Musings of a Crafty 30-Something

What Good Does It Do??

Lately there have been a lot of TV ads in my area regarding lawyers who are willing to file lawsuits on behalf of patients and families of patients who are suffering from Asbestos cancer. I just wonder seriously, other than perhaps gaining money for the purpose of paying medical and possibly funeral expenses, what good does suing these people do?

It doesn't make you or your loved one well. It doesn't bring your loved one who died of the cancer back to you. Money doesn't make you happy and let's face it, nine times out of ten, paying you a settlement won't really hurt the company you're suing.

Plus - let's be real here - we've known since what, the 80's that asbestos causes cancer? The law has required that asbestos be removed from buildings but it's been a slow process and frankly, if the person who got the cancer was one of the asbestos removal people - they knew the risks going into the job.

So what good does it do to bring lawsuits against these people? Doesn't look like it does any good from my end.

Searching For It

I am searching for a lot of things. I am searching for the right spiritual path for me. Right now it's Christianity apparently. Before it was Wicca. But it could go back to Wicca, it could stay Christianity, and it could turn to something else later on. It is hard to say.

I am searching for the best way for me to advertise my business. I am searching for the best way for me to lose weight. I am searching for the top rated diet pills if that is what it takes for me to lose weight. I am searching for a husband - well not really, LOL. But I am searching for a lot of things. But what I am not searching for is a bunch of spam comments and spam emails. I get so many of those now and it's really starting to grate on my nerves.

Between S-E-X, pills, gambling, and just plain WEIRD stuff that I get spam comments and emails for, I've got enough for a lifetime. The good thing? My WordPress blogs have great spam defeating plugins. The bad thing? This Vox blog doesn't. Oh well. Spam comments don't generally last long here. I take care of them fast. ;)

Oh for....

Have you seen those commercials for bottled water lately? The ones that talk about how kids don't run through waterfalls of sugar or swim in pools of high fructose corn syrup?? You'd almost think they were trying to advertise for something other than water. You know what I mean - that they'd be advertising things like diet pill reviews, diet centers, etc.

But seriously? Advertising WATER?? We're surrounded by water. We all know we should be drinking more water. So you can't honestly tell me that you need to advertise water. Of course, the bottled water companies are really just trying to get us all to buy their brand of water that they put in a bottle. Great if you aren't worried about the environment. I'll just get a new Brita pitcher, a stainless steel water bottle, and save the environment while getting my water thanks.

Tornado Country

I love living in Iowa. I don't know why, but Iowa suits me better than California (where I was born) and Texas ever did. The only thing that freaks me out is the tornadoes. Yeah, there are tornadoes in Texas but where we were didn't get them very often. (Granted we had a tornado headed STRAIGHT FOR the main gate of the Army base and the guards were standing there taping it instead of getting to safety - that is until their commanding officer ordered them to get to shelter.)

What bothers me about the tornadoes isn't the fact that we have them, it's the fact that we have a lot of those steel buildings around here. Those buildings seem to be a bit more likely to get swept away in the middle of a tornado. Of course, I'm sure that if they weren't safe they wouldn't have them here, but I know that some of my co-workers when I worked at Stream & Alorica (both have corrugated steel buildings) said that the thought of a tornado while at work scares them due to the nature of the buildings. I don't know, maybe it's just paranoia, but I'm glad I no longer work in those buildings. Really glad. 

Watch for Cops

My friend's cousins came in from out of state and one of the things that her cousin said he wanted to get was something like Cobra radar detectors. The reason he wanted one was so that he'd know when the cops were trolling for speeders. I reminded him that in several states, radar detectors are illegal, but you know, some people just don't care.

I don't think his wife will let him get one though. After all, they are illegal in several states and there is the little factor that since they have kids, she doesn't want him speeding anyways. But it was funny watching them argue about it over the weekend. I think the only reason he said he wanted to get one was because he wanted to get a rise out of his wife. I don't think he'd really get one, but then again...you never know, do you??

Handcrafted

Everything I am selling at the Farmers Market is handcrafted. Everything is either crocheted, knitted or handmade jewelry. Some of the things I saw at the Farmers Market are amazing - one gal was selling tv stands that she and her husband had made. They were gorgeous - pricey - but gorgeous. I'm sure someone has probably tried to accuse her of selling stuff that she bought from furniture stores and the like but I could tell easily that the stuff she was selling was really handmade. Then again, being someone who makes handmade items, I can tell when things are handmade.

One of the reasons I can tell when something is handmade is that it doesn't fall apart as easily. Plus, you don't get furniture that isn't made from particle board most of the time when you buy from a store. :) Even the stuff at furniture stores is particle board nine times out of ten. I know because I bought some bookcases from a furniture store - paid over $100 for each one and they were all pressed particle board. I vowed never to do that again. So I definitely know how to tell when something is handcrafted and is a quality piece.

Seriously - you CAN get quality pieces from furniture stores but a lot of times, handmade is the best way to go.

No Knockoffs Here

You know, it amazes me that people try to do this, but I got an email from the Farmers Market association yesterday reminding us that "designer knockoffs" are not permitted to be sold and are actually illegal. As in, if you make something that is supposed to make people think it's the real thing - you're out of the market and you're getting legal action against you. Why anyone would try it, I have no idea.

But I don't have to worry about that. My jewelry is not a knockoff of any other jewelry designer or any jewelry company. You won't find Audemars knockoffs, Pandora knockoffs, or anything even remotely like that. Anyone who buys from me can rest assured that my jewelry is my own. No knockoffs here!

Wish We Had a Deck

One of the improvements I wish I could make to this house (of course, it isn't my house) but if I could make improvements to this house, I'd put a deck in the back yard. Now this seems like something trivial, but if we had a deck here, we could put some nice furniture out there. You know a couple of outdoor chaise lounges, a table with an umbrella in it and matching chairs, a nice barbecue grill, etc.

We could have a lot of fun with that stuff. We could have outdoor parties - maybe have BFL's sister and her family over, have some church friends over, etc. Right now we dont' do anything like that - probably because the house is old and falling apart. :) But if we could get the house fixed up, we'd do it in a heartbeat - and I'll bet we'll put in a deck. ;D

Making Extra Money

There are a lot of ways people can make a few extra dollars. Besides the obvious rummage/yard sales, you can also add selling unwanted items on eBay. You can go to various places to sell used books both online and offline. You can make crafts and sell them on sites like Etsy, Artfire, eCrater, and Made It Myself. Heck you can even start mowing lawns or cleaning houses for extra money.

Making extra money in our economy might not seem like it is a possibility. But it is. A lot of my friends on Etsy have successful shops. I know sellers on Artfire who are pulling 18-25 sales per DAY. It IS possible to make extra money even in our current economy. It's just finding the best way to do it and running with it. :)

Little Known Crafting Facts

A lot of people see knitting or crocheting, or other crafts as being inexpensive to do, so it should be inexpensive to buy the finished items. There are a few facts that people should know when they're getting ready to buy something that is handmade and they feel the price is too high.

1. Just because it is handmade doesn't mean it should be cheaper than what you can buy ready-made at the store. Materials are actually extremely expensive, and even if the materials aren't expensive for that particular item, you have to figure that it does take the crafters time to make the item. You're paying for materials and time, not just materials.
2. Many crafts require special equipment, including safety glasses in some cases. Resin casting, working with metal or glass, woodworking - these require special equipment and in some cases that equipment is also safety equipment.
3. Handmade items are unique. It doesn't matter if you are buying what appears to be two identical pairs of earrings - each one is unique because it is handmade and therefore has slight variations. The stones used may not be precisely the same, the loops might not all be precisely the same size, etc. You aren't buying a die-cast, cookie-cutter item. You're buying something unique. Therefore you should expect to pay more.

Don't be too quick to dismiss a high price out of hand. Stop and think about why the price for that handmade item might just be higher than the same type of item at your local mall. Then think about the fact that the handmade item is more than likely of far better quality than the mass-produced items at your local malls.You might just find you're getting a bargain instead!