Pay Per Post

Ok, so I have neglected my blog for a very very long time.  But I'm thinking that I would like to get back into it. And what better way to get inspired than to face the possibility of getting paid for it.


So I'm going to try this Pay per Post thingy.  First step is to copy and paste the following apparently:

An attempt discriminates!

Let's see where this takes us.....

Valentine's Day xxxx

The day of love....


I have always had dreams of the perfect man sending me the perfect Valentine's day gift of a dozen red roses delivered to me in front of everyone I know so that they will all know how much he adores me - and to make them jealous that they will never be as spoilt as me on Valentine's day, because attached to this huge bouquet of roses is a card telling me about our super romantic evening that we're going to have - starting off with a candle lit dinner at the most delicious seafood restaurant, and ending in a decedent hotel room with rose petals scattered over the bed and the floor, leading to the gigantic bubble bath, which has some champagne and a box of chocolates for us to share sitting on the edge.

I have never been lucky enough to get the whole package, but I must admit that my lovely man has managed to get part of the way there most years that we have been together. The first year, he was serving in the Army in Iraq - we had only met about 6 months previously - and he managed to find the time to get me my bunch of a dozen roses delivered to my front door.

The next year he did it again - long stem roses this time, with a cute teddy bear helping to declare his love to me, delivered to my work - I work in a shopping centre, so there were plenty of people around to be jealous about it!

I have had my delicious seafood restaurant meal too.

I am still, however, waiting for my romantic evening in that saucy hotel room - I am also waiting for the Valentines day where he decides that I can have all of the above at once.

He has plenty more Valentine's days to get it right though - and I have to commend him on his efforts to make me feel like the most special person in his life every year so far.

Quick & Easy Pasta

I made this delicious pasta tonight for dinner - I often make variations by mixing up the ingredients.

This is the simplest meal, and I particularly love making it when I come home from work because it can be wipped up in about 10 minutes.



I fried up some onions, garlic and bacon for about 5 minutes. Whilst this is happening, I zapped some cubed sweet potato in the microwave for about 3 minutes. I also put my fresh pasta into the water I was bringing to the boil - I chose to use some delicious spinich and ricotta filled tortellini - one of my favourites. I guess you could use dried pasta, but the beauty of the fresh pasta is that it only takes a couple of minutes to cook.

I added the potato to the frying pan and gave it a quick stir. I then added about half a small jar of this yummo pesto I found in the supermarket - roasted capsicum, cashew and basil - I chose this just to be different. I have used just straight basil pesto in the past and it has also been excellent.

Finally, some cream. I dont't know how much - probably about 200ml, I just slosh it in until it looks right. If I put too much in, I just let it cook off a little bit, it seems to thicken by itself.

The last step (see I told you it was quick) is draining the pasta and adding it to the frying pan. Give it a good mix, decide whether you have enough sauce - if not, add a little bit more cream, then serve. mmm mmm mmm

I have made this with gnocci, I have also done it without the sweet potato and bacon and used sundried tomatoes and salami instead. The best thing about this is that you can add whatever you think will taste nice together. Toasted pine nuts are always a good addition. Pumpkin works just as well as sweet potato, and you could add some broccoli or peas for something different in the veggie department. I have also made this with a chicken variation.

Tasman Island

We did an awesome cruise (well I wouldn't have called it a cruise, more like a bumpy ride) down at the Tasman Peninsula. So much amazing scenery. I took hundreds of photos and I thought it would be nice to share.A picture of the Candlestick in the distance.

Some seals - there were heaps of seals

Not bad photography if I may say so myself! I do really enjoy taking photos and so wish I had a better camera so that I could do it better.


I was in awe of the hight of some of these rocks - and people climb them!


The lighthouse and a residence on Tasman Island. No one lives there anymore, but in the old days they used to have to winch the lighthouse keeper up the side of the island - it was the only way onto the island.

I Promise....

I will be good and do what I say I will do. Firstly, I am going to be setting a blogging schedule, I am determined to blog at least once a week - that's not so hard is it? I intend on trying to do much more often than that, but I figure I will be better able to meet my target of once a week and anything else more will be a bonus.

Second, I am going to unneglect all those things I have neglecated over the Christmas period. I am going to put some of my lovely presents to work - my new mini anvil/bench block, my new chasing hammer - to name a couple, and make some more things. I am also starting a new years resolution of trying to use sterling silver and gold fill for my final pieces. I have already replaced some earring wires on my Simply Elegant Blue earrings that I sold, because I didn't think that the horrible ones that they had did them justice, I did this free of charge and I hope that the recipient appreciates it.

I am also going to plead forgiveness from the EtsyBloggers and DUST teams for not paying them any attention over the last few weeks. I have blog carnivals to write, feature seller articles to do and some sucking up on the forums to to also! All this will keep me very busy and hopefully it will also help contribute to my new promise of blogging more regularly.

So, off I go to start those new goals.....

A few things have been happening...

I have been extremely neglectful of all things Etsy and online selling - I have just been so busy outside of the internet that I haven't really felt like doing anything about it.

But it seems that the world Esty keeps on turning regardless of whether I am making a contribution. Firstly, I made a sale, my first in ages and it's time's like this that I really wish that I knew where the sale came from. The buyer was a relatively new member (a few months) had no feedback, and I wasn't in their favourites. To add to this, I had't listed anything in weeks, so I don't think that they would have found me by simply browsing. I checked the treasuries and treasury west, nothing - so how did it come to be that this lovely buyer found me and made a purchase?

By the way, it was my Simply Elegant Blue Earrings that sold.


In further Etsy related news, I was also featured in a treasury (this was a couple of days after my sale) as a result of being a part of the great Etsybloggers team. Having used the tag "Etsybloggers" on my Hearts of Many Colours Bracelet, it was featured in a treasury made up of fellow Etsybloggers.

I have also noticed that I have still been getting blog hits, and I also wonder how these people find me, my feedjit gives me a little bit of an idea, but apart from that I am in the dark.

It amazes me that all this activity could be happening around my shop when I have been sitting on my lazy behind doing nothing to promote it - yet when it feels like I'm spending a fortune and I spend all my free time on the net promoting promoting promoting, nothing happens?!

Neglected....

That is how my poor blog feels!

I haven't posted in weeks - I feel all my hard work coming undone.

I have a couple of things coming up that I think will stimulate some blogging.

Blog carnivals and feature bloggers are in the pipeline - I am also looking forward to posting about Christmas - this will be my very first Christmas as a blogger - I look forward to heaps of photographing of the festivities.

For now, I will have to leave you happy in the knowledge that I am buying some pretty new wheels for my beautiful new car - I am taking it as my Christmas present to myself!

Facebook

I have ventured into the realm of Facebook advertising.
I tried an ad, I seemed to get a few clicks, but not much shop action. I think it just ended up costing me money mostly, but I still thought it was good to experience.

I have however finally got around to starting a page for TracyLacy Trinkets - I have 4 fans already so that's a bonus.

I'm still not sure how I'm supposed to go about promoting it, I am still uncomfortable pushing these sorts of things onto my friends - I feel like they will feel obliged to take part!

Contrast....

I managed to snag another treasury, this one features a number of talented Etsy sellers.

Including: tutusbliss, passionflower, mystudio, monaco, stiksel, emandsprout, TwiggyBoodles, gonetopottexas, Nordlys, interrobang, dennisanderson, and LabyrinthLeather.


I love getting these treasuries so much - it's such a great way to show all other Etsians my favourite stuff!

I was also super excited that Tu Tu's Bliss put the link to this treasury on her blog - make sure you take a peek - there is heaps of beautiful stuff to check out there.

Ooooh a New Car!

I'm am so very excited, I have just organised to buy a new car (well it's a used car, but it's new for me!). I will hopefully be taking ownership of it on the weekend - itching to get it now though!

I love it - it's perfect, I was dreaming about it last night!

Nice....

I have been lucky enough to be featured in another treasury - All Color....No Color, curated by Seduorla

I am wondering how "Drops of Silver" was found - because I nearly let it expire due to the fact that I didn't think it was doing very well in my shop. But it seems that Sedruola was able to find it and liked it enough to put it in this treasury.


So I decided to renew it and see how it goes - I am starting to like it again so maybe someone else will decide that they do!

Storybeader

The Etsybloggers feature blogger for the month of November is Storybeader. I don't know a whole lot about my fellow Etsyblogger, but I have a feeling that each one of her creations has a story behind it - and I'm supposing that this is obviously where her name comes from.

I just took a visit to her blog where I found the most captivating video. After watching the whole thing, enthralled by the music and amazed by the snippets of text which accompanied the pictures of her beautiful creations I found out that the snippets of text were actually haikus - amazing. And having checked out her Etsy profile, it seems that I am somewhat right about my assumptions - each one of her jewellery creations are accompanied by a haiku written by her about that particular piece to help take you on a journey.

As she puts it, " I suppose my haiki poems can float around in your brain as you sashay down the lane, wearing one of my necklaces."

The five drummers beat
Together as the dancers
Went roud in circles

-storybeader

Colorful disks, side

By side, form a long strand that
Matches all your shirts.
- storybeader

So, check out her Etsy shop, where you can grab yourself one of these amazingly thought out creations. And make sure you also head over to her blog so you can check out all the other stuff that she gets up to.

Remebrance Day

November 11th is rememberance day (for all my US readers this is what we aussies call Veterans Day - and unfortunately we don't get a day off for it - I will however be attempting to excercise my 2 minutes of silence at 11am whilst at the office)

Whilst I have various views regarding our leaders decisions to send us to war, I still hold high regard for those that have chosen to stand for their country and serve us.


Of course my favourite veteran has to be my boyfriend, Chris. He served in the Australian Army for 9 years - fortunately I met him right near the end and didn't have to endure too much worrying about him. He participated in 2 tours of East Timor and also went to Iraq. He enjoyed his time serving his country, but felt that he had enough of being posted wherever and wanted to come home (lucky for me!)




In honour of all servicemen, who have helped us to have the life that we have.

Poppy image sourced from http://www.freefoto.com

Oops....I've been a bit naughty!

Yep, I sat in the sun for too long and got myself sunburnt! I decided that I had better come inside and find something else to do other than basking in the lovely but dangerous sunshine!

I swear that it was the last 1/2 hour that did the damage. I was sitting out there this morning and all was fine. I went for a wicked bike ride - along the main road and down to the beach. I dipped my toes in the ocean - it was surprisingly pleasant, a couple more weeks and it will definately be swimmable! I came back along the main road and down to the river mouth, took a detour across the wetlands and climbed up the hill back to home - great! Then I sat in the sun again and had a sandwich, a little bevvy and read the paper. I got up to put some sunscreen on (something that I probably should have done first thing this morning instead of choosing moisturiser!) but I was too late - I now have some lovely pink bits and white bits - I look like a red and white zebra!

So now I'm sitting in disgrace inside - still having a bevvy though so that's a bonus!

Treasury!!!!!

Yay, I snagged another treasury! I got it at the last minute when the nuber was sitting on 222 - there was only 9 minutes to go. So I used those 9 minutes to work out what I was going to put it it! Then no.222 expired and I thought I had missed it, I thought that I would have to save my poster sketch for next time - but nope, I think my computer was just being a bit slow!

So here it is, I have called it Simple....
I found it really difficult to find things that weren't jewellery - I think this shows how much of Etsy is taken up by the jewellery catagory - but so much of it is so nice that I could have made 10 treasuries and called them all "Simple....."

Hope you like it - if you happen to see this before the treasury expired, it would be nice if you could leave a click and a comment :)

Tracy's Latest Trinkets!

I have a few more tinkets which I have not yet added to my shop. I find it fun to use blogger to showcase my new creations before I put them on Etsy. This is so much easier as I don't have to worry about thinking up descriptions and measuring everything! Yes, a bit lazy I know, but at least maybe it might get people hanging out for me to put them in my shop - wishful thinking?

So anyway, here is a bracelet made with some lovely beads purchased on Etsy (I don't think I will ever shop anywhere else for supplies - I'm hooked!) I liked the beads so much that I wanted to do something simple with them to show them off.
This next bracelet was also made with some new beads - yummy glass pearls in in pink and gold.


I am hoping to get them listed fairly shortly, maybe even this evening if I'm feeling particularly motivated!

Mama's Magic

The Etsybloggers feature for the month of October is Mama's Magic.


Mama's Magic has 2 Etsy shops: bfbeads where she sells her awesome range of baby friendly beads. Such as this necklace

Which she says will keep baby happy whilst at the breast. It is made from one continuous length of cord and has no clasp. Unlike normal jewellery, it will not break as easily because it has no 'weak links' such as clasps and findings. Baby can happily pull and play with it whilst in your arms. It is also made with an adjustable bead, so that it can be lengthened and shortened as you feel like it.

In her bfbeads shop she also sells these cute reminder bracelets. Which help to remind mum which boob she last used to feed little bub. They come in a range of colours and are made with memory wire - which means they are nearly impossible to break and really easy to change arms, meaning that they meet the principles of their design exactly!

Aside from bfbeads, Mama's Magic also had a second Etsy shop, Mama's Magic Studio, where she focuses on a range of fraternal earrings as well as a couple of other trinkets.

I love these Dragonfly danglers, which I can imagine hanging in a window on a sunny day.

I also think that these fraternal earrings are so cute and different. Who wants matching earrrings anyway?! I really really love these "Hey Diddle Diddle" earrings.



Mama's Magic also had an awesome blog, which focuses a lot on her beautiful family. I particularly liked her recent post, where a picture says a thousand words! Mama's Magic, is most definately a proud SAHM like she says she is. Make sure you check out her blog where there's heapps of other items worth reading. Trust me, I spent quite a while there finding out all about her.

New Stuff!!!!!

Just a quick post to show off the new stuff I've just added to my Etsy shop.

First, some pretty earrings, made with filigree leaves and pale blue czech glass beads. I named them Raindrops Within the Leaves.I have also added my Brass Dragonfly earrings, which I particularly like. I really love the beads, which I bought from another Etsy seller, ZoeandBruno. I was really happy when I found them, because they are an Australian shop, and I love it when I find quality supplies close to home.

Hope you enjoy :) If you do, check out TracyLacy Trinkets where you can see my other creations that I have to offer.

Six Things......

Whilst I have never heard of this concept - probably due to the fact that I am totally unfamiliar with the world of blogging - apparently there is such thing as tagging other bloggers. This was brought to my attention by Indidi, a fellow blogger, Etsian, Tasmanian, and DUST Team member.

So, this is what we have to do according to the rules........

- Link to the person who tagged you
- Mention the rules
- Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself
- Tag six other bloggers by linking to them
- Go to each person's blog and leave a comment that lets them know they've been tagged

And on to my six things,

1. I am the eldest born of 7 kids - 5 of which are my half brothers and sisters, the youngest being 21 years younger than me.
2. I went to a total of 9 schools whilst growing up - I moved schools 10 times but went to the same school twice
3. I won our local bonnie baby competition 2 years in a row when I was a baby (I'm sure my cuteness would have won it again for me the next year, but babies in the competition had to be 2 and under)
4. I have worked in a butcher shop for the last 6 1/2 years - and yes I am beginning to get a bit sick of people asking me if I enjoy handling meat (that's a bit rude isn't it?!)
5. I have two middle names and I often have trouble fitting my full name on forms I have to fill in - it also annoys me when forms only have one space for a middle intitial.
6. I can eat a whole packet of TimTams if I use them as a straw with my coffee/tea - make me eat them without a hot drink and I will probably only have one - just don't like them that much.

I have passed on the tagging challenge to some fellow Etsybloggers - just in case some of them need an excuse to post on their blog:
mycouturecreations
Witchetty
Myaphrodite
TOTE-N-TOTS
jennerosity
knittingdragonflies

Happy Homemaking

Yesterday I had the greatest day at home. We had our first really hot day that I didn't have to work so I spent it outside. I went great guns in the garden - the front of our house is looking very pretty with pink and purple azaleas. I have also planted some nice petunas which will flower soon, I have gotten rid of all the weeds so the front garden is looking very pretty.

Out the back I have planted a lemon tree, some strawberries (which I'm very excited about because I can tell they are going to give me an excellent harvest) and some parsley.

So I have been a busy girl - only problem is that I seem to be coming more distracted away from Etsy everyday.

On a good Etsy note, I got a treasury today, I was lucky enough to bring up the Treasury West page about 2 minutes before it opened - very lucky, so here is a screen shot of my chocolaty goodness:I think I am having a particularly chocolatey theme going on here - Chocolate Caramel Slice yesterday and a chocolate treasury today.