Down the Street Creations

Lighter Already

2009-12-22T18:04:00.000-05:00

While I'm pretty much wrapping up this blog, it only seems appropriate that this post goes here. And that is... I am no longer associated with Weight Watchers. Yes, I quit this afternoon, after a LOT of thinking about it. I mean, it does seem crazy to quit a job doesn't it. But working for WW, at least for me, carries a lot of psychological baggage in that leaders are lifetime members, and have all the associated food issues that many of the current members have. I certainly did. I'm hoping that I can step away from the always thinking about food, and points, and weigh ins and simply enjoy eating, without said baggage.

I will probably keep up my monthly weigh in, but will really try hard not to let it rule my life. And so, goodbye Weight Watchers.

A New Blog

2009-12-17T17:26:00.000-05:00

I've done the rant on clutter, etc. and how I'm trying to lighten things up, and I've noted that this particular blog has become cluttered with stuff that just doesn't really represent me anymore. Sure, I like all the stuff that is around on the sides, and some of it is moving with me to the new blog, but I'm going for more streamlined.

It's a huge work in progress. I guess any blog is really, but the side columns aren't all filled in with my favorite blogs, sewing and otherwise, I don't have any followers (you can be the first), and I don't have any other cute gadgets (I'm really going to try to keep that at a minimum).

Come on over and take a peek, and then come back again! It's a Sewing Life!

From an Etsy Friend

2009-12-16T17:13:00.000-05:00

Sue, of Maddy & Me Designs, was my designated gift giver in the Bittersweeets First Annual Winter Sweet Swap. She made this gorgeous wreath, which I plan to hang in my studio, but am enjoying in my kitchen right now. Ever the ecological gal, Sue uses scraps from her beautiful felted handbags and other goodies, to make wreaths of all sizes. I love the year-round colorfulness of it, and it will always remind me of the great friends that I've made on Etsy.

She also included this sweet little felted bird's nest with two little eggs. According to her card, tradition says that a nest in your Christmas tree brings health and good luck in the new year, and the wreath brings warmth and cheer to all those who enter your home.

That just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, just like Sue's warm and fuzzy handbags!

Leaving Etsy Teams

2009-12-15T13:55:00.000-05:00

If you read my last post about the clutter in my life, this one is related. If you are an Etsy seller, then you probably know about the Etsy teams, and have an opinion on their usefulness. I wondered about their usefulness when I was a new seller, and as my shop(s) have evolved, have developed a more experience-based opinion.

First, my official team history: I joined the Boomers and Beyond initially, because I fit the demographic. Somehow, though, I never felt that I fit the team, and was not active, so I dropped that one pretty quickly. The second team I joined was the Georgia Street Team because I fit the geographical region. Up until yesterday, I still received the email digest from their yahoo group, but I have not been active, do not use their tag for my items, and don't make any treasuries from the group (nor am I in any).

The next 2 teams I joined (and this is not necessarily in chronological order, but more of an importance order) were the Etsy Bloggers, and Quiltsy. I was active in both to some degree. Quiltsy is a great team, and I think if you make quilts, I would highly recommend them. They are a wonderful group, and I even met a few of the ladies in October at the Quilt Show in Houston. They are also very chatty, and I found it hard to keep up on their thread, but I still have quilts in my Down the Street shop, and would still like to promote them. The quilts are just not my main focus at the moment, however, and my mom hasn't made any lately either. She tells me she'll have some "fresh" ones after Christmas. I haven't officially dropped out of Quiltsy, though I don't believe I've met their requirements recently, either, and I suspect they have dropped me.

That brings us to the Etsy Bloggers team. This is also a wonderful group, and they are very active. I long ago gave up on participating in their very chatty thread, but as the requirements are very specific, and blog related, I managed to (mostly) meet those, and did tag some items with the Etsy blogger tag. I only make treasuries periodically, but would often look through the Etsy blogger group for inspiration. Of their requirements, I almost always did the featured artist feature, and had the button on my blog. I also participated in most of the blog carnivals, or at least the one a month required, though one recent month all 4 possible topics left me quite uninspired. I've decided now, at this stage in my life, I surely can come up with topics to write about, and can feature artists that really touch me personally, so I'm ending my relationship with the Etsy Bloggers.

I have one more group that I am extremely active in, though it is an unofficial team. We've talked about becoming official, but we really like it the way we are now. We are positive and supportive, buy from each other and make treasuries for each other, and this holiday season even organized a sort of "secret Santa swap". If you're looking through the team threads, you can find this group with the search of "bittersweeets" (yes, with 3 e's).

This is the one I'm sticking with for the time being, in the reducing clutter in my life phase. I won't rule out other teams in the future, but I will definitely think long and hard about the fit before committing. If you have an opinion or experience on teams (and you've actually read this far), I'd love to hear about it.

Do you ever have...

2009-12-14T17:23:00.002-05:00

... something like this:

in your life? You know the feeling: like the walls are caving in around you. That's my 6 ft long cutting table, and I've been working like this for, oh, at least a month or so. Maybe longer.

Why? I don't know. Lack of motivation maybe. A feeling like I needed to get something done, so I won't take the time to clean up. Any sewist will tell you that it really takes more than that little spot in the center (with the yellow ruler) to properly cut something out, even if that something is pretty small.

Why am I showing you this? Well, because it's not just my table that feels a bit out of control. [and for the record, now it has been cleaned off, and readied for present wrapping]. Be prepared for major blog changes in the near future, as Down the Street Creations has gotten away from what I really want a blog of mine to be about and for.

That's all I'll say for now, but will keep you updated as changes are made, and oh, if you are really a follower, then... you'll know.

A Mother's Love

2009-12-11T16:28:00.004-05:00

I stole that title from one of my sister's latest blog posts, but it seemed appropriate in this case, too. You see, what with Laura moving to the land of the Big Blue (is that what you Kentucky people call Lexington?), there are some wedding errands that need to be done without her. I mean, SOMEONE has to taste the cake!

So, even though my surgery isn't a week old, I found a friend that was willing to go on an outing that ended with cake.

Cake is an important part of the wedding, wouldn't you agree? I mean, sure, the flowers are gorgeous, the flower girl adorable, and of course, the bride is stunning, but if the cake isn't good, well, then, people remember that.

My friend, Sharon and I ventured into Midtown Atlanta today to sample the wares at Chocolate Pink. Our report... delicious!

You can click on the link to her post and read about her sacrifice, and decide who had the harder job. I think she probably wins (if there is winning to be had here).

Flowers for Me

2009-12-09T18:00:00.003-05:00

The big party is over, and on Monday I had a little bit of surgery. Here are the flowers my sweet kids sent:

By my bedside

And here is the plant basket that my mom, brother, and sister and family sent:

So wonderful to have all the well wishes. I'm doing great!

Party Pictures

2009-12-07T10:48:00.008-05:00

Dinner Party for 18: 1 Day to Go

2009-12-04T18:41:00.005-05:00

I know that I promised you pictures and no words today, but my tables are still outside. They are just too heavy for me to drag across the wood floors by myself. I was hoping to get them set tonight, and still might, but certainly won't feel like blogging about them after I do.

So, here's a peek at the mantle. I finished that this afternoon, and the sun was down when I pulled the camera out so I can't vouch for the quality of the pictures. Enjoy!

And the backs of the chairs...

Dinner Party for 18: 2 Days to Go

2009-12-03T22:06:00.003-05:00

Today was the day to be serious about the whole festive party thing! OK, maybe a few days late, but better late than never. I got so much done because of the first thing I did today... I made a list. I KNOW! What a great idea! And it works!

I didn't manage to cross off everything, but almost, and did get the important things done. Did the laundry. Not really party-related, but Thursday is my regular laundry day and the hamper was overflowing. Did the grocery shopping, and got everything except the extreme perishables (i.e., flowers, salad, strawberries). Those will be on Roland's list Saturday.

Make ahead food for today included toasting the pecans for the salad. I do it in a dry saute pan on medium to medium high heat, and just keep stirring until they appear to be the right color. Doesn't take long, and watching closely is a must. Prepared the marinated cheese. I bought a goat cheese gouda, and the marinade is olive oil, champagne vinegar, black peppercorns, garlic slices and thyme sprigs. Very quick and easy.

So, the picture isn't the cheese that I made and you can tell that from the rosemary and not thyme, right? Right! But it will look pretty much like this, and I wanted you all to have a picture.

The most exciting thing I did... made the big centerpiece for the big table. No picture yet, but I think tomorrow's post will just be pictures. The tables will be set, all the decorations made except the floral arrangements, and the house will be ready. That will leave the final cooking on Saturday, and picking up the last minute things on Saturday. Oh, and the chimney guy, weather permitting. Leaky chimneys. Yep, never a dull moment.

Dinner Party for 18: 3 Days to Go

2009-12-02T21:08:00.003-05:00

Where DO the days go? Yesterday wasn't terribly productive toward the festivities on Saturday, but I did have lunch with a friend that is loaning me several things for the party, so there was that. And I finally finished decorating the tree, and remade all the beds. Party invitees have also been invited to stay the night if they don't want to have a designated driver.

So, you may have noticed the title. Yep, one couple couldn't find a babysitter. The only change I'll make is setting 2 less places. More food for everyone else! Speaking of food, I've started doing the make-ahead things. First the salad dressing which took me all of about 10 minutes (or less), but it's done.

The star dessert is a white chocolate cake from Piece of Cake, which I'll convince Roland to pick up on Saturday. The icing is white, and I've decided to also have a large bowl of strawberries with port syrup, which should look gorgeous, and, hopefully, taste great.

I recently bought this new cookbook:

and three of the menu items are from it: pickled grapes*, which are already made and tested; pimento cheese potato gratin, tested as well to rave reviews, and strawberries with port syrup. That will be untested, but that's never stopped me before. I made the port syrup this afternoon, which is super easy, but, surprisingly, messy. As it simmers, it creates a fine sugary mist that coated the stove and the floor.

*The pickled grapes met with mixed reviews, but it won't stop me from serving them.

Tomorrow is the big shopping day, making of the big centerpiece, and cleaning.

Dinner Party for 20: 5 Days to Go and a Fun Treat to Make with Kids

2009-11-30T21:48:00.004-05:00

At this point I should be seriously worried. But no, I appear to be calm and moving very slowly. Progress was hampered this morning by a 3 hour doctor visit. Nevertheless, some preliminary groceries were purchased, and supplies for this week. It appears I must prepare dinner EVERY night and not just next Saturday. Ho hum, life goes on.

Today I also made an experimental snack that's the fun treat mentioned in the title. Frosted peppermint pretzels. Yum! I bought some of these at Whole Foods (I don't remember the brand), but they were expensive for the few that were in the bag. But so easy. Here's what you need:

Pretzels, white chocolate chips, peppermint candy.

Crush the peppermint. Melt the chips. Stir together. Dip in the pretzels and place on wax paper or parchment paper until the chips harden. That's it.

OK, it's really sticky and messy, so if kids are involved, don't say I didn't warn you. I wore latex gloves, and discovered that it was easiest to dip only one side of the pretzel, and then "frost" the other side with my fingertip. You don't want it too thick. Also, if the chips re-harden, you can re-melt them in the microwave again. To melt, I followed the instructions on the bag.

Changing the subject, I saw this on the news and just wanted to share:

Dinner Party for 20: 6 Days to Go

2009-11-29T20:51:00.006-05:00

So much to do! Today was decorate the tree day. Before we did that, though, we moved the furniture out of the room in preparation for the tables we rented. OK, sofa moved by the bay window in the kitchen. Turns out we really like it there. Pictures on another day. The chest that we use as a coffee table was moved to Roland's office.

Back to the tree. Roland put the star on the top. Then onto the lights. The past few years I've done the multi-colored lights, but this year we went back to the white lights to keep with the theme that will be emerging over the week.

I have a trick to putting the lights on the tree. Up and down instead of around and around. I tie the non-plug end to a top branch, then place the strand through the branches down to the bottom, then back up. When I got around to the back next to the window, I did a little zig-zagging since I wouldn't be able to get my ladder behind the tree. This technique is so much easier than winding around the tree and makes removal easier, too.

It looks better in person than in the picture, and the ornaments have been put on. Well, almost all of them. The last ones to go on this year will be gold ones, and I needed a break.

Dinner Party for 20: Countdown

2009-11-28T20:45:00.004-05:00

In one week, my husband and I are hosting a dinner party for one of his colleagues that is moving away, and yes, there will be 20 people. I've had parties for 20 and more, but never a seated dinner party. Oh, and with 3 weeks to plan.

So, we're down to the last week, and here's what I've done. Planned the menu, check. Ordered the cake, check. Ordered the rental tables, glassware, linens, etc, check. Planned the decorations, check. Now I'm down to the actual work.

Since it's Christmas, and that's what we celebrate, the decoration theme is ready made. I want to try to use items I already have, but I did head to Michaels yesterday to stock up on gold, glittery things to decorate the table with. The tree was purchased today, and it's a great looking one if I do say so myself. Pictures will be coming soon.

Many of the table decorations (the table will be 3 5' x 5' square tables put together for a giant 5 x 15 table) will be from nature. Armed with a can of gold spray paint, spray adhesive and gold glitter, I glued glitter on pine cones, and spray painted long sticks and more pine cones.

I have 8 vintage parfait glasses that I plan to use with 12" tapers. My initial plan was to use cranberries, but they are just too fat. Plan B was to buy some colored sand at Michaels, but I just didn't find what I wanted. Plan C: small beans spray painted gold. Split peas looked the smallest, and were the cheapest, so here is what they look like painted:

The green shows through the gold, and looks great! More pictures to come as the week progresses. Stay tuned!

Gobble Jogging

2009-11-26T20:41:00.003-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

There is so much in my life to be thankful for, but I'm especially thankful that my guys and I were able to run in the Marietta, Georgia Gobble Jog. You can see the beautiful weather that we had today, and with a start time of 9:30, we didn't even have to wake up too early.

My guys before the race

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-18T17:59:00.004-05:00

The Etsy Bloggers Blog Carnival topic this time, is what do you do around this time of year, if anything, to celebrate a bountiful harvest. Well, y'all know I'm from the good ol' USA, so, yep, it's Thanksgiving! This is one holiday for my immediate family that tradition has been dictated by circumstances that we work around, so it can be different every year.

Last year, we had Roland's mom, and his siblings and their families, plus Laura's then boyfriend, now fiance, so it was quite the group!

We wanted to get together since Aaron, the young man in the gray t-shirt, was soon to be deployed to the Middle East. So they came from Virginia and Missouri and we all had a great time!

This year, we're celebrating twice. The first will be this Saturday when Laura and Thomas arrive from Kentucky, and Thomas' dad and his date come down from Tennessee. This will the day for cooking, and we do enjoy the traditional menu. You know, turkey, dressing, potatoes, and lots of pie!

They can only stay the weekend though, so on the actual holiday, Roland, Kyle and I will head to a local restaurant and enjoy someone else's cooking.

Maybe in some other post I'll tell you about our Thanksgivings when we lived in Prague. We still joke about the traditional Thanksgiving goose! What? You don't eat goose on Thanksgiving?

Meeting an Etsy Friend

2009-11-16T16:01:00.004-05:00

That's me on the left, and Sarah, who runs the fabulous A Fine Distraction, on the right. We met yesterday for the first time in person. We've been chatting in the Etsy forum for over a year now (we're part of the Bittersweeets One a Day Challenge). I, of course, knew she was a fellow Georgian, but hadn't done the map math and it turns out we only live about 35 miles apart.

I could have titled this Road Trip: Sugar Hill, but meeting an Etsy friend is so much fun! I felt like we already really, REALLY knew each other, so the in person part was just a formality. Her neighborhood was hosting an Arts & Crafts event, so I took advantage of the perfect for a Sunday drive weather, and headed northeast to see her.

I even got to meet her little girls and her husband, and they are such a nice family. I'm quite certain it will not be another year before I see her again!

A Good Cause

2009-11-12T15:35:00.002-05:00

Coffee-mate is teaming up with Dress for Success to give Cups of Confidence!

Go here to learn more about Dress for Success and how you can raise money, without spending any of your own. Click on the "Send a Cup of Confidence" link at the top of Coffee-Mate's home page. Once there, you can select your favorite Coffee-mate flavor and add your words of encouragement to a Dress for Success client - no cost to you - up to $150,000 for Dress for Success. Make sure you enter your city and state. The affiliate with the most notes can win up to $5,000 for its local program. I wrote my note for the Atlanta, Georgia affiliate.

When you click on the "About the Cause" link, you will learn lots more about Dress for Success.

Thanks for taking a minute to support a good cause.

Quilt Sale

2009-10-30T11:10:00.004-04:00

Do you need a great baby gift at a reasonable price. Here's your chance to get one! My mom is the chief baby quilt maker at Down the Street Creations, and she's got some new ones that will be unveiled in the next couple of months. To celebrate the new production, we're offering 20% off select baby quilts currently in our inventory, and 25% off the little Pumpkin quilt. There's an additional 5% off if you purchase both toile quilts. (The prices have been marked down.)

Take a peek and see!

Front Page!

2009-10-24T22:49:00.001-04:00

Time to put Jenna Belle Designs on the map!

Giveaway Announcement

2009-10-13T15:51:00.003-04:00

I have been feeling uninspired about posting here on the ol' blog, but was alerted to a blog giveaway that is offering something pretty unique and fantastic. Plus, I happen to love the artist, and while I already have several things she has made, I would love to win something in the give away. BUT, I don't want to be selfish, so I'm sharing.

This is what is being offered. Isn't it cute?! It's a sponge holder, with little drain holes so your sponge can dry out and doesn't get all nasty.

If you click on the picture, you'll go straight to the Ginpins shop on Etsy. And to enter the give away, you'll need to visit the Gifted Giveaways blog. Click on their name and it will take you right to the blog.

Good luck!

Weight Loss Wednesday -- A New Activity

2009-10-07T15:49:00.002-04:00

Today's meeting topic had to do with boredom... you know, if you eat grilled chicken all the time, you'll get bored, and then quit the program. Of course, before you started Weight Watchers (or any plan for that matter) you ate the same thing all the time, and you didn't get bored and stop eating, did you? Never mind. But there really are lots of great things to eat out there that aren't loaded with calories, so choose wisely.

You can also get bored with your activity, too. It's been around a long time, but why not try hula hooping? I just bought a sports hoop, and it seems like its going to be lots of fun.

Well, that's obviously not me... but who knows, in a week or two I could look just like her!

OK, probably not. And you can even buy your hula hoop on Etsy!! Check out hoola monsters or Full Circle Quirk and get yours today!

Road Trip: Nashville

2009-10-06T21:32:00.006-04:00

Nashville is a city I'm really starting to love, though honestly, I haven't seen that much of it. This past weekend was Parent's Weekend, so Roland and I hit the road Friday in the hopes of seeing Kyle, at least for a little while. We did see him in the afternoon, and then took him and his friend, William out for a great dinner.

Saturday, we knew Kyle would be sleeping late, so we found a great little neighborhood coffee shop, Sky Blue Coffee & Bistro, then after wandering around downtown a bit, we finally found the Ryman Auditorium & Museum. This was really for Roland who discovered that you could record your own CD, and in particular, one of his favorite songs, King of the Road. Once I can figure it out, I'll try to put in here, and you can hear him. He sounds pretty good, but one can really only hear that song so many times.

He's keeping his day job.

We managed to connect with Kyle at lunchtime... notice a theme? Then it was shopping because the poor boy only has 3 pairs of pants, and winter is coming. You gotta know that college boys just don't do laundry that often. Then if it's Saturday in the fall, that means college football, so it was back to the hotel room to watch the UGA-LSU game. We had to leave before it was over (turned out to be a good thing for these Bulldog fans) so that we could head to the Vanderbilt-Ole Miss game. Had a great time, but by the 4th quarter we had had enough.

We love college football. Didn't love this game.

Here's that food theme again... Sunday morning we picked Kyle up at his dorm for brunch, and then the grocery store for snacks for his room. And that was it. Had a great time, and it was nice to see him in his environment. The semester is going great for him, and we're thrilled.

Yep, we really did see the boy. Here's proof.

Avocado Update

2009-09-29T14:14:00.005-04:00

Changes are afoot here at Down the Street and we are branching out all over. Look over at the Etsy minis, and you can see I have a new shop, Jenna Belle Designs, which will be a specialty shop with only handbags and zipper pouches, with an emphasis on the luxury. More details will be coming soon, and I'll be having a "Grand Opening" so watch for that!

Closer to home, I thought it was time to give you an update on this story of my poor avocado plant. Click here to read the first installment. And if you don't want to click, here is the "before" picture:

Before

In late spring, I decided to take drastic measures. I replanted it outside in a much larger pot, and here's where it gets drastic. I took the garden shears and lopped about 6 inches or so off the top, leaves and all. We joked all summer about the stick planted in the pot because that was just how it looked. By the end of August, however, changes were afoot on the stick. Or rather, I noticed little leaf buds bulging out from the sides.

And now we have:

After

Much better, don't you think. I'll have to bring it inside for the winter, but I'm really excited about the extra leaves. I'm sure there's a moral here somewhere, but I'll leave that to y'all to figure out.

This is me...

2009-09-25T17:49:00.003-04:00

Etsy Blogger blog carnival time again, and this time the host, Stormy Designs, wants to see our faces. I'm not a fan of getting my picture taken, mostly because I don't seem recognize the woman in the pictures. Well, not true, I recognize her and she's my mother. Thank heavens for digital cameras though, and after tons of pictures, here I am:

Ignore the horrible background. A photographer I am not. I'm pretty transparent about what I am though, but just to refresh your memory... wife, mom of 2 almost grown-up children (well, ok, they're grown-up... 19 and 22), artist and Weight Watcher leader. I probably have a few more hats as well.

Since this "interview" is for Etsy though I'll elaborate a bit more about the artist hat. Really, what I do is sew, and I love to try all sorts of new techniques and projects. I got started when I was 13 and made clothes for myself, friends and family. I was also pretty much always involved in some sort of other needlearts kind of project like counted cross stitch. When I was 23 I made my first quilt, a queen size Lone Star design that I hand quilted. One of these days I'll take a picture of it and show y'all (oh, yeah, I'm from Texas).

When I was pregnant with my first child, I took a smocking class, and was thrilled when I had a baby girl and could really practice my new skills. You should see the adorable smocked outfits I made for my son, too. At least until his dad declared him too old for that kind of thing!

Along with way I've taken a French machine heirloom sewing class, made window treatments for every house we've lived in, including for 8 rooms in our current house, made more quilts (I machine quilt them now), made lots more clothes, and currently have 3 shops on Etsy.

About those shops... there's a reorganization underway, and I'll elaborate more in a future post. The most important news for the reorganization is that everything in my Elle Quilts shop is 25% until I move it to the Down the Street shop. Stay tuned for the Grand Opening of Jenna Belle Designs... the shop is opened now so drop by and check it out while I finish polishing the shelves and the banner.

Weight Loss Wednesday -- Goals

2009-09-23T15:42:00.003-04:00

What have you done about your weight loss plans this week? It seems we all want to lose weight, but our specific goals are often a bit fuzzy. That can be the problem to getting to our ultimate goal, of a thin, totally amazing self. I've got to weigh in next week, so my specific goal is to lose 1 pound by Friday, October 2. Seems doable.

The next step is to make a plan. My plan is to track my points every day, starting today. Hmmm, it's 3:45 and I haven't tracked anything yet, but the day is not over. That brings me to the final step... act on the plan. OK, then, better get busy. What DID I have for breakfast?

If you have a goal that you want to reach, make it specific, make a plan, and then, as they say in the movies, ACTION!

Those amazing Etsy artists can even help you with this one. Isn't this little chalkboard made by Mary Kate McDevitt adorable? Check out her shop. She has several versions of "mini goals chalkboards."

Featured Etsy Blogger -- Designs by Vanessa

2009-09-20T12:36:00.004-04:00

This month, the Etsy Bloggers Team is featuring Designs by Vanessa. She has a delightful shop with jewelry and paper goods, and has a self-professed obsession with the birds! Look what she does with that obsession though... such cute cards:

And an adorable necklace:

Besides being crafty, however, Vanessa has a fantastic blog! Take a look, because you will not be disappointed!

Weight Loss Wednesday -- Red Light Foods

2009-09-16T16:44:00.006-04:00

Stop! Before reading any further, as this post could be hazardous to anyone with food addiction. You know who you are, and you probably know what your food "crack" is. And yes, you've probably felt the need to lose a few pounds. You didn't gain those extra pounds by eating too much salad, or too many apples, did you?

What am I saying? That some foods we eat can be addicting? Well, I'm no scientist, so this hasn't been tested anywhere, but the Frito-Lay company knows that "No one can eat just one." Well, I can. But give me some fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, and all bets are off!

The key here is to recognize your red light food (or foods in the case of many), and make a conscious decision to avoid it while you're trying to shed those pounds. Do NOT BUY the cashew nuts! Or the Oreos! Or the kettle chips! You get the picture. Finding a substitute that temporarily works is a good idea. And Conscious Portion Control can work if you let it. But you also have to be realistic. Sometimes you're just going to give in. Don't beat yourself up about it, move on, and when you've finally lost the weight, you can add those foods back into your life (in moderation, of course). You might find that when you've lost the weight, the red light foods are no longer as powerful as they once were.

OK, you're saying... that wasn't so bad. Well, no, but look no further if you feel a bit out of control because the following Etsy sellers could be accused of aiding and abetting your addition. If looking can't hurt, then feast your eyes on these yummy treats. Click on the pictures at your own risk as clicking will lead you directly to the shop. Enjoy!

Bliss Candies

Meg's Creations

Worth a Fortune

Road Trip: Stone Mountain, Georgia

2009-09-14T15:53:00.005-04:00

Yesterday's road trip wasn't so much of a trip, as Stone Mountain is only about 25 minutes from our house, but somehow, in the 4 years of living in Atlanta, we've never made it there. Of course, as you can see by the picture, our destination was really the Yellow Daisy Festival. It's a huge craft festival with over 500 vendors from around the country, and it was high time we checked it out.

I was not disappointed. There won't be any pictures of the festival though (other than the one you see above) because posted ALL over were signs that pictures were not allowed. Obviously to protect the artists, which I totally understand. But I digress. The usual food was there in abundance, but we arrived after lunch, and a bottle of water was all that was purchased. What will power!

So. How were the crafts you ask? Well, it certainly ran the gamut, but suffice it to say, if you can make it, it was there. Several "repeat" booths, with vendors making virtually the same thing. Lots of hair bows, dog clothes, and picture mats that spelled something. Several booths with prints of original art and photographs. My favorite is always the pottery and we were not disappointed. I only bought one thing, a lovely pottery dish from a fellow Etsian and all around sweet girl, Charity. Another Etsy team member of mine told me to look her up and say "hi", and I was so glad that I did. Both of us were in agreement that we never would have believed that you could truly make good friends on the internet, yet that's exactly what happened. I seem to have subjects for several more posts, so I'll leave it at that.

Anyway, as is our usual fashion, Roland and I zoomed through the festival, probably making it through the whole thing in record time. I did manage to snap a couple of photos of the actual "stone mountain" which is the namesake of this park. The first is the mountain, and the second is an upclose of the carving of three Confederate heroes of the Civil War: Confederate President Jefferson Davis, General Robert E. Lee and Lt. General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. Hey, what can I say? It's the south.

(see the guy on the right in the white shirt... it's Roland!)

Next month (or maybe in November), I'm planning to hike to the top of the mountain with a friend of mine. It's apparently a pretty easy hike, no real "mountain climbing"! I'll let you know!

Product Review: Kristria Designs

2009-09-12T14:04:00.007-04:00

There are thousands of jewelry makers on Etsy, so it's hard to know which to buy from, but I have found some favorites. Today I'm reviewing the shop of my friend, Kristin, who is the genius behind Kristria Designs. If you see her around the forums, you'll know her by her user name, kmaylward.

I just know her as wonderfully creative. I'm a repeat customer, buying 2 pairs of earrings, a necklace and a bracelet from Kristin. Take a look:

I gave the necklace to my sister last year for Christmas, but was really tempted to keep it for myself. I just recently purchased those earrings and wear them all the time now. They are so light and comfortable, and are really very "neutral". The bracelet is sea glass, which I absolutely love. When I was in Maine 3 summers ago I purchased an earring and necklace set made from sea glass, and Kristin's bracelet goes with the set so perfectly.

When you look through Kristin's shop, she definitely has a "look" which is very earthy and grounded. The wire work is fabulous, and I love how she combines the wire work with stones and sea glass, or like my earrings, lets its beauty stand alone. Every now and then some color bounces out of her shop, and when I saw the next pair of earrings I knew just who to give them to! Take a look:

After wearing red and black for 4 years at the University of Georgia, daughter Laura now has to wear (on occasion) some University of Kentucky blue to support her fiance's school. These are perfect, and so unique.

Besides all the fabulous jewelry, everything in her shop is 20% off right now, so hurry over and check it out! You will not be sorry!

Kristin gets an A+ rating from me!

Weight Loss Wednesday -- Dining Out

2009-09-09T16:38:00.003-04:00

Is it really possible to eat out and still lose weight? That IS the question, isn't it! So many people eat out on a regular basis, that I hope the answer is yes. For those whose eating out habits are the norm instead of the exception, planning ahead, choosing wisely, watching portions, and really paying attention to hunger signals is the key. Of course, if you're following the Weight Watchers plan, then writing it all down is the biggest key!

Now what if you only eat out on special occasions. Well, the rules aren't that much different, but for me, they have to be a little relaxed. One meal will not derail the weight loss train, and life is too short not to celebrate now and then. So, did you see my last post about the road trip to Lexington? We celebrated, and I gained a pound, but I'm back on track and no more celebrating for a while.

While you're contemplating where to eat dinner tonight, enjoy this great photo from Etsy seller blueeyedbadger designs:

Road Trip: Lexington, Kentucky

2009-09-08T17:39:00.007-04:00

We hit the road for Labor Day weekend, heading north on I-75 to Lexington. Tomorrow is Laura's birthday, so we wanted to celebrate with her. It's always fun to watch anyone open their presents! We left Saturday morning and missed the dreaded holiday traffic, making it to our hotel in time to watch the UGA-OSU football game. When Laura and Thomas got home from the UK game in Cincinnati, we joined them at their apartment to watch the end of the game. Not the outcome we were hoping though.

Lexington, Kentucky is the horse capital of the world apparently, so Sunday morning after a fabulous breakfast at Alfalfa, we went in search of horses. They have plenty at the Kentucky Horse Park! Here's some:

A birthday dinner was in order, and Lexington delivered up a delicious one at Jonathon's at Gratz Park. It was delightful on the patio! The birthday girl and her fiance:

Walking back to our hotel, we saw the beautiful, twinkly blue lights in true Big Blue University of Kentucky spirit! So, as long as UK is not playing UGA, I can say it... Go Cats!

Labor Day traffic wasn't too horrible on the drive home. We look forward to our next trip!

Product Review -- Sagegold Soaps

2009-09-03T15:06:00.002-04:00

Next up for review is soap from one of Etsy's many soap makers, Sagegold Soaps. I've tried several different shops for their soaps, but keep coming back to Sagegold for several reasons.

Number 1 is that Kerry makes fabulous soap! But what sets her apart from other soapmakers and makes me go back and buy again and again?

One of the main reasons, and I have to confess is a bit superficial, is that it looks like "store bought". What I mean by that is, that I was having trouble convincing Roland, sweet corporate guy that he is, to try any handmade soaps. I'm not really what he objected too, but just couldn't do it. As you can see by my photo, the Sagegold soap comes wrapped in that nifty cellophane with a label, and looks like a bar of soap you might buy at the drugstore.

Kerry also has a wide selection of fragrances and many that I would consider unisex. Not too fruity or flowery, just good, clean scents. These also appealed to Roland, so now I buy her 4 bar set, choosing two scents for him, and two for me. I like mine a little on the fruity side. Her scents are also not overpowering, but just right.

The final reason that I keep coming back to Sagegold... my skin feels marvelous! The lather feels like silk, and you just know there is nothing harsh next to your skin. And when you dry off, that clean, smooth feeling stays with you. There is never a dry, tight feeling that you get with commercial soap.

Kerry only sells her soaps on Etsy, but I discovered that she has a website where she also sells lotions, insect repellent and lip balm as well as her soaps and other gifts. You will learn more about her and how she got started on both her Etsy site and her website. Go visit Sagegold! You won't be sorry you did!

My rating for Sagegold: A+

Weight Loss Wednesday

2009-09-02T14:15:00.010-04:00

I haven't done one of these in a while, but no time like the present! Weight Watchers is kicking off their Lose for Good campaign. Get all the details here:

www.loseforgood.com

While you're at it, click on these lovely items that are found in Etsy shops that donate all or part of their proceeds to worthwhile charities.

Do a search on Etsy for 'charity' and you will certainly find a seller that supports a cause that is near and dear to your heart.

Organizing, A Necessary Evil

2009-08-31T16:18:00.006-04:00

Ok, not the most exciting of topics, but it has to happen. You know when you walk in your studio, and then you just walk out because you are too overwhelmed with all the clutter and stuff. I know. There are TV shows devoted to the clean up of the clutter and the recipients are SO relieved!

Well, my studio isn't quite ready for a Clean Sweep, so to speak, but my scraps had gotten out of hand. I know. I can hear you now... scraps? Seriously? But any seamstress or quilter will totally understand. I mean, you might NEED that 5" piece of fabric for something, if for nothing else than to test a stitch. And do a search for scrappy quilts, and you will get tons of hits.

Here are the before pictures:

And the after:

You probably can't read the little labels, but I sorted by color and have 6 groups: white, black, red/pink, blue/purple, yellow/orange, and green/brown. In case you're wondering, yes, I did throw some stuff away!

Now I just need to find some inspiration and get to work!

Road Trip -- Watkinsville

2009-08-30T15:11:00.006-04:00

Yesterday was a gorgeous, hot day, and perfect for a little adventure. I had read about a pottery exhibition nearby, and convinced Roland that instead of hanging around the house, we needed to get out. I was just about over my empty nest depression!

Lunchtime saw us heading east toward Watkinsville, a little town just south of Athens. Quite a different drive this Saturday than in recent years when a September Saturday would see us all in red and black, ready to cheer on the Bulldogs. But I digress. Lunch was at a newish sub shop called Submarina, in a strip shopping center on Sugarloaf Parkway. The GPS was on the fritz, due to some unexpected falling off the window last weekend, but how hard can it be to find the Oconee County Arts Foundation building in Watkinsville.

Turns out, a bit harder than expected, but Roland's trusty Nokia phone with GPS got us there! There was 2 parts to this pottery exhibition, called Perspectives 2009: Georgia Pottery Invitational. The first we ventured into was this white building that indicated we would find a giant pottery sale!

Those people on the left were watching a pottery making demonstration. Inside, we found several aisles of treasures!

After roaming the aisles for awhile, and seeing lots of lovely pottery in different styles and techniques, but not buying anything, Roland discovered part 2. Turns out, there was a gallery exhibition as well in another, better airconditioned building. I don't have any pictures of that, but the same artists were represented, but the gallery appeared to show their best pieces. Some of those were for sale, but some were not.

All this pottery viewing left us quite thirsty, and since we were so close, we headed north about 8 miles into Athens. Seemed quite strange not to have anyone to visit (see post about daughter's graduation), but Athens does have a special place in our hearts anyway.

We stopped here, at The Grill, for a milkshake and a root beer float before heading back to Atlanta. Heading home after that, we decided more road trips will definitely be in our future (and not just trips to see football games)!

Product Review -- Frame Purse Making Kit

2009-08-27T16:26:00.004-04:00

I've read lots of interesting features on amazing Etsy artists, and seen lots of great pictures of items while browsing, but now and then I'd love to read about the actual product. So, here we go. Everything I review will be something that I have personally purchased and used.

My first product review is on the Frame Purse Making Kit sold by U-Handbag. There it is in the picture from her Etsy shop. It's so cute, and I've been dying to try to make this kind of clutch purse. I make other clutches, so it's not a stretch for me, but needed the basics.

First of all, fast shipping. I think it took just about a week to come from London to Atlanta. Everything you need is in the kit except thread and glue. The thread was not a problem. I'll get to the glue in a minute. I dove right in and made it the day it arrived.

Lisa's pattern is so easy to follow, and she herself describes it as "easy peasy". A couple of notes. Follow Step 1!! At least the part about reading all the way through. I've been sewing for over 30 years, so sometimes I take little short cuts, and this pattern was no diffeent. All went well until Step 10 and the gluing.

To start with, I didn't have the glue she recommended, but hey, I'm a crafter with glue. Got out the E6000 and even have a long pointy tip thing, but it seemed to be just too thick and didn't come out in a smooth line. Next up was Fabri-Tac, a glue that I highly endorse, and have used often in attaching trim to window treatments. But my bottle was not new, and the tip was cut a bit far down, making the hole a bit larger than desired.

Still, I'm impatient, and wanted to see the finished product, darn it! I forged ahead, mostly making do with the fabri-tac, but I had neglected to read the part about "working with one side of the purse at a time". Oops. Once I started to stuff the edge of the purse into the channel of the frame, well, it was a gluing nightmare. After getting it all over my fingers, and having it squish out around the edge, I did somehow manage to successfully insert the bag into the frame. Mind you, this has NOTHING whatsoever to do with the kit itself. Just a reminder that this kit maker knows what she's talking about!

Bottom line: If you enjoy sewing and trying new projects, this one is a very fun and satisfying one indeed. The fabric and frame included are high quality, leaving you with a wonderful finished product that closes with a satisfying snap. Here's my finished purse. Not too bad, but I need practice.

Besides buying U-Handbag products on Etsy, you can also purchase them via their website, U-Handbag.com, and check out her fun blog for more tutorials on making handbags.

My rating for the kit: A+

Back to School

2009-08-26T15:06:00.004-04:00

The Etsy Blogger Team's Blog Carnival is always so timely and topical, and this time is no different. What does back to school mean to me? For all those Etsy Bloggers with the young children heading off to elementary school, getting up early, making lunches, and mounds of homework... enjoy it if you can, because all too soon back to school will mean something totally different. Time flies is a saying that really is true!

My oldest graduated earlier this month, but my youngest is just starting his sophomore year in college. Back to school for us meant last minute packing, with nagging on my part, and declarations like "it will only take me an hour to pack all my stuff, mom" on my son's part. Shopping was kept at a minimum this year (unlike heading off to a freshman year) so that was good.

So, after a day's worth of packing (that was one LONG hour!!), last Saturday we headed north, spending the evening walking around campus, scouting out the new dorm, checking his mailbox for the coveted parking permit, and a last evening of bonding. OK, honestly, after dinner he met up with his friends that he hadn't seen in a couple of months, returning to the hotel room in the wee hours of the morning. We didn't even hear him come in, but about 2:45 a.m. I heard my husband shuffling around, and then a frantic, "have you heard from Kyle?" Um, no, I was sleeping, and my cellphone was somewhere in my purse across the room. But then, he said, "never mind, he's here sleeping." About 3 feet away on the sleeper sofa.

Sunday, after snagging a prime unloading spot by the dorm, we had a nice "free" hotel breakfast, and then the unpacking started. Kyle's dorm room is so small, that it's crowded with 2 people, downright uncomfortable with 3. He's so happy to be there, though.

Mama and her Baby Bird in his new nest

Since getting home, I have been wallowing around in our nest, which seems much too big for just the two of us, looking for birdies to take care of. I should snap out of it soon, and enjoy sleeping through the night again. Life is so much easier when you don't know what time they get home or what they've been doing!

August's Etsy Blogger -- Memories for Life Scrapbooks

2009-08-24T12:18:00.004-04:00

The featured blogger for Etsy Bloggers this month is Edi from Iowa. As you can guess by the title, she's makes scrapbooks for her shop, Memories for Life Scrapbooks. I love these unique word albums that she makes:

But I think my favorite albums are from her Simply Stunning collection. Here's a great one for all the memories you made this summer:

Edi is one busy girl, working as a machine operator while working on her MBA besides running her delightful Etsy shop and blogging. You can read more about her by clicking here, or (until August 31) on the Etsy Blogger Featured Blogger logo just to the right.

Where Have I Been?

2009-08-12T09:23:00.006-04:00

Added on Friday, Aug. 14: Just checked into the Etsy Bloggers message board and discovered this is one of the topics for the blog carnival! What luck!

Well, it seems that I am no longer grateful on a daily basis. Not so, dear friends, just haven't recorded anything here for what appears to be several weeks. I've been preoccupied with things out in the real world like daughter's graduation and party, and guests, and her move, and just all the other more mundane parts of life. My Etsy shops have been neglected as well, but a few lovely buyers have stopped in to both of them and I am truly grateful for them.

So, with all that busyness, some time in early July I decided we would need a vacation. After taking my mother and mother-in-law to the airport last week, 6 of us headed southeast to the Georgia coast. Specifically to St. Simon's Island. And we had a lovely time. Lots of pictures were taken, but here are a couple. The first is our view of the Atlantic Ocean from our condo balcony. The second is standing on the beach looking back at our condo. See the red swim trunks hanging from the balcony? That was ours!

Featured Etsy Blogger -- Miesmama

2009-07-20T16:37:00.004-04:00

I'm just going to pick right up where I left off. I know, I know... where are the three things I'm grateful for everyday. Well, my internet was out since last Thursday. True story. So I do have three things for today, but before I get to them, the Etsy Blogger Team's featured blogger is Becky, an upstate New York crafter that writes Miesmama, and runs her Etsy shop of the same name.

Her blog is really cute, and right now she's writing about the best things of summer, and I'm really enjoying it! She has great pictures. In her shop, you'll find lots of "handmade goodness". Things like felt pins, garlands and goodies for your hair and home. Here are two of my favorite things:

Tooth Fairy Pillow

Ouchless headbands adorned with
Cute Felt Flowers

OK, now for my three things:
1. Beautiful summer weather right now with cool mornings, sunny afternoons, and delightful evenings.
2. Anthony at Comcast.
3. Quiet.

The Evil Serger

2009-07-14T21:44:00.003-04:00

OK, everyone at Bernina, no freaking out! But you have to admit that sergers can be a wee bit intimidating, what with all the threads to be threaded. And when you pull open the little door at the bottom with the hooks and diagrams, and threading that is just not intuitive, well, it's enough to make just about anyone go running for cover.

So, I bring this up today, because I spent the better part of two hours trying to get mine back in good working shape after it started doing weird things a couple of days ago. The best plan would have been to get out the manual before I started, but it was (and remains) MIA. With no other choice, I boldly cut the threads, looked at the diagram, and rethreaded. Giant loopy stitches resulted, followed by cursing. I played around with the tension. Still giant loopy stitches. More cursing.

More looking for the manual. More cursing. Looked inside, and one line wasn't threaded right. Ack! Decided to rethread again. Then the lightbulb went off, and I changed the needles, too. Bingo! That was all it really needed.

That makes the three things I'm grateful for today:
1. Bernina, for making a top notch product, that really makes me think.
2. Simple solutions.
3. Napping. OK, that one doesn't really have anything to do with sergers, but naps are great, aren't they!

Recovering

2009-07-13T16:58:00.007-04:00

Or is it re-covering? Either way, I wanted to share this great project I've been involved with. My daughter may argue that it's really HER project, and it is. I'm more of the project manager/supervisor, and was the chief seamstress in charge. She and her fiance bought a dinette set off of Craig's List, but hated the practical, but ugly, salmon pink vinyl that adorned the chairs.

Nobody remembered to take a before
picture, but here are the remnants in the trash.

After a quick trip to the fabric store (she is The Decisive Bride, after all), they returned with enough fabric for one chair. After stripping off the old vinyl (not an easy job), I showed them how to measure and make a pattern for each piece. They did the cutting out and pinning, and I sewed the pieces together. As we progressed, the pinning, and therefore the sewing, got much more accurate!

Teamwork on the Pinning

And on the stapling.

Satisfied with the first chair, they returned to the store, and bought enough for the other 3. This past weekend, the pinning, sewing and re-stapling was in high gear, and the project is really almost done. I should add that they removed the pedestal stand, and Thomas has done all the repair work and repainting on those. He's taken most of the chairs back to Tennessee for final re-assembly.

This whole project has made me grateful for thriftiness, creativity, and willingness to jump right in and try something new!

One Almost Finished Chair

Happy Birthday, Roland!

2009-07-11T17:38:00.003-04:00

Today is Roland's 49th birthday, so I'm dedicating my three things to him! I'm so grateful that I was set up with him on a blind date almost 30 years ago! Wow, that sounds like a long time ago. I guess it really was. I'm so grateful that he asked me to marry him more than 26 years ago (we'll celebrate our 26th wedding anniversary in October). And, I am so grateful that he is such a wonderful father to our two children.

The picture of our happy family was taken last year at Kyle's high school graduation.

Introducing a New Blog...

2009-07-07T19:48:00.004-04:00

... and making it a part of my 3 things for today. You see, I am so grateful for the ambitiousness of my daughter. She is enjoying the planning of her own wedding so much, that she thinks she would love to be a part of the wedding industry in some way. To that end, she has started a blog, The Decisive Bride. It's a bit sparse now, but stay tuned!

Today, I'm also grateful for positive test results. Positive, as in, boy, this is good news! All my bloodwork from last week's physical is in the normal range, except for my cholesterol. It's slightly elevated, but the good kind of cholesterol is also high (which is good), so it all balances out and makes it just fine.

Finally, I'm grateful for water. We woke up to no water this morning. ACK! Of course we all had somewhere to be, and needed to take showers. Thankfully, it was back on by about 7:45, and we were off to the races. Living in a major metropolitan area, you just don't expect to not have water, and when it's back, you really are grateful!

Today's Three Things

2009-07-06T20:40:00.003-04:00

1. I'm grateful for ice cream. Just about any time, any place. Not any kind, because I do have my favorites, but I love low fat frozen yogurt just about as much as the full fat kind. And it's almost time for my nightly treat! Yum!

2. Netflix. I love that I put the DVDs in a list, and they show up in my mailbox, and then when I'm done, I drop them in a mailbox. No fuss, no muss. So far, only one snafu when Hotel for Dogs showed up unexpectedly. The nice Netflix customer service guy said I could go ahead and watch it, and I did, but really, I think skipping it might have been a better idea.

3. Great old situation comedies that have come out on DVD. Tonight (thank you, Netflix) we're watching WKRP in Cinncinnati that came out in 1978. So funny!

Sunday, July 5, 2009

2009-07-05T19:50:00.002-04:00

Three things for today:

1. I'm so grateful to know Joanna Adams, pastor of Morningside Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Georgia.

2. So grateful also that it rained today, which meant we didn't have to water our plants after a hot week without any rain.

3. And finally, grateful that the drought is over in Georgia and that we CAN water our plants if we need to. Of course, restrictions are still in place, at least for Fulton County. We can water on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays with our odd-numbered address. Click here for more info.

Happy Birthday, America!

2009-07-04T13:27:00.005-04:00

Photo by David McNally, USAG-Yongsan, June 23, 2008 and courtesy of U.S. Army

I am so grateful that I am an American! I love the 4th of July, and all the celebrations!

I am so grateful that the founding fathers had the foresight to sign the Declaration of Independence in the middle of the summer, so that our celebrations can be all those fun things like road races (congrats to all the local Peachtree Road Race runners), swimming parties, adventures at lakes and beaches, picnics and cookouts, and warm summer nights lying under the stars on a blanket watching the fireworks! I'm sure that's what they were thinking when they signed on July 4, 1776!

And finally, I'm grateful to my friend, Kila, of Go2Girl, for giving the Inventing Weddings blogger my name. I was featured today! Check it out at inventingweddings.blogspot.com.

Gotta Love a Sale!

2009-07-02T17:21:00.003-04:00

The three things start today with my love of sales and a shameless self promotion. I am always so grateful to find a great sale. I mean, you know that it could be last season's stuff, but who cares?! It's a deal. I'm offering just such a deal at Down the Street. I've added a huge clearance section with everything 25 to 50 percent off. My shop direction has evolved (that will be another post), and these items, while still great, are no longer part of my vision. My most hearted item is also in the sale, so enjoy. And shop!

Today, I'm also grateful for car repair shops that offer great customer service. Thanks, Phillip at Professional Automotive Repair.

And the third thing I'm grateful for is great writers. I love to read, and don't do it quite as often as I'd like, but thanks Stieg Larsson for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. My current read. And it's quite a page turner, keeping me up past my bedtime.

Summer's Top Five List

2009-07-01T09:21:00.004-04:00

It's the Etsy Blogger team's Blog Carnival time again, and it goes so well with my new gratefulness series! This Carnival is exploring either your favorite summer recipe (I'm not a big cook, so you're out of luck on that one), or the five things you love about summer. And I do LOVE summer, and on top of that I'm always so grateful when it arrives, so you guessed it... my 3 things I'm grateful for become the 5 things I love about summer today. Here goes:

1. The Heat! Yes, you read that right. I love living in the south where it starts getting warmer in March, and stays warm through October or so. And in the middle... summer... it's downright hot! OK, sometimes the humidity can be annoying, but that's what air conditioning is for.

2. The carefree days. OK, well, yes, I'm an adult, so my days are not really all that carefree, but it's more of an attitude about summer that lends itself to less frenzy and more relaxing.

3. Grilling and eating outside. I know. You can grill anytime, but there is something about cooking out in the summer that is less about cooking, and more about an event. Plus, it keeps your kitchen nice and cool.

4. Summer thunderstorms. I love the way that the heat builds up all day, and come late afternoon, the giant clouds roll in, thunder and lightning ensue and when it's all over the air feels so fresh and clean.

5. The beach. Really, any vacation, but there is nothing like the hot sand and the cool surf to soothe the soul. So load up your beach bag, and hit the road!

Have a marvelous and safe summer!

Monday, June 29, 2009

2009-06-29T20:39:00.002-04:00

Three things I'm grateful for today:

1. my personal trainer, Kathy. She makes me push way harder than I would working out on my own, and my body is that much stronger for it.

2. gas grills. Grilling out is such an easy way to cook, and the kitchen stays cool and reasonably clean. It was grilled chicken tonight. Yum!

3. Etsy, for giving a chance to stretch my creativity, and really work on my selling and marketing skills, which are mediocre at best.

Three Things

2009-06-28T18:26:00.004-04:00

A blog confession. I am not really a great blogger. I don't seem to have the will or stamina or drive to keep at it, and make it fresh and lively and exciting. Yet, I can't seem to let it go. For now, I'm going to attempt to catalog 3 things every day that I'm grateful for. Not original, I know. Probably not that ambitious either, as I've seen other suggestions to list at least 5 things. But, hey, I'm starting slow and we'll see where this takes us as an exercise. Some days, that will be the extent of the entry. Other days the focus will be on another topic, but will end with the three things. That's it. No other rules. Let's get started.

Three things I'm grateful for on Sunday, June 28, 2009:

1. A husband that gives his heart and soul to everything he does.

2. Second (and third, fourth, fifth, etc.) chances.

3. My ripening tomato.

Featured Etsy Blogger: LazyTCrochet

2009-06-24T09:36:00.004-04:00

Meet Tricia, the yarn goddess behind Lazy T Crochet, this month's featured Etsy Blogger. She creates knit and crochet fashions and accessories like wearable shawls, shrugs, sweaters and also one of a kind designs like hats, headbands, scarves. I also noticed a couple of patterns in her shop in PDF format, so if you are a knitter or crocheter, check these out!

Here are a couple of my favorites from her shop:

So summery!

Gorgeous color!

She currently has quite a large sale section as well. Interested in learning more about Tricia? Visit her blog, after you shop!

Summer Plans

2009-06-05T12:44:00.004-04:00

It's Blog Carnival time again over at Etsy Bloggers, and a big oops from me, because I somehow let May get away from me without participating. So sorry fellow bloggers.

Anyway, the topic I've chosen for this carnival is summer plans. I love summer. I love the hot weather, and I love the lazy, relaxed feel of summer even when we aren't really able to be lazy or relaxed. This year we have no vacations planned, but hopefully that won't stop us from being spontaneous and having a fun weekend away somewhere. In fact, we do have an overnight stay in Chattanooga planned later this month when we head up there to meet our daughter, Laura's future in-laws (and they meet us).

Which brings us to what seems to be consuming our summer for now. Wedding plans. Laura is doing a lot of the planning now since she'll be moving from Atlanta (where the wedding will be happening on this very day next year) to Lexington, Kentucky. None of her bridesmaids live in Atlanta right now, though, so I'm doing a lot of these things with her. With the wedding so far away, planning has been relaxed and going smoothly so far.

I'm also doing a lot of sewing, and will try to improve on my posting about works in progress, plus news and features on my Etsy friends (no promises though... this blogging stuff is work!).

Several of my friends on the list over there of One a Day Challenge members make beautiful wedding jewelry, but I think that Fen, of Bead Flora Jewels may take the (wedding) cake with the weddingist of all... a French beaded bouquet. Feast your eyes on this beautiful creation:

Jenna Bee Behm

2009-05-19T16:41:00.004-04:00

June 26, 1998 -- May 15, 2009

Check out Quiltsy's May Daze!

2009-05-08T10:37:00.001-04:00

The Quiltsy
Etsy Street Team Presents:

May Daze!

May 10 -16, 2009

Play our game during May Daze and you could
win one of these fabulous prizes!

STOP TO PLAY, STAY TO BUY

Has the long, cold winter left you in a daze? Well, Quiltsy
is celebrating the coming of spring in a big way, with an assortment of prizes
worth $350!!

Our May Daze promotion is sure to waken your adventurous spirit
with a lively game of hide & seek through participating shops. While the
game is being hosted, you will also be treated to special promotions offered
by each shop which can range from free shipping, to free gifts and/or discounts.
Winners of our game will receive prizes from among our most popular-selling
items.

Quiltsy Team members are quite a creative bunch, and you will
find within the items for sale new twists on traditional quilts, as well as
other delightful items in the fiber arts arena.

HOW TO PLAY

Your objective is to find the secret letters hidden within
listings of participating shops. These letters will be placed in one of the
4 alternate pictures in a listing of the seller's choosing.

There are SIX words in total, and 35 shops. The letters
that belong in the same word will be the same color to help you unscramble.

The letters will be hidden in a quilt-related item; the
seller may opt to give a clue, so be sure to read the shop intro!

Once you have located all the pictures, unscramble the
matching letters to form a quilt related word/phrase.

Send your answer in a convo to QuiltsyTeam.
(You will need to sign in to Etsy). Please include the words "May Daze"
in the subject line.

For each correct answer, you will get an entry to win one of six prize packages.
The number of prizes in your package is determined by the length of the word.
So for example, if you unscrambled the word "lotion", and your name
is drawn from the correct entries, you would win six prizes!

We encourage you to buy from participating shops, but there
is no purchase necessary to enter or win.

Winners will be drawn from among the correct answers received.
Winners will receive notification of their winning entry by May 25, 2009.
You will be asked to provide your shipping address at that time.

Your prizes will be shipped direct to you from the shop
giving the prize. This is great because you will get little surprises in your
mailbox over several days. How fun!

RESTRICTIONS

No Quiltsy Team members or their families may play.

Drawing only valid for correct answers received between
12:00 AM EST May 10 through 11:59 PM EST May 16, 2009

Only one entry per user per word. So you cannot submit
"lotion" over and over; but you could submit "lotion"
and "soap" to get two entries.

We sincerely hope you enjoy our May Daze promotion! Good
luck!

LIST OF PARTICIPATING SHOPS

Please visit QuiltsyTeam.etsy.com
for the complete list of shops and to play the game!!!

Remember: you are looking for letters like this in one of the images of a
listed item in their shops!

Written by LoveBug
Studios. Letter image provided by ForQuiltsSake.
Prize photos submitted by participating shops.

Featured Etsy Blogger -- Two Zany Zebras

2009-04-29T20:32:00.004-04:00

Well, if you had happened upon my blog, then you might have seen that this month's featured Etsy Blogger is Two Zany Zebras. Clicking on the link will take you right to her blog. Who is she? She is a stay at home mom in southern California living in an apparently crazy, wacky, zany world!

In her Etsy shop you will find adorable, and, of course, zany items like this:

which is not all that zany, and this:

which is!!

My Dream Space

2009-04-24T12:06:00.005-04:00

This month's blog carnival topics had to do with either gardening (try very hard not to do any of this... love flowers... hate the gardening) or my dream space for working. I have decided to share my dream space, and while I did a post on this last year, I do have some new readers.

I have to confess that I'm a lucky girl and already have my dream space! The only thing that could make it better would be more windows, but since I'm in a walkout basement that won't ever happen. So, what does my space look like? Here's a photo of the sewing area:

It looks a little different right now because I've moved the printer on the right to a spot next to our family desktop computer to make it network friendly. If you were standing there looking at the sewing machine, and turned around, you would see a queen size bed. This room doubles as a guest room. It also has a TV which is nice to have on while I'm sewing, though I usually sew in silence.

Ok. Now you're looking at the sewing machine again and you see a door that leads into the space you see above. It's a large area with a concrete floor, and lots of storage shelves for the house. I've basically taken it over, laid some carpet remnants and built this awesome craft table. You can read about how it's made by clicking here.

I did discover that the plastic bins you see on the left didn't really work as fabric storage, and I'm in the process of revamping that system. I've sorted and folded by fabrics by color, and once I'm done I'll post a picture of how it looks now.

So, like I said, windows would be nice, but nobody bothers me down here, and I really have lots of space, so I can't complain!

Quilting Confessions

2009-04-14T20:37:00.004-04:00

Ok, I confess, I haven't really made that many quilts. And I hadn't bought a jelly roll until last month. I made my first quilt in, um, 1984. It was a queen size lone star quilt, that I hand quilted. I made at least 3 more quilts that were also hand quilted. And then I stopped, because hand quilting just took so darn long.

But I love quilts, and love the piecing and the design, so I've gotten back into it. But I'm a planner and a matcher. I first stepped out of my comfort zone with my Sunburst quilted wall hanging that I strip pieced. And with the jelly roll (so yummy), I had to throw matching to the wind.

What's a jelly roll, you ask? Well, it's a collection of fabrics, all cut in 2-1/2" wide strips across the width of the fabric (42-44" long). The one I bought had 30 or so fabric strips, and no two were the same. I planned my design, but I had to just trust the colors to find their place. Full disclosure: I bought a book with patterns using jelly rolls, but I can't find it, so my design is based on one in the book, but is probably not exactly like it. And I'm making a table runner instead of a full size quilt.

The picture shows my first 4 blocks, and the part of the jelly roll that's left. Only 4 more, but with a twist, if that's possible. You'll have to wait and see. I'm pretty happy with my fabric combinations, and hope when they're all put together they have a real Bohemian effect.

More confessions to come...

One a Day Challenge Anniversary Sale

2009-04-11T09:49:00.004-04:00

How fast a year goes by! It's the one year anniversary of a group I belong to on Etsy that calls themselves the Challengettes. So sit down in your favorite chair with your cozy quilt and check it out!

I'm offering 20% off everything in the Down the Street shop. In Elle Quilts, if you buy 1 item it is 10% off, 2 items is 15% off, and 3 or more items are 20% off.

Chrissy of Bittersweeets got us going last year on April 16 with the challenge to list one item every day for a month. Well, everything just clicked and we didn't want it to end, so here we are one year later. Have we all kept up that grueling pace? Not really, but we do what we can, have become great friends, and support each other through all the trials and tribulations that life throws at us, happy or sad.

We are almost all participating, so if you scroll down to the One a Day Challenge member list in the left side panel you will find links to all our shops. Or simply search dailychallenge. Check them out!

Featured Etsy Blogger

2009-03-29T17:18:00.004-04:00

This month's featured Etsy Blogger is Nora of Design by Nora. She is a California girl that loves to make jewelry. Right now you'll find these adorable polymer clay earrings in her shop. They are perfect for spring!

Nora also lists leather and faux leather handbags made by her uncle, Naz. These are fabulous, and here is just one of them:

If you want to learn even more about Nora, you'll have to read her blog! Until the end of March you can click on the big featured Etsy Blogger link in the right column to get there. After March, you'll find her blog here.

Needle vs. Safety Pin

2009-03-24T20:33:00.005-04:00

Have you ever been backing up and heard a sickening crunch? The sound that makes you curse... out loud unless there are kids in the car. I heard it today while I was sewing! Immediately everything came to a screeching halt. I had been quilting with my BSR (Bernina stitch regulator foot) on, and was blithely meandering along when the crunch happened. The quilt in question had been basted with safety pins.

The needle was pulled out of the machine, and I could see that I had hit the safety pin. As I disentangled the thread and metal, I realized that the needle had won! It had gone cleanly and completely through the head of the safety pin!

Here's a peek at the quilt. It's lap size, and has been a lot of fun quilting in spite of the needle/safety pin battle. And now, I've run out of thread. This is the largest quilt I've made in the long time, and the largest one I've ever machine quilted, and I'm pretty pleased with the way it's turning out. I hope to have it in the sho p by the end of the weekend.

Did you know....

2009-03-21T12:01:00.005-04:00

that it's time for an Etsybloggers blog carnival post again? The topic I've chosen this time is a "did you know... that March is:

* Irish American Month
* Music in Our Schools Month
* National Craft Month
* National Frozen Food Month
* National Irish American Heritage Month- designated by Congress in 1995.
* National Nutrition Month
* National Peanut Month
* National Women's History Month
* Poetry Month
* Red Cross Month
* Social Workers Month

and we're being asked which one means the most to us, why, and how do we celebrate.

I'm going to tackle a few here, in no particular order.

Music in the Schools Month means so much to me because both my children were active participants in music. Kyle played the piano and the trumpet, keeping up with trumpet until he graduated from high school. Laura played the piano in elementary school, and has played the clarinet since 6th grade. She is graduating in August from the University of Georgia, after having played in the marching band for 4 years, and in concert bands every spring. AND, she's not a music major, but has found that music has enriched her life in so many ways, including introducing her to her boyfriend.

She's somewhere in this picture!

National Peanut Month means a lot to me because I live in the state of Georgia, and the recent salmonella tragedy that originated in a peanut processing plant here, has hurt so many of the other Georgia peanut farmers and peanut plants. Shame on the Peanut Corp. of America.

National Nutrition Month also means a lot to me because I'm a Weight Watchers leader, and encourage healthy eating as a part of my job. I am going to mention it next week at my meetings when we discuss making eating out fit in our lives.

And finally, National Craft Month means so much because it is a part of my identity. That is what I do, and I celebrate that everyday, all year long, and encourage others to find their artistic selves through arts and crafts. Today, March 21, is also National Quilting Day, and currently, I am focusing on making quilts. There is just something about putting scraps of fabric together in a pattern that is so satisfying, and I find I'm enjoying it more and more.

A quilt made by my Mom (available in my shop, click on the picture)

Almost forgot, National Women's History Month because, well, I AM a woman.

March is especially rich in honoring things that mean a lot to me, but I have a sneaking suspicion that every month has something or someone to honor.

Weight Loss Wednesday

2009-03-18T09:23:00.002-04:00

Food can fill our stomachs.
It cannot fill our souls.

Food can nourish our bodies.
It cannot nourish our hearts and minds.

Food can make our taste buds happy.
It cannot make us happy.

Food can give momentary pleasure.
It cannot give lasting pleasure.

Food can distract us from our pain.
It cannot take away our pain.

Food can be controlled.
It does not control us.

Food serves a purpose.
It does not give us purpose.
~Author Unknown

It's Finished!

2009-03-13T20:37:00.003-04:00

The Sunburst quilt is finished and I opted for the wall hanging. It's about 45" square and has a hanging sleeve on the back to make it easy to hang.

What's a hanging sleeve you ask? That's a fancy term for a pocket on the back. Slide a dowel through the sleeve/pocket and rest it on nails or a screw in the wall or even a hook. The dowel supports the weight of the quilt so over time, you don't end up with odd stretched places. The larger the quilt, the more important a hanging device like the sleeve becomes. If possible, it is even advisable to rotate a quilt, though not all designs allow for that.

Click on the picture to head over to the listing on etsy. There you'll see more pictures. I hope you like it.

What I'm Working On

2009-03-08T20:44:00.002-04:00

I'm a member of the Quiltsy Team on Etsy, and though I've been a member for awhile, I've only just really gotten involved. Well, I missed out on the string swap block, but saved the link for the instructions and gave it a try! It's so much fun! The really fun part is there really is no planning, so it's very liberating for a real planner like me! I did plan a little bit, with the color selection, and I gave it a "sunny" theme.

Now all I really have to decide is the borders. I'm leaning toward just a white border all around. My other thought is white all around, plus a couple of pink borders on the bottom to make it a rectangle lap quilt instead of just a square wall hanging. If you have an opinion, please feel free to leave me a comment!

Weight Loss Thursday

2009-03-05T17:07:00.005-05:00

My goal of a post every Wednesday, well, you can see that isn't always happening! But, it is on my mind, especially with my two Weight Watcher meetings on Wednesday. Next week's meeting topic is exercise, and I'm getting a jump on it here with a dedication to running. Love it or hate it, it burns a lot of calories, and it's one cardio exercise, that I do kind of like in a perverse sort of way.

I've been pretty consistent with at least twice a week strength training, and it has done wonders for maintaining my weight. The cardio portion was sorely lacking though, and my goal now is to run at least twice a week. Three times would be great, but many weeks, unrealistic for me. To encourage myself, you can peek over to the right column and see the Log My Run gadget. Yep, it's keeping me honest, and encouraging me to speed it up to overcome an embarrassingly slow pace. In my defense, there are some pretty wicked hills in my neighborhood.

The bottom line however, is whether you are maintaining your weight, or trying to lose, exercise is going to be an important tool in making that happen.

To celebrate running, I want to introduce you to First Light Glass over on Etsy. Dawn makes fused glass art and jewelry. Take a look at these adorable pendants. I'm afraid I may look more like the chicken, but I'd love to be as fast as a jackrabbit one of these days.

Free Range Chicken

Easter is on it's way

Happy running!!

March Madness

2009-03-03T16:10:00.007-05:00

It's March and time for the madness to begin. And no, I don't mean basketball. I mean it's time for a sale. If you don't read any farther than this, by clicking on the pictures or shop names, you will enter that fabulous shop and the great world of Etsy.

I'm having a sale in both of my shops, Down the Street Creations and Elle Quilts, and basically the sale is the same for both. I'm offering 15% off of everything in each shop. A bonus of free shipping anywhere in the world if you spend more than $10.00. So, for all those destash items, and low cost buttons, buy more and get free shipping! What a deal! The prices are not marked down, but I will refund through paypal, or send a revised invoice if you don't pay right away.

Dogs Saying Take My Picture Wall Hanging Quilt by Down the Street

Red Textured Vintage Buttons at Elle Quilts

Some of my friends have gone mad, too. Check out Onc e Upon a Rock, jewelry made by fellow Challengette Jessica. Her style might be called quirky romance and you'll find beautiful necklaces, earrings and bracelets. The prices are already marked down 10 to 20% so there is no refund or waiting for an invoice. Shop away!

Invitation -- pearl and lapis lazuli earrings by Once Upon a Rock

You'll also want to visit my friend and fellow Challengette Kristin's shop, Kristria Designs. In her own words, she considers her style "unique and earthy" and I would have to add amazing! Her sale is the same as mine (though I have to confess I got the idea from her), 15% off everything in her shop. Prices are not marked down and she, too, will refund via paypal.

Sunshine in Copper earthy copper necklace by Kristria Designs

Finally, I want to introduce you to my newest friend and fellow member of the Etsy Quiltsy Team. It's Beth, the creator behind Berry Blue Creations. Beth makes one of a kind bags, pillows and cloth art dolls, often recycling fabric from a previous use. When you visit Berry Blue, make sure to read Beth's bio page and learn more about this fascinating artist. For Beth's March sale, celebrating her one year Etsy-versary, everything in her shop is $10! Shipping to all U.S. locations is $3, and if you spend more than $20 you will get a free item as well. Make sure you read her shop announcement carefully to take advantage of that offer.

Meet Lenny Lizard who used to be a Victoria's Secret robe! by Berry Blue Creations

SNOW!

2009-03-01T20:05:00.005-05:00

If I had to guess, a huge percentage of bloggers across the southeast area writing about the snow. We moved to Atlanta 3-1/2 years ago and today was the first time we've had any kind of winter "event". And... it's March!!

So, yes, it Snowed today in Atlanta, and across the southeast. And for me, it was the best kind of snow. The kind that did not involve any shoveling! Here are a couple of pictures, offered as proof.

I wish that the camera would capture the size of the snowflakes, but they were huge... big, fat, wet flakes. Should be lots warmer by the end of the week!

Etsybloggers Featured Blogger -- Donna Pool

2009-02-24T18:40:00.005-05:00

The month of February features Donna Pool as its featured Etsy Blogger. Donna is a stay at home mom who used to work as a freelance photographer. She puts that skill to good use in making her custom buttons. Aren't these kittys cute?! She also sells cards, ACEOs, photographs, and the most adorable puzzle balls and teddy bears.

You can read all about the making of a teddy bear in her latest blog post.

Looking for New Blogs?

2009-02-16T17:50:00.003-05:00

Are you looking to kill even MORE time on the internet? Check out some of the blogs listed here in this edition of Etsybloggers Blog Carnival. You'll find interesting Valentine stories and some great tutorials (including yours truly's zipper tutorial).

You'll find the whole list posted here in Melissa's blog (Rainy Day Arts). Click on the link here. You won't be disappointed!

Get to Know a Quilter... WarmnFuzzies

2009-02-13T11:51:00.006-05:00

As you may have guessed by the name of one of my shops, Elle Quilts, that I do have a thing for quilts. There's news about that shop, but it will have to wait for another post. One of the problems that I think quilters have in selling their quilts and other quilted items is that the general public really has no idea what goes into the making of a quilt, and the talent and skills necessary to make a quilt. Really, how hard can it be? Sew some fabric pieces together, do a little stitching on the outside and, bam, you've got a quilt.

I'd like to introduce you to some quilters, and some quilt techniqes and designs in my new "Get to Know a Quilter" and "Get to Know Quilts" series.

First up, Tiffany of Warm 'n Fuzzies. By the way, she's the one to contact if you make quilts and want to join the Quiltsy Team on Etsy. Tiffany first learned her basic sewing skills in 4-H when she was 10 years old. This stay-at-home mom of two boys, has been quilting for almost 15 years now, since my oldest son was born. She is entirely self-taught, never having taken a quilting class. She watches quilting shows, buys books and searches the internet. Have you ever seen an Amish quilt? Tiffany had always admired the Amish and their quilts, but couldn't afford to purchase one. She bought a sampler quilt quilting book and taught herself.

She says, "My very first quilt was completely done by hand and I recommend that everyone learn that way because it is very accurate when pieced. I used cardboard templates and scissors. The first person I showed it to, when it was finished, was a veteran quilter and she could not believe it was my first quilt and that I had never taken a class. Now it sits at the bottom of a stack of quilts because the colors are so 80's and it doesn't go with anything else in my house."

Tiffany and I share an interest in the Cathedral Window quilts. This is a unique quilt style that does not have what you might consider traditional quilting. Tiffany describes it well when she says, "They remind me of origami with all the folding." I've made one block, and decided I didn't have the patience. However, Tiffany has made many, many blocks, and turns them into gorgeous pillows in her shop.

Not a style that many people might choose, Tiffany has modernized it for her pillow covers, removing the traditional ruffle, and using beautiful batik fabrics. Her covers are made entirely by hand, though she has begun using some machine stitching to connect the squares. I've included this close up photo of one of her pillows. All the stitching that is done around the colored squares is done by hand. She estimates that it takes about 7 to 9 hours to complete one 18" pillow cover. One great thing about the cathedral window style is that it is a great take along project because it is done by hand. Her pillow covers are supposed to be in a how to book that will come out next year.

Tiffany doesn't limit herself to just this one style, however. Visit her shop and you'll see that she also makes other traditional quilts, many for babies (like the one pictured here). You'll also find market bags, and pot holders, and she also takes custom orders.

The "Weight Loss" Wednesday Before Valentine's Day

2009-02-11T16:23:00.013-05:00

Think of Valentine's Day and you might thing of a big heart filled with decadent chocolates! In honor of that delightful thought, here are a few no-cal goodies for you to feast your eyes on (all courtesy of my One a Day Challenge friends... do an Etsy search for "dailychallenge" to see all they have to offer).

P.S. Click on the picture and go directly to the item. Click on the shop name, and browse the whole shop!

A Fine Distraction

Cricket's Creations

Ophelia's Apothecary

Down the Street Creations

iWunder

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Fires in Australia

2009-02-09T17:16:00.002-05:00

It is all over the news, but I wanted to do my little part, just in case one or two of you may have missed it. Perhaps you know someone from Australia, or who lives there. I have friends from my Prague days that live near Melbourne, and while I haven't yet heard from them, I hope they are safe. I also have an Etsy friend, Kylie of Early Bird Creations, who is understandably quite concerned about this disaster.

An Etsy shop has opened to raise money to help, OzBushfireAppeal. If you are an Etsy seller, consider donating an item and/or just do some shopping. If you are an Etsy buyer, head on over to do some shopping.

You can also visit the Victorian Bushfires Support site here, and find other ways that you can help.

Our hearts and prayers go out to all the victims and firefighters, and indeed the whole country of Australia.

Zipper Tutorial

2009-02-05T14:36:00.010-05:00

I've been meaning to post this tutorial for several months now, and what great incentive to see that one of the blog carnival topics is to post just such a tutorial. The pictures really say a thousand words, so I will try to keep the extra reading to a minimum.

This technique explains how to insert a zipper into a single piece of fabric, and is often used for pockets in handbags, diaper bags, totes, etc. I use it for a pocket in my custom vendor apron, and it is very quick and easy!

The width of your fabric should be about 1-in. wider than your zipper length. The length can really be whatever fits your project. I'm using a 7-in. zipper, and my fabric is 8-in. wide, and 8-1/2-in. long. I have also used a lightweight iron-on interfacing to give my fabric more stability. You will choose the appropriate interfacing for your fabric.

My line is 1-1/2-in. down from the top, and there is about 1/2-in. on either side.

Carefully cut on the line, and your triangles. Fold the triangles back, and the long edges about 1/4-in. and press.

From the right side of the fabric, pin your zipper to the wrong side. (That definitely needs the picture!) You want to make sure that the zipper pull is completely free, and that you will not sew over the zipper stop on the other end. Using your zipper foot, start sewing on the end, turning the corners, and keeping the zipper foot even with the edge of the fabric fold. Remove the pins as you go. I like to back up a couple times on each end to reinforce the stitching.

Once you've sewn around all four sides, you're done!

A view of the inside.

This pocket is ready! I think it took me longer to write the post, then to do a zipper installation in this manner.

If you have any questions about this, please feel free to ask in the comments!

Weight Loss Wednesday

2009-02-04T16:02:00.004-05:00

Today I want to mention something that is so important to life. Forget losing weight. It's so important just to get enough liquids into your body. It makes everything work so much better. Will it make you lose weight if you drink lots of water? Not directly, but it certainly can't hurt. And now, Weight Watchers has decided that it doesn't even have to be water that you drink... just drink something. At least 6 8-oz. glasses of something. Of course water is always your best bet for hydrating, but if you just can't swallow it, than anything. Oh, except anything with alcohol in it. Alcohol can do a lot of things for your body, but it won't help to hydrate it.

While you are conditioning your body on the inside with lots of liquids, think about conditioning it on the outside with some of Ophelia's Apoth.e.cary's wonderful Deeply Conditioning Body Butter in a lovely Tranquil Waters scent.

CPSIA Blog In

2009-01-28T09:24:00.003-05:00

I'm participating in the CPSIA Blog In today, and have not actually written this informative post myself (for full disclosure). It has been penned by Winklepots and Chichiboulie.

As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.

Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.

The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.

How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:

To the Parents of Young Students:
Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.

To the Avid Reader:
Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.
Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322

To the Lover of All Things Handmade:
Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.

To the Environmentalist:
Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.

To the Second-Hand Shopper:
Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.

To the Entrepreneur:
Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.

To the Antique Toy Collector:
Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html

To the American Economy:
Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.

To the Worldwide Economy:
Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.

If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html

Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.

Weight Loss Tuesday

2009-01-27T18:16:00.005-05:00

Yep, Weight Loss Wednesday is appearing a day early (or six days late) because tomorrow I'm participating in a blog-in regarding the CPSIA. You'll be able to read all the details about it then so I'll move on to our weight loss topic for this week.

Ok, ok, I missed last week! The 2 Weight Watchers meetings I lead on Wednesday are part of WW's corporate solutions, meaning companies contract ww to send a leader to their office for a set number of weeks. Well, when it's the first week, it's pretty chaotic with a ton of paperwork.

So, last week we were talking about what are you really hungry for. You know, like when you head to the kitchen for something (anything), but you're not really hungry. The trick is to take a minute to consciously recognize those times, and assess whether you ARE hungry. I've been doing this a long time, and it's still hard for me. I'm sure this topic will come up again.

I have a new Etsy friend, Almay, of AlmayAldayDesigns. She found me through the blog and is currently attending Weight Watchers and having great success. She makes adorable cards... is this what you're hungry for?!!

Maybe not, but the card is really cute!

This week's topic is about setting winning outcomes. It is so important to set small goals when it comes to weight loss. Start with the first 5 pounds, making sure you drink plenty of liquids, counting your points, beginning to be more active. Well, you might not want to do all of that at once, but take the whole process in baby steps. Before you know it you'll be saying,

and noticing that you're looking slimmer!

Remember the Chinese proverb... A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step.

Etsy Bloggers Featured Blogger

2009-01-26T18:14:00.006-05:00

January's featured Etsy Blogger is Ruthie from Rose Works Jewelry. Ruthie makes fun, beautiful AND affordable jewelry. She's been making jewelry since she was a teenager. Some of my favorites are these bracelets, and the woven earrings.

Besides making jewelry, Ruthie has been writing an interesting series on other selling venues in her blog.

The Avocado Plant

2009-01-20T21:20:00.000-05:00

My plant needs help! And I'm turning to the blogging world for that help. This spindly avocado tree was started a couple of years ago from the pit inside the avocado (duh). I had tried any number of times to grow a tree this way, but never had the patience. This time, miraculously I waited, and waited. Lo and behold, a tree grew. I water it, keep it next to a big sunny window, and that's about it.

So, is there a way to make it look bushier, or better? Maybe have more than 6 leaves? Once all the leaves fell off. I think there were only five then, so minimal raking was needed.

The Business of Business

2009-01-17T20:07:00.003-05:00

Oh, that title looks so impressive. But like the proverbial ostrich with its head in the sand, I have not updated my business plan for 2009. To be honest, I don't even have one to update. At the beginning of the year, I was directed to Jessica's blog, and her oh, so simple outline for a plan. Just 6 items to decide upon. Here goes.

GOALS. My main goal is to find my niche. If that sounds vague, well, it probably is, but that's all I got.

PRODUCTS. See GOALS. That was flip, but I have discovered that making children's clothes without an adorable model didn't work, and what with the uncertainty of CPSIA that turned out to be a good thing. Narrowing in on the product niche for Down the Street, but still experimenting in the Elle Quilts shop.

VENUES. One online venue is about all I can handle and still get anything made, so that's decided. As for offline, I haven't dipped my toes in the craft/art show venue idea yet, but it is a possibility. Consignment and wholesale are probably not due to the kinds of things I make and the time it takes to make them.

MARKETING & PROMOTION (and ADVERTISING). The recently available Google Analytics for Etsy shop owners will hopefully help with this. So far, none of the paid advertising I've tried has resulted in even one sale. Does that mean it's out? No, but I need to do more research and/or evaluation. Right now, I'm promoting on through the Etsy forums, twitter, flickr (minimally), and word of mouth.

PRICING & BUDGETING. At this point, I'm pretty happy with my pricing. Sewing (and in particular, quilting) is difficult to price by hours because it really takes so long. I have in mind a blog post series on the making of a quilt to demonstrate what goes into the entire process. As for budgeting, I think I've done pretty well there, but the ostrich head may be buried on that one.

So, there you go. Not really much of a plan. More like just musings, but it's a start. Hope y'all are having better luck then I am.

Weight Loss Wednesday 2009

2009-01-14T15:52:00.003-05:00

Two weeks into 2009 and weight loss is still probably on many people's minds. It was YOUR new year's resolution, wasn't it? Isn't it everybody's? But if you're trying to do it on your own, many times you get the "can't haves" and live a life filled with deprivation. Well, that's no way to sustain long term weight loss, providing you even lose in the first place.

It's all about finding balance. Being able to eat the foods you love, while still reining in the calories. In my Weight Watchers meetings this week, we talk about flexible restraint. You know, like a rubber band. Flexible enough to wrap around a few more things, but restraining enough to hold them all together. Educate yourself about the calories, fill yourself up on good for you foods so you won't get too hungry, and enjoy an indulgence now and then. Balance.

My friend, Karen Jean, who creates for her yarrow1 shop on Etsy, seems to have found balance in her life. She's has an eclectic shop, which shows off all her talents. I suspect we've haven't even seen them all! Besides art, she is well versed in natural healing and the art of massage therapy.

Her grapes are so healthyACEO perfectly illustrate the balance that we need for beautiful things in our lives.

Vegetarian Week

2009-01-11T18:45:00.002-05:00

Not too late for a resolution, this year I've decided to institute "vegetarian week" in our household. Once a month, for one week, I'm not preparing any meals with meat. I'm going to observe vegetarian week for all meals, but I'm not holding anyone else to that, not that I really could. My husband, a devout carnivore, will just have to get his meat at lunchtime.

This month, vegetarian week started today. Breakfast, no problem for anyone as we're a cereal and toast kind of family with the occasional egg thrown in. We almost always go out for lunch after church, so I chose a Thai restaurant. So far, so good. I had planned to cook tonight, but we're still kind of full from lunch. We've opted for a scrambled egg and toast dinner. No problems!

And my lucky husband has a business trip from Tuesday until Saturday, so basically, he's off the hook for lots of veggies, and I'm pretty excited! If anyone has any favorite websites for vegetarian recipes (or any favorite meal ideas), feel free to leave that info in a comment.

Healing

2009-01-08T17:54:00.003-05:00

So, there is always bad, sad news in the world and if you're lucky, most of the time you might be moved by it, but you are not directly affected and can go about your life feeling pretty good. This new year promises to be the year of change and lots of things definitely need to be changed... the economy, our health care system, wars going on in the world. I think that the U.S. and the world are just holding their collective breaths until Barack Obama takes office on the 20th.

So, I've been one of the lucky ones, really. Though it seems lately the sad news is creeping into my life. Many of my Etsy friends are struggling with job layoffs and financial difficulties, relationship woes, health issues and the deaths of loved ones. Closer to home, my sister in law is struggling to find out why she has had a debilitating headache since November, my brother continues to struggle with finding his place in the world, my husband is terribly unhappy in his work (though he hates to feel ungrateful that he has a job when so many are losing theirs).

I turned 49 on Monday, and also learned that day that my grandmother had died early in the morning. She was in her mid-90s so had lived a long life, but as my uncle (who broke the news to me) commented, "it's the end of an era."

Today I received an email from my pastor. It was one sent out by the church office to all the members, but I feel especially touched by it today and am sharing it here today.

“Not every illness can be overcome. But there is always a margin when life can be lived with meaning and a certain sense of joy, no matter what.” Anatomy of an Illness - Norman Cousins

Blessing Prayer for Healing

May you desire to be healed.

May what is wounded in your life be restored to good health.

May you be receptive to the ways in which healing needs to happen.

May you take good care of yourself.

May you extend compassion to all that hurts within your body, mind, spirit.

May you be patient with the time it takes to heal.

May you be aware of the wonders of your body, mind and spirit and their amazing capacity to heal.

May the skills of all those who are caring for you be used to the best of their ability in returning you to good health.

May you rest peacefully under the sheltering winds of divine love, trusting in this gracious presence.

May you find little moments of beauty and joy to sustain you.

May you keep hope in your heart.

From Out of the Ordinary – Joyce Rupp

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-01T16:42:00.004-05:00

It's New Year's Day and 2009 is off to a rousing start. I did not ring in the new year at midnight last night, but had to greet 2009 this morning when I woke up.

Did you make any resolutions? I'm not one to make a lot of resolutions, but this year, I am making a couple. One is tried and true. Is it resolution more people make every year and don't succeed at? Possibly. But here it is. 2009 is the year I am going to lose at least 10 more pounds. Yep, it's in writing now, and it will happen. It goes along with resolution #2 which is to be a more focused and committed Weight Watchers leader. I'll be in the trenches with my members tracking my points and moving forward with momentum.

I also resolve to get some business goals down on paper. Last year, I was more reactive than proactive in both my Etsy shops. So, the January 9 post (you heard it here) will list my business goals.

And I think I'll stop there. I'll be eating my black eyed peas for good luck (and their low points value), and I'll even eat some greens for prosperity (they have a VERY low points value).

This year has started off great... Georgia just beat Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl. Vanderbilt won their bowl game yesterday. And all is well in our house. I hope all is well in your house, too.

Weight Loss Wednesday

2008-12-17T15:07:00.003-05:00

Wow, how fast a week rolls around during the holiday season! Well, sure enough it's Weight Loss Wednesday, but I'm just not feeling it. Are you? It's hard to stay or get motivated for weight loss when there are so many goodies around. So how about weight maintenance? Is it even possible?

Well, sure it is! People do it all the time. They exercise, eat sensibly, and save their splurges for the special occasions. I've added a new blog to my blog list and encourage you to check it out. It's the Dish on Dieting, written by Carolyn O'Neil, a registered dietitian, whose very informative articles on healthy eating appear in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Her tips are so sound, practical and doable, and often remind me of many of the things that Weight Watchers encourages for its members.

As for Weight Loss Wednesday, this feature is going to take its own holiday break and will be back on January 7 with a renewed commitment to weight loss, and a giveaway from one of my friends on Etsy. Stay tuned!

Spotted Cow Soaps, Featured Etsy Blogger

2008-12-16T16:45:00.005-05:00

Linda, the brains behind Spotted Cow Soaps, is December's featured Etsy Blogger. She is one busy woman, working as a school food service director during the school year, and running Spotted Cow Soaps in her "spare" time. She creates marvelous soaps, bath fizzies, and lotions. She also crochets bath puffs and wash cloths.

Get this sparkling champagne soap to ring in the New Year!!

A yummy candy cane whipped sugar scrub. This one is for a limited time only. Linda offers great seasonal products!

You're sure to find a color you love!

Read her blog and you'll learn about life in Vermont and the special offers in her shop.

Get Momentum with Weight Loss Wednesday

2008-12-10T14:41:00.003-05:00

If you've read the About Me, or my profile in my shops or some of these very posts, you know that in addition to having an Etsy shop, I am a Weight Watchers Leader. This week marks the launching of Weight Watchers' 2009 plan which they have named Momentum. A merging of the plans formerly known as Flex and Core, Momentum harvests the best from each of these to form one exciting new plan. That's really all I can say here, but check out their website for more information or to find a meeting near you. Sign up now and beat the rush from all those making the same old, same old resolution!

In honor of the new launching, I want you to feast your eyes on this digital print that I found in the etsy shop, Orangepulp. Audrey is a digital artist who creates wonderful and whimsical illustrations of oranges. This one is entitled, appropriately enough, Momentum. According to the description in her shop, it's about the physics of oranges. I'll have to take her word on that!

Momentum

Oranges are wonderfully filling and will give you a great start to looking and feeling fine in 2009! And the oranges you see at Orangepulp have no points at all!!

O, Christmas Tree! O, Christmas Tree!

2008-12-08T21:23:00.008-05:00

It seems late to be decorating this year, and I suppose we only have the calendar to blame. I bought the tree on Friday, and starting thinking about the decorating. Do you, or know someone who always has a different theme every year? Or changes up the decorating scheme? When I was growing up, my mom did that periodically, mostly due to the size and/or shape of the living tree that my dad had purchased.

So, this year, I gave a passing thought to having all silver ornaments, or all gold, but it was only a passing though. The trees I decorate just have to have some ornaments on them every year, theme or no theme. It occurs to me that the theme on our family tree is family history.

I want to share some of my favorites, that always grace our tree:

The angel on the left was made by me when I was in Girl Scouts back in 1971. The baby boy on the right is part of a Joan Walsh Anglund collection of ornaments. I have several (and the dolls to match).

Snoopy is from a collection issued by Hallmark in the mid-70's. I also have a Woodstock, Linus, and another Snoopy.

We have several ornaments that represent places we've lived. This one is the Jefferson Memorial surrounded by the blossoming cherry trees in Washington, D.C.

The little felt cat was made by my great aunt. I'm not sure how I acquired it. The Georgia football player represents my daughter's university, and my husband's law school alma mater, and the gourd with the chilis painted on it was purchased in Santa Fe, during a trip there to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary.

This is just a small selection of the types of ornaments that just can't spend a holiday season packed away in a box. Do you have favorites that just must be on YOUR tree?

My Favorite Brownies

2008-12-04T17:46:00.002-05:00

Well, just forget all about my previous post. This one is about brownies!! The latest Etsy Blog Carnival's topic is your favorite brownies in honor of National Brownie Day that is apparently December 8. Who knew?

This is so easy for me. I don't bake a lot, though most of my favorite dessert recipes come from my late grandmother, Wilma Lawton. There were always baked goods waiting for us upon arrival at her Seabrook, Texas home which we visited at least once or twice a year from my childhood home of Dallas. It's hard to pick a favorite among all of the delectable goodies she baked, but the brownies are easily in my top 3.

Brownie Maker Extraordinaire
Wilma Lawton

Mint Stick Brownies, as they were known by my family, have a thick, soft, slightly fudgy bottom brownie layer. On top of that is a powdered sugar frosting, flavored with peppermint extract, and colored a pale green with food coloring. This has to be cooled completely, and the final layer of 2 squares of bittersweet baking chocolate is melted and then drizzled over the top. Mmmm, they're so good!

I considered making a batch so I could take pictures, but decided against it. Maybe for a Christmas dessert, though...

Weight Loss Wednesday

2008-12-03T14:23:00.004-05:00

It's December already, and the holiday season is upon us. But this year, we have so much more to be worried about. There's recession, bailouts, layoffs, and cutbacks, oh my! We can be thankful that the elections are finally over, but where do we turn for comfort. Before you head to the freezer for the Ben & Jerry's, or the pantry for the oreos and chips, head outside for a walk, grab a rake (or a snow shovel), play tag with your kids. Get more activity to ease the stress, and burn off some calories.

Add some humor and whimsy to your life to lighten up things. There is enough bad news, so look for places to have fun and laugh. Maybe even do some inexpensive decorating. The Freckled Hound has amazing vinyl wall art decals that are easy to apply, and so cute. This one is particularly appropriate:

That really says it all, doesn't it!

Happy (Belated) Birthday to Early Bird Creations

2008-12-02T14:31:00.008-05:00

The final November birthday tribute goes out to Kylie, the brains and talent behind Early Bird Creations and Lil Egg Jewelry. Kylie, a jewelry maker since she was 14, creates a unique collection of necklaces, earrings and keychains made primarily with resin beads. You will see more fresh water pearls and glass beads in her Lil Egg collection. She's been seriously making jewelry for about 4 years, and making those wonderful resin creations for two.

Fen, of Bead Flora Jewels, gave Kylie the invitation to join the Challengettes when they were both participating in an upbeat business topics thread on the Etsy fora, and we're so glad she did.

Kylie is our girl Down Under, living in Forster, New South Wales, a beach town about 4 hours northeast of Sydney on the east coast. So when I asked her where her favorite place in the world is, it's no surprise that it's somewhere exotic! She says, "The first is Kota Kinabalu in Malaysian Borneo. I visited there earlier this year and it is the most magical place. Possibly because it has very little in the way of tourists and the fact that the people are just spectacular....oh and the beaches and resorts are awesome...Tequila Sunrise - that's all I have to say! The other favourite place is my local main street. It is really beachy with some gorgeous cafes and clothing shops. Lucky for me I get to spend a bit of everyday down there when I do my mailing and errands." Of course, we would all love to go visit her!!

She loves to try new foods, and her favorites are what she calls "picky" foods, "like antipasto platters, with goats cheese and sundried tomatos and marinated mushrooms." Yum!!

Kylie has three great tips for Etsy sellers... list every day so your visibility stays high, constantly work on your pictures, and finding some etsy buddies to ask questions, bounce ideas off of, and generally get support. With 100 sales just short of her Etsy anniversary (on Dec. 14), I would say that she knows what she's talking about!

I own one of her resin necklaces and it is beautiful! Check both her shops out and her blog!

StoryBeader, Featured Blogger

2008-11-25T21:10:00.006-05:00

November's featured Etsy Blogger is Deb of Story Beader. This Oklahoman makes unique jewelry, often with a southwestern look. But you get more than just jewelry from her. This lover of words writes a haiku for each piece.

Deb's delightful blog is called Stroll through Storyland. Be sure to check out her shop and her blog!

Happy Birthday to iWunder

2008-11-22T14:31:00.005-05:00

The third November birthday challengette is Jennifer of iWunder and iWunderVintage. She actually celebrated last weekend, so I'm a little late here! Jennifer knits, crochets, and finds amazing vintage deals to pass on to the Etsy community. In her "spare" time, she is a graduate student, studying science-y stuff. She's our resident expert on all things science.

Jennifer joined the Challengettes in July when she was recruited by Celeste of Cricket's Creations. Both members of the etsyfast (fiber arts) street team, when Jennifer commented that she wanted to list things every day, Celeste pointed her in our direction. And we are so happy that she did!

Her grandmother taught her to crochet when she was 7 and she taught herself to knit when she was 21. She says she has "kinda always been doing it, making something, hoarding yarn around the house, so when I found etsy it gave me a source for all the projects I have going with no intended recipient."

And Jennifer's favorite places in the world? It's a toss up between the salt marshes of southern Georgia or the Grand Teton mountains of Jackson, Wyoming.

Jennifer will always try new foods, but that was not always the case. She's "learning to eat dang near anything the older I get. Currently, my favorite food is any really good kind of German sausage on the grill."

And finally, her best tip to fellow etsy sellers... list something every day, and learn to take good pictures without the flash.

It's been so great getting to know Jennifer! Check out her shops for adorable scarves for both men and women, cute crocheted flowers for embellishing, and some surprising vintage finds!

Thanksgiving Traditions

2008-11-21T12:55:00.007-05:00

"What is your favorite Thanksgiving tradition?" That's the question posed by the Etsy Bloggers for the current blog carnival. I have so many, and over the years they have evolved, but my all-time favorite tradition has always been the taking of the Christmas card photo!

from 2003

But what about the lessor traditions? Well, looking back on my married life (for the past 25 years), of course there is always the turkey and trimmings. There has to be mashed potatoes, and pies. When Laura and Kyle were elementary school age, we lived in Prague, so the tradition was to find a group of Americans and have dinner with them. Back stateside, one tradition we have now is the remember when... as in, "remember when we were in Prague, and we had a traditional Thanksgiving... goose!" Or, "remember when we were in Prague and we had to take Kyle to the hospital!"

When we were back in the States and living in Maryland, we rarely had family visitors, so we always went out. For several years in a row, it was dinner at the Stone Manor Inn in Middletown, until it was closed due to the death of the owner. I'm happy to see that it is now back in business as the Stone Manor Country Club.

Since we moved to Georgia in 2005, we have had no shortage of guests, from daughter's boyfriends to grandmothers to a mini Behm family reunion this year. And on tap for all our Georgia Thanksgivings so far... going to the University of Georgia/Georgia Tech football game! We're still gathering tickets (also known as buying them on ebay) for this year's game... it may prove to be a nail-biter!

Go Dawgs!!!

Family, friends, food and fun... the best traditions of all! And Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers too!

Weight Loss Wednesday

2008-11-19T14:30:00.004-05:00

Just a week and a day until Thanksgiving, and the start of abandoned diet season. How can you possibly stay on track when there are so many goodies around? There's a little bit of help... be thankful:

T hink First
H ave a plan
A cknowledge special foods
N otice how often you eat
K eep portions in check
F ocus more on people
U se smaller plates and utensils
L et yourself enjoy the day

It's not too early to get in the right frame of mind for all the holidays. And remember for Thanksgiving, "It's a holiDAY, not a holiWEEK!"

And while you're at it, why not get this great necklace to remind you of the really important things in life (from my friend, Joanne, now on sale in her etsy shop, Jjewelry1).

Happy Birthday to go2girl

2008-11-11T17:02:00.006-05:00

Lots of birthdays in November for the Challengettes, and next up is Kila of go2girl and copperlocks boutique. Kila is a stay-at-home mom of 2 who loves to make jewelry. In copperlocks she also makes hairclips, and refurbishes vintage pieces into new jewelry. And you can see how copperlocks got its name in the picture below of the water lily barrette.

This southern California girl stumbled upon the Bittersweets Challenge thread, and felt right at home with all the optimistic, warm and friendly girls already there. We have certainly enjoyed getting to know Kila, and are so glad she joined us!

Kila is a mostly self-taught artist, beginning her crafting "career" during her summers spent with her grandmother. This pictured bracelet is one she made when she was about 11, and she still wears it. Recently she has really tried to focus on developing her own style and has steadily worked on her wire wrapping techniques, among others. Still self-taught, she looks to the library and online sources for help.

While Kila would love to have the opportunity for wider travel, her favorite place in the world is the central California coast that includes Big Sur, Monterey, Morro Bay, Cambria and Carmel. She says, "Nothing is as beautiful, fresh, invigorating and full of inspiration in my eyes as a long drive up Highway 1."

This go to girl is quite the adventurous eater, and will try all kinds of things. Though she has tried escargot, it's not included in her list of favs. This list does include "tried and true staples" like "chocolate, coffee, popcorn, wine and veggis." Mmmm, I love that chocolate is first in the list.

Her tip for new Etsians is to have fun because if you love what you do, it will show! "You will want to tell everyone about it. Your shop will beam with the same excitement you feel!," according to Kila.

I've certainly enjoyed getting to know Kila, and I hope you have to. She is also a member of Etsy Bloggers and you can read her blog here.

Happy Birthday to the Gaudy Goddess

2008-11-08T10:48:00.007-05:00

In my ongoing series of birthday features of the One a Day Challengers (also known as the Challengettes), I want to introduce you today to Deborah Croskey, the Gaudy Goddess. One of the original Challengettes, she saw it as a way to get more motivated. Deb says, "Joining the challenge made me feel productive at a time when i felt like i was getting nothing accomplished....and when i felt like no one was interested in my stuff, i found a whole team of people cheering me on!"

Deb is definitely a multi-tasker and you will find two shops in one when you visit. (She also has a second shop, Shop Envy, where she de-stashes her supplies.) I can give a firsthand review of the body cream and shower cream that she markets under the label Ophelia's Apothecary. It is wonderful! I am a repeat shopper, as are many of the Challengettes. Once you try it you will be sold. She does offer a sampler set.

She also makes beautiful jewelry, and pictured here are her signature recycled glass pendants, and one of her beautiful necklaces. Deb is completely self-taught, and says that she inherited her crafty spirit from her father, who turned a hobby into a full-time business when medical issues forced him to quit working. Deb has found herself in the same position, as she battles cancer.

When I asked her where her favorite place in the world is, it was no surprise that she says, "My favorite place in the world is anywhere i can find peace....and balance. ... i really try to be happy just where i am....i love a good quiet room...stillness in the backyard....a calm rustle of fall leaves. ... now i've learned that happiness can be found anywhere if you let yourself find it."

For the lighter side of Deb, I learned that she is a very picky, unadventurous eater. She is one of those people whose foods canNOT touch on the plate. She does love to bake, and is telling us all the time about the yummy treats that are coming from her oven. Her all time favorite food is fried chicken, which she tries not to indulge in too often.

The Gaudy Goddess has lots of tips for new (and old) Etsy sellers! They include knowing your vision and sticking to it, find a supportive "pack" that will give you unconditional love and tough-Etsy love at the same time, have super pictures, and to please spend time working on making your shop better instead of wondering why you aren't selling.

Get to know the Gaudy Goddess and you won't be sorry. She is the most positive, upbeat person I think I have ever met. She has started a new team called Create Ability Team Etsy, and is also writing a blog for them. Click on the links to learn more about this team. She has her own blog, as well, which you can find by clicking here.

I'm Working On...

2008-11-07T11:33:00.005-05:00

Blog Carnival time again, and I've decided to share what I've been working on. It seems like my sewing machine is always humming, and I've had several custom apron orders through Down the Street. When I'm not making those, I've mostly been working on coasters for Elle Quilts! I've got two styles, one with a no slip, waterproof base, and the other I'm calling Coffee Mug Coasters, which are reversible. They would make great gifts!

The other thing that I've had on the back burner, and is just in the planning stages, is a table runner that I'm making from a Charm Pack of squares from the Winter fabric line from Moda Fabrics. I love these fabrics, Moda in general, but the Winter line in particular. The traditional reds and greens are there, but so is a pretty, light blue. I've just laid them out in the picture, and the order is definitely subject to change, probably several times, before I finally sew them together. I'm hoping to get this finished this weekend.

It's great to actually look at the picture and seem how the colors play against each other. I can already see some squares I'm going to move around before they get sewn together.

Weight Loss Wednesday

2008-11-05T15:20:00.004-05:00

I decided to combine 2 of the things I love in one feature! Etsy, and losing weight. Well, ok, I don't really like the losing weight part because it's really hard work. But, I AM a Weight Watchers leader, and today is the day I have all my meetings. And I do love Etsy, so there will be a fun item to go along with the message.

This week's topic in WW meetings is Vote YES for Yourself! That goes along with the Helpful Habit of taking care of yourself, which is something I, personally, will always need to work on. I found this adorable card at colespic's shop:

colespic has also been a featured etsy seller! You can read more about her here!