{Rubber-Sol: Why, hello there!}

Are You There Blogworld? It's Me, Leslie

Dear Blogworld,
Thank goodness tomorrow's Friday because, well, I love Fridays.  On these days, Hank gets off early (1:35 p.m.!) and the kids have karate. Tomorrow we may get frozen yogurt to celebrate Alison's fabu report card! She's doing phenomenally well in Spanish, and it's truly amazing to know that she will soon be fluent!  Whoa! 

I also have to turn in Henry's acceptance letter for kinder next year!  Egads!  How did that happen?!  He's very excited to start school, and I'm already starting to get the jitters for him.  When Alison started kinder, I worried that she would freak with a full day of Spanish.  That's all normal, I guess.  Being in this immersion program has been a huge leap of faith!

Kate started her second session of Giggles and Wiggles, and last week she took a 2 day art class (which she also loved!).  She loves to paint, and I think she'll be artistic like her sister!

The shop has been keeping me busy, and I'm actually contemplating leaving the real job behind.  I have apprehensions about that though. . . I change my mind several times a day!  Really!  If I did leave the real job, it would be another huge leap of faith!  Don't know if I'm ready for that just yet!!!  Yep!  I'm the captain of S.S. Wishy Washy.

Anyway, I'd like to leave you guys with this (via Katey):

Lots o' new stuff in the shop!  Like notepads, and woden pens and pencils!  And some new hang tags/gift tags that just  came in from the printers!  Lots of excitement 'round here!

And I also have some new stuff up my sleeve. . . to be unveiled soon.  Very soon! Have a great weekend everyone! ~Leslie

Testing. . .1, 2, 3

Testing. . . . 1, 2, 3

Testing.  Ahem, is this thing on?

Okay good.  Glad you're still hanging around this here blog.  Since when did this become a once-a-month posting place?!  Oh right.  A long time!  Well, what's new?  Um, a lot.  A little.  Nothing.  Everything. 

We're entering mid-November with much enthusiasm and excitement for the upcoming holidays!  Can you believe that I've already started my holiday shopping?  Yep!  Started last month with a few things here and there, and this month I intend on finishing up so that December can be relaxing and calm!

It seems that every day Hank and I enter a new dimension of parenting.  New discoveries, new challenges.  I swear every day I learn something new about my kids, and something new about myself as a person.  Parenting is by far the most important and most challenging job I've ever had, and fortunately I have an amazing husband with whom I can share this journey.  What would I do without you Hank?  I spend a lot of time reflecting on my parenting choices and style, and oftentimes I wonder how much of my own childhood  has influenced the decisions I make today.  (Parents) Do you ever think about that too?

Anyhoo, I just wish there were a Parenting Manual, complete with instructions on how to proceed when, say, your son flushes his underwear down the toilet (immediately after the plumber leaves).  Or on a more serious note, when your daughter writes something like this:

Yesterday we gave Alison a timeout, and the funny thing is I can't even remember why.  We don't give them that often, but when we do, it's usually so that our kids can calm down and so they can get their thoughts together.  After about five minutes, Hank found this (unfinished) note on her doodle board.  Initially I thought the note was cute and a bit dramatic, but after thinking about it more, I realized that Alison's feelings are a big deal to her.  And they should be to me also.

Alison and I talked through the problem, and we were able to think of a solution for future situations. . . But see?  I told you I need The Manual.  That should have been a no brainer, and yet I found myself stumbling through the "what do I do?" and "what do I say?" question-answer session.  Gah! 

****** Well, I couldn't leave this here blog without telling y'all about some new Gift Enclosure Cards that I just added to the shop. I've been having a lot of fun with pattern creating and brush making. Go check 'em out. And if you sign up for the newsletter, you can get top secret discount codes and other fun stuff.  Oh, and the FIRST FIVE people who comment below will win A Baker's Dozen Variety Pack of gift cards!  Go on now! :)

******
And I'm terribly, terribly behind on e-mails.  I will catch up soon! I promise!  Have a great week (er, month!)

Hello! Hello!

Hello all!  I hope that September is treating everyone nicely!  Out here in SoCal, the sun is fighting to stay, to extend summer for as long as possible!  And you know what?  I don't mind!  Not one bit!  Henry, Kate, and I took a walk today, and it felt so, so good to have the sun shining and warming us from above!

With the approach of September came our return to routine and schedules:  school, sports and practices, homework, planned meals, dinner with the family.  Alison is now a big FIRST GRADER, Henry is in preschool, and Kate is a busy, busy toddler (always underfoot!)!  Nothing out of the ordinary in the Rubber Sol household. . . so I thought I'd just chime in. . . dust the cobwebs off of this blog, and complete this fun meme (tagged by sweet Lori!)

5 THINGS.
5 things in my refrigerator:
1.  4 Gallons of milk (2 whole, 2 skim)
2.  Fruit (grapes, strawberries, pineapple!)
3.  Leftover pizza!
4.  Penne Pesto (a la Chef Hank!)
5.  String Cheese (who has kids and doesn't have string cheese?)

5 things in my closet:
1. Shoes, shoes, and more shoes!
2. Photos
3. Bridesmaid dresses  (that will never be worn again!)
4. Quilts
5. Clothes (regular and maternity!)

5 things in my purse:
1. My handy dandy Blackberry
2. Alison's hair bands
3.  A random sock (not mine!)
4.  Henry's Happy Meal Hummer
5.  Baby Wipes

5 things in my car:
1. Umbrella stroller
2. 3 basketballs, 2 soccer balls
3.  Picnic blanket
4.  3 carseats!
5. Baby Wipes! (yes! They're everywhere!)

*****
And last month I had the joy of meeting Claudia, her husband, and her sweet, sweet girls!  She graciously took us into her home, fed us, and took us out on a date!   And she did this all while being preggers (very, very preggers!).  Actually preggers no more; her little one arrived just a few days ago!  :)  Big hugs and congrats, Claudia! :)

*****
And I finally, finally uploaded my new Stationery Flats onto The Paper Princess!  After a month or so of waiting for their debut, they are finally up and ready!!!  If you get a chance. . .go take a peek!  And if you're feeling really sassy, why not jot down this coupon code?  Because, you know, you rock!  Here's the top secret discount code (good for 20% your entire order!):  ROCKON  This coupon dealie is good until the end of this month!
 

And here's a little sneaky peeky!

***** And I have more goodness to share. . .lots of mail love this month. . . you must see!  Stay tuned!

Etc. + A Raffle!

Summer. 

Despite the fact that SoCal kinda ignored Spring altogether, the summer months are now upon us!  The kidlets are out of school, and now we are faced with long, warm days ahead of us!  I foresee evening bbqs, dinners outside on our patio, and perhaps even some Summer Lawnchair Theater evenings (those are always fun!).  Tomorrow I'm signing  Alison and Henry up for swimming lessons;  I'm coordinating Alison's lessons with her good pal's lessons. . .so, you know, the mamas can chat and talk chismes (gossip).

Yes, always an alterior motive! That's okay, don't you think? Ha! Of course it is!

Our summer days will also be filled with dayhikes, library trips, crafting, bike riding, swimming . . .basically all the fun stuff that summer entails!  Should be a fun one!  My neighbor and I also plan to start rollerblading on the banks that run behind my house!  Me! Rollerblades!  Who woulda thunk?!

******

The Paper Princess has been keeping me super busy, and I'm excited to announce that I have (finally) added my new cards.  (Thanks Hope for your continual support and encouragement!)

I am also thrilled to announce our new SUBSCRIPTION PROGRAM! Check it when you get the chance! :)  I'd also like to offer two things:

• A 25% discount code:  SUMMER -- that's for all y'all for being such great folks.  Good til the end o' June.  And. . .drumroll please. . .

• Another lil' raffle

Win one of the fabulous noteflat sets above FOR FREE!!!  Simply tell me a joke (knock knocks are always a hoot!), a random bit about you, or an utterly useless bit of trivia! Anything goes, really!  That's it!  I'll randomly choose FIVE WINNERS --  on June 30th?  Sound good?!  Hope so!

****
And be sure to wander on over to Jes' new site, JUNQUE REVIVAL -- she's having a fantabulous contest! Free entry and FABULOUS PRIZES. I'm headin' on over now!

**** And I'd also like to thank you for the sweet birthday wishes (and gifties!) for both me and sweet Kate!  Photos to be posted shortly!

A Quickie! :)

Man, April started off with a bang!  Hank and I started our month-long vacation time on April 1st, and it seems as if the puppet master decided to play a little April Fool's on us.  You see, all five of us managed to get some sort of cold/virus/sickness during the first week of April.  Yep. All five of us.

Uh, huh.

Fever?  Check.  Nasty lung bashing coughs?  Check.  Barfing in the car?  Check.  Barfing in the bed?  Check.  Cold chills. Check.  Double Check.  Checkaroo.

Ahem.  It's been fun 'round here!  Good thing y'all can't catch our colds via your computer, huh? 

Anyway, aside from all that phlegmy nonsense above. . . my site has been RELAUNCHED (with ZEN CART)! Woo hoo!  Go see!  Go see!  You can find fun things like these Matchbooklets:

If you're interested in these guys, head on over to The Paper Princess and be sure to use this coupon code: BLOGPAL -- use it and receive 20% off of any order!  Yes, ma'am!  That's ANY ORDER!  Use it for the rest of the month! :)  Use it once.  Use it twice!

*******
Anyhoo. . . I've received tons of exciting e-mail about the upcoming CRAP SWAP.  I will post those soon (I've been waiting for good lighting to snap pictures. . . but unfortunately SoCal is being fussy, and it's going through an April Showers/Gloom phase.  Hopefully that'll clear soon.)

In the  meantime, I've been meme'd by Anne and by Heels.  Better late than never! So here goes.  Are you ready?

1.  Five minutes to yourself: how would you spend them, ideally?
Mostly likely I'd be frantically looking at a calendar to see where I'm supposed to be/doing.  (FYI -- I've been tragically forgetful lately -- i.e. I forgot about Henry's picture day and I also bought tickets to Cirque Du Soleil for the same night as Alison's Open House (I managed to do both, btw!)).

2.  Five bucks to spend right now: how would you spend it?  I'd probably buy a fun mag like Domino.

3. Five items in your house you could part with, right now, that you hadn't thought of already? (In other words, cull the junk, mentally at least.)
Oh where do I start?!  Ha!  Old college textbooks, maternity clothes, the infinite amount of Happy Meals toys (under my couch), old clogs that I love wearing (but they're really past their prime), and old cans of paint (I've gone through many pots of "tester" colors).

4.  Five items you absolutely, positively could never part with in your house?  My ottoman (my parents received it as a wedding gift and they passed it onto me), my box of mementos/letters, my old journals (started when I was in the third grade), my kids' artwork, and of course photos.

5.  Five words you love?  Shenanigans, fussy, watchmemama (usually one word), love, and mama.

That was fun!  Now I tag. . . . hmmmmmm.  Yvonne.  Blair.  Ellia.  Kristen. and Kristin.

Oh be sure to visit Kristin's site Sew, Mama, Sew (I just finished working on the new graphics for her site).  She has all the latest and greatest fabrics!  And oilcloth!  Oh my! Oilcloth!

And stay tuned for the CRAP SWAP!!!

"Leslie": The Cliff Notes

As one could imagine, the three ring circus here at home has kept this ring master on her toes!  Life is whizzing by full speed ahead, and I just know that the (rest of the) holidays will be here in a jiffy!  Yipes!  And to think that I haven't done any shopping!  At all!  I'm screwed, I know.

Our Thanksgiving was quite the treat as my grandparents continued their annual tradition of flying in from Hawaii for this special, special day!  To add to this fabulous family affair, an aunt and uncle joined the g-parents by jetting in from Hawaii as well.  But wait!  There's more! Two of my favorite cousins accompanied us with their families, and they indulged in the FEASTING!  We spent the day all warm and cozy at my parents' house, gabbing and chowing down, gabbing and chowing down.   For those who don't know, my mother is quite the cook, and she fits in quite well in her gourmet kitchen (I'm quite envious, can't you tell?).  Add my grandmother (another fabulous cook), and we all had warm, full bellies!

As the days pass by, my time at home with Kate shortens.  I'm slated to return to work on January 3rd, but I am SO NOT LOOKING forward to returning to that...that...that PLACE.  Granted I'll only work 40% (that's Tuesdays/Thursdays folks!), I'll still return to work whining and crying and stomping my feet!!! Fortunately my mother-in-law will watch Kate on those two "T Days" while Henry is at pre-school, and Alison in Kinder.  So all will follow the normal routine. The only difference is that I will be you-know-where.   Hush!  Let's not talk about that anymore, 'kay?

A couple of weeks ago I volunteered in Alison's class, and I must say that those little five year olds kicked my butt!  Give me a classroom of 35 pubescent, hormonal, disgruntled, moody teens any day!  I was in charge of one of the rotations, and we had to practice  our "números ordinales" (ordinal numbers).  Try explaining that to a bunch of little ones.  And then explain it in Spanish to a bunch of kidlets who don't know what the heck you're saying!  See?  Not easy, huh?

Meanwhile The Paper Princess has continued to keep me super busy (in a good-busy kinda way), and  I've just added some new goodies to the site.  I've had these cards printed and onhand for, oh, about six weeks. . . but I've been too busy (read: lazy) to update the ol' site!  So finally, finally I have those puppies launched and online!  Whew!

To celebrate these new additions to my site, I'd like to offer a "1 + 1 = 3 Sale!"  Buy two noteflat sets (1 + 1), and GET ONE NOTEFLAT SET FREE (1 + 1 =3)!   Simply type in "1 + 1 = 3" along with the (FREE) noteflat set of your choice ** in the special notes section upon checking out, and I'll refund you the difference pronto! Easy peasy, yes?   This special will run until December 10th!  How's that sound?!  eta:  you can find these noteflats right here . Oh and while you're at it, take a peek at my new custom stationery! 

** So sorry for the multiple edits!!!  And so sorry to this morning's shoppers -- I hope this clarifies things!!

Well folks, I think I'll close here!  My feeble attempts at updating you on my world in a nutshell!  I'll post again soon!

P.S.  Let's end this post on a "fun note," shall we?  < Fun note >About two months ago my hair started falling out (remember #2 of The Symptoms?). . and falling out. . . and falling out some more.  Well, now it's growing back.  That's a good thing, yes, but now I have about one inch of new growth all over my head.  If you look real close you can see it poking through. . . very attractive.  Very.  <  / Fun Note  >

This. That. And Yeah, That Too.

So.

Time flies, eh?  The last two weeks have been busy, busy, busy.  First of all, Alison came down with some sort of stomach bug last week which consisted of 4 a.m. VOMITING.  Yeah, that was fun.  That continued for the next, oh, TWENTY FOUR hours.  And since she loves her brother oh so much, she gave him the bug too.  She likes to share that one.

So poor Henry had to deal with the stomach yucks, but he managed to escape the fever and the ((whispers)) SUPPOSITORY.  Whew on that one.  But he did manage to barf up a lung.  Or two.  And lucky me!  I got to witness it all.  Geez, I gotta tell ya, washing sheets several times a day is *gads* of fun!!! 

And then it was Hank's turn.  He was out of commission on Friday and all day Sunday (for some reason Saturday was spared).  By the time Monday rolled around, I was beat, beat, beat!  No time for Mama to get sick, though, because this week was a thrill ride too.

Because you see, my little big girl is all grown up now!  ALISON STARTED KINDER!  Woo hoo!  Hank and I are thrilled because we enrolled her in a dual-immersion program (she slipped in by the hair on her chinny, chin, chin!)  So come Wednesday morning, Alison was thrust into the world of español -- that's 90% of the day dedicated to Spanish!  The first day of school was a big celebration as all parents were invited to escort their kids to school, and we met Alison's maestra for the first time. 

La maestra will never speak English in front of her students (the 10% of English is taught by a co-teacher).  She even speaks Spanish to the parents, regardless if they know Spanish or not.  At one point la maestra rambled over to Hank and rattled off a simple "¡Hola! ¿Cómo está?" (Hi! How are you?).  I giggled as I watched Hank melt into a puddle of palabras as he uttered, "Bien. ¿Y tú?"  This was followed by a big SIGH, and a "Great!  I just used the 'informal you' with the teacher!!!"  Did I ever tell you my husband cracks me up?!  (Speaking of my husband, one of his latest posts was featured in Blogging Baby!)

Anyway, let me get down to business!  If you're interested in seeing who won THE CONTEST  be sure to visit my FLICKR CONTEST SET!  Be sure to view the pics in sequence as it won't make sense unless you do.  I was getting a bit wacky last night.  So wacky I think my husband thinks I'm NUTSO!  Perhaps I am.  But congrats to the THREE WINNERS!  (Go on now, Go SEE THE WINNERS!). FYI: Jes and JustJill are HUGE, HUGE, HUGE RED SOX fans. . .so their comments regarding the Yankees' (in the contest post) is what spurred this trip down wacky lane. All in good fun!  (Of course none of this will make any sense until you view the pics!)

And what do they win, you ask?!  Good question, my dear friend!  The three winners get a SET OF THIRTY TWO BOOKPLATES from The Paper Princess (and some other secret assorted goodies!)!  Woo hoo!  I'm very excited about this new product addition as it's been getting positive reviews from friends and family.  I've been gifting them for little one's birthdays and such, and the moms have been quite pleased.  That makes me happy!  The bookplates have been a big hit with our librarian and local bookclubs.  Yes! They're for adults too!;)

And if you can, please remember  Craft Revolution's Etsy Shop.  Crafters have raised over $16,000, surpassing their intial $1,000 goal!  That is so FABULOUS!  I feel proud to be part of such a great community, and I truly believe that everyone benefits.  The consumers get a terrific product, the sellers donate to a worthy cause, and the victims of Katrina receive monetary support.  It can't get any better than that!

I hope you all have a grand weekend!

Oh yeah, one more thing!  I used Random dot org to randomly choose the numbers for this contest!  Pretty cool I must say!

Oooooh A Contest!

Okay kiddos.  I think it's time for a contest, don't you?!  I've been working hard on some top secret stuff for  The Paper Princess, and frankly, I'm in the contest mood!

Are you ready?

I said, ARE YOU READY? 

Okay, good.

Here's what you gotta do to win a super duper prize.  Simply leave a comment on this post.  If you feel like being a wisecracker, leave a joke.  Or two.  Feeling sassy?  Tell me something outrageous about YOU.  Don't know what to say?  Tell us about the weather in yer neck o' the woods.

Whatevah!

In a few days, I'll count up the number of comments and assign  a number to each and everyone of you!  Yes even you...shy-person-who's-never-commented-here before.   Then I'll have Employee #1 (aka Hank) pull THREE NUMBERS out of his hat (out of his Yankees' cap, I'm sure).  Those three peeps....why they'll get a FANTABULOUS PRIZE!  FOR FREE!  Woo hoo!

What will you win you ask?

It's a S-E-C-R-E-T, silly!  You'll find out soon enough Miss/Mr Ants in Yer Pants!

In the meantime, I'd like to share some goodies with y'all.  Today I came home to THREE packages.  Yep! THREE!  The first one was actually for Henry.  Here, take a peek, won't you?
His Dutch Aunt, Yvonne, spoiled him real good.  When she heard about Henry and his great big TUMBLE off of the slide, she sent some gifties to lift his spirit!  He was so utterly thrilled that the mailman "brought some mails" especially for him.  As you can see from these photos, he was quite eager to rip open the package!  Tucked inside the envelope was a gingham pouch filled with animals galore (Henry LOVES animals!), and (!) a book, I Can Fly!  I love this book oh so much as it features artwork by Mary Blair!  Thank you, Yvonne!  {Feel free to CLICK! for a better view!)

Well the fun continued folks.  Yep, it sure did.  I also received a package from new pal, Samantha, from Wales.  Her online shop, Plump Pudding, is about to launch, and when you get a chance, do take a peek at her stuff.  I've been visiting her site, oh several times a day!, to see if she's launched yet.  She sent a box of goodies for the kids (AND ME!). Click the photo for close-ups!  For Allie, she sent a little felt doll and bed clothes.  Alison was beside herself to receive these goodies as she likes to play "mama" to her dolls and to her real-life doll, Kate!  The pin cushion is for moi....and look at her labels!  Each item came in a sewn drawstring pouch.  The stuffed house is for Kate, and it's alread displayed in her room.  And the scotty dog was for Henry.  Boy he was lucky today!

And last, but not least, I received a surprise goody from the ever so sweet Aimee Roo!  We were e-mailing how we both like Sanrio characters (her faves are Keroppi and Cinnamoroll;  mine the adorable Deery Lou).  And before I know it, this wonderful pouch showed up on my doorstep with these f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s goodies.  Hello Kitty will always rank as my alltime fave. . .the bubble gum was DELISH, and reminded me of my childhood!  Thank you Aimee!

In my next post, I'd like to showoff some goods I bought from some great indie shops out there, and I'd especially like to highlight the owners' generosity!  So many slipped in little extra bits into my packages. . .

 

I'm So High Tech

Okay so for the longest time I think I was the only person on the face of the earth who had a Flickr account with NO PHOTOS!  Even after Yvonne had gifted me with a pro account, I still had NADA!  Zip! Zilch!   I felt so proud to be part of these Flickr groups, but, er, I had NO PHOTOS!  But guess what folks?!  I uploaded twenty photos today!  Woo Hoo!  There's no stopping me now!  Ha ha!  Edited to add:  I just peeked at my sets, and Yvonne's comment just about says it all!  :)

Anyway, if you click on my Flickr badge (oh I feel so important with a badge.  Me!  A badge!), you can see my contribution to the Collective Souls Journal Project.  Fun, fun, fun!  And I have FINALLY, finally uploaded my vintage fabrics on Hillary's vintage fabrics group.  That group is so amazing, and there is SO MUCH EYE CANDY to be seen!  And I can't wait to add my thrifting goods to Cassi's new group!

And last but not least, I have some shop updates.  More Japanese craft books!  Yipee!  I have more waiting to be uploaded, but *yawn* I'm tired!

*****Another closing note:  I recently checked my spam folder and lordy lord!  Why didn't I check sooner?  I have months of e-mail in there (some of it really good stuff!).  So I APOLOGIZE profusely if you've written to me and I haven't responded!  Silly me!  Geez, that's embarrassing!

The Paper Princess Re-Opens!

At last!  My online shop, The Paper Princess, has re-opened its cyber doors!  Go see! Go see, will ya?  I'm SO excited about its relaunch, and I'm eager to hear what you have to say!

Before you go, though, here's a little history:  Shortly after Alison was born (in 2000), I started this online business as a means to supplement our income.  At that time I was a stay-at-home mom who had taken a break from her career, and in a sense I felt that part of my identity had vanished.  I gained the wonderful title of "mama," but I still had an overabundance of restless energy.  As a result, I poured my creative energies into my online shop.  What started off as a hobby turned into a whole side business (I also sold on eBay as well as at a co-op).

Fast forward two years and Henry was born.  By this time life had become quite hectic as I had returned to work and Hank was finishing up graduate school.  Life was busy.  It was nuts, actually.  So I temporarily closed the site to rework bits and give it a fresh new look and feel. 

And now folks, here you have the new and improved The Paper Princess!  Woo hoo!  Life is still crazy, in fact even nuttier.  When I return to my real job, I'll return for a mere two days a week so that I can care for babes and to get this business off the ground again.  This should be a fun ride, don't you think?

********

If any of you savvy, lovely ladies (and gents) out there (with an online shop) would like to do a little link exchange, please shoot me an e-mail!  I would love to add you to my links page!   And if you're interested in exchanging promo items, again please contact me.  This should be fun, no?

********
Onto other matters. . . I have FINALLY, FINALLY sent off The Baby Pool Stash to Mariko .  Whew!  Talk about S-L-0-W motion folks.  I'm moving at the rate of molasses in January.  You can take a peek at the goodies here in THE POOL STASH ALBUM.  Mariko, don't peek!  I hope you enjoy your goods!  And thank you again to all who participated!

********
Oh, and how I could I forget!  Dearie no! I couldn't!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATHLEEN!