Happy Birthday Karin

 Happy Birthday to Karin!  She's an awesome card making artist and has a wonderful blog that is often featured here as a guest designer.  I just love her amazing work!  I wish you the happiest of birthdays and a wonderful new year.

Choose Joy!

 WOW, so both exhausted and excited to be home.  I have SO MUCH LACE to share and can't wait to reopen the store.  That should happen soon.  I'll post a link here as soon as I reopen.  I unloaded SO MUCH lacce and so much other goodies.  

You're the best!

 Getting over the major jet lag of being home and trying to normalize my sleep  (LOL, sleeping is weird but way easier to do in my own house).  Thankful for a lovely trip and ready to unpack a LOT of amazing lace.  Thanks to all my dear friends in Turkiye and especially to my dear husband who made this trip possible.  Kisses.

I made this card from a kit by American Crafts plus some wooden butterflies.

Flying Home

I will spend the next 24 hours at the airport, on planes, at airports, on planes and FINALLY, in the arms of my dear husband John!! I can't wait to see him.  Love you dear.  I can't wait to see you at the end of this very tiring day.  

Last day in Istanbul

Well, today is my last day in Istanbul, I leave tomorrow, but at 8:30 am and I have to be at the airport 3 hours before the flight.  SIGH.  that's just SO early to get up and get to the airport, lol.  Will be running around today to say goodbye to people and having a last dinner or lovely meal.

Guest Designer Turkish kids

 Well my trip is nearing an end, but I have one more card from the kiddos, this one being my favorite of all of them, they were all so special and made with such love from each kid, you should have seen their little faces!! OMG it would make you smile

Summer

 Happy Saturday everyone!  It's my last saruday, so I am likely to wander over to the Pazaar in Barkirkoy and see if there is just any lace that i have to have, of course at this point, my luggage is pretty set.  I will also drop by and see my friends as I am leaving so soon

Hello!

 Hello!  Hope you are having a great day today.  Happy Friday, it's my last weekend here in Istanbul, Today is friday, so on Friday's here around noonish the mosques have holy time and prayer, but also Imams teach, so it's much longer than a traditional prayer time.  Most if not all businesses close during this time.  The turn the lights off and the employees are free to go and pray.  

Happy Day

 Happy Thursday, Hope you are doing well. just four days left to enjoy.  what a magical time.  I look forward to having a few more lovely meals and grabbing a few trinkets for family and friends at work.  Here's a little card featuring the train on Istikal street.  Have a Happy Day!

Hello

Hello, here's a little Winnie the Pooh today with some adorable Piglet.  It says,"Oh, Hello there!"  I hope you are have a great Wed.  I am hopeing to goto my last pazaar at Fatih to see if there's any good last minute deals that I need to get.  Last year there was a lady who had a bag of good stuff.  Maybe she will show up again this year with her newest finds.

 

Things to do...

Tuesday, can't say I have specific plans yet, that usually means going to the Eminonu area for breakfast and shopping and visiting with my friends.   Though at this point I have to be careful about buying as I have shipped packages and have limited space in my suitcases, lol

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Wonderful

 I am officially on my last week now.  WOW, what an amazing summer it has been but I am winding down, getting mostly rest and ready to see my DH more than anything.  I hope he misses me. You're the best babe!  Thank you SO MUCH for this amazing trip

Guest Designer

 wow, the trip is nearing an end now, I am so very thankful to have enjoyed  my summer here in Turkiye.  here's some more wonderful art from the kiddo's.  Their teacher being my dear friend, Dilek.

don't you love that COFEE theme one?

admit one

 It's the weekend!  I can't believe I just have a little time left.  I am likely to go over to the Bakirkoy pazaar this Saturday and then maybe stop by Eminonu or go all the way to Ortakoy depending on how early I get going.  Though I think activity in Ortakoy goes on Sunday as well, so I may go there on Sunday instead.

The card base and ticket die cut is from American crafts and the ice cream die cut is from Pink&Main.  Mmmm, think I want some ice cream today. 

Hagia Sofia

 Happy Friday everyone!  Here's a Turkish theme card showing Istanbul.  This is the Hagia Sophia.  Currently it is under reconstruction, so there is much cover over the dome where they are rebuilding.  It went from being a museum to being a mosque a couple a years ago.  Now it's still a mosque, but for foreigners they still charge a high fee (1100 Turkish liras) to enter and you can only enter the top area (not the bottom floor anymore).

Hey you...

 Happy Thursday everyone. I hope you are all having a great week for the middle of July.  What is everyone doing this month?  I have been talking so much about what I am doing I haven't asked everyone what's going on.

Hello Sunshine

 Well, it's Wed, so you know what that means....yep, Fatih Pazaar....even though I have to control my shopping now, I just can't resist this amazing event this week.  There's a couple of ladies that I often run into who make the most beautiful handmade laces here.  I find it hard to resist!!

Summer Fun

 Happy Tuesday.  As the trip winds down I have to control my shopping more because I have FULL suitcases and have already gotten ready or shipped my packages home so I can't be buying MORE laces (which you know I want to do, lol.....)  EEEKKKK, so hard not to.  Ha ha.

GO SEE DO

Another lovely day to enjoy.  I am starting to sleep better, finally and relax more.  Of course, pretty soon it will be time for the trip to end and then start a new sleeping pattern as school will end.  I wonder what my new schedule and class will be like next year.  Hmmm.  well, no need to think of that now.  Let's just enjoy these last two weeks of vacation.

Guest Designer Turkish Kids

 Just two weeks let to enjoy. I can't believe the summer is nearing an end already. WOW.  I have some more wonderful art from the kiddos in Turkiye.  How sweet are they?

Friends

 Happy Saturday.  Hoping to get a chance to visit with my friends while I am here.  One of them is a teacher and she and I met when she was in the USA with her then husband while he completed his PHd at Texas Tech University.  She will have just a little time to visit as her mother lives in another city outside of Istanbul, so she will be leaving when school gets out to go stay with her.

Thank you

 WOW,  I can't believe I have been in Turkiye so long and I just have two weeks left.  LOL. I know most people don't even get a two week vacation, but I will miss Turkiue so much.  I am so spoiled.  I am so thankful to all the kind people here who have been so friendly and helped me and of course to my dear hubby.  Here's a thank you in Spanish, but let me write it here in Turkish-- Teşekkür ederim

Be a rainbow

 Ahh, Thursday, if I remember correctly today is the weekly pazaar in Cemberlitas neighborhood.  They don't have a lot of laces there, but they usually have a couple of tables that might be worth looking at.  Then I like to take the train to Sirkeci and either ride the Marmaray under the sea to Uskadar or take a ferry.  There's some lovely art stores there and that's a nice afternoon.

Time for a weekly Pazaar

 So it's wed now and the good thing about Wednesdays is the weekly pazaar in Fatih.  I am looking forward to finding some good laces there.  WOO HOO.  Every once in a while I get some really good stuff there, but even on regular weeks, I still may find some nice cheaper laces than what you would get at the retail stores in Eminonu.

Here comes the sun!

 Happy July 8th. Hope this day finds you well. I am looking forward to relaxing today and walking around a lot. It's getting warmer now that we are in July, but here in Turkiye, Istanbul in particular, it is still significantly cooler than in Austin where I come from.