I follow Kayla Aimee's blog - you will too, once you fall in love with her baby Scarlette - and she recently sent out a mom's plea for projects to do with her little girl. You see, Scarlette and her mom are quarantined for 6 months - they're 4 months into it already so there's a HUGE light at the end of the tunnel - but she needs to keep her very active baby busy! And they don't have the distraction of wandering the mall, going to the library, going to a crop... Scarlette was very premature, in NICU for a long time (5 months or so, KA?), and to keep her healthy, mom and baby are sort of housebound...
WELL, someone sent her this awesome project. Put some different color paints in a ziplock bag, shut it securely, and let baby Scarlette "paint" a piece of modern baby art by squeezing and pressing... KA thought to put a piece of cardstock in there and rescued it pre-destruction, then gave the bag'o'paint back to Scarlette. A regular piece of modern art!
So I'm going to do the same thing this weekend, and create some Project Life inserts, some card bases, some backgrounds to use in my art journal and in my scrapbooks! Thanks, KA, for the idea! (And thanks, too, to whoever sent the idea to Kayla Aimee!)
http://www.kaylaaimee.com/2012/02/ziplock-bag-painting-1st-art-project/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kaylaaimee+%28kayla+aimee%3A+only+slightly+neurotic%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
About Me
- Krys72599
- I'm happy, married, and looking forward to sharing my world with you! If you're interested, that is!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
The Day before Valentine's Day
I thought it might be a great day to write a post about my husband. He is one of the kindest, most thoughtful, gentle, hard-working, loving men I have ever met.
But I can't do it.
I've been reading some tremendous tributes, written by lovely women about their men, but I can't do it.
I tried. I erased this post more than once. I started it several times. I am struggling with the words, unable to put into black and white how he makes me feel.
We've been together (permanently) since 1993. We started dating in 1990, broke up twice (his call), but found our way back to each other each time.
We are not into PDAs, although we do hold hands and kiss each other hello and goodbye. We are not afraid to say "I love you" in front of family and friends, or even in front of strangers. We're not into huge romantic gestures, though, no big bouquets of red roses, no jewelry for each and every holiday, no pajamagrams or Vermont Teddy Bears. No big gifts, no big showy apologies, no big passionate fights.
In fact, we don't fight. We have no reason to fight. Some people have said that means one of us is lying, but it's quite simple: the same things are important to both of us - each other, the kids, our families. After that, what is there to fight about?
Yesterday was World Marriage Day and we renewed our vows in church. Married couples had to stand and repeat their vows in front of the congregation attending that Mass. I think we were the only couple in church to kiss each other when we were done. The words meant even more this time:
I joked with him again, he's stuck with me again! His response was, as always, "I'm not stuck with you, I chose you."
Even though were weren't young when we got married (I was 38 and he was 48), you don't really think about how little time you really have left with each other. Every day together today is one less together in the future, and I know I want to be with him for many, many, MANY more years. There was one day a few years ago when he was sick enough that he wanted to go the hospital, but even through that, he was up and moving under his own power. We got to the hospital and we were walking to the ER door and he stopped in his tracks and said he couldn't walk anymore. I had to leave him and get a wheelchair. I have NEVER felt so helpless and scared in my life. I have never felt the potential loss of him like I did that day, and Lord knows I don't ever want to feel that again. In fact, I keep on telling him I'd better go first...
I can't picture my life without him. I almost don't remember my life without him. I look back and say things like "If only we'd been together then..." or "You would have loved..." My life is full of him. He doesn't "complete me" (shades of Tom Cruise!) but we are better together than we are apart, we are happier together than we are apart, we would manage if we had to, but we don't want to be apart.
I'm very aware of how lucky I am to have him. And I know, deep in my heart, that he feels the same way, and he shows me each and every day, in so many tiny little ways. We don't need big gestures. It's enough that he reaches for my hand before we fall asleep at night. It's enough that he doesn't need to go out and have a good time with his buddies, that he wants me to go along. It's enough to see the "I love you" when he looks at me, even if for some reason he can't say it out loud at that moment. It's enough to hear "I love you."
He is enough for me. He is all I want.
I know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that he loves me. That he wants to spend the rest of his life with me. And that feeling? For me there are simply no words to describe how that makes me feel. I feel loved, cherished, honored, protected, cared for. I know he's proud of me, that he worries about me, that he wants no one but me. And that feeling, that confidence in our love for each other, that is the gift that keeps on giving every minute, every hour, every day.
Happy Valentine's Day, J!!!
But I can't do it.
I've been reading some tremendous tributes, written by lovely women about their men, but I can't do it.
I tried. I erased this post more than once. I started it several times. I am struggling with the words, unable to put into black and white how he makes me feel.
We've been together (permanently) since 1993. We started dating in 1990, broke up twice (his call), but found our way back to each other each time.
We are not into PDAs, although we do hold hands and kiss each other hello and goodbye. We are not afraid to say "I love you" in front of family and friends, or even in front of strangers. We're not into huge romantic gestures, though, no big bouquets of red roses, no jewelry for each and every holiday, no pajamagrams or Vermont Teddy Bears. No big gifts, no big showy apologies, no big passionate fights.
In fact, we don't fight. We have no reason to fight. Some people have said that means one of us is lying, but it's quite simple: the same things are important to both of us - each other, the kids, our families. After that, what is there to fight about?
Yesterday was World Marriage Day and we renewed our vows in church. Married couples had to stand and repeat their vows in front of the congregation attending that Mass. I think we were the only couple in church to kiss each other when we were done. The words meant even more this time:
to love and to cherish,
in good times and in bad,
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
'til death do us part.
Even though were weren't young when we got married (I was 38 and he was 48), you don't really think about how little time you really have left with each other. Every day together today is one less together in the future, and I know I want to be with him for many, many, MANY more years. There was one day a few years ago when he was sick enough that he wanted to go the hospital, but even through that, he was up and moving under his own power. We got to the hospital and we were walking to the ER door and he stopped in his tracks and said he couldn't walk anymore. I had to leave him and get a wheelchair. I have NEVER felt so helpless and scared in my life. I have never felt the potential loss of him like I did that day, and Lord knows I don't ever want to feel that again. In fact, I keep on telling him I'd better go first...
I can't picture my life without him. I almost don't remember my life without him. I look back and say things like "If only we'd been together then..." or "You would have loved..." My life is full of him. He doesn't "complete me" (shades of Tom Cruise!) but we are better together than we are apart, we are happier together than we are apart, we would manage if we had to, but we don't want to be apart.
I'm very aware of how lucky I am to have him. And I know, deep in my heart, that he feels the same way, and he shows me each and every day, in so many tiny little ways. We don't need big gestures. It's enough that he reaches for my hand before we fall asleep at night. It's enough that he doesn't need to go out and have a good time with his buddies, that he wants me to go along. It's enough to see the "I love you" when he looks at me, even if for some reason he can't say it out loud at that moment. It's enough to hear "I love you."
He is enough for me. He is all I want.
I know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that he loves me. That he wants to spend the rest of his life with me. And that feeling? For me there are simply no words to describe how that makes me feel. I feel loved, cherished, honored, protected, cared for. I know he's proud of me, that he worries about me, that he wants no one but me. And that feeling, that confidence in our love for each other, that is the gift that keeps on giving every minute, every hour, every day.
Happy Valentine's Day, J!!!
Monday, February 06, 2012
$5000 richer, once removed...
THE GIANTS WON! 21-17! WE BEAT THE PATRIOTS!
And my darling daughter won $5000 in the football pool!
That's the same as me winning, right? Once removed?
I'm so excited for her! Her fiance posted "$5000!!!" on Facebook, so I replied with, "??? Did you win a football pool???" That's when he said it was my daughter who won!!!
It was an awesome game, and I'm so glad I watched it. It was a real nail biter, that's for sure, and while I can follow a game, I don't know all the rules and regulations. My daughter, however, does. We had gone out to dinner with the two of them last week, and S mentioned that they don't watch games together, in the same room, because she goes crazy! In fact, he said, she uses his clean socks and underwear to throw down flags during the game! So I asked her, when she called to tell us about her win, I asked how many flags were on the bedroom floor. She counted: "1, 2, 3,... 11, 12, 13!!!"
I wish she'd taken a picture of the floor!!!
And, by the way, THE SINGLE BEST SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL WAS (DRUM ROLL, PLEASE):
THE CLINT EASTWOOD/CHRYSLER COMMERCIAL. THE MAN IS H.O.T.
And my darling daughter won $5000 in the football pool!
That's the same as me winning, right? Once removed?
I'm so excited for her! Her fiance posted "$5000!!!" on Facebook, so I replied with, "??? Did you win a football pool???" That's when he said it was my daughter who won!!!
It was an awesome game, and I'm so glad I watched it. It was a real nail biter, that's for sure, and while I can follow a game, I don't know all the rules and regulations. My daughter, however, does. We had gone out to dinner with the two of them last week, and S mentioned that they don't watch games together, in the same room, because she goes crazy! In fact, he said, she uses his clean socks and underwear to throw down flags during the game! So I asked her, when she called to tell us about her win, I asked how many flags were on the bedroom floor. She counted: "1, 2, 3,... 11, 12, 13!!!"
I wish she'd taken a picture of the floor!!!
And, by the way, THE SINGLE BEST SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL WAS (DRUM ROLL, PLEASE):
THE CLINT EASTWOOD/CHRYSLER COMMERCIAL. THE MAN IS H.O.T.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Judging a Book by Its Cover
Judging a Book by Its Cover
This is an article in today's Shelf Awareness for Readers, Tuesday, January 24, 2012, Volume 1, Issue 62. It's interesting. Here are my favorite parts, in case you don't want to read the whole (short) article!
"On an airplane, do you notice what people are reading? Do you surreptitiously contort a bit to see a cover? Do you think about the (usually) men who are reading genre thrillers quite openly while women seem to hide romances? Same thing on the bus or subway or in cafes at lunchtime. Checking out book covers brings many pleasures; it also subtly imprints a book in your mind." - [Comment from Krys - This is the ONLY reason I read Room, by Emma Donoghue!]
"With e-books, there are no book covers. There's no tipping point reached by cover art, no visual validation of your own reading tastes. What will replace this passive advertising? Is it even a worry? A recent survey found a plateauing of e-book reader adoption (December sales notwithstanding)--52% of readers say they are "not at all likely" to buy an e-reader; additionally, e-reader owners buy almost as many printed books as e-books. [Comment from Krys - THANK YOU, JESUS! And btw, my sister gave me a gift card for Amazon and suggested I used it to buy a book or two for my Kindle Fire. I did, and I'll review below...] Good news for people who like cover art, for publishers who devote so much time and money to cover art, and for those of us who like to see what others are reading (or proclaim our own good taste). There are many good reasons to use e-books, but don't forget--it's really hard for authors to sign them."
Loved this article, and even though I have such strong opinions in favor of printed books, I'm so happy to hear that e-readers are STILL buying print editions, not just e-books.
So I bought Down the Darkest Road, by Tami Hoag, in e-format, thanks to the gift card from sister P. (Thanks, P!) I can't say that I'm a convert, and I am STILL a print girl, not an e-reader, but it wasn't so very horrible that I'll never read an e-book again. I may not be an e-reader, but I am a techno-geek-dork - I like gadgets, and I like my new smart phone (yes, I'm an iPhone person now), and I like my Fire, but I'm just not an avid e-reading fool. I never will be. That said, however, I think I left myself at a disadvantage...
1. I was reading it on my Kindle Fire, the screen was similar to a regular Kindle, so I think the reading experience was comparable. (Yea, I know all about the backlighting, etc., but I spend quite a bit of time on the Fire, and I don't think it was an issue for me.) What I HATED was how quickly I had to turn the page, and funnily enough, how I didn't like not being able to see two pages at once. I read quickly and I think I even speed read a bit, and scan ahead as I'm reading; I don't know how else to explain it. Now, I admit, until after I finished reading the book, I didn't think about making the font smaller to fit more on the page (duh!). But I'm already dealing with old eyes that need reading glasses, so I was put off by having to constantly flick the page. It gave me a headache to read across such a narrow page. BUT once I turned the Kindle sideways, the pages were still short in length but I was able to read across a longer span and that seemed to help with my eyestrain.
2. I admit, and always have, that I can see the benefit when I'm traveling. I've never gone on a trip anywhere, not even overnight, where I wasn't carrying at least 2 books with me, or an extra carry-on full of books to read on vacation or in the evening when I'm on business. My Fire will most definitely be traveling with me, with books loaded and games at the ready (Mah-Jong helps pass the time, to say nothing of Bejeweled or Words with Friends!). Not sure how much I'll like it and it will be interesting to see if I read as much on the e-reader as I do when I have print books with me, but I know my back and my arms and shoulders will send a thank you card to Amazon!
3. I admit, too, that I loaded a couple of Amazon freebies on my Fire to read on the train, when I have to commute without my chauffer (aka, hubby). And I've ordered - in advance! - an e-book version of Lisa Gardner's new Catch Me! which will be delivered when it releases on or around February 7th... In fact, I'll be reading a $3.99 sale book I bought for my Fire today, when I leave at 4pm to take the train home. It's a thriller and the synopsis intrigued me. And Lord knows paperbacks aren't $3.99 anymore so this was a financial plus and I got a new story to read!
As previously stated, I will not ever be e>print, but I'm trying to incorporate it into my reading experience, at least to a small degree, and perhaps the day will come when I'm less anti-e-reader, but I will never ever be less pro-print!!!
This is an article in today's Shelf Awareness for Readers, Tuesday, January 24, 2012, Volume 1, Issue 62. It's interesting. Here are my favorite parts, in case you don't want to read the whole (short) article!
"On an airplane, do you notice what people are reading? Do you surreptitiously contort a bit to see a cover? Do you think about the (usually) men who are reading genre thrillers quite openly while women seem to hide romances? Same thing on the bus or subway or in cafes at lunchtime. Checking out book covers brings many pleasures; it also subtly imprints a book in your mind." - [Comment from Krys - This is the ONLY reason I read Room, by Emma Donoghue!]
"With e-books, there are no book covers. There's no tipping point reached by cover art, no visual validation of your own reading tastes. What will replace this passive advertising? Is it even a worry? A recent survey found a plateauing of e-book reader adoption (December sales notwithstanding)--52% of readers say they are "not at all likely" to buy an e-reader; additionally, e-reader owners buy almost as many printed books as e-books. [Comment from Krys - THANK YOU, JESUS! And btw, my sister gave me a gift card for Amazon and suggested I used it to buy a book or two for my Kindle Fire. I did, and I'll review below...] Good news for people who like cover art, for publishers who devote so much time and money to cover art, and for those of us who like to see what others are reading (or proclaim our own good taste). There are many good reasons to use e-books, but don't forget--it's really hard for authors to sign them."
Loved this article, and even though I have such strong opinions in favor of printed books, I'm so happy to hear that e-readers are STILL buying print editions, not just e-books.
So I bought Down the Darkest Road, by Tami Hoag, in e-format, thanks to the gift card from sister P. (Thanks, P!) I can't say that I'm a convert, and I am STILL a print girl, not an e-reader, but it wasn't so very horrible that I'll never read an e-book again. I may not be an e-reader, but I am a techno-geek-dork - I like gadgets, and I like my new smart phone (yes, I'm an iPhone person now), and I like my Fire, but I'm just not an avid e-reading fool. I never will be. That said, however, I think I left myself at a disadvantage...
1. I was reading it on my Kindle Fire, the screen was similar to a regular Kindle, so I think the reading experience was comparable. (Yea, I know all about the backlighting, etc., but I spend quite a bit of time on the Fire, and I don't think it was an issue for me.) What I HATED was how quickly I had to turn the page, and funnily enough, how I didn't like not being able to see two pages at once. I read quickly and I think I even speed read a bit, and scan ahead as I'm reading; I don't know how else to explain it. Now, I admit, until after I finished reading the book, I didn't think about making the font smaller to fit more on the page (duh!). But I'm already dealing with old eyes that need reading glasses, so I was put off by having to constantly flick the page. It gave me a headache to read across such a narrow page. BUT once I turned the Kindle sideways, the pages were still short in length but I was able to read across a longer span and that seemed to help with my eyestrain.
2. I admit, and always have, that I can see the benefit when I'm traveling. I've never gone on a trip anywhere, not even overnight, where I wasn't carrying at least 2 books with me, or an extra carry-on full of books to read on vacation or in the evening when I'm on business. My Fire will most definitely be traveling with me, with books loaded and games at the ready (Mah-Jong helps pass the time, to say nothing of Bejeweled or Words with Friends!). Not sure how much I'll like it and it will be interesting to see if I read as much on the e-reader as I do when I have print books with me, but I know my back and my arms and shoulders will send a thank you card to Amazon!
3. I admit, too, that I loaded a couple of Amazon freebies on my Fire to read on the train, when I have to commute without my chauffer (aka, hubby). And I've ordered - in advance! - an e-book version of Lisa Gardner's new Catch Me! which will be delivered when it releases on or around February 7th... In fact, I'll be reading a $3.99 sale book I bought for my Fire today, when I leave at 4pm to take the train home. It's a thriller and the synopsis intrigued me. And Lord knows paperbacks aren't $3.99 anymore so this was a financial plus and I got a new story to read!
As previously stated, I will not ever be e>print, but I'm trying to incorporate it into my reading experience, at least to a small degree, and perhaps the day will come when I'm less anti-e-reader, but I will never ever be less pro-print!!!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
One Little Word - FOCUS
Someone else chose FOCUS as their One Little Word, and Ali Edwards chose to feature her OLW on her blog today...
In case you want to hear why someone else chose FOCUS...
One Little Word / Community Member Feature: Michelle & Heather
In case you want to hear why someone else chose FOCUS...
One Little Word / Community Member Feature: Michelle & Heather
Friday, January 13, 2012
Focus
Last year I took a class from Ali Edwards: One Little Word. I'm not taking it this year because I'm signed up for too many other classes and I just can't swing another one!
But I'm picking a word and trying to live by it and I'm sure somewhere in the year I'll do a spread about it, either as a scrapbook page, or in my diary, or in my Project Life binder, or in my art journal, or in my soon-to-be-started gratitude journal, or perhaps in all five of those places! I'm sure I'll probably blog about it when it strikes me, too, so you can add this blog as another place that my One Little Word will show up...
FOCUS.
That's my word. As a matter of fact, that was my word last year. I intended to focus in every aspect of my life, but as happens quite often, life gets in the way! I got a necklace for myself with the word "focus" stamped on it.
That helped a lot, as long as I remembered to wear it! (Got it from Lisa Leonard - she has some lovely pieces and her prices, I think, are pretty reasonable.)
There are still a lot of places in my life where I need to focus. Here are a few:
But I'm picking a word and trying to live by it and I'm sure somewhere in the year I'll do a spread about it, either as a scrapbook page, or in my diary, or in my Project Life binder, or in my art journal, or in my soon-to-be-started gratitude journal, or perhaps in all five of those places! I'm sure I'll probably blog about it when it strikes me, too, so you can add this blog as another place that my One Little Word will show up...
FOCUS.
That's my word. As a matter of fact, that was my word last year. I intended to focus in every aspect of my life, but as happens quite often, life gets in the way! I got a necklace for myself with the word "focus" stamped on it.
That helped a lot, as long as I remembered to wear it! (Got it from Lisa Leonard - she has some lovely pieces and her prices, I think, are pretty reasonable.)
There are still a lot of places in my life where I need to focus. Here are a few:
- I want to focus on being a better wife, daughter, sister, cousin, aunt, friend, employee.
- I want to focus on my faith during the week, not just when I'm in church on Sunday.
- I want to focus on my creativity, through the online classes I'm taking, by sketching and scrapping and taking photos.
- I want to focus on my health. I'm taking a class called Move More, Eat Well with Cathy Zielske. I'm hoping that this, along with Weight Watchers, can help me accomplish this year what I've been trying to accomplish for many years. I've joined a gym, too, so I want to focus on actually going!
- I want to focus on my job. I get too distracted: the internet, my new iPhone, Words with Friends, Facebook and Twitter - they're all more interesting and more fun than my job. But I need to focus on my job. I always do a good job. Now I want to do a GREAT job.
- I want to focus on my house. Both of them. They need to be decluttered, cleaned, painted, refreshed. And it shouldn't be on J to do it all.
Thursday, January 05, 2012
I wish Katie was my friend...
Bower Power is one of my all-time favorite blogs. To see the funniest, frickin' post I've read in a VERY long time, click here. And be sure to read it, and scroll down, and see what a beautiful family Katie Bower has... I SO wish I was friends with her!!! I just KNOW we'd get along!!! You'll know why when you get to the bottom of her post...
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
Happy 2012!
Oops, one of my unwritten resolutions was to blog more in 2012...
Yea, epic FAIL!!! It's January 4th and I haven't even wished my readers a Happy New Year!
HAPPY NEW YEAR! May you all have a 2012 filled with love and happiness and good health, and may you all accomplish whatever it is you set out to do, achieve whatever it is you want to achieve, and enjoy whatever it is you wish to enjoy in this new year...
I want to write more, take more photographs and post them here on the blog. I am taking part in an online class called Move More, Eat Well by the esteemed Cathy Zielske, and so far, I've gone to the gym once, yoga class is at 1:30pm today, I'm hoping to go to the gym tonight, and I haven't eaten fast food yet this year. I've started my journal (oops, another resolution: learn Photoshop Elements).
I'm also taking two art classes online with Alisa Burke: Sketchbook Delight and Create Daily. I'm not very talented but I've learned to call what I dabble in "art." According to Donna Downey, with whom I took a class in December, when I call myself an "artist," THEN I'll really be one... Can't really see that one happening any time soon, but Donna, I'll let you know when/if it does...
Last year I took an online journey with Ali Edwards. I signed up for her One Little Word series, and while I started off just fine, as usual I tapered off into simply filing the emails in the file called OLW and that was about it. So this year I didn't sign up for it again, but I've chose my word to be FOCUS again: FOCUS x 2, if you will... I hope to remember to FOCUS on everything in my life, to pay attention, to learn, to make better decisions...
As I created all these links for you, I realized something: I'm determined to be more creative and artistic, even if it kills me, or breaks the bank! I have spent a lot of money on scrapbooking supplies, on printing photographs, on sketchbooks and watercolor paint sets (I've found I like watercolors better than acrylic paints, although I like acrylics in my art journal), on mixed media supplies, on classes... What I haven't done is spent the TIME I'd like to spend on creating.
So here we go:
In 2012 I resolve to spend less money on classes and supplies and spend more time on actually creating, or practicing/developing my creativity.
There it is: in black and white. Out there for the world (my readers = the world!) to see. I'm accountable. Sort of like Weight Watchers for the artsy me.
I might not blog more, but I hope to include more photos of what I create, be it a scrapbook page, a mini-book, a sketch, a watercolor painting...
Feel free to remind me next month that I haven't blogged, posted a photo, or cracked open my sketchbook - I'll most likely need the reminder...
Yea, epic FAIL!!! It's January 4th and I haven't even wished my readers a Happy New Year!
HAPPY NEW YEAR! May you all have a 2012 filled with love and happiness and good health, and may you all accomplish whatever it is you set out to do, achieve whatever it is you want to achieve, and enjoy whatever it is you wish to enjoy in this new year...
I want to write more, take more photographs and post them here on the blog. I am taking part in an online class called Move More, Eat Well by the esteemed Cathy Zielske, and so far, I've gone to the gym once, yoga class is at 1:30pm today, I'm hoping to go to the gym tonight, and I haven't eaten fast food yet this year. I've started my journal (oops, another resolution: learn Photoshop Elements).
I'm also taking two art classes online with Alisa Burke: Sketchbook Delight and Create Daily. I'm not very talented but I've learned to call what I dabble in "art." According to Donna Downey, with whom I took a class in December, when I call myself an "artist," THEN I'll really be one... Can't really see that one happening any time soon, but Donna, I'll let you know when/if it does...
Last year I took an online journey with Ali Edwards. I signed up for her One Little Word series, and while I started off just fine, as usual I tapered off into simply filing the emails in the file called OLW and that was about it. So this year I didn't sign up for it again, but I've chose my word to be FOCUS again: FOCUS x 2, if you will... I hope to remember to FOCUS on everything in my life, to pay attention, to learn, to make better decisions...
As I created all these links for you, I realized something: I'm determined to be more creative and artistic, even if it kills me, or breaks the bank! I have spent a lot of money on scrapbooking supplies, on printing photographs, on sketchbooks and watercolor paint sets (I've found I like watercolors better than acrylic paints, although I like acrylics in my art journal), on mixed media supplies, on classes... What I haven't done is spent the TIME I'd like to spend on creating.
So here we go:
In 2012 I resolve to spend less money on classes and supplies and spend more time on actually creating, or practicing/developing my creativity.
There it is: in black and white. Out there for the world (my readers = the world!) to see. I'm accountable. Sort of like Weight Watchers for the artsy me.
I might not blog more, but I hope to include more photos of what I create, be it a scrapbook page, a mini-book, a sketch, a watercolor painting...
Feel free to remind me next month that I haven't blogged, posted a photo, or cracked open my sketchbook - I'll most likely need the reminder...
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Free Hugs in Sondrio, Italy
If only we had people doing this all over the world! It would be a better place!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Look at yourself after watching this...
Please take 4 minutes and 11 seconds from your busy holiday week and watch this video. This man has touched my heart. I will never forget him and I'm posting this video here so that I'll always be able to go back and hear him say, "Every single girl right here, right now, I want you to know that you are beautiful. You are gorgeous just the way you are. And you boys? You da man!"
THIS is the lesson I hope all young women can learn, and it's a lesson I hope all young men can learn.
You/we are all beautiful.
THIS is the lesson I hope all young women can learn, and it's a lesson I hope all young men can learn.
You/we are all beautiful.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
On Being a Woman...
I'm not a feminist. That's the last word I would use to describe myself.
I think it's because I just automatically and unconsciously (until I really think about it) put a negative connotation on the word "feminism."
And I'm wrong to do that, I know. I'm where I am today, in my life, in my career, in the world, because a lot of women stood up for themselves, their mothers and aunts and grandparents, and for their unborn children and younger sisters and cousins, stood up and shouted, "We're not going to take it anymore!"
We vote. We work. We own homes. We have valued opinions. Sure, a feminist can be still be stereotyped to be a bra-burner, a political rant, an in-your-face, gruff sort of woman always fighting the men even when she doesn't need to, but of course, not all of them are... It's a stereotype that needs to be tossed.
But I do think sometimes that many women DO still fight a battle that has been raging for generations, whether we know it or not. And I ran across this blog post today on The Wild and Wily Ways of a Brunette Bombshell. I don't know the author of the blog, and I never saw the article she's reposting, but man, did it strike a chord with me today.
There are some women I know who are living this every day. And I probably encourage them to fight back a bit more than I should: after all, I'm not living in their shoes. I should really support them any way I can, and not tell them, "You should fight back!"
I'm lucky to be married to my husband, a man who respects me, my abilities, my brains, my heart, who believes in me, believes that I can do anything I put my mind to even when I'm doubting myself.
The women mentioned in this article (original author is Yahsar Ali) do exist, even today, in 2012, after all we women went through in the 50s, 60s, 70s, and on... They're still living with those sly little comments that do nothing but demean them, even - and I do truly believe this - even when the men in their lives don't realize what they're doing!
We've learned, women, now let's teach the men in our lives to cut this $&*# out!!! Be sure to teach your sons and nephews and husbands and brothers NOT to make comments like "You're overreacting! You're so sensitive! Get a grip: I was just kidding!"
Bottom line, guys? If you have to say that after we react to whatever it is you just said? IT WAS A STUPID THING TO SAY AND YOU SHOULD HAVE NEVER SAID IT!!!
I think it's because I just automatically and unconsciously (until I really think about it) put a negative connotation on the word "feminism."
And I'm wrong to do that, I know. I'm where I am today, in my life, in my career, in the world, because a lot of women stood up for themselves, their mothers and aunts and grandparents, and for their unborn children and younger sisters and cousins, stood up and shouted, "We're not going to take it anymore!"
We vote. We work. We own homes. We have valued opinions. Sure, a feminist can be still be stereotyped to be a bra-burner, a political rant, an in-your-face, gruff sort of woman always fighting the men even when she doesn't need to, but of course, not all of them are... It's a stereotype that needs to be tossed.
But I do think sometimes that many women DO still fight a battle that has been raging for generations, whether we know it or not. And I ran across this blog post today on The Wild and Wily Ways of a Brunette Bombshell. I don't know the author of the blog, and I never saw the article she's reposting, but man, did it strike a chord with me today.
There are some women I know who are living this every day. And I probably encourage them to fight back a bit more than I should: after all, I'm not living in their shoes. I should really support them any way I can, and not tell them, "You should fight back!"
I'm lucky to be married to my husband, a man who respects me, my abilities, my brains, my heart, who believes in me, believes that I can do anything I put my mind to even when I'm doubting myself.
The women mentioned in this article (original author is Yahsar Ali) do exist, even today, in 2012, after all we women went through in the 50s, 60s, 70s, and on... They're still living with those sly little comments that do nothing but demean them, even - and I do truly believe this - even when the men in their lives don't realize what they're doing!
We've learned, women, now let's teach the men in our lives to cut this $&*# out!!! Be sure to teach your sons and nephews and husbands and brothers NOT to make comments like "You're overreacting! You're so sensitive! Get a grip: I was just kidding!"
Bottom line, guys? If you have to say that after we react to whatever it is you just said? IT WAS A STUPID THING TO SAY AND YOU SHOULD HAVE NEVER SAID IT!!!
Friday, December 02, 2011
Oh, Thank Goodness!!!
from Shelf Awareness, Friday, December 2, 2011, Volume 2, Issue 1617
Future of Print Books: 'You’ll Be Neck Deep in Them'
"Will the e-book kill off the print book? Every time I hear that question, I think about the 'paperless office.' Back in the '80s, the rise of word processors and e-mail convinced a lot of people that paper would vanish. Why print anything when you could simply squirt documents around electronically?
"We all know how that turned out.... When you make something easier to do, people do more of it. Now that every office worker has access to a computer and a printer, every office worker can design and distribute elaborate multicolor birthday flyers and spiral-bound presentations.
" 'Print-on-demand' publishing is about to do the same thing to books. It'll keep them alive--by allowing them to be much weirder.... So don’t worry about the fate of print books. Heck, you'll be neck deep in them."
--Clive Thompson in Wired
Future of Print Books: 'You’ll Be Neck Deep in Them'
"Will the e-book kill off the print book? Every time I hear that question, I think about the 'paperless office.' Back in the '80s, the rise of word processors and e-mail convinced a lot of people that paper would vanish. Why print anything when you could simply squirt documents around electronically?
"We all know how that turned out.... When you make something easier to do, people do more of it. Now that every office worker has access to a computer and a printer, every office worker can design and distribute elaborate multicolor birthday flyers and spiral-bound presentations.
" 'Print-on-demand' publishing is about to do the same thing to books. It'll keep them alive--by allowing them to be much weirder.... So don’t worry about the fate of print books. Heck, you'll be neck deep in them."
--Clive Thompson in Wired
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Children really are still reading!!!
My baby sister sent this one to me; I hadn't seen it yet.
I'll sleep better tonight!
From this article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/21/business/for-their-children-many-e-book-readers-insist-on-paper.html
Came this quote:
“When we go to bed and he knows it’s reading time, he says, ‘Let’s play Angry Birds a little bit,’ ” Mr. Thomson said. “If he’s going to pick up the iPad, he’s not going to read, he’s going to want to play a game. So reading concentration goes out the window.”
THAT's what frightens me, people! NOT the geeky, dorky, shiny toy - I, myself, am the proud owner of a new Fire (although admittedly I didn't buy it for the books) - but the fear a child will choose the shiny toy over the book... I want them to learn to love books, and choose an e-book, perhaps, when it's convenient, not all the time. And it IS convenient, when traveling or commuting, for instance, but I don't want them to miss out on the pages, the ink, the smell, the experience of a b.o.o.k.
I'll sleep better tonight!
From this article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/21/business/for-their-children-many-e-book-readers-insist-on-paper.html
Came this quote:
“When we go to bed and he knows it’s reading time, he says, ‘Let’s play Angry Birds a little bit,’ ” Mr. Thomson said. “If he’s going to pick up the iPad, he’s not going to read, he’s going to want to play a game. So reading concentration goes out the window.”
THAT's what frightens me, people! NOT the geeky, dorky, shiny toy - I, myself, am the proud owner of a new Fire (although admittedly I didn't buy it for the books) - but the fear a child will choose the shiny toy over the book... I want them to learn to love books, and choose an e-book, perhaps, when it's convenient, not all the time. And it IS convenient, when traveling or commuting, for instance, but I don't want them to miss out on the pages, the ink, the smell, the experience of a b.o.o.k.
Borrowing Books from "Amazon Library"
This is a much bigger deal than simply e-books vs. print books...
I don't know enough yet to take sides, but this article and the accompanying comments are enough to spark some serious thought and debate...
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/49430-could-amazon--s-lending-library-end-in-court-.html
I don't know enough yet to take sides, but this article and the accompanying comments are enough to spark some serious thought and debate...
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/49430-could-amazon--s-lending-library-end-in-court-.html
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Taking down another tree...
We came up to the lake house this morning, by way of Weight Watchers, Walmart, and Hearth and Home. We had a couple of rather inactive hours and then J decided to tell me he was planning to take down 1/2 a tree. Well, he didn't tell me, really. I heard a familiar rattle and looked out the window only to see the ladder leaning against a tree.
After 1/2 an hour of me complaining, begging, crying, he won. "Fine. Cut the tree down if you're convinced it won't hit our house, our neighbor's house or you!" I wasn't real enthusiastic about this project.
So here's photographic record that he got the tree down. Of course, it wasn't easy...
First he ties a rope above the place where he's going to cut so I can pull the tree in the direction we want it to fall, which is away from the houses. I was supposed to duck behind another tree to make sure I wasn't hurt once we heard the ominous CRACK that meant it was on its way down.
We heard a small crack so he scampered down the ladder and ran over to me to take the rope and pull. "HEAVE! HO!" And the tree didn't come down.
And that happened several times. He'd cut more, he'd hear a cracking sound (he was up close and personal with the tree when he was on the ladder) so he'd quick come down off the ladder, run over and take the rope from me and try pulling. To no avail. That tree wasn't going anywhere!
He finally decided it wasn't coming down because it was caught in the twin tree next to it. I wasn't that convinced that was the reason; the weight of the part he was cutting down should have been enough to make it fall...
So after some serious contemplation...
He decided to cut the tree lower to the ground, make that bottom piece fall in the opposite direction from where he wanted the top piece to fall, and he started cutting... And it worked.
That was one LOUD CRACK and he ran for cover on the other side of the tree trunk, away from the falling trunkS and the falling ladder and the falling SawzAll blade that was stuck in the trunk of the tree 25' above our heads!
After 1/2 an hour of me complaining, begging, crying, he won. "Fine. Cut the tree down if you're convinced it won't hit our house, our neighbor's house or you!" I wasn't real enthusiastic about this project.
So here's photographic record that he got the tree down. Of course, it wasn't easy...
First he ties a rope above the place where he's going to cut so I can pull the tree in the direction we want it to fall, which is away from the houses. I was supposed to duck behind another tree to make sure I wasn't hurt once we heard the ominous CRACK that meant it was on its way down.
We heard a small crack so he scampered down the ladder and ran over to me to take the rope and pull. "HEAVE! HO!" And the tree didn't come down.
And that happened several times. He'd cut more, he'd hear a cracking sound (he was up close and personal with the tree when he was on the ladder) so he'd quick come down off the ladder, run over and take the rope from me and try pulling. To no avail. That tree wasn't going anywhere!
He finally decided it wasn't coming down because it was caught in the twin tree next to it. I wasn't that convinced that was the reason; the weight of the part he was cutting down should have been enough to make it fall...
So after some serious contemplation...
He decided to cut the tree lower to the ground, make that bottom piece fall in the opposite direction from where he wanted the top piece to fall, and he started cutting... And it worked.
That was one LOUD CRACK and he ran for cover on the other side of the tree trunk, away from the falling trunkS and the falling ladder and the falling SawzAll blade that was stuck in the trunk of the tree 25' above our heads!
Monday, November 07, 2011
A FUNNY look at e-books...
E-Books: A Threat to Marriage?
"The lightness of the e-book medium, literally and figuratively, holds a terrible allure and an insidious threat to the heavily booked-up among us. How many marriages, seemingly held firm by the impossibility of moving several hundredweight of vinyl or CDs out of a family-sized home, have already foundered post the digitization of music? How many more will break if apparently inseparable and immovable matrimonial libraries become something that anyone can walk out with in their pocket?"
--James Meek in the most recent issue of the London Review of Books
From Shelf Awareness, Monday, November 7, 2011 - Volume 2, Issue 1598
"The lightness of the e-book medium, literally and figuratively, holds a terrible allure and an insidious threat to the heavily booked-up among us. How many marriages, seemingly held firm by the impossibility of moving several hundredweight of vinyl or CDs out of a family-sized home, have already foundered post the digitization of music? How many more will break if apparently inseparable and immovable matrimonial libraries become something that anyone can walk out with in their pocket?"
--James Meek in the most recent issue of the London Review of Books
From Shelf Awareness, Monday, November 7, 2011 - Volume 2, Issue 1598
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Am I pretty?
I read this blog called Carrying a Cat by the Tail! Spuds is a single dad with 6 kids, 2 of them girls. He posted a really funny piece the other day about Halloween and I linked to it a couple of days ago.
Today's post? Not so funny. Heartwarming? Yes. Important? Double yes!
Spuds knows how important it is to make sure his daughters know they are beautiful. Inside AND out.
My parents never made a big deal about our looks. No "You're the most beautiful girls in the world"" or "You're so much prettier than XYZ!" I didn't grow up thinking looks were important.
But I'm a girl. I got to a point in my life where I knew I wasn't as pretty as some of the other girls in my class. I knew I didn't have a great body. Admittedly, no one ran screaming into the wind when they met me, but no one dropped dead of shock over how beautiful I was, either! If you ask me to describe myself, my description will always be the same: "I don't see Jaclyn Smith in the mirror in the morning, but young children don't run away screaming when they see me!"
When we get dressed up and my husband tells me I look pretty, my first and only thought is "Not pretty, but better than usual." I'm 50, soon to be 51, and it's taken me a long, long time toalmost believe I'm okay the way I am. And I credit my husband for that. Not for the thousands of compliments he's tossed my way (NOT!) but because he makes me feel loved. Accepted. Okay the way I am. In fact, BETTER than okay just the way I am. Just what he wants in his life and in his heart. And that makes me feel pretty.
Spuds doesn't want his daughters to grow up putting themselves down. He's one smart cookie. He knows how important it is that his girls know, with every fiber of their being, that they're beautiful, that their dad loves them and that he knows how beautiful they are. And he's going to make sure they remember... What a lovely gift from Daddy to his girls...
Read his post here...
http://blirred-reality.blogspot.com/2011/11/youre-perfect-and-beautiful.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CarryingACatByTheTail+%28Carrying+a+Cat+by+the+Tail%21%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
Today's post? Not so funny. Heartwarming? Yes. Important? Double yes!
Spuds knows how important it is to make sure his daughters know they are beautiful. Inside AND out.
My parents never made a big deal about our looks. No "You're the most beautiful girls in the world"" or "You're so much prettier than XYZ!" I didn't grow up thinking looks were important.
But I'm a girl. I got to a point in my life where I knew I wasn't as pretty as some of the other girls in my class. I knew I didn't have a great body. Admittedly, no one ran screaming into the wind when they met me, but no one dropped dead of shock over how beautiful I was, either! If you ask me to describe myself, my description will always be the same: "I don't see Jaclyn Smith in the mirror in the morning, but young children don't run away screaming when they see me!"
When we get dressed up and my husband tells me I look pretty, my first and only thought is "Not pretty, but better than usual." I'm 50, soon to be 51, and it's taken me a long, long time to
Spuds doesn't want his daughters to grow up putting themselves down. He's one smart cookie. He knows how important it is that his girls know, with every fiber of their being, that they're beautiful, that their dad loves them and that he knows how beautiful they are. And he's going to make sure they remember... What a lovely gift from Daddy to his girls...
Read his post here...
http://blirred-reality.blogspot.com/2011/11/youre-perfect-and-beautiful.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CarryingACatByTheTail+%28Carrying+a+Cat+by+the+Tail%21%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
Books are magic...
from Shelf Awareness, Wednesday, November 2, 2011 - Volume 2, Issue 1595
The Book as Object: 'A Piece of History'
"You must hold a real book in your hand, smell the pages, examine the type face, the spacing between letters; must note the shape and size of the book, the weight of it. Only then can you experience the book’s full import. And its magic.
"A book as an object is a piece of history....
"Of course, new books are not quite the same, but you can be a book's 'first' owner, the first to hold, read and study it. You can learn from its binding and paper and weight and lettering and smell. You can hold a new book in trust for its future owners. You can become part of its history.
"Give your e-reader a rest, grab a real, printed book: and feel the magic."
--Helen Selzer, owner of Farshaw's Too, South Egremont, Mass., in a post on her blog Books Books Books.
This quote touches my heart. This is a great way to explain how I feel - I'm not really ANTI e-books, I'm just so much more passionately PRINT books... It's the magic I refuse to give up...
The Book as Object: 'A Piece of History'
"You must hold a real book in your hand, smell the pages, examine the type face, the spacing between letters; must note the shape and size of the book, the weight of it. Only then can you experience the book’s full import. And its magic.
"A book as an object is a piece of history....
"Of course, new books are not quite the same, but you can be a book's 'first' owner, the first to hold, read and study it. You can learn from its binding and paper and weight and lettering and smell. You can hold a new book in trust for its future owners. You can become part of its history.
"Give your e-reader a rest, grab a real, printed book: and feel the magic."
--Helen Selzer, owner of Farshaw's Too, South Egremont, Mass., in a post on her blog Books Books Books.
This quote touches my heart. This is a great way to explain how I feel - I'm not really ANTI e-books, I'm just so much more passionately PRINT books... It's the magic I refuse to give up...
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Halloween
I'm not particularly "into" Halloween. For a while, as a child, I'm sure I was. (Mom seems to remember me being excited to put on a costume... I seem to remember loving bottomless Smarties...)
And when we first moved into our house, I was excited to decorate for Halloween and buy tons'o'bad-for-me'candy and give it to all the cute little kids who were going to be ringing my doorbell...
I'm Catholic but I live in an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood. We get some trick-or-treaters but we don't get nearly enough for me to dole out a candy bar or two or twelve to get rid of said bad-for-me-candy... So for a while I bought a bag of candy I didn't really like so there'd be no temptation to eat it.
You see where this is going? There are starving children... and I ate the candy I didn't like, so I went back to buying what I did like - it wasn't worth feeling sick over what I ate...
Then I finally figured it out.
Don't be home on Halloween. Go to your sister-in-law's house, go to B&N, go shopping, go out to dinner,have a colonoscopy, anything not to be home listening to the doorbell ring 8000 times because THIS year you didn't buy any candy...
So this year I went to my sister-in-law's (option #1 above!) and that was cool 'cause I got to see my little E dressed up like Madonna, right down to the fingerless gloves! She was so cute! [Oh, before I cause you all to have a mini-stroke at the thought of cone-shaped brassieres on a little almost-16-month-old, we're talking Like-a-Virgin-Madonna with a pink/white/gray/black tulle skirt, a poofy and lacy barette with hot pink ribbons/feathers in her hair, flat pink glitter maryjane shoes, black leggings, and a cute top with her initial "E" on the front... nothing inappropriate...]
Then I came to work today, and caught up on one of my favorite blog feeds, Carrying a Cat by the Tail.
Did YOU know God tastes like salt? Intrigued? Read Spuds' Halloween post!!! You'll know from whence I speak... Word to the wise: do NOT be drinking your hot coffee or cold Dr. Pepper/Diet Coke when you read the punchline!!!
And when we first moved into our house, I was excited to decorate for Halloween and buy tons'o'bad-for-me'candy and give it to all the cute little kids who were going to be ringing my doorbell...
I'm Catholic but I live in an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood. We get some trick-or-treaters but we don't get nearly enough for me to dole out a candy bar or two or twelve to get rid of said bad-for-me-candy... So for a while I bought a bag of candy I didn't really like so there'd be no temptation to eat it.
You see where this is going? There are starving children... and I ate the candy I didn't like, so I went back to buying what I did like - it wasn't worth feeling sick over what I ate...
Then I finally figured it out.
Don't be home on Halloween. Go to your sister-in-law's house, go to B&N, go shopping, go out to dinner,
So this year I went to my sister-in-law's (option #1 above!) and that was cool 'cause I got to see my little E dressed up like Madonna, right down to the fingerless gloves! She was so cute! [Oh, before I cause you all to have a mini-stroke at the thought of cone-shaped brassieres on a little almost-16-month-old, we're talking Like-a-Virgin-Madonna with a pink/white/gray/black tulle skirt, a poofy and lacy barette with hot pink ribbons/feathers in her hair, flat pink glitter maryjane shoes, black leggings, and a cute top with her initial "E" on the front... nothing inappropriate...]
Then I came to work today, and caught up on one of my favorite blog feeds, Carrying a Cat by the Tail.
Did YOU know God tastes like salt? Intrigued? Read Spuds' Halloween post!!! You'll know from whence I speak... Word to the wise: do NOT be drinking your hot coffee or cold Dr. Pepper/Diet Coke when you read the punchline!!!
Pirating Books
Ran across this article in Publishers Weekly. For a change this has nothing to do with e-books vs. print books.
This is just an article about a lawsuit that hits close to home. It's not a long article. Check out the punchline: "The company did note that Bit Torrent users on the demonoid.me site downloaded Photoshop CS5 All-in-One-for Dummies more than 74,000 times since June 6, 2010." 74,000 TIMES!!!
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/copyright/article/49342-wiley-goes-after-bit-torrent-pirates.html?utm_source=Publishers+Weekly%27s+PW+Daily&utm_campaign=a5b452b3ed-UA-15906914-1&utm_medium=email
This is just an article about a lawsuit that hits close to home. It's not a long article. Check out the punchline: "The company did note that Bit Torrent users on the demonoid.me site downloaded Photoshop CS5 All-in-One-for Dummies more than 74,000 times since June 6, 2010." 74,000 TIMES!!!
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/copyright/article/49342-wiley-goes-after-bit-torrent-pirates.html?utm_source=Publishers+Weekly%27s+PW+Daily&utm_campaign=a5b452b3ed-UA-15906914-1&utm_medium=email
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