overjoyed

And the winner is...

2009-12-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

The winner of the multicolored felt garland is random #12....Kelli!

...and the winner of my coloring book is random #7...Jennifer!

Thank you so much to everyone who entered I appreciate all your wonderful comments. I am now taking a break from blogger until the beginning of the year. I will keep my store open until the morning of Tuesday December 22nd and will then be re-opening after the first of the year. I hope everyone has a fantastic Christmas!...now go celebrate!

Creative Christmas Day 6- Giveaway day!

2009-12-12T06:15:00.000-08:00

To top off creative Christmas week I have a couple of giveaways!...first of all because I am feeling generous, and second of all because I have some wonderful blog readers. :)

The first giveaway is one 100 inch strand of my chain-stitch felt garland-multicolor. I have been selling A LOT of these in my store this holiday season. Lots of custom orders! This garland could dress up your tree, window, mantle,wall, or wherever you decide looks best. It really could be used to decorate all year...why not celebrate all year! :)

The second giveaway is one of my coloring books. It includes 14 of my original illustrations each printed out twice for double the coloring. (28 pages total) The cover is a natural felt color hand-bound with hemp. It measures 8 1/2'' x 10''. You can click here to see all the illustrations included.

To enter in the giveaway please leave a comment. Mention me on your blog and I will enter you in twice. Just make sure to let me know in your comment. You have until midnight on Tuesday the 15th to enter, and the winners will be announced on Wednesday morning. Thanks so much for celebrating with me this week!

Creative Christmas Day 5- Relax.

2009-12-11T09:55:00.000-08:00

picture by SashaW

As we speak I am soaking my feet. I can not tell you how wonderfully relaxing it is having my feet in warm water while looking out at the snow and eating some chocolate of course. :) I have realized after putting a lot of my time in to making gifts and preparing for Christmas I have not been taking much time to relax...and with a 1 year old this time is short and precious! As women we are made to be the nurturers and to put others first. It is hard to remember to take time for solitude and relaxation. No one wants to be stressed, especially this time of year when we are supposed to be celebrating the birth of Christ. Stopping each day to remember why I am doing the things I am doing and redirecting myself if necessary. How often do you pause to be present and really enjoy the beauty of a moment or place? I remember as a child the times I would be the most present, reflective and aware of my surroundings was while I was waiting for a ride. I would look out the window, sometimes draw pictures on the window if it was cold outside and fogged over, tap to a beat in my head, watch the squirrels outside, and just be. Being is just as important as doing.

"Slowing Down the speed of Life", a book written by Richard Carlson states 5 consequences from being busy-minded:

1- Become reactive instead of responsive.

2-Take negative behavior personally rather than seeing the innocence.

3-You miss out on the good times.

4-Loose sight of compassion.

5-You expect too much from others.

I am guilty of all of these at times and I have realized that life is too short to spend your time and energy doing what drains you. Yes there are chores that need to be done even though we don't want to do them, but they might not need to get done just that minute. Here are a few ideas I came up with to stop today and relax and reflect, followed by a foot bath recipe. :)

***stretch.

***breathe deeply.

***take a gratitude walk: alone or with your family. Start walking outside and while looking at the trees, sky, etc. share out loud what you are thankful for. If it is cold, then bundle up! Fresh air is always a good thing. (It just might be a shorter walk)

***say no if you have to.

***make a rice sock for your shoulders...or maybe make one as a gift for a friend.

***sip some hot tea.

***enjoy a foot bath. :)

-1 gallon of warm water

-3 drops of lavender essential oil.(use peppermint if you have a stuffy nose)

-1 cup of Epsom salts

*oh it feels so nice on a cold night. :) Did you know that your feet have the largest pores of any area on your body. Foot baths could help improve your circulation, ease fatigue, and relieve stress and illnesses.

Take care of yourself so you can care for others.

Creative Christmas Day 5- Yummies!

2009-12-10T12:47:00.000-08:00

Row 1:Wheat-free- egg-free cookie cutter cookies, Pumpkin Bread with no sugar

Row2:Italian Chard Stuffing, Excellent Eggnog

Row3:Red Cabbage Cranberry and Apple Slaw, Almond Butter Balls

Row4:Peppermint Log, Apple-Cranberry "Cheesecake"

One of my very favorite parts in celebrating the holidays are all the handmade goodies. These are some recipes I have collected to share with you. I have only made the almond butter balls myself so far. I make those many times though out the year, they are so simple! I may not get to all of these recipes this year but I definitely plan on making the peppermint log and the Italian Chard stuffing. Those look super yummy and unique. I also came across some yummy ham glazes that might be interesting to get creative with this year for those of you who have the traditional ham meal. Now I just made myself Hungary.

Have a splendid afternoon!

oh yeah...I forgot to mention...

2009-12-09T10:57:00.000-08:00

...that my coloring books were featured on the 2009 holiday gift guide on Going Home to Roost. You can check it out here:

http://www.goinghometoroost.com/2009-holiday-gift-guide/

Just wanted to mention that real quick! :)

Creative Christmas Day 4- Charity

2009-12-09T06:38:00.001-08:00

Did you know that approximately 40% of the world's population survives on less than $2 per day?...and that worldwide, 2.6 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation, and more than one billion people lack clean and safe water. I am so thankful for how and where I came into the world and for what I do have. It is hard to imagine living in those type of conditions all the time. It is easy for me to believe that I need to give. I have been commanded to give.

While looking for charity options this holiday season I thought to myself...Why do we give to charity? Is it really for them? Is it for me? Is it for God? Is it for a tax break?..hum, maybe for some people. What does the bible have to say about it? It may sound funny but as I researched I realized I still had a lot to research about this topic. I did come across a website I thought was very interesting that I wanted to share with you. I do not agree with all of the doctrine of this specific church, but what the writer is talking about on this page about charity I felt was very factual.

The Greek word 'agape' is translated as both charity and love in many places in the new testament. (mainly just in the KJV) Many people just think of charity as nothing more than giving money or donating something for a good cause. In this article the author says...

Charity specifically refers to the love that we have toward other men. Paul stresses that we are to walk "charitably" toward our weaker brothers (Romans 14:13-15). He praised the Thessalonians because "the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth" (2 Thessalonians 1:3). In 1 Peter 4:8-9, Peter told the believers, "And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging."

I think his point was that the new testament talks about charity as a specific kind of love. So I redirected my thoughts about how I can give charity....how I can give love. It may not be writing a check to sponsor a child, or it may. My point being that you should not limit yourself to making charity only about money. Get a group of friends together and cook a meal for a specific group of people. Feed the homeless at your local shelter. Smile at the person in the car next to you at the stoplight. Get creative! Show love!

...and of course I have a list of links for specific organizations that need some love. :)

*Uthandoproject.org- an organization where you crafters can make dolls to send to children in South Africa's Kwazulu-Natal province.

*globalgiving.com-$50 will pay an orphans tuition for an entire year!

*humankindness-a Kentucky gal raising money to buy school supplies and etc. for a K-5 school in India.

*bloodwatermission.com-help work against the HIV/AIDS and water crisis in Africa.

*Compassion International-Learn about sponsoring a child in need.
Go Share the love,

Creative Christmas Day 2-Tradition

2009-12-07T10:17:00.001-08:00

hats and mittens advent calendar by garnet hill

A native Mexican plant, poinsettias were named after Joel R. Poinsett, U.S. ambassador to Mexico who brought the plant to America in 1828. Poinsettias were likely used by Mexican Franciscans in their 17th century Christmas celebrations. One legend has it that a young Mexican boy, on his way to visit the village Nativity scene, realized he had no gift for the Christ child. He gathered pretty green branches from along the road and brought them to the church. Though the other children mocked him, when the leaves were laid at the manger, a beautiful star-shaped flower appeared on each branch. The bright red petals, often mistaken for flowers, are actually the upper leaves of the plant.

Tradition! I love it...Each family and culture has their own traditions each year for celebrating Christmas. I came across this idea of an advent calendar ( I can't remember where I heard of it, but it was not my idea so I can not take the credit). Instead of the traditional advent calendar this one has a little twist. Placed inside each pocket is a piece of paper with something to do that night as a family. I came up with a list of 25 ideas that could be incorporated into the advent calendar, or just used as an individual new tradition. Some of them are probably already traditions in your family, but especially for kids there is so much excitement waking up in themorning to open up the next pocket on the calendar to see how they will be celebrating that evening.

1-put up the Christmas tree and decorate!

2-make ornaments.

3-drink apple cider and listen to Christmas music.

4-play a board game

5-feed the homeless at a local shelter.

6-make festive garland.

7-go ice skating

8-make a table centerpiece

9-make Christmas cards.

10-donate extra clothing to a shelter

11-go caroling.

12-make a button wreath

13-make a pinecone bird feeder.

14-watch a Christmas movie.

15-invite friends over for a holiday dinner

16-make paper snowflakes

17-shop for family angel tree.

18-bake cookies.

19-deliver cookies.

20-look through old holiday photos while sipping hot chocolate.

21-look at Christmas lights.

22-wrap gifts.

23-read the Christmas Story.

24-go to church.

25-go around the table and share why each person in the family is a gift to you.

What traditions does your family do to celebrate Christmas?Have a lovely day.

Creative Christmas Day 3-Gifts/Wrapping

2009-12-08T06:32:00.000-08:00

picture by intermissions

As you have heard me say before that this year I have not been much of a mall-goer...I have been trying to get creative. Here is a list of unique gift giving options that I came up with and also got inspired from an article in this month's issue of Mothering.

1) Buy Handmade of course! Check out the gift guides on Etsy there are tons of ideas for just about anyone from the tech lover-to the sports fanatic-to the home chef-to the person who has everything. Or if you are wanting to be the artist but need some inspiration check outInstructables or Martha's page. Some of these websites can be a bit overwhelming if you are like me and want to try everything...but they are fun. :)

2)Look for items that have a Fair Trade label...<Fair Trade is an organized social movementand market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries and promote sustainability. >-Wikipedia. There are many places to shop fair trade, sometimes even your local supermarket will carry fair trade items, but a popular place to shop is Ten Thousand Villages. Also check out Earthlover.

3)Give a gift card that supports a worthy cause. For example Tisbest.org TisBest Philanthropy is a registered non-profit corporation in the state of Washington and qualified as a 501c3 charity by the IRS. (It doesn't seem like you need to worry about charity schemes). This would be particularly good for kids so they can maybe choose which charity that is associated with their own interests.

5)Even if you are giving a gift card there are many ideas on how to make it personal. Check out these handmade giftcard holders.

4)Give the gift of service!- A gift doesn't have to be an object. You could cook a meal, clean someones house, babysit, write a song, give a back message, etc.

I can't think of a reason why I would need to buy wrapping paper this year when I have loads of crafting paper, paper grocery bags, etc laying around my house. Plus the Internet has tons of crafty bloggers of course with tons of inspiration. Not to mention a few... :)

1)fabric gift bags

2)Seasonal Delights- cards and gift tags

3)Tip Junkie- tons of unique ideas!

4)Olivemanna-textiles and paper goods.

5)Use pine cones or holly (careful if it is poisonous) instead of a plastic bow.

6)Decorate paper grocery bags with stamps or markers.

7)Make use of the newspaper comics.(I remember this always being a hit at birthday parties when I was a kid)

8)prettytape has tons of fun tape and don't forget to mark it handmade when you are done.

Any other creative ideas?

Creative Christmas Day 1- Decorate!

2009-12-06T05:50:00.000-08:00

For most celebrations the first thing we need to do is DECORATE! Making my home feel warm and cozy and festive is a must! I was telling my husband the other day that I love the feeling when I walk into our warm cozy house during this season with the tree all lit up. It makes me so excited to be home with my family. Of course there is the traditional Christmas tree (which we put up each year)..but just for fun as you can see above are a few crazy alternatives to the traditional Christmas tree that I found at apartment theropy. Maybe one of these years I will get brave enough. :)

Below are a few simple tutorials of decorative projects I would like to try at some point whether that be this year or next. I just didn't want to forget about them, and thought maybe one of you would want to give them a try.

1- ice wreath by resurrection fern...we need to have a snow with freezing weather first.(but thats ok, I could hold off on this one until next year)... :)

2-beeswax candles... I may even do these after the holidays if I don't get around to it before. They look super easy.

3-Sweater Stocking by lifeingrace on blissfullydomestic.

And of course a few etsy finds below that I could not pass up sharing...

cute birdie ornaments -by sugarelf

tree centerpieces from vintage trims- by thelittleprints (she may have already sold this one!)

festive felt garland-by me! :)

Have a splendid Sunday!

A Creative Christmas

2009-12-04T19:34:00.000-08:00

nativity designed by ZooLooNaturals

The past couple of weeks I have started to feel a bit frazzled and overwhelmed. It started with black friday...as many of you know I have decided to take on the handmade challenge and that means all my Christmas gifts that I give this year I have made or I have bought them from the artist them self. So on "black friday" I really did not have anything to buy, but it is a tradition to go with my mom and sister shopping the day after thanksgiving. It was fun...but for some reason this year it was a little overwhelming. I guess I just have not been to the mall for a while, but it was crazy how much STUFF people buy, and just how much STUFF there is to buy. Holy Cow! After not shopping like this for a long time, it almost made me feel a little sick inside. I started feeling a bit anxious about gifts and if I am going to have enough time to make everything I wanted to do on top of keeping up with my store this time of year. (which has really picked up in the last few weeks! I just had my 50th sale today...yay!!)...but anyways you get the idea. My brain is going crazy and not to mention my house needs to be cleaned really bad!...hehe :)

Then today I sat down with a hot drink and for some reason I felt very calm. It might have been something to do with how the warm drink felt going into my stomach or maybe it was just the feeling of holding the warm mug in my hands. Whatever it was I felt a sense of contentment, and for that moment I was not worried about anything. While sipping my drink I realized that this whole time I have been focused on getting stuff done and what I will get people for Christmas. When buying handmade or making a gift you have to put a lot more thought into it. Its obviously better than focusing on what I want for Christmas, but I was missing the whole point! I think it is very common for everyone at some point in our culture to start out the "holiday" season with shopping and what we will buy for each other, when what we really need to do is approach the season intentionally thinking about Christ. Christ was God's gift to us and I encourage you all this year while shopping or creating a gift for someone to think of it as a symbol of God's gift to us...Christ.

Now of course there are traditions and festivities in celebrating the birth of Christ and that is wonderful! It is a Celebration! :) I have been really excited to share with you this coming week many ways of being more creative this Christmas. I have a collection of ideas, handmade goodies and projects that I have done, just thought were neat, want to do, or want to remember for next year. So look forward to a celebration post each day this week to help get your mind off the mall crowds and focus on celebrating and creativity...and stick around for a couple of giveaways at the end of the week! :)

If there is one thing I have learned in this 2009 year it is that being together is more important than getting things done. So kick back, relax, create, and don't get overwhelmed with the hussel-n-bussel of the holiday season. Love everyone the way God loves you...unconditionally. Give from the heart.

Etsy Finds-Autumn and Thanksgiving.

2009-11-25T06:20:00.000-08:00

The point of Thanksgiving is to remember all the things we are grateful for, and not just for the obvious, but the tiny moments too. I have been trying to focus on being thankful for the little blessings like the sunny day in November where I didn't have to wear my coat and the extra hour of sleep I got this morning. The random giggles from Will and when he smiles and runs toward me when I walk into a room. Focusing on these daily blessings has really helped me change my perspective on life and to live more positively. Abundantly. If you like, come visit my previous posts from gratitude week last year. There are lots of ideas to challenge yourself to think more positively including making your own gratitude journal. Here are a few fun handmade goods that I wanted to share with you in celebrating the holiday. I hope everyone has a fantastic thanksgiving! I am truly thankful for all of you and all your encouraging comments. :)

"I am thankful for you" cards set of 6 by blue bicicletta

"The Giving Tree" fine art print by maggieblanchett

"little fall acorns" 8x10 photograph by honeyandjamphotos

pumpkin pie slice-made of felt by catzillacrafts

"so thankful tags- set of 3" by Align With Design

Handmade Home

2009-11-20T13:00:00.000-08:00

I have absolutely loved my copy of "Handmade Home" by Amanda Blake Soule! (a.k.a Soulemama) I learned a lot about how to find vintage and thrifted materials and how to repurpose them into new treasures. I have always been interested in and sort of found my own way to be creative repurposing materials, but she has so many helpful hints and very simple projects that I was so impressed with...including this sweater hat that I made for Will. It was so simple it only took me literally 2-3 minutes to make from an old sweater that we already had.

Good Morning!

2009-11-19T06:42:00.001-08:00

Good Morning Everyone!!

Look!...a cheerio!

I think I will eat it.

YUm. Yum. yUm.

haha!...this is so funny. :)

...and its sooooo good.

Yay! Have a super day friends!

He loves it!

2009-11-14T09:33:00.000-08:00

I am proud to announce that Will had his first taste of freshly juiced carrot-orange juice yesterday...and he loved it! He could not get enough of it!

what we have been up to...

2009-11-11T10:53:00.001-08:00

We have been super busy around here! Traveling, enjoying the great outdoors in this beautiful fall weather, visiting my new nephew Hunter!, helping out at church, getting my store stocked for the holidays, and starting on Christmas gifts. I know, I thought it seemed super early to start thinking about Christmas gifts until I realized...Ahhh!...it's almost the middle of November already! I have a lot to do! As many of you know I am making this year a Handmade Christmas. Every gift that I give will be handmade with love. Most of them I am making myself, and others are handmade by others. I have been having so much fun starting to search and create everyones gift, and I am starting to feel like I have a lot to do in the next month in a half on top of putting enough stuff up in my shop for those other handmade holiday shoppers. :) so yes...I have been keeping myself busy.

Some really exciting news is that I was featured in the Nov./Dec. issue of QC Magazine! They did an article featuring local artists and crafters for handmade holiday gift ideas. You can check it out here.

...and I seemed too busy to share with you some of Will's ONE YEAR PICTURES!... by the amazing Ryan Towe Photography. We were amazed with how these turned out and are having a hard time deciding which ones to get! Any suggestions? Ryan posted a few on his blog. You can see those here and here.

And of course, I recently told you all about my new nephew Hunter who was born on Oct. 8th and I have not even put up a picture yet! What kind of aunt am I? So here is a few from our visit in Cedar Falls on Monday. Isn't he the cutest little thing. He is such a content little guy; for he has a mom and dad who are really good with him.

Here is the handsome fella! :)

...and the proud new mama!

Me and Hunter...oh he was sooo cuddly!

It was hard to get one of the two cousins because Will would not sit still!...but I think they liked each other. :)

Will has been obsessed with giving hugs this week.

Kristin, Will, Hunter and a proud Grammers.

hello fall.

2009-11-01T20:27:00.001-08:00

There is something so brilliant about these golden leaves...they glow so creatively. :)

Will and my Mom walking through Valley Junction in Des Moines.

Have a splendid week everyone...I promise I will get back to my regular posting soon. I have been super busy with projects and enjoying the weather before it gets too cold.

Art Market Saturday!

2009-10-23T05:57:00.000-07:00

For those of you in the Des Moines area...Come visit me at the Art Market this Saturday, October 24th from 9am-5pm. This month is the Art Market Rummage Sale. In addition to the regular handmade, art and vintage stock, there will be vendors bringing rummage sale-esque things. Specifically, things that fall into the creative category: fabric scraps, supplies, tossed-aside arts projects, books, resources, etc. There might even be some food vendors available for lunch. Here is some more info below. Also just to let you know that for parking you may need to navigate around the Race for the Cure. This map might help. Hope to see you there!

Market Day Shopper FAQ

What will I see there?
You’ll see 40 local vendors with everything from baked goods to knitted goods to art, vintage jewelry, handmade furniture, toys, apparel… It varies month to month, but it’s always interesting, always local, always well made.

What payments do you accept?
That all depends on the vendor. Come prepared with cash and check.

When and where?
The remaining Market Days are the October Rummage Sale, October 24 from 9a-5p and the Black Friday Sale on November 27 from 8a-6p.
Market Day takes place at Market Street Media Foundry, 118 SE 4th Street in Des Moines. If you head to East 4th and Court and head south, we’re just past The Garden nightclub.

Click here for a map.

My Inspiration

2009-10-20T20:34:00.000-07:00

I found this video on Mothering tonight and was blown away by its beauty! This is my inspiration, along with all the other wonderful homebirth stories I have been reading. But Lindsey and I have something in common. I have experienced a Cesarean (as did she) and I am ready for a VBAC! (I am NOT telling you I am pregnant...sorry) :) I am getting educated and healthy and if anyone has any good reads or advice as far as VBAC or preferably HBAC, please let me know. thanks!...and enjoy the video.

My Journey to a VBAC from Lindsey Meehleis on Vimeo.

Happy Tuesday!

2009-10-20T05:48:00.000-07:00

It has been a while....we have been REALLY busy these past couple of weeks. So, thought I would stop in real quick to say Happy Tuesday to you all. Hope the photos made you smile. :)

My Coloring Book

2009-10-11T18:20:00.000-07:00

I finally decided to finish my coloring book!...and I am super happy with the way they turned out. Each illustration is full of fun happy objects that are just waiting to have color added. Just in time for the early holiday shoppers. :) These would be great gifts, or just something fun for your kids to be creative with. I have printed 14 of my own illustrations. There is two of each illustration in each book, for double the coloring. (28 pages total) The cover is made of felt in various colors to choose from. Each one is hand cut and hand bound together with hemp and measures approx. 8 1/2 x 10. I have a handful for sale in my store right now...red, orange, green, blue, purple, pink, and natural. Click the link below to view a slideshow of what each of the 14 illustrations look like. Enjoy!...and be sure to leave a comment or email me if you have any questions or would like to make a custom order for a specific color.

View slideshow

Pray for Hunter!

2009-10-09T12:34:00.000-07:00

*Thank you so much for your prayers. Hunter is doing excellent! The hole has filled up and my sister called me with so much excitement today that she was able to feed him and he did wonderful! *

I am an Aunt!! Well, I have been an aunt since I married into the Fever family a few years ago, but my sister just had a baby this week!...and he is soooo cute! Her water broke early wednesday morning and she had a healthy birth around 3am yesterday. A little 5 lb. 8 oz. boy . What a blessing! This was very unexpected because she was not due for another 4 weeks. We were all very surprised. I have never been so anxious waiting all day to know how she was doing and wondering when she was going to actually have this baby. Unfortunately she was not able to hold baby Hunter right away for he was rushed to the NICU because of his trouble breathing with being so early. He has a hole in his lung, but just keeps on improving. Kristin and Josh have been really positive about everything and seem to be doing really well, but we all know it is hard to go through stuff like this. I knew I could count on my blogger readers to be praying for this precious little babe. That is what I love about this online community; all the support and encouragement.

Thanks!

Watch Will Grow

2009-10-05T20:22:00.001-07:00

------The day Will was born------

-----2 weeks------

-----1 month-----

-----2 months-----

-----3 months-----

-----4 months-----

-----5 months-----

-----6 months-----

-----7 months-----

-----8 months-----

-----9 months-----

-----10 months-----

-----11 months-----

-----12 months-----

Happy 1st Birthday William!!!

2009-10-04T17:42:00.000-07:00

Today my baby turned 1! I can hardly believe how fast the past year has gone. I have enjoyed every bit of it! We had a big Hawkeye birthday party yesterday with lots of family, friends, football, and frosting. We love you our little big man! Happy Birthday! :)

Click here to see more birthday pictures.

Will's First Haircut

2009-09-22T19:51:00.000-07:00

We headed over to our friend Amber's house this evening for her to give Will his first haircut! We were a bit hesitant for it was hard to see some of those first locks of hair go, but he looks sooo handsome! :)...and he sat there so good like such a big boy. She left most of it long on top, but evened out the "mullet-like" back. :)

BEFORE

the front...

and the back...

of course he has puts the comb in his mouth. :)

AFTER!...

the front...

and the back...

Then Amber decided to have a little fun. Rock Star Blondie!

Spiked Dad's hair too!

...and all the guys! (Amber's husband Steve and baby Lincoln)

hehe! :)

I have too many hobbies :)

2009-09-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

My new love is felting...needle felting and wet felting. I enjoy the soft colorfulness of working with fibers and even better this is a project I can do all in one sitting and it doesn't take a lot of materials. Although I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the exciting arts and craft ideas and gadgets that I have and yet to use/do, but this has been really exciting! I have made a few felted beads into necklaces that will be appearing in my store soon and I have also just had fun exploring with my felting needles and watching how the fibers interlock and form together. I have found it so exciting to blend them together like paint. I have realized how much I miss painting and might have to start that up again soon. Just a little update on my creative side. :) Hope you all are having a splendid week!