Primitive Mom of Two

Caoch Bag Giveaway!

2009-11-23T10:55:00.001-06:00

While out searching for fun giveaways I came upon this one. Now what Woman wouldn't want to own her very own Coach handbag?? Well then just visit this site and enter away! Good luck to everyone!!

http://www.thefashionablehousewife.com/11/2009/coach-holiday-handbag-giveaway/

I also have the button on my side bar!

It's Fall my Favorite time of year

2009-11-03T08:06:00.003-06:00

Hello all my faithful followers, I am sorry to have left for so long! I had decided it was time to take a break from the computer and that turned into a great long summer :) Now I am back and will do my best to keep everyone updated on what I am working on, share some of my favorite things and share little stories about my family.

Today I wanted to share some information about an illness that we don't hear a lot about with all the flu and H1N1 talk going around but is still out there. Recently my 6 yr old son was diagnosed with Mono. Now I didn't know much about Mono as I don't remember having it growing up, but the more I talked to people the more I realized i needed to do some research. Mono can effect people differently. For example Connor isn't tired, worn out or cranky, but he had the fever and extremely sore throat and nasty cough, I am very relieved that the doctor tested for Mono. He originally tested simply to rule it out and found out that was indeed what he had. Here is some informative information I found on familydoctor.org.

Mononucleosis (often called "mono") is an infection caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. Symptoms of mono include:
Fever
Sore throat
Fatigue
Weakness
Swollen glands in your neck and armpits
Loss of appetite
Night sweats
Symptoms in young children are generally mild, while symptoms in adolescents and young adults tend to be more severe.

Mono is not spread as easily as some other viruses, such as the common cold. The mono virus is found in saliva and mucus. It is usually passed from one person to another through kissing, which is why it is often called the kissing disease. However, mono can also be passed through exposure to a cough, sneeze or through sharing food utensils (such as drinking glasses, spoons and forks) with someone who has mono. Signs of mono usually develop 4 to 6 weeks after you're exposed to the virus. Generally, people only get mono once. It's most common among people 15 to 35 years old.

Sometimes there can be complications. The main complication with mono is the enlargement of the spleen. The spleen is like a large gland. It's located in the upper part of your abdomen on the left side. It helps filter your blood. In severe cases of mono, the spleen can rupture (tear open).Although a ruptured spleen is rare in people who have mono, it's wise to be aware of the signs and call your doctor right away if you notice any of them. Signs of a ruptured spleen include sharp pain in the left upper part of your abdomen (under the left chest), feeling lightheaded, feeling confused, blurred vision and fainting.

There is no cure for mono.But the virus will go away on its own. Symptoms usually last about 4 weeks.

The main goal of treatment is to relieve your symptoms. The following list includes tips on treatment:
Rest. Sleep helps your body fight infection.
Drink plenty of fluids. They help prevent dehydration.
If you have a sore throat, gargle with salt water, or suck on throat lozenges, hard candy or flavored frozen desserts (such as Popsicles).
You may want to take acetaminophen (one brand name: Tylenol) or ibuprofen (some brand names: Advil, Motrin, Nuprin) to relieve pain and fever. Do not give aspirin to children. Aspirin should be avoided because it has been associated with a disease called Reye's syndrome in children. Reye's syndrome is a serious illness that can lead to death.

Avoid sports, physical activities or exercise of any kind until your doctor tells you it's safe. Moving around too much puts you at risk of rupturing your spleen, especially if it is enlarged. You need to avoid physical activities and contact sports for about 3 to 4 weeks after you've had mono.

So yeah it looks like a lot but this was a great summary and very informative. So please if you or your child has any symptoms make sure your doctor checks for Mono.

I will be sharing some projects I am working on later this week. I look forward to getting back in contact with all my great friends!!

Happy crafting and stay healthy and warm.

$5 Sale!

2009-07-26T09:48:00.003-05:00

Hello all my blogland friends, I am sorry to have neglected you for so long! Today's post won't be long as i am working on some new items and want to get them finished before posting about them. I did want to let everyone know that I am having a sale in my Etsy shop. I have a $5 Dollar Earring section now, almost all my earrings are now discounted to $5. Prices have already been reduced, so hop on over and take advantage of my earring liquidation!!

http://www.primitivejunkie.etsy.com/

Also don't forget to sign up for the mystery give away, i have already added more items. I may post a sneak peak at some of the things you might see in the package. The more entries I get the more items i am going to add, so spread the word!! Tweet it, blog it, email it, doesn't matter to me. Let's just get the word out there cause I mean really you want a big box of things when you win right?

Super Saturday Feature

2009-07-18T12:44:00.005-05:00

Good Saturday to all! I am going to start a Super Saturday Feature twice a month on some of the great shops i find. This Saturday it is on miesmama, who happens to be the feature store for the Etsy Blogger street team that I am part of as well.

Miesmama has a very cute and fun little shop, combining felting, sewing and vintage items into some great finds and deals for you. I have to say one of my favorite's is the Pink Clover Headband (shown below)

You can also find wonderful totes, purses, and clutches that she has upcycled from various sweaters and wool materials, i have to say my favorite so far is the Blood Red Rose Clutch (featured below)

So hop on over to www.miesmama.etsy.com and find that something you have been looking for!

Online Make Over

2009-07-18T09:36:00.002-05:00

July 29th, 2009

7:00pm

www.marykay.com/mwyattmills

Yup that is the date, time, and website to be at for the online Make over party! I suggest logging on a few minutes ahead of time to set up your registration, upload your picture and get ready to have some fun!! If you have any questions please let me know. Also if you add me on facebook I will be sending out reminders and special discount offers as well as a list of the discontinued items that i will have for sale and a greatly slashed price!

Here is my Facebook I look forward to having fun with each and every one of you!!

I don't just sell on Etsy

2009-07-16T16:54:00.003-05:00

Yes that's right. I don't just have my etsy shop, I am also a Mary Kay Consultant. I haven't talked about this on my blog simply because I have been focusing on my handmade items, but I wanted to let everyone know, if you need product, want to find that perfect gift for a friend, girlfriend, wife, etc then you have come to the right place.

I have been using Mary Kay products since I was 16, thanks to my mom. I loved them then and I love them even more now! My morning ritual is done in about 30 minutes and that includes washing, drying and styling my hair, my face and make up routine is about 7 minutes all together, who could as for better? Wanna know more? Simply drop me a comment with you email address and i would be happy to chat with you about any questions you might have. I will also be posting a couple of premade baskets soon that will be available for sale! I am so excited about them, and in the near future I will be having an online party, yes you read right an online party, be able to stay at home in your pj's, with your favorite wine or beverage at your side. This is possible because we now have a virtual make over section on the mary kay website, upload your photo and you can try on all the color's available from mary kay and even try out different hairstyles as well. Not sure what colors look good together, they also have "sets" that have been designed by professional make up artists...so keep a look out for that date. If you want to have a notice sent to you about this as well, leave me a comment saying so and an email address for it. During the party I will be available through IM chat via facebook or yahoo.

Well time to get back to the daily grind, but again leave me a comment, message, or question. :) have a great day!

To Do List

2009-07-11T09:48:00.005-05:00

(this great notepad made by the wonderful

TerriTaylorDesigns simply click the picture to go to her shop)

What is on your To Do List today?

Well i have so many things I want to do, I am not sure where to start. I have all my project hopes listed on my very own Crap To Do list, I love this little notepad, you can get your very own at Terri's etsy shop, simply click on the picture to take you to her store.

I think I am just going to start at one end of the house and work towards the other, which means that this weekend i am going to work on my back porch. I have totes and boxes out there that need to be gone through, i eventually want to move my creative stations out there so I have more room to lay things out and so the inside of the house won't be so cluttered. That would be my big project, along with the daily chores of laundry , dishes, trash, and vacuuming or sweeping.

I also want to try to work on one of the patterns i got when I went back home. One of my favorite things to do when we go back and visit is to travel up to Muscatine, IA and visit The Cotton Shop. I bought a couple of kits their for wool ornaments, i want to dig those out and see what else i need to make them. I wanted something different from everything else i have been making so i thought i would try out making some things with wool. My mom seems to love it, so I thought why not try it. Though, i won't be getting them out till i am done with my goals for this weekend. So wish me luck on those.

What is on your to do list this weekend, any major projects, minor projects, new creative patterns or ideas?? I love reading what my friends are up to.

So I Am Back In The Saddle

2009-07-09T10:21:00.002-05:00

Ok so things are a bit better in the Wyattmills household. Today I finally feel like i can get some things done, if this headache would completely go away!! There is so much to get done but i'll take it one job at a time.

We had a great time back home in IL. I got to go to all the places i wanted to go, even saw a few people I haven't seen in YEARS!!! It was grand fun and hope we can do it again next year.

I now have projects that should keep me busy for a while and even a list of quilt kits i want to get from this great shop in Muscatine Iowa once i have finished what I bought this trip. You can check her out online, the store name is The Cotton Shop, just click on the name and it will take you to her shop. I have to say it is the best quilt store I have found so far. We also went to Kalona, IA and i got some great prim decor and a great smelling candle along with a couple of new bag patterns i can't wait to try out.

And I also didn't forget about the giveaway, but i think i am going to keep it a mystery this time, i picked up a few things while i was back home, but i am also going to include a few of my own handmade items. I will be putting up a separate post for that so we can keep track of it.

I haven't gotten any pictures of my newest pieces for decoration, but once i am caught up at home i will definitely take the time to snap some and post them as I know you all want to see my loot. :) I hope everyone is having a good week and i look forward to hearing from everyone!

We made it home!!

2009-07-08T14:18:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to post a quick note, we did make it home from our trip to IL, but as soon as we got back both Connor and I became sick, so I apologize about the delay on the giveaway, but i hope to have it all ready tomorrow and we'll get things going then!!

Another great day and A GIVEAWAY

2009-06-30T18:49:00.008-05:00

Ok so it was another great day today. The morning was spent shopping with hubby and the boys, then home for about an hour and then we headed out to Uncle Doug's to go fishing. Connor was fishing right off the bat, no sooner did he sit down and daddy made the first cast and he caught a fish, then another, then another...4 fish in a row....then he decided he was bored so Yaya took over the pole and wham she caught a fish...it was just a good day, JJ caught fish, Papa caught fish, Daddy caught fish and even Mommy caught a couple of fish, but the big highlight was when Mommy (that is me) caught a whopper of a TURTLE, yep i said a turtle. A snappin turtle had popped his head up by my bobber and as his head went down, so did my bobber, so of course I thought he had hooked on, so I reeled him in. Now of course I had the fishing pole and not the camera in my hands so I look to my dad to take a pic, and he grabs his camera but the turtle got away before a pic could have been taken, I had hooked him in his back leg, but it was a consensus that he was the size of a go kart tire...so a fairly good sized turtle. I thought I would share some pics.....

Now I am sure that you are all wondering about the giveaway in my title, well that is right, I am gearing up for another giveaway. This Thursday I am joining my mom and her best friends for a girls day out and we are road tripping to some of the coolest places. Well while I am out and about with them I am going to pick up little things here and there to create a "share my visit home" basket that will be given away at the end of July. I will start the giveaway tomorrow, the first of July and it will go through the 30th of the month, Yes that is 30 days to enter. I will put all the info in how to earn entries into tomorrow's post. Plus as the month goes by I may even add more things to the basket as surprises! Keep checking back and let all your friends know!

Plus I have created a fan page for my etsy shop on facebook, please come on by and become a fan!! Just click HERE to join my fan page.

Having a GREAT time so far

2009-06-29T19:26:00.004-05:00

Yes we made it up to my folks house. At 5pm on Saturday evening to be exact. Now this was a fun trip! The boys got to ride along with the grandparents in their big trucks. Connor got to go with Papa on Friday and got to sleep in the truck Friday night with papa, they made it here Saturday at about 4pm. (papa had to deliver his load on Saturday) Yaya stayed the day with us on Friday, and then bright and early Saturday morning we took JJ up to the Flying J where yaya was and he got to ride with Yaya all the way back home. Daddy and I followed in the van with Samson (our dog). Such a nice peaceful ride for us. I read a book, which took up about 3 1/2 hrs of the 10hr ride, then I downloaded some free games to my Bberry, played those, took a nap, and then with about 3 hrs to go I was completely bored! With no movies goin for the kids, no constant talking or questions, not having to refill drinks or snacks i didn't have anything to do. Thankfully we made it and both boys were super excited to finally be at Yaya and Papa's house.

Sunday was a relaxing day around the house, mom and I went to town to get groceries and ran by Kmart to pick up a few things. The kids got to have a water gun fight with daddy and Papa. This is a tradition that Papa started a yr or two ago and each year it's a challenge to see who can show up with the biggest and best water gun. It is something the boys look forward to every year along with going fishing at Uncle Doug's and goin out to play and do smore's around Uncle Richard's fire.

Today we went out to Uncle Richard's, they got to see the ducks, chickens, roosters, bunny's and got to play with the swing set and tether ball. Mom showed me the Hollyhocks she planted there a few years ago, they are gorgeous and i got some great close up pics of the flowers. I will close out with a couple of pictures from Uncle Richard's. I will try to update things later in the week. I hope everyone is having a great day and enjoying their week.

Kitchen Elves

2009-06-25T08:56:00.002-05:00

That is what I wish for. As i sat last night making yet another list of things that must get done before we leave Saturday morning the top one on my list yet again was to clean the kitchen. Something I have done everyday this week, yet never seem to get anywhere on it. I got to thinking, if only I had Kitchen Elves that snuck in at night and cleaned up for me, life would be so much easier. Anyone that knows me can tell you I HATE cleaning the kitchen with a passion. Yet it is a necessity. Now if I were like my mom, my kitchen, well my whole house would be spotless. She never rests, always up doing something and if you have a cup or glass that you might have just emptied make sure to keep it in your sights cause she is very likely to come around and snatch it up and wash it before you have had a chance to refill it...lol Just ask my DH it has happened to him more than once. But alas I am not like that, not nearly as obsessive as my mother is about everything having it's place and it being in it. Maybe I should be...

So today is another day of cleaning, laundry, packing and such before we leave for vacation on Saturday. Each day seems to bring one more thing I forgot to do or pack, each morning starts with looking over yesterday's list and starting a new one for today. So with that, I must say good day for today. I will leave you with this....I want to know What is your least favorite house chore and a funny story to go with the reason.......

MIA

2009-06-22T10:09:00.002-05:00

Hello blogland. Sorry I have been MIA lately. I just got caught up in the daily routine and didn't stop to think my wonderful friends might want to know how I am and what I have been up to. Well I have to admit I have been lazy and not taken pictures of my newest creations. Shame on me I know!!

I have been busy busy busy, creating, doing housework, and being with the family. Yesterday was not only father's day but my oldest son Connor's 6th bday. (yeah poor daddy) so we had a party at Chuck E Cheese, let me tell you it was a BLAST. I don't think he has ever had so much fun. we played games, had pizza, cake, danced with Chuck E, played more games and then finally came home...wow was this momma pooped. Then daddy played games with the boys for the rest of the afternoon (connor got 3 new games. operation, connect four, guess who)

I do have to admit I am behind on my quilt for the quilt along over at the red barn co. I hope to get the top finished this week before we head back home for vacation. I also hope to get a few more items listed in my etsy shop before we leave too. Sales over there have been slow lately, so any word of mouth advertising would be greatly appreciated!

I think that's about it, just wanted to post a quick note to let everyone know I haven't dropped off the earth and i'll post pics as soon as I get them.

Whatcha Doin Wednesday

2009-06-17T07:32:00.002-05:00

So Whatcha doin today? I haven't blogged in a few days, not a lot of exciting things have been going on. Yesterday was my wedding anniversary, my DH and I have been married for 8 yrs now, sometimes it feels like much longer and other times I can't believe it has been that long. It was a very laid back day, hubby had to work, but I made his favorite meal for dinner last night. And my wonderful DH gave me more charms for my Pandora bracelet. He really is starting to spoil me with them :)

I have been a little creative lately. I have a new necklace and 5 new pairs of earrings done with more on the way. Then pictures to take of them before I can list them in the shop. Plus this Saturday I have another craft show. This one is in Franklin, KY so only about 20 miles from home, everyone send sales wishes my way on that day.

hmmm what else, Oh yes I have recently joined the EtsyBloggers Street Team, so keep an eye out for features on wonderful shops and fun blog posts :) Do you like to blog? Do you have an Etsy shop? Interested in learning more about the team? then hop on over here http://etsybloggers.com/

I will try to get some good pics of my new pieces to share with everyone later today. I hope everyone is having a great day and keep an eye out for more posts. :)

Snoozy Saturday

2009-06-13T08:36:00.004-05:00

That's how I feel this am, just wanna lay around and snooze! But alas too much needs to be done and I have to many things that I WANT to do. So no snoozing for me. I am sorry I have been MIA this week, I have about 4 jewelry ideas I want to bring to life, I also need to finish my quilt top for the online quilt along I am doing. Here are a couple pics of what I have so far :)

still have a couple more rows to put together before i can sew it all together.

Other than that I haven't been too creative lately, this week was spent playing with the kids pretty much all week. Other than taking the oldest to get 3 cavities filled on Wednesday, which he did great at!

Hubby and I have been playing our online game WOW (world of warcraft) after the kids go to bed, so we have been reconnecting with our online friends from the game...it's been rather nice and relaxing.

Oh I do have good news though. DH sent me an email this week letting me know that military spouses are now eligible for up to $6,000.00 in Tuition Assistance....yup that's right, so I have started researching the local colleges that have Radiologic Tech programs, I have always been interested in this field in the back of my mind. Now I may have the opportunity to train for a new career and by the time training is done, both the boys would be in school full time and it would be easier for me to go back to work! I will let you all know the progress of my decision.

Other than that I have nothing really exciting to write about. I will hopefully buckle down and get some things made this weekend, if so I will definetly post pictures for all to see. :)

I'm in another contest

2009-06-08T15:53:00.004-05:00

Yup that's right, I am once again in a contest, this one though is a patriotic contest and I entered one of my little stitched pillows!! If you would all take a moment and pop over here:

http://www.pixienook.blogspot.com/

and vote for me I would really appreciate it!!!

Summing up the Weekend

2009-06-07T19:19:00.002-05:00

Well once again time has gotten away from and I haven't posted in DAYS!!! Let's see, what have I been doing...well I did create a new bracelet...it's pictured below....

(click picture to take you to the sale listing in my shop)

I also had another craft show/fair on Saturday. It was rather slow but I did have a few sales in the afternoon and their was no fee for it. Over all it was a good day, I gave out a lot of business cards, so hopefully that will end up in a couple of sales.

After the show I came home, motivated the hubby and we all went over to a friends house for a cookout, kids got to run around and play outside, we just had hamburgers and hot dogs, and great conversation. It was a great evening! And the kids went right to sleep when we got home, we almost couldn't get them to brush their teeth!! lol

Now I have a custom order I have to work on so I can get it mailed off tomorrow and I have about 4 more ideas in my head for jewelry I want to get down in my creative journal so I can attempt to create them this week. I also have to get fabric for another custom order that I have received for a tote...lots to do!

So for now I will sign off and hope everyone had a good weekend!

Dear Yaya....

2009-06-03T12:12:00.002-05:00

Look at me!

Dear Yaya,

I wanted to write to you cause I had such fun at Karate Camp today! We did all kinds of things, but we got to use the BB guns again and mom took a picture of my target so I could show you how I did. Pretty cool huh?! Sensei helped me and I had to wear goggles, but I ummmm aimed by myself. I had a lot of fun.

Ya know what else?? Daddy got us a SPRINKLER!! Yeah, we got to play in it yesterday, it felt like a shower.

Ok that's it, I miss you YaYa but we will be coming to see you in less than a month mommy says, I can't wait.

Love

Connor

Keeping Busy

2009-06-02T10:36:00.004-05:00

I have been tryin to keep busy this week. I created a new piece for my jewelry line in my etsy shop and then decided to make something just for me.

The piece I made for my shop is different from my normal necklaces. This time I weaved beads within a chain necklace, then added a pendant and few other beaded embellishments. I really like how it came out and anticipate doing another one with larger beads this time. It's pictured below, if you or someone you know might like to purchase it simply click on the picture and it will take you straight to the listing.

The next one I did just for me, with a pendant that I got once again from Kevin over at KanYoFuse at etsy. I really do love his work, but I have done so many for the shop that I thought it was time to make another one just for me. This will make my 3rd for myself out of all the one's I've gotten from him.

I have many more ideas that I want to bring to life and hope to soon. I am getting ready for the craft show here in town this Saturday. i want to have a couple more items created before I set up on Saturday and think that I can get them done in time.

Of course I have been busy with the normal day to day things, cleaning, laundry, camps for the kids, reg classes they are enrolled in, etc.

What has been keeping you busy? Are you creating, running around like a chicken with your head cut off? Taking a vacation? Let me know I love keeping up with everyone

Weekend Flew By

2009-05-31T21:55:00.008-05:00

wow can't believe how long it's been since I have last posted, the weekend has flown by. I had two custom orders to do this weekend so I worked on those and am working on making a robe for myself, a summer robe, though making clothes is a bit different than quilting, or making purses and wallets...lol I have part of it done, but now it's down to the detailing and i was getting tired so I set it aside for a bit.

I have to get ready for my next craft show this coming Saturday here in town so i think I will be workin on more jewelry this week, I have some great ideas running through my head and want to try to make them come to life.

for those interested in my custom orders that were made this weekend two wallets, the pictures are below.

What I've Been Up To

2009-05-28T15:05:00.006-05:00

I have been in a sewing mood lately and wanted to expand my sewing abilities...well I think I have done that. I have made two new tote/purses! They both came out well. The first is a 6 pocket tote, perfect for that mom on the go, crafter on the go, or that summer outing, and is made from some of the cutest fabric!! The second is a medium size hobo bag with a frayed handle. Totally different styles and both fun to make. They are both available in my etsy shop, simply click on the picture to be taken there.

So what have you been up to? leave me a comment, I love reading what everyone has to say!

Are you being creative?

2009-05-27T07:42:00.004-05:00

Well are you? I am tryin to be, with just a few little things. Well it started on Monday, I was all gung ho to sew together a new pattern I have for a tote/purse. Well needless to say, Monday was not my day to create. After fighting with the bottom and the binding and ripping out all the seems I set it aside to attempt another day and spent the rest of Monday with the kids.

Yesterday was a better day, I made myself a new cell phone pouch and created a simple pin cushion. Both which are very cute, you can see them below.

Today I have a long to do list, but hope to make a couple more pin cushions. I also plan a trip to Hancock fabrics to find a fabric to make a robe. I picked up a simple pattern for a light summer robe and want to try it, i just couldn't find any material I liked when I got the pattern yesterday. Though that trip may be postponed as my youngest is not feeling very good today.

What are you planning to do? what have you been creating?

A Blog feature and Virtual Craft Show

2009-05-25T16:17:00.002-05:00

I just found out one of my stitched pillows has been featured in someone's blog today!! Go visit it and give it some love!!

http://mysticwynd.blogspot.com/

Also I am in a Virtual Craft Show over at Cafe Handmade, go check it out and all the other wonderful shops that are there as well.

http://cafehandmade.blogspot.com/2009/03/virtual-craft-show-aisle-1.html

And don't forget to vote for me for Best in Show!!!

http://cafehandmade.blogspot.com/2009/04/vote-for-best-in-show.html

A Day to Remember and a Sale!

2009-05-25T08:38:00.003-05:00

Happy Memorial Day.

Today is a day to reflect on how we became the country we are. Take a moment to remember those that gave their lives for our freedom, those that have fought and lived to tell the tale and those that are still fighting for what we believe in. Know a soldier? Thank them today for their sacrifice to keep our country strong and free. We sometimes take for granted the freedoms that we have. I know I thank my hubby for his service and support him in continuing that service to our country.

MEMORIAL DAY SALE!!!

For today only take 25% off all items in my shop, simply put Memorial Day Sale in notes to seller to receive the discount, via a refund through paypal.

www.primitivejunkie.etsy.com

It was a success!!

2009-05-24T07:43:00.003-05:00

Yes, my first real non rainy craft fair was a success! Even though many of the other vendors told us that traffic was actually low, I feel that I did very well for my first show that wasn't rained on!! I did take a pic of my booth, but it's on my phone and I haven't figured out how to transfer it to my computer...next time I will remember to take my camera. I knew there would be something I forgot, having to get up at 4 am and out the door by 5am...lol

Now I will be working on items for the next show on June 6th. Then i have a small break, another one on the 20th of June and then one on Jun 27th. Then after that I am taking a vacation from both shows and etsy to go home and visit family.

Today will be a day of relaxation and maybe some sewing. I want to rearrange the living room a bit, much to hubby's dismay. Cherry Turnovers are going in the oven and we have Classic Disney movies in the dvd ready for a marathon. Today we will watch The Computer wore Tennis Shoes, Where the Red Fern Grows, Darby O'gill and the Little People, and The Love Bug....all great movies that I found on DVD at Walmart for $9 a piece...needless to say I was excited!!

So I hope everyone has a great day!

Another Day of Preparation

2009-05-22T08:27:00.003-05:00

Yep, today is another day of preparation, making sure I have everything I need for the craft show/flea market in Nashville that I am going to tomorrow with a friend. I have my list made and will be packing up my tote today and hope I don't forget anything because we will be leaving at 6am tomorrow morning...whew that's early.

I have created a new line that I am taking on a test drive tomorrow. I call it my little princess line, consisting of small earrings and bracelets for the younger generation. The gal I am going with makes custom dresses for little girls and I thought that my new line would compliment them well.

We do have a slight chance for rain, but hopefully it will pass us by most of the day. Keep me in your thoughts tomorrow for a sunny day and a day full of sales!

I also came out of my Etsy shop slump this week, I hadn't had a sale since the end of April, but received a sale, a custom order to boot the day before yesterday, and i was so excited. I love making custom items for people. You can see it pictured below, a custom made cell phone pouch, it came out soo good and can't wait for her to get it.

If you like this, stop on by and request one of your own, I have a lot of fabrics to choose from, simply tell me you preferred color and I'll send you pics of the fabrics I have available in those colors. (simply click the pic to be taken to the listing)

Well time to get the day started, I hope everyone has a great weekend and keep on the look out for an update sometime on Sunday!

Newest Creations

2009-05-19T14:18:00.010-05:00

Well I finally got out and took pictures of my newest necklace creations. I want to get them done because I will be joining my friend Mary and another gal this weekend down in Nashville at the fairgrounds for a craft show/flea market. Hopefully it will be a better day than last weekend. But anyways, here are my newest creations, I would love for feedback!! Which is your favorite!

It's My Birthday....

2009-05-18T10:33:00.001-05:00

But it's you that get's the present!!!

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY SALE!!!

Everything in my birthday sale section is 30% off, refund given via paypal or convo me to change the listing price!!!

www.primitivejunkie.etsy.com

Good until 9am CST May 19th!!

Happy Sunday

2009-05-17T08:12:00.002-05:00

Hello all my blogland friends! The sun is shining here and it's NOT going to rain today so that's a good thing, it is going to be a bit cooler but that's ok with me. I am sure some of you want to hear how my craft show went yesterday. Well, not so good, I think we had a total of maybe 3 hrs of sun and the rest of the day it rained. I got there to set up at 8 am and it was raining...ugh, but I got set up and about 9:00 it stopped raining, we had quite a few people come through and I did have a lot of comments on how great my table was and a lot of cards were given away, but about 11am it started raining again and did off and on till about 1:30 when we had a gusher of a down pour, everyone got soaked. It subsided about 2 and the director of Strawberry Lane came around to let everyone know we had another storm with strong winds and hail predicted so it was at that point I decided to pack up and come home. I did have a few sales, but not as many as I had hoped for. I did learn a few things on how to set up for the next one to it's more eye appealing for the next show I am going to do which is June 6th. I think if the rain had left early on, and if I had received some of my display items on Friday it would have been more successful.(they didn't show up till Saturday afternoon) But you live and learn and then plan for the next one.

I will have a few more items to list in my shop and plan to work on getting pictures of those and listing them today. I do plan to have a one day Birthday sale tomorrow in honor of my Birthday so please check back and I will post it tomorrow. It's going to be great!

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

It's Craft Show Day!!

2009-05-16T06:58:00.001-05:00

Yep, it's here! Everyone wish me luck and pray that the weatherman is wrong and all the rain predicted will pass us by without getting us wet! I will post tomorrow and let everyone know how it goes!!

Do you know about Pandora?

2009-05-12T08:08:00.006-05:00

Bracelets and Jewelry that is....:) Pandora

My mom got me on to their bracelets and charms around christmas, I don't know exactly where she found out about them, I had heard Pandora thrown around here and there but never really looked into it. When my mom came to visit she showed me her bracelet and charms and it was sooo cool!! The website really gives a good history on the jewelry and even let's you play around and build your own bracelets...so yesterday I finally sat down and played around with it and created my wish list. Of course I sent this to my hubby (as my birthday is next week) He is always asking me what do you want for your bday, anniversary, xmas,...etc. So I figured this would be good for him cause then he wouldn't have to ask me all the time...lol And he also likes to surprise me with "just cause" gifts every now and then.

So he comes home yesterday with a "just cause" bracelet and 3 charms....I was soo excited!!! So I have my bracelet and start to my charm collection. These are the one's he got me:

Aren't they pretty? I really like the glass beads and have...oh I don't know about 25 others that I really like on the list, a great selection for him to choose from and still be able to surprise me on what he gets :) Plus since mom has hers too it will be a great way to get her something special that I know she'll want and like. Of course we both went with the Sterling Silver charms as they are the most reasonably priced. So I think this has become our new obsession.....what is your current obsession...is there something out there that you just love and want to share? I would love to hear about it!!

I hope that everyone has a great day and enjoys the weather, if it's good in your neighborhood!!

What I did on my Mothers Day

2009-05-10T17:29:00.007-05:00

So what did everyone do today?? I thought I would share what I did today in the few pictures i took....since I didn't really "need" or want anything I simply asked for flowers for mothers day and take a look at what I got...

We went to Lowes and picked up just a few things to plant today, I still have a lot of work to do on the front of the house, but the back is coming along nicely, or at least I think so :)

Hope you are enjoying your day!

Mom....

2009-05-10T13:38:00.010-05:00

A Mom loves unconditionally

No matter what you do.

A Mom will give her very best

and expect your best from you.

A Mom will stay up late at night

to make cupcakes for your class.

A Mom will defend you wrong or right

and your happiness is her task.

A thankless job most of the time,

but once a year we say

Thank you Mom for being there,

and Happy Mother's Day!

I saw this poem and though it was perfect for today. Now I had grand intentions of doing this wonderful tribute to my mom post with these great pictures I remember taking of having seen taken of her as I grew up.....but ya know what...as I was looking through my photos, albums and photo CD's I realized.....she has them ALL so this will be a tribute to YaYa from her loving daughter and grandsons.

My mom has this special bond with my oldest son Connor, it's hard to explain but when something awesome happens to him, he first tells me and then the very next person he thinks to tell is YaYa...(sorry daddy) My mom spent the first 6 weeks of Connors life living with me and helping me with him, the house, cooking, you name it she did it! (yep she's great)

He always prefers to be with YaYa when she's with us.

even when visiting the whole family back home, it was YaYa he preferred. (yep, mommy is preggo with little brother in this one)

Then little brother JJ came along, and again mom came to visit and help but I was only able to keep her for 2 weeks this time....but she still made that little bond with JJ, though to this day it's not nearly as strong as her bond with Connor.

And he always has a kiss for YaYa

of course so does JJ though he would rather mess with her stuff :)

So from the boys and I, we want to say

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY YAYA

You'll NEVER Guess what my hubby did......

2009-05-08T17:51:00.005-05:00

Ok so I know there are a lot of my friends here in blogland that don't know my hubby other than the occasional reference I make to him every now and then. So everyone knows who he is i am posting our most recent just him and I pic (though we have both changed since this was taken)

Well he came home early today with a hair brained idea.....I'll let the picture speak for itself (if you haven't already figured it out)

Yes folks he shaved his head!!! He has been talkin about doin it for oh let's see the last 3 yrs or so....it's only hair ya know....well he asked if I would help, with the clippers to take the hair down close enough he could shave. I know I know....what was I thinkin right??? But I did and now here he is in all his white headed glory. (he will be letting it grow back....he just doesn't know it yet...lol)

Well back to the grindstone...2 bracelets and 4 necklaces made this morning....not much else since. Need to motivate myself once again!

Have a great night.

Craft Show Preparation

2009-05-08T08:32:00.002-05:00

Well it's just over a week away till the Strawberry Festival here in town. I had originally planned to do an open house at my home rather than a booth uptown, but after speaking with a friend of mine an the local chamber of commerce I have decided to do a booth in the center of the festival. I will be in the section called Strawberry Lane and I am so excited. So i will be working my little tush off over the next week to get some extra items made up to have on hand.

So I may be absent from posting here, but I will try to pop on and post things as I get them done. I love sharing my creativity with everyone.

I hope everyone had a great week and will have an even better weekend planned!!

ON SALE NOW

2009-05-05T08:18:00.003-05:00

Yup, the Out of The Box Sampler is now on sale. This is the first month I have donated samples to this box and hope that it will bring in a sale or two. If you want to grab yourself one of these great boxes head on over to HERE. Better make it quick as they sell out fast! You can also check out all the businesses that have donated to this months box and all kinds of other great stuff on that sight!

Ok on another note upon reading up on the blogs i regularly frequent I found a great giveaway. If you like purses then head over here to sign up to win a cute clutch by KimberlyJonesDesign! http://rainbowswirlz.blogspot.com/2009/05/kimberlyjonesdesigns-giveaway-may-4th.html

I am off to take the kiddo to school, but will come back later with an update post on my creating and sewing, complete with pictures!!

I have a new look!

2009-05-03T20:13:00.002-05:00

Good evening everyone! As you can see my blog has had a bit of a face lift, thanks to my wonderful friend Jen. I bet you all were wondering if I would ever get rid of the Easter theme, well to be honest I was too, but life has been so busy for us that I just haven't had the time to change it!

I have been creatively slumped lately, I blame it on the weather. It has been dull and rainy for almost a full week. I did make up a cute set of quilted coasters (pictured above), but I just can't get excited about creating when all i want to do is curl up under my quilt and read a good book! Hopefully the sun will come out soon! I have some necklaces and earrings I need to get made up for the Strawberry Festival in town this month. It will be my first craft type fair.

I hope everyone had a great weekend and wish sunshine on everyone!

Happy May Day

2009-05-01T08:45:00.004-05:00

HAPPY MAY DAY
Yep, two posts in one day, I am trying to catch up for lost time now that things are kind of back to normal..heehee

So Happy May Day to everyone, as I was thinking of what to write about I realized I didn't really know the history or origin of May Day so a quick look at Wikipedia and bam, there's my answer. Here is a short version, but if you want to read the whole thing and what it means to each country, then just go HERE

Traditional May Day Celebrations

May Day is associated with the Celtic festival of Beltane and the Germanic festival of Walpurgis Night. May Day falls exactly half of a year from November 1, another cross-quarter day which is also associated with various northern European pagan and neopagan festivals such as Samhain. May Day marks the end of the uncomfortable winter half of the year in the Northern hemisphere, and it has traditionally been an occasion for popular and often raucous celebrations, regardless of the locally prevalent political or religious establishment.
As Europe became Christianized the pagan holidays lost their religious character and either changed into popular secular celebrations, as with May Day, or were replaced by new Christian holidays as with Christmas, Easter, and All Saint's Day. In the twentieth century, many neopagans began reconstructing the old traditions and celebrating May Day as a pagan religious festival again.

Origins

The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian, with the festival of Flora the Roman Goddess of flowers, the Walpurgis Night celebrations of the Germanic countries. It is also associated with the Gaelic Beltane. Many pagan celebrations were abandoned or Christianized during the process of conversion in Europe. A more secular version of May Day continues to be observed in Europe and America. In this form, May Day may be best known for its tradition of dancing the Maypole and crowning of the Queen of the May. Various Neopagan groups celebrate reconstructed (to varying degrees) versions of these customs on 1 May.
The day was a traditional summer holiday in many pre-Christian European pagan cultures. While February 1 was the first day of Spring, May 1 was the first day of summer; hence, the summer solstice on June 25 (now June 21) was Midsummer. In the Roman Catholic tradition, May is observed as Mary's month, and in these circles May Day is usually a celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In this connection, in works of art, school skits, and so forth, Mary's head will often be adorned with flowers. Fading in popularity since the late 20th century is the giving of "May baskets," small baskets of sweets and/or flowers, usually left anonymously on neighbours' doorsteps.

I remember years ago when I lived on the farm, mom would help me pick little purple flowers or whatever we could find and put in a little basket or paper basket and I would run over and leave it on my Grandpa's door. (he lived right across the road from us) I thought I was being so sneaky putting it on the door and running away. I think I may make up a couple of paper baskets with the boys today and we'll find some little flowers to put in them with a note saying Happy May Day and put on our neighbor's JC and Miss Hallie's doors this afternoon. (as long as the rain stays away)

What are you going to do for May Day? Why not surprise your neighbor with a small May Day surprise!

reference: Wikepedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day

My Son is an Author!

2009-05-01T08:18:00.006-05:00

Yep, Connor has become a published author!! His whole class has actually. They have been working on this project for most of this year. We finally got the finished project last night and it is so cool. Connor was able to do two sections of the book and he is very proud of himself. I wanted to share his parts with all my blogland friends. Here is his first section:

And he was one of the chosen few to do another page which follows here:

Isn't that just so cute!! He was so proud and sat and read through the book about 4 times last night. But this is definitely a book that mommy is going to keep up on a shelf to save and look at occasionally. :) The kids even got to think up their own sentences for the written pages to go along with the pictures, and the picked what to draw for the letter they had. Such creativity coming from this sweet little guy.

Yup, can't help but go AWWW when you see him like that...lol

Today looks like an overcast and soon to be rainy day...hopefully i can get motivated to create some things. I did get my quilts back from the quilter, thanks to my mom for bringing them down, so maybe I'll work on getting the binding cut for the one I have fabric for, the second one I still need to find that just right binding fabric for, but I will try to take pics later to share with everyone, they came out so good!!

Hope everyone is having a good day and has an even better weekend!!

As Promised...my List

2009-04-29T14:59:00.003-05:00

Ok thank you for waiting everyone! Well turns out the book swap site also supports hardback, but I still have a few that didn't have the information required to put them on the site. (i think because either they are part of a special series or are just too old) So I will list them here, if you are interested just let me know, you don't even have to have a swap book, I just want to get these out of the way to make room for more...hehe

Chief! by Seedman/Hellman:
The riveting true story of a hardnosed New York detective who solved some of the most daring crimes of our time!

Amy Girl by Bari Wood

Readers Digest Best Loved books containing The Scarlet Pimpernel, Tom Sawyer, The Good Earth, and Robin Hood

The Establishment by Howard Fast:
It is 1948; World War II is over but the world is not at peace. In San Francisco, Barbara Lavette, whose career as author and foreign correspondent was chronicled in Second Generation, is trying to make a life with her husband, Bernie Cohen, the soldier of fortune whom she'd first met in Paris, and their small son, Sam.

Sins of the Fathers by Susan Howatch:
This is the tumultuous novel of men and women pitted against a world of wealth, power, and privilege...the story of the powerful Van Zale clan, and the man, Cornelius Van Zale, whose dynastic struggle to control a great fortune becomes the center of his life.

So if any of these interest you just let me know. and if you want to see what else I have online check out the website http://www.paperbackswap.com and look me up again my nickname is primitivejunkie :)

Do you love to read???

2009-04-29T09:47:00.002-05:00

Well do you?? I sure do, I could read all day long if possible, but alas real life, kids, family, errands, etc get in the way so I take advantage of the moments I can get. Once in a while my hubby takes over on a Saturday and let's my just veg and read all day. I have loved to read all my life, just ask my mom, I have heard many many times that she probably spent more money on books than anything else while I was growing up! My hubby doesn't even try to get me books as presents because he knows I have probably already gotten them read, as soon as a new one from a favorite author comes out, i either buy it or have the library find it for me.

I have recently been turned onto a new series. The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, a historical romance with a twist series. I have finished the first book, and now am awaiting the second book to get here (hubby is getting it on his lunch break today) But what to do with all the books I have accumulated....I hate to just let them sit around....well I found this wonderful website where you can request and list books you want and have. http://www.paperbackswap.com. You simply list all the paperbacks you have and others request them. It's a free site and all it costs is the shipping of the books. As you list and send books you earn credits to request books from others. Once you receive one, read it, then you re list it for someone else to enjoy. I listed 10 books this morning and am already sending two out! plus I have credits to request two books as well. If you are interested in joining please let them know I referred you. My nick name on the site is of course primitive junkie.

But I also have many hardback books that are just sitting around. So I thought why not offer them here and see if anyone would like to swap books. I will be getting them all together and listing them in a separate post later along with books that I am looking for. If you have one that I am wishing for and see one on my list you would like then all you have to do is leave me a comment with a way to contact you and I would love to swap, all I ask is that you pass the book along once you are done with it. Let's help everyone save on the cost of books! What do you think?

Well it's time to run to the PO and then the library for a reading program for the youngest. I wish you all a good day and stay tuned for my swap post!

Life just happens....or Does It?

2009-04-24T21:03:00.002-05:00

Hello my blogland friends. I hope everyone has had a good week and is planning an even better weekend.

I am sure you are wondering about my blog title. Well I have to say it's inspired by my mom and dad, my mom just wrote a great post over at http://www.brensbusyhands.blogspot.com/ about are you a Let it Happen type person or a Make it Happen type person. That got me to thinking about what type I am and what type I want to be. She admits to being a let it happen person, but my dad you see is a Make it happen person. He decides what he wants, looks at all the angles and possible outcomes and devises a plan to get what he wants. You'll see when you read her post.

Well, I have to say that currently I am a let life just happen type person, but want to work towards that Make it happen mentality. After sitting back and reevaluating my life and the life I have created for my kids, I decided i want better. Better schools for my kids, better community for them and all around a fantastic life that they will look back on when they grow up and say, that's what I want for my kids. I can do that, I can look back on how I grew up and go, that's the freedom I want my kids to feel. So now it's onto the Make it happen mode. Well, I figured one way to do it was to right it out. The pros and cons of where we were, i.e. our town, our home, the school district, any friends we had made....and well the cons seemed to out weigh the pros.

Now I need to give a little bit of background, my hubby is military and we moved here a little over 3 yrs ago because of his position as a recruiter, well since then his position has changed and now drives 90 miles one way to work (previously it was 20 miles one way) Well that is a strain on him, on finances, and ultimately on our family, so what do we do about it. Seems simple enough...figure out how to move closer to his current position. Ok step one....scout out possible places to move to...first thing look for a great school district...then a community within that school district...how is the housing economy...are there places to rent (as i don't want to buy again with the possibility of being moved in 2-3 yrs) What is available close by...grocery...gas...parks...activities for the kids...etc. So it was decided that within the next couple of weeks we are going to take a drive up to where my hubby works and then just drive around...see what is where...have lunch...scope out towns and such that make me go....i wouldn't mind living there.

So that seems to be the first plan of action....then we'll decide on the second plan if we find anyplace we fall in love with to move to. (or just that place that looks oh so cute) If there is anyone who reads that is around the Owensboro,KY area, I would love to hear from you as finding someone that I can ask questions too would be fantastic.

Earth Day

2009-04-22T08:27:00.002-05:00

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!!

In honor of earth day I thought I might share a few easy ways you can help the earth. Simple things that many of us forget to do and don't take but a couple extra seconds to do.

1.Keep Your Neighborhood Clean-----If you see trash on the ground, toss it in a trash can.

2.Recycle Cans, Bottles, and Paper----Save them at home and at school, and help your family recycle them.

3.Help Keep the Air Clean ----Ride your bike or walk to school. Too many cars cause a lot of pollution.

4.Save Paper----Use both sides of your paper at school and at home.To clean up messes, use sponges or washable cloths instead of paper towels.

5.Help Save Water----Don't leave the water running while you brush your teeth.

6.Help Save Energy----Turn off the lights when you leave the room.Turn off the TV when you're finished watching it.

7.Don't leave the refrigerator door open. ----Get what you want quickly

8. Save the Dryer---Hang your laundry out to dry on those wonderfully sunny days!

These are just a few things that many of us can do and will make an impact on the earth over our lifetime.

Do you have a tip or trick to save energy and save the earth? I would love to hear it!!

Happy Anniversary to my Mom and Dad

2009-04-19T08:13:00.002-05:00

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

Today is my parents Anniversary. 34 years and going strong, I just wanted to post to them as we are a 10 hr drive apart. Make sure to leave a comment here or over on my mom's blog http://www.brensbusyhands.blogspot.com/ giving them some love!

Super Saturday

2009-04-18T22:49:00.004-05:00

That just what today was, a super Saturday!!! I felt very productive today. First off I got up and went and got my hair trimmed, i was starting to look a bit shaggy so I got the back of my hair trimmed a bit and just a pinch off my bangs...boy do I feel better. Then came home and hubby mowed the yard since it's suppose to rain tonight and tomorrow. From then I sewed 4 business card/ credit card holders and two more tote/purses today, one of which is for my mom. I played a couple of games with the boys and then played some WOW (world of warcraft) online with hubby after the kids went to bed. All in all it was a good day!

I am hoping tomorrow will be just as productive. I plan to trace out some patterns for a couple of aprons and get them cut out, I may even attempt to sew them together if the time permits. I also have to work on putting all my earrings on cards for a craft fair that a friend of mine is going to next weekend. She very graciously offered to take some of my jewelry with her to display, lets all cross our fingers that some of it sells.

Here are a few pics from today's progress. I hope everyone else is having a great weekend!

This is mom's tote/purse

The newest tote/purse that I have added to my etsy shop

Another one i added to my etsy shop, I just love this pattern!

Don't forget to check out my Etsy and Artfire shops, sales going on till the end of April.

http://www.primitivejunkie.etsy.com/
http://www.primitivejunkie.artfire.com/

Being Creative

2009-04-17T10:17:00.003-05:00

Well I became creative again yesterday and finished up the Baby Blocks I had cut out and waiting to be sewn. They are sooo cute and so easy to do. They are available in my etsy shop and I can custom make them in almost any fabric, if I don't have what you want I can more than likely find it. http://www.primitivejunkie.etsy.com/ Here is how they came out.

I plan on finishing another bag today and cutting out some more fabric for a couple more. My mom found some fabric she loved and so I have another one to make for her and then two more from fabric I found that is soo cool. Hopefully I will get those listed soon as well. I hope to get them all cut out before I pick Connor up from school as we will probably spend the afternoon playing outside since the weather is going to be sooo nice.

Catch everyone later! Have a great day and be creative!

I Am Alive

2009-04-15T21:17:00.006-05:00

Yes i swear I am! I know I haven't blogged in a while. My parents came down last Thursday and we have been having a great time. But time just gets away from me and I haven't really sat down to blog since they arrived. Well I figured it's about time.

My mom and I have been having fun beading. Yup I got her addicted. I also made her this fantastic necklace and earring set. I love it and so does she. I love it so much I am having Kevin (my pendant guy) from KanYoFuse on Etsy make me another pendant like the one on her necklace so I can make myself a great piece like this one. (let me know what you all think)

I also made her this cute little charm bracelet. She picked out the charms and beads and I put it together for her...isn't it cute??

And we sat down and made up some very cute keychains and purse charms. Here are the keychains that my mom made. (you can see mine in my etsy shop)

She even made something special for a good friend of hers back home. Though I'm not telling what it is....you'll just have to wait and see. (you know who you are!!)

Today I decided to make a pouch for my cell phone so that I don't scratch it up in my purse, I liked it so much I decided to offer a custom made cell phone pouch in my shop. check out all my new stuff http://www.primitivejunkie.etsy.com/

Mom and I also went to Nashville today to check out a couple of bead shops that I found, it was a fun trip, though I think I have to go back because by the second shop JJ was ready to go home. Nope he's not a bead buying kid....lol imagine that.

I also got my green dot purse finished up to my satisfaction and it's now on sale in my etsy shop.

I can also do these in other fabrics so feel free to send me a convo if you like the design but want a different fabric. (yep shameless promotion!!)

I am also looking for ideas to add to my Etsy shop, Etsy is pretty saturated with Jewelry artists and I want to add to my shop, affordable and cute things. What would you like to see?? Leave me a comment with an idea! I love to hear all input.

Winner IS Announced today!

2009-04-14T08:15:00.005-05:00

After tallying up the entries I had a total of 50 entries(including those that got multiple entries for picking different items from stores in the same comment), off to the random number generator and lucky # 22 was picked after counting and recounting it came out to be.....

LizardQueen!!!

Congratulations LizardQueen!!!

I have sent you a convo, please send me your address so I can ship off your goodies to you. And thank you to everyone who entered!!

Last Day for Giveaway

2009-04-12T18:55:00.001-05:00

Just a quick post. Don't forget to sign up for my giveaway, we have only 19 comments....let's get some more on this last day. Contest ends tomorrow....hurry up don't miss out on these great prizes!!!

Click the Bear to go to the post to sign up ----------->>>>>

Talkative Thursday

2009-04-09T09:11:00.002-05:00

That's what I feel like today...being Talkative....but alas my best friend is working....my girlfriend from school is probably working...and my parents are hopefully on the road driving down here...and hubby is working...so I get to talk to all of YOU!! Aren't you so lucky!

I took a moment to catch up on the blogs that I follow this morning and found some interesting posts. With Easter right around the corner our house has a bag of Jelly Beans, which were confiscated by my hubby, and , well we DID have peeps but yeah I ate those. Ever wonder where these lovely treats came from? Well, check out The Muddy Moose Bath Boutiques newest post and you'll find out. Click HERE.

Now as i perused my list I found a wonderful giveaway over at my friend Briga's blog. check it out HERE. She has featured the Etsy shop of Aromalite, and I have to tell you I have quite a few of her items, from lip balm, to tealights, and even a sample of her great body spray and Milk Bath!! All great items...hop on over for your chance to win some great products from her.

I am very excited to sew today, I have a new pattern for graduated baby blocks that looks fun to make, but alas I must make myself do the final parent cleaning in preparation for the visit from Yaya and Papa. I think I can get both done today though so be on the watch for a new post later tonight with pictures. I did get some creative inspiration last night and added 3 more items to my etsy shop..hop on ever to see them http://www.primitivejunkie.etsy.com/!

Since I didn't have any great pictures to share I thought I would share a small sample of what is in my favorites on etsy right now! Enjoy and give these great artists some love! (they are at the bottom of my blog)

Whatcha Workin on Wednesday...and more

2009-04-08T07:13:00.002-05:00

Good morning my wonderful readers. I know it has been a couple of days since I last posted, time flies when you have things to do :) Monday was my if it could go wrong day it did. First our dog Samson was sick all day, then my washer quit spinning so it wasn't washing right and then I looked outside and it was snowing/raining and cold. But my hubby came home early, found the problem and fixed the washer. It was only a $12 part so that was great, then it did stop snowing though it was still and wet, rainy, and cold day. Samson did feel better yesterday and seems to be back to his normal self today. No more snow or rain, but still cold today, but we are on a warming trend according to the weather man, so slowly the week is getting better. I got some cleaning done yesterday and a few more items added to my etsy shop so I felt pretty productive yesterday.

Today I am watching my girlfriends daughter for her while she works and the boys are really excited about having her come over. They have Karate class with her and have been asking me since we got up an hour ago when she's going to get here..lol (she's 9) Today's goal is to finish up laundry and get the kitchen and bathroom cleaned as my parents are coming down to visit tomorrow with their two little four legged friends. Yup I'm gonna have a full house for a while but the kids haven't really seen them since Christmas.

Creatively I have a few projects lined up. I got a pattern for soft baby blocks that I am going to get the pattern cut out for today. I do need to get fusible fleece for it, so maybe we'll got out to get that tomorrow or after the boys' friend leaves today. Also going to do some spot cleaning on the carpets as a touch up before my parents get here tomorrow afternoon/evening.

So with that I will leave you with a reminder to sign up for my giveaway! Just click the picture to the right and it will take you to the post. I hope to have something a little more interesting for you later today or tomorrow :)

Look What I made

2009-04-05T23:13:00.005-05:00

Yes, it's another post and a late one at that but I am just so excited. Today was our grocery day and JJ and I went to Wal Mart! I decided to look at their patterns for a simple purse or bag pattern, I have so many great fabrics that I wanted to make into something bigger than a quilt block, well as luck would have it I found one and it has two, yep I said 2, different patterns in it. I also bought a very cute apron pattern but silly me didn't look on the back to realize I needed bias tape so that will have to be made another day.

Anyway back to my purse/bag pattern, so we got home, unloaded and put groceries away, I chatted a bit in the etsy forums and kids watched a couple of cartoons, then daddy finished yard work and it was outside to play in the yard and with bubbles! At that point I decided to go ahead and wash the fabric I wanted to use for this purse (as instructed by the pattern) I also traced the pattern pieces onto some freezer paper (cause I don't like using the tissue pattern pieces) and then back to playin with the kids.

We finally came back inside and daddy put on Nick so that I could work on my purse, fabric was dry so I ironed away, cut out all the pieces and sat down to sew my heart away. All went well till putting the bottom piece on, tore it out twice till I was happy with my work. Now this is my first and will be mine to use, so little things like not having thread to match the lining fabric so that you wouldn't see the seam in the bottom of the purse, well not a huge deal to me. Heck I'm the only one that's going to see it right! Ok, truthfully I didn't want to have to wait a day to finish the darn thing cause I want to use it, like NOW. So here it is:

Now I like this pattern and it breezed together easily (once I figured the bottom out to my satisfaction) So I hope to have a couple more of these made and up in my shop this week. (after a thread run and a bias tape run sometime tomorrow) Tomorrow's goal is to get the apron done and if I like it as well, then look for those as well.

Just a quick post for tonight, it's Spring Break for the kids this next week so look for many posts about the little quirky things they do. :)

Good Night bloggerland!

Super Sunday

2009-04-05T08:01:00.010-05:00

Good morning all my friends in blogland! I don't have a specific shop to feature today as I am getting caught up on all my blog reading for this week so I want to share a couple of things from my life this week and also feature a couple of blogs that I LOVE to read! I have been in a quilting mood lately and want to share the quilt top that I finished from my quilt class. It's pictured below, I still have to pick a backing fabric and think I will attempt to quilt it myself later this spring/summer after I have practiced a bit on the sample blocks we were given in class.

This week both the boys had their Easter parties and boy were they fun, Thursday was JJ's party and though the Easter Bunny didn't hide eggs, he was nice enough to make getting candy easy for all the preschoolers. He simply left a "field" of candy for them to run around and pick up. JJ loved it! as you can see.

He filled his bag so full that he broke the handle under the weight....lol

Now for Connor's kindergarten class the Easter Bunny thought the eggs were appropriate, so they got a "field" of eggs to grab up. Imagine 100 kids and one mass chaos egg hunt!!! Plus every child had their bunny ear crowns on....100 flopping ears running around...it was soooo cute. Take a look....

It was fun being able to be at and participate in both parties, thanks to a great friend here in town who volunteered to watch JJ on Friday so I could got to Connor's party! Cause sometimes it's better when Mommy can show up without little brother being drug along...:)

Now for a couple of blogs that I love to keep up with, though I may not always have time to post comments on them, I am reading them on a semi daily basis! The first one I enjoy reading is

I'm Just a Guy Who Quilts

This is such a fun and creative blog to read, with the quilt tops he makes and the creativeness of both he and his family! It's always an inspiration whenever he reveals his newest creation. And I want to throw out a congratulations on the newest addition to his family. ( they just had a gorgeous baby boy recently!)

Next on my list is

Diary of a Mad Crafter

Brig has such a wonderfully well written blog and some her daily life stories will make anyone smile! I met Brig on etsy and not only does she have a wonderful blog, but a fantastic etsy shop as well. Feel free to check both out, her etsy shop is BrigaBauble

Lastly for today is

Memories From Honey Creek

Now this blog is new, but it was created by my Mom! After being told not only by myself but by a lot of her own friends that she needed to start creating her own patterns and sell the creations she makes, she created this selling blog. Again it's in it's first stages, but go over, take a look, sign up to follow so you can be one of the first to know when she has new items and patterns available! I promise you won't be disappointed.

Now don't forget to sign up for my giveaway and take a look at my shops. www.primitivejunkie.etsy.com and www.primitivejunkie.artfire.com.

It's time to get around and ready to go to the store for groceries and supplies, I wish you all a very happy, sunny and creative day!

Happy Friday

2009-04-03T08:28:00.007-05:00

Hello all my blogland friends! I decided to title today's post Happy Friday! It has been a busy week here at my home and I am hoping next week I can get back on track with my normal daily posts, but the boys are on spring break so we will see how well that goes :)

Today I have to share some things with you. I participated in a laundry room swap over at The Pickled Pepper Patch, thanks to Char! Well yesterday I got my package in the mail! My partner was Marie over at Spun by ME and I just had to share what she sent me, it is all sooo great and her package was so primitive, she used pieces of old quilts and pieces of brown paper sacks to wrap things up and pack them in the box, so here is my show and tell....now isn't she just so creative!!

Now please excuse the shadows in the pictures, i took these rather quickly yesterday so that I wouldn't forget. But I am sure you see what wonderful things she sent me....I can't say enough about her creativity, I especially love the old labels she printed up for me. I have a few old fruit crate labels in my kitchen so this is very very cool to me. But I love everything, I can't wait to put everything up, my washer and dryer are in a corner of our back porch so these will cheer it up a bit. I will post a pic once I have everything situated.

Don't forget to sign up for my giveaway, you can click the button on the right to go straight to that post.

Also I have a Product Spotlight going on till Sunday in my etsy shop. You can get a discount and free shipping on specific items, go take a look www.primitivejunkie.etsy.com. And don't forget to check out my mom's selling blog, her button is on the left of the blog.

Have a great and creative day

Miranda aka PJ

Catchin Up

2009-04-02T14:12:00.002-05:00

Well as most of you have noticed I have been MIA for the past few days. Well I had to take my good ole laptop up to the Computer Dr's here in town to be looked at because it just wasn't running right, but it's all fixed up now and I have her back, so later tonight I will get to start uploading all the pics I have take over the last few days. So watch out yaya and papa pics of todays easter party at school will be on their way tonight after karate.

Also i hope to get a post up later on the laundry room swap I was in, i got my package today and wow my partner is awesome!!! such primitive and creative little decorations i can't wait to put them around my washer and dryer area on the back porch, look for pictures later today!

Also while we are on the prim creative geniuses, you all have to check out my mom's new selling blog....talk about creative to the core, that is my mom! Everything from patterns to already made decor, she's got it with more to come...Check her out http://www.bren-memoriesfromhoneycreek.blogspot.com/ and give her some blog love and don't forget to follow her so you know every time something new gets added!!

Don't forget to sign up for my giveaway below!

It's time for the SpringTime Giveaway!!!

2009-03-30T14:52:00.008-05:00

SpringTime Giveaway!!

Yes folks, I am a day behind schedule on this but it's here, ready and waiting to be given away. I am so excited about this giveaway because I get to showcase some of my favorite people and their wonderful etsy shops! Some of them donated and others I bought little things from to include in this giveaway. Now you wanna know what's in the giveaway right...what kind of little goodies will you get this time....well here's the first Pic. Now I hope you love the model as much as I do....story of the model will follow.

Now as you can tell, we have a cute teddy bear as our model. I was trying to decide how to arrange the goodies for this giveaway and muttering to myself (yes I do talk to myself...shhh don't tell anyone) as my youngest walked by me. He said mommy use Mr. Bear....I thought...yeah I'll use Mr. Bear. Now Mr. Bear has had many names in his life time, Pandy, Mr. Panda, Teddy, Teddy Bear....and so one, I never stuck with just one name. You see Mr. Bear is 28 almost 29 yrs old *gasp* yup, my dear old Daddy gave me this bear when I was about 2 yrs old. He bought it at Big Bear (imagine Farm King) and I have had him ever since, he has been through multiple moves, and gone through hell and back and is still stitched together just fine. He was proud to be used as my model for this giveaway.

Now to the listing of things you will find in this giveaway...Well here goes.

1. Crocheted newsboy cap in a spring pink ....made by ME

2. A necklace made with a fused glass pendant made by etsy's KanYoFuse (someone I consider a friend and awesome artist) he provided the pendant and I created the chain it hangs on. (As you can tell from my shop I am addicted to his pendants)

3. We also have a single pendant without chain or beading donated by KanYoFuse as well. (if you would like a beaded chain for this we can chat about that after the drawing)

4. We have a cute pair of hairclips made by PandaCub, i thought they were so cute I just had to get them for this giveaway!

5. We have 3, yes I said 3 frayed knots from EZ over at FromMyHandsToYours...I have one of these myself and love them, it is so awesome of her to donate 3. I know you will love them as I do.

6. We have a tealight made by Aromalite (we love to call her Roma on our forum thread) now I admit I received this as a sample in one of my orders, but I love her candles so much I wanted to spread the love a bit, so I pass it on to the winner of this giveaway.

7. Next we have the cutest Spring bookmark from PinkrosesSupplyShop. This is so darling, I couldn't get a picture to do it justice, she layered the flowers and the bunny onto the bookmark, almost a 3d effect...great work!

8. Lastly we have a ribbon book mark made by BrigaBauble, again this came to me as a thank you gift when I purchased a necklace from her, but it is soo pretty that I just hate to keep it for myself. I read so fast that I rarely even use bookmarks, so it's your lucky day!

9. Not pictured.....a surprise addition....will be revealed after the winner is drawn.

Now in the coming weeks you will see features on each of these shops, either by interview or just a quick blurb about what I love from their shop. So now you want to know how to enter???

1. Leave a comment on my blog is 1 entry.

2. include a favorite item from one of the shops listed (including mine) and I'll give 1 entry for each favorite item (1 per shop please)

3. follow me, and leave me a comment telling me that you are following me is 1 more entry.

4. Make a purchase from any of the shops listed and you earn 10 more entries (please leave a comment with the transaction link or number as I will be checking with the shop owners for verification)

5. Finally, follow me on twitter and I will give you 1 more entry!

Now you can rack up a total of 20 entries!

What a way to start off Spring, with this great set of items! (total value $75.00) Contest will end on April 13th, I will tally up the entries and the winner will be posted on the 14th, and the package will be sent out as soon as I receive a mailing address from the winner. Now don't forget to leave me a way to contact you, either by email or etsy shop address.

I will leave you with a couple more photos of the giveaway goodies and good luck to everyone who enters!!!

Saturdays are for.....

2009-03-28T12:30:00.004-05:00

Well for me it's for catching up on all that didn't get done during the week. Especially in blogland...i catch up on all my favorite blogs and in doing so today I found out that Rose over at Life Love Yarn gave me a wonderful blog award.

"This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!”Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this clever-written text into the body of their award.

So here are my picks for the award, please stop on by and give them a read!

Diary of a Mad Crafter

I'm Just A Guy Who Quilts

Chicken Nuggets of Wisdom

Kiss My Asana... a persona...

I love reading each and every one of these blogs! And Rose thank you so much for thinking of me when you were giving this away.

Oh and don't forget to stop by Rose's blog and sign up for her giveaway...it's one of MY bracelets...check it out..HERE.

Family Friday

2009-03-27T10:46:00.003-05:00

Well it's that time again, Family Friday! Yup where I get to gush about all the things my friends and family have done!

Well, Connor received another strip on his Jr.Gold belt last night. Sensei said he had a GREAT night in class. I am sooo proud of him! Plus he has another spelling test today that he is completely prepared for. His thirst for knowledge grows and grows each and every day!

Jackson and I have been butting heads all week, he is becoming little mr. independent and is having difficulty with the fact he isn't big enough to do a lot of what he wants to do by himself. It kills him to see big brother getting to do things by himself and being told he's not big enough yet...lol But we are workin on it.

I have to give props to one of my best friends from grade school Jenn. You have heard me talk about her graphics and design abilities, but today I want to give her props for donating blood. you see Jenn doesn't like needles, at all, but she mustered the courage to go and donate at the blood drive at her work. (granted a paid hr bribe from her boss helped out) but I am so proud of her!! She wrote about it on her blog..take a look..www.thevillagepeddler.blogspot.com and give her some commentin love.

Now for my DH, I have to write a short note about him too. you see I have been complaining that my computer has been running slow while i am on the internet, we checked it out, ran all the scans, did the repair things...and well it comes down to I have very little memory left, with all the pictures and editing I do for my etsy shop, so he went out and priced external hard drives when he went to Ft. Knox the other day and found a great deal on a huge external hard drive, but the best part is...he didn't just go ahead and buy it!!! yep he researched, priced, and then told me his findings....woohoo. I know this doesn't sound huge but with his work schedule and demand of the military I am usually the one who has to do all the research and stuff....so Yay to DH.

And finally a little pat on the back for me. My etsy shop has been doing well, but what I have up at the local store hasn't been moving well at all. Well this morning I woke up to an email saying that 2 yes TWO of my necklaces sold yesterday...woot!! I was soo excited! That just started my day out perfectly!

Today's agenda is boring, clean, clean and more cleaning. It's raining outside so what else is there to do. I also need to work on getting stock made up for the strawberry festival here in May...yay!

Whatch Workin on Wednesday

2009-03-25T08:11:00.003-05:00

Happy Wednesday my blogland friends!! I send thoughts of sunshine and beaches out to every one of you as it is cloudy and rainy here. So what are YOU workin on today.

Today is my catch up and finish day. I am part of a laundry room swap and I am putting the finishing touches on the cool things I am sending to my partner. Now I can't show them as of yet cause she just might stop by and see them, and that would so ruin the fun surprise, but I promise once she has received them I will definitely post what I made!!

I also have to work on putting the two borders on my quilt top. I also somehow had 1 extra block for the quilt so I am going to make that into a cute little pillow and put it in my shop. I think i am also going to transfer some stitchery patterns to muslin today. Since my shop is stocked with jewelry I decided it was time to work on some other projects and I am in the mood to do some stitching..wee. If you have any great sites with free patterns please post them in your comment, I am lookin for some great fun and easy patterns to do.

And of course the never ending job of cleaning will take place again today. Plus I have a couple of packages to put together and get to the PO...I love going to the post office, means I made a sale and someone will be getting a fun package in the mail. I have made a goal to get to 35 sales by midnight tonight, I am two sales away....woohoo....want to see everything I have up? then come on over and check me out. http://www.primitivejunki.etsy.com/ (yup more shameless self promotion)

I am also featured on anther blog and am giving away a great bracelet that I made JUST for the giveaway, hop on over to ROSE's and make sure to enter!

So until tomorrow, (or maybe just later today) Happy crafting and sunshine thoughts!

Tuesday's Tidbits

2009-03-24T22:48:00.002-05:00

Well I know I am a bit late, but here is today's Tidbits.

now we have all heard the things we can do with Bounce Sheets, but do they really work, can a bounce sheet really do all that stuff? Well i did some Internet research and good ole snopes.com came to my rescue. Here is a list of things we hear a lot that Bounce can do

1. Get Rid of Ants
2.Takes odor out of musty books
3.Repels Mosquito's
4.dissolve soap scum from shower doors

and the list goes on and on and on...well someone over at Snopes.com tested these out and well you have to go take a look at their results...http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/bounce.asp

I know not as informative as some of my others, but it's late and well i'm too lazy right now to type it all out and such. So Thanks Snopes.com for coming to our rescue and setting us straight on the truth about the bounce tidbits.

have a great night, it's time for me to catch up on all the blog reading I have neglected and then to crash in bed.

Till tomorrow!

I have been featured!!

2009-03-23T09:42:00.001-05:00

Yep that's right I have been featured on another blog.

Brig over at http://brigabauble.blogspot.com/ has written a wonderful piece on me and my etsy shop! Check it out, leave a comment, and enjoy the wonderfully written piece she has on ME!

can you tell I'm excited???

Monday Madness

2009-03-23T09:23:00.005-05:00

Good morning everyone in blog land! Well it was another monday madness morning! I swear I need to invent an alarm clock that turns on my bedside lamp as well. Some wee little hands must have played with my snooze setting on my alarm this weekend as it went off once, i hit snooze (usually 5 min) and 59 min later it went off again!!! Thank goodness my alarm is set way early!! We got up with 30 min to get out the door for school. No tardy for Connor..yay! Poor guy's allergies are acting up for him right now though, so a dr appt has been made for this afternoon to get him a prescription because benadryl just isn't cutting it.

Well only one more week till the big Easter/Spring giveaway here on my little primitive blog. I am so excited for this as I have enlisted some fellow etsy artists for this one. I have been slowly receiving their donations and I wanted to show you what i have so far.

To start with I received this cute book mark from Judy over at PinkRoses Supply Shop. Who wouldn't want to have this to grace the pages of their book.

Next we have two great pendants from my buddy Kevin over at KanYoFuse. One I decided to add to with a great beaded chain. The other you will notice I have a special model for. :) Now the pictures do not do these pendants justice, and I will work on better pictures for the final giveaway photo, but I really wanted to show off what I had received so far.

I still have a couple more items that should be showing up this week, plus my additions to the pot. But you'll have to wait and see what those are when the time comes....hehe so keep a look out this week for updates as I receive the items in and the contest will start next Monday!

Have a great day and enjoy the warm weather if you have it!

Nothing Special Sunday

2009-03-22T14:03:00.002-05:00

It has been one of those weeks, i just feel like i am chasing my tail. I am sorry my posts have been sporadic. My normal SuperStar Sunday will return next week with a fantastic shop I promise!

For today I am simply enjoying the day with the family. I did finish the sewing i needed to do on my quilt top so it's ready for class on Tuesday. It is pictured above. I am happy with how it turned out, this Tuesday we will be putting the border on and then putting all three layers together and getting it ready to quilt. Our last class is a week from Tuesday where we learn to quilt everything together, though we will be practicing on scrap pieces so it will probably be a couple more weeks till I have it all done, I will definitely post the finished product when it gets there.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend and watch for my regular posts to return this week.

Family Friday and a couple of projects.

2009-03-20T08:04:00.004-05:00

Good morning blogland! It looks to be a bright and sunny day! I wanted to share with everyone that BOTH the boys got a stripe on their belts last night, That makes Connor's first one on his Jr. Gold belt which he just received last Thursday and JJ's third one, only two more till he gets to practice for his Jr. Gold belt exam. Yippee they were soooo excited, Sensei Kirby said they both had a great night last night. Yep you are reading the words of a very proud MaMa today!

Not sure what the movie for tonight is, but we will most definitely be doing some type of movie and popcorn as their reward.

I also want to brag on Connor a bit. In his kindergarten class he has a Monthly chart that is in his folder, each day the teacher writes down any issues he may have had for the day or puts a smiley face if he had a good day...Well so far for the month of March Connor has had a smiley face for everyday. I gave him a challenge, get a smiley face every day this month and mommy would get him a Wii game that he can play online with YaYa and PapPa! Needless to say he is working really really hard. Also today he has his first Spelling test, we have been working really hard this week on his words. His list is as follows

And

special challenge word: Are

He has been doing really well, monday was a bit hard as they were just starting to work on the word are, but today as we drove to school he passed my verbal test with flying colors...3 times! Let's cross our fingers that he does as well in class.

Today I plan to work on my Laundry Room Swap that I am in. I just have a couple of more things to work on before I send the package out. I have to be a bit mysterious because my swap partner just might read my post and I don't want to ruin the surprise.

I also plan to work a bit on my quilt top, have to have that finished by Tuesday's class so we can work on the border and get it layered with the backing for the last class and the quilting process. I am excited for that class, we actually get to work with a practice piece on their long arm quilting stand...how cool will that be???

I also received more pendants in the mail the day before yesterday from Kevin over at KanYoFuse. I always get excited to open the packages cause he includes an additional thank you pendant and it's fun to see what he's picked out. I made up three more necklaces yesterday and popped them in my shop, you can see them HERE and i am getting them priced and will drop them off at the boutique uptown today when i go pick Connor up. Traffic has picked up in the shop so wish me luck on sales!

Well that's about it for the day. I am compiling the information for my Easter/Spring giveaway so please stay on the lookout for that post. Such great artists are participating and I think you will be just as excited about it as I am!!

Till next time, enjoy your day!

Thursday's Featured Artist

2009-03-19T08:05:00.005-05:00

Today I have another featured shop, or I should say featured etsy artist because I am finding that each shop is more than the items in the shop, it’s the creative artists behind the shop that really make the whole experience such a joy.

BrigaBauble

I met Brig through a forum thread and immediately hit it off with her. That is one thing I am coming to love about Etsy is it’s more than people selling things, it’s a whole community in itself. Now just a side note you will notice that Brig refers to me as PJ which is what my etsy sign on has been shortened down to in all the forum threads, Primitive Junkie is quite a bit to type out. LOL

I was able to ask Brig a few questions via Conversations on Etsy. I wanted to get to know a little bit more about the creator behind BrigaBauble and here is what she had to say.

Where are you from?

Technically, I was born in South Carolina to a mother from Baltimore and a father from Vienna, Austria. We (my parents, my older sister and I) moved to then-rural Maryland when I was 10. But, my sister and I spent about 12 years of summers with our grandparents in Austria. If you ask where I feel most at home…I’d say Austria, particularly Vienna. And my first thought when someone asks where I’m from is “Austria.”

What made you want to open a shop on Etsy?

Hmmmm. Well, I had managed to build up a tiny bit of confidence in my jewelry designing and crafting skills purely because friends were trying to buy my pieces off my neck or wrist, etc. And I had two or three friends encourage me to open a shop on Etsy so I thought, “Why not?”

What is your favorite thing in your store and why?

Man PJ, all these tough questions! OK, at this moment in time my favorite piece is my “Something Old and Something New Bracelet.” (http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22014807)

I love it because I used parts from an old bracelet that I picked up somewhere along the way and semi-precious round unakite beads to make a bracelet that feels both vintage and modern.

What keeps you going when things get slow?

Well, to be honest, sales in my Etsy shop have always been rather slow since I only just started some online marketing efforts and still need to try offline ones as well. Two things keep me going: positive feedback from my customers and the fact that I love designing and making jewelry. I’m a bit “Type A.” Some days, more than a bit. Crafting in all forms has a positive, calming affect on me.

What advice would you give someone who is thinking of opening a shop on Etsy?

All of the tips I’m writing here are an example of, “Try doing what I say, not what I did;” if you want sales that is.• Open your shop once you have a clear marketing plan—will save you time in the long run. • Build up your stock to at least 20-25 items before you open. It can be really frustrating to go to a shop and find only a few items to choose from.• Spend time in the forums—read everything you can in the “business topics” and “critiques” forums. You’ll get so much useful advice and meet some awesome artisans.• Compare prices among shops that list in the same category that you will. This will make you more confident in your pricing. Also, read the “shop policies” of many different shops and be ready to post yours when you open.• If you’re not a designer, hire one to create your banner and avatar. There are so many talented designers on Etsy who charge incredibly reasonable prices for their work.

This is great advice for anyone wanting to open a store. Having a good variety to start with and promoting your butt off is what will get you going and get the sales coming in.

What is the idea and creative inspiration behind your sterling silver and amethyst rosary?You know, I’m really glad you asked me this PJ. I design and create Catholic rosaries, rosary bracelets and rosary necklaces in addition to Anglican prayer beads, which are referred to by some as “Anglican rosaries.” My goal in creating these beautiful, intricate pieces is to offer high-quality, affordable pieces to two niche markets while staying true to myself and not pretending to be someone I’m not.The first rosary I made was in garnet and sterling silver and was a gift for my mom, a devoted (yet liberal) Catholic. I have personally witnessed how my mother’s faith has helped her to find the strength to deal with difficult times. I deeply admire my mother and her faith. But my religious pieces come from my respect of faith rather than a faith of my own.

Etsy shop: http://www.brigabauble.etsy.com/

Blog: http://brigabauble.blogspot.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BrigaBauble.

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brigabauble/
I pictured just a few items of Brigs that I love, hop on over and check her out. If you find something you just have to have, tell her PJ sent you. And go check her blog out, I only aspire to write posts as well and as informative as Brig does

Whatcha Workin on Wednesday

2009-03-18T08:44:00.004-05:00

Hello my blogland readers. I have been MIA the last few days and I apologize for that, things have just been hectic around here! But I am back on track and back to my blog posting! Today's theme is of course Whatcha Workin on Wednesday, or better yet, what have you worked on since last Wednesday.

Well I had quilt class last night and our quilt tops are coming together nicely. I got two rows sewn together last night and have 3 more to go for next weeks class. Only two classes left for me, next week we will be putting the whole thing together getting it ready to learn to quilt it and the last class we actually learn the whole quilting process. I am excited for that. Below is my quilt so far. I think it's going to come out well and be perfect for hanging in front out our fireplace here in the living room.

I have also been creating more jewelry items for my shop which will be added later today. I absolutely love creating things for my etsy shop and am happy to say I am up to 28 sales so far. How awesome is that!! Especially in this economy knowing that people love my creations as much as I love making them is such a rewarding feeling.

Keep a look out for my Feature shop in tomorrow's post. I am also still working on my Easter Giveaway, I have some great Etsy shops participating and am very excited about it. I will post a little more about it later today!

Keep the comments coming, I love reading everyone's thoughts and opinions!

Vote for Me Please

2009-03-14T16:49:00.002-05:00

Yep, I am soliciting votes. I entered an item I made into a spring contest one of the gals on Etsy started. The voting starts today and ends the 10th you can go to her blog Here http://missknitsetsy.blogspot.com/

Below is what I entered into the contest. Lots of prizes will be given away and I would love to be one of the winners. hehe

So Please Vote for me.

Family Friday and a Featured Shop

2009-03-13T19:19:00.004-05:00

Well It's Family Friday again. Today the kids were out of school because of a teacher in service day. Well hubby only had a couple hrs of work to do today, so he came up to me this am and said, I can take Big Bit to work with me today if you want...I was like...YES!!! So Connor got to spend the day at Daddy's work, and having lunch at BK with 20 min of play time. It was a good day, JJ stayed home with mom, went to the shop up town and over to Hannah's to play, so they both had a fun day. Now we have had our pizza and they are settled down to watch Madagascar 2.

also today I am featuring another shop on Etsy.

Youniqeuly Chic

I took a moment and asked Chic a few questions. (that's what we call her in the Etsy forums :) )

What made you want to open a shop on Etsy?Well, I started out selling on Ebay.. had never even heard of Etsy, then my sister in law told me about it and said I should give it a try. Well I will be honest, I was very reluctant to do so! When I got started I was terrified that someone would consider me "Crafty" or "Artsy" so I held off for a few months, then I decided to just go for it! I am so glad I did, I have made so many friends here and It has such a sense of community whereas Ebay is so cold and commercial! Now I am proud to be called Crafty and Artsy!

What is your favorite thing in your store and why? If you hadn't asked me that I could have told you! That is a very tough question, I love all of my creations! But honestly I would have to say that This one is my favorite:Emerald AB 2x Swarovski Necklace and Earring Sethttp://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20606361I just love the colors, the way the change in the light and I just like the overall look of the set, the way the crystals cascade down the pendant and all, In my opinion it is one of my pretties pieces.

What keeps you going when things get slow?Local craft fairs, but to tell you the truth things have been pretty slow since I started selling my items, The bottom dropped out of the economy within 2 weeks of me opening my Ebay store so slow is kind of the norm for me, this last few months has been very exciting because things have started to pick up.

What advice would you give someone who is thinking of opening a shop on Etsy?I would tell them that before they even start setting up their store to set up an account and spend a LOT of time in the forums! I wish I had done so, I have only been visiting the forums for about a month now and the help and advise I have gotten there would have really helped me get the right start with my shop... As it was I went into this completely blind and I made just about every mistake possible!

What is the idea and creative inspiration behind your dog tag holders?Well my husband is in the Air Force for starters! I met him on AOL of all places and he lived in Hawaii and I Utah... long story short the first time he visited me he gave me his dog tags to wear and I've worn them ever since. I always hated the boring chain that comes with them, so one day I decided to go ahead and make something prettier for them to hang on. They are very popular at shows here in Colorado Springs because we have a very large military population and a lot of girls wear their spouse/boyfriend's dog tags because they are overseas serving right now.

So go on over and check her out. You may just find that special something for yourself or someone you know.

Have a great friday I probably won't post tomorrow but look for my SuperStar Sunday post as well.

Look YaYa and PaPa, I Passed

2009-03-12T18:48:00.003-05:00

That would be from my son Connor! Yep he had his official belt test in Karate tonight and passed! (see picture to the left) He is now officially a Jr. Gold Belt!

Then little brother also got 2 stripes on his white belt. 3 more stripes and he gets to test...(it will still be a while, but he's so psyched) (see picture to the right)

just a quick post :)

Thursday's Treat

2009-03-12T17:03:00.002-05:00

Well I thought I would give all my readers a treat today. I wanted to showcase some of the blogs that I follow. There were some great posts today!

Ceridwen over at WanderlustBling has a great post today about some wonderful splurge items she found on etsy. I especially liked this post, but I am biased because she featured my lap afghan in the post. She also featured three other etsy artists and their great work.

My friend EZ over at Kiss My Asana...a personal challenge posted a great video demonstrating the correct way to backward bending in yoga...definitely something to learn. She is a fantastic yoga instructor and student. I am amazed anytime i see her doing her poses. All I can say is WOW

Gayle over at Flamingo Junction has a weekly Earring Grab Bag giveaway and guess what...I WON this week!! I love checking in on her to see what she has created or what she's up to. Stop on by and keep track and maybe you too can win a pair of her great earrings.

Finally Eliza over at The Bear Bunch and her hubby always seem to have such funny and interesting posts. I love to see what comments they make on every day findings or occurrences and the story's about little Mikey Bear and too cute to pass up!

So stop on over to see some of my friends and what they are up to! Now I am off to make supper for my troop before they get back from Karate class. (yay for the day's Daddy makes it home to take them)

Happy Blogging!

Whatcha Workin on Wednesday

2009-03-11T08:22:00.004-05:00

Well it has become cold and rainy today. We have gone from 80 degrees yesterday to 44 today with rain and a forecast of sleet and snow tomorrow...such weird weather. So today gets to be spent inside. I still can't decide what I want to work on. But I wanted to share with you the two different blocks that will make up the quilt we are doing in quilt class.

Last night I learned how to do triangles. Now I have to say they are not my favorite to do, but our teacher did show us a fairly easy way to do them. It will definitely help me to work on keeping my seems straight. So the two blocks above will be what creates the quilt. A total of 25 blocks will make up the lap quilt I am doing, plus and inner and outer border, then backing and binding. I meant to take my camera to class last night and take a picture of the finished example she has on the wall, but forgot to. I will try to do that next week.

I also have another afghan that I have started on, this one will probably be for one of the boys, I simply took 3 different colors of yarn and am doing a sc with a Q hook. very soft and warm.

Lastly I did make myself another necklace yesterday and even made earrings to match, pictured below. I think they came out well! I love how quickly these come together.

Well I am off to curl up under a blanket and watch Scooby Doo with JJ as I promised him earlier.

Happy crafting to everyone!

Tuesday's Tidbits

2009-03-10T08:17:00.002-05:00

Uses For White Vinegar

Today's Tidbit is on White Vinegar, I know there are a lot of uses for White Vinegar in and around your house. I found a great website if you want to see all 1001 uses. It's here.

A bit of background: Vinegar has been around for 10,000 years.

Vinegar’s role in history is well documented. This versatile product was used by everyone—from kings and conquerors to explorers and everyday people.
The Babylonians used vinegar to preserve and pickle food.
Hippocrates prescribed vinegar as a remedy for a variety of ailments.
Caesar’s armies used vinegar as a beverage.
Hannibal drenched huge boulders in hot vinegar which cracked them into small pieces, enabling his army to continue its journey across the Alps.
Helen of Troy bathed in vinegar to relax.
Jesus was offered vinegar before he was crucified.
Early Europeans used vinegar as a deodorizer.
During the Bubonic Plague people poured vinegar on their skin to protect themselves from germs.
Cleopatra dissolved pearls in vinegar to prove that she could consume a fortune in a single meal.
Sailors used vinegar as a food preservative during long voyages.
World War I medics used vinegar to treat soldiers’ wounds. Today, people are still using white distilled vinegar in hundreds of different ways—from cooking and cleaning to gardening and the laundry.

Some fun facts you may not know about vinegar:

Pearls will melt in vinegar! So make sure those pearl rings are taken off before you work with it!

An open dish of vinegar will remove paint smells from a freshly painted room

Pantyhose last longer when rinsed with a mixture of cold water and white distilled vinegar

Massage white distilled vinegar into your scalp, shampoo, and rinse and watch dandruff go down the drain. (may have to try this one on my hubby)

Spray White Distilled Vinegar on furniture to stop a cat from scratching it. (I will most definitely be trying this one)

Soak your feet in White Distilled Vinegar to stop athletes foot!

Make your car extra shiny by adding a few drops of white distilled vinegar to your bucket of water.

Remove dirt and stains from car carpeting with a mixture of half white distilled vinegar and half water.

Prevent lint from clinging to clothes by adding 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the wash cycle.

Forgot that you left wet laundry in the machine and it now smells moldy? Pour a few cups of white distilled vinegar in the machine and wash the clothes in hot water. Then run a normal cycle with detergent.

Kill weeds and grass growing in unwanted places by pouring full-strength white distilled vinegar on them. This works especially well in crevices and cracks of walkways and driveways.

It's amazing what you can use White Vinegar for! I have most definitely added this item to my grocery list! Stay tuned for tomorrows Whatcha Workin on Wednesday!

(all information gathered here was found on the Vinegar tips website located at http://www.vinegartips.com/)

Have a great day and enjoy the weather if it's nice where you are!

Monday's Creations

2009-03-09T15:38:00.006-05:00

Hello all my readers in blog land! It has been a very creative day. I think the warmer weather has put the creative bug in me. The pictures above are the newest additions to my jewelry line in my Etsy store. I bought the pendants from a wonderful artist on Etsy. Kevin does fantastic work! I plan on featuring his store in my blog soon. Each set is focused around the pendant. I had such a great time making them. I also just had to keep one for myself, it's pictured below and is my most favorite one.

I have fallen in love with beading. There is such room for creativity with them and the array of beads available out there is astounding. I have received great reviews from people on the few items I have sold so far, so that keeps my spirits up as well.

Not a long post right now, look for more later. Oh and check out Connor's Creative Corner to see what he's up to right now!

SuperStar Sunday

2009-03-08T08:09:00.005-05:00

Todays' Etsy SuperStar is

Luckrosiescreations

Once again I am featuring a store that is on the WITB round 3 with me. She has a very creative shop, all items are upcycled from something else. Here is what she said when I asked her a few questions:

What made you want to open a shop on Etsy?
My daughter and I made a skirt out of some of her old clothes a few years ago and it turned out really nice so I got hooked on making them for her and I went crazy and had way to many so when I saw so the etsy site I decided to try to sell some of them.

What is your favorite thing in your store and why?

I do not have a favorite but right now I do like making the cuffs the best.

What keeps you going when things get slow?

I just think about the sales I had and know that some one some where is wearing something I made.

What advice would you give someone who is thinking of opening a shop on Etsy?

Just to enjoy yourself there is so much more to etsy than making money keep it fun.

Give me two of your favorite stores on etsy.
Oh I do not have a favorite . but one of my favorite things to do is to look at the recently sold items I love seeing what people are buying .

Thanks so much! Don't forget to check out our WITB thread either, every post is an entry to win one of 50 $20 gift certificates, the more you post the more chances to win. And if you have an Etsy shop and want to join us, please feel free to! It is a great group of people and we are still working out way to those 50 shops. Check us out HERE

Saturday Jumble

2009-03-07T08:16:00.003-06:00

Today's post is a mix of many things, so I decided to just call it a Jumble.

First off I am a featured seller on another blog. I am so excited about this, you can see the post here. Please take a look and give the post some love!

It's a cloudy day here in Tennessee but at least it is warm. The boys are already up and at it. currently they are hunting treasure. Complete with spying scope and treasure map and imaginary "booty traps" (for all those goonies lovers out there). Hubby has to work today so I think the boys and I are going to take a trip to Joann's for some more yarn for me to start on another afghan.

I have been busy creating this week. I spent part of the morning over at my girlfriends house yesterday beading and created a few pairs of earrings and a bracelet. You can find them in my new Jewelry section of my shop. I do have about 4 more pairs I need to photograph and list. I really like making them and it adds another aspect to my shop. Take a look and let me know what you think. Here is a picture of one of my favorites so far.

I do need to work on my photos, trying to find the right set up and props to enhance the jewelry itself. It is a learning process, but i really like trying out different things.

I also want to thank everyone for their comments on yesterday's post. I am still trying to decide on just the right chart and incentive program for the boys. Once I have a decision I will definitely let everyone know.

I will be featuring another great etsy seller tomorrow so please check back to find out who it is. There are so many wonderful and talented people I have gotten to know on etsy and I keep meeting more. I look forward to checking in on the forums each day to see what is new with everyone.

I am also working on a great Easter giveaway, stay tuned to see the great items that will be included!

Have a great day and keep creating!

Family Friday

2009-03-06T08:13:00.002-06:00

Happy Friday to all!

It's that time again, Family Friday. Today I don't have any funny stories to tell, I am looking for input on an idea I am thinking of implementing for my two boys. (ages 4 and 5) At this age all I hear at every toy commercial or whenever we go shopping is "I want that, I want that" Of course they get the same reply, we can't always get everything we want. But I am thinking of implementing an allowance for each of them. I want to create a chore chart for each of them and for every week they do all their chores they receive an allowance. Such as Connor (who is the oldest) could earn $5 a week if he does all his chores and JJ (the youngest) could earn $4 a week if he does his. That way they would have their own money to spend when we go shopping and they could save for that toy they really really want. But I need help with chore ideas. Besides the keeping clothes picked up, and toys picked up. I have setting the table and cleaning the table after supper (which they would alternate daily) Checking the animals food and water to make sure they are full. I am trying to decide how many chores they should have each day. 3? 4? 5?

I really want to try and instill the idea of saving for something you really want instead of just asking and receiving. And in the process get them involved in the daily routine of the house, give them a sense of accomplishment each day.

What is your idea? I would love to hear from everyone!

Whatcha Workin on Wednesday

2009-03-04T07:53:00.003-06:00

***updated with photos******

Just a quick post before heading off to MOPS group this morning. I wanna know what everyone is working on today!!

My plan is to finish the border on my afghan and then work on some blocks for the quilt we are workin on in my quilt class. I promise to post pics later today when i have them taken and cropped. The boys and I are also going to make some banana bread and maybe even rice krispie treats...yum yum

Till I get back from meeting, happy crafting to everyone!!

Tuesday's Tidbits

2009-03-03T08:15:00.004-06:00

As I thought about what to feature for today's Tidbits last night, my son came up to me and said mommy I wanna read to you....he promptly sat down and read me Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Suess. You see this week at school they are celebrating Dr. Suess's birthday. It got me to thinking about all the books I read by Dr. Suess as I was growing up and the impact they made on me. So today's Tidbits is going to be about Dr. Suess and his legacy. Most of the information that I will be sharing is thanks to a wonderful site called Suessville.

Yes, there was a Dr. Suess, though he wasn't a real doctor. Theodore (Ted) Suess Geisel was born March 2, 1904 in Massachusetts. His father was a brewmaster and his mother worked in her father's bakery before marrying. She often memorized the pies of the day and would "chant" them to her customers. Often if Ted had difficulty going to sleep his mother would re-call her "pie selling chants" to help him go to sleep. As an adult, Ted credited his mother "for the rhythms in which I write an the urgency with which I do it" (Morgan, pg7)

Ted attended Dartmouth University, even was editor for Dartmouth's humor magazine, his reign came to abrupt end when he and his friends were caught throwing a party that didn't coincide with school policy. He still contributed to the magazine, but simply signed his work Suess, this is the first record of him going by this name. After Dartmouth, Ted attended Oxford University intending to become a professor, but a fellow student noticed his doodling and told him he should become an artist, so that is what he did and he eventually married the very same student who gave him that advice.

Dr. Suess died Sept. 24th, 1991 and at that time over 200 million copies of his books had sold and had been translated into 15 different languages. Sales continue to climb every year. Shortly before his death, when Ted was asked if there was anything left unsaid, he thought about it and finally came back with " The best slogan I can think of leave with the U.S.A. would be : We can....and we've got to...do better than this." (morgan, pg287)

Such an inspiration for our children is Dr. Suess, and who of us doesn't have some part of one of his books memorized as a favorite? Dr. Suess wrote 48 children's books in his lifetime...what an amazing feet! Tell me what is your favorite Dr. Suess book?

(all information provided in this post was found on the Suessville website found at www.suessville.com)

Super Star Sunday

2009-03-01T15:20:00.005-06:00

Good afternoon everyone! I have decided to make Sunday's a Super Star Sunday. I am part of this great thread on Etsy that gives an opportunity for anyone to win one of 50 $20 dollar gift certificates to participating shops. It is located HERE. Such a great group of creators I decided to feature one of them every Sunday. Today's feature is on

Elizabear

She has a great shop with handmade crayons that any child would love! I asked her a few questions and here is what she had to say.

What made you want to open a shop on Etsy? The love of crafting. I have been creating something as long as I can remember.

What is your favorite thing in your store and why?
My favorite thing is the Rainbow Ring Crayon. Probably because that is the one my little bear loves the most. Some days I can't seem to get it away from him.

What keeps you going when things get slow?My little bear definitely keeps me going. I am constantly making new crayons for him to try out. It is so much fun seeing his reaction to new crayons.

What advice would you give someone who is thinking of opening a shop on Etsy?
Patience! Don't get discouraged when you don't get a sale within the first week or even the first few months. Keep working hard at your shop (and it takes A LOT of hard work.) Eventually you will get that first sale and it will take off from there.

Give me two of your favorite stores on etsy.Wow. That is such a hard question. There are so many shops that is my favorite. I just found out we are expecting a little girl so tutu shops have been my favorite but it is impossible to narrow it down any more than that.

Here is my favorite item from her shop:

These are her zoo animal crayons, aren't they just the cutest? So hop on over and check out her shop! Tell her I sent you and show her some love!

Have a great weekend!

Another Blog Award!!

2009-03-01T07:50:00.003-06:00

Well today will consist of two posts, the first is a Blog Award that I recieved from Anji over at . Thanks Anji!!!

Here are the rules

List 7 things that you love and then pass the award on to 7 people...tagging them and letting them know they won! You can copy the picture of the award and put it on your sideboard letting the whole wide world know you are KReATIV!

1. My boys!

2. That first hot cup of coffee of the day!

3. Taking a long hot bath.

4. Snuggling up under a warm quilt.

5. Creating something new, with yarn or fabric or beads

6. Shopping with my girlfriend

7. Friday night movie night with the family

I pass this award on to

Stay tuned for post #2 coming later this afternoon :)

Family Friday

2009-02-27T07:57:00.003-06:00

Well I have decided to dub Friday's, Family Friday on my blog. With two little boys and DH who sometimes acts like a little boy I am always full of stories, Friday's I will try to pick the best of those to share with my wonderful friends here in Blog Land. Today is

"Are you a Cowboy?"

Friday's is casual days for my DH at work, jeans and an Army shirt of some sort, this is also the day he gets to wear his cowboy boots that he loves. (years before I met him he actually did some bull riding in the rodeos) You can see him all gussied up in the photos above. ( I caught him before he but his baseball cap on...lol just ignore the messy kitchen.) Well as he was getting his boots on JJ asked him if he was a Cowboy...in return DH said do I look like a cowboy. JJ responds "Nope, you have to have a cow to be a cowboy" very straight forward. Then Connor adds "or a Horse" Dh chuckled and said do we have any cows or horses. well again very seriously JJ says "Yes" DH then asks him "where do we have any" JJ returns "we have two horses behind the couch" and truthfully we do. The horse head on a stick horses they got for christmas. (they are behind the couch because they became to rambunctious with them and they go taken away)

Now I had to stay in the kitchen while this was going on and try my hardest not to laugh out loud. Well Dh left for work and Connor turns to JJ and says "Daddy is a wannabe Cowboy" !! Too funny and all before 7am this morning, this definetly looks to be an interesting conversation day!

Friday's are also movie night around here. Pizza, movie, and popcorn of course. On tonight's list we have the family movie of Horton Hears a Who, followed by Baby Mama and Wanted (after the kids are in bed of course) Now this is a surprise for the boys, they don't know we got the movies in the mail yet, but they love it, we make a big pallet on the floor with all my quilts, they bring out their pillows, lovies, and blankets and we all get to snuggle up and watch movies.

So I hope everyone enjoys their Friday and does something fun with the family!

Till Next time!

He's Official

2009-02-26T20:02:00.005-06:00

Yup that's right, JJ is no officially a Karate Student...uniform and all! Doesn't he look tough. He LOVES Karate, and tries soo hard. He and his brother get to go practice with Hannah (a fellow student and daughter of one of my good friends) tomorrow. She is a brown belt and very good and she's only 10yrs old!

Now tonight at supper Ryan and I were discussing who JJ takes after more...well for those of you that know me well (mom) can you tell from this picture? Yes that is ketchup on his Mac N Cheese. Just like his mama...I could eat ketchup on just about anything and I think the little man is following in my footsteps.

Since it was Karate night, this mommy didn't do any major cooking, don't have a lot of time when we get back so tonight was fish sticks, Mac N Cheese, and cottage cheese. A favorite of the family it seems. Daddy even had 3rds, finishing off the last of the Mac N Cheese....lol

Not a lot done on the creative side. I did get some mini jars of my White Hot Chocolate mix made up today and posted on etsy. check it out www.primitivejunkie.etsy.com, and I stopped by the little store here in town where I have some of my items and chatted with the owner. We are going to do some crafting at the store on Saturday which I am looking forward to. Other than that not much else. Tomorrow will be about the same, other than going over to let the boys practice with Hannah, her mom and I will probably do some beading together as well. you can see some of the things I have made on my flickr..http://www.flickr.com/photos/primitivejunkie/.

Till tomorrow, have a good night everyone!

Great Giveaway

2009-02-25T12:27:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to post a quick note about a giveaway I became aware of through a fellow blogger.
The Muddy Moose is having a giveaway of some great great bath boutique basket sets! Hop on over to http://themuddymoose.blogspot.com/2009/02/my-first-ever-monday-giveaway.html?showComment=1235586420000#c3551049344603221971 soon as the giveaway ends Feb 28th.

Whatcha Workin on Wednesday

2009-02-25T10:40:00.002-06:00

Good morning blogland! Today I want to know what everyone is working on!! I just finished up a pineapple soap saver that is totally adorable. you can see it in the picture above. This is something I made for a spring contest on etsy. Voting begins on March 14th, I will be posting that day where to go and vote so keep a look out for that.

I also plan to work on my afghan some more and then make up some mini jars of my ever popular White Hot Chocolate.

I also started my quilting class last night. Though I am not an absolute beginner I am very excited about it. It runs every Tuesday night for 6 weeks, last night was just the cutting out of the pieces, but next week we start sewing together. I'll get to learn little ways to make things easier with seaming and pressing seams. (which is something I really do need to learn) It was a great group of women and I think we are all going to have a great time creating our quilts. The very last class is where we learn to machine quilt our quilts which is the main reason I took the class. I learn that and hopefully won't have to send my quilt tops out for quilting anymore.

So what are you working on? Anything planned for the week? Something just finished? Tell me all about it. I love love love comments and love seeing all the creative people out there.

Also I am having a sale in my etsy shop. All items in the sale section are 25% off, prices have already been reduced.

Happy crafting and stay warm!

My First Award from Jen

2009-02-24T22:23:00.003-06:00

I logged on tonight and went to read the blogs that have been updated while I was gone and low and behold Jenn over at http://www.thevillagepeddler.blogspot.com/ has bestowed The Best Blog Daily Thinker Award

Now for the rules: The rules are to post it on your blog and pass it on to 10 other deserving bloggers. There are so many great bloggers. The following are the 10 bloggers I have chosen in no order. If you would like this award please just grab it

So here are the 10 I picked

1. www.anjigallanos.blogspot.com

2 www.brensbusyhands.blogspot.com

3 http://flamingojunctiontoo.blogspot.com/

4 http://kissmyasana.blogspot.com

5 http://lizardqueenjewelry.blogspot.com

6 http://arkofjewels.blogspot.com

7 http://byrheea.blogspot.com

8.http://byrheea.blogspot.com

9 http://byrheea.blogspot.com

10 http://aromalite.blogspot.com/

Tuesday's Tidbits

2009-02-24T09:44:00.002-06:00

Well I am tryin out a new theme for tuesdays. Tuesday's Tidbits, finding little things to do with everyday things you find in or around the house. Today's tidbit is on Duct Tape, now we all know it's the fixit go to for just about any house hold, but after doing some research i found the history of Duct Tape to be a bit interesting.

Duct tape got it's name when do-it-yourself repair people found out how well it worked for sealing off ducts in the home. The original name, "Duck Tape", came from WWII in 1942.

When cases of ammunition were ruined by rain and humidity, the U.S. government asked their supplier if they would give them something they could use to protect their provisions. The supplier sent them a green waterproof tape that the army nick named "Duck Tape" because water rolled off of it as easily as water off a duck's back. The military found countless uses for the tape while stationed overseas and new uses mounted once they returned home.
It seems the most popular use for the tape after the war was for sealing ducts in homes which prompted a few changes. The color changed from green to silver and it's name changed from Duck Tape to Duct Tape. Through the decades duct tape has remained popular because it seems there is no a job that duct tape can't handle.
The best use for duct tape I have come across is for getting rid of Plantar Warts. Before going to bed each night simply wrap the tape around your feet making sure all warts are securely covered. They should disappear within 4 to 6 weeks. The reason this procedure works so well is, the duct tape is air tight and it cuts off oxygen to the warts causing them to die.
Other things duct tape is used for are:
Patching water pipes.
Patch a holes in the pool.
Used as weather stripping around doors and windows.
To tape an alligator's mouth closed.
As temporary patch for a car body.
To hold the bumper on a car.
To tape over the mouth of the office gossip.
As a patch for mufflers and tail pipes.
To mend a broken shovel handle.
Use in an emergency to hem pants, a skirt or a dress.
To repair a vacuum cleaner hose.
For book binding.
To repair a car tail light.
To stop a leak in the garden hose.
To repair a tear in a tent.
For a bandage when you don't have a real one handy.
Use as a patch on clothing.
To keep rubber boots from leaking.
Repair holes in inflatable water toys.
To tape an annoying person to the wall.
To remove lint from clothing.
Reupholster furniture.
Wrap Christmas presents... they'll never get them open.
Fly catcher. Just hang from ceiling in the cottage.
Tape warranties to the back or underside of new appliances.
Fix holes in the wings of airplanes.
Replace webbing in lawn chairs.
Use in place of wax for removing unwanted hair.
Patch holes in the toes of ballet shoes.
If you are out riding and your horse's shoe becomes loose, secure it with duct tape until you return home.
To repair dentures.
Use strips of duct tape on the back of jig saw puzzles to keep them from falling apart.
To remove a splinter.
Toilet paper.
Temporary fix for a broken water hose under the hood

I am sure we all use or have used Duct Tape for one thing or another in our lives and will probably use it again. I know it is a staple in our house, we have a roll in the kitchen, one on the back deck and I even think my husband has a roll in the trunk of his car. What have you used it for?

(thanks to Darlen McFarlane's article at http://www.gomestic.com/Do-It-Yourself/35-Great-Uses-for-Duct-Tape-and-Counting.33854 for this information)

Monday Mahem

2009-02-23T09:52:00.004-06:00

Well it's Monday again, oldest goes back to school and hubby goes back to work and the weeks cycle begins again. I love the weekends but always seem to look forward to getting back into the weekly routine once again. We woke up to 25 degree weather and frost on everything, i will be so happy with this cold is gone. Though I know we are no where near as cold as some of the wonderful people in blog land.

I did some more creating this weekend. One thing I made was this cute crochet cuff. It started out as a wristlet that went wrong and I decided to make this cute cuff out of it. It is available in my etsy store. I think i will be making a few more of these this week as they come together rather quickly.

I also got some more done on my afghan, here is an updated picture of my progress. I am really liking how it came out.

I am working on coming up with some special days on my blog, stay tuned for how i decide to organize it. I am working on some cool theme ideas and am now in the deciding process.

I am also nearing my 100th post, so look for a giveaway soon in celebration of that wonderful day!

Until next time..keep warm and stay creative!

Been A While

2009-02-20T17:27:00.004-06:00

I know it has been a while since I have posted. Things have just gotten busy around the house. I was icky for a day or so this week, youngest developed an ear infection and then I got on a creative kick so the blog was put on the back burner. Well I am making up for that now.

First off I have posted a couple of pictures of things I have made this week. Gift card/business card holders and some kitchen washcloths, both of which are available in my etsy shop. http://www.primitivejunkie.etsy.com/. I have also been working on my afghan as well, though i don't have an updated picture of that.

I also received an email yesterday from FoundHandmade.com which is an advertising site for all things handmade. The cool this is if you blog about them, then send your post to them they will give you one block of advertising free! So of course here I am telling you about it, I am still learning the ropes there, but it's a cool place to checkout. http://www.foundhandmade.com/

I will also be doing a giveaway post later with the latest and greatest things I have found...so may giveaways...soo little time!

I hope everyone had a great and productive week!

My Little Guy is Growin up

2009-02-17T14:38:00.006-06:00

Well I hadn't posted about the kids in a while so thought I would work on posts about each of them this week. Today it's Connor. My little man age 5 going on 15. He is all about doing things by himself now..I can do it mommy....look what I did. So I have given him a little bit of free reign. Such as brushing his teeth..he gets his toothbrush, wets it, puts the toothpaste on and brushes his teeth. He still has to wait for Daddy to do his mouthwash, but he even gets that ready and then waits.

In the mornings he likes to do his own oatmeal. From opening package, putting it in the bowl, measuring the water, and putting it in the microwave and starting it. (all with mommy's supervision of course) Today he even tried to get it out of the microwave...that is mommy's job because it's hot..his answer was to put my oven mitts on and try....a couple more inches taller and he could do it. (right now to get it in the microwave he has to tiptoe on his stool)

Then he latest chore he has taken on himself is cleaning the table after dinner. Mommy sprays it with cleaner and he takes the paper towel and wipes it all clean. Such a big helper he is. (pictured above) Shortly after dinner though it all usually hits him and he collapses (pictured below)

He wanted to share with his Yaya some pictures as well but those will be on another day as you can see he's resting with a buddy of his right now :)

More Giveaways!

2009-02-17T08:00:00.004-06:00

Do you like cupcakes???

Well then head on over to http://www.zencupcake.com/2009/02/february-17-2009-mardi-gras-giveaway.html. They are giving away this gorgeous necklace for Mardi Gras!

Also check out http://galitbarak.blogspot.com/2009/02/special-offer-and-jewelry-giveaway.html? for your chance to win a gorgeous necklace!!

Newest Afghan in progress

2009-02-16T18:44:00.005-06:00

Well since my crochet items are getting good views and I am getting great feedback on them I decided to try and further my abilities. I found this shell afghan pattern at JoAnne's and figured I would give it a try. Here is what I have for progress. I have 11 more sets of the three colors to do, but now I have the pattern down so it shouldn't take long.

I also made up some more White Hot Chocolate today as I had sold out of it in my Etsy shop and had a couple more requests for it. It is so delicious!

Other than that it has been a laid back weekend. Hubby got our gutter that fell down in the wind storm last week fixed. Yay! Cream of Chicken with noodles over toast was for supper and now we have a Pokemon marathon we promised the boys they could watch before bed. I'll be plugging away at my afghan while they watch it.

Also another giveaway has been found over at http://dkrscrapncraft.blogspot.com/ for a set of mini thank you cards. They are soo cute. Hop on over and enter.

And I am doing fairly well on my diet soda, I have cut down to only one a day, and have been that way for the past 4 days. I just can't shake that last one yet. Oh well, one a day is better than having a 2 liter per day.

Have a great evening and I will post again later. Keep the comments coming.

Productive Saturday

2009-02-14T18:18:00.005-06:00

Well it has been a productive day. I finished 3 projects today. Well ok one I finished yesterday but didn't get pictures till today. First I finished the special order cap from a customer on Etsy. Second I finished the afghan I was making and third I made a scarf and rose pin to go with it today. All in all I feel pretty good about today. Can't wait to start my next project.

Hope you were all as productive as I was in whatever you were doing today. :) Keep the comments coming I love seeing the feedback on my creations.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T07:19:00.004-06:00

I wanted to wish all my wonderful blogland friends a Happy Valentine's Day. I hope you take that extra time to show the one's you love how you feel and how much you appreciate them today.

My DH has to work today 8 to 8 so we did our Valentine's last night. Now usually my hubby usually has a difficult time buying gifts for me, and this year I told him to make it simple. Here is what i received last night. I have to say I'm impressed, he even did the wrapping himself! I was very happy with what i got. He got me a book that i had been looking at for a while, the newest from J.K. Rowling. (yes I am a Harry fan), a little journal in my favorite color of purple, and of course chocolate, the good kind!
Now I feel bad because I didn't do any special wrappin on his, He got a cute card, a small box of chocolates, and a rain check for a supper and dessert of his choice. The boys got him a card and a bag of peanuts in the shell. (they had ulterior motives for that, they love eating them with daddy)

I also got another great early Valentine's present on Ebay. Yesterday my shop on etsy was Sneak Attacked. Here's a brief description of a Sneak Attack:

Wondering what a sneak attack is?Three days per week, an Etsy shop with few or no sales is chosen as a "victim,” and at a given time multiple buyers all visit the site and buy one or more items each, resulting in a whole slew of surprise business in a very short time. It’s a great way to give a big boost to a new Etsy shop!

Yep, I checked my email last night and had 4 sales in no time. I was sooo excited! Really made my day. Plus I had a special order request and I just finished another special order so that puts me up to 6 sales. I think that is pretty good considering sales have been slow for all etsians lately. So I will be packaging things up this weekend to send out on Tuesday when the post office opens up. How exciting!

Happy crafting to all, and enjoy your day!

Giggle Fest

2009-02-12T14:49:00.007-06:00

Ok so I know I have posted twice today, but I just couldn't help myself from posting another. With Valentine's day almost here and doing the boys' valentines, how could I forget my four legged best friend on Vday? Well I found the cutest toy at Wal Mart when I was picking all the things up for the kids' valentines and I just had to get it for Samson. I don't know how many of you remember the Pet Smart commercial with the toy "bo bo"? Well this is a red version of it and I couldn't resist giving it to Samson today. Now he can be picky on his toys so I wasn't sure if he would like it...well take a look and you tell me.

The second picture is him in action retrieving his bo bo and jumpin up to the couch to get me to throw it again...lol

He just made me giggle to see him take to this toy so much. Especially when he looks at you like "what are you laughin at mom?" Hope it put a smile on your face too!

Becoming Fit and Toned

2009-02-12T09:54:00.003-06:00

Well to continue with my Becoming Healthy theme from yesterday, I got to thinking that Yoga helps us in many ways but many of us don't have a lot of time to excercise, go to the gym, or even stop and do a full workout video. I am one of those people, there are some days that I need something quick to do to keep me in the routine. Plus i wanted something that can help with my arms. I found this great article that shows 4 simple excercises we can all do and that can start showing results in just a couple of weeks. Check it out here. Small steps is the way to go. If you are like me starting a full fledged workout schedule will tank within a week because it's just hard to stick to. But little things we can do in 10 minutes here and there will be more effective.

I have made it through my first day without diet soda. It wasn't too bad, though I do have to say I was craving it about 8pm last night. I have to say the little packets you can get to flavor your water made a big difference. I also made up a pitcher of one of those juice cocktails and used that to add a bit of flavor as well. The kids even liked that!

My next step will be to start a food journal. That will begin next monday. (I am giving myself this weekend of no guilt) I have seen many articles that say those that keep a food journal loose 2 to 3 times more than those that don't. Wish me luck!

Valentine's Is Upon Us

2009-02-12T09:45:00.003-06:00

Well for the kids that is. Yes I mean those valentine's parties at school. Today is JJ's valentine party at preschool, so the good mommy I am I decided to make up these cute little cups with candy and valentines inside for his class. Of course there are only 5 in his class.

Connor's party is tomorrow. I didn't get as creative with his class valentines as there are 20 kids in his class, but I made up these little bags that include a cute valentine pencil, heart shaped sucker, big candy smarties, valentine and a little temporary tatto.

I had so much fun making these, but am at a total loss as to what to do for my hubby. Aside from wrapping myself in a big pink bow...the man is so hard to buy for. I suppose it will come down to making him a supper of his favorite foods and some sort of decadent dessert.

I hope everyone has a great valentines day! making sure you show the one's you love how much you really do appreciate them.

Getting Healthy with Yoga

2009-02-11T08:11:00.003-06:00

Good morning all! It's been a couple of days since I have posted. I have been busy creating and workin on a special order I recieved. Yay! I titled today's post Getting Healthy because, well that's my goal this year. One step at a time of course. This week I am going to attempt to kick the diet soda habit. There are so many ways to flavor your water these days that I figured it would be easier. Wish me luck.

Also I realized I need to strengthen my core muscles. After attempting a new yoga pose yesterday that I got from my friend EZ over at http://kissmyasana.blogspot.com, who has inspired me to get in shape, I realized how out of shape I am in. The pose was fairly simple till I had to attempt to come back up using my ab muscles. Whew...let's just say I wasn't completely successful. Practice Practice Practice though and that's what i intend to do. The great thing about Yoga is that you can do a few minutes at different times throughout the day when it's needed or when you have time! Take a look at her blog if you have time as she will be updating it with different simple meditations and poses for us beginners as she goes on.

A couple of my favorite poses are Warrior Pose as well as Tree Pose and finally Sun Salutation. Now this last one is a little more difficult, and I am still working on it, but I like the fluidity of the movement. So far those are the ones I have learned and aspire to learn more and do them better.

I wish everyone a good day and happy crafting. Keep the comments coming, I absolutely love reading them. i will try to catch up on everyone's posts today as well.

Tupperware Giveaway

2009-02-09T08:39:00.002-06:00

Yes that's right. I found a Tupperware Giveaway. Head on over to WillowLakeScents here:http://willowlakescents.blogspot.com/2009/02/tupperware-review-giveaway.html and enter. Who doesn't love Tupperware? A great way to organize your Kitchen. I still have the Spaghetti Dispenser that my mom had when I was growing up! Yep it's on my counter with spaghetti in it at this moment!

Not Me Monday

2009-02-09T08:31:00.003-06:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I saw this on another blog and thought it a great idea. So here goes my Not Me Monday post!

So here is my first Not Me Monday post. This is what I did not do this weekend.

I DID NOT spend umpteen hours workin on a new crochet hat pattern and make two of them this weekend.

I Did Not leave the pictures my father sent me from my parent's vacation in Hawaii up on my computer imagining I was sitting at the beach.

I Did Not fall asleep in the bath tub for 20 min Saturday night at 9pm.

I Did Not stay up way to late both Saturday and Sunday night reading through blogs and posting on my etsy forums. Not Me.

I Did Not send my husband outside yesterday with the kids to get an hour of quiet in the house so I could clean and do laundry in peace, nope Not Me.

I Did Not send my husband emailed hints on what I want for valentines day. :) I would never do that.

I Did Not stare at my kitchen bar thinking I really should clean that and then put in a movie and sit and watch it with the kids. Nope that's not my style.

That is what I Did not do this weekend!

Giveaway Winner Announced

2009-02-08T23:06:00.002-06:00

Well I couldn't wait until tomorrow and since I'm still up tonight I thought I would go ahead and draw the winner. Through random number generator the winner is.......

#16--.Macri.Photography.

Congratulations!!!!!

Be on the look out next month for another giveaway. This one was so much fun I think I am going to make it a monthly endeavor!