Funny Animal Designs

Well tomorrow is New Year's Eve... Do you have big plans or is it just a low key night at your house? Sometimes the home parties watching movies and eating great snacks is just the kind of relaxing you need! My husband and I are having brunch at some friends and then just doing a home night in the evening! I hope everyone has a 'Happy New Year' and keeps on working towards those dreams and goals!
I've been busy working on fresh designs for my store, lets see I did some funny animal characters and used them on cute birthday cards and valentine greeting cards. I've also done some pretty valentine designs. Come by my store for a look at the latest creations.

Quote: Happy are those who have big dreams and are ready to move towards them. You can dream it or you can do it.

Oh Holy Night...

I belong to Saint Paul's Episcopal church. This is a scene from our service on Christmas Eve. Music, candles, and prayer made our Christmas worship experience meaningful.

Christmas Wishes

Well hard to believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Are you all ready? Got your wrapping and baking and dinner items ready to go? I believe I'm ready, did a little more baking yesterday and today was a cleaning day! Went to the gym this morning too, don't want to put the gym routines aside, it's important to keep up your physical exercise routine otherwise it can be hard to get back in the groove. Well I really want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and peace, love and joy for the new year! I've been working on designs for my store for Valentines, and birthdays. Pop by for a look if you like!

Quote: Love life, love people, share a little bit of yourself! You'll be glad you did!

Baking up a Storm

Have you got your Christmas baking underway? I've been busy this last week making several different treats. Let's see I made Chocolate Toffee Squares, Toffee Almond Squares, Golden Butter Tarts, and Candy Cane Bark! The last 2 are my husbands favourites! Now the problem is every time we walk by the fridge those goodies are calling our names...I think it's alright to indulge as long as you keep on your fitness and exercise routine. I was at the gym at 8:30 this morning! I always feel better even if I have to drag my butt there sometimes! :-) Remember regular exercise can keep you feeling and looking younger for longer, and I think we all would like that! Anyhow, since I did all that baking, of course I photographed it and came up with some recipe greeting cards for my store. These are pretty cool as I've included a recipe inside the card! Pop by my store for a look, you can find them in the side bar under 'recipe greeting cards'!Shell's Designs Have a great week!

Quote: "Age does not cause one to get old, but inactivity can!"
S.K.

Altrusa International of Evansville Celebrates Forty Years!

Altrusa recently celebrated their fortieth anniversary. This picture was in the Evansville Courier on Sunday. Dr. Maria Hoover (honored guest), Birdie Harrison, Mary Winstead, Barbara Barrett and I are posing for the picture at beginning of the party.
Many people ask me, "What is Altrusa?" So I thought I'd quote the Principles of Altrusa written in 1917 by Mamie L Bass, the first President of this organization.

Altrusa is a builder of women.
Altrusa is an expression of the search for the best in character, in business and in citizenship.
Election to Altrusa is an evidence of confidence which imposes upon the recipient the obligation to strive to be true to the highest standards of life in her personal and business relations.
Altrusa,in the very derivation of its name, is committed to the philosophy of unselfishness, of the joy of giving rather than getting, and to the search for that happiness which is based upon spiritual worthines.
Altrusa is practical idealism. Its service consists not in saying great things, but in daily earnest practice of its principles.
Altrusa commends to its members an active interest in public affairs, realizing that the State is but the individual writ large.
Altrusa develops true leadership, concerned with accomplishment and not with recognition.
Membership carries with it no obligation to transact business with other members. It makes no promise of returns in any commercial species. Its rewards are in proportion to the loyalty, the unselfishness and the character of the member herself.
Altrusa expresses goodwill for all mankind. It emphasizes the good and lets the evil sink into the oblivion it merits.
Altrusa is democratic; it knows no class, no favorites, but is founded upon merit alone.
Altrusa believes that the way to progress lies not in emphasizing the faults of men and their failures to give proper recognition, at times, to women in business, but rather in arousing women to their responsibilities and their possibilities, so that their accomplishments will blaze the trail for greater things.
Altrusa believes it is not enough to be good; Altrusans must be good for something. Each member must be doing the piece of work that is hers in a way that puts her in the front ranks of accomplishment."

To find out more, you can go to www.altrusa.com or seek us out on Facebook and even on our blog http://altrusa6.blogspot.com . Altrusa does many wonderful things for others, and I can tell you the club here in Evansville is full of some of the warmest, most compassionate people you'll ever find.

Smile, Laugh and Stay Positve

Just a reminder that as each of us gets busier this time of year be sure to remember to smile, laugh and stay positive as you're in the midst of shopping, baking, wrapping, etc. A cheerful spirit goes a long way and happy thoughts can keep you balanced! I've been busy again coming up with new designs and adding more products to my store. Zazzle is on it's 7th day of sales. 30% off totebags today. A new sale will be on tomorrow, so pop by to see what deals there are!

Quote: "Good exercise for the heart is to bend down and help another person up."

Napoleon Peacock was at Washington Square Mall

Napoleon Peacock was at the mall and so were Evansville children with their parents and/or grandparents. Don't tell my kids this, but I've decided I'm looking forward to being a grandmother. Little kids are so much fun! Of course when my children were young there were some days I felt like I'd been hit by a truck I was so worn out. For the most part, though, I had wonderful time. Kids love stories. So do I. Reading with my children was very important to me. I read to them all individually as well as together. They grew to enjoy books and read to this day. We sought out storytimes at the libraries and "Events" similiar to Napoleon Peacock's B.E.S.T. for the Brain Party. B.E.S.T. stands for Breakfast, Exercise, and Sleep Time. Napoleon's party had something for children to do in each of those areas. When people first arrived they were greeted with Create A Breakfast and a Breakfast Walk. There was Scarf Dancing, an Obstacle Course, and the game "Napoleon Says". They also had a Story Telling Tent and a Play Acting Area. That's the sort of thing to involve children in; it means more than you'd think. The kids even got to take home a free book. Napoleon Peacock books are especially nice for those young families living in Evansville because the setting for the stories are from our local area. All I can say is, my children would have loved that! I think Daycare Providers should pay attention to this too! After all, a lot of children spend a fair amount of time at Daycare... Encourage reading and other good habits when they're young and they'll embrace them and treasure them for the rest of their lives.

Frosty Morning

Looked outside this morning and the vehicles are all covered in frost. I guess those days of ice scraping are beginning... oh for a warm holiday, guess I'll have to wait a few months for that!
Big one day Sale at Zazzle today... free shipping on all purchases, no minimum. Use code HOLIDAYSHIPS. Some awesome deals, I just purchased some Christmas cards and t-shirts for gifts for my family and friends! Pop by my store and see what I've been up too! Always adding fresh designs...

Quote for the week: "Great works are performed, not by strength but by perserverance" - Samuel Johnson

Thanksgiving

"Burp" Excuse me. I may be a glutton, but at least I'm a polite glutton. I say things like "excuse me" and "Would you please pass the mound of potatoes in that huge heavy bowl while I grab the gravy by my plate?" and "thank you for the pie." Then, I'm always politely quiet during the meal because my mouth is full. Miss Manners that's me.

It is Thanksgiving Day. I feel heavier.I am heavier. Pondering the new layer of flab I recently discovered on my body, I realize it exists not only because of the Thanksgiving meal I gorged myself on,but because I had the flu on Halloween. Yeah, it was a nasty case of stomach flu. Usually people lose weight, right? And I probably would have too if I hadn't turned out my light. If I hadn't ignored the Trick or Treaters that came to the door. Instead the Trick or Treaters were turned away and I ended up with with about ten bags of miniature chocolate candy bars and M & M's. So, naturally I ate them. "Burp" Excuse me.

Top 5 Favourite Christmas Songs

I know it's only the end of Nov. but I did put on a Christmas CD this morning while I steam mopped my family room and kitchen floors. Just made me feel good! Do you have favourite Christmas songs that you love to listen to over the Christmas Season. I'm sure we all do!
Here are my top #5 Favourites - (It's pretty hard to choose"

1)The Little Drummer Boy
2)Silver Bells
3)Silent Night
4)If Every Day Could Be Christmas - (by 98 degrees)
5)White Christmas

What are some of your favourites?
Well I've been busy this week adding more products to my store Shell's Designs. There are so many cute Christmas ideas that I want to create, so better get busy! Here's a few of my latest designs pop by my store to see more.

Tribute to Opera

Last night my husband and I had the privilege of attending a Evansville Philharmonic concert, Tribute to Opera. It was a wonderful night for both of us, but especially for me. First of all, I love musicals and operas! Music expresses emotion and when you put music together with a story, well, there's nothing quite like it in my opinion. And so we were entertained with music from La Traviata, Rigoletto, Madama Butterfly, La Boheme, Boris Godunov, Le Nozze di Figaro, Porgy and Bess, Carmen and La Boheme. It was fun listening to the various characters sing. I'm always impressed at how strong a human voice can be when used properly. When I use my wimpy little singing voice, I call it fantastic if I manage to hit most of the notes right on.

I was in my lucky seat again. This time the man on my left was Richard Kagey, the stage manager. This is what the Philharmonic program book has to say about him. "Richard Kagey, Director/Designer, has directed and/or designed over 150 productions of operas, musicals, and plays for professional regional companies, national tours, and universities..." Pretty impressive. We were able to talk a little before things got started and in course of our preconcert conversation I learned that very recently 19 different opera companies folded. When I asked why he thought that was, he said, "Operas are very expensive to put on." He said there are a lot of costs that add up. Stage Managers must be paid, musicians, costumes, hair and make-up,stage crew, etc.

I, for one, do not like to hear about opera companies folding, orchestras having difficulties, and musicians in general having a hard time. Let's do what we can to help out! Treat yourself to a couple holiday concerts. Give tickets away as presents. What we have in Evansville, is wonderful! Let's keep it that way!!!!

Beautifully Decorated - Victoria, B.C.

Well it's been an interesting week! Went to a conference with my husband in Victoria, B.C. Beautiful city... of course while I was there I had to do a little shopping and site seeing! The parliament buildings were lit up in beautiful white lights... gorgeous at night! The hotel had beautiful large Christmas trees in green and white lights. If you get a chance to visit Victoria, it's a great destination for a holiday!
Working on designs for my store... holiday and Christmas designs are at the top of my list right now. Stop by my storeShell's Designsto view the latest creations... don't forget to purchase your Christmas cards and gifttags, if you're looking for some unique designs I have lots of new ones!

Quote for the week: "Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week." Make the most of it.

Australia

These flowers are originally from South Africa. My husband, Bruce, took a picture of them when he was Australia so I could see the flowers he wished he could bring home to me. They are a strange kind of pretty; sort of remind me of sea anenomies.

Time to Start the Christmas Shopping

Well it seems it's time to start some Christmas shopping. Zazzle has a sale on today $5 off any purchase of $35 or more. Use code VETERANSDAY9 at checkout! There are lots of items under $10, perfect for those stocking stuffers. I've been busy working on Christmas designs... lets see I've done some cool winter house designs, some pretty white Christmas tree designs, and I have some more ideas brewing. Stop by my store to see the new designs! Shell's Designs So I'll keep this brief so I can get to work on my ideas! Have a great week everyone!

Quote for the week: "Essentials to Happiness - Something to work on, Someone to love, and Something to Hope for."

Thank You!

Today is Thank A Youth Worker day. I imagine some people are shaking their heads at this. I, on the other hand, feel it's good to have a day set aside to acknowledge someone/something. I know there are those that grumble when they're buying roses on Valentine's day or roll their eyes at Secretary's day and a good number gag if they hear about any new day set aside to recognize anything. I'm not one of them. I think it's important because life gets busy and complicated. How many husbands would buy flowers for their wives or mothers if there wasn't a day set aside to do so? It's not just the card companies and flower shops that benefit. We all do. We do feel grateful for the people who work with our youth,however, we may not have opportunity to thank them unless a day is set aside for that purpose.

The first person I want to thank is Parri Black, the Executive Director of Youth First. Not only does she make a difference in the lives of all the youth connected with Youth First due to her excellent leadership skills and sincere desire to help, but she has been there for my own kids as a leader in the program Journey To Adulthood at St. Paul's Episcopal Church and a chaperone for their trip to Rome (both my girls went). I've appreciated her patience, respect for my kids and their opinions, and her caring open mind.

Katherine Savia is another person who has made an impact on our lives. She was my daughter, Janine's, violin instructor here in Evansville and went that extra mile for her. She also directed the quartet my girls were a part of. See what I wrote on Carver Community Organization...


Our children are our future! Think of the impact these people make on our lives! The individuals I've mentioned genuinely care and that makes them great!

How could I possibly forget to thank Altrusa? They do storytimes and give books away! I believe that, along with Altrusa's spirit of giving, the books can be life changing. Thank you Altrusa for all that you do to make the lives of our youth a little better!

Time to revise the Christmas Card List

Do you have a lot of friends and family that you keep in touch with over the holiday season through a note or a Christmas card? It seems to be the perfect time to let people know you're thinking of them and wondering how they're doing? I've been working hard on several new Christmas and holiday designs for my store, winter scenes, whimsical trees, adorable snowmen of course ( one of my favourites to create) and other fun designs! Zazzle has a fantastic sale on this week for holiday cards - 40% off from Nov. 2 to Nov. 12, you won't want to miss this deal! Just use the code HOLIDAYCARD4 at the checkout! Happy Shopping!

Quote for the Week:
"The seeds we sow today determin the kind of fruite we'll reap tomorrow." - Hess

Frank

Frank (the guy with the green face) has been coming to visit for quite a few years now... There's nothing quite like seeing his silhouette outside our front door around Halloween time.

I used to take care of a little boy named Elliot while his parents were at work teaching elementary kids. He was three when I began watching him, and Halloween was beyond fantastic to him. It wasn't about the candy necessarily, it was about the characters that came out in books, stores, yards, and even cereal. His enthusiasm was catchy!

Elliot enjoyed all sorts of monsters, but Frankenstein was his favorite. I drew Frankenstein out on paper (and other Halloween characters as well) and hung him up on a wall. I used a coloring book he'd been coloring in at my house, as a guide. He loved it and rewarded me for my efforts by being so incredibly enthusiastic. Before I knew it, I was painting a thin piece of wood and the current Frank was born. He's been properly weathered over the years so he looks like a true monster now.

I asked Elliot why he loved Frankenstein so much and he said, "He's a slow walker." Does that not make you laugh!

Teacher Appreciation Gifts

I was reminded once again how much time and energy good teachers put in, to help develop great students! Lets face it, it's not an easy job these days! Show your thoughtfulness and appreciation with a little gift! I was recently told that teachers do appreciate receiving a small token of thanks for their efforts and hard work! So I've been busy creating some great little gifts that I think any teacher would be happy to receive. Christmas is coming and it's a great time to pick up a little something for the teachers on your list. These could include school teachers, music teachers, coaches, ect. Pop by my store to find some more cool designs!
Shell's Designs

Carver Community Organization

I was recently at Carver Community Organization in Evansville to photograph a storytime and book distribution sponsored by Altrusa so I would have pictures for the newsletter I write. While I was there, I was able to learn a little bit more about Carver from Mr. David Wagner, Executive Director and Ms. Deione Clayton, a Carver teacher. I greeted them with a warm spot in my heart for all that they do partly because my daughter, Janine, used to help her violin teacher, Mrs. Savia, at their facility when she was younger. I asked about their strings program, curious if it was still going on. It is. It is one of their smaller more focused groups they call Academies. He said they are not taking in any new students for the strings program right now. These students have been in the program for two years and Mrs. Savia plans to continue to work with this select group of kids. Mr. Wagner was proud to say a young lady who started in their string music program several years ago, is now the Concert Master at North High School.

I'm not surprised by that. Kathryn Savia is a wonderful teacher. We Perketts are forever in her debt. Janine learned so much from her plus she was always patient and kind. That was very important. We didn't know it at the time, but Janine has a fairly severe anxiety disorder. In spite of this disorder, her overall experience with music was good. She's been in the Youth Orchestra, in a quartet (played at weddings, etc.), volunteered at Carver and braved audiences at school and church as well as recitals.

Janine, as well as my other two children, have set their instruments aside for now. It is my hope that they will be inspired to resume their training again in the future. Even if they don't, one thing I know is true, all the kids have a great appreciation for music.

So, walking into that brightly colored building brought back all kinds of memories for me. The three and four year olds Sara Murray (the storyteller from Altrusa) read to were so cute! I thought they were very well behaved too! Sara has a knack for leading a story time that's for sure. She has a gentle spirit and knows what to do to keep them focused.

I wrote more about Altrusa's experience at Carver for the Altrusa Viewpoint newsletter. That won't be coming out until the beginning of November so I'd better control myself on what I say now in case any Altrusans read my blog.

First Christmas Shopping On-line

Well I did my first Christmas gift shopping yesterday, just a couple of items but I've started! I like to spread the shopping out over a couple of months, so as not to kill the budget all at once! The stores are all filling up with Christmas and holiday items! I do love to look at all the ornaments and new decorations each year. However, I realized when I go to the shopping centers how much I don't like the crowds and busyiness. So this year I am doing as much on-line shopping as I can. I ordered a few items from Zazzle yesterday, cool t-shirts for my guys! It's great to be able to find great items that you know they'll love. Zazzle has a sale on now 10.31% off entire order when using code TRICKORTREAT at the checkout! Check out my latest designs in my store Shell's Designs

Quote for the week: "To understand the heart and mind of a person, look not at what he has already acheived but at what he aspires to."
Kahlil Gibran

The Devil Came to Church Today

The Devil sat up front and stared at our priest. Creepy, ha? No one at St. Paul's had a clue that anything was amiss. Everything seemed so normal. As far as we all knew, it was a regular Sunday morning. I think I may have even stifled a yawn. What our priest saw was a person sitting in the front pew with a red face, penetrating eyes, and horns poking out the top of his head. However, he went on with the announcements as though nothing out of the ordinary was going on. Father Richard stared right into the Devil's face! I'm not certain I'd have that kind of composure. Then, the man in the front pew stood up. He turned around. He revealed his face to us all and we watched dumbfounded as Satan walked down the center aisle and out the front doors. It was a Halloween mask, of course. No one knows who was behind the mask not even our priest. Was it a Halloween joke or some kind of message?

Southern Festival of Books

Do you know who Kate Dicamillo is? She spoke at The Southern Festival of Books last weekend in Nashville, TN. I didn't recognize her name when I saw it in the Calendar of Events because I stink at remembering names in general, but I did recognize one of the books she wrote-- Because of Winn-Dixie. It is a wonderful book for kids about a lovable dog; a book that will make you both laugh and cry. I read it out loud to my daughter when she was ten and we did dip into the tissues from the kleenex box next to her bed. Kate's more recent book The Magician's Elephant is what brought her to the Festival. She spoke to an auditorium full of people and then took the time to answer questions from the audience. I have to tell ya, she's a funny person. I can see why her books do well. One thing she said that made sense to me is she writes at about 4:00 am because the critical part of her nature doesn't wake up until later.

Clever Little Raccoons

We all know those curious clever little animals called Raccoons that seem to find there way into our neighbourhoods. I remember in our previous home the raccoons would be sneaking their way along the top of our back fence and eventually would make their way over to the side yard and find the garbage cans! I remember my husband and I jumping out of bed one night when we heard some clanging and banging around below our bedroom window, sure enough it was the raccoons knocking off the lids of the garbage cans and making a wonderful mess! After that the garbage cans stayed in the garage, at least we can outsmart the raccoons that way! :-) Those little critters inspired my next designs for my store Shell's Designs. I came up with these funny cartoon raccoon characters that you'll find on mugs, t-shirts, cards ect. hope you enjoy them! They may just put a smile on your face!

Quote for the week: "Knowledge is realizing the street is one-way, wisdom is looking both directions anyway."