Blowin Bubbles Boutique

CONTEST

2010-07-13T13:54:00.003-04:00

I'm running a contest for a giveaway, be sure to come and enter for a chance to win!

CLICK HERE to go to my FACEBOOK page!

UPCOMING SEWING TUTORIAL FOR A EURO KNIT TOP!

2010-07-13T10:19:00.003-04:00

Mark your calendars! July 22nd Blowin Bubbles Boutique will be having a sew along tutorial for a knit top! Perfect for beginners! If your a "knit chicken" like I was, fear no more! This will be an easy step by step process with questions and answers! I am offering pre cut kits if you are interested on my FB page. I hope you'll check it out to learn about the happenings!

CLICK HERE to go straight to my FaceBook Fan page. You do not need to be a "FRIEND" to visit and or post there!

Come check out FACEBOOK!

2010-06-07T23:26:00.005-04:00

Come on over to the fan page and check out my ready to ship tee's and tanks! They are 20.00 and shipping is included with in the United States!!! Don't miss out!!! You can send me a note through FB or you can post right to the thread! This is my fan page, so it's public, no friend request needed!

Blowin bubbles boutique is the PAGE on Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blowin-Bubbles-Boutique/10150090946870335?ref=search

SAMPLE SETS LISTED!

2010-05-29T15:05:00.002-04:00

Size 5/6

Size 7/8

Search Ebay, *Blowin*Bubbles*Boutique* to see these sets and more!

I spy a resell!

2010-05-21T11:54:00.003-04:00

Check out this sweet My Little Pony tee here!

Help Sam Fight Cancer

2010-05-17T23:48:00.001-04:00

Please help this young boy fight CANCER....please click on the logo to read how YOU can help!

Listed several 99 cent auctions with NO RESERVE!

2010-04-11T14:37:00.001-04:00

Be sure to swing by eBay to see all the 99 cent auctions with NO RESERVE. A few American Girl doll sets, a few set sizes and a few custom sets, you select the size!

Click here to see whats listed!

Missing Teeth!

2010-04-11T13:15:00.003-04:00

My baby has lost both front teeth! Omgoodness, she is growing up so fast.

Competition Photo

2010-04-01T21:22:00.002-04:00

Oh my goodness, I can't believe I just pulled this off my camera! This is Kylie's winnings from the iPop convention competion in January! The tallest one, is her grand trophy, she won STAR OF THE YEAR in her division! I have to tell you, after the 2nd trophy, I was in tears the rest of the awards banquet! You can't see, but there are 4 medals hanging off of the trophy's!

Have a beautiful day friends....

99 cents with no reserve!

2010-03-26T22:57:00.002-04:00

I just listed a SAMPLE SET on Ebay. 99 cents, no reserve! It is a euro pattern, so it is made to fit multiple sizes. This will comfortably fit 5/6/7. For reference, model is wearing a solid 6 and has plenty of room for growth.

Click here to go to the auction on Ebay or search SUGAR3 EURO.

A DISCOUNT NOT TO BE MISSED!

2010-03-25T05:11:00.002-04:00

My sweet friend Linda, of Allegro Fabrics is extending a discount on her fabric to YOU! Check out her online fabric shop here, and make sure to get the code before you check out. It is on the home page!

HAPPY SHOPPING!

I spotted a resell!

2010-03-24T00:39:00.002-04:00

I spotted a resell of GLITTER! I only made 2 of these sets as the fabric was VHTF and DISCONTINUED! This is such a fun and amazing set. Be sure to go place your bid, the starting bid is very low!

Check it out on Ebay, HERE!

Today is SUGAR3's TOOTHLESS launch!

2010-03-16T04:08:00.002-04:00

Miss Sierra was more than happy to stand in for Kylie while she is on her big adventure! Sierra is one of Kylie's bestest friends.... Isn't she a sweetheart?

Be sure to search "SUGAR3 TOOTH" on Ebay to see all the fun and sweet listings!

I spotted not one, but two resells!

2010-02-11T16:51:00.002-05:00

Don't miss out on these sweet Asian Girl dresses! Put your bid in now, don't miss out on a fabulous steal!

Aren't these girls just so precious???!!!

See the 3T/4T set here on Ebay

See the 4T/5T set here on Ebay.

Good Luck!

We're home, and worn out!

2010-01-15T22:30:00.002-05:00

We are finally home. We flew in late Wednesday night. Fabulous news!!!! Kylie will be going to hollywood!

Ipop was so much fun! What a great experience. I'm going to toot miss kylie's horn for her. She brought home 5 trophies, 2 medals and we are waiting for ipop to release the rest of the honorable mentions!!!

I am very proud of kylie's accomishments! She brought home "the star of the year" award! This is such a huge honor!

Kylie had the time of her life, and we couldn't be more proud to share with everyone that she had 13 callbacks! We've narrowed our interests for an agent down to 5. We will be flying back to la in the next week or two, to meet with the agents, review their contracts and hopefully sign. Two agents want her to sign now and start auditioning for the pilots that will be starting soon! We couldn't be more thrilled.

Daddy will be taking miss Kylie out for 3/4 months! It's going to be hard on me as a mom, but I love her and this is what she really wants. The agents loved her and we have many options.

God willing, she will be on the big screen. They all feel confident she will be there!!!

I will post pictures soon, I am still trying to recover.

Thank you to all who have been following kylie's story and your emails, support and kind wishes!

2 more days!

2010-01-05T19:57:00.003-05:00

Friends, it is becoming so real. We are off to LA in just 2 short days. I wanted to share with you some photos from a shoot Kylie did in West Palm Beach a couple of weeks ago. I just adore them and I think they turned out great! John, the photographer was phenomenal. He is British and I do believe Kylie fell in love with his accent. She was putty in his hands! LOL, he said she was the easiest and most cooperative child he has ever worked with. I was so proud, it was a long shoot for her... 4 hours. 2 hours drive down, 2 hours drive home, but SOOOOOO worth it.

HERE SHE IS IN HER RUNWAY SET, SHE IS MISSING THE JACKET AND YOU CAN'T SEE THE CUTE TIGHTS AND BOOTS!

THIS IS HER DOING A FASHION SHOT, SHE LOOKS SO GROWN TO ME!

AND I CALL THIS SHOT HER "RALPH LAUREN" LOOK!

THE HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTIST WAS A GEM, KYLIE JUST LOVED THE LIPSTICK AND HAIRDO'S SHE WAS DOING! KYLIE SAID SHE FELT LIKE A PRINCESS. *SMILES* I WISH I COULD PACK HER IN MY SUITCASE AND BRING HER TO LA!

Again, thank you all for your supportive emails and well wishes. I promise to "TRY" to update while in LA. I'm not certain what sort of time I will have, but if I can't, I will share as soon as we get home!

I hope you all had a beautiful CHRISTmas and a wonderful New Years!

Holy Smokes, it's December already!

2009-12-07T22:05:00.003-05:00

Oh my goodness, where does the time go? It seems like it is just flying on by!

Some BIG changes happening in our household! DH is now a stay at home dad! I have prayed on this and believe that this is what is meant to be. Kylie will have daddy at her disposal full time now! Daddy is going to take Kylie's career full speed ahead. We couldn't be more excited.

Miss Kylie has an audition for Sea World tomorrow. I am excited to see what this might bring... will keep you posted.

We are still so excited about our January trip to LA.... we are counting down the days. Kylie is so stink'n excited, she just can't stand the wait she says, LOL, whats a mom to do?

I thought I'd share one of her commercial prints with you all.... ENJOY!

I hope you all have a joyous, safe and peaceful CHRISTmas season!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T23:12:00.005-05:00

Thanksgiving is a time of great celebration with the family. It's a time to give thanks for everything we have, literally. Even for those who aren't religious and even for people who don't have a big family, it's hard not to connect with the sentimentality of the season. This is one holiday where there are actually no gifts required, but just YOU showing up to share time with loved ones.

It is my hope that you each had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the ones you love.

After dinner, we decided to take some pictures in hopes of getting just the right "best smile" photograph for one of Kylie's competitions in January.

Here's a few...

The commercial has aired!

2009-11-22T15:02:00.002-05:00

I am guessing that Italiano Insurance loved the commercial so much that they just couldn't wait until January to put it live! LOL We're happy they did... Take a peek, we couldn't be more thrilled!

Some more exciting news to share!

2009-11-04T19:32:00.005-05:00

Blogger slacker here and with good reason!

First thank you to EVERYONE who bought books to help sponsor Kylie! Bless each and everyone of you! This was a good lesson for Kylie to learn she will have to work and help earn her way for the things she wants in life. Everything will not be handed out on a platter!

The BIG NEWS..... Kylie booked and filmed her first commercial! *Giggles* Aunt Becki, we know you will want all the details, so we will email them to you, way to much to post here!

Kylie did a commercial for an insurance company that is having it's 50th birthday! It is to air in January. What a thrill this was for Kylie and mommy both. I have to say, it was not what I expected! I was expecting a big hoopla, and it totally wasn't that at all! It was totally laid back and really cool. Kylie was not done entertaining to say the least when the shoot was over! Ha, ha, she was ready to film more! What a hambone.

Here are a couple of pictures. The director was so kind to let me snap a few. The pictures are off a bit as I couldn't get to where I needed to be due to all the equipment, but I was just thrilled to pieces to get what I got!

Still LISTING books on Ebay!

2009-10-14T19:18:00.002-04:00

Thank you to those that have placed bids to support Kylie! I can't tell you just how appreciative we are in your support! Kylie is trying really hard to earn her share of the money for TEAM ORLANDO!

TEAM ORLANDO will be headed to LA in January to perform for over 100 casting agents. The best way to describe what these kids are doing in my opinion is that, it is sort of like CAMP ROCK!

We listed 21 more books tonight! Most are in LIKE NEW condition. Please go check them out. We are planning on listing some gently used clothing as well as a few other things, so please, check back often and see if there is anything that you may want or need that will help sponsor Kylie's dream. Thanks again, everyone!

Laurie

SEARCH EBAY, SUPPORT KYLIE!

SPONSORSHIP FOR KYLIE

2009-10-10T16:02:00.002-04:00

Kylie will be trying to help raise money for her trip to LA with TEAM ORLANDO to go to iPOP, LA this coming January! You can read all about it here!

Kylie will be entering the ACTING and MODELING categories of this event. She is super excited, as I am sure all of the 1200 children who are attending this event are!

Kylie was hand selected by RON PATTERSON! You can read about him here! Ron is such a wonderful person, not only does he provide the avenue to help make childrens dreams come true, but he has a wonderful heart. The proceeds from iPOP go to the MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION! You can listen to the YOUTUBE clip on the site.

Kylie's daddy is running an EBAY ID, sponsor*kylie*ipop*la, you can check out all her auctions there. Ebay hasn't profiled all the items, so if it is empty when you check, please check back later!

KYLIE WILL APPRECIATE ANY AND ALL DONATIONS AND PURCHASES!
God Bless,
Laurie

Prayers, they do work!

2009-10-05T15:14:00.002-04:00

As most of you know, I was scheduled for surgery this morning. Exploratory para-thyroid removal. I had asked my family and friends for extra prayer as I was a bit nervous about this procedure. I wanted to feel peace before going under.

This morning, my oldest sister took me to the hospital, an IV was established, the nurses, anesthesiologist, the neuro specialist and the surgeon all came in to talk to me about the procedure and what to expect. We were set to go for 10am.

10am rolls around and my surgeon was called in an emergency to assist in another operation. He couldn't do anything with me until this patient was out of the OR, as I was the next patient to go in.

11am rolls around and the surgeon comes in to see me. He explains that my PTH levels were being checked one last time as there seem to have been a discrepancy in the reading on Friday.

12pm rolls around and DOC comes in and says the surgery is a NO GO! He explained that at this point, he couldn't justify opening my neck up just to go in and find nothing was wrong.

I was so relieved! I will see an endocranologist in the morning and have more testing done to try to figure out what is going on. Until then, it is back to business as usual!

Thank you to all who said a prayer, I believe in the POWER OF PRAYER, and today was no exception!!!

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!
Laurie

Just havin a lil' FUN!

2009-10-03T15:59:00.002-04:00

This morning I had a little fun! I took some pictures of my neices at the beach and thought I would share one with you!

This is Miss Gracie! Isn't she such a cutie patootie???

Here she is! Miss Kylie's voice over!

2009-09-30T12:08:00.005-04:00

BE SURE TO HIT PAUSE ON THE MUSIC PLAYER!

Kylie's first voice over demo reel! Kylie had such a wonderful time. We ended up spending a little over 4 hours in the studio. About 3 hours of that was recording time, she is such a trooper! I do believe she could have recorded longer! LOL

The pictures are quick snapshots from inside of the studio, and the other two are modeling pictures. The audio is what will be listened to, after all, with voice overs you never see the actor, you only hear their voice!

Sorry it's been so long, but with out futher ado, here is Kylie Brandon!

We are getting excited!

2009-09-09T21:26:00.003-04:00

September 16th we are headed off for Kylie's very first studio recording. She will be doing a voice over demo reel! We have a two hour block, a private coach and a ton of nerves! Well mommy does, Kylie is excited. She takes direction well, so I know she will do great!

Once this is all done, we will be sending it out to a casting agent in LA to be reviewed for the casting of "Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2!"

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 is scheduled to be filmed in late October and early November, wouldn't it be awesome if Kylie got to be a part of that???!!!

I'm am trying real hard to keep you all updated, its been hard lately with work, sewing and taking Kylie to her coaching and auditions. There seems to never be a free moment to breath, but I have to admit, it's a rush!

I will try to post again soon, fingers crossed for a call back from her audition coming up this Saturday!

Miss Chelsea

2009-08-25T01:21:00.005-04:00

Miss Chelsea is finally a senior! I am so proud of her. She has a year left to finalize her plans for her college future. This will be her third year that she has been duel enrolled in our community college. Momma loves FREE college! What a great way to jump start your college education. It has been a long and hard road for Chelsea, but well worth it.

Chelsea asked me last week to take her senior pictures. I was a bit reluctant, but now very happy that I did. I think they turned out wonderful.

Family, your pictures will be in the mail soon!

Happenings Around Here!

2009-08-23T09:18:00.010-04:00

Oh my goodness, I am such a blog slacker! LOL I have so much to share with you. There has been a lot of wonderful things happening for Miss Kylie! She had an auditon with two major casting directors! Harriet Greenspan and Joey Paul Jensen held auditions in Orlando, Florida the weekend before last! Kylie had such a wonderful time! She has the fever, the bug, she wants it and will stop at nothing to get it! LOL, so she says!!! We will see. Slow and steady baby girl, lets take it one day at a time! We have decided to have Kylie coached in acting and modeling and see where it may take her. We are supporting Kylie in this endevour, as long as she wants it.

UPDATE: Harriet Greenspan and Joey Paul Jensen weren't physically present at this audtion! The audition was to see if they should be presented to either of the agents! She will audition in front of Joey Paul Jensen on September 19th!

We have our fingers crossed for a call back from her audtion yesterday!

Here's her current comp card that we will be giving to the casting agents!

I will have to edit a few things from the front of the card before I can post it! Maybe tomorrow!

Another resell spotted, what a DEAL!!

2009-08-05T20:34:00.003-04:00

Sabrina of BRIHSU on Ebay is offering a resell for a remarkably low price! Get it while you can! You can bid on it here! This is such a fun and versitile dress. While it is still hot, you can wear it as it, when it starts to cool down, you can put a shirt and pants or tights underneath and still look fabulous!

Thank you Sabrina for the sweet photos!

BEST CASUAL WEAR WINNER!

2009-08-04T21:30:00.005-04:00

My very sweet customer Andrea sent me the sweetest email this past Saturday. I was in the middle of my Fire Chemistry class when the email came in!!! I can't explain to you how big the smile was across my heart. I am pleased to share with you, Miss Essie. She won the Best Casual Wear in her pageant on Friday night in one of the outfits I made for her.....

Way to go Miss Essie, congratulations on your win! You sure are looking pretty up there! Thank you for rocking out the MISS ZOEY set!

Thank you Andrea for making my entire weekend!

A resale SPOTTED!

2009-08-01T21:25:00.003-04:00

HALLIDAY11 on Ebay is selling SAILOR MINNIE! This set was a favorite and as I recall, Jeania paid over 100.00 for this set! Don't miss out on a wonderful deal, she has it listed at a steal! Click here to check it out on Ebay!

Betty is so cute, I just wanna pinch her sweet cheeks!

GOD.com

2009-07-22T11:43:00.005-04:00

Father God,

God bless all my family
Wherever they may be,
Keep them warm
And safe from harm
For they're so close to me..
And God, there is one more thing
I wish that you could do;
Hope you don't mind me asking,
Please bless my computer too.
Now I know that it's unusual
To Bless a motherboard,
But listen just a second
While I explain it to you, Lord.
You see, that little metal box
Holds more than odds and ends;
Inside those small compartments
Rest so many of my friends.
I know so much about them
By the kindness that they give,
And this little scrap of metal
Takes me in to where they live.
By faith is how I know them
Much the same as you.
We share in what life brings us
And from that our friendships grew.
Please take an extra minute
From your duties up above,
To bless those in my address book
That's filled with so much love.
Wherever else this prayer may reach
To each and every friend,
Bless each e-mail inbox
And each person who hits 'send'.
When you update your Heavenly list
On your own Great CD-ROM,
Bless everyone who says this prayer
Sent up to GOD.Com

A little love on the screen!

2009-07-21T02:32:00.000-04:00

I found this sweet piece of artwork on my computer screen when I got home from work today....

More from the garden....

2009-07-19T08:27:00.004-04:00

Isn't she a beauty! This is our 2nd cantaloupe this season. Very tiny, huh?! She is bigger than a baseball, but smaller than a softball! She weights in at a whopping 9.2 ozs! Our first melon rotted. I didn't pick it when it was ripe as I felt it needed to grow bigger! I've come to realize that this crop is just going to be small. Hummm... maybe not enough fertilizer? Poor soil? What ever the cause, it definitely had enough sun and water! **Sigh** a learning process I suppose!

Our tomato plants are still kick'n! My neighbors are being blessed with the fruits from my labor! LOL We have so many tomatoes, we just can't eat them fast enough! Sooo, I hike gallon baggies full of yummies to each of my neighbors. There is always a big smile and a huge thank you!

When we cut the cantaloupe, I'll be sure to share. I'm excited and can't wait to see if it is REALLY sweet!

Have a blessed Sunday!

Sweet Lil' Princess

2009-07-18T18:48:00.003-04:00

Isn't Katie such a cutie in this sweet lil' princess dress?! The CARA dress is a EURO dress made from a euro fairy, print fabric! I am offering this dress in sizes 18 mos through 7 little girls or Euro sizes 92/98, 104/110, 116/122

Click here to bid on this auction! I now ship worldwide, so come check out the rates to your residence!

The 99 cent listings, continue!

2009-07-14T22:53:00.003-04:00

Click here to go straight to the auction! Or, if you still want to blog, search SUGAR3 SWEET BTS on Ebay later to see this extremely detailed set! Don't forget, I am now shipping World Wide!

A squirrel, an onion man and an owl are all showcased on this adorable 4-piece BTS set! Look closely, you'll find that the squirrel is swiping an acorn amongst the falling leaves! He won't get to far, the owl has a watchful eye on him! The onion man is peeping out from behind the mushroom!

I have to admit, we had a ton of fun this afternoon taking photos! Kylie was in a fantastic mood and was eager to be in front of the camera again! She wants to give a shout out to mammie, poppy, and her cousins! **Waving Hi** from Miss Kylie!!!

And the MaDdNeSs continues....

2009-07-12T11:43:00.004-04:00

Two more auctions up, .99 cents, NO RESERVE!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THIS ONE!

SEARCH on EBay, SUGAR3 Boutique!

Happy Sunday and God Bless each of you!

SATURDAY MAdNeSs!

2009-07-11T16:39:00.002-04:00

It is that time again! A little bonus, a chance for everyone to win a *Blowin*Bubbles*Boutique* set of your very own! (Well, for your sweetie!) tee hee!

I am offering the Watermelon Pixie set one last time this summer on Ebay! She's sweet and cool, so don't miss your chance! 99 cents, NO RESERVE and I am now shipping WORLD WIDE. Just check the shipping calculator to get your rates if you reside outside of the United States.

Click here to go straight to the auction!

Or search SUGAR3 boutique Watermelon on Ebay!

Happy Bidding!

Family, Friends, Food and Fun!

2009-07-05T20:14:00.003-04:00

I hope you all had a beautiful holiday weekend! Ours was filled with family, friends, food and fun! Below, you will see Miss Kylie with one of her school mates. She hasn't seen her since school ended and was begging me to see if she could come over for the day and play on Friday. She ended up staying the entire weekend and went home Sunday evening. Miss Haily was such a pleasure to have over and as you can see, the girls had a great time!

Below, you will see one of Chelsea and Kylie's cousins, Aaron. My neices and nephew live walking distance from us, so they are either here, or Chelsea is over at their house hanging out. In the photo below, you will see Chelsea and Aaron horseplaying in the pool! I think they were having a dunking contest.

You have big sis, Becki and little brother Ricky! We were very pleased that Becci was able to visit us all once again from Greece! We miss you so much Aunt Becci!!

Here is Bri with her boyfriend! Aren't they keyute?!

Ahhh... here is my precious Chelsea with her guy!

All in all, we had a beautiful day with our family and friends!

Sew, what's new?

2009-07-01T13:21:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, I sat down to do a little sewing and Miss Kylie decided her sewing machine missed her! LOL Kylie bought a Janome Sewing machine with monies she recieved from Mammie and Pappy!

I cut a pair of dolly pants out for her American Girl doll and she did the rest. Today she will hem the pants and learn to put a waist band in. She is doing a fantastic job, I am really proud of her.

Take a peek at some shots during construction!

Ha, ha! Incase you didn't notice, she was dressed up in her Cinderella Princess attire! Oh she kills me!

A new model added!

2009-06-30T07:53:00.003-04:00

I've been on a local search for a few little models to assist me with showcasing *Blowin*Bubbles*Boutique* designs. I am pleased to share with you all, the first model of two!

Please meet Miss Katie. She is one of the sweetest little girls I have had the pleasure to photograph. She is a natural. At only 21 months of age, Miss Katie follows directions and loves to be in front of the camera.

With the heat and the intense Florida sun, modeling can be difficult and tiring. Miss Katie was such a trooper... she modeled 2 sets, and let me say, I do believe she would have done another! Katie is full of sweet energy which made this shoot all to fun!

In attendance of the photo shoot was my handy assistant, Miss Kylie. She is a crucial part of the business. She gave direction to Miss Katie and made it all so easy peasy! Miss Kylie was sure to give Katie all her tips. My favorite one was, "Look Katie, Winnie the Pooh is inside the camera!" "Can you see him waving to you?" Ahhhh... pure sweetness.

I'm not going to post a full shot just yet! You'll have to wait for the guest launch I am doing with The*Fairy*Godmothers on July 7th!

Here is Miss Katie!

I've been INVITED!!!

2009-06-29T23:51:00.004-04:00

To an AWESOME launch....

The*Fairy*GodMothers are hosting a guest launch and these girls are so stink'n sweet! I always enjoy meeting new people and making new friends and I am just TICKLED PINK to be able to join them in this guest launch!

Be sure to search on EBAY, July 7th - 14th, TFG TICKLED PINK to see all the wonderful designs these ladies created!

Thank you girls for the invite, I am truly honored!

Daddy needs a new cap!

2009-06-28T08:01:00.005-04:00

DH has been telling me that his welder's hat (cap that he wears under his hard hat) is wearing out and I really should make him one! I say, "Ok, I'm up for that!" "How about taking a stroll in my sewing studio and pick out some fabric?" (He he he he, is almost all girlie stuff!)

Can you believe he found some way cool, old, Curious George fabric and a co-ordinate for a cap? I had to go a step above and beyond and make his cap reversible, after all, I love him more than anything in the world! (and my hat HAD to be better than one he could buy from the Union Hall!!!!)

So here he is modeling his new, reversible welder's cap! One side is a rodeo Curious George and the other side is all lasso rope!

Did I mention, he picked up some FAT QUARTERS from Wal Mart for me to make him some more! ROFLMBO I love you, honey!

Have a beautiful Sunday...
Laurie

HAPPY SUMMER YA'LL!

2009-06-27T13:45:00.003-04:00

Miss Kylie loves to swim... I haven't been able to get in the pool yet... man, I can't wait! Mr Alligator keeps us informed of the water temperature and can you believe our pool has been 90 degrees? Gesh, I thought taking a dip in the pool was to cool you down on a hot summer day! LOL Can you say HUGE bathtub? LOL

With in the last week, Kylie has been braving the water... she officially loves to jump in! What a splash this girl makes!

And here she is, swimming over to the deck so mommy can take a picture!

We are going on a quest to find a pool slide today. Kylie has decided how she would like to spend her Christmas and birthday money she has been saving! If you remember, she saved her money for well over a year to buy that trampoline that she loves so much!

I can't leave with out sharing something VERY important to anyone who has children that resides near water or has a pool. PLEASE, never leave a child unattended near water. Remember, you CAN drown in as little as an inch of water. Responding to the scene of a drowning has etched a memory in my head that I pray no one ever has to endure....

A few years ago, I enrolled Kylie in a life saving program called ISR. Infant Swim Resourse. This is not swimming lessons, it is a survival course. If you've never heard of this survival program, go check it out. Find an instructor near you and take your child. It cost us around $800.00 for the whole program, but let me just say... I am confident that if my baby were to somehow get thrown from our boat and her vest somehow came off, she could save herself. GO CHECK IT OUT, a childs life.... PRICELESS!

HAPPY SUMMER YA'LL!!!

Some garden pictures to share!

2009-06-26T17:49:00.002-04:00

OK, as promised.... here are a few pictures from the garden. The cantaloupe are not ripe yet, the tomatoes are yummo and the radishes were perfect!

I wanted to share....

2009-06-25T21:44:00.004-04:00

I had the pleasure once again with meeting up with a few of the girls from SUGAR3!

We all met up at the John Young Science Center for the day and had a blast! The kiddos wanted to take pictures of us moms striking a pose, since they are always the ones getting their pictures made!

We had a blast and I can't wait to meet up again!

Far left is Lesli of SweetToesBoutique, center is Linda of LilyandEbony, and on the right is me, Laurie of *Blowin*Bubbles*Boutique*!

Look at all those blonde curls!

2009-06-22T20:11:00.005-04:00

I had the pleasure to create matching sister sets for Miss Heathers sweet baby girls! I had so much fun and was most excited to get them packed up and shipped to two very excited little girls!

Thank you Heather for sharing with me these sweet pics of Jubilee and Israel! They are most adorable and I am so pleased that they loved their matching sets!

If you have a picture of your sweetie in a *Blowin*Bubbles*Boutique* custom, send them my way, and if you don't mind.... I will feature them here!

It's been a long time......

2009-06-11T15:02:00.003-04:00

Sorry it has been so long since I've posted. A lot has been going on around here. I'm going to try to do an abbreviated version of an update! LOL

All the spring gardening and replanting of the yard is coming along great! We have tons of tomatoes, 5 varieties. More cantaloupe than we will ever be able to consume on our own, so many cantaloupe blooms! I honestly didn't realize that one plant produced several melons. We will be sharing with our neighbors, no doubt! We have onions, carrots, radishes, scallions and a brand new ruby red grapefruit tree! Our green peppers didn't make it, not sure what happened there, but it is all a learning process for us. We will try again next season.

The grass seed was planted 3 weekends ago, finally! It is just beginning to sprout. DH bought seed that was specially coated to speed up the germination process. It seems to be coming along nicely. We have most of the front of the house landscaped now, finally.... DH has been working so hard every weekend to make it a nice area for us all to enjoy.

So for me... I just came home last week from surgery. All is well and I am doing great. Just a little sore, but as time goes by, my body will heal. So for now, no work, no lifting, pushing, pulling... you know, the usual for 6 weeks. I am hoping to be able to sit up and sew soon. I am only able to sit up for 10 minutes at a time right now and walk from living room to bedroom and so forth. So fingers crossed that I can get to my machine soon!!!! I MISS IT SO MUCH!!!!

Sorry I don't have any pictures to share, soon though... soon!

Thank you for the emails of get wells! We're doing good and hope to be back up in full swing soon!

HUGS!
Laurie

Spring is here....

2009-04-17T09:20:00.004-04:00

Spring is here and DH is getting everything ready for our NEW LOOK, and my gazeebo! Here, you will see him tilling up our property. We killed off all the ST AUGUSTINE grass and we will be planting the new ECO grass. This grass is VERY drought tolerant and VERY eco friendly! I found about it on HGTV!!! I love that channel!!! tee hehehehe

Oh, let me share... he didn't just jump on the tractor and start tilling, oh no, we had plenty of preparation work! This is just one load of the leaves that needed to be raked and carried to the dump before the process could start! LOL

Kylie planted seedlings about a month ago... I will share pictures on my next post... she now has a garden! Tomatoes, carrots, cantalopes, onions, scallions, sunflowers, gourds, chives, green peppers and we are going to try egg plant! Wating for the seeds to dry out... that will be an experiment! LOL I can't forget, she planted about 50 baby oak seelings... wow, that is going to be one long project!

Happy Spring!

Ahhh, it's done!

2009-04-15T07:57:00.003-04:00

I was so happy when this dress was finished, I just couldn't wait to take pictures on the beach. Eh em, NOT when there was a tornado whipping around! Yes, how dare mother nature throw a tornado my way when it is time to photograph! LOL

Yesterday morning, Vance and I quickly ran to Lowes to buy some "supplies". ROFLMBO I got this idea that if I bought 2 shop lights with 300 watt bulbs, I could create some great indoor pictures! Bahhhaaaa hahhahahaha! Kudo's to all you indoor photographers, you have my complete respect!

We finally went for a second shot after dinner and decided that standing by the front door, with it open, was our only hope for some natural light. It was raining and gloomy, but it was some light!

Check out the auction here on Ebay, I hope you'll enjoy!

My dear friend Kari, to the rescue!

2009-04-13T19:58:00.001-04:00

My sweet friend Kari, of Bear*Threads*Boutique saved my night and sanity!

Gesh, it was a simple mistake, on my part..not the patternS fault!

You all are going to be wowed, I PROMISE!!!

Allow me a little gripe, please!

2009-04-13T18:49:00.004-04:00

LOL, I am trying my best to finish up my launch piece... I need to list it tomorrow evening!!!

I picked the FELIZ dress this time and let me just say...I have 15 hours in the applique work alone!

Ok, so here is my gripe! Where the back overdress meets the front underdress, the pattern calls for a half inch extra on the underdress at the top. WTHeck??? I did it, I figured, hey, there must be a very good reason... right???

Well I am here and STUCK! I do not and cannot figure out what the overlap is for... but if someone doesn't come to my rescue soon in the group... I will find my own method of making it work and look nice! tee heee heeee

Such an elaborate pattern, I can't imagine they would just expect you to cut off the fabric and leave it raw!!!!

Ok, back to the sewing room... oh, did you want to see a sneaky peek??? Of course, I can't leave you with out that! It WILL be up on auction tomorrow! Remember, this picture is a work in progress... it will look FANTABULOUS when it is complete!

HUGS to you all!

SAMPLE SET FOR SALE

2009-04-02T22:58:00.012-04:00

This set is sized at a 5/6 slim 7. 60.00 to include shipping. Email me or post here if you would like to purchase it and I will send you an invoice through PayPal. If you post here, I will not post your comment as to not share your email address. This set was only worn for about 15 minutes, to model for the pictures.
I AM SORRY, BUT AT THIS TIME I DO NOT SHIP OUT OF THE UNITED STATES. Thank you for understanding.

I finally found my contest winner!

2009-03-25T10:39:00.004-04:00

By the luck of the draw, I found Miss Ramona, the original winner of my "Give me a reason" contest... it is several posts back!

Yeah!!! I recognized her name on her ME page and remembered the ID from my contest!!! YEAH AGAIN! (Can you tell I am excited) I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE CONTESTS and FREEBIES!

Miss Ramona, I will be sending your sweetie a custom tee! Thank you so much for participating in my BLOG contest!

See Ramona's ME page here... I've learned today that she offers modeling services, and my, my, my... her sweetie is just as adorable as can be!

Meeting up with my SUGASISTA'S!

2009-03-04T00:51:00.004-05:00

My dear friend Kathy, of Pixie-Dust-Studio and her family is visiting Walt Disney World this week.... I had the pleasure of eating dinner with her tonight! Another dear friend, Lesli, of SweetToesBoutique drove all the way over from Tampa to meet up with us. There is nothing better than good food and great friends! We talked and laughed all night long...

This is my first time meeting with Kathy. I am hoping to have many more visits with her! Monday morning, we met up at Animal Kingdom... we were so excited, we just kept hugging each other... it felt like I was seeing a long lost friend... (Maybe she was hugging me because it was so darn cold!)(I'll just keep telling my self that it was because she was so happy to meet me too!)

I finally got to meet my little buddie B-Rock! He has a place in my heart forever! I love this little guy! Hiiiiiiii *soft voice* ---- I'm so funny *giggles* That was our first telephone conversation! Tee hee hee... he is such a little ham!

I always love seeing my sweet friend Lesli! Since she is here in Florida, we get to see each other frequently and it is always a pleasure!!!

Our very kind and patient waitress took a few pictures of us! Just a few SugaSista's hang'n out with B-Rock! I love you girls!!!!

From the far left... Lesli, Laurie, Kathy and B-Rock!

Modeling for BearThreadsBoutique!!!

2009-02-09T12:08:00.004-05:00

We had the pleasure to model this super sweet set for Bear*Threads*Boutique this weekend! We had such a blast, we even found a real LADYBUG!!! Keep your eyes open on Ebay, she will be offering it soon!

Me and my baby!

2009-02-06T09:54:00.004-05:00

So this morning, my sweet friend Cree decided to reminisce on our group board.... She thought it would be nice to post some of our original designs.... so I thought, ok, I must thumb through mine and post too!

I came across this photo of Kylie and me, and it just brought tears to my eyes... I often find myself saying.... gosh, when did she go and get all grown up???

Have a beautiful day and enjoy your precious angels while you can!
~Laurie

IT'S FINALLY UP & RUNNING......

2009-02-04T01:34:00.004-05:00

The girls inside the CUBE really got it going on! They have been working hard... they first WOWED Ebay with their original TEAM LAUNCH concept of a magical little girl back in October, then launched to bring you inside her world in January, and now it is February...and they bring you, FAIRY*SWEET'S blog!

You won't want to miss out following this blog...there are so many treats in store!

Tomorrow, the SUGARBUCKS winner will be announced as well, if you were a SWEET bidder, be sure to check the blog... it just might be YOU!

And the winner IS.......

2009-01-21T02:42:00.004-05:00

ramonalynnortiz

DH said he was building it for me for this very reason!

I decided to do a second giveaway! The runner up is Pamela! I liked your reason #5!!! LOLOL so did DH! tee heeee hee

Thank you everyone who played!!! If you didn't win this time, don't worry, there will be plenty more chances...

Please take a peek at my current listings here! I am offering a dolly dress this time, M2M my BIG GIRL set!!!

HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!

Live Feed, Wednesday ramblings and a GIVEAWAY!

2009-01-14T19:10:00.004-05:00

Hello to all my internet friends! Drop me a post and tell me where your from, I love this new LIVE FEED, I'd love to hear from you!!!

Ramblings...ok, so I've had my eye on this really cool free standing screen room! I keep hinting around to my DH that it is a must have! Wouldn't you agree? I mean maybe if I come up with 10 reasons I need it, he'll get right to work on it!

1. I live on a bit of property and have horses, dogs, cats and chickens...they make a ton of dust, we should have nice filtered air while outside enjoying nature, right???

2. We have a ton of mosquitoes, this prevents us from enjoying nature once the sun sets.

3. When we have a cookout, we need to keep the flies off our food, don't flies poop everytime they land... OK that is just YUCKY! For this reason alone he should just DO IT!!! LOLOLOL Love you honey!!!

4. Another eating excuse... LOL we won't have the dog beg'n for a handout!

5. We can enjoy a fire pit outdoors when it is raining.

6. Because it is just so darn pretty!!!

HELP ME HERE, PLEASE! roflmbo post here on my blog a "REASON" THAT MY DH SHOULD BUILD THIS FOR ME AND I WILL HOLD A CONTEST, THE WINNER WILL GET A FREE APPLIQUED TEE SHIRT FOR THEIR SWEET LITTLE GIRL OR BOY... SIZE 12 MOS THROUGH 10 GIRLS

Wednesday ramblings, don't you just love em!
HUGS!
Laurie

We had the pleasure to work with NANABOBANA!

2009-01-13T23:36:00.003-05:00

and let me just say, WOWZA! This dress and backpack are TDF! Check her Fairy Sweet auction out here! Remember, for every bid placed on a SWEET SUGAR3 design, you get an entry into our drawing for $40.00 in SugarBucks!

Thank you Robin for giving us the opportunity to model one of your super sweet, interactive sets!

Laurie and Miss Kylie

A little Wednesday vent, please!

2009-01-07T09:59:00.005-05:00

I couldn't sleep last night, I was just so aggrevated with my Ebay listing that I picked apart the top, reworked it, and rephotographed it all by the break of dawn!

Here I sit, editing my pictures and tears are just pouring down my face. You ask why, well look at this picture and I bet you can guess!!! Where in the earth did my baby go? When did she go and get all grown up looking? I typically keep Kylie's hair tied up and braided. This morning she asked to let it down, so I caved and let her. Her hair is so long, it gets so tangled and it is a nightmare to comb! LOL Wow, wow, wow!!! I just can't believe how much she has grown, it just seems like yesterday I was potty training her... ****sniff, sniff****

This all brings me to share with each of you... treasure each and every moment with your little ones, you can never bring this time back. Tell your sweets just how much you love them and hug em to pieces as much as you can!

I hope you all have a blessed day today!

Please say a Prayer for Miss Kylie......

2009-01-05T23:12:00.004-05:00

The day after New Years, Kylie's insulin numbers went through the roof! I am talking in the 500's! We followed all the Dr's orders, gave her a shot of Humalog, but she was still high. About 30 minutes after her mega dose, she broke out in the hives. Did the normal Benedryl, Calamine and buzzed the Doctor.

Dr D says.. Laurie, I don't believe the hives are from the insulin... she might have something else going on. Long story short, we kept an eye on her and he called and checked in on her through out the day. No more hives... not sure what that was all about....

We are having high hopes that her pancreas has completely shut down. You have an eyebrow raised right now? Yes, we are hoping her pancreas shuts down. When you are diagnosed with Diabetes, your body goes through a stage they call the "HONEYMOON" stage. This is the stage where about 20% of your pancreas cells are functioning... oh, whenever and producing, whatever! It sure makes managing diabetes difficult!

We are going to take a little trip into Orlando for an appointment with the endocranologist and are praying that the pancreas has finally shut down.

This will be a huge milestone for us, and will ease a lot of stress!

300 pictures later....

2009-01-04T20:53:00.006-05:00

Today the family took a trip into Orlando. We went for several things... I wanted to visit a few boutique's to see if any of the owners have heard of the new CPSIA law...nada, not a one has heard of this. While shopping at some of the larger stores, I spoke with the retail managers, none of which has heard of this either! How can something so large, be so under cover??? Anywho, I'm not getting my panties in a wad just quite yet about this! I have sent my emails and signed my petitions and will wait to see what happens... what else can you do??? LOL

With the camera in tow, a willing little girl and a sweet custom boutique set... we took some fantastic pictures! I just wanted to share my two favorites...

And here are my two "Sleeping Beauties"!!

Slip Sliding Away!

2009-01-02T08:51:00.008-05:00

Oh my goodness, my sweet sister-in-law reminded me last evening that I've been neglecting my blog!

Here is a little bit of what has been happening at home....

I'll start with "Kylie happenings", LOL.

We watched the Space Shuttle go up from our front porch...

An all day field trip to FT Christmas was a blast, some of the dads came along and cooked us all a wonderful lunch....This is Kylie and 3 of her class mates striking a pose in front of a wagon wheel in one of many pictures!

Thanksgiving quickly came upon us! Most of our family was busy, so we did Thanksgiving with my oldest sister Kathy and her husband Jeff. It was really nice, we don't get to visit with them very often....sad, but true. We deep fried our turkey and made all the fixins!

Christmas and New Years came and passed as well, Christmas was quiet but still beautiful. Christmas eve we drove to my middle sisters new house and spent Christmas with my side of the family. Her husbands family was in attendance as well. We did our traditional gift trading game. The kids had a blast!

Kylie and Chelsea seemed pretty happy Christmas morning despite the small amount of presents we were able to get them this year. *sigh* Praying for the economy to quickly pick back up....

Christmas day, evening, our ever so thoughtful neighbors invited us over for a huge get together, they never seem to forget about us, they treat us like family... we love them so much! The kids had a wonderful time, even though it was after midnight, they didn't want to part!

New Years eve I went to work at the Fire Department. It was a busy night, but all in all, a safe one. Vance and the girls stayed home, they watched our next door neighbors set off fireworks in their back pasture. I was a nervous wreck leaving, these weren't no grocery store fireworks, they were proffessional pieces of pyro! I kept thinking oh man, the fallout is going to land on our roof and catch fire. I'm suppose to worry about those things, right? I mean after all, fire prevention is my career! LOL

Last but not least, I've been sewing like crazy... I have the fever and I have unleashed it! I have 3 new sets to offer the first of the year along with a few matching dolly dresses... I think you will be most pleased...I'll give you a little sneeky peek!

Please don't forget... JANUARY 13th, search SUGAR3 on Ebay to see our groups very first launch! We have a big suprise in store, you won't want to miss it... we are bringing something very new to Ebay.... I just know you will enjoy it, its going to be fresh and so much fun!

This post wouldn't be complete without telling you my New Years Resolution...
LOL, I am going to try "TRY" to be more diligent about posting on my blog!

Lots of HUGS to you all...
~Laurie

We have a new MEMBER in the CUBE!

2008-11-15T11:39:00.006-05:00

I am proud to share with you all the amazing Kirsten, of Winipoo! Kirsten is such a wonderfully talented woman! Kirstin brings many more talents to the CUBE other than her jewelry making!

Be sure to check her out and mark her as a favorite! Her jewels are TDF!!!

Welcome to the CUBE, Kirsten!

Stayed tuned and keep searching SUGAR3! You won't want to miss what is going on inside the CUBE!

I'm SOOOO excited!

2008-10-22T18:46:00.007-04:00

It's been a long time, huh?

2008-09-30T23:42:00.004-04:00

Well, all I can say right now is....SORRY!

Let's see...where to start! My life has been a whirlwind for that last month or so. First, we find out that the sweet baby boy that we thought was our first grandson, isn't biologically my sons! Oh, I can't even begin to tell you the hurt and pain. I haven't been able to see sweet Evret since the test. :( I guess you could say it was a bitter sweet evening....

About a week later, Miss Kylie was not feeling so well. She was having an uncontrollable thirst with some serious sleep issues. She seemed so restless. I could smell a funny smell on her breath, a smell that I have only ever experienced once before... it was KEYTONES! I took her to the pediatrician, knowing in the back of my mind, but not wanting to believe that my baby had diabetes. A pee test and some blood work confirmed, indeed, Kylie had TYPE 1 diabetes! I can not begin to explain the devistation. Why my sweet baby girl??? I knew this meant a life time of insulin shots, finger pricks, and doctors appointments. It just didn't seem real to me...until I had to give her that first shot. Oh, it was awful. She begged and pleaded for me not to hurt her, why was I doing this to her... I wanted to crawl in a hole and just bawl. We talked to her and told her everything we knew, over and over and assured her that it was to keep her healthy. Kylie is a smart cookie, she gets it, but she still doesn't like it. I can't say I like it either.

On the other side of the coin, I have to thank God. I have to thank him for helping me to stay stong so I can care for her. I have to thank him for allowing me another day with her. Diabetes doesn't mean death, it just means a major life style change.
I can deal with that, thank you sweet Jesus, thank you!

A friend of mine sent me a really sweet email entitled, why dogs bite people... this is bound to brighten anyones day...enjoy!

2008-08-23T10:46:00.003-04:00

I have been the recipient of the ARTE Y PICO Award! The honor was bestowed upon me by Annette of Pickles*and*Co! Thank you Annette! Where did this award first originate you ask? Well, you can read about it here...however, it is in Spanish. These are the rules:

1) You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award, creativity, design, interesting material, and also contributes to the blogger community, no matter of language.

2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3) Each award-winner, has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.

4) Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of "Arte y pico"blog , so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5) To show these rules.

AND, so now the winners are...

Kathy of Pixie-Dust-Studio
Cree of Bowznstuff
Cammie of MyLittleFairytales
Nicole of 60Piggies
Shelley of Giraffikiki*Kids

Two week and two days!

2008-08-17T18:48:00.004-04:00

I had a nice visit with sweet Evret Saturday! Mommy had some ME time and NANA reaped the benefits! He was such a pleasure to have, what a good baby. We're looking forward to our next visit!

My 1st GRANDBABY!

2008-08-06T13:28:00.003-04:00

Yep, I have a new addition to my family! Baby Evret! Isn't he just the SWEETEST! I never thought I would be a Nana at thirt-wellnevermind that!

A dear friend of mine wrote this and she will never know how much this meant to me....

I think of Evret as I read Ps. 139...Verse 5-God has been behind Evret, and before him, and laid his hand upon him.
Vs 15-Evret's substance was not hid from God when God made him in his mother's womb.
Vs16-God saw Evret before he was even born, and scheduled each day of his life before he even began to breathe. Every day of Evret's life has been recorded in God's book.

Laurie-God is watching over this child! And He hears and answers a praying grandmother!!!!
Love to you!

Never a dull moment!

2008-07-27T11:40:00.003-04:00

Well, there is never a dull moment on Old MacLaurie's farm! LOL If it isn't roosters swimming around in our pool, or chickens sitting on 15 chicks, or rescuing kittens from rising water put out from a hurricane,it is our Mamma Kitty having babies! LOL We have a ferrel cat, we call Mamma Kitty. For some reason, she has come to love Kylie and she lets her maw all over her! We feed all our ferrel cats dry cat food, but Mamma Kitty is special. We allow her up on our porch and feed her canned cat food and give her milk! Kylie would spoil EVERY animal if we would let her.

Yesterday, I looked at Mamma Kitty and told DH and Kylie that she was going to pop! She is so fat and just looked miserable. She was all sprawled out across the porch and I thought man, I felt just like that at the end of my pregnancy! Sure enough, she had the kittens sometime through out the night. This morning, as every morning, bright and early we went out to call her to come and eat. I ran in to DH and told him she had her babies, she had her babies. We have to go find them. Mamma Kitty lost all her babies from the last litter. She is old. DH said after breakfast, I will go find them, it's 2 against one, I guess I have no choice! LOL

DH is slick, he hid and watched her as she left the porch when she was done with her food and milk. He came in and said, I think I know where she has her babies. They are under the bush hog! Oh no! He said don't worry, I can get them with out moving it. Kylie and daddy were outside for about an hour and here comes Kylie with a 5 gallon bucket, looking like a proud mamma! She HAD 5 BABY KITTENS IN TOW and one Mamma Kitty on her heals.

We are currently using Kylie's playhouse as a shelter for Mamma Kitty and her babies. It is cool and safe. We are hoping she keeps them in there and allows us to be a part of their lives.

Thanks for sharing in a special moment of Miss Kylie's. She's on cloud nine today!

50,000 Names, Carved in the Wall

2008-07-23T10:05:00.002-04:00

Someone whom I love very much sent this to me.....

Click here 50,000 and make sure your volume is on!

Ricky, I miss you and love you terribly!

Mom

WISTERIALANE is at it again!

2008-07-09T02:12:00.002-04:00

The girls of Ebay group, Wisterialane, have come together again to present a FABULOUS launch this week! Search Wisterialane Park to see all the wonderful offerings.

I collaborated with my good friends, Kathy of Pixie-Dust-Studio, Lesli of SweetToesBoutique, and Erin of Fairy*Tails*Bowtique!

This set ended very early with a BIN, but keep your eyes peeled... there is another set that is very different going live soon!

GOD Bless America!

2008-07-04T15:35:00.003-04:00

God Bless America, my HOME, sweet HOME!

Thank you to all my brothers and sisters, all the military personnel for keeping our country free and safe! God bless each of you.... I miss and love you Ricky, and I am so VERY proud of you...

My Sister.....

2008-07-01T16:18:00.002-04:00

My sister sent me this today, and I figured by sharing it here, it would reach more people!

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.

I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.

She said, "Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?"

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave me a giant squeeze.

"Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I asked..

She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids..."

"No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

"I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!" she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.

We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine" as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up..

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor.

Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, "I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know."

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, " We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.

There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.

We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!

There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.

If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.

Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets.

The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets."

She concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose."

She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.

One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.

When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice to your friends and family, they'll really enjoy it!

These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.

REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL. We make a Living by what we get. We make a Life by what we give.

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

"Good friends are like stars........You don't always see them, but you know they are always there."

A disruption to my sleep-wake cycle!

2008-06-19T05:38:00.002-04:00

The past two weeks I obviously have been ignoring my circadian clock! I can't sleep! Now one might be inclined to think that it's just me, in my own little fast paced world... I promise, it's not!

I have this little interruption in my life right now, called WORK! I am working the overnight shift and let me just say... my body is rejecting this schedule! What once worked so beautifully for me, doesn't seem to these days.

I sleep for 2-4 hours and wake up... wide awake! I get 15 minutes here and there, never a good solid 8 hours. I DO NOT like taking medications, but I am starting to feel inclined to give some a whirl. My concern is dependency and withdrawal, addiction to where I CAN'T go to sleep with out it....

Maybe something natural will help, I just can't seem to unwind during the day. (This is when I need to sleep) My DH basically has my room blacked out, so darkness isn't the issue...

I am officially sick today. My throat is sore, it is making my ears hurt! I am going to take a dose of NyQuil before I lay down, I am praying this gives me the much needed rest that my body is craving.

Well, 7 minutes and it went at a BIN!

2008-05-28T21:19:00.003-04:00

Well, I didn't expect it so soon! Our Patriotic Polly went up last night, was live for 7 minutes, had 4 hits and was gone! She was a OOAK, dedicated to my son! Hope you enjoy the pictures of your sister, Ricky! We miss you!

A day to celebrate!

2008-05-26T12:06:00.003-04:00

Memorial Day: Memorial Day is a United States Federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (in 2008 on May 26). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who perished while in military service to their country. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War, it was expanded after World War I to include casualties of any war or military action.

Memorial Day used to be a day that I would say a quick prayer for peace and give thanks, well today marks a new meaning for me....

I have told you before, my son (19) joined the Navy... well it is hitting home today. I actually am feeling the heart ache that all these other mothers must be feeling with their child being gone to serve for our great county. It's so real to me now.

I have a lot to be proud of today, Ricky called yesterday to tell me he is volunteering today at a ceremony. Wow, I was thinking, is that you Ricky? LOL I am so very proud of you son, more than you ever will know!

So if you are reading this, you watch Ebay on Tuesday... my set is in honor of you and all your brothers and sisters standing up and protecting our nation!!! Kylie will be waving hello and sending you all her love!

We love you Ricky...
Mom and Kylie

What's your favorite candy?

2008-05-14T18:41:00.002-04:00

Mine is the caramel creams or bull's eyes! Somehow, I just can't resist the creamy, sugary inside and then the chewy caramel outside! These candies have been around forever! I remember as a child, my dad used to give me 25 cents every Friday when he would get home from work. I would ride my bike to the candy store and fill a small paper sack with these caramel creams, little red fish and anise babies!

I found a little bit of history on them that I thought was pretty neat!

Goetze's Caramel Creams were introduced in 1918. The name explains exactly what the product was (and still is): a caramel jacket with a pure sugar cream center.

Since they look a little like the bull's eye of a target, the nickname was picked up along the way. Many people only know this popular caramel candy by the name Bull's Eyes.

Do you see what I see?

2008-05-14T01:21:00.002-04:00

My DH calls me at work, just so proud. He says to me, "Honey, I used your camera tonight!" I say, "Non using camera man, say what?!" He said, "I took a picture and I want you to share it with you internet friends." I said, "OOOOOHHHH KAY!"

I get home, upload the pictures to the computer to find 5 pictures that are nothing but a big ole blur, and one really cool one. So here it is....

His message to all you mothers out there..."When you think you have kids up your butt all the time, imagine how this CHICK feels!"

This hen is roosting in one of our oak trees and she just taught her chicks how to get into the tree. Seems like they are not quite ready to be out from under her just quite yet!!! That is 9 chicks all huddles under and around their mother on a limb, in the ole oak tree!

ENJOY....

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-12T01:08:00.003-04:00

God blessed me with yet another beautiful day!

Today I woke up to a phone call from my 19 year old son who is now officially a SAILOR! I am so proud of him. We spoke for about an hour. He graduated from boot camp on Friday and is now in New England for his "A" school!

Hubby gave me a beautiful vase full of all my favorite flowers! I also got a wonderful foot rub, he's the best!

My middle daughter spent the day with me on Saturday. We did alot of shopping and an evening and night of sewing! We had a great time!

My sweet little baby girl gave me a single flower, balloon and a card! She was terribly excited for me to open it up! She also gave me a small foot rub!

I finished my day with sewing a bit...the entire house is asleep, it is very peaceful and that is my favorite time to create!

I hope each of you had a wonderful day as well!

Flat Tristen

2008-05-08T13:16:00.007-04:00

While taking our lunch break, at my full time job....a sweet lady approached myself and partner. She asked if we would be willing to pose with "FLAT TRISTIN". Well, I was clueless, looked at my partner with one eyebrow raised! Mandy says yeah, c'mon Laurie, I heard of this before. So here we are, posing with FLAT TRISTIN and her Great Aunt! How sweet!

Update, here is how Flat Tristin made it to Florida!

Tristin has a class project called Flat Stanley. Tristin had to make a flat character and send it to a relative or friend that lived in another place. Tristin traced herself and called it Flat Tristin and wanted to send it to her GREAT AUNT LINDA in Flordia. So off to Flordia Flat Tristin went and once she got there Linda took her around and showed her the town, took lots of pictures and met lots of GREAT people. Linda had come across two women firefighterss while her and Flat Tristin were out and asked them if they would pose with her. She had told the ladies how much Tristin loves her Daddy being a firefighter and how proud of him she was. One of the Lady Firefighters is also a clothing designer and asked to see pictures of the real Tristin. Below is a link to her website that has supper cute clothing and also a blog about Tristin's adventure!

Well a week or so later, I got this very sweet email and some pictures of the real Tristin! Here is a copy/paste of her email....

Thank you so much for your help with Flat Tristin! It helped me beleive that there are still good people in the world! Tristin was so very excited that two firefighters held her Flat Tristin!! Keep up your much needed work. Thanks again.

Sincerley,

Linda

Thank you Linda for sharing a part of your personal life with us! Tristin, sorry you couldn't come to Florida, however I hope you enjoy your Flat Tristin and all the pictures! Mickey and Minnie said you tell you HI!!!

AND THE GRAND FINALE WINNER IS......

2008-05-07T10:33:00.003-04:00

Ebay ID: romeruffy
Thank you Kary for submitting this precious photo of PRINCESS BROOKLYN in a *BLoWiN*BuBbLeS*BouTiQuE* creation!

If you haven't been following, I asked all my past customers to submit a photo/photo's of their little sweeties in one of my creations! This was part of a month long celebration. The GRAND FINALE was one not to be missed!

Miss Kylie was the "JUDGE"! She went through ALL the photos and selected her favorite! I figured since the creations were for little people, I should have a little person pick the winner!

Miss Brookly's prize is going to be a VERY special one....she is going to get to help me design HER VERY OWN special custom set!!!!! This is a design idea I've been waiting for just the special moment to create! I am so excited!

I just wanted to say THANK YOU to each one of you who took the time to submit photo's of your precious babies! They were all SO STINKIN cute! I would have NEVER been able to pick a winner! I would have been sewing for a year because I couldn't have just picked one!!!

THANK YOU to ALL my customers, you have truly made these past two years a wonderful experience for me! I have enjoyed talking with each of you, making new friendships along the way and of course, creating for your little angels! I am truly blessed!

~Laurie

Circus, circus...oh we love the circus!

2008-05-03T09:38:00.004-04:00

The girls in the group are really bringin it on! Jenn, of felicitys*flair, is offering this amazing Circus set this week! OH my, the details! Jenn is a very talented designer who pays close attention to ALL the details!

How adorable is little Emma? I love this picture, when I look, I am guessing that she is thinking about an M&M that just fell to the ground! Am I right, Jenn??? Oh and I can't forget to mention those sweet cheeks, I could just pinch them!!! Softly of course, he he he!!!

This two piece set is soooo girly! I love the comfy shirring, this would so be a hit with Kylie, she is all about the comfort! Jenn is offering this set for your little one in sizes 1 through 10!

Way to go Jenn on another fabulous creation! Click here to see the auction on Ebay!

Another monthly special!

2008-04-29T19:37:00.002-04:00

Today I am launching with RnB on Ebay and I am offering a OOAK set in size 4. I believe this will do just as well for a size 3 as the skirt has an adjustable waist!

I am starting this OOAK set for a dollar! No reserve!!! Check it out here! Good luck!

SUNSHINE ROSES

2008-04-27T18:19:00.002-04:00

Well isn't this just purdy?! Shelley of giraffikiki*kidz, is the awesome designer of this timesless piece. I find myself keep going back to it, over and over! I wish it was available in my size!!! You can find this beautiful dress here, on Ebay!

Shelley, it is just beautiful!

It's Friday......

2008-04-25T07:42:00.004-04:00

Ah, I can hear the gentle sound of the waves breaking on the shore, smell the fresh ocean breeze and feel those HOT rocks on my aching back....After a long hard week, I think we ALL should be treated to THIS!!!

Happy Friday ladies...please don't forget to have your picture/pictures to me of your sweetie wearing her *BLOWIN*BUBBLES*BOUTIQUE* creation no later than the last day of April (2008)!!! I HAVE A BIG suprise for one lucky little girl!!! These pictures will never be shared unless of course with your consent!!! You won't want to miss out on this one, I promise...it is worth submitting a picture or 2, or 3 or 4! LOL This will be the GRAND FINALE of the month long give aways!

Just a little THANK YOU.....

2008-04-24T16:15:00.003-04:00

TO THE most amazing artist I know! My dear friend and children's artist, KATHY FRONCZAK of pixie-dust-studio!!!

Kathy is one of the most kind hearted people you will ever encounter in your life! Not just because she is my friend, group mate and co-worker....but because of all the amazing things this woman is, and does!

I've not yet had the pleasure to meet Kathy in person, however it is tops on my list of things to do!

If you haven't had the opportunity to see Kathy's artwork, check it out here!

Last week, Kathy was kind enough to allow me to turn her canvas artwork into artwork on children's clothing! I must say, WWWOOOOWWWZZZZAAA! It turned out to be such a hit for us all!

Kathy, you truly are an amazing woman whom I admire dearly! Love ya girl! Can't wait to introduce Miss Polly in her newest adventure!!!! As one of your buyers said, your work is " AMAZINGLY ENCHANTING"!

Check out Kathy's current listings here on Ebay!

AND, this weeks winner is..........

2008-04-18T09:44:00.004-04:00

EBAY USER BELLELIANA!

I sent her an email to claim her prize!!!!

Dear belleliana,

Hi there! I just wanted to let you know that all this month I am doing suprise drawings, give aways and such because it is my 2 year anniversary on Ebay. Even though you didn't win my set, your name was drawn out of a hat by my DD and you are the winner of a custom froggy tee. If you would like to provide me with your name, mailing addy and the size your sweetie would wear, I will send out your gift. This is not a hoax, there is no cost to you... all my mailing customers and blog readers know about it... you can check it out on my blog if you want at blowinbubblesboutique.blogspot.com

Blessings...
Laurie

THE FIRST WINNER!

2008-04-10T18:39:00.003-04:00

As you know, I listed the MERGIRL tee on Ebay starting at $2.00 with $2.00 shipping. Kim of MYKIDDIESSTUFF won the auction at $29.99 with $2.00 shipping! The bonus was (and it was a secret, NO ONE knew) my very first bidder would also be getting the tee shirt! I second chanced offered Shannon of ALYSSAS*ARMOIRE the tee for $2.00 with the $2.00 shipping and of course, SHE TOOK IT! Shannon's response was, "Wow what a deal!! Thanks so very much!!"

There will be more exciting things to come this month! HINT.... take photographs of your sweetie in a *Blowin*Bubbles*Boutique* set.... you won't be sorry! I promise!!!

Take a peek at my current set... There will be a suprise involved with this set too... I can't tell you what, but there will be!!!! AND....it won't necessarily be the winner!

GOOD LUCK, AND AGAIN... thank you for making these past two years such a wonderful experience for me... Laurie

Well, I NEVER!

2008-04-06T09:19:00.005-04:00

So my partner and myself are in a mechanical room at work testing the fire sprinkler system and she spotted this cute little critter. Tiny, cute, harmless... he glares at us and she says to me, "Uh, Laurie... he is going to try to run into the mechanical room!" I said no Mandy, he's just checking us out. Squirrels are curious, we have tons of them at our house.

We watch this booger and let me say, I NEVER! He started digging like no bodies business. We're laughing and snickering, "look at this guy go!" He roots around in this hole he has made, then proceeds to COVER IT UP! Now I kid you not, he took his little paws and covered that hole back up. Then, to top it off, he patted all the mulch back over just so perfectly! At my amazement, I hollared, "WOW, Disney even has it's squirrels trained to clean up!"

I just was amazed, I told my husband... he laughed at me and said squirrels are always hiding things and he was just probaly checking on his loot to make sure we didn't steal it! ROFLMBO

I NEVER!

THE first ANNIVERSARY offering!

2008-04-01T12:57:00.002-04:00

Today starts the $2 Mergirl auction!Come by and take a chance at winning a sweet appliqued top. Shipping is $2 for the winning bidder!

Be sure to keep checking your email, the blog and of course the auctions through out the month of APRIL, there are a lot of goodies to be had!

Stay tuned for some really cool stuff!!!

2008-03-31T10:03:00.004-04:00

April 2008 marks the 2 year anniversary for *Blowin*Bubbles*Boutique*! I have a few fun things in store to share with my past customers, my mailing list customers and for potential customers!

For the first event, I will be offering a custom MERGIRL tee auction on EBAY, starting at 2.00 no reserve and $2.00 shipping! This will start sometime tomorrow, Tuesday April 1st. AND NO, THIS IS NOT AN APRILS FOOLS TRICK!!!!

Be sure to stay tuned, there are more fun things that will be coming through out the month of APRIL. If your not on my mailing list, you might want to sign up!

Why am I doing this... I want to give a little back to my customers! I want to give someone the chance who does not own a *Blowin*Bubbles*Boutique* creation, the opportunity to see my quality and customer service!

YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS THE GRAND FINALE, it's going to be one awesome prize!

Thank you all who have made these past two years a wonderful experience for me. I treasure all the friendships I have made and I am very excited to make new friends as well!

HUGS!!!
Laurie

Mickey Mouse Cover Up

2008-03-26T15:22:00.003-04:00

My good friend Kari has made the sweetest swim cover up, ever! Click here for her auction and check it out, the auction ends tomorrow!

Kari does fantastic work, she is an artist and is very maticulous when it comes to her work! Her applique is TDF! I speak first hand, we have had the pleasure of owning her work!

I WANT TO TRICK IT ON IN TO TOWN!

2008-03-16T11:55:00.002-04:00

oH My goodness, my neighbor has a new toy! He is always tinkering with something, this month it is a mud/hunting buggy! Ok, so the tires are about 5 feet tall and this thing is LOUD!!! I told my hubby that he really couldn't do no hunting with that thing, it would scare off anything in its path!

We put Kylie over the fence and hubby put her up there for the picture. When it was time to come back home, Kylie says no! I want to go for a ride! I told hubby I just want to "Trick it on in to Town"!! LOL

How fun will this be to go to the mud hole in!!!!???

Want to Get to Know Me Better?

2008-03-14T21:35:00.000-04:00

Come check out my interview on http://wisterialaneblog.blogspot.com/

Royal Albert, Paradise

2008-03-02T18:13:00.003-05:00

Royal Albert, Paradise.
This weekend, while re-covering my dining room chairs, I glanced inside my china cabinet. I thought, what a perfect match. I started taking pictures to share with my groupmates and Jess reminded me of just how beautiful the set is.

Black and white, simple, yet makes such a statement.... which brings me to this post. I would love to have the teapot that matches this set. It is discontinued, dated 2003. The rims are trimmed in platnium. If you know of a place that still has some pieces, post me a web addy!

A new ADVENTURE!!!

2008-02-27T20:25:00.007-05:00

Sorry it's been awhile since I've posted. We have been ever so busy with the PARISBEBE launch, and my new "ADVENTURE". My sweet friend Timi of CINNAMON GIRL STUDIO has been working so hard on creating a website for my business. YOU HAVE TO COME CHECK IT OUT, she did an amazing job! It is so much more than I ever imagined! It is bare, but it is LIVE!!! Keep checking as I will be adding new things to the store frequently. www.blowinbubblesboutique.com

Offended?

2008-02-10T15:26:00.000-05:00

Who would have ever thought Miss Kylie would have been offended over a mani?! Well, part of the Natural light studio brings a mani, right?

Kylie: We're getting a mani in the mail!
Mommy: Yes and when she arrives, I'll put her together.
Kylie: Well can I play with her?
Mommy: Uh, no baby.. she is for mommy to put customs on and photograph.
Kylie: WHAT??? I thought I was YOUR MODEL and took pictures?
Mommy: You are baby, but sometimes I will need to use the mannequin.
Kylie: But will she get a movie for every two sets?

OMWord, she's killing me! ROFLMBO Kylie gets a movie for every two sets she models so I guess she feels like she is going to get gyped!

Miss Kim, this is your sweeties set that will be mailed out tomorrow. It fits perfectly on my 2/3 mani! Hope you are most pleased!