Interesting Blog: 100 Days of Rejection

A major aspect of being a military spouse is having to change jobs whenever your active duty spouse gets Permanent Change of Station (PCS) Orders.  I'll be perfectly blunt - this summer, I had to quit a 6 figure job that I enjoyed in order to keep the family together.  It really sucked because I knew there were no comparable jobs for the highly specialized type of work that I (used to) do in the area we now live and I'm essentially unemployable thanks to my Reserve obligation.  (Even seasonal retail jobs were out of the question with my departure date being prior to Christmas!)  I could have pitched a fit and insisted my husband take a crappy set of orders in Hawaii or stayed behind in Hawaii with the kids until I either mobilized or found something in Virginia Beach (we also own a small house here), but if you've ever prayed for an answer and come away with a response that wasn't the one you were hoping to hear, then you'll understand why it wasn't a difficult for me to accept that it was time to leave that job even though I didn't want to.

They are interviewing candidates for my old job this week, and since it was such a unique job, anyone who knows me professionally could guess it was my job and some folks who were interested in the job gave me a call or email.  Needless to say, I did my best to help anyone who asked without compromising the integrity of the interview process.  (IE I did not contact the hiring panel with any recommendations, but I did let them know who I was speaking with.  I also did not disclose interview questions or discuss other candidates that I knew were applying.)  In the end, I have nothing to do with the experience or qualifications of the candidates anyway, and I would be doing the same type of "homework" if I could even get an interview around here.

The interesting thing is that while everyone asked me what the worst part of the job was, only one person asked me what I liked most about it.  Explaining the worst part of the job was easy- I often got tagged with all the random stuff other people in the office didn't want to deal with.  (You know, the "other duties as assigned" clause.)  It made me feel like the boss didn't think I had enough work to do and that what I did wasn't as important as what everyone else was doing.  Explaining the best part was harder- my job was essentially to figure out unique, common sense, no-cost solutions to cover our capability gaps by trading favors with other organizations.  It's really rewarding to get a crazy request and figure out how to make it work.  (In retrospect, I guess that's why I got all the crap jobs, but hey- whatever.  Just because I like independent problem solving does NOT mean I should have to deal with the pain in the ass work that other people don't want to deal with.)  And that's why I "get" the lady in this video.  It's fun to get those unique requests and make them happen.  I loved my job the most when I was free to actually do my job.

Just as interesting as the Krispy Kreme lady who wouldn't say no to the crazy customer, is the guy making the video.  He decided to film himself doing "100 Days of Rejection Therapy" and blog about it.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  I have been turned down for at least that many jobs since leaving active duty in 2008.  (I've been offered and accepted 2, and been offered/low balled/turned down maybe about 3-4.)  Most of the time I don't get a response at all, and if I do get something, it's rarely more specific other than, "You are qualified but not the best qualified," or some non-committal BS.  I used to take it personally but not so much anymore.  (I actually just got one of the automated rejection letters this week for a job with duties I had previously held and gotten an award for doing!)  It's not that I'm applying to jobs I'm not qualified to do.  I just don't have any friends who are in a position to help me professionally here because of the specialized nature of my experience and other people do.  Fortunately, I have some savings and I've been able to replace a portion of my income through part time hours via Etsy.

What's interesting about the videos is that while on the first couple of days he's really shy about asking for stuff and getting turned down, now that he's in week 2, he's starting to kind of wheel and deal/bargain a little bit, trying to turn "no" into "yes."  Lately, I've been resentful of having to leave the career field that I enjoyed, but maybe it's time to stop taking the job hunt so seriously/personally and start looking for the hidden opportunities.

Please visit our Etsy store for double infinity jewelry and all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Counting Down the Days

I swore I'd never use this phrase, but... back when I was a Midshipman, one of the things we had to memorize was called "The Days."  When asked for "The Days," you were supposed to automatically recite the number of days left until certain events.

For example:
There are 14 days until Thanksgiving Leave
There are 22 days until Navy beats Army
There are 47 days until Christmas Leave
There are 152 days until Spring Break

And so on.

This was supposedly a coping mechanism to get through the year, so we wouldn't crack under the stress of deployments and other things once we hit The Fleet.  But these days, deployments aren't set in stone.  Even if you have orders, you know they're subject to changed based on a lot of different variables.  Ever wonder why there are so many "deployed dad suprises kids" videos?  Because the first time you tell your kid, "Mommy or Daddy will be home in 184 days" and it turns into "185," it's not so bad... but then it becomes "188,"  and then "186," and then "192."  And not only are you going nuts, but your kid is falling apart. 

When I was the deployed parent, I used to count paydays.  The number was smaller, which I found less depressing and easier to count.  This worked well for me, but the kids really don't see that.   So now that I'm the one home with the kids, here's what we count:

That's right, we count down bags of dog food.   In our house, one 35 pound bag of dog food lasts roughly 2 weeks, depending on how much we run the dogs.  Feeding the dogs is my 12 year old's job.  So each day, he scoops out two bowls closer to having his step-father back.  My 2 year old can see the food going down in the container, so it works pretty well for her, too.   And rather than focusing on a fixed number of days, this helps them visualize the "guesstimate" aspect that always comes with the end of deployment.

We are down to two bags of dog food left in this deployment. 

Thank goodness!


Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Teacher Appreciation Gifts?

This week is Teacher Appreciation week at the boy's school. 

My son never brings flyers announcing these things home and I always get caught by surprise.  So two weeks ago, I made bottle cap magnets using Japanese washi paper, real starfish, and resin, and planned to put it in a handmade card with the "Starfish Story" in it, plus a mug and wrapped tea bag.

They sent a flyer home last week with themes for gifts on each day of the week.  Now, don't get me wrong, teaching is an important job... but my son goes to a rather pricey private school that I couldn't afford if not for financial aid and two jobs.  I am pretty sure these teachers get compensated fairly well and I know all of the classrooms are very well equipped.  It bothers me that the school not only requests three different gifts for all teachers, assistants, and special aides (in my son's case, this means 8 items per day for a total of 24 "tokens of appreciation"), but that each day has a specific theme - none of which includes classroom supplies or other practical items.  I think we will pick one or two days to participate and leave it at that.

So here are the questions:
Teachers, what kind of appreciation gifts are actually appreciated? 

Parents, how much time, money, and/or effort do you think is appropriate?

And am I crazy/cheap/ungrateful for not wanting to participate in the PTA's themed program?

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Homefront Artistry Team: Mother's Day Giveaway

Homefront Artistry Team: Mother's Day Giveaway

The Homefront Team is hosting a MEGA giveaway in honor of Mother's Day. Yep, we really, really love mothers here on the Homefront Team. They are amazing women who have reserves of strength enough to baffle the mind, and they helped shape who we are. So you want to spoil your Mom? Well, we have the answer for you right here, and the best part of it is that it is ALL completely FREE to one lucky winner!
We have a huge selection of wonderful goodies, all donated by super talented team members. One very, very lucky winner (no really, I am jealous already) will win all of these fantastic items:

From LilacAve:
1 Passion fruit candle and 1 Aloha body butter



Aloha body butter

 From Hold It!:
Your choice of any brooch in the shop

From Nikid:
Your choice of four 1/4 Lb. nut clusters


Pecan clusters

From HHSIX:
A lovely Irish rose doily and a Lavender sachet

From Kristyns Kreations:
2 Relaxing eye masks. *Actual masks won may not be pictured below*

From Bad Cat Jewelry:
Ice Wine lampwork earrings

From Two Seaside Babes:
Women's cotton buckle newsboy cap in black

From Her Hero:
Custom her hero lucite pendant

From The Craft Queen:
Your choice of eyeglass case

From Noah Bear1:
Two personalized nest necklaces

From Fully Hooked:
A random colored A Rose is a Rose Ring


Actual prize may vary in color

 From Lillianne Lee:
Too cute clipboard chalkboard

From wear ever:
Blue dichroic glass earrings

From Reyna Red:
One pair of pearl barrettes in your choice of color. One pearl and crystal barrette in your choice of color.


An example of the pearl barrettes. You choose the color.



An example of the pearl and crystal barrette. You choose the color.

 From Stork Bites Delivers:
John Deere crayon roll up

From Banana Bear Boutique
Coffee cozy and coordinating key fob


*This is just an example. Actual prize may vary from photo.*

 From Simply Leilani
Set of four stunning magnets

From Dixie Dreams:
Your choice of any 8x10 print

From Jessica Hanna Designs
Set of five bobby pins


*Actual prize may vary from photograph.*

 From Well of Creations:
One pair of fingerless gloves


*Actual prize may vary from item pictured.*

 From Quite Crafty:
Crochet topped kitchen towel

From Camelot's Treasures
Handmade fabric basket

From Cupcakes and Cameos:
Pink bow cupcake necklace

Do we have your attention yet? Would you like to know how you could win all of these fabulous items? Here's how you can enter to win BIG:

Step 1:
Follow this blog and leave a comment here that you did.

Step 2:
Like us on facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/HomefrontTeam and leave a comment here that you did.

Extra points:
Share a link to this giveaway on your facebook page, twitter, or blog (each site you share on will get you an extra point). Leave a comment with a link to your page(s) for proof.

Become a fan of our lovely sellers who kindly donated their super awesome stuff! Check out our comment section to find the fanpages/twitter/blog accounts. Leave a comment telling us which pages you have liked/followed for proof.

The giveaway will close out on Tuesday April 19th, and the winner will be announced on the Homefront Team's fanpage on facebook.

Twelve Day Work Weeks

(or what it's like to be a reservist.)

Don't get me wrong, I like what I do. I even like my co-workers. It's just that between working full time, grad school one night a week, being a mom/wife/sister/daughter, and part-time single parent, it's exhausting.

But two weeks out of the year, it gets me out of the office.

And once in a while, there's an opportunity for additional job training to enhance my civilian career.

And a lot of my friends are doing it. :)

Maybe I am a lifer, after all.

Multi-Tasking

Although I haven't done a lot of beading this summer, I did try my hand at making ribbon lined alligator hair clippies for my daughter. (We've been using the baby comb over to try and make her head look less bald.) Ribbon is significantly less expensive than beads, so for about $20 worth of supplies, I made about 3 dozen different clips. Ordinarily, each hair clip would run anywhere between $2-5 each, so I'm pleased with myself for being crafty and saving some cash.

Naturally, I had to embellish a few of those clips with flatbacked rhinestones, however, I decided not to try and peddle clips in my Etsy store. Quite frankly, I have too many different styles of jewelry in there and adding hair accessories would only make things harder to manage. The other thing is that these tiny little clips are choking hazards. I put those things in the baby's hair only when she is directly supervised. I don't send her to day care with clips in her hair, and I sure as heck won't leave her in the car seat with one of those things on! The last thing I need is for some less conscientious parent to let their baby chomp on something I made for use by babies... They are super cute, though. I'll get additional pictures and post them at some point.

The other thing I've been making this summer are bibs. Once upon a time, I got this bright idea about trying my hand at quilting (which obviously didn't work out). So, rather than let the fat quarters sit around, I traced out a bib pattern and started cranking out bibs out of way cute materials... for the liner, I recycled some "tiny" flannel receiving blankets. (You know, the cheap ones that come 5 to a pack and are only good for swaddling newborns and use as burp cloths?) One of these days I'll remember to get some photos of those, too.

More keiki bling

Here's a cute little bracelet inspired by a suggestion made my incredibly crafty and imaginative friend Myra. Naturally, as moms, we are always on the look out for cool stuff for the kids that is also safe and practical for them! This bracelet is perfect for kids ages 3+, made in a cuff style, so no messing with clasps or worrying about size. Unlike stretchy and other styles of bracelets made for kids, the crystals will not come off of the wire cuff unless you cut the wire. There is also no worrying about getting caught on playground equipment, since it is not a closed loop. And check out the light this thing throws!!! Older girls will like this too!

The only challenge I'm having is in capturing the cuteness of this bracelet. It looks a lot better on than just laying flat on a piece of cardstock. I threw the question out on Twitter a few days back and got a suggestion back from Meanbean to *gasp* use an actual child to model the thing!!! Oh wow, why didn't I think of that??? By the way, I took a gander at Meanbean's line of custom made purses. Let's just say that I am eyeballing some things for when I actually have a real paycheck!!!

Upcycling Heaven

I don't do Aloha Wear. Maybe it's because my grandmother bought me mu'u mu'us for Christmas as a young child when all I wanted was a Strawberry Shortcake doll. Maybe it's because I couldn't wait to leave Hawaii as a teen. Maybe it's because I'm petite and shy and don't like bright colors or loud prints. Anyway, when I heard about a store which took old mu'u mu'us and made them into peasant tops and skirts, I thought it was a bit odd. I mean, those were items I wouldn't have been caught dead in the first time around... but after they'd been sitting in a plastic bag in someone's closet for a decade?

Anyway, there's a store in Kailua, barely 5 minutes away from my house called Mu'u Mu'u Heaven. It's been open for a couple years, but I never went in because, well, I don't do aloha attire (except on one occasion, when I was teasing some horribly cheesy colleagues in the military, who dressed like they were color blind twins). Not to mention, it's a boutique. The last thing I wanted to do was pay boutique prices for dresses in patterns I loathed in the early 80's! I guess they've expanded since the last time I read an article on them, upcycling old sundresses, not just the nasty old Hilo Hatties touristy crap you get in the local thrift stores.

Apparently, President Elect Obama and his family have taken several of his late grandmother's old mu'u mu'us to the ladies at Mu'u Mu'u Heaven. They are designing some upcycled items for the Obama's to remember her by. Here's a link to the news clip. Just thought it was a neat idea, and inspiration to my crafty mom friends. I have lots of great dresses sitting in my closet which don't get worn. Maybe the baby will be the most stylish little girl of 2009. You never know!

Mermaids Love Pearls

We've been having massive rains, high winds, and flash flooding since Thursday. Unfortunately, I went to a couple of different stores, looking for red tulle, and so far, nada. I did, however, manage to make it to the post office to ship these earrings off to their new owner! (She's an old friend of mine, from back in the Academy days. I hope she enjoys them!)

In other news, the store's been featured on another blog! Huggermugger is another crafty mom blog. She sews, she writes, she crafts, and she shops! What's not to love about her?

Charmed, I'm Sure

A friend of mine has sensitive skin and can't wear earrings unless they're gold. She asked for a charm bracelet instead. I experimented with attaching charms to silver chain bracelets and with single strand, beaded bracelets, but was never really satisfied with the outcome. In my opinion, when working with lampwork beads as charms, the heavier chain maille is a much better option. Since it really doesn't make sense to "experiment" with brand new ideas/techniques using top notch materials (likely to be ruined during the creative process), I started making up a few charm bracelets using pre-fabricated nickel bracelets.

I really liked the way this one turned out, and will probably list this as a keiki/teen piece. The others are being pulled/cut apart.

What do you think, in terms of design, etc? Do you wear charm bracelets? Is this too heavy looking? Not full enough?


PS- Go visit Beth's Baby Boutique. It's her grand opening, so "heart" her and check back after the holidays!

Caps for Connor

Yes, yes, I also sew. Anyway, I have a soft spot for kids with cancer because when I was about 7-8 years old, one of my best friends had leukemia. So, when I heard about a young man suffering from a rare type of brain cancer, and that his friends were going to shave their heads in the dead of winter to keep him company, I couldn't help it. Anyway, I can't knit a stitch, but I did manage to sew up 11 fleece hats. Of course, my son wanted one, so we're only sending 10. Don't ask me what the kid thinks he's going to do with a fleece hat in Hawaii, but I guess it's a good sign that he thinks mom makes cool stuff!

You can read about Connor's Caps here. Connor's school is having a hat day in December, so any donations would have to be in the mail this week. However, you can always donate hats and other things to The Ship's Project. I will never forget being deployed to the Gulf and having a box of knit hats, booties, and mittens arrive. The guys in my department were ALL OVER that box, even though it was something like 120 degrees out on the flight deck. Why? Because, believe it or not, it gets cold in the winter. REALLY cold. I took a hat (even though I didn't think I needed one) because the guys told me to. OH MY GOODNESS. I never would've imagined it could get THAT cold!

Something new...

I got a special request last week from a friend of mine who knits... she wanted to know if I could make up some stitch markers for her. Since I don't knit, the thought never occurred to me, so thank you for the idea! They were fairly easy to make once I figured out how to make the loop at the top the right size. They needed to be big enough to go over the knitting needles, but not too big. So anyway, here's the result!

Please visit her awesome knitting blog here!