Back-to-School Sale at Pumpkins & Poetry!

Happy August, everyone!

(I can say that because right now August is not acting like August. It’s 72 degrees and raining here in Austin, which might be a sign of the end of the world, but I don’t care because it’s nice.)

Anyway…

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Earlier this summer, I opened an Etsy shop called Pumpkins & Poetry, where I sell decorated journals, fortune-telling games, various objects featuring my cat’s picture, and a few vintage collectibles. If you’re shopping for school supplies, teacher gifts, or a new something snazzy for yourself, you’re in luck because this month I’m having a back-to-school sale! Until September 1, 2017, all you have to do is enter the code BACKTOSCHOOL at checkout, and you’ll receive 15% off your entire order.

Here are a few of my featured items:

* Decorated Journals

These hardback, 190-page notebooks are perfect for writers, teachers, students, and obsessive list-makers like myself. Each design is one of a kind, so if you see one you like, grab it before someone else does!

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“8 Signs You’re a Teacher” Journal – $10 + shipping

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“To Do List” Journal – $10 + shipping

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“Question Everything” Journal – $10 + shipping

To see all my decorated journals, click here. 

* Toby Gear

Toby is a sweet, adorable, drooly ball of snuggles with a lot of cattitude. He enjoys napping on the couch, posting on Facebook when I’m not looking, and typing cryptic messages into the novel I’m working on. He also looks great on t-shirts and mugs.

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Toby T-shirt – $17 + shipping

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Toby Coffee Mug – $14 + shipping

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Toby Journal – $10 + shipping

For more Toby gear, click here.

* Other Cool Stuff

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  • Need a daily dose of advice? Shop my homemade fortune-telling devices and never leave the house again without knowing what the world has in store for you!
  • Looking to add a touch of nostalgia to your kitchen or office decor? Choose from this collection of vintage cloth calendars from the 70s.
  • Did you know Halloween is less than three months away?! Start your costume-planning now with one of these spooky pocket notebooks.

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Thanks for visiting Pumpkins & Poetry! Don’t forget the BACKTOSCHOOL coupon code when you check out. The 15% off sale ends on September 1st, so hurry! 🙂

Get a Cat (or Don’t)

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Cats are such a joy.

Usually.

On one hand, they’re adorable.

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* Love *

And they provide hours of entertainment both in the form of comedy…

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“Mama, I ate ALL the catnip!”

…and drama.

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The Six Stages of a Relationship

But they can also be needy…

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“Could you bring me a beer?”

…and creepy…

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She seems to be waiting for something to come out from under the couch. (!!!)

…and owning a cat often means waking up to this:

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“Good morning. I’ve been grooming your hair while you sleep.”

It’s a tough choice.

Maybe this poem, first published by the Poetry Society of Texas in A Book of the Year 2016, will help you decide if you need a cat. (Or not.)

Get a Cat (or Don’t)
* a series of haiku *

Why you should get a
cat: Explanation for all
those mid-night noises.

Why you shouldn’t get
a cat: The increased number
of mid-night noises.

When the cat doesn’t
help: You hear a noise… the cat’s
sleeping beside you.

When the cat makes it
worse: You hear nothing… the cat
hisses anyway.

Worst possible case:
There is a ghost… the cat likes
it better than you.

What should you do? Get
rid of the cat—problem solved.
Wait… what was that noise?

© Carie Juettner
First place in the Poetry Society of Texas Fill in the Blanks Award, 2015

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Need a mug with my cat’s mug on it? Or a semi-political cat t-shirt?
Visit my Etsy Shop and click on Toby Gear.

That Summer

This poem was published in A Book of the Year 2017, the anthology of first place poems from the Poetry Society of Texas annual contests. Now that it’s July, when we’re steeped in Texas summer, it seems like a good time to share it with you. Plus, I just got home from spending a few days with my wonderful family, so I’m feeling a bit nostalgic. I hope “That Summer” takes you back to some of your favorite summer memories.

*

That Summer

I sat on a threadbare pink towel
on top of the ice cream maker
my dad and grandfather
taking turns at the crank
my grandmother
slicing homegrown peaches

my fingers stained
from hammering black walnuts
on the anvil in the backyard
the skin of my palms raw
from gripping the rope swing
in the hackberry tree

my mom in shorts and sandals
a glass of iced tea
sweating in her hand
my brother eating
a smile of watermelon
juice dripping down his chin

lightning bugs blinking
a slow Morse code
hummingbirds in the trumpet vine
bare feet and dirty knees
and the voices of my family
hovering in a comforting cloud

I’d like to reach back
and catch that summer
in an empty pickle jar
poke holes in the lid
and keep it for a while
warm and safe in my hands

*

© Carie Juettner
First Place in the Poetry Society of Texas Campbell Prize, 2016
First Published in A Book of the Year 2017