Rock lobster...

Back to crafting soon...

M'kay, now I NEVER buy cutesy clothes for my dogs...like, never.  But today...it was like it was meant to be.  I was walking into PetSmart when some lady gave me a coupon she didn't need for $4 off the brand of food that I happened to be going in to buy!  Sooooo...I was wandering around the toy aisle, cuz I'm a sucker and pretty much everytime I'm AT PetSmart, I buy them a toy.  However, on this particular evening, I noticed the cutest little leftover lobster halloween costume on clearance for just $3!  lol :)  Like it was meant to freakin' be...and while I don't really do Halloween, I spent the $3 just to entertain myself and take a couple pictures for my blog and scrapbook.  Hooray!  Lucy's gonna hate me forever now...but...

ROCK LOBSTER!

More later!

By the fireplace...

There's just something about a fireplace, isn't there?  My mom just got one put in at her house, and it's just cozy.  It's relaxing and soothing and the perfect end to a long day.  Since I live in an apartment, I have no fireplace, but I did discover WoodWick candles, which have (shocker) a WOOD WICK.  Doesn't sound like a big deal, but they make a lovely crackling fire noise that's the next best thing to having a fireplace.  Plus they smell lovely, which is good too :)  Anyway, that was the inspiration for tonight's Christmas card.  I used the same Penny Black stamps as the last couple cards, and the same Fancy Pants paper (cut into little rectangles for the bricks, and pop dotted for the mantle).  Cut some free-hand flames, and colored everything with colored pencils. 

And that's all for tonight :)  More soon!

And now for something completely different...

Well I've been posting Christmas stuff for a month now, so I figured it was about time to mix it up.  That, and I have a friend who has a birthday this week, so I needed to make a card that wasn't a Christmas card anyway.  Here's what I came up with...I think my favorite part is how the ribbon turned out.

Front

Inside

It's Hero Arts Stamps, BoBonny Paper, Glossy Accents, Gems, and a Charcoal Cateye Ink.  Pretty simple, but very cute :)  And that's all for tonight!

Customer service? Common courtesy? Anything at all...

It's possible that I may be particularly sensitive to customer service because I work in retail.  But few things annoy me more than somebody in a customer service position who obviously doesn't give a crap about me or my purchase.  That girl ringing my purchase at WalMart who not only doesn't smile, but doesn't even bother to look up at all.  That guy at Menards who is obviously irritated that I have bothered him with a question.  And tonight, my newest example, at which I am particularly peeved:

I have no issue with self-checkers at grocery stores.  In fact, I think they're a genius idea for busy days with lots of people when you only have a few items.  Slip in, slip out, never wait in line.  It's great.  What I do not like is that after a certain time, ONLY self-checks are available.  The first thing I'd like to say is if you can afford to pay some guy to stand in the middle of the self-checks and wait for an "Assistance Needed" beacon, then why don't you  just pay that guy to run a register instead?  Seriously...customer service.  However, I could overlook that issue.  What I cannot overlook is not one, not two, but THREE employees standing around the assistance desk at the self-check area...chatting and complaining about how there's nothing to do on night shifts and it's so boring and drags on and on and on...while I'm scanning and bagging $200 worth of groceries BY MYSELF.  What the hell?  If you have time to stand around and complain about how little there is to do at work, then get off your butt and HELP SOMEONE.  *sigh*  It seems obvious, I think, but apparently not. 

People never cease to amaze me.  Customer service, chivalry, common courtesy...anything at all would be nice.  I don't expect for someone to fawn all over me and tell me how great my purchase is.  I don't need someone to show me around the whole store and tell me all the latest, greatest things.  All I want is someone to look up, smile at least once, not be pissed if I have a question, and give me a hand if I'm obviously struggling.  It doesn't seem like so much to ask.  Perhaps it is.  Meh...oh well...I guess I'll have to get used to it, cuz it doesn't seem to be getting any better. 

And now off to bed...cooking all day tomorrow!

Penny Black, take two...

Another Christmas card with Penny Black stamps tonight.  The same fancy pants paper (the other side of it), watercolor pencils, and glossy accents :)  Woot!

Goodnight all!  :)

Baby it's [not] cold outside...

Wowza...sixty degrees in November.  Ridiculous.  While generally I'd be a fan, that means we're unseasonably warm again just in time for the mall to turn on the heat on November 11th, which means the store will probably be a sauna for several weeks again like it was last year.  Joy!  Anyway, unseasonably warm or not,  I was feeling inspired tonight and made a Christmas card prototype.  I finally decided I'm going to get off my butt and make 10-ish to send out to immediate family and a few long distance friends.  They won't all be the same though, because I get bored easily and I won't finish them if they're all the same.  Probably everyone will get something a little different so I can maximize my playing with stamps time.  Here it is:

Pretty simple...Penny Black stamps, Fancy Pants holiday paper, watercolor pencils, sparkly fluff, and a stardust pen :)  And that's all for tonight...work's still insane, and I still have no time to be blogging, but I'll make a serious attempt to get in one more this week.  Have a good night!