It's a GIVEAWAY!

Here's the deal...it's simple. Take a look at my current listing and/or my ME PAGE and post here to tell me which of my sets is your favorite. Or you can tell me about a special place or event where your child wore a Pickles and Co. set. Or, if you don't want to post about either of those things, tell me what you had for breakfast! lol I don't care.

On Tuesday, May 5, I will randomly select a winner from all the posts. You get one entry for every time you post, so post away! :) The winner will receive the Pickles and Co. pincushion you see pictured, which was made using one of my favorite Alexander Henry prints.

On newstands now....

I'm honored and excited that the sweet little lady wearing my Mary Poppins set was featured in the current issue of Disney's D23 magazine. And isn't Miss Sydney the cutest little thing?

and just to catch up....

Last month, over Spring Break, we took a road trip down to the Texas coast. We were ready for some sun, some sand, and some SEAFOOD! :)

Don't let the pictures fool you...that water was CHILLY! We had a great time though, and it wasn't too bad, once you got used to it!

Here are a few shots from our trip.

Life has a way...

of sometimes taking the wind out of our sails. I seem to have disappeared from blogland for the past few months. I've been wanting to start blogging again, but it just didn't seem right to fast forward to this point without sharing what's been happening over the last few months. So finally, I'm ready to pay tribute to my grandmother, who we lost in January.

We're all going to miss Grandma. I still hear her voice in my head fairly often. So many things remind me of her, and I think that's a blessing. It means that she left enough reminders of herself, she touched my life enough, and that she made a big enough impact that she will stay with me always. My girls were blessed that she was a big part of their lives as well. Not many kids get to experience that with great-grandparents, but mine have. And OH how she loved the great-grands.

We love you Grandma, and we miss you.

Paityn and Tony (the horse) meet again

and the hope of getting a horse of her own only grows stronger

She already has the name picked out.

It would be SO much more fun...if only the weather would cooperate!

It's beginning to look a lot like POPCORN! :)

Jello glazed popcorn is one of my dad's FAVORITE things. In fact, that's what he asked for for Christmas. So yesterday the girls and I got to work. We made 26 batches. We made every flavor we could think of...cranberry, berry blue, tropical fusion, blackberry fusion...the list goes on. We even made cinnamon (using unflavored gelatin and cinnamon oil), which is my personal favorite! We had such a fun time listening to Christmas music, being silly, and working together.

Here's the recipe:

Glazed Popcorn

8 c. popped popcorn (we used 11 c. since the popcorn was especially fluffy)
1/4 c. butter (margarine)
3 T. light corn syrup
1/2 c. sugar
1 pkg. (small) Jello gelatin, any flavor

Place popcorn in a large bowl. Heat butter and syrup in small saucepan over low heat. Stir in sugar and gelatin; bring to a boil over med. heat. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer for 5 min. Pour syrup immediately over popcorn, tossing to coat well.

Spread popcorn on foil lined cookie sheet, spreading evenly. Bake in preheated 300 degree oven for 10 min. Cool. Remove from pan and break into small pieces.

Tree Hunt 2008

I have to admit...this time of year, I'm really missing Wyoming. I miss the SNOW! Had we been there longer, I might have grown to dislike snow, but I hadn't reached that point yet. On the flip side, when June rolls around and I'm floating in the pool (vs. turning my seat heaters on and scraping snow), I will not be missing Wyoming. You get a little, you leave a little.

One thing I truly love about my family is that, no matter where we are, we find a way to keep our family traditions...such as the annual TREE HUNT. Granted, going to a tree farm in 67 degree weather (with ferocious wind) was slightly different than the quiet forest, traipsing through snow up to our knees and the gentle falling snow. (See Tree Hunt 2007) But still...it was fun.

So here we are...looking for the "perfect" tree.



Is this one it?


Well....maybe not.

But I think Paityn spotted one...


Here it is

and, upon the wisdom I gained from my grandpa, we "put rocks in our pockets" to keep from blowing away. :)

Here's the SAWMASTER, hard at work, cutting down THE TREE.


and taking it to the shaking machine




AND...they wrap it up and tie it onto your car...now THAT'S service you don't get in ANY forest! :)