Y'Know What Really Grinds My Gears?

Did you see what I did there?  I made a Family Guy reference.  Didja catch it?

All sorts of things are just bugging me this week.  And we all know misery loves company, therefore I present to you my list of irritants.

• It's been COLD.  Yes, I know it's Alaska.  Yes, I know it's supposed to be cold.  Yes, I know I hate the heat and therefore try to never complain about the cold.  But I am getting TIRED of it!  We had one of the coldest Novembers on record and now one of the coldest Januarys.  It's cold, it's dark, we can't go out and do anything... I'm over it!!  Please remind me of this post in July when I start whining that it's 85° and nothing is air conditioned.
• Amy Winehouse is dead.  She's been dead for a while now.  She was no revolutionary.  She was a dopehead who happened to have some musical talent.  Which she totally wasted by choosing to remain a dopehead.  Sure, a new CD released posthumously is to be expected, I suppose.  But the way people are still talking about her and pumping out calendars, clothing, you name it... it's just absurd.
• The stomach flu (or, more likely, some mutant virus) has had a hold on our house for over a week now.  We have all been feeling terrible, tired, and cranky.  The other night I threw up 13 times in 6 hours.  OVER IT.
• Hate to shatter anyone's dreams with this one, but none of the presidential candidates (from any party) is the next Messiah. No one has a magic wand that can fix what's wrong in a day, a week, a month or even a year.  Let's just all try to educate ourselves, watch debates, be mindful of where information comes from before we believe it, and vote with our hearts and our heads.  And for the love of all that is holy, please do vote.
• Speaking of being mindful of where information comes from, I swear I'm going to unleash this irritated fury on the next person who sends me a stupid email based on nothing but tinfoil hat paranoia about something the president or Congress or someone is doing.  Yesterday it was "OMG! Effective immediately, we all have to pay 3.8% sales tax when we sell our house!!"  Puh-lease.  Do some freaking research before you pass that crap on.  The only way to kill a parasite (lie) is to starve it (not forward it).
• Two months in a row now, our electric bill has been over $220.  This is ridiculous.  The bill I just got yesterday was for $227.  Of that, $87 was electricity.  The rest was for the oil they use to generate the electricity itself (and a few fees/taxes).  What?  Are you telling me there's no better way and no one's getting rich out of this deal?  I'm not buying it.  This means that between heat, water, and electricity, it cost us almost $600 last month just to not freeze to death and to be able to bathe and drink water.  I'm angry.
• Did I mention we are still paying more for gas than the vast majority of the country?  Did I mention we have a refinery within 20 miles where the crap is made?  Yeah.  You have to run your car a lot when it's -45°... it's not cheap.

Don't get me wrong, most of everything here is just peachy.  We all have a bad week now and then, no?

So, what's grinding your gears?!

(On one happy note, go check out my CRAFTY BLOG if you haven't already... I've been busy!)

A Little Announcement

I read a long time ago that it's not good to have multiple separate blogs for the separate topics you write about.  Not only is it harder to keep up that way, I read, but your readers don't want to have to go to 27 different bookmarks to read you.  Makes sense.  So, for a long time, I went with that philosophy.

Then I realized it wasn't working.

I write here about my crafty things - my own projects as well as special promotions at CTMH.  Yes, I'm a Consultant for CTMH, but I'm not an aggressive one.  I almost have a guilt complex about actually chasing business.  (That's probably why I was just demoted to a Junior Consultant for not meeting my Q4 sales goal, ha!)  That's really not what I'm in it for, anyway.  I like that I can help provide my friends with high quality stuff at fair prices, and I can make a buck or two in the process too.  I use CTMH products exclusively now, except when I see an opportunity to use up something from my old stash from before I found out about them.

So anyway, I feel guilty even posting about CTMH on this blog because I don't want you thinking I'm trying to pressure you to buy.

I'm not!

Yet, the posts I make here about my crafty stuff, and especially my CTMH posts, are almost completely ignored, which tells me that this isn't the right place for them.

So for my own selfish reason of alleviating that guilt, and to start feeling like I can post about that stuff anytime I want to, I created a new blog just for my crafting.  And no, it's not just a huge sales pitch.  It's my spot to share things I'm working on, ask for feedback, etc.  I'd love it if you'd check it out and follow!  If you don't, I understand that too.

Sidenote, that blog design is only temporary until I run across the dough to have Diana make me a real one.  It's cute, but it's not perfect for my craft blog!

If you go follow that blog (HERE), I'll give you one million dollars.  Or, I'll just smile a lot.  One or the other.

Wordless Wednesday

(Image courtesy Google Images)

Snuggie Weather... Sans Snuggie

Having been born and raised in Alaska, I've probably heard every question, assumption and stereotype there is about the weather here.  And true, it's normal for us to have some brutal cold, especially in January and February.  But every year, I swear it sneaks up on us and catches us off guard.

Every year, we consciously (or subconsciously?) fool ourselves into thinking that this winter it won't dip down to the point of dangerous cold.  But every winter, it does.

It's not that I hate the cold.  I don't really even dislike the cold necessarily.  It's just... inconvenient.  Cars don't like to behave properly.  Lungs can start to freeze from the inside out after just a couple of minutes.  Nostrils, well, nose hairs, freeze closed after just a few breaths.  Feet get painfully cold walking just from the car to the grocery store.

And don't get me started on trying to keep a toddler warm from the car to the front door at daycare.

Cabin fever starts to set in.  Even if there's nowhere I need to go, I start to feel restless because I can't just hop in the car and go.  (At these temps, if the car isn't in a garage, it needs to be plugged in for several hours ahead of time and then it needs to run for 20-40 minutes before it's tolerable inside.)  And there aren't many feelings I dislike more than feeling trapped.  So, for me, that's more the issue with the brutal cold.

But ya know what?  It's also kinda nice.  Not only does it feel familiar, since I grew up with this, it also forces us to stay home, bundle up with blankets, watch movies, drink warm beverages, and be thankful for a warm house.

And today, despite temps near -50F, I was grateful for a great husband, two four-legged portable heaters... and a sweet little boy who was in a great mood, said some new words, and was just generally adorable despite the ridiculous conditions outside.

And that's because he has no idea that he's trapped!  (Pardon my nasal-y voice, I'm still getting over the last cold he gave me.)

The Fruits of My Labor

Last year at Christmas time, Aidan was only a couple of months old.  I was too exhausted for coherent speech, let alone to make anything crafty for the holidays!  This year, thankfully, he is sleeping better.  So somewhere in the middle of November, I started making my Christmas cards for this year.  I had about an hour a day to work on them between when he went to bed and when I needed to get ready for bed myself.  So it took a lot of evenings, but I sure had a lot of fun.

I'm finding that I like cardmaking more than scrapbooking, for the most part.  Maybe it's a copout on my part, as making cards means that I don't have to choose pictures, have them printed, pay for the printing... you get the idea.  Plus, cards bring joy to others moreso than a scrapbook on my shelf does, so that's a draw, too.  Don't get me wrong - I am still scrapbooking!  (I'm currently working on the scrapbook I started for my dogs before Aidan was born.  The neurotic person in me has to do these chronologically... so I haven't started Aidan's yet.)

The hardest part for me about making cards is developing the design.  I sometimes let myself get overwhelmed with the possibilities and get bogged down.  So I started with a Workshops on the Go guide from one of last year's Christmas kits, and then I modified it to make it my own.  I also didn't want to make all my cards from the same design, so I branched out a little from there when I felt like it.  I like having the flexibility to do that and I also waste less paper.

Here are three of the designs I did this year.  (And yes, I also sent store-bought cards; I didn't have time nor enough supplies to make almost 50 handmade ones!  If you got a store-bought one, please don't be offended.  This was not an easy choice for me to make!)

For all three of these cards, I cut a 6" x 12" piece of solid cardstock for the card itself, then cut it in half.  For this first one, I stuck the large white/striped piece on first, followed by the red vertical strip.  I cut the brown square, stamped "Noel" with a dark blue ink, and added a dab of Liquid Glass by each "Noel" for a nifty look.  Next, I punched a 1/8" hole on the left side and added the nylon flower (the center of it is a brad).  Lastly, I stamped the ornament on white cardstock using the rock 'n' roll technique (whoa, check out that video that's linked there... holy hair!!) to achieve a two-color look.  This is why it looks a little darker around the edges.  I used Holiday Red for the main part of the stamp and then rocked it in Barn Red.  I cut it out and attached it with regular scrapbooking glue.  I love the result.

The technique for this card was very similar.  I obviously used the same papers, but in different configurations, and got a totally different look.  I also used a different ornament and a snowflake brad that I thought was a nice complement.  I skipped the Liquid Glass on this one.  Note the way the ink I used on the ornament stamps matches the red color on the snowflake paper.  This is no mistake; CTMH is great about coordinating colors so that they match perfectly.  If you buy a paper packet in cranberry, and an ink pad in cranberry, they WILL be the same color.  It's one of my favorite things about our stuff.

And finally, I got ambitious with this last one (and had run out of the red snowflake paper, ha!); I stamped and cut out three small ornaments.

I did learn a great little trick about mass-producing cards like this, even if they aren't all the same design.  I learned to cut my papers all at once, which involves some pre-planning, then to split the cards up into stages.  For example, I'd cut everything I needed to make four of the same card.  I'd glue the decorative paper elements on to the plain cardstock, stopping just short of adding the dimensional elements like brads.  (The idea is to skip anything that could be smushed.)  Then I stuck the four cards, damp in spots with fresh glue, under a huge heavy dictionary until the next night.  I found that the dictionary eliminated any dimpling or distortion from the glue, so the next night, I could just add the final touches and be done.  The finished project is much better.

Next up?  Valentine's Day cards!  Last year I was still pretty new at this, so the cupcake-themed card I made for hubby kinda looks like an 8 year old made it.  It won't be hard to top!

Want to try your own?  I promise you'll be better at it than you give yourself credit for.  First step, go HERE and start shopping!  The sky's the limit.

Words to Live By

This morning, a friend tweeted a link to a post on a blog I'd never seen before.  It is just three sentences, but they are powerful.  And I wish everyone thought more like this.  Our world would be a much better place.

"One option is to struggle to be heard whenever you're in the room...

Another is to be the sort of person who is missed when you're not.

The first involves making noise. The second involves making a difference."

Read that again.  And a third time, if you think it's worth it.

YES!

I like to think I'm in the second crowd, but I suppose most of us would.

I used to catch a lot of heat for being the quiet and shy type.  Still do, now and then.  But school was the worst.  From grade school all the way until I graduated, I was known as the quiet type.  I was recently referred to by an old classmate as "a brainy one."  Uhh... thanks?

Truth is, I get a lot more out of listening to others, and watching others, than I do out of being heard myself in most situations.  Sure, I have stuff to say now and then like anyone does, but I'm not a person who thinks their ideas will change the world.  I think some people like that are presumptuous, even if they're right and they're brilliant.  Even if going out of their way to be heard means more personal or professional success, a higher paying job, or a new invention that will do the laundry while I'm at work.  (Okay, okay, I'd forgive that person if I got a free prototype.) 

I may be intelligent enough to dress myself in the morning and I may be educated according to a piece of paper in my file cabinet, but I don't believe I am superior to anyone else and I like that about myself.  The guy who picks up our trash on the curb on Wednesdays is quite possibly more intelligent, or educated, or creative, or business savvy, or a better parent, than I am.  I don't feel threatened by that.  And that's why I'm okay letting others talk while I listen.  Maybe I'll learn something.  A new idea, a different perspective.

I'm not threatened, either, by people whom I disagree with about politics or other issues.  I don't believe that someone is automatically wrong, mistaken, misinformed or stupid if we don't agree about who the best president would be or where our tax dollars should go.  Everything that person has experienced in their life has led them to the beliefs they have; who am I to say that their experiences are any less important than mine? I think that a discussion with someone who is on the other side of an issue from me can only bring me more knowledge and more tolerance.

Besides... I'd always rather be the type that is missed rather than heard.  If I'm missed, that means someone cares about me.  If I'm heard, it means someone else has ears.

That's a no-brainer.

ADOPTION Stamp Set Retiring! Get it Now!

The new Idea Book is going live soon, and I cannot wait to share it with you!  The only downside, of course, is that it means the retirement of some products from previous Idea Books.  There are some really cute ones that are going away to make room for new and exciting sets.  The one I wanted to bring your attention to was the ADOPTION set - this was one of my very first stamp sets!

This particular set is great for announcements, congratulations cards, passalong cards (ahem, Brittany!), scrapbook pages, and so much more.  I used mine for the invitations I sent out for Aidan's finalization hearing.

Here's a slideshow of all of our retiring products (courtesy of a fellow Consultant). They are only available while supplies last. To see the whole album, click on the slideshow. Jot the item number down and place your order HERE!  (To see a list of items that are already discontinued and now being offered at heavily discounted prices, click here.)

To place your order - don't wait! - click here.  Place a qualifying order in January and receive this set, the Stamp of the Month, for only $5.  I love the versatility of this one for calendars, cards, scrapbooks and more.

Oh - and one more thing!  Place a qualifying order and receive the Rock the Block set for only $15!  What a great gift idea.  Don't forget Valentine's Day is only about five weeks away - and Mother's Day will be here before we know it.  Think ahead this year and give handmade gifts.  Not only will you save buckets of money, the recipient will appreciate all the thought and effort you put into it.

Did I mention you shouldn't wait?!  GO!