{Missing Blogger Pattie...from The Joy of Nesting}

It was August 03, 2011 when DocPattie, as is showing on her email address, did post for the very last time on The Joy of Nesting. No reply to emails and even a friend that got mentioned by her in a post did not know any news about her. Pattie did live in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico. She was from the USA, a retired RN with a PhD in Investigative Psychology, a Mom of 3 grown children and grandma of 3 boys. 

Doc Pattie has vanished from the radar.

Would anybody know about her?

There must be some connection, somewhere...

Maybe all together we can find out. This blog community is huge and together we can do a lot.

This is a comment from Pattie on the blog of Chez Fifi .

Somewhere there must be a link... Someone that knows her three children.

Just hate to think of a terrible fate...

As much as both of us love Mexico, having worked there for 11 years as consultants, fact is that a lot of drug related crimes have happened there. 

So please, if anyone knows about her whereabouts, let me know!

{Claudia a Blogger I Admire and her Gift for Baby Stef}

On August 25, I did post about HAPPY NEWS, see link below post. Our Goddaughter Elvira delivered baby boy Stef into the world. For several years I've been following and admiring Claudia from NuNu's Garn- und Stofflabor and it is time to share some of her incredible work with you. My first encounter with her was at Carolyn's, Little Bear Studio, understandably as both do make BEARS! Now let's have a look at what she did create for Baby Stef:

Claudia did even create this special card!

Her stitching is fabulous.

Here she designed the personal label for Stef...

Perfect bag for taking to the Day Care when Stef's Mommy is going back to work!

NuNu's own label is sewn onto each of her creations.

Stef's parents have a tiled living room so this special padded blanket will make for perfect playing on the floor.

The padded blanket is completely double.

Fun text with dinos...

All spread out...

THANKS CLAUDIA for creating these fun pieces and for shipping them out to Stef!

♥

Please pay Claudia a visit and know that her English is perfect too, besides her native German.

Her husband is likewise gifted but he only works with wood...

Related link:
NuNu´s Garn-und Stofflabor
{HAPPY NEWS!}

{81st WORLD ANIMAL DAY + Wabbies from Sweden}

October 4th is officially WORLD ANIMAL DAY. Let's hope there will be more awareness and respect towards all animals! This year will be the 81st WORLD ANIMAL DAY, since its start in Florence, Italy. You can see more in a link below post, also photos from my Dachshund Mauzie...

Staying with animals, I'd like to show you here one more Blogger I Admire; Astrid from Sweden, from the blog: AstridsHandarbeten, just click this hyperlink. It will show you how she makes her lovely Wabbies, rabbits from sheep's wool. Clicking on the link above will show you how she does prepare the sheep's wool for her artful needle felting. She is incredible in creating the funniest animals out of them. So I decided to have a 'Wabbie Family' sent to Germany to our German son and his family. Have a look at the result of Astrid's needle felting:

From Sweden to the Eifel in Germany.

Each Wabbie holds a letter A, E, L and M and a black kitten.

Incredible handwork by Astrid.

The Wabbies reside on the kitchen window sill, in their new home.

 Look at all the details artfully made by Astrid...

Holding their A, E and black kitten...

Those Wabbies did bring their own gift-tag:

With L♥ve from Mariette 

♥

THANKS ASTRID!

By Mariette VandenMunckhof-Vedder

Related link:
{World Animal Day started in 1931 in Florence, Italy}

{2 Awards from Bloggers I Admire + Update}

Are you also behind on things? Not yet fully adapted to the fact that it is now officially autumn and only 12 weeks away from Christmas?!

A heartily welcome to my newest followers, hope you will make yourself here at home. 

On September 23, I just managed to spot this funny number of 299,999... Just could grab its tail as of course time is racing on with everything. 

But this is NOT what I wanted to write about. Instead, I got 2 awards from special blogger friends that I admire. On September 29, I did receive a cat award from dear Tammy from T's Daily Treasures (click). She is a girl of my heart as she writes so pure about her daily but meaningful treasures of life. Tammy does for sure not fall into the category of The Pretenders. Her blog followers have been growing steadily and she always has something of interest to share with her loyal readers. A pleasure visiting with her. 

Another award I received on October 02, from a very talented blogger friend in Spain. Her name is Véronica from Nikavintage (click). Obviously she also first did receive this award herself and did pass it on to 15 others with this criteria: Give the award to fifteen blogs you think are worthy for their creativity and originality in writing, among other values.

For sure both ladies fall into this categorie of creativity and original content writing. No photos used from elsewhere on the Internet but just genuine moments of their own lives and life style. Please do give them a visit as they deserve it. Those two awards I will not pass on but those of you that write in the personal, creative and original style know that I mean to honor you as well.

The Future of Pro Blogging
For full article, click on above link!

There are two more special bloggers I admire and I will write about them next. Of course our Rose Suite will be revealed to you soon! Stay posted and I wish you a lovely autumn season, if you live in the northern hemisphere. And for the southern hemisphere a lovely spring time.

What is your thought about pretenders and those that constantly use material from the Internet, or worse from other bloggers; scraped content. For me it often feels like wasting my precious time. I'd rather connect with real people that live with real problems and struggles in this difficult time of recession. A joy it is for me to see so many talented women (hey, where are the men...?) out there who show us ways of re-purposing vintage things and creating romantic pieces for their homes. A few of them are selling it to others, while some just use it as an economical way of decorating their home. Also the cooking and baking at times is very refreshing to read and above all, to learn from.

See you soon!

{Introducing the ULTIMATE Rose artist from Château de Fleurs}

For quite a while I've been following and even more so, admiring a lady from the west coast, in Fallbrook, California. Her name is Christie Repasy from the blog Château de Fleurs and the website Christie Repasy Designs ←click it. She surely was a Blogger I Admire! 

Baby Blush, by Christie Repasy... 

Christie has been featured in Romantic Homes ←(click it) and also on the Rachel Ashwell's television show.

One more TV presentation is shown here below.

Just have a look at this HGTV Country Style video

Rose Painter Christie Repasy at her Laguna Beach Cottage

Vintage Rose Study by Christie Repasy

Evette by Christie Repasy...

Don't you just LOVE her real looking painted roses?

Update on blogger Michiko - She is on the improve!

Would love for you to know, that since I did post about Blogger MICHIKO needs YOUR SUPPORT! she did improve, according to her son Andrew. We ought to keep encouraging her on the slow and difficult way to recovery. So please take a moment and visit her blog here as Andrew will show the comments to her on his iPad. Some Blog-Love is the BEST MEDICINE we can give her. THANKS all so much and have a great Sunday!

{Blogger MICHIKO needs YOUR SUPPORT!}

This blog is a plea for help from bloggers around the world. Poor MICHIKO from Victoria, Australia has been involved in an accident on Decembe 15. She got badly injured, just read her son's post from yesterday for more here. Sadly, Michiko has accidentally deleted her older posts, including this meaningful one with ALL the sweet comments!  Please do follow her blog, as a gift to her, for showing we all care and leave a short note for encouragement. That will build her up more than you ever will imagine! Michiko is originally from Japan. So let us pass along some blog LOVE... ♥♥♥

Let us show her OUR SUPPORT!

Celia from the blog: Celia M. High Heeled Life & Resilientista will understand best what this lady is going through... as I've mentioned in my previous post here.

♥♥♥

Thanks for your help, I know that bloggers are the nicest bunch of people!

I only can reward ONE of you with a silver alphabet angel charm in my GIVEAWAY; see sidebar at the top...

{A Blogger I Admire: Celestina Marie Designs & Her White House Invitations}

Today I want to write about a very special and long time blogger (since June of 2007); Celestina Marie from the blog Celestina Marie Designs. Already since 1988 she has been a member of the National Society of Decorative Painters. This not only made her improve her skills as an artist painter, it even led her to The White House in 1998 and 2004. Each year the First Lady and her staff select the decorations and holiday theme, for the following Christmas to display on the (click link)→ Blue Room Christmas Tree. IF an artist gets selected after a precise and detailed process, following the exact requirements, they also will get invited to the White House Holiday Reception. From all 50 states, a total of 350 ornaments artfully made by 314 National Society of Decorative Painters members, it was also Celestina Marie who got chosen. Quite an honor for being invited by the President and the First Lady to see the Blue Room Tree all decorated!

Celestina Marie and her husband with First Lady Laura Bush in front of the Blue Room Christmas Tree...
Photo used with permission of Celestina Marie Designs

Being chosen ONCE is already a dream come true but being chosen TWICE that was beyond Celestina Marie's wildest dreams! I find it quite extraordinary too, for this fine artist having been included not only for 1998 but also 2004! Celestina Marie is a very down to earth lady and that's why I would like to honor her this year by mentioning this highest honor of this great nation in my post today. You ought to pay her a visit. If you click on Blue Room Christmas Tree above, you can read all about her experience. 

From First Lady Bush Celestina Marie did receive the above photo, taken with her by the White House Photographer, with an accompanied special letter.

Photo used with permission of Celestina Marie Designs

A sad note is that Celestina Marie lost her Dad only six weeks prior to her 1st Presidential invitation in 1998. Her Dad was a WWII Veteran and naturally, while in Washington, D.C. again for the 2nd Presidential invitation in 2004, Celestina Marie did visit with her husband the WWII Memorial that her Dad would have loved to see in person...

Photo used with permission of Celestina Marie Designs

There she met with some Vets from her Dad's home state of Pennsylvania and when she'd thanked them for their service, they cried... Very touching.

Photo used with permission of Celestina Marie Designs

Another photo from her under the marker of her Dad's beloved Pennsylvania...

Just yesterday, it was 66 years ago that her dear Mom & Dad got married, only weeks after returning from his 3-year time of service all over Europe. The camera he used in the war, never made it home so there is not a single photo of their wedding... But it got sealed in heaven and also inside the hearts of this love-couple and their family members, who witnessed this special love. You can read her post about it here: This Day Dec.22, 1945.

It has been an honor and a privilege, knowing Celestina Marie for the past couple of years. For being able to purchase some of her special art work as well. If it is fit for hanging inside the White House, wow, it must be an honor for each one of us to also own a piece of her fine art work!

May God bless Celestina Marie with good health, so many more of us will be able to acquire her fine work. Wishing her and her loved ones a very blessed and Merry Christmas. Thanks for being you and above all for being such a dear friend! The letters and cards that accompany her art work are a gift in itself... I only can highly recommend her to all those that have not yet had the honor knowing her talents in person.

 
Related links:
Miss C~ Goes To Washington! post by Celestina Marie
This Day Dec. 22, 1945 post by Celestina Marie
“A Blogger I Admire” - Doris Plaster from Hold my Hand previous post by me
"A Blogger I Admire" - Celia from High Heeled Life previous post by me

{"A Blogger I Admire" - Celia from High Heeled Life}

Just want you to meet the lively, vivacious young woman Celia M. High Heeled Life & Resilientista who had an interesting career in the corporate world. She was active in sports like kick boxing, volleyball and weight work outs. A beautiful, slender girl with a petite size and a love for upscale designer clothes, high heels and elegant handbags.

That did all end abruptly though...

It was on Sunday, October 28 of 2006, that life for Celia M. changed forever. She was about to cross the street to the apartment of a friend for a birthday party... Other party members that also just arrived, found her in the middle of the street. A car had hit her and she was not responding, had numerous broken bones and serious internal injuries. Because she was unconscious and not breathing on her own, they could not do surgery or anything requiring general anesthetic...

Almost six weeks later she did wake up from her coma.

Her sister took this photo while she was still on the ventilator, not able to breath on her own.

Her right elbow was destroyed, multiple fractures still had to heal, such as part of the spine at her neck. She sustained brain injury and had been given 54 unites of blood... She had to learn again how to speak, eat and walk.

After about 3½ years of living at home, most in her pajamas (read here →)  My Dolce Jeans Shrunk? ... Saying Good-bye due to this being the easiest way with all her incisions for the steel bars and screws in her right forearm and the artificial right elbow. Her right arm was in a hand shake position for 1½ years before the destroyed elbow got replaced. She never was able to touch her face, her head or eat for 1½ years... Also her right ankle is held together with pins and screws; hence the title of 'High Heeled Life'.

Celia's artificial right elbow...

And yet, on March 1 of 2010, she started this blog, with trembling fingers on the keyboard of her laptop. Her Mr. G. would bring it to her in bed and wait till her tiny fingers would start... Just imagine the effort it takes for her! Read: Hand Bags and High Heels …. Learning to like flats and wristlets to understand some more about her condition. Her brother and sister fought for her right arm, as the hospital opted for amputation... 

Look at where she has arrived now with 779 followers of her lovely blog with inspiring posts. On May 24 of 2011, the Brain Injury Society of Toronto published Celia's story. Look here: Celia's Story. Celia is not a native English speaker, she came from the Old World too, like me. Considering all that, her mother tongue, her many injuries that do cause her pain, her artificial elbow and still this girl is reaching out like only few people ever manage to do so in a lifetime.

She and Mr. G. are also the human parents to two darling dogs; Stella and Dolce. Just click on the hyperlinks of their names to meet those cute furbabies. Please join me in my admiration of this very special blogger friend. If you have not done so yet, please do follow her and leave her a comment as she so deserves it! There is nothing more I can add to this remarkable lady's journey. A true role model to all of us, showing us clearly what is important in life and that we can continue with a lot less. Like I would love to always say: Back to the Basics...

Thanks Celia for your personal friendship; it means a lot to me!

Related posts by Celia:

1 Once Upon A Time... 

2 Sleeping Beauty... Once Upon A Time

3 Boarding The Boat... Once Upon A Time

4 The Princess wakes up... Once Upon A Time

5 Time Passes ~ Once Upon A Time

5 Years Later... What’s that a bend in the road?

{“A Blogger I Admire” - Doris Plaster from Hold my Hand}

On July 29 my dear friend Doris Plaser from the blog Hold my Hand wrote a post about her FIRST book release. Her book is available at Amazon. I pride myself for owning a signed copy. Doris and I go back quite some time as she's one of my early followers on Blogger. We both have written briefly for Lookville but that was not to our liking. The language used there is by far not at the level we find here on Blogger. Let me show you my personal copy...

Sweet Doris, thank you ever so much for your personal message inside; I will treasure that forever!

I have placed my Giovanni Raspini & Co silver alphabet angels from my on line boutique Spectrenoir, on the book; spelling out Doris' name... 

Yes, Doris is a native of Colombia and therefore it is even more of an accomplishment to do this in a second language! How many never even publish a book in their 'mother tongue'?

Truly "A Blogger I Admire!!!"

You should also read Doris' story that explains the title of her blog: Hold my Hand. Click My Patient, my Hero.

So now you have an idea for your early Christmas shopping...

My 5th Blog Award from my 150th follower

I've missed reading your blogs and could not produce any writing as planned, due to a severe bladder infection. But the antibiotics are kicking in and I'm starting to feel better. The pain is gone and I can concentrate again on my work. On my BlackBerry I did receive a very surprising comment from my 150th follower and she wrote that she'd passed on an Award for me. That was very pleasant medication for me to take today! THANKS A MILLION MARIAN from SCHUNSLAND Blog.

Virtual Friendships...

Marian, van Schunsland nogmaals hartelijk dank!

That makes it is my 5th Blog Award... Love the heart in it and I will try to pass it on to others, using my heart as best as I can. The request was that I do select those that don't have that many followers yet... in order to help them get acquainted in the blogger's world. The number of followers might not reveal everything, but I'd like to add my own version of judgement for passing it on to those that I do admire. For a reason of bringing personal content to their readers. Not just copied from some place else on the Internet. No, for using their own personal view on life or on how they share their way of making a home more cozy and like a real nest. Not trying to copy the majority, but by being themselves and creating a safe haven for their family; children and pets. Friends included of course. We cannot all be artists or creative photographers let alone designers of posh homes and interiors, that only a few can afford right in the middle of an economic crisis world wide. No -- common sense, and that shared with others, is far more reaching than some pretentious bloggers that only look down from their imaginary pedestals. Sorry, but I'm kind of allergic to anything fake.

1. There is Marcia from BlessedMom's Simple Home whom I admire. Check her labels out -- she writes refreshing about True Life's blessings! Nothing pretentious and she does this by being a mother to SIX! Guess we all can learn from her. She ought to have millions of followers as she is a LEADER!
2. Go with me on a journey and travel to Italy, just south of Rome where Rosetta has her beautiful blog The Romantic Rose with some PURE postings about her lovely way of building a nest and giving love to those dear to her. That is INSPIRATION! 
3. Lets go to England too where the very smart and creative Bea is posting very worthwhile blogs about how she is enhancing her home and garden in Modern Country Lady. Most of us can learn a lot from her. She's also a leader in common sense aproach.
4. There is Victoria from the West Coast of Canada who has a lovely, meaningful blog called appropriately for these difficult times: The Beauty of Balance. She has some good and much needed soul food to share! Nothing to impress or brag about but from the depth of her heart.
5. Or going to France for Janny's incredible Rozen van Papier (Roses made of Paper!) that will sooth you mind and de-stress in a way that you never have experienced before. Don't let borders keep you from visiting, they do have a Google Translate bar and photos of their own unique material do speak volumes... She even has a French language blog Roses pour Toujours (Roses forever) that you can follow from the button at the top of her page.
6. California is another trip I want to take you on, for visiting the multi-talented Olga from Olga's Home and Garden. She is the kind of centipede lady that can create a wide variety of things with her gifted hands. She does so in a very pleasant, way without being pretentious.
7. Okay, I'm going with the biblical number 7... There is one other blogger from Canada whom I admire tremendously: Celia from Celia M. High Heeled Life & Resilientista We all could learn from her!

Guess this will do as it gives lots to read, lots to visit and share and above all: to ponder about. Hope you enjoyed this little journey with me. For sure I could add several more but let's keep that for next time. Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for your visit(s) to Mariette's Back to Basics as that's truly my life's motto.