Rosie the Riveter Dies at Age 86

Original story, posted December 30, 2010: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/30/rosie-riveter-dead-geraldine-hoff-doyle_n_802772.html

Geraldine Hoff Doyle, the inspiration for "Rosie the Riveter," died on Sunday at the age of 86 due to complications from arthritis, the Washington Post reports.

Rosie's story began in the 1940s, when the 17-year-old Doyle was working at a metal factory in Ann Arbor, Michigan. A visiting United Press International photographer snapped a pic of her on the job.

The image was then used by artist J. Howard Miller for the "We Can Do It!" poster, released during World War II. As the Washington Post writes, "For millions of Americans throughout the decades since World War II, the stunning brunette in the red and white polka-dot bandanna was Rosie the Riveter." A later "Rosie the Riveter" interpretation, done by Norman Rockwell, was featured on the Saturday Evening Post in 1943. Ultimately, the idea of "Rosie the Riveter" came to represent all female factory workers at the time. But for decades, Doyle had no idea that her
likeness was used on the original poster.

The New York Times writes: Mrs. Doyle was unaware of the poster's existence until 1982, when, while thumbing through a magazine, she saw a photograph of it and recognized herself. Her daughter said that the face on the poster was her mother's, but that the muscles were not. "She didn't have big, muscular arms," [her daughter Stephanie] Gregg said. "She was 5-foot-10 and very slender. She was a glamour girl. The arched eyebrows, the beautiful lips, the shape of the face -- that's her."

According to the Wall Street Journal, Doyle quit after just one week at the factory where her picture was made famous. "She later married a dentist and raised a family in Lansing, Mich.," the Journal reports.

Doyle is survived by five children, 18 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.

When Parents Text.

Just as amusing as Damn You, Auto Correct! comes the newest internet sensation site: When Parents Text.

WPT is dedicated to your entertainment via mocking the complicated relationship between your parents, technology, and you. "This blog is dedicated to the trials and errorsthat come when a parent handles a cellphone."

Be sure to check out both sites, and "like" them on Facebook as well.

A true Winter Wonderland

Trust me... you've gotta check this out:

http://www.staplenews.com/home/2010/12/20/snow-under-a-microscope.html

Congratulations, Zac!

Remember all that nostaglia stuff? Well, it goes for music too. Last Christmas my parents gave me an iPod... I've got it packed with every Pop and R&B hit I loved in the 90's. Guess I know what they mean when they say, "You can take the kid out of Generation X, but you can't take the Gen X out of the kid". Okay, maybe no one says that.

Anyway, my first musical love struck me in 7th or 8th grade when I stumbled across Hanson's MMMBop music video. Thus began a borderline-unhealthy obsession that lasted ever since (though I would have denied this in my high school years). Zac Hanson, they youngest and seemingly more attainable portion of the trio was my favorite. My parents didn't allow me to date then, but I was even smart enough to striked a deal with my dad that I could date Zac, if he ever asked.

Well, we've all grown up... even little Zac! He and wife, Kate, welcomed their second child, a girl, last Wednesday. Congratulations!

Don't Wake the Dragon and Pizza Party.

I'm nostalgic, to a fault. I love anything and everything I grew up with, or I can somehow link to a childhood or family memory.

Last Christmas I took advantage of the internet and re-purchased an enormous collection of original Polly Pocket compacts and vintage Littlest Pet Shop toys... the first and "better" versions of toys that are still made today, but are far different from the versions I cherished in the 80's. My daughter was thrilled, and we have since often enjoyed my old toys together.

Sell.com, Amazon, eBay, and my personal favorite, Craigslist, can help you find and purchase many of your favorite things. A few months ago I bought a DVD with original episodes of Strawberry Shortcake (again, the show from the 80's... not the weird, modern-day computer generated version). Another new favorite of my daughter's. I found my favorite Charlie Brown movie, and of course, my Saved By The Bell collection.

My newest quest is for the 1986 Don't Wake the Dragon and 1987 Pizza Party board games.

I receieved Don't Wake the Dragon for Christmas, and have vivid memories of playing it with my Mom and friends. The premise of the game is to rescue your stolen penguin eggs from the sleeping dragon, Big Snore. Land on an egg space and collect an egg; land on a dragon space and you're forced to shake Big Snore and risk everyone losing the eggs they've collected atop their penguin's hat.

In Pizza Party, each player aims to collect the pizza toppings that match the color of their handle. Occasionally a player will draw a "Switch" card, forcing them to swap pizza slices with an opponet. First to fill their slice, wins.

So far these two board games have been difficult to find, and those in good condition are quite expensive. I look forward to finding these gems while my kids are still young enough to enjoy them with me :)

My new collection

Did I mention I need these? I'm a HUGE Saved By The Bell fan... I have all of the seasons of the original show on DVD, including the two made-for-TV movies. I have College Years greeting cards, a novel, and more. When I was in junior high, I remember running home from the school bus (which dropped me off at 2:35) to catch the TV program (which started at 2:30pm).

Above all, I have been head-over-heels in love with AC Slater ever since. I have several of his autographs, including a signed copy of his children's book, Mud Tacos. A few weeks ago my wildest dream was realized when Mario Lopez , himself, came to a local mall.

Naturally, we fell in love ;)

NAUGHTY vs. NICE?

A British Survey has revealed the boys and girls most likely to grace the Naughty and Nice Lists:

The survey also suggests that kids who do not shorten their names are better behaved. "The study, by School Stickers, analysed good behavior and aheivement stickers awarded to 57,000 pupils online throughout the UK." Read HERE.

Holiday shopping.

I am super proud of myself for committing to Christmas early this year. With threats of bad weather looming, I started, and nearly finished, my holiday shopping in mid-November. When snow hit Thanksgiving week, I was relieved that our Christmas photos were taken, and I could avoid the nasty weather. During that time we set-up the tree, I made our handmade Christmas cards, and we even saw Santa.

The only problem? Black Friday and the deals that follow.

I had already laid my kid's gifts out across my living room, meticulously documenting each gift, and how much it cost on my color-coded Excel spreadsheet (a wonderful tool-- I know who I need to shop for, what I've purchased and for how much, and what still needs to be taken care of). My children were past the point of "spoiled" and didn't need anything else. But I couldn't stop myself! There were jammies and movies at Walmart. Dolls and board games at Target. Don't even get me started on TJ Maxx.

Here's another deal I couldn't pass up, and it's only good TODAY. JCPenney has Disney Princess Dress-up Gowns for $9.99! And with the promo code 4RELVES you can get an additional 20% off (that's only $7.99 each, folks) and use the free Ship-to-Store feature. There are other Wednesday-only deals, too, and trust me... I found them.

Disney Dress-up Gowns

I admit it: I REALLY want this.

The Nuwave Oven. It broils, roasts and and bakes! It toasts and BBQs! It steams, fries, and dehydrates! It even slices and dices! Okay, maybe it doesn't slice or dice. But it still looks awesome.

This compact cooker claims to utilize three different types of cooking-- convection, conduction, and far infrared-- to bake even frozen foods quicker and with less fat. The infomercial states that you can heat your meats and veggies all together, and can even bake cookies, pizzas, and dehydrate fruits and veggies. All for just 3 easy payments of $39.99 (plus s&h, of course).

THAT'S NOT ALL. Order "now" to get the bonus items: a cookbook and user guide, recipe cards, instructional DVD, carrying case, warrantys, pizza kit, and best of all, the Party Mixer and Nuwave Twister blending appliances.

I'm sold.

New items listed on my Etsy site :)

Just in! I just listed to handmade organizers: one in Birthday theme, which is intended to remember the birthdays of your friends and family, store greeting cards and postage stamps, and collecting your party planning ideas and gift receipts. The other is a Recipe Organizer, which allows you to keep your favorite recipe cards and organize by category.

Contact me for custom orders. I have Birthday and Recipe organizers listed HERE on my Etsy site, but have also made a Christmas Organizer and can do any theme of your choice!

Handmade Gift ideas.

For once, I hope my girlfriends aren't checking out my blog.




Last year, I saw an article in Cosmo magazine that featured three handmade "foodie" gifts for the holidays. I was really excited about the Vodka recipe, and bought some cute bottles to make gifts for my friends. The idea never panned out, however, and I am planning to give it a go this holiday season.


The article had instructions for an Orange Poppyseed Pound Cake, and a Chocolate Chip and Dried Cherry Cookie Mix in a Jar, as well as the Raspberry and Lemon Vodka . Here are the instructions for the first two foodies-- I'm keeping the vodka recipe to myself ;)


Orange Poppy-Seed Pound Cake
This cake is an indulgent treat! I like to give a box of tea along with it.

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• ½ teaspoon orange extract
• 6 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, and poppy seeds. In another bowl, use an electric mixer on medium to beat the butter, sugar, orange zest, and extract until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time. Turn the mixer to low, and add the flour mixture, beating until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is golden, about 50 minutes. Cool completely before wrapping.

Chocolate Chip and Dried Cherry Cookie Mix in a Jar
Perfect for the baking-challenged friend. Print the instructions on a card, and attach.

• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ²⁄³ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup coarsely chopped dried cherries
• ²⁄³ cup brown sugar
• 8 ounces chocolate chips

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Then add the granulated sugar, cherries, flour mixture, brown sugar, and chocolate chips to a jar in layers. Seal the jar, and tie with a ribbon.

Attach this recipe to the jar:
To make cookies: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 stick of room-temperature butter until creamy. Add 2 eggs and1teaspoon vanilla. Stir in cookie mix. Drop by the tablespoonful onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until golden. Cool. Makes 36 cookies.

Season's Greetings!

I'll make your wedding invitations, and marry you too!

Contact me for details!

Christmas gifts for everyone!

Tell me you've seen this commercial.

Designer [looking] jeans that you can sleep in and wear to the grocery store! With flare legs and pocket rivets. No way. These sweats can be yours for only $39.95 and an $8 shipping charge. Free crew neck t-shirt with purchase.

Christmas made easy! You're welcome.

Can NOT wait.

Hot off the press:

Los Angeles (April 20, 2010) – Two great forces in entertainment have combined with the announcement of an unprecedented arrangement between The Estate of Michael Jackson, represented by Executors John Branca and John McLain, and Cirque du Soleil for the creation, development, production and promotion of Michael Jackson projects, featuring touring and permanent shows, based on the music and songs of Michael Jackson. Special lifestyle projects, including a nightclub to open with the Las Vegas production, will also be developed.

The first of these projects will be an arena-touring show in which fans will experience the excitement of a Michael Jackson concert, expected to debut in late Fall 2011. That arena show is anticipated to enjoy an extended run in Las Vegas in conjunction with longtime Cirque du Soleil partner MGM MIRAGE. The Las Vegas permanent show, also in partnership with MGM MIRAGE, is expected to open in late 2012. MGM MIRAGE will announce the location and plans for the permanent theatrical venue at a later date.

Read the full story HERE.

A Mother's Love:

Check out this beautiful story about a little boy's preschool Halloween costume, and the scrutiny both he and his mother faced:

http://nerdyapplebottom.com/2010/11/02/my-son-is-gay/


Cheryl Kilodavis wrote My Princess Boy in response to the cruel reactions her 5-year-old son receives when he dresses in sparkly, shiny frocks:

http://www.watoday.com.au/lifestyle/lifematters/princess-boy-sparks-gender-furore-20101101-179rn.html

One of the coolest products I have ever seen!

While watching The Food Network's Unwrapped last night, I was introduced to a really amazing [looking] product that I can't wait to try.

The Hat Creek Candle Company creates "Cookie Melts": wax candles that melt in warmers, that look AND smell exactly like the different cookies they represent. The show featured four cookie candles, but the website has many more including chocolate chip, maple pecan, ginger snap and snickerdoodle.

It wasn't until I went to their site that I saw the other interesting "home baked" candle products they offer, including these adorable cupcake and pie candles:

I can't wait to grab one of these warmers and check these cookie melts out!

Halloween Recipes

I love holidays! Here are some fun recipes for your family to celebrate this upcoming Halloween:

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Mummy Meatloaf, as seen in Family Fun Magazine

Ingredients:
Meatloaf from your favorite recipe
American cheese
Olive slices

Make your favorite meatloaf recipe and shape the loaf to resemble a mummy's body with crossed arms. Bake the loaf until it's cooked through. Let it rest about 3 minutes, then lay 1-inch-wide strips of American cheese across the body as shown, leaving a narrow space on the head for the olive slice eyes. Trim any overhanging cheese with scissors and return the mummy to the still-warm oven to slightly melt the cheese, about 1 minute.

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Ghosts in the Graveyard, Kraft

Ingredients:

2 pkg. (3.9 oz. each) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
3 cups cold milk
1 tub (12 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
15 OREO Cookies, crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)
Assorted decorations: Milano Cookies, decorating gel, candy pumpkins, candy corn pieces

BEAT pudding mixes and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 min. Let stand 5 min. Stir in 3 cups COOL WHIP and half the cookie crumbs. Spread into 13x9-inch dish; sprinkle with remaining crumbs. REFRIGERATE 1 hour. Meanwhile, decorate cookies with decorating gel to resemble tombstones. INSERT decorated cookies into top of dessert just before serving. Add candies. Drop large spoonfuls of remaining COOL WHIP onto dessert to resemble ghosts.

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Candy Corn Smoothie, Disney

Ingredients:
3 red apples, peeled and cored
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 cups low-fat plain yogurt
3 tablespoons sugar substitute
2 cups frozen peaches or mango
2 cups frozen pineapple
Red and yellow food coloring

Chop apples into chunks and toss with lemon juice. Place in a shallow dish in the freezer until frozen, about 45 minutes. In the work bowl of a food processor or blender, place 2 cups of yogurt along with the frozen apples and sugar substitute and blend until smooth. In the work bowl of a food processor or blender, place frozen peaches or mango and 2 cups of yogurt and process until smooth. Add 4 drops of red food coloring and 8 drops of yellow food coloring for a strong orange color. In the work bowl of a food processor or blender, place frozen pineapple and remaining 2 cups of yogurt and process until smooth. Add 6 drops of yellow food coloring for a bright yellow color. If not serving smoothies right away, store all three layers separately in three separate airtight containers in the freezer. Thaw slightly before serving. Spoon a layer of the apple yogurt mixture into bottom of glasses. Carefully spoon a layer of peach or mango mixture on top. Top with a layer of pineapple mixture. Makes 6-12 servings, depending upon size.

It feels like my heart has been ripped from my chest.

Make mine a venti; Seattle Starbucks selling alcohol - CTV News

CTV British Columbia - Make mine a venti; Seattle Starbucks selling alcohol - CTV News

A review.

Even though I know that anyone can start a free blog, I feel very blessed that I have the opportunity and the right to express my opinions in a public forum. And for that reason it gives me great pleasure knowing I can share the following review with you all.

I used the cell-phone provider, T-Mobile, for several years and recently switched to another provider. I will NEVER again use T-Mobile. The company is dishonest, and the have no consideration or compassion for customers who have given them both a significant amount of time and money. When the cell phone I purchased broke yet AGAIN (after upwards of 3 or 4 full replacements and another half dozen troubleshoots in the store), I was told that the phone was no longer made/sold and I would have to purchase another phone for near-full price. Considering I was 16 months into the one-year contract I had asked for, I decided to switch and partner with my husband's plan. That's when everything went south... fast. I was flooded with hourly phone calls, and I responded by making my final payment by check. The calls continued and eventually a nice representative let me know that my check was finally received and there would be no more calls. I wish that had been true. It was at that time they began to demand a termination fee. I reasoned that I should be on month-to-month terms and no fee would apply, and they agreed and reversed the fees (and also discovered TWO mis-charges on my bill, and STILL asked me to pay an additional $24 for God-knows-what). Again I was compliant and made the payment and was assured that my account was now closed in good standing. Long story short, the harassing phone calls started up again... I re-explained to more associates.... fees were reversed again... and then un-reversed... and more phone calls, and explaining... and their "Supervisors" refuse to hold true to their word of offering me the contract I asked for, and following through on the fee reversals they promised. Needless to say, while I didn't initially leave on bad terms, I will now never, Ever, EVER return to this company or recommend them to anyone I know.

Apparently I am not the only one with these sorts of issues. Check out THIS blog post I stumbled upon.


And, that's my rant about that.

Spinning Dancer.

Last night I was introduced to an Optical Illusion I hadn't seen before. The video is a silhouette of a woman whom, depending on whether you're "left brained" or "right brained", spins counter-clockwise, clockwise, or both. I know from more intensive research that I am, without doubt, left-brain dominate. I am systematic almost to a fault, and rely on my common sense and hard facts (not creativity or theory) to guide me through all my thought processes. Because I most often see the dancer spinning clockwise and only see a change in direction when I look with my peripheral vision, I don't believe that this test is really linked to your brain dominance, but it's still pretty interesting. Let me know which direction you see the dancer spin!

The #1 Halloween Costume of 2010:

Can you believe it?! This is FOR REAL! Antoinne Dodson became an overnight internet sensation when his auto-tuned news clip hit YouTube last month. I featured the VIDEO CLIP when I first saw it, and gave you the UPDATE when his song sold 91,000 copies on iTunes. Now you can sport your very own Bed Intruder costume this Halloween... all for under $20! You'll receive the wig, bandana, black tank top, and [best of all] an autographed rolled up paper to shake around!

Check out http://www.bedintrudercostume.com/ to buy yours today!

October 9th is National Dessert Day!

I baked Double Chocolate Chip and Sugar cookies, and Cinnamon Struduel. How will YOU celebrate?!

kids + Disney + cookies + frogs

Riley and I have been hard at work, creating and sending cards to terminally ill children all across the country. I could not be more impressed with both her creativity and compassion. A few days ago I bought some kid-friendly postage stamps, and came up with a new idea:: starting now, for every order sold through my Etsy site, we will send an additional card to a sick child. Your purchase will ensure a customized "cheer" card is made and mailed! Thanks in advance for your contribution.

Speaking of Etsy, I decided to branch out from only cards and am now selling some other paper crafts as well. I currently have 3 Disney princess cut-out packs for sale which you can check out HERE.

As for a personal update, I have tried to make the most of my four day weekend. The kids got haircuts yesterday, then had a playdate with Miss Kelsi. This morning I woke up and baked three types of cookies, including sugar, which my kids enjoyed frosting for Halloween with their buddy, Rylee. After baking, we went out for lunch, then they spent the afternoon playing outside. At one point I had to call my son in to capture wild frog that had decided to take up residence in our downstairs! Everyone knows I hate frogs. Luckily Noah saved the day!

business cards!

My business cards, stamp, and labels are here! They look amazing. My first batch of cards are also in London Couture as of Friday, so be sure to check them out if you're out in Tacoma! I'll post a photo tomorrow... as for today, I'm too exhausted to think straight. Still recovering from bronchitis and needing rest. Stay tuned.

I suppose I should have gotten a flu shot.

I left work Monday afternoon with a sore throat. I assumed I have overused my voice in class, and didn't think much of it. Although it seemed worse by bed time, the real surprise came yesterday morning when I woke up feeling miserable. Really?? Apparently life didn't get the memo that I don't have time to be sick!

I didn't venture from bed for much of the day, but I did manage to creat a few cards and throw them up on my Etsy site. I spend the majority of the day resting in efforts to rid of this bug before I had to get back to work today. No such luck. With an 11 hour work day looming ahead, I had to physically drag myself up and attem' this morning. I also go back to school this week. Looks like the laundry is taking a back seat to my sniffles (but, hey... I don't cook or clean anyway, right?). Blah. Really, that's all I have to say about that.

Paying it Forward.

As you all know, I have been keeping myself busy experimenting with card making. This is all well and good, and I have enjoyed starting up my Etsy site and working with the vintage shop.


As my box of "finished" cards filled up, I began to wonder how and when I would use all of those cards. The answer was so clear. I googled a few key words and found several great sites for sending greetings to hopitalized children and war veterans. My daughter got in on the action and even made a sweet little card for "a sick kid" which she is SO proud of.

So far I have sent a card to 6 year old Peyton who I found on Hugs & Hope, and Aiden and Isabella who were featured on Make a Child Smile. I am excited to send out many more to other organizations as well!

So, my dad is now on Facebook.

A few months ago, my mom got on Facebook. I found the whole thing to be silly and adorable. After the London Couture fashion show (could these guys be getting any more promotion from me?! haha), I thought maybe my dad should look into creating a Facebook page for his photography company, Images. We got him all set up this morning, and tagged all of the models who participated in the show. Ta-da! You can now contact him and set up your own portrait sessions through his page HERE. And, as always, on his website HERE. Love you, dad!

I've always loved my kids little feet :)

This card-making is getting serious.

With the grand opening of the London Couture Vintage store just a week away, I have been hard at work getting all of my ducks in a row. I can't believe that my art work will not only be on display, but will be for sale, and I am ecstatic that the owners are so excited about featuring my cards.

I came across Vista Print where I designed some great business cards, labels, and a stamp that feature my blog and Etsy addresses. I also decided to copyright my blog and artwork. I now feel completely ready to take on the crafting business world!

ooh la la.

Halloween = success thanks to MyPartyShirt.com!

I have a confession to make. When my husband and I decided on our Halloween costumes, I found the website MyPartyShirt.com. I read that if you blogged, facebooked or Twittered (is that even a verb?) about their company, you could get a discount on your purchase. So I wrote the following:

Lyle and I have decided on our Halloween costumes, and I couldn't be more stoked! We have decided to go as contestants of the *amazing* game show Legends of the Hidden Temple!

I wasn't sure where I would find a costume, so I had to google it. The best deal seemed to be mypartyshirt.com, which offered not only the t-shirts, but all of the accompanying accessories. I have decided on Orange Iguana, and Lyle is going to rep the Blue Barracuda.

They have other awesome costumes including Wheres Waldo and Buddy the Elf. If you hurry, you can take advantage of the discounts on the website and get your costume guaranteed before Halloween.

They sent me a discount code to save 20%, which was really cool, and I ordered the costumes. That sounds like the end of the story, right? Wrong. Not only did I save 20%, but I got one of our shirts free because there was a Halloween sale going on. The site was easy to use, and here is the best part: I selected the slowest/cheapest shipping option... and my order was in my mailbox two days later! No kidding. I will definitely use this company again. And so should you.

Disturbing beyond belief.

WARNING:: the following video is not for the sensible.

Twenty-one year old idiot Jessica Gamble is giving mothers everywhere a reason to feel furious and appauled. Apparently she has nothing better to do than give her two-year-old daughter a marijuana cigarette, videotape the nonsense, and post it onto YouTube. Obviously the video was reported to child services, and Gamble has been indicted on charges of Child Endangerment for which she faces up to 11 years in prison.

I am sickened at the thought of a mother intentionally putting her baby in harms way. It's wrong enough that she is smoking in the same room as her child, while the young girl is in her care, but to allow her to put a lit cigarette into her hand, and a drug into her system, is sinister. I hope that sweet little girl is taken away from her mother - for good - and forgets that she ever knew how to accurately smoke a joint.

Happy "National Talk Like a Pirate Day"!

More greeting card news.

My friend Andee has recently opened a vintage store, London Couture. Last weekend I participated as a runway model in his grand opening fashion show, Strutts For Mutts, which was a charity benefit for the Metro Animal Shelter.

Since I had already created a number of vintage-style cards, I asked Andee if he would be interested in having them in his store, and he was very excited about the idea. I made a decent size collection for him, but after the show, I felt inspired to try out some fashionista-themed cards as well. I got ahold of two new Cricut cartridges-- Forever Young and Summer in Paris (limited), which are perfect for the cards I had in mind. Here are a few of my new designs (don't mind the camera phone quality photos, haha):



Of course these cards will be packaged up with envelopes and my logo before they are sold to the store, but I wanted to snap a photo first because I am really happy with how they turned out. Don't forget to check out some of my other paper gifts over on my Etsy site here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/mrsjmattson. Unfortunately I am reserving all of my Vintage and Fashionista cards for London Couture, but I will let you know if I put any up!

Chinese Gender Predictor.

Attention mothers-- have you ever checked out the Chinese Gender Calendar? Around for centuries, it is reported to be more than 50/50 accurate, and some claim it's accuracy to be 93%.

This chart is supposedly able to predict the gender of your child based on the mother's age at conception, and the month she became pregnant. I tested it out with the data from my pregnancy with my now 5-year-old daughter and, low and behold, it was correct. According to the calendar, if I were to become pregnant right now I could expect another daughter. Pretty cool.

Hey, I made an Etsy site!

I've been scrapbooking for years, but never expanded beyond photo albums. After purchasing my Cricut machine in July, I found myself eager to cut out new things, and I started exploring with greeting cards.


Now that I have made a whole basket full of cards with various themes, I have decided to try and sell some of my inventory. Check out my Etsy site HERE.