Tuesday, December 8, 2009

While I wait for the heater to turn on...

Seriously I don't get it, we have a heater but apparently it only turns on once the house gets "cold enough." Well guess what heating system. I can't feel my fingers!!!! I think it's time!

And with that out of the way, here are a couple pictures to get you into the holiday spirit.



Donovan's attempt to stay warm in these frigid conditions.
Patty, Joe's Mom, kept an eye on me the entire time we were down there this weekend to make sure I didn't steal any of Joe's old Christmas ornaments, a picture was the best I could do.
How freakin cute is he?!?!?


Saturday, November 7, 2009

10 Things I love...right now

This blog, and it's inspiration for this post and a dozen other things.

This boy.

My new Old Navy Jacket, and the fact that it was 50% off.

Nail Polish, though I can't quite figure out how to get it to actually stay on my nails..

My new necklace from stephiemc.etsy.com. Can't wait for it to get here.

All thing Pyrex and the fact that my love for it runs in my blood.

Pumpkin Spice Lattes, and my PS significant other.
Figuring out how to finally use a sewing machine and that my sister has been so patient teaching me how to use it. Thanks sissy!

Hudson House and their delicious $1 chicken tacos on Tuesdays. And I love Julie for introducing them to me and our impromptu dinner date.

And of course, this handsome fella.


Saturday, May 16, 2009

New Stuffffffff

So MsItoMosquito has a taken a turn for the time being. I needed to do something new just to shake things up a bit. My friend Julie carves her own stamps for her Etsy shop, www.mailday.etsy.com. and I talked to her about carving my own. The first time I did it I absolutely hated it. Hated. IT. Then while watching her make stamps at the craft fair (remember we had some down time...) I realized that I was doing it all wrong. Figures. So I decided to give it another shot...and I love it.

The only problem is I can't think of things to carve. I'm wanting simple, quirky things to stamp in the lower right corner of cards. Simple, just one stamp and that's it. I'm only going to sell them as sets and because they take a lot less time making them (once the stamp is carve) I'm going to sell them for a lot less than my other cards. Just trying to shake things up since while sales on Etsy have stopped completely.

So shoot me some ideas for stamps, something that you would want on a card, or just an idea you have. If I make a stamp with yours suggestion I'll give you a free card. Deal? I'm expecting ideas to start pouring in now...

Here is one of my first run of cards...

Sunday, May 3, 2009

I'm so sorry to all my blog readers, all 6 of you. I have kept you waiting on the edge of your seat for my next installment of msitomosquito musings. But wait no more..

As many or all of you know I was preparing for my first craft show. Well that show has come and gone and only two of you showed up. Rude. Ha. And don't try to tell me that you came and I just must have not seen you, because believe me I know everyone that was there, all 15 of them.

So ya it was a slow day..but not a total lost. At least in my eyes. Mom would stop giggling at the whole situation and cracking jokes which at least she thought were funny. Kidding mom.

I'd been stockpiling all my cards and gift tags to make sure I had enough of an inventory for the big day. I did, with an extra 100 left over. I was asking my twitter friends for advice and got some great advice and encouragement from a talented, sweetheart that I talk to from somewhere in Canada, PEI I think, I'll have to google. Her main advice was to be organized. And I think I was, especially for my first event.

We set up the table in the house hallway the night before. Dad was my only customer and he almost fell over when I told him my prices, but then again he's probably never bought a card in his life.

I made an adorable banner that I found on a website at 11 the night before. We packed up the table and tried to sleep. I knew I had an early morning, for me at least, but couldn't fall asleep with jitters and ideas for the next day.

Amanda went with me to set up which I definitely appreciate, she was the best helper/salesperson I could have asked for. Except when she gave a 90 yr old woman my business card and encouraged her to shop on my online etsy shop. Mom joked that she'd be trying to find it on her TV that night.

We set up shop with tons of time to spare...especially since there wasn't a customer in sight until two hours after the fair opened.

The customers trickled in throughout the day, most everyone belonged to someone vending at the fair. I'm guessing most everyone's sales came from someone else selling at the show. But the vendors could not be any nicer! It was so nice to meet so many talented local crafters. I sat across from my good friend and coworker Julie and we had a lot of fun talking back and forth while crafting with our spare time.

I sold a whopping $21.00 worth of cards. And paid the library my measly 20% of my sales. Thankfully the table was free or I wouldn't be so cheery about the situation. It was a learning experience and am still happy I did it. It was nice to see people appreciate my cards and nice to get most of the kinks out my table set-up etc.

Special thanks to my Mom for all her hard work the night before and for bringing me food. To Amanda for ALL her help, couldn't have done it without you thanks for not burning my cards. To Joe, if you read this for coming to my crap fair and for working your clean up shift. To Tarynne and Doreen for coming to the last 10 minutes of the fair when everyone was cleaning up. I'm glad you got to shop on NSD when I didn't. Thanks for buying my infamous Tricycle card, and for the adorable eraser/soap.






I'm sure there are more stories I could tell about this event but I can't think of anymore and I've been hassled about getting a blog post up.

Here are a few pics of my table and Julie's, the lighting was kinda crappy.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Inside all of us...

is a WILD THING.

Can't wait for this movie to come out. It will be one of the few that will actually get me in the theater...too bad it'll be in October. It looks amazing and I'm really interested to see how they make a whole movie our of the short story with limited words. Can't WAIT. And I hope it's not as perverted as my Children's Literature professor made it out to be, really I think he was the pervert.

Here's a trailer... (edit: apparently the embedded link only worked for me...you lazy people could have just googled it!)

http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/where-the-wild-things-are/trailer

Friday, March 13, 2009

Encore

Straight out of the camera. No photo editing, whatsoever. Pinkie Promise!
These flowers were absolutely gorgeous. 

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Friday, March 6, 2009

t.m.i

A couple AZ stories from today...

Here's a convo I had with two of my girls in my Thurs. art class.
A: "Teacher Ali, how old are you?"
Me: "How old do you think I am?"
A: "I don't know...."
R: "73!!!!!"
Me: 73!?!?!? A is that how hold you think I am?
A: Uhhh......dramatic pause while studying my face.....ya!!! Flashing big toothless smile.

Love them.

A somewhat loud conversation between two girls during my "Hello Meeting" 
A: "H, were you sick last week."
H: "Nope I had diarrhea." (All matter of factly)

Uhh TMI H, TMI.

Mole Update:
H in his daily studying of my BEAUTY MARK, referred to it as Mole-e. Because I didn't already think of the Austin Powers scene every time we talked about it.

Friday, February 27, 2009

It's a MOLE!

Kids at the ArtZone are very observant. Any time I wear my hair a different way or wear different shoes they say something to me. Like when I wore my hair down, half the kids didn't know who I was..ok so maybe they aren't that observant. This was the same day that one of the kids said I smelled like a dog. Maybe looked like one, but I DID NOT smell like one.

Anyways there is one kid, "H" who is basically obsessed with my mole. It never fails ,everytime he comes in on Monday he says something about it. Most of the time it is the first thing he says to me. While pointing at my face,"It's a MOLE." He knows what it is because I've had to explain it to him many times, like no H you cannot pick it off my face, it's a mole and it's there all the time. He still pokes at it from time to time, which totally grosses Stef out. :) 

Well I tend to refer to it as a beauty mark, because that's what it is and it sounds a lot better than a mole. I figured explaining it as a mole would be easier to kids. Though H did make a comment about it being like an animal. So I think he thinks the thing on my face is the same thing as the animal digging holes in the ground.

Anyways, "O" noticed it recently, enough at least to ask about it. It's usually when I pick them up and they are right in my face that the notice the "chocolate chip." Anyways I tell her it's a beauty mark. And she looks at it and goes, in the sweetest, most angelic voice (that a girl with snot coming out of her nose can have) "IT'S BEAUTIFUL!! I nearly cried. It was so cute.

Just another reason I love my job.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Woooooot!

I'm so excited. So I'm kind of obsessed with blogs and I stumbled across a fabulous blog and such a talented designer. Well turns out she does custom projects, and I've "commisioned her," "hired" or whatever to create a real life logo and Etsy banner. I'm am soooo super excited and just wanted to tell everyone, well all 4 of you about it!

Woot.

Gift Tags Galore!

I needed some variety in my Etsy Shop and decided to make some gift tag sets. I made some at x-mas time for a very special customer and figured why not make them again.

Here are a few pics of them. They can be found for sale at http://msitomosquito.etsy.com





I'm selling them for $3.50 for a set of 6. And free shipping. Does that seem like a good price to you guys? 


Sunday, February 22, 2009

Carnival/Tattoo Celebration


So as I'm sitting on the couch nursing my sugar hangover I decided I'd blog about our super fun Saturday night. One of our good friends, Jordan, turned 30 this week and Stefanie (his wifey) planned an amazing suprise party for him. I honestly don't know how she did it, we had a hard enough time planning a surprise party for my parents while they were gone, but she did it while Jordan was there! Bravo Stef, Bravo! 

And what a party it was! I'm going to let the pictures do the talking..

(ugh I always forget to do them backwards...) 




Out by the Keg!
J & S
Stef and her Sis!
The birthday boy! Stef made him wait at Starbucks.

Fuzzy Balls.
Roasted Peanuts. Found on etsy.
Delicious
Hanging flower pots, and cute picket fence.
The ellusive Pretzles.



Cupcakes!
Popcorn in adorable little pc boxes.
Drinking Fountains
One of my fav pics.
Adorable Metal Signs 

Side Door and Lights
Loved this little guy. Took many pics of him.
Tattoo Table
Front door
Tattoo Sign


Jordan's Ink Fund and Raffle Prizes

One of these are in my fridge...his hours are numbered

What a spread!
Some inside decos
Outside pics, old pictures of J!

Ps. The headache is gone!