It's been a good week so far.

I finally got the rest of the first batch of vintage miniature figurines listed in the shop this week. Taking the pictures of these tiny pieces took a lot of time! I was lucky enough to make a few sales, both online and off. I've gotten some new orders, too. (Maybe one of my best non-holiday weeks of all time in terms of orders!)

'Tis the season for all things beachy and ocean-related. I've had lots of requests for my handpainted lamps and lampshades featuring fish and shells so yesterday was spent basecoating a bunch of pieces, mostly lamps. I already have a few new shades in the works. Hopefully, I'll have time to do the detail work on some of these tomorrow.

Remember the little glass canisters with the apple indentations that I bought a few weeks ago? I painted them yesterday, too. Now all they need is some cute bows around their necks. My original plan was to give them to D. for her apple-themed kitchen but I'm seriously considering listing them in the shop instead. If they're still around when I need a gift for her, maybe she'll get them then.

Poor thing! As a child she inherited all the dolls whose handpainted eyes looked a little crossed or the bear that simply didn't sell after a full season of craft shows. Now, as a grown-up, she's still a fall-back for merchandise.

Then there were some custom orders to complete, too. Since they are gifts and the recipients don't have them yet, I can't share them with you at the moment. Maybe soon. Let's just say I had fun and am very pleased with the results.

While all that paint's been drying, I've been sewing a lot of lace onto all sorts of things. Some of the lacy items should be ready to show you by tomorrow. (Most of those also have some painted details.)

On Monday night, Queen of Sienna included one of my glass paperweights in a feather themed treasury on Monday night. You can see the entire treasury here. Be sure to take time to check out Queen of Sienna's Etsy shop, too. She has a really great eclectic collection of vintage pieces.


Then, today, June over at the I Sew Cute blog, featured my "I Speak Cookie" apron on a post about baking her way through the Betty Crocker Cooky Book. Sort of makes you want to jump up and make a batch of cookies. (Or, at least, eat some cookies!)

When you get a chance, stop in and see some of the adorable pieces of resin jewelry June makes and decorates with sprinkles, glitter and love. You can see her shop here.

I think I'm going to sit back, relax and do a little reading now. I've just started reading The Girl Who Played With Fire. it's one of those books, one simply hates to put down!!

Death of a Modem

Forgive me, Dear Readers, for I have not blogged in several weeks. I've tried. I really have, but the powers that be have thrown obstacle after obstacle in my way.

R.I.P.

First, it was deluge of orders that kept me very busy (not a bad thing!), then The Big Guy was home, underfoot again, for a week, etc. etc. The final straw last week was the death of our beloved modem. We lived without internet access for several days. It was hard - so very, very hard. I began paging through the Yellow Pages looking for a 12-step program but was forced to make do with just finding other "offline" activities. It's amazing what you can get done when the computer is not beckoning with its glitzy connection to the outside world.

The Big Guy was in even more crisis. He returned to work last week for the "on" cycle of his rotating schedule only to find he'd lost all network capabilities there, too. He felt like a marked man. It had been a gradual process. A few cycles back, he'd returned to the office to find his e-mail not functioning. Then, the last time some of his apps had not worked. Now, nothing. (That'll teach him to spend so much time at home with me!) Did I mention he's an Instrument Tech and that a large portion of those duties are computer related?

He spent the week getting everything back online in the office and, finally, on Friday, got our new modem installed and up and running here at home. My hero!! We were, once again, reconnected. (He was truly motivated at that point as he was out of Sodoku puzzles! )

Isn't it attractive?


I've been making little memo notes for myself about things I wanted to blog about. Some are now simply outdated and will be tossed. Some, I'll get to in the next few days. If time permits, I may be posting several small posts per day here and there. In any case, I plan to be present - daily- once again.

Hello again, Blogworld!!

Adrift on the sea of my daily life ...

I feel like a bad mother! My blogs are like children and I've neglected them terribly recently. Oh, I feel so very guilty. Yet, I can't seem to get things back on track.

I love blogging but when push comes to shove, it drops down on the priority list. Lately, life in this household has been like a small boat in heavy seas. Throw a life jacket on and hang on for dear life!

Every few days, the sun comes out and the waves settle and things start to level off. Then, we jump to and take care of necessities first and then work toward the niceties and fun stuff. We begin to relax, sit back and take a deep breath ... and then, along comes another swell and we're thrown into the next squall. Once again, we don the foul weather gear and grab hold of a lifeline to ride out the waves.

At the moment, we're on calm seas with no clouds in sight. Maybe I can get back to my routine. Just maybe catch up with all the "To Do" things on my list. Starting with this post.

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Today was the last day for guaranteed delivery for merchandise geared toward Thanksgiving. My goal was to get it all shipped by this Thursday. I have just finished packing up the last of those orders so I am actually ahead of target on this one. It's a Thanksgiving Miracle!!!

I had one order to finish painting today and a whole pile of Christmas work to get to. Today's project was organizing, laying out, sketching and base coating for gingerbread and candy canes on various garments and hard items (wood and glass). Both images are time consuming in that they require a base coat which must dry completely before adding intricate details. While I can often do detail work on only semi-dry base coats, I find the white details necessary for both gingerbread and peppermints must be done on dry bases.
I do love painting both of these themes, though, as they allow a fair amount of creativity from piece to piece. The peppermint candies are also always so bright and cheerful. It will be a few days before these will be ready to photograph for listing in the shop.

Tomorrow, I hope to get some of my Christmas themed baby hats photographed and listed in the shop. They're all done, just waiting for their close-ups.

Among tomorrow's projects is also the daunting task of getting my other blog updated. Yes, I really do have a second blog though few have actually found it. Splish'n'Splash Kitchen deals with food from a variety of angles. I try to list interesting events around the country that are specific to various foods, food news, food ideas, and more. To date, I have not done recipes there but I think I'll be adding a few party dishes and food gifts to make and give for the holidays. I have a goal to get that blog back in line by the beginning of December. Keep your fingers crossed for me!!

Here's hoping y'all are right on track in your holiday preps.

Another trip around the world of my blog followers...

I sat down last night with intentions of posting here and then I got way-laid. SORRY!!

Once again, I'm beginning a trek through my list of Followers.
Every so often, I do take time to go through and check out who is following my blog and where each of you are coming from and what you that have blogs or websites are up to. I must say, I am always pleasantly surprised at what I come across in these adventures.

This time, I am beginning my journey with the newest of my Followers. I hope to come across quite a few items of interest to share with the rest of you. At least once a week, I plan to take a day and tell you about the great folks I've discovered among my Followers. There are a lot of you and when I venture into your blog world, I sometimes get really into it and read through several months worth of postings so this'll take a while but I'll get to you eventually. Please just leave a little light on for me 'cuz I tend to bump into things and make lots of noise when I fumble around in the dark!.

First up is "Jen". Jen has two blogs. At Haute Whimsy she shares a little of this and a bit of that, describing it as "whimsy, fashion, capricious adventures, prose and love." Today, she shared a dress she hopes to wear in celebrating her upcoming birthday.

On the other blog, Beachy Keen, Jen joins her close friend, Crystal, to tag team it with "the rambling prose and banter of two silly, hardcore Californians who have been best friends since high school... [a] world of periodic glitz and glamour, misadventures and ponderings."

This blog is done in a little different style than what most of us are used to. They share the writing. Some postings are commentary on current events and are done in a sort of point-counter point style with each of them weighing in on the subject. I found this a really refreshing approach. They also alternate in doing some very enthusiastic features on various Etsy shops they've found and like. Other posts include humorous stories and annecdotes and even a book review that they've also both related back to their own lives. Be sure to stop in and check both blogs out.

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Swimming on, I met "Vicky!" All I can say is "Wow!! You go, girl!"

Vicky is new to blogging, a wife, mother and recent empty nester who just recently turned 50. Having reached such a milestone, Vicky promised herself she'd "create and maintain a blog through her 50th year." Also, she set goals of doing 50 things this year - "things which were either interesting or fun, creative or hard, challenging or odd, outside of [her] comfort zone or simply something [she] hadn't done before." She's already tried kayaking on the Delaware and has gotten her act together to run a 5K this weekend! You can check out her blog here. I'm hooked and have become a Follower.

Vicky has opened a brick and mortar retail paint store and an Etsy shop, Fresh Urban Vintage, where she sells "upcycled, recycled, vintage and handmade originals." The b&m store sells paint as in wall and house paint but she has cultivated her craft whims through it by setting up Craft Wednesdays where she has a group of crafters come into the shop in the evening to work on a craft together - maybe learning new techniques or a whole new craft and sharing their friendships.

Some of you haven't given me a lot to go on in your profiles. Maybe you just want to watch from afar. That's okay. I appreciate you stopping by anyway. I'm just trying to get to know those who want to be known.

Like I said, leave a light on, you never know when I'll come by.

Meet a few more of my friends ...

I'm not in a very bloggy mood tonight.

It's cold here. We'll slip down to 15 degrees within the next few hours and a stiff wind will keep it feeling colder yet. (This is cold for our area! I know a lot of you would love to have a heat wave that high.) I just want to snuggle up in my blankey and hibernate a bit.

Like I said, I'm just not feeling bloggy at the moment so I'll just share a little about a few more of my followers. Maybe you can take the time to stop in and see what they have to say tonight.

While Living in Fairyland, iluvlucy8 is Mom to eight, plus one grandchild. Time is tight but she still stops in to post on a regular basis. Recently, she blogged about meeting one of my heroes, Paula Deen. (I'm soooo jealous!)

Paula at Purse Stuff uses her blog to share craft show news and reviews. She'll be doing a series of RV Resort shows in the Southwest (Tucson, Mesa, Sun City, and more) over the next few months. If you see her out there, say "Hi!."

Holly at Holly Rocks has been one of my most faithful commenters. Although, lately, she's slacked off a bit! I'll excuse her though. She's been busy with getting married (Congrats, Holly!), starting her first teaching job AND moving into a new house! By the way, she recently posted some really romantic pics from her lovely winter wedding.

Tommye is another of my frequent commenters. She wraps tidbits of her life in between pieces of her intricate and precise stitchery. The detailed counted cross stitch creations shown in all her posts on I'd rather be stitching... will make you say "Wow!."

I'm still making my way through the mob and trying to stop in and visit with each of my followers. If I haven't been to your blog yet, hang in there. I'm coming. I've already been to at least half of you this month!

So, leave the light on, please.

Continuing my blog challenge...

Back in the Fall, I issued a challenge to my fellow bloggers. Actually,I did it in response to a triple dog dare issued to me. The challenge was for each blogger to make a point of touching base with each of their followers - check out their blogs and/or online shops, make comments and, simply get to know them.

It seems we all follow certain blogs and we're very happy to have followers but those aren't always the same folks. Many of us sort of lose track of some of our followers or never really take time to find out who they are which is ultimately the purpose behind this challenge. In the process, you just may find some really interesting blogs to read and folks to get to know.

I've been chipping away at this challenge for several months now. (It probably was not wise to start this amid the holiday rush season.) I've stopped in and visited with quite a few of you but the journey continues.

Today, I've added a new twist to how I'm completing the challenge. From time to time, I plan to introduce you to some of my followers and let you consider checking them out yourselves. So, here, in no particular order, are some of my followers:

Rose over at Jessica's Ramblings is into reading at the moment. Right now, she's working on Dan Brown's latest, The Lost Symbol. She recently posted The Reader's Bill of Rights, which, among other things, gives readers the right to skip pages, not finish and reread.

Anj over On Ruby's Hill wanders the beaches of Alaska gathering bits of stone and sea glass to create beautiful and unique jewelry. She also, regularly, calls our attention to the magnificence of nature, often sharing some fantastic pictures of that awesome part of our country.

Between catching episodes of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," Bundles of Blossoms manages to blog and Twitter almost daily and has also just hooked up on Facebook. She's just moved back from Florida to Illinois and is in the process of renovating a new [old] house that has been in their family for over a century. You can read all the details of that huge undertaking in her 1/14/10 post.

Campbell Jane maintains two blogs but I only follow one of them. On Folkart by Campbell Jane, self-described as "a whimsical world of works and whatever," she shares humorous insights into her world and lots of pictures of her bright colorful artwork.

Natalie at Tins and Treasures is one of my oldest followers. She's been there since near the beginning. Natalie's a stronger woman than myself as she has survived this brutal winter in South Dakota and still keeps smiling and entertaining us with her cheerful look at life. She's spent several decades teaching what is now referred to as Family and Consumer Science (We used to take "Home Ec") and often shares some terrific recipes with us, her readers. I plan to make her Pineapple Banana Bread (shared in Sunday's post) this week. Empty nesters when their youngest went off to college, they are "parenting" a foreign exchange "daughter" from the Netherlands this year.

Ilena at Have You Seen My Dragon is a mom of two, blogger and quilter. Her musings will keep you amused!

Then, there's Audrey of Audrey's Country Crafts. Another of my earliest followers, she has it going on!! A fantastic crafter in her own right, Audrey shares her life, creations and finds (she spotlights many tremendous crafters and their shops) in her daily blog posts. Audrey also has a second blog that highlights blog give-aways and the pertinent info for each of them. You've just got to check Audrey out for yourself !!

Theresa shares her life and fantasy-inspired whimsical creations with us on her blog Flight Fancy. She's also currently taking part in the One World One Heart blog carnival.

Want to see some really adorable baby pictures? Kristi highlights her products (baby bows and hats) by spotlighting various professional photographer's shots of their models wearing Krisiti's work. The results, shown on her blog, Mommy to the Princesses, are spectacular!!

Married to a musician, temporarily hanging out in the food service world and releasing her tensions through the craft world, Angela keeps us entertained with her tales from the trenches of customer service in her brother's restaurant to showing just how many tree ornaments one gal can paint in a week on her blog Pickles on Pizza. Now, she's taking on the world of sewing, too!!

So, my trek to visit all of you continues.

If I haven't stopped in yet, just leave the light on. I'll be there, eventually.

So, why blog?

I spend a lot of time justifying what I do online to The Big Guy.


He understands the shop but he has quite a bit of trouble understanding participation in forums (other than the ones directly related to business issues). He really can't comprehend blogging, at all. I simply try to avoid discussing Twitter with him!


I try to do most of my posting in these areas when he's not around or at least when he's sleeping in his chair in front of the TV.

He can understand the back and forth discussion of business tips and sales techniques, etc., on the business related forums. He believes they have a purpose. He can liken that to the various engineering forums some of his colleagues at work participate in. Ultimately, he brings most issues down to whether they are likely to reap some sort of financial reward.

I do, however, participate in a forum of craft-oriented folks that spend time just fostering our cyber friendships. He has, to some degree, belittled this activity. He simply can't comprehend making friends with someone you have never met in person or who lives far away and you will most likely never come face-to-face. It was then that I realized he'd never had a pen-pal! I thought everyone had done that at one time or another.


At one point, he referred to these folks as my "make-believe friends." He's eased up on them a bit as my "make-believe" friends sent real sympathy cards recently when we sustained a loss and real e-mails outside of the forum when I truly needed them. I've also received both birthday gifts and Christmas gifts from several of these "make-believe" pals.


I Twitter to promote my shop, my blog and just to comment on what's happening around me. I do not tell my Twitter followers I am sitting on my porch, or eating my breakfast, like the commercial that satirizes Twitter a bit. Rarely do I Twitter more than, say, six times a day and often not at all. I don't Twitter when he's around at all.


But blogging ... now, blogging has become an addiciton. I admit it.


When asked by some poor soul who honestly doesn't understand what blogging is, I've equated it with a newpaper column. Since I started college as a journalism and mass communications major, my friends and family can immediately identify with that.


When asked why I blog, I have to give it more thought. I started because I was told it was a great way to get the online business out there in front of everybody. Promote - promote -promote. However, I don't do a lot of shop promoting. I do occasionally show something new and once in a while I push an item or two for whatever reason but for the most part, my Etsy mini is over there on the sidelines and that's about it.


But I think I blog mainly because I love to write. As I said, I planned a career in journalism but print journalism just isn't the career it once was. Broadcast journalism is a field for the young and beautiful. I've outgrown that!


I like to share information, tell stories and relate humorous events. I try to do it creatively. I believe this exercises one's mind. I also love to read others' writing and read their stories and tales. I've made some great friends through blogging. When I'm away without access to the computer, I miss all of you and can't wait to get back and "touch base" again.


I find writing therapeutic and, if you're going to write, you might as well find some readers. I often find I write something, planning to post it on the blog but, upon review, I decide it's a little too personal or too candid and I keep it to myself for my personal journal. (I actually call my personal journal "Blog Post Rejects.")



So, tell me, if you're a blogger, why do you blog? If you're a reader, why do you follow my blog or others?



Please give me some insight through comments on this subject. I can use all the ammunition I can gather for the next time The Big Guy asks.

Blogging ...

I never thought it would catch on. I mean, in general, do we really care what total strangers have done all day ? Apparently, we do. I find I can get lost for hours reading blogs that I’ve accidentally stumbled across. Some are so interesting to me, that I either go back and read some of the archived items or mark it as a favorite so I can come back to it in a few days and see what happened. I guess it has the same appeal as T.V. soap operas have had for years - we are a curious population and people do want to know. That is “a lot” of people want to know, my hubby not included. He ranks it right up there with the top ten “Dumbest Things People Do.” I guess he’d get spastic if he realized I started one of my own! Either that, or he’d figure someone else is interested in what I have to say so it lets him off the hook for paying attention.

I’ve always kept journals and, for the last few years, I kept it on the computer instead of in book form. Unfortunately, when our hard drive fried last Fall and simply swallowed everything on it, I lost a year or so worth of thoughts and memories. But then I thought, is it like a tree falling in the woods with no one to hear? If you thought it, and wrote it, but no one ever read it, and then it disappeared, did those thoughts really happen?

Speaking of thoughts, why do we say we have “random” thoughts? Do most people plan their thoughts on a daily basis? Is there a prescribed method for thoughts or a correct or incorrect form? These questions can truly boggle a mind - especially one that’s really full of random thoughts!!

I think I need a nap.