Texas Holdem stole my boyfriend!

Lately I never see my Boyfriend! Seems as if Text Holdem' has stolen him away! There are games in our area nitely (and they are FREE) that he frequents to get his "fix" and then there are the online games that you can also play for free (if you get really low on chips...well then you need to purchase them!) but he plays so much that he ends of earning so many free chips. Sure I could go to the games with him, but working the next day sure puts a damper on winning and staying late. It's also not my favorite thing to do in the evening, so why should I give up my movies, books and the internet for these nitely treks, when I could be very comfy in my own home.

So yikes, what can a girl do. Hope that someday the game will turn him off and he'll come running back to me! Ha...ha.

Any ideas, suggestions or support are welcomed!

Wow, win $75.00 from Red Envelope!

Easy to enter, just window shop at
Red Envelope


...and comment here mentioning the items you want to purchase should you win!

Wonderful!!! Good luck!!


You'll also find some other great contests at Blog Contest Station
Be sure to submit your great contests there and look for the Indiesmiles "Shoppers Cartoon Contest" coming soon!! Your chance to win a Basketful of Handmade goodies from 14 Artisans!

Visit the Indiesmiles Coupon Directory, presently there are close to 100 shops participating in this awesome sale that will run from Black Friday through Cyber Monday!

Read more about this huge sale:

Indiesmiles

The grass certainly was not greener!

Wow, so much has happened over the past month that it's hard for me to keep up with it. Originally I had thought that I would join a another handmade website and dissolve Indiesmiles. As it turns out, life was much better at home and the grass was certainly not greener!

El has decided to leave Indiesmiles because she has been too busy with classes and her online shops and I've taken over the helm. Since I felt that co-op articles is the way to go, so much has occurred in the world of handmade that it takes more then one person to keep up with the activities! So many online venues have come into the scene besides Etsy and Artfire. So many new crafter's and crafts and lots of changes in the way that we can present and promote our wares!

Lately we've had several columnists join us and a marketing expert who is going to help get the word out about Indiesmiles and the news we present.

Plus, the Coupon Directory lives on. It's difficult in today's economy for most of us to peel off the high dollars to advertise our shops, but as a very wise man told me that if you don't advertise, you will be advertising at some point "going out of business". Sad but true! So the question in my mind is this, what is too much for people to pay? So I'm going to put it out there for Izzy-it's readers. Please let me know! The questions is this:
Is $2.00 too much to ask for a text listing in a sale directory, essentially the Coupon Directory at Indiesmiles?

So the way it works in the directory you would pay $2.00 for the Text Listing and then another $2.00 if you want to feature (125x125 graphic ad) your shop graphically above the entire directory listings. Included in with that pricing is free graphics that are emailed to you for your own use. Use them in your shop, your blog or to circulate on Facebook, etc.

Why is it that in the corporate world, there are zillions of websites that offer coupon codes for sites like Victoria Secrets, Coldwater Creek, Micheals etc. Yet in the handmade circles, as such, this has been such a tough concept for our readers and advertisers. Please help me answer this. I don't want to give up Indiesmiles Coupon Directory, I think that there is a strong need for it. Buyers want to know who is having sales without having to sift through pages and pages of sellers.

Can this change, it's up to us decide. I feel that it's a great service, but like anything else...you've got to use it!
Sue
Indiesmiles

Abundance!

A friend of mine and I just happened to be talking about Abundance and that we all deserve abundance in our lives. Our discussion centered around believing. A few days later, this lovely bill of rights appeared in my Facebook message box. I was so taken by it that I asked for the authors permission to reprint it so that all of my blog readers could enjoy it!

Spend time appreciating what you have so you can attract more of that into your life. While you’re at it, consider sharing some of what you have with those around you who are truly being affected by the economy. And, if you are one of those who has lost a job and is really struggling in these times, seek out people who are doing well and feeling happy. That energy will rub off on you and help you transition to bigger and better things! So here you go!


Your Prosperity Bill of Rights(TM)

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, July 4, 1776.


Sometimes we forget that we have the right to live our life to our own specifications. I’m not suggesting it’s OK to rob a bank if the fancy strikes you; I’m saying that you have the right to be happy, choose your career, who you spend your time with and all other aspects of your life. Here are some rights I suggest you claim as your own.


~ I have the right to attract as much prosperity as I want.
~ I have the right to be prosperous doing work that I love.
~ I have the right to prosper even if friends or family are rejecting prosperity.
~ I have the right to say no to requests that don’t honor abundance.
~ I have the right to believe there is enough wealth for everyone, including me.
~ I have the right to express all of my feelings on prosperity.
~ I have the right to change my mind about how I see money.
~ I have the right to follow my own values and standards regarding prosperity.
~ I have the right to value prosperity for myself and others.
~ I have the right to determine my own financial priorities.
~ I have the right to only be responsible for my behavior, actions, feelings or problems around money, other people are responsible for how they treat their money.
~ I have the right to be uniquely myself and attract abundance.
~ I have the right to make financial decisions based on my feelings.
~ I have the right to my own financial needs.
~ I have the right to be financially healthier than those around me.
~ I have the right to change and grow as I embrace abundance.
~ I have the right to have my financial needs and wants respected by others.
~ I have the right to be prosperous and happy.


Pick and choose from the above rights and/or come up with your own. The point here is that you are in control of your own life and destiny. Don’t take this responsibility lightly. Create a life of your choosing that is perfect for you. Once you know the rights you want to put into place in your life, type them up or write them out in beautiful calligraphy and post them somewhere where you will be reminded of them often. Consider reading them aloud each morning and/or evening to reinforce them. Strengthen your boundaries and raise your standards where you need them to help maintain and protect your personal rights.
© 2009 Ruth Hegarty

The above "Abundant" magnet by
Etsy shop ColorInFushionstudios
What a lovely reminder that we deserve Abundance in our lives!!

London and Charity Shops

I recently visited family and friends in London! Wow, it was fantastic and exciting. The downside was that we were traveling to Bridgnorth (a small historic town near Wales), to research family history, and the weather was awful. It was downright cold and the cruel north winds were blowing.

Since I was traveling on a budget and I adore thrift shops here in the states I set out to purchase heavier clothing items from charity shops during our travels in the UK.

What I found is that, for the most part, all of the items were high quality and quite fashionable. The pricing was also a wee bit higher then the thrift stores in the states. But every it was worth every pound!

Here is a pic of my cousin Hilary and myself standing in front of an old house in Bridgnorth. I am modeling a Natural light beige sheared (and I must add...very warm) coat from a Charity Shop in Oxford where we stopped enroute to enjoy lunch. This coat was a rare find at 10 pounds!

Well...lets hurry and take this photo...we're off to more Charity Shops!! Lets go Hil!

Artisans come together to help a friend!

I'm devastated! I just heard the news that my good friend Christie's Cottage is ill and needs our help.

A group of Angel Artisans have come together in Etsy to donate either a portion or 100% of some of their items to help Christie Cottage and her family. You can find these artisans here:

Etsy Thread

By reading through this thread and making purchases from the talented artisans you can help our a very caring friend.

Christie was the type of person who would also convo me to ask me if I was doing ok if she didn't see me in the Etsy forums for a while. Most importantly she was the one person who was instrumental in pulling together artisans to donate items, and then promoting the threads to help Carole Stites-Luka! The entire time that she was doing all of these wonderful loving things, she was struggling with her own health problems. What a terrific and brave gal!!

So, fellow Etsians, please donate items to her cause and add your shop to the list.

Hurry the thread will close on 3/13, but you can continue to offer items in your shop to Christie. Anyone who wants further info on Christie and her condition can convo Hemplady4u at:
Hemplady4u

Again, thank you one and all...I'm touched at the outpouring of love from the Etsy community as well as the Twitter and Blogging community.

You can visit Christie's shop (her children are handling the communications and shipping of her items):

Christiecottage

Sad news concerning Carole....

As many of you know, we've been helping to raise money and awareness for Carole Stites-Luka who has a rare form of liver cancer. Our efforts have not been in vain as you will determine from Carole's daughter Cindy, as she eloquently writes a letter to all of us whom have done our part to help one brave woman. If you are not familiar with her story, please read the posts provided in her blog. Carole was a crossing guard whom would do wonderful things for the small children that she helped stay safe; including putting her own life in danger! She has touched my heart forever and I ask all of you, who are so inclined, to pray that Carole strength stays with her, as she deals with everything she needs to face. Also Pray for a miracle, as we all know miracles have been and can be possible.

Letter from Cindy (Carole's daughter)
All,We received the news late last Friday my Mom has been turned down by Mayo for a liver transplant. The purpose of going there was for evaluation which is required pre-transplant. While there we received fluctuating reports that seemed promising to not. Then, the 'selection committee' comprising 14 doctors were going to meet last Weds to decide whether or not to proceed.....

read more of Cindy's touching letter at:

http://liver4carole.blogspot.com/

Kindred Spirit Award

Thank you Nyblaque for the Kindred Spirit award! What a pleasant surprise!
Visit her blog:
http://nyblaque.blogspot.com/

I also would like to PIF (play it forward) and send this award to a few of my Kindred Spirits:


Laacesplaace - My cousin and my best friend, also related to Carole through marriage, and a huge support system for Cindy (Carole's daughter) and helping with the organization of the "Spring to Action" Contest.

Nyblaque - Coming back at ya! Thanks for all you do to help others; especially Carole Stites-Luka's cause!

ChristieCottage - Pulled together Artisans to help donate items to Carole, thanks so much Christie!

Hemplady4u - Designed the Carole Angel Bracelet and devoted her time to making the bracelets and donating the funds to Carole's Cause!

Falcondraco - Designed the "Spring to Action" button, by using hand drawn graphics. Thank you for donating your time and your artwork!

...there are so many people that I would like to thank and will do so along the way.
Thank you to my Kindred Spirits!


Join in the "Spring to Action" contest to spread awareness for Carole's quest for a Liver Transplant. You can win your choice of 10 handmade items from various artisans.

Blog Awards!

How sweet of Katie (aka Miskat) to include me in this award! I have added a few more blogs that definitely deserve the Love Ya Award!


I've added my We are passing the Love Ya award on to Endless Whimsy, Starrlight Jewelry, Izzy-It, Jane Diamond, Sheep at the Beach, Purrprints, Handicrafts and Little Studio Photography and Jewelry!

Izzy-it has added and has passed the Love Ya award to:
Nyblaque PainterMommy Anothercontest Knitforneighbors

“LOVE YA” award winner! These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who can choose eight more and include this text into the body of their award.

"Spring to Action" Contest!

LOOK AT ALL THE GREAT PRIZES!!! 2 WINNERS! 20 Prizes in all!!!!
See all prizes and rules at:
http://liver4carole.blogspot.com

No donations necessary, but are appreciated:
http://www.transplants.org/
in honor of Carole Stites-Luka

Worldwide contest!!

First prize winner, gets choice of 10!!

2nd prize winner gets remainding 10 items!!

SO SPRING TO ACTION and helps us build awareness about Carole's desperate need for a Liver Transplant!

A Twitter friend is holding a Valentine Contest, the prizes are awesome!
You can sign-up for this contest on her blog;
Paintermommy.com

You can gain entries several ways, one is to visit the blog and choose your favorite prize! Leave a comment on her blog and sign-up for her newsletter for a chance to win.

Check out the prizes that you can choose from!!



There will be 3 winners!
This giveaway will end on Saturday, January 31st so the winners can get their gifts in time for Valentines Day! Good luck everyone!!

The winners will be announced by Monday, February 2nd.

Have fun and good luck everyone!