Scrivener's Retreat Handmade Toys for Pets and People

Delicious Consolation

2011-06-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

A while back, Dave's cash was stolen out of his wallet while he was at the gym. He felt really terrible, so to cheer him up, I got some special cupcakes with a poker theme from Cupcakery. They are so freaking good. Imagine gourmet frosting and cake that tastes like it's made from the finest ingredients you can find. I'm sorry I ate one before I took the picture. These cupcakes are delicious, and I can't wait to go back.

Angry Birds Conclusion

2011-06-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

I emailed Angry Birds' legal counsel and explained to them that 1. my Naughty Devil Penguin bared little resemblance to their designs, and 2. that I have had my product online longer than their game has been out and longer than their trademarks have been in existence in the US, and I received a reply that my penguin is not "confusingly similar" to their birds and that I was free to continue to sell these.

I'd like to thank Dave for all his help and my fans for all their support.

Seriously, Angry Birds?

2011-06-08T07:13:00.000-07:00

Etsy has just informed me that I have violated Angry Birds' copyright by creating my Naughty Devil Penguin from the Gates of Hell. They have removed my listing until further notice. What I'd like to know is why my listing was removed before anyone bothered to do any research on it. Etsy has access to everything in my account that I do. If they had bothered to look, they would have seen that I have had Naughty Devil Penguin since 2009. I sold my first one in March of 2009. I quote the first line from Angry Birds' Wikipedia page:

"Angry Birds is a puzzle video game developed by Finland-based Rovio Mobile. Inspired primarily by a sketch of stylized wingless birds, the game was first released for Apple's iOS in December 2009."

Hmm, seems like from the time I sold my first naughty penguin to the time Angry Birds came out, a human fetus could have developed and been born. I wonder why I don't contact Angry Birds and tell them they are copyrighting me? Oh, I know why not. Because that's stupid.

Oddly enough, the only reason Angry Birds' developers found this out was through a Treasury on Etsy. Geez, when did Treasuries get to be so evil? They removed the Large Devil Penguin, and I am not allowed to relist until this is resolved. They didn't remove the Small Penguin, though. I don't think it's fair that I am not allowed to relist since I am making a pittance compared to Angry Birds' developers. And since it's clear that my devil penguin doesn't give a damn about knocking green pigs off structures.

Red Rock Canyon Adventures

2011-05-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

Jodi models the multicolored rocks at the canyon.

See that mountain behind her? We had to climb that sucker.

Standing om the edge in a windy day.

I do the same, but I'm a little more daring and a lot more freezing.

Baby New Girl

2011-05-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

This is our new ferret that we adopted about a month ago. She's a rescue from the California border patrol. We called her New Girl for a long time, but I think her name is going to be Madison. We haven't made it official yet, but I have been calling her that for a few days.

She was named Madison because of her love for splashing in water bowls. Dave and I wanted to name her something water related. Dave thought of a name from an old movie called Splash. There was a mermaid named Madison in that movie. Since no other water names really stood out to us or sounded feminine as well as super-cutesy, we are calling her Madison. Of course, Dave once had a ferret for six months before her name stuck. I'm referring to Ivy who he named Oink for six months because she was a little pig. So, who knows if he'll change her name. I'm going to be firm and keep Madison's name unless something genius strikes us.

I'm Turning It Loose

2011-05-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

Karaoke is the best. I can't sing at all, but I always get on the stage and act like I'm singing into my hairbrush in my bedroom. This requires that I jump around like I'm a rock star, and the other spectators at karaoke really like this and don't care that I can't sing or that I forget the words. If you give them a show, they'll appreciate your effort. So, I encourage anyone out there to hop on stage and throw caution to the wind. We all gotta sing our hearts out and dance our souls out.
These photos were taken at Ellis Island Casino's karaoke bar. I sang "Footloose" and performed the classic Cajun line dance. I looked around for a video of this line dance, but I couldn't find the true Cajun one I learned at summer camp, so perhaps I will have to create one!

Fun at the Bellagio

2011-05-12T07:38:00.000-07:00

This is the ceiling at the Bellagio by the hotel check-in desk.

This is the butterfly habitat currently in their flower garden area.

This is dessert...a chocolate waterfall!

This is Dave and me outside the Bellagio waiting for fountains to start.

He decides he's bored and wants to throw me overboard.

Then he gets too serious about it, so I make him put me down. I have a serious problem with being picked up like a child.

Fremont Street Fun

2011-05-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

Fremont Street Fun...

Mother's Day Is Spelled Incorrectly, And Nobody Cares

2011-05-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

Throughout my life, I have been a syntax and language stickler. I've always spelled words and written sentences that would make my English teachers proud provided I knew the grammar rule when writing. Because of this, I've always spelled Mothers and Fathers days the correct way: with the apostrophe on the end of the word: (Mothers' Day). I did this throughout high school and college and didn't think much of why everyone else was spelling it wrong. Why didn't I consider why I was the only one spelling it correctly? Because growing up in Louisiana, you get used to seeing things spelled wrong, even in newspapers. Our local rag was referred to as "The Daily Idiot" instead of The Daily Iberian by my father who was as strict about grammar as I am.

Today, I decided to see why even after living outside the South, people I knew and people in the media were spelling Mothers' and Fathers' days wrong. If you're not a grammarphile, let me explain it to you. The days in question are to celebrate all mothers or fathers in the country. Not just one. Therefore, the apostrophe comes after the "s" to indicate that the word is plural possessive.

I learned today that the reason it is spelled incorrectly is because the president who created the holiday spelled it incorrectly! Taken from http://www.eng-lang.co.uk/apostrophes.htm

Established by Presidential proclamation in the United States, and spelt Mother's, so that's pretty much definitive for American usage. For the rest of us, and for fathers, we have to decide whether it's a day to remember one's mother (Mother's Day), or a day on which people remember their mothers (Mothers' Day). It seems unduly pedantic to depart from American usage, so I prefer Mother's Day, Father's Day, and so on.

George W Bush re-issued the proclamation in 2001, and there's plenty of background on the Web.

I guess if Bush had been a little more concerned with the English language, that poor grammar decision might have been changed. However, since the whole country is spelling the holidays incorrectly on purpose, I suppose I will have to as well. You heard it here first. Natalie is misspelling something knowingly and reluctantly!

Happy Mothers' Day

2011-05-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

Leela and Kirby are on the right kissing. They wish their mommy a happy Mothers' Day and will bestow many kisses.

When Visitors Arrive in Vegas

2011-05-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

That's when the fun begins! Check out these cool pictures from when my mom and Dave's mom visited us in April.

My mom, me, Dave. No, Dave is not enormous. My mom and I are just barely over five feet tall.

My mom showing off our hard work building a retaining wall into my sloping yard.

Dave's mom Sharon, my mom, me at the Venetian.

ZZ's Pet Boutique

2011-05-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

I feel so fortunate lately. I recently shipped off an order to ZZ's Pet Boutique in Pahrump, NV which is a city just a short highway drive from Las Vegas. ZZ's is owned by a veterinarian who met me at the Mt. Charleston Craft Show last August. She has ordered some steaks, chicken legs, fatty mice, and rat in half toys. If you are in Pahrump, please check them out. I have never been that far south in Nevada myself, but if I ever am, I'll be stopping in ZZ's. One of the great things about ZZ's Pet Boutique is that the owner carries lots of pet products from local artists, so shopping there not only gives you a chance to find unique items, but it boosts the local economy as well.

Paw Prints in Henderson

2011-05-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

On the way to work one day, I saw a person in a dog costume holding a sign for a new pet supply store in Green Valley. Paw Prints Pet Supplies is in the Smiths shopping center at Green Valley and I-215. It's an awesome area for retail because everyone goes to that Smiths (west coast grocery store chain owned by the Kroger people).

I stopped in and was really pleased with it. The store sells super premium dog and cat food, which is what you'd expect of a pet boutique, but they also sell supplies and food for birds, fish, rodents, and ferrets. I can safely say I've never seen ferret food alongside high quality cat and dog food in a pet boutique, and I really am pleased to see smaller pets being taken seriously as customers in the pet industry. I wish the owner Joan the best of luck at Paw Prints. I know I'll be back to find reasons to spoil my furbabies.

Sorry I've Been Gone

2011-05-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I've been away for so long. I had many real life things to take care of. Dave and I had both of our moms visiting a couple of weeks ago, and then during Easter weekend my ferret friend from Chicago visited. To top it all off, I got a wonderful wholesale order from a pet store in Pahrump, NV. You'll get to read about all of my scrivening adventures in the coming days.

The picture is of Kirby. He likes to sleep in the coffee table drawer.

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T08:13:00.001-07:00

Las Vegas Petapalooza

2011-04-10T15:14:00.000-07:00

As a spectator, I usually love any event with pets. As a vendor, I prefer events with an even mix of owners of different species (especially ferrets). I decided to forgo the $700 booth fee for the Petapalooza this year and attend as a spectator with my sweet dark sable mitt Raven. I suppose this is a really fun event if you own dogs or happen to like the band that plays that particular year. I fall into neither of these categories. I was scouting the location to see if it was a good fit for Scrivener's Retreat in 2012, but I don't think it will be worth forking over the $700. The grounds looked like this:

Open space with little sections of booths every so often. The stage was far from any vendors, which is good for noise level, but I find it's easier for potential customers to avoid walking by your booth if they aren't in the mood for any impulse purchases. That's a big no-no when holding a craft show or similar event. The spectators need to be forced to pass each vendor.

One clever tactic they did use when designing this event was to put large tents about 30 feet square in the middle of some of the vendor areas. This provided shade or protection from any rain the show might have gotten and gave people a nice place to hang out with their pets. In general, I decided that for me to make the booth fee back in sales, I would have to sell something every six minutes. That would mean people would have had to line up outside my booth all day long. While there were many vendors/rescues with people interested in what they were saying, I didn't see anyone with a line of eager buyers, so I wonder if any vendors made their booth fee back.

I don't know which booth was dying doggies' fur, but there were a lot of pups with crazy hairstyles that day.

This is a cute bearded dragon from a herpetoculture rescue whose name I didn't get. I would love to see a pet event here in Las Vegas that caters to the non-dog people out there. Not everyone owns a dog, and an event with ferret, bird, reptile, and rodent products and rescues would really be unique to this city.

All photos were taken from the Mix 94.1 website.

Ferrets on a Train

2011-04-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Sounds like the title of a new Samuel L Jackson movie to me. In Edinburgh, Scotland a couple of weeks ago, an adorable young ferret was discovered to have boarded the train without an owner and traveled from London.

Watch the news footage.

I couldn't find information on whether or not the owner had been reunited yet. The RSPCA are calling the little fert Mickey. He's young and small compared to other intact hobs in the UK, but if that were an American ferret, it would be a huge, fluffy privately bred ferret since it is intact. Poor baby. I hope he is reunited with his owner.

Appreciation

2011-04-03T17:34:00.000-07:00

I often wonder what people think of my products. Okay, make that always wonder. Buyers don't usually leave me a message after they purchase, but this passer-by was so moved to write to me.

"Hi

I was feeling really low today, and I saw your page and your decapitated rats and rabbits etc has had me laughing for over an hour and your write ups are so hilarious you should be a comedian!
Thanks for making my day."

Comedian was a fantasy career choice for me, but I am no good standing on a stage. Thank you for your kind words of encouragement.

National Ferret Day

2011-03-30T20:09:00.000-07:00

Celebrate National Ferret Day on April 2 by using coupon code FERRET15 for 15% off from now until April 3. Guaranteed happy pets at Scrivener's Retreat.

JLo Is Gone

2011-03-27T16:46:00.000-07:00

On Thursday night, I had to rush our ferret JLo to the emergency vet. She had insulinoma and cardiomyopathy. Her neck was stiff, and she didn't blink very often. I wondered if she had an insulinoma crash or if it was something much worse. She also had black, sticky poops, which is a sign a pet is digesting blood. Bartleby had that on his last day, too.

The emergency vet put her on oxygen and a heating pad and said that part of her heart wasn't working properly. She said that there was a lot of fluid built up in her abdomen, and they could drain it out, but it would likely cause her blood pressure to drop low enough to kill her. The only other option was to put her to sleep. Dave has been out of town, so I called him to tell him this. He didn't want to do it at first. He thought I should take her home and see if she makes it to the morning, and if she did, he wanted me to take her to our regular vet to get his opinion. He doesn't trust vets he's never worked with, and he didn't want anyone to tell him that he had to end his baby's life. I finally got him comfortable with putting her to sleep. I told him that if she came back home, she would be too cold and have too much trouble breathing, which was true.

I got the paperwork to have her put to sleep, but when I saw the cost of it, both Dave and I argued with the staff. They wanted to charge us about $100 to put her to sleep. Our regular vet charges $30, and then on top of that, if I wanted to be present when it happened, it was another $70 or $100. The fact that any practice makes patients decide whether or not they can afford to be with their baby in its final minutes of life is appalling. Dave decided that we had told her goodbye enough already since I was with her while I was trying to convince him she wasn't going to make it through the night. So, I went in the back to tell her goodbye one more time and give her a kiss. Unfortunately when I got there, she was already stiff and had been dead at least a few minutes.

Our regular vet spoke to me about her death and said that she probably had a stroke and had no chance of getting saved. He said that we might have been able to detect her cardiomyopathy earlier if we did an ECG scan, so we're going to do those on any older ferrets we have in the future. Right now we have Rocket who is five, and Leela, Raven, and Kirby who are between two and three at our best assumption, so I hope we have some time to go before anyone else dies. JLo was seven and a half. Here is a video of her playing with a beach ball I had in Chicago.

Rocket's Top Five Places to Poop

2011-03-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

5. Two feet away from the litter box in the hall. Why? Because I can.

4. On the rug by the stairs. This is where everyone wipes their face after duck soup, and they love my surprises.

3. On the floor in front of the kitchen sink so Mommy and Daddy will shout my name. It makes me so happy to know they're thinking of me.

2. Behind the couch. No one ever looks there, but when I hear "Good Lord, what happened back here?" I know my deposits were found.

And...

1. In front of the patio door. This discourages Mommy from going outside to water the plants. We ferrets are the only living things she is allowed to care about!

This Fisher-Price Looks Like My Sister

2011-03-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

I think this Fisher-Price doll looks like my sister Christina when she was in elementary. The picture below is of me, Christina, and her boyfriend David at the Circus Circus casino. We used to have a dollhouse with these very same Little People. However, if I'd had one that looked like my sister, that would have been sweet. I can just picture that doll running home from school to watch Wishbone.

Counting Calories

2011-03-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

I don't often worry about what I eat. I'm still in that naive, youthful "I'll never get old" stage. I do exercise when I get a bit of a gut, but other than that, I eat what I want. I never thought I was eating more than 2000 calories a day because I am so petite that I don't often eat what I consider to be a full serving or as much as the average person eats. I recently realized how off base I was.

Several of my coworkers have decided to lose weight, and they track their food intake by using livestrong.com. Very little to do with biking or Lance Armstrong, livestrong.com can count your calories for you and even subtract from it when you exercise. What I've utilized on the site so far is the MyPlate page. As of this writing, I have consumed 1000 calories today. That's half my daily allowance, and it's already six o'clock in the evening. I normally pig out at night, so thanks to livestrong.com, I know I need to make different choices so I don't go over 2000.

Their database has nutrition information for thousands of name brand food, so you can find the exact amount of calories you're eating.

I'm already feeling the beginning of my suppertime hunger pains, but with this calorie tracker, I can monitor my eating to be sure I don't overindulge before bed. I won't have this body forever, but the longer I can keep it looking the way it does, the longer I will live. And that's what it's all about.

Fundraiser for Ferret Villa Shelter

2011-03-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

Please take a moment to donate some money to Ferret Villa Shelter. They have been hit hard with swine flu, and all of the ferrets have been infected. One sweet boy Apollo passed away, and Heinz spent over a week at the vet hospital in an incubator fighting to survive. He is home now but continues to go the vet's office for therapy. They are spending day and night administering medicine, subcutaneous fluids, syringe feedings and lots of TLC. At the present time their vet bill is over $7,000.00 and continues to climb, as many ferrets are still not out of the woods yet. Visit the fundraiser site to learn how you can donate money and earn a chance to win prizes. My green crinkle ball is an item being donated to one lucky winner.

I couldn't find a link to their shelter, but these people also create the Tower of Fun tube toy that my kids have been envying for a long time.

LOLbed

2011-03-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this cat bed. It's made from a nice, retro computer monitor. I can picture my ferrets crawling inside for a nap. Visit alpinebutterfly to see more of this amazing pet product.

Artfire Shop

2011-03-17T07:29:00.000-07:00

I recently opened an Artfire shop. I closed my Zibbet shop a while back because I wasn't getting any walk-in traffic, and I hope things are different with Artfire. To kick things off, from now until Monday, I'm having a sale. Spend $30 and get $5 off. The discounts are taken automatically on Artfire, and the best part about this site is you do not have to have an account to purchase something!

Visit ScrivenersRetreat's Studio

SAVE $ 5.00 On Order Total (orders above $30.00)

Use Coupon Code:

5OFF30

during checkout.

It's the Mardi Gras Mambo

2011-03-12T08:44:00.000-08:00

King cake done right!

My little party table

A close-up of the Mardi Gras festivities.

This is my favorite Mardi Gras song. It's called "Second Line" by Stop, Inc. If I hear this I have to be catching beads and shaking my booty.

Happy Mardi Gras

2011-03-08T16:00:00.000-08:00

JLo Has a Double Whammy of Diseases

2011-03-02T08:05:00.000-08:00

JLo our ferret was hit with a double whammy of diseases when we took her to the vet last week. Dave already suspected she was adrenal even though she didn't have much hair loss.

Her other symptoms included red nipples and trouble urinating which caused a large vulva. She also had hind end weakness, and it turned out she also had low blood sugar which means she has insulinoma. Insulinoma is like the reverse of diabetes in humans. In ferrets, they get low blood sugar.

So, JLo is now on prednisone for that disease. Unfortunately, I've yet to own a ferret who liked the taste of pred. JLo has always been such an angel and always did what we asked of her. In her younger years she was the one who never missed the litter box. Now she has trouble making it every time she goes. And she fights me when I try to medicate her.

Here are a few pictures of her taken back when we lived in Chicago. Dave had just placed second in a poker tournament, and JLo rolled around in the cash like the ho bag she is.

Chester Is So Dashing

2011-02-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

Chester is such an ornery cat. I splurged on his Christmas presents, and this is the one thing my mom thought he wouldn't like. I don't know what it is about dressing up, but I just want to put clothes on every animal I see. My mom finally sent me the pictures of Chester with his elegant debutante hat on. The hat comes from ToScarboroughFair on Etsy.

While I think Chester is as handsome as can be in his derby, I think the artist's cat definitely pulls the look off better. Chester is also missing a leg, so I doubt he'd be likely to be seen in a hat like this if he were human and living in Victorian England (as I imagine any cat with this hat belongs). Chester would probably be yelling obscenities at children, lying in the same place for 18 hours, and hobbling after maids with laundry (he has a laundry fetish).

Nevertheless, the hat looks fab, and I am so glad I bought it. Now when I visit Chester in Louisiana, I can insist he dress up for my arrival and hold an evening ball in my honor.

Creepy Colbert

2011-02-27T13:48:00.001-08:00

I was home alone watching The Colbert Report one night this week, and I saw a glitch on the screen. It looked to me like that Mirror Mirror on the Wall from Shrek, so I rewound and used my trusty TiVo remote to slow the images down. What appeared before me was a creepy mask right over Stephen's face!

After checking around on the internet, I learned it was the Guy Fawkes mask, the symbol of Anonymous who provides WikiLeaks with all of their information. I wasn't sure what to think at this point. I still felt pretty creeped out. Usually when Colbert makes a joke, he wants the entire audience to know what he's doing. That wasn't the case with this screen image. The only people who saw it were the viewers at home. I started to think that Anonymous had done this himself. Just before the mask flashed on the screen, Stephen's guest was saying that all of us are Anonymous. And the guest had explained that Anonymous hacked into the emails and iPad of the head of a company known as HBGary (who is trying to out the real Anonymous).

This commotion makes my head spin. There are some people who think that the show edited it to display the mask on purpose. If that's the case, that really relieves my mind. I sat in my pajamas on the laptop wondering if masked crusaders could hack into a TV show's feed. After all, Colbert is recorded about five hours before it airs. In this technological age, isn't anything possible? I'm eager to see how Stephen broaches this subject on Monday's show. There have been quite a few nerds like me online deciphering the whole situation. Didn't see it? Watch the clip here:

Seeing the Sights

2011-02-20T10:37:00.000-08:00

My sister and her boyfriend visited Dave and me last weekend. We had a lot of fun, and I even did something I've never done before: ride on a zipline. There's a zipline company called Flightlinez that lets you zoom on a zipline high above Fremont St. Don't bother Googling this company name because as of this publication date, all you'll find are creepy sites that link to other unrelated sites. You know the ones I'm talking about. If you misspell the website you're looking for, these will pop up, and the page is just a list of links that send you to unsafe waters. (Edited 2-28-11: I found out I had some virus on my computer prompting all those spam sites. Feel free to Google Flightlinez to your heart's content.)

The Flightlinez ride was the highlight of the trip. I normally have a bit of vertigo when I'm standing too high, especially on a balcony or something that might break beneath my feet (logical, I know), but after five seconds zooming down this zipline, I was completely at ease and "wooo"-ing at the top of my lungs.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

Kiss a ferret. Then kiss a human.

Image from my favorite Deviant Art photographer Yukkabelle.

Lessons We Learned from the Recession

2011-02-13T17:34:00.000-08:00

Taken from Walletpop
My words are in italics.

1. Our Houses Are Homes, Not Piggy Banks or Retirement Funds

Thank you, Big Banks, for teaching us this poignant lesson. You might have found a way to beat it into our thick skulls without displacing 3 million families through foreclosures this year, but nevertheless it was a lesson we needed to learn. Experts predict that by the time the housing market regains its sea legs, as many as 25 million homes will have been lost to foreclosure.

Silly us who fueled the economy by buying new cars and taking vacations when we withdrew equity from our ever-appreciating homes. Well, we certainly have learned that real estate as an investment didn't work out the way we planned.

Okay, I am no financial expert or even really understand what a Roth IRA is, but I remember about four months before I heard about the housing market crash, I wondered how the housing market could be so expensive. I watched a lot of HGTV, and one thing I noticed when watching "My House Is Worth What?" (not on anymore), is that people didn't have any kind of ceiling on their homes' value. I began to wonder how in ten years people would be able to afford homes at all if prices kept skyrocketing. I began to think that in another thirty years, there wouldn't be a single home worth less than a million dollars. Now I see how my thinking was flawed. I didn't take into consideration the fact that they WEREN'T worth that much. Putting granite in your house will not increase its value by $10,000.

2. Public Libraries Are a Good and Free Thing

They have free books, free video rentals and free interesting lectures and programs. They have free programs for toddlers, children, and seniors. And probably most important in this recession, they have free computers for you to use and really smart people working there who can help you update your resumé -- again, for free. People who work in public libraries are extremely nice individuals who speak in very quiet, gentle voices and seem to genuinely enjoy helping others. Why didn't the government bail them out instead of the Big Banks or let the librarians run the loan modification programs?

My only follow-up is that libraries are perfect for learning a lot about something without spending money. Imagine all the books I've read about sewing and craft businesses, and I didn't have to pay a dime.

3. Only Fools Go Shopping Without First Googling for Coupons

We learned to never leave the house for a store -- any store -- without first Googling the store name and the word "coupon." We spotted an interesting phenomenon at Macy's last week. By using your Macy's card, you could get 15% off your total purchase. But if you didn't use its high-interest charge card and instead just Googled for discounts, you could get a 20% off coupon for your whole order. Not sure what it says about Macy's dissing its customers by charging them more to practice brand loyalty, but it sure says plenty about not having to pay its interest rates.

This sucks for Macy's customers, but I don't usually do this unless I'm shopping online. I tend to hit the retailmenot.com type sites to see if I can get what I want for cheaper. Dave doesn't even buy something unless Slick Deals or Groupon tells him to.

4. I skipped one. Big Deal.

5. Savings Accounts Are a Good Thing

We have learned the value of saving. In 2005, the savings rate of Americans dipped into negative territory. We were busy spending money we didn't have. Now we have begun to save money to the tune of 5% to 7% of our disposable income. Not bad for a nation whose former president -- that'd be George W. Bush -- encouraged us to deal with 9/11 by going shopping. And being loyal patriots, we did.

Okay, if this isn't the number one reason we can agree Bush was a moron, I don't know what is. How long did it take for people to stop shopping to prove their patriotism? About eight years. Okay, you can stop now. It's not going to help things. In fact, all that driving around is only hurting the environment.

6. This one sucked, too.

7. Car Loans Are for Wusses

Cars have become one of those things that we need to save up for. If you are trapped in the bad spot of having to take out a loan, consider a credit union before you fall into the car dealer's den of evil. And while we're at it, we also learned that buying a gently-used car is preferable to buying a new one that will depreciate as soon as you drive it off the lot. We are no longer defined by what we drive.

Unless it's a Prius, then we are defined by it. I have never had a car loan, and Dave's 2008 Optima was purchased in full on the day he bought it. That's not to say we have a lot of money--because we don't--but we do know how to find a good deal, and Dave is an expert at getting what he wants from companies. You can spend $2000 to $5000 for a decent car, so why not save up and actually do it? No one likes to pay interest.

8. There Is No Such Thing as Job Security

Everyone knows someone out of work. More accurately, everyone knows multiple people out of work. The days of going to work for one company and staying there until retirement are history. Now, the more-frequent scenario is people working three or four part-time jobs in what's been named the gig economy. No health coverage, no paid vacations, no sick days, no disability leave. But it's a salary and in this economy, there's no complaining allowed. For those still employed, job mobility may be a distant memory. Long gone are the days when your next spot was just a phone call away.

This one is true though I don't agree with it. Companies think that we're all a dime a dozen, so they give us fewer privileges. I've never worked for a company that was closed for more than six days a year (but I dream of it), or one that gave good health benefits or pretty much any perk in addition to that. I do long to find a company like that, but until there are more jobs and companies don't get 50 resumes within the hour of a job posting, we're going to have to take it or leave it.

9. Vacations Are a State of Mind

Whether it's a staycation, where you take day trips and sleep in your own bed, or a house swap with a friend or Internet stranger in an act of blind faith, vacationing has changed. Travel spending is down and people think thrice before shelling out big money for a trip. We've gotten more comfortable mooching off friends and relatives. Taking a few days where you don't compulsively check email might qualify as a vacation for some. For those who feel it isn't a "real" vacation unless it involves airplane travel, spend some time online and search for a deal.

I don't like to take vacations because it means unpaid time off work and leaving the ferrets alone. I would love to take a dip in a hotel pool and call that a vacation.

10. Share What You Have

Taken in the literal sense, the art of bartering has become part of our economic reality. I'll walk your dog if you water my garden. I'll loan you my vacation condo if you do my taxes. Taken in the less literal sense, this is the year we realized that the best part of getting comes from giving. Lend a hand and bask in the gratitude. 2010 may have taught us that we have more than we know, even if we no longer have jobs.

Anyone wanna landscape my backyard for some free pet toys? Or a TiVo?

Ferret Window Cling Winners

2011-02-13T10:20:00.000-08:00

The eight ferret window cling winners have been notified. Because there were so few responses on the actual blog (I was told there were glitches when people tried to comment), I extended the giveaway to members of Vegas Ferrets, Ferret Harmony, and my Facebook fans who commented on the post about the window clings. I would have one extra, but Dave decided he wants one on his car, which surprised me. I thought this was more of a chick thing, but live and learn.

I won't announce the winners' names here to protect them from any sore non-winners who may be interested in harassing. I numbered each entrant and then went to Random.org to get a number sequence for all eleven entrants. Then the top eight were notified that they won. I did this only once to be fair. If someone doesn't take one then the next person down will be offered a window cling.

Tips from a Mailman

2011-02-07T09:01:00.000-08:00

Being someone who uses the postal service regularly to mail out packages, I've become big fans of two mailmen who serve the office where I work. One is named Florintino (or Flor), and the other is named James. They work in Henderson, NV, and I'm sure they'll never come across this post, but I want to praise them anyway. Flor and James are always in a good mood when they arrive to deliver our mail, and they never complain that I have an outgoing Scrivener's Retreat package for them. In fact, I think they're happy to see my packages and are happy for my sales. I came across this secret mail carrier list and decided to share some of it since I love USPS so much. Please forgive the numbers not being sequential. I didn't include all points from the original article.

4. Media Mail is a bargain, but most of you don’t know to ask for it. Sending ten pounds of books from New York City to San Francisco through Media Mail costs $5.89, compared with $16.77 for Parcel Post. Besides books, use it to send manuscripts, DVDs, and CDs; just don’t include anything else in the package.

This would have been helpful to know back when I was sending book manuscripts out to agents.

5. We don’t get a penny of your tax dollars. Really. The sale of postage, products, and services at our 36,000 retail locations, and on our website, covers all of the post office's operating expenses.

This is a shame because the Post Office does way more for us than many other branches of government, and though I have no source to back this up, my best guess is that it's been around the longest.

6. UPS and FedEx charge you $10 or more for messing up an address. Us? Not a cent.

That's rockin'.

7. Paychecks, personal cards, letters—anything that looks like good news—I put those on top. Utility and credit card bills? They go under everything else.

What if I prefer the bad news first?

9. Yes, we do have to buy our own stamps, but a lot of us carry them for customers who need them. If we don’t charge you, that’s because we like you.

I'm verging on a Sally Field moment now.

12. We serve 150 million addresses six days a week, so we’re often in the right place at the right time. We pull people out of burning cars, catch burglars in the act, and call 911 to report traffic accidents, dead bodies, and more.

So don't get mad when they deliver one thing wrong once.

2. We go to great lengths to deliver to every address, no matter how remote. That’s why, in the most rural areas, even UPS and FedEx rely on us to make their final deliveries.

They owe you big time.

4. Is it hot enough for me? The heat index is 110 degrees. What do you think? (Instead of asking that, offer me a cold drink.)

I get hot just painting the walls in the house.

5. Despite the “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night” motto, we’re instructed not to deliver to a mailbox if the snow and ice around it isn’t cleared. Most of us take the motto to heart, though, and do our best to deliver in even the most hazardous conditions.

Gloom of night?

8. It’s a small thing that makes my job so much easier: Please park your car in the driveway instead of in front of the mailbox.

Or in the garage. Clean those garages out, people!

9. If a letter has your name but the number is wrong and it gets to you, thank your carrier. We still sort our mail before we hit the street.

I always wondered about the sorting process.

10. If your carrier walks his route, it would be nice if you would sweep or shovel your stairs when it snows.

My apologies to the mail carriers delivering to Dave's Chicago address.

Unreal Craft Shows

2011-02-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

Recently I looked into some craft shows for 2011. There is a ferret symposium in June in Phoenix. Since that's the closest place I've ever seen a ferret event, I decided I wanted to be a vendor there. I contacted the person in charge, and boy was I floored by the booth fees. For an expected gathering of 150 to 250 people, they're charging over $300. Vendors are required to pay for the symposium fee for three days, which is $175 and pay $130 to have a table of goods set up. So, to profit at this show, one would need to sell $600 worth of goods. Even though ferret owners are my exact target market, I find it difficult to believe that I will have sixty sales at an average product price of $10 (meeting the $600 requirement).

I ran into a similar but more extreme predicament when I called the show director for the Pet-A-Palooza whose website has been down for the last four months. It's http://petapaloozalv.com should it work after publication. I was told this event, which is hosted by the pop radio station 94.1, receives 15,000 attendees. This is a one-day event held in April, and it features a concert by a mildly popular or older band like Barenaked Ladies, Bowling for Soup, and Hellogoodbye. The event is from 10:00-6:00, and vendors pay a whopping $700. I am used to seeing high prices like this for three-day events, never for one day.

I know it's the largest pet event in Las Vegas, but I would have to make a sale every five minutes for the show to be worth my time, and even if people are lining up at my booth, there is no way I can sell that much so quickly. I doubt I even have $700 worth of products. And to actually profit, a vendor wants to make double the booth fee. So, making $1400 is out of the question. I do plan to attend this event as a spectator with my baby son Kirby or possibly Leela. I think it would be fun if the pressure to sell weren't in me. And I can take a look at other vendors and see what the heck they're doing to raise $1400.

Fruity Marshmallow Krispies

2011-02-02T09:52:00.000-08:00

For some reason the song in this 80s commercial was in my head. Why don't they sell Fruity Marshmallow Krispies anymore?

Ferret Lovers Ride In Style

2011-01-30T08:18:00.000-08:00

I have something wonderful for all you ferret lovers out there. Do you have a cute ferret bumper sticker proclaiming your love of ferrets to the world? No? Yes? How would you like a stylish ferret window cling that does just that? Through the wonderful people at Build-A-Sign, I bring you a unique design to adorn your car or bedroom window (for my city-dwelling pals).

Make Your Own
Bumper Stickers

Unlike other sign and marketing websites, Build-A-Sign doesn't charge extra when you use your own design. I know I hate having to pay $5 a design when I'm trying to score free business cards on Vistaprint. And that site doesn't offer bulk discounts. Build-A-Sign predicts your need as a business owner or ferret/craft show director and gives you discounts on multiples whether it be for bumper stickers, roadside signs, window clings, magnets, or anything else they offer.

One of the most fun aspects of this website is that their default products are designed really well and are very cool. Take a look at two of my favorite stock bumper stickers:

And if you're like me and don't see enough ferrets where you go, every single one of their items is customizable. Wish there were a ferret in Back to the Future? Throw a picture of your fuzzbutt over the flux capacitor and change the wording to "my other car has a fert capacitor" and you have a one of a kind bumper sticker with minimal effort.

My car has a license plate frame that says "We ♥ Our Ferrets." I also have stickers proclaiming my Saints love and Ragin' Cajun alma mater, and a window cling with the Mystery Science Theater 3000 silhouette, but there's just not enough ferret on the car, so I needed to test out my ferret window cling. I have eight "Ferrets Forever" window clings to give away. All you have to do is leave a comment in this post, and in two weeks, I will use a random number generator online to choose the eight winners. And you, too, can ride around in fuzzy style.

Little Feet Ferret Retreat

2011-01-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

One of my good online friends Rose owns a small business making ferret bedding. She's been sewing ferret hammocks for over ten years and just recently revamped her website. I really like the layout and color choices she made. And I put my Photoshop skills to good use and made Rose's banner.

Rose sews bedding in a small room off her garage, away from any ferrets, so there's no chance of ADV contamination or even a ferret with the flu getting germs on your bedding. She's very well-known for her floor and shelf covers for Ferret Nation cages. Imagine a cage where every inch is plush fabric. She makes ramp covers for the Ferret Nation, too. Those shelf and ramp covers you see at websites like Drs. Foster and Smith were ideas taken from people like Rose. I know this because I saw her ramp covers years before any factory ever produced them. Let's do a fist pump for small businesses. GO us!

Did you pump your fist in the air? You better reread that and pump your fist. I'll wait...Okay.

Little Feet Ferret Bedding carries a wide selection of amazing fabrics. There's the standard cotton/fleece combination, but you can also opt for double fleece and choose your exact fabrics and bedding styles. Rose is great at making large sets for multiple-level ferret cages. My kids are content with three hammocks in their cage since half of them sleep on the floor in their bedroom anyway, but other owners utilize every inch of the cage with bedding, food, or litter boxes. Rose's creations give them lots of options for interesting bedding.

LFFR is currently offering a sale until the end of January. You can get 15% off with the code GO15. You can also find LFFR Bedding on Ebay.

A New Look

2011-01-24T08:37:00.000-08:00

I recently went into a painting rage and made plans to paint all the rooms in my house. Dave doesn't think this is such a good idea, but he will change his mind when the boring white walls are gone.

The first rooms I painted were the guest bedroom and my office. I chose a color called Hazy Jade because it matched the bed in the guest room perfectly and blends in with my Scrivener's Retreat green color scheme. I find this color really soothing, yet bold.

Dave thinks it's a touch too dark, but it looked darker than this before we put everything back in place on the walls. What do you think?

The next rooms I plan on painting will be the bathrooms. They will all be a light gray color. I've seen gray used on walls a lot since my House Hunters days began. I also plan to paint the living rooms and dining room a khaki/tan color. I haven't made up my mind for the master bedroom, but it does have to blend in with our burgundy bed. The other day, I was thinking a Cobalt might work.

Kirby Enthusiasm

2011-01-21T11:00:00.000-08:00

Kirby has, on occasion, acted quite enthusiastic about life and playing with his fuzzy siblings. We think he's very happy we adopted him. Here is a video moment I captured not long ago when he was slightly bouncy. I will try to get footage of him next time he has a real bouncing-off-the walls moment.

Sagittarius No Matter What

2011-01-20T08:44:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you've heard of the pain in the butt scientist who threw a wrench into everyone's lives by declaring we are using the wrong Zodiac charts. Hey, smarty pants, who asked you to put your two cents in? We were happy living with what you called "a date problem," Professor Parke Kunkle. I am being such a cranky-pants because I was always a proud Sagittarius, along with Jon Stewart, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera. Now I'm something called Ophiuchus which sounds like an infection of the throat. And Jon Stewart is a Scorpio? We have less in common now.

Growing up, I was always a big fan of personalized gifts. Magnets with "Natalie" on it, "1982" t-shirts, and Sagittarius items. What am I supposed to do with my Sagittarius Garfield tote bag and archer symbol navel ring now?

Calming my nerves is information that this new Zodiac "discovery" is brought up every ten years. And we still follow a Western idea of astrology which dictates how the planets line up with the earth, not how the stars do. I don't read my horoscope or believe in anything mythological, but it is nice to think that after a few months, everyone will be content to be their old Zodiac. To me, it just allows a type of self-expression and a way to connect with others under my sign. I am much like an old man in that I don't like change and will fight it like a child.

Image by AthenasMusings.

Zibbet Shop Closed

2011-01-10T19:43:00.000-08:00

I decided to close my Zibbet shop today. I came to that decision because my premium account was downgraded without warning. When I acquired a business checking account, I changed my information in PayPal, but I didn't change the information in my Zibbet subscription. I don't even know how to do that. I decided that it was best to leave the account closed rather than keep the basic non-sales mode one active. Since Etsy has a sales mode now, I will still be able to offer great discounts. To clarify, I do still have the Zibbet shop, but I've left it in vacation mode. If sales pick up at that venue, or they offer a less expensive option for premium sellers, I will consider opening the shop again.

Hello, Cupcakes!

2011-01-02T10:51:00.000-08:00

After discovering the book Hello, Cupcake! in a model apartment at work, I asked my boyfriend for it and its sequel What's New, Cupcake? for my birthday or Christmas. His mom got me both (yay!), and on New Year's Day, I invited two of my chick friends from work over to make some cupcakes. We are a disaster in the kitchen, and I substituted a lot of ingredients. But, our cupcakes came out cute and yummy.

I made the cover image from Hello, Cupcake! for my first creation. As you can see when you compare the two, my cupcake dog looks like someone ran over it in a thunderstorm. I forgot to put a marshmallow for the muzzle, so I grabbed a Jelly Belly just for the hell of it.

As you can see, the cover of the book shows three very beautiful cupcake West Highland Terriers, but my creation of chocolate and vanilla frosting is an abomination to the dog species. Instead of a mini cupcake for the head, I used a Hostess mini chocolate chip muffin. These are found in the same aisle as Little Debbie Snacks and Hostess snacks. Usually, it's near the bread.

My two friends made cat cupcakes, and I threw one together at the end of our super happy fun time together. I only took pictures of my cupcakes. The first image is the book picture. Very nice, as you can see. I messed up on the white mouth area. And instead of Mentos for cheeks, I used Almond Joy bites. I forgot to melt the Starburst to make the tongue the shape I wanted, so I just smashed it on the face. I also didn't find Runts to use for the nose, so I used a red M&M Mini. The ears were supposed to be a cookie, but I didn't see that on the list when I was shopping, so I used mini marshmallows.

When reading the book for the first time, what really captured me and made me want to have the book was the TV dinner cupcake set. I didn't take a picture of the whole TV dinner set because all I made last night after my friends left was the chicken leg. This one came out much better and took far less time to make, as well. I used a chocolate chip mini muffin to add height to the cupcake. The recipe calls for a donut hole. The bone is melted vanilla (the kind you'd buy to coat pretzels and stuff) drawn in a bone shape and then hardened in the fridge. The crispy skin is crumbled Raisin Bran with the raisins removed. The recipe called for corn flakes. I actually took some bites of this cupcake this morning. Hey, there was cereal on it. That's gotta count as a breakfast food.

Welcome, 2011

2010-12-31T21:30:00.000-08:00

Ferret picture copyright of Jeanne Carley.

One of A Kind Bed

2010-12-29T15:00:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago, I made a one of a kind steak dog bed. I got a whim one night and drew my steak pattern in extra-super-duper large form on some fleece and cut out all the pieces for the bed. Then I just sewed it like a regular steak toy and stuffed it.

I was planning on selling it at one of the recent fresh52 farmer's markets, but both of the ones I was signed up for had bad weather, so the bed is still sitting safely in my office waiting for a nap-loving pup to take it home.

It's nice and large (compared to everything else I make) at 23" x 22". It's also really thick and is the only one like it available. If your dog didn't get anything comfy for the holidays, perhaps the new year could be started off on a nice, long nap?

New Guppy Fry

2010-12-28T09:24:00.000-08:00

My guppies that were born on August 9, 2010 have reproduced. It's actually a little disturbing and incestuous because the only guppies left alive in the tank were all siblings. So this means that one of my brother and sister guppies did the nasty and created their own little fry about a month ago. I didn't even notice the pregnancy, then all of a sudden, I saw five baby guppies in my tank. Five fish is a really small number of offspring, so I just left them alone and decided not to bother with the breeder net. I had problems with it during my first guppy raising period, so I thought they would be better off without it.

I was right because I then noticed six fry and then thought my total was seven (they are small and hide well). Now I think I have eight total because on December 24 and 25 I counted eight. These guys are very hard to count, so either they have been hiding this whole time or I am seriously bad at counting newborn fish. I have begun to wonder if my guppies keep reproducing then at what point do I no longer have to worry about the effects of incest? I believe the law states you can marry your fifth cousin, but at what point in the animal kingdom does it put an offspring on par with an offspring with no incestuous lines? Or does it even matter since they don't have to fight off predators or search for food. It is kind of cool to think that except for my silver molly, all of the fish in my tank were born in my tank and have never known any other kind of lifestyle.

2010 Goal Reached

2010-12-26T07:20:00.000-08:00

I achieved my 2010 year end Etsy selling goal of 220 sales. I actually have 223 sold as of December 24. Someone nice bought a small and large naughty devil penguin from me on Christmas Eve. Here's hoping 2011 brings everyone much success and happiness.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T19:18:00.001-08:00

Bad Luck with fresh52

2010-12-19T13:26:00.000-08:00

I was scheduled to be at today's fresh52 which was a special handmade shopping event called Holiday Fest. However, it's been raining since Friday, and I decided to back out. I've never backed out of a craft show before. Last month, I had horrible weather to deal with and exactly zero sales. With the weather today, I was afraid that I'd have a repetition of last month's show. In addition to that, the first show I did in October, the Fall Harvest, was also not the best show for me. I didn't sell enough to pay for the vendor space, and there were a ton of people at the show.

I don't really know what's wrong with fresh52, but it doesn't seem to be the show for me. I don't know if it's fair that I judge when I've only done two events, but I have never sold as little at a show as I did at fresh52, and I have done two other shows that closed early due to the weather. I think there are two factors in play at fresh52. It's a farmer's market first. People come for healthy food, and while those people usually are the type to spend more on their pet, I think they will spend more on their pet's health, but not so much on playthings for their pet.

The other issue I ran across was the price point of my products vs. everyone else's. My products are inexpensive compared to other handmade goods. I average $10 or $15 per item, but when your neighbors are selling organic dog treats for $7 a bag or tea or oranges for $5, I start to look like an overpriced conglomerate. Now, the saving shopper in me knows that $7 for a one-pound bag of dog food is outrageous and not something I would buy on a regular basis, and in comparison, a toy they will play with for a few months before it becomes ratty has a much lower price per use ratio, but I don't think people are seeing that. When one vendor is charging $7 for your dog's happiness and the other is charging $10, there's no competition.

I do look forward to more craft shows in 2011, but I think I will spend more energy and money on true pet events or handmade craft events where my products will be seen as unique and priced right.

Giving Tree 2010

2010-12-19T08:03:00.000-08:00

Good news, everyone! The Ferret Giving Tree now has zero ferrets waiting for Santas. If you chose a ferret this year, please check the website and don't forget to mail your gifts to the shelter. A quick and popular gift is a donation to the shelter's vet. All it takes is a quick phone call to help that shelter out.

Happy Birthday to Me

2010-12-03T05:05:00.000-08:00

December 3 is my birthday. To celebrate, I am giving you 10% off on any item in my Zibbet or Etsy shops. For Etsy, you must include code 10COUPON at checkout. On Zibbet, the sale is currently active, and all prices are reflected.

Treasury Time

2010-12-02T20:01:00.000-08:00

Three Treasuries have been uploaded today, and they include some of my cute pet toys.

Over 200 Sales and Still Going Strong

2010-11-28T16:32:00.001-08:00

I have reached my end of 2010 milestone with over 200 sales (201 at the time of this publication). It has been a fabulous November for me, and I hope all the other handmade sellers out there are having the same luck I am. Since I reached my goal early, I have a new goal to accomplish by the end of December. I will strive to make 220 sales, which is 19 additional from my current total. That averages to a sale every two days. Since no one makes online purchases after the 20th of December, I am really looking at selling closer to one toy a day. I hope my Cyber Monday sale is a hit. Without making many sales Monday, it's not likely I'll make my goal.

Speaking of Cyber Monday, you can get 25% off any item. On Etsy type in the coupon code CYBERMONDAY at checkout to receive the savings. The discount applies to every item for sale. If you're shopping on Zibbet, the entire shop will already be in Sales Mode with 25% off any item.

Black Friday Sale 20% Off

2010-11-25T20:30:00.000-08:00

There are a couple of ways to take advantage of these savings. The first is on Etsy. Etsy rolled out coupon codes this week, so when I click my mouse Thursday night, a coupon code for the sale will become active. You must type in the coupon code to receive the savings. Type BLACKFRIDAY when prompted at checkout (will be on the right side of the screen) to get 20% off

any item.

If you're shopping on Zibbet, the entire shop will already be in Sales Mode with 20% off any item.

This will be from 12 am Friday EST until that night about 11 pm EST.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T16:19:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday I was at another fresh52 event. This particular day was a bust. The weather was terrible. It was colder than a witch's you-know-what and so windy I had to tape my dolphins down to their shelf. It even started to rain, but luckily, some friendly pet product businesswomen like myself invited me to their tent. They operate Culinary K9 here in Las Vegas and made the day go by much faster and without a frown.

Here are pictures of my set-up with a new sign, tablecloth, and grid wall. Nice, right? I've also added a picture I took of myself with my scarf tied around my ears. I never wore it this way, not even when I lived in Chicago. The weather that Sunday was just unreal.

Ragin' Cajun Girls

2010-11-22T21:30:00.000-08:00

I am crazier than you think. Y'all know I have some major Louisiana pride. Well, I couldn't let Katy Perry stand by and rave on about the chicks in California without chiming in about the girls where I'm from. Read the lyrics below the player, and use the link to download your own mp3 file of it. Pass the file around! I wanna see someone make a video parody on Youtube using this song. Just a warning, I sing like a dying whale, so I also give permission for anyone to record their own vocals as long as Natalie Fontane is credited as the lyricist. Hit it!

Download the song.

Hey, y'all, let's pass a good time...

I know a place
Where the swamp is really humid
Flat, free, and fierce
I think there's 'gators in the water
Sippin' hurricanes
Layin' underneath the oak trees (oh, yeah)
The bugs
fill the air
Gotta swat at the mosquitoes (oh, no)

You could travel the world
But nothing comes close
To the Cajun Coast
Once you party with us
You'll be falling in love
Oooooh oh oooooh

Ragin' Cajun girls
We're unforgettable
Skin-tight jeans
and purple flip flops
Sun-kissed skin
So hot
We're like Tabasco Sauce
Oooooh oh oooooh

Ragin' Cajun girls
We're undeniable
Cute, kind, cool
Line dancin' all day
Gulf Coast represent
Now pass the boudin
Oooooh oh oooooh

Drive to the mall
We speed past traffic on the four-lane
We jam
In our Fords
KTDY on the stereo (Cee-Jay)

You could travel the world
But nothing comes close
To the Cajun Coast
Once you party with us
You'll be falling in love
Oooooh oh oooooh

Ragin' Cajun girls
We're unforgettable
Skin-tight jeans
and purple flip flops
Sun-kissed skin
So hot
We're like Tabasco Sauce
Oooooh oh oooooh

Ragin' Cajun girls
We're undeniable
Cute, kind, cool
Line dancin' all day
Gulf Coast represent
Now pass the boudin
Oooooh oh oooooh

[Snoop Dogg]
Poo yi
Pass a good time
Come on, cha, we can eat at Popeye's
Sweet, soul Gulf coast
This is the place I love the most
I love the food
So much spicy food
Crawfish
Gumbo
Shrimp po-boys

Go Cajun pride
We fais-do-do
Got names like Boudreaux
Thibideaux
Babineaux
And Theriot
You know I love LA,
Mardi Gras
Catching beads

Cajun life is everything

I love
Cajun towns
Lafayette
Iberia
St. Martin, St. Landry, St. Mary
Go Cajuns
Love the Saints
Watchin' football
Every Sunday
(Yeah)
We "bon temps roulez," baby
(Uh huh)
You know you love us
'Cause we're representin' Ragin' Cajuns
(Ohhh yeahh)

Ragin' Cajun girls
We're unforgettable
Skin-tight jeans
and purple flip flops
Sun-kissed skin
So hot
We're like Tabasco Sauce
Oooooh oh oooooh

Ragin' Cajun girls
We're undeniable
Cute, kind, cool
Line dancin' all day
Gulf Coast represent
Now pass the boudin
Oooooh oh oooooh

Ragin' Cajun...
Ragin' Cajun girls
Ragin' Cajun...
Ragin' Cajun girls

Fresh52 This Sunday

2010-11-18T18:30:00.000-08:00

Join me this coming Sunday for the fresh52 farmer's market. I'll be selling my awesome pet toys, but I have a couple of new items for my craft show displays. I'll also have a couple of new dog toys for all of you in Vegas with a pupster. Get cracking on your Christmas shopping at this farmer's market.

52 Sundays a Year

8:30 am to 2:00 pm

Sansone Park Place (shopping center)

9480 S. Eastern Ave.
Las Vegas, NV 89123

Louisiana Pride To Go

2010-11-16T16:00:00.000-08:00

A while back, I bought a Zapp's chip bag turned into a zippered pouch for Dave to use for his toiletries when traveling. When I visited New Iberia last month, my mom had saved two special chip bags. One was Saints Zapp's chips, and the other was LSU Zapp's. I was excited more for the bags than the chips because the flavors inside the bags were not anything new for me. But I knew I wanted to use the bags for make-up and my own toiletries. So, I trusted Bossier City resident musicmama1 to create some amazing zippered pouches that I can use for years to come.

Aren't they so cool? She has plenty more made out of other snack bags. Dave has already decided the Saints one is his even though I had no intention of giving him one. Oh, well.

Christmas Comes Early for the Fuzzies

2010-11-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

At the fresh52 Fall Harvest, I saw the most amazing cool cat product. At first, I thought it was a Ferret Nation, and you can see why. It looks like a FN without sides and hammocks instead of floors. It's a really cool cat hammock made by a woman named Cindy (no website). It was on display at the booth of C5 the Community Cat Coalition of Clark County who does trap, neuter, release for feral cats in the county. This hammock condo is intended for cats, but considering I originally thought it was a ferret cage, I had to have it for my babies.

Leela is the boldest ferret and climbed nearly to the top.

Raven performs her greatest trick and biggest show of appreciation: displaying her fat belly ho-style.

From bottom: Kirby, Rocket, Leela exploring the new present.

Severed Butt Tail Toys

2010-11-14T13:00:00.000-08:00

I have some new toys I know you're going to love. These are severed animal butts, and the tail is stuffing-free for all those dogs that like to go crazy on their toys (which they're supposed to anyway). The tail has a squeaker in it, and the severed butt has cellophane for that cool crinkle sound your dog likes. These can also be ferret toys.

ADV-Negative

2010-11-13T10:20:00.000-08:00

I recently tested my kids for ADV. I do it once a year which is recommended for people who take their ferrets to shows and that sort of thing. I don't think they've even been around other ferrets since their tests last year, so I wasn't surprised to learn that they're all negative. ADV is a strange disease . It stands for Aleutian Disease Virus and is an autoimmune virus similar to AIDS. It spreads via bodily fluids but can actually live outside a host body for a long time. Unlike AIDS, it puts the immune system into overdrive.

I do my testing very easily by taking a swab of the ferret's gums and sending it to Avecon Diagnostics in Pennsylvania.

I couldn't find any photos online, but here is a Youtube video of a ferret who suffered from Aleutian Disease.

Poor Kitty

2010-11-12T08:58:00.000-08:00

At work Thursday, my coworker who is a big cat lover saw a white longhair cat rooting around in the dumpster. It had dirty paws, long hair, and a cute black nose. The poor thing was as skinny as I've ever felt an animal. I've never had a cat that lost so much weight, but a couple of my ferrets dropped weight really bad right before they died. We took the cat back to my office, and I called the Animal Control number I found online. I forgot it was Veterans Day and after their closing time, so I just left a message saying that we'd found an abandoned cat.

The little baby was probably away from home about a month or two. It had a lion cut that hat grown out. So that cat hung out in my office for two hours until we closed. The coworker who found it decided to take it to her house just so it could eat for a day. I'm not sure what she'll do with it after that. I took some pictures of it with my phone, but they came out so dark and awful that I've given you a random image from the internet as eye candy.

Happy Three Month Birthday, Guppies

2010-11-10T12:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my guppy fry's three month birthday. This is normally the time they can be integrated to the tank with older fish, but I was having a lot of deaths, so I moved them to the better-filtered water in the large tank sooner than normal.

Here is a picture of my silver molly with three of the guppies. I have five remaining. Three yellow (color of the father, presumably), and two black ones. I haven't been able to sex them yet, but I think the black ones are females based on where the color lies on their bodies, and I think there is at least one yellow male. Hopefully, next month I will be able to sex them all, but I don't know at what time frame that's usually done.

Sorry the picture is so horrible. This is why I used stock pictures for all my other posts about the fry.

Halloween Is Still Alive in My Heart

2010-11-08T11:50:00.000-08:00

I love Halloween only for the costumes and candy. I eat candy like it's going out of style all year long, so the real thing I love is sexy Halloween costumes. Why can't we wear these all year long? This year I went as a baseball player. I was more covered up than the previous year, and I do have a picture to show you. I love showing off my flat stomach, and I will do it any chance I get.

Here's the only shot of me where my bra isn't showing. Since I have the chest of a twelve-year-old boy, I had that baggy top thing going on all night. My smile looks like the same one I had on at dance recitals. I don't think kids smile anymore when dancing on stage. I suppose they did until they saw me and my crazy face. I look like I'm auditioning for a floss commercial.

Yesterday buycostumes.com had this clearance sale on a lot of Halloween costumes, and there is an extra 30% off if you use the code extra30. The sale may be going on today, too, but I got all the costumes I wanted. I noticed when shopping that there is a trend in costumes that don't show off the midriff. I understand that probably 10% of the female costume-buying public wants to show off so much skin, but what else am I going to look forward to on Halloween? I bought these two costumes with the hopes that I can make some tailoring adjustments to them to make them Natalie-style.

I think the angel one is not really me, but it's easy to get a guy like Dave to agree to dress as a devil. And I don't think I'll wear the recycling costume for Halloween, but I would like to wear it out in public for something.

The Blahs

2010-11-06T19:30:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel like you can't do anything right? Like you're a complete failure who wastes time every day instead of accomplishes what you really need to?

I don't have a solution. It's just something to think about, but don't depress yourself.

Doggy Gift Guide

2010-11-06T09:49:00.000-07:00

Gift Guides are gone on Etsy, but that doesn't mean you have to search forever for great presents for the pup in your life.

Alligator Bits

2010-11-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

You know you love my new alligator tail kicking stick for cats/squeaker toy for dogs. It's a severed alligator tail. What's not to love? Your pet is so proud that he killed the alligator all by himself.

5 Things I Loved 5 Years Ago

2010-11-02T11:41:00.000-07:00

Five years is not so long, but it does seem like an eternity when you're flying through life as I have. Through grad school, falling in love, moving, starting a business, job searches. I don't feel like I have time to really enjoy a lot of the things I did only a few years ago.

1. Writing: I used to want to be a novelist for a living. I suppose I would still embrace that path if I were given the opportunity, but writing just takes so much time out of the day, I can't see myself running Scrivener's Retreat and writing books. I try to make it up by reading on my lunch breaks, but it just isn't the same.

2. Singing along to CDs: Back when people still had CDs, or at least back when I still burned my own copies of songs I liked, I would sing with a hairbrush in front of my imaginary audience. I hardly even sing along with the radio in the car. And unlike five years ago, I have no idea who even sings my favorite songs. A song I like will come on, and unless I've downloaded it, I have no clue who sings it. Is this some sad aspect of middle age that I need to be aware of? I used to read the Billboard charts every week like it was my religion.

3. Walking the ferret: When Bartleby and I lived on Addison in Chicago, we would go for so many walks. We walked to the lake and around the block on the sidewalk. He encountered squirrels and other pets and really enjoyed himself. I think I liked it more than he. Never having a dog, I have always wanted a pet that I could take out on a leash. Since we've moved to Vegas, none of the ferrets has gotten a chance to explore the neighborhood. There's no grass to roll around in, so they may not even like it, but I'd like the chance to train one of them the way I did Bartleby.

4. Baking pies: I love baking pies, but I just don't have the time!

5. Talking on the phone: I added this one because in 2005 I did not have free text messages on my phone. I also didn't have a camera on it if that tells you anything about how slow I was to technology. I used to call people when I wanted to get together with them, but now we all text each other. I think people do this because it allows them to multitask and respond to inquiries on their own terms, but phone calls have become something you have with relatives on their birthday rather than a necessary means of conversation.

Giving Tree is Active

2010-11-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

Visit the Ferret Giving Tree to choose your shelter ferret and be a Secret Santa. The ferrets list things they want or need, and all you have to do is buy it and ship it to them. Instant ferret happiness, and it's a great way to donate to a shelter.

As I did last year, anyone who purchases my items for a Giving Tree ferret will receive free shipping after I receive the shelter's address from you. I can include a special message to the shelter from you, and fuzzies will be happy without you spending a dime on shipping.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T09:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween

Gumbo Cookoff Photos

2010-10-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

Me and my high school friend Julie

Me and Dave

Me, my sister Christina, and her dog Ammy which is short for Amaterasu the wolf character from the video game Okami.

Where's the gumbo? You'd think we were just walking around outside for the heck of it.

Fresh52 Fall Harvest Festival

2010-10-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

Fresh52 is an outdoor farmer's market that's held every Sunday in southern Las Vegas near the 215 Beltway and Eastern Ave. I decided to take advantage of this farmer's market/craft fair. I work Saturdays, and most fairs are on Saturday, so since I am off on Sundays, this fair seemed like a good, inexpensive opportunity to do more selling in person. The only drawback is that it starts so early. I'd have to wake up at 6:00 every time I sell there just to have enough time to set up. Being a farmer's market, it's meant to be a morning thing anyway, so I can't be too upset about the time.

My first event there will be the Fall Harvest Festival on October 24. I'm really looking forward to it. As you can see from the poster on the right, there's going to be a lot going on at this festival. And since it's around the beginning of the shopping season for Christmas, I'm hoping to make more sales than I usually do at these craft shows. Wish me luck!

Hooray for Zoidberg

2010-10-21T20:18:00.000-07:00

Hooray for Zoidberg. He gets no love.

Futurama

Mashup - Hooray for Zoidberg!

www.comedycentral.com

Ugly Americans New Episodes

Nick Swardson's Pretend Time

Night of Too Many Stars

Gumbo Cookoff

2010-10-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

I took some time off last week to visit my hometown of New Iberia, LA. The annual Gumbo Cookoff was taking place that weekend. I hadn't been to New Iberia in a year, so it was good to see how the town had not changed in all that time. I'm sure some things changed, but they were very subtle. I have to remember that Dave cannot understand a Cajun accent. I left him talking with relatives, and he had no idea what was being said other than a few nouns. I can hear a slight Cajun accent very well now compared to when I lived there, but it's still easy for me to understand what people are saying.

Cajuns, don't take for granted all the amazing food you have. While we were in Kenner after my plane landed, Dave stocked up on Zapp's, Kitchen Bouquet, Abita Beer, and got a four pound bag of kidney beans at the Sam's Club. We do not have this kind of thing where I live, and if we do see it, it is in a tiny container and costs "and arm and a leg" as my mom would say.

The photo was taken at my dad's house (where my sister and her dog live) by my step-grandpa Bert. From left to right is Maw-Maw (mom's mom), Dave, me, Christina my sister, Mama, and Grandma (dad's mom). Dave is only five-ten, so you can imagine how short the rest of us actually are!

Ferret Giving Tree

2010-10-18T13:17:00.000-07:00

The Ferret Giving Tree is up! The Giving Tree is a non-denominational way of saying a Kris Kringle or Secret Santa list of ferrets in need who live in shelters across the United States. These ferrets and shelter directors await unknown ferret lovers to donate items they need. A lot of times they ask for practical things, but who wants socks for Christmas?

I participated last year for the first time. I took two ferrets from different shelters off the list and sent them some Scrivener's Retreat goodies along with some practical items on the directors' wish lists. I don't really do a lot of donating throughout the year unless it is to a ferret shelter, and I don't buy presents for a lot of people during Christmas, so I can afford to spend a little extra on some unknown fuzzies who aren't as lucky as my five babies. This year I'm going to look for a ferret in Nevada or at the GCFA in Illinois to donate to.

Ferrets Can Get Married, Too

2010-10-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

Taken from http://www.ktbs.com/non-stop-news/25232392/detail.html

Sept. 30, 2009.

Toast and Ferr'ouquea were wedded today at the Westwood Manor Nursing Home in Shreveport. The home's residents helped plan the event, and many attended as guests. There was music and even a ferret bridal party in attendance. The ceremony came complete with decorations and a wedding cake. The animals are part of the "Paws for Friendship" organization and are regular visitors to the home as part of a therapy program. Residents were treated to a complete wedding reception after the wedding.

See the video!

Of course, one of the reasons I care about this is because Toast belongs to Nancy Sevier, the blonde in the video. She runs Fuzzie Friends Organization and the FFO Rodeo ferret show of which I created the website.

Give Me a Donut, And I'll Love You Forever

2010-10-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

Krispy Kreme and Meche's of New Iberia, LA are my two favorites.

Polymer Clay Chocolate Cream Filled Doughnut Charm by SweetCherryDesigns1

Chocolate Frosted Mini Donut Soaps by HowardsHome

Felt Donuts by feltplayground

JLo Isn't a Real Housepet of Las Vegas

2010-10-04T08:07:00.000-07:00

So, JLo didn't win the radio station contest of the Real Housepets of Las Vegas. I didn't expect her to since most people consider anything that's not a dog or cat to be a second-class animal. Naturally, two dogs and one cat won the contest. There's always more dogs than cats in these things. Even pet product commercials. It's like cats are the token minority they have to use so people don't assume it's a product strictly for dogs.

If you look at the photos of the NSPCA Family, Fur, & Fun event, you'll see that all the winners were conveniently present at the contest's announcement. The cynical side of me believes that they knew ahead of time that they were going to win. I also don't recognize any of these pets from the voting time before the finals which leads my even more cynical side to believe that they just picked some animals who attended the event and got photos from the owners later. Eh, I'm just being cranky. JLo is cuter than those dogs are. I know this, and you know this, and that's all that matters.

Get Cozy

2010-09-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

30 Rockin' Cards

2010-09-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows be better know I love 30 Rock. You didn't know that? And you call yourself my friend. I shake my head in shame of you. I found this awesomely funny 30 Rock quotes from the shop of goatcards. I guess you could say this seller has an amazing sense of humor, too, because all of her cards make me smile. And not an "aww, I want to go kiss the ferrets now" smile but a devilish grin.

Here are my favorite three 30 Rock quotes she has designed onto cards:

57 MPG, Y'all

2010-09-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Don't be jealous. You only get this kind of mind-boggling mpg from driving like an old lady in your Prius. I reached my summer goal a few weeks too late last Tuesday, and it's stayed constant all week. My lifetime goal is 60 MPG. Think I can make it?

Don't Tell Me Rocket Isn't Crazy

2010-09-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

I took two of the kids to the vet today. JLo was having some problems urinating, and Rocket needed a Lupron shot. JLo ended up having a UTI and will be on medication for a little bit. The ride home was interesting to say the least. Rocket has a problem being caged. He can't even act civilized when he's in the pet carrier. The carrier is made of a fabric mesh and vinyl fabric. Rocket has already torn a few small holes in the mesh, but today on the way home, I knew he was going to do major damage.

Dave is usually with me when we go to the vet, but he is out of town for a short while, so I couldn't prevent Rocket from escaping the carrier. As I merged from highway 215 to I-15, I saw his little sable head poke out of the carrier, and his squirmy body tried to wiggle through the hole he'd created. Any ferret owner will know that an opening of more than an inch can mean escape for small ferrets. I think the number goes up to two inches for adult ferrets. Rocket isn't a fatty, but he's not a small boy, either. When I saw his head come through the mesh, I cried out, "Rocket!" and reached for his head with my right hand. I scruffed him and pulled him all the way out of the carrier. Now I was faced with a new challenge. It's always important to keep the temperature of the car cool enough for ferrets, so in addition to making it too cold for me in the car, I had to keep Rocket in my arms for almost 20 miles!

Ferrets as a rule are fidgety and will not sit still. Rocket is five times worse. I had to drive with only one hand on the wheel the entire time, and I am so thankful that there were no nuts on the road making crazy lane changes or tailgating me. I took turns with both hands scruffing him and holding him with my fingers wrapped around his chest like a harness. I continued to tell him he was a bad boy. I don't think he really cares. We got home safely, and of course, JLo was an angel in the carrier and probably never even saw the hole her brother made. You remember Calvin from the comic strip Calvin & Hobbes? Rocket is the ferret version of Calvin.

Water Bottle Crunchers

2010-09-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

These are so easy to make that I've fallen in love with them. Meet my new dog toy the water bottle cruncher. Recycle old water bottles into a fun, safe toy for your dog. This line has bones, but I am working on one with fox and raccoon tails. How cute are these? What most dog owners will like, I think, is that they are completely stuffing-free.

Vote for JLo

2010-09-26T07:26:00.000-07:00

JLo made it to the finals of a pet photo contest in two radio stations owned by the same company. Let the world know you think she's a Real Housepet of Las Vegas. Click each of these links and scroll down until you see the ferret. Then click the radial button by the name JLo.

Then scroll all the way down and click "vote...."

http://931theparty.com/pages/finalsgallery1.html

http://www.ksne.com/pages/finalsgallery1.html

It's weird because for one of the radio stations, I chose a different picture of her with Mardi Gras beads, and that one was way cuter. I think they either just picked which ones they liked or my friends voted for this photo more than the other.

Two Treasuries

2010-09-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

Playing Cat and Mouse

2010-09-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

Guppy Fry Week Six

2010-09-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

Well, my fry have caused me quite a bit of heartache. Born August 9, and now a mere six weeks later, I have five or six. I released them into the main tank last week because even my more frequent water changes weren't keeping them alive. I lost a few to the filter, which I knew would happen, and I have a handful of very smart guppies who know when and where to look for food.

They're growing faster, too. I can tell that at least two will be black and two will be yellow. I still cannot tell their sexes, but I have a feeling that one of the black ones is a female. She is the largest and looks twice as old as the others. The two adult guppies and my silver molly leave the fry alone, but when I feed the fry, everyone thinks its their turn to eat.

I think in the future, I would like to try breeding guppies on purpose, but I'm going to read up on it first and set them up in their own tank so I can easily control the chemicals in the water.

Image from ntnu.no

Some Like It Hot

2010-09-19T17:06:00.000-07:00

I've added an adorable new item to my Louisiana Love collection. This toy is for all the doggies out there in Cajun country who can stand a little spiciness in their lives. It's a hot sauce water bottle cruncher and makes recycling something even your dog can do!

Just slip an empty water bottle with the cap removed into the toy, tie the drawstring, and voila! You have an instant on-the-go toy that will keep your dog entertained and thinking green.

NISH Gets Made

2010-09-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

It's a strange story how I came about this. I saw a Facebook page for New Orleans pride shirts, but the seller didn't have anything for New Iberia or any of the Acadiana parishes. So I did a quick Google search for New Iberia shirts, and I came across this Made Cheerleaders episode of my hometown high school's cheerleading squad. I had no idea that they were on TV. Since I don't live in New Iberia anymore, I don't really get anything other than big news from my mom. NISH was not my alma mater. In fact, you can see my alma mater playing NISH in the basketball game scene (Catholic jerseys in red and white).

Watch the video on MTV

What you'll find interesting is the accent these girls have, especially the narrator Katie Simon (pronounced SEE-mohn). It's not like any other in the country. You really have to hear it because I can't mimic it too well and can't describe it. Well, there is one thing I can describe. I think women here have slightly deeper voices than ladies elsewhere. I also realized that Cajuns are criers. I guess you could argue that they're teenage girls and automatically emotional, but I'm still this emotional, so I'm kinda thinking it has to do with our upbringing. The only pitfall I found in this episode was that you never got to hear the name of the city with the state. If you are observant, you'll notice a lot of Louisiana stuff on the walls and LSU on their clothes, but I found it strange that no one actually said New Iberia, Louisiana.

Pass A Good Time

2010-09-16T08:01:00.001-07:00

My favorite restaurant in all of Las Vegas so far is the French Market Buffet at The Orleans casino. It's the only place I've eaten that has crawfish every day. I went there last weekend with Dave and his poker friend Jean, and I ate two heaping plates of crawfish.

I was such a dork with them. I picked the crawfish up and talked to them. I made them dance along with the music in the restaurant. I was ecstatic to have them. Usually the only time I eat Cajun food is if I cook it, go to Louisiana, or come to the French Market Buffet. And since I can't find Louisiana crawfish in any stores, I haven't made any dishes with crawfish in them.

Here is a plate of already eaten crawfish with some French toast crust on the side. We went for a brunch special they were having. Who serves crawfish for brunch? I personally don't care when it's served, I'll eat it anytime.

This may look weird, but I had to get a shot of this guy. Outside the restaurant, there are Creole chef statues. This one struck my eye because the crawfish in his pot only has one claw. This is probably hilarious only to a Cajun person. It seems that when you boil crawfish, very few of the crustaceans actually make it out of the pot with both claws intact.

I don't know why that is. Maybe their joints are weak, and the banging around in the boiling pot is too much for them. At any rate, someone who knows what they're doing made this statue. And at a casino that doesn't even serve King Cake or have a Mardi Gras parade (that's right, it's an abomination to the name Orleans), I was glad to see this one-armed crawfish.

Rodents Galore

2010-09-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

There must be a rodent craze on Etsy because I am in two rodent-themed Treasuries. Show some love!

Saints Fever for Your Pet

2010-09-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

Does your pet have Saints fever? Who doesn't? The love of your local team doesn't stop with the human species. Animals from Metarie to Sulphur are gearing up for a great football season with the Saints. Your pet can now have an adorable handmade Saints crinkle streamer ball made by a proud New Iberia, LA native. Geaux Saints! How cute would your pet be tailgating with this fun fleece ball? All his animal friends will be so jealous. And your friends will envy your great style and forward-thinking of buying handmade. At $10, it's an affordable unique toy that everyone in Louisiana will want.

Lights Out

2010-09-12T09:32:00.000-07:00

So many dead animal toys on Etsy. I never knew there were so many morbid, macabre senses of humor here.

Who Dat Say What?

2010-09-10T08:01:00.001-07:00

New Orleans knows how to party. A parade just for the opening game of the football season? Who else does that? We rocked it. Here's a Treasury created by wildlifer78 a member of Handmade Louisiana. Get your Saints fix with these beautiful handmade creations.

Disney Dances

2010-09-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

When I was little, I thought Disney made every movie that ever existed. I also thought the world revolved around kids, so don't hold any of this against me. Like all kids, I watched these classic cartoons nonstop, but I never realized the dance scenes were identical. My sister posted this video on her Facebook page, and I thought it was hilarious that someone noticed, especially since I didn't. Take a look.

Oh, Rats!

2010-09-07T08:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a cute rat Treasury I'm in. Even though my rats are dead beasts meant for pets to "kill," I've thought rats were great pets for years. They're very social and love to be held. Rats are cool and low maintenance.

Labor Day Sale Today

2010-09-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the Labor Day Sale at Scrivener's Retreat. Please stop by my Zibbet shop or Etsy shop to receive 15% off any item for sale. With Zibbet, the discount will be applied automatically, but at Etsy, you will have to wait for me to refund you or change the price on the listing you want.

Labor Day Sale

2010-09-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Get ready for the Labor Day Sale at Scrivener's Retreat. Every single item will be 15% off. The prices will be reflected on Zibbet, but as usual, with Etsy you will need to either wait for me to refund you or send a proper PayPal invoice or send me a convo before you buy the item so I can change the price on the listing you want. Take this opportunity to stock up on all your favorite pet products.