Charity Auction! Olivia the Pig Felt Fuzzies Hair Clips and Note Cards Boxed Set

I just listed a charity auction on eBay (item 250327878283) benefiting Prevent Child Abuse, starting at $0.99! I made a couple of Olivia the Pig Felt Fuzzies hair clips (with the alligator clips) to go along with a brand new boxed set of Olivia Note Cards. 100% of this sale will go towards this fantastic cause - one of which is near and dear to my heart.

Thank you so much for taking the time to look it over!

Blessings,
Ann

Alas!

Last night, I had an epiphany. Yes, another one.

I prayed, "God! I need a large injection of cash! All my woes would be solved with just one big wad of cash."

God, "What...like a bailout?

Oh.

Wasn't I the one who said that our government should not be bailing out Wall Street after they mismanaged the money and resources given to them in the first place?

Didn't I scream to the rafters that policies need to be reformed?

Oh. Yes, that was me.

So basically, I just asked God for a bailout after I've personally mismanaged my finances (and let's face it, my life).

*slapped in the face by my own hypocrisy*

I suppose I am going to have to take my own medicine and and do what I said the banking and mortgage industries should be doing – change my way of doing things (my policies and procedures) and become fiscally responsible. I'm not up to my eyeballs in debt or anything like that (or up to my knees for that matter), I just know that I should have more by now. More savings, more net worth, more resources, more equity... etc.

Ouch.

It's the longer, harder road (no jokes, please) but the one road that I need to be on to see economic recovery and never go through this crap again.

Amen.

In other news, my years of accumulated financial hiccups has resulted in me not being able to go the route I wanted to go. My goals of attaining a storefront / dream house as stated in an earlier blog post must be reassessed. I will still find that perfect house now the housing slump has opened up affordable housing choices for my wallet. It just won't be as grandiose as I had originally planned. However, a brick and mortar storefront and little factory will have to be put on the back burner so that I can focus all my mojo on the e-commerce footprint I have already established.

In the meantime, I'll just rearrange some furniture here in my tiny studio so that maybe I can fit another desk in here... ;) And perhaps I'll start "dressing up" for work now instead of staying in my comfy pajamas all day. Now that I have a new laptop, I can even work out in the fresh air (or Starbuck's air. Whatever.).

Alright, back to work. These Fuzzies don't make themselves.

Love and kisses,

ann

Hey, constituents!

"We need tax cuts!"
"We need to tax the rich more!"
"More money for healthcare!"
"More money for education!"
"More money for our nation's security!"

I don't know about you but if I ran my business the way politicians are running our government, I'd not only be on my ass in the street - I'd probably be in jail.

What I want to ask the candidates is this. Why is it costing so much for our country to function?

I mean, seriously. Where are you getting your numbers?

Why is it okay for doctors and hospitals to bill Americans billions of dollars more a year in order to keep up with exorbitant malpractice insurance fees? Wouldn't it be better for all if you could put into place laws against frivolous lawsuits like they do in the UK (where the loser pays the other persons' legal fees... eliminating the need to settle for millions out of court since fighting it would be even more expensive... then the doctors and other companies can stop passing the costs to us ...) Why is it that I can buy an entire case of catheter tubes online for $22.50 yet if one is used on me in a hospital, suddenly costs $35 EACH. One hospital in New York had to return $88.9 million to the federal government after prosecutors found that hospital administrators were over-billing Medicaid and Medicare. Vital, life-saving medicines are over priced to cover legal, insurance, and legislative mandated requirements that other countries are not required to follow. Yet our drugs are not any safer than those allowed abroad. I'm all for helping children, the elderly, and those down on their luck. I've been down and depended on Medicaid for my children before. But I used the system the way it was intended to be used - during a crisis only and not for the rest of my life. Now? My kids and I are still uninsured. I'm self-employed and can only afford the "don't get sick or hurt" healthplan. Got any suggestions for me, candidates?

As for throwing more money at the Department of Education. Unless you are improving teacher salaries, providing new technologies, or upgrading dilapidated facilities... oh who am I kidding. All that comes from local taxes. And because of the No Child Left Behind program and other socialist programs instilled by our DoE, school districts that used to be at the top of national ranking lists can no longer afford to excel. Instead, after huge portions of our local tax dollars have been shifted to poorer districts (which I know was done with good intentions... we know how that cliche goes), we have to have fundraisers every week so that our local schools can meet basic "standard" requirements set in place by the DoE. And are those "poor" districts doing any better? No. Only the districts using their collective, creative wits are thriving and shockingly enough, spending less. I could go out and spend $100 on paper to print the required tests to find out how if my classroom meets the very minimum OR I could use that same $100 on books and other classroom tools and inspire my kids to learn MORE. Did I mention that we are having fundraisers EVERY DAMN WEEK? Just so PE can have new equipment, art can get supplies, music can pay for instruments and sheet music, science class can get chemistry supplies, social studies can get update maps, and the library can replace worn out books! We're talking basics here! And I live in a well-to-do district! Our teachers pay out of their own pockets for basic supplies they need to do their job! Got any bake sale recipes for me, candidates?!?

Oh boy, I could go on and on but those of you who know me already know where I'm coming from with these topics.

So to Obama, McCain, Barr, Baldwin, McKinney, and yes - even Nader: Stop trying to tell us that we need to throw more money down the toilet. Definitley don't tell me that you want to tax those who make a measly $250,000 a year even more. I'm sorry, but these days that isn't "wealthy." I want to aspire to make that much annually, but not if I actually take home more by not trying as hard and making less because you want to tax me for my intelligence and productivity.

Any businessperson, homemaker, and 8th grader knows to shop around and look at the receipt after going to the store to make sure you aren't getting ripped off. Lowering gas prices by $0.50 to appease the dumb masses is not going to keep those with intelligence from remembering that no, gas should not cost that much despite world supply and tensions. And no, millions of dollars do not need to be spent on the mating habits of the North American tree slug (pulled that one out of my ass, but you get the idea), millions more should not be wasted on un-proven, useless "standardized" regulations and tests (lest ye forget that not every child learns the same way...), and hell no are we paying $35 for a tiny piece of silicone hose just because we have no cheaper hospital to go to.

I'm betting no one in Washington has clipped coupons or looked at itemized invoices in a long, looooonnnnggg while. Government is only required to protect the people but not to protect us from ourselves by over-regulating us either.

-end-o-rant-

P.S. I'm writing in Ron Paul. He's the only politician I've studied up on who actually walks his talk. And boy, does he know what he's talking about. Google him. I know he's no longer running, but I don't want to throw my right to vote away on a candidate I don't believe in.

For months, I have been worried about how the polls were so close between the two major candidates (there are actually 4 others that the media has been too busy to mention...) and how I had better pick the lesser of two evils or suffer the Nader-effect of 2000. But now that we have entered into the Matrix, I have decided to stop stressing and vote my conscience. This country's future keeps me up late at night even though I know that I alone can't do anything about the powers that be. We deserve better than this.

P.P.S. If you are a McCain or Obama supporter - good. Hopefully your reasons are good ones and not based on catch-phrases or mob-mentality. I just ask that people make an educated vote - lives have been lost for this right. Don't forget to go vote!

-end-o-rant-for-real-this-time-

New Halloween Fuzzies!

Newest hair clips added to my Halloween Felt Fuzzies category.

Cheers!
ann

Carpe Diem

This post is a way to keep myself accountable... it's probably really boring for anyone else to read. Although I hope that it inspires any passersby to look at their lives a little differently as well. :]

I've spent my entire life dreaming my big dreams and occasionally taking some steps toward accomplishing a few of them. I do have a great deal to be grateful for and I have reached a place in my life that I never imagined possible. However, lately, I've been feeling dissatisfied - like I'm missing out on something... the next act has started and I'm wandering around somewhere backstage. I've felt like other people were really living their lives and I'm only an observer in mine - sitting on the couch watching "The Ann Show" on TV. It's only recently I came to the conclusion that despite all my efforts, I was still in the "wishful thinking" stage of my life. My plans were just that - wishful plans. Now I get it. I've figured out what living my life intentionally actually means. I can't sit around waiting for life to happen to me. This is it. It's not a dress rehearsal. I don't have all the time in the world to wait for my "big break." Frankly, I'm 32 and my life has started without me. What a way to wake up. All those times I tell myself and others, Carpe Diem? Yeah, well apparently I didn't fully comprehend that seizing the day is not a state of mind, it requires physical action.

I've narrowed down my field of dreams to two "must-haves." My dream house and my dream company. For years, I've been staring at pictures of houses and floor plans and trying to come up with a pretty dream of what I want my family and I to live in. Our Home Base. Yet today, do I live in my dream house? No. So what I should be doing instead of daydreaming includes:

- Researching actual properties as if I was actually an immediate buyer.
- Take those open house tours, shop homes for sale, talk to real estate agents.
- Drafting blueprints, shopping for materials, writing up a budget.
- Cleaning up my credit history and looking into financing options.

Basically, I should (and will) be doing everything a buyer would be doing, regardless of whether or not I have the money saved up right now. Even if I'm not ready to move right away, I should at least act like I am in order to light that fire under my own rear end. If I take that leap of faith, the means will be provided. I can't just wait for things to happen to me. It turns out that God works the other way around - He expects me to get off my ass and do something first. Message received!

The other huge dream I have involves my life's work - my business. Expansion has been long overdue. The major barriers I've been facing have been put up by, who else? Me. My own fears and insecurities. After all, the higher you climb, the farther you have to fall. But I managed to get this far so I shouldn't be afraid of taking it further. Now I understand how successful entrepreneurs "do it." They get out there! They hit the pavement with intentional actions - it's all in how they act and how strongly they believe in not only the business, but themselves. So I need to apply that sort of intention toward my every waking moment.

- I'll be checking out offices / storefronts for lease. My tiny studio just isn't cutting it anymore... especially if I want a staff.
- Researching options and costs of a professional overhaul of my websites. I'm a pretty good web designer, but boy - the pros are so much better. That's their life's work so of course it's better. It's not easy keeping up with the technology. I just found out about HTML 5. Sheesh.
- Shopping around for new labor options, supplies, materials, etc. for the new facility
- Sweet talking potential investors (like on Prosper.com... not banks - they've stolen enough money over the past few years, thank you very much.) - Cash Flow is King!

Again, I need to treat all these actions (and some more I didn't list) as the real deal... as if I'm really taking my business to the next level... which of course, I am. You see why I've been confused for so long? ^_~ Ugh, I've been stuck in playland so long it's hard to see the difference sometimes. If someone were to ask me today how much it costs to lease and maintain a fully staffed office and manufacturing/distributing center in the Metroplex... I wouldn't have a clue. But ask me a few months from now? I'll be an expert. I may even give you a tour of mine. :) No more sitting around daydreaming. It's go time. If I do the legwork and put it all down on paper - the research, the networking contacts, the facts and figures - I'll be at least one step closer to realizing my dreams than I was yesterday, when all I had was a head full of wishes.

Yeah, I know it’s a Sunday morning...

and that I should be posting something either calming or oozing cuteness.

However, I stumbled upon this movie and there isn't a damn thing cute about it. I need to see this and if you are an adult living in America, so do you:

In conclusion, AAAACK! I'm hoping that the exit of the Bush administration will at least start our country on the road to recovery. I'm not thrilled about who will most likely take his place, but meh - anything will be an improvement at this point. Yet history has shown us that our Democracy has been reduced to a series of broken promises followed by the misguided hope for someone else's soon to be broken promises. I'm pretty sure that's the definition of insanity.

In fact, it IS the definition of insane: Doing the same thing day in and day out and expecting a different outcome. See: hope.

Hope: believing that a positive outcome is possible even when there is some evidence to the contrary.

Hope is a double edged sword laced with bi-polar mood swings. Just ask any lottery player. Yet, I personally can't function without it. The human race doesn't run on oil, it runs on hope. Human ingenuity is fueled by hope. And I'm not talking about wishful thinking, I'm talking about the promise of "Free Lobster Tomorrow" and "There Must Be a Better Way" kind of hope. I guess I'm crazy too, because I suffer from a severe case of it and I don't see myself getting cured anytime soon.

To tell you the truth, I wouldn't want to be.

Back to my Cheerios.

Dear Tika...

-:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:-

Dear Tika,

I am a long time reader, first time writer-inner. My problem is a serious one. I am confused by my mistress and her mixed messages. She insists on buying chew toys shaped like flip-flops, shoes, video game controllers, and the like. Those are mighty fun to chew but my vision is as you might guess, limited in colors and details. I will often times mistake her flips flops and game controllers for my chew toys. She gets very mad at me. How can I stop chewing her things?

Sincerely,
Mixed-up Masticator

-:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:-

Which set of flip-flops are the chew toys and which flops will get you whack on the nose?

-:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:-

Dear Mixed-up Masticator,

Alas, your problem is that you are not the one with the problem. Your mistress is making a common human mistake of confusing you for a human child with advanced retinas and reasoning abilities. My advice to you may sound impossibly difficult at first but I know if you try hard enough, you can accomplish it. First, drag out all of the objects in question, regardless of whether or not you can differentiate between the chew toys and human toys. Place them in a pile in the center of the living room, preferably near the front door. Sort through these objects and match up the ones that look and smell similar - game controllers with the chew toy controllers, flips with the flops, et cetera. See to it that each object has been significantly chewed up but make sure you don't mix up the sorted piles as you chew through them.

When your mistress is halfway down the block from your home, settle down and sit gingerly near the piles - paws forward, head tilted to the side, tongue hanging out, and tail wagging. Now just to warn you, the mistress will demonstrate some vigorous barking and growling at first. However, once she looks at the sorted piles of masticated messes, she will realize the stupidity of her chew-toy purchases. Soon, you will notice those cutesy objects disappear and delicious pork-skin based chew products appear in their place. And heaven help you if you ever confuse a BBQ hide twist with a PSP.

Clearly yours,
Tika

-:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:-

Tika Waylan is a purebred Irish Terrier certified in Canine Psychology by the AKC. Her extensive experience as both a puppy and a dog spans two years which translates to fourteen human years, thereby giving her the omniscient knowledge of an above average human teenager. Tika enjoys a good pig's ear now and then as well as a vigorous romp through fresh mud on a warm summer morning. Readers are encouraged to submit questions and suggestions to her via tika@karmabox.com.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of Tika's owners or KarmaBox Design Company. The information presented on this website is for personal and entertainment use only.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day!

I hope that all the Dads, Step-dads, Granddads, Uncles, Big Brothers, and other male role models out there have a wonderful Father's Day!


You make the world go 'round for the kids in your lives. You shape their dreams and futures in ways you'll never be able to imagine, just by being there for them. Pat yourselves on the back - you are much appreciated!!

Love and blessings,
+ann
(A Grateful Mom)

Ook?

Summer vacation is not only in T-minus 1.5 days and counting… it’s also an oxymoronic term for stay-at-home & work-at-home mommies and daddies across the country. On the plus side, I can sleep in an extra hour and I won’t have to do those awful “get ready for school” and “do your frakkin’ homework” breakdances. On the other hand… my kids will be home

all

day

and

night.

I know I said this at the beginning of last summer break but this time I mean it… I’m ready. No really, I am ready. I was obviously never a Boy Scout but I have taken the Be Prepared motto to heart. Have a looksie:

* I have devised a balanced schedule full of fun outings, chores, educational activities, and free-play (aka leave-me-the-hell-alone) time. It’s flexible with minimal financial strain, and full of Plan B’s (with a few Plan C-Z’s in my back pocket for good measure).

* I have turned most of my various business responsibilities into portable “kits” that I can take to the park, library, and swimming pool so that the kids can play while I continue to make $$.

* I have stocked up on healthy snacks, treats, and easy to make meals so that they can raid the pantry and fridge whenever their growling tummies demand it. One meal usually turns into the next at our house. This plan will hopefully keep me from spending my days slaving away in the kitchen. And they get to learn self-sufficiency. On a side note, my boys are finding it upsetting that I won’t let them touch the “summer food” until school is out…

* Toys, video games, and movies will be spread over 3 sections across our home to cut down on the number of violent monkey fights. Fights will be inevitable, I just want to minimize the frequency and bloodshed. I’ve even put away a big chunk of the toys and games so that they can be cycled throughout the summer… evil but necessary. Hey, I used to do this in my old daycare - it makes their toys more interesting and what was old becomes new again.

* I have them signed up for various church activities and day camps as well as local community events. Let some poor teenage volunteer wrangle them for a while… I think this plan may even help reduce the number of teen pregnancies in our area. Doing good for the world, that’s me!

And the best thing planned this summer break which will preserve my sanity and that of my heirs?

They will be spending a month with their Dad in Austin!! w00t! It will be just the guys, doing whatever it is that guys do. My guess is that it will involve weapons, horrible smells, and lots of dirt. Vital for the growing of healthy boys.

See? I will survive this summer break. But to tell you the truth, I’ll miss them terribly every day they are away… It won’t stop me from taking this opportunity to recharge though!

Cheers!
+ann

P.S. The brilliant and patient teachers my monkeys had the privilege of knowing this year will be getting some choice end-o-the-year gifts. How they survived the year juggling 20 little carbon copies of my crazy kids in a windowless classroom without losing their minds, I’ll never know. Thank God for educators!

P.P.S. Oh, in case anyone reading this was wondering, I do spend lots of fun, quality time alone with my kids. Don’t worry, my “summer survival plan” was not devised to avoid my children. I made it to balance my family life with my business life, hopefully with some extra time for me thrown in. And it is always good to keep the kids' brains from rotting out of boredom. =^_^=

God vs. the Dinosaurs

Ever think that maybe God made the dinosaurs and everything else in our fascinating prehistoric eras knowing that we would need oil/coal to get us to where we are now? And that we would never discover new resources to advance as a species if we didn't face a limited supply of fossil fuels? And that perhaps He knew that millions of little boys, toy manufacturers, universities, paleontologists, and museums would need something to fill their time and pocketbooks?

Of course I believe the earth has billions of years on its clock and not just the 10,000 years the Bible discusses. If you were a person back in the ancient bible days, would you be able to fathom 4.5 billion years? Would knowing the exact details help you satisfy your human need to believe in faith, hope, right & wrong, or justice? Would you be able to understand it if God told you how he "did it" and why? No, of course you wouldn't. I don't think modern man (or his ego) can fully comprehend it all even now.

I don't disagree with the Theory of Evolution - I think we're still evolving as a species ourselves. However, I know that just like religion, it's still a theory even though it's based on a string of facts and the conclusions drawn from them. No actual seamless time line with the exact genetic outline of how one species has evolved over the millenia of course but the conclusions drawn from what time tables scientists have pieced together do provide enough proof for those who choose to believe it. You can wave a textbook around just as hard as a pastor waves his Bible.

Perhaps I still have faith in a higher power because that answers the "why" whereas science answers the "how." Understanding the how helps me appreciate God even more. I have evidence and facts in my own life to prove the Theory of God to myself. Hey, it doesn't work for everyone but it works for me and that's all that I need.

Although I am a Christian, I don't agree 100% with most major religions including my own on the basis that anything man-made tends to be flawed. It took me a while to realize that I'm allowed to bring my brain into the church with me and that I don't have to agree with every single thing I hear. God gave us free will and the power of rational thought for a good reason. That's the best part - you can believe what you want to believe! It's not up to me or your neighbor to condemn you to hell. It's not even up to God if you want to get down to the nitty gritty. It's all on you.

I find that we as human beings have a very real need to believe. It's like a sixth sense that we try to discredit just because our eyes and textbooks tell us something different. Even atheists and hardcore scientists believe in the absolute non-existence of something. They can't prove it to a 100% certainty, but they believe in it just as fervently as someone who believes in the existence of a Creator. Evangelizing the existence or non-existence of your beliefs while bashing the other schools of thought is like the pot calling the kettle black. It's like we all have the same chips on our shoulders, just with different bandages covering them.

Another observation I have made is the sad irony of how religion (especially Catholicism) tortured and shut out scientists (and anyone who might be perceived as having a different viewpoint) in centuries past... and once people were fed up with the oppression and society began accepting science as valid, the scientific community (otherwise known as the Bearded White Man's Club) turned the tables by shutting out and dispelling religion with their own brand of vehement hatred. Granted fewer people were tortured and killed by scientists... although the medical and scientific testing done on Holocaust victims that modern medicine benefits from today kind of hits both sides of this statement. Basically no matter how much we move forward, humans are still going to be human. And figuring out what we believe in and judging others against our measuring stick based on our viewpoint is part of being human.

I love to learn new things and draw my own conclusions. It's my right and I exercise it daily. I figure that I will never know the absolute truth of the how/why/when/where/and who of everything. I only have what resources I have - my brain, heart, soul, and gut, so to speak. So I will pick out the bits and pieces that make the most sense to me and draw my conclusions in the hopes that it fits the me I am right now. Then later on, I can trade out some of the other bits or layer on new bits of info as they arrive to suit my ever-evolving, ever-growing, child-of-God self. The foundation stays the same but my reality never does. It just keeps getting better and more interesting as time goes on.

For instance... I plan on seeing Expelled, a documentary by Ben Stein on how the scientific community has been shutting out their fellow scientists who are studying the Theory of Intelligent Design.

I don't know whether or not I'll agree with everything in this documentary... but isn't that the point of seeing movies or doing anything in life for that matter? To learn something new about the world and yourself?

Who knows how my reality will be further shaped or what new opportunities will open up just by trying something different.

I've got a crush on you...

We saw The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian last weekend. Yeah, yeah, the movie rocked. All I can really say though is that for the first time in who knows how many years, George Clooney has been trumped. And by a fictional character even. I heart Prince Caspian... and I don't necessarily mean the newcomer actor playing him. Although I sure as heck hit up Google as soon as we left the theater. I do look forward to seeing Ben Barnes play Dorian Gray as well as the upcoming Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Yum.

What I meant was that I have developed a full-on crush on the Prince Caspian.

Prepare yourself, I'm going to have a rare girly moment here: (Like) you know the scene where Susan was in the woods kicking ass but then became overwhelmed by the Telmarine soldiers after sending Lucy off to find Aslan by herself... and she falls down... and in rides Prince Caspian all smoking hot on his black steed and hunky armor... and he bends down, extending his hand to help her up...? THAT scene. A collective sigh rose from all the females in the audience. No joke. I'm sure many of the men shifted uncomfortably in their seats while simultaneously rolling their eyes in disgust. I've long ago realized that the 'knight in shining armor' bit was puerile hogwash, but that scene (and all the ones leading up to and following that scene which featured our handsome Prince)... let's just say that my heart went a-flutter and George fell off his pedestal with a resounding thud.

I still can't stare directly into the above photo for longer than a second at a time without blushing and looking away. No matter how mature and cynical I get, this movie will remind me that I still have a silly little girl trapped in the la-la-land section of my brain. And that little girl wants a wall-sized poster of this photo in her room to kiss goodnight. Perhaps some gaudy t-shirts and a Trapper Keeper emblazoned with his beautiful likeness...

Okay, girly moment over.

Custom Orders

Whew. Again, I say, whew. Obviously, I have not been updating this blog nearly as often as I’d like. I’ve been busy working on a whole slew of custom order requests as well as filling regular and wholesale orders. Here are a few I’d like to show off:

Ohio State University Megaphone & Football Fuzzies

Felt Fuzzi Clowns - Hair Clips

Thylacine Felt Fuzzies (Learned a lot of new stuff while researching this one!)

Dr. Seuss’ Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 & 2 Felt Fuzzies Hair Clips (I LOVE how these turned out. It took many tries - I have a bin of rejected attempts… mostly because I kept trying to make their whole bodies.)

Moose & Zee Felt Fuzzies Hair Clips (Yup, another one I had to Google. My kids are 11 and 9 so anything past Blue’s Clues and Dora is new to me.)

I still have a mailbox full of other requests to work on as well as new Fuzzies I'd like to add to my ever-growing inventory. And if I don't get some of my new painting and handbag ideas out of my brain soon... let's just say things will get real messy around here. Brain matter on walls messy.

Well, it’s time to pack the kids up and head out to church and then head out to yet another pool-related function. ;) I hope that everyone has a safe and blessed Memorial Day and please take some time out in between the BBQ’s and pool parties to reflect on what this holiday weekend is all about. Please remember our fallen troops in wars past and present as well as all our active soldiers defending our country today.

Toodles!

+ann

Duck Season

My little duck friends have finally hatched!

In my pool!

Yay!

They are so frackin' smooooshable, it's all I can do to resist scooping them up and snorggling them. At first they were all huddled together with their mama in a brick nook which, you'll have to take my word for it - was ADORABLE. But alas, they scampered off into the pool before I could grab my camera.







These 8 little duckies have until Memorial weekend to learn to fly and sca-daddle. Mean, perhaps... but I HAS A POOL PARTEH and quackers are not invited. *cheese*

345 to go.

22 customer emails answered, 345 to go... *_* I do believe it's time to find some more minions.


It's definitely time for my little company to expand. It's experiencing more growth and opportunities for expansion than I have resources to handle. How do small business owners get investors and loans to grow anyway? I know it's been covered six bizillion times in as many business books, websites, and guides. I guess I'm just looking for someone to do it all for me. Making sales pitches and glad-handing makes my intestines writhe.
*sigh*

There must be a pill I can take for this so that I can avoid doing the obvious:



Alright, the whine is out of my system. The pity party has been shut down.
Back to work! These Fuzzies don't make themselves!

Sunny day, sweeping the clouds away!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It’s National Child Abuse Prevention Month and I made this set of Sesame Street Felt Fuzzies to sell as a charity auction in my eBay store. 100% of the sale will benefit Prevent Child Abuse of Texas - a non-profit organization dedicated to creating “families and communities where children are free from abuse and neglect and nurtured by a loving family.” I can put either snap clips, alligator clips, or pins on the backs of these… mix and match - it’s all up to the winning bidder! Pssst, it’s hard to tell in the picture but the Count even has a little plastic monocle sewn in! Ha. Ha. Ha! ^_~

Please support this amazing charity by either bidding on or watching this item on eBay (380022290359)! Thank you so much!

Blessings,
Ann

More simple things we can do today...

* Pick up a can or bag of pet food or treats while grocery shopping to drop off at your local shelter.

* Pick up a can of beans or other pantry item to donate to a food pantry. Leave it at your mailbox on Sat. May 10th for your mailman to pick up. Or drop it off at your local church / fire or police station / the box at the front of your grocery store… it’s a food drive month so drop-off places abound.

* Clip useful coupons for your elderly neighbor to use. Better yet, offer to run errands for her/him.

* Click here once a day and a sponsor will donate food on your behalf.

* Click here to play the ‘Free Kibble Game’ and the site will donate kibble to various Humane Societies (Currently the Humane Society of Oregon).

* Send a pencil (or a box of pencils…) to The Pencil Project.

* Got a bunch of other office / school supplies laying around collecting dust? Teachers could sure use them in their classrooms at your local school. Contact your local school or a school in a deprived neighborhood to see if they can use what you have. Or check this place out… http://www.iloveschools.com/

Blessings,
Ann

Beautiful

Beautiful faces are they that wear

The light of a pleasant spirit there;

Beautiful hands are they that do

Deeds that are noble, good and true;

Beautiful feet are they that go

Swiftly to lighten another's woe.

-McGuffey's Second Reader

Make good by doing good! All it takes is one random act of kindness...

- a genuine smile and thank you to the store clerk,
- restraining your temper towards the guy who cuts you off on the road,
- give a larger than normal tip to a server,
- picking up that piece of litter you see on the sidewalk and throwing it away,
- hugging your kids / spouse and telling them you love them,
- checking up on an elderly neighbor,
- bringing a small gift to a co-worker who is down,
- acknowledging the existence and appreciation of that stranger on the elevator with you,
- encouraging others with a heartfelt word or two,
- seeing and appreciating the beauty that is in those not traditionally beautiful,
- feeling love for someone seemingly unlovable...

You can't possibly know what kind of day or life the other person is having. You can only know how your life has been so far and remember how you could have used a stranger's random act of kindness on your not-so-good days. So why not be the changer and not the victim of circumstances?

Have you ever noticed that cranky or victim-oriented people tend to attract other cranky and dastardly folks? Have you ever met someone who seems to always meet nice people and get free stuff / great service everywhere he/she goes? However, it's not a matter of getting things or respect from people, it's a matter of giving love and respect to others. People are inherently good, and once you start to realize that... it's easier to see and expect good people and actions all around you.

Here are just a handful of links you can do today:

http://www.doonenicething.com/
http://grapevine.fellowshipchurch.com/changeyourcity
hthttp://www.uniteforsight.org
http://www.autism-society.org
http://www.missionfish.org/

Love,
Ann

Free Life Tomorrow! Brand New & Improved!

If you keep hoping for a better tomorrow, that's what you get. And like the sign at Joe's Crab Shack says, "Free Crab Tomorrow."

Tomorrow never really gets here does it?

I hope for a better today. Things will get better today. Better yet, things ARE better today. I am a better person today. I am living my dreams today. I am stronger today. I am wiser today. How do I know? My many yesterdays tell me so. And next week, next year, and twenty years from now - all my yesterdays will tell me even more about what I did with my todays. I'm sure it will be an impressive tome. ;)

You don't have to see it for it to become a reality. You don't need to know how to get to where you want to go, only that you will get there.

Hogwash or not, tired rhetoric or not - this is how humans have gotten through the centuries and managed to accomplish so much.

As my favorite author Terry Pratchett says, "Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set fire to him and he's warm for the rest. of his life."

Today is awesome. Go light a fire under someone (or yourself!).


Love,
+ann

**Dammit, don't take this so literally. A homicide is still a homicide and arson will always be frowned upon in polite society. *_*

Poll!

Clocks

For the past few months, the regular clocks in my home (e.g. watches, clocks w/ faces, alarm clocks, coffee maker clock, microwave clock, etc.) have consistently run several minutes behind what all my computerized clocks say despite my resetting them to match. Our computers & cell phones constantly update themselves to match the time given by the internet-atomic-clock-thing... my other devices are older and obviously can’t.

None of this would have caught my attention if all my other clocks weren’t EXACTLY the same number of minutes behind, EVERY time. I’ll reset them to match my computers... then a few days to a week later... they are all behind again by exactly the same number of minutes. It’s really annoying when the DJ on the radio says one thing and the clock on the radio says another. It’s been too much for my slowly waking brain to handle in the wee hours of the morn’.

WTF?? Is there a "Time Gnome" resetting all my old-school clocks? Or is the atomic time running faster than normal? Are we spinning closer to / farther from the sun? Is someone taking the old adage, "Not enough hours in the day," literally? Perhaps it’s a ploy to make interest accumulate faster on our debts/savings. Maybe my old clocks have expired somehow and aren’t 2008 compliant. Ugh, this annoyance probably only involves my clocks. I’d like to think that aliens are involved though. Aliens are cool.

I just thought that by sharing this oddity with the Internet, it will cut it out and leave time well enough alone. I want my missing minutes, buddy. I want them back now.

+ann

I heart meebo.

I heart meebo! For years, I sought high and low for an IM program that would actually work on my mac. Alas, I could only use the built in Apple iChat… which of course, none of my PC-slave friends had.

Then along comes meebo.com… a web based IM with it’s shiny uncluttered desktop-like interface, FireFox add-on, mac-friendliness, universal capabilities (links all major IM programs) and awesome widgets. It, dare I say, kicks major patootie and is compatible with Windows, Macs, and Linux. I’ve recently added the “meebo me” widgets to my websites as a customer service chat tool and of course as a way to keep up with friends and family without having to pick up the gads-awful telephone. I find it impossible to multi-task and carry on a vocal conversation at the same time. And judging by some of you drivers out there… neither can you. Get off the damn phone! *ahem*

The FireFox add-on feature is impressive in its simplicity. As I mentioned, I use a mac… and an old one at that. So having too many programs running at the same time tends to make my mac angry. Newer macs don’t have this anger-management problem because they are built to handle all the heavy doo-dads the new apps like to dish out. By building meebo into FireFox, I have one less program to suck up my already stretched resources unlike the Java rich applets like the AOL and Yahoo IMs. Meebo just sits there as a sidebar, quietly keeping you connected to your different IM accounts and disappears whenever you tell it to.

On to Widgets… a web worker can never have enough widgets (or coffee). The internet has opened up unlimited new possibilities in business and communication thereby forcing us to work smarter and invent new boxes to work outside of. Widgets are a simple way to utilize the different internet tools available and filter vast amounts of information to meet your specific needs. By adding different customizable ’meebo me’ widgets to my websites and blogs, I can now interact with my customers and readers in real time, for free. The key being the ’free’ in case you didn’t catch it. There are numerous other CSM and chat programs out there, yet they usually either cost money, are laden with advertisements, or worse yet - are so heavy that they slow your site to a crawl. The meebo widget is cost-free, ad-free, and oh so very light.

I should mention though that it lacks the ability to export or print your IM transcripts (so business owners, take notes or copy/paste your customer convos). You can save the chat history with the transcripts in the meebo app itself, but from my experience, it disappears whenever I log out. According to the meebo blog, they have a future feature they are developing to remedy this. Another sorely missed feature is IP address tracking. It would be nice to be able to differentiate all the different anonymous ’meeboguests’ that use your widgets. Each meeboguest is automatically assigned a random number tag during every session, however it gets confusing when the same person visits your site repeatedly and has to re-introduce themselves over and over again. Of course, meebo would prefer that the guest signs up and creates their own account to eliminate any confusion, but obviously not everyone wants to go through the trouble of signing up with yet another site.

Now onto their customer service and help features. Nothing is more disappointing than finding that a website with enormous potential has gone flat because the owners don’t bother to keep it alive. Meebo actually keeps their site updated and relevant! *applause* As with any website and app, it takes some experimental clicking to figure out where everything is and what they do, leading to many trips to the Help, Blog, Forum, and Wiki sections. I haven’t had a need to email their tech support, *knocks on wood*, so I can’t tell you if they use robots or people. So far, meebo has proven to be on the ball when it comes to “squashing bugs”, listening to their users, and implementing new features. It’s no wonder they have a slew of sponsors and loyal users.

I also like the different design layouts (skins) and app features (games, video, etc.) although I have yet to try them all out. Eh, I could have put in some screen shots… but again, I’m on an older mac and it does not have a ’print screen’ feature. Most of the chat rooms are sponsored by bands which feature streaming music videos that you can watch while you chat. Every member of meebo also gets their own chat room to use and invite friends into. Integrating business promotional videos into my chat room is something I’m going to have to look into. Do I ever stop thinking of ways to build my brand, you ask? No. That’s why I’m still in business. *knocks on felt*

On a side note, I must admit that the brief time I spent in two of the band sponsored chat rooms made me realize just how much I hate chat rooms. If I ever go back into one of them, I will first need to aquaint myself with the ’bastard child language of the 3rd grade drop-outs’ - a language course I might add, that was not offered in my high school. The acronyms are one thing, those can be queried and deciphered with minimal effort. It’s the criminal abuse of basic grammar and spelling rules that I’m writhing over. In other words, the chatters weren’t stumbling over typos, taking creative literary risks, making attempts at humor, or being cute - they just didn’t know any better.

Now that I have wandered off into another trademarked ’Ann-rant’, feel free to join me in meebo-land by signing up and adding me (karmabox) as a friend (or enemy). You can direct your hate-IM’s there.

Cheers!
+ann

Virtual Fuzzies?

I just read a blog by a web-preneur who makes extra income on Second Life - selling internet advertising / marketing and get this... virtual meeting spaces! She and others actually charge rent to groups who meet online in their galleries and spaces. She also runs a virtual TV production company, sells virtual shirts & accessories, and sells real life SL swag on CafePress.

It turns out that many people also have virtual offices and do work in Second Life... this in addition to their First Life. Good grief! I thought the whole point of Second Life was to escape your dreary, work filled first one. I still can't figure out the flying bit - my character usually flies into everything. I guess that's why I gave up ages ago. It was absolutely flabbergasting.

Screen shot of a virtual office from a different blogger:

Now I'm thinking I may have to explore this venue further. I already work online. I could sell virtual fashions and accessories in my Second Life. Beats the heck out of actually making stuff.

Screen shot of a virtual meeting:

I cracked up when I read these two blogs (yes, there are two) and saw the pics (heck, I'm still giggling a little). But I've come to realize that this is the direction a lot of the business world has been moving towards for years. Society has already taken up residence online, business hounds like me were sure to follow. Resistance is futile. If anything, this is just one more venue to market my real life products in.

Egads, soon we'll all be hooked up to life support systems and the internet, living out our virtual lives strictly in our minds and on bits of silicon and light beams. And I'll be the last one on earth still stylishly clothed and working the machines while trying to sell Felt Fuzzies to the mutant dog-men running through the city ruins. *shudder*

Cheers!
+ann

Argyle, Lines, Pop Tarts, and Happiness

I saw a chem-trail plane this morning but couldn’t get to my camera in time… I must say one thing for the guys spraying the skies over Plano, TX (with God knows what) - kudos on the creative trail patterns. I like the argyle patterns you make here better than Vegas’ boring straight lines (see video). As a crafter, I’m all for creativity - I’ll remember your pretty patterns when the tumors start to develop and my children can’t breathe. *_*

My (conspiracy) theory is that someone is trying to manipulate the weather and/or slow down global warming. The German government has already announced publically that they are spraying their skies with “harmless” bits of dirt and other stuff as part of ongoing wargame exercises. The chemicals sprayed are supposed to trick any ground radar facilities. They also admitted that they had manipulated weather satellite images to keep it from the public. Well, I guess if the Germans are doing it… our government might be practicing their wargames, too. Darn, I was hoping for weather manipulation - preferably with a mad scientist who has hair issues and a secret lair.

What I really prefer over chemically induced migraines are Pop Tarts. I can’t eat them (bad, bad, processed, toxic, ick) but I remember them as being especially delicious in the Brown Sugar & Cinnamon variety. So what better way to satisfy my desire for Red No. 40 and Pyridoxine Hydrochloride goodness than to make them out of FELT… *sigh*

Yummy, felty goodness. The glass beads might bring up some digestive tract issues but it might become unnoticeable once the brightly colored hairballs start to come up. Enjoy!

I’m going to go drink a cup of freshly ground coffee before my sarcasm and excessive eye-ball rolling turns me into my pre-teen son.

Love and kisses,
+ann

P.S. The book I’m currently reading, Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert, is NOT a self help book as the title implies. Yeah, I was bummed when I found out too - I’m all for self-help. It is however written by an amusing Harvard psychologist (wrap your brain around that oxymoron) and teaches you all about the human brain, why we do what we do, think the way we think, some other deep psychological insights, and all with a dose of intelligent humor. It gets technical in some places and I have yet to come across any fluffy rainbows or catchy feel-good phrases. It’s science, baby! So far, so good.

Part of your complete breakfast.

Bowl-o-Fuzzies! Lots of new one of a kind Felt Fuzzies hair clips starting at $0.99 (eBay auctions).

And in other news…

My new painting. I call it “Sea Serenade.”

It’s inspired by that fun and crazy hormonal roller coaster ride we gals all know and love. For the past week, I’ve been drowning myself in the murky waters of self pity and sleep deprivation. Sprinkled with intermittent bursts of “Hairspray” karaoke and dance-outs. No… my kids don’t think I’m weird. They think this is normal. *_*

Tonight, I decided I had had enough of this funk and painted it all out of my system. I had a little help from Billie Holiday and Diana Krall - crooning my blues away. Now I can sleep. Ahhhh, sleep.

G’night!
+ann

P.S. I’m listening to the Swinging Pop Standards channel on AccuRadio… Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, Diana Krall… and Bjork? I’m scared and confused.

Happy Smooshies Day!

The day of Love is upon us, also known as the Gimme Chocolate Covered Diamonds Day, or more commonly referred to as St. Valentine’s Day. I could regale you with the history of this holiday but a simple check of our Magic 8 Ball (Google) could do it for you much more quickly and factually.

It doesn’t have to be just for lovers though - it’s for anyone capable of accepting and giving L-O-V-E. Love of life, God, self, kids, puppies, Fuzzies, trees, dirt, pumpkins, kitties, chocolate, bubble wrap, wine, opposable thumbs… and so on. It’s a reminder to us that we should celebrate and appreciate love in all of it’s glorious forms every day of the year. Just as we should remember our troops and veterans every day and not only on Memorial Day. Or that green beer can be drunken on any day, not just St. Patrick’s Day (although all the merriment that comes from having more than 6 green beers is not recommended). Or a reminder prompted by Thanksgiving that we should give thanks every day.

These holidays can become over-commercialized (Buy more Fuzzies) or hyped up (*B*u*y* *m*o*r*e* *F*u*z*z*i*e*s*!*) if we choose to accept them only as such. But I’d like to think of them as little breaks in an otherwise plain calendar that I can look forward to. I’m giving everyone I see today from the grocery clerk to my mailman a little token of my love in the form of a Spider-Man Valentine’s card (with temporary tattoos!) and a wee bit-o-chocolate. (I couldn’t find the Simpson’s cards… “I choo-choo choose you!” ) Of course it won’t repair a broken heart or fill an empty spot - but it will bring a smile to their faces and hopefully remind them that love comes in more than one form… if they choose to let it that is!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Love and smooshies,
+ann
(That annoyingly cheerful gal with the sappy grin…)

Oh Hammond, how art thou.

After years of experimenting with various Turtle to Cuteness ratios - coupled with many shakings of tiny fists and infected bites from non-cute snapping turtles - we are proud to present to you, Hammond the Sea Turtle. We didn’t just stop after attaching his warm, Walnut Brown shell to his svelt Limbo Lime body. Oh no, our Felt Guru went above and beyond the call of cuteness and added… get this… irridescent flowers and marvelous glass seed beads to this awe-inspiring hair clip! *gasp*

Awww shucks, please hold your applause. We at KarmaBox do what we do to benefit all Fuzzi-kind, not for the life-affirming glory or free schwag. But if you insist on showering us with our due praise and adulation, how can we deny you the satisfaction?

You.

Are.

Welcome.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

… Too much? Yeah, well I’ve been suffering from delusions of grandeur caused by the constant freezing and melting of my brain brought on by a typical Texas winter. Cross country frequent flyers don’t get this many weather changes - I don’t know what to wear anymore. So poop on yer. Turtle poop. *_*

*sniffles*
+ann

Bragging Rights!

This gal has had an insane couple of days! Lots to report and lots to brag about...

First, I got my 95 pounds-o-felt yesterday! Hooray! However, 'Hunky UPS Guy' failed to be the one to deliver it. Boo! No offense meant towards the UPS guy who did deliver it, of course. There ought to be a UPS Drivers' calender... hmmm, I'll be sure to mention it at our next Bored WAHM's meeting.

I nearly fainted at the sight of all this GORGEOUS felt. Three large, kid-sized cartons were stuffed almost to bursting point with this:

A feast for the eyes! Most of these colors have been nearly impossible to find and now they are discontinued. Lucky me, I stumbled upon an awesome eBay seller (quiltershusband) who went out of his way and really hooked this fabric junkie up.

In other news, my brilliant monkeys brought home their fabulous works of art from school yesterday. So what's a momma to do? Scan them and show them off, that's what! And because I think they are good enough to sell, I've uploaded some high-res pics of them to my CafePress shop to have them printed on lots of goodies. They now have their own section in my shop and the commissions earned from each sale will go directly into their respective college savings funds. Monkey 2 wants to go to MIT for goodness sakes! Monkey 1 is looking at either UT Austin or get this... Yale. *_* Either they bust their tails to earn full scholarships or I'd better win the lottery.

Here's my oldest son's work. He didn't have a name for it so I named it 'Abstract Cat'. Squint, tilt, lift your right arm... I promise there is a cat in there.

I absolutely loved his use of such fiery colors. This masterpiece was made with crayons. He usually gets frustrated by paint because he likes to put so much detail in his drawings which doesn't translate well when he uses brushes. He really enjoyed making this though so I'm hoping to encourage him to try painting abstract works on canvas.

And here is my little one's work. He calls it, 'Robot Cat'.

Can you believe how amazing it is? I was (and still am) very impressed and surprised when he showed this to me. He used mixed media (crayons, paint, and markers). I'm sending their art teacher a friggin' huge gift basket after seeing these two masterpieces.

Let's see, what else have I been up to... Besides wearing myself out writing HTML, CSS, and PHP & Java scripts for my various sites... listing tons of inventory in my eBay /Etsy / CafePress / KarmaBox stores... answering 90-150 emails a day... Fuzzing gobs of Fuzzies... drumming up Ron Paul support in my neighborhood... and writing this little ditty... I guess not much.

Okay, I'm going to take a nap while you buy some of my genius children's artwork.

Blessings,
+ann
(An unbiased mommy. Ha!)

Roar.

Latest addition to our Felt Fuzzies family of fine felty fun.

I’m also working on the following new and spifferiffic hair clips:

• Electric Guitar
• Giraffe
• Sea Turtle
• Lotus Blossom

Of course, I have a bunch of other kewl new Felt Fuzzies still in the design process. I’m talking goobles* of design ideas. My favorite thing about this medium is the versatility - the possibilities are endless and so much fun.

However, lately I’ve been juggling a ton of creative projects along with all the day to day e-business administrative duties so the new items just aren’t coming out as quickly as I’d like. The good news is that if my new minions survive my vigorous training program, I’ll be able to delegate more of the admin work to them. Here’s hoping! ^_~

Blessings,

+ann

P.S. I have 95 POUNDS of felt coming tomorrow!!!! Ninety-five! Egads! It will be arriving in three large cartons and hopefully carried in on the shoulders of my hunky UPS driver. H. U. N. K. Y. Oh yes. You know the one, he commands that glistening brown chariot through the winding streets of Plano just to bring me gifts of his affection. *sigh*

P.P.S. Okay, so he’ll probably use a hand-truck instead of his shoulders, his hunkiness will be concealed by heavy winter garb, I had to pay for those “gifts”, and the only thing glistening on that truck are the oil stains in the back… A girl’s still allowed some fun you know. *_*

* goobles (adjective) - less than gobs, more than oodles, and trademarked by me (not really). Not to be confused with Google’s Goobles, which is a noun and is Google’s form of currency. Didn’t know they had their own money, didya?

A little bit of 80's wisdom, Benson-style.

It's funny how much has and has not changed in 28 years, eh?

It's really not that difficult to get registered to vote and educate yourself on our choices and the issues, check it out:

http://www.declareyourself.com

Get off your barstools!

The cutest puppeh in the WORLD!

And if you disagree with me, you must be blind. Or hate puppies. Are you a puppy hater? Or do you just hate America? Just kidding. Kinda. Anyway, as I might have mentioned before, I am a CuteOverload.com addict. Imagine my glee when I found their "Free Schwag" category! Goobles of wall-paper sized pics and buddy icon images for you to choose from. Goobles!

Like this:



Oh.

My.

God!

Thank you for making such a cute, cute, cute, cute, CUTE puppy! Now when the web worker grind hits me and I'm feeling a bit ickish, I can quickly swipe my mouse to a hot corner and see her beautiful wittle face on my desktop. Ahhhh.

They have more pics on the site. Check it out!

Your Fuzziness,

+ann

Showing some love!

Thanks to sites like Zazzle and CafePress, I can paint to my heart’s delight, sell the originals to art lovers, and then sell high-resolution prints of them on things like calenders, shirts, yard signs, mugs, bibs, tiles, and hundreds of other useful items. My family can set aside their morbid fear of being trapped in an art gallery (no touchy!), I get to pay my bills, and you get sumpin’ purdy! Woo hoo! A starving artist no more. Besides, everyone should be able to enjoy art regardless of socio-economic hoo haas.

Seriously though, I love my CafePress ‘printables’. I have bought several of my own tiles, shirts, and other useful household items (waiting with bated breath for my Bob & Jane apron!!). Another thing besides the prices that I love about CafePress is the superb quality of their products. I have a shirt from there that has been washed a countless number of times over the past couple of years and it has yet to fade.

My compulsion to combine form and function in my work can be traced back to my youthful obsession with MacGyver. After all, if anyone can diffuse a bomb with a squirrel and a piece of chewing gum AND look ruggedly handsome enough to distract sexy KGB bombshells… it’s MacGyver. Oh yeah. My creations may not be nearly as exciting but I present to you the following: Exhibit A… my Felt Fuzzies hair clips are not only crafty & cute, they also provide you with a vital arsenal in the fight against bedhead. Exhibit B… the t-shirt I’m wearing right now is not only smokin’ hot, but also keeps me from facing indecent exposure charges AND… tells the world that Ron Paul Rocks. As for your shirt? It’s just a shirt.

Where was I…. oh yes. Zazzle has been a bit pricey (try a lot pricey) lately forcing me to upgrade my CafePress shop and move my full line of artwork and digital designs to their site. Well, a number of them anyway - more will be added weekly. Oh, but it’s now all so pretty and spiffy! After 3 consecutive hours of butt sitting, typing, and staring at a light bulb (monitor) it had darn well be spectacular, by golly.

Now on my store website, there is a new section under the ‘Categories’ box entitled ‘Artwork‘ with lots of little links to the different product types and design categories available for your giddy perusal. Go, click, BUY!

On a completely different subject, mucho congrats to Dr. & Mrs. Paul on their 51st wedding anniversary! That’s impressive!

Blessings,

+ann