Jeepers Creepers

It's been a busy week around 911 trying get ready for our family
Christmas celebration this Saturday.  Yes, you read that right.
We're finally getting together to celebrate Christmas!

I haven't been doing much as far as finishing up projects around the
house, but I did manage to squeeze out enough time
 to put together a birthday gift for a friend.

 These glasses wouldn't be my style, but I know somebody
who would look smashing in them.

Meet Pinky.

She's a modern working gal who happens to love pink!

She's a cross between Mrs.a'Wiggins and Bridget Jones.
She's wearing a vintage look button-up sweater with a pink satin (slightly juvenile) skirt.
  What can I say?!  It was the only thing available in pink.
( My friend has 2 granddaughters who I'm sure will love the skirt.)

This rock 'n roll gal's got her iPhone ringtone set to a Bruno Mars tune...

...and wears a raspberry beret.  Well chocolate covered raspberry.

I didn't have a pink vintage doll hat in my stash, but my crochetmeister friend

Tracy (Crow's Feet Chic) inspired me to knit a hat for Pinky.  If you want to see
 the glam skating apparel Tracy crocheted for her monkey, check it out here.

Just like the birthday girl,

Pinky owns a pair of stylish eyeglasses for every occasion.

Her sensible tortoiseshell work glasses,

and her Hollywood inspired rose-colored glasses, dahling.

Pinky and my friend have so much in common.  They both love music,

can't be without their iPhones, and love to wear pink.

My friend even has a newly decorated pink home office!

Pinky (unlike me) is tech savvy like my friend, who is the

go-to computer expert at work.  (She's rescued me more than once!)

Just look at Pinky, texting her peeps! (no easy task when you have paws)

gng 2 lv wth nu pup

As you can see, I have no idea how to text.

The garbled message above is how I would text, "Going to live with a new puppy!!!"

Pinky's new home is also home to a brand new chihauhua puppy named Bridget.  Woof.

As for bling, Pinky's wearing a pair of vintage pearl and

rhinestone earrings.......I think they're rhinestones.

*If my friend takes an impromptu tropical vacation, I'll know I was wrong. :@

I'd bake a birthday cake to bring to work, but my friend is very health conscious.

She only eats healthy foods, works out daily, and runs in marathons.

Imagine that!

Hmmm, what to dooooo.........

There's no reason the rest of us can't enjoy

a piece of birthday cake during our coffee breaks!

Google Images

Make mine an extra-large slice, please!

Thanks for stopping by,

Vickie

Girls just wanna have fun!

Happy Birthday Tessi!

*Since no sock monkey is complete without pom poms,
we're joining the Pom Pom Party at Jennifer Rizzo's blog!

Ranger 911 Christmas GIVEaway

It is better to give than to receive.

This year's Ranger 911 Christmas Giveaway is all about

giving.

With the recent disaster of Hurricane Sandy, we've once again witnessed volunteers in action. 

 Click here to view and read a very personal account of the immediate aftermath of the storm
 written by Jersey Shore resident Jenny of Everyday is a Holiday blog.

Photos courtesy of Everyday is a Holiday.

Carnival animal among the debris.

Jeep from carnival ride.

This is just a sampling of the destruction they're dealing with.  There are many

more photos to view by clicking on the link above.

 While you're there, check out

 Jenny and Aaron's fun and funky original art for sale and

 see how they've gone from despair to hope in a very dismal situation. 

  There were and still are volunteers from every walk of life and many organizations

 helping victims on the East Coast and all over the world, but I've chosen the universal symbol

 of the Red Cross as my jumping off point for the design of this year's prize.

    If you've followed my blog, you know by now that I collect vintage

 sock monkeys (you'll meet them next year) and I make new vintage inspired

 sock monkeys from the original Rockford Red Heel Socks.  Our country's

most recent natural disaster is also the namesake of this year's monkey

 I'm offering for this giveaway.

Meet Sandy, a volunteer nurse for the Red Cross.

She proudly wears her starched white cap which was

bestowed to her upon earning her nursing degree.

She dons the traditional blue cape with red lining to keep

her warm when the weather turns cold.  Her only jewelry is the

vintage WWII pin she's clipped to her cape.

Nurse Sandy's white pinafore with a red cross on the bodice makes

her easy to identify in a crowd when her medical skills are needed.
Underneath she wears a red and white thrift store dress.  Thank goodness she found
 the dress so we could get this giveaway post up and running!

She carries a leather bag filled to overflowing with magical potions

to cure whatever ails you.  Let's take a peek inside, shall we?

Life Savers, Kisses, and Hugs.  :)

She puts in long hours and never complains, but at the end of the day

she likes to relax and escape from the troubles she's seen.

She hangs up her hat and pinafore wherever there's a room to be had and snuggles

 under a warm blanket with her night cap pulled down tight. 

A cup of coffee warms her right up.

A good book and she's all set!  It is rather difficult to find a classic book
in her size on such short notice.  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
 is a classic, isn't it?   It is for us Baby Boomers!

Darn it!  Her vision just isn't what it used to be! 

Much better. 

There are so many ways to give to those less fortunate than ourselves.

You can donate articles of clothing you no longer wear to the Salvation Army or Goodwill.

Craft supplies are always in demand at nursing homes.
Of course, there is still so much to be done for the victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Animal shelters are filled with dogs and cats in need of food, blankets, and a loving home.

The local food shelves can't keep up with the growing number of people in need of food.

There are Meals on Wheels to be delivered and soup kitchens in need of volunteers.

Soldiers who can't be home for Christmas would love to receive a letter, or better yet,

a care package to brighten up their day.  The list goes on and on.
  So, please, do what you can.  Every little bit helps.

Now, let's party!!!

If you'd like a chance to win Sandy, all you have to do is leave

a comment at the end of this post.  No Facebook, tweeting, standing on your head,
just leave a comment!  Simple as that!

She may not be your cup of coffee tea, but perhaps you've got a friend

who could use a little TLC this time of year.   Sandy comes complete with her

nurse cap and cape, leather bag, book, coffee cup, night cap, and reading glasses.
I hope to put a smile on the face of whoever wins this hard working monkey.

 If you're reading this post, you're eligible to sign up!
.
The winner will be picked on Sunday, December 16 by a.......well, depending on
 our sketchy rural internet service, a random number generator, or as a backup,
the tried and true "pick a number out of a hat method".

Merry Christmas!
Vickie

While you're out shopping this holiday season, don't forget to toss some

change in the bright red kettle or maybe pick a name off the Giving Tree in

your local mall. Your donations are sure to be appreciated!

I can't wait to meet my new roomie!!!



What's up?

The little Ranger elves have been

busy at work trying to finish this year's 911

Christmas giveaway.  Here's a sneak peek at

 what they've been up to.....

Don't forget to stop by this weekend and get yourself

signed up for a monkeylicious prize!  :@

Vickie

Yipee!  We love a giveaway!

Bring a nickel, tap your feet.

Beware!

Toe-tapping, finger-snapping, feel good music accompanies this post. 

As you may know by now, I create a personalized Studio 911 sock monkeys

for all the special little people in my life.

  Today is our grandson Mack's

1st Birthday!!!  Happy Birthday Mack!

In honor of this momentous occasion, I'd like to introduce you to

the monkey I made for Mack.

Meet Willy.

You've probably made the connection already, but my inspiration for this

monkey is the song, "Down on the Corner" by.....

only the greatest band of all time, none other than CCR!!!

Mack is a city boy and if my bean theory holds true.....oh, you don't

know my bean theory?

When you plant beans, you get beans.

So anywho, if my theory holds true, Mack is likely to be a

musical genius like his daddy and Grandpa Jason. :@

They were both lead vocalists of rock bands in their day, so I predict that

Mack will be the leader of his own garage band.

How do I know he's musically gifted?

Well, he isn't talking or singing yet, but he does have a nice babbling voice.

And he laughs hysterically when his mama sings.

  Singing in tune is NOT one of our family traits.

On to the sock monkey.

I'm not a huge fan of our local dollar stores, but they did come through for me last night.

I really wanted to finish Willy to get this post published today, but he needed a shirt to wear.

His surfer shirt, purchased at the Dollar Store is actually a low cut sock. 

 I cut the toe off,  pulled it over Willy's head, and cut arm openings for a grunge rocker look. 

 His hat is made from another sock that has been gathered at the top. 

Four buttons create his pretty blue eyes.

He likes to show off his six-pack abs.

Yes, he is wearing boxers under his low riding jeans.

His low riders have been stitched out of an old pair of my jeans.

  Bonus:  I now have a new pair of cut-offs.

His belt is an old watchband and he sports a peace sign charm from his belt loop.

View from behind.

Sock monkeys are lucky.  They've got a tail to keep those jeans

from falling down around their knees.

For bling, Willy wears one gold hoop earring. 

I'll never find the other one, so he might as well make use of it.

One of our city's claim to fame is that Bob Dylan attended our high school.

Willy would have fit right in with the attendees of Dylan Days held last weekend.

My personal shopper found the guitar on eBay.

Here he is practicing for those campfire sing-alongs when he

will be spending upcoming weekends in....

The P family's 1956 Terry Travel Trailer.  He's so excited!!!

His accessories include a cowbell, tambourine, and of course, a washboard

so everybody gets an instrument!

Down on the corner, out in the street,

Willy and the Poorboys are playin' ;

Bring a nickel; tap your feet.

Happy Birthday Mack!

See you at your party!

xxoo,

Grammy 911

Linked to:

Savvy Southern Style Wow Us Wednesday

The 36th Avenue

The Farmhouse Porch Cowgirl Up

Funky junk Interiors Saturday Nite Special

"Da Ranger" 911 Christmas Giveaway

When I started up my blog, I was ready to go live only to find out that a website named Ranger 911 already existed!  Go figure.  I was not about to start from scratch, so I just added da to my blog address creating http://daranger911.blogspot.com/. 


If you've seen this address and wondered why, there is a method to my madness.  In the 1970's somebody coined the phrase "I'm from da Range" to poke fun at the Iron Range dialect.  Well, we Rangers took it all in stride and embraced this idea.  We proudly wore our T-shirts with the phrase emblazoned across the chest and slapped stickers onto the rusted out bumpers of our homemade El Caminos.  Picture if you will, a beat-up old junker with the rear passenger seat and part of the roof removed to create a unique car/truck.  Quite ingenious, actually.  You might even say the ultimate repurpose.

So, now you know the story behind daranger ( not to be confused with deranged).  It's time to get to the point of this short history lesson.  I'm embracing my Range roots and hosting a Minnesota Iron Range themed Christmas giveaway.  Without further ado, let me introduce you to the prize.

Meet Lena.

As you know by now, I have a collection of vintage sock monkeys and I create new vintage inspired monkeys from the original Rockford Red Heel socks that are still manufactured today.  Lena loves to shop at Rummage in the Park, our local vintage clothing shop, but unfortunately they had nothing available in her petite size. So, off to my artist studio ( kitchen table ) to design a stylish winter coat and hat for her.

She is wearing a festive red corduroy swing coat accented with faux fur collar and cuffs.  When her hands get cold, she warms them in her fur-lined muff.  She is feeling very "Jackie O" in her retro pillbox hat edged in the same fur with a black feather peeking out.

To keep her tootsies warm, I made her a pair of Steger Mukluks.  For those of you unfamiliar with these boots, they are manufactured by the Will Steger ( most famous for his polar expeditions ) family in Ely, MN, gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.  They are guaranteed to keep her feet warm in even the coldest of weather!

There are many styles and colors to choose from, but Lena thought the blue Navajo design brought out the pretty blue color of her eyes. So stylish and warm!

I considered making her some leggings or snow pants, but there's always the problem of what to do with her tail.  And, really, would you cover up this cute tushie?

I almost forgot to show you her thrift store find!  She is quite a savvy shopper as you can see by this vintage suitcase she found at the local Goodwill.

And to complete the prize package, I'm including a 1 pound bag of Minnesota wild rice along with the recipe for Lena's favorite hot dish.  After all, this is Minnesota, dontcha know!  And you can put away your deer rifle.  There is no venison in this particular recipe.

Before I finish this post, I have a few disclosures to make.

• Lena does have those button eyes, so she is definitely not a toy for small children.
• She has already picked up the Range dialect, but don't worry, I've been working with her.

Me:     Now Lena, you must remember to say yes, not yaw, and no instead of nope.  Got it?

Lena:   You betcha.

As Uncle Uno always said, "You can take da Ranger outa da Range, but you can't take da Range outa da Ranger."

Lena's got her suitcase packed and she's ready to go!

To enter this drawing, simply leave me a comment to this post.  If  you are reading this post, you are eligible to enter!  The random drawing will take place on Sunday, December 18.  Alrighty then, let the game begin!

My name is Vickie and I'm from da Range.