2009 Mobile Swap

This is the mobile I made for Gerbina in Amsterdam. I made the food out of felt. The guest check reads, " 2 Eggs- Sunny Side-Up, Toast and a side of Bacon". I hope she likes it. Billy loved it and he actually thanked me for it. He didn't understand that it wasn't for him. :( I found another embroidery hoop last weekend and I think I'll be making one for him. :) I love making the felt eggs. I used Billy's fake wooden food as the templates.

Crazy, long day

I slept in and got a late start....but that is not what made it crazy. It took me hours to get all my sales/swaps/gifts/etc; wrapped and packed today. I couldn't believe how long it took me. I mailed eighteen packages today. Oy. While I was packing said items...it started raining. The heavens opened up and poured forth. It was nuts...tornado sirens and emergency vehicle sounds abounded. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to mail anything today. I finally got everything packed around 11:30, had a quick lunch of re-heated spaghetti, showered and we got out the door after 12:30. I was pushing it today. I lucked out and there wasn't a line at the Post Office.....according to the ladies there...everyone mailed their stuff during the crazy storm. We went to Staples, B&N, Toys'R'Us, and Target after that. Oy. I was watching VH-1 for a little bit- Black to the Future...we caught part of the 70s, all of the 80s and I watched a little of the 90s. Funny stuff. Hopefully, the sun will come out tomorrow.....I want to pull out a few more items for the shop. I figure I should probably do at least a small update once a week. I have the goods....that isn't the issue. It's picking what to put out and pricing it. Eek. I might attempt to dye some cloth tomorrow. I bought dye the other day. I've got a lot of cutters that I've picked up at sales and with the big stitching kick everyone is on.....I'm thinking of cutting some of them up into more managable pieces and bundling them up. I thought of dying some of them. What do you think?? Would that be something you would be interested in? Any size or color preferences?? I'm always trying to come up with new things for the shop.

The giant update is finished

I finished my great big update yesterday...oy. Thank you to any readers who bought things....that means a lot to me. I'm already starting to plot and plan my next update. :) I finally figured out what to do for my mobile swap. I know I was cutting it close....I've been really good at not doing that lately. I just had a huge creative block. I've been sewing for it the last few days. The sewing is done and the assembling can begin. Don't worry...I will take a picture...my partner lives in the Netherlands and doesn't have a blog. After that is assembled and shipped, I've got more sewing to do....quilt squares. That is the last swap I'm signed up for...I really haven't seen any that really float my boat. One will come along...they always do. :)

The giant update has begun

I got a late start this morning. I have to go get Billy ready for school, so I'm taking a break from listing for a little bit. I'll be back this afternoon with more vintage goodies. I've got loads of stuff to list....most of the books are up. I've got lace and jewelry coming this afternoon. Go shop! :)

Business or pleasure

It was a little of both. We went up to Birmingham for the day. It was part business trip (okay, mostly business...looking for stock for the store), but we threw in a little pleasure (favorite restaurant in the States). The boys allowed me to hit one library book sale (I love this sale and have gone to it before...but they did raise their prices....bummer) and two thrift stores. I'm getting much better at focusing on what I think I will need for the store. I was good at the library book sale and only shopped for the store. The lady who checked me out..thought I taught languages to children.....I sheepishly told her I had a store and crafty friends who like language books for crafts.....you never know how people will respond.....she was so excited and happy to know they would get a new life. How cool is that? After business shopping, we went up to the Summit (our old stomping grounds...it was a less than a 5 minute drive from our old house) and walked around. We were trying to waste time....I had called an old neighbor to see if she was free for the day...she wasn't until five pm. We went down to the best restuarant in Alabama.....The Olive Branch...it's worth the drive for their gyros....okay, it's worth the drive for just about the whole menu. I told the owner we would be back someday...it took us almost a whole year. They thanked us as we were leaving....we ordered food to take back with us....probably the best table they had last night. :) Susan met us there as we were finishing up and we went back to our old house to check on my roses (yes, I still consider them mine). The people who got the house after us....we hadn't met them, but we did help get them the house after we left. They have twins and one is autistic....so we really wanted them to get the house. It is right up the street from the school and that school rocks. I digress.....the roses seem to be doing well...it was dark. We went and surprised our old next-door neighbors and another family we knew down the street. It was fun. It was a nice day. I think next time I get a wild hair up my bum...I should plan it out a tad bit better. :) Well, today will be laundry, grocery shopping, and photographing all the new goodies for the shop....oh, and eating gyros and baklava (did you not think I didn't get dessert...are your crazy???).

Egads and gadzooks

I've been really run down this week....I guess after a week of sick children...it takes it's toll. To top it off, the weather has been downright dreary. It was actually sunny today, but brrr chilly cold. It was nice to see the sun come out. Things are always a little nicer when it's sunny. :) I've gotten very little accomplished this week. I did seperate the lace into proper rubbermaid containers. I even picked out a box of lingerie lace to be photographed. I should go through the normal lace and see what I can sell as well. It is all so pretty and I like to look at it and touch it. There is just so much...it's a tad overwhelming. I'd say that it would get photographed tomorrow, but we are going on a day trip. The drive up and back will kind of suck, but I'm hoping it will be worth it in the end. All will be revealed in due time. :) Well, some of the ladies have gotten their lace samples and I can't wait to see what they come up with. Remember, there are still six sample packs left....heck, it's free lace people. :) Well, I'm off to sew a little more. I actually felt up to it today. Just small fun stuff. That is the best kind though.

Spreading the love

That is what the wee one did...big brother is sick and Mommy is getting sick. Argh. But he is feeling much better.....Mucinex did wonders. He's still a little tired (crazy... seeing as he slept for over twelve hours last night). We had a pretty laid back weekend. I went to the commissary by myself yesterday.....damn, buying food for three males is nuts....whoops....four males...the dog did pretty good , too. :) The baggers thought the chips and ice cream were for me....hah....that's some funny shit. We all slept in this morning. Clark and Jr cleaned up the carport a little. I didn't do much of anything. We did just get back from Walmart...now I remember why I hate going. There are at least three in the area and they are all laid out differently. Blah. It's always packed and they never have enough cashiers on duty. On the plus side, they have a huge assortment of everything. I decided to get rubbermaid contianers for the new lace stash...it's a pain digging throught the cardboard boxes. The largest box is about to die. As soon as I can get it organized, I can figure out what to start selling and get it photographed and listed. That is my goal this week. I still need to get pictures of all my swap goodies I've received. Well, "Chuck" is going to come on soon....I want to change into my jammies. That is another reason I named my blog/shop what I did...I am a pajama whore. No nightshirts or skimpy lingerie....I like my legs covered. :) Too much information, I know. :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

From rainy, dreary Fort Benning, GA!! Woohoo....what a beautiful day. Actually, I don't mind the rain at all. I enjoy the drowned rat look..ask anyone who was stationed at Baumholder GE with us. :) I made up ten lingerie lace packs for those who want to be challenged. Four are being sent out today...that leaves six for you adventurous ones. Spring/Summer is coming and with the economy in the toity, you could refresh your wardrobe of cheap and thrifted clothes with a little lace. Crazy quilting was suggested by the lovely Kathy. I don't see why you couldn't use any of it in place of normal lace in all your paper crafting/altered art/mixed media projects. It's really pretty...it just has a little boing to it. Boingy, boingy.....who doesn't love some boing. That just sounds downright naughty. Hey, it is Valentine's Day...go get your boing on. :)

Bushfire Appeal Auction

I was just bouncing around blogland. I made a stop to Australia and saw that Natasha is trying to raise money for the Red Cross back in Victoria (her home state). That is where some wicked nasty wildfires are going on. She has three lovely items for you to bid on....in three sperate blog posts. The first item up for bid (I was tempted to use her pictures, but I didn't) is a picture painted by her son, Leroy. You all know you love artwork done by children. The second item up for bids is a mixed media piece by Natasha...it is one of her gowns. I know you Bellas out there all love her gowns...why else would we all shell out the bucks for her lovely tshirts. Last, but not least.....is an original painting- Rose Wreath with crystals. So go help out our Allies who have helped us out for so long. :)

I think I jinxed myself

That's what I get for being so excited about Monday. :) Not a single sale since then....oy. That's okay..because I'm still floating on air. I can't wait for the weekend...so I can go do some more treasure hunting. Clark will be thrilled to pieces. :) I do have some other things here at the house that need to be photographed....I just need to think of how best to do those items...pricing and lengths and such. I think it will need a section all it's own...crazy amount. You all have no idea. I had no idea. Eek....is an under statement. It does mean I can offer said goods at really good prices. I just hope that all you crafty ladies out there can come up with new uses for it. I don't know if you can use it in paper arts/mixed media/altered art or not....or if you would want to. It is textile related. I took a huge leap of faith when I purchased the box lot. There are two boxes (packed) of normal stuff, but the rest (three packed boxes) is for the making of unmentionables. It is high-quality...beautiful and soft and not at all what you'd get at your local Walmart or Target. It all came from an estate sale of a fashion designer...I just didn't realize they made unmentionables. :) It figures....this is me. It is amazing stuff though.....so start thinking of new ways to use lingerie lace. Oy vey. I definitely got my money's worth. I wonder if I sent a box of samples to Jenny Doh if they could make a challenge out of it. :) I'd love to see what the Bonnes Vivantes could come up with. Heck, why don't we have a challenge here. If you'd like a sample of my new goods to play with....leave a comment or email me (I'll need an address at some point) and I'll send an assortment of the lingerie lace. I'd love to see what you all could do with it. I'm throwing down the gauntlet. :)

Yesterday was a really good day

Even though little Billy was so very sick. He is so cute when he is sick...you just want to squish him even more. He's feeling much better today and will be going to school. :) I got everything listed in my shop yesterday......all fifty five different items. I sold twenty items yesterday...my best day ever on Etsy. I'm still in shock. Thank you everyone. :) I also love it, because it gives me an excuse to go shopping for more goodies. :) I had screwed up on two items in one order and was feeling rather low about it. I try really hard to not screw up and it was one of my best customers. Everything was resolved, but I just couldn't get over it. I'm glad I forced myself to gather up some more items and get on with it. My shop is my thing...the one thing that is mine (I do get a lot help....my photographer/driver is great) and I'm awful proud of what I've managed to do in the last six months. I still can't believe I was a vendor at Silver Bella....that was too cool. A little shop has always been in the back of my mind for years and years....I had bought the whole set of books by Victoria Magazine about having a business. I never thought I'd be able to have one with military life...we move way too much for a brick and mortar...which would be amazing...maybe when he retires. :) So it was hard on me to see that I had screwed up twice on one order. I'm so hard on myself...I need to cut myself some slack. I think we've all been there and done that. :) I'm going to try harder to list items more frequently...instead of letting a month go by...I couldn't believe it had been a month..oy. Proof that I used my camera is in my store......the picture of the vintage gown.....I took those with my new camera. :) Happy day.....I need to get to work on my two remaining swaps.....quilt squares and a mobile.

Not a bad weekend

I got a couple of swap boxes filled with all kinds of neat stuff. No photos yet, I was busy getting things together for a shop update. I started listing items this morning and will do more as the day goes on. Billy is sick, so I'll have to take breaks from the computer to check on him from time to time. :) Saturday, I left everyone here and ran errands on post by myself. The post thrift shop was open and I found a treasure or two for Jr....a Statue of Liberty (to go with all the other tourist souvenirs in his collection) and a Playmobil pirate ship. Billy even went and played with it. :) We went out and about a little later in the afternoon. Then Clark and Jr took Baccus on another adventure...they came back wet and with scratches. Yesterday, we all went to the PX and Commissary together. The PX was a madhouse. The commisssary was okay until we tried to get to the checkout line.....they had just announced boxes of frozen Tyson whole chickens for crazy cheap prices (I'm assuming...I didn't quite here how much they were, but the crowd was proof that it was a good deal) and it was right by the lines....argh. Back to the shop update...right now I have 19 different trim packs listed and a slew of new vintage foreign language books. I've branched out a little from just French. :) I've got a crazy assortment of things to list later...very eclectic. That sounds so much better than weird ass shit, now doesn't it?

I cannot tell a lie

I didn't take these photographs.....I haven't tried to get any photos off of my camera yet. My husband took these photos. I did make all the crafty stuff. :) The background is a vintage bed sheet....it is the prettiest sheet I have ever seen and I got it for a quarter. It does have a hole and I have cut up part of it. It is my new background for my Etsy shop......I figured jammies and a sheet would go well together. :) My "Little Tokens of Love" Swap partner said some really nice things about some yo-yos I sent her.....about my stitching.....Clover yo-yo maker.....yo-yo maker's dream. I love mine. There is no way with my shaky hands could I ever get stitches that good. :) The picture in this post is of some stuff I did while Clark was away. More potato stamping. I made these three canvases and a whole load of tags. It was so much fun. I always stick with food images (cupcakes, ice cream cones). I'm working on making styrofoam mushrooms now. I bought a vintage one from SadieLouWho at Lollishops....my first Lollishops purchase and I loved it so much...I want to figure out how to make some. I forgot what a bitch crepe paper can be.....I got some Martha crepe paper on clearance at Michaels...such pretty colors. :) I'm also working on a bunch of trim tags for my shop. I realized I've got way too many trims for one girl to have in her house (oh, please...liar...you can never have enough trims). I got some great clearance scrapbooking paper (Michael's this week 7/$1) and covered the boring manilla tags. I've been having fun mixing and matching trims on the cards. I've got seven done so far, but I have many tags ready for trims. I do have more trims than I could ever use. I need to feed the wee one and get back to the trims. :) Such a horrible way to spend the day.

Little Tokens of Love Swap

These are the two hearts I sent my partner, Jeanne.

Petite Inspiration Box Swap

I decided to make three different boxes...it worked out well to think that way...all three of my swap partners liked totally different things. :) The top box is for Fanny. The middle box is for Leslie. The bottom box is for Angie of no blog yet. I told Angie that I'm going to keep at her until she starts a blog. :)

I'm still here

Clark came home Thursday afternoon and had Friday through today off. We went thrift shopping on Friday (we actually hit a new one and I think it is my new favorite in the Columbus area). On Saturday, Clark and Jr clipped Baccus' nails, fixed up his area and cleaned up the backyard. Afterwards, they went with Billy and I to the post office and we all went out and about. We went to B&N, Jo-Ann's, Steak'n'Shake, Target and the PX. We all were exhausted. Yesterday, was commissary detail and the SuperBowl (plus, the "House" marathon in the morning...I now love that show). Steelers won and now have 6 SuperBowl trophies!!!!! I stayed up long enough to see them present the Lombardi trophy to Dan Rooney. We went to Hobby Lobby and Michaels today in search of all things crafty. Clark even found something to work on. :) I got most of my swaps out in the mail on Saturday and I have pictures....just not downloaded onto my computer. I have one more to get out and was packing it and realized I forgot to finish one of the items....argh. I've got to start making a pile of new items to photograph and list for the shop...hopefully, by the end of the week that will be accomplished. I haven't listed anything new in a month....that's pretty bad. :) I've got all sorts of crazy stuff to list. I love that I can add whatever floats my boat. I must admit...I have had a lot of fun just creating and not worrrying too much about the shop. But I do love my shop and it has been neglected. New old things soon...not to fear. Not tonight though.....Chuck is coming on and it's in 3-D....we've got our glasses. :)