A Tutorial...Sort of

So, as you may or may not know, Starla and I just completed a 3-day craft show in Eureka at the Runeberg Lodge.  While we didn't do as well as we had hoped, (still trying to come up with the secret to success) we did make some new friends and won some great items. 

One of the new friends we made is Naomi of Merchant of Venus.  She is a hometown girl who makes wonderful and fun knitted items.  Go check out her Etsy shop and give her some love.

One of the new items Starla and I featured at this show was our Rebuttoned Flowers.  They went over fairly well and we sold several.  Here is the tutorial on how to make them.  Starla did a wonderful job of explaining the whole thing.

If you think you can't come up with one of these on your own, try it.  If it still doesn't come out the way you like, give either of us a holler and we will be happy to send one your way at a deal you can't beat.

Awesome Stuff

Ucreate.com   has a wonderful holiday shopping experience coming up.  Circle the dates, Nov. 30 - Dec. 7 in red on your calendar and prepare to visit on those dates for some wonderful items.

Winner, Winner, Turkey Dinner

We have a winner!!! Using random.org, Amanda has been chosen as the winner of the artist's quality rolled canvas from LargeFormatPosters.com.

Amanda said...

I subscribe via Google Reader.

Congratulations Amanda!  I will be forwarding your information on to Large Format Posters.  You should be hearing from them in a few days.
 
If YOU didn't win, you can still get a great rolled canvas of your own, custom printed, starting at only $20!
 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Thanksgiving-Facts and Myths

How many of us know the REAL Thanksgiving story? Or just think we do?  Lets test our knowledge, shall we?

TRUE OR FALSE
****************

Pumpkin pie has been a Thanksgiving must-have since the pilgrims and the Wampanoag shared a table together?

FALSE
~~~~~~~~~

While various squashes may have been served, they almost certainly were not served in a dessert form.  Most likely they were boiled or roasted.  In fact, vegetables were not plentiful at this time of the year.


TRUE OR FALSE
***************

The pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving in 1621 and it has been a national tradition ever since.

FALSE
~~~~~~~~~~~

For the people we know as pilgrims, a day of thanksgiving could happen at any time of the year.  It was considered a religious celebration, a time to thank God for His providing food, victory, or health.

TRUE OR FALSE
*****************

The somber pilgrims and natives of Plymouth let it all hang out and got down at the celebration we call Thanksgiving.

TRUE
~~~~~~~

While days of thanksgiving were religious celebrations, and thus somber and quiet affairs, the celebration the Mayflower survivors and the Wampanoag shared was not considered a day of thanksgiving by the pilgrims.  The colonists considered this a secular celebration so there was dancing, game playing, and the singing of secular songs.

TRUE OR FALSE
***************

The feast shared by the colonists and the natives probably included cod, clams, and other seafood.

TRUE
~~~~~~

Turkey probably wasn't even on the menu.  The records from that first feast state that venison and wild fowl were eaten, but that doesn't necessarily mean turkey.  Seafood was plentiful, they were after all, on the coast of Massachusetts.  So most likely, clams might have been eaten.

TRUE OR FALSE
******************

Hundreds of colonists and natives shared the feast for 3 days.

FALSE
~~~~~~~~~

By the time of the feast in 1621 there were only 52 people left who had arrived on the Mayflower.  The natives were most likely not invited but probably showed up when they heard muskets being fired in enthusiasm for a plentiful harvest.  Massasoit, the leader of the Wampanoag, and 90 of his warriors did show up and share a meal.  Whether they stayed for the 3-day celebration is uncertain.


I gathered most of this information from historychannel.com and about.com.  For an interesting take on the whole Thanksgiving story, I encourage you to watch "Squanto: A Warrior's Tale."  It's a well done movie that my children have watched every Thanksgiving since they were little.  I highly reccommend it.

Thanksgiving Roll Giveaway

I'm pleased to announce the opportunity for my readers to win a 16 x 20 rolled canvas from LargeFormatPosters.com.  This custom rolled canvas would be perfect to have in front of your business to announce a sale, take to trade shows and display your business name, or make a part of your family traditions by using as a birthday or holiday announcement that all the neighborhood can see.  You could even use it to display a breath-taking photo of some place you have visited.

These canvas prints have lots of options.Go check out the canvas prints to see for yourself.  I love that when ordering one of these you have the option to choose a 2-inch border or not. 
You can use any digital file or image on your artist quality canvas.   

You can read reviews of satisfied customers or you can take my word for it.   This is a great company.  Yes, I will be receiving one of these awesome custom rolled canvases of my very own.  However, even if I wasn't, I would encourage you to enter this giveaway.  I know the quality will be top of the line and that I will receive my poster shortly after proofing the final image.

This giveaway is open to all residents of the United States.  I will be using random.org to choose a winner on Thursday, November 26 at 8 AM pst.

So how can you win one of these?

* Go to LargeFormatPosters.com and take a look around.  Tell me another product you are interested in.  (This entry is mandatory.)

Extra Entries

Each requires a separate comment.

*Subscribe to Tally's Place in a reader or let me know you already do.

*Become a follower or let me know you already are.

*Add my button to your blog and leave me the link.

*Tweet this giveaway and leave me the link.

*Leave a comment on a different post and let me know which one.

That is 6 different ways you can enter!  You have until

Thursday,November 26 at 8 AM pst. 

Yes that's Thanksgiving Day.  Don't miss the parade, but do enter to win! 

How Do You Measure Success?

Is success measured by the size of your bank account?  Or what about the amount of influence you have on those around you?  Maybe it's measured by what kind of car you drive or the names of designers on the clothes hanging in your closet.  I choose to measure success in a very different way.

To me success is measured, first and foremost, by the fact that I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  It's not always a perfect realtionship (only because I fail at times), but it is a successful realtionship and it provides me with eternal life.  I call that success!  What about other forms of success?  Like friendships and family.  I have a wonderful family that I adore and enjoy spending time with.  We don't always agree on little and big things, but I know my family is there for me when I need them.  I also have some extremely wonderful friends that are as close as family to me.  They can be counted on to come out in the dark of night and be by my side if  I need them to be. I cherish them.

All of you know that Starla and I traveled to Redding to attend a craft show at Simpson College yesterday.  Many of you are probably wondering how we did.  That answer is a complicated one and why I started this post with the question of success.  The world measures success very differently than Christians do.  Also, success is not only measured by the amount of money in the till at the end of the day.  Let me tell you how the day went.

We arrived  here at about 8:45 yesterday morning.

This gorgeous fall-colored maple was to my right as we pulled into the parking lot.

We quickly found where our booth was located and set up shop.  We were in a great location on a corner of  rectangles set up in the middle of the room.   We were able to use Starla's fence boards in two separate locations. This 2-panel is set up on the outside corner of our space.  The 3-panel was set up to the right of this picture behind the table you see Starla standing near.

This is our as yet un-named girl mannequin wearing one of our tutus and holding a couple others and a wand.  Behind her you can see that we set up our two tables perpindicular to each other.

As everything was set up, we began to feel calm come over us.  We got settled.  Starla began making signs for each of our products and I took a stroll around the venue to see what other goodies were being offered for sale and to meet some of the other vendors.

Many people browsed our booth and commented on what they saw.  They asked questions and were very polite (what a blessing!).  We also handed out several of our business cards.  *Side note:  I had just gotten my custom business cards from UPrinting.com a few days before and I was so pleased with them.  Here's a pic.  

Lots of people came by, but none were buying.  I began to question our plan to make a go of this.  I asked Starla if maybe we weren't really hearing GOD.  And this is what she said, "The only thing that comes to me is,

 "Be still, and know that I am God;"'

Psalm 46:10a (New International Version).

I agreed that we must go with that then.  God has a plan and  if I don't know what it is, it's ok.  (I have to remind myself of this sometimes.)

We continued to talk and meet several people.  Emily, the organizer of the event came over to say hello and we discovered she is such a sweet and laid-back person.  Several other college-age women came over and oohed and aahed over our owls. (pics in just a sec).  One sweet and beautiful girl, Erin came over several times and each time she brought one or two friends with her.  Not the same friends, mind you, a different set each time.  They all laughed over the personality and names of each owl.  As we got to know Erin we began to realize that no matter the outcome of the day, we were having fun.

I was still worried a little on the inside, though.  Starla and I are not about to be homeless, don't get me wrong, but we really needed the money we were hoping to make on this show.

  Have you ever realized that GOD talks to us in the bathroom, when we are hidden from all but HIM? 

While I was in the restroom a song that I hear often on KLOVE came to my mind.  Mark Schulz's song, He Is.  How many times have I listened to this song and sung along, sort of thinking about the words?  At that moment, as GOD brought them to mind, they gained a real-life meaning for me.

He is

He was

He always will be

Even when it feels like there is no one holding me

Be still, my soul

He is

God knows my financial situation and I needed to let it go and trust Him.  I returned to Starla and our booth and told her about my revelation. ( Not remembering all of the song though, I had to try and sing it to her.  Yeah, it was the performance of a lifetime!)   Within about five minutes of this concert-worthy performance, Erin returned again with two friends and they all purchased owls.  Erin purchased 3 owls and 1 tie snake.  Each of her friends purchased one owl.  Erin also took a handful of business cards and promised to pass them out.  As the trio walked away. Starla told Erin that if she got someone else to come over and buy an owl we would give Erin a free one.  Within about a half hour we sold one to Erin's friend and I was pleased to give Erin one of our owls for free.  Starla also sold a few items to her wonderful Christian friend that lives in the Redding area.  Before the end of the day, Emily also came over and bought an owl.

As the day ended, we realized we had made back the table fee and around the amount of the cost to travel to the area.  Most people might think that wasn't a successful show.  But we know that GOD measures success differently and HIS blessings abounded that day.  So if you ask me, it was a successful day. 

Erin was kind enough to pose with our remaining parliament of owls before she left.

Isn't she adorable?

As we began to pack up, Starla bartered with another vendor.  Starla traded one of her bags for some delicious-smelling soy candles.  We started carting the items out to Starla's vehicle and she ended up selling her 2-panel fence for $13 to another wonderful vendor of handmade scarves and hats!

God is so good to us and His blessings abound.

John 10:10 (New International Version)

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Even the Smallest Pray-er is Heard

Sometimes when life is really throwing us curve ball after curve ball, sometimes we think we might as well throw in the towel.  I feel like that myself sometimes.  But then I remember

• Deuteronomy 31:8 (New International Version)
  
  
   
  The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
  

• Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)
  
   For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
  
  
  
  
   
  

These verses give me comfort, reassurance, and strengthen my faith when I'm scared or discouraged.  Sometimes I feel that I'm so small and insignificant in the larger scheme of things.  But I can rest assured that GOD hears even my prayers. 

I want to let you know about a lady that is fighting for her life tonight.  Her name is Anisa and she is been a strong and mighty force as her young daughter has endured 3 years of treatment for cancer.  Just as the family was beginning to see the light at the end of a long dark tunnel, Anisa suffered two strokes within in a short period of time.  This devasting event has sent their family reeling and while they have plenty of practical support right now, they need to feel the comfort and peace that only GOD cand provide.  Please pray for this family.  Pray that the love of Christ will radiate around them so that GOD may be glorified.  Pray for healing...we KNOW GOD is the great physician and still works miracles.

To send prayers and comments of encouragement and support, please visit Anisa's blog.

What Kind of Day?

What kind of day did you have today?  Mine was slightly boring and routine.  I went to work at the gift shop that is my "regular" job.  This gift shop is part of Redcrest Resort, a property that has 10 rustic cabins, 1 "vacation home" (a double wide mobile), 9 RV hook-ups, and 12 tent camping spots.  Needless to say, it's a little slow this time of year.  What do I do all day when you average about 5 customers in  8 hours?  You craft and watch a Project Runway marathon.  Today I...

• nearly finished a twisty scarf in the most beautiful gray/heather wool
• designed a large and small elf stocking pattern
• designed a small mitten pattern
• cut out said mittens and stockings
• tea-dyed  piece of ivory flannel
• drank lots of tea and fumed over the fact that Christopher was kept on Project Runway so long.

So that's what I did today.  What did you do today?

The Discovery of the Tufted Jellyfish

I'm aboard the U.S.S. Teasley and we are currently trolling the waters of Northern California in search of the elusive effertus Jamius piscis; otherwise known as the Tufted Jellyfish.  This is a recently discovered species found only in the Pacific Northwest. 

These creatures are characterized by a  nerve net resembling floating ribbons of all colors.  They also are not translucent as most other jellyfish are.  The Tufted Jellyfish is relatively small in size.  One scientist has compared their size to the circumference of an infant's head. These jellyfish travel in a bloom (group) and are friendly to all  they encounter.  They have no harmful sting and are child-safe over the age of 3.

Most of these animals are female, the male is rarely seen and appears only once in a blue moon.  They even appear to have a flower, gingham, or multi-pattern to their body.  These are easily captured and seem to flourish in captivity.  Left alone in the vast expanse of the ocean, they would sink to the bottom of a dark and lonely treasure chest.

If you would like to become the owner of one of these Tufted Jellyfish, adoptions can be arranged through this blog.  There is a small processing fee for the adoption paperwork.

Below are some photographs recently taken of new born Tuffies.

Contact me as soon as possible about obtaining your very own one-of-a-kind Tufted Jellyfish.  They will soon be on exhibit at Simpson University.

I'm Headed Back to School

Saturday, November 21, will find me at Simpson University in Redding, California.  I'll be traveling there with Starla to take part in the 2009 Craft & Fair Trade Bazaar.  This event is being sponsored by Simpson University’s Office of Spiritual Formation and is used to raise money for the university's Student Missions program.  We are so excited to be accepted to this event.  It is a juried show, so it is an honor to be invited. 


As Starla stated in her guest post, we are hoping that by attending an event that is out of our local area, we will gain some business insight.  We are looking forward to meeting other crafters and networking to bring the items we create to a larger market.  We know we have unique items all created with love and recycling/repurposing in mind.  We are praying that by attending this event we will, not only sell many items, but also come away with a greater knowledge of marketing and sales.  If you have any tips you would like to share, please feel free to let us know. 

We plan on taking Starla's laptop to the event with us and uploading pictures to our blogs as we experience the excitement throughout the day.  Or maybe we will be to busy to even turn the thing on!  In any case, this will be a busy week for us as we have a three day event coming up the weekend after Thanksgiving.  If we do well in Redding, we will be putting in some long hours to get ready for that sale.  Keep us in your prayers, let us hear your advice, and wish us well.

Dress Rehearsal by Starla

I'm so excited to offer you a post today by my friend and "partner in crime," Starla of ReFashioned Threads. She has graciously offered to write this review of the craft show we did this past Saturday, November 14th. After reading the post, head over to her blog and check out the great things she has going on.

Thanks for the post Starla, you did a great job!

It was the nightmare before the craft show and we were in it for the long haul.  Cindi and I knew that this was going to be hard and was it ever.  We are basically starting our little cottage businesses from the ground floor - many decisions were to be made - from pricing, business cards, signs, staging and more.  We knew when we put ourselves out there we needed to make a good impression.  Our first sale, well, it didn't go too smoothly, however we learned a lot! That story is here.

Even though this craft sale was like cramming for a final, I think we did a wonderful job. *high five to Cindi*

We went Friday night to set up our tables with linens, put up our "fence" displays and made notes to bring other things we were going to need.

We were set up in the Veterans Memorial Building in our little town of Fortuna.  This is a broad view of our area.  We had 2 tables with an area to walk in, like a booth.

We were located by the entrance and this was one of our tables, which we sat behind - Cindi crocheted a scarf and I worked on our snakesssssss. Behind us on the walls we have some of our products on display - pennants, tutus, wreaths,  and our Fairy Wands.  On the table were Book Purses,  a parliament of owls and our newest product  "a little saying".

This was the walk-in booth area.  On our two-tiered table were more owls, cats, snakes, scarves and snowmen to keep everyone cool. The "fence" displays are against the walls.

This dispaly was closest to us and on it we had the tutus and beautiful autumn pennant banners.

This was the other "fence" display located in the corner and on which were purses and butterfly button fairies.

We felt we did had excellent improvement from our last event, however the people were not coming in and those that were coming in were not really buying anything.  This is something that has us scratching our heads and wondering "How come?".  We have many guesses... Is it our area?  Is it the economy? Was it because the craft show wasn't sponsored by a group or organization? 

In the end we did barter with other vendors and that was fun in itself. 

We are not giving up though - we are scheduled to be at 3 more craft shows and one will take us out of our area.  That will give us a chance to compare and see what is going on.

This Sauturday we will be at the Simpson College in Redding, CA

Then we will be at the Runeberg Lodge in Eureka, Ca for the three days following Turkey Day.  On December 3 we will be at a school-sponsored craft show at Freshwater Elementary School, Eureka.

I have considered this last weekend's show to be a dress rehearsal, which has made us even more ready for these future events.  Next time hopfully we won't have any "butterflies" in our tummies and we can "break a leg"! 

Recent Giveaway Finds

• Over at The Buzz you have until Wednesday, November 18 to enter a giveawy from  Ally's Attic.  You can win a great "winter" wooden letter shelf sitter.  It's absolutely adorable!
• Courtesy of JDaniel4sMom you can win some delicious Pumpkin Maple Scones from Exquisite Desserts.  Contest ends Tuesday, November 17.
• At Spots On My Apples (*heart* that name) you can win a fabulous Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Body Oil and Creamy Body Wash.  You have until  Wednesday, December 2 to leave comments for this giveaway.

At the End of the Day....

What really matters is that you have done the right thing and brought glory to GOD.  I'm still recovering from a marathon week of crafting and preparing for more upcoming craft sales.  Refashioned Threads creator, Starla, and I are partners in this new craft adventure I'm on.  Many of you already know this. Right now, I'm too tired to analyze today's experiences or post pics.  I do promise to do so by Monday afternoon.  I do know that I'm following God's plan and that's all that matters.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:17

You Look Beat, Cindi

That's what Starla just said. And even though I haven't looked in a mirror for the last several hours, I'm sure she's right.  We have been at this "Nightmare Before the Craft Show," since about 9 am.  Tomorrow is the big day.  Our first show of the holiday season.  We also just found out we got accepted to a juried show in Redding, California next weekend.  It will be held at Simpson College. (Sorry there are no links, but I'm tired and will have to add them later.)  I'm sitting in Starla's craft room and she is busily ironing on the back of a t-shirt.  We put Tally's Place & ReFashioned Threads on the  back of two shirts, one for me and one for her.  I'm so excited that I'm beginning to ramble.  So for now I'll say goodnight and I'll be back tomorrow to update you on the success of tomorrow's show.  If you're in Fortuna, stop by the Vets' Building and see us.

The Rise of Burlap

I'm noticing burlap everywhere.  Burlap artwork, burlap totes, burlap flowers.  I *heart* burlap!  This burlap craze isn't new though.  Want proof? Go to the lovely Maya's blog, maya*made, and read this post. Maya had burlap items in her etsy shop back in October 2008.  I have an inkling, though, that she had been playing with burlap for some time before that.  Why do I love burlap?  It's natural, so versatile, and just fits in with my love for reusing "stuff".  Just by reading maya*made my love for burlap has grown.  While I haven't had the chance to get my hands on a supply of burlap yet to try out some of her tutorials, look out when I do!  Here are some of my favorite burlap treasures you can find at Maya's blog.

Monogramed Napkin Rings

I think these are absolutely gorgeous and it could easily be adapted to be a flower brooch.

Custom Burlap Banner

You can pick one of these up at Maya's Etsy shop.

Burlap Covered Bulletin Board

I can't wait to make one of these and pin all my ideas and inspirations to it.

I know the love for all things burlap is going to grow.  Just remember that Maya was doing it long before it became the "in" thing.  She is a very talented and inspiring lady and if you're not reading her blog, you really should add it to your faves. 

P.S.  This post was completely unsolicited and I received nothing in return for it except a nice email when I asked Maya if  I could use some of her pictures.  Thanks Maya!

11th Hour, 11th Day, 11th Month

Today is a day that many Americans have come to know as a day off in the middle of the week and a time to find some great bargains at the mall.  How sad.  What began as a day to remember the end of World War I and the veterans of that war, had to be amended as our nation, sadly, was called on to send men and women to defend life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in other countries.  On this day, and in light of the recent shootings at Ft. Hood, please take time to think of all those who have sacrificed in all the wars and conflicts throughout history for our great country.  Thank a veteran, not only today, but everytime you meet one.  For without those willing to offer themselves up for the protection of our country and to bring our freedoms to the rest of the world, we could be living in a very different world.

I have many people I love and have loved that served in the military.  (Thanks for reminding me Starla.)  I could list them all but it would take so long.  Let me just say these few words about my experience with  those that serve and have served in the military.  I have always respected our servicemen and women.  They have always been at the top of my gratitude and prayer lists.  But I don't remember the wars that shaped our country and many of our family members.  I was born in 1967, the Summer of Love, and the time to protest the war in Viet Nam.  Growing up, family members talked about different wars and who served and who was lost but nothing ever reached into my heart and tore it out the way I'm sure it did to others in the past.  It wasn't until 2006, when we were 5 years into a war with Iraq and all the tyranny that had taken place there, that I felt that rip at my heart.  I won't go into all the details, but let me say that I experienced first hand what many others had experienced in the past.  I became acquainted with a soldier serving in Iraq by the name of H.  I communicated with him almost daily and he became a trusted and treasured friend.  I became acquainted with those he was serving with through his stories and pictures.  It all hit home the day I got a communication from a friend of his telling me he was under enemy fire and it didn't look good.  Through the excellent training and quick thinking of those around him, he returned safely to base and was able to return home shortly before Thanksgiving in 2006.  It had been his second tour in Iraq and he had just turned 21.

I will forever be affected by my friendship with H and the things I learned from him.  He is no longer serving our country and will soon be married.  He will be forever affected by his experiences in the "Sand Box."  Please keep him and all of our current and former servicemen and women in your prayers and thoughts.  No matter your beliefs, creed, religion, background, we live in a free country becase of those who fought to make it so.  It is the wish and prayer of many that our armed forces are able to bring the same freedoms to other countries as well.

Only 3 Days LEFT!!!

Oh. My. Goodness.  There are only 3 days left until the craft fair.  Am I ready?   Do I have enough items to sell?  Do I have items people want to buy?  What have I gotten myself into?  UGH!  These are all questions that I'm sure have answers, but I'm just too busy to think about them right now.  Ok, maybe I will think about them for just a minute. 

Am I ready?  I think so.  Starla and I have done lots of research, planning, and crafting.  I'm sure there are still a few bugs to work out, but overall, I think we are better prepared than the last time.

Do I have enough items to sell? I don't know if you can ever have enough.  We want our space to look full and I don't think we have so many items that it will look too full.

Do I have items people want to buy? If I saw the items I have made at a craft fair, I would want to buy them.  This is of course after I thought, "I could make that myself."

What have I gotten myself into?  Well, I couldn't ask for a better business partner or a better friend.  Even if this craft business thing turns into a total bust, WHICH IT WON'T, I will be a better person than I was before Starla became my partner in crime.  I have learned from her and have laughed more since she came into my life.  What more could I ask for?

So while I'm still thinking and feeling like UGH! I'm excited for what this weekend holds.  If you are a local, stop by and see what Starla and I have come up with.  Say hi and tell us what you think.  Hope to see you there.

Holiday Craft Fair

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Fortuna Veterans' Building

Main Street, Fortuna, CA

9 AM - 5 PM

Wow... I Hope It Doesn't Stop

I'm not sure what is going on lately, but I sure hope it continues. GOD is really blessing me lately and all I can say is To GOD Be The Glory.  Look what I just won!  It's one less Christmas present I have to worry about.

 This adorable bib, blanket, burp cloth set in vintage-inspired cowgirl print is available at

Rockabilly Baby Design over at Etsy.com.  I won this cute little gift for The Bean courtesy of a giveaway hosted by the beautiful Priscilla over at Little Miss Heirlooms.  If you haven't stopped by Priscilla's blog yet, you really must.  Her blog is filled with gorgeous vintage-style baby nursery pics and all other sorts of goodies.  Thanks so much for hosting the giveaway Priscilla.  I can't wait to get my gift!

Another Winner

Well, random.org has done it again.  It went and picked the number 1 for my Flyer/Brochure Giveaway sponsored by UPrinting.com.  The lucky winner is Jen from In One Ear. 

Jen said...


I would use them for hubby's photo business, great marketing tool.

Congrats Jen!  If you didn't win, you can still get some great flyers at UPrinting.com for a great price.
Go check it out and get some today.

Do You Ever Feel Like Screaming?

I'm sure many of you recognize this painting.  Some of you may even know its title, "The Scream."  It was painted by Edvard Munch in 1893.  It has been appropriated by such pop culture icons such as The Simpsons and  Andy Warhol.

I'm kind of feeling like the man on the bridge in this painting.  I'm tired, stressed, excited, and anxious.  I want to scream, although I know it won't help and I won't really feel any better than before I excercised my vocal cords.  As I get older I realize that there are situations that will come and go and it is not the end of the world.  I am a person that needs to feel in comtrol of my surroundngs and when I feel that control slipping I begin to feel like Edvard Munch's subject.  But I have heard it said, in a song I think, there is freedom in the letting go.  And I've begun to see that the statement is a true one.  I don't need to contol everything because that isn't my job.  It's GOD's job.  There is only one God and I'm not Him. 

So while I may feel like screaming sometimes, I do less and less of it these days.  I've learned it accomplishes nothing but straining my throat and raising my blood pressure.  I would rather be screaming for joy or to urge smeone on in their efforts for success. (By the way, my son's football team is undefeated and they have one game left.  Go Wildcats!  To read the latest newspaper write up, go here.)

Well, I think that this 30 days, 30 posts thingy is gonna be good for me.  Some posts may only be a few words or a picture or two.  But I find that I like the routine and the commitment that is required of me.

Till next time, thank GOD for each glorious day.

A Little.....

Today I spent the day at Starla's.  We have a craft show coming up in less than a week at the Fortuna Veterans' Building.  So while she worked on a book purse and some sexy kilt-inspired Christmas stockings, I did research on steampunk.  If you haven't heard of steampunk fashion, you need to investigate.  It's fantastic!  It basically started out as a sub-genre of science fiction, but it is more than that.  Look for yourself.  Anyway, we have decided to include some steampunk items (like these) in our repertoire.  That's how we spent the morning.  And drinking cranberry-chocolate coffee.  Then after lunch we set to work making these adorable little wooden block phrases (which I don't have a picture of...sorry).  I promise to post pics soon.  They are blocks of wood, each with one letter on it. They say things like, "A Little (on one block) S-M-I-L-E. So cute!  We made these and drank more coffee.  This time Pumplin Spice Latte's from Jitterbean courtesy of Rosie and Chris. We finshed up a little before 10 pm. And here I am making sure I get a post written today.  I'm tired and excited.  I really felt the creativity kick in today....or the caffeine.

30 days 30 posts

I signed up for NaBloPoMo.  30 blog posts in 30 days.  It's the second day for me and ...I got nothin!  The weather is finally fall-like and I can tell it's gonna be a harsh winter.  We need the rain though. The economy is n the toilet.  And I'm disgusted that someone in the military can do what happened at Ft.Hood.  What is wrong with the world?  I'll tell ya what's wrong.  Our contry has turned from GOD and we are reaping what we have sown.  It's not the non-believers who will be held accountable on judgement day.  It's us, the Christians and those professing to follow Christ.  We need to be praying for our friends, family, neighbors, leaders, and country.  Whether you agree with the leaders of our country or not, and especially if you don't, we need to be praying for them.  Myself included.  Ok....that's my post for today.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Awhile back BunBun and I were given some really big tomatoes that were grown in Pepperwood.  Kelly had some from his garden that were spotty or slightly damaged and he couldn't sell them so he passed them onto us.  Then I came home from work one day to find a cardboard box with about 15 more tomatoes in it that the neighbor had brought over.  A plan was hatched.  We would make spaghetti sauce!  I had only done this once before many years back when my kids were little, but BunBun used to do it all the time when he had his own garden.

First we set a large pot of water on the stove to boil.  We had to get those tomato skins off and this is the easiest way.  You put a few in the boiling water for about 1 minute and then plunge them into cold/ice water and then the skins slip right off.  This also works with peaches really well.While I was doing this, BunBun was chopping garlic, onion, and fresh basil.  The kitchen was beginning to smell really good. 

(If you're thinking that cutting board doesn't look quite right, that's because it's homemade.  BunBun took an old wooden barstool seat and cut it down, sanded it, and ...TADA...veggie cutting board!)

After all the tomato skins had been removed and all the basil, garlic, onions were chopped, we put it into a big pot to simmer.  I used a potato masher to smush the tomatoes because I wanted to have chunky spaghetti sauce.  We also added green bell pepper, salt, pepper, rosemary, oregano.This yummy concoction simmered all day until it was thickened.  There was enough for 3 quarts.  We had yummy spaghetti for dinner that night and put the other two quarts in the freezer for later.  We have since eaten those two quarts as well. I'm so thankful that we have friends and neighbors who pass on their extra to us.  I know GOD is taking care of us in even these small ways.

To Buy or Not to Buy---A BIG ???

We are thinking of buying a house.  I know, who wants to buy a house in this economy?  But, for us, now might be the right time.  We can't afford much, and there are lots of places for sale at dirt cheap prices.  In a year or so these same houses may be double or triple the price.  It's a huge decision.  Right now we live in a townhouse.  We have two bedrooms, one bathroom, living room, and kitchen.  We have a large closet that houses the washer and dryer.  We have no yard.  We have a cement slab at the back of the house that is fenced.  It's pretty nice for the price we pay; $595.  We have 3 neighbors in this complex.  That's not bad, I know.  But I long for a yard, space, green plants and room for our Jack Russell, Maisey.  There are a couple of properties we are looking at.  Both are in the next town to the north of us where we attended high school.  One is a two story with mother-in-law unit in the back that would allow me to have a studio/craft room/office.  It's in the downtown area in a nice neighborhood and was built in 1923.  The other one is a two story farm style house that is on the outskirts of town.  It was built in 1899 and is definitely a fixer-upper.  It's also about $100,000 less than the other one.  It's not like we can go out amd buy whatever we want.  It's a matter of what we can afford, what is available, and what the realty companies tell us.  Please pray for us as we wade our way through the waters of home ownership.  We want to do what is GOD's will and what will bring Him glory.

Not Whiners, Not Weiners, WINNERS

Using random.org the following people have won 3 of the UPrinting.com giveaways I am hosting.  The flyer/brochure giveaway is going on for one more week, so if you haven't entered yet there is still time.
Congrats to the winners and good luck to all who have entered the flyer/brochure giveaway.  Even if you didn't win you can still get some great deals from UPrinting.com.  Their prices are reasonable and the quality is fantastic.  Check out their postcards here, their stickers here, and their business cards here. 

Postcard winner:

Jaime said...


I am a follower

Sticker winner:

Ammi said...

I would use the stickers to put a Mockingbird Place Logo on the bags I put my pre-made scrapbook pages in.


Business card winner:

 Coupon Clippin' Mommy said...


I follow