Friends, that is what makes the world go around! They come in all different ways. There are those friends that would do anything ....and I mean anything for you. It is always great to have friends like that. I am lucky enough to have quite a few friends like that. Maria is one of them ! We have only met about 4 years ago , but I am so glad that we have! I wanted to give a shout out to Maria since her birthday is on Wednesday ! Happy Birthday Girl! I know you got your new camera and hope you are having a great time with it .
On the home front we went to the Wrestling tourney last night for Josh's season . I gave his coach the scrapbook I made for him . Bill could not stop thanking me . We sat together and at least 6 times thru the night he turned to me to tell me how much that book means to him , how awesome a present it was and so on . Made me feel good that it meant that much to him . Coaches put so much time in with these kids and they do it totally volunteering. I love that Josh will have men like Coach Bill in his life, great positive male influence is so important in little boys lifes.
Josh also received a special award. He got "Most Improved Wrestler " in the pee wee division!! YEAH Josh!!! He was simply beaming ....wrestling is that first sport that you didn't just get a trophy for being there , so there were some tears shed on some of the little guys who didn't get a trophy. I felt so sad for them having to learn yet another hard lesson in their young lifes. We had already explained to Josh that he might not get a trophy and we try to also give him heads up on what to expect. But he came home with the hardware last night , and made a new place for it on his shelf.
On a sad note , I have this little brown dot on all my pics I take with my Nikon D50 .....so I need to take it in the shop . They aren't open today so that will be a first thing in the morning on Monday....I am so sad. I feel like a part of me is missing , I LOVE my camera ...hope it won't take long to fix, it is internal, I have checked everything I can.
So off to enjoy a Sunday , no plans...except to go to mlpa and sit in on the class colleen is teaching . Maybe do a movie !
61 Days till Rehoboth !!! The countdown has begun.

Donna Said so....so it must be true !!!!

Just having a little fun with my new t-shirt ! DD rocks !!

That smile is going to save him sometimes and get him in so much trouble other times !
Right now it is saving him . He can just melt my heart by that look , no matter what he has done in the minutes or hours prior . Is this how we all survived childhood? Is this the same look we used ? Did we say "Mom , I love you " at any random moment .....just to wipe away anything we have done or will do that would otherwise come with great consciences. Well whatever it is ...as long as the "I love you Mom" s keep coming , I really don't care. I remember being pregnant with Josh and dreaming that he would love me no matter what , cause I would love him no matter what. Well he has been my dream and so much more. So keep flashing those baby blues at me , and I will keep melting !

On the home front Kate and I are feeling a bit of exhaustion , we both are falling into bed at night with aches and pains from those ever not so young muscles we are using . But the living room , bedroom and hallway are all 3 projects that we will be happy to have completed. The hallway is now painted and just need to put molding up on two doors. The living room is just a matter of getting the outlets done and of course picking out curtains now . The bedroom ceiling will go up on Saturday , then in the following weeks I will put a new pergo floor in . We are going to try and get this all done since all the furniture is now out.
Then it is Rehoboth Beach here we come !!

On the Store front , lots going on there ! I have set up an email now that we can reach alot of customers with just one click . Took some setting up but hopefully it will run smoothly. Also set up a message board this week , so we can all co exist in one happy board ! We have outgrown the yahoo board and just need a bigger space . BIG MEGA yard sale this weekend at the store. Lots of items have come in . It is amazing how much we do collect. I have to chuckle a bit there. Altho I have done well and am not buyin things I don't use as much anymore.

And happiness in a bag , I got my very own "Donna Downey thinks I Rock " tshirts in the mail yesterday . They are awesome shirts and I do suggest you go and get you one. my other one is " You are perfect just the way you create" now that is just pure happiness in 100% cotton! Donna Downey does rock !

So that is about it in a nutshell, I am now going to go and find a TIVO show since they do nothing but recaps this week ! What is up with that?

Live life....create art .....

Great words ....also some great words are note to self: be happy ! Great stamp from Rebekka Erikson . I made this little piece of art the other day . It was product inspired....I wanted to try the crackle medium . Then after the colors and the frame was done .....I decided to put the stamp in the frame instead of the picture. I love it. It now is going to sit on Kate's desk at work . She loved it that much . That made me even more happy ! I am going to make a few more of these for friends. They are a great little "make me happy" kinda thing.

So what did everyone else do this weekend? I actually spent some much needed time with my family . Owning your own business tends to take away some of that valuable time. But this weekend it was all about family . We saw two movies. Wild Things and Ice Age II . Loved them both . Then Josh and I watched Chicken Little at home tonight.....it is so funny to watch him watching a movie he has seen a few times. He starts reciting the lines and singing the songs....I just watch him in amazement. Thinking back that a few years ago he just watched them really ...now they are more fun to him ...he gets humor and understands the movie more . Tonight he says to me .....I think the Mom is dead . In Chicken Little you never see the Mom in the movie ....so he figured that out on his own. Also just to hear him belly laugh when the big pig rolls down the hill farting . Yeah that is pretty funny! Course he has my sense of humor ....which also gets him in trouble !
Kate and I also got alot of work done around the house . She did demo on the bedroom , ripping out the closet in prep of the new ceiling going up this saturday . Then the snowball begins .....I will pergo the floor there will be painting involved and then those wonderful closets from IKEA !! Yeeehaaawww! IKEA .
The Living room is just about finished. About 10 feet of crown molding to paint and one more door and it will be done. Pictures coming . I LOVE LOVE LOVE the new sofa . We all hung out on friday night , we could all fit and the dogs too . It was nice to be close and comfortable.
I got the wrestling coaches book done too ...I am so glad I made this for him . He was a great coach to Josh and the other boys. We have our banquet on Saturday night .
So did alot of living this weekend....Captured some of it on film. Some of it in my heart . Thats what it is all aobut.

One BIG donut ! One little Sign !

Hey there is nothing like a BIG Donut ! $1.99 and you are on your way to nothing but smiles ! Josh is so funny ...every Wed and Thurs he looks very forward to seeing Dot (hi Dot !) . He is especially excited when I let him get the BIG donut at Yum Yum and he can share it with Dot.


And as you can see , Dot doesn't mind when Josh brings the big donut. You see, they are pals because Dot is just one Big kid !! I love how she is with Josh and he truely admires her . You will often hear me say . " Ok you two cut it out !" . I never know which one starts it but I think it is probably pretty even . So these are the things that make me smile and a big thanks to Dot !

So here is the next thing that made me smile today as I was paying $2.85 cents for a gallon of gas. Which wouldn't be bad except I needed $55.00 worth !

This was so funny to me , I didn't have my camera at the time and made a trip back later to take the picture. It was a sticker someone had put on the pump at the Wawa in Quakertown. Oh it still makes me giggle.

So tommorrow the new furniture arrives , I am doing a big happy dance. Can't wait to recline in those chairs tommorrow night .

So what is he thinking ? ....
Well probably this ....

Running off to fight ....
or maybe this ...

Winning the battle ...

But I look at him and I see my little boy that just keeps growing ....always thinking about something . I see a little guy that is way too soon going to be a big guy . I just want to keep him in these pictures playing with a pretend sword , fighting thin air.

So I just want to cuddle with him ....keep him in my arms as much and as long as I can . I want to fight all those battles for him . Protect him from any enemies that may come his way .

Knowing that he will have to fight some battles thru his life ....knowing that I can't fight off all those that come in his path. But still wanting to .

So tonight as I kissed and hugged him before he went to sleep ....I just kiss him an extra time or two , hug him a little tighter.....and know that tomorrow he will be out playing ...running ....and fighting the good fight .

And hoping he always knows that I am right there , ready to give him whatever he needs to fight the good fight !

So paint eggs....

Well Easter has come .....and gone. Here is the beautiful cake that our friends brought over tonight for dessert. It was almost too pretty to eat ... I said ALMOST!! Of course a little coffee and a knife and it was yummy ! Lots and lots of frosting ...just the way Josh and I like it :)
So what did you do on this holiday ? Easter is not a big holiday in the Stillings house. Now don't get the idea I don't know that it celebrates a great time , but we don't get up and do sunrise service ....we don't have 20 some people for dinner or go to someone's house for dinner. We don't have family very close by and it is just another sunday in that sense. We don't "promote" the whole big bunny thing that much either. We do a basket , we do hide the eggs ....but we don't make a big build up to the whole holiday with Josh. Less to explain later down the road ! We already have the big guy in the red suit to account for and I know soon the tooth fairy ....that is enough :)
Now there is a great story for today ...."draw a map of where you hide the easter eggs !!" The "easter bunny" , she forgot where all the eggs were ! It wouldn't be bad ...except they were the real eggs !! Josh found 8 0f the 9 real eggs....oh that wouldn't be good in a couple days ! But glad to report ...the 9th egg was found tonight ...behind the icee making machine ! WHEW!


So some people color eggs...I decided to color the walls ! The pictures don't do it justice ..but I am LOVING the new colors of our living room . A great olive and dark red with a chocolate brown trim ! See everything is a snowball....we bought a new sectional sofa and of course it wouldn't go with what we had in the living room so we had to paint the walls. Believe me now I also want to replace the carpets...but that will take a little bit longer . One thing at a time . But of course you want it all done NOW !! But for now we await our new sofa , being delivered on friday and it will be just enough time to get all the painting done. I am having fun tho. Using crate paper on all the outlet plates...it looks so cool! So Kate and I painted from 6:30 am till about 4:30 pm and got almost everything done. The crown molding and 3 doors are left to paint out , but not bad for a days work. We are not as young as we used to be...and boy are we feeling it tonight .
Now Josh enjoyed the day pretty much in his pj's . Talking on the phone with aunt denise and grandma. oh and also playing his new Nintendo DS . He lost his gameboy on the trip to vegas in Jan . Left it on the plane. We felt it was time that he had one back . He has learned about taking care of his things better , and when you don't you lose them for good. Tough lesson at 5 ! So it took exactly 8 hours for him to lose his first stylus , they are so damn small. I of course was a smart mom and bought a pack of them . Altho they cost him 1 dollar for each one . So when he lost him I showed him a new one . He got it after he went to his room and got me a dollar. He was so cute tho..he put it right in the hole it belongs in as soon as I handed it to him and said. " I won't lose this one" . I tell ya ...lots of stuff going on for a 6 year old. He is such a great kid ! Gotta spoil them when we can ...altho then you struggle when you hear them talking sometimes about how they "never" get something or " no one ever listens to me " , those comments make me so upset , knowing how much he actually has and how much more then others he has. So it is a fine line . But I also know that there isn't many 6 year old boys that clean thier rooms, their own bathrooms and sort their own laundry . He really does alot and I am so proud of him . So now I am going to put my feet up , enjoy a few minutes of quiet and watch Desperate housewives ! Hope everyone is enjoying Spring !

this is where I have been .....

ENJOYING !!!
Spring is just amazing me more then I ever remember ....maybe it is just me paying more attention then I ever had.
I know each year things bloom and flowers come ...but this year it is just more beautiful....more wonderful ....more spectacular!!
It is amazing that we get to bask in this beauty ....we get to watch this miracle each year. I am so glad I am soaking it all in this year.
I am really just enjoying living each day ...each minute ....it is all good !
The simple colors of White and yellow can just make me smile. This is my view as I sip my morning cup of java ! Which I am really enjoying this new blend from Seattle .
I just love looking at these delicate branches and blossoms , they will be gone soon , as we move into waiting for summer. But for now they brighten even the most overcast days. I still remember Kate digging and digging to plant those bushes for me . I believe it was a pic axe and lots of swear words before it was all over ! But I have to say THANK YOU so much honey....they are so beautiful :)

Josh has been busy enjoying spring also. This is his wall of fame . He has drawn me all these pictures . When I was away doing S.A.V.E. a couple weeks ago he created all these. They are the birds and the flowers. Yes some of them look more like aliens then birds , but even birds have to have great powers when you are a 6 year old boy ! I love having pictures hung up by scotch tape on the wall . It is something I always wanted. It just says love to me when you walk in a house with this kind of stuff! Josh has been really creating alot of things lately ...I love his creativity . Sometimes I am amazed at what he draws....sometimes I just shake my head as he explains it to me. But it is all good !!
So that is where I have been . I am going to be doing a little creating myself this week and next week. I am excited , on monday I am going to crop with a friend and have some fun . It has been a while ! But I was on line looking at a weekend soon ....getting away maybe just to do some cropping ! Some girlfriend time :) We will see. So take in the springtime air ...yeah some of you are grabbing for the tissues , but it is so beautiful ....soak it in !

It's all about the shoes !!

WOW! WOW! WOW! What a great time we had today !!! We got to go and see the musical WICKED!! I can't believe what a great show this was. I was blown away and it is right up there with Lion King now ! This was the best show I have been to since Rent. I miss the theatre so much . I am so happy we are also going in July to take Josh to see Lion King.
I always had my suspicions that "Glenda" was not the "Goody Good" witch that the movie portrayed ! I also always suspected that the Wicked Witch of the West was wicked for a reason or too....but truly a cool chick! Hey Lisa , Kim and everyone else that told me I would so enjoy this show !! Yeah Baby!!!
My new favorite saying is .... " We can't all travel around in a bubble !" Oh I just had to laugh for so long on that one . I want to make t-shirts that say ...Most of us live outside the bubble ! So many great lines in this show !
So I am so exhausted...a whirlwind weekend . Got to do some furniture shopping this weekend ....boy is that stuff expensive ! Kate is so excited since I have had the living room furniture for 21 years ....I think it is time also. Have had my furniture longer then I know most people in my life ! Well I am going to go and watch Walk the Line ....and have a few giggles over the different thoughts of the play today .

This is a family ....

This is politics ....
In 2004, Human Rights Campaign led the fight against the Federal Marriage Amendment. Millions of fair-minded Americans like you spoke out in defense of equality, and the discriminatory amendment was defeated. But now it's back again - under the misleading title "Marriage Protection Amendment" - and we need your help to stop it. Prompted by anti-gay Senator Rick Santorum, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist announced his intention to force a vote on the so-called Marriage Protection Amendment during the week of June 5. In the next month, the Senate Judiciary Committee is planning to vote on the amendment, which would ban marriage for same-sex couples, and threaten domestic partnerships and civil unions for all gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) Americans. Click here to tell your Senators to reject the Marriage Protection Amendment today. Throughout our history, the Constitution has been amended to defend and expand the rights of the American people. Now, some Senators want to turn their backs on the proud history of increasing liberty and equality by amending the Constitution to target a single group of Americans for discrimination. You and I must act now - and every time the rights and freedoms of any American are threatened. Although countless Americans oppose their cynical efforts to write discrimination into the Constitution, the right-wing extremists in Congress continue to pursue their hateful agenda, hoping that a vote on the Constitutional amendment will once again increase voter turnout among their political base. Contact your Senators today and tell them to keep discrimination out of the Constitution. Their continuing efforts mean that every fair-minded American must be willing to stand up for equality again and again to let lawmakers know that the Constitution should not be used as a political weapon. This is just the beginning of this fight. From now until June 5th we'll be pulling out all the stops, calling on every single member and supporter, and using every resource available to us to put a stop, once again, to this amendment. Together, with your continued efforts on behalf of equality and fairness, I know we can win. Please, click here to contact your Senators today.

One does not belong trying to define the other .

Ok So what else can make you happy when you come home from a long day .... well a box from cafepress of course ! I just took out my camera and took a quick shot . The everyday things that make me happy , they are fun to photograph , and if it wasn't for Ali I probably would of just picked up the box and took it in the house . But now it is a great picture for this blog.
It is amazing the influence Ali has had in my life in such a short period of time. January I got to meet this amazing lady, and I mean just shaking her hand and getting to stand next to her for about 10 mins. But I can honestly say ...the aura around this lady was the most pure and brilliant I have seen in a long time. I felt an instant connection with her . She made me smile , and I just wanted to grab a cup of coffee and sit down on a big comfy couch and talk with her.
So anyway , I now photograph the everyday , and am in love with doing so . I have caught some of the most amazing photos in doing so . So thank you Ali!

So I opened the box pretty damn fast !! I just LOVE LOVE LOVE my new shirts and cap !!
I got all giddy and just couldn't wait to wear them to the store in the morning. I was just trying to decide which to wear first ! But the will both be worn out probably ...oh well will have to buy more ! I am thinking a great girlfriends gift
So now we just need more designs Ali !!
Now the sad part of my day was when I got some mustard on my new shirt. But Tide Pen to the rescue !! ( Thanks Shirley!!) I think it is all going to come out . Cross your fingers. Never fails with a white t-shirt and me !!
So everyone celebrate !! We are Life artist ....just ask Ali. Go get a couple two , or three shirts!! http://www.cafepress.com/aliedwards
Don't just sit there , go take a photo !!

What you see at 3 am .....

Yes it is 3 AM at the S.A.V.E. Weekend ...when I come back down to do the early morning shift...and I hear " Put on your mask , here comes Rollie !!" Well this is what I see....and YES I was armed with my camera ! The "Bad Girls" had been so busy making and creating with their to go boxes ! Thank you girls for lots of laughs this weekend !

So I haven't blogged in 4 days !! I must say I missed it . But I wouldn't give up these weekends !! I can't believe this was our 5th event . They just keep getting better . It was so wonderful seeing ladies I get to see only 4 times a year , some only 2 times a year ....and yes some just once a year ! It was also wonderful seeing friends catch up with each other....we had ladies from St. Louis ( Hi Bridget and Chris !) , Nashville ( Hey Barb ) , Virginia and I know some others traveled too . They make this plan to see each other every year at my event now.
I will post more pics as I get them . I didn't get very many myself but I know my faithful assistants did !
Some of the highlights were the Poppets of Lauri this weekend. We had such a great time doing the Secret sister thing ! Sue had a picture of Lauri and made poppets of her all weekend. The pictures will be posted here in a few days hopefully. It was great getting to know some of the ladies better too. I laughed so hard this weekend , it was just wonderful ! Kim I wanted to give you a wake up call this morning !!


When I came home on Sunday evening ...Josh had gotten me some daffodils . One of my FAVORITE Flowers ....and they are my fav this time of year...when that first little hint of yellow comes up I just smile. It just screams SPRING!! Besides the flowers just seeing his smiling face can make everything else just melt . He has so much great energy ...even when I think I just want him to stop and sit still , I really just love the energy he has. I would rather be tired the rest of my life then have him any other way then the way he is ! There is truly nothing like a son's love . Just gives me chills how amazing it is .

The other reason I love coming home ! Friday March 31st was Kate's Mom Day ! 2 Years ago she got to adopt Josh legally . She has always been Josh's mom but this is a special day for her , and for me . Josh doesn't really remember the courtroom or does he know what we went thru to make this happen, but what he does know is this is Mom's Special Day ! So Josh and I go out and shop for this and then he gave her all his presents he picked out . We have a theme each year and this year it was "things for Mom's Truck" . I was away this weekend but was on the phone as Josh gave everything to Kate. It was so kewl and he was so proud of himself , because he had to hide everything in his room this time . He pulled it off and did so well to make it a special day for Kate. Happy Mom's Day ! You are the bestest !! (See what happens if you get too close to the camera !!)

So this was my weekend ...still recovering and trying to get my voice back. Time to get some more much needed sleep! Thanks to everyone from the weekend, it ROCKED!!