Later

Camping, going camping. Coyotes stay the hell away from me....
Camping, going camping, don't wanna be a Bear's Fricasee...

Back Wednesday Nov 4. If you ordered, it's shipped, so stop freakin out.

Yeah, you were...

This week.

If it's quiet on this end it's because I'm trying to catch up. Also new stock is coming, two shops have been closed and one order that big needs to be done.

Anyone who quilts will understand what I mean when I say that binding, it's best put off forever. I sold an unbound quilt, so that's gotta happen.

The Forums are draining, so that's off for a bit too. It's disheartening to check in and see another bug, another issue, another problem being ignored.

Then the 'positive threads' RME. You know, I always considered being positive a benchmark of my own character. Reflective of my own behaviors. In other words, crowing about how positive you are compared to someone else, really isn't.

I hope to have new soaps Friday and pics of my Bug Out Bag and self contained E system. For the Zombie Apocalypse.

What, you didn't know?

Etsy Cupcake

First you make a vanilla cup cake, this is my fav recipe from Magnolia:

Ingredients for cupcakes


1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350f/gas mark 4. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners

2. Cream the butter until smooth with an electric whisk. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 mins.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Combine the flours and add in 4 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. Beat well after each addition.

5. Spoon batter into cupcake cases and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove once the tops are just turning golden. Leave to cool completely before frosting.

Next, we make out Koolaid frosting:

Description

This article is from the Kool-Aid FAQ, by Paul and Bess Dawson-Schmidt dawsons@visi.com with numerous contributions by others.

(The Kraft Homepage)

Serves: Makes 2 1/2 cups.
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
4 Tbsp. milk
2 Tbsp. KOOL-AID Sugar-Sweetened Soft Drink Mix, any flavor

BEAT sugar, butter, milk and soft drink mix in large bowl with
electric mixer on low speed until well blended and smooth. Use
immediately.

Frost your cupcakes with the frosting peaking in a 45 to 50 degree angle to the cake. Remove the cupcake liners and replace them with jumbo muffin liners with the bottoms removed. In other words, a cupcake cowl.

Decorate with owls, mustaches or a hair feather. Eat in a woodland setting while gazing up into the ether.

I'm not really here, but

I had to share the best spam ever. I'm sure she was a very interesting person, belonging to the Helicopter Society and all.

THIS IS MY THIRD AND FINAL MAIL TO YOU!!!

On behalf of the Trustees and Executor of the estate of Late Mrs Augusta
Hermina. I once again try to notify you as my earlier letter >were returned
undelivered. I wish to notify you that late Mrs Augusta Hermina made you a
beneficiary to her WILL. She left the sum of One Million, Five Hundred Thousand
Dollars (USD$1, 500.000.00) to you in the Codicil and last testament to her
WILL.

This may sound strange and unbelievable to you, but it is real and true. Being a
widely traveled lady, she must have been in contact with you in the past, Mrs
Augusta Hermina until her death was a member of the Helicopter Society and the
Institute of Electronic & Electrical Engineers. Please endeavor to get back to
me as soon as possible to enable me conclude my job. You are advice to Contact
me on the following information below:
Abogado De Justicia
Notario & Tribunal
Mr.Daniel Juan
Phone:+34-687-665-538
Email:dejusticia@aim.com

The fact of the matter is...

I'm burnt out. I need a conversational break. So I'm going to take one. I hope that when I come back on Monday (God willing) I'll have something to say that is a little more dazzling.

But for now my dazzle has dimmed and honestly, I just want to be quiet for a spell. Nothing grim (we got a two month extension on the car!) I just need to be quiet.

Save My Car!

Visit Goatmountainarts's Studio

Receive free shipping on Order Total (orders above $20.00)

Use Coupon Code:

SAVEMYCAR!

during checkout.

You smell better and I still get to drive. It's clearly a Win-Win deal here.

We all need more cowbell.

Big Meadows

Perfect timing, we left as everyone and their Grandmother's dog was rolling in. We got our second fav campsite the weather was beautiful, rained buckets the second night but not until we were tucked in the E.

Somehow we were so busy not many pics were taken, but i did get the obligatory car shot. I want to replace the Basketcase with a Load Warrior both for capacity but but also because I think it needs a bigger rack for proportion. Took the shiny H off the front cause it wasn't working with the whole Tonka Tank concept.

You can see Baxter sitting in the driver seat. No matter how many times I tell him he can't drive, hope springs eternal.

We went to the Tap Room twice. It was VERRRRY laid back and I liked it a lot but I will never pay $3 for a root beer again. We had nachos and pizza on HC recommendation. ASked about Lodge rooms, $25 pet fee, not bad, not great. Maybe next year. It would be nice to have a secure place to just chill with the dogs.

Gabriel took deer pics. We went to hike in the meadow and there was a couple with horses. He asked them if they wanted an apple for the horses and they not only cut it and let him feed but the gentleman sat him on the horse.

It was a very kind gesture. I often think that people underestimate the magnitude of something so simple and generous. Gabriel will probably remember that for a very long time. I found it very touching. it was a HUGE deal for the boy and the closest he's ever been to a horse.

The dogs were outstanding, as usual. I will say that camping without them, or with one would be more relaxing. Being the dogs they are, they need constant supervision when around strangers. Not because they are mean, but they are very on the job. So I have to be the first to meet and greet anyone. Then they are lovely smush buckets.

Having to be the Big Boss the entire time gets a little tiring. But they have SUCH a good time, you know?

We saw a gentleman with a black dog in his sidecar. Ended up behind him on 66 for a ways and was so nervous about the dog half in and out. I mean, it's a Mom thing.

Sad to leave, honestly. Two night is too short, but even if I didn't have the teacher conference thing it would have been crazy crowded. Decided we really need two Coleman SUV air mattresses. For some reason I can't get the one to fully inflate, no leak, just, hmmm. But with two I think it would be better.

We are still working with the dealer in regard to the car. I'll let you know what happens, should know by Monday.

No wonder the bear went over the mountain.

Cause I just came down and I don't like to see what there is to see. First we have Etsy who has rolled out TWO, yes Two! Partially functioning shiny pieces of tripe. One of which they admit is not functioning and that they KNOW it is confusing but they'll work on it.

This one top of the double dipping that was recently outed and continues to be non addressed. Gee surprise. The constant promo "Cheap! Cheap! Free!" and then this...http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6306469
go ahead and skip to the last few pages after reading the first.

But, wait, theres more! And you'll love this because it's something we can all be totally pissed about. After reeling a bit and going, WTF?

There's a seller of Etsy named Sprout Mama now I've seen her here and there when I venture into the bowels that is Etc. and she seems like a reasonable, nice person. Lately there's been a bit of a hullabaloo of regretsy.com which is basically a 'this thing sucks on E' sort of site and to be honest, I have no feelings about it one way or the other.

But that stuff doesn't bother me, go ahead, mock my soap, whatever.

But, understandably some people don't cotton to it. I'm sure that's because most of them, like Sprout are nice, reasonable people where I'm more of a 'Eh, off with you..' type.

Anyhow, Sprout posts on Etc. (link to come) that an Etsy member has, ok, wait, I have to sort of reel myself back in....

Ok, ready?

Sprout posts that an Etsy member Tenshi123 has convoed her to tell her she has submitted Sprout's stuff top Regretsy. Why, would someone do that? Well, apparently to let Sprout know that...ready......she's doing it so she can get a link posted to her (Tenshi123's) shop when she opens it.

Here, I'll go get some tea while you reread that a few times.....

Let me help you back up.

Yes, because nothing says "buy from me' then slamming another selling for PR. And what kind of PR, exactly? Unless she's selling "How to be a soulless bottom feeding back stabbing twat." I really couldn't say.

Here, let me run through this again, because I know you are like 'What?!"

Tenshi123 convoes Sprout. In the convo she tells her that she is submitting Sprouts stuff to Regretsy. Explains that she is doing so because she wants the credit (in link form to her non existent shop) as a form of advertising.

Yes, I have checked with Sprout to see if there was some kind of bizarrec ommunication breakdown and Tenshi123 thinks Regretsy is a good site. No. You see, Tenshi felt like she should "confess since it was going to be linked to her (Tenshi's) shop".

Link to Etsy Thread http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6311988&page=1

So you see, while incidences like this generally rally the troops, incidences like this truly boggle the mind.

Let's take the hurtful nature out of it for a moment. Lets also set aside the notion (that I have still not discarded) that this is some horrible practical joke gone awry.

Who on earth thinks this is GOOD PR for a shop you are about to open? With a mindset like that, not to mention a non functioning shop, well, she sounds like a great match for the great morphing pile of glittery crap Etsy has become.

Not because of the sellers, for the most part, but because of this distortion, like, hey, remember that Star Trek where Kirk finds out the President guy is really being used as a puppet? That.

I see Etsy as this great writhing beast being twisted and contorted into something that not only supports this breed of person, but has started a great heaving retching that casts the very best out from it's swollen and putrid belly.

And all the while the Etsy band plays on. I hear Maria plays the drums. Not well, I'm afraid. About as well as she runs Etsy.

Meanwhile admin rushes about finding the latest Hair Nest Finger Cowl' from the same seller as yesterday to hump on the Front Page.

UPDATE: Nope, no joke. This is the rambling post left on the thread by the delightful Tenshi. Rather than snatch that opportunity to make amends, even with some half hearted drivel, she posts this....

TENSHI123
"Well that was a thought and it nearly used deductive reasoning. Excellent try. Hope it didn't give too bad a headache. Except you assume I sell on etsy. I don't. I was just trying to make a wish come true, and maybe in the process find out if it was raccoons or etsy crafters who keep rummaging though our trash. That was just an outside change finding that part out."

No, it doesn't make a coherent point, but I think you get the general bitch drift. Well, except now she's recanting the shop opening. The wisest thing she's done, pretty much.

Camping, crafting and cereal.

Things on this end have been tough. Like, we cut off your water tough (it's back on). Like Repo your car tough (I'll let you know Friday).

So we are going in our soon to be repoed car, to Big Meadows Wednesday through Thursday. It's my hope that this will give me some sort of boost.

See, my spinning room is a mess, although I have picked up the guitar (that I am selling) again. it's half full of things to sell that just need to be finished, sock monsters that need eyes, that poor purple mouse from page three on this blog, waiting for a face. You'll me glad to know all her limbs are attached.

Little felt whales that need stitching, soap that should be made. All stuff that is doable and well, it would make sense in my current circumstance to get it out there. But instead, I walk in there look around and walk out. So I have the 'I should' guilt on top of it all, right?

I think at some point , after so long, your brain just goes "Screw it." It makes no sense, I should be scrambling but well, instead I just shut the door and eat a bowl of cereal. Or three.

Obviously this coping strategy isn't very practical. Being fatter and still broke has it own disadvantages. It used to make me feel better to make things. It doesn't right now.

So, the point of this missive, as uncheery as it is, is that I'm going to be gone. Shop is open, orders will go out Tuesday. Unless, as previously stated, a bear eats me and then you are on your own.
I'm hoping that getting away from the day to day other shoe dropping will help and I can make things again.

And ya know, even if I don't want to, I think by then whether I want to or not won't matter. it needs to be done and I've had enough cereal. Maybe I'll get my bike out...

Ok, I have to hate her just a tiny bit...

Maya Made This

I don't know if it's allowed to cut and paste from Etsy (not like they'd notice) so I'm linking.
This is E's Featured Seller designsmayamade and it's one of the best, reasonable, pleasurable to read interviews I've yet to read on E.

She's articulate, interesting and isn't trying to hard, you know? She sounds like (GASP) a grown up woman. Her responses are thoughtful, I was just really delighted to see someone like this featured.

Dog bed.

You should buy these.

Almond Berry

Burlesque

The Great Pumpkin