Organza Bags

 These are great!  The picture doesn't due them justice.  I can't tell you how many times I have bought organza bags online only to get them and the a cheap looking and falling apart at the seams.  These bags arrived and they are a beautiful gold color with a matching ribbon draw string.  You can fill them totally full and not worry about the seams coming apart.  They are perfect for party favors, jewelry gifts, anything that will fit really. 


I got mine from Amazon.

Sentence a day journal

For a long time, I’d been worried by how little I remembered about my own past. In particular, because one of my resolutions is to “Appreciate this time of life,” I felt the impulse to keep a record of the pattern of our days (not to mention the funny things my children said) so I’d remember this time of life later.

The idea of keeping a proper journal was far too overwhelming, so I decided instead to keep a “one-sentence journal.” 

Each night, I write one sentence (well, actually, usually it’s three or four sentences, but by calling it a “one sentence journal” I keep my expectations realistic) about what happened that day to me, the Bear Man, and the girls. 

I’ll forget the huge amount of meat that the Bear Man grills every weekend.
My hope is that, years from now, when I’m trying to remember what life was like at this point, I can look back at my one-sentence journal.
Of course, I’ve missed a lot of days. Although I’ve been trying to keep it up for a year, it still hasn’t quite solidified into a habit. I’ve let ten days go by, without thinking about the journal once. But still, I’ve managed to get a lot of memories down on paper.

I’m going to use my beloved Amazon.com to buy pretty journals, one for the Bear Man and me, one for each of the girls.
My path-breaking happiness formula holds that to be happy, you must think about feeling good, feeling bad, and feeling right, in an atmosphere of growth.
Keeping this journal is a project that adds to my happiness in all of these ways: it helps keep happy memories vivid (because I’m much more inclined to write about happy events than unhappy events); it gives me a reason to thinking lovingly about my family; it’s manageable, so it doesn’t make me feel burdened; it makes me feel like a good mother who is passing happy memories along to my children; and it gives me a feeling of accomplishment and progress.

I hope everyone has a beeeeeautiful day!

USPS Problems :(

If you are like me and are a very active "snail mail" swapper you have noticed the huge issues with shipping with the USPS lately.  I have had MANY packages opened and items removed by postal workers or some packages never arrive all together unless they have tracking numbers.  This is a major issue for swappers like me.  I have spoken to a few postal workers regarding these issues and have a small solution to our woes.  To see any REAL changes in these areas we need to show a force by contacting the USPS Consumer Affairs office.  
Do not waste your time by calling 1(800)ASK-USPS 1(800)275-8777, it is completely useless.  When you call this office be prepared to wait on hold for a while and the hold message tells you to call the national call center for immediate service but that is just 1(800)ASK-USPS call center and will have no affect in resolving your issues.  If we can all team up against the USPS we maybe able to ship our works of art without fear of losing them.

Happy Swapping!

The Queen Bee

Swap-Bot a crafter's paradise

 Swap-Bot.com

Swap-bot.com is a wonderful community for crafter's to come together and share their art.  I joined Swap-bot in November 2012 and I quickly got the Swap-bot bug and now I'm totally hooked.  I find myself checking my swaps and signing up for new ones everyday.  After only a few months as a member I am not hosting several public swaps and two swap groups.  The community is extremely supportive of beginners and those of us who are trying to expand our craft skills.  You can swap anything from ATC (trading cards made by a crafter the same size as a baseball card) to tid bits and crafting supplies.  The possibilities are truly endless.  

The rules are very simple:  All you do is register for a free membership (must be over 18 years old

Hello Kitty Themed Swap

and start signing up for swaps.  Read each swap completely and make sure you send you package out by the send deadline.  Its very easy.  Be sure to pay attention to whether the swap is local or international because international shipping can be VERY expensive even for the smallest package.  

ATC 

I truly enjoy being a member and meeting the wonderful people from all over the world.  I have kept a scrapbook with all of the return addresses and little notes included with my swaps to keep track of where my goodies come from. 
If you have some free time and really enjoy making someone else day a little brighter I suggest you check out Swap-bot today.

Birthday card I received

My profile on swap-bot.com
Deskitty

My Swap-bot.com groups
All Things Sparkly
Hello Kitty-Say Hello When You See Me