greetingarts

checked off my list

Okay, the heat is on.  Literally, I turned on the heat on in my house yesterday, earlier than I ever have before, I think.  And figuratively, I'm beginning to feel the Christmas Crunch.  The school's Winter Boutique fundraiser starts next Monday, classroom Winter Parties are on the seventeenth, and I have a few patterns to test, a couple special orders for scarves and other gift knitting to finish up, plus throw in a dance recital that the girls have been rehearsing for since this summer.

 
But, for now, I've got it all under control.  And with the help of Cardstore.com, I have one thing checked off my list.  A few weeks ago, I was approached with an opportunity to check out their website, and receive a complimentary order of a few custom cards to see what I thought of their product and their service.  Well, their selection is huge, but I finally managed to settle on one of their holiday cards, a photo postcard.

I was away for the Thanksgiving weekend, so I'm not sure exactly how many days it took to arrive, but I placed my order on the evening of Sunday the 21st, received a shipping confirmation on Tuesday, and the package was here by the time I was able to get my mail on Saturday the 27th.  And that's with a no-delivery Thanksgiving holiday thrown into the mix.  All the cards are pristine, not a dent or fold or bend in the bunch, even though I've got a teeny postal box that my mailman decided to cram full with three days' worth of flyers, credit card applications, bills and holiday catalogs.

I'm not being compensated any more than the 14 free cards I already received, but I've got to say that I was impressed and more than happy with the whole photo editing and card customizing process.  My crummy photo in the low light of my dining room doesn't begin to show off the quality of the paper or printing on the cards.  For today only, you'll be able to receive 20% off your order and receive free shipping if you use the code CYBERSALE at checkout. 

I just might have to go back and do that myself, because 14 just doesn't seem like enough...

handmade in the USA

I've been busy lately, even more so than usual, because I've become involved with a brand new company, inDee Mitch, a store that sells hand-knitted headwear, scarves, cowls, and other accessories.  The owner and designer is Michelle Connolly, a brand-new mother (just a few weeks!) and a warm, bright person. 

 
The yarn she uses for all the items is of the highest quality, soft and beautiful, and hand-knitted right here in California. 

 
From today (November 25th) until December 5th, she's offering free shipping, so if you're looking for warm, luxurious gifts for yourself or someone you love, please go take a look and help spread the word.  Michelle has put her heart and soul into her designs and online store, and I know she'd appreciate your support!

no turkeys were harmed...

 
Happy Thanksgiving!  Isn't this one of the best turkey dinners you've ever seen?  Here's hoping you have a wonderful, lazy kind of day, spent eating yummy foods and laughing with loved ones. 

full days

Can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving, the days (weeks!) have been so full.

There has been a lot of much-needed cleaning, painful purging of the girls' closets, and even some stamping, cutting, pasting and knitting.  But no time for blogging!

pattern of the month

 
Guess who's got the Pattern of the Month over at Kraemer Yarns?  Hop on over there, click on the picture of my Berry Parfait blanket (over on the right, towards the top), and it will automatically open up a .pdf file.  They have a lot of other free patterns available, too, if you go to the Our Patterns link at the top of the home page.  Berry Parfait is a reworking of my Neopolitan Ripple, with wider stripes, and rectangular instead of square.  With all the great Perfection Worsted colors, you could go nuts with your choices.  And now you can print out the pattern in a fancy format if you want.  Go look!