Wordless Wednesday

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Happy Wednesday!

Seriously?! Thursday

I’m linking up with From Mrs. to Mama today for her Thursday post.  I found her blog through someone else’s blog that I read, who also links up to this weekly post.  I checked out her blog as well, and just became one of her newest followers too!  I’m not sure if I will link up with this posting every week, but today is a start.   :)

Seriously?!  CSN stores through Amazon.com.  I don’t think I will ever deal with them again after this mess.  They listed a Graco Snugride car seat base in beige.  That’s exactly what I needed.  I ordered it, and when they sent me an e-mail to confirm the order, it said “tan” – not what I ordered.  And yes, there is a difference in the colors.  If I really wanted the tan one, I could have ordered it directly from Amazon for $10 cheaper and no shipping!  Long story short, they said it was a mistake on their part, I requested to cancel the order, but somehow it already shipped out (before I even confirmed the order?!), and they refused to contact UPS to have the item returned to them before it reached my doorstep.  I was told I would receive a full refund of the item cost and the shipping I had to pay, and would not have to pay to ship it back to them.  Today’s e-mail said I would only receive the refund for the item.  They got a response to that, and I’m hoping they cooperate as they said they would, and I won’t have to contest the charge with the credit card and report them to the BBB. 

Seriously?!  Our health insurance.  Again with the refunds.  We were owed $96 on a claim.  They sent us the check.  I didn’t take it to the bank right away, but once I did, I got another $96 check.  We were confused, so we looked into it.  The first check bounced, and they were replacing it.  Problem is, my bank charged us a $12 fee for a bounced check.  How does a major insurance company bounce a $96 check (due to insufficient funds!), seriously?!  Now we’re back and forth with them to get the $12 refunded as well.  All this makes me tired!

Seriously?!  This weather lately.  Crazy storms and tornadoes in places that don’t usually get hit by them (Philadelphia, Allentown??), and even the temperature.  It didn’t really feel like we had a real spring.  It felt like it went from cold, to chilly, to now super hot!  Those nice temperature days were few, and when we did have them, it rained and rained and rained.  The rain makes it feel chillier.  Then today it was just about 90 degrees here!  My AC is on in the house, but for some reason our upstairs doesn’t seem to cool down as much as it should.  We’ve made it better, but still not great.  I’d rather summer than winter, but I can’t stand the heat right now.  We have a lot of things to accomplish outside, and between the rain and heat, it’s not getting done as quickly as it needs to be done.

Seriously?!  I’m 36 weeks pregnant today!  This is not a rant one, but just unbelievable.  When thinking about it in weeks, the weeks seem to fly by, but when I think back to October when we found it, it seems like so long ago.  I’m not so sure I’m ready for the delivery part, but I am ready to not have this huge belly in the way anymore.  I can’t sleep well (up anywhere from 4-6 times a night for the bathroom – seriously?! – now every 1.5 hours), I can’t bend over and pick things up, I can’t even get up and down from sitting very well anymore. 

Seriously?!  Taco Bell – or, rather, the lady at Taco Bell.  I wanted to get their current Big Box meal for Hubby, but he wanted some substitutions.  Before ordering, I checked the prices of things to make sure his substitutions were the same price as what is supposed to be included.  According to their menu, all prices were the same.  I asked for my first substitution, no problem.  As I started to ask for my second substitution, she already was giving me a look like I was a royal PITA, and then told me no, due to the price.  I tried pointing out on their menu that it was the same price, but she still refused.  I think she just didn’t want to deal with the substitutions…

I think that’s all I’ve got for now, thanks for reading my rants!  Today feels like Friday.  I don’t have to worry about one more work day or anything, but it feels like a Friday.  Hubby and I do have stuff to do outside, but this heat is unbearable!  At least I don’t have to cook today!   :)

My Style Crafts

So, I finally got some motivation to do something with my Artfire shop, My Style Crafts.  I have been wanting to do this for a while, and I even started prepping things, but then I got stuck, didn’t feel like doing it anymore, and it didn’t happen.  I finally started doing it a few days ago – adding prints to my shop!  I had a few different printing options, since I do not have the capability to make prints here at home, but I needed to get a few prints made to see how they came out first, before putting them up for sale.  Since I’m not the only one living in this house, I wanted Hubby’s input on what pictures to get printed and where to put them.  We decided on a seasonal theme, and got 4 prints made in B&W, one shot from each season, and finally had them printed!  I thought they came out very well, so I knew I could finally start adding the photos for sale in my shop.  We haven’t framed the prints for our home yet, but as soon as we do and get them hung up, maybe I will share it on here.  They will be hung up on the one wall in the office where we had to fix up a few spots, and those spots really stand out on the wall, so these prints will provide some cover up for those as well as decoration on a plain wall.

I currently have 8 prints listed.  All of them are only available in 8x10, though if a smaller size is requested, I can work that out.  I just didn’t create pricing for other sizes yet.  I will ship prints out in a cardboard flat rate priority mail envelope, so if more than one print is requested, they will be shipped together and only one shipping fee is charged.

Here is one of my favorites that is currently listed:

“Fall Trail” in B&W.  Some of the listing are available in both color or B&W, some are color only due to the fact that it is a colorful shot, and just wouldn’t look good as a B&W print.  Here is that same shot in color as well:

I plan to add quite a few more, so keep checking back at the shop for new additions!  I’m also trying to work out custom ordered candles.  All candles will be soy wax, containers only (no pillars at this time), and can either be scented, dyed, or both.  I just have to create my listings and figure out what sizes I will offer.  This means all candles ordered will be made at the time of order, so you get a freshly scented candle, but it will also mean that buyers have a longer order processing time, so that the candle can be made and allows me time to order supplies if I am currently out of something being requested.  At this time, it’s my best way I can offer candles in my shop, which is something I really liked creating.

So that’s what I’ve been up to creatively lately.  I haven’t made any new jewelry, but at least it’s a start to keep my shop going.  Maybe after the house and yard are in order, and the nursery is 100% complete, I can focus some attention on the jewelry.  I certainly have supplies and ideas waiting for me!

Oh, and I was very excited to receive notice that one of my earrings was hotlisted and featured in another seller’s collection.  She created a collection of her favorite patriotic items from Artfire, and included my “Patriotic Fireworks” earrings!  This picture was before I started taking nicer jewelry photos, but here they are:

Great for the upcoming patriotic holidays, maybe?   :)    If you are interested in anything you see in the post, or what else is currently listed in the shop, please check out My Style Crafts on Artfire!

My Weekend…

I totally skipped my weekly Friday post of my kitty pictures, but I was hardly home at all that day, and the rest of the weekend was the same.  Saturday we went to Babies R Us to buy the crib mattress, ate lunch with my grandmother and uncle, I had a baton lesson to teach, and until all was said and done for that day, it was late, I was exhausted, and my hips and pelvic bone were hurting very badly.  Sunday we went out of town to a “Planning for Baby” show, where we learned a few good things, but I was having other issues that day, didn’t sleep well the night before, and in the end didn’t really think it was worth my entire day with the discomfort I was having.  We were supposed to get a FREE gift (supposedly worth about $139)…yeah, big gimmick there.  I expected things along the lines of free pacifiers, bottles, blankets, diapers, samples of bath products, etc. and maybe some coupons to fill in the value.  Our “free” gift was 3 vouchers to send off to receive different coupons.  These were not gift cards you would receive, just coupons.  AND YOU HAD TO PAY A MINIMUM OF $15 IN SHIPPING FOR THEM TO SEND THEM TO YOU!  I’m going to pay $15+ dollars to receive unknown coupons I might not even be able to use?!?  I don’t think so!  The point of the seminar was to explain crib, highchair, and monitor safety and products, and of course, try to sell you the products he was promoting.  We knew it was some sort of sales pitch going into it, but we wanted that free gift, and weren’t doing anything else that day.  They were trying to sell Babee Tenda cribs, feeding tables, and some other brand of motion monitors.  I never heard of this brand before, and apparently you can only buy it through these shows or on their website, and it’s a company that’s been around for many many years, but the whole day was not worth the discomfort I ended up having, especially since we weren’t buying anything anyway, and our “free gift” was that ridiculous.  I ended up with so much discomfort (not pregnancy related – other issues I’ve been dealing with for years) and nothing seemed to be helping last night, that I didn’t sleep well again last night, and after a previous night of wrecked sleep and an hour lost, I am exhausted today.  I hope to have a very good night of sleep tonight with as few interruptions as possible!  So, that was my weekend.  If you receive an invitation for a “Planning for Baby” show in your area, where they will offer you discounted items and a “free gift” worth $139, check into it more before you go, and unless you want to purchase Babee Tenda items, stay home!

My Ventures

I know I have gotten a few new followers recently, and I’m guessing at least some of my followers read my posts through Google Reader and don’t actually see my blog page often.  I don’t typically like to “brag” as I might call it or really push things on people, but I guess it would really be considered “marketing”.  Since there are new followers and probably some Reader people out there, I was feeling the need to “market” myself and remind everyone of some of the ventures/sites I’m associated with to allow me to try to earn some extra income for my newly growing family.  We’ve been lucky with baby gifts so far, but there’s a lot more to buy and pay for as the year continues, and since I currently don’t work and will be a SAHM, I felt the need to try to earn a little something where I could.  So, for any of you interested in any of the following, here’s what I’m trying:

1. I have my own Artfire shop called My Style Crafts with my handmade crafts listed.  If you have never heard of Artfire, it’s pretty much exactly like Etsy, but without the fees for listing an item.  Right now I currently only have some jewelry pieces listed, but as soon as I try out a printing service, I’d like to add some of my photography prints, and whenever I decide to sew again I could offer items such as catnip cat mats, cat toys, and kitchen towels.  I currently do not have any candle making supplies, but I love to make candles, and at some point would like to add some of those to the listings or at least take custom orders.  I also decorate picture frames, but unfortunately due to some of the materials I use to create them, that particular type of item is on hold until at least summer since I can’t use those materials while I’m pregnant.  So, like I said, there’s currently only jewelry and one set of wine charms listed, but the other items mentioned are ones I’d like to add at some point when I have the supplies, ability and time to create them.  If you’re interested in something, or would even like to inquire about a custom order (which may or may not be able to be fulfilled, depending on the item), please check out my Artfire shop at http://www.artfire.com/users/MyStyleCrafts

2. I have 2 Cafe Press shops.  One shop is called My Style Crafts – Photography Gifts.  I have created a few different items with some of my original photography printed on them.  Items include coffee mugs, note cards, and tote bags.  You can check out the items available at http://www.cafepress.com/MyStyleCrafts

     The other Cafe Press shop currently only has one design on a few different products, but it’s called My Style Designs.  I created this shop during Breast Cancer Awareness month in order to try to raise some money for breast cancer research.  I would eventually like to create some different designs to add to products, but for now all items (which is still everything at the moment) with the breast cancer awareness design will have all profits from sales donated to The American Cancer Society.  This shop can be found at http://www.cafepress.com/MyStyleDesigns

3. I am a Say It On The Wall affiliate.  Say It On The Wall is a great place to find some awesome gifts or home decor items created using vinyl.  They have items such as subway art, wall vinyl sayings, door greetings, decorated glass blocks and so much more.  You can even create your own vinyl saying through their website.  If you are interested in seeing what they have and helping me out as an affiliate, you must go to their site via my link listed in my sidebar on my actual blog page.

4. I am also part of the Amazon Associates program.  I have a shop through Amazon.com where I categorize and list products that I think are wonderful from personal experience or would just like to offer potential shoppers because I think the product seems worthy of promotion.  The store is called Steph’s Creative Life Store, since it’s associated with my blog.  I currently only have a “Baby” category and “Music” category (all Glee mp3’s listed at the moment), but I plan to add categories such as electronics, household items, home decor, crafting supplies, and more.  Look for those categories and listings to be added over time, and if there’s anything at all you want to buy from Amazon.com and would like to help me out as an Associate, but don’t see the item listed in my store, please contact me through my blog and let me know what the item is so I can add it to the store for your purchasing needs.  If there is any issue adding the item to the store, I will let you know, and you will also be notified once the item is listed and available for purchase.  You can get to my store to see listings through the widget on the sidebar of my actual blog page or by clicking this link:  http://astore.amazon.com/stepscre-20

I have also been thinking about becoming an online Tupperware consultant.  I don’t like to do home parties certainly as a consultant (not even a host!), but they have a way you can just sell via an online store, or even create online parties for hosts so no one has to deal with the in-home party.  This is still up in the air yet, because in the past I thought about being a consultant/sales person for other companies (Avon being the major one), but I know a few people who already sell for the other companies and thought I might not succeed at it for that reason.  So, I found out about Tupperware’s opportunity, and I haven’t made a final decision yet, but I’d like some feedback from you.  If I had an online way of purchasing Tupperware or hosting online only parties, would you be interested?  Would you come to me for your Tupperware needs or do you already have a consultant that you buy from?

That’s all I have for now.  If you are interested in any (or all!) of my ventures above, please check them out and help me succeed!  Feedback about the Tupperware opportunity will be greatly appreciated!

Support Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

If you didn’t already know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  Since I know people who have either conquered breast cancer or are currently fighting it, I decided I wanted to create things this month that I could donate profits from to the American Cancer Society.  I am currently working on some wine charms that I hope to have finished and posted by the end of this evening or tomorrow, but for now I opened up another, different Cafe Press Shop where I can put designs I create on other merchandise.  It is separate from my Photography Gifts site, and currently has 1 design related to breast cancer on a variety of products ranging from clothing to mugs to buttons/magnets.  Depending on the item, I will donate anywhere from $0.25 to $1.00 for each item sold (amount depends on the item), so the more I sell, the more I can donate!  I created this design using the obvious pink ribbon, the symbol for breast cancer awareness, but also with the yellow flowers because they were the closest looking flowers to Pear Blossoms, which is apparently the flower representing “hope”.   

You can visit the shop here:  http://www.cafepress.com/MyStyleDesigns 

And here is a preview of what you’ll find in the shop: 

   

      

So, hurry up and show your support for cancer research!  Cafe Press currently has a sale through Oct. 13th – get 15% off all orders $60 or more – so while your checking out my shops, you might find some cool Halloween stuff while you’re there! 

I would like to start creating more designs, so after October 31st, 2010, the items and designs are subject to change.  I will most likely keep a few “Think Pink” items in the shop, but I will be working on other designs as well.  Unfortunately, I only have a basic shop, so I can only have a product listed with one design, meaning I can’t have coffee mugs listed with 2 or more different designs (once a design is put on a coffee mug, you can’t create another coffee mug with a different design).

Check it out!    :)    More to come on those wine charms later…

New Cafe Press Shop!

I have decided to try to get some of my photography out in different ways.  I will be adding some to my Artfire site, once I figure out my best photo printing service and costs, but I also wanted something I could set up immediately.  Cafe Press!  I opened my shop Monday, and added even more products yesterday.  I will also be adding calendars in the near future, but I have to pick out more photos for those. 

So here it is, the “Grand Opening” of my newest venture:  My Style Crafts – Photography Gifts

They have a sale going on that ends TODAY – save $10 off a $50 or more purchase.  So, please, check out my shop and hopefully you’ll find something you like to add to your shopping cart!  Christmas is coming, if you’re more of an online shopper and like to buy gifts early.   ;)

Here’s a sneak peak:

Blank note cards    

 

                          Blank greeting cards

Beach tote

There are quite a few other items as well!   Happy shopping!   :)