What would you like to see us make......

Wanna help make us make a decision about what to make for the up coming craft show? Well, here is your chance! Each member of the sweatshop has choosen their five favorites from the "101 Tissue Toppers in Plastic Canvas Edited by Laura Scott released by House of White Birches". It is a great book with beautiful patterns and though it was hard to decide we did. Now we are asking for your help.....Pick you favorite five from our list. Please only pick 5. The top five we will be making for the craft show. Voting ends on Sunday, August 17th. Thanks for playing along.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY WONDERFULD HUSBAND!

On July 19th my husband, John, celebrated his birthday. I'm not going to say how old he turned but I will say next year he will be like Steve McGarrett in Hawaii.

John is a touched man. I would even goes as far as describing him as "special". He has a great sense of humor and makes every one laugh. I myself have grown immune to his comments but he still manages to get me from time to time.

Here is his most famous photo.......he takes one every time he gets my camera. I could do an entire photo album on shots of him just like this one.......

This is the first time in our almost 9 years together that John has been home for his birthday. John has an interesting job that keeps him away from home most of the time. So it was a real treat to have him home to celebrate. The brother and SIL volunteered to have a cook out for the special occasion.

Sharon and Captain Jack......Sparrow......made the Angry Pirate, it was a totally awesome drink she sort of made up. Very yummy.

I made the cake. John has a slight monkey addiction. He likes monkeys.........a lot. Monkeys in the zoo, on TV, on clothing, in pictures.....you getting my drift. I got him some monkey balloons for him.

Told you he likes monkeys.

He thinks they are cute, so what else would me make for his birthday cake but a monkey. Wilton's has a really cute pan so that is what we used. I also made the icing from scratch (thanks to Kathy I had the confidence to do it). I used the receipt from the box of Domino Confectionery Sugar. The CEOreo looked on just hoping I would drop something.

It was really yummy. John also has a little thing for bright and loud Hawaiian shirts so of course the monkey had to be wearing one. I was very happy with the way it turned out.

It was a very nice day, hot and humid but nice to have him home for a few days and nice to have him here on his birthday.Looks like he had fun! Love ya honey! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

80's meme

Preppy or Rocker: Rocker always! Just wait till you see the pictures below.

Z Cavarricis or Guess Jeans and Espirit or Benetton?: Guess jeans and United Colors of Benetton. I have go clue who made my jeans, we shopped at K-mart and Sears. If I was lucky and hit a sale the Rainbow shop and DEB but that was a real treat. But no matter what brand they were they were pegged with wigwams.

Favorite Pop song of the 80s: I have one or two, I was more rock then pop but I loved
Tainted Love - Soft Cell (thankfully covered by Marilyn Manson)
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - Eurythmics (again, thankfully covered by Marilyn Manson)
Voices Carry - Til' Tuesday

Most Annoying Pop song of the 80s : Anything New Kids on the Block, remember I'm a rocker girl.

Hair Metal or Heavy Metal- Who was your favorite performer and favorite song?
Picking a favorite performer or song is like trying to pick my favorite child just impossible to do. But I will list who I listened to in the 80's and early 90's.....until grunge came along.....

AC/DC, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Baton Rouge, Cinderella, Dokken, Europe, Danger Danger, Trixter, Extreme, Firehouse, Great White, Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister, Night Ranger, Roxy Blue, Anthrax, Metallica, Ozzy, Van Halen (Van Hager), Lynch Mob, Poison, Motley Crue, Guns N Roses, Def Leppard, Warrant, Faster Pussycat, LA Guns, Tora Tora, Dio, Skid Row, Kiss, Queensryche, Winger, Bullet Boys, Steelheart, Whitesnake, White Lion, Kix, Tesla, WASP, Saigon Kick, Slaughter, Jackyl, Iron Maiden and more I'm sure I'm missing. If it was on Headbangers Ball I listened to it.

What posters were on your bedroom wall or college dorm room? Johnny Depp, the Monkees, Poison, Warrant, Nelson, Motley Crew, Europe, La Guns, Guns N Roses, Kix, Def Leppard, Steve Via......lets put it this way if you were in a metal band that made it to the pages of Metal Edge magazine, at some point you were on my wall

What concerts do you remember most from the 80s? Poison. It was my very first concert. It was just after the release of Open Up and Say Ahh! They opened for David Lee Roth. Droopy took me to see them because he knew how much I loved them.

Favorite 80s movies Dirty Dancing, Footloose, Gremlins, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Heathers, The Christmas Story, Goonies, Breakfast Club, Better off Dead, One Crazy Summer, Spaceballs, Police Academy, Ferris Beuller, Back to the Future, Naked Gun, Outsiders, Mr Mom, The Lost Boys, License to Drive, Big, Stand by Me, Dream a Little Dream, E.T., Mannequin, Short Circuit, Ghostbusters, Howard the Duck, Karate Kid, Weird Science, Big Trouble in Little China, Nightmare on Elm Street, Adventures in Babysitting

Favorite 80s movie quotes
"Hey, if you hit the wrong note, we'll all "B Flat" Goonies
"Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die" Princess Bride
"Number 5 is alive!" Short Circuit

Way too many from The Christmas Story. We have seen this movie way, way, way too many times. Here is the proof.....go take the quiz yourself and see how you do!

You scored a 100%!

Congratulations! I applaud you on the multiple watchings of the movie. You must watch the marathons each year :^)

A Christmas Story
Take More Quizzes

Top 3 most memorable pop culture moments of the 80s for you President Reagan being shot, yes I know I was only 5 or so but it is one of my first memories. The Challenger Disaster because we watched it as a group in the all-purpose room. I have a bad memory that is all you are getting.

Favorite 80s cartoon The Smurfs, Fraggle Rock and Muppet Show even though not cartoons were directed towards us little ones, Capitan Cave Man, Grape Ape, Looney Tunes

Favorite 80s commercials:
Frosted Mini Wheats because they bring out the kid in you
Head and Shoulders because you never get a second chance to make a first impression
Juicy Fruit because the taste is really gonna moooovvve ya

Boy George or Wham? Rocker or not I have to go with Wham! and goddess bless his soul George Michael. I mean really, I don't think I've seen a finer ass on any man since the "Faith" video

Favorite one-hit wonder They don't know about us - Tracy Ullman

INXS or Depeche Mode As much as I like "People are People" did you ever see Michael Hutchence? I mean he was quite a hottie and he can sing, a perfect combination.

Poison or Warrant: Now you are just trying to rip my heart out. Of cousre I'm a huge Poison fan.....first concert ever remember but.....my goddess......Jerry Dixon....... (love you honey)

Did you ever meet a rocker or 80's pop icon? Where were you?

On my 18th birthday (thanks mom for letting me skip school) I got to meet Richie Sambora and David Bryan of Bon Jovi.

1998 Kiss 7th row MSG was incredible enough but after the show I got to meet Steve West of Danger Danger.
And Sebastian Bach of Skid Row! OMG! HE WAS HUGGING ME!!!! (love you honey)Of course I was shaking and super nervous when I got to meet Jack Russell from Great White. Love this man! Super sweet and the voice of an angel. And his incredibly sexy new (at the time) bass play Sean McNabb. Yummy! (love you honey)Steve Riley of LA Guns.Bill Leverty, guitarist from FireHouse.Mark Slaughter and Blas Elias of Slaughter. Blas Elias of Slaughter, again, YUMMY! (love you honey)I have also met but have no pictures of CC DeVille of Poison, all of Quiet Riot, Weird Al Yankovik, Tesla (they new I was getting engaged before I did), Dokken, Ratt, Tracii Guns, Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden and a few more that I'm probably forgetting.

Snap bracelets or Jelly bracelets? Sharon said "Jelly Bracelets and they would match my Wigwams (multi-colored socks we would buy from Trenton Joes)" I second that!

Fess up. Who had the garden weasel bangs? *see previous post* 'nuff said

Favorite 80s sitcoms: A-Team, Knight Rider, Dukes of Hazzard, Silver Spoons, ALF, Charles in Charge, Different Strokes, Facts of Life, Fraggle Rock, Head of the Class, Kate and Allie, Love Boat, Mork and Mindy, Moonlighting, Pee Wee's Playhouse, Perfect Strangers, Small Wonder, Smurfs, Tales from the Darkside, 21 Jump Street, Wonder Years, Tracey Ullman Show, Who's the Boss

Is Jon Bon Jovi still hot or what? Yes, yes and yes! (love you honey) Taken with camera phone at the Bon Jovi concert 07-15-06

"Double Dare" or "You Can't Do That on Television" Both. Love Nickelodeon. Watch out for the green slime

Who was your favorite Brat Packer? Judd Nelson, totally dude. Breakfast Club. hhhhhhhhot! Again second that!

Jellies or Reebok Pumps Jellies but my god how your feet would sweat in those things.

Favorite pizza parlor arcade game: Never played arcade games, my hand eye coordination not the best but I loved playing the jukebox at the local pizza joint.

Deep South "Good 'ol Boys" or "L.A. underground vigilantes wanted for a crime they didn't commit" Dukes of Hazzard

If you are reading this feel free to copy to your blog and have fun. If you are a regular lurker, why don't you take this as a opportunity to come out and introduce yourself, just say hi if nothing else. Please, I'd love to hear from you. Let me know where I can reach you back though. Blogger has a nasty habit of giving the "no reply blogger" response.

80's Hair Friday! Gimme head with hair, Long beautiful hair, Shining, gleaming, Streaming, flaxen, waxen....

Just so you all know I was born with lots and lots of hair. So I had issues right from the beginning. My hair is naturally wavy and extremely thick. These pictures are all pre 1980 when I was about 3 or 4 years old.
Middle school came in the late 80's. It wasn't good to me.
Now these girls have big hair. These were great and best friends of mine in high school. Never kept in touch after graduation. I miss them. We had some great times together. I think we each carried the large can of Aqua Net Super hold. This is most likely 1990. The "Eighties" hair stuck around even after the decade had officially ended.
Then there was the ever changing period of time where the hair some days would be high and other days not so much. I had a grunge, hippie and goth period these lasted back and forth for almost a decade. I also went threw a "no photos please" period so thankfully there are very few examples to show you. You would think it is the 80's but it isn't these are my sophomore 90-91, junior 91-92 and senior 92-93 school pictures. Told you the calendar was changing but my hair wasn't.
Some time around 1996 I cut my bangs and I haven't grown them back yet. I thought I looked good. Ha! These were all taken between 1996 and 2000.

Since that time I have colored my hair black and red and have had blond and red highlights over my natural brown hair. I'm happy with my hair today, as I probably was in all of this photos. It could be a lot worse, I mean, I just hope that I don't look back some day wishing I still had hair.

I will be doing the 80's meme this evening, I promise. I just had to get the hair out there.

Tagged---A to Z meme

I was tagged by SIL Sharon, stitchinwitch who btw knows that I dislike emails of this sort but I will play along and be a good sport since it is part of our really cool blogs. It's not like I don't have a list of events and crafts to blog about but this seems to be interesting and dare I say, fun. I tag sairy (sorry my dear but I was told I had to tag somebody) OK so here we go...

ACCENT: I may drop my "T"s from time to time in words like button and Trenton (hey if your from here you say it the same way I do)and I was bullied out of speaking incorrectly when it comes to words like wash and water (warsh and wooder) I don't have much of an accent. I was blessed with parents who are not from around these parts. I am also thankful for my education so that the words pen & pin, far & fire sound different (love ya mom!)

BREAKFAST OR NO BREAKFAST: I eat bad things for breakfast. Outside of the rare waffle I eat a lot of junk food for breakfast......yes I hear the yelling and lecturing coming from you even as I type this.

CHORE I DON'T CARE FOR: Cleaning the bathroom. Not sure why it just takes me so long to do it. If I could get it super clean in about 10 minutes I wouldn't hate it as much. Plus I always get interrupted when I'm cleaning the shower/tub so it takes that much longer......(yes Sharon I just threw a dig at you)

DOG OR CAT: Hello?! Dog! I have the cutest dog in the whole world and she is the best CEO ever.

ESSENTIAL ELECTRONICS: Camera and cell phone with camera. I was told once by my husband that I have a well documented life. I still, after many visits, take a picture of Cinderella Castle. I love so much that cell phones have cameras now. They just need to work a bit more on the technology so they quality is better.

FAVORITE COLOGNE: Victoria's Secret Vanilla Lace, yummy!

GOLD OR SILVER: Doesn't even matter to me. I have both.

HANDBAG I CARRY MOST OFTEN: I have a great little army green denim bag from Wal-mart. I love it. I hate having to carry one so I went with cool, practical and cheap.

INSOMNIA: On a few occasions I cleaned my entire apartment at 2:30 am....yes.

JOB TITLE: Records Data Reviewer Level 2 At least that is what is says on my paycheck.

KIDS: Nope. Not yet. Maybe someday. Maybe not. We'll see.

LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: A super cute house. We live in the upstairs and basement and my parents live on the main floor. We share the dog. The husband lives in the garage.

MOST ADMIRABLE TRAIT: Honesty. Though always the best policy not always the most popular thing. I can be brutally honest and that has at, many times, made people mad. Oh well, I say F**K'em.

NAUGHTIEST CHILDHOOD BEHAVIOR: I slammed my bedroom door when I got in trouble. I mostly was a very good kid. And yes I did have my mouthy years but all in all my parents were lucky considering it could have been a lot worse. And to defend my dear brother he never smashed a pumpkin, he just would take it off your porch and move it down the street to the curb or another neighbor’s porch.

OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAY: Yes. I was a really sick little kid. Don't need to discuss any further not the best time of my life.

PHOBIAS: I'm not really afraid of anything. But I do have a very strong dislike for tunnels, clowns, tunnel clowns and guns. The tunnels I'm afraid of them falling in on me. It doesn't stop me from going threw them I have a secret weapon....the Oscar Mayer Wiener song. Clowns bother me because they have the clown make up that makes them look happy and maybe they are all pissed off and ready to kill and you would never know by looking at them because they are all smiles and shit. Plus the movies Killer Clowns from Outer space and It, messed me up for years. I'm not comfortable talking about the tunnel clowns they upset me that much. They way they hide in the door ways just waiting to jump on your car. Guns are a nervous thing always afraid they are going to go off by themselves and killed someone. It is connected to a past life.

QUOTE: I like so many quotes there could be a blog of just quotes I love. Famous people, movies, music, from t-shirts but are a few:
"Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first" - Ronald Reagan
"All your dreams come true, if you have the courage to pursue them" - Walt Disney
"Be civil to all, sociable to many, familiar with few, friend to one, enemy to none" - Benjamin Franklin
"Well, if crime fighters fight crime and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight? They never mention that part to us, do they?" - George Carlin

(Maybe I will have to do a blog post on this in the future....as lesleygirl says "remind me")

REASON TO SMILE: There is someone out there in the world having a worse day then me.

SIBLINGS: Yes.....a brother.....When he was born people asked me where did your little brother come from? I responded with "He's from K-mart" I guess mom got him on a clearance blue light special or lost the receipt because we couldn't return him. In all seriousness he's a great guy and I'm very luck to have him as a brother. Plus he is smart (mouthed, sorry had to). Really, he must be he married my excellent SIL.

TIME I WAKE UP: 7 am ish during the week. I hate mornings so please don't speak to me before 10 am. I have a 10 to 10 rule. Unless you are bleeding on your way to the hospital don't call me after 10 at night or before 10 in the morning.

UNUSUAL SKILL OR TALENT: I can roll my tongue. I was told that you have to be genetically programmed to do this. Ooo! Ooo! Oooh! (jumping up and down excited that I remembered) I have a photographic memory. Thank goddess because my other memory sucks. It is great to just close your eyes and re-see things. It is also good because I can always remember a face but bad because I can never remember names.

VEGETABLE I REFUSE TO EAT: Most of them. The list I eat is shorter.

WORST HABIT: Bossy and controlling. I know it and I'm a big girl with my big panties on so I can admit it. I really try to be better but sometimes it sneaks but in. It is part of my OCD.

YUMMY STUFF: Pizza, pumpkin pie, rum, cupcakes, hamburgers with fries, circus peanuts (only in season during the summer), cantaloupe, pot roast, bread and butter

ZOO ANIMAL I LIKE MOST: Polar bears. They are so beautiful and cuddly looking. That is until you see their teeth and razor sharp claws.

My new business card

Just wanted to show off some home made business cards.





It is CEOreo approved!

Another long night but at least I got my sofa....

So I called this morning at the butt crack of dawn when they opened about my lonely sofa.....here's how it went...

THEM: Select Express & Logistics, how can I help you?

ME: Yes, I had a half delivery last night and my sofa is supposed to be delivered this evening between 5 pm and 9 pm. I want to be sure that I am first on the delivery schedule.

THEM: Yes, we have you here for 5pm to 9pm window for delivery.

ME: I'm I first on the list? because if not we need to get that done somehow.

THEM: Yes, you are listed first

ME: Great thanks!

FAST FORWARD TO THE 5:15 phone call......I call them

THEM: Select Express & Logistics, how can I help you?

ME: Yes, when I called this morning they told me I was first for delivery this evening and I was expecting them here at 5pm, are they on their way?

THEM: You are first for delivery and they should be there between 6 pm and 6:30 pm

ME: 6 pm is first for delivery?!?!?!

THEM: Yes, someone will be contacting you to let you know they are on there way

ME: This is crazy. Thanks.

FAST FORWARD TO 6:15 -they call me

THEM: Select Express & Logistics this is Mike. I wanted to let you know that they are filling up the truck with gas and are only 15 miles away. They should be there very soon.

ME: Great! (Thinks to self, I can still make SNB)

FAST FORWARD AGAIN TO 7:20 - I call them again!

THEM: Select Express & Logistics, how can I help you?

ME: How long does it take for them to get gas? I thought I was going to be over and done with this and on my way to my meeting this evening. What is going on?

THEM: They had to wait for the owner of the truck to bring them money so they can get gas.
(Thinks to self, are you freakin kidding me!)

ME: Well how much longer? I am missing my meeting.

THEM: They should be there very soon...Did you really want to go to a meeting?
(YES, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT KIND OF MEETING IT IS AND I DID WANT TO GO!!!!!)

THEY ARRIVED AT 7:46!!!!!!!!! So I was a bit over ready for bed by that point and missed SNB because of these guys. I was supposed to be first this evening however I was last again and I know that because I had to sign for the sofa and there were 5 other people who had already signed this evening. This is an independent company used by IKEA to deliver to you. And though almost every one I spoke with was very nice, I am still going to call IKEA and speak with them about how un-happy I was with this company.

But I have my sofa now :)

I'm pretty sure that I order both a loveseat and a sofa.....

I love my loveseat, of course I would like to also love my sofa. Where oh where can it be? Well, I'll tell you what they told me...."We didn't have room on the truck for both." WTF!?!?!? They were supposed to be here on July 3rd, sofa didn't make it to the warehouse. Then they were supposed to be here on the 10th, sofa was there but they had to get the loveseat from the store. They finally got together for delivery. Ok set up delivery for between 5pm-9pm for them to show up at 8:55pm!!! WITHOUT MY SOFA!!!! So now that I have wasted an entire night waiting I get to do it all over again tomorrow night, what fun! I am not going to miss SNB on account of these guys. I'm going to call in the morning and ensure that I am first for delivery tomorrow night!

But the loveseat is really nice!

It's Elmo's World and we are just living in it

Elmo, Elmo, Elmo. More fame and fortune then we will ever see. This little red ball of fuzz has stolen the hearts of children (and some adults) all over the world. But we were just concerned about our corner of it this weekend when we attended an Elmo themed birthday party for our favorite toddler, Alex. Alex turned two, the perfect Elmo age. He just about explodes when he sees him on TV, books, pictures or anywhere else he may happen to be marketed. So the Elmo theme was a no brainer for his mom, Kathy.

Inspired by famed sweatshop worker mom, Kathy wanted to try her hand at making and decorating her very own Elmo cake for said Elmo themed party. This was Kathy's first attempt at cake decorating. She did an excellent job, the sweatshop workers are very proud of her and had to tell you all about it.
She used the Wilton's Elmo cake pan and the Wilton's red icing coloring. She said that was the trickiest part, getting Elmo to be the right color red. Too little coloring he is pink too much it looks like Elmo didn't use his sun block. Here he is.............shortly before we cut him up and eat him....yummy Elmo!
What a great job!!! It is hard to believe that this was her first attempt at the fine school of cake decorating. However, she will tell you she had a good coach....sweatshop worker mom. But she did it all on her own and what a fine job indeed. We just hope that she keeps it up (her egg less chocolate cake was so yummy) so we don't have to wait until Alex's 3rd birthday until we see another cool creation.

As promised some finished projects!

The CEO has spoken. We are off and running and getting a really solid start for the craft show.

Adorable coaster sets, don't worry cat lovers you will be represented soon.
The countdown to Christmas calendar.........as of today there are 173 days to go. The calendar allows you to count from 30 days out.
A better picture of my turtle.....thanks to my SIL for letting me use her wonderful light box!
I have gotten a few more books and I have a basic idea of what I want to make. Now I just have to get modivated to work.

I've been very busy.......The first half of 2008, a long and sad story PART 2 - The front of the house and rock beds

If you re-call in the begining of the story there was a cement fairy that turned out to be an evil cement troll. This is that part of the story..........

A few years ago the pretty plastic canvaser and her sweatshop workers decided that they wanted some nice curb appeal. So they worked very hard on turning the front of the house into a fabulous rock bed.

This was a fabulous addition to the front of the house. Unfortunatly there were some ugly sidewalks creeping around (You can see the ugly blocks and bricks in the above picture towards the right side) So when the evil leakage occured in the basement/livingroom the sweatshop workers felt it was time for some outside help. They found the cement fairy. The cement fairy came and fixed (so we thought) the uglyness and evil leakage.

Looks nice but.............you missed a few spots...........

Crack in the side of the front porch.

More importantly, the trouth created by not finishing the job. Thus allowing the evil rain water to collect and leak into the basement/livingroom causing scattered belongings, heartache and dispare.
After TWO months of calling the evil trolls almost every day and leaving message after message after message (yes I said TWO months) Finally (after threating legal action) they came and finished the job. So then the sweatshop workers went to work restoring the fabulous front yard and rock garden.



Much better curb appeal.
So that is the end of our long sad story. At least it has a happy ending. With hope and luck the second half of the year will be devoted more towards crafting and preparing for the craft show in November.

As always, thanks for reading and sitting threw the goofyness that is my blog.


***NEXT POST will contain some actual finished plastic canvas****