Career Changes Going On!!

I've been out of touch on Magnolia Blossom Art for some time. Haven't been able to work much on crafting and boy do I miss it. Things are going well around here, lots going on. After 25 years of in-home daycare, I have made a career change and have been extremely busy these past few months!! Not one, but TWO new businesses have I launched ... it is so exciting!! They are slow going as I guess is to be expected in the beginning, but it has only been a bit over 1 month since both have been up and running. I have started a new blog about all the changes and will be posting regularly about new information about my businesses.

You can follow the links below to my websites and I would love for you to become a follower on my new blog ... Nanny Goes Digital!!


With Heritage Makers we are able to preserve our family's heritage through digitally storybooking. Check it out and if you are interested in what you see contact me right on the website, I'll be glad to get right back with you to answer any questions you may have. Also, if you think you would be interested in becoming a Personal Publishing Consultant like I am, please get in touch .. I just know you will love the company and what is better than making a living at something you love!! You may want to become a consultant as a hobbyist, or for some part time income, or perhaps would like to turn it into a full time business as I have, whatever you feel would work best for you, it is a rewarding, easy, convenient way to earn money. Just get in touch, I'll help you with any questions you may have!

With Beacon Errand And Concierge Services I am able to provide help to my community by doing what I love ... helping out those in need!! Getting the word out is somewhat of a challenge so any networking ideas you may have would be greatly appreciated, you can email me right from my website!! Suggestions and ideas are welcome!!!

Hope all's well with you and look forward to hearing from you, your thoughts on my career changes and any helpful hints you may have in the area of networking!!

LOTS GOING ON ... NONE OF IT CRAFTING ... BOO HOO ... BUT GOOD NEWS FROM MBA

Where have I been you may ask? Well shortly after my last blog I found myself going in the hospital for emergency surgery ... apparently my appendix decided it was feeling quite out of place in there ... with me having a hysterectomy 30 years ago, gallbladder removed 6 years ago, the gastric by-pass done last June, there's really nothing left in there to go after ... I hope anyway!! Following the appy surgery, the abdominal muscle was a bit slow to heal ... so, long story short ... even though I only missed two days work, it was all I could do to get through the days ... then I would crash at the end of the day. On top of that, ball season has begun and with 3 of the 5 grandsons playing on 5 baseball teams, we are gone most afternoons watching them play ball ... LOVE IT!!! So crafting has taken the back burner and I sure do miss it ... I forget how relaxing and gratifying it is to loose myself in creating!!!
I also have been very busy gearing up for our Relay For Life Event on June 5th. Being coordinator of the Kids Care Program there's been a lot to get organized and that has kept me busy ... it's all good, though ... we have an awesome night of activities planned for all ages, from the youngest of kids to the oldest of adults ... we are looking to a fun night of relaying together.
Admists all of this ... I have somehow managed to reach my goal weight given to me by my surgeon at the time of my gastric by-pass surgery!!! I have lost 148 pounds in less than 10 months! I am so excited, happy and proud of myself .. but more importantly, I feel marvelous!!! When I had surgery my daughter encouraged me to set some goals for myself and fix some rewards to those goals ... so I did. Every 30 pounds I lost I went for a manicure ... and when I hit goal my husband and I were taking a cruise. I just didn't expect to accomplish it in 9 1/2 months!! As a daycare provider for school teacher's children. I have the week of spring break off ... so on a Cruise we're going ... we leave Monday morning at 5:45 for Miami to board a Royal Caribbean ship to cruise the Bahamas ... I can't wait!!!
I'll be busy when we get back finalizing things for the Relay ... but crafting is in the near future ... I can't stand staying away .. gotta get back!! In the mean time, I'm making curtains for 2 grandsons and my daughter, so that will keep me in the mode.

Do You Have Plumber's Insurance????

The Youth at our Church, Port Norfolk Baptist, are participating in World Vision's 30 Hour Famine to raise money for hungry children around the world. The end of the month they will be sleeping outside in front of the church in cardboard boxes during the actual 30 hour famine period. They had a Sweetheart Luncheon last week serving fried chicken and fixins to raise money, but I think one of the funniest and most original fundraisers I've ever seen is the Plumber's Insurance Plan. If you do not buy insurance, this lovely tub can be placed in your front yard until you come up with $10.00 to have it removed. You can also pay$5.00 to have it placed in a yard of an uninsured person. The lovely tub was randomly placed (by the youth, they LOVE us!!) in our yard and we then paid money to have it placed in someone else's yard (after paying the $10.00 removal fee) and it now is in our daughter's yard (we didn't pay for this placement ... she has two teenage boys ... again randomly placed by our youth, I think ... youth loving youth !). We have gotten such a kick out of this inventive way to raise money ... our youth minister is GREAT .. always coming up with new and unique ways to get our teens excited about Christ and the love He wants us to share with all ... and this way to raise money for those less fortunate is certainly a lesson our youth will not soon forget, nor many of us older folks ... keep showing that love guys!

New week ... new Fabulous Friday Freebie ... this week's featured Etsy shop owner is Robin of Robin's Art's & Craft's

Robin has a lovely shop with handmade cards, tags, stickers and more. You will enjoy browsing her shop as much as I have ... her things are lovely with much time and care taken with each design. Stop by her shop ... feel free to do some shopping ** wink, wink ** and then stop back here and leave a post for a chance to win ... scroll down to see the rules ... and remember ... there are more ways than one to get in for a chance to win!! Robin has offered this lovely clutch purse card this week as our Fabulous Freebie giveaway ... you won't want to miss out on a chance to win ... GOOD LUCK ... ENTER MANY TIMES, MANY WAYS ... INCREASE YOUR CHANCES!!!!

There are several ways to enter for this week's giveaway ... don't miss out ... you won't want to pass this up!
Here's how it works ...
1) Go to her Etsy shop ... Robin's Art's & Craft's
2) Browse Around ... feel free to do some shopping :-) 3) Pick your favorite item in her shop
4) Come back here
5) Leave me a post about your favorite item
6) You're in the pot for the drawing!!
Want more chances to win? ... you can do one or more of these things after you post about Bonnie's shop and you will have additional chances to win !!
* Go to my Magnolia Blossom Art Etsy Shop and tell me what you like the best ... 1 additional chance to win
* Go to my Magnolia Blossom Art Artfire Shop and leave a link of your favorite item in a post here ... 1 additional chance to win
* Blog about this contest ... 1 additional chance to win ... Leave a comment here with a link!
* Become a follower of this blog ... 1 additional chance to win ... no need to leave a comment! All Followers will be entered in our Fabulous Friday Giveaways!
* Let your friends know about this contest! ... 1 additional chance to win for every person you send an email to ... (include me via CC at magnoliablossomart@gmail.com)
* Buy something from Robin's Art's & Craft's ... 5 additional chances to win for every purchase made by a Magnolia Blossom Art Reader!
GOOD LUCK ... HAVE FUN!!!

Wheeewwweee ... Glad they've found homes!!!

We were having puppy withdrawals and were getting a bit concerned that maybe one from that fabulous litter of 10 puppies I posted about in January may end up HAVING to come to Virginia! But, fortunately for everyone, they have all found wonderful homes. I think we may be in trouble, however, when and if Izzy ever has a litter. She is the sister of our Blossom and is a beautiful girl! She's not the next one planned for a litter ... good for us ... 'cause we may just melt and give in to the temptation ... OH NOOOOO ... three Saint Bernard's .. what would we do .... we'll see what happens ... I'll pray for sanity!!!

I'll leave you with a couple of pictures of the last two to leave .... you can see why we melt when we think of another baby in the house ... aren't they adorable!!!!!

THIS WEEK'S FABULOUS FRIDAY FREEBIE

Okay ... another week, another Fabulous Friday Freebie ... ready ... set ... here we go!!! This week's shop is Bonz Photography and Cards.

New Etsian, Bonnie, has some beautiful works of photos and card sets. She specializes in photography and handmade note cards of dogs, cats, animals, flowers, landscapes, and architecture. I just loved her shop when browsing through Etsy one day and invited her to participate in the Friday Freebie ... I was thrilled when she agreed to offer one of her card sets as a giveaway. I know you will be taken away by her work of art and I'm more than happy to be part of sharing her art with all of you. Bonnie is offering the winner a choice between the "Dogs Galore" card set and the "Assorted" card set ... so you know the drill ... follow the rules below to have a chance to get in the drawing ... the more you click and post the more chances you have to win ... SO GET BROWSING .. AND HAVE SOME FUN!!!

There are several ways to enter for this week's giveaway ... don't miss out ... you won't want to pass this up!

Here's how it works ...

1) Go to her Etsy shop ... BonzPhotography and Card Shop

2) Browse Around ... feel free to do some shopping :-)
3) Pick your favorite item in her shop

4) Come back here

5) Leave me a post about your favorite item

6) You're in the pot for the drawing!!

Want more chances to win? ... you can do one or more of these things after you post about Bonnie's shop and you will have additional chances to win !!

* Go to my Magnolia Blossom Art Etsy Shop and tell me what you like the best ... 1 additional chance to win

* Go to my Magnolia Blossom Art Artfire Shop and leave a link of your favorite item in a post here ... 1 additional chance to win

* Blog about this contest ... 1 additional chance to win ... Leave a comment here with a link!

* Become a follower of this blog ... 1 additional chance to win ... no need to leave a comment! All Followers will be entered in our Fabulous Friday Giveaways!

* Let your friends know about this contest! ... 1 additional chance to win for every person you send an email to ... (include me via CC at magnoliablossomart@gmail.com)

* Buy something from BonzPhotography and Card Shop! 5 additional chances to win for every purchase made by a Magnolia Blossom Art Reader!

GOOD LUCK ... HAVE FUN!!!

Getting old sucks!!

Okay I had put it off for more than two years ... getting my eyes checked that is ... using only Walmart "Reading" glasses to get by. But finally I made an appointment and had them checked and today I got my new glasses .... tada ... I can see again!! I am typing this post without having to hold my head backwards while looking through the bifocals and leaning over the computer desk at the same time ... guess the neck kinks will get better now, huh! They are going to take some getting used to, however, cause they are a small frame with bifocals, so depending on how I tilt my head, the vision is totally different. I was told that they would take a week or two to get used to, but if I wore them all the time I would get used to them more quickly ... wow, sewing and crafting is going to be so different now ... whoo hoo ... I can see again!! But I have to admit that facing the fact that I need bifocals is not something I was ready to accept, I guess using the Walmart things didn't make it feel real ... but now I don't look like I have on "Granny" glasses that were perfectly positioned half way down my nose .. but still ... getting old SUCKS!!!