An Ode to the Hardware Store?

I was having a conversation (an emailed one—always where I do my best thinking) yesterday with a friend about shopping locally owned and operated businesses. I confessed that I like the idea of shopping locally more than the actual experience. I think I set my standards too high when it comes to customer service. In my mind, all local businesses should be The Shop Around the Corner, with Meg Ryan as proprietor. Do you think maybe that is asking a little much?

I want to support local businesses, but I find myself drawn in to places like Amazon.com and their Recommendations system... not to mention Free Super Saver Shipping! I still do shop locally sometimes, with my very favorite place to go being our local hardware store. They are in a great old Masonic lodge and the aisles are so crammed that you actually have to climb over merchandise to get down them. Of course, none of this matters because you would never actually go looking for what you wanted. There is no organization to any of it as well as a noticeable lack of prices. So, I always come in with my list, give it the owner where he rummages through the aisles and magically pulls what I need off of the shelves. So he isn't exactly Meg Ryan, but I guess for me it is as close as it is going to get. I just feel like I'm living the quintessential country life every time I leave the store. (I snapped these blurry pictures with my phone while I was waiting for him to dig out some paint rollers for me!)

Summer Projects

Why, yes, in case you were wondering, I am the kind of mother who lets
their two year old "help" paint the garage. :)

Your Brain After Kids?

Okay, so I've been reading this book about writing the last few weeks. (Yes, I'm quite the procrastinator, reading about writing to avoid writing.)

In the last chapter that I read, the author was talking about the need to constantly be writing ideas down and to alway carry a piece of paper with you lest you forget that brilliant thing you thought of in line at the grocery store. She mentions that some people have perfect memories and never forget anything, but most people are forgetful.

Why might you be forgetful? she asks. "It may be all those drugs you took when you were younger, all that nonhabit-forming marijuana that you smoked on a daily basis for twenty years. It may be that you've had children. When a child comes out of your body, it arrives with about a fifth of your brain clutched in its little hand..."*

This made me laugh because I feel like I dropped a few IQ points when my son was born. I suddenly started forgetting birthdays and electronics immediately became harder to operate. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one.

*Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Pregnancy Cravings

My midwife likes to tell me that your body will crave what it needs when you are pregnant. (Except the multiple bowls of Froot Loops—apparently that is all in my head.) So after going to the grocery store, I'm thinking I'm a little short on Vitamin C?

I made a card!

You may recall a long time ago when I first got interested in Stampin'
Up and making cards. Well, I did eventually join SU. When the box of
stamps and supplies arrived, I stuck it in the attic and refused to
look at it because I had a terrible case of buyer's remorse. (Plus, I
was in that yucky first trimester throwing up phase.)

Well, I actually opened the box this week and made a card, plus placed
my first demonstrator order. So, six months later and I've made
progress!

My new Cricut Expression!!

My sweet husband bought me a Cricut for my birthday. I was really hesitant because I didn't know if I would use it much or if I would be too dumb to figure out, but I have to admit it is terribly fun!!!

I made these signs for Vacation Bible School with the SureCutsALot software. The software allows you to cut any font on your computer as  well as any vector file, which there are lots of online. It prevents  you from having to buy all those expensive cartridges!

You can check out the software at the CraftEdge website.

The World's Worst Blogger?

So, I'm wondering if I qualify as the world's worst blogger? It has been entirely toooooo long since my last post. I even got a new camera at Christmas with the excuse that it would help me blog more often, but it looks like that didn't happen, did it? I guess I'll try harder. Maybe. No promises. I'm pretty sure the number one rule of blogging is consistency. Especially if you want people to read it. Haha.