Don't They Know We're In A Freakin' Recession?

Whether you choose to admit it or not, we are, and for the life of me, I can't understand why I got some strange looks from my co-workers when I told them I was NOT participating in the holiday gift exchange. Give me a freakin' break! I'm broke! I'm a single lady living (barely) on the outskirts of one of the most expensive cities in the country, and I'm a struggling entrepreneur. I am struggling financially as I am sure lots of people are, so please forgive me if I'm sounding a little Scrooge-ish. Ninety percent of my gifts this year will be handmade-if not by me-then by my fellow crafters. I don't feel the need to play white elephant with a bunch of folks who barely give me the time of day as it is, and $25 is more than I'm spending on gifts for my own family! Okay, I'm jumping off my soap box. I just had to get that off my chest! Oh, I also forgot to mention that I'm making turkey meatballs for these moochers. Okay, I'm done for real this time.

Does Advertising Really Pay Off?

(Okay, if I actually had cash like this, this would be a moot point!)

I'm asking this because I've been spending money like mad on some very popular blogs and craft outlets (I won't name names because I really like and respect these blog), and I haven't had ONE sale as a result. That's not to say that I haven't had any "hits." I really need to learn how to track my website stats. Please pardon my tone, I'm just venting a little...

I'll Never Buy From This Supplier Again

You know, I hate to publicly dis another business owner, but I'm really pissed right now, and I've got to vent. I'm on a tight budget as I'm preparing for the fall and holiday seasons, and I was in desperate need of some CP soap friendly colorants. I can't even tell you how I found this site (online search? Link from another site?) Anyway, I was flipping through the pages of this site and saw some cute molds and some 1 oz Peacock dyes for $2.29. I quickly scoop up about 10 of those and a couple of the molds. They were well within my budget, and I love Peacock dyes but could never really spare the expense. Anyway, I ordered my stuff on 7/24/08 and I made the payment thru PayPal. I quickly get one of those automated "Thank you for your order" e-mails, and I'm thinking I'll be receiving a "Your order has been shipped" e-mail in 3-5 days tops. NOPE!!!! I happened to be on PayPal checking my recent activity when I see that my payment hadn't even been claimed! RED FLAG #1 !!! DO I cancel the order? Noooooo. I'm pressed! I want my stuff, so I send the chick an e-mail basically asking what the deal is. She doesn't even respond, but she quickly snatches the payment! RED FLAG #2!!! A week has passed by now, and still no contact. Not even a "Sorry for the delay, but I've had a family emergency...," so I send the broad another e-mail on 8/5. Mind you, it's been almost two weeks and still no product! This e-mail goes unanswered or unacknowledged. RED FLAG #3!!! Just as I'm about to dispute this transaction thru PayPal, I get one of those shipment notifications from them alerting me that my order is being shipped with the US Postal Service. That was on 8/8/08 people-exactly two weeks later!!!!

So I'm saying all this to say, I will not ever order anything from Soap Molds N More ever again! There, I've spoken my peace. I need a drink.

MapQuest Sucks!

Ok, I just gotta vent: MAPQUEST SUCKS!!! I had to pick up a package from UPS today, and I printed the directions off you-know-who so I could go straight there from work. Figuring it was only a 15 minute drive, I'm saying to myself "Cool!!!." So the directions tell me to turn left on Sweitzer Lane which I do, and guess what? I come to a f*cking dead end! I was so pissed. I had to bust a U to get back on the main road so I decide to keep straight on Sweitzer, and lo and behold, I find the friggin UPS office-I guess seeing all those huge brown trucks coming toward me was a dead giveaway. So, MapQuest, you are wrong! You make a right onto Sweitzer from 198, not a left, when travelling East. Yeah, yeah, they print a disclaimer, but dammit, I expect not to get lost when following directions. Ok, I feel somewhat better. I got my vanilla-stable M&P soap base. That's all that matters. Smooches!