To Missy and Garret and all Who Love

My daughter is 17 and head over heels in love... engaged and planning on getting married in 2012... Missy, I love you more than anything and hope you are always as happy and in love as you are right now!

Duct Tape Talent

The talent here goes way beyond the duct tape... so many beautiful items here and the colors are amazing!

Everything in this shop is made from duct tape.. which I always end up making a big mess with so it is even more amazing to me that they can make such beautiful, bright, colorful, fun stuff from this magical tape.

I LOVE these rings... they are big and fun and different! I have added one of them to my must have list for sure.. I just have to decide on a color.. trying to decide between the lime green and the rock one there are also beautiful heart ones! You can also buy a pdf on how to make one for yourself... pretty sure this is NOT a talent I have.. but you might want to try it.

They also have wonderful stuff for your hair, and for your arms!

Please take a minute to go explore this fun shop, QuietMischief I hope it makes you smile as it did me.

~Michelle

Share Your Links

I want to share a great group with you that is on Facebook. I am still learning how the group things work but so far am loving this one. It is called Share Your Link and is a great fun way to do some easy and free promoting of your shop or site.

Right now there are about 200 people in the group, hoping to get a LOT more.. so please join and get your friends to join. The object of this group is to get as many people to see your items/shop/site as we can, and when we all help each other it can be so easy. Hardest part is not buying every cool thing that you see popping up in the group.

So here is how it works... you join the group... easy as can be... just click on the Join button.

Next I would suggest checking out the "docs" on the right hand side (and linked below) and reading through the "how to's and tips" and then adding your facebook and twitter links to the "docs" for them. Great idea to follow the list of people that have posted their links before you.

Next check out the posts that people have posted in the group.. find a couple (or a lot but at least two ) and share them.. either on your facebook or on your twitter ( be sure to add the hashtag #sylink on twitter so we can easily retweet it ) When you share something.. be sure to leave a comment letting the people know you shared it.

Now you pick something of yours that you would like to share... one a day.. you post it to the group... be sure, when posting that you click on "link" and then add your link there and attach then write in whatever else you would like to say before sharing... if you do not add your link this way then we do not get a "share" button so that we can share your item easily.

Now you sit and watch as the views come in. I can not believe how many more views I am getting on all of my items.. not just the shared ones... and emails and sales... this has been the easiest and most fun way to promote the shop that I have tried yet. This is with only 200 people in the group.. can you imagine what is going to happen after you join and get all your friends to join... we get a few thousand people in this group and it could be a whole new sale world we are walking in :)

If you have any questions then feel free to ask... there are a lot of helpful people in this group. There is group chat, where you can visit with other people in the group and/or ask questions.. you can ask on the wall itself... or you can even message me if you want or ask here on my blog.

Hope to see you there soon :)

~Michelle

Riding Island Transit

This post may seem silly to some.. but I was so proud of myself and I had a fun day so I wanted to share. Growing up I used to ride the local buses all the time.. I lived in a small town and there was nothing to do in town so I would hop the bus to the big city. When I was 15 I Started going to college in Seattle and I would spend 2 hours each way on the bus with a lot of time to kill in town as the buses did not run very often to home. For Three years I did this.. then I moved to the city and it was a lot cheaper and easier to just ride buses than to find parking.

Then I had kids and I moved out of the city and started driving everywhere... never to ride a bus again.. or so I thought. Now I live out on the island.. have two nice jeeps I can drive... and I make the kids ride the buss all the time... island transit has free buses and they are nice and clean and friendly... they run pretty often.. every hour.. and go right past the house and into Stanwood. Why would I spend the gas money and the time to haul my kids around at their whim when they can ride the bus for free. I did it for years when I was their age.. no reason they can't.. and they do.. only one of them has a problem with riding the buses and well.. he either rides them or gets his mom ( not me ) to drive him around... she seems to like being at his beck and call for most things.. her choice.

The other day I had a doctors appointment, for some tests ( that went wonderful ) and Dave wanted to take me since sometimes we are not sure how things will go and there have been tests that afterwards I would not be good to be driving home. He could have taken the Motorcycle to work and then I could have meet him somewhere and then we would have two cars in town and if things went crappy I would have been stuck driving home... so he just took the jeep and figured he would come back home and pick me up. He is so busy at work these days that he can't really afford to take any time off... and so I called a couple of friends to see if anyone was going to town.. then it dawned on me.. why don't I take the bus... no reason I can't... so I threw some stuff in a back pack and off I went.

Almost to the bus stop...right there at the back of that stop sign across the street.... beautiful day... having to fight myself not to go to the beach

Here comes the bus..yes it is a short bus... I got on and there was one other kid on the bus... a guy about 12 years old.. very friendly and nice mannered... the bus driver and the two of us ended up talking about the dogs we have owned and do own and it was a very nice visit. He got off the bus and then a lady and her cute little girl got on. I visited with the bus driver a bit more until we got to Terrys corner where we get off of this first bus ( which makes loops around the island ) and we get on the one the goes back and forth from Stanwood to Camano.

When I climbed off the bus my daughter was sitting at the bus stop waiting for her bus that goes back to the house and her work. I think she was pretty shocked to see me getting off the bus.. I loved it! There is about a ten minute layover here.. none of the island buses leave until the Stanwood one gets here so that everyone can be sure to make their connections. Daughter introduced me to a couple of the bus drivers... they are all so very friendly and helpful.

I got on the bus for Stanwood and there were a few people with me on that bus.. maybe 5... a couple of teenage boys, the mom with her tiny daughter, and another woman. Off we go for Stanwood.. picked up one or two more people.. and then I was dropped off at the Grocery store in town where Dave was waiting for me.

There goes the bus....I got to visit with some fun people and shock my daughter and saved Dave about an hour of his time... and it cost me nothing. Did I mention that not only are these buses super clean and friendly but that they are free? I am pretty sure I will be making many more visits to town this way.

Thank you Island Transit

~Michelle

Crossing Fingers for Spring

Today was just beautiful... went to physical therapy and then stopped for a minute ( two hours ) at the beach... the tide was out really far and it was warm and sunny and beautiful! I am hoping this means spring is really here.. even though some neighbors not too far away had snow.



Now it is 7 pm and we are working in the shop with the door open and the sun shining in. Not even cold enough for sweat shirts :) *fingers are crossed for spring*

The Beach House Barn

Today my daughter and I stopped by the Beach House Barn to check it out.. and we love it!! Right away outside I saw many things I would love to bring home and put in my yard. Bird houses and planters and lanterns and even milk boxes from the Smith Brothers Dairy. Had one just like this when I growing up, brings back a lot of wonderful memories. I am thinking I might go get one and put it in my garden by my front door. All of the prices on things in this shop are amazing, super deals for sure.

In we went and right away there are so many wonderful things to see. Jewelry and soaps and candles and fish things and beach things and bottles and lights and frames and bird houses and ornaments. This list could go on and on... every time you walk around it you see new stuff you would swear was not there a minute ago. They had some super cute rubber boots with lace around the top.. some fun cow boy boots and a leather vest. Daughter found a party dress she loved.. and it was only $24, she was super sad it was not the right size.

This is one of those fun stores that you could easily spend hours looking through. I loved that it had the whole beachy feel.. but it also has so much more. On their beautiful business card they say "antique treasures and retro riches" they are that and so much more. There is a little of everything for anyone in here. One of the best parts is that you can even bring your hubby. He may not want to go inside (it is a bit girly) but.. they have cool trucks outside and old tools and farm stuff. He would not be stuck totally sitting in the car. I wish I had taken more photos.. I only had my cell phone on me though.. I need to remember to always have the camera with me. I am hoping Snohomish County Blog Girl sees this post and heads out to check this place out. She does Awesome reviews on shops and takes wonderful photos. Be sure to check her blog out for some more awesome local places to explore.

Thank you Kelly for the wonderful visit while we were checking out your shop. We both loved it and I am sure we will be regular visitors :)

65 West North Camano Drive

Camano Island, Wa 98282

206-228-8159

Hours 10:30 ~ 5:30 Wed ~ Sun.

email Beachhousebarn@yahoo.com

Facebook.com/BeachHouseBarn

Fun Day at the Beach

This morning I was sore from PT yesterday but I really wanted to head to the beach. Since starting PT I have not been spending much time at the beach.. too sore and well there have been other things going on also.. paper work type things that keep me sitting at the desk instead of out playing. Today I went out for a few hours just to play.

As soon as I got to the beach there was an Eagle sitting out on the pier just hanging out. I knew it would be a fun day, which it was. I meet up with my friend and her dog and cat... and off we went. I love walking with these guys on the beach... the dog is always so happy to see me... he loves collecting huge sticks ( sometimes more like logs ) and taking off with then down the beach :) The cat just follows along meowing and stopping once in awhile to get petted. Today we kept him really close to us as the eagles were flying around above. My friend is great to walk with.. we walk and talk and then she goes in search of what she collecting then we meet up again on her way back. I can go pretty slow.. just looking at things.. taking pictures.. watching the water.

I found a bunch of fun things today... lots of pretty glass.. some in the greens and blues that I love. Also found a big black rock that looks cool and is super light weight. A big chunk of cement that has news paper embedded in it.. reminds me of taking silly putty and transferring comics to it.

Starting a Bucket List

Just going to be a list I can add to as I find more things I really want to do.. as soon as I find a LOT more time in a day

Canoe ~ I want to get a canoe and started spending more time out in the water. Starting with calm lakes and ending up with long trips down the coast that involve camping on the beach

Gold Panning ~ I want to spend a week camping next to a creek, panning for gold

Meteorite Hunting ~ I want a magnet on a stick and to find some treasure from out of this world

Hike out to the Dungeness Lighthouse ( just a one day trip)

Spend 3 days doing the lake Ozette hike on the Olympic Peninsula

More to come

Butterfly Bush

My last post was last Tuesday.... all about my plans for April.. the one plan I forgot to mention, since I did not know about it... was that I would wake up Wednesday morning and be sick :( Pretty sure it is allergies... I seem to get this every year when the scotch broom blooms.. damn ugly weeds! Spent a couple of days in bed with my head fully stuffed up.. and now I am up and moving.. head is cleared up.. but have a bit of a cough... feeling a Lot better though.

Today I spent a little bit of time weeding the flower bed.. I have to do it in little bits since weeding seems to be one of the things on my list of things shoulder does not like so much. My friend had given me a little butterfly bush plant last week and I really needed to get it potted. I was going to put it in the garden but decided to go with a big pot. We are hoping in the next year or two.. always takes longer than we hope.. to really do a work over on the yard.. so I am trying to not get too carried away with garden stuff until we get everything where we want it.

I planted the tiny little plant in a big pot.. hopefully it will not grow too horribly fast and I can move it in a year or two. I have always wanted one of these and am looking forward to watching it grow.

My parents have been in town this weekend... I love getting to visit with them. While dad was here on Friday I had him look through my garden and let me know what was what. A neighbor had sent up a bunch of plants last year and I just stuck them in the garden and hoped for the best.. well the best is happening and they are ALL growing. Turns out I have a bunch of fun stuff I will be sharing photos of as soon as they start to bloom. *Smile* Have also decided to do a little more flower garden on the one side of the house.. if I can talk my son into helping me out in exchange for some cookies. *fingers crossed*

When we redo the yard part of the deal is we will redo the front deck too.. it is sturdy enough but needs all new railings and what not. The paint is seriously peeling.. but there is one spot that I love where the railings on the steps come down and meet a rose bush.. I always take a lot of photos of it since I love the old look of it... when the bush starts blooming I really love it but here is one to start the season with

Aprils Plans

So far so good... it is only been a couple of days.. but they were Great.. we had a long weekend. We spent most of it in the shop working on the cabinets.. have all three shells built now.. and we will start working on the face frames and doors and drawers this week. Hope to finish those up by next weekend then we can start staining them. We still need to build the three uppers... but I am not sure if we are doing that after we get the bottoms all done and installed or after. I am hoping by the end of April we will have all the cabinets on this one wall finished and installed and being used. There are a few other things we are doing to the rest of the shop but they are minor compared to what we are doing now.

Saturday we had friends over and had dinner and cake for Dave's Birthday, that was super nice.. to just sit and visit and relax and eat. Also made plans for our first camping trip of the year... to the Ocean we will go. I am so excited.. not sure if I am more excited to be going camping.. or to the ocean or that we are going with friends... it is a great combination. I have already started packing..and making a grocery list... can't forget the beer and the limade.. will be making some beer margaritas for sure... My sister made some last summer while we were camping.. I thought they would be gross.. but oh no.. I loved them! Also hoping to collect some more sand dollars.. I have yet to find any sea glass while there... but love going out in the middle of the night and walking in the ankle deep water and finding the sand dollars :)

Also having my nerve test this month.. on the 29th.. will get the results on the 4th... will find out then if they think they should do surgery on it or not. On one hand I am hoping it shows no nerve issues.. I do not want to have another surgery.. even if it is just a small one... but on the other hand... I do want to know why it is still hurting. The physical therapy seems to be helping a bit... sort of hard to tell.. everything hurts when I am done there.. but seems the muscles that hurt feel better after a short time and the shoulder is just left with the throbbing still. I am super happy that I am learning all these great work outs that I can do .... with the shoulder hurting it is hard to know what I can do with it without being worried about making it hurt more or cause more of a problem in there. Now I have a bunch of things I can do that will help a lot in a lot of areas.. even if it doesn't fix my shoulder.

Already have another game of pinochle set up, I am super excited about that... and my parents are going to be in town this weekend.. I love getting to spend time with both of them. I have a lunch set up with my mother in law and working on getting one with my sister too. I WILL be doing some geocaching this month and getting out into the woods for some hiking. I want to get a few plants started in the house soon too.. some tomatoes and pepper plants and onions.. and some herbs... not doing a lot for a garden this year but want to make salsa again for sure. I also need to start taking more pictures.. I was taking so many last year.. and this year.. I just don't seem to .. getting out in the woods will help that :)

I did take this picture today.. found a new use for a tall skinny candle stick :)