I've Been Blinged...

 My friend, Shelly from Bungalow Bling and I decided to do a swap

just between the two of us. I have loved her dreamy creations for a

long time, and she said she'd like to have one of my custom pincushions.

 Her gifts have arrived already!!

I was over the moon when I saw what she created for me.

 I love everything!!

A sweet little pine cone angel will be a wonderful addition

to our holiday tree, but will also grace the studio throughout the year.

 Shelly created my own little musical, sparkly Frosty!

Look at his adorable top hat. Isn't he just the most charming little guy?

 It most certainly is (the season)!

A musical dove with gold glitter trim. sigh

 When I opened the box, I found a glittery, shiny star.

A truly enchanted star to sparkle for my little snowman.

I neglected to mention it, but if you look closely at the first photograph,

you'll see a tiny clip sitting next to my snowman. It has a handmade

rosette on the clip and I can use it for many things...holding paper,

marking a favorite passage in a book, or even to adorn my (really short) hair!

Dearest friend, Shelly: I can't begin to tell you how much I love my gifts.

My snowman needs a name, so I'm going to call him "Sparkle" for all the

twinkle and light he brings into my studio. His name and his image will

forever be a reminder of your generous spirit and our friendship.

Thank you, sweet girl. Thanks and thanks again.

Now, Shelly and the rest of you may wonder about what I'm creating for

my part of our exchange. I'll just tell you that each image above contains a

clue to what her gift will look like. Soon, I'll be back to show you what I'll be

sending to the great state of Washington as my swap gift to the "Queen of Bling".

Soon.

Oh, and be sure to visit Shelly's blog to see her other beautiful, fairytale creations!

Holiday Sparkle, Music And A Smile...

Handsome accompanied a local musical group when they performed yesterday. I had to be in Sarasota and missed the fun...and I'm told it really was fun.

Of course, I knew he was going to be playing with them, but yesterday morning, I noticed a garment that I hadn't seen before. All bright and sparkly and new. I knew it was Handsome's attire for the performance, and I giggled as I told him, "It's you, Baby!" I knew right away that I was going to be sorry I wouldn't see this show.

Last year, the North Port Chorale asked him to stand in for their usual percussionist. The young man who usually backed the group didn't want to miss his high school prom. Handsome was glad to help out, and they were pretty enamored of his musical contributions. (After all, he has over forty five years experience on their usual drummer.)

He was soon after contacted to ask if he would be the regular percussionist for their group for the 2009-10 concert season. In addition, they requested that he accompany their select group of singers who perform separate from the Chorale called the Soundsations. Never being one to turn down an opportunity to play, Handsome agreed. (So you don't worry - their previous drummer went off to college.)

Yesterday, the Soundsations performed music from their repertoire as they entertained the residents of a local nursing home. I'm told that one gent, in particular, was completely taken with the music. He spent the afternoon "dancing" in his wheelchair, and there was occasional whooping and hollering from others in the gallery, too. You can imagine the group was a big hit!

Thank you to Sharon (the pianist) for taking a photograph of Handsome for me in his concert attire. Nothing like a little holiday sparkle, music and a smile to get you in the spirit of the season!

Only two more days until the end of my 200th Post Giveaway. If we get to 200 followers, there will be a second drawing, too. I just want to remind you to post your comment each day for additional entries.

Have fun as you prepare, primp and plan for time with family, and if you're planning to travel this Thanksgiving, please be safe. I'm looking forward to reading how each and every one of my blogging friends spent their holiday!