Thrift Thursday With a great Big Thanks

My new toy...

I am long over due for sharing some serious Blove (you know blove right?... Blog+Love= blove)
Last summer I got to have an amazing day with other bloggers, most whom I knew pretty well from swaps or their close proximity...
But there was another blogger who I did know of (her blog, Scissors Paper Glue , is just lovely) but hadn't made that extra connection with. That day she was so nice and open and fun and it turned out I knew her sister from a favorite crafting experience . It was so fantastic to get to know her better.
She inspired Jacob and shared her camera with him. She was so kind.

He instantly became interested in Polaroid and I found one for him (not as photogenic as mine though...) an he got it for his birthday.



She sent him a birthday present too. Precious discontinued Polaroid film. And a beautiful Polaroid that she took. But above all she gave the present of showing a young man the kind artistic respect that can only inspire, not just creativity but something more...
"But, Mom," he said, " We only met her Once! Why is she so Nice?!"

And she sent a present for me.



It now hangs where I can see it every day and it makes me so Happy.

But that wasn't all. She also wrote a post that made my week and his week too.

Jen, you are so very special. I am so glad we met!

It's a little Meme-ish here today

What a lovely week it was for me to get tagged last week.

Ms. Cleaver tagged me for 7 Random things:
so here I go:

My grandma used to chaperon for Tim Burton on Burbank Police Boys Band parade trips.
She said he was "a nice boy, a little strange."

When I was little my mom made almost every one of my dolls herself from the old McCall's patterns. They all had extensive wardrobes as well.

I am really afraid of snakes. I won't even go into the reptile section of a pet store.

I can not knit or crochet. Not at all. Never even tried it. Maybe someday... but really, I can't get a yarn stash or we'll have to move.

My signature scent used to be Coco by Chanel (when I was young and believed what I read in the magazines). Now it is Aveda Rosemary shampoo and Arm and Hammer Biodegradable laundry detergent in Mountain Rain scent.

I went to a two room school house during elementary school.

I watch the bonus features on dvds. Almost without exception. Even for bad movies.
I also like the director's commentary. I know... weird!!!!

I have a really great Birthday present I need to blog about from this great lady. But time is Not On My Side so far this November...( in a fun, hurry-scurry kind of way.)


Then To Top it off, Turkey Feathers tagged me for the Kreativ Blogger Award!
Thanks so much...
I am working out my list and will post it next week.

I also have been wanting to say thanks to CraftMag, Dabbled, Instructables, One Pretty Thing, Crafty Crow and Whip Up for the Linky love...
I can't even list everyone who linked and built and tried the Halloween stuff.. but I have been cruising around and have been loving all the cools stuff I'm seeing.
You guys are the BEST.

This Is What Optimism Feels Like

Yesterday... as I went into the voting booth, I felt a little like a super hero.

Today, I feel like I want to roll up my sleeves and dive right in to making the great feelings of last night, into the kind of energy that will create real and lasting change.
I am so impressed with the way people showed up. And if, as the saying goes, "Half of Success is simply showing up.." What can we do with this momentum?

Voting was a great first step.

So, step 2 for me is this:

All profits from my Etsy shop will be contributed to Heifer for the remainder of the Holiday season. Excitedly and gratefully so. I am moved to do something and this is so easily done.

I'm also going to write a letter to my son, or my potential future grandkids, or some random stranger about how this day felt, about what I hoped would come from the votes I cast. Because this is a very important day, and maybe later they will want a window into it.

Maybe you should do it too.