The Happy Award comes to Do Beautiful Things

I am excited to receive the Happy Award from Simone at The romantic query letter.  I have long followed her through my other blog, Southern City Mysteries, and was pleased that she stopped over here and became my first follower.  Simone writes beautiful poetry that disguised as prose.  Historical fiction, romance, call it what you like, but stop by her blog and read a sample.  You won't be sorry that you did.

The Happy comes with a few conditions, which I repeat for you here:
1. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
2. List who gave the award to you and link to his/her blog
3. List 10 things that make you happy.
4. Pass the award on to other bloggers and visit their blogs to let them know!

First, for ten of the things that make me happy...

Snow sparkling in the sun................................
.........................................................................My children laughing together...
Bartlett Pear candles from Bath&BodyWorks......................
.......................Creative jewelry from Moon&Lola..................................................
Yoga and the healing voice of Margaret at Yoga Garden...............
.......................................My husband....
...........................................................Blog comments (I can't help it!  It's invigorating!)
Thinking like a writer--writing every moment in my head........................
..............My son using big words like "injured" and "actually" (he's 4)...
The quiet that sets in when my children are asleep and my husband is ready to go to bed.  The house has settled and we are all at peace.  It is time, our hearts say, to rest for the night.  A good book, a quick thanks to God for our day and our lives, and we will close our eyes to dream.  No worries about the next day.  Just the darkness and the warmth and the closeness of each other......................................................

(The picture above was assigned to me by Simone when she gave out the Happy Award. If she thinks it is a "beautiful thing," it is worth re-posting here. Thank you, Simone!)

I give the Happy Award to:

Chris at Living with Fibromyalgia -- I learn so much from her!

EmcogNEATO of EmcogNEATo -- because I think she could use a little cheering to get her through having no ice in her freezer!

Kris of The Cajun Book Lady -- because she is creative and pretty darn cool.

And, though she has received it before (maybe even from me, I can't remember!), L. Diane Wolfe of Spunk on A Stick's Tips--she has guest blogged on Southern City Mysteries, supported me here on this blog and is an all around great blogging friend.

Thank you, friends.  And I encourage you all to click on all the links and check out the fabulous blogs!

Project for Booklovers and Parents

I am a reader.  I LOVE BOOKS.  I love them so much I am writing my own.  In fact, that is how I got into the blogging thing.  My first blog (my main blog) is Southern City Mysteries.  It wasn't until I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and needed a place to bleed and emote that I began this one.  Luckily, it has turned into more of a happy place than a drown your sorrows type of cesspool.

But back to the point of this post...My father's birthday was January 9th and he is an avid reader as well.  He reads mostly mass-market paperbacks and doesn't hesitate to break their spines or dog-ear their pages, but I thought a nice accessory would be a good gift.  Enter the bookmark.

I have children.  My son loves to draw and my daughter loves stickers.  But you can't just cut a bookmark out of regular notebook or construction paper - too flimsy.  So resourceful me grabbed an old birthday card and cut it into strips.  Because of the card's design, I was actually able to make five bookmarks.  Some superhero/Scooby Doo stickers and several shades of ink later--voila!  Homemade bookmarks!  The kids loved it, the grandfather will love it and I appear the creative mom for a day.

Just thought I would share.  Do you have any creative ideas to share?  I'm always looking for new projects to do with my children, and I am sure other readers are as well.