April Showers Blog Design

So...I have been working with April of April Showers Blog Design on a new layout for this blog and I'm getting sooo excited because its almost done! I can't wait for you all to see it!

While we are all waiting you should go check out April's work via her Facebook page, she really is awesome. She's currently doing a promotion for a giveaway to two people - if she can get to 400 friends by the end of the week she's giving out two $100 gift certificates!

Now I know you are thinking to yourself, "self - I don't blog why do I care about a girl that lives in Idaho that designs blog layouts?" Well let me tell you the reason why, you see April does MUCH more than just blog layouts. She does it all including things like business logos and custom card orders. So please give her a look and become her friend - you might even win $100 gift certificate!

Craft Hope

I wanted to share this information with everyone on how you can help Haiti and get something wonderful for yourself or as a gift for someone else. Etsy has a shop called Craft Hope for Haiti where all the items are donated by the other stores and 100% of the proceeds will go directly to Doctors Without Borders. So far they have raised an amazing $20,000, please give their shop a visit.  You can also visit them at www.crafthope.com .

Thanks in advance for your help! This site will be taking donations from Etsy stores again in a couple weeks and I will be donating to the site, I'll let you all know when they have to new items added so you can take a look.

Have a great day!

Mandy

http://www.etsy.com/shop/MrsDixon

The Babies - You have to see this!

So I just found this movie ad on Make and Takes, and it's so super sweet and cute! I can't wait for this to come out - it's just the kind of thing that I love. I love to see new places and how people live in different parts of the world. Check this out....

One from the HUGE list

When we first arrived, actually before we even left for Germany, I had planned to write almost everyday on my blog about all the wonderful new things about Germany. I was so excited and just knew that everyday would be FILLED with new and interesting things to write about. What I hadn't planned on was the overwhelming about of new things that there are to write about. So where to start with this gigantic mental list of things I know everyone wants to know about...

So here is my plan, I will write about all these things that are so different here in Germany - some useful, some not - some huge differences, some not - some interesting and frankly some that just aren't. Why would I want to include the things that aren't interesting, big, or useful? - Because everyone keeps asking me how I like it here and this will give everyone an insider view of what life is like for us here.

To start with one from the HUGE list....

Now I have to start by telling you that this is not going to be pretty, it did involve some crying...ok, ok...a lot of crying are you happy now that I confessed? lol Seriously, there is a HUGE shortage, actually its not a shortage at all -  its a TOTAL LACK of craft stores in Germany! Nothing that would ever be mistaken for Michael's, Joann's, or Hobby Lobby. Yes, that's right...there are no craft store in Germany. I mean seriously, does no one in Germany MAKE anything?

Now, let me say this there are several stores that I have heard of that sell sewing/quilting/yarn for knitting type supplies. It seems that the only "craft" that Germans do is well knit. That's fine and all and honestly a skill that I do not but wish I did have. But it does me no good really that these are the only supplies that are available locally.

The base has an "Art's and Crafts Center" that has, and I say this very generously, a small amount of crafting supplies. I am grateful for the attempt at craft supplies but it's just really not adequate at all.

So now I am left to say thank GOD (I mean this seriously I do thank the Lord) for the internet...even if a Democrat claims that he "invented" in...and not the group of scientists that actually did (whatever...). Anyway, I seriously would die if it weren't for the internet while we are in Germany. Luckily I can order supplies from many sites online, no thanks at all to Target who wont ship MOST of their items to an APO...whatever, again. I do have very good luck in ordering supplies online, with a little planning ahead of course!

Thoughts about 2009 and the dreaded NYR for 2010

This past year has been full of "adventure" for lack of a better word. Actually, now that I think about it I can think of a better word...its a 4 letter word too, WORK. Moving regardless of how close or how far is a lot of work and no matter how prepared you think you are - you never really are. All of the planning and preparation is worthless in the end because there is always something (or in my case everything) that can and most surely will go wrong!

So this year I am making a New Year's Resolution.... see my post on Happy Girl to see what it is!