Etsyblogger Carnival: April Fave

This week Alice's Owl gave us 3 topics to chose from for our Etsyblogger carnival.

The Stress Awareness Month topic was great. But since I do not do this well enough for myself. So I will stick to reading this topic rather than writing about it.

The 2nd is our own creativity & muse. I don't usually know what mine is. Things just hit. I know, boring. Therefore that topic won't work.

Now the final topic. That one spoke to me. What our fave thing about April is.
The rain is okay since it is no longer snow. And the grass starts to green up. We get Spring for a couple days, always a plus. Although this year we may skip it altogether. But the real thing about April. The one thing I do look forward to. My son. My little one. Munchkin dude. Not so quiet Wyatt. It is his birthday this month. Tomorrow to be exact.

His journey to us was a rather rocky one. We knew we were in for some ups and downs. I was on bedrest for 6 months. Doesn't sound so bad at first. Lie around all day, get waited on hand and foot, do nothing but read and watch movies. That part wasn't so bad.

The standing on your feet for no more than 5 minutes at a time and as few times as possible all day. Moving your bedroom downstairs because you can't climb them. Achy hips from being on

your side 24/7. Weekly visits to the doctor. ..many of which were followed up by hospital stays overnight. Contractions from week 23 on. Those parts...not so much fun.

But it was all worth it.

So I want to wish him a Happy Birthday here with everyone....with some goodies he would love...

He wants to have his own sketchbook or journal. I think this one would be cute. I already use some of hers actually :)

Let Me Out notepad by Chicalookate

These need no explanation.....

Fun Lego Men Crayons by Scribblers Crayons

He is more of a cupcake kid than a cake kid. And these wrappers are very much him.

Fun cupcake wrappers by On Cupcake Moon

And because he needs a new blanket, there is this Monsters in My Closet quilt by Sweet Peas Garden.

Although, I do have it on my to do list with this Boogie Monster fabric...

And the creme de la creme...Death Star by Lego. He sooo wants this. Actually, we would all like it. But one click onto it will lead you to why it will never be :(

Etsyblogger Carnival: Go Green

This week's Etsyblogger carnival is hosted by Honey from the Bee. With St Patrick's day right around the corner, the two topic choices were:

1) St. Patrick's Day will be our next holiday. Write about any St. Patrick's Day traditions you have or memories... crafts.... food...
2) Thinking Green... write about what you're doing to make this a greener planet. This could be about your art or just around the house or at work.

I have only done something for St Patty's day once. And it was the "usual" for the U.S....hit the bars early & stay all day. Once was enough. Is the U.S. the only place that equates St Patty's day with getting stupid drunk?

Anyway - I like the second choice better. Green around here is also the "usual"...recycle (we are lucky to have a good curbside program), buy local when possible, go organic when we can afford to, give clothes & household items away rather than toss them...you know, the "usual". But I always want to do more.

I am starting to incorporate more upcycle into my crafts. Scraps have always been kept to make small items and I PIF scrap bags on my Tilt Too site. PIF= pay it forward...I list them for the $0.20 that Etsy charges per items plus shipping, so it is as close to giving it away as I can get online.

I made a batch of market totes from a "rescued" slipcover. I have another that I will be making into a new batch sometime next month. Older, gently used, clothes are also falling in line to become something "new".

The first thing I have made is this skirt for a little girl, size 5T. I am going to have one of my son's friends try it out for me.

My mom passed on some jackets and things for me to play with as well. There is a bright teal raincoat just itching to be a fun tote. Now I just need to find some pattern designed specifically for upcycling. I know I can just adapt a regular pattern, but it would be nice to practice and get my chops with something already tried out.

I did find one shop, Fox and Doe (patterns now relocated to Lily Giggle), where I got a couple great patterns for kids that I am looking forward to making for my son and niece. The Krew jacket will be the first one I tackle. Isn't it adorable?

Anyone here know a good place for upcycle patterns? Mostly for adult clothing?

And to add to the fun - an Etsy treasury featuring Etsybloggers and Green :)

Etsyblogger Carnival: Love

Cuff Bracelet Maroon Burgundy Rose Flower by Hot Pink Chick
Book of Kellis in Wood, wall hanging illuminated letter "R" by Jack Dolan Woodcraft
Word Charm, Red Necklace by Tickette
Wisconsin Wood Violet on Canvas by L Young Studio
Hand Appliqued Letter R on Cotton Quilt Fabric in 3 inch Wood Embroidery Hoop by Felt It
Peacock Blue Art Silk Fabric by Fabric Mart
I Love You Just the Way You Are, 8x8 Print by Suzanna Anna

The choices for this Etsyblogger carnival hosted by Foxy G Knits were:

1) Heart disease is still the No. 1 killer of women, taking the life of 1 in 3 women each year. National Wear Red Day is Friday, February 4, 2011, and together we can make a difference. As knowledge is power, can you "spread the red?"

2) Valentines Day is fast approaching, and love is in the air. Using "love" as your theme, be as creative as you can be!

If I wrote on the first, I am afraid it would come off like one of the many papers I did when I went to school for exercise science...so I stuck with Love :)

And to translate: "Roses are red, violets are blue, I love you just the way you are"

Etsyblogger Carnival: New Year

This week's Etsyblogger carnival is brought to you by Missie from Sykin and is either about business goals or personal resolutions. Since I just wrote about my year in review and included goals, I will go a bit into the personal side.

My biggest "resolution" is a continuation of what I began in August. The first step was dropping pop from my diet. I have only had 3 since the end of August. Two of which were during a migraine, which always helps. I have gone back to a mostly veggie diet and am working out again. I am proud to say that I have dropped nearly 20 pounds since then.

The exercise started with walks after I dropped the kiddo off at school. I began adding gym time on the elliptical and recumbent bike. Then in October I received a free personal training session for my birthday. Jackpot! I then got a few sessions myself. They were awesome! As an ex-exercise scientist, I know how & what to do to improve my health. Nitty gritty bits of nutrition and exercise know how are still jammed in this old brain of mine. But nothing can compare to the jump start from another person. Not to mention the accountability after paying for and scheduling sessions.

My goal is to simply continue and up what I am already doing. Cardio 4 days a week and strength training 3 days. Some weeks may have to be adapted for home workouts, but with the basement getting cleaned, that should not be an issue.

Tomorrow's post starts a weekly feature that details my workouts. It will be one more way to help keep me in check.

End goal - to have lost weight and get healthier. Numbers? Deadlines? Sort of. My most comfy lifetime weight is still 35 pounds away. At a healthy & doable 2 pounds a week, I am looking at a date somewhere around June. Just in time for shorts :)

And I have some prizes for myself along the way. Comic books for the smaller achievements, DVDs for mid range ones and some fun funky new clothes (most likely from Etsy) when I finally get there. I am using Livestrong's My Plate to track my food & exercise and Goal For It to track my overall progress and rewards.

Do you have any personal goals for the new year?

Etsyblogger Carnival: Holiday Traditions

This carnival is brought to you by Ms. Moo from Spotted Cow Soaps. These were the choices:

1. There are many different holidays and celebrations this time of year. Share some of the traditions from your holiday celebrations.
2. Share your favorite Holiday recipe and tell us why it has become your favorite Holiday recipe.

I do have a new holiday recipe that I love to make, but I have written about it before. So I will go with traditions.

Fist off...the tree. Every year we get an ornament from my mom. She always finds the perfect one. My tree is covered with most of my ornaments for as long as I can remember. Well, except for those few I left at her place. It's always fun to search her tree for some old faves. My boys and hubby also get one. Someday this tree will be dripping with ornaments. Until the boys move out and take some to their places.

Traditions tend to change over the years as family is moved and added to. Hubby and I got lucky in that there was not too much overlap once we merged traditions. We always did Xmas Eve at my dad's parents with all his sibs & their families, the morning was the usual immediate family opening Santa's gifts at home followed by Xmas afternoon at my mom's sisters with her side. Hubby did Eve at home & church and pretty much the same thing again the day of. Big difference in family quantity living nearby.

So, since his family stuff was the same group both days & mine were different sides, we still hit everyone. Eve has moved to my parents house for my dad's side - very convenient for me since they live closer than Grandma. We leave just a bit early so hubby & the boys can get to the church service (depending on how awake the little guy is). The morning is spent just us opening our gifts to each other...and from Santa. We have brunch with hubby's sis + family & parents. We have switched to our places instead of his parent's since we live about 1 mile from his sis. Very nice :)

Xmas day afternoon is still at my aunt's. We don't spend quite as long as we used to, but long enough to visit for a bit. Bonus - she is just a few blocks away! It also serves to be the marker for us to grab my parents and head over to their house for the last stop on the Xmas tour. This is the most relaxing portion of the whole shebang. It is just us - me, hubby, the kids & my parents. We nibble on leftover goodies and open our gifts to each other. My brother would join us except he was a traitor and moved down to the Nashville area. Sheesh - just because you are offered a fantastic job, in a beautiful area & can live in a gorgeous new home...can't understand why they would defect to , um, well, okay, so I know why. I just miss 'em so I have to rag on him a bit :)

Sounds hectic, but it really isn't too bad. Lots of family - very lots with mine - good food, fun gift exchanges and not too far away. And we do not have the kind of family that fights, so even better. Hope your holidays are as happy!

Etsyblogger Carnival: Dress Up or Scare?

Okay...this Etsyblogger Carnival was tough. The choices Mystic Wynd put forth:
1. Halloween is just around the corner. What is the best Halloween costume you've ever worn or designed for someone else to wear? What made it so special?
2. Tell us about your top 3 favorite horror movies. What is it about them that scares you?

I have shown "the costume" before. It is the one that got me sewing in the first place. So the choice was easy. Wait...I said it was a tough choice right? Well, it is. Why? Only 3!!!! No way. Horror flicks are by far my fave. Well, and sci-fi. But there is lots of crossover with those 2...even more when you add in comedy and action :) So I grouped them into categories. And yes, some ran over the limit of 3. But hey, I already broke the top 3 rule, so I just went with it. Ready? Go...


My categories: many MANY of which can fall into more than one:

Series:

Sci-fi Horror:

"New" Classic (post black & white):

Cult:

...along with a large majority of the other movies here :P

Zombie'esque/Viral:
firstly...anything Romero, still had to put "Night of" here though- see *below:
Vampire:

Classic Vampire:

Funny:

Foreign: ...okay, so I still need to see the last 2...but they were recommended by a reliable source & the trailers look great

Remakes:
Disturbing:
Books first: ...okay, we can just call that one Stephen King!

Musical:

Slasher:

Misc:

and so many, many, MANY more! And I am sure I will look at this later with a "doh!" forgot that one! And that one....

And just to add some more horror fun...some lists & rating from AMC, which is now running their Fear Fest...
Horror ratings
Sci-Fi Horror list
Zombie list
*Romero list
Zombie Movies That Aren't list
Vampire list
Killer Computer list
Horror of the 00's:

Etsyblogger Carnival: Fall Fun

This week's is brought to us by Ms. Moo, formerly known as Spotted Cow Soaps. These were our choices:
1. What are some fun activities you like to do in the fall.
2. Show us some awesome photos of autumn in and around where you live.

I do not really have any cool pics from around here. And as for fun activities, they tend to be the same as most seasons, just with my favorite weather & season to do it in.

The first is good year round, but when it's chillier I get to do it all snuggly on the couch. No! Not that :P Reading. I am talking about books. I devour them even more than normal once the chill sets in. Right now I am reading a zombie book by Mira Grant called Feed. It takes place 25 years after the initial outbreak. MMMmmm... zombies...with Halloween just around the corner, fun :)

The second thing...riding my bike. It gets chilly fast here in Michigan. One day it is 75* (like today) and the next week you are wearing winter coats. I try to get in a few good rides a week once the weather falls below 80* and before it freezes your face as you ride.


There is also the Zoo Boo at the Detroit Zoo. I haven't been since my oldest was a youngster. But the little recently expressed interest in going. It starts the 15th, so expect to see a post about that trip later in the month. I hope he doesn't get too scared.

So - what is your Fall fave?

Etsyblogger Carnival: Weddings

This carnival post is going to be on Patch's wedding blog, so I get to show off some of my wedding pics :) I had a fun wedding. It was laid back and without any added bells and whistles. No cake (the dessert at the place was divine...and if you were to ask someone, they would not even remember...I have, so I know). No dancing...it was midday, and not missed one bit. Only two people standing up with us...plus my son of course. Having only one bridesmaid made the dress easy too...I just told her what color - she got to chose the dress she wanted. Flowers, only what I had to - bridesmaid bouquet plus boutonniere thingies for the dads.

I had this bouquet of metal, crystals & pearls instead of flowers. I love that I get to keep them fresh forever :)

And I have to show off my son, again, all cozy up on his throne during the reception.

And the "after party"....the Tiger's game. The reception was held at The Gem which is just one street behind the stadium...where an afternoon game was playing that day. And yes, I wore my dress :)