more winter storms and PRETTY MAIL!!!!!

Okay this is a verrrrrry loooooong post with lots of pics so grab yer coffee or tea or 'drink du jour' and set a spell. You need to take a break anyway!



Good Morning!!!! Today it is actually warming up and the snow is melting......melting...... mmmmmeee............................heheh I took these two nights ago after another big snowstorm dumped an additional 3-5" of snow. Until this morning many outlying communities were literally 'snowed in' and unable to go anywhere on state highways and secondary roads. The drifting and additional snow was just too much. Thursday night they actually called off the sanders and snow plows because of the terrible driving and icy conditions.
This was sooooo pretty and even blue sky earlier in the day!!
This was the night the storm showed up . A few hours before...... the snow plows showed up to actually plow our street out. the snow was 1-2' deep where people don't drive.
I took this picture and had to keep the lens open so it is blurry sorry.

But you can see the mounding snow against the fence.

MORE SNOW!!!!
My metal hand molds along the front pathway.
a very long icicle-----------------------just wanted to share. How many of your rememeber when you were younger and we would break icicles off as long as we could get them and pretend they were popsicles or better yet have sword fights with our friends and siblings?? This pretty icicle reminded me of those days.
the snow is actually about two feet deep in our back yard They say this is the LAST winter storm and the temps for the next four days are highs in the 40ish range so..... who knows.......................spring may be at the end of the 'big thaw'!!!!

NOW FOR THE MAIL IN THE LAST TEN DAYS OR SO>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> what can make a person happier than having the mail lady ring the bell and say..................another package for you today!!!!!?

These hands are from my dear friend Shannon and her daughter Nat.

They are carved and have a very pretty finish. She knows how I love hands and sent these for a late bd/christmas gift. I can't wait to display them.

I am thinking they would be very pretty in the bathroom with a small picture of grandchildren hanging from the fingers and nestled in the palm????? maybe that is the perfect thing!!!

The " altered heart box swap" hosted by Maria @ the junkkdrawer brought my partner Kim from vintagemehemmedinprayer to my life. What a fun lady and great Mom. She took this metal heart tin and decorated it in such a fun way!! I love it!!! She really picked up on what I love. Then she filled it with all these wonderful 'treasures'. Thank you so much KIM!!!
This swap had us making a recipe 'page' and sending them to Karla and Beth who made covers for 42 booklets. Then they put them together for each of us participants and mailed them off to us.
All the covers were different and that is mine. Here are two pages of the recipe booklet. All the recipes look sooo yummy and it will be so fun to try each of them out. PLUS we each have 42 pages of art from everyone!! What a special gift!!!
My friend Shannon included this beautiful heart in her package with the hands she sent me. It is hanging in the kitchen where John and I can see it every day. THANK YOU SHANNON AND NAT. We LOVE you so much.
IN the Hanging Heart Swap sponsored by the Sweet Goodness Swaps
I had Anina from twiddletails for my partner. If you are a quilter or just love quilts you have to look at the work on her site. She is AWESOME.

She made this hanging heart garland for me and it incorporates all the colors in our main family room. I am NOT going to take this down after Valentine's day but will keep it up. Hearts symbolize love to me and I like to have them 'hanging around'.

Anina also hand made this pretty pink heart out of wool. The dark pink is the same wall color here in my studio so it will hang in here. I am going to hang all the fun small things from swaps on a garland chain across my window above the work table.
Dolly from mycherryheart sponsored a vintage valentine swap that was supposed to incorporate hearts. My partner for this was Connie from connielivingbeautifully. She made me this QUEEN tiara!!It is so sweet. John was home the day I got it and we were picking up around the house and I put this on to 'cheer the chores'. He loved it and wanted to get a picture of me wearing it so..... take a close look......I don't like my picture taken.
Connie also made this very pretty hanging 'rose' for me. It is so pink and so me!!!

Here is another view of the altered heart tin from Kim. I got the pictures out of order when downloading all of these!!! whew. I will post pics of the 'art' I sent my partners when I know for sure they have all received them.I don't want to spoil their surprise!!!
THANK YOU all of you lovely ladies for your beautiful art. They all have special memories of new friendships and I will think of you often when I am admiring them time and time again.
happy art!!!!!!!