Hello to everyone! I apologize for not updating at all this month. You know how they say things come in 3s? Well, this month, things seem to come in the 100s for me. lol I have had a lot of things to deal with this month - personal and emotional. I would rather not get into detail about everything, but God has not made November a very easy month for me. With everything that has been going on, I also haven't been able to devote as much time as needed to my 2 Etsy shops - and I apologize to those who waited a little longer than usual for their orders to arrive. Sometimes things just happen that complicate your life that make the normal everyday things hard to do. One thing is for sure, I am coming out of this month a stronger person. I have shed way too many tears this month and now I need to move past all that has brought me down these past few weeks.
At the moment, I have both my shops on "Vacation Mode". The plan was to have them revamped and ready to reopen today, Black Friday. However, I was not able to finish all I needed to do on time. Therefore, my grand reopening of both shops will take place on Cyber Monday. I will be having a special "Grand Reopening/Cyber Monday Sale" all week!! I'll be posting more details about the sale this weekend.
Once again, I am truly sorry for my lack of blog posts this month. Please, all I ask is that you say a simple prayer that my life gets back on track. I'm hoping that the rest of the year turns out ok.
Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Black Friday!!
Friday, November 28, 2008
The Craziest November in History!!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Top 16...Local Artists!!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Halloween!!
Happy (belated) Halloween everyone!! Yesterday was just too crazy a day to get online and blog. It seemed like I was doing something the whole day! Let's see...
8 am - Woke up, had breakfast, got Evan in costume
9:30 am - Halloween costume parade at my Mom's preschool
10:30 am - Took Evan to my job to show him off in his costume
11:30 am - Back to the preschool for the Halloween party
12:45 pm - Took Evan to my old job to show him off there
1:30 pm - Went to get Evan's Halloween photos taken
3:00 pm - Evan's nap!! Course, I had a bunch to do, so no nap for me.
6:30 pm - Had to actually wake Evan up from his nap!
7:00 pm - Trick or treating!!
10:00 pm - Went to a club with friends for dancing and drinks
4:00 am - Bedtime!!
Trick or treating was soo much fun with Evan. We went around our neighborhood for about 2 hours. Evan was such a trooper, walking the whole way with his basket full of candy. After we got home and my mom got him ready for bed, I went to do some trick or treating of my own. lol I went out to a club with some friends. I don't really ever go to this particular club and I know why now. The cover was $20!! Grrr....Oh, and the music was terrible. The DJ tried to a do a remix of "Thriller" (a staple Halloween song) and he totally messed it up. I think I'll stick to the club I go to every weekend.
Oh, I ended up changing my costume. I was going to be Minnie Mouse to match Evan's Mickey Mouse costume, but when I changed his to a mechanic (he didn't like the MM costume), I decided to go as a Moulin Rouge dancer. No lie, I looked hott!! lol I'll post pics of me later this weekend when I get them from my friend. In the meantime, enjoy these pics of Evan. Hope everyone has a great weekend!!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Pumpkin Patch Festival
Sunday, October 19, 2008
ABCs
I was really bored at work today and thought it would be fun to see if I could find each letter of the alphabet in items for sale on Etsy. And guess what...I did!! I hope you enjoy this alphabet montage as much as I enjoyed creating it!!
A – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16193955
B – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16293183
C – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15718114
D – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15849475
E – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16366274
F – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14702149
G – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8664806
H – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16347486
I – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14806088
J – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15069353
K – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10900190
L – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16283116
M – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16035751
N – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16019395
O – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7016722
P – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15143681
Q – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15093866
R – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15084816
S – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16014346
T – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9373154
U – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15074396
V – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=12665373
W – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15828222
X – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6162367
Y – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11162394
Z – http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16343700
Sunday, October 12, 2008
My rant for the week
I have to vent about something that is driving me crazy!! Have any of you seen the commercials for Busch Garden's "Howl-O-Scream"? Well, if you have, then you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. These commercials are showing intense, greusome scenes that make your skin crawl. One of them depicts a man doing the urban legend, Bloody Mary and another features the "Raven Twins". My problem with these commercials are that they are NOT appropriate for children's eyes. The other night while my parents, my 20 month old son, and I were watching a family program on TV around 6:30 pm, one of their commercials came on. Having seen it before and knowing it would spook my son, I quickly changed it. The thing is, that shouldn't happen. My mom is a preschool teacher and she told me one of her student's mother told her that her daughter watched the commercial and cried for almost 20 minutes. If you go to their website, there is actually a disclaimer for the images on their website only! Why can't they do the same thing with their commercials? Or better yet, tame the commercials down? I find it completely irresponsible of the Busch Gardens company to be putting such frightful images on TV before 8 pm, when most children are still watching. I'm soo pissed off about this whole thing, that I don't think I will ever step foot in a Busch Gardens theme park again. Grrrrr....
Saturday, October 11, 2008
End of the Year Resolutions
Like millions of people, I always make New Year's Resolution...which only last about a week. I always have the same resolutions: 1) Lose weight and finally have a positive body image, 2) Get control of my money, 3) Stop being soo lazy!! I get soo frustrated though because I can never keep any of the resolutions. Proof is, I've been making the same three resolutions since I was in high school. This year, I'm doing something different. Instead of making them at the beginning of the year, I'm making them at the end of the year. I want to start off 2009 with a bang!! I want to go into the new year knowing that my resolutions are well under way. I want to finally be confident in my own skin. And who knows? Maybe I won't be single by the end of 2009. lol One can only hope.
To help me with the resolutions, I've purchased the most adorable custom journal from a fabulous Etsy seller, My Sweet Creations 4 You. Inside, I have a checklist of everything I want to accomplish that day. I also have set daily goals for myself. So far, I'm a week into my new resolutions, and I've accomplished everything I set out for myself. I feel so accomplished and I think having a journal to write it all in is really helping. By seeing my goals completed, I can take pride that I am finally doing things to better myself.
1) Lose weight and finally feel better about myself.
I've always been very critical of my weight. My younger sister was always the skinny one in the family. Growing up, she always had the boys clinging to her. She has beautiful long hair, an amazing body, and a fierce personality. Well, I've got her beat on the eyes and smile. :-) But now, I want to be the one with the body...and I'm going to be!! My determination is that I want to walk into her closet and wear her clothes (she's got some amazing clothes!!) I joined a gym back in mid-September. I've put myself on a tough schedule. I'm going 5-6 times a week, doing 1 hour of cardio each time. Also, 3 of those days, I go to a 1 hour cardio/weight training class in addition to my 1 hour of cardio. When I started at the gym, I weighed 154 and now I'm down to 144!! My clothes are already starting to feel lose on me and I've gone from a size 12 to a size 9!! My ultimate goal is a size 5, weighing 130 pounds. I'm also trying to eat healthier and am adding a lot more fiber into my diet. I'm starting to feel soo much better about myself already! I love hearing compliments from my friends that I look skinner. Just wait till they see me in a couple months!!
2) Get control of my money.
I admit it...I have a shopping addiction. lol I just loove shopping!! Well, I'm a single parent paying a bunch of bills, so I've got to stop with the shopping. I make just under $1000 a month, with more than half of it going to student loan bills, car payment and insurance (not to mention gas), diapers, food, etc. etc. To help curb my spending, I've set myself up on a strict budget - $50 a week. I put up a dry erase board calendar and every day, I'm writing what I spent that day. By the end of the month, I want to cross off all the unnecessary purchases so that I can see just how much money I'm wasting each month. Hopefully, this will help me to start saving money so that I can get my own place in the next couple years.
3) Stop being so lazy.
This one is pretty self explanatory. lol Basically, I just really want to help out more in the house. I'm living with my parents right now because I can't afford to move out. I want to pitch in more with the cooking and cleaning. I've decided to make Wednesdays "Cleaning House Day" and Thursdays "Laundry Day". And, I'm doing the dishes every day now.
Wow, that was one crazy long post!! lol Thank you for listening to me go on and on about the changes I need in my life. I know with the support of my friends and family, I can finally accomplish my resolutions. And who knows, maybe this will start a new trend....
What are your End of the Year Resolutions?? Start now and ring in 2009 with a bang!!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Featured Etsian - Lyn Lloyd Designs
Where do you find inspiration for your products?
Saturday, October 4, 2008
HAPPY CARD MAKING DAY!!
World Card Making Day is a holiday especially for card makers around the world to:
- Celebrate the creativity of handmade cards and the personal connection that they create between friends and family
- Kick off (and get a head start on) the holiday card-making season
The first Saturday of each October, kicking off the holiday card-making season, the most popular time for creating and sharing handmade greetings.
The card-making community worldwide, including hobbyists, beginning card makers, manufacturers of card-making products, retail sellers of products, educators, and press are invited to come together to celebrate this holiday and creative passion.
It is a day to connect with fellow card makers both near and far, to applaud the creativity that powers the craft, and to provide an opportunity for card makers to connect and find resources that will empower, inspire, and encourage them in their card making.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Just 3 months left!!
That's right!! Today is exactly 3 months until Christmas morning! Where the heck did this year go? It seems like I was just planning my son's 1st birthday party (his b-day is January 24) and now I'm already stocking up his Christmas pile and planning his 2nd b-day party!! This year, I'm going to try not to go as overboard as I did last year for Evan's 1st Christmas. He got sooo many toys from me, his Grandparents, and his 6 aunts and 7 uncles. I've already got a bunch of clothes and books for Evan, and a couple Mickey Mouse movies. For myself, I'm asking Santa for an IPod, new clothes, some scrapbooking supplies, and some books.
I'm also planning on doing alot of my Christmas shopping on Etsy this year. I've got quite a few things in my "favorites" that are perfect for Evan, my brother and sister, and my parents. If you are planning on shopping mostly on Etsy this year, may I make a few suggestions? :-) I'm planning on adding a whole bunch of new items to both my shops in the coming weeks.
http://giftsetc.etsy.com/
http://skincandy.etsy.com/
In Gifts, Etc., you can find all sorts of Christmas cards and gift tags. Don't see something you want? Feel free to send me a convo or leave me a message here about a custom order. While you're there, be sure to pick up some Thank you card sets (coming soon!!).
In Skincandy, you will find an array of beautiful handmade jewelry using everything from Swarovski Crystals to semi-precious stones. I also love taking custom orders in this shop as well. Also available, fun and festive Christmas jewelry!!
Be sure to stop by both shops every Saturday. I will be running a SNS, or Saturday Night Special, every Saturday from 5pm till midnight. Pick up some great deals on Saturdays!!
Another great place to shop, is from the Rockin' BnR list!! Right now, we have 29 fabulous shops on the list!! These shops sell some amazing items that would make great Christmas presents. And from now until Sunday, we are running this special:
*****ROCKIN' BnR!!*****
September 21 - September 28
Want to make more than 1 sale from this list? Here's how!!
* Make a purchase of $10 or more in any of the shops and get x2 by your name. You'll get 2 sales before getting kicked off.
* Make a purchase of $20 or more in any of the shops and get x3 by your name. You'll get 3 sales before getting kicked off.
To get to the Rockin' BnR, click follow this link...
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5818291&page=38
Wherever you choose to shop this year, just remember to have fun and try not to stress out too much. After all, Christmas is all about giving and family. And let's not forget the real meaning of Christmas...CHRISTmas. Remember to say Happy Birthday to Jesus this Christmas.
Happy Shopping!!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Finger Painting
I was going through my old emails today because I had waaay too many and I came across an email my mom sent me almost a year ago. Yes, I'm a pack rat, even when it comes to my email. lol Anyways, I had forgotten abbout this email and was totally surprised when I looked at it today. The pictures are soo amazing!! I just had to share them with all of you. I'm not sure of the artist's name, but in the email it said that it takes him about 4 hours to do each hand!! Wowsers!!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Rants from this week
I'm not sure why, but alot of little things just ticked me off this week. And of course, I thought I'd share them all with you. lol
1) Snowbirds. I live where it is 90 degrees year round. During the summer months, when it it hottest, all the "Snowbirds" go back up north where its cooler. They then come back down during the "winter" to escape the northern cold. They generally don't begin to show up until October and the way you can tell is when traffic begins to get heavy. Well, traffic got quite heavy this week!! And they always drive sooo slow in the left lane. This was definitely an unwelcome surprise this week. Made me late to work almost everyday! lol
2) Rude Customers. I was at Jo-Ann Fabrics the other day getting some supplies when this lady in front of me just rubbed me the wrong way. First of all, I have worked in retail for almost 10 years!! (I'm currently in my first non-retail job!! Yippee!!) I know what a pain a long line can be and how frustrating it can be. Trust me, I've dealt with all sorts of customer throughout the years. I could tell you horror stories!! Anyways, back to the other day. There was one cashier and 3 people in line, including myself. It really wasn't a long line, but the cashier called for backup anyways...which didn't come right away. While the cashier was ringing up a customer, she answered the store phone. Well, the lady in front of me got all pissed off saying, "Oh, now she's on the phone?? Doesn't she this looong line?" And then she went on to loudly bitch about the cashier. I just wanted to tell that lady, "She is doing her job just fine! She is supposed to answer the phone as well as ring up customers." But, I chickened out and didn't say anything. The thing that really got me, is right as that lady was walking up to the counter, SHE got a phone call on her cell and answered it!! If there is one thing that pisses us cashiers off, its a customer talking on the cell phone while trying to ring them up. Grrr...
3) Sports Bras. It's called a BRA for a reason. You wear it underneath your clothes. Just because it has Sports in front of it doesn't mean it's ok to wear just that and a pair of shorts to the gym. Seriously. Please coverup. It's distracting. (Can you tell what bugged me at the gym today? lol)
End Rant. Thank you for listening.
:-)
Monday, September 15, 2008
Halloween Costumes Already!?!?
Yes, it's that time of year already. Halloween is right around the corner and I'm soo excited!! My 19 month old son, Evan, is going to be Mickey Mouse for Halloween and I want to go as Minnie Mouse to match him. Problem is, I can't decide which costume I like better. lol Take a peek at both costumes and then vote in my poll in the right column which one is your favorite. Thanks soo much everyone!!
The first one....
The second one...
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Breast Cancer Boob Challenge for Charity
I am participating in a wonderful Challenge for Charity this month on Etsy. It is the Breast Cancer Boob Challenge for Charity. Any shop on Etsy can be a part of it and its soo simple. Just make something new that has anything to do with boobs, pink ribbons, breast cancer, etc. and have it listed by 5pm, September 20. You can have as many items for this challenge as you'd like. For each of those items you sell, all the proceeds will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer Research. Also, you can choose one of those items for a fun little contest! From September 20 through September 28, there will be a thread going on Etsy where everyone can take a peek at all the items and vote for their favorite one! And there's even a prize for the winner!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Top 16...Fake Food Items!!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Hurricane Humor
I've lived in Southwest Florida since I was born. I have been through every hurricane here since 1983. I remember Hurricane Andrew like it was yesterday. I was in the third grade and we missed the first few days of school which, at that age, we loved. Of course, my brother, sister and I were too young to really understand the magnitude of such a huge storm. I'm like a walking reference guide on what you should do to prepare for a hurricane. Thankfully, Hurricane Ike has decided to leave us alone, although we've been getting the outer bands all day. I'm sure we'll get some tomorrow as well. Either way, with all this "hurricane talk", I decided the mood needed to be lightened a little bit. So, I present to you, some hurricane humor. Enjoy!!
Top 10 Reasons Hurricane Season Is Like Christmas:
10. Decorating the house (boarding up windows)
9. Dragging out boxes that haven't been used since last season (camping gear, flashlights)
8. Last minute shopping in crowded stores
7. Regular TV shows pre-empted for "specials"
6. Family coming to stay with you
5. Family and friends from out-of-state calling
4. Buying food you don't normally buy ... and in large quantities
3. Days off from work
2. Candles
And... the number one reason Hurricane Season is like Christmas ...
1. At some point you know you're going to have a tree in your house!
You know you’re from Florida when….
1. You have FEMA’s number on your speed dialer.
2. You have more than 300 ‘C’ and ‘D’ batteries in your kitchen drawer.
3. Your pantry contains more than 20 cans of Spaghetti O’s.
4. You are thinking of repainting your house to match the plywood covering your windows.
5. When describing your gutted house to a prospective buyer, you say it has three bedrooms, two baths and an open air feel to it.
6. Your SSN isn’t a secret, it’s written in Sharpie on your arms.
7. You are on a first-name basis with the cashier at Home Depot.
8. You are delighted to pay $3 for a gallon of regular unleaded.
9. The road leading to your house has been declared a No-Wake Zone.
10. You decide that your patio furniture looks better on the bottom of the pool.
11. You own more than three large coolers.
12. You can wish that other people get hit by a hurricane and not feel the least bit guilty about it.
13. You rationalize helping a friend board up by thinking It’ll only take a gallon of gas to get there and back
14. You have 2-liter coke bottles and milk jugs filled with water in your freezer.*
15. Three months ago you couldn’t hang a shower curtain; today you can assemble a portable generator by candlelight.
16. You catch a 13-pound red fish - in your house.
17. You can recite from memory whole portions of your homeowner’s insurance policy.
18. You consider a vacation to stunning Tupelo, Mississippi.
19. At cocktail parties, women are attracted to the guy with the biggest chainsaw.
20. You have had tuna fish more than 5 days in a row.
21. There is a roll of tar paper in your garage.
22. You can rattle off the names of three or more meteorologists who work at the Weather Channel.
23. Someone comes to your door to tell you they found your roof.
24. Ice is a valid topic of conversation.
25. Your drive-thru meal consists of MRE’s and bottled water.
26. Relocating to South Dakota does not seem like such a crazy idea.
27. You spend more time on your roof then in your living room.
28. You’ve been laughed at over the phone by a roofer, fence builder or a tree worker.
29. A battery powered TV is considered a home entertainment center.
30. You don’t worry about relatives wanting to visit during the summer.
31. Your child’s first words are hunker down and you didn’t go to Ole Miss!
32. Having a tree in your living room does not necessarily mean it’s Christmas.
33. Toilet Paper is elevated to coin of the realm at the shelters.
34. You know the difference between thegood side of a storm and the bad side.
35. Your kids start school in August and finish in July.
36. You go to work early and stay late just to enjoy the air conditioning.*
37. Your garage smells like gasoline.
38. Your more concerned about someone stealing your generator then your car.
39. You get excited when you see a FPL truck in your neighborhood.
40. You get really excited when you see the cable guy.
41. You can create memorable meals with a can of SPAM and one gas burner.
42. You are prepared to wait in line at Starbucks for 2 hours to get a cup of coffee. 43. You flinch when you are introduced to a person named Charley, Frances, Ivan or Jeanne.
Friday, September 5, 2008
My first Blog Award!!
As recipient of this award, I get to nominate seven blogs that I think are deserving of it. And here they are!!
1 - Holy Craft
Sunday, August 31, 2008
♥♥♥WIN A PAIR OF SWAROVSKI EARRINGS!!♥♥♥
Here are the details for my latest contest...
WIN THESE EARRINGS!
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7705054
IT'S SIMPLE! HERE'S HOW TO GET YOUR NAME IN THE CONTEST:
1) Make a purchase from either of my shops...
http://Skincandy.etsy.com or
http://GiftsEtc.etsy.com
The total of your purchase is the number of tickets you'll get. (i.e., a $10 purchase will give you 10 chances to win) Purchase from BOTH my shops and your number of tickets will be doubled!
2) Make a purchase from any of the shops on the Rockin' BnR list and get 1 ticket per transaction.
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5786047&page=1
CONTEST RUNS THROUGH SEPTEMBER 14th. GOOD LUCK!!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Top 16...Poop Items!!
To make a long story short, I've had a sort of a "poopy" night. Things didn't go as planned tonight and I ended up home before 11pm!! Oh well. With my poopy mood, I felt inspired to bring you my top 16 "Poop" items on Etsy. To get to each item, just click on the picture. Enjoy!!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
New feature!! Top 16...Purses!!
I've decided to start a new feature in my blog. I want to promote some of my fellow Etsians, but there are sooo many items that I love!! So, I'm going to make a "Top 16..." list once, twice, or more each week!! If you have any ideas for a "Top 16..." list, feel free to comment about it here in my blog.
For my first feature, I've decided to go with my weakness...purses. These are some of my favorites that I've found on Etsy. To get to each purse, click on the link below.
1st row:
Summer striped purse
Meredith - Small Tote with Wood Handles
Padded LAPTOP TOTE BAG in Mod Dots Spa
A-Line Bling - Mint
2nd row:
Go Directly to Jail (large)
Woven Duct Tape Handbag with Pink Flower
Rose Handbag
Peacock Feather Bag
3rd row:
Kleo Slouch Bag
Amy Butlers Morning glories
Pink Cocoa Blossom Tote Bag
The ICKY Bag DUO
4th row:
Marbled green silk-lined clutch bag
the LUCY bag in ginger blossom water lilly green
Beautiful green and pink flowered clutch
GINGER BLOSSOM PURSE
