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I'm going to give one blog reader a chance to get their scrap booty in shape! Leave me a comment today, and I'll draw a winner tonight after 8 p.m. CST.
ANSWER THIS QUESTION: (which has nothing to do with scrapbooking per se) What would Sir Mix-a-Lot say about your booty? In other words, does baby got back?
I will start: um, yes, hello? I invented booty.
Good luck!
{comments are now closed! Check back to see if you get to get your scrap booty in shape for free!)
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My friends over at Ella Publishing want to help you get into tip top scrapbooking shape this fall!
Introducing Boot Camp 2011! And just what is Boot Camp 2011? Well, here happens to be a straight answer from Angie and Wendy, two of the no nonsense drill instructors who will be getting your scrap booty into fighting shape!
This might be just what you need to get your scrap mojo a-rollin' for the fall months!
The cost of this online event is just $33. Right now, you can save $3 off the registration price until Sept. 17 by using the code YESMAAM when you register for Boot Camp 2011.
WHAT YOU'LL GET:
–12 exclusive video drills to get your scrap-bootie in shape! (one each morning, one each evening)
–4 expert drill sergeants (in the areas of journaling, stamping, photo effects, and design)
–6 bonus lunch-time inspiration sessions with Wendy Smedley
–40 minutes of coached scrapbooking challenges per day
–a place to upload your work and connect with other scrapbookers
–concrete challenges that result in meaningful layouts
–daily challenges, bonus downloads, sponsor prizes, and more
–email reminders that it's time to suit up and get ready to scrap!
WHAT YOU WON'T GET:
–Court-martialed if you fail to complete your drills on time
–More tasks than you can reasonably complete in 40 minutes each day
–Complicated projects and directions that leave you with more questions than answers
–Overwhelmed by your options; each drill is bite-sized, inspirational, and doable!
Now I'm off to see if I can sweet talk them into sending me one of those adorable pink camo hats…
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Last week, I'd posted some of my favorite journaling pages and realized that I wanted to do a Blink page about my boy. To this day, the concept of this page remains one of my favorites. Whether you're documenting the passage of time for a person, a place or a thing, taking two photos separated by the passing of several years can lend itself to a very inspired layout or two.
One thing that I didn't write about on this page but I was thinking quite heavily about on this weekend was the passage of time since September 11, 2001. Cole and I watched quite a few hours of coverage and spent time talking about it. He was just two years old at the time of the attacks, and I clearly recall changing the TV channel over to Bob the Builder, because I wasn't sure how it would affect him, and I wasn't sure how to process what I was seeing myself.
Yesterday, we talked about the incredible bravery of so many men and women and I was overcome with emotion several times during the day. It felt like it was truly just a blink in time. The sadness and the rawness of it all. The inhumanity of the acts themselves, and yet the humanity that Americans responded with time and again that day and have continued to do so ever since.
I'm not sure how this page and 9|11 belong in the same blog post, other than my belief that time and memory are extremely powerful things.
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The winner of a spot in simplify's upcoming workshop Organize Your Paper Clutter with creative organizing expert Aby Garvey is:
The winner of a spot in in iShot That! The art of iPhone photography from ReneePearson.com and taught by Jim and Molly Newman is:
Ladies, email me at czdesign at comcast dot net to claim your workshop seats!
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simplify 101 is giving away one spot in their upcoming workshop Organize Your Paper Clutter with creative organizing expert Aby Garvey.
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP: Is your paper clutter zapping your creativity? If paper like bills, school papers, ideas for creative projects, memorabilia to scrapbook, recipes to try, to-do lists, magazines, and catalogs (to name a few) are piling up around you, it’s hard to relax let alone be creative. There is a better way! With the right paper organizing systems in place—those created with you, your paper, and your home in mind—you can free yourself from paper clutter and the stress that comes with it.
In Aby Garvey’s online workshop Organize Your Paper Clutter, you’ll learn a simple, step-by-step process to organize your paper. You’ll find out how to decide if you need a piece of paper (and for how long) and how to organize it so you’ll find it again when you need it. With easy to follow action steps, your paper clutter and your stress will be replaced by organizing systems you love and feelings of confidence, relief and peace of mind. (Which means you’ll feel more creative, too!)
SAVE ON ENROLLMENT: simplify 101 is offering my readers 15% off enrollment in any of their upcoming workshops (Organize Your Paper Clutter, Organizing 101, Simplify Your Life with Habits + Routines)! To take advantage of this offer and eliminate that stress-causing clutter, enter coupon code 15CZD during checkout. This offer expires Thursday, September 15th at 11 PM Eastern and may not be combined with any other offer. (If you sign up and win the spot in the workshop, simplify 101 will refund your money.) The Paper Clutter Class begins Thursday, September 15th, 2011. Click here to view the entire workshop syllabus.
TO ENTER: Here are the ways to enter this giveaway (up to four chances to win!):
I'll randomly select a winner on Sunday evening. Good luck!
Comments are now closed.
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One blog reader will win a spot in iShot That! The art of iPhone photography from ReneePearson.com and taught by Jim and Molly Newman. I think this is such a cool and timely concept for a photography class. Read on to learn more.
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP: Think you need a bulky, pricey DSLR to get great photos? Think again. The most popular “camera” released in the last few years is the Apple iPhone. Learn to take advantage of iPhone’s built-in photo functions, plus the very best free and low-cost apps available for editing, organizing, and sharing your work. Create memorable portraits of family and friends. Capture your world with street photography. Transform everyday snapshots into eye-catching images. With iShot That!, iPhone’s photo power is at your fingertips.
ABOUT JIM AND MOLLY: Jim and Molly Newman are a husband & wife team based in Portland, Oregon. James is a longtime photography junkie who’s recently all but retired his bulky DSLR in favor of the lightweight, virtually invisible, infinitely inspiring iPhone. Molly is a former editor of Digital Scrapbooking and a regular instructor at reneepearson.com.
TO ENTER: Leave me a comment and answer this question: do you take photos with your cell phone and if so, do you ever use them in your scrapbooking?
I'll choose a winner on Sunday evening. Good luck!
Comments are now closed.
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This kid is breaking my heart.
Not because she's done anything other than be 100 percent fabulous and amazing on a daily basis. She's completely golden. The only time my heart starts to break is when I begin to imagine the day that she'll be bunking with college roommates, as opposed to me, Dan and Cole.
She started the 10th grade last week. The 10th frickin' grade! I decided to create a layout about this monumental shift in the elements along the same design lines as what I shared last week. This was supposed to be a layout that remarked about the maturity and the changes I've been seeing in my daughter; how she is taking so very many measured steps toward her burgeoning inependence.
But true to my self-absorbed form, it ended up being a little bit about me as well.
But the little bit about me is the part that wonders, and wonders often, have I been a good enough parent?
So with that, I share this page with you. If you have children around the same age or are premenstrual, you might like to have a Kleenex on hand.
JOURNALNG READS: So here we are, Aidan. It’s 2011, you’re 15 years old and starting your sophomore year of high school. Sophomore year of high school! Holy mother of pearl, where has the time gone?
I ask this question, not to simply be a mom cliché, but because this year is really hitting me squarely between the eyes: in two years, you’ll be off to college and you won’t be one of my three roommates anymore. (At least not until holiday breaks come around!) And as exciting as that might seem to you, the idea of college and being out there on your own, this countdown is a bit different on the mom side of things.
I’m writing this as a letter to you and I don’t want to fill it with regrets and what ifs. But it’s hard to not look back and wonder: did I do enough? did you know how proud I was of you? did I show you in some way every single day of your amazing, singular life how blessed and lucky I was and am to share this life with you?
All those years of being a frazzled mom are still clear in my memory. The mom who was far less easy going than the one you know today. The mom who was crabbier than most because I was always jonesing for time to get out to the garage and steal time for a smoke. The mom who didn’t understand than being louder than everyone else didn’t actually mean a victory.
That mom is part of our shared history, yet you seem to have emerged with more grace and wisdom that seems possible for one so young.
So here we are, Aidan. You are this remarkable creature of light and passion and gifts. So much is changing and yet you seem more assured in who you are every day. I remember asking you a while back about why you weren’t out there experimenting with things like drinking, or other things that girls at your age probably shouldn’t be doing, and you simply replied, “I’m not seeking, Mom. I know who I am.”
I think you’ve known who you were from such an early age. It just took some of the adults in your life—i.e. me—a while to catch on. And believe me, sister, you have no bigger fan on the court side of your life than me. (Okay, so maybe your Dad would give me a definite run for the money on that one!)
I love you, Sophomore Girl. Not a minute of this era will I take for granted. I am so thankful to be able to know who you are, every day. So very thankful indeed.
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DIGITAL SUPPLIES: Layered Template No. 92 (Cathy Zielske) • Striped Mix: Sunshine Paper Pack (Katie Pertiet) both coming this weekend to the Designer Digitals store • Honey Script font
This template, and everything else in my collection, will be on sale as part of the Designer Digitals 3rd Quarter Sale, beginning this Thursday at 7 a.m. EST, and running through next Wednesday. Save 30% storewide except for gift certificates and licenses
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I was asked to be a guest blogger in a series over at the Another Mother Runner blog. The question they've posed to a diverse group of women runners: Why Do You Run?
You can read my answer by clicking here.
And if there are any readers today visiting from the Another Mother Runner blog, you can read most of my fitness related posts by clicking here.
Or, you can just click here to see me answer a question about where my creativity comes from.
Or, if that's not working, click here to see a video of my son lip-synching and busting some sweet moves to Weird Al's "White and Nerdy."
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Another Mother Runner is the online home of runners and authors Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell. Their first book, Run Like a Mother, is one of the pieces that inspired me to get my run on. They are presently crafting its sequel, Train Like a Mother, due out in March 2012.
Join Sarah and Dimity and their 11,000+plus running fans on their always informative and lively Facebook page.
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Happy Labor Day, blog readers!
For many of us stateside, this day means back-yard barbecues and the last minute readying of school lunches, supplies, and clothes in preparation for the first day back at school.
But this Labor Day also happens to feature Game 5 of the Saint Paul Saints' divisional playoffs against the Winnipeg Goldeyes. While not appearing in the photo with my own Saints' swag, I assure you I have been cheering them right along with the three other Zielskes during this past weekend's two games.
Personally, I'm skipping today's game. I can't take the pressure. Plus, the sunburn on the back of my neck from yesterday's game is begging me not to. That, and the amount of housework awaiting me on account of spending 8-plus hours at Midway Stadium on Friday and Sunday is demanding I finally pay it some attention. Labor Day indeed.
Hope your Labor Day is a pleasant one.
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I know. Right now you're simultaneously hypnotized and blinded by the whiteness of my outer thigh, but let me be the first to say, "Neutrogena Ultimate Sport Sunblock Spray SPF 100+, you're welcome."
It's the start of Month 21 of the Move More Eat Less chronicles, and we're kicking this one off with a bit of a change.
And what's the change? I'm changing the name. Welcome to the first installment of Move More, Eat Well.
Now before you panic and say, "But Cathy, my layouts and my journal have the old wording on them!" Let me get this out of the way: I've got new logos for you. One layered PSD file that can be dragged into your existing templates, one JPEG and one 125 pixel wide blog banner. Capeche?
(To download the zipped package, click on the link directly below)
With that formality out of the way, let's talk love, chub and life, shall we?
For the past 20 months, almost without fail, I have tried to Move More and Eat Less on a daily basis. I would say that by and large, I've had a lot of success in my efforts. I've lost a sizable chunk of weight. I've learned to enjoy anything that causes me to sweat. I've eaten things that have made my body say, "Thank you!"
But guess what? I'm still not skinny.
Maybe my monthly scrapbook page will help shed some light on this phenomena:
SUPPLIES: Move More Eat Less 8.5 x 11 template (Cathy Zielske) • Just Linens No. 1 Paper Pack (Michelle Martin) • a scan of kraft cardstock • Avenir font
JOURNALING READS: I’ve been working out nearly every day and being mindful of what I eat for 20 full months, and guess what? I’m still not skinny. Now I say this not to be cheeky, but as a concrete, real-world observation. I have a big belly that I try and suck in for every single “after” shot; my inner thighs still require a liberal application of Body Glide when I head out for a run; my chin still multiplies if I’m not paying attention to the angle. So what am I really saying here?
I have Moved More and Eaten Less. Initially, Eating Less gave me the kick start I needed to drop the lion’s share of excess weight I was carrying around. Those 20 Weight Watcher’s daily points did what they were supposed to do: move the number on the dial of that scale. But as I found beginning this past winter, 20 points a day is not a lifestyle that I can easily sustain. Finding the lowest point foods didn’t necessarily translate to the healthiest of choices. And it certainly didn’t eliminate my cravings for crap. Where I am at now is a place of potential change and possible acceptance. The goal for so long, regardless of all my outward talk of being healthy, has been to kick some ass in my size 8 Lucky Jeans. I think I may finally be at a place where I can objectively look at that elusive goal of being skinny and say, “WTF?” I can continue to explore what Eating Well looks like, and how Moving More can be more than just four weekly runs and two days of cross training. I’m not giving up the fight, but I also need to accept that this process has no finish. I need to start operating more from a place of ebb, flow, sustainability and above all, reality.
So there's that.
But the idea that has been resonating with me during the past few months is the understanding that while Eating Less does in fact result in a change in the old chub count column, it is not necessarily the end-all, be-all solution. True, when you are overweight, you do need to change the quantity of food you're eating to start seeing numbers go down. I know this. I did this.
But then late last Fall, my numbers started going up. It took me about eight months after that to catch on: living on 20 Weight Watchers points a day is not a sustainable lifestyle for me.
So I finally canceled my Weight Watchers Online membership about 6 weeks ago. Now, I'm trying to focus on eating balanced meals of whole foods. I'm trying to eliminate all overly processed items. I'm trying to avoid anything with the words "partially hydrogenated" or other things that I can't pronounce. I'm trying to make the best choices for my body; foods that will contribute to healing, immune system boosting, and generalized wellness. In short, I'm trying to Eat Well.
Let me be clear: I am a fan of Weight Watchers, and I know that it brings a lot of success to a lot of people. I'm all about keeping track and following a plan. But for now, I feel I've run my personal course with the plan and need to try something different.
And how does Eating Well differ from Eating Less? Let's just say my focus is on as much nutrition as I can get for the buck, rather than how many calories I can squeeze into a single point.
You guys know that I'll try anything once. Remember Meatless March?
For now, I'm trying to reset the balance of food in my life. I'm trying to not wig out that my Lucky Brand Jeans might have to get passed down to Aidan because they may not see my backside any time soon. I'm trying to be a healthy person with a realistic attitude about my life, my fitness and my weight.
In short, it's a serious work in progress.
How's everyone doing out there with their individual efforts? Success? Failures? Even steven? Let's get the discussion goin', ladies and gentlemen.
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Want to learn more about Move More Eat Less 2011? Click here to learn more about the concept.
I've also started a flickr group for Move More Eat Less. Feel free to start sharing your pages. You will find the group by clicking here.
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INSPIRATIONAL LISTENING: I'm officially hooked on the Dishing Up Nutrition podcast, produced by the wonderful team at Nutritional Weight and Wellness. In fact, this show is a key reason why I'm changing my approach to Eating Well. These podcasts are free and you can subscribe through iTunes. Take a minute to browse some of the show topics and see if something jumps out at you. I know some of you have told me this show is really making a difference in how you view your overall dietary efforts. One warning: some of the ladies sound really Minnesotan. It's sort of charming, really.
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