I'm still making Christmas Presents . . . YIKES!

Well . . . here it is Saturday, December 27, 2008, and I'm still making Christmas presents . . . my family and friends had liked the beading I had done, soooooooooo . . . they told me what they liked and I'm making more jewelry for them . . . here are some of the samples . . .

They also liked my two first beading projects that were featured in my blog on October 26, 2008 . . .

Happy New Year everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been tagged!!!!!

I've been tagged by Vicki Holdwick on November 19, 2008!!! Hee! Hee!!!!! Here are the rules . . .

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about these eight things and post these rules.

3. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag eight people and list their names.

4. Don't forget to leave a comment telling them they've been tagged and to read your blog.

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Here goes . . .

1. I'm a short, chubby, old Asian broad with dyed hair who is an actress wanna-be.

2. I am fortunate to have a normal dysfunctional family!! YUCK! YUCK!!!!!!

3. My "smeller" is broken.

4. I love Julian Pie Company's Natural Apple Pie from San Diego . . . it's sweetened with apple cider instead of sugar . . . YUM!!!!!!! Tastes homemade!!!

5. I think retirement is a GREAT INVENTION!!!!!!!

6. I enjoy being mostly a couch potato with dh#2 . . . he watches TV while I do beading in the evening.

7. I don't have to do the laundry ever since I turned dh#2's underwear PINK!!!! LOL!!!!

8. I like station wagons!!!! I am SO boring!!! LOL!!

Here are the eight people I am tagging . . .

1. Gloria Alexander
2. Peggy Gatto
3. Val Foster
4. Cindy Elliott-Park
5. Sharon House
6. Reva Solomon
7. Marva Plummer-Bruno
8. Michelle Secretario

Christmas Gifts to the Neighbors!!!!

We have the sweetest neighbors . . . when we moved here 5 years ago . . . we found little packages on our doorstep during the holidays . . . homemade candy, cookies, etc. . . all from our new neighbors!!! What a warm feeling I feel in my heart when I find the goodies on our doorstep or a child delivering a package from the neighbors!!!!! I decided to reciprocate by making a package of 4 handmade greeting cards wrapped in cellophane bags and a bow . . . here are a few from this year . . .

This one is stamped on K & Company Mira Collection scrapbook paper . . . the stamp is the Michelle Ward Clear Stamp set from Stampington . . .

The second one is also from the K & Company Mira Collection . . . the stamp is from Christine Adolph's line from Stampington . . .

The third one is another K & Company Mira Collection with a Christine Adolph stamp from Stampington . . .

The fourth one is on K & Company Urban Rhapsody Sugar Rush Flat with another Christine Adolph image from Stampington . . . I hope my neighbors like their gifts!!!!!!

Another Blog Award!!!!!

OHMYGOSH!!!! I am SO fortunate to have been nominated for The Marie Antoinette A Real Person A Real Award waaaaaaaay back on November 11, 2008 by Diane!!! THANK YOU so much, Diane!!! I'm trying to catch up slowly after a family illness . . . Diane's blog is AWESOME!!!! Please click on her highlighted name above to view some of her VERY cool artwork!!!

Here are the rules for this award . . .
1. Please put the logo on your blog. 2. Place a link to the person from whom you received the award. 3. Nominate at least 7 or more blogs. 4. Put the links of those blogs on your blog. 5. Leave a message on their blogs to tell them.

My nominations are as follows:
1. Donalda Cox
2. Sherre Hulbert
3. Cassia Maria Nasser
4. Burning Rubber
5. Cynthia Powell
6. Laura Kay
7. Kelly Kilmer

Beading has been my saving grace right now . . .

My beading hobby has been my saving grace right now since my dear 85 year-old MIL#2 fell four weeks ago . . . I was able to take it to the hospital with me while she was there for 10 days and then to the assisted living home to visit with her while she is recuperating from complications of the fall . .

I've also been able to spend more time with dh#2 in the family room watching TV together while I bead . . . it's time that we can spend being supportive of each other especially right now . . .

These beaded cards are projects from my beading class with Sylvia Valle at the Rancho Santa Margarita Community Center where she teaches Adult Education classes . . . the beading has been so therapeutic during the family illness . . . I am so fortunate to have found this additional hobby!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!

Michi's First Two Beading Projects

I started a weekly Beading Class with my wonderful art teacher, Sylvia Valle, former instructional editor for Stampington for 11 years, who teaches at the local community center in Rancho Santa Margarita . . . some of her old (oops!!! FORMER students . . . FORMER students . . . not OLD students!!!! YIKES!!!! MY faux pas!!!!! LOL!!!!) students carpool all the way from Manhattan Beach in L.A. to take her classes . . . here are my first two projects . . . they are both bracelets using cube beads . . . but I decided to make the first one a watch . . .

The second bracelet was a lesson on increasing and decreasing rows . . . I have a feeling that this hobby could be ADDICTING!!!!! LOL!!!!!!

Ciao Y'all #9

Jeanne and Janice at St. Mark's Square . . .
St. Mark's Square . . . during high tide . . . sometimes it floods . . .
Our room at the Hotel Savoia and Jolanda right on the canal a short walk from St. Mark's Cathedral . . .

This was such an amazing vacation . . . it's a special one with all the sights, sounds, tastes, (oh, the food is divine!!!!! LOL!!!!) and experiences!!! I was so glad to experience it with my family . . .