CPSIA Blog In

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!!

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

"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

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).