Michael Phelps Car Crash

Michael,

Do you really need to drive a huge truck like the Cadillac Escalade? I know you have the freedom to drive whatever you want but really? Why don't you try to clean up your image a bit and get a gas/environmentally friendly vehicle. Maybe your visibility may be better and this poor girl you hit would not be in the situation she is in.

Sincerely,
Me

Roses are Red

As part of the etsybloggers we were asked to share our favorite colors and how we use them in our work.
My favorite color is red. The shade of red depends on; how it is being used. For clothing, I favor the more bluish reds but for home decor in my own home I prefer the orange reds. I find the color warm and soothing.
By visiting my ship at craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com you will find lots of red items.
When I walk into a fabric shop, I am drawn to red fabric like a moth to light. With my love of red you may think I am a bit showy and outrageous but I am actually quiet and introspective. It must be a wild side trying to show itself. :)

Window treatments

I have just added some great new valances to my etsy shop. I would love to make some in your color palette. Just visit my shop and click contact under my username and we can discuss details.
Linda

The Race for the Presidency

The race for the presidency.
Current mood: contemplative

How closely do you watch these races? Do you really know the messages the candidates want us to understand? Does it really matter who the President of the United States is? These are items I have been pondering lately.
The United States does not seem to be the all-powerful supreme nation it used to be. Other countries are much more prosperous and our light years ahead of the United States when it comes to technology and health care for the elderly. Does the United States still influence the ways others live?
I don't see the big rush for Levis and Nikes we once had from tourists. I am not sure if it is because we are becoming homogeneous or because it is not that important anymore to emulate Americans.
I think 9/11 contributed to much of this. The United States is now seen as vulnerable as other countries. We are no longer the teflon country. We are more likely to kill ourselves with guns on the streets than worrying about violence elsewhere. How did we get to this point? I blame part of it on egos of politicians and how the media contributes to this ego. It is more important how a politician looks and speaks than if they are qualified for the most important position in our land.
There are so many brilliant men and women in our country but they want nothing to do with politics. They don't want the past to be scrutinized. Who cares what one did in high school? Does it really contribute to what one can do for the country when he or she is middle-aged?
The media contributes by repeatedly showing what are considered faux pas like Hillary laughing a bit too hard or one of the men wearing the wrong type of tie. Unfortunately with the advent of the internet these issues are played over and over again on sites such as you tube.
I feel the only way we can gain respect for the position of the President of the United States is too take seriously qualification, including experience, character, and leadership. Let's leave the four hundred dollar haircuts to the celebrities. Let us encourage the best and brightest to run not the one with fewest gray hairs or nicest suit.

Etsy on the Today Show

Etsy.com is a website filled to the brim with wonderful handmade creations by artists and craftspeople. It is a global site so you can buy items from around the world and have them delivered to your doorstep. What can be better?

The Today Show had a piece about buying from etsy.com on their show today and we couldn't be prouder! Etsy is an established site and is here for the long term. If you are a crafter you can buy your supplies here and there is even a vintage section for you collectors. So come shop today from the comfort of your own home.

While at Etsy.com visit my shop http://craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com and support a craftsperson rather than a large retailer that will not provide the quality and service that we can.
Linda
Crafts from the Heart.

Back to school

My son starts school tomorrow. He is a sophomore in high school so this is not a new phenomenon but I will miss our summer together. I like the lack of schedules, the lack of watches on wrists and just knowing he is safe.

Tomorrow things change. He is out of the home and into school. Parents used to await this eagerly. Let the teachers watch them for a while. Today things are different. We worry about shooting in schools, drugs, teachers having sex with students. School is no longer a safe haven for our children. I am sure perception is much worse than reality but does that really make one feel better?

Tomorrow I will see him off and I hope his teachers, admin., coaches and other students treat him with respect and care as I expect him to treat them. If you fell your child is a danger to himself or others please get him/her help. Do not send them to school and rely on professional there to help them. They are overburdened as it is.

Tomorrow I will have a smile on my face and wish my son a great day at school but inside I will worry. That’s okay that’s what moms do.

Young men or Big boys?

Well my nineteen year old, "not sure what I am doing next semester," has just bounced his first check - that I know of. He says it is impossible he has been putting in money from his paycheck every week. "That bank is wrong!", he says. So I ask "Are you sure you are putting money in your checking account and not your savings account?" "Yes mom I always check checking on the deposit slip."

Ok so he checks the checking box on the slip but puts in the savings account number. Couldn't someone have caught this once and let him know? Argh. He is nineteen, he should be able to do this, but, as I said, is he a young man or a big boy?

Please visit my shop at http://craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com for fun dorm furnishings for those children (young men and women) returning or starting college. Good Luck.

Glad to be back home

Well our family trip to Niagara Falls was really nice. My nineteen year old was awed by everything and my fifteen year old was not impressed with anything (at least he would not admit to it). This is my third trip to the falls and it is still overwhelming to see the amount of water that rushes over the side of those cliffs.
We did the Maid of the Mist Boat trip and we were so wet it was almost too much. We couldn't even open our eyes to see the falls sometimes but it really does give you perspective as to the pressure of that water. My sneakers are still drying out. I recommend crocs if you do this trip. :)
One day we drove into Niagara on the Lake, a small city about 20 minutes away from the falls. It was like something out of a movie script. The houses along the way were gorgeous, the vineyards lovely, the downtown was fashionable but quaint and there was a peach festival going on. What more could one ask for?
The next day we left for a trip to the Thousand Islands which was a 5 hour drive from Niagara. I expected a hotel on the lake where we could rent canoes and swim. In reality we got a best western on the main stretch of road with a tiny room, tiny trampoline, small outdoor pool - getting the picture? I did ask for a larger room and they were accomodating. Then the rain came in and we didn't really get to do much in the area. The scenery on the way there and the way out was worth the trip though.
Yesterday we made our 8 hour trip back home, stopping at mom's for dinner and now I am glad to be home and out of a car.
The boys were well behaved for the most part. Problem lies in the fact that the older son is more adventurous then the younger and gets disappointed when he doesn't join him on rides or swim outside while it's raining. Oh well, we can't have it perfect can we?
If you plan a trip to the Falls, take an afternoon to visit Niagara on the Lake, you won't regret it.
Craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com

I must be crazy or just a mom

First of all let me say I have two sons, 19 and 15. I forget sometimes that they are no longer 9 and 5 and I get these ideas in my head of doing things together as a "happy" family. I start imagining the perfect vacation we can have together so I begin making plans. I tell my husband the plans and he says "do we have to take 'them'? I can't believe he would consider not taking my wonderful little boys. He starts telling me it is an 8 hour car ride, do I really want to be in the car with them for 8 hours each way. Well, of course, I want to be with my boys for that time. They grow up so quickly after all.
Tomorrow our journey starts. I have a house/dog sitter, our id's, my husband is all packed. Now I will not be packed until the last minute because I cannot believe we are doing this again. Everytime we drive a long distance with the kids we all end up angry with each other. What was I thinking?
Once we get to our destination, will they want to sightsee? No they want to play video games in the hotel room. Their favorite part of any trip is the hotel room. At least now they are old enough to leave in the room so my husband and I can roam if we want to.
I just want to fill their heads with happy memories of family vacations. Am I being pollyannish? Maybe but they are my boys and I want to keep it that way for as long as possible. Wish us luck. Will report back how it went on Tuesday.
Have a happy weekend.
Don't forget to shop on website http://craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com

I am on trunkt

I am so excited that my handmade pillows have been accepted to appear on the website trunkt.org. It is a juried site that produces minimags and catalogs to potential commercial buyers.
I feel like it gives me a legitimacy that I questioned when starting online sales.

It is hard to judge when creating an object how others will feel about it. You may think wow this came out pretty well but it will just sit in your shop. Other times you will sell things that may not necessarily be your own style and get wonderful feedback.

I think it is true that we are our own worst critics. Even with my 98 sales on etsy and my acceptance on trunkt there is still that little girl in me that says it is all a fluke. Although, you know that voice is not as loud as it used to be.

Sampler of my items

A Sampling of what you will find at my shop at
craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com. Enjoy shopping!

Not much to say except $1 cards for sale

I'm clearing out part of my online shop at etsy, so, I am selling individual handmade cards for a buck each. Can't beat that. Sets are only $3.00. Come help me clear out and achieve a goal of 100 sales. Thanks.

sew I am cranky, you would be too

It is hot an muggy where I live, there is no air conditioning in my craft room which is in the second floor of my cape home (attic). Do you see why I may be on the cranky side? Money is tight in the summer because I am a substitute teacher and do not get paid for summer vacation. I was hoping to fill in some income by selling my handmade treasures online but considering summer is a slow time for retail, this plan has not been one of my best. I do have the time to create things for the busier season which is good but getting through the summer when tax bills are do can sometimes make for some nail biters.
I guess we will be eating spaghetti a bit more often until the buyers come back. In the meantime I will be up in my craftroom with my cranky self.

The joy of selling handmade items online

The joy of selling handmade items online

Don't get me wrong, I love to make items and have someone purchase them to use. The problem lies when you have obstacles between the process of getting the raw materials to actually selling the item Today is a prime example.
Yesterday I went to one of the very few left fabric stores in my area. They were having a great sale so I got some patterns, fabric and notions. The fabric I choose it a silky brocade with pretty butterflies on it. I thought it would be perfect for pillows but I remember having trouble sewing similar fabric a few years ago. I ask the clerk if she could help me find the proper needles to use. She tells me she doesn't sew. She works in a fabric store but doesn't sew. Ok can anyone else help me? Oh anyone older than me. So when I get to the cashier, I ask her for some guidance. She really doesn't know so has me buy a combination set of needles which set me back almost 5 dollars. Now if this were Walmart, I would think ok maybe they are not trained in this department but this is a FABRIC store. Ok ready to check out; of course these little things add up and 60 bucks later, I am ready to go home and start sewing. Ha! Life gets in the way. I start posting to forums, clean my computer room, do some paperwork. You get the idea, no sewing yesterday.
Today I am ready. I have my serger which takes a good hour to thread just right. Then I get my sewing machine ready. Do you think I can get that to make a nice closed stitch? Nooooooooo. So I figure I would clean it out. I pulled out enough dust to make a small plushie. Now I am ready so I take a scrap of fabric and try about 8 times to get it right. Tension too high, tension too low, rethread, rebobbin. Okay, good enough, not perfect, but noone would know but me. I am making pillows so most of the stitching is on the inside. As long as it is a strong stitch it will be fine.
So now, about 6 hours later the pillows are done. Nothing fancy but nice. The fabric is what makes them special. It is a beautiful asian inspired brocade with images of rainbow colored fancy butterflies.
Now to photograph them. I take several shots on my leather couch only to realize the dark black is coming out grayish and dull. I try adjusting the white balance with no luck. I really want to show how pretty the material is so I take a few photos outside. They are better but now what my eye sees.
Now to list them in my etsy shop. I try to think of 14 tags to use to make up they show up in various searches. This is always tricky because you want to be broad but not so much that you infringe on other's categories. I do my best and list them. They are in my shop priced at 20 dollars each. I am now feeling I have overpriced them. The fabric and form and thread and broken needles. ( Oh I didn't mention I broke 4 needles) come to about 12 dollars and I added 8 dollars for my time. That really isn't much, but are buyers willing to pay. Only time will tell.

Dogdays of online selling

Well these hot summer months are what weed out the part time sellers from the professionals. As a professional seller, you know that every year this slowdown is inevitable. Buyers are on vacation, spending time with family, or just getting out of the house. There are no major holidays to shop for, hence, no need to spend disposable income.
This is the time a smart seller uses to get their inventory ready for the busy months, increases their advertising presence, and pretties up their shops. It is not a time to sit around and whine about the decrease in sales, be proactive not reactive.
If you carry lots of summer items in your shops, you may want to have a sale to generate interest. The key is to still turn a profit. Do not undervalue your hard work. Whether it is time you spent creating an object or the time you spent looking for the item to sell. Of course buyers are always looking for bargains but you can make them feel they Need what you have.
Make sure you have professional photos, excellent descriptions, and offer excellent customer service. Packaging is key for return buyers. Make a buyer feel like he/she has just received a gift in the mail. Enclose a few business cards so the buyer can pass them on to friends. Include a hand written note whenever possible. Let the buyer know you are willing to work out any issues with them.
Now go out there and make the best of these slow days, maybe take a day or two off yourself.

chris benoit

This latest death is taking a toll on my son. He watches these wrestlers every week and he has his favorites and not so favorites. He becomes attached to the "good guys." That is the premise of this soap opera.
The problem lately is that these wrestlers are dying at a relatively young age. Are steroids affecting their mental state? Is the pressure to keep up too much?
I don't have any answers but lots of questions. My sons are over 15 so it is hard to say don't watch this, but I worry about them. So much sadness, so much lost hope. To think a "hero" may have killed his wife and child is just too much to bear.
Hug your spouse and kids today and tell them life is not all bad.

UConn vs. Tennessee Rivalry

What is up with Pat Summit? Does she not care about the game of women's basketball? She is setting it back 20 years. The UConn Tennessee rivalry is what brought millions of fans to women's college basketball. Ms. Summit why are you doing this to the young girls who look up to you. To them you are wimping out.
I know you and Geno are not friends, who cares. What matters are the fans and the future players. You may not like UConn's way of coaching or recruiting but that doesn't mean you get your ball and go home. You strive to make your team better. What about your future recruits that want to play UConn? Why do you get to choose the schedule?
I know you don't like to lose. That is what adds to the rivalry and makes the sport interesting to watch. I really fear for the sport if this rivalry is ended. It would be like if the RedSox never got to play The Yankees again.
Please reconsider your decision. Put the game before your ego. You owe it to your team and to all women's basketball fans.

Yard Work

It is that time of year when our thoughts go to fixing up the outside of our homes. I think of purchasing shrubs and flowers and then think of how my husband is a maniac with his weed trimmer. He loves to go through like a tornado and cut down the items I just planted. He always tells me he can't tell the difference between a weed and a vital plant. UGH! I even put markers around them but those are ignored. So my dilemma is do I try it again this year and walk him around the yard and explaining each plant to him or do I give up and live with a "no color" yard?
Stay tuned ...

National Bingo Game Show

Well last night my family and I watched that new game show on ABC, the National Bingo Game. We printed our bingo cards off the internet and were prepared to win our millions. We were going to pay off the house, cover the college bills, and have fun money. Well believe it or not, we did not win a penny. Our dreams were squashed. We realized we wasted an hour sitting on the couch watching this show only to be left feeling empty.
I guess I can be happy that my family actually watched the same show in the same room for an hour and did not compete against each other. Rather, we were competing against a common enemy (the contestant) hoping we would hit bingo before she/he won the money or the car or the cruise. It is sad when we are rooting against others' fortunes in order for us to receive our own. I wonder what message I was sending to my children?
It is only a game, I know, but maybe next week we will just watch and root for the contestant rather than try to play against him/her. But then again....
Linda
craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com for all your online shopping needs.

Drunk Driving Paris

Drunk drivers suck. Do they think they are invincible? So many kill people everyday, many don't even get hurt themselves.
Paris Hilton is uber rich. Why does she not have a driver if she wants to go out and party all night? Why is she only getting 45 days. Is that going to teach her a lesson? I doubt it. Her parents should be jailed with her for raising a spoiled brat. If her mother wasn't so busy trying to get air time, she may have had time to teach her daughter right from wrong. As they say, money definitely does not buy happiness or brains but I guess it can get you out of trouble.
craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com