Almost Done Shopping, Can I get a "hell yea?"

As of 4:30 last night I was officially DONE with my kids (shopping that is lol).  This year I kept having 1 extra for my son...which its usually wayyyy the opposite.  So I got her 1 last gift and they are good to go!  Now I just have to get 1 more thing for daddyo and a couple more things for hubby and it's on like donkey kong :)  Whoohooo!

I got hubby a lot less this year than I normally do, but everything I got was something he actually asked for--so good enough!  Plus, he really wouldnt care if I got him nada so he will be thrilled.  

Ooh, and I have things under the tree as well, things I dont know about! Things I didn't wrap!  It is so cute too because you can tell which are from him.... the latest addition is an average sized box...with literally 1/2 a roll of paper on it... its sloppy but its mine and i love it haha (i meant the gift, although this statement would fit for hubby too) 

This weekend I think we are making batch number 2 of christmas cookies...the others were all gone before we had a chance to frost them....so thats not good lol.....or its great depending on how you look at it! As of now, we have 1 container with 1/2 a bell cookie in it, and 4 containers of homemade colorful frosting..yea im thinking more cookies are in order!

Ny mama usually makes pizzelles to send as gifts...and the damn machine / iron thingie broke....so now we are waiting for a new one in the mail...its just not gonna happen this year i guess!  Sucky!!!  I have to say though, im proud, she only got pissy about it for that 1 day.... that would have ruined atleast a good week or 2 for me..lol!


Well, Im off to attempt to finish hubby's gifts at...dun dun duhhhh WALLY WORLD!  I fricken hate wally world....but its 10000 times better than the mall (i dont even like saying or typing that word) eeewwwwww!  If you dont have clostrophobia issues...go to a mall this time of year..,.you will!  In fact I get skeeved out every time i go there..no matter what time of year it is.  The parking blows, the people suck, teeniboppers have taken over....and i cant find 1 dang thing... nope, not worth my time!  Oh not to mention everyone trying to sell you a phone and spray you with perfume that smells like lysol and roses..... no-fricken-thanks!  lll stick with the wally world craziness, go in, get out, come home, badabing im done lol!


If I dont write again, i wish all my followers, stoppers-by, and their famz a fantabulous christmas!

O M G Is that SANTA on my roof?  No no, its just my dad---trying to fix our chimney cap-- with a rope and a ladder....oh yes its all on video..... lol! ho ho ho

Where did time go?

Well as of Dec 5th I was officially the mother of an 11 year old...what!?!  It seems every day I wake up..and both my kids are a year older...I just don't know where the time is going!  It certainly isn't doing my laundry lol!  Next month will be my little girl's turn to amaze me..she is turning 9.........eeek!  Please remind me NOT to have any more kids around this time of year! 

  Christmas is about 2 weeks away, and I am basically D O N E shopping..I say basically because there are always more things I could buy....and probably will.  Still have a few more big boy toys to get for Hubby..he's been such a good boy this year lol.  He's easy, as long as he has a bottle of whiskey from Santa and some meat pie (delish) he's good to go.  The kid's are a little trickier, but not by much!  I think they both made out pretty good this year, considering I warned them ahead of time that I didn't know just how much I would have to devote to spoiling them.  But I did make sure that they each got a good chunk of wish list items, which is usually my main goal of the year.  Once I got them each every single thing they asked for..and ya know what?  They weren't any more excited than they were when I got them only 1 or 2 "must haves" so I decided from now on I would look at the "want" and "need" items...and tweak them with what I want to (and can afford to) get.

I am lucky, even though my son is one of those "need the best of the best" kids...neither of them are ever disappointed on Christmas, they thoroughly enjoy giving as well as getting, and just the whole Christmas experience..which is awesome!  My daughter is super easy, one of her "gotta have it" items this year was a new pair of slippers!  Yep I can totally handle that!

Well, here's to another pre-Christmas meltdown avoided...and happy kids on Christmas morning!  I can't WAIT to see what Santa has in store for us this year!!!

How cute!!  Dontchya just LOVE my faux brick wall?  I painted it all by myself! haha

The Most Fun You'll Have Today.....FREE GAME!

I know as a mom there really isn't enough time for simple things like showers and meals on some days...but when you do have a spare moment...enjoy it!  I love the internet for many reasons, one being games!  I have tried a lot of sites, purchased a lot of games...spent loads of cash....until I found Game House. I highly recommend it, you can grab some games for you..your husband...and even the kids!  Check out the free trial and enjoy a no strings attached gaming experience!  Click the pic below for the 7 day free trial, and it;s really easy to cancel so no worries.  Sign up just to buy a game or two for less than HALF PRICE over other sites....or just to enjoy a week of game play.

Or.......

Get a FREE game AND a 30 day FREE trial!  Click the picture below to get the free 30 day trial of Fun Ticket!  You get 1 FREE game of your choice....so even if you just sign up, grab your game, and cancel---it's 100% worth it!

Link From Blog $$ ?

I just found this site, if anyone has any experience with it, let me know.  I am going to give it a whirl!

Winner Chosen! 8x10 Personalized Keepsake Giveaway!

We have a winner!  A New Kind Of Perfect !  

Congrats!  I am contacting you now for your specifics!

To all other's who entered the giveaway, you do not go away empty handed!  

If you are interested, reply or email me, and I will send you a special coupon code worth  

15% off our personalized keepsakes!

Christmas Shopping!

Is it really time already?  Normally I have a nice dent in my shopping by now, but no such luck this year!  It doesn't help that hubby decided to get bronchitis and be out of work for almost 2 weeks, bastard! (note: slight sarcasm here)  It's my own fault really, every year I seem to think there is going to be some money fairy dropping a wad of cash in my pocket....but that just isn't so, unfortunatly! So now I am off to start 1 of possibly many stressed out shopping trips!  I actually love Christmas shopping, it just doesn't love me or my dismal checkbook.  I think as a mother I will feel guilty either way....I buy too much==I am spoiling the and defeating the purpose of Christmas....I buy too little ==I am irresposible because i should have planned my finances better to give them the BEST.  Eh I cant win either way, so Ill just enjoy the time today with my mom, grab some coffee and breakfast and feel accomplished for gettting SOME shopping done BEFORE Thanksgiving!  That's something to be proud of right?

Oh...forgot to mention...all the birthdays!  My son the first week and my dad right before christmas in Dec.  My daughter, my 2 neices and 1 of my nephews in Jan!  Is that even LEGAL!?!!?!?  And right next to eachother too!  Nephew Jan 5th Neice Jan 6th  Daughter Jan 13 Neice Jan 14  WHAT!  I swear these kid's are going to drive me up a wall!  But every year we manage to pull it off somehow, and every year around this time I start to FREAK OUT....so you would think I'd be used to it lol!


Oh well, enough procrastinating, time to go on the first Christmas shopping trip of the year!  Thank God 105.7 is has been playing Christmas tunes since nov 1st...it may get me in the mood lol!  And i will deny saying this, but I wish it was snowing...it makes the whole experience more fun!  Ok ok I'm going...for real this time!

Adorable Grubby Cupcake Candles===Give Away!!

If you want to have unique and yummy gifts for this holiday season--without the calories...you have hit the jackpot!  These yummy looking cupcakes are actually handmade candles!  Head on over to Taking Time For Mommy blog and enter Mandie's giveaway!  She actually has a simple tutorial listed on how you can make these yourself!  I took the lazy route and entered the giveaway!  I originally planned to give these as gifts if I was lucky enough to win...but now I'm thinking I may just wrap them up for ME! 

Whoohoo! I Actually Won Something!!

Just had to post a quick note and Thank You to Rachel @ http://rachelericandallie.blogspot.com/ !
She had a TwiTastic giveaway that I was lucky enough to win!  Seeing as how I don't win things ever...as a general rule... (LOL) AND that this was a New Moon giveaway... I am EXTATIC !

Be sure to head on over there and follow her blog....you wont regret it!

Bookmarks For Benefit! (Food Pantry Fundraiser)

With Christmas just around the corner, I wanted to get some money together to donate to local food pantries. Rather than just donate canned goods, I figured a gift card to Market Basket would be even better. This way, they could actually get what they needed, not just what people felt like donating.

As you may, or may not know, S Muse Designs also creates personalized bookmarks. I wanted to make this promotion as easy for people to participate in as possible. Seeing as how our bookmarks are the least expensive item we carry, I thought they would make a great choice to use for this fundraiser.

A sample pic is below, these are also hand painted and given a 3d embossed look just like our 8x10 and 11x14 keepsakes.   You can choose a floral font or forest font, full name or initials (or short saying) great for stocking stuffers or add-ons for any book lover on your list!

You can order via Paypal (or cc) below.  Please include the NAME and which font you would like in the comments section of your order.  If you forget, it's ok, you can also just email or comment on this blog with your choices!  (No shipping cost, postage is included!)  Save by buying multiples!  All profits from these sales will go towards a Market Basket gift card to be donated to a NH food pantry.

Quanitity

1 Bookmark $3.00 5 Bookmarks $10.00 10 Bookmarks $18.00

FREE 8x10 Hand Painted Keepsake Giveaway! 11/16-11/30

I am giving away 1 8x10 Hand Painted Name Keepsake!
Your choice of decorative letter (forest or floral)

Forest --choice of green/cocoa frame and gold/green paper
Floral--choice of pink/white frame and pink/white paper
(Pictures/samples below)

How to enter?  Simply follow me and comment on this post!

Want Extra Entries?
Gain 2 extra entries for Fanning my Facebook group as well!
(Fan page link is on the sidebar!)

Gain 2 extra entries for posting a link/picture to my site on your blog or site
(link http://www.smusedesigns.com and you can grab a pic from here or there)

Gain 2 extra entries for posting my link on your facebook page/group

Please list facebook name, site/blog where my link is located and
keepsake choice in comments when entering.

Contest is running Nov 16-30  a full 2 weeks!

                                                         

 

Peddling Your Own Products & Counting Change

     S Muse Designs is still a fairly new endeavor of ours, so last month was our first crack at the craft show scene.  I am really pleased with the turn out, we sold about $100 worth of items and had a lot of great feedback---success!  We are planning our next for this coming weekend...that is if my sister got the application in the mail!  I'm hoping for a similar experience...or better!  I realize that while people have names and the need for low cost gifts all year long,  this time of year seems to be the BEST time to get crafts and handmades out into the public eye!
If we can plan to attend this coming fair, and host our own in December...and possibly throw in one more...we should have a good amount of Christmas shopping money at least lol! 



  I have been involved in one form of sales or another for the past 8 ish years, so I am no stranger to the concept...however this is different!  I am not out there peddling products from some multimillion dollar company while pocketting (if Im lucky)  $20 a week profit.  There is more profit to be made in your OWN business, thats "fa sho", and more than just financially!   But, on the other hand, no one has heard of S Muse Designs (yet) so we are not "known" for our great products.... we dont have brand recognition, or a really strong customer base (yet).  This is what makes our (or any) hand made business a struggle...personally rewarding, but still a struggle!  If we want to get our items out there we need to do all the advertising out of pocket.  Thats a lot of leg work (both figurativly and literally).  Being online 24-7 isn't anything new or particularly difficult for me, but online advertising is a slooooow and repititious activity!  This is especially true if you are like me, constantly going off on a random tangent.  Easily distracted by anything shiny (or cold dead and sparkly..see other post for cross reference lol).  It's probably the easiest yet most time consuming work out there!

 

     Another thought, it is a little intimidating selling your own creations, because you are basically selling a piece of yourself!  It gets a little harder not taking "no" personally when what you are trying to sell is something YOU created!  But all in all, we have received nothing but good feedback so far, which is exciting.  Sure, not everyone who comes across our website, table, or display makes a purchase, but most stop and say (or email) "I love it!" which is a good start!


Ideally, I would love to have our keepsakes in every country store in New Hampshire, but we will aim for 5 or 10 for now.  Starting small was never my strong suit, but when you're broke, the choice is pretty much already made for you, haha!  

Who knows, one of these days I may not be emptying my pocketbook on Monday mornings looking for quarters because Thursday's check is already spent.  I may not have to decide between a Dunk's ice coffee or the new woman's day magazine because i only found $3...nope! Perhaps my sister and I will make a nice go of this biz and have enough income to afford the little extras life has to offer, without feeling guilty! (As mothers, is it ever possible NOT to feel guilty when indulging in something all for you?)  It will take hard work, determination, and many more Mondays of change counting..but between the two of us, I think we've got what it takes!  It will certainly be a fun ride regardless!

So help 2 strugglin' mamas out, cross some names off your shopping list at 

S Muse Designs!  

Random Goodness-- But my husband doesn't sparkle!

Yes I love my husband dearly, but alas, he doesn't sparkle...not even in the sunlight!
Those of you who are equally as Twilight obsessed know where I am going with this statement.  I simply cannot get enough of the Twilight series and I am waiting with abated breath for the second move, New Moon, to be released in 5 days!  What is it about the movie/books that keeps me coming back time and time again?  It could be the fluid writing of Stephanie Meyer....or the wonderful directing capabilities of Catherine Hardwicke...the fantasy of love eternally, good vs. evil....but let's be honest here, it's Edward Cullen.....the 'fictional character' birthed from Stephanie Meyer's literary womb.  And who brings to light to the unparalleled perfection of Edward Cullen......Robert Pattinson, yes please!  Edward...er, um Robert, or whatever you call him...delicious!  The guy basically promotes a worldwide spontaneous ovulation, he's got the voice, the musical and acting abilities..and then we can't forget about the looks, no how could we?

Is it an unhealthy obsession?  No I don't believe so,  I am perfectly healthy and take care of business...i don't drink or have wild parties (or even go out lol)...so if I want to sit at home with my mother and 8 year old daughter watching Twilight (or Vampire Diaries on Thurs because it's a good Twilight filler, my methadone of sorts) than so be it!   You know the saying " if Mom's happy, everyone is happy" so ha!  Plus it counts as quality time with my mother AND my daughter, so its a win win situation here!

"For a long time I was so weary

Tired of the sound, I've heard before
The gnawing of the nighttime at the door
Haunted by the things I made
Stuck between the burning light and the dusty shade

Said I used to think the past was dead and gone
But I was wrong, so wrong
Whatever makes you blind must make you strong, make you strong
In my time I've melted into many forms
From the day that I was born
But I know there's no place to hide
Stuck between the burning shade and the fading light"

I'll leave you with this:

S Muse Designs---Our Business

Hello all!
I suppose it's about time that I start this bog?  My name is Jennifer, Sharon (my sister) and I started S Muse Designs for a few reasons.  I would say the #1 reason would be her dislike of the 9-5 world and my boredom since my children are in school lol!  We also wanted to create something that could be appreciated by many types of people and considering everyone has a name---I think we found our niche!  With all the spelling variations and unique names people have these days--it is getting harder to find personalized items.  
Our products allow anyone to find their own name...displayed beautifully!

Shameless Self Promotion !  Here's our website! S Muse Designs



  What we do is create hand painted name keepsakes, which at this point in time consist of 8x10 & 11x14 framed wall art, bookmarks, note cards, and some decorated boxes.  The decorative letter(s) have a 3D embossed look to them when finished.  We will be adding more items in the near future though!  Currently we are working on some journals and adorable monogrammed teddy bears...so keep checking back!

Here to the left is a sampling of our Victorian floral lettering.  We made these adorable 8x10 name keepsakes for my daughter's friend's b-day.  The "E" box is a sample, the finished product will be slightly different and will include the printed name as well.

Below is a sample of our rustic forest lettering, this is my favorite because it has adorable woodland creatures hiding throughout the letters, too cute!