Indiemade and Zibbet

After much deliberation (sounds like a trial, I know),  I have decided to open  shops at both Indiemade and Zibbet.  I checked a lot of reviews people wrote about  Wix and Weebly and Supadupa and Zibbet and Artfire and ..........and decided to land at the two that seemed the best fit for me.  I'll let you know how it goes.  I liked Indiemade because it's for artists and crafters.  There's a blog feature, and the ability to import items from Etsy.  Those features helped to sell me on the site.  Check it out.  You might like it, also.

To Move or Not to Move

UGH!  I have been tossing around the idea of moving this blog to Wordpress and had pretty much made up my mind to make the jump.  I made copies of several "how to transfer from blogger to Wordpress" tutorials and bought a book to make the transition easier.  I think I have decided that I'm just not tech savvy enough to take that plunge.  So, then I started looking around at some other sites where you can both blog and sell your goods.  Oh my gosh, I had no idea there were so many selling sites out there.  I think, though, that I have narrowed it down.  I have decided to keep this blog and then add either a Weebly or Indiemade site.  I wanted to keep this blog because I can talk food, country,  animals, books  as well as crafts here.  All bits and pieces of who I am.   If I start another site it will be under the name of The Stitchin' Coop which is one of my Etsy shops and the one  that holds my PDF patterns.  I have so many more patterns stitched and ready to write up and list.  I want to wrap up this decision about a website this weekend.  I have spent so much time pondering and comparing.  Do you ever do that?  Ponder for too long?
How about you.  Do you have an opinion on Weebly or Indiemade?

Finally!! My Designs Are Going Public

Hey All,  I have been waiting about 14 years to publish and sell my stitchery and craft patterns.  I started designing when my, now 16 year old, was 2.  Add two more Cavesons, to make three, plus all of that mothering responsibility, and my dream got pushed back farther and farther.  But I knew

 the day would come when I finally had some free time to devote to this passion  of mine.  While I was in "wait mode" I filled three notebooks with stitchery and craft pattern ideas and prototypes just waiting to be hatched(ha, that's the chicken mama in me talking now).  They have been incubating for 14 years and the day has arrived to unveil the first batch.  Here are a couple that I have listed on Etsy with more to follow.  As soon as I can figure out how to put a free pattern on this blog I will do so for your stitching pleasure.  You can check out my designs at www.thestitchincoop.etsy.com.

Change Your life Sundays - 1/19/14

I have been a fan of Tony Robbins for over 20 years.  I think he's very inspiring!  Todays WORD KICK comes to us from the man himself.  Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure  he was talking directly to me when he said this.  I'm gonna narrow down my focus this year Tony, really..


"One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus;  We never concentrate our power.  Most people dabble their way through life never deciding to master anything in particular."

                                 Tony Robbins

A New Year - A New You - A New Life

I'm a lover of quotes and words of wisdom that motivate and inspire me.  I believe planting these seeds can be a catalyst to change your life.  And don't we all need a kick in the seat more than once a year!  I've decided to add "Change Your Life Sundays" as a regular feature to this blog.  I chose Sundays because it tends to be a day with a bit more down time for some folks.  It's a day to get ready before you hit the rat race on Monday.  It's my hope that the quote, words of wisdom, and occasional book review will jump start your week and keep you going when you start to wain long about Thursday.  Read it on Sunday then WRITE your goals and lists  for the week ahead.
     I'm a week behind so I'll share two "word kicks" this time, then I'll post these regularly on Sundays.  Jump on the change wagon with me.  Let's change our lives for the better this year.
     I'm not a New Year's resolutioner myself, but lots of people choose "weight loss" as their goal for each New Year.  Believe it or not, I have been a weight lifter/gym rat for 30 - yes, 30 years!  The gym fills up in Jan. and Feb. then attendance drops off and by May those people are AWOL, never to be seen with a dumbell in their hand again.  You don't need a gym membership to get in shape and eat right.  I was a bit lax myself over the holidays by skipping gym time and eating WAY TOO MUCH SUGAR.  Ugh!  Gotta get back on track.  So, we're in this year together.  Here we go.



SUMMER BODIES ARE EARNED IN THE WINTER.
See this at www.atitmesiramble.tumblr.com


And our make up quote:

You will never regret reaching your goal.  You will only retreat giving up and not trying harder.
author unknown

A Grown up Kind of Birthday Meal

A few months ago Caveson#1 turned 16.  There's something about that 16 year milestone that makes you say to yourself - and out loud for the whole family to hear , "Where did those 16 years go, how did they pass so quickly?  Did I do and teach all of the things the heavens entrusted me to accomplish with this little, now bigger being?"  Take heed my mommy sisters.  Time is fleeting.  Your child will be 16 in a blink.  That's a conversation for another post, though.
     I always give the Cavesons an opportunity to choose a special family birthday meal.  Caveson #1 said he didn't really have a preference so I set out to find the perfect meal to please all the family palates and stomach ailments.  Martha provided me with just the fix.  Yes, Martha of the Stewart variety.  This Nicoise style salad was not only beautiful but plentiful and delicious.

And now for the meat plate.

This meal would be fabulous for vegetarians also, sans the meat of course.  We chose grilled chicken, steak and Mahi Mahi on the meat platter.  

     

The salad platter includes several hard cheeses plus fresh mozzarella, gold and red beats(in a separate bowl to discourage beet juice from contaminating everything), olives, heirloom tomatoes, colorful peppers, boiled eggs, lettuce, watercress, cukes, avocados, and water chestnuts.  If I remember correctly, Martha put one of these together the day after a dinner party to use up her leftover meat and veggies.  I often make my own dressings but quite frankly, this took a while to put together so I opted for store-bought dressings this time. 

     Really, the possibilities are endless for additions to this salad.  Try carrot sticks, boiled red skins, jicama, celery, shredded cabbage or thinly sliced red onion.  MMMmmm!

Our local grocery stores now have these great olive bars with a collection of different types of olives.  There's garlic stuffed, almond stuffed, pimiento stuffed and lots of different types of kalamata olives.  I have never been a big olive fan but, wow, these are delectable!

When it came to birthday cake, Caveboy#3 opted for a birthday pie instead.  This just happens to be a Martha Stewart recipe, as well.  I tweaked it a bit and added cherries so it became an apple cherry slab pie.  I have made this slab pie with only apples and only cherries and it's just plain old good no matter what you put into it.  Feeds a crowd, too.

 Notice the candles.  I didn't have a 1 and a 6 candle but I had three candles that added up to 16.  

Hey, sometimes we have to improvise, don't we?

And there you have it.  I hope you're inspired to create your own whole meal salad.  It's a delicious meal, birthday or not.

     

My First Wordless Wednesday! WooHoo!