Having a Hard Time with a Counter

Everyone has a really cool hit counter on their blog.  Of course, even though I don't have any readers yet, I still want a hit counter.  So I did a bit of research.  There is no option that I could find within Blogger to place a hit counter on a blog.  Blogger's gadgets allow me to place a random photo of a "hot" Hollywood star on my blog (refreshable with every click), or a photo of Mr. T of A-Team fame, or even a random tip, quote, fact or advice about love.  Alas, the lowly hit counter has been locked out.

So I Googled hit counters and came up with several sites that have many varied counters to choose from.  I selected one, went through the registration process and received my HTML code for the counter of my choice.  All this work only to find out that it isn't supported in any way that I can see.  The site I chose recommended that I embed the code where ever I would like the counter to show up.  What they didn't tell me was that Blogger doesn't allow this. *sigh*

So, in my fantastic ignorance I've been forced to place it just below the description of my blog.  Never fear, I'll continue to try to figure it out.  But if anyone out there would like to offer me some advice I'm not too humble to accept. 

Thanks for reading.  Have a great day.

Trying to Update More Regularly

So, I am going to post 25 things about me. Maybe they will inspire me to write more. Maybe not. We'll see how it works out.

1.) I turned 40 this year. It was harder than I thought it would be.
2.) I am one half of the happiest marriage I personally know of, and have been for the entire 12 years I've been married.
3.) I never wanted to get married until I met my husband. I was 26 at the time.
4.) I just finished knitting my first real project. It is a toddler sweater for my friend Beth's great nephew Joel. I hope that he likes it.
5.) I have a pet stingray. He's a really cool pet. I don't clean his tank enough.
6.) I am both excited and nervous about the bead seminar that I'll be attending in Lake Tahoe later this month.
7.) I really enjoy staying up late/all night long. And my husband really doesn't enjoy when I do.
8.) I am hopelessly addicted to the internet, and I have no desire to attend a program for it.
9.) My dream vacation spot is Ireland and I am really afraid to go because I am afraid that after I get there I won't want to come home - ever.
10.) I'm a Chemo-Angel, and currently enjoying writing to my third buddy. She's a 9 year old girl who has bone cancer.
11.) I love water, and the creatures that live in it.
12.) I am very hot blooded.
13.) I have a son who is the light of my life.
14.) I could spend an hour a day for a month tweezing my eyebrows and they would still need more work.
15.) My hair has been greying since I was 16.
16.) I have the best friend any girl ever had. Hi Beth!
17.) I like emoticons.
18.) Ice cream is my favorite junk food.
19.) When I am in a high place and look down I feel a compulsion to jump. It isn't suicidal, just the urge to leap.
20.) I am a foodie.
21.) I typically do not enjoy the food of any country that I am aware of having ancestry of (before we came to America.)
23.) I miss my grandma every single day of my life.
24.) My most strong desire right now is to know that my existence makes a difference somewhere.
25.) I really want to write, but I'm afraid because it has been so long that I might not be good at it any longer.

Finally finished with her Bead for a Cure Kit!

I am so excited to have this project completed. I am even more excited that for the first time ever, I am absolutely thrilled with the project. I think it is beautiful and am even thinking about attempting to win it back. My best friend says that she is going to win it but that I can borrow it any time I like. She's great like that. And to ensure that I get my article back, I'm not going to tell her when the auctions are. I'm sneaky like that.

I am also looking forward to beginning a new project. I haven't quite settled on one, but I am enjoying myself while I browse through about 40 bead magazines I have at the ready.

Anxiously Awaiting her Beading for a Cure Kit

It should mail to me on the 15th. You can check the link above to the Layne's Legacy Beading for a Cure website. Once there you can view all the projects from years past, and best of all, the projects that are going to be auctioned off in March.

I'm really hoping that this year's beads will speak to me as I remove them from the box. I'm afraid that is wishful thinking, but a girl can dream. Regardless, I am very excited to get my kit and begin my project.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year

and a year of peace, joy and prosperity.

I think that I've finally decided that this blog is going to be about the projects that I am working on. Most of them are charity work and I am going to dedicate a lot more time to my Etsy store, so there should be plenty to see.

Hope to see you around

Karen

Trying to figure out which way to take this blog

I have a feeling it will be a link to my artistic endeavors or to my charitable contributions - or possibly both as they are usually one in the same.

Karen

really disappointed

Today I made a mistake that lasted for less than a minute and will cost me at least a whole day to clean up.

I made a trip to the grocery store today and somehow I managed to leave my purse in the cart when I returned it. About 30 seconds later I figured out what I did and ran back for the purse that was already misappropriated. In less than a minute, literally.

The police were called, panic ensued and as of just a few hours later someone has been arrested and I have my purse and ID back. Of course the cash was gone - Merry Christmas, and I'll have to spend an as yet undetermined amount of time trying to figure out which credit cards are gone and cancelling a bunch that I should have cancelled a long time ago. But even worse than the cash, which was not a tiny amount is the feeling I have that just isn't right. It feels awful and makes me nauseous.

I'll post more as soon as I figure out how I really feel about the situation. My emotions are conflicted right now.

Actually making good on the promises I made below

One down and one to go. Today I learned how to add links to the blogs I read. For me this is quite an accomplishment. Wander over and have a look at what Beki, Marilee, AJ and Lora are doing. And have a wonderful day!!!

Karen

Excited to find her blog linked on another site

So excited in fact, that I had to blog about it.

I was reading my friend Beki's blog this morning and noticed that the had linked to me. This is a first for me, and it honestly made my day.

Please give Beki a look here, she's featuring an AMAZING charm bracelet that she made from PMC. Her charms are truly beautiful, each one unique and full of texture and spirit. Many of them are set with gemstones adding flair and individuality to her already incredible dangles.

I'm going to have quite a lot of time to fill over the next month and intend to update this blog with photos (I know, I already promised that below, but I really am going to do it.) as well as try to figure out how to add links to the blogs that I enjoy reading.

Wish me well, I'm going to need it.

Karen

Playing with something she knows very little about

Today I updated all the items in my Etsy store. Not very many items in there, it sure took a long time. *sigh* Anyway, I thought I'd update my blog include a link to my Etsy store. I really like the things that I've created, and am offering other things - BEADS - that I've got an excess of.

Etsy Buy Handmade beadcause