CLICK HERE FOR FREE BLOG LAYOUTS, LINK BUTTONS AND MORE! »

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!


I encourage everyone to check out this thread. Breast cancer is something that has affected everyone in some way. I don't have any family members with breast cancer, but my father has battled prostate cancer and my grandfather lost his battle with tongue cancer. You don't even have to make an item(s) to participate. Buying any of the items up for this challenge helps out. Every little penny helps. Together, we can make a difference and put an end to Breast Cancer.
To get to the thread on Etsy, just click the pink ribbon above.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Top 16...Fake Food Items!!

For my latest installment of "Top 16...", I was inspired by Beatblack's Lollipop Necklace. It is just soo cute and looks yummy too. I decided to go with the "Top 16...Fake Food Items". And let me tell you, there sure are a ton of delicious-looking fake food on Etsy. My stomach was growling when I was done putting this together.


To get to each item, click on the link below.


1st row:


2nd row:

3rd row:


4th row:





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!!


I am soo excited to say that I have been nominated for my very first Blog Award!! Yippee!! Thank you sooo much to Art for Hair for the nomination. I am beyond delighted to be nominated for the Brilliante Weblog Premio 2008 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
These are the rules for these winners...
1. The award may be displayed on a winner’s blog.
2. Add a link to the person who you received the award from.
3. Nominate up to seven other blogs.
4. Then add their links to your blog.
5. Add a message to each person that you have passed the award on to in the comments section of their blog.