Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Another miss????


http://gcdstudios.blogspot.com/2009/03/give-away-3-assignment.html

Well, I didn't quite make the cut for the GCD Studios DT, BUMMER DUDE!

BUT...they are still going to add 4 more guest designers, a butt-load of blogspotters & a few product testers. SO I may not be out completely & hope I can snag one of those!

I can't wait to see what the new DT did to make the cut!!!

Now I am going back to helping my sister try for one of her own!!!
Keep your fingers crossed at least one of us makes something we are working so hard for!!!

Happy Tuesday???!

Ahhhhhhh...


Even though it is now 7 minutes after midnight, I have this great sense of pride in myself!

I just finished cleaning my studio after a frantic week of submitting a set of projects for a design team as well as contributing to my first challenge! My craft desk was a mess & my computer desk wasn't even visible anymore!

Here's a little plug for the DT Call Out with GCD Studios...I CAN'T Wait to get online in the morning to see whether I made the cut! It would be so FABULOUS to work with these guys! (http://gcdstudios.blogspot.com/2009/03/471.html)

So, now I sit, catching up online & know that I will sleep so much better knowing that I only have the rest of the house to clean tomorrow! LOL!!!

I also had a great time working on this sewing challenge for Webster Pages today! I had forgotten how fun it is to use your sewing machine on paper!!!

Anywho...off to lala land!

Happy Super-dee-dooper Early Tuesday!

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Rachel Rocks!

Just wanted to give a quick shout-out to my BFF for the FABULOUS banner!

Thanks for your help & expertise!!!

You ROCK!

LOL!!!

Friday, March 27, 2009

Flickr-head!

My brain is fried! My eyes are dry & I am so done with the computer today!

I (and others) perceive myself to be quite savvy on the computer, including web stuff & most photo editing & such. But I have spent the better part of the day editing photos of projects & uploading them to Flickr & I am fried! I know that if I hadn't had the constant interruption of my little Magpie, then I probably would be doing something a lot more fun right now - like painting my new tool box for my desk! But instead, I just now finished posting some slide-shows onto my blog, Maggie is finally in bed for a rest & I still need to get my act together & send my latest design submission to GCD Studios! Whew! Can we say "diarreah of the mouth!"

I still want to spice up this blog with a little more moxie, but haven't had the time to read the book yet! But I have faith, that once everything is in place the way I want it, these design team calls, creative challenges & all the other things I want to do to try to get published &/or get on a team will be so much easier! I have complete faith in my talent & my ability to bang out the work I need to, but lordy! Getting it all set up is very taxing!!

Yet, I finish this entry with my mantra for the day: "I KNOW I will not be spending any extra time dealing with Flickr after today & that I will be able to grab my camera, snap the shots I need & "whiz, bang, boom!" they will be there for all to see! And I KNOW that I WILL be able to blog & add gadgets with the blink of an eye very, very soon. And I KNOW that my Magpie will soon understand that I am working, but will always make time for her (when I'm through, of course! LOL)."

Coffee & a Smile

As I sit here weeding through the ePages of a "blogging with Moxie" book to liven up my little feed, my little Magpie is watching cartoons (our morning ritual these days!) & I finally see something that makes me smile instead of running from the room singing the "Handy Manny" theme song!

So here it is! I hope it starts your morning off with a smile too!



Later, I hope to post some new galleries of my work, but I am still trying to figure out the best venue for that option!

Happy Friday!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Blog-idiocy & Mommy Breakdowns!

Okay, besides being a slacker & not checking in here for a bit, I am feeling very inept in the world of Blog! So, tomorrow I head for the library to get some pointers to give this whole thing a little moxie! ;-) Keep checking back & hopefully I can suck you into my world a little deeper!!


On the other side of the spectrum...How is it possible for a 3 year old to make you feel like doo-doo & throwing my OWN tantrum????


Today was not such a great day. I sometimes feel that I have no patience what so ever & that I am the worst mother in the world! My 3 year old was just being a little monster today & I couldn't wait to get her off to school!! Is that awful of me? She was pushing every little button she could find in my soul & just brought me down so low that I was almost in tears by the time I left her at school!


Then when I picked her up, she was still crazy! We ran into Michael's so that I could gather a few items before the supposed snow storm tomorrow at one point I really thought I was going to start balling right there on the floor because she was being so rude to me! I know that I should have just left all my stuff, picked her up & left the store, but I just couldn't bring myself to do that!


Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Magpie, but she was not making me laugh today. It's amazing to me that she seems to be so polite to every stranger we meet, but is the complete devil with me! I must be missing a page from the "How to be a Mom" handbook that is supposed to be a part of my make-up right?! Well, tomorrow's another day!


Then, to top it all off, After spending hours cleaning & doing research for a new preschool (Maggie's is closing in May!),I hardly had any time to do anything fun today except photograph some more submissions for a design call & then realize as I was editing them, that the light was terrible & will have to start over tomorrow!


The only quote going through my head today was "God give me the strength..."

Happy Hump Day! I'm off to the land of nod!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Couch Potatoin!

Oh Joy! An excuse to veg on the couch! I had some minor surgery yesterday & am all doped up! I am looking forward to sitting in front of the TV, sketching a little & sleeping a lot!

I just want to give a "holla" out to my BFF Rachel & let her know how blessed I am to have her in my life! She took very good care of me yesterday & I love her for it (and many other reasons!).


"A faithful friend is a strong defense: and he that hath found such an one hath found a treasure." Ecc. 6:14
I am not a religous person, but I think this quote fits my friend
ship with Rachel!


Later this week, I will hopefully feel up to working on another design team call out & I am really itchin' to get to it, but afraid I am too dopey to do my best work! Ugh!


Happy Tuesday!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Pay it Forward

After several years in & out of the retail industry, I tend to be a stickler for customer service! I find that when a clerk at a store is not very friendly, they are either having a bad day or ought to change their line of work! When I come across such a person, I try to have patience & use the old motto of "killing them with kindness," by offering a silly tidbit about life or just drawing them into conversation about something other than what they are doing right then & there. I don't know if they find this annoying or if it does take their minds off things for a time, but I know I like it when people do that for me!


Today was somewhat like that...I really hate to make returns, but in this economy I just can't justify holding onto things I didn't use or bought on impulse & really don't need. That was the case with my whopping $3 return at Michaels today.



Usually, I seem to get the clerk that is put off by my inane return & looks at it as a personal affront to their being. But today was very different. I walked into the store & was greeted cheerfully by the man behind the counter. He took my return without batting an eye & even made the comment that "every penny counts" when I joked at the silly amount of credit! (Of course I turned around & spent 3x that!)


But that's not really the reason I remember this his manner. It was more that he seemed genuinely interested in what I was working on. You see, among my paper supplies was a copy of "Artful Blogging" to help me spruce up my posts & get a handle on this crazy phenom! He immediately commented on the magazine & asked if I blogged. When I told him I had just started in an effort to get noticed & published, he stopped what he was doing, even though there was a line of customers waiting, & he took the time to write down the name of my blog & said that he would check it out!



That little act made me feel so very good! Whether he checks it out or not, it put this little lift in my step for the day with the thought that "if a total stranger can show interest just from seeing the items I purchased at his store & a brief conversation about my artwork, then maybe soon I will have more people reading my blog & be one step closer to my goal."



So, when I am out & about next, I plan on taking a little card & treat to my new friend & telling him how he made me feel. I secretly hope that I catch him on one of those "bad" days & that my little thought can turn his day around!

"Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day." ~Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

I'm Bummed, but not out!

Well, I didn't make the Graphic 45 cut for the design team. I'm bummed, but determined not to give up! I will get published & make a fabulous design team in the very near future!

From what I saw on the G45 website, there are some very talented gals out there! I look forward to seeing what they design for the company!



"It is time for us all to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever - the one who recognizes the challenge and does something about it."

Vince Lombardi

Today I will try to finish up all the chaos in my studio. Then I will challenge myself to find some publications & challenges to meet my publishing goals!!!

Happy Tuesday!

Monday, March 9, 2009

I feel OLD!

The 80's party was a huge success! Just about everyone came in costume & we all commented on how long it took them to get ready for the party! How did we ever put this much make-up on every morning & style our hair so big & still get out the door on time for school?!!! We had a great time re-living the past! I loved that 2 high school friends that I hadn't seen in almost 20 years came! What a trip! I feel truely blessed to have such a great circle of friends & they all made my b-day much more special!

But I have to say that I feel old! I think that I got so geared up planning the party, that when it was finally over, I was exhausted! All I wanted to do yesterday was sleep! (And, I didn't even have a hangover!) I finally finished cleaning up this morning!

What's on my plate for today? First of all, I am hoping to hear whether I got the Graphic 45 design team position. They said on their blog that we should be notified sometime today! I hope I'm in!!!! But in the mean time, after I take the Magpie for a walk to the park, I will stick close to my computer & try to finish the organization of my studio! I am itching to create & I can't stand the chaos in there!!

I will end with this quote about aspirations & hope that tomorrow I can tell everyone about reaching one of mine!

"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead."
- Louisa May Alcott


Happy Monday!

Friday, March 6, 2009

My Graphic 45 Submissions


Maggie's 1st day of preschool




My mother's my muse
Posted by Picasa

Birthdays, Nail Biting & Chaos!

OMG!

Today is my 39th Birthday & my stomach is doing flip-flops!

I just sent my first ever submission off to Graphic 45 for consideration to their design team & I am sooooooo nervous! I know my design is fabulous - my new BFF told me so, but it is always hard to have others critique your work!

She said (new BFF) I could do it & I did! Now I just have to wait until Monday to hear whether I made the cut! Even if I don't (hope not the case) make it, I am now determined to send in more to all sorts of sites & magazines in an effort to get published!

The rest of the day will be spent decorating for my B-day party tomorrow night & running various errands! Oh joy!

Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Happy Friday!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

I'm here, now what?

Hmmmm, now that I've joined the Land of Blog, what sort of musings might you expect from me?

Maybe a little fodder about my 3 year-old daughter, Maggie & her daily torturing of the new dog, Tula?
Or maybe a little relationship blurb about my hubby, Nick of 10 years?
What about a some witty tale I've dreamed up for Maggie?
Or possibly my musings on what creative outlet I am exploring today?
But most likely, a simple paragraph or two about what the day has brought me?

Let's start with that...
I am in the middle of a colossal plate! You know, the one that you always have too much on? I'm talking about the largest serving platter in your cupboard, not a simple salad plate! Mine is full of preschool days, craft room re-organizing, making new friends, party planning, hubby-time, designing, crafing, shopping, cooking, cleaning & all the little "leftovers" that I keep piling on my platter! Right now, I am stretched between party-planning, making new friends & re-organizing! Luckily, the 3 go together quite nicely!

I finally managed to convince my hubby that we didn't need a guest room anymore since we only have 2 or 3 guests a year. And, that if I could take over that room for my crafting studio, then I would be a much happier wife & mommy! So, with a little help from family & a great new friend, on my way to being super-organized & ready to create! What a treat it is to have my own space at last! I look forward to spending every free moment in that room!

As for the party planning, I just finished a little family soire for my daughters 3rd b-day. Who knew that a toddler's birthday could take so much time & energy! By the time I finished making cupcakes & goodie bags for school; I turned around & did the same for our little party at home. With a handful of adults coming over & a smaller number of toddlers, I had to have plenty of food, drink & fun on hand for all! I think I spent more on food for barbequing than we did on Maggie! Next year, it's pizza & 2 hours of kids only!

Now it's my turn! My birthday is tomorrow & I am planning my own party! Sad, I know, but someone has to do it! My hubby is skiing with his brothers (it was either Maggie's weekend or mine - I can forgive him a little easier for missing my b-day than a 3 year-old might!). Hence, the perfect weekend to have a girls nite IN! (Although hubby will be spoiling some of the fun by coming home the evening of the party, he has graciously volunteered to make himself scarce for a few hours!) So, I have been busy trying to come up with outrageous decorations, food & a costume for a Totally 80's Girls Nite (inspired by my new friend). Who knew that finding something to wear would be so tough! I totally want to do the "punk" thing since I was more of a "preppy" in the 80's, but I am having a hard time finding the edge I want! I will probably end up going for the easy Flashdance motif of the cut sweatshirt & legwarmers! Ugh! I spent the day at the Goodwill & a few thrift stores, but nothing felt right. I'll try again tomorrow! More on that later!

Other than that, I enjoyed a nice evening with my new friend, who is helping me organize my studio. We mused over some great Chinese that it is so rare to find a friend at our age that you just connect with. I have several friends from childhood who allow me to be me, & sometimes it ain't pretty! But, as I've gotten older, I can't seem to make that connection with new people. I always feel that I can't share all my trials & tribulations without coming off as negative or needy or that it's simply too much info for a new friend & so you end up just being aquaintences. Oh, sure, you get together for dinners, movies & such, but there is always that uncomfortable silence of a first date, even though this might be your 10th date! But with this new gal-pal, I felt the connection right away! I could spend hours chatting with her & never feel uncomfortable! I think that we are well on our way to being BFF's! She is a terrific person & has helped me so much with my room & my outlook!

So, let me end with a little friendship tidbit...remember when we were young & we would ask someone to be our friend? Try that again the next time you meet someone you connect with. It doesn't have to be as awkward as you literally asking, but maybe mention getting a coffee or a glass of wine together sometime. Maybe you share a hobby or interest that you can do together. Whatever the venue, don't be afraid to ask, you might just make that new BFF!