Cookie Jars!

kitties love cookies.

I have visions of myself being one of those people who always has a well stocked cookie jar. I really like baking cookies, and Jake really enjoys eating them. Now all I need is a cookie jar to keep them fresh, laying them out on a plate doesn't quite do it.

I've started using this old pickle jar that Jake's mom left at our old house when she moved out. It doesn't have a lid though, or at least not one that I could find before we moved. It has a nice wide mouth for hands and cookies to easily find their way in, and out again. I love the jar but again, no lid.

I've been looking around the internet for cookie jars and most of them are ugly old things that remind me of something you'd find in a grandma's house. Not that there is anything wrong with grandmas, they're generally thought to be sweet old ladies, but since I'm not one, I'd rather skip buying their style of cookie jar.

This gnome is only $25. I can get behind a price like that. He is a little reminiscent of grandma's kitchen but at least he's not a pumpkin or cornucopia. 

I love the colors of this gnome. He looks more modern than the other but his blank eyes are kind of creepy.

I've linked this owl before. He is so super cute and can be found at Anthro. I just can't justify $68 on a cookie jar. 

These containers from Pottery Barn can be written on with a dry erase marker. While they're nice and clean looking, they aren't very interesting. 

This jar is simple but kind of boring, although it is the most frugal at $17.

To be honest, I wanted an R2-D2 cookie jar, I wasn't sure if they even existed but I found out that they do, and they're collectors items that sell for around 1k. Umm yeah, not ever happening. Sad face. 

Why I Can Food.

Corn Relish - recipe here

A few weeks ago I was talking to a farmer who was really concerned about the price of food in America. He was saying that there isn't enough farmland here to feed our own people, and of the farmland there is, a lot of it isn't used to grow food for humans but for animals, or it's used to grow items we export. Now, I don't know about the statistics of what he was saying, but I do see the cost of groceries rising every time I set foot in the store.

I went to the grocery store today and was appalled at the prices of items I know cost only 50% of what they do now, 2 years ago when I was in college. I was broke then, just as I am now, and paid extra attention to prices. Every year more and more families are finding it difficult to make ends meet, food banks are extended beyond their means, and people are going hungry. We won't even go into my feelings on how disgusting I find it that we live in a country of such wealth where the people starve.

People are having to find an alternate source of food and more Americans are planting gardens every year. I think this is awesome. I love my garden and my neighbors' gardens. Not everything I can comes from my own garden. I'm fortunate enough to live in a farming community where I can easily do a craigslist search and find lots of fresh produce for incredibly great prices.

Some of the produce I eat fresh, but the majority of it gets canned and put in the cellar. I do this because it's a great way to preserve food and save money all year long. Sure, canning is time consuming, but it is also really fun and the sense of satisfaction you get when opening a jar of something you made yourself is amazing.

I love knowing that if there ever is a time where I can't afford groceries, or at least as many groceries as we normally get, Jake and I will be okay, we won't starve because in my basement is a room full of things we can eat, including multiple types of jam, corn, pickles, asparagus, green beans, peaches, etc. I also stock up on bulk foods like flour and sugar so at least we'll be able to have bread. I don't want to come off as one of those people who thinks the apocalypse is coming but I do think we should have a stash of food because what I used to be able to get for $100 at the grocery store isn't getting me as much anymore.

I remember when I was growing up my mom had a giant cupboard full of aluminum cans of soup, beans, veggies, etc. I always thought it was kind of overkill but now I find myself doing the same thing, worried about the same things. I like that canning can help alleviate some of the stress I have about the cost of groceries. I like that we're slowly becoming more self-sufficient in our household.

Also, it's so nice to have jars to give as gifts, it saves me a ton of money and people usually love that you're giving them something you made yourself. I hope to be able to get a pressure cooker soon so I can expand my canning to include things that can't be canned in a water bath.

What I Love Wednesday: Color Combinations.

{pinned} {via}

I'm a little obsessed with orange and the blueish/green color described in these photos as pool or iceburg or whatever other goofy name they want to call it. I've slowly started purchasing yarn in these colors to make a blanket. I always try to use my JoAnns coupons so they'll send me more, and it's a nice way to slowly collect yarn. It seems like less money to buy the yarn over a period of months rather than all at once, even though it's really the same price. 

{pinned} {via}

{pinned} {via}

I just need to decide if I want the other shades to be grey or pink. 

I'm linked up at lollipops.

Pickled Watermelon Rinds.

Have you guys ever heard of pickled watermelon rinds? I hadn't until I bought Put 'Em Up!. I hadn't thought much about it until I was cutting up a giant watermelon a friend had given us from his garden and I remembered I had read something about pickling watermelon. I dug out my book and sure enough, there was a recipe and it sounded delicious. Since I was already pickling cucumbers I had all of the ingredients I needed and I got right to work. Cutting the skins off the rinds is kind of a giant pain but that's okay because the smell of the brine when it's cooking is one of the best smells ever. It smelled like Autumn in my house, which is perfect considering it's now September.

I can't wait to open these up and try them. Hopefully they're delicious so I can gift a jar to the person who gave us the watermelon. I always get nervous and have to try something before I gift a jar, just in case it tastes weird.

Do you know of anything that can be canned that you thought was strange? I like interesting recipes and ideas. 

Pinterest Pretties: Cabin Fever.

{pinned}

It's September and even though the sun is shining during the day, the nights are getting colder and I know fall is on its way and I am beyond excited. I love the sunshine and summer fun but I can't wait for hot tea, a little nip in the air, and to be able to get some use of my peacoat collection. The beginning of fall always has me dreaming of curling up in a rocking chair, atop a braided rug in front of a hearth fire, in a rustic log cabin with a book, hot tea, and a head full of dreams. It's in that spirit I'll begin my new series, Pinterest Pretties, with a collection of beautiful log cabins.

{pinned}

{pinned}

{pinned}

{pinned}

Favorite Blog Reads.

I was tagged by Angie of Lariats and Lavendar for something that required me to list 3 of my favorite blogs and it occurred to me that I've never really made a list of the blogs I love to read. Since I consider some of these people my dear friends, I view this as a serious travesty. So here goes (keep in mind, I love lots of other blogs, these are just the ones that popped into my head):

The Tsartisa Sez
The Upside Down Cupcake
The Citybirds Nest
551 East Furniture Design
Life of Love
Apt 345 (this is my sister who needs to post more often, hint hint)
Curioser
Food in Jars (canning inspiration galore)
Freshly Picked
House Unseen. Life Unscripted.
Of Woods and Words
Small Things
Strumpets & Crumpets
TexaGermaNadian

So if you find yourself looking to add some fresh blood to your blog roll, I urge you to check out a couple of these blogs.

Weekly Wrap Up.

This was a busy week for me. I took a temporary job that I saw on craigslist. It only lasted for 4 or 5 days but my body was aching everyday when I got home. I was helping set up a new retail store in one of the spaces inside Wal-Mart that used to be an arcade. It's for a company that sells sports apparel, like NFL jerseys. If you know me at all, you know how awesome this was. I am a huge football fan and they had installed 2 flat screens that showed the NFL channel all day. It was like heaven.

Today I picked up another half bushel (24 lbs.) of pickling cucumbers. I'll be pickling cucumbers all weekend. Does anybody have any especially good recipes? I did dills last time so I was thinking of doing sweet cucumbers and bread and butters this time.

One of Jake's good friends is coming to visit from Utah. It was a last minute trip, he called to let us know he was coming when he was about 3 hours away so I did some quick picking up. Our living room is slightly disheveled as we pulled the mattress off the guest bed to sleep downstairs where the AC works better. It looks super classy, let me tell you what.

I've been re-reading the Anne of Green Gables series. I'm on book 6 now, sometimes I just want to jump in the book and live in Avonlea, but then I remember how much hard work it was just to eat and keep warm everyday. I'm glad that I can choose to bake my bread but if I don't feel up to the task, I can easily pick up a loaf and my family won't be hungry for the day.

Also, there is a Rock Band party happening in my living room right now and I have cheesy potatoes baking in the oven. Life is good.

Did anything notable happen in your life this week?

Tomatoes!!

You guys, I have tomatoes! Obviously they aren't ripe yet but I'm still super excited. I've always been scared to grow tomatoes. I know back home they are difficult to grow so I never tried until this year and even then I didn't have much hope for them. I only planted two plants, one of which was promptly spray painted by the gas guy who was marking the gas lines. It ended up almost killing the plant and it hasn't produced any fruit, just a lot of blossoms. This plant though I now have high hopes for. I can't wait to eat my first ever homegrown tomatoes!

Recipe: Chocolate Crackle Cookies.

These cookies are so yummy, they're crunchy around the edges and soft in the middle, just how a cookie should be.

Ingredients:

1 c. semi-sweet choc. chips
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1/3 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 c. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
about 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt choc. - combine with brown sugar & oil.
Add eggs one at a time, beat well.
Add vanilla.
Add baking powder, flour, salt. Mix well.
Chill dough until it can be handled by hand without making a gooey mess, then drop by teaspoonfuls into powdered sugar and roll to coat.
Place on greased cookie sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes.

Tip: Be sure to roll the cookies into small balls. You will think they look way too small but when cooking they flatten right out, these are not very fluffy cookies.

Enjoy!

I'm linked up for Tasty Tuesday.

What I've Been Canning Lately.

First of all, thank you all for your great advice on my last post. I'm trying to use it in a way that works for me. Now, onto something new. Last week I got a lot of canning done. I felt like I was living with Anne of Green Gables helping Marilla make preserves or something. Actually though, I picked up 15 lbs. of pickling cucumbers from a local lady and 22 lbs. of peaches from the orchard. I had wanted to get more cukes, even though 15 lbs. is a lot of little cucumbers, it seems that we always go through them so quickly, but that was all she had. 

I used old recipes from a Sunset canning book my Aunties had given me circa 1983. The original copyright date was in the 70s. I couldn't find any new pickling recipes that didn't have some weird mumbo jumbo added to the recipe. I just wanted plain ol' pickles. I pickled some whole, some spears, and some chips. I made some with jalapenos for a friend who enjoys spicy things, and some with apple cider vinegar for variation. 

It's been so hot lately that I didn't feel like picking my own peaches so I just bought a box of them from the orchard instead. I'm going to do it again in a few weeks when a new variety of peach is ready. 

I canned some peach halves in sauce, next time I'll know that I can fit more in the jar by squishing them down a little. This was my first time. Instead of going with a really sugar heavy sauce I substituted a lot of the sugar content for honey. I hope it turns out well. The jar on the right contains what was supposed to be peach jam but it wasn't cooking down correctly so I opted for peachsauce instead, like applesauce but with peaches. It's so good! 

Advice Please.

Sorry for being MIA this past week. Jake and I got into an argument and it was a rather bad one, as happens with couples. Personally, I think that what the argument was about isn't always the important part, but the reflection afterward is much more important.

Everyone has their flaws and things they need to work on about themselves, but sometimes we need help to work on them. As for myself, I have a bit of a temper (having to do with a lack of patience) and am sometimes jealous (which I extremely dislike about myself but am not able to shake it). It stems from my first "real" boyfriend cheating on me and being a giant loser. I was only slightly jealous before that happened but ever since then, even if I truly trust my partner, I detest when another girl tries to flirt with him. I think it is disgusting for women to do that to each other. We won't even get into what I think of people who cheat on their significant other. I guess it's just human nature though for it always seems to be happening.

Jake and I love each other and I trust him but it still annoys me that this girl texts him all of the time. She isn't a threat and it's kind of flattering that someone has a little crush on my boyfriend, but it still bugs the crap out of me when she texts him. She is the sister of one of Jake's friends. He can't make her stop texting, I can't make her stop texting, since it's going to continue to happen I need to devise a way to not want to punch her in the face every time she texts. Not that I have or would ever get into a physical fight, it's not very ladylike.

I have invited this girl to hang out at our house instead of her trying to lure Jake out of our house to hang out with a "group". She won't come around because she says she, "is afraid of me." This indicates to me that she knows her behavior is inappropriate as she has no reason to be afraid of me. I've never officially met her, been mean to her, or anyone else that she knows, or anything of the kind. Since I can't seem to affect her behavior, I just need to change my response to it.

So, my questions for you are, if you have some of the same struggles that I do, what methods do you use to not become so annoyed when a girl has a little crush on your man, and how do you keep yourself calm when your patience has been exhausted?

Thanks in advance for your tips and tricks because trying to ignore her doesn't work particularly well.

P.S. The argument wasn't about this girl, but this issue came to light when thinking about why I get so angry sometimes.

Itching for Ink.

My friend Clair posted a photo of her newest work in progress tattoo which inspired me to share some ideas I have for my next tattoo. On my left arm I have a portrait of Frida Kahlo that I love. Getting tattooed in a visible place was a difficult decision for me to make, one that I thought long and hard about for many years. In the end, I love it and have no regrets (knock on wood). I want to get a piece on my other arm in the same location. I want a gypsy girl but I'm having a little trouble deciding on black and white or colorful.  I'm also having trouble deciding if I want it portrait style or not. Here are some examples I have been liking on pinterest. Keep in mind, none of these are exactly what I'm looking for but give me lots to think about.

{via}

I think this is my favorite but you know, with a face. I love her wavy hair and the big roses but I think I'd want them colored.

{via}

I like this too except for the creepy boobs. Actually, I think I just like her eyelashes and hair.

{via}

I love the colors used here but I don't like how her eyes look dead. If I don't get a face that looks like a real person I'd like something like this face, but with eyes that have a little life behind them.

{via}

I like the light shades of blue here. Perhaps something like this color for the roses on the skull gypsy's hair would be nice.

{via}

I love this photo and it's probably this that I'll end up showing my tattoo artist for inspiration.

I won't be getting this tattoo for awhile. I still need to think on exactly what I want my gypsy girl to look like.

Help My Reading List, Please.

{via}

My best friend is a librarian. When we lived in the same zip code he used to drop off a stack of books at my office and once I had finished and returned them, he'd drop off another. Now we live about 6 hours apart and I really miss having that personal shopper style librarian. I never had to search for books, I'd just ask him for suggestions and they'd magically appear. He knew my tastes and there was always something amazing in the selection he had for me.

Lately I've been re-reading books I have around my house because I'm not sure what to read next. I need some book suggestions. I like fiction. I'm open to all genres but I'm not much of a mystery reader. I enjoy fantasy and find myself reading a lot of YA books. Recently I've re-read The Hunger Games trilogy and The Song of the Lioness series. I'm not really into chick-lit or fluff books about relationships, shoes or dogs. If it's not fantasy I like books that feel real, that leave an impact after finishing them.

Do you know of any good reads? Give me all you've got, our library is tiny so I'm sure they won't have half of what you suggest so lots of options would be awesome.

P.S. If you ever need book suggestions, there is a tab at the top of my blog that has a list of books I've reviewed here. Some I liked, others, not so much.

Bright {Neon} Lights.

I have a thing for neon signs and marquee lights. Especially older ones where the paint is fading and chipping away. I think they're so cool and beautiful, even if they're forgotten. I saw the peacock gifts sign in China Town when I was visiting my sister and I wished so badly I could take it home with me. Peacocks are my favorite and he has such a great vintage feel to him.

This sign just feel so 50s professional to me. I think it's the black and white.

I love how this sign has bulbs to make up the letters and then neon lights outlining them. 

I kind of want my own sign made of flashing lights but I have absolutely no use for one. I do have a large front window, maybe I should get a Chinese Proverb in lights and hang in in the window for all the neighborhood to see, a snarky saying directed toward my nosy neighbors could be fun too.  

Friday Randomness.

I made these cute little slippers last week. I adapted this baby slipper pattern from goodknits. 

I posted a picture of them on facebook and I had a couple people offer to buy them from me if I made them in Oregon Ducks or Oregon State Beavers colors. I think this weekend I might go pick up some green to go with the yellow and whip up a few pairs. 

School started on Wednesday here. We live right across from the middle school so that's always fun. What is with kids this age? They're on their way to becoming pita high schoolers so right now they're just being little brats. They're working their way up to being full pita. The very first day of school our yard was full of trash, one of the kids opened the gate to our backyard, and we found marijuana hidden in our fence. It's not the worst place to stash your pot as you wait to pick it up after school, but it's not the most ingenious either.

At jam night last night the farmer guitar player brought more of his amazing corn (it has both yellow and white kernels) and he gave me a watermelon. He grows a giant garden so his friends and family can use it for canning and he said that we can come over when the tomatoes are ripe and pick as many as we want. He has over 300 tomato plants.

Speaking of fresh produce, I'm supposed to be picking up a 1/2 bushel (24 lbs.) of pickling cucumbers on Saturday. On Monday the orchard opens for u-pick peaches and nectarines. Our neighbor down the street also has grapes growing that he said we could have as long as I make his little 3 year old daughter some jelly. I think this will be a very busy canning week in my house.

I'm linked up at FTLOB. 

Consumers.

{via}

The Tsaritsa posted a Tide commercial the other day of a mother complaining that her daughter preferred to wear olive green instead of pink and wasn't girly enough. While I thought the commercial was really distasteful, it led me to think about other things. While I may not express all of my opinions on my blog, I have very strong ones, on most every subject. I have strong opinions on religion, politics, morality, sexuality, etc. What does that have to do with a Tide commercial?

We are a large nation, filled with many voices and opinions. We are also a nation of consumers. We purchase things on a daily basis ranging from necessities, such as food, to complete randomness like jelly bracelets. I’m trying to live a lifestyle where I’m conscientious about how and where I spend my money. I don’t want my lifestyle to have a negative impact on the planet or society. I want to do what I feel is right and so oftentimes I try to create rather than purchase. Obviously I can’t make everything and so I have to go the store for certain items, wherein lies the problem. 

In purchasing items, from any store, we are supporting an agenda which is not our own. The companies we purchase from donate large amounts of money. I’m not talking about their donations to charities. I’m talking about their donations to lobbyists, political parties and groups, religious organizations. They all have an agenda and they’re using the money I spent on the goods I purchased from them to further their agenda and that doesn’t sit well with me. The idea that I’m inadvertently supporting causes that I am adamantly opposed to makes me queasy.

A lot of times a product from one brand is owned by another brand, which is owned by another. It’s hard to know where the money is actually going and what it’s being spent on. You can do a lot of research and still have no idea, so in addition to trying to live a greener lifestyle, I’m also trying to spend less and live my life in a more thoughtful manner.

That's not the only reason I'm trying to purchase less. As consumers we spend exorbitant amounts of money on items we don’t need. I’m not even talking about things that could be argued over whether we need them or not (television for some), I’m talking about junk. How many extra toys have you bought your kids that they don’t actually need, how many hundreds of colors of nail polish do you own, did you go buy a bunch of junk at the 99 cent store just because it was 99 cents? How many times do we walk into a store to pick up only certain items and come out carrying 3 other things we just had to have? This is why we’re becoming a nation of hoarders and I want no part in it. If there is an option between purchasing an item and making it myself (within reason) I’m going to make it myself. I am only purchasing necessities.

I realize that not everyone has the same value system and strong opinions that I do and that some people will read this and think I’m nuts, like that girl on facebook the other day whose status was, “I need to buy an ice cream machine.” I asked why she didn’t just use a plastic bag and some ice like we did in Chemistry class one day. Her response was, “Why would I do that if I can just buy it?” I realize that some people think being able to purchase the luxuries in life, like the latest technology, is what makes life worth living. That is not the point I’m trying to make. I just think we need to be more conscious of not only what we’re spending our money on and how we’re spending it but of whom we’re spending it with. I’m not trying to tell you how to live your life; I’m just sharing something that is important to me.

What I Love Wednesday: Kitchen Equipment.

When I cook and can, I rely on the most basic of kitchen utensils. I don't own a mixer, not even a hand mixer, I don't have a blender, I don't even have a potato masher. I do however have a mini rice cooker from college. It's easy to make do with whatever I have around. There are a few little things I've been lusting after though.

1. I would love a stick blender to aid in the canning of certain things, like applesauce.
2. I could really use a larger colander. As of now I have a very small plastic one, also from college.
3. I would love to have a food dehydrator. I could dry all sorts of orchard deliciousness to save for later.
4. Who doesn't love a new book full of recipes?

Are you lusting after anything new for your kitchen?

I'm linked up at lollipops.

Damsel In The Dress {Giraffe Style}.

This is my new favorite dress that I own. It is incredibly comfortable and doesn't wrinkle very much. Plus, it's covered in giraffes. So awesome. I really love this outfit because I feel good in it. The fabric is slinky and not clingy so I don't get too warm like I tend to do in other dresses. I like the length, it's short but not too short. I've never really been one for showing off my legs and this is about as short as I like to go. It's not that I dislike my legs or anything, I just hate the way shorts feel all bunched up between my thighs so the only time I show my legs is when I wear a dress.

Dress: Hot Topic (who knew they carried something that doesn't look like a lollipop threw up on it?)

Cardigan: H&M

Shoes: Ross

Earrings: Made by a dear friend

It also has pockets! Woo hoo! In my opinion, every dress should have pockets. I think it'd be cute with a thin belt but I don't have any. Maybe I'll make a crocheted belt...with tassel ties?

I love the back cutout. It's so fun and even when I'm wearing a cardi and nobody can see it, I still know it's there. It's like my sweet little secret.

Here is a closeup of the giraffes. I love the wooden look of the buttons too. They're not actually wooden though. I'm so happy to finally have a yellow cardigan. I purchased a mustard colored cardi a few years ago on the morning of my sister's wedding. It was getting kind of windy out so I told her she could wear my new cardi with her wedding dress as her wedding colors were yellow and grey. She never gave it back citing some rule about, "If you wear it on your wedding day, it is yours to keep forever." I never even got to wear the darn thing, not even once. This one is more canary yellow than mustard but I still like it.

I've linked up at The Pleated Poppy.

Sashi the Snail.

I felt like hand stitching the other day and I wanted to make something fun and cute. I thought making a little animal would be fun but I didn't want to make anything with legs so a friend and I did a quick brainstorming session. Very quickly we came up with whales, fish, snakes, slugs and snails. I thought doing the shell with a patterned fabric swirl would be cute so I got to work and this is what I ended up with. I drew a snail on a piece of notebook paper, cut it out, and used it as a pattern to cut the felt. I still need to make her some antennas but I didn't have any stiff wire to make them stand up so I figure I'll do that later. 

I like when things look handmade. When the stitches aren't perfect and things are just a little wonky.

Maybe next time I'll make a fish or a whale. When I feel brave enough to make a ton of legs I want to make a jellyfish.

I've linked up for Life Made Lovely Monday and Make it Monday.

How To: Entertain a Baby.

My Auntie Val uploaded these photos to facebook last night and I just had to share them with you because Lana's face is priceless. My Aunt & Uncle like to call themselves Grauntie Val and Grunkle Ed since they're Lana's Great Aunt and Uncle, which I think is so cute.

Frozen Fruit.

In addition to canning and making fruit jams, one thing I like to do to preserve delicious summer fruits is to freeze them. It works really well for berries and grapes. I purchase or pick fruit when it's ripe and on sale, wash it all very well, lay it on a baking sheet in the freezer and once it's frozen I transfer it to a mason jar and return it to the freezer. It's so easy and I get to enjoy yummy fruit all winter long. Have you ever had a frozen grape? They're my favorite. Also, the berries are great to thaw and use in a pie.

They also make great and fun ice cubes for your iced tea. 

What I Returned With: Part Three.

My Uncle Cool (that's not his name, just what we call him) grew these from one he had taken from my Aunties' house and then gave one to everyone at the family reunion. My mom says they're called hen-and-chicks because one (the hen) will produce many more (chicks). I really want to transfer them to the ground but I'm having trouble deciding exactly where I should place them. That's the hard thing about renting, I never know where to plant anything. Also, when we move again I'll have to dig everything back up. I've wanted to get some succulents for quite awhile now so I'm really excited about these.

Last night was Jam Night at the local bar so I took yarn and my hooks and worked on some dishrags I've been making. I also made a headband for one of the bartenders, by request. He has long, poufy, curly hair and wanted something to hold it back. All of the guys tease me about my crocheting at the bar but it doesn't phase me. One of the guys who plays his guitar at jam night is a farmer and he brought everyone sweet corn. I always get excited about free food, especially if it is fresh and locally grown. I can't wait to have corn on the cob tomorrow.

For Sale.

I don't know if you noticed but I have added a button at the top of my blog that says, "For Sale." If you click on it you'll see I've listed some Stampin' Up! stamp sets that I'm wanting to sell. My sister recently gave me some stamp sets and I ended up with duplicates and I did a little purging of my own collection as well. They're all listed for 5 dollars each so if you see anything you'd like to call your own, just shoot me a quick email and I'll mark it yours. If you know of anybody who loves Stampin' Up! or just stamps in general, if you'd pass this along to them I would be very grateful. Thanks so much!