Rock N Roll McAshley... My life blogged.

Time to get serious!

2009-08-19T09:59:00.001-07:00

Okay, the past couple of months I've been slacking off a bit with my weight loss efforts. I am below the weight I was when I got married 7 years ago and into a pants size that I never thought that I would see again so I think I've gotten a little too comfortable. Truth is, I still want to lose 30 lbs. I don't think I'll be able to do that unless I go back to tracking every bite that I put into my mouth and getting a little bit of exercise most days of the week. I think that working out is probably the hardest thing for me because I really don't enjoy it.

I live in South Carolina and it's hot and muggy and we have just about every bug known to man here. So the thought of getting out an walking or jogging in that is really hard for me. I just need to do it. It's also hard for me to find the time when I have a 20-month-old and about 1,000 projects that I'm working on at any given time. However, those are excuses. So I'm writing it down so I'll stick to it. No more excuses. Time to lose 30 more lbs and reach my big goal!!!!

You are what you eat.

2009-08-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

This year I made a decision to get healthier. I hated the way that I looked in pictures and I was starting to have knee pain and feeling tired all of the time. I had tried so many diets and had failed so many times because they weren't things that you could stick to your entire life. I had convinced myself that I just couldn't lose weight.

Then I started keeping a food diary and counting all the calories that I would intake for a day. By doing that and getting a moderate amount of exercise I have lost around 60 pounds since the beginning of this year. Do you want to know a secret- (it wasn't even that difficult!). Now, I'm not talking about all of the claims that are out there that say- 'eat anything you want, don't exercise and lose weight!'. Yeah, I just don't believe that first, and second I think there may be some things that will cause temporary weight loss but they may not be healthy and they may not "stick". I've gotten so used to eating 1200 calories a day I don't really even think about it anymore. I don't have to be on a "special" diet, I can go out with friends and if I'm not perfect that's o.k. For me, looking at numbers (the calories) makes it so much easier than just saying, "don't ever eat this". I'm not good with absolutes I guess. Haha.

I like to browse the internet for recipes, articles, and advice. I was reading this health blog today and I found an interesting post on the correlation between food and breast cancer. This interests me because my mother is a breast cancer survivor and I've had three aunts who had the disease (one who is still fighting and two who lost the battle). So I think I'm probably pretty high risk. I found out in December that obesity can be a contributing factor for cancer. I think that was one of the reasons for my decision to get healthier (that and heart disease also runs in our family). Anyway, I was reading this article on breast cancer prevention and found out that they believe that a large amount of carbohydrates may contribute to breast cancer! Wow, that is crazy and also a little sad. I love my carbs. I tried the Atkins diet once and that was miserable for me. Hopefully since I limit my caloric intake now and also try to eat balanced my carb intake won't be too bad. This post also talked of a study where women who had the highest level of physical activity were the least likely to die from breast cancer. I have been thinking about buying a couple of tennis rackets and learning to play tennis. Maybe now would be a good time!

Meet Kitty & Bear Bear!

2009-08-05T22:22:00.000-07:00

I would like you to meet two of my newest creations, Kitty and Bear Bear. They are best friends and they love cuddlin'! I created them for my daughter because one of my favorite toys growing up was a fabric doll that a dear aunt of mine made for me. Her name was Priscilla and she was so soft and cuddly. I do not know how many nights I went to sleep with Priscilla.

I have lots and lots of fabric left over from projects and these are great for my critter projects. They have embroidered faces so I don't have to worry about my 20-month-old ripping any buttons off and choking on anything. I designed their clothing out of more soft, toddler-friendly materials- Fleece, felt, and chenille. They are also the perfect side and width for carrying around and snuggling. I have had so much fun making Kitty and Bear Bear I'm thinking of adding some to my etsy shop, possibly themed critters... I have to think about it!

Also check out my birdie earrings that I made for myself. I know there isn't a lot to them but I like them. And it isn't often that I make something just to keep. I think maybe I need to do that more often. The necklace is from my new line of photography pendants. It's a nature photograph that I took and then baked it on translucent polymer clay. :)

Poor Blog!

2009-08-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

Oh Poor Blog, how I have neglected you! Well I'm back and going to get back into the habit of this writing thing!

So what's new with me? I've just listed some gorgeous photography pendants to RockNRollMcMama Designs at rock bottom prices. Evidently the recession has caused me to go crazy and I'm selling these unique one-of-a-kind pieces for $9...

I've also got lots of new soaps and lotions at LOL Soap Co. Today I listed my favorite soap, MONKEY FARTS. It seriously smells better than it sounds. LOL...

This summer I decided to try a couple of local outdoor craft shows. My first was in Cowpens, SC on June 20th. I fared well at this show even though it was my very first show and my set up was not great, I had out practically no signs and it was 100 degrees. Don't ask me what I was thinking with that yellow fishnet because I do not know. I'm glad that I took pictures even though I was not pleased with them because I think it helped me to figure out what I had done wrong.

My second outdoor summer craft fair was July 25 in Chesnee, SC. As you can see I added baskets for my soaps and also some plates.

I borrowed this easel from my twin nieces to make this awesome sign....

My lotions and jewelry...

See much more neat and organized! So with all of these improvements I must have done well at my second craft fair, right?

Wr-wr-wrong!!!! I got bee stung, spider bit, sunburned (to a crisp!) and had a horrible day of sales. I think I might be kind of anti-craft fair for a while. I've actually been quite depressed since the Chesnee show. I know I have great products, but I just can't seem to sell anything lately! I guess it's just the recession but it seems to really be getting me down. I shared my tent with a fellow TeamSC (South Carolina Etsy Street Team) member, Barbra from All About The Buttons and All About The Fiber. I am always amazed at the talent in our South Carolina team when I can see the items in real life. Barbra has got some of the coolest stuff! I totally loved her recycled clocks, arm warmers, such cool stuff! I got myself a soap saver so that I can make the most of every little bit of my soap. (We don't waste soap in my house!) She gave my daughter a little kitty wash mitt that was hand crocheted. Ellery loves it. She walks around with it all of the time when it's dry.

The same weekend of the Chesnee show I set up a table at the Grapevine in Greer, SC for a Christmas in July Sale. I don't know if you can see my matching purple Christmas tree on the top right hand corner of the table. The Grapevine is SUCH a nice store and is owned by such a nice lady. There are about 15 different vendors (I believe) and I think around 11 of them make handmade merchandise. I really love this store. I go crazy for the different jewelry, children's items as well as home decor.

I'm also working on some new projects (like I need any more projects!). I made my daughter this cute little plushie last week and I think it's adorable. I also made some one-of-a-kind outfits for them. They are soft, the faces are embroidered so I don't have to worry about the youngin' choking on anything and the outfits are interchangeable. The baby loves them and carries them around with her everywhere. They are just the right size for cuddlin'.

New Shop

2009-05-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't blogged in.... well forever. I've been going through a lot of changes- weight loss, taking tests to get certified for teaching, looking for work, and making soap. Yes soap! I've got a new store and a new blog. Check out http://lolsoapco.blogspot.com/ for information on the type of soaps that I make, and I will try to be a better blogger. :) I'm quite proud of my soaps and will be adding more bath and beauty products to my line very soon!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-03T09:02:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that the holidays are over! Now it's time to try to clear all of the tinsel out of my brain and get focused! I think I'll go look for fabrics today and maybe get a little inspiration, haha.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! We had a nice holiday with family. I think the kiddo enjoyed it very much.

Now it's a whole new year, I hope that 2009 will be great!

Mini Blog #1 Excuses

2008-12-20T19:36:00.000-08:00

Wow. I haven't blogged in a month. That's slack. I've been super busy and also a little wah wah wahhhhh... So how about a mini blog since I have a lot to do tonight as well.

Sometimes I try to find excuses so I can get a little time to myself. And I usually do have a lot to do, but tonight my husband was bothering me about something and I couldn't think for a second and I said, "I have to wrap presents and I have to eat this orange"

I guess I do need the Vitamin C.

RocknrollMcBaby's Birthday Video Part II

2008-11-20T15:22:00.000-08:00

Holiday Cheer, Hopefully...

2008-11-20T11:24:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

new post

2008-11-20T11:23:00.001-08:00

stay tuned.

Rock N Roll McBaby's Birthday Video Part I

2008-11-13T08:17:00.000-08:00

Here's part one of the video slideshow I made for the baby's birthday. I can't beleive it's been almost a year already!

Holiday Stocking Hunt

2008-11-08T18:55:00.001-08:00

The Hunt is On!!!!!

2008-11-06T14:08:00.001-08:00

Click Here to play the TeamSC Holiday Stocking Hunt!!!!

Tonight People!

2008-11-06T11:33:00.001-08:00

Tonight is when the TeamSC Holiday Stocking Hunt begins! I will post later with a link to the thread on etsy.com where you can play the game! We have a grand prize of a handcrafted holiday stocking (made by moi!) full of some amazing prizes from teamsc members. You could win your Christmas presents for everyone!!!!! 2.5 hours and counting!

Now I'm off to sew!

Reversible Thanksgiving/Christmas Set

2008-10-24T08:47:00.001-07:00

Here is my newest item, a totally reversible dress for Thanksgiving AND Christmas. One side is a brown corduroy fabric with a cute turkey appliqued.

This dress looks really cute on and will be perfect for Thanksgiving dinner with family!

Turn it inside-out and you've got an adorable Christmas dress featuring red cardinals, birdhouses and mistletoe. It is shown above with optional initials monogrammed on the reverse side. FREE MONOGRAMMING IS INCLUDED WITH EVERY PURCHASE!

This dress also comes with 3 hand sewn bows. The two shoulder bows are red and are attached to alligator clips for safety (I don't like the idea of putting any type of safety pin on clothes for toddlers and babies) and also as an added bonus they can be used as hair bows. It also comes with a brown and red hair bow that is attached to an alligator clip and also has a no-slip foam grip that helps the bow stay in place even if your child doesn't have a lot of hair on top. The bows are coordinated so that they can be used with either side of the dress.

For one low price, you can have TWO dresses in ONE for double the wear! Check out my etsy store ROCKNROLLMCMAMA DESIGNS!

Cutie Cute A-Line Jumper Dresses

2008-10-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been making a lot of this A-Line Style Jumper Dress. I made this Jack-O-Lantern one for my kiddo, but didn't complete it in time to put it in my store. I appliqued a jack-o-lantern on the front and then appliqued BOO on the back.

And here is my newest item in my store. It is a Reindeer dress. The front fabric is a candy cane print with a reindeer appliqued. Free monogramming is also included with this dress as well as two shoulder bows and a matching hair bow. And the two shoulder bows, they are attached to alligator clips (mostly because I don't like the idea of safety pinning anything on clothes for small children) and the plus side of that is that they can also be worn as extra hair bows.

And here is a custom order that I did for a customer with a three letter monogram. I think it turned out really nice! I love custom orders, so if you have an idea for a dress like this or need a specific color or size, just let me know! Just send me a convo on etsy!

YOU COULD WIN THIS!!!!!

2008-10-20T13:02:00.000-07:00

The South Carolina Etsy Street Team's HOLIDAY STOCKING HUNT!!!!

You could win this huge stocking handmade by Me, rocknrollmcmama. This stocking is really nice, it is lined, and it extra sturdy because I put interfacing in the middle just like I do with my tote bags. And it's BIG!

But that's not all. This stocking is FILLED with handmade goodies from 21 etsy shops. I can't tell you exactly what will be in the stocking, because I don't want to ruin the surprise, but I can show you this teaser image...

And... I can tell you that these shops have donated items to the GRAND PRIZE!

Ainsley Barrett All About The Buttons
Banner Celebrations Bead Dazzled
Beadiful World Bitty Books
CurlyfrySC Custom Candy Creations
Iryna Its All About You
Its All About You Too Lady Pippie
LullaBuy Bows Boutique MaryMarsh
Minnie Maes Nascar Nana
Roagom RockNRoll McMama
Shasha Jewelry Strange Little Girl
Sweet Tea Designs The Sheila Room

Excited yet? I would be! So HOW can you win this fabulous grand prize, you may be asking?

The Hunt begins NOVEMBER 6 at 5:00 PM. Make sure you go to the Promotions Forum on etsy and there you will find the official rules.

A Handmade Challenge

2008-10-11T11:06:00.001-07:00

Okay. I'm going to play a little game. I'm going to see if I can find a handmade outfit, from head to toe including accessories. Money is no object. And it all has to be stuff I would actually wear. So let's start with the shoes.

This is probably going to be the most challenging because you can find lots of vintage shoes on etsy, but not so many handmade ones. Ahh, here we go. Some sexy red platform pumps by zerkahloostrah for $365.00

Next up either pants or a skirt. Let's see what I can find....

Okay I like the shape of these made to measure jeans by trapperjane, $95

Now I need something for my top.....

I like this simple black top with just a little bit of ruffle on the sleeves. By CrowsCloth for $45

Now I need something to match those shoes....

This awesome "scarflette" will look great with my outfit. irregularexpressions, $56

Now let's bring on the jewelry!

Red Hot Candy Resin Bracelet by AardvArt, $15.99

Vampire Earrings from WaveCloud, $11.50

Aloha Cameo Ring katinkapinka, $21

And I said head to toe so I guess I better find something for my head....

Yeah I couldn't resist.... Beret by craftyoma for $17.50

So there you go, head to toe, all handmade!

Hide and Go Giggles

2008-10-06T20:57:00.000-07:00

This is my first attempt at posting a video, and I took this with my digital camera so I don't know how it will look. But here we are playing hide and go seek/peekaboo today. Yes, she giggles like that all of the time. ha ha...

Little Miss Attitude?

2008-09-28T20:53:00.000-07:00

My sweet little baby girl. She's got a temper. I don't know where she could have gotten it from... Surely not from me... Or Some Guy Named Kevin who kicks cups across the yard from spilling his sweet tea...

I've been working on her Halloween costume. I wanted her to be Snow White because I like Disney and since I'm able to choose this year I thought I would take advantage of that. I figure it is only a matter of time before she wants to be a Cheetah Girl or whatever.

So I started off and made her a sparkly yellow tutu with a comfortable satin ribbon. She's o.k. with that, we tried it on and she's all "Ooooooh". So far, so good.

Then I took a white onesie and dyed it royal blue. I embroidered an apple on it, then added a soft white eyelet collar. I then (hand) sewed some blue and red tulle to the arms for that Snow White puffy sleeve look. Keep in mind that no tulle is actually touching the baby (and it's soft tulle anyway) The whole idea was so she could have the comfort of a t-shirt.

A couple of days ago I wanted to try it on her to see how I was liking it. Whoa Nelly, I'm starting to think that some little person doesn't care too much for Snow White. She first tried to get the collar. And then she found the sleeves....

All I see are her four new teeth as she is barring them at me, eyes squinted, "Errrrrrrrrrrrr!!!" She grunts as she grabs the tulle from the sleeves and pulls, and pulls, and I see all of my hard work coming apart in the middle of my living room.

I was thinking, "Okay this is more like Cinderella instead of Snow White. Except the damage is self-inflicted."

So I get the shirt off of her and let her run around nakey for a while... The costume is currently put away in the closet and I am not sure if I dare try it again. Halloween is a scary time, for sure. Hahaha. Mwahahaa.

I'm a Beret-Wearing Super Woman

2008-09-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

I friggin love berets! I think they keep all of my awesomeness from escaping the top of my head and then it just flows right back down and back into my body and makes me downright just more enjoyable. I would like to have a beret for every day. Not only do you not have to worry about your hair so much but it just makes whatever you're wearing look better.

I think I'm definitely in the market for more berets. Here is one that I've had my eye on.

You can find it in whynot's shop, just in case Santa reads my blog. Berets are so badass.

TeamSC Fall Challenge

2008-09-16T16:59:00.000-07:00

My fall boutique overalls are in the TeamSC fall challenge. You can go to http://scstreetteam.blogspot.com to vote. If you leave a comment on that post you will be entered to win a personalized water bottle koozie, and winning stuff is always fun, right?

I think I've got it!

2008-09-13T16:04:00.001-07:00

I've never been good at tying bows. I've tried several times and they've never turned out well. But now that Ellery is getting more hair, I really really wanted to learn to make bows so she can have one for all of her outfits, especially with the holidays coming in the next few months.

So this weekend I used a lot of determination and finally I think I have it. I made this pink and white bow to go with the outfit she is wearing today. I think it turned out pretty good! Now I just want to make a million bows!

Ellery is getting more teeth. Two on the top are coming through and another on the bottom. In the picture above you can see the first one of the bottom.

And on another note, it seems as though Some Guy Named Kevin has found a new use for Ellery's boppy pillow. Good job, SGNK.

Autumn is in the Air

2008-09-11T12:22:00.001-07:00

The end of summer always makes me sad. With the exception of mosquitoes, I love summer. I love swimming, the beach, not wearing shoes, tank tops, long days, warm nights...

Today is overcast and feels cool outside. Fall is coming. But I'm trying to look forward to that too. I like the clothing better for myself for fall and winter, usually. And this year will be Ellery's first Halloween which should be fun. I'm making her costume. She's going to be Snow White. I've already got the tutu part made, I just need to work on the top. I think I'm also going to be making more overalls, and also some fall/holiday gear. It would be nice if I could just freeze time, but not myself and then I could have lots of time to create things.

In the spirit of fall check out my newest item. It was made for the TeamSC Fall Challenge.

You can find them in my store. I do special requests as well. So here's to fall. And hopefully the end of mosquitoes (for the year).

TeamSC Holiday Stocking Hunt

2008-09-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

The South Carolina Etsy Street Team on Etsy.com is going to host a really fun Holiday Stocking Hunt! It's going to be a lot of fun and a chance to win a gorgeous handmade stocking full of fabulous prizes handcrafted by SC artisans (I wish I could win it! lol). The hunt will start on November 6th so keep an eye out, I'll post more details later on!

Rock N Roll McBaby's TeamSC Etsy Picks

2008-09-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

Rock N Roll McBaby has been shopping on Etsy again. She has picked out these great items from members of the SC Etsy Street Team, making Mama proud.

"Hey this looks like the kind of shirts that I wear!" Sweet Scrabble Tile Pendant by Vandivalicious.

"A Tooth Fairy Box? But I just got some teeth, I'm not putting them in a box!!!" Not yet, Rock N Roll McBAby, but this is sure a cute idea for when you're older or to save a lock of your hair from your first haircut. Tooth Fairy Box is by bittybooks.

"Hey Mom, just three more months until my birthday! Better get a nice invitation like this so all of my friends can come!" These custom photo invitations are really cute by Pink Ink Creations!

"Oooh, you can make those things you wipe my butt with prettier!" I like this colors on this Wet Wipes Case Cover by brownbagboutique!

"Pretty!!! This looks like a perfect outfit for a photo session, Mom!" I couldn't agree more. I can't resist the cuteness of this Pink Watermelon Outfit by Dottie Stripe Layne.

Keep on Smiling, little baby.

I need your Feedback on My Etsy Store!

2008-09-02T10:29:00.001-07:00

Hello! If you notice to the right I have added a poll regarding my store, http://rocknrollmcmama.etsy.com/ If you could take a minute to look at my store and then choose a poll option that would be super awesome! If there is anything that isn't in my store that you would like to see please leave me a comment here. Thanks everyone!

Houston, We have a tooth.

2008-08-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

Just a few days short of 9 months old, I notice something a little white on the baby's gums. It's true, my big girl is cutting her first tooth! It's hard to see because Ellery doesn't really like me to try to look, but it's there. And I've been calling her "Speed Racer" all morning because of how fast she is crawling now.

I hope to get a picture of the tooth soon, but for now all I have are these really cute pictures of her in this Eeyore costume I bought for her before she was born. I thought it would fit her by Halloween but it's already too snug and short, so I'll have to find another, but at least I got these pictures!

Oops, I did it again, and I hurt my neck.

2008-08-23T18:43:00.000-07:00

I think it is apparent after today that I do not mix well with slides. Regular slides, slip and slides, whatever. Slides are bad for me.

I went to two birthday parties today. The first one was very nice. My good friend Christina's baby is two and we had a great time at the park. I acted my age and conversed with my peers. Good McMama.

The second was a duel birthday party for my 7 and 8 year-old-nieces. It was at this inflatable playground place. We had to sign this insurance form and watch this video. One of the things it said is if you are over 6 you must use a mat to use the big slide, this includes adults.

Wait, did you say adults? We can play too? Oh no, I couldn't. I didn't even bring socks. "I brought some extra socks" chimes in my sister-in-law.

Well, all of the other parents would laugh at me.

Then my 12-year-old nephew gets there. I ask him if he is going to slide. "Nah..." he says, sounding disappointed. I really can't let down the nephew. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it!)

Infamous last words, "I'll do it if you'll do it".

So here I go, mat in hand. Up, Up, Up to the top. I get to the top of the slide and realize, "Dude, this thing is STEEP!" Oh well, only one way down. I let out a little squeal and hey this thing is pretty fun! That is until I landed.

Crash! Bam! Splat!

Oh holy crap, what have I done?!?! Neck... hurting.... feeling.... faint.... much pain..... muscles cramping.....

And all of this time I'm thinking Don't' you dare pass out, if you pass out it is going to be embarrassing and you signed a waiver!!!!

So I get some guy named Kevin to massage the cramp out of my neck, and oh goody crisis adverted, again!

And since I already had my socks on I might as well do the obstacle course, the jumping room and the air basketball, right?

I am an idiot. Pass me the icy hot.

My Favorite Thing that I've Ever Made

2008-08-22T21:29:00.001-07:00

I just finished and my back is hurting, but I'm really proud of these. I have thing for cow prints anyway, I even have Elle's car seat in a cow print. I'm not sure if I am going to make them for my Etsy store or not, I'm not sure if everyone would like them as much as I do. I kind of have a flamboyant taste in children's clothing. Hehe. Anyway. All I need now is a big red bow!

Treasury!

2008-08-21T11:54:00.001-07:00

Thanks to chickypez for including my Cupcake Earrings from YumYumCreations in this great treasury! And check out this great thread on the etsy forums for an awesome BNR (buy and replace), we have some really great shops in there!

21st Century Digital Girl & New Items

2008-08-20T20:58:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the present. I finally have cable internet and television. Right side by side too. I also finally found a place for my pretty desk! So now you can all look forward to more blog posts, like on weekends! I also got one of those nifty digital boxes for the t.v. so I can order movies and stuff. It's pretty sweet. Now I just need to work on getting a telephone.

I've also added some new products to my rocknrollmcmama shop! I've got water bottle koozies, travel tumblers, sippy cups- all with free monogramming! It's cute so check it ouuuutttt!

Dreams

2008-08-18T20:02:00.000-07:00

I had a dream about a bunny the other night. He was a cute bunny eating some lettuce. The whole dream I pushed him around in a shopping cart and fed him lettuce.

That dream is not what this post is about.

I dreamt that I was going out to dinner with my friend Susan and evidently we had a very good friend named Rivers, who looked just like Rivers Cuomo from Weezer, but I think his last name was Smith or something and he was from Chesnee.

So we were going out to dinner and we had Ellery with us and somehow we ended up in this really dirty scary bar. I don't know what was more disturbing about the next part, because we decided to stay there and eat or the fact that they actually had high chairs for the baby. The high chair did have some graffiti and skulls on it, but we stayed anyway. We tried to order some food but all they would serve us were cheese fries.

So I'm sitting there talking to Rivers about how much I like hanging out with him because we both share a love of Weezer and how if Ellery had been a boy she would have been named Rivers, blah blah blah...

All of the sudden sirens started going off and people started yelling, "Oh no! Corrosion of Cannibal Death is here!!!" Corrosion of Cannibal Death was evidently some really horrible metal band that took all patrons of this bar hostage and forced them to drink really bad beer. As I started to look around I noticed these stickers that read "Property of C.O.C.D." and other things like this. We tried to leave but they flung our cheese fries to the wall and put this beer on the table called Star Beer or something like that and forced us to drink, and it was bad. I mean, really bad.

We decided to make a run for it. Just then I was stopped, "Bring forth the baby!" said this really scary looking dude. Then some guy who looked an awful lot like that stoner kid Jason Castro from last season's American Idol came over and was all like "Hey I'm Snoop Dog Number 2 and I'm just going to take the baby for the band to see." And I was freaking out and I was like "Snoop Dog Number 2 just took my baby!"

So Rivers Cuomo Smith took us through a room and we found Ellery sitting in a chair eating some peas or something, and we were able to sneak through the back door. Safety at last.

I woke up and realized that I've been under entirely too much stress lately.

Long Time, No Blog

2008-08-12T21:05:00.000-07:00

Oh noes! My blog has gone stale!

But it's not my fault, I promise! Lack of internet, followed by my dad having his 8th heart attack and being in the hospital for 8 days is to blame. Thankfully Dad has no further damage from this scare and is back home now. August 20th I will be a real modern girl as I am getting cable internet at my home.

I also haven't had a chance to create anything in weeks. But I do have some things in the works including- Christmas Stockings (with FREE Monogramming), Trick or Treat Bags (with FREE monogramming!), Personalized pony tail holders, and a little something for the South Carolina Street Team Creative Challenge, all I can tell you about that is that the theme is Fall.

So here's me getting back on my proverbial horse.

Fun with Photoshop, Mcmama style.

Songs about Girls Named "Jenny"

2008-07-31T21:20:00.000-07:00

My favorite at the moment. Especially "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine" by the Killers and "Jenny and the Ess Dog" by Stephen Malkmus. But why aren't there any awesome songs about girls named Ashley? We're rad too. I mean, some of us are. And with the amount of girls that are named Ashley you would think that one of us had inspired a really great song by now.

For instance, I was going through my old myspace blog posts and one post from October '06 said, "Well I've never been much of an optimist, but today I'm going to focus on the positives.
Like, they can't eat me. Unless of course, "they" are cannibals, in which case I would probably make a pretty good meal. No, I would make a darn good meal. I would like to think I would be served with a side of potatoes and a dry red wine.
Ok, that isn't where I was going with this. Oh well. Pass the potatoes."

If that's not inspiring I don't know what is.

Enjoy the vid-aae-oes. Oh come on oh come on.

Vintage Ellery

2008-07-30T18:44:00.001-07:00

The other night my mom found a couple of outfits she had saved from when I was a baby. So of course Ellery had to wear this cute halter top outfit. I also found some pictures of myself wearing the same outfit. So this post is for everyone who says that she looks JUST LIKE some guy named Kevin. (insert evil laugh here)

Look at those chubby legs!

My Brain = Mush

2008-07-28T21:58:00.000-07:00

I have never been more forgetful in my life as I am right now. A couple of weeks ago my brain was like this creative river- flowing with all kinds of ideas. So many ideas, in fact, that I didn't have enough time to get the things that I wanted to get created. But if I ever take a break, everything shuts down. I drank BBQ sauce out of a bottle the other night at dinner. I was going for my sweet tea. I was looking at RocknRollMcBaby, who was being very loud and trying to eat the table (again), I picked up the BBQ sauce and put the bottle in my mouth. If I get some weird disease now, we'll all know where it came from.

I will remember that I've forgotten something, and say to myself "hey you better remember to do that" and a couple of days later, I'll remember it and the cycle starts over. I just remembered an email that I need to send. I wonder how long it will be before I forget again?

Maybe it's because my Some Guy Named Kevin is working 12 hour nights on 3rd shift again and RocknRollMcBaby thinks that sleeping is for squares, but I would really like to be bright and sharp again.

Wait, what was I talking about? Oh forget it, Let's just look at how cute the little bugger is...

I did the monogramming on that shirt, ;)

RocknRollMcBaby's Pick of the Day

2008-07-23T18:57:00.001-07:00

Everyone knows how cute baby shoes are, but everyone who has a baby also know how totally impossible it can be to get shoes on baby's feet. Plus, soft booties are better for baby. So these booties kinda are the perfect thing! These booties are seriously so cute! They are made by kraftyladycreations and fit size 0-6 months. I wish I could get a pair to fit RocknRollMcBaby's huge size 4 baby feet!

Almost Crawling

2008-07-22T19:17:00.001-07:00

It's so funny, when you have a baby it seems like you sit around and wait for them to do something new and every little thing you kind of freak out and it's like some sort of weird celebration because the kid looks at you or throws up on you or something. Then all of the sudden they start doing so many new things that you can't even keep up with it.
Ellery has got several new things right now. They are all exciting for me, but I guess the most exciting is that she's almost crawling. She's gotten to the point where she can get up on her knees and rock back and forth. I hear that it's only a matter of time until they are actually going somewhere from that point. But usually after a few rocks she gets frustrated and throws herself onto the floor and starts licking the carpet. My child is a licker- and a growler. She acts like she's part dog or something. And I've turned into a total germaphobe since having her so anytime she starts with the licking, I get so freaked out, it's not even funny.

Ellery's next new thing will probably be much debated since she's only 7 months old, but I swear that she's saying "Mama". I don't mean like jabbering either, she does do that and I hear stuff like "mamamamampppppbbbbbabababa" along with a lot of spitting, but this seems way more directed at me. If I walk through the room I hear "Mama! Mama!" And she says it as she's reaching for me. So if she doesn't realize what she's saying that's an awful big coincidence.

More new things- dancing, with help of course, but she's definitely going to be a music lover. We get to hear lots of squeals and see lots of bouncing when music comes on. Kissing- oh man, I don't know if she's kissing or trying to eat my head! No, I know that she's kissing but she will grab me by my hair and make an "Ahhhh" noise and plant one right on my head. It's so cute and funny. I also think that it's pretty cool that most of the time when I say "Gimme a kiss" that she'll do it. Not sleeping- this is not a good one. She used to go to bed really early and sleep like 12 hours and then take a few naps during the day. Lately she's been staying up until 1 am or later, waking up early in the morning and then only taking one nap a day. I'm exhausted. Especially considering I'm not a good sleeper to begin with. So many bloggings may be done with RocknrollmcBaby right here in my lap.

So excuse any typos. Lol.

TeamSC Pick of the Day

2008-07-17T18:09:00.000-07:00

Did you know that South Carolina had an Etsy street team? Well it does (and I hear that their team leader is super awesome lol). I am constantly amazed at the talent that I find from local artisans, and so I will be featuring items and SC artists from time to time. Above is one of my favorite necklaces of all time. It is from Vandiva, made from Coral and Green Chalk Turquoise. Seriously, if I currently had more funds this would be MINE! Love it love it LOVE IT!

Cereal In My Pockets

2008-07-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

"Hey fruity lips, you wanna come with me sugarbutt?" They used to play this show featuring sock puppets called Sifl and Olly on MTV in the late 90s. And it was hilarious. My favorite was Chester, with his little flower eyes (I guess those were flowers). I think this is what television needs today- more sock puppets and less reality t.v.

Awesome Commercial Flashback

2008-07-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

I so love this commercial. I remember me and my home slice Susan used to hope that it would come on t.v. when we were in high school. And when it did, we were happy. I wish I had one of those little skeleton toys. And I wish I could've fit a car seat into my VW. Maybe I should've gotten a golf instead of a beetle. But you can't put babies where they put that chair so maybe that wouldn't have worked after all. I'm rambling. Da Da Da.

BATH NIGHT Pick of The Day

2008-07-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

Being a new mom, I don't get a chance to do certain things as much as I did before I had a baby. Things like, I don't know, showering. So I want something that will get me squeaky clean. So my handmade pick of the day is this wonderful chocolate mint soap from crazytimescandles. I've had some of their vanilla soap before and it's really nice. Plus they are having a 20% off sale, you can't beat that!

Achieving More Professional Looking Pictures

2008-07-14T16:03:00.000-07:00

When I ask for critiques of my etsy stores, I always hear that my pictures could be better. I've learned a lot about photographing items since I started selling in February; I've learned about macro mode for small items, and lighting. A few months ago when my primary craft was making jewelry I made a light box/macro studio from a tutorial I found on the web. It worked fairly well, definitely better that my first shots, but I was still having a hard time getting enough lighting into my photos.

So when I opened up my second store that focused on teeny tiny polymer clay jewelry, I wasn't sure how to photograph it. I started by going outside when there was a lot of light and taking pictures under natural sunlight. The problem with this is that I can't just drop everything and go take pictures when the sun is shining. By the time my husband wakes up to watch the baby for me, the sun has gone down. So I finally broke down and bought one of those studio in a box things that I've been looking at on the Internet for months.

I purchased the American Recorder Studio in a Box- on their web site it sells for $120, but I got it from amazon.com for just under $60. It comes with two lights, two backgrounds, a light box, tripod, and it all folds up neatly into a carrying case. I really like it. I don't have to edit my photos at all, just crop and I'm done. The only thing that I don't like about it are the background colors. You have a choice of cobalt blue and gray. The gray makes everything look horrid. The blue is what I'm using for most of my photos. I found that I could get white/black backgrounds from their web site for around $20, and I might do that later on.

They say that better photos will lead to more sales, and hopefully with my new camera and studio I can achieve that. We'll see.

Favorite Color Pick of the Day

2008-07-13T09:51:00.001-07:00

Today's Handmade Pick of the Day features my favorite color- PINK! There was so much to choose from but I chose this "I heart mix tapes" pendant from tizzalicious because it took me back to high school when boys used to make mix tapes for me. And it also got me thinking- what do guys do now? Mix CD's? Trade flash drives? Hold Ipods over their heads while playing Peter Gabriel? I doubt it.

I got a new camera!

2008-07-12T21:38:00.000-07:00

Today I got a nice surprise, my hubby said that we could (finally) go pick out a new digital camera! I got my last camera 6 years ago and while it was a very good camera in 2002, I'm so happy to have something better now that I have my daughter.

I got a Nikon Coolpix P80. So far I'm really pleased with it. I've played around with the different scene settings- portrait has face recognition which really makes clear photos of faces in pictures- perfect for photos of my little one. I also went outside and played with the macro mode a little bit and I'm pleased with that as well. It was dusk when I was outside and I still got some alright photos of flowers. I was reading in the user's manual that you can adjust the shutter speed if you're taking photos of water fountains and things like that. I can't wait to play around with it some more.

I also like that I can actually get the baby's expressions now before they change or she moves her head. My old camera was soooo sllooooowww. Plus I can use it for etsy. Hopefully I will be just as happy with my table-top studio that I should receive Monday, I'll keep you posted!

Girly Pick of the Day

2008-07-12T10:04:00.001-07:00

It's Saturday and I started thinking about how I used to go out on Saturday nights- to go to dinner, maybe to go do karaoke or other things that didn't involve spit-up and 9 o'clock bedtimes. Anyways, this would totally be a bag that I would have carried! I found it from Janine King Designs and I love the fabric and the size.

Holiday Preview

2008-07-11T15:31:00.001-07:00

These Holiday items will be coming soon to RocknRollMcMama Designs! The dresses pictured above fit children size 18months-3T as a dress or up to a size 6 as a shirt. They look adorable layered with turtlenecks and leggings. They will retail for $12 plus you get FREE MONOGRAMMING, any name of your choice. Also look for Christmas cookie earrings, candy corn earrings, and a plate of Santa cookies ring coming to my Yum Yum Creations store.

Also keep an eye out for my Christmas in July Sale going on in both of my shops, RockNRollMcMama Designs and Yum Yum Creations. Look for savings up to 50% off holiday and gift items.

Rock n' Roll McBaby's Pick of the Day

2008-07-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

I love searching through the internets for different types of stuff for the baby. Today I ran across this super cool Elvis onesie by Bambina Mia. Elvis is made of a felt applique which I thought was super cool. Evidently Elvis has not left the building.

Ash VS. The Slip N Slide

2008-07-10T16:02:00.000-07:00

It's a rainy afternoon in South Carolina and Ellery's parents- that would be 27-year-old ME and my 30-year-old husband are taking runny-goes, fully clothed into my nieces' slip n slide. Why would I do such a thing you ask? Well I went outside to ask my husband for the bank card so I can purchase a nice little photography studio for my etsy businesses and I see him soaking wet, shirt off, covered in grass. "What?" he says. "Did you do the slip n slide?" I ask. He grins. So then I ask the next most obvious question. "Well was it awesome!?"

By this point my sister-in-law, my sister, my mom, and all of my nieces and nephews are outside. I don't quite remember how the idea for me to get on t his thing happened but I do remember my sister clucking at me like a chicken. And like Marty from the Back to the Future movies- Nobody calls me chicken.

Dumb Mistake #1- Peep Show. I have on two tank tops, a white and a blue. For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to take off the blue one before slipping and sliding. Less layers would make me go faster? Who knows. But as EVERYONE knows if you get white wet, it's see-through. Whoops. Where's that other tank top, I need it ASAP!

Dumb Mistake #2- Bad form. I could see that my husband was getting farther by doing a little jump as he got to the edge of the mat. I tried this, but it didn't work out so great. Something happened to my elbows. And my neck. And my back. But I did make it to the pool at the end, which by this time is full of grass.

So by this time I'm soaked and feeling a little bit, I don't know, OLD, so I go in to change clothes. I look down on the floor and OH NOES! My jeans have faded on my mom's carpet! Quick- must sneak carpet foam into the guest bedroom and clean this up! *scrub scrub scrub*

Crisis averted.

What a second, wasn't I doing something? Oh yeah I was ordering that new photo studio from amazon.com and I was going to get it over-nighted so I can take lots and lots of pictures of my food jewelry. But since I decided to play in the rain, on a slip n slide, in my clothes, I now won't get it until Monday.

Rats! I blame it all on my mom not letting me have one as a kid. Hmph!