Inspiration Alley

Permission Granted

January was a very busy time for me at work.  I started off behind because I was sick, then hubby was sick and you know that viscious cycle all too well.  On top of that, I'm doing the Brave Girls Club which has weekly projects and journaling, and I'm spending a little time planning a trip to North Georgia.

Most of the blogs I read I get through a blog feeder so I can read them all in one place.  That's all except one friend where her blog doesn't have a feed but I digress.  In any case, I haven't had time to view all the blogs I usually surf and the number of posts to view was getting way up there.  I mean in the range of several thousand.  (Wow ... some people actually post every day).

I gave myself permission to purge anything older than a week.  It made me feel good on two levels.  One, it made the posts manageable, and Two, I was in control (can you say control freak).  On the other hand, I hated to do it because I love looking at everyones inspring ideas and all the new products coming out.  The purge dropped the total to less than a thousand, and I blew through half of those already.  I think now I'm going to pay closer attention to the ones I really like and permanently purge some of the others.  Don't worry, if you're in my life, you won't get purged, I'm talking people I don't really know that I just found their work interesting or inspiring at one time in the past.

 

Changes made

to the ol' blog.

I changed the design.  It was time.  I like the dark blue with the orange headings.  It stands out.  One day someone will show me how to upload my own picture for the page - maybe I can find a community class at Miami Dade.

I've also moved some of the scrapbooking links because they were getting very long.  So there is tab to click for scrapbooking links (magazines/celebs/mfg) and for scrapbooking and cardmaking challenge sites.  When you click the tab it takes you to another page, where the lists are, and you can just click on where you want to visit.

Aside from that, I'll probably be doing a little more housekeeping of the site, with the intended goal of making it easier to load, view and navigate.  Here's hoping anyway.

 

Over at the Simple Blog

they are giving away Stacy Julians new book on organizing and scrapping your photos. You have to leave a comment and they'll pick a winner from there.  I'm kind of interested in the book because I really need a system for storing and organizing my digital pics - sad to say even though I've uploaded most to picasa, I still have them on the memory card so I need a better way.  Anyway ... here's the link.

Blogging On the Road

So it's final ... I'm keeping the card I bought to connect my laptop to the internet from anywhere.  I had 30 days to try it out and believe me I have.  I've been on from home, from work, in the car, from Sebring, and now from the cruise in at Tower Shops (which is where I am right now).  I am loving it.  For me the monthly service fee is so worth it.  So far everywhere I've tried to connect has been at broadband speed.  I'll be taking it to CE in Phoenix, then the fall and winter car shows in Plant City and Daytona.  The only thing I need now is a better battery but that's on my birthday wishlist so no problem there.

Technology ... it's a wonderful thing.

Who Couldn't Use $2500.00 Right ?

Over at Ashwin’s blog, you will find one crazy blog owner!! You can win $2500!! To enter just copy this text and paste it in your blog!! But hurry, this competition will not last long! So get posting!

Dueling Blog Updates

Last night I was helping Jackie with the Crop4Hope site, and we were updating almost simultaneously.  It was funny -- she'd post, then I'd rearrange and edit ...

Maybe in my sleep deprived state things just appear funny to me - kindof like objects in the mirror are closer than they appear - things happening when you're tired appear funnier then they are -- it was more likely one of those you just had to be there scenarios.

Anyway ... still trying to come up with a work around so I can attend the actual Crop4Hope crop.  It's just too darn hard because it's the end of a month and the end of a quarter at work.  I just can't take off without closing the month and it's not in me to just say too bad and leave anyway, and I'm not sure I really want to do the fly in one day fly out the next thing.  I know Jackie wants me there, but I'm just not so sure I'd be any help and the bulk of the work (setting up the crop) will already be done.  Not to mention that I'll be in Phoenix for CE earlier in the month, then out for business to our California office right after that ... I do have to spend just a little time with hubby.  So this dilemma keeps me awake too.  I've still got time yet and a reasonable solution will come to me ...

... or if everyone who reads this crosses their fingers and makes a wish, I might win the powerball lottery on the tickets I bought in CT while I was on vacation - the pot is at $161 million dollars [thinking that or even writing it makes me think of Austin Powers].  I still have a few draws left, so keep your fingers crossed for me.  Wouldn't that be cool!

Upload Troubles

I did figure out why I was having so much trouble uploading pictures to my blog during the blogathon -- the problem was ... the pictures were of too fine / good a quality so when uploading it would time out before the pics finished loading.  I'm at work now so i'll uplad the one of Monty and me.  I now know to use a lower setting on my camera when using my computer which is on dial up.

He stayed with me pretty much the entire blog (mostly he was napping)  For this pic he wasn't amused - I was trying to bribe him with treats which worked enought to snap this pic.  This was pretty early in the thon (around 7:30PM) so I still looked pretty perky (I think so anyway.)

Other Interesting Places to Visit (#14)

Click Here to Sponsor Me in the Blogathon - My charity is Gilda's Club South Florida

A few other sites to visit that are not scrapbooking or stamping related.

3191 - a year of mornings - pics from 2 friends that live 3191 miles apart.

Cooking By Numbers - you tell it what you have on hand and it will come back with what you can make.

Paper Toss - (for when I have insomnia) - it's addicting.  I love the soundtrack.

Did You Know - informative site with interesting facts

5ives - Merlins lists of 5 things

just some fun sites to visit

Sketches for Scrapbooking (#11)

Click Here to Sponsor Me in the Blogathon - My charity is Gilda's Club South Florida

Wanted to share some other scrapbooking sites that I've recently stumbled upon.  These are sites that deal with sketches.

Stickers N Fun Sketches  ...  Little Book Of Sketches Blog ... Page Maps

Gina Miller Sketches ... Pencil Lines ... Scrap Maps

Sketch this ... Sketch This cards

They deal with layout sketches for scrapbooking and cardmaking.

Have fun!

So Hard to Get Started

My good friend Linda has reminded me to post again - LOL.

It's hard to get back into the daily thing once you've been out of it for awhile but Imagonna try my best!  I really haven't had much to report, I've mostly been doing the basics of life - sleep, eat, work.  I'm keeping low key and still recouperating.  Doing far better now (at least I can work a full day, and sit at the computer).  I KNOW you don't really want to hear about my aches and pains, and to be totally honest here, the most exciting thing that I've done of late is buying some new bras at the local Lane Bryant (Linda, Jackie, and some of the other Tampa girls know which ones I mean).  Oh wait a minute ... I did go to the local scrapbooking store easter weekend and managed to spend a $75.00 gift certificate I had - not that I've scrapped any, but that's another story.

It won't be long now though kids ... I'm heading out on a "scrapbooking" cruise to the Bahamas Thursday, so I'm sure I'll have lots to report.  I'm looking forward to some Chi Chi's (a frozen concoction of pineapple, coconut, and vodka that I found in Cancun on last years cruise), and some down time with some of the best friends a girl could have.