My Year in Rewind

~*!*~Happy New Year Everyone~*!*~

I can't believe it's been a whole year-365 days-already. It seems like only yesterday that we were ringing in the 2009 new year with family and friends-Of course we can't forget a year ago, I also wasn't walking.

So much has changed since then, and yet, so much hasn't. Some of my 2009 highlights, both good and bad:

• Hit my 5 year illness anniversary in the middle of January(got sick in January of 2004).
• Had my first LLMD(Lyme Literate Medical Doctor) appointment and started oral antibiotic treatment
• I moved from my downstairs room, back upstairs-Not extremely happy at the time, but I've accepted my new(old) room.
• Opened The Eclectic Element: Handmade Etsy shop in February
  
• Started The Eclectic Element blog
• Sold my first piece of jewelry in March
  
• My sister turned the big 1-8 in March
• Opened The Eclectic Element: Vintage Etsy shop in April
• Decided to try Hydrogen Peroxide Therapy in June
• Stopped the HPT for personal reasons and started going to a Naturopath in beginning of August
  
• Experienced my first colonic treatment (O.o)
  
• Started walking again the end of August
• Celebrated my 20th birthday in November

Of course there are so many more experiences had throughout the year, but I can't remember them all. Looking back through the year, I feel that the months January through August weren't months at all-Just one big span of time where I existed.

Once I started walking, my life started up again.

Now that 2010 looms, I feel hopeful. It's just a bone deep feeling that I have that this year is my year!

Things I hope to do in 2010:

• Write my book
• Have my first blog event
• Go back to school
• Eat the best I can and exercise to build back up my strength
• Visit some of my Lymie friends all over the United States
• Travel(anywhere and everywhere)

I guess this post is just to let you all know I wish you everything you desire in the New Year, no matter what it is! Health, Wealth, Love, or Happiness-Whatever it is, go get it ^.^

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Health Update Thursday(12/31)

I can honestly say I don't remember the last time I updated you guys on my health status-Of course I could look through my old posts until I find it, but I currently find myself lazy and dead-on-my-feet tired, so I'll just wing it :)

I'm happy to inform that I have been doing quite well overall the past few weeks! Of course there is still pain, fatigue, insomnia and a few other 'regulars,' but I find myself having just a little more energy then the day before which ultimately means I can do more with my days.

Speaking of sleeping, my insomnia is so bad, that I'm up until 4 or 5 am and when I finally go down, I sleep until 1 or 2 in the afternoon, which wastes my whole day and makes me feel horrible both mentally and physically. Well, I'm putting a stop to it! I have requested to be woken up early in the morning, so I can set my internal clock right again-So far, it seems to be going well.

Now that the New Year is upon us, I have decided that I need to start being better with my health and my body-Which means monitoring what I eat and staying away from 'problem' foods such as wheat, gluten, and MSG(of course that's just a few things) and exercising A LOT more then I'm already am! I know there are more things I can be doing, but I'll focus on those two for now.

Hope you are all doing well this Thursday!! Oh, happy New Year's Eve-Any special plans for tonight?

{Warning} This is a Ramble Post!

I haven't done an all out rambling post in awhile, so I thought I would do that today since a lot has transpired in the past few weeks that I either:

A. Want to put down on 'paper' (so to speak)
B. Feel you all should know
C. Just want to ramble about for the heck of it

Don't worry-There will be pictures :)

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Anyway, first things first, I'm so FREAKING happy the holidays are over. Something that was created with love and warmth in mind has become something ugly and greed driven. Instead of wanting to give tokens of our appreciation and love to people, it's become something we feel obligated to do.

Don't get me wrong, I understand that people still love the holidays and have wonderful family traditions each year, which I do, too, to some extent, but in my opinion, things just have gone way to far to wear after everything is said and done, we are mentally and physically relieved the holidays are over and that's wrong.

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That scroogy-ness over, I had some good laughs this holiday season. One of which was a great party one of my good friends threw. I hope to have a video up soon so you all can see the awesome time everyone had!! Here are a few pictures to tide you over in the mean time:

It was semi-formal dress, so I had fun picking out an outfit and dressing up(which I hadn't done since prom which was May of 2009).

FYI I won best dressed :)

The whole gang posing for a picture-It's a miracle we all got in this shot!

**Update**
I just realized one of us was missing.
Fail.

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Now that the holidays are over, there are many things that I would like to do-'Real life' wise, business wise, and blog wise. It's just a matter or prioritizing.

I definitely am going to do the How to Win Series, however I'm still debating on whether I want to make it into my first fledged blog event or just keep it to a 'how to' thing.

Any suggestions?

Then there is the book that I want to start, but I will explain that in a different post.

Definitely need to focus on my jewelry and Etsy stores when I can get down the stairs!!

So much to do, so little time.

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Isn't he adorable!?
I love this picture :)


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Happy Wednesday Everyone!
Love and Energies.
Kayla

Win It Wednesday(12/30)

~*!*~Win It Wednesday~*!*~

Win Your Choice of T-shirt from Crazy Dog T-shirts!!

Ends January 1, 2010

Enter Here













Win a $50 Gift Card to Marshalls!!

Ends January 7, 2010

Enter Here








Win a Bayes Cleaners Eco-Friendly Variety Pack!!

Ends January 7, 2010

Enter Here









Have giveaways you want to advertise?

Link them below!!

Say It With Fabric-FabricGreetings

Instead of going out of the country for today, I thought we would just roam around the US a bit-Around the Northeast, maybe? Good, I'm glad you all agree, because, like her name implies, today's featured crafter has some extremely interesting and unique pieces in her shop.

Say hi to Alyce of FabricGreetings on Etsy! If you check out her Etsy shop, you will understand why she chose that as her username :)

Hailing from Elkton, Maryland, Alyce has crafting in her blood! According to her, her Mother made dance recital costumes as a homebased business when Alyce was much younger-"I was allowed to play with the scraps and the extra sequins, beads, etc. So I think my crafting is a direct result of that."

From that scrap and sequin playing child to the woman before you today, Alyce has evolved into a full fledged artist who is passionate about what she creates-Of course, crafting is only a side venture for her like so many of us. Her 'real life' job consisted of being a school teacher, from which she now finds herself retired, however, that doesn't stop her from teaching a few classes for several quilt shops in and around her area! Always the teacher :)

"I mostly craft with fabric," says Alyce. "I don't like my hands to be dirty and sticky. For years I made whimsical cloth dolls, but that thing called arthritis has played havoc with my hands and I can no longer do the hand work. So everything I do, I do by sewing machine. And I can make my machine do a lot of things most people don't think about doing."

Things to know about Alyce and her beautiful work:

*All greeting cards are designed and made by Alyce herself, so no two cards are exactly alike!

*Have something special in mind for a certain someone? Don't hesitate to contact her with your ideas-Alyce loves to do custom work :)

*For payment, shipping, and other information, check out her Shop Policies Page.

Advice from Alyce: "My only piece of advice to other crafters is to find something you like to do and do it. Carve out a piece of time in your day for working at it. Even when our daughter was little, I managed to get in time at the sewing machine. If crafting is a way of relaxing, then do it. You are entitled to a bit of time for yourself. If you are doing it for a business, have Patience with a capital P."

I think I have only seen one, maybe two fabric greeting cards in the past and I would be very interested in sending one(I bet the receiver would be interested as well)! If your as curious as I am, definitely take a look through FabricGreetings and see what captures your attention :)

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Items in Post:

Smile Fabric Postcard

Country Birds Fabric Postcard Set

Thank You Fabric Postcard

Love You To Death {Book Review}

Synopsis from the back of the book:

"It's been days since reporter Elise McBride has heard from her sister, Ashley. She's convinced Ashley has met with some kind of foul play, especially when she learns that bodies of other missing women have surfaced in and around Chicago--all victims of a brutal serial killer. Convinced her sister is still alive, Elise vows to risk everything to save her...

The last thing ex-cop Trent Brady needs is more blood on his hands. Yet when he catches Elise breaking into her sister's house, full of reckless determination and fear, he knows she needs his help. But just as desire ignites between them, a twisted madman sets his sights on Elise. Hell-bent on possessing her for himself, this psychopath won't rest until he has his perfect woman."

To read an excerpt from the book, just Click Here.
To view the author's website, Click Here.


My Thoughts:

Alongside authors such as Nora Roberts and Carla Neggers, Shannon K. Butcher has definitely found her way into my heart, as well as, my bookshelf with her romantically raunchy, suspenseful, adventure-laden writing style!

I seriously couldn't put this book down-I found myself sneaking away from Christmas dinner(shame shame) to read just a few more pages to find out what had transpired between the characters. Not only did the book have my complete attention, the characters were like-able and the story line was deliciously sinister just the way I like it.

If you don't know me or my book tastes, I'm not much of a floofy romantic book type like the one's you find in a Walgreens with the almost pornographic pictures on the front-I'm a down'n'dirty thrill seeker when it comes to my romance books. Give me a good serial killer and two characters with enough chemistry to blow up a 3 story building and I'm good to go, which is exactly what I found in Love You To Death.

I did have one complaint, though, and that was the fact that the author was a little repetitive throughout the book. The events in her book were amazingly thought up, but the way she kept repeating them throughout the book just got a little tired in my opinion.

Other then that small detail, I very much enjoyed my first reading experience with Ms. Shannon K. Butcher! I have a feeling this is the beginning of something great :)


To buy a copy of Love You To Death, just Click Here!

I received a copy of the book Love You To Death by Shannon K. Butcher from a blog giveaway through Frugal Plus so that I could accurately write an honest review of this book-All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are mine and mine alone.

Inspirational Tuesday(12/29)

[Image Credit]

"Her existence alone was excuse to justify the creation of the entire world."

--Edward Cullen; Midnight Sun

What inspires you today?

Bead*dazzle-DazzleCreations

Today, dear readers, we go all the way to South East Asia for our next featured artist-Namely, the area of Singapore.

So welcome to The Element, Sue of DazzleCreations!

Instead of a store motto, she has a a belief she lives by in which she also extends to her jewelry: "I believe that every woman is beautiful and gorgeous and I hope that my thoughts, hard work and LOVE put into each and every piece of jewelry that I make will help them to achieve this in a special way."

Speaking of her lovely jewelry, I asked Sue how she got started in the designing business(you know, everyone starts off differently). She informed me that she got inspired by all the other crafters and artists around her; When she saw their creations on their websites and in their shops, Sue thought to herself how beautiful their creations are and that train of thought ended with the determination to make her own beautiful creations!

Her determination lead her to Etsy, which was kind of an accident to begin with, but ended up being the best accident because DazzleCreations was born!

As you can tell, Sue is mostly a jewelry person who uses all kinds of different materials. "I like to get inspirations from all of them," said Sue. "Sometimes something seemingly boring will combine with another material and create a beautiful piece."

Things to know about Sue, her shop and her products:

*Join Sue's mailing list and be the first to hear of sales and news. Make sure to write to dewybelle AT yahoo DOT com.sg and request her to add you!

*With guaranteed gift wrap on every piece of jewelry in a gift box, Sue makes sure your mailing experience is complete with a smile :)

*For payment, shipping, and other information of the like, check out her Shop Policies Page.

Advice from Sue: "Let your creativity juices flow."


Love and Energies.
Kayla

Items in Post:

Adorable Round Rose Cabochon Rings

Soft Gold Butterfly Pendant with Blue Zircon Brown Speckled Czech Glass Bead Necklace

Sunglow Yellow Czech Glass Flower Cluster Earrings

Lemon Tree Cards *Winner*

I wanted to apologize to everyone who had entered my Lemon Tree Cards Giveaway-I know that I had said it was going to be done on the 25th and I would draw a winner, but I decided to leave it open a little bit longer to see if I could get any more entries...

I mean, it was Christmas after all! Lol

The good thing is I did get a few more entries and I'm happy(and excited) to say I get to draw a winner today :)

First, though, a big thank you goes to Shelly of Lemon Tree Cards for this wonderful giveaway. I very much enjoyed working with her and if you have a chance to check out her products, definitely go for it!!

So, congratulations goes to...

#17

Bonita12

Bonita12 said...

feed subscriber of Lemon Tree Kids

December 13, 2009 12:45 AM

Congratulations Bonita12! I'm off to send you an email and you have 72 hours to contact me with your information.

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Mailbox Monday(12/28)

Mailbox Monday divulges into the inner workings of my mailbox throughout the week. From books to jewelry to free samples to random magazines and letters-You never know what will be in the mail this week...

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We Love Colors is an awesome company that offers woman of all colors, shapes and sizes an opportunity to feel beautiful while wearing their products, and they were so kind enough to send me a product of theirs to review-So needless to say, I'm ecstatic to be able to do a review for them!!

I hope to have it up really soon, so be sure to keep checking back :)



Imagine my pure pee-your-pants excitement when I got an email from Aki over at Family and Friends saying I had won REAL Egyptian souvenirs!

Seriously!?!?!?

Eeeeek!!!!

I got my package and was bouncing off the walls: It insisted of bookmarks, a beautiful postcard of the pyramids, a fun Egyptian inspired notepad, information about the author and her books, and an amazing mini pyramid with hieroglyphics all over it.

Thanks to Ellen over at Thrifty and Chic, I got my first live giveaway prize in the mail this week: A beautiful gold bangle set from the company Alex and Ani.

Of course we can't forget Sarah over at The OmniCouple-I was able to win a giveaway from there for a Jonny Diaz CD!

Valerie of Sweeps4Bloggers has been especially good to me over the past years since I started blogging and doing contests. This win was actually another book titled A Note from an Old Acquaintance by Bill Walker.

I was thrilled when I got it, but that thrill turned to pure excitement when I realized it was autographed to me, personally!!

Hopefully I will be able to do a review when I'm done reading it :D

6. My Ciocia (Aunt in Polish) who I haven't seen in a very long time surprised my sister and I with two, stunning Christmas tree ornaments that came on Christmas Eve-Talk about timing!!

They are hanging on the tree as we speak!

And Finally....

More Christmas Cards!

What did you get in the mail this week?

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

{Image Credit}

I just wanted to take this time to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your family--Hopefully you all are warm and together for the holidays and even if your not, that you are warm and safe.

I understand that this year has been a rough one for everyone in many different ways, but we need to look towards 2010 with positive attitudes and smiles on our faces!

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and I will be back to my daily rounds in a few days :)

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Remember Those Moments-Memories by Fionchadd

Welcome Hannah from Memories by Fionchadd on Etsy!

Her store motto: "Remember those special moments in your life, and revisit them throughout the years." Which is exactly what her lovely products help you do!

Currently living in North London, Hannah has always been interested in art-Now that she is out of school, she faintly regrets not taking that art interest further while in school through things such as classes and extracurricular activities. However, the past is the past and there is no point dwelling on it when you can be living in the now, which is what Hannah is focusing on -"I started off making my own birthday cards for friends and family, then making them to sell, and it kind of spiraled from there!"

Like me, she is prone to having loads of ideas circling around in her head, so she finds it's fantastic to have an outlet for some of them.

Of course like many of us, Hannah can't do what she loves ALL of the time, which is why when shes not working on her crafts, she has a job in Market Research. What's so good for her is this is a field she has been trying to get into for awhile, so needless to say, she doesn't mind splitting up her time equally :)

If you take a look through Hanna's shop, you can see she has a variety of art and crafting merchandise encased in one place. When asked what she dabbles in, Hannah was kind enough to listed some of what she does: "I make jewellery, scrapbooks, photo frames, paperweights and coasters at present," she says ,"The main theme running through my work is 'memories' - a lot of my products have a vintage feel and I use a great deal of old and new ephemera. I love upcycling, and using items in an entirely different way to how they were intended."

Besides her love of upcycled materials, she works with pretty much anything she can find! Vintage lace, cardstock, old coins, game pieces, stone tiles, buttons, wool, nick-nacks, bottle tops, and that's just to name a few...

Things to know about Hannah, her products and her shop:

*If your interested in learning more about Hannah, make sure to follow her blog: Memories by Fionchadd on Blogger!

*Follow her on Twitter as well.

*Fan Hannah on Facebook to get some special sneak peaks and great deals!

*For payment, shipping and other information, check out her Shop Policies Page.

Advice from Hannah: "Persevere! I used to get terribly frustrated when things I made wouldn't turn out how I was envisaging. Nothing is going to be perfect 100% of the time, and especially if you're just starting out. Don't give up, keep trying. And if it's really not working, try a different craft. There are lots out there!"

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Items in Post:

Treasure Bottle Necklace

Memories Scrapbook

Under the Sea Paperweight

Avatar *Movie Review*

• Directed By: James Cameron
  
• Writers: James Cameron
  
• Runtime: 162 minutes
• Rated: Rated PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking.
• Language: English
  
• Company: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Synopsis:

Chosen for a special mission on a distant planet named Pandora(very apropos name in my opinion), paraplegic marine Jake Sulley(Sam Worthington) has no idea what he is in for when he arrives. Greeted by a beautiful, yet hostile environment, unwelcoming people, as well as natives, and a power struggle between the scientists and the military, Jake does his best to fall into the order of things. Being a marine, he knows where his loyalties lie, or so at first he thinks.

With vastly advanced technology, things that weren't possible 100 years ago are now possible and Jake finds himself in a situation most would dream about: being in the midst of the 'hostile' natives learning their ways. Going into this mission, he has an ulterior motive for gaining the trust of the natives-That is until he is saved by one named Neytiri(Zoe Saldana).

As time goes by and he begins to get to know the natives as a whole, things change. Now, in order to save them from the impending doom he caused, he needs to turn against his own kind. Is it worth it?


My Thoughts:

Before I jump into my thoughts on this movie, I have to explain a few things: First of which is my passion for symbolism. I'm BIG into symbolism in pretty much anything(I would kill to be like Tom Hanks in The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons) and when I saw this movie, I realized through the whole thing there was a wealth of symbolism woven into the storyline. Second, I'm not a very religious person, but I'm an incredibly spiritual one, and the fact that they revere a Deity like Our Mother is something I can relate to and appreciate immensely.

Those things being said, I thought this movie was simply beyond words-It's something your going to have to witness for yourselves.

I have gotten mixed opinions from people who have seen it, but for those reasons stated above, I thought it was more then a simple movie. It was like a life changing experience-However, you probably won't take out of it what I did, so I will say this: It's a wonderful movie that's worth the 3 hours sitting in one of those damn theater seats.

I mean, you come out of the theater disappointed you don't live on Pandora because the graphics are so mind-bogglingly beautiful, our world pales in comparison! Yes, there is a romantic angle to the movie and yes, there is a war waged between the humans and aliens, but it's no where near 'chick flick' or 'rock em' sock em'' genre status.

It's so hard to do this review because I really am speechless! Watching this movie is definitely like watching history being made. You just know this is going to be the new face of movies in the years to come.

**UPDATE: I just saw an article on AOL when I signed into my mail that PROVES the director of this movie did in fact weave messages throughout! You can view it Here-It's pretty great!**

Love and Energies.
Kayla

P.s. Like I said, I'm seriously speechless-It took me like 2 hours to write this review and I'm probably going to come back and see what I can add and change to make it perfect.

Inspirational Tuesday(12/22)

"Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind."

--Mary Ellen Chase



What inspires you today?

**An Important Announcement**

I've been thinking about things the past few days-How can I not with the ideas in my head going a million miles an hour round and round and round?

**roundandrounditgoeswhereitstopsnobodyknows**

There are so many things that I want to do and so little time to do them, which brings me to ask myself, am I conducting my time efficiently for myself? I know that I dedicate multiple hours to my blog and featuring fellow artists and crafters, reviewing certain items, and not to mention listing and making jewelry for both my Etsy shops, but does one thing out weight all the others?

Yes.

I've been thinking and rethinking this certain delema, but I have come to the conclusion that even though I love helping other people, I just can't keep up the pace of featuring one person every day, 5 days a week-It takes up most of my time and frankly, I have to be selfish on this matter.

I am still going to feature artists and crafters and bloggers(don't worry about that!), it's just going to be on a designated day, once a week.

Hopefully this will give me time to do the things that I want to do. There are events going around in my head, jewelry design ideas, and even bigger things(which will come in a different post, don't you worry). Of course I am going to finish the list of people I promised a feature to at the current pace, but afterwords....Well, I'm not really sure. I'll figure out something!

I hope you all understand-I'm not going away, but I'm just changing up a few things here on The Element. If you guys have any advice, words of encouragement, questions or whatever it may be, feel free to speak your mind!

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Mailbox Monday(12/21)

Mailbox Monday divulges into the inner workings of my mailbox throughout the week. From books to jewelry to free samples to random magazines and letters-You never know what will be in the mail this week...

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Can you say new material to read!?

I knew you could ;-)

I was lucky enough to win a copy of Love You to Death by Shannon K. Butcher a few weeks ago thanks to those lovely ladies over at Frugal Plus-Which is very wonderful for me because I was beginning to inch my way back into reading!

I can tell this is going to be a book that I like just by reading the first few pages.

Hopefully I'll be able to review it when I'm done!

I got that Coleman Gift Card via UPS the other day-Thank GOODNESS I got it before my dad...

Shhhhhhhhhh.

It's a Christmas present that's going to make its way into his stocking :D

More Christmas Cards!

I got a particularly worrisome one, however hopefully I can get together with this particular person and talk further on the situation.

What did you get in the mail this week?

Slapdash Sunday(12/20)

Slapdash Sunday is a day for your proverbial week 'leftovers.' Is there something you wanted to say, but just forgot? Is there something you want to write about, but isn't worth a whole page? Do you have a random thought, funny or otherwise that needs to be written down?

That is what Slapdash Sunday is for!

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1. I found THE MOST amazingly fantastic wrapping paper ever:

"Have a satisfactory non-denominational capitalist wintertime gift-giving season."

It's purchasable on ThinkGeek.com which is an equally as amazing website for the geek in all of us :)





Speedy over at Eighty MPH Mom brought up a really good point in one of her posts the other day that got me thinking: Does anyone else seem to lose the scissors and tape when wrapping any sort of presents?

I mean seriously, you sit down and you don't move the whole time, but somehow, the scissors and tape ALWAYS disappear!

Is it me, or are these Singing M&Ms with Light Up Eyes uber creepy?

I mean, I would feel like their eyes would be following me wherever I move....

*Shiver*

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Wanna be apart of Slapdash Sunday?
Grab the button below and blog along!

<center><a href="http://www.theeclecticelement.blogspot.com"><img src="http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/af214/TheEclecticElement/SlapdashSunday-1.jpg"/></a></center>

Blogger Santa Swap: The Package

After Friday, I'm taking that break(I swear!)-I needed to put this post up so that my swap partner knows that I got her package and L.O.V.E.D it :)

I recently participated in the Blogger's Santa Swap over at Shannon's place, The Mommy-Files. This is actually the second time I have participated in an event like this, so I knew what to expect when I signed up. You may ask WHY I signed up if I'm so overwhelmed with the impending holidays and my numerous projects, but to tell you the truth, it's something that is just fun.

Plain and simple.

Anyway, I was paired with a lovely Canadian blogger who goes by the name Tammi of My Organized Chaos. If you haven't visited her, I suggest you do so!

She was so sweet-Here is what I opened the package up to:


How pretty is that? I was so taken with the packaging, I almost didn't want to open it....Almost. LOL Here is what that lovely arrangement held for me:

• A fun Santa plate
• A package of gift tags(much needed)
• A package of holiday-themed sticky notes(I <3>
• A cute reindeer door hanger
• A pair of holiday fuzzy socks(wearing)
• A beautiful holiday candle with accessories
• A box of holiday-themed ziplock bags(cookie time!)
• A light up Santa shot glass(SUPER FUN)
• A Candy Cane badge
• A Santa themed box(too cute)
• A beautiful angel ornament
• A holiday bag filled with goodies: 2 Coffee Crisp Bars and 2 boxes of Smarties

I've already put some of the decorations to good use:



And I would show you a picture of the yummies, but I don't think that's a picture I can obtain right about know ;-)

I just wanted to take a moment to thank both Shannon for holding and organizing this swap and Tammi who send me this beautiful package!! You both are amazing-In fact, so is everyone who participated!

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Featured Blogger Friday(12/18)-Jolly Mom

I know that I said I was taking a break, and I will, just after I bring you another wonderful featured blogger this Friday!

I totally forgot that I promised I would have a blogger for you this Friday and I can't break a promise-Today, I bring you a newly discovered (by me at least) blogger that I enjoy reading very much.

Welcome all the way from her part of the Blogosphere, Piera of Jolly Mom!


Q. What’s your name and blog? What other information would you like to share?

Hi everyone! My name is Piera--blogger at JollyMom.com. I am a first time mom of a 2 year old little boy named Lucas. I am a wife, blogger, and wannabe crafter, chef, and interior designer. I am so happy and honored to be featured here!


Q. Why did you choose that name for your blog?

Well, it's not very original. My full {married} name is Piera Jolly soooooo from that came "Jolly Mom". Told you. Not very original. LOL


Q. Why did you start blogging?


I started blogging solely to have a place for family to come see pictures of my son, Lucas. Literally within days, I was hooked.


Q. What kind of stuff do you cover with your blog? Is there a specific genre you write about or is the sky the limit?


I feature product recommendations, giveaways, parenting information, and more. My real love is crafts, home decor, cooking, and just about anything that has to do with creating so I love to bring that to my readers as well.


Q. Name one thing you love about your blogging job.


The friendships.


Q. Name one thing you’re not quite fond of about your blogging job.

The time it takes. I work many, many hours on my blog. It is truly a full time job! Most of all, I don't like the drama that seems to permeate the online world. I stay far away.

Q. What’s one random fact about you?


hmmm...I love chocolate ice cream with corn flakes. I could eat it anytime and would skip any meal just to have a bowl of ice cream.


Q. Inspiration comes in many forms for different people. What inspires you?

Lots of things inspire me. First and foremost, Lucas, my 2 year old son and my husband inspire me. The love I have for them is indescribable and that inspires me to be a better person. For my boys.

Also, I love finding beauty in the simple, every day items that surround us. I love history and objects with history or a story. Antiques, old beat up furniture, a hand knit shawl, quilts, a recipe passed down generations---those things make my heart skip a beat!


Q. Where else can we find you(Personal Website, Etsy Shop, Twitter, Facebook, Etc.)?


You can find me at www.jollymom.com and @jollymom {Twitter}. I wish I had an Etsy shop, but alas...I do not. Maybe one day!

Parties, Cleaning and Relatives Oh My!

I feel like complete and utter crap.

Of course I started something new from my M.I. and I started zapping again, so that's probably part, if not all the reason I feel like complete and utter crap.

Things are dying in my body and as a result, I suffer.

Ugh.

Anyway, with me not feeling well and being behind on all my holiday shtuff, I think I may just take this weekend off to get caught up and help around the house. Parties to prep for, houses to clean, people to put up...Oh my!

Hopefully the holidays haven't come and caught you off guard as it has me--Freakin' 10 days!

Where did the time go?

Love and Energies.
Kayla

I Wanna Move In-What a Beauty!

Yesterday, my friend and I headed over to Walmart and picked up some pre-assembled gingerbread houses with all the fixings included with one goal in mind:

To make us some gingerbread houses!

Man, I can't remember the last time I actually put together and decorated a gingerbread house...It has to be at least 8+ years.

Anyway, I took some pictures for your enjoyment, so.....Enjoy! Lol

Guess which one is mine?!

My lovely house made of gingerbread--It looks so good, I wish I could live in it! he he

This frosting was so damn hard to work with--Next time I'm just getting me a can of the real stuff and wingin' it.

My candy infested roof

How adorable is this walkway? Seriously, I'm so proud of it :D

Like the candy bushes? That was a last minute touch.

The back window overlooking the scenic soda pop lake and licorice forest ;-)
Gotta make it sell-able!

Close up of the back-The window just turned out okay(I could have done better)


I highly recommend making a gingerbread house just for the sheer enjoyment it brings--I felt like a little kid again :)

Love and Energies.
Kayla