memories

This past Saturday we said goodbye to our faithful car. Rodney was my first new car and did me well these past thirteen years. If the mister and I were a two car household, we would have kept him. Alas, we weren't certain Rodney would get us around the country again in his rickety old age. Farewells were said, weepiness ensued and new wheels were brought into our little family. Sigh.

oh, the snootiness inside me

Yesterday at the thrift store I watched a very young mother scold her very young child (about four) for spilling his crackly bag of red hot cheetohs all over the floor. He apologized and said it was "a accident" and she continued to scold as she swept the glaringly red snack food under the clothing rack with her right foot. I was flabbergasted. I probably shouldn't have been but I was. In my snoot, snoot, snooty head I glared and reprimanded. There were too many things I thought wrong with the whole scene and I thought what good is she teaching this child?

I thought back to my preschool years and I remember knocking over products at the grocery store much to my mother's chagrin and then picking up said products under her watchful yet unscolding eye. I remember accompanying her to the fabric sore (which I abhorred) and running around and hiding in the fabric racks until she'd yank me out by the arm, sit me down at the pattern book table and ask me to pick out a new dress pattern. I know how difficult it can be shopping with children. How taxing, really. Grocery shopping about did me in so I am not so snooty that I judge her for sitting the kiddo down in the back of the cart with a crackly bag of processed snack food (I myself am quite partial to the orange puffs). I do however hold it against her for sweeping those red crunchy bits slightly under the racks so that others can stomp on them. One, it shows no accountability, two, it loses out on a teachable moment and three, it leaves a mess for the staff to pick up...then again...the mister and I once stumbled upon something much more awful sitting on the floor in the middle of an aisle at a thrift store we will never frequent again.

*I want things like this not to be acceptable or shrugged off. In a nutshell it might not seem like a big deal but in the bigger picture it simply leads to more sloppiness.It lends itself to the many things that are wrong with the world (think about not picking up the wrapper you just walked by because YOU didn't drop it there). Bad examples are set, a lack of caring is put forth and I think it goes hand in hand with morals and all that jazz. Where does it go before others think it is a BIG deal. Why not begin with an internal measure of how you want to be perceived or how you want the world to work? Sure, there are exceptions (lots of exceptions) and things don't always work out the way you want them to but to show a lack in caring or an obliviousness that the behavior is not normal is sad and startling. I liken this to the "good job" debate and children expecting gold stars at every turn, to employees expecting the highest rating on their reviews for simply doing their job and for internet sales people expecting 5 stars for sending you their product as they should. It's about treating people with kindness because you are kind. My thoughts are coming out very clear here and I understand that many of you will think me most snooty but these are the things I think about as I observe the discontent of the world around me.

seven years (hitched) and counting

 Happy Read Across America Day! When the mister and I were planning our shindig, we delighted in the coincidence that our first date was on Dr. Seuss' birthday. When it came time to pick a date for the shindig, it was a no brainer. We got hitched on our second anniversary and will be tied to Dr. Seuss each year. This year being no exception, we drove on down to Los Angeles to visit with friends and revisited the fountain. We also stopped off and made a deal for new wheels and now we're going to plan a road trip! Happy Anniversary!

 

 

it's time for another leap

 This year marks seven years hitched to the mister. We're heading down to L.A. for fountain jumping and a wee bit o visiting. We're hoping to return with a new set of wheels as well. Wish us luck!

the february bed

 

 

 

 Eeps! It's the last day of February and I finally remembered to post pics of The February Bed, you know, the one in the tiny casa. I have no idea what I am going to do for March. The mister and I are leaving for L.A. tonight and I'm feeling a smidge under the weather. I am also feeling utterly defeated in the crafty job realm but I'll save all that mess for later...or not. Happy Leap Day!

just like old times

 Seven years ago I decided i wanted to send packages out to people. Not just any package, an awesome color coordinated package full of handmade goodness. so, I created a swap-group called coloriffic swap-o-rama and all you had to do was send an awesome package within the color theme and it had to include at least one handmade item. Anyone could join. I had a lot of people join who felt they weren't crafty at all. I encouraged them to try their hand at making something, anything. They could make marble magnets or stationery and if they couldn't craft, they could purchase a handmade item to include in their package. It was a fantastic success! I received lovelier than lovely letters from women who had never made a thing before and who now run their own craft businesses. People knit, sewed, crocheted, sculpted and drew all sorts of swoon-worthy bits. We sent packages in solid colored themes, rainbow themes and kooky combos thanks to the ever fabulousness of paint swatches. Each month I would announce the next color combo and folks would sign up in a frenzy. At one point there were over one thousand members in the group! The largest swap we did had almost 500 people in it. Zoinks! It was fun and we had a blast and my mailbox was quite content. The last swap was in 2008 as school took over my life and pocketbook. It was then end of a craft swap era and I miss it.

 Since I have moved into the tiny casa, I think I have received all of two pieces of fun mail and one of those was solicited. My mailbox was sad and empty. I began to pine for the good old mail days of happy packages and so when I spied the Craft Social Mug Rug swap, I signed up! It would be good to make a little something I've never made before and to wrap up a happy little package just because.

 Never one for sending the minimum, I searched through my fabric stash for some happy fabrics and stitched up a happy mug rug with a wee nod to The Doctor. I scored an awesome handmade mug at the bins and turned the little pocket into a temporary pin cushion.

 

 This being a mug rug swap, I added some tea and chocolate and then whipped up this happy tea garland. I had been sitting on these wrappers for years and have been wanting to make this garland for just as long, yay!

 

 All the goodies got wrapped and stuffed into the mug which I then wrapped and sent off to my partner. I hope she enjoyed it!

Pics of what I received to come shortly. I need to eat up some breakfast and wrestle with these allergies of mine. It's been a bad week for breathing. Oh and if yer up for a swap of sorts, lemme know...my mailbox could still use a little love.