Many of you may have seen the Facebook post on February 19 regarding Packing Pretty’s website and email accounts being hacked. Sadly, this is a true statement. The email account was compromised on January 30, 2013, and used to reset the password to Packing Pretty’s hosting account, as well as to access many emails. Gracie has not accessed the accounts since the passwords were compromised. If any of you have received an email from gracie@*acking*retty. com between January 30, 2013 and February 3, 2013, the email should be considered counterfeit, and we apologize for the inconvenience.… Read the rest

Every year starts so new, innocent in its infancy.  Hope is re-imagined and burns a fresh.  Eyes squinting  and set on brighter horizons, we step foot, boldly, on our next journey around the sun. But like a child, the year must grow. Through happiness and hardships, lessons are learned.  In January of 2012, we could not foresee those bright moments, or the darker ones ahead. We knew that evil lurked around corners,  but could not imagine the form it would take, or just how treacherous those moors and cliffs could be.… Read the rest

So here’s something to consider. On Friday December 14, 2012 on two opposite sides of the planet, two incidents of brutal crimes on children happened. One with a gun, the other with a knife. The incident in China proves that evil takes root all around us, and will carry out its plans with whatever means are available.

You are all gun people, so I don’t need to spell it out for you, or preach about it from my soap box.… Read the rest

I got to thinking yesterday about custom work on sidearms used for daily carry. Obviously I am a fan of customizations/modifications, as is evidenced by the “Pink Gun of Shame”. But all these changes can cost a buck or two, and usually involve sending your gun to live with the gunsmith for a while. So, is it worth it?

Looking back on my shooting career, I have always been blessed enough that should I want a customization (or five) done to firearm, I could afford to spend up to the amount that I originally paid for the gun on these little pleasures.… Read the rest

No, this is not a “your brain will turn into a fried egg in a skillet” anti-drug campaign. I primary write about firearms, and I love to write about the basics for newbies: but this article digs deeper than the tangible tools we use to protect ourselves. It’s one of the most basic forms of power, and can be one of our first lines of defense.

Your History with “No”

“No” was very likely one of the first words you learned as a child.… Read the rest

Eleven years ago today: I woke up in a one horse, 2,384 population town in Southern Washington. It literally consisted of two gas stations, a few schools, and a country cafe. I woke up excited for the second week of eighth grade at a new school (I had been home-schooled up until then).  I woke up not knowing that two really tall towers known as the World Trade Center even existed, where the pentagon was located, or that there were such things as terrorists.… Read the rest

I have had a hectic summer, and sadly I haven’t been able to post as much as I would like to because of it. I used to publish a “Reading Material” list every week of great reads I’ve stumbled upon and have popped up in my Google Reader in the week prior. My hope is to bring that back, as it has been a few months since I’ve published the last list.

Now I know this is not on the correct day of the week to be publishing this (we usually shoot for Tuesdays), but better late than never right?… Read the rest

The Springfield Armory XD-S is a long-awaited derivative of the popular and proven XD series of pistols, and was designed for everyday carry and deep concealment. As an owner of several XD series pistols (and sometimes referred to as the crazy XD lady), I couldn’t wait to get my hands on one of these to give it a try!

Specs:

The XD-S is a single-stack compact pistol chambered in .45ACP.  The overall length is 6.3” with a slim width of only 1”.  Empty weight is a light 21.5 ounces, partially due to its light polymer frame construction.  Standard capacity is 5+1 rounds.  A new and welcome addition to the XD-S pistol is the red fiber optic front sight.… Read the rest

I’ve mentioned Crimson Trace’s Midnight 3-Gun invitational several times on this website as well as social media. Were you an attendee, or involved a that the First Annual Concealed Carry Holster Fashion Show in Hudson, NY , you probably witnessed my eyes light up and a big Cheshire grin sweep over my face  as I talked about it at one point or another.  If you could see me sitting here, looking back at those outrageously fun nights, you’d see that there is still a glimmer of excitement on my face.… Read the rest