Help Save the Toys!!

Jenni of Allsorts had a great post yesterday about CPSIA. It's the new law that starts on the 10th of February. She links to another great post by SarahJaneStudios (http://sarahjanestudios.com/blog/index.php/2009/01/28/raise-your-voice-for-change/ ) This law will impact those of us who sell vintage childrens' goods as well. If you like buying vintage childrens' books, you just may be screwed. Go check out these two blog posts...they said it very well.

That book sucked

I was very disappointed with "The Last Templar". I'm glad I didn't get to see the mini-series. I had promised the boys we would watch Billy's new Veggie Tales DVD (Big River Rescue) and we did...Billy liked it so much that we watched it all night....over and over again....argh. :) Much better than the "Wizard of Has"...that was a disappointing VeggieTales. In between reading sucky books, watching silly vegetables, chores and such...I got some crafting done. I had a huge block when it came to my matchboxes....not anymore...they are done and are getting filled with goodies. I did have to start over on one project for another swap....I smudged black ink on a pale pink and white polka-dotted background. So frustrating. I ended up using my last piece of paper....the second heart....while adhering the paper to the cardboard heart...the paper got messed up. Third time was a charm. I still have to finish cutting out the new design for the center and attaching it.....different adhesive this time. I think I'll try to collage over the messed up heart (#2). I'm still figuring out the camera, so no pictures yet. Well, I've got more things to dig through to fill out swaps. :)

I've got my own digital camera!!!

Of course, the weather was horribly dreary today...figures. :) But I've got my own camera....ahhhhh...I'm screeching with happiness. I'm so excited. I guess I should plug in the battery charger and charge the battery. I've been working on swap projects the last few days. I've decided to make more than I just give this year. If that makes sense. Normally, I would join the swaps where you give supplies and such...easy peasy for me and my loads of goodies. I decided to try and join more swaps this year where I have to make things. I've actually really enjoyed it....I'm usually so worried that my partners won't like anything I make, so I avoid doing it. Not this year.....I'm creating...darn it. Don't worry...I'll still join the giveaway supply swaps as well.....I have way too much stuff not to. :) So I saw an ad for a tv miniseries tomorrow night...based on the book "The Last Templar"....it reminded me that I have owned that book for over a year now and haven't read it. I started it yesterday and have been reading on and off all day (between my motherly and shop keeper duties). It isn't too bad...the main female character is getting on my nerves and I want to beat her. She is a tad annoying. I'm hoping to finish it before tomorrow night (so I can watch the miniseries and pick it apart). :) Clark is due back at the end of the week.....good...his dog hates me. Yes, Baccus is his dog this week....he smooshed my fingers, hurt my ankle and gouged the back of my leg. Not a good dog week....I still love him, but I don't think he loves me. He is awful strong and it was so cold this week, so taking him to do his business was hard...until I finally found my missing mittens (both pairs...they were together)...it makes a world of difference to the hands. Now if I could find my favorite scarf (we got it in Augsburg, GE) I'd be set...watch the weather will warm up now that I said that. :) Oy. Back to the book...don't worry I won't tell you what happens.

Yet another swap partner. :)

Okay, maybe the swap thing has gotten out of hand...no. :) I got my partner for the "Little Tokens of Love" swap this weekend. Her name is Jeanne and she is one of the Prim & Whimsy Girls. She has a blog (www.wildwoodartstudio.blogspot.com/ ) and an Etsy shop (www.wildwood13.etsy.com/ ). Go check them out when you get a chance. If you like Halloween...you will love her. She makes little fairy doors and had the cutest post about some moving into the neighborhood. I've been quite lucky with the shout-outs lately....lovely ladies have been posting treats they got as prizes and store purchases.....quite nice. Alisa (my swap buddy from way back) blogged about the books she got.....she sees things in such a great way. I love her....you'll enjoy that blog post as well (oy..for the life of me I cannot remember her blog name...argh....sorry Alisa). She is on my blog lsit on the sidebar...just keep going until you find her. Yes, I'm losing it. :)

Yes, Dad...I watched the game!

Steelers are going to the SuperBowl in Tampa!!!!! I love watching Pittsburgh teams play, but it also makes me really anxious and it ruins it at times. :) On the crafting front.....I found matchboxes. I was worried after hitting the PX and they didn't have any matches. The had two sizes at the Commissary...teeny tiny and different from what Heather got...I emailed my partners and Heather to see if they were okay (not the teeny tiny) and got the okay. Huge sigh of relief...my only other option was to go off post and being a huge chicken shit---I'm not ready to do that yet. :) Now I can start of decorating those...okay, maybe tomorrow...when the boys are back in school. My brother and his roommate are going to the Inaguration tomorrow....Dad got tickets from his Senator and they said it was okay for Donnie to use them. He's pretty excited. Billy and I already started the confetti producing in honor of the Steelers win.....I used one of my Martha punches on all the Sunday paper ads and threw them at him...he loved it. The livingroom is crazy messy, but it was so worth it. We shall be playing with said paper scraps again today. They are bigger than normal confetti and can be recycled. Even Jr came out and played with us for a little bit. Well, the laundry is calling and won't shut up. :)

Man, do I have a lot of stuff

I decided today was the day that I was going to tackle my room. Can you guess how well that went?? Right now...you can walk around in here.....too bad, I still have stuff on my bed that has to come back in here. It's definitely time to destash. :) I finally packaged my charms....I went the simple route...I used my trusty crop-a-dile and punched a hole in one end of my tiny business cards (a little bigger than a mini moo) and tied the charm on with ribbon. Now they can go out in the mail. Well, I need to get everything off my bed before 9...Monk and Psych are on tonight. Back to the grindstone.

Swap partners

I got four of them today. :) Three are in my group for Speckled-Egg's "Petite Inspiration Box Swap". Two of them have blogs (Fanny @ www.fairbanksfancygoods.com/ and Leslie @ www.junkgirl-studio.blogspot.com/ ) and Angie does not (that I know of). I, also, got my partner for the "Year of Color- For All I Love Swap"- Kathy of Buryd Treasure Studio (www.blog.buryd-treasure-studio.com/ ). I can't wait to learn more about these ladies, so that I can make really good swap packages for them. Let's see...when I haven't been lazy and watched loads of tv (I was bad and watched that Bret Michael's show on VH1- skanky ho alert)....I did make some more tiny flowers from headpins and sequins. I had to stop for two reasons....Clark called and Billy woke up. That was yesterday morning.....after I decided to change up my store sections. It was on a dare....no joking with Pops anymore. I think of it as more male-friendly now. Or more smart-ass friendly. :) No, crafting has been done today. I just cannot seem to get motivated....in a small funk...this to shall pass. I hope. :) I guess the big one is hungry and I should feed him....as if he hasn't already eaten something since he got home..oy...bottomless pit. :) Now if I could get the wee one to eat....all would be right in the world. Disclaimer: Before my Mother totally freaks and thinks I'm starving her grandchildren....they get fed more than me.....Billy is just in one of his picky phases...it's okay, Mom..really. :)

A hard decision

I just decided to part ways with the Etsy Homefront Team. We had a chat thing in the lab tonight and I just didn't feel at home. So now I get to remove the tag from 81 listings...oy. :) It feels right. Most of the members sell handmade things and seeing as I sell mostly vintage/supplies...wasn't the best fit. I'll have to find other ways to spread the word about my shop. :) I was wiped out most of the weekend from that walk to the PX. That's so bad. Billy was really good at the commissary yesterday, so I let him pick out a thing of M&Ms. I got up the nerve to ask the lady in the deli department for the empty cheese things....the ones that wedges of Brie come in. I thought the round wooden bottoms might be good for something. I got four of them. The paper tops will come in handy as well....kind of a cardboard. I smelled like cheese a little bit this morning as I pulled staples out to remove the tops and bottoms from the sides. I spent most of the weekend painting canvases with base coats. I had all my nice acrylic paints I never used at SB and thought what the heck. Today, I potato stamped three little ones with ice cream cones and double scoops of ice cream....kind of cute. As soon as Dr. Donnie sends the camera...I'll take a picture. I painted two little wooden house shadowboxes as well. Things will be prepped for when I want to create with them later....it's all the little stuff that keeps me from getting started on things. I'm taking advantage of this TDY. :) I signed up for two more swaps...one on "The Year of Color" blog and Speckled Egg's newest swap (on the sidebar). I can't wait to find out who my partners are.....that way I can read their blogs and to create new things. :) I still haven't decided on how to send my charms in. Argh. Oh well....I need to give my brain a rest for the evening.

Successful trip to the post office

Billy and I made it back in one piece. :) I opted to walk to the PX for my prescription refill yesterday. So this was the first time since we took Clark his thing he forgot that I've driven the car. Oy...that walk yesterday....kicked my ass. I used to be the walking fool. I'm so out of shape. I looked around the PX after I got my happy pills. Just about everything on my list wasn't available...argh. I had all sorts of ideas running around my head the last few days and I was blocked at every attempt. I did find something on my walk yesterday.....I moved a rock from out of the road and found a 1 Euro coin...only on military installations. :) That was way better than a penny and worth more too. I'm debating whether to attempt anything artsy-crafty today...the boys are home. That is one of my goals this year...create more. It's a short goal list...over-achieving is not on there. :)

A brief interuption to the mass of crafting taking place

I just had to tell you about my new favorite song (Sorry, Lenka...still love you). I've been listening to it over and over again like some stupid teenager in love (you cannot tell me that as a teenager that you didn't listen to a song over and over again). :) It's "Lucky" by Jason Mraz with Colbie Caillat. It is just a great song to listen to. He has a nice crooner sound going. They are perfect together. I've started a gazillion different projects this morning.....I have some sort of crazy rush of energy. Nuts, because I got a call at a little before 11:00 last night from Clark...he forgot something and I had to take Wall-E pj clad Billy with me. It's going on his tab. :) I'll probably crash and burn after I get Billy on the bus. Okay, now go and find that song and listen to it....I think you'll love it. Back to crafting.

Happy Birthday, Dad...I'm a single parent again.

I just got back a little bit ago from dropping Clark off at work. He is going TDY for about a month....woohoo.....he has been home way too long. Almost a year...oy....he almost broke our record....cutting it close. The record to this point has been eleven months home with no TDY, deployments, schools, or the like....for the 13 1/2 years we've been married. He got home from Iraq on 21 Jan 2008 and he was cutting it close to the one year mark....what the hell is wrong with him? :) He was as happy to go as I was to see him leave.....he has been home way too long...he was up my ass and not in a good way. :) Freedom, sweet freedom. I am so bad. That is the first time since we got to Fort Benning that I have driven for more than across a parking lot. I hate to drive. I've got to do what I did in Birmingham....just do it. I can't get to any thrift stores unless I do.....oh, wait....there is the Post Thrift Shop with the funky hours....I can get there.....I have to...you pass it to get to the Post Office....since I have an online store...that matters. :) Unfortunately, I've had the worst headache most of today and it doesn't seem to want to go away. Aspirin would be a good thing. :) Happy Birthday, Dad! I hope you enjoyed your birthday.

I did it!

I joined Bellarama E-Zine. The first project was kind of neat....I just don't have everything I needed to make it. I also joined another swap....I am about done with my charms...just need to package them all pretty. I've got an idea of what to make for the "Little Tokens of Love" swap. The boys start back to school tomorrow and Clark leaves towards the end of the week. So things should be a lot quieter. :) The new swap....."Spring 2009 Quilt Block Swap" is being held by a fellow Etsy Homefronter. If you click on the swap button on the right hand side of the screen.....it will take you to her blog. The first set of nine is full, but she is opening up another section or two. You pick a color from the nine and a quilt square pattern (she links to a site with a gazillion different patterns), then you make 9 12-inch squares and you'll get nine back. Perfect for the Year of Color. I haven't made a quilt square in awhile, so it will be fun. Sort of......I hand sew mine, so imperfections will show. I can't keep my sewing machine threaded...a certain monkey baby likes to pull it all off. I've actually tripped on strings of thread. I hope there is some decent stuff on tv tonight.....I had the holiday schedule....it usually sucks and this year was no different. :)

A Year of Color

I joined Kari's special year-long blog thing.....A Year of Color. You can read more about it on her blog, "Artsy Mama". I've always loved those kids' books where they have a page for each color and show items that share that color. I've got a set of German ones that I picked up when we lived in Augsburg. I thought it would be kind of neat and Julie Collings is the first guest artist. It's $12 for the whole year. She's selling it on her Etsy site. So if you like color and want to see some great eye candy and have a inspiration up the wahoo...go for it. I'm also thinking of doing one of Teresa's (Miss Bella herself) e-zines. She's got a new one and offering last year's again. Everyone says they are great.....I just worry that I won't be able to hang with the big girls. :) My Christmas present from Clark and the boys arrived over break...I ordered a bunch of stuff from Blueberrypie1 over at Etsy....she lives in Germany and has some beautiful things. I feel like embracing my girly side this year. We will have to see how far I get with that...being surrounded by males....hell, even Baccus is a male. Oy. I wrote out a small list of goals for this year and have promptly misplaced it. Figures. :) I tried out a clear stamp for the first time. I got some Martha Stewart ones on clearance this weekend. I had the mounting blocks for ones I got at Michaels. What fun! It is really nice being able to see where to place the stamp. Too cool. Well, I've got a stack of reading material to peruse. Valentine's inspiration awaits. :)

Happy New Year!

I hope your day was lovely. My parents left today to go home. It was a nice visit (even though my poor Mom got really sick) and they had a grand time with the kids in Florida. I was busy working getting more things listed in the shop....I just hit 100 items.....I've been working towards that listing all day. I did have six sales, so I had to enter six more items. :) If you are looking for vintage French books...I have a few left that I hadn't listed before my darling blogging buddy, Alisa, wiped me out earlier this morning. :) Thank you, Alisa. I got some vintage jewelry and pinking shears listed today. I'm really excited about the 100th item....a postcard set from the Musee de Versailles. I've got more to list in the coming days and actually need more photos of items...I thought that last batch was going to last me longer....it helps that my parents took the boys for a few hours yesterday and Clark was home today. It is amazing how much you can get listed when you are alone. :)