft site Creating the Crafty Life and have joined a Friendship Page Swap.  We have made a front and back for our album and each month we will make a page, telling a little something about our selves and send it to a different partner.  We will end up with 12 pages from 12 different members of the club.  Each month will have a different theme, February was a Valentine theme and March will be a pink ribbon theme, for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the US.  We have members from many different countries and it is so much fun learning a little about everyone. 

Will end this post with my front and back pages and the beautiful page I got from my swap partner for February.....huggles

FRONT

BACK

MY COVER

FRONT OF FRIENDSHIP PAGE FROM MY SWAP PARTNER

BACK PAGE

FOLD OUT ON BACK PAGE

MAKING NEW FRIENDS AND SELLING ANOTHER PRODUCT

First and foremost, let me wish you a healthy and content 2014.

Folks, it is cold here in the mid-west, and I have been recovering from the Christmas craft and cooking frenzy.  I was proud of the ornaments for the grandchildren this year.

 

With a cardboard circle and paper towel, water and flour, I made these old fellows.  I attached a wire for hanging and painted them.  They were fun to make and it brought back childhood, playing with the homemade paste ;) 

 

 

With ornaments made it was time to start their baskets of homemade hot cocoa and coffee mix, candies, cookies and chocolate covered pretzels.  I ran out of time before I ran out of items to make.  Well there is always Valentine Day!

I started getting back to crafting and found a video friend using a great little bottle with a metal tip and stopper that doesn't clog with dried glue and lays a tiny dot or line of glue.  I ordered some for my self and was so pleased I contacted the couple in the UK that make and sell the fine tip bottles.  Hubby and I decided to distribute them thru TILLYSBRIDGE on ZIBBET. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLz1namDrsE&feature=em-upload_owner

I didn't have it in my store for longer than 4 hours before I got my first order.  I do hope others find this little gem as great as I.

 

Again, I wish you all a wonderful new year and will strive to be more faithful to my blog!!

 

May this find you all happy and healthy!!