Friday Funny: The Recession: Ignore it, If You Can

This is from a bike shop in San Juan Capistrano... Via my husband...

I appreciated the sentiment. Not everyone will be able to ignore the recession.
But everyone who can, probably should.

Tutorial Tuesday: Bowling Bunnies

yipes! are they aiming for us?

This is a fun present idea made from two rather famous online freebie patterns.
It was great, not too hard, didn't take long, (In fact- choosing the fabrics was the hardest part!)
and such a great handmade holiday present!


The Wee Bunny (x3 or x10, if you are feeling really crafty today!)
and The Purl Bee-ch Ball.

The modifications were minimal.
For the ball, no modification. I just made the 7 inch ball... It seems quite a nice size.

I multiplied the rabbits (which they were predisposed to do anyhow)
I did put beans in the bunnies bottoms to properly weight them.
I also changed their orientation ( I basically turned the finished rabbit around)
and I changed the facial designs, adding the eye buttons, for a look of mild alarm.

bunnies flipped around, and buttoned up.

But really this is a great way to use up stash and make a great wintery sport toy for the kids (mine was made for my littlest niece) or any childish grown up that you love. Frankly, I am tempted to make a set for us here, at Chez Betty... But, I think the pup would love them all to bits.

looks like a split from here...

Well,
I am still working on my Kreativ Blogger post... Amazing how time flies this time of year, what with the housekeeping, gift crafting and assorted festivities.., My bloglife just hits that back burner !

I am going to have a few great ideas to share, including the gifts my 13 year old son is crafting for his lucky recipients.

Yup, dude-craft.

Thrift Thursday With a great Big Thanks

My new toy...

I am long over due for sharing some serious Blove (you know blove right?... Blog+Love= blove)
Last summer I got to have an amazing day with other bloggers, most whom I knew pretty well from swaps or their close proximity...
But there was another blogger who I did know of (her blog, Scissors Paper Glue , is just lovely) but hadn't made that extra connection with. That day she was so nice and open and fun and it turned out I knew her sister from a favorite crafting experience . It was so fantastic to get to know her better.
She inspired Jacob and shared her camera with him. She was so kind.

He instantly became interested in Polaroid and I found one for him (not as photogenic as mine though...) an he got it for his birthday.



She sent him a birthday present too. Precious discontinued Polaroid film. And a beautiful Polaroid that she took. But above all she gave the present of showing a young man the kind artistic respect that can only inspire, not just creativity but something more...
"But, Mom," he said, " We only met her Once! Why is she so Nice?!"

And she sent a present for me.



It now hangs where I can see it every day and it makes me so Happy.

But that wasn't all. She also wrote a post that made my week and his week too.

Jen, you are so very special. I am so glad we met!

It's a little Meme-ish here today

What a lovely week it was for me to get tagged last week.

Ms. Cleaver tagged me for 7 Random things:
so here I go:

My grandma used to chaperon for Tim Burton on Burbank Police Boys Band parade trips.
She said he was "a nice boy, a little strange."

When I was little my mom made almost every one of my dolls herself from the old McCall's patterns. They all had extensive wardrobes as well.

I am really afraid of snakes. I won't even go into the reptile section of a pet store.

I can not knit or crochet. Not at all. Never even tried it. Maybe someday... but really, I can't get a yarn stash or we'll have to move.

My signature scent used to be Coco by Chanel (when I was young and believed what I read in the magazines). Now it is Aveda Rosemary shampoo and Arm and Hammer Biodegradable laundry detergent in Mountain Rain scent.

I went to a two room school house during elementary school.

I watch the bonus features on dvds. Almost without exception. Even for bad movies.
I also like the director's commentary. I know... weird!!!!

I have a really great Birthday present I need to blog about from this great lady. But time is Not On My Side so far this November...( in a fun, hurry-scurry kind of way.)


Then To Top it off, Turkey Feathers tagged me for the Kreativ Blogger Award!
Thanks so much...
I am working out my list and will post it next week.

I also have been wanting to say thanks to CraftMag, Dabbled, Instructables, One Pretty Thing, Crafty Crow and Whip Up for the Linky love...
I can't even list everyone who linked and built and tried the Halloween stuff.. but I have been cruising around and have been loving all the cools stuff I'm seeing.
You guys are the BEST.

This Is What Optimism Feels Like

Yesterday... as I went into the voting booth, I felt a little like a super hero.

Today, I feel like I want to roll up my sleeves and dive right in to making the great feelings of last night, into the kind of energy that will create real and lasting change.
I am so impressed with the way people showed up. And if, as the saying goes, "Half of Success is simply showing up.." What can we do with this momentum?

Voting was a great first step.

So, step 2 for me is this:

All profits from my Etsy shop will be contributed to Heifer for the remainder of the Holiday season. Excitedly and gratefully so. I am moved to do something and this is so easily done.

I'm also going to write a letter to my son, or my potential future grandkids, or some random stranger about how this day felt, about what I hoped would come from the votes I cast. Because this is a very important day, and maybe later they will want a window into it.

Maybe you should do it too.