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Welcome to the creative home of Charmeleongifts and SynchronicitySupply!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

A Place for My Parents to Call Home Fund

Dear any and all who read here:

If you read my previous entry, you know that my parents are in danger of losing their house of 30 years to the city. The City is demanding $25,000 from them, which they do not have. If they are not allowed to sell their house, they will not have money to move into a new place (even a tiny apartment).

I have opened a donation fund on wepay to help them. My own hubby had a job for one month and then was let go, so we understand the hardship everyone is facing right now and that money is tight. I do not expect to raise the $25,000 needed in so little time, but any small donation will help them to move on from this tragedy.

Wepay is a money transfer and collection site like Paypal. They will take $0.50 from each donation as their fee.

Here is the link: https://www.wepay.com/donations/a_place_for_my_parents_to_call_home

I know many people worry about getting scammed and I can assure you this is not a scam, we are a real family that has been living in California for over 30 years and what is happening to us is like something out of a bad movie. No local lawyer will help my parents and we are all at wit's end with worry. Anything you can do would be greatly appreciated.

If you would like to send them a message with words of encouragement, send it in an email to Dreamerzina@gmail.com and I will print them out to give to them in a special care package I am putting together for them.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

When It Rains, it pours- anvils, pianos and safes

Dear all who read here:

I am writing today with a very heavy heart. As most already know, I have been struggling with an injury that has caused me to be on again off again working, lots of pain and endless dealings with doctors and workman's comp. Then Hubby lost his job.

The latest in the barrage of hardships is that due to an on-going neighbor dispute and full yard, my parents are in danger of having their house (home of nearly 30 years) taken from them by corrupt greedy power hungry city officials.

The stress on my family has caused severe migraine attacks, anxiety attacks, high blood pressure and loss of sleep.

I have never felt so helpless and am truly at a loss of what to do. I welcome any advice or sympathetic ears.


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Life Status:

*I have begun water therapy and am hoping for positive results with the ankle as I am still in constant pain
*Going back to work part time again after being out on doctor's orders for 3 weeks.
*Feeling defeated during the month that normally excites me.

Favorites Status:

*MOVIES- Watched "The Green Lantern", which was decent
*TV-"The Sing-Off", "Merlin", "Glee", "Ghosthunters", and lots of "Cheers"
*MUSIC- Sara Bareilles, Chris Isaak
*BOOKS- Currently reading, "The Girl Who Could Fly", by, Victoria Forester, a real page turner!
*FOOD-pasta

Creative Status:

*making magnets, tags, stickers and ACEOs to sell on Etsy when there is time.

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Etsy shop of the day:  CarriesBerries



Handmade soaps, jams, bath and body items. It is no surprise this shop is so popular! (Click on the name of the shop to go to the shop site and see for yourself!)

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Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Don't Be Cruel

Hey All,

Yesterday began as an Elvis kind of day.  I sold an Elvis keychain in my Etsy shop Charmeleongifts). Hubby and I watched the TV show, "Pawn Stars" together and on the show, a lady wanted to sell a necklace that had been given to her by Elvis. Then, as Hubby and I were driving in the car to run some errands, Elvis's song, "Don't Be Cruel" was playing on the radio!

Well, I have had the song lyric, "Don't Be Cruel" stuck in my head since because it seems a very fitting message for everything that followed!

Yesterday afternoon I went to the doctor about my ankle injury (see previous blog entries for more details) and ended up getting a cortisone shot straight into my ankle...Dr. Elvis, don't be cruel! Hopefully it will help the ankle heal!

Today I went with Hubby on his deliveries and when we got back to the office, we received bad news...there just isn't enough work and Hubby was let go...Don't be cruel, Elvis Printers!

On the way from the home from receiving the bad news, a small rock got kicked up off the road and made a crack in the windshield of our car...Don't be cruel Elvis Street!

We then went to the Post Office, where another mail carrier box awaited us and when I looked at it, it made me think of the money spent on all the items in the packages and all the money that would not be coming in anytime soon...Don't be Cruel Postman Elvis!

Why are you being so cruel, Hand of Fate? Are we on a trip to Heartbreak Hotel?

Since the only thing I can do is look for a silver lining until things turn around, the up-side is that I am returning to work part-time for awhile starting next week, which will feel so good after being off for a month!

Apologies to all those I have promised things to lately, they will be done, just delayed a bit. I appreciate your patience during this extremely difficult time.

Stay Tuned,

Sabrina

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Life Status:

*Hubby has been riding his bike most of this week, 8 miles at a time, very proud of his enthusiasm for the exercise!
*I will be returning to work part time starting Monday! (Hoping cortisone shot will cure the ankle troubles permanently)
*I am still searching for the positives, which is getting increasingly more difficult with recent events! Positive for today-Had a nice small lunch date with hubby at In N' Out Burger.

Favorites Status:

*MOVIES- Watched "The Wedding Planner" the other night for the umpteenth time to relax. Hubby and I plan to watch, "Weird Science" tonight for some quirky fun.
*TV-"Drop Dead Diva", "Pawn Stars", "Ghosthunters", and lots of "Cheers"
*MUSIC- Alive and Well
*BOOKS- Currently reading, "The Secret of Castle Cant", by, K.P. Bath. Also, hoping to attend one of the stops in Laurie King's "Pirate King" book tour sometime this month.
*FOOD-to be determined!

Creative Status:

*working on illustrations for my children's book project

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Etsy shop of the day:  ArtByKCook


Original gift tags, handmade rag dolls, jewelry and hair accessories. This shop has a unique variety of items! (Click on the name of the shop to go to the shop site)

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Tuesday, August 30, 2011

A Funny thing happened at the Post Office

Hey all,

It is getting late here and I should go to bed, but I had to share a funny story!

Hubby and I got one of those brightly colored notices from the Post Office saying that we had a package to pick up because our box was "full". Well, we have a very small mailbox at the apartment complex where we live, so it wouldn't take much to fill it up. We figured we had an over-sized package. We ran some errands and I stayed in the car while Hubby wen into the Post Office.

I was relaxing listening to the car radio when I saw Hubby come out of the Post Office and he was carrying a postal carrier's type large plastic mail box! We both looked at each other and cracked up. It was full to the top with packages of all shapes and sizes. I knew without opening them that they were all items I was expecting from Etsy shops!

One of my favorite movies is The First Wives Club with Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler and Diane Keaton. In it, Goldie's character Elise's friends are trying to convince her that she has a drinking problem. She tells them that she doesn't have a problem. Bette's character (Brenda) replies, "Let's examine the evidence. Look! all bottles and gallon jugs!" Elise says, "I had guests!" and Brenda replies, "Who? Guns N Roses?".

I am often in denial about my overspending and shopaholic tendancies, but it is very sobering to see a postal box full to the brim with purchases and to know that despite the justifications (Christmas shopping, buying supplies for my shop, needing the nicely scented soap to stay clean...thinking that one more pair of earrings won't hurt anything, etc.), most of the items were purchased on a whim and were not really needed! If I were in Elise's shoes, spouting the aforementioned justifications for my actions, Brenda would probably tell me, "Who were you Christmas shopping for, the entire United States populace?"

If my hubby had been spending all our money on gadgets or something, I would have gone ballistic at him. It is often easier to tell other people what to do than to show yourself the tough love. Mom called tonight and I told her how I was feeling. She told me not to be so hard on myself, but I feel that sometimes we have to be as firm with ourselves as we would with our peers. We have to occasionally remind ourselves to take all things in moderation or we will lose the best of ourselves to our worst vices. I am certainly going to try to do so after this!

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Life Status:

*Hubby rode his bike for 4 miles, was very proud of the exercise, but is now suffering from a sore back
*The specialist determined from the MRIs on my injured ankle that I will not need surgery and will possibly be back to work after Labor Day.
*I am still searching for the positives-Hubby and I have been having a blast playing each other at Muppets Monopoly that we got from the liquidation sale of Borders.

Favorites Status:

*MOVIES- Hubby and I watched Richie Rich, which is a fun family movie I hadn't seen in a long time!
*TV-Drop Dead Diva, Ghosthunters, and finishing up season 7 of Gilmore Girls
*MUSIC- The Nines, Cake, and Cyndi Lauper
*BOOKS- Almost finished reading "Talking to Dragons", the last book in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles series, by, Patricia C. Wrede and thanks to the Borders sale I have many more books waiting to be read!
*FOOD-Grilled Chicken Tacos...again...and ice cream with fudge sauce for dessert!

Creative Status:

*Renewed love of rubber stamps and stickers! The gift tags are multiplying rapidly!

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Etsy shop of the day:  CaribbeanScents



Her soaps, lotions, hair products have the most amazing scents! I have to keep an eye out for Hubby attacks when I wear her products because they smell so good! (Click on the name of the shop to go to the shop site)

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Monday, August 29, 2011

Blog Raffle Winners!!

Hi all,

As you know, if you have been following this blog, the raffle has closed and the winners have been chosen!

I know you are anxious to find out who they are, but first I would like to say, "Thank you" to everyone who commented, participated or helped promote the raffle. It was a lot of fun. =)

All 29 raffle participants will be featured in a new weekly shop feature here in this blog starting on Friday!

And now...the moment you have been waiting for...*drumroll*

Runner up#1 for the custom Bookmark theme kit is....GRAMMALEA!

Runner up#2 for the custom personalized watercolor bookmark is....ORIGINALSBYMAGGIE!

And finally, the grand prize mystery supplies box goes to....SOAPFORYOURSOUL!

Click on their names to see their fabulous shops!

I will be contacting the winners for details about their prizes.

Stay tuned....I have another little game in the works. =)


Friday, August 26, 2011

Raffle is Closed. Winners will be announced in the next post!

The Blog Raffle is closed! Winners will be announced later today in the next post!

New items have been added to Charmeleongifts and lots of new items have been added to SynchrinicitySupply!

Use code: RAFFLE15 during checkout to get 15% off your purchase from either of my shops.

Details and growing list of entrants below!

As a kickoff for start of this blog, I am hosting a craft supply giveaway raffle and here are the details!

Who can enter?
Anyone with a couple dollars to spend.
How can you enter?
Make a purchase from one of my two Etsy shops: Charmeleongifts or SynchronicitySupply between now and midnight Sunday August 28th (8/28/11) and type "Raffle Entry" into the buyer's note section on the left when you make the purchase.
How will the raffle work?

A purchase of $1-$5= 3 raffle tickets
A purchase of $6-$10= 6 raffle tickets
A purchase of $11-$20=9 raffle tickets
A purchase of $20+=12 raffle tickets
(purchase price does not include shipping)

I will keep a running list of purchases and resulting tickets. On Monday August 29th, my Hubby will pull the winning tickets out of a hat. There will be 3 winners!

What are the prizes?Grand Prize: A surprise box consisting of 25 brand new packaged craft supplies (including ribbons/trim, beads, embellishments, stickers, wood stamps, notepad, rub-on letters, applique, etc.)

Runner up Prize #1: A custom made Bookmark theme kit (you choose the types of charms and bookmark design (see this listing for more details about Bookmark theme kits- http://www.etsy.com/listing/74829739/bookmark-kit-with-interchangeable-charms)

Runner up Prize #2:  A custom personalized watercolor bookmark made by me (see similar listing in my shop for details- http://www.etsy.com/listing/77917154/1-custom-personalized-watercolor?ref=pr_shop



 Please tell everyone you know about this event and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

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List of entries:
1. ABCK- 3 tickets
2. BBD-3 tickets
3. SFYS-21 tickets
4. BOR-3 tickets
5. LS-3 tickets
6. EI-3 tickets
7. PR-3 tickets
8. PP-3 tickets
9. FTB-6 tickets
10. JBY-3 tickets
11. CB-9 tickets
12. IV-3 tickets
13. PS-3 tickets
14. TWS-3 tickets
15. HC-3 tickets
16. OBM-3 tickets
17. THOR-3 tickets
18. LLD-3 tickets
19. KACS-3 tickets
20. GL-9 tickets
21. HBH-3 tickets
22. MT-9 tickets
23. LK-3 tickets
24. HP-12 tickets
25. HB-6 tickets
26. CH-3 tickets
27. WWOB-3 tickets
28. JBS-6 tickets
29. BSM-6 tickets

Monday, August 15, 2011

RAFFLE Details

UPDATE- The raffle deadline is being extended one week to allow time for more entrants! The deadline is now midnight Sunday August 28th. New items will be added in both shops during that time, so please check back frequently. =)
Use code: RAFFLE15 during checkout to get 15% off your purchase from either of my shops.

Hello to all who read here,

As a kickoff for start of this blog, I am hosting a craft supply giveaway raffle and here are the details!

Who can enter?
Anyone with a couple dollars to spend.
How can you enter?
Make a purchase from one of my two Etsy shops: Charmeleongifts or SynchronicitySupply between now and midnight Sunday August 28th (8/28/11) and type "Raffle Entry" into the buyer's note section on the left when you make the purchase.
How will the raffle work?

A purchase of $1-$5= 3 raffle tickets
A purchase of $6-$10= 6 raffle tickets
A purchase of $11-$20=9 raffle tickets
A purchase of $20+=12 raffle tickets
(purchase price does not include shipping)

I will keep a running list of purchases and resulting tickets. On Tuesday August 22, my Hubby will pull the winning tickets out of a hat. There will be 3 winners!

What are the prizes?Grand Prize: A surprise box consisting of 25 brand new packaged craft supplies (including ribbons/trim, beads, embellishments, stickers, wood stamps, notepad, rub-on letters, applique, etc.)

Runner up Prize #1: A custom made Bookmark theme kit (you choose the types of charms and bookmark design (see this listing for more details about Bookmark theme kits- http://www.etsy.com/listing/74829739/bookmark-kit-with-interchangeable-charms)

Runner up Prize #2:  A custom personalized watercolor bookmark made by me (see similar listing in my shop for details- http://www.etsy.com/listing/77917154/1-custom-personalized-watercolor?ref=pr_shop



 Please tell everyone you know about this event and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

***********************************************************************************
List of entries:
1. ABCK- 3 tickets
2. BBD-3 tickets
3. SFYS-18 tickets
4. BOR-3 tickets
5. LS-3 tickets
6. EI-3 tickets
7. PR-3 tickets
8. PP-3 tickets
9. FTB-6 tickets
10. JBY-3 tickets
11. CB-6 tickets
12. IV-3 tickets
13. PS-3 tickets
14. TWS-3 tickets
15. HC-3 tickets
16. OBM-3 tickets
17. THOR-3 tickets
18. LLD-3 tickets
19. KACS-3 tickets
20. GL-9 tickets
21. HBH-3 tickets
22. MT-3 tickets
23. LK-3 tickets
24. HP-12 tickets
25. HB-6 tickets
26. CH-3 tickets
27. WWOB-3 tickets
28. JBS-6 tickets