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Showing posts with label Serious Posts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Serious Posts. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Dear Chris Brown Defenders.....


Why do we seem to think that the future should be filled with people who never say "no" or tell others they are wrong. Hate to break it to you, but not every thought in your head is an "opinion" and you still can be just plain wrong. Just like Chris Brown was just plain wrong to hit her. There is no room for opinion here. It is wrong. Period.

He was wrong, and he should be punished for it. But he was not. I don't care what a court said. A court also let a man out on parole for beating and raping someone i know as well as a couple other women. If you think that court was right, please, imagine being the women who got beaten & raped finding out that by simply violating his parole he can come back and kill you. Or just rape and beat you again, and get another couple years in jail for it.

I come from a place where I see crimes of all types, against males and females, being committed and the offenders getting completely disproportional sentences. Any major act of violence against any one should hold far greater ramifications then a year or two in jail with parole. Because when those people get out, I've noticed that they tend to get angrier and more violent.

We can't sit here and accept it. Nor can we even think to say that he should get a second chance. Because out there, right now, are thousands of women in the U.S. who have been the victims of abuse, who will continue to live in their abusive homes. Not because they feel trapped, not because they have no where else to go (though there are many cases when these are the reasons) more than not, a woman will stay with a man who hits here because the next day he comes back with an apology. He begs and even cries and she wants to give him a second chance. Surely it was just this one time, right? It was my fault anyways. I shouldn't have made him so mad.


Wrong.


A week, a month, sometimes it takes a whole year. But it always happens again.
This is a fact that my mother has drilled into my head since before I was old enough to even want to date. Because she had been there. Because she knows exactly what it's like, and what it leads to.
It is dangerous to give in to the first act of violence. Each time you forgive you become more submerged in the world of abuse. The apologies slowly change and so do the after thoughts.
I shouldn't have made him so mad.
I shouldn't have said that.
I shouldn't have opened my mouth.
I shouldn't have disobeyed him.


Slowly you lose your self esteem & your independence. You soon really and truly believe you deserved to be hit.

And in world where most women never even get to experience any conversation about the signs and cycle of abuse we do not need to be teaching girls to be that woman. Rihanna was smart enough to get out. But here we are taking her place in the cycle. Accepting his half hearted apology and assuming that it will never happen again. Rihanna just shouldn't have made him so mad. 


This is not matter for discussion. This is no matter for opinion. This was just wrong. Everything about it was wrong. And we should have been yelling from the very beginning that Chris would receive, at the very least, a few years in jail. We should have been using this at a platform to discuss how awful the current system is for domestic violence. We should be talking about how the penalties for expressing anger threw your fists on another human being should far greater than they are.

But we're not.

We're using it to discuss his next album.
We're using it to discuss is performances.
And we're using it to discuss how violence against others is ok, and not a big deal.

To be further disturbed... 25 Extremely Upsetting Reactions to Chris Brown at the Grammys

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Content ~ Writing Wednesday

I'm back with Chapter 2!
I've got a new emotion, a new setting, and new-ish characters.
Check out Chapter 1 here if you want to stay in the loop.

This week the emotion that the random generator picked was Content.

Enjoy.

Chapter 2

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Stressing ~ My Mind Monday


So you may have noticed that I missed a few posts last week...
Let’s just say, the optimism I had on Monday for this year quickly depleted around Tuesday.
I have my days pretty filled up with things to do. There is rarely a moment that passes where something doesn't need to be done. Such is life, right? But then that whole "one thing goes wrong that takes you hours to fix putting you nearly a day behind" thing happens. Except this week, the "hours" got turned into "days" and you can guess it put me a lot more than a day behind. So some things had to be sacrificed, like my blog. Sorry, but I'm (hopefully) back now.

I don't want talk about what all happened for a few reasons (like this post just turning into an angry rant) but the whole episode got me thinking a lot about stress.

It's an evil thing.
It ruins days.
But seriously, think about that. It ruins days. Perfectly good days, ruined. Why? Because you’re stressed. Because one big thing, or several small things, or a combination of the big and small things have went very wrong. We tend to stop thinking here. And we really shouldn't. Now is when we need to pose another question: Why is everything going wrong?

When I remember the real answer to this question, it puts everything back into perspective for me.
So far this month I have had 5 orders. That is an order every other day. That is the best I've done since I started. Well ok, I had a similar spike in September, but I also had a mega slump in December. When I think back, I realize that the times in my life when I was the most stressed were when things were going the best, or were about to get really great.

God blesses us, and the devil tries to bring us down, and since he is really good at what he does, it usually works. We try to overcome him by ourselves, and fail, because we forget who we're fighting against. We see all the things going wrong, and forget who is causing them.

I have a vague memory of someone explaining this fact of life by having us visualize it sort of like a flowchart.
So being the nerdy girly I am, I decided to make it for you.



Monday, January 2, 2012

My Mind Monday ~ Tis A Happy New Year Indeed!

Ok. First things first.
Ok, next order of business.

Normally, I don't really care that much about New Years. I mean, its fun and all, but I'm a night person, i don't need a reason to stay up until 12:00pm. I do that everyday! ..er...night! And i never really saw the point in watching the ball drop on tv... I mean, I'm sure it is much cooler in person... I suppose... but on TV it's just... eh. And I never make New Years Resolutions, I usually just lecture my friends on their superficial weight loss goals. However... 

I can not even begin to express how excited I am for this new year!

I am super excited about everything going on with my store this year! I have so many exciting ideas that I can't wait to implement. So, I have set myself the goal of listing 1 new item every week day until I hit 100 items in my store. I'm really looking forward to sharing all my new ideas & creations with you guys!
Check out today's new item!


I have also been blessed with opportunities to be featured on several blogs recently! Check them out below!

Friday, December 30, 2011

Featured Friday ~ A List Designs


A List Designs has such stunning items. The exquisite handmade jewelry is fashioned from beautiful gemstones and sterling silver, and many pieces show off their impressive metal smith skills. Their store is filled with such charming and unique pieces; it is a trendsetter’s paradise.

Continue reading to find out more about the talented hands behind the brilliantly crafted jewelry at A List Designs.


Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Writing Wednesday ~ Envious

I was inspired, recently, by this blog, to start a series with in this series.
Though I will interject with a poem, or song, or different story when I feel it's appropriate,  every Writing Wednesday I will write a flash fiction piece, no more than 500 words, based around an emotion. unlike Donovich's posts I will not be going in any particular order, but rather, I'll be using a random generator to pick the emotion each week. Also, each story will be like a short episode, peering into the lives of the same set of characters, and all the stories will be told in chronological order. 

Fun Fun ^_^
Today's emotion is.... envious.

Lets call this...
Chapter 1
Ellen sighed as he walked away with her. “She's pretty...” she thought, sighing as she struggled to keep here halfhearted smile in place. “She’s nice, she's smart, she is actually rather perfect...” She turned back to the coffee she had just poured, wrapped her thin, self-manicured hands around the warm paper cup, and, hoping it would be cool enough to indulge in, lifted it to her lips. Breathing in the steam, she lowered it with a sigh and glanced at the tiny, white clock that sat just an inch below the dingy drop tile ceiling of the fellowship hall.

Church was scheduled to start in just five minutes so she made her way to the sanctuary, keeping her pace quick and eyes focused in the hopes that any of the prying women, or even any of the genuinely nice ones, would assume she had some important business for the service to attended to.  Futile she knew, partly because there were a few who, if they noticed her, would simply not be so considerate, and partly because she would need to deal with the same problem once she got to the sanctuary. Service was scheduled to start at 10:00am, but everyone knew, and took advantage of the fact, that it wouldn’t actually begin until 10:15 or 10:20. Twenty minutes, at least, of faking happy. It’s not that she was that sad about it, she just didn’t want to talk about it. She knew she wouldn’t be able to clear her head of it. Not until she sat and rationalized her thoughts.

When she got upstairs she headed for the bathroom. It was quiet, and empty. She leaned over the small sink as she looked in the mirror. Her skin looked pale, and her pink lip gloss, purple in the unflattering incandescent blue overhead lighting.

“It’s a good thing,” she thought. “It’s very good… I wanted to hate her. I wanted to find some flaw, something that would make her wrong for him. That was wrong. I should want him to be happy. I want him to be happy. She makes him happy. She is pretty, and intelligent, and sweet. She has his sense of humor, she has his taste in music, and she’s perfect for him... She is perfect for him.”

She quickly splashed some soap and cold water on her hands as another woman walked in with her preschool aged daughter. She began to wander to her usual seat in the sanctuary as she continued to recite those thoughts to herself, using all her power to push back the one thought that incessantly fought its way to the front of her mind.

“But so am I…”


Inspiring songs include:

Monday, December 26, 2011

My Mind Mondays ~ Traditions

There is something about baking. More specifically baking Christmas cookies.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Featured Friday ~ Spackle The Gap + Giveaway! [Giveaway Closed]


I’m so in love with the photos at Spackle The Gap. The owner, KJ, clearly has an eye for beauty in interesting places. I love how she uses her listings’ descriptions to describe her vision for many of the photos, and the photo effects perfectly compliment the desired aesthetic feel. Whether it’s telephone wires or speckled spiders, a stadium or one of the wettest spots on earth, KJ finds the perfect shot every time. Read on to find out about the woman behind the shutter and find out how you can win your choice of any of her 8x10 fine art photos!

Friday, December 16, 2011

Featured Friday: Cardinal Virtues


The first thing that struck me about this Etsy store was the name, Cardinal Virtues. It’s one of those names that just stick with you, & the banner the name is displayed on is such a beautiful representation of the rest of the shop. The stunning vintage items are complemented by lovely photography, and some of the beautiful jewelry is sold for charity!
Blue Shell/Fan Earrings by Crafter Hannah Walklate
Read on to find out more about this charity & CardinalVirtues in my interview with its very sweet owner Michelle.

Enjoy. 

Monday, December 12, 2011

My Mind Monday ~ Vintage Books

Winnie the Pooh 1950 Four book set



I LOVE Vintage Books. If you have ever read any of my profiles you know this. For instance, I own a book written entirely in short hand. And no, I do not read short hand.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Featured Friday Etsy Shop: KnellyBean


Beautiful, bright, bold colors instantly grab my attention when I enter Etsy shop KnellyBean. Her collection of crocheted accessories & embellishments are so fun & upbeat! Just looking at her store makes me smile. I just love her photos & her creativity.  I also love how she donates a portion of her proceeds to the Scleroderma Foundation.
Though she sells a variety of items her store they are all still unified under her love of color. But I don’t want to spoil the interview for you. Read on to get a taste of her equally upbeat & fun personality!

Monday, December 5, 2011

Handmade Holidays



Ah Christmas... A time to spend with family, friends, & God; thanking Him for giving us His Son & each other. 
A time when we become more conscious of those around us & begin to show a greater kindness in our actions. 


Right?

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Bringing New Character to Old Books

Hey all!

I just wanted to share with you this little "commercial" I created today. As the watermark implies, I used Stupeflix, but only because WMM was acting weird. I'm hoping to do more things with Youtube in the future, like DIY's & peaks into my workshop, maybe even a vlog or two. But for now, let me know what you think of this little vid. 
Enjoy.


Friday, November 25, 2011

My Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Sunday because it's just awkwardly in the middle and Cyber Monday SALE!


Not the catchiest of titles but accurate! To celebrate Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Sunday just because it's awkwardly in the middle and Cyber MondayI am offering 15%OFF everything in my store! Use coupon code HANDMADEHOLIDAY15 for 15% off starting Friday Nov. 25th 2011 at 12:00AM through Monday Nov. 28th 2011. And if you spend $50 or more* at my store this weekend you can use coupon code HANDMADEHOLIDAY25 for 25%OFF your purchase!

Keep in mind my Christmas cut off dates are Dec. 12th for U.S. orders & Dec. 5th for international orders. After these dates I cannot guarentee that you will recieve your order before Christmas. This is based off of shipping dates for USPS first class & first class international. If you would like to upgrade to priority or expediant please contact me via Etsy's messageing system or my email: BookCraft.etsy@yahoo.com

Have a very happy holiday season!
Courtney Rae

*May only be used if your Etsy shopping cart for my store equals $50 not including shipping.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

It is NaNoWriMo time!

(and I'm already going crazy...)

Hello everyone!

To all my fellow NaNoer's:
WHY AREN'T YOU WRITING!! GO! GO WRITE NOW!!
(get it.. like go right now.. only in really bad pun form)

And to all my non-NaNo readers:
WHY AREN'T YOU WRITING! GO JOIN NANO LAST MINUTE! IT IS NOT TOO LATE! GO NOW!

To those of you who stuck around anyways, or writing in the comments that I should be taking my own advice & not writing a blog post, I would like to draw your attention to the "It's not too late" part.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Pay It Forward: PIF

Pay It Forward.
(PIF)

I never even heard of this movie until I came to Etsy. The shop owners there certainly took this idea & ran with it!

iTribute: Steve Jobs




Thank you Steve Jobs. Without your brilliance, your mix of creativity &; science, this world may have never witnessed the incredible technology boom that it has.
Normally, I don't care when someone famous dies.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

FREE but actually really good!

This video is via Etsy's online labs & is truly awesome. If you are an Etsy seller, or any small business owner & you haven't see this yet watch it NOW.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

I'm Fired

NOTE:
If you tend to be harder on yourself than others are on you, don't bother reading this


In a search for daily devotionals directed at businessprofessionals I came across this: http://www.cornerstonebusinessbuilders.com/pdf/YOUR-FIRED.pdf

It was the title that got me. 

The devotional was actuallyabout firing an employee in a Christian way, which doesn’t apply to me at all.But, because he’s God, I got something out of that. Not so much the words thatcame after the verses, but the verses themselves, & the title.
You see, I have noticed that as business owners, we tend to see ourselves as.. well…the business owner. The boss. I think of myself as my own boss, but never, until this morning have Ithought of myself as my own employee.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

What to do? What to do?

To do accounting work?Or to finalize a new listing? That is the question! ... Oh wait no, it's to doaccounting work? Or to finalize a new listing? Or to create a new product? Orto write a blog? Or make a Facebook ad? Or to make edit my Etsy ads? Or stockup on product? Or to clean up the office? Or..
The list continuesforever...
Guess which I one Ipicked though?