More Lemons to Squeeze

Feeling pretty bummed this morning.

I just got word from my son regarding where he will be stationed when he gets to the big A.

So much for being behind the lines and safe. I just looked up his FOB (Forward Operating Base) and let me tell you, IT IS NOT BEHIND THE LINES.

I will be putting together care packages to send to our boys and girls. It really boosts their morale when they get them, plus they need really silly stuff like duct tape, carabiners, rubber bands, work gloves, batteries and lots and lots of toiletries.

If anyone would like to help me with this endeavour it would be truly appreciated.

More to come on that later.

Trying to Make Lemonade from Lemons

What a couple of days I have had!

Yesterday the 

broke and no way to fix it. So I scoured Craigs List and have to go and get one tomorrow. This I can understand as it was about 8 years old.

BUT...

 to add insult to injury, I got in my car this morning, only to find that some little bugger has sliced through my convertible top ...aaaarrrrgggghhhhhh.

Like we have the money right now for this sort of rubbish???

Now the trying to 'make lemonade' bit. I had a second interview for a job today. 

It seemed to go quite well, but of course you never know, so I am not holding my breath.

If I get it I will let you all know where it is and what it is close to (awesome places).

As you might know, my son William, joined the Army nearly a year ago.

He got word last week that he will be deployed to Afghanistan on Sept. 14th.

I am so proud of him and what he has achieved.

Now I REALLY need that job so that I can send him care packages every week or so.

He assured me that his unit would be safe and the only thing he had to worry about were these little beauties and staying clean. Now that really is "Making Lemonade From Lemons".

Camel Spider

TTFN

Look What I Found At Tuesday Morning!

I love getting mailers and catalogs in the post and vicariously shopping, don't you?

Last week I got a mailer from Tuesday Morning and what did they have but loads of the type of pillows we love to 'copy'.

and

Personally they are still too expensive for me to buy so I think I might just have a go at making one with the tea types on it.

How about this really cute table from overstock.com  

 

I KNOW someone can copy this! 

I was also excited to see in the latest edition of Better Homes and Gardens that  John Derian is going to be featured at Target again. Here is a really good article about what will available. www.shelterpop.com/2010/08/10/john-derian-target/

  

Haven't we been making these for ages????

Hmmm, I am feeling inspired...I will show you the results in another post.

TTFN

btw, do you like the larger or smaller text?

Naughty, naughty, naughty...

I have been a bit naughty recently, and ignoring my blog.

Where have I been you might ask...no where actually, just doing a million things at home and passing out at night.

To chill out a bit in the evenings I have been watching another great BBC series from Netflix. Set in the 19th century, it is called "Desperate Romantics" and is about the lives of the famous group of pre- Rafaelite painters, Rossetti, Hunt, Millais and Walters.

Not your usual stuffy period drama, this one is a romp and a laugh. Thoroughly entertaining and quite informative. Long, red, wavy hair abounds, as do naked women. It is really good eye candy from all sorts of  aspects!

It is has many episodes, so one is guaranteed loads of fun.

Lady Lilith

The Lady of Shallot

Ophelia

I have seen some of these in the Tate Museum in London. Absolutely gorgeous.

I am linking to suelovescherries.blogspot.com for Rednesday, so go by and see what other peeps have for show and tell.

Scamalot

As you all might know, I have been searching for work. 

A couple of things came up this last week, and I should have known better.

I will give you the brief version of what happened.

I answered an as on craigslist for a personal assistant. I was slightly skeptical about the whole thing, was emailed a few times, but today took the CAKE.

I received a check for nearly $1,000 and was given instructions to deposit into my bank keep part of it for myself, and forward the rest by wire to someone. Needless to say, holding a large check in my hot and sweaty little mitts, my internal alarms started to go off (my tummy started to hurt and I got a sick feeling). You know those sort of alarms? I think they are referred to as 'gut' feelings.

I did a bit of research. Neither the person sending me the check nor the person who was named on the check exist. I didn't even bother looking up the next person I was supposed to wire the money to. So then I looked up a 'scammers' website and guess what I found? Yup, you got it. I was about to be involved in a money laundering, highly illegal, scam.

What did I do you might ask?

I copied the information I gleaned from the scam website and emailed it to the person I was ostensibly to work for. I also said I would pass all the information on to the local FBI office (big bluff there).

HE HAD THE NERVE TO EMAIL ME BACK AND ASK WHAT THAT WAS ALL ABOUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I will just hang on to that little old checky wecky as a reminder that, even at my age, I can be had.

THEN,

my SO and I had a long, long, very long and repetitious, convo on the phone with a gentleman wanting us to use our credit card to buy into some sort of residual income thingy (which they never actually told us about). That ended in my
SO calling the guy out and hanging up.

I feel so had, taken and misused.

Has anyone else ever had this sort of experience or am I just the lame one? 

Eeh by gum, I'm right flummoxed I am!

Long time no post it seems.

I have been so busy trying to get some work going and working on orders for my shop, getting yard sales ready, cleaning up the debris from said yard sale (waiting for Amvets to pic up the boxes). Cleaning up and sorting after all the cleaning out and not sorting........

So many jobs to do and getting overwhelmed and confused. 

I have started a daily planner binder to help me. Now that has to be organised! No wonder wealthy people hire personal assistants to keep things straight.

If you know of any good places to download planner pages, let me know please.

I am starting my matchboxes for the Swap for All Seasons swap (see side bar) so there is another pile of paper to do something with!

That picture reminds me that it is.........REDNESDAY, and I should show some pretty redness.

Falling Leaves china from Mikasa.

Lennox 'Simply Fine' china called 'Chirp'. How gorge is this? I would just be happy with some plates or mugs.




And of course what would a beautiful plate be without something delish on it?





Mmmmm.....Red Velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

Linking to Rednesday @ suelovescherries.blogspot.com, come on over for some red fun!

Does It Ever Stop?

You might think that being out of work right now, I am sitting around eating choccie biccies and drinking tea all day.

Oops, those ladies are drinking pints, not tea.......

Well anyway, my craft room is looking much more organised (thank goodness) so now I have room to...wait for it....work on a fairly large custom order from my etsy shop for some tags a girl ordered for her wedding. I am very excited about that as you can imagine.

I am also having a yard sale on Saturday, so have been organising that.

If you know of anyone in the market for a boat, let me know.

I have also been looking into some at home work type jobs. OMG there are so many scams out there, but I think I found something that might work. I spent two hours today on a training call with them and just received the very explicit training manual via email, so tomorrow I will start working on that.

Phew......

In honour of Rednesday, I found something I would dearly love to own (when I make it big in either the crafting industry, the selling of second hand goods industry or the Jobscout industry).

I luuuurv these! They are hand painted.

 

Pop over to visit Sue for Rednesday and see what other redibles you can find.

Am I A Secret Hoarder?

Oh my gosh but I am exhausted!

It has been a week now since I left my job and took on another one at home....decluttering my studio. Isn't it marvelous how you start at one corner and it seems to get worse and worse before it gets bettter? All those tiny bits of paper to be sorted, all that ribbon to be rolled and organised....and on and on and on. I am seriously overwhelmed and keep having to take loooooooooong breaks.

But at least the closet is half empty.

It is Pink Saturday and I found this little pile of pink wonderfulness. Any suggestions as to what to do with any of it?

Back to sorting I go.

TTFN.

Latest Thrifty Treasures

I found these all at the same shop for next to nothing. There were so many pieces of dark turquoise glass all from ONE PERSON'S collection if you can imagine!

Isnt' the fabric just fabu? I will make some scented sachets for sale in the fall with them I think.

Linking to Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday.

Have You Made Any Flowers Yet?

Today I am participating in a Blog Hop at Somewhat Simple.

It is called Flower Power and offers a place to meet new people and also show off your floral skills.

I really haven't made many flowers yet, but here is a picture of my first attempt at felt ones.

I certainly had fun making them, and they were very quick and easy. As you can see, they can be used to adorn all sorts of things. I will probably make some into pins for the Fall when the weather gets more chilly, so  I can put them on the cardies I wear all the time (and no they are NOT Mr. Rogers cardigans!).

I just had a phone interview for an online support job that sounds right up my street, so I am on high alert waiting for a second interview.

Wonderful World of Froggy and Toad

Have you ever tried to watch television or find a good radio station to listen to as you craft or go about your daily chores?

I just found a brilliant solution and even YOUR CHILDREN will enjoy it too!

BBC Radio 7 Live Player.

There are loads of plays there that you can listen to. I am listening right now to "Wind in The Willows" by Kenneth Grahame.

Of course I read all the books when I was a child and have even seen it on stage but it never fails to capture me with its delightful humour and wonderfully colourful characters.

Give the BBC Radio player a go and see what you think.