Giveaways and Getting Caught Up!

     Hello, Friends! I hope this finds you all well. This is my first "Lazy Saturday" in a long while, so I thought I would get caught up. My husband uses my laptop, so I am doing this on my ipad. The Blogger app isn't my favorite, but howdy!

     Gee, what a busy year! We are only 2 months into school, but whew! What a whirlwind! I have been terrible over the last year keeping up with my blog! I had such good intentions, but the summer was a hectic one. I had to move my class again, which some of you already know. Thinking about that kind of sucked up my inspiration. I am trying to take pictures when the room doesn't look like a tornado went through it! So, you may never see any. Lol! I do have some random pictures of my classroom!

     Okay, well this is my desk. And coffee. And a cupcake. But listen to this! Someone dropped off fancy-smancy cupcakes from New York City (this sounds like the beginning of one of those Old El Paso salsa commercials, I know!). Now, I cannot pass up a good, homemade cupcake. Sorry. Just can't. When I have a good cupcake, a cup of coffee, and sit at my desk, well, it's like an old Calgon commercial. Oh, and no kids in the room. Okay (So side note... This why I haven't been blogging. All I have to share is about a cupcake!) so this cupcake was a a vanilla cupcake with a bit of caramel inside and brown sugar and slightly salted icing. Oh. My. I think just reveling in that was half of my planning period. It was bliss until the stack of spelling tests caught my eye. Yup. It was like the scene in Somewhere in Time when Christopher Reeves's character sees the penny. If you haven't seen the movie, well, you should. 

So, anywhoo... Hmm, let's see.

Oh, we've had a lot of praying mantises around the outside of my classroom. The kids have become obsessed with learning about them. They named them all. I love it. We even saw a female eat the male. Well, that was an interesting Q&A session afterward. Also awkward when you have named them. 

Speaking of naming critters... Yeah, this is Walter. I may have named him. 

Here are some glimpses of my desk...

I will show more of my desk later. The cool thing is... it's in my closet. It will make sense when you see my new room! 

I have listed some things on eBay and Etsy. Right now, eBay seems to be working the best for me. I just want to get rid of things, ya know. I got a couple of cute things, so something has to go. I have been really trying to balance one thing comes in, two things go out. It is freeing to just give things to friends or sell them on eBay. 

I  got this prim hutch top which is a make-do of old chocolate crates. I traded a friend of mine for it. He has a booth at an antique flea market. I love it. Topped with a sign from Sara Cocarus at Salmon Falls Prims, it holds my old tins well. I got the tins for a dollar here and there at my flea market.  I love the mice made by different friends of ours. You'd have mice in an old pantry, right?

So, with those additions, things had to go. I got rid of a lot of my old "Made in China" fall decor or any items that weren't made by our friends. I told my husband how it is a greater comfort to look and see something that I know the name of the person who made it.

Giveaways!

Check out all of the giveaways from our friends!

http://cynzplace.blogspot.com/2014/09/fall-giveaway-on-my-blog.html

Valley Primitive Stitches is also having one!

http://valleyprimitivestitches.blogspot.com

And Brenda at The Rusty Thimble! 

I am sure if you click on one link, you will see others as well! 

Coming up soon are reveals for Wendy of Ravenwood Whimzies Winter Pinkeep Swap, and a doll I am trying to create for a challenge put out by Barb Moore, the author of Purely Primitive Dolls. This challenge is on Facebook. Her book is a very good one in giving ideas and techniques for making extreme primitive dolls from start to finish. You may also know her as "The Primitive Oswald". She is very encouraging and gives great insight for your creating journey. Take a look at her Facebook page for this challenge! https://www.facebook.com/groups/Primdollchallenge.

     Well, whew! I guess I had more than I thought I had to say. God has been good in his protection and love. I love you all and am praying for you! Thank you for stopping by! 

Love,

The Marm