been off in too much land

My goodness - -so sorry I have not been updating!
I am going to get myself over here and add some too fun Halloween things tomorrow, so tired right now!!
Sleepy time. Have a great Thursday and Spook-filled Halloween!!

Halloween is SO my fav holiday

I think I have finally realized why it is my favorite. While dressingup in your choice of crazy costume ranks high and getting tons of candy (pass the chocolate and ditch the smarties, K) is up there, it's not quite it.
I am not big on the being scared thing - I remember liking that in about middle school, staying up and watching creepy movies (when Freddy was, like, so scary - hahaha), but now it is definately not for me. I help out at the annual haunted house by making goodies and helping manage the line, but I will not go in. The lady that does it does a crazy scary job!
So, anyway, I finally figured it out! It's a holiday of sorts - I try to remember it as less to do with commercial stuff (make our own costumes here) and more of a harvest celebration, the coming of winter and all that. But, it's no stress. You get to just have fun, be silly and don't have the big "holiday" hoop-la. Makes it so much more bearable.
Speaking of no stress - I have yet to start making costumes, so I am feeling a bit out of sorts on that. But we do have just about all the parts for the fairy and all we need are black clothes for bat-child. I am going to be a geek - so get to dress up like hubby - -hahhaha!!!
So, up until the big day I will be posting fun finds from Etsy for Halloween.
Look for a few later today.

the bleach debate

Seriously wondering if bleach really does any good. I know that it destroys everything, but really think about it - it destroys EVERYTHING! Your nose, your clothes, your carpet, anything it touches. Kiddos and I have been sick on and off for about a week now - I think mine is mostly just plain exhaustion - and I have still yet to bring on the nasty stuff.
Been trying to keep up a bit more on vacuuming, dusting the floor with baking soda before, cleaned up the bathrooms from head to toe with my homemade cleaner and double-duty on the kitchen counters.
Then I found myself this morning thinking - should i suck it up and get the bleach out?! Then I realized that Miss Chatterbox was sick at the beginning of the week, but has not gotten sick again. Little Dude has not been feeling superb for a few days, but has not actually gotten sick, sick. So maybe he was taking so long to get rid of it because he just couldn't get it out - if you catch my drift.
Hubby is still unaffected and I truly think mine is just plain not being able to sleep and in pain from lame shoulder issue.
So, I will hold out and wash sheets to get rid of beddy germs, clean kitchen floor and wipe up bathroom doors and counters again. Then we will tell if bleach really is all it's cut out to be - or if plain old non-hazardous cleaning and waiting it out for a reasonable amount of time is really where it's at. I have no desire to deal with super bugs and all that crazy stuff - so I will not do the mommy panic and go overboard and spread more chemicals and yuck through my life.

Now, off to cleaning a bit and contemplating the joys of cleaning with stuff that I do not need a mask, gloves and goggles and crappy, ruined clothing to use. And relish in saving all that rinsing water and not poluting my front yard with my septic draining nasty chemicals into it because I had to have the germ free zone.

wack jobs in the book store

So, went to the "big town" that actually has a CostCo, Target, Ross, etc for the day to shop with little sis and goofy nephew with little chatterbox daughter and we were there to witness the wack-job of the day spout about socialist freaks and bleep bleep bleep yelling at a poor clerk in Big-Box-Bookstore about the books from and about "those stupid liberals" on a SMALL table display which were accompanied by books by and about . . .guess who? the apparently only sensible ones out there, the conservatives.
Gah . . .dude was seriously off his flipping rocker. Swearing up and down, making insane accusations that the bookstore was trying to brainwash the general public into believing "that socialist bullsh**". He even went on to make comments that would have him under investigation as a terrorist or at the very least someone of 'interest" to certian persons on protective duty to presidential candidates Granted, no direct threats as to what he would do, but the desire to see some one no longer alive. Yikes!!!
If said wack-job had not appeared so unstable, self would have walked up to him and told him that he was harming my child by using offensive language and wishing some one no longer a member of the planet Earth.

Wack-job even asked the poor clerk who just wanted to get him out of there before he made a huge scene (poor, poor guy) to give him the number and address for the corporate office so he could tell them how said chain bookstore was dissillutioning the public by having those books on display and should not allow this store to display or carry said books. It was apparently not even a matter of opinion. Cannot recall exactly what wack-job said, but it was along the lines of the ideas were so harmful that freedom of speech did not even cover them. WOW! So wanted to tell him then his freedom of speech should be revoked for being such and idiot!!!

I will say that said clerk did a very good job in not even responding to wack-job other than to ask him to step out the door and "have a good day" and give him the info he wanted. I seriously doubt my ability to be that calm while I was being yelled at like that over something I had no control over . .. and being the crazy liberal I am would have given him a piece of my mind.

major brainstorming

So, Aphia and I are getting down to business, although she already has a pretty good head start on me, we are both really excited to just get things going for our new ventures.
She has a name picked out and is ready to go, I have a HUGE list of potential names, but none really feel like the name. I have narrowed it down by doing some online research for something that has a similar name, or even if I thought of a name already out there - want to get my bases covered.
Now, I will have to find some good info as far as natural products and what is good, bad, better .. and still waiting for government yoo-hoos to give a rip about what I asked and get back to me.
Also wondering if I am wasting my time when I do Etsy store upkeep and such. I know that I will still be doing a few things here and there for itsiebitsies, but just not sure what the time scale will be. Really why I don't want to just ditch all the work I've done. And I know that I still want to do some of those things and have fun making my creations.
Then, I keep taking time off from thinking to watch things like debates (they are all so peeving me off!!!) and other less politically important, but oh, so much more sensible (haha). Like Top Design, What not to Wear ...
And I just had to watch Project Runway last night - - of course LeAnn would win - - I mean, duh. Korto does marvelous work, but I could just tell after the episode that Joe got the boot it would be LeAnn. She did fabulous work on her collection and was horrahed for almost each piece.
I would LOVE to see if Korto does work that she sells, but alas, I am probably too chunky for her stuff - size 10?! huh, what, that's a large, don't you know?! Blah. And I don't think I would be able to to fork over what she is worth to have her make something for me . .. wouldn't I love to, though. If the business venture takes off ... tell you where I'm shopping. Weee-whooo!
Kenley's collection had a few really fun pieces, too. The pinkish dress with the painting on it . .. LOVE!
Seriously, they all did something far beyond me and totally amazing .. Major congratulations to all 3 ladies.
Alright, off the PR tangent.

And on to my fun finds tonight:
The toys made by FantasticToys are just so wonderful! These fawns are so cute. Makes me wish I was little so I could have all of them. My daughter loves the butterfly puppet and mushroom house she got for her Birthday from FantasticToys!

And of course, the to-die-for-geekieness of GeekCentralStation!! Hopefully I can snag a Luke, or *hint* an Anikan for the little dude for Christmas!! This one is a pattern for the clothes, but I need the little guys - just do not have a crochet skill to try to make these guys.

Halloween has begun

The yearly scramble to get costumes done is coming close - hopefully I can get started early enough this year, though. I think I have everything for kiddo costumes. Just did a hardware store run for supplies, but may need to go back for more heavy wire. We'll see how far I can get.
DD wants to be a "scary fairy with purple and a little black" - I did not realize that at 4 years old you would want to be a Goth Fairy, but, hey, I think I can still make it cutsie and get away with it. Just won't use dark, dark purple and only a small amount of black. Apparently the 'scary' part is to be accomplished using fake vampire teeth, too. At least that is what I was told.
Then, DS wants to be a bat with scary teeth and claws. I think the major desire to be a bat stems from the desire to run around all day and night making horrible high-pitched screeching noise he makes when pretending to be a bat. And, no, not Batman - not even a little, a real bat. Will have to invest in glow-tape or glow-in-the-dark fabric paint for these costumes. Have not yet had such dark ones that we need to worry as much. So far has been more of the ghost, princess, Bob the Builder costume set - -ack! does this mean they are growing up?! EEEEKKKKK - -now that is mommy's Halloween scare.

And DS wants to make a spooky house for Halloween, too. We are going to make some skeletons and bats out of the wood left over from grandparent's remodel and bought some cheap black and white spray paint today and some cool chain to hang them with. I am really excited to have a DIY Halloween this year. It should be so fun! Plus, I am making a goal to make an entry for the DIY Halloween Contest being hosted/ sponsored, what ever you call it by instructables.
Halloween is one of the best holidays, and I really use it as a chance to showcase my creativity, rather than spend a boat-load of moola.
Look for my entry in my Etsy store: itsiebitsies



These awesome shadow puppets by orangemoontoys would look too cool in a Halloween Decoration. I can picture them set up on a spookified table by being placed in different sized bottles and jars - all painted black.
Brilliant idea, if I do say so myself!









And this guy might just be batty enough for the DS, but I doubt I can get him to wear a necklace. Would make a superb addition to a vampire or witch costume! Made by RockPaperSilver.










Happy Halloweening!! Catch you later.

Road trippin by my lonesome

Get to have some real chill-out time to myself this weekend, too bad it's all going to be driving and driving over snowy mountain passes at that.
Alas, I think I will be ok .. .been driving in the good old Montana since I started driving. Back roads, dirt roads, snowy roads, wet roads . .. all good. Just keep me away from those big old, nasty bridges and don't make me look down the steep drop-offs and it will be smooth sailing-ish.

Haha. Did record some of my tunes - no listening to that country stuff!

So here are some fun finds for you to enjoy while I'm driving away.



DoSiDough makes some awesome looking playing dough. I am afraid to buy it only because it really does look good enough to eat and I can so see some people here giving it a nibble.














This little guy is just cute and scary and all Halloweenie! Love him! Check out curlsofsunshine for patterns and cute little toys!

Got the News out!

Phew and double Phew!
I am on the finishing touches of the newsletter and it's new-ish design. I did change most things, but until we can really go all-out and offer up full-color or at least colors on internal pages, I feel like it really doesn't change.
Used BRIGHT pink for the high-light color on the front and back pages for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I am hoping my fellow GFWC MT ladies will appreciate that.

We are also announcing that we will be offering the newsletter electronically - -wooo! Great idea Susan! We can work on the old ladies (as I fondly call them) going green! I really do hope that they at least try it for one issue. We will officially announce it at the Board of Director's Meeting this coming weekend and they will get the announcement in their Fall issue of the GFWC Montana Woman. *crossing my fingers for a good response*

So, in honor of going green here are a few cool 'green' Etsy finds, ya'll!



Just too cute and organic to boot!!
by mingus :: Origami Elephant Organic Purse














Fat Cat is SO cool and I think I may have to hurt someone who buys him out from under my nose, really would love this little guy under my tree for Christmas. by RisingExpectations








Cheers all! I will be back soon - hopefully tomorrow. Miss me *LOL*

Need to get my act together

OK, so I have this project that I really need to get done, but there are so many other ideas running through my head I can't seem to sit down and do it.

And I have ZERO ideas for the project I need to do.

Erg, ugh, bleechh. Need ideas, need brain power, need ....
sleep.

Honestly, I think I need some sleep to energize on this.

So in honor of my need to re-energize and SLEEP here are some sweet Etsy finds:













Sleeping Fox Brooch by DandelionThief

Energy (bright citrus scent) Limited Edition Soap with Shea by BeautifulSkin

ChiWizard Orgone Generator - Rocket by ChiWizard

That's all folks! Have a good sleep the next time you venture that way.