April 30, 2023 – It was what it was…

Hello All! I know there are people who hate the saying, “It is what it is.” But, I am not one of them. I fall back on it often. April 2023 was truly, “It was what it was.” It was both dark and trying, AND a ray of sunshine. :

Some of the Bad: My friend passed away, I had surgery, I scrambled to get my part of taxes done.

Some of the Good: My friend is in heaven, Easter, I am 100% fine after surgery, taxes are done.

So, now we are moving on to May! I have been sewing and making plans for summer. Two days ago I sent off my registration form for Coffee Break Fest in August and I am very excited about that! (Don’t you LOVE the Forever LOVE stamps?) More registration forms will go out soon.

Proof that I am working! 😀

I have also kept up with running and need to get registration forms in for June and July runs. More on that later. One of the “good” things that came out of April was that I took some time and money and finally ordered new running shoes. AND they are purple!! 😀

New Running Shoes – Asics GT-1000 11s

DD is signed up for a few rec classes this summer: soccer, archery, and tennis. We still need to plan a short vacation. I am managing and playing on our Coed Church league softball team. And there are a multitude of things happening during our final month of school.

May will be better. God is AMAZING!

Enjoy your last day of April 2023!

Missie S.

March 17, 2023 – Happy St. Patrick’s Day from O’giggleFritz and Co.!!

Hello and Happy St. Patrick’s Day, All! I don’t have anything special planned for today. A dear friend made me a plate of corned beef, cabbage, and carrots which we will devour this evening with some normal colored hard cider. Other than that, I am just working today and having a jolly time doing it! I will leave a sweet little St. Patrick’s Day Throwback picture from four years ago. Yes, I even once had a St. Patrick’s Day Socktopus!! 😀

St. Patrick’s Day Socktopus – by giggleFritz and Co., 2019

Have a safe and happy day!

Missie S.

February 22, 2023 – February Update

Hello All! February is almost over and I am checking in for a quick update.

February has never been a very exciting month to me. It’s usually a month you trudge through, waiting impatiently for spring to arrive. There’s Valentine’s Day, but, meh. This is a good month for planning and looking ahead at what needs to be done. However, I am having a hard time planning. I can barely keep up with today. Instead of planning ahead in the planner, I am looking back and recording things that happened, like in a journal. I need to change that. I need to lay down a solid plan. I need to say “no” to other people’s plans.

Each year I make a new planner for myself. Behold! Planner 2023 (I LOVE this print!)

Earlier in the month I had a custom index card holder request. I didn’t have any fabric patterns that fit the interest of my customer, so I took a trip to the fabric store! 😀 Kid in a candy shop, I had so much fun! I picked up some new fabric and replenished a popular pattern I am low on. I need/want to go back soon, so I better get crackin’! I can’t buy fabric I don’t have, with money I don’t have.

February 2023 Fabric
Custom Index Card Holder – Celestial Zodiac on Blue Batik

For Valentine’s Day, DD and I usually make a heart-shaped cake together. This year we did something different and made white chocolate covered strawberries. They were pretty easy to make and DELICIOUS!! All you do is melt some almond bark with a little coconut oil, stick a toothpick in a strawberry, and dip the strawberry in the chocolate. We added a few festive sprinkles and stuck the toothpick bottom in a cereal box so the chocolate could dry without a mess. We will make these again next year and we will make them prettier!

The rest of my month has been lots of volunteering at DD’s school and running. I ran a 5K last Saturday, the first winter run I have ever done (Flannel 5k/10k). We ran with some packed snow and ice on the ground, but still had a good running time. Temperature about 30F.

Flannel 5K/10K Run 2023

And now, I am here, happy inside my cozy office as a blizzard rages outside. School and Ash Wednesday Church Services were all called off today. Oh, February!

I am off to do wonderful giggleFritz things! Thank you for stopping by and checking in. Have a fantastic Wednesday! 😀

Missie S.

January 3, 2023 – New Year, New Book!!

Hello, Everyone! It is that awkward time of year when I want to do things, but I’m stuck doing other things. I keep forgetting what day it is and the whole routine is off. Also, it has been raining and overall gloomy outside. What to do with DD on one of her last Christmas vacation days? Luckily, this morning I remembered The Library!

Today was an excellent day to visit the library. We hadn’t gotten over there in months…and I felt it inside. The last few months have been consistently busy and I haven’t been working on any book in particular. I needed to get outside my own story and get lost in someone else’s. Just being at the library with all of those wonderful books, filled with stories and ideas made me feel extraordinary! AND I found a great book! ?

I tried to get DD to find a new book, but the book she wanted was an ebook. She will download her book later. I, personally, don’t like ebooks. I think it’s important to hold a book and turn its pages. Anyway, she drew a picture of the cover of her ebook. It was really good! She’s really great at drawing! She didn’t want to leave when it was time to go. She said she likes being at the library with all the other people. I was so happy when she said that! ❤️

I started several books I own at home before Christmas, but I couldn’t get into them. I had wanted to pick up a copy of The Screwtape Letters, but our library had no copy. (I will order it off eBay. This book keeps popping up on my radar.) I ended up searching for the 12th book in The Saxon Chronicles: Sword of Kings. I was surprised to find it at our library. I usually have to have those books transferred over. I am a few pages in and I feel so at home. I will be sad when I finish this series.

What I am reading right now – Book 12

Today was a wonderful, unbusy day! I could use several more, but I am grateful for one. Tomorrow we will also play by ear, but Thursday it’s back to business as usual. At least I have my wonderful book!

Happy Tuesday to You!

Missie S.

November 30, 2022 – What month is this, anyway?!

It’s the last day of November 2022. So much happened this month, but so little writing and tracking occurred. My very basic goal for this blog this year was to have at least one blog post per month. I failed back in July. But, that’s ok. I am catching up and moving forward. I am happiest when NOT sitting still.

A quick catch up. I participated in two craft fairs this month. They didn’t get added to my events page, but they happened. On November 12th I returned to St. Ann’s Holiday Gift Fair in Stoughton, WI. I had been waitlisted and someone fell ill. I was offered their spot and gladly accepted. It is always so nice at the St. Ann’s craft fair! The other vendors and customers are really nice people. As always, my only complaint is that I wish I had more creations to offer. I gotta get crackin’!

St. Ann’s Holiday Gift Fair 2022 – giggleFritz and Co. booth

The following weekend I attended a new craft fair for me, in Markesan, WI. This was a two day event – Friday night and Saturday during the day. The people here were also fantastic and sales were steady. I would attend this one next year.

Homespun Holidays Craft Fair 2022 – giggleFritz and Co. booth

We hosted our family for Thanksgiving this year. DD made this kooky pastel turkey in art class. Now it is the last day of November.

DD’s Pastel Turkey

That is my very quick rundown of November 2022. I am now off to the first Advent Service of the year. DD sings!

I hope your November has been a blessing to you and your Wednesday is wonderful!

Missie S.