Happy Dance

Forgive me while I do my happy dance

Why am I dancing?

Because if you go to Google.com

and do a search on 

Jersey Girl Necklace

My link comes up FIRST!!!!!!

Yeah me!

Today's blog

is on my other blog.  There is a picture of me in rollers, go check it out!

Confessions of a Beach Writer

Cheap Christmas Pillow

My 10 yo son is home from school with walking pneumonia so I couldn't go to the beach today to fill my beach writing orders.

So I saw on I am a Lazy Mom's Blog the idea making a cheap Christmas pillow.

When I was at Target last night I picked up this cloth place mat for $4

Today I grabbed a bag of Polyfil at AC Moore for like $4 or $5

I only opened the place mat stitching enough to get my hand in with some stuffing. I figured the less sewing to close it, the better!

All stuffed and ready to be sew shut. 

 

I just stitched it by hand to close it.  I'm far from a great seamstress, but I am lazy and it was easier to just hand stitch the 6 inches then to drag out the dusty sewing machine that I probably shouldn't be lifting anyway due to the herniated disc in my neck!

Now to give it to the kid to make it all nice  & evenly fluffy!

Saturday Dec 17th

I will be at East Brunswick High School from 10 to 5 for their craft show!  Come out & see the items I offer in my online shop as well as things I don't list, like framed 8x10 photos and much more! 

(excuse the bad photo of the great photo, no natural light today)

DIRECTIONS

Confessions of a Beach Writer

Today's post is over on my other blog.  There is a picture, & it's worth clicking the link below to see it :D

Confessions of a Beach Writer

December 8th 2011 at the Beach

My beach trip this morning

was not successful, for beach writing.  

Still, a bad day at the beach beats a GREAT day in the office, right?

Just means I'll have to go again tomorrow... darn. 

More Craft Shows

So 12/10 I will be at InfoAge in Wall, NJ from 12 t 8

http://holiday.infoage.org/

It's not $10 to get in, that's for something else. 

on 12/17 I will be at East Brunswick High School from 10 to 5 It's on Cranberry Road in East Brunswick

1 more in the works for 12/18, will get back with more info later!

Craft shows!

I've been rather busy lately doing craft shows.  I really like doing craft shows :D

I'm trying to find one for 12/10/11 in NJ or bordering states.  

The only one I have scheduled right now is on December 17 at East Brunswick High School.

One thing I sell at craft shows that I don't online is framed pictures. I carry Jersey Girl ones and Live Laugh Love ones as well.  I don't offer them online yet because I haven't figured out shipping LOL.

Oh, don't forget my birthday is Wednesday Dec 7th. 

<3

 

Sloppy, unfocused, mess

Since it's been 2 weeks since I blogged, today is going to be a sloppy unfocused mess.  But I will try to cover everything I want to share. 

Last year I only did 1 craft show before Christmas.  This year I'll be doing 5.

I did the Jolly Mouse Craft Show in Aberdeen.  Then I did the Brick High School one.  I will be at the Colonia Middle School Show on Friday Dec 2nd.  On Saturday 12/3 I'll be at Toms River Intermediate South for their FIRST craft show and I just signed up for the East Brunswick High School craft fair on 12/17.

I should probably do more, but I'm suffering from back problems.

I spend a lot of time on the computer and that is probably what has done me in.  But between my day job & my business, it's where I am from 9am to 3pm and then off & on until 10.

I don't watch a lot tv (rarely) I don't bother investing in a DVR because if I do miss a show that I watch, like Criminal Minds, I watch it online.  Seriously, the only reality show I watched was American Idol and I didn't even watch that this past season. Ok, I do watch Jersey Shore, especially the seasons they film in Seaside, but don't tell anyone, it's my dirty little secret. 

Anyway, back in July I started suffering from what I thought were heart attack symptoms.  Many tests later, it turns out I have back/neck problems and it may be what was causing the supposed heart attack symptoms, because my heart is fine (thankfully).  So long story short, I'm going for an MRI today.  BUT I'm not going for a normal tube or open MRI, I'm going for a standing MRI.  

I didn't try the tube one but could NOT do the normal open one. I felt like I was trapped under a car.  I was going to attempt it again with a bunch of Xanax and a ride (husband was going to take me) but then I found this standing MRI and AND there is one close to my house!  I'm schedule for later today so I will come back and tell you how it went. 

Ok I can't sit here anymore so I'm going to stop for now but I'll be eventually to let you know how the standing MRI went!

UPDATE:
Seriously, the MRI was nothing.  Remember I'm claustrophobic, so if I say it's nothing, it's nothing. I was surprised that it was done.


On to the bad stuff.  Check out my cervical spine.

See where the red arrow is pointing?  Well I'm not a doctor and my appointment with the Orthopedist isn't until Monday, but that damn sure looks like a herniated disc to me!  I will find out for sure when I got to the doc.  


Fun times!

Christmas is coming!

As my friend so nicely pointed out, only 3 more paychecks until Christmas!  

(If you get paid biweekly like me.)

So there really isn't any time to procrastinate. Especially for Christmas cards!  I am here to make things a bit easier for you.  Let me make your Christmas cards.  All you'll have to do is, purchase the listing on Etsy or Zibbet, then send me the picture you want in my template, I'll email it back and then you can send it to Walgreens or Costo or where-ever and have it printed out!  Easy Peasey, Lemon Squeezy... 

I have no idea what that means.... sorry.

Anyway, here is the template for adding a picture.

If you want it a little more animal friendly, I have this one

Etsy or Zibbet

 

And I do offer custom beach writings with the Santa hat too. 

Etsy or Zibbet

Happy Shopping!

The Ocean didn't want to play today.

Most days, when I go to the beach to fill my custom beach writing orders, the ocean practically dances for my photos, and I am absolutely grateful.

 

Then there are days like today where I can not get one single thing done. 

The ocean was definitely dancing today. 

 

But it kept trying to get me to dance with it!

I had to run for my life (ok run for my dry feet!) more then once this morning!  There were 2 old guys standing up on the stairs and I am pretty sure I heard them laughing at me running from the waves!

I need a pair of those hip waders that fishermen use!

Or at least waterproof boots.

I couldn't really write anything today without it being washed away before I could even get 1 picture!

The birds weren't even safe!

Run birdies RUN!

No matter where I wrote, the waves immediately came and washed it away.  The sand could have been completely dry, but as soon as I put stick to sand, WOOSH it got washed away!

So instead I spent about 45 minutes walking through this rock field looking for beach glass. 

I found quite a bit!

Yes, I know the big round one isn't beach glass, but it's a really cool stone, so I took it.  

 

Becca was a little mad at me for not taking her to the beach today.  I'm actually blogging from the front porch because I'm afraid to walk in the house!  

LOL Just kidding, my dogs rock! 

  

 

Tee Hee

Just one last Halloween post.  My husband took this shot of me last night. 

 

The kids are finally old enough to go trick o' treating without us so I had a little bit of fun scaring the crap out of the neighborhood kids.  My favorite was scaring my one neighbor boy Jake. He SAW ME in my costume and knew I was sitting there on my porch.  But he walked up so focused on the bucket of candy sitting on the TRAIN OF MY DRESS that when I sat up and said BOO he SCREAMED LOL

Now to plan next year.  

Printing on Lunch Bags

How cool is this????

Let's face it, Pinterest is the BEST time waster, EVER.  

Here is my Pinterest page

If you don't use Pinterest, the best way to describe it is it's a web page that allows you to "Pin" web pages, sort of like a visual bookmark.  So instead of it just being a name in a long list of saved Bookmarks or Favorites, it's pictures. To me, it makes it easier to find things.  Then you can sort them into categories or "boards" too! I'm going to pin the picture above as soon as I'm done posting this blog!  LOL

For whatever reason, you have to get an invite to Pinterest. If you want one, email me

My Email

and I'll send you one.

Back to printing on paper bags.  The pin I saw had directions for Illustrator.  I like MS Word or PowerPoint better.  So below are the directions from Word 2007. 

First you have to set the size of the page.  In Word 2007, go to the Page Layout tab (or ribbon, whatevertheheckyoucallit) then from the Page Setup section, click on Size.  At the bottom of the Size menu there is More Page Sizes, click on it.

In the box that comes up, change paper size to 

Custom size

Width 5.2"

Height 10.2"

And click Ok. 

This is what your page will look like. 

You can either insert a picture like you see above or text like the middle bag in the first picture.  Either way, you have to flip the picture or text over because the bag will go in your printer bottom of the bag first.   Make sure the picture or text is closer to the bottom to the page on the screen, so it doesn't end up on the bottom of the bag.  

Printing can be a bit tricky.  Thankfully I have 2 printers.  My Brother printer which is a bit older, jammed the bags every time, no matter how I put them in.  So I moved over to the Epson Artisian 810 printer and it worked just fine. 

No matter what printer you use, you're going to have to go into the settings and set the page size (er, bag size).  Also, you want the image to print on the part of the bag that is not folded up, so test your printer by writing "down" or something like that on the folded part, so you know which way it prints. 

You could come up with some really cute ideas.  My sons use little reusable cooler lunch bags, plus they're 10 & 13, if I started printing things on their lunch bags, they'd probably stop eating lunch all together!  But if your kids are younger, this would be a really cute idea.  Or goody bags for classroom holiday party goody bags!

I'm thinking this would be a cute idea for bags for when I do craft shows.  

I guess you'd need white bags to make lawn luminaries the right way.  Also if you're using real candles, don't.  Get the little battery powered tea lights.  Much much safer!

If you try this, I'd love to see the pictures!

Happy Printing!

Gee Thanks for that

*warning I use a bad word or two*

I'm a little annoyed today. Well it started last night when a bitch cut me off and then glared at me like I did something.


Let me tell you the story.  Last night I'm driving home and I'm on Route 37 in Toms River. I'm in the far right lane because that's how you make a left in NJ.  No, you don't jerk your wheel to the left and cut across traffic, we have things called Jug Handles. Basically instead of making a left, you make a right and loop around back to the light & then cross the road you were just on.  These are only at traffic lights and are mean to reduce traffic. 


Whatever, all you really need to know is I'm slowly stopping in the right lane when this bitch comes from like 2 lanes over and nearly hits me to get in front of me.  So I beeped at her. 


Then as we get around the jug handle (which here is really around a block, don't ask) we get to the light and I pull into the center lane to go straight, she stays in the right lane and slows down to glare at me. 


She cuts me off, but I'm the bad guy.  OK whatever...


Fast forward to this morning.  


Just like every school day, my 10 year old son turns off his kids shows & turns on the Pix11 news, (out of NY) for me, at 7:30 and goes to make his breakfast (yes my kids make their own breakfast & lunch, that's another post for another day).  He puts his waffles in the toaster and comes sit back on the couch while they toast. 


I'm half asleep checking Facebook, working on my first cup of coffee, half listening to the news when a story comes on that they're discussing some new curriculum for the Sex Ed classes in NY.  


Then dear Suki on the news starts using words like "oral sex" and "anal sex"


So I want to play it cool, and honestly by now the story is basically over, so I don't want to jump to change the channel and make a big deal out of it, but OMG, really at 7:30 in the morning?????


But what was the point of that?  The story is about parents being upset over the new possible curriculum, so you make things worse by using that kind of language when kids are around having breakfast, getting ready for school


Had they just said something along the lines of "parents you may want to change the channel if you have little ones around."  That's all, nothing big.   Then the next story was about TSA agents finding a vibrator in someone's suitcase. 


I'm not a prude, far from it, but this is at 7:30 in the freaking morning.  I was actually moved to contact the station to complain.  I emailed, called & left a message on the station's Facebook page, no response.  The only response I got was from the Newscaster Suki on Twitter.  


I wrote:

@SukanyaNYC this & your discussion of anal & oral sex without a heads up to parents watching with kids is why I turned u off.

 "this" in my tweet refers to the vibrator story.  


She replied:

SukanyaNYC Sukanya Krishnan @beachwritings. Yes I understand that! We should have said warning. Will bring it up to producers. It bothered me too.

@ 

But yet she laughed through it and the vibrator story.  I think she's just trying to make nice.    I won't watch the PIX news in the morning again. And I'm telling everyone about it too.  So pass it along.  As someone else said on the stations' facebook page, as their ratings stink the more raunchier they get.  

Braaaaaaaaaaainnnssss

Did I scare you?

This weekend was the Zombiewalk in Asbury Park, NJ

and

our 12th wedding anniversary

What better way to spend it, than at at Zombie walk??!!!??!!

 Even the kids got in on the act!

The one in the red jacket was the Zombie Hunter.  Anything to be able to walk around with a fake gun....  ahh boys...

My husband says to me "Don't you know this woman?"  Umm Yeah, it's my cousin Marina! <3

There were quite a few brides, I should have taken photos with each one.  While I was wearing my own dress, she was wearing her mothers!!!

One tired Zombie. 

We will definitely be going back next year! 

Just a side note.  it is so very hard NOT to smile when someone points a camera at you, but Zombies aren't supposed to smile!

Saturday Oct 22

I will be in Asbury Park, NJ for this. 

Did I mention it happens to fall on my wedding anniversary???

SCORE!  

My friend at 

Umlaut Graphics

Had her way with my picture.

 

She Rocks!

Confessions of a Beach Writer

When I created this blog I didn't think of making it line up with my business name.  The Jersey Shore mom is a great title and it's all encompassing, but I want to eventually move over to my other blog, Confessions of a Beach Writer.  So sometimes there will be a post here, and sometimes it will be there, but I'll link them on both sites so you don't miss anything!  Here is my post for today.

Confessions of a Beach Writer

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

And this month I am more aware of it then before.  Someone very near & dear to me started Chemo for breast cancer this month.  So in her honor, I listed these in my Etsy shop with $10 of each sale going to the Susan G. Komen foundation.

The first one I listed sold in like 4 minutes so I put up a bunch more.  Get them while I have enough glass to make them!

Click here to get your own!


Quick Update (10/16) I've sold 5 so far!  And I may have changed my mind on the Susan G Komen foundation...  might find something more local to donate the money. 

I was right

No one came to my blog searching on the words Jennifer Aniston Naked. 

Now I need to come up with a blog topic. I've been uninspired to blog lately.

Because I've been Pinning.

Do you know what Pinningis?  Ever heard of Pinterest?

My Pinterest

Pinterest is a Virtual Pinboard or Bulletin Board.  If you find something on the net you want to share with others, Pinterest is the way to go. 

I like it a lot.  

You should check it out.

Some things I've Pinned...

And of course I pin my own stuff too :D

Settling an argument

My husband say if I use the words  Jennifer Aniston Naked that I'll get more hits on my blog.

I disagree.

I think you come for my really awesome stories & beach writing items!

My Etsy Shop

I'm a Lazy Mom

and one of my lazy tips (that I found on pinterest) is featured on the I'm a Lazy Mom web site!

She spelled my name Susie not Suzie, but it's ok.... this time.... LOL

She has a great site, make sure you check her out.

Before you head over there, and please do head over there, know that a Lazy Mom is not what you think.  It's not that we're lazy, we just empower our kids to do things for themselves. 

It's all my dad's fault

I am 41 years old.  I have been registered to vote since I turned 18.

I have NEVER been called for Jury Duty.  

When people would talk about Jury Duty & being called and how to get out of it, I always kept my mouth shut.  If it was a thread on a message board, I stayed out of it.  If people started talking about it IRL, I'd wander away from the conversation.

But about 3 weeks ago my dad asked me flat out "Have you ever been called for Jury Duty?"

I cursed under my breath, told him no. 

I knew then & there, my time was short...

And then just a few days ago, this showed up in my mailbox.

I am not happy.

Thanks Dad...

It would be wrong to go kick my dad in the shins, right?  Elder abuse or something?


Update!!!
9/16/11
Got  a postcard this week telling me I have been excused!!!!!
If I were in a better financial position, I would totally serve. 

Dashboard Dining

or, Cooking an egg on the sidewalk.

When it gets as hot as it did back in the end of July at the Jersey Shore, everyone gets cranky and bored.  So I tried my hand at cooking outside.

But not on the grill.

I'm talking eggs on the sidewalk, and cookies on the dashboard of my car. 

Before becoming BBQ Champs, the Diva part of Rhythm 'n Que entertained us with her dashboard cooking in her FPOGE from the 9th ring of hell. 

So I felt up my inner Diva & whipped up some Peanut Butter Cookies. 

Ignore the dirty vanilla bottle,  I bet yours looks like that too!

At 152 degrees in the car, its going to take 2 or 3 hours to cook.

In the oven, err car they go!

While waiting, I figured trying to fry an egg could help pass the time. Now even though my vanilla bottle looks like hell, I'm not a very dirty person and I didn't want egg all over my driveway, so I used a frying pan.

111 degrees,  It will be slow, but it should cook. 

Because we (and by we I mean the husband) have ADD, the pan was moved to his truck. 

In all fairness, the surface of his truck was hotter, see it's starting to cook!

The clouds came out so I decided to bring the egg in. 

It was a little runny, but it was done.  I like my eggs runny anyway.  

Served with bacon, the egg is perfection and cooked using solar power!

 

OK I didn't actually eat the egg.  Something about food sitting outside for an hour or 2, uncovered, skeeved me out a bit. That's also why the bacon isn't on the same plate, no reason to waste heavenly bacon. 

Ok back to the cookies.

It's been about 3 hours and time to test!

Oh yea, they're good.  DAMN good.

Now they didn't brown, because it wasn't hot enough to carmelize the sugar, so I threw them in the oven just a little bit to make them brown.

So that was my attempt at car cooking.  

Side note, my car smelled so good for about a week! LOL