September 14, 2022 – giggleFritz Email is Down

Hello, All! I accidentally found out today that my email is currently down. I hope we can resolve it quickly, but if not you can contact me at java4jane@gmail.com.

Funny story (not really), I tried to update my email address in Etsy. I don’t want to miss any order notifications or anything else. I type in the new email address and I get a window saying Etsy is emailing me a verification code I need to enter for the new email address to work. They sent the verification code to the OLD email address. That does me NO good. So, no notifications from Etsy, I guess.

Email is currently down ๐Ÿ™

I hope your Wednesday is going better than mine!

Missie S.

September 9, 2022 – A Beautiful Start to the ‘ber Months

Hey, Everybody! This is the very best time of the whole year! The ‘bers: SeptemBER, OctoBER, NovemBER, DecemBER. Here, in Wisconsin, the weather gets cold, the bugs die, yummy food is everywhere, and the anticipation of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas is large. Also, lots of birthdays. In fact, my birthday was last week and it was fantastic!

A few of my Favorite ‘ber Things

I will have a booth in the Oregon Fire/EMS Craft Show in Oregon, WI on September 24. I have been busy sewing memo books and Sock Monkeys for this important event. (I also need to stock my online shops as well.)

So, back to work I go!

Have a wonderful Friday!

Missie S.

August 31, 2022 – Summer Wrap Up and Coffee Break Fest Review

Hello, All!

This was a crazy, busy summer. I look back at my blog and see I have written nothing since June. Now that DD is back in school, it’s time to get back to work. I am stopping by just to say “hello” and share my annual Coffee Break Fest experience.

I absolutely love this craft fair! Every year we have such a great time. However, this year was a tough one. It rained. It poured. Maybe half of the car show participants showed up due to the rain. But it wasn’t hot and we had coffee and great music! Sales were not so good, but I take the responsibility for that. I didn’t put in enough effort this year, due to the “crazy, busy”. My booth could have been better stocked and it needs a face lift. Also, it rained.

I hope everyone had a fantastic summer and you are looking forward to fall as much as I am!

Have a nice Wednesday!

Missie S.

May 16, 2022 – Here we are, the Middle of May

Hello, All! Happy Easter! Happy Mother’s Day! Happy Spring!

There, I think I covered it all, LOL! I haven’t stopped by here in a while because…pick an excuse. I’m busy, I have poor time management skills, I keep hurting myself in my quest to stay young…ALL of these things. ๐Ÿ˜€

What have I been doing? Well, not sewing enough, that’s for sure. Also, nothing very blog-worthy. I keep volunteering to do stuff at our school/church and have been thoroughly enjoying it. We have also been doing end of school stuff for DD. She had her first piano recital last Tuesday evening and that was very inspiring! In between everything I’ve been trying to keep up with housework, meals, errands, etc. You know, life.

Leading up to Easter our church put together a hand bell choir and I was fortunate to join it. I had never played hand bells before, but was assured there was nothing to it. In the beginning, I had one bell. It was easy and fun. At the end, I had two hand bells and two chimes. My friend next to me had four bells the whole time with some hand chimes thrown in at the end. Still fun, but challenging also. It was so much fun getting together once a week and working with those bells and people!

Hand Bell section of the Balcony at Church

Mother’s Day was so much fun. A few of us got together for brunch at a local restaurant. We don’t usually do a lot for Mother’s Day, but this year I felt like doing something different. My DDs were once again overly generous and gave me some wonderful gifts: flowers (real and artificial), my favorite coffee, cards, etc. Part of my youngest’s gift was a coloring sheet she drew and traced stencils on. I colored it the same day. (For someone who runs a “creative” business, I should really try coloring a bit more creatively! Oh, well. Strapped for time, remember?)

Mother’s Day Coloring Page

Two weeks ago softball started. I signed up for coed softball at our Church. I haven’t played in 8+ years and I am so happy to be playing again! I’ve had a bit of a rough start so far. During a practice I got pegged in the foot with the ball and at last weeks game I did so much sprinting my legs were screaming for ice packs at the end of the game. I’m doing much better today, though, and am looking forward to another fun/busy week.

First Night of Softball – Post game (a beautiful evening!)
Evening of Game 2 – Driving Home (pulled over to get this neat pic of setting sun)

What’s up next? In a few weeks, school is out. We get a week off of just being home, then we start our summer schedule with swimming and soccer for DD. She also starts Rubber ball this week. (We are really lucky to be taking swimming lessons. In our area there aren’t enough people who want to be lifeguards, so some pools are going to be closed for summer, or modified in some way to stay open.) We have 5K for Kids run in early June. I’m supposed to plan a family vacation for some time this summer. Coffee Break Fest in August. Lots to do.

I hope Everyone reading this is having a wonderful Monday! ๐Ÿ™‚

Missie S.

April 12, 2022 – Sheets to the Wind and Dental Work

Hello, All! No worries, I am NOT drunk. Lol! I just hung out some laundry yesterday. After all, the phrase is “Three sheets to the wind” = very drunk. We finally, FINALLY, got some warmer weather yesterday, here in southeast Wisconsin. The last weeks have been cold, dreary, and sometimes very windy. However, yesterday the cold wind brought warmer weather, so I got to wash and hang our warm, fuzzy flannel bed sheets. When I brought them in at the end of the day, they smelled amazing!

Sheets in the Wind ๐Ÿ˜‰

You may be wondering, “Missie, are these hanging on your deck?” Why, Yes! Yes they are. DH has never wanted a clothesline at our home. I do. For the 6+ years we have lived here, I have hung laundry on our deck. I have a rope I string across the rails and make four lines. I have hung many, many loads of laundry over the years, both inside and outside, year round. I do it for the following reasons:

  1. I like to find reasons to MAKE myself be outside
  2. I love the smell of our laundry when it is dried outside
  3. It makes our clothing/bedding last longer
  4. I enjoy saving money on electricity

Today, it is supposed to be warmer than yesterday. I will definitely do my running outside instead of on the treadmill in the basement. We are supposed to get rain later and tomorrow. After tomorrow we are supposed to get a bunch of wind rain/snow, and it will stay cold over Easter and into next week. Fun, fun springtime in Wisconsin, each and every year. It’s ok, though! It forces me to work inside and I have lots of work to do. Like, finish this Socktopus guy and list him in my shop:

Almost Finished Socktopus Guy

As the title states, I also had some dental work done yesterday. In my last post I bragged about my “free” dental merch and told you about my tiny cavity. I got that guy filled. Yay, glad that’s over.

Well, that’s all for now. I have been searching for craft fairs, working on products, and also doing all the boring things, like making dinner, hanging laundry, and going to the dentist. I will check in again soon. I hope whoever is reading this is having a nice day and appreciating the “boring” things they are getting done. The boring things matter…a LOT. YOU matter a LOT!

Have a fantastic Tuesday! ๐Ÿ˜€

Missie S.

March 23, 2022 – I like Writing and “Free” Dental Merch

Hello, All! Life is always busy and I haven’t made time to drop by and share about things going on. As I stumble around during an average day, I think to myself, “I should write about that on my blog.” Or, just, “I should write that down”. I DO write stuff down, but the stuff isn’t interesting.

One morning, I wrote up a long entry on how I planted some onion seeds. I was really proud of my onions I planted last year (2021) and I even harvested some seeds! I was stoked! I didn’t publish the article right away because it needed some editing. By the end of the day, when I finally got back to it, I looked at it and thought, “What was I thinking? No one else cares about my stupid onion seeds. That isn’t interesting. Besides, what does it have to do with my sewing business?” I deleted the article, turned off my computer, and seriously thought about other ridiculous things I may have posted in the past.

What is “interesting”? I think about that often. If onion seeds are NOT interesting, what DO I consider interesting? Traveling? Kind of. Make up? No. Historical Crime? Yes. It’s subjective and relative. Maybe, what makes something interesting is HOW a person writes about it.

Anyway, I should have just finished and posted my onion seeds article. The reader can decide if it is interesting, or not. The truth is, I enjoy writing and I should do more of it. (And more sewing. I run a sewing business, did you know?) I will stop by more often and share some interesting things going on around me. And, I will write about the things in the mornings, when I have more courage.

Here’s a thing that I did today: I visited the dentist for a cleaning and checkup for the first time since before Covid. I have a cavity. Boo! But, I scored some “free” dental merch! LOL! Are you jealous? We go to West Bend Dental and I love that place! They gave me a purple toothbrush! I don’t think I have ever had a purple toothbrush. Winning!

“Free” Dental Merch! from West Bend Dental in West Bend, WI

I am off to do “interesting” things with my clean teeth and tiny cavity.

Have a fabulous Wednesday!

Missie S. ๐Ÿ˜€