Resin Pendant Kit Makes Debut on Etsy. Finally!

After over a year of launching my first kit, and after many requests from loyal customers, I finally have the Resin Pendant Kit listed in my shop on Etsy. The resin kit contains enough materials to make 8 pendants, and more if you have extra bezels or wood tiles, such as Scrabble, Bamboo, Mah Jong, and such.

If you love the look of resin coated jewelry, and have been intimidated by the process, then this is the kit for you. Jam packed (and I mean JAM packed), this tin contains 6 wood tiles, 6 genuine silver plated Aanraku bails, 2 bezel pendant settings with attached bails, 2-part resin mix, a sample size of my exclusive Glamour Glue, and a professional tutorial with photos for each step of the process. If you have ever seen my tutorials, you know I don't bloat them with fluff. I get right to the point in a clear and concise manner. If you're like me, you want the facts and you want them now. You can't go wrong with this kit, it has everything you need in one small package.

Personalize Your Cuff Links, Man! Finally a Gift for the Guy in Your LIfe!!

Oh, yeah! These are finally in! I'm so pleased with the quality of these gorgeous cuff links! They're so easy to customize with your very own image. Simply unscrew the cap, place your trimmed image (15mm) and screw the cap back on! A protective plastic disc is included to protect the image from scuffs.

Who wears cuff links today? Any man who wears a suit! Interviews, weddings, funerals, work, and a hot date!


Ways to personalize these cuff links are endless:
- initials
- photos of children
- photos of pets
- photos of those remembered (great for weddings)
- monograms
- decorative paper
- a splash of color
- reflective material
- fabric
...and the list can go on forever!

These are solid cufflinks built to last. You'll like the feel of them, and the look can't be beat.

They'll soon be available on www.anniehowes.com, but for the moment they're in my shop on Etsy in the BAILS / RINGS / BEZELS / CUFF LINKS / KEY FOBS / DOG TAGS section.

Create a Triptych. 3 Gorgeous Birch Wood Blocks.

It's been a long, crazy summer with lots of fun and lots of work mixed together. It seems that I haven't been as diligent about sharing all the new goodness here on blogland. Perhaps you haven't noticed because instead of being indoors reading blogs, you've been happily crafting or enjoying the great outdoors.

One of my favorite new products are these gorgeous solid wood blocks made from Birch. These measure 2.5" on the face and the sides are 1.25" thick with a pre-drilled hole on the back. They're ready to decorate and hang on a single nail. Each set contains 3 blocks. Not sure how to decorate these? It's simple: print your favorite photos, brush on Glamour Glue, press the block onto the glued surface and smooth with a burnisher for a bubble-free seal. Apply a weight to the top, like a stack of books or a clean jar of coins. Wait 15 minutes, turn upside down, trim along the edge to remove excess paper, and hang on your wall. So easy, and these blocks are only $8 for a set of 3!

The photos of the horses on these blocks were taken by my then 9 year old daughter.

Totally New Papers Are In! Archival Quality Great for Pendants and Scrapbooking Projects!

Lots more on hand than I have photographed and listed, but a few new paper packs are already available in my shop on Etsy. I love this new pattern on an Indian paper. It's called "Twinkle Flowers" and is available in 2 paper collections "Twinkle Flowers I" and "Twinkle Flowers II"


Twinkle Flowers I


Twinkle Flowers II


Also available are 3 new colors of the Classic Italian Florentine paper, in pink, blue and green. This collection would be perfectly at home on a custom decorated tin set.


Perhaps the most exciting additions are the Katazome-shi papers. I love the rustic images, less controlled than the Chiyogami patterns, that I've paired with some of the other Japanese papers. You'll love them, too!

A Tragic Interruption to the Day. And Cute Bunnies.

It was simply awful and heart wrenching. It was tragic. We had the first mowing on our property today. We don't own a mower. To mow 5+ acres would require a 4-figure mower that turns on a dime. We have a guy who mows for us. He sometimes dresses up like a pirate, but that's taking me off topic.

So the mower guy has been busy and our grass has grown with all the rain of the season, and it was pretty tall in some patches when his brother came by to take care of the lawn business. With his big mower, it wouldn't take much more than an hour. Perfect, I thought, it was a beautiful afternoon, the sun was shining, it was pleasantly warm, and my studio windows were wide open. Twilight was playing and I was highly productive.

And then there was a soft knock on my door and the mower came in holding a very small bunny in his hands.

As sweet and gentle as that little bunny was, the story is just as tragic. Mother bunny and several siblings were lost to the mower today. What to do, what to do! How old was it? Could it eat on it's own? Wow, it was precious!

And then another bunny came to me. A sibling. A pair. Just too sweet and adorable for words. And not a responsibility I was prepared to accept. With a recuperating dog, and a 14 hour work schedule, how was I to work feedings for 2 little bunnies every 2 hours into my schedule?

I took the bunnies to the vet who volunteered to euthanize them. I left, bunnies in tow, to retrieve my daughter from school. I paraded the bunnies in the pick-up line, flaunting their cuteness, to no avail. Everyone loved them. No one wanted them. We then headed to the Tractor Supply Co. resigned to the challenge of trying to save the two bunnies on my own. With the promise of help from my 10 year old daughter, of course, who by that point had named them Daisy and Dandy.

To end this saga abruptly, because I have to go put more glass in the kiln, my plan was to pick up the formula for nursing bunnies, along with the smallest bottle feeder I could find, and with my fingers crossed, and lots of begging to a greater power, the hope of stumbling into path of someone more knowledgeable than your average suburbanite (me) who would scoop the bunnies up and take them home.

Luck was smiling on those bunnies, after all. At the local Tractor Supply Co., I found a rabbit enthusiast who was expecting a nest of rabbits at any moment. She generously offered to take the babies off my hands (about 3 weeks old, I learned), with hopes of convincing her mama rabbit to nurse them along with her own. And I will be able to sleep through the night believing those two little bunnies will have a fighting chance at survival. The happiest of endings for a very tragic afternoon.

Constant Companion. Angus Update.

I've finally brought Angus back to the studio with me to hang out for a few hours. He spends most of the day confined to a cage, which I've tried to make as pleasant as possible by adding all the toys to it. Still, he whines and whimpers to be let out, and when possible he gets quality lap time and plenty of skitches behind his ears.

The update is he's healing nicely and in excellent spirits. He's snarling at appropriate times (with and at his toys and Zeta), he's barking enthusiastically at absolutely nothing once again, and he'd like to rough house with Zeta if given an inch. So tonight he's out in the studio with me on his little green pillow at my feet resting calmly as I print orders. I'm so happy he's doing so well!

Twilight. A Guilty Pleasure?

I've finally caved and have joined the millions of readers in the guilty pleasure of the book Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer. OK, not exactly the book in the paper form, the traditional way of consuming a story, but rather the audiobook. I would much prefer to have the luxury of time to relax in a big comfy chair with a cup of hot tea and read a book, but that's just another luxury I simply can't afford with 14 hour days in the studio.

The truth is, I don't really mind having someone read to me. There's so much talent in audiobooks, and I've listened to my fair share in the past year, many several times over, and all through my iTunes account on my computer. Because I work alone, this helps the time pass and I really become attached to the characters, just as I do with the paper version of books.

So now, with Twilight airing in my studio, I feel compelled to share that it's really an engaging story and the narrator, Ilyana Kadushin, is a likable and convincing storyteller. I'm only in the first chapter and I'm thoroughly engaged and can't wait to finish this blog post so we can get back to the business of meeting this Edward character. I think I'm hooked.

I'd love to learn about the great audiobooks you've read. Twilight won't last forever, and sooner or later I'll be looking for my next satisfying read.

Surgery Complete and Successful!

As promised, the skillful surgeon called at 3:40 this afternoon to say the surgery went very well, that Angus was doing well, and to give particulars about his condition that were all very good news. We couldn't be more relived than we are at the moment knowing that Angus will be OK.

I also received another call from the vet student, Julie, to give me a new update since Angus was coming out of the anesthesia. Still groggy but responding to his name, he was bundled in a couple of fleece blankets and hooked up to an IV with morphine type drugs. Poor wee Angus. We have a long road ahead of us, but I'm encouraged by the apparent ease of the operation and his good overall health. Let the healing begin.

Thank you everyone for the lovely and encouraging emails and comments. You have no idea how much that means to me to hear your thoughtful words of encouragement.

Angus Goes to Purdue.

Angus. My Stinky Buttcake. All 8 pounds of him. Last November, right around his first birthday, Angus began limping, favoring his left hind leg. Worsening over the winter months, we realized it wasn't something likely to go away on it's own. According to the local vet, Angus was suffering from a congenital condition known to small dogs called a luxating patella. In layman's terms, the ligament and patella (knee) were slipping out of alignment and causing lameness.

So I arranged a referral from my local vet, Dr. Hays (if he were my dawg, I'd take 'em to Purdue), and I scheduled an appointment for him to be examined for surgery at the Purdue Small Animal Clinic. Why not give him the best of the best?

Sure enough, after 4 hours in the car to get here and a stop along the way to Grandma's and Grandpa's to drop off my daughter, the vets and students alike converged on a very cautious Angus and they determined he has a Stage 2 Luxating Patella, with 4 being the worst.

Ranked as one of the top Veterinary Schools in the country, I have the utmost confidence in their veterinary skills. Back when I was a student at Purdue in the mid-90's, my dog, Biscuit, was a patient at the vet clinic at Purdue. She was given shots, and was once treated for kennel cough. But overall, her treatment and my experience was ordinary.

Seeing the variety of much-loved pets today solidified my convictions and helped dissolve any reservations I had about who should perform Angus's procedure. There was a small grey, long haired dog who survived a spinal injury related to bone cancer, and her enthusiasm at being in the vet waiting room belied her 13 years. Strapped into a contraption, part harness part wheelbarrow, the little dog dragged her owner through the room. Given a month to live last October, this little companion wasn't going anywhere she didn't want to go, soon. A part lab dog who had her eyes scratched by an angry raccoon was surely going to get her eyesight back. A sheltie with an unexplained swelling of her face. And a big 8 month old mastiff named Titan who was there probably for routine maintenance. These were just a few of the pets I got to know a little bit about.

I haven't seen Angus since we first arrived there. I had to relinquish him for examination, then, for x-rays. After they sent me to lunch (as if I could eat), and I had time to mull the whole idea of the surgery, the risks involved (varied, but real) vs. the benefits (many and valuable), the recovery time (lengthy: 6-8 weeks), I decided to go ahead with his surgery. He's a young dog and the condition only worsens with time and with wear. His surgery is scheduled for Thursday afternoon and we'll be returning home on Saturday.

A Fabulous Collaboration. Piddix Royalty Free Images & an Annie Howes Jewelry Kit!

I'm pretty darned pleased with working in collaboration with Corinna, owner and operator of Piddix on Etsy. Her shop boasts the highest quality, royalty-free images, and there's no doubt about that. After receiving the gorgeous digital collage sheet for this exclusive kit, I was absolutely blown away at the clarity of each image.



The Custom Image Glass Pendant Kit includes an updated version of my Glass Pendant Tutorial which explains how to create these beautiful glass pendants using your own images, or those included with this kit. As the leader and innovator in the glass pendant kit arena, I've worked tirelessly to improve the customer experience and I believe this kit adds a valuable choice in the kits I have to offer.



Want to know more about Corinna? Please check out her feature on Etsy's "Quit Your Day Job" spotlight series. And stop by her Piddix Etsy Shop for more fabulous digital downloads!

Spring Cleaning. Out with the Old, In with the Fabulous!

Yes, it's true, even websites undergo routine cleanings, and I just swept the cobwebs out of my site and added in some very exciting items.

The first new additions are two introductions to the Annie Howes line of products, Glamour Glaze and Glamour Glue. These products have been in the works since last September and I'm so very excited to be offering them both in full sized containers.



The Glamour Glaze is compared closest to 3D Crystal Lacquer. It's a water based, non-toxic clear drying crafting glaze that builds up quickly to a nice three dimensional finish. You'll love crafting with this product.



The Glamour Glue is a fabulous pva glue that's non-toxic and acid free. It dries to a clear, flexible finish and is perfect for gluing paper to just about anything! Used by serious crafters the world over, Glamour Glue is one studio must-have.



Other fabulous additions include bezel cup pendants, rings, and a key fob. You can now purchase Scrabble Tiles, wood circles, and two new kits: The Glass and Wood Pendant Kit, and the Wood Circle Pendant Kit.


I've also expanded the paper selection page to include an exciting addition of about 12 paper packs! Let's hear it for fine Italian and Chiyogami papers!

More new and exciting features coming soon! There's always innovation in both my shops.

If You Like Scrabble Tile Pendants...The 1" Round Wood Pendant Kit!

So you had fun with Scrabble Tile Pendants and you want to try something new? I just launched this cute kit with all the same essentials as the Scrabble Pendant Kit...instructions included! Make five 1" round pendants using finished wood circles. Currently only available in my Etsy shop.

3 New Reasons to Love Paper. Spring Collections Are In.

I admit, I have a thing for paper. To me, paper represents beauty, opportunity, and a plain old good time. You can write on it, read it, draw on it, look at it, wrap it, bind it, put guinea pigs on it, burn it, recycle it, flush it, decorate it and on and on. Paper is really a magnificent thing.

So it's with great pleasure that I have 3 new paper collections to offer. I'm just crazy about Chiyogami and Italian papers. I love the ornate and delicate nature of the designs. The pleasing color palettes, the whimsical and sometimes seasonal nature of the patterns carries me through to the next season.


The first collection is the Bunny Rabbits Hippity Hop Collection, named, of course, for the cute little Bunny Rabbits that frolic across the papers. With their pastel pink and blue backgrounds, these would make adorable pendants or a really cute magnet set.


Next is the Spring Fields Collection. I'm a sucker for dainty flowers. I love the color combination of these 3 papers together, too. For an example of a tin set using this paper collection, I have one listed here.


Lastly, the Tuscany Collection which is another beautiful addition to the Italian papers I already carry. 2 brand new papers are included in this 3-pack paper collection. One pattern has the littlest, most beautiful butterflies and a fabulously ornate bird. The second paper has a grape and vineyard theme with royal purples. There's a fair amount of blue included in these papers, and all have rich and vivid colors.

Collaboration. Like Chocolate in Your Peanut Butter. It's That Good.

Remember that Reese's commercial with the people who walked into each other as they rounded a corner, and happened to stumble across a good thing when their chocolate and peanut butter got all mixed up? OK, maybe I'm dating myself with this old Reese's Peanut Butter Cup commercial from, like, the 1970's.

So this collaboration between two very amazing Etsy shops is just as sweet and satisfying as, well, peanut butter and chocolate.


Sharon of Haber Heartwork and Marisa of Elegant Snobbery have teamed up to bring you some of the cutest pendants I've seen on Etsy.


I've long been a fan of Marisa's vibrant illustrations of whimsical characters. Her artwork begs to illustrate a well-written book, but until she gets her big break my studio walls will have to do. I admire her creativity and skillful use of color. I wish I had only a fraction of her talent. Adorn your space with her gorgeous prints and lose yourself in a fairytale.

Sharon has been a long time customer now, but above all I value her friendship. Her steadfast companionship during late nights of the December shipping season is probably to credit for my sanity (or not). But her work is also meticulous and perfect in every way. You can see the attention to detail in each and every pendant.

Both of these talented artists have been a source of inspiration for me in the daily running of my business and I admire them tremendously. I'm thrilled they've gotten together to combine their talents to create something as delectable and whimsical as these beautifully illustrated pendants.

Monthly Morsels - Get On The Preferred List!

One of my business goals for the first quarter of 2009 was to begin a newlsetter program to announce all the fun new products in my shops. I have a lot of big plans in the works, a few collaborative projects, and some great new kits coming forth this year and don't you want to be the first to know about them?

Additionally, the newsletters may also contain preferred customer discount codes, advance notice of sales, and private sales. All great reasons to be on the list. You can sign up for the newsletter here or on the upper left column of my blog. Sign-up will also be available on www.anniehowes.com

Mixing Things Up A Bit in the Dog Pack.

This post is completely unrelated to business, so if you're the serious crafting type and you came here to learn about what I'm up to business-wise, I'm super sorry to disappoint you.

No, this blog post is dedicated entirely to the personal side of my life. The side of my life that greets me after a hard day's work when I make the long haul from the door of my studio 100 ft. to the back door of my house. My dogs.

Well, more precisely, this post is about the new addition to the dog pack. Yes, that's right. Dog Pack. That's what you call a group of hounds, right? This is more like the United Nations of the Dog Pack world because only one of them is technically a hound dog. Maybe. We have a Golden Retriever (Sam), a Catahoula (Carson), Angus (a Rat Terrier), and now Zeta, another Rat Terrier, because you can't have just one Rat Terrier (no joke).

Zeta, aka My Sweet Valentine (her pedigree name), came to live with completely due to the scheming and plotting of Mr. Howes, a self-described Dog Lover and Enthusiast, who baited me to Bowling Green with the temptation of a Valentine's dinner at Outback Steakhouse. What I didn't know was that when he programmed Garmin with the destination of Outback (which is over 1.5 hours from home, yeah, we're "out there") he also programed the kennels as a via point.

So little Zeta, who weighs almost as much as a Guinea Pig, is the only girl in the dog pack, and no we are not breeding dogs. We just have lots of love to give and on 5 acres, we have plenty of space.

So here's a pic of Zeta, our little piebald sweetie. May she housebreak quicker than Angus.

Daily Grommet Feature is Today!

Today is the day! Come join me on Daily Grommet, and if you have a great Grommet idea, send in your information! I'll be around all day to answer comments and questions.

Here is the updated location of my page on Daily Grommet.

Total Time Wasters and I Get Beat Up All the Time.

iMafia.

*sigh*

Mr. Howes and I have entered the new year equipped with iPhones and while I have begged for one for a very long time, he's never really been interested. "They're too expensive" topped the list. No, wait, it was "you don't need one" that was actually first on the list.

So who's the new free app king around here? You have 2 guesses, and the first one doesn't count. Mr. Howes iPhones more than I do. I typically get on the phone while waiting in the school pick-up line, or when I'm in the grocery check-out line. Normally for business purposes to answer emails, messages, and relist items in my shop on Etsy. It was an extremely valuable tool when we were recently without power for 4 days. I needed it then, Mr. Howes.

So what's all this about Time Wasters? Those little game apps, and most recently it's iMafia. Mr. Howes added it to my phone because I was curious what the heck he was doing on his phone all the time. I'm totally lost. I have a character I named Angry Annie, because I'm a mobster and you need to take me seriously, and all I've done so far is name myself and choose "workaholic" as my "type". All I know is I've extorted a few stores, bought a VW, I have a couple of glocks, 2 henchmen, and I frequently get my butt kicked by other players.

Yeah, right, pick on the lady.

So a couple nights ago I had a few bucks on the game, and called across the teppanyaki bar to Mr. Howes that "I have $103,000, should I buy the BMW?". I mean, really. Is that proper dining etiquette? Who cares, I'm a mobster. With henchmen and glocks. And I don't know how to properly act in public.

So I bought a gas station.

See? This is a TOTAL TIME WASTER and makes no sense whatsoever.

Welcome to the world of iPhone.

P.S. I'm on Level 14 and I have no idea how I got there.

P.P.S. I woke up this morning with a health of 12/100. Stop picking on me. I'm a GIRL.

iMafia by PlayMesh. Available for the iPhone. Free.

Mad for Plaid. A Limited Edition Glass Pendant DIY Kit.

Wow. My last Limited Edition kit was such a success I've put together a new cute kit for the fun at heart. And the plaid lovers out there. I know, technically it's not plaid, it's tartan, but these aren't exactly your traditional color combinations.




And they're not all plaid, either. My favorite is the stripe paper because it has an ever so slight shimmer to it. It's like body shimmer. Subtle. Sexy. Gorgeous! And paired with my handmade glass, it's simply gorgeous! I have only 10 of this gorgeous paper collection available.

The Daily Grommet Featured Item Feb. 9, 2009!

What's a Grommet?

* It’s a wonderful product still waiting in the wings, just ripe for discovery.
* It has great utility, or style, or invention. Or, very often it has all three.
* It comes from a designer, or inventor, or artist, or manufacturer who is clearly passionate about what they create. Someone who loves to share their creations and talk to people about why they do what they do.
* It comes from a company that treats its customers well.
* Finally, like any intelligent or beautiful product, it has a great story, ready to be told."

~ from The Daily Grommet

Wow. I'm really excited about being selected as the Featured Grommet on The Daily Grommet. Last December, Jen from The Grommet purchased the Round Wafer Glass Pendants DIY Kit. Little did I know when I sent this treasure on it's merry way that it was actually going to research and development at the Daily Grommet.

The Daily Grommet is a neat site dedicated to featuring a new "Grommet" each day. It's a wonderful way to gain added exposure and endorsement on products, and as a manufacturer and retailer, I certainly welcome any opportunities such as this, when they arise. Which is not every day. In fact, this is the first time I'll have this type of endorsement and exposure. The Daily Grommet makes a video which will be posted on YouTube. But we're just getting started here. They also have an email subscription base and the featured grommet is delivered to email in-boxes around the world on the day of the feature. As if that's not enough, they also submit the featured grommet to a dozen high traffic blogs.

I'm also invited to hang out and be ready to answer questions on their website all day on February 9, 2009. So if you re around on February 9Th at noon and have any questions for me, I'll be right there at The Daily Grommet ready to answer them.

If you know of a Grommet and would like to suggest it for a feature, they have a link on their home page! Go on, submit yourself. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain!

Here is an updated link to my feature on Daily Grommet.

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!