A few months ago, a nice blog reader named Megan posted a link that I have been meaning to share here, because it's just so super cool.
It's here—A book called "Not Quite What I Was Planning" Six word memoirs by writers famous and obscure.
Love this clip. It'll fill you in. And make you think. What would YOUR six-word memoir be?
Six-Word Memoir book preview from SMITHmag on Vimeo.
(Great, great song by Pedalsped.)
I'm getting ready to hit the road tonight to attend the Inspired Artist Workshop in hopefully a much warmer North Carolina. I have to tell you (but don't tell anyone else this) I'm nervous to go. Why? I have never attended ANYTHING as a student. So if you're sitting next to me in class, and wondering why I'm crying and swearing under my breath, it's because we Type A people have a hard time if we can't follow the steps EXACTLY.
I've called Donna numerous times daily, for the past four days, with any number of highly specific questions. Finally, she basically gave me the old, "Dude, chill out" speech, to which I replied: Hello? Have you ever MET me?
I am planning to wear my slippers to all of my classes, however. I think this very fact alone will ensure my wild success over the weekend.
I'm hoping to post from the road though. So stay tuned for amazing tales of how I get thrown out of my first class for being too linear and highly ANNOYING. It could happen.
But while I prepare to head out, I thought I would share with you one of a great video series on Photoshop, if you haven't seen it (and thanks, sweet Margie, for making me laugh yesterday with this!)
Enjoy!:
Now that might seem a bit negative for a blog post title (Same Shit, Different Day) but it's actually a curiosity, or an interest, when you put it in the context of your photos—especially if you're shooting digitally, and have easy access to your files.
I was trying to find a photo today to add to a yet-to-be-conceived blog post, when I got curious to see what photos have I taken on this day, April 2, since going digital in 2004.
And here's what I found and, interestingly enough, what photography phase I was in at the time:
April 2, 2004—The "WHERE IS MY BLACK VELVET? and the "I WILL PAY FOR SHOTS" phase.
April 2, 2005—The "Constant Documentation of EVERYTHING I DO" phase (pictured here at dinner at CKU Minneapolis.)
April 2, 2006—I didn't take this shot. I believe it was the very talented Candice Stringham, but it is in my iPhoto library under this date, so it counts! I LOVE this shot of me and Ali.) It was also, strangely enough, at a CKU. We really wanted to use this in the final night slide show. Alas. Somehow, it got omitted. I can't imagine why.
April 2, 2007—Apparently we see a return to the The "WHERE IS MY BLACK VELVET? and the "I WILL PAY FOR SHOTS" phase.
Which leads us to today, and I bet you're wondering what killer shot I took on this day, April 2, 2008, aren't you?
Psych!
Love,
Cathy
I'm bringing Orange Sweatshirt back (yeah). Them other sweatshirts don't know how to act (yeah.)
(It's still cool to invoke SexyBack, right? Yes? You know there is NOTHING I dread more than not being up with the times. Long live Steve Perry!)
This morning there was not a trace of desire to try and look presentable. Not a smidge. Most days, in fact all days, I do take a shower and get ready for the day. I'm not a kick it around in your PJs type of girl. My routine is simple and usually involves a little bit of makeup (no mascara though... I have to draw the line somewhere) and a nice bit of hair styling, followed by a spritz of the perfume that I would wear by the shot glass if you let me. And then, I pick something that I feel looks moderately cute, just in case the UPS man drops by for "coffee."
Today is not one of those days.
I realized that my beloved Orange Sweatshirt was no longer beloved, but in fact, was now a viable option for covering my chub in a way that would allow me to go through my day without admitting the fact that five pieces of toast with ridiculous amounts of melted butter and honey aren't really fitting into my daily Points plan.
I really am just three to five good stomach flus away from my goal weight.
IN OTHER NEWS:
• I realize I will shamelessly promote things from time to time. Sometimes, they are related to the company I work for, sometimes they are not. But I am officially in love with Ali's totally rad Everyday Life Shutterfly book. Oh. My. Hecken. I started making one last night. Seriously. I love. Love it. And yes, smart ass, I WOULD marry it.
• This picture makes me happy because it's a sign that my marriage is TOTALLY working out:
Happy friday.
How good would it feel, as a designer, to slap a sticky note on someone else's work that simply said: BAD IDEA?
I know. It's cruel, but you too can print out your own set of Design Police flag notes and go to town, imposing your design judgement on all who fear to tread. Download them here. (Thanks, Andie !)
So there's that, and then there's this.
Jerry makes me look like a mere child. (Thanks, Alissa!)
I KNEW I should've worn a turtleneck.
Came up with another resolution that I believe is totally do-able: never wear regular shoes until pedicure season rolls around.
Go from my slippers to my recently acquired Christmas present, and that's it. NO regular shoes. It's just brilliant in its simplicity, yes?
Dan gave me the boots for Christmas, and until yesterday, I hadn't worn them. Why the agonizing wait? Because I gave him Ugg slippers for said holiday, but he wanted a different color. So while his sat in a box in the dining room awaiting exchange, I decided to show solidarity by not wearing my gift if he couldn't wear his. Then the temperature hit -3 yesterday. Bye-bye solidarity. Hello toasty foot pillows!
And while I'm sharing, my other favorite gift for Christmas…the one that got me all weepy because there's nothing I love more than a creative kid:
And last but not least, our big-ass Santa present was of course, the Wii, and if it weren't for blog readers like Jill, who graciously scored one for the Zielskes, we'd still be hanging out doing family things, like talking.
The best part of the Wii so far? That Michael Jackson plays with us whenever we like.
Have you seen this?
Sort of gives a whole new perspective on the old 365 photo project concept (and mildly annoying techno tunage.)
How did he keep the same expression for eight years, that's what I want to know. I think he got cuter over time, too.
IN OTHER NEWS
At around 1 a.m. in the morning on New Year's Day, we were hanging out with a few of our neighbors and someone asked Dan how he and I met. It's so sweet to hear him tell the story. Because it's pretty much exactly how I tell the story. It was nice to hear because sometimes, I don't always get along with him the way I should. It's a reminder that even when we are shuffling around in the book of life, we really did start on the same page. (I know, not the best metaphor I've come up with to date, but I think it makes enough sense for a Monday morning.)
And with that in mind, there's a cool new Kit of the Month designed by my friend, Robin Johnson, called "The Greatest Love Story Ever Told." I have one that just arrived last friday, sitting patiently on my table, and am looking forward to digging in, and reliving the story of me and Dan. He gets to put his thoughts into it as well. It's a cute chipboard book, that comes in a tin, with all the scrapbooking goodness you need to complete the album. All that's missing is your story.
If you'd like me to send you one, free of charge, just post here and I'll draw a winner sometime tonight, cool?
Cool.
{Edited to add: I've got two kits to giveaway, so don't be shy, scrapbookers of America. Toss your name in!}
{Edited again: Oh, I didn't mean to say JUST America. Dang it! I mean the entire WORRRRLD! International scrapbookers, we embrace and celebrate YOU!)
{Edited thrice-fold: I also hate to exclude non-scrapbookers, so all you whittlers out there, come on! why not try to win this kit?}
{Last edit, i PROMISE.... will close comments by 6:30 central standard time. Winners drawn shortly thereafter.}
So I was reading Scrapbook Play (a recent Simple Scrapbooks special issue) and came across a layout by Elizabeth Dillow (whose new book, The Scrapbookers Almanac, is the object of my intense adoration lately)… and the layout had a title on it generated by using this cool Spell With Flickr thing Have you seen it?
If not, by all means, you should.
I'm not doing the Flickr thing yet, because honestly, I don't really understand what it is. And, part of me has a hard time with supposedly clever, alternate spellings of words. You know, words like 'sportz' and 'kewl' and 'taxsez'. Come to think of it, this is also why i have a hard time really appreciating the genius that is LOL Cats (although find LOL Thom one of the funniest things of the latter part of 2007. Side note: Thom can't afford a dentist because Radiohead was too busy letting you decide how much money they should make on their record.)
Why couldn't they just call it Flicker? Was the letter 'e' just super hard to come by that day?
It's a good question. Discuss.
Just returning from a girls weekend in Southern California. Spent the weekend at the lovely miss Emily Falconbridge's home, with a group of lovely girls who know me, and they've seen meh, and they love meh.
And if that makes no sense to you, watch this. You might be like, "What the hay?" But if you give it time to settle into your brain, you may find it as insanely funny as it truly is, and you may find youself running around the house saying, "I'm OLD GREGGGGGGGGGGGGG" just like we did on this past weekend. Good times, people.
• boys playing fall soccer, with zeal
• This sneak peek at the new book from scrapbooker Elizabeth Dillow, The Scrapbooker's Almanac.
• Sorting through photos from September 2006 through July 2007 and putting them into temporary albums so I can actually see what photos I have.
• This recipe for Roasted Autumn Vegetable Soup, which I pulled down from the Weight Watchers web site. I added the brown sugar, and honestly, you could add more squash and less parsnip, but that's just the parsnip hater in me talking. Will be having this tonight for dinner, with some hot fresh Johnny Cake!
Download roasted_autumn_soup.pdf
(And if the download goes correctly, you can trim it out and it fits perfectly into the American Crafts 6 x 6 album, from the recipe album thing I posted a while back. You know…file it under "soups."
• EDITED: I made the soup and it was borderline INEDIBLE. So sorry. Proceed at your own risk.
• It's actually cool enough to eat the aforementioned soup. [see above bullet point!]
• My mom is safely out of surgery today, and that is the most good thing of all. Love you, Mom!
