Welcome to Off the Record — Crafts, Crime & Everything in Between. 

Well, here we are.

 Apparently I've decided I need something else to do. 😂 

 Because between working, running Customs by Amber, crafting, collecting old things, and the 500 ideas constantly running through my head, I clearly didn't have enough going on. 

 So I started a blog.

  And honestly, I'm not exactly sure where this thing is going to go, but that's kind of the fun part. 

 First, a little about me. 

 I'm 43, although some days you'd think I was about 83.  I absolutely LOVE live music. Give me a good concert and I'm there. But I also love being at home, doing absolutely nothing, and not having to deal with people. 😂

  I know. Makes perfect sense, right?  

I'm a huge fan of true crime, documentaries, podcasts, old movies, old music, antiques, and pretty much anything with a little history or a good story behind it. 

 I can spend hours going down a rabbit hole over something I randomly came across. One minute I'm watching a documentary, the next I'm researching something that happened 40 years ago, and suddenly half the day is gone. 

 And don't even get me started on nostalgia.  

There's just something about old things. 

The memories, the stories, the way something as simple as a song, a smell, or an old photograph can take you right back to a moment you haven't thought about in years.

  I love all of it.  

Now, about Customs by Amber... 

 There's actually a little more to that story than just deciding one day I wanted to start a business.

  After my dad passed away, I needed something to keep my mind busy. 

 Something to focus on. Something to do.  And that's really where Customs by Amber began.  

What started as a way to occupy my mind eventually turned into something much bigger.  

Over the years, it's grown into car freshies, embroidery, shirts, stickers, custom creations, and more machines and supplies than I probably have any business owning.  

And somehow, I still manage to convince myself I need something else. 

 If you're a crafter, you understand. If you're not, just know that we have a problem and we've accepted it. 😂

  But seriously, Customs by Amber has become a huge part of my life, and I don't think I ever imagined it would turn into everything it has. 

 So why a blog? 

 Well, because there's a whole lot more to me than crafting. 

 And sometimes I just want to talk about stuff!

 Maybe it's a documentary I watched that I can't stop thinking about.  

Maybe it's a true crime case, an old movie, a concert, a vintage find, or some random memory from growing up.  

Maybe I want to talk about how different things were back in the '80s and '90s, because I'm still trying to figure out how the heck those years got so far behind us. 

 Or maybe it'll be something that happened in my craft room that made me question every decision I've ever made. 

 You just never know.  And that's where Off the Record comes in. 

 I don't want this to be some perfectly polished, serious little blog where everything has to fit into one category.  

That's just not me.

  I want to share things I find interesting, things that make me laugh, things that bring back memories, and sometimes things that might make us stop and think.  

I want to hear from y'all, too. 

 Tell me what you're watching, what podcasts you're listening to, what concerts you've been to, or what old things you still hang on to because you just can't bring yourself to get rid of them.  

And if you've got a good rabbit hole for me to go down, I'm all ears.  

So welcome to Off the Record — Crafts, Crime & Everything in Between.  

A little nostalgia, a little chaos, probably some sarcasm, and whatever else happens to be on my mind.  

I can't promise we'll stay on topic.

  Actually, I can pretty much guarantee we won't. 😂 

 — Amber 🖤

  P.S. I'm only 43. I still like to go out and have a good time. But once that bra comes off, don't even THINK about inviting me anywhere. I'm not putting that damn thing back on for anybody. 😂