The full article

Here  is the entire article.  It's still not on the newspapers web site so click on the pictures to make it big enough to read.

Hey, it's online now!  

CLICK HERE

Can't stop smiling

Can't stop smiling today :D

My Shop

Welcome!

Hi!  Welcome to Names on the Jersey Shore!  To the right there are images you can click on to get to my online store, you can just click the link below.

My Online Store

If you have any questions, you can reach me through email

SusanLott@verizon.net

Thank you so much for stopping by!

OH and if you can leave me a message or send me an email & let me know what paper you saw me in, that would be GREAT!  Thank you!!!

  

 

 

Tomorrow's the day

Not sure what having my business in the newspaper is going to do for my business.  I'm hoping for some really good stuff!  We'll see!

I created this page HERE to showcase some of my photos. I might end up using the site for my business page, I just need to check a few things out first.  They're definitely very reasonably priced!

Happy Saturday!

Web site design

Just like I would not accept a bottle cap for one of my printed & framed  custom beach writings, I would not even think of trading a beach writing for someone's hard earned web design skills.

I might offer my first born son if they could get it done and up by tomorrow.... LOL

I was playing with Publisher last night since I have it and it had web site templates.  Here is a screen shot of what I did.

But I saw this today and thinking I may use the layout of the frames for my front page.

 

I did it once years ago where I used a picture of a bulletin board (cork board) and had different things on the bulletin board be links.  I don't know if I can do that in Publisher. If not I think I can do it with CoffeeCup's Visual Web Editor.  

I have my hands full today. 

OH and I do have a day job. I'm an online trainer.  Normally I don't start until 10, but we have training at 9 this morning so even though it's GORGEOUS outside, I can't make a beach trip this morning :(  It's ok, I love my job and I get to do it from home, so no complaints!

I wonder if there is internet access at the beach.....

NamesontheJerseyShore.com

As luck would have it, just as I'm about to get some fabulous free advertising, my web hosting service is going away & I have to rebuild a website by Saturday night.

Even though officelive is just changing to office365, I have been informed that I have to rebuild my entire website on office365.  Here is some info I got on it.

Yes you have to rebuild everything
- you can copy text but any formatting will not be copied
- you can copy links but they will not work
- you can copy images but will have to save them and then reload them in 0365 and then reinsert them
- your gadgets wont work
- you will lose your page ranking

So, if you clicked on Namesonthejerseyshore.com and came here to my blog, yes you are in the right place.  You can click on the images on the right over there to get to my shop.

I hope I can get my new site up and ready by Saturday night.

Waiting not so patiently

Long story,k short, my business web site was hosted by officelive.com for free.  They're doing away with the free hosting but they're letting you try out their new service for free for 6 months.  With my business being in the paper this weekend I'm making sure that my site is up to par.

So I went it and made all the changes Officelive required to move the site over to the new service. 

Now I'm just waiting for GoDaddy to get it back up and running.  It's been 2 hours....  my web address is going NO WHERE.

I am NOT happy!

Tell me if it's up when you click on this link please

My Web Site

Thank you!

Something new

I'm trying something new. I need to redesign my website but it's been a LONG time since I did any web design.  SO I was thinking of just directing my web site here.

What do you think?  Is it a good idea? Do you do it?  The links on the right sidebar take you to different sections in my online etsy store.

http://www.namesonthejerseyshore.com  is my website.

Been Busy

All of the sudden I have a ton of things to get done.  They're really good things, but unfortunately it's my blog that suffers.  I really like the A to Z challenge, however, it's not working out this year.

I will try again next year.

With that said, I have to share with you something VERY EXCITING happening to me!

A few weeks ago I was contacted by a writer for the Asbury Park Press.  She sought out New Jersey Artists and interviews them for the Sunday's Best section of the Press and other Gannett NJ papers.

I spoke with her and my article is going to run this Sunday!!!!!

However I have to redo my web site by Saturday so that it's all new and sparkly for people to come see it on Sunday!

And I HAVE to do it because the free server I'm hosting it on will no longer be free as of Monday!

My web site is www.namesonthejerseyshore.com  in case you've never seen it.

M,N,O,P & Q

I can NOT believe I let my blog slide during the A to Z challenge month!

I do not MIND missing a day and playing catch up

I'd NEVER pick on someone else for missing a day or two

I find it OUTRAGEOUS that I couldn't find 5 minutes to write a blog post.

PLEASE forgive me. I may be lazy.... 

But I'm not QUITTING.

I'd never QUIT!

I'd just cheat & use all the letters I missed in  one blog :D

Lame excuses all around to explain why I haven't been here, but they are just that, lame excuses.  Well excuses & my day job has been busier then  I can ever remember, so there is that.

If I show you a pretty picture, will you forgive me?

I'm going to spend some time tonight putting up new listings in my etsy shop.  Not sure if that one is going in just yet, I need to do some research on that layered glass first.

See you tomorrow!  <3 <3 <3

Love you

The Beatles sang "All you need is love"

I wish more people would love instead of hate. 

And I don't care who you love, just as long as you love instead of hate, it's all good.

I let go of hate a long time ago.  Hating someone is giving them rent free space in your head and I don't have that much to share LOL.

Love one another,
put other people first
be thoughtful
be grateful and gracious

and this world would be a lot better of a place.

 

The kitchen

Everything happens in the kitchen... (ok not everything, get your mind out of the gutter!)

It's where we share our news, talk about our day, laugh cry & complain about doing the dishes.  It's where memories come from and it is the heart of a home. 

Yesterday I brought a tray of my dad's lasagna to my cousin.  She is fighting breast cancer and had surgery recently.  She, like most women, don't like having to ask for help, so her friends just set her up anyway.  Everyone signed up to bring dinner for the family and yesterday was my day. 

Her mom died when I was just 13, so I don't have a lot of memories of her. I do remember that she was very sweet and very kind and she loved her children dearly. 

As we were sitting down for dinner my cousin wondered aloud if my dad's lasagna & sauce were like her mothers.  It would make sense that they were similar, my dad & her mother were siblings! LOL She said they were similar but not quite the same.  We talked about how they added certain things to the Ricotta cheese that just made it perfect.  So glad I stayed and had some lasagna.  My dad usually only makes it around Christmas. 

They lived with us for a while and I remember her mom showing us how to make (forgive the butchering of this word) kraschickies or something like that. It was very light batter that you dipped this flower shaped wand into and then fried it in oil.  Then it would release from the flower thing and fry for a few minutes until golden brown.  Then we'd top it with powdered sugar. 

Another Aunt, my dad's oldest sister, had the tiniest kitchen ever, but it always smelled so good! 

My Mom's sister in law gets teased for not being the best cook.  She's older now and definitely can hold her own.  My kitchen memory of her will always be the amazing desserts she'd made. 

Now my mom... that's a whole story in itself.  Let's just say that when my mom made certain things, my friends would beg to eat over!  Heck my husband will tell you the first time I made dinner for him (my mom's baked chicken) he knew he'd love me forever!  LOL

I wonder what kitchen memories my kids will have of me.

Jackanapes

I did a Google search for words that start with the letter J for some inspiration today when I came across 

Jackanapes

It means Whippersnapper!

Ok it really means: an impertinent, presumptuous person, especially a youngman.  But it just cracked me up that the definition says "whippersnapper"

While it originally came from Jack of Naples,  it  later was attributed to the badge of someone other another 600 years ago because they used a monkey's leash on their badge!

Life really is just one big old game of post office when you think about it. 

I am

I am Suzie
I am a Woman
I am a Mom
I am a Wife
I am a Daughter
I am a Sister
I am a Friend
I am overweight
I am trying to not be overweight
I am funny
I am very silly
I am not a grown up even though I'm 42
I am Happy
I am an eLearning Specialist and I love it
I am Grateful for my talents
I am Thankful for my family, all of it.
I am Strong
I am a Mush and cry at commercials
I am a Beach Lover
I am a Dog Lover
I am Lazy
I am Soft
I am Smart
I am Addicted to coffee
I am a Non-Smoker
I am LOUD
I am Shy
I am Observant
I am a People Watcher
I am a Computer Geek
I am Happy with the Sun on my Face
I am a Photographer
I am an Artist
I am a mom
I am a Jersey Girl

Heart!

Totally cheating today and just doing pictures of some of the HEARTS available in my shop.

My Shop

Happy Easter & the letter G

I know I was supposed to post this yesterday, but I was tired.  We did a LOT yesterday.  Including planting seeds for our Garden!

10+ years ago when we were looking for a house, one of the things that attract4ed us to this house was the big backyard.  We have 2 sons and pictured them playing baseball or football and whatnot in this HUGE space. (that's my sister in law Jen)

Yeah, they ignored it.  Well they do use it occasionally, but not like we pictured.  I've planted vegetables here and there but never really kept up with it. 

This year we've decided (ok, I did) that because of the every rising price of gas & groceries, it's time to take advantage of this big backyard that really doesn't look much different then 10 years ago!

 So yesterday we gathered the dirt & seeds and some homemade seed starter containers and got to work!

So far we have 3 varieties of tomatoes, celery, cucumbers, carrots, onions and peppers. I think I want to add strawberries to the mix too.

 

Once Mother's day comes, all of these will be transplanted to the yard in garden areas.  Then we'll also plants the things that don't need to be started inside like corn, pumpkins, watermelon, cantaloupe and other things I'm sure!

In the mean time we need to get the soil ready.  Living down the shore leaves us with a very sandy soil.  Thankfully thejerseyshoredad has a truck because I think we're going to need a few truck loads of horse and cow manure!  Fun times!

I'm sure I'll post more pictures as things progress!

So that is my G post!  But before I leave you to go celebrate Easter with family, here is the Peep bouquet I made. 

 

They're watching you. 

Friends

Have a seat over there, I have a story to tell you.

I haven't told this story to many people, but a few do know it.  It's about a friendship I had to walk away from.  (I know, poor grammar, shut up) And sometimes it hurts to have to do it, but you have no other choice.  Let me tell you all about my story.

So years ago I made friends with my friends girlfriend.  Both my husband and I were friends with the guy so her becoming part of our lives was pretty seamless.  One day she  & her son were just a part of us.

It was all good because she was a good person.

And she liked to gossip like I did.  (I try to be better now and only gossip about the really good stuff, like the friend that has a stripper pole in her bedroom and her daughter thinks it's too help support the ceiling.  And don't ask because I'm not telling you who that is! LOL)

As our friendship grew I realized that I giving more then I was getting.  But being that kind of person that is always there for everyone else, I just accepted it.

I would listen to her talk on and on about her problems with her mother, her sister and her son.  Throw in her boyfriend, eventually husbands inability to do anything around the house too.  Ok, we all have problems but as we get older we learn to change the things that drive us crazy.  Or learn at least to stop complaining about them. 

Going on vacation with your parents every year and then complaining the whole time is not a vacation.

Being friends with a woman at work who is nasty to everyone else in the office, do you think she's not talking about you to everyone else the way she talks about everyone to you?

Hoping that your mother is going to change and suddenly treat you as well as she treats your sister, unfortunately she showed that was never going to happen and that was HER fault, not yours.  But you wouldn't listen to me. 

Oh and let's not forget how much you complained about your mother in law.  

I used to get in the car for my hour ride to my in-laws house, put on the hands free for the phone and call her just so I knew I'd be occupied the whole ride there.

Don't think I got to talk though... at least not for more then 5 minutes or so.  And as soon as I tried to talk about something, she'd immediately turn it all back to about her and her problems.  I can't say she was a "woe is me" but more of a "can you believe this shit".

But it was the same shit over and over again. And in GREAT detail.  Not only would I hear about what was going on, but what everyone was wearing, the temperature, how their hair was styled, on and on and on.

And I'd call her out on it occasionally in either a straight forward way or a passive/aggressive way.  "Is it mine turn to talk now" or "before you start, I want to tell you something."  Sometimes she'd get it, but mostly it was in one ear and out the other.

It dawned on me one day... no it SMACKED me in the face one day that she just did not care about other people.

She had called me on her way home from work for lunch.  It was very short trip but she called me almost every day.  This one day she says "are you kidding me???" I figured someone was driving stupid and I was going to have to hear how this 1998 Ford Mustang was doing 45 in a 40 and the blonde haired guy, well not really blonde more of a dirty blonde with grey eyes, had crossed onto the yellow line about 2.5 inches and was SO close to crossing the road and hitting here.

Nope, it wasn't that.

She was complaining that she was stuck at a green light because a funeral procession was going through the red light.

"Don't these people know there are people trying to get places on their lunch hour?  They need to schedule these things better!"

I was dumbfounded.  Was she really complaining about a funeral procession?

Yes, yes she was.  I asked her "are you in the lead car?" (meaning the hearse)
 Her "What? No"
Me "then quit complaining"

And she STILL DIDN'T GET IT.

That was the beginning of the end.  She got mad at me for selling the dress I wore in her wedding (that was almost as expensive as her dress, but we won't get into that). 

Then came the fateful conversation that once I hung up the phone, I knew I'd never call her again.

thejerseyshoredad & I had a very very rocky time in our marriage.  It was awful.  I called her looking for a shoulder to cry on,hoping that we could have a conversation about me and what I was going through.  As I'm pouring my heart out to her I suddenly realize she's not really listening.  She's talking about the cheese & croutons in her salad with her husband.

For 5+ years I've listened to her for HOURS on end about every single problem in her life, repeatedly and the ONE time I needed her, she wasn't there for me.

She couldn't be there for me.  She didn't know how to be there for me.

I stopped my conversation short and told her I had to go and I never called her again.

To this day I don't even know if she understands why I walked away.  I spoke with my therapist about it once and she told me that more than likely, even if I had explained it to her, she probably still wouldn't get it, because that's just the way she is.

So I walked away.  It really wasn't that hard.  While our husbands were friends, even that friendship wasn't as close as it once had been. 

So the moral of today's F post is Friends are supposed to be THERE for you, and you for them. They are supposed to support you and lift you up, just like you do for them.  You are supposed to celebrate your happiness and cry in each others arms when needed.  And occasionally you get together and have a few drinks and make new memories so that when you're old and grey and barely remember each others names, you can try to piece the stories together and then laugh some more.

There isn't any room in a real friendship for negativity and petty bullshit.

Don't think just because you've been friends a long time that you HAVE to stay friends with someone who makes you sad or hurts you.

And if you need a shoulder to cry on or want to rejoice with someone, you can always contact me!  I'm not the perfect friend, but I try hard!

EASTER!!!

I got busy and forgot to blog yesterday :(  I need to use the schedule feature one of these days!

Ok on to E for Easter.

I'm not really into to Easter.  I celebrate it with my family because any reason to get together & laugh is a good one!  This year we're all getting together at my brothers house which is really nice because he lives near me!

Now I do have fun making things for Easter.  I've done single tulips in cups as presents. I've made cake pops with Peep heads sticking out

Another year I made Peepshi

This year I'm making a bouquet with the Peeps.  I'll post pictures another time.  Funny thing though, I don't like Peeps.  I'm just not a huge fan of marshmallow. But they're fun to play with.

I do like coloring eggs!

 





We need to get moving on this because we haven't colored eggs yet this year! LOL

I'll run out later & get the eggs & coloring stuff and we'll do it tomorrow.

One of my favorite Easters started out with the kids having slept over Grammas house and then thejerseyshoredad's sister & her then boyfriend (now husband) driving the kids down & meeting us the boardwalk.  It was the best because thejerseyshoredad & I waited for them at Martell's Tiki Bar, having a few drinks & enjoying the GORGEOUS day.

Here is my blog about Easter from 2 years ago TODAY!  How freaky is that!  I also just realized I missed my 2 year blog anniversary!

Happy Blogaversary to me!  LOL

Editing to add in the pictures of the Peep Bouquet I made!

They're watching you!

My Doggies!

I love dogs.  Much like kids, if I could, I'd have a whole ton of dogs!  But we only have 2

Becca is a Border Collie Sheltie mix that we have decided is the designer breed "Beltie."  She seriously is THE BEST DOG ever.  

We originally were just going to foster her, as we had been doing that for a few months, but I knew immediately she was in her forever home. 

While it's always sad when someone has to give up their dog, I'm grateful to the people who gave her up.  She is the epitome of finding a needle in a haystack.

But be warned, she is VERY protective of us.  I believe she would jump in front of a bullet for any of us. 

We were quite happy being a one dog family.  

Then one night we're watching tv and thejerseyshoredad sees a border collie playing with a Jack Russell Terrier.   He was totally in love. 

Let me take a step back here.  I am the one who grew up having dogs.  thejerseyshoredad only ever had cats.  Oh and I only ever had medium to large Collies.  My sister in law had a little mini poodle when she & my brother married.  He was cute, but OMG little dogs are annoying. 

I didn't really put any stock into actually getting Jack Russell.  

But then one day my neighbor-friend Millie said to me 

"We probably have to get rid of Odie, one of the girls is allergic to him"

Odie is a Jack Russell. 

All of the sudden I hear the words "I'll take him" come out of my mouth

(very edited picture, if he wasn't on a leash he'd be swimming to Europe!)

Not exactly sure how it happened, but I said it and a few days later he moved in. 

It was hard at first.  The little shit thought he was in charge.  We quickly changed that and Becca helped a LOT too. He had to be taught to not run out the front door.  And he still has to be leashed in the backyard because he's part hamster and tries to dig out.

However, he's a mush. I wake up with him sleeping at ON my feet.

I have to laugh at the differences between the two. 

Becca lives to make us happy.

Odie couldn't care less what we do unless it is to serve him or his needs in anyway.

But they play nice together (most of the time)

and they don't fight (for real)

(i LOVE this picture, Becca looks SO mean and she's a big pushover)

And they complete our family. 

Do you have any dogs?

C is for Cookie

And it's also for Calories!

I've changed my way of eating from a low carb / high protein, Atkins style diet to actually counting calories (but still lower carb).

I've dealt with weight issues my entire life.  Ok maybe starting in 3rd grade if you go back and look at my school pictures.  I would diet here & there and lose 20lbs and then gain it back.  At a few times in my life I was OBESE, but for the most part I was just over weight, so I really never put a lot of effort into losing weight.  Then in 2000 I found an Atkins bulletin board and decided to give it a try.  I lost 43 lbs in 6 months!!!  Then gained it all back when I got pregnant 2 months later! LOL.  Since having my 2nd son almost 11 years ago, I tried over and over again to lose weight.  But I just could not get it to stick.  I had no will power.

I was obese.  Everything from my weight, to my pants size to my shirt size all started with a 2 and that was not a good thing.  One day I was at the grocery store I took a good look at all the old people outside the store waiting for their ride.  While a few of them were chunky, not one was obese.  I decided then and there it was time to get serious about weight loss.  It took me about 2.5 years (still not very good at sticking with it) I lost 66lbs! 

I was no longer obese, I wasn't even overweight, I was in a healthy BMI!

Then I got sick & quit smoking, and over a few months about 20lbs came back. 

So I'm back to trying to get that off. I turned of course to atkins.  I think it's because I know it too well and know the short cuts because it just wasn't working.  So I moved to JUDDD.

And now I have to count calories!

Counting calories SUCKS!  I guess in time I will get to know what calorie counts are in certain foods I eat, but for now I'm measuring and weighing my food.

and it sucks!

But it's working....  so I guess I'll stick with it for a while.
  

Ahh the Beach!

For those of you who have been following me, this is post is not for you. It's for my new friends.

Today's blog, coming VERY late in the day, is all about the Beach.

 I love the beach. 

I love the beach so much, I use it in my business. 

I am a Custom Beach Writer!  From my Shop, people place orders for me to write things in the sand and take a picture of it.  Then I email them the picture.  I also make necklaces & wine charms from the beach writings.  More recently I started making necklace from the beach glass I find on the beach!

I love my business.  I truly feel it is the business I was meant to do!

Ahh crap

Why the hell did I sign up for the the A to Z challenge.  It's just a stupid, stupid idea! Who wants to blog 26 times in a month??  Such slave drivers! I hate it, I'm DROPPING OUT!!!


LOL April Fools :D

But I am cheating and this is my first blog for the challenge. 

Good luck everyone!