Happy Halloween!!!

This is the pumpkin my husband carved for me. :) It even has a little mouse.

I'm such a sillyhead

ARGH! I just wrote out a nice long post and my request took to long and I lost it. Long story short....I changed my mind again on how my table will look for Vendor Night. Much happier and don't you worry....I will find a use for the other fabric. Billy turns 4 on Saturday and is learning his alphabet and getting good at it. Jr turns 13 on Wednesday and that is nuts. Tomorrow is Jr and Clark's favorite holiday.......mostly for the candy and gore. Yuck. That is it in a nutshell. :)

So close.....

I am one away from 100 sales....oy. If I had my shit together...it would've been today...but that is okay. I've had a crappy day...couldn't get much of anything done. I did bag some ephemera and cut some more trim...I am way over 200 yards of trim. I hope you Bellas like your trims. :) I didn't get a chance to go to hubby's office and do a run through....I did it on the kitchen floor again. I will be using some of the things from the thrift store after all...oooh...I need to remember to price those as well. I want to come home with nothing but the things I buy. :) I got my fabric and it is too cute. I've been painting a little bit everyday and it still seems like I haven't made a dent...it was that way with spaghetti growing up....I hated spaghetti whenI was a kid. :) I love it now. We had some a few weeks ago and I used the Barilla Plus pasta...not bad. I tried whole wheat lasagna noodles as well. I got off track again....food does that to me everytime. I've got so much stuff I've been hoarding for SB.....now to just pull it all together. I love the idea of the vendor night.....I can sell things that aren't really feasible on Etsy....not if I want to cover my Etsy fees....they are so high. :) I've got a lot of things priced under $5...I've got a bunch of things under $1...who am I kidding. I just figure you don't always want a whole lot of something and don't want to have to spend a lot either. This way you can get a little of something and so can someone else and neither of you have to pay out the ass for it. :) I'll take all the cheap goods/sales. My Dad has an excellent idea...he said I should make up a little sheet/board with the trims I have more of at home, so that people can see what I have and if they'd like to do a special order they can. I started cutting 6-inch snippets of all the trims I know I have plenty of.....I cut four yards of each trim. Some trims only had four yards, some not even that, and I have some that I have loads of.....that is what I get for getting my trims here and there. Most of what I am bringing is all I have of most items....so that I can start building up my inventory again...I love a reason to thrift shop/yard & estate sale. :) I am bummed though...my artistic idol....Julie Collings isn't going to have a vendor table at SB afterall.....argh. I was so looking forward to meeting her and buying out her table. :) I guess one of these days, I'll just have to get my ass on a plane, go home to visit the folks and see if we can meet up somewhere. :) I guess I should get back to work....I'll bring the basket of trims into the livingroom with me to roll and bag....."Chuck" is coming on. I can't miss "Chuck".....it's right up there with "Pushing Daisies", "Ugly Betty" and "Grey's Anatomy" for me.

Wicked Witch Switch

This is the loot I received from Tanya of Enchantments and Giggles. Not bad. She fed my fabric addiction. Thanks, Tanya. Silver Bella preparations are coming along...I've been painting this morning....had to wait until Billy went back to sleep. I got game/flash cards bagged and tagged yesterday. The pom poms are done...nice old school craft supply. I actually have some left...argh. Too many of certain colors and not enough of others....oy. I think I'll donate those to Billy's class. :) I started making a list of what was left to do. I asked Clark if he could take me into his office this weekend....they've got some long tables...so I can do a new run through off the ground. I think I'll be able to visualize it much better. So much to do, but I'm not as stressed about it anymore. I'm so excited my sister will be coming. Her birthday was Saturday and she got a cuttlebug courtesy of my parents. I did get her an embossing plate and one diecut.....I just need to send them. I'm waiting because I had something neat for her, but in all this SB stuff....I've misplaced them....argh. Yes, the happy place is a mess yet again. :) I need to take the things for SB that are done and move them to another room. We shall see. Well, I need to go...more work to be done. I have been thinking of new things for the Etsy shop as well.....unfortunately, those will be on the back burner until November. :(

Ooh, that's bad

I did a run through of my table with said props and merchandise....ugh. It was not pretty and I was back at square one. Good thing I got those things at thrift stores and they were cheap (they'll make great storage in my happy place though). :) I was so stressed out. Man, Karla has two out of three done and packed......Heather (Pretty Petals) knows who she is and what her table is going to look like (wonderful, of course.....I love all that romantic shit).....grrr. Yesterday, I was putzing around on Etsy...hoping for a sale.....very slow week.....very....non-existent. That is a totally differnt thing. :) I figured out what to do and got a few things off of Etsy. I did have to run to Michaels (I went to our new Jo-ann's as well...it sucks) to find a few things. They didn't have evrything, so I may have to hit Hobby Lobby this weekend. I love that we've got a couple options of places to go. I'm not spilling the beans though.....top secret. :) I am really excited about it though. Very happy and I will be painting this weekend. I ordered my sweater for Vendor Night and my sister got me a tiara to wear as well. She is coming, too. She'll be helping me and taking classes. I think we'll have a good time and the support and help on Vendor Night will be wonderful. She's waitress part-time, so she will be writing up the sales slips.....plus, she has that "I hate you for paying attention in grammar school" handwriting. The kind they teach you...she liked it so much, so that is how she actually writes...cursive and all..bitch. :) I've ordered our shirts and charms and am really starting to get a little excited. There is still a lot to do.....pack up my supplies, work on swaps, finish vendor night wares.....feeling much better about it all. I got all my Halloween swaps...Lili has pictures on her blog of both of ours....thanks, Lili. I've got pictures of what Tanya sent, I just need more time to blog them. I've got a meeting at the school this afternoon and really should eat something....because I'm STARVING!!!! I was so busy this morning my breakfast was piddly. Bad, bad Wanda. At least I ate something. :)

This blows

I just found out ME Home Companion is ceasing publication soon...the DEC/JAN issue will be the last one. That totally sucks. I love her magazine. I've hoarded them...I guess it will be a good thing for our weight limit. I used to rip out pages and keep them, but as I've gotten older my tastes have changed a little and when I find an older one....I like to keep it for inspiration. We've had a long weekend and it's been a very low key one as well. We stayed home (except one trip to the Post Office for my two sales.....I'm lucky I got those two sales...and a trip to the commissary for food) and lounged about, watched SciFi (not really me...those cheap horror flicks are just not my thing), worked on the exercise bike we got two weeks ago, and just hung out. I got a little SB vendor stuff worked on.....it's hard when Billy is home....he likes to touch and feel and throw everything. I need to really knuckle down and get the vending stuff out of the way, so that I can work on the ten ATCs for one class and my swap. I just can't quite decide what I want to make....cookies, cake...the options..oy. Dinner was good....I tried something new....roasted red potatoes. I just read that getting more fiber in your diet helps you lose weight. I got some of that Fiber One yogurt as well....the key lime pie one is pretty good. I'm hoping between watching what I eat and working on the bike...I'll be a tad more slimmer for SB. At my DR's appointment last month...I was at an all time high (non-pregnancy) of 142 (with clothes/shoes on). I know, some of you are thinking that isn't bad.....if you are 5' 5" or taller. I'm 5 ' 1 1/2"...if I'm lucky. So I look at a tad dumpy. I won't be dressing up in a gown.....too much trouble, trying to find one and since I'm vending...it will be easier to wear pants. I did find a really cute 1950's sweater to wear.....I'm thinking of going as the girl who didn't get asked to Prom. :) It wouldn't be a far reach...I never had a date to any prom...I always went by myself. :) Some saddleshoes would be cool and rolled up jeans. No curlers in my hair though.

Trims, trims, trims

I was tagging some loose trims and decided to count how many I've bagged and tagged so far for SB....oy. It's a lot and I have trims I haven't even started cutting into 1 yard lengths. They are going to range in price from $1-$2/yd. I've got old florist ribbon that I cut up into larger yardage and they are 25-50 cents/yd. I've got more of those to cut as well. Well over 100 yards of trims in 1-yd increments. If you want trims, I'm your woman. I got all my vintage birds tagged today. I'm about halfway through the vintage Christmas ornaments. I've got five mini boxes to wallpaper and then I need to start filling those and the other little boxes with all sorts of treasures. What else am I bringing??? Vintage millinery fruit, vintage tart and jello tins, some sort of ephemera packets, yo-yos made from vintage fabric, "cotton candies", misc vintage items (small figurines, baby bonnets & booties, etc), vintage jewelry, loose vintage beads, unopened packages of ric rac and bias tapes, some funky flocked fruit, vintage cake decorations and whatever else I can tag and bag before November 1st. That is the date I want to be finished tagging. I'm going for a German flea market feel to my booth. I want people to just dig and have fun finding inexpensive things for crafting. I've been finding containers to use at thrift stores...I plan on having those for sale as well....neat tins, silver footed bowls, metal trays. I want to bring little to nothing back with me. I'd like to find one or two bigger containers....a hat box would kick butt. Something that can be towards the back and hold a bunch of stuff. :) Happy day....I got my box form Lili today. I'm waiting until Clark gets back from work....that way we can all see what is in it together. I know if there is candy, they'd sniff it out and find it anyhow. :) For you Bellas....are there any vintage things you are looking for??? Maybe I'll be able to find some before the 1st of November. Jewelry...just stuff to make other things with or do you buy for collections as well??? Questions, questions....always loads of questions.

Things are starting to go smoother

I got my tax stuff taken care of and the lady from NE is going to send me a sales tax form and envelope. We are supposed to collect sales tax, but we won't need a license....sigh of relief. I've am on the two other yahoo groups for Silver Bella....these were an information mother lode. I'm starting to feel the stress go away. I think I can start having fun with it now. I only got a few things bagged and tagged today. I'm waiting on a custom-made rubber stamp that I had commissioned from a lady on Etsy....CraftPudding. I can't wait to see how it turned out. I still need to figure out table ideas/storage containers. I found some really great favor containers on sale at Michaels that I plan to use....they should fit right in with my "food" theme of my store. I just can't decide if I should pre-fill them or or have a larger container of mixed up things for them to scoop out and fill themselves. Which would you prefer as a buyer?? You don't need to be a Bella to comment....delurk..all five of you. :) I still need to work on my giveaway prize....which will probably turn into a "I've sold 100 items in my store" or "It's Halloween" giveaway. I only need to sell 8 more things...I think. I'm happy to report that Lili's box made it to the Netherlands and they will be having a good Halloween. I can't wait for my box. So excited. I don't know if Tanya got her witch box or not. Lili is having a giveaway.....I need to put her on my sidebar...bad Wanda. Elizabeth is having one as well....."Thoughts of an Evil Overlord"....she is on the sidebar. Go forth and try to win some goodies. I will be updating my sidebar. :)

I'm a winner and a total loser

I won one of Karla's giveaways...the one for just Bellas. I get one of her handmade creations. Now the loser part...I was working on my own handmade creations and fudged one up. Man, that glue works well and it really sucks, because I only have so much of that pattern wallpaper. Argh...it was my new vintage wallpaper from Donna (Under the Red Roof). I want to scream...oh, wait..I did...thank goodness Billy had already left for school. I guess that will be a keeper. No, I didn't just screw up the bottom, I screwed up the top as well. I'm having an off kind of day anyhow. Have you ever had dreams that just stuckwith you all day even after waking up and you kind of go through the day completly out of it?? (I know you all are shaking your heads going why are we still checking out her blog...crazy woman.) I did get a lot accomplished yesterday.....I worked on my mouse sized boxes.....I'm covering those little paper mache boxes in vintage wallpaper....like little hat boxes for mice. I have all the "faux" leather boxes made up...I just need to start stuffing them to the gills with goodness. I'm thinking of keeping them for SB. It depends on whether I can find some more and get them done in time. I have plenty to stuff them with...I spent most of my "free" time (aka...Preschool) cleaning up my happy place. It was getting crazy. It is so much easier to get to things if they are all together. Who knew? I do and it still doesn't matter.....rat's nest....I need to have a sign made up for my door. :) I gathered up most of my trims in one large container...forgetting to keep some out for my giveaway project...argh. Of course, that contianer is now covered with other contianers. I suck. I'm so excited..."Pushing Daisies" comes on tonight, followed by Project Runway......it's a good girly night of television. I love all the retro looking clothes that put the gals in....inspiration for prom night...ha. That search is not going well....at least I'm not the only Bella having problems.....if the chat board is any indication. :) Oh well. I need to start on a new box...I've got two to cover and two to finish up. Happy first day of October!

I'm almost caught up

I mailed off two swap packages today (Sweet & Sinister and Wicked Witch). I forgot to have Clark take pictures......I just wanted to get them packed and mailed before the 1st came and went. I had to mail one of them myself....it is going to the Netherlands....custom forms....argh. :) I managed to create a mini masterpiece for Lili last night. I made two, but the glue I used on the one failed me and so that one will probably go to my sister (after repairs). I am very happy with how Lili's came out. I've decided to make some more (okay, time willing at least one more) and use it as a prize for my belated blog anniversary. So you will have to wait until I finish it and get a picture. I got the idea from Amy @ InspireCo and her Inspired Ideas e-zine. Not telling. I had such a good time just creating. I was in a little time crunch, but it was still great fun. I should really let myself do that more often and not just for swaps. I needed a few things from the craft store today, so we hit Michaels and Hobby Lobby. Hobby Lobby had a dismal Halloween section, but had scrapbook paper for 50% off, so I picked up some for Wendy (they don't have a Hobby Lobby). They also had two racks up front with 5/$1 scrapbook paper.....I got some for Wendy and her friend Amy. They are thinking about hosting a Christmas swap....so maybe this will get them to get their tushes in gear. It is the cutest vintage inspired paper. They have gone swap crazy. :) We picked up some Bagelfuls at Walmart...a new flavor we can't get at the commissary...blueberry. I love these things. We haven't found a good place to get bagels yet. These work out nice...the cream cheese is inside...yummy. Strawberry and cinnamon are good as well. Well, Billy Silly Pants is on my arm...need to go..ouch.

Introducing....Cotton Candies

Pastilles Mix

Red, White and Blue Mix
Chocoholics Mix

You get six cotton candies in each bag. Two of each "flavor". They are really 6 1/2" squares of vintage dotted swiss fabric. I just listed them in my store. I also added 8 more tea tins. Four red and four green....I have more red and green tea tins than the other colors. I only had one orange and one black, so I could only offer two Halloween tea tins. I've got enough red and green that I'm good for Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day (and I could make more Xmas ones if I want). I'm working on some more mouse sized goodies for the shop.....like the mouse trunk...I had so much fun with that.

Pressure

It was getting to me. I jumped into getting things ready for SB.....I wasn't ready, but kept reading how other vendors were working away. I had the worst crafter's block. I did manage to get a bunch of stuff worked on today for the shop. I just need Clark to take some photos for me. I got some more tea tins put together....eight of them...four red and four green....full of all sorts of good Xmas crafting goods. I worked on something I've been thinking about for months...finally got my mind wrapped around how to go about it. I'm very happy with the results and hope you all will like them as well. I hope to do some for Silver Bella. I did manage to slice part of my finger with my new rotary cutter....that is the only hint you are getting. It makes working hard with a bandage on your finger....oy. I have been blogging for a whole year....I started over at my other blog. Time has slipped away and I didn't plan anything. I will though....maybe I'll wait until I hit 100 over here....I'm funny aren't I?? I'll try to pull something out my ass this weekend. I feel so much better....as if a giant weight has been lifted from my slouched shoulders. Hopefully, this means my creative block is gone and I can have fun in my happy place again.

Bargains, bargains, bargains

I just marked down most of the stock in my store. It must be the change of the seasons. I want to flush out the old and bring in new things. Most items have been marked down...anywhere from 50 cents to a couple of dollars....so if you've been eyeing something...go get it. Shop, shop, shop. Help me empty the store, please. :) I do ship overseas....just convo me and I'll figure out the price.

Number 70

This is my 70th post over on this blog...wow. Gee...I wonder if I can hit 100 before the end of the year?? Not at the rate I'm going...a week has gone by...oy. You know it's bad if your parents gig you for not writing more. :) I've actually been a good girl and worked on Silver Bella stuff. I came up with a swap that only five other ladies want to join. Blah. :( Oh well....we can't all be popular. I scraped my original putting the trims on tags thing. I had looked at other vendors' sites and some of them wrap their trims on tags as well. So I rolled mine and then put them in bags. I decided to use up my rather out of control stash of cardstock (which since I don't swap as much...isn't gettting much use) and I made little topper things. They are very simple....they are folded in half and then trimmed with my scallopped pinking shears (I love those things). I'm handwriting all the prices/quantities. I asked Karla how to do the fancy pants way she does them....it is a lot of work and I'm not really good at all the computer stuff....it will have to wait until after Bella. I do like how the bags look with the toppers and I think I might want to continue that for my shop. I also hand punched scallopped circles nad folded those in half for the smaller bags. The toppers are all in pinks, white and cream...it is what I had the most of....I've got a lot of stuff though....I may have to branch out with another color or two. I got most of the trims cut, bagged, tagged and priced. I have a stash on a shelf (what I consider the good stuff) that I haven't done yet. I got all the vintage cake decorations done and started on vintage Xmas stuff. I have yo-yos to deal with and I've got a few more ideas that I want to work out with some nifty items. I think I want to make some ephemera packs with bookpages, wall paper, gift wrap and other fun papers. I've got different game cards already bagged from the store stock. I still couldn't wrap my head around my table size (Karla and a few others have already thought out merchandising and everything...oy), so I got out the brown wrapping paper and cut a 6' piece. It is about 6" too small in the one direction, but I think that is better....it will give me extra to play with when I get there. I now have a much better idea of how to set things out and what kinds of containers/stands/whatever to look for to use. I do have a few things already. I'm thinking that whatever I use should be for sale as well....so that I don't have to bring it home (hopefully). My arms and hands hurt so badly (all that punching and cutting and stapling) that I've taken the last two days off to do other things......I've got a ridiculous stack of magazines to go through....one was from May. Oy. I'm getting there and I'm hoping I meant get a few ideas for the table as well. :) I've got to finish up my two swaps. They need to be in the mail by 1 October and one is headed to the Netherlands. That is about it. Busy, busy, busy.....don't worry I've made time at night to watch Project Runway and a few other tv favorites. I've even had three sales this week. Happy, happy.

I've been cleaning and cutting

Yesterday, I spent two hours cleaning up Billy's room. He still doesn't really play with toys. He likes to dump them about and leave them there. It is easier (ha!) to let it go and then come in and do one big cleanup every once in a blue moon. I did it early after Jr and Clark left (Billy was still asleep) and that just about wiped me out for the rest of the day. I rearranged some of his furniture. It looks much better with some things switched around. He was so excited. I've still been overwhelmed with where to start on my vendor stuff. But, today, I was reading Karla's blog (Karla's Cottage) and it was nice to see that she was feeling the same way. Beth told her pretty much start with something you know you can already package. I thought that was good advice, so it motivated me. I started cutting my trims in 1 yard lengths. It didn't quite dawn on me until today....I can sell them in 1 yard lengths....they use them for paper arts, not for clothing. They don't need 3-5 yards lengths of any one trim. Variety is what they like and they can then pick and choose. I still think in more of fabric whore way. More is better and more of any one kind of trim is even better than that. We tend to hoard. So I am hoarding no longer...okay, I have set some trims aside for my use at Silver Bella for my kit. I've been wrapping them on tags as well. I'll cut a bunch and then go sit and watch Bravo and wind them on tags. I'll probably put them in cellophane bags as well. I think they will travel better that way and if people touch and don't buy at Vendor Night (there will be food), they won't get the trims dirty. Who wants soiled trims?? Not I. Anything that could be cut into 1 yard lengths has been fair game...some trims all I had was 1 yard...too bad...they are going to Omaha. I started a list of what else I'd like to sell....as a kind of to do list. So I feel much better. I guess my main problem now is how much of the other things to I want to bring. I don't want to bring too much and have to lug it home. Oh well....more trims to cut and wrap. Speaking of trims...I almost forgot....I listed some trims today....a couple 1 yard lengths and some 3 yard lengths. Thanks for the input. Well, I'm playing voodoo doll with my tomato pin cushion. Have a good night.