Friday Faves!

Hey there!

So after a ridiculously long hiatus, one which I have no excuses for, I am back with a fun Friday Faves post! :)

I initially was going to post this prior to my b-day as a wish list of sorts, but I apparently forgot to hit publish.... my bad!!

So, a whole two weeks late, here you go! :P

• M-Cups Red Measuring Matryoshkas

Are these not the cutest freaking things you have ever seen???

• Along the same vein, I would like the matching measuring spoons:

• This kitchen timer:

• And these "Babushkups"!

All of these amazing creations by Fred & Friends can be found on Amazon!! :)

I am so in love with all of these adorable little things!

• My very own copy of this movie:

And I need a copy of the soundtrack as well!! It puts me in the perfect creative space! (But I get so sucked into it, sometimes it is hard to pull myself away! lol)

I am having a brain freeze at the moment, but I feel like this pretty much sums up where I am in my mind right now! :) And since I have an awesome step-brother, I was able to pick me up a few of these items with the perfect Amazon gift cards he gave me for my b-day! 

This year was all about spoiling myself, and being able to do so because of the wonderful people in my life. And I still have one more gift to enjoy at the end of this month! (More on that later, I promise!)

Wow, I must say, just sitting here putting the finishing touches on this post has made me realize how much I missed yackin' at ya the last couple weeks! I am so sorry I disappeared... I blame Mercury! It went retrograde at the end of February, and for any of you who know what that means, maybe you can forgive my cyber absence! It was a doozy!!

A little off topic, but only slightly.... if you want to learn more about those blasted 3 weeks that Mercury likes to screw with us, I found a very funny article on BuzzFeed the other day: Say Goodbye to the Worst Mercury Retrograde Ever by Katie Heaney. And she ain't lyin'!

Well, with my writing bug rejuvenated (apparently he went on a short vacation... I am going to call him Norman!) I think I will get to planning more posts! I need to stop feeling like it needs to be the PERFECT topic and written PERFECTLY... I gotta just let Norman run free!! And maybe I need a little more sleep, because I have no clue where this "Norman" thing is coming from... ah to heck with it! It's making me giggle! 

TGIF my loves, and I will talk at you soon!

Sneaky Peeky!

Hola amigos! I have been working on a very fun little project tonight!

I wanted to pop in to give you a little taste of the newest addition, who is related to the beautiful Victoria. Thankfully, Victoria found her forever home at the holiday bazaar I was in last November.

She was so purty! :)

This one finally told me her name, so I would like to introduce, Cordelia! She is keshi #54, and the first of 2013!

I am holding off on a full reveal for a little while, but I must say, she is pretty damn gorgeous! :)

Well, I am off to do some laundry (woot woot!) and get ready for my work week!

Ta ta loves!

A New Friend!

So I was browsing in the craft store the other day, one of my fave things to do, and decided to branch out a little in the construction of my keshis. I was inspired by one of my favorite artists, who actually got me hooked on the idea of kokeshi dolls. You should really go check out her stuff, it is fantastic! Anyhoo, she has made a ton of kokeshi dolls over the years, and one of the body styles she uses I thought I would try out.

What do you get when you combine these two seemingly boring wooden pieces?

The cutest new addition to the KaeleighBee Keshi family!

I don't know why, but it just makes me giggle!

And this stroke of hilarious genius came when the head didn't quite want to fit on the body:

Bahaahahaa! Just imagine the wooden ball as an afro, and the top of the body piece is the teeny tiny face.... I could not stop laughing for a few minutes at this little thing! I may have to do a one-off, 70's-era disco queen with this one!

That's all! Just wanted to pop in and say, hellooooooo! 

My Monthly... Goals: March

Happy March everyone! I didn't want to get too far into it without sharing my goals for this month, so let's get down to it, shall we?? Alrighty!

• Finish commissioned keshi! (FOR REALS!) - Ok, ok, I know, this is a repeat offender. But I swear, I will actually be crossing this one off the list! Hopefully in just a few days in fact!
• Update Etsy shop with 15 new listings - And yes, I know this is the same as last month, but I want to eventually list everything I have, and doing it in these kinds of chunks makes it seem less daunting!
• Go to doctor for physical - Soooo.... yea.... this one actually scares the beejeezus out of me. In fact, typing it out now is giving me some minor heart palpitations... I actually seriously regretted it as soon as I wrote it down lol. I am a GIGANTIC wussy baby when it comes to going to any sort of doctor, but I haven't gone in lord knows how long, and I keep promising M that I will. At least to just get a baseline to work from to get healthier! Eek!
• Get contacts! - I have kick-ass vision insurance and I seriously need to get some new contacts. I have been putting it off because they discontinued my brand, so I have to go get a new fitting and all this crap. Can't they just give me some? It is a little plastic discy that I shove in my eye... why does it have to be such a production? Sheesh! A little side goal with this one is to also get a new pair of glasses. I have had the same ones for over 5 years, and they are looking a little sad! :)
• Post at least once a day - This one is feeling super ambitious to me, but I really do want to accomplish it! And I suppose I should add, post something of QUALITY at least once a day! :) If you have any ideas of what you would like me to write about, please don't hesitate to tell me! Sometimes I worry I am just blathering on about nothing, and that you are all falling asleep at the computer, just trying to get through it lol. I am having so much fun though, and I hope that you are too!!

Alrighty, well that is all that I have so far... I will probably update you on my progress around mid-month, and then of course include my awesome successes at the end of the month in the re-cap! 

What kinds of things are on your goal list? Do you do monthly goals? Daily? Hourly? :) Shout 'em out!

Toodles!

Friday Faves!

Another Friday, and the 1st of March! Is it seriously March already? WTF?! This is going to be a fun month, because in 13 days I will be celebrating my birthday... woot woot! This is also the month I am finally getting my iPhone! Oh yea baby! It is going to be a fantastic birthday prezzie to me!

But anyhoozles... on to the topic at hand! What sort of things am I favoring this week? Well, let's find out, shall we?

• These gorgeous glittered candlesticks! My wedding planning desire has re-awakened, and with it, the wild pinning of all sorts of crazy cool ideas for decor, dresses, foods, you name it! The venue that I fell in love with, Pine River Ranch, doesn't allow open flames. That is perfectly fine with me because, quite frankly, I don't want a real barn-burner of a party!! I love the idea of sticking a single flower in the candlesticks instead! So elegant and whimsical!

Originally found on Pinterest, taken from here

• This incredible bouquet I came across on Etsy the other day. The colors are beautiful, and I love the fact that it is all fabric and brooches. LOVE!

From this Etsy shop: Metallic Bloom

• This iPhone case! Ok, so I know that I already talked about Zazzle cases, but I actually BOUGHT this one! I wanted it to arrive so that I could lovingly place my brand new baby... I mean iPhone... inside of it the MOMENT it's mine!

Bright Scallop Summer Pattern iPhone 4/4S case: zazzle.com

• This awesome DIY shelf! I have been eyeing this thing forever, and I finally get to make one! A resident's bi-fold laundry room door "fell" and has a huge hole in it now, so I get to take it home! Yippee! I think I am going to paint it a pretty mint color... I just have to find a darn place for it! :)

This website is chocked full of amazing crafty bits, you must check it out!

• So, when I was trying to find the picture of the shelf above to include in this post, I stumbled onto another amazing thing within the site. An entire compilation of craft room tours, one of my favorite things to look through, ever!! Just seeing all of these incredible rooms is making me antsy for a re-do of my own!

http://www.craftaholicsanonymous.net/huge-list-of-craft-rooms

• This coat! For some reason, I have been very into scallops and chevron patterns lately, and I just love the color and styling of this coat!

Color Block Slim Tweed Coat: oasap.com

Well, I believe that is about it for now, folks. Stay tuned tomorrow for the March edition of my monthly goals, and I might even slap up a b-day wish list, you know, in case you were wondering what to get me! ;)

LOVES!

In Review... February!

February 2013

The month of L-O-V-E has reached its end, and I wanted to do a little re-cap of the goings on over here at KaeleighBee. I thought it would be a fun way to look back someday and remember what the heck I did! And that day may come in, like, 3 weeks, but thank goodness I will have this record! :)

I thought I would start with a look at how I did in accomplishing the goals I set for myself back at the beginning of the month.

Monthly Goals

• Get blog up & running! As I mentioned in my mid-month check-in, this one is a resounding success! And I am closing out the month with 21 posts in 28 days. Not bad, not bad... although I still hope to post more often! I just have to say, it has been such a pleasure writing all of these things and I have gotten more joy than I even expected out of sharing myself with all of you!
• Finish commissioned Keshi. Ok, so I may have said I had made time to do this last weekend, buuuuut.... I sorta didn't do it! :( So, this one is going to slide on over into the March goals! For whatever reason, I just could not get motivated! I have everything I need, and I am super excited to see what she becomes, it is just the getting to the end product thing I keep struggling with. But I will prevail!!
• Pay off surgeon bill! Yeppers! A whole $1200 was deducted from my bank account to FINALLY pay off this ridiculously old debt... I am so glad to be done with it! Now I just have to put my other plans in motion and soon I shall be debt free! Yippee!!
• Update Etsy shop with 15 new listings! Another one to check off! As you have probably seen, I have been posting liking a mad woman, slowly filling my shop to the brim with all sorts of fun things. I have updated you here with the first 10, and I shall unveil the last 5 shortly. I have had all of these things waiting here since last summer when I was preparing for the 2 shows I did, and it is nice to actually get them listed!
• Submit app for November show! Still have to check this one off only halfway. The app is completed, I just need to send it in. I have to wait until mid-March when I have the extra funds to pay the booth fee though. 

Now for some "just for funsies" stuff!

Movies I watched:

I am not a HUGE movie person, I really have to be in the right mood, but I watched several this month that I really enjoyed.

• Skyfall - This was the first of the Daniel Craig "Bond" movies I had seen, and it was pretty good! The theme song was my favorite part though, I have to say. Watching this movie sparked M and I to do a mini-Bond marathon and we watched the other 2 Daniel Craig films, GoldenEye, and Die Another Day. I have to say, I don't really like Daniel Craig as Bond. He is kind of a bumbling idiot, not smooth and classy like Bond is supposed to be!
• Flight - This was very good! Denzel Washington is great as always, although the crash scene was incredibly intense. And I am not really afraid of flying, but that freaked me out! It just goes on and on, and it is so realistic! Spooky!
• Mommie Dearest  - I had never seen this movie until yesterday! We came across it on TV, a little less than halfway through, and then I watched it again OnDemand to make sure I watched every insane meltdown! 
• Chocolat - Such a beautiful movie! I forgot how much I love this movie, and I HAVE to get the soundtrack! I got sucked into this yesterday when I had planned on working on upcoming blog posts. Teehee! Oh well, I got them done anyway!

Books I Read:

I do most of my reading in the shower (I am sure some of you are asking how!) and there are several that I read over and over again!

• Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen - I have all four of her books, and I love every one of them! This one is my favorite, but they are all fantastic. They are full of subtle magic and Southern charm. I HIGHLY recommend them!
• The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen - Like I said, huge fan! :) 
• Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling - This is probably the 15th time I have read this book (and the rest of them for that matter), but I just can't get enough! They bring back such sweet memories of when I was younger, especially the first 3. I received them as Christmas gifts from my grandparents in 1999 and I can remember cracking open the first one that night. My mom and I were having a "sleepover" in her room that night and, this may sound weird, but the smell of the pages of this book bring me back there to her huge wood-paneled room, where I slept on an inflatable mattress that took FOREVER to blow up with this ancient little air compressor we had. Good times!! :)

New Adventures:

• I switched banks finally!! In fact, M and I, between the two of us, opened up five new bank accounts! One of which was a... duh duh duh... joint account!! That's right folks, I feel like a real grown-up! :)
• M got a fantastic new job and I couldn't be prouder! It is a huge step up from what he was doing before, and he already has several other opportunities opening for him with this company. So exciting!
• I am starting a SUPER COOL new collaborative project! I am keeping it a secret for now, but it involves my keshis and a form of expression I never would have thought would be possible to do. I am so excited, and I promise to give you more details soon!

Whew... This has been a pretty busy month! I hope you have all had a good one too, and I truly can't thank you enough for joining me on this ride. Here's to you and to many more months of re-caps! :)

Cheers! 

Thrifty Thursday!

Good morning everyone! Today I have a comedic edition of Thrifty Thursday for you! Although technically, these items were found in an antique mall, but whatevs... I can bend the rules a little!

Remember how I told you M and I went to this amaze-balls antique mall a while back? Well, I have to show you a few items we saw (and left) there.

First up, we have this epic old sailorman doll:

Looking at his goofy little face now, I REALLY wish we had bought him! But, it was the end of the night, they were about to close, and I was running low on funds. Perhaps if we go back he will still be there! M said that this is what he was going to look like when he gets old, including the pipe oddly shoved all the way inside his mouth! I thought I was going to pee my pants laughing! Thank goodness no one was around, otherwise they would have thought I was insane!

This gem was found by M, hanging up in the corner of a booth. I don't really have any words to describe this, so I am going to let the picture speak for itself: (and please forgive the poor quality, it was not the best lighting and I couldn't get very close to it!)

Yea, see what I mean? What can one say about this... it is purrfect? Meowgnificant? Hissterical? Ok... I'm done with the cat puns!

And last but not least, an adorable set of S & P shakers:

In case you don't know, these are the little mushroom dudes from Fantasia! :) They are so stinkin' cute!!

We definitely need to go back and spend several hours in this place... it was huge! I actually got lost several times and thankfully M has a fantastic sense of direction, or else I might still be stuck in there. If any of you are locals, it is located on Hwy 99 in (I think) Shoreline. It is located above the Burlington Coat Factory.

Well, that's it for this edition of Thrifty Thursday. Stay tuned a little later in the day for a recap of February!

See ya real soon!

KaeleighBee Shop Update Part Deux!

Well folks, I am well on my way to achieving my February goal of 15 new listings! In fact, I am working on #12 as we speak!

However, I am only going to highlight five in this listing, to continue with the theme of the last update post I did. You know, because sticking to a pattern is always funsies!

The next 5 listings I am going to share are my Pocket Journals; adorable little blank journals. They are only 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" and fit perfectly in your purse! They were actually a fantastic accident! I meant to have the covers cut twice as big, but told the woman helping me the wrong measurements. I didn't even realize until she had finished cutting all 50 of them. :) But, I am definitely glad I effed up!

• Pocket Journal - Little French Girls

• Pocket Journal - Woodgrain Roses

• Pocket Journal - Sock Monkeys!

• Pocket Journal - Bicycle of LOVE

This one is one of my FAVES! It has been very hard to let it go!

• Pocket Journal - Stop to smell the roses!

That's all for this update folks! Stay tuned for the final 5!

LOVES!

KaeleighBee Shop Update!

So, I have posted the first 5 of my goal of 15 new listings in the KaeleighBee Etsy shop! And so what if it is all going to happen in the last week of the month... it is still a win! :)

Here are the 5 lovely ladies who made their debut in the shop on Saturday:

• Keshi (50) - Fae

She gently blows the dust of years off the perfect blue jar, thoughts of wild flowers and burlap bows on the reception tables swimming in her head. The sweet whimsy of this beautiful mason jar is the perfect piece to finish her wedding decor. True love awaits!

Fae is a beautiful girl, standing tall and proud, in the perfect shades of turquoise and soft pale yellow. The flowers and her little dragonfly friend complete her fairy-like aesthetic.

• Keshi (51) - Chelsea

It's so quiet, here in this grand library. The power and majesty of all of man's existence is all around her, tucked away between gilded leather covers. To be a part of preserving, cataloguing, and treasuring this history is something she has always wanted. She has finally come home and is at peace.

This sweet girl is dedicated to my amazing cousin, who also happens to be her namesake! Chelsea is painted in a beautifully strange combination of mint green and sky blue, with a deep mustard hair-do. Her polka dots are subtle and reflected in the tones of her elaborate hairpiece and floral brooch.

• Keshi (41) - Ambrosia

The mountain towers over the land and is home to all those who watch over it. She is basking in the hot sun, eating grapes and drinking cool water out of a gold chalice. Her striking beauty is a power she uses wisely.

Ambrosia is an amazing keshi incarnation of a greek goddess, wearing flowing robes of snow white and sandy golds. Her gold collar and pearls are a luxurious finishing touch.

• Keshi (10) - Rose

"But friendship is the breathing rose, with sweets in every fold."
- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Welcome my little Rose into your home and you will forever have a friend by your side! She is an old soul, and has been distressed a little to reflect her vintage personality. Her sweet wooden button hat is adorned with a tiny lacy heart, and the dusty purple, sage green, and rose-colored accents are a stunning complement.

• Keshi (17) - Esmeralda

“We are all wanderers on this earth. Our hearts are full of wonder, and our souls are deep with dreams.”
― Gypsy Saying

This sweet, slightly mischievous gypsy girl dreams of traveling the world. Want to give her a new home to explore? Her dress has been "embroidered" with teeny little flowers, and the scarf on her head is adorned with beautiful charms and single coin for prosperity.

I plan on listing some journals, and maybe some cards... I will post the rest of the updates this week!

Ciao! 

Tips & Tricks - Craft Show Apps

*Just a note before I get started, I am in no way claiming to be an expert, I just love to do research and I also love to share the knowledge that I do have, just in case someone finds it useful!*

Well, with that disclaimer out of the way, let's get to it! :)

I wanted to put together a short post of some (hopefully) helpful tidbits of knowledge I have picked up about applying to art and craft shows. Since I am sending out my first application of the year, I felt it would be appropriate timing!

Here it is! The first app of 2013!

The first tip I have is to DO YOUR RESEARCH. Make sure the show you are applying for is going to be a good fit for you and your products. Here is a list of some do's and don'ts when it comes to picking the right show for you:

• DON'T apply to a show JUST because it is local. They may be more convenient, but that cannot be the only deciding factor.
• DO take risks. And what I mean by this is, just because maybe you think the show is too big and you feel inexperienced, doesn't mean that it hurts to just try. You never know what the organizers are looking for... it could be YOU!
• DO pick an appropriate GENRE of show. If you are selling rustic birdhouses, you may not want to apply to the fine art show. If you sell items that make great gifts, choose a holiday show or two. Selling candy, garden art, or jewelry? The summer fairs may be a fantastic spot for you! 
• DO think about your audience. This one kind of ties into the one above, but you not only want to think about the show and what other vendors may be there, but also who is going to show up. After all, they are why you are there!
• DON'T choose an outdoor show if your items are not weather proof! Ok, this one is slightly sarcastic, (and probably a little obvious) but it comes from a very stressful real-life experience. Long story short, paper products do not do well outdoors... even when under a tent and in the middle of the summer! At the first hint of humidity, the paper on the journals and cards I spent weeks working on started to buckle. I was pushed very close to tears that day! Thankfully M came to the rescue with an ingenious idea of putting them in Ziploc bags to protect them. At that point, I had to get over my desire for perfect packaging just so that all of my efforts were not wasted. Lesson learned!
• DON'T over-extend yourself. Especially if you have a day job, make sure you are not getting in over your head with the demands on your time that preparing will make. If you are just starting out, try a 1-day show to get the feel. Are you ready to have enough stock to keep your tables looking full at all times, for 2 or 3 days in a row? Go for it! Just make sure you are realistic with yourself!

Again, this is just a short list of some of the things I have picked up over the years!

Now that you have found that perfect show for you, it's time to fill out the application and dazzle those organizers!

The first thing to remember, read all of the expectations and needs that go along with the application. Organizers see stacks and stacks of apps, and they are very specific as to what they need. You don't want them to count you out just because you forgot a small detail.

Print as nicely as you can, or type it out if that is an option. This is like walking up to that person and shaking their hand, you want to make a good first impression! Fill out each space as completely and succinct as possible, especially when describing your items. You want them to fall in love with your stuff and know that their show would be incomplete without it. Check your spelling! :)

Now that the application is filled out, if you are applying for a juried show (or if the organizers just ask for it anyway) collect some unbelievably stand-out pics of your gorgeous wares. Remember, these people are not going to get a chance to see your items in person (more than likely) so make sure the pictures give them an excellent idea as to the quality of what you are bringing to the table. Also, DO NOT just give them a link to your Etsy shop, website, or Facebook in lieu of actual photographs. They cannot be expected to spend extra time surfing the web for every single applicant. Throw in a business card, and if they want to check you out further, they can.

Ok... so you have filled out your application, you have chosen the best 3, 4, or 5 photos (or however many are requested) and now it is time to drop that baby in the mail.... or press submit if the show has an online app. I like to say a little thank you to the good people who will be receiving this application, envision myself setting up shop in their show, and send it off with boat-loads of good vibes!

Photo Credit: www.daintywildthings.blogspot.com

Now all you can do is take a deep breath...... and wait! :) Start preparing your inventory now; even if for some crazy reason you are not accepted, you can always apply to another one. And it NEVER hurts to be ahead of the game on preparation!

Remember.... you may not get accepted to every show that you apply for, but please don't get discouraged! Just find another one, try it again, and you can be successful! It just takes the perfect avenue and sometimes you may not even know what that is... so don't give up!

I hope you found something useful out of this post, and as I get ready for my shows this year, perhaps I will post other little Tips & Tricks. Are there any other topics you would like me to talk about? Throw out suggestions and I can see if I can be of help! :)

Friday Faves!

TGIF!

And to celebrate, here are a few of my favorite things this week!

1. This shop on Etsy: HungryDesigns

She makes and sells the COOLEST wearable art and crockery! And the prices are crazy reasonable! I especially love the animal mounts she does. Over at love, Elycia they are doing a giveaway for a gift certificate to spend in her shop! :) (btw, her blog is awesome, a must read!)

2. Chimes Ginger Chews

I am so unbelievably obsessed with these right now! The original ones are scrumptious, but the mango ones are like little bites of sweet, sweet heaven! And, bonus, they are good for digestion! (you know, the ginger and all!) I get them at Central Market, but you can order them straight from their website if you want. And I think there is a list of stores that carry them too.

3. This place: Pine River Ranch in Leavenworth

Photo Credit: Memory Montage Photography (posted on PRR website)

The other day at work, I was a little bored, so I decided to resume my search for wedding venues and came across this magical place... it is EXACTLY what I have been looking for, and just enough of a "destination" spot to feel extra special without having to exclude a lot of people. They also have a bed and breakfast that you can stay in, and with the 2-day package, you get the whole place to yourself! The pictures are breathtaking, and they even have horseys!!! I can't stop looking at this place! SWOON!

4. Orla Kiely Ginger Pear products from method

I am sad to say that this amazingly scented stuff is a limited edition at Target, but oh dear lord does it smell good! And I love all of method's products anyway! The all-purpose cleaner is completely sold out online at Target and in their stores, but it appears as though the method website still has it in stock... I may have to order several bottles!!

That's all I've got for you folks today, quite the random assortment of items!! :) I hope you all enjoy the weekend.... I am off to paint my nails and go to bed! :)

TTYL!

Tattour!

Ok, so I thought I would be soooo clever and combine the words "Tattoo" and "Tour" in the title of this post, because I wanted to share the few pieces of ink I have. Hence the really weird title....

Anyhoo!!

I am by no means totally "tatted up", but I have a couple fun little pieces of body art to show off. And I have several more planned! Most people do not expect me to have the type of tattoos that I do, so it is fun to share them. :)

My very first tattoo was actually free.... score! And I know what you are thinking, but no, it was totally legit! To celebrate Dia de los Muertos, this amazing tattoo shop, Under the Needle, was offering a selection of free tattoos to whoever wanted them. I had wanted a tattoo for several years, and I thought it would be a fun way to get started!

As I have mentioned in my About Me page, I have always been very drawn to Hispanic culture. So even though I am as white as the driven snow, I still felt a connection to the images of the sugar skulls they were offering. A whole group of us stood outside the shop for hours until it was our turn. The artist that I had the pleasure of working with, Matt Lentz, even let me customize my tattoo just a little bit. Instead of red, I asked him to use pink and he graciously obliged. 45 minutes and half a bag of Jolly Ranchers later, I had my very first piece of ink!

About 8 months later, M and I went back to the shop to cash in birthday and Christmas gifts from our respective mothers. (How cool are they??) And that is when I had the stars added around my skully friend. I made my appointment with the same artist as before, gave him literally 2 directions for what I wanted (14 stars, and swirly bits) and this is what he created. I was so excited!! This one took about 2 hours, and the last 20 minutes I was definitely feeling the pain, but it was so worth it!

My 3rd tattoo was also free! And in case you are keeping track, this means I have yet to pay a penny for any of my tatts! The next November, they decided to do the 2nd annual free tattoo for Dia de los Muertos thingy, and I got this cute little dude:

This one took literally 4 or 5 minutes, in fact I think laying the stencil down took longer than the actual inking did, but hot damn it hurt worse than my first one! This is the closest I will ever get to my foot!

I plan on going back someday and getting a second one, shaded in pink instead of red, and with a little bow on its head. Then the 2 love-bats can fly among some simple little red and pink hearts! :)

In addition to getting the little girl bat, I want to do a sleeve of butterflies. They will be flying up and around my right arm from my elbow, up over my shoulder, with the last one in the hollow of my collarbone. I want them to not be outlined, so they look more natural, and in all sorts of bright, beautiful colors. That one is going to be my celebration for losing the weight that I want to lose! :)

Do YOU have any tattoos? Have you ever wanted any? I would love to hear what you think about the ink!

Shabu Chic - A Review

Oh my goodness... if any of you are in the Seattle area, you MUST try shabu shabu at the best place ever, located in the International District: Shabu Chic.

Photo Credit: www.tripadvisor.com

Ok... so I am expecting that some of you are looking at the screen, trying to figure out what the heck shabu shabu (pronounced "shawboo shawboo") is. Well, you may have gathered it is a type of food, and you would be right! It is a traditional Japanese style of food that is truly something you should try at least once in your life! Basically, you have a pot of boiling broth, and a huge plate of veggies and meat. Typically it is beef, but Shabu Chic also offers chicken or pork dumplings. Although, I don't believe that is as traditional.

The broth is usually a seaweed broth, very mild, but my favorite is the sukiyaki, which is a little sweeter. They also have a spicy miso broth if you like a little kick. Once the broth is a-boilin', you get to do the fun stuff. You dunk your meat and veggies right into the broth, cooking them within a few seconds, dip it into a sesame or ponzu sauce, and stick it right in your mouth! You basically have a freshly cooked bite of meat every time! And the slices are so thin, you just swish them around in the broth a little and it is perfectly cooked.

Photo Credit: www.blog.pirq.com

The flavors are so fresh and clean that even when you are full, you don't feel heavy in the belly. The veggies are unbelievably fresh, and they give you a large selection including baby bok choy, cabbage, carrots, broccoli, and mushrooms. They also give you a little bit of tofu and udon noodles.

The one thing I must say, you should probably have a good grasp on the use of chopsticks, or be prepared to learn quickly! I wasn't too shabby to begin with, but eating "shawb" a few times has allowed my skills to really flourish! :)

All of the staff members are very nice, and even though we have only been there twice so far, they already remember who we are. :)

Ok, I am going to end this post before my keyboard shorts out from the drool! :)

Bon Appetit!

Progress Report - February Goals

Since we have just about a week and a half left of this month, I thought it would be fun to do a quick check-in and let you all know how I am doing with my goals for the month. I am happy to report that I can confidently check off two of them, and check a 3rd halfway off. :) Let me explain!

• Get blog up and running! - Check! Judging by the fact that I am writing this post right now, I would say this one was a resounding success! And I have even published 12 (this is number 13) posts in 18 days. Not too shabby, although a mini goal with this is to post something every day. I have to realize I need to work up to that a little, and that if life gets in the way, it is ok! I am not going to lose all of my wonderful readers just because I am gone for a day or two! :)
• Finish commissioned Keshi - WIP This one is still a work in progress, but I have carved out some time this Friday and Saturday to finally wrap this one up!
• Pay off surgeon bill - CHECK!! This one really excites me, because it is the first step to finally clearing out all of my yucky debt! When I got off the phone with the (surprisingly) nice collections agency I had been working with, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted. Huzzah! I have never been so excited to see $1200 come out of my bank account! :)
• Update Etsy shop with 15 new listings - WIP To be honest, I have not even touched this one yet, but there is still time!
• Submit app for November show - Sorta done! I have filled out the application, I just have to stick it in the mail! :)

Alright, I am feeling quite good about my progress so far! And thank you for helping hold me accountable... you are all a huge part of my success, and I couldn't do it without you!

Cheers!

Happy President's Day!

Happy Glorified Excuse for a Day Off...ahem...I mean, President's Day!

Just because it's fun, I thought I would do a quick post in honor of our past leaders and share some fun facts about some of them. Why not?

This list was found here, and claim to have gotten these facts from the Shelby Township and Utica libraries. Some of these are quite funny!

• At his inauguration, George Washington only had one tooth. Contrary to popular belief, he never wore false wooden teeth. However, at various times he did wear dentures made of human teeth, animal teeth, ivory and lead.
• Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were the only two presidents to sign the Declaration of Independence. They also both died on the same day – July 4, 1826 – the 50th anniversary of the signing.
• James Madison was the first president to wear trousers, as opposed to knee length "breeches." At 5'4", he was also the shortest president. 
• Weather permitting, John Quincy Adams swam nude in the Potomac River every day. 
• Before he was President, Andrew Jackson was wounded in a duel at the age of 39. The bullet remained lodged in his heart until the day he died. 
• Zachary Taylor let his old Army horse, Whitey, graze on the White House lawn. Visitors took horse hairs as souvenirs. 
• James Buchanan was nearsighted in one eye and farsighted in the other. As a result he always cocked his head to the left. 
• While he was President, Ulysses S. Grant was arrested for driving his horse too fast and fined $20. He smoked 20 cigars a day and died of throat cancer.
• Theodore Roosevelt had a photographic memory. He could read a page in the time it took anyone else to read a sentence. 
• James K. Polk's wife did not allow card playing, dancing, or drinking in the White House.
• James A. Garfield could write with both hands. To entertain people he would write in Greek with one hand and Latin with the other.
• Benjamin Harrison was terrified of electric lights. He would ask White House staff to turn them on and off for him.
• Rutherford B. Hayes was the first U.S. president to use a phone at the White House. Alexander Graham Bell personally showed him how to use it and his phone number was 1.
• Calvin Coolidge liked having his head massaged with Vaseline during breakfast in bed. (don't get any ideas, honey!) He also rode his own mechanical bull and played "ding-dong ditch'em" – he would ring the White House doorbell and then run and hide.
• Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, was present at the assassinations of three Presidents: his father's, President Garfield's and President McKinley's. 
• All Presidents receive code names from the Secret Service. Ronald Reagan was 'Rawhide', George H. W. Bush was 'Timberwolf', Bill Clinton was 'Eagle', George W. Bush was 'Trailblazer' and Barack Obama is 'Renegade'.
• Abraham Lincoln was a licensed bartender. He was co-owner of Berry and Lincoln, a saloon in Springfield, Ill.
• Herbert Clark Hoover ordered his White House servants to hide from him whenever he passed by. If they didn't, they ran the risk of  being fired.

The links included in this list will take you to other sites with even MORE trivia! Everything you never knew you always wanted to know about our leaders! :)

If you had the day off today, I hope you were able to enjoy it. If you didn't, happy Monday anyway! :)

And just because I thought this was bizarre and a little funny, I leave you with this: