Canning fever!

I've been canning the last two weeks! Lovin' every minute of it, too! I carry the Ball canning book around like it is attached to my hip, planning each day's recipes to preserve. Whatever made me jump into canning with both feet? Maybe our move to NC last year and all the wonderful plethora of farmer's markets in the Asheville area. Another reason this move was one of the best "game changer" moves for us:)

The first photo is my absolute favorite (so far)...Spiced Peach Jam on the simplycanning.com web site.

To date, I've canned Summer Salsa, Italian and Mexican spiced tomatoes, Honey Syrup Peaches, Spiced Peach Jam and Bread & Butter Pickles. Feel free to ask questions and I'll answer with much excitement but as a total newbie!

Just for FUN, I'm entering a contest on gardenofeatingblog, "Can You Can It?"
Take a peek at this great blog, you'll LOVE it!

Wednesday Flash Promotion for June 8th!

New items added to these wonderful Zibbet shops! From toekini's to peace symbol necklaces, vintage dresses, hair bows, crocheted hand towels and photography! Zibbet is THE marketplace to buy! Happy sellers make happy buyers!

Zibbet.com/artemis53
Zibbet.com/RaigeCreations
Zibbet.com/TurnPeaceAround
Zibbet.com/LorisStylingHairStuff
Zibbet.com/MimiandColette

And remember POP embroidery too! For key fobs and embroidered gifts!

Would love to read your comments! Thanks for popping by today!

Front Page BEAR news!

The front paper of the Asheville Citizen-Times on June 8, 2011 caught my full attention, unlike other days. It was NOT Anthony Weiner’s bare chest and the articles that ensued. The story that begged me to read on, was Asheville high school’s soft lock down and A-B Technical Community College on alert! What had happened? My first thoughts were a shooter was on the loose, after all most headline news stories are sadly about those types of horrors. As my eyes focused on the high school/community college article, it wasn’t a shooter or similar tragedy.
It was a pair of bear cubs running around scaring everyone! Yes, that is right BEARS! Now, I don’t mean to down-play the danger of encountering a bear but it was something you don’t often see on the front page. But wait, we now live in the Western North Carolina mountains! So yes, those types of articles will make our main news! It certainly is more refreshing than all the self-destructive humans splashing their “skeletons in the closet” and embarrassing choices in our face.
Everyone was safe and school officials had extra police officers on hand when school let out at 3:30pm. The bear’s activities were monitored by A-B Tech officials before it wandered off campus. Oh, btw…they said one of the bears was small, probably weighting about 100 pounds. Ok, so any bear can do some damage if it so chooses. And I writing this in the comfort of our home, miles away from the bear siting.
Therefore I can say, I am thankful to be living in the mountains of NC where some headlines news can catch you off guard and make you smile.

Wednesday Flash Promotion...extension!

Two Zibbet shops added their sites to the Flash Promotion! I wasn't able to edit yesterday's published article to add them. Soooo, here is an extension of our Flash Promotion!

Nicole's Visions Photography!
http://www.Zibbet.com/NicolesVisions
http://www.facebook.com/NicolesVisions
http://www.zibbet.com/dreamwithme
http://luv2beme.blogspot.com/

Beautiful work in both of these lovely shops...take a look and enjoy shopping!

Happy Thursday everyone!

Wednesday Flash Promotion!

We have a name for our Zibbet shop cross-promoting!
Wednesday Flash Promotion!!! Hope it isn't too flashy...ok, so I tried to be funny;)

Take a peek at these wonderful Zibbet shops! Some are having special sales!
When you think of those end-of-the-school year presents, remember these shops! Great, fun, creative and unique...buy handmade!

Be sure to follow them on facebook, twitter and their blog!

OnMommysApron!
http://www.zibbet.com/onmommysapron
https://www.facebook.com/OnMommysApron
http://twitter.com/#!/OnMommysApron
http://onmommysapron.blogspot.com

SkyJewelry!
http://www.zibbet.com/SkyJewelry
http://www.facebook.com/SkyJewelryPage
http://twitter.com/Sky_Jewelry

Sunfire! Wood burning items!
http://www.zibbet.com/breathofthedragon
http://www.facebook.com/breathofthedragon
http://breathofthedragon.blogspot.com
http://www.breathofthedragon.com

StrawberryFields jewelry!
http://www.zibbet.com/strawberryfieldsArtJewelryBeadsNMore
http://www.facebook.com/strawberryfieldsnj
http://www.facebook.com/strawberryfields1
http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/strawberryfield2

Lori's Hair Bows!
http://www.zibbet.com/LorisStylingHairStuff
http://www.facebook.com/LorisStylingHairStuff
https://twitter.com/lorisstylinghai
http://lorisstylinghairstuff.blogspot.com/
http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/loamqueen

Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy visiting these wonderful Zibbet shops!
And pop into POP embroidery by PaperOnParade, too:)

Have a great Wednesday!

Promotion Flash Wednesday on Zibbet Shops!

The Zibbet community hub is a wonderful place for all shop owners to visit, learn, share and promote!

Here are some shops cross-promoting each other today. Be sure to visit each shop and have fun shopping, everyone! From jewelry to hair bows and dragons!

Cutest bows...http://www.zibbet.com/LorisStylingHairStuff

Frogs & dragons...oh, my! http://www.zibbet.com/HeavenlyPaints

Great eco-friendly swiffer covers...http://zibbet.com/mimiandcolette

Fab woven beaded jewelry! http://zibbet.com/abracadebra

As always I welcome custom embroidery and key fob orders at POP embroidery by PaperOnParade!
http://zibbet.com/PaperOnParade

Easter Week-End Trip

Great Smokey Mountains













Our 4 hour drive took a little over 6! We drove to our daughter's in Chattanooga for Easter week-end and decided to stay off the major highways.
Making the trekk through the Smokey Mountains on a beautiful Saturday morning was the most peaceful and relaxing time hubby and I have had in a long time. The sound of the breeze in the trees and the rushing cool water stream was better than any doctor could order. Stopping along the way to take pictures was almost more than hubby could stand but he was gracious enough to stop. Guess when you are the driver getting to your destination is top priority!

Sunday morning service at "The Net" church was another gift and truly an outstanding sermon by Pastor Ryan May. As we stood for the last prayer, hubby, our daughter and myself held hands and I knew God was telling me, "You are in the middle of a miracle!"

Through it all, I believe we are all "Standing in the middle of a miracle"! Don't let the world steal it away...look to your "miracle" and always remember the light will overcome the dark....ALWAYS!

Promotion Flash Monday!

A fun way to promote other talented crafters and highlight your shop as well....Promotion Flash! Sooooo, it is "Promotion Flash Monday"!

Here are five shops with beautifully created products, from hairbows & jewelry to crochet and lace! Have fun shopping!

Do you fight to contain those annoying plastic bags from the grocery, yea...those bags! The ones that make a mess in your pantry! Welllll, No more...purchase one of Mimi's plastic bag holders. Stuff them into the top of the holder, then pull from the bottom and get one at a time, when you need 'em. Plus MANY more wonderful items in Mimi's shop!
http://zibbet.com/mimiandcolette
http://facebook.com/miandcolette
http://twitter.com/mimiandcolette

Have you ever had a bracelet that converted to a necklace and back again within seconds?! I just bought one from SkyJewelry and LOVE it!
Plus this shop has a special section for "deals of the week"!
http://www.zibbet.com/SkyJewelry
http://www.facebook.com/SkyJewelryPage
http://twitter.com/Sky_Jewelry

I've been sewing for almost 50 years and the lace in this shop is some of the most beautiful! You've got to take a peek! (Oh, my...could I be that old?..hehe)
http://www.zibbet.com/suhafuha
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Suhafuha/155098654543207
http://twitter.com/Suhafuha

This shop and POP embroidery (my shop) have collaborated to come up with these beautiful gift sets! Bib/burp cloth with matching bow! Ladybugs, bees and cupcakes, oh my!!! We would love your suggestions and feedback!
http://www.zibbet.com/LorisStylingHairStuff
http://www.facebook.com/#!/LorisStylingHairStuff
https://twitter.com/#!/lorisstylinghai
http://lorisstylinghairstuff.blogspot.com/

Smurfbeads has stunningly beautiful beads and jewelry! Great eye candy and just think how elegant the beads would look in your jewelry designs!!!
http://www.zibbet.com/smurfbeads
http://www.etsy.com/shop/smurfbeads

Enjoy browsing and shopping!

Shop Collaboration!

In a Zibbet Community Hub discussion by AllAboutTheButtons, I saw a comment by LorisStylingHairStuff that caught my eye! Collaboration...I've seen three others that seem to have worked out well. However I've never done anything like this before and was shy about approaching Lori. I know, I know...me, SHY??? Yes, I was...at least this time:)
So many questions, who would absorb shipping, take photos, would the items sell separately or as one set and many more!
It fascinated me enough to contact her PLUS my bib set and her bows seemed to be a perfect match! It turns out this was her first collaboration also...so we worked out the details together and as the plan developed, we did alot of honest brainstorming.

This is the results of our efforts and we think it is pretty awesome! What are your thoughts? We'd love to hear your ideas, too! Are you thinking of a shop that would compliment your product and a possible collaboration? It takes some work and time but the results are double exposure for each of your shops!

We've listed the same listing in each of our Zibbet shops, LorisStylingHairStuff and POP embroidery
The listing is for a complete gift set and upon a sale, we send each other money via paypal. So far, easy peasy! And what a wonderful presentation!

Promotion Flash on Zibbet Shops!

Four Zibbet shops on our cross-promotion venture today! Visit them at their shops, facebook, twitter or blog! Wonderful way to meet unique, creative crafters!!! Now that is something you won't find at big-box stores;)

Meet Lori!
http://www.zibbet.com/LorisStylingHairStuff
http://www.facebook.com/LorisStylingHairStuff
http://lorisstylinghairstuff.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/#!/lorisstylinghai

And BeadnKnot!
http://www.zibbet.com/beadnknot
http://www.facebook.com/BeadNKnot
https://twitter.com/#!/beadnknot

And Raige, home of the toekini's!
http://www.zibbet.com/RaigeCreations

And Red Rose,
http://www.zibbet.com/RedRoseConfections
https://www.facebook.com/RedRoseCakes
https://twitter.com/#!/RedRoseCakes

Yiiipppeeee more shops to promote!

Louise Knits,
http://www.zibbet.com/louiseknits
http://luisafelice.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/louiseknits

Fancy Stitch Junction,
http://www.zibbet.com/FancyStitchJunction
https://twitter.com/FancyStitchJ

And a Mom & Daughter duo!
www.zibbet.com/MOMeveryday

www.zibbet.com/KIDeveryday

And Nancy!
http://www.zibbet.com/monkmama54
http://www.zibbet.com/frugallyfoundforyou

Have fun "shopping"!

Asheville, NC...feels like home!

Our move from GA to NC last Summer was one of the most difficult for many reasons. We aren't new to moving, by any means, as 24 years in the USAF taught us well. However, this move as empty-nesters and moving to a completely new area where we didn't know a single person was almost overwhelming. Needless to say, we packed up and moved with me "kicking and screaming"! LOL

We've been here 9 months and I do believe this city was hand-picked for me. I LOVE ASHEVILLE! Beautiful mountains, wonderful downtown and the history...oh, the fabulous history! PLUS the River Arts District, Big Love Festival, The Big Crafty, Elementality, Take Five, HUGE local farmer's markets, THE theatres, Home Free Bagels, The Biltmore and I could go on and on!!! These events and businesses are the very foundation of my heart and spirit....crafts and helping others! The Citizen-Times wrote this, "Home Free Bagels to employ homeless, pay living wage and donate profits for housing effort" in an article by Joel Burgess!!! AMAZING! And their business seems to be growing by leaps and bounds! Visit HomeFreeBagel facebook page and give them a shout-out from me!

More to come on "things to do" in Western North Carolina! Too much for one article for a novice writter like myself! lol

Now, I know this city doesn't go without conflict especially in this difficult economy. However I strive to stay focused on the positive aspect of everyday life. Look at all of these people in ONE city making lemonade out of lemons. Maybe our law makers should adopt this "can-do" attitude! Remember the light will ALWAYS overcome the darkness, ALWAYS!
Mmmmmm......Could I be falling in love with Asheville?