Happy Weekend!

Mother Nature is really ticked off at us tonight! Right now we are getting battered with high winds and sleet mixed with snow. It just started a little while ago and our yard is covered. My car is caked with ice. We were supposed to go out for dinner at this really nice restaurant we had a gift card for, and we had to cancel. Wonder what we did to deserve this! UGH!

Look what I bought today! Fabric! I am so excited. I am going to start making pillows for MyOtherShop. I haven't made pillows for a while and I thought I would buy a pattern that had a few different styles...until I looked at the price! Are you kidding me? When did patterns start costing $16.00?? I almost fell on the floor at Joanne's!

Needless to say, I didn't buy the pattern. I just took a good look at a couple that I want to try...and I will figure it out myself. It can't be that difficult. I am just going to make a 16" square pillow with the brown/tan print. I've already started it. I'll use the solid brown for the back. I love the print.

The yellow I will do something really cool with if I can figure it out. It will have a little rectangular pillow made out of the solid yellow that will slide into a loosely fitting sleeve made with the seersucker that ties on the sides. Hard to explain, but I should have it done this week. I'll let you know when I list it so you can take a peek. It felt so good to sew today.

Well, time to list a card in FourDogDay and a light switch cover plate in MyOtherShop. Then tomorrow it's coasters and maybe my first pillow.

Just a reminder that I have a book to give away to someone that would like to read it. It's a quick read and an enjoyable story. Read this morning's post for details. I will pick the winner tomorrow.

Have a nice evening everyone!

It's Time To Read!

I just finished the book "Lost & Found". I would be happy to send it to you if you would like to read it next. It's making it's way around the country. I wrote about it here.

Please leave me a comment if you would like to be the next to read it and I will get it sent out to you. All you have to do is send it on when you are done!

Reflections

When my mom was older, she liked to talk about when she was younger. I loved listening to her stories. Then it dawned on me....when mom is gone...am I going to remember these awesome stories so I can pass them on to my kids? Probably not. I thought how cool it would be to have her record them.

I asked her one day how she would feel about doing that, and she liked the idea. She started to write down some things she would want to talk about on the tapes, but we never got around to doing any recording. I wish we had.

My daughter Tresa gave me a book a number of years ago called, "Reflections From a Mother's Heart". It's to write your life story with a different topic on each page. I have never written in it. I always wondered if it would make me sad, would I be able to be honest, would it be a constant reminder that I am getting older?

We have a video that our kids had made for us for our 25th wedding anniversary. It's a montage of photos with music that takes you through our lives. I have watched it a few times since we got it back in 1997. It's hard watching your life fly by in 20 minutes!

How do you feel about those kinds of things? Do you journal about your life?

I actually pulled that book out that Tresa gave me and I think I am going to start writing in it. I think I will start with easy things like, "Have you ever had a surgery?" or "Share one of your mother's favorite recipes." Then once I am comfortable with it, I'll try pages like family tragedies and the hardest thing you ever had to do....

I know that one day my kids will really appreciate being able to read about the little things that made me who I am today....that quirky lady they call "mom".

I am a firm believer in living a positive and gentle life. I do my best to make other people happy and in turn it makes me happy. I believe we reap what we sow. I am rarely in a foul mood, and I think it's because I just don't allow it. Life is too short, and that isn't how I want to spend my time.

Life's journey.....how will you share yours?

"Borrowed Book" Giveaway

A couple of weeks ago I entered a blog contest on Baroness-Bijoutery to win the opportunity to be the next person to read the book, "Lost & Found" by Jacqueline Sheehan....and I won. I talked about it here.

Well, I am just finishing up the book and I will be ready to pass it on to someone else next week. If you would like to be the next in line to read, "Lost & Found", just leave a comment on my blog today and let me know you are interested. Be sure to let me know the best way to reach you if you win. I'll finish it up and pick a winner this weekend and mail you the book! The only thing you have to do is to pass it along via your blog when you are done reading it as I have done here. Sound good?

You can read a description of the story here, and you can read about the author here.

The book belongs to Angela of etsy shops, CutNGlue and BellyLove. Angela's blog is Pickles on Pizza. If you haven't visited her shops yet or read her blog, I encourage you to do so. She creates awesome collages, great doggie treats (just ask Sparky and Wrigley) and her blog is one of my favorites.

The book is not what I normally read....I am more into books that teach me something rather than books that entertain, but I am actually enjoying the change of pace. When I'm done I'll give my take on the book.

So, leave a comment and let me know if you would like to be the next reader of "Lost & Found".

My Addictive "Habit"

(I know I have touched on this topic before, but I need to get it out in the open today. It will give me strength!)

"Do you want to get Starbucks?" Tresa asked.
"What's Starbucks?"
"You've never been to Starbucks?" she said giving me the...are you kidding me look.
"No. What is it?"
"It's a really great coffee place."
"I don't like coffee."
"You will like this," she assured me.

That is how my addiction to Starbucks started. "You will like this", was an understatement. Frappuccinos are like dessert in a plastic cup! They don't even taste like coffee. They taste like heaven!

My addiction though is their Chai Latte. The taste is indescribably delicious. I was going to say orgasmic, but that might be a little much and I don't want to scare away any of my faithful followers, so let's just say the taste is utterly delightful! :)

I started out pulling into the drive through at the Starbucks on my way to work and treating myself to a Grande (medium), non-fat, extra hot Chai Latte every Friday. Such a great way to wind up the work week....so I thought.

Then one bitterly cold Monday morning I thought how nice it would be to feel that sweet spicy liquid as it slid down my throat and warmed my little tummy. Sounds innocent enough doesn't it?

Then one Friday, I thought how much my little tummy would like an egg and cheese croissant from Dunkin' Donuts to go with the sweet spicy chai latte from Starbucks.

Then one Wednesday, I thought..."Oh just this one time I'll do a Wednesday Starbucks stop. I deserve it. Then I decided that I deserved it every Wednesday. When I hit that three times a week mark, I did downsize to a tall...which for those of you that don't go to Starbucks is really a small. I was starting to feel some guilt over the carbs and the money I was spending.

I don't even remember how Tuesday started, but I think that's how it is with an addiction. It just kinds of creeps up and grabs you in the behind! Then last week.....oh, last week....I stopped all five days. That's when I knew it was time to "Just Say No!"

I can't tell you what Starbucks puts in their drinks, but I do know it is something like liquid nicotine...because once you start, you just can't stop.

I am so bad that the night before a Starbucks day, I actually get a rush. "Oh, yeah....tomorrow is a Starbucks day!"

I'm going to allow myself two per week, and then hopefully go down to only one per week. So, on Monday this week I stopped and got a tall Chai. Then yesterday as I was coming down the road that Starbucks is on, I thought that if I feel tempted I will move into the left lane so there is no chance of a sudden right turn. You would have been so proud of me! I stayed strong and breezed right on past, but I did inhale deeply and tried to imagine the aroma of my chai. Ahhhh.....

Today I breezed right by and didn't even take the deep breath. Now I already have my plan for the rest of the week. We are having a breakfast at work on Friday and I know I will be eating coffee cake and a bagel....so that would not be a good day for Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts. So.....I am having them TOMORROW and I can't wait!!!

What's your addiction???

My Brain Is Fried...

and I never did drugs!

When I was leaving work yesterday, I grabbed my cell phone off my desk. I flipped the phone over and on the back were two little baby post-it notes. I live by post-its. Without them I would be non-functioning.

One of the notes was to remind me to get my application in for that juried craft show. The other note just had the letters Deter on it. I looked at the note and thought....WTF does that mean? Deter as in determination, as in determined? Why would I write something like that? I had no clue what it meant or what it was suppose to remind me of. I had to have written the note at some point during the past 7.5 hours at work. Was it a secret code? Did I mean to write something else, but heard someone talking, got distracted, and wrote Deter?

I hate it when I can't remember stuff! Does that ever happen to you? What do you do to help yourself remember things?

I decided I just must have meant to write something else and tried to move past it. When I got home I stuck the Deter post-it on the kitchen table. I noticed it a couple of times during the evening....still nothing. Good Lord!

This morning Wrigley and I went for our walk. I was thinking about what kind of etsy things I would be working on tonight. Wrigs was walking so nice that I told her what a good girl she was and BAM!!!!!! It hit me!

DETER!!!! I started laughing. Deter is the name of the stuff that we are going to put in Sparky (our other dog's food) to make her poop less appetizing to Wrigley!!!!! HAHA! Yes, Wrigley has Coprophagia!! Big fancy word for poop eater!

I had asked a girl at work about what she used for her poop eater and she said Deter. That was at 1:00 p.m. and at 3:30 p.m. I had no clue what Deter was!! How is that even possible?

I just got home from work and there is another note on my phone today. This one says, "Karen" and I actually remember why I wrote it. It's because my sister Karen's birthday is Thursday and I FORGOT to send her a card!!

Boing! Spring Has Sprung

Ah, the first weekend of spring! Wasn't it marvelous? I know the calendar said so, and Mr. Robin Redbreast said so and my little crocuses said so.....


but I don't rely on them to tell me it's Spring. I rely on Irv! When he digs out his trusty old blue work-in-the-yard shorts....I KNOW it's Spring!



Remember these old beat up candle holders I bought at the resale shop? One was broken and they were a mess?



It took a bit of work from handy Mr. Irv to repair the one, but he did and this is what I turned them into!


I also finished the photo album was working on, and got it in the mail to Matt out in Telluride. It's full of pictures of things I sell in FourDogDay and MyOtherShop. He's going to put it in the teacher's lounge at his school for a week or so. I included business cards and some 15% off coupons in the back of it. I'm hoping it will inspire the teachers to go in my shops and take a look around. We shall see.


There is an awesome juried craft fair in a town near me in May. It's called Fair Diddley. I haven't done any kind of show for a zillion years and I have never done a juried show. The deadline has already passed, but I spoke to a lady on the phone today and she said they usually have some cancellations and to send my application and photos in. I put everything together already and I'll mail it out tomorrow. I've been to the fair a number of times and I know my stuff "fits"...whether they find it "worthy" is another story. I hope so....I would really like to have this one be my first show. It's on "the Square" of a cute little town called Woodstock, and is well visited with free admission. I'll keep you posted.


I'm in the hunt for other craft fairs for this Spring and Summer...how do you find them? Do I have to just search the internet or is there an easier way? Do you do a lot of shows? How do you like it? Fill me in on the scoop!

Rice Crunch-ems Made Of Gold

Irv and I always grocery shop at the same store and we always shop on Sunday morning. This morning we were up and out of here early. We stopped for our weekly bagel and headed to the store. I knew looking at my list that it was going to be an "over budget" shopping week. I needed toothpaste (and I use Tom's at $4.39 a tube), face lotion (Kiss My Face at $9.29 a bottle), laundry soap (Ecos brand at $7.49 a bottle), potty paper (a new one that just came out by Marcal....no bleach or bad stuff for $7.29 for 12 rolls) and Irv was out of animal body parts....oh, sorry....meat, plus I needed my organic frozen fruit and eggs plus all of the usual stuff. I estimated $140-$150.

I got to the register and I always "help" the checker by pushing the items to the front of the cart for her/him and moving our cold stuff from the little kiddie seat down to the cart so they don't have to reach.

She was just finishing up and I glanced at the monitor to see what the damages were....it said a whopping $187.30!!! Now, I know I left Irv for a little while, and he often sneaks little things into the cart when I'm not looking....but not things that cost that much! I immediately said, "Uh, there is no way our bill is that much." The girl looked at me as though I was some kind of alien from another planet. "What?" she said. I said, "I knew our bill would be a little higher this week, but not that high."

She hit a key on the register, printed out my receipt, tore it off and started looking at it. She turned it toward me and my eyes immediately went to an item that had too many digits. "Ugh, what's that?" I asked pointing to the item. She turned the receipt more toward me and there it was......Health Valley Rice Crunch-ems....$33.79!!!

"Gee, that would be my box of cereal," I said laughing. The girl wasn't laughing, but started to rummage through my bags for the box of cereal. I found it and handed it to her.
The girl scanned it again and sure enough...$33.79!!

I wonder if any unobservant, in-a-hurry shopper actually paid $33.79 for that cereal and didn't realize it! Ouch!

Still looking a bit dumbfounded, she removed the charges and rang up the right charge. She still didn't smile or say, "Oh, I'm so sorry that we almost overcharged you by $30.25!" I thanked her and took my new receipt and my cart full of groceries, went right over to the little bench and sat down to go over my receipt. I usually do that on drive home, but under the circumstances I thought I would check it before leaving. All was well, so off I went on my merry way.

The real bill was still higher than I had estimated, and normally I would be really upset that we spent that much....today I was happy that my bill really wasn't $187.30!