tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92183194690761567432023-11-16T07:22:02.098-05:00Seven Hundred and Fifteen PillowsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-65923230584099236472012-08-29T21:33:00.001-04:002012-08-30T08:48:56.087-04:00Moving Along in Life<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.98px;">You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.98px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">stop to look fear in the face</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.98px;"> - Eleanor Roosevelt.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 21.98px;">Getting laid off was a bummer. Learning to sew was fun. It has been just over a year since I started this blog, learned how to sew, and started sewing pillows on Etsy. All three of these things were outside of my comfort zone. I always enjoyed writing when I was in school and when I worked. However, writing my thoughts and experiences for all to see was not in my comfort zone. Learning to sew was never on my bucket list It is so hard for me to look at a pattern or even take the scissors to the fabric. And last but not least, I was never comfortable with the idea of actually selling pillows. Fortunately, I have had a good experience and the feedback has been positive. But, selling is so far out of my comfort zone. Here, I made what I think is an awesome pillow. Do you want to buy the pillow? Sure you do? Come on! Nope - not me. But here is a small trip down memory lane....in pictures.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">First, I learned how to make a pillow.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Then, I made pillows for Haven and put my daughters to work.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">And, I learned how to make good pillows!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The most exciting part of this pillow gig was the opportunity to get involved and help out the Belle Isle Aquarium.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />It was an interesting year - one of ups and down, frustrations and successes. I don't think I would change anything. I listened to my husband and took a chance by learning how to sew. I met so many interesting people. But, lets face it, this was never meant to be a career. And crafting, well, it is not so lucrative. For the past five years I have been mulling over in mind, what am I going to do when my kids are in school all day. I am not there yet. Vi is only in preschool. But, this summer I started to seriously weigh my options. So, I am quiting the pillows business and saying goodbye to my Etsy store. Friday, I am swinging by the aquarium to empty the tank that has been housing my pillows all summer long. And next week, I am going back to school.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My husband and I were talking about what I should do with my life. Kevin said, "Do whatever you want. Work in the cheese department at Westborn. Just do something that will make you happy." Lucky me to have that kind of support. So, I hemmed and I hawed and decided to go back to school to get my Master's in Teaching plus Certification degree. I am going to work on it for the next two years with the hope that I can secure a teaching position when Violet is in kindergarten or first grade. What a relief to have a plan! I like to have a plan - maybe that is why I have a degree in Urban Planning, too. I feel good about this choice. I feel good that I have some direction in my life again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sew, what am I going to do about sewing? Well, I am still planning on sewing. I am still planning on learning new things about sewing. But, I am not going to sell on Etsy. After I collect all my pillows from the aquarium, I am going to decide what I want to keep and what I want to sell. If you are interested in anything, let me know as I will be offering discounts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As for this future of this blog....well, only time will tell if I still feel like I have something to say. Or, I guess I should say, only time will tell if I will even have time to write a blog in between parenting, homework, and housework. But, I thank you all for stopping by from time to time to read this little blog. And if you really want to see me keep it going, well, let me know. But, what I do know for sure is that trying something new is never a waste of time - even if it scares you. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-41879610219518999382012-08-13T19:57:00.000-04:002012-08-13T19:57:15.126-04:00My Love - Hate Relationship With Grand RapidsIf you know me, as some of you do, then you know that I have never had strong feeling of love for the Grand Rapids area. Now, I do enjoy the Lake Michigan coastline. Fun times have been had in Traverse City, sipping wine and enjoying the sights around Leelanau, and Grand Haven will always be a favorite town. But, as a student at Grand Valley State University in the early nineties, I was a very lonely girl. At the time, GVSU was primarily a commuter campus. My dorm cleared out ever Friday night. Allendale was a long ways away from Grand Rapids and even GR seemed to empty out on the weekend. The winters were cold and vicious. Plus, I have always been a bit on the liberal side and I was one of only ten Student Democrats on campus. I think there were about a 1,000 kids in the Republican club. After two years, I said goodbye to my dear friends and completed my undergraduate degree at Michigan State University. Go Green!!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxjj4a9DkjKmSZF1lUdNGXXkJRQFerv0NTWnHjkBccTmfLu3h4Wvpw1G-ntpEyeqJ3HNEnqSUNaDBmevkZapRFoMqRDUEWRkcsJrrOcMprVsCEpOfexlFwtN7AQ_Zx_-_CS7lyGLJ9Qz4/s1600/P1040115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxjj4a9DkjKmSZF1lUdNGXXkJRQFerv0NTWnHjkBccTmfLu3h4Wvpw1G-ntpEyeqJ3HNEnqSUNaDBmevkZapRFoMqRDUEWRkcsJrrOcMprVsCEpOfexlFwtN7AQ_Zx_-_CS7lyGLJ9Qz4/s400/P1040115.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My only reason for staying at GVSU: Two great friends!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>About a year and a half ago, my husband suggested we take a road trip to the "west side." We used a hotel in 28th Street as our base. From there, we spent a day frolicking around the Tulip Festival in Holland and playing at the Frederick Meijer Gardens. We even took a short trip to GVSU. My children were hungry and cranky so we did not stay long. While there, that all too familiar feeling of dread filled my belly. I felt a longing to run into some old friends, but knew I had made the right choice to leave so many years ago.<br />
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Grand Rapids and GVSU are not the same places that they were in 1992 to 1994. Just as I have changed, so have they. Grand Rapids has boomed!!! It is a pretty snazzy city. So, when the my husband suggested we take another trip, I did not hesitate.<br />
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What spurred our visit to Grand Rapids was an exhibit at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. The <a href="http://www.artmuseumgr.org/" target="_blank">GRAM</a> is hosting an exhibit called <i>Cities in Transition. </i>As an urban planning junkie this was of great interest to me. I saw some of Andrew Moore's photographs at the Detroit Institute Arts and they are beautiful. Kevin, being the LEED Certified environmentalist, was really interested in the GRAM building. (Kevin started his own blog -<a href="http://kevinmlutkowski.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">and wrote a great post chronicling fun and concrete use in GR.</a>) The GRAM is the first LEED art museum in the world. It is a very snazzy building - very modern looking, sophisticated. Very quiet inside. My kids are not quiet and sophisticated. I felt mildly uncomfortable. But, tucked away in the basement is a great room set aside for kids to do art projects. The volunteers are very friendly and the projects are based on the <i>Cities in Transition </i>exhibit<i>.</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The GRAM</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-vMX8TGKMCZOIJAVRTi5gqoxRgefGJD73FSlmQD-WQ8B80alZjJhHOHzqDJZXgmEB90M5RX9OYwLCVmySK_wBh3aM9DC89oFBHvpHXaFp_OKpLJTY-DBXIUcO10xw4cnNpoDf2fnQ0E/s1600/P1040146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-vMX8TGKMCZOIJAVRTi5gqoxRgefGJD73FSlmQD-WQ8B80alZjJhHOHzqDJZXgmEB90M5RX9OYwLCVmySK_wBh3aM9DC89oFBHvpHXaFp_OKpLJTY-DBXIUcO10xw4cnNpoDf2fnQ0E/s400/P1040146.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My kids learning about cities.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzmm3th1r2XdsPysn0LqFSl8vieSc2z8NBjylnEBoGzjRV2y7EmVBlPJBWSSrUl0Zj7pkbirT_zQa97zaskoBpkqP1JUe_vzWGBh08fQfqkFqLHtRnOnmHMusKqfj_XpHQEpYq5mQxUw/s400/P1040177.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This chocolate milk rivals Calder Dairy's chocolate milk.<br />
Thank you <a href="http://www.grandcentralmarketgr.com/welcome.asp?Key=1" target="_blank">Grand Central Market and Deli.</a> Hope you enjoy our $2 bottle deposit.<br />
We kind of needed a souvenir. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzmm3th1r2XdsPysn0LqFSl8vieSc2z8NBjylnEBoGzjRV2y7EmVBlPJBWSSrUl0Zj7pkbirT_zQa97zaskoBpkqP1JUe_vzWGBh08fQfqkFqLHtRnOnmHMusKqfj_XpHQEpYq5mQxUw/s1600/P1040177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzmm3th1r2XdsPysn0LqFSl8vieSc2z8NBjylnEBoGzjRV2y7EmVBlPJBWSSrUl0Zj7pkbirT_zQa97zaskoBpkqP1JUe_vzWGBh08fQfqkFqLHtRnOnmHMusKqfj_XpHQEpYq5mQxUw/s1600/P1040177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>After some down time and very fancy pizza dinner in the hotel lobby, we headed out to the beach town of Grand Haven. When I was in college, I spent so much time at the beach, the pier, and Tip-A-Few Tavern. Going to Grand Haven brings back some of the happiest memories I have of living on the west side of the state. Now, I can say that I created some great memories with my family in this lovely spot. I am not going to describe the fun that we had with words, you can see for yourself.<br />
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Sunday morning we met my old college buddies for breakfast. It has been over a decade since all three of us have been together. We are all grown up, we have all moved on from college, we are all pretty different. But, in some ways we were still the same. The smiles, the giggles, the ways we seem to still know each other is still with us. Oh, I think I have really missed my friends. I hope there are more breakfasts in our future! <br />
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Of course we could not drive all the way over the Grand Rapids without a trip to the <a href="http://www.meijergardens.org/" target="_blank">Frederik Meijer Gardens</a>. By the time we got their the girls were worn out. But, the thrill of the tree house kept them going and ensured a long nap on the ride home.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No one, I mean no one can resist the mouse door.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Yep, two years ago I would have told you that I really truly disliked the west side of the state. I would have told you I would never go to Grand Rapids for a vacation. It is funny how I am starting to come around to liking the dark side of our state again. GVSU still gives me shivers. But, the new memories I have been creating with my family in Grand Rapids and Grand Haven are warming me up to more and more trips back. I suppose I learned my lesson, never say never, again! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-4195840751301371222012-08-06T22:24:00.000-04:002012-08-06T22:24:30.864-04:00Traveling to Chicago: The Generational Way!When I was a little kid, travelling usual involved towing a trailer, popping a tent, eating food no one really enjoyed eating, food rations, fighting with my brother, breakdowns on the side of the road, and many odd adventures. We never flew in an airplane. We rarely stayed in a hotel room. Oh, the stories I could tell. We haven't gone camping with our kids, yet. Kevin did not camp as a kid. But, I am working on the three of them. Eventually, we are going to get some camping gear. But, we do enjoy travelling and exploring. However, given the strange experiences I had growing up, I did not want to do my children a disservice of growing up "normal." <div><br />
</div><div>Last week, spur of the moment, my parents and I planned a quick trip to Chicago to reunited my girls with my niece. Yeah, my brother and sister-in-law were there, too. No, we did not fly. No, we did not even rent a mini van. We all climbed into a Honda Accord. My dad drove. Mom and I took turns sitting in the backseat in between the girls. My children were much better behaved when my mom was in the backseat. When I was back there, Dad said, "I feel like we are travelling with three kids." Yep, I am that kind of mom. The trip went smoother than I expected. I kind of felt like I riding in the car with the Waltons. Mimi even learned how to tie her shoes! Oh, how can I forget???? We also traveled with our furry friend, Rocko, who split his time between the front and back seat. </div><div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello Poochie!!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div> Once we got to Chicago, we played. The cousins played and the adults played with the little ones. My dad and I took Mimi and Violet to the Museum of Science and Industry. Mimi went on the Coal Mine Tour and the tour of the U-505 Sub. Violet took a nap! I am serious. She took a nap with my dad on a somewhat remote staircase. She did however enjoy sitting in a jet engine with her sister. </div><div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwAc4ZGwh4bVh1ksLxsPA4dhaIB_xeWxKVExaLV-io96C9_6VoEsLSoTq517cJBjVWGuEnbq_oHW6UisPA5TnD-PL2laYE1RLtWiFmdq8T-9dvVCbF0Vb_E3DfoopXs7AT3yiqtJgy2w/s1600/MEMO0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwAc4ZGwh4bVh1ksLxsPA4dhaIB_xeWxKVExaLV-io96C9_6VoEsLSoTq517cJBjVWGuEnbq_oHW6UisPA5TnD-PL2laYE1RLtWiFmdq8T-9dvVCbF0Vb_E3DfoopXs7AT3yiqtJgy2w/s400/MEMO0002.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Believe it or not, they climbed in there unprompted. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>Then Saturday arrived and it was time to head home. Not via the tightly packed Honda, but by Amtrack. It was so much fun, despite my fears of travelling alone with two little girls by train. My brother drove us to Union Station. The girls were very worried we were going to miss our train. Once we made it too the tracks, I held the hands of two nervous girls as we walked in between massive Amtrack trains. The engines were on. The trains were loud. They made loud belching sounds which startled the girls. They were very, very brave and very, very small next to the trains. We settled in - Mimi was thrilled but Violet was still a little unsure. </div><div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First moments on the train!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>After about 15 minutes of sitting on the train, the conductor announced engine trouble. The train needed to be shut down and locomotives needed to be switched. While sitting on the dark, hot train the girls asked lots of questions and much to my surprised, behaved. When the lights came back on, Violet exclaimed, "Yeah! The lights are on! That was so much fun!" We spent about seven hours on the train with only two sisterly fights. I bought Vi a ham sandwich but she insisted on eating my caprese sandwich. Grrr! We survived and we all had fun. Now, I keep fielding the question, "When can we go on the train again? Can we do it next week?" No more trains this summer but we do have two more destinations left before school starts in the fall. </div><div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We love the train!</td></tr>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-7477978642969333192012-08-01T10:11:00.000-04:002012-08-01T10:11:16.310-04:00Murphy's Law Strikes Again!<b>Murphy's Law: If anything can go wrong, it will.</b><br />
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Yep, Murphy's Law applies to my life. Things go wrong ALL THE TIME! In the end, everything has always worked out, but, things do go wrong. I have soooo many examples I could write an entire blog called 715 Examples of Murphy's Law. But, I am not going to write that blog.<br />
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Two weeks ago, a new refrigerator was delivered to our house. Our old one was closing in on twenty years old. We thought, let's get rid of the old eyesore before it breaks. We love our new fridge. Then, I the DVD player broke - the next day. Cheap easy fix. Then, I decided to get a new bike. I developed a financial plan for my new bike. Last night, our old oven broke. The new range will be delivered on next week. It looks like this:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jealous much? Yep, plain white and very basic. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Guess what the unexpected addition of the new oven means? Guess, just guess!!!! Well remember <a href="http://715pillows.blogspot.com/2012/07/moving-up-in-bicycle-world.html" target="_blank">this post from Sunday?</a> Well, I am not going to get my bike. I am too frugal. I have deleted my listing on Craigslist. The bike will have to wait until spring. Until then, the Townie bike will have to remain in my head as a distant dream. Damn you, Murphy! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KsZ5oCCaFOXxN8JaX7ZkcmOA8YfHoZyzFWr3RZCp8RbdwKzEoGbMu8mPANb-hJibT1H00bYg_CS2Gd0nBsAiQdeMsvXRbv-DvHIGgApKAIVRewnTHc4QhgMkNDid60bl4ieFPh8lHrY/s1600/tangerine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KsZ5oCCaFOXxN8JaX7ZkcmOA8YfHoZyzFWr3RZCp8RbdwKzEoGbMu8mPANb-hJibT1H00bYg_CS2Gd0nBsAiQdeMsvXRbv-DvHIGgApKAIVRewnTHc4QhgMkNDid60bl4ieFPh8lHrY/s320/tangerine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-72492328975496499702012-07-30T21:24:00.001-04:002012-07-30T21:24:50.599-04:00Moving Up in the Bicycle WorldI love to ride my bike. I think as far as physical activity goes, it has been my one constant. For years I was a runner and a kick boxer. I have been an off and on roller skater, ice skater, and a whiz on roller blades. I have tried yoga, aerobics, hustle aerobics, fencing, and Jazzercise. In college I took badminton and my team was known at the "Fearsome Foursome." Kevin and I non-dated through a season of tennis and badminton. But, biking...well you just can't get much better than the feeling of cruising around on two wheels.<br />
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My first bike was of course a little red trike. I think most of us started out on a red trike in the 70's. Was another color even manufactured? But, I finally got some freedom when my parents bought me a groovy Schwinn with a banana seat and streamers. What a way to ride!!! While I do have some pictures, unfortunately I do not have a scanner. But, this is what that first taste of freedom looked like.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyAiaoszuKIwnZv1Ob2Rt1S2vxcVJ66gjd_blB_EI9-p5-BGQUsXVLvye_5oAuW4zUbZl-VVtldVeDJ6zKJblCcMq3iYAarvV8Df4ILABMBWkwEEimfscM6YcsaDrphH3tmfxWJmiQ2T8/s1600/whit+bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyAiaoszuKIwnZv1Ob2Rt1S2vxcVJ66gjd_blB_EI9-p5-BGQUsXVLvye_5oAuW4zUbZl-VVtldVeDJ6zKJblCcMq3iYAarvV8Df4ILABMBWkwEEimfscM6YcsaDrphH3tmfxWJmiQ2T8/s400/whit+bike.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great memories of that old bike!</td></tr>
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After I outgrew that white bike, I used my mom's yellow three speed and my dad's 10 speed. For my 12th birthday, I got a brand new blue, Huffy 10-speed. Loved it. When I turned 16 years old, I got a Huffy mountain bike. Who needs a car when you can have a bike?!?! That bike was my trusty friend all through college until some schmuck stole it, probably for the new tires. So, I upgraded to a Schwinn which is still owned by my brother. So where am I now in the bike world? Why am I writing this? Next paragraph please.<br />
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Ten years ago I scrimped and saved for a new bike. I wanted a lighter weight mountain bike. Then I found my Trek 4500. The bike served me well. Because I was young and single, I would bike a several days a week at Kensington Metro Beach. My bike even served me well on a few bike tours. Then I started grad school, then I got pregnant, then the bike acquired a baby seat. I have loved my bike. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTptTWfKNuSPuNXRTuSGILjWPpaDWo-lki-uic4cKvAJIl9FIPGg9NBCRxHgg7jQe_TI7zDKdE7omqDGhYgUe6cMPX2pU-6oF3SsPAaUAxehPyRCRb0LJeRSnAjDxjt2WJN-2-RSW2r8o/s1600/P1040094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTptTWfKNuSPuNXRTuSGILjWPpaDWo-lki-uic4cKvAJIl9FIPGg9NBCRxHgg7jQe_TI7zDKdE7omqDGhYgUe6cMPX2pU-6oF3SsPAaUAxehPyRCRb0LJeRSnAjDxjt2WJN-2-RSW2r8o/s400/P1040094.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trek 4500 - 2002 excellent condition.</td></tr>
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But now I must sell my old bike. Why you ask? Because at 38 years old I now have an old body. Arthritis and degenerative disk disease make riding my current bike for a long periods of time uncomfortable. Due to limited storage space, I cannot get a new bike until I get rid of my old bike. Yes, my husband sets out a lot of rules regarding the way we live. So, if you are in the market for a used bike, please<a href="http://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/bik/3173603753.html" target="_blank"> click out this link.</a> Because I have my eye on a cruiser. A bike that rides with comfort in mind - my feet will be flat on the ground when I stop and the seat is actually more suited to the size my my rear end. <br />
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Yes, like most of my posts, this one is longer than it needs to be. Basically, I am selling my bike. If you need a bike and live in Michigan, let me know. I love my bike and it needs a good home. Once my Trek has found a new home, I have only one decision left to make: Purple or Tangerine??????<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapyFJxRGjXaUFovxOTWj5hsYuNWYJtoPnqN-FKSblmucPoaP_9KLTOulvcCGtlDnNKJf18JD4ExxDBnuvqwZxgAIqmZ4AkszgI6zCY0Z2heIqUQlJnVObyPnA-pNdv1MmeI5CQug6QdY/s1600/purple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapyFJxRGjXaUFovxOTWj5hsYuNWYJtoPnqN-FKSblmucPoaP_9KLTOulvcCGtlDnNKJf18JD4ExxDBnuvqwZxgAIqmZ4AkszgI6zCY0Z2heIqUQlJnVObyPnA-pNdv1MmeI5CQug6QdY/s400/purple.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple Townie - my children like this one.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdY2KJMU8CGg1PN4ENifxN_R6zUMq2MhQmQaLSbkz0bSvrpfjrCagsgb2ykxuwPxv23mJMFfU1WAkDTdFNmJ2C3KiQwUq_Dr9GLQtTx8sP-ORlLhgZTgI2UzLh1g5o-0YFgb3l4hBKfc/s1600/tangerine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdY2KJMU8CGg1PN4ENifxN_R6zUMq2MhQmQaLSbkz0bSvrpfjrCagsgb2ykxuwPxv23mJMFfU1WAkDTdFNmJ2C3KiQwUq_Dr9GLQtTx8sP-ORlLhgZTgI2UzLh1g5o-0YFgb3l4hBKfc/s400/tangerine.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tangerine Townie - this just looks like a happy bike.</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-20361733508952189562012-07-15T09:39:00.000-04:002012-07-15T09:39:02.714-04:00July 15 = 715 Pillows DayOne year ago today, I got an unexpected e-mail. An e-mail that would inform me that I was getting laid off since the law firm I worked for was closing. Well, that was a bummer! I was working part-time. Splitting my hours between the office and working from home. It was a great gig. I was upset, angry, and depressed. I liked getting out of the house. I liked the extra money. While I was a little upset, my family was excited that I would be not have to work on the weekends, something I had been doing since Mimi was six months old. With the news of the layoff, I had to decide what to do next. Working on the weekends was become more and more inconvenient. Kevin was travelling more so working at night was becoming inconvenient. Working part-time during the day had draw backs because both kids still needed some form of daycare. (Mimi was in school for half a day.) It is not that I am opposed to daycare but it would suck up too much of my income to make it worth the effort. Plus, MOST of the time, I enjoy being home with my kids. But, I still needed something for myself. But, it would be another month before Kevin and I dreamed up this darn pillow thing. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgqArn0U3aC2qn3xdWIu4X9j0J_hXMmv-PkpP_E1CiY9izQPiLF-QU-ng398rba0pEnDNTaw2gnY8Z-P_aINjL8NT58egbpYcV_60UNrvRXiCo2YQCvtgMywXBFyvkOWVQiCt0eFUdqcg/s1600/P1020217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgqArn0U3aC2qn3xdWIu4X9j0J_hXMmv-PkpP_E1CiY9izQPiLF-QU-ng398rba0pEnDNTaw2gnY8Z-P_aINjL8NT58egbpYcV_60UNrvRXiCo2YQCvtgMywXBFyvkOWVQiCt0eFUdqcg/s320/P1020217.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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So, in celebration of one wonderful year out of work, I want to celebrate with all of you. There will be a coupon code posted on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/715-Pillows/252452058129061" target="_blank">715 Pillows Facebook Page - click here,</a><span style="color: purple;"> </span><span style="color: orange;">(You might as well like this page because I have some fun contests planned for next month.)</span> This code will be expire on July 20, 2012. You can use this coupon to receive 15% a pillow order. Admittedly, stock is getting low, but I will be sewing a good chunk of the day so that I can update my shop. So, if you are in need of a throw pillow, please consider me. If you are in need of slice of cake and scoop of ice cream today, please consider taking a bite in honor of 715 Pillows. Hey, I will take any excuse I can get to eat cake!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-86245505871259216032012-07-08T19:14:00.000-04:002012-07-08T19:14:02.450-04:00My Working Vacation Was Foiled by Fun!<div><b><u>Good Intentions</u></b></div><div><br />
</div>Friday night - June 29: Hubby and I hang out in the basement cutting fabric and packing up sewing supplies. <div><br />
</div><div>Saturday night - June 30: After spending a wonderful night watching the fireworks in Lake Orion with friends, Hubby and I are busy with last minute packing. Sewing machine along with box of material and notions make its way into the living room.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Sunday morning - July 1: Two adults, two kids, vacation gear, and sewing gear was loaded into a very tiny Scion xd. This was the first vacation with my beloved red car that we felt the car might be to small for our needs. When the girls were not fighting, they were sleeping. You see, they also saw the fireworks the night before. Yes, there was a lot of crankiness. However, because they spent so much time snoozing, Kevin and I were able to talk about pillows. I am definitely not going to <a href="http://715pillows.blogspot.com/2012/06/decisions-and-directions-things-that.html" target="_blank">invest in paying a marketing company right now. </a> While I am having fun, this needs to really develop into something that is more than a hobby. Kevin and I discussed how I would most likely have time to sew AND blog on this trip. I even had an awesome idea of taking pictures of my pillows with the lake as a backdrop. Oh, I was also going to write descriptions for my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/715pillows?section_id=10776024" target="_blank">Etsy listings</a>. A real working vacation, like a real working person. </div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>Reality</u></b></div><div><b><u><br />
</u></b></div><div>The reality of a vacation is rarely the ideal vacation. That being said, the week was not a disaster but maybe not completely as planned. Like I said, we started the vacation with two kids suffering from a sleep deficit and uncontrollable excitement. Which means there was crankiness on and off all week. On our way to Brevort, Michigan we stopped at a rest stop to eat our picnic lunch. As we stepped out of the car, Mimi lost her second tooth. Good thing she always packs her tooth fairy pillow made by<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/715pillows?section_id=10776038" target="_blank"> 715 Pillows</a>. Now, a visit from the tooth fairy pillow is an exciting way to start a vacation. We spent the week at the beach, Mackinaw Island, Mackinaw City, flying kites, playing at a splash pad. Kevin and I even went on a date to a water park...without kids. Monday afternoon, my kiddies took a much needed nap, I sewed two pillows. Two whole pillows. I thought I was off to a great start. Then my brother, sister-in-law, and my baby niece arrived on Tuesday. Yeah, my working vacation was over. I was officially on vacation. </div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>What a Vacation Looks Like</u></b></div><div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbrxC9UhN8BucjdqXxXAVQeNxs7AQ2aEfdQ9Ki7x0eTHj069WiMmPYgrhze7cDW4oG3Bik9oGxgI6QEn7FVOIXts1OlHwBPgShQ24P0PJu7FbwQpK_rWcMWZFy-PAvhKKyaCBJzMClb7c/s1600/P1030926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbrxC9UhN8BucjdqXxXAVQeNxs7AQ2aEfdQ9Ki7x0eTHj069WiMmPYgrhze7cDW4oG3Bik9oGxgI6QEn7FVOIXts1OlHwBPgShQ24P0PJu7FbwQpK_rWcMWZFy-PAvhKKyaCBJzMClb7c/s400/P1030926.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me riding a pink cruiser on Mackinaw Island.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSHeSt3Zj-9do67S_yyF2cV9KYf-EXiq-Y0GU8E4EMJZ39Bwi0QbMzyVXYzSF-DPNAic_5cbeRqM7Tn-uwRP0xP_HaXLlcngdhduor7ViAAXh3G7sT7yQWEI9jOB0EWRbtr8GhrnrmdI/s1600/P1030933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSHeSt3Zj-9do67S_yyF2cV9KYf-EXiq-Y0GU8E4EMJZ39Bwi0QbMzyVXYzSF-DPNAic_5cbeRqM7Tn-uwRP0xP_HaXLlcngdhduor7ViAAXh3G7sT7yQWEI9jOB0EWRbtr8GhrnrmdI/s400/P1030933.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kevin got lapped by a child. Since I was riding along with him I guess I was lapped, too.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAgJmzo6NYhD6VzHDt3aucx_5PMxbW-N1i4Ud37bSKhdQ5l4p7BRVrbzO6JIFh3aCQbCSwr_lj-NnVM0551-8WxlCGms9CR0fppmvqo5U6uhWAa1Q7rEI3FSEAM4As1msxaCRHEoOoFXk/s1600/P1040001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAgJmzo6NYhD6VzHDt3aucx_5PMxbW-N1i4Ud37bSKhdQ5l4p7BRVrbzO6JIFh3aCQbCSwr_lj-NnVM0551-8WxlCGms9CR0fppmvqo5U6uhWAa1Q7rEI3FSEAM4As1msxaCRHEoOoFXk/s400/P1040001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The girls playing on the beach and pirate hunting.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfh5KJ6SfocSgTOOccNLkURVNC70TqSVpkWYpljke40VY5nup-weG9d5VOaAfLq3YEtLRL1UAI4fnQlxAb__NUten1wq6ICX5NlzfTZMkmZMAMcjxbEHIEV4iBEudTL5qUfmxLbTIf8s/s1600/P1030982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfh5KJ6SfocSgTOOccNLkURVNC70TqSVpkWYpljke40VY5nup-weG9d5VOaAfLq3YEtLRL1UAI4fnQlxAb__NUten1wq6ICX5NlzfTZMkmZMAMcjxbEHIEV4iBEudTL5qUfmxLbTIf8s/s400/P1030982.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I did find some locally created throw pillows for sale on Mackinaw Island.<br />
It is always good to size up your competition. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15JWP_qnq2Rep4Un_HUrtUbSonzdoegHxBFTxOmJ8ZFAGHOonU8cJEBy2h8unnTb-oT9rmCHayCoLxvImq7PfUZURDZSAdzAUNUVeWU1sbG7MRd6efN36UtcaSiL_6oP-dB41ocEiSVQ/s1600/P1030984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15JWP_qnq2Rep4Un_HUrtUbSonzdoegHxBFTxOmJ8ZFAGHOonU8cJEBy2h8unnTb-oT9rmCHayCoLxvImq7PfUZURDZSAdzAUNUVeWU1sbG7MRd6efN36UtcaSiL_6oP-dB41ocEiSVQ/s400/P1030984.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The family! </td></tr>
</tbody></table> <b><u>The Aftermath</u></b><br />
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Now I am home, laundry is washed (not folded), house is clean, and the pantry is stocked. I am not caught up on my sewing projects or upcoming blogs. But, since my current situation can be loosely described as self-employed, I guess it is okay. Besides, if this was in your backyard everyday would you want to work? I think not! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSeJpkcQ6wODhxE1R3DK_x_0CiFOLajg3TWuiXu8Mp5RBreMFoXoj_B4OdAO_dI8DDHGkvre96ktLYvyrwmDU2xT4r0KpBPEVfrJLFVgre2JBEuoBazx-68R0qNktu3tglY8pkRkJhDqg/s1600/P1030992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSeJpkcQ6wODhxE1R3DK_x_0CiFOLajg3TWuiXu8Mp5RBreMFoXoj_B4OdAO_dI8DDHGkvre96ktLYvyrwmDU2xT4r0KpBPEVfrJLFVgre2JBEuoBazx-68R0qNktu3tglY8pkRkJhDqg/s400/P1030992.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from my parent's condo!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigeECqduS1WMEIpg1MzlBrRsZITgppB8lPlfHdk7d7VU5rJ9Gp9HPjeZVkwfi47wi6k3JjJgr530znCSIRlT3QP94rEQH8HhdVH0BbMEbHEAIbR8XnCn9Pu2vwmZnNiAXS04iyddQwJ8o/s1600/P1030998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigeECqduS1WMEIpg1MzlBrRsZITgppB8lPlfHdk7d7VU5rJ9Gp9HPjeZVkwfi47wi6k3JjJgr530znCSIRlT3QP94rEQH8HhdVH0BbMEbHEAIbR8XnCn9Pu2vwmZnNiAXS04iyddQwJ8o/s400/P1030998.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My parent's beach! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8SiCwPRW4PH8_I3O2h98zoyL_8-nz2zL9E-8wTMAxn9WFZkbvKd-ueGQHlNxm80h1EmT72Jt-AWnoXhr0XA40GqSJ8KTUwFbApcbzKhv710OMGwDdu36TsZZDEk6Rnrssur2ySSb1NU/s1600/P1040005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8SiCwPRW4PH8_I3O2h98zoyL_8-nz2zL9E-8wTMAxn9WFZkbvKd-ueGQHlNxm80h1EmT72Jt-AWnoXhr0XA40GqSJ8KTUwFbApcbzKhv710OMGwDdu36TsZZDEk6Rnrssur2ySSb1NU/s400/P1040005.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brevort! ! </td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-72605483552585249442012-06-28T16:24:00.000-04:002012-06-28T16:24:50.740-04:00Decisions and Directions: Things That Make You Go Hmmmm!This morning I had the opportunity to talk to a marketing company about some awesome tools that are available to big companies, little companies, and start up companies. Kevin forwarded me an email regarding a free demo. In a half hour, I learned how another company can use it's resources to connect me to people, other companies, and journalists all around the country and increase my sales. Nice! This company is able to do this by using the tools I am already using (plus new tools) but using them more effectively. You know the saying, "there is an app for that" is kind of true. I am so not a techie and was very much blown away by the presentation. <br />
<br />
I called Kevin up immediately after the meeting and told him I was impressed. He says, "So how much does it cost?" Yep, there is the clincher. $3,000 for the platform I am interested in. $3,000. $3,000. $3,000. Three times because it is $3,000. You get it. It costs a lot of money and 715 Pillows does not have that much money in it's paypal account. Have you ever seen <i>Ferris Bueller's Day Off</i>? Well, do you remember the scene when Cameron flips out because of all the miles on the his dad's beloved car? Here is a reminder: <br />
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In a way I feel a little like Cameron. I am not flipping out really. I am not flipping out at all. But, I am conflicted and sometimes a good AHHHHHHH is a pleasant release. I like this pillow gig. It is fun. I have sold a few pillows to family and friends but most of my pillows have been sold to people I have never met. My pillows are decorating homes from from sea to shining sea. Not kidding, the good folks of California are digging 715 Pillows. So, do I keep doing what I am doing which equates to steady sales and a bit of revenue? Or, do I take a risk, a gamble, a plunge? Do I really think that I have it in me to make it as a "real" company? It is not like I invented Spanx. I just make throw pillows. What makes my pillows stand out? I don't know. But, if I am going to take this to the next step, I suppose I would have to answer some big questions. <br />
<br />
$3,000 is a lot of money. That it $250 a month. I don't pay $250 a month on my car payment. What do I want to do? I don't know. Up until I took this call I was thinking I should go back to school to be an ultrasound tech or pursue some other non-invasive medical job in two years when Violet is in school all day. Things that make you go hmmmm or things that make you go ahhhhhhhhh? I guess it is a little bit of both since this is a matter of a pipe dream and reality.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-53177639735006135232012-06-07T14:17:00.001-04:002012-06-07T14:17:13.253-04:00Josie Geller Makes Pillows: My Connection With Drew Barrymore!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHcFAvQYj1VuqN7UOput9c10cT5trqExBbkT0xKrKvLmKp1zlJgC2Go1HiZBy1hSBWPHEZEhaKroy1SuXcbYMtqkFGudbU8daZjdQtHhphLfO1LVKZyGTlcnKEwzh1ivt0cgYBpWaci8/s1600/The+Way+We+Were.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHcFAvQYj1VuqN7UOput9c10cT5trqExBbkT0xKrKvLmKp1zlJgC2Go1HiZBy1hSBWPHEZEhaKroy1SuXcbYMtqkFGudbU8daZjdQtHhphLfO1LVKZyGTlcnKEwzh1ivt0cgYBpWaci8/s400/The+Way+We+Were.jpg" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They just do't make 'em like they used to.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Movies are kind of like comfort food. There are some movies out there that just make you feel good - kind of like homemade mac n' cheese. There are movies that one can relate to, bring back memories, make you cry, make you laugh, or just entertain. When Kevin is out of town, I like to watch documentaries and period movies, like Merchant Ivory films. Also, when Kevin is away, I like to watch tearjerkers. Wow! Nothing brings on the tears for me like <i>The Way We Were </i>and <i>The Curious Case of Benjamin Button</i>. Have you ever watched the movie, <i>My Dog Skip</i>? I can't even write about it because I will cry. Actually, I am not allowed to watch that movie. Watching <i>Planes, Trains, and Automobiles</i> around Thanksgiving is a must. <i>Thirteen Going on Thirty </i>came out the year I turned thirty. The scene where Meg Ryan flies to Paris in the movie <i>French Kiss</i> reminds of my first panic filled flight to Paris. I kind of wish interesting Frenchman had been sitting next to me. Anyway, not all these movies are great movies, but they do make me happy and that is all that matters. This weekend, Kevin and I were revisiting a movie that makes us giggle and we discovered something that we hadn't given much attention to in the past. <br />
<br />
It is not a great movie. I don't even remember it being out at the movie theater. But, whenever Kevin and I can't really decide on a movie, we proudly settle for <i>Never Been Kissed.</i> It is a silly movie about a intelligent, yet frumpy copy editor who get's her big break as an undercover reporter. The catch is that she must go back to high school, which was a humiliating time in her life. Throughout the movie, usually when Josie Geller (Drew Barrymore) is making a strange face or embarrassing herself, Kevin will usually say something like, "Who does that remind you of?" The last time we watched this movie, we noticed that Josie Geller makes pillows. Whoa!!!! I have something in common with Drew Barrymore, besides the fact that we are both incredibly beautiful women!!!! (I am kidding!!!) Okay, I am not a moron. I know it is just a movie. I know Drew Barrymore is playing a character. But, that character sews pillows, is really good at embarrassing herself, is kind of a klutz, and is a damn good writer. Hmmmm....Does this sound a little bit like your's truly? Maybe a little because I am by no means a grammarian. Expect, I have never been physically gross - I have always washed my hair. Okay, summer camp and camping are two exceptions for any bouts of poor hygiene that I may have exhibited. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_q77fr6z20ZtnRQ5tbE8roDdHlM-3vIHLzdaMdohPBmvvkLO4HmMgar7xYK1W_2ODsPyVjWLb_tDE46FsdlQk-6QFtuzWbmQVlH-1GBHDoOR5OLYyOC_lnirGk-Zhwlv5TJd8bLrbttY/s1600/drew+making+pillows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_q77fr6z20ZtnRQ5tbE8roDdHlM-3vIHLzdaMdohPBmvvkLO4HmMgar7xYK1W_2ODsPyVjWLb_tDE46FsdlQk-6QFtuzWbmQVlH-1GBHDoOR5OLYyOC_lnirGk-Zhwlv5TJd8bLrbttY/s400/drew+making+pillows.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The satisfaction of a job well done!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>So, if I were playing Six Degrees of Separation would it count if I said, "Hey Drew Barrymore played Josie Geller, who sews pillows, and I sew pillows so there you go." Um, maybe not. Now if Drew Barrymore was looking for some custom made pillows for her gestating baby, I might be able to help her out. Drew, or anyone else really, let me know if you need a pillow. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/715pillows" target="_blank"> I am open for business!</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymS67RLOFvYcrMs1o2mavL1hKLeQaXGm_gAoUAqkXRzhPj2stgO5uuCn08QWD43Y8FG2C0B_blQTxmsSNebdnSGMx5QjkGT24DDFJHRIYg3nENJcUsHsz3mW0Fe_zc0_SWgFCWFzHmGU/s1600/P1030540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymS67RLOFvYcrMs1o2mavL1hKLeQaXGm_gAoUAqkXRzhPj2stgO5uuCn08QWD43Y8FG2C0B_blQTxmsSNebdnSGMx5QjkGT24DDFJHRIYg3nENJcUsHsz3mW0Fe_zc0_SWgFCWFzHmGU/s400/P1030540.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, my pillows, my name is sort of in lights at the top of the tank.<br />
Instead of putting all my pillows on my bed, I put them in fish tank!</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-60925123871362069162012-05-29T13:14:00.003-04:002012-05-29T13:14:57.688-04:00Race to Reopen the Belle Isle Aquarium: Fun, Food, and Fish!Are you getting sick of my blog posts on the Belle Isle Aquarium? Because in case you missed the first two, this is number three! My first post described my joy and excitement as I<a href="http://715pillows.blogspot.com/2012/05/swimming-with-pillows-mothers-day-dream.html" target="_blank"> prepared my dry tank exhibit</a> and the second post described the behind the scenes fun I had setting up a <a href="http://715pillows.blogspot.com/2012/05/belle-isle-aquarium-behind-scenes.html" target="_blank">fish tank full of pillows.</a> Good times! So, what else could I possibly have to say about this event? Isn't it obvious?!?!? Now I am writing because someone needs to tell you to get down to the historic Belle Isle Aquarium on Thursday night!<br />
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I am going to take you back to elementary school English class for a moment and give you the who, what, where, when, why, and how's of the "Race to Reopen the Aquarium" event.<br />
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Who: You need to go!<br />
What: "Race to Reopen the Aquarium" a gala with music, fish, finger foods, and fun! <br />
Where: Belle Isle Aquarium on Belle Isle in Detroit, Michigan<br />
When: Thursday, May 31, 2012 from 7pm to 11pm<br />
Why: The aquarium was the oldest continually operating aquarium in the United States until it closed in 2005 due to lack of funds. This place is a gem and it is needs to be open.<br />
How: Show up at the aquarium in your "summer chic" duds and plan to spend $50 a ticket.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8rHP4NP3z21ypktTYfeuix1CR63nDLz8lOdE8NjJ_SdV8y0Ob1G6cYf5n3EJbLTmC8a3Ork8y5DNV5Knxskb5i2FERWRSDFVeqcf2ADp85_bUNHIbz_rhnsSU5Z3MipLnmRbmULGJM4/s1600/BIA+flyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8rHP4NP3z21ypktTYfeuix1CR63nDLz8lOdE8NjJ_SdV8y0Ob1G6cYf5n3EJbLTmC8a3Ork8y5DNV5Knxskb5i2FERWRSDFVeqcf2ADp85_bUNHIbz_rhnsSU5Z3MipLnmRbmULGJM4/s640/BIA+flyer.jpg" width="492" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I know, it sounds like a lot of fun! That is why I am going!</td></tr>
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I tugged, twisted, cried, begged, and pleaded with my husband to get him to take me to this event. Okay, I am exaggerating. All I had to do was say, "Hey, since my pillows are hanging out in a tank at the aquarium, don't you think we should hang out at the aquarium?" It took little or no convincing and since my birthday was last week, my husband somehow bought me the most perfect dress for the occasion. And it fits... it fits welll!!!!! <br />
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Sure, I want people to come out and see my pillows. I ordered some really cool Detroit and jellyfish fabric that I am hoping will come in the mail ASAP so that I can add some nautical and local flavor to my tank. But, regardless of my desire to introduce more people to my pillows, the fundraiser really is going to be a snazzy little event. I encourage all of you who ever went to Belle Isle as a kid, but never had the chance to take your own kids to get out there and and support the aquarium. I don't this you will be disappointed! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-86448641042107245132012-05-17T22:21:00.000-04:002012-05-18T08:37:41.856-04:00Violet: Color, Flower, Literary Character, and My Kid!<span style="background-color: transparent;">Names are pretty important to new parents. Couples spend a lot of time trying to find the perfect name for a person they have never met. It is hard work. My husband said "no" to many of the names that I suggested. And I certainly expressed my deep concern when Kevin suggested Vera and Pearl. Vera and Pearl Mlutkowski????? Anyway, it is hard to pick names. However, most of the time names seem to fit the kid. Mimi is actually an Amelia and I think her given name and nickname suits her well. She is a smart, playful, sassy, caring, loves to please, and is beautiful little girl. Violet is all the things that her sister is but a little more devious. But, little did we know when we named her she has a literary and silver screen doppelganger. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent;">Have you ever read <i>Charlie and Chocolate Factory</i> or seen the movie, </span><i style="background-color: transparent;">Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory</i><span style="background-color: transparent;">? Do you remember the </span><span style="background-color: transparent;">character Violet Beauregarde? Well Violet is a gum chewing champ and she turns into a giant blueberry after eating blueberry pie gum. She swells up in a giant blueberry and the Oompa Loompas have to take her down to the juicing room to return her back to normal.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7QvBR2ts0C2vlIbjFEyQWhiRRDGibxxhFZ0yRcR_F0JszRtwbiv5Xyd8Twn0XdAEic2vgLr8wLdOMMaDYwWG2n-h4t_c2Sg2weEFj3z_u0foyFDXOktjYJ2xY7_SThhXXCGl9vdhxRY/s1600/Violet-Beauregarde.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7QvBR2ts0C2vlIbjFEyQWhiRRDGibxxhFZ0yRcR_F0JszRtwbiv5Xyd8Twn0XdAEic2vgLr8wLdOMMaDYwWG2n-h4t_c2Sg2weEFj3z_u0foyFDXOktjYJ2xY7_SThhXXCGl9vdhxRY/s400/Violet-Beauregarde.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Violet Beauregarde - this could happen to my own Violet!</td></tr>
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We had planned to name our own Violet, Lucy. About a month before she was born, Kevin said, "How about the name Violet?" Sure, why not! Well, we could not have picked a more appropriate name. She loves the color purple even though we tried to steer clear of dressing her in too much purple. Do you know how annoying it is to hear, "Oh, you named her Violet and you dress her in purple. How cute! Do you do that all the time?" Uh no, I just liked the outfit. But, she likes purple. She also loves blueberries. I am not talking about just enjoying blueberries. The child can down a pint of blueberries a day. At least blueberries are a super food! Well, yesterday the child ate so many blueberries (frozen, fresh, and in pancakes) that she actually started to resemble Violet Beauregarde. Blueberry stains around her mouth, her chin, cheeks, eyes, forehead - they were everywhere.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LKtQhvktD0qQ43OuZA3G3BMZpbVjQ-JVPx_BMDWXyHZpppRPG-5lreMpPndn4xGvUiGjsw-Fg599XCC4QLByj7qNN1UQOM0T_fxuG15yXbbp3DB5bnjlgzKjxNkowItuHOBYO-Xf8RM/s1600/P1030452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LKtQhvktD0qQ43OuZA3G3BMZpbVjQ-JVPx_BMDWXyHZpppRPG-5lreMpPndn4xGvUiGjsw-Fg599XCC4QLByj7qNN1UQOM0T_fxuG15yXbbp3DB5bnjlgzKjxNkowItuHOBYO-Xf8RM/s400/P1030452.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Violet -the Blueberry Monster! This picture does not really show how<br />
blue her face became after eating so many blueberries.</td></tr>
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After dinner, we ventured outside to plant our flower, fruit, and veggie gardens. The girls wanted to plant blueberries and strawberries this year. They were so excited. Mimi was a great help but Violet who looked like a walking blueberry stated, "I don't want to help. I don't want to get dirty." Interesting because she was covered in blueberry stains, snot, and dirt already. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xvi7fe6oXMORXpK8-_gFokSVblNNheaaEOoUypfWgBCKFSxPByoiXKEWRf6-1aMbvBut-UtkKMI7JrGSNAFvXfVzbQNYEu7Vq7pqv_peHU6dINHsJZGDhyphenhyphenzgVMmRmmwshjByyEkRcT8/s1600/P1030458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xvi7fe6oXMORXpK8-_gFokSVblNNheaaEOoUypfWgBCKFSxPByoiXKEWRf6-1aMbvBut-UtkKMI7JrGSNAFvXfVzbQNYEu7Vq7pqv_peHU6dINHsJZGDhyphenhyphenzgVMmRmmwshjByyEkRcT8/s400/P1030458.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mimi - the Strawberry Monster planting strawberry plants.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmOk0phwr7teF9wT2oHyiXQfMD00dGp-V4gERn61eGRGpDxBfFmdG3DSTVGLXgH7aKS2ybJdCtFDsUKlFdiYaNUU9eThIqJ6l0HBjFjQ5kZf7r0KYLZ17VAJVjQMaptAIUydQlWxcg6w/s1600/P1030460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmOk0phwr7teF9wT2oHyiXQfMD00dGp-V4gERn61eGRGpDxBfFmdG3DSTVGLXgH7aKS2ybJdCtFDsUKlFdiYaNUU9eThIqJ6l0HBjFjQ5kZf7r0KYLZ17VAJVjQMaptAIUydQlWxcg6w/s400/P1030460.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Violet's blueberry plant</td></tr>
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So, what is in a name and how does my name suit me? Well, I basically believe that sometimes my name should mean lazy moron. After planting I decided to water the gardens. Even though I have not forgotten that I am dog-sitting for my parents, I did forget (or too lazy) to clean up dog poop! I dragged the hose across the backyard and watered my plants. As I was putting the hose away I kept smelling something very nasty. I realized there was poop on the hose, poop - not dirt on my hands, and poop on my clothes. GROSSSSSSS!!!!!! Ugh! I cleaned myself up very quickly and my shoes spent the night outside. When trying to clean my shoes this morning, I noticed what bad shape they are actually in. Therefore, I am ditching my old shoes and trading them in or a new model.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3IDETOrOP8gAFyMRjpIXWQQ3kWMGC1gK4gPaE-kxiEuOds_egtt9JtcteGwkok5BXRwncxBLP_Y61ImDgPuX0-F-TWgBkrRajxdakTcwzGRyJVMjbMca1P9dej1Nf8R7rs8D-rzE5jNE/s1600/P1030462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3IDETOrOP8gAFyMRjpIXWQQ3kWMGC1gK4gPaE-kxiEuOds_egtt9JtcteGwkok5BXRwncxBLP_Y61ImDgPuX0-F-TWgBkrRajxdakTcwzGRyJVMjbMca1P9dej1Nf8R7rs8D-rzE5jNE/s400/P1030462.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rather bold and clownish but, hey they are sooo comfy!</td></tr>
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To quote one of my favorite comedians, Mel Brooks, "Every human being has hundreds of separate people living under his skin. The talent of a writer is his ability to give them their separate names, identities, personalities and have them relate to other characters living with him.<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">" </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I like this quote for a couple reasons. We are not born in a </span>vacuum<span style="font-family: inherit;">. We are the product of our parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings and all of their experiences. We are an individuals under constant influence. Maybe that is why reading fiction is so fun. The characters maybe imaginary but you know they could have existed, maybe just not so exaggerated. So, isn't it fun when fiction and real life </span>collide<span style="font-family: inherit;">? Whenever Violet eats blueberries, I often think that one these days an Oompa Loompa is going to have to take her away for juicing. Maybe this thought is wrong, but it does make me smile! </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-25819508785665933122012-05-13T19:14:00.000-04:002012-05-13T19:14:08.953-04:00Belle Isle Aquarium: Behind the ScenesThis weekend I got a rare opportunity to play around in a 650 gallon fish tank in an aquarium that is over 100 year old! What a treat! I like old buildings and old stuff. I like snooping around and going places that most people normally don't get to see. When I travel, I enjoy off the beaten path kind of spots. So, hanging out in a fish tank is just the place for me. <br />
<br />
In case you did not read Thursday's post about 715 Pillows decorating and empty tank, <a href="http://715pillows.blogspot.com/2012/05/swimming-with-pillows-mothers-day-dream.html" target="_blank">here is where you can check out the back story.</a> Late Friday afternoon, pretty much immediately after my husband returned home from Seattle, I packed the family up to pick out my fish tank at the Belle Isle Aquarium. There were fish, turtles, an eel, a few volunteers, and the Pewabic Pottery folks hanging around the old aquarium. I just love the green tiled ceiling. You really do feel like you are underwater. A volunteer showed me my choices of empty tanks and I chose a medium sized tank that had fake coral ledges. My thought was that it might make it easier to stack pillows. We walked through a narrow corridor, behind the tanks to get to my tank. I climbed down into the tank, got a feel for how much space I had, and arranged a few of bins I brought. I also let the girls get in so they could imagine they were fishes. Unfortunately, as we were walking out I found out that the aquarium was not going to be open on Mother's Day due to unforeseen circumstances. However, the Grand Prix is still a go! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXlGjoOwvwAGvhaw0aHFqbtUSH_nCdJIMXWCN8hNvTpbgwUqEmfELe1eVtNqD3-cPDGcRMf78-LqYhzmNzgTzTTsOAvqnGh22xvppnBziIYC_iu7Y3Gy-xNUjzWjF7yxQEkFZmX9icyE/s1600/P1030394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXlGjoOwvwAGvhaw0aHFqbtUSH_nCdJIMXWCN8hNvTpbgwUqEmfELe1eVtNqD3-cPDGcRMf78-LqYhzmNzgTzTTsOAvqnGh22xvppnBziIYC_iu7Y3Gy-xNUjzWjF7yxQEkFZmX9icyE/s400/P1030394.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in a fish tank!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWL0H-ZOqmEbaR3g7Bz4jopX8l7iDBMVr9ErZ5V3GB4bkUZ2TtJJZRw155X6HiOMpFEs-ZED2mE5r1dWeMLPB0vryaMDIKY3njOkT1JVJpPodsNTZCrz0ku0RBqkTYQE9J2fNhYruMwE/s1600/P1030397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWL0H-ZOqmEbaR3g7Bz4jopX8l7iDBMVr9ErZ5V3GB4bkUZ2TtJJZRw155X6HiOMpFEs-ZED2mE5r1dWeMLPB0vryaMDIKY3njOkT1JVJpPodsNTZCrz0ku0RBqkTYQE9J2fNhYruMwE/s400/P1030397.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mimi and Vi decided to take the plunge!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8vfvDJn7CypVuIzmoZoksxy4NZBhGY3816G640UsExnr3AeXuntMcGFeB59PFdx5AN_ROvmBmgOc2xYDjWFIJ4M1bbdSORKzu0EP8gVxwGVKWOMoGkA-JYpgv6QWhhgBU4T04oHchWI/s1600/P1030398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8vfvDJn7CypVuIzmoZoksxy4NZBhGY3816G640UsExnr3AeXuntMcGFeB59PFdx5AN_ROvmBmgOc2xYDjWFIJ4M1bbdSORKzu0EP8gVxwGVKWOMoGkA-JYpgv6QWhhgBU4T04oHchWI/s400/P1030398.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very fun evening!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I had a very bizarre dream Friday night. I went to the aquarium to set up my tank and guess what? My tank was set up like a tidal pool and filled with critters such as lobsters and crabs. I was told I need to share the tank with the animals. Yikes!<br />
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Saturday morning we loaded the car with lighting, a chair, and pillows. We were ready to go. But, we were bringing someone else with us, my friend's son who is a four year old fish enthusiast. On the car ride to Belle Isle, my husband and I chuckled as we listened to a three year old, four year old, and five year old bond over poop jokes. It was very entertaining. When we arrived at the tank, we unloaded and started to get an idea of what we needed to do. First, we had to lower the kids into the tank and then I got to work<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLs8av3yYrRF_pYuJZGaz6NYJF4iD120yTCShfg-SV_Vq374Q5B1j9oql4SxeYrnzK-hRQMvobemT_viGNT_CnmAzNRwZ33xyg-eObhPDzn1mgY11ynj68RnaZUw_yRR06kh9MfyS4sw/s1600/P1030403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLs8av3yYrRF_pYuJZGaz6NYJF4iD120yTCShfg-SV_Vq374Q5B1j9oql4SxeYrnzK-hRQMvobemT_viGNT_CnmAzNRwZ33xyg-eObhPDzn1mgY11ynj68RnaZUw_yRR06kh9MfyS4sw/s400/P1030403.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Putting my husband and three little kids to work!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UY1todxe-HBRHt_blwo9_SGowjRUqDcN4Onfqzn3Wsb5r3c01C_glVG2zAVESa-ZhSM63eybVNcSV-kkOJjhGgcvo0Rj5o-YBg6276hclBi2oGzaMDhKiLNYtKTyW3AVLJ1lsJBh9po/s1600/P1030406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UY1todxe-HBRHt_blwo9_SGowjRUqDcN4Onfqzn3Wsb5r3c01C_glVG2zAVESa-ZhSM63eybVNcSV-kkOJjhGgcvo0Rj5o-YBg6276hclBi2oGzaMDhKiLNYtKTyW3AVLJ1lsJBh9po/s400/P1030406.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the kids made it safely into the tank.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDgp8C-N9raWzOgUvPdzqFixhDTFZbpEBaIenlboU-dLulZ9wZbYC7Dkqxu-7wKaazgGY55P84idl-Nm7-uZXQIVbemhY2f4g8fKsTB5mMEQL3Sv-5Qio-s9kXc9R9j1ig9ITdAsmczc/s1600/P1030410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDgp8C-N9raWzOgUvPdzqFixhDTFZbpEBaIenlboU-dLulZ9wZbYC7Dkqxu-7wKaazgGY55P84idl-Nm7-uZXQIVbemhY2f4g8fKsTB5mMEQL3Sv-5Qio-s9kXc9R9j1ig9ITdAsmczc/s320/P1030410.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids out, time for me to work. It was not easy. Small space, <br />
lights were shining down, no ventilation. I was very warm. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6xEsH99attYyieI2UNv7-T7pS3NSs8MWuLPZzEpURl480_XjXlhvIIdgMAoxkUailxUTONbNRauwHMAxWxxMXYdR1iEgWuC9REnEf5lObOfPQOWLHuph8GZXKqSPgiLEe5LLTP7SCxg/s1600/P1030412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6xEsH99attYyieI2UNv7-T7pS3NSs8MWuLPZzEpURl480_XjXlhvIIdgMAoxkUailxUTONbNRauwHMAxWxxMXYdR1iEgWuC9REnEf5lObOfPQOWLHuph8GZXKqSPgiLEe5LLTP7SCxg/s400/P1030412.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm a very funny looking fish.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZcc7tnYg01dRUJ2Alj0nLWaFGiv1BdwNrvIWYuVCS-dVyJCJjaXigUk5sN9xNACo8ivVnMye-KwfS9Z-vgZ-KYPnXqKVeBsZIPzCuJOS9MtO_h4SL6TJMX9LkCT-d2_BL2QjZIROGJWE/s1600/P1030414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZcc7tnYg01dRUJ2Alj0nLWaFGiv1BdwNrvIWYuVCS-dVyJCJjaXigUk5sN9xNACo8ivVnMye-KwfS9Z-vgZ-KYPnXqKVeBsZIPzCuJOS9MtO_h4SL6TJMX9LkCT-d2_BL2QjZIROGJWE/s400/P1030414.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See my lower extremities? </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaO7FtrHRhONtSUiPu7SCaGFgPHWM2ogmJjM53PPTWcjIgdT9DE-b0fSXzBb4Vz6Jd-_7OalQjKCIj-wwc1GwDfeOswnUlz1NsTvfNQ8X9Uf5_JFwe37sRrTz0JLK1l8PCVnInJWE9Afo/s1600/P1030416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaO7FtrHRhONtSUiPu7SCaGFgPHWM2ogmJjM53PPTWcjIgdT9DE-b0fSXzBb4Vz6Jd-_7OalQjKCIj-wwc1GwDfeOswnUlz1NsTvfNQ8X9Uf5_JFwe37sRrTz0JLK1l8PCVnInJWE9Afo/s400/P1030416.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost done...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRm-O_w_kKQvDGdrxh2iDdR9ycEhlukXr6sAX0dkDW7Ini7tIPCFS5sYpb55XaJJ6Kms-TSAZ8m-n8jL1AWlWmyCnaXgOBukoL66C1NYCE64aOr4XCEuf59L7LaH5rhVyC5DqDEaiDSE/s1600/P1030418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRm-O_w_kKQvDGdrxh2iDdR9ycEhlukXr6sAX0dkDW7Ini7tIPCFS5sYpb55XaJJ6Kms-TSAZ8m-n8jL1AWlWmyCnaXgOBukoL66C1NYCE64aOr4XCEuf59L7LaH5rhVyC5DqDEaiDSE/s400/P1030418.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...oops, I knocked over some pillows trying to get out.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcXry5mVikVKrabc_Z5RaVxvnGXD9yULBrR6c-OgPvQEJmG6-AY_IL3jbjyvTacQ5CNBMG8b_FS52VJNaM3ZD62oy68gCDMCTobD9rEskivgJkQYDds36d5Znm6VkHr4D-VehglGNMGk/s1600/P1030419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcXry5mVikVKrabc_Z5RaVxvnGXD9yULBrR6c-OgPvQEJmG6-AY_IL3jbjyvTacQ5CNBMG8b_FS52VJNaM3ZD62oy68gCDMCTobD9rEskivgJkQYDds36d5Znm6VkHr4D-VehglGNMGk/s400/P1030419.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grrr</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4biHVMJsdk8VeF7g9ll6c0G76eAHx0t5pyWNC-Jc425N5rvyWkFBoSWvSUYZzI3eKbg7hHauOeQSnOXzI0sfJaeyRBT8FDD4exuNs3cqpFpB_ii-jMyKC6jLUWeTDYLG6EAzu_x3pdeE/s1600/P1030421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4biHVMJsdk8VeF7g9ll6c0G76eAHx0t5pyWNC-Jc425N5rvyWkFBoSWvSUYZzI3eKbg7hHauOeQSnOXzI0sfJaeyRBT8FDD4exuNs3cqpFpB_ii-jMyKC6jLUWeTDYLG6EAzu_x3pdeE/s400/P1030421.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Putting everything back in place.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzF0g5iCxkAh5Kc1eIAQGcyDb8YDr76MbuSxOM5ptOvICMxsrrT1LKb24d0W5BtxJjjZZGQTWw_EJ20kfB76l6XBWH2uIxiA82SwlOSp_AAsIyPUcMSE2RUFJxUyKYCpwEQckQFFbeAQI/s1600/P1030423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzF0g5iCxkAh5Kc1eIAQGcyDb8YDr76MbuSxOM5ptOvICMxsrrT1LKb24d0W5BtxJjjZZGQTWw_EJ20kfB76l6XBWH2uIxiA82SwlOSp_AAsIyPUcMSE2RUFJxUyKYCpwEQckQFFbeAQI/s400/P1030423.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sign.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1_cgKsz0NYmpBnbu6FSqwxWuPpQwFUpoxoYLHF-cRAk4FgjzuY-SHbM5s_dHWiaSYGdExrQLpNKYyvGVMljQ7bfd5wG8T9cDiVSIjiphsIy0hUvMAmmxk9JoX5aN6Wg-z5dxPl7ADa0/s1600/P1030424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1_cgKsz0NYmpBnbu6FSqwxWuPpQwFUpoxoYLHF-cRAk4FgjzuY-SHbM5s_dHWiaSYGdExrQLpNKYyvGVMljQ7bfd5wG8T9cDiVSIjiphsIy0hUvMAmmxk9JoX5aN6Wg-z5dxPl7ADa0/s400/P1030424.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Voila!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I am really happy with how the exhibit turned out. The glass is cloudy but, it does look nice. It is hard to take photos in the aquarium so hope you enjoy the gritty quality of the photography. After we got our work done, we walked over to the conservatory to play. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8OFlKh0l3i6uqmoICeMDdq_sw-9KH8RG3ImqDgkoATR_KiozLYsRUm-A0uNtVHMZeFqEKy8MlVb5d-RLW4GyQvJd-8DLmQUne1QZC3GFYCUY14quW-68jEcQ8bIgyOHG36pyHsd-3aY0/s1600/P1030426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8OFlKh0l3i6uqmoICeMDdq_sw-9KH8RG3ImqDgkoATR_KiozLYsRUm-A0uNtVHMZeFqEKy8MlVb5d-RLW4GyQvJd-8DLmQUne1QZC3GFYCUY14quW-68jEcQ8bIgyOHG36pyHsd-3aY0/s400/P1030426.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The three musketeers ready to play. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_506_Vx4W__pJil7NMZBui-MlggaA8DBEa7G5mt_AofpW-ktOtfubySxljJ7FMEkb0QtSZlitHepJoHDvj51Tlw1O51DRZWfCd5B6z3cs5dOhYrlgBo-KSqiPEIen49LROeNoQ4JXCyk/s1600/P1030430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_506_Vx4W__pJil7NMZBui-MlggaA8DBEa7G5mt_AofpW-ktOtfubySxljJ7FMEkb0QtSZlitHepJoHDvj51Tlw1O51DRZWfCd5B6z3cs5dOhYrlgBo-KSqiPEIen49LROeNoQ4JXCyk/s400/P1030430.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Conservatory - we actually saw a raccoon inside!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO30xDXvHUUrEzeki83vnt1fw-KGknMuU00V6i0JJu4Oimxm8CfnMsQAiMz163zcmOeK3t27F_A7AFXXzsp1BV23RyGNfdBDpTDzbko4TcSHMBg9cBaO0y0UyhHXJREXsV4q2XqyS5mfE/s1600/P1030450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO30xDXvHUUrEzeki83vnt1fw-KGknMuU00V6i0JJu4Oimxm8CfnMsQAiMz163zcmOeK3t27F_A7AFXXzsp1BV23RyGNfdBDpTDzbko4TcSHMBg9cBaO0y0UyhHXJREXsV4q2XqyS5mfE/s400/P1030450.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fantastic outing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It would be really nice if this little display resulted in a few sales. But, as far as I am concerned, playing around in a 100 year old aquarium after hours was worth all the work. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-19020032925774177282012-05-10T13:35:00.000-04:002012-05-10T18:05:49.633-04:00Swimming With Pillows: A Mother's Day Dream Come True!<i><span style="font-size: large;">I dedicate this post first to my grandpa! He was a Cass Tech grad, WWII veteran, Detroit Mounted Police Office, Harper Hospital Security Guard, and an all round good guy. Second, to my parents who often took me to Belle Isle as a kid to see the fish swim in America's oldest aquarium. </span></i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9nwdl_B2PuwPthwlbvMyXLtir0kWrj_3eq8aCLRTp8rulXFBKtl6uOCWwkiV0QYTj9valnWWGuZ2lXcuKUSqpLlxODdWOfuHMXUO7eSgzOCLdYlU35d_wrPLn7Ws8m3UAjRGp9ZBopg/s1600/train+station.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9nwdl_B2PuwPthwlbvMyXLtir0kWrj_3eq8aCLRTp8rulXFBKtl6uOCWwkiV0QYTj9valnWWGuZ2lXcuKUSqpLlxODdWOfuHMXUO7eSgzOCLdYlU35d_wrPLn7Ws8m3UAjRGp9ZBopg/s200/train+station.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michigan Central Station <br />
(took this picture from Wikipedia)</td></tr>
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I love the history that just spills out of Detroit. It is rich, it is powerful, it is gritty. I loved going to Fort Wayne, the DIA, and the Historical Museum when I was a kid. I can't begin to tell you how many birthdays were spent watching plays at the Youth Theater. Mickey Miners was my hero!!! I love that my parents took my brother and I on a day trip to Ann Arbor on a train that left out of Michigan Central Station. Listing to my mom talk about the old Hudson's Building made it seem more like a magical castle than a department store. She was always telling me about taking the bus downtown with Grandma Warrick and going up to the Notions Floor. A whole floor dedicate to sewing. My grandfather was a Detroit Mounted Police Officer. He spent most of his career on a horse, patrolling the streets, riding in the Thanksgiving Day Parade, and making friends. I loved listening to his stories about Detroit. I still think about him when I am downtown. Right now, I think he might be just a little bit proud of me because now it is my turn to contribute. Now I have the opportunity to share my pillows and a little bit of myself with the City of Detroit. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgzRYMISu8TgyjoBMZP-sSSpWxR2JK9ibSuPbjRHj08VIysMp9R-vAa5UfNneGhyphenhyphenENmawH9p451hutJKrsp40p-qWBmVSMxy0TvYq_KlrkULi3aEXi-2elrh1CT6I_8IchN-I0lafJi0/s1600/belle+isle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgzRYMISu8TgyjoBMZP-sSSpWxR2JK9ibSuPbjRHj08VIysMp9R-vAa5UfNneGhyphenhyphenENmawH9p451hutJKrsp40p-qWBmVSMxy0TvYq_KlrkULi3aEXi-2elrh1CT6I_8IchN-I0lafJi0/s400/belle+isle.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belle Isle Aquarium <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Belle-Isle-Aquarium/99216033742?ref=ts" target="_blank">(this picture is from their Facebook page</a>)</td></tr>
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The Belle Isle Aquarium is an absolute treasure in Detroit. It opened on August 18, 1904 and closed on April 3, 2005. The building was designed by Albert Kahn and the park itself was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead. It was the oldest continually operating aquarium in America until it closed. While looking into the specifics on building, I just discovered that it was a speakeasy during Prohibition. (Thanks you, Wikipedia!) My parents took my brother and I to Belle Isle a lot when we were growing up. We spent time at the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, the Dossin Museum, and the Aquarium. As a parent, I have been able to take my own kids everywhere, except for the aquarium. Well that all is going to change this Sunday!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kPRBjqfEFw8uBwhdMi-OQcKYBoSvfuEGMEXzNC7Jp4JyYlxTFNb02Bg0cKxpaVOwyeHFFz93teatcUekxyjQtYaWbzIteIA4RU_dy0oF4PaCSjuWrBuJ8bh2sHNBM07KpqRneNkKy1A/s1600/belle+isle+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kPRBjqfEFw8uBwhdMi-OQcKYBoSvfuEGMEXzNC7Jp4JyYlxTFNb02Bg0cKxpaVOwyeHFFz93teatcUekxyjQtYaWbzIteIA4RU_dy0oF4PaCSjuWrBuJ8bh2sHNBM07KpqRneNkKy1A/s400/belle+isle+2.jpg" width="311" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrate mom, see some fish, see some art, and check out my pillows!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdwYQb4LN46UwIanzyTcgghQN1Dtp73KoJQJ7un8X70IInshsVz4ezY65rDYXqC4QObypdl-Un6tEiy2JhjwcC21mCE2lZTZLGZXgg-1T3uYorozraCC92fvLHN5DCIMMpcpT4oTpS6o/s1600/Detroit+fabric.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdwYQb4LN46UwIanzyTcgghQN1Dtp73KoJQJ7un8X70IInshsVz4ezY65rDYXqC4QObypdl-Un6tEiy2JhjwcC21mCE2lZTZLGZXgg-1T3uYorozraCC92fvLHN5DCIMMpcpT4oTpS6o/s200/Detroit+fabric.png" width="171" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fabric I am going to buy from <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/shop" target="_blank">Spoonflower</a></td></tr>
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This Mother's Day (Sunday, May 13th), the Belle Isle Aquarium will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and it is free. Some of the tanks have fish, some are empty (but not for long.) I am so excited! First, because I have not been there for a really, really long time. Second, because I am going to display about 20 to 30 my pillows in one of the empty tanks. That's right!!! 715 Pillows is going to fill a fish tank full of pillows for Mother's Day and for the Grand Prix events. I have a lot of work to do before Saturday afternoon. I know which pillows I am going to display but I have to figure out how to display them and figure out lighting. This all came about so fast. The Belle Isle Conservancy announced on Facebook a couple days ago that they were looking for crafty people to create a dry exhibit - aquatic exhibits favored. So, I e-mailed them a proposal and got myself a tank! I am beyond excited! I am over the moon! Right now, I am going to stock the tank with pillows I already have. In the next couple weeks, I am going to make some aquatic and Detroit themed pillows and will swap out my stock for the Grand Prix party on May 31st. Tickets will are $50 and I am poor. However, I just may need to convince my husband that we need to get dressed up and spend some money so that we can stare at my fish tank full of pillows. </div>
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So, I am excited. My parents are in Europe so they have not heard the good news quite yet. My children are thrilled and want to help out. My husband will be returning home from Seattle tomorrow afternoon just in time for me to put him to work. I also asked for help from a grad school friend who comes from a very artsy family. Would my grandpa be proud? Hell, yeah! I just hear his voice right now, "It's a damn shame that place closed in the first place. I am proud of you honey baby. Really proud." </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7cv_XQvAdoMdSFmL6b5oNt4ERlKUVVe6Pa-o6b1dIlekeL2ysx-3VdTNAw1SNGS1-9TbhD1v3S-KTyRXi2Od9m0YdIvjzUhnRxCAV3wPVqgsEK32Ld7kl2bN62wP-ZtsbSvL0a5uXQQ/s1600/P1030390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7cv_XQvAdoMdSFmL6b5oNt4ERlKUVVe6Pa-o6b1dIlekeL2ysx-3VdTNAw1SNGS1-9TbhD1v3S-KTyRXi2Od9m0YdIvjzUhnRxCAV3wPVqgsEK32Ld7kl2bN62wP-ZtsbSvL0a5uXQQ/s400/P1030390.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Christopher, Belle Isle, 1952</td></tr>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-62108177075238228742012-05-06T21:54:00.000-04:002012-05-06T22:15:10.080-04:00Fly, Fly, Fly, FlyWhen I woke up at 5:45 a.m. on Saturday morning, I felt strange. Not really nervous, not really apprehensive, just strange. It was weird for me to know that I was going back to my old school. Last year when I went back to Grand Valley State University to look around, a feeling of misery came back to me. Two cold miserable years made tolerable by a handful of really nice friends. When I visit Michigan State, I feel generally happy as the memories come flooding back. But high school.... High school was a strange time. It was better than middle school, that's for sure. But, nevertheless, strange. I was an average student, with average looks, with below average date-ability and popularity. I was known for being kind of goofy (in an endearing way - I did have lots of friends), I wasn't really part of a clique or group, I fell down and ran into poles often, my first day of freshman year was so embarrassing I still cringe when thinking about it. But even though I had fun and had a friends, upon graduation I never really looked back. So why the hell was I getting up early on a Saturday morning to head back to my old school????<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZrVlccHLTdOrpKp7_DgkvHFwZKZzPgBfUXiJ4MZKXU6jNTv9JEd0FnMoRN9uHhRRP5vZN5V5_TrGSfI__L4ZvrFJNnp_HT1wOxBBXXRyvW00LDIereQ2pl967tHYc2hM-wQxtUMIjis/s1600/CVHS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZrVlccHLTdOrpKp7_DgkvHFwZKZzPgBfUXiJ4MZKXU6jNTv9JEd0FnMoRN9uHhRRP5vZN5V5_TrGSfI__L4ZvrFJNnp_HT1wOxBBXXRyvW00LDIereQ2pl967tHYc2hM-wQxtUMIjis/s400/CVHS.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chippewa Valley High School</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDthjvLu5w0Wez5y_dTGgMiTIMAk0SGRq63sTpJ38nP9yXquL4Dje7cjfyJ3nb3_sEgd5th9Pbrsy-IRDmGkPsjZ5DVBiJmL9zaO1ELH5B_ea-FfNHNtbsSLlY_9T-XjbfYaA5DdULZ8U/s1600/Regal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDthjvLu5w0Wez5y_dTGgMiTIMAk0SGRq63sTpJ38nP9yXquL4Dje7cjfyJ3nb3_sEgd5th9Pbrsy-IRDmGkPsjZ5DVBiJmL9zaO1ELH5B_ea-FfNHNtbsSLlY_9T-XjbfYaA5DdULZ8U/s400/Regal.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not mine, but similar. Mine was a hand-me-down from my grandmother. </td></tr>
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I pulled up to my old high school in my overly stuffed, sub compact car and thought, this does not feel right. I should be pulling up in my baby blue Buick Regal listing to a tape playing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if-UzXIQ5vw&ob=av2e" target="_blank">R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion"</a> or the<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa2nLEhUcZ0" target="_blank"> Cure singing, "Friday I'm in Love."</a> The craft show was HUGE!!!! There were close to 200 crafters setting up their wares in the gym, the cafeteria (oh, the dreaded cafeteria), and in hallways. HUGE!!! I set up my pillows and took a little walk. I found the picture of my track team in the showcase. That was kind of cool. I also ran into some fellow crafters from the <a href="http://715pillows.blogspot.com/2012/03/spring-charity-craft-show-abysmal.html" target="_blank">Troy craft show.</a> I thought, "Hey, I am making friends and bonding with crafters. Coooool!!!!" Eventually, I made my way back to my table to wait for the throngs of shoppers who were going to bust into the school and buy up every single one of my pillows. </div>
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At about 10:45 a.m. the woman behind me says, "It is going to be a really long day. Hope you brought your book!" I was still optimistic. Then my back started to hurt. Then, my feeling started to get hurt because one person after another would walk past my booth, look at me, and not even crack a smile when I said, "Good morning!" I was started to wonder if maybe I was just a ghost. The day went on fairly fast. I had visits from Kevin and the girls, the Troy crafters, and I spent a lot of time guessing in my head which instruments the band kids played. Okay, you want to know if I sold anything? Do you want to know if the CVHS craft show was in fact my swan song? Yes, I am fly, fly, fly, flying away from craft shows. I did this one because I had already committed to it but I will not do another. It is so much work for so little return, even if I did sell and I did not. Clearly I was not alone because everyone I spoke to was unsuccessful. I even got an e-mail today from the organizer reassuring that promotion of the event was properly done and that vendor placement was done so that we would not be in direct competition with one another. It was a well run show. But I make more money on Etsy and I don't have to load, unload, and give up a Saturday to sell pillows. It is okay!</div>
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I guess what I don't understand is why people actually do these sorts of craft shows. Art fairs, yes, I get it. I love art fairs. But, as a matter of even general accounting, why? I am not even good at math and as I walk around I just don't understand how anyone really makes money. For example, there was a woman selling little bags that hold crayons for kids. Very cute. The bags included crayons and were sold for $5. No one can put that craft together for $5. Even if she sold bunches she would need to look at her material costs and time to make the craft, then add in the time preparing for the shows, sitting at the show, and packing up after the show. She would be lucky to break even and the point is not to break even, it is to make a living or at least some spending money. </div>
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So...I did not lose my religion while I was at CVHS, I did not fall down while I was at CVHS, I did however have some pretty horrible flashbacks to my days in Mr. Horton's gym class since I spent the day in the gym. But, the craft show was a swan song. But, I am okay! Towards the end of the day one of the band boosters walked up to my table and said, "Do you need anything?" Kevin was standing next to me, Violet was on my lap, and Mimi was sitting next to me and I said, "Nope, I am good, thanks." And the woman smiles and says, "Yes, it looks to me like you have everyone you need with you right now." And you know what? She was right! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8BlIcsWfP_-7_g11TBCK2CMYSPb269w8sRZtJEiU_RA4Ktqg5jGogkGrxM2A5h1f9cjKl54C_C7Nal064PF3FnM8to2CGRpqW_wjirQzvIGDocfJKWQatSjoZ8nPE1zgXtNtlMYQOtNU/s1600/P1030088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8BlIcsWfP_-7_g11TBCK2CMYSPb269w8sRZtJEiU_RA4Ktqg5jGogkGrxM2A5h1f9cjKl54C_C7Nal064PF3FnM8to2CGRpqW_wjirQzvIGDocfJKWQatSjoZ8nPE1zgXtNtlMYQOtNU/s400/P1030088.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone I need!</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-38245154717866768212012-05-04T13:45:00.000-04:002012-05-04T13:55:04.601-04:00Craft Show Swan SongTomorrow is a big day for me: Craft show number three!!!! <span style="color: purple;">It will be held at Chippewa Valley High School from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow. The high school is located on 19 Mile Road in Clinton Township, east of Garfield.</span> My first show was <a href="http://candy%20cane%20lane%20craft%20show/" target="_blank">Candy Cane Lane Craft Show</a> in Berkley. I considered it a success. My second craft show, in <a href="http://715pillows.blogspot.com/2012/03/spring-charity-craft-show-abysmal.html" target="_blank">Troy</a> was an abysmal disappointment. Basically, I have come to this conclusion about craft shows:<br />
<div>
<ol>
<li>I am picking the wrong craft shows.</li>
<li>Craft shows may not be a good fit for my perceived demographic.</li>
<li>Craft shows are a lot of work.</li>
<li>Tomorrow may very well be my last craft show.</li>
</ol>
<div>
I signed up for tomorrow's craft show a couple months ago. I don't want to back out - I never really know what might happen. Plus, I have some hopes for success but I am not setting any goals. What is the point? Without goals I can't disappoint myself. But, why do I have hopes for this show? What makes this one different? Who knows really. But, this is what is currently going through my mind:</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Qn_PAAPoocYpfoNJTXLFQ82Wy4ViJrIYi5gA19ZjIq14pquvClkfJQaMN6K0mrBJPHmRUDY2qpGzld5oNLg7kqz7eGpQkZ-8BEVbGyPSxywuABxK_uNzoiXYl6pk_tvGtcWCwGMYQ2A/s1600/1992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Qn_PAAPoocYpfoNJTXLFQ82Wy4ViJrIYi5gA19ZjIq14pquvClkfJQaMN6K0mrBJPHmRUDY2qpGzld5oNLg7kqz7eGpQkZ-8BEVbGyPSxywuABxK_uNzoiXYl6pk_tvGtcWCwGMYQ2A/s400/1992.jpg" width="310" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1992 - My senior picture!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ol>
<li>I am a CVHS grad. It is not like I have never been humiliated on the grounds of Chippewa Valley High School. Tomorrow can't be any worse than any other day I spent in school.</li>
<li>I am a CVHS grad. I might see people I know. This is terrifying and exciting because I have not stepped foot in my old high school since my brother graduated in 1996.</li>
<li>The craft show is organized by the Band Boosters. The Band Boosters organize two craft shows a year. According to all information I can find on this show, it has been growing and they are expecting a large turnout. </li>
<li>The Band Boosters know how to bring people in are good at fundraising. The band needs uniforms and they take trips, go to festivals, etc. Maybe people will come tomorrow.</li>
<li>If this does go well. IF this does go well, I will sign up for their fall craft show. </li>
<li>If tomorrow does not go well, no more craft shows. I will stick with <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/715pillows" target="_blank">Etsy</a> as I just recently sold six pillows. </li>
<li>I need to pick up something to pack for lunch. Pickings are slim in my pantry right now. </li>
<li>I need to pack up some pillows. </li>
</ol>
<div>
Anyway, I have not put an ounce of pressure on myself. I am going to have fun. Maybe I will sell enough pillows to cover the cost of the exterminator who came to my house to free us of a honey bee colony this week. I will be happy if I sell enough pillows and I can personally take my family out to dinner after the show. If you are looking for something to do tomorrow or if you are in need of a throw pillow, come on out to Chippewa Valley High School tomorrow. I actually lied, I do have one goal for tomorrow: Not to fall down as an adult at Chippewa Valley High School!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdjKiSQzkmYsIONfXfO8tFkjIUVx8zZo_NrRtZEbHIhLJXZr8d83apVyQhOcz0cPlm973jHlpmntZ3HvERDIzZSKXRzUdN6y0apEWtcpu3PYWztI_xIFipKuZb-pZCRUmxQ2bfbXnaKo/s1600/P1010696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdjKiSQzkmYsIONfXfO8tFkjIUVx8zZo_NrRtZEbHIhLJXZr8d83apVyQhOcz0cPlm973jHlpmntZ3HvERDIzZSKXRzUdN6y0apEWtcpu3PYWztI_xIFipKuZb-pZCRUmxQ2bfbXnaKo/s400/P1010696.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Twenty years later...me! </td></tr>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-75486322009171165812012-05-02T13:01:00.000-04:002012-05-02T13:01:58.718-04:00Pillowcases Dresses: Sew Simple!Looking at patterns and reading directions is somewhat of a daunting task when it comes to sewing. The diagrams and lines on a pattern can be really confusing to me. Even the language boggles my mind. Selvage, anyone? Ugh! Therefore, after opening the envelope and glancing at the directions on how to make a pillowcase dress, I simply dismissed the project until my parents returned from their month long adventure in Florida.<br />
<br />
Last week, my mom and I decided to give the pillowcase dresses a shot. My mom came over two times to work on the dresses and when she returned home, she continued sewing two more dresses for Mimi and Vi. Only my mom was busy combining two dress patterns, sewing in a lining, a contrast band on Mimi's dress, and a ruffle on Vi's. Needless to say, these dresses are fantastic and the girls look super cute in them! But back to the pillowcase dresses. The girls had picked out two different fabrics: mermaids and butterflies. Of course, Violet changed her mind and decided butterflies are not for her and decided she must have mermaids. Mom and I were able to cut out the material so both girls could have mermaids. Now, I can either make two more pillowcase dresses out of butterfly material or attempt something different. <br />
<br />
I did not take pictures while my mom and I were working on Mimi's dress and Kevin was not home to stalk us with the camera. I made Mimi's dress with help. Violet's dress as made completely on my own. I am pretty proud of how they both turned out. I do not have a picture of Violet in her dress because she and I are living in a precarious time when it comes to getting dresses. Remember, we live in Michigan and the weather has been changeable lately. Also, when I want Vi to try the dress on, she does not want to. When I don't need her to try it on, she very much wants to try on the dress. She and I are at odds when it comes to getting dressed lately. Plus, when I finished sewing the dress, this was how I found Miss Vi:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX20uZ9ne4xMNx7ERIVrg5hZqXnj90LR65DBi8gXRLGIklyJvGJIx0Xkx7E2ynJjy50eQt64nm1tS-BCy9icnWrUnDCWzlIpzBjZNfZfCpUgTu39LQ4qnlOgGkbXUNPIwcpmPUJU8RqEE/s1600/P1030238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX20uZ9ne4xMNx7ERIVrg5hZqXnj90LR65DBi8gXRLGIklyJvGJIx0Xkx7E2ynJjy50eQt64nm1tS-BCy9icnWrUnDCWzlIpzBjZNfZfCpUgTu39LQ4qnlOgGkbXUNPIwcpmPUJU8RqEE/s400/P1030238.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is hard to be three!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anyway, here is Mimi in her mermaid pillowcase dress:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnHJnLcVSJzwiKUklpy6HkzD41nwFZmVCba6vkH7-eS1ZiD_tOKOBCiRgWjYYIszjjZ5p3khvzgtQM1g-BPxT0YyRO4chkqC73zgKFUvaE9fHZQkGE8DHnt0ccWTg2BumKnISI4EGgGY/s1600/P1030241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnHJnLcVSJzwiKUklpy6HkzD41nwFZmVCba6vkH7-eS1ZiD_tOKOBCiRgWjYYIszjjZ5p3khvzgtQM1g-BPxT0YyRO4chkqC73zgKFUvaE9fHZQkGE8DHnt0ccWTg2BumKnISI4EGgGY/s400/P1030241.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, Mimi is posing for this picture. </td></tr>
</tbody></table> After Mimi's photo shoot, this was how I found Miss Vi:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7qz8PKjHwx2mgKvW4CjFOwpxhdVZX7sWNRYy79zOZgxz61weS6BoZPL5eLmL-PCKmfO_t51osAoG9bxMFnAsSEFQTTNCfCUGZwZrUQWoRTIYMsf2bfMirTDPZio4WveupPrxIBz7Wx3Y/s1600/P1030245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7qz8PKjHwx2mgKvW4CjFOwpxhdVZX7sWNRYy79zOZgxz61weS6BoZPL5eLmL-PCKmfO_t51osAoG9bxMFnAsSEFQTTNCfCUGZwZrUQWoRTIYMsf2bfMirTDPZio4WveupPrxIBz7Wx3Y/s320/P1030245.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How is that even comfortable???</td></tr>
</tbody></table>All in all, if you want to make a pillowcase dress, give it a try. Mimi's dress took a about five hours with my mom. Violet dress took about four hours since it was my second try. Basically, you cut out a front and a back and sew the seams. Piece of cake!!!! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-25758916340654583282012-04-12T09:15:00.000-04:002012-04-12T09:15:17.735-04:00How to Take a Five Day Vacation on a $500 Budget!I am a stay-at-home mom who has occasional part-time jobs and a burgeoning small pillow business. Monday through Friday, my husband goes to the office. He also travels around to interesting cities on a regular basis for work. We have two children and live in an inner ring Detroit suburb. (How's that for throwing out urban planning terms in my blog!) Anyway, in order for me to be a stay-at-home mom, we have to make sacrifices. There, now you know why my hair is always a mess and I sometimes wear strange clothes. I blame it all on the budget. Well, I guess I may have looked a little strange even before kids, so..... Anyway, we have not flown to a sunny, sandy and tropical family vacation since Mimi was eleven months old. Now those are good memories. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0JVLqDBKq4edFhbPYFkS-kchgeA-3uT8ItXel7nRVijlrf3LFn16A4FmIvHlzSXXpESpb-MV1WwyrVp8yQP13RYPp0XhjJnJ2_ewJ8GLjfR4x8PmBdxxk3vCctccyv0cCZR-6xYJ1To/s1600/happy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0JVLqDBKq4edFhbPYFkS-kchgeA-3uT8ItXel7nRVijlrf3LFn16A4FmIvHlzSXXpESpb-MV1WwyrVp8yQP13RYPp0XhjJnJ2_ewJ8GLjfR4x8PmBdxxk3vCctccyv0cCZR-6xYJ1To/s400/happy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happiness!!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>But, as someone who loves to travel I really need to get away fairly regularly. We spend a lot of time in the summer at my parent's vacation home in the Michigan's U.P. Heavenly and cheap!!!! However, you sometimes need to get out of your home state. We visit Chicago about two to three times a year to visit my brother, sister-in-law, and niece. About once a year, Kevin and I cash in frequent flier miles and we meet up in a city where he is attending a conference. Most importantly, we try to take our little girls on some super cool vacations while clinging to our budget.<br />
<br />
<u>Basics on how to go away for five days on $500</u><br />
<br />
1. Find hotel deals that offers buy one night, get one night free. Sometimes you have to go off season. There are advantages to travelling off season such as fewer people. Check out lodges at state parks - cheap rates off season and affordable rates in season <br />
<br />
2. Camp - although I would like to do this, I need to work at getting my family on board. <br />
<br />
3. Get a credit card that awards you with points for travel. Be it one that gives you frequent flier miles or one that gives free hotel nights. We have a Marriott card and we have reaped more benefits that I could have ever imagined. It helps that Kevin travels a lot of work. He puts all of his work related travel expenses on this card. It is paid off every month with his reimbursement checks and we get oodles of free hotel nights.<br />
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4. Find a hotel with free breakfast and a mini fridge in the room. Bring some of your own snacks, fruit, or breakfast if not included in the hotel. If you are really cutting costs then bring bread, peanut butter, etc. for picnic lunches.<br />
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5. Buy a fuel efficient car if you will be driving long distances regularly. All four of us travel comfortably in my Scion xD. It is actually shocks me every single time we load up my car that we can do it. <br />
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6. Take advantage of AAA discounts.<br />
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<u>How we went on vacation to Louisville, Kentucky for $500</u><br />
<u><br />
</u><br />
When planning our trip, we knew we wanted to go somewhere warmer than Michigan but within about a six hour drive. We also needed to stay at a Marriott since we had oodles of points to cash in on. We have all been to Louisville before on day trips but thought it might be fun spend a few days. We stayed at the Spring Hill Suites by Marriott in Hurstbourne for four nights, five days for free. We had a suite, access to the swimming pool, workout room, and free breakfast. Lodging is really the biggest cost of travelling and we had that covered. Kevin's birthday was also just a couple days before we left. He signed up to be on e-mail lists for restaurants and he earned a couple free birthday dinners which were redeemed in Louisville. Now, here is how we spent our fun money:<br />
<br />
<u>Day One</u><br />
<br />
$6 on breakfast bagels from Einstein - it is much easier to eat on the road.<br />
$17 for lunch at McDonalds - when did the Ronald start charging so much for happy meals?<br />
$33 for gas<br />
$14 for admission to Locust Grove. This is an historic home where George Roger Clark lived. <a href="http://www.locustgrove.org/">http://www.locustgrove.org/</a><br />
$30 for dinner at Ruby Tuesday (Kevin ate for free.)<br />
<br />
Total $110 <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPD5VSQ-_nHBSCMXHRHczQj0fYx-VgQZ_vUvE9oK1HmazquOZmqlp1fi0d68gYBMwespyO9Eham6Gt3qMtsyRPXqwv5ZNR_VKDx9gkeXnWIJD-w90Y0C4_UPI_hGLag4535KaUrUG-BJs/s1600/P1020519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPD5VSQ-_nHBSCMXHRHczQj0fYx-VgQZ_vUvE9oK1HmazquOZmqlp1fi0d68gYBMwespyO9Eham6Gt3qMtsyRPXqwv5ZNR_VKDx9gkeXnWIJD-w90Y0C4_UPI_hGLag4535KaUrUG-BJs/s400/P1020519.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Locust Grove</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhtrL88wnGp31K3OiDYtj3Str-pQGadRLScHHgATHcPnS4L6ap9jt2aYk0RRaHRtbwdJBe8WV6E-hggHxPDVGRlo1-I6-QgO0Gw6YbTc2tBkxS7GVswaCfAKOr91bbmih4vPhbPlr_vg/s1600/P1020480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhtrL88wnGp31K3OiDYtj3Str-pQGadRLScHHgATHcPnS4L6ap9jt2aYk0RRaHRtbwdJBe8WV6E-hggHxPDVGRlo1-I6-QgO0Gw6YbTc2tBkxS7GVswaCfAKOr91bbmih4vPhbPlr_vg/s400/P1020480.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My offspring</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxyj09tsuk9hcUBTz4TC7fjo-FGlOqo1JB5DfFUGFEQbIiNMWddNBQQ12PG4WE8HrBJcrqNUhjo7X3rnwhytz7GCwbVHKHWa_12Albw7xyi-pih_pwTwvfkzFAuZzuvfml-IYZULEnlE/s1600/P1020466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxyj09tsuk9hcUBTz4TC7fjo-FGlOqo1JB5DfFUGFEQbIiNMWddNBQQ12PG4WE8HrBJcrqNUhjo7X3rnwhytz7GCwbVHKHWa_12Albw7xyi-pih_pwTwvfkzFAuZzuvfml-IYZULEnlE/s400/P1020466.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Violet was sick and tired of being on the tour of Locust Grove!</td></tr>
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<u>Day Two</u><br />
<u><br />
</u><br />
$22 lunch at Subway - seriously pricey subs<br />
$14 admission to the Yew Dell Botanical Gardens - run, don't walk to this place as it is seriously lovely. <a href="http://www.yewdellgardens.org/">http://www.yewdellgardens.org/</a><br />
$34 dinner at Mimi's Cafe (Kevin ate for free)<br />
We also went to Tom Sawyer State Park that day for free!<br />
<br />
Total $70<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVm04jaxNQF9PC4vR8TDbdAU7_cQ45eJ_c-E4MLhysfH1GFZIINBKLiif3xvsoTn8FruH7QVA6xOSJlWmXJQeAcVJduLpPHXuLFqDA3o_QaeFMQlubD8U3SEVZmgu8NmQgOD6PGnk1cc/s1600/P1020594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVm04jaxNQF9PC4vR8TDbdAU7_cQ45eJ_c-E4MLhysfH1GFZIINBKLiif3xvsoTn8FruH7QVA6xOSJlWmXJQeAcVJduLpPHXuLFqDA3o_QaeFMQlubD8U3SEVZmgu8NmQgOD6PGnk1cc/s400/P1020594.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful barn at the gardens - great place for an event.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLW2YT5r-fPEIduC2reB4TcMiDRSsEFbI7RFZhhdBlLxKi8I_4hcbwBoxaUn9EgJtWryLDRBg0RknRXbAr8dweaeLfYCZsN8yxkPyG4pJud7HT7mSpUilKLYg_d3_IZcWKhdKFAxTEMUI/s1600/P1020625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLW2YT5r-fPEIduC2reB4TcMiDRSsEFbI7RFZhhdBlLxKi8I_4hcbwBoxaUn9EgJtWryLDRBg0RknRXbAr8dweaeLfYCZsN8yxkPyG4pJud7HT7mSpUilKLYg_d3_IZcWKhdKFAxTEMUI/s400/P1020625.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love these flowers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJo_bDDvNlrdlsCzqFvJw5MYexHlETA25i0LctyMZbOnKuc8aTKDvtTVUOmlT0JXIGpFaqSGWX7MEWzDYOQ6TlfU424N18uyYIW4Y6E5wXj1KXrxjPDTtZrLfhWDO6SMFcksCgAJTnyXk/s1600/P1020552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJo_bDDvNlrdlsCzqFvJw5MYexHlETA25i0LctyMZbOnKuc8aTKDvtTVUOmlT0JXIGpFaqSGWX7MEWzDYOQ6TlfU424N18uyYIW4Y6E5wXj1KXrxjPDTtZrLfhWDO6SMFcksCgAJTnyXk/s400/P1020552.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Castle on the grounds - used to be a pool house.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjov68eOI7IYPgo2KcD02GrDOcZu-wRFaZzsHW_E-MkSVcfSBsgVCGICjzdVM_qhVzgkE-ydvRF8dAFfYGD_RmmCFd6tDwWUAuOzWVAYQpMmEtSN4Da0ncBRPlpn8vdpMV5b-fxXWgB2uU/s1600/P1020579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjov68eOI7IYPgo2KcD02GrDOcZu-wRFaZzsHW_E-MkSVcfSBsgVCGICjzdVM_qhVzgkE-ydvRF8dAFfYGD_RmmCFd6tDwWUAuOzWVAYQpMmEtSN4Da0ncBRPlpn8vdpMV5b-fxXWgB2uU/s400/P1020579.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uh - that's me!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><u>Day Three</u><br />
<u><br />
</u><br />
$17 for lunch at Panera<br />
$30 for Admission to Pleasant Hill Shaker Village <a href="http://www.shakervillageky.org/">http://www.shakervillageky.org/</a><br />
$4 for bottles of water because we forgot ours in the hotel room<br />
$28 for gas<br />
$5 for a flashlight<br />
$14 for pizza<br />
$22 for my ghost tour of Waverly Hills <a href="http://www.therealwaverlyhills.com/">http://www.therealwaverlyhills.com/</a><br />
$4 for two small milkshakes<br />
<br />
Total $124<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfRclj7P6CJH0PI7OzC0l8NyEUkmXmtbDBWzcEgA5ErmKF5ifTdF0vPKUbh2ub5c8YvPQfw8njuRfr7bmEgc0REr-pHG1gsSUDeQbGNUYMAqDq3rPm2jM5ysvMbg68OXhzS0GGCS9fgI/s1600/P1020661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfRclj7P6CJH0PI7OzC0l8NyEUkmXmtbDBWzcEgA5ErmKF5ifTdF0vPKUbh2ub5c8YvPQfw8njuRfr7bmEgc0REr-pHG1gsSUDeQbGNUYMAqDq3rPm2jM5ysvMbg68OXhzS0GGCS9fgI/s400/P1020661.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids can dress up like a Shaker.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCe2TZd3kW3A-1-_7TEnXeQ616AomCiGUJieJF0lU3-tSomYzgl4qI0eFTYoXtVxunl4d55ffdgi8FaJKk1gDwb-3SZybw1xApd5rCwTnX-nhWcSA20ngfwvRXZwrECaDTcb2F2oz3as/s1600/P1020736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCe2TZd3kW3A-1-_7TEnXeQ616AomCiGUJieJF0lU3-tSomYzgl4qI0eFTYoXtVxunl4d55ffdgi8FaJKk1gDwb-3SZybw1xApd5rCwTnX-nhWcSA20ngfwvRXZwrECaDTcb2F2oz3as/s400/P1020736.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The yarn there was awesome! <br />
Made me wish I had talent when it comes to knitting.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheWuA6wwG8lrOZ4JZdI1V2cLX1OTu8lRPyOT-z2mv2OWoqRKiit_YwjxUA_WOqAL-AdNOcvsti3RNEO_0G1VLji11L7qzkTYyFjNSSdsfg3Lh5jdawiN6u8MNXOR6nC2a6EyUiFbb2hC4/s1600/P1020703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheWuA6wwG8lrOZ4JZdI1V2cLX1OTu8lRPyOT-z2mv2OWoqRKiit_YwjxUA_WOqAL-AdNOcvsti3RNEO_0G1VLji11L7qzkTYyFjNSSdsfg3Lh5jdawiN6u8MNXOR6nC2a6EyUiFbb2hC4/s400/P1020703.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shaker farm.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikjfpm_4JquvmdoCycUK9XtMMFZTeC7P1cY9qLtHma4bGa711C3JrK8_G_5-v-IYJpaJpQLsV376wQ53aBt-qM-4cT4u0zlcyWsZXz5TtxxcQDG3kWICTxspOj3JJNZOTErxDd6VfCB_4/s1600/P1020804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikjfpm_4JquvmdoCycUK9XtMMFZTeC7P1cY9qLtHma4bGa711C3JrK8_G_5-v-IYJpaJpQLsV376wQ53aBt-qM-4cT4u0zlcyWsZXz5TtxxcQDG3kWICTxspOj3JJNZOTErxDd6VfCB_4/s400/P1020804.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me at Waverly Hills - I like ghost stories a lot!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><u>Day Four</u><br />
<u><br />
</u><br />
$20 admission to the Louisville Zoo - we have a reciprocal membership thanks to the Detroit Zoo so we paid 50% to get in. <a href="http://www.louisvillezoo.org/">http://www.louisvillezoo.org/</a><br />
$17 for lunch at Jason's Deli.<br />
$40 for dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory (I am estimating because I don't remember for sure and Kevin is in Vegas earning us some Marriott rewards.)<br />
<br />
Total $77<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKvb4wMn-PC32jSsfsI_kvUIMLgYWnV9rYPWESi_jyOdtne9P_Joox8UizKVFwvDdchTw4z5FnmtDkc2rOaUntO61_WPPXy9QvkLULN0-oEBXYkbQs_fqsUvyHgYlwQ7OEPfAwRZsEbA/s1600/P1020883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKvb4wMn-PC32jSsfsI_kvUIMLgYWnV9rYPWESi_jyOdtne9P_Joox8UizKVFwvDdchTw4z5FnmtDkc2rOaUntO61_WPPXy9QvkLULN0-oEBXYkbQs_fqsUvyHgYlwQ7OEPfAwRZsEbA/s400/P1020883.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby polar bear - Mimi took this photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQO8BqiiHKAFVaBd-XB88PxOYgexsyGkS83cUBXXF4jaCNXMmxTWBBiq3Z46Qv4aGQSsezLBZ6OScOI_63i0RxxP-8fhDMM51WdeWOPSVZlLRUzhjBm7KGycP-24J1Fb1nJr-21hTsnk/s1600/P1020897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQO8BqiiHKAFVaBd-XB88PxOYgexsyGkS83cUBXXF4jaCNXMmxTWBBiq3Z46Qv4aGQSsezLBZ6OScOI_63i0RxxP-8fhDMM51WdeWOPSVZlLRUzhjBm7KGycP-24J1Fb1nJr-21hTsnk/s400/P1020897.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Louisville has elephants - this was real treat because Detroit no longer has elephants.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPoxw0LtAzBWh_urBHf4JiTDf9lXBv7DxMeqNJfHQ0TJN-sFPsbkPWFXeDIHXPvLNlln3Grgoyon9JlirMaQXO5ek_60pAqWJOmnULFJZho6EtraBjivwShbS0kkIRRENwBoy9yzKPcrI/s1600/P1020855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPoxw0LtAzBWh_urBHf4JiTDf9lXBv7DxMeqNJfHQ0TJN-sFPsbkPWFXeDIHXPvLNlln3Grgoyon9JlirMaQXO5ek_60pAqWJOmnULFJZho6EtraBjivwShbS0kkIRRENwBoy9yzKPcrI/s400/P1020855.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy girls!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><u>Day Five </u><br />
<u><br />
</u><br />
$33 for Easter lunch at a pizza place somewhere in rural Kentucky - what a rip off.<br />
$50 for gas - I think we filed up twice<br />
We got back to Michigan in time for me to make pasta for dinner. <br />
<br />
Total $88 <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIC-A4THIqqUb6u50dQ9CWjCit9KUIHqsOF4Uh6IHKcucSpx0oMfy-gvPGmIA6b0XkRAc33l7V_dmfgrCB3Z3QXC_my5-ftd2S4LNJ_0BwsZo_L0PGzX9NUTyhHfRoN49U0rDgWPg5mFI/s1600/P1030088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIC-A4THIqqUb6u50dQ9CWjCit9KUIHqsOF4Uh6IHKcucSpx0oMfy-gvPGmIA6b0XkRAc33l7V_dmfgrCB3Z3QXC_my5-ftd2S4LNJ_0BwsZo_L0PGzX9NUTyhHfRoN49U0rDgWPg5mFI/s400/P1030088.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easter morning family picture before church!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>Grand Total of the Trip $469.00 - give or take $25 in case I forgot to write something in the log.</b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
There it is! A vacation on $500. This is not the first time we have planned a vacation on $500. We try to take two of these types of trips a year. We do not sacrifice fun or comfort. The girls are happy, we are happy. It is a challenge but it is also kind of like a game. Can we do it? Sure we can! Give it a try and happy travelling.<br />
<b><u><br />
</u></b><br />
Oh, and in case you need more reasons to travel, check out the last two photos.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwvncecGG-U03GHtcrsQqBucdGQiY5eiGjmCIHoeC3SG338yxrGLtw7S3RszD9qy-CTFYZYEF_6wKv16eUw0SEhG59nmu4SRukkAgHTNOKagaUAt_usW5G84OoNvoQ-Rc41JnmKQfUcY/s1600/P1020716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwvncecGG-U03GHtcrsQqBucdGQiY5eiGjmCIHoeC3SG338yxrGLtw7S3RszD9qy-CTFYZYEF_6wKv16eUw0SEhG59nmu4SRukkAgHTNOKagaUAt_usW5G84OoNvoQ-Rc41JnmKQfUcY/s400/P1020716.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You never know who you might kiss on vacation....</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bLLFuzhdRabGDVw7vURbt3DSXwrXOeoigFrktRDkbzB2TavHAgcBl_kPjVnxVFhkqXj3EpS4UQtpj6wL6NnIoLEzv7HfDSN_8zf0ZXSI2HTK2D3er3Qtn5sRPgzlnfQAnBqES7pDIhg/s1600/P1020773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bLLFuzhdRabGDVw7vURbt3DSXwrXOeoigFrktRDkbzB2TavHAgcBl_kPjVnxVFhkqXj3EpS4UQtpj6wL6NnIoLEzv7HfDSN_8zf0ZXSI2HTK2D3er3Qtn5sRPgzlnfQAnBqES7pDIhg/s400/P1020773.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">....or who will kiss you!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<u><br />
</u>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-40642886792829848592012-04-11T12:58:00.001-04:002012-04-11T18:56:43.602-04:00Buddy Pillows for Kids With Chronic Illness: Parents, I Need Your Input!I am pretty lucky that I can honestly say that my friends have some of the cutest kids around. I mean that seriously and with my whole heart - I love these little people. I have made some pillows for my friends kids. Some pillows were made for free as thank you gifts, some were paid custom orders. But, I enjoyed these projects so much since the pillows were going to people I care about. <br />
<br />
Back in December, an old high school and college friend asked me to be a Santa's Helper and make a few pillows. How could I say no? We worked together to pick fabrics and we ended up with a set of Dora and kitty cat pillows. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6oYWi30EMvke-v9iGf89y7cLtKNczIpLmJzoa14F3VThGSLUCGCkdLGeXGdHFB3ebxI6sXGLSayZdgjmphSEIe_0c2MFh-niWmhr84PO4vy5UEfoLcB3FA_3umF9FdLutQDvcC0rPKI/s1600/P1000711+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6oYWi30EMvke-v9iGf89y7cLtKNczIpLmJzoa14F3VThGSLUCGCkdLGeXGdHFB3ebxI6sXGLSayZdgjmphSEIe_0c2MFh-niWmhr84PO4vy5UEfoLcB3FA_3umF9FdLutQDvcC0rPKI/s400/P1000711+(1).JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dora for a "little girl."</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiiWTBaPJcWvo8IMDkZgwOUxNtzu5qy1cZiuWYOc_3jWk1UVNGJzELFW88ls7jKV_OIJlfIbAf6FPOgPTQhkQrNECnQ7mXsnsJZZga1T4PV5Dsnr-oXmQ039aJpC5FGRloWNq1QqMh_zE/s1600/P1000710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiiWTBaPJcWvo8IMDkZgwOUxNtzu5qy1cZiuWYOc_3jWk1UVNGJzELFW88ls7jKV_OIJlfIbAf6FPOgPTQhkQrNECnQ7mXsnsJZZga1T4PV5Dsnr-oXmQ039aJpC5FGRloWNq1QqMh_zE/s400/P1000710.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitty cats for a "big girl."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Fortunately, when Christmas morning arrived and both girls received their pillows, they were happy girls. I in turn was a happy seamstress. I know that as time has gone on, the pillows are still in use and the girls are still enjoying them. That makes me happy. However, there is more to this story than just decorative throw pillows. The kitty cat pillow has become much more. This is where I need some help and input.<br />
<br />
The "big girl" that received the kitty cat pillow suffers from a pretty horrible case of asthma. It is scary and dangerous for the poor kid. It is also pretty stressful and worrisome for her family. And from what I understand, her own cat plays a role in her asthma - he doesn't make it worse but he often knows when an attack is coming. Late night trips to the doctor/ER (any trip to the doctor) and breathing treatments are no fun. But, for some reason, the kitty cat pillow has become her buddy and she swears the pillow helps her with her asthma. It gives her comfort and something she can hold onto when she is sick. This started a conversation between my friend and I - how about marketing pillows from kids who are sick a lot. Asthma buddies? But then again, kids have diabetes, cancer, all kinds of unpleasant stuff. The kitty cat pillow I made is a 16 x 16 pillow. But maybe the pillow should be smaller, rectangular. Easy and comforting to hold but also small enough to fit in a backpack to transport back and forth from doctors and hospital visits. These pillows could be made in bright, soft, and fun fabrics. I would make them at covers (just need to find the right insert size) so they can be easily washed. <br />
<br />
Now, this is where you come in. I know a decent number of people read this blog. I know a lot of you either have kids or know kids who might benefit from something like this So give me your input. Anything! Let me know what you think of size, design, or any ideas you might have for this project. Leave a comment on here, Facebook, or even message me privately. I really want to know what YOU think.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-9735704717128870052012-03-31T17:28:00.001-04:002012-03-31T17:43:34.548-04:00Spring Charity Craft Show: AbysmalThe alarm went off this morning at 6 a.m. It was dark and chilly outside. I felt like I was going to barf. I rolled over and Kevin says, "You excited?" No, I wasn't excited. I was apprehensive. But, sometimes nerves can give one a healthy advantage, right? Well, the morning went off without a hitch and I arrived at Troy High School at 7:45 a.m. on the dot for crafter check in. Kevin was at home trying to convince Violet to wear clothes, any clothes, while I was at the high school wrestling with bins and bins of pillows. We both had our own challenges.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpP8Mw7pJusDun6CxR9XTdpowI4HnySekcsYSRqcearS6riLdsnn5BNbmdIdJV0yn75gXXIx9mOYvdMvZBodz-vTHmm55C-1P8qdYTHAERWlsLLWmnBtScDi8-a1T47w8cISen7EJuyvI/s1600/P1020391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpP8Mw7pJusDun6CxR9XTdpowI4HnySekcsYSRqcearS6riLdsnn5BNbmdIdJV0yn75gXXIx9mOYvdMvZBodz-vTHmm55C-1P8qdYTHAERWlsLLWmnBtScDi8-a1T47w8cISen7EJuyvI/s400/P1020391.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to go!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>Set-up went smoothly as expected. My neighbors, with the exception of one, were all very friendly. There were forty crafters in attendance selling everything from housewares and jewelry to snacks. I was feeling pretty good because I was the only one selling pillows. I was also no longer feeling like I was going to barf. At 10:00 a.m. the show started with lackluster fan fair. People started trickling in. The first tricklers bought two tooth fairy pillows for $12. Yeah!!! I was happy. Very happy. I thought this was a good sign. But, shoppers were trickling in very, very slowly. At 11:30, Kevin sent me a text inquiring about my sales. Nada! Zero! Nothing since 10:05 a.m. I was however getting quite a bit of reading done. I am glad that at the last minute I ran upstairs to get <i>Mennonite in a Little Black Dress. </i>The most popular crafter in the entire room was a nice old guy, who was selling foam visors that he hand decorated with Sharpie markers. His overhead was low and people loved him. And while maybe foam visors are corny, the guy does know how to draw. </div><div><i><br />
</i></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJg8kTyAJSY3e1ENCQaeBf5g5wIzGFpbh3lT4JNflOyVAPoO4qcA6ycwpCfA7U8rmNomHXOKvyVDgoFTgQG9Bn_QqWDTWkEoRrwIaGio1gW7lPVpZACIFUI0nRCL8jgOLCsXwZlJxzB3Y/s1600/P1020408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJg8kTyAJSY3e1ENCQaeBf5g5wIzGFpbh3lT4JNflOyVAPoO4qcA6ycwpCfA7U8rmNomHXOKvyVDgoFTgQG9Bn_QqWDTWkEoRrwIaGio1gW7lPVpZACIFUI0nRCL8jgOLCsXwZlJxzB3Y/s400/P1020408.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The girls arrived!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicX0sC9fdZO90mZXEq9va2VDN221oyUP1FIqgoF0yrWiYH-ziyKZ6ovIalA43ovdaqS8hIqFtfQTecWikjgkVsFpJYQZ4ACBf3IA4CZu13s8DIvWKRz0Q7B_LNQQVeGNsrjyOwj_1JkfM/s1600/P1020403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicX0sC9fdZO90mZXEq9va2VDN221oyUP1FIqgoF0yrWiYH-ziyKZ6ovIalA43ovdaqS8hIqFtfQTecWikjgkVsFpJYQZ4ACBf3IA4CZu13s8DIvWKRz0Q7B_LNQQVeGNsrjyOwj_1JkfM/s400/P1020403.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Violet is ready to sell.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiba6melSyWfW5NZOISrH0Yk37C_KcHzRYRBDq-MuncN4cU9XcMHdY2MMDjM8lMPw4Z8Hw7oQIh0tQ26a0B2c6Mha1wkud2HWUkf18tp2jy5LPBh-7j382AewniyoKp7nR8pzHLW4cTI6g/s1600/P1020400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiba6melSyWfW5NZOISrH0Yk37C_KcHzRYRBDq-MuncN4cU9XcMHdY2MMDjM8lMPw4Z8Hw7oQIh0tQ26a0B2c6Mha1wkud2HWUkf18tp2jy5LPBh-7j382AewniyoKp7nR8pzHLW4cTI6g/s400/P1020400.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My display</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>At about 1:00 in the afternoon, I noticed several familiar faces enter the show; Kevin, Mimi, Vi, my mom, and my dad arrived. Yeah!!!! I had company!!! Still no sales. At about 2:00 ish, I started watching other crafters taking down their displays and leaving. I decided to do the same. The consensus among the crafters was that this show was a dud - no one was making any money. </div><div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sdhBY7Y9fIgHWVSZUsQmvEJ_k6XBGiHudAkJ9ro_GC_o1mufXRYl-yp0mzcaS0QSK-l6lVocJHao3aX7usfc3LByZulPmo8jJGWYiatJovuigRRuLlku6mRdo_hA0ji-q3tfVws6Vz8/s1600/P1020435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sdhBY7Y9fIgHWVSZUsQmvEJ_k6XBGiHudAkJ9ro_GC_o1mufXRYl-yp0mzcaS0QSK-l6lVocJHao3aX7usfc3LByZulPmo8jJGWYiatJovuigRRuLlku6mRdo_hA0ji-q3tfVws6Vz8/s400/P1020435.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The parents are always fun to have around.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMGJkYCKkVywSnspHIN9rpGmtsnqEGZvQN35vGMUWfXXnRq4pnV0ZHNoS4znuRHCSrUu97hJDf9n0u_xJ5jXKsP8hyphenhyphenpSUX8S_PLU4oz3753zQHtK4KPiQGqBZv5aJsH-hhmEyhi6WqbA/s1600/P1020438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMGJkYCKkVywSnspHIN9rpGmtsnqEGZvQN35vGMUWfXXnRq4pnV0ZHNoS4znuRHCSrUu97hJDf9n0u_xJ5jXKsP8hyphenhyphenpSUX8S_PLU4oz3753zQHtK4KPiQGqBZv5aJsH-hhmEyhi6WqbA/s400/P1020438.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Selling is fun!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdupdM-Ka5828FHblXKxb8TaR_allPt-TAcClXiOV2cNT-f124zgPnvUN4ah-kX_lAqotaCV35MxmoX3mXpmYbopDANLh8w29w6Z4gXRFqzIlo7TV9iGIbpELVi_y2bSLrXiNwe0_wpg/s1600/P1020441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdupdM-Ka5828FHblXKxb8TaR_allPt-TAcClXiOV2cNT-f124zgPnvUN4ah-kX_lAqotaCV35MxmoX3mXpmYbopDANLh8w29w6Z4gXRFqzIlo7TV9iGIbpELVi_y2bSLrXiNwe0_wpg/s400/P1020441.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goofing around!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div><u>Good Points</u></div><div><ul><li>I don't have to make any pillows for my Chippewa Valley Show. </li>
<li>Most people were pretty darn friendly.</li>
<li>I got to do a lot of people watching. (Watching husbands and wives, mothers and daughters shop is hilarious.) </li>
<li>I got more experience setting up shop.</li>
<li>I sold two tooth fairy pillows.</li>
<li>Most shoppers told me my pillows were pretty and soft.</li>
</ul><div><u>Bad Points</u></div></div><div><ul><li>I lost money. $60 for the booth, $10 for the table.</li>
<li>Because I committed to the show, I had to miss out on a Mimi/Mommy day at the Shirley Temple Double Feature this afternoon. It really kills me that I missed this event.</li>
<li>I did not go to the Easter Bunny Breakfast with Kevin and the girls because I was busy selling two tooth fairy pillows.</li>
<li>I am feeling depressed. </li>
</ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFKL41k57HYPi7v174GF9ty11QIcUoFQoq3rLGn3VCzRRdl70Q7UhA5FdiQiSt0P3GC4SbdVote08hh8fd4xCcRGDnNLWLlq4H8WSsRI5Tww_2pldfRR3c_zUyidy0bsRjpVfuAdhPQg/s1600/P1020447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFKL41k57HYPi7v174GF9ty11QIcUoFQoq3rLGn3VCzRRdl70Q7UhA5FdiQiSt0P3GC4SbdVote08hh8fd4xCcRGDnNLWLlq4H8WSsRI5Tww_2pldfRR3c_zUyidy0bsRjpVfuAdhPQg/s400/P1020447.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sad drive home - I am in the red car. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>So far, craft shows are not going my way. Both have had very low turnouts. I have one more in the works: Chippewa Valley High School on May 5th. It will be interesting to see how it goes. Am I picking the wrong shows? Is it my product? So many questions to consider. As I was taking my last load out to my car, foam visor guy came over and said, "Hey guys. I just want you to know you have a really classy product. Your pillows are really nice. I am seasoned at this and I barely broke even today. I am a craft show carnie and still had a hard time bringing people in. You need to take these pillows up north to Petosky and Charlevoix to those little shops. People would love them up there. These are really nice." Thank you foam visor guy, you really made my day! </div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-14241391326094668272012-03-29T21:22:00.000-04:002012-03-29T21:22:26.616-04:00Spring Charity Craft Show: Goal Setting and a Sneak Peak!March 31, 2012 is almost here. Time has a way of really sneaking up on a girl. I told myself that the next time I did a craft show, I would be prepared much more in advance. Well, I signed up for this one kind of late. In between, we went on a week long vacation, Kevin traveled a bit for work,<a href="http://715pillows.blogspot.com/2012/03/my-unhealthy-obsession-with-ron-swanson.html" target="_blank"> Ron Swanson</a> entered my life, then there is dance and t-ball classes for the girls, my book club (yes, reading a big priority), and life in general getting in the way of my productivity. Trust me, living the life of a stay-at-home mom with a two year old and five year old is not a life of leisure. Theoretically, I thought when I moved my sewing area <a href="http://715pillows.blogspot.com/2012/03/upstairs-and-downstairs-was-getting-me.html" target="_blank">downstairs</a>, I would have more time to work. No!!! But, I do have more time to referee two little girls arguing over who is going to play with what toy. Therefore, most sewing is done at night after the little ones have been put to bed and I am already a tired. But, I can't complain too much since it is the life I have chosen. But, I am almost done preparing for my craft show. I have five more tooth fairy pillows that need to be sewed shut. Only one more hour of work waiting for me. Therefore, I thought I would take a little break and break down what it is I am hoping to accomplish.<br />
<u><br />
</u><br />
<u>The Important Stuff</u><br />
First, if I want to sell pillows, I need to do my part in letting people know where the craft show will be taking place. If you want to know more about the group that is benefiting from the craft show, <a href="http://715pillows.blogspot.com/2012/03/march-31st-is-rapidly-approaching-is.html" target="_blank">click here!</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjczrd4MDwafQtCsVMZrmApNg0svw_s0SMqh6lfms5iv83XFrAaUIA8PdkSLvcgY3NmSrV0kmobko5ARPxrknfLKbETRUuq7HWxi38OC8niNFjCY2z8oiliPsq06AM40ZTlBrlC4GPHrHo/s1600/Spring+Charity+Craft+Show+Flyer+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjczrd4MDwafQtCsVMZrmApNg0svw_s0SMqh6lfms5iv83XFrAaUIA8PdkSLvcgY3NmSrV0kmobko5ARPxrknfLKbETRUuq7HWxi38OC8niNFjCY2z8oiliPsq06AM40ZTlBrlC4GPHrHo/s400/Spring+Charity+Craft+Show+Flyer+(1).jpg" width="258" /></a></div><br />
<u>My Goals</u><br />
This is my second craft show. The first was the Candy Cane Lane Craft Show back in December. Here is a quiz...Do you remember my goals? Don't worry, I don't really remember them either. For a look back, <a href="http://715pillows.blogspot.com/2011/12/goal-setting-for-candy-cane-lane-craft.html" target="_blank">click here.</a> Well, my goal for that show was to sell 30 pillows. Little did I know going into the show, they have an historically low turnout. Maybe a couple hundred people including children showed up. I sold four 16 x 16 pillows and 8 tooth fairy pillows. While I more than recouped the cost of my table, it was a fun but slow day. My impression is that the Spring Charity Craft Show is much larger. Therefore, I am going to keep the goal at 30 pillows, the same goal I had for pillow sales back in December. I am going to have fun. I am going to smile a lot. Maybe I will pick up a few more <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/715-Pillows/252452058129061" target="_blank">Facebook Likes</a>. <br />
<br />
<u>Sneak Peak</u><br />
This time around, I still have some complete pillows that I am selling. They are sewn up and stuffed with a poly-fil batting. They look pretty darn good. Here is what they look like:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9Nd0AN6V16a-xXYSeLsa1ofncH-XHpPvoKHlFkFDd2roIf1BmdBvo1UnvWKeClPfWxa4UJdtFiBxiLeQ3Ilyyk_v1VErKEdAnxCav6Mk3okZy5589aIMafUv2FRYA5J1VaZTgE8kiSo/s1600/P1000912+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9Nd0AN6V16a-xXYSeLsa1ofncH-XHpPvoKHlFkFDd2roIf1BmdBvo1UnvWKeClPfWxa4UJdtFiBxiLeQ3Ilyyk_v1VErKEdAnxCav6Mk3okZy5589aIMafUv2FRYA5J1VaZTgE8kiSo/s400/P1000912+(1).JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is an old picture. Some of these pillows are no longer available.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I will also be selling pillow covers. These are convenient if you are the type of person who likes to change your throw pillows as the seasons or your mood changes. Here is a sampling of unstuffed pillow covers:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJCMxhP7S211CSxOCMHzr5rdAAod5jRO4Cx9VpMh6LSQ6Nnt63axhX0pHb9rRrR5TlKZVRPL8bBKAQGCq3cg3sbsrl3dzG12bjv0g2bb0Ow5vEuNtDd5U6MPybTpz8pwvQtRUwPhsuDs/s1600/051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJCMxhP7S211CSxOCMHzr5rdAAod5jRO4Cx9VpMh6LSQ6Nnt63axhX0pHb9rRrR5TlKZVRPL8bBKAQGCq3cg3sbsrl3dzG12bjv0g2bb0Ow5vEuNtDd5U6MPybTpz8pwvQtRUwPhsuDs/s400/051.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty colors and prints!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJI-9-FFO8e0mQVUTvV5cai0ll-I6-J7SweVIASXhB2nHPb66PwE4cCDDnLlRUKsW4h_m1zpksP1K3bEtlDL8mmlodwAmx8Y3WHPdRylNaG8i9rwQ4JUp6tHVQwX3XWIDHWQkysa7l9wQ/s1600/049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJI-9-FFO8e0mQVUTvV5cai0ll-I6-J7SweVIASXhB2nHPb66PwE4cCDDnLlRUKsW4h_m1zpksP1K3bEtlDL8mmlodwAmx8Y3WHPdRylNaG8i9rwQ4JUp6tHVQwX3XWIDHWQkysa7l9wQ/s400/049.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do you see the 715 Pillows tag?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74f07zKl8tulqMcrnfktwBhAUq6w3rkmcLzs6k0MTZ0rhrLIIm5fnCS0Tith0Y05SASuqunjRLMZl55AfYDbHCgQV8dc1e9_lBTXhQEjIYPng8sTLijlCh2zXffNTb0sk09iiJneYELA/s1600/032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74f07zKl8tulqMcrnfktwBhAUq6w3rkmcLzs6k0MTZ0rhrLIIm5fnCS0Tith0Y05SASuqunjRLMZl55AfYDbHCgQV8dc1e9_lBTXhQEjIYPng8sTLijlCh2zXffNTb0sk09iiJneYELA/s400/032.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A stuffed pillow cover.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I also have a wide variety of tooth fairy pillows. Ladybugs, sports, fairies, MSU and U of M football, cupcakes, karate, and peace signs. I believe I am offering a wide variety of interests for children who are entering their "toothless years." <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIybmFKGqLr2_f8Oo5byc-yy_ZBp-ztJcZ87qoxOto6abLZbailfDwzD4PfVefd2klADL6LPPUgTmlRxfEDHSChHiowi6MHag6XY1FTYjDDN2j-2Xayfo0AS9Nc68akussFKkBLpxR8s/s1600/046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIybmFKGqLr2_f8Oo5byc-yy_ZBp-ztJcZ87qoxOto6abLZbailfDwzD4PfVefd2klADL6LPPUgTmlRxfEDHSChHiowi6MHag6XY1FTYjDDN2j-2Xayfo0AS9Nc68akussFKkBLpxR8s/s320/046.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anyone lose a tooth lately?</td></tr>
</tbody></table> Last, but not least, I purchased two bags to Tootsie Rolls. Please come by and say "hi" because I do not need to be eating all the yummy treats. Especially since I have an appointment to get a physical next week. I need a normal BMI, people!!! Help me out. At least come by and eat a Tootsie Roll. They are free, you know. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCMDlu4UkoYRrb85BVqx91JT9qk6jqeKCEyCyj5ZRpLgHITjPqaxvmtexcb8EzO5uPdTmHF5QCLVXAjMVmL2FxG8Ok9YRSCLEY0rmwEMwcTvOMIm-AAq7EPFzgndhbo63zPVHsDzUcNo/s1600/055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCMDlu4UkoYRrb85BVqx91JT9qk6jqeKCEyCyj5ZRpLgHITjPqaxvmtexcb8EzO5uPdTmHF5QCLVXAjMVmL2FxG8Ok9YRSCLEY0rmwEMwcTvOMIm-AAq7EPFzgndhbo63zPVHsDzUcNo/s320/055.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy Goodness!!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>To recap: I am selling pillow in Troy at the Spring Charity Craft Show on March 31st. I will be selling pillows, pillow covers, and tooth fairy pillows. I will be giving away free Tootsie Rolls. Again, I will be giving away free Tootsie Rolls. If you don't have plans, come on out and see me. If you do have plans, cancel them and come out and see me. Tootsie Rolls.....Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-56129514782074425542012-03-21T09:17:00.000-04:002012-03-21T09:17:58.328-04:00My (Un?)Healthy Obsession With Ron Swanson!<div><b>I am not very up to date when if comes to television shows. I tend to discover "cool" stuff after it has been around a couple years. I have faithfully watched Modern Family from the beginning - that is the only current show I watch. However, I very recently discovered <i>Parks and Recreation </i>at the urging of my husband. I dedicate this post to my absent husband, Kevin. </b></div><div><br />
</div>I am a former government employee. I have held jobs in Federal, State, and local arms of government. I have had dealing with politicians, I know a few inside stories, and I have dealt with the public. When the show,<i> Parks and Recreation,</i> first came out, I just wasn't interested. About a month ago, Kevin and I were looking for something to watch on Netflix and decided to give <i>Parks and Rec</i> a try. I am so glad we did. <br />
<div><br />
</div><div>I love the use of profanity. Yes, I think swearing is fun. (No, I am not always a lady.) I like all of the characters. Perhaps because I knew them when I was a government employee. Perhaps because I see myself in some of these characters. But mostly, <strike>I love</strike> I am obsessed with this show because of Ron Swanson. Is it his mustache? Does he have me in some sort of trance? Is it is coiffed hair-do? Is it his love of bacon and dark haired women? Really, it doesn't matter because I am hooked. <br />
<div><div><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPh-JUu7JbXlqy5u-KDVqwJ2j5mVf5z4m4jt3htDtFasOBj6fAWneJfAVQW2GmMVXEo3-V4e3rPqtNirzuEQpVQGmDyCRfzTYTDjhl4WuzCWHFIo2gDjXFM27DvayAhajCh-2ipUexEVM/s1600/meat+tornado.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPh-JUu7JbXlqy5u-KDVqwJ2j5mVf5z4m4jt3htDtFasOBj6fAWneJfAVQW2GmMVXEo3-V4e3rPqtNirzuEQpVQGmDyCRfzTYTDjhl4WuzCWHFIo2gDjXFM27DvayAhajCh-2ipUexEVM/s400/meat+tornado.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ron Swanson</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>Ron Swanson is a libertarian. While I agree with very little the man says, I laugh at pretty much everything the man says. Because writing some of my favorite quotes will do nothing for this blog post, let us watch a couple clips courtesy of You Tube, shall we:</div></div></div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPvwxfKaYx8" target="_blank">Ron Swanson comparing the government to a greedy piglet</a></div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hyc1aMtnHJo" target="_blank">Ron Swanson avoiding a citizen complaint</a></div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zozhE4Pz7io" target="_blank">Ron Swanson and a German Muffin</a></div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lukjwv_V7Gc&feature=related" target="_blank">Ron Swanson: You had me at meat tornado</a></div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBBh7KKD-Hc" target="_blank">Ron F**ing Swanson</a></div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kbHGPXcG1w" target="_blank">Ron Swanson types every work he knows, including butt hole</a></div><div><br />
</div><div>I really, really, really like it when he yells at women and says, "Damn it woman!" I find it all hilarious. I find myself sitting on the couch with a smile that just won't go away. Kevin and I are catching up on Parks and Rec. We have five more episodes of Season 3 on Netflix. We will need to start watching it on regular tv. Kevin is currently travelling for work and I promised I would not watch the last five episodes without him. I would wait for his return. I am allowed to watch previous episodes if I need to get my Ron Swanson fix. You Tube is also working out nicely because I can look for specific quotes. </div><div><br />
But, Ron Swanson is now everywhere! On the back of the Honey Nut Cheerios box there is an illustrated character: Looks to me like Ron Swanson. Royal Oak is having a bacon fest: my first thought was Ron Swanson. Last night I was reading Newsweek and saw that Portland, Maine is having a mustache festival. What do I think? I bet there will be a few Ron Swanson's there. Healthy vs. unhealthy obsession? I am starting to think I am a weirdo because I am really not that into television shows. <br />
</div><div>Kevin, I just want to let you know, that so far I have not cheated in your absence. I have not watched <i>Parks and Recreation</i>. Instead, I finished Season 1 of <i>Downton Abby</i> knowing you would not be as delighted with this show as I am. I do want to remind you that my birthday is coming up and this is what I want:</div><div><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrFV-_CMeqyTFQ8TJEy90_WmTC0TgmxUde-hKU_AQpsUlF6gD8NWnl0qYdGwvqQyXUx7tX1vCopqQLuIaNUu6sYmGjcDsChzO7la5LuVzuqN7_QFJbaTymP1wWH_iZ_JtagWCBVyv9hYs/s1600/i+love+ron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrFV-_CMeqyTFQ8TJEy90_WmTC0TgmxUde-hKU_AQpsUlF6gD8NWnl0qYdGwvqQyXUx7tX1vCopqQLuIaNUu6sYmGjcDsChzO7la5LuVzuqN7_QFJbaTymP1wWH_iZ_JtagWCBVyv9hYs/s400/i+love+ron.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.nbcuniversalstore.com/parks-and-recreation-i-heart-ron-swanson-t-shirt/detail.php?p=368212&v=nbc_parks-and-recreation" target="_blank">You can purchase this t-shirt by clicking on this link</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>Darling, I am eagerly awaiting your return from Dallas. I am quite sure Friday night will be a night to remember: our cozy living room, a bowl of popcorn, and Ron F**king Swanson. </div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-5238918465180583222012-03-19T21:49:00.001-04:002012-03-19T21:57:25.038-04:00"Spring Charity Craft Show" Supports I've Got Your Backs FoundationMarch 31st is rapidly approaching! What is going on March 31st, you ask? Well, that is the day of the Troy Business 4H Group's "Spring Charity Craft Show" at Troy High School. Troy High School is located at 4777 Northfield Parkway, Troy, Michigan 48098. Proceeds from this show support local crafters, like myself, but more importantly an organization called <i>I've Got Your Backs Foundation. <a href="http://www.ivegotyourbacks.org/Home_Page.html" target="_blank">I've Got Your Backs Foundation</a> </i>is an organization that before now, I have never even heard of to be completely honest with all of you. But, upon investigation, it sound like a pretty cool group. From their website, it sounds like they help kids and their families with pretty much everything from scholarships, clothing, furniture, sports equipment, medical bills, and everything in between. They even have a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ivegotyourbacks" target="_blank">Facebook Page</a> should you wish to "like" them.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwk75GGr5mc3_u65vapAgV_V-Lb2TBLoeehpaZnvFQVevJThBmAnxdOkep6erYj54p_TblHi9rwAdSNWrvyuY2xj3n6g3fgafVJmU-WkSkwtGaP8ZG8HozpUjLbKvJDj3lVmkR-etuo4/s1600/0_IGYBnew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwk75GGr5mc3_u65vapAgV_V-Lb2TBLoeehpaZnvFQVevJThBmAnxdOkep6erYj54p_TblHi9rwAdSNWrvyuY2xj3n6g3fgafVJmU-WkSkwtGaP8ZG8HozpUjLbKvJDj3lVmkR-etuo4/s400/0_IGYBnew.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Follow the <a href="http://www.ivegotyourbacks.org/Home_Page.html" target="_blank">link</a> and check them out!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After doing one craft show, I am learning that craft shows are fun for lots of reasons. Mostly, I really like meeting and chatting with people. I am kind of chatty. But, wow! This craft show is going to help a really great organization. It is nice to know that this craft show is for the benefit of a charity, for a group whose mission is to "educate, impact, and inspire hope to youth in need." Kids are pretty cool, so it is nice to know there are good people and good organizations out there who want to help kids out. <br />
<br />
Oh, and what I really like, is they have a school program called the<a href="http://www.ivegotyourbacks.org/IGYB_Kindness_Challenge.html" target="_blank"> "Kindness Challenge"</a>. The goal of the program is to encourage children to think before they act. Kindness is better than violence or harm. Children log their acts of kindness and at the end of the program, rewards are handed out to those who have completed the most kind acts. While earning a prize may be a short term motivator, I am quite sure the lesson learned will inspire these students for a lifetime. I can still remember many acts of kindness bestowed upon myself and my children from perfect strangers. What a great lesson!<br />
<br />
I am proud to be a part of this craft show. Not only because as a rookie crafter this is a personal achievement for me, but also because I can simultaneously support a great group! So, friends, family, and perfect strangers; come on out on March 31st to the "Spring Charity Craft Show" and support the <i>I've Got Your Backs Foundation.</i> And by the way, Mimi already reminded me that I need to buy some candy to put out at my table. Support a charity, visit 715 Pillows, and you get a free snack on March 31st from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Troy High School! <br />
<h1 style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><i><br />
</i></span></span></h1>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-57576024349366234212012-03-13T20:45:00.000-04:002012-03-13T20:45:16.633-04:00Practice Makes Perfect: A Love Affair With TagsFor quite some time, I have been wanting to buy little tags to sew into the seams of my pillows, pillow covers, and tooth fairy pillows. I thought it might be nice for customers to have a way to remember who made their pillow. Now that I have a central website, <a href="http://715pillows.com/" target="_blank">715pillows.com</a> it made sense to get some tags that simple said, <a href="http://715pillows.com/" target="_blank">715pillows.com</a>. But where to buy...<br />
<br />
There are many online companies that sell tags. It is actually a little overwhelming because there are so many options when it comes to sizes, styles, and fabric. In the end, I went with an Etsy store named, <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/gutenTAGs" target="_blank">gutenTAGs</a>. I love the name of the store and the seller was offering everything I needed in a tag. I would highly recommend gutenTAGs for tags. The service was fast and friendly, and the tags were affordable. (gutenTAGs did not ask me to say anything nice, I just am.) <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzoXYmiNgxKx9ozwto-Y3FjA31FqoxH1yh0_E3aaBYoP96eVZOtYE0JK3Oq_lyguvDj9j6prXg4pOQ9tJ6G3nY_A94bqVTu3NxO-e1McLo2c6L-vCIBfTzkj84wks6hg76pMS5iN2ONo/s1600/P3030208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzoXYmiNgxKx9ozwto-Y3FjA31FqoxH1yh0_E3aaBYoP96eVZOtYE0JK3Oq_lyguvDj9j6prXg4pOQ9tJ6G3nY_A94bqVTu3NxO-e1McLo2c6L-vCIBfTzkj84wks6hg76pMS5iN2ONo/s400/P3030208.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">gutenTags! All I do is fold in half and sew into the pillow.<br />
Easy as pie!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I was so excited about my tags, I started sewing a pillow with a tag. First, the tag fell out and was not sewn in. Oops. Second, half the tag was sewn in. Oops. Third, the tag was completely sewn into the pillow cover in a completely unacceptable way. Oops. I decided to take a break from my gutenTAGs. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfXeOTnxHRyivp66oxQtSW9CrJsJuUJTVVXn_A31X5N8rHWsBAlQ6NonIknJDk7zb91bdfkVU0ZZQj08LjRQIh9Qt2i_zrKfKPUMaol5JTisHO9m4DIILhOavWooKcXHymfPjxD1UNWqo/s1600/P1020296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfXeOTnxHRyivp66oxQtSW9CrJsJuUJTVVXn_A31X5N8rHWsBAlQ6NonIknJDk7zb91bdfkVU0ZZQj08LjRQIh9Qt2i_zrKfKPUMaol5JTisHO9m4DIILhOavWooKcXHymfPjxD1UNWqo/s400/P1020296.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grr...the tag slid and I sewed it into the corner. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6eyisE24GaefeutzWDMTLv6Nau-lCcnBUQM_zQNG3m9lMp87eYwEZcSUxJml5GEZyGO-YLux9H1cTuwRwrZA2X7Kn6EZ4foG0BZyBQ_ZlxKig7y62dq_7YgGzrivDQILg1APQCm91eY/s1600/P1020297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6eyisE24GaefeutzWDMTLv6Nau-lCcnBUQM_zQNG3m9lMp87eYwEZcSUxJml5GEZyGO-YLux9H1cTuwRwrZA2X7Kn6EZ4foG0BZyBQ_ZlxKig7y62dq_7YgGzrivDQILg1APQCm91eY/s400/P1020297.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doesn't look horrible, yet it doesn't look good.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
However, today I decided to give my tags another shot. Or shall I say I decided to give myself another shot at sewing the tags in correctly. This time, I pinned the tag LENGTHWISE between the front and back of the pillow. Therefore, I knew exactly where my seam needed to be AND the little bugger could not slip out. I sewed my pillow, turned it right-side-out with great anticipation to find out that...I did it the right way. I am hoping that each time I sew a pillow, the tag is flawlessly sewn in. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCT59N4AOH6H7otSQdVKgJfJJmQwPBU0jdGBKAw90bHI07JXDuWc1ZnUONhsSpv6bjlmEUgAFEbhMFo4ARrgJ2hvq8GuF8tfUX5Jq3PN4yujPYbsoJQb44ZhcdSuQJzfB-pxDZPBOZqb0/s1600/P1020299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCT59N4AOH6H7otSQdVKgJfJJmQwPBU0jdGBKAw90bHI07JXDuWc1ZnUONhsSpv6bjlmEUgAFEbhMFo4ARrgJ2hvq8GuF8tfUX5Jq3PN4yujPYbsoJQb44ZhcdSuQJzfB-pxDZPBOZqb0/s320/P1020299.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oooohhhh!!!! Nifty tags</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It is my hope, that all my customers are happy customers, and hearing from happy people makes me happy. Therefore, it would be nice for happy people to know where to find me. And unhappy customers, well, you now know where to find me so I can make you happy, too. 715 Pillows, making the world happier, one pillow at a time.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-14847740104850887752012-03-11T20:40:00.000-04:002012-03-11T20:40:15.837-04:00Upstairs and Downstairs Was Getting Me Nowheres: I Moved!In order to sew, one needs a little bit of space. Now, I am not saying one needs one's own room to sew, just some space to spread out. I like to sew but if I did ever get my own room again, it would not be for sewing. I have this dream, a dream of a lovely house in Royal Oak that had everything I could ever want from a house. I saw this house during an open house about five years ago and I can't get it out of my mind. This house was a very old Tudor with a most coveted sun room that could be used all year round. The room was small with tiled floors. It had french doors and lots of windows. If I owned that house, that room would be mine. It would be filled with flowering plants, book shelves, and a comfy love seat. No one would be allowed in that room but me. It would be my escape. It would be my luxury. It is my dream. I can't be greedy and want my own reading room and sewing room. And remember, I live with three other people, in a tiny bungalow, where privacy is at a premium.<div><br />
</div><div>Back to my space, not my coveted space... Back in January I wrote a post on my <a href="http://715pillows.blogspot.com/2012/01/where-magic-happens.html" target="_blank">creative space</a> which was basically a corner in our upstairs bedroom. I love sewing up here in the fall. I have two big windows and the breeze would flow through the room, the curtains would blow, and the evening sun would cast a golden hue on the walls. Well, that problem is that this space was in our bedroom and golden hue or not, I was reminded nightly of work. Sewing, blogging, marketing - even though this is a pretty fun job, I don't want to think about it all the time. Plus, sometimes I cut fabric on the floor. Not so good for my arthritic back, not so good for super straight lines. To cut, it is best to use the large table in the basement. When I needed to iron, I would then need to run to the kitchen. I guess this situation would be good for a blog post, "Slim Down the Sewing Way" but to be honest I was getting annoyed rather than skinny. One day while sewing upstairs with my mom, she told me I should get a mini-ironing board that I could just keep upstairs. Then, a few days later I thought, "Duh, move to the basement."</div><div><br />
</div><div>That Sunday afternoon, I put my husband to work and made him move all the heavy stuff from our upstairs bedroom, down to the main floor, and then down to the basement. Thank you, Kevin. While he may annoy me every single time I try to read a book, he is a very helpful husband. I set up my space, organized my stuff, and started to test the space out. It is a bit chilly downstairs but I am sure I will appreciate the cooler climate in the summer. Right now, I just crank up the heat a degree or two and bring a down a mug of hot tea. I like cutting, ironing, and sewing in the same room of the house. I like that I am more productive. I cut out eleven pillow covers on Saturday and completed two! Woo Hoo! Also, don't worry, our basement is not a dungeon and it is finished so I do have a pleasant spot. </div><div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WQgV72ZRiapwS4R94D8XhO05TMurPzSJrBbFV8dYeQvHM6QgdhHg2CgbQVdeQbFZwuJBXY01eJOEz8HilAlNB4bOSgGrTX4Vi29ltPBQsnbza8n7LQZ8Fm49BynwBou_DZ23PKf2CxA/s1600/P1010537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WQgV72ZRiapwS4R94D8XhO05TMurPzSJrBbFV8dYeQvHM6QgdhHg2CgbQVdeQbFZwuJBXY01eJOEz8HilAlNB4bOSgGrTX4Vi29ltPBQsnbza8n7LQZ8Fm49BynwBou_DZ23PKf2CxA/s400/P1010537.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the before shot - my sewing space in our bedroom.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdUzuhd89GJALiZmorZVOLB4pD-ak4Iz-NHWNPxTw7Ce2UZLIKM0WXZJe0LeI9ROU6en975VrisaJgu68dSGngpegw2-NR92a2PYuwctTR5XXkYe7ZUb3EPpW_RHPGE7bU7JQBFqsfEuE/s1600/P1020219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdUzuhd89GJALiZmorZVOLB4pD-ak4Iz-NHWNPxTw7Ce2UZLIKM0WXZJe0LeI9ROU6en975VrisaJgu68dSGngpegw2-NR92a2PYuwctTR5XXkYe7ZUb3EPpW_RHPGE7bU7JQBFqsfEuE/s400/P1020219.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corner of the basement - doesn't really look that much different.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0B1tz10CB84h2UxopkznxLbH4el5Qp4syzjQ6Cfq_3EClQ86rABV1-aQ8ha1S6tLwN5lTcVtEyXo-UnqUoT5wCyYfb8b-TfpIyXH9sZcoH11EvXW6r_M5re01Jt9SDuEyjdjWmozeEvs/s1600/P1020221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0B1tz10CB84h2UxopkznxLbH4el5Qp4syzjQ6Cfq_3EClQ86rABV1-aQ8ha1S6tLwN5lTcVtEyXo-UnqUoT5wCyYfb8b-TfpIyXH9sZcoH11EvXW6r_M5re01Jt9SDuEyjdjWmozeEvs/s400/P1020221.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cutting and ironing area.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRqjrkDVQsxMotktKES49PxfMOW7NNFeN6MhL-yUodpK3IF1yg8pMDZnj-rYKcpTiowR43TTlnnxcVm-QZAgAWzovp4i6h8Z85PWN8Z3ujRdt1v9Rs5OZk0qdi__7AjzMsbABVwphhFY/s1600/P1020223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRqjrkDVQsxMotktKES49PxfMOW7NNFeN6MhL-yUodpK3IF1yg8pMDZnj-rYKcpTiowR43TTlnnxcVm-QZAgAWzovp4i6h8Z85PWN8Z3ujRdt1v9Rs5OZk0qdi__7AjzMsbABVwphhFY/s400/P1020223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overall, not so bad.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>There you have it, reorganization and a bit of rejuvenation. But, don't get too jealous, folks since the other half of the room is a playroom for a five year old and two year old. I don't really think I need to say anything else at all. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218319469076156743.post-53843030797211353572012-03-09T08:45:00.002-05:002012-03-09T10:23:32.099-05:00Who Wants Something for Free? You Do!!!!Whenever I have been practicing a lot and I have finally perfected a project, I get a little high. Instead of a runner's high, I get a sewing high. I feel motivated. I want to keep stitching away. Is it because of the fibers in the material? Could it be that smell of a warm iron? Perhaps the thread is actually silly string and is making me giddy? Nope, it is just the satisfaction of learning how to do something and being able to do it right! Sewing does not come naturally for me. There is a lot of trial and error, and more errors, and more errors, and then success. So, let me share my success with you, my readers.<br />
<br />
<b>THE CONTEST</b><br />
To enter the contest, you must do the following:<br />
<br />
1. You need to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/715-Pillows/252452058129061" target="_blank">click on this link to connect to 715 Pillows Facebook Page</a>. Like this page if you have not already. You will see a status update announcing the contest and explaining the directions. <br />
2. Like the status update.<br />
3. Describe my pillows using the first letter of your last name. <br />
4. Winner will be chosen at random at 3:00 pm on Saturday. <br />
5. Winner will receive a pillow cover (no insert) in the mail. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHLDo-PZUThU-qZVCFRSsWjIWkm5VJlx6rSQiyjaqDcTlcVn-ORbohxF2Vi81vicQG1uPY17uKVgqaxdxhe28ftQdKEd-SemwBGf8YBmFCc8e6QiQp2WJgNSKxidnDKYb_wEyuY85IrIo/s1600/P3070213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHLDo-PZUThU-qZVCFRSsWjIWkm5VJlx6rSQiyjaqDcTlcVn-ORbohxF2Vi81vicQG1uPY17uKVgqaxdxhe28ftQdKEd-SemwBGf8YBmFCc8e6QiQp2WJgNSKxidnDKYb_wEyuY85IrIo/s400/P3070213.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This could be yours....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZLYoLlPUz-GFsglPKu6vXwsdCve_TdJtHKrysnNYkv0TlN88Y1jFZKK1226m7Vpq2753gDnlEC_PWEFBs48Te-8_hxs_a20YN-HllxQfP4InZja7b8Y8qfcm93pSYKh2fYYIR9vT710/s1600/P3070214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZLYoLlPUz-GFsglPKu6vXwsdCve_TdJtHKrysnNYkv0TlN88Y1jFZKK1226m7Vpq2753gDnlEC_PWEFBs48Te-8_hxs_a20YN-HllxQfP4InZja7b8Y8qfcm93pSYKh2fYYIR9vT710/s400/P3070214.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is an envelope pillow....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5V4FhsokfUe0BMG6EQGEOmeeDB4keZPX_L4MWPSKROIG9tac1C4OG188v1dNB_c490CSbJgQ7P16dC4uGXLANKU28PvTgNkqPeRDJTr9fRT7atN7nutJjz8zDk1WrUSPKO1DX3D2lRVM/s1600/P3070218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5V4FhsokfUe0BMG6EQGEOmeeDB4keZPX_L4MWPSKROIG9tac1C4OG188v1dNB_c490CSbJgQ7P16dC4uGXLANKU28PvTgNkqPeRDJTr9fRT7atN7nutJjz8zDk1WrUSPKO1DX3D2lRVM/s400/P3070218.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Five more of these lovely covers will be for sale on <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/715pillows" target="_blank">Etsy</a> by this weekend!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Pretty easy way to win a decorative pillow for you house, office, or for a friend. Good luck!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15905246453041537715noreply@blogger.com0