Update...

Finally, we got some snow.  I mean, there has been plenty of snowfall in the region (a few feet, actually, no more than fifteen miles from where I live), but none of it has fallen on my house until now.  I even got to shovel a little bit.  I actually enjoy shoveling snow; I plug myself into my i-pod, bundle up and get all meticulous in my driveway.  It's a satisfying thing to do.  Like raking stones in a garden...very zen.

Not too much is going on here.  I'm making things like crazy but since most of them are X-mas presents, I can't share pictures of them here (not just yet anyway).   Sales are up and down on Etsy.  There's a new trend I'm not crazy about this year; people "buy" items in my shop but fail to pay for them.  In Etsy you can click on an item to purchase it but the final step of paying with PayPal must be done separately.  So, the item is gone from your shop, recorded as a sale, but not actually paid for.

I don't send things until they are actually paid for, so it's not a huge problem...but it is annoying.  I mean, the stuff could have been up in my shop & purchased by someone else who is serious about having it, rather than sit in limbo for a week while someone decides whether they really want it or not.    It's just rude, in my opinion.  :-/

Kiba is happy about the snow.  He keeps asking to go outside, and then bounces around in it for a while until he gets cold.  It is pretty cold here...windchills in the single numbers tonight and pretty much all weekend.  I guess I better get used to it.

I got a package from golden_meliades ...thank you Mel!!  More Skip Beat; I love them!  It's such a cute story.  Now that I've been to Japan, the cultural references make more sense too.   *hug*  You are so thoughtful. 

Back to work I guess.  It's 3:30 in the morning but I ate too much chocolate earlier and I'm wide awake.

EDIT:  I sent an E-mail to Etsy, outlining my concerns about this non-payment trend.  After seeing the responses from those of you who are also Etsy sellers, I thought I ought to let them know what's going on.  They can't really change their system, but they can warn newer Etsy sellers to beware their Paypal orders that don't pay through, and to check their Paypal accounts before they mail any items to buyers. 

I also left negative feedback for the non-buyers at my shop.  At least it'll be a warning to anyone else they might try to scam. 

McEDIT:  I left the following message in my shop in the "announcement" section.  Any of you Etsy sellers, feel free to copy & paste it into your own announcement section.  Perhaps it'll cut down on the bogus sales.

"NOTICE!!! All Etsy buyers...orders are processed immediately unless payment is incomplete. I will wait for checks to clear before items are mailed. I WILL NOT MAIL ANY ITEMS PURCHASED WITH PAYPAL UNTIL THE PAYPAL ACCOUNT IS SETTLED. This means if the Paypal option is chosen, but the button "Pay This Amount Now" is not clicked, then your item is not paid for. I know this can happen by accident, but there has been a rash of non-paying Paypal purchases made lately in several Etsy shops. Paypal orders have 48 hours to pay through. If not, the order will be cancelled and negative feedback will be left for non-buyers. Anyone with special concerns or needs regarding pay schedules, please contact me."