How about some Opinions?!

Browsing in blog land today through Google Reader... noticed that a friend of mine is doing a giveaway for my competition. My initial response was WHAT?! I was kinda irked. But, I am over it now... One thing seeing that did do was make me want to add more to my shop. I have some things up my sleeves! :) Mike [my husband] and I have been throwing around some ideas for my shop for a couple of months now... I don't know if I should reveal what I am going to do... BUT! I want your opinion! Yes, that means leaving the google reader window in order to do so, but , you're OK with that, right? ;) ha ha.


Here is what I am mainly wanting to know:

What are your favorite fabrics? This one is what I REALLY want to know. I like to know what's HOT! ;) ha ha.

What would YOU like to see in my shop in 2009?


So, come on down and comment. ;) Tell your friends too! The more answers, the better! Can we get 20 comments? More? Let's see!!!! Pass my blog address around to your friends, and see what they have to say!


Oh, and remember... a giveaway is going on RIGHT NOW!! Go enter that too while you're at it. ;)

Resolutions

OK, my OCD took over! Had to retype this post so that it was mostly all the same sized font... I hope it works, or else...

Again, sorry if you are getting this yet again in Google Reader or Bloglines! Speaking of Google Reader ... I LOVE it! I just started using it a week ago. It's the best way to keep track of all the blogs I follow... and I still comment by clicking on the title of the posts! So easy. ;) If you want to follow my RSS feed, look in my sidebar... it's easy! Or, you can just type in my blog address in Google Reader and follow me.

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WOW!! Today is the last day of 2008! I can't believe it. [how did that happen so darn fast?]

I have been doing some thinking of things I want to do, and therefore thought it fitting to do a list if it all. A resolution list of sorts, I suppose. More like goals I'd like to meet in 2009. So, here goes... [this list will likely get added to and of course there WILL be the whole, "I did this" and then it will get crossed off.]

. Learn to knit some socks.
.Add new products to my shop. [more on that later]
.Learn to spin my own yarn.
.Learn to dye raw yarn.
.Read more. [well on my way!]
.Spend more time playing.
.Spend more time relaxing.
.Spend more girl time with Jenn and other girlfriends.
.Make a point to have 1-2 date nights a month with my husband.
.Take Angelina and Zoe out separately & together on the occassional "date" time with Mommy.
.Get my photography website up and running.
.Officially start my photography biz.


OK, I think that's good for now... there will be more, and there will be lots of crossing off! ;) Can't wait to get started in this list! 2009 is going to be great... I think/hope ........ I will keep all of my pessimistic presidential comments to myself. LOL.


What are your New Year's Resolutions/goals for 2009? Tell Me! Tell Me! Tell Me!!!


xoxo,

Shealynn


P.S. Have a Happy and Safe New Year's Eve!!!!

Like Free Stuff? Giveaways?

Ha! I know you do!! Well, head on over to Today's Creative Blog tomorrow to win one of my camera strap slip covers! Seems like the perfect time of year to do one, right? ;) Click here for the link.


xoxo,

Shealynn

More From Me

It's me! Again!! Can you believe it? :) I had more things to share.


Santa came... this is what he left...







And more. :)

This was Zoe most of Christmas Day morning... she woke at 9am or later. LOL. But, she had to wear her helmet the entire time. ha ha!



Funny, indeed.

Here is Miss A learning how to Sew last night. She is a quick learner!!







She loves to sew... and I find it fabulous that she says she wants to "sew just like mommy". Even funnier... she wants to "help mommy sew camera strap slip covers". ;) Maybe one day, sweetie. But right now, let's stick to pillows for your babies. ;) I love seeing my little girl getting a slight domestic side to her. All little girls should learn something domestic ... I think so, anyway. ;) She also has knitted a scarf with her knitting machine, but wants to learn the "real" way... so maybe one day soon when I am feeling extra patient - then I will teach her. ;)

Speaking of knitting... check out the newest scarf that's fresh off my needles!





The perfect seed stitched scarf, and the PERFECT yarn! I used 2 skeins of yarn. I have been obsessed with trying Alpaca yarn lately, and so I went to my local knit shop and got this AMAZING 50% Alpaca, 50% wool bulky yarn. It is oh so lovely! I started it Saturday and finished it Sunday. LOVE IT! It's for me. ;)

What's on my needles now?



This yarn that I have had for a long time. I am knitting a scarf for my brother's girlfriend. It's actually almost done. I took this picture yesterday when I had just started it. I think about another 30 minutes or so, and it will be done. :D It's A LOT longer than it was in the picture above!


That's all I got for now!! Stay tuned for my 2009 "Goal List". Since I don't do resolutions... I seem to always fail at those, so I figured I would change it to goal instead. Meeting goals makes me happier anyway. ;)


What have you been up to? Anything fabulous?


xoxo,


Shealynn

Christmas Gifts

OK, so I told you that I would be back yesterday to show you some pictures of the girls opening their gifts... well, that didn't happen. LOL!! Just didn't get around to it. But, I did get around to taking ALL of my Christmas stuff down already! That is a record for me! We normally wait until the weekend after Christmas, but not this year. This house is just too small to stand it all for another week. ;)

OK, here are the pictures... I will show all Angelina first, and then Zoe. After their sets I will list what they got. Enjoy! [these pictures do not include the gifts they got from Santa. Not sure I will include them... I was half asleep and didn't attach my external flash... and it was cloudy and rainy... pictures did not turn out great - but we will see. ;) I will list what they got - at the very least. But, not today. ;) ]


Waiting to open gifts:





this is the scarf I knitted for Angelina. Her reaction pleasantly surprised me! She jumped on me to give me a really huge hug, and many thanks. :D This scarf was super easy, and SUPER worth making and giving to her.









Angelina received:

Knitting Machine
A Movie
Scarf from me
2 chapter books
Barbie from Zoe
Twister Hopscotch
Farm Frenzy 2 [game]
Blink [game]

** There might be more, but I can't think of it right now. **

























Zoe Received:

Owl Sleeping Bag
owl stuffy made by mommy
puzzle
harmonica
elmo remote [I HATE Elmo, but the remote is the PERFECT gift for her since she is always messing with out remotes.]
Wubbzy [Zoe's FAVORITE Noggin cartoon]
Twinkle Star Book from Angelina [Zoe can sing this entire song by herself. Every time we draw a star on a piece of paper, she sings it. Too cute!]
Yo Gabba Gabba stuffies. [We think this show is ridiculous, but funny. Sorta like Teletubbies...]

** I think that's it! Zoe got a lot of little things. Angelina got bigger things - she is older... little things don't seem to cut it anymore. **


I wanted a picture of the girls with their daddy Christmas Eve, and this is the picture that came out... ha ha... it cracked me up!




Fun times, people, fun times! ;)


On another note... I made a new camera strap slip cover the other day... this is my new favorite!!



I LOVE it!! :D Want one? Head on over to my shop and get one! ;)


OK, off to get ready for the day! My friend, Jen and I are going to the book store together - ALONE! Woo hoo! Some time to myself. CAN NOT WAIT!!


xoxo,


Shealynn

Merry Christmas, Friends!

We here at the Benner household hope your Christmas is full of Joy, Love, Presents and Fun!!



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Since we open all of our presents on Christmas Eve, and the kids have already opened Santa's gifts, I can blog!! Finally!! LOL. Here are some pictures and some reveals from the last couple of days!!!


Every year around Halloween, I buy white pumpkins. I Loooove white pumpkins just because they are outside of the norm. And, they're just cool. :) My grandma and I were talking one day about them, and she gave me this really great idea ...



Pumpkins turned snowman!



I also finished making these for my girls....





That one is Angelina's. I finished them 2 days before Christmas! ha ha. I guess that is what happens when you have an extremely busy Christmas season, i.e. selling over 100 camera strap slip covers in less than 2 months. ;) They are not complete, but will be next year. Zoe's is the same, except she has a Z instead of an A, of course. ;)

And those sneak peaks... well, I can reveal that now!! Here it is ...............



A quilt for my Mom!







After making this quilt, I swore that I will not make another one. At least not a big one... a doll sized one, and that's it! LOL. I had a lot of problems with this one towards the end, but my mom LOVED it, and cried. ;) So, it was perfect. ha ha.


I did manage to find some spare time to finish wrapping all the gifts...





And I took some pictures of the girls playing around yesterday...



Zoe LOVES wearing Angelina's shoes... and as you can imagine, they are all HUGE on her...




My girl loves to pose. LOL.




Mike made my FAVORITE soup of all time: Chicken Chowder. [a recipe from Cooking Light - we have made every year for 5 years now].



He also bought me my favorite beer of all time... Lindemans - Framboise. YUMMMMM!!!







I made Zoe an owl for Christmas -- She is REALLY into owls lately. So much so, that we are going to mix them in to her room decor.



The owl turned out REALLY cute!


Here is a picture of my husband. :D He is so handsome. *Swoon*.



And a picture of me, with my gift from Zoe: Nigella Express.... I LOVE her cooking. This doesn't make me want to promise that I will be cooking dinner every night, though. ;)



I enjoyed sitting by the tree last night, drinking my Framboise and reading it.




And, Angelina's gift to me: An iDog. LOVE it! I have liked these things for a long time!




And, lastly for today... Santa's plate:





Have a great day! Merry Christmas again!


xoxo,


Shealynn


P.S. I will be back tomorrow with pictures of the girls and their presents. :) They got a lot of stuff, and they seem to love it ALL. Goal achieved. ;)