All About Etsy

Etsy.com is the perfect blending of modern technology and good, old-fashioned crafting.  Anyone who hasn't spent time browsing on Etsy is really missing out on a treat.  We have turned into a society of quick fixes, and how often do we simply give someone a gift card, making the excuse that we're just too busy to shop instead of telling the truth - we just don't care enough to find that perfect gift.  Etsy really does make finding that perfect gift easy.  Of course, I have a vested interest and would love for that perfect gift to be from Grammie's Drawers.

Another advantage of shopping on Etsy is that you are supporting art in many forms, boosting our economy (rather than China's) and you can even shop within your own community, supporting your local businesses.  Did I mention that shopping on Etsy is FUN?  Here's the way I like to do it:  on the left side of the home page are choices on ways to search.  I like to "pounce" undiscovered - shops that haven't sold anything yet.  There are some amazing finds!  So the next time you're mindlessly scrolling through all the updates on facebook, or reading random blogs, or browsing big store sites, spend some time on Etsy.  It will be the best time you spent.

The Best Laid Plans

Feeling a little stiff and sore this morning, I started my day with a soak in the hot tub.  Even though it's just outside the door, I wear flip-flops so my feet don't get cold on the concrete.  Leaving them right next to the step, I enjoyed my soak and the winter sun.  Much to my surprise, my shoes had gone AWOL while I soaked and I soon discovered they were sitting some distance away in the middle of the gravel drive, neatly lined up next to each other.  I guess Ringo thought I should go for a walk...

Thrifty Christmas Tree

For the first time in years, we won't be hosting Christmas for either side of the family.  Kids and grandkid won't make it home this year and, with this economy, I just didn't feel we needed to buy a tree.  I realized no tree at all would be too depressing, so I went about creating a no-cost Christmas tree.  I cut some limbs off a blue spruce in the backyard that is slated for trimming anyway (two birds with one stone) and arranged them in a large bucket, using wire to tie them together.  Water in the bucket keeps the limbs green.  Set it on a side table, hide the bucket with a red afghan, string some red and white lights and there you have it - Recession Tree!  I am once again reminded that the holidays are not about how much you spend, but about how much you love.

Thanksgiving

We get busy, we get worn down, we deal with daily irritations, annoyances, problems, difficulties, disasters...things.  The hamster wheel of OMG!, oh sh**, weary sighs and eye rolling.  I have to say thank you to whoever thought of naming one thing I'm thankful for every day this month and posting it on Facebook.  As I consciously thought of things to be thankful for, I realized that they were directly tied to the things that drive us nuts.  Maybe being happy is really as simple as a personal choice.  Maybe all the day-to-day stress I struggle through is being piled on by...me.  Maybe, just maybe, I am my own worst enemy.  This last ends with a nudge and a wink because I kind of already knew that.  Being thankful does require self-discipline, but anything worth having takes effort. Today I am thankful for everything in this life, because it means I'm still here and an active participant.

It's the little things in life...

Sitting at the computer, nose to the grindstone, committed to getting a lot done today.  Elvis, never too far away, is snoozing on the carpet just behind my chair...snoozing and, um...passing gas.  Though that doesn't exactly describe what a fifty pound blue heeler can emit when he's on a roll.  Suffice it to say that my commitment is being thoroughly tested...wonder how long I can hold my breath...

Autumn...

The sun goes down much earlier today, but for now it's smiling down.  A perfect day to rake leaves and clean up the last of the flowerbeds.

But first, I wanted to share my latest finished project - a wool soaker in denim stripes. I wanted it to fit well over a cloth diaper and so I took the shape from a diaper pattern.

This was fun..

Check out the latest addition to our store.  I really enjoy creating the more colorful toppers.

Yeah, that's a Smart Choice...

Yesterday I had a hankering for a BLT.  Now, a good BLT requires real mayo; low fat or fat free just doesn't cut it.  So, imagine my surprise when I see that the Best Foods Real Mayonnaise has that "Smart Choices" icon on the label - the one with the green check mark.  As much as I love real mayo, I have to ask - is it EVER a smart choice?

Getting Ready for Winter

The wood pellet stoves are cleaned out and ready to fire up. The rose bushes have been pruned and are waiting for spring. Vegetables have been canned and frozen and only a few broccoli plants remain in the garden. The potted herb garden has been moved inside for the winter. Summer clothes have been put in storage and winter sweaters have been aired out. It seems to happen overnight - you get up one morning and the chill in the air is unmistakable. Winter is knocking at the back door.