Afternoon Snack

I made the kiddos some cookies this afternoon. Huge hit:o)

For some reason I have been in the baking mood. I have made a peach cobbler and chocolate oatmeal cookies in the past week too. 

Could it be that I am a stress eater and I am freaked out about this craft fair? 

maybe:o)

Anyway, I found a great cookie & icing recipe over at Girl Inspired today. The cookies were really really tasty...yes, were..not are...just kidding. I left a few for the hubs;o) I froze less than half of them for another day:o)

I hope that you all are having a great Tuesday. Mine would be slightly better if the cleaning fairy would show up;o)

This Just Pinned

Source: allposters.com via Marina on Pinterest

Source: stumbleupon.com via Marina on Pinterest

Source: themodernparent.net via Marina on Pinterest

First Item for Craft Fair Completed

These pictures are terrible..I should have taken them while the sun was still on this side of the house, but I am too excited about finally completing an item for the craft fair....that's in TWO WEEKS! 

 The rocking chair was given to me by some dear friends. It was a cherry color before I had my way with it.. The seat cushion is covered in an antique grain sack, and the skirt is a ruffled painter's drop cloth.

 This is when I should have taken the pictures...if only the rocking chair had been done then:o)

Isn't this aster bush amazing?

This bush is unbelievable. When I planted this last year, it looked like a dying twig...

see picture below.

Can you believe that is the same plant?!?

Beautiful!!

We have lovingly named it the "Mozzie" Bush. Mozzie was my great grandmother, and one of the sweetest women that graced the earth. This plant started in her garden, and has been passed along to several family members and friends...what a way to remember such a beautiful person! 

Faster updates to local business listings

(Cross-posted on the Lat Long Blog.)

Our goal to create a digital representation of the real world doesn’t just mean a birds’ eye view through Google Earth, or a street-level view through Google Maps. It means providing a local view as well, and tools like Google Places help people across the globe learn about and connect with the places and businesses in their immediate areas.

We use a variety of authoritative sources to give users relevant local information about places that might interest them, including data from partners, users, and directly from business owners who verify their organic listings via Google Places for business. In addition, we always want to know about changes to a business that should be reflected on our local search products. That’s why we have the “Report a problem” tool on Google Maps, and also enable users to click on the "Edit this place” link at the top of the Place page to provide updates to a business listing.

And while some business owners may have previously verified their organic listing to ensure that their company information was correct at that particular moment in time, we recognize that amidst all the work that goes into running a successful enterprise, remembering to update their Google Places account may not always be top of mind. Oftentimes, a neighborhood local or a loyal customer is eager to help their favorite business update its online presence when it moves into a bigger space across the street, or extends its hours for the summer season.

That’s why today, we’re introducing a new process that helps streamline the way updates are made to potentially outdated or incorrect business listings. Previously, verified business listings would always reflect the information provided by its owner - even if we received data about an updated name, address, or hours of operation. But now, if a user provides new information about a business they know -- or if our system identifies information from another source on the web that may be more recent than the data the business owner provided via Google Places --  the organic listing will automatically be updated and the business owner will be sent an email notification about the change. Without requiring any effort on the part of the business owner, we’ll take measures to keep their listing up-to-date if our system determines that the edit is accurate. Of course, if the business owner disagrees or has even more recent information, they can always directly log in to their Google Places account and make further edits.

Online ads from business owners using our AdWords or AdWords Express programs will not be affected by these automatic updates. Ads will continue to display the business information the owner has provided in Google Places.

We hope these new features help users find the most accurate local information available, and make it even easier for business owners to manage their online presence. If you’re a business owner with additional questions about your specific listing, please consult the Google Places for business Help Center or visit our user support forum.

Posted by Lior Ron, Google Places Product Manager

Happenings....with very little motivation!!

There hasn't been too much going on in the crafting realm...I have been tending to sick children (they're better now) and nursing a cold. There have been days where we were bored to tears, and days where boredom would have been welcomed.

The hubs has started working on redoing the back yard...it is going to be beautimous! I can't wait to see how it all turns out. He used a sod stripper the other day and pulled out a ton of grass. Here the little ones are helping daddy clean up.

 Here is evidence of how I had wished for a boring day:o)

 S.R. lopped off half of her hair which caused Mommy dearest to come out:o) I was one UN-happy camper. Thankfully the child was blessed with naturally curly hair, so the 2 inch long hair blends in with the rest. She went from this:

to this:

 I had to cut 3 and 1/2 inches off the back of her hair....oh well...thankfully it grows back!! Oh yeah, this was also the same day when E locked the dog in the outdoor toy basket and we thought he was lost in the neighborhood...um, yeah, we were so glad when 8 p.m. rolled around:o)

In other news, our homemakers club is hosting a craft fair. I am going to have a booth. I am really lacking any motivation to get anything done for my booth. I have been focusing mainly on advertising...

I have started on a few things, though.

  Hymnal wreaths are in the works. 

 I also have some signs and chalkboards that I am working on.

Small furniture and some shelving will be added in too...I am kind of making things up as I go along:o)For those of you in the area, we would love for you to show some love and attend...check out the homemakers' blog, HERE, for more information.

Sew Much Fun

 Yesterday I was a short order seamstress. The kids are on fall break right now. So I decided that they could tell me what they wanted me to make them, and I would make it right then and there....they loved it! 

E got a pirate hat and pretend watch, and S.R. got a princess cape and mask. 

While they were napping, I made S.R. this Halloween shirt. 

 This time of year is the only time that it is appropriate to wear such ghastly colors all at once:o)

For those of you who are from my hometown...S.R. will be donning her new "Boo" shirt at a certain high school athletic event involving a white ball and net tonight:o) Maybe we will see you there!!

 While we are on the subject of shirts...I made this one for S.R. a few weeks back for our family pictures.

 The picture taking process was excruciating. There was a melt down, and then funny faces, hands in the mouth, tempers flaring, etc...but we all looked cute:o) The pictures turned out fantastic, and I can't wait to share them with you all.

Anywhoodles, back to the shirt..I really wanted to do a peek-a-boo shirt for her. I think they are so sweet and I had never made anything like this before...

I am really happy with the results.

Yes, I am completely aware that this shirt is in desperate need of an iron, but laziness has overcome me at this point:o)

 So what have you been sewing these days?

Have you tried out a new pattern? 

Introducing a new support feature for Google Places for business

We want to make it easy for you to get found on Google. The best way to do that is to add your business information to Google Places for business to make sure all your information is up to date.

But sometimes, you need a little help along the way to ensure that you can be found on Google. And lately, we’ve been hearing from many of you that you’d like a little more of this kind of help. That’s why we’re excited to share a recent change to our Help Center.

Now when you visit the Help Center homepage, you’ll notice a new section called “Fix a problem.” Click the problem that applies to you. We’ll walk you through some questions to help you get to the bottom of the issue, giving you tips to help resolve any issues you experience. And sometimes, if you still need additional help, you can send us a note. Fill out the contact form, hit submit, and someone from our team will get back to you soon.

Here’s a video to help you get started, featuring Derek, a member of our Google Places team:



Posted by Joel Headley, Consumer Operations