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