What a week!

Technorati Tags: crochet,storms,one of a kind,handmade,koi

 

Now technically, I live in the South. Normally I have no problems with this. I actually grew up here and have spent the majority of my life here.

Where I do have a problem though is when the weather gets stupid.

Growing up, we always had afternoon thunderstorms. My cousins and I used to play in the rain and it was great fun!

These days, those thunderstorms seem to be a lot worse.

Take Tuesday night for example. We had a line of storm come through, like always in the spring and summer. But this time it was something otherwordly. There are 4 ways into our neighbourhood. Of those 4, three were completely blocked by fallen trees. Not small trees mind you, these were anywhere from 4 to 5 feet around, completely covering the road.

Then, when I get home, my dogs are freaked out (which in all honesty, was to be expected). I let them outside and discover that about half of the oak tree in our back yard is now laying in the yard, less than 10 feet away from our house.

The next day, I discover that the electrical system on the koi pond was hit by lightning.

As of today, the koi pond is back up and running and all the fish survived and have been fed, so they’re happy  I’m sure.

And now that everything is almost back to normal, the tree is still laying in the yard, I can get back to work!

Here are the pics of the damage:

Spring is here, sort of!

 

Things here have been insane! Just as I get over one thing, another pops up. It’s been almost like a death of a thousand cuts, to be honest.

But I’m back, and I’m working on stuff for the shop. New designs, new colours, new kinds of things. Lately  I’ve been working on some bigger projects, baby blankets and such, plus teaching my adopted sister, Samantha, how to crochet. I tried teaching my other sister, Stacey, but she has absolutely no patience and on top of that, she has carpal tunnel, so that was a no-go.

Sam, on the other hand, took to it like a duck takes to water and she already completed two projects while visiting me for my birthday week! I even showed her the super secret recipe for my signature Uglee Elf Hats and she whipped one up for her hubby Daniel.

And I have to say, it was so nice to have someone to chill with and work through skeins of yarn and just chat.

I think that with all the connectivity and speed and desire to be bigger, better and badder than everyone else, people have forgotten the simple things. And that makes me sad on so many levels.

I know that I get tired of running all over creation, trying to keep up with the Joneses. I really don’t care what the neighbours have or say about me. If they want to have a house full of flat screen TVs and computers so they don’t have a chance to connect on a more human, simpler level, that’s their choice. I personally can’t stand that choice anymore.

Yes, I have a cell phone, yes, I have a laptop and a desktop and two flat screens. But at the moment, all the TVs do is give me background noise, I don’t really pay attention to them, especially when my own hubby is on tour. The sound of  another human voice can be soothing to an extent. I wish I could turn off the cell phones and not be connected all the time, but like many of you may know, I have fibromyalgia and a weakened immune system and when Danny is on tour, he likes to be able to get in touch with me when he has a down moment, and since we never know for sure when that is, it’s impossible for me to completely disconnect the cell phones, unless I’m actually physically asleep.

And I use the computers for my business, but I try to not stay on them all day, and I really don’t have a set in stone schedule for updating the webstore or this blog. I tend to run out of things to write about, so when I have something to say, that’s when I blog or update.

But none of things are absolutely necessary for my survival. They are nice to have, they can make life easier. But I’ve lived longer without them than I have with them. And I think that makes me uniquely qualified to enjoy simple things like glasses of ice water and teaching my sister a new craft while we catch up with each other’s lives. And when I get to enjoy those small things, I end up missing them more when they are gone, and I can hardly wait until they come back.

Sometimes I just want to tell everyone to slow the hell down, literally smell the roses (my Almost Blacks have bloomed into these huge fragrant blooms that are breathtaking) or the coffee or whatever it is that makes you smile and then sit down with a friend or a sibling. With Sam, we can sit and work on our projects and not even say a word, and still be close. And there is nothing wrong with that. I think that’s the mark of a true friendship, being able to say everything without saying anything.

So, if I am asked about the key to true happiness, I’d have say, being surrounded by nature and having friends who understand what you’re saying when you’re saying nothing at all. And not thinking that you’re so important that everyone and everything else in the world needs to revolve around you. It’s a lot of stress and bother, being the center of the Universe. Sucking all that light and sound out of the lives of others can really wear you down, you know? 

Personally, I’m happy being out here in the Universal sticks, on my own spiral arm,  having coffee with my dogs and playing in my yarn stash. A lot less stress, believe me!

And now I’m done with this rant. Why don’t you grab something cool and refreshing to drink and go sit on the porch, rub the ears of a cat or dog or bunny, and enjoy the sun and the silence. Then let me know how you feel while doing it!

MWAH!

Michele

 

The biggest step has been taken, now what?

Well, over the weekend, I bought my domain name! And then found a hosting site and began building my own online shop. WHEW!

Never thought I would take that step, but I did and now I have a whole new world of things to think about and plan for and to be honest, it is daunting, but with all the help and assistance and praise I've been getting from my family and friends, I know I can do this! 

Of course I am still worried that this may not be as successful as I hope, I know the statistics about new businesses. But you never know until you try, so here I am, trying. What's the worst that could happen? Yeah, nevermind, don't answer that! LOL

But the best thing for me right now is seeing my hit stats go up every day! I keep telling myself that the more traffic I drive to the site, the better people will get to know my talent and then the business will take off, so that's what I am doing these days. It's a modest start, but as of last night, I'd had almost 300 hits, which isn't bad, considering I only launched it Friday afternoon!  

So, I am keeping my chin up and reading about marketing (my friend Tom swears by "Guerrilla Marketing") and figuring out new ways to get the ball rolling!

Last, but not least, to all those who've asked for specially customised things, you guys rock! Keep telling all your friends about me, please!

Meanwhile, here's the link to the shop, feel free to leave comments, any feedback will be greatly appreciated! 

The World of Uglee Little Things

xoxox

Michele

Big things are happening here in the land of Uglee Little Things!

There's been so much going on here the last few days! I've tried my hand at making dog sweaters, with my pooch Eddie as the model for the prototype. As you can see, he is absolutely thrilled with his sweater. Actually, he just flopped over and stared at me sideways, then found a way to pull it off by dragging his back along the underside of the coffee table. Back to the drawing board, need to make it fit better!

And in other news, I was talking with Danny about where I'm going in life and what my passion is and how the fibromyalgia affects my other job and he looked at me and said, very simply "You make some of the nicest things I've ever seen, the colours can be strange, but you are so good at all this design and crochet stuff. You should follow your passion."

So, after some serious thought about whether or not I have the fortitude and desire to make this work (I decided I do, by the way), last night I bought the ugleelittlethings.com domain. He's been helping me work on it this morning, since I am not the most computer literate person on the planet. I will be honest, I am nervous, worried about failing, wondering if people will come to the shop . . . all sorts of things. I've not really sold anything out of the ArtFire shop, but people have looked through and contacted me about making custom pieces based on what they have seen, so it's not as though nothing has moved out of the house.

I just have so many concerns and worried and all the rest that goes along with starting a business! But, with some help from my friends, I will give it a serious try and just promote myself and my work to death!

xoxox

Myscza

Spring is here! In case you didn't know it!

Well, as we all know, spring is finally breaking in many places around the country. Here in the foothills, we've had some particularly gorgeous days! Although today was awfully windy, it was still warm and sunny, and that's what I like, warm, sunny weather!

The holidays were surreal. We had to cancel our Thanksgiving plans to volunteer at the church when Mom was rushed to the hospital. She had to have emergency surgery but she is beyond fine now. So, that left Thanksgiving dinner in the hands of me and my sister! OH NO! It turned out to be awesome though! Danny made his famous stuffing, Roddy made the trifle, and we all had a decent time, although we missed Mom, and Dad, very much!

Christmas was better! I made Mom what I like to call a "Box of Love." Her being rushed to the hospital made me realise just how much she means to me, and to keep my hands busy, I started making hearts. In all colours, shapes & sizes and designs. I even figured out how to make a Dutch Heart, which turned out beautifully. Then I put them all into a very happy little hat box and presented it to her. It now sits on the hearth in their living room, for all to see. Next time I am over there, I should remember to take my camera so I can sneak a few shots to post here!

And now it's warming up. And this makes me very happy! The only bad news I have is that I've finally reached a diagnosis for all the pain I've been feeling all these years. I have Fibromyalgia. Yes, it's painful, and yes that hit me like a ton of bricks. But, I have started treatment, and although I am in the middle of a flare-up, I can deal with knowing that people now understand that it's not all in my head and that there is a course that can be followed to help me have more better days than crying days!

 And through all this amazing chaos, I have two babies to crochet for. Our godson, Christian, Jr will be here in June and our good friends Jill & PJ have their first little one coming in August! I'm already working on Junior's first blanket, and I am looking for a super special pattern and yarn for Jill & PJ's first born. I am a firm believer that all new babies, and some grown ones (like Danny) deserve to have handmade blankies and bears to comfort them.

 And now it's time for a special picture before dinner. This is my friend Sarah's daughter, Trinity, wearing her very own custom ordered pink pom-pom Uglee Elf Hat! Her mom says she LOVES it! And that, my friends, is just one of many, many little happies in my life!

 xoxox

 Myscza

And the holidays are here!

 

 

This is the Monday before Thanksgiving, 2010 and my family is gearing up for the holidays. Lots to do, and it will seem as though there won’t be enough time to get it all done, but somehow we will manage and everything, though maybe not perfect, will be great!

Yesterday we hosted a cookout here at the house, and thanks to global warming, we had a gorgeous day to hang out in the backyard, eat, watch the dogs chase squirrels (before my sister and I started sneaking them bites of hotdog and steak LOL) and just relax. I think Mom really needed a day like that, to be honest.

On Thanksgiving morning, we are planning on helping the church with their meal deliveries. Mom, my sister and, if she shows up, my little brother’s girlfriend, and I are planning on packing the delivery boxes and serving on the line while Danny, Roddy, Jay and Pop deliver the meals. I’ve always thought it important to remember those less fortunate than ourselves, especially during the holidays, and doing this as a family is an amazing thing for me. I’ve had a really blessed year and I feel as though I should pay that forward in some way.

My own biological family disowned me many years ago and while that did hurt very badly for a very long time, I had managed to move on from that and now I’ve realized I am surrounded by more people who love and care about me than I have ever had in my life and that is simply the most amazing things I’ve ever experienced and I am very grateful for that. So, the people I will be calling Mom, Pop, sisters, brothers, they are all people who have adopted me and made me feel like family in the most sincere way possible. I love every single one of them with every inch of my heart and wouldn’t trade any of them for all the gold and power in the world.

For the first time in many years, I have family during the holidays and I cannot even begin to tell you how that makes me feel.

I will keep you posted throughout, just so you know I am doing ok! Meanwhile, here is a pic of something I created at some point! This is my beautiful daughter Beth with our dog Eddie-bugz. She’s wearing an Uglee Elf Hat in cherry chocolate chip and a slightly snarky grin.

Myscza

Flickr Tags: Crochet,hats,crafting,handmade,meaningful

Holidays and wedding planning . . .

 

 

All sorts of things have been going on in my house lately! I’m trying to get geared up for the holidays and some awesome crafting, but between work and wedding planning, it’s kind of hard to make time to sit down with my yarn and hooks and just veg in front of the TV as much as I would like to!

Wedding decorations were a bust the day after Halloween, literally EVERYTHING even remotely Halloween related disappeared overnight and now it’s everything Christmas. I was a little bummed about that to be honest, but I like looking at the holiday decorations and colours and sparkly things.

And that puts me in the mood to make hats and scarves and mittens and convertible mittens and neck warmers and all sorts of stuff. I am also contemplating breaking into some new crafting areas, maybe more felting, candle making, soap making, things like that!

The sale on my Artfire site is now over and I would like to thank everyone who came to the shop to see what I have. I really appreciate it! I also found out I’ve been hotlisted on there, as well as included in a bright, cheerful collection by another shop owner and that really made my day!

Even though the sale is over, I still have a lot of things there that are ready to find new homes with people who will love their unique funkiness! Surely you can find something that you love. And, if, on the off chance you don’t, feel free to message me with a custom order! Just be sure to do it soon so I have a chance to make it perfect for you and get it to you before Christmas!

Love & Light!

Myscza