You think it’s easy scouring the internet day in and day out to find all the useful bits of info and flair that will make you guys happy? Well think again Mister(s) and/or Missy(s). Fortunately for all of us I don’t have to carry the burden on my own shoulders alone. Marimello.blogspot.com is keeping it real for all us crafty McCraftersons, bring us the 411 on what’s interesting in the world of independent handmade goods. And, not content to supply us with fun links and a good old fashioned heads up about forthcoming events, Ms. Marimello herself, Marie, is also the purveyor of fine crafty things. Check out her lovely handmade baby bib and washcloth below. And you thought a nice, hot shower couldn’t get any better.

In other news, Paul reminded me of something very important over the weekend. For all you Pack Ratters in training out there who are looking to save yourself some bling by making your own things, remember that sometimes the best way to save money isn’t even to make something, its to fix something you already have. Paul’s cellphone crapped the bed this weekend, or so we thought. Something had come loose inside and his charger no longer fit into the phone. We went down to the mall (ugh), poked around in the local cell phone store and found that even the “discount” phones these days are going for $100 (double ugh). With nothing left to lose, we went down a few shops, ducked into a dollar store and bought a set of tiny screwdrivers that would fit in the wee screws that held his phone together. Went out to the car, popped that sucker opened and apparently his power supply had simply gotten knocked out of place. Paul moved it back into place, closed the phone back up and BAM! Charging in no time. So the lesson here is: if you think it’s broken and you are already prepared to buy a new one, why not give it a go and try to fix it? It can’t hurt, and the problem may be easier to solve than you think. Of course, this excludes anything that may injure you if you try to take it apart, like a car or a plugged in blender. Use some discretion people. That’s it, class adjourned.