by Amy | Nov 15, 2012 | Blog, The Art of Design
Today I’m going to give you a beginner’s lesson in design. Let me put it this way…If I can do it, you can definitely do it. So I’ll be showing you step by step how to make this:
From this:
Pretty enough to be a card, right? Well first, let me tell you that you can do this. There is nothing special about the quality of the photo or the skills you need to put it together. My mom took this photo of my family skating a year or two ago. It was snapped on a plain jane point and click camera. {Mom is not a photographer.} All you need is a little imagination, yesterday’s cute elements and this tutorial.
This is a long post…so you’ll have to click through to see the full tutorial.
(more…)
by Amy | Nov 14, 2012 | Blog, The Art of Design
Hi guys,
Christmas is coming up fast. I actually thinks that goes without saying. The season brings lots of things. Candy, cookies, warm drinks, White Russians, parties…and cards. Lots of cards.
Whether you send out a card or not…chances are you still like clever, cute photos. {I know I do!} So I made a few goodies for my goodies. You can use them to make your own cards…or just a really cute Facebook cover photo. Up to you!
Here are some examples that I made using the elements that I’m giving you today! Click the links below…that should take you to the free Google document so you can save it for yourself. Once you save the ones you like be sure to check out the tutorial on designing your very own custom cards!
I’ll start with a recent photo. The rest of these are a bit of a time warp…The stars and text are one solid graphic. Get it here.
We took this photo when we lived in Florida. It was a joke that this would be our Christmas card. We meant for it to be a bit awkward. At the time we really did miss snow…Now it’s all over the place….The tree and the thought bubble are available for you!
This is again from Florida. I guess we took good Christmas photos that year. This orange tree was in our back yard. How cool is that? The text and snowflakes are separate. There are three snowflakes for you. Here’s #1, #2, and #3.
Again…the snowflakes. Here’s a different text graphic for you. I really love this one.
Lastly, a little joy to the world.
The point of these is to be able to turn any photo into an awesome Christmas card or image to share with friends and family. Using these is super simple. Just save it to your computer, open your image in an editing program that supports layers {like PhotoShop or GIMP}, then open the layers and put them where you want!
If you don’t understand the “layers” talk…no worries. I’ll be covering how to use them tomorrow. I’ll show you how to put together your own Christmas card in GIMP. And if you really wanna go ghetto…you can always use these in Word. Create a custom paper size to fit your image. Open your image, then open the elements you want to use.
I hope you like them. I’m also cooking up custom cards for my Etsy shop. So get excited already!
Amy
by Amy | Nov 14, 2012 | Blog, The Art of Projects, the house
Are you familiar with the phrase “Oopsie poopsie.”
Probably not. I think it’s a phrase my sister made up.
Well. Let me show you what an oopsie poopsie looks like. It looks like this:
They come in all shapes and sizes. But tonight I made a major oopsie poopsie. After working on a small project I screwed the lid on my Sherwin Williams sample jar and picked it up to put things away before dinner. Well, the lid was screwed on…crooked. I realized something had gone horribly wrong when I stepped in something cold and wet.
But alas, it was too late. The damage had been done.
Friends tell me that the bright side of brown, splotchy carpet is that it will hide everything. Turns out, the one thing it doesn’t hide so well is aqua paint.
Most of it came out. I’ll call it, well seasoned. Looks like the living room floor project just moved up the to-do cue.
I hope you’ve had an oopsie poopsie free day.
Amy
PS–Free photo elements tomorrow!!
by Amy | Nov 13, 2012 | Blog
I had a few simple things I wanted to accomplish today. The biggie was getting my front coat closet cleaned out and organized for the winter. It’s pretty bad in there. Things just strewn about. Coats jammed in. Scarves and hats on the floor…mixing in with wet boots. Yuck.
Anyway. Back to the list.
It got jammed. Who know Veteran’s Day in Practically Canada would be like Black Friday in any other American town? Not this girl.
Roads were icy. Traffic was backed up worse than a middle aged man after a cheese festival. Lines were winding around the Wal-Mart. So a trip for a few simple things {and a few closet organizers} became a nightmare.
After traveling all over town only getting about 50% of my list accomplished I was pretty wiped out. I had yet to find bins to use to store our hats, gloves and scarves {I found some…but thought they were over priced.} So I decided to force myself to make one last stop. At Goodwill. Because when you are looking for something and all else fails…you should always check the thrift store.
So I was totally burnt out. Like ready to lay on the floor and play Words With Friends.
But I didn’t. I pushed on. Then, suddenly I saw something. Something that wouldn’t hold my scarves. Something that wouldn’t prevent my wet, snowy boots from getting my hat all slushy. Something that looks like this:
Yes, folks. Let it soak in. It took my breath away. Like a beam of magical light in a dismal Goodwill on a day of errands that had rendered me totally exhausted. There is was. A Unicorn grandmother clock.
I didn’t buy it. {But I might tomorrow…Christmas is coming and that is the mother of all White Elephant gifts…} Simply knowing that something like that exists was enough to energize me and breath new life into my day. Just knowing that one day, somewhere someone created a plan and a mold for this whimsical gem was treat enough for me.
Seriously…?
Then, in the next aisle…I saw this:
Is Minot
by Amy | Nov 10, 2012 | Blog, The Art of Living
I’ve only done Friday confessions one other time. But today…after the week I’ve had, I really thought it would be good to get some of these things off my chest. Won’t you join me as I reveal my inner most thoughts?
1. When the stair project was over I had watched two full seasons of Pretty Little Liars. This week I found the other 13 episodes from season 3 and marathoned them over a 4 day period.
2. I was dog sitting and the dog ate 85 pieces of Halloween candy when I went to the gym.
3. Said dog pooped out a log of kit-kat wrappers two days later. Too much info?
4. I’ve basically stopped drinking water and instead drink only hot tea these days.
5. There was that day when I couldn’t button my shirt.
6. I didn’t mail my absentee ballot in time. My vote didn’t count in the swing state of Florida…but I did voice my opinion up here…where we earn a whopping 3 electoral votes.
7. I voted for Heidi Heitkamp on the basis that I so hated the anti-Heitkamp commercials produced from Rick Berg’s camp. {And besides…he’s gone Washington. If you don’t live in Practically Canada, you probably don’t understand.}
8. While we are talking about voting, I might as well mention that I didn’t realize there was a backside to the ballot.
9. I went to a progressive dinner where I volunteered to bring baguettes. I brought day old’s from Jimmy Johns.
10. I put my leftover Halloween candy {that the dog didn’t eat} in a cornucopia and called it a Thanksgiving candy-copia.
11. The man who came by to give me an estimate on furniture repair revealed his real passion is clowning….how do you respond to that?
12. Last night I unpacked {kind of} my necklace collection. For the first time. Since July 2011.
13. I spilled red Kool-Ade down the front of my shirt and jeans at a baby shower. Like a whole cup full.
14. I taught Trim and Tone last night. Today, I’m having a hard time walking. {Who says instructors don’t get sore?}
15. I heard Mariah Carey sing “All I Want For Christmas is You,” when I was at K-Mart. Inside I wanted to hate them for playing it so early…but I sang along under my breath and deep down really liked it.
Geesh I feel better. What do you need to get off your chest?
by Amy | Nov 8, 2012 | Blog
Remember a couple days ago when I told you about Socks for Sandy?
You can look at the post for all the details, but the gist is this: The east coast has gotten cold and there is a dire shortage of cozy socks in the victim shelters. Fellow blogger, Laura has started a drive to collect “Socks for Sandy.”
I’m lucky enough to be surrounded with a wonderful group of gals who meet for a bi-weekly Bible study. We met last night and got some socks together. We also made some good creative notes to send with our socks. Just to let the folks who get them that we are praying for them…and that we know all too well about cold toes up here in Practically Canada!
So, what I’m telling you on this fine Waffle Cone Wednesday…Is…Send some socks.
They’ll be appreciated.
And thank you to my girls who helped get these in the mail. You are the best.
Oh, and one more thing. My Bible study is reading Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman. It’s wonderful and you should read it. Kyle is a lovely writer. His words are so easy to read. He makes faith relevant and interesting…and his asides are hilarious. So not only is it moving and a great book to strengthen your walk, it’s also an engrossing and interesting read. Go to the site here to learn what it’s all about.
Remember…get those socks. Target has cute ones for only $1. I bought these from K-Mart for $2-$3 for each pair of slipper socks.
Go here for the shipping address…and remember, they need to be mailed by Friday!
Amy
by Amy | Nov 7, 2012 | Blog, The Art of Living
Yes, I know it’s election day. If you stopped by today hoping to find out who I voted for and why or why not…you’ll be disappointed. If I told you…well–you’d still be disappointed. I’m not very good at expressing myself politically. So instead, I’ll just a story that really relates to nothing. You are welcome to just laugh at my expense and be glad you are cooler and more capable than me.
Let me elaborate.
Today started like any other morning. Get up, pet the cat, start the tea pot. I did some things around the house before hopping in the shower. I had a phone conference set up late morning and the phone rang a bit earlier than expected…just as I was toweling off. I was excited to take the call so as we started chatting I pulled on jeans and threw on a button down shirt {one of my signature looks.} Easy enough. Not rocket science.
The meeting ends. I get up from the desk {aka dining room table} to go for another cup of tea. Look down…my shirt is buttoned wrong.
Okay, no big deal. I was distracted when I got dressed. We’ve all done it. The buttons aren’t lined up and I’ve got extra fabric at the bottom. Shake it off. Unbutton–rebutton.
Go about my business. Send a few emails, do a little research, write a few workouts. Lunch time. I’ll go get the mail first.
What the heck. My shirt is buttoned wrong again. Two buttons off this time. So much for effortless style {American Eagle makes it look so easy…} Unbutton–rebutton.
After lunch I do some other random work. At 1:30 I get ready to leave to go vote. I wrap a scarf around my neck, pull my purse across my body. Open the flap on top to get my keys when I notice…
MY SHIRT IS BUTTONED WRONG.
What. The. Heck.
How is this happening? It’s like I’ve never worn a shirt before. This is something you learn in pre-school. Just line them up. Pull it together Allender.
Unbutton–rebutton.
At the polling place I get out of the car. Excited to do my patriotic duty. I’m looking pretty good. It’s a cute shirt after all. I’m sporting my vintage cowboy boots, my favorite scarf and my most comfy jeans. But as I get out of the car I feel a breeze on my stomach.
SERIOUSLY?
MY SHIRT IS BUTTONED WRONG. No, I’m not kidding. I can’t make this stuff up. What kind of person attempts getting dressed four times with failure? They let a person like that vote? They let a person like that have a say in American democracy. The only person who can get away with a shirt buttoned wrong this many times is an old man in the Jerry home. Then it’s cute and endearing. I don’t think my grandpa ever had his buttons in line. Is this what I am? Nothing more than a 25-year-old-80-year-old-man? That literally doesn’t even make sense.
Embarrassed, I slipped down the hall to the restroom before anyone could possibly notice. Unbutton–rebutton. Is it right? Triple check. Okay….and…vote.
I hope your trip to the polls was pleasant. And I hope you only put your shirt on once today. Tomorrow at the water cooler, you’ll have something way cooler than a new president/reelected president to chat about…you can tell your friends about that girl you know who couldn’t button her own shirt.
Okay. Stick to chatting about the election.
Amy
by Amy | Nov 5, 2012 | Blog
Hi all.
I hope your week is off to a good start. Lately I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and praying about how I can do more. More to help, more to spread the Kingdom, more to bring joy. So I started thinking…what if I did more “yessing.”
Now, this is a heart thing. Just because this is how my heart is feeling doesn’t mean that this is how your heart is feeling. I’m not saying any of this to make you feel guilty. Or like you aren’t doing enough. Or like I’m some kind of super philanthropist.
Because I’m not.
And you are awesome.
It’s just something that my heart has been saying to me, and I want to share it with you. Right now God is tugging on my heart to say “yes” as opportunities arise. When someone needs or I see a need I try to say “yes.” Keeping in mind that I can’t do everything…because that’s how mental breakdowns start…So I’ve been dog sitting, and making dinner, and buying for Operation Christmas Child {more on that later}, and teaching Sunday school. Little things that I totally have time for when I’m not marathon-ing episodes of teen dramas.
This morning I found another way to say “yes.” It’s called Socks for Sandy. And it’s really simple. A woman who lives on the east coast has started a sock drive for displaced victims of the hurricane. Socks…weird, right? Here’s the backstory.
Laura‘s neighborhood was spared by the storm. But loads of families were not so lucky. Some only escaped with their lives and the clothes on their back. Those folks are now being housed in shelters while they sort out what to do next. Laura became aware of a need at the shelter: Socks. It seems simple, but socks are in high demand. Temperatures on the coast have dropped and lots of people living at the shelter are barefoot.
We all know that uncomfortable my-feet-are-freezing feeling. But most of us can walk to the sock drawer and slip on something cozy. Say “yes” today and help Sandy’s victims slip on some warmth and comfort by joining Socks for Sandy. It’s really easy. Just buy a pair of socks…or several…gloves, hats and mittens are also being collected… and send them to:
Socks for Sandy
P.O. Box 520
Little Egg Harbor, NJ 08087
Socks for Sandy is collecting socks for all ages…baby through adult. And don’t forget about buying for men and boys too! Please get yours in the mail by November 9th. {That’s this Friday.} FYI…Target is selling Christmas socks in their dollar bin right now. They don’t have to be expensive to bring home to someone who has lost everything.
Say yes.
Amy
PS…to read Laura’s blog post about Socks for Sandy go
here.
