Becki 1$ extra for packaging materials seem ok but you gotta add YOUR cost. How much is your time worth, I know its just to ship but its something that you have to think about, after all you do the postage at home right? Think about ink for your printer, your time spent doing that and no you don't have to up the price alot but do take into conseration everything that it takes to ship a box and if you run to the post office (even if like me its just less than a mile) think of gas. So rethink the $1. I learned the hard way with my Fox Den Woodworking & faux painting business. (which I later cr'td and added Fox Den Boxers to). Learning is the hardest thing trust me. But you are doing great girlie, thats awesome that you have returns!!! Just don't sell yourself short sweetie.

alright becki!! i knew you'd do good on that!! i know they looked good!! i know if thought-o-vision is half as good as something or another then bla bla bla!!! LOL i had it then grant and talla started wrestling and playing and i lost it!! LOL i'm sure you know where i was heading!! LOL any how hmmmm,,,, i might wanta order!! do ya have a list made up yet? um what do they call it? or maybe i could "suggest" it around, and have grant do the same thing! :'))

Hey Becki, with my ebay stuff I add on a buck for shipping just because paypal takes a percentage off of every money transfer. Paypal website merchant buttons charge 1.9%-2.9% plus $0.30 for each transaction. They will deduct from the total amount of money transferred including what you charge for shipping.

One nice thing is USPS will send all kinds of Priority boxes to your house for free. They have some cute small size boxes now too. So there is a huge savings right there.

I am so happy for you that you got your first inquiry! Remember to ask them for their postal code and then you can check on usps.com for a more accurate shipping price.

Michele - if you want, my website is www.enchantedeats.com - it's far from finished right now, but it's a lot farther than it was a week ago, so I'm happy (much thanks to Fishy! - it was PRETTY easy to copy and paste!)

Here is a LONG recipe for you to try, hun!

This is from the King Arthur Baker's Companion (a book I checked out from the library and already know I would LOVE to keep!)

First off, you'll need Puff Dough -

DOUGH
2 large eggs, plus enough warm water to make 2 cups liquid (15 oz.)
1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz.) sugar
5 1/2 to 6 cups (23 1/4 to 25 1/2 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast (this would be the same as one packet if that is how you buy it)
1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz.) nonfat dry milk (optional, but will make a mellower, richer dough)
1 scant teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (if making sweet pastry, which I believe you are)
2 tablespoons (1 oz.) butter, melted

BUTTER
1 3/4 cups (3 3/4 sticks, 14 oz.) chilled butter
1/2 cup (2 1/8 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour
Flour for sprinkling

FOR THE DOUGH
Make a sponge by cracking the eggs into a 2-cup liquid measure and adding enough warm water to equal 2 cups. Beat until blended and pour into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your electric mixer. Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar, 3 cups of the flour, and the yeast. Mix until well blended. Cover and set aside at room temperature.

In a separate mixing bowl, blend together 2 1/2 cups of the remaining flour, the dry milk, and the salt. Set it aside.

FOR THE BUTTER
Mix the butter and 1/2 cup flour until they're smooth and well blended. You can do this with a mixer, a food processor, or with a spoon, by hand. Lightly flour a piece of plastic wrap or parchmnet, place the butter-flour mixture on it, and pat it into an 8" square. Cover the butter and place it in the refrigerator on a flat surface for at least 30 minutes. Adding flour to the butter helps to stabilize it so it won't "flow" out the semas when it's being rolled.

Turn your attention back to the dough. The yeast should have gotten to work and made the sponge bubbly and expanded by now. Give it a stir and blend in the vanilla and the melted butter. Stir in the flour-milk-salt mixture, mixing until you have a soft but kneadable dough.

Sprinkle flour on your kneading surface, turn out the dough, and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until it's bouncy and elastic. Wrap loosely and refrigerate for 30 minutes. you can also knead this dough in an electric mixer or in a bread machine (on the "knead" setting.)

MAKING THE TURNS
Follow the procedure for Classic Puff Pastry (which will be below), giving a total of four turns to the dough. Wrap the dough loosely after its last turn, since the yeast will cause it to expand. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.

PUFF PASTRY ROLLING AND FOLDING PROCEDURE
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and put it on a lightly floured surface. Gently roll it into a square about 12 inches across. Put the butter square in the center at a 45-degree angle, so it looks like a diamond in the square. Fold the flaps of the dough over the edges of the butter until they meet in the middle. pinch and seal the edges of the dough together; moisten your fingers with a little water if necessary. Dust the top with flour, then turn the dough over and tap it gently with the rolling pin into a rectangular shape. Make sure the dough isn't sticking underneath, and roll it from the center out into a larger rectangle, 20 x 10 inches. (The barrel of most sandard sized rolling pins is 10 inches long, so when width of the rectangle matches the pin, you're in good shape. You'll need a yardstick to check the rectangles length.)

When the dough is the right size, lightly sweep off any excess flour from the top with your pstry brush, then fold the bottom third up to the center and the top third over (like a business letter). Line the edges up on top of each other and even up the corners so they're directly atop one another. Turn the dough package 90 degreees to the right, so it looks like a book ready to be opened. It's okay to use a little water to stick the corners together so they don't shift. If the dough is still cool to the touch and relaxed, do another rolling and turning the same way. If you've successfully rolled out the dough and folded it twice, you've completed two turns. Make a note of how many folds you've completed and the time, and then put the dough back in the refrigerator. Classic puff pasty gets six turns before being formed into finished shapes and should rest, chilled, for at least 30 minutes between every two turns (however you are only doing 4 turns.) So, repeat the above folding process once after the 30 minute wait. When all turns have been completed, wrap the dough well and refrigerate it for at least an hour (preferably overnight) before using.

ALMOND FILLING
1/4 cup (2 1/4 oz.) almond paste
1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz.) sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons brandy, rum or almond syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (2 1/4 oz.) sliced almonds
1 cup (5 oz.) cake crumbs*

Place the almond paste, sugar, egg, brandy and salt in a food processor and puree until smooth. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl and stir in the almonds and the cake crumbs. Refrigerate mixture until ready to use.

*To make cake crumbs, place six 1/2 inch slices of pound cake on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 300 degrees F. Turn over, bake 10 minutes more, then cool. Porcess the slices in a food processor to make crumbs.

TO FINISH BEAR CLAWS
Roll one-third of the dough to an 8 x 16 inch rectangle. With a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut it in half legthwise (so they are now 4" x 16".) Roll 1/2 inch diameter log of almond filling, and place it on the farthest edge of the strip. Egg wash the edge closest to you, roll the dough over the filling toward you, and press the edge together tightly. Roll the tube toward you a quarter turn, to make sure the seam is centered on the bottom, and press the tube lat with your fingers. With a sharp knife or pair of kitchen scissor, make cuts through the dough every 1/2 inch or so, stopping where the dough begins to bulge out around the filling. Cut the strip into 4 inch pieces. Place an a baking sheet and bend slightly into a crescent to open the cuts.

Let rise for at least 20 minutes; depending on the temperature of the room, they may need as much as 90 minutes. They should look full and puffy; the longer they rise, the airier they will be. When the pastries are fully risen, brush them with egg wash. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes. It should be a deep golden brown, all over. Remove from the oven, cool on a rack, and glaze as you like.

SUGAR GLAZE (the one I would suggest)
In a small soucepan, combine 1 cup (4 oz.) confectioners sugar and 2 tablespoons liquid (water, milk, or lemon juice.) Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cooking until the mixture becomes translucent. Brush this on the baked pastry with a goose feather or pastry brush.

EGG WASH
1 large egg
2 to 3 teaspoons water or milk

Beat either the whole egg, the white, or the yolk with the water or milk. Just the white makes a trasparent but shiny crust; the yok makes a bronzed crust; the whole egg makes something in between. Before bakeing the pasty, brush on the wash with a goose feather or a pastry brush.

Whew! Okay, honestly, as I've never made a pasty of this type, this looks totally intimidating to me. But, I think once you try it, it is probably not as difficult as it looks. I will see if I can find some sort of illustration or something of how all the turning works. But, as I've typed for the past 45 minutes, I'll post this now.

Okay, they are a bit corny, but I think these girls explain the puff pasty thing pretty well - so just watch the video!

i wonder why they showed the girl in the green so much?? LOL
talla was actually glued to it! and i thank you very much! it don't look so overwhelming!
i'm very excited to do this! ;'))

Becki, I just looked at your site! Its AWESOME SWEETHEART!!! I am sooo happy for you girlie girl !!!! There is no way that can go bad at all!!!

Thank you Tracy! I need to get more pictures though. I hope to get that done soon, but most things I have to MAKE to take picures, and my hubby will freak if I make all that!!! So, a little at a time...

Michele - I think they showed her a lot because she's so cute and wearing so little on top! : ) But, yeah, it doesn't look that hard, does it? Something I would certainly try!! And I'm sure it's like any technique - the first time isn't great, but keep trying and it'll get better!

Thanks for the advise on the shipping. In the future, I might add a little more for "handling". I know Paypal takes a little chunk, and I do need to do pretty careful shipping for these things! With the cookies I shipped this morning, I put two cookies back to back and wrapped each pair in cling wrap. Then, I put one layer of tissue paper crumpled up, and put in one layer of cookie pairs, then another layer of crumpled tissue paper, then another layer of cookies, then a last layer of tissue paper, and a bubble thing (which is recycled from a package that came to me.) Truffles will be even trickier, so I think anyone that emails after this will be a little more.

My kids are totally hyped up tonight! They can't seem to settle down. I told them to turn on a movie and relax now, so hopefully they will settle down! We've been baking tonight. We made two loaves of pumpkin bread from the King Arthur cookbook. I've never made pumpkin bread before, and the edges got very dark, so I'm not sure I did it right. But, we'll see when we try it tomorrow. And now I am working on a double batch of my jumbo cookies. Wanted to have plenty of baked goods on hand, in case we lose power and want some goodies! : ) I know, I'm a dork!

ok, your page looks sooooo cool!! i'm telling grant to have his friends look at your page, do you have a thing for people who want like some of each of the like bon bons and truffles and such?
i've been trying to get talla to calm down to, but it's friday, so i don't think it's gonna hapen! and tomarrow we're gonna go to nana's again!! LOL so no go! oh ya,i just put hanna montana on so she'll behave for a bit! LOL

i couldn't get it to print w out it printing the whole page of this, so i copied it to my email, and printed it, so now i'm happy! LOL (the recipe) LOL

Thanks, Michele! I totally forgot about that! Yes, I totally offer an assortment - I packaged up a bunch of them for the show, and I was shocked that most people bought packages of just one kind! I'll try to add that pretty soon! Thank you so much for mentioning that! Just remember though, girl, I totally promised you a package one of these days! I haven't gotten around to it, as I can only do one every so often (for $$ reasons), but I will get you some goodies (one of these days!)

I had the boys turn on Eragon - I got it at the library today. Gotta love that you can borrow movies there for free! I tried to turn it on in the livingroom, but that DVD player is SO finicky! It drives me nuts! Most movies won't play on there, and then one does and it shocks the heck of you! I just put Knocked Up in (that I got from netflix - I've been wanting to see it!), and it started playing the first time! But, I tried Peter Pan and Eragon tonight, over and over again, and it keeps telling me "Unable to Read Disk" Oh, well! At least my movie is playing!! So, off to watch some of a movie - I've had so much Mt. Dew tonight, hopefully I can stay awake for a while as I watch a movie and leaf through cookbooks I borrowed from the the library! Gotta love the library!!!

Don't blame your dvd player for the dvd's not playing. That is one of my big bones to pick with the library. They never clean the discs after they are brought back and they are sticky with little hand prints and scratches too. We started taking our borrowed discs up to game frenzy and they buff them out for us because Ted has a membership there. Thank goodness they do it for free if you have a member card! LOL! Ooooh, I just peaked at your site! Everything looks great! Very professional!

I'm in the mood for some Egg Nog! YUM! I think I will pick some up to sip on while I start my baking on Sunday!

Oh, I'm afraid it isn't the libraries fault. I wish it was! We have DVDs do it all the time- from netflix, from the video rental place, new from the store. We bought it when DVDs were still new, so I think it is just old, and maybe doesn't read some of the newer disks for some reason? I cleaned the lens with one of those kits a while back, but that didn't make a bit of difference. But, happily my movie is working tonight, and my cookies are almost done baking, so I'm happy! I've got 2 barefoot contessa cookbooks, the king arthur cookbook, plus two other cookbooks all from the library to peruse as well, so I am very happy! My kitchen is a mess from all the baking, and very little clean up, but that's fine - it can wait until tomorrow! I'm relaxin' tonight! I've got a little "ME" time! : )

Would you believe I've never had egg nog? Might have to try some this year, but it's never really sounded appetizing to me. Weird, huh?

nah Becki Egg Nog doesn't sound appetizing to me either lol. But then too I do too much ancient reading and nog means ale and adding the igredients that are called for just really sounds like milk and Jack to me YUCKY. (its not made of that lol, that was just hypothetically speaking).

A nice hot cup/glass of Wassil is great on cold days though and you can always leave the rum outta it.

I've never had Wassil either! But, my hubby makes a good Mulled Wine (or spiced wine) that we enjoy. We made some for Thanksgiving, and still have some left in the fridge - yum!

i've had both, but the wassil could be better with a little less cloves! i don't like it so bitter, but of course that was a few years ago. but i've never had mulled wine. that sounds good!! i love wine. but i never drink too much cuz of the meds. so ya know. LOL that movie was good!! have they seen the last mimzie? that was awesome!! we just watched hairspray, it was good except for all the sexual inuendo's (sp) thank goodness my babes are too young to notice that!! well, gotta go and good nite all!! sweet dreams all!! ;')) all talla's cousins love her cuz they know her name, LOL according to her, LOL kids are so cute!! LOL

mmmmmm I love spiced wine, I love spiced rum and tequila (not at the same time). I LOVE Wassil, actually bought that commercial coffee thingie thats in the garage just for wassil for Christmas parties, fox just laughed! I WILL use it dangie even if its just one time! Told him that was ma first investment on a coffee/pie shop when I open one here. I wanted to name it Java Junkies but that name would make the old timers feel like it was just for younger people and kids so don't want that but I still like that name.

You go girl! I love that name! I personally don't think it sounds like just a place for younger people, but then again, I'm not an old timer yet (thank goodness!), so I don't know how I'd feel if I were!

I stayed up until 2:15 this morning watching that dang movie! It kept messing up in the DVD player, so I'd have to stop it and start it again, cleaned it a couple times hoping that would help, and it was just frustrating. But, I was bound and determined to finish the movie! Not that it was that good anyway, kind of silly actually (and PLENTY of sexual inuendo and just plain sex, I'm afraid, Michele - definitely NOT for the kiddos!) But, I like Katheryn Heigl, so I wanted to watch it - kind of like a Grey's Anatomy fix or something. And it was just dumb enough for me to keep watching, or trying to anyway. Okay, enough! Sending it back so hopefully we can get the Harry Potter movie on Tuesday!

Michele - Are you having icing this morning? We've gotten a fair amount of sleet already, and my van is covered in ice. I see the people crazy enough to drive this morning (yeah, I know some of them can't help it, but I'm glad I don't have to!) are driving VERY slowly! Whereas people usually fly past here at 55 or 60, most people I would say are going about 10. It must be a sheet of ice out there. I can see where people go into a huge corner that is very dangerous from here, and they are going at a crawl, and I've seen some even stop. It's crazy! Anyway, it looks like you are in the same weather system, so I hope you are okay, darlin'!

Looks like a lot of places around us have lost power, so I am thankful we haven't yet! It's been going between sleet, freezing rain and snow since about 5 this morning, I think, so it's really messy! Trying to get some lunch heated up for the kids so that we will have full warm bellies in case ours goes out.

Tracy, I think all this is heading your way, I'm afraid, and anyone else who lives to the east of us in Iowa. I'll be thinking of you - hopin' you won't have to go out into it either! I am SO THANKFUL right now that I don't have to go ANYWHERE!!! Sadly, my hubby will is in Indiana right now, and will be driving through this stuff for quite a while later today. Hopefully it will warm up a bit before he gets into the sysytem, but I don't know. I am praying he makes it home safely (or at least stops and spends another night away if he has too!)

Prayin' all the rest of you are safe!

Hugs,
Becki

oh thank goodness that God was nice and gave us a warm kiss! cuz it didn't get as cold! so it only ended up raining! i still had grant call me when he got to work!! cuz it could be raining here and snowing in topeka. oh be careful becki!! i so worry about you girls in the colder area's!! and out in that stuff all the time!! i'm so lucky i don't really have to go anywhere if i don't want to, cuz he likes getting the mail! but i like getting seeds!! LOL (its getting kinda boring in a way) or is it just that time of the year?) or maybe i just so frusterated with this one person who i sent alot of stuff to and she sent nothing!! and promisedher stuff was on the way, its been over a month and now she don't answer emails,but i'm trying to think that holiday's and all. geez this was way back when i sent april her package. that lady was supposed to send hers.
ok, since tabor stayed yet another night with nana, talla and i had animal crackers and milk for breakfast! we had a special one!! LOL and last nigh we took a shower, and used my new stuff, then we smelled like almond honey!! so we scrubbed, and then after we were done, we put on the lotion, and then the body spray, and it was kinda cool!! we slept good!! she said we are gonna sleep like princess's!! LOL and she sure did! side ways and all over the bed! LOL when bay is gone she sleeps with us. that's ok she's a little furnace! LOL and right about now i seriously want that! ya know that time!! ugh!! that's why i felt so irritable and gloomy! now i can battle it easier!! LOL be carefull ya'll!!

I'm glad you are staying out of it, Michele! Our power flickered a little bit ago, so I am bracing for an outage. Glad I prepared! I've got a loaf of bread in the oven that I am hoping will finish before it goes out.

But, can you all say a little prayer or have a good thought for my hubby. Not only is he ready to head into this weather, but I just called him and he said his throttle cable in his truck just broke - not good. I don't know right now what I want to happen with that, whether I want him to stop (which I don't think he has a choice), but anyway, if we lose power, I don't love the idea of being here alone, but I want him to be safe, so I'm trying not to be selfish! But $$ plays into all this as well, so I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens. Anyway, off to tent my bread which is getting a lovely brown color on top! I SO want my own copy of this King Arthur cookbook!!

Good news on the truffles Becki.

Correct I do not care for my mother, which is why I wanted to see what others thought, as I could be rationalizing a way to, you know give her a rancid flower boquet. One year I gave her a lovely copy of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn", which is about a mother who openly loves one child more than another. Seeing as my mum never bothered to, you know, READ the book I gave her, she still doesn't get it.

we are praying!! talla and i. this breakfast was NOT a good idea for the sugars! and i'm not too used to this idea. i can feel this rushing thru my veins. but its not high. so this is wierd. just higher than usual. talla is not wanting to do her colors and i'm not wanting to figure out this copying onto index cards from the thing, i want to print thhings, well make up stuff, but am not sure how to do this. we relaxed yesterday, no boys. so we are working today. although yesterday we worked on the mice. i swear they were eating their food. now i just wait for the stink!! yuck!! and then i can clean again!! well, ya know what i mean, LOL i'm gonna go to the library and request this book!! LOL i bought the ecolab, cuz it was in a huge amoount!!! LOL ok, did i tell ya the mice ate thru the wires on mmy can opener? then just broke my last one. not electric. errrrr!! ya want him to be safe. and if the kids are there, ya can play a game with them becki, i used to with these guys, now we snuggle, LOL or see who can do what ever the longest. if its at night, we tell ghost stories, and freak each otherout!! LOL how dumb are we!! LOL but it makes it fun in a way, cuz then we can snuggleall the more!! LOL :'))

Fishy, I have 2 copies of A Tree Grows In Brooklyn. One is a First Edition. That is the most beautiful story about love, loss and perseverance. It only has meaning to those that have persevered over their circumstances in spite of the hardships and conflict. Unfortunately, I think she wouldn't have gotten the message even if she had read it. I don't think you should waste your time on gifts that will send a message to her. I think you should just buy something that you know she will like because she won't get the meaning behind anything "deep" that you might send. I am sad that she didn't read that book. It has been a lovely companion for me that I love reading again from time to time and always makes me tear up a bit.

Becki, yes we are supposed to get some heavy weather. We're used to it. The only weather that surprises us is nice weather at this time of year. Thanks to all of our GW girls I am well stocked on candles and we have plenty of food so I think we will be fine if it hits. On top of that we will be getting an Alberta Clipper from Canada. That is a storm that usually dumps tons of snow on us! Break out the snowpants boys and girls! Snowball fight!

Thanks! We've made it this far, so maybe we'll keep our power this storm! Please!!! Anyway, it's all good. I know things will be fine. Dave just called and said he was close to a truck stop when his truck broke, and there were people there who helped him jerryrig (sp?) it, and as long as he can keep in on cruise most of the way, he thinks he will be okay. But, it's not likely that he'll be using the clutch the whole time, as he just ran into the freezing rain, and since we are still having it here, I have to think he'll be driving through it a LONG time, poor guy! He's a good driver, but you just don't know about the other people out there, and the weather is just so nasty! Anyway, it's in God's hands, and I have to just remember that! : )

Fishy - that's too bad that your mom didn't read the book. I've never read it, but I'm sure you gave it to her for a reason. Was that the problem you had? She favored your sister? That would be so hard to deal with!

The mailman came a while ago and brought me my copy of the Williams Sonoma holiday catalogue. I've been drooling for a while! I don't know which one I want more from, that one, or the new King Arthur catalogue. So much stuff to desire! And the seed and flower catalogues - I'm like a kid wanting to write Santa a list! It's horrible! Oh, to have all the money one could want! : ) But, I'm happy with what I've got!!!

oh fishy!! i'm so sorry!! ;'(( i hope i am never that way, i try so hardto treat them fairly. it is very hard. they both have so many different characteristics that i love about them that are more on one than the other? make sense? hmmmm but i love them the same. and if i find myself being nice to one more than the other i makeit where i find something nice about the other one i like,even if they are being totally evil, which tabor can be, or i swear talla is gettng monthly's without her, ya know. and she got her hair severly cut!! so she is really trying to push it. LOL does anyone notice their kids doing that then? or is it my imagination? cuz both mine did that. LOL

jared always says, it all good!!
i try to remember that all the time, but i sometimes forget that!! i get very anxious over dumb things til i rember thati can't do anything about whats going on, so just deal.
now all his clothes aredone, so he should be happy!! LOL i like to be a good wife once in a while!! LOL i swear i hear the mce snickering, i found some more reeces wrappers, they are chocohalics!! they came to the right place!! so are we!! oh yeah and spearmint gum. they ate all my gum!!
dave will be safe backi! just pray, as i know you are and so will we! and he will be safe!! i'm sure it's not is time, i'll have to add him to our permanant prayer list. suni is much bettr now!! i guess they make her chemo stuff right there in topeka, in the lab, and that makes it better for her and everyone else. so that's how they do it now. she said she can feel it working.

I'm small, darker skinned, with deep copper hair. I have a curvy figure, green eyes and well you heard my voice. I couldn't be any further from the rest of my family if I tried. My sis, along with the others, has barbie-blond hair, blue eyes, is 5'10, and hasn't a brain in her head (I love her to pieces, but there's a reason we call her "twitterhead". My mum had no idea what to do with a serious, quiet bookish child who wasn't into clothes, hair, dolls etc, so she kept trying to push that on me (years of ballet, piano lessons, "little miss" pagents I loathed, the whole deal). When my sis was born she dumped all her maternal energy into Lyn (who was that sort of girly-girl), which while it gave me a break, it was while I was in puberty and she went crazy-strict because at 12 I had the body girls want at 16. Or let me put it another way, she's told me the only reason she had me, was because an abortion would've sent her to hell. Nope we just don't like each other. The last 20 years have been a pretty steady fight mostly over my sis, who is more like me than mum likes (jeez perhaps because I did most of the caregiving while mum worked 60 hr weeks?). Now that sis is off to college I no longer have to "play nice" because mum restricts access to her. Ok no more dreary stuff.

Oh, Fishy - I am SO sorry to hear all that! How awful! I'm glad you and your sis can get along! And still you are such a loving, generous person! That is so something that could turn you into a bitter person! You are quite incredible, Fishy!!

The kids and I have spent the afternoon glittering pinecones. We found some very beautiful ones at a rest area on our vacation to Montana and Wyoming this spring, and picked a grocery sack full off the ground. So, these are very special pinecones for us. Yesterday I bought some glitters and glue, and some glitter glue (which I wish I had bought more of - it's much easier and MUCH less messy!) We have some quite lovely looking pinecones now! I think I will use them as props in my Christmasy pictures for my website. Maybe. Anyway, it is still raining right now, but I think the temp is just above freezing now, so it's not freezing (though there is a thick layer of it on everything already.)

Gotta get off the 'puter - it's William's turn to play on here! :)

One year instead of sending out "Merry Christmas" cards, I sent out ones with another greating, and got calls asking if I grabbed these cards by mistake, what did I mail out instead?

glitter-graphics.com

Mr fishy asked for peanut brittle. He hates coconut (his dad loves it, and each year gets him a coconut cream bday cake, and then eats it). This year I'm making, peanut brittle, peanutbutter fudge (my fav), and sugar cookies.

point totals so far:

Traci 4
Becki 5 - only person who guessed on #4
dirty 4
diene 3
Kal 1
Veeja 2
Pixie 6
bunny 4

Yep, I was shocked no one else guessed on that one! Maybe no one else noticed it? My guess -

"Thinking of You!" ????

I didn't really see you as a fruitcake makin' babe, but I thought it was worth a shot! :)

Hugs,
Becki

Fishy, so sorry to hear of how your mom treated you. My Dh has the same relationship with his mom. she divorced his fater when he was around 4 and constantly told him he was evil because he had his dads blood in him. can't imagine a little boy being told that, when he was 16 she beat him with a frying pan until she was tired. they talk now but he dosen't like her
1. fudge
2 nuts
3 gingerbread house

Ok I made mr fishy randomly draw numbers:

Veeja yo Becki
Fishy to Pixie
Tracy to Kal
Becki to Fishy
Dirt to Diene
Diene to Debbya
Kal to Veeja
Pixie to Shadymeadow
Shady to Dirty
Debby to Tracy

I have most of your addresses, so you can email each other or email me and I can locate them. I'd like boxes to be shipped by the 17th to arrive in time for the holidays.

when i was growing up my mom used to smack me all the time cuz i was giving her bad looks, she said, we'd go from one side of the room to the other, but i'd never hit her back, but it was just because of my eye liner, she didn'tlike it. and when that woman whipped us, it was with the aviation belt, our age. even at 18. but i understood that she had it hard, basically doing it on her own, and with four kids, so i never argued with her for the spankings or smacking, just held up my hand to block my face the best i could. its wierd how we all got the he** beat out of us, and we are 10 times more respectful ten most children these days. veeja, i'm so sorry bout your husbands childhood. that sucked too!!
becki your electric still on, that's cool!!

Yippee - I get to send to Fishy!!!! Woo Hoo!

I just got some new photos on my website - I had a bit of fun playing "food designer"!

And Dave is going to make it home it sounds like! He is only a couple hours away (in regular driving conditions)! He said that was probably why he broke down - so the road crews would have time to work on the roads before he got to them!

OOOOH I GET TO SEND TO KAREN! YIPPEE!

Fishy, I am such a dope, I forgot to post my answer to the quiz! LOL! Worst part is I thought "oh, I think he likes peanut brittle!" LOL!
My answer: Thank you cards

Carol, your hubby deserves a medal for even talking to her. God bless him and thank God he lived through to adulthood.

Medo, sounds like we had the same mom. Mine freaked if I made eyes at her. I still do it occasionally just to get a rise out of her. Emma is a big eye roller. I personally love it. She makes the funniest faces when she is unhappy with me. I just make them back at her and then she knows that she is still not going to get her way and let's it go. Hard not to laugh sometimes.

Becki, I am so glad that Dave is coming home safe and sound. The snow and ice is here. The roads are good and slick. We will have the plows running up and down the street like crazy all night long. Merry Christmas snowplow drivers! Happy Overtime!

OK! Who here collects any certain kind of ornaments? I would love to know before I grab yours Karen! Tell me! Snoopy? Santas? Angels? Dogs? Cats? Horses? Cars? Colors? Glass? Vintage? Nutcrackers? Tell me, tell me!

Tracy - that is the funniest thing - I haven't seen a single road crew truck ALL DAY!! It probably hasn't even been safe for them to be on the road, but you would think eventually they would send them out here! Dave is off the interstate now and on the county roads, so he is actually probably not the safest right now, but I think it has warmed up enough that the ice has pretty well melted off the roads - I hope so at least!

I am so sorry that you girls and hubbys had such tough childhoods. I'm with you, Tracy - I laugh when I get faces pulled at me - though once in a while when I am really fed up with Elizabeth, she will get an evil eye back. That shuts it down real quick, thankfully! And she has this habit now of saying, "You're the worst mom in the whole world!!", and I just smile and say, "I know I am. But, you still need to do what I said."

I know I need to find something fablious for miss pixie!

glitter-graphics.com

ya tabor say's that too!! i tellhim, then i know i'm doing my job!! talla is gonna be a face maker!! mine is the breaths and all that!! talla does the your no fair!! i say thats' ok!! its not supposed to be fair!!! LOL she is watching the fairly odd parents now. peace and quiet!! LOL and my banana plant has 3 leaves on it!! YAY ;'))
the nutcrackers are so cool! when we were in germany they used to have them so tall that you could use them as stools to sit on!! sooooo cool one day my house will be huge!! LOL and i'll have some of them!!

becki i am sooo happy dave is coming home!! i so now how that is!!! been on the other side when grant was truck driving! and it was all icy out. talkabout seriously praying!! so i'm there with ya!! i'm making bread in the bread maker for the dinner tomarow at moms, i'm gonna get to see lib for the first time, in a long time, LOL i hear he has a little ball belly , ya know the baby!! LOL i can't wait to see!! my hubby will behome tonight. it was blowing like heck out all day, and looked like black and nasty out, and we opened the door when he came home briefly in between jobs, and here it was warmer out there than in here!! ;'((

heya ya'll, I am pooped, tired, sleepy worn out. lol. I went shopping today, remind me to stay AWAY from malls and stores until Christmas is over!!! I went with my " saurrogate" mom sheesh I still don't understand how some people just LOVE to shop! The way I shop is I write a list, go in get whats on my list and check out! If I wan't exercise I ride my bike or take the kiddos to the doggie park or just go to the country and walk. FORGET SHOPPING for this girl!

Becki Dave is in our prayers that he has a safe trip. I know it worries you til he walks in.

I am sooo sorry that some of ya'll or ya'lls loved ones had a rotten childhood. Its sad that parents take their frustrations out on their kiddos. Carol, I don't blame your DH one bit for not liking her, he may love her deep down because she is his mother but he doesn't have to like her.

Fishy, sweetie you don't have to go out of your way at all for me. I am very easy cause I love everything that is sent with a hug and a smile.

WHOOHOOO I send to Sandy!!!!

Imma gonna go snuggle with my pillow cause I can hear it calling me. Ya'll have a wonderful night and good dreams!

niters,
Pixie

Dave did make it home safely. He said the last 7 miles were just a sheet of ice, and he couldn't believe those roads hadn't been touched. He called the sherrif's office to find out why. The finally came through here at 7:30 this morning!

Michele - we went through the "You're not fair!!!" with Elizabeth too - I just say, "I know it isn't fair, baby, but life isn't fair, so you'd better just get used to it!"

Tell Dave that we are glad that he made it home safe and sound on those roads! Smart calling the sheriff's office!

They plow and salt our road like crazy everytime it starts coming down only because it is a county road. All of the side streets around us are a mess because they are city roads. I don't quite understand why they can't just turn off for a few minutes and hit all of the side streets. They pass by my house every 15 to 20 minutes at night. We didn't get that much snow!

Beckie, I need your addy and a wish list, wanna make you happy. goodie I got someone I haven't sent to before, gonna be fun. hugs carol

glitter-graphics.com

Sent out cards that were in spanish, mostly to see if anyone was paying attention, most weren't.

In Jr. high I got signed up for the christmas pagent, and ended up on stage with 30 other girls who were wayyyy to old to be up there too. 12 holiday songs later, we were done, can you come up with 2 of the songs we got to sing?
(hint public school ~ 1990)

point totals so far:

Traci 4
Becki 5
dirty 4
diene 3
Kal 1
Veeja 2
Pixie 6
bunny 4

Frosty the snow man and Jingle Bells!

That was a cute idea, Fishy - Spanish cards!

All girls - I'll guess Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Here Comes Santa Claus.

We are hanging lights outside - fun! The kids are thrilled - our driveway is a skating rink! They are having fun (but on their butts an awful lot!)

Hello All;
Mr. Fishy did a great job as I was hoping to get Deb for a partner. Her box will be there before the 17th because that is her birthday!! She does so much for so many all year long and sends some of the best stuff. It will be a challenge to match her boxes but I will certainly try.

We went to one of those cut your own Christmas tree places today and they have really gone up in price. They wanted forty dollars. We thought that absurd to pay a premium to have to walk around in the cold picking a tree and hauling it back up to the car. In previous years they had horse drawn carriages to take you to the trees and haul you back when you were done. They also charged $20 dollars. So this year they had less services and double the price.
We stopped at a roadside stand on the way home and picked up a great tree for $25. I trimmed it when we arrived home and it is now in the stand in the living room waiting to fall out. They cut them and then wrap them in string so you need to give them a few days to look normal. I love the smell of pine.
Hope everyone is having a great day. We have snow on the way. diene

Hey girls! I know I keep asking this, but we need a bit of prayer again. My step dad called 30 minutes ago and said to stay here, but that they got a call from the police department and asked them to come to the hospital because my little sis, Leah, was very disorientated and they couldn't get ahold of her husband (who never answers his cell.) I asked him to please let me know as soon as they know more, and I haven't heard anything yet, so I am very concerned! And my hubby couldn't be any less supportive right now. He is pissed off that my stepdad called and worried me when he had so little information, and he's pissed at me for getting so upset about it, when I have no idea what is going on. But, anyway, if you girls can at least say some prayers with me, I would REALLY appreciate it! I will let you know what I hear as soon as I can. Thanks for being here, girls!

Love ya!
Becki

Becki,
Was she in an accident or something? Calm down dear, it'll right itself soon enough, in the mean time get the coats together in case you're needed, and then make the kids some cocoa, really that's all you can do.