Fall CRAFTERNOON!

Have you heard of this?? A monthly get-together, just for CRAFTING!

The book is called "Crafternoon: A Guide to Getting Artsy and Crafty With Your Friends All Year Long" by Maura Madden. I've gotten a ton of great ideas from it and she's very funny!



Here's the

Amazon link to the book

Maura's web site is

Crafternoon.com

If you live in the Phoenix area, I'm hosting one of my own on Saturday, October 25th from noon to 5:00!

It's an open house format where people can bring their current craft project, or make the one I'm going to supply (yet to be determined). I'm picturing several ladies all camped out and working away while enjoying each other's company and yummy goodies, too!

This will be my "trial run" and if I get a good response, I'd love to make it a monthly event!

Leave a comment if you're planning to come and I'll send you directions!

Crafty family, friends and kids are welcome, too!

P.S. Any ideas for a fun and easy fall craft project???

NEW cards and giveaway!!

Happy Friday!

I've been busy, busy, busy adding new goodies to my etsy shop! I just added some pink ribbon HOPE note cards, generic "anytime" cards AND my first attempt at tags to

Proudgrits11 on Etsy

Here's s sneak peak:







And here's what I'm GIVING AWAY!

FOUR cards to FOUR lucky recipients!

1. This hope card...



2. ...and this one...



3. ...AND this one!



4. ...and this pink polka dot owl birthday card!



To enter, just tell me which card you'd want (by number) and who you would give it to!

Saturday, my hubby and I are having a "couple's day out" to celebrate his birthday so I'll draw a name Sunday and mail them out next week! Don't forget, if your profile doesn't lead me to your blog, please leave your e-mail address so I can contact you!!

Sincerely 'Fro Me to You...clown costumes

****Warning!! Warning!! Clown pictures ahead!! If you are afraid of clowns, DO NOT scroll down!!****

Welcome to my first installment of costumes in celebration of Halloween coming up!

I have a secret.

I hope this does not change your opinion of me negatively. It was a very different phase of life and it was a lot of fun at the time.

Here it is: I was a "Professional Children's Entertainer" for about six years in my youth.

I was a clown about 90% of the time and the other 10% of the time, went between Pocahontas, Minnie Mouse (a generic version, mind you), Raggedy Ann and even Barney.

I know there are people who don't like clowns. Are afraid of them, even. Thanks a lot, Steven King!! But the clowns we knew were wonderful people and, frankly, we were really cute clowns! And very friendly--not at all frightening! Kids loved us!

My mom was a clown, too, and very popular in the area where we lived. She was Patty Wack and I was Knick Knack. We even attended and graduated from clown school! We were in high demand for kids' birthday parties especially and I made more money on Saturdays than my friends made at the mall all week. For a kids' party, my Mom and I typically did a half-hour of face painting and balloons and a half-hour magic show. It was quite a life.

So this is how my look started. Simple, cute and not very exciting. I think my mom made the costume.



This was an alternative look, probably for the cooler months since I've got the long sleeves and turtleneck. This was at a church fall festival back in, oh, 1995??



This was on clown day during Spirit Week in my senior year of high school. Did they do "clown day" just for me?? Who knows. This was my more "casual" version of make-up and dress when it was too dadgum hot for all the clothes and make-up. Maybe a little less frightening??



This was my final look. That's my mom on the left. We were in an Easter parade in St. Augustine, Florida. It was one of the best times I've ever had! We had so much fun in the "staging area" and, hey. There's nothing like streets full of people waving and cheering as you ride by!! My purple hair was pretty unique and my make-up was sparkly and fun. I loved this look!



So there ya go. The secret is out.

Brace yourself...next week's costume is a doozy!!

What we made--preview

I made a handful for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I'm happy to give them away...

So maybe you need to remind someone to get their annual mammogram? Congratulate a survivor? Ask someone if they'd like to spondor you in a race?

I'll be offering these as a giveaway soon so have your ideas ready! :)

World Card Making Day is Saturday!

Find out all about it

HERE

In celebration, my mom and I will be churning out some beauties!! Let me know if you make any--I wanna see 'em!! :)

Sincerely 'Fro Me To You...farm girl

It's fall so let's take a trip to the farm, shall we? Here's me circa, oh...1983?? Maybe age 5 or 6??

While my father attended seminary in the Florida panhandle, we lived in a little farm house on an actual farm, complete with hogs, horses and Brahma bulls (and lots of stray cats and dogs). Those were the best years of my childhood. I'm sure this shirt was second-hand and how do you like those fly-aways?? I still have them, by the way, when my hair is pulled back and it's humid. Not as cute now.

**Disclosure** the white streak is a tiny tear in the picture! :)



And this is the actual farm house. It's charming, isn't it? We had a wonderful fig tree, perfect for climbing. Across the street was a ditch and a corn field and our neighbors were a 1/2 mile away on either side. It had a tin roof and you could hear the squirrels jump from the front tree, run across the roof, and jump off into another tree in the back. We had bees in the walls, too, among other things. My mother made it cozy, though, and we shared a lot of amazing memories in that house.



Thanks for taking a little trip down memory lane with me!! Check back next Thursday for my first installment of "kookt costumes" in honor of Halloween!

Welcome to October!

Woo-hoo!! It's October already!

To me, October ushers in the "holiday season," starting with fall, my hubby's birthday on Oct. 11, Halloween...then all of our November birthdays, Thanksgiving...and before ya know it, CHRISTMAS!! Woo-hoo! Oh, I said that already.

If you don't already know, I ADORE fall. With my "all-day sickness" and severe lack of energy, I haven't done much crafting lately but I really, really want to! Nothing like new paper to inspire me to create...so I ordered some new yumminess from

Jane Says on Etsy

Check out her shop, it's a treasure trove of lovliness! And she's super-nice!! :)

"Urban Prairie" card stock, white on the back and perfect for easy cards...



Classic K Bailey (double-sided card stock--yeah!) for tags or other goodies...



...and this huge pile of fall paper to make invitations to my up-coming "Crafternoon."



October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is near and dear to my heart because my mom is a 12-year breast cancer survivor!

Check out these sites to donate or for support:

Susan G. Komen For the Cure

Ford Warriors in Pink

American Cancer Society

And there's a lot of companies that support the cause, too, by donating the proceeds of their products to the above-mentioned organizations.

Avon is a long-time supporter and has this $8 bear...



...and this pin (one of my favorites) for $3.



AVON bear

Pier 1 is on the bandwagon, too, with this reed diffuser and candle, each for $15, with 25% of the proceeds going to Susan G. Komen.





Pier 1

There are lots of cancer walks in the fall, too, so be on the lookout for ones in your community!

I'm thinking I need to whip up some pink cards for a giveaway...stay tuned! :)

P.S. This blog has reached 4,000 hits (since I started counting)!! Woo-hoo again!! And THANKS!