One last thing...

...before I finally turn off the damn computer today.

I've finally settled on a name for the shop.

What do you think of The Paper Sparrow?

I need serious help here because the clock is ticking and I'm runnin' out of time. Comments? Suggestions? Am I a pathetic excuse for a human for coming up with something so ridiculous?

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

My tubes cannot be tied fast enough.

Oh man, I love kids but I am so not the mothering type.

After tonight's events (and you should know this lasted for a whopping HOUR, not all day or anything) I've realized that I made the right decision when it comes to not having children of my own. From here on out, anyone who tries to make me feel bad or guilty in the slightest bit for not having a baby can kiss my jiggly butt. It's not happenin'.

I watched Lola for Carly and Jeremie tonight while they looked at a place to possibly have their wedding. She was excellent and way too adorable for words for the first ten minutes. After that she screamed, and I mean screamed, for at least a half hour. I can take crying. Crying is no big deal at all. But this was the kind of hysterical screaming/crying that made her hyperventilate for a few minutes. Have you ever cried so hard that sound just doesn't come out anymore? She was there and beyond. I seriously wondered for a minute there if I should have had a CPR refresher before agreeing to babysit.

I'm a total wuss, apparently. I love that I can give other people their kids back.

I have so much more respect for any mother, especially mothers of more than just one child. And mothers who have multiple children in a single birth...god bless you.

In another 2 hours and 22 minutes I'll be taking my pill.

Don't scare me like that!

So the nutcases who are responsible for the show Dexter are totally playing with my emotions.

I was under the impression that Sunday night's episode was the last for this season. After 52 minutes of some of the most intense television viewing ever (we're talking white knuckles, folks...if you don't watch this show, you're missing out in a BIG way) the screen went blank in an inappropriate spot and the voice over announced that there are still three weeks left. WTF? I'm happy because this means three more glorious weeks of what is quickly becoming my new favorite TV show of all time, but I also feel nervous that they're somehow going to screw this up. They have yet to disappoint me so I guess I shouldn't stress over it. And yes, it's a TV show and I'm totally ridiculous when it comes to stressing over something so meaningless. I'm a dork, what can I say.

In other news, the Christmas bug has bitten me big time this year and I think I'm starting to drive people nuts. The shopping is done. The gifts are wrapped. The decorations are up on the outside of the house already, so this basically means I've broken one of my own personal rules of life and how to live it. Nutty. I'm dying to get to the rest of the house, mainly the front room, but I'm a bit weary because this will be the first year we've had both a dog and a Christmas tree in the same relatively small space. It could mean disaster. It will mean disaster, I'm sure. Anyway, this is weird for me. I'm not normally the type of person who gets into Christmas. Mike keeps asking for his old friend back. The cynical one who hates the holly jolliness of people at this time of year. His friend has turned into what she hates.

I guess I shouldn't knock other people's styles when it comes to decorating for the holidays. As it is, I know most people don't share my taste for the simple cozy cottage style (hey people, we live in a COTTAGE!), but what's up with the giant inflatable holiday lawn decorations that seem to be taking over the world? A man a few doors down from us has a humongous Santa riding a Harley. The people up the street own property about half the size of ours and their entire lawn is covered by these things. Now, I know I should just mind my own business, keep my opinion of what's tacky and what's not to myself and let everyone have their fun. But seriously, let me ask you...how do these people afford their electric bill? We bundle up like Eskimos in the house during the winter because the cost to heat your house is so outrageous these days and I refuse to give National Grid any more money than I absolutely have to. The thermostat stays around the frosty 60 mark and I think I'm starting to notice fewer and fewer people coming to visit because it's uncomfortable to be here. That's a big change compared to the usual house full we've grown accustomed to.

I'm also turning into the Lamp Nazi, going from room to room making sure that there are no lamps turned on in a room that no one is using. Granted, this is good for the environment and it saves us a few bucks, but our bill is still incredibly high and every cent helps. So back to my question. How do people afford to heat their homes, light 'em up, and still manage to illuminate the neighborhood with the menagerie of Christmas kitsch on the front lawn? Am I missing something? Can someone give me a few tips? Am I the most bitter person you've ever met, or is this a realistic concern? Last I checked we were in the middle of an energy crisis. Or at least that's what I'm being told when I question why it costs me over $50 to fill my gas tank. Oy.

Today I'm helping Seth make Christmas ornaments to give as gifts this year. Anyone else doing any fun Christmas crafts???

OH! I'm also looking for a few good recommendations for sites with good window display ideas. I have two gigantic windows in the front of the shop and I have to figure out how to decorate them when I open up. Any ideas?

Second big purchase

Can you guess what this is? Olive is certainly intrigued.

I bought a leather loveseat and two gigantic armless leather chairs for the shop. I figure they'll be more comfy for Stitch and Bitch night or knitting/crochet classes than sitting in folding chairs in the classroom. I got them for a steal and couldn't pass up the deal. Unfortunately they're taking up a buttload of space in my office, but it's a small price to pay for the awesomeness that is to come.

Sometimes I thank the heavens for Black Friday.

Ooh, that smell

I'm so in love with the smell of Crayola crayons, and after the project I worked on this morning, I now smell like them.



Check out the new little fun shaped crayons I made for the shop:

Sorry for the bad picture.

I can't decide if I want to package them and sell them in sets, or if I should set them up in little baskets or bowls and let people mix and match. What do you think? Also, what's a fair price for these little babies? I don't have kids so I'm not sure what a parent would spend on something like this.

The girls

New girlies for the shop.

I've been a busy bee!

More to come!

Diapers?

I may need them tonight because we're finally (we've had these tickets forever now) going to see the one and only Artie Lange, quite possibly the funniest man in comedy, tonight in Poughkeepsie. I can't fucking wait.

On my way...

I'm heading out in a few minutes to meet with the dude from the SBA (Small Business Assn. of New York). Wish me luck.

The ball...she is a rollin'.

baby steps

I bought 4 glass jewelry cabinets yesterday, folks. Got 'em for a steal.

I'm on my way.

Also, I spoke with Kathy last night about wallpaper for the back wall in the shop and she gave me some pointers. She also told me about this paper and I'm completely in love with it:

After looking around for paper, I'm tied between this one (which is extremely expensive and way more than I wanted to spend on one wall of the shop) and two others.

This last one is dirt cheap, but it's my least favorite. It has a really nice repeat:

sore

Okay, so I'm still going with the shoes...

I think 11 pairs of shoes in size 0-3 months is good enough to start out with in the shop, right? I'm going to make another 11 in size 3-6 months too and I'd still like to finish off at least another 20 bags on top of the shitload I have packed away. God knows when I'll be able to sew again once I start moving into the space. I really wish I could come up with a packaging concept for the shoes. Little boxes or some sort of envelope or something. Hmmmm, any suggestions???

shoesies

So I scored a really great pattern from an Etsy seller last week and started making these adorable Japanese-style baby shoes. I'm waiting to see Carly so I can try them on Lola. She may be too big for them now, but luckily the pattern is meant for sizes 0-3 months and 3-6 months. I went with the smaller pattern this time around just to be safe but I'm curious to see if she's grown into a bigger size. That little one is growing like a weed!!! If they don't fit I'll sell them in the shop.

Oh, and JoAnn's had a big yarn sale too, and I grabbed a bunch of the prettiest yarn ever. The picture really doesn't do it justice, but the colors in this yarn reminded me of mermaids. So cool.

In other weekend news, we came ::thisclose:: to adopting another dog. Ben and I have been toying with the idea of a second dog for a while now, and now that we're back from vacation and settled in again I think it's time. We're both interested in adopting a Pit Bull, not only because we're both big fans, but also because Olive is 1/2 Pit and we need something that can withstand her strength. She's a small dog considering her makeup and she's the most gentle dog you'll ever meet, but man is she strong. You really have to be careful with her because if you're not paying attention and she's on a leash she could literally rip your arm out of the socket.

Anyway, there's a local rescue called Out of the Pits that I contacted last week and unfortunately they called us back at 9:45 on Friday night to invite us to an adoption clinic on Saturday morning. The woman warned us that we need to get there early or the best dogs (read: puppies) would be gone before we even got there. Seeing as how we had NO notice, we couldn't make it to this particular clinic, but I'm going to call her about attending the next one. We have our eyes on this little girl here:

I'm sure she's been adopted already. People are crazy if they didn't snatch her up. How cute is she??? If we're lucky, we'll get her. If not, well, I'm sure another one will come along. I know Olive would thank us for it.

Does this mean I'm a dude???

Stolen from Elis...

Your Boy Side

[x] You love hoodies
[x] You love jeans.
[x] Dogs are better than cats.
[ ] It's hilarious when people get hurt
[x] You've played with/against boys on a team.
[ ] Shopping is torture.
[ ] Sad movies suck.
[ ] You own an X-Box. (360)
[x] Played with Hot Wheels cars as a kid.
[x] At some point in time you wanted to be a firefighter.
[ ] You own a DS, PS2 or Sega.
[ ] You used to be obsessed with Power Rangers.
[x] You watch sports on TV.
[x] Gory movies are cool.
[x] You go to your dad for advice.
[ ] You own like a trillion baseball caps.(if you count beanies)
[ ] You like going to football games.
[ ] You used to/do collect baseball cards.
[x] Baggy pants are cool to wear.
[x] It's kinda weird to have sleepovers with a bunch of people.
[x] Green, black, red, blue, or silver are one of your favorite colors.
[x] You love to go crazy and not care what people think.
[ ] Sports are fun.
[x] Talk with food in your mouth.
[ ] Wear boxers. (yes..to bed a lot)

Total = 14

Your Girl Side

[ ] You wear lip gloss.
[x] You love to shop.
[x] You wear eyeliner.
[x] You have some of the same shirts in different colors.
[x] You wear the color pink.
[x] Go to your mom for advice.
[ ] You consider cheerleading a sport.
[ ] You hate wearing the color black.
[ ] You like hanging out at the mall.
[ ] You like getting manicures and/or pedicures.
[ ] You like wearing jewelry.
[ ] Skirts are a big part of your wardrobe.
[x] Shopping is one of your favorite hobbies.
[ ] You don't like the movie Star Wars.
[x] You are/were in cheerleading, gymnastics or dance.
[ ] It takes you around 1 hour to shower, get dressed, and put on make-up and accessories.
[ ] You smile a lot more than you should.
[ ] You have more than 10 pairs of shoes.
[x] You care about what you look like.
[ ] You like wearing dresses when you can.
[ ] You like wearing body spray/perfume/cologne.
[x] You wear girl underwear.
[x] Used to play with dolls as little kid.
[ ] Like putting make-up on someone else for the joy of it.
[x] Like taking pictures of yourself with your cell phone/camera when you're bored.

Total = 11

Schlep...or is it Schlepp?

I am so totally unmotivated today.

I hate feeling like this. I got up early, as usual, and I'm just not into sewing or crocheting or any of that. What to do??? I'm meeting up with a woman named Rebecca to possibly purchase a few glass jewelry cases for the shop today. I met with her last night in her shop, Lark Vegas, in Albany to see the cases she's using there. She's selling similar cases out of her garage and I think it might be my best bet. I need 'em. She's got 'em. Enough said. I'm doing something productive for my own shop, but I feel like such a slacker for not making anything. Perhaps I'll start making my Etsy shopping list for inventory. Eeeeeeee!

In other news, I picked up Gary's birthday present last night. We went to Dave's gallery opening a few months back and Gary noticed a piece hanging on the wall that he loved. He refused to buy it for himself and seeing as how he's one of the hardest people in the world to shop for, we bought it without him knowing. Interesting piece. I got some crazy looks while carrying it back to the car in Albany last night. Nice.

Anyway, hopefully the creative juices will start flowing for me today. Perhaps watching the million craft shows I record on the DVR every day will inspire me. Do you watch any of these?

Crafters Coast to Coast

That's Clever

Creative Juice

Carol Duvall (this woman really irks me but I can't stop watching)
Craft Lab

Jewelry Making

Knitty Gritty

Uncommon Threads

They're all on the DIY Network, and before you go thinking I'm a TV whore, I record them, check the info, and if they don't interest me I delete them. Total waste of time? Yes. Do I love every second of it? Absolutely.

I'm thinking about making these wine stoppers that I learned about on Creative Juice:

Perhaps a trip to the craft store???

I'm also still planning on melting old crayon stubs and making new fun shaped crayons out of candy molds. I think they'd look cute in little baskets in the shop. Hmmmmm, that might be what I do today! Or maybe I'll bake. Or maybe not. Mostly I just want to curl up on the couch, snuggle with the dog and listen to The Weepies all day long.

I totally suck

Especially when it comes to blogging. It dawned on me this morning that I haven't updated my blog in almost a month and I'm seriously mad at myself for it.

First of all, Florida was friggin' great. We were gone from the 19th to the 27th, and while I know we all go through that weird phase at the end of any vacation where you're just ready to be done and come home, now that I'm back home I wish I could visit Florida again. The weather at first was hot. And when I say hot, I mean record breaking hot. Seriously. Being someone who loves cooler, not humid temps, and also someone who planned this vacation in October so we could hit up the nicer weather that Florida has to offer, being there and sweating until I nearly passed out was rather disappointing. Still, it was worth it.

It was fantastic to visit with my family there. It's rare that any of us get to see Nancy, Ned or Rob, but when we do we always make the best of it. The first two days we were there we sat on their back porch and shot the shit for hours and hours. Ewww, we also went through 13 packs of cigarettes between five people in one evening. Gross. The parks were fun, too, but mostly because Ben had never been to any of them before and showing him new things is one of my favorite things to do. We caught up with old friends, Randi and Keith, who both looked great and we got to spend two days catching up with them too. Great stuff. I don't want to go into specifics because this post could go on forever, but the week we were gone consisted mainly of having fun, drinking, smoking (too much), swimming, shopping, and enjoying many, many fun rides. Oh, and if any of you are heading to Orlando any time soon, be sure to visit Animal Kingdom and ride Expedition Everest. By far the best roller coaster EVER. I mean it. The crowds were down during our visit and we literally walked on twice...no wait. We actually passed a kid who was going for his FIFTEENTH ride of the day. It's that good.

Anyway, I've been such a slacker when it comes to this blog for many reasons. Not only was I sick the week before we left for Florida, and slightly sick while we were there, but I came home and got Strep throat. Nice, eh? I get Strep at least once a year anyway, so it's no big surprise. I just hate having it. I wish someone would take my tonsils out already!!!

Being sick hasn't been such a bad thing, though. I've been productive. My mom taught me how to knit hats, so I've been a busy bee making hats for all sizes. I've also been making bags, aprons, little pouches (think: clutch), and lots of scarves. Being stuck on the couch at least forces me to do SOMETHING instead of being a lazy slob. I've also been out the past few days getting some shopping done for the shop. I bought a ton of stuff at Pier One with the gift cards I got for my birthday and I think I'm going to head back today to get some more. I have a meeting with my future landlord on Thursday to go over the things I need him to do in the space before I move my stuff in. I'm going with my sister on Friday to visit with her old employer and take a peek at some glass display cases she's selling. I also have a meeting with a man named Homer from the Small Business Association of New York to go over budgeting and the million forms for licensing I'm going to need to get going on.

So, yeah, all of my energy and focus is now on the business. This morning I looked all over for some nice, really graphic wallpaper for the wall behind the cash wrap, and Mike and I went on a search the other day for driftwood to use for display. Good stuff. I'm so excited, especially now that things are getting closer and closer. If you're an Etsy seller and you're reading this, drop me a line if you're interested in selling wholesale, or maybe I'll beat you to it. I have a ton a favorites to go through and plenty of money to spend.