prepare to pee yourself

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!

trick-or-treat

This year's jack-o.
I've been using Pumpkin Masters carving kits for YEARS. Like, 20 years. They make the best jack-o-lanterns.
Quick, easy, fun and spooooooky.
mwahahahahahaha
Happy Halloween!

baby book

I'm scrapbooking!
Here's a simple baby album I'm working on today. Spaces on the left for a 4 x 6 photo, spaces on the right for a little message.
I'm really happy with how it's turning out!
All patterned paper is Basic Grey.

Click on any photo for a detailed view.

Apron A-Long

I've got more pictures to post, just waiting on the word from Cami.

Thanks for the good time, apron alongers. It was fun, wasn't it?

Some Store

Spent the weekend in Toledo with my sisterfriends, Susan and Lisa. It was so bittersweet, sitting in my spot at "The Paper". I spent so many hours in that chair, probably too many but no one would say that now, knowing the doors are closing soon. It was hard being there but I knew I had to go. Susan's exact words were, "I need you." So I went.

I hated watching the vultures come and pick the bones. I was amazed how rude folks were. Everyone knew exactly what she did wrong. All those people who if they'd supported her store all along would still have a friendly neighborhood place to crop. A place where you can go for inspiration, friendship and just a good time.
But instead, people came out of the woodwork to save a few dollars. They came to give their opinions. They came to swear at my friend. I'm not even kidding. They came in droves.
All the people who knew exactly what she should have done to stay in business.

She should have had classes. Had them. Few came even though Susan's creativity is off the chart and her teachers were top notch. I know. I was one of them. *grin*
She should have had crops. Had them. Every week. Folks would come and not spend a dime.

There were those customers loyal to a fault and you know who you are. You are part of what's kept Susan going for so long. There was even one woman who gave Susan a gift card to help her build her dream of an art studio at home. Those kinds of folks are the rare jewels. Thank you, not only for your support but your kindness and your gentleness these last few days.

Skrappaper had all the right elements. What she didn't have was a community who supported her. She had a good, solid customer base. She had some who were loyal, supporting their hobby in her store. But she also had folks who would go to one of the big box stores to buy say, a Crickut diecut machine but come to her saying, "But they didn't teach me how to use it. Will you?" And she would. Graciously.
-I- want to say, "Go back to Wal-Mart and see if they can't teach you." But that's the trouble with those big chain stores, see? They don't offer the same customer service as the little people. There's no classroom at Wal-Mart. Sure they offer the best price, but please, realize you're paying for so much more when you support the little guys. Those few extra dollars are buying such heart. And that is, as they say, priceless.

The little guys build their stores out of love for a craft. Those are the folks we should be supporting. Those are the stores I want to have my money. A store where my dollars matter. A store where my dollars are buying new shoes for a walking toddler or fresh produce for one vegetable loving kid. I don't want my dollars buying a new Jaguar for the CEO of Chain Stores of America.

I'll end my rant here.
I'm glad I went to Toledo this weekend, not only for the final crop and to be there for my friend but it seemed somehow appropriate. I was there when Skrappaper was born. It was only right I be there in the end.

Here's to new beginnings, Susan.
Peace, friend.

crafty wench

DON'T LOOK SUSAN! ;)

Inside: "With a friend like you, it's treats all the time."

or something to that effect.

My goal today was twofold:

1. to actually MAKE a card and
2. to use my current stash.

That jack-o-lantern has GOT to be a good five years old. Bought and never used. Till now, that is. I'm kind of proud of myself. It's a little hokey but my friend Susan will appreciate that. She'll recognize the patterned paper, the pumpkin and the bats (she sent me those this year - thanks friend). When a good friend is feeling low, all it takes is a few scraps of paper and some glue (and maybe a little creativity) to make them happy. Go on. Try it.

I also made a happy baby card for my cousin's baby - the one born like, a month ago. I forgot to take a picture of that one. Sorry. I sent off the mary jane baby booties too. Those ought to bring some smiles.

and it took me only two and a half hours. :o\

sheesh.

weekend knit

For my new little friend, Jackson who saw me knitting socks and wanted a pair.

I diverted him with the idea of a hat.

"What color hat would you like?"

"Purple" he said.

Purple it is.

I called his mom half-way through and said, "Tell Jackson I'm working on his hat."

She had no idea what I was talking about. But he did.

I delivered it the next day. His mom says he's worn it a couple of times already and that in itself is a miracle. Evidently the boy doesn't like his head covered.

Unless it's with a super special melly purple hat!

Centennial Post

Life Lists. Got one? I created one some years ago but can't recall what I did with it. I'm sure it was lost on an old computer. So, I thought it appropriate to re-create that list here, in honor of my 100th post.
I do remember my list including two things: learn to knit and go to a wine tasting. I now do both. Frequently and well. :)
I hope this encourages you to create your own life list. Think of all the things you'd like to do before you die. Write them down. Do them. We all know how life is too short. No one ever said on their deathbed, "Gee, I wish I'd spent more time at work."
Without further ado:

1. travel. a lot.
2. visit all 50 states
3. see the grand canyon
4. on horseback
5. visit Niagara Falls
6. fill my passport
7. get back to the Seattle/Tacoma area to see my siblings
8. go up in the Space Needle
9. connect with old school friends
10. visit Washington DC
11. get lost in the Smithsonian
12. vacation at the beach
13. ride horseback at the waters edge
14. collect seashells
15. cruise Alaska
16. watch wales jump
17. tour California wine country
18. keep a wine journal
19. learn to play my guitar. well.
20. sing and play with my sister, Robin
21. organize my photos
22. back them up
23. learn to use my camera. well.
24. scrapbook more
25. sew more
26. procrastinate less
27. knit a full-sized sweater
28. keep a knitting journal
29. volunteer
30. learn american sign language
31. learn to read music
32. learn to play the piano
33. own a piano
34. learn to play the oboe
35. sing more
36. read the classics
37. learn more about wine
38. bring color to the inside of my house
39. try more exotic recipes
40. eat at foreign restaurants
41. learn more about art
42. purchase a favorite
43. lose weight
44. grow a vegetable garden
45. grow a flower garden
46. see Les Miserables on stage
47. ditto Lion King
48. ditto Phantom of the Opera
49. ride Amtrak somewhere far
50. recycle
51. bring canvas shopping bags with me to the store
52. hike
53. stay in better touch with my siblings
54. take a cooking class
55. learn the art of pastries
56. exercise
57. walk my dogs
58. meet Cathy Z.
59. have more parties
60. send more thank you notes
61. write real letters
62. journal more
63. drive cross country
64. take a motorcycle trip out west
65. make a real quilt
66. make jam
67. master pie crust
68. camp
69. take a pottery class
70. get new bedroom furniture
71. learn to identify birds
72. vacation in an RV
73. learn to budget
74. build our savings
75. finish my degree
76. start a movie club
77. join a book club
78. raise puppies
79. own a cat
80. renew my wedding vows
81. follow politics
82. play more games
83. learn to ice skate
84. ditto rollerblade
85. get regular pedicures
86. go back to NYC
87. go back to Hawaii
88. re-decorate my bedroom myself
89. host a dinner party
90. spend a romantic weekend away
91. picnic more
92. fly kites more
93. write my own will
94. find a comfortable pair of heels
95. go to a Colts game
96. run again (after the lose weight thing)
97. run a half marathon
98. be more organized
99. have more fun
100. DO the things on this list!

Geocaching

We haven't gone geocaching in months.

About an hour into it, I remembered why: it felt a lot like exercise. heh

We did see some neat things. This iron bear sculpture sits outside of Eagle Creek Park. It's HUGE. And I didn't get a picture of all the graffiti, but Irene was there.

Ken and I hiked about three miles, looking for a cache where we could set our travel bug loose.

The cache was called Old Homestead. I couldn't find any information about the area. All we know is there used to be a ton of houses back here and maybe they were all torn down when the reservoir was built.

It was really something to find little remnants here and there of the old homesteads: bits of foundation, old gates and stairs leading nowhere.

More pictures can be found here.

So long Skrappaper

My heart is heavy this week. My dear friend, Susan, made the tough decision to close her scrapbook store. A place I fondly called my very own "Cheers", you know, the place where everyone knows your name. I was Skrappaper's "Norm".

My family helped build that place.
Ken moved walls while Ashley and I painted like fools. I still have the orange and blue paint on my old tennis shoes. I may have to keep those forever.

What I WILL keep forever are the memories. My friends, Susan, Lisa and I spent many hours together there, creating and preserving our family albums. I helped others do the same. It's a feeling of necessary-ness I've been lacking in my life since the move. I've missed "The Paper" every day since we moved away. Knowing it'll be gone forever? I can't even wrap my mind around that just yet.

Things change. I get that. But watching a dream shatter, well, that just hurts. And not being able to hold my friend's hand as she goes through this hard time, well...

I love you Susan.
"We are -so- screwed!"

melly's artist of the month

I can't even thank Cami enough! Amos Lee is soothing this soul.

Check it:

Mom didn't always like me best

But she's liking me a lot today. And you know why? Cause I listen. And I call her from time to time. (moreso now that I'm knitting! I call and say, "Is this the knitting helpline?" I know she loves THAT! heh). That's it. A phone call and a willing ear. When was the last time you got so much for so little?

So this goes out to my sibs (and anyone else reading that has one) - call your mother. You wouldn't be here, after all, if it weren't for her.

***

I've been looking for some good blogging material. I'm not always crafty and do you all want to be bored with my mundania? I'm reaching for my 100th post. I'm thinking about a give-away. Tell your friends!

Shot some domesticity today. My mother would be so proud! I make my bed (nearly) every day. Today's bed is freshly washed. Don't you just love fresh bed linens?

and the next sock since I -am- a sock Knitter now!

Imitation Poppets

Isn't the sincerest form of flattery imitation? Well, I snagged an image off of an artists etsy shop (oh, for shame, I know!) to use in a gift album for my friend, Trish. It saved me a lot of work mostly in that I don't possess the talent to create amazing stuff like this. No profit was made. No children were harmed. No fur was used.

This doesn't make me a bad person, does it?

I say it makes me a good friend.

Happy Birthday, Trish.

If it'd make you feel better, YOU go buy something from the amazing Claudine Hellmuth. :)

we have a second sock

Now I feel like a CAPITOL "K" knitter.

stealth milk

We went to bed last night and sometime during the night, this arrived in a new milk cooler on my front porch.

Thank you Oberweis Man!

Love me some milk in glass bottles. Reminds me of when I was a kid - we'd drive up to the dairy and open the trunk, a kid would come out and carry away the old crate full of glass bottles and bring out a new crate with bottles full of milk.

I don't recall chocolate milk EVER but, that's one of the glories of being a grown up, (well this and gin) I am in charge of my own milk buying. Chocolate milk for everyone!

Watch my mom post a comment on how we went to that dairy only a few times or something.

-lol-

If YOU choose Oberweis, tell them I sent you.