Scales are Down Another 4 Pounds

I was pleasantly surprised to hop on my scales this morning and see that I had lost another 4 pounds.  This puts me at  a little over a 40 pound loss since January.  I am pleased with this rate of loss, although I have lost faster in the past (because I have so much to lose).  This time,I am having things I really like, that aren’t really allowed on the South Beach Diet  once in a while.  This makes the whole dieting aspect so much easier.  I hope I am learning healthy, new habits which help me to make good food choices most of the time and splurge once in a while, instead of the other way around.  This time, if I know I am going to have a bit of a splurge at dinner, I try to be careful the rest of the day.  Actually, even if I am not straying from the diet, but know we are having bread or pasta at dinner, we leave it alone the rest of the day.  This seems to really help.  I would be thrilled to have 75 –100 pounds off by Christmas.

I have finished the poker bag my niece requested for her boyfriend.  The bag itself turned out well, but the drawstring doesn’t seem to work right.  Is the drawstring required to be a certain material or size?  If anyone is a drawstring bag expert, please HELP!!  Tony certainly can’t keep $20 worth of quarters in a bag that doesn’t close properly. :o)

Sunny Saturday

So happy to get up to the sunshine, even though that was at 6:30 am. on the weekend which really should be a crime. Nicholas was wide awake and raring to go which of course got the puppy revved up. LOL  Nick is doing somewhat better now that he is taking Stettera for his ADHD.  He could not take any of the stimulants as they made him really hyper and agitated rather than calm and focused.  His teacher has seen a huge improvement in his ability to control his temper.  The doctor said we probably wouldn’t notice improvements for a month, and we were seeing much improved behavior with in a week.  Lets hope it just keep working well for him.

I found this great blog for those of you with an Etsy business.  She offers all kinds of advise on how to improve your shop.  Please check it out and maybe leave a comment.   http://lifecraftinessandeverythingelse.blogspot.com/2008/09/how-to-get-etsy-sales-you-want.html

Our dog groomer stopped by yesterday and bought one of my “Doggie Travel Bags”.  She said she has customers asking if I am going to be making any tiny dog collars.  Our dogs go to see her in a little over a week, and I told her I would have a bunch of collars ready to display.  This is the “Doggie Travel Bag” that she bought.

One more topic before I close today’s update.  I watched “Twilight” the movie last night.  Quite frankly I was afraid I would be disappointed after reading the 4 books, but it was pretty good.  My hubby even enjoyed it and he hasn’t read the books.  The movie “New Moon”, based on book # 2 is being released in November and looks really good.  Megan found some clips for us to look at.  :o)

Friday is Here Already

This week has just flown by and I can’t believe it is Friday already.  I guess the holiday on Monday caused the week to speed by and totally confuse us as to what day of the week it was.

I have been busy working on this adorable monkey wristlet for a couple of days.  I finished it today.  I am thinking it is very cute. ( I am a bit prejudiced however). I would love some feedback as to whether you guys like it or you can think of any improvements I could make in this pattern.  I created the pattern because my niece needed a black wristlet for a wedding she was in. 

I will be working on a poker bag for my niece’s boyfriend to keep his quarters in later today or tomorrow.  :o)

It’s Raining…It’s Pouring

We got so much rain so quickly this afternoon that I was worried about flooding.  We managed to walk out into it when we left counseling and it poured for 3/4 of the way home.  The strange thing was that then we drove through an area with no rain.  By the time we got home it was raining cats and dogs again.  At least the humidity has let up.

I made a matching collar and leash today for Karli.  They turned out quite well.  She has chewed up her other leash quite a bit and hopefully this one will hold up better.  I also started a new purse out of some very cute, Debbie Mumm monkey fabric.  Yesterday I finished two wallets but I need to figure out a way to get the pictures to come out better.  Here are the pictures I took tonight.  Definitely not great pics. :o)

 

 

 

 

 

Twilight

Ok, I have now finished the fourth book in the “Twilight” series.  Those books are so awesome.  My girls kept telling me how great they were, but I didn’t think they sounded like anything I would like.  Boy, was I ever wrong.  If you haven’t read them it would be well worth your time to give them a try.  Now I am going to watch the movie.  I didn’t want to watch the movie until I had all the books read.

We are watching the George Straight special tonight.  It has already started and the music is quite good.  I think it is on for 2 hours.  The kids are in bed and I am ready to sit down and relax.  Tomorrow we have to take the boys for counseling appointments after school, so that will be hectic.  :o)

My Birthday

I turned 51 years old today and I have to admit I was not looking forward to my birthday at all.  I was pleasantly surprised bright and early this morning to get a text from my brother Joe, in South Dakota.  He sent me birthday wishes and it made me feel very special.  I then went onto my Facebook account and had birthday wishes from my niece, Liz and also from Megan and Reid. I had other birthday wishes throughout the day also which was really great. Steven and Reid called today also.  Megan and Rachel went together and got me an awesome pair of sneakers . Steve and the boys are getting me the flowers I want for my flower boxes for my birthday.  Rachel and Steve and I went to Red Robin for lunch today and did a little shopping at Joann Fabrics and then at Target.  My Mom invited us for dinner at their house tonight and everything was delicious.  Brad and Nick behaved wonderfully and we were able to stay until around 7:30 pm.  Oh yeah, my best friend, Peggy in Virginia also called to wish me a happy 50th birthday…I laughed and told her she was a year behind..LOL  I have to say that I really had an awesome birthday and I feel quite special.  

I had a surprise this morning when I discovered I had sold the nautical beach bag I had listed in my shop.  It is winging its way to California.  :o)

Memorial Day

We have been busy the last couple of days cleaning our camper and getting things ready for our big picnic today.  Megan is driving down from Canada and bringing her mother-in-law, Bev.  Bev is visiting Megan and Scott as she lives in Ottawa.  We have not seen her in almost three years, since the wedding, so we are very much looking forward to seeing one another.  Since it isn’t a holiday in Canada, Scott has to work and won’t be joining us.  My parents are coming also, and we are having some good picnic food to eat.  Steve is grilling hotdogs and I made a potato salad and a Greek salad.  We have chips and pickles and rhubarb cake.  The weather sounds promising, and we are hoping for a wonderful day together.

My niece Nicole, who lives in Aberdeen, SD got married last night.  It is hard when family lives so far apart…….we miss each others important moments.  I am sure my brother and  sister-in-law felt the same way when Megan and Scott got married.   Anyway, we wish them much happiness and a long life together.  I can’t wait to see some pictures.  :o)

4 Day Weekend

The kids are off from school now until Tuesday.  We have high hopes for a fun filled weekend.  Reid is home until tonight or tomorrow morning as he has to work tomorrow.  It was so nice to sit down to dinner last night and have Reid and Rachel eating with us.  They had fun playing Guitar Hero last night.  I still haven’t played it, but one of these days I will give it a try.

Today begins our town wide yard sale here in Arcade, so I need to get everybody ready for the day.  We wouldn’t want to miss any bargains.  LOL

Here is a picture of Brad in his new plaid shorts.  I think boys look so darn cute in plaid shorts.  I wish I could have bought them one of every color when we were at Target.

I decided to relist this cute recycled denim skull bag today.  It is an oldie but goodie.  It is funny how things sell.  Quite often it isn’t the new listings that sell, but the listngs I have had for awhile.:o)

Reid is Coming Home for a Visit

We are looking forward to our son, Reid, who goes to college at SUNY Brockport, coming home for a couple of days.  Reid has a nice apartment with some friends and two jobs, so he will be staying in Brockport for the summer.  We don’t get to see him all that often due to him working on weekends, so this is a treat.  FYI, for those who don’t know, Reid is Rachel’s twin brother. Rachel is busy working a lot at the ice cream shop and we are enjoying having her home from college for the summer  We are still waiting to hear whether Megan and Scott are coming down from Canada for the weekend, or whether they are going camping.  In another week or so, Megan will be going to Pennsylvania for the summer.  She is a nurse at a kids camp and this is like her 6th summer working there.  Steven is doing very well, and is trying to decide whether to keep his apartment or move in with someone and share a three bedroom apartment.  Due to the traffic in Houston, it usually takes him an hour and a half to get home from work.  If he moves, it would only be a 15 minute drive home each day.  He would save on time and gas money, but he wouldn’t have the luxury of living alone.  The new place in a nice apartment complex and there is a pool available for the tenants, so that would be another plus.  We just found out that Christopher (our 21 year old adopted son) and his girlfriend are having a baby.  They seem to be quite excited.  We are a little less enthusiastic due to all the drug problems Chris has had and his problems holding down a job.  On the other hand, maybe being responsible for another life will help him to grow up and be responsible.  Brad and Nick are both doing better with the addition of their new medications. Nick has been stuck on the movie “Happy Feet”.  This is the third morning in a row that he has watched it.  Truthfully I am a little sick of it.  LOL   I guess that is the update on my kids.  It seems so good when things are running pretty smooth for everyone and mom and dad can worry less. 

This is a picture of us and 6 of our children, plus our son-in-law.  Steven is the only one not in this picture.  This picture was taken a few years ago at Brad and Nick’s adoption, but it is the closest thing I have to a family picture.  :o)

Great Day

We have awesome weather here and we sure took advantage of it today.  This morning I vacuumed the back porch furniture and then hosed the porch down.  Karli loved the water from the hose when it sprayed her.  I then cleaned the laundry room and then I sewed a new chair cushion for one of our wicker chairs.  We went to the cemetery and cleaned up Steve’s family graves…raked and put new flowers on them.  We came home and Rachel, Steve and Brad set up our trampoline (I supervised from the porch).  All in all it has been a very busy day.  This great weather is supposed to last for a few days. 

This coming weekend is the town wide yard sale here in Arcade.  We love going as a family and hunting for treasures.  Even Brad and Nick love to yard sale.  One year we found bike helmets for the boys that were almost new.  We like to keep a set at home and a set at the camper so we don’t have to take them back and forth.  I love finding clothing for the boys for the summer and I have often found name brands that are in great shape for a little bit of nothing.  Speaking of great outfits, Nick wore his new plaid shorts and matching t-shirt for the first time to school today. Brad has a set also, and I will take a pic when he wears his for the first time. Doesn’t Nick look so cute? (I am a bit prejudiced however) :o)

Here is a pic of the new plaid laptop sleeve/bag I finished yesterday.

Blog Feature

Rather than feature an Etsy shop today, I decided to feature a blog that I found this morning.  This blog has a really great tutorial that shows very clearly, how to make a quilted, zippered pouch.  Check it out and be sure and leave comments.  http://lolosinclair.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-make-cute-quilted-zipper-case.html

We had a really nice time yesterday at our campsite.  Steve and I planted some new hostas and the boys played in the woods and Rachel took them to the playground for a while.  Bradly had a great time taking Karli for walks.  Our hotdogs cooked over the fire were really good  as were the s’mores. (Back to eating healthy today, but those Doritos and s’mores were yummy).  :o) I was amazed at how much Bradly packed away.  It seemed like he was always going to weigh 50 something, and all of a sudden he started growing and eating a lot more.  He went from being a picky little eater, to loving almost everything and eating lots of it.  Last week at the Dr. he weighed 80 pounds.  He is thrilled because he has always been the shortest kid in his class and gets picked on for it.  I have a feeling when he goes back to school in the Fall, he won’t be the shortest kid any more.

I relisted this cute “Tweety Bird and Sylvester” tote bag this morning.  It would also work nicely for a diaper bag.  I thought I would be listing my new laptop bag, but alas I need to make a few changes as I am not totally pleased with it yet. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After I finish up the laptop bag, my goal is to get busy making some more dog collars to take up tot he grooming shop.  I just ordered the hardware for large and extra large collars as they require one inch hardware rather than the 3/4 inch size I use for small and medium dog collars.  I also ordered the swivel hooks I need for the leashes.  I can’t wait for my new goodies to arrive.  :o)

Lots to do!!

It is a beautiful day…sunshine and the promise of warmer weather.  We spent the afternoon at our camper yesterday and got new mulch in all of the flower beds and the decorations in place.  Rachel raked leaves and Nicholas carried the leaves in a laundry basket and dumped them in the woods.  Bradly did an awesome job on the mulch with Rachel’s help.  Nick had requested we take bread and peanut butter and jelly for a picnic…which we did.  We planned to have a fire and make s’mores.  Steve decided it was too windy to have a fire, plus it was a bit chilly.  We told the kids when they get home from school today, we will go back up.  It isn’t as windy today and it is supposed to be warmer.  We are going to cook hotdogs over the fire for supper and then make s’mores for desert.  The boys are quite happy about that and truthfully I am looking forward to it also.

I am going to my studio in a few minutes and hopefully finishing the laptop sleeve I started on Saturday.  Rachel is off work today, so I want her to model some of my purses so I can take the pictures outside where the light is so much better and redo some of the pictures in my shop.  So, I have a lot to do before the kids get home, so I best get busy.  :o)

Blueberry Muffins

The “Hungry Girl” cookbook I talked about a week or so ago, has another recipe I would like to try making.  She has a recipe for blueberry muffins that are made with wheat flour and Splenda.  I need to go look and see if I have any blueberries in the freezer.  I can’t get the muffins off my mind, so maybe I will make them today.  If they are as good as I think they will be, I will share the recipe.

Nick was up at 6:30 am today and I was so glad it was Steve’s day to get up early.  Of course, do you think I could go back to sleep…no!   So I gave up and got up at 7:30.  I kept laying there thinking about everything I needed to do today, plus the sun was shining.  Hard to want to sleep when the sunshine is streaming in your windows.

I am working on a new project in my studio.  I started making a laptop sleeve yesterday.  I decided to make it with this heavy, plaid fabric that would work well for guys or gals.  That was great until I started cutting and remembered I need to match the plaid so it would look good.  This process took a while, but I finally got it done.  I cut the fleece padding and thought I would press the plaid fabric one more time before starting to sew.  I forgot to turn my iron down as this fabric has to be pressed on a low setting.  Yup, you guessed it…I melted an iron shaped spot right in the middle of the piece of fabric I had painstakingly matched the plaid and cut.  Now, wouldn’t it have been nice if I had started ironing on the edge of the fabric…but oh no…I jumped right smack in the middle.  I then had to cut a new piece and then I decided I best quit while I was ahead…so I gave up sewing for the day..LOL

I took this picture of Nick yesterday while his imagination was working overtime.  He was pretending to be a “Spy Kid”.  He also had a small back pack strapped to his back.  After this picture was taken, he went out and rode his scooter up and down the sidewalk…he looked so cute.  :o)

Another Early Saturday

One of these days Nick is going to sleep past 7 am on a
Saturday morning.  This morning he came bombing into our room at 6:45 am.  He wondered why my eyes had red in them..LOL I said because I am tired. 

I finished my new “Twilight bag yesterday.  This one is a messenger bag and is inspired by the “Twilight” book, “Breaking Dawn”.  I have really enjoyed making the “Twilight” bags, for one things I got to do some painting which I always enjoy.

front

 

 

 

 

 

 

                       back

inside

On another note,was the season finale of “Grey’s  Anatomy” fantastic or what.  Rachel and I were sure the guy hit by the bus was George almost as soon as they brought him in.  On the other hand, I am a huge “Bones” fan and I was very disappointed in their season finale.  I actually fell asleep during the show, and I NEVER fall asleep during “Bones”.  I would love to hear what you guys thought about the season finales you watched.  :o)

Ah…the Weekend has Arrived

Things with Brad and Nick are a bit better and I find myself looking forward to the weekend.  The weather forecast sounds promising and I would love to get more yard work done.  We still have a lot of work to do at our camper too, so maybe we can go work and have a picnic this weekend.

I sold a girl’s apron from my second shop last night.  I guess I need to put more energy into promoting that shop.  I don’t promote my second shop anywhere near as much as I promote my purse shop.  Here is a pic of the apron I sold.

The first “Doggie Travel Bag” I made sold fairly quickly, so I decided to make a couple of more.  I think I may take at least one of them up to the dog groomer’s shop and display it with the collars and soon, leashes.  I was thinking about giving the customers the option of a matching collar to go with the bag they chose.  I need to think about that some more.  Here  are the new “Doggie Travel Bags”.

 

 

 

 

 

I also wanted to share a cool blog I found this morning.  This bloggist (is that a word?), has lots of awesome ideas for making things with recycled items.  Check it out.    http://www.craftybitch101.com/   Have a great weekend everyone.  :o)  

Thursday Pick

I have chosen to feature a great Etsy shop owned by Inbal Limor for Thursday’s pick.  Check out her shop here.  www.inbalimor.etsy.com  I chose a couple of items from her shop to give you an idea of what kind of work she does.  Be sure to check her shop and see many more awesome creations.                             

Plastic Bag Art Greenie

 

 

 

Digital Collage Sheet Vegetarian sweets SQUARES

WHAT KINDS OF ITEMS DO YOU SELL IN YOUR ETSY SHOP?

I sell coloring books, digital collage sheets, prints of my art and a very funny mix of recycled/reused stuff.

HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO OPEN AN ETSY SHOP?

As soon as I found out about Etsy, I joined.  I was very excited for the chance to meet so many different crafters from all over the world.  I am inspired by all the creativity around me and Etsy has been the perfect venue for selling my creations.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ETSY SHOP (OTHER THAN YOUR OWN)?

My favorite Etsy shop is http://yoola.etsy.com/

Thank you Inbal for sharing your shop with us today. I think it is so much fun to visit other Etsy shops that we may never have had the pleasure of finding if they were not featured on someone's blog.  This is a great way to be exposed to all the creativity on Etsy.  I love the feedback, so keep it coming.  :o)

New Venture

Well, today is the day Chloe goes to be bathed and groomed.  The shop owner has wanted me to make some collars and leashes to sell in her shop for a while now.  I have a small and a medium collar ready to take up.  It would be awesome if the collars and hopefully matching leashes sell well there.  I have to get some swivel hooks before I can work on the leashes.  I really enjoy making the collars, and I think the leashes will be fun to make too.

The boys saw the Dr. yesterday and they are both on a new medication which will hopefully improve some of the impulsive behaviors.  If we don’t see an improvement or they should have a negative reaction, of course we will discontinue the meds.  Steve and I are very hopeful that life will be better for all of us with the addition of the new meds.  We could not go on the way things have been, it hasn’t been good for any of us.  I will keep everyone posted on their progress.  :o)

Tuesday’s Pick

Today I have chosen to feature A shop owned by Dafni Kangilieri.  Dafni’s shop can be found here…http://lacravatteduchien.etsy.com/

Here are just a couple of the items that Dafni sells in her shop.

Pink Butterfly earrings

 

 

 

                               Hand painted belt

WHAT KIND OF ITEMS DO YOU SELL IN YOUR ETSY SHOP?

I mostly make jewelry, but I do enjoy hand painting belts.

WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO START AN ETSY BUSINESS?

I love the fact that I can take my work with me wherever I go.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ETSY SHOP (OTHER THAN YOUR OWN)?

http://matchstickgirl.etsy.com/

A big thank you to Dafni for participating in my Tuesday blog feature.  I hope everyone will check out her shop and also visit Dafni’s  favorite shop.  :o)

Big Sale

I just reduced the price of over twenty items in my shop.  I want to clear out some of the inventory I have had for a while and restock with new items.  If you know of anyone looking for a bargain, please send them to the sale section of my Etsy shop….http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5780608

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are just a few of the items I reduced this morning.  I am off to get ready for a trip to Joann Fabrics.  Even better, I just found a 50% off coupon that is good until June.  :o)

Mother’s Day

Despite the cold, dreary weather, I had a wonderful Mother’s Day.  I was contacted by each one of my seven children, plus we invited my mom and dad for dinner.  My hubby was great, and besides getting me a few things I had been wanting, he made me breakfast, cooked dinner and did the dishes.  I made a couple of things for the dinner, but he did most of it and grilled awesome strip steaks.  It was just a very nice day and I feel well loved.

Tomorrow we are meeting Megan partway as she had a package delivered here that came the day after she went home.  While we are in the city I am going to Joann Fabrics….my home away from home..LOL  I need a certain fabric and am hoping they have what I am looking for.

This morning I relisted this tropical bag.  I think it is so pretty, so I thought I would relist it.  Maybe I should just add it to my own personal selection of purses. :o)

My First “Twilight” Inspired Bag

After several days of drawing, painting and sewing, I have finished my very first “Twilight” inspired bag.  I thought I would put it up on my blog and see what you guys think of it.   I plan on making a few more, each a little different from the first one.

Today has started out much better than last Saturday.  As you may recall, last Saturday I had decided it was the day Karli was going to start pooping outside, and it did not go well.  We got up at 7am today and I took her right out.  She wanted to come in after just a couple of minutes, but I stayed out on the porch and waited her out.  As soon as she knew she wasn’t coming in until she went potty, she complied.  Actually this past week we have made some real gains on the housebreaking. Yippee!!

My parents are coming for dinner tomorrow for Mother Day.  I can’t say what the menu is, because my mom wants to be surprised and she does read my blog.  I will say it is going to be really good and she will love everything.  :o)

Potato Salad

It is a beautiful, sunny day here and I feel energized!!  I have been working on a completely new line of bags and I am hoping to list the first one tonight.  As much as I would love to spend the day out in the sunshine, I really want to get this first bag finished.

Yesterday, I promised to share the recipe for “Potato Salad” made with fresh cauliflower.  It was a huge hit at our house, and it is a great way to reduce the carb count in a meal, and not feel deprived.  I will give you the recipe just as it was written, but I altered mine a bit to fit our diet, plus I wanted it to be as close to what my regular potato salad usually is.  For one thing, we use reg. or lowfat mayo…not fat free.  Same with sour cream..we use light.  Also, I always use celery seed instead of sliced celery and dehydrated onion instead of the red onion in my salads, so I did that in this too.  I also used the whole egg and not just the white as we can have the yolk. 

My daughter Megan found this cookbook written by Lisa Lillien, titled “Hungry Girl 200 under 200”, which has 200 recipes that are under 200 calories.  Many of the recipes are “South Beach” friendly.  Megan is letting me borrow it for a while so I can try more of the recipes.  The potato salad recipe is from this cookbook.

I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S NOT POTATO SALAD!

INGREDIENTS

1 large head cauliflower, roughly chopped 

6 hardboiled egg whites, chilled and chopped  

1/2 envelope dry ranch dressing/dip mix

1 1/2 cups fat free mayonnaise

1/2 cup fat free sour cream

3 TBSP. Hellman’s / Best Foods Dijonnaise

2 TBSP. fat free non-dairy liquid creamer

1 cup diced red onion

2 celery stalks, diced

1/4 cup chopped chives

3 TBSP. seasoned rice vinegar

2 TBSP. chopped dill

2 TBSP. chopped parsley

1/4 teas. salt

Optional garnish: paprika

DIRECTIONS

Place the cauliflower in a large microwave-safe bowl and pour 1/3 cup of water over it.  Cover and microwave for 6 – 8 minutes, until cauliflower is soft.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ranch mix, mayo, sour cream, dijonnaise, and salt.  Set aside.

Once bowl is cool enough to handle, drain any excess water from cauliflower.  Lightly mash 2 cups of the cauliflower (set the rest aside), then place the mashed cauliflower in a blender.  Add creamer and puree or pulse until blended.  Don’t worry if puree isn’t completely smooth.  Pour mayo mixture into blender, and mix all until blended and creamy.

Chop remaining cauliflower into small, 1/2 inch pieces.  Place cauliflower in a large bowl, and add onion, celery, and vinegar.  Toss well and let sit for 5 minutes.

Pour blender mixture over the vegie and mix well.  Add chopped egg white, chives, dill and parsley.  Stir lightly.

Chill for several hours before serving.  Sprinkle with paprika, if you like. Mmmmm!

Makes 10 servings

I would love to know if anyone else gives this recipe a try.  As I try some of the other recipes in this cookbook, I will share the ones I really like.  Oh yeah, I lost another pound and a half today…so I am really encouraged to stay on the straight and narrow.  :o)

Thursday Top Pick

Today I have chosen to feature an Etsy shop owned by Joanna Goldman. Here is where to go to see more of her creative artistry. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6735925

Card Switch Plate Cover

Scrabble Tile Pendant

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO OPEN AN ETSY SHOP?

I randomly came across Etsy a few years ago and fell in love. I had some switch covers and cards already made, so I decided to try and sell them on Etsy.

WHAT KIND OF ITEMS TO YOU SELL IN YOUR ETSY SHOP?

I specialize in all things cute!! I have greetings cards, light switch covers, posters, pins, magnets and more.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ETSY SHOP (OTHER THAN YOUR OWN)?

One of my favorite Etsy shops is “Fionachapman”. I recently got her to make me a custom pair of earrings that I wore to my brother’s wedding. They were beautiful. Check out her shop here. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5857865

Thank you Joanna for sharing your shop with us. Make sure and take a peek at all her cute items up for sale in her shop.

I have had a request to share the recipe for the “Cauliflower Potato Salad” that I mentioned yesterday. I will be posting that recipe tomorrow (Friday) so be sure to check back. :o)

A Visit from Megan

We are very much looking forward to having Megan (our oldest daughter) drive down from Canada for the day.  She should get here around noon and stay until after dinner.

Oh, I am very pleased to report that I weighed in this morning and have lost another 2 pounds and have dropped into the next category .  I figure slow and steady wins the race.  I think that keeping our bread or pasta meals to one per day is a big key, and of course lots of vegetables.  I love zucchini squash and we have found that if you cut them in half, and then slice them the long way they are very easy to grill.  About an hour or two before grilling we slice them up and put them in a ziplock bag with Chavetta’s  Italian Dressing to marinate.  They are out of this world and very low in calories and very high in fiber.   I tried a new “Weight Watchers” recipe my daughter just shared with me.  The recipe is for a “potato” salad that is actually made with a fresh cauliflower.  It looked exactly like potato salad and tasted wonderful.Steve and Bradly loved it too.  We had it with a grilled ground round burger that was loaded with onions and green peppers .  We eat our burger with no bread, but this seemed like a picnic meal.  I am so glad to have this “potato” salad recipe because my family loves potato salad and this will help complete some summer meals and we won’t feel deprived. 

Last week I was so surprised to discover I had won a blog giveaway.  I will be receiving a photo I chose from this artists selection.  Amazingly, I was notified yesterday that I had won another blog giveaway.  I won a necklace from “Wire Dream Designs” . My husband thinks I better run out and buy a lottery ticket since I seem to be having a lucky streak.  Here is a picture of the necklace I won.  This gorgeous piece of jewelry is one of many beautiful pieces sold here:  http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5902534

Tuesday Top Pick

It is that day again…the day I get the pleasure of featuring another Etsy shop here on my blog.  Today’s featured artist is Patricia Barrett.  She has a beautiful shop on Etsy called, “Gladraggz”.  You can find her shop here:    http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6352491

Patricia sells handmade, one-of-a kind jewelry, as well as purses and accessories.  Many are funky crochet purses that are adorned with ribbons and vintage jewelry.  Here are Pat’s two favorite items in her shop.                                             

Heart Pendant

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Pony Purse”

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO OPEN AN ETSY SHOP?

I have always loved to create, but realized that more than just friends and family loved my creations.  After making up some of my purses and hats, I sold them at a local boutique and began to realize that people actually liked my creations enough to buy them.  I love the experience of creating, from the hatching of a design to the final product.  Somehow the item guides me into what it wants to be—sort of like “feeling” my way through the process.

WHAT IS THE NAME AND LINK TO YOUR FAVORITE ETSY SHOP (OTHER THAN YOUR OWN)?

Gosh, I have so many favorite shops, it’s really hard to choose just one, and actually that wouldn't seem fair.  I have been running a series of features on my blog, showcasing my blog followers.  It has been a tremendous experience, and I have discovered not only gifted artists, but wonderful, loving and generous human beings.  Each person has their own story and each is unique and gifted in a very special way!!  You can read about some of my favorite shop owners here:     http://carpetbaggercreations.blogspot.com/

Thank you Pat for sharing your shop and your thoughts with us.  I hope everyone will go and take a peek at Pat’s shop and encourage her…we all need that on a daily basis.  :o)

Made a Dog Collar

I am very pleased to announce that I finally made a collar for our dog, Chloe.  I found that it really isn’t that hard….especially if you don’t get ahead of yourself and think you know how to attach the hardware without the directions.  Naturally that is just what I did, but once I picked out the seams I had sewn and actually followed the directions for attaching the hardware, it was quite easy and I could have had it done in half the the time if I hadn’t thought I was so smart.  LOL

 

 

 

 

Chloe

 

What  a nice day  we had yesterday.  We did take firewood to our camper and Steve de-winterized the camper (got the anti freeze out of the pipes ect.).  The slideout and the awning are open and the grill and most of the deck furniture are out.  The kids picked up lots of sticks and we raked the foot of leaves off the hostas so they can come up.  Brad and Nick played in the woods and walked Karli (who had a ball).  We were there for a couple of hours and then we stopped on the way home and saw Rachel at “SMILES” (the ice cream shop she works at).  Naturally we partook of the delicious frozen custard that they sell there.  Mmm..it was yummy!!

Oh, I wanted to include a picture of my finished nautical beach bag.  I realized after I blogged yesterday that I had not shared the finished product.  :o)

Karli Won Round 1

Ok, I promised an update on Karli’s housebreaking. I have to admit defeat concerning yesterday mornings skirmish.  As you know I had grabbed her within 5 minutes of eating breakfast and waited with her outside for a good 45 minutes freezing my backside off, and nothing.  So we came in and I kept her on her leash so I would know if she had to go.  After I blogged I took her back out.  She ALWAYS poops within 5 or 10 minutes of eating, so we went out for the second time.  We had been outside about 20 minutes when my hubby got up and came outside with us.  I explained how determined I was that Karli was going to get housebroke, and how weird it was that after all this time she still hadn’t pooped.  I couldn’t believe when he said, “Um, before I came out I cleaned up Karli poop out in the  laundry room.  I am ashamed to say that I came in the house and shed tears over the frustration of it all.  How in the world she had slipped out in the laundry room and pooped without me knowing is beyond me.  There is a light at the end of the tunnel…we got her after lunch and she pooped outside.  We made a huge deal and we are hoping we are on out way to a housebroke Karlil.

I am really psyched because I sold the “Doggie Travel Bag” yesterday.  A customer bought it for her mother-in-law for Mother’s Day.  It is really a great feeling when you have an idea for something new in your head and you manage to create it.  But it is even better  when someone else sees its potential and you make a sale.  I want to make another one with the new fabric I got at Joann Fabrics, but I promised myself I was going to make Chloe and Karli their new dog collars first.  I don’t know why I feel so inadequate about making these collars, but I do feel nervous.  I will probably find that they are really easy to make and love making them.  Chloe’s dog groomer would like me to make some matching collars and leashes for her to sell in her shop.  If these go well, I just may do that.

“Doggie Travel Bag”. Today’s agenda involves my Brother-in-law and his pickup truck.  Ernie and Steve  are going to my parents house and picking up the firewood from a tree my dad cut down.  The kids and I will go along in our van when they go up to our campsite to unload the wood.  We thought maybe we could get a few things done while we are there, and the kids will be thrilled to get to play in the woods directly across from the camper and in easy site of us.  Steve checked yesterday and the water at the campground has been turned on, so we will have bathroom facilities.   It feels good to have an outing planned for the day.  :o)

“Marley and Me”

Bet you can’t guess what movie we watched last night…Yup, you guessed it, “Marley and Me”.  Wow, it was a really good movie and there were parts that were so funny we just laughed and laughed.  I think it was easy for me to connect to the movie because so many of Marley’s antics when he was a puppy, made me think of the things we are going through with Karli.  Towards the end, when Marley was getting older and slower, it made me think so much of our older dog, Chloe.  Chloe will be 11 years old in July, and she has definitely slowed down and it is getting harder for her to get up and down the stairs (I can relate  LOL).  If you are an animal lover and have a soft heart, you will want to watch this movie…but be warned…it is a tear jerker.

I could have croaked when Nick came dashing into our room raring to go at 6:30 am on this gorgeous Saturday morning.  Anyway, potty training Karli is not going well, so I have made up my mind that today is the day she is going to actually poop outside!!  Now, every morning without fail, she poops within 10 minutes of eating her breakfast.  I had combed my hair and tamed it down a bit  because I wouldn’t want to scare the folks driving by at 7 am. and I had Karli out the door and on her chain within 5 minutes of eating. I don’t dare leave her out without supervision because her chain is out front and I am afraid someone might steal her (although they would probably bring her back when they found out how many times a day she poops.lol). I waited for 45 minutes, while freezing to death.  She never pooped.!! She explored, sat and shook, and chewed and ate God only knows what (sometimes I think she is part goat). Finally I gave up this skirmish but not the battle.  I brought her inside but put her on her leash which I have now been holding for about 40 minutes.  I figure the minute she tries to poop I am going to rush her back outside.  She has played with the cats, tipped over the wastepaper basket several times and yanked my arm….but I am hanging in there…today will be the day she actually poops outside.  Can you sense my determination?   I would love to hear from anyone who has conquered this battle and survived.. LOL

This is my little angel looking at me and trying to figure out why she has to be on her leash.  Don’t be fooled by those soulful eyes…if I let her off the leash, I can guarantee she will be pooping on the rug within minutes.  Be sure and read tomorrows blog update to see whether Karli or I win this battle.  :o)

Parenting is Frustrating

Nicholas has had two pretty good weeks, which has been a nice reprieve.  Bradly on the other hand has been lying left and right.  His class is going on a camping trip later this month.  About a month ago we told him that in order to go, he had to try to be honest and trustworthy.  Did we expect that that meant he wouldn’t lie at all…NO!!!  We know better.  The truth of the matter is that he hasn’t been really trying at all.  Finally last week we told him he was not going.  His teacher sent home a note yesterday offering that the school would cover the $50 cost because Bradly had told her we couldn’t afford the $50 which is why he isn’t going.  Needless to say we were not very pleased about yet another lie.  He swore up hill and down that he never told her that.  This morning I called his teacher and guess what?  Not only did he tell her that, but he wrote it on a note to her, which she still has.  Ugh.  She is going to show him the note and tell him she told me about it and see what he comes up with next.  It is extremely hard to live with a kid that you cannot trust.  The dishonesty seems to be escalating even though we have consequences in place and follow through with them  Bradly and I actually have a contract we came up with together.  Each time he lies, he loses 2 hours of t.v. time.  He can still earn his tickets for the “Ticket Game”, but he is not allowed to spend them on days that he has lost t.v. time for lying.  If anyone has a plan that worked with their children or know of something that has worked, please leave me a comment, as I would love to hear any ideas you may have.

Maybe I will get the blue and white striped beach bag I have been working on, finished today.  Last night I hand appliquéd the white anchor onto the navy blue pocket with red embroidery floss and I am please with the result.  After that I really need to get working on the dog collars for our two dogs.  I don’t remember if I told you that I bought a PDF pattern that contained different sized collar patterns as well as a leash pattern.  I also purchased the hardware needed for the collars. I want to make Chloe and Karli matching collars and I admit to being a bit nervous as I have never made a collar.  I decided however, that if I can make purses I should be able to make a couple of collars..LOL

I relisted this “Tweety Bird” tote/diaper bag this morning.  Hopefully by tonight I will have the beach bag ready to list.  Here is a pic of the “Tweety Bird” bag. :o)