Do You Dip?

I dip. But I don't double dip! Or skinny dip. Here is a quick and easy recipe I'm serving tomorrow at our Super Bowl Party.

Creamy Mexican Dip (also called Mexican Fajita Dip, not sure why)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup salsa
2 cups shredded cheese such as colby/jack.
(I use the Mexican blend that the grocery stores have.)
Tortilla chips for dipping

Mix all but the chips together and microwave for 4 minutes before serving.

Friday Favorites: Steelers

I feel like a bit of a liar today, since I'm posting about football for my "Friday Favorites" blog feature this week. I don't really like football, I only tolerate it in order to live peacefully in my home. My husband is from a small town outside of Pittsburgh called North Apollo so he is one of those die-hard fans that remembers the Steel Curtain, has multiple terrible towels, has decorated our finished basement with Steelers lithographs and jerseys, and has a Steelers license plate holder and magnet on his car at all times. Not to mention his whole wardrobe! Our son, born and bred here in Virginia, seems to be a Steelers fan as well. Didn't see that coming, right? And not to be left in the dust by her big brother, our daughter occasionally dresses in black and gold and even wore one of her Steelers sweatshirts to school today. Good thing her 1st grade teacher is a Steelers fan too! Jessica also was a Steelers cheerleader for Halloween 2 years ago. We're hosting a Super Bowl party at our house on Sunday, so to help psych myself up into full Steelers Fan mode I'll make today's post about the team. Here goes:

This is one of the large ponytail holders I made a while back:










Too bad my hair doesn't lend itself to being styled in more than one way; I could whip up another one of these and sport my own ponytail. Maybe in my next life I'll have less of a frizzy pouf and can enjoy more styles.


Below are my fur babies, Slinky and Puff. Asleep on a Steelers blanket. The cats are the favorites here, but the blanket is nice to wrap up in too. We did get them in Pennsylvania, maybe they ARE Steelers fans. But then again they'll cuddle up with anything we leave on the ground.
"Awww, they're so cute. "(<--- That's your line)










This is Ben. Not Ben Roethlisberger, our son Ben. He was hamming it up last August at the Steelers training camp held at St. Vincent college in Latrobe, PA. Ben and my husband sure do take a lot of fun road trips together. Of course, they're all sports related. Jessica and I stay home and do girly things. Like make inedible treats in the easy bake oven. And play restaurant. And string beads. And watch the Disney channel... we need to get out more!

Wednesday Welcome: Mindy Sand Studio

Each week I'm using Etsy's Pounce feature in order to discover new items "from undiscovered shops waiting for their first sale" as the Etsy site states. This week's welcome is extended to Mindy Sand Studio in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. These hand painted glass works of art are fired in a kiln which makes them dishwasher safe! This shop owner states "What makes my glassware so unique is the 2 transparent-color swirls on the base of the glass and the contemporary colorful designs".
Indeed!

Do You Know About The CPSIA?

As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.

Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.

The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.

How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:

To the Parents of Young Students:
Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.

To the Avid Reader:
Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.
Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322

To the Lover of All Things Handmade:
Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.

To the Environmentalist:
Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.

To the Second-Hand Shopper:
Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.

To the Entrepreneur:
Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.

To the Antique Toy Collector:
Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html

To the American Economy:
Already struggling under an economy that has not been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.

To the Worldwide Economy:
Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.

If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html

Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.

Snow Day

We had our first snow day today! The kids had fun playing in the neighborhood with friends. Hot chocolate was a treat for all when they came in to dry off and warm up. Hubby is still out of town until late tonight, so the kids and I just had Kraft mac & cheese with peas for dinner. Then we made brownies for dessert. A fun day :)

Experience Oneness With Chocolate

"Experience Oneness with Chocolate"
That is the tagline of a company I just discovered:


I was recently the lucky recipient of a $25 gift certificate to Coco~Zen when I won a blog giveaway hosted by Mom Fuse. Here is a link to that site, there are still a few Valentine's Day giveaways going on there!









I used the gift certificate I won to order Chocolate Mint Bliss Truffles~ I can't wait to enjoy them! Besides chocolates, Coco~Zen also sells chocolate body treats and their shop has a link to some really great sounding recipes (I think I'll start with the brownies).
So take a look there and you too can experience oneness with chocolate!

Giveaway Links

Enter to win a Vintage Image Necklace.
Click HERE. Ends 1/27/09.













Enter to win a hand warmer set from MondrysYknotShop.
Click HERE. Ends 1/27/09.













Enter to win a Scentsy car candle.
Click HERE. Ends 1/30/09.








Enter to win a Daisy Necklace from Kathryn Cole Jewelry.
Click HERE. Ends 1/30/09.













Enter to win a Home Depot $50 gift card. Visit Home Construction Improvement to enter. Ends 1/31/09.
If I won this, I'd buy paint and rollers so I can add some color to my sewing room and to our downstairs bathroom!












Enter to win mineral makeup from Eve Organics.
Click HERE. Ends 2/1/09.









Enter to win this "Sweetheart Tower" of treats from GiftTree.com.
Click HERE. Ends 2/1/09.














Enter to win a Dinner Italiana with Tomato Basil Sauce Basket from That's Caring.
Click HERE. Ends 2/2/09.









Enter to win a personalized necklace from Tiny Tag Designs.
Click HERE. Ends 2/7/09.

Change Is Good

I love the USA. Yet we all know that there is always room for improvement. Are any (or all) of these issues important to you?

Global Warming
Animal Rights
Gay Rights
Women's Rights
Immigration
Genocide
Criminal Justice
Homelessness
Social Entrepreneurship
Sustainable Food
Education
Universal Health Care
Humanitarian Relief
Fair Trade
Peace in the Middle East
Autism
Poverty in America
Human Trafficking
Global Health

Here is a way to help address these issues!

Change.org is an online hub and media network for social issues and collective action.

Learn about the most urgent causes of our time through their blog network.

Connect to other people and nonprofits fighting for the causes you're passionate about.

Take action by joining grassroots campaigns, making personal pledges or fundraising.

For more details visit their blog: Blog for Change is the official blog of Change.org

Let me know what you think! Share your ideas for positive change!

Friday Favorites: Supplies

When I'm sewing, there are a few essential items that I cannot work without. These include music (I have the radio on or use my iPod with speakers) and chocolate. I do really well with building up my chocolate stash right after Halloween and Easter. Thanks kids!

A few other things I wouldn't want to do without:

My olfa rotary cutter~ absolutely invaluable~ but a word to the wise: change your blades when they seem dull! Don't try to make it cut by pressing harder and harder while cutting: it could cause you to slip and slice your finger or hand.
Yes, I'll admit that this happened to me. On Mother's Day! Two years ago (or was it 3?), I had enjoyed a quiet family brunch prepared by my hubby and kids and was still in my PJs when I decided to get some sewing done. Hubby went to Home Depot, kids went to play video games. And then, the SLICE. Being a nurse, I knew as soon as it happened that I'd be needing some stitches. I wrapped my finger in some tissues (I wasn't going to get blood on good fabric!) and went upstairs to round up the kids for a fun Sunday afternoon trip to the Urgent Care Center. Not seeming at all concerned about the bloody wad on my hand, my son (the older of the two kids) whined about having to stop his game to get dressed and go with me. My daughter came willingly, thank goodness; she is usually the more stubborn one of the two. So with one hand held up by my head and one hand on the steering wheel, I drove the three of us into town. Luckily the office wasn't busy and also it seems that bleeding people get through triage more quickly than those with sore throats. The kids (probably around 8 and 5 at the time) got to see the whole experience from flushing the cut with saline, getting injected with the lidocaine, and getting sewn up with ugly black silk sutures. We had left a quick note at home for my husband, so he called my cell phone in a panic when he arrived home from the store. I had my son talk to him while they worked on me and we told him not to come since we'd be done there soon.
In a way I'm glad the kids were there with me because it forced me to act brave and not cry (or curse out loud); I said OUCH a few times and grimaced a bit but I really was trying not to scare them!
Anyway, enough rambling on about it, the finger is fully healed. Just be careful when you use a rotary cutter! Change your blades to keep them sharp, use caution, and you should not have any problems.
A cutting mat~ again, a must-have. Helps with measuring and cutting in a straight line, and of course provides a work surface on which you'd use the above mentioned rotary cutter. Happily for you, I have no stories to accompany this item.


Metal yardstick. Self explanatory. I also use a metal 12" ruler for smaller jobs. That one is pink!




















Fray-Check from Dritz is magical. Keeps your ribbon and webbing ends from fraying. Also works well on fabric. I'm not a drug user, but I do kind of enjoy the smell of this stuff in small amounts and only when I'm working with it~ not for fun! But I like the smell of Mod-Podge even more :)

A good fabric glue is another favorite tool of mine. Sometimes just a drop will hold your edges in position for sewing. There are other good ones out there, but this is the bottle I have right now. For things other than fabric such as buttons, metal clips, etc. I use E-6000 adhesive. It is very strong but must be used in a well ventilated area.

If anyone out there has a favorite tool they use for their craft, I'd like to hear about it! Comments are always welcomed here :)

Its All Been Done Before

Here is my most recent treasury list, done in the very common "mint chocolate" theme. Thus the title. But mint chip IS my favorite ice cream flavor after all! Second fave would have to be coffee ice cream, even though I drink decaf tea often and coffee only rarely. Maybe I'll curate a treasury called "favorite flavor runner-up" in the future...

Wednesday Welcome: B. Chic Creations

Each week I'm using Etsy's Pounce feature in order to discover new items "from undiscovered shops waiting for their first sale" as the Etsy site states. This week's welcome is extended to B. Chic Creations of Salt Lake City, Utah. Collage artist Jennifer Bean creates these canvas pieces by "layering a variety of pattern paper, images, and embellishments to build an original piece of dimensional artwork". Her shops contains artwork for every room in your home, here are just a few:

Win a Vacation from SunglassWarehouse.com
http://sunglasswarehousegiveaway.com/
Enter to win a $3,000 vacation package~ just click the link above.

I'm wishing for a tropical vacation right about now, BRRR it is cold here!

Change Has Come

Change has come, even to the official White House webpage: http://www.whitehouse.gov/
THAT WAS FAST! :)

#44

U.S. President Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States during the inauguration ceremony in Washington, January 20, 2009. Michelle Obama watches at right and Vice President Joe Biden at left. The Bible Obama uses is the same one that President Abraham Lincoln used at his Inauguration in 1861. REUTERS/Jason Reed (UNITED STATES) via Yahoo.com news

Words Of Wisdom

Words Of Wisdom from Martin Luther King, Jr.
August 28, 1963 From the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.


"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "For Whites Only". We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!""

We've come such a long way. We have such a long way to go.

Like Winning?

Pay a visit to LanieJane where you can enter a contest to win this great Andalucia fat quarter set AND a pendant! I'd wish you all good luck, but I really want to win these for myself :)

CREST Inaugural Celebration Sale Starts Today!

I'm offering FREE SHIPPING to the US and Canada from today through Saturday the 24th. See my shop announcement for details! http://maggiesuedesigns.etsy.com
Search "etsycrest" to find more shops from our great street team here in the DC area.

Friday Favorites

Here around the DC area there is not much news other than the events planned for the next four days, ending with the Inauguration on Tuesday. In honor of our 44th President I've collected photos of some of my favorite items relating to the new administration:


From the top left:
1. Obama Logo Cookie 6-Pack from Whipped Bakeshop
2. Element of Change T-shirt from Outside Of The Box
3. We Are The People We've Been Waiting For T-shirt from isotope
4. Yes We Can Obama Speech on 9x13 inch Canvas Art from GeeZee's
5. choc-O-bama (yes, real chocolate!) from Neapolitan (aka pinkwhitebrown)
6. Jot and Go Recycled / Upcycled Journal Notebook from Ivy Lane Designs
7. Inauguration Necklace from Under Her Charm
8. The Obama Permanent Peace Crane Origami Ornament from Localcolorist
9. Obama HOPE T-Shirt Pillow from Nathaniel Swift

An Oldie But Goodie

Now available for your crafting pleasure, I present a tutorial called "Mod Podging Letter Forms" from the Craft Apple. If you don't know about this blog, you should! There you'll find sewing and craft tips, patterns, and free tutorials. Like this one that was most recently posted in 2007.
By using Mod Podge to attach fabric to those paper mache letter forms you see at the craft stores; you can dress up an emtpy wall. The photos below are from the Craft Apple blog. Click HERE to link to the tutorial.

Wednesday Welcome: Stone Creek Designs

Each week I'm using Etsy's Pounce feature in order to discover new items "from undiscovered shops waiting for their first sale" as the Etsy site states. This week's welcome is extended to Stone Creek Designs of Bozeman, Montana. Jewelry designer and metalsmith Kristin Fletcher says "I design and fabricate jewelry that is simple, timeless and sturdy. Because it is all hand built, please rejoice in its slight variations, much like life. The jewels can be dressed up or dressed down. All items are handmade by me and I use fine metals and semiprecious stones. I really enjoy working with mixed metals!" Her rings are not only beautiful, they have a unique feature about their fit as well: they are finger shaped rather than round! Kristin says her customers find them to be very comfortable. Visit Stone Creek Designs to see more great pieces like these:

Get Ready

Pretty Colors From The Toilet

Alternate Title: Lovelies From The Loo

Regarding my latest treasury list: PLEASE UNDERSTAND that I do not believe that any of these items should be flushed away! They are all WONDERFUL! I had already chosen brown and yellow for my search combo and later realized what that reminded me of. And I needed a title...

Snail Mail Valentines The Easy Way

My valentine cards for the Fred Flare fundraiser are done. I had good intentions, really. But I somehow ran out of time and took the easy way out. So instead of stitching hearts onto the note cards, I ended up using heat-n-bond to attach the fabric hearts onto the cards. Still nice, I think, but I could have done better. I hate it when real life gets in the way of being crafty!

Good News For Etsy Sellers

After nearly three years (yes, years) of waiting, Etsy is now able to provide shop owners with the ability to use Google Analytics! Here is a quote from the Storque article:

"Sellers, Etsy has completed beta testing of Etsy Web Analytics (provided through Google Analytics) and you can now enable this feature by going to Your Etsy > Shop Setup > Web Analytics. Or, if you are logged in you can find the link here. This release of Etsy Web Analytics allows Etsy sellers to track metrics such as pageviews, site visits, popular content and page referrals. For more information, you can also read the Web Analytics FAQ. This feature is free to use for all Etsy sellers."

You can bet your sweet patootie that I've just set this up for my shop and for this blog as well. Big Brother (Sister, I suppose) is watching you!

Act Fast to Benefit Elder Craftsmen!

Fred Flare is hosting a fund-raising event that sounds like a whole lotta fun besides being for a good cause. Here's the scoop from FF:

1) MAKE A VALENTINE
You can make it out of anything… Construction paper, collage, paint, crayon, a print of a photo you took, write a poem, make a mix tape, whatever ya feel like! Be sure to include a matching envelope.

2) SEND YOUR VALENTINE + ENVELOPE TO FF BEFORE JAN 15TH
Ya can just pop both in another envelope and send it regular mail to SNAIL MAIL VALENTINES c/o fredflare.com, 300F Kingsland Av, Brooklyn NY 11222. Hurry! Your valentine MUST be postmarked no later than Thurs, Jan 15th to participate. That’s less than a week away!

3) YOUR VALENTINE WILL DEBUT ON FF THE LAST WEEK OF JANUARY
All valentines will be sold online and in our new Brooklyn store for the super friendly price of ONLY $4 EACH and ALL the proceeds from the sales of these valentines will go directly to Elder Craftsmen, an NYC based organization that brings craft workshops to local senior citizens. Our last charity event raised $5K. Can we beat it? With your amazing creation in the mix, I know we can!

There is a flickr group where you can view the completed valentines that people have made, it is called FF's Snail Mail Valentines for Charity.




I'm thinking about stitching some colorful fabric hearts onto a blank notecard, but I haven't decided if I should leave it blank or put a generic "Happy Valentine's Day" on the inside.

Hopefully I'll get time over the weekend to make a few of these; I also want to make a few new cup cozies with Valentine's Day fabrics. FUN!

Wednesday Welcome: One Curly Girl

Each week I'm using Etsy's Pounce feature in order to discover new items "from undiscovered shops waiting for their first sale" as the Etsy site states. This week's welcome is extended to One Curly Girl in the Las Vegas area. A quote from their Etsy shop announcement sums it up nicely: "Our cards make a statement by pairing simple, clean design with charming expressions and hip, colorful envelopes." The artist, Eppie Wyckoff, and her (straight-haired) husband created this business together. The cards are blank inside, allowing you to personalize your message. I found myself smiling while reading ALL of the cards but have chosen just a few to post here.



















The one above made me giggle, even stay-at-home-moms like me deserve a day off once in a while too, right?!?
This one you can give to your sweetie anytime, or maybe for Valentine's Day:



















And here is one I can truly appreciate as a 40-something gal:



















Which of these is your favorite? You can see more designs at their website, maybe you'll discover your favorite card there!

Get Ready For It

A wintry mix, that is! (wintery? winter-y?)
Our county is under yet another winter weather advisory overnight tonight. The last two times this has happened recently we just had rain. Since we're at 33 degrees right now and it is supposed to get slightly warmer, I think we'll dodge the bullet again. My son of course (5th grader) is hoping for a delayed school opening. My daughter (1st grader) is spending the week at home recovering from having her tonsils and adenoids removed this past Friday. So she does not really care one way or another. She'll be up early either way, she's feeling better each day and getting bored with staying home. And is tired of eating soft foods. She keeps asking for a cheeseburger which she rarely will eat on a normal day, so I'm not sure where that idea keeps coming from!
On another note, I was able to get a treasury list a short time ago. I based the color choices on the weather forecast. Hope you and yours are warm and dry tonight!

The List

The List: What's In and Out for 2009
The New Year is underway, and that means it’s time to clean out the cultural wardrobe. Hank Stuever of the Washington Post offers his annual take on things that are so last year, and others sure to be cool in the next 12 months. This is an abbreviated list; for the full article visit The Washington Post

• Out: LOLcats
• In: “Garfield Minus Garfield”
• Out: Dressing like “Mad Men”
• In: Drinking like “Mad Men”
• Out: Twittering
• In: Slow blogging
• Out: Wolverine
• In: Watchmen
• Out: Bumming cigarettes
• In: Bumming books
  
• Out: Alec Baldwin comeback
• In: Mickey Rourke comeback
• Out: Goth
• In: Steampunk
• Out: Using. Periods. For. Emphasis.
• In: CAPSLOCK IS BACK!
• Out: High-end barbecue grills
• In: Crock pots
  
• Out: Things white people like
• In: Things Michelle Obama likes
• Out: Sleeping in parking lots to buy new iPhone
• In: Sleeping in parking lots
• Out: Stroller envy
• In: Cheap daycare envy
  
• Out: Searching one’s soul
• In: Searching one’s wallet

Personally, I think LOL cats should still be "in". The kids and I will occasionally peek at the site and we end up in fits of giggles! You just have to overlook the annoying baby talk that is "LOLspeak" (not evident in photo below, but in most others!).