A Great Cause

I would like to talk to you about a great event that happens once a year in Knoxville Tennessee. It is called the Fantasy of Trees. It happens every year in November, the week of Thanksgiving. It is a benefit to help the best of places, East Tennessee Children's Hospital!!! What this event is, is a celebration of the spirit and love of Christmas. People from all over donate things to be auctioned off for the benefit. Also, people decorate trees, platforms, wreaths, and fire places! Just anything you can imagine about Christmas is there. All of these items are decorated at the expense of the donor to be sold during the event.

www.fantasyoftrees.org

 

 

This past year I was asked to help decorate a tree with my best friend! I love decorating trees. It also has a special meaning. She was doing it in memory of her niece that passed away a few years ago from cancer. Her name was Jessie and she was a special little girl taken to soon at the age of 10.

 

We did the tree in her favorite colors, teal and turquoise! So, the tree ended up being a peacock tree! We bought beautiful ornaments and I made some with real feathers. I also made the topper with feathers. The tree was made with love, memories, and friendship.

 

It came down to the wire, but our tree did sell! I was able to actually meet the people that bought our tree! They were so excited about the tree and I got to tell them about Jessie. It made it so extra wonderful.

The New Owners of "Pretty as a Peacocok"

Now, onto other news! We are planning on doing another tree this year! We want to do a tree on the theme "Christmas from Around the World." So, anyone in a different country, or has an ornament from a different country and you would like to donate it! Please email me at jhaun519@att.net, subject fantasy of trees! Thanks you so much!!

Birthday Girl!!

Well, it is official.  It is January 21st and I am another year older.  Today I am 44.  That is wild.  I don't know where all the years have gone.  It seems like just yesterday that I was 25.  I know that age is relative, but wow, it does move quickly.  I plan on starting the day out with a doctor checkup and then going to Knoxville.  My mother and  I are going to have lunch somewhere and I am sure that there will be a stop at a craft store for a birthday treat for me.  I wonder who has Cricut cartridges on sale this week. 

It has been a wild weekend.  It started off on Friday with some family having a little party for me.  I got some lottery tickets, didn't win anything, and an Amazon gift card for my Kindle Fire.  Drank some Margaritas, yum yum.  Blew out the candles on my cake.  It was a coconut cake, recipe from Pinterest.  It was yummy.  Saturday night, well, not so great, spend 5 hours in the emergency room with my mother.  She fell in our driveway and had to get 6 stitches in her forehead.  She is 77 and has balance problems, so she falls alot.  She is ok.  Just a little sore. 

How is this for some great birthday pics so far.  Still have the whole day to party and play.

25th High School Reunion

I have to admit, that is hard to say.  I have been out of high school over 25 years.  The reunion was last summer.  I went crafting nuts to help.  Not everything is made with my Cricut, but some things are.  I am so proud of everything that I was able to make.  It took months to get everything ready.  I am happy to report that everyone that attended loved everything.

I made centerpieces for the tables,  a sign, and special printed tickets.  I also made a memory book.  It had info from each year we were in school and info about each year of our 10 and 20 year reunions.  I also had memory pages about proms, class trips, and band trips.  I also put an address book in the back that had the addresses, email address, and facebook info, or what ever we had for everyone in my class that graduated.  There was about 220 of us.  Each book was probably about 60 pages.  I did all the printing at home.  I cut everything with my paper cutter.  I made about 50 of them for the main night reunion.  It also contained about 600 pictures that I put on a DVD.  It was a slide show of everything we could find from high school.  We sold ads to help cover the cost of the book.  I got to use my Cinch2 binder.  I used it to punch and holes and bind the edge.  I got really good at making a uniform bind.  It is an amazing machine.  If you do not have one, I suggest that you get one.  You can make so many things.  I bought the wire in bulk on Amazon.

 Here is the centerpieces that I made.  I stole the concept from the circle meet up that I went to back at the first of last year.

Here is the main sign.  We used this for the main night event and our picnic.

 

Here are the tickets that I made.  One for singles, one for couples, and one for teachers.

 



 

And last but not least.  Here is my master piece.  THE BOOK.

 

The Machine that made this possible.

Each page cut and ready to have holes punched and put together in order.

 Holes punched and put in order, ready to have wire put in.  Had offers of help for this part, but the one machine does the holes and put the wire in, so kind of a one person job.

Master Piece--Finished Book

 55 books, finished, bound, and packed to go to the Reunion!!!!

 

 







 

A New Year Is Here

Well, it is 2013.  Wow!  One of my goals this year is to post regularly.  I have tons of things to post that i have made since I last posted.  My last post was about a trip going out west.  I had so much fun.  I dont remember if I posted that last year I was trying to quit smoking.  I made if part of the year, but life got in the way and I went back to smoking again.  Well, I am currently trying again to quit.  I am almost working out with a friend.  I turn 44 in a week.  It is time to take better care of myself.  

I hope that everyone had a great holiday and is enjoying the great new year ahead of us.