Current Giveaways!

There are several giveaways going on right now. Some have a deadline by tonight like at Baby Loving Mama, she is giving away a Coach Wallet from Jomashop.com.

Lollipops and Polkadots always have great giveaways as well. I recently won a Knucklehead T-shirt that my grandson will wear on his 1st birthday.

Just click on the buttons to take you to their sites.
And don't forget, until the end of this month I'm having my own giveaway.

Tell a friend of my 100 post Celebration.

Comment that you spread the word for an extra entry.

But don't comment here, click here.

Buena Suerte! Good Luck!

Reminder of Giveaway.

Have you heard? Spread the word.

Tell a friend of my 100 post Celebration.

Comment that you spread the word for an extra entry.

But don't comment here, click here.

Buena Suerte! Good Luck!

Tagged: 10 Things About Me

Think your friends and family know you? Perhaps there are things they are missing! Tag your it! Rules: Things have to be about YOU, not places you've been to, people you know, etc. Whom will you tag? Now, here is the chance for 3 friends to join in. Thanks to my sister Deborah, I've been tagged. Hmmmm.....

1. My middle name is starts with M. No its not Maria! However, it is Wendy's grandma's name in Peter Pan, or shall I say Hook....yes it's Mayra.

2. In high school, I was in marching band, took sewing for 4-5 years, took photography, in DECA, and took welding and auto mechanics talk about a variety of classes.

3. I took the ASVAB Test (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) and scored high in the Engineering and low in the Home Economic portion. Note: it was the 80's and my mom didn't want me to join the Armed Forced and become an airplane mechanic. My vision is not 20/20, otherwise I would have loved to be a pilot:) She felt it was not for proper girls. The Air Force, which I really wanted to go to, kept calling interested in me. I respected my moms wishes and after I married my first husband, she told me she regret me not enlisting.

4. I was a Bluebird first & later a Girl Scout.

5. My favorite color: none. I love colors that remind me of the ocean sunset. Blue/Purple/Red/White/Deep Green, kinda like a peacock feather.

6. I sometimes think I was born in the wrong era. I love the 1930's-1960's. I also like the Victorian and Renaissance era. Yet I'm glad I'm living today, where there are vaccines, epidurals, tampons, deodorants, woman rights and voting, washing machines, and especially the A/C.

7. I love Music. I haven't played the piano in aloooooooong time, but I can still play Moonlight Sonata. I some day will have my piano. Until then, I love buying sheet music, even though I don't have a piano.

8. I want to learn to play the harp and guitar.

9. The same daughter that wants to send me to What Not to Wear, thinks I collect junk. I just say, "Don't Hate, Appreciate". I collect Renaissance Swords, Fairies, I collect Coca-Cola (Pepsi not allowed in my home), Shells and anything Beach/Nautical/Ocean, I collect musical instruments from around the world, Pottery, Vintage Kitchen anything (table clothes, doilies, aprons, kitchen utensils, bowls), Pin-up Corona and vintage tropical & Garden Deco.

10. I love visiting small towns and trying family restaurants and shopping in 2nd hand and antique shops with my husband.

Chalo's Family Restaurant and Soda Pops Antique Store Located in Globe, AZ

Wow, that was HARD! OK, I tag, Rachelle, Molly, Rachel and all you visitors. Let me know when you post your tag:)

Back to School

The kids started school yesterday. It was so nice to send them off. I remember taking pictures of my oldest children, making them wave and yell "freeze! Wait till I take the picture! SNAP! Okay you can go now"

Now I felt like I practically slamed on my brakes and yelled at them to hurry! Even though they still had 15 minutes till the tardy bell! I feel like such a bad mom, NOT:) My husband and I, along with my 4 year old went and had lunch to celebrate!

I didn't pick them up till 6pm! It was heaven.

Okay, In my defense, the kids wanted to stay late after school.

It has been a long summer without many of their friends.

The school has after school activities at the Boys and Girls Clubs and so...

they were not abandoned.

Then I picked them up, they ate dinner and off to Cub & Boys Scouts at 7pm and my daughter had Young Womens at church. So I really scored!

After so many kids, you want the peace.

I have a feeling it will not be the same with my baby who is 4 now.

She is my last one yet to go to school.

She has to wait a year to go to school, since she will be 5 in November.

She can add basic math and read some words.

She is to smart for her britches and has great memory.

With Arizona having cut the budget for Education,

they did not have Early Kindergarten programs for my daughter.

Speaking of school, I thought I would share the oldest school still standing in Arizona. This is the Pine-Strawberry School House on Fossel Creek Road.

It is now a museum, located about a two hour drive north of Phoenix,

20-30 min north of Payson. This school was built in the 1880's.

I thought you would be interested how times have changed.

Here are the Rules For both Teachers and Students in 1872.

100th post Giveaway

Its been a year and 100 posts later
since I've been blogging!

So I was thinking,
since you put up with my ramblings,
I would celebrate by having a giveaway.
I haven't decided what I would put in this care package
to share with my readers.
I was thinking I should do a theme...like Things I collect,
My favorites, Things from AZ, Vintage Collection,
Fun Night, or In the kitchen.
In any case,

I will post a peek of my giveaway later this week.
Until then, have a cupcake, or two. To enter you must answer the following question.

What would you wish for,
if you blew out the candle?

All comments must be posted by noon,
MST (Arizona Time) on Sunday, August 30th
in the 100th post giveaway comments.
Winner will be announced on Monday, August 31st.

Can you believe I never won a thing and now...

I have never won anything,

that I can think of, and today, I won two things.

I was most excited to win chocolate from the Frugal Gals. Then later I won a Knucklehead T-Shirt for my grandson From Lollipops and Polkadots. Maybe I should buy a Power Ball, no I'm sounding greedy now. But $186 million does sound nice:) Thank you so much ladies:) Please visit their sites.

I came across some other giveaways. I thought you might like to visit.

You need to hurry some deadlines are sooner than others.

1. Lines of Communication (and a $200 Visa gift card) from Smockity Frocks http://smockityreviews.blogspot.com/
2. Bake and Destroy Apron from Cupcake Provocateur
   http://cupcakeprovocateur.blogspot.com/
3. Me4Kidz MediBuddy & So Cozy Goodie Bag from Lollipops & Polkadots
   http://www.lolidots.com/giveaways/
4. Momtrends has several giveaways before 8/31 including mocasins, Build-a-Bear, Swatch and others you need to take a peak at:)
   http://momtrends.blogspot.com/2009/08/nowali-mocasins.html
5. Beach Blanket Party from Lil Bit Old*Lil Bit New
   http://lilbitoldlilbitnew.blogspot.com/
6. Giveaway at Apron Girls sponsored by great cookware and beautiful desks! http://www.aprongirls.blogspot.com/

Thank you all for visiting:)

Apron Fest '09 Winner

I finally drew a name for the

Apron Fest '09 Giveaway,

or should I say a Clone Trooper and
Princess Snow White drew names.

First, Thank you to all that entered.

I browsed each site that provided a link,

& I was inspired and delighted by many.

I have been overwhelmed by the kind words

and memories of aprons you all have said!

For more memories of aprons visit

http://www.apronchronicles.com/chronicles/ada.html

or click the button below.

Make sure you have a tissue or two,

all the portraits and voices made me tear up.

The first winner

that was chosen is...
Damaris said...
my apron memory- I grew up in Brazil. My grandma has this huge kitchen and makes really good food. She always wears an apron. She would let me wear her apron if I ate all my food. I know love aprons and send her a new one every year for her birthday.

You may choose from the full Denim Apron

or

the Half apron with the embroidered pocket:)

Felizidades Damaris!!!

The second winner...

And I must say why I chose to have a second winner.

After Apron Fest started,

I received a call that my friend Carol R. was

going under surgery for breast cancer.

We all prayed that the Dr.'s get everything.

Apparently, she will have to go through Chemotherapy.

& it looks like she'll beat it.
Carol is a wonderful friend and I have never heard her say anything wrong about anyone, expect her first husband, who she survived domestic abuse from.

If she can beat the odds of abuse,

and now have a loving husband who is by her side,

along with friends who love her,

she can beat this!

We have a long road ahead of us and lot's of prayers.

So, I decided to make a breast cancer awareness half apron,

with a ruffled pocket.

I dedicate this apron to Carol R.,

those fighting or survived breast cancer, and in fact, any cancer.

So, the second winner is:

Kathy said...
Thank you for the chance to win one of your aprons. And thank you for the story about your grandma. I miss mine so much. I wish my husband could of met her. I have memories the most at Christmas time. Making cookies and fudge. I now make everything with my 6 yr. old granddaughter. I think its neat to have different aprons because it can change you personality. Come check my blog contest out as well tomorrow. www.lilbitoldlilbitnew.com
Felizidades Kath':)

This was so much fun to get to hear from other blogger's and readers. I will definitely be doing something like it again soon, since I will be hitting my 100th post. So please come back and check out the blog once in a while!

¡Gracias A Todos!

Thank You Everyone!

Here is the drawing for the winners.
I had problems reading the folded papers and holding the camera.

Who could it be? Apron Fest '09

Although I feel all of the above symtoms,

and soreness from slipping and landing on my buttocks,

I am laying in bed,

under the weather, and

No, I'm not pregnant.

I have my aprons done and have delayed the winner until 6pm MST.

So hurry, if you have not entered yet, do so now.

Oh and yes, aprons,

I have decided

since I have pushed the winner announcement a day,

I will add two winners.

Ciao for now,

Arnnette

Apron Fest '09

¡Ay, Caramba! I'm late for the

What is Apron Fest? I will tell you at the end of this post.

First I want to share my memory of Aprons.

My memory of aprons start with

my Abuelita Regina O. Gonzalez-Ayala.

She is like Martha Stewart. My grandma was a florist and would create arrangements for regional church conferences and films filmed in El Paso and I even met Jack Nicholson. She would make good Mexican food, to this day I don't like Mexican food restaurants because it's not like my grandmas. Everything is by scratch not canned beans, not canned enchilada sauce, and her mole sauce is heavenly (a Chile/chocolate cinnamon type of BBQ sauce). She could sew, she could can food, make crafts, she would iron her sheets and everything in between, she could knit and crochet, she would make everything by scratch like pie crusts, buñuelos, biscuits. I'm getting hungry. Actually, my grandma surpassed Martha Stewart. She is a real pioneer woman.

My memories with my grandma were most memorable in the kitchen with my Tia's. Everyone wearing an apron. We would talk about memories and girl talk, because we did not "gossip", today we call it networking, heehee.
This is my Abuelita holding my dad.

Here you'll see a couple of my aprons hanging in my kitchen.

The white one with the embroider is my first apron.

My grandma gave it to me when I was pregnant with my first child.

She said she made it when she was pregnant with my dad.

That would make my apron 64 years old, sorry dad.

The rest is history! That is when I started sewing and collecting aprons.

Now here is your chance to win one of my aprons.

I will post a picture of my apron giveaway later.
To enter contest, all you have to do is briefly comment here

What memory do you have with aprons?

It can be a memory of something

you cooked, cleaned, or made crafts in.

Post your comment (one entry per name)

by Saturday 6pm Arizona Time.

What is Arizona Time? Here in AZ, we don't mess with our clocks for daylight savings time. It stays the same. I know California is the same time now.

El Paso, TX is an hour ahead.

So I think we are currently considered CST. Anyways,

I will have one of my princesses draw the winner's name this Saturday evening. Please include your email address. So I can mail the apron to you.

Now git on over to Apronista.com to checkout all the other giveaways going on
Click on the button to joint the fun at Apronista.com
for more information on participating

(It can be homemade, store bought, or a vintage find)

or just signing up for chances

to win a free apron from other participants.

Good Luck!

Ciao for now,

Arnnette

Where did July go?

Last I remember posting was about the 4th of July weekend. I am so bad. So I'll post what I've have been doing. Visiting the Library and enrolling the Kids in the Reading Program.

Here I'm reading to my youngest and my grandson.

Ayla and Leo'nel enjoyed some books I read, especially,

Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle dude by Kevin O'Malley.

We end up checking out the book and Leo'nel just kept wanting his Tio's to read it as well as Ayla. I recommend this book.

It is about a boy and a girl telling their side of the princess fairy tale.

Even my boys ages 10 and 11 enjoyed it.

Ayla wanted her time reading to herself at the library.

I've also visited The Antique Plaza Mall with 2 floors and about 20,000 feet of treasures. It used to be the Woolworth's store, or was it the New Berry. I remember going and looking for fabric and asking my mom for a Astro Pop. Here's an Astro Pop. I could not find the original Astro Pop. The "Original" pop had the stick the oposite end as the one shown. Therefore, I would make the point really, really, pointy, like you do the end of candy canes, and POKE my brother:) Ahhh, good memories. I love you George- hehe.

This is what I bought...

I couldn't resist this vintage apron and Holly Hobby doll, too.

I still have the Holly Hobby Bake oven, or shall I say my

mama has saved it and has it on her shelf.

Ohh, I love tablecloths as well.

I found this vintage tablecloth and cookie cutters.

My family are San Francisco 49er Fans and Oakland Raider.

I found this fabric that I will turn into

a tablecloth for Football season

which is around the corner.

And making...

Can you guess?

How 'bout now?

Now?

A Hello Kitty Piñata

for my cousin Dania's

little granddaughter, Quinnie.

Along with an apron and pot holder as a gift.

I didn't think of displaying a picture of her apron

and pot holder so this picture isn't that great.

What is great, is this video of Ayla hitting the piñata and got candy out.

This scary video is Dorian almost hits his sisters head.

Here are more photos at the party.

Sorry Monica you were chopped off.

Here is my 14 year old with My grandson.
Monica is her stepsister, she's very sweet and quite.

Did you see how my nephew Evan sucked up a big breath to hit the pinata? Devan and Dorian waiting for the candy to be busted.

This is Olivia my niece, Evan's baby sister.

Here is Ayla, Evan, and my cousin Diego's girl Melia.

And here is Evan Sharing.

In case your wondering, yes it was a swimming party.

We also went to the AZ Museum of Natural History.

Where Ayla was mesmerized by the 'Knight'.

Which she later learned it was a conquistador, a Spanish 'Knight'.

She loves watching medieval movies with me.

She wants to learn to fight with swords, which she has like her mama.

Here is my husband with my son, Dorian.

We learned of the films made here in Arizona.

Dorian helps his sister with this map.

We learned of Mars and saw "The Rover".

To the ancient land of the Mayan People.

Devan learned to remember WW JD.

This is definitely not the path he wants.

(which reminds me something I learned in seminary,

If you stay on the narrow path ""

and do not stray off the path "S"

then it will not end up costly "$"

in the end:))

We learned of the gold mines and

panned for gold.

The walls out in the gold mine patio

were painted with a beautiful mural.


As we left the gold mine,

mission era, and the hohokum Indians,

we came accross...

Manny the Wooly Mammoth.

The kids and this father and son built this 3D Mammoth puzzle.

We learned about the prehistoric times.
This prehistoric shark looks cute with those big eyes.

Ayla was not sure about the T-Rex.

Then she tried to prove to me it was alive.

We then went to another museum, The AZ Museum for Youth.
I love this quote by Walt Disney.

This board had little visitors creations posted as they finnished.
Here Ayla played house and organized the kitchen.

I loved the "VanGo" Van.

Watch it, The spider is coming at you Babe.

Yes, my husband has arachnophobia.

My husband was like, what are you doing laying on the floor?

Never mind, he said and walked away.

I was taking a picture of this flower on the ceiling.

I heart weird art creations and Dr. Seuss.

My husband, not. He doesn't get it.

So we left the museums and

went to this lil'park in Gilbert

so the kids can cool off.

I was 113 degrees that day.

Ciao for now,
Arnnette