Shop Hop Saturday 7/23/11

Good Saturday morning to all!
It's that time of week to share our online work along with Ruthi and abitosunshine.

This past week I didn't get anything new created on Zazzle. I didn't get anything made to list in my etsy store. I did start a jelly roll lap quilt.
I'm still working at completing the washcloth order as well as the fabric bag order.

I'm still pondering about etsy. An online friend told me about a webstie this week called Zibbet. She says it's free for basic membership and with that membership you can list up to 50 items. Worth checking out.

Today I would like to remind you about my blujay store. I have a lot of books in my blujay store along with other misc. items.
Visit my store

http://marsha32.blujay.com

That's my report for this week. Inspire me all to get to work this next week!

Frugal Friday's With Marsha 7/22/11

Welcome to Friday!

Let me talk about my frugal wedding this week. July 30 will be here before I know it.
We do not have money for anything really.

Clothing--A lady that lives across the street from our church comes to our Bible study on Tuesday morning. She is graciously letting me borrow one of her daughter's formals. My friend that is helping with the reception has a bouquet for me to carry. I found a pair of white dress shoes on clearance at Wal Mart for $3. Steve will just be wearing his suit and a pair of black shoes that we found in one of his totes that will work. I already have a wedding set of rings that he bought me a few years back. We will be buying one of the $28 bands from Wal Mart for him.

Photos--I'm not sure. I'm going to ask the photographer that attends our church how much he will charge us to come take photos and put them on disc for us. If not, someone will use my camera and my daughters will probably take photos with theirs as well.

Decorations---we have none.

Music--My oldest daughter is making us a CD of love songs that will play before the wedding and then during the reception.

Reception--My friend who lives in a near by town is taking care of most of the reception for me. She has baked the cakes and is making the punch. She is providing some of the table coverings. Other table coverings and the punch bowl and such are at my church. My oldest daughter has bought the mixed nuts to serve. She has also bought the ingredients to make the wedding mints. We will all sit down together a couple of day before the wedding and make those. I went to my mom's and found my rose mold that I've had for years.

The license at $85.50 is the most costly item for us. However, he's had this motorcycle sitting here that he bought a few years back to use for parts. We sold it last night for $100 so that covers the license.

Honeymoon??-- well, Steve's vacation is the week following the wedding. He won a $100 American Express gift card in a drawing at a meeting at work. That is paying for 2 nights at an RV resort to rent a cabin. We will just need to buy food for the days. It's been years since we've been able to go out there and we rented a camper in the past. The cabins are 2 bedrooms, and yes, we are taking my 14 yr old with us. Everyone tells us to make her stay home since we need a homeymoon, but neither of us can do that. It would be easy if we took other trips over the course of a year but we don't. Besides, it's not like we haven't already been living together for years.

Invitations--none of those either, just word of mouth in person and phone calls. We did put a blanket invitation for church members in the newsletter and in the bulletin.

Any other fine suggestions would be great for the wedding.


On to other things. Here are the items for the week from the 99 Cent Solutions book. We are still on the many uses of baking soda:

Deep clean a diswasher--Sort out that faintly funky odor in your dishwasher by putting 1 cup of baking soda in the bottom of the dishwasher and run it on the rinse cycle. If the smell still persists, sprinkle a few tablespoons on the bottom and let it sit in between loads. No need to rinse it out before running the next load.

Repel rain from a windshield--You haven't replaced your wiper blades and there is rain in the forecast. Dissolve a couple tablespoons of baking soda in 2 cups of water, dip in a clean cloth, and rub it over the windshield. Rain will slip off more easily until you buy those new blades.

De-skunk a bottle or thermos--Can't get that smell out of a bottle or flask that has been stored with the lid on. Fill it with warm water and a few teaspoons of baking soda. Soak it overnight. Rinse well and the smell will have evaporated.

That's all for me this week. I hope to really start seeing more hop along with us each week. I need the inspiration, and I know others do too. I love reading way that others are living a frugal life, saving money, etc.

Squidoo Hopping 7/21/11

Thursday snuck right up on me this week.

I've been in and out of squidoo this week a lot, but sure didn't get anything built or updated. Well, I did update one lens.

I'm still checking out Fotolia, which I am having lots of fun. With the free 30 day membership they gave me I can download up to 5 photos per day. I'm having fun looking up words of interest like coupons, crafts, crochet, etc. I am getting photos saved that I will use in my lenses and in my blog. Be on the look out for my review because 3 of my lucky readers who comment will also win a 30 day membership!

Ok, I played around a little in my Pop Tarts Vs. Toaster Strudel lens. This was a Rocketmoms challenge once to make a comparison lens. I didn't do well with it, but sure couldn't think of anything else to compare. I doubt I do another comparison lens.

Here are a couple of lenses that are in the pink that can use views to move up.
This Day in History February 1 and
Crash! by Mayra Calvani

Alrighty....I hope to see lots hook up this week. I really appreciate those of you that are working to help me get the word out about the hop. Thanks!

WIP Wednesday 7/20/11

Good Wednesday to all.  I've tried to keep with my promise to myself and work on crafts each day.  So much I want to do, but so little time around housekeeping, church activities, company in town, getting ready for our wedding, my other earning online...and the other usual things that take me away from home.

I've been working on an order for 12 washcloths, that is moving right along.

I was looking at this quilt that I have already listed in my etsy store.  OMG!  The binding on it looks like you know what.  So, new project....ripping the binding off and hopefully getting it right this time.  I've seen some tutorials on blogs going through these hops, so I think I understand now the real way to put the binding on!

 Lastly this week, I started a jelly roll quilt of my own.  First of all, my strips were already cut to 2 inches instead of 2 1/2 inches.  Secondly, I didn't have near as many strips as I thought I had.  I ended up with about 1450 inches.  Looks like it's going to end up being a lap quilt, but I'm ok with that as I don't have any of these in my etsy shop yet.   I am rounding up what material I can to get another started.....and I have gingham prints from church to start another for church as well.

 I am hooking up with the following 3 blog hops.  Click each button to hop along and/or see what others are up to!

Mailbox Monday 7/18/11

Another pretty slow week, but something in the mail each day I suppose it always good...well, it's fun anyway.
Magazines: Forbes, Ok, Bloomsberg Businessweek, Sports Illustrated and People.
My Jerky Direct autoship (paid for + by my downline)
Envie of coupons won by Pamela but she asked it be sent to me--Thanks to both Pamela for thinking of me and Cathie for holding the giveaway.
Several pieces of hausernet mail
Free coupon for Jif To Go 8 pack
Seeds inside a garden club offer
Time of Grace magazine

My email was great this past week:
.19 paypal from youdata
$9.41 paypal from article writing services (after paypal fees)
craft order to paypal
$9.39 paypal from squidoo

Disrupted Lives by Brenda Youngerman--Book Review

Disrupted Lives by Brenda Youngerman
ISBN 978-1-61204-192-6
Published by Strategic Publishing Group

This is the 3rd novel I've had the privilege to read by Brenda Youngerman.  I've loved them all, and hope to eventually get a chance to read all that she has written.  I'm proud to call Brenda my online friend.  She's a wonderful person with a kind heart and gentle spirit.

Brenda has a writing style that I love.  She reels you in to each story by starting close to the end of the story, but then she takes you back to the beginning and finally back to the final end.  Her style makes you want to keep reading as all of her characters lives are intertwined in some way.  Disrupted Lives is no different.

Taken from the back of the novel:

A name does notmake a person, a person makes a name.
From 1920 to present day Georgia, this saga of family secrets and old Southern prejudices are explored in the explosive novel.  


The book starts out with Amelia and Darren and Amelia has just woke up from yet another one of her numerous nightmares.  Nightmares over a baby her parents forced her to give up when she was a teenager.


So the story goes, back to the beginning.  It amazes me how the story line goes in Disrupted Lives, as it does in all of Brenda's novels.  Story lines are easy to follow, but just when you are sure of what happened next, you are surprised.   I do enjoy how things end up for the positive.


I do not like to give much away about a book in my reviews, but will leave you by saying I highly recommend Disrupted Lives, as well as all other Brenda Youngerman books.


For further information on the book, please visit: http://sbpra.com/brendayoungerman/




You can buy your copy right here from amazon:





Disclaimer:  I rec'd a copy of Disrupted Lives by the author for the purpose of this review and blog tour.  I was not compensated in any other way.  All opinions are my own.

 

Shop Hop Saturday 7/16/11

It's Saturday again already.  Days just string together anymore and I always stay busy.
This past week I didn't complete any new crafts to list in my etsy store.  I worked on some, but nothing completed.
Tuesday was our sewing club at church where I learned a new quilting technique.  I haven't had my sewing machine back out since that day.

I have been working on orders that have come in.  It's such a great feeling to get orders!  I'm waiting for materials to come in to complete one order of fabric bags, but half of her order has already been shipped.  I had an order for dish scrubbies that I completed and mailed out.  And, the order I am currently working on is for 12 washcloths.

We are having another garage sale today--once again with no other advertising except signs hung up around town.  Last time all I sold was 2 dish scrubbies, so while I was already making them for an order, I made some more to put in my big jar on my craft table.  I did try to call in for an ad in the newspaper but I called 30 minutes past the deadline.  With highs in the triple digits, it is too hot to sit outside, and most definately if we don't have lots of customers and actually make some money.

Ok, back to business.  I did manage to get a few new items created in my zazzle store.   I will share those today.   I still have trouble with trying to design there.  I did a couple of t-shirts but I can't get my pics to be as large on the t-shirts as I want.  I was trying to make a bag as well, same problem.  If I make it to fit the product then I get the warning about the photo will be pixeled.  I printed out the help on what size photos should be.  Hopefully I can keep my goal and get a few new items in my store each week.

Sunflower with Flag Postage Stamps

Sunflower with Flag Poster

Kansas Postcard

5 Little Kittens T-Shirt

Sunflower with Flag T-shirt

I hope you will click the button below and join us this week on the Shop Hop!

 

52 Weeks of Organizing--Week 28 (Week 5 for Me)

Friday again. Seems that working this challenge is really the only thing keeping me going on my attempt to organize and de-clutter. That's a good thing though, and exactly why I was glad to find orgjunkie and the challenge.
However, it seems that motivation comes the day before it's time to do the post so that I have something to post. I suppose that is ok too as long as things are getting done.

This week I re-claimed my kitchen counters.
Check out this before photo.....yuck!!  Let's see.....my mom's muffin tins that never were returned to her, a box of bread,  back of I don't know what, recycle items, and a lot of misc. junk.

Ta da!  This is what I have now.  This took me close to an hour to find places for things and wash everything down.  If you could see the white crockpot in the corner of the first photo, it's now up in the cabinet and replaced with a 6 qt red one.  It was hilarious...we were sitting at supper last night and my 14 yr old looked over at the counter and said, "We have a toaster??  I didn't even know that."  It was hilarious!

I have an awful confession to make........the coffee table is staying pretty cleared off, but the 2 side tables are needing help again.  One is my daughter and grandchildren's stuff, the one by me is my stuff.....it will get cleaned off though as it's become my sewing machine table since my craft room had to be turned in to a bedroom while they all live with us.

 I am posting this to the linky over at orgjunkie.  Please click the button below and hope over and either join in, or see what others have accomplished this past week.

 

Frugal Friday's With Marsha 7/15/11

Good Friday to all! I got distracted this morning so a little late getting this posted.
Steve won a $100 gift card at work so we were attempting to plan a little getaway on his vacation.

Nothing in particular to report this week as far as my own being frugal. Just the usual hanging laundry on the line--and my daughter has also hung hers on the line too! We did get one tomato out of the garden. The plants are growing like crazy, but sure not producing.

Here are this weeks tips from the 99 Cent Solutions Book:
Baking Soda:
1. Soften beans--Afraid those beans have been on the shelf too long? Just throw in a pinch of baking soda while they soak. Then also add a fresh pinch of baking soda while they cook to reduce the "after effects" of eating them.

2. Get rid of fishy odor--Been chopping something pungent? The smell of garlic or fish can linger on your fingers long after the food is gone. Avoid that by scrubbing your wet hands with baking soda, just as if it were soap, then rinse in warm water. Your hands will smell sweet, and feel softer, too.

3. Make a rainy day toy for the kids-- Kids stuck inside with nothing to do? Boil 2 cups of baking soda and 1 cup cornstarch and 1 1/2 cups water until thickened. Remove from the heat and cool. It makes a fun, pliable modeling clay that's good for the day.

I hope to see lots of link up's this week. Remember, you can post anything you've posted that relates to being frugal from the prior week....and the linky stays open all week until the next one goes up.

Squidoo Hopping 7/14/11

Happy Thursday!  Welcome to this week's squidoo hop.

Shouldn't it be squidoo pay day?

I rec'd an email asking me if I would like a 30 day subscription to fotopia and then do a website review for them here on my blog.  Fotopia offers royalty free photos and such.  I accepted right away with squidoo in mind.  I believe it was Gale who emailed me about changing some of my intro pics.  I tend to just go make words in paint when I don't have a photo for the intro.  I will be taking full advantage of my free 30 days membership on Fotopia where I can download up to 5 images each day.  It looks really great so far.
I updated one lens intro pic using one of my downloads---you will it on my Books for All Ages lens.  I also updated the Christmas countdown module while I was there.

On suggestion last week I did a little tweeking in my With Violets Book Review lens.  What I see there is that I have my review of the book in the intro.  I don't like that.  I want my review in a text module.  However, I didn't change it yet with squidoo squaking about how many words are in our intros.  Suggestions on what to put in the intro area other than the name of the book, the author, the ISBN number and publisher?  Or, would these things make the intro long enough?

Also this past week I found that I had a wrong URL in my Jerky Direct Business Opportunity lens.  This lens is staying towards the top of my list, so that makes me happy.  

I have 4 lenses in the pink so I will try to concentrate on seeing what updates I can get done to those this week and get them moved up.  I'm still confused on that....with the thousands, probably close to a million lenses that are out there, how would you ever keep all of your lenses out of the pink??  I really do not get it, and really do not like that they become works in progress if rank goes higher than 400,000 and then not accessible through search engines (at least that's what I read).

Anyway, I hope to see lots hopping along this week. I always look forward to hopping around to those who link up!