Happy New Year...let's make it better than last year!

I am grateful for so much but honestly...2010 was a tough year for me. I just know that 2011 is going to be so much better and I plan on working hard/smart to make it so. How about you? Are you ready for the "birth" of a New Year?
One of the highlights of this past year has been all of the new friends that I have made here in "blog world". You gals are just the best. Give yourself a hug from me.

A year in review of photos from each month of my blog posts. It seems like only yesterday that I made these post. My how time flies!



Happy 2010 Rednesday

Please join Sue over at It's A Very Cherry World and all of the other bloggers who are sharing their Red on this final Rednesday of 2010.

It's not very exciting but it's my little bit of Red this week. One day before Christmas my neighbor, Paddy, and I went out to grab some lunch and stopped at the local Ross. I don't generally shop at Ross stores because most the ones around here are such a mess. Honestly, every single one of them looks like a tornado just went through the place. Anyway...I digress... right when we walked in the door that day my "Cherry Eagle Eyes" spotted these car floor mats.  They were badly needed because my last set of "Wild Cherry" floor mats were pretty worn out. So...I bought myself a present....The End. ;-) 

The Last M.E. Monday for 2010.....

Welcome, again to Mary Engelbreit Monday. Please join us and post the link to your blog with the related Mary Engelbreit pictures to share with everyone. It can be a ME licensed product or something that was "inspired" by Mary Engelbreit's artwork. It "should" be a photo that you took of something that you own. We're flexible here....let's have fun above all else.

This isn't my usual sharing for ME Monday but I was so blown away by what I saw that I decided that I needed to get a second opinion. I don't make it over to Ebay much these days but I happened to me over there looking for something specific before Christmas. I'm now thinking that I might be sitting on a Gold Mine or that I'm selling the wrong kinda stuff.
See that "used" ME rubberstamp pictured above??? Someone over on Ebay is asking for a "Buy it Now" price of $25 big ones for it AND $5.95 for shipping it.

Okay...the three ME Christmas socks above that have been available at Michaels for $1 a pair or even .80 if you happened to use their 20% off your entire purchase coupon. Someone is asking for a Buy It Now price of $15 for the 3 pairs of socks AND $3.50 for shipping.

This one totally blew me away...lol! A few months back my neighbor, Paddy, and I were 'junkin' in a Goodwill store when she spotted this same 'mug' and made me buy it for I think $2. I wasn't crazy about it because I don't really care for the colors. I've never even featured mine on ME Monday. It just ain't cute. Turns out it's not really a mug. I found out it's was a Teleflora vase for a flower arrangement at one time dated back in 1999. So how much do you think someone is asking for it on Ebay???? Keep in mind they list it as "used". Are you ready??? $25.99 AND $8.95 for shipping! Seriously!!???  

I stopped looking after this last one. But it gave me an interesting idea for a ME Monday post. Now, this plastic ME tray was available at Michaels this summer for three bucks and change at full price. I happened to picked up this same tray when I hit their 70% off sale one day. Making it what?? $1 and change? Someone is asking $20 for it on Ebay AND $15 for shipping. I guess because it's a long tray shipping is more costly???

The last two auction have "ended" and it doesn't appear that they "sold" and the people listing these items are not new to Ebay. One of them has over 2,000 sales. Will people actually pay this kind of money for this Mary Engelbreit stuff??? Most of these things I wouldn't even consider to be "collectible". Like I said...I think I'm sitting on a Gold Mine here in my little ole house.

Once you've posted your picture come back and add your link in Mr. Linky below. Please share the link back to my blog so that everyone can take part in sharing their post and picture.

What a Gift!

I woke up this morning to find this lovely Etsy conversation in my mailbox. I don't know Audrey and she didn't know me before she read her Mary Engelbreit Newsletter this week but what a wonderful "Gift" she has given to me here the day after Christmas. Please indulge me by reading the kind things that she wrote to me.

"Just wanted to say hello to you!
Hi Vicki!
I was reading my Mary Engelbreit newsletter this morning and saw "Cherry Chick" listed on her "Blog Roll." I liked the name of your Blog -- it sounded whimsical and cute! I figured you would like Mary Engelbreit as much as I do so I clicked on your Blog. Now, I don't know much about how a blog works as it seems I click on one place and end up somewhere different which leads to somewhere else, etc. I do know, however, that after reading your "home" page, I so enjoyed your posted pictures AND your sense of humor! I just wanted to write to let you know this. I also wanted to express my awe at your lovely handwork and jewelry making. If I could afford it, I would buy every item you make! (As fate would have it, however, I am unemployed, going on 2.5 yrs now) Out of all your lovely jewelry creations I especially love your "Pink Beaded Bracelet" -- MY GOODNESS! It's just SO PRETTY! What fine needle work - it must have taken you forever! If you read my Etsy profile, you'll see that I truly appreciate a person's time and love that they invest in something handmade. Anyway, all this being said, I just wanted to add that after reading your blog and seeing your beautiful jewelry, I know you must be a very nice person. After all - you love beading and Mary Engelbreit -- my two most favorite things in the world! :) Take good care.
Audrey"

It's conversations like this and all the sweet comments that people leave that make all the time spent on blogging worth it.  For me, blogging is a way to use my creative energy and to stay in touch with others who have similiar interests. It's, also, a way to remind me how grateful I should be for how fortunate I am. I may have a broken heart now, I may have lost my most favorite pet this year (gheez..it still makes me cry to write it down), I may have to pinch pennies like so many others out there in world but the good stuff still out weighs the bad. One day at a time is what I tell myself.  One day I got a kind letter from Audrey. Her "gift" cost nothing but it is invaluable to me.
If I could send everyone to Audrey's shop on Esty I would but she doesn't seem to "sell" anything. I read through her profile and this is what she wrote at the end of it....

"Besides "creating" something, the most gratifying part of my day is to help someone out or make someone smile, even if it's something simple like paying someone a compliment. So, to whomever is reading this - Thank you for your time, I wish you the best and have fun being creative!"

Audrey...you should feel gratified today as you have made ME smile and I Thank You for your Gift.

Merry Rednesday

Please join Sue at "It's a Very Cherry World" and all the other ladies who will be sharing their Red for this special Merry Rednesday.

I have just a few more Christmas Reds to share. I love this Christmas mug and I try to drink my hot tea and cocoa out of it everyday in December. It seems to be always hanging upside down on the dish strainer and seldom makes it's way back into the kitchen cabinet.
The picture frame is one that I leave out all year long even though it is a Christmas frame. I just enjoy the colors and the "Be Warm Inside and Out" picture in it.

This is one of the smaller nesting ME boxes with a cute little "Joy" ornament displayed beside it. I love the little checkerboard floor on the ornament.

And finally, a sweet little polar bear ornament that matches the cute box ornament. There's some Red in the hat and the red & white checkerboard count too...right?



M.E. Monday

Welcome, again to Mary Engelbreit Monday. Time to get the last of that ME Christmas shared. Please join us and post the link to your blog with the related Mary Engelbreit pictures to share with everyone. It can be a ME licensed product or something that was "inspired" by Mary Engelbreit's artwork. It "should" be a photo that you took of something that you own. We're flexible here....let's have fun above all else.

While hunting for my stash of Mary Engelbreit Christmas stuff I came across a tin that contained a number of ME ornaments that I had forgotten about. I stood the little girl with her open heart up next to one of the nesting ME Christmas houses and I've just rotated it around for each of the ornaments so that you can see all four sides. There are 3 sizes in the nesting Christmas houses.

Cherry Santa ornament front & back views

Mary Engelbreit wooden Christmas ornaments

This Santa ornament has a little pull cord that moves his arms & feet.

 

I seem to really like the "Believe" Santa...here's a tin and a larger wooden ornament from my collection

Here's a Merry tin with a few smaller ornaments

The Christmas Garden ornament and small hanging box

I don't even remember where these little ME mitten tea light holders came from????

The last thing that I will share with you on this ME Monday is a wonderful tin tray. I believe it was Sweet Bee who shared a few that she has a few weeks back.  She offered to serve us tea on hers if we came to visit. I will serve you some delicious hot cocoa on my tray should you want to stop by. Or come and visit us both.

Thanks so much for stopping by and I look forward to seeing what everyone else has to share with us all on ME Monday.

Once you've posted your picture come back and add your link in Mr. Linky below. Please share the link back to my blog so that everyone can take part in sharing their post and picture

Artfire.com Collection Feature

The Nutcracker

Curated By: ViragoCreations

My Red Harlequin Cuff bracelet was featured in an Artfire.com Collection today. Cool!

Feature Yourself Friday

Summer Flowers Fringe Bracelet

(just in time for the start of winter)

Happy Rednesday Christmas Style

I'm joining up with Sue from over at "It's a Very Cherry World" and all of the other wonderful ladies who are sharing their Red today on Rednesday. You must stop by and see Sue's fabulous post today. She is one clever lady.

This is the "red" Christmas box that I made for sweet Sarah over at Hyacinths For The Soul. We both participated in a box exchange via Debby's Cozy Blanket blog.

Here's what was inside her box.
























Last, but not least, is my collection of Mary Engelbreit "I Love Christmas". I found that I have more ME Christmas than I had thought. I'll be sharing more on ME Monday cuz right now I have run out of steam. I'm feeling "drained" these days.


Happy Rednesday!

M.E. Monday

Welcome, again to Mary Engelbreit Monday. Please join us and post the link to your blog with the related Mary Engelbreit pictures to share with everyone. It can be a ME licensed product or something that was "inspired" by Mary Engelbreit's artwork. It "should" be a photo that you took of something that you own. We're flexible here....let's have fun above all else.

This is the "close up" view of the wonderful Mary Engelbreit 25 days of Christmas wreath made special for ME (as in Vicki).  My sweet friend Genie from Buttons for Baga Blogspot surprised me with this lovely, heartfelt gift this week.

Genie had participated in a Christmas Matchbox exchange earlier this month so she had the hang of decorating the matchboxes down perfectly. Only this time around she did everything in a Mary Engelbreit motif. There is so much work involved in this darling wreath. She sewed little yo-yo circles out of ME fabrics and added buttons to make the charming banner that circles the grapevine wreath. She decorated all of the 25 little matchboxes inside and out triming each of them with cute little ME scrapbook chipboard pieces. What a Lucky Lady I am to have such wonderful friends who make me such fabulous one of a kind gifts.  I will cherish it always and know that a whole lot of heart went in to creating it especially for me.

This wonderful wreath will have a year round spot on the wall in Cherry Chick Jewelry's "Corporate" Studio. :-)

Don't forget that the Cherry Chick Christmas Jewelry 48 hour sale continues until 8 p.m. EST on Monday. (see Sat. post)

Once you've posted your picture come back and add your link in Mr. Linky below. Please share the link back to my blog so that everyone can take part in sharing their post and picture.

Christmas Jewelry Sale

Sorry the picture is either too big for the post or too small to read. Click on the picture and it will enlarge making it easier to read about my 48 hour Christmas Jewelry Sale.

Wow...an Artfire Collection Feature

The Beads Have It!

Curated By: Metal_Artistry

ArtFire.com

 

I know you can't see all of the Collection but my little Pink Cha Cha Bracelet is right there in the second column. Awesome!