Pet Peeve #2

I have now decided to divulge my second pet peeve. It drives me nuts when people mismatch their accessories. For example why do people wear black socks with brown shoes? Or how about when people wear brown pants with a black belt? I've been known to wear a black coat while carrying a brown purse, but changing purses is a little harder than changing your socks, and yes I did feel a little self pity for having to go out with mismatching accessories due to lack of time. Come on though people, it's not hard to think about things before you put them on. If you are wearing black wear black accessories, if you are going to be wearing brown break out your brown accessories!

Even More ATC's

Ask and you shall receive, so here's some more ATC's that I have made! :-) Hope you enjoy them!

My Little Artist

I have a 3 year old little boy who is the coolest kid in the world. Awhile ago I signed him up for a class called "Art Around the World" where they would learn about a part of the world and then make a form of art that somehow relates to it. I thought I would share some of my son's art work from that class so everyone else will now know how awesome he is!




I hope you enjoyed looking at some of his art, I know I do! :-)

Bento

I have decided to start yet another collection. I have started collecting bento boxes. Bento Boxes are Japanese lunch boxes. I think that they are really cool. So far I only have 2; one has My Melody on it (a Sanrio kawaii character) and the other has Mamegoma (a San-x kawaii character). I have not used either of mine as a lunch box yet though. I'm using the My Melody one to hold some of my ephemera for making ATC's. I just received the Mamegoma one in the mail today from a Swap-bot swap and I love it! It's so cute and it's got two tiers. I'm not sure what I'll be using it for yet, maybe just as decoration. So here's a question for my readers, do you know of any good bento recipes?

Fairwell 2008 Beijing Olympics

It was wonderful and it brings me sadness to see it all ending. This is by far the best Olympics that I've ever seen. The amazing part is that the closing ceremony was just as great as the opening ceremony. It took over 1 million volunteers to run the Beijing Olympics and it was just magnificent. The USA took home the most medals but China took home the most gold medals, both of which makes me very happy. Michael Phelps is now a 14 times Olympic Medalist, and it was a lot of fun watching him swim in all of those competitions.
I also really enjoyed watching the Jamaican runner by the name of Bolt. He is such an entertainer and it's fun to watch him have such a good time winning all of those gold medals. All in all it was a wonderful experience watching the 2008 Beijing Olympics, even though I was only watching it on t.v.

Spain

In the summer of 2001 I went to Spain through the Spanish program at my high school. I was there for 12 days and we went all over Spain. Some of the cities we visited were: Madrid, Bilbao, San Sebastian, Salamanca, Toledo, Burgos, and Caceres. Madrid was a lot of fun because they have so many tourist places and because it's a big city, but my all time favorite city I visited while in Spain was Toledo. It's such a beautiful place with narrow cobblestone streets and flowers hanging everywhere. I also enjoyed Salamanca and the university there. Bilbao is a great place to go because they have the Guggenheim Museum there. One of my favorite exhibits in the museum was called the "White Room" because it was just a room that was totally white. You would have to wear booties in there so you would not get the white floor dirty. When you go in there you have no depth perception because there are no points of reference because everything is white. It was very neat and so much fun. I also enjoyed seeing the Flamenco dancers. You can tell that they are very passionate people and they bring that passion to the stage when they dance. When we went to San Sebastian we got to see the Spanish night life when we all went out to a nightclub there. It was a lot of fun getting to dance along with all of the natives. I also enjoyed getting the chance to see all of the many Cathedrals there, they are so old, so intricate, and just magnificent. One place that I did not get to visit is Barcelona, and I would like to visit there during the Running of the Bulls some day. I also didn't get the chance to see a Bull Fight, and I would like to see one of those some day as well. All in all it was a wonderful trip and I would recommend visiting Spain to anybody who wants to go on a fun vacation/trip.

The Great Minnesota Get Together

The Minnesota State Fair is officially in full swing. I go pretty much every year and I always have a good time. I don't think I'll be going this year though which makes me kind of sad. I have been working an average of 10 hours a day Monday through Friday so I wouldn't be able to go during the week. I'm so tired when the weekend comes and that's really the only time I have to be able to work on my Etsy shop, Etsy Team, and Swap-bot Swaps. The weekends are really the only time I get to hang out with my son too. I have been missing him a lot lately since I have started working so much.

Last year I had a bunch of fun at the fair though. They have so many great things to do and so much yummy food! I bought the Blue Ribbon book (it's available at Cub Foods) that has a bunch of coupons in it and it was such a good deal. One of my favorite things was taking the Sky Glider after it got dark outside, all of the lights looked so beautiful from way up there. Another one of my favorite things was the Butterfly House, I even had some butterflies land on me! I always enjoy the International Bazzar though, that's where they sell wares from all around the world.

Hopefully I'll be able to go next year though, and then Devin will be old enough to be able to stay there for awhile and walk on his own for the most part. Whenever I go it's always a day long adventure because I like to see everything, which can be hard on a 3 year old. So for now I'll be jealous of all the lucky people who get to go, but I can still dream about next year's fair! :-)

Pet Peeve #1

I have some pet peeves and I have decided to share them with as many people as possible in hopes that people will stop getting on my nerves...lol. So my very first pet peeve that I will be discussing in this series is men who check out woman while they are with their significant other. I'm well aware of the fact that woman also do this to men, but I tend to see more men doing this to woman (this could be because I notice it the most when I'm the woman being checked out). Today while I was driving home from work I was stopped at a light and this guy was totally checking me out while his wife (or girlfriend) was sitting right next to him in the car. To me this is just wrong. First off it's wrong because I believe that a man shouldn't be looking at other women when he is in a relationship with someone else. Second if he is the kind of person who believe's "it's ok to look but not to touch" then atleast have enough respect for your significant other to not look at other people right in front of them. To my male readers out there who are thinking, "me looking at another woman isn't hurting anybody," it does. Atleast I would be hurt if I saw my husband (or boyfriend) looking at another woman right in front of me. I guess it all boils down to how much you respect the person you are committted too, and frankly I find the people who do such things as checking people out right in front of their significant others to be atroscious.

Another Moomin Postcard

This is a postcard of Snuftkin. She is Moomin's girlfriend. The only way you can tell her apart from Moomin is her blonde hair and she wears a little anklet. She is my favorite character from Moomin's, and I think Moomin and Snuftkin make a great couple!

Kawaii

Since joining Postcrossing and Swap-bot I have been introduced to the wonderful world of Kawaii. For those of you that are going "Kawaii?" and have no idea what I'm talking about I'm going to explain what it is and what characters I like. Kawaii means cute in Japanese. It's a huge fad over there and it's been spreading to places all over the world. Two of the most famous brands of kawaii are Sanrio, and San-x. Some people are very picky about brands; some people only like Japanese brands and only count those as being kawaii. I on the other hand am not very picky at all when it comes to the brands. I have posted pictures of some of my favorite characters throughout this post so you will have an idea of what I'm talking about. If you want to learn more please visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawaii

Collections

I am a pack rat, I'll admit it. My room is full of things that I call my treasures (other's call it clutter but I digress). I have a bunch of collections. Some you already know about from previous posts, like my postcard collection and my ATC (Artist Trading Cards) collection. I also collect tea, pencils, stickers, anything to do with Ireland, the Irish, shamrocks, or clovers, pandas, purple unicorns, and stationery with matching envelopes. I have decided to share some of my stationery sets with you today. Here are some of my favorites:





I have many more sets as well, but I wouldn't want to overwhelm you with my "clutter" and scare you off! :-)

More ATC's (Artist Trading Cards)

Thanks to all of those who took the time to vote in my poll of what you would like to see on my blog. I'm glad to see that people enjoyed looking at my ATC's and I hope you enjoy these ones as well! :-)

Klean Kanteen

Today I bought a Klean Kanteen. My mom and I bought a Pur Water Filtration System so we don't use bottled water anymore. Bottled water used to be a lot more convenient to just grab and go though, so I decided that I needed a nice water bottle that I could bring to work everyday. I talked to one of my co-workers about it and I told her that I was planning on buying a Nalgene bottle. She told me that I should not get one of those because they leach chemicals into the water and that I should get a stainless steal one. I asked her where they had those and she told me that they had some nice ones at Creative Kids Stuff. So I stopped by there today and picked one up. It's really nice and here's some of the features that I like about it:
- made from high quality food-grade stainless steal
- non-leaching and toxin free
- no inner lining, clean tasting
- reusable, 100% recyclable
- reduce landfill waste
- super durable, yet lightweight
- wide mouth fits ice cubes
- dishwasher friendly
They also come in 4 different sizes and different colors as well. I purchased a nice green one. It was only $20 too! Check out their website at: kleankanteen.com

Today I took the Break the Bottled Water Habit Pledge: "I pledge to Break the Bottled Water Habit by Thinking Outside the Bottle and using a reusable water bottle instead of buying bottled water. I also pledge to support the efforts of local officials to stop spending public funds on bottled water and prioritize strong public water systems over bottled water profits." You can take the pledge by going to http://water.newdream.org/

I also took the Think Outside the Bottle Pledge: "I pledge to Think Outside the Bottle, which means:
- Opting for public tap water over bottled water; and
- Supporting the efforts of local officials who prioritize strong public water systems over bottled water profits.
*Because water is a human right and not a commodity to be bought and sold for profit;
*Because bottled water corporations are changing the very way people think about water and undermining people's confidence in public water systems;
*Because up to 40% of bottled water in the U.S. and Canada is sourced from municipal tap water;
*Because some bottlers have run over communities' concerns and the environment when they extract water and build bottling plants to get local spring and ground water;
*Because bottled water travels many miles from the source, results in the burning of massive amounts of fossil fuels, and contributes to the billions of plastic bottles ending up in our landfills;
*Because worldwide there is a need for investments in public water systems to ensure equal access to water, a key ingredient for prosperity and health for all people; and
*Because solutions to ensuring water as a fundamental human right require people acting together and standing up for public water systems."
You can take the Think Outside the Bottle pledge by going to: http://www.thinkoutsidethebottle.org/

Internet Relationships

It seems that in today's fast paced society the internet has become the best way to meet new people. There are many websites where people can forge different kinds of relationships with others. I have seen people ask these questions more than once however, "Are internet relationships "real" relationships?"; "Can you be as close with someone over the internet as you are with someone you know in person?"

I'd like to open these questions up to my readers. Tell me your opinion, tell me what you think! :-)

2008 Beijing Olympics

Today is the first day of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In China 8 is a lucky number so having the opening ceremony on 8/8/08 is very lucky. I am currently watching the opening ceremony and I have to say that it's amazing and I'm becoming very jealous of all of the lucky people who are there. I always enjoy watching the Olympics but this is a very special one for me because I have been to Beijing and I have always enjoyed everything about China since I was a little girl. I have always said that I may be American but I have a Chinese heart. Their history is so long and their culture is so rich and I love how they are bringing both aspects to the Olympics, they are truly making this Olympics synonymous with country pride. I hope that the USA wins some medals but I also hope that China wins some as well. I think it would bring a big damper to the Olympics if the host country ended up not winning any medals. I'm sure that China will host the most memorable Olympics yet and I cannot wait to see it all!

Featured Etsy Seller: NativeJewelry

I have decided to start featuring one of my favorite Etsy sellers each month with you. These are truly talented people who I think make great products; products that I feel people would be interested in buying; products that I think are so wonderful that I just cannot keep my knowledge of them to myself.

NativeJewelry

BIO: My name is Elaine and I am from the Pima tribe. I was brough up fully immersed in my culture. I started beading and making jewelry for myslef as a child. The first item I made as a child (a beaded necklace and bracelet) I sold to someone who was watching me dance and "had to have it". I guess that was the start of my entrepreneur as a jewelry maker!!I also do Native American performances (singing/dancing) from Ca to NY and often sell my crafts at these events. I also host a Native American television show called American Indian Cable network and have had my own Native American radio show. I have also done various television/film roles and can be seen in dancing in the movie Flicka, in acting in programs on the history channel such as Wild West Tech, Conquest of America, Andrew Jackson and Jedadiah Smith and in the IFC comedy series the Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman.I am proud to offer you my handmade one of a kind items made from top quality natural materials like turquoise, leather, bone and porcupine quills!

Costa Rica

My trip to China was not my first time ever leaving the country. I had the opportunity to go to Costa Rica through my high school's science program. I went in the summer of 2000 (I had just finished 10th grade). The purpose of our trip was to study the rainforrest; we had to take soil and water samples. We also got the chance to go up into the canopy which was a lot of fun. We stayed in the middle of the rainforrest at a place called Salva Bananito Lodge. It was so beautiful! Since we were in the middle of the rainforrest we had no electricity. Everything we used had to be biodegradable because there also wasn't a sewer system. There were 4 people to a lodge, the lodges sat on four long poles so you had to take a ramp in order to get up there, each lodge also had one bathroom, and our lodge had a huge wrap around deck with 2 hammocks hanging from the rafters. We were very lucky to get the lodge that we did because we ended up having a hummingbird nest in our rafters; one of my favorite memories from the trip is hanging out in the hammocks on our deck and just watching the hummingbirds come and go from their little nest. One of my other favorite memories from Costa Rica is getting to hold a sloth, her name was Buttercup and she was so cute! That was a truly wonderful trip and I'm very fortunate to have gotten the chance to go and to have my first time out of the country be such a memorable one.

Moomin Postcards

One of my many hobbies is collecting postcards. I have tons of them and I have many different collections of postcards. I have all 50 US states and I'm also working on getting a postcard from every country in the world now. I also collect movie postcards such as: Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings. One of my favorite collection of postcards is my Moomin cards though.



Moomins started out as books and a comic strip but has become so popular that it's now a tv series that's not just popular in Finland but also Japan. The original books and comic strip was done by Tove Jansson. Moomins are so popular that they even have their own amusement park in Finland called Moomin World. I hope to visit there someday (yes I'm still a kid at heart).

Goals

I like making goals for myself. I like making them because not only can I see the progress that I make with things I would like to achieve, but it's easier to motivate myself when I can actually see the results. I start with a list of 10 goals that I would like to achieve. I try to make some long term goals and some short term goals (if I were to make them all long term goals I would end up feeling as though I'm never getting anything done and making no progress). Here's the 10 goals I have been working on since Feb. 7th, 2008:

1) find a job (DONE!!!)
2) make my first ATC (DONE!!!)
3) make it to 100 swaps that I have participated in on Swap-bot (DONE!!!)
4) finish my son's baby scrapbook
5) restart and finish my son's afghan
6) make myself a queen size quilt
7) collect a 9 x 9 inch piece of frabric from all 50 USA states to make my 50 States Quilt
8) get married before I'm 30
9) open up a savings account for my son
10) get my own apartment (atleast move out of my mom's house!)

I'll continue to update this post as I achieve more goals!

Treasury West

I got the chance to make my own treasury on Treasury West today on Etsy. Treasury West is a group of listings where people can make a post featuring all of their favorite items from Etsy. It's a promotional tool that seems to work very well. I have never made one before so it was a pretty big deal to be able to make one; there has to be less than 222 posts in order for you to be able to make a new one, so I had to wait until some expired in order for me to post a new one. Once you make your treasury it will last for 3 days before it expires. So here's a link to my new treasury, please take a look before it expires in only 3 days! http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=20662

ATC's (Artist Trading Cards)

I was introduced to ATC's on Swap-bot and I have come to find that they are seriously addicting. At this moment I find myself in a total of 16 ATC swaps, 7 of which I am hosting. I am so addicted that I needed to find myself a way to show off all of my wonderful little works of art; thus I went on a hunt for an ATC album. I ended up finding a nice trapper keeper at my local Office Depot as well as some sports card holder sheets. I love the way I can just open it up and see all of the ATC's that I have received from swapping. I find that making the ATC's are just as much fun as receiving them. Here's some of the ATC's that I've made: