Friday's Favorite Family Fotos

It's time for Friday's Favorite Family Photos! When you are finished reading and viewing the photos I posted here today, please click on the photo album graphic above to be transported back to our host, Deborah's blog, for the other participants in this week's family photos!

This Friday, I am posting some favorite family photos from a new friend in my "Etsy Family"! A few short weeks ago, I purchased 2 absolutely beautiful "Apple" dishcloths created by Rebekah, of Sewfunbek. The yarn has a wonderful squishy feel, soft to the hand, and she quickly found the my special requested color of Sage Green - my favorite shade this year! I was impressed with the workmanship on the dishcloths, and as I have no clue how to knit or crochet, I admire those who can do it. I would like to see her business venture succeed and grow, especially because she is a 'Stay-at-Home Mom, and asked if she would like to do a 'blog interview'. She readily agreed, so here is the interview with the accompanying photos.

Tell us something about yourself.

Hi, My name is Rebekah Soriano, I live in Oregon. I am not a native, we've lived here for 3 1/2 years now. My husband and I met in the Marine Corps. That's right, I was in the USMC for 4 years! We were stationed together in Southern California. After the birth of my son and my husbands' exit from the MC we moved up here to be closer to his parents. I am originally from Florida! I have two amazing children, one boy who is 3 1/2 and one girl who is closely and rapidly approaching her first birthday! I love to sew, crochet, knit, cook and bake. We have a passion as a family too, Jesus :) We are a Christian family, totally dedicated to the Lord and his calling on us as a family and individuals.

What do you do apart from creating things?

I am a stay at home mom dedicated to raising my children and loving my husband, not always easy but well worth it!


When did you open your etsy shop, and how did you decide on your shop name?

I opened my Etsy shop about a month ago. I love to sew, have fun, and one of my nicknames is Bek. Put them together SEWFUNBEK!

What types of things do you create, and who do you credit for inspiring you to offer these items for sale to the public?

I sew and crochet just about anything. My husband is actually the one who convinced me to try to sell my handmade items. I was not confident in my work, I would mostly do it to see the joy in a friend or family members face. He has been pushing for me to try for awhile so I am finally opening a shop.

What was the first thing you ever remember knitting or crocheting?

The first thing I ever remember crocheted was just a long string...lol...my grandma started by teaching me to finger crochet. I got frustrated or bored with that and never picked it up again, just admired from afar...Until I was pregnant with my son, then I got a book, called around and picked up crocheting fast. I recently only learned how to knit, this past March, while at my Aunts house visiting. I made a horrible looking somewhat square dishcloth :)


(Picture above is Rebekah and her children, who are wearing Halloween costumes - a shepherd and a lamb - that she made for them!)

What are your favorite materials to work with?

I love baby fabrics, and early 1900's repo fabrics, they are my favorites! I love to use cotton yarn and cashmere but will work with just about anything.

What is your favorite color, and why?

It use to be blues, then changed to yellows and reds. But now I'm in a purple phase!

What handmade things do you currently own that you cherish?

All the hats my great grandma knitted while going through Chemo and eventually passing away. They are now put away and rarely used. My son and daughter have some keepsakes from my grandma. Also this spring my grandma came across a dress she made me when I was a baby and we went and took 4 generation pictures in them with her and my mom - See dress in the generation photos below:


What are your favorite creative websites?

Ravelry, Lion-Brand, Knitting Help, Bernat

What new products do you have in mind for your customers?

Headbands, More Dishcloths, Some new crocheted dishcloths I discovered, and more baby items.


What would you like to be doing 10 years from now?

The same thing I am now :) Although I'd ideally like to be living in Florida then:)

Thanks, Rebekah, for sharing a bit of your life, and your family photos with everyone today.

Please stop by and look at some of the items at Sewfunbek - just click on the name to visit her shop! If you like what you see, or perhaps you would like to have her create a special request for you, click on the CONTACT SELLER button on her etsy site, and she will be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Friday's Favorite Family Fotos - Buddies!

After reading my post today, please "bleep on over" to Deborah's for more Friday Photos participants!

The photos I'm posting today are family, and also some of my 'extended family' with their "Buddies"!

Here is the grandson of Chatty Crone - Doesn't he have the most wonderful smile? In the picture, he is opening a surprise package that I sent to him on a whim - and because I know that 8 yr olds love to receive anything in the mail addressed to them! I understand that he takes his new 'stuffie' to bed with him at night - and his Granny isn't allergic to THIS dog - I did my research before sending it to their home for adoption!!!

Here is "Daisy", my little princess, posing with her friend, The Cat in the Hat! She has the faintest of smiles on her sweet little lips!

And speaking of SMILES, isn't this last one a great advertisement for toothpaste? Remember the Ipanna Smile? Well, here it is, in duplicate! My niece Sarah, and their family cat, Tom! Tom was forced into their home under the guise that they were 'adopting' him, and would give him a wonderful home. This picture is being sent to the kitty adoption agency, as proof that he is happy. Questionable, wouldn't you say???

Please leave a comment - I love to read them - and thanks for visiting today!

Friday's Favorite Family Fotos - Yep, it's FRIDAY!

Hello again - Time for Favorite Family Photos - when you are done here, please continue your tour by clicking on the picture of the photo album above - it will magically transport you to our host, Deborah's blog, where you will be able to see who else is posting family photos today!

The pictures I'm showing were taken a few years ago - my grand daugher Natalie was just a baby, and now, if you recall from previous Friday photos, she is now a big THREE years old! I was lucky enough to be offered a miniature horse, and he was perfect for giving the grandkids rides and teaching them about animals when they came to visit from out of state. Bojangles, as you recall, was used in my pet therapy program when I worked at the hospital a few years back. He has been sold now, but is fondly remembered whenever I look at some of the pictures I have taken with him and the people he has delighted by his personality.


As an infant, Natalie was more thrilled with the prospect of grasping the saddle horn, as you can see in this picture! She had very little hair back then - amazing to see her very curly locks these days! Makes you wonder if it's the same child!




These pictures were taken in the springtime, as evidenced by the new green leaves on some of the trees. The previous photo shows Dogwood flowers in the right hand side, behind Bojangle's butt! It has started to green up here in Michigan a little, but not as much as these photos, yet. Soon, tho - real soon.....

I love this picture - Katie has such beautiful hair - it made for a very nice shot as she played with Natalie, swinging her up into the air. Babies love that kind of play - they seem to have no fear at that age, and are so trusting...Natalie STILL has no fear - she's taken acrobatics classes, and tumbling for toddlers at a younger age - and she thinks she can do anything she wants to do without reprocussion ---That can be good in some ways, but also 'not so good', as you can well imagine!

Thanks for visiting - and please don't forget to leave your comments! I love to read them!

Favorite Family Photos

Time for Friday's Favorite Family Fotos, and thanks for stopping by! Today's pictures are featuring my Illinois grandson, Nate. And here he is!
This photo would be good for 'Wordless Wednesday' - Nate's dad loves to play with camera shots when he has time - I thought this was a really neat photo when he got done editing it.




The picture to the left was taken at Nate's baptismal party after the ceremony. Rich's family is a fun bunch and like to clown around for photos! This was one in a series of shots - Nate was just 'getting into it' when it was taken.







I love his expression in this photo, just received yesterday! He always has BIG fun, no matter what he's doing or what kind of mischief he's thinking of doing!





Lastly, here is Nate with his mom. One of these days he may surprise her, like my son (now her husband!) surprised me - by saying "I want to marry you, Mom!" That is one of life's sweetest compliments, and shows how much a son really loves his mom! Such innocent understandings at that tender age!

Please click on the photo album to be transported back to the blog page of our host, Deborah, to see who else is posting their favorite photos today! Happy Easter to you!

Friday's Favorite Family Foto

Welcome, and thanks to Deborah for hosting this weekly event! Be sure to check the list of names at her blog and see who else is participating this week!





We will now pause for an important announcement!
If you have not signed up for my Easter Giveaway yet, please do! Details are listed, in the April 1st posting; simply scroll down a few posts and see what it's all about! Don't be an April Fool - Sign up for a chance to win the prize! Another item has been added to the grab box on today as promised, so check it out below, and stay tuned!

And now, back to our regular broadcasting.....

Let me introduce Vivian Sienna. She is the oldest of my 4 grand kids, and she lives in a small town in Illinois. She is a bright and imaginative girl, is great in arts and crafts, and loves hiking, exploring, reading and writing. She has a lot of fun when she comes to visit us in Michigan, and always asks to help with 'chores' involving feeding and care of the critters.

This picture shows her sitting on board Mr. Jangles, the miniature horse I had for a while. Mr. Jangles is smiling for the camera!









When her family is able to come to our place in summer, the weather is more conductive to outdoor activities, and there's generally something going on to keep the kids busy. This shot is Vivian riding a camel at the zoo. She's not afraid of trying new things, and although the camel is large, she was game to give it a go, and we had a great photo opportunity!



She loves to have her picture taken and will pose at the drop of a hat. Here she is, sitting on John Ball's lap - the zoo is named after him. See how shiney his head is? That's from all the children (including me, when I was small) that have climbed all over this statue throughout the years!



Thanks for visiting - Don't forget to sign up for the Easter Giveaway before you leave!

The item added to the giveaway today is a set of 8 vintage style post cards, featuring different pictures of hens and roosters, canaries, and pigeons - created by ClassyChassy!

Favorite Family Photos - it's Friday!

It's time for Friday Photos again, and if I recall correctly, our host is away this week, but click on the photo album above to visit her blog and check out the list to see who else may be participating!

I have one photo to post, and it is new picture from my vintage collection - Mr. Wonderful! This picture shows him with Presto3, watching the evening news. Presto3 isn't really interested in the news. She loves her favorite perch, and he just happens to be wearing it! Mr. Wonderful is the best you could ever hope for in a husband - he cooks, he cleans, he builds, he repairs engines, and he is a very attentive man. As a matter of fact, there isn't anything he won't try - if he doesn't know how, he will learn how, and he does everything WELL - not half heartedly. We recently celebrated our 6th (is it??) anniversary. The day we met, the smiles came back to our faces after both having gone through some tough times. And we haven't stopped smiling since! So, here's to you, Mr. Wonderful - I thank God every day for bringing us together!

Time for Friday's Favorite Family Fotos

What a super day it is today!!! Hope you enjoy the photo I picked to share with you, and when you're done reading this, don't forget to visit the other participants of Friday's Favorite Family Fotos --they are listed at http://picturespotspens.blogspot.com/.






This is a picture of me and Mr. Wonderful - before we had the last 2 corgi girls! I wanted a shot of us and the dogs to send out for Christmas, and it was very difficult to get this lined up right. For those of you that own dogs, or Welsh Corgis in particular, you can appreciate getting just the right shot at the right moment for that special occasion! See photo below...!) I am holding Dixie, and Mr. Wonderful has hold of Sassy. Nitro occupies the front and center! All in all, not a bad photo, except Mr. Wonderful's expression - - - after all was said and done, he looked at the photo and said "I thought I was SMILING"!

Here's a new SHMILY for you all to see - Have a GREAT DAY!

Friday's Favorite Family Fotos!!!

I'm joining in on Friday's Favorite Family Fotos today, and when you're finished viewing my post today, please visit Pictures, Pots, Pens , for more of Friday's Favorite Family Fotos participants! It is such great fun!
Here is a picture of my dear Papa. It used to hang in the dormer bedroom I shared with my older sister while we were growing up. It is one of those pictures that was hand colored, I believe, to make it look more life-like, before the actual colored film was invented. I've always loved this portrait, but my sister - she took it down because she said it looked like his eyes were following every move she made! Since I loved it so much, Papa gave it to me for my very own. The day he did, I asked him to write something on the back about the picture, in his own handwriting. He looked puzzled, but I think he was pleased that I asked.
He had very distinct handwriting, and wrote clearly. I asked him to sign and date it, and so he did.

You can see the front of the memorial card (he passed away of pancreatic cancer a year after being diagnosed) in the first picture, where it is tucked into part of the picture frame. St. Theresa, the Little Flower of Jesus, was his favorite Saint, and she is mine, as well.

Mom and I made a collage for Papa as a surprise gift one year - we took some of his medals from WWII, old photos, his dog tags, short snorters, letters from his adopted sister, letters from his commanding officers, and other mementos, and placed them over the top of satin fabrics in the frame shown. We thought we were pretty sneaky doing this and we were SOOOO pleased with ourselves, but Papa was always the great detective - he came to Mom one day asking about his missing medals and short snorters - where could they BE?!? She made some excuse, then came to me wondering if we could give him his gift early because he was worried sick about the missing items! We never DREAMED he would go searching through that old army trunk again! I guess we just didn't realize how important those times were to him, how important the service to his country was...it was a big part of his life history! So, yep, we gave him his gift early - there was no outsmarting our resident detective! He really loved this gift and had it hanging in their family room for many years. Now, it hangs in my home, beside his WWII portrait - a very fitting spot indeed.

Thanks for stopping by - and thanks for your great comments!

Friday's Favorite Family Fotos

A couple weeks ago, I posted photos of Natalie Pearl, one of my grand daughters. Today I'm posting a few pictures of her brother, my grandson, Nolan, who is soon to be a big ONE YEAR OLD! He is a pretty happy little guy with blond hair like his mom and dad and big sister, but that HAIR - it just fans out to the sides, demanding his mom to 'tame' it! He looks pretty wild here, doesn't he? What a boy, and what a big grin!

Like all little ones his age, he is starting to get around and into all sorts of things - how else are they going to learn about their world? He loves to be 'airborne' - it's his daddy's favorite game to play with him, and that earns lots of giggle rewards. It's easy to tell when he is getting worn out and ready for a nap...the ears and cheeks get a little pink, and the smile starts to fade....












...and then he gets VERY CUDDLEY! That's when Grandma gets to hold him- and it's MY favorite time to spend with him!


Thanks for visiting, and for all of your wonderful comments last week. Please visit Pictures, Pots, Pens , for more of Friday's Favorite Family Fotos participants.

Friday's Family Foto Day

Brief PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Before you leave this site, please scroll down to the post flanked by the Shocked Monkey Picture!!! There's a give-away!! ...a brand new never-used straight-from-the store-toy - complete with tag of 'ingredients' used to create it Interactive Dog Toy! GET THAT MONKEY OFF YOUR BACK!! - read that post, follow the rules, and enter the drawing! Yes --The directions for sign up are in the post! I'll look forward to hearing from you!

After a trip to visit my family in Wisconsin, I could hardly wait to look at all the neat photos we had taken of the grand kids, their new (at the time) house, and other things we had seen on our trip! Wisconsin is so beautiful, and has always been one of my favorite states!
We had a really nice time as Sean drove us through Downtown Milwaukee, and showed us how the residents of Wisconsin really drive! What a shock! We had to hang on to our hats to get from the 'burbs' to some neat night spots! And I thought Michigan drivers had TRUE GRIT! Whoa!
We got to see some nice shopping areas, and of course had to go to the store for fresh fruit and veggies. Their favorite store is very nicely done up - makes you want to keep on buying, it's so nice and quaint in appearance - especially the bakery and deli areas.
And - - HEEEERE's RICH! He's the older of the two. A mom could not ask for better sons than these young men! On a final note, I would like you to know why these photos are so special to me --- I could not remember taking these particular shots - and finally it came to me. These two boys that I raised are usually wonderful, but on this particular occasion, they captured my camera, held it hostage, and took these wonderful pics of themselves, just waiting for me to unravel!!! Well, was I ever surprised! And I got a good laugh!!!

Thanks for visiting, and for all of your wonderful comments last week. I hope to have more to read later on today! Please visit Pictures, Pots, Pens , for more of Friday's Favorite Family Fotos participants.