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.

Is the war over yet?

Is it over yet? Why isn't it over? Have we accomplished anything? Is Iraq better off now? Are we better off now? Do we want our young to keep dying? I know these are tough questions but we need to get the brightest minds to come up with a way to resolve this. Obviously they are not in government offices. We should be able to settle disputes without bloodshed. It should be a give and take. Please, if you can help these governments officials end this war, come forward, party doesn't matter. This should not be a political issue, it is a humanitarian issue. We can no longer lose lives our or theirs.
http://craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com

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

Low Pay for substitute teachers

My blog today will be a rant. I am sorry for this rant but I need to vent and this will be the place for that today. I am a substitute teacher in Connecticut. In order for one to be a sub in Connecticut, one must have a college degree. For the achievement of receiving a college degree I am paid $70 a day. I work an average of 7 hours a day with a 25 minute lunch. That makes my pay $10 an hour. If I had not gone to college but I were a cashier or waitress I would make more than that in Connecticut. Why demand a substitute teacher have a college degree if you do not intend on paying him or her for education and experience.
I agree with the fact that substitute teachers should be college educated but I also believe they should be paid the wage of a college educated professional. I would think a parent would not accept any less. The sub pay should start at $20 and hour and go up from there. There are no other benefits involved so the school systems are paying us babysitter wages. Please let your boards of eds. know that you think sub pay should be increased and that you demand a high level of professionalism from the substitutes not just someone looking to fill their days with something to do.

Children's Sports

Sports Fans, you may be one or maybe not but I know you know more than one. This is the season we see the town fields crowded on Saturday mornings with children playing all kinds of sports. The benefits of course are exercise, learning teamwork, and having fun.

The problem begins when the game is no longer fun and the pressure to win overshadows the benefits previously stated. When the kids are just out there playing with their friends and learning new skills their faces beam with pride. When they lose and the parents go home with frowns the kids can pick up on that.

Let us stress to these children their accomplishments. Let us tell them how they improve each time they are out there and that we appreciate the way the work together towards a common goal. Do not promise them anything if they win. Treat them win or lose or better yet just a pat on the back may be all they need.

Let us not live through our children’s wins and losses. Let us live through their kindness and respect for others. Make sure they thank their coaches and assistants and refs. after every game and practice and make sure they shake the hands of their opponents.

The examples we set are the way our children learn.

If you would like to thank those coaches or surprise your budding athletes with a little something, I have the perfect items. These sports magnets are nice and strong and are great on the fridge to hold rosters, schedules etc. or for the kids’ lockers.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=100569&section_id=5055602

Rosie O'Donnell is leaving The View

Rosie announced she could not reach a deal with abc daytime. They wanted 3 years she wanted one. I hope Rosie decides to do her own show, like before, except showcasing more of her crafty side. She is a wonderful photographer, editor, movie maker , decoupager etc. It would be a shame for her not to share this part of her talent with others.

Rosie if you see this I have some new shirts in my shop your kids would love.
Linda
http://craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com

etsy.com for handmade is up again

Etsy.com is back in operations so come shop! You will not find a better website for indie crafters. Great selection, Great prices!
Http://craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com

etsy.com down for site maintenance

I would like to apologize to my customers and potential customers for the outage on etsy. The outage began last night and should have been fixed by early this morning. It is now close to 11:00 est. and etsy is still down. Please come back and visit etsy this afternoon. Hopefully the maintenance with complete and we will have a fully functioning site. The site is great and many wonderful handmade items can be found at etsy.com.
Craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com

Boy's clothing

Are you tired of the same old clothes for your boys? Do you want better quality? How about appliques that are cotton and can be ironed without peeling off? If this appeals to you, come visit my store at http://craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com and see your choices. If you do not see the size you need let me know.
Linda
craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com

Virginia Tech

What happened at Virginia Tech is sickening. But we must remember it was the work of one sick individual. The world can be bad but it can also be a beautiful place. You have to find beauty in even the smallest things. When I go to a grocery store and see a baby smiling in a cart, my heart melts. When I see a man holding a door for a woman behind him, I think isn't that lovely. Please do go out more often. I think too many of us (myself included) spend too much time in front of our computers and are missing out in the beauty all around us. Don't be fearful, what will come will come.
A way we can all help is to get involved with children. I do it by substitute teaching and really listening to what the kids have to say. When they see me they give me a big hug and tell me I am the only one that lets them talk about issues. It would be great if we could all mentor one child and change the world one child at a time rather that stay in our homes, in our private worlds.
Ok enough preaching for today, I'm taking my kiddo out to lunch.
Have a great day everyone (no matter the weather)

imus - I don't get it

I guess I am missing something. What did Don Imus say that is so different from what other shock jocks say everyday? Is it because it was directed towards college girls? They are all adults. It was totally mean to say what he did but I don't see why he was targeted when others are not. He is one of the few shock jocks that actually gets politicians to come on and talk about serious issues. And these critics of his, what good do they do for society. Do they donate so much time and money to cancer victims? I can see reprimanding but being fired is outrageous. CBS will suffer greatly. Stockholders beware!

http://craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com

Good Friday

o because it is Good Friday, like a good Catholic, I should be fasting but it is only 8 in the morning and I am hungry already. I will try to have a small breakfast and spend the day keeping busy so I do not think about it. I have taxes to do, laundry (son home from college) and maybe some crafting.
When do you stop giving your kids' easter baskets. My 15 year old mentioned something about what might be in his basket and I thought I was through with that. I guess I have some shopping to do too!
Have a nice day all.
Maybe leave a comment or two about how you are spending your day.


http://craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com

Site speeds

Site speeds on hibidder.com and etsy.com have increased greatly. Hibidder.com is an alternative to ebay. The customer base is much smaller but with the great new speed it will grow. I sell my bargains that I find when shopping there. Community is very welcoming and helpful.
Etsy has a tendency to get slow during peak times but admin. is on top of it and keeps increasing the data base to accomodate all the traffic. There are so many great deals on handmade items there that buyers and sellers find it hard to resist. The fees are very low so sellers can pass along the savings to their customers.

Happy Shopping! I hope everyone visits these sites today and takes a look. I bet you buy something. Leave a comment if you do!
craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com
hibidder.com - craftlinda

Funnies on Etsy

On etsy.com we do not just buy and sell, we chat. Many times these chats are hilarious. A fellow etsian has created this blog with funny quotes from our forums. You have to come by and see what etsy is all about and maybe get a chuckle or two and then do some shopping!
http://etsianssay.blogspot.com/
Linda
http://craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com

etsy not for auctions

This morning while perusing the forums I noticed lots of sellers still using their ebay descriptions which include the words "auctions", "bids" and when "bidding". I am not sure why it bothers me so but it just feels like someone is muddying up my turf. I like the fact that etsy.com is a place where you see something you like and you buy it. You don't pay crazy prices because you are in a bid war and you don't offend a craftsperson by getting something for a lot less than it is worth.
Many of these sellers have many items and would find it cumbersome to edit them but I appreciated the time one would take to sell on ETSY. I will not buy from a seller who keeps auction terms in their descriptions. I know I need to lighten up!

Another Day another dollar

It is a beautiful day in Connecticut. Snow on the ground but bright sunshine. I went for a walk with my dog and feel invigorated. Controversies in the etsy.com forums again so I am trying to stay away for awhile. I love having somewhere to sell my crafts but like all online selling the forums can get heated at times. I have been concentrating on paper crafts lately because they are a little more portable than other crafts. When I substitute teach I can cut out paper goods during any free time I may have. I would love to hear from other crafters and their online experiences. Hope you all have a nice day.

Crafts from the Heart

Hi, my name is Linda Pare. I live in Connecticut and have been a craftsperson since I was about 8 years old when my grandmother taught me how to sew. I was fascinated with the idea of taking raw materials and making them into a new object. That fascination has brought me to the world of online selling. I now sell my crafts on etsy.com under the name craftsfromtheheart. I am finding it difficult to find one art discipline to focus on though. I love gadgets which leads me to have every crafting gadget known to mankind. Because of this I feel an obligation to use what I have which leads me to creating lots of different things. I hope that is not a turnoff to my buyers. So far I think it is working out okay but not fantastic. I have a myspace, flickr, livejournal and microsoft office live account but I don't know if it all worth it sometimes. I know I spend a lot more time on the computer rather than my craftroom. Well here are my sites. I hope you can check them out and maybe purchase a thing or two.
http://www.craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com
http://flickr.com/photos/craftsfromtheheart
http://www.myspace.com/craftsfromtheheartlinda
http://www.lindapare.com
http://craftlinda.livejournal.com/