20 Ways to Make Sure You Are Never Uncomfortable..

I once had a co-worker, who we will just call Cyndy Bennis

(because that was her name)

and she had an obsession with the office temperature

it was too hot

it was too cold


the thermostat was, of course, right next to my desk

one day after my gazillionth temperature adjustment

I said: "no flippin' more!"

(or maybe something a little bit stronger, this office was in Jersey)

and Cyndy said: "I'm sorry. But I just don't like to be uncomfortable."

(she kind of rocked my world that day because although I would never have voiced this out loud - and groaned when she did - I was often making choices that created exactly that kind of life)

Now I'm not about to rally for uncomfortableness

(and yes, you can totally use this word in your next Scrabble game just offer up this post and not an actual dictionary as proof of its wordiness)

because of course, it is kind of our nature to crave the comfortable, the warm and fuzzy, the familiar ... but there is something to be said for pushing past all that; pushing into the uncomfortable - the place where things can go either way

incredibly good or horribly bad

the place where things just don't stand still and something new has to happen.

Today (my older and wiser self) might offer up to Cyndy some advice on keeping life comfortable:

1. Do not get a dog.

2. Watch tv while you eat dinner with your kids so you don't have to deal.

3. Don't go to any kind of live performance because there will be really long lines.

4. Don't try anything you don't already know you will be able to do.

5. Use every type of available drive up window so you never have to leave your car.

6. Leave well enough alone.

7. Leave good enough alone.

8. Buy your clothes in the same store all the time.

9. Get your library books from the same section every time.







10. Never wear anything as cool as these ... again ----->








11. Let things happen to you. Don't make choices.

12. Never get out of your pajamas (wait, maybe scratch that one)

13. Don't watch the movie Precious because it will make you cry.

15. Never exercise.

16. Toss your rake and get a leafblower (thanks Sherry).

17. Do it for the money.

18. Do it for the approval.

19. Seek security above all else.

20. Find a comfortable spot ... and stay there.

I hope Cyndy wouldn't take this advice. I hope she is somewhere right now, all happy and warm and fuzzy and yes, a little bit uncomfortable, too. And I really hope she has a dog ... and some kick-ass shoes.

print above of Uncomfortable Situation by CordialKitten

1. Cutting Edge T-shirt by Xenotees
2. Pendant with butterfly and vintage buttons by QuenchMetalworks
3. Modern tree rings by FocusLineArt
4. Simplify by SimpleRoots
5. Slice oil painting on textured canvas by Teamzvonik

Take 10 Tuesday - some stuff you might have missed while you were out walking the dog or cutting the daffodils or whatever you have been doing

1. Why Worry Keeps You Poor over at The Launch Coach

2. Megan's post on Growing Your Business Beyond Etsy over at CraftMBA

3. The last few days of TeamEcoEtsy's Earth Day Auction for the World Wildlife Fund.

4. Pip Lincolne's post Fusty Beads and Cans of Worms over at Make and Meaning

5. The Top 5 Life Size LEGO Art Projects over at Inhabitots (check out the zoo animals)

6. The essential life skill of Toilet Paper Origami over at How About Orange

7. AWESOME Poster at Baltimore Print Studios

8. Seth's email checklist

9. Maybe DOVE is the only company that should be making commercials - see them HERE

10. The Kick The Door Down Project - Tara's story over at Scoutie Girl

GIVEAWAY - My Etsy Shop POLARITY - Personalized Locket Set


AND THE WINNER IS Chosen by Random.org
True Random Number Generator
Min: 1
Max: 624
Result:
114


SylviaLousieHandbags! - These sisters have a great blog and Etsy shop!

I haven't done a giveaway from one of my own shops since last year and I think it is about time!

For this week's giveaway I am offering a Polarity locket lollapalooza.

The complete Polarity jewelry set (necklace, bracelet and ring) personalized with your own pictures!

Polarity lockets are made from a recycled steel auto part that I solder into a gorgeous little piece of jewelry! Polarity is all about doing more with less. The magnetic lids are interchangeable, so one piece of jewelry turns into many!

WHAT YOU GET:

One lucky winner will receive a Polarity locket, bracelet and ring set with 5 PERSONALIZED lids and 1 lid with the definition of YOUR CHOICE!





HOW TO WIN:

This is an easy peasy one, just leave your contact info!

For additional entries:

(5) Follow my blog
(5) Twitter this post
(5) Blog about this contest; linking to this post

(5) Friend my facebook fan page or me

(I just joined Facebook and do not know how you do this, but if you are on there already maybe you do)

Let me know if you have done these things so I can give you additional entries. This contest is open to everyone.

DRAWING:

MIDNIGHT on Sunday, May 9th! Good luck!! CLOSED

FRIDAY FINDS - It's a GREEN World - Let's Keep it that Way - Have an Amazing Weekend!

Photobucket
1. jerry kott recycled wine vases
2. tumbleweed tiny house company
3. 1% for the planet
4. loyalloot log bowls
5. rodrigo alonso's shoes
6. bristol & bath drum sink
7. recycled cassette tape necktie
8. gas can luggage
9. love the ladies and ideas of junk market style
10. kotik design beer cap necklace
11. patagonia ditch the car t-shirt
12. upcycled terry cloth pig- made from towels from 50's and 60's
13. guitar case book shelf
14. big belly solar recycling cans

Another amazing stack by the incredible photog and stacker of all things stackable; Kella Macphee - check out her amazing pics from a NYC benefit she shot this week on her blog!

Earth Day Turns 40 Today - and TeamEcoEtsy is Having an Auction!

In celebration of Earth Day's 40th birthday, TeamEcoEtsy has some amazing goodie bags filled with all kinds of eco-goodies to be auctioned off for the World Widlife Fund!

The bags include Green Jewelry (both my lines are included here), Green Home, Green Baby, Green Paper Goods, Green Fashion and Green Health & Beauty.

Lots of amazing handmade, eco goodies and a wonderful cause!

Happy Earth Day everyone- enjoy our auction!







The World Wildlife Fund is an amazing organization supporting global preservation efforts - check out their website - there is oodles of great information there.

No Whining on Wednesday or why are people in Nevada searching for mosquito dunks and ending up here


As part of my SEO immersion I have been checking out (while watching American Idol) .. carefully studying .. my google analytics to see just what it is that I am saying that helps people find me on here.

(for anyone not familiar- google analytics is a service to see what kind of web traffic your website, blog, etc is getting, where that traffic is coming from and the kind of things that people are searching for when they find you)

So, although these search terms seem a bit strange, I am going to trust Google and the googlers and work these search phrases that people seem to have found me with into today's post in hopes of drawing even more traffic in here.


(traffic with credit cards and paypal accounts hopefully, because baby needs a new pair of shoes ...

<------ and by baby I mean me and by shoes I mean these Ciao Bella's - aren't they cuties?)


1. Squirrellicious - Actually this is an easy one because squirrellicious is a word I use alot ... really.

In fact, people who know me are all like that girl is totally squirrellicious.

(it could be a hair thing)

and there is a totally adorable Etsy shop called Squirrellicious

(coincidence? I think not, squirrelincidence? ...maybe)

2. The Race to Wear Plastic - Now this makes total sense because I have been in a race to figure out more ways to incorporate plastic into my wardrobe since I lost my Alice in Wonderland wrist watch in the 1st grade...

(on the playground during recess and my teacher Miss Rehak(?) refused to search my classmates pockets and lunchbags; a situation that left me crying and demanding a Nazi-like siege on the school grounds and fostered a growing distrust of authority figures and inability to work a wrist strap)

3. Ivins Reservoir Itch - I think I am just going to leave this one alone- I am not sure what the people at my local reservoir have been saying about me, but I can assure you that I only did this that one time and well ... I just don't want to talk about it.

4. Mosquito Dunks for Sale in Las Vegas - This is my favorite. I did do a blog post on mosquito dunks once and have probably mentioned Las Vegas

(although I've never been, but hear what happens there stays there, kind of like the fast food fries in my car that Olive just can't quite reach)

and I have almost certainly used the word 'sale' many, many times.

(as in hello- this is a sale, please buy something, baby really, really needs those shoes)

And I am certain the person in Nevada searching for those mosquito dunks was very happy to stumble in here and find some recycled jewelry he didn't even know he was needing.

Of course, there are also plenty of searches for more relevant things, but if I can draw 'em in here with Ivins Reservoir Itch and Squirrellicious and The Race to Wear Plastic and Mosquito Dunks for Sale in Las Vegas

(best to work these all in one more time)

then I think I can do pretty much anything, right?

**Special in both my shops Uncorked and Polarity for the next 10 days - just say one of these search phrases or something similar, no penalties if you say groundhoglicious or the race to wear aluminum foil- I'm just not that kind of seller

(unlike other businesses out there that ignore you if you don't cross every t and dot every i or actually mail in one of their entry forms- damn you Publisher's Clearing House)

in the comments to seller section of your order and receive a free set of earrings with any purchase**


1. Amazing ivy aid - natural poison ivy relief from B. Noel Aromatics
2. Stunning rainbow punk plastic necklace by DarklyngStudios
3. Fun toteBag by GoldieFawn
4. Beautiful red bird cardholder by Squirrellicious
5. Adorable mosquito card by SouthernPestPrints

Take 10 Tuesday - some great posts in case you missed them - lots of podcast action

1) CraftMBA's post Is Use the Best Form of Marketing (do you wear/use your own work?)

<---- 2) Lovin' Amalia's zippers on canvas!

3) 15 Marketing Tips to Remember by the Bakery

4) Art Marketing action podcast on Placing Older Art on Your Website

5) Kari Chapin (The Handmade Marketplace author) answers crafty business questions over at CraftyPod

6) Kim Tillyer has a great birthday giveaway on her blog for one of her amazing brooches!

7) How to Conduct Your Own Annual Review by Chris Guillebeau

I might have to fire myself now - this could be bad or good news

8. Getting Other People to Hate You at the Gapingvoid

9. The amazing Jessica Doyle's amazing videocast over on Elastic Lab.

10. The amazing Carmen Torbus rocks her video "interview" for the incredible ladies of Spring.