help me name my business update

Today was to be the last day of the contest. Because I received a lower than expected response to my preliminary blog contest I have decided to run the contest for one more week.


I have received more suggestions for a business name from people who do not read my blog than people who do read my blog; that is a sad state for those of you who read my humble little blog!


Here are the suggestions I have received so far: Stitches n Stuff (implies sewing and other stuff), The Rose (not to be confused with a certain children's theatre), Designs by Rose, Creations by Rose (creation to me implies making something from nothing and I think God leads in that department), Crazy Lady Sewing Company (confirmed "crazy" by pulling an all-nighter Friday night to finish a project), and The Mouse House (I have collected mice for a long time but not the kind that scamper around the house as earlier posts explain what I do to that kind of mouse).

I think we should ask the next generation of bloggers what they think I should name my business. They are good with coming up with 4th of July songs so why not business names?

I also have only had one person suggest a prize so that person may get a prize whether or not the entry wins or not!

Put your thinking caps on again and post your comments for all to see.

Have a great week!

iowa state fair update

My faith in humanity has at least been temporarily restored. The voters voted against the idea of including Michael Jackson in the butter cow display at the Iowa State Fair this year. Check out the story.

In an unscientific poll more than 100,000 people voted with 65.24% voting against the inclusion of MJ.

Hooray, the sane people of the world reign! Happy Day!

help name my business

As promised, I am running a contest for all 'ya all to help me name my home business.

Some helpful information:

I sew. I make baby blankets and burp clothes. I make custom-made aprons that have 15 pockets. I have made everything from wedding dresses to winter coats to several quilt tops and everything in-between.

I crochet. I usually make baby afghans but have also made several full-sized afghans.

I cross-stitch. Do you have a favorite photo that you would like made into a cross-stitched picture for your wall? I can do that! Have you seen a cross-stitch pattern/kit that you wished you could make or have someone make it for you? I can do that!

I play with Rice Krispies! I have made two full-sized (3 feet tall/30 pounds) wedding cakes complete with a bride and groom all made from Rice Krispies treat mix (thank you Kelloggs and Kraft). I have also formed "sculptures" such as a giant music note (an 8th note if I remember correctly (thanks for helping with that one ber)), the U.S. Flag (2' x 3'), a United States map, a totem pole, and...well, you get the picture!

Sorry, "you're crazy" is not a good name for a business!

I am also going to let you help me decide what the prize should be for the winner. Post your ideas for the name and the prize in the comments section of this post. I will pick the top three in both categories then set up a formal vote. Spread the word; have your friends and their friends read this post. I value the opinions of my faithful five blog readers but I think this will be more fun if we can get more people involved.

I would like to get my business registered with the state by September 30, 2009 so I have to set a deadline for you to submit your ideas for this contest. The first phase of this contest will end at noon (CST) on Sunday July 26, 2009. You have one week; let the creative juices flow!

iowa state fair

Some things are not meant to be "messed" with, especially things like the butter cow display at the Iowa State Fair ("ISF"). Don't get me wrong, I am okay with some change but don't change long standing tradition (1911).


Every year at the ISF there is a full-sized cow sculpted out of butter . The butter cow has been joined over the years by such greats as Superman and Bill Riley (you have to be an "Iweegin" to know who Bill Riley is)! Iweegin is like this: I wee gin (like the card game) for all of you foreigners!


This year the state fair committee (or someone else who has lost all connection with reality and all sense of what is right) wants to add Michael Jackson (in butter) to the butter cow display. I am sorry, there is no way that any part of that can be right! Are they nuts?

There was a place on the ISF website that allowed you to vote for or against having Michael done in butter. You can rest assured that I voted and I voted for my dear sweet husband too. He is not a natural born Iweegin but he needed to vote too. In case you aren't following along--I voted against Michael Jackson. If I would have had my act together all y'all would have been given an "opportunity" to vote too. The results of the vote will be posted on the ISF website tomorrow. Heaven help us!

If you have never been to the ISF or were not old enough to remember (sorry ber) then you really need to put this on your list of things to do; I am not kidding! I will join you if you want a "local's" perspective. The movie "State Fair" was about the ISF. Check out the history of the ISF. It is the best state fair in the nation!

I'm done now! My next post: help name my business contest--really!

God's timing

My small group is studying the book Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby. We have noticed that the recurring theme is: be in tune with God so you can hear His voice and be ready for an assignment from Him. I think we sometimes miss the little "assignments" because we are waiting to hear the "big assignment". I think God wants us to hear (or experience) the little things so we will slow down and appreciate what He has given us.

I experienced one of those "little assignments" Monday night when we came home from work. I am always in a hurry when I come home from work. I have so many things I think I need to do, I'm usually hungry, and there are other things that just can't wait. Monday night when I pulled into the garage I saw something strange hanging on the bricks on the outside of the house so I went out to investigate. (I am not an outside kind of person so I really was going out on a limb so-to-speak!) I forgot about everything else that I thought I had to do because at that moment God gave me something wonderful to experience.

In all of my years on this earth I have never seen a locust wiggle out of its shell. I have seen the empty shells many times but never the locust and never the actual transformation. God put that little bug on exactly the right brick of my house so I would see it when I pulled into the garage. I was paying attention to God and He allowed me to see something very cool and amazing. I wanted to document the event so I took my phone out of my pocket and started taking pictures of this beautiful green bug wiggling out of an ugly brown shell.

I cannot even begin to tell you how awesome this was to experience. God takes us out of our ugly shells and transforms us into something beautiful. I can hear you saying how ugly you think this bug is but think about it. The greens and yellows were such a surprise coming from the ugly darkness of the brown shell (the bug's previous life).

God blesses us with beauty all around us if we will only take the time to hear His voice and to look at what He wants to show us. I also took this picture on Monday night. This beautiful Stargazer Lily is one of many blooms in my flower bed. From this picture you are not able to tell that this beautiful flower is blooming in the midst of a flower bed full of volunteer trees; so many trees that it is difficult to tell where the flowers are.

God rescues us from ugly brown shells or from forests of volunteer trees and transforms us into beautiful creations if we will only listen to His voice. Take time this week to listen to God's voice and see what amazing things he has in store for you.

helicopters

Many of you who know me know that I have an odd sense of humor. This post to my blog will prove it to the rest of you.

Our neighbors to the east (Bob and Karen) do a great job of maintaining their yard. The grass always looks great! It is too bad their neighbor to the west cannot control their maple tree!

Bob and Karen have always done their own yard work but this past year we have seen a sharp decline in their health. This year someone has been mowing their grass for them. I assume this someone is their son-in-law; let's call him Fred. I really do not know his name but it seems cruel to call him someone throughout this post! Let me just say that Fred does not look like he is used to maintaining a yard nor does he look like he enjoys it very much!

Anyway, this morning Fred was over at Bob and Karen's early so he could get the yard work done before church. I assume that was the reason because he didn't have to try to finish before the heat of the day settled upon us! (We had lows in the upper 30's last night! I had a fleeting thought last night that I should turn the heat back on before I went to bed. I am very glad it was just a fleeting thought!)

Bob and Karen's yard was beautiful when I left for church around 10:45. When I came home from church Bob and Karen's yard looked like this:

This struck me as funny! All of that beautiful, soft, plush grass was now a medium for a massive tree farm!

You see, Bob and Karen's neighbor to the west cannot control their maple tree! For those of you not familiar with maple trees, this is the time of year that most trees (including maple trees) drop their seeds trying to propagate next years crop of seedlings. All of those off-white spots you see are dried seeds (helicopters). The helicopters have been falling like rain the past few days.

God designed these little helicopters to land seed first and take root very quickly. All we need now is a little rain and we will all have rooftop gardens when the helicopters take root in the gutters on our the houses.

The fun part of helicopters is the fact that they make great whistles. If you get the green helicopters (without the seed part) situated perfectly on your tongue you can whistle! The shrill sound from helicopter whistles will drive most sane adults crazy! I am already crazy so I am immune to the effects of the whistle!

top 10 day?

The big weather topic here in the Heartland last night was not about some massive storm or about the terrible wind that destroyed the Dallas Cowboy's inflatable practice area; no, it was about top 10 days. Specifically, whether or not yesterday was a top 10 day. The local weather guys had already declared that Saturday was not a top 10 weather day but they thought yesterday was. They actually declared yesterday as a top 10 day. That officially proves they are paid for being dumb!

Yesterday was not a top 10 day. It was cloudy most of the day, a touch humid, and generally not a very nice day.

Saturday on the other hand was a gorgeous day. Saturday's weather had low humidity, a slight breeze, and a fantastic 68 degrees. It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood! The weather know-nothings said it had to be in the 70s to be declared a top 10 day. What do they know?

I even went for a walk outside with my dear sweet husband. Those of you who really know me and who are reading this blog know that I do not spend very much time outside.

What do you think? What is your idea of a top 10 weather day?