Reading this blog - check it out, seriously good stuff! - so reminds me of home. I imagine one of my girlfriends could be writing that - my friend Julie probably - because it is just what she wants her life to be. I mean she just got married and they are having a baby (sshhhh, it’s a secret for a little bit longer!) but she grew up a rancher’s daughter. That is the life she wants and I think she is determined to have.

And I am reminded of home because I will be there in a few weeks! Our plans have changed but we are still moving, just not to our initial destination. The kids and I will stay and then move on to staying with my Dad and hopefully my Mom later on. She’s in WA State and we talked about going to OR and I want to go to Portland. I thought I would be there in the spring but with our new plans, I’m just not sure.

How is your Christmas crafting going? Have you listened to my new craft podcast? I’m up to episode three with a new one being published every Wednesday! Soon I’ll be in iTunes, I’ve been super busy around here lately.

The second craft podcast is up over at the Crafter Cast - I talked about our trip to Atlanta for the craft fair and interviewed Matt with Etsy.com about the Buy Handmade pledge.

I was so nervous talking to him! But it wore off after a couple of minutes and I enjoyed our conversation a lot. I’m working on getting into iTunes so I’ll let you know when that happens and I hope you subscribe!

I was really lucky to only have one toy from the first recall list - it was the Elmo that was like a potato head, he had parts you could add to him. But the catch was the toy had to be made after May 2007 - ha, we’ve had that Elmo for at least three years! We did have to call in because of the toy oven recall - and would you believe they still haven’t sent the packaging/mailing info for that?

In case you missed this, here is a great list that Amy over at Angry Chicken put together - not made in china. I have a few things I am working on for the kids and for the baby, as well as projects the kids can make on their own. I’m hoping the sewing projects won’t be too advanced for Alice, but even with the little things she’s been working on she loves it and catches on quickly.

Technorati Tags: handmade toys

This is by far some of the coolest things I’ve seen lately! I’ve been using my StumbleUpon button to browse for new craft sites and came across this tonight. Check out this page of stamps, they are the new images offered by Hot Potatoes, and they are sewing stuff! I love them! I’m so excited, I’m saving the site here so I know where to go back to when I want to order a stamp. There are buttons, a cross stitch stamp, a little spool of thread with “handmade by”, pins, a sewing machine. Ah, heaven. They look so very cool.

Technorati Tags: stamps, handmade

Check out this cool site that has everything you need to know about making soap - as well as lip balms, lotions, etc. I’ve never tried making any of these things but when I see the kits in the craft story it is so hard to pass them up! I wonder if they would be kid safe at all, since they involve melting and such?

Technorati Tags: making soap, craft instructions