Who's Your Favorite?

Are you a fan of American Idol? I am. I love music. I am in awe of the sounds that come out of the mouths of some of these young people. I don't have a nice voice, but let me tell you...I will sing my little heart of whenever the urge strikes!

Tresa and Chris and Michael and Bernadette watch Idol too. It's fun "comparing notes" to see if we are in agreement after certain performances. Sometimes we are and sometimes we aren't. Last year, Michael loved Brooke White. I thought she was pathetic. Simon could say, "Brooke you look disgusting tonight and you sounded like crap," and she would smile so sweetly and say, "Oh thank you Simon. I appreciate your constructive criticism. It means so much to me. Thank you, thank you." Give me a break!

This year my whole family likes Scott. He isn't their favorite, but they all think he's really good...especially Irv. It's a great story and I have great respect for what he has done with his life, but I find his voice extremely irritating and his stage presence is awful. He is just plain old boring. My family rips on me saying, "OMG you don't like the blind guy. That's terrible!" It isn't that I don't like Scott as a person, I just can't stand his voice.

Who am I rooting for this season...Adam of course. I think he is a very talented musician. I love what he does with the songs he performs.. and yes, I even loved "Ring of Fire!" He's very creative. I also prefer his dark look to his slick look.

Danny is another of my favorites. He has a very touching story, but that isn't why I like him. He has that true enthusiasm when he's on stage. He doesn't have to remind himself to be enthusiastic...he just naturally is and it shows.

I also like Kris. He has a great voice and he is nice to look at as well. My concern for him is that there isn't anything that really makes him stand out personality-wise and that could be a problem for him in the next few weeks.

Allison has an amazing gift for a kid that age. She has the voice and can really wow the crowd. I'm a little surprised that she keeps popping up in the bottom three, but I think the young girls are voting for the cool guys. I love her gritty voice, but then I love Janis Joplin too.

So, those are my picks. How about you? Will you be watching tonight? If so, who gets your vote?

Happy "First Date" Anniversary!

Well 41 years ago today, I was getting ready to go on my first date with Irv! My best friend was dating his best friend, and they decided that Irv and I should accompany them on a date. I knew who Irv was, but I had never met him. I don't remember a lot about our first date, I just remember that I was not at home when we set it up and I called my little sister Kay and asked her to get some clothes together for me because I was going to be in a hurry.

Love the floral swimsuit. We both look like stick people...what the heck happened??

I know we drove around, because that seemed to be the thing to do back then. Then we went to Irv's house to play pool in his basement. They had an awesome house on the river. I do remember sitting on the couch while the guys were playing pool and having a pool ball get launched off the table and go zooming past my head as it hit the wall....beyond that...I don't remember a lot. No, not because it hit me in the head....it didn't.

What on earth was I wearing in this picture? I think it was a jumper and a blouse. UGH! That's my little sister Kay next to me. As you can tell, I didn't like my picture taken then...just like now!

Irv was a really nice guy back then...very polite and thoughtful, just like he is now. We continued to date, even though our friends broke up. That first week of dating was spring break, but neither of could drive, so he came down to my subdivision in his little motor boat! I lived about a block from the river.

Four years later we were married at the sweet age of 20! It will be 37 years for us this summer and that is hard to believe.

So, Happy "First Date" Anniversary Irv.....I love you!

Business Cards that Mean Business

I am in the process of putting together new business cards and I am stuck! I have two etsy shops and I really do not want two separate business cards. How do I have one card that includes information about both FourDogDay and MyOtherShop? The shops are nothing alike. Is that even possible to do? Can I do a two-sided card that looks like a business card on both sides? I don't have time today to do all of the research, but I guess I will need to do that this week.

What do you do if you have two or more shops? How do you make your business card work for you? This is the one I did through Vista when I first started.


It's cute, but it was just one of their templates and that isn't what I want this time around. I want this next one to look like my banners. I did convo Kittylili that does my banners and things for me since I am so computer illiterate, and asked her if she designs business cards. She is really easy to work with and her prices have always been very good. We'll see what she says.

So, what would you do? I'm open to any and all suggestions....

Can I Do It All In 42 Days??

If you read my blog on a regular basis, you know that I was reading the book, "Lost and Found". The book gets passed along from one person to another via our blogs. You can read about it here. Well, right now the book is on it's way to the UK to my blogging friend, Jam and Jerusalem. I'm hoping it makes it's way around Europe for a while and then finds it's way back to the USA!

I spent the entire day so far buying supplies that I will need to make things for Fair Diddley (my very first craft show) next month. It is very scary to me to spend that much money on things when I really have no clue if any of it will sell. Of course, I am hoping it will, but my understanding is that with craft shows, you just never know....they can even get rained out! I'm looking at it this way.....what doesn't sell at least can go into FourDogDay and MyOtherShop and also be used for the next show. It isn't like it will all just be sitting there.

We did price a tent though and that was a bit more than I am ready to invest, so I will be renting this time. If I do really well at this show, maybe I will buy one for the next show. Today I found a ton of candlesticks and three darling little plates at the Goodwill store to make cake stands with. I'm still on the lookout for more plates though. I bought some darling little cups and saucers to make a new thing with. I bought some boring ModPodge and sealer and about 8 different really awesome fabrics to make pillows. Yesterday I found a big piece of Waverly fabric at a resale shop for $1.00!! The pillows I make with that will kick butt! I also bought tons of ceramic tiles and sweet old Irv is in the garage right now sanding the rough edges down and cleaning them up for me.

So, as you can see...I have my work cut out for me. I have 42 days to make a ton of stuff and get it all packaged and priced!

Wrigley woke me up at 3:00 a.m. to go out and then I couldn't go back to sleep...I spent the next 3 hours sitting in bed with my paper, pencil and clipboard designing my booth for the show and making many, many lists! I came up with some fantastic ideas for the booth that I will share with you at a later date! One of the plans involves Irv dragging a very old and yukky bookshelf out of the very back corner of the garage that is full of gardening supplies right now....and turning it into a nice display piece for my booth! Poor Irv!

Have a wonderful rest of the day!

Craft Show 101

I was walking Wrigley this afternoon, and thinking that I should call the people at the craft show I applied to and ask when I would find out if I got in. The show was full and I had been put on a waiting list...plus it's juried and I had to send photos of my work and some photos of a work in progress.

We got back to the house and I opened the mailbox and grabbed the mail. I started leafing though it as we walked to the door and there was the envelope from the craft show. I felt the envelope and I could feel my photos in it. That was not a good sign. They only return the photos if you didn't get accepted. Rats!

I was so bummed because just today I was thinking about what I would make if I got accepted, and I had myself a little psyched.

I put the mail on the kitchen table and took off my coat, gave the dogs a treat and then started opening the mail....leaving the bad news for last. I took the envelope and went and sat in my workshop and opened it up.

I GOT ACCEPTED!!!!!!!! What felt like pictures was just the numbers for our cars!!!!!

Oh my gosh I am just bouncing off the walls. I don't even know where to start or what to do. I have never done this before!!!!!! I am Booth Number 311 and see that little green line on the map? That's me....or what will be me on May 17!

All I know is that I will one busy little crafter during the next two months!!!! Any of you that do craft shows that have any words of wisdom....please pass them on!!!! I'm going to be in a craft fair! Woo hoo!

The show is called "Fair Diddley", and this is it's 41st year. It takes place in Woodstock, Illinois. The town has an awesome town square. The movie "Groundhog Day" with Bill Murray was filmed there.

My booth is not in the best of places, but that's okay. There are over 350 booths and I am in the center area near this gazebo in the grass. You also can't stake a tent into the grass because the sprinkler system is shallow! So, see...we have much to figure out.


Whenever I am doing things and I say to Irv, "We have a lot to do.", or "We will figure it out", or "Don't worry, we can do it", he always replies, "Do you have a mouse in your pocket?" He likes to pretend that he isn't going to help me, but he will...he always does. :)

So what kind of advice can you give me? I am going to need it!

Kathy the Bull Terrier

Now that you all know about my new Facebook addiction as I confessed in yesterday's post, I might as well fess up and tell you that I have actually taken a couple of the ridiculous little quizzes that populate the Facebook pages.

One of the quizzes I took is called, "What dog are you?" I know, I know! I told you they were ridiculous, but it must be the mood I am in lately that I'm doing all of this stupid stuff! Anyway, I took the little quiz and up popped, "Bull Terrier"! Oh my I thought....I am NO Bull Terrier. I am gentle and kind. I am all about Peace and Love. Well, not always, but I do try.

After spending a few minutes in total denial, I read the detailed description of the Bull Terrier, and I started laughing because it's really pretty accurate! HAHA!

I certainly don't see myself as a GLADIATOR, but yes, I am very INDEPENDENT. I am not book SMART, but I do see myself as SMART in areas where I need to be SMART.


I am really not very INQUISITIVE as in someone that is improperly curious about the affairs of others, but I do try to stay on top of things that I feel are important to me and my life. I do question things I feel the need to question. I am PLAYFUL in my own snotty little sarcastic way.

Hmmmmm.....STUBBORN......uhhhhh, would that mean that everything has to be MY way and that I am ALWAYS RIGHT? Can't help it...MY way IS always the BEST way and I am ALWAYS right. Just ask Irv...he'll tell you.

Am I RELENTLESS in my pursuit to get what I want? If that includes crying and stamping of the feet.....that would be me.

I use to be ALERT....now I just do my best to stay AWAKE!

I am very loving and affectionate.. There are always a lot of hugs, kisses and I Love Yous around here, but like a Bull Terrier....I am not terribly CUDDLY. I certainly was when the kids were growing up, but now CUDDLING makes me claustrophobic! Give me my space!

LOYAL, PROTECTIVE and DEVOTED....absolutely, without a doubt.

As far as NOT LIKING PEOPLE TO BE MAD AT ME....I don't worry much about that. I don't really give people too many reasons to be mad at me. Like I've said before...I am the peacekeeper. I don't like conflict at all. I am the "fixer". I try to make sure that everyone is in their own little happy place all the time.

So....whether you have Facebook or not....what kind of dog do you see yourself as? What are your strongest personality traits?

My New Dirty Little Secret

Okay, so I'm doing really good at giving up my Starbucks....they made a Starbucks run at work yesterday and I declined! It took everything I had, but I did it. I am conquering the addiction...however, I have a new addiction now. I can't believe I am about to say this, but it's

Facebook

Shhhhhhhh.....please don't tell anybody. I'm a little embarrassed, so just add it to my addictions list, right under etsy and my blog!

About 6 months ago my son Matt signed up. He kept bugging me to sign up so that we could play Scrabble. I really don't have time for that kind of silliness, but after a while I thought....what harm could it do? It's just for Scrabble now and then.

Well, I will tell you what harm it can do....I can't stay off of it! I feel like the nosey neighbor lady always wanting to know what everyone is doing! And get this....Matt quit playing Scrabble after our second game, and you want to know why? NO TIME! HA....go figure!

The addiction just reared it's ugly head about a week ago. I was attempting to set up a Facebook business page for FourDogDay and I started reading the little blurbs my "friends" were writing. My friends were just my family members and a couple of people that asked me to be their friend that I didn't even know. I figured they couldn't be too dangerous since they were Facebook friends with my daughter, so I said yes.

Anyway, I set up my business page and then I found myself starting to comment on people's little blurbs. Then I found myself writing some little blurbs of my own. Then people started commenting on my little blurbs. Then I started searching for old friends on Facebook, and I found some! So, more friends meant more little blurbs. Then I posted some pictures which lead to "tagging" which lead to more little blurbs which has lead to my Facebook addiction!!

When I am at work, staring at my computer, I can hear Facebook calling me, "Check me, check me. You won't believe the great little blurbs you are missing Kathy!!!" I will admit to the old "CPC" method....oh, that's "Click....Peek....Close". I can actually "Click....Peek....Close", my blog, MyOtherShop, FourDogDay and Facebook all within about 30 seconds!! Really!

My name is Kathy and I am oh so messed up!