Sunday, February 24, 2013

Feeling productive, yet unproductive

So, you know how I dislike all the administrative stuff that comes with having my own little online shop? I did that all weekend. Didn't sit down and crochet once, unless you count the 6 ruffle scarves I made for a charity going on next weekend. Didn't work on my new rug (not the one in the giveaway - that one is done with the exception of the rubber backing.) Yesterday I set up my new mannequin and started snapping pictures of all the ruffle scarves I had. And started working on those pictures with Adobe Photoshop. Which rocks, btw. Might have to buy it after the free trial runs out.

Today - more of the same. Uploaded listings for 4 scarves on 3 different websites, and added them to the portfolio page of my blog. (Have you visited it yet? Pretty cool) Yes, I was able to figure out the html coding to add the pictures and imbed the links back to the Etsy shop for all listings. Yay!

Despite getting all this done, I still have a lot more work to do on pictures that I took. But I want to CREATE! That's why I'm here, right? To create and make pretty things? I have so many projects I want to tackle. I should start making a list and keep it on the blog somewhere. Then, when I make it, I can cross it off my list. Like my crafty bucket list.  Oooooo.....Might have to start that tomorrow.

Well, I'm off to bed. Need to get back to work tomorrow. *sigh* So much work, so little time.

And if you are reading this, please follow my blog if you aren't. I have Google Friend Connect over on the right. Who knows? At Christmas time, I may send out a coupon for so much off or free shipping at about Black Friday for all followers.

And don't forget to enter for your chance to win my new Kitchen Rug before you can buy it!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Win It Before You Can Buy It Giveaway

Take a look at what I've been making this week. This is the first in a new line of products for your bathroom or kitchen.


This rug measures 16" x 25" and has a non skid bottom. This rug is handcrocheted. I will run this giveaway for 2 weeks. There are multiple chances to enter, but the ones with the biggest point values are to follow my blog, blog about my giveaway or to buy something from my Etsy shop.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, February 18, 2013

Girlie weekend

This weekend was wonderfully relaxing and made me feel like a girl. Now, I'm not normally a gal who goes for the girlie stuff - manicure, pedicure, facial. Every once in awhile, I go for a massage and/or a facial. But, the funds just haven't been there until I got back my tax return this year. I got enough back that I was able to put some aside for Nationals and I had enough left from paying bills that I decided to pamper myself.

It started Friday night after work. I went to a salon that my girlfriend recommended. It was just by chance that her favorite stylist was there. Yes, it is in Walmart, but I loved the service there. I pretty much told the stylist, Whitney, that I was putting my hair in her hands and to have fun. She gave me a sort of inverted bob, which I had before. She loved my color. I had a great shampoo and conditioning treatment, then Whitney had fun with my hair. She even taught me how to use a flat iron so I could replicate what she was doing at home. Then I walked into the Walmart nail salon and got a pedicure and acrylic nails. Now, I am always hesitant to do the nails because I work with my hands. I type, I clean, I crochet. It is tough on nail color. But, I decided to do the white tips with clear acrylic over it so it looks like I have a French manicure. So far, the nails have held up. I am quite happy. I also got the car washed on the way home because I hate a dirty car.

Saturday continued the transformation. I had an eye appointment and ordered new glasses. I would love to have contacts, but I have an eye condition which makes it difficult. I contemplated coloring my hair before heading out to see the girls, but I didn't have enough root to make it seem worth it. In a few weeks, I'm sure. Then we had girls' night. I got together with my two best friends, dropped my son off at one of their houses for her older daughter to watch him, and we headed to Apple Valley. First, we stopped at Ulta, because of the my friends loves that store. I ended up buying some beauty products. We then went to Kohl's because I needed new work clothes, and I hate shopping by myself. They are honest and tell me what looks good and what doesn't.

After we shopped, we went out to dinner, then a movie, because none of us wanted to go home. Safe Haven is a great date movie. Sweet and romantic and I love Josh Duhamel. I would not kick that man out of bed for eating cookies.

Sunday, I had an appointment at my favorite spa for a facial and a massage. At the end, I added a shampoo and blow-dry because my hair felt gross afterwards. Don't get me wrong, I love scalp massages, but my hair doesn't.  And I still had some shopping to do.

Today, the office was closed, so I spent the day working on a new facial washcloth for myself and catching up on my favorite shows. Just a relaxing day after a weekend of pampering. Let's hope the week doesn't undo all the relaxing.

I will be hosting a giveaway in the very near future (as soon as I finish the product). This will be the start of a new line of products for me. So, if you are in need of a kitchen rug, stay tuned!

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Dance Moms make me want to scream!!!!

Okay - maybe just one today. This woman gives all the other moms at my son's studio a bad name. She is selfish and it seems she doesn't care one lick about her daughter being a productive member of society.

For the past 2 years I've had to listen to her complain about how her daughter has no time to do homework because she has skiing or soccer or basketball or volleyball in addition to dance. She over-schedules her daughter and son, then turns around and complains about it. Her big thing last year was the fact that her kids (who go to the private school in town) have to get up early in order to meet the bus and her kids are so tired they can't concentrate at school because they go to bed late because they are doing homework. Here's a thought: don't put your children in so many activities that they don't have time to do homework! Maybe cut back on the activities so your kids can learn something!

This is the same woman who chopped her daughter's hair and keeps it short because she doesn't have time to do her hair in the morning. Then, complains because she can't get her daughter's hair up for competition.  Every mom is told the optimum length her daughter's hair needs to be in order to be properly put up for competition.

This is the same woman who during our first year with fake hair couldn't be bothered to learn how to put the hair piece on her daughter and had me put it in every competition. And, who right before our 2nd year, said she wasn't going to boot camp to learn how to do her daughter's hair because I would be there to do it for her, even though my son wasn't in that particular dance. I told her that I wouldn't since my son doesn't dance on the jazz line. She gave me a dirty look. Oh well.

She didn't show up to boot camp again this year. Too busy.

Her thing this year is that she yells at her daughter for losing her new dance shoes and can't remember to pack up her stuff properly. Well, if you wouldn't do everything for your daughter and make her take responsibility for her stuff, she would learn that she needs to pack it up every night after dance. I have not been responsible for my son's dance stuff (except for packing his competition kit before the first competition) since he started competition. He takes care of his stuff. He makes sure he has dance clothes packed in his backpack before we leave in the morning. If he forgets and I have to go home to get him stuff - he owes me 10 pushups. He knows that if he doesn't do his homework, he doesn't get privileges. If you tell your child if she loses her shoes, she buys the replacements - stick to it! Make her do extra chores to pay for those shoes.

Tonight really pushed my buttons. I walk into the studio and I see mom sitting at one table, daughter sitting at another, still in school clothes, working on homework. Watching her friends dance. Mom told daughter she cannot go into dance until she gets her math homework done, even though it is already late and the daughter has already had a test on the material and failed the test. Mom finally sits next to daughter and is attempting (and failing) to explain the material to her. The poor girl is crying. One of the other moms tries explaining it. The mom doesn't understand the material. The daughter is getting more and more frustrated because she doesn't understand.

I go over and look over the material. Fractions. Not hard stuff. So, I put myself in between mother and daughter and I break the first problem down into little steps. Daughter is catching on. Mom interjects and says "I don't know how that works - how is she? She isn't getting it." Which is just destroying this girl's confidence, even though she is understanding and doing every little piece I give her. She understands it, but doesn't want to speak up to her mother. Her mother believes she can't do it, so she believes she can't do it.  I want to throttle the woman. And all the while, she is going on about how the teacher isn't earning her paycheck because her daughter doesn't understand math and isn't that what she's paying for? How she was never good at math and how she doesn't have the time to do the online tutorials to learn what her daughter is learning in order to help her with her homework.

If you were any sort of mother - you would find a way to help your daughter. Hire a tutor. Talk to the teacher and ask for extra help instead of giving up on your daughter.

Okay, I'm done now. I feel better.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Dance Boot Camp

Yesterday was the 2nd annual competition boot camp at my son's dance studio. It never ceases to amaze me that no matter how organized I try to keep things running when passing out costumes or receiving costumes, these moms think their child is the most important and needs their costume now. And I'm the one who gets glared out when I tell these moms they need to get in a single file line and that I don't want them reaching into bins. And no matter how many times they are told that a parent needs to sign out a costume, how many of these girls are just dropped off with no parent.

If your child is in dance, it is your responsibility to to be there to make sure you know what is going on! You are going to trust your preteen child who has Justin Bieber and One Direction on the brain to remember what is being told about their costume? Please!

I was ready to throttle the next mom who pushed her way to the front because she is "important to the studio" or her daughter is the "best on the line and needs extra time to make sure her costume is correct". Never mind that when my son lined up to have his costume checked, the studio director didn't even look at him. I'm used to her not caring what my son wears. No, when one of the desk workers who is in charge of the boot camp says that I need to make sure everyone signs out their costume, then, because the line is too long, reaches in and grabs her daughters' costumes without checking them out, then  proceeds to just hand out costumes while I'm trying to organize all the costumes that are being turned in for alterations - that bugs me.

Makes me want to scream! What is the point of having the parents check out the costumes when you are giving preferential treatment to your friends. I didn't even do that for the parents on my son's line.

Thus begins another competition season.