I wouldn't call it crafty......

I wouldn't call myself "crafty", but I do wish I was. I can scrapbook like a maniac, I have to give myself credit for that. But I can't knit or sew or anything like that. My mom is a wonder with a glue gun, so I probably have the genes in me. One day I will explore them and see where it takes me.

Babies?

Lots of babies are born in the summer.... which means there are lots of women who just got pregnant or are about to. If you are among them, congratulations. I don't have kids, but I do have nephews. And they are amazingly wonderful. Yes, they are going to wake you up at 3 am but how can you get mad at anything that is so darn cute?

If you have a bunch of money to spend on kids' clothes, I would buy Childish Clothing if I were you. It is very hip and not at all cutsey. Oh, and they have stuff for you, too, momma.

No Sew Blankets - cheap & easy last minute xmas gift

I know a lot of people that have made these no-sew blankets. I've never made one... one of these days I will... they seem super easy and have the potential to be very cute, if you choose the right patterns and all. And, they do make nice presents. I mean, who doesn't want to be warm and cuddly?

I owe it all to Sassy???

When I was 14, I discovered Sassy Magazine. Remember that one? Jane Pratt was the founder and editor and I was just amazed that a young woman could do that.... actually start a magazine. I loved reading the articles by Christina Kelly and Kim France... I thought they must have the most wonderful lives. Getting paid to write (and interview some very cool people). Andrea Lee Linnett really opened my eyes to some fashion I would never have thought of, but I interpreted it my own way, and yes, I did wear courdoroys under baby-doll dresses. I was the coolest in the early 90's, let me tell you. Totally non-comfortist. And that magazine and it's editor and writers definitely helped shape who I am today.

TV

I will admit that I love TV. I was named after a TV character, after all. I have heard stories of people who don't own televisons and I have mixed feelings about these people. I am somewhat in awe of them, but part of me thinks they must be really wierd. I mean, what kind of person doesn't own a TV? Even if you think that the stuff on TV is beneath your mentality, without a TV you can't watch DVDs of documentaries or totally underground art films or whatever someone without a TV would watch....

I am not into reality TV, I've never seen an episode of "American Idol" or "Survivor", and I am not going to start watching it, either. And I don't watch "Lost" or "Grey's Anatomy" or any of these shows that people go ga-ga over.

However, part of me misses the glory-days of the talk shows. Back when I was in high school, I would get home at about quarter to three, and I would watch Ricki, Sally Jessy, Montel, Jenny Jones, etc. Yes, Montel is still on, but it isn't the same...

Women & Money

Women & Money... well, for starters, we get paid less than we are worth; women usually have less in savings for retirement becuase they take time off from work to raise children and they typically invest in "safe, low interest" options; etc, etc, etc. The list can go on and on. You are probably familiar with Suze Orman. If not, pick up one of her books - she can break all those "money terms" down into simple language. Plus she understands where you are coming from. She is a woman and she has been in major debt herself!

They Say You Can Do Anything With Duct Tape

Here are some instructions on how to make a duct tape purse. Yes, you heard that right. Your dad will be proud, and you can tell Kate Spade to move over.

Want to save $500

I found this article on MSN that lists "easy" ways to save $500. Some of them are pretty easy, like making your own coffee instead of buying it from a coffee house, etc. Some of them are not so fun, like giving up cable. Anyway, here is a link to the article: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/10EasyWaysToSave$500OrMore.aspx

If you really want to know......

How does DSL work? How do men work? How do you buy a car? How do you do anything??? Find out at www.howstuffworks.com. It's free, it's easy, and you will learn something!!

Lasy's Not Fussin' In The Kitchen, Ok?

My sister, Lasy, is a very clever chick and she is also a single mom who works full time and has a long commute. She doesn't have time to fuss in the kitchen. When she needs to whip up a dessert, she makes this awesome cake. You simply buy an angel food cake from the bakery department at your grocery store and "frost" it with cool whip. Then take some strawberries that you have cut in half vertically and place the cut sides down on the cake till all sides are covered. Delish!

Venus - Read it!!!

Venus Zine is a really cool quarterly magazine that you should be reading.... http://www.venuszine.com/

It's got music reviews, interviews with cool women, and all around women empowerment... come on, visit the website... I know you want to! Plus, my friend Nichole works there!

I admit it... I am now a dog person

I am now a dog person. I haven't had a dog since our family dog when I was in high school. Now, I have my 1st dog as an adult. An English Bulldog named Buddy and he is terrific. He is my "wonder dog". If you heart belongs to a dog, check out http://www.bullwrinkle.com/index.html?Assets/Recipes/Recipes.htm~indexmain
there are all kinds of recipes for homemade treats - everything from "pupcakes" to peanut butter bones to garlic bites! (i know as if dog breath wasn't bad enough already....)

Get Those Bargains!!

Going shopping the day after Thanksgiving... check out http://www.bfads.net/ now to get a sneak peak at the sales!!

Coffee!

One of my favorite things about living in Alaska is that I am never far away from coffee.... there are "coffee huts" on every corner, both sides of the street. I'm not even kidding. I've got pictures. They are little trailers or shacks and you just pull up, order your coffee and drive away. However, my favorite coffee is at Kaladi Brothers (www.kaladi.com). They have two locations in my town, one is a stand in the mall and the other is a full size cafe. And I don't care how cold it is, I will get out of my car and walk into their shop. It not only has great coffee, it has free wi-fi, art on display, and bands play there at night. Go buy some of their coffee now - you'll be supporting Alaska's Premier Coffee Roaster.

Isn't everyone suffering from this???

Procrastination........ sound like something you suffer from? Find out what it is and how to deal with it by visiting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procrastination and then you can take this fun quiz to see if you are a slacker... or you could always put it off till later!

You Are 48% Slacker

You are a bit of a slacker - though you can pull it together and live a somewhat normal life.If you're young, this is probably phase you'll outgrow. And if you're already grown up, you need to get off the couch a bit more!

Are'>http://www.blogthings.com/areyouaslackerquiz/">Are You a Slacker?

Stressed Out??

You hear the words "I am stressed out" a lot... but what the hell is stress? What is it caused from? How do you know if you have it? And does it really cause heart attacks? Find out all this and more at http://www.stress.org/

One of my favorite places...

I love Seward, Alaska. It is one of my favorite places. I drove there today, actually. In the summers I like to take day cruises on the kenai fjords. Check out www.majormarine.com to see what I am talking about. Another cool thing about Seward is the Sea Life Center. They can be found at www.alaskasealife.org and if you ever find yourself in this 'sleepy Alaskan town', make sure you get your picture taken at the Iditarod Sign. Oh, and on the 4th of July you can watch the Mt. Marathon race. Google it to find out what I am talking about!

A girl scout and a punk rocker start a company, and...

Well, the website says that Maggie was a girl scout and that Michael was a punk rocker. And between the two of them, www.supermaggie.com was born. You can get cool t's for girls & guys, scarves, and lots of other fun stuff. You know you want to go see what all the fuss is about!!

Ctrl C & Ctrl V.....

Cut + Paste - yes, it sounds like computer stuff, but it is a very cute online boutique where you can get clothes, bags, accessories, and more. Run by a very clever chick named Jenny, you can find the site at www.cutxpaste.com. Now, go shopping!

for those seeking the unique..

www.buyolympia.com If you are looking for shirts, patches, music or anything else unique, check out this site.

CheckOutMyBreasts.com

www.checkoutmybreasts.com - this website is not aimed for the Chesters among us... it is for breast cancer and you should check it out. I first heard about it on Canadian Public Radio while I was rolling through Saskatchewan in 2005. You have to admit, it is a very catchy title. Women need to be doing self checks and if you don't know how, learn. Now, go spread the message.

Whatever Happened To ____________???

You can insert your favorite child star, one-hit wonder musical act or chick from a political sex scandal in that blank and go to http://www.weht.net/ to look up the answer. Have fun!

Pink & Brown Do Go Great Together.....

I love pink and brown together, and I also love www.pinklovesbrown.com, a very cute and hip online boutique featuring notecards, pins, brooches and more!

Salary Gap - It still exists

So, how's that salary gap coming? Here is an article I found by Kadence Buchanan that says men are still earning more than women.... but you probably didn't need an article to tell you that, huh??

Men will probably grin and women will naturally grumble, but a new study reveals the fact that in the USA, women professionals earn less than their male counterparts. And here’s what takes the cake: it may actually be the women’s fault why they are making less than the guys. According to the survey released recently at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management, women do not charge as much for their professional services as their male counterparts despite providing the same kind of work. The study said the reason for this is the woman’s “concern for relationships with clients.” Citing a random sampling of 536 veterinarians, the study said female vets tended to charge their less privileged clients less than what they would charge their more affluent customers. Males, on the other hand, had a standard set of charges which did not change depending on the client’s situation. About one third of the study’s respondents were women. The study said the women vets brought down their prices out of concerns for their customers and because they “cared more about their relationships with their customers than did the men.” The study involved the vets answering questions about a hypothetical situation wherein a 12-year-old dog with advanced kidney failure was brought to their attention. The hypothetical client was described either as a young professional or an elderly widow. The study found that the women charged the widow less than the young professional for the same service. The study also mentioned, though, that in the bigger veterinary practices, women vets tended to charge their clients more because they “took into consideration the needs of their co-workers as well.” The study noted that women made price adjustments after taking into consideration the situation of their customers and that of their colleagues. Apparently, the relationships of women with their various publics held greater weight than the relationships of men with theirs. The study cited a similar instance in 2003 when a separate research study produced the same results. During that instance, researchers found that female mortgage lenders earned $575 less per loan compared to male mortgage lenders. According to that study, women brokers “were more concerned about establishing good relationships and being nice” than their male counterparts. Overall, the study also mentioned the fact that based on US government statistics, women earned about 80 cents for every dollar that the men made.

About The Author
Kadence Buchanan writes articles for http://iwomensinterests.com/ - In addition, Kadence also writes articles for http://universeofbeauty.net/ and http://4aginginfo.com/.

Support These Crafty & Clever Chicks

Support some very clever chicks and the stuff they make by visiting www.renegadecraft.com and check out some of the vendors and crafty ladies!

The First Post

The first post... well, what I hope to accomplish with this blog is basically, promoting Clever Chicks... there are many clever chicks out there, women who are running businesses, raising kids, running a house, etc. It is so much better to promote an Independant Woman who can manage her own life - smartly; versus a super skinny starlet who can't make her own decisions and demonstrates a super-silly and dim-witted personality in order to gain fame... so, to all the Clever Chicks out there, I salute you!