The Many Roles of Mom

And then there was Ellsworth.

2011-04-01T00:10:00.003-05:00

You are probably thinking, What happened? Did they make it? But then again you are more than likely one of only two people who actually read this blog and know the full story already! Just in case let me recap a bit.........

After a few days in the Morton, Illinois hotel we headed out on a 14+ hour drive west. There were a great deal of cars abandoned as we reached the Iowa/Illinois border. After coming across a 5 tractor trailer accident from the day before, we were very thankful to have stayed the extra day. The drive was great up to Sioux Falls, SD. From there to the west has to be the longest, and most boring drive I have ever taken..lol. We reached our final destination at 8pm Thursday(Feb 3rd) night. We were here!!!!

Isn't it beautiful!!

Day Three- Oh Illinois!

2011-02-02T19:57:00.001-06:00

If you ever find yourself in a blizzard, Morton isn't that bad of a town. Today we ventured away from the Quality Inn in search of gas, food, and something to entertain four cooped up kids and two cranky adults! For lunch we stopped by the Steak and Shake. Yummy food, unfortunately being one of only a few places open it was packed to the walls with customers. The kids colored and decorated their placemats while we waited for our lunch. After a quick bite we drove around the corner to give the "beast" some gas and buy a much needed scrapper. That is when we noticed the Walmart just a block away. How could we resist the urge to wonder aimlessly through aisles of STUFF escaping the four walls for just a few more minutes. It was a productive trip aswell. I got Neela a new coat then decided all the girls would have one too! Then the kiddos (dad & mom too) picked out new DS games for the trip. I had to get the newest Professor Layton!! Last but not least daddy needed a pillow pet. After sitting shotgun on the last leg, he realized he wanted one too. It is quite a sight to see....as I lay here typing this up...my sweet hubby lay next to me peacefully sleeping on
his fluffy little penguin ;)

Amanda~ SygnetCreations

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.6

Day Two- Plan G, H or I

2011-02-02T10:53:00.001-06:00

Our first night ended in Clarksville, TN. We woke early that next morning on our way north west. Plan A was to travel through St Lewis on to Kansas City. That quickly changed to Plan B, head north to Chicago then west on I90. All of these plans would have worked had there not been a huge wall of winter weather blocking our entry. Plan C was soon put into action...head right in the middle of Illinois and staircase our way through Iowa and so on. You should be seeing the irony in all this...I know I am ;). We left the road at 5pm local time with visibility at zero. Here we sit amid other stranded travelers in Morton, Illinois waiting patiently for roads to open and plows to clear our way!

Amanda~ SygnetCreations

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.6

Day One

2011-01-31T13:37:00.001-06:00

We have officially left Florida! Our plan today is to make it to Nashville, TN. Tomorrow is already planning to be the most adventurous day. A huge winter storm spanning from Washington state to the east coast, is expecting to meet up with us and cause delays. We are confidant that our winter driving skills will keep us moving but rest assured we will take it slow and safe. If you live in the midwest, stay warm!

Amanda~ SygnetCreations

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.6

Moving Day

2011-01-28T22:21:00.001-06:00

The day is finally here. Movers came today to collect all of our belongings and send them on their way to the great snowy north west. We couldn't be more excited! Now all we have left is light cleaning and final out of housing and base. We leave Monday for new adventure...can't wait!

Amanda~ SygnetCreations

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

We've Been Here Before.

2011-01-19T13:16:00.002-06:00

Just weeks before the movers arrive I find myself wondering if this is REALLY going to happen. Are we really going to move? We have been here so many times in the last seven years that I can't help but be skeptical. It's difficult to be excited when previous experience only showed stress and heartache. This time it HAS to be different. We are going to travel north, enjoy the snow and sights, and reinvent ourselves in a new domain.

The only thing left is the packing of household goods and finally out of base housing. If all goes well, we will be hitting the road two weeks from Monday. I still hope to blog from the road and share our adventures along the way. Until then.......

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

How to Raise Swans

2010-11-29T21:35:00.003-06:00

Ever so often Google sends me little tidbits floating around cyberspace that pertain to swans and cygnets. Here are a few pieces from an article I read recently that made me giggle!

One of the first things that you need to know about raising swans is that they are social creatures. They mate for life and will continue to produce baby swans, called cygnets. The cygnets will learn to adapt to life by watching the parents. The male swan will be part of their lives and will help care for the tiny creatures. When the cygnets are fully grown, they are ready to leave the nest. As is the case with other animals, the parents are indifferent to the cygnets upon maturity.

I just knew we were doing this right! Hubby particularly liked the part about ' they will continue to have babies'....lol. Its funny how these little things come to be when you need a little laugh now and then =)

Free $25 Amazon Gift Card and more

2010-11-21T20:47:00.006-06:00

Can you believe I am almost done Christmas shopping and its not even Thanksgiving!! I am in shock that I have been able to get as much done over the last few weeks. Most of it is due to LUCK and contest giveaways like the one listed below. Just last night I won $10 Target gift card from Quicken Loans and crossed another item off my list. Check out this amazing offer from itsthoughtful.com and you too could walk away with $25!

So what do you do? Just sign up and tell your friends. You can also suggest 2010 gift ideas and be entered to win $500. It takes 30 seconds to sign up and the easy part..there are links to share the info with your twitter and facebook friends. Sign up now!

So what else I have I won... Well let me share it with you.

I won $10 Target gift card from Quicken Loans 'Thanks a Million" Instant win game
http://quickenloans.promo.eprize.com/thanks/

We’re STILL giving away THOUSANDS of prizes
every day, until December 31, 2010:

Gift Cards from Target, Amazon, Lowe’s and Starbucks
Plush animal toys
Fathead wall graphics
FREE credit monitoring
…and more!

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If you like reviewing products and have a video camera then this will be fun. I just joined ExpoTV in October and have already received over $20 in Amazon gift cards. You get 500 point per video review and its only 600 points for a $5 card! It racks up pretty quick. Plus they have a program where you can get free products to try at home and review. I have already been selected to review a product and I anticipate it will arrive anyday! You can sign up here. With this and Swagbucks I have done a great deal of my holiday shopping online just by using amazon gift cards!

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I also won a $10 Visa gift card from the Huggies® Enjoy the Ride Rewards Program. I got the codes from this site and just plugged them in to rack up points. Then you use those points for the instant win games or for prizes. Here are some of the codes:
NEW ONES
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BGSHBQLWTGRKPGB
BJQTWZMFQJWFPGB
BJQRFNCNMCNPPGB
BGQGLPKMCPXPPGB - 1 point
BJKNGQJRMBQRPGB - 5 POINTS
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BGNDJ-BBNXF-KTPGB - 1 point
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BFSJXBBWQDCCPGB 5 pt
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BFMJCPNQCJBNPGB 5pt
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BRSJTFPNPXPQPGB 5pt
BFNMBKDSPXRCPGB (5 points)
BDGTWXSQBJTXPGB (5 points)
HKNZJZGMDNKBPGB
XZRSSFHSQGFLTMN
MLXRCCNRWKKWPGB

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Make sure to check out that Instant Win Site above. Lots of great promotions going on this holiday season!

Good Luck, Bad Luck - Who's Really Counting?

2010-11-18T22:54:00.003-06:00

Any friend or family member could tell you that I have had my share of ups and downs. One might say I've had a touch of bad luck..and they may be right. Today, however, as I sit and ponder about the last year I find myself smiling. Smiling a sheepish grin as I realize just how fortunate I have become. I can not think of a single BAD moment that hasn't resulted in a peaceful ending. Not one!! Its not that I am an optimist or up beat, lemonade from lemons type of person. In fact when I am down my 'give a sh!t' meter is pretty busted. It takes a lot for my husband to convince me that everything will turn out for the best. Its funny how that works out when you think that Murphy invented a law just for you...things seem a little bit brighter.

My beautiful daughter turns 9 years old this Sunday and I couldn't imagine my life with out her witty comebacks, sensitive nature and loving personality. It is awe inspiring to watch her grow before my very eyes knowing that just hours after her birth our world was turned upside down. On November 21st, 2001 my daughter was born with a subarachnoid hemorrhage from a traumatic delivery. In the hours that followed she had 3 seizures, one lasting over 15 minutes. Her pediatrician told me to expect the worse as they loaded her little isolette onto a medivac plane. Even if she survived they anticipated permanent brain damage, blindness, or slow to no motor skills. She spent 7 days in the NICU hooked up to a ventilator and numerous monitors. Her doctor did one last CT scan. He wanted to check the degree of hemorrhage and discuss the possibility of surgery. The news we got was nothing short of a miracle. There was no blood...no signs of damage... her body had reabsorbed the blood and healed itself....and in his exact words. "I have never in my life seen this happen". A day later she was taken off the ventilator and a day after that we took her home!

Today the most she has to show for her ordeal is asthma and pretty blue glasses. I am thankful for every snarky comment, every preteen scoff, every dorky laugh.....and every time she looks at me and smiles I know just how lucky I am!!

HUGE Giveaway

2010-11-05T19:04:00.002-05:00

Hurry...time is running out!!! Click on the image above or click here and vote for your favorite stocking stuffers from above. One lucky VOTER will win a gift box filled with prizes worth over $100!! You heard me right... over $100 in ETSY goodies from the EtsyFriends Team..... Hurry though Giveaway ends Nov 8th!! - See blog for details. Make sure you put your email address in hte comments so they know where to find you if you win!

Gifts for the Guys

2010-10-18T12:23:00.006-05:00

The men in our lives seem to be the hardest to shop for during the holiday season. Here are a few items available for the men and boys in your life!

Adult Travel Pillows

Army and Graffiti Skull Travel Pillows

Motorcycles

Child Travel Pillows

Trucks and 'All Boy' themed pillows

Work zone

Blankets

Oh Boy Quilt and Football Throw

Rocking Red Flames - Twin Throw

Stocking Stuffers & Toys

Ronnie The Robot Plush

Pirate - Scribble N ' Go Board

Did that really just happen?

2010-09-25T13:18:00.002-05:00

Had a bit of a tween moment when my ten year old son proceeded to yell at his father after being sent to his room and called back for talking under his breathe..... Oh my word if this is the start to the teen battle he may not make it to 11! I laugh or I might nail him to the wall feeding him only bread and water. He has never talked this way...well he talks back on occasion but has never openly yelled at his father who out weighs him by at least 170lbs.... I know that if it were me standing there calling him back he probably wouldn't have mustered much of a peep.

Why is that? Is it because I don't allow him to get away with anything or because I am home all the time and thus the disciplinarian?

He's not a bad kid but if you were a fly on the wall your jaw would have hit the floor when he flew down the hallway and began yelling at his father before even turning the corner. I was all the way in the dining room and I about flew from my computer chair to ring his neck... No worries, no children were harmed in this episode. He did however have to call his friend and explain why he wouldn't be attending open rec tonight.

Those who have teenage boys... please tell me this is short lived and he will go back to occasional taking back without the over the top outbursts?!

Parenting is an up hill battle...one day you are pushing the buggy and the next day you are flat on your face with tire marks!!

Top 10 Reasons I Work From Home!

2010-09-25T11:59:00.005-05:00

In a creative funk, I decided to make a list to motivate and remind myself the true reasons I decided to work from home. I hope that Stay at Home and Work at Home parents alike can relate to these items !! =)

Top 10 Reasons I Work From Home:

10. My customers and friends support my fabric addiction.
9. My office is a mess and no one cares but me!
8. I get longer than a 30 min/hour lunch break.
7. Pajamas are acceptable business attire.
6. Apprenticeship is a child who can both write legibly and seal a package =)
5. No one minds me singing while I work...as long as they can sing along!
4. "Hostile Take Over" is when my toddler wants to color...NOW!
3. Sexual Harassment isn't an issue unless my husband is home ;)
2. Colleagues, from all over the world, are just an Etsy convo or forum post away!

and the #1 Reasons I Work From Home:

Nap Time!

Warm Fuzzies

2010-09-24T06:10:00.005-05:00

There are few moments that give me the all over warm fuzzies but this moment.... This one made my day!! In the past I have talked on and off of my Ikea pillowcase dress and how excited I was about its creation. I never thought another would love it such as I but I listed it my shop just the same. Roughly one year later a customer walks into my life that made today's post so special. Not only did she purchase this wonderful dress but she sent pictures of herself wearing it and I must say.... It was made for her!!! She looks stunning and I am over the moon to see her so happy!.

Her words:
Thank You for my dress.... It's beautiful and fits me perfect.
I love it.!!!

Thank you to all my customers through out the years. Each and every one of you give me the warm fuzzeis when you pick us out of the crowd! Its an honor to provide you with warmth and comfort...one fabric item at a time =)

Dont look now.....

2010-09-19T18:25:00.006-05:00

.....But it has been a whole month since my last post and that just will not do!! A great many things have happened in the 30 some odd days that I could go on and on and on. I shall not bore you with the trials and tribulations so here is a synopsis of events:

Orders to South Dakota were put on hold mid to late Aug (Yes again). Everything was fixed and orders should be reinstated ANY DAY NOW!
Kids started school.. They were excited to stay a bit longer. They have been going to this school since my 5th grader was in prek!
100 wholesale pillows completed and mailed - whoo hoo!!
Still waiting on the system to update and our orders returned. Hurry up and wait is the military moto!
Decided to stay positive and start sewing again.

Sewing...sewing...sewing.. Yup that is what I have been doing to stay busy and keep my mind off moving and our looming orders. Here are a few items created and listed recently.

"Olivia" Patchwork Quilt

"Oh Boy" Patchwork Quilt

Korean Inspired Adult Neck Pillow

Bird Seed and Stripe Child Neck Pillow

Love Wishes Honeymoon Travel Set

Off to the MailBox with a Craft Book in my Hand..

2010-08-12T20:18:00.005-05:00

Sooooo excited...

Woke up yesterday to read so many
wonderful and sweet comments
that I couldn't wait to see who the lucky
winner will be....

Then (because Murphy is my friend)
my computer acted up and I wasn't
able to select a winner until moments
ago. Are you ready?

The winning number is #37

Congrats lolamichele!!

You are the lucky winner
of the Craft Hope book.
An email has been sent
to your email account.

Thanks to everyone who entered. Checkout the Month Of Hope via Lark Crafts and stay up to date with their twitter for all the giveaways going on this August!! By all means... you can purchase your own copy right here.. Have you seen the new Craft Hope Project? Look no further =)

Giveaway - Craft Hope Book!

2010-08-04T20:41:00.007-05:00

As you may have read..the Craft Hope: Homemade Craft For a Cause book hit shelves August 3rd (yesterday). For the entire month of August, Lark Crafts will be celebrating the release by getting to know the designers, charities and projects surrounding Craft Hope. Today and each Wednesday of this month you can get to know the designers and their contributions. Make sure to read the informative story behind the book and interview with the wonderful Jade Sims, author and creator of Crafthope.com

As a featured designer I am honored to be giving away a signed copy (by me) of this amazing book! Post a comment below by midnight (Eastern Standard Time), August 11th to be eligible to win. August 12th a winner will be chosen at random. Please post your email address in your comment so you can be notified if selected.

Thanks and good luck!!

Buy one, Get one 50 Percent Off!!!

2010-08-02T23:37:00.009-05:00

It's that time.... Time to liquidate for our big move to the Central North West!! Help us out and take advantage of this fantastic sale. All items in shop are up for grabs!

BOGO - BUY ONE, GET ONE 50% off
(50% off applies to item of equal or lesser value)
Savings will be refunded via paypal or you can contact
me prior to purchase and I will alter the pricing.

Below are a few examples of what you can expect
during this sale. Hurry though, sale ends Aug 2oth!!
Movers come a few days later!!

BOGO - Child Travel Neck Pillow
-------------------------------------------------------------

Buy any two Child Travel Pillows for $15
($20 reg) +shipping

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Adult Travel Neck Pillows
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Buy any two Adult Travel Pillows for $18
($24 reg.) +shipping

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Baby Blankets
--------------------------------------------------------

Buy any two baby blankets for $37.50
($50 reg) + shipping

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Quilts
-----------------------------------------------

Quilts vary in price. The above are $50 ea.
For this sale buy them both for $75 total
($100 reg) + shipping

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Aprons
-------------------------------------------------
(Picture above is a special buy,
contact me if you wish to apply the sales price)

Buy any two Waist Aprons for $37.50
($50 reg) + shipping

-----------------------------------------
MIX AND MATCH
-----------------------------------------
Feel free to mix and match through out the store.
Buy an Adult and Child pillow for $17 ($22 reg)
Buy a Quilt and an apron $62.50 ($75 reg)
and so on.... 50% off applies to the item of equal
or lesser value. Contact me for assistance or
more information!

Wholesale Day 1

2010-07-29T23:59:00.003-05:00

Fabric arrived at 5pm Wednesday night.
I was so excited I started work right away.
This is one of my largest wholesale orders
so keeping a diligent schedule is
important to my deadlines.

Cutting and pinning is the most time consuming.
If I could clone myself to do one task,
cutting would be the one!!

After the cutting, each pillow has a logo attached
and care instructions. Then it goes into a pile to have
logo sewn as well as edges. Then the last pile for
stuffing. At this stage my husband grabs the stack
of completed cases and stuffs them to desired firmness.

When stuffed they are returned to me for final hand
stitching and then placed in a box. The goal is to get
20 pillows along the bottom and going up in rows from there.

As of day one 12 have been completed!

Health Update - Eyes

2010-07-29T02:59:00.004-05:00

About 4 months now my youngest, Neela, has been wearing an eye patch off and on to help strengthen the vision and laziness of her right eye. Wednesday she had a follow up appointment with her ophthalmologist and its both good and bad news. The good, her eyes sight has improved slightly in both eyes.. The bad, her eye is still wandering pretty bad and he suggested seeing a Strabismus specialist. He doesn't think she will need surgery right away but he doesn't want to rule it out. The doc mentioned patching and the possibility of blurring the good eye with drops in order to strengthen the right. It all depends on how the new doctor wishes to proceed... He just wanted to stress the importance of her being seen as soon as possible. Looks like our first month in South Dakota will be a busy one!

Open Letter to Night Time Creepy Crawlers

2010-07-27T00:52:00.004-05:00

Dear Spiders, Geckos and friends:

I do not appreciate your arrival into my home unannounced! Although I am flattered that you prefer our one on one encounters, let's limit them to times when Chris is awake and can meet you too. Some places that you should consider off limits:

Outside my tub after a long relaxing bath - This is no fun for me as you can see I am not dressed for such surprises.
Bedroom - Let's face it... it is not the cleanest room in my house and I prefer to keep my deep, dark, dirty secrets off limits to my guests
Under my Desk in my Office - I really do love assistance but if you do not have opposable thumbs I am not sure what use you are in the sewing and stuffing department.
Child's bedroom - I know aren't they adorable when they sleep? Let's keep it that way and leave this place untouched shall we!!
Living Room - I understand this is your favorite meeting spot but I must disagree.. I am typically enthralled deep into a TV show or working late on a project. This is not the time for a social call so please call ahead of time so I can respectfully decline.

As you can see I am limited on spaces you are allowed to patrol... so lets just face facts and part ways now. I respect your feelings and can only imagine how hard this is to hear. I know you are just trying to keep me company but I have many friends... In fact my friends 'Raid' and 'size 10 shoe' are never far from my side and would love to meet you some day.

Best Wishes

Visualizing Featured Seller - Part 9

2010-07-23T02:52:00.000-05:00

How do you promote your work?

Here are a few of my favorite things:
Facebook
website
blog
word of mouth
website ad space
magazine ad space
craft shows
email marketing

One of the first promotional ideas:
I created a promo pack filled with product information, business cards, bookmarks, candy, and of course all about Etsy. This was the best way I knew to get the word out about my new business venture and put a little bit of my product info in potential customer's hands.. even if they were my friends and family!!

Visualizing Featured Seller - Part 8

2010-07-17T02:52:00.004-05:00

What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?

It is important to create a presence online just as you would if you were selling in person. Create concise policies that outline what your customers can expect from you. Take your time when writing product description and taking photos. These are your number one selling points. You could have the best item in the world but with out bright crisp images, no one would be the wiser. Also.. Join a team! Everyone needs a friend and teams are a great way to share support and encouragement when going it alone.

Visualizing Featured Seller - Part 7

2010-07-09T08:20:00.002-05:00

What are your favorite features on Etsy?

I love Pounce! I really enjoy looking at new and undiscovered sellers. It is also fun to see what is selling and what people are buying.. It can get pretty addictive!

What new features would you like to see?

One thing I would love to see are subsections. I think it would stream line the way I do my listings. Having the main section of 'Travel Pillows' and then several subsections dividing them by size... Oh the possibilities!!

Want to read more interview Q&A? Check out my previous posts and those of Jen from sosorosey!

Visualizing Featured Seller - Part 6

2010-07-02T03:19:00.000-05:00

Name your top five books, movies, musicians, and websites besides Etsy.

I do not have a lot of time to read but these are my all time favorites!

1. Charlotte's Web
2. Bunnicula
3. Super Fudge
4. Chicken Soup for the Soul
5. Blessings by Anna Quindlen

Movies
1. The Dark Crystal
2. Labyrinth
3. We Were Soldiers
4. Ladder 49
5. Far and Away

Musicians:
I don't have a favorite! I am pretty easy when it comes to music. As long as I can hear what they are saying and it has a good beat then I am a happy camper!

Websites:
1. Facebook - I like to play and chat with my family
2. Pogo - Its a great website with fin games!
3. Craftopolis - What can I say.. I love seller tools =)
4. flickr - My other passion in life is photography.
5. and of course my own site sygnetcreations.com

Want to read more Q&A? Check out my previous posts and those of Jen from sosorosey.