Freebies and Giveaways

Wilna Furstenberg from Making Memories is sharing some valentine art and a free project download at http://www.scrapinstyletv.com/classroomtwo/ Read about her {He}Art Class that starts tomorrow.

In a brief continuation on yesterdays organization subject http://www.cozi.com/home.htm has a great way to organize a family calendar, shopping lists, family journals and photos all on your computer. Your family can leave each other messages and you can link it to your outlook addresses and phone numbers.

http://www.doodlebugdesignsblog.blogspot.com/ is a blog that has frequent giveaways that would interest anyone who has a blog of their own. Check it out and maybe you can win a new header or design for your blog.

101 Uses For Everyday Things

Did you know you can remove salt stains from shoes and clothing by wiping them with vinegar? Did you know that lemon juice added to the rinse water will help whiten clothes? Okay well there is bound to be something useful that you didn't know on the Real Simple website's 101 Uses For Everyday Things. click here http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/gallery/0,21863,1030084-1,00.html
I even know one for salt that they didn't mention. Salt will take coffee and tea stains out of old coffee cups. Just sprinkle salt into the cup and wipe with a slightly damp paper towel. You'll be amazed how clean your cups will come!

Organization

I am forever seeking organization in my life. Since my fibromyalgia affects my memory and concentration it is necessary for me to try to put things in a sensible order and keep them that way. I am always looking for ideas and tools that will help me with this. A website that has helped me to remember birthdays and important events is http://birthdayalarm.com . This site will email you reminders for and dates that you have marked on your calendar at the site. It will even send out an email to whoever you want to obtain the birthdays, anniversaries, etc. and add them to your calendar automatically.
My hobby of paper crafting and scrapbooking has been a challenge to my best organization skills. My supplies include thousands of tiny eyelets, brads and charms and tools of every shape and size. I have hundreds of rubber stamps, inks, and stickers. I love to use stencils, embossing plates and tearing rulers. I just haven't yet found a way to have everything I need stored in a way that is easy to see and get my hands on. I would appreciate any suggestions on how to organize an overstocked and undersized craft room.

Missing Post is Found (See Surfing - Hang Ten)

I knew that post had to be somewhere! I found it saved as a draft. So anyway I have found lots of great sites on various creative, artistic and just plain interesting subjects. I have to go back searching for a few that got away before I grabbed the url. I am fond of a few of the cooking shows that are on cable TV right now and I have found some nice cooking blog sites as well. I should probably find a good fitness or weight loss site to follow too because the recipes and photos of food that I've seen so far look deliciously fattening. I have made some of Raechel Ray's recipes and have loved the simplicity of several of them. My DH does most of the cooking lately. I do like to cook or bake when I'm feeling up to it or when I am craving a certain food. With my hubby being such an excellent cook it has gotten easy for me to sit back and reap the benefits, especially since he seems to enjoy cooking. We enjoy watching the cooking shows together. 'No Reservations' with Anthony Bourdain is one we frequently watch. Paula Dean is another great one for some great, high calorie comfort food. A recent favorite that we happened upon was of a shop that makes custom cakes that are exquisite. I will have to look for the name of that show. They must have a website. Everybody and their mother has a website now days.
I'm off to get some sleep now. After three days straight with a terrible migraine and some unknown allergic reaction that is causing unbearable itching I am ready for a new day.

Technical Problems & Free Design Website

Testing 1 2. For some reason the last post did not get saved. It's 3:30 in the morning and I am finally getting sleepy so I guess it will have to wait until later. Check out Design Is Mine from my links for some misc freebies and a sampling of other blogs. I can't vouch for every link on this site but the ones I have checked out led me to interesting sites with inspiring photography, stylish models, free templates and a bevy of miscellaneous artwork.

Surfing - Hang Ten (Fingers)

Do you love surfing? I would love to give it an amateur try at some safe beach (preferably in Hawaii). I'm not really talking about that kind of surfing though. I love reading blogs, checking websites, chatting on message boards and being able to write an instant email that can be read by family and friends a thousand or more miles away. I have been searching blogs for ideas of what can be done on these pages. Computers and programs never cease to amaze me. I could get lost exploring all the blogs and websites I see that interest me. I mainly like to surf crafting sites with an emphasis on scrapbooking and cardmaking, but I love all forms of art. I love checking out links that other people follow and will be posting more of my favorite sites soon. I love blogs with a a little humor. I like any blog that inspires my creativity and there are many. I have found a few choice ones to follow. I will also be posting more links to freebies and blog candy.

I have some work to do, I know, but I will whip this blog into shape. I also will learn to watch close for typos because I just caught a majorly serious typo that would have slipped right by that spell checker. I had accidentally written that I love cheating on message boards by mispelling chatting. Yikes! I am very happily married and want to stay that way!

Food for thought

Reverence for life affords me my fundamental principle of morality, namely, that good consists in maintaining, assisting, and enhancing life and that to destroy, harm, or to hinder life is evil. Affirmation of the world -- that is affirmation of the will to live, which appears in phenomenal forms all around me -- is only possible for me in that I give myself out for other life. - Albert Schweitzer

Love life and life will love you back. Love people and they will love you back. - Arthur Rubinstein

I totally agree.

Remember relax and breath deep

Remember to sit back, relax and breath. I mean really breath. In through your nose, 1,2,3,4,5, exhale through your mouth on six. There, I feel better already. Get the oxygen to your brain. If you didn't feel it try it again. In through the nose now, 2, 3, 4, 5 out through your mouth.
Did you try it?

This is the day the LORD has made....

Yesterday was a "bad day" as fibromyalgia sufferers label their worse pain filled and sick days. A constant migraine and upset stomach has almost made me 'write in sick' today. Then I saw this verse and decided to pull it together for one late post.

"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. " Psalm 118:24

Today I am thankful I was able to get out of bed and shower. Hot showers can really help my aches and pains and the breathing problems I have had lately, so it is a good day when I have the energy to take a nice steamy shower.

I was thankful today for the great ginger tea my friend Sara sent me all the way from North Carolina. It was so helpful when my anti-nausea pill wasn't working.

Today in a brief moment of feeling not so bad, I did a little cleaning (very little), and made some phone calls that needed to be made. Doing housework on a 'bad day' is something that doesn't come easy or often.

Today I started playing around with ideas for my husbands Valentines Day card and realised I hadn't done any papercrafting since my attempt to send everyone I know a homemade Christmas card. The big Christmas list was a bit more than I could chew and I will have to fight for my right to make cards next Christmas. The bit of stamping, embossing, and coloring that I did was good for my soul. Something about creating something from nothing just makes me happy.

I am thankful that I was able to watch a new episode of Smallville without having to run to the bathroom or being otherwise distracted. My hubby and I love that show. Lost is another favorite and if anyone thinks they know what Ben is up to please leave me a comment.

Tomorrow will be a day busy with a doctors appointment and hopefully a trip to the chiropracter for a neck and back adjustment but I hope to come up with something witty to write about to make up for today.

Where does the time go?

Wednesday buzzed by just like the beginning of the week did. I ran my errand that I had put off since Monday and made it home just in time to leave again. I watched my 4 year old Godson who is also my nephew get his first karate belt tonight. He was so cute up there being so serious and disciplined following every command. I was so proud of him. He was so controlled up until close to the end when he started making faces for the crowd. The other 4 year old and older kids were playing around a lot but he did everything he was supposed to but with a few facial expressions to entertain the audience.
I meant to add some pictures but they will have to wait till I can figure that part out a little better. I tried to add one with my poem but apparently I am not doing it right. {I did it, I added a picture to my poem - It is my dear husband Willie and out Godson, Andrew} I would like to attach some of my paper crafting work in a link too. I mostly make cards as I seem to have more patience and decision making abilities with them than layouts. It has been quite a while since I've finished a scrapbook or even a layout, but I have tons of ideas in my head and on paper. I have the supplies to do most of my ideas and I have most of the pictures. I have been having a lot of camera problems and computer problems over the last couple years. I have lost pictures from 2 computers crashing and one PDA ( a Palm Zire) resetting itself. Now I have some of my pictures on a computer that is at my sisters and she says it keeps freezing up as she tries to take the rest of the pictures and info off. I am praying this doesn't mean that I will lose pictures for a third time. Pause while a say a short prayer.

I am currently working on a few Valentines Day cards for my DH and an upcoming card contest. I am also trying to pick up the mess I made of my house trying to make Christmas cards this last year. I am a very unorganized papercrafter. I end up spending too much time looking for my tools and supplies so when I work on a project I like to just pull everything out. My husband has already asked me not to make home made Christmas cards next year. lol It wouldn't have been so bad but I got really sick a few weeks before Christmas and haven't really recovered yet.
Check Crafting & Living in Japan for a chance at some blog candy. The link is in my Blog List.

Wednesday already

This week has flown by. I guess spending so much time watching TV and on the computer yesterday made it zoom by. I did get a great supper cooked for my DH and a little bit of Christmas decorations put in boxes so I was more productive than some days. Today I have a migraine again so it will be a struggle to be productive. I need to add more of the blogs I follow to my list and figure out how to move the list closer to the top of the blog. for now I have scrap and papercraft sites, but if you go to them and check the sites they list there are many more interesting sites to check out. I will be back soon, Hubby is home and I want to spend some quality time :-)
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More blog candy, YUMMO!

Any of you familiar with craftsbykim.blogspot.com ? Kim is giving out some great blog candy. She is a stamper and papercrafter and has some excellent cards on her site. Check her out and try to win candy!

Sample of my Poetry

I Know a Kind Man

I know a kind man who drives a school bus
He does many things that might amaze us.
Above and beyond call of duty goes he
And he takes his job very seriously.

The sweet little children are put in his care.
He delivers them daily from here and to there.
He cares for their safety and knows them by name,
They could have been his kids; he treats them the same.

Sweet innocent children so challenged it’s true
They cannot do everything all kids can do.
He feels such compassion it can’t help but show
And teachers and parents – they usually know.

He understands problems as much as one can,
Takes every precaution with kind gentle hand.
A deep understanding that words don’t convey
Is somehow made clearer day after day.

These children are special, their parents well know
Their driver is also it shows with a glow.
With a big, happy grin on his face every day
He deals with each child in their own special way.

Written by Karen
To Willie
12-16-08

Watching Barack

Today while watching the inauguration and everything involved with it I joined Facebook. I'm a little confused but we will see what happens. I found I have several scrapping friends there so I will try to do both that and this new project. I am always up for a new challenge. I'm watching the inauguration and it is very inspiring. All the history they are talking about is interesting to me. Thanks for bearing with me. More later. I'm starving.
Back now, I ate a PBJ. Scary that there is salmonella in peanut butter lately because I eat it often.
Prayers are needed for Senator Kennedy who just collapsed at the inauguration. They are saying it was a seizure and exhaustion from the cancer.
Today I received a wonderful surprise in my mailbox. A very sweet friend sent me some tea for my tummy and also a beautiful scarf, bracelet and matching earrings. Thank you Sara, they are just gorgeous. I will post a picture when I get my camera back home. I left it at my sisters Saturday and I miss it so.
Tomorrow I plan to watch my 4 year old nephew/Godson receive a belt in karate and I must have the camera by then. So far Facebook seems much more confusing to me than Blogspot but I will give them both a try. They kind of serve different purposes.

Still Learning

I tried to post an addition to Monday's post and wish you all a Happy National Popcorn Day. For some reason I could not get into my Blog to post or even to comment. I hope no one else is having trouble commenting on this blog. Anyway, Pop Corn Day has come and gone and I forgot to eat any.
Hey, I was just wondering; if the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD caught on fire would it pop like popcorn? Hmmm.
If you haven't checked out Wordle.net yet try it now. I will try to put a picture link.



Hey, I did it! This Wordle is titled "Things I Like" and I had lots of fun playing around with other Wordles. Go see at http://www.wordle.net/.

Sunny Monday

Hi there loyal follower. I am having fun already. this is a perfect outlet for me and I hope it will be interesting and helpful for others as well.
I would like to tell you to check out the great blog candy on Three Clovers Design. Since I know my first follower is a stamper and scrapbooker like myself I know she would love to win one of the three generous prizes that are up for grabs. They are such great products and I haven't seen them for sale in my town. Good Luck!
A little more about myself is being added to my profile today.

A Little About Me

A little about me that I may or may not have covered in my profile might be a good way to start this out. Since I have no previous instruction and little knowledge of blog writing I will hope to learn the tricks and codes along the way.
I am disabled by a chronic pain condition and injuries that I have suffered from for sixteen years. I am not able to hold down a job though I have tried to do at least part-time or a 'sometime job'. My pain and constant migraines have and are constantly changing the way I am able to live my life. My various conditions are many so I'm not going to list them all now. What I have learned is happiness and feeling good come from the inside out and we have the power to focus on our blessings or our pitfalls.Although I have to pay attention to all my ailments and injuries in order to manage my health, I can choose to think cheery thoughts and concentrate on the ways I have been blessed or the ways I can help others. I choose the name Blessed and Caressed for my blog because I want to focus on the good feelings in my life not the pain. I am blessed by the Lord to have loving family and friends and I am caressed by the Lords presense in my heart.
I like to write and I have a lot of scrapbook layouts floating around in my head waiting for my energy level and health to permit me to go crazy on them. For now writing is more up my alley so I thought I might give blogging a try. I love stamping and cardmaking.
I am also somewhat of a collector. The term Pack Rat has been used but I'm in denial. I collect miniatures with an emphasis on miniature shoes and musical instruments. I also collect lighthouses, angels, and 'cat art'. I love cats and have cat figurines, plaques, pillows, and even a cat rug.

Getting started

Hello anyone and everyone. I guess I have to start somewhere, so here I am giving blogging a try. I'm not sure if I will have anything worthwhile to share but I will never know unless I give it a try. Some topics I may talk about are papercrafts, photography, fibromyalgia, migraines, my faith or my family because all these are an everyday part of my life. I hope to add something useful soon. Please check back.