Ten on Tuesday

1. What are your pantry staples?
Cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, rice, tortillas, Kraft Mac & Cheese, English muffins, apple sauce, pasta of some kind, a few cans of chicken noodle soup or tomato soup, a few cans of Speghettios, raisins, tuna and cereal.

2. What are your refrigerator staples?
Milk, cheese slices, hot dogs, lettuce, butter, carrots, cream cheese, string cheese, a block or two of cheddar cheese, sliced turkey and/or some kind of lunch meat, milk boxes (for kids lunches), and beer.

3. You already look like Heidi Klum (or your favorite supermodel). Now, what are the top three non-physical things you would change about yourself?

1. My ability to ignore things I don't want to do.
2. My impatience with my kids.
3. Learn to let things go and have more fun.

4. What’s holding you back from your dream job? (If you already have your dream job, how did you get there?)
My dream job would be to run my Etsy shop full time and I guess what's holding me back is that I just haven't devoted time and enenergy to figuring out how to market myself and my stuff to be more sucessful.  I'm not a salesperson but there is an element of that in having your own arts and crafts business and so I have to learn a lot about it.  It scares me a bit that I have to sell myself too....

5. You have $500 to spend but it has to be on one item only. Go.
Oy! This is a lot harder than I thought because it's not enough to get a new computer which I want and kinda need and it has to be on one item.  At this point it would either be a fairly cheap front loading washer or a new fancy lawn mower.  Because a front loading washer would be nice to go with my dryer and we need a new lawn mower.

6. What is something that you are embarrassed to admit you buy on a regular basis?
A sausage, egg and cheese McGriddle sandwich from McDonalds.  I LOVE it and I get one about once a month.  They sounds nasty but they are sooooo good.  I would eat them more if they weren't pricey (especially when you throw in coffee) and so bad for you. 

7. What’s in/on your bed every night?
Besides James and I and the 7 pillows? Usually the tv remote that gets left on the bed.

8. What is a non-necessity item that, no matter how expensive it gets or how tight your budget if, you will always find room for it?
An espresso drink every once in awhile from either Port City Java or Starbucks.

9. What is the weirdest sandwich you’ve ever made?
I don't tend to get adventurous with my sandwiches.  A cream cheese and cucumber is about as weird as I get.  James on the other hand will make a sandwich out of just about anything much to my chagrin.

10. Would you rather: Be banned from Pinterest forever, but gain a million captive Twitter followers; or, never get on Facebook again but gain five thousand blog readers?
Neither!!!  I couldn't give up either Facebook or Pinterest.  But I suppose if I HAD to choose Pinterest but think of the things I would never know about or have in my to try file!

Ten on Tuesday

1. How do you take your coffee?


I drink a skim Caramel Macchiato at Starbucks or the equivalent of it a Carmello Leche at Port City Java.  If pain old coffee is my only option I drink it with milk and 2 sugars.


2. Do you prefer soft or crispy chocolate chip cookies?
Really.... if you place a chocolate chip cookie in front of me I will eat regardless of weather it's crispy or soft.  But in a perfect world it would be soft.

3. Do you wear a belt everyday?
Nope, only when I have a pair of pants that are a tad big and I do happen to have a couple pairs of jeans I have to wear a belt with.

4. What is your favorite color combination?
Blue and brown.

5. Do you like sour candy?
Oh yeah!  One of my favorite candies ever is sour patch kids.

6. How often do you do laundry?
Once a week.  I know people say it's better to do a load a night or so but I just make big piles of every one's clothes according to color and do about 4 or 5 loads on Sunday.

7. Did you ever wear braces?
Yep.  I had braces for 2 years.  During junior high school no less.

8. Are you good at Roman Numerals?
Not at all.  I've got 1-10 down but I have no idea how to tell the years using roman numerals.

9. What is your favorite form of social media?

Facebook and/or Twitter.  I love both but use Facebook way more than Twitter.

10. How do you feel about chin dimples?
I don't really give them much thought to tell ya the truth!  I guess they can be pretty cute on the right person but then there is that whole butt chin name for a reason.

Follow me!!! Please. There's a giveaway!

I am a Facebook addict.  I know it and I own it.  It's a major time suck but I love it.  But I have also discovered that it can be a good business tool.  For those of you have been hiding under a rock and not reading my blog I have an Etsy store.  I sell handmade frames, origami ornaments, baby mobiles, and sometimes candles.  But I recently set up a fan/business page for my shop on Facebook.  So now Facebook is helping get my shop exposure and hopefully some new customers.  So now it's not just a waste of time for me!  But I am so close to having 100 "likes" or followers or whatever Facebook calls it now, but I want that 100 soon!! So as an incentive as soon as my Etsy shop's Facebook page gets 100 likes I will be giving away a frame and an ornament to one lucky random follower/liker (??).  So if you are not already a fan/follower/liker of my Etsy Shop on Facebook head on over and become one!!!

My Friend Jennie Stencel Part 3

I have some sad news my friend Jennie who I have blogged about a few other times (you can see them here and here) has been let go from her gig as morning traffic anchor/person on the WXII morning show.

I have seen the show a few times when I happened to be in Greensboro for events and what not and I loved getting up early just to watch the show.  Yes I did it to see Jennie but I gotta say seeing her be funny on a morning news show was awesome!!!  I so wish the up tight morning show here would do something like that (hint hint WECT ...  Jennie is now available!!!!).  Starting the day laughing is awesome and I am not alone she has many fans some of whom turn up on this blog!  Anyway I am not sure what prompted WXII to want to part ways with Jennie but I think they are making a big mistake.  If you feel the same way please head over to a new Facebook Fan page calling for Jennie to be brought back (click here).  So here are some YouTube videos just to prove my point and well they just make me laugh.

Giveaway!!!!!

Ok I know you have all been waiting with bated breath to see what my giveaway is right??!?!!?  Hmm sometimes my sarcasm doesn't come across so well in written word.  Oh well I hope at least a few of you are excited.  So here's the deal I am giving away an original Katiemade frame. Yes that one right there!

This is called Citrus Flowers and I personally think it's quite cute.  It holds a 4x6 photo and comes with a peg for standing. But it does not come with the Farrah photo sorry.  I will personally deliver (if winner is local) or ship it out to the winner.  Winner will be chosen based on a random number generator from the comments.  And the giveaway will close Friday the 23rd at 5PM (EST).  I will then announce the winner later that night.

Ok on to the important stuff, there are several ways to win.  First way is visit my Etsy shop here and then post a comment here telling me which of my items is your favorite and why (I need feed back on my stuff so any and all comments are welcome).  Second way is to become a fan of Katiemade Crafts on Facebook the link  is here .  Once you become a fan just leave a comment here telling me you are a fan.  The next way to enter is to post a quick blog entry about my Etsy shop on your blog (post the link in the comment section here) or if you don't have a blog send out an email to 5 friends about my Etsy shop and copy me into the email (katiemadecrafts@ec.rr.com) then just post a comment here after you have done it.  And lastly you can subscribe to this blog just post a comment after you have subscribed.  The best news is you can do any or all of these so you have up to 4 chances to enter!!  Good luck!

Ten on Tuesday

1. Quick! Zombies are coming!! What do you do? Start cursing myself for not doing more cardio!!  Then I hop in my van because there is no way I am out running any zombies.

2. Whew, that was a close one. …I think your phone is ringing. Oh, it’s your best friend! She thinks she’s been bitten by a zombie. What advice do you give her? I make her give me a run down on what happened then I tell her she's a gonner.  Sorry love ya but get away from people now!

3. You realize it’s time to leave your current location because it’s clearly not safe anymore. Are you going to move at night or day? Defend your reasoning. Day time of course.  You can see the zombies coming and then you don't have to use a flashlight and attract more attention to myself.  Plus it's just a bit less creepy than night time if running from zombies can be any less creepy.

4. During your relocation, you come across a weapon superstore. My, that’s convenient. What kind of weaponry do you choose? What ever gun holds the most ammo so I don't have to reload as often and a flame thrower I think.

5. As you leave, an old lady on the side of the street begs you to help her. Do you? Why or why not? Nope all rules of society go out the window when zombies attack.

6. Good choice, you’re clearly a good person to have around in a zombie apocalypse. Oh hey, there’s a wifi signal here! You can’t stay long but this is your chance to gather some Intel on the current situation. What’s the first website you check? Facebook of course.  Zombies wouldn't be checkin their Facebook pages so all those left can plan our attack.

7. SHH! What was that noise?! Stupid cat.  Get outta here before you become a zombie snack!

8. I think it’s time to get out of here. I hope you have a plan. Where are you going now? I'm headed to meet up with all the survivors I caught up with on Facebook.  We are going to kick some zombie ass!

9. Wait a minute, that looks like a bite mark on your arm… You may be infected too! Will you tell other people? Oh that's not a bite it's scratch from that damn cat that scared me earlier.

10. How does this story end? The Facebook survivors destroy the zombies do more cardio and repopulate the world!

Confessions of the Day 13

I am OBSESSED with the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris.  I read the first book last week and it took me a few days.  I was waiting on the second book Living Dead in Dallas (I use Paperback Swap for most of my books) to get here and it came yesterday!  Well I started it last night and as of about 8PM tonight I am over half way through it!  It helped that my hubby is on spring break this week and it was a beautiful 70 degree day here so I sat outside most of the afternoon reading while my kids played outside and my husband did yard work.  They are just so much fun!  I also read the Twilight series which I love as well but these are better in some ways because it's adults instead of teenagers and there is real sex ;),  bad fashion and rednecks!  I have books 3 through 7 on the way (again through Paperback Swap).  I am just hoping book 3 gets here in the next few days!!

While I was sitting outside in the sun today reading I managed to get sunburned.  Not badly sunburned but still I'm a bit sore and pink.  The sad/stupid thing is I know better!!  I am light eyed and very fair skinned!  In fact I burn within 15 mins. of being direct sunlight.  Oh and I burn then I peel then I am back to being just as white as before.  So I get ABSOLUTELY no benefit out of being in the sun longer than 15 mins.   Oh and did I mention skin cancer runs in the family.  Yep I'm a smart one!  It just felt so nice being outside today and being that it was pretty much the first day it's warm enough in months to be outside with out a coat I just forgot.  Oh and there was the small issue of being so engrossed in my Living Dead in Dallas book that I didn't want to stop reading.


I let my 6 year old have an email account and a Facebook account.  The email account isn't so bad I know.  I did it because my family was sending him little email notes to my account which was fine but he loved getting them so much I  figured it would be fun for him.   Plus I thought it might help to get him excited about writing by writing back (it didn't fyi).  Now don't think I am a horrible parent for the Facebook thing.  He is not allowed on it except when I am with him and it's only so he can play Yoville.  In fact he only has 5 friends only family or family friends and no there is no picture of him up so it's not he uses like a real Facebook account.  

Crafty crafty

March is National Crafting Month, I didn't have a clue until I saw it posted on one of my friend's Facebook status messages (thanks Candy!).  I consider myself purdy darn crafty if I do say so myself.  I have store on Etsy and I get some commissions for frames (ok so it's family doing the commissions but it still counts).

 My most recent commission my Sister-in-law requested for her friend's new baby boy

I scrapbook, decoupage, make candles and other crafts that cross my fancy.  I have tried quilting (even made a baby quilt once), sewing (made the curtins in my son's room), and knitting (really failed with this one!).  So when I realized that tomorrow was the day all the kids at my son's school could go to school dressed as their favorite Dr. Seuss character because this week was Dr. Seuss' birthday, I thought no big deal I'm crafty!! Ha!  Well my son wanted to be the Grinch.

I knew we didn't have a Santa hat let alone a child sized Santa suit nor does he have a green shirt or pants.  And considering I am no seamstress that option was out.  His next choice was the Cat in the Hat.

Simple enough he has black pants and a shirt.  I whipped out a red bandana to use as the bow tie and we were gonna make the hat but as soon as my son saw the bandana and the cat ears he had put on in the mirror he decided it was just too embarrassing.  So after some arguing about how the cat ears and bandana bow tie looked fine, I gave in and started looking on the internet for ideas.  I came across a picture with a bunch of Dr. Seuss' charters together and saw Horton for Horton Hears a Who.

I then suddenly remembered we have a Horton board game that comes with a Horton mask you wear to pick up clovers.  So as soon as I mentioned that he was happy.  He has a Horton mask and clover to wear to school and not be really embarrassed by his mother's lack of crafting ability.

Soap Box (again)

So I will admit that I am a full on Facebook addict. I spend waayyy too many hours a day checking out what all my "friends" doing, playing Farmtown or Yoville, or just generally wasting time. I have a "friend", well lets call it what it really is shall we? I have an acquaintance that I may or may not have met a few years back who was in the same mother's group as myself. She has since moved away but asked to be my Facebook friend a few weeks back. And who am I to say no?? I just didn't want to be mean and hell what's one more person. Anyway she is apparently going through a rough time (based on several what I hope were drunken status posts). Well she used the F word. OK not fuck because I have as you see no problem with that word. No she used the F word that rhymes with maggot and is a derogatory word used to describe gay people. And yes I detest this word so much I will not even type it (much like the more known N word). It is a word generally used with such hate about gay people that it turns my stomach. So I made a personal vow to never use the word myself. It bothers me when people feel like they can use it whenever to refer to anyone because they don't like something. I can't stand people using gay words to make things negative because it casts all gay people in a negative light. Some will say I am over reacting and calling someone the F word or telling someone "they are so gay" is no big deal. Well it is. It's the start of intolerance which is never good. When I was teaching high school this word was used a lot by the students along with the phrase "that's so gay" or "you're so gay". I banned both the F word and the using the word gay to describe something the kids didn't like in my classroom. I tried to explain to them how much pain and discrimination these words cause. So when my "friend" used the F word my first thought was to unfriend her (but we all know how I hate that). So I haven't unfriended her so instead I am on my soap box again on this blog. But the next time you think about using the F word or calling something gay think about it first please. You care condoning intolerance and hate.

Facebook Blow Offs Part 2

So I did a whole blog on Facebook and the very convenient but annoying ignore feature (click here to read it). Well I have come to realize that there is a whole other level of Facebook blow offs! Yes that's right! You wanna really piss me off??? Send me a friend request and then a few weeks later unfriend me with out any freaking explanation!! This has happened at least 3 times now (one person who I am not really counting accepted my friend request then unfriended me). But here's the thing why even ask to be my friend in first place if you are just going to kick me off a few weeks later? Now I am sure they didn't plan on unfriending me when they initially asked to be friends on Facebook. But lets be honest here ... how freaking hard is to keep someone a friend??? Umm yeah it's not hard at all. In fact it requires nothing! SO it's more effort to unfriend someone because you have to go their profile and click on the button that says remove from friends. Really are my status updates that grating or do I send to many Yoville requests??? OK I will confess that maybe I got a little out of hand with the Yoville thing ... I am a bit addicted. OK back to topic. Anyway unfriending me just pisses me off. At least give me damn wall post or message saying good bye. Don't be a coward people!

Facebook blow offs

I have to say my new obsession is Facebook. I started on Myspace and still like Myspace but Facebook has great games and the ability to get back into contact with old friends and people I went to high school with AND the ability to spy on people better than on Myspace. So over all Facebook is my new mega time waster. BUT I have to say the ignore feature is interesting. It's great when you want to ignore all the random requests (but my guilty side usually won't let me) for random applications. It also lets you ignore friend requests from people you don't want to associate with. This was all well and good until it happened to me!!! I don't care if you ignore my random Lil Green Patch requests but my friend request well damn what did I ever do to you??? If I request to be your friend it means that we either are or were friends at one point in our lives (I don't go around adding people just so I can have more friends .. how lame is that?). So as I was going through all my classmates I stumbled upon an old friend from Jr. high school. We spent nights at each other's houses and we even saw a New Kids on the Block concert together. I have to say our bond was through the New Kids. She loved Jordan and I loved Jon. And yes I was a New Kid fan (only in Jr. High thank you very much). We went on to high school and we just didn't hang out anymore. We stayed friendly and we had mutual friends and we never had a true falling out ... we just moved on to different circles. So I was excited to see her on Facebook so we could catch up (like I have done with several old friends on there). Well after a week I was wondering hmmm I still haven't gotten confirmation so I checked out our "mutual" friends and she is friends with lots of our old friends. So I unable to take a hint decided something had gone wrong and sent yet a second friend request. Guess what?? That one was ignored as well. Not only has she ignored me but also a mutual member of my mommy group. Now I have to say that I am not a fan of hers (we don't ever really talk or interact) but I am friends with all the other mommies in the group who are on Facebook. So after seeing her at a MNO (mom's night out) and talking a bit to her I came home and thought what the hell I will be nice and ask to be her friend (really just to spy and so that she didn't think I was rude not to ask). Well again my friend request was ignored (but I was not stupid enough to send a second request this time). But with her at least it confirms my suspicion that we really just don't like each other. She was just the rude one and decided she didn't want to pretend. But really when you are "friends" all the other mommies and not one it's very telling. What the hell!!!! Oh well I guess not EVERYONE loves me. But really they should right?!?!?