Ok, so I stumbled upon two really great give-aways and wanted to pass them along to you. Check out Mary Ann and her surprise box of goodies at A Very Mary Design
I have started a new project. Not that I need a new project, but I started one. Maybe it came from my summertime frustration of not having enough personal time to be creative; maybe it stemmed from my long time fascination with them; maybe it was the recent article in Somerset Studio Magazine that pushed me over the edge.
I started to make inchies. Inchies? you may say. What are inchies? Inchies are 1" x 1" collages of any topic, theme or design. I guess they are sort of a miniature ATC. They can be traded, collected or made into mosaics. They can, very clearly, become an obsession.
Well, one small art project started in this summer filled with kids and interruptions. I have a few questions for you: What should I do with the inchies? How do you cope with summertime and kids at home?
Paddy and Seamus were walking home from the pub. Paddy says to Seamus, 'What a beautiful night, look at the moon.'
Seamus stops and looks at Paddy, 'You are wrong, that's not the moon, that's the sun.' Both started arguing for a while when they come upon a real drunk walking in the other direction, so they stopped him.
'Sir, could you please help settle our argument?
Tell us what that thing is up in the sky that's shining. Is it the moon or the sun?' The drunk looked at the sky and then looked at them, and said,
'Sorry, I don't live around here.'
Zakka (from the Japanese 'zak-ka'（雑貨）or 'many things') is a fashion and design phenomenon that has spread from Japan throughout Asia. The term refers to everything and anything that improves your home, life and outlook. It is often based on household items from the West that are regarded as kitsch in their countries of origin. But can also be japanese goods from mainly fifties, sixties and seventies. In Japan there are also so called asian zakka stores, that usually refers to Southeast Asia. The interest in Nordic design or Scandinavian design, both contemporary and past, is also part of this zakka movement. Zakka can also be contemporary handicraft.
Zakka has also been described as "the art of seeing the savvy in the ordinary and mundane". The zakka boom could be recognized as merely another in a series of consumer fads, but it also touches issues of self-expression and spirituality. Cute, corny and kitschy is not enough. To qualify as a zakka, a product must be attractive, sensitive, and laden with subtext.
by Jodi Picoult. It was a very interesting book and generated lots of thoughtful conversation.
by Jill Smolinski
By John Krakauer
One of our favorite things to do in Hawaii is eat Lappert's Ice Cream. I don't know if it is the giant waffle cones, the tropical flavors or just being in Hawaii, but somehow the ice cream just tastes better. My favorite was the Kauai Pie - Kona coffee ice cream swirled with chocolate fudge, coconut flakes, macadamia nuts and vanilla cake crunch. Molly choose Guava Sorbet each time and Mary and Jeremy loved their Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Our only regret is that we didn't have it one more time before leaving the island.
We went snorkeling several times on our vacation. Both girls became quite adept at snorkeling and swimming with fins. It was fun to see all the tropical fish and the wonderful underwater expressions on their faces when they saw some new and interesting fish. One of the special things we did was a 5 hour snorkel adventure on a Captain Andy's Catamaran. The crew was great! They were attentive and informative. The captain even had each child on board take a turn at the wheel.
NaPali Coast and saw views that can only be seen from the water. The landscape is phenomenal, with vertical green spires, sheer volcanic cliffs, caves, remote beaches and delicate looking waterfalls. The ocean is clear and vast. We encountered a pod of Spinner Doplhins. These playful creatures chase and race with the boat. The leap out or the water and rotate their bodies before splashing back into the water, getting the name Spinner Dolphins. Once we reached our destination, the crew anchored the boat and we all jumped in for some fabulous snorkeling. The water was deep and clear, we could see lots of fish and rock and coral formation. It was quite an exciting trip!
A Texan walks into a pub in Galway, Ireland and raises his voice to the crowd of drinkers. He shouts, 'I hear you Irish are a bunch of drinkin' fools. I'll give $500 American dollars to anybody in here who can drink 10 pints of Guinness back to back.'
The room is quiet and no one takes of the Texan's offer.
Paddy Murphy gets up and leaves the bar. Thirty minutes later, he shows back up and taps the Texan on the shoulder. Is your bet still good?' asks Paddy.
The Texan answers, 'Yes, 'and he orders the barman to line up 10 pints of Guinness.
Immediately, Paddy downs all 10 pints of beer, drinking them all back to back. The other pub patrons cheer and the Texan sits down in amazement. The Texan gives the Irishman the $500 and asks, 'If ya don't mind me askin', where did you go for that 30 minutes you were gone?'
Paddy Murphy replies, 'Oh................... I had to go to the pub down the street to see if I could do it first.'
This year I noticed some new activity on the porch. One of the nests, the same one the robin used, is occupied. These new tenants are tiny birds, maybe sparrows or finches. They are very shy. We have seen the tiny beaks poking up from the nest and we have seen the flutter of mom or dad to and fro. We aren't sure what type of bird, and they are too shy for a photo session. If you look really closely, at the back of the nest, you can see one of the new tenants. Any idea what kind of bird it is?
This week I received a note telling me that someone I had met had passed away. I had only met him once. He was an older gentleman of 81 years. He had 5 daughters, 17 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren. His wife said that he died at home with no pain. If only we could all be so lucky. is washed and dried with a load of children's clothes? The clothes seem to have survived, the washer and dryer, however, had pieces of gum stuck to the interior and a sugary residue was left, streaking the interior of the dryer.
. I, myself, am a Magic Eraser novice. Oh, sure I have heard my friends talk about how the magic eraser gets lipstick drawings off the walls, and crayon off the hardwood. But, I only just recently bought and tried the famed Magic Eraser. I had my doubts, what could be that easy?