Freedom to enjoy the Smiths.

I hope everyone had a good Memorial Day weekend and that the meaning of the holiday wasn't lost. For the third consecutive year we went to our local horse racetrack with my husband's ROTC color guard to participate in their Memorial Day ceremony. This is always a pleasure as they give us the VIP treatment (valet parking, free food and drinks in the clubhouse, etc). But as has been the case each time, the 82 year old WWII veteran who runs the ceremony brought me to tears with his short poem in tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. I managed to hold it together for that, but when they played Taps I lost it. I don't think I'll ever be able to get through that song again in my life without breaking down. Several years ago I attended a funeral service for my friend's husband who was killed in action near the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. This was the single most somber experience of my life to date, compounded by the fact that she gave the eulogy herself. The follow up of that with Taps and the 21 Gun Salute will echo in my memory forever. So, yes, I lost it when they played Taps yesterday. My son grabbed my arm and said, "It's OK, Mom. It's OK." I couldn't find the words to tell him that, in fact, it's not really OK. The average American doesn't seem to even understand that Veterans Day honors all veterans but Memorial Day honors our fallen heroes. Nonetheless, to paraphrase that colorful, seasoned 82 year old veteran, we shouldn't focus on the sadness of their deaths but we should rejoice and be thankful that they lived. And there is no better time than RIGHT NOW to thank our veterans for their dedicated service to our country-- no matter who you are or what your political beliefs may be.

On a brighter note and in celebration of our wonderful freedom of choice:

One of my very favorite celebrity couples is Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. How can you not just adore both of them?

I've been a fan of Will's since all the way back in the DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince days. Oh, yes. He's jazzy, jazzy...his name is Jeff..... Talk about a sidekick who fell out of the limelight. But I digress.

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air was fine, although nowhere near his best work. We all loved the Men In Black movies and Independence Day, I Robot and all of those blockbusters. I personally enjoyed Enemy of the State a lot (possibly because it was the brief return of the Cosby Show's Lisa Bonet and also had Regina King, Gene Hackman, John Voight, Barry Pepper, Scott Caan, Jason Lee, Gabriel Byrne, Jamie Kennedy and Tom Sizemore among others!!). But this past weekend we sat down and took in I Am Legend. I thought perhaps he would never surpass the genius he showed in the film The Pursuit of Happiness which co-starred his son, Jaden. To date, that was one of the most compelling performances I have ever seen. For heaven sake.... I lost it during the infamous bathroom scene. But along comes "I Am Legend." He flew mostly solo for this film. He interacted with himself, his dog, lab rats and mannequins. The movie freaked me out and if you've seen it, you understand why. But his performance was, in a word, breathtaking. He deserves any available recognition.

Jada Pinkett Smith is also one of my absolute favorite people to watch onscreen. I loved her as the snarky little sidekick in A Low Down Dirty Shame and she's been a treasure in dozens of other films. The best of the best, though, and one of my all-time favorite films was Kingdom Come. For the love of all that is holy, if you haven't seen this movie you simply MUST get it and watch it NOW. The cast includes too many to mention. Cedric The Entertainer, Whoopi Goldberg, L.L. Cool J., Toni Braxton, Anthony Anderson and Loretta Devine are just a few. But Jada's portrayal of Charisse Slocumb was one of the funniest performances of her career. I find myself right this moment being aggravated by the fact that I don't have this on DVD. I need to rectify that.... Incidentally, I also really loved the track "Try Me" from this movie's soundtrack. It's fantastic.

At any rate, between these two, their body of work is astounding. We need good entertainment as much as we need anything these days, and I submit that this family has done WAY more than their fair share to contribute. I'm completely OK with them being gazillionaires as a result. And I root for their success unconditionally.

Salted Luck.

My adult A.D.D. has been on overdrive for the past week or so. I can't seem to prioritize all the stuff I am trying to do. I hate it when that happens. I'm getting a lot done, I'm just not doing it as efficiently as possible which means that I'm probably wasting time somewhere in the mix.

Anyway, a girl with a small but thriving accessory business really needs her own brand and web site, huh? I have, at least, accomplished that much. I'm calling the boutique "Salted Luck" and I have my own site set up now. All of my wares are still listed on Etsy until such time as I decide to obtain merchant services on my site (down the road). But making the web site will be fun for me. It's still under construction and I had a lot of help from GoDaddy's premade templates, but I will tweak it extensively over time.

One reason I'm struggling with time management is that I'm working on the web site AND making a crapload of awesome new stuff. I found a couple of great resources here locally for unique, funky and pretty supplies. Grabbed up a boat load last week and have already made about 2 dozen new items. This is my best work yet. I'm loving it. Unfortunately I haven't even had time to take all of the photographs and get the new stuff online. That is always the most time consuming part of the process. I'm hoping to get at least some of them up today.

This week also had its distractions. Thursday night, for instance, after he had been the guest speaker at a function we were attending, the Army's Chief of Staff and his entourage ended up at the same bar with us. My better half challenged the General to a round of billiards and what do you know.... there were 6 balls left on the table when my beloved claimed victory. He's unsure what rank he might be come Monday morning, but feels it was well worth it in the end!

Oh, and I also got my FIRST PARKING TICKET that night. Bugger.

I'm off to enjoy my long weekend of laboring on my beloved boutique items. Not only do a million pictures need to be taken and uploaded.... but I have 3 new products to make (temporary tattoos, window clings and magnetic mail-holder pouches for the fridge or filing cabinet) and Lord only knows when I'll find the time!

For my GIRLS.

I'm a huge fan of Maya Angelou. You might recognize this poem from the movie "Poetic Justice." For reasons I won't elaborate on, it crossed my mind last night. There's something captivating about it. Speaking for myself, I feel inspired when reading it, even if I'm sitting hunched over my keyboard, unshowered, wearing a t-shirt and sweats. In all of our forms.... we are WOMAN.

PHENOMENAL WOMAN
by Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies
I'm not cute or built to suit a model's fashion size
But when I start to tell them
They think I'm telling lies.
I say
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips
The stride of my steps
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please
And to a man
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees
Then they swarm around me
A hive of honey bees.
I say
It's the fire in my eyes
And the flash of my teeth
The swing of my waist
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say
It's in the arch of my back
The sun of my smile
The ride of my breasts
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say
It's in the click of my heels
The bend of my hair
The palm of my hand
The need for my care.
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

Confessions of a lightweight.

More random thoughts:

• I use the term lightweight for two reasons, the first of which is that we just had a monster yard sale this weekend and got rid of a ton of needless stuff. We made a decent profit and got to schmooze with our neighbors. I feel our feng shui improving already!

• The second and perhaps even cooler reason is that I can now officially wear my girly summer clothes. After having to essentially skip over last summer due to baby girl having just been born AND my horrid ankle injury healing (rendering me both unable to wear cute clothes AND unable to wear cute shoes: a fate worse than death!) .... I can now wear all of my favorite stuff. I'm somewhere between a size 6 and size 8 which is just about right. A workout wouldn't kill me... but at least my clothes fit!

• My daughter is walking. I know this is to be expected since she just had her first birthday, but still I object. It doesn't seem like this should be happening yet.

• I am uber excited about the new jewelry I'm making AND the honest feedback I am getting. It's a great feeling to be learning and improving on an almost daily basis.... and to have your existence affirmed by positive reinforcement. We all need that sometimes.

• It turns out that not all of our neighbors are a-holes after all! We met quite a few more this weekend during the yard sale. Some very nice peeps on our block. There's hope!

• I continue to dominate at Parking Wars on Facebook. I've grown very weary of all of the time consuming applications but this one is a treasure. And I totally cheat. But I freely admit that and I am WINNING. Haters abound!

• Jill and I are going to some sort of killer food buying place this afternoon. I can't recall the name but it's a deal where you can buy certain things (whatever they happen to have) at ridiculously low prices. I'm on that like Jared's on Subway, people. Don't say you didn't know.

Undefinable.

Don't you just hate it when your child or anyone asks you what a certain word means.... and you KNOW what it means... but you just can't figure out how to explain it? Can't recall the definition in an articulate manner?  Eeew.  I hate that.

Yesterday my son (who has an extensive vocabulary for a 3rd grader) asked me what "metaphor" meant.  I utterly failed to explain.  It was absurd.  Like I don't know what "metaphor" means?!

• metaphor : (noun): a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance, as in “A mighty fortress is our God.”

 

And here are some of my often-used favorites that I can never precisely define when asked:

 

• pithy: (adjective): brief, forceful, and meaningful in expression; full of vigor, substance, or meaning; terse; forcible: a pithy observation. Of, like, or abounding in pith.

 

• smarmy: (adjective): excessively or unctuously flattering, ingratiating, servile, etc.: the emcee with the smarmy welcome.

• moxy: (noun): courage, balls, intestinal fortitude.  *Had to get this one from UrbanDictionary.com since it wasn't actually listed in the dictionary?  Jeez.

Here's to not being discombobulated! 

How to be fabulous on a low budget.

• Marry a Marine. You'll get tons of mileage out of the Full Metal Jacket questions. You and your entire family are mythical creatures.
• Insist that everyone call you by your wrestling name. Correct them when they fail to do so.
• Employ the "bend and snap" as often as possible.
• Say "sir" and "m'am." All the time. Even when you're a grown up. This throws most people off their game.
• If you feel uncomfortable in an elevator on the sidewalk with a stranger (particularly a male), look him dead in the eye and say "Don't I know your mama?"
• Live in a neighborhood full of minivans and drive a BMW sedan. Try not to flex your handling power, though... no one likes a showoff.
• Buy when everyone else is selling... and sell when everyone else is buying.
• Send your friends cards in the mail (the actual mail) randomly. For no reason.
• Do something genuinely good for someone else that won't benefit you at all. Your intrigue rating will soar.
• Never forget how to do the Running Man. If you have to practice weekly, do it.
• Talk to retired service members. In most cases they are way cooler than you are. And you can be fab by association.
• Know what you don't know. People like to be asked genuine questions. It's engaging.
• Challenge yourself to learn something new and difficult. It's humbling.... and even humility makes you more enticing.
• Be nice to customer service people on the telephone. No one does that, so you'll achieve individuality right off the bat (and might just get what you want in the process).
• Dare to be ghetto sometimes.
• Hang out with people who are smarter than you.
• Know who your REAL friends are. The rest don't matter and will drain your fab status in no time.

Etsy Buy Handmade MarineCorpsWife

What exactly IS a ledbetter?!

It occurred to me yesterday that some of the coolest songs are either unintelligible or end up having meanings that I completely failed to grasp.

My favorite Pearl Jam tune, "Yellow Ledbetter," is completely over my head from an interpretive standpoint. I don't have a friggin' clue what they're talking about. I could, I suppose, research this and try to gain some insight. But that would just spoil it for me. I know he's talking about some people on the porch who aren't waving, etc-- but other than that-- it's greek. What exactly is a ledbetter and why is its color significant??

And how about "Rain King?" I love the Counting Crows. And I get twitchy every time this favorite comes on. I can't allow interruptions because it is IMPERATIVE that I be able to mimic the "Yeeeaaaaaaahhh!" at the very end. And the lyrics are pretty. But I have to be honest: I don't have a clue about what some of them mean.

Don't get me started on "Rock The Casbah." Possibly one of the most overplayed favorites of all time. I wish I could remember what commercial it was that had the misinterpretation of the lyrics by some poor soul..... "Stop the catbox!!" Once in awhile I will send this in a text message to my husband out of the blue. One doesn't want to be boring, right?

Then of course there are those songs which have been often heard and most frequently misunderstood or not analyzed at all. If I had a nickel for every person who thinks Bruce Springsteen's "Born In The USA" is a feel-good patriotic song as opposed to the jaded take on American industry and military that it really is..... I could put my kids through college. I'm not saying it's a bad song. Just that it's not the one you want to play for a military homecoming or the 4th of July, necessarily.

And my favorite unrealized meaning of a song (for me personally) until a couple of years ago: "Rock You Like A Hurricane." OMG. Have you listened to the lyrics? Really listened? I mean this is a classic state fair favorite. Air guitarist's plaything. But at the end of the day there's no getting around the innuendo. "So give her inches and feed her well....?!" I guess I had to be a grown up (technically, anyway) to understand what old boy was talking about!!

Anyway, I think I will opt to embrace my naivete' and continue to enjoy that which is over my head or which has meaning I'd rather not know. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.

The Marines have landed [on my house].

Since it's Monday and all, I think I will list some random coolness:

• My better half got our American and Marine Corps flags mounted on the front of our house yesterday. Complete with solar powered lights (which work nicely and look sweet. The icing on the cake was.... I love to watch him work! We're sure to get lots of attention as I think we're the only Marine family within at least a 10 mile radius. Oohrah.

• He also pulled down the putrid awnings from the front and side doors and helped the 9 year old resident plant a nice garden. I can't wait to see if the pumpkin, in particular, grows!

• I've had the nicest, most helpful correspondence from FelineFido on Etsy about some of my products. She ordered some and likes them. She gave me great feedback and even some tips. She's got to be the nicest person I've never met and I'm excited to order Tyler Hansbrough __________'s collar very soon.

• I'm slowly but surely learning to use my MacBook. It's still far more savvy than I'll ever be, but it's good to aim high.

• Spring seems to have finally sprung here and, along with it, my mood. I'm definitely a winter depressed/summer happy kind of girl. So bring on the joy and relaxation. Or.... at least the joy!

• Last but not least: to girlfriend in the Apple Bottom jeans/boots with the fur........ this one's for you, homeslice.

I'm too sexy for my Mac.

As I sit here typing this on my PC, I realize that the exact opposite is true. My old man (clearly on a bid for sainthood) gave me my Mother's Day gift early. A very shiny, very smart, very over-my-head MacBook. He actually gave it to me on Friday and I've been poking around with it ever since. I still haven't figured out how to integrate my hotmail, yahoo and private emails into it yet, although I think I'm a step closer now that I've installed Microsoft Office for Mac which includes the mail application Entourage. I have a vague sense that I will figure this all out eventually but I'm so excited that it's making me impatient.

I have, of course, already installed Firefox. This was one of the top priorities. And I'm sure that eventually I'll get used to using the mouse. On the few occasions that I have used laptops in the past I have struggled with this because it is foreign. I hope that practice will make perfect.

Excuse the Carrie Bradshaw-esque phraseology, but I can't help but wonder: Do we really need 148 GB hard drives? Will I ever actually utilize so much storage space? Still, it's cool to know that I could if I chose. And also nifty that my new laptop has the same amount or more memory than my trusty PC. Good job, baby!

At any rate, we had my daughter's first birthday party today. She had a great time. I feel hungover, though, and I didn't consume any alcohol. Is that normal??

And I've been blogless for a couple of days now as I've been extra busy, but I really wanted to say to all of the military spouses yesterday:

Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day!

*Yes, this is an actual day. And it's one that should count.

I feel duly appreciated and I hope you all do, too.

Rock on and rock hard, ladies.

Get a job. Really.

When I did my shout outs to military wives recently, of course it was a short and very incomplete list. There are droves more.

Take, for instance, Deb Kloeppel who is responsible for the existence of a great resource, the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network. This wasn't an original concept, certainly. I myself have been wanting to establish something like this for years,as I know, have others. I've spoken with Lori and several other friends about it and job resource sharing is one of the main things that the online military spouse community lacks. It's one of the main focal points that has driven me to start working on usmcwives.com. However, there does exist this nice tool that many of us just aren't (weren't) aware of. So it definitely rates a peek, doesn't it? And, Deb, according to the criteria set forth by my small circle, I think you qualify for "Hottie Biscotti" status.

And although Deb has actually made reality out of an often considered concept, that doesn't alleviate the need for others, including myself -- though I am no more qualified than anyone else-- to keep pushing for better resources. It does us no good to have so many tools if they aren't organized in such a way that we know where they are and how to use them. So if my site ends up being nothing more than a glorified link list, that's FINE. I will have a big smile on my face if I know I contributed in some way. But I want my girls to be able to find good jobs. Without killing themselves in the process. And I want them to be able to exchange information in a relevant and user friendly way. In a way that nullifies competition, misconception and infighting that we too often see in our community when things get stale. In a very Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, it's a beautiful day and we are awesome kind of way. I'm getting good feedback and I'm going to keep at it. In fact, I've been so busy with the details that I haven't even had a chance to update the actual site with relevant content. But it's happening. It is GOING to happen. And I will try, but can't promise that all traces of my own personal nonsense will be absent....

Take heart: Tomorrow is FRIDAY!

Angst in the female form.

My better half told me that yesterday's blog entry was angsty and not at all like me. I took that as a compliment. And I'm glad to say I think he's right. I'm usually a very upbeat, easy going kind of girl. I just detest injustice, even at the smallest level. My blood pressure was up and it was therapeutic for me to vent. And I wouldn't be much of a human being if I weren't capable of frustration, would I? Usually I never let 'em see me sweat (but opt for finger gestures instead). So it's back to that now as I have calmed down. And sanity-- in my own insane form-- prevails.

Speaking of insanity, my little girl has morphed into some sort of villainess (which spell check is telling me isn't a word-- but I don't accept that ruling!). She's perfecting the drama queen act and it's becoming very annoying. I think I'd rather hear fingernails on a chalkboard than listen to her newly acquired screaming skills. Its seems for right now that she's just experimenting. So I hope that my expert parenting skills prevail... although I'm not sure how much effect my own mimic-tantrum had with her yesterday. It did puzzle her enough to get her to stop for a moment, though. The silence was welcome. It's worth mentioning that's it's not for want of something that she's recreating the infamous horror movie shriek. She's merely doing it sporadically because she's figured out that she can. So I'm trying my best to make sure she knows that while she can do it, the juice isn't worth the squeeze because no one is interested. In the meantime I am searching for an affordable but slobber proof pair of earplugs.

The princess will be one year old on Friday. Time just flies.

Speaking of flying, I'm off to get her presents before I forget to do that, too.

If I hadn't just uploaded this design yesterday and wasn't too cheap to pay for expedited shipping, I might order this for her:

As it is, though, I'm off to get her a little throne chair since she has fallen in love with the neighbor kids' Sponge Bob mini-recliner. I hope I can find something more her style, though. Although, she does like tools....

Do Cheaters Always Win?

Have you ever felt like the people who don't play be the rules... rule the world? That you and your good intentions will always be in line behind the people who have the audacity to think they deserve to be in front of you, even if you got there first? Just because they are bolder in their self-centeredness? That's how I feel today.

I have played by the rules at something and lost. I'm not saying I played well or perfectly. Just that I did so with integrity and good intentions. And I lost because I wasn't selfish enough. I wasn't brazen enough and didn't stand up for myself. And that, my dear friends, just sucks. Because as kids we're taught to do unto others as we'd have done to us. The golden rule and manners. Honesty and good character. Well, most of us are taught that even if we do come from dysfunctional families. But I suppose I might be wrong in my assumption that everyone falls into that category. Why am I saying "might?" I most certainly am wrong. Or-- maybe it's not that the selfish winners of the world weren't taught better. Maybe it's that somewhere along the way they learned that nice guys finish last. I've made it through several decades of life without managing to get that through my thick skull.

Actually, I don't think I want to. I think I'd rather pass on any ill-gotten gains. I think I'll stay at the back of the line where I belong. There have been a couple of occasions in my life where I have compromised my value system and it just wasn't the right thing to do. And it's not who I am. So I may be the last one out of the store with my purchases.... but I'd like to think I will enjoy them more in the end because I am who I am. And someone-- if not the person in front of me-- loves me. And I deserve that as much as anyone.

Update at 1:33 PM CST: I was so motivated by my angst earlier that I got off my behind and made the Home Skillet portion of the shop. Take that, meanies!!

Hootie Who?

OK, if you try to say that you didn't just love Hootie and the Blowfish back in the day, you're just wrong.  Granted, "Let Her Cry" got way too much air time, but aside from that, this was good stuff.  I think they're still kicking somewhere and I need to research that..... 

Those of us who really liked the band know that Darius Rucker is not, nor has he ever been "Hootie."  And the band isn't "Blowfish."  They derived their name based on schoolmates-- one of whom wore glasses.....

Anyway, imagine my surprise yesterday as I was getting my fake bake on in the tanning bed:  I was listening to whatever country station they had on at the time.  I miss out sometimes on the newest music because I usually listen to The Pulse on Sirius.  Anyway, a decent if not too memorable song came on and then at the end the DJ informed listeners that this was Darius Rucker's new track, "Don't Think I Don't Think About It."  Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Willis?  OK, I go blind.

Sure enough.  Darius has gone country and his new album is coming out in the fall.

  What's next?  Kid Rock doing opera?? 

It's all good, though.  We shouldn't box people in.  And I kind of like Darius so I hope he does well.

Incidentally, cheers to me for now having 10 sales on Etsy.  Don't worry, I won't forget the little people. 

Sock Rockers, Mount Up!

The theme of the week has been the "rocking of one's socks" by a slick witted or enthusiastic friend. You could simply say "You go, girl!" but that would just be tired and boring. I prefer my girl, Lori's verbiage and, frankly, am trying to give it more mileage because she was embarrassed to have said it in the first place. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't accentuate that? Boring, that's what.

So, although the list of my own personal sock rockers--either qualified by direct or indirect sock rockage-- is long and detailed, for the sake of brevity (what? I can be brief!) I will list but a few here. I won't fail to list them in random order.

• David Horton - a high school mate of mine. Apparently an overachieving genius. Published author among many other things. About to graduate from college... again... and then go to another one? Acquainted with the likes of Doug E. Fresh and Maya Angelou. No one likes a show off, Dave.

• Merrie Haskell - another school mate. We were kicking it as far back as junior high. Wordsmith extraordinaire and brilliant (if self deprecating) science fiction writer, among other things.
  

• Kelly K (not sure if she wants her whole name on blast): Creative director and marketing manager for www.TheELearningCenter.com. She's only about a hundred light years ahead of me as far as education and credentials, but has suggested the possibility of me applying for an internship down the road when I get closer to my degree.
  

• Lori "Rock My Socks" V - If you've read my blog at all, you know who I'm talking about. She's a mover and shaker from way back. See "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves" for further insight. You wish you could bring yourself to hate her for her gifts... but you just can't.

Speaking of socks, I'm about a half hour behind schedule getting myself and baby girl dressed and ready to head out with Jill to run errands. She told me not to rush, but I will feel so inferior if she has two small children ready to go before I square away one! Luckily for me I am riding the wave of self-appreciation from having uploaded about a dozen new things to the Etsy shop and having sold one already.

McRebound.

So, did you watch Grey's Anatomy last night? So many good quips-- so little time. If you can't find the entertainment value in this show, then I submit that your credibility is seriously in question. Set aside the moral implications of some of its content and the rumors and scandals running rampant among the cast members-- this show is funny. I loved the part last night when Addison (Kate Walsh) asked Miranda (Chandra Wilson) about Derek (Patrick Dempsey)'s new lady friend in a not-so-complimentary way... when she was standing right there. That was almost as good as when Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) more or less referred to herself and her friends as fickle sluts. Can't beat that dialog with a stick!

Speaking of sticks, I wanted to beat myself with one yesterday afternoon. I finally.... as perhaps the last human on the planet to do so.... installed the Mozilla Firefox web browser. Now, I don't know if it's just my finicky PC or if I'm just slow on the uptake: but this bad boy is working WAY FASTER for me than Internet Explorer ever has. I haven't had a chance to play with all of its little gizmos yet, but I realized right off the bat that it needed to be my default browser. I recall an old friend of mine (she's not old-- I've just known her awhile!), Alison, talking about Firefox ages ago. And given how much swifter she is than I am about such things, one wonders why I didn't investigate sooner. And as it happens, I only ended up with this utility as a result of downloading a bundle of stuff from Google. I am, as ever, an accidental success!

And, speaking of success, I am hoping upon hope that today will be the day that I either figure out how to make my camera take decent close-ups or that I will get my hands on a better camera (hint, hint to my dear, beloved, gorgeous hunk of a spouse!) so that I can take pictures and list the dozen or so new things I've made for Etsy. One, in particular, was requested as a trade from another seller. That's fun. See the picture below.... Psych. ;) Maybe later if fortune smiles on me today.

A big, fat, liquored up TGIF!

Signed,

McDufus

Chinglish.

What's that, you say? Well, according to the lively chat crowd at Etsy this morning, that might be a way to refer to the speaking accent of a Chinese American individual. This was not, I assure you, meant to be derogatory. At least no more so than any other accent we discuss (southern American, Canadian and so on).

Another gem I stumbled upon this morning was spidercamp's shop. OMG. This stuff is too funny if you love persnickety stuff as much as I do. You could actually give someone "Herpes." Or tell them to kiss your "Arse." Now, that's funny. Frankly, I wish I had thought of it first!

At any rate, I am getting a lot of mileage out of those photos I took of my husband's campaign cover. The latest is my picture for the page I just made on Facebook for usmcwives.com. I'm still tweaking it, of course. What else is new?! And I can't seem to get my other bells and whistles on the page like I want them so I am hoping at some point for there to be content where the blankness is... but we'll see. Also, I don't like that it's listed as a "store" but I can't seem to find any other way to do it....

Speaking of bells and whistles, I'm hooked up on MySpace with a handful of very talented ladies who design graphics. I am really impressed with their work! We're mostly talking military graphics but they do other stuff, too. Check out Combat Medic Designs and A & C's Military Princess Designs for some really cute stuff.