Chocolate on the keyboard: 2010

Dec 23, 2010

IBand Christmas Video

Dec 13, 2010

Free Gifts to Give this Christmas

Found this online... If you're running short on time and money consider these priceless gifts to give for Christmas!
THE GIFT OF LISTENING
No interrupting and no daydreaming. No planning your responses. Just listen.
THE GIFT OF AFFECTION
Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.
THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER
Share articles, funny stories and cartoons to tell someone - "I love to laugh with you".
THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE
A brief handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime and may even change a life.
THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT
A simple sincere "You look good in red" or "You did a super job" or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.
THE GIFT OF A FAVOR
Every day go out of your way to do something kind for someone.
THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE
There are times when we want nothing more than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.
THE GIFT OF CHEERFUL DISPOSITION
The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone, even if it is just saying hello or thank you.
THE GIFT OF PRAYER
Let your friends and loved ones know you pray for them, and then do it!

Dec 8, 2010

Got my wee little tree up..

Keeping it simple on the decorating this year, my first Christmas in the new house. Figured its not worth the stress of trying to really go out and decorate the place with all the many things I brought from Buffalo...so this will do for this year. I think the small 4ft tree looks fine :-)...gonna have a cup of tea and just enjoy it tonight.

My Niece sent me a lovely basket filled with Evergreens from Oregon

I put it with my 3 snowmen that another niece sent me a few yrs ago its so nice to decorate with things sent from those who love me and who I love

Tomorrow I'll put all the boxes and bins of things, back out in garage.

Dec 4, 2010

Where's the Line to see Jesus

Enjoy the video online >> Here
Listen to the song from here link below - click to play:

It's beginning to look A Lot Like Christmas

Cardinal at my next door neighbors feeder...just love the Smile the Cardinal's looking at :-)

Wait your turn

This will be my 1st Christmas in my new house. Sure is difficult going through my stash of Christmas decorations, knowing that the last time they were out of the boxes was for my Christmas 2007 with Paul in our North Buffalo home. But I will forge ahead...adapting to my *new normal* - which from now on doesn't include "Snow"...only White Christmas's around these parts are "man made" ;-) Did some decorating outside my house and added some fun using my stash of wonderful graphics. Please NOTE: I just took a photo of the front of my house and "added" the graphics using my photo/graphic editing program Microsofts Digial Image on top - None of the graphics are there in my yard in "Real Life" - they exist only on my computer ;-)

Graphics credits: artwork by Tricia Santry from her Welcome Winter creatable at pcCrafter.com

My Thanksgiving weekend was just wonderful. My younger daughter came from Indianapolis and my younger sister and her husband drove from Jacksonville. They brought the most delicious Feast. I provided a Ham and Ambrosia salad...and my work was done ;-). We celebrated all we each had to be Thankful for in my home. I am very Blessed.

Nov 11, 2010

And another month goes by

I see that I haven't "blogged" anything since I wrote about the Oct 10th Wedding I went to.
...time flies when you're not doing much or doing a lot...either way it justs keeps going. At least we gained a whole "hour" this month.

I so enjoy looking out my backyard window as I am on the computer - when I glance up I see the wonderful birds, the deer, the greenery surrounding the now weeeee little pond in the yard. We do NEED RAIN to fill it once again.
I take photos almost every day of something happening out back, I find it so peaceful to look at the wildlife and/or listen to the sounds of the birds chatting with each other.
Here's a collage of just of a few of the pics I took this past week

Oct 12, 2010

10-10-10

My son in law's brother Joe married the beautiful Maggie in Hilton Head, South Carolina on October 10, 2010. I was one of lucky ones to witness this marriage and the beginning of a wonderful life I'm sure they will be blessed with together. I went with my daughters family and had a terrific time. My son in law was his brothers best man.

We rented a 3 bedroom condo on the Shipyards property where the Royal Crown Plaza Resort, hosted the wedding.
Here's just a few of the 800+ photos my daughter and I took over the 4 day weekend.

Oct 7, 2010

Autumn in Florida the view from my backyard

Just some photos I took walking around outside behind my home...observing the sights of early October here in Florida. My grandson found a branch to swing on in the woods...he commented that he wanted to bring back a lawn chair and spend the whole day there ;-) ....very peaceful setting.

Oct 6, 2010

A place to dine for.....

When I lived in my home in Buffalo, we didn't have an eat-in kitchen. Paul and I and the girls..usually ate in the living room. Or sometimes we did dine at the beautiful colonial cherry dining room table that we inherited from Pauls' mother. So a kitchen set wasn't something that I brought from Buffalo. The new house has a small 9x9 space for a table and I have been looking at sets for the past few months. Sets were either too big, too expensive, didn't suit the space or my taste... But over the weekend my daughter and I went to look at a set she thought would be just right. When I saw it - I wasn't so sure. But then I spotted an inexpensive set that had a tea/coffee cup cut out on the chairs. I thought....ummmm, I collect teapots, this set appears to have a teacup on it..maybe its calling my name. The price was right, the size was right..so I signed my name on the order and it was delivered today. I still need to spruce up and add more personal touches throughout the house. Gotta get all of my teapots out and figure out how to display them, it will mean more shopping for shelving units etc. etc......it never ends. I now at least have a place to "dine" and take in the view of my yard.

Oct 3, 2010

It's been one year already

of Florida "residence".....amazing how time flies. Am I having fun yet??
A year ago I arrived in Florida, with the help of my wonderful sister Carol. 12 days later I signed a purchase agreement to have my new home built. And here it is...6 months into living in this home.

I think that as we age..time really does speed up, and our hours and days are shorter and shorter. Maybe that's why I'm still able to function with only 4 hours of sleep, my days are only 16 hours long instead of the usual 24 ;-)

Autumn is different down here in Florida - I miss my Western NY Fall season...but don't miss the winters. Today I went for a walk with my grandson in the little patch of "woods" that we have behind the homes in my stretch of the neighborhood. Its got some water still back there, but we need "rain", lots of things once lush and green are "brown" now, and not a golden hue amongst any of it. But we enjoyed the peaceful time....I was trying to settle down and relax after watching yet another dreadful football game of my Buffalo Bills.

Sep 26, 2010

Sigh....oh I still BILLieve

But I just don't handle all the near misses & mistakes the Bills make, very well. The Buffalo Bills haven't had a winning season in YEARS....but I remain a loyal fan. Today they played pretty good for the most part (I watched the game here in Florida via my computer). Playing in New England has always been our toughest games, even when we had Jim Kelly and crew on board...its a difficult place to win in. I wanted to at least be entertained, and today I was until the last few minutes anyway. So on to next week...Go Bills!!
"We can't dwell on the past but we can learn from it; we must learn from it if we want a brighter future. We can't wait to live until things are perfect; we have to make the best use of the present." Thena Smith

Sep 23, 2010

Links of Interest to Professional Crafters

I am a craft show-aholic although I haven't been to any since I moved to Florida. Through my friendships made on community forums like pcCrafter - I have found several gals that are the actual creators of beautiful hand made crafted items that I covet and enjoy buying or just wishing I could buy it all. These talented ladies (and some men too) often share their craft booth photos, tell of their successes and misses in what they craft and sell and it gives me and others the feelings of what goes on "inside" and "behind" the booth at a craft show.

And though I may not be a "crafter" myself - I do like researching and finding information about the business of crafting.
So I am copying and pasting all the links and info I had posted in a thread over at pcCrafter.com's messageboard to share here on my blog. (**just in case pccrafter.com should ever cease to be online with their community forums, I have begun saving a few of my threads that I have posted over the years over there)

Some links are "archived" links..as the original webpages have either been moved or "re"moved from the websites they originally were on:
in no particular order to any of these - Happy Linking Around

I wish all of my crafty friends, many sales ahead during this Fall and Christmas season of Craft Shows

About.com's Arts and Crafts Business resources

http://artsandcrafts.about.com/

Getting Started

http://festivalnet.com/other/news_letters/Artists/getting_started_craft_shows_05_08.html

Crafty Business Goal Setting
http://www.craftcritique.com/2010/03/tuesdays-with-toolulu-crafty-business.html

Tips For A Successful Craft Show
http://thinkcrafts.com/blog/2009/07/24/tips-for-a-successful-craft-show/

Laura Bray’s Blog
http://www.katydiddys.blogspot.com/

Arts and Crafts – Business or Hobby
http://katydiddys.blogspot.com/2010/03/arts-and-crafts-business-or-hobby.html

other articles of interest
From Crafting an MBA
excerpt quoted from website
crafting an MBA asks, what would business school look like if it was geared towards crafters, designers, and makers?
http://craftmba.com/

copyright, trademarks, and patents
http://craftmba.com/2010/03/09/copyright-trademarks-and-patents/

Etsy and the culture of cheap
http://craftmba.com/2010/01/19/etsy-and-the-culture-of-cheap/

Visit too
http://www.professionalcrafters.com/articles.html

Excerpt quoted from website
MyMommyBiz Craft Business Central contains useful advice and resources for professional crafters as well as hobbyists looking to expand. Whether you are selling in crafts fairs, consignment shops, auctions, or online, you will find great information to help grow and expand your business.
http://www.mymommybiz.com/crafts/index.html

GetCreativeshow.com
http://www.getcreativeshow.com/Craft_Sew_Business/craft_sewing_business.htm
excerpt quoted from website
Learn from the experts how to run your craft or sewing business or SOHO in the most efficient and profitable manner possible!

Visit
http://artsandcrafts.about.com
Starting a Craft Business
Excerpts quoted from individual archived web pages:
Starting a Craft Business 101
Part 1: First Steps
Having a plan is important! Decide exactly what you want to do and how you are going to do it before starting. Here are some basic things crafters should know when planning a strategy
Read complete details/article
http://web.archive.org/web/20070104181301/artsandcrafts.about.com/bl101.htm
Starting a Craft Business 101
Part 2: Marketing a Craft Business
Marketing is the key ingredient to any successful business! You must have ways to get the word out about your products. Whether you will be attending craft shows, placing mail order ads, or selling your crafts online.
Read complete article:
http://web.archive.org/web/20070102155221/artsandcrafts.about.com/bl101b.htm
Starting a Craft Business 101
Part 3: Finding Craft Suppliers
Running a craft business requires finding reliable suppliers with reasonable prices.
Read complete article:
http://web.archive.org/web/20070110002138/artsandcrafts.about.com/bl101c.htm
Getting Started Selling your Crafts
http://web.archive.org/web/20060208100636/artsandcrafts.about.com/od/gettingstarted/a/08022004.htm

Pricing your crafts
How to Price your Crafts
Deciding how much to charge for your crafts is an important decision. While ultimately you must decide what your products are worth, there are a few steps to follow that can help.
Difficulty Level: average Time Required: 30 minutes to several hours

Here's How: *excerpt quoted from website

From William T Lasley,
Your Guide to Arts / Crafts Business

"Decide how much you (or your employee) will be paid per hour to produce products. Multiply this hourly rate by the number of hours a week that will be spent producing crafts. Write down this figure, this is your weekly cost of labor. (If you need to make $10 per hour, working 40 hours per week the weekly cost of labor would be $400.) Calculate the total cost-of-supplies needed to make one finished product. Determine how many products one person can produce in a week. Multiply the cost of supplies-per-piece by the number of products produced in a week. (If your cost of materials per piece is $1 and you can produce 100 products a week, the figure would be $100.) Add this figure to your weekly labor costs. (In our example here that would be $400 + $100 = $500) Divide this figure by the number of products produced in a week. (So $500 labor/materials divided by 100 finished products a week would be $5.00 per piece.) If you will be wholesaling your products, multiply this number by two. (Which would give you a retail price of $10 per product.) Compare this cost to similar products on the market. If your price is more than similar products, you may need to reduce it by cutting hourly price, finding less expensive supplies or by increasing your production time. If your price is significantly less than similar products, you may want to consider raising your price. Tips:
Usually one piece will not use an entire supply unit. For instance an 8-ounce bottle of glue may make a hundred pieces. In this case, calculate how many pieces can be produced from a supply and divide by the cost of the supply. This equation does not take into account any expenses other than labor and materials. You can figure in weekly costs of any other business expenses that you may have and add it to the weekly labor and material cost. "

From William T Lasley,
Your Guide to Arts / Crafts Business.

Related Articles
Price Your Crafts
and read this article
Adjusting Prices of your products

http://handmadeforprofit.com/2009/02/barbs-quiktip-5-pricing/
Also:
The Crafts Report
http://www.craftsreport.com/
Industry FAQs
http://web.archive.org/web/20080327092305/http://www.craftsreport.com/commonfiles/faq-industry.html
Overcome Doubts and Fears about running your own craft business
http://www.craftsreport.com/beginning-business/168-overcome-doubts-about-running-your-own-craft-business.html

More articles
http://www.craftsreport.com/articles.html

6 Important Things To Know About Setting Up Your Craft Business
http://www.sunshineglassworks.com/articles/settingupbiz.shtml

THE 12 SECRETS TO STARTING A HOME-BASED CRAFT BUSINESS
http://www.getcreativeshow.com/Craft_Sew_Business/Business_Seminars/craftbusiness4.htm

Home Based Craft Business Survival Tips
http://www.craftmarketer.com/home_based_craft_business.htm

Selling your crafts
http://www.craftmarketer.com/sellyourcrafts/

How to Sell at Craft Fairs and Shows
Interested in turning your artistic hobby into a business? Find out how you can make money by selling your handicrafts at art shows and craft fairs.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/startingabusiness/businessideas/article76936.html

Do You Want to Make Money or Create
http://smallerbox.net/blog/growing-your-business/do-you-want-to-make-money-or-create/

Creativity Counts
Discover how to take your crafting hobby from downtime to big time.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneursstartupsmagazine/2008/may/193422.html

Making it yourself *PDF file 19 pages
In this book, craft refers to any handmade item that can be given as a gift or sold
http://www.entrepreneur.com/downloads/guides/1304_Crafts_Business_ch1.pdf

Barbara Brabek’s Homemade for Profit
http://handmadeforprofit.com/2009/01/home-business-family-issues/

See too:
Creative Printing and Computer Crafts
http://desktoppub.about.com/od/crafts/Creative_Printing_and_Computer_Crafts.htm

Computer Craft Project links
http://www.allcrafts.net/computer.htm

Video:
How to Blog
http://www.becomeablogger.com/