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Sunday, October 26, 2008

Pumpkin Patch Festival

Yesterday, my mom, my sister, and I took Evan to a Pumpkin Patch Festival. We had such a great time! They had little shopping carts for the kids to put their pumpkins in. Evan carefully "examined" all the pumpkins and finally settled on a medium sized pumpkin as well as a teeny tiny one. They also had pony rides, so of course I wanted Evan to take a ride. Course, when I saw the ponies, I joked that I wanted to ride one too. Well, next thing you know, the lady was walking a full size horse my way and asked, "You still want to ride?" lol So, Evan and I took our horse/pony ride together and the pictures came out soo cute!! Evan didn't want to get off the horse, so they let him ride again. After the pumpkin patch, we went and got lunch and then it was time for me to go to work. :-( This afternoon, my sister and boyfriend are coming over to the house and we're going to carve the pumpkin. That should make for some interesting pictures...lol The pic at the bottom is from last year when we carved pumpkins. Enjoy!!

















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

There's nothing like a great banner to really set the mood for your Etsy shop. And that's exactly what you'll get when you take a peek at Lyn Lloyd Designs Etsy shop. Her shop is full of customized banner and matching avatar sets. All of her banners are one of a kind! Here is my interview with Lyn Lloyd Designs.



Who are you?
I'm Carolyn, my nickname is 'Lyn' and the name 'Lloyd' comes from my grandmother. It's her maiden name. I'm a graphic designer, painter, artist, computer lover, tea lover, yoga enthusiast and book lover.



What is your Etsy Shop Name?


What do you specialize in?
Graphic Design


What do you like best about Etsy?
I get to work from home! :D


Where do you find inspiration for your products?
Sometimes advertisements on tv and around the web, also just from my own art background, and from the shop I'm working for.




What is your favorite item in your shop? Someone else's shop?
I love all of my work, it all just reminds me how far I've come! I also love everything from the shop 'fringe' http://www.fringe.etsy.com/







Best advice you can give to other sellers?
Forums, forums, forums, then blog, blog, blog as well as always be nice to your customers no matter what! Don't argue or post anything about sales or arguments on the forum! Always have good business ethics!


Anything else you'd like to add?
I love what I do and I want to encourage others to, instead of sitting at home dreaming, to get out there and start doing something you love, even if it's small!






Thanks for the great interview Lyn!! Be sure to check out Lyn's shop. With the holidays right around the corner, now is the time to spruce up your shop with a fun holiday banner. :-)

Saturday, October 4, 2008

HAPPY CARD MAKING DAY!!



Today is World Card Making Day. What is this, you may ask? Well, read on...


(Excerpted from worldcardmakingday.com)

WHAT
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



WHEN
The first Saturday of each October, kicking off the holiday card-making season, the most popular time for creating and sharing handmade greetings.

WHO
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.


WHY
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.



So, there you have it!! The pictures are some of my favorites on Etsy. To get to each item, just click the picture. And don't forget to check out my selection of cards as well. :-) In honor of World Card Making Day, EVERY CARD in my shop will have FREE SHIPPING today!! Yippee!! Just wait for a revised invoice before paying.


To find out even more about World Card Making Day, be sure to visit http://worldcardmakingday.com/