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Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Release Your Inner Princess!


Saw this tonite. It was darn cute!!! So happy and perky. Little vignettes of each of the Disney princess stories, colorful and musical.

Estor bot a blinking tiara for her friend Mike. I so wish I had a card in my camera!

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Scraptastic!!!

Busy weekend! The usual, exercise (see last post!), some shopping (groceries), and art!

Inspired by this! (Bot it at stamp club on Thursday.)


Made the wire heart on the cover, buuuuttt, not sure what to do with it!!!


Made these!!!


Stealthy, sweetgum Ninjas! See Nudge-Nudge!

And...Elsie Challenge #8 - Group 4 Photos, Paper Adventure 08 #8 - Something Old, Postcards from Here - Love, a daily card (at a Skosh More), and Starbucks Love, an actual scrapbook layout! whee!


Panda Love pixs taken at the (world famous) San Diego Zoo, last fall.


Elise's prompt was Something Old...As a kid, I didn't like dolls, I preferred stuffed animals. Smokey the Bear & I first met at a flea market. We share many memories. He was the inspiration for my fire prevention poster, with which I won my 2nd grade fire prevention picture contest! : .) Smokey sports a coffee stain on his jeans, spilled coffee during a camping trip with my Dad. He's missing his belt and has a hole cut for his mouth for a pacifier because at one time, I wanted him to be a baby. Smokey's been a great friend, and altho' he's quite old and a little worse for wear, I still love him.



Christina's recent postcard prompt was tell a story about someone or something you love. Since I don't have a "someone" I had to art about a "something." Disneyland, I love Disneyland, the Happiest Place on Earth! Fun with girlfriends, rides, fuds, excitement!!! I had in my mind a Mickey Mouse icon head milagro, but it ended up being a Burning Mickey! I like the result, even if its not what I had envisioned.


A Starbucks Love layout. I saw a photo on flickr that I had to copy, so I spent part of my work day Friday shooting pixs. Zoolander was on yesterday and Mugatu said " Are you not aware that I get farty and bloated with a foamy latte?!" And I had to make the piece. I love the juxtaposition of the elegant layout with the off "off" quote, hee!

Finally, I wanted to share an article with y'all. I was so impressed with what these kids are accomplishing. It made me ask myself..."What are you doing to help the world, Linda." Yeah. What?!

9/11 Victims' Kids Help in New Orleans

By STACEY PLAISANCE, Associated Press WriterThu Feb 21, 8:01 AM ET

Sixteen-year-old Caitlin Leavey remembers people she didn't even know coming to her family's aid with food and comfort after she lost her firefighter father in the World Trade Center in New York on Sept. 11.

On Wednesday, she and more than a dozen other young people who lost parents in the terrorist attacks were hanging siding on a house in New Orleans — their way of helping a city and its residents recover from the loss inflicted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

"It feels so good to be able to give back," Leavey said as she hammered away. "I know what they went through. I know what we went through, and I wanted to give back."

This week, Leavey and the others are working with Habitat for Humanity in the Musicians' Village, a housing initiative launched by New Orleans natives Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis in the Upper 9th Ward to help displaced musicians.

More than 40 candy-colored homes have already been built, and 23 more are under construction, project spokeswoman Aleis Tusa said.

The youth, ranging from 9th- to 12th-graders, arrived in New Orleans on Sunday with the help of Tuesday's Children, an organization that provides support to family's affected by the Sept. 11 attacks.

Besides manual labor, the teens took a tour of flood-damaged neighborhoods and learned about the city's levee system. They also visited the Aquarium of the Americas and French Quarter.

"It helps so much to be here because we're working with people who have been through what we've been through and care just as much as we do," said Thea Trinidad, 17, of Pawcatuck, Conn.

Adult chaperones say the visit goes beyond helping storm victims.

"Helping heals," said Candy Cucharo, program director for Tuesday's Children. "Doing for others, you're no longer viewed as the one needing help. Helping others builds resistance and helps strengthen your mental and emotional well-being."

Leavey was 10 when she lost her father, Joseph G. Leavey, a New York City fire lieutenant who led firefighters from Ladder 15 as high as the 78th floor of the south tower before it collapsed on Sept. 11. She said the New Orleans visit was a rewarding way to honor his memory.

"My dad was always helping people, painting and fixing the firehouse, just doing whatever he could do," Leavey said. He even helped a woman get her cat down from a tree.

"He was great," she said, smiling.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Wheee!!!

6 six
SIX!!!
SIX SIX SIX SIX SIX
Six!
6666666666666666666666666666666

: .)

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Listen...You smell something?

Sorry, Ghostbusters is on. One of my all time favorite movies!

Productive weekend finally. I didn't spend much $$$, did some tv viewing, a couple of workouts, had lunch with Julie and Bill (chorizo y papas burrito, yummmmm!), made art, finished the gel xfer tutorial (its over at Nudge-Nudge if you're interested), paid attention to my eating (well, except for the burrito) and my H2O consumption, talked to my Dad (he's got the flu, "how?" I wondered aloud, "oh, you got the flu shot." hummm, does that seem like its working in the correct manner?), considered doing my taxes, managed a potential problem returning a hand vac at Target, talked to Karen about my b-day weekend, dropped my laptop on its almost brand new $80 replacement power-supply (*$%&#! so now its busted!), listened to my oh so considerate neighbor's new surround sound system thru my walls, blah, blah, blah, blah.

The coolest thing happened on Valentine's Day! (A cool thing happened today too, but more on that later!) During my department meeting, I was thinking about the 2 X-mas cards I haven't sent. I was gonna mail 'em with the Valentine's cards I was gonna make, ha! When I got home that afternoon, the childhood friend I reconnected with in May (Oregon) had sent me her X-mas letter and photos of her kids and us at the anniversary party! Synchronicity!!! She said she found it on her desk, all addressed, never mailed. The same state my card to her is in. It was just funny.

Anywhoo, on to the art!

The gel xfer example...Yes, I hand cut the letters for the band's name, Sublime! A pain in the ... If you check out Nudge-Nudge, you'll know why I'm annoyed.


My take on the Postcards from Here prompt Journey. Christina's prompt was tell a story about a journey. I started out thinking about Dan Eldon's quote, "The Journey is the Destination." (If you don't know Dan's story, check out his book w/ the same title on Amazon. It will touch you.) I love that concept, so I used the quote on the front and my story, which is an excerpt from an Antonio Machado book (roughly translated...) on the back.

Wanderer, your footsteps are the road, and nothing more; wanderer, there is no road, the road is made by walking. By walking one makes the road, and upon glancing behind one sees the path that never will be trod again. Wanderer, there is no road--Only wakes upon the sea.

I printed the edited photo directly on linen cardstock and tore the edges, that's it!



This is for Sista Linda's Elsie Challenge #7 which was take an artistic photo. (Now that I think about it, MadRetz may have actually taken this photo! Or I took it with her camera, or ???) OK, a Twin Peaks moment for Sobe Life Water, the commercial with the lizards and such dancing to Michael Jackson's Thriller. Almost scary! Simple, printed on linen cardstock (how I love the texture) and embellished with the alphas (love Alice in Wonderland too!) and the flowers.


Are we through yet? Geezohpete!

Elise's PA 08 prompt, the Little Picture. (You know, we always talk about the BIG picture, what about the little picture?) You recognize the Morro Bay pix Hockneyized at Big Picture Labs? I inked the alpha stickers with gel pen. Remember that Wendy's chicken sarni commercial??? hee!!!


Last of all, Elise's PA 08 prompt "Make a Big Statement." I've always loved this quote from the Lee jeans commercial, "Whatever you do, don't FLINCH!). I think about it every time I think something will hurt, mentally, emotionally, physically.

Recycled cardboard, verdigris embossing powder, Prima flower, brads.


Oh, and I did one more thingy, but it was a "I have a bad attitude," venting piece and y'all don't need to see that. (It absolutely does not reflect a bullet-proof positive attitude!)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, ok...I'm done now!!! Got get yourself a bowl of ice cream as a reward!

I hope y'all have a gud week! Catch ya next weekend unless something EXTRAORDINARY happens to me in the next few days!

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Saturday, February 09, 2008

There Are Decaffeinated Brands on the Market That Taste Just as Good As the Real Thing


I must disagree. The real thing is ohsomuch BETTER!!!

Running on Treadmill Running Outdoors on the Trail

My cells sang. My aura glowed YELLOW with HAPPINESS.

I listened to the birds speak.

I smelled the dirt mingled with the smell of the trees and grasses.

I saw the sunshine sparkle off the Loch.

I did my first 5 mile run in almost a year.

It was a very, very good morning.







Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Mike Ness ROCKS!!!

Social D! Social D!!!


I had tixs tonite to Social Distortion at the Filmore in San Francisco!!! OMG!!! I am so lovin' this tattoo'd man!!! (His band is pretty good too! : .) I'm still on a high! I don't know if I'll be able to sleep!!! (This concert was as good [better? hard to decide!] as the one I went to in September when Social D played the Catalyst in Santa Cruz!)


Best moment of the evening...My concert buddy Paul and I were standing upstairs by the "restaurant" and who walks by, not 5 feet away from me, ready to go back stage!!! Ooooh yes! It was the man himself!!! Eye contact even!!! Swoon!!!

I call it Rockabilly, I was corrected as Social D is one of the leading bands in the American hardcore punk movement. Yes, there was a mosh pit, there always is! Either way, when Mike Ness sings, I.am.in.LOVE!!! sigh. What is it about me and these bad boys?! hee!!!

P.S. Don't forget to VOTE!!!

Paul found this pix online somewhere...I'd like to credit it.

Sunday, February 03, 2008

When its over...

Not enough time to do art stuff this weekend. A lot of time for couching. My muse vacated the claustrophobic premises of my mind and I only got one piece done b/4 it went. I still need to do the Elise Paper '08 Challenge, "The Little Picture" and the postcard challenge, "Journey." sigh.

This is Bun-Bun and Brob. (That's short for Brobdingnagian...Look that one up!) Obviously a bunny and an elephant, yesh? They are really good friends. I took this photo at Anthropologie b/c I couldn't decide on either as a bebe gift for one of my running buddies, even after playing with and making up stories about them for 20 minutes : .) I ended up with Fat-Bottomed Girl Zeeba! (If you read the comic Pearls B/4 Swine, you'll get why I named her Zeeba!) The pix ended up on the gift card. (Sorry, no pix of the Zeeba. I boxed her already.)



This is the only art piece I completed. Its for the Elsie Challenge this week, embellish a floral accent. I guess they're not enough by themselves. Me being me, didn't want to "waste" the branch sticker, so I traced and cut it out, cut the paper flower from the background paper, mounted that on a felt flower and finished it off with a stitched on crystal.


Other highlites of the weekend, guaranteed to blow your top:

A viewing of Sweeny Todd. You can read Madretz's spot on review, 3rd paragraph of the post. While you're there check out her pukey cute kawaii banner in her most current post. It is sooooo freakin' TUTE! I love it!!!

Forgetting to pay the rent (to the tune of a $25 late fee) and beating myself with a 2 by 4 in the hopes that I WILL NOT FORGET NEXT MONTH!!! (Its not like the first doesn't come EVERY MONTH! Arrrrgggggghhhhhhh!!! Grrrrrrrrr! I'm so mad at myself.)

Oh so fresh 5 loads of laundry!

And the winning of the SUPERBOWL by the underdogs, the NY Giants. What the HECK!!! I feel sooo sorry for the Patriots!!! To finish their undefeated season with a LOSS! Ay Carumba!