It’s My Imagination

Don’t Forget to Volunteer

It’s been a busy few days for me.  My daughter is in the high school band and also on the high school softball team.  I have spent the last several days doing volunteer work for both organizations.  Thursday and Friday I spent the afternoons handing out concert band uniforms.  This is no small feat for the parent volunteers considering there are over 500 band members to be fitted!  They held fittings over several days over the course of the last few weeks.  I was finally able to go help the last couple of days.  I hope to help more next year.

This morning I got up and went to the high school fields and helped clean the concession stand.  It’s been closed since the end of last season, so we had to wipe it all down and make sure everything was ready to go.  Now it just needs to be stocked with candy, popcorn and drinks and it’s all set!  I’m glad that’s done, it was a nasty job and I was only one of four volunteers to show up.  One of the other volunteers was my husband.

I think that it’s important to volunteer.  It’s so easy to think that your services aren’t needed, someone else will do it.  Well, I can tell you that this morning’s job would’ve been much easier and quicker if more people had come to help.  So, don’t forget to volunteer!

Martin Luther King Day

Myspace Martin Luther King Day Graphics

It’s a Federal holiday here in the U.S., and no school for our kids. My husband is at work and I took the day off. I think it’s a great day to reflect on our country and where we are today. I think Mr. King had a great deal to do with where we are and his words still resonate today. Take time today to reflect and appreciate those who have paved the way for the rest of us, no matter the color of our skin.

Cooking In My Kitchen

This post brought to you by TABASCO® Original Red. All opinions are 100% mine.

Whether it’s my husband or myself doing the cooking in my kitchen, the one thing we both have in common is that we both like to use items from the cupboard to enhance the flavors of whatever it is we’re cooking.  Two of our favorite items to use are garlic salt and tobasco.

One of my favorite breakfast dishes is scrambled eggs, but I like to make them using this recipe:

• 2 eggs, scrambled in a bowl
• 1T chopped green pepper
• 1T chopped onion
• 1T sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/2 tsp TABASCO® Original Red
• sprinkle of salt to taste

Metl 1 T butter in skillet over medium/high heat.  Combine all ingredients together and pour into skillet.  Scramble together until cooked through.  Serve

This recipe is easily modified for more servings so it’s perfect when we have company. 

I also like to use in casseroles, meat sauces and dips.  In fact, if you’re interested, you may want to check out the Game-Day Party Menu for great recipe ideas for the Super Bowl.  There are so many great ideas there.  If you’re not really into cooking, maybe you prefer to order take out for your get togethers, check out Pizza Perfected , that’s right, even delivery pizza can benefit from TABASCO® Original Red because it’s not just for spice, it actually enhances the flavor of foods..

Sad Day

Tonight we are attending a visitation. A softball player from one of my daughter’s previous teams had her mother pass away unexpectedly, just this past Monday. While the mom was never in the best of health, I would have never imagined that she would die, I’m not sure if she was even 40 years old. It is just such a sad day when I think that a girl, a year younger than my own daughter, has lost her mom.

Custom Labels

Personally, I create my own softlines and I add fabric labels to them that identify me as the creator. It’s a little thing, but anyone who has ever created anything for sale knows, it’s important to get your name on your product, it has the potential to lead to future sales. Manufacturers of hardline products, everything from toasters, to vacuum cleaners, to automobiles, puts their name on their product as well.

Data Graphics manufactures custom labels overlays and industrial labels. They provide a quality product backed by quality customer service. If you think about the products you see and use on a daily basis, you’ll realize how important labels are to identifying products. If you see a car you like, you look for a label to identify the make and model. If you see a coffee maker you like, you want to know the brand so you can buy one for yourself. Name plates are used from everything from inventory to instructions or even a warning sign. These are custom made by Data Graphics to the exact specifications of the customer, again with the highest quality standards.

If you manufacture hardline products, consider Data Graphics for your custom label or nameplate needs.

Snow in Dallas?

Yes, even in Dallas we get snow. In fact, we have had snow every winter since we moved here 4 years ago. It’s pretty, but makes me so thankful that I work from home. Southern states aren’t prepared for this type of weather and drivers definitely don’t know how to use caution here! Ice is the big factor and causes the most accidents.

To Show or Not To Show

I’ve spent the past few days catching up on a few things and now I’m contemplating what to do next with my sewing. I had a dream of selling what I sew but it became quite a challenge to find the best way to sell handmade products. I utilize the web quite heavily, but I know I prefer to see and touch items in person if I’m the one making the purchase. I joined up with my sisters a couple of years ago and we rented a space where we were one of many exhibit booths at a trade show in Knoxville, Tennessee. We did fairly well, not as well as I had hoped though, and it was really a lot of work. I do wish we lived closer together because I wouldn’t mind giving it another shot. It’s just difficult when we live so far apart.

Participating in a show like that requires a lot of advance planning. My nephew was able to help us set up and he loaned us a very large tent canopy to use. We were able to hang display racks from the truss which could also have been used for some additional lighting, but thankfully, the show was indoors and seemed to have plenty of overhead lights. If we were to do it again, I’d like to use a more professional looking banner with our shop name, something more like what you would see as professional trade show displays. We did manage to fill our booth to overflowing with our handmade merchandise and, between the 3 of us, we made enough money to cover our entry fee and meals!

Recently I discovered logo floor mats that I really would use if we did another show. I might order one anyway, whether we do another show or not,  and use it in my sewing room, it might be just the inspiration I need to get back to my sewing and my dream of selling handmade!

Happy New Year!

A few days late, but I want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!

We went out of town for New Year’s weekend, up to Kansas City to watch the Kansas City Chiefs get beat up by the Oakland Raiders. We spent all the money on tickets, gas and hotels, not to mention dining out for all those days. It sure would’ve been nice if the Chiefs had actually shown up to play. It was pathetic. Oh well, we still enjoyed spending time together. The food in Kansas City is absolutely fabulous and we definitely took advantage of a number of great restaurants in the area. I would actually drive back up there just to dine out!