By Julie Anne

It's Been A long Long Time...

2011-05-19T18:31:00.000-05:00

I am not going to write it off to the best on intentions, this year just took a different turn then I have expected. Nothing is getting left behind, just a tiny shift in priorities that is all.

I have fantastic dreams of having an online store and that will happen, but the reality is, I need to make a good living off of it as well and that just doesn't happen over night. I have to put lots of time in to nurturing my online venture, not just something thrown together. Alas, nothing of any significance was completed. I have put a few other irons in the fire creatively, but they are going to take a while to come to fruition. The reality was that I was so consumed with the fear that I would not make it and make a living that I found it very very hard to create. So I shifted my focus a bit and became an Avon Independent Sales Representative as my full time job and I actually dig it...a lot. I have even found a way to work some of my handmade items in with my Avon sales and suddenly I find myself wanting to create again!

So if you have come here to be directed to some beautiful handmade creations in my Artfire and Etsy stores, please be patient. I will fill the store with goodies, that I loved to make, not just stock to make ends meet. Two distinctly different things!

It is always interesting where God leads you and life takes you. My words Gratitude, determination, serenity, reflection and action all apply. They always will. They just have manifested themselves in another form entirely!

There is an even more involved story what brought me here, but that is for another day. I will go forward from here with a huge sigh of relief for the expectations that I set for myself can be obtained in another manner and I can be free to create and see they way I wanted, with a free heart!

Love you all!

5 Words to Shape My Year

2011-01-01T22:58:00.001-06:00

Well it is 1-1-11 and we have begun our New Year. I can say that the Guthrie New Years celebration was fun and most of us managed to doze off right before midnight. I woke at 12:03 kissed my family and went back to sleep. We are quite the festive group!

Now I have tried the resolution route in the past and have found, like public declarations of plans, I am just setting myself up for failure. So, this year I am taking a different approach. I have picked five words that I am going to use as guideline to define my year. Without further ado...

--Gratitude. Remembering what brought me here, what keeps me here and what propels me forward.

--Determination. Absolute laser sharp focus to keep me on track for all my plans big and small.

--Serenity. Acceptance at the end of the day that I have done all I can do to be the person I want to be.

--Reflection. Keeping tabs on my "image", my stamp on the world. Knowing that I a keeping up with how I perceive who I am.

--Action. I am a very creative person and it has always been my desire to have my creativity be my full time job and support my family. Bigger and better things also come from these actions.

These five words are simple in context, yet large in meaning. Keeping them close to me will help me round my year. This is my plan. What is yours? Are you a resolutions type of person, or do you just skip the process entirely? I would love to know!

'Til we meet again!

10 Things I Have Learned in 2010

2010-12-29T21:11:00.000-06:00

December 31st marks the end of the first decade of this century. While I do not really have the wherewithal to analyze the whole 10 years, I can share with you what conclusions I have drawn in the past 12 months.

**1)This past year was life changing to an extreme that I did not expect or anticipate. So my first thing learned is BE OPEN TO CHANGE AS SOMETIMES IT IS A SIGH OF RELIEF.

**2)NOT EVERYONE VIEWS YOU OR SITUATIONS THE SAME WAY AS YOU. This one followed number 1 directly. In hashing out situations it turns out my truth and others' truth varies...greatly. Some of those variations, I can see their side, other versions of the truth simply astound me.

**3)THERE IS NEVER A "SURE THING" aka There are things you think you know for sure and turns out you are way way way off.

**4)BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU TREAD AS THE OUTCOME IS NOT ALWAYS PREDICTABLE.

**5)NEVER SAY NEVER. Never should be on the list of dirty words. For every thing I thought would never happen did. Every impossible situation changed.

**6)YOU ALMOST WILL NEVER HAVE TO APOLOGIZE IF...You are conscious of your actions and think before you speak. Especially when you are sticking your nose in someone Else's business .

**7)EVEN WHEN IT FEELS LIKE THE WORLD IS ENDING...Some of the best things get resolved and the sun shines even brighter.

**8)THERE IS REDEMPTION...There are situations that you are SURE you are right about and sure enough, you ARE!

**9)GREAT PLANS and GREAT EXPECTATIONS. It is okay to have great plans, great ideas, great thoughts, a whole book full even. But, if you do not follow up with actions big and small, well they are all for naught.

**10)TOMORROW NEVER COMES. My trig teacher senior year of high school had a sign in his room that said "NO HOMEWORK TOMORROW". He would assign homework and we would groan. He's point to his sign and say "talk with me tomorrow." Next day same thing. This went on for almost the whole school year when finally one day the teacher asked when we were finally gonna get it. Tomorrow never comes. We have today and when that physical day ends..we have today and when that physical day ends..we have today and so on. Tomorrow truly never comes. So never put off as there will be no time later.

So that is my wrap up of life's lessons for the year. I guess you might say some are obvious, maybe all of them were, but they were all things I still needed to face. Some of them changed my life in such a degree, that I am not the same person that I was January 1 2010. and you know what? IT'S OKAY!!!

Now for some old business, way old business. Last time I posted in June, for my tea party, I promised a give a away of the magical door. If you left a comment you were entered and if your followed my blog it was and extra entry. 6 months later here it is. RHONDA ROO!!! I will be in contact with you to arrange shipping. Happy New Year Everyone!

It's Tea Party Time! And a Give-A-Way Too!

2010-06-26T11:32:00.000-05:00

When last we spoke tea...you might remember that the Mad Hatter left us an invitation to join in the Mad Tea Party over at A Fanciful Twist. well, finally the time has come!

It was a fair summer day when I was wondering, gazing at the trees..

Looking at the clouds..when I cam upon a tree a little different..

Special branches beckoning me to look downward to..

I saw something small and golden..on closer inspection I realized it was a magic door..A Golden Magical Door! Ahhh..but where does it lead?

I touched the handle and the whole tree opened, welcoming me inside. I went through the door further and further to another magical forest area and just in front of me I saw a table filled with yummy tea goodies!

I took a closer look and everything looked so inviting..

I did not know what to try first! Of course someone so kindly made me a cup of tea...There was some much to choose from, I began with some yummy cheese filled pastery..

The berries looked so plump and juicy, I just had to indulge with some fresh whipped cream..

There were raspberry filled tarts...

Yummy chocolate treats...

A delightful candies too!

What a wonderful time! I am so glad I ventured through the magical golden door!!!

Thanks for sharing my tea party with me! Now for the Give-A-Way!

The Magical Golden Door can be yours! It is hand poured plaster, hand painted and glazed to a glossy finish. To enter please leave a comment for me, even a hello would be great. Want an extra entry? Become a follower of this blog. Comments will be left open until July 2nd, 2010 and the drawing will be held July 3rd. Good luck!

Be sure to check out all the Tea Party participants over at A Fanciful Twist!

Thank you for visiting and sharing my tea party with me!

It's Been A While..

2010-06-24T13:55:00.000-05:00

Hello To all!

It has been a while and OH how the time flies!

We are in preparation as it is recital week and we are in the middle of crazy as well as saying good-bye to the dance season. Crazy!

So keeping this short and sweet do not forget to join me Saturday for the Mad Tea Party and don't forget I have a cool give a way as well!

Till then...stay cool!

Word for the Day..Bittersweet

2010-05-24T11:08:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Marvelous Monday!!!

As the title of this post mentions, the word or theme of this post in bittersweet.

Historically, in Julie Land, bittersweet makes me think of the Good Humor Man and his little white truck. He would come through the neighborhood ringing his bells and stop where there were the most kids. I personally had two favorites. First choice was always the Chocolate Candy Crunch. (A vanilla ice cream bar with a solid massive chocolate center and chocolate chips mixed in the ice cream. This was coated with a chocolate crunch outside). My second choice was the bittersweet chocolate sundae. (A cup of vanilla ice cream with a chocolate layer on top which was of course...bittersweet). So from the age of like 8 to high school, the word bittersweet always triggered in my mind the extra ice cream treat! When reality hit that there was actually an extra meaning other than food, I still could totally relate , because thinking back to the sundae, the chocolate by it self was unpleasant but add the vanilla ice cream and ahhhhh!

There was dance competition this weekend. Jacki is still unable to fully weight bear on her foot and is still on crutches. Joey was great in his dances, best ever, the team rocked overall but it was so sad that my darling daughter had to sit out all her dances..especially her solo. I personally got a little choked up when her usual dances were performed without her. And when I thought I finally got over it all, in the final awards ceremony they were going through the numbers of the dances and you hear "#99..that's a scratch." Well we all know what #99 was! :(

So now I am waiting for the ortho guy to call me back for an appointment and we are trying to work through this to get her ankle stronger!

On that note, wanna see a picture of Jacki's foot?

Fun right! What a wonderful foot!

Since Jacki is out of commission, I was doing her part of garbage duty today. At the end on the driveway, I was able to behold the first blooming of my peonies!

We have lived here going on 11 years this year and I had the peonies transplanted 10 years ago. They were well established plants that I bought from a friend's family. Finally right now they are beginning to look like what I expect them to.

Though I really did expect them to fill the whole space all the way on the drive way. I have like 75 plants put in and a bunch do not come up anymore.

What else is sort of sun is they are all different varieties! I am going to transplant some to the flower box in front of the house!

So that is the bittersweet in our house...Julie Land...sadness for dances not performed..happiness for a great competition overall and my blooming peonies!

I am off to do the mid day running..pick up Jon from school, drop off Joey's lunch, drop off Jacki's lunch and pain meds and pick up our lunch..I hope the hubby is buying!! :)

Enjoy your day.. all the parts of it!

More Friday Fun!!

2010-05-21T18:48:00.000-05:00

Since this is my second post in a really short time, you can tell that I am surfing instead of working. (But I am having a really good time so does that count?)

I am posting to implore you to head over to Tristan's Blog called "Enchanted Revelries." Every post in witty, fun and enjoyable. So today Tristan announced a give a way! Really cool stuff too! There are a bunch of ways to enter. Just click on his "Super Groovy Blog Giveaway" button and you can join in the fun as well. Oh yeah, when you enter, please make sure you mention in the comments that Julie Anne sent you!

Now I really am going back to work!

Life Should Be Fun!!!

2010-05-21T18:27:00.000-05:00

Good Evening!!

Hope everyone is having a fab Friday!!!

It is sort of crazy to me all the things that I do not get to when in reality my life should be about getting to ALL of the cool things...I have vowed to live the creative life!

Today I found a real cool swap at All-American Jess. She is hostessing a "Flip Flop Summer Swap." What a great way to meet someone new and send a great gift!
There is still time to sign up! You should give it a try!

So hop on over and check it out!!

Terrfic Tuesday!?

2010-05-18T10:43:00.000-05:00

Hello to Everyone and good morning!

What an exciting day here in Julie Land!

Yesterday, six days before competition darling Jacki twisted her ankle while carrying out her garbage duties. It is a nasty sprain and the likelihood of her competing this weekend is slim. Poor girl, I had to go out and acquire crutches and everything!

I wanted to share a picture of the kids from Jonathan's fifth birthday this past Saturday. I still cannot quite grasp that he is five. I know that I have mentioned it before, but it is still mind blowing!

So I leave you now with this..

I have lived life in the Highs
I have lived life in the Lows
Somehow, I sort of like it in the middle!

Have a great day!

Something So Exciting!!!

2010-05-17T10:51:00.000-05:00

The Mad Hatter has passed through and left us and invitation that is too hard to resist. Saturday June 26th, we will be joining Vanessa at A Fanciful Twist for the "Mad Tea Party."

Ohhh! It will be so fun! And you are invited to join us too. Just drop in on June 26 and see what lovely delights we are sharing. There will also be a blog give-a-way! Then you must visit all of other guests and their blogs to see what kind of delights there are to be had! More details are to follow...I better get hoppin' and get ready for my guests!

Another Sunday

2010-05-16T09:08:00.000-05:00

Welcome to another Sunday!

Today we are living on the aftermath of my youngest Jonathan's 5th birthday. I cannot believe that five years has passed! I am sort of sad to see all the time has gone, but what an interesting individual he is becoming!

I hope that you like the new look to the blog..I have kind of spruced it up a bit. This is something I have been meaning to do for a while now and of course just the simple changes were very frustrating!!! GRRRRR!!!

The day is sunny here, though a little cool, but the day looks quite promising! Enjoy your day!

Sweet Sweet Sunday

2010-04-11T07:37:00.000-05:00

Good Morning Everyone!

Today is Sunday and boy is it jammed packed! Craft fair preparations, Mom and Sons Bowling with the boys and just normal stuff. In the midst of all of that I just wanted to take a moment to enjoy...

This is digital art done by my daughter Jacki a few years back. She titled this one "Expressing Myself." Like her Mom, there is the artist gene in her! The computer that I am currently using was once hers and this is a left over picture. It might be as much as three years old, but it is interesting and beautiful none-the-less.

So if your Sunday has the promise of insanity similar to mind or if you have something a little more serene planned, enjoy, enjoy! This sweet, sweet Sunday!

2010-04-10T09:57:00.001-05:00

good morning. testing out blogger text.

Rest In Peace Alex Chilton

2010-03-18T08:09:00.004-05:00

I heard it first at 3:00 am this morning, while I was listening to the radio trying to get back to sleep, singer, songwriter, musician Alex Chilton had passed away at the very young age of 59. My initial reaction was one of brief sadness as I always feel when hearing the passing of anyone.

It was not until Steve and Johnnie (the on air personalities), went to tell explain who Alex Chilton was and why an impact he made on the world.

As a 16 year old, Alex became the lead singer of a group called The Box Tops. In 1967, they released their first hit "The Letter" which went to number one on the charts and stayed there for 4 weeks. They followed up with other songs and hits.

Alex was also the lead singer with a band called Big Star. They did three albums that did real well and left a lasting influence on the music industry. Bands like R.E.M. credit Alex Chilton and Big Star as major influences on their musical careers.

I have not posted about it in a while, about the soundtrack of our lives, but this is the perfect example. Alex Chilton had definitely contributed to mine. Thank You!

It makes me sad on a number of counts...sad that this talented man has passed , one who unknowingly played a part in my life. My regards to his family. I am also sad that I did not know of him sooner..know his name, know his history. Or that of many other cultural influences in my life. I almost take them for granted that they will be there and fill that little space in me that needs them, I am not giving the correct acknowledgment that is deserved. So I am going to work on a better awareness of the things that I love and that influence me and learn from their creators.

So with all that being said, again, Rest In Peace Alex Chilton...Thank you for sharing your gift with the world!

Two videos today..
The Letter by The Box Tops

My favorite R.E.M. song
Losing My Religion

Have a great day everyone...take time to smell the flowers!

Something A Little Different!

2010-03-08T02:07:00.009-06:00

Good Morning!

I get to do something very exciting today. An online line friend, Janet Nowlin, The Inspired Dreamer and I have traded blogs for the day to tell you how we became acquainted and what we are working on together. so here's Janet!

Cards4Cancer!

Well hi there! In case you’re wondering what’s with the non-regularly scheduled program, let me introduce myself. My name is Janet, otherwise known as InspiredDreamer over at Out of the Extraordinary. Julie and I only just recently became acquaintances, when she contacted me about a little program called Cards4Cancer, organized by a super-duper organization called Spirit Jump.

Wow, that’s a lot of links! To give you the breakdown: Spirit Jump is an organization that coordinates people to send cards/letters/gifts to people of all ages who are suffering from cancer and other illnesses. The power of a single card is just outstanding, and it really does boost a person’s spirit. Now, the super-exciting thing is that Spirit Jump is coordinating Cards4Cancer on April 10th, 2010, a day when people all over the country (and perhaps even all over the world!) will collect cards from their teams and deliver them to cancer centers, to brighten the spirits of the men, women and children who are in the hospital.

How awesome is this???

I was so excited that I signed up to lead a group without even thinking about how crazy I was for taking on such a big project. But then Julie found my group highlighting Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, and suggested that we join forces so we could also give cards to Children’s Memorial (also in Chicago). What a super idea, Julie!! And here we are, leading team Faith.Hope.Love to (hopefully) gathering hundreds of cards for these two centers!

So… are you in???

We need team members, and we need contributors. It doesn’t cost anything to sign up to be a team member, but by signing up you are promising that you will gather/make/purchase cards!! To sign up, you just have to click on this link here . Make sure that you copy and paste our team name: Faith.Hope.Love into the field where it asks what team you’re joining. Don’t worry about the cancer center names, we’ve already gotten those set up.

But, how do I do this?

Great question! It’s easy. Just purchase or make uplifting cards for adults and/or children. They asked that we please refrain from “get well soon” or religious wording, but otherwise the cards are totally up to you. I’ve seen a lot of Spring and Joy cards so far. Then sign up as a team member or contact Julie or myself with your interest, and we’ll figure out how to get the cards from you. You don’t have to live in or near Chicago—just mail the cards to us! We’ll give you all the details when you sign up, but don’t think small… think card-making parties, scouring the dollar stores for awesome (and cheap) cards, getting your local girl-scout troop involved, asking people at work… if Julie and I were to get 50 people on our team, and each of those 50 people asked 5 people (plus themselves) to give one card, that’s 300 cards right there! And I don’t know about you, but I plan on making more than one card!!

So… are you in?

Just think, a few minutes (or even hours if you make the cards) of your time will bring a ton of joy to someone with Cancer. If you know or have lost someone with cancer, I’m sure you’ll understand. And chances are, most of us either will know someone, or already have, who has fought cancer. I’m doing this for my grandma, who had breast cancer and a double mastectomy. Who will you do this for?

This has been really fun! Thank you Janet!

Everyone..please joins us!

Happy Valentine's Day...

2010-02-12T11:52:00.003-06:00

I am writing briefly to wish all a Happy Valentine's Day.. Wishing you lots of love and happiness on this day and every day.

So, this day brings a lot of grief for some. You might not have the "Right" gift or even a person to share it with.

Remember that this day is about LOVE and love has many definitions. It is more than just a significant other in your life...it is your life. Love of a child, a parent, a good friend and most importantly Yourself!

How can we expect others to love us if we don't love ourselves? I hear often that people do not feel worthy to be loved by others...how did they become not worthy to not love themselves? Remember it all starts with the person in the mirror!

Here is a song that we should sing to ourselves everyday, just listen to the words..."You're just too good to be true, can't take my eyes off of you, you'd be like Heaven to touch, I wanna hold you so much. At long last love has arrived, and I thank God I'm alive, You're just too good to be true, can't take my eyes off of you"...(cue the horns..)

Fall in love with yourself.

In the spirit of the Day and of my song pick, I give you Frankie Valli and the Four Season with the original..

Happy Valentine's Day to One and All!

Our Biggest Fears

2010-02-11T07:48:00.005-06:00

I get daily inspiration emails of all sorts, one in particular is from a man named Wes Hopper. His insights are always great. A few days ago, the days insight was titled "The Skinny Kid."

It started out with this quote..
"A musician must make music, an artist
must paint, a poet must write, if they are
to be ultimately at peace with themselves."
Abraham Maslow

It went to tell a brief history of Buddy Holly who tragically died in a plane crash on February 3,1959. While he had such a short career in experience, he was an innovator and a prolific song writer whom cranked out tunes that launched bands like the Rolling Stones and the Beatles.

Wes' whole point was too look at him, Buddy Holly, the skinny kid, would be the most unlikely to have all those accomplishments in his time. The greater message is if Buddy Holly had not shared his gifts, we would not still enjoy his music to this day. We would have been deprived of something wonderful. Great points Wes!

So this spurred on thoughts in my head. What am I not sharing? I have great aspirations, but a follow through issues, so my sharing is mighty sparse at times. But what am I keeping back?

The first quote I gave spoke of being and artist, musician or poet. A lot of people create in various forms but never put the label on themselves because they do not feel worthy to measure up. It is just a definition. While you might not be a professional artist, you are still an artist none the less.

I get it. In the fear of not being worthy to the label we tend to not explore what we are really capable of. In fear we do the very worse, we keep our hearts from expressing and our souls from blossoming. I am very guilty of this and I am working very hard to get past this. What am I not creating? Is it something that will bring joy to myself in the very process? Is it something that will bring joy to another when it is seen? I guess if I never do it I will never know!

We all are afraid of a lot of things, so many they are too many to name. We should have power over our fears but more than likely, our fears have extreme power over us. And now I take a deep breath and say, this is one less fear that will haunt me. I am not afraid that everyone will not like what I do, overall acceptance is really not high on my list of priorities. Never has been. What I fear is that if I do not follow up with this, do not create as my heart's desire, there will be huge pieces of my soul that will exists undiscovered and unexplored.

So on this day, in a first post in a real long time, I leave you with this food for thought to contemplate and I am off to create...

Here is a video I am sure you will enjoy..Buddy Holly Everyday!

LCD Calendar Fundraiser

2009-11-06T19:54:00.001-06:00

julieanneg

Sell Handmade

Happy Anniversary My Love

2009-07-20T09:19:00.003-05:00

Thirteen years ago today, my love and I said "I DO."

It was a beautiful July day with all of our family and friends surrounding us we joyfully became Mister and Missus Guthrie.

What a wedding it was! We started the celebration the night before and finally ended it the day after, when we all were just pooped!

Looking back at the past thirteen years, I wouldn't change a thing. We have three beautiful children and each other and all the ups and downs that go along the way. We look at the family and friends that surrounded us then and even that scenario has changed. My Dad, cousin Ben, Jim's Dad and Grandma have all gone on to watch down on us from heaven. The friends around us have come and gone but we are still grateful that they were there to share our joy.

So today, I wish my love a Happy Anniversary, and to all that love us, Thank you for doing so!

Believing in Yourself

2009-07-09T08:15:00.003-05:00

It is interesting to observe how someone's death came move so many people. Naturally I am speaking about the passing of Michael Jackson.

Now, I would be fibbing to say that his passing did not touch me in some way. How could it not? His music fall in the "Soundtrack of My Life" catagory. In fact he had recorded so much, I forgot half of what he did and the walk down memory lane was neat.

I will also say that I have watched part of the coverage on him and even the memorial service (that was very touching by the way). I think that now I am done.

We have this "thing" going on in society. It has always been there even from the earliest days. We latch on to our "heroes" and live our lives through them. It is the truest form of escapism, we do not have to live our mundane less fulfilling lives if we revel in the greatness of another's. We have sold ourselves a crappy bill of goods right from the beginning!

In this past week, I have heard words like "icon" and "idol", both which are relating to religious symbols. The church of Michael Jackson? Really? I enjoyed his music but worshiping him? Not so much. Same goes true for Elvis, Princess Diana and even Princess Grace of Monaco. These were folks that lived out their gifts as far as they could. Should they be a kind reminder that the human condition can be successful? Sure. Should they be worshiped? No.

All the people that I used for examples, lived very turbulant lives. We all knew that. Overall they were human. They faced the extremes of the human condition via their gifts and they had a very hard time with it all. Was it because they were selfish and wanted more and more? No I really do not believe that. I believe that it is the world around them that let them down. We let them down.

While we cannot go back and change history, we can learn from it all. It seems a common condition that most successful people are plagued with "Yes Men." Other people around them, telling what they want to hear. Overall it is the failure of these "Yes Men" that causes all the trouble. These people, the ones that only feed the egos of the others they are doing themselves a greater disservice than the "greats." The "yes men" forget or even ignore that they are great themselves, but they might have to work at it a little harder. So they ride on the coattails of the "greats", sucking out whatever they can instead of living their lives and being a supportive human being.

Most in society are all "Yes Men." As long as we call the people with nurtured gifts "Idols" and "Icons" we are feeding the cause. Should we enjoy the fruits of their talents? Absolutely, they are the very expression of what we are here to do. Should we worship them to forget what we are missing in our own lives? No never.

We all have gifts, it is our birthright, from God. They are all special and unique and they all are needed in society. But anyone one person's gift should not be more important than another. Whatever the gift is, we should recognize it and nurture it to it's fullest.

While some might say that they are not a great orator like some, a great entertainer or any other notable profession, there is something special in each and every one of us that the world needs to know. You do not even have to put a name to it. You just have to cultivate yourself and let your self shine for all to see!

So while we should enjoy the demonstration of one person's gift, we should also be nurturing our own and demonstrating it for others. We can support others and they will support us and we can enjoy all of what everyone has to give, not just a chosen few.

At the end of the day we are all people, glorious souls with lights that are made to shine. Light them up people! Light them up!

20 Words

2009-07-01T08:57:00.003-05:00

Hi Everyone!

I wanted to share something cool today. This video is called "20 Words That Can Change Your Life"

It seems so amazing that 20 common words to us, some when we began to read can make such a big impact when you put them into the right context. These are definitely food for thought and something to inspire me in the future!

Have a wonderful day!

The Doctor replies "Well, then don't do that!"

2009-06-29T06:11:00.000-05:00

So this woman walks in to the doctor's office and says "Doctor. It hurts when I do this..."

So my topic on the mind at this moment is why we keep repeating our mis-steps? We know that an action or words said are going to end up right back at us and still we insist on doing it anyways.

And I think the worse is even when we believe we are totally justified in our actions we go ahead and perform the faux pas knowing full well it will turn out badly.

It's our ego you know. I thought I knew a lot about my "friend" Matilda (that is what I call my ego), after all she is part of me, but when she gets awakened in the wrong manner, well I guess that she is uncontrollable.

The upside (using this tongue in cheek) to this is Matilda is in good company. In fact when she encounters more of her ego friends, well their stuff mingles with her stuff and it is a negativity fest to end all negativity fests.

So now my biggest challenge is to remember what an awoken Matilda is like and what she can set off without really trying. I am sure this goes the same for so many people. Matilda is in really good company.

So I am taking this online course called ILD---Intelligent Life Design. I am trying to learn all the tools necessary to put Matilda to sleep, a restful one where she doesn't need to be up for a long, long time. Anyway the first week of the course we are supposed to avoid all news from typical resources, online websites, newspapers, TV and so far I have not been real successful, but I am still trying.

The developer of the course JB Glossinger from Morning Coach has a good point about controlling the ego by picking and choosing our battles, be assertive to make our point when necessary and then leaving it be. We don't have to be right or accepted, we have spoken our point and that is all that needs to be done.

I guess the next time Matilda rears her stubborn, opinionated head, I will have to remind her the punchline of the joke..

the Doctor replies "Well, don't do that!"

Ahhh.. The Sweet Sound of Success

2009-06-28T07:44:00.005-05:00

Good Morning Friends!

I am here to report first hand on the success of this years recital week!

Our daughter Jacki has been dancing since she was 2 1/2. When her first recital arrived at the prime age of 3, she and her group of dancing cohorts dazzled us with a ballet rendition of "I'm A Little Teapot".

Through the years we have seen a tap number, a few ballet numbers and some jazz as well. About three years ago, we had decided that she had outgrown the typical park district one dance a year program and she was ready for something more. The we found the exciting world of competitive dance teams and Stacie the teacher.

Her first season under Stacie, Jacki competed in one dance and took lesson for two so in the recital she was in three dances. The second year, three competition dances, three lessons dances, six in the recital.

This year was the big daddy so far. This season she competed in 5 dances, had 6 lesson dances and filled in for one where a girl was unable to attend the recital for a whopping 12 dances in the recital!

Now aside from Jacki, dancing flirts with our other family members as well. Joey took jazz/tap when he was 5 and appeared in his first recital, the only boy in the group to a tap rendition of one of the popular 60's dance songs that I cannot think of right now. The lights scared him so we put him in some cool shades. He was the only boy in the recital that year and if I must say he, like my other children are just adorable! When the song started and he started to move, he was the hit of the show!

This year we had another family member bitten by the dancing bug. For the recital there was a "Dad's Dance". And my husband the brave soul he is agreed to participate. There were practices both at the studio and with Jacki, but the details of the dance and even the music were top secret. Ohhh.

The music was a mix of "Catwalk, I'm Too Sexy" and "Sexy Back" and the guys did all these moves and stripped off their shirts to reveal t-shirts that were air brushed with muscles on them. They were so good.

For the rest of the recital, I loved watching all the dances and the 12 that Jacki were in was superb! Her ballet dance featured the debut of dancing en pointe which is something that she has just learned this season and has taken to very well!

So after all the weeks of practicing, Thursday night pictures, Friday night full dress rehearsal and finally the recital yesterday, I can declare that this household is pooped, but well satisfied with the family's accomplishments!

So typical with anything in one breath we are glowing about the wonderful season and in the next we are planning for the next year. Jacki will be competing in 7 dances this next season, so that will mean 13 in the recital, Joey has decided to give hip-hop a whirl, Jonathan we are trying to convince that dance would be cool (he always dances at home) and Jim, well he is the remarkable story out of this years recital. He and his fellow dancers loved it so much, they have asked Stacie to organize an every other week men's dance so that they can practice during the whole year!

So that is the wrap of this year's season. We have two weeks off, 8 weeks of summer support classes and in late July the competition team starts it all starts again! It is funny, given Jim's background, we always thought we would be just a car family, but it seems that dance is a permanent resident in our household!

Sticks and Stones...

2009-06-27T10:36:00.003-05:00

I was thinking about name calling today. You know what we say about people, something derogatory that we say behind someone's back. Sometimes we even say it to their face.

Anyway as a general rule we feel that it really harms no one if we call the driver that just cut us off in traffic a jerk or the clerk is having register problems an idiot once we leave the store. Again, they cannot hear us so no harm no foul right?

And what we call people is a big one as well. It might be jerk, idiot, stupid and hundreds of other terms, some more salty than the others. But they cannot hear it so what does it matter?

The reality is that it does matter. A lot. For one reason is while we are venting our displeasure with that individual, we are not only allowing our ego to make itself superior ("I am a much better driver than that jerk!") but the negative energy that we are spewing into the Universe is accumulating. In you, around you. And suddenly everything just blows up because our ego is so fed with this verbal venom, that everything is tainted.

The other reason we should not call names is it really does hurt people, because it gets back to them somehow.

What made me think of this is I was watching a Michael Jackson interview with Diane Sawyer. He was mentioning being called "Whacko Jacko" and how much it hurt. He asked Diane Sawyer if she wanted to be called whacko?

When we were kids we all had someone that called us a name or said something mean to us. We were upset and any good mother told their child this, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me." And in theory that may be true, because if we are confident and have great self-esteem, anyone can say anything about you and it would bounce off the shield that you have. But the fact of the matter is there are sometimes weak spots in our armor or we might call a name back just to one up the person. It is just negative energy perpetuating itself.

So when we run into a situation that we are displeased with we have to let it go. Seriously. It doesn't matter. It can't. There is so much more to be accomplished with moving on from things. If it is a situation that you can address, just do that address it. Say I am unhappy and tell why and let it go. If you are in a situation where you cannot address it that is an even bigger reason to JUST LET IT GO! In the end it hurts you more than the recipient of the momentary anger.

Life is too short my friends, life is too short!

Things I Am Grateful For..

2009-06-26T07:53:00.003-05:00

I am grateful that I awoke this morning with the fresh possibility of what life will bring.
I am grateful that I have a family that loves me regardless.
I am grateful that I have a family to love.
I am grateful for the man who is my husband, my mate, my friend.
I am grateful for my beautiful children and all they are as individuals.
I am grateful that there is a roof over our heads and food on our table.
I am grateful that the sun rose this morning and it will set this evening and it will do so tomorrow.
I am grateful that whatever the situation I can pray and that prayer comforts me.
I am grateful that when I pray for others, that it makes a difference.
I am grateful for everything I experience as they are all lessons to learn.
I am grateful that this is my time to be alive, right here, right now.

Woman Lived Dream

2009-06-23T12:37:00.004-05:00

Today while I was reading my local paper online (yes I am part of the demise of the real print newspaper) there was the headline "Schaumburg Woman Lived Dream of Teaching Special ED". The story was about Miss Lindsay Gillilan 28, who passed away suddenly Sunday. The story tells of her love of her students and teaching and how she aspired to be a teacher, especially in special education since she was young. That was the position she held, a Special Ed teacher in the Lake Zurich school system.

My initial reaction was sadness. I am sad for Miss Gillilan's loved ones, her fellow teachers and her students. I am sad for all of us actually that the world lost someone who really got what life was about!

Special ED Teachers, well all teachers actually are worth their weight in gold. And there is a special place in heaven for the Special Ed teacher. They have this unique ability to go above and beyond. I know that my son prospers today and it is mainly due to all the nurturing and encouragement that he has received from all the special ed staff in our school district.

Aside from the occupation that she picked, the very fact at age 28 she was doing everything that she wanted to be doing in her life should be an example for the rest of us.

Go for it. Do what you love. Life is too short!

There is a theory that when you are feeling lost one should write what they would want their obit to say. I am sure that in essence we all would write that we lived our dreams, whatever they might be.

The reality is are we? Are we doing what we should be doing to fulfill that prophecy? If not, why not? Even the biggest of dreams have the smallest of steps to them. Have we taken those steps?

This is a lot to contemplate but something we all should do. It is our destiny to live and it is our destiny to die. Those are the rules. How we fill in the details is our decision.

Thank you Miss Lindsay Gillilan for showing us how to live. May you rest in peace.

Auld Lang Syne

2009-06-19T07:26:00.002-05:00

Today we give a birthday shout out to the late Guy Lombardo who would have been 107 today.

We all know that he was THE bandleader. His orchestra, the Royal Canadians, which was made up of his three brothers and other neighborhood fellas, were world renowned. According to them their music was "The sweetest music this side of Heaven."

I thought it was interesting to find out that Guy was also a hydroplane racer and he won the Gold cup in 1946. He also owned a restaurant in Freeport, Long Island, New york.

Most notably Guy Lombardo was the man who brought "Auld Lang Syne" to New Year's.

Up until very recently I thought that it was "Old Anxie" (like anxiety) and we were singing to wish all the stress of the old year away. Well, I really didn't sing the whole song, just about 7 words and I hummed the rest, very enthusiastically I might add, because who wouldn't want the stuff from the previous year to be gone?

It is sort of interesting to find out the origin of that song is a poem written by Robert Burns in 1788, that was eventually put to music. Auld lang syne can be translated to "old times" or "once upon time". So when we sing "Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?" we are asking should we forget the old times? And of course not because the chorus reminds us "For auld lang syne my dear, for auld lang syne. We'll take the cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne." Meaning why forget the old things when they are still such sweet memories?

So there you have it let's remember the sweet things, cherish them and still go one living!

And since a birthday shout out wouldn't be quite right without a video clip..here is Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians with Auld Lang Syne..

Happy Birthday Mr. Lombardo! Thanks for many great memories!

Silly Love Songs

2009-06-18T13:17:00.004-05:00

Good Day Everyone!

I hope that everyone is not missing a thing!

Today we are heading straight to our birthday shout out...Sir Paul McCartney who is 67 today.

We all know and love him, I do not think that there is much more I could write about him than that. He is another one who's music is part of the soundtrack of our lives. From Beatles to Wings to his solo career I am willing to bet that everyone has a fond memory somehwere in their minds that includes the touch of Sir Paul.

So while picking out today's clip it was so hard to choose. Do I go with "Jet" or "Band on the Run"? "Maybe I'm Amazed" or even "Live and Let Die." So many choices. But in the end I had to go with "Silly Love Songs". It came out the summer between 5th and 6th grade when I used to go to the YMCA with friends swim and hang out and there was a boy that I had a crush on (though sorry cannot remember his name) and this song was playing the first time I saw him. Ahhhh....to be so young and impressionable again! lol BTW There is never going to be enough silly love songs and that's okay!

Happy Birthday Sir Paul! Wishing you many more years of filling our lives with song!

What Are We Missing?

2009-06-17T11:58:00.004-05:00

The range of what we think and do is limited by what we fail to notice. And because we fail to notice that we fail to notice, there is little we can do to change--until we notice how failing to notice shapes our thoughts and deeds...R.D.Laing

This opening quote is from a newsletter that I get monthly and while reading its contents it really stood out to me, like a beacon almost. After reading it a few times, I got this almost sick feeling in my stomach. Do you have any clue how much we are missing?

I do not mean missing in things that we did not do necessarily. I mean missing in just observation alone. What we do not see, we cannot experience or take advantage of. The greatest opportunity of our very lives might be happening at any time and we just might miss it because we were not paying attention.

Yesterday I brought up ROAK Tuesday. You know, say "Hello" to everyone at very least. While that is a great thing there is an added bonus to this. When you say hello, sometimes is starts a conversation that can go anywhere. You never know who you are talking to. I have had some of the best conversations and found out some great info just by talking with strangers.

I guess that is what the whole quote equates to, we are missing things, a lot of things and we don't know better. Well folks this is our wake up call! Let's open up and participate and see what it is all about!

Today is also the birthday of Barry Manilow who is 66. We all know him and love him! So here is my clip for today and oh so appropriate "Day Break"

Join me and let's not miss another thing!

Have a great day!

A Whole Lotta Tuesday!!!

2009-06-16T08:17:00.004-05:00

Hey Everyone!

Today is a Tuesday and it is a big one!!!

First let's talk about ROAK Tuesday. Sadly last week, I did not post about it, but I hope everyone remembered.

ROAK, a Random Act Of Kindness is just something you do for someone else. Doesn't have to cost you anything, a simple "Hello" to a stranger, it is that easy. The outcome is wonderful! It makes their day. You feel good about it. And soon enough you are getting ROAKs yourself!

This morning on Twitter, a tweet pal of mine @DeniseHammock tweeted about her website ReikiOM The website is beautiful, so calm and peaceful. It gives her bio, what services she offers and information about Reiki itself. She has also posted the Reiki Precept which is:
Just for today
I will not be angry
I will not worry
I will be grateful
I will do my work honestly
I will treat everyone/everything with kindness

What beautiful words, truly words to live by! Words that I truly needed to hear right then and there! Thank you Denise!

I said that this is a jammed packed Tuesday and that is so. We cannot forget our birthday shoutout!

Happy birthday Erich Segal who is 72 today.

We all know and love Mr. Segal's work. This is the man that brought us "Love Story". The template for the chic flick. And who doesn't choke up at the very words from the movie, the lesson of it all, "Love means never having to say your sorry." I am getting misty just writing it! lol

Erich Segal also wrote other great books including "Oliver's Story" which was the follow up to "Love Story" that also was made into a movie. He also wrote the screen play to the movie "Yellow Submarine." (But was he the Walrus?...lol)

Love Story is iconic and is a must see for anyone. In fact it is #9 on the American Film Institutes' list of all time romances. Here is something interesting, it was originally written as a screen play and shopped as such. When it was picked up, Erich Segal turned it into book form to boost the movies sales in the Valentine's season.

What made that movie so great was the musical score. So perfect, almost haunting in places, the score was a character of the movie itself. Here is a video clip of the song "Where Do I begin" by Andy Williams...

Are you all teary eyed? I am...again!

So Happy Birthday Mr. Segal and Thank You for many hours of heartbreaking enjoyment!

Wow! What a packed Tuesday! I am off to do...things! Have a great day!

Breaking Our own personal Rules!

2009-06-15T10:54:00.004-05:00

Happy Monday To All!

Every person has their own rules. Things that we make up to keep our standards and ourselves in line. And we try not to break them because well it usually doesn't end well since we broke a rule.

Right now I cannot name all of things that are personal rules to me. We have discussed the whole white shoes what time of year situation. Hard and fast rule, no doubt. Another one that comes to mind right away is making public declarations. I rarely do, at least I try not make any public declarations. Especially for something I am going to do!

Well last week, I threw caution to the wind and declared right here on this very page that I would do a 10 day challenge. 10 new creations in 10 days and post them consistently. What was I thinking?

I originally approached the idea as a great motivator to get more work done. In theory this is perfect, but carried out is a way different matter!

So while I cannot ever say that I won't take part in a challenge, I am just not going to make it so public. Besides, it keeps the surprise element going with the blog!

Today we are honoring the anniversary of the birth of Waylon Jennings. He would have been 72 today.

He had a long and storied career, getting his start with many other greats like Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and the rest of old time Nashville. He was touring with Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly and would have been on the plane that fateful day. He was also part of the Highwaymen, a group of singers that included Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash. Waylon was also a big part of the country singer/outlaw movement.

While he was always a name that I recognized, he was most famous to me for the song "Good Ole Boys" and as the narrator of the Dukes of Hazard TV Show. Additionally one song "Mommas Don't Let Your Babies Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys." it always seemed a little tongue in cheek to me, but then again what good song isn't? Here is the clip..

So Thank You Mr. Jennings for your contribution to the American landscape!

So that is all for now. Off to go do something, but I not saying what it is! lol

Have a great day!

PS. You can have the entries sent to your email when I post. Just sign up at the top right of the page. I know that the YouTube clips do not appear, but i will make note of that and you can always click over to see them. Sign up today!

Happy Birthday to my Favorite Willy Wonka

2009-06-11T15:38:00.003-05:00

Hello it is Thursday....

It has been sort of an odd week. Cannot put my finger on it, but odd. Now today, this afternoon, I am suffering from a case of the itchies. Do not quite know why. The kids came inside as they were trying to get their hover thing out of the tree and the mus have stepped in an area where the little brown ants are in the grass. Jonathan starts jumping around that he got bit and I killed an ant on his shoes and suddenly I start itching. Nice.

Today I am announcing my challenge. I challenge myself to complete 10 card designs in 10 days. The subject and type of card are up in the air, but I have to complete one a day. once I post them they will be available to purchase if you just love them!

Today we have a fun birthday, Gene Wilder. He is 76. He has been in many movies, a favorite of Mel Brooks and he also partnered with Richard Pryor on a few occasions. My favorite movie of his was "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". Here is a clip from that movie...

I loved the movie even now, though the OompaLoompas are still a bit creepy!

So happy birthday Mr. Wilder, you have given us many hours of entertainment!

Off to take a dose of benedryl, hope that does it!

Have a great day and look for the 1st day of the challenge tomorrow!

It is a Big Day for Birthdays!!

2009-06-10T09:10:00.004-05:00

Welcome one and all to Wednesday!

Today is a super birthday day!

First I would like to say Happy Birthday to my dear cousin Brenda. She is a real gem. A good friend, a good cousin, sister, daughter, aunt and so on. She is loving caring and always there to help when you need her. Brenda may your day be filled with happiness and many, many more lovely birthdays!

Here is Brenda with Allison at her college graduation.

And if this day wasn't filled with enough birthday joy, it is also the anniversary of the birth of Miss Frances Ethel Gumm. We know her as the iconic Judy Garland and today she would have been 87.

We all Judy Garland and love her as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. IF you watched old films you know her in the movies with Andy Rooney, the "Hey kids let's put on a show" movies that were great.

What never was really on my radar was the talent she really was especially after after you take the mentioned movies out of the picture. She was really great. And it is sad really you know that a lot of times when that greatness, that God given gift appears that most are so unable to cope that they end up self destructing from it. I think that there are lessons in everything and our lesson from Ms. Garland's life is love your gifts, embrace them knowing they are yours and no one can take that away from you!

I had a hard time narrowing down what to share with you today. First is a clip from the movie Summer Stock 1960

And because I am a huge fan of all three, her is a clip of Judy with Frank and Dean. No last names needed!

Have a great day everyone!

School Out

2009-06-04T13:00:00.004-05:00

It is Thursday and quite a day. It is the last day of school!

Our district does the last "official" day of school, the kids were there for a whole hour and back on the buses and back home. You would think that it costs more in fuel for the transportation than the district makes in state funding for this last day. But hey, what do I know?

So let us compare...Here is a shot of the kids on the first day of school last August.

And here are the kids now..Jacki

And Joey

They certainly have grown and matured in the last 10 months!

Now it is onto a summer of day camp, swimming lessons and of course dance. We might even fit a few day trips in there as well!

It is hard to believe that in two months and 15 days my babies will be in 7th and 4th grade!

So no birthday shout out today. But here is a fun clip. Alice Cooper "school's Out"!

Here is to a fun summer for everyone!

Soundtrack of Our Lives-Happy Birthday Marvin Hamlisch

2009-06-02T09:38:00.003-05:00

Hello!

Today is Tuesday and you know what that means. It's ROAK Day!!!! Hold a door, say hello, let someone in front of you in line. There is a certain amount of joy you will get from the response of the person that you do it for. It is hard to describe. And the best thing of all, you never know when it comes back to you!

Today is also Marvin Hamlisch's birthday. He is 65.

So now this is the time where you start to question the obscurity of my birthday picks. Born on this day were also Justin Long the "I Am A Mac" guy from the commericals, Zachary Quinto Spock from the latest Star Trek movie, Dana Carvey, you know the "Church Lady" from SNL and even Jerry Mathers "Beaver Cleaver." All of these folks would have been just as cool to mention in length and I might some other year, but I picked Marvin Hamlisch because he is part on the soundtrack to our lives. Even you young ones!

You see Marvin Hamlisch scored some of the most important movies and theatre productions in the last 40 years. A Chorus Line, The Way We Were, Ice Castles, The Spy Who Loved Me. It sounds crony to some but seriously, how many dance productions have there been of all or parts of A Chorus Line? How many times have you heard the song "What I Did For Love"? Did you know that it came from that musical as well? And what would the list of classic film romances be without Redford and Striesand in The Way We Were? Or any picture retrospect for that matter without the song "The Way We Were" palying in the background. All Marvin Hamlisch!

And while time marches on and technology makes things easier and more complicated that fact of the matter is it all begins with simple notes on a piano played by one of the greats like Mr. Hamlisch! Thank you and happy birthday!

So today it would be no fun without a clip and here we have another fave. Carly Simon with "Nobody Does It Better." This is from the movie "Spy Who Loved Me."

Have a great day!

We Miss You Dad

2009-05-28T03:42:00.003-05:00

Hello Everyone,

Today is a melancholy day in our family. Today marks the fifth anniversary of my Dad's passing.

His illness was swift and unexpected. His life too short. But he left his impression on this world as a man, husband, father, grandfather and a friend.

Dad had a great sense of humor. One of his favorite jokes was "Mrs. Murphy made a bean soup with 239 beans. If she put in one more bean it would have been too farty." And when he told it, he tried a little of the Irish brogue as well.

One of Dad's favorites was Laurel and Hardy. Here is a clip to enjoy!

We love you and miss you Dad!

A Monday to Celebrate

2009-05-25T16:41:00.004-05:00

Today is Memorial Day. A day that marks the beginning of summer and so much more.

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day, it was enacted in 1868 to commemorate the America lives were lost during service to our country, originally intended for Union soldiers that fought in the Civil War. Subsequently it was extended after World War I to include all members of any military action.

While it is wonderful to see the parades and the other special events, I think we as a country must keep up our gratitude for military services persons and their families every day.

Sometimes we take for granted what we are as a country or what being a citizen of this great country really is. There are people fighting in every corner of the world defending our freedoms. While some might question the validity of the battles, that should not shadow in anyway the brave people that take on that battle just because we are a great country to defend.

A few weeks back there was a citizenship ceremony for people that had passed all the requirements to become US citizens. I am sure that this is an event that ordinarily happens with some regular occurrence. Except this particular one really touched me. This group of people were military service personnel. These were folks that willingly signed up to defend a country and it's citizens that they were not a citizen of themselves. I was awestruck! We take so many things for granted!

People argue that it is frustrating that people from other countries immigrate here to start a new life. And they complain this or that about a particular nationality that is cornering a particular trade or business. And maybe those new people are a little more abrupt than some would like. But we forget, that they chose the United States of America because it is truly a better place, well the best place to be.

So on this day, like we should any day, let's be grateful and say Thank You for the bravery of individuals that enlist their lives to keep this country great and free and the place that people want to come here to live!

Switching gears slightly I'd like to wish my princess Jacqueline a very happy birthday. It is hard to believe that my first born is 12 today. Where has the time gone?

Our baby girl who is intelligent, beautiful and full of sass, is going to experience her last year as a teenager and I can hardly believe.

So my dear, you are another year older and another year wiser and as you fully mature into that wonderful young woman that you are destined to be, always remember how much we love you!

A little something for you!

Have a great day everyone!

'Tis the Season....

2009-05-22T13:12:00.002-05:00

Okay so here we are the start of Memorial Day Weekend. The "start" of summer.

Aside from the obvious, looking forward to gardening and bar-be-queing and spending more time outdoors we can say "Yeah!" for the greatest aspect of this time of year. Out come the white shoes!!

Now I have always been told that white shoes season was Memorial Day to Labor Day. That was a rule plain and simple. Even for the stylish senior gentlemen that matched up the white shoes with the white belt as well! Straying from this rule was the same as not mixing bleach and ammonia. Makes you gasp, your eyes water and just a bad decision overall.

Oddly enough no one really knew the origin of the white shoes rule, just that it existed. And the rumors of the social scorning that followed if you should even consider breaking said rule. While no one really knows, I would guess that it has something to do with not keeping shoes clean.

According to this article from the Shine ezine via yahoo, there is no standard about the white shoes when. We can just be foot loose and fancy free with our whites, not matter what the calendar says. This article also suggest that our purse and shoes don't have to match and we can mix silver and gold jewelrey together on a regular basis. What are they thinking?!?!

Now I am not a fashion plate by any means. My usual style is clean and matching hopefully. Somtimes I get sucked in by trendy and love it so much that I am bummed when I cannot find the "trendy" item three years later. lol But somehow breaking the white shoes rule is just too much for even me.

So as of Monday, Memorial Day I will dance around with the white shoes season, enjoying it, flaunting it even and then come Labor Day, I will put them away with my fine summer memories. The way it should be!

And for all of you fashion forward, breaking the basic fashion rules passed down from the ages gals...well have a great summer too!

End of An Era... Happy Birthday Harold Robbins

2009-05-21T13:35:00.005-05:00

Today marked the end of an era in our house. A short one, but an era none-the-less. Today Jonathan was officially finished with 3 year old Preschool!

To mark the occasion the morning and afternoon classes met together, played on the park district grounds, snacked together and after a final song (If You're Happy and You Know It-for the curious), each child was awarded their certificate of completion.

Here is Jonathan with his certificate!
So one year of preschool down, one year closer to college! lol

My other two finish school the first week of June. Stay tuned for the details.

Today's Birthday Shout out is the late great author Harold Robbins. Today is the 93rd anniversary of his birth.

I read my first Harold Robbins novel when I was a teenager. Always a good read, when I was younger I can certainly say that I got quite and education reading his books! lol

I was looking over his list of books and I remember some of them but now I know that I need a Harold Robbins refresher course!

I never knew that the movie "King Creole" starring Elvis was based on the novel "A Stone For Danny Fisher". Sort of cool.

So today I leave you with a clip of commercials from 1977. They are all sort of corny to watch, but at the 6:20 mark, there is a commercial for the Harold Robbins novel "Dreams Die First".

So, hunt your local library, your used book store or someone's book shelves and pick out a Harold Robbins novel, any Harold Robbins novel and enjoy a steamy good read! And please share, what is your favorite Harold Robbins novel? Looking forward to reading it in the comments!

On that note I leave you off to grocery shop. I am tired of the kids asking for more food! lol

Happy Birthday Blinky St. James

2009-05-20T10:46:00.003-05:00

Sometimes when we are in our most comfortable stations, life comes by and reminds that there is more than comfort to living. There is loving and caring and being. There is witnessing what else there is out there and acting accordingly. There is just loving people regardless of the fact that you might not even know them.

On twitter I have had the privilege of meeting Elizabeth and Katy Hughes of the south bay area of California. They are a mother and daughter team, Elizabeth is a widow and Katy is a delightful young lady who is insightful, witty and has the potential to be a great artist someday. The most amazing this about these two ladies is their perseverance as that they are homeless.

Elizabeth and Katy lost their husband/father when Katy was 6. Subsequently they have been living on survivor's benefits from social security and a job that Elizabeth held. A while back Elizabeth had lost her job and last year the survivor's benefits got cut in half because Katy turned 16. Now all they get is money for Katy herself monthly. Both ladies have health problems, they cannot afford rent and other expenses. They have had some short term apartments over the last few years, but except when they are blessed with someone donating money for a motel room, they sleep in their car.

I have read their blogs and you know, they are not happy with the situation at all, but somehow they are doing their best to keep their spirits up and I am awed by them.

My Dad used to have a saying, "I was sad because I had no shoes until I saw a man with no feet." I cannot think of better fitting words.

So the main reason I am writing today is that it is Katy's birthday. She is 17. Along with sending her my best thought, prayers and birthday wishes, I was hoping that we could all pitch in for her. They are currently staying in a motel through this morning and then they are back in the car. Maybe if we all pitch in we can come up with enough to keep them in the motel for a few more nights that would be a great gift to Katy. Not exactly a new purse or some new clothes, the typical 17 year old gifts, but at least they would not be sleeping in their car.

Okay here are the details. Elizabeth's website is God's Power and Love and Katy's website is Destination Anywhere But Here.

Elizabeth's email address is hugheselizabeth@rocketmail.com Paypal donations can be sent to that address.

On twitter Elizabeth is known as @imexhausted and Katy is @blinkystjames. Follow them they are great gals!

Whatever we all can do for them would be great. They just need a hand!

So Happy Birthday Katy! and many many more. And for you a little Michelle Branch.

I hope that we can help them. And Please pass this blog around to other friends, the internet is a great big place and we all can help if we try!

It's Tuesday! ROAK Day

2009-05-19T08:33:00.002-05:00

Good Morning to all!

Just a quick hello for the moment.

I just wanted to remind you that it is ROAK Tuesday. And let's do something fun today. When you get a chance come back and visit after your ROAK and let everyone know in the comments what you did. It is always fun to share!

Have a great day!

Happy Birthday Jonathan

2009-05-15T08:43:00.002-05:00

This is my youngest Jonathan and somehow to my dismay he turned 4 today. Where did the time go!?!?!

Of our three kids he is the one that has pushed my limits the farthest and made me grow the most as a person. Personality wise, he is so different than my other two, he certainly is the most outspoken!

Happy birthday my darling son! I am so blessed to have you in my life!

50 Things About Me

2009-05-14T07:11:00.003-05:00

Hello,

Sometime last year, in an email group that I am on, we were asked to post 50 things about us that the group did not know. Since my blog is relatively new, I thought I would post the list here to give you an idea about me. So here goes.
1.My Middle name is Anne as is my Mom's, my daughter's and our dog Pumpkin
2.I have three children 1 daughter and 2 sons
3.Other than last names, everyone in my household share part of their name with another realtive.
4.I have so much trivial knowledge stuck in my head, I think it spills out of my ears sometimes!
5.I have been married for almost 13 years
6.Jim was a blind date, we met 10-30-92 and haven't been apart since!
7.I try to be all things to everyone and sometimes, I just get tired.
8.I am a really good problem solver.
9. Growing up I had few friends, but my books were my best friends.
10.I always thought I wasn't a picky eater, but the list of things I won't eat grows every day.
11.I never met chocolate that I didn't like
12.I have crafted forever
13.My Grandma Tomlin taught me to crochet when I was 8
14.I have problems understanding instructions without diagrams
15.I have a million great ideas, but my execution stinks. lol
16.Every morning and every night I pray for all living beings to find peace and comfort.
17.About once a year I try to be vegan, but it does not last long.
18.Last year briefly, I considered letting my natural color grow out. Briefly
19.I used to be a hairdresser, loved doing the hair, hated finding hair on me at the end of the day.
20.My greatest fear is that something will happen to one of my kids.
21.I cry at everything all the time, always have.
22.I have a paper obsession!
23.First time I saw the Cricut Expression in a print ad and read the description, my heart was pounding!
24.When I am nervous, I laugh which tends to disturb people.
25.My brother broke my nose when I was 18
26.I am one of two children
27.I am a bad house keeper. Better Homes and Garderns will never be at my house for a photo shoot!
28.From 1987 to 1999 I moved 9 times between 2 states
29.Once a year I decide that we have to sell our house and move somewhere else. Usually means I am bored so then I paint or rearrange furniture.
30.I live on 1.5 acres, 20 minutes west of Chicago
31.My Dad and I have identical baby pictures
32.My kids fill my heart further than I thought it could be possible
33.I try hard, but sometimes I think I fail them
34.I won 3rd place in the fish category at a grilling contest for a radio station. I made shark with fruit salsa
35.#34, there were 7 entries! lol
36.My senior picture from high school, I look just like my Mom
37.There is a Christmas picture floating around in my family that I am modeling a gift of rainbow socks on my ears.
38.I make cream puffs from scratch. That is my signature dessert.
39.I have Christmas every year, it is easier on my kids.
40.I did not like dogs until I met my husband and his dog Baron.
41.My first husband didn't want kids. After I got divorced, every guy I met knew up front that kids were a deal breaker.
42.Most times things that bother other people do not phase me, I am oblivious to it all
43.I do not think I can write a short sentence!
44.It has taken me almost 45 years to have a true feeling of who I am and who I want to be
45.My favorite movie is Moonstruck
46.I read about 25 blogs daily
47.I tend to talk back to the TV or computer when I do not agree
48.I could eat shrimp every day
49.I would love to make a living from creating
50.Regardless of how the day went, good or bad, I thank God for everything!

So that is me in a nutshell. This has been fun. It would be cool for you to share somethings about you in the comments!

Have a great day!

ROAK Tuesday~Happy Birthday Steve Winwood

2009-05-11T12:40:00.007-05:00

Hello Everyone!!!

Today is Tuesday and I am beginning a new tradition for me. Today is ROAK Tuesday!

Do you remember I asked you last week to do a ROAK (Random Act of Kindness)? I am sure that it gave you a great feeling knowing that you were making someone's day! Okay so let's do it again!!!

Today's birthday shout out is Steve Winwood. He is 61 today.

Stevie, as I always knew him by, is a world class singer/songwriter and plays many instruments, especially the guitar and organ. Along with his chart topping solo career he has been in the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic and Blind Faith. He has been paired with the likes of Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Lou Reed, Jimi Hendrix, Billy Joel and many others.

His song writing credits include "Gimmie Some Lovin'" (what would the Blues Brothers be without that song?) "I'm A Man" "All Along the Watchtower" and other songs as well. One of my fave is from the "Traffic" days "Low Spark of High-heeled Boys".

That song was co-written with Jim Capadli. Thought the general premise might have started out different, in an interview Stevie said that it was about the record business.

I have made a card as an inspiration piece. The front features lyrics from the song "If I gave you everything that I owned and asked for nothing in return would you do the same for me as I would do for you?" The front and the inside are hand stamped in a cloud pattern similar to the original album cover that the song was release on. Here is a picture of the album cover:

Now here is my card. It is available for purchase in my etsy shop. You can click on the picture to get to my shop!

Okay so let's wrap this Birthday Shout Out with 2 videos. The first is the "Low Spark of High-heeled Boys" from Traffic.

And the second is "Valerie" a Steve Winwood solo piece.

Happy Birthday Stevie Winwood, we love your music and keep churning them out!

So have a great day and don't forget ROAK Tuesday!

Martha Graham

2009-05-11T11:28:00.003-05:00

Happy Monday Everyone!

Today we will get right to our birthday shout out and that is the late Martha Graham. Today she would have celebrated her 115th birthday.

While many might know her, Martha Graham was a important person in my family's make up; being that we have a hardcore dancer in the family. You see Martha Graham was the one of the dancers that broke away from the traditions and techniques of classic ballet to perform "Contemporary" dance. Dancing that contained emotion and free movement. Dancing that allowed the dancers to make good use on gravity instead of the lightness of ballet.

Martha Graham did not herself develop Modern Dance, she surely had a hand in it's development. She danced well into her later years, was the first dancer to perform at the White house and traveled as an ambassador of goodwill. She was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Here is a clip that I found on You Tube. The lead dancer in the long dress with the cape is Martha Graham performing!

As you watch that clip you can even see where hip-hop dancing has grown out of due to dancers like Martha Graham!

So Thank You Ms. Graham for all your contribution to Modern Dance. I know that my daughter sure appreciates the work that you have done!

Have a great day everyone and I will talk with you soon!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T09:44:00.001-05:00

Happy Mother's Day to every Mom out there!

Enjoy your day!

The Big Reveal...

2009-05-05T07:31:00.005-05:00

Well is is Happy Tuesday!

Happy Cinco De Mayo to all! Let's celebrate just because we can!

First the big reveal...

If you recall, I started out with just materials yesterday

And now today we have this..

TA DA!

Actually this is an inspiration piece as well. Our nephew Levi is graduating from Colorado State next week. I am sending one of these cards to him!

If you have a graduate that you would like to congratulate, this card is in my etsy shop here.

Today's birthday shout out is from Ann B. Davis who is 83 today. Our beloved Alice from the Brady Bunch.

Seriously who didn't love Alice? My favorite "Alice" episode is when she secretly sent Jan the locket because she was a middle child like her. (Actually, Jan was sooo misunderstood. lol). And by the Brady reunion time to know that Alice and Sam the butcher finally tied the knot, well that made the whole thing!

So I could not find a Brady Clip that I like so here is a commercial from the '80s in her Alice character for Shake-n-Bake.

Thank you Ann B. Davis for your very many Brady years. Happy Birthday and many, many more!

One more thing..
My other blog, It's A Fairy World, my topic is kindness today. Would you please carry out at least one ROAK today. For me? Please? Thank you in advance!

Have a great day!

Happy Birthday Audrey Hepburn

2009-05-04T08:35:00.005-05:00

Howdy Howdy Howdy

It is Monday! Everyone stand up and cheer. This means that all that crap that occured last week has washed away to a beautiful new week! Yea!

So what are we going to do this wonderful new week. Work, explore, take care of business. What ever we stinking want to!

So now that's out of the way.

I am working on graduation cards that will be available tomorrow. Here are all of the materials. I feel like the cooking show, here are all of the ingredients and let's she what she can cook up in just 15 minutes! They should be cool, I can see them in my head. lol

Today is Star Wars Day. "May the 4th be with you!"

Today is also the anniversary of the birth of Ms. Audrey Hepburn. She would have been 80 today.

I do not remember really any of her movies sadly, the clip of My Fair Lady seems familiar. And I know that she made the original movie Sabrina (which the remake is one of my favs). What stands out about Audrey Hepburn to me is class and a great sense of the importance of helping others. She was a world class humanitarian working with UNICEF and she blazed the trail for the likes of actors like Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie to get involved with matters other than Hollywood.

Here is clip from Roman Holiday that is very cute:

I think there is an Audrey Hepburn film festival in our future!

Well every one have a great day and

Happy May Day ~ Happy Birthday Kate Smith

2009-05-01T03:04:00.005-05:00

Hello To All!

I hope that this post finds you well on this May Day.

So what is May Day other than and distress signal? Actually it is rather interesting.

In the Celtic traditions, pre-Christianity, May Day signified the festival of Beltane. Which was the start of the summer season. The herds of livestock were driven to the fields and a new fire was built that would be kept going all the way til it was time for the next festival.

May Day is also a cross quarter day, marking the half way point between the sun's journey from spring equinox and the summer solstice.

The May Pole was a fixture in many towns and was decorated for this festival to signify to new growth and vitality of Spring. Traditions like hanging flowers on doors of the homes in the villages and picking a May Queen become more prominent in the late 1700's and are of the British and Puritan influence.

In the late 1800's May Day became the symbol of international labor as worker's gathered together to demand better working conditions including the 8 hour work day. This relates to the Haymarket Square affair in 1886 Chicago. After employees decide to strike a machinery plant when fellow workers were killed due to unsafe conditions. This lead to further protest, a bombing in the crowd with a lot of bloodshed and the eventual public hanging of 7 convicted criminals. Ewww

In 1958 President Eisenhower signed a proclamation naming May 1 as Loyalty Day. A day to re-proclaim our loyalty to our country. Some areas of the country celebrate this with parades and festivals.

Which brings us to our Birthday Shout Out which is the late Kate Smith. Today she would have been 92. She was a talented singer that was featured on radio shows in the 1930's and beyond. Her most memorable recording was her rendition of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America".

You had a wonderful gift Ms. Smith and we are all grateful for you sharing it.

So we have come full circle celebrating the beginning of the growing season, to the celebration of labor to the very reminder why we as so blessed with the freedoms we have.

Go out and dance around the May Pole or just brings some fresh flowers in your home. Celebrate what a great country we have. And celebrate all of those who fight to keep our country great!

Another Giveaway and Cloris Leachman

2009-04-30T04:10:00.002-05:00

Hello to All!

First, I'd like to tell you about another cool giveaway. Another twitter pal @sevidesigns is giving away an adorable handmade buttercup bag. It is in the most delight Lila Tueller fabric and a must have for the complete summer wardrobe! All the deets are on Katherine's blog, Sevi Desings. Make sure you browse the whole blog and her shop too, so many deligtful things!

Today's birthday shout out is to Cloris Leachman. Who is a young 83 today.

This woman is insane! Do you remember her performances on DWTS? She was a riot. And her list of performances on TV, movies and stage is very long according to her wiki entry.

Well, she has been an avid supporter of PETA for years and apparently a devout vegetarian. If that is what it takes to be that vibrant at 83, then I might just be throwing out the hotdogs again!

So happy birthday Ms. Leachman and many, many more!

That is all I have for now. Quite frankly, it is 4:25 am, and I am going back to bed! lol

Have a wonderful day!

Ultimate Promo GiveAway Alert!!!

2009-04-29T11:56:00.002-05:00

Hello Friends!

I am writing to bring you great news. A favorite Esty seller of mine, Self Production Design is having a give away! Their shop has all of these really cool items that sellers like myself can use to promote their personal endeavors. I think that one of my favorite items is the scratch off card that you can give to customers to encourage future business. I love, love, love clever things and this lands right near the top of the list!

So right now go and visit their blog Self Production Design. They have all of the deets about the contest and so many other cool things that you can use if you are a eager artisan like myself!

Reflections on Life

2009-04-28T10:09:00.004-05:00

Pictured is my Grandma. She passed away last Tuesday. She was 89.

Grandma was ill for a long time. Throughout my memories I could always remember that there were certain health issues that plagued her and would show up periodically. She also had osteoporosis, that was very advanced making her very fragile and it hampered her getting around some.

To be quite frank these last 15 or so years we were not very close. Large gaps of time would pass and we would not have any contact at all. She had other parts of her life to focus on and so did I. And really that is the way the adult world works after all.

I have some very fond memories of Grandma. Spending time with her, baking apple pies, crocheting and embroidering, and getting candy bars from her secret stash in her closet. Mars bars...but that is a different story for another day.

We had known the end is near for quite a few days and that was the beginning of the tidal wave of emotion that is released when someone in the family passes.

Since I could characterize my relationship with Grandma as love/dislike, I started trudging through all the memories, did my share of finger pointing, picking out the things and situations that I didn't reap from and explaining why I didn't go out of my way for her. Mind you, my family is fairly good sized, so it was not that I was the only grandchild. So I was singling myself out amongst the others that I am sure were doing the very same thing as me.

What made me feel better in going into the wake and the funeral was holding on to those memories, my special ones knowing that no other person in the family had those exact memories and that made them special because they were mine.

Throughout the services Sunday and Monday, I listened to others speak of Grandma. Some of it was things I knew and some of it was things I never heard. Some of it was so outrageous that I was stunned that we were all referring to the same person!

How could she be so different with so many different people? At some point when I got older, did she just decide to be a different person?

I have realized that she was all those things, to all of us. And no matter how well you think you know a person, they are different things to different people.

Then it flashed in my mind, why wasn't she those things to me? Why did I miss out?

I think the best answer is that we are not everything to everyone. Does that make sense? She was the teaching me to make apple pie Grandma to me and she was the make sure that you did your homework after school Grandma to another. And that is okay. I can see that now.

Part of our life is learning lessons. One way is to actually experience situations and the other is by observation. To be honest. I am beginning to believe that the observation part is way more important than the experiencing. Well it has to come first at least.

If I look at my Grandma's life just as an observer, I can objectively pick out the things in her life that I would never want to experience and the things that I look forward to, like the joy of being a grandparent someday.

And while actions in her life would be considered wrong whether it be fact or opinion, I am able to view those and put them somewhere in the back of my mind, for future reference. Later I can call upon them for comparison on situations in my life. Learning lessons.

So Thank you Grandma for the lessons you have taught me even if you didn't mean to.

And Thank you to all of God's creatures for the lessons you have taught me even when you didn't me to.

Also, remember, we are all being taught the lessons, we are teaching each other, every minute of every day. I guess the trick is to take them in and heed them when necessary.

Rest in peace Grandma.

Happy Earth Day!!

2009-04-22T10:40:00.002-05:00

I am trying to recollect when Earth Day first showed up on my personal radar. I was born in 1964, so its very creation occurred after I did. But I do not recall anything in school the way there is now. (But then again I went to public school in the city...can you say lead paint?). I think the first real memory of it meaning something to me was in 1990. I worked for McD's and we gave away mini pine trees to all that bought a kid's meal or something like that.

I don't think I became really aware until my kids went to school. Awareness explosion is more like it! The notes home, giving us clues how to be better citizens of the Earth. My kid's mini lectures on what we should be doing to conserve. I have a 6th grader, a 4th grader and a preschooler. And you would think that after 12 years combined Earth Conservation Education between my older two, they could figure how to turn off their lights or DVD players on a consistent basis!

Okay, so we are all into this and I am quite frankly enjoying it. Knowing that we are doing something to help always makes you feel good! And it really is so important. I reuse a lot of things, craft with my cardboard and most of my light bulbs are the funky, twirly shaped ones. We could recycle more and we will.

The chuckle I had about Earth Day is our President. And I will begin all this by saying that I like our President. I voted for him and I believe he is trying. Anyway today on the Earth Day our President is flying to Iowa to give a speech.

Now I am not privy to all the info, but the group of people and the effort it takes to get the President somewhere and keep him safe wouldn't that cause a huge carbon footprint? Am I missing something?

I know that he is scheduled to visit factories and give speeches, but in light of this very day, would it not be better to say make use of technology and have the speeches deliver via close circuit or even Skype? (It's good enough for Oprah!)

I don't know, I just find it so contradictory in this particular case.

So that is all for now. Happy Earth Day. Love the Earth. Go pick up some garbage and plant something!

Look Who's 50!!!!

2009-04-19T07:50:00.003-05:00

Today I have a special birthday shout out to cousin Larry. He is 50 years young today!

Lar has been a part of our family fore-v-e-r, witnessing the chaos that we all can cause and pretty much took it all in stride.

He is a good man, with a big heart and we wish him 50 more, happy healthy years!

Happy Birthday Larry!

Happy Saturday

2009-04-18T09:55:00.005-05:00

Happy Saturday!!

What a wonderful day this is! The sun is shining, the weather is nice and the breeze is mild. Boy it doesn't get much better than this!

In the spirit of this wonderful day, I wish peace and happiness to all!

Today's birthday shout out is for the actress Hayley Mills who is 63 today. She has had a great career in various mediums, but my fav of hers is the original "Parent Trap Movie" made by Disney in 1961. The story is parents who get divorced right after the birth of their twin daughters and each parent takes one daughter to raise in different parts of the world. Hayley Mills plays the parts of Susan and Sharon, the twin girls.

So today I am proud to unveil my first celebrity inspiration piece.

This "One Heart, Two Halves" Thinking of you card is based on the twins that Hayley Mills portrayed. While as twins they shared the same "heart" they were two distinct personalities with one being more frilly (the left side) and one being ordinary and down to business (the right side). The card opens in the center and displays a message "Thinking of You".

Love it? This card can be purchased from my etsy shop by clicking on the picture. I can ship it directly to you or it can be sent on your behalf. Just indicate the recipients details when checking out in the "Message to Sender" box.

Here is a clip from the "Parent Trap". You have to love 1960's technology!

So Happy Birthday Ms. Mills and many, many more!

Thank you for taking a look today and enjoy your Saturday!

Social Media..I Want to Be Ashton Kutcher?!?!

2009-04-17T03:54:00.003-05:00

Hello My Dear Friends,

I write this today, as a tremendous event has taken place. Ashton Kutcher @aplusk has broken the 1000000 mark of followers of Twitter. During this week he was in a neck and neck battle with CNN to see who would do this. Ashton broadcast via ustream and CNN went live on their station including on air pleas from Anderson Cooper. Okay, so what does this mean?

To me, I am not totally sure what the whole scope of this is. I do not have my finger on the pulse of the tech world, most of the time, I just follow along because all the cool kids are. And who doesn't want to be one of the cool kids? In retrospect, I am finding that in my quest to become more than I already am, Twitter has become very important.

I originally signed on to promote my business, make contact, meet potential customers. It was really cool at first, searching for the famous people to get small snippets of their lives. I bought into the genre of "What am I doing" and I admit my first tweets were "Picking up DD from dance" or "waiting for dinner to finish...meatloaf yea". Okay sort of lame, but I was taking it literally and that's okay. But sort of boring and ordinary. Boring and ordinary don't get you many followers.

As I continued and got the hang of things, I found my self searching for better things to post. Or share again, retweets, they are called. I have read a whole slew of blogs and snippets and viewed pictures that I would have never seen anywhere else. I have read some quite amusing things that made me laugh out loud and I have come across some opinions that made me yell at the screen. I wanted to add content with some value and sprinkle in the ordinary. I am working to achieve the perfect mix. I have also added on to my followers.

But, in my search for better things to post, I find myself growing mentally and spiritually, taking more in everyday. And as I take in more, my output is becoming richer. I voice opinions and have mini conversations and wish people everything from "have a nice day", to "Happy Birthday", to sending condolences for an animal that is passed. One of my tweets even ended up on the ABC news website about a particular story. I am a part of news and the "new media"! We all are.

We can observe, ask questions, voice our opinions and even promote ourselves, all in real time. I have access to an infinite amount of people at any given time. We all do. I think that might be the thing that is so gratifying about this whole new media concept is that it is ALWAYS OPEN. It is current, it is fresh and there is always some one to talk with. This is something so different that you don't find with Google or the various "chat" type interfaces. And it is something really different than TV.

While all this is going on we might consider the outcome of always being on. What is it going to do to us knowing that there is really always someone there? I think that with technology, as separated as we may seem, we are actually closer. Take the example of actress Demi Moore @mrskutcher who received a tweet about a person with the intent of committing suicide. She passed it on in fear that it was real, other people saw it and were able to track it down to let the police know and avert tragedy. The lady really needed help and her cry was answered. Or how about the Amber Alerts that are tweeted and retweeted. Or even the free rental code for Redbox that I share when it is sent to me. Always on.

As I write in my other blog, It's a Fairy World, I have four general rules that I go by. 1. Be good to myself. 2. Be good to others. 3. Learn my lessons from all situations and take notes for future reference. 4. Love God. I would say, overall, being part of this "new media" applies all four rules.

So while I will probably not be Ashton Kutcher and you will probably never see 1000000 followers on my twitter page @julieanneg, I know that I am making a difference in others and in myself!

Onto our birthday shout out! Today we are wishing the singer/songwriter Liz Phair and very happy 42nd birthday. Ms. Phair is an Chicago area girl, raised in Winnetka Illinois and a graduate of New Trier High School. She has earned her chops as an artist, working from the very bottom up on the Indie scene to become the mainstream artist that she is. My fav song of hers is "Extraordinary". It is the kind of song that you blast in the car while driving and sing a long. The chorus is the best part :

I am extraordinary, if you'd ever get to know me
I am extraordinary, I am just your ordinary
Average every day sane psycho
Supergoddess
Average every day sane psycho

Great lyrics, right? Perfect actually. Here is the video of the song.

Thank you Liz for great thoughts and Happy Birthday to you!

Well, that is all for now. Just a few thoughts...lol. And hey if you aren't on twitter, check it out. You will be glad that you did!

Never Waste Time

2009-04-16T07:09:00.002-05:00

"A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life" Charles Darwin

Wow that is a big thought without even a good morning, but that is what is on my mind this morning.

Wasting time more so than surfing when you should be working, I am referring to wasting time so you wake up one day and half your life is gone. Wasting time so that you have no concept of where the month went, let alone the week or the day.

Time and life are equal to me, very precious gifts. I am sure that you can say, well we all have live, we all have lives so how precious could that be? And hey, time is always there so what is the big deal? But do we have lives? Are we really living? Are we using time to our best advantage?

There are things going on right now, with family members that make me think about all of this. Actually this has been on my mind since the end of last year when my father-in-law passed. About time and life. All the things I just spoke about.

I sort of made a promise to myself that I would not question where the year went at Christmas time, because I would know what occurred. I would know what we did, big or small. No have to think or search my memory for even a second. I would know because I lived it.

Having said all that, I will admit that I have lost track a little. I will never admit again, that I do not know where time went. I will more than know, I will have lived it! There is my declaration!

So how do we change it? How do we enrich our lives to the very hilt? I am sure there are slews of people out there who can give us tips about organizing our "time" to more into our "lives". And that very well maybe true, being more efficient could make things run a little smoother. But what I am talking about is way beyond having a smooth running life.

I am talking about relishing life, reveling in it, experiencing every moment good or bad and knowing what it was about. It is not about what I own or what I can buy, it is about being. Just being plain and simple.

I am not sure there is an answer other than living it. What is the saying, the proof is in the pudding?

Okay, so having said all that we can go onto our birthday shout out. If you have been reading for a while, you might think that my choices are a little obscure. Who really cares about Peter Fonda anyway? Well, when I pick out my birthday shout outs because something about them touched my life in a certain way. Some pleasant memory is associated with that person.

So today's birthday shout out is the late Henry Mancini who would have been 85 today. He was a great musician and composer. His music catalog is long than your arm. He was nominated for 72 Grammys (won 20), 18 Oscars (won 4) and many other awards. He did many musical scores for movies, TV, and Broadway. "Pink Panther" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's". My personal fav is "Peter Gunn". I never saw the TV show or the movie, but it was the theme for the "Blues Brothers" movie. In high school I played clarinet, well tried at least and one of the few songs I could play was Peter Gunn. So here for your listening enjoyment I give your Henry Mancini and his orchestra with Peter Gunn.....

Thank you Mr. Mancini for all your wonderful music and one very pleasant memory.

So I will wrap up today with I hope you enjoyed the musical selection, Thank you for sharing the memory with me and hey, let's go live like Charles Darwin shall we?

Jenniffer Weigel--See Her Show!

2009-04-15T04:27:00.004-05:00

Hey Everyone!

Wow, it's early 4:30 AM and aren't I the early bird posting already. I like starting out this early because I seem to get the most out of my day. So we have many orders of business today.

First, if you are in the Chicago area and are looking for fun and something different to do please check out the Jenniffer Weigel show "I'm STILL Spiritual Dammit!" at the Chicago Center-Performing Arts April 18- May 24. The tagline for the show from Jenniffer's website is "Climbing the mountain of spirituality with a Martini in one hand and my pumps in the other..."

I have not personally seen the show, but I am a long time fan of Jenniffer's, via TV and radio mostly and I am positive that you will enjoy the night out.

Jenniffer W Also when you get a sec, visit Jenniffer's blog. She is funny and honest. She likes to explore different thoughts and makes no excuses for her conclusions. I remember one segement on the radio that she decided to say "Thank You" in advance to the Universe for parking spaces and she had a pretty good success rate going. Her co-host would give her grief but she stuck to it. I totally resonate with her!

Second order of business. Ha! You know when I start to write a post I have all these great ideas and by the time I get through the first part I have lost my train of thought for the next part so I can't tell you at the moment what the second order of business was. Oh, here is something, it is tax day kids! If you have not, get something in the mail today, return or extension and keep the man happy. (That is not what I had in mind, but it sounds good!..lol)

Third thing (and I remember what this was) today would have been Elizabeth Montgomery's 76th birthday. I loved her show Bewitched! It was always witty and she seemed so cool! She had a great career outside of Bewitched. As I read her wiki entry I saw many things that she did that I was not even aware of, but I am sure she was great in! Also the girl that mostly played Tabitha, Erin Murphy, she has gone on to be in TV mostly and her real life husband is named Darren! You've gotta love it! Her is Erin's site as well.

Now for you, I found a mini tribute of Elizabeth Montgomery on You Tube:

I have to add that Elizabeth Montgomery died from colorectal cancer in 1995, just 8 weeks after she was diagnosed. Apparently she was having flu-like symptoms and ignored them because she was shooting a film and when she finally went to the doctor, it was too late. This should be a reminder to all of us that we have to value our health.

So kids, that is all for now. I am off to pull a card and see what the fairies have to say today. To see that outcome be sure to check out my other blog, It's A Fairy World!

Have a great day and if you twitter, please make sure that you give me a tweet! @julieanneg

Every Thought is a Seed...

2009-04-14T10:04:00.005-05:00

Hello to All my Blog Friends!

I have heard from many of you that you have enjoyed the video clip from St. Baldrick's Day. Thank you for all your warm responses and thoughts. As you have read in the past, we are really committed to this particular charity and we always have a blast doing it!

No excuses for my absence, I lost a little bit of focus. Anyway...

I have become attached to Twitter. I read more than I tweet, but it is fun nonetheless, even when I had the flu. So scanning the tweets this morning, I came across this quote. It was retweeted by @DeniseHammock and the original tweeter was @VizionG. Here goes...

"Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples don't expect to harvest Golden Delicious." OMG I just love that! Talk about the slogan for positive thinking!!!!

So I have to look and see daily now, what exactly am I planting. And this is so far reaching from our individual thoughts to our interaction with others. And actually it will be way more healthy, mentally and physically for me. So cool!

I am finally in a place to start new creations once again and boy am I excited! Also be sure to look for a change in y blog. I am beginning to sell on Artfire. I am making the change, primarily for the ease of use for my customers. I will update you when this change occurs.

I have not done a birthday shout out lately and here it is!

Happy Birthday Loretta Lynn. Today she is 74. She has had a long life both in and out of the spotlight. I was amazed that her music catalogue is so long and full. Ironically she is touring right now, small venues and will be appearing in my area on April 16 at the Old Town School of Music in Chicago.

So her most famous song to me is Coal Miner's Daughter and I'd like to share that with you today.

So Mrs. Lynn, Happy Birthday to you and many more!

Have a great day everyone and plant some Golden Delicious!

ST. Baldrick's Follow Up

2009-03-30T11:30:00.002-05:00

Hello Everyone!!!!

I hope that you all are enjoying your Monday!

This post is a follow up to my last. This past Friday evening, March 27, my husband Jim participated at our local St. Baldrick's Day event. We appreciate all of those who have sponsored him!!!

Like anything, when you are in a group of people, different things come up. My husband was asked what it would take to shave his full beard off. His answer $500. So announcements were made and our daughter worked the crowd and managed to raise $375 in a lovely green bowler hat. Jimmy was happy with that amount and sat down for the shaving. He also got to keep the hat!!!

Here is video of both his head shaving and the beard shaving. The beard segment begins at the 5:33 mark.

Well I certainly have to say the my dear Jimmy looks wayyyy different! But what a fantastic cause!

The St. Baldrick's organization, takes donations year round and if you feel so inclined to take part you can still sponsor my husband after the fact. You can click here and you will be taken right to his St. Baldrick's page to make a donation.

Also, through the end of the year, if you make a purchase at my stores and put STB09 in the message to seller box, 10% of your purchase will be donated to the St. Baldrick's Foundation!

Thank you all again, for your sponsorship to such a great cause!!

St. Baldrick's My Husband is Going Bald

2009-03-24T08:28:00.003-05:00

Today I am blogging to ask a question, Can you spare $5 or maybe even $10? The reason I am asking is can you sponsor my husband Jim? He is shaving his head for St. Baldrick's on March 27th. In just a few days he will be going bald to show solidarity with all of those who have lost their hair during their battle with cancer.

This is Jim's fourth time participating. The first year was 2004 when my Dad was fighting his battle with Non-Hogdkin's Lymphoma and Dad was uncomfortable with his hair loss. The guy's at Jim's work were forming a team for St. Baldrick's Day to raise money for childhood cancer research and how could Jim resist? He didn't want my Dad to be the only bald guy in the room!

Participating in St. Baldrick's was a double blessing for us. Our dear friends Rob and Lori, their middle daughter Katie was diagnosed with medulloblastoma at ten months old. She has had surgeries, chemo and therapies. Grueling things that would put the average person down and yet eight years later, Katie is thriving, cancer free, determined to do anything she wants to. Our local paper wrote a story about her, you can read it here.

Sadly my Dad passed away in May of 2004. We all still miss him dearly. In fact my youngest son has never met my Dad, well not on earth at least.

We have other friends that are fighting this battle right now and I know that you have too.

While the St. Baldrick's foundation focuses their research on childhood cancers, in my mind research is research. If they make a breakthrough in one type of cancer, it will eventually lead to a breakthrough somewhere else. Perhaps we will see the end of this suffering in our lifetimes!

So I end this asking three things of you. Tell all the people you love, that you love them, life is too short. Please go here to the St. Baldrick's Foundation and sponsor my husband Jim Guthrie for at least $5 so we can reach our goal of $500 by Friday's event. Also would you please pass a link to my blog to everyone in your address book? The more people that can help the better!

Thank you for listening and considering to donate. We are all facing tough times, but we still have to find a cure for cancer!

Many Blessings!

Just Touching Base

2009-03-18T14:25:00.002-05:00

Well, I am sure that when you clicked in you saw a few changes. I am getting the hang of this whole photo thing so I took a cool picture and added it to everything!!

I just added a whole bunch of new things to my etsy shop. You have to check it out!

Back to the grindstone!

So I Have Been...

2009-03-13T18:00:00.003-05:00

Lazy about my blog!

My poor blog is like the fish you loved the first week and in spite of all the promises you mentally made to feed it, it is a real struggle to do just that. What happened to my creed?

It has been an interesting week, trying to recover from all the hoopla of the weekend. My DD's competition rocked!!! She is in 6 dances and they took 2 gold ribbons and 4 silver ribbons and the large dance "production" which has all 27 dancers took third place in points overall. We are so proud of her and her hard work!

Nothing else exciting, not working as much as I should be, but this evening I seem to be more inspired so let's see what I can create!

Have a great night!

How Do I Love Thee?

2009-03-06T15:30:00.002-06:00

Good Afternoon to All!

I seem to be catching an early case of spring fever. It is 60 outside and the last thing I want to be doing is anything in my house! Such as it is!

Today is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Poet Elizabeth Barett Browning. She wrote many great works including Sonnet 43:

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

What beautiful sentiment! Thank you for your contributions Mrs. Barett Browning!

This weekend is a little mixed up, but for good reasons. My daughter is competing at dance. This is a big competition year for her, she is in 6 numbers, that is a ton of costume changes! She seems to thrive on it all!

So I wish to you all a great weekend!

Taking the Facebook Plunge

2009-03-05T07:29:00.003-06:00

Hello To All!

This is the second time I woke up this morning. The first I was up at 3:15 am to get my husband off to work, I blogged on my other blog, Twittered a bit and then hit the hay for two more hours. Now I am up for sure to do the rest of my day!

My etsy store. I have some new and improved photography on some of the listings. The rest will be improved soon with new listings as well!

I took the Facebook plunge last night. Actually I had signed up for Facebook in 2007 and never went on it or anything. It had been so long that I had to reset my password. I searched around on there, saw some people I know, it was cool. My main purpose is to meet more people to do business with. You never know!

On Twitter a fellow tweeter @janeblogs gave this link for funny shoes. You have to check out the site. My personal fav is the bird sandals about two-thirds of the way down the page.

I have been trying to ignore the whole Rush Limbaugh vs.White House banter but now it gets absurd! Check out this story. RL wants to debate the President to see who "owns" America.

For starters, I am an American and I am not owned by anyone!

Secondly, I read the article and there are points in there that I could agree with, then it goes beyond agreeable to RL just being the arse that he is. I might remind RL that the President might not do anything/everything right. It is really a crapshoot. But, considering the pit that the other party left us in, the one that we are trying to claw ourselves out of, RL should just put a sock in it! Own America my butt!

Today's birthday shout out is for the late Andy Gibb. He would have been 51. (I did a double take when I figured this out then realized that I am 44 so 51 works for him!) He had a great career and unfortunately he got caught up in the fame, got addicted to drugs, got clean and died of a heart infection shortly after. What a shame.

I have the most pleasant memories of the time he was popular, hanging out with my friend Ann from across the street or Melody from two doors down. I had an AM transistor radio, one that was shaped like the smiley face and we would listen all the time WLS-AM and hear Andy Gibb, the BeeGees, Elton John, Donny Osmond and all the others. We were so cool! And we were so sure Andy was singing right to us....big sigh.

So now I leave you with my fav Andy Gibb song. Mr. Gibb, thank you!

Have a great day! Look for me on Twitter and Facebook!

A Bloggers Creed....Turning Up the Crock Pot

2009-03-04T09:24:00.006-06:00

Good Morning,

I hope that all is well with everyone. I think I am finally getting over the head part of the cold that has been kicking my butt severely since Saturday! It will now move into my chest, but at least I can function! Enough about that!

In my posting absence I missed posting about my Mom's birthday yesterday the 3rd. Happy belated birthday Mom!

Also, our close friends Rob and Lori, their youngest Gianna celebrated her 1st birthday on the 1st. Belated birthday wishes to you as well!

I think from here on out, I will take the Postman's creed, "Neither rain nor snow, nor sleet nor dark of night shall stay these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."

Maybe there should be the bloggers creed "Neither time constraints nor illness nor lack of creativity shall stay these bloggers from posting great content that followers love to read." That is the creed I will follow and BTW, my post office ROCKS!

I was watching GMA this morning and they had a segment about the economy. They had their usual cast of characters including Mellody Hobson, James Stewart (this is the first time I've seen him) and Dave Ramsey. The three debated what would turn things around, Melody said jobs, James said real estate and Dave said time. His quote is "We are a microwave culture and this is a crock pot situation..it has to cook up."

Okay so I get that all things heal with time, but did he not just scare everyone that much more implying that it is going to take forever to turn this around?

So, I love to make pot roast in the crock pot. It is a no fuss, no muss, type of a meal that my family devours. In fact, I just made it this past Sunday. Most times, I start everything in the morning when the kids have left for school setting the crock pot on low and it cooks all day long and right before serving, I add gravy mix and it's a great meal. But sometimes, I forget and don't start the crock pot until say 1pm. I do all the same things but I set it on high and right before serving I add the gravy mix and it's a great meal. Maybe a hair less tender, maybe...but still a great meal. Using Dave's analogy, why can't we turn the crock pot on high and still have a great meal?

Okay onto today's birthday shout out!

Today's Happy Birthday goes out to Chris Squire, bassist and the frontman of the group "Yes". He is 61 today. Through we have not heard anything formt he group in years, he is still recording as a solo artist.

Here is a video of one of my favorite "Yes" songs. Happy Birthday Mr. Squire!

I am off to reshoot the pics for my etsy shop! Speaking of etsy shops, be sure to check out my Mom's shop It's A Fairy World on etsy. She has some truly delightful things!

Have a great day!

2009-02-28T09:44:00.002-06:00

Happy Saturday!

Not much to report right now...no deep words of wisdom either. Just one of those days.

So let's get to the fun part...Birthday Shout Outs!

Happy Birthday Bernadette Peters who is 61 today. She has starred on Broadway, winning a Tony, she has won Grammys for her Broadway Cast albums and a daytime Emmy. She has been nominated many times for various roles.

Ms. Peters has also a movie career that spans decades. My fav of her list is "The Jerk", 1979 in which she played Marie Kimble Johnson to Steve Martin's Navin R. Johnson. My fave line, well there are two actually "The new phone book is here!" and "I finally found my special purpose." Two lines that you can pretty much drop into conversation and most people, well the ones over 35 will still know what you are talking about!

Thank you Ms. Peters for all your contributions to society and Happy Birthday to You!

I could not find the exact clip I wanted to the movie, but here is the trailer!

Enjoy your day!

Of Mice and Men....

2009-02-27T07:31:00.002-06:00

Good Morning to all!

I hope you slept well and I hope for your sake that you did not wake to the chilly, icy weather that we have here in the Chicago area! Brrrr. But they are talking 40's next week and no precipitation of any sorts. YEA!!

Look on my side blog and you will see that I have become a Twitterer!?!? Or is it Tweeter? Not sure, but I have joined and to be honest it is sort of cool! So far, everyone can follow the ins and outs of my mundane life, lol and I am following public names I recognized like the President and others. It is just interesting. Do you Twitter? Do you want to follow me on Twitter? Would you like to join Twitter? Just click on the link "Follow Me on Twitter" and it will take you there!

For today's birthday shout out I send my regards to the late John Steinbeck. Today marks the 107th anniversay of his birth. He was a great writer who wrote of the human struggle and all the things that surround it. Amoung all of his works, the book "East of Eden" was made into the movie of the same name that was a starring vehicle for James Dean.

I have spoken before that I consider myself relatively intelligent. I try at least. While John Steinbeck was surely recognizable, I am almost sad to report that I have never read any books by Steinbeck, I think I have only seen a portion of either "Of Mice and Men" or "The Grapes of Wrath", but I know a lot of "things" and dear Mr. Steinbeck was one of them.

I read his wiki page this morning to find a little fact that he enjoyed the works another author who is a fav of mine, O. Henry. That is a cool thing to have in common. (Okay, so sometimes, I am just so shallow! lol)

I love to collect quotes and from my personal collection, I give you thoughts from Mr. Steinbeck:

"A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us."

Thank you Mr. Steinbeck for all you have contributed to the furthering of the human spirit!

Thanks for reading a long and I hope you enjoy your day!

All Quiet on This Chicago Front

2009-02-26T04:53:00.003-06:00

Hello To All,

I hope is everything you expect it to be!

Today, for me, it seems quiet here, I have a lot of work on my drawing board to complete. I have a fabulous idea for party set that I am sure you all will love! A cute inspiration piece is on the boards as well.

Today's birthday shout out is for the late Johnny Cash who would have been 77. "The Man in Black" had a long career, making a huge contribution to the arts in general with his music, his movie and TV parts and his written works. And admit it , he was a bit of a heart throb in a rugged sort of way in that long black coat! Reading through his wiki entry I forget some of the things he did and did not realize about a lot of others. He had a long, eventful career for sure.

When you think of his songs, "I Walk the Line" usually is at the top of the list. Or "Folsom Prison Blues" or "Ring of Fire", the duet that he did with his with June Carter Cash, his wife might come to mind as well. For me, my fav is a song called "One Piece at a Time". I love witty things and this certainly fits the bill. For you today, the video....Rest in peace Mr. Cash!

Have a great day and keep smiling! Look for new things in my etsy shop today!

Follow Up Post

2009-02-25T11:21:00.004-06:00

In my previous post I copied a quote from Gov. Bobby Jindal's Republican rebuttal to the President's speech last night. He asked what volcano monitoring is.

You can read about volcano monitoring right here. Overall, it doesn't sound like such a bad thing, it really is more than just employing people.

Have a great afternoon!

A Few Words from the President-Happy Birthday George Harrison

2009-02-25T04:59:00.005-06:00

Good Morning to Everyone!

I hope your day is starting well, in a manner that you hoped!

Last night the President spoke and while his message was a lot about a lot of things, he reminded you straight out "We are NOT a Nation of quitters!".

Now, I am not going into a lot of politics, at least not right now. I have my own beliefs. I also know that most of the rhetoric out there is just this side of garbage and it defies logic--on both sides of the aisle. But those simple words from the President have taken us past simple hope that we had. Hope that it was all going to be okay to an elevated level, a battle cry of sorts, a "Go Get 'Em!" as we work together to make it all right.

Most of the back and forth of the two parties overall, makes me crazy. I consider myself a relatively well informed person and lately I feel as if I should close my eyes, cover my ears and sing la-la-la-la until they all finish speaking. It's just too crazy!

Take Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana. He gave the Republican response to the President's speech. Here is the quote that disturbs me the most:

"While some of the projects in the bill make sense, their legislation is larded with wasteful spending. It includes $300 million to buy new cars for the government, $8 billion for high-speed rail projects, such as a magnetic levitation line from Las Vegas to Disneyland (NYSE:DCQ) (NYSE:DIS) , and $140 million for something called volcano monitoring."

What's wrong with these things? As long as the cars are Ford, Chevy or Chrysler and it keeps people on the assembly line employed, what's wrong? Do you know that a spin off of GM/Chevrolet is a company called Delphi. They make a lot of parts for GM vehicles, right here in America. More cars, more jobs! The high speed rail system, if it constructed by Americans with materials from here, keeping people employed, what is the problem? BTW, People commute from different parts of California to Las Vegas, so if we had a quicker fuel efficient system to get them there, what is the problem? And the volcanoes, well scientists need jobs too. I am sure they have bills to pay!

Also note to Bobby Jindal, as long as parts of your state still look like a hurricane hit it almost 4 years ago don't shoot your political star up in the national universe. It doesn't belong there and it is an insult to the people of your state that just put you in office in 2008! Now to poke gentle fun you must take a look at this Huffington Post piece about him..it made me laugh out loud!

Now onto my favorite part of the day...My Birthday Shout Out!

Happy Birthday to the late George Harrison, who would have been 66 this year. They called him the quiet Beatle. I did not realize until recently that he was quite a song write. I knew of the song "My Sweet Lord" and the whole lawsuit thing with the Chiffons, but I did not realize he wrote a lot of Beatles tunes including "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". The lyrics:

I look at the world and I notice it's turning
While my guitar gently weeps
With every mistake we must surely be learning
Still my guitar gently weeps

So simple yet so deep. Thank you George!

So today, I leave you with a video of this very song!

Have a great day!

Happy Birthday Steve Jobs

2009-02-24T09:24:00.005-06:00

Good Morning to All!

I hope that you are having a wonderful!

Today I am going right to my Birthday Shout Out. Happy Birthday Steven Jobs who is 54 today. If the name sounds familiar, but you just cannot put your finger on it, touch your, mac computer or your ipod or your iphone or go watch Cars the movie, you have had some related interaction with Steve Jobs since he had a hand in all of those items. He with Steve Wozniak (who will be on Dancing with the Stars this season), started Apple Computer in a dorm room and it grew into the what it is today.

Instead of a picture, I have included his famous Commencement speech from Stanford in 2005. Watch it, if you have not seen it, listen to his words, it is quite moving. I have the text version printed kept in my book of quotes and inspirations and truly my favorite quote is:

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

Lately Mr. Jobs has been in the news as he is suffering from some additional health concerns. I send my thoughts and prayers for your comfort and speedy recovery.

Happy Birthday Steven Jobs!

And on that note, have a great day everyone!

Look Here!! and Happy Birthday Peter Fonda?

2009-02-23T14:48:00.003-06:00

Hello out there! I hope you are enjoying this fine winter day.

Exciting news, there is finally items in my etsy shop! You can see some pictured over here---->
You can click on any picture and it will take you right to the place to peruse more and perhaps purchase an thing or two. Who knows?

Remember any card you see in the shop can be sent out to another recipient on your behalf. There are instructions on the shop's site.

Today's birthday shout out belongs to Mr. Peter Fonda of the Hollywood Fonda. He is the son of Henry, brother of Jane, father of Brigit and the father-in-law of Danny Elfman the composer.
Mr. Fonda turns 69 today and through that time he has had a long and illustrious career that started with television in the early 1960's. There are a few movies that stick out in my mind. "Easy Rider" 1969. I have never seen the whole thing, but it is famous and wasn't there some infamous scene in a diner with him, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson? The second movie that comes to mind is "Dirty Mary Crazy Larry" 1974. I have vague memory of that movie, lots of car chases and I think it ends with them trying to beat out a train. My final Peter Fonda movie contribution is "Ghost Rider" 2007 where he plays Mephistopheles. He was a pretty scary guy! He list of movies are long, and he is a great actor. Happy Birthday Mr. Fonda!

Remember, I do birthday shout out requests. Just email me to let me know!

Did you see the Oscars last night? I have to say that was the best Oscar show that I have seen in a long time! Not too out of line, very respectful, very entertaining. Two thumbs up!!

Well, that is all for now, unless I think of something else later. Please keep checking back to see what's new. Your comments are always welcome as well! Make sure that you visit my other blog It's A Fairy World. The fairies seem to be dishing out lots of wisdom lately.

Have a great evening!

Sunny, Snowy Saturday

2009-02-21T10:40:00.005-06:00

Well, as predictied we have snow, about 4 inches so far and more to come this afternoon. When will winter end?

Today's birthday shout out is to the late Erma Bombeck. Born in 1927 she would have been 82. Now, those of you who might not be familiar with Ms. Bombeck's work, she was a really funny lady. A satirist, talking about the life of the average American family. I remember her spots on Good Morning America when I was a kid. (That was in the days of David Hartman and Rona Barret with Hollywood gossip). But she was always funny, my Mom would chuckle at her humor. She wrote books like "The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank" and "If Life is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits". She was a quick with and gave us a chance to laugh at ourselves. May she rest in peace.

Remember I can do shout outs for anyone. Just let me know in advance!

I am sure that I will have more to add later...stay tuned!

Blog Candy Alert!

2009-02-20T18:48:00.003-06:00

Well this is a bonus post for this evening!

Jacqui over at Cat's Whiskers is have a celebration to marker 54,000 visitors and her birthday. You have to check it out! She is being just so generous, you have to go and celebrate with her!
Cat's Whiskers

A Lazy Afternoon

2009-02-20T15:36:00.004-06:00

Good Afternoon to all,

Today we are home, taking it easy, anticipating the great snow that is supposed to be on it's way. Looking out my window the sun is shining and there is not a cloud in the sky, how can we possibly get 4-8 inches of snow by this time tomorrow? Though my husband is looking forward to plowing, I certainly hope this one blows over too. I am soooo tired of winter!On to better things. Today we give a birthday shout out to Ivana Trump. The first wife of "The Donald" is a glorious 60 today. Aside from her life with Mr. Trump and being the mother of his first three kids, she owns businesses and has made a name for herself alone for being tenacious. Good for her! Happy Birthday To You!

I will be giving birthday shout outs daily. Soon, I will be sharing with you daily, a special item that I have created from the inspiration of the birthday person. Then, that special item will be available in my etsy store for sale. I generally work in quantity of two, so there will probably be two of each item available for sale. Though they may look alike, each one will be slightly different. That is the nature of handmade goods.

Also, I would be happy to shout out to anyone on their birthday and even create a special item for sale in their honor. For shout outs, please email me 5 days in advance with the person's name, age, a special thought and who the shout out is from. To have an inspiration piece created, please email me 15 days in advance with the person's name, age, special thoughts about them, a favorite color or hobby and who the shout out is from. I can also do this for anniversaries as well! ***Please note that there is no obligation to purchase the inspiration pieces, but they will be available that day in my etsy shop.***

This should be fun! I like fun and different and exciting and seeing how we all will participate with each other will be fun!

Okay I am off to the salt mines, better know as my design desk. I have the cutest set of captured fairy cards that I have to finish so they can make their debut this weekend.

Speaking of Fairies, do you love them? Then you should be reading my other blog It's A Fairy World. Daily I interpret a message for fairy oracle cards and talk about my take on that message. There is a little fairy dust and you never know where it is gonna take you! Also my Mom Irene is creating these delight fairy treasures that I am sure you will just have to have. Check it out!

I hope you enjoy the rest of the day

Hello To Everyone

2009-02-19T17:08:00.005-06:00

Hello to everyone in blog land. I am Julie and I will be bringing you my creations and well, some of my thoughts as well. It would be no fun if it was all just info, would it?

I am a designer of fine things, I keep on trying on the "Artist" title, but I am not quite there yet. I think my items are great and soon I will show them off with my newly filled etsy shop. Til then..

Let me tell you a little about me. I am married to a wonderful man for almost 13 years and we have 3 great kids, 12, 10 and 3. I know that in the future you will be hearing about my familiy's adventures! We live west of Chicago, where we seem to be having perpetual winter.

I am paper obsessed and thus my dream work, selling the wares that I have designed.

Two little shop ideas that I will preview now...First any greeting card purchased can be sent directly to the person on your behalf for the same shipping price. And second, I love working with any organization to do fund raising. I will offer that any group that approaches me will get a special code assigned to them. When people are checking out with me, in the message to the seller box, if they put your code, 10% of that sale will be forwarded to your organization. Also, one designated person from your organization will be given a guest blog entry spot to introduce their organization to my regular readers. Of course I will have monthly themes that will be special sales.

So I am very excited to be here! I am even more excited that you are reading this and I hope that you bookmark me and check back often to see what's happening!

Have a great one!