Friday's Featured Follower

This weeks FFF is another Redhead!! Introducing The Redhead Riter as in "writer".
I was not able to find redhead riter's real name, although, I did find the name of many other family members including her lovely teenage daughter Alyssa, who is not a redhead. For some reason, I keep thinking Riter's name is Rita. I guess that's because I had a friend, growing up, named Rita and she was Irish (and I associate Irish with redhead) but she was not a redhead. Isn't it funny how associations work. Ok are we confused yet?

For the sake of this post I will refer to my FFF as red:)

Anyway, as the title of the blog suggests red is a wonderful riter, I mean writer.:)

This is a very thoughtful blog that requires time to get to know. From red's writings I can tell that she is a very kind person, loyal to family and friends and brutally honest! Read more about her honesty in post I Think I have a Man Gene

There is so much to uncover and discover about The Redhead Riter.
She offeres many inspirational thoughts, reflective moments, and practical, money saving solutions.

I hope you will hop on over to The RedHead Riter and show some bloggy love.

I would also like to award The Redhead Riter with my Butterfly Blogger Award. This award is for you to take and display proudly on your lovely blog!

Thank you for being a faithful follower!
(If your name is somewhere in your blog and I miss it, please forgive me:))

If you are a faithful follower you may be my next FFF

Have a fantastic weekend!
Cindy

Heirloom party!

Marie @ Emma Calls Me Mama is have an heirloom party!! If you have a cherished heirloom in your family, handed down through the generations, we would love to see it!

This feels like show and tell-my favorite memory of elementary school days.

These two brass candlesticks were handed down, to me, from my mother's, mother's mother. IN other words, my great-grandmother on my mothers side. We called her Bubby ( common name for Jewish grandmother). Although, she died when I was very young so a never really knew her.

As the story goes, told by my mom, Bubby brought these over from the old country (Russia). I picture her clutching these tightly as she crossed the cold ocean on "the boat" (I don't know how accurate I am with my image, but it sounds good:) The brand name is engraved on the inside bottom, "FRAGE N PLAQUE". These candlesticks are in need of a good polishing.

I display the candlesticks year round in the family room and put them on the dining room table when I host the Passover Sedar.

I did a sketch of one of the candlesticks a while ago. I sketched it in pencil and then decided to finish it in colored pencil.

Thank you for stopping by and checking out my heirloom. I don't have many other heirlooms to speak of so this one is pretty special.

Just for fun!

I'm not a big quiz taker, but I found this one on SITS Featured Blogger (The Little Things in Life...) today and just had to take it. Accents are cool but I'm always trying to disguise mine! Unless I'm with other New Yorkers, then I let it all hang out:)!

My friend, from up state New York(Syracuse) and I(a Long Islander) used to joke about how, ball, bowl and bull all sounded the same when she said them, but when I said them you certainly could tell the difference.

I would say these results are accurate! You can take the girl out of New York but you can't take New York out of the girl:)

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Northeast Judging by how you talk you are probably from north Jersey, New York City, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Chances are, if you are from New York City (and not those other places) people would probably be able to tell if they actually heard you speak.
Philadelphia
The Inland North
The Midland
The South
Boston
The West
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Taking stock!

Well, the inventory is growing! I am loving my chalkboard business! Every week I go out to find frames for my boards. The hunt is so much fun! As you can see, we have gathered quite a collection. It is starting to take over our home. We may try to sell them at craft fairs and farmers markets this fall. We have sold 14 chalkboards so far! Not bad:)

This has become a family adventure. Chris(my guy) is the one who makes all of the chalkboards. He likes to keep busy (he has been out of work since February). Chris is an amazing guy! I'll have to start posting some of the projects he has done around our home. The other day I was talking to my neighbors, who live across the street and the husband said, "Would you tell your husband to stop doing so much, he's making me look bad!"

Chris and I are a team! I usually am the visionary and he is the one to make the vision a reality. And sometimes it's the other way around. Together we make it happen!

In these hard times we are trying to use our abilities and resources to keep us afloat until things improve.

Here are the steps that go into making and selling our lovely chalkboards.

1. Go frame huntings. This usually takes place on the weekends. (Saturday morning garage sales)
2. Measure the frames and cut the boards to fit.
3. Paint the boards.
4. Put boards in frames. This involves nailing and hammering.
5. Give back a finished look with heavy brown paper and nail in a sawtooth hanger, for hanging.
6. Chalk it Up! (In order to condition the board, you have to chalk it up and wipe it off)
7. The photo shoot!
8. Back to the computer to edit the photos.
9. List chalkboards on etsy.
10. Blog about them.
11. Sell!
12. Once sold, we make custom boxes out of recycled cardboard (which I collect from stores around town) for shipping.
13. Write thank you note and pack it up safely.
14. Bring package to post office and ship!

I call this one "Romance" (corny, I know)

And this is "Shadow Box". I love this one because there is a place to hold the chalk. I found two of these frames, and gave one shadow box chalkboard to my mom. She loves it!

Here's a peek at what it looks like when it's ready to be shipped.


Like I said, my husband and I are a team. I am so thankful for him.

There's a good chance that he will get a job offer in the next day or two, from a very good company. (Cross your fingers) If that happens, it will be a really good thing. But I will miss spending all the time together. And knowing Chris, he will still help with making the chalkboards.
We're a little disappointed that we didn't get to open our bagel shop. He makes the most amazing bagels! I feel like we have to share them with the world. I was serious about setting up a bagel stand in front of our house on the weekends. The kids really want to sell them too. Don't be surprised if you see a post about our bagel stand...

Are you going through a rough time financially? If so are you getting creative? I'd love to hear what you are doing? We have to keep the entrepreneurial spirit alive!

Counting my Blessing, today and everyday.

Have a great day!

Chalkboard Animation!

I found this wonderful chalkboard animation on one of my favorite blogs, The LuLu Bird (isn't that a cute name?!). I love the trail of smudged chalk and chalk dust left behind, from the previous drawings.
I did a little bit of animation in college and with my high school students, when I was teaching. Animation requires patience and dedication, two qualities which I greatly admire.

I hope you enjoy this video as much as I do.

Firekites - AUTUMN STORY - chalk animation from Lucinda Schreiber on Vimeo.

Snowcone Business 101

It was an overcast Monday Morning, I was on the phone with my good friend, when my little one and friend decide NOW is the perfect time to start a Snowcone business. They eagerly set up shop at the end of the driveway and installed a handpainted sign (by moi) up the block. Of course, I buy a large snowcone and Grandma buys one too. Next thing I know friend goes home and little one goes inside to watch tv. And I am left to clean up the mess. Tomorrows lesson will be held indoors and it will be a lecture. So they better have a notebook and pencil.

This chalkboard is for sale on etsy!:)
These pictures were taken with my Mom's camera. Thanks Mom. I sooooo miss my camera!

I think this Saturday we will set up a fresh New York style bagel booth. All money will go to our Bagel shop savings fund.


Stay tuned...

Flip Flop Days

Way back, about five years ago, I had this idea to paint a series of flip flop paintings. I painted these flip flops on 4"x6" pieces of unstretched canvas and sold them on ebay before there was etsy. I sold almost every pair, mostly to one women in California. I'm not sure what she did with them all. I think she may have been a scrapbooker. But I remember her saying she was hanging them in her home. Who knows. Ah, good times.

CLick on Collage to enlarge picture

I love these rubber ducky ones.

And these grapes with the breakaway brick background (although the shoe shape is a bit funky) This pair belongs to Hayley

And these were a gift for my sister who is and incredible knitting instructor and a gifted knitter.

I also love the fish, seahorse,starfish and whale pairs (as seen in the collage above.)

I hope you have enjoyed my trip down flip flop memory lane. I will be doing a bit of reminiscing until I can solve my camera dilemma.

Friday's Featured Follower

Happy Friday's Featured Follower everyone!

It is always hard to pick my feature because I love all of my followers blogs, but I can only pick one, otherwise I'll be sitting at this computer all day.:)

So, without further ado (ok, I'm weird, I just had to look up the word ado because I was curious to know the exact definition, which is "a rapid active commotion") Friday's Featured Follower is:

Teddy Started It!

Ok, let's talk names first. I scanned her whole blog and could not find her name. I am not a very fast reader so maybe I missed it. So for now her name is a mystery to me. ( Hold the presses! I found her name. It's Denise!! I found it in her etsy profile) What I can tell you is how her blog and business got its name. Well let me just say, it has something to do with a sonogram and a teddy gram. Go here to read the rest of the story.

Also, she has the most adorable kids, a boy and a girl. But please do not ask her where they get their beautiful red hair from or you may end up getting clocked in the head with a lunch box.(gotta love that firey spirit) Go here to read more about the hazards of this question.

Finally, check out her great etsy shops and shop shop shop... She has two shops, Teddy Started it
and Flutterbygirly

Here's a great product(from her Teddy shop) that we can all use this time of year, Buzz off Natural Insect Repellent made with all natural ingredients and it is a cream so it's not sticky like those nasty chemical products. I love the set up of this picture too!

Here is a cute mini print from one of her original paintings. You can read about how this series evolved in her profile.

She also sells these cute resin covered penny pendants in her Flutterbygirly shop. I love this Old Glory Penny Pendant

I hope you will check out Denise's blog and etsy shops and maybe even do a little shopping!

I love doing my fff because it requires me to slow down and spend a little quality time with one of my blogger friends.

As with all of my fff, I would also like to award Denise with my Butterfly Blogger Award.
If you would like to check out my past Friday's Featured Followers, click here

I hope everyone has a great Friday and a relaxing weekend.

Follow along and you may be my next fff!!!

Come to Florida, It's fun!!

I have decided to recycle this post, from July of last year, for "My story in photos,Places I Love", I heart faces challenge this week, 2/1/2010.
I am in love with Florida! I'm a transplant from NY (born and raised).
This post was written during a very stressful time for my family. I think if I lived anywhere else it would have been much more difficult to get through this tough time. Florida offers so much to us. This post gives a picture tour of this beautiful state (mostly Central Florida.)

Here are two pictures I took yesterday. The rest were taken throughout the year. ENJOY Florida through my eyes!

Blue Springs State Park 1/31/2010

Manatees 1/31/2010


This is the original post Written 7/22/09 (scroll down to see more places I love)
I don't know where to begin or how to put it...

I've developed a nervous laugh that is bordering on hysteria. It's somewhere between a laugh and a cry and starts down deep in the pit of my stomach and transforms my face into that scary expression of worry, fear, sadness and disbelief all rolled into one. I try not to cry, to go with the laugh, but it's not easy sometimes. I try to stay positive because where is negative going to get you? But you also have to be realistic, in order to make wise decisions. I don't think I can get into much more of it right now but...(sorry if this doesn't make much sense). It's kinda hard to explain what we're going through but I'm sure many of you are going through a similar situation right now. We're all in this together.

Onto happier thoughts...


I say, Come to Florida!! It is an amazing place to visit. There is so much to see and do. Below are pictures of many of the wonderful things you can do and see in our great state!

On another note, yesterday while at one of our beautiful beaches, visiting friends, something not so great happened. My camera, that I love so much, got caught in a wave. It was one of those, "where did that tide come from?!" moments. As it washed away our campsite, immediately, I said, "My camera!!" My son's friend quickly rescued it for me. Sadly the camera didn't survive. I depended on this camera for so much; family memories, mural pictures, chalkboard pictures etc... It won't be easy to replace, as we don't have the money for it right now.
Here are the last pictures taken with my camera:










The very last picture taken...Good-Bye my friend...

In the meantime, I will post pictures from the past in order to keep my blog going.

Enjoy the pictures below. I hope you will visit Florida:)

Hit the road!

History(Deleon Springs-The old water mill)

Canoeing(Many many places to do this, rivers, lakes, canals, waterways,)

Nature Trails(an endless supply)

Beaches(many many great ones, east coast for sunrises and west coast for sunsets)

Seaside Dining(Just look at the color of that water-Clearwater)

Attractions (Gaylord Palms-ICE)
Who says it's always hot in Florida?- It's 9 degrees at ICE

ICE

Wildlife

More Beaches. This one is Ft Lauderdale( I could post dozens of these)

Boats-Yachts-Ft Lauderdale a view from our room at the Bahia Mar

Zoos-Plenty of these plus great aquariums

Splash Parks

Zoos

Space shuttle launches

Natural Springs

Fairs and Food!

History and Art(Tarpon Springs the sea sponge capital. wonder if this is where Spongebob was born?)
Amazing Sunsets(This is in St Pete)
Magic Kingdoms
Characters
Fireworks
Fishing
FUN!
Beautiful Gardens-Leu Gardens in Orlando-free entry before noon on Mondays

Citrus!

Groves(This is the view from Bok Sanctuary by the Singing Tower)
More History(The fort at St Augustines- They lit the canon every fifteen minutes on this day. I forget what the occasion was but the kids loved it!)
Awesome Amusement Parks!(This one is Islands of Adventure-Univeral Studios)
R&R

Nature in our own backyard
A piece of the American Dream


Working hard to hold onto it...

After putting this post together, I realized how blessed we are to live in such an incredible place. This list is just the tip of the iceberg. Most of the places shown above were done on a very tight budget. If you need help with your itinerary when you come to visit, contact me. I'll point you in the right direction:)

If I were visiting your great state what would you recommend to do or see?

See more places people love at