May Stuff

Wow it is May already! My birthday is this month, going to be 45, another Wow!

I was unsuccessful with the quitting smoking, I did really good for 3 weeks on the Chantix then went back to the Dr. and had gained 10 pounds, not good, I sure did not need the extra weight! I tried so hard too, to not eat extra stuff, I wanted to be one person that could say "I quit smoking and didn't gain any weight" but that didn't happen. It has been 2 weeks now and I still haven't lost the additional weight, but am working on it.

Latest and greatest projects have been using my decorated bottlecaps and attaching them to doodads from Oriental Trading to be worn in croc shoes. I have never owned a pair until I did these, I always want to try out my stuff to make sure it will work and be comfortable to the wearer. So off to Wal-Mart to buy a pair to test before I went into major production of these.

The other thing I am doing with them is attaching them to Tie Tack Pins, that way you can decorate whatever you can get a pin through. This was Deb's idea from the store, Country Lane General Store where I have my stuff on display and for sale.

Also playing around with my button machine I purchased. It makes 2.25" buttons, I purchased all kinds of stuff with it to make keyrings, magnets and mirrors too. Still trying to figure out which program that I already have, works the best for making my own personalized buttons.

I have been bitten by the polymer clay bug! Ugh! I have purchased several molds and clays and have been playing around with these. Not sure if it is something I will continue to do or not? Why? Because I am starting to feel like I am spreading myself to thin. I have several projects that I want to get done, things I love to do but because of all the other "new" stuff I have been doing my long time loves are getting left in the dust. Thankfully all of my machines have dust covers.

Hugs!

Update for April

I can't believe it has been over a month since I last posted! I promised myself when I started this that I would keep up on it, need to do better!

A lot has happened since I last posted, my Grandmother passed away on March 13th, she was 89 years old. I was doing pretty good in handling it all, I kind of lost it when seeing my Aunt from Montana, and then again when the pastor mentioned the passing of my brother almost a year ago. I want to try and make it to family reunions from now on, it is strange meeting relatives and remembering them from my childhood but not able to place names to these familiar and comforting faces.

One thing I would like to mention here is that the day after my Grandmother's funeral my Dear Hubby and I were shopping at Wal-Mart, we were looking at the coffee when a loaf of bread further ahead of us, from the top shelf fell to the floor. Didn't think anything of it, I have seen bread fall before. We then get to the check out and in the process of scanning our items one flies out of the cashier's hand and across the floor? Ok, me I am stacking the bags in the cart, making sure they all stay in the spot I put them, one bag fell over after I had just what I thought nested it in its place. Starting to get thinking a little bit here?! We get home and nothing else happens out of the ordinary until later on.

I had told my daughter to pick up her shoes and put them on the shoe rack before they left to go to their Dad's. DH and I eat supper and then take a little nap. After we get up he goes in his office and I decide to sweep the kitchen floor using the broom, my daughters shoes that she had put on the shoe rack several hours earlier fall off the shoe rack, I pick them up and put them back. Then I hear the sound of something falling in the laundry room which is just off of the kitchen. I come back here to look and it is a long skinny box that had been laying on top of my dryer, some how it fell off and completely missed a lint roller that was standing up on its end. The box also landed on its long skinny side? Do you have goose bumps now??? I sure did. I went to DH in his office and told him about these latest things falling. I told him that I think it is my Grandmother trying to let me know that she is around me, that she is ok? after that no more falling objects.

I don't know for sure how my sales are going at the Country Lane General Store in Auburn, I go over there and check my stuff and it isn't flying off the shelves like I had hoped, lol. It has only been a little over a month, I hope people just need to find me and spread the word! If I have had any sales I should receive a check around the 10th of this month with the monthly newsletter that the owner sends out, cross your fingers it is HUGE, my check not necessarily the newsletter ((*-*))

I have now opened a shop on Etsy, for those that don't know it is a place kind of like eBay but not auction style, and you can sell your handmade items. Here is the link to my store Sewitch Stitching

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5599084

Items listed on Etsy-pronounced like Betsy.

I have several different badge reel holders with different buttons on them be sure and check out my store listings.

More big news! I have quit smoking, ok I am attempting and do pretty good most days. I have not bought any since March 19th, I was still bumming maybe a cigarette a day from my oldest daughter when she would come over, then I decided on Easter Sunday as my Grandmother would say to "Shit or get off the pot" which means to me that either I was going to quit or I wasn't! So that was it no more bumming, I haven't been completely smoke free, most days when hubby is home I am strong, but when he is gone I become weak and smoke those half cigarettes my DD leaves out in the garage in my ash tray, can you say yuck! Tuesday no cigs, Wed butt day, and today no cigs, I am not going to give up! My will to quit is still stronger than my will to smoke!

I have put on a couple of pounds even though I have tried to watch what I eat! Ugh, I sure don't need to gain any more weight, that is another goal to lose weight this summer. Heck if I can quit smoking I can lose weight. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

Hugs to All!

Renee