A Simple Amish Christmas and Kindle

Ok... It has been a very hard month of November for me personally. On Nov. 15th, I lost my beloved best friend of 17 years. My sweet kitty, Sandra, passed away during the night. She was one of two that helped me some very difficult times in my life. Saw me through a divorce, the loss of my first child, the loss of my Grandmother, extreme stress of two private schools treating my twins like they were nothing but gum on the bottom of their shoes and the almost loss of my home. My Sandra always knew when I needed love or extra attention. She always took naps with me, but kept her head on my hands until I fell asleep, or licked my face to tell me she loved me. As I sit here and type this, I still see her beautiful face and hear that soft purr that would greet me every time I picked her up. One couldn't have asked for a better friend. I am so lucky to have had the time I had with her, but also that I am even more lucky to have my other best friend, Doobie, who is 19 years old. He too is having a hard time with this great loss, but we help each other every day, by sitting together and just being together.

During such a hard time, my wonderful in-laws tell me that they want to make my Christmas wish come true. They sent me a Kindle as an early Christmas gift. Words can not express how grateful I am to them for such an amazing gift. I received my Kindle two days after Sandra's passing. With my husband's insistance, I opened the box way too early for Christmas gifts, but I am so glad I didn't wait. It was just the perfect thing to help me take my mind off of things.

Two days after I got my Kindle, I took it with me to our Thursday's therapy session for the boys. This thing is AMAZING!!! The very first book I downloaded was a free book (for a Limited Time) called "A Simple Amish Christmas" by Vannetta Chapman.

This book is a MUST read! When you need something to help lift you up and show you hope... This is the perfect read! This was my very first book about Amish life, so it took some getting use to of the words, but once you start reading, everything just fits into place, keeping you wanting more. Now I am just patiently waiting for another of her books to come out. :o)  Go check it out!!!

Until next time...

Happy Holidays and Stay Safe during the Holidays!

Cyber Monday at Build-A-Bear

Go check out Build-a-Bear's Cyber Monday deal!!!  You can't miss this great deal!!

Please see the button next to this post.

Black Friday

It's hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner. I just discovered that Build-a-Bear is having a GREAT sale online today thru Sunday on Hal and Holly Moose. Please check it out!

ECLIPSE ON DVD

I'm about to scream!!!! Twilight Eclipse is coming out on DVD and is now available for pre-order... RELEASE DATE IS DECEMBER 4TH!!!!

An Amazing Ball Jointed Doll Designer!!!

I must say that during stressful times, if you happen to have a Kimberly Lasher BJD, you take one look at it and can't help but smile!

I am very lucky in the fact that I have 3. I plan on making clothes for each of my girls and try to get my business up and running that way. I am currently working on a Halloween outfit that should turn out exactly as I see it in my head. :o)

Here is another great picture of my three girls together...

http://www.lasherbjds.com/

I love to play with my dolls. LOL

My friend Amy...

Well, my friend Amy has done it again. She has come out with yet another amazing book on her crochet toy designs (amigurumi).

If you love to crochet, please check out her books or visit her at her Etsy store, just make sure to tell her that Elena sent you....

Amy Gaines shop

Crochet Dress for Kim Lasher's Adeline BJD

Just finished making this little outfit for my Kimberly Lasher-Adeline BJD. The bottom of the dress is actually a mistake I made when trying a new pattern. When I realized that I was doing it wrong, I just decided to join the two ends together and then crochet the rest into a dress with straps. This is what it ended up looking like when I finished.

When I finished the dress, I decided to make a headband to go with it. Now the outfit is almost complete. :o) I might add some more little things to this outfit, but at a later time. Gotta finish up on my other projects first. :o)

FuzzB Shopping Mall

FuzzB Shopping Mall

Just opened up a new store and will be adding things soon. Please come check out all of the amazing things that everyone has to offer on FuzzB.com

GOTTA HAVE IT!!!!

After doing a lot of research today, I came across the price drop of the Kindle. I can not believe it's only $189 now! I've been waiting for a while now and now I can't wait to get my hands on one.

Looks like I'm going to be doing a lot more reading when I get my Kindle! LOL

Just have to share this book....

Since I have twin sons that are Autistic, I have been racking my brain for information on how to help them and to figure out what is going on inside their minds.

Well, I just finished reading this AMAZING book called Look Me in the Eye, by John Elder Robison.

I must say, after reading this book, I have a much better understanding of my sons and what they are thinking when they do things. This man has going through a lot in his life and has seen so many things. The understanding from his point of view is completely different from how the rest of the world saw it. The reactions to situations weren't how "Normal" people would expect to react, but in his eyes were just as appropriate as anyone elses.

If I could ever meet Mr. Robison, the one thing I could say to him would be Thank You! He was told so many negative things when he was a child that a could have made him into something evil and distructive. But, he became a well rounded person, living with Asperger's. To him, Thank You for helping me to understand and relate to my sons on a whole new level. For opening up the eyes of the rest of the world that sees children like mine as "BAD" children. He has given our children a voice that people need to hear and understand.

In my opinion, I feel that ALL teachers should be made to read this book. This helps everyone understand that our children shouldn't be labled "BAD" kids. Maybe they just don't understand exactly what you are trying to convey to them. Be gentle, understanding and show compassion for the child that is "DIFFERENT" from all of the other children.

For parents, this is a MUST READ! It will help you understand that dispite the word "Autistic", they are still inside that little head, still feeling and listening to EVERYTHING going on around them. They just can't get everything out like everyone else. Trust me, all you have to do is just look at their face. You as a parent can see that they hear you. That they understand you. They just can't and don't respond the way any other child would.

There is always hope in LOVE! They are our very special gift from God. Be proud of your Autistic child and be their armor in this tough world that wants to push them down. You can do it!!!

Now, get this book and start reading to understand your child!

Mini Crochet Thread Rooster

At the beginning of the month, my husband and I went to Texas with our children. This was their very first time on an airplane. The boys were a bit afraid at first, but did extremely well once we were in the air. This trip wouldn't have been possible, if it weren't for my Mother-in-law in Texas. She flew us out there as a surprise for my Father-in-law, who hasn't seen our children in about 6 years.

This trip was amazing. The kids had a blast and we spent some very much needed time with the family. After the few days we were there, it was time to come home and say goodbye to the family. Boy, was it hard to say goodbye!

After spending a couple of days back at home, I started thinking... What would be a great way to thank my Mother-in-law than to make her something special. That's where this little rooster comes in. I sat here and thought about how I wanted him to look and started working on him. No pattern, no picture. Just my fingers and my thoughts.

Once he was finished, the above is what came to be....

He took me one week to make. (Would have been less, but with the kids...) My husband went and bought a cute little wooden box for the rooster to go in and he mailed him off to my Mother-in-law.

Needless to say, she was very touched and surprised at how small my little guy is. So, mission accomplished! I made her smile!

Now, I'm working on another surprise for her as a birthday gift and need to get it done before the end of next week.

Pray!!!

Hello and welcome to my blog.

My name is Elena and I'm an avid crafter. Most of the things I like to do is crochet and knitting. However, I'm going to start working on making Little Annie dolls.

I am a stay-at-home mother of 3. My twin sons both have sensory intergration disorder and are Autistic. My goal in life is to show my children all the wonderful things they can make and to appricate everything that God has to offer them.

You may be wondering why I chose the name of my blog to be Little Annie-Beth's World. Well, to be totally honest, Annie-Beth is named after my late grandmother, Anna Elizabeth. My grandmother was also a crafter. Her favorite things to make were baby blankets and outfits for all of the grandchildren born into the family. Now, my grandmother had 12 children, so there were LOTS AND LOTS of babies born into our family. So, she was a master at the crochet craft. Not to mention all of the cute things she would make for myself and one of my cousins that lived with her.

It is because of her that I took up crochet and the reason why I thirst for learning how to use all sorts of things to make crafts. Most of the time, I make things for my children or give them as gifts to teachers, family and friends. I like to show people that because they matter to me, I took my time to pour my love into the little gift that I handmade just for them.

Being a mother of twins that have disabilities is challenging at times, but I wouldn't trade a second of my life with them. My daughter still tries to understand why they are different from everyone else, but she is very bright and talente. She has the creative bug inside of her as well. So, I'm hoping that she would be willing to sit down long enough to teach her all that I know.

My crafts are very important to me. It's my release from any and all stress of our daily life. Making things to sell is my new mission. Not just for the economic side, but because I have a lot to offer with my work and sharing that with others is something that helps me get smiles that I know makes others happy. That is how I feel God wants me to live my life.

This blog is a work in progress and I'm learning more and more every day as to how to make this work. So, please bare with me. I love meeting new people and would love to make lots of new friends. Over time, I will be adding pictures of my work and updating what is in the works and where I will be selling my items. In the near future, I plan on having my own website to sell, but am always open to taking commission work, when requested.

I sincerely thank you for reading this and I hope that you will continue to come back and see what Little Annie-Beth's World is creating.


Grandma.... This is for you!!!! With ALL my love!!!!

Lots of hugs,
Elena