Ten on Tuesday

1. What is your favorite brand of shoes?
I don't have just one as usual. I will only buy New Balance sneakers because I have wide feet and they the only brand I have found that fit me well.  I am loving Crocs dress shoes. Yes, I said dress shoes.  I have two pair I bought about a year ago and they are so cute and so comfy!!

2. How old were you when you learned to tie your shoes?
5 I think. I'm pretty sure I knew how to tie shoes by the end of kindergarten.

3. How do you feel about freckles?
Love/hate. I have about a million so I'm kinda stuck with them.  I don't mind the little ones it's the big mole like ones I hate.

4. I can count to ten in ___ languages.
2 languages. English and Spanish.

5. What is your favorite store-bought ice cream flavor?
Ben & Jerry's Phish Food.  SO good!

6. Were you in ballet or gymnastics as a little girl?
I took one year of ballet.  I'm just not cut out for dancing. Coordination is kind of essential and I am not coordinated at all.

7. Who is your favorite Sesame Street character?
Grover. He's not very popular these days but I love him!

8. What’s your bedtime?
Anytime between 10 and 11 on week days and usually around 12 on the weekends.

9. Do you have any jewelry that you wear every single day?
My wedding ring, engagement ring, a ring my mom gave me and a necklace with my kids names stamped on it.

10. Who is the bug killer in your household?
Me. James is a baby about bugs.

Ten on Tuesday

1. Do you listen to the radio in your car?  If so, what type of station do you like?
Yep, I do listen to the radio in the car.  I like the local top 20 station  and the mix station (meaning plays hits from the 80's, 90's and today).  I also happen to like some talk radio.  I LOVE Clark Howard!   He is a financial talk show guy and he comes on a local talk radio station from 1pm-3pm everyday.  I catch the last part of his show on my way home from work.  But he can be found on CNN or HLN too doing segments.

2. What is the best concert you have ever attended?
It's a tie between Eric Clapton and Tom Petty.  I saw Eric Clapton when I was in high school right after he got HUGE with Tears in Heaven.  But I loved him and grew up listening to him so I was super excited when he was going to play in Chapel Hill, so my boyfriend and I went.  I then saw Tom Petty in college during his Wildflowers tour. My best friend Jennie and I went and of course anything I do with Jennie is fun. Awesome show.

3. What is the most embarrassing concert you have ever attended?
Again it's a tie.  I saw New Kids on the Block twice (yes twice ... shut it) at their height of popularity.  I was in middle school people and they were HUGE.  And yes I was in love with Jon the gay one....
But I also went to a Motley Crue concert during their Dr. Feelgood tour.  Their warm up act was Warrant (you know the Cherry Pie band).  I have much more appreciation for them now but I wasn't then and am not now a huge metal fan.  They were free tickets so I went but it's not something I would have paid to see.

4. If you could have the singing voice of anyone in the world, who would it be?
Well I'm going to have to go with Adele.  I think she has an amazing voice.  It's not all that mainstream but amazing none the less.

5. You’re auditioning for American Idol.  What song do you sing?
Three Little Birds by Bob Marley.  Strange choice I know but I love it and I sang it to both my kids as babies and I have my own little take on it.

6. If your previous weekend had its own soundtrack, what would be a few of the songs?
The Lazy Song By Bruno Mars.... really we didn't much at all this weekend.  Oh wait we finally replaced the exhaust fan in our master bathroom that's been broken since we moved in (9 years ago).  But I can not think of any song for home repair.

7. Most annoying television show theme song ever:
I'm gonna go with The Love Boat.  I hated that theme song ... it gets stuck in my head and I hated the show.

8. Are you and your significant other music-compatible?
For the most part.  We share a love of classic rock and 90's rock.  He really doesn't get my reggae love or my 80's music obsession.  I like wise don't love Whitesnake or metal bands in general.  I like Cake (it's a band not actual cake ... but we do like cake too) but don't LOVE them till the end of time like James.

9. A song that brings me back to middle school:
Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leppard.  That song played at EVERY middle school dance I went to and I went to their concert in jr. high .... oh and again in 2003.

10. A song that brings me back to high school:
Today by Smashing Pumpkins and  Crazy by Aerosmith.  As usual couldn't choose just one.  

11. A guilty pleasure song (or three):
Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield
Bad Touch by The Blood Hound Gang
I Want it That Way by The Backstreet Boys

What is something that you would love to get paid for that you think no one would every pay you for?

My most favorite mobile & most popular! Bright Punch Mobile

Mini flower origami ornament

There was a question on last week's Ten on Tuesday that really hit home and made me really think about what is going on in my life right now. The question was 5. What is something that you would love to get paid for that you think no one would every pay you for?

Custom Mobile I did this month 

  In The Red Frame

It didn't take me but a heartbeat to answer the question.  Running my Etsy store and making art and crafts that people buy for their homes.  I still can not believe I have sold one thing let alone close to 100 things between Etsy and here locally.  That may not sound like a lot and in terms of a full time seller it's not.  But if you had asked me a few years ago did I think I would selling my mobiles and frames and be getting more and more business?  I don't think I would have thought it would be going this well.  Granted I still have a lot to learn.  I've got to figure out this whole marketing thing and a little bookkeeping while I'm at it.  But I LOVE making my mobiles, frames, origami and clocks, talking to customers and making custom mobiles to match new baby nurseries.   It's challenging and fun and creative.  It gives me something that no other job I've been paid to do has given me.  It doesn't feel like work ... EVER.  I will admit that bookkeeping is daunting but because it's for me and my shop it doesn't feel like so much of a chore.

The Blues Frame

 Another Custom Mobile

It's honestly really hard to put into words how I feel when I a make a sale or I get amazing feedback from my customers.  At times it has made me tear up because I am so happy. Sappy ... yes I know but it's just nice to do something I love and get money for it.  Maybe one day I will have enough business to do it full time.  That would be the end all be all I think ....

Another custom mobile

Puzzle Piece Clock

I don't know you full time business owners may think differently!?!?
                                                  

Custom Mobile 

Blue Squares Frame

Purple Haze Frame  

Custom Mobile

 Custom mobile

Ten on Tuesday

1. What do you do for a living?
In reality I have 3 jobs.  Teacher, artist and mom.  I love all three dearly.  At my teaching job I teach adults with mental retardation or traumatic brain injury.  My class focuses on basic skills and life skills. It's under 30 hours a week so I also still have a few days home being mom too.  And on top of that I have an Etsy shop.  Business has been good lately and has been taking up more of my time.  But that's great news.  In fact I want more so go by and check it out here.

2. What’s your favorite thing about your job?
I love my students.  They are a fun group and some times a challenge.  Of course I love my kids so being home a few days with them is awesome.  I love the creativity outlet of my Etsy shop and lately I have LOVED being part of the process of decorating a new baby's room through custom mobiles I make for customers.

3. What’s your least favorite thing about your job?
It's a job for money and it's a big college so there is paperwork and some politics that aren't a lot of fun to deal with. And it takes me away from my kids and is making me deal with child care issues.  My Etsy shop is a challenge in the fact that I have to self promote and I am slowly learning about that.  Oh and then there's the whole book keeping part... yuck.

4. If you weren’t a teacher, what would you be?
My other love in college was psychology.  So I might have gone that route.  But if all pressures were off and I could have chosen what I really wanted to do and not been practical I would have been an art major.

5. What is something that you would love to get paid for that you think no one would every pay you for?
I am actually doing it right now! I still can not believe that people love my mobiles and ornaments and frames and actually buy them to put in their homes.  It still blows me away.  I am honored when people choose my mobiles for their new babies rooms.

6. If you could have any job for exactly one day, what would it be?
I would love to be a back up singer in a big band like No Doubt for a night at a huge sold out concert.  That would awesome! 

7. If you had to do manual labor, what would you do?
Wow... I have no clue.  I suck at cleaning, yard work and measuring.  So that throws a lot of things out for me.  I'm a decent painter when I take my time but I don't like to do it at all.  I will have to give this one some more thought.

8. What is something you were forced to learn in high school that was supposed to be super important, but you never actually use?
Geometry, algebra, pretty much any math higher than addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.  Even though I actually liked chemistry (thanks to an awesome teacher Mr. Rucker at CHHS) I never use any of that either.

9. Who was your favorite boss?  Why?
I've had the good fortune to have had a few great bosses in my time.  But my most favorite is a guy named Michael who was my boss when I worked at Barnes & Noble in the Cafe as a barista.  I worked with him for almost 3 1/2 years in college and then went back for a Christmas season (and a little longer) after my son Noa was born to make a little extra cash.  He was always fun to work with and never abused his power but was a genuine nice guy who cared and worked with my crazy vacation schedules (but I always brought him back a key chain).  I just liked him and working for him.  He never asked us to do anything he wouldn't and again his sense of humor made working an insane job more tolerable.

10. Where would you rather work: Dunder Mifflin Paper Company (The Office), Wernham Hogg Paper Company (The Office, UK), or Initech (Office Space)?
Hmmmm good question.  I am going to have to go with Initech just because I love that movie so much!  

Ten on Tuesday

1. Mac or Windows? (Or Linux for you super geeks!)
Mac.  I was actually thinking about doing a post on this sometime in the future, so my short answer is Mac and has always been Mac.

2. What drew you to that operating system?
Grew up using it and never changed and I hate Windows.

3. Mice – Wireless or Wired? Mouse pad or none?
I have a laptop and I have a wireless mouse but I use the touch pad pretty much all the time.

4. Other than the Internet – What do you use your computer most for?
Photos, music, work (word processing, spread sheets).

5. What’s one computer-related thing you wish you were best at? (CSS, Photoshop, Excel, etc.)
Trouble shooting when things break and then being able to fix them.  I suck at that.  But that's what I have James for.

6. Describe the first time you ever used a computer.
Wow, well it would have to be either when I was in elementary school and we got to go to the computer lab and do the little turtle program where the you made the turtle (triangle) move around the screen with basic commands or when my mom first brought home our Apple Macintosh.  Man that answer just showed my age.  Does anyone even remember the turtle program??????

7. How often do you upgrade to a new operating system?
When I can afford to, or my brother lets me borrow the latest Mac upgrade he bought.

8. Are you a short-cutter (CTRL+C) or a right-clicker?
More of a short cutter.

9. Is computer-use a constant thing in your life (such as using it both at work and home) or do you get a break (because you don’t use them at work)?
I don't use them while I am at work because my location doesn't have any.  I was promised some computers for my students but I have yet to see them.  I would LOVE to have some computers at work.  But I am on my computer at home a lot.

10. Where do you think the world would be if personal computers did not exist?
Oh man who knows!!  I don't want to think about a world with out Facebook!

Procrastinator Edition of Ten on Tuesday Vol. 3

I know you are shocked I am late yet again on Ten on Tuesday.....  I suck.  I've had a mountain of paper work to finish for the end of summer semester at work.  But I finally got it all done and turned in this morning so now I have some free time.

1. What colour are your toenails painted?
OPI Brisbane Bronze. 

2. What colour are your fingernails painted?
Nothing.  I don't paint my nails often at all.  I find I am way to hard on my nails and nail polish chips and or peels off in about 2 days, which drives me crazy.  Plus with all the origami folding I tend to put dents in my nails from all the folding so it's not worth putting on nail polish.

3. What is your favourite brand of nail polish?
OPI or Sally Hansen.  OPI is the best but not cheap so I tend to go with Sally Hansen when I want to try a new color or style.

4. As the norm, do you DIY your nails or get mani/pedis?
DIY.  I tend to get a mani and pedi once or twice a year when my husband gives them to me for gifts.  Before I had kids I would go once a month for manis and about every 2-3 for pedis and man do I miss going that often.

5. Have you ever had a gel mani? Do you recommend it?
I never have but a friend of mine has and she loved it and thought it lasted a lot longer than a normal mani.

6. What is the last movie you watched on television? (TV, Netflix, Redbox, etc.)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1.  I watched it in preparation for going to the theater for part 2.

7. What is the last movie you watched in the cinema?
Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows Pt. 2. I was one of those crazy people who went at midnight opening day.  At least I did not dress up but it was fun to see people dressed up and to see the movie in a large audience like that.

8. Is there a movie that everyone talks about as if it is a classic but you haven’t seen?
OK don't think badly of me but I have never seen any of the Godfather movies.  I have no interest.

9. What is your favourite movie soundtrack?
I LOVE, LOVE  movie soundtracks! A few of my favorite are True Romance, Practical Magic, The Commitments, Grease,  Ten Things I Hate About You, 50 First Dates, and Say Anything.

10. Have you ever seen a movie and thought it was better than the book it was based on?
Where the Heart is.  Don't get me wrong I liked the book a lot.  But I saw the movie first and there is just something about the movie that I loved more than the book.  Maybe that's because I saw the movie first instead of reading the book first.  Which is unusual, I usually read the book first.

Ten on Tuesday

1. What is your favorite zoo to visit?
My favorite is the Denver Zoo.  I like it because it's smaller so it's easy to see everything and the animals are closer so you can see them better.  Plus it's in Colorado so it's never too hot or too humid like it gets here in NC.

2. Do you visit a zoo very often?
Maybe once a year.  When my mom lived in Colorado we went more often.  I would like to go to  the NC Zoo more but it's a good 3 hour drive and it's way to miserable to go during the summer.

3. Do you have a membership to a zoo?
Yes sort of ... we have a membership to our NC aquarium and with that comes free admission to lots of other zoos and aquariums around the country including the NC Zoo.

4. When you visit a zoo, do you stay all day or just an hour or two?
It's usually an all day visit.  Since it's not in our town we drive to it and spend all day.

5. Do you buy food at the zoo or pack a picnic lunch?
We buy food because again it's a drive or an all day trip to the zoo so it's just easier to buy food there.

6. What is you favorite animal to see at the zoo?
I either love to see the polar bears or the gorillas.

7. What is your least favorite animal to see at the zoo?
Snakes!  I hate snakes.  They creep me out even behind glass.

8. What is your favorite memory of going to the zoo as a kid?
I wasn't really a kid but I was like 15 and we were at the NC Zoo and I was there with my mom, brother, boyfriend, uncle and grandparents.  We were in the African plain viewing area and there was a gazelle about 30 feet below us giving birth.  We stayed and watched the mom give birth and then lovingly clean up and then get the baby up and walking.  It was pretty amazing to see.

9. Do you visit the gift shop when you go to the zoo?
Always.  I am a sucker for gift shops. But I found my favorite wallet of all time at the Denver Zoo.

10. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best and 1 being the worst) how nice is your city’s zoo?
Wilmington doesn't have a city or county zoo but I forgot we have local private zoo.  I have never been because it's been picketed by PETA about a dozen times.  Plus I have heard stories of how small the cages are and how pitiful the animals look.  So I just can't bring myself to go.  But I will rate the NC Zoo and I would give it a 8.

Ten on Tuesday

1. When you are on a plane and the kid behind you is kicking your seat, what do you do?
I have been on both sides of this situation.  It sucks either way.  If I am the one being kicked I won't do anything about it as long as the parents are trying to keep it under control or at least talk to the child.  If they just ignore it I will turn around and ask the child nicely to stop (I've only had to do this once and it worked pretty well).  I have also been the parent of the child kicking the chair in front of them.  I try my hardest to keep them from doing it but it happens.  Planes are boring and their feet are at just the right place to kick or push on the chair in front of them, so it happens.

2. What food that you KNOW is bad for you and you shouldn’t have, but you love/eat it anyway?
Soda.  I usually drink diet but I have been seeing article after article about how bad it is for you so I have tried to cut way back.  Oh and candy ...

3. What is your favorite book of all time?
I don't have just one.  But I will tell you I have just finished Something Borrowed and Something Blue by Emily Griffin and liked both but liked Something Blue better.  Again not my favorite of all time because I just can't choose one.

4. If I came to visit you in your town, where would we eat?
For a nice dinner I would take you to one of two places Elijah's or The George in downtown Wilmington.  They are both on the river walk so there is outside dining where you can eat outside and get really nice views of the Cape Fear River and downtown.

5. You have 500 dollars and 40 minutes to spend it at any store you want. Where do you go?
Target.  I could get something for everyone in my house and some fun things too.  Let me tell you it would not take me 40 minutes to spend 500 dollars in Target more like 15.

6. What blog do you read every day/the most often?
I don't read any blog everyday.  But Roots & Rings is one I get emailed to me and that seems the only way I can read a blog every time it's published. 

7. What’s the longest you’ve ever been stuck at an airport?
I think it was 6 hours.  James and I were going to Alaska to go on a cruise with my family and we used the cruise line to book our flights and they did a crap job.  We ended up spending like 6 hours in the Dallas airport waiting for our connecting flight (there were earlier flights but for some stupid or most likely cheaper reason they gave us a much later flight).
I have also been delayed many many times one of worst was a trip when Noa and I were flying back to NC from California and we were on the plane at LAX and they delayed us on the runway for close to 3 hours.  Noa was 2 1/2 and we couldn't get out of our seats.  It was torture.  I finally gave the boy some benadryl so he would just sleep.  But then of course we still the the very long 3 1/2 hour flight after that.

8. What’s your daily makeup/face/cleansing routine?
On non working days I wash my face in the shower with Cetaphil cleanser and then use the Cetaphil moisturizer with SPF.  At night since I didn't put on make up I just a use a cucumber facial cleansing cloth before bed.  On working days I shower and use the Cetaphil cleanser again but then use Mary Kay tinted moisturizer, blush, eye shadow and mascara.  At night I use Mary Kay eye make up remover and Time Wise cleanser/makeup remover and moisturize with whatever free sample of night cream I have around.

9. Where is your farthest away friend?
A friend that I still talk to and see on occasion would be my friend Meg who used to live here on my street but then moved back to New Hampshire.

10. Where is your favorite place to go hiking (or to enjoy nature)?
I live at the beach so there isn't really any hiking here.  There are nature trails to walk but that's about it.  There is a local park called Hallyburton Park that has some really nice walking trails that go into the woods.  It's one of my favorite parks to walk.

The Gospel According to Katie

I am going to apologize for my two week blogging absence. I have been waist deep in planning for and teaching my class, being a full time mom to two kids during summer break and still running my Etsy store. This has been nothing short of exhausting, so blogging, cleaning, and my Words with Friends games has suffered.

But here I am giving you my version of some wisdom I'd like to pass on.

Never and I mean never carpet your stairs. Just don't go there. I don't care what you say you will do but I promise you they will not get vacuumed as often as they should. Plus they just don't vacuum as well as the floor so there's always dirt. Just go with the hardwood people.

Stop using the word retarded. Just stop. It's just as offensive as the N word or F word. I have been guilty of using it in the past but after hearing one of my students talk about it I will never use it again.

People without children do not judge parents by what you see in public. You might be able to do better when it's your turn but I doubt it. You'll see what I mean.

Buy a set of good makeup brushes. It's well worth it and they apply makeup so much better than the cheap applicators that come with the makeup.

Use please and thank you everywhere. It basic manners. Plus having worked in one of the lowliest jobs (food service) it's so nice to hear.

In that same vain get off the phone when you are ordering! That is just too rude.

Check out ONE.org at least once. It's an incredible organization. And all they ask for is your voice and sometimes your time (which are two things I have lots of and am happy to share) instead of money like most non-profits.

Don't let your dog or cat's Frontline (or whatever flea or tick meds you use) lapse for more than a month. Fleas don't wait around, they attack really quick.

If you decide to give your baby a pacifier be sure to take it away before they turn 1. Experts say between 6 months and a year is best. Because the longer you wait the harder it gets!! Both my kids were about 3 and it was not fun. Not to mention the damage it did to their teeth. I cringe when I see profile portraits of my son at 3 and his paci teeth!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Ten on Tuesday

1. What’s the perfect meal?
Well I just had one of the most perfect meals this past weekend.  My brother and his family came to town to visit and my mom made dinner Friday night.  It was my Nana's ribs, twice baked potatoes and fresh corn on the cob.  It was so good!! I had forgotten how much I love ribs.  Then we had a birthday cake to celebrate my brother's birthday.  All in all a perfect meal and a prefect night!

2. What are the perfect pair of shoes?
A really nice pair of flip flops.  A pair that are comfortable and have good support and are also cute.

3. What is the perfect afternoon?
A nice spring afternoon when it's not above 78 or too humid and I can sit outside while the kids play and I can read a book.

4. What’s the perfect house?
Mine is close.  I love the layout and the neighborhood (two things you either can't change or it's really hard to change).  It needs quite a bit of work to get it updated though.  Really the only thing I would change is the master bathroom.  I had a dream bathroom in my old condo and I wish I had it here.  I really just want a big tub with jets.  So one day when we can afford it we will update our kitchen, put hardwood floors throughout, and put a big jetted tub in the master.

5. What is the perfect outfit?
Jeans and nice shirt/t-shirt.  That is my favorite combination.

6. What’s the perfect wedding song?
In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel because it's the song James and I choose to have our first dance to at our wedding.  Oh and a belated happy anniversary to you James!!!  Our 12th anniversary was last week and yes I said happy anniversary then too but I just thought I would say it again!

7. What is the perfect job?
The ability to be able to stay home with my kids full time.  But since that is not possible it would be to have a more thriving Etsy business.  I would love for my shop to have enough sales to make it become my full time job.  Hopefully one day it will.  But for now my new teaching job is pretty good too.

8. What’s the perfect hairstyle?
Some thing that is stylish, easy to maintain, and doesn't take a lot to do in the morning.  I have no idea what that would be for me since I haven't had a hair cut in over a year.

9. What’s the perfect music festival?
Sad to say I have never been to one.  I think I would love to have gone to Llollapalooza back in the day (mid 90's when it was in it's heyday).  I know it's still running and I would still like to go depending on the lineup.  I have also been looking at Bonnaroo.  It looks like a music festival right up my alley too.  One day maybe....

10. What’s the perfect day to yourself?
First I would sleep in a little (just until 9 would be a treat).  Then have a little breakfast and read a bit.  Then I would go to my craft room and work on a scrapbook or a frame or some origami.  Whatever I was in the mood to work on.  I would then get a mani & pedi and maybe hit a matinee movie.  I would try to take a walk on the beach and then come home and either find some good TV to watch or read some more.