Calamity Kim

I recently visited the Mermaids of the Lake blog and discovered this amazing giveaway by Calamity Kim! I would love to win this fun, creative prize pack. So I followed the rules and did a little post about her blog. Love the blog, love aprons and love the giveaway! Below is Kim's post from Calamity Kim's typepad blog. Enjoy the read and enter a chance for yourself!

Calamity Kim's Apron Celebration G*I*V*E*A*W*A*Y!!!!!!
To celebrate my apron being published in the new Apronology Magazine and my overall love of aprons, I decided to do a GIVEAWAY! The rules are simple:
Post a link on your Blog if you have one (or Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, or any of your message boards) about my giveaway and then come back here and leave a comment and tell me where your link is.That's it! That's all you have to do to be entered in the drawing for all this cool stuff!

The drawing will be held on April 1st.You have from now until then to sign up.On April 1st I will enter all the numbers in a random number generator and pick the lucky winner! I will then contact you to get your address. You must post a link to my blog in order to be eligible.
It doesn't matter to me if this is your first time visiting my Blog or your hundredth!Anyone who links to this post has a chance!If you don't have a place to post a link then email someone who does- once they post it, you will be entered-(once you come back here and give me the link in a comment of course!)

Here is a list of what you will win:
Signed copy of the first issue of Apronology Magazine featuring one of my apronsAnnalee doll made from felt having tea with tea settiny apron made by me with mushrooms and a raw edge appliqued gnomeBrand new Recipe book for muffins & cupcakesCath Kidston Dream Home JournalGenuwine Calamity Kim Mermaid Paper Doll (made with Enchanted Gallery template)Set of 10 Glaze 3-D ink gel pensSet of tiny colored pencilsChipboard butterfly book and pagesRanunculuses Flower Block by Quilt Nouveau Designs
coffee pot shaped egg timer (see tea doll photo)
tea strainer shaped like a star with face
Celestial Seasonings Chocolate Raspberry Bliss herbal tea
French Lavender body Lotion
Plastic cupcake holder
Dressed Up Tea Towel (made by me- with button chicks!) and magnetic towel bar to hang on fridge!
Because these are some of the things I love...tea, aprons, dolls, quilting, lavender, cupcakes...I have spared you anything cartoon or SpongeBob Squarepantish- aren't you relieved!?! I am also hunting down some glow in the dark stars...and maybe a few other surprises to be found once you open your box full of Apron Love!

OK- that's it! Finally! Get Busy Spreading the word!!! Let's make this a big ol, rootin tootin, jamboree of a shindiggin hoot-n-nanny funn funn silly willy gigglie good time!!!!Yeehaw!!!!Love,Apron Style,
Calamity Kim

Bighorn Outdoor Adventure Show

Ever since my dad has started his recovery, all he talks about is food, hunting & fishing! Luckily, last year after he was released from the hospital his physical therapist provided him awesome exercises that were specifically for muscles he would use while doing the above mentioned 3 favorite things. He was able to get a deer during last years hunting season and couldn't wait until this year. However, this year his repaired hernia has ruptured causing him a great deal of pain and weakness. I have been trying to help him keep positive and focused on the upcoming fishing and hunting season but it's a challenge. Heck! I even got MY hands dirty in 42 pounds of ground up venison so we (dad, brother and I) could make jerky. Oh the things I do to try and lift my dad's spirits?! I was told that if I want to eat jerky I will have to go get my hunting license with my niece Neely. She and I sneak jerky every chance we can get (LOL)!!

So today in an effort to get him excited I will be taking him to the Bighorn Outdoor Adventure Show. Should be interesting. Maybe I will find a girly sized gun.

Mary Lou Raffle Quilt "Park Bench Quilters"

"Park Bench Quilters"

A long time family friend of mine, Mary Lou Weidman, is an amazing artist and quilter. She is so inspirational to me as a person and as an artist. Once you see what this amazing woman can to with fabric, you'll be just as amazed as I am. She is such a giving person and (as I understand it) drew out the design of the quilt pictured above for the Fiber Artist guild of Spokane,WA/and Idaho who then pieced it all together. The proceed of the raffle will go to cover the cost of their quilt show in April.

If you would like to purchase tickets they are $1 each. Please make your checks out to "Sew Uniquely You" and send to the address below:

Nancy Huck2338

West Courtland
Spokane, WA 99205

She is asking for a self-addressed, stamped envelope from those who would like to have the raffle ticket stubs mailed to them. Otherwise she will keep the stubs from all the out-of-town folks and put their tickets in the bin for the drawing. Don't forget, she needs a phone number or email as a contact.

What a beautiful work of art! It has such great details. I personally love how the feet dangle below the ladies. So clever. Please keep in mind that this a Wall sized quilt. You can read more info. about the raffle and about Mary Lou at her blog found here. I would like to ask you, that if you know of ladies who are into quilting or would just love to add a new piece of art to their home, please pass on this info. to them as the money helps support local artisans in the Spokane, WA/Idaho areas. Thank you so much. Good luck to you all!!!!

It's Official!

My new home for the next 2 years!

This past week has been a busy one for me. I have spent the majority of it trying to figure out if I was going to be able to go back to school and start the Prosthetics & Orthotics Tech program at SFCC this spring.

Problem one: I discovered that my FAFSA form was out of order and it needed to be fixed ASAP. I was able to fix it but will have to wait to see if I will receive any assistance until after the quarter starts.

Problem number two: I have no extra money to pay for this right now. I have been out of work and trying to find something. This is one of the driving factors of me even thinking about going back to school. I realized this week that I have never given my parents credit where credit is due. My parents are the absolute best parents that anyone could ask for. I may not have known this growing up as I was too young to realize. Over the past couple of years, especially this past year, I am learning who they are as people and as parents. They decided to help me pay for this quarter so I can be enrolled in the program and not have to wait until the fall quarter. Thank you for supporting me mom & dad...LOVE you guys so much!!!!

Problem three: TODAY was the last day to pay. I drove over 140 miles today to get this situation taken care of! Thank goodness it was a beautifully sunny, crisp day to take a drive around town. I soon discovered what it was like to be a "real student" and have to do everything for yourself. (I say "real student" because I never had to register, pay or put any effort into going to school before. Being on scholarship really spoiled me.) UGH! What a process.

All-in-all, I feel like it is meant to be. I feel so strongly convicted to pursue this degree that I spend a lot of my free time researching different aspects of the industry. Some people may not understand why I would ever want to do this program, but those of you who know me will probably agree this is simply something I was born to do. After a very long day, I am proud to say that I am officially a student at SFCC enrolled in the P&O Tech program!!!! I might be singing a different tune once I actually start classes on the 6th of April, but that's what life is about. Putting yourself out there to be used by God. Which me luck ya'll:)

Pictures are from SFCC O&P program page.

It Will Only Cost Me an Arm and a Leg

(Thanks for the title my bff:) It made me laugh.) I HOPE that I finally figured it out. LOL! Today I met with Clay Wright. He is an amazingly inspirational professor at Spokane Falls Community College. Yes, I said COMMUNITY COLLEGE. Get over it. So this is going to be my 3rd, count um, 3rd degree. Not too bad. I'll have more than my bff. AND that is just the icing on her cupcake (she loves those things). Now the only thing left to figure out is financial aid. YUCK! I have done all the necessary paper work, I am just waiting for the go ahead that I qualified. I'm trying not to get my hopes up only to be let down the day class is supposed to start. So to all of you out there who come by and read my blog post, please say a little prayer for me. It is much appreciated.

Let me tell you about the program that I chose. Or that chose me, rather. I knew the second Mr. Wright said, "Think of this as arts and crafts with a purpose" that I have found what I was designed to do. On April 6th, 2009 I will be starting the Prosthetics & Orthotics Technician program out at SFCC! The best part about the whole thing is that I will be using my creative gift, my compassion for people and my M.B.A. will be put to use once I have completed the Tech program here in Spokane to pursue a Practitioner license in Chicago. WOO WHOOOOOO!!!!! By the time I am done, It would have only taken me about 8 years of college to finally be done with school and have a direction in life that is worth traveling. WOW! And, it will only cost an arm and a leg.....a little P&O humor.

If you're curious about the program here is the link.