Gettin' Crafty

My computer has been acting crafty, in the true sense of the word. I had this post all typed up & then when I tried to edit & look for something, it all disappeared. Crafty, I tell ya'!

I just wanted to share yet another venture that I am going to try out. I've loved to do crafts as long as I can remember. I loved making paper chains and paper snowflakes when I was little. I was sewing by 5th grade (on a machine, I'd been using a toy machine before that). I crocheted in 4th grade (what was supposed to be a Granny Square turned into an oval shawl! LOL!). I sewed my own wedding dress and with the help of our moms & friends, we hand sewed all the lace and sequins to the dress. This is not a "passing fancy" thing with me, but a cheaper form of therapy than, well, therapy!

My mom would add that I am very good at STARTING crafts & not finishing them. I think the craft that I am mostly enjoying now is one that allows me to finish an actual project: Rubber Stamping! I mainly make cards, which are easy to complete. I'd like to do scrapbook pages, but I think I'm afraid I won't finish them, so I just don't start. Yes, I have been labeled as a "frustrated perfectionist."

When I first started really enjoying stamping, I would host Stampin' Up parties and get free stamps, ink, etc., like a Pampered Chef host would get. I also found ways to buy things 1/2 price at the craft stores or to trade something with someone else. Even in my crafting, I've learned to be a bargain hunter. It is rare for me to pay full price for anything, and when I do, I cringe! With my Pampered Chef business not doing as well as it had been, I decided I could not buy any stamping supplies until I sold some other ones. So I started selling on ebay, Splitcoaststampers, and I still have some sets on webstore at : http://webstore.com/~Chefmama

This week I was asked by someone who saw some cards I listed on ebay if I would make a set of 40 cards for her to buy! How cool is that! Getting to do something else I love & make money! I've been carefully studying what does & doesn't sell well on ebay so I don't list things that won't sell. I've been there, done that, too many times. I never imagined someone approaching me to make cards! So, I am now officially a cardmaker for profit!

I'm also WANTING to make doll clothes to fit 18" dolls like American Girl Dolls, Life of Faith Dolls, etc. I've not seen a big selection of those at affordable prices.

I am STILL doing Pampered Chef. I have several shows for November and I am so excited! Stones will be on sale & it should be a stellar month! That money for Christmas should come in handy!

If any of you happen to be in the market for cards or doll clothes, be sure to contact me! Actually, I can do other stamped crafts as well, like treat boxes. I'll share some samples of cards I've made so you know what I'm talking about. Have a great weekend!

Twin Dorklings in the works

I'm part of an online "community" for rubber stampers. Well, we aren't made of rubber, but are people who like to stamp with rubber stamps. Within that huge website there are small groups that have formed who have similarities & like to chat. I am part of a group called "The Traveling Dork Sisters." I do believe I am the ONLY one in the group who was TOLD to join the group rather than discovering it. That's pretty dorky when you are told you are a dork & you need to be in a dork group!

One of our "Dork Sisters" has 2 little girls. She & hubby had a huge house fire last year, found black mold in the attic THIS year with the new roof that was built as part of the problem, found out his dad has cancer (his parents live with them), and their older daughter has had recurring pneumonia this year. In the midst of this, they really wanted to add a new member to the family but it just wasn't happening. She had a lot of "issues" and was taking medicine to regulate everything so they could try again this fall. She just wasn't feeling well this week, and wanted to see what was going on with this new medicine & her body. Pregnancy tests were all negative so she was sure she wasn't pregnant. Plus, the new medicine made her not have "cycles," I think, so there was no reason to even suspect this. Well, she went to the doctor & the pregnancy test they did was a "weak positive" which could have been negative. Turns out she is VERY POSITIVELY pregnant with TWINS!!! And not just "barely pregnant" but a few months along! You can read all about it yourself on her blog and see the twin dorklings on the sonogram. http://stampingwithbettyboop.blogspot.com/2008_01_01_archive.html

The coolest part of this: she found out on her birthday!

When they had the fire, they purchased baby furniture with the money in the hopes of having more babies. However, they purchased ONE of each piece! They can live in a crib together for a bit, but they'll eventually need a second one. Well, a second of EVERYTHING I guess! The dork sisters are quite excited to be "cyber aunts" again!

Gone Nuts!

I can't believe Nut Sales are almost over! We still have to ask more people! YIKES! Because I'll be asking some of you who read my blog, I wanted to post the picture of what all we have available here for you to see. I have to have orders by Friday the 10th. I'm the "nut mom" so I need to get the orders all in and entered into a database next week. Yes, you can pray for me not to get too nutty!

You should be able to click on the image to enlarge it. Call or e-mail us if you want to order nuts!

That's it, I just can't die!

I guess THAT is a weird thing to say on a blog! Let me explain. I got a letter yesterday from a life insurance company. When Phil started this new job, we had the option to buy in life insurance for me, too. Having just lost his dad, and knowing that we aren't "spring chickens" anymore, we thought it would be wise to get some of this rather inexpensive insurance coverage. So, we filled out the gazillion forms & turned it in. Of course, we were doing this ASAP because we needed his medical insurance to kick in for the wreck he had the day BEFORE starting the job.

This letter came yesterday with some unexpected news. They cannot offer me life insurance because, according to my medical records, I have Celiac Disease, have been anemic, and have asthma. Yes, I do have all 3 of those, or have had. Celiac Disease is under control with diet. Follow-up endoscopy showed that I have healed villi in my intestines. Anemia, well, tons of iron followed by being on a gluten free diet, have proven to make me no longer positive for anemia. Finally, asthma. Well, I only breathe at 70% lung capacity. However, it has NEVER caused hospitilization, a nebulizer, or more than an occasional puff of albuterol. I will try to contact someone for more information on this.

This news makes me realize once again that I can NEVER be off of health insurance. This is an issue for us as Phil's company will no longer pay any part of the spouse's premiums. That's normal, but it is also going to cost us nearly $300 a month more, we THINK. God will provide this, I'm just not sure how!

The second thing I realized is that you should invest in life insurance while young & healthy & lock in a low cost. As the kids say, "My bad."

Finally, and most importantly, it led me to a very important conclusion. I simply cannot die until the girls are fully grown and independent (which may take a LONG time for Bethany; Natalie would be independent next week, I suppose, if she had to be) and can take care of their dad if I am gone. That's all there is to it. That's pretty much my goal anyway, but it is official now!

Guess this means we need to pray for my body to be healed of all these silly illnesses so I can "live long and prosper." Oh, wait, I'm not a Vulcan from Star Trek. My hubby has corrupted me! How about so I can live long & praise the Lord!

Solving the Gas Crisis

I think we should let my 9 year old daughter solve the gas crisis. You see, she seems to have a fascination with this topic. Oh, not the gas you put in your car. The other kind. You know, like the book, The Gas We Pass. There are other books, but this one has the nicest title. In a home with celiac disease and other gastric "issues" I guess she just is so used to this that she finds it quite humorous. Okay, I suppose most kids find it humorous. Truth be told, Bethany also finds it humorous, but she isn't as enamored by this topic as the younger child (also known as my "girly-girl tomboy).

Last week she got a container of putty from a friend. This was no ordinary putty. This putty is called "flarp." When you put it into the container, it makes, um, noises. Air gets trapped, then released. Use your imagination. She had great fun even blaming the friend's father for making these noises. This is the house where Natalie has her own toothbrush & bathing suit, so this is more like a "second dad" to her than anything, and he has been known to dish out a fair amount of teasing. She's loved accusing her daddy of this, though, honestly, it isn't like he needs any help.

Today the girls went to a place called, "Incredible Pizza Company." It's one of those kid friendly places where you play games & earn tickets to get free junk. You spend about $10 to get a 30 cent toy. It's that type place. Now, I've been there once before (as a guest, as the girls were today), and liked that it is a Christian owned & operated company and the cheap toys have "God loves you" and things on them. So, I fully expected the girls to come home with something along those lines. Natalie DID get a bracelet with "WWJD" on it. Then she got another item. She said, "Since you weren't here, and since you won't let me get one when you're with me, I got a whoopie cushion." Okay, first, why is it okay to get something I don't let her get when I'm not there? Second, I will wait & see what Daddy says. Third, she just called her Grandma Ruth to tell her about the parties & let her hear the cushion in action.

So, I'm thinking she is as much an expert on gas as anyone at this point. Anyone want to appoint Natalie to the position of Crisis Resolver?

When does fall arrive?

My calendar tells me it's October. My body isn't sure. It has been in the 90's all week. Tuesday was 94, but felt much hotter. I'm pretty sure fall started last week, but there are no signs of it here. Our air conditioner has run continuously, I think, for the entire week. We're still wearing shorts & sleeveless tops.

Wherever fall is, could someone please tell it to find San Antonio? I'd LOVE to feel it!

As the Stomach Churns....

Does anyone remember Carol Burnett's "soap opera" on her show: As the Stomach Churns? Some people don't even remember Carol Burnett or her show, I guess. Boy, I am getting old! LOL!

While my stomach WAS churning last night, that has nothing to do with this post. I just thought I'd put something more exciting than, "This is what we've been doing lately" as the title.

Seems that life has been a whirlwind of activity, but nothing of huge significance. The girls & I had a Girl Scout sleepover on Sept. 19th (for Juniors, Natalie's group, but Bethany tagged along), then on Tuesday the 23rd, Bethany had a Cadette Sleepover while Natalie had a friend spend the night here, followed by spending the night with a friend on Friday night! They have been cranky, tired, irritable, and all that goes with lack of sleep & too much time away from a routine. It's taken several days to get things back to "normal."

I finally have started doing some Pampered Chef shows again. I had a fun show with a group of homeschool moms last week. These were moms from a different homeschool co-op than ours & it was delightful to meet more moms who understand this crazy life we lead! Actually, it turns out that one of the moms is a friend of the host, but not part of their co-op. When I saw her I told her she looked very familiar, she told me she was new to our co-op! Our co-op has grown so much that I don't know many of the new moms. Tonight our co-op is having a PC Mom's night out party. I'm looking forward to that!

Phil got the last part he needed to repair his bike (a new chain). So, he's repaired it and taken it out for a ride. He got to ride to work one day this week because he rode to Austin for the day with a co-worker to get a clinic ready to open. Well, they got the computers all set up, at least! He typically can't ride the bike to work because he has to carry equipment to the clinics, so needs the van.

We are into "Birthday Season" here. Fall is the busiest birthday time for us. It starts in September and goes through Natalie's birthday. This weekend, the girls will be celebrating with 2 parties in one day! Time for us to go bargain hunting for gifts.

One of my roles is about to change. I've been a Pampered Chef Director for a few years now. It's been fun to help people in their businesses and getting a bit of extra money was always nice. Unfortunately, I've really struggled to keep up the requirements in the last year with health & family issues to deal with. So, as of October 1st, unless I've misunderstood how things work, I will have "relinquished" my directorship. I have 3 mos. in which I could repromote and still keep the team that I have now. However, I really think the time it takes to do a good job as director just isn't something I can keep up. I LOVE Pampered Chef and will continue to be a consultant. Maybe when the girls are bigger & we figure out more about my health I can try again. Even though the girls are more independent now, they also are more active and have more away from home things, which require more time. Plus, their schooling needs more attention as they get older, so it really is important for me to be available here. I STILL believe that Pampered Chef is the best direct sales company if it something you enjoy. I love doing shows and I love teaching people. Plus, I can make $100 in one evening for a few hours of work. It's much better money than if I worked at a store bagging groceries or something, and I truly enjoy it.

There are a few ideas I'm toying with for some income. I need to put them into practice & see how it goes. I have decided I don't want to invest money to make money, but use up things I have here to make money. I've been selling things on ebay, which helps a little. I have quite a few patterns for doll clothes to fit the 18" dolls, like the Life of Faith or American Girl Dolls. I have a LOT of fabric. I want to teach the girls how to cut patterns. Natalie wants to learn to sew, and I think she could do some simple stitching, like straight seams. I mentioned this to a neighbor & she said she found American Girl clothes at a GARAGE SALE for $30.00! I told her I'd make them & sell them for $20! She was ready to buy some from me! It's something the girls & I could do together, and doesn't involve calling people. Also, since I make cards anyway, I'm going to see if I can sell some of them. I've actually sold some sets of cards on ebay already, but most were from "card fronts" (the front panel only) that I glued to a full card. It cost me nothing but the cost of the tape runner. I've seen cards go for as much as $90 a piece! That is ABSURD! However, if you are someone who wants to buy a card for $90, that is WONDERFUL and let me show you some samples! LOL!

Some of my other "pipe dreams" include having cooking classes in my home for kids/teens, but not in this house. It is really too small. Also, I'd love to teach Gluten Free cooking classes. I might check into community ed programs to see if that's feasible. Of course, I've always wanted to write books. I have no idea where to get started on that. The cost of everything has gone up so much, but salaries have not, so balancing the budget is getting tougher. Thus, I'm looking at a range of ideas for filling in the gap.

Now we need to go finish our school work & load up my bags for the show tonight.