A little this and a little that plus guitars

We've been doing a bit of everything lately. Always guitars but some new ideas with them and fun other themes added in.

Here's just a few bits of what's been going out.

Variety is fun but we sure do make a big mess with foamcore and glitter . What really makes the biggest mess is the styrofoam packing material. It sticks like glue to me and manages to get all over the stairs. Daisy, our calico cat, looks like she has been snowed on sometimes with all the little styro balls stuck on her fur.

Shippin' & Recyclin'

Yes, I sure do ship and I love to recycle.

Several times a week either Stacey or I visit FedEx with boxes of party decorations to go all over the United States. (I love that their doors have those stoppers on the bottom so I can prop them open.) I've also noticed that the older the gentleman is, the better the chance is...almost 100% of the time...that they will hold the doors open for me. Can't say the same is true of women....of any age. They seem too preoccupied to notice. Or maybe women don't hold doors for women?? Maybe we don't. Maybe we should. Maybe I should too the next time I'm not too preoccupied to notice.

I also love to recycle boxes. If you get a package from me you may think you're getting a big screen tv....or new cabinet....or, yes...once.....a toilet. That was a funny one....but it was such a nice and clean and perfectly sound box....I just had to use it as is. Often I reverse them and put the writing inside but sometimes they are just perfect the way they are.

No one has complained yet.

I also will say by the amount of big screen tv boxes I see, there might not be a recession going on. Or....maybe there is and people are just staying home and enjoying NetFlixs?

But I love those shipping boxes. I just wish people would pass on more bubble wrap to me.
I realllllly love that. You can never have too much bubble wrap...that's what I say.

Ratty and Tattered Denim

I'm not sure why I think these pants are so worthy of a photo and a blog page. I think it has to do with the people inside them that I love. They are confident in their style.

I also think it's so funny every time I see them. They amuse me to look at them and I enjoy the happiness they seem to feel while they are wearing them.

I love their commitment to comfort.

I wonder if someone hid their jeans....would they search all over for them frantically?

Don't Mess with Stacey

Yup...don't mess with Stacey.....she can kick your butt. And, she's got the karate trophies to prove it.

She also is very inventive on new ways to make shipping centerpieces safe and compact.

Here's an example of her latest good idea on basketball hoops for centerpieces. Not only do they travel very safely this way, they are super easy for the receiver to just flip down the hoop. It makes assembly so simple anyone could do it.

Perfect vacation and The Survivors Club

I love to read but don't have nearly enough time. If I could select a great vacation, one of them would be to lock myself in a plush hotel room with a stack of good books for a week. Room service would visit 3 times a day with delicious food that always included a dessert. My room would be stocked with popcorn and orange juice and starbucks coffee for in-between. I'd stay in my bathrobe for the entire week. My room would have a jacuzzi tub too so I could alternate between reading in bed and reading in the warm tub.

One of the books I would have loved to read during my fantasy vacation would have been "The Survivors Club" by Ben Sherwood. What a really good book. It's loaded with interesting stories about people who have survived very harsh circumstances and how they feel that good things emerge from the worst experiences. Also, he talks to many authorities on the subject and shares their data in an easy to understand format.

For instance he talks about DNA Resilience alleles and how some people has long ones (very good...but only 32% of us) or short ones (17%....you might be in trouble) or one of each...most people...51% of us. His writing styles makes this kind of technical information easy to grasp and fun to understand.

Like on page 271 on the Resilience Prescription: Optimism, identify a resilient role model, develop a moral compass, practice altruism, develop acceptance and flexibility, face your fears & learn to control negative emotions, build coping skills, establish a support network, stay physically fit and laugh as much as you can.

Or....page 315...."More than any other psychological strength, adaptability determines who gets into the Survivors Club."....moving with the flow of life instead of against it.

I'd recommend this book to anyone. And, if I get to take my fantasy vacation, I'll let you know all about it when I return.

Stacey's Beautiful Quilts Part 2

Is it spring yet?

Do I have to remove the pine garland from around my front door yet? Is it spring yet?

The ground is so dirty and muddy-looking now with the snow melting and the grass so brown instead of green that I hate to remove the greenery from around my front door.

It's not so green anymore but..hey...the needles are still there so I'm keepin' it a bit longer.

Do you think I can get another month out of it??

Yeah, I think so. I think March is the appropriate month to remove such items. I think I read that somewhere in a Martha Stewart Living magazine...didn't I? (Martha would never approve of me.)

Fashion Frenzy.....more Pink Stuff.

Here's more pink stuff for a different party in various shades of pink as described in the last post. These were the top themed designs for elevated centerpieces for a Bat Mitzvah.

These designs were two sided and slid onto our clear pvc poles filled with silver shredded mylar with ribbons down the poles and poufs at the base. Girly-Girl ....that's for sure.

What I think about PINK.

WHAT I like about pink is everything.

HOW I like using it best for a party is with lots of different pinks all at the same time.

I think that pink is a difficult color.

There are about a bazillion shades of pink and when you try and use just one shade and try to match everything to that one shade (and you absolutely can't), it can look "off ". That's why I think purposefully using several shades of pink works like magic. Soft or bold... pink is still pink and nothing is more girly than pink.

Stacey's Beautiful Quilts Part 1

Before Stacey and I started working together she had more time to make some really gorgeous quilts. Quilts take math skills and Stacey has those in a big way. She could teach high school math if she wanted to and everyone in the family comes to her for math questions . She always knows the answers. Her cutie pie Jeffrey is following in her footsteps. You either have it or you don't.

I fall in the "don't" category. I've never made a quilt but I looove them. I can do math and balance a check book but I'm not even sure what calculus is and even whether I spelled it right. I am the proud holder of 2 of Stacey's quilts of family pictures. I cherish them. I always thought if I had to spend some time in the hospital I would grab one off the wall and take my whole family with me to wrap around me.

I'm going to take more pictures of Stacey's quilts and make one of those fun little animated Smileboxes. That's on my To Do list.

Are you "On" my website?

I have a very smart and web savvy nephew named Mickey. He's a big cute grown up guy with 2 sweet little girls. He has a blog called: MickMelSEO

He recently posted 10 interesting things most people are confused about pertaining to technology that he hears most often. I guess I can be considered "most people". #4 on the list was that you are never "on" someone's website. If you say that then....well....Mickey would give you that look. I think I've been given that look more than a few times by Mick. (But he's also one of my favorite peeps anyways.)

He says you're never "on" someone's website. You just pull the page to your computer screen and then you're disconnected until you pull another one. Isn't that so interesting? Did not know that.

BUT....who wants to replace the word "ON" with "I just pulled your webpage to my computer screen and then I was disconnected and now I'm going to try and pull another one". I like the word "ON" better. I'm going to continue to say it and I'm going to expect that most everyone else is going to say it too. I'm very fine with that. I"ll just try and remember to not say it in front of Mickey cuz I want him to think I'm cool.

Candy and color trends

Here's a new and fun Sign In Board we made for Hannah's party. There are sharpie markers for writing just everywhere all over the board in all three party colors.

Turquoise, red and yellow has long been one of my favorite color combinations.

Lime green has replaced turquoise somewhat these last couple of years but I still love turquoise. The place I get paint from has finally decided to carry a true beautiful lime green paint called sublime green...about time.

I understand orange is going to be big this year...I'm watching. We've bought some very good looking orange glossy mylar but haven't dented the roll too much yet. We also finally found a true chocolate brown. What happened to pink and brown? And blue and brown? Now I have it and I'm not using it so much.

We're sailing thru red, black and silver though. And royal blue is always popular..every year.

I also love all the pastel shades together and when it's mixed with pearlized balloons it just never misses in my opinion.

Crappy Crafter Designer Wear

Susie and Stacey bought me the SAME birthday card and neither one knew it.

I always love creative new ideas.....but I'm not sure I'm up for this one!

Maybe if the bows were a different color it would work for me.

Baby Shower: Potty Like a Rock Star

Sometimes an idea comes over to us that is just so darn cute we are smiling all the time we are working on it. This was one of them...thanks to Katina in Missouri and the baby shower she was giving for her twin sister. Katina made the logo and came up with the cute phrase "POTTY like a Rock Star" and we made the little 10" guitars that sat on her 24" round tables. We also made the star guitar for the 30 guests to sign in on and added the parents-to-be's name on it. We loved using the cute variety of pink guitars we have in all sorts of fun shapes like hearts and bubbly shaped.

I think this is a refreshing and clever way to make a baby shower memorable and Stacey and I were glad to be part of it.

Fairy Health

So you do your mammogram like a good girl on a regular basis but you never want to be invited back for a "do-over"....uh huh.

You never want to hear that you need to come back so that they can take a second look...especially if you've had two grandmothers die from cancer and one specifically from breast cancer and your mother has also had breast cancer. I don't have a sister to compare her issues with but I think I have enough information to know that I'm taking this seriously and do not take the "put your head in the sand" approach.

So I do the "do over" but first I get to ponder it for a day or so. I decide to go garage sailing. What do I find but something I've admired and craved. Huron Valley's Cricket Gift Shop carried these darling whimsical dolls for over $40 and I really loved them. I have lots of dolls in my house that I've made or been given. Did I need another one? Besides they were all so cute that I couldn't pick a favorite.

At a garage sale I found this special lady....still in the box and only $4. Really? Only $4. She's mine! They all have little themes and she was Health. Is that a sign for me? And if so... of what? Regardless of what...I loved her. She now hangs in my fairy-themed powder room and whenever I look at her I fondly feel thankful that my "do-over" was nothing and I'm fine for another year.