tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81811075926268991792024-03-12T18:35:42.179-05:00Escape Perfection. Create Yourself.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.comBlogger208125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-10297698441305940142014-07-17T22:59:00.004-05:002014-07-17T22:59:57.699-05:00And here we are...And here we are...slacking again. This post is for my friend Teresa, because I ran into her at MemoryBound Scrapbook Store yesterday, and was again reminded that I haven't been very good about making time for me and my personal endeavors lately. However, I did recently take the Claudine Hellmuth Composition for Collage workshop on Big Picture Classes, so I have done SOME crafty things...here's pics from that class to prove that I'm trying...really trying...to get back to making time for craftiness!<br />
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First Week - Asymmetry<br />
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Second Week - Horizon Line<br />
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Third Week - Vignette<br />
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Fourth Week - Grid Format<br />
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So I'm getting a few crafty things done in the name of my sanity. Today, I worked on Halloween cards...got the bases completely prepped and assembled, and everything stamped and ready to color. And I already have a plan in mind for Thanksgiving cards, so we're making progress. I'm not making any promises on keeping this blog more up-to-date, but I'm going to try!!! Night all :) Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-70740040897918104612014-03-14T19:01:00.000-05:002014-03-14T19:01:34.108-05:00Take the Long View...So my sister sent me this article this morning: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/13/obama-overtime-law_n_4957998.html?utm_hp_ref=tw">How Obama's Reforms to Overtime Law Will Change People's Lives.</a> Here's the thing...I work retail...I absolutely agree that working salaried can definitely be a challenge. I spent the early years of my retail career killing myself for 80 hours a week every week and only getting paid for 40. I get it. The problem is this: every time we make changes like this...raising minimum wage...changing the minimum to qualify for salary...nobody is really taking the long view on what that means. Nobody is thinking about the ramifications of these changes. Everyone sees the benefit but ignores the cost.<br />
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Yes. On the surface, it makes sense. People work more, they should get paid more. And I'll be the first to admit that when I've worked 7 days a week because somebody quit, or I've pulled an 11 hour day because we just didn't have the payroll to call someone else in...I did the math. And it was annoying. And when I worked 23 days in a row one summer because everyone quit...I felt slighted. Here's the thing though...salaried managers already DO get additional benefits for working more. Being a salaried manager, as opposed to an hourly/part-time employee gets you things like...health insurance, paid vacation, paid sick time, and often other options and benefits. Not to mention, salaried managers have the benefit of knowing that when payroll gets cut...when everyone else gets cut to one shift a week and is only bringing home a quarter of their normal paycheck for that week... they're getting a full check. It's the price of stability, really.<br />
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Now, okay...you say they deserve all that anyway. I don't disagree with you...at all. In fact, I think many times they've earned all of that and more. But for a moment, let's consider what's REALLY going to happen if these changes occur. If this all becomes mandated, nobody is giving retailers (or other employers) extra money to pay their staff. Staffing for top notch customer service is more important than ever, and pricing is often a dealbreaker in this economy. No new money is coming in and nothing is getting any cheaper. Something's gotta give. So where does the money come from, you ask? Here's what going to happen...companies are going to raise the salary to the NEW minimum...and cut benefits to make up the difference. That vacation time you were going to earn? Probably not. Getting part of your healthcare plan paid for? You don't need that...you can just sign up for Obamacare at double the cost now anyway...everyone wins, right? Not all companies will do this...but the companies that are already taking advantage will continue to take advantage. And those are the companies that these laws are aimed at. The companies that care about work-life balance will continue to care about work-life balance, just like they always have. At the end of the day, everything is exactly the same in a slightly more convoluted way.<br />
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This is the reality we live in folks. Money doesn't just drop out of the sky to fund changes like this. Everyone is just doing what they need to do to get by...individuals and businesses alike. And yeah...some companies should do better by their employees...and some employees should do better by the companies too. It is what it is. Just try to look at the long view before you jump on the bandwagon. <br />
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And that's the end of my rant...promise :)Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-5297250930432297152014-03-09T22:01:00.000-05:002014-03-09T22:01:45.858-05:00Stamp-a-holic...Yep...I've got a problem. I went on a LOVELY mini vacation to Michigan this past week for some much needed crafty time with Heather. *happy dance* Much to my delight (and my bank account's dismay), we stopped at a couple of scrapbook stores and I found more stamps! I can't help it...they had a bunch of stuff none of the stores here have! :) Oh yeah, plus I'm a sucker. Anyway, as long as I had already made the investment, I figured I may as well get some coloring done...here's one...more to follow in a another post :)<br />
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-34478472368666992042014-03-01T23:38:00.001-06:002014-03-01T23:38:38.223-06:00Color Obsessed...Have I ever mentioned that I'm madly in love with Elisabeth Bell stamps? I ordered some a couple of weeks ago, and this one finally came in today...I spent all evening stamping and coloring, and I'm obsessed!<br />
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-12488600312979722592014-02-17T18:46:00.001-06:002014-02-17T19:25:36.511-06:00I Should Live in a Bubble...So\, first off, I'd like to say that I've been TRYING to post about some crafting I did last week since last Wednesday, but for some reason, Blogger is refusing to load any of my photos. So as soon as I get that sorted out, I'll get that post up too. This four posts a month thing isn't going very well so far! Oh well. That said, on to my story...<br />
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So, it's a good thing "Survival of the Fittest" isn't as hard and fast a rule as it once was. For the past two and a half weeks, I've had agonizing back pain...like, "call off from work, go home and lay in bed with a heating pad and an ice pack and a bottle of Advil and cry" kinda pain. On top of that, I was just generally achy all over and had some other random symptoms that I decline to share in such a public forum...lol. <br />
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Now, back pain is nothing new for me. At first, I thought I just overdid it at work. And then the other symptoms started...and then my back pain was so bad that it was causing abdominal pain just compensating for it. And it just wasn't NORMAL. It was worse in the afternoon than it was in the morning, which is unusual. Just everything was wrong. I was just about to make a doctor's appointment, and I made one last brain-racking attempt at figuring out what had changed in the last two weeks. Literally, the only thing that was different was that I had started taking vitamins. <br />
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So, I threw out my own advice of not searching for medical info on the internet, and started looking up side effects for multivitamins. And whaddaya know...a list of 8 symptoms popped up on a reputable website and I had half of them. I tested out my theory by stopping the vitamins, and two days later, I'm pain free. Seriously. <br />
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The worst part of this whole story is that they were Adult GUMMY Vitamins. What kind of person has an adverse reaction to GUMMY vitamins?!? So that's my story for the week, and proof that healthy choices are trying to kill me! :) Just kidding. Well...half kidding anyway. Have a good night all, and don't forget to skip your vitamins tonight! :)Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-81003736306641144232014-02-17T18:45:00.000-06:002014-02-23T21:46:34.779-06:00Treating Myself...<i><b>**Okay, so two weeks after I wrote this post, I finally downloaded Mozilla Firefox (thanks for the suggestion Teresa!), and was able to upload the photos so I could FINALLY post it. Hooray!</b></i> <br />
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Today was the first of two days in a row off this week, neither of which I have to leave town for! Hooray! It's been a rather exciting day :) I managed to drag my butt out of bed at a reasonably early hour and went and picked up breakfast (and some extras for lunch) at La Mie...my very favorite little French bakery. After that, I came home and wrapped up labeling and organizing my stamps in my new cabinet from Hobby Lobby (thank you, 40% off coupon, for making this purchase possible).<br />
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Then, I took a three hour nap. Yep. Three hours. It was a-mazing. If I could make a trip back to my kindergarten self, I would definitely try to explain the true beauty of naps. Then, on to craftiness! I did some coloring...<br />
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I got a couple of cards done for some friends, and as long as I was going out to mail them anyway, I decided to make a couple of stops. I tracked down my Kohl's coupon and the Kohl's Cash mom gave me last time I was home, and managed to get myself a lovely new Vera Wang purse for FREE! :) And when I was heading home, I swung by the grocery store and got myself some flowers for Valentine's Day before they're all picked over and sad-looking.<br />
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And when I got home from that, I worked on St. Patrick's Day cards. All-in-all, it was a fabulously relaxing day. I'm glad I've got another one just like it planned for tomorrow :)Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-79010479047611696382014-01-26T14:24:00.001-06:002014-01-26T14:24:37.472-06:00The Incredible 4000 Mile Month...Well, it's January 26th, and considering this is my first post of the month, I can admit I'm not doing to hot on that "4 posts a month" New Year's Intention. It's possible I could still make it, but I'm not going to force it either. <br />
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Here's the thing...this month has been CRAZY! For starters, I haven't had a day off at my apartment since...the 2nd, I think. Mom's had two eye surgeries, and I had to travel to St. Louis for work (which means I had to drop my dogs off at Mom's house first...which, from Des Moines, is no small feat in itself). Feeling a little defeated, sitting at yet another gas station waiting for my car to fill up, I added it all up, and realized I'd be logging in over 4000 miles this month. Yeow!<br />
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Call it my competitive nature, but I sort of feel like that's a win. lol :) So I may have accomplished nothing at my apartment, and I may feel like I need about 4 days of sleep to catch up, but at least I win on most miles logged, right? <br />
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Despite all the craziness, it actually has been a pretty great month. Mom's surgeries went really well, and there's been a lot of improvement in her vision overall, so that's a big win. My trip to St. Louis was really productive...I got to be a part of a supervisor assessment panel, which was not only a great experience, but also helped me take some more steps in my career growth. I got to have lunch with a great friend who I haven't seen in several months, which gave me almost 4 hours of time to indulge in my inherent snarkiness that I spend a lot time keeping in check in many social situations :) lol. Even though I'm way behind on my craftiness due to all the travel, I've been able to do a ton of reading. And even with all the all the time spent out of the store, everything there held together pretty well. All-in-all, things are heading in the right direction, and I couldn't be happier (although, I'm certainly not complaining about a little more downtime this month). <br />
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So...I got one post in this month at least :) We'll see if I have time for a couple more. Either way...things are getting better, and I can feel my motivation for creating building up again. And now, off to spend the rest of my lovely day off at my apartment with the dogs...working on Valentine Cards, hopefully :) More later!Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-21703963142119708802013-12-30T12:22:00.001-06:002013-12-30T12:22:26.720-06:00New Year's Intentions 2014...'Tis the season to recap where I ended with last year's intentions and what my new ones are for this year. It wasn't a fully successful year with my 2013 intentions, but I made a decent go of it...not too shabby in a year full of major life changes, including an out-of-state move and a change in jobs!<br />
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<strong>2013 Recap</strong><br />
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1) Learn stuff - take 3-4 classes for fun. <strong>Did it!</strong> I took a cooking class, a doodling class, and several online classes including (but not limited to) a photoshop class, a journaling class, and hand-lettering class. <br />
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2) Take the vacation I earn. <strong>Meh.</strong> That's sort of a big ouch on that one, although it's mostly not my fault. I had a week and change of vacation ready to go for a summer trip when I was at Archivers' and unfortunately when I left, not only did I not get to take that vacation, they also never paid out the time due to their Chapter 11 filing (argh). Then when I got to World Market, I've been earning time, but for most of the time I've been there I either was in my probationary period and ineligible to take it, or in black out period for holiday time. I did manage to sneak a couple of days in between those two. So, mostly, I'm considering this a success (even if it is sort of a sad and depressing one).<br />
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3) At least 2 days a week, use my break at work to actually take a break and not do work! <strong>Just so-so.</strong> I was pretty good about this at Archiver's, and the last couple of months at World Market I've been better. The first few months here, I absolutely was not though. At least I'm getting back on track!<br />
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4) Make cards for every major holiday. <strong>Did it!</strong> Made it through even though I was pretty sure I wasn't going to make it for more than a few holidays! May have cheated a tiny bit with the copy machine at Archiver's, but alas...they got done!<br />
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5) Make sure moving to Iowa doesn't prevent me from seeing friends & family. <strong>Solid performance!</strong> Since I moved here, I made a trip to Michigan, Cassy, Josh, Heather and Ashley have all been out to visit me, I've been back home a lot and even got Mom out here once. I think this one is a pretty decent success. <br />
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6) Read 52 books. <strong>Close enough, considering.</strong> I made it to 30 books, which considering the insanity I dealt with after the job change, I'm considering to be a fair accomplishment anyway. <br />
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<strong>2014 Intentions</strong><br />
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1) Keep up with my blog. At least 4 posts a month. <br />
2) Keep up with my crafty plans...Project Life and cards for every major holiday.<br />
3) Read 52 books. I know it's probably a stretch, but I'm feeling unreasonable today.<br />
4) Take at least 5 classes of some kind for fun (i.e. NOT work-related).<br />
5) Take every opportunity to stay on track with my career goals...including getting transferred back to Chicago and talking to the right people about a position in HR.<br />
6) Maintain a better work-life balance. Take my days off, take my breaks, take my vacation, and don't bring too much crap home to do!<br />
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That's all for now! :)Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-33998079805285649872013-12-21T19:47:00.001-06:002013-12-21T19:47:15.398-06:00A Year of Cards...Well, I've been utterly atrocious about updating my blog for a quite a while now. I have every hope that I can get back on track in the new year, but that remains to be seen. It's been so crazy at work, I just haven't had the time or energy to keep it current. On the other hand, I recognize more daily that I need to figure out a way to MAKE time for it...for my sanity's sake. So that'll probably be in my New Years' Intentions list for 2014 when I make one. Anyway, I DID do some crafty stuff this year...I got my project life done up through the middle of October...and I completed all my cards for all the major holidays! I didn't want to post the cards before people received them, so I decided to wait till the end of the year and post them all...here we go!<br />
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New Year's Card<br />
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Valentine's Day<br />
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St. Patrick's Day<br />
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Easter <br />
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4th of July<br />
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Halloween<br />
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Thanksgiving<br />
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Christmas<br />
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Excuse the photography...it's all on my phone, and I just didn't have the heart to run them all through photoshop! lol :) Anyway...Merry Christmas all...more blogging again soon...hopefully :)<br />
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-9106435094638966312013-09-25T19:02:00.004-05:002013-09-25T19:02:45.123-05:00Picture Everyday: Surface...Today's challenge was surface. It was also my day off. Considering the hellish allergy attacks I've been dealing with lately, I opted not to leave my house. It was pretty much the perfect day...slept in...took a shower...changed into a clean pair of pajamas and sat around for the rest of the day...woot! Here's what I came up with :)<br />
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We had a squeaky toy massacre...whoops...<br />
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The surface where I spend most of my time at home...<br />
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I like it when my surfaces say: comfy, crafty, with a sense of humor<br />
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Kinda fun challenge for today :)Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-49219845926294856202013-09-25T18:49:00.000-05:002013-09-25T18:49:04.867-05:00Picture Everyday: Seating...Yesterday's prompt for my class was Seating. If I wouldn't have been stuck at work for 11 1/2 hours, I might've driven around looking for some park seating, but I decided I rather complete the project than put it off. Life's been a little crazy lately, so putting it off winds up being an indefinite ordeal...so here's what I came up with around the house :)<br />
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Millie's claimed the chair in the livingroom for herself...this is one of the rare moments she relinquished it in favor of the couch...<br />
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I've officially taken over the diningroom table as my scrapping area...I haven't even bothered to clean it up since Ashley was here in August (yes, that's right...perhaps my OCD is letting up a little...or perhaps scrap-cleanliness has been downgraded in favor of work-insanity...either way...lol)...<br />
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I always feel the need to put a seating area in my bedroom...I don't really know why since I hardly ever use it, but Lucy likes to hide out there when she's crabby, so it's okay :)<br />
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Today's prompt shortly!Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-1318359181976742252013-09-25T18:40:00.001-05:002013-09-25T18:40:40.284-05:00Picture Everyday: Threshold...Monday's prompt was Threshold...<br />
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The view my dogs get, because there's always a gate up to the extra rooms...otherwise, they're in there causing trouble!<br />
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My Silhouette Cameo vinyl design I put at my front door :)<br />
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First apartment I've ever had an extra bathroom in! Yay!<br />
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More pics that it wouldn't have occurred to me to take on a normal day...fun :)Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-28423565862839239692013-09-25T18:18:00.000-05:002013-09-25T18:18:12.695-05:00Picture Everyday: Saturday Bonus Prompt...Well, today we went to Boggio's in Granville, because it's FALL! My favorite time of year! While I love fall, I also have a strong aversion to lines and large groups of people, so we decided on this weekend before all the corn maze nonsense begins! Got some good pics out of it :)<br />
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That's right...even Mom got in on the action! :)<br />
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And a pretty pic from the drive home...<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BkPffsMIUh0/UkNuvruQ8gI/AAAAAAAABKA/BbquHWdF_YQ/s1600/100_1473+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BkPffsMIUh0/UkNuvruQ8gI/AAAAAAAABKA/BbquHWdF_YQ/s400/100_1473+edit.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
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Plus one of the windmill at the pond :)<br />
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More soon everyone!<br />
Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-37864549327957627782013-09-24T23:13:00.002-05:002013-09-24T23:13:40.098-05:00Picture Everyday: RestFriday's prompt for my Picture Everyday workshop on Big Picture Classes...rest! Something I've been dramatically short on lately! Well the pups and I finally got some snoozy time on the couch and the decided to be semi-cooperative about holding still for pictures...here they are!<br />
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Daisy...taking a momentary break from killing a squeaky toy...<br />
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One more of Daisy...because I couldn't decide which one I liked best :)<br />
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Lucy...snoozy time on the couch is pretty much her favorite thing aside from snoozy time in bed!<br />
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Millie...looking considerably perkier than her 4am wake-up call earlier in the week ;)<br />
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More tomorrow probably :)Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-51108602118126434442013-09-19T12:39:00.002-05:002013-09-19T12:39:42.456-05:00Picture Everyday: Serve...Today's challenge was "Serve." I close at work tonight, which means I pretty much do nothing in the morning besides sit around my apartment. Sooooo...the closest thing I really had to "serve" was serving breakfast to the pups this morning....here it is:<br />
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Filling up the water dishes.<br />
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Food dishes all lined up...complete with Lucy's "slow bowl" because otherwise she gets too excited and eats so fast she chokes!<br />
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This picture isn't that great, but it just makes me laugh. Lucy gets so excited she does a little happy dance!<br />
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And that's it for today...tomorrow's prompt is "Rest"!Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-25636932395655625532013-09-19T12:34:00.001-05:002013-09-19T12:34:10.582-05:00Picture Everyday: Dine...Yesterday's challenge was "Dine"...here's what I came up with!<br />
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It was a helluva long day...so it was important to start the evening off on the right foot.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lOlVwlqMrRs/Ujs1GQe-A2I/AAAAAAAABHU/I4tGPUJFXWc/s1600/100_1416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lOlVwlqMrRs/Ujs1GQe-A2I/AAAAAAAABHU/I4tGPUJFXWc/s400/100_1416.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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A little comfort food never hurt anyone either...tuna noodle casserole...yum! Also, I love my blue bowl...so pretty :)<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0c4gnriuCqM/Ujs1Qj_WKXI/AAAAAAAABHc/mhxwppKXRPo/s1600/100_1421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0c4gnriuCqM/Ujs1Qj_WKXI/AAAAAAAABHc/mhxwppKXRPo/s400/100_1421.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I spent my whole childhood toting around juice boxes because I was allergic to milk. I was always sooo jealous of all the other kids who got to drink milk. After I (mostly) grew out of my allergy when I got to adulthood, it's one of my favorite things!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bam9b8LUT7M/Ujs1d4O5RkI/AAAAAAAABHk/dzXgp7dH4q0/s1600/100_1429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bam9b8LUT7M/Ujs1d4O5RkI/AAAAAAAABHk/dzXgp7dH4q0/s400/100_1429.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Next up...Serve!<br />
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-72093657188934931242013-09-19T12:27:00.000-05:002013-09-19T12:27:04.225-05:00Picture Everyday: Wash...Next challenge...Wash!<br />
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It may be a little silly, but I think the Tide Pods are kinda pretty.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MVAuMS9HzP8/UjszT9RrVLI/AAAAAAAABG4/uUSdN4NYHcM/s1600/100_1436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MVAuMS9HzP8/UjszT9RrVLI/AAAAAAAABG4/uUSdN4NYHcM/s400/100_1436.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm soooo not gonna miss pumping quarters into a machine every time I need to do a load of laundry. Next time I move, an in-unit washer/dryer is on the list of non-negotiables!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z-Ec4CWEeHo/UjszcGNdd1I/AAAAAAAABHA/C0qGHu3S71s/s1600/100_1438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z-Ec4CWEeHo/UjszcGNdd1I/AAAAAAAABHA/C0qGHu3S71s/s400/100_1438.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Ahhh...the never-ending pile of laundry. Even as you're doing your last load, you're wearing something that's going to need washing...the cycle continues!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JLvRKL-epoE/UjszlhS3AII/AAAAAAAABHI/D_w6H8TlBPk/s1600/100_1445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JLvRKL-epoE/UjszlhS3AII/AAAAAAAABHI/D_w6H8TlBPk/s400/100_1445.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Next up...Dine!Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-45416645850695501322013-09-18T19:46:00.002-05:002013-09-18T19:46:49.057-05:00Picture Everyday: Wake...Well, I started taking a new workshop at Big Picture Classes. This one is Picture Everyday, and it's basically about capturing the little things that you do every day in a different way. I haven't been super about actually taking the pictures everyday...they're getting grouped together a couple days later...it's been a little (LOT) hectic this week. But here's my first assignment...Wake:<br />
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My bedroom...the coziest room in my house. Don't even have a TV in there, because it's all relaxation all the time in there...a good night's sleep, afternoon naps, and snuggles with the pups.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nQemjmjmWSc/UjpIzEzBijI/AAAAAAAABGY/Qro2xjXTFfQ/s1600/bedroom+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nQemjmjmWSc/UjpIzEzBijI/AAAAAAAABGY/Qro2xjXTFfQ/s400/bedroom+edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Millie...at least as anti-morning as I am...and not thrilled to have a camera in her face at 4am, methinks.<br />
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My hideously ugly (so I'm told) slippers that make their way to my feet the moment I'm walking around the apartment in the morning. I'm sorry...cozy wins over fashion on the slipper front.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jm_UDB_1ikM/UjpJOtca0XI/AAAAAAAABGo/68awizJ3rQ4/s1600/slipper+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jm_UDB_1ikM/UjpJOtca0XI/AAAAAAAABGo/68awizJ3rQ4/s400/slipper+edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Next challenge: Wash...coming soon!Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-4584454840615766532013-09-14T20:00:00.000-05:002013-09-19T12:40:22.938-05:00Crafty Chicks September Blog Hop...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HSLvWEz8MFQ/UjTfMlaTx8I/AAAAAAAABFI/B7HWLcx6up4/s1600/970197_10151492517452029_1817485039_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HSLvWEz8MFQ/UjTfMlaTx8I/AAAAAAAABFI/B7HWLcx6up4/s400/970197_10151492517452029_1817485039_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<strong>It's that time again!</strong></div>
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<strong>Time for the Crafty Chicks "School" Hop!</strong></div>
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Haven't been to a Hop before? Here's the deal: Every month we have a different theme, and offer a prize to one lucky winner. If you would like to qualify to win the prize, just leave a comment on each blogger's site. Then, on the rafflecopter below, click "did it." That's it! After you do that, a bunch of other options to earn more entries will appear, if you feel so inclined. After a week of entries, the prize winner will be announced on <a href="http://homespunelegance.blogspot.com/2013/09/SeptCraftyChicks.html">Jessica's Page</a>. We will also contact the winner, so make sure your comment includes your contact info. The winner will have one week to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen.</div>
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The prize this month is a $25 gift certificate at <a href="http://www.3girljam.com/">3 Girl Jam</a>! That's a lot of adorable ribbons and flair, my friends :) Check out their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/3-Girl-JAM/129045323859706">Facebook Fan Page</a> too if you have a chance :)</div>
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And now, on with the Crafty Chicks <strong>School </strong>Hop! </div>
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<strong><em>******{{You're probably coming from <a href="http://ejoym.blogspot.com/2013/09/crafty-chicks-blog-hop-back-to-school.html">Elizabeth's Blog</a>, but if you stumbled across this pa<strong><em>ge, and you want to start at the beginning of our Hop, you can head back to <a href="http://homespunelegance.blogspot.com/2013/09/SeptCraftyChicks.html">Jessica's Page</a> and start there!}}****** </em></strong></em></strong></div>
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<strong><em></em></strong> So, I'm massively obsessed with this whole chalkboard trend. I've been adding bits of chalkboard paper and chalkboard tape to everything...jam jars, cards, pages, meat and cheese trays...you name it, and I have a chalkboard accessory for it. I even bought a chalkboard wall decal AND a chalkboard easel for WORK...because I'm just that crazy about chalkboards. Here's how my extreme love of chalkboards evolved: I spent my entire youth writing all of my Mom's planned assignments etc. on the chalkboard in her classroom...and then...they switched over to the dreaded whiteboard. Yes, it's less messy. Yes, it's easier to read. Yes, it means your hands don't get all dry and powdery. But there's something so perfectly charming about an ACTUAL chalkboard. Yep. :)</div>
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Anyway, so I made a little school-themed card for my project. The chalkboard pieces are Fancy Pants chalkboard stickers. The stamps are some older Stampendous wooden stamps. I find occasion to use these little guys almost every year at back-to-school time...they're so cute! The paper is just some cork patterned paper I had laying around (sorry...I didn't have the strip anymore...I'm guessing it was a Simple Stories one, but I've been collecting an awful lot of cork patterned paper lately). I used a Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher to staple on the ribbon (it's from American Crafts), and then I pop-dotted on the top pieces.</div>
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You may notice (or maybe not...as someone who is not always particularly observant, I'll totally give you a pass if you didn't) that the writing on the two chalkboard pieces look different. On the top one, I used a white bistro marker...something about the finish on the chalkboard stickers wasn't really agreeing with the drying time on the bistro pen though. I wound up liking the broken look it finished with anyway, so I left it as is. For the inside though, I wanted something cleaner, so I switched to a white Recollections chalk marker. Oh, and I colored the little characters with Copic markers :) </div>
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All in all, I'm super happy with how it turned out. I like that it <em>could</em> be for someone with first-day-of-school jitters, or it <em>could</em> just be a cute school-themed card for anyone who's having some trepidation about what they're working on. Anyway, that's all I've got for the hop this month...hope you enjoy it and the rest of the girls' great projects! More craftiness coming soon!</div>
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<strong><em>******{{If you're continuing on the hop, head on over to <a href="http://www.scraptasticmemories.com/2013/09/septembers-crafty-chicks-blog-hop.html">Nicole's Page</a>. And don't forget to follow any of the blogs you like on the hop...we'd love to have you stick around!}}******</em></strong><br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0e859d14/" id="rc-0e859d14" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-74992029642976199232013-08-14T20:00:00.000-05:002013-08-14T20:10:38.641-05:00August Crafty Chicks Blog Hop...<br />
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<strong>It's that time again! </strong></div>
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<strong>Time for the Crafty Chicks "Travel" Hop!</strong></div>
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Haven't been to a Hop before? Here's the deal: Every month we have a different theme, and offer a prize to one lucky winner. If you would like to qualify to win the prize, just leave a comment on each blogger's site. Then, on the rafflecopter below, click "did it." That's it! After you do that, a bunch of other options to earn more entries will appear, if you feel so inclined. After a week of entries, the prize winner will be announced on <span style="color: #118899;"><strong><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://ejoym.blogspot.com/2013/08/crafty-chicks-august-blog-hop-travel.html">Elizabeth's page</a></span></strong>.</span> We will also contact the winner, so make sure your comment includes your contact info. The winner will have one week to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen.<br />
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The prize being offered this month is a $30 giftcard from <a href="http://lindabarutha.com/">Linnie Blooms Designs</a> sponsored by Linda Barutha! You can see even more of her super adorable products and ideas at Linda's <a href="http://pinterest.com/lllcreate/">Pinterest Page.</a> <br />
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And now, on with the Crafty Chicks <strong>Travel </strong>Hop! </div>
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<strong><em>******{{You're probably coming from <span style="background-color: white; color: blue;"><a href="http://jk-littlebitofbling.blogspot.com/2013/08/august-crafty-chicks-blog-hop.html">Julie's Page</a></span>, but if you stumbled across this pa</em></strong><strong><em>ge, and you want to start at the beginning of our Hop, go </em></strong><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><strong><em><a href="http://ejoym.blogspot.com/2013/08/crafty-chicks-august-blog-hop-travel.html">here</a></em></strong></span> <em><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;">}}******</span></span></b></em></div>
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So, I took a sort of non-traditional approach to travel/vacation, I guess. Normally, I would probably have done a scrapbook page. And I DID just finish a Smashbook for my Michigan trip, but I decided I wanted to make something especially for the hop, and I was trying to use stamps I've purchased and haven't actually used yet (oops!). </div>
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Now that I've established the premise that I'm thinking out-of-the-box this month, remember a few (okay, a lot) of years ago when people were taking pictures of gnomes all over the place when they were on vacation? I've been sort of in love with that idea ever since I saw it in the movie Amelie (love that movie, by the way). If you haven't seen it, she kidnapped her dad's prized gnome and took pictures of it all over the country and then mailed them to her dad anonymously. I mean seriously...it's still hilarious. Meanwhile, that idea has since morphed into the Travelocity "roaming gnome", which is also pretty adorable if you ask me. </div>
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So when I think vacations, I think gnomes. Call me a weirdo (go ahead, do it...I don't mind...lol). And I also tend to think about people that I wish were on vacation with me (OR, alternatively, I think of people I'd like to remind that I'M on vacation and THEY'RE stuck at home...what? Don't pretend you don't think about it.). So that's where this card came from:</div>
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The houses are a Technique Tuesday stamp, and the polaroid and gnome are from two different Lawn Fawn stamp sets. I colored the gnome with Copics, and wrote in the hello with a Copic multiliner. Then I just added some washi tape to finish up the front.</div>
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On the inside, I added a sentiment from the same Technique Tuesday set and added some more washi tape. See? Easy peasy, right?</div>
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And that's all I've got for this month...hope you like it...more craftiness soon :)</div>
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<em><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;">And now you've reached the end of our Hop...hope you enjoyed it, and hope to see you again next month! (P.S. Don't forget to follow any of the blogs you like from the hop!)</span></span></b></em></div>
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/20387911/" id="rc-20387911" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
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<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script><br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8181107592626899179#" role="button"></a><br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-42785675468327610632013-08-11T00:23:00.000-05:002013-08-11T00:23:05.308-05:00Fall 2013 Playlist...It's that time again...time for a new playlist (actually, a few weeks past time, but it's been so crazy, I haven't had time till now). Here's what I came up with:<br />
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1. Cups - Anna Kendrick<br />
2. You're Not Alone - Marie Miller<br />
3. Same Love - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (feat. Mary Lambert)<br />
4. Let Her Go - Passenger<br />
5. She Ain't You - New Hollow<br />
6. True Love - Pink (feat. Lily Allen)<br />
7. Mountain Sound - Of Monsters and Men<br />
8. Leave the Pieces - The Wreckers<br />
9. Lover of the Light - Mumford & Sons<br />
10. Why Am I the One - Fun.<br />
11. Wheels - Cake<br />
12. Little Black Dress - Sara Bareilles<br />
13. Skyscraper - Demi Lovato<br />
14. Crazy Beautiful - Andy Grammer<br />
15. Odds Are - Barenaked Ladies<br />
16. Best I Ever Had - Gavin DeGraw<br />
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Enjoy...more craftiness soon :)Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-86441959814937823222013-08-04T20:44:00.000-05:002013-08-04T20:44:07.674-05:00Copic Practice...Ashley is here all weekend, and I got a couple of books about Copics so I could practice during our super scrap weekend! I'm making progress :) I actually got a ton of stuff done, but can't post a lot of it because either a) I'll be posting it later, or b) it's for holiday cards that I'm sending people who read this blog, so I try not to post them before they actually get sent out. I think I'll actually just post all of my holiday cards at once at the end of the year after Christmas goes out :) Anyway, here's a couple of finished cards that I CAN post, and then I'll post some pics of my Copic progress...<br />
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Wine theme? Why yes...don't mind if I do...(with Stamping Bella Stamps)...<br />
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And now for the practice (with Prima Doll Stamps)...<br />
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Before I read through the Copic book...<br />
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First attempt after reading through the Copic book (figuring out the hair thing)...<br />
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Second attempt after reading through the Copic book (getting more successful with the highlights on the clothing)...<br />
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All three together...<br />
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Not too shabby, methinks. Gonna take some more practice for sure, but I'm making progress :) Yay! More posts soon with my other projects!<br />
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-88993587824160926042013-07-27T23:13:00.000-05:002013-07-27T23:13:13.319-05:00Copics and a Cause...Not that I needed an excuse to play with my new Copics (yes, I had a moment of temporary insanity and bought into Copic-mania yesterday), but I wound up having a really good reason to. The other day I got an email about a child of an acquaintance of mine who was recently diagnosed with a very aggressive form of cancer, and all he wants is cards from all over the country to wallpaper his room with. So they're reaching out to people they know to see if they wouldn't mind sending something. I figure that's the least I can do, so I threw together a few cards tonight (and I might still do some more), and I'm going to bring them to work and have a bunch of people sign them. The cards turned out cute, and I'm glad to help bring a little happiness where I'm sure it's needed. If anyone is interested in sending cards to this little guy, let me know in the comments section and I'll get back to you soon...I'm going to try to find out if this is an open invitation to send cards (since it's a personal address and not a P.O. Box, I didn't just want to post it).<br />
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Anyway, I did a few cards, and they're not all particularly kid-centric. I decided the point of this whole thing is variety...all sorts of different things from all over the country. Also, I'm in the midst of a re-org in my crafting center, and about 2/3 of my stamps are buried at the moment. So yeah...working with what's available. The farm animals are a Stampendous stamp set, the girl leaning on the counter is from Rubber Romance (that Heather let me steal from her stash last time I was there!), the gnome (remember him from the last post?) is from Stampabilities, and the girl with the suitcase is from Stamping Bella. Here they are:<br />
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Have a good night all...and remember to leave some love if you want to participate and I'll get you the info if I get the okay to do so :) Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-5330907169099902882013-07-14T20:00:00.000-05:002013-07-14T20:20:46.163-05:00Crafty Chicks Christmas In July Blog Hop...<br />
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<strong>It's that time again! </strong></div>
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<strong>Time for the Crafty Chicks "Christmas in July" Blog Hop!</strong></div>
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Haven't been to a Hop before? Here's the deal: Every month we have a different theme, and offer a prize to one lucky winner. If you would like to qualify to win the prize, just leave a comment on each blogger's site. Then, on the rafflecopter below, click "did it." That's it! After you do that, a bunch of other options to earn more entries will appear, if you feel so inclined. The prize winner will be announced on <a href="http://ejoym.blogspot.com/2013/07/crafty-chicks-christmas-in-july-blog-hop.html" target="_blank"><strong>Elizabeth's blog</strong>.</a> We will also contact the winner, so make sure your comment includes your contact info. The winner will have one week to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen.<br />
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The prize being offered this month is a Christmas in July paperpack, with 20 sheets of Christmas/Winter cardstock and an extra 20 yards of Christmas twine! Check it out:<br />
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And now, on with the Crafty Chicks <strong>Christmas in July</strong> Hop! </div>
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<strong><em>******{{You're probably coming from <a href="http://www.smileyguydesigns.com/2013/07/crafty-chicks-christmas-in-july-blog-hop.html" target="_blank">Heidi's Page</a>, but if you stumbled across this pa</em></strong><strong><em>ge, and you want to start at the beginning of our Hop, go </em></strong><a href="http://ejoym.blogspot.com/2013/07/crafty-chicks-christmas-in-july-blog-hop.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><strong><em>here</em></strong></span></a> <em><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;">}}******</span></span></b></em></div>
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So, I know that Christmas in July is a thing...I'm not sure I really get it, though. I think it's probably because I work in retail. People with normal jobs...jobs where you have weekends off...jobs where you get holidays off...they think all the Christmas hub-bub starts in November, so Christmas in July is a fun novelty. Anyone in retail can tell you...Christmas starts at the end of August, my friends. Surprised? Take another look next time you're out shopping...it's already creeping in...Christmas is hiding in the wings right this very minute. Look past the stack of clearance flip flops and beach décor...you'll see a stray box of ornaments...red and green glitter ribbon hidden on a bottom shelf...snowflakes popping up where they don't belong. I'm aware that this seems crazy, but people want Christmas available earlier and earlier every year. I've already had multiple people this year upset that we don't have any new Christmas décor at the store yet. I can't help it...the masses dictate retail calendars...as far as I'm concerned, from a retail perspective, summer is over...Halloween will be here any minute, and Christmas will start showing up by the end of next month. It's weird living a retail life...your calendar is all messed up. I've learned to just embrace retail seasons and forget about how the normal world gauges time. So, when we go into full-on Christmas mode on the day after Halloween...I come home and put up my Christmas tree...and it'll probably be taken down BEFORE Christmas, because we're already gearing up for Valentine's Day. Yep. I'm a total weirdo, huh? Oh well :) A well-adjusted weirdo, and that's the main thing!<br />
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All that said, I decided to go non-traditional for my Christmas in July projects. I still get to have fun stamping and coloring without getting into full-on holiday headspace ;) lol. So here's what I came up with:<br />
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<strong>I'll Be "Gnome" For Christmas</strong><br />
This guy was fun...I found this stamp a few months ago and had to get it because it was so dang cute. I had no idea what I was going to use it for, and haven't actually used it till now. I like how he turned out...simple and cute!<br />
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Front<br />
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Inside<br />
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Supplies: Stampabilities Gnome Stamp, Cardstock (Kraft, Coconut Swirl, and Cherry Splash), Copic Markers, Memento Ink, Foam Dots<br />
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<strong>Santa Baby</strong><br />
I've used this gal on a card once before, but I bought her several years ago. I have such trouble deciding what to do with fine line stamps that are difficult to cut out. For whatever reason, I have a desperate aversion to just stamping directly on the card base and doing other stuff around it. I decided to just stamp and cut, and give the edges a wide berth. This BoBunny line is from a bunch of years ago, but I hoarded it away when I got a bunch originally, so it's still hanging on :)<br />
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Supplies: Penny Black Stamp, BoBunny Patterned Paper, Copic Markers, Memento Ink, Foam Dots<br />
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All in all, I'm pretty happy with how they all turned out. Christmas in July turned out to not be so bad afterall ;) lol. <br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;">If you're continuing on the hop, head on over to <a href="http://homespunelegance.blogspot.com/2013/07/CraftyChicksbloghop.html">Jessica's Page.</a> Enjoy!</span></span></div>
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/2038799/" id="rc-2038799" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script><br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181107592626899179.post-39654323845122029762013-07-13T22:56:00.001-05:002013-07-13T22:58:55.557-05:00House Mouse Challenge HMFMC #148...I know it's been ages since I've posted again, but I swear I'm going to be try and be better this month! :) Anyway, thought I'd throw up an entry for the House Mouse Monday Challenge (<a href="http://housemouse-challenge.blogspot.com/2013/07/hmfmc-148-food.html">HMFMC #148</a>) quick since I just wrapped up this card!<br />
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That's all for tonight folks...more soon!</div>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17202851378129693421noreply@blogger.com0