Saturday, October 3, 2009

Craft Show Update....

Well, the show is really nice. It's a huge exhibit hall at the county fairgrounds. It's only about a year old, so everything is still clean and neat. My booth worked out well.....and.....I already made enough to cover my fee and made a very tiny amount of profit....and we still have tomorrow! Sunday isn't usually real busy, but anything I make is profit so I am extremely happy.

I even sold a nice tote bag and two aprons, so that was really cool. I had a lady that works in a bakery ask if I could make her an apron with cakes or cupcakes on it, and she is going to e-mail me and we'll do it though my shop. Someone else wanted a couple of different style light switch covers and she is suppose to e-mail me as well. Hopefully they. That would be really great!

Handed out lots of cards and talked to a lot of people, so no matter what happens tomorrow it's been a successful show for me.

I have some things I need to do to get ready for tomorrow, and I'm tired and hungry. I need food and my pj's! Have an awesome evening and I will be back to chat with you soon!

Craft Show Weekend!

I am at the craft show! I will try to let you know later tonight how it went. Chat with you soon.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Banish Those Blues

Do you ever wake up in the morning already feeling down in the dumps and you haven't even gotten your butt out of bed yet? When that use to happen to me, I would just get up...miserable and depressed and assume it was going to be a crappy day.

Not any more!

I still do wake up some mornings with that "blue" feeling, but now I handle it much differently. Now I lay there for a minute, take some nice deep breaths and I look that feeling square in the eye. I let it know that I "see" it, that it isn't pulling anything over on me....I acknowledge it.

More often than not, the feeling sort of dissipates all on it's own. Sometimes I will recall that I went to bed with something on my mind and I realize that I am being reminded of that. I address that concern in my head and if it's negative, I refuse to let it be a part of my new day.

I know it sounds crazy, but I'm finding that the more I take control of my thoughts...the less useless thoughts I seem to be having....leaving me more time to just be happy and free of thoughts that serve no purpose. It's pretty cool.

So, the next time you wake up feeling "blue", take a few deep breaths, look that feeling square in the eye and let it know you are aware of it....and move on. It just might turn out to be one heck of an awesome day!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

What a Way to Start The Day!!

I ran into another vendor at the last craft show and she asked me if I had made the vendor apron I was wearing. I told her I did....that it was just one I threw together real quick for the show out of some fabric I had. She asked for my business card and said she would be in touch...she wanted two aprons. It turned out she lived in the town I live in.

I figured I wouldn't hear from her again, but sure enough, not long after the show she e-mailed and we made arrangements for the two vendor aprons. Well, she picked them up Monday. I had them nicely boxed with ribbon so she didn't look at them at my house. I was nervously "sick/anxious" all day wondering if she would like them. Each apron had a little "thing" that bothered me. They were little things that someone else probably wouldn't notice, but drove me nuts.

She e-mailed me Monday night after I shut down my computer, so I got her e-mail Tuesday morning first thing. She LOVED the aprons. She already recommended me to two of her friends and would like me to make Christmas aprons for her two little girls! Chee Hoo. She made my day...maybe my whole week.

I haven't done much custom work and this was the first time I did a custom order for a total stranger. I made an apron for Angela of Pickles on Pizza a while ago, but I "knew" her. This customer also bought her own fabric. I actually like the brown and pink combination so much, I think I am going to make one of my "soft sider" tote bags using those colors.....when I have time.

Even though it is nice to have a face to go with what you are making....this order made me a little anxious. It just felt different than when you are making something and hoping some stranger will fall in love with it and buy it. Not sure what it was, but it went away as soon as I got her e-mail!

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Green and Yellow and Blue...Oh My!

She's makin' a list and checkin' it twice...gonna find out what colors are nice...I am almost ready to paint!!

I have gone from dozens of color charts to two!

It's looking like my living room will either be Sassafras Green or Meadowgrass Green.

The greens are both awesome...one is a little more yellow than the other. That one they show with accents like greeny yellow, a very light khaki, a deep blue gray and a very dark brown. That one is probably my favorite.

The other green is a bit more mossy, which I love, but they show it with accents like a golden yellowish color, an army green and a dark brown. Not a big fan of the golden yellowish color or the army green.....

I'm just not very good with colors and I know they show those accent colors for a reason, and that is because someone that REALLY knows their colors says they go with that green. I can't take the mossy green and use the accents from the yellowy green...it doesn't look good.

So.....I am probably going to go with the yellowish green. Then we will do dark brown couch covers and accent with the blue gray and the lemony yellow. I think it will look awesome. I'll make lots of pillows too.

This little chest is the one I will paint to use as a small coffee table. I could do it in the yellow or the blue gray. This is going to be so much fun!

If I do the living room green, then I think the bedroom will be blue....with yellow and green accents or maybe with brown? Can't you just feel my confusion and frustration here?????

I don't know what to do!!! I think I am just going to do the living room and worry about the bedroom when I get to the bedroom which will be after the living room and the bathroom......oh, the bathroom....no idea what color to do the bathroom. What color is your bathroom again?

I am buying the living room paint this weekend. Wish me luck!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Woe Is Us...Tweet, Tweet

At this time every year, we face the same dilemma. What do we do about the little birds that call our deck home?

I talked before about the little sparrows or wrens or whatever they are that have made our deck into their "home sweet home". They are so darn cute, but they poop everywhere and they narrowly miss your head when you are on the deck as they swoop in and out of their little nests.

This year they put out to the word to every one of their aunts, uncles and cousins....and now they all live on our deck in a lovely apartment complex! Sometimes you look up and there are all of these little heads peeking out in between every roof slat. It's a commune!

Irv puts a plastic tarp on top of the deck every year. It allows him to still sit on the deck if there is a light rain and it allows me to sit on the deck when the sun is shining. There use to be one little nest in one little corner of the tarp.....well, since they put the word out....there are many nests in many parts of the tarp.

We have to take the tarp down in the late fall so that the snow doesn't gather on it and put a lot of weight on the supports for the slatted roof that is over the deck. In the past, Irv has cut around where the little birds live and secured the tarp with a wooden roof to keep the little guys dry and happy all winter. Well, this year there are so many of them that we aren't sure what to do.

Irv said he is just going to pull it all down and they will have to hurry up and build a new nest somewhere else before winter. I don't think he will do that, but we aren't sure what we are going to do.

The little guys should have just kept quiet and enjoyed their comfy "digs". Now they might all end up homeless!

Monday, September 28, 2009

Food, Family and Fun

Well, it was a wonderful weekend....and the weekend continues for me today with a day off from work! I was up at 5:30 and I plan to work all day...if you want to call spending the day in my workshop, making awesome stuff and listening to music...work. To me it's play!

Tresa and Chris watching the Bears game
We had a great day at Michael and Bernadette's yesterday. I didn't know we were doing this, but we celebrated my upcoming birthday.

Michael lighting the candles on the delicious "Death by Chocolate" cake
We had an awesome cake from Whole Foods that was called "Death By Chocolate" and it was unreal. Chocolate fudge, chocolate cake, then chocolate mousse, chocolate frosting with chocolate shavings.....Chocolate sometimes gives me a headache, but good chocolate usually doesn't....so I had a nice sized piece. Wow was it good!

Bernadette and Teagan
We watched the Bears win, and had delicious snacks and dinner. Michael a Bernadette gave me a gift card to my favorite store....The Gap, and I can't wait to get there. Tresa gave me a gift certificate for a Vintage Typewriter Key Bracelet and I am so excited. We saw them at the antique show last month. I loved them and came so close to buying one....but that day I was looking for things to use in my shop and not for myself. Now, I just have to decide what I want my bracelet to say and she will have it made special for me. When I get it, I will show it to you. If you haven't seen them...they are awesome!

Irv getting tired of me taking his picture
We laughed at Teagan on the treadmill. When Michael and Bern can't get her out for exercise, they put her on the treadmill. She loves it and would stay on there all day if you let her. It took a bit of work to teach her how to use it, but they say it's a great way to give your dog a work out when you can't get outside. There is a little video at the end of this post.

Teagan resting
Michael and Bern have done an amazing job on their first house. The kitchen is gorgeous with all new appliances, a fabulous granite counter top and refinished cabinets. They have cleaned out lots of overgrown "stuff" in the yard, planted some new bushes, carpeted the family room and added lots of personal touches. It's such a warm and welcoming home.

Wrigley after a day of food, family and fun!
Well, I want to take full advantage of this extra day off, so I'll sign off here. I hope you have a fantastic day today!

Here is a clip of Teagan on the treadmill! So cute!

Sunday, September 27, 2009

A Personal Decision

When I went to renew my drivers license the other day, I got up to the counter and the nice lady (really) started asking me all of the questions on her little list....

am I mentally capable of driving a car?
do I use any drugs that would impair my ability to drive?
are my height and weight the same as on my current card?

Yes, I am....
No, I don't...
No, they aren't. I actually know I weigh less than what my 8 year old license says and at my age I am probably shrinking in height so I said, "I do weigh less, but I'm sure during the lifetime of this new drivers license, I will weigh 140 pounds again, so it's fine."

She smiled and then without looking up at me she asked her next question, "Organ Donor?"

"Am I not already?" I asked....because I swore I told them yes last time.

"No, you aren't", she said, still not making eye contact.

"Yes, of course. I can do that," I replied.

She proceeded to the next question, but my thoughts were still back on "Organ Donor".

It use to make me feel "funny" to talk about or think about after life decisions, but not any more.
With a waiting list of over 100,000 people, how could I say no? Why would I say no? I thought about my kids...what if one of them were ill and waiting for a transplant?

When I am gone....I'm gone. My organs won't be able to help me anymore...but what if they could help someone else?

Of course, organ donation is a very personal decision...one that everyone should research and then make an educated decision for themselves.

I don't know anyone that has had a transplant. Do you?

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