HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Halloween 2006...front yard with some photoshop thrown in

Another look at Halloween past...

Halloween 2005. The iron masked, skeletal handed, staff carrying cloaked guy was 10 1/2 and the frog was 6 months old - so maybe he should have been a tadpole?

Featuring...DoubleDippedSweets!

Well - you will have to excuse the lateness of my Friday Featured Seller...I will be leaving her up an extra few days - so let's just look upon it as being a couple days early.

Get ready for some yummy treats that you sure won't find trick or treating...

Candy Corn Candy Apple

Double Dipped Sweets - the name says it all.

Where can we find all your wonderfull goodies?
etsy shop: doubledippedsweets
http://doubledippedsweets.blogspot.com/
http://etsyedibleartsteam.blogspot.com/

Describe your shop...
I specialize in Caramel Apples and Gourmet Popcorn.I use top quality Chocoaltes and Caramels, to make the best possible treat!

How long have been making these tasty treats? how did you learn?
I started doing this in Feb. of 2007. I just learned as I went! It was, and still is, fun to experiment!
Which are your favorites to make? to eat?
I love making the apples. I've really come far in improving on how they look, and it's so much fun to be artistic in a small degree!
Do you have a non-sweets job?
I do. I work PT as a morning receptionist. I also have 3 kids - the oldest is 5! So, I'm pretty busy!
Could you tell us one thing about your life you wouldn't mind sharing?
I'm running this business to help out with family finances. We've had financial issues our entire marriage, and now with the economy not helping, every little bit helps. What etsy teams do you belong to?
I started Etsy's Edible Arts Team (team EEAT) which has an amazing array of Edible Artisits. Search Team EEAT on Etsy to see our work.
I'm a member of Big Damn Crafters, Fabulous Artistic Moms (FAM), UtahEtsy, and Cafe Etsy Mom.

And as you can see, she even has yummy gift baskets for anyone looking for yummy and unique gifts for someone with a sweettooth!

My New Red Bags

Rich Red Embroidered Handbag with Black Acrylic Handles

Red Duck Cloth with Grosgrain Ribbon Wood Handled Tote-style Handbag

Red Clutch with Silvery Grey Floral Ciffon and Floral Brads

Firefly Goodies Received!!!

Woo Hoo! It's time for me to show off all the stuff I got spoiled with by my Craftster Firefly swap partner 'popculturerecycled'. And spoiled I was!!! There are plenty of pics to show off each and every item over on my flickr for all you die hard fans.

First off...here's a bird's eye view of the total haul: You can see Mal's ration box in the upper left corner, Blue Sun goodies in the upper right, an Inara inspired top in the lower right corner, cards and prints in the middle and lower left, and the scripts on the left...

Mal's ration box here contained all necessary paperwork for Serenity: including license, discharge papers, money, letter and tickets from Inara, Blue Sun goodies and an Earth That Was bottle. She also put in loads of prints ...

and even all 16 episodes of Season 1 "Serenity: If Only..."

Next up - star pinup box which held a bunch of Jayne and Vera magnets...

The magnets of Vera and Jayne's hat...

Blue Sun bottle of blue beads, votive holders and 2 medicine bottles...
even the label is accurate!

Fruity Oaty Bar plate and oriental fabric bean bag

(smells delish! too bad no scratch 'n sniff here)

The Scripts: Amazing! I can not wait to read them!

16 episodes of "If Only..." : all wrapped up in a pretty bow...

And not pictured in the overall haul...Jayne's rainstick!!!

EtsyMom Super Giveaway

The Etsymom Street Team is prepping for the holidays by taking the time-honored tradition of gift-giving to another level! Riding the wave of unity, harmony and excitement inspired by the Etsymom Trunk Show in September, our team tossed around a few ideas about our next team event. A little idea of having a giveaway, where Moms would donate an item to be given away each day of November on our blog has morphed into a SUPER GIVEAWAY!! When the call for volunteers went out we had an overwhelming response of over 60 shops willing to donate a $10.00 in value item to this cause. Two winners will be randomly chosen everyday to receive one of over 50 prizes.. Donations will range from an assortment of hand embroidery, vintage finds, hair clippies, baby accessories, paper crafts, earthenware pottery and more. Perfect for gift-giving! There is a little bit of everything, so whether you like trendy, shabby chic, traditional or retro styles, you're sure to find something! Don't miss this ONLINE EXTRAVAGANZA. Visit us here beginning November 1st for giveaway rules and deadlines!

I'm Kreativ !?!

A certain GoodWitch bestowed upon me this wonderful award. She gave me homework with it too! Which I gladly accept. Amazing - someone actually reads me :) Thanks!

The Rules for the Award are as follows:
1. Mention the blog that gave you the award & comment on their blog when you post the award.
2. List 6 things you VALUE & 6 things you DON'T VALUE.
3. Then, pass the award onto 6 other blog buddies!

I value...

1. My family. The order in which we grew may have been a tad untraditional, and a tough time coming for one of us...but it's the best family a girl could ask for.

2. Creativity. Whether it be mine or someone elses. I don't even want to begin to imagine what this world would be like without art!

3. Fresh unused paint and brushes! They are so nice, I almost don't want to ruin them.

4. Fabric. And more fabric. And maybe a touch more fabric.

5. Honesty. Cheesy, yes, but true.

6. Electicity. It may not be as green as a flame...but my computer and sewing machine would be nothing without it!

I Don't Value...

1. Excessive Materialism that serves only to feed the ego and overinflated sense of importance ... and with it all the damn SUVs and Hummers, and cosmetic surgery for vanity only, and having to keep up with the Jones', and all that other stuff that should have been left back in the 80s.

2. Election campaign ads. 'nuff said.

3. Junk mail (agree with witchy here) ... don't want it. don't need it. I'd rather they just save the tree.

4. Gold and diamonds. I prefer silver and fun stones and gems.

5. Practical jokes. I never have found them amusing...just hurtful.

6. Credit Cards. A necessary evil, but I can't stand how they are overused and pushed upon everyone. I guess this can also be under materialism...but not quite.

I pass this on to...

buffyfest - friend of the Whedonverse

lucky ladybug - trading buddy and bracelet babe

chicaloo - MICEtsy fearless leader

cindygert - fellow craftster, Michigander and bag maker

dbhoyleart - 30/30 challenge master

caterpillar peacock - fellow craftster and Firefly swapper

and ladies...don't fret if you don't feel like playing...if you don't, how about a cute picture for us to enjoy instead?

Sneak Attack!

The Handmade Movement has started a fun new shopping experience ... sneak attacks. A different shop sponsors each one. A new shop or one with little to no sales is chosen to be pounced upon. "As many people as possible then buy items from that shop, resulting in a frenzy of surprise business to the unsuspecting shop! "

Last night's shop was JooolesDesign - original photo greeting cards and enlargements.

I joined in last night and found a great buy for myself:

Check in with Handmade Movement for the next scheduled Sneak Attack: Monday, Oct. 27th; 7:00pm EST ... the shop will be announced on their site at 7pm EST.

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

Friday is my usual day for food...but today it is also my etsyblogger carnival submission. I do not have a photo at the moment, but do plan to make this in the next week and will post some then. ...I finally made this again and took pictures...Enjoy.
Serves about 8 - depending on your sweet tooth :)

Ingredients:

1/2 pound butter, soft, for pan
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
2 whole egg
2/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1. Bake in round 9-inch cake pan or springform pan. Set rack to lower slot and preheat to 350*. Line cake pan with parchment paper.
2. Place 4 Tablespoons butter in pan and set in oven until it melts.
3. Remove pan from oven and stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon, spreading it over the bottom of the pan.
4. Spread cranberries over the sugar mixture.
5. In a medium bowl, cream the remaining butter, granulated sugar and egg yolk.
Stir in the eggs one at a time and whisk until smooth.


6. Add sour cream, vanilla, salt - stir.
7. Add remaining dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and baking soda - stir. note: the consistency will be a little like sugar cookie dough.


8. Spread in pan over the cranberries (try not to mix them in)


9. Bake at 350* until center springs back or use toothpick to test for moist crumbs (not wet gooiness)...about 50-65 minutes.


10. Cool for 5-10 minutes. Use a knife on the sides to remove from pan - flip and let sit another 5 minutes before removing pan. (if using springform pan, just unclasp sides and flip)

Nutrition...do you really wanna know?...

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 549 Calories; 29g Fat (47.2% calories from fat); 17g Saturated fat; 6g Protein; 68g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 150mg Cholesterol; 505mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 5 1/2 Fat; 3 Other Carbohydrates.

Firefly Swap Goodies

I recently participated in a swap over at Craftster. My partner, popculturerecycled, has received all the Firefly goodness I sent, so now I can post them! I have 1 of 3 packages she sent me and will be posting those as soon as pics are taken.

Ok - Let's start with what she wanted the most: The Jayne Hat. Unfortunatley for 'pop', I do not know how to knit. So instead, she got a sewn fleece version of the hat.

Next up is the scrapbook. These swaps are always fun for trying new crafts. And if the texture showed better, you could see what I meant. These pages are complete with "textured" paper supplied by the glue application of the pics. Let's just look upon it as an appealing mistake and move on :) With her mix of mechanic and girly, Kaylee is one of my favorites . So using her room door sign as inspiration, I decorated a wooden box to hold trinkets she would love...oh, and a couple of Wash's dinosaurs.

And last, there are the paintings. I did not realize just how much I missed painting until now. They were so much fun to do. It is a series of shots of Serenity as she takes off around a planet. Each one has a verse from the theme song written in a corner.

note: there are more pictures over on my flickr , including each scrapboook page and box sides, if you are interested/curious/need a laugh.

More Soup for TnT

Rosemary Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

1 cup wild rice, cook as directed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast halves without skin, cubed or shredded
1 cup carrot (2 med), diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 tablespoon rosemary, dry
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1 teaspoon pepper
8 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk, 1% lowfat, or whole

Directions:

1. Cook rice as directed on package.
2. In skillet heat oil & add garlic. Cook until golden.
3. Add chicken, carrot & celery. Cook 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally.
4. Stir in rosemary & cook until chicken is done, about 8-10 minutes.
5. Stir in marmalade, mustard & pepper. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.
6. In Dutch oven (large pot) bring the stock & butter to a boil.
7. Add chicken mixture & rice to broth.
8. Simmer about 30 minutes. Add milk & continue to simmer 15 mintes - stir occasionally

Nutritional info:

Per Serving: 191 Calories; 6g Fat (28.3% calories from fat); 2g Sat fat; 17g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 34mg Cholesterol; 653mg Sodium.

Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Soup for Tote 'N Tots

Garden Harvest Soup

Servings: 18
Yield: 18 cups

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 quarts vegetable broth
28 ounces diced tomato (1 can) ... or equivalent fresh
1 cup water
1 small head of cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce, optional
salt and pepper, optional
fresh parsley, optional
fresh cilantro, optional

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, over med-hi heat, cook onion in heated oil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in carrot, garlic & bell pepper; cook until tender.
2. Meanwhile, in large stock pot, heat stock, tomatoes, water & cabbage. Add veggies once tender.
3. Simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes.
4. Season to taste with hot sauce, salt & pepper, or herbs as desired.

Nutritional info:
Per Serving: 107 Calories; 3g Fat (22.0% calories from fat); 1g Saturated fat; 4g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 1mg Cholesterol; 738mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.

recipe adapted from "YOU on a diet"

Halloweens of yesteryear...9 years ago

Halloween - 9 years ago? maybe 10?- he was 3 or 4 here-13 now
This is the outfit that got me into sewing

My Teen and his creations...

My 13 year old loves the computer. He has a fascination with changing graphics and photos...merging is more like it. All of his media teachers have said he could have a great career in graphics. We believe them because of his enthusiasm for it all, but we see some pretty odd things - some fun ones too - like these...

cartoon character Gir as Batman

"Snuggles" - combo pokemon, bunny rabbit, reptile & Michigan J Frog's hat
Guy in a hurricane

umm...not really sure

One possible graphic for his marching band section

And intoducing...Lucky Ladybug Designs

I met Lucky through my etsyblogger team when we had a little fun trading.

Take a moment to browse around her shop and enjoy the jewelry and crocheted items.

You can also visit her at her blog.

This is my personal favorite (after the one I will be getting in the mail any day now):

What is the name of your etsy shop?

Lucky Ladybug Designs at http://www.glorybe1024.etsy.com/

How long have you been crafting?

For fun ~ since I was six or seven. My aunt had a ceramic shop. I got into cross stitch in my twenties and then started with crochet about five years ago.

What is your favorite medium?

I enjoy crochet because I can take it anywhere. I love all the possibilities with yarn.

Which piece in your shop is your favorite right now and why?

I love the combination of colors. I started out using a pattern then finished it off using my imagination.

What is your favorite medium that you enjoy for just yourself ?

I love beading. I have about twenty bracelets that I just can't part with!!

Have you had support from family and friends in your artisan endeavor?

My husband puts up with my overflowing yarn stash now that I have a craft room.

What inspires you?

So much inspires me! Finding a fun yarn or pretty bead. Also, I enjoy looking at other estians' creations. I will spy something and see other ways to do it or other colors to use. There are times when I will just stroll down the aisles of craft stores and see something that interests me. I am also a compulsive web surfer and I have found great tutorials all over the internet.

Describe your workspace?

Right now - a bit unorganized and cramped. I am sharing my room with my husband's drum set that we have been unable to sell. I have a vision of what I want...I just need to get the drum set out of the house.

What hobbies do you enjoy?

I love doing community theater productions. My last show was "The Mystery of Edwin Drood". I got to dress up in beautiful Victorian costumes and a wonderful wig. It inspired me to do away with my blonde hair and I now have a beautiful coppery brown shade...I feel fabulous!!

Do you have work outside of the art field?

I work in a Not-For-Profit organization as the Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Publishing and I must say I have the best boss in the universe!

If you could be anything for Halloween, what would it be?

I am going to a Halloween party and I am considering being Miss America or a flapper.

"I am so blessed in my life! It is filled with a wonderful husband, great kids and awesome friends both on the internet and in real life. I am amazed everyday at the abundance I enjoy and I know that God truly answers prayers "

Scallops with Parsley-Brandy Pesto

Serves 2

Ingredients:
3/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (or 4T dried)
1/2 ounce feta cheese, or goat cheese
1 tablespoon brandy
2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
8 ounces sea scallops, about 8 large
4 ounces spaghetti (this is the dry amount)

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. In food processor combine parsley, cheese, brandy, walnuts, lemon juice, 1t oil & garlic - process until chunky-smooth.
3. Heat nonsrick skillet & coat with spray. Add scallops and saute until browned outside & just slightly translucent in the center, about 2-3 minutes per side.
4. Transfer pasta, scallops & pesto to serving plate & toss well to combine.

Nutritional info:
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 425 Calories; 10g Fat (22.3% calories from fat); 2g saturated fat; 30g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 44mg Cholesterol; 279mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat.

From needle and thread to “business as”….... Part 3: Checklist of To Dos

The next thing I went searching for in my quest to start my own business was what I had to do for it to be a legal business. The books I had read covered this pretty well, so I summed it up here in a checklist for you. (This information is specific for the USA, but it could still be helpful as a starting point for those in other countries) I was able to obtain all of this online.

1. Local level: Is a license for your business needed for your city? - check with your city and if it is not needed, check with your county, then with your state

2. Check your zoning if the business will be home based (through city or county)

3. File with the county clerk a DBA (“Doing Business As”) aka - your biz's name...if it's just your name or a variation - it probably won't be needed (like if mine wasn't TiLT creations but was Jane Smith's creations, a DBA would not be necessary)

4. Seller's Permit (thru state) aka Certificate of Resale - for state tax collection on sales

5. Federal tax ID (FEIN) website You will need one if Sole Proprietor (meaning it's just little 'o you)

other things to consider:

>Home insurance - if need optional riders are needed to cover tools, equipment, material, inventory, etc

>trademark (if have one you want to register it to protect it)

>separate phoneline for biz (can be your cell phone - possible write off )

>bank account for your biz - need DBA for most business accounts, it is technically illegal to use your personal account for your biz

Links to federal gov’t sites:
IRS tax info for businesses
IRS forms and publications

My state and local links are here…yours will of course be different, but from these you can get an idea of what things are:

Oakland county- hobby to small biz

starting a biz in Oakland county

license search - crafts

MI sales tax
MI dept of treasury registration forms

I hope this helps you in your journey

next time...more on pricing. still to come: fairs, marketing & promos, useful sites

Potty Training 101 and 2

He started wear his underwear to preschool last Tuesday. It was now a regular clothing item. Pull ups optional for going out and sleeping. We have had a hard time even getting that far. Fussing, whinning and even crying and shouting has been heard by all...and by all, I mean the neighbors. He has had some accidents along the way. And he has had some successes.

But today...big success. He got his big roaring dinosaur. A bribe perhaps? Maybe. A reward is more like it. This reward was no for just peeing in the potty. He has done that the last couple days fairly regularly. No - he got it for the big "P", the 'ol number 2!!! If I was a guy I may have more fun and zany terms to throw out there, but I think there's enough info here to get the gist.
Congrats my little man! Go Wyatt, go Wyatt, you used the potty, uh huh uh huh uh huh!!!

TOTE-N-TOTS: The Kindness of Strangers

My husband always stops for people asking for handouts or help or whatever. He truely believes in the 'do unto others' ideals. I love him for that. Yes, he knows that not everyone is honest about things. But for those that are, it is worth the effort. He always says that you never know who who may be helping. He has given away more change and dollar bills than I would like to count. He has even, literally, given someone the jacket off his back.
So when I read a fellow etsyblogger's blog about those men helping her great-uncle in his time of need, it warmed my heart. It is nice to know that there are more people out there willing to give something for nothing in return.
Thanks for sharing Tote :)
TOTE-N-TOTS: The Kindness of Strangers

please feel free to share your stories of kindness here or anyplace else where it may inspire more people to do the same.

Etsy Treasury...my first snag!

I finally got my first treasury on etsy! I was so excited. I was able to include many teammates from etsymoms, etsybloggers and micetsy. I only wish there was room for everyone. I also wish I had some treasuries already planned out! I was afraid that my choice of red wouldn't have enough to choose from...there was way more than enough! It was hard to narrow it down actually. I think I may start having my own treasury here every week.

Please come visit it & give it some love...