Versatile Blogger

I guess if you are versatile you have many talents, attempt many things, vary your routines and so on. My blog flips around to many topics so I must thank Amy of TenthAvenueSoapworks for giving me this award!



The rules of the Versatile Blogger Award are:

1 – Make a post and link it back to the person who gave you the award (and include their website address)
2 – Share 7 random things about yourself
3 – Award 7 bloggers with this award and contact them to let them know they have won



First the 7 random facts about me....
1-I cannot start my day successfully without my coffee (black) and the newspaper crossword puzzle (in ink).
2-I have eaten ice cream for dinner....many times.
3-I love the beach but don't swim.
4-I probably have more buttons than Michael's & ACMoore combined...big surprise!
5-I changed the course of my life because I HATE painting...not good for an art major.
6-Sewing machines push my buttons. We just don't get along.
7-I am proud of my computer skills since I am 98% self taught.

I am awarding this 'present' to:

Raige Creations
LetaMarieDesigns
CalabashCreations
CardBlanc
1000PointsofCreativity
BitsyCreations
FeelingStitchy

Time for Baseball

I've written before about my son, grandson and baseball but since then we have moved onto a whole different level of 'game' playing. Little League was nothing compared to what is called travel ball.
Almost every weekend there has been a 2 day tournament with 4-5 teams. This past weekend it was bumped up to 4 days and about 8-9 teams. During this last one, Mother Nature deemed us fit to cook and the temperatures were an inhospitable 94 to 99. I went to EVERY game-2 Friday,1 Saturday, 2 Sunday and 2 Monday. Nuts,eh? Yes, but oh, such great fun.

Watching the kids mature, develop and play their hearts out was a treat. My grandson is 9.
Watching my son (at almost 37) mature and develop further was a joy.

Monday was the championship and our boys were ranked #1 and set to play #2. The heartbreaker came during the top of the last inning. Our boys were leading the entire 2 1/2 hour game. The other team caught up and passed us by 2. We had last at bat but it wasn't meant to be.
No tears.
No foot stomping.
No thrown bats.
No bad sportsmanship.
A joy to watch young boys develop character to hopefully become good young men.
A joy to watch my young man continue to develop and mature and make me proud.
I do believe positive sport's experiences can provide an invaluable education for the future.
Now, the behavior of some of the mothers? That's a whole other posting!

It's almost time for me to leave now. Where? Well, our boys played so well and behaved so honorably this week, that they were invited to participate in another 4 day event starting today.....where's my bat and glove?!
Have a great weekend!

FRIDAY UPDATE: In response to my wonderful readers & their comments...my son refuses to play "Daddy Ball" where his son is in and given advantages no matter what. Despite the score, he will pull any kid who is not clicking whether in skill or especially attitude. If anything, he's too hard on his son in attempting fairness....spoken by a true grandma!
Oh, last night's games? The first was against a team who had beaten us handily twice in the past but our kids reigned supreme winning fairly. Second game....intense drama but we won 10-9 in 2 1/2 hours ending at 10:30PM!!!
I happened to be sitting with the head umpire who has been working with kids in baseball for over 40 years. He paid our kids great compliments and said Monday's game was THE best game he ever saw with 9 year olds...nice to hear. He made it a point to watch our game last night because of Monday.
So they are 2-0 against kids a full year+ older. Tonite is in question as it's been raining all day. I'll keep you posted. Go team!

Collaboration

I've written about collaboration before and want to share a new venture that was just started. Judy, of PortableGraffitiGraphics , and I have become good friends since we 'met' almost 2 years ago on Zibbet. She knew that I made clocks using a discarded CD as the base like this one:

And by the way, Happy July 4th!!!

We are now offering custom made clocks using a shop logo or avatar as the face. This would make a great gift for the crafter you know. Place it on a table when you do your shows. Hang it in your work space for accurate time and inspiration! Hey, significant others, your crafty partner would love this!

The one pictured on the right is our sample using MimiandColette as our prototype. The one below, we created for the BaubleBin.

You can let either Judy or I know if you are interested.

The listing is in my shop.

June 21, 2011

Happy Summer Everyone!!!

Yours or Theirs

Grrrrrrrrrr.....we all make typos but lately I have seen just plain out misspellings that no spell check is going to pick up. It is the wrong usage of a correctly spelled set of words. Now I am NOT professing to be an English master, but people who are earning nice $$$ on blogs and websites or are attempting to sell their crafts, are blowing this and need a smack upside their heads!!! This is also not a case of the new lingo replacing the old. It is just using the words incorrectly.
The first group is your or you're. If you can substitute the words 'you are' in place of your and it sounds right then the spelling is YOU'RE.
For example:
1-Your house is nice.
2-You are house is nice.
#2 is wrong, so the spelling is YOUR, choice #1

1-Your due at the show by 5:00.
2-You are due at the show by 5:00.
#2 is correct so use YOU'RE...okay?!

Group 2...there, their, they're
They're there at their house....confused?
Again, if you can substitute 'they are' and it sounds correct, use THEY'RE. In my example: They are there at their house.
THERE...is a place/location word and inside is another location...here...tHERE. So if you are (or you're) referencing a place, use there.
Last one...their. They're there at THEIR house. Whose house? THEIRS!!! It belongs to them.

I just finished reading a popular craft blog with thousands of visitors monthly, thousands,  and both you're and their were misused. Don't rely on spell check. It will not pick this up but your readers may and be turned off by what you're
saying because you don't know how to right  write. And they also may not by buy!  English is fun.......... :)

Zibbet Daily Deals

A group of lively Zibbet folk brainstormed in rapid fire fashion on Facebook today and came up with what could/should/hopefully be a great idea . Notice to the top right a widget stating "Zibbet Daily Deals". Click and check it daily for some wonderful offers from many Zibbet shops. It could be percentages off or free shipping or buy one, get one....you never know!
My fellow Zibbeters have consistently shown their amazing talents and true sense of community and friendship. I didn't begin selling online to make friends but have been truly graced by the company of some wonderful artisans.
Do check the deals and check out Zibbet...it is a wonderful place to be. Special thanks to Judy of Portable Graffiti Graphics for her design talents and ever willingness to help others. Visit her shops for a fabulous array of buttons, vintage and her graphic and proof reading services.
And check out the daily deals.

June

June was always very special to me.

As much as I mostly loved school as a student, June was exciting as it marked the end of the grade. As a teacher, boy oh, boy, was it an exciting month----the end of the 10 month year. 

My Mom always celebrated half birthdays and mine is in June, so another special event.

And now, through my grandsons, I'm aware of the end of school but really don't care. Half-birthdays? Marking getting old twice a year? Uh,no!

June has a business focus as I make sure to create any Father's Day  or graduation gifts.  No one is even close to graduating from anything in our family, so no gifts there.

June has a weather focus as in South Carolina, the serious heat is here. In New York, it was planting time. Here, it's don't let those babies dry up in the heat...water, water, water!

So what does June mean now? Really, it's just another month.

I do start thinking about fall/ winter items for the shop. Maybe having a "Christmas in July" sale again, even though they've been nothing in the past.

I decide if this old body will go in public clad in a bathing suit....probably not!

I stock up on bug spray and bite ointments.

We use the grill more and sit outside alot.

I love summer fruit which is starting to come in.

My husband and daughter-in-law have birthdays.

We have higher electric bills due to air conditioning.

We have lower home gas bills.

We're sad on Father's Day as we don't have our Dads but we're very proud of the Dad my son has become.

We're thankful we've completed 6 months of the new year without major issues.

So in the end, every month evolves and their meanings get adjusted and renewed. For new and different reasons, June is special. Enjoy yours!