Dear Followers,

Dear Followers,

Okay so.  I keep saying I will do a better job of posting and then...look, months have gone by.  I'm sorry.  I think of all these wonderful things to say when I don't have my computer around, and then, when I sit down in front of my computer I start trucking away at whatever task has brought me there and then I get up and move to the next task.  Then when I think back I realize, "man, I didn't blog!"  So, here I am.  What's new you ask?  Everything it seems like.
New job.  Teaching 3rd grade. I've been trying to keep my nose down, do my job to the best of my ability.  My kiddos really know how to make me smile as they covered my dry-erase boards in doodles on Friday as we headed into Spring Break.  I still can't believe I have a "real" job.  It's a huge difference from owning your own business, but it is so fulfilling to a part of the lives of my students.  I had so many teachers in my past that I do not look back on fondly, I hope my students can think back on me years from now and at least smile at my antics.
New home.  Still trying to sell the other one, but finally feel like I am settling in to my mountain home.  Want to see a picture of the view out my window?

 

From the top of my road...

My yard...

My work...

In town...

Yep, it's pretty.

Shop updates.  I've combined my two Etsy shops into one and have been working on new items as well as cleaning out some of the stuff I am not using.  Feel free to stop by.

SKWOriginalsbySummer

BTW:  GO SPURS GO!

Have a great day!
Summer

Dear Fans of Robin Williams

Dear Fans of Robin Williams,

I never knew Robin Williams personally.  I never had an opportunity to be in the same room with him, nor, as far as I am aware at any given time, the same city.  I am a simple small town girl with high hopes and big dreams.  And yet, I am deeply shaken by the loss of this accomplished artist.

I am shaken to my core by what this loss can mean for us as a society of consumers.  We so easily, these days especially, use things and then throw them away as if there was nothing ever important there.  This happens so readily with artists.  One minute they are our favorite, and the next minute, they are yesterday's news.  And then the ever present question, what could be so wrong with their life?  They have everything.  And to the uneducated, it would appear that they do have everything; big houses, fancy cars, $$$ careers.  But maybe, just maybe, that isn't enough.  It's not for me.  I could have all of those things and still be unhappy if I didn't have love and acceptance.

I may not have known Robin Williams, but I am also an artist.  I was a dance teacher and performer for 13 years, and a performer still before that.  The mere consumer lacks the detail and scope that an artist dedicates to a performance; character development, wardrobe, analysis, demeanor, execution...   The list goes on and on.  We performers and artists dedicate our lives to the enrichment of others.  We open our hearts and our souls to the average person so that for a brief moment, they can live outside of themselves.  We dream big enough so that we can share those dreams with others.  It is difficult to live so dangerously on the edge of self because of the fine line that separates us from disaster.  Yet, there we are.  Our souls are open.  Our feelings exposed.  There is nothing to hide or hide behind.  One wrong move, and we fall.  And it is never a quite unnoticeable fall.  It is the kind of fall that back in Jr. High School meant that you had your mother call you in sick for a week to give the other kids a chance to forget about your blunder and move on to the next person.  But when you live in the lime light, they never forget.

We know of Robin Williams substance abuse problems.  Many knew he suffered with depression.  Most denied the second.  How can a man that is so funny and spontaneous be depressed?  He can make me laugh, why can't he be happy?  I ask, why is this the business of anyone else but him?

I am grieved by this loss because of the unknown.  How many more characters could he have developed in the course of his career?  How many different ways has he made us laugh.  Who hasn't quoted the Genie?  His laugh was intoxicating.  His smile had a healing quality.  When he cried, we cried.  When he laughed, we laughed.  He took on the roles and characters that helped make a difference in my life and had a huge impact on me.  Needless to say, I was a huge fan.  Patch Adams taught me how to treat people, no matter that circumstances.  What Dreams May Come took us on a journey through Hell to be reunited with love.  Good Will Hunting gave us a professor that actually cared more about his students than his career.  Hook brought us the grown up child that lives inside all of us.  And who could forget the Genie on Aladdin?  I never will. 

Robin Williams may be gone from this physical world, but he has left behind a legacy of laughter and tears; of lessons and learning; and of fun and frivolity.  I can close my eyes and see his smile and hear his laugh. I only used a few examples of his career because they are the ones most near and dear to my heart.  I was too young for the days of Mork and Mindy and to be honest have never watched a full episode, but thanks to the power of technology I will be able to see those when I am ready.  I can relive all the moments of the wonderful actor that was so familiar to me that he could have been a friend, had we only had the opportunity to meet and greet.  I will grieve the loss and hope beyond hope that we will see him again on the other side.  His work in this world was so great and touching that I think at some point, the soul becomes so wearied...  That's all I will say about that.

Grievingly yours,
Summer

Dear Makers of Farmville2,

Dear Makers of Farmville2,

I hate you.  I had just gotten over my horrible farmville addiction on both myspace and facebook and then you convince my friends to play it and now I am hooked.  So, here is a picture of my farm, keep the good stuff coming.

Did I mention how much I LOVE Farmville2???

Thanks,
Summer

Dear Book Lovers and why REAL books are better than digital books,

Dear Book Lovers,

I love books.  Do you love books?  I love books.

I've had a lot of time for reading lately...  Which is good, because I love reading.

There is something sensual and comforting about the feel of the paper between your fingers.  The way you hold the next page ready to turn in anticipation of what is coming next.  Or the feel of the book sitting in your lap while you hold your coffee.  And if you spill your coffee, you just wipe it off and now you have a memory of what happened while you were reading that page in your book.  Maybe the dog jumped in your lap, or your Son marched through the room wearing his underwear on his head.

I'm not a big fan of digital books.  I have one with a fancy cover and a little light I can pull out to illuminate the page.  But still, it's a little thing.  It's not a book.  My hubby bought it for me, thinking I would like it.  It's okay.  I still read with it, but I still prefer books.  I have a whole list of reasons why REAL books are better than digital books.

1.  Bookmarks:  You can use bookmarks.  Bookmarks are great.  There are a million bookmarks out there.  I like handmade bookmarks, like this one from UUendysCraftyCorner on +Etsy

https://www.etsy.com/listing/166125038/bookmark-angeljoy?ref=shop_home_active_12

 

2.  Instant gratification:  When you wake up the next morning after loosing yourself in your book you can look immediately at the bookmark to see how much progress you made.  I like that visual reminder. 

3.  You can throw it:  I know what your thinking, you can throw a Kindle or a Nook as well.  But do you really want to throw your Kindle or Nook.  I mean, come on, those things are expensive!  They can break in any number of ways.  With a book, you might dent a corner or put a hole in your wall, but after you have expressed the emotion compelling you to throw the book, you can go pick it up again and continue reading it.  You might not have that much luck with your digital book.

4.  You can take your frustrations out on the book:  You ever get to a point in a book where you are so emotionally baffled that you don't know what to do?  Yeah, me too.  You can throw a book, tear it up, burn it, or, like Joey from Friends, you can put it in the freezer for a while.  Now, we've already discussed throwing a book.  Let's talk about the actual destruction of a book.  It's not always the best idea, and you should probably wait until you are done reading the book.  You never want to get into a situation where you destroy the book only to have the desire later to finish reading it.  Then, you have to buy another copy, only to most likely feel the same way in the end, and now you are out the cost of two books!  For this, and this reason only, a Digital book might be better.  I don't know about you, but digital devises just don't burn or tear as well as a book...  Just saying.  And what about the freezer?  Do you really want to short out your Kindle or Nook?

5.  You can sell a bad book after you are done:  After you buy and read your book, if you don't feel like keeping it, you can take it back to the bookstore and sell it to regain some of your money.  You can't sell back digital downloads, and it is against the law to sell them to other people.  What's up with that?!

6.  Books make pretty shelf decorations:  If you find yourself short on knick-knacks or brick-a-brack, you can fill those shelves with books!  The classics are great for this, or you can find color coordinated collections on-line, like this collection redladybugz on Etsy.

Whatever you want to say about books, I think they rock!  I love getting lost in a world created by someone else.  Books seem so plain in black and white with their only decorations usually coming from the cover, but once you dive in the colors places, sights and smells can seem as real as the chair you are sitting in.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/162424423/keep-calm-and-read-canvas-book-tote-bag?ref=sr_gallery_17&ga_search_query=keep+calm+and+read+a+book&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

 

 

Have a great day!

Dear Friends,

Dear Friends,

I realize it has been a long while since I have written anything.  My life turned into a whirlwind during the last months of 2013.  I am sincerely hoping that 2014 will be much nicer to me and my family.  First off, the hubby took a new job and we have moved.  That meant selling (well, we'll call it selling.  I felt it was more important to keep the studio open and in good hands than actually making a profit or closing it) my small dance studio and putting our house on the market.  So far, there has been 0 interest in our house.  I am devastated.  I listed it below our Jan 2013 appraisal value and we haven't had any bites.  All the realtors and everyone else keep telling us that we are priced appropriately for our area and home size, but still...
So the hubby is NM living in a little dinky house with all of our stuff crammed into the rooms, while the little boy and I are living with my Mom in TX.  I miss my dear hubby desperately, but I know this is the best decision for our family, seeing as how we just couldn't stay there any longer.  Maybe someday I will be able to give full disclosure without hurting the feelings of too many people, but you never know.  In the meantime, let me show a little of what I have been up to.

SKWOriginalsbySummer

SW8PaperAndStuff
I hope to add a ton more things to my shops soon!

Thanks!

Dear People Who Love Surprises,

Dear People Who Love Surprises,

I haven't done a Sneak Attack Blog in a while, so I figured, why not?

Do you know what a Sneak Attack is?  This is something we do over on Etsy with the Handmade Movement Team.  On most Mondays and Thursdays we Sneak up on unsuspecting shops with little to no sales and surprise them with Hearts and Carts.

First, let's meet today's sponsor, Amanda.  Amanda was one of our past victims that has turned into a full fledged Leader and good friend.  Her bows are the cutest!

Amanda picked 4 great shops for us to pounce today. 

Dragon Menagerie, Raspberry and Thyme,  ange1edelights, and KukanaDesigns.

Why don't you pop on over to one of these shops and show them some love too!

Thanks

Dear American People,

Dear American People,

What a mess our country is right now.  I don't think I have ever been more embarrassed to be an American than I am right now.  We brag about how great our country is and we fight wars to bring our style of government to other countries, and here we are, staring down the abyss of shut-down, looking at a government leader that has declared himself dictator and untouchable.  I am disgusted, and because of this "shut-down", our state representatives and congressmen aren't even taking our phone calls (congressmerge).  So much for the voice of the people!

So what do we do now?  I've been reading Facebook post, after Facebook post, about the state of our nations' leaders, and that if we don't do something soon, there will be nothing left...  I know everyone else has been reading and listening to these rants as well.  So, once again, what do we do?  How do we change anything when the people in charge aren't listening and don't even have to take our calls.  How do we take our country back from the corrupt and unjust without destroying the very principles our country was founded upon?  What happens when our government comes crumbling down around us?  Congratulations to Colorado for demanding a recall vote of two of their politicians!  We need more states to do this NOW!  On the other hand, how big of a difference did this really make.  The problem is not in the House or the Senate.  The problem is in the White House.

I am now going to take a moment to President-bash, which, as of right now, I still have a RIGHT to do.  President Obama sits behind his microphone and Veto pen.  He is hiding behind the press and the ink.  He screams about the GOP's injustices and unwillingness to compromise, and yet we are not seeing anything get past the President's desk, unless it is exactly HIS plan, and only HIS plan.  He says he will sign compromises and pass short term bills that will unsure paychecks to our military and other essential personnel, and yet, I just found out that our military personnel have been informed they will not be receiving paychecks on October 15th.  Not only will they not be receiving paychecks, they will have to wait and see if the government will pass legislation to allow them to be back-paid!  Do WHAT!  I am a small business owner in a military community.  I am feeling the squeeze as people cannot pay their bills this month.  Am I going to turn them away and deny them my services? No.  No, I will not, because these are good, honest, hardworking Americans that are caught in the middle of a mud slinging fight happening a thousand miles away from us and yet we are all caught in the middle.
So, back to my President-bash.  When did it become within the power of the White House to shut down services to the nation's people.  When last I checked, taxes are still being withheld from our paychecks so that we can continue to receive the services that we have been promised.  What business allows its CEO to continue collecting money for services that it is not providing just because the board members cannot agree on a plan.  Businesses like that go bankrupt real fast!  Our President is acting like a bully on the school playground.  He is beating up the younger kids, taking their lunch money and then not even letting them play on the equipment.  He is charging a fee to climb to the top of the slide, but has a closed sign hanging at the top so you can't go down and because there is a line of kids behind you, you can't turn around either.  So who gets blamed?  Not the person that hung the sign, but the first kid in line behind the sign because no one else can see the sign.  Way to go Mr. President.

I don't know how accurate all of these other naysayers out there are but I have been reading.  I have seen several references to our national parks about their executive orders to "make life difficult for the American People during this 'shut down' so that they will see how much they need him."  He is the epitome of politician.  He is the guy that stands there and says, you can't have this, or that.  Then, after he gets what he wants, he turns around and says, look what I got you.  Yes, your right Mr. President, you gave us back what you took away to begin with.  Congratulations, you are an idiot!  The sad part is, the majority of people will buy into this.  A large majority of people already are buying into this.  Behind closed doors, Obama is calling all of the shots of what is closed and what stays open.  He is shutting down the services that cost very little but impact the most people and then blaming Congress and the Senate.  When he is questioned directly about these shut-downs, he responds with comments like, 'my hands are tied', or 'this is not my fault'.  Guess what Mr. President.  It is your fault.  It is your job to work with our legislators for the good of the country, not to make this country your own personal little kingdom.  I'm so sick of this administration.  I don't know if things would be better right now if 'the other guy' had won the last election, but I can't imagine that things would be worse.  Obama has mastered the art of misdirection.  He did such a great job during the last two elections of painting a picture of 'the Perfect America', that those who found themselves captivated by his words didn't see how he was going to implement this Perfect America because they were too busy seeing themselves living in this Perfect America.

I just read another interesting argument that our bills are due October 16.  Funny, that's when most people's bills are due and since there will be no government checks to the people on October 15, it will be interesting to see what happens next.  If we cannot pay on our loans on October 16, then October 17 an executive order will be instituted trimming 16 states out of the United States of America, which will then work perfectly because as any business knows, when you change your bi-laws, you can rename your business at the same time because you already having to pay the fees for the changes, why not do it all at once.  Obama can then just change the nations name to the United States of Obama.  There are two different cut plans for this according freepatriot.org.  The first plan trims the most high maintenance states, the ones pulling the most welfare and public assistance, the second trims the west and redraws the Civil War borders.  Doesn't really matter to me because my state is on both lists.  Oh, but he wants to keep Texas.  Although, someone should tell him that Texas doesn't want to be kept if this happens.  I don't know how valid this is, but I could see him trying to do it.  It doesn't really matter to me about this, my state is on both cut lists.

So, I come back around to the question... what do we do about this?  How do we go about getting the changes made that need to happen?  How do we reclaim our country?  How do we get back to being the nation we were meant to be?  How do we get our tax money back and get rid of all of the "pet projects"?  How do we get in touch with our nation's leaders to say 'enough is enough!'?

I don't know.  I feel so helpless and voiceless.  I know that I am supposed to trust my elected officials that they will do what is right for me in our government, but they haven't been.  All I see is the infighting and bigotry of a group of leaders that are only interested in themselves.  I want to go to DC and walk into my legislators office and smack them in the back of the head and say "hi, remember me?"  I live here.  I work here.  I am here.  I want to sit the President down in the principals office and scold him for bullying and tell him that if his attitude doesn't change he will be suspended.  I just want someone who has the power to tell him that he is not above the rest of his.  He is our voice, not our dictator.  He is suppose to do what we want, not the other way around.

I'm feeling helpless and hopeless,
Thanks

P.S. I did not proof read this, so if there are any typo's or otherwise bad grammar, please forgive me, I was typing fast.  I had a lot on my mind.