The Ice Storm Cometh. And Proof That Parents Have A 6th Sense.

It all began in the wee hours of Monday. Freezing rain that built a half inch of ice on my car. No school for the kids, naturally, but it also knocked out power. And cell phone service for most of the state of Kentucky. Yuck.

Now I'm no stranger to power outages, having lived 10 years on Guam in the 90's I've had my fair share of typhoons, typhoon aftermath, and what the local Guam Power Authority termed "load sharing" (scheduled power outages throughout the day by village). After typhoon Omar we were without power for about 6 weeks. But that was the tropics. I can take a cold shower in the tropics. I'm not so thrilled about that in the middle of a Kentucky winter.

So what's this about parents having a 6th sense? I have that one covered. Maybe it's just my parents left Monday morning for Cancun, Mexico. They live only 3.5 hours north (maybe 4 hours now that I have a speeding ticket under my seatbelt) just outside of Indianapolis so they probably had a bit of winter weather. Instead, they're calling me with daily updates about drinking champagne in a hot tub with new friends from Argentina. And swimming with dolphins. Not to mention hot meals. I can't even serve up a toasty cup of java without driving the 20 minutes to McDonald's, or better yet, the Cafe Bonin, where I am right now using their WIFI and having a lovely hot cajun sandwich. So this is proof positive that my parents have a 6th sense.

The studio update is this: No power, it's 34 degrees and falling in there, and while I plan to build a fire to heat the space, I can only work until the sun begins to set because I have no light in there. I also don't have internet, so unless I can type a reply with my iPhone, I'll be unable to answer any questions until I make my daily trip to Cafe Bonin. However, I will answer any messages or emails as best as I can. I will also update here and in my Etsy shop when power is restored because I look forward to getting back to business as usual.

*** If you ordered a kit and need the tutorial please send me an email: annie {at sign} anniehowes dot com and I will forward it as soon as I am able. Thank you so much for your patience. I deeply appreciate it.

*** UPDATE: We're still without power, however we have the generator hooked up and we have internet, so it's back to business as usual as long as it all keeps running :o)

A Sweet Kit. An Annie Howes Exclusive Glass Pendant Kit.

If you haven't visited my Etsy shop recently then you probably haven't seen this cute glass pendant DIY kit just in time for Valentine's Day.



I've assembled a sweet collection of both Chiyogami and scrapbook papers in red and pink in this limited edition kit. I've only made 8 available and when they're gone, they're gone! And all to good homes. Each kit includes enough supplies to make 6 beautiful square glass pendants. Tutorial included. Make them yourself, or give to your sweetie.

Hugh Hefner and I Have A Lot in Common.

Hugh and I both go to work in our PJ's, and to me that's a lot. It's a Big Deal. Not that I actually wear my PJ's to work, and I've never owned a silky lounging robe but I do wear incredibly comfy clothes that I wouldn't be caught dead wearing in Walmart. Sometimes I even take my home brewed coffee with me.

That's about where the similarities end. Or do they?

Because I work for myself in a studio located 100 feet from the back door of my residence, wear comfy clothes (minus the smoking jacket), slippers, make enticing handmade DIY crafting kits, talk to fabulous and friendly people on the phone, exchange informative and funny emails with customers, and have brainstorming sessions on the next product doesn't mean I don't have a "real job". I still have to maintain a structured, sometimes grueling studio schedule requiring all kinds of personal and professional commitment to meet my daily, weekly, and monthly goals. I'm sure Hugh has had to do the same over the years. There aren't any sick days, and holidays are bonus days to catch up on paperwork.

I love what I do not because I can wear my PJ's to work, I love what I do because it's a great deal of fun, and I bet dollars to doughnuts Hugh has fun, too!