Reflections of the Times

Just Stop It

2012-01-31T13:07:00.003-05:00

I've thought about this post for a few months now and I still can't figure out how to write it. I considered an "open letter" of sorts but even that has proven frustrating since I really can't decide how to best address it. I even researched it a couple of months ago and actually found numerous articles and blog posts about it where even far less conservative people than me were having a hard time addressing it. Here are some of the examples I thought might work:

"Dear Sleezy Woman on Twitter"
"Dear Social Media Whore"
"Dear Exploited Woman Who Doesn't Know Better"
"Dear Wicked Woman Who Does Know Better"

See? I'm stuck. The reason I'm stuck is because I can't discern the difference. From where I sit they all look the same. Same sleezy profile pics, same general bio, usually followed by a link that if your computer is not secured tightly by trash controls, will splash a horrific image of pure trash onto your screen. The women I'm referring to are the women on twitter who randomly follow all sorts of men (and a handful of women too, I suppose) for the sole purpose of spamming their porn garbage to men. Old men, young men, married men, Christian men, musician men, athletic men, they don't seem to care who they are or what they're about, they just spam, spam spam.

Part of me feels sorry for them, aches for the fact that they're being exploited (or exploiting themselves) for profit, for the fact they they think it's a good thing, that they might not know any other way to earn a living or that they are being abused in such vile, disgusting, personal ways. Another part of me detests them in extreme ways. Detests them for the industry they represent that destroys marriages, families and children, detests them for knowing what they're doing and not caring who it hurts. People who do that, men or women, people who knowingly and willingly and with a smile on their face - hurt people - those people just freak me out and should not be allowed to walk free. In fact, prisons are full of people who hurt others while enjoying themselves, this is just a different shade of it.

Part of me wants to talk to them and help them get out of such a wicked lifestyle, while another part of me wants to slap them and ask "how DARE you willingly be a part of something that has been documented time and time again to destroy lives?"

The tricky part about all of this I suppose is not really knowing which of them are in it for themselves, which are in it under duress, which of them don't really realize what they're doing, which of them know full well what they're doing, etc.

I fully confess... I have no earthly idea how low a woman must have to sink her emotional, spiritual and psychological health to resort to being a prostitute, so I don't understand how to address a woman like that, or if anything I'd even have to say would help, or hurt. I certainly don't want to hurt them (except for the ones that know exactly how devastating pornography is to society, relationships, families, churches, husbands, wives, kids, grand kids, etc. and do it anyway either for the money or some other reason - those I do want to slap, and if that makes me a horrible person then I guess I'm a horrible person). Thankfully there are smarter people than me who do minister and counsel women like this, because I would be a very poor choice for this kind of counsel.

More than anything what I want to say to them is simply, stop it. Stop posting links to men, stop following other women's husbands and boyfriends and fathers and brothers and sons, stop whoring yourself out for profit and stop believing whatever lie someone told you that got you into it in the first place. Stop letting men use you and abuse you and have some dignity and self respect.

I know, if it were that easy the porn industry would be dead tomorrow. Still, I want them to stop it. I want them to remember when they were little girls and the innocence they had, and the dreams and hopes they had and realize that they don't have to be, or do, what they're doing.

Yes, I just want them to stop it, for the sake of marriages and families and for their own sake as well as the sake of society in general that is literally slithering down the toilet as a result of this industry, I want them to stop it.

Husband Wisdom

2012-01-30T19:49:00.001-05:00

I was having a conversation today and something humorous came up that reminded me of something I read years ago and posted here. It's called Chocolate Sings and if you've never read it (especially if you're a husband) you really really (did I say really?) need to do that now, before you read another word.

Go, off with you now. Okay, you've read it? Good!

Now, allow me to say that while I can only speak for myself, I do also speak for at least 97 trillion hundred bazillion million (at least) other wives who will swear in a court of law and before God that this is true and accurate and something all husbands should commit to memory. The sweetest husbands in the world always hover between the "safest" and "ultra-safe" category.

Now, along those lines... I've posted a poll here in the upper right side bar and I really want MEN ONLY to take the poll. Yes, the answers are obvious but I still want you to take the poll anyway. Off with you now, go take that poll. For those reading through an rss reader:

"IF A SENSITIVE, RELATIVELY INSECURE WIFE SAYS TO HER HUSBAND "SHE'S SO MUCH PRETTIER THAN ME" HIS CORRECT RESPONSE SHOULD BE"

I'll post the results when the timer on the poll runs out in a few days. (and no, I can't see who takes it so if you're a bumble head, I won't know who you are, or send your answer to your poor wife).

Help Us Win!!

2012-01-28T12:06:00.002-05:00

So... here in Canoodia there's a coffee shop called Tim Hortons. Not everyone knows about Tim Hortons, but essentially they mix magic and happy and delicious with coffee and put it in your cup. It's our all time favorite place to get coffee, and we go there a lot. It's sorta like Starbucks, except way better and they don't charge 400 dollars for a cup of coffee.

The reason I'm telling you about Timmies, is because they recently introduced new cup sizes and they're having a contest to promote them. The contest is... submit a photo showing off the new sizes, get all your friends to vote and the top photo submissions are judged and the winner gets FREE coffee for a whole year! It's a great prize and Kev and I need to win it!!

So here's how you can help:We've both submitted a pic. Here's mine:

It's called Party in a Cup - showing the new cups are so huge you and all your friends can share! :o)

Now here's Kev's:

Kev's is called O Carry Me showing how the cups are so big now, you don't walk down the street carrying your coffee, it now carries you! (and yes, that IS Kevin being carried by the new mega-cup) :o)

I know, they're both silly but they're fun and we want to win this contest. So if you love us (you do, right?) you'll go to the Tim Horton's page on FB, you'll "like" the app, then you'll click on the "view and vote" link to go see our entries and vote for them! It's that easy, and the most votes get us into the top 10 to win the contest.

So, that's all there is to it. Please go vote so we can win, it'll be fun!

:o)

What's Up

2012-01-10T20:02:00.001-05:00

One of the things I've sort of settled on as a kind of New Year's Resolution (which isn't, really, but that seems like a good enough thing to call it) is to get back to blogging a bit more. I've missed it and even if only 2 people are reading, I guess that's okay :o)So today's post is more along the lines of one of my monthly status reports because there are a bunch of things rumbling around in my head right now. So here we go:

Thankful for... God's amazing mercy on my family. Last Friday my 93 year old grandma had what they call a mini-stroke (bleeding in her brain) and was taken to the ER unable to speak coherently, control her movements, etc. By Sunday evening mentions of hospice/pallative care were being discussed and chances of recovery were extremely small. However, yesterday some time gma decided she wasn't quite done with this family and she suddenly woke up, became responsive, asked questions and began responding well to sensitivity tests (visual, hearing, muscle control, etc.). The nurse updating me was so excited to tell me the good news and included "it is really nothing short of a miracle, everyone here is just completely amazed!" Now, gma is 93 and she's lived a really full life. None of us are under any illusion that she's going to stick around for another 20 years (although some of us secretly think she's going to outlive us all and it'll be her great-great-grandkids having this same conversation 30 years from now) so even if God is pleased to keep her here another few days, or weeks or months, that's pretty merciful of Him to do that. I'm 2500 miles away and it's been really hard for me keeping updated via long distance, but I know it's even harder for those there. Even still, God is astoundingly merciful.

Wondering... "what husbands think is the most valuable character trait in a wife". I use quotes there because that's what my friend Kim tweeted a couple of days ago and I thought it was a brilliant question. A question that wives should ask their husbands and husbands should ask their wives, in return.Not just ask, but prayerfully consider the answer and honestly ask themselves if they're living out that character trait that their spouses find most valuable.

So, I did that today and Kev's answer was, after thinking about it for a few minutes, understanding. Now we both agreed that there would be a lot of different answers from men, depending on the health of their marriage, personal cicumstances, etc. He explained that from understanding comes compassion, attentiveness and other good things that go into a strong marriage. On the flip side, the first thing that came to my mind as the most valuable character trait in a husband was integrity. I am curious though what other husband and wives would say is the most valuable trait to them.

Happy about... the print quality and the merch quality of all the products I've ordered from zazzle in the last month. I took advantage of some really great sales over the holidays and I've started some product reviews on the store blog that you can read here. I'm not just a designer that sells zazzle products, I'm a diehard zazzle customer too - they're THAT awesome!

I found this handsome super-model wandering across my deck today in one of my designs, and he happily agreed to pose for me for the product review I blogged today. It was pretty handy the way that worked out.

Wondering... if everyone is slowly going insane. In my readings lately I'm learning about John Piper and lectio divina, so-called pastors using sex as a hook to get attention and draw people in (oh yeah, and sell books, lest we forget that part), and more and more nonsense and controversial junk everywhere I look. To be honest, my first thoughts when I read some of this stuff are along the lines of "what are you, completely stupid?" I'm afraid the answer might be yes. It seems discernment, tact, propriety, timing, common sense and sound doctrine are just totally out the window and it's anything goes, jump on the modern culture bandwagon and throw caution to the wind. Well, that's just plain stupid. Yep, I said it. Outloud, too.

Hopeful... for my mom's upcoming hip replacement surgery on Friday. She had the other one done 18 months ago and it never healed the way it should have but her new doctor seems to think with both tires rotated (even if one still off kilter a little) she'll regain a much better alignment and her new hip will sort of compensate for the other one. I sure hope that's the case and would ask those reading to keep my mom (and the rest of my family) in your prayers. It's been a really tough week in my world and we could sure all use some peace of heart and peace of mind.

Status Report - January 2012

2012-01-03T12:43:00.001-05:00

Sitting...at the kitchen table on my laptop that my fabulously wonderful husband Kevin bought for me last Christmas. :o) It's still one of the most awesome and useful things anyone has ever bought for me.

Drinking...coffee with french vanilla cream

Listening to... the sounds of the washer and dryer both running and the space heater next to me blowing warm air into the room

Getting... anxious for normal routines to resume. Kev goes back to work today but the kids are still off for another 5 days. Kev and I were just talking about that the other day, and both agreed that as much as we don't always like the details of normal routines, it's the routine itself that helps us keep it together. We did manage to get the house back in order and get all the Christmasy things tucked away however.

Hoping... this isn't going to be one of those winters they're still talking about 30 years from now. I think I've mentioned that before in a recent status update but it's a valid hope so it gets a repeat performance. Also hoping that Kev's illness isn't worse today, since he was pretty stuffied up and miserable yesterday.

Thinking... about a book review I read this morning that made me cringe. Without naming the book or the authors suffice it to say it was a review on a book written to and for married couples on the subject of physical intimacy. I haven't read the book itself (and have no plans to) but the review was fair, balanced and honest (even appreciative at times). So why did it make me cringe? It seems we live in a time where nothing, and I mean nothing is out of bounds, private or too personal to share with a book audience or 82 bazillion people on the internet. I'm not sure where this mindset came from but I come from the generation where private things are private and personal things stay personal. So, this culture's open and public mindset completely clashes with the one I have and grew up with. Some will call me prudish or victorian or one of those other obnoxious insults for thinking the way I think but that's the way it is for most of my generation (the ones not trying way too hard to be hip and relevant and all that, anyway).

Making... plans for our Florida vacation this spring. We're all so excited to go and see things we've never seen, do things we've never done and meet some great friends we've only been able to correspond with online for years, but never met in person. Lord willing, it'll be a super-fantastic awesome and memorable trip. By the way, am I the only one who always types 'Floriday' first and then has to backspace to correct that?

Realizing... that not only do I not have the readership here I once did, but the length of this post is probably 20 miles too long for most folks these days anyway. We're in the tweet-generation now where 140 characters seems to be the most information folks want to take in at once. In some ways this is good, but in other ways it's kind of disturbing and makes me wonder how that affects our thinking and reasoning and conversation skills. I suspect I'm not the only over-40 dinosaur that has had these thoughts.

That's about all I have for today! I wish you all an amazingly blessed and joyous 2012.

Insanely Delicious Layered Salsa Dip

2011-12-31T14:06:00.000-05:00

I've probably posted this recipe at some point over the years but a.) I'm too lazy to look for it and b.) I don't really use a recipe anymore I just wing it, so this is the new and improved wing-it version:

2 bricks of cream cheese softened to room temp
1 tub of sour cream
1 cup of salsa (mild, med. or hot, depending on your preference)
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
2 cups grated sharp cheddar
*sliced black olives
*guacamole or avacado chunks
*sliced jalapenos
*salsa

In a large bowl whisk together the softened cream cheese and salsa. Spread into a pan and cover the bottom completely with this first layer. Use the same bowl (saves on clean up, girls!) and whisk together the sour cream and taco seasoning, then spread that over the cream cheese layer. Grate roughly 2 cups of cheese and layer that on top of the sour cream mixture. *Dot the top with black olives, guacamole, sliced jalapenos or more salsa - these are all optional.

Serve with tortilla chips and be VERY careful, it's been descibed as stupidly-insane yummy. I can vouch for that too since I'm the one who described it that way!

Enjoy!

Farewell 2011

2011-12-31T11:13:00.003-05:00

Today on this New Year's Eve day as the family watches our annual New Year's Eve Lord of the Rings marathon (blu-ray extended versions - it wont be over until around 9pm) and the chili simmers in one crockpot and the wassail simmers in another, I thought it would be a really good time to shake the cobwebs off this old blog and take a look back at 2011.

In some ways, 2011 was a really fantastic year. In other ways, ways that are entirely too personal and that cannot be shared here, it was one of the worst years I've experience in my adult life. However, as my Christian friends are always faithful to remind me, trials bring about growth and sanctification and great and painful trials bring about these things in a deeper way than you ever thought possible. So as much as I hate great and painful trials, just like we all do, I thank God for the sanctification that comes as a result of them. Putting the negative stuff aside I'd like to dwell on those things that made 2011 a fantastic year.

So many great things happened and just a few of those were

• our 14 year old's grade 8 graduation (they make a big deal out of that here in Ontario) and then entering high school
• the super fun Canada Day fireworks/bbq party we held and all the people who came (oh yes, Lord willing we're doing that again next year, it was so much fun)
• our 4 week road trip out to Washington (and the side trips we took to Devil's Tower in Wyoming and Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota) to see family (and meeting this Squirrel and Mrs. Squirrel in Montana on the way back home)
• mine and my husband's rededicating ourselves to a healthy, solid marriage (which has resulted in a better relationship for us than we've ever had, I highly recommend it to all married couples!)
• the ongoing success of my graphic design business primarily at my zazzle shops
• the ongoing, tireless, faithfulness of my friend Kim to put up with my bazillions of faults and warts and forgetfullness and remain my friend despite it all (and always being an encouragement towards bettering myself, and making me laugh too)
• the blessing of being able to see almost all of my extended family after 10 years of being away from home
• the news of yet another grandbaby coming in the spring of 2012 (it's a boy!)
• the successful knee surgery and quick recovery for our oldest daughter

The more I think about it the more I could add to this list and make it really really really long, but I won't do that. Suffice it to say, I am continually and incredibly blessed by so many things that it almost seems sometimes like it's too much. I know I certainly haven't done anything to deserve it. However, God knows what He's doing and I won't question that.

With tomorrow being the New Year, I think I'm going to make a couple/few resolutions. Now, it's been forever since I've done this so I don't know how well I'll stick with them but I'm putting it in writing this time so maybe someone reading can help keep me accountable once in a while and ask how things are going with these resolutions.

1. Lose another 20 pounds. I've lost roughly 30 pounds this year (it fluctuates, sometimes it's 30, sometimes it's 35, my scales are picky) but it's that last 20 that really needs to go so that my clothes fit the way they should. The plan to do this is to continue working out (cardio and toning), continue to avoid junky snacks (I've done pretty good there) and continue to eat healthier foods overall. I've leveled out over the last month so I need to step up the cardio and toning and that should make a difference.

2. Stop drinking coffee at night. Horrible habit and I really want to wean myself off the caffeine after dinner. This one should be fairly easy and I plan to begin this tomorrow.

3. Improve my church attendance record! Between hubby's work schedule, not being able to sleep when he's on the midnight shift, going weeks or months at a time with only 1 vehicle, illnesses (mine or the kids), snow and whatever else, it makes it pretty rough to make that drive into town and get to church. We all miss our church and the fellowship and that's yet another reason that we're looking forward to moving into town and out of the country by the summer of 2013, Lord willing. I'm not sure if we'll be able to be at church more in 2012 than we were in 2011 but I'm sure going to try.

Well, that's about all I have to share today. The funny thing is, one of the most trivial things I'm looking forward to in 2012 is being able to say it's my birthday on 12-12-12. I know it sounds silly, but it's kind of cool at the same time.

Happy New Year everyone, may you be richly and wonderfully blessed and may it be your best year ever!

I've Been Featured

2011-11-22T06:24:00.001-05:00

I woke up this morning to a pretty humbling email. It started out like this:

"Hi there, Carla! We wanted to take a moment to recognize our Sellers whose products have been hand-selected from the billions on Zazzle to be featured in our first ever, full-color, 8-page catalog! Guess what? You are one of the Sellers who had a product we just couldn’t resist using!"

Imagine my surprise. Imagine for a minute how you might feel to learn that something you've worked SO hard on for the last 10 years, had suddenly been recognized and was selected to be featured in a print catalog that would be seen by countless number of people? If you can imagine that feeling, then that's how I felt this morning when I read that.

The product zazzle selected was one of my favorites and one of my best selling ornaments. To date, this ornament has been purchased over 140 times and has literally gone round the world. It's just amazing to me that this single, little Christmas keepsake is being displayed on that many trees at Christmastime. I design for a lot of products, but knowing that something I put hard work into is being displayed in so many homes just brings a smile to my heart whenever I think about it.

If you'd like to see the online version of this 8 page catalog, you can go here.

Who Wants to Save Money?!

2011-11-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Fabulous Friday Four Hour Sale, anyone?? Here it is, and you will not want to miss it because it's the last Friday Four Hour sale of 2011!! Be sure to use the coupon code FFHSHUGEDEAL at checkout and - for 4 hours only on Friday November 18th from 12 to 4pm PT you save a HUGE 50% on: t-shirts, mugs, cards, photo cards, invitations, wrapped canvas, calendars, mobile phone cases, iPad cases, ornaments, necklaces and keychains!!

Can't shop right now? Worry not! After four hours have passed, you can still receive 20% off all these great products for the rest of the weekend. But be sure to act soon!

* 50% of the t-shirt, mug, card, photo card, invitation, wrapped canvas, calendar, case, ornament, necklace and keychain net sale price will be deducted when one or more qualifying items are purchased and the coupon code FFHSHUGEDEAL is applied at checkout on or before November 18, 2011 4:01pm PT.

*20% of the t-shirt, mug, card, photo card, invitation, wrapped canvas, calendar, case, ornament, necklace and keychain net sale price will be deducted when one or more qualifying items are purchased and the coupon code FFHSHUGEDEAL is applied at checkout on or before November 20, 2011 11:59pm PT. No discount will be applied after November 20, 2011. The net sale price is the price of the product (excluding shipping and taxes). This offer does not apply to screen printed apparel. This offer does not apply to past purchases and may not be combined with any other Zazzle promotional or volume discount offers. If a volume discount applies to your order, you will receive either the discount set forth in this offer or the standard volume discount, whichever is greater. Offer valid on Zazzle.com only.

A Christmas Moose

2011-11-02T07:43:00.001-04:00

I mentioned yesterday that I was painting a moose and... here he is:

He's available on lots of fun products, just click here to see the assortment.

The Bed That Ate Ontario

2011-10-29T15:23:00.000-04:00

Well, I guess I blew the Twenty-one days of something streak. I made to to 10 days with only missing a couple of days but then... I just got real busy and kept meaning to post, and never made it. It's funny how it used to be unthinkable that a day would go by without posting (often times, more than one post a day) but over the last little while I've found so many other things to keep me busy that blogging really did take a back seat. I still love blogging (and probably always will) but I just stay so busy with other things.

So, what have I been up to this week that's kept me away from writing? Let's see, earlier this week there was my oldest daughter having knee surgery and me spending time with her. Then, our new bed was delivered and we had to make room for that & rearrange things. Now, allow me to vent just a little bit here about being careful what you wish for because you just might get it.

Several years ago Kev's dad had a cottage with a king sized bed. I'd never seen one in real life before, and I remember the first time getting on it I felt like a little kid. It was HUGE! You could have picnics on that bed, maybe even a volley ball game. Kev and I both wished back then (and since) that we could have a bed that size. Well, after saving up for a while we finally got our wish and purchased a king sized bed. It's wonderful, it's huge, it's the perfect blend of soft and firm and all that good stuff. However, the one thing neither Kev or I realized would happen is, it's like moving to a foreign country with a foreign culture. It's in a new location in the bedroom, it has brand new sheets, brand new comforter, brand new pillows and brand new pillow cases. And, it's HUGE. Volley ball court, huge. Both of us are so accustomed to our little bed with our aging, familiar bedding that after three nights in this volley ball court we've realized why we're not sleeping as well as we thought we would. First of all, it's in a different location in the room so that's new and something to get used to. Secondly, all the bedding is brand new and we're not used to that either, even though it's great bedding.

Third, and maybe most sappy and whatnot, is that we're 20 miles apart on the bed when we're sleeping and it almost feels like we're not even in the same bed. As much as we didn't like it, we had been forced to get used to being sort of cramped in our old bed. No matter how far apart we'd scoot, we could still touch each other with very little effort. Now? If we both scoot to the edge of the bed we can't touch each other at all. Not to mention, the mattress is one of those state of the art deals where if he moves I'll never even feel it on my side of the bed. I think he could stand on the bed and do jumping jacks (with a few friends) and I'd never know it. All that is supposed to give the other person a more restful sleep but what it really does is make you feel like you're all alone in the bed. Some folks might prefer that, but for us it feels really weird.

So, we've decided the solution to getting used to this new bed is intentionally falling asleep closer to the middle of the bed where we can still touch each other. Then, if during the night we both wander to opposite sides of the volley ball court then so be it. We tried that last night and we both slept a bit better than the first two nights, so I think we're on to something here.

Now you're probably wondering why I shared all that here with you. It's simple really, it's because I have never ever heard of anyone getting a new, bigger bed and having this problem. I find it a little hard to believe we're the only ones who've ever had this problem so it's just a warning of sorts for those considering a larger bed. I would also suggest if possible keeping your familiar pillows or at the very least pillow cases. I've put our old pillows back on the bed today and plan to use mine tonight, even though we have brand new fantastic pillows. For me personally I think it was all just too much "new-ness" all at once.

Other than that, it really is a great bed. When I sit on the edge of it my feet dangle about 6 inches above the floor, just like a little kid. When you sit on it, you can feel the magic foam stuff forming around you. It's crazy, but it's super comfortable. I suspect sooner or later we'll get used to it, but it's kind of ironic how you can hate something so much (our old bed, which we called the Torture Chamber) but be so used to it, having something better feels all wrong.

I think there might even be a lesson in there somewhere.

TDS Day 10: Holiday Card Sale

2011-10-24T09:20:00.001-04:00

So, I missed a post yesterday (and the day before, too) so here's what's new:

Until Thursday 10/26 at 11:59pm PT, save a huge 50% off custom Christmas cards or photocards, and get a bonus 10% off custom Christmas postage too! Use the coupon code FALLMAILINGS when you checkout to get the savings.

*50% of the greeting card, invitation, photo card and postcard product net sale price and 10% of the Zazzle Custom Stamp product net sale price will be deducted when one or more qualifying products are purchased and the coupon code FALLMAILINGS is applied at checkout. For Zazzle Custom Stamps, the net sale price is the difference between the price of the Zazzle Custom Stamps (excluding shipping and taxes) and the face value of the postage. Offer is valid until October 26, 2011 at 11:59pm PT. This offer does not apply to past purchases and may not be combined with any other Zazzle promotional or volume discount offers. If a volume discount applies to your order, you will receive either the discount set forth in this offer or the standard volume discount, whichever is greater. Offer valid on Zazzle.com only.

TDS Day 9: Several Somethings

2011-10-21T21:29:00.002-04:00

I almost let the day get away from me without blogging again but decided to put the world on pause and go ahead and blog. I promise I'll unpause when this post is written and published.

Today was a fun and productive day. I like to have days like this, and I'd like to order more of them for the future.

First, I had a very productive morning at home and running errands (one of which was to purchase this lovely wig for my husband because he secretly desires to be Napoleon Dynomite), and then went to lunch with my friend Kim and had the most fantastic pulled pork sandwich I've ever tasted. I confess, I will steal the idea of how to prepare these sandwiches the next time I make them because they were much yummier than my own.

I also started a festive new line of jingle bell Christmas party invitations (shown here in the blue/gold color theme) and will be expanding this theme to include custom postage, photo cards and more over the next few days. I sat here for a couple of hours creating those jingle bells and finally got them to look exactly the way I wanted them. I love it when design elements all come together like that. They'll be coming in both gold and silver and on several color themed cards, etc.

I also wanted to say a big thank you to zazzle for selecting me to interview and be featured on the zazzle blog. They posted this last night and it was a real honor to be selected, for sure.

I know today was supposed to be the end of the world and everything, but it was pizza/movie night, plus I had a lunch date with Kim and I haven't finished this fun new line of jingle bell themed paper goods so I am really glad the world didn't actually end. Besides, Kev needed his blonde afro first. So I guess it's time to unpause the world and let everyone get back to their business. Besides, I have a movie to watch as I snuggle up with Kev Dynomite on the couch. Try not to be too jealous.

TDS Day 8: Busy Busy Busy

2011-10-20T11:44:00.002-04:00

Even though I missed posting yesterday, I didn't actually forget to post and mess up my Twenty-one Days of Something, I just got real busy. See, I have a routine during the week and it goes something like this at the start of every weekday:

• Up between 5-6am
• Consume obscene amount of coffee between 5 and 7:30am
• Make sure the kids are fed, clothed, combed, brushed, lunched and out the door between 7:25 and 8pm
• Wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen
• Fold a load of laundry and get more going (it never ends)
• Decide what's for dinner & get it started
• Straighten up the game room & vacuum
• Eat a granola bar or banana with one hand while doing a variety of the above with the other hand

By the time this is all done it's usally around 9am. Then I sit down with more coffee (what, you thought I was done with coffee?) and get to work (assuming I don't have errands to run) and that's how my days begin. Somewhere in there I'll check email, respond to comments, read the news & check my tweetstream. If I don't have errands to run, once I start working I tend to lose track of time until around 2-ish when I lay down on the couch for a neck-rest for about 30-45 minutes. After that, it's more coffee (yep, more coffee), more work, get dinner ready, wash more dishes, fold more laundry, get more laundry going, get kids bathed/showered, prayer time then off to bed for them and more work for me until around 10-11ish. I can usually shove a few more things in there too, depending on the day and if hubby is off that day or not.

Lately my creative brain has shifted into Christmas mode and here's a few things I finished yesterday:

Christmas Celebration Dinner Party Invitation

Red Damask Personalized Christmas Card

Blue Damask Christmas Address Label

Candy Cane Christmas Party Invitation

Candy Cane Personalized Christmas Card

I also did a quickie fun shirt because... well because it was funny and I love funny stuff:

Occupy My Sofa Shirt

So that's what I was busy with yesterday that prevented me from blogging. Today I'm working on some pretty, premium photocards. You can see the whole collection here, but here's the last one I finished:

Festive Blue and Silver Christmas Photo Card

So now, it's back to work for me! :o) Have a super fabulous Thursday!

TDS Day 7: A Great Sale You Really Won't Want to Miss!

2011-10-18T09:15:00.001-04:00

It's going to be a busy day here in Rolfeworld, so I'm just going to go ahead and cross-post something fabulous I posted at the store blog this morning. Because, CHRISTMAS is coming and I have a fantastic sale to tell you about! I love saving money and this sale is super wonderful:

Right now until Thursday, October 20th at 11:59pm PT, order your Christmas cards, Christmas Photo Cards or Christmas party invitations and save a HUGE *50% off the total! Everyone loves to save money at Christmas and zazzle makes it even easier to get a beautiful custom product and save money doing it. Be sure to use the coupon code CARD4HOLIDAY at checkout.

*50% of the greeting card, invitation, photo card, or postcard net sale price will be deducted when one or more qualifying products are purchased and the coupon code CARD4HOLIDAY is applied at checkout. The net sale price is the price of the product (excluding shipping and taxes). Offer is valid through October 20, 2011 at 11:59pm PT. This promotional offer does not apply to past purchases and may not be combined with any other Zazzle promotional or volume discount offers. If a volume discount applies to your order, you will receive either the discount set forth in this offer or the standard volume discount, whichever is greater. Offer valid on Zazzle.com only.

TDS Day 6: More Crock Pottery Goodness: Chili!

2011-10-17T18:40:00.001-04:00

I tweeted earlier today that if the recipe I have for chili works in the crockpot that I'd blog it. Well, let me just say... not only does it work in the crockpot, it's quite possibly the best chili I've ever made and ever had. So, here it is:

INGREDIENTS

1 large onion chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 green peppers, chopped
3 lbs. ground beef, browned & drained
2 14 oz cans kidney beans (I use one white and one red), rinsed & drained
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 c. beef broth

Place everything in the crockpot, cover and cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. Serve with warm cornbread with butter.

TDS Day 5: October Status Report

2011-10-16T14:13:00.002-04:00

Sitting... in the comfort of a hand built muskoka chair in my living room, on my laptop. I realize most people put their lawn furniture in a shed or the garage for the winter but I am not most people. I decided over the summer that instead of putting these great chairs (that my son-in-law to be built for me) in the garage for the winter, I was going to get nice cushions for them and put them in the living room instead. So, minus the cushions I haven't bought yet, that's what I did.

Pondering... what kind of winter we're going to have this year. Hoping like crazy that it's not one of "those" winters that people are still talking about years from now. We haven't had one of those in a while and some folks say we're due. I would very much like for those folks to be wrong.

Drinking... coffee with French Vanilla cream from my thermal mug. I'm still bummed they discontinued my favorite flavor Cafe Mocha, but while in the states last weekend I discovered about 87 trillion coffee cream flavors I'd never seen before. Oh the things you can get in the grocery stores in the states that you can't get here!! Headed back down there in about 3 weeks and oh yes, the cooler is coming with us for some fine American food grocery shopping. I'm so glad the border is only 90 minutes away :o)

Missing... summer. Lord willing, if I ever get to the place where hubby and I can live south of the border from October through June, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I absolutely love the summers in southern Ontario and the beginning of fall but the rest is for the birds.

Thinking... about setting up my miniature Christmas village again. I had to borrow one of the tables for it when we had our big Canada Day party back in July so it's sort of a mess right now. I normally set it up sometime in October so it'll be happening very soon.

Wondering... why it took Kev and I so long to drop the legalistic opinions we had about Halloween. I guess for me it had a lot to do with negative personal experience and for him it was just a matter of respecting my wishes and banning all things jack-o-lanternish from our home. We had a long talk about it a few weeks ago and have decided to allow the kids to participate in some of the fun traditions this year with some cute costumes. We still wont take it as far as it used to be taken when we were both raging heathens but we have decided letting the kids enjoy the kid-friendly parts of it is okay. I suppose if you did a blog search you could find lots of interesting opinions I've had about Halloween over the years, but I'm in a different place now and Kev and I are both okay with being here.

Enjoying... I should preface that with Immensely since what I'm enjoying is the rejuvination of my marriage relationship. Kev and I had a great relationship before in most aspects but we'd fallen into a pretty boring rut like most couples tend to do after a while. When it was brought to our attention we both decided we didn't like it, and took steps to add a little zip and a little zing back into our relationship. I know it might sound sappy but I assure you it's been a wonderful thing for us both to have date night again, send love notes (okay fine they're text messages, we're totally on board with technology, lol), and even get away together, just the two of us. As much as we are dedicated to our kids, grandkids, home and work, we've given our marriage relationship high priority and it's turned out that everything else is better as a result. It's one of the smartest things we've ever done, and an amazing answer to prayer.

Excited... about the first snow, Christmas lights, cooking an obscene amount of fudge, and all that comes with Christmas. Yes, I do hate winter but snow is part of Christmas so I only like it for that, then it should all melt and be 86 degrees again.

Listening... to the sound of the furnace fan in the basement below me. Soon I will need to go down there (we've named it The Scary Place for all the spiders) and clean up summer webs and clean out the wood furnace and start building daily fires. Not just yet though, thankfully. It was either last fall or the one before when I opened the furnace to begin cleaning it and a bird flew out at me. I yelped and fell back right on my butt. Then I sat there and lol'd at myself, for real. Silly birds, chimneys are for wood smoke!

Thankful, humbled, and amazed... at God's blessings, provision, grace and peace. I am blessed beyond anything I have ever deserved with my family, my work, and all the conveniences I so enjoy. I've lived long enough and been through enough painfully difficult trials to know it could all be gone tomorrow, so I am incredibly thankful for it all today. Even if it were all gone tomorrow, I would still be thankful that God has been so good to me and blessed me with so much all these 46 years.

And now... the smell of the ham cooking in the oven has reminded me it's time for some yummy scalloped taters to join it.

TDS Day 4: A Little Bit of Stuff About Stuff

2011-10-15T22:34:00.001-04:00

Truth be told, I have no idea who's even reading this old blog to see if I'm keeping up with my Twenty-one Days of Something (besides my mom and my friend Kim, I know they're both reading!) but I'm determined to blog the entire 21 days regardless. I was going to do an October Status report today but time got away from me and I decided to put that off another day.It was a really busy and hectic day today, so here's a mini-status report:

Eating... a raspberry poptart. I know they're no good for me, but it's been ages since I had one so I'm having one.

Listening to... the wind and rain. Boo, fall is here and it's cold today. I think the high was 45, and I thinks it's now around 20 below, or something.

Planning... lunch with Kim, and we're going to eat terrible things that are both yummy and no good for us. Okay I am, she might not.

Hoping... to not wake up with a splitting headache again tomorrow so I can go to church. We ordered our new bed just in time, before the old one kills us both. Between my neck pain and Kev's back pain, our bed is like sleeping on a torture rack. We even had a sleep diagnostic thingy done before we selected our new bed. That was pretty cool. It essentially said "your current bed is killing you, get a new one, and sleep normal for a change" after measuring over 200 pressure points in our bodies.

Working on... a fun new line of funny bumperstickers. I know, you're thinking "bumper stickers? those are so tacky!" Or, maybe you're not thinking that, I dunno. If there is one thing that will break up the frustration of being stuck in traffic is seeing a funny bumpersticker on the car ahead of you, or in the next lane. We're all too grumpy and grouchy all the time, we need to smile more and have some fun. This one made the kids laugh... but they all confessed they really couldn't see it. You can't either, can you?

Well, that's about all I've got for now. ;-)

TDS Day 3: Go Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness

2011-10-14T13:48:00.001-04:00

I actually did blog already today. Twice, in fact but I didn't do it here, so I'm going to cross-post one of them just for today! From the store blog:

October is breast cancer awareness month and at Reflections zazzle there are some great t-shirts and gifts for those giving hope and support, those currently fighting, and those who have survived and won the battle.

See the whole collection here.

TDS Day 2: Crockpottery Goodness

2011-10-13T09:53:00.000-04:00

Is crockpottery even a word? Well, it is now. In day 2 of Twenty-one days of something, I would like to share another fabulous crock pot recipe. This one is perfect for those cool, windy, rainy Autumn days. Or, just about any day really, and it's really easy. Here we go:

Slow Cooker Veggie Beef Soup

INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs. ground beef
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 29oz. can Italian style stewed tomatoes, drained
2 15oz. cans mixed veggies, drained
1 quart beef broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce*
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce*
1 teaspoon paprika
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup dry fusili pasta

Brown the ground beef in a skillet and add garlic, onion and bell pepper. Cook until the meat is done and the veggies are tender. Drain and put it all in the crockpot, along with all the other ingredients. (I put everything else in while the meat was cooking). Cover and cook for 7 hours on high. During the last 20 minutes of cooking time, pour in the dry pasta and mix to cover it, then put the lid back on. *These are optional - I was out of both so I didn't use them.

We had this last night and it was a huge, huge hit. I served it with yummy whole wheat dinner rolls. I plan to make it again real soon and this time add the soy and Worcestershire sauce.

TDS Day1: Multitasking

2011-10-12T13:41:00.001-04:00

Just in case you're wondering what the TDS stands for, that's twenty-one days of something. If I can meet the challenge there'll be 20 more of these posts titled the same way. There is no guarantee I will not post on a subject I've posted on before, or even repeat myself word for word on something I've written before. The older I get the more I realize I'm a repeater, and tend to put out the same information more than once :o) In any event today is day 1 of the 21 days of something and I'd like to talk (write/blog) to you a little bit about multitasking.

Back in the old days before we were all very clever and had a sorts of electronic devices, we all called it something else. Doing 20 things at once, too many irons in the fire, having a full plate, etc. Way back then, before we were all very smart we had much more flowery and descriptive ways of saying we had WAY too many things going on at the same time. Now we all just settle on that one word and most of us pretend we're really good at multitasking.

Truth be told, I think we're all full of baloney. Oh sure, I have no doubt there are a handful of personality types out there who actually do quite well juggling numerous tasks at once, but overall I think we just take on more than we can handle and do the best we can to get it all done. Some years ago I read an article by some very clever person who did a social experiment on the actual effectiveness of multitasking and his results were dismal. In his conclusion he found that the vast majority of people (the percentage was very high, something like 92%) cannot multitask at all but instead what they do is make an effort at it, and instead of doing a 100% job at one thing they do a 75% job at several things and find that this is good enough. In other words, as a society we've more or less compromised in a huge way because we don't want to admit that we're not really doing well at this multitasking business. (I wish I could source quote my material on this but it's been so many years now I don't know if I could find that same article even if I multitasked till my fingers fell off).But is it really good enough?

Can you imagine going in for surgery and your surgical team doing a 75% job, patting each other on the back and saying "good job, team!" Or how about on your wedding day, would it be okay if the bride only walked down 75% of the aisle and stopped there? Maybe when you're on vacation you go 75% of the way and stop wherever you are and say "okay kids, we're gonna have fun now!" (even if you're in the middle of nowhere). Of course those sound like unrealistic extremes but the reality of it is, a lot of us are doing the very same thing every day with really important matters. Whether it's on the job, or with family or other relationships. We have all these "things" we think we need to be doing (when in reality, most of them don't need to be taking up our time at all, and I think we all know it, whether we want to admit it or not) and to somehow fit it all in, we trim down the standard for doing things 100% and give much less of ourselves to the important things.

Not too long ago I came to the realization that I absolutely stink at multitasking. Oh sure, like everyone else I really thought I was doing a bang up job of it but time after time little things were brough to my attention that were like little red flags with the message "hey lady, you stink at multitasking!" written on them. To be honest, it took several years of these red flags because I'm just about as stubborn as they come, but the message finally hit home and I decided enough was enough. It's different for everyone but I believe electronic communication/entertainment is the biggest culprit. Whether it's the computer, laptop, DS, cell phone, ipod or whatever happens to be in your hand and sucking your brain into a tiny little screen.

For me it was the computer. I no longer keep my eyes on my screen (or my hands on my keyboard) if my husband or one of my kids is talking to me. I stop, turn, look them in the face and genuinely listen to them. This one was the worst for me, and I owe my older daughters a monumental apology for doing it to them for so many years because I did stink at it, I just didn't know it. Of course you can hear someone when they're talking to you but you really don't hear them, and they know you're really not giving them your undivided attention. While the audio of their message goes into your ears you're not actually a part of the conversation they wanted or needed to have with you. I have no doubt that Football Widows know exactly how this feels when football is on and talking to Mr. Husband is like talking to a robot. He might turn and acknowledge you for a second or two but his attention immediately turns back to the tv and his head and his eyes follow it. Sure he hears you, but he's not listening to you and you know it. He knows it too, but the game is on...

I'm sure I could give numerous examples of lousy multitasking but those who are doing it, and stink at it, probably need to be convicted themselves instead of reading what I have to say about it. I do hope if anyone reading sees themselves in what I've said, today will be THEIR day to say enough is enough, and start giving 100% again rather than trimming down the standard to fit more junk in.

21 Days of Something

2011-10-11T18:35:00.000-04:00

So there I was, minding my own bloggy business while thinking about a new blog post and instead of opening blogger I opened tweetdeck and saw it. A tweet from Lisa that said, simply enough "New @ the blog: Something (Anything): A 21 Day Blogging Experiment". It intrigued me so I clicked and that was that. You should click too so you can read the details, the hows, the whens and the huhs of Lisa's post.

It's essentially a challenge for those of us who have fallen into a blog-nap to get back at it and rediscover our love for blogging. Anyway, that's the way I see it and I'm up for it! I really do love blogging and I've missed it, but other things tend to get in the way and it just sits here being sad and unread. Poor blog!

I don't have a list of topics ready to blog about but I can pretty much guarantee it's going to be a wide variety of things. I'll likely blog about what I do (graphic design), what I am (Christian, wife, mom, daughter, etc.), what I've learned in the last... hmm... 2 years(?) that I've let the blog slide, things that are stupid (no shortage of material there, eh?), things that make me laugh, and maybe even a topic about cats. I'll be honest and admit that when I'm doing a series on the same subject I have no problem getting up every morning ready to write. But... when it's just sort of random, I tend to just sit here and stare at my blogger dashboard and think "seriously? no one cares about this" and I click away.

So, we'll see how it goes. I'll start my 21 day experiment tomorrow and I hope you'll come along and see what I have to say. I just might be talking about YOU! ;-) Just kidding. (but I might, one never knows...)

Yummy BBQ Pulled Pork

2011-10-05T18:23:00.000-04:00

Last week when hubby and I were at Costco, he turns to me and asks (being the most fabulous, thoughtful and considerate hubby, ever) "baby, do you need a new crockpot?" Imagine my surprise, since I'd just said to one of our older daughters a few days prior to that, that I needed a new crockpot. Clearly, ESP is one of my hubby's many hidden talents that I never knew he had, until now. Well the price was inbeatable so yes, I came home with a new crockpot.This exact one, to be specific - and I LOVE it.

Crockpots always come with a few basic recipes in the manual so I skimmed through and found one that sounded good: BBQ Pulled Pork. Not only have I never had it, I've never made it and I was determined to try something new. Here's the recipe (it's so easy it's almost embarassing):

2.5- 5 pounds of pork loin, trimmed
2-4 cups bbq sauce
2-3 chopped onions
6-8 buns or rolls

Except for the buns, place all the ingredients in the crockpot and cook for 7-9 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. When the pork is done, shred with a fork and place back in the slow cooker and blend well with the sauce. Serve on fresh buns or rolls.

Now, here's how I made it: 12 pieces of boneless pork loin chops, 1 regular sized bottle of bbq sauce and 1 large onion. I cooked it on high for 5 hours and it turned out simply incredible. I served it on fresh sausage rolls with a side of fresh chunked pineapple. The reviews?

Jordan - "yummy!" (she ate 2 sandwiches)
Samuel - (with a full mouth, nodding happily) flashed me the thumb's up sign
Rachel - "mine!!"
Ruth - (the child who hates pretty much everything) "wow, I actually like this"

Unfortunately hubby is working late and hasn't been able to try it yet but he's going to love it too. I'm so glad he has ESP. Oh, and here's a great place for more crockpot recipes as well. I know there are a bazillion of them out there, so one more can only make dinner even more fabulous!

How To Have The Most Fabulous, Fantastic, Fiery, Fun Marriage, Ever: Part 4

2011-09-23T06:30:00.000-04:00

If you're just reading for the first time, the introduction to this series is here and part 1 on spiritual intimacy is here, and part 2 on emotional and physical intimacy is here and part 3 on dos and don'ts for spouses is here

While pithy and poignent quotes about love and marriage are certainly not in short supply, there are two that I've read recently that really stand out to me. Sadly, I don't even know who originally said them but they are both true all the same:

"If you're too busy with other things to make sure your spouse knows and feels just how much you love them, you're too busy with petty things that don't matter."

"The best gift a man can give to his children is to love his wife"

That first one is cuts right to the point and may even put someone on the defensive right away but the truth of it is, there is almost nothing in the world more important than a healthy, happy marriage relationship. If sports, hobbies, work, or anything else is taking your time away from your husband or wife to the point they feel neglected and unimportant, your priorities are simply in the wrong place. Sadly, one of the common complaints from women who are struggling through a difficult marriage relationship is that her husband leaves her feeling invisible. That feeling leads to many others if not remedied, such as despair, insecurity, resentment, bitterness and anger. Likewise for husbands, a common complaint is that she makes him feel inadequate which leads to a big change in his attitude toward her that may include feelings of spite, indifference, and even insults leveled at her. In many cases the spouse causing the hurt feelings of the other isn't doing it on purpose, they've just adapted to a busy life and this is the result. This is something that should never, ever happen. Allow me to say that again, this is something that should never, ever happen.

If you're in a marriage where your spouse has ever voiced this concern to you and you've not done anything about it, make today the day you DO do something about it. After all, you love each other very much, and no matter how mundane or routine or stressed your relationship has become, each of you genuinely does have the power to turn things around. As my own husband would say when it comes to this, "just do it". He's not one to mince his words.

The second quote up above is timeless and will come back to bless your entire family over and over again. Little girls grow up with their loving daddy expressing his affections to her mommy and it becomes the pattern they come to expect in an honorable, wonderful man when they're of an age to begin thinking about it. Likewise for little boys, when they have this kind of a dad as their example it becomes the pattern they want to emulate when they get older and begin thinking about how to treat a lady, and eventually a wife. Husbands, if you want your children to have high standards for their future spouses, do all you can to show them what a good and loving man looks like. Wives, this same principle applies to you as well, make no mistake. In your words and deeds model as best as you are able, the kind of wife you want your daughters to be and the kind of wife you want for your son.

Now, at the beginning of this series I said that I was not basing any of it on personal, subjective experience and that is true. None of what I have shared with you has been advice from me, personally, but advice I've read from professionals. Now you may be wondering just how valid any of this advice is, so this is the part where I will share a bit of personal, subjective experience. Keeping in mind every marriage relationship is as different as there are pesonalities. In other words, the advice DOES work wonders, but your results will vary.

Mine and my husband's relationship is one that most people would call very, very good. Before we ever had romantic thoughts about the other we were friends for nearly a year. Good friends, and fast friends, we quickly discovered we were very much alike and could quite literally talk about almost anything and we did. We both agree that this was a fantastic foundation to begin with and it's kept us close all these years. However, like just about every other married couple we began to get so busy with kids, family, work, etc., that our marriage began to suffer in certain areas that we never thought it would. The tricky part of this is that it's so subtle, so gradual that by the time it occurs to you that you've arrived "there" you're both already quite set in your own routines and it's very hard to stop and change things up.

It wasn't that long ago that we both had to admit we were in fact there, that our marriage was in a place we didn't want it, and we were both determind to get away from that and work hard at a better marriage. I began to read just about anything I could get my hands on and discuss what I'd found with him and see how it fit (or didn't - and not all advice applies in all cases, to be sure) our own personal circumstances. I found a lot of advice and a lot of checklists and a lot of "quizes" for husbands and wives to take in an effort to break the ice, break the patterns that got you "there" in the first place, and we began to incorporate much of the advice I've written about in this series. In short, the result was absolutely incredible.

So much so, that now we look forward to our time together more than we have in years. We weren't really able to change our routines that much but we did make some changes and now things have changed so much between us, it's almost like a brand new relationship built over a pretty wonderful one to begin with. Not long ago I tweeted that I wasn't sure it was possible to fall in love with your spouse again after so many years of marriage, but if it was possible, that it happened to me. I was assured by the comments I received that yes, it is certainly possible. Now, Kevin and I have that kind of marriage that you hear about, but privately wonder if it's real or exagerrated. I can assure you, those marriages do exist and they're very real.

I cannot stress to you enough, if you and your spouse have found your marriage in the ruts, in a routine, and lacking or suffering in some way as a result, applying some of the advice you've read in this series (whatever might apply, or whatever might apply but you can change up a little bit to fit your circumstances) will make an incredible difference and you'll both be the happier for it.

I'd love to hear from you if you have any thoughts on this so please feel welcome to leave a comment. I hope in some way this has blessed someone, or more than just one someone.

How To Have The Most Fabulous, Fantastic, Fiery, Fun Marriage, Ever: Part 3

2011-09-22T06:30:00.001-04:00

If you're just joining this series, If you're just reading for the first time, the introduction to this series is here and part 1 on spiritual intimacy is here, and part 2 on emotional and physical intimacy is here.

Honey-Dos and Honey-Don'ts

We'd all like to believe that a fabulous marriage relationship just happens, and we don't even have to think about it. Well, we'd like that but it's not even close to reality. The truth is, marriage relationships can be quite complicated sometimes and if both parties are not willing to do what it takes to work through the rough spots they'll only get worse. You and your spouse might find yourself aptly described struggling with one of the categories of intimacy I've mentioned in the earlier posts in this series, or you might be facing quite different trials. Either way, life brings hard times and as a couple, as a team, you and your spouse need to band together and determine to work through those times if you want that awesomely wonderful relationship.

Toward that end, here is a list of things that will help. While this isn't an exhuastive list of suggestions, and while I will focus more on the DO list than the don't list, it's the most commonly forgotten list based on all I've read from professionals that counsel couples who's marriage has fallen onto hard times. Due to the fact that men and women think differently and respond differently, I'm going to point out what may seem obvious to some, but in reality isn't always that obvious. Sometimes it's not even obvious to the husband or the wife. For both men and women, learning and understanding that your spouse does think differently than you do and learning how to go that little extra step to make sure they know how loved and appreciated they are goes a very long way toward intimacy in all three areas, spiritual, emotional and physical.

I know someone who often says "don't tell me, show me". While words carry a lot of weight, actions often speak volumes themselves. Just by incorporating a few little things and by making simple gestures you're expressing your love and appreciation for your spouse in more than just words and it makes a world of difference.

FOR BOTH SPOUSES

Do pay compliments often - Don't use insulting or demeaning titles even in jest ("ball and chain", etc.). Both husbands and wives like to hear nice things from the other so when he's done a great job mowing the lawn and your yard looks quite lovely, make sure you tell him you think so. If she comes in the room in a pretty new dress, tell her how beautiful she is in the dress. On the flip side, don't ever call your husband or wife by a demeaning name even if it's in jest. Doing that actually brings an air of negativity (and insult, and disrespect) into your relationship even if it's not intended. Instead, use fun little pet names that makes the other one smile.

Do tuck love notes in his/her purse or wallet - don't let a day go by without an "I love you". This is one of those things that might seem like a given, but it's a little habit that often gets forgotten. Instead of physical notes, you could send him a text or send her an email with a short note telling the other how much you love them, thanking them for the good time you had on your date night, or telling them how much you love the new book, flowers, or that favorite meal last night.

FOR THE HUSBAND

Do bring her (from time to time) little tokens that say "I know you'll like this". It could be flowers, it could be some kind of collectable she loves, or chocolates, or it could be a new book from her favorite author. Whatever it is, doing this shows her that you're thinking of her and it means a lot to her.

Do tell her she's pretty, and often. Women especially in our modern culture feel the pressure to be fabulous and beautiful all the time and quite often don't feel like they measure up. The media projects an impossible image of the standard of beauty for women and even though it's an unrealistic image the message is still coming across for women. Make sure she knows you think she's beautiful just the way she is.

Do reach for her hand to hold it while you're walking together. A simple gesture of physical touch like this simply says "I love you". It's a small thing that yields a pretty powerful result. Likewise, if you're sitting on the couch together watching tv, put your arm around her. Or surprise her with a big hug when she's walking through the room. She needs to know you enjoy that physical closeness and showing her this way is an effective way for that message to be sent.

FOR THE WIFE

Do tell him how much you appreciate him, and often. Men have an inner drive to provide and care for their wives and families and it reassures them when they hear from you that they're doing a good job of it. While men are more analytical thinkers and women are generally more emotional thinkers, men still do need to hear from their wives that they're doing a good job of being a provider and this support he gets from you goes a long way towards his peace of mind.

Do wear his favorite perfume. This seems like another simple thing but it's a very powerful one that sends a message to him that says "I know you love the way this smells, and I'm wearing it just for you". He will notice you're wearing it and it will being him pleasure even if he doesn't say anything. Husband, make sure you tell her she smells wonderful, you know you notice it, and she can't read your mind. As much as it pleases you that she's wearing it, it pleases her to hear you say you notice it. (And ladies, "wear his favorite" can be applied in other areas as well, such as during your private spouse time together. Remembering that men are very visual creatures allows you to be a little more mindful of how to bring a smile to his face).

Do surprise him with his favorite thing from time to time. Does he love barbequed ribs? A sports magazine? Whatever it is, just as he brings you little tokens that say "I know you'll like this" do the same for him. It's another simple thing but it tells him you're thinking of him as well, and he will definitely appreciate it.

One of the most exciting things about a great marriage is the opportunity you both have to wow the other, and show them how much you love them and appreciate them. In most marriages that wowing has taken a back seat to work, home repairs, kid's routines, and great number of other important but distracting things. When you begin to bring that wow factor back, it's a wonderful way to bring a spark of passion back into your relationship that you'll both notice, both really enjoy, and have quite likely missed over the years.

In tomorrow's conclusion of this series I'll be sharing some favorite quotes about marriage relationships, a little bit of personal experience in applying some of this advice that you've read about in the series and how it's changed my own marriage, and the long lasting benefits for the whole family when your marriage is something you work hard at. My husband and I were discussing this series yesterday and agreed that our hope was that both husbands and wives might be reading these posts together and being honest with themselves (and each other) in areas where their own relationship might be in need of a little help. Our hope is that by taking in this information and applying the suggestions where needed, that other marriages might be wonderfully blessed and rejuvinated.

I welcome your thoughts and ideas if you'd like to leave a comment!

How To Have The Most Fabulous, Fantastic, Fiery, Fun Marriage, Ever: Part 2

2011-09-21T08:43:00.000-04:00

Continuation of the series, today I want to focus on the most commonly given advice by professionals in regards to both emotional and physical intimacy for married couples. I do not pretend to be an expert at all, I'm merely passing along some really great advice so that your marriage might also be super fantastic! It may be that your own marriage is great in most areas but in need of a little help in one or more of the others mentioned here. It may be that you're in need of more in-depth support and counsel and if that is the case I cannot recommend more strongly, that you get whatever help and support you need right away to turn your marriage around.

If you're just reading for the first time, the introduction to this series is here and part 1 on spiritual intimacy is here.

For many married couples the passion and the tingly excitement of being snuggly close to their spouse tends to fade away after a time. This is quite normal and happens in almost every marriage. Between work, kids, pregnancies, school-related schedules, the home, outside commitments such as church ministry, sports, hobbies or community involvement and wide variety of other factors, many married couples tend to fall into a routine that leaves very little snuggly time for each other. Time together often means discussing bills, kids, home repairs, or other important things that do need to be discussed, but once those things are addressed both spouses tend to go their seperate ways and back to their routines. It's nothing that either spouse plans, it just becomes a habit if you're not mindful of it, and after a while you'll actually begin to grow apart instead of growing closer. This is dangerous ground friends, and this is where potential temptations, bitterness, resentment, despair, lonliness and more may come along into your relationship and you may find your marriage in a great deal of distress so please take this to heart.

There are numerous articles online and many books out there that address this very subject and truth be told they all pretty much say the same thing. Many of these are written by doctors, therapists, counsellers and pastors who have had years and years of first hand experience helping married couples find their way back to a genuinely fabulous marriage when something, somewhere went wrong. All these books and articles say generally the same thing because there really is "recipe" for a fabulous marriage if both husband and wife are willing and desire it. I wont list all the suggestions but I will mention many of them. If they seem obvious, please remember that no matter how obvious they seem, most of these are things married couples tend not to do, after their routines begin pulling them apart. These are helpful things to begin drawing you back together, where you should be.

Spouse Time Take 15 minutes (or more) each and every day to sit together and talk. Turn off the tv, stereo, radio, laptop, cell phone or anything else that can distract you and sit together on the couch or go for a walk together. This is not errand time or walk the dog time or take out the trash time, this is 15 minutes of Spouse Time. Ask how his day was or what her plans are that day and really listen to what the other says without interupting them to unload about your day, before it's your turn. Both husbands and wives need to know the other actually hears them, supports them and cares about what troubles them or what made them smile that day. It may seem like a very simple thing but what this does is re-builds that critical, wonderful, emotional intimacy with each other that may have fallen by the wayside. Once you begin doing this you'll both look forward to that time each day when you know you'll have each other's undivided attention to share whatever it is you want to share about your day. Depending on your routines it may be best to do this in the morning or in the evening after work. Pick whatever time works best for your personal situation and dedicate yourselves to a minimum of 15 minutes of Spouse Time each day.

Face Time As silly or trivial as this might sound at first, you and your spouse dedicate yourselves to a minimum of 15 seconds each and every day of tender, passionate kisses without the expectation of anything else. It may sound silly to those couples who already do this but for many couples that kind of closeness was discontinued a long time ago. Like many other areas of marriage this kind of tender closeness just gets lost in the shuffle of life and ends up being replaced by a quick smooch on the way out the door. He misses it, she misses it but life is busy, the kids have soccer practice, he's exahusted from a hard day, she's running behind for this appointment or that and on and on it goes. Many married couples work really great together as a team to juggle the household but they often forget to spend that close face time with each other. It brings back a daily dose of a very special emotional and physical closeness that may be in a need of a great big refreshment. Make sure it's no less than 15 seconds when you begin, and even if one of you is giggling through it while the other is mentally counting away the seconds, you'll find before long no one's counting, no one's giggling and you're both looking forward to it every day.

Date Night Do you remember that excitement and anticipation you used to feel when you were first dating your spouse? Looking forward to seeing him or her that day or night, and the plans you had for dinner or a movie or an afternoon at the lake? If you and your spouse are like most couples, that's a fond and treasured memory tucked away safely someplace behind kids, work, car repairs, the dog pee on the carpet, errands, appointments and about a hundred other things. In all the reading I've done on this subject, Date Night is one of the most common perscriptions professionals hand out for rekindling that emotional intimacy in your marriage. It doesn't have to be elaborate or expensive but you should agree together on a night that works for both your schedules each week and make that night YOUR night for your date. As much as you are able, never let anything interfere with that and start making it a regular thing.

Private Time Private time is exactly what you might suspect it is and it's a most serious, private, critical element of a wonderful marriage. While physical intimacy with your spouse does not guarantee a fantastic marriage all by itself, if there is any kind of dysfunction in this area it almost certainly can be a destructive force in your relationship. Scripture is clear that when a man and woman join in marriage the two become one flesh and that is exactly what it means. A bond is formed in marriage of spiritual, emotional and physical closeness that should only grow deeper and stronger with time. Whatever you do, never let anything disrupt your physical intimacy time together and make sure it's a regular thing. It's very easy to let work schedules or other factors come between you and your spouse's time of physical closeness but it's a very dangerous habit to get into. Without this, relationships begin to take on the baggage with both spouses of lonliness, insecurity, doubts, bitterness, resentment, indifference and in no time at all it begins to eat away like an acid on the emotional and spiritual intimacy as well. Whatever you do, guard this area of your marriage closely. If your marriage is already on shaky ground in this area, experts and professionals suggest you begin scheduling times of physical intimacy. As robotic or clinical as that might sound, these same experts who have been counselling married couples report that when husbands and wives actually do this, it brings them closer together in every other area as well, and before long the "schedule" is out the window and they're doing just fine.

If such things as bitterness and resentment have already begun to build in this area, it's essential that you both take the time to sit together and in a non-threatening, non-condemning non-accusatory way, express your thoughts and feelings with one another with the goal of asking "how can we fix this?" and coming to an agreement to work on it, and begin loving each other the way you should.

I hope this has been some benefit today and I would welcome your thoughts and ideas if you'd care to leave a comment. Tomorrow I'm going to focus on a bulleted list of Honey-Dos and Honey-Don'ts for both husband and wife.

How To Have The Most Fabulous, Fantastic, Fiery, Fun Marriage, Ever: Introduction

2011-09-20T22:52:00.000-04:00

Early this morning, possibly too early for the coffee to have done it's caffeinely-duty, in my efforts to post part 1 of this series I accidentally deleted the introduction. Thanks to the magic of rss readers however, I was able to retrieve that first post and so I will share it again (even though now the posts are out of order, lol)

I would like to make it clear from the beginning that what I'm going to share here is not from my own personal wisdom or my own subjective experiences, but rather from the combined wisdom of men and women much wiser than myself who have in some cases decades of experience in professionally dealing with marital issues. You'll notice the title says "introduction" because that is exactly what this first post is. At the suggestion of a friend, I will be posting this week on this topic and I hope you'll come along with me each day as well as share you own thoughts, questions or ideas in the comments. I can't promise to have an answer for every question but I'll sure try my best.

I have a friend who has often said "husbands, date your wives, or someone else will". What he means by that is if husbands don't take the time and the effort to make sure their wives know they are loved and appreciated by being as attentive to and affectionate towards her as he ought to be, the wife might eventually find herself looking for someone who will take that time and make that effort even if the very idea of it horrifies her and was something she never thought she would find herself thinking. Ladies, it works in reverse as well, and in far too many cases it's the wife who neglects her husband and to his own horror and shame finds himself looking and thinking about what it used to feel like to have that kind of affection.

Now before anyone reading dismisses this idea as something that could never happen to strong, dedicated believers, it's a good to keep the facts in front of us and the facts say the divorce rate among professing believers is just slightly lower than it is with unbelievers. The latest data on that I have found is that the unbelieving community's divorce rate is roughly 51% while the professing Christian community comes in at 42% (of all marriages ending in divorce). Sadly, the facts bear themselves out and Christian marriages do fall apart and divorce does happen. But, it doesn't have to be this way and there are real, tangible, life-changing ways to prevent it as long as both husband and wife want it and are willing to work at it and do what it takes to have a fantastic marriage.

Over the last few months I've read and heard other variations of that "husbands, date your wives" quote and it made me curious as to what forms the building blocks of a truly phenomenal marriage. If you will, what are the do's and don'ts, what works and what doesn't, and what a successful, lasting marriage really looks like My own husband Kevin and I have been setting aside good quality "talk time" to discuss these things and now I'd like to share some of them here with you. Much of what I'll be sharing will certainly not be anything new to anyone, but it may be that it has been set aside or even forgotten in your own relationship with your spouse. It's not an exhaustive solution to turn your marriage into an Emmy award winning relationship (but if you and your spouse decide to apply everything you read here and it transforms your relationship into something crazy-fantastic, I want to hear from you!), but I do hope it serves to bless your union and give you and your spouse something to consider, pray about and talk over. These are things that will change your marriage for the better whether you've been married for 6 months or 60 years.

It's never too late to have a wonderful relationship with the one you love most and it's never to early to commit these things to your memory before you get married so you're well informed ahead of time.In closing for today I'd like to add that researching this subject online is very difficult unless you're open to all sorts of material that Christian men and women should never allow before their eyes. Through the magic of google's (locked) safesearch, and through talking to a couple of friends I was able to gather quite a bit of wisdom and I hope to pass it on to you. I even purchased a book on one particular area so that I could read offline in my own leisure time and discuss these things with my husband. There will be some areas that will not be exactly "easy" to address but they're all important so I hope to be able to address them in a safe and helpful way for both men and women reading.

I hope you'll be back tomorrow for part 1 of this series.

How To Have The Most Fabulous, Fantastic, Fiery, Fun Marriage, Ever: Part 1

2011-09-20T05:30:00.000-04:00

(not being completely familiar with the new blogger interface, I accidentally hit the wrong button and deleted the introduction to this series from yesterday) EDIT: I have recovered the introduction and you can read that here)

As a preface to this series I want to point out one simple fact, based on all I've read. That fact is this: what will make or break a marriage is the level of intimacy you have with your spouse. More specifically, or to understand better what I mean by intimacy is to understand that when it comes to marriage there are three basic categories of intimacy and they are spiritual, emotional and physical. If those three areas are strong and healthy and you're mindful of them always, you will have a fantastic marriage. If any one of those three areas is suffering (and the reality of it is, in most marriages one or more of those areas do suffer from time to time), there are very real ways to address them and make them strong and those are the three areas I'm going to focus on for the purposes of this series of posts. In truth, they actually all blend together and overlap in a hundred different mysterious and wonderful ways but I'll focus on each area seperately, as best as I can. First, and most important in any Christian marriage is the level of spiritual intimacy you and your husband share.

Pray Together

This one might seem like a no-brainer for Christians, but from all I've read many Christian couples don't actually do this, or used to do it when newly married but allowed their busy lives to sort of edge this kind of prayer time out of the picture. I can testify that it's very easy to allow that to happen, even if you didn't want it to. They often pray as a family together, and the husband or the wife may pray for the other, in their own quiet prayer time but they often do not pray as a couple together. The benefit of this is that both spouses hear what is on the heart and mind of the other and can go to the Lord in prayer with them, and agree in prayer together.

Husband, is she asking the Lord to give you strength to avoid temptation in our modern world where impure messages and images are everywhere you look? Hear her prayer and praise God for her support and her love for you and her dedication to keeping your marriage pure and solid, and go to the Lord together on this.

Wife, is he asking the Lord to help you manage your busy schedule and give you refreshment when you feel down? Praise God for him that he goes to the Lord in prayer for you in this way, that he knows and understands how difficult it can be sometimes to juggle so many things, and that he's in your corner and cares so much about you, and agree with him in prayer.

As a married couple going together before the Lord in prayer this way you will grow closer together and that is the goal. My husband Kevin and I used to do this but as life tends to do, we adopted different routines and schedules and let this one slip years ago. We've recently begun doing this again every day and I cannot tell you how much it blesses me to hear what he prays for when we pray together, or how it blesses me to hear him whisper "yes" when I am praying for him in certain areas.

Thank the Lord for your marriage, for your family, His grace, strength and the conviction and guidance of the Holy Spirit in all your thoughts and words for both of you. If you already do this you already know how close it makes the both of you and how much stronger your relationship (and your entire family) is because of it. If you've let this slip or have never done it, you're in for a wonderful surprise when you begin praying this way and you'll both be happier for it.

If your marriage is in need of a spiritual refreshment and this is something you're not doing, have never done or let slip, I would encourage you both to begin doing this, this very day. A Christ-centered marriage is the most beautiful kind of relationship, with a most incredible spiritual intimacy and coming before Him each day, together in praise and petition for one another will make your bond stronger than you ever realized it could be.

September Status Report

2011-09-02T07:36:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I wish there were 3 or 4 of me so I could get all the things done I'd like to get done in a day. The only trouble with that is, if there were 3 or 4 of me that would mean more laundry and more dirty coffee cups so maybe that's not such a good idea after all? In any event, even though I don't keep this blog up the way I want to, here is at least a status report:

Sitting... at my desktop this time around. I would be on my laptop on the deck but it's super-creepy-scary-movie foggy outside and it looks damp and yucky.

Drinking... french vanilla coffee in my travel mug that hubby bought for me before vacation. Turns out, I really love this mug and use it A LOT. We call them (he has one too) our "stay hot" mugs.

Listening to... my friend James White's Dividing Line from yesterday. Normally I listen live, while in his chat channel at the same time, but ever since vacation I can't seem to remember what day it is. In a way it's kind of funny but in another way it's kind of annoying. I really need to get back into a routine so it's a really good thing school is starting soon, as that will help a lot.

Thinking about... the fact that my only son was born on this day eleven years ago. The day he was born we were having a fierce thunderstorm and the last flash of lightning and crack of thunder happened at the same time the doctor instructed me to PUSH! one last time. Kev was sort of alternating between holding my hand and watching the storm and truth be told, I'd have rather been watching the storm with him. It was a rough time but at the end my beautiful baby boy was there. Happy Birthday Samuel!

Planning... to put together a vacation scrap book and photo album as soon as the kids go back to school. I've never done a scrap book before but we came home with so many fun things I really want to do this. Besides, the scrap book accessories aisle at Walmart is so cool, how could I not?

Considering... how amazing God's mercy truly is. I know that might sound cliche but I suppose part of what makes a cliche is that it's just true, and it's that simple. The other day I was praying about a specific issue and simply asked for God's peace about it. Less than 5 seconds after I was done praying something happened that not only assured me He heard my prayer but that the answer was YES. I realize the non-religious or the skeptical would simply chalk that up to coincidence but I know Who it was that parted the fog and brought peace to that specific situation. He never fails to astound me with His timing or His grace.

Happy about... my recent weight loss. It hasn't been easy by any stretch of the imagination, but since June 1st I've lost roughly 25 pounds and it feels really good to be rid of that extra weight. My target weight is still about 15 pounds away, but I'm aiming for it and hope to be there soon. Of course I've already had to get rid of an entire garbage bag full of clothes, but that's okay with me. If you're wondering how I did it, it's pretty simple. For the most part, I just stopped eating junk (chips, sweets, etc.), started drinking LOTS more water, and began doing more exercises (mostly just cardio and target toning and strengthening of the core - the upper and lower abs). I still eat snacks sometimes but it's not a part of my usual diet, it's just a "once in a while" sort of thing. Plain potato chips are my favorite and never realized how unbelievably salty they are until the other day. I guess that's what happens when you don't eat something for a while then try it again. What's really nice is, I don't even have a sweet tooth like I used to. I have a chocolate bar sitting in my desk drawer thats been there for a couple of weeks now and I don't even want it. That feels really good too.

Enjoying... blogger's new interface. I don't blog very often anymore so I don't know how long it's been in affect but I really like it.

Pondering... getting my crazy hair cut off. Normally I go about 10 years of letting it grow then I get it cut real short and start the 10 years all over again. The last time I got it cut real short was in 2004 I think, but it's already grown so long it's always in the way. This time though I don't think I'll get it cut short but just trimmed and layered so my crazy curls are bouncy again instead of flat and frizzy. Bouncy is always good, right? That may all sound very trivial but to a girl, hair matters.

Glad that... I'm finally sleeping normally again after 28 years of not sleeping normally. When my oldest daughter was born I had several veteran moms advise me to "nap when the baby naps" to keep my strength up. It's great advice and I took it, but the problem for me is that I kept taking it for the next 6 kids and it just became a daily pattern for me for the next 28 years. I couldn't get through the day without at least an hour nap, sometimes longer, and then I wasn't sleepy at all by what might be a "normal" bed time. When we took our vacation this summer I knew I wouldn't be able to nap every day and I knew I wouldn't even want to so I decided then and there that I was finally going to break this napping habit. I never did take an afternoon nap the whole month we were gone and asked hubby to help me keep the same routine when we got home. We've been back now just a little over 3 weeks and only once have I layed down on the couch for a little rest. Other than that, I'm in bed at a decent time at night and up early and sleep feels better than it has in years. Some days I still feel like laying down for a rest but that's when I get up and go do something to keep me busy. I don't want to ruin my night's sleep so I press through the groggies during the day. I know some say that even a 20 minute cat nap is a good idea but for me it might not be.

Well, that's about it for me for a status report. While typing this my twitterfeed keeps telling me about an earthquake off the coast of Alaska and a tsunami warning issued. I pray today for the folks there, that God simply calms the storm and they'll all be safe.

Status Report: August 2011

2011-08-03T11:07:00.000-04:00

It's been ages since I've done one of these so it is time:

Sitting... on my mom's porch in Belfair, WA. I'm finally able to do one of these fun updates from my laptop that hubby bought me for Christmas!

Drinking... hot coffee with cinnamon vanilla cream. I'd like to say it's the best thing since sliced bread but then chocolate and cheesecake might develop an inferiority complex.

Feeling... a little anxious, a little sad and a little antsy at the same time. I'm pretty sure this 4 week vacation that I'm still on has been the best vacation I've ever had, but at the same time I'm sort of anxious to begin the drive home and see more awesomeness, meet a couple of friends along the way and then be back in my own bed again at night. Of course that means leaving my mom so that does make me kinda sad. We will NOT wait another 10 years to do this again, Lord willing.

Enjoyed... everything we've done and seen so far.

Visited... oh my, where to start!? 1880 Town, Mt. Rushmore, Bear Country USA, Reptile Gardens, Cosmos Mystery House, Olympic Game Farm, The Bremerton Boardwalk, Westport WA... so many things and sights and amazingness! This really is a great country with some seriously fascinating history.

Laughed... more in the last 2.5 weeks than I have in a really long time. Last night after our 8 yr old saw the snake slither through the yard, hubby and son both thought they'd be clever and poke my leg under the picnic table with a little branch. It worked out exactly as they hoped, when I jumped and looked under the table. Simple, pure, family fun times.

Surprised... at some of the changes in my hometown. Of course it's been 10 years since I've been home but seeing the progress and new buildings, old buildings gone and all the changes is sort of bittersweet. Some areas I don't even recognize while thankfully others have remained almost exactly the same way they were the whole time I grew up here.

Amazed... that a 4 week road trip in the van with 4 kids has been as awesome as it has. We've been singing this song from time to time but changing "day" to "vacation"

Thankful... for all the customers at Reflections zazzle and their purchases over the last year. The entire trip and all the amazingness has been funded by my zazzle shop.

Realizing... this is the vacation my kids will be telling their kids about when they're my age.

Planning... not only the trip home and stops to see friends along the way, but NEXT year's vacation too! Lord willing, we'll be singing the Spongebob song for that one too. :o)

That's about it for this post. Have a great day everyone!

Created this Way

2011-06-25T17:37:00.000-04:00

I'm going to begin this post by being 100% honest in admitting that its a subject I have no pleasure in writing about. It's one of those controversial, heated, constantly misunderstood, constantly misrepresented, dividing subjects and to be perfectly frank I prefer to stay away from those as much as possible.

The only reason I am writing about it is for clarity's sake and because I think it's important that real Christians have a voice in this. I say real Christians because it's also important to make that distinction between those who understand God's forgiveness and grace and those who use the label of Christianity to be in-your-face loudmouths.

A brief backstory

A few weeks ago I was having a casual conversation with some friends and during the course of that conversation, for reasons I can't even recall, the subject turned to the "born gay" t-shirt with the brightly colored rainbow on it. It occured to me that I had never seen a "born straight" shirt so I decided to create one. I did it mostly for fun (for those who like wearing things like this) but also as a sort of flip-side answer to the "born gay" shirts. After all, if it's okay and culturally acceptable for folks to wear the "born gay" shirts, it should be perfectly acceptable to wear a shirt with the opposite message. Right? Right??

I published the design to the store and that was that. Last night then when the NY Senate voted to approve gay marriage in NY state I simply tweeted this:

The link in the tweet was a direct link to the shirt mentioned above. The unspoken message was obviously, that I don't agree with gay marriage. I'm a Chrisitan, and that means I believe what the Bible says about men and women and how and why we were created. Unfortunately, just saying that outloud was enough for at least one person to be highly insulted and launch into some pretty hard core accusations of judging and some other things. I found the exchange quite fascinating as it's really a barometer of the culture we live in today and how it's perfectly okay to say anything you like UNLESS it's to promote Biblical, traditional, conservative views.

I was accused of being judgemental, a gay-basher, wrong, cruel and hurtful. I was told that it was essentially okay for me to believe whatever I want, but to keep it to myself. You see, if you oppose the gay lifestyle you're a horrible, judgemental, bashing, cruel person, who must be silenced so that you cannot hurt anyone's feelings. Isn't it interesting how that works?

After this exchange went down last night I received an email asking why there is such an obvious double standard. To be clear, the person asked why it's apprently okay for pro-gay advocates to march, rally, lobby and campaign publicly for their agenda, but if you disagree with it you should just shut up. It is actually expected in our day that if you do NOT agree with the pro-gay message, you should not be allowed to voice your thoughts. It most certainly is a double standard and one of the most irrational, illogical, inconsistant and ANTI-free speech arguments I've ever heard in my life. Yet it happens every single day and has become the norm in 2011.

To be clear, I'm the last person you'll ever meet who would be a gay-basher and I have never (even when unsaved) to my knowledge participated in such a hateful discourse. While I obviously do not agree with their lifestyle, I have no reason to bash them or hate on them. They are created in God's image and need to hear God's truth just as much as anyone else does.

As for judgement goes, I've said it before and I will say it again: there is a critical difference between judging a thing, and judging a person. Every single human being makes judgement calls every day on things such as lying, cheating, stealing, murder, etc. We all do it, and we all base those judgements on our moral compass (which admittedly is different for everyone). My morality is centered in God's word and His word clearly teaches that homosexuality is wrong, and not what we were created for. I agree entirely with that teaching. So yes I do judge the lifestyle itself, but I do not judge the person. That's God's job and He is more than capable of judging souls.

Unfortunately, Christians have to beat down the sick and twisted reputation that we've all been labelled with due to certain loud mouth so-called Christians that run around the nation picketing funerals and holding rallies where ugly signs declare everyone damned except them. Allow me to be PERFECTLY clear, those people are not Christians. They know nothing of grace, humility, compassion, forgiveness or anything else Jesus ever taught. They do however know how to get the media's attention and to make absolute fools of themselves using Christ's name. Those people are in fact a minority and they do not represent what most Christians believe at all. I wish more people understood that.

This isn't a subject I like to talk about, but it also isn't one I shy away from just because what I believe is no longer the mainstream belief held in western culture. I am not at all ashamed of what I believe, and I will state it, teach it to my kids, and defend God's truth any time the need arises. I know full well there are many many people that completely disagree with me on this (many of whom I'm related to) but that also will not stop me from speaking truth (with as much grace as I know how to give) as I know it. If I lose friends or family relationships over this, then so be it. I wont like it, but truth matters enough to me that it comes before patting someone on the head and keeping my mouth shut.

This 'n That

2011-06-02T08:59:00.000-04:00

It occrured to me a few days ago that the month of June marks seven years since I started this blog. Seven years?! When I say it outloud it seems unreal but it really has been that long. There probably isn't a topic I haven't covered or at least commented on in passing, in those seven years. To commemorate the blogiversary I think I'd like to go back and highlight my own personal favorite, top 7 posts in those years. I'll do that before the month is out.

And now a little of this 'n that...

STATUS UPDATE (PENDING)

You know those status update blog posts that many of the lady bloggers do? Well, I was bound and determined to write my May status update from my laptop, on the deck. It is now June, and you'll notice that Deck Update never happened. I keep waiting for a really nice day where a.) I'm not busy doing things all day and b.) I can sit on the deck undisturbed and write. We've have some really nice days lately but I've been so unbelievably busy I haven't had a day for just writing. I hope to have one of those peaceful, unbusy days real soon.

DISCONNECTED

Sometimes I really hate technology. It seems as though if I don't check FB every day or read blogs every day, I have absolutely no idea what's going on with the people I care about. In our day, folks just blog or FB what's going on in their lives and if you miss a day (or a week) you're pretty much disconnected and out of the loop with your long-distance friends. I don't check FB every day (every other day, maybe) and I only read blogs about once a week and so by the time I've caught up with everyone I'm already a day late and dollar short.

A HUGE THANK YOU

I know a lot of the customers and referrals I get at my online shop at zazzle come directly from readers of this blog and I owe you all a HUGE thank you for making May 2011 my most successful month ever. I truly love what I do. I love creating fun, family friendly designs (okay the line of zombie gear might be a little borderline with the toddler set, I'll grant you that), and knowing that fun, non-obscene, non-profane t-shirts and the like are indeed popular. Sure I could make a small fortune creating lewd, tacky, tasteless, totally off-color designs (and many have), but at the end of the day I love knowing that CUTE and clean are just as much in demand.

That's about all I have for today. I'm off to take daughter #3 shopping for a wedding she's attending this month and get myself 800 cans of fly spray. Living in the country has it charms, to be sure.

Have a fantastic day!

Great New Product at Team Apologian!

2011-05-21T18:26:00.000-04:00

As most people who know me already know, I set up and manage a zazzle merchandise shop for great Christian apparel and gifts for my friend James White's ministry Alpha and Omega Ministries. It's a fantastic ministry that has changed countless lives and continues to bless people each and every day. The shop (and the graphics contained in it) is genuinely a labor of love and appreciation for James and the work him and Rich Pierce do for the Lord and for His people.

I wanted to let you know about a super awesomely COOL new product available in store, that I think will really be a new favorite among dedicated Dividing Line listeners. This new product is called the Doodle Speaker by OrigAudio, and it's essentially the coolest little tech toy to come along in a while. It's a universally compatible, lightweight, custom speaker that works with anything with a standard headphone jack. Now if you're on the road with your ipod, ipad, phone, laptop or whatever you're using, you can have this great little external audio source with you for GREAT quality audio! Not only that, it's got a great little kickstand in back to prop it up and show off the great design on the front!

Click HERE and HERE for the other new custom speakers now available as well.

Various and Sundry

2011-05-18T09:02:00.000-04:00

You know those monthly status update posts I do where I list where I'm sitting, what I'm happy about, etc? Well, I was bound and determined to do a May Status Update post from my laptop sitting anywhere but my desk.... but, it didn't work out that way. I was hoping to post that from the patio in the lovely, warm, spring sunshine but we haven't HAD any lovely, warm, spring sunshine for the last week. So, that plan is out the window. In the rain. So instead of that I'm going to post this various and sundry collection of thoughts I've had over the last little while. How useful they are to you, is a toss up.

RSS FEED DISASTER

I consider myself fairly knowledgable when it comes to web stuff. While I'm not an official nerd or anything, I can figure most things out pretty easily. EXCEPT, rss feeds and automated feeds. There are rss feed clients out there that you can set up to automatically feed content from your chosen source into your twitter account, FB wall, etc. I've tried them all and NONE of them work for me. Not one of them. Maddening? YES. They seem to work just fine for other people but not for me. I've spent days trying to config, reconfig, deleting, re-adding, fine tuning the settings and NADA. It would be fantastic if they'd actually work because it would save me a ton of time, but I have resigned myself to the fact that they will not work for me.

NEW TWITTER

Speaking of twitter, I've created a new account just for store stuff. The new twitter addy is @reflexionsgifts and that's where I'll be posting new products, promoting seasonal fun stuff, announcing sales and coupon codes, and giving away free puppies. Okay, the puppy thing wasn't true but if you'd like to follow what I'm up to on store-related content, that's the place to do it. I hope you'll follow me!

EVANGELISTIC OPPORTUNITY

Speaking of new products... last night I was watching one of the Family Radio's "countdown" videos on youtube (this one, specifically) and it occured to me there is a very, very practical way to turn this May 21, Rapture, Judgement, Madness mess into a reasonable opportunity to share the truth with people about what the Bible REALLY teaches. Here's how:

The beautiful thing about this shirt is that it opens the door to questions and gives the wearer a chance to explain the truth to anyone who asks. Please be advised though, people WILL question you if you're wearing this so unless you're ready to engage in on-the-spot evangelism/apologetics, don't wear it. Click the image or click here to get yours.

MOCKING THE DECEIVED

Speaking of May 21 Madness, I have a few questions. I wonder, would you laugh and make fun of the bruised and battered woman who kept going back to her violently abusive husband because in her heart she truly believed he would change, and that he genuinely loved her? Would you make jokes and poke fun at the young person who was sexually abused by a parent and still stood by that parent because they truly believed somewhere deep down, that the parent loved them? I can't imagine the kind of person that would laugh, make fun of or crack jokes about these two scenarios. In both cases, we have people who are horribly deceived and horribly victimized.

So tell me Christian reader, why do I keep seeing Christian people mocking and making fun of the horribly deceived followers of Harold Camping? I completely expect it from non-Christian people since they think all of Christianity is a joke anyway, and this is just another example of how flaked out we all are. Is it funny that they will be spiritually, emotionally, psychologically and literally devastated when they come to realize Camping was wrong? Of course it's not funny. It should break your heart to even imagine for a moment what it would feel like to be in their shoes. They are (just as in the two examples I gave above) victims of a twisted mind and they fell under his deception. They don't need to be made the butt of jokes they need truth, grace, and compassion just like any other victim of deception would need.

Well, I did have more to write today but I'll leave it at that.

May 21: Broken Spirits, Hearts and Lives

2011-05-17T18:53:00.000-04:00

"Harold Camping prepares for judgement day" "May 21st Judgement Day - the Bible Guarantees It!"

Those are just a couple of the headlines you'll see if you search for Harold Camping and news about his prophecy of May 21, 2011 as being judgement day. Right now, there is no shortage of headlines on Harold Camping, unfortunately. You'd really have to be living in a cave to have NOT heard of him.

Nearly a year and a half ago I felt compelled to write about his nonsense here at this blog and I've noticed a rather significant amount of traffic to the site from folks searching for "why May 21st is false". While I certainly appreciate any visitors to this blog, on this topic I'd very much encourage you to read something else instead.

My friend Dr. James White has written (and podcasted) a good deal on this subject from a sound, rational Christian perspective. He goes into far more detail on this subject than I ever did, and if you're someone genuinely searching for what REAL Christians believe about this, I would strongly recommend you read the material on it, and listen to the podcasts about it HERE at Dr. White's blog.

In closing, I can tell you my heart goes out to those who are following Harold Camping and genuinely believe his mathematical gibberish. I cannot even begin to imagine how despondent and disillusioned they will be when the rapture they're waiting for does not happen and they're left facing reality. From all I have read, nearly all of them have made NO plans to be here after May 21. They will be left jobless, homeless, penniless and spiritually devastated. Some are even planning to euthanize their pets the day prior. How they will pick up their lives and move on I cannot even fathom, after such a blow to the very core of their (misplaced) faith.

Christians, I ask you to pray hard for these people and their children. For God's incredible mercy on them, more than anything else. They're going to need Him more than they ever have in their lives, come May 22.

Thicker than Water

2011-04-24T19:12:00.000-04:00

It was brought to my attention not too long ago that my definition of a friend is... shall we say, not exactly the same as how other people define what a friend is. In our day of modern technology and communication the word friend is flippantly tossed around and with the younger generation I don't know that it means the same thing as it did to folks even 10 years ago. The modern definition aside, I was a little surprised that my own definition isn't how some other folks see it. To summarize, I think Gordon Lightfoot did a great job of defining a real friend in his song Rainy Day People.

It's really not all that complicated to me, a friend is someone who is there, who cares, listens, hugs, loves, encourages, defends, supports, cheers and cries with you when you need it. They also tell you you're being a bonehead if you're being one. They tell you that because they love you and don't want you to be a bonehead. The place where I part company with other folks on what a true friend is, is in the details. I don't think a genuine friend has to remember your favorite color, shoe size, kids birthdays or that kind of thing. We've all got lives to live, kids, families, and enough details going on under our own roofs, that knowing every little thing about a friend isn't important to me. Knowing that I have friends who genuinely care about me, the person, that's what matters. Knowing they'll be those Rainy Day people is far more important than if they ever knew my favorite color to begin with.

Today I was thinking about "family" and realized that's another area where my definition deviates a bit from other people as well. That old saying "blood is thicker than water" always meant (to me) that blood comes first no matter what. NO MATTER WHAT. I've come to realize over the years that for a lot of people that blood doesn't matter, and I find that unimaginable. Many years ago my own sister and I were estranged for several years over a horrible misunderstanding and we didn't hardly speak at all during that time. However, I know without question if I needed her she would have been the first one there, and the same goes for me if she would have needed me. Despite not getting along so great for a time, we come from the place where blood truly is thicker than water and even during those heated seperations when the rubber hits the road, family ties, the ties that bind, do bind you tightly together. Thankfully my sister and I are no longer estranged. It was a most unpleasant time in my life and I'm so glad it's in the past. I love her dearly, and even did when I was mad at her, as odd as that sounds.

I don't understand the mindset that says family doesn't matter. More specifically, the mindset that allows estrangement to come in and take root, and doesn't even care. I realize that these things happen but I don't understand it. When my own sister and I were in that place I was not a Christian who understood the utmost importance of reconcialiation but even then, I desired it because it was the right thing. Those who don't desire it, don't care about it and can just write people off as easily as tossing out the daily trash... I don't understand them at all. I'm sure in their own minds they've reasoned it out and it makes sense to them but it sure doesn't make sense to me.

The other day the kids were watching a family sitcom where one of the kids said "family are the people you count on to love you even when you're really really stupid". As blunt as that sounds, I completely agree with it. You see, I've been that really really stupid person and no one in my family ever wrote me off. Oh they had plenty of reason to, but they never did. I don't suppose they know how truly grateful I am for that, but it taught me a tremendous lesson in love, tolerance, forgiveness, and what family really means. I guess I'm just one of those people from a long lost generation that still believes blood is definitely thicker than water.

Lemony Goodness

2011-04-14T00:52:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned on the blog before that I subscribe to Kraft Canada's What's Cooking newsletter. I LOVE this newsletter because it's always filled with tasty recipes, tips and other goodies. Over the years I've tried countless recipes they send me and there has only been 1 time that we didn't care for the dish. It was some kind of fruity pork chop dish and it just didn't turn out nearly as mouthwatering as the picture made it look.

In any event, today they sent out another with lots of great looking recipes including one for this lemon poppyseed cake. Now, all of us here really love lemon poppyseed cake (and muffins) but the recipe itself is just loaded with fat & calories. Here at Rolfeworld we've made a big decision to live healthier and eat healthier so I wasn't too impressed with the recipe for this cake.

So... instead of following their recipe I'm going to alter it just a bit and make it my way. Here is the recipe with my revisions in bold:

1 pkg. (2-layer size) lemon cake mix

1 pkg. (85 g) Jell-O Lemon Jelly Powder (sugar free)

1-1/4 cups water

1/2 cup ~~oil~~ unsweetened applesauce

4 eggs

1/4 cup poppy seed

1/2 cup (1/2 of 250-g tub) (light or reduced calorie) Philadelphia Cream Cheese Spread

2 Tbsp. butter, softened

1 cup icing sugar, sifted

2 Tbsp. shredded peel and 1 Tbsp. juice from 1 lemon, divided

*alternatively - use freshly whipped cream with a dash of lemon flavoring for the "frosting"

HEAT oven to 350°F.

BEAT first 5 ingredients in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Stir in poppy seed. Pour into well-greased and lightly floured 12-cup fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan.

BAKE 50 min. to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted near centre comes out clean. Cool in pan 30 min. Loosen cake from sides of pan with knife. Invert cake onto wire rack; gently remove pan. Cool cake completely.

BEAT cream cheese spread and butter with mixer on low speed until well blended. Gradually beat in sugar and lemon juice. Spread over top of cake. Garnish with peel.

If you try this recipe I'd love to hear from you and see how you liked it with my revisions. It's still going to be a fairly heavy cake but not *as* heavy with the revisions. Slice it into small servings and you can still enjoy a fresh baked lemon poppyseed cake even if you're watching your fat/calorie intake like we are.

A Zazzle Pat on the Back

2011-04-06T18:07:00.000-04:00

I just received a real nice surprise in email. It seems two of my graduation accouncements have received a Graddy Award from the nice folks at zazzle:

(CLICK EITHER ONE TO SEE FULL SIZE)

I really love the opportunity zazzle affords me to create these things, and the awards they give out are really fun encouragement. Thanks zazzlefolk!

When I Grow Up

2011-03-31T00:42:00.000-04:00

Well here we are with yet another couple of weeks gone by without a blog post. I honestly have no idea where the time goes. I think it goes the same place missing socks go.

Today's post will be yet another rambling sort of "this is where I am right now" kind of thing that one famous blogger once said no one cares about and no one reads. I never did agree with him on that, because I read those posts. Hmm... maybe that means I'm a no one? Possibly. In any case...

Do you remember in grade school when you'd have a classroom assignment to draw a picture and write a little bit about what you wanted to be when you grew up? I HATED those assignments. I mean, I was 7 or 8 or 9 years old, how in the world was I supposed to know what I wanted to be in 20 years? A ballerina? Yeah right. An astronaut? No thanks. A police woman? Uh... no. Angie Dickenson already had that job and she seemed kinda cheesy to me so I didn't want to be a cheesy cop lady. All the popular choices were already taken and frankly seemed pretty unrealistic to me anyway, so I was left with things I couldn't even draw pictures of, like being Marlin Perkins assistant on Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. Now that would be a cool thing to be, but it never translated well in my drawings. Or I could be a famous writer and write books like Nancy Drew or Trixie Belden that would capture the imaginations of adventuresome little girls and help them solve mysteries. I wasn't too sure how to draw that either though. The other option was to become a world reknowned artist who could sketch a portrait of famous (or not so famous) people with a regular dime store pencil and do it in such a way that it actually looked like a photograph of the person. When I sketched my Jackie Onassis portrait at about 12 years old, I was pretty sure that's what my career was going to be. It didn't quite pan out though. The thing is, I was never able to answer the "what do you want to be when you grow up" question with any amount of certainty.

Over the years circumstances arise where I've had to make decisions and wear different hats (homeschooler, photography/sales associate, landscaper, etc.) but none of those things were anything I'd dreamed about or really wanted to do since I was a child. Some of them I enjoyed doing for sure, but they weren't things I was exceptionally gifted at. I'm definitely not one of those people that can pretty much do anything and do it well. I think we all know a person or two like that and we sometimes wonder why they got all the talent and the next 30 people didn't get any.

The other night I was having a conversation with one of my older daughters about what I do in designing. I had showed her some of my newest event invitations that I'd done and she asked me a question that led to a really fun conversation. She asked "you must really love doing this, is it fun to create these things?" The thing is, I really do love doing it and it's way more fun than I should be allowed to have and still be legal. I know that might sound strange to most people but when you've created something such as an invitation for a party that folks all over the country have bought (and often come back and buy again, and then send out to thousands of people) it's a pretty incredible feeling knowing that that many people have seen (and like) your work. One sale alone recently was nearly 2,000 invitations for a huge event in Texas. Clearly, they really DO do things big in Texas and I was pretty humbled to be a part of it, in some way.

So all that to say, I think I have finally found the thing I want to do when I grow up. I want to be a designer and create wonderful, memorable, family friendly, upbeat, lighthearted, cute, fun things for people to wear, to gift, to send out on cards or invitations or to hang on their walls. And, that's exactly what I do. Granted, I am a self-taught designer and there are some formally trained designers that would turn their noses up at what I do or how I do it, but that's okay with me. There are also formally taught, highly talented designers that encourage me and give me tips and ideas to help me grow in my field and I'm super-duper thankful to them. Truthfully, I'm more artist than I am designer and it does take a lot of skill and hard work to be good at either but I am learning and loving every minute of it. You can see my latest creations any time by clicking HERE since that's where my newest work goes these days.

I'm really glad I finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up. It only took 46 years but who's counting?

Status Report: March 2011

2011-03-17T00:22:00.001-04:00

It kind of made me sad today when I noticed the last post here was two weeks ago. I haven't lost my love for writing but I've been so busy with other things I just never seem to find the time to sit down and blog the way I used to. I miss it, so to rectify that here's a status report:

Sitting... at my desk, wondering why I don't use my laptop more so I can sit somewhere else. I love my new lappy, and I don't use it nearly as much as I thought I would. Maybe come spring/summer I can report that I'm sitting outside on the deck, or in the grass. Yes, blogging from the grass sounds really good to me. I miss grass.

Drinking... water. Trying really hard to drink more of it these days

Realizing... just tonight that my littlest grand daughter will be 2 next month and my oldest one will be 5 this summer. WHERE does the time go? I know everyone says that but it's a valid question, isn't it?

Cleaning... well, I'm still in the cleaning/declutter mode that I've been in since Sept. 2010. On Friday I will completely clear out/off my desk, take it apart, throw it in the burn pit and drive to Staples and buy a new one. FINALLY. I can't wait to have a more space effecient workspace.

Going... on a family outing tomorrow. To a mall, of all places. Not my first choice in family outings but that's where everyone decided they wanted to go. Hopefully they have a cinnabon there. :o)

Loving... that winter is almost over and spring really is right around the corner. I try hard not to snivel and whine about the cold weather (James, you hush!) but it just really gets to me after a while and I turn into a grumbler.

Preparing... for our big road trip coming up this summer. Since we're headed to the states we all have to update passports and that's a time consuming (and money consuming) process. I'm so excited to go home, even if it's only for a few weeks! I miss my mommy and my grandma and the smell of the bay.

Enjoying... a cranberry and brie phyllo puff. I know, I shouldn't be eating this time of night but it's cranberry and brie! Resistance is futile.

Procrastinating... with my workouts. Not that I meant to, it's just that I forgot I was going to begin those again on the 15th. It's been so long (all winter) that I was out of my workout routine that I forgot both days until the very end of the day. Lord willing, tomorrow I will get my workout "game" for the Kinect and begin that on Friday. I'm REALLY looking forward to it, and to getting back in shape, eventually.

And... that's all I've got for now. :o)

Friends in Purple

2011-03-01T22:32:00.005-05:00

Recently my friend James asked me to create a custom design for him using a verse of Scripture, in Greek, and done in typographic art style. It wasn't easy, but here's the result:

James is wearing the purple tee available here and this design is also available here, in a choice of colors and on a wider variety of apparel. Thanks for sending in the pic, Doc! :o)

Reflections zazzle Giveaway!

2011-02-18T17:43:00.006-05:00

(IMPORTANT ENTRY RULES UPDATE BELOW)

I mentioned this on twitter earlier today so here's the scoop:

I'm going to have a giveaway at Reflections zazzle and YOU could win!

You see, I'm about the replace the old family desk with a newer, space-saving model and set up for the family a brand new computer on the brand new desk. It occured to me today however, that they can't have a brand new computer and brand new desk without a brand new mousepad to go with it. No, the old, worn out, dirty, ugly mousepad will not have a home on the new desk.

So they need a new one, and for that matter so do I. So, where else would I shop for new mousepads than my very own store that carries nearly 300 of them? Exactly!

Here's where YOU winning comes in:

a.) scroll through the mousepads and tweet me a link (@carlarolfe) to the one you'd pick for the family (example: "I'd get this one for the family mousepad www.link.com")

b.) tweet me a link to a SECOND mousepad that you think I should get for ME (example: "Carla, you should get this mousepad www.link.com")

You now have TWO chances to win! Kev and I will choose from the links tweeted by the end of the day next Friday 2/25, and if we pick the link you tweeted, you win!

PRIZE: One mousepad of your choice from my store! (unless of course you're the lucky duck that suggested BOTH of the mousepads that we picked, then you win TWO new mousepads) Yay, a free mousepad!! If you select a personalized mousepad you'll have to give me all the juicy details so I can personalize it before I ship it off to you.

Conditions: Contest is limited to US and Canadian residents only. You MUST tweet the links to me to be considered as your entry into the contest. Two entries per person only. If I discover you tweeted more from a secondary account, I'll send a herd of hungry fleas to your house instead of a mousepad. Contest entries accepted until 6pm eastern time, Friday 2/25. Winners will be notified via twitter after the contest closes.

That's it. Oh, and while you're window shopping for us be sure to make a note of the one(s) you want when you win!

Entries will be accepted beginning... now. Go!

UPDATE:

After some deliberation (and emails from those of you who do not use twitter) I've decided to expand the entry rules for the giveaway. Yay!

You may either tweet the links of your entries, or post them on my store's FB wall, here: http://www.facebook.com/reflectionsgifts (Be sure to preface the FB comment with "For the giveaway").

So there ya go - you can either tweet your entries or post them to my FB store page. Winner(s) will be notified by either twitter or FB, depending on where the winner posted the winning link(s).

Zazzle just ROCKS

2011-02-17T18:37:00.005-05:00

Not feeling all that great with the beginning of a cold and being woken up at 5am by fighting cats, it's been sort of a rough day. But I received a rather surprising email this afternoon that read in part:

"Your product has been hand-picked as an example of creativity at its finest. Out of the billions of designs on Zazzle, yours was chosen as one of the best. As a reward, your product will appear at the top of the page listed below in the "Featured Designs" section for approximately 2 weeks. This means you, your product, and your store will be center stage!"

Not only did I receive this email, I received 3 just like it featuring 3 different products, then I also received a Today's Best Award for a fun new Mother's Day design I just uploaded today. For a few minutes I just stared at my screen thinking "wow". I feel very honored to have had my designs chosen out of all the brilliant designers at zazzle.

Here are the products that were selected today:

Personal Property Pretty Floral by reflections06
CURRENTLY BEING FEATURED AT BOOKPLATES LABELS

She Did It by reflections06
CURRENTLY BEING FEATURED ON FUNNY KIDS T-SHIRTS

Blue Butterfly It's a Boy Photo Card by reflections06
CURRENTLY BEING FEATURED ON NEW BABY PHOTOCARDS

The World's Coolest Mom by reflections06
CHOSEN FOR A TODAY'S BEST AWARD

Thank you so much zazzle!

Hearts, Cabin Fever and Assorted Piles of Junk

2011-02-14T06:06:00.002-05:00

Okay time for another miscellanous type post:

To the average Joe, it may appear as though I've given up on blogging on a regular basis. Well, that is not entirely accurate. I've just switched gears a bit and I've been blogging here on an entirely different theme. I'd like it very much if you'd swing by over there and say hello :o)

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Today is Valentine's Day and half the folks love it, the other half hate it, and the other half couldn't care less one way or the other. Yes, that's 150%. I realize that. I tossed in an extra 50% because if most of us are honest I think we might admit we fall into at least two of those categories at the same time. For me personally, Valentine's Day is a reminder of how dreadfully romantic we can be when we're young, without really thinking things through. I was married to my first husband on Valentine's Day because we were both young, sappy, silly, goofy in love and thought it would be a fantastic idea. Well, it was for a while but after he passed away almost 16 years ago, this holiday is just a difficult, annual reminder of why we should never pick Valentine's Day for our wedding day. Today would have been our 25th wedding anniversary, but obviously the Lord had other plans for both of us.

I'll go through the day trying not to think about it much and for the most part I will be successful, but it is what it is and there isn't anything I can do to change it. However, those discounted chocolates in heart shaped boxes do tend to bring smiles to the faces of the kids, so I might have to pick some of those up.

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I really thought after the kids started going to public school that the clutter and mess around here would decrease a considerable amount. I have no idea why I thought that, because it really hasn't turned out that way at all! Just last night I sifted through a pile of papers on my side desk (mostly stuff the kids bring home from school for me to see or sign) and I couldn't believe how much junk was actually there. A pile to save, a pile to sign, a pile to trash. Most junk, some important, some sentimental stuff the kids made in class. I think if I ever suddenly disappear, the first place to look might be under a stack of papers.

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Have I mentioned recently just how much I hate winter? Oh, well in that case... I hate winter. It wasn't always this way at all. I remember as a kid hearing my grandparents lament over the coming winter and snow like it was the most vile thing in the world and I used to think "wow, how can ANYONE hate snow!?" To a kid, snow is like a super-awesome layer of white magic. The more you get, the more magic! It's only been over the last few years that I've come to understand why grown ups hate it. I really wish sometimes I could still see it through the eyes of a child but when my boots are soaked, the back door is sealed shut from wind driven drifts, the house is cold, and it takes 15 minutes to warm up the van, the magic has pretty much worn off. It's kind of sad, but that's the way it is. However... right now we're having a much welcome break in the dreadfully cold temps and last night I even opened the game room windows (just a tiny bit) to let a fresh, cool breeze drift through and let out the stale, yucky, winter air. It was incredibly refreshing, and makes me want spring/summer to get here right now!

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Have you ever stopped to consider how many people you don't know? I'm reminded of it often when I hear a "celebrity" name and have no idea who that is. A singer, actor, or maybe a sports figure who is apparently popular and I have no idea who they are. It's not like I sit in my basement with a led cap on or anything, but for whatever reason I just don't know who these people are. For that matter, I don't even care. Of course the kids think it's funny when old people don't know who these celebrities are (I used to think it was funny too, I'm sure) but there are people in my life that I do know, and I think it's way more important to get to know them better. Being a better mom, a better daughter, a better sister, a better friend is more important to me than keeping up with pop culture and the celebrity of the hour. I'm entirely okay with not knowing who the pop stars are. I'm sure they couldn't care less about not knowing who I am, either.

Well, that's all I have time for this round. Have a great day!

Halls, Snow and The Rubberband Man and Weddings

2011-02-03T13:52:00.005-05:00

Okay so here we go with some random stuff. Very random, I assure you.

Recently a friend announced his daughter's engagement and mentioned her wedding colors are black and red. I thought "whoa, black and red for a summer wedding?" The more I thought about it, the more cool it sounded. As I thought about that, I briefly thought about re-launching my wedding shop at zazzle knowing full well there are some outrageously, stupendously talented designers at zazzle already with huge wedding shops full of custom invitations, photo card announcements and everything else "wedding". Knowing full well this is a completely saturated market, I decided... yes, I'm going to do it. I have TONS of ideas for wedding goodies and just because there are already fine folks creating these items shouldn't stop me, right? Well, I went ahead and did it and the more I create the more ideas I get. I've been doing a LOT of reading on popular, trending wedding color themes and the more colors I see the more ideas I get. No wonder these wedding shops are huge, there are a bazillion possibilities! This save the date sticker shown here is one of my personal favorite color themes I just finished last night. Check out the Wedding Shop to see all the new goodies in store! (I'm loving the daisies, I could do a hundred different designs with JUST daisies!)

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Did you know, that adult Canadians eat Halls lozenges the same way American children eat Lifesavers candies? It's true.

Did you know, I wear fleece jackets around the house (I have tons, they're everywhere) and at any time I can grab one and find a package of Halls in the pocket? It's true.

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The Rubberband Man by the Spinners is one of my all time favorite songs in the whole world. I also know every word, and sing along every time I hear it on the radio.

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I love watching snowblowers do their thing. Why? No idea. I want one.

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I'm officially sick of winter, sick of snow, sick of being cold, and sick of trudging down to the basement all day/night long to feed the fire in the wood burning furnace. However, a funny thing happened to me the other day on the way to a warm house...

I went down there, knelt down and opened the furnace door as usual, when I heard a strange, fluttery-like sound. Before I even had a chance to give it half a thought, a BIRD flew out of the furnace right into my face. I screamed and fell over right on my hiney. Then I sat there on the dirty basement floor and laughed at how funny that must have looked. Poor little guy, he just wanted to get in out of the cold and warm his little feathers IN the fire, I guess. He seemed fine, flying around the basement. I opened the outside door and out he went. Prolly laughing at me for screaming and falling over. I admit, I do some pretty dumb things that even make me laugh. This was one of them.

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Do you remember when you were younger and you had a question about something and there was always that one person you could go to and ask? Granted, not everyone could call my grandpa or just stop in with a random question, but I'm sure you had someone like that in your life, that just possessed a vast amount of wisdom? Well, I got to thinking the other day how that wise person has quite literally been replaced by google (or bing, or whatever search engine you use). No one needs to go ask the really smart person anything anymore, they just google it. While cool, and handy and helpful and all those great things, there's also something very sad, rather creepy and a little disturbing about that.

Okay, that's all the random stuff I've got for now. I'm sure I'll be back soon with more of the same. Oh and hey, if you know anyone getting married any time soon, send them my way for custom wedding paper goods! :o) (unless she's a Bridezilla, then... well, nevermind)

Evangelism Wear - Yes, it WORKS!

2011-01-27T11:29:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, my friend James asked me to put part of a verse of Scripture, in Greek, into a word cloud style design for a t-shirt. The task seemed simple enough to start with, but let me assure you, typographic art is not nearly as simple as it might appear, especially when you're using Greek!

It was a challenge but a fun challenge, and I came up with this:

Now here's the part I think is sort of funny. You see, Christian t-shirts should be used/worn with the idea of evangelism in mind. As in, "hey, that's an interesting shirt". This is a great way to spark conversation, talk about what your t-shirt says and what it means, and get the person thinking about the verse or the meaning of the verse.

Why is this funny? Well, based on the comments left at James' twitter feed and FB wall after he posted a link to it, I already know it works exactly as intended because many many people (Christians) responded and essentially said "nice, but what does it say?"

I was quite pleased with the way this turned out, and you can get yours here at my zazzle shop, or here with a brand new merchandise supplier of fantastic colored hoodies.

Just be sure you know what it says before you wear it because... you WILL be asked!

(For those who aren't sure, the image says "No one can say, Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.")

Comfort in Pain

2011-01-17T23:29:00.006-05:00

I'm going to begin this post by admitting upfront that it's a post I did not want to write. For days now I've tried to just forget about it and let other things keep me busy but I am not being allowed the luxury of forgetting about it and moving on. Not to sound all mystical and whatnot, but I take that to mean this is a post that I need to write, even if I don't really want to write it. I honestly don't know who the "need" is for, and it may be just for me. Or, you.

Back on the 11th of January, Phil Johnson posted a link on twitter that I clicked on, and read. His tweet said "Heart-rending: http://bit.ly/e9RmOS Pray for Tricia Williford and family". In more ways than I can explain, I wish I wouldn't have clicked the link and yet at the same time I'm very glad that I did. If you would like to go and read it for yourself, you should know that it's the retelling of a very sad day recently when a woman lost her husband to a sudden illness, and her raw emotions as the reality of what was happening, unfolded before her.

Before I go on, I'd like to take a few minutes to sort of vent a little about grief and the grieving process. I'm not even sure "vent" is the right word, but it's the best one I can think of just now so it will have to do. Grief, and the grieving process after someone close to you passes on, is one of those subjects almost no one wants to talk about. Understandably so, it's a sad and heartbreaking subject and if there is a football game or a political news bit or some other scandelous or equally entertaining tidbit of news or whatnot to talk about instead of grief and grieving, that's what you'll find people talking about. This is not to be accusitory or anything like that, because if I'm 100% honest I'm pretty sure I'd do it too. My hat is off to people in the field such as grief counsellors, hospital chaplains, hospice workers, funeral home workers and the like. They spend their career caring for others in their most vulnerable state ever, and it's the hardest work any person will ever do. Those folks deserve much much praise.

For the very same reason other folks don't want to talk about it is the same reason I really didn't want to write about it. It's a sad subject and it makes me sad, and will probably make you sad too (unless you're already sad due to grieiving and then it will likely have an entirely different impact on you). However, because I tried really hard to forget about Phil Johnson's link, and Tricia Williford's blog post, and the whole experience she went through and was entirely unsuccessful at it, I knew I needed to write this and say a few things about the subject.

It's All Normal

I do not know Tricia Williford but as a former widow I can tell you that we are connected in a way that only widows can be. As I read more of her blog I learned that we both snort sometimes when we laugh and were both nearly the same age when becoming a widow. Then I read that she's an editor and would likely cringe a great deal at my horrific writing, so the similarities stop there. In any event...

As I read the account she wrote about the day her husband died in front of her, my eyes began to well up and my nose began to itch pretty much the same way they're doing now. You see, I've been where she was and in my mind's eye it's all still very fresh, even though it's been over 15 years ago. When I read she found herself a little surprised that all she said was "okay" when she was informed that the emergency medical techs had done all they could and he was gone, I just sat here and nodded. See, you might suspect that you'll react with some larger than life kind of reaction, or flip out like what you've seen on tv or in movies, but sometimes all you say is "okay". Of course it's not okay, but somehow your heart and your mind disconnect at that moment in time and your heart runs one direction and your analytical brain takes over in a type of auto-pilot and "okay" is the most logical response.

Often the next response you might be surprised coming out of your own mouth is "what do we do now?" Your heart doesn't want to know what to do now, your heart is hiding away in unbelief and unbelievable pain, but your brain is in auto-pilot and taking care of business. The thing about this is, it is entirely normal. It doesn't mean you're emotionless, or don't really care or anything like that at all. It simply means this is one of the ways people normally respond to a surreal, impossible, traumatic moment. For the record however, flipping out, screaming, crying, being struck mute, or just walking away, those are all normal reactions as well.

I can only speak to this from a spousal perspective but I will say there is no such thing as a "proper" response to hearing that the one person on this planet you shared your heart with has just stepped out of this life into eternity. It is the most devastating news you will ever hear, even if it's at the end of a prolonged illness. You can prepare yourself as much as possible but there really isn't anything you can do to "prepare" yourself for that moment of finality when it's over, and someone says it outloud, and you know it's actually over.

Because I Was There

As I read Tricia's account of her final moments with her husband, I just kept nodding through tears. I didn't really want to keep reading but I wanted to keep reading at the same time. In a way that I can't explain I know that she was writing it because she had to as much as I was reading it because I needed to. I know that might not make sense to anyone else, but it makes sense to me. When she wrote about the way their eyes locked for the last time, I remembered. When she wrote about the last words he said, the last conversation they had, I remembered those too. When she wrote about holding him until she saw his skin color change, I definitely remembered. I suppose I could look it up on google and find out, but the truth is I have no idea how long it takes between the moment of death and the moment there is a noticable difference in the color of the skin. What I do know, is that there is an immediate change in the physical appearance of a person when their soul is no longer in their body and their skin does take on what seems to be an immediate grayish color. In my own personal experience that physical change came in just moments, even though it felt like seconds, I'm sure. I also know that this is a very unpleasant topic and most people definitely do not want to talk about it or hear about it. However, if you are with your loved one when they go, you'll notice it and you'll remember it and somehow, in some way I can't explain, it's comforting to know that others have experienced this as well. There are others who do know how you felt at that moment because they've felt it too. If you have gone through being at the bedside of someone you love when they leave this life, there are certain things that you will remember and quite vividly, that you really never wanted to have as part of your memories of that person but they're there all the same and always will be. It's definitely heartbreaking but at the same time, in a way that only Christians will understand, there is a profound inner rejoicing in knowing at that moment in time, while you were still saying goodbye, they were present with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is the most bittersweet moment, but you hang onto the sweet as it brings great comfort.

Grieving is one of those things that defies a neat and tidy little definition or limit, or explaination. Just a few moments before I started to write this I noticed a friend of mine posted a FB status where she mentioned a sudden outburst of tears she had today for her dad, who passed away in November. What sparked the outburst? An item on a grocery store shelf. It's this kind of thing that you least expect and is perfectly normal and will happen. His favorite shoes, that stupid commercial she always laughed at, those chips he liked, the smell of woodsmoke in the fall, the way the sunset turns the sky a brilliant display of pinks and purples, or the color you painted the downstairs bathroom that he absolutely hated. You can be weeks, months or even years down the road from the passing of a loved one and quite literally out of nowhere something like this comes up and just dives right straight into the center of your heart and fresh tears begin to flow. That's perfectly normal too, because that person was a part of your life and your world and their likes, dislikes and memories you shared together - that connection will always be, even if they are no longer here.

I think I needed to write this because there are a lot of people that don't understand grief. I think I also needed to write this because I know people that right this minute are experiencing a death anniversary of someone they loved so much. I think maybe I also needed to write this for Tricia so that she knows she's not alone, even though we don't know each other and will likely never meet this side of Heaven. I think I also might have needed to write this because I know so many people very close to me that often feel like it's something they can't or shouldn't talk about because doing so brings other people down. Maybe I also needed to write this so that I could strongly encourage grief counselling even if it's years after the fact. I just can't recommend it enough, and it's never too late to spill your heart to a professional counsellor and learn healthy, positive, practical ways of dealing with your emotions that stem from losing a loved one. It's one of the hardest things you'll ever go through, and not all of us know how to handle it very well. That's what grief counselling is for, to better equip us to process all the emotions, reactions and even trouble we might have in our relationships with others.

As I sit here and think for a minute about all the people I know who've lost loved ones and still grieve for them, a lot of names come to mind. Names I don't get to say very often anymore because they're not here and talking about them doesn't happen much. This is one of those sensitive things that people aren't sure about and don't want to mention in case they'll upset you. Sometimes I think not hearing their names makes us feel like they've just been forgotten. We certainly haven't forgotten them. We haven't forgotten Ben, Harry, Jasper, Bruce, Bruce, or Rosemary's dad, James' mom, Phil's mom, Stephanie's grandma, Victoria's son, Tricia's husband, Barb, Michael or Keith, or the countless other people I could mention. These are people that were a huge part of someone's life and it's still good to hear their names, and know others remember them too.

I don't have any kind of fantastic closing for this post, so this will have to suffice. Just know that if you're grieving today, there are many who grieve with you and understand at least some of what you're going through.

For the Girls: Kitchen Questions

2011-01-07T20:27:00.002-05:00

Okay ladies, this one is for you:

You know those awful, ugly, brown rings you get on your stove around the burners? What's the best product on the market for dissolving that junk and getting rid of it?

Not that I'm afraid of a little elbow grease, but I'd love to find a product that makes the job a little easier, if possible.

Custom Work? Yes I do!

2011-01-05T16:38:00.009-05:00

It's funny how sometimes a nice surprise shows up from a place you never expected. That happened to me recently when a lady contacted me and asked me to do a custom birthday invitation for her daughter.

She had seen this invitation in my store Reflections for a sweet sixteen party, and wondered if I could do some heavy editing on that and turn it into a mall scavenger hunt flyer. To be honest, my first thought was "hmmm". Only because I'd never even heard of a mall scavenger hunt, let alone what a mall scavenger hunt birthday party invitation might look like. I did what any resourceful person does and turned to my pal google to get a better idea/understanding of what these mall scavenger hunts are all about. First, I wish I could have one for my birthday and second, they look like a LOT of fun for girls of any age, really. I know that sounds funny to those who know me best and know how much I hate shopping. This is different though, this is sport/competition shopping, with prizes! :o) At any rate, I digress.

For several days and with multiple emails back and forth (let's use this font, move that up, change that color, slide that over, etc.) I finally had the perfect layout for the mall scavenger hunt birthday party flyer. But, it wasn't the first sample I'd sent this client. Initially I created one and sent her the sample but she had me make a lot of changes to that and by the time it was finished it looked quite a bit different than that first sample. For privacy reasons (her daughter's picture and name are on the actual product) I can't show you the finished work but this is very close to the way it looks.

Once it was finished, I looked at the initial sample I'd sent her and decided to heavily re-edit that one as well and offer it for sale at Birthday Sweeties. The ironic thing is, the changes I made were ones that the client had specifically asked for, for hers, and changes I would have not considered myself. In a very real way, working with this lady was a blessing to me as well since she gave me some ideas that were a bit new to me, and stretched my way of thinking on certain things. She was a very VERY picky client, and the thing about that is, it's the BEST kind of client to have. They really know what they do want, what they don't want, and how they want the layout to look. It's a lot easier to work with people like that than it is to work with someone who just isn't sure and would like to see several sample styles. Much more effecient to work with picky people! :o)

The really sweet added bonus is, without me ever mentioning it to the client, she found this redone mall scavenger hunt birthday invitation at Birthday Sweeties (she contacted me through my main store Reflections) and left a really nice comment there. I was quite surprised to see that when I logged into that account to leave a thank you message for a lady who just bought 20 of them for her own daughter!

So this custom design story has a really happy ending. They should all end this way!

If you have a special event coming that you'd like custom invitations for, please consider my collection at Reflections (all invitations) or my collection of invitations at Birthday Sweeties.

Whether it's a birthday, baby shower, sweet sixteen party, family reunion, graduation celebration, pool party, Christmas party, Thanksgiving dinner, St. Paddy's Day party, New Year's Eve event, Halloween party or just about any other event you've got planned, you're sure to find a great invitation template there you can personalize. If you see an invitation you like but would like further customized, I can do that too! Just contact me any time with your customization requests and I'd be happy to work with you to create the perfect, custom invitation to your upcoming event. I currently do not offer wedding/bridal shower invitations but be sure to check out the zazzle marketplace for a brilliant selection there.

New Year - New Stuff - New Toys

2011-01-03T23:22:00.004-05:00

Being it's the new year (Happy New Year everyone!) I thought I'd list a few great NEW things going on in Rolfeland, and with me specifically.

New Toys

I surely didn't like it that Kev had put in a TON of overtime in the last several months but he did it so he could spoil me rotten at Christmas. He went out after his last day at work before Christmas and before his 12 day vacation, and bought me a brand new laptop. When I opened it Christmas morning I saw the box but didn't believe that's what was inside. He assured me it was so I opened it just to make sure it wasn't socks or something. Those would have been the world's heaviest socks, if that would have been what was inside. Sure enough though, it was a shiney new laptop. I haven't really done anything with it yet aside from turn it on and charge the battery. It's just been so crazy and hectic around here since Christmas eve that I haven't had the time to play with it yet. I think that's coming tomorrow though! I'm so happy to finally have one, so when I want to go to my room or go outside and do my work, I can do that. Plus, when we go on vacation this coming summer, I can take it with me then too! I know, for you seasoned lappy users this is all old hat, but for me it's all new stuff.

More new stuff for me, is the Garmin GPS he also bought me. I have wanted one of those for so so so long, and now that I have one I'm like a kid in a candy store. I really wanted to choose a Scottish male voice, but they don't have one so I decided to go with Daniel, the British guy. I've taken it with me to go to places I already know how to get to, just to see how it all works. I loved it when Daniel told me to go straight, and I turned left and he assured me he was "recalculating". This little unit is so cool, it even has a huge directory of local services such as shopping, hospitals, police, etc. I know, again, for you long time owners of a GPS this is nothing new, but maybe you can remember how impressed you were when you first played with yours?

In the same category of New Toys is... the family gift we bought this year - the Kinect for xbox. Up until today I hadn't even touched it, and up until today I'd never even used the xbox that we've had for a few years now. I'm just not a game playing kind of person, so it never interested me. Until now!

On one of the games that we bought for it, they have demos for other games and one of them is called Dance Central. As soon as one of the kids played the demo several of us (me included) knew we were going to love it, and love the full version game. We don't have the full version yet but the things you can do on the demo are great practice for when you do get the full version. Once I saw this I decided it was time for this old fatty to learn how to turn on the machine, use the controllers and play this game. I had to have my 10 year old son show me how, and I think I've got it mostly figured out. Rachel and Ruth played this with me tonight for a while and then when they went to bed I practiced on my own for 45 minutes! Yay for old fat moms! Well, maybe not fat for long since this game is a very intense workout. I got my heart rate up, started sweating, and it was an absolute blast. I am SO going to feel this in my legs tomorrow, that's a definite. But I really really love it. The only downside is that at least with the demo you only get 2 song options. One is Lady Gaga and the other is some hip hop group. I didn't even listen to the hip hop one, I just danced to the Lady Gaga song. I know there are other dance games for the Kinect but this workout is intense so I'll stick with this one for now, even though it's definitely not my style of music. Who would have ever suspected I'd know all the words to Poker Face? Certainly not me.

The funniest thing about this is, once you're done dancing you can play back a short video clip of yourself that was taken during the routine. LOL... oh man, let me tell you a thing or five. I was once young, thin and a very good dancer. I watched the playback clip tonight and the first time I wasn't sure if I should laugh or start bawling my eyes out. Somewhere along the way from young, thin and talented I became and old fat white lady dancing like a an old fat white lady. I can't do a thing about the age, but I intend to change the rest. May those initial video clips of me playing this game suddenly and mysteriously be erased for all eternity, lol. (Oh, and after 45 minutes and about 7 repitions of the same song, I nailed every step and got 5 gold stars - on the easiest level of course).

Well, I had more NEW new stuff to write about but this post is already long enough. I'll add some more new stuff tomorrow.

It's Only Words

2010-12-31T13:30:00.004-05:00

I may no longer be a homeschool mom, but I still encourage creative writing as much as possible:

You can buy these online (Think Geek has a version of them, and everyone should shop there for no other reason than THEY'RE AMAZING) or you can make them yourself like I did with a magnet sheet from Avery.

As soon as I made the first sheet and put my own messages on the fridge (these are Rachel's) everyone demanded I make lots more, right away. So, I'll be making more. :o) Make some yourself, or go buy some and have a little fridge fun in your house. Fun message possibilities are endless!

2010: Another Year Gone, Another Year To Be Thankful

2010-12-28T20:41:00.004-05:00

Like a lot of people I'm sure, for the last few weeks I've been thinking about an "end of the year" type post where I share with you all the wisdom I've gleaned in 2010, and where I am now compared to where I was then, and that sort of thing. That would have been a really great post to write but unfortunately I'm coming up a little short in the personal wisdom department so this post will have to suffice.

2010 for me was a very strange year in that a lot of changes took place that took some adjusting to get used to. Most years come and go and pretty much everything in my world stays about the same, but 2010 was not like that. Big changes such as no longer homeschooling. That was a big decision and a big adjustment that I'm still making. I am quite thankful I didn't have the experience that a lot of homeschooling-to-public schooling moms have whereby rabid, pro-homeschoolers/anti-public school folks heap tons of grief and condemnation on your head for making such a horrific decision and destroying your children's emotional, psychological and spiritual lives. To be fair, there are an equal amount of rabid, pro-public school/anti-homeschool folks that tend to do the same thing in reverse, but the good news is both sides are in the minority. All of that aside, all the kids are doing quite well in public school, they really like it, and all the teachers and staff have been incredibly helpful and supportive all the way. On that aspect it's been a very very positive change/experience.

One of the other big changes this year was in my personal time habits. Instead of reading/following blogs (way too many, at that) I decided to tone that way down and spend that time working on graphic design and making my online shops a (nearly) full time job, instead of a hobby. What I did not know at the time I made that decision was that it was entirely God's providence at work, the whole time. I'll explain:

Earlier this year when I made this decision to go full time with my graphic design I did so because I truly wanted my shops to be a success rather than just a hobby. I spent a lot of time reading about SEO, learning photoshop better, and gathering wisdom from other professional designers about angles, color, layout and a lot of other things that most people would find rather boring. When fall came and the seasonal shoppers with it, I began to see the fruit of my labor and I was quite pleased with that. Each month beginning with August was better than the last, and every dime that came in was earmarked for paying off debts and finally becoming entirely debt free (we only have one credit card left to pay off) as soon as possible. What we didn't know at the time (but God certainly did) was that another change was coming that would make it a very good thing that I'd learned what I had and my hard work was paying off.

Just a couple of weeks ago Kev received the news at work that he was going to be demoted in a sense, as they needed to shift some positions around. He still has the seniority of course but his new position means a cut in pay which is pretty significant. My success with graphic design has been an incredible cushion to soften the blow when the cut in pay for Kev happens in two weeks. I cannot help but think of the verse of Scripture that says "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps." (Proverbs 16:9) It is absolutely true and happens ALL the time, but sometimes He makes it very obvious that He was at work behind the scenes, orchestrating the whole thing, the entire time. This is one of those times He made it obvious. I can only hope that my success in this business continues, if that is the Lord's will.

I really don't have any more to say about this past year. Well, I do, but it's not really all that important in light of how the Lord has worked in our lives in both big and small ways. I don't ever want to get to that place where I don't notice the orchestration of God's hand in my life and in my family's life so I'm very thankful He chooses to sometimes make it clear as day it was Him at work all along.

I wish you all a very blessed and joyful 2011.

Cinnamon What?? (and other random goodies)

2010-12-15T17:46:00.008-05:00

Well look at that, another week has gone by and I didn't blog again. Well, time to remedy that with a post of rambling this 'n that. None of what I'm about to say comes in any particular order, however:

Meet Kitty Doc :o) Some of you may remember the fun little story of the litter of kittens being born just as the Dividing Line was starting last spring on a Tuesday afternoon. Since the first kitten born was born at exactly the time I was to be listening to the show, I named him Doc. Turned out however, Doc is a girl, so she's officially Kitty Doc, but we just call her Doc. I tried really hard to have her pose pretty for me to show off what a looker she is, but she just thought it was play time.

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Oh So Cute!

I've created quite a few Baby's First Christmas ceramic ornaments for my store, but here's one I did not create that I really wanted to show off here.

I absolutely love this ornament! It's one I wish I would have designed, but it's designed by yet another of the brilliantly talented designers at zazzle. The front view of the ornament is this crazy cute design, and the back view is customizable for you to add your own text. The designer's shop is called MouseArte Designs and she's got some pretty incredible things in store over there. You should pay her a visit.

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Oh So Ironic!

Today was a lesson in irony in more ways than one. The forecast was jumping around all over the place from light flurries to heavy snow and squalls. They finally settled on squalls for the day but since it wasn't doing anything I decided to be brave and try to get out there and finish my Christmas shopping. Half way into town I ran into a squall (see lake affect snow) but it didn't last too long. I got much of my shopping done, found some really incredible deals and was feeling pretty good about things. Sounds good, right? Heh.

(this was taken yesterday, but the bottom right corner is the wicked area I describe below and we have A LOT more snow today than we did here)

So I drive home without incident, the roads are fine, wet in a few places, snow covered in a few places but otherwise fine. I turn into my laneway, come down to the house and turn into my driveway and... get stuck in a snowdrift. I put it in reverse, nothing. Back in drive, nothing. Over and over I try and... nothing. I just sat there and laughed. If you're going to get stuck in a snowdrift, I highly recommend doing it no further than 25 feet from your back door. Oh, and I did finally get the van out of the drift.

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Oh So Great Savings!

Today a friend told me he thought it was kind of funny how much I've been tweeting about recent sales at zazzle. It's true, I have been tweeting A LOT of sales notices, and I'm not the least bit ashamed to admit it and here's why:

Money doesn't grow on trees and when you're about to make a purchase for Christmas or a birthday or any other gift giving event, you want the best deal possible, right? Me too! If there's one thing that drives me nuts, is buying something at full price (or even sale price) and then the next day or shortly thereafter see it on sale for way less than what I paid. That seems to happen to me a lot, and it's just maddening. For the last several weeks, zazzle has had some simply incredible sales for Christmas shopping and I want to make sure YOU (and my twitter followers and FB friends) know about those deals so you can save some $$.

Just how great are these deals? Well, the guy who bought the Flag of Scotland iPhone case today (normally $42.95) for $12.95 because he saw the tweet and grabbed the coupon code will quite likely confirm that saving 30 bucks on a great product was a pretty sweet deal. The ladies who made the bulk purchases of personalized New Orleans Football Jersey ornaments and the cute Cheerleader ornaments also probably enjoyed the FREE shipping as well. I know I would have if it were me buying.

So yes, I will continue to tweet/FB the great sales when they come along and you can be sure they're worth paying attention to. That is, if you love to save money. Just in case you missed them, here are the super amazing sales going on until 12/20 only:

• $20.00 off sterling silver plated necklaces! Use coupon code NEWPRODSZAZZ at checkout (ends 12/20 at 11:59 PM PT) http://bit.ly/eGannB

• $10.00 off premium silver ornaments! Use coupon code NEWPRODSZAZZ at checkout (ends 12/20 at 11:59 PM PT) http://bit.ly/9qYQUe

• $30.00 off iPhone or iPad cases! Use coupon code NEWPRODSZAZZ at checkout (ends 12/20 at 11:59 PM PT) http://bit.ly/9FczOK (if you're in the market for a new iPad or iPhone case, you will just NOT find a better deal than this - these are high quality Speck hardshell cases!)

FREE shipping on orders over $50 (US addresses only) until 12/31. Use coupon code FREESHIPFORU at checkout: http://bit.ly/cAHozO

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Oh So Cinnamony Yumm!

While I was out and about being a SuperMom today (no, I didn't wear my cape, I was being super mom in my parka, and while blowing my nose and pretending I'm not still sick as a dog), I stopped in at the bulk food store to grab some required Christmas baking items. While there I found two things that I was so happy to see. First, I found Celestial Seasonings tea. That's a big deal, since grocery stores here do not carry it and I'd given up drinking tea because I couldn't find my favorite. Turns out, the bulk food store has always carried it! Oh happy tea day.

The other super wonderful fantastic discovery was learning they also carry cinnamon chocolate chips. Yes, I said cinnamon. If you're a cinnamon fanatic like I am, there is just nothing in this world as incredible as cinnamon fudge at Christmastime. I'd quit making it years ago because the one store on the planet (or so I thought) that used to carry cinnamon chocolate chips closed down, and I couldn't find them anyplace at all. Until... today! So, I had to buy 3 or 4 pounds of them :o) The manager said they just recently got them in, and they've been selling like mad. No kidding Mr. Manager, they're like little pieces of happy magic!

And, that is all. Tomorrow is yet another shopping day (Lord willing) and I hope to be finally done by Friday so that I can start my Christmas baking. Oh how I LOVE Christmas!

Product and Service Review: zazzle.com

2010-12-07T09:32:00.001-05:00

I wanted to take a moment this morning to seriously brag about a company that has not only met my expectations but exceeded them above and beyond what I ever dreamed. That company is zazzle.com

As regular readers here already know, they are one of my fulfillment partners for Reflections designs. A lot of times potential customers will ask me specific details about certain products and unless I've ordered them myself or have seen them up close and personal, actually handled them, those questions are sometimes questions I can't really answer. So, I make it a point to order my own products as much as possible (usually as gifts for others) so I can see them from the customer's viewpoint. Following are some product reviews that you might find helpful. Some of the featured products have current specials going on so make sure to check out the coupon code deals as well.

Here are some products from zazzle.com that I've either purchased myself or have had the chance to see for myself:

The Jumbo Tote

Product description: Made from 100% cotton, it has a squared off bottom and extra long natural web handles. 20"w x14.5"h x4.5"d. Honestly, I don't know why they didn't just say it's made from 100% awesome. Not only is the product itself fantastic (incredibly sturdy, and big enough to hold LOTS of groceries, or overnight gear for a sleepover, or just about anything else you'd want a jumbo tote bag for) but the print quality of the design really impressed me. This chick is a very bright yellow and I was a little concerned that she might lose some of that brightness in the printing but she definitely looks exactly the same on the screen as she does on the bag. I take this bag with me quite often when I do my grocery shopping and have had several comments on it. LOVE the jumbo tote, and it gets 5 stars from me.
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Business/Contact Cards

Product description: 3.5" x 2" – Classic Business Card - Choose from ten types of premium card stock - Full-bleed, full-color printing on both sides.

I specifically designed these to resemble my kids, but there are lots and lots of Twiggy Tots kids available, and of course I do custom work as well! Enough about that, these cards are just great. I ordered on the basic cardstock and the feel, the weight of the paper is just perfect and the printing is top notch. The colors are bright and vivid and really stand out well against the white background. I will definitely be ordering these again when I run out.

(Current special: Use coupon code 15OFFBIZCARD before January 1, 2011 at 11:59pm PT and save 15% off your next business card order. Shop my store or shop the zazzle marketplace for a huge selection of custom business cards!)
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Custom Invitations

These are probably one of the most enjoyable products for me to design for that zazzle carries. They're little canvases that I can play around with until they're just right!

Product description: 5" x 7" (portrait) or 7" x 5" (landscape) - Choose from six paper types and nine colors - High quality, full-color, full-bleed printing on both sides - Each invitation comes with a white envelope. I've ordered two different kinds of these now (both on the basic cardstock) and was incredibly impressed with the paper weight and print quality as well. I've sold a lot of these invitations over the last year and often hear back from customers just how satisfied they are with them (and have had numerous repeat purchases) so I just had to see for myself. I was very pleased with the two versions I've ordered myself, and plan to order more for upcoming birthdays and special events as well.

(Current special: order your custom invitations before January 1, 2011 at 11:59pm PT and use the coupon code 12INVITATION and get 12% off your order. Shop my store or shop the zazzle marketplace for an incredibly enormous selection of custom invitations for just about any kind of event you can think of)
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Custom Avery Binders

When I received this in the mail and opened it up I just stood there going "wow" over and over. I couldn't believe how incredible the print quality was and the quality of the product just speaks for itself since it's an Avery Custom Signature binder.

Product description: 1.4" spine - Full-color, photo-quality printing. - Holds 175 pages with EZ-Turn™ Rings or 275 pages with 1 Touch™ EZD™ Rings - Designed for 8.5" x 11" sized paper - Two additional binder sizes available. While the product description says there are more sizes available, I only design for the 1" binder. There are TONS of other sizes in zazzle's marketplace though. I sell quite a few of these binders and with certain styles I've had repeat customers so often I've lost track. I knew they had to be pretty incredible products when the same folks kept coming back for more so when I decided I needed a better organized method for my recipes I designed the binder shown here and ordered one for myself. The only problem is, now I need more of them for my holiday recipes, summer recipes and photo album binders!

(Current special: use coupon code AVERYCUSTOM1 before 12/31 and get $9.00 off any custom binder - either one of mine or in the zazzle marketplace!)
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Custom, Personalized Stationery

A friend came to me not too long ago with a custom request for stationery so I designed this simple, classic design for her. When she received it she was kind enough to send me a little note in the mail so I could see the product first hand.

Product description: 5.5" x 8.5" (portrait) or 8.5" x 5.5" (landscape) - Choose from five different paper types - High quality, full-color, full-bleed printing. The paper weight is perfect and the printing was clear, bold and true black, as intended. This is the most "basic" style of stationery I have in store, but there are lots of others in a variety of styles and colors.
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Custom Greeting Cards

The cards shown here are the ones I recently ordered that arrived yesterday. This was my first greeting card purchase from my own shop and I have to tell you I was so incredibly impressed with the quality of these cards that I almost didn't want to part with them! A fellow designer at zazzle commented recently that these are the most high quality cards she's ever seen, very similar to those you'd find in an art gallery. I couldn't agree more. The paper weight, the glossy finish, the rich, vivid color is just outstanding. I can only chalk it up to magic zazzle elves but somehow they even made the cards look better in person than they did on my screen when I designed them! I absolutely LOVE these cards and plan to purchase many many more very soon. Shop the greeting card section of my shop or click here to see all the incredible styles in the zazzle marketplace. I was delighted to see another of my designs being used on that page (the Merry Christmas premium photo card) and you can see my full line of photo cards here).

I've also recently ordered some mugs, and another designer told me "if you're blown away by the cards, wait until you see their mugs". I can't wait!! Here's another added bonus - today only - save 40% on both mugs AND mousepads when you use the coupon code JINGLESALE85 at checkout.

All in all, I give not only the products but the company itself a fantastic 5 star rating. I don't just say that so you'll shop at my store (but if you'd like to, I'd certainly thank you!) but when I find a product and a service that exceeds my expectations, they deserve a great big pat on the back. Not only am I a designer on zazzle, I'm a 100% satisfied customer!

Service Review: DHL Express - minus 5 stars

2010-12-04T22:45:00.007-05:00

UPDATED BELOW

This is a post in which I'm going to BLAST a wretched service, and it is entirely, 150% deserved. Just a warning.

Sometimes when you purchase a product or receive a service it's so good, you tell your friends about it and give it a glowing, 5 star recommendation. Likewise, when you purchase a product or receive a service that is rotten, lousy and worthless, you want to make sure your friends know that too, so they don't get ripped off or waste their time with such things.

I recently ordered a product online and I had 2 shipping options. Either UPS or DHL Express. I have found UPS to be hit and miss with their outrageous delivery fees (over and above the shipping I'd already paid for the purchase - sometimes they charge you, sometimes they don't, and I never could figure out why) so I decided to choose the DHL Express option. That was my first mistake.

The first attempt to deliver the package came on a day last week when I wasn't home. They left a notice on the door of the delivery attempt with clear instructions that if you wanted to accept responsibility for the package to sign the notice, put it back on your door in the exact same place and the second attempt would be made the next day. That is exactly what I did, even though I was home all the next day. I waited, and waited, and no one ever showed up.

I wait until about 6:30 pm and then I took the notice off the door and called the number to inquire about my package. The CS guy said it was noted that a delivery attempt was made at 12:01 pm. Total lie. I was in my kitchen at 12:01 pm and no one ever came to the door. Even if they did and I didn't hear them (which is next to impossible since when I'm home alone the tv, radio, everything is off and it's very very quiet in my house) the delivery guy would have seen the notice stuck there WITH my signature on it. He would have taken that, left the package and that would be the end of it.

So the CS guy on the phone says I have to drive an hour to the closest office to pick it up myself. No, I tell him, I was home, no one showed up and I expect them to deliver my package as they said they would. He agrees and reschedules the delivery and GUARANTEES it will be delivered within 24-48 hours. I tell him, I have the notice ON THE DOOR, can you guarantee they will see the notice, see my signature and leave the package? YES, he assures me, I guarantee it will be delivered and you will not have to drive to our local office to pick it up. This was Thursday night.

I had tons of errands to run Friday and left the house at about 10:30. I returned home around 1 and noticed the delivery notice was still on the door and NO package. I let it slide and figure okay, they did say 24-48 hours. The day goes by and no package. They still have one more day of GUARANTEED delivery.

Today we left the house at 11:45 and returned home at 4:30 and there was the notice, still attached to the door. Nearly ballistic at this point (I know, it's just a package but it's an important one and I hate to be jerked around like this), I login to their website and enter the tracking number. It shows a 3rd delivery attempt on Friday at 10:17 am. Friday, the day I was sitting in my game room until 10:30. Even after I left, Kev was still here for another hour before he left to run his errands. So once again they LIED like a rug and said a delivery attempt was made when it never happened.

Honestly, I don't know what the big deal is unless they have some new guy driving and he has no idea he's supposed to leave the package and take the notice with my signature. Regardless, I'm going to call them again Monday morning and make an effort to get this stupid mess cleared up. They expect me to pay $20 bucks for their delivery service. I expect them to waive the fee since they can't seem to honor their own guarantees.

You may have used DHL express and never had an issue with them. I hope that's the case and this is a one time sorta thing. Either way, I certainly cannot and will not recommend them and I will NEVER choose them as a shipping option again. I'll update and let you know if they do the right thing and waive their delivery fee since they jerked me around so much on this and didn't honor their own guarantee.

UPDATE #1: I spoke with another CS guy at 8:30 this morning and he confirmed the "attempted delivery" for Friday was incorrect. He couldn't explain why the tracking info shows this but he did say it was not even attempted on Friday. He also couldn't explain why it wasn't delivered Thursday.

He told me I need to check the tracking page online and when I see that it's been marked as "with delivery courier" this means it's been scanned and loaded on the truck, and I need to call them back so they can call the driver and make sure he delivers it today. I honestly have no idea if they expect all their customers to do this, but it seems to me this is their job, not mine. But, I do want my package so I will check it and call them back when I see the status change today. He said it should be on the truck by 10am.

UPDATE #2: Still no package or notice on the site that the package had been placed on the courrier truck by 2:30 so I call and new CS lady tells me there's been a delay due to the weather. She assures me the package will be delivered tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the company I ordered it from responded (with apologies) to my email about all this that included a link to this post and offered to send out a replacement package if it doesn't arrive tomorrow. I may have to take them up on that the way things are going.

UPDATE #3: DHL's tracking on their website showed my package with the courrier at 9:53 am on 12/7. I didn't bother to call to make sure the driver actually delivered it because I'm sick and frankly, it's THEIR job, to do their job, not mine. Package arrived here at 4:50pm. Even though I had the signed release on the door I went to the door just to be sure it was delivered.

So, buyer beware. If you ever have the opportunity to choose DHL express as your shipping method, be prepared for a possibility of a very unreliable service. I certainly will not ever use this company again. Oh, and they would not waive the processing fee, despite the fact that they guaranteed delivery and violated their own guarantees.

Just Some Stuff

2010-12-03T06:28:00.004-05:00

It's really amazing to me how many blog posts I write each week that never actually make it to the blog. Of course, I only write them in my head while I'm driving, or folding laundry, or buying groceries, so it makes sense I guess why no one ever gets a chance to read them. I'm not sure where the time goes but before I know it the day is over and another post didn't get posted.

Here's a bit of a wrap up of the posts you never saw this week:

• What do you do when you're going along having a really great day and someone comes to you with the worst, ugliest, most hurtful accusations you could possibly imagine? Well, you have loads of options. You can rant, rave, cry, yell, scream, or kick the dog. I don't suppose any of those are your best options, but they are options all the same. This happened to me this week and more than anything I think what surprised me was the difference in the way I responded as compared to how I might have responded even a year ago, or five years ago. I can only attribute this to the ongoing work of grace the Holy Spirit does in me and I can't express just how thankful I am that I am not the person I used to be. In the attempt to process the accusation and consider my response, little flashes here and there of the old me did pop up, but they were gone just as quickly. Oh, I never did kick the dog.
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• If it's really December 3rd, why is my pool still outside? Where does the time go!? Is it really possible that tomorrow is the day we pack up all the kids and head to the Christmas tree farm, cut down our own tree, meet up in the barn/gift shop for hot cider and shortbread cookies, then off to daughter #1's house for lunch? Was it really a year ago already that we did this? What is that white stuff on my deck, anyway??
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• Talking to a friend on the phone the other day the subject came around to either doing what you love (as a career) or just doing what you have to do to make ends meet. No question about it the vast majority of adults are not getting up every day excited to get to work because they're doing what they love. I am I suppose in the extreme minority because not only do I get up every day excited about getting to work because I do what I love, but I also work from home (often in my pajamas, it's true) plus I have the added benefit of this being a job that I don't have to do, but want to do. Here's a recent example of why I love what I do:
I created these little cuties the other day and I loved them as soon as the first set was done. One little tux ornament and one little wedding gown ornament were not enough so I had to play with colors and make more, and then make more after that. Then of course I had to make little bridesmaid dress ornaments to match the wedding party colors. I'm still toying with the idea of mother of the bride and mother of the groom dresses. They're so fun to make! You can see the full line of Tux and Gown wedding ornaments here.

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• I have a super exciting fantastic wonderful surprise coming for Kev and the kids for Christmas and so far I've only been able to tell one person, and not online because they're all online too and they might see it! I remember the days when I could blog or FB a surprise plan I was hatching and it was safe to do that because none of my family would see. Those days are long gone, and sometimes I have to catch myself from saying something that might ruin my own surprises since I never know which of them is reading my blog or FB or twitter! What strikes me as funny about all this is, it wasn't all that long ago that none of my family were online users except for me. Now it seems it's abnormal if you're not online, not plugged in and not networked to the gills. Weird how fast things change, isn't it?

I had more to say but time got away from me once again and now I must go make breakfast and lunches and shoo the kids out the door for the bus.

Blitzen Deals - Final Day

2010-11-29T22:10:00.002-05:00

Beginning at 12:01am (PST) Tuesday is Zazzle's final day of Blitzen Deals - some of the most amazing sales on great gift ideas out there. You wont want to miss the last day of Blitzen Deals, so here is the schedule of two hour sale windows:

• 12:00:00 AM (PST) - 50% Off Holiday Ornaments

• 2:01:00 AM(PST) - 50% Off Magnets

• 4:01:00 AM(PST) - 50% Off Anything That Sticks! (Stickers, Bumper Stickers, Labels)

• 6:01:00 AM(PST) - $10 Off ALL Skateboards

• 8:01:00 AM(PST) - 30% Off Sweatshirts (find your favorite t-shirt and choose the sweatshirt version!) and Jackets

• 10:01:00 AM(PST) Buy 2 Get 1 Mousepads (34% Off 3+ Mousepads)

• 12:01:00 PM(PST) 25% Off iPad and iPhone Cases

• 2:01:00 PM(PST) 12% Off All Products

• 4:01:00 PM(PST) 50% Off Keychains

• 6:01:00 PM(PST) $5 Off ALL T-Shirts

• 8:01:00 PM(PST) Tuesday's Favorite Deal Repeat: 50% Off Holiday Ornaments!

• 10:01:00 PM(PST) Tuesday's Favorite Deal Repeat: 12% Off All Products!

Blitzen Deals - Cyber Monday!

2010-11-28T20:13:00.001-05:00

Zazzle's Blitzen Deals just keep coming and there are even more great deals coming for Cyber Monday. Remember, you can shop now, customize, personalize and add to your cart now then return and use the Blitzen Deal coupon code and checkout during the 2 hour sale window:

• 12:00:00 AM 2:00:00 AM (PST) 75% Off Mousepads
shop REFLECTIONS - shop zazzle marketplace

• 2:01:00 AM 4:00:00 AM (PST) $8 Off All Custom Binders
shop REFLECTIONS - shop zazzle marketplace

• 4:01:00 AM 6:00:00 AM (PST) $6 Off Custom Aprons
shop REFLECTIONS - shop zazzle marketplace

• 6:01:00 AM 8:00:00 AM (PST) 60% Off Calendars
shop zazzle marketplace

• 8:01:00 AM 10:00:00 AM (PST) 50% Off Embroidered Shirts & Jackets
shop zazzle marketplace

• 10:01:00 AM 12:00:00 PM (PST) $5 Off ALL T-Shirts
shop REFLECTIONS - shop zazzle marketplace

• 12:01:00 PM 2:00:00 PM (PST) 50% Off All Posters and Prints
shop zazzle marketplace

• 2:01:00 PM 4:00:00 PM (PST) Buy One, Get One Mug (50% Off 2+ Mugs)
shop REFLECTIONS - shop zazzle marketplace

• 4:01:00 PM 6:00:00 PM (PST) 30% Christmas Ornaments
shop REFLECTIONS - shop zazzle marketplace

• 6:01:00 PM 8:00:00 PM (PST) 40% Off Labels, Cards, and Invites
shop REFLECTIONS labels, cards and invites - shop zazzle marketplace labels, cards and invites

• 8:01:00 PM 10:00:00 PM (PST) Monday's Favorite Deal Repeat: Buy One, Get One Mug (50% Off Mugs)

• 10:01:00 PM 12:00:00 AM (PST) Monday's Favorite Deal Repeat: 50% Off All Posters and Prints

Blitzen Deals Day #3

2010-11-28T00:08:00.001-05:00

If you haven't done your super Black Friday shopping yet, here are some more great deals at zazzle's Blitzen Deals, day #3. Sales are for 2 hours only and all times posted are PACIFIC time. You must use a coupon code for the discount, and that is located at the little popup menu at the bottom of the page when the page loads for the sale window:

• 12:01:00 AM PST – $4 Off ALL Zazzle Mugs and Steins!

• 2:01:00 AM PST – 50% Off ALL Star Wars Gifts!

• 4:01:00 AM PST – $10 Off ALL Zazzle Pet Clothing!

• 6:01:00 AM PST – 50% Off ALL Harry Potter Gifts!

• 8:01:00 AM PST – 75% Off MegaMan T-Shirts!

• 10:01:00 AM PST – 15% Off All Zazzle Products!

* 12:01:00 PM PST – $6 Off Funny, Geek, and Vintage T-Shirts!

* 2:01:00 PM PST – 50% Off ALL Zazzle Bags and Embroidered Bags!

* 4:01:00 PM PST – 30% Off ALL Zazzle iPhone and iPad Cases!

* 6:01:00 PM PST – $6 Off All Zazzle T-Shirts!

* 8:01:00 PM* PST – Saturday’s Favorite Deal Repeat
* 10:01:00 PM* PST – Saturday’s Favorite Deal Repeat

*From 8 PM to Midnight, Zazzle will be repeating the two most popular deals of the day!

Don't Miss the Ornament Sale Today!

2010-11-27T14:47:00.002-05:00

One of zazzle's Super Saturday Blitzen Deals coming today is the 50% off all ornaments, from 6:01pm to 8:00 pm PT. (use coupon code BLITZDEAL615 at checkout to get the discount) A super incredible sale! What you may not know is, I have nearly 600 new ornaments in store! Here are the categories with the most popular and the newest in each category:

Baby's First Christmas:

Over 150 styles to choose from - SHOP NOW

General Christmas Characters:

Over 50 styles to choose from - SHOP NOW

Just for Fun Ornaments:

20 styles to choose from - SHOP NOW

Our First Christmas Wedding Photo Ornaments:

120 styles to choose from - SHOP NOW

Fun T-shirt Shaped Ornaments:

178 styles to choose from - SHOP NOW

So remember to make a note of the time - 6:01-8:00PM Pacific time today, and get your personalized Christmas ornaments for 50% off! You can even pick your favorites now, customize it, personalize it, add it to your shopping cart and then checkout with the Blitzen Deal coupon code BLITZDEAL615 during the sale window.

New Ornaments in Store!

2010-11-27T09:50:00.001-05:00

I had so much fun creating these I just wanted to share them here:

Adorable keepsakes you'll treasure for years to come, with these personalized Baby's First Christmas ornaments. Upload baby's photo and personalize the text and you have a wonderful keepsake for your tree.
Also makes a perfect gift for grandparents! A strand of gold thread makes it easy to display this fantastic keepsake.
• Diameter: 2.87 inches • Weight: 1.4 ounces • Full-color, full-bleed printing • White Ceramic

GET YOURS HERE

Get Ready...

2010-11-27T00:13:00.007-05:00

Because here we go again with... Zazzle's Blitzen Deals Day #2!

Super Saturday Special: All new Blitzen Deals plus FREE SHIPPING on orders of $25+

Blitzen's Deals Day 2 Start At Midnight Pacific Time

Blitzen has been training all year for this marathon of deals - have you? Get ready for day two of the hottest holiday deals this side of the North Pole! We've got a new set of deals running every two hours from now until Tuesday, so be sure to turn your alarms up loud - you don't want to sleep on these savings. Order the perfect gift for everyone on your holiday list, or get a bunch of your favorite designs for up to 75% off. There are still 96 hours of sales - so stay tuned and save with the biggest deals of 2010 at Zazzle.

Coupon codes to use for the discount will be included in the little Blitzen Deal pop up at the bottom of the screen when you click through:

Saturday, November 27, 2010

• 12:00:00 AM 2:00:00 AM 50% off Disney, Star Wars, Capcom, and Warner Brothers T-Shirts!

• 2:01:00 AM 4:00:00 AM 50% Off Hats and Embroidered Hats!

• 4:01:00 AM 6:00:00 AM 50% Off Express Shipping!

• 6:01:00 AM 8:00:00 AM 50% Off Superman Gifts!

• 8:01:00 AM 10:00:00 AM 70% Off Cards and Invites!

• 10:01:00 AM 12:00:00 PM $15 Off Keds & PRO-Keds Shoes!

• 12:01:00 PM 2:00:00 PM $7 Off ALL T-Shirts!

• 2:01:00 PM 4:00:00 PM 50% Off Holiday Labels!

• 4:01:00 PM 6:00:00 PM 75% Off Calendars!

• 6:01:00 PM 8:00:00 PM 50% Off Ornaments!

• 8:01:00 PM 10:00:00 PM Saturday's Favorite Deal Repeat: $7 Off ALL T-Shirts!

• 10:01:00 PM 12:00:00 AM Saturday's Favorite Deal Repeat: 75% Off Calendars!

Blitzen Black Friday Deal #10 - T-shirts!

2010-11-26T20:45:00.001-05:00

Blitzen Black Friday Deal #10
From 6:01PM to 8:00PM PST only save 50% off all t-shirts!

Nearly 2,000 styles to choose from USE COUPON CODE BLITZDEAL165 AT CHECKOUT - SHOP NOW

FREE Shipping and MORE Unbelievable Deals

2010-11-26T19:10:00.006-05:00

Here's another incredible Black Friday Blitzen Deal you do NOT want to miss:

FREE shipping on all US orders over $25! (offer does not apply toward shoes - Offer is valid through November 30, 2010 at 11:59pm PT.)

Not only is this an incredible deal but here's a sneak peek at the rest of the deals coming today that you also do NOT want to miss:

• 6:01PM - 8:00PM (PT) - 50% Off T-Shirts!

• 8:01PM - 10:00PM (PT) - Friday's Favorite Deal Repeat: $20 Off iPhone & iPad Cases! - USE COUPON CODE: BLITZDEAL340 AT CHECKOUT!

• 10:01 PM - 12:00AM (PT) - Friday's Favorite Deal Repeat: 50% Off T-Shirts!

Coupon codes to use for these Blitzen Deals should appear in the little pop up at the bottom of the page when you visit the site, but if you don't see one message me on twitter @carlarolfe or check back here as I update the post with all the codes.

Blitzen Black Friday Deal #9 - Postage!

2010-11-26T18:45:00.001-05:00

Blitzen Black Friday Deal #9
From 4:01PM to 6:00PM PST only - Save $8.80 off all .44 Postage Sheets

Nearly 150 styles to choose from - USE COUPON CODE BLITZDEAL128 - SHOP NOW

Blitzen Black Friday Deal #8 - Posters!

2010-11-26T16:45:00.001-05:00

Blitzen Black Friday Deal #8
From 2:01 PM to 4:00pm PST only, 65% off all Posters

Nearly 900,000 to choose from! USE BLITZDEAL197 at checkout - SHOP NOW

Blitzen Black Friday Deal #7 - Business Cards!

2010-11-26T14:45:00.002-05:00

Blitzen Black Friday Deal #7
12:01pm to 2:00PM PST only - 75% off all Business Cards

Nearly 250 styles to choose from USE COUPON CODE: BLITZDEAL160 - SHOP NOW

Blitzen Black Friday Deal #6 - iPhone and iPad Cases!

2010-11-26T12:45:00.001-05:00

Blitzen Black Friday Deal #6

10:01AM to 12:00PM PST only - $20 off iPhone and iPad Cases

Nearly 400 new styles to choose from USE COUPON CODE: BLITZDEAL104 - SHOP NOW

Blitzen Black Friday Deal #5 - Ornaments!

2010-11-26T10:45:00.001-05:00

Blitzen Black Friday Deal #5
8:01AM to 10:00AM PST only - 50% off all ornaments!

Over 500 styles to choose from - Use code: BLITZDEAL195 - SHOP NOW

Blitzen Black Friday Deal #4 - Cards/Invitations!

2010-11-26T08:45:00.000-05:00

Blitzen Black Friday Deal #4
70% off Cards and Invitations from 6:01AM to 8:00AM PST only!

Over 300 styles to choose from USE COUPON CODE BLITZDEAL191 - shop CARDS or INVITATIONS now!

Blitzen Black Friday Deal #3 - Harry Potter T-shirts!

2010-11-26T06:45:00.000-05:00

Blitzen Black Friday Deal #3
4:01 to 6:00am PST 75% off Harry Potter T-shirts!

Over 5,000 styles to choose from USE COUPON CODE BLITZDEAL119 - SHOP NOW

Blitzen Black Friday Deal #2 - Binders!

2010-11-26T04:45:00.000-05:00

Black Friday Blitzen Deal #2 - $10 of all binders from 2:01 to 4:00am PST only!

Over 250 styles to choose from USE COUPON CODE BLITZDEAL184 - SHOP NOW

Blitzen Black Friday Deal #1 - Mugs!

2010-11-25T23:45:00.004-05:00

First Black Friday Blitzen Deal - 50% of all mugs from 12:01 to 2:00am PST only!

Nearly 400 different mug styles and designs USE COUPON CODE BLITZDEAL144 - SHOP NOW

Heads Up - Massive Money Saving Shopping Event on the Way!

2010-11-25T10:33:00.005-05:00

UPDATE BELOW!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope your turkeys (or pizza, or whatever you're serving) are crazy-yummy and the pumpkin pie turned out just perfect. Once you're done with all the food and fun, get ready for one of the most incredible shopping trips you've ever taken in your comfy pants, from the convenience of your office chair!

Zazzle's Black Friday Blitzen Deals are coming and in an effort to save you HUGE amounts of money on your Christmas shopping, I've composed a series of posts that will roll out every two hours as the sales change. T-shirts, posters, cards, iPhone and iPad cases, ornaments, mugs, binders and more - all on sale for such a fantastic low price, Blitzen Deals are the time to grab them up.

Starting at 11:45 tonight, the posts will begin appearing with direct links and information on the 2 hour sales, so be watching for those and get ready to save a ridiculous amount of money on all your shopping. Please keep in mind, the sales are PST zone. So the first sale begins at 12:01AM PST, and that's 3:01AM ET.

Happy Thanksgiving, and happy shopping! :o)

THE BLACK FRIDAY BLITZEN DEALS BEGIN.... NOW! BE SURE TO CHECK MY TWITTER PAGE OR FB PAGE FOR THE COUPON CODES ON ALL THESE GREAT DEALS.

Blitzen Deals are Coming!

2010-11-25T06:35:00.001-05:00

As my regular readers know, zazzle is one of my fantastic fulfillment partners for all things wonderfully fun such as t-shirts, stationery, Christmas ornaments and lots more. Well, beginning at midnight on Thanksgiving, the greatest sales on the greatest stuff anywhere online will begin rolling out for the entire weekend. Zazzle is calling them Blitzen Deals, and here's all the details you wont want to miss:

The biggest set of deals on Zazzle is coming soon! Blitzen is the fastest reindeer on this side of the North Pole! To kick off your holiday shopping, he’s got five whole days of crazy deals at zazzle. Starting at midnight on Black Friday, Zazzle will be offering exclusive deals for only two hours at a time. Just set your alarms for your favorite deals and get the biggest savings of the year.

Order custom gifts for the holidays, or stock on up your favorite designs for up to 75% off. We hope you’re ready for a shopping marathon because Blitzen deals will keep coming all day long until Tuesday – that’s 120 hours of back-to-back deals! Avoid the crowds and the cold this year, and get all of your holiday gifts online at Zazzle.

Here are Black Friday’s scheduled sales on zazzle:

• 12:01 AM – Half Off All Zazzle Mugs
• 2:01 AM – $10 Off All Zazzle Avery Binders
• 4:01 AM – 75% Off Harry Potter T-Shirts
• 6:01 AM – 70% Off Zazzle Holiday Cards and Invites
• 8:01 AM – 50% Off Zazzle Ornaments
• 10:01 AM – $20 Off Zazzle iPhone & iPad Cases
• 12:01 PM – 75% Off Zazzle Business Cards
• 2:01 PM – 65% Off All Zazzle Posters
• 4:01 PM – $8.80 Off $0.44 Zazzle Postage Sheets
• 6:01 PM – Half Off All Zazzle T-Shirts
• 8:01 PM* – Friday’s Favorite Deal Repeat
• 10:01 PM* – Friday’s Favorite Deal Repeat

*From 8 PM to Midnight, Zazzle will be repeating the two most popular deals of the day!

Jesus is NOT Cool

2010-11-22T16:20:00.003-05:00

Earlier today I said I had a blog post to write but that I was too angry at stupid people, to write it. Angry wasn't the correct word. Stupid probably wasn't the best choice either. At the time however, that was the best I could come up with.

What caused such a reaction, you wonder? Well, it was nothing more than a bumpersticker. A really stupid (there's that word again), lame, cheesy bumpersticker that only contained three words: Jesus Is Cool. Harmless enough, yet it got under my skin even more than lame, cheesy, embarassing church signs do.

See, there are a lot of things in this world that are in fact cool. Now while your cool criteria and mine may differ, some of the things that fall under the cool category:

• Finding a ten dollar bill in the pocket of your winter coat
• An adult dog snuggling with a small kitten
• rapidly advancing technology that allows you to stay in touch when it matters
• A perfectly restored (inside and out) 1964 Chevy stepside truck

To me, those things are cool. Jesus however, Jesus the Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer, the perfect Lamb of God, the One who bore our sin on the cross to satisfy the wrath of God, the One who suffered more than anyone ever has or ever could, that man Jesus is also the same One who spoke the stars into creation and holds our very lives in His hand. He IS God in the flesh and that very fact should cause our hearts to skip a beat in our chests and cause us to feel breathless at the very idea that the same God who created all of nature and all of time is the very same God who saw fit to draw me and you to the cross, change our hearts, give us new eyes to see with, new hope to believe with and eternal life, with Him. To say that Jesus is "cool" is such an incredibly ignorant, irreverant thing to say. It robs Him of the high and holy honor He is due!

No, Jesus is not cool, He is not my buddy, or my homeboy, or a dude, or any of those other stupid, casual, irreverant things people say these days in an effort to get unbelievers to "like" Christianity with their version of some kind of seeker-friendly-esque packaging.

Any time I hear these things, I always wonder to myself if the person saying it or writing it, even knows Him at all.

iPad, iPhone, speck and zazzle... oh my!

2010-11-16T23:08:00.002-05:00

I've been having so much fun designing these new products that I wanted to share it here with all of you.

One of my fulfillment partners zazzle.com has partnered with speck, one of the leading manufacturers of high quality accessories for the iPad, iPhone and more. The result of that great partnership is that now at Reflections zazzle we have a fun selection (and growing) of great, fitted, hard shell cases for the iPad, iPhone 3G and iPhone 4.

You can now show off your signature style with a sleek and customizable Speck Products® brand case for your phone or your iPad. Combining luxury with ultimate protection, these fitted hard plastic cases are covered with an easy-to-grip fabric that is richly printed with fantastic designs for men, for women, for teens, for anyone! Pleasing to the touch, these lightweight and durable custom cases allow optimal access to all sensors, ports, and controls, while offering superior comfort in-hand.

Here are some examples of what's in store now (shown on the iPad cases). All designs are available on both style phones and the iPad as well.

Some men's styles:

Some pretty girly styles:

Some fun and whimsical styles:

Not only do you get a totally unique and awesome, custom case for your phone or iPad, right now if you use the coupon code NEWZAZZCASES and place your order before 11/30 you get FREE shipping! (US addresses only).

See the full line of all cases from Reflections here, and be sure to check out the zazzle marketplace for a gigantic selection from other incredibly talented designers.

Men, Gift Giving and Being Boiled in Oil

2010-11-14T20:22:00.001-05:00

It has been a common understanding in our western culture for many many years, that when faced with any type of a gift giving event such as a birthday, anniversary or Christmas, if you're a man and you're shopping for a woman (wife, girlfriend, mother, sister, it doesn't matter who she is really), it will be your great and indescribable doom, if you buy her an electric appliance such as an iron, vaccuum cleaner or something along those lines.

I suppose for some women, the last thing in the world they want, would be such a thing. For those women, gift giving events are to be times of anticipation for such things as flowers, candy, jewelry, vacation tickets or other exciting items like that. Those are all fine things, and if someone surprised me with any of them I would certainly be quite pleased. However (and you knew this was coming, right?), let me be perfectly clear... the women who would just as soon skin you alive and/or bring you to a slow boil in oil for buying them a toaster or a food processer for Christmas, do not speak for all of us. I would venture to guess they don't even speak for most of us, but that's an entirely subjective guess based on my own personal interaction with adult women over the last 25+ years.

I thought about this recently when I said I wanted a new electric griddle for Christmas and someone said "but what do you want for you?" I was quite serious when I said that I wanted that, and it is for me. You see, I have a big family and I'm the one in charge of doing most of the planning, purchasing, and preparing meals. One of the worst things to happen when you invest that kind of time, effort and money into planning a meal is to have the whole thing ruined by a substandard piece of bakeware or cookware. One of the greatest things is when you have a really nice set of non-stick baking pans or an electric griddle that can (for example) make 8 grilled cheese sandwiches or burger patties at once. When you're in the kitchen preparing a meal for your family it's not only nice to have such things it's actually quite effecient to have kitchen appliances that work well and reduce your workload.

Maybe all that sounds terribly old fashioned, but I know a lot of women who will read this and nod their heads in 100% agreement. Sure we all like pretty things, frilly things and sparkly things but we also really really like good quality, functional things that make our lives a little easier. Like electric griddles, waffle irons and pretty much anything from Pampered Chef, Cuisinart or other awesome companies like that.

It's rather ironic, but I've known two different women over the years who both wanted a jig saw for Christmas. I don't mean a jig saw puzzle, I mean an actual, electric jig saw. From my very enjoyable time in woodshop in junior high, I can attest to how much fun it is to play with power tools, so I can understand why they wanted such a thing. Unfortunately, neither of these women received their jig saw because that's one of those taboo things you do not buy for a woman when there is a gift giving event.

So men, husbands, brothers, dads, boyfriends, please listen up. If she said she wants a new iron, or a George Foreman grill, or that amazing new blender she saw in the sale papers, she really does want it, and she will be very pleased if you get it for her. No doubt she will also love the pretty earrings or her favorite perfume too, so get that as well if you can. But whatever you do, realize that she wouldn't say she wanted it if she really didn't want it.

Be a super-hero this year and get it for her, if at all possible.

New in store just in time for Christmas...

2010-11-11T07:00:00.003-05:00

Baseball jerseys, bowling shirts, football jerseys and even super fun soccer shirts! Pick your sport, pick your favorite team colors and personalize the name and number and you've got a winning gift for the sports fan on your list. You can hang these fun t-shirt shaped sports ornaments on the Christmas tree, your rearview mirror, school locker, or use them for a ceiling fan/light pull, or just hang them wherever you feel like hanging them!

Here's a cool bonus: ends today - FREE shipping on all custom ornaments. Use the coupon code ORNAMENTSHIP at checkout and get your custom ornaments shipped for free, until 11:59 pm tonight!

SEE THE FULL LINE OF SPORTS ORNAMENTS

Baby's First Christmas

2010-11-06T02:01:00.005-04:00

I've been having a blast designing new goodies at Reflections zazzle this past week!

Here's just some of what I've been up to:

Brand new at Reflections zazzle are these incredibly wonderful ceramic Christmas ornaments. They come in many shapes and styles, and while I've created other fun ornaments as well (see those here) the Baby's First Christmas ornament line has been my absolute favorite to design for. Some display a super cute baby animal with easy personalization available, while others are photo ornaments that allow you to upload your own photo and personalize the front and back with year and name. Baby's First Christmas ornaments come in classic round, star shaped or wonderfully cute heart shaped ornaments.

While these make the perfect keepsake gift for new parents, they also make a wonderful surprise gift for parents who have either never had a Baby's First Christmas ornament, or parents who may have unfortunately lost theirs or had it damaged somehow. They're also the perfect gift for new grandparents, aunts, uncles, or any other extended family. A unique and fun, lasting way to share your new baby pictures.

I hope you enjoy the new ornaments and I hope you'll tell your friends about them! If you know any new parents or anyone that simply must have something this adorably cute for Christmas, be sure to tell them they can get them at Reflections zazzle!

It Will Snow FOREVER!

2010-11-03T23:06:00.004-04:00

Some of you regular readers are as old (or older) than me and might remember the theme song to the sitcom Cheers, that talks about how sometimes you just want to go where every body knows your name. I think that likely rings true for most people, myself included.

Tonight in the coolest chat channel on the planet, someone who shall remain nameless (but his first name starts with a J and ends with an AMES WHITE) asked when I was going to post my "it will be snowing forever so I am depressed" blog post when I told him we have snow in the forecast. It may be "just" a chat channel but the folks there know me as well as anyone, and it's my favorite place to just relax and fellowship online with likeminded ~~nutcases~~ believers.

Yep, we do indeed have snow in the forecast but I'm not going to whine and snivel and murmur about it. Trying really hard to turn over a new leaf, or snow shovel, as it were. Besides, "murmuring" sounds like a disease or something and I don't want to be a murmurer.

:o)

This, That and CHRISTMAS!!!

2010-11-03T14:38:00.005-04:00

Quite a few folks have asked in the last little while where I've been lately. Loosely translated that means "why are you not blogging?" and "why are you not in chat?"

There are 3 answers to that question.

1. I'm still in the middle of the Great Rolfetastic Cleaning Frenzy of 2010. I'm essentially gutting my entire house and either giving it away, throwing it away or putting it away. After 10 years of having my house be a homeschool warehouse, it's taking a lot of work to whip it back into shape. It's only been 2 months since I started but it's starting to finally look like a home again. I like that.

2. My wireless connection has been experiencing major FAIL as they undergo "ongoing maintenance to our 3G network". In the last month I've had roughly 5-7 days of decent service. The rest of the time I'm dropped constantly and/or can't logon for a while. It's been 100 times worse than dial up ever was. I'm hoping they finally get it together and my service goes back to normal. Oh yes, I have been spoiled completely rotten with high speed after 8 years of the dreaded DaiLup Disorder.

3. The last answer to the question of where have I been, is right here in the very chair I'm sitting in just now. Sitting here having the most outrageous creative streak I've had in years, and pumping out tons of new designs for my stores and new products. When I'm not working on a household cleaning project and when I can get connected and stay connected I'm designing and uploading for such things as the wonderful new custom Christmas stockings at Reflections cafepress, and the fantastic new Christmas ornaments at Reflections zazzle.

Zazzle is currently undergoing a huge maintenance issue so you can't see the nearly 100 new ornaments (and tons more coming) that are new in my shop, so here's a sneak peek (these are live in the store, and available for purchase now) at what's in store:

Christmas themed ornaments, baby's first Christmas personalized ornaments, our first Christmas newlywed ornaments, and lots more! You'll be able to see them all in just a few days. I'm having so much fun creating these that I even dreamed about them last night. I know, it's crazy, but it's true.

So, that's where I've been and what I've been up to :o)

Holiday Fun

2010-10-29T22:31:00.006-04:00

You know, it's funny. It happens every year and every year we all talk about it like it's the first time it's ever happened before. What I am referring to is the commercialization of Christmas, and how retailers can't get that Halloween stuff off the shelves fast enough to begin displaying all the Christmas goodies. All the traditional favorites such as candles and wreaths and lights to those must-have items you can't live without such as Christmas moose shoelaces, jingle bell dog food dishes and toilet paper with Christmas trees on it. Okay I made that last one up, but if there is a store locally selling it, I'm totally buying it this year.

I keep wondering how long it will be before they're clearing the summer seasonal stuff out in July to put up Halloween stuff, so they can clear that out in August and put out Christmas stuff. Wait, I just re-read what I wrote and realized, it's already happening. Try buying a bathing suit in August in a store like WalMart. FAIL, because they've already cleared them all out for school stuff which will be long gone before school even starts, only to be replaced with Halloween stuff. This is why I like those quaint little stand-alone shops that are exclusively Christmas stores, year round. I like knowing I can go any time of year and the aisles aren't cluttered with boxes of stock, there's no sense of urgency with the staff, and it's just a nice, feel-good shop. While I love Christmas and all the goodies that go along with it, I don't really like going into a store when the aisles are cluttered and the staff is nearly breaking their necks to get the displays up.

I was doing some shopping today for a birthday party my 11 year old is going to and I ran into this kind of busy, cluttered Christmas scene. And it's not even Halloween yet! Madness I tell you, simply madness. (Although I did manage to get the softest, cutest teddy bear on the planet, in the Christmas aisle).

One of the benefits of online shopping of course, is that you never run into that kind of thing. Online shopping was made for people just like me. People who really don't like shopping to begin with, people who dislike crowded stores, people who have an unhealthy attachment to wearing comfy-pants all day long, and people who like to take their time and just browse at their leisure, instead of feeling like they have to grab the last whatever, before someone else does. One of the fun benefits to having an online shop is that I can stock it with whatever I want, whenever I want. And I never leave boxes in the aisles!

When it was crazy hot and sticky humid in the summer, I started designing fun Christmas stuff, complete with snowflakes to make me feel cooler. Quite often by the last part of winter, I'm busy designing pretty summery things and beach gear. Folks in Australia (who enter summer the same time we enter winter) are probably wondering what hemisphere I'm really in.

I've been in "holiday mode" in design for a while now, because it's just so much fun to design for. It's pretty, it's sparkly, it's whimsical and magical and it's all very warm and fuzzy, no matter what time of year it is. I confess, I thoroughly dig warm, fuzzy and magical.

Today I finished two new designs I'd like to share with you:

While I'm more of a "stay at home, stay off the roads, watch a fantastic old or new movie" New Year's Eve person, I love to create these kind of custom invitations for the big, wonderful, fantastical types of celebrations. To be honest, if I received one of these in the mail, I might even consider attending to see if the event was as fun as the invitation.

If you're hosting a super fun New Year's Eve gathering this year (or know someone who is), let me help you make it wonderfully memorable beginning with these custom invitations! Whether it's a small dinner party for the adults, a big, crazy church youth group outing complete with fireworks in the park, or whatever your plan is, I have a fun selection of New Year's Eve invitations in store. I even have a fun party invitation for a KIDS New Year's Eve party (perfect for parents, community groups, churches or schools).

Now is a good time to begin planning for the busy holiday season, so I just wanted to share my newest New Year's Eve party invitations with you. Plus, I really love the way they turned out and I wanted to sorta show them off. :o)

Happy HallowThanksNewChristGivingMasYearWeen!
(I prefer to selectively celebrate one at a time, but I'm just going to cover all the bases here).

Dirty Old Thang Meet Pretty New Thang

2010-10-25T11:58:00.001-04:00

Recently I looked at my mousepad. I mean, I really took a good look at the beat up, ancient, used up, dirty old thing and wondered if a mouse could clock miles, how many miles this poor old thing had clocked in the last ten years. Yep, I've had the same mousepad for at least 10 years, maybe longer. It's old, dirty and gross. No matter how hard I've tried to keep it clean, it's still old, dirty and gross (even if it does have Sylvester and Tweety on it, and it does!)

So, I decided it was time for a new one and I came up with this:

When I was done I thought "hey, I like that, I want a new mug to match" so then I created this:

When I was done with that, I thought "hey, a new line of fun desktop gifts - matching mugs and mousepads!" So then I had a lot of fun creating a whole slew of fun new designs for matching mousepads and mugs. I'm honestly not sure how many constitute a slew, but there are lots.

So now there are matching desktop gifts for men, women, teenagers and kids too in lots of fun designs. If you're looking for a totally unique gift (and many have the option to personalize them) then I highly recommend these very cool, very useful matching desktop gifts. I did blog about this a couple of weeks ago but my internet connect has been terribly unstable for a few weeks so updating anything was nearly impossible. That finally seems to have been resolved so now there are 34 pairs of super cool matching desktop gifts in store.

SEE THEM ALL, RIGHT HERE

It's Random

2010-10-25T06:32:00.001-04:00

Time for more Random Thoughts from a Random Thinker:

• Why is it, every time I see a "smart car" (you know the kind, those little tiny things with little tiny tires?) I fully expect to see Woody Allen and Diane Keaton inside it?

• When I'm out and about running errands I almost always see a complete stranger that resembles a celebrity. It's a fun People Watching thing I've done for as long as I can remember. Recently I was at WalMart and while I did not see a celeb doppleganger, I did see and hear a very old man in a motorized scooter that had the thickest Scottish accent I've ever heard in my life. The accent alone makes him the coolest old man in Canada. I could have stood there all day just listening to him talk. I don't even care what he'd talk about.

• Recently in the news was an article about possible charges pending against a runner up for Father of the Year award recipient who attempted to force his girlfriend into an abortion, at gunpoint. Criminal charges, they say, because he attempted to commit an unlawful termination of a pregnancy. I find this striking on many levels, not the least of which is the fact that in our culture it's perfectly okay for Mommy Dearest to slaughter her unborn child, but if Daddy Dearest tries his hand at it, he faces jail time. Our culture is disgustingly twisted beyond any recognition of moral uprightness. (I was being sarcastic about the father being a runner up for any kind of award, except for maybe the Creep of the Year. He definitely deserves at least that much.)

• In other twisted news, a single Christian woman in Michigan faces several hundred dollars in fines and a forced participation in a "fair housing" program because she had the audacity to post a "Christian roomate wanted" ad on the bulletin board of her church. In Michigan the Fair Housing Act prevents people from publishing an advertisement stating their preference of religion, race or handicap with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling. So by her posting the ad on her church bulletin board, she was "expressed an illegal preference for a Christian roommate, thus excluding people of other faiths" according to the complaint filed by the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan.

Aside from the fact that this is possibly one of the MOST stupid laws I've ever heard of, what really blows me away is the fact that someone from this lady's own church, turned her into the Fair Housing Center. Yes indeed, according to the article: "the person who filed the initial complaint saw the ad on the church bulletin board and contacted the local fair housing organization." Isn't that just swell? Rather than contacting the lady herself and letting her know that the ad might violate the STUPID law and encourage her to reword it, this wonderful person just went straight to the Fair Housing center to bust her for illegal discrimination. This just makes me so angry. UGH.

• Lastly, I keep hearing about Willow Smith and her being this incredible, breakout pop artist with a great new song/video. In case you didn't know (and I didn't, and honestly didn't care) Willow Smith is the 9 year old daughter of Wil Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith. Her new song is called Whip Your Hair. I clicked a link (no, I will not repost it here, and you'll thank me later) to her site to watch this fantastic new video and hear this earth shattering new song, and then... well, then I had more issues than a 1 legged man in a pogo stick race. This is quite possibly the dumbest, most pointless, most annoying song/video since Walking On Sunshine. In fact, I'd rather watch that video again a thousand times, before I ever have to watch/hear Whip My Hair again.

...and, that's all the randomness I have for today.

New Store Stuff: Thanksgiving

2010-10-17T21:27:00.004-04:00

If you follow me on twitter or are a FB friend, you know I've been having a lot of fun lately with whimsical and cartoonish designs. I must confess, they're just a lot of fun to create.

However I wanted to bring your attention to two new products I was inspired to create today:

Both of these Thanksgiving Dinner invitations are entirely customizable for you to add all your own details for your Thanksgiving Dinner/gathering. These invitations are 5x7 size, come in packs of 10 with envelopes. You can choose from six different paper types, and here's two wonderful coupon codes to choose from (unfortunately you cannot use both coupons, you have to select one or the other, whichever best fits your order) and save:

• Save 12% when you order 10 or more: Use discount code 12INVITATION at checkout.
• Get FREE shipping (US only) on orders over $50: Use discount code FREESHIPFORU at checkout.

If I Were An Owl, and other random goodies

2010-10-15T23:22:00.006-04:00

Do you ever just have one of those days where, every single time you try your best to get to the planned schedule, something comes along and derails it yet again? I'm sure you do, I think we all have those days. Today was like that for me, but in some really fun ways so I'm not really complaining.

I'd planned to sit down and blog this morning but it was just one thing after another until before I knew it, time got away from me. I have lots of random stuff to say so here we go:

• Last month I did a custom designed stationery set for a friend of mine who lives here in Canada, and she ordered it through my zazzle shop. Now I have a little pet peeve to rant about. Shipping to Canada, depending on the weather, mood or whatever off the wall criteria that makes no sense, is insane! Kev orders cds from a place in the deep south and his orders get here in 3-5 days. Other places it's a week, yet other places it's 2, 4 or 6 weeks and without any reason, it seems. Order is placed, shipped, then sits in customs at the border for... who knows how long? It's a toss up, and you never really know when your order will arrive. My friend's stationery took FOUR weeks from date of shipping till the day she received it. Four weeks, for paper. Someone needs to explain that to me, because it's just stupid.
________

• While on my daily walk after dinner tonight I noticed so many things. Mostly, I noticed how I noticed things that I'm sure I always notice but never really pay attention to because they're just ordinary, everyday sorts of things. Did that make any sense at all? In other words, I purposely payed attention to what I was seeing, hearing and smelling while on my walk.

I noticed how the corn that in July was a deep, shimmering green is now a dusty, crunchy brown, and ready to be harvested soon for feed corn.

I noticed how the sky was a gorgeous shade of crisp, clean blue, dotted with pure white puffy clouds that looked so perfect, they almost looked fake.

I noticed the shotgun blasts I heard off in the distance, and immediately thought "farmers, shooting at coyotes". Anyway I hope that's all it was.

I noticed how some of the trees are already completely bare of all their leaves, while others seem to be hanging on to them for dear life. I also noticed how all hints of green, red, orange and yellow are gone from those leaves, and how it'll only be a matter of days before they're off the trees as well.

I noticed the tree I always notice and think "this is a perfect tree with a perfect limb sticking straight out. If I were an owl, I'd sit right there and just be cool." The thing is though, I've seen this tree a million times (give or take) and I've never seen an owl sitting on that limb. Clearly, I don't know nearly as much about being an owl as I like to think I do.

I noticed that I haven't yet noticed the tell-tale scent of fall. That is, the unmistakable odor of woodsmoke in the air, as neighbors begin to heat their homes to keep the chill out. It really hasn't been cold enough yet to build a fire though. That's coming in the next few weeks, I'm sure.
________

• Today my sister dug out a dusty old photo album and posted lots of old family pics on FB. Many of them were of her, our brother and myself, like this one. Now, allow me to explain this picture before I explain this picture.

This was taken in our kitchen sometime in December of 1978. I would have turned 14 on December 12th, so I was either 13 or 14 when this was taken. The only reason I even remember this, is because of the bandage on my arm. Walking home with 2 friends on Friday night from the roller rink, all three of us were hit by a car. One friend escaped with just scrapes, another was in a coma for a week and later recovered fully, and I was thrown about 30 feet straight up, and landed on my back and left elbow in the road. The attending paramedic said the only reason I didn't crack both elbows is because in my other hand I was holding onto the giant, foot long candy cane I had won at the roller rink that night. Apparently I was still holding onto it when the ambulance arrived. It was a pretty traumatic experience and I'm sure my mom felt the same way when they called her from the emergency room where we were all taken, via ambulance.

In any event, for whatever silly reason my sister decided to plaster some cotton quilt batting all over her head and pretend to be Santa Claus. It had probably been many years since we all had our picture taken on Santa's lap, so Mom got out her polaroid and we all had pictures taken with "Santa". She has this one, and I have the one of her sitting on my mom's lap, lol. Yes, my family is seriously silly, and we like it that way.

What really struck me about this picture though, is my brother. Not the goofy look he has on his face, but his t-shirt. Nearly all his old t-shirts eventually became mine, and this one was one of them. I loved this shirt. No, correction, I loved this shirt. It's a little hard to make out from this 30+ year old photo, but the graphic is of a squirrel holding a nut (a hex nut, not an acorn) and the shirt itself was a pale yellow. As I said, eventually this shirt (along with many other graphic shirts that were once my brother's) became mine and I wore it until I wore it out.

I had to laugh when I saw it in this picture today, because even though I hadn't seen it for years and years, I actually did see it very recently when just this spring, I created this cutie-patootie cartoon squirrel. It never really occured to me where some of my inspirations came from to create the cartoon animals that I do, until I saw my brother wearing this shirt, from 30 years ago. It's almost the exact same squirrel, even though I hadn't seen it for so long. There are slight differences of course, but essentially, my squirrel come from the older one. Obviously the cute-factor made a lasting impression somewhere in my brain and when I sat down to create the new one, the idea of what he should look like clearly came from my fond memory of my brother's shirt from 1978.

My sister posted another picture of a favorite cartoon animal graphic (a super cute porcupine, of all things) shirt of mine from about the same year (I was wearing it, in that picture) and I immediately had to recreate it and modernize it. I had no plans to do this tonight, but once I saw an old favorite shirt of mine that has been long gone for at least a quarter of a century, I wanted it back! I know, it sounds silly, but there is just something incredibly delightful about cartoon animals. I get a lot of positive feedback from folks about the squirrel and the other animals, so at least I'm not the only one who finds them so much fun.

Well, that's all the randomness I have for now.