this and that by k and t

Can't Stop Believin'

2010-05-26T14:25:00.001-07:00

Yes, I am a gleek. But I used their song to illustrate how I feel about our merchandise. We can't stop believing in ourselves because we know our creations are wonderful. Now we just need the world to know too. So we will continue our quest for the right venue and stay energized and positive! Good luck to all those fellow-artisans out there with the same issues we have. Do not lose faith!

The Show Stopper

2010-05-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, we aren't going to stop going to shows even though this one was a total bust. It seemed it was a total bust for everyone involved which was depressing. There were no people! So, Tina and I have just decided it was not the right venue for us and we are street people (of the fair variety!) Our display was lovely as you can see. Of course we changed it about 15 times. So I am not actually sure if what you are seeing is the final result or not......

Anyway, we will be doing another show next month at a park - much more our style. Hope to see you there!

It's......Showtime!

2010-05-13T09:28:00.000-07:00

So the Simi Valley Street Fair was a positive experience for us. We have decided that that is probably the best fit for our items. And Tina was amazing - she accosted passersby like a pro! She handed out all of the postcards for the Red Rabbit Show this weekend. Hopefully some of those people will come! We are busily restocking our shelves (so to speak) and hope to do at least a show a month over the summer. Things are coming together!

Big News!

2010-05-04T17:32:00.000-07:00

First let me state that I have my beloved Janome back in my arms again. And it only cost me $138.50! I could practically buy a new machine for the amount I have spent on old Jan. Oh well, it's worth it. But the biggest news is.....I sold a card! And it wasn't to Tina! It was actually to someone I don't know. Yes, truly amazing... I have pictured it here because it will not be on the website after today because it is mother's day related.

I am starting to get nervous about the Simi Valley Street Fair this weekend. It seems like there will be so many people and if even a tenth of them buy something, we won't have anything left for Red Rabbit on the 15th. But, selling out is a good thing and we could use the ego boost so I hope we do well! (That was probably the kiss of death...)

Death of Janome

2010-04-25T19:14:00.000-07:00

I love my Janome sewing machine. We understand each other. There is friendship, shared tears and a bond that cannot be broken between us. We have gone through much together..... and now the damned thing CRAPPED OUT on me! Actually, I think I bent some inner mechanism so the needles keep hitting the metal and snapping. I have gone through 10 needles in the past few days. So I have finally given up and switched to a Singer that Tina graciously lent me as a back up singer (lol). There is a lack of trust with the new machine. I keep reaching for the wrong buttons and I have to look everything up. And as far as I can see there is no little button to sink the needle in and keep it there for when you need to turn the material. And it's computerized! EEEWWWW! But it was very sweet of Tina and I appreciate the fact that I am still able to create stuff even though my trusted sewing partner (not Tina, the Janome) is very, very sick. Perhaps even dying. May she rest in peace.

Less Geek, More Nerd

2010-04-22T07:33:00.000-07:00

I think if you are labeled a geek you are supposed to know about computers. Obviously not applicable to me....I think maybe a nerd means the same thing but not as strongly. So I guess, I will have to aim for nerd. I would like to be more geek-like but Tina thinks we are too old. :) I think I am just too stupid! Plus, it just seems to me that the "geeks" spend way too much time on the planet Geektra* figuring out new places to list/talk about their wares. I would much rather make the wares. It all seems rather exhausting to me! But I am trying.

*When Mary Ann and I were younger geeks were just people who were a little odder than other people and we were proud to be from the planet Geektra.

Sorry No Pix

2010-04-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

Yes, I lied. Well, not exactly. I can't put the pix of the hat up because.......I SOLD IT! Yea!! I was at the hairdresser (getting my hair done, duh) and Joyce (my hairdresser) said she had a 1st birthday party she needed a gift for and could I make something to go with the hat. Well, it just so happened I already had a pair of bloomers to match the hat and a t-shirt too. It was perfect (and very cute if I do say so myself!) She was happy, I was happy and hopefully the recipient was happy. I put cards all over the outfit (a subtle reminder that there was more where that came from). Hopefully it will pay off!

What's Next?

2010-04-15T06:37:00.000-07:00

I am just finishing up another hat (have to add the rosette) then the big decision is "what's next?" My current thought is apron or boy pants. I actually only have one material that is boy material (how sad is that?) so I probably will go with that and then the apron. I'll put up a picture once I decide!

ScienceKitty

2010-04-10T16:35:00.000-07:00

Just looking around the etsy shops in my (???) spare time (actually I was tired of cutting out the dress I am making) and I happened upon ScienceKitty. Extremely cool stuff. ScienceKitty works in a lab by day and by night she creates artistic jewelry using repurposed items. It always fascinates me how people can see the beauty in what is essentially someone else's trash. The pictured earrings are made from pipette tips that would have been thrown away. They are so beautiful and unique and eco-friendly. She even makes pins using old television dials! How cool is that! What a conversation starter that would be if you wore it to work on your jacket lapel. ScienceKitty's items are not only unique and beautiful, they are very reasonable. Check out her shop here.

Scrapsational Hybrid

2010-04-08T07:16:00.000-07:00

Wow that's a mouthful! This litte etsy shop has everything you need for birthdays or special occasions. They have gift boxes that are unique and beautiful and they have beautiful cards like this one to go with that special gift. They even have frames and brag books you can give as gifts! Check out their shop here.

My Other Job

2010-04-02T22:18:00.000-07:00

I know I am probably not supposed to talk about what I do when I'm not sewing but I can't help it. My first love is art. Please don't be mad at me. I am not cheating on Tina with my paintbrush. I give equal time. One day I sew, the next day I paint. Sometimes I sew for two days in a row. And then I binge paint. Anyway, I have put up a couple of new cards that I really love. So I am using the blog to show them off. This one cracks me up.

These Look Way Better in Person

2010-04-02T09:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, so my pictures still suck but I wanted to show this outfit off because it is so cute! I was going to make a onesie to go with it but i think it might be too much so i am just going with the hat and pants.

I am Still Alive!

2010-03-31T11:44:00.000-07:00

Hi All!
I am a terrible partner for poor Karen as she has had to carry the brunt of the blogging and everything else for our wonderful little business. Work does take up a lot of my free time as well as my "adorable" daughter. Just a side note, Molly (the adorable daughter) does take ritalin, among other drugs for her insane hyperactivity. Well, her doctor ran out of the triplicate prescription pads that are required for prescribing ritalin. We are talking about 1 month here of Molly on no ritalin! I am ready to go undercover and try and buy some off some street corner! I'm sure that if she lived with the doctor, he would have filled that prescription long ago! Anyway, as usual, i have digressed. Although i had a sewing flop, (tried a new apron pattern that turned out horrible), i am still hopeful that our aprons will take off. They are super cute. We just have to find the right audience for them. We will continue to work away at our machines and just hope that someday somebody will discover us and the word will spread that our stuff is great! Maybe i need medication!

Back on Earth

2010-03-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

Yes, we took a little trip to HELL last weekend. The craft show did not go well again. But we are still glass is half full people because what other choice is there? It's not like we're going to stop making our fabulous creations - right? Someone, somewhere, is bound to buy them! I really think Crafty Ladies was just not the right place for us. We are going to try the Simi Valley Street Fair in May as well as the Red Rabbit Craft Boutique. Hopefully we'll have better luck! I did get a wonderful order from Bev. So that made me feel good. I really want to figure out how to publish images inside the blog text like other people do. Then I would do more tutorials. (Where did that come from you are wondering...my mind is always flitting from one topic to another. Plus I am very tired but I can't go to bed until my son finishes his math homework. I feel very old!) Anyway, I am just rambling now so I will sign off and write later.

Blog on the Run

2010-03-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

I realized I have not been blogging very regularly. I know you have missed me :). Just kidding! But just wanted to keep you apprised of what is going on in the exciting lives of this and that by k and t. Tina is swamped with work and planning the demise of her father-in-law. Kidding!!! But she has been extremely busy at her actual job and then in her free time busily churning out items for our show this Saturday. We are really hoping to do well this time because we have not had the best of luck with craft shows so far (in our vast experience of 4 shows last year!) We have only been able to break even on two shows and the other two we made minimal (100or so each). But we are learning with each one what to expect. And we are continually expanding our inventory so we can see what people want. Mary Ann and I opened a card store together on etsy. check it out here. I decided I was taking too much space up with non apparel items in our this and that store. We haven't had any sales yet but I am hopeful. Mary Ann hooked me up with a lady in Solvang who owns a bookstore and I send her samples to see if she wanted to sell them. So again, I am waiting to see. I figure one of these days, something is going to work for all of us! I honestly don't know how some of the etsians find the time to work on their inventory and do all the social networking, marketing and blogging they get done. It is quite amazing to me (and far beyond my limited skills!) Wish us luck on Saturday.

Busy as a Bee

2010-03-08T21:04:00.000-08:00

Tina and I are busy sewing our little hearts out. We are preparing for our first show of the year in two weeks. The pressure is on! We have changed our strategy to limit the number of each item we sell. And we have so much more to offer this time around! We are looking forward to seeing which items are the big sellers (keep your fingers crossed that we have big sellers! The only down side to this next show is that I cannot sell my cards and bookmarks. But my dear friend Mary Ann was kind enough to get me a contact at a bookstore in Solvang and I got the okay to send her samples of my cards and bookmarks. So hopefully that will be an avenue where I can sell a few. And the two shows we have in May are okay with the items. The March show already has enough cards. We also plan on expanding to include t-shirts that match our bloomers. And Tina got a sale Saturday! The first pair of bloomers! Yea! We love making them because they are soooooo cute and (at least for me) it brings back memories of when my boys were little. Don't worry, they didn't wear bloomers! They will need massive amounts of therapy because of me, BUT NOT BECAUSE I MADE THEM WEAR GIRL'S CLOTHING!! LOL!

How to Make a Fabric Rosette

2010-03-04T22:28:00.001-08:00

Okay, I am giving up our secrets. I have pictures but I have to admit I forgot to take them when it got to the end of the program. Sorry!

Step 1

Cut a strip of fabric (we use a rotary cutter - it's fast) 4 inches wide and the entire width of the fabric (usually 42 - 44 inches). See Figure 1.

2010-03-04T22:27:00.003-08:00

Step 2

If there is a band of white on the salvages, turn them under so the fabric print is all that shows.

Step 3

Fold the fabric strip in half wrong sides together. Stitch using the gathering stitch on your machine (it's number 4 on mine). See Figure 2.

2010-03-04T22:27:00.001-08:00

Step 4
Gently pull one of the strings and gather. You kind of have to play this one by ear. Just see how gathered you like to work with it. I usually tie the ends when I get it right, just so it won't lose the gather. See Figure 3.

2010-03-04T22:26:00.001-08:00

Step 5
Start turning one of the ends in and sew it by hand to keep the curl. See Figure 4. Keep turning this until you're done with the fabric. See Figure 5 and 6.

2010-03-04T22:25:00.001-08:00

Step 6
Cover the bottom (the raw edges of the sewn part) with a piece of felt using a glue gun. Sorry, this is where the pictures end. I will try to put some up tomorrow!

2010-03-04T22:19:00.001-08:00

Step 7
To make it a pin, glue on a pin fixture (you can get them at fabric stores or stores like Michaels). Have fun using this on a purse, hat, blouse or jacket

Using up the Old, Bringing in the New

2010-03-03T10:23:00.000-08:00

I always love it when I buy new material because it is like Christmas in February. However, that said, it is an even better feeling when I can use up some old fabric because it makes room for me to buy more! Plus, let's face it, our "old" fabric is still pretty darn cute. These bloomers are the cutest thing, aren't they? Tina made them using some fabric we bought at the beginning of our venture into the etsy arena. The orange ruffle is old (well, relatively speaking) too. Kudos to Tina. The nice thing about going through your fabric stores is you find cute stuff you totally forgot you had! Yesterday I made a child's apron using two old fabrics and one new. Which made me very proud. And they looked so great together. I will post a picture soon.

Bloomers

2010-02-17T19:51:00.000-08:00

I was so excited when a friend of mine had a baby girl! Perfect, i thought, i can make her some bloomers and get some young mom feedback! My children (and Karen's), are way past the stage when we could even possibly think of sewing them anything they would ever wear! So now we must pray upon the unsuspecting new generation of moms! we love making the bloomers because they are (a) fast! (b) fun to do and (c) something new we can add to our line. The recipient of the bloomers i made wrote back to me and said she especially liked the little ruffles at bottom of the pants. What girl doesn't love ruffles! Anyway, we got the pattern for these darling pants at sewmamasew.com, (one of my new favorite sites for patterns). Check this site out because they have tons of very cute and very different patterns than you see in the standard pattern books.

2010-02-16T18:45:00.000-08:00

I really love these abstract paintings by Linda Monfort. The colors are truly amazing and the shapes are bold and beautiful. This one is a particular favorite of mine. She also paints florals and landscapes. She paints with acylics on canvas which gives them added texture and depth. I actually prefer acylics on stretched canvas to remain unframed because sometimes I think the frame can detract from the painting. Since you can request having the sides of her paintings finished, you do not even need a frame. Her pricing is very reasonable for original fine art of this size and quality. Check out her shop!

Sourdough Waffles on President's Day

2010-02-15T08:40:00.000-08:00

I made my famous sourdough waffles this morning for breakfast and against orders from my bathroom scale, I ate one. Topped with a stick (ok, maybe a slice) of butter, and 100% maple syrup. OMG it was GOOD! Once you have had a sourdough waffle, the regular ones just aren't up to snuff. You have to make the starter first. Okay, I am going to give you the recipe that your family will never let you forget! (Mine never has - my starter went bad a few years ago and I kept getting the whining and the puppy dog looks until I started a new starter). The starter recipe is as follows:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar (optional)
1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) of active-dry yeast
2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.)
I got this from this website http://whatscookingamerica.net/Bread/SourdoughStarter.htm
Just a note - you need to use bottled water. Mix the ingredients in a glass or ceramic bowl (not metal) with a wooden spoon. Cover the container with a dish cloth and let it sit in a warm (70 to 80 degrees F.), draft-free place. NOTE: Temperatures hotter than 100 degrees F. or so will kill the yeast.

The dish cloth will let wild yeasts pass through into the batter. The mixture should bubble as it ferments (this will foam up quite a bit.

Let it sit out from 2 to 5 days, stirring it once a day. The starter is ready when it develops a pleasant sour smell and looks bubbly.

The night before you want your waffles (do this every time):
Add 1 cup flour and 1 cup warm water to the starter to activate the batter.

The next morning:
Before you add any of the following ingredients, take about a cup of batter out of the mix and store it in a glass container (I use an old, sterilized pasta sauce jar) and put it in the fridge. This will be your starter for next time.

Add to the remaining batter:
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 - 2 tablespoons sour cream (if you don't have this, you can add 1 T milk)
1 egg
1 T sugar
1 T melted butter

Mix this up with your wooden spoon and poor it into a waffle iron! If you prefer pancakes, you might want to thin the batter a little with milk or butter ;). Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Tina

2010-02-11T16:03:00.000-08:00

Tuesday was Tina's birthday. I took her out to dinner last night to celebrate but first I took her to our own private Disneyland - the fabric store. We went to Patches, which is a little fabric store that specializes in quilting fabrics and is run by a really nice woman named Jennie. Patches used to be quite close to us but Jennie moved the store to a new location that Tina had never visited. I went there to check it out and get her a gift certificate on Monday. I didn't tell Tina where I was taking her but she sort of guessed when we drove up. The only problem was NO PARKING! I hate that! There was a total of 4 (count 'em 4) parking spaces and they were all taken. In fact someone had parked across the back of three of the other cars - I guess they got frustrated with the lack of parking too. Anyway, we ended up parking across the aisle in the camera shop parking and slinking back to the fabric store. You would think we would get tired of looking at bolts and bolts of fabric but it never seems to get old! I think Tina had fun. We love Joanns because you can get decent fabric at good prices (when they have sales) but there is nothing quite like the quality of the fabric at Patches. Fun day! And we topped off the healthy salads we had at dinner with a flourless chocolate cake!

Heart Healthy Fried Chicken

2010-02-08T10:20:00.000-08:00

What you say? Heart Healthy Fried Chicken??? Yes, I altered my favorite fried chicken recipe to make a heart healthy version. You will need Low Fat Bisquick, Pam (or some other cooking spray), a whole chicken, cut up and skinned, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.

2 cups low fat bisquick
1tsp (or more) paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 and spray cooking spray on the bottom and sides of a 13 X 9 inch pan. Mix the above ingredients in a large bowl. Rinse and (if you haven't already) skin the chicken. Dip the chicken in the bisquick mixture and place in the pan. Bake (it really does taste fried, trust me) for 35 minutes on one side then turn over and continue baking for another 15 minutes. Enjoy! I promise you won't miss the oil/butter or the skin on the chicken.

Featured Etsy Blogger

2010-02-08T08:40:00.001-08:00

The featured etsy blogger this month is tiltcreations. She makes handmade bags and accessories. They are each beautiful creations. I especially love this clutch in red and black. Perfect for that Valentine's Day dinner with the significant other in your life. I also like the Mollie Clutch in Green Skulls. I have to admit, I didn't see the skulls at first until I looked more closely at the wonderful workmanship. I just loved the fabulous green color. And it is a bargain at $25.00 too!

Tomato Pie

2010-02-04T11:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, this recipe should really be made only with tomatoes from the tomato stand by the side of the road. You know, the one you pass because you can buy tomatoes at the grocery store. DO NOT PASS THE TOMATO STAND! Because, I am sorry to Ralphs, Vons, Albertsons, Gelson's and even Trader Joes - your tomatoes do not compare! But, unfortunately for me, I have to wait until June for my stand to open up again. So I do make this recipe with tomatoes from "the other stores" during this time of the year. First off, you need about 6 - 8 tomatoes and you slice them thinly and put them on paper towels to get all the liquid out of them. Put the paper towels on top of as well as below the tomatoes and change them a couple of times to get all the liquid out. You will need frozen puff pastry, fresh (if you can get it at the stand, do) basil (you can use dried but fresh is better), powdered garlic, salt, white pepper, shredded jack cheese, grated parmesan cheese (the kind that is finely grated - you can get it at Trader Joes or you can use the Kraft kind) and olive oil. I am not giving you amounts because it is one of those things you have to do by looking at it. DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED - you cannot fail at this recipe! Okay, so get a 10 inch pie plate (I know you have one, even if you never use it!) and spray it with cooking spray. Roll out the puff pastry as the package directs and put it in the pie plate, trimming the edges and making holes in the bottom so the crust doesn't shrink. Layer the tomatoes two layers thick, then sprinkle with a SMALL amount of salt, TONS of garlic, EVEN MORE basil and a little white pepper. Then repeat until the pie plate is full. In a bowl, mix about 8 ounces shredded jack cheese, and about the same amount of grated parmesan. Moisten it with olive oil until it sticks together in your hand when you close your fist. My original recipe called for mayonaise (and you can use it if you want to) but I changed it for a more heart healthy recipe (aren't you impressed?) Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until the top bubbles and the bottom is brown. You can also use a frozen pie crust if you prefer but there is something so buttery and good about puff pastry! Enjoy!

Disaster at Sea

2010-02-01T20:05:00.000-08:00

Jon is really into fishing now. In fact, we took a trip to the Bass Pro Shop in Rancho Cucamonga (yes there really is a place named Rancho Cucamonga). Jon calls it Disneyland for rednecks. And it is, no lie. There are stuffed dead moose (mooses? moosi? meese? whatever the plural is), a river runs through it (wait, wasn't that a movie with Brad Pitt??), and there is a waterfall (seriously?). The place is totally awe inspiring. And it has every camping/fishing/hunting/outdoors item you would never know you need. And more important - fudge! Anyways, I bought him a new fishing rod for his birthday and he wanted to try it out at my dad's house in Laguna Beach. My dad (who used to fish alot) told him to go at high tide (mistake #1). Jon decided to wear shorts and not bring a jacket (mistake #2). Don't worry, it gets worse. They went to Fisherman's Cove which has a rock ledge on one side which, when hit by the waves makes this huge wall of water (can you see where this is going?). Anyway, poor Jon was fishing by himself (he is 14, and taller than my 19 year old) while I took my dad back to the house (the high tide was hard on his back because of the wave action) and I was just coming back down the steps when the tsunami hit him and swept away his new tackle box, shoes, chair, phone (yes he brought it - mistake #3), bucket, etc. Not to worry, we got back everything but one shoe. I think I saw it floating on the water off the island of Catalina :). Jon was drenched and we tried resusitating the phone (which was new at Christmas) but it was declared dead on arrival. The Titanic has nothing on the Arroyo family! Oh, and just to top things off, Jon has a cold now.

Picture Taking

2010-01-29T10:24:00.000-08:00

As anyone who has viewed our Etsy Store can attest, Karen and I are not the best photographers. In fact, some might say that our abilities in photography suck, big time! It is not from lack of effort on our part. We earnestly try each and every time to take a fabulous picture only to find that the item is not clearly displayed, the colors are awful, the lighting is terrible and the background overpowers the item. I really think it is an age thing. People who were born after 1975 and upwards seem to have been born with this built-in tech-savvy ability that us oldie-olsters lack. It really is not fair. But, we are not going to let our inability get us down! We are going to continue to try and take sophisticated pictures that rival anything in Martha Stewart's magazine. But, in the meantime, those of you who do look at our shop, please use that imagination of yours to embellish each item displayed in our shop and know that it is way prettier in person than that little square photo displays!

The Whimsical Art World of Renie Britenbucher

2010-01-28T09:55:00.000-08:00

I was checking around in the original paintings aisle of etsy as I am apt to do on a lovely morning like todays and I happened to run across the Whimsical Art World of Renie Britenbucher. I am now in heaven. I love her paintings! They make me happy looking at them. She uses bright, vibrant colors in her Tuscan landscapes, which are my personal favorite. Never been there but she makes me want to go! Her prints and original paintings are a very reasonable price and make having a statement painting affordable. Her shop is located at http://www.etsy.com/shop/reniebritenbucher. Check it out!

30 Day Challenge

2010-01-25T19:07:00.000-08:00

I am a procrastinator. In fact, I am supposed to be on day 4 of the 30 day challenge and I have only listened to day 1 and part of day 2. Actually, I haven't heard the video on procrastination yet - I've been putting it off! But, in my defense (whine, whine), it is very hard to sit in front of my computer and listen to Ed Dale talk (or whoever the day's dude is) when I would rather be creating something! Plus, most of it is directed at people who don't know what they want to do and need to find a niche for themselves. Since we already have one, this does not really apply. Also, alot of stuff about search engine optimization and all these extra add-ons you need to have to do that and I really feel that they don't apply to us. We are on google analytics, facebook, twitter and I will join delicious (nag, nag, nag). It seems like so much WORK just to get the information about who is looking at your site and it doesn't seem to help you get any more people TO look, so I don't see the point. Sorry Ed! But I will keep listening, just on the off chance I hear something that will help us. I do think their idea of keeping a notebook to write ideas in with you all the time is a good one. In fact, I located an old notebook and I plan to carry it around with me! (OK, all you cynics, I know you are thinking "We'll see how long that lasts!") I get no respect! I'll let you know when I have caught up on my challenges!

Shoes to Die For

2010-01-21T16:22:00.000-08:00

Okay, I have always been a little vain about my feet because they are small. I wear a size 5 (and believe me, that is the only thing that is small on my body besides another area above the waist that should not be small) but today I wish I had size 8 feet. These shoes are the reason. They are chartreuse green and if that is not reason enough to think they are awesome there is the circuit board pattern all over them. And I am not remotely nerd-like (at least not with regards to my computer expertise!) Crafttastrophe makes hand painted, one of a kind shoes and they are spectacular! I have to say that up until a few years ago, I did not feel the pull of fabulous shoes. Probably because no one makes them in my size! But I have since seen the light and now there is nothing more rewarding for me than finding a great pair of shoes in my size. I have even been known to buy a pair in a 5.5 if I like them enough! If you prefer your shoes to be easy on your legs, Crafttastrophe has some one of a kind flats and sneakers too. Check them out at
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Crafttastrophe.

New Item!

2010-01-18T17:51:00.000-08:00

We are branching out from our bags and Karen's beautiful art creations. We have started making tiered skirts for little girls! And, if the cards are in our favor, we will make them for ladies also! We also are making retro style aprons which we will be adding soon. We realize that we need to diversify in order to satisfy our audience and, hopefully, garner us some new followers! Hopefully, you will all like our new items!

How Cute is This?-

2010-01-17T20:10:00.001-08:00

Is that the cutest baby ever? And the cutest baby hat too? I gotta say, TrickyKnits, Anne Geddes got nothin' on you! How did you get that baby to stay so beautifully posed? That picture shows off that cute hat to perfection. Check out TrickyKnits other items at http://www.etsy.com/shop/TrickyKnits. I wish these beautiful necessities had been around when my sons were babies. I especially love the Upsy Daisy Baby Hammock - it just looks so comfy and cozy. And the baby obviously enjoys it! These items are beautiful and functional. Amazing! There are so many talented people on Etsy.

What's New on Etsy

2010-01-16T18:36:00.001-08:00

I love this coat! It is by MaionFashionDesign on Etsy. I saw it on the front page and I went to her store to check it out. She is Croatian and she doesn't just design coats, she designs dresses and jewelry too. Beautiful stuff, Maion! I love watching Project Runway and seeing all the innovative designs. I have to say, Maion's is better than anything I have seen on the show yet.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/MaionFashionDesign

What I Remember About Last Year

2010-01-11T17:53:00.001-08:00

As Tina knows, it was a banner year for me in 2009. And not in a good way! My husband of 20 years broke my heart by leaving me in June of 2009. However, I have since recovered and am looking forward to this year as a new beginning with our shop. Tina and I have started showing new items and my most favorite thing - the thing that gives me the most joy is that I am painting again and they are small wonders to me that make me happy. Because they are small (bookmarks and cards) they don't take much time and I am all about instant gratification! And (for those that are interested) all hope is not lost on the marriage front. I am allowing him slowly back into my life and we will see how it goes. Stay tuned!

NicoDesigns Rocks!

2010-01-11T17:42:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love these shoes by NicoDesigns, the featured seller this month! I actually commented on them when they showed up on a Found Handmade treasury too! Not only do they look comfy and cozy but they are cute as a button with the little rose embellishment. You can find them here http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=32259350. But that isn't all you can find at NicoDesigns. Not by a long shot. There are beautiful purses and totes and the most adorable pin cushions ever. Good luck with your shop Nico!

New Item! Aprons

2010-01-11T13:12:00.000-08:00

Okay, well I am getting somewhat discouraged by our lack of sale on our bags despite the fact that i think they are adorable. Therefore, I am trying to branch out into the apron arena. Loaded with patterns (and heaven knows i have the fabric), i set out to make my first apron. While it looks very cute off; the pattern must have been cut for someone with either an extremely long neck, or an enormous bust-line, (neither of which i have). Therefore, i have to figure out what adjustment i need to make for the strap that goes around the neck so i can make one that will actually sell! Why do pattern people do that? It's like when someone gives you a recipe and leaves a key ingredient out! Oh well, i am determine to find out the answer so we can launch ourselves into "Apron World"!

Plumbing Nightmare

2010-01-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

There are two things that strike fear in my heart; plumbing problems and car problems. In fact, a dear friend of mine and i agreed that the main reason to get married would be to have a husband to deal with these issues. Sadly, my husband is very good at relegating the problems back to me. The kitchen sink has reared its ugly head and backed up, thus causing the washing machine to overflow. I called the plumber who ran his little "snake machine" only to find that the plug was still there. Today he is running some other expensive machine through the pipes, but he has warned us that he thinks the pipe has deteriorated to the point of non-existence. We are now talking about jackhammers destroying whatever potion of my house that sits over the disgusting pipe. Dollar bill signs are dancing before my eyes. Also, with no washing machine, i am facing going to the laundry mat with tons of clothes to wash.. the picture doesn't get much grimmer as far as i am concerned. So are the joys of house ownership!

The Closet From Hell

2010-01-07T18:59:00.000-08:00

Yes, I decided I could not start the New Year with the closet from hell hanging over my head. So I tackled it today. However, the closet from hell beat me! I took everything out and reorganized it. I tossed stuff I was never going to use again and I even put my idea sketches/pictures in a binder so the papers wouldn't just be shoved anywhere. Pretty impressive, no? Not when you realize I did not even attempt to condense/organize the dresser from hell that is IN the closet from hell. This dresser has every craft project that I started and didn't finish. It has pipe cleaners, old Christmas cards, Counted Cross Stitch patterns and materials, trim of all kinds, pins, pens, pencils, and anything else you can possibly think of in it. It is a NIGHTMARE! So I guess that is what I will be working on tomorrow. The deal with myself was, no fun stuff (like making bookmarks, cards and purses) until the closet is done. I guess I could let myself off on a technicality but it kind of feels like one of those things that is going to be so rewarding when it is done. I think. But maybe not. We'll see what I decide tomorrow!

New Year, New Goals

2010-01-05T13:35:00.000-08:00

I am all about the marketing right now. My friend Judy turned me on to guerrilla marketing. I had never heard of it so (of course) I googled it using "gorilla marketing" cause that's what it sounded like over the phone! At least I can laugh at my own cluelessness! Anyways, kudos to Judy for that. So yesterday I printed up some cute bookmarks that had our website on them, snuck into the library and planted them in library books! I felt like a criminal! Especially when 3 library ladies appeared to be following me from aisle to aisle (I realized later it was not a subversive plot to remove my bookmarks - they were just shelving books...). I am planning on going again tomorrow. So many books, so little time.

My New Years resolution is to really work on expanding our business. My greatest accomplishment would be for Tina to make enough money at this side job for her to quit her day job. Hey, I dream BIG! Tina is the dearest person in the world and if she sometimes gets overwhelmed with the challenges in her life, she's entitled. Trust me.

So one of the gorilla, I mean, guerrilla sites said that you need to use your friends as advertisement because they come cheap. I called my friend Brenda (who is a teacher) and asked her to set some of the website bookmarks in the library of her school. She was happy to do it and she offered to set them out in the teacher's lounge too - something I hadn't thought of. Tina is usually the idea person, not me.

Anyway, I will blog about how it goes. If even 1% of the library bookmarks yield a visit, I am sure we will get some new customers, because our stuff is awesome!

Difficult Day

2010-01-03T19:41:00.000-08:00

This has been a very difficult day. Too much together time with my daughter (24 mentally disabled). I have already broken my New Year's resolution to try and be kinder and more patient with her. I have had way too many fights with my husband over this "Season of Joy", and i feel so separated from my boys who i try to spare from "life with Molly" as best i can. My husband has had many fun days with the boys over the weekend doing boy stuff. They golf, i don't.. i can't foresake them time to be with dad golfing. Hey, i should be thrilled that they are doing something so very innocent. But i do resent that i am not even asked to be included. I am no saint. Life with a mentally challenged child is not what you see in the movies. It's very hard work and sometimes it can get to you. Sorry, i will be better tomorrow.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T08:36:00.001-08:00

New Year's Resolution... try and write on blog more. I am going to make another new purse today, and then try and cut out a blouse to sew. I love sewing clothes because i feel it really is my own creation that nobody else has. Very satisfying! But before the fun, i must start de-Christmasing the house. Every year it is the same; i feel like i just got the stupid stuff up and now i have to put it away. And why is it that men don't contribute to the chore at all? They like the decorations all up, but think that a magic elf must come and put it all up and take it all down! This elf is sick of the job! Anyway, another New Year's resolution, remember life is short and try and enjoy everyday... live with less regrets. Also lose weight, exercise more and spend less.... the standing resolutions that make the top ten year in and year out!

An Alternative Christmas

2009-12-27T21:49:00.001-08:00

Well, we did Christmas a little differently this year. The boys and I went to the movies after we paid our dues at the grandparents' house. It was enlightening realizing how many people would rather go to the movies then go to Christmas dinner with their families! We went to three theatres before we found one with any seats left! I said to Rob "Don't these people have lives? What are they doing watching movies?" He of course said "Mom, you know that means you don't have a life either." Well thanks kiddo. We saw Sherlock Holmes. Excellent, my dear Watson....

My Favorite Holiday Recipe

2009-12-06T08:54:00.001-08:00

Okay, here goes. I have alot of favorite recipes because I am a baker a Christmastime. Every year I have a Holiday party with my closest friends and their husbands and I bake for weeks and weeks (don't worry, I freeze everthing to keep the mold off!) and then everyone eats until they are as full as they can be. Probably the most asked for recipe is my brownie recipe. I have to say (she said modestly) that they are the best I have ever eaten. So you can try them and let me know if I am right! I must warn you, make the frosting. It is the key to their greatness. One of my friends calls me every month when mother nature visits and begs for these brownies. They are POWERFUL!
Karen's Brownie Recipe
Preheat oven to 350.
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Stir ingredients together by hand until mixed.
Grease a 13X9 pan. Cook for 30 minutes or until brownies pull away from side of the pan. DO NOT OVERBAKE! These are gooey brownies, not cakey brownies.
Let cool and then frost.
Frosting
Sift one package powdered sugar (about 4 cups). Melt 1 stick butter in saucepan, add 4 tablespoons cocoa powder and 1/3 cup whole milk (no substitutes). Heat until mixture is free of lumps and extremely hot, almost to a boil. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and stir. Mixture will be liquid enough to pour over brownies and spread with a knife. Let cool until frosting hardens. Enjoy!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

2009-12-06T08:42:00.000-08:00

I think it is a good time to get back to the blog. I have neglected it for too long. And as my first blog in a long time, I am promoting my fellow etsians who are the etsy bloggers choice this month. CalKat are two friends that make beautiful jewelry together. I especially like this one http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18172832 because I love Santa Claus. It is a bookmark too! So it is extremely useful as well as lovely and cute. An all around winner! Check out their shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/CalKat. They offer free shipping too!

Good Old Days

2009-11-09T11:38:00.000-08:00

I visited with my mother and my sister this weekend and they gave me an album my mother had made about me back in the 50's. It was her attempted at early scrapbook-making! Anyway, looking through the photos just reminded me of how drastically things have changed between when i grew up and my kids' childhoods! First of all, no car seats back then. How did mothers travel with wild children loose in the car back then? Amazing we all survived! I ate spam sandwiches on white bread covered with mayo everyday and lived to tell the tale. My mother was not much of a cook back then. Also, those spam sandwiches would sit in tin lunch boxes outside in the San Fernando Valley heat. Never got sick. Then there were the days when i would leave with my best friend on our bicycles early in the morning and be gone all day until dinner time. Nobody cared that we were gone all day (no cell phones).. they were just happy to have us out of their hair! In fact, I don't think we ever spent much time indoors unless we were sick! Now we can't let the kids out of our sight because of the fear some sicko will grab them.. and heaven forbid anyone see you feed your child white bread! You would be asking for a public lynching! My family definitely wasn't Leave it to Beaver.. but it did have a 50's kind of charm to it!

My Hero

2009-10-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

Tina is my hero. She is patient and kind and funny and caring. If you asked her, she would probably never admit to being any of those things, but believe me, she is an inspiration to us all. She is patient and kind to her daughter Molly who can be a trial most of the time. I think God gave Molly to Tina because He knew she is patient and kind. Tina cares about everyone she comes in contact with and I can tell you that she is loyal and thoughtful to her friends. She is even nice to people who aren't nice back. And she is one of the funniest people I have ever known. Thank you, Tina for being my pal and my partner.

Long Time- No Write

2009-10-13T12:48:00.000-07:00

Ok if anyone out there reads this, Karen and I have neglected this poor blog for numerous reasons... I am not going to bore anyone with the details. We have created a new purse for our little line of fabric purses which is adorable, even if i do say so myself. We have our first 2-days show coming up at the end of October (yes, on Halloween) and we are madly trying to get ready for it. I have started yet another diet because all of my pants are too tight. I really hate getting old! I never had much of a metabolism... and with menopause, i think the metabolism is sub-zero now. I have resorted to coming home from work and putting on my sweatpants. How attractive I must be! Anyway, life has continued on... my daughter, Molly is as crazy and difficult as always... no rest for the wicked.. but sometimes i do stop myself and try to remind myself that she is a little child in a grown body and all she wants is love. I wish i could remember that all of the time.

Labor Day

2009-09-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the gorgeous Labor Day weekend. I even took Friday off so I had a four-day weekend! It is amazing how fast the time flies when you are away from work! Friday, my husband (who also took Friday off) took me to Home Depot. What a romantic get away! Anyway, we got the paint for the kitchen and he got wood for his wall unit he is building. Then i sewed. I absolutely love sewing! It instantly puts me in a good mood to create something with beautiful fabric. Saturday I played. I went to see my dear friend, Pam, who lives in Orange County. I hadn't spent time with her since January! We went to the movies (Julie and Julia, which i loved), then we had pedicures. This was my first pedicure, that's right, I was a pedicure virgin! Now I am hooked! My feet look so much better! Sunday I began the horrible job of painting the kitchen. It is such a tedious job... taping off the ceiling, then cleaning the walls...this after the joy of filling in all the holes and sanding.. Yuck! I only got part of it painted because i was exhausted and hot! I figure I should get it all done by Christmas! Between the two, give me sewing any day!

Football People are Sick!

2009-08-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

And not in a good way! Today my 14 year old big teddy bear dude of a son had to scrimmage for football. Now, not only did it get to around 104 today, we had the horrible La Canada fire which has made the air quality extremely poor. The news said we should all stay inside. But the football coach didn't get the memo, I guess. What a nimrod! His elevator obviously stopped at the basement level. So poor Jon slept the day away, probably trying to remember how to breathe. Tina says I should report the coach to the school because the school announced over the loud speaker yesterday that the football team would meet today but only watch films. Needless to say, no films were watched. It was all a ruse to show how tough the team is. Well, Jon is not that tough! Anyway, I am off to make my first smaller version of the sling bag. I just made the pattern today - am looking forward to trying it out.

Great Friends

2009-08-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

I am so lucky to have the most thoughtful friends. My birthday was last Saturday and I had the most fun-filled weekend ever! I went out to lunch with my husband and 2 kids. Rob was his usual low key self....his quote of the day was "Happy Birthday, Rob's home." It was his first weekend at college. Then my friend Brenda took me to the movies and to dinner (Greek food - delish). Then on Sunday, Tina picked Mary Ann and me up to take us to a surprise lunch at Border Grill in Santa Monica. It was the best! I was with two of my most favorite people in the world and then we went shopping! Only I have gained some weight since I could fit in a size 2 so it was not as successful as it might have been :( Oh well, I like food, what can I say? If I drank nothing but water (not watermelon lemonade, which is what I had at lunch) and ate nothing but lettuce, I might be able to stay skinny, but I don't think it is in the cards. Not after the dessert we had at Border Grill. It was a white meringue filled with cinnamon chocolate mousse and topped with dark chocolate curls. I took the rest home, needless to say. Which is maybe why I am no longer a size 2.....

Fancy Stores for Skinny People

2009-08-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Karen and her good friend, Mary Ann, joined me for a day at Santa Monica. We started off with brunch at this wonderful Mexican food place called Border Grill. It was yummy. Then we decided to stroll down the Third Street Promenade which is super fun because there are tons of people, street performers and great stores! These are the type of stores which are outside of my norm for shopping... Anthropology, Abercrombie and Fitch.. stores like that... really expensive, but full of neat stuff. The thing that got me was that they seem to cater to the anorexic. The normal size was 2, 4 and maybe some 6's. Heaven forbid someone of my great size even try and find something to try on! There were jeans there that looked like they would only fit thighs with a diameter of 8 inches! I don't think I could get my upper arm into some of them! Don't people in Santa Monica eat! Too bad because they have some great restaurants! I just don't want to live out the rest of my life eating carrots and drinking water! Well, we returned to the Valley where the sun was blazing hot, there's no sight of the ocean let alone any ocean breeze, but at least we can find clothes for normal people in the stores!

Office Christmas Cards

2009-08-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

Karen and I have a slew (well, just 3, but seems like a lot to us)of shows coming up and I would like to add a new pattern to our collection. The only problem is doing something new always takes more time, and we don't have a lot of time! Oh well, i made the executive decision that I am not going to do the thankless job of addressing a million Christmas cards to send out from the office to our clients. Nobody ever helps me and it takes forever to do. I have my little business that Karen and i want to see succeed and it is not going to succeed if we don't put out the product! Frankly, half of the people I send the cards to probably don't even remember who we are, and the other half probably throw it out. Well, i am just not going to mention it and knowing this group, nobody will think about it until December and by then it will be too late. Senior will get mad probably, but like i have said before, it's not like they pay me or anything! Go ahead and fire me.. I would love it!

Memories For Life Scrapbooks

2009-08-07T11:54:00.000-07:00

Check out this etsy shop for the best in scrapbooking. I especially like this friends word album. Very cute! Her etsy shop is www.memoriesforlifesb.etsy.com.

Reality Can Be Nice (Sometimes)

2009-08-05T12:23:00.000-07:00

It was so wonderful this morning seeing the two journalists landing at Burbank Airport and reuniting with their families! What a nightmare those two ladies have been through! It just brought tears to my eyes. Probably because I am still getting little sleep due to my daughter's insomnia and my husband's inability to "hear her" when she gets up at night at all hours! Why is it that men can have such selective hearing and act so innocent and say with a straight face "Oh, I didn't hear her". PLEASE! the entire neighborhood could hear her! The other thing i like is when he claims he thinks she is getting better because he hasn't had to get up with her at all hours! Sorry, just a little crabby from lack of sleep! However, back to my original thought, it was a wonderful sight this morning and i am so happy for the journalists' families!

Girls Nite Out

2009-08-02T08:45:00.000-07:00

Well, Tina had a really tough day yesterday (filled with a screaming child, diarrhea, and no sleep - you get the idea) so we went out to dinner last night. It was really fun. I don't think we have ever done that - just the two of us. We usually meet to work or go over preparations for something or to shop, but we don't ever just go out and sit down to eat something someone else cooked for us. It was nice. Especially when neither one of us had to do the dishes! I finished another painting so I am putting that up as you can see. I am going to attempt to print the pictures at CVS today. Wish me luck.

Sewing Machine Blues

2009-07-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

So, after burning up the sewing machine preparing all that inventory for the show that bombed, Tina and I took our beloved Janomes to the old time sewing machine/vaccum cleaner fixer dude. Now, I have to say, I love patronizing people like sewing machine/vacuum dude because he is like a blast from the past. However, that said, HE STILL HAS MY MACHINE!! How rude! It has been a week. I mean, I am going nuts here! The only positive thing is that I was able (and motivated) to start painting again. I painted a picture that was inspired by a photo a friend of mine took for a card I bought from her. She takes really wonderful photographs of flowers, birds and bugs (my favorite!) using the name Karenb Photography. Hopefully you will be seeing her stuff on etsy soon. I am going to paint again today AFTER I pick up my machine. Tina and I plan on camping out in front of the dude's shop and picketing with signs that say "Give me my machine or give me death" or maybe "My name is Karen, you killed my machine, prepare to die!" (If you haven't seen the Princess Bride, you won't get that one - and btw it is a great movie). Anyway, we'll keep you posted.

New Stuff

2009-07-23T15:42:00.000-07:00

Well, even though the craft show wasn't what we'd hoped for, now we have lots of stuff for etsy. So Tina put up a couple of bags and I put up a bag and two of my beloved fabric roses. I may be totally delusional, but I would like to think there are people out there that will love my fabric roses. I even tried to make my photos more artistic, although I usually fail miserably! :)Tina is much better at the photography end of things. I am going to start painting again. I actually started a painting but I am not sure I like it yet. It is a cat in a chair but he looks like he should be saying something like "Yeah....that's not going to happen...". He has one of those cat stares that looks bored and disgusted with human-kind. You know the ones if you have ever had a cat. Anyway, we will have to see how it ends up. So here is the "artistic" photo of my roses. :)

Depression City

2009-07-20T12:25:00.001-07:00

Well, the big show that Karen and I have been working our tails off for was yesterday. To describe it as a flop would not do it justice... it was below flop. Because of our tremendous run of luck, the temperature for the day had to be at least 106 degrees and humid! Hey! I would not have been there if i didn't have to be. To get to the hall where the show was being held, people had to walk through a portion of the Arboretum, and pay an entrance fee to do so. If the day had been nice, people could have made a day of the event by coming to the Arboretum, see the show and then walk through the lovely grounds. Nobody in their right mind would want to step out of their air conditioned homes or cars and stroll through gardens when their skin is being fried off of their bodies! Needless to say, we will not be doing another summer craft show in Southern California! Well, at least we have a lot of inventory to put up on Etsy now.

Really Big Shoe

2009-07-18T08:33:00.001-07:00

Okay, dating myself again. Actually, I never watched Ed Sullivan. He was before my time! (Hard to believe, I know). Anyway, the big craft shoe is tomorrow and Tina and I are geared up and psyched! Hopefully we will do well despite the hideously hot temperatures. I am busily working on one last fabric bouquet. It is actually a Christmas one (I know, I know) but I just want to see if there are any forward thinkers out there, that are shopping in July. You never know....

Hot Dog

2009-07-16T06:21:00.001-07:00

Well, this month for etsybloggers we are supposed to write about hot dogs. I love cooking hot dogs on the barbeque outside. There is something so summery about it. Personally, I prefer Hebrew National, with mustard and relish. And it must be on a bun. When I was a kid, my mother never bought hot dog (or hamburger) buns. She would wrap a piece of (yes, I am dating myself here) Wonder Bread (eeeeewwww) around the hot dog. The bread got all gooey and nasty. Put me right off, I can tell you. I still tease my dad about how I had to seek professional help with my hot dog bun deficiency later in life. Which is why my children always get a bun with their hot dogs. They may need therapy for other reasons but, no hot dog therapy for them! But my favorite hot dog is my wiener dog (that's what my boys call him) Toby! :)

Miesmama

2009-07-16T06:10:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to tell you guys about a shop on etsy that is being showcased this month. Miesmama sells handmade pins, headbands, bags and other wonderful items. Miesmama was already a favorite shop of mine before she was showcased. I love how creative her pins are. You can attach them to a garment to dress it up or put it on a bag to make it extra special. Check out her shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5122298

Handsome Dog

2009-07-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

So I finally got around to taking my dashchund (did I spell it right this time???) Toby to the groomer. He hates to get in the car because he is extremely intelligent and he knows he is:
a) taking a trip to the vet or
b) taking a trip to the groomer or
c) taking a trip to grandmas where I will leave him for a short period of time (which is multiplied by 7 in dog days remember!).
None of these trips makes him happy. Not that he doesn't like grandma, but he feels a pure and unconditional love for me. Anyway, he got in the car after much prodding, and I took him to the groomer who absolutely loves Toby. She always tells me how good he is when she bathes him, how sweet he is to her, etc. and I just want to say "Are you sure you haven't got him confused with someone else's dog?" because, as anyone who has not grown up in his household knows, Toby does not tolerate interlopers (i.e. anyone he doesn't know intimately) in his domain. But, I guess he becomes docile as a pussy-cat when he is not in his home territory. Hmm. I mean, this is a dog who still barks at my dad's wife, who, at one time, he saw a couple of times a week, and my dad has been married to her for 6 years! Get over it, already, dog! But, I have to say, it is the funniest thing when he gets home from the groomer, he knows he looks good and he prances all around making sure everyone tells him how handsome he looks before he can settle down and sleep off all the excitement.

Memoriesinmosaic

2009-07-13T19:56:00.000-07:00

The mirrors that Christine makes are absolutely gorgeous! My grandmother (the little lady from France) did mosaics, along with every other craft you can imagine. I was always in awe of all the beautiful pieces of colorful tile artfully placed to create a beautiful picture. She use to have a trailer parked at a beach that in Orange County called El Morro. This was long before the existence of the 405 freeway, so we had to travel on long roads through orange groves to get there. And, this was before air conditioning in cars! My grandfather, who refused to speak English to my sister and myself, would reluctantly stop the car and G.G., my grandmother, would get out and illegally pick oranges until he started shouting in Spanish for her to get into the car before we got shot... or something to that effect! G.G was fluent in French, Spanish and English.. a talent I did not inherit! Anyway, we would collect shells on the beach and G.G. would create gorgeous mosaics with them. What a cherished memory I will never forget!

Memoriesinmosaics

2009-07-13T18:57:00.000-07:00

Christine of Memoriesinmosaics on etsy, has a wonderful shop that sells, you guessed it, mosaics. She makes the most beautiful mirrors. Each one is incredibly unique. I think you would end up looking at the mirror more than your reflection! Here are a couple examples. Aren't they amazing?

Laundry Fairy Would be Nice

2009-07-12T18:43:00.000-07:00

I have to agree with my esteem friend that laundry sucks! I have spent the majority of the past two days doing tons of laundry. And, just to add to the "fun", it's about 100 degrees these past few days in the wonderful San Fernando Valley. I have been sewing like a fiend trying to have more inventory for the show. When the show is done, i am going to sit some Saturday and read a book. I adore reading. It is right up there on my list of therapeutic practices as sewing. I love losing myself in books. Imagining the characters and the landscape. And, I'm not a snotty reader. I read everything from classics to total chic lit. I love it all and i'm not ashamed to admit it! My mother-in-law insists that she will only read "Non-Fiction".. or as she frequently says, "I don't read fiction." My response to that, too bad.. she's missing some great fun! Anyway, i digress, as usual. I'm just saying, when this show is done, i plan on relaxing a bit and enjoying some summer time fun and some great books.. and no laundry!

Laundry Fairy

2009-07-12T05:58:00.000-07:00

First, let me say, that I really hate doing laundry. It's not "soothing" or "thought-provoking". It is mind-numbingly boring. I need a laundry fairy. And he/she (I am not sexist although I have to say men can't fold) must include folding and putting away in his/her resume. Why does laundry multiply exponentially when you don't have time to do it? And if you neglect to do laundry for even a day, the one outfit you really wanted to wear always seems to be in the pile of "disgustingly dirty" items. And heaven forbid my oldest son doesn't have the correct pair of jeans to wear. Don't get me started on that. What I really want to do all day is sew and paint. Would that it were so (or sew)! Ah well, that would involve a cleaning house fairy and a taxi service fairy too.....

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-03T08:14:00.000-07:00

Today we are going to Laguna Beach because it is the last year they are putting on a fireworks show. How very sad that this economy is taking away such a simple pleasure. Okay, now I will tell you how I really feel about fireworks. I am totally over the NOISE! Man, I must be getting old because I love seeing them in the sky but I totally hate how LOUD they are! And they start too late. They don't start them until 9:00 pm and by that time I am ready for bed. Okay, I am officially a loser. Well, at least I am still going to pretend that I love them, for the kids' sake. I do love going to the beach and walking around watching the people. People get very territorial with their beach space on the 4th. They stake out their territory at 6 am with their towels and blankets and there are always arguments on "you put your towel on my space" or "we were here first" and "you left so you lose" etc. It's all very exciting!

Football People are Nuts

2009-07-01T19:15:00.000-07:00

You can tell it's me (Karen) posting again. Tina is too nice to call people nuts (even when they are). Plus, we have already discussed my opinions on football people. Okay, so Jon hurt his neck at football on Monday. I wasn't sure if I should rush him to the xray machine and ruin his chances to reproduce. I mean, how do I know if he fractured his neck?? The coach told him to "run it out"! Ex---cuse me?? By the time I got him home he couldn't hold his head straight. He looked deformed. But I (being the calm collected type in an emergency) told him to get in the shower, gave him some motrin and promptly ran to the pharmacy and spent $400 on sore muscle products. Okay, maybe not $400. I exaggerated a tad. But not much. Anyway, he went to sleep and woke up looking worse. Tina told me about this magic pill that is now over the counter and used to be prescription. It is a muscle relaxant and sounded like just the ticket. I gave one to Jon before practice. I insisted he show up because "I don't want the coach to think you are a flake." Okay, I am officially a football person. Nuts. He looked at me and his eyes were completely dilated and he looked like he was falling asleep (which come to find out, he practically did all through practice). So now the coach doesn't think he's a flake, just a drug addict.

2009-07-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

It's hot and i am sewing frantically trying to get ready for the show on July 19. I didn't have to go to work today because I had to take my daughter to see her doctor at UCLA. We have been going to this man for 15 years and I still feel like i have to explain everything to him that I have told him over and over again. Why not change doctors you may ask? Because my husband has some strange affinity for this man and basically hates change. It's too much work. Anyway, as the man (the doctor that is), was droning on and on, all i could think about was the sewing I could be doing! Oh well, we basically solved very little during the 2 hour ordeal and left us all feeling a tad exhausted. And, I'm trying to be better about not turning on the air conditioner, but at my age, hot and sweaty is not an attractive look! Well back to my machine!

Opie the O'Possum

2009-06-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

My dog Toby is a daschund (I never know if I am spelling that correctly). Someone told me once that dashchunds (maybe if I spell it differently every time, I will get it right one of the times) were originally bred to hunt and kill gophers. It totally makes sense to me. He is my protector. Even when the rest of my family could care less what I am doing, Toby is following me around (to be fair, he could just be looking for me to drop food that he can snag).

Anyway, last night I let him out to pee one last time before bed and he didn't come in and I heard a racket of barking and snarling outside my bedroom door. I went out to take a look (and to make him be quiet before the police, FBI, CIA and neighborhood watch were called) and I saw he had a huge (okay, I exaggerate, a very, very large) possum in his jaws and he was throwing it around like a rag doll. I immediately thought of rabies. He gets his shots regularly for this very reason. So now, to add to the thunderous noise in my backyard, I started screaming at him "You're gonna get rabies from that thing!!! Drop it now!!!" He, of course, ignored me completely and tossed the thing some more. I know I should love all of God's creatures, but I find possums really repugnant. I apologize to anyone who thinks they are cute. And, by the way, you should seek professional help.

So there I am, wrestling with a dog who is wrestling with a possum. Someone should have gotten it on film. I finally got him away from it and shoved him inside. Now is when you should tell your children to stop reading. But I will say, no cute, fuzzy animals were harmed in this story. However, really, really ugly ones were. I went out to look (carefully) at the possum. It was toast. I could not bring myself to throw it in the garbage at 10 pm. So I went to bed.

This morning Toby could barely contain himself he wanted to go outside so bad. I was not fooled into thinking his bladder was that full. No dummy, moi. So I went outside and low and behold - the possum was gone! Either Harry Potter came to visit and transfigured it into an ivy leaf or, it really wasn't dead. I guess "playing possum" isn't just an old saying. So, all's well that ends well.

Ode to Opie

There once was a hideous creature
Who, really needing to pee, sure
That he was alone,
He strayed far from home,
And my dog rearranged his features.

Apologies to Angie.

Standing Still with Scissors

2009-06-22T17:21:00.001-07:00

Okay, first I have to have a disclaimer. I do not guarantee my typing will be typo free. I am typing with a handicap. Yesterday I was making a fabric rose and I have taken to using a pair of scissors to cut a way into the rose to ease the passage of the stem (sounds very technical, no?) Well, I wasn't paying attention (I was watching a very tense part of the movie "Taken") and the scissors sliced thru the fabric quicker and stronger than I had anticipated (because, let's face it, I wasn't paying attention) and sliced right thru my index finger too. It was such a sharp pair of scissors (a major anomaly in my house) that I didn't even feel the pain right away. But, THERE WILL BE BLOOD. All over the place. I think there may even have been arterial spray. Okay, maybe not...But, I take a blood thinner because I have the dreaded cholesterol. Can I hear everyone say "EEEWWW". So the wound wouldn't clot. I went thru about 50 paper towels and finally got it to a slow ooze. Then, once again, my friend and colleague Tina came to my rescue and got the bandaid on me. So, that is my explanation for a lousy typing job. Although, I would venture to say it was pretty good for Karen, the nine-fingered hobbit. With apologies to Tolkien.

Past My Bedtime

2009-06-19T21:50:00.000-07:00

Normally I would be in dreamland by now (it is 10 pm and counting) but my son looked at me sweetly (after seeing that I went to the vegetable stand) and said innocently "Why'd you get so many onions?" and then "Those onion rings you made us would be really good as snacks at Grandma's tomorrow." I said "Maybe tomorrow." He told me there wasn't enough time and that he would really appreciate it if I made them tonight. Which wouldn't have been so bad except that it is 1000 degrees in the kitchen and the stupid things have to soak in buttermilk for at least an hour. So think of me (if you are still awake) at 11 pm when I start to make homemade onion strings. I know Tina loves them so maybe I'll save her some (if Jon lets me). They are so good they even taste good cold. You have to slice the onions really thin so that they aren't big clunky things, they are really like shoelaces after you deep fry them (okay, that didn't come out right - I really don't deep fry shoelaces as a rule but you get the idea). Okay, I have officially hit the 1-hour-in-the-buttermilk mark so I gotta go fry. I'll probably wake up with zits for my trouble.

2009-06-19T12:39:00.000-07:00

My mother is a very sweet woman if she likes you. Watch out if she doesn't. She has never been one to "suck it up" when it comes to pain. She is very melodramatic about everything in her life. She is definitely one who looks at the glass as half empty. However, she has a wicked sense of humor and she can gossip with the best of them! I love her dearly and I worry that I am so far away should something happen to her. I know it has been no picnic living with my dad all these years. She is in the hospital right now due to the tremendous arthritis that has crippled her so greatly. I live with many memories of my childhood that haunt me even to this day, but the memories of my mother are my most cherished. Although her gait is slow and the hair is gray, I will always think of her as that exotic Cuban lady with that splash of mystery. Tina

Football People

2009-06-18T22:19:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed that people that love football are completely insane? I mean, come on. These people eat, sleep and breathe football. Jon is on the freshman team at his school and they have to practice as much as the pro teams do. And, OMG could they make it any more expensive? They have this "Fun Pack" that it is highly suggested that you buy. It includes pom-poms. What are we, 12? Can you picture me with pom-poms at my son's high school football game? I don't think so. And even if I would debase myself enough to wave pom-poms around, do you think my son could ever live down that image? Only through years of therapy. Poor Jon can't even walk he is so sore. But he seems to enjoy it. Great, another football person is born.

Waxing Poetic on Fabric Bouquets

2009-06-17T14:16:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have become official and started to name my blog posts. And I have decided to (ewww) punctuate officially. So much for the rebel in me. Okay, so now I am working diligently on fabric bouquets and I think I like them just as much as hats! I never thought that would happen. They make me smile to look at them. Even though my burnt pointer finger still has not recovered. And please explain to me why I seem to hit it anytime I do anything. I can't do the dishes anymore because it hurts so much when soap/hot water hits it. Of course I am joking. No one in my household knows how to do the dishes. They have finally learned to bring the dishes to the sink but I have to assume they think the dishes magically fly into the dishwasher. Or maybe it's the kitchen elves. Anyway, I hope the fabric roses are a hit. I love them!

2009-06-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

i cannot stress enough that i am of the opinion the powers that be should make it a requirement to obtain a license to operate a glue gun. i have the scars and wounds to support this view. tonight i was making a fabric bouquet and i came away with 4 fingers that may never be the same. my pointer finger of my right hand was burnt on the knuckle side, so badly that i could see the blood pricks because the layers of skin were all removed. and of course, why is it you can never find the bloody neosporin when you have burnt the crap out of yourself? i ended up resorting to rumaging thru the first aid kit in the garage! anyway, i will live but i probably will have to resort to major drugs to sleep tonight.

2009-06-16T11:58:00.000-07:00

well the good news about the sale the other day is that it did boost my spirits. I was beginning to feel like a huge loser. But, the other side is that I am panic striken about the amount (or lack thereof) of inventory that i have for the show. I am sewing like mad and am taking Friday off so I can sew a ton. I will make my boys take the puppy, Eloise, for her next set of shots and the nerdy dog, Rocco, for his thyroid panel. Yes, I have a dog who has to take thyroid pills because he has seizures if he doesn't. We are almost sure that he also has asthma and an anxiety disorder of some type. Poor little dog. Anyway, I am very proud of you Karen and am behind you all the way!

2009-06-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

I am so very proud of Karen's son, Jon. He is the sweetest boy and takes after his mother in kindness. It is such a strange feeling when your child graduates. I think we mothers feel it more than our children because we remember all of the nerves of anticipation, happy moments, successes and bumps in the road. For the child, it is just the joy of moving forward. For us, it is the sadness that they are growing up, and moving closer to moving away. Anyway, well done Jon! You are a joy to this world! tina

2009-06-12T07:01:00.001-07:00

well, an era has ended. and let me just brag about my son for a moment. my son jon is a big, sweet lump of a moy (man-boy). he got more awards than anyone last night, even tommy brown who is the smartest kid in the class. by the end of the night the tears were coming unbidden down my face. people looked at me every time he got an award. as if i had something to do with it. jon has been a treasure since he was a baby. every time he went down to accept an award, he looked like a giant "lurch". you would never believe someone that big came out of 5'2 me. and omg, would it kill you to smile, kid? the award i am most proud of is the christian witness award. now let me preface that by saying i go to church on an extremely irregular basis and jon never goes. i mean, he has chapel at school but on sundays he is asleep when everyone else is praying. he plans it that way. the christian witness award goes to the kid who is the best example of doing God's work. wow! the christian studies teacher came up to me afterward and told me that it was between two people so she asked all the other teachers and they all told her it was jon, hands down. she told me something that makes me tear up even now. she said that none of the teachers had ever heard him say a bad word about anyone. and that he always is kind to everyone. i really thought the award would go to a kid who goes to church every week and/or to one who is in the youth group. but it went to my big, sweet lump of a moy. karen
ps oh, and he also made honor roll!

2009-06-11T07:12:00.000-07:00

i read other people's blogs and not only do i feel inadequate, i feel old. i have decided to do an age verification before i read anyone's blog from now on. no one under 40 (does that make me ageist? is that even a word? am i insane? don't answer that last one!) anyway, today is going to be a lazy day for the boys because jon doesn't have to show up to school until 6:30 tonight for graduation. rob still hasn't gotten the call from costco-dude to know whether or not he is getting an interview. i am assuming he will at least get an interview because ginny was nice enough to recommend him. he needs a job. of course, he doesn't think so. but i have always been his safety net and now he needs to learn how to be on his own. plus, no one will hire him unless he's had a job. yes, i really did say that. i know it sounds stupid, but it is true. any type of position he gets after college will not be much if he's never worked before. so rob may graduate from csun with a degree in history and a job at mc donalds. heaven forbid! have a good one. karen

2009-06-10T11:45:00.000-07:00

so today is the last official day of junior high for jon. they had a party that i drove to. i also sent cookies (that no one thanked me for, i might add). one girl had the nerve to ask if they were homemade. as if i would send anything else! how rude! :) i was talking to my friend angie while we were waiting and telling her that reading other people's blogs makes me feel inadequate (it really does) and then she told me about her blog (which i promptly went home to read) and now i feel even less adequate than previously! she writes poetry. and it's good poetry. i am going to go slit my wrists now. and you wonder where jon gets the drama from....

2009-06-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

what a sweet thing to say tina. right back at ya. and hang in there, i got your back. today, jon has another half day due to finals. he graduates from middle school on thursday. i am so looking forward to summer! even tho there is summer school and football on the horizon. i just shipped our first fabric bouquet. it was really expensive. i ended up having to bend the roses in half. i feel bad but otherwise it would have been $15 shipping! plus, the wire bends really easily back into position so hopefully the dude won't be mad. i sent him a convo to notify him. so please, jdhemingway, don't ding our feedback! anyway, i am off to pick up jon and then i am bringing lunch to my dad and bev because she isn't feeling well. have a good one! karen

2009-06-07T08:14:00.000-07:00

I am sure you all know by now, but Karen is the sweetest person. She is constantly giving of herself and thinking of others. I could not ask for a better friend! And that, my friends, is directly from my heart. Life with Molly has been very trying as of late. We are trying to get to a level of medication that can calm her. She is bipolar and she is either extremely intense, hyper-focused, loud, demanding and volatile, or depressed, scratching herself and hitting walls. Some days it does becoming overwhelming. I pray constantly when we adjust or change medications that this will be the magic cure. I know she will never be a "normal girl". But all i wish is that she would be a happy, calm girl. The rest I can handle. Anyway, sorry to be a downer this morning, but it has been a long time since Molly was happy and therefore, it has been a long time that i have felt any peace.

2009-06-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

this month the etsybloggers picked birthdays as the topic for the blog carnival. so here goes - i was born august 22 and no, i won't tell you the year. let's just say it was (said in a booming announcer voice) "at the dawn of time...when dinosaurs walked the earth", and you will be close enough. and tina was born february 9 and she (hard to believe) is as old as i am. for tina's birthday this year, i told her i would like to take her to a movie and maybe to eat. she doesn't get away very often because her daughter is mentally handicapped and requires round the clock care. and tina is a great mom. i know sometimes it must be all she can do not to throw up her hands and walk away. she is the most compassionate, patient person i know. anyway, so i made my offer and she agreed and we arranged for her husband to be home to watch molly and then when it came close to the day, tina decided that she would much rather go to downtown los angeles and shop for fabric! which of course, i was horrified at the mere idea! :) we had a great time and it wasn't even my birthday. on my birthday tina and mary ann give me gifts but the only way my sons remember is if their father buys them a card and makes them sign it! but that is okay by me, i am glad to be alive for another year. my family has gone to disneyland every year to celebrate my son's birthdays (together) and that is always fun. we stay at the grand californian for two nights and three days and go to the parks and swim and just goof off. a good time is had by all.

2009-06-06T07:41:00.000-07:00

hello fellow etsians! i visited the etsybloggers featured bloggers shop today. oh my goodness she has some beautiful things. i especially like the coral wrap fringed stole. it is a lovely color that would make anyone's skin glow! the blue skies and puffy clouds scarf is the exact color you imagine when you think of clouds and blue skies. and the workmanship is wonderful. i like that she embellished it with buttons so it will stay in place. very clever! check out her shop and give her a heart.

2009-06-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

wouldn't you know it... the first day in a long time i have a good hair day and my eyes are swollen and my face is blotchy. i went to the eye doc yesterday and they put these drops in (which, i might add, have never bothered me before) that made me blind from tears. and today, i woke up with my eyes swollen practically shut (it was a very interesting drive to school this morning - jon was pointing out obstacles for me). maybe my hair only looks good because i can't see that well....something to think about.

2009-06-04T06:43:00.000-07:00

good morning. jon's last day of school before finals. and they are all going to magic mountain on friday night. i used to work there (before the dawn of time, when dinosaurs roamed the earth). since i was not a long time employee, i got the really boring rides. i worked the dragon (a very slow way to get up the hill - basically only old people took it) and spin out (that horrible ride they have at carnivals where you go so fast round and round that the centrifugal force makes you stick to the walls......lots of stomach issues....'nuff said). everything is roller coasters , now. not my favorite thing. i like disneyland better - there's stuff to do that doesn't involve being thrown around like a rag doll and in all directions no human being should go in. anyway, i plan on finishing a hat today before i go to the eye doctor. i think i need new glasses. bummer! have a good day. karen

2009-06-02T20:52:00.000-07:00

hi everybody! karen here. please, remind me never to use a glue gun at nite when i am tired, again. i may never regain the use of my left hand. which makes it really hard to type. i can now join the mafia because my fingertips don't have ridges anymore. of course, it IS only on one hand. so they probably wouldn't take me. oh well, i guess i will just keep making bags and hats. one handed. i did the orthodontist and dentist today and in the waiting room i made three rosettes, which i stupidly decided to finish tonight instead of cutting out another hat. i mean, how much damage could i do with a pair of scissors? even i couldn't cut off my whole hand...maybe a couple of fingers...anyway, i digress. tina and i are very excited about the next show. hopefully people will come with the idea of buying something.
have a great evening.

2009-06-01T14:04:00.001-07:00

It's Monday and i am at work, thus my mood. But I have been trying to twitter about our stuff a lot. Why won't somebody buy something for Pete sakes! It is really annoying that other people have way more expensive stuff on line and are selling things and our stuff is so cute and inexpensive! I guess we just have to be discovered, thus, the twitter factor. I did feel virtuous last night because i cute out 2 hats from ancient material that has been sitting in my stack forever. One hat will be for the show and the other will be for CHOC. I plan to work on them this evening when i get home after doing all of my chores. Have to get back to work now, it is billing day and i haven't even started.

2009-06-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

so i cut out two hats yesterday but i have to totally redo one of them because it is upside down! what a moron! oh well. i am a little disheartened that our etsy shop is not showing any sales. the two new sling bags tina made are so adorable. and i hate to complain, but we still haven't seen any of our stuff on the front page. but when i go in and look around i see how many people are selling on etsy and i am amazed we have any sales. there is so much competition and everything is so cute. made it myself and artfire are not as popular, but they don't have as much competition. so we are really looking forward to the july craft show for some sales. keep your fingers crossed.
karen

2009-05-31T12:11:00.000-07:00

the plan for today:
1. sleep in (already did that until my husband called at 8:30 - i never sleep that long!)
2. exercise (check that off, thank goodness - even tho i do it 6 times a week only a masochist would enjoy it!)
3. twitter
4. finish the rosette i was working on last nite at 11 waiting for my children to get home
5. make another cat hat (i sold the last one, remember? right off my head)
so my son rob graduated! there was a drama (there always is with this household!) because we couldn't find his dress shoes. he ended up wearing combat boots! seriously, hey, they were black. it will be a funny story to tell his kids, right? i am a bad mom. and i am going to hell, but at least my friends will all be there!
have a great day!
p.s. tina - your hats are adorable. stop being such a perfectionist! the little imperfections in life make it worth living and plus the hats are handmade, they aren't supposed to look like they are from a factory!

2009-05-31T09:06:00.000-07:00

Karen is my dear friend and will always come to my defense. But to clarify things, we do not have a hamster. He died a while ago. The rest is true and she did leave out the 5,000 fish we have. Anyway, my mom and sister come here today to see Eloise, the new pup. Not really to see me. I did try and clean up, but gave up when i realized it was hopeless. I made another hat yesterday and still feel inadequate in my hat making skills. Karen's hats are adorable! Mine look like high school sewing projects. But i will keep trying because one day one is bound to turn out! Have to go do the dishes now.

2009-05-29T17:01:00.000-07:00

i just want to be clear: tina's house is not a slum. she is a lovely, charming witty woman and her house is a beautiful as she is. that said, she is challenged by the fact that she has 89 cats (okay, maybe only 9, but still....), 3 dogs, one of whom is a not-potty-trained-yet-and-has-worms puppy, a tortoise (outside), a turtle (in an aquarium) and i think (although i am not sure that it didn't go to that big cage in the sky), a hamster (personally, i find them rat-like and would probably feed them to a snake, if i had one - just kidding, tina:)). no, she doesn't have any snakes (at least not as of last weekend, but i give no guarantees...). anyway, needless to say, her sister's house only has 1 small rat-like dog and all of her kids have left home. so, of course her house is immaculate. also, she probably has a housekeeper who comes a few times a week because she's got disposable income! so, tina, give yourself a break! gotta go make dinner. tacos, if anyone is interested. and then, i pick up jon.

2009-05-29T12:41:00.000-07:00

Complete digression from my ususal chatter, but what in the world is Phil Spector going to do about his hair when he is in jail for 19 years! I mean REALLY.. have you seen some of his hair surprises during the trial?? Anyway, I will finish the sling bag tonight (I promise Karen). I have to take our new puppy (Eloise) to the vet for her shots and to be de-wormed. Poor puppy. And, my mom and sister are coming up to see her on Sunday, so i hope my son is washing down the back so it doesn't look as slummy as it does now. My sister's house is beautiful, so anything I can do to try and improve the look of mine is pretty much a waste of time.. but give me an A for Effort. I have to get back to work now. Adios! rina

2009-05-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

okay, so today rob comes back from grad nite at disneyland. was i ever that young? and please tell me i was not so rude! he has got to get a job this summer and (hopefully) learn how to converse with people in ways that do not include "uhn" and "huh"! but i digress.... so yesterday i got my hair done (looks fabulous, btw) and i happened to take some hats with me jic. and i sold 3! i am really hoping that hats become the new clothing must have. plus yesterday on good morning america they had a fashion segment and all the women were wearing hats with their outfits. so the movement is on! must make more hats.....must make more hats.... one of the hats i sold was sold right off my head! and i really loved that hat. i made it expressly for myself. but hey, if someone is willing to buy it off my head, who am i to say "hands off!" have a good day.
karen