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Archive for June, 2012

All out there and June 9 Check In

June 10th, 2012 at 02:45 pm

Every 4 months I rotate my inventory between 2 little shops and 2 art gallery shops. It's like playing musical chairs. But not everything just goes around together, sometimes things get pulled out of the shops and go on the website. New things need to get inserted somewhere. And 2 of the shops really need less fancy, less expensive things. The other two need a bit higher priced things.

Throw in a weekend table every couple months and a photo show such as today and it keeps me busy! Here is one of the photos going in today for a 4 month summer show...

Sculpted Water Lily Pads


June 9 Check In
...............
Calories ~ 1450
Exercise ~ Missed this day! Too little of laundry and housework to count
Snackless Eve ~ check

Time Off (Hope it's not too long) and June 7, 8 Check in

June 9th, 2012 at 02:27 pm

School's almost out and when the kids don't go I stay home. That's the beauty of my part time job. This is the first year I used all the hours of my approved annual allotment at work (I'm approved for exactly 1/2 time or 1040 hours to be used anytime during a 12 month period). Yay! That means when there are school days off I can stay home. But this is the first year the admin is really scrutinizing the part timers and I am awaiting approval of my next year's hours. YIKES!

In the meantime, it is such a relief not having to schedule my kids' summer vacation with mondo activities. They are young teens and don't need constant supervision, camps, or pre-arranged things to do.

In fact, HIP HIP HOORAY for high school track. It is SAVING me psychologically and financially this summer. My son is going out for cross country as a freshman and their practices start this summer! Practically as soon as school lets out! Actually he will start going to practice the day after our vacation. Practice is a couple hours on every M/T/W/F and some saturdays. Whew! Perfect! Two practices are first thing in the morning and will cancel out his sloth'ness playing video games afterward. Tagged after one practice is a session volunteering at a 5K with other teammates. YAY! He needs to do this! I don't have to plan anything else for him, just play some tennis together and trips to the beach.

My daughter is easy. Figure skate and dance lessons go nonstop through summer. There is a special 2 week dance workshop she wants to do and a 1 week Humane Society Camp to add. That leaves only about a week or two without anything scheduled for her but I actually want to hang out together for this, one of the last years, before she becomes a full blown young adult.

Blog Fitness Check In June 7 + 8
.....................
Calories 1525 + 1500

I mentioned once we are very light on beef, and am happy to note that it took a week for the first to appear in the menu, 4oz round steak. Except for salami and ham type meats which are frequent.

Exercise
.....................
1 mile Dog walk, ea day

Snackless Eve
.....................
check

Hair Salon Sales and Biz License plus June 5 & 6 Check In

June 7th, 2012 at 01:50 pm

Pretty Cheap Jewelry is in two local stores, small but seen by more eyes than just weekend tables once a month! It's been a few weeks between checking in on the inventory and things are finally moving a little. Just a tremor at the MidTown Emporium (collectibles and originals) where a pair of dolphin charm earrings sold for $7.50 and a little more shaking over at Hair Affair (several earrings and a pair of gloves sold).

In one hand out another! My city business license is due. So relieved that I obtained a 'low income' rate last year. If the sales receipts are below $2400 three years in a row, the business license is a flat $20 instead of a percent of sales.

Blog Fitness Check In - June 5 & 6
..................................

Calories 1575 & 1640
Fitness - Dog Walk (1 mi) and rode my bike to vote!
Snackless Eve - check
..................................

I had a tiny dream to be a photographer once, but was practical enough to know the field in intensely competitive and not a way to make a living. And that was BEFORE digital and everyone became a photographer with mobile phones.

Even so, I enter some of my shots in little exhibits. Starting Sunday I have 4 going up for a summer show including this one.

Here Comes the Sun...Flowers
Montage of small images taken of my yard garden a couple years ago.


All the photos are for sale, and once I even sold a framed water lily at a previous show!

Health Challenge Check In - June 4 and it's still a Surprise!

June 5th, 2012 at 10:45 pm

Not discovered yet! A certain person mowed the backyard and did not notice a big blue wheelbarrow under the dog's tattered wool blanket in the corner behind a tire swing. If it didn't happen then, it's probably safe until Father's Day.

Arriving at the local art gallery case this Friday-
NEW! Mosaic to Wear Jewelry. Original, handmade.

Red Ovals
Many little pieces, one beautiful arrangement. Wine red glass and lustrous ivory and gold pearls fill a gold wire oval frame. 24K gold coated hooks. See similar styles on my facebook (click left sidebar). Starting at only about $20.


For the June blog check in-
Calorie Count
.............

2 fried egg = 200
bagel w/marg = 250
coffee w/milk = 25
trail mix = 500
green tea = 0
apple w/caramel dip = 200
pizza bagel = 250

Total = 1425

Exercise
.............
Mild 20 min walk at lunch. Came across this lady in the middle of the pathway. Why she didn't run away from me became clear after I looked back and held still for 5 minutes. There were 5 of hers wading around in the creek to the right. CUTE!



Snackless Eve
..............
Nothing doing and fortunately not a routine.

Health Challenge Check In - June 3 Report and Question about Humidifiers

June 4th, 2012 at 06:28 pm

Yard sales burst out all over nearby streets Saturday, but I was playing taxi driver to the ice rink and getting a cut the hair salon. DRAT! I love to ride my bike around to these, and in fact gave it a try on Sunday, but everyone was closed!!

However, June gift giving is accounted for including a special Ace of Cake order, whew! All father's accounted for, and both parent's birthdays.

And cranked out 2 pair of a new style of jewelry I'm working on.

Mosaic Inspiration
I've always admired mosaics and for the first time done my own take by hand forming a frame and filling with a mix of stone, crystal and pearl. Shown: Pink, green and gold earrings



Watch for oval and double swirls coming next~

For the blog challenge report:

Calorie Count-

coffee w/milk = 25
bagel w/marg = 250
strawberries w/whip cream = 200
trail mix = 500
1 piece cheese pizza = 250
chips & salsa = 350
green salad w/oil & vinegar = 250

Total = 1825
................

Exercise = 15 min or so bike ride searching unsuccessfully for Sunday yard sales
................

Snackless evening = check

Easy to resist the ice cream sundaes the others had because I really don't like ice cream that much!!

QUESTION ABOUT HUMDIFIERS
I am trying to decide between a cool or warm mist humidifier is better. Any experience? It is for a kid's bedroom to relieve dry air and frequent nosebleeds. Thanks.

Health Challenge Check In - June 2 Report

June 3rd, 2012 at 02:35 pm

Got the wheelbarrow!! A really BIG model, contractor size, and Made in the USA. It's one of the low-tech unplugged gifts for Father's Day (read a few posts back on my blog to see what else is coming to Pretty Cheap Jewelry Land for Dad).

So how does one hide a big blue wheelbarrow??

Before...and no it is not going to fit down the narrow path between the kennel and the fence...


After...Wheelbarrow, what wheelbarrow? Let's just hope DH is too busy for the next 10 days to rummage around in the back yard much. That is the dog's old grey wool blanket covering something way in the back corner behind the tire swing/tree house.


Calorie Count
coffee w/milk = 25
large orange juice = 110
cereal = 250
banana = 100
ham/cheese sandwich = 450
coleslaw = 250
froz yogurt = 350
bagel w/olive oil = 185
zucchini w/olive oil = 50
crackers w/ cheese = 250

Total = 2020
................

Exercise = check

Saturdays are housework day here, and I will count changing 3 beds, doing 3 loads of laundry, sweeping and cleaning 2 bathrooms for the exercise. But am active all day and helped carry out a girl scout booth in the afternoon after an event.
................

Snackless evening = check

Declined the fruit parfait my kids wanted to make. I asked for it at breakfast the next day.

Health Challenge Check In - June 1 Report

June 2nd, 2012 at 04:03 pm

You know the free app 'Lose It'? First thing I did for the blog challenge was to put it on my phone to log daily calories and exercise. And HA! my husband already uses it and since we share a phone account I'm not sure if I can use it separately. So am going to look up my calories another way or just calculate them by the ingredients I use.

Fri 6/1 Report

Calories = 1570
................
(bagel w/marg 250)
(coffee w/milk 20)
(trail mix 500)
(coleslaw 250)
(broccoli soup 100)
(ham cheese sandwich 450)

Exercise = check
.................
walked at lunch ~ 20 min
Not very intense because I went into a costume jewelry store and got very sidetracked, and YES came out with a few things. More about that later.

Snackless Evening = check
.................

Today I'm bringing a friend surprise lunch to her hair salon (and getting a cut from her). She's had a tough last few years and I admire her not going under. If it were me I'd have PANICKED and left town a long time ago. What happened? Just the basic: bad marriage with a husband who was irresponsible with finances and he was laid off work when the economy fell, then foreclosed home, then divorce, now with 2 daughters (who go back and forth on weekends) and a tough tough life working like crazy to make it. I thought they should move to a less expensive area when the house was foreclosed but they said 'the girls want to go to school here.' Sheesh. Let the kids make the decisions even subconciously? The upside is she has not given up and I can't believe she is making it. And the bottom line is yes, it is good if the kids can stay in the great school here and my friend's network of support is nearby as well. This is one of the few people I know on the edge and it makes me feel bad that I don't do more for the many others that are needy. To see her doing okay helps me feel less down!!

So at the costume jewelry store there was a 60% off everything for the day because of remodeling. PERFECT rhinestone hair bands for my figure skater! In fact we will ask a little girl to babysit our pet mouse this summer and one of these would be an excellent thank you gift (she's a figure skater too).


Big flowers full of colored rhinestones.

I couldn't resist a pair of earrings for myself and another for the gift closet. Everything averaged out to $4 ea. I let my girl pick one out and she told me I made good choices later!

So one of the pair of earrings is going in the lunch box today for the friend.

Adios!

Any do'able challenges for June? And one more thing...A Wheelbarrow

June 1st, 2012 at 06:35 pm

Anyone going to propose a challenge for June? It's the first of the month and I'm thinking NO DRIVE DAYS or DINNER ON A DOLLAR (easy for us with backyard produce). I won't take the lead this time, maybe later in the year when there aren't trips in the schedule.

Anyway, did you know a wheelbarrow is like a purse? Or even a house. The bigger you get, the more you fill it up without really meaning to. Last post I distressed over the wishes of my husband for Father's Day. He loves gifts and surprises, and has said if it weren't for me, his wife, there wouldn't be big fun gifts in his life anymore. So what's a down-to-earth, practical person to do?

For one, I listen during weeks preceding birthdays, holidays, etc. And jot down a secret list of things that I approve of giving.

A few examples from past years?

a lightweight patio greenhouse Something he always wanted to try, and it's still turning out beautiful lettuce and holding up after 3 or 4 years

fireplace tools/tinder box Amazing how many sets of these at the thrift store!

bike panniers He's been riding his bike 10 miles to do errands and the grocery several times a week and it's not only great fitness, but it is so good for the environment (no fuel burned)

My personal criteria on choosing gifts? Prefer to pay cash (somehow I can't wrap my head around giving him a gift which I charged on a card that he ends up paying the bill!!!!) And I kind of resist tech / electronic stuff. But his requests are important and I consider them heavily.

Unfortunately much of what boys want nowadays is electronics. All kinds of TV, movie, camera, computer, phone and itsy bitsy electronics.

Pfft. It is very hard to think of alternatives. But never fear!! I am superwifey!!

So here's what is coming at him this year (and don't worry, he does not see these posts).

1. Energy saving electronic strip. For the TV/Wii station, he has been saving watts because we have solar panels on the house.

2. A portable hard drive. He increasingly feels his laptop data is vulnerable (his lectures for community college and our rental house stuff for example are on it) and doesn't want to use an online service with a monthly fee. I researched and found choices with high user / tech site reviews and redeemed a hefty coupon at an office store.

3. And finally...a wheelbarrow. We have worn out the average one doing heavy work at our weekend house. Even I tend to overload with firewood or whatever the chore happens to be. So I'm visiting a contractor supply yard and see if there is a model that is not too expensive (under $100). And if so, try to hide it somewhere at home!!

Coming next time...the good, the bad, and (hopefully) the good at our rental property.