27 February 2009

Flashback Filler, Day 4

If all had gone according to plan, the first wave of my spring shop update should have be ready to go this weekend.

Really, what are the odds of everything going according to plan?

Ever?

(Teething toddler, lingering head cold, and insurance company? I'm looking at you.)

I will be adding things to the shop a little at a time over the next week, plus actual content will return! Someone got a delivery from Mabel's Labels yesterday....

Also, If you had not already heard, the SITS Spring Fling has been moved to March 10th. (Thank GOODNESS! I will be ready, but I am very grateful for the extra time to tweak and adjust.)

Hope everyone has a fab weekend!


**********************

From The Summer of 2008:

Back Off, Ladies. He's Taken.


TheScene:

Dinner time in our house. We enter upon a discussion involving produce and washing it before consuming it.

Lights up.

Hubby:
I don't know. The FDA is getting a lot better at tracking the problems.

Me:
Yeah, but I'd really like them to prevent the problems before they start. I'd appreciate not having to wonder if my spinach is going to kill me.

Hubby:
Hmm. First it was the spinach. Now it's the tomatoes. What's next? The Parmesan cheese? Oh my GOD! It's THE FLORENTINE CONSPIRACY!

Me:
(rolling eyes)
*snort*

Monkey:
Mummy! Dinn-uh! Dinn-uh! Dinn-uh!

Fade to black.

26 February 2009

Flashback Filler, Day 3

*The summer wind, Comes rolling in, From across the sea...*

Thought we could use a change of song...

*hm hm-m-m, hm h-m-m...*

**********************

From The Summer of 2008:

Dear Barnes And Noble,

I am sorry I have to tell you this, but...

I am seeing someone else.

I never meant to hurt you, really. It's just something I had to do for myself. I'm trying to improve my life. Streamline. Optimize. Living greener and...

Do you really want to hear all of this?

Ok.

It's been going on for about a month now. Sometimes we meet online. Then, only when things are ready, do we meet in person.

I still think about you every day. Really, I do. I think about you there too. I know you don't want to hear that, but it's true.

Your card is in my wallet even now... yes, that card is in there too.

Yes, I do love your discounts.

Of course I love the squishy chairs and panoramic views from the second floor.

You don't understand. There's free Wi-Fi there!

You charge! Who charges anymore?

They are not used! They're just pre-read.

Yes I do miss being the first... the only...

Of course I remember those nights when we stayed up so late. Hazy summer nights filled with Frappucinos and wizards and neon wristbands.

We'll have that again. Someday.

No. I can't stop it now. I want to, but I can't!

We can still see each other. Just not all the time like... before.

And the time we spend apart will make the time we do spend together special.

I have to go.

No, I really have to go. The book I ordered is in.

I'll see you around.

25 February 2009

Flashback Filler, Day 2

*Tall and tan and young and lovely, the girl from Impanema goes walking...*

Another flashback today, this time to a NaBloPoMo entry for the theme "Letters."

*And when she passes, hm hmm hm-mm-mm-mm-mm, ahhhh...*

I'm still elbow deep in shiny bits, and there's a whole list of new blogs I need to blogroll and follow. I am WAY behind! I swear I will visit all the new readers and followers as soon as I get this muzak out of my head!

**********************

From April of 2008:

Parlez Vous Coffee?

So up here in the frozen, but happily defrosting Northeast, we have had a bit of coffee bipartisanship a'brewin for some time now. (Pun intended. Sorry.) There are two very large chains. One has a green logo, and blended, frozen cups of crack-addictive goodness... The other one serves "donuts."

(Can you guess which one I prefer?)

There's also a very funny commercial put out by the bakery-related chain where a group of people sing about the strange names given to the sizes at the green-logoed heaven. Perhaps they are singing in "Fratalian?"

Now you've got it.

I never really got the whole tall, grande, venti, why don't you have an intravenous option thing, but hey, when in Rome, don't piss off the lion making your coffee. So I learned. I have become very adept at chanting out my usual, as well as my husband's favorites.

That's a hoot in and of itself. When the 5'5" chick approaches the counter and asks for what amounts to 5 or 6 shots of espresso in a cup with some foam, eyes do bug. I do usually know what I'm saying, or so I thought.

Then came Saturday afternoon, at a branch location of my house of worship with a small but reasonable facsimile of green-logo land in it.

I approached the counter and the conversation went something like this:

TheCoffeeLady:
"Hi, can I help you?"

Me:
"Hi, yes. Could I please have a grande, low-fat, *copyrighted frozen drink*?"

TheCoffeeLady:
"A large?"

Me:
*Blinking, wondering if anyone else smells burnt rubber from the mental screech marks*
"Um, no, medium? A grande?"

Now, I've been an exchange student and a tourist in countries outside of the US. I am all for speaking the language of the country you are in. It's when you go to Germany and they're speaking Swahili that things get dicey.

So today, G is for large. Deal with it or go get yourself a cruller.

24 February 2009

Flashback Filler, Day 1

I am trying very hard to be productive this week, and there are a lot of unfinished projects clamoring for my immediate attention.

Between the Barking Mad giveaway and my impending 1 year Blogiversary, I'm feeling a little introspective. (I know the math looks fuzzy, but I'm counting the anonymous before time too.)

So rather than upload a video of me humming random muzak to pass the time, I thought I'd dig into the archives of my long lost anon-o-blog and share the before with the fine readers of Oh2122.

Enjoy.

Or at least don't point and laugh, m'kay?


**********************

From March of 2008:

Dear Little Girl in Pink,


I am so glad you had such a good time at my cousins' birthday party this weekend. You seemed to take a special liking to my son. Who could blame you? Monkey is a shameless flirt, and obviously drew you in with his trademark squeals and smiles.

Running at my new little walker full bore and skidding to a stop, unbalancing him each time, looked like a lot of fun for you. You especially seemed to like crawling up next to him and the other children playing with an animatronic toy and whining, "Nooooooooooooo-wuh!" Only when he reached for it, of course, but you really did have to protect someone else's toy from the curious one year old.

And when you came up behind Monkey as he was crawling along after his beloved cousins, and proceeded to push him down to the ground with all of your might... well!

You may have just invented the best party game ever!

Monkey's father and I are glad we could provide you with such an entertaining playmate for the day. We'll be sure to reintroduce the two of you at next year's birthday party, when Monkey will be almost two. I'm sure he will remember you, sweetie.

I know I will.

All my love,

Monkey's Mummy

23 February 2009

And The Winner Is:

Tori from The Sweet Jelly Bean!

Congratulations, Tori! These will be heading your way this week!




Thanks again to everyone who entered. Your comments were all so sweet, and will definitely help motivate my where-the-heck-is-spring self to get back to work!

If you're eagerly awaiting the Spring Fling, The SITSers announced this week that it will be moved to March 10th. Remark your calendars!

20 February 2009

A Mossy Bit-O-Sunshine

It snowed here this week.

It's supposed to snow again this weekend.

And those cupcakes at the weather channel are talking about more next weekend.

I know Phil saw his shadow and all, but if this keeps up, I'm going to track that furball down and

We. Will. Have. Words.

There was a great surprise in my mailbox this week, though.

My snow covered mailbox... but I'm not bitter...

How fab is this?

I won it, courtesy of Erin At Every Heart Crafts.

I have plans for this yummy hint of spring already, and I can't wait to get to work on it!

Erin has a great Etsy shop, too. My favorite is the Green Bodhi Leaf, but you'll have to judge for yourself!

18 February 2009

I'm Barking Mad

And so is Jori.

And you should be too.

Auds at Barking Mad is apparently attempting to prove her blog title.



If the lure of a fresh batch of blogs to check out is not enough, how about a $250 gift card to Target?

Yup. She's mad alright.

Seeing as how I just passed the 100th post mark, it's a nice chance to look back at how I got here.

If you're new to Oh2122, enjoy!

If you've already read all of these and you're thinking, "Hello? How about some new content, slacker?!?"

Smile and nod, then go check out the rest of the entries!


Frosted Friday - A Re-Post

Baby Shower Crafts And A Tutorial

Silliness On A Saturday

Welcome To Mass, Blog Around The World Peeps!

Nuh-UH!

Overheard This Morning

It's Election Day In America

Thankful

Smile And Wave!

Untitled

Frosted Friday - The Commercially Produced Edition

Sometimes The Google Lies

*Names Have Been Changed To Protect The Giggling

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

17 February 2009

Let It Ride

Wow!

You guys are some of the nicest commenters I have ever met!

It makes me want to get back into my office ASAP and polish up some really amazing listings for the update and Spring Fling.

If you haven't already entered, you can do so until midnight on February 21 at midnight EST.

Don't forget that



will be hosting a major spring giveaway starting March 3rd.

I'm off to tinker with these:


And how fab are those green adventurine beads? This photo totally does not do them justice.

They're like tiny round reminders that the snow will be gone very soon.

15 February 2009

100!

***************

Comments are now closed, and the winner will be announced on Monday.

Thanks for playing!

***************

Today marks my 100th post here at Oh2122.

Woo-hoo!!!

I have been hard at work on the pending shop update I've scheduled for March 1st, so I thought I'd give you all a sneak peek today.

My bead board is looking very springy indeed.

In honor of my 100th post, and because everyone needs a little spring boost, I'm giving these away:They're amethyst and sterling hung on hand embellished sterling earwires.

With a tiny surprise underneath.

To enter, leave a comment on this post. It's as simple as that!

Be sure that your comment contains a way to reach you through your user profile, blog, or email for the non-bloggers. (The AT and DOT format is fine for leaving email addresses.)

Comments will be open until February 21st at midnight, EST. I will pick a winner via Random.Org and announce the winner the following Monday.

GOOD LUCK!

13 February 2009

99 ...

It's been very hard to get anything substantial done this week.

Or anything done right, as evidenced by "Double Post Wednesday."

We had two back-to-back days of 50+ weather and I played hooky on the best of them. Though, it's hard to let your guard down when your lawn is still covered in snow.

Earlier this week, I posted my entry for Mabel's Labels BlogHer '09. While I was not chosen as a finalist, 10 fab bloggers were. Check them out here and remember, voting closes at noon EST on February 23, 2009!

Even though they can't send all of us to BlogHer, Mabel's Labels is very generously sending along a set of these:

Their awesome Sticky Labels!

I am so excited to try them out. I have a toddler after all...

Who am I kidding? I should get them with MY name on them!

And just in case you missed the title of today's post...

99...

(Fear not, 100 will go up this weekend, but the giveaway will be open for a week.)

11 February 2009

Thoughts? Ideas? Views? Opinions?

Soooo... I have an idea rolling around in my head for a little while, and I'd like to shine a little sunlight on it and see what blooms.

(Or as Hubby is fond of saying, "Quick! Let it out before it starves to death!" How sweet, right?)

Everyone's familiar with CommentLove, right?

I'm contemplating running a monthly event where people can join in and post about their own favorite comment(s) of the month.

I would put up my CommentLove post on, say, the last Friday of the month, and add a Mr. Linky so people can add their own links.

What say you, pixel peeps?

How Many Letters Does YOUR Alphabet Have?

If you answered anything other than 26, this link's for you.

Photobucket


Elizabeth from Thoughts From An Evil Overlord has started a list of New England bloggers.

Though with the crazy weather we've been having, it may be more of a support group!

10 February 2009

Doing My Part For The Troubled Economy

One bead at a time.

That bottom strand was actually in the goody bags that Beadles gave away this weekend. It's chock full of semiprecious chips. I was so excited when I saw it, I actually did a fist pump/YES combo.

All alone in my car in a busy parking lot.

Something in that picture will be a part of the SITS Spring Fling.

Something else will be leaving Oh2122 a little earlier than that.

Anyone else notice the post count around here lately?

This is #96.

Which means 100* is rapidly approaching.

In the blog world such an occasion demands a little flair, right?

Right.

*Ok, so technically it's my second 100th post, seeing as how I hit 100 somewhere else too, but is anyone really going to argue with me?

Didn't think so.

08 February 2009

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

Mabel's Labels, makers of the ab-fab Mama Card, is having a contest. They're giving away a trip to BlogHer 09 in Chicago and the amazing opportunity to be their correspondent for the event.

This was my entry.

*****EDITED*****
The finalists have been chosen, and they're fab! Check them out here.


In April of 2007, I gave birth to the most amazing person I have ever met. He was small and sweet and he drove me out of my ever-loving mind.

When they tell you that having children changes everything, it is the understatement of the century. What they should do is sit you down in a chair, slap you across the face, and yell it at you until you get it. Really get it.

Monkey was a pretty mild baby, by all accounts. He was giggly and had personality to spare. He also had jaundice, mixed up days and nights, a major latching issue, a witching hour that happened every day around 6pm, and he spit up regularly until he was over a year old.

For no reason at all.

As a well versed modern mommy, I was already a member of an “Expecting Club” on a well known women’s site. If, of course, by member you mean lurking and not posting because the boobnazis I met on that particular board would not take kindly to my surrender to formula.

Nevermind the fact that I exclusively pumped for almost 4 months, and only fed him half formula mixed with half expressed milk for another 2. I was weak. WEAK, I TELL YOU! And not worthy of posting my weak mommy thoughts lest I poison the rest of the village

So lurk I did, until one day I came across an article containing a new word in a old blog post. A wonderful word. A word that told me I was not alone.

Sanctimommy.

It said it all. Actually, she said it all.

She was a mom, but not just any mom. She pulled no punches and told it like it was. She was funny, she was real, she spoke my native tongue.

Sarcasm.

Intrigued, I dug deeper.

What I found was a secret world of moms who were not afraid of speaking their minds. They were not about impressing the crowd at the PTA. They were in it for survival.

With a side of snark where appropriate, of course.

The summer of 2008 was a life changing time. Fueled by a handfull of well-rounded blogrolls I began blog hopping. I lurked for quite a while. Then, slowly at first, I tested the waters. I started my own blog and joined NaBloPoMo. I wrote anonymously, still wary of the potential reaction I would garner. Then I got my first comment.

In the beginning, I felt like I was shouting into the Grand Canyon and not even getting the satisfaction of my own echo. My first comment changed that forever. I had spoken and someone spoke back.

If you have never blogged, a word of caution: comments are a gateway drug. They lead you deep into a world of carnivals and giveaways and conferences with hundreds of strangers who can quote your writing to you, but could not pick you out of a police lineup.

For several months, I blogged on the DL. Only Hubby knew. Then Little Sister, followed rapidly by then newly pregnant BFF. Wonder of wonders, I had readers! I even had a small handful of regular commenters, and while I enjoyed blogging for blogging’s sake, I knew there was so much more out there.

A crafty girl to my core, I wanted to try my hand at Etsy. I also knew several women that I wanted to share this amazing secret with. Plus, not having to stop myself mid-sentence at family parties to avoid giving myself away would do wonders for my nerves. When BlogHer announced the reach out tour was coming to Boston, I knew it was time.

I began the transition from an anonymous blog to one I could actually tell people about. I worked for weeks on a name and created my own logos. I started learning a new craft that I would use to launch the shop. I migrated my blogroll to the new email address and disabled all links between the two. Finally, I shut down the blog that had been my home for so long.

Goodbye anonymity, hello every member of my extended family with internet access.

As I clock in at 10 straight months of blogging, I am amazed at all that I have personally experienced. I have “met” so many wonderful people out here among the pixels. I started a business. I have learned to use words like widget and html and analytics without Hubby checking me for delirium. I have stepped way out of my own comfort zone. Sure I was hyperventilating at certain points, but I did it anyway.

What I have witnessed has also been nothing short of amazing. I have watched strangers become friends. I have seen hundreds of people reach out to a family in need. I witnessed the awesome power of a grass roots movement to save a cottage industry.

I have seen the power of one person finding their voice, and the astonishing results when someone listens.

And though Monkey is almost two years old now, and the whole spit-up thing has resolved itself, he remains a constant source of blogging material.

Over the last year blogging has come to mean more to me than I would ever thought possible. It has been a haven and, I will freely admit, at times a curse. Oh2122 has become my creative outlet and soapbox to the world. Each day brings new voices and new experiences. I am learning more about myself and this incredible world with every word I type and every post I read.

And I sincerely thank you from the very bottom of my sarcastic little heart for sharing it with me.

06 February 2009

Friday Housekeeping

I am not feeling the Luv.

The CommentLuv, that is.

It is doing very weird things to my little corner of the web. Comments are being eaten. Comment numbers are not matching up. The blog itself has been behaving strangely since I added it, so it has to go.

I apologize if it has done odd things to you and your comments, and rest assured, I am working on it. I have two support emails in, one reply was not very helpful, and I am waiting for the second.

Comment Love, on the other hand, will continue to be a fixture around here.

Providing I can scrub CommentLuv from my template soon!

*******************

On a lighter note:

If you're in the metro-west area of Mass this weekend, my favorite bead shop is having a grand re-opening event!

Beadles, formerly of Westford, is moving to fab new digs in Chelmsford.

I will be the one in the red coat (that, incidentally, matches my car) wandering the aisles counting to myself and muttering about color combinations.

Next week's posts should be chock full of springy goodness!

*******************

Also, today is Very Funny Friday over at Navel Gazing.

My link will just end up taking you back in time to yesterday, when I was much funnier and less distracted by comments borking left and right, but the rest of the links will most assurely be filled with laughs of the "OMG I HAVE TO PEE" variety.

Enjoy, and have a fab weekend!

05 February 2009

* Names Have Been Changed To Protect The Giggling

I know I posted this on Thursday, but I've submitted it to Navel Gazing's Very Funny Friday!

If you've already read it, act surprised, then go check out the rest of the giggles.

*************************


My sweet new (to me) ride has finally arrived, so Monkey and I took it out for a spin yesterday.

As we were meandering through the aisles of my local Target, I overheard another mom reaching the ubiquitous parental end point with her preschooler.

"Susie*, get over here now or I will make you sit in the cart."

(pause)

"I am giving you to the count of three."

(pause)

One... Two...

And knowing what was coming, I held my breath and silently begged Monkey not to do it.

Alas, to no avail.

He smiled his megawatt smile and proudly shouted,

"THREE!"

(sigh)

On a side note, it's really hard to admonish your child when you're gasping for air and it's coming out,

"Nuh-uh-oh! St-t-t-t-t-aaaawp! Mon-k-ke-e-e! Sh-sh-sh-uh!"

03 February 2009

Deep End, Throwing Of Self In, And More List Making

So by now everyone has heard of SITS, right?



Wait, which one of you said no?

Get to clicking, and come back later.

For everyone else, SITS announced today that the Spring Fling will begin on March 3rd.

If you're doing the math, that would be 28 days frooooom.... NOW!

The asked for volunteers, and in a moment of sheer Chutzpah, I threw myself into the deep end.

Head first.

So all the fab sparkly bits I have been sketching for spring must begin appearing on my desk, ASAP.

This may mean I'm a little light on content this week, but it will be worth it.

Bonus, as if it were a gift sent from on high, my fave bead shop is moving to a bigger and better location this week, so there's a grand opening sale on Saturday. A sale AND a chance for Mommy to peruse, latte in hand, a plethora of beady goodness? Fab.

Plus, we're going to have a high of 45 and my new wheels will be ready this week.

My new RED wheels.

And speaking of RED. This:

(photo credit)

Leaves Boston on Friday.

Destination: Fort Meyers, FL.

It's going to be a nice weekend.

02 February 2009

Not-So-Breaking News!

I intend to be knee deep in crafty bits and list making today, but I needed to pop in to join in the revels!

Handmade artisans and crafters have been granted a stay of execution.

The CPSIA has been put on hold for one year while they look into the impact it would have on small businesses.

There are other statutes going into effect, and this is only a temporary hold, but it is amazing progress!

Score one for grassroots movements!

*happy dancing back into my office*