Oh, the shame of almost 2 months without a blog entry. As I hang my head in shame, I remind myself not to wonder why I have no followers. I give them nothing to read. No need to do the math there. absolute zero is absolute zero. ha!
So, as I sit here, coffee in hand, tummy still full from the fabulous feast, I gaze out at the rising sun and think, why? why, oh why am I awake? If I had planned to mingle amongst the crazies at Best Buy or walmart or some other soul sucking retailer, I wouldn't have been able to drag my tryptophaned ass to the shower much less out the door. As it is, I have nowhere to go and a goal of creating jewelry and some Christmas spirit from the comfort of my slippers and robe and yes, I am awake at 5am!
I am rationalizing this insane phenomena as a subconscious need to please my customers by promoting my Black Friday sale. I have painstakingly adjusted all 190+ shop items to reflect free shipping. Yep, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Joyous Ramadan, Solstice Greetings, whatever it is you choose to celebrate, I honor you with merriment and free stuff. Free shipping, free gifts on orders over $100 and discounts on qualifying orders. Woot for you.
So, GO....now. Run.... grab those slippers, pour a cup of coffee and grab the mouse. Stake your claim in the virtual line of shoppers hunting for the great deals. Just do it from the comfort of your couch.
and remember............BUY HANDMADE.................always
So, here I am.....
The girl that said she'd never blog. The far from computer savvy girl that is always up for a challenge despite a serious lack of time.My blog goals. Do I have blogging goals? Hmmm, I guess I should. So I pledge to be funny, lighthearted, not vent or complain to much and maybe just maybe share a crumb of wit and wisdom on occassion.I will most likely chat about etsy, my addiction and muse. the incredible artsists and friends I have found in a community that oozes with creativity, friendship, support and a home for all things handmade.You will hear me ramble about the insanity of my life including my 3 boys, ages 11, 14 and 52. Yes, that last one I am married to, but trust me, he is just as much boy as man. After 17 years of marriage I find myself raising him along with them. Then again, he would probably say the same of me at times. I will often speak of friends I would go to the ends of the earth for and a family that more often than not defines dysfunction. Then again, I strongly believe a functional family is the stuff legends are made of.I am a lover of music of all kinds and not so much the TV ( except maybe Rescue Me). I have an addiction to handmade glass, especially venetian and lampwork beads as well as unique pottery. I have made a concerted effort to tame my jewelry fetish with my own creations which can be seen at http://www.kjbeads.etsy.com/If you haven't figured out by now, I can jabber my jaws and my fingers as if someone could care what I have to say.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Recovery Time
Seems to be my motto lately. As I sit here like a sloth, recovering form a wedding that went to late in the night last night. I have to say, it was one of the most fun weddings I have attended in some time. The bride was gorgeous (aren't they all) and the crowd a real treat. Dinner was not only delicious but entertaining. Watching 80% of the guests try to figure out what that huge head of roasted garlic on their plates was, it was even better to watch them figure out just what to do with it. I do have to say, watching that much perfectly delicious sweetness go to waste on cleared plates was a sin. Foodies everywhere sighed a universal cringe at such shameful waste of what I like to call, liquid gold.
That Hussyfest was something else. Took me a good week to recover from all the laughter and good times. I'm not sure my boys (all 3 of them) will ever recover from such an unprecedented level of estrogen in this house. There is definitely great truth to the laughter is the best medicine mantra though. My lack of stress for more than a week afterwards was savored every second. I do believe doctors should prescribe a hussyfest for every woman once a year.
My life is slowly returning to normal. More and more days working every week, bitch work piling up, fighting for time to do the things I love, being a mom and a wife 24/7, and looking long into the not so distant future and preparing to find a less stressful way to approach the holidays. The weather is cooling, the pool has closed, the garden is bare, the flowers are saying and I know n my core it's a handful of days before a frost hits.
I'm NOT ready. Not sure i ever will be.
That Hussyfest was something else. Took me a good week to recover from all the laughter and good times. I'm not sure my boys (all 3 of them) will ever recover from such an unprecedented level of estrogen in this house. There is definitely great truth to the laughter is the best medicine mantra though. My lack of stress for more than a week afterwards was savored every second. I do believe doctors should prescribe a hussyfest for every woman once a year.
My life is slowly returning to normal. More and more days working every week, bitch work piling up, fighting for time to do the things I love, being a mom and a wife 24/7, and looking long into the not so distant future and preparing to find a less stressful way to approach the holidays. The weather is cooling, the pool has closed, the garden is bare, the flowers are saying and I know n my core it's a handful of days before a frost hits.
I'm NOT ready. Not sure i ever will be.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The Hussies are Coming, The Hussies are Coming!
I am beside myself with excitement. It seems they are too. What started out as a friend coming in town for a craft fair has blosomed into a full frontal Hussyfest.
Let me give you the 411.
Somewhere back in spring of '07, the forums were a dark and nasty place (somethings never change). There was bullying and snarkiness and trainwrecks by the dozens (see, I told you). The fallout was really starting to get to some. A quck-witted and saucy gal by the name of Karmarox decided to send a message. That message rang hard and fast to many and the "hussy" threads have been ringing the bell ever since.
Many a friendship has been born of the threads. Discussion of etsy, family, politics, food, drinks, sex and life's stresses has become a safe haven from the outside dangers of the forums and a common thread to all that stop in. There is even the occasional Cabana Boy sighting, hence the *tittering*
As time passed, Hussies traveled. Some more than others. Some to more exotic locations than others but it was always a topic of discussion which of course led to Hussy Hook-ups (out of the gutter now, I'm old. It doesn't mean THAT!) and eventually what could only be deemed as Hussyfest (04/08), that which legends are made of.
So, when Abitabite asked was there room at the inn, I jumped at the opportunity to help her out for Renegade and crossed my fingers she would be accepted. I mean, let's face it, you get to meet an Aussie with a southern drawl with a trunk full of prickcushions, you don't waste time thinking it over. The news leaked slowly and before you knew it, Hussyfest Part Deux: The Renegade Hussies formed.
In less than 10 days, my house, beds, floors, and couches will be maxed out. The liquor will flow, the laughing will be constant and friends will bond.
This is your National *titter* alert system, bringing you a severe *Titter* warning for the Chicagoland area for September 10th thorugh the 15th. Be prepared for numerous aftershocks, possibly strong, for weeks afterward.
If you have the gumption, you can experience a Hussy live and in person at the Renegade Fair or walking the streets of Chicago. Trust me, you'll know her when you see her and you'll never be the same.
*titter*
Let me give you the 411.
Somewhere back in spring of '07, the forums were a dark and nasty place (somethings never change). There was bullying and snarkiness and trainwrecks by the dozens (see, I told you). The fallout was really starting to get to some. A quck-witted and saucy gal by the name of Karmarox decided to send a message. That message rang hard and fast to many and the "hussy" threads have been ringing the bell ever since.
Many a friendship has been born of the threads. Discussion of etsy, family, politics, food, drinks, sex and life's stresses has become a safe haven from the outside dangers of the forums and a common thread to all that stop in. There is even the occasional Cabana Boy sighting, hence the *tittering*
As time passed, Hussies traveled. Some more than others. Some to more exotic locations than others but it was always a topic of discussion which of course led to Hussy Hook-ups (out of the gutter now, I'm old. It doesn't mean THAT!) and eventually what could only be deemed as Hussyfest (04/08), that which legends are made of.
So, when Abitabite asked was there room at the inn, I jumped at the opportunity to help her out for Renegade and crossed my fingers she would be accepted. I mean, let's face it, you get to meet an Aussie with a southern drawl with a trunk full of prickcushions, you don't waste time thinking it over. The news leaked slowly and before you knew it, Hussyfest Part Deux: The Renegade Hussies formed.
In less than 10 days, my house, beds, floors, and couches will be maxed out. The liquor will flow, the laughing will be constant and friends will bond.
This is your National *titter* alert system, bringing you a severe *Titter* warning for the Chicagoland area for September 10th thorugh the 15th. Be prepared for numerous aftershocks, possibly strong, for weeks afterward.
If you have the gumption, you can experience a Hussy live and in person at the Renegade Fair or walking the streets of Chicago. Trust me, you'll know her when you see her and you'll never be the same.
*titter*
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Trust Me, I've Been There
It seems I count my years in summers. Being an eternal kid at heart, life is all about the freedom of summer. Screw that pile of laundry and toilet scum that is the envy of every Shell station west of the Mississippi, dammit, the pool water is 85°! Trips to the beach, vacations, swimming, sun and just plain fun are where it's at. Okay, it used to about where the boys were, now it's just where the dishes aren't.
Lathering up the sunscreen, hitting the pool and realxing seems to come with a tad more guilt year after year but I am still able to push my way through and be a total sloth now and again. Having that back yard pool helps a little, despite being the coldest summer on record for Chicago, I managed a few good days.
We may still get a handful of hot, sunny, sweltering days, yet it feels as summer is over. Today, my baby started high school. Summer school and soccer practice served to ease me in as much as him, but today it was official and I am OLD! OMG! High School! When did that happen? I ask myself, did I prepare him? Will he handle it? In a last ditch attempt, I sent him off with a few tricks and some sage advice for the first week of school:
yes dear, that 8x11 canary yellow schedule in your hand = a stamp on your forhead that says "Freshman" to every bully this side of the tracks
No, there is no elevator in the school, please don't spend your lunch $$ on a pass
yes, that upperclassman sending you to the pool on the 4th floor is a bone. There IS NO 4th floor
trust me, learn the school fight song. It's only a matter of time
you will not get from 2nd fl bio to 3rd fl locker to locker room and then PE class, dressed and ready in 5 minutes. it's just not physically possible. come up with a better plan
have fun, explore your curiosities and be your own person (even when the entire school is wearing the same Hollister hoodie.
Most of all, remember and believe me when I say, I did this once. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Be a risk taker and believe what I say once in a while that I am not a total idiot.
I love you, my son. Go, enjoy your life as a "big kid"
Lathering up the sunscreen, hitting the pool and realxing seems to come with a tad more guilt year after year but I am still able to push my way through and be a total sloth now and again. Having that back yard pool helps a little, despite being the coldest summer on record for Chicago, I managed a few good days.
We may still get a handful of hot, sunny, sweltering days, yet it feels as summer is over. Today, my baby started high school. Summer school and soccer practice served to ease me in as much as him, but today it was official and I am OLD! OMG! High School! When did that happen? I ask myself, did I prepare him? Will he handle it? In a last ditch attempt, I sent him off with a few tricks and some sage advice for the first week of school:
yes dear, that 8x11 canary yellow schedule in your hand = a stamp on your forhead that says "Freshman" to every bully this side of the tracks
No, there is no elevator in the school, please don't spend your lunch $$ on a pass
yes, that upperclassman sending you to the pool on the 4th floor is a bone. There IS NO 4th floor
trust me, learn the school fight song. It's only a matter of time
you will not get from 2nd fl bio to 3rd fl locker to locker room and then PE class, dressed and ready in 5 minutes. it's just not physically possible. come up with a better plan
have fun, explore your curiosities and be your own person (even when the entire school is wearing the same Hollister hoodie.
Most of all, remember and believe me when I say, I did this once. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Be a risk taker and believe what I say once in a while that I am not a total idiot.
I love you, my son. Go, enjoy your life as a "big kid"
Labels:
advice,
first day of school,
growing up,
high school,
summer
Saturday, August 8, 2009
The Glory Train
has a new passenger today. My friend has boarded for his final destination. I will not say good bye to him, only so long. If I am as lucky in the future as I was in this life, we will meet again. I know I'll find him, no other light will ever shine as bright. I will recognize his giggle, be prepared with a high five and once again be treated to his infectious smile.
Breathe easy my friend. Run with abandon, dance with the angels and reach out your arms as they hold the air you breathe as deeply as effortlessly as the wind, you have the strength of 10,000 men and the admiration of countless others.
Thank you for touching my life, sharing your soul and making me a better person for having known you.
Brian, my friend, Rest in Peace.
There is something rare and special
about a person who always makes you feel good
without even trying
There is something magical in a smile that talks
There's a lingering warmth in laughter
that comes so easy that nothing else
seem to matter
The ability to touch people without
having to reach out
a simple understanding of hearts
There's nothing more refreshing
than coming across such a person in your life
and nothing so appreciated as being able
to call him your friend
Breathe easy my friend. Run with abandon, dance with the angels and reach out your arms as they hold the air you breathe as deeply as effortlessly as the wind, you have the strength of 10,000 men and the admiration of countless others.
Thank you for touching my life, sharing your soul and making me a better person for having known you.
Brian, my friend, Rest in Peace.
There is something rare and special
about a person who always makes you feel good
without even trying
There is something magical in a smile that talks
There's a lingering warmth in laughter
that comes so easy that nothing else
seem to matter
The ability to touch people without
having to reach out
a simple understanding of hearts
There's nothing more refreshing
than coming across such a person in your life
and nothing so appreciated as being able
to call him your friend
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Stop, no Go, Feed the Birds..
Or let them bathe, it really doesn't matter when you have one of these lovely, versatile, "green" contraptions.

Well, maybe contraption isn't the best word to describe these feeder/baths from redyellowandblueink but the bottom line is, they are awesome.
Bright, cheery, colorful and recycled. Even the packaging is reused and enviromentaly friendly. How kind these are to the earth in so many ways. You can't help but feel good about buying one, using one, giving one.......If that's not enough, part of your purchase is donated to the Audobon Society. I just can't seem to find a downside.
Be sure to check them out as well as Jenny's many creations and vintage finds. A true delight

Well, maybe contraption isn't the best word to describe these feeder/baths from redyellowandblueink but the bottom line is, they are awesome.
Bright, cheery, colorful and recycled. Even the packaging is reused and enviromentaly friendly. How kind these are to the earth in so many ways. You can't help but feel good about buying one, using one, giving one.......If that's not enough, part of your purchase is donated to the Audobon Society. I just can't seem to find a downside.
Be sure to check them out as well as Jenny's many creations and vintage finds. A true delight
Labels:
birdbath,
birds,
feeder,
green,
handmade fusion,
recycle,
redyellowandblueink,
streetlight,
upcycle
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
These are a Few of my Favorite Things
Sing it with me........
I may have mention these before and I may mention them again. Bottom line is, they really are my favorite things and sometimes I just can't get enough of them.
It's summer, it's hot, the pool is inviting and I become easily distracted (or hard to motivate, you choose). However, I can always be persuaded to mix a batch of these.

and like the pied piper of vodka, I am forever turning someone on to the addictive libation. It may look pretty, but it's got a punch and even men love them. They're not a sip, suck, swirl and swallow as they appear.
Well, there goes that focus of mine. Off to the martini well. I'll have to talk about my other favorite things another day.
**shake, shake**
I may have mention these before and I may mention them again. Bottom line is, they really are my favorite things and sometimes I just can't get enough of them.
It's summer, it's hot, the pool is inviting and I become easily distracted (or hard to motivate, you choose). However, I can always be persuaded to mix a batch of these.

and like the pied piper of vodka, I am forever turning someone on to the addictive libation. It may look pretty, but it's got a punch and even men love them. They're not a sip, suck, swirl and swallow as they appear.
Well, there goes that focus of mine. Off to the martini well. I'll have to talk about my other favorite things another day.
**shake, shake**
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