Scavenger Hunt!

It's Friday and I don't have a "Flashback Friday" (sorry, Max)
Jaden has missed a few "Miss J Mondays" (sorry Ashley)

Guess this just tells you how busy I have been! :) And my back feels much better! Just remind me "do not lift that!"

I am excited to tell you we are branching out at Bisque It! :) No, we are not getting more space, unfortunately, but we are adding CLAY! Kristen and I have been working with a Youth Group this month doing some clay building, glazing, and just playing around. It is a lot of fun and I decided everyone should have the opportunity to have this much fun!

We are starting off with some basic clay building classes. We will over different technique classes for hand building. From there we will have "Clay Days" where you can come in without reservations and play in the clay!
But the most exciting part....THE WHEEL is coming soon!! I don't know who is more excited Kristen or me. (I really am gonna work at getting Shannon excited too....get that bad experience with clay out of her head!) Kristen just finished her Bachelor Degree at IPFW in Fine Arts. Her concentration was in ceramics, heavily using the wheel. She will be giving lessons on wheel throwing.

So that brings me to my title "Scavenger Hunt"
I am in need of a few things. I need a sturdy work bench or kitchen table. It has to be sturdy as we will be using it to "knead" clay. If you have an old table/bench in your basement, garage or tucked away somewhere, I would be happy to take it off your hands! You don't even have to dust it! ;)
I also am looking for a small area rug about 6 feet x 4-6 feet. It could be a kids play rug, or a finished piece of carpet.
I will pay cash or work out something in trade. Check around, ask your friends and family.
Thanks!

Enjoy SPRING.....it is finally here!!!! :)

Remember Alexander?

Alexander's terrible horrible no good very bad day doesn't hold a candle to some of the days I have had lately! You know how they say things come in 3's, well the electronic 3 hit me!

1. My kiln went down right at the start of the Home & Garden Show.....I know that was couple of weeks ago, but it went on for over a week! I think we tore out the control panel of the beast at least 6 times! We replaced part after part after part.....but I am happy to say (should I say it?) we are back in operation!
2. I got a virus on my computer! This one was very sneaky......up pops a message looks exactly like the window warning shield, says WARNING: your files have been infected, recommended you run a scan immediately. Then two options, scan or ignore. I choose scan....and GOTCHA! I tried a couple programs to get rid of it, talked with geek friend in New Jersey, and then finally said, "I don't have time or desire to mess with this! I called "computer tech" (don't really know what to call him, but he knows his stuff, and is very reasonable) and took it to him. Again, I am back in operation!
3. Cable box goes out....kinda.....I have fallen in love with my DVR, I never have to watch commercials again! It still works, am able to record my shows, but the local channels just say "to be announced". So as long as I know the day, time, channel they were recorded I am fine. They are coming on Tuesday with a NEW box....not a refurbished...NEW! (Hear that Mr. Mediacom?)

After all those events, I felt really good....I am so in the clear....no more terrible horrible no good very bad days ahead for me!! :)

I think I must have celebrated the prospect of "great fantastic very good days" ahead too much because my back went out yesterday! :( I am not completely out of commission, but very close to it. I have had these back spasms before, and the only thing I can do to make it better is REST! That really isn't an option for me. I know I need to work on PREVENTION instead, but that is hard too. I am not to be lifting, period! But how frustrating is it when you know you can lift something, you know its not too heavy, (yes I do lift with my legs, learned that lesson the first time my back went out.) I have a hard time asking someone to carry something for me when I look perfectly capable!

Good days and bad days....I take them as they come and always try to make lemonade! Maybe life needs to toss me some limes so I can make Margaritas! ;)

Celebrate SPRING.....it is oh so close!!!

Peace!

You have all heard of the "Peace Frog" right?
Well there's a new craze about to take the world by surprise!
It's the........drum roll, please.........

PEACE DOG!

Remember, you saw it here first!!!

PeaceDog picture is property of Shane & Ashley,Inc. Use of this picture may be used for a fee.
(Ashley, this will look good in your portfolio, write up the copyright and agreement for use.)

Calgon...take me away!

It has been way too long since my last blog. But I really have been busy. Good busy and stressed busy.
We did the Home & Garden show this past weekend. It was very well attended, had lots of inquiries, but sales were down a bit. I kinda expected this but I still think I will generate a lot of new customers from this show.
The thing that has me stressed is my kiln! A week ago it went down. Fortunately I have good technical support from the company and was able to get new elements shipped out same day. Dad and Max were able to install them on Thursday and I fired it up that evening. Didn't get a good firing, so it was back to the tech. We tried a couple other things....fired it up. Got a couple good firings in, but I knew something wasn't right, it was taking too long. Call back to tech this week, found out 2 of the 4 elements weren't working (these are the coils that heat the kiln.) Jeff came in as my "electrician" and we found the problem. They overnighted the part and it was a snap to install today. Test on the elements was good so we were back in operation! Except 5 hours later......ERROR MESSAGE again! So that is where I stand at this moment. Tomorrow morning it is back to the tech......
Amongst all this, I have been proudly wearing my tiara. (Believe me, this is not a good thing, ask Shannon to explain.)
First tiara moment: I do my banking online....thought I would pay bills early, get them out of the way. Well yesterday I get a notice that I didn't pay a loan. Hmmmmm....knew I had, thought I had, checked my records, checked my account online.....yep, showed I had transferred the money and it had cleared. I look at loan account....nope, hasn't been paid. Hmmmmm....I look at another account.....AHA.....there it is! Transferred to wrong account. Nice thing about banking at small hometown bank, one quick phone call and it was taken care of!
Another tiara moment: Again, had to do with bills......rent is due first of month. With home show ending, I was trying to juggle everything, knew i needed to get rent mailed Sunday night. I write the check, and figure I will drop in mailbox on way home. Two seconds after I drop the envelope in the mailbox I realize I forgot to put a stamp on it! UGHHHH! Again, fortunately I have a very nice landlord and am the only tenant that pays him on a regular basis. (He told me one tenant hasn't paid him in 6 months.....but that is another story for another post!) So I straighten my tierra and make a quick call to him. Mail was returned to me today. So it is back in the mail, stamped.
I just want everything to get back to normal so that I can go back to "playing". And Jaden says she wants to get back to her weekly posts too! We have some good pictures to share from the Home and Garden Show. I also want to share a picture of Frank if I can figure out how to get it from phone to computer. (Ashley, ask Shane if he can email me that picture.)
And one final note......check out the countdown clock.........just 16 DAYS UNTIL SPRING!!!! (And I see I need to reset my Scrappin' the Night Away clock.)

Minimizing Max!

I just have to tell everyone how proud I am of Max!

He was sitting at the kitchen table the other night performing surgery on his belt, and after he was done I was AMAZED at the end results!

Take a look at this picture! It just shows all the hard work and perseverance he has put in the last 18 weeks!

That is OVER 9 inches cut off!!!! WAY TO GO, MAX!!!!!!!

Coming soon will be before and "in-progress" photos!

Miss J Monday

"I wanna play!"

Those are Jaden's favorite words! And what she is really saying, "I want you to play with me!" How cute is that! And who can turn down a request like that?

Jaden has some pictures to share of "playtimes" over the past couple of weeks.

Playtime at Bisque It

I taught Grampa Max one of my favorite games....Peek-a-Boo through the cupboard doors!

Sometimes Gramma J lets me do my own hair.

As you can see I am developing my own style!

I had fun painting with my cousins Evan and Olivia and Cathy!

I had a play date with my friend Hannah. She came up from Muncie to paint with me!

Playtime at Gramma Pat's and Grampa Wayne's

I am getting really good at putting together my ABC floor puzzle!

Thanks, Aunt Cindy, for letting me play with it!

Gramma Pat has a fun new toy....PLAY DOH!!!

Maybe the Easter Bunny will put some of this in my Easter Basket!

Playtime at Gramma J's and Grampa Max's

Look at my "newest" toy at Gramma and Grampa's!!!

This was my mommy's when she was a little girl!

I LOVE playing in my little kitchen!

And Lucy likes playing with me too!

Flashback Friday!

Ready to jump in the time machine.....going back a couple decades!

I finally found time to playing with a new toy I got for Christmas.

And I can tell right now I am going to have endless hours of fun with this little contraption!

Max got me a film and slide digital converter. This converts 35mm slides and negative to digital files! I have boxes of negatives....and I do have many of the pictures developed. But what better way to keep memories than digital!

I just grabbed a couple of envelopes of negs to try out this toy. Here are a few pictures I found!

I haven't figured out what year they were taken. Hairstyles say 80's, what else do the styles say? I am gonna leave that up to you! ;)

These first two pictures were taken at King's Island. Talk about style! wow!

As if the hat and glasses weren't enough....check out this next picture....it has FASHION written all over it!!

As you can see it was taken in Las Vegas.....again, not sure what year, but one thing is for sure it was quite a few pounds ago!! ;)

Oh, and notice the fanny pack again! And try to look past the "under-the-bust" pants! hehehe

Well I hope you all enjoy the little walk down memory lane....and if you laughed at the styles it only means you have pictures like these at home too.