It's my favorite show!

KaBoom

2011-06-20T19:55:00.003-04:00

Our hideous, yet mesmerizing landmark FPL towers have been demolished.
My sisters and I went out on my sister's boat, the Hakuna Matata to watch the explosion from the waters of the intercoastal. The boat left dock at 8 am and it was already blistering hot.
Loads of people had come out for the event and tents lined up on Peanut Island behind us from beach-goers who camped out overnight.
At 8:30 the blast went off and sent shock waves through the water. I was surprised the towers fell to the left, as I had assumed they'd implode and fall straight down. In just nine seconds the towers, two boilers and a water tower were completely collapsed and a huge cloud of smoke burst out and to the north.
Once the smoke cleared the boats began to scatter and we made our way back to dock. I've never watched a demolition before so I found the whole thing pretty thrilling.
The view is sure different now.

2011-06-14T19:43:00.000-04:00

Too many creepy frogs on the front porch...

2011-06-13T01:11:00.002-04:00

A few nights ago I was chillin outside playing on my laptop when I hear a rustling in the tall grass. I resume my internet browsing, assuming it's just another large toad, when suddenly this HUGE mouse comes running from the yard up the grass right next to me on the porch! I was startled but it appeared that the rodent was more so. After a few seconds of staring each other down, he ran around the porch into my tomato plant to the right of me.
Crisis averted.
Or so I thought.
A few minutes later he comes full speed out of the tomato bush, smashes head first into my soda can, regains his composure and bolts across the porch to the thick bushes on the other side.
... And then I noticed my aunt's big black cat quietly emerge from behind the tomato...

My lil Buddy

2011-06-12T21:55:00.003-04:00

Some kid must have left their tiny stormtrooper behind at the restaurant. My older sister texted me this first picture of him last weekend and he's since been occupying the host stand at work.

I made him some lightsabers out of toothpicks on Friday and carried him around in my apron.
Finally, on Saturday, I just brought him home to enjoy his new position as my garden security.

2011-05-31T00:55:00.002-04:00

Teeny-tiny cane toads are everywhere lately!

Katamari!

2011-05-16T01:28:00.002-04:00

My new favorite thing - The Katamari Hack!
It lets you use your mouse to control a little katamari ball to scoop up text and pictures from whatever webpage you're on. I love it!
Here's the ball when it's little and just collecting words:
And the ball when it's bigger and can grab larger pictures and objects:

Mother's Day

2011-05-09T23:59:00.004-04:00

My little sister and I took my mom out for dinner Sunday night to the restaurant of her choice: Sal's Italian Ristorante. It's a local pizza / italian cuisine restaurant and I love their pizza, AND I had a coupon, so the evening started off great. We arrived to the cozy little Abacoa location to find it pleasantly uncrowded.
My mom and little sister ordered baked ziti pasta and I, of course, had a personal pizza.
The waitress, however, seemed to abandon us throughout most of the meal. I think we saw her when she took our orders and then again when we got our check.
And the family in the booth behind us were having a rather heated discussion about politics to which my mother took to loudly stating her own opinions, much to my chagrin. I told her if she didn't behave herself she wouldn't be getting ice cream when we left. She kicked me under the table.After our meal we drove across the street to a little yogurt & ice cream shop and indulged in some heavenly dessert. All in all, a fabulous Mother's Day spent with my most amazing mom!
(mom and lil sis)

2011-05-09T17:50:00.002-04:00

From the Top 25 Ranked Freshwater Aquariums in the World: these gorgeous aquatic masterpieces have me mesmerized:

See more HERE

Plant Life

2011-04-19T00:53:00.003-04:00

My garden has been exploding thanks to not only our severe heat wave, but the rash of small thunderstorms that blew through in the past week. I'm trying some new additions, like potatoes and blueberries and trying failed attempts again (cucumbers, strawberries).

The cucumbers are so far progressing exactly the same. The plants become large and bushy, even small fruit appear:

But then the plant leaves yellow, some holes are noticeable, and eventually the plant withers and dies. I'm trying to avoid the withering and death part this time around but here's a picture of the middle sprout:
My strawberries, however, seem to be growing strong! This plant even has a half dozen flowers already:
And my scotch bonnet pepper seeds I harvested from Karen's crop have been slowly maturing. I'm certain they should be taller by now though.The potatoes are growing fabulously, as well as my cabbage and lettuce. The blueberry bush is still young; I think it might be awhile before I see any real growth.

2011-03-29T21:56:00.003-04:00

Our handmade leather Marina Sandals are in a FAB new treasury by TooCute11:
A Weekend At The Beach HouseAnd check out these delicious looking chocolate dipped sea salt toffee shards by SugarMouthCandy: I'm drooling!

2011-03-29T00:03:00.004-04:00

"Grow Some Moss In Your Bathroom!"

I found this while scrolling through my tumblr feed: "Live Moss Carpet - a soft grass carpet that thrives from the few drops of water you leave behind when getting our of the shower or bath." Well, gross.
Everyone else who commented seemed enamoured with the idea of stepping out of the clean shower onto some slimy moss so I guess I'm in the minority saying that this seems like the last thing I want to put my feet on after getting out of the bath.
Ew.

2011-03-26T22:25:00.004-04:00

Did you know that pineapple fruit is actually created by up to 200 tiny flowers that join together to make one massive fruit?
I didn't.
My pineapple plant is FINALLY producing fruit! It's been about a year and a half since I stuck the old top in the soil. Here's a close up:
I'm hoping this one survives to at least a slightly decent size. The last pineapple we had fruit grew to the size of a grapefruit and than promptly died. If it doesn't work this time at least I have reinforcements on the way!

2011-03-13T23:04:00.005-04:00

GRASSHOPPERS!

Tiny little grasshoppers are living in my backyard garden. They always keep together and travel in a group. One day they were all resting on my pineapple plant.

I love the little buggers!When I was little I used to catch them and keep them in little plastic bug-keepers. Usually they would escape after a few days.

2011-03-12T23:14:00.002-05:00

Clever, Helpful, Practical, Whimsical by MaskingTapeFromJapanMy Georges Briard glass tumbler set is featured in this fab Etsy treasury - check it out!

2011-03-07T17:48:00.004-05:00

Here comes trouble...
Buddy Cat (aka 'Belly') is something else entirely.
Allen and I brought him home one day, along with another little kitty about 3 years ago. My best friend had broken up with her boyfriend, was moving and hadn't yet found a new home, so she was spending a few weeks couch-surfing. The boyfriend refused to take the cats and she couldn't find any other temporary homes for them, even from family and friends. As a last resort, Allen and I accepted the kitties into our lives and they've been pooping here happily ever since.
Buddy Cat, however, is the strangest creature. He's always been known as "that dick cat" due to his tendencies to randomly attack and bite people, their shoes, and other kitties. That behavior never really stopped but has morphed into something a little sweeter.
He immediately took to the dogs we already had, following them around and mimicking their behavior. When the dogs were fed, he wanted to be fed. When they got milkbones, he wanted one. When it's time to go outside to do toilet business, he's right there with them.
Now when I'm outside in the garden, I'll hear the pitter patter of his tiny feet running behind me and when I turn to look at him he stops and meows. He'll jump into my lap for quick snuggles and even puts his arms around your neck for a hug."Oh, look! Grass I can eat and puke up on the carpet later! Yum!"

I love this fuzzy, arrogant, and high-strung bugger and despite the fact that I am SO not a cat person, I can't imagine my life without the little monster.

Oranges! (maybe)

2011-03-06T23:04:00.002-05:00

Speaking of things that take WAY too long to grow...
Our orange tree has blossoms!
We planted this buddy as a little sapling about three years ago, along with a grapefruit tree (which has since died) and I've waited patiently to see the fruits of my labor. Literally.
Trees are difficult for me. I'm an impatient person. I want results and I want them yesterday, so having to wait for several YEARS to see any major growth out of a plant is nearly unbearable for me. Which explains why the grapefruit died, I eventually became bored with them and spent long periods of time skillfully ignoring both trees. The orange simply had the luck of being hardier and resisting my attempts to neglect it into an early grave.
Any now - blossoms! This picture was taken about a week ago when I first noticed the tiny green buds sprouting all over.
And this picture was taken two days ago:
Hopefully we'll see some small fruits this summer!

2011-03-01T21:08:00.001-05:00

Ain't got nothing on my word jumble...

2011-02-27T22:04:00.002-05:00

Finally finished!
After months of slowly working my way through Caleb Carr's The Angel Of Darkness, I've breezed through the last few chapters tonight. I couldn't be happier with the ending, which, as I've come to expect from Caleb Carr, was as dramatic and exciting as I'd expected.
This historical thriller takes place in New York during the late 19th century and brings the usual cast from the 'Alienist' back together to find a Spanish diplomat's missing baby. What they discover is a brutal killer, methodically murdering children while evading arrest with cunning charm and devious plans.
I HIGHLY recommend this book. Regardless of what genre you usually read, this story, cleverly narrated by 13-year-old character Stevie Taggart, will instantly suck you in and leave you wanting more.

Treasury Fantasma

2011-02-26T23:53:00.003-05:00

Etrelle's goodies are in three more treasuries this week!
This first one is called Blue and Green:
by clevernamehere~

And I LOVE this next one called African Safari and featuring our croc-print leather sandals:
by enchantingdecadence~
And finally, Something's Fishy:
by thetwistedjewel~

2011-02-23T23:58:00.003-05:00

Plants that take too long to harvest:
Pineapple.
I don't have the patience for this.

2011-02-22T21:30:00.002-05:00

Our family's boxer has been a huge source of stress and anxiety this past week.
Here's a picture of the cutie:
Our sweet boxer, Demon, has been having some health troubles lately. She has a nasty cough that's hard to stop once she get's going and at one point was hacking up some pretty gnarly, bloody lumps. On top of that she was randomly having mini-seizures (or strokes, we're not sure). Basically, she'll be walking around like usual when suddenly her entire body goes stiff and she literally falls over onto her side, sometimes relieving herself in the process.
Obviously, we were extremely concerned about the matter and my sister took her in to the vet early last week. She was given some allergy medicine to relieve her cough, but nothing for her paralyzing episodes.
Unfortunately, the poor girl's just old, and aside from costly and painful surgeries that aren't likely to help, there's not much we can do aside from make her comfortable.
Two days ago I was genuinely worried that she might not even last the weekend, but her coughing fits are getting shorter and fewer and her seizures are also starting to lessen. She's had some worrisome health issues throughout the past two years but has always managed to keep pushing on. Already her demeanor and playful spirit have sprung back in full force and I'm hopeful she'll continue to improve.
We've been so lucky to have this amazing dog in our lives and hearts while I'm sad that time is almost over, I'll cherish my memories of her forever.
♥ Love you, Demon ♥

2011-02-13T23:00:00.004-05:00

I've had quite a few Etrelle's items featured in treasuries on Etsy lately. I'm not quite sure where all this exposure is coming from, but I'm enjoying it!

This first treasury is called Warmth by MilkDustCreations:
It's A Man's World by NicksKitchen:
Snap Crackle Pop by DonnaElizabethDesign: (mug from Holypotato)
and My Favorite Things 5 (it's A Madcap Life Team Treasury) by theMadcapHeiress:

NEW

2011-02-08T23:06:00.004-05:00

I've had some time at the leather shop to create some new items.

This cute little coin case is made from a soft black leather and smooth exotic fish hide:

On sale at Etsy for $17

This next case is a fun and lightweight zipper pouch! A very unique printed leather:
AND the big news: I've started moving into my new ARTFIRE account! Check out our new Etrelle's location HERE!

...I'm baaa-aaack!

2011-02-08T23:00:00.002-05:00

It's true.

A few months back I started up a Tumblr blog and decided to stop posting here on my main Blogspot account. Initially, I switched over , not because I disliked Blogspot, but because I enjoyed the style and layout of Tumblr, the updates were quick and streamlined like facebook and twitter, and posting is easy-breezy.

However, after spending some quality time posting and promoting, I've decided to come back to Blogspot simply for the foot traffic. As much as I love Tumblr, it seems to have a smaller audience, and my goal from blogging, is of course to have people find it and read my wonderful ramblings.

So, hello Blogspot! It's great to see you again!

Bar Champs!

2010-09-16T21:48:00.003-04:00

Well, TGIFriday's Barchamps has come around again and we all had a super time. All the tables sold out nearly two weeks before and over $1200 was raised for the Make-A-Wish Foundation!
Here's our third place winner, Chuck!I was trying to upload a video of one of the sets, but for some reason it's not working right now. I'll have to mess with blogspot a little more later...

Yes Yes

2010-09-14T17:58:00.003-04:00

So today I've been doing some mad online listing for my vintage etsy store, Holypotato.

The bulk of it has been my mother's mug collection, which has been quite an ordeal in itself, convincing my mother to part with them. There are three large tubs of mugs and about a hundred that are already in our cupboard. Most of them have never even been used and sat for years on the wall of our old house.Tomorrow is the Bar Champs at TGIFriday's and I'll be filming the flair from my reserved table. It's a bartender competition where they each compete for style and accuracy. I have a ton of fun every year and this year's is supposed to be even bigger and better!
Well, back to listing... gotta get this done before tomorrow!

it's about time...

2010-09-12T17:58:00.003-04:00

I should have written this post weeks ago, but I'm having such a hard time keeping up with the blog.
I'm writing today about JeweledFibers!
I won her Give-Away for a gift certificate and picked out some amazing earrings!
Here's some pics:
I think the blue ovals are my favorite, but it's so hard to choose! Her shop is FULL of fabulous jewelry at great prices (and the customer service is top-notch!).
Check out JeweldFibers' shop HERE.

wonderful wednesday

2010-09-08T17:19:00.002-04:00

It's wonderful because I'm off work. What did I do today? I gardened!

Look at these beautiful baby serrano peppers!

And I have a little watermelon! I had no idea it was even there. The little guy was hiding under a pineapple leaf:

2010-09-01T15:30:00.003-04:00

I've been trying to pick up extra hours at the job - more money is always welcome, but in turn have completely forgotten to blog. So without further ado, here's a new treasury I'm in by Bambuca!It's gorgeous and I'm pleased as punch to be a part of it.

In other news, Allen and I are on a tiny two day stay-cation. It was supposed to be a three day camping trip, but we ended up both working the first day, which was a total bummer. Yesterday morning, however, we got up early and headed to the dog beach with Bach.
The air was super windy and the waves were choppy so we didn't go swimming, but just waded out as far as we could without hitting the rip current. Our sweet pup still had a blast and we were all tuckered out and heading home by noon.
Hopefully we can head out again next week!

2010-08-18T15:25:00.002-04:00

Milk-Bone Theft Prevention Device:

New things

2010-08-14T18:38:00.003-04:00

So, my little sister got a boat.

Just a little boat. She's trying to get her commercial fishing license, and hopefully soon after, a lucrative pasttime. She already has the first level license for shore fishing and has been turning quite a profit this summer. She'll be a senior in high school next year; I'm pretty proud!

I've been trying to get some new items listed in all three of my Etsy shops. This little flamingo cosmetic case is the first of many to come:

All in all, it's been a pretty good week. My day off is tomorrow and I hope to be productive. I really wanted to take advantage of the tax-free 'Back-to-School' weekend so I could get some new clothes and shoes for work, but the restaurant business has been very slow this week and I've had to scrape through the savings account to pay bills. Allen, luckily is making some overtime the next few weeks, so hopefully we'll still be able to go camping at the end of the month. We haven't been camping in at least two years,, so we're long overdue :)

tuesday

2010-08-02T18:02:00.003-04:00

Hooray for today! I'm very excited to announce two new additions to our Etrelle's shop:Two adorable leather change purses!

I have a to more lying around just WAITING to be listed online, so we'll see how much I can get accomplished today. There's also a to of beads waiting to be put into my Blenderbach store, also.

But, mostly I'm excited because today is Allen and my anniversary and while I'm not entirely sure what we'll be doing this evening (my poor guy has a cold) hopefully next weekend we'll be able to dart out of town for a few days and go camping! I'm typically not big on camping. I love nature and the great wide outdoors, but not necessarily sleeping and eating and relieving myself in it. However, for some reason Ive been dying to go out and spend a night outdoors. I blame the books I've been reading.
There are actually way more state parks and camping sites in Florida than I was ever aware of. We're still not 100% decided but I'd really like to visit Koreshan State Historic Site on the west coast of Florida. It's the location of a spiritual group that settled there in the early part of the twentieth century and died out by the 1960's. Fits in perfectly with my current Christopher Hitchens read. (almost done!)

ridiculous fascinations

2010-08-02T11:25:00.003-04:00

Silly Bandz.I love these ridiculous things.

I was first introduced to them by a (adult) co-worker of mine who was given hers by a child on the beach. I thought they were cute and when I saw a package in the checkout line at CVS I bought them and brought them to work to split with my co-worker.
Since then I've been collecting them via donations (noted and not).

Working at the restaurant full time I've noticed that these adorably overpriced accoutrements must certainly be a pet peeve of parents everywhere. While I can see them as a silly hobby, it's apparent that they've become a menace to peace and quiet in much the same way as Pokemon cards and Pogs and Slap bracelets.

Luckily for me, children are easily distracted and messy. Cleaning up the tables after the patrons have gone, I've made a game of collecting these little bands that get left behind (and I'd like to think that this is much to the relief of the parents who now have one less plastic toy cluttering up the carpet and counters at home).

Hooray for fads!

and the winner is...

2010-08-01T19:39:00.003-04:00

EtsyCerra!

She wins this cute bug coinpurse:

Congratulations and thanks for entering!

2010-07-28T15:00:00.002-04:00

I really want to list some of the huge mug collection online, but I'm not sure where the majority of them have gone. They were in two giant storage tubs and when my mother moved everything around for her yard sale we forgot where we put them. But I'm sure they're around somewhere.

Here's another mug from the cabinet; a cheerful Christmas collectible:

whataday

2010-07-26T18:04:00.003-04:00

My morning started off brightly with a hot cup of coffee and a hopeful outlook on the day. Of course, it soon came crashing down and I had to postpone most of my scheduled itinerary to deal with interruptions and shennanigans and now I have a stunning headache which I hope to dispel with a hot shower and nice long nap.

I did manage to get some lovely pictures of my garden early in the day.

My serrano pepper plant:

And my newly-transplanted corn has begun to grow:

Maybe I can spend the evening curled up on the couch with a good movie and a giant bowl of ice cream with hot fudge.

more treasury fun

2010-07-21T12:13:00.003-04:00

Featured in TWO more treasuries!

First this beeeaaauuuutiful and bold one called There's A Bright Idea by CheersToJuly:

And this colorful and supremely super treasury called To The Rescue by LysanderNViviana:

GIVE-AWAY!

2010-07-19T20:21:00.006-04:00

It's that time again! Time to host another GIVEAWAY!

This time I'm offering this cute coinpurse for the insect-lovers.

It's made from a bold blue metallic leather and soft brown leather in the front. Closes with a segma snap. The beetle is a thick 3-D sticker which has been sewn onto the leather.

These little coinpurses are durable and holds a heck of a lot of change!

To enter you simply go check out our leather shop HERE and come back to leave a comment about your favorite item. That's it!Don't forget to leave your name and a way to contact you (etsy shop name or email address).
For extra entries you can:

#1 - Follow my tweets at twitter.com/etrelles (please leave a link for your twitter account)

#2 - tweet about this giveaway (please leave a link for your twitter account)

#3 - Blog about this giveaway (please leave a link to your blog post)

Please leave a new comment for each entry.

This contest ends at 11:59 pm EST on July 29th. The winner will be announced the following day.

Things for Tuesday

2010-07-19T19:17:00.004-04:00

I wish I didn't have to work today, but, well, you know. Bills.

I'm trying to post new coffee mugs again. If you've followed my blog for awhile, you may remember that I was posting pictures of my mother's enourmous mug collection. I've recently cleaned out the cupboards and am once again trying to use a new mug every day.

Here's one I found of my sister's (it has her name on the other side):

And in garden news, I've torn out some old, dying tomatoes the cucumbers that never really were to make room for new peppers. I also have three watermelon seedlings to get in the ground but I haven't decided where to put them yet because they'll need so much room.
Check out these awful creatures that were devouring my tomatoes earlier in the week:

2010-07-19T17:25:00.002-04:00

Soooooo sleepy.

Finally picked up Allen's buddy from the airport last night. Late last night.

Our original plan (because Allen had to work the closing shift) was for me to pick up Buddy when his flight came in at 11:20pm and then drive to pick up Allen from work at 1am. Unfortunately, the flight had been delayed almost two hours so I ended up driving all over town to go back and pick up Allen at 1am and then drove BACK to the airport and finally collapsing into bed around 3:30am.

Woke up late and kicked the boys out to go do fun Florida things. Now maybe I'll be able to get some items listed online..

Treasury Madness

2010-07-18T15:01:00.003-04:00

Our Etrelle's goodies are in TWO treasuries!
This first one is called Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty... by jenglo:
And this bright yellow treasury called A Little More Sunshine by loftyambitions:I love them!

It's that time...

2010-07-16T10:02:00.002-04:00

Time for work.
I'd really like to be able to call my work day 'over' at 2 pm but unfortunately my job doesn't need me to clock in until 10:30am which demands I work much later in order to accrue some substantial hours. Maybe I just need to manage my time better.

Ah, well. Sunday, you're so close!

Things from the closet

2010-07-12T14:44:00.004-04:00

I've been trying to keep my HolyPotato etsy shop stocked, due to my mother's growing Pile Of Things in The Garage. We've come across a couple old original paintings and fun retro toys. My mom and aunt even took one of the paintings up to Antique Roadshow and found out that was worth a grand! (I didn't get a picture of it, but it's an oil painting by Pierre Bertrand, who, by the way, I couldn't for the life of me find anything about through an intense Google search).

I have a ton of these Playbills; various dates and performances.and these cool cards:Still a TON more. Wish me luck!

Wonderful

2010-07-07T17:43:00.004-04:00

It IS a wonderful Wednesday.
My co-worker asked me to let her work my shift tonight so she could bank some extra money for her 21st birthday bash (she rented some rooms at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for the occasion - a much better plan than my own 21st) and I'm taking the day off.
So my fabulous day has been spent tooling around in the garden, playing facebook apps, and eating these awesome Key Lime cookies from Bob's Bunz in Islamorada:
My mother's friend went down to the Keys for a few days, leaving her dog here with us. When she came back, she brought us the gift of cookies! These things are DELICIOUS! I think I'm the only one in the house eating them, too, which is very strange considering we're all Key Lime fans (and cookie fans).
But hey, I'm not complaining - more for me! (Thank goodness there's two bags!)

Happy 5th oF July!

2010-07-05T11:12:00.004-04:00

Because I missed the Fourth.

It's been raining for two days straight now and, although we definitely needed the rain, I had just planted some pepper seedlings outside, which I'm afraid will fall victim to flooding. Of course, I've had the past two days off (why wouldn't it rain the whole time) so I've been able to go out and check on them frequently.

Some good news, though: My first strawberry flower!
And my garden harvest from yesterday:There's some tomatoes of various sizes, banana peppers, spinach and mesclun lettuce, and one small onion.

I wish that I had the foresight to buy some fireworks this year. I was so busy working and dealing with other issues that I had completely forgotten the 4th of July until a cashier asked me on Saturday if I was "gearing up for the Fourth". Even though I had no plans my neighbors decided to go all out this year shooting off exploding devices of all sizes, shapes, and colors. It really was a lot more noise and commotion than years past, and I think that was due to the constant rain. All the saturated grass and soil must have set people thinking there was less of a chance of setting fires with stray rockets and falling embers. The past two years were a drought during the Fourth.Print by Ibilbs14

So I got quite a show and a relaxing evening, despite my garden anxiety.

I hope everyone had a great Independence Day!

plants plants

2010-06-22T18:51:00.003-04:00

I've become a genuine gardener. I only say that because I figure I spend more time in the garden than with any other hobby. Which is actually a shame, because I need to get drawing.
But I find the process itself relaxing, despite any effort I have to put into it, and the payoff very rewarding. It makes my heart leap to see how large my basil has grown, or how fruitful the tomato harvest is.
I'd love to do a seed or seedling swap, but first I have to dig through my collection and see what I have left. A lot of my seed packages were left out in a summer rainstorm I lost quite a bit.
Does anyone know of any good swap websites? I used to use folia.com, but haven't been there in a while.

And now, for my newest listing:
Snack Cracker Stickers!

oh, hi monday

2010-06-21T17:11:00.004-04:00

Today was fairly relaxing. I vacuumed the bedroom and planted my dill in the backyard garden. That's enough for one day, right? Oh, and I planted some more marigolds around the garden, to repel pests and weeds. My cherry tomatoes are fruiting like crazy but unfortunately have been attacked by insects. I'm pretty sure they're aphids and I want them gone. Which is why i planted the marigolds. If you know of any other natural cures for pests, please let me know. I want to keep the garden pesticide-free but I'm getting frustrated at the lack of options.

Photo by BeautifulDarkLight

Allen had a rough day at work so I'm using that as an excuse to pamper us both by getting some Chinese take-out and curling up to watch our newest Netflix movie.

Sweet!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T22:09:00.002-04:00

I haven't been able to keep up with blogging due to an overly-hectic workweek, and of course, today was spent focusing on Dad. My plan was to clean up the house for my dad so he could just come home from his favorite Father's Day (or any day) activity - fishing - and just relax. Unfortunately I was held up at work and had just enough time to vacuum and hang some artwork that had been sitting to the side.
But we got to hang out for a bit and chat, which is always the best part of Father's Day anyways. Sharing and talking with dear ol' dad.

Love you dad-O!

Monday garden Skillz

2010-06-14T13:46:00.004-04:00

I'm trying to get some gardening and listing and cleaning accomplished today, since Ill be working non-stop throughout the week. The rain has subsided and my garden has been divided into clear winners and losers.

My cherry peppers have exploded:
And my cucumbers, although not showing fruit yet, are becoming enormous. I had to put up a cage in attempt to steer them away from strangling my tomatoes.My squash, radish, and cantaloupe unfortunately didn't make it. Most of my lettuce was destroyed as well, but a few of the larger plants hung on.
Now to clear room for more plants!

OH NO!

2010-06-09T12:55:00.005-04:00

It has rained so much over the past two weeks that our soil is now inundated with water - our yard is a swamp! More importantly - my garden is a swamp! Most of my older and larger plants seem to have survived the worst of it (5 inches of water above soil level for 24 hours!) but my newly planted lettuce and peppers are now squishy lumps of decomposing green matter.

My garden just a few days before:

Now the water has receded but the soil is still heavily saturated and I see more rain clouds on the horizon. I had thought to dig a trough out of the garden to release water, but considering that the rest of the yard is still a swamp, I don't know where I could go with it.
It seems to me that the best solution would be to slowly raise the garden after harvesting the crops, so it eventually becomes a hill. Or making a series of box gardens, but That will take money and help from the cousins, since I'm not as handy as I'd like to be.

another monday

2010-06-07T11:42:00.002-04:00

..... in the garden!

My cantaloupe has a baby fruit!Right now its about the size of a baseball, but the plant is starting to yellow and weaken. This always seems to happen with my vine fruits. Cucumbers, peas, and squashes; they've never really produced a harvest.
Does anyone have any advice or tips?

birthday day

2010-06-06T17:23:00.003-04:00

Now it's my cousin's birthday. He's turning 25 and wants to go bowling.
I adore my cousin, and would normally looooove to go bowling, however, I've had such a stressful week, all I want is to spend my Sunday in solitude and peace and quiet; maybe to finish up some personal projects and relax.
But my cousin had a worse week. He was fired last night.
So I'll be going bowling.

aw

2010-06-03T13:32:00.003-04:00

REASONS WHY YOU SHOULDN'T MOW THE LAWN WITH YOUR CELL PHONE IN YOUR POCKET:Well, really it's just one reason. but a good one.
This wasn't me, it was my cousin. I found the phone.

Mysterious

2010-05-31T11:27:00.004-04:00

What is this thing?!It's on my cherry pepper plant. There wasn't any noticeable damage to the plant so I left him alone. I'm not sure if he was hurting or helping. Advice?

In other, non-bug related news, I got some time in at the workshop yesterday and have some new cuffs to list!

Tomatoes!

2010-05-29T21:50:00.001-04:00

They're growing! all over the place!I'm very pleased. Hopefully in a few weeks I'll have cherry tomatoes coming out the whazoo!

2010-05-26T13:53:00.002-04:00

Happy Dad Day!
(well, my dad, anyway)
It's his BIRTHDAY!
I unfortunately was not able to get him his present online, which is a bummer because that means I had to pay full price for it at Barnes & Noble, but it is purchased and wrapped nonetheless.
I got him a copy of Hoodwinked, the new book by John Perkins.Now that I think about it, I should've bought a copy from the author's website. they usually autograph them when you do that. Oops. Well, I guess there's a Father's day idea.
Happy Birthday Dad!

Sweet Sunday

2010-05-23T10:31:00.003-04:00

Oh Sunday, how I love you. Since I work all Saturday, Sunday is the start of my weekend. I wake up super early to play on the computer and run errands; I'm like a little kid who struggles to get to school at 8am but then darts out of bed at 6am Saturday to watch cartoons.
After checking the weather forecast I decided that today would be great for gardening! Hopefully I'll be able to dig out some more space and get my cucumbers and radishes in the ground today! The image at the top of the page is my attempt at drawing up a garden layout. The circles represent marigolds and the rounded squares are predicted planting spots.
What do you think? Does it need some work?

water gasp... water

2010-05-20T14:00:00.002-04:00

It is SO hot and humid outside. I tried to dig out another chunk of garden today and managed to mangle about four square feet of grass before collapsing into the house again. There are plants waiting in queue for prime yard space so I've gotto keep digging out a little each day. But this is HARD!

So, enough about my foliage-related fatigue. I'll daydream about my pretty garden until work tonight.By TheSucculenGarden on Etsy
By 8point8 on EtsyBy Azuredandelion on Etsy

Its a trip

2010-05-19T13:33:00.003-04:00

My buddy came back and we spent a funtastic day at the beach before the clouds rolled in. The evening was warm and perfect for a meal and drink outdoors with friends and family. Unfortunately, he had to make the long drive back to Missouri and left yesterday morning. I miss him already!I went back to my garden and dug out some more space; planted some more peppers and lettuce. My garden plot is starting to look like a garden! The next step will be transplanting the cucumbers, dill, and radishes. yes, I know I should've just started the radishes in the ground to begin with, but I have a fear of seeding directly in the garden still. Especially when I'm unfamiliar with what the seedlings look like in the first place. What if I accidentally left weeds growing for weeks, thinking they were radishes? That would be a nightmare!

Buddy Time

2010-05-16T15:24:00.002-04:00

My buddy Chad came to visit the other day! I haven't seen this guy in YEARS! Five years, to be exact. We parted ways in Kansas City; he moved to central Missouri and I moved to Florida. This past month, he decided to take some long over-due vacation time and bounced between Tennessee and Sarasota. From Sarasota he came south a bit to see me on Thursday! It was great seeing him, but sad that his visit was so short.
Well, fantastic news - he's coming back down again today! Can't wait to see him (again!)

I spent the morning working in my garden, trying to dig out some more space and drawing up plans for various seedling areas. It's a bit frustrating, because I'm dealing with existing crops that may or may not be companion plants with the seedlings. For instance, the dill can go next to the corn, onion, and cucumbers, but needs to stay away from the carrots and tomatoes.
Fingers crossed I get it right!

As the weeks go by

2010-05-10T14:14:00.004-04:00

So, May is officially upon us. Mothers Day was fun, but scattered. Most of the family had to work at some point or another throughout the day, so we were never really able to gather together. However, we showered my mother with love and affection and my aunt eve gave her a refreshing haircut! I had tried to buy flowers on my way home from work but the roadside floral vendor, who is always there, was not there that day. Ridiculous! The best day to sell flowers and youre not going to be open?Fortunately, I had purchased my mother some amazing hand-blended teas from Teaman on Etsy.

My garden has been pushing steadily along. I have some small squashes forming and am re-growing green onions for the third time. They seem to be forever regenerating!
My cousin even made some mild hot sauce from our garden using onions, scallions and peppers.We didn't have enough peppers, though. Hopefully soon we'll have a bigger harvest.

Mom Day

2010-04-29T12:37:00.002-04:00

Today is Mom's Day. Well, my mom's day. It's her birthday!
Happy Birthday mom!Love this cute card by GladeMade!

Commotion

2010-04-28T12:27:00.002-04:00

I haven't blogged in a while (obviously) and here's why: I've been busy. Typical excuse, I know, but really, I've been trying like crazy to save up cash for a variety of new-found goals, so that means extra time at the night job. Which has kind of turned into a day job.
PLUS my family has added four new additions to our household. My aunt moved in, along with her son's best friend, a cat, and a dog. And a lot of extra stuff. Also, another cousin and two cousin-in-laws came down with them, although they only stayed for a few days.I love my family, but I've always been a hermit-at-heart. I create, clean, and relax better when I'm alone, so I felt paralyzed all week by the constant stream of people in and out of our house.
Hopefully all will be organized and calm soon, and everyone will be able to settle into a routine.
Hopefully.
In the meantime, I've being trying to keep myself dedicated to my online sales. I even had some shop time this week and made a couple cuffs and change purses!

April Shennanigans

2010-04-04T14:58:00.003-04:00

My birthday was a success! I spent the day practicing the fine art of doing nothing. AND a birthday dinner of calamari and cracked conch at the Thirsty Turtle!

I also had the opportunity to get a little leather-working done at the shoe shop.

I made a couple coin purses:

And we've been teaching my cousin how to make sandals - he's getting really good!

Here's one of our latest:

(almost) my Day

2010-03-31T12:14:00.003-04:00

It's my Birthday!....

...tomorrow.

I'm dabbling a bit in my garden before work tonight. A very stange thing has happened. Tomatoes are growing everywhere! Just not where I planted them.

They're in my oregano:

And my green onions:

They're all over the yard, too! However, I can understand the yard-tomatoes because my last harvest was a little too-abundant and tomatoes ended up rolling all over the place.

The worst part is, I have no idea what kind of tomatoes they are, because I planted a couple different varieties over the past year. If seeds got mixed into the soil (which obviously they did), I have no way of telling which kind they are until they get much larger.

2010-03-14T16:14:00.005-04:00

Our garden is doing well, and managed through the torrential downpours we had through the weekend. This one particular patch of dirt, in front of our old house, is a bit of a puzzler for me. we've only been able to produce massive amounts of weeds due to the lack of drainage and poor sunlight. I suppose it would be an ideal location for a box garden, but it really doesn't receive any sunlight, ever.

My carrots were also flooded in my backyard garden, but I think they'll recover.

And all my other starter pots have sprouted! Corn, squash, and eggplant!

Thursday Hump Day

2010-03-11T18:32:00.002-05:00

Well, Thursday is my hump day.

Halfway through the week AND I have tomorrow night off! I'm hoping I can run some errands and maybe relax a bit before I have to leave again and pick up Allen from his night shift.

Sort of a cruddy evening - maybe Allen and I can catch some more movies on my Netflix account before I cancel it tomorrow.

This past Tuesday we watched Zombieland for movie night.

Hilarious!

If you're into gore and dark humor (and Bill Murray) I highly reccommend it!

2010-03-08T15:00:00.005-05:00

We've gotten some more gardening done! We dug out some more space in the back and planted some lettuce and peppers. I'll add the corn and squash once the seedlings get a little taller.

Now I just need to clean up the rest of this mess.

Not really sure what to do here. I think this area would be perfect for anothergarden space, but I'd have to put some extra effort into keeping out our pets and preventing dirt and leaves from flying into the pool, which sits all of twenty feet away.

New Things

2010-03-07T10:22:00.003-05:00

I've been getting back to creating! The past few weeks most of my time has been eaten up at the night job (now mostly a day job) and I haven't really had much of an opportunity to go into the work shop. I did finally finish a cuff and money wallet I had started previously.

Here's the cuff:

I also made som new beads for my Blenderbach shop on Etsy:

March!

2010-03-01T11:03:00.004-05:00

My garden is off to a good start. I need to start utilizing myfolia.com again. it's good website for keeping track of planting dates, expected sprouts and harvest, and even has a photo album section.

I have some carrot sprouts! the seed package said they're great for poor soil (which is all I have) and they have a harvest rate of every three weeks or so, but so far that seems a little far-fetched. I guess we'll wait and see.

My cousin and I planted some more squash, corn, eggplant and peppers, but so far we've not seen much action in that department. However, my oregano that I re-planted seems to be growing again. Hopefully it will be nice and bushy again by summer.

2010-02-28T23:21:00.003-05:00

So.... I did go to the Ozzy autograph signing. Although it was really a book-signing, since they strictly enforced a no-memorbilia policy. My sister showed up with a purchased book and wristband for the line, so after work we went straight over to begin.... waiting.

To be completely honest, I would have left after an hour if not for the fact that one of my co-workers paid me to get him a signed copy. I love Ozzy, but I'm not a social person and waiting in line for HOURS with hundreds of people who have nothing better to do but strike up a conversation with the nearest warm body is close to my own personal hell.

By the time I made it up to Ozzy, his handlers were shoving books and humans through as fast as they could, which left no time for interaction. I didn't even get a glance up from Ozzy, let alone a handshake or greeting, but at that point I don't think either one of us was in any mood for conversation, so we did each other a favor.

So anyways, I got three books signed, two for my co-workers and one for Allen and I. I haven't gotten too far into the book, but it's actually pretty good. And despite the trauma, I'm glad I went.

but I'm never. doing that. again.

Springtime? Almost.

2010-02-24T10:29:00.003-05:00

The weather has warmed and birds are chirping (or warbling or squeaking, etc.) and the sun is mostly shining. Since we're supposed to have another cold front come through on Thursday I used today as an opportunity to go green-onion-crazy in my garden. Now, if you're wondering why I'm planting before a cold front comes through, it's because I live in south Florida. Hence, our "cold front" will only be dropping us down to 40 degrees (although, trust me, we'll be freezing).

In other news, Ozzy Osbourne will be at our local Barnes and Noble store signing autographs on Friday. Even though I'd love to see him, and I'd really like to get my boyfriend's old Black Sabbath cassette tape signed, I don't know how much I can stomach the idea of waiting in line for hours on end. I've done it once before, for an ICP (don't laugh) signing when I was a kid, and even then it was an ALL DAY event. Plus I have to work at 5 that night.

Ah, well. Maybe I'll be able to just walk over to barnes and noble before work and catch a glimpse :)

Spring time wishes

2010-02-08T13:59:00.004-05:00

Even though the weather has taken another dip into cold temperatures, it is February, and in south Florida, that means Spring is right around the corner.

I've already begun to plant a few herbs and peppers, and hopefully today I get started on a new season of tomatoes and onions.

My strawberries are coming back to life:

I should probably plant some more lettuce, also. I've been spoiled by such a fabulous winter harvest of my mesclun varieties.

Bad Back Blues

2010-02-06T12:23:00.003-05:00

Let me start by saying, "OUCH!"
Monday evening my back went out. It was probably a cumulative problem, originating with me ignoring doctor's warnings, followed by multiple attempts to contort my spine into odd positions, and topped off with my constant lifting heavy objects (because I apparently think I'm a she-hulk).

So, obviously, it came as a huge surprise to me when I started having severe back pain Monday night. Tuesday and Wednesday and even most of Thursday afternoon were spent lying in bed. Even better is the fact that all last week I was too busy to do any household cleaning had accumulated piles of laundry and chores a mile high by Monday.
Ah, well. On the bright side, I did get quite a bit of reading done, and breezed through a couple movies that had been sitting on the shelf for future movie nights.
Did I learn my lesson? Probably not. But I am more conscience of my posture, so that's something, right?

Fair

2010-01-27T11:34:00.005-05:00

The fair was a spectacular success. We were able to go twice this year, which was an absolute joy for me; we were unable to attend for the past four years. The first pass around was a VIP function, prior to the official fair 'opening day'. My sister's boyfriend scored the free tickets from his dad's work and we all got enjoy FREE admission, FREE rides, FREE buffet, and.... FREE booze! Although we didn't take part in that awesome deal. my sister's too young to drink and Allen and I didn't want to get ill on any of the rides. Although, it's a shame because outside in the midway beers cost $8.00 each.

$8.00!!? Really.
The second time around, Allen, my cousin and I went to go see the Blue Oyster Cult play on the main stage.
It. Was. Amazing.

After the show we walked around and checked out the midway and ate some food.Unfortunately the rides were too expensive for us to enjoy and the animal tents were closed. Which is a shame, because I love the animal tents.
All in all a good time, though!
And Mikey dunked that awful clown!

Friday Funtime

2010-01-22T08:38:00.004-05:00

Ah, coffee...

I'm about to run into work on very little sleep. But it was totally worth it.

Last night Allen, my cousin, and I went to the Blue Oyster Cult show and then ran around the South Florida Fair to enjoy the sights and smells and unfortunately not the rides, because we didn't have enough money.

However, all in all, a fantastic evening. I have a ton of pictures to go through, but here's a sneak preview:

BOC ROCKED!

Celebrating MLK

2010-01-18T14:58:00.002-05:00

Some things we should never forget.

Tuesday Blahs

2010-01-12T11:28:00.003-05:00

Well Tuesday are my back-to-work-days and I've got the blahs. The only thing keeping me going is a promise I made to myself to be productive today. That, and a steady flow of chick-Fil-A sweet tea.

Found this little buddy hiding in my mom's lillies:

Winter Blues

2010-01-10T21:00:00.000-05:00

It is SO COLD!

Now, I know anyone who lives north of me probably has little sympathy, but it is FREEZING in south Florida! I mean, c'mon, that's why we all live here - the year-round warmth. They're predicting ice on the roads and possibly..... snow!?

All this is taking me back to my childhood when, at the age of eight, I saw "snow" for the first time. It was similar temperatures that year and my sister and I stayed up late one night with my father, waiting for it to get cold enough. Sure enough, we went outside and saw tiny snowflakes falling through the rays of the porchlight. However, it wasn't THAT cold, so the little flakes dissapated before they even reached our heads.

The first time I really encountered snow was in the mountains of Tennessee while we were moving to Kansas in the late winter. I was 18.

I might just stay up late tonight and see if there's any snow :)

Online Gaming

2010-01-10T13:53:00.003-05:00

More like online app'ing. I've become enamoured with my facebook applications and can't stop playing Farmville!

And Restaurant city (my little people use the toilet!) Now I'm all into Pet Society. My little guy is adorable!

Now that I've spent my morning goofing off, I should really get some work done !

Treasury!

2010-01-07T23:10:00.002-05:00

I was featured in a treasury by ME2Designs!

Check it out HERE!

broken Pipes

2010-01-04T13:21:00.002-05:00

So a repairman came out today to fix our broken pool pump, and in the process, stepped on a water pipe and broke it. No water! Luckily it was fixed quickly and the only person inconvenienced was my cousin, who desperately wanted a shower.

A quick trip to Chick-Fil-A diverted our attentions long enough to wait for the water to be fixed and have full bellies (and sweet tea!)

*bonus* - I think the pool pump is working!

Now I just have to focus on accomplishing something today. After watching the past few days go by without getting much done, I've realized that I try to tackle too many things at once. Right now, forinstance, I'm thinking about how I need to list a bunch of things online and clean the entire house and re-arrange my bedroom furniture.

I've decided to only keep one task in front of me, to see if that helps. Today I'll be focusing on listing items.

By the way, does anyone know how this Teavana Tea Harmony glass tumbler with tea strainer works? My mom got it as a gift and it didn't come with instructions.

It says it's ideal for "capturing the perfect bouquet of blooming tea". Do we need special teas for it? I tried looking online but couldn't find any help.

getting the show on the road

2010-01-03T15:31:00.003-05:00

Well, I am so far enjoying this beautiful, yet cold Sunday off from work. Thanks to the new newspaper layout, I spent twenty minutes searching for the Sunday comics (with the help of my mother, no less) and was finally able to relax outside with my enourmous cup of coffee and watch my plants grow.

I started up a Soopsee account, but I'm still a bit confused about how to get my twitter attatched. I hear they have great customer support, so I guess we'll see :)

2010

2010-01-02T13:57:00.003-05:00

Wow, has it really been TEN years since 1999? Since the Y2K panic? Since I sat on the beach with my best friend drinking Malibu rum and watching the fireworks over the ocean?

Out with an old decade and in with a new!

My garden is starting the new year nicely: my tomatoes are turning red, my lettuce is bountiful, my cherry tomatoes are VERY fruitful, and our squash is growing very nicely!

AND the cucumber lemon that I thought was dead has prouced fruit!

Here's to a great New Year!

Too Much Turkey

2009-11-28T15:56:00.003-05:00

Now is the week of turkey sandwiches and pie for breakfast! Really, who can complain?

I've been toiling out in my garden this week, trying to get everything into the ground. I have two red tomato plants in a large kitty litter bin and several out back in the dirt. This is my experiment to see which set does better. Already the container plant had a head start because I split the large bunch slowly as they grew, but even if they had been re-planted earlier my money's on the container plant. Our soil here in south Florida is of a very sandy variety. Great for pines, palms, and mangroves, but less-than-nutritional for most vegetables. I mixed in some garden soil from home depot, so we'll see....

And here's my baby tomatoes!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T15:55:00.002-05:00

I can hardly wait! Thanksgiving is one of three days a year I that allow me the luxury of doing whatever I choose. And eating a huge dinner. Bonus!

So, in honor of the holiday I'm having a five-day SALE at Etrelle's!

Everything (except custom orders) are Buy One Get One FREE!

Cuff bracelets!

Sandals!

Purses!

Pouches!

Just wait for a revised invoice upon purchase!

Woo-Hoo!

(now for some turkey....)

Thursday Things

2009-11-12T14:05:00.003-05:00

Well, I'm trying to get something accomplished today, on my day off. I had some packages to mail yesterday and, yes, I know, the PO was closed, but the drop box for the APC machines was so stuffed, I couldn't even drop the packages in! Also on my list for the day is: completely re-arranging my bedroom furniture, vaccuuming, scrubbing of floors and laundry.

We'll see.

And check out my newest cuff bracelet:

It's time to....

2009-11-04T13:03:00.002-05:00

I've become quite obssessed with my garden and have completely forgotten to blog about this awesome Bee box I won from AndrewsReclaimed!

It's so pretty and well-built! I haven't put it in my garden yet, as I'm still re-arranging and planting, but I'm excited!

Newish Stuff and things

2009-10-24T14:48:00.004-04:00

I've been up to gardening again; trying to get my fall harvest rolling. My cherry tomatoes are doing outstandingly well and my cilantro and mint is over abundant.

It's taken me several attempts to get some lettuce and spinach sprouts, but I finally have some!

And my strawberries are growing fine, although slowly.

I also have some new cuffs and cases! Here's a fun new card case:

things to do

2009-10-14T12:49:00.005-04:00

Well, I have certainly been slacking on the blogfront. Not that I haven't had any desire to blog, rather, that I've been fairly busy between jobs.

And there are so many things to list....

Here are some of my latest additions to my Blenderbach shop:

Laminate samples for supplies.

And multiswirl handmade polymer clay beads!

Winner!

2009-09-27T13:55:00.000-04:00

And the winner of my give-Away is.... Kate8085!

Congratulations!

Thursday working

2009-09-17T13:09:00.003-04:00

Well, it's been a bit of a rough week, and now I have a lot of work and planning to do before Sunday. I'll be having (my first ever!) BBQ party at my home in honor of Allen birthday. I'm not a very good party organizer, so I hope it turns out okay. Luckily i have several people offering to work the grill, which reduces the risk of me ruining all the food,

I've had some time to create this week, and made some more little coinpurses:

And please check out my September GiveAway! You could win a bronze patent leather cuff bracelet!

Beaded Delights

2009-09-15T14:21:00.005-04:00

I was on a bead-making roll last week and I've only put a few up for sale on my Blenderbach Etsy store, but they're so cute, I had to show them off!

2009-09-13T13:50:00.004-04:00

What a bright and sunny day!

I'll be spending the day in between the garden and cleaning the house. There's much to do and organize and plant!

My mother gave me some red tomato seeds that I planted and... WOW! I wasn't expecting them ALL to sprout.

And another mug! I like this one, in texture and artwork.

And please click on the link at the top of this blog to enter my September GIVE AWAY!

New Purse!

2009-09-07T04:00:00.001-04:00

I made a new clutch purse out of some awesome striped vinyl! I love it!

It's posted in my Blenderbach shop, since there's no leather in it.

And... I think my strawberries are sprouting!!

Treasury

2009-09-06T18:59:00.002-04:00

I finally managed to make my own!

It's called Haberdashers and Cobblers!

saturday hoopla

2009-09-05T13:31:00.004-04:00

I was up way too late last night and now am over-tired and behind in my work. I had planned on cleaning and listing all morning. *sigh* It's now the afternoon, with nothing accomplished.
But, it's not too late to get back on track!

Here's some inspiration for me:

My corn is growing amazingly!

And here's some more mugs:

This pretty bird one belonged to my grandmother.

Hush Puppies mug! My aunt worked for a shoe store in Mackinaw City for a long time and they sold hush Puppy brand shoes. I remember getting little toy puppies when we went there as kids.

September GIVE AWAY

2009-09-02T13:42:00.003-04:00

Hooray for Contests!

I am putting this awesome bronze patent leather cuff bracelet up for a prize: This is a size small and fits a 6 - 6 3/4" wrist.

Entering to win is EASY!

1. - Go check out my shop HERE.

2. - Leave a comment on this post with your name and some way to contact you (e-mail, etsy shop name)

3. - for a Second and Third entry - blog or tweet about this contest. Leave a seperate comment with a link to your blog or twitter for each entry.

The contest ends on September 24th at 11:59 pm EST and the winner will be announced here shortly afterward.

I do Love mondays

2009-08-31T14:14:00.002-04:00

I really do.

The leather shop AND the t-shirt place are closed Mondays and the night job never needs me on Monday anymore, so I always have the whole day OFF! Hooray! I got some major errands done and mailed some goodies out at the post office. Although, as I was leaving some nasty driver on her phone zoomed right behind my rear end and honked at me as I was backing out of my space. I was almost all the way out already!! What a jerk. Florida drivers are The. Worst. Ever. And I love this state, but c'mon, people! Just because you're in a hurry doesn't mean you can arrogantly assume you own the road and put others in danger with erratic and careless behavior!

*whew* Sorry about the rant.

Did I say I love Mondays?

Anyways, check out my mint!

2009-08-30T15:43:00.002-04:00

Allen's been working on a new beer holster!

This one's stained black with a large silver concho and lacing.

I'm hoping for some more shoulder holsters - I love those things!