Have you seen the article, “For Craft Sales, the Recession Is a Help,” in today’s New York Times? If not, click on over and read the online version.

Because of the recession, business is up for craft stores and online marketplaces like Etsy. To save money, many gift-givers are making their own presents or buying handmade gifts from others.

Last year, 42 million households gave handmade gifts, according to the Craft & Hobby Association, a trade group, and that number is expected to increase greatly this year, its spokesman, Victor Domine, said.

“Across the country, people are crafting more,” he said. “With the recession, people are looking for ways to save money, and doctors are recommending it as a major form of stress relief.”

Are you giving more handmade presents than last year?

It snowed early this morning, blanketing Omaha under (at least) 2-3 inches of the white fluffy stuff. Our first major snowfall of the season. Currently it’s 7 degrees outside, but the past two nights it’s been close to -20 degrees thanks to the wind chill.

The local news has been showcasing their meteorologists more frequently than normal because of the winter weather advisories. My favorite: Rusty Lord on WOWT, our NBC affiliate. Did his parents actually name him Rusty Lord? If not, what made him think that would make a good stage name? It sounds like a porn name!

Do your local meteorologists have too-good-to-be-true names? If so, please share! I could definitely use a laugh today.

xo

(images by me)