New Blog!

Yep, I have been a huge slacker on this blog, but the good news is that I have started a new blog. I had the feeling that I might be able to contribute more to society than how annoyed I am when I go to the post office. :) I hope that turns out to be true and we all enjoy the journey. I am sure I will still include some smart aleck comments, and Imaginina and the Human Pinball and the Diplomat will still be around. But I really want to focus on how creative people can be, and hope that it rubs off on all of us.

I have been working on it for a couple weeks. There are a few posts and pictures and assorted stuff ready. Please move with me to my new blog:

http://takeyourvitaminc.blogspot.com/

See you there!

Cute or Wasteful?

On Christmas Eve, a woman sat outside, freezing, and crocheted this. She called it her Christmas present to NYC. The park curator ripped it apart first thing Christmas morning.

What do you think?

Is it art? Is it creative? Or, is it wasteful? Should she have spent her resources on sweaters for homeless folks? Should the park curator take it down a notch?

However you look at it, it was a lot of yarn and a lot of time. Art? Waste?

Normal Girl

Thinking About Creativity

I have been thinking a lot about creativity lately. I believe that creativity is like a muscle, it has to be exercised to work well. I find this to be very creative.

And this performance art.......

And that they got applause for this!

Inspiring,

Normal Girl

Dear Post Office

Dear Delivery Supervisor,

How nice of you to take a personal interest in my sidewalk. I am sorry I have not met you, maybe you could deliver the mail to my mailbox one day. Knock on the door and introduce yourself! The sidewalk is shoveled.

It is also great to know that you have the safety of our mail carrier in mind. When you come to deliver my mail, you will be able to see that my mail carrier never actually uses my sidewalk. He tramps across the middle of the yard every day, no matter how much snow there is or isn't. Does he know that he is supposed to be using the sidewalk? Also when you come to deliver my mail, you can see that the mailbox is at the foot of the stairs. There is no need for the mail carrier to use the steps or the porch.

Yes, I understand that what I received is a form letter. Since that is your preferred way of communicating, I am working on a couple of my own in hopes our relationship will become closer:

• When the mail carrier leaves the mailbox open in the rain...
• Not removing the outgoing mail before placing incoming mail in the box...
• Delivering mail that belongs to everyone on my street, into my mailbox (by the way, whenever that happens, I deliver the mail for you... maybe if I leave a shovel at the sidewalk, the mail carrier can shovel it for me??)...

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night,

Your friend,

Normal Girl

Humble Acceptance?

Ugh, skip the beginning part of this, the part I am talking about starts about 25 seconds in....

I saw this clip a couple days ago on TV and it has been on my mind since. I ceased to be a fan of Oprah many years ago, but this puts a new light on her personality.

Since it has been on my mind for three days, I think it is a little message to me from God. And when I saw the clip again this morning, I knew it. I wish gift giving would be extracted from the Christmas experience. I wish we could have the Christmas spirit, make cookies, send cards, decorate the house, sing carols, and look for the things we can do for people who need help instead of giving each other presents we surely do not need.

For the last couple of years, I have tried to find things to do that are servant oriented, for people who could use some encouragement. It gives me a Christmas feeling that far exceeds the giving and receiving of wrapped presents.

And God knows that I need much work on humility and I start thinking how good I am to be doing these tiny bits of service and thinking about imposing my thoughts on everyone else's Christmas plans. OY!

Oprah's interview is my message this week. I really do wish you all a Merry Christmas, even if exhausting yourself and your bank account brings you joy!

Normal Girl

Sing it Loud!

My office is singing!

This is what I did today with my snow day. I completely copied this from another blog. These are some of the lyrics from Joy to the World. It might look a bit better in a larger room, but, I put it in my office anyway.

Now I have in mind many other applications for this! Had fun doing this while watching the worst Christmas movies ever made, on Lifetime. Yikes, who watches those things every year??

Putting some socks on so I can go do some shoveling.

Whee!

Normal Girl

JOY!

Had a fun night tonight with some girls from church who came to learn how to decoupage. We made a couple of easy projects. I had fun, I think they did too.

While we worked we listened to Tiffany and Debbie Gibson. I can honestly say that never before has Tiffany and Debbie Gibson music played in my house. Yep, they are somewhat younger than I. It is always fun to listen to the music of your youth, isn't it?

So, JOY! And decoupage.

Normal Girl

Color of the Year 2011

I am having a little sadness today as Pantone has announced the color of the year for 2011. That means my turquoise has only 22 1/2 days left to reign as the color of the year 2010.

And to my friends to whom I mentioned that mauve seemed to be having a comeback from the 80's....and we all said ewwwww.... I am sorry to inform you that the 2011 color of the year is.......

Yep, Pantone is calling it Honeysuckle so that we don't go screaming to the hills, but it is pretty mauve if you ask me.
Pantone is the company that sets the color standards for designers and artists. So, if I am designing a new bead, I tell the mfg that I want the color to be PM18-2120. He knows exactly what color I am asking for. Mauve. Um, I mean Honeysuckle. Otherwise, it would be really hard to get on the same wavelength about colors. Imagine if I told you yesterday that I loved Honeysuckle. What color would you have had in mind? The last honeysuckle bush I saw had yellow flowers on it.

I don't think I will be introducing any honeysuckle into my home decor. For those who are all about the trends and brought in turquoise last year, and now can't afford to completely change colors this year.....and might add a bit of honeysuckle to the turquoise....at least the look will not be totally reminiscent of the 80's. Turquoise and pink is more from the 50's. That will make a vintage look which is still very trendy this year. See how it all works?

Yeah, me neither,

Normal Girl

A Penny For Them

When did we get a new penny? Am I living under a rock? Is nothing sacred?

:)

Normal Girl

The Next Cool Thing

I stopped into the Christmas Tree Store this afternoon. I saw this tree. It looked very cool in the store. The trunk is a clear plastic tube. There is a rope light that runs inside it from top to bottom. You fill the tube with water and as the light changes colors, the water bubbles up from the bottom. It was so cool! It comes in white and in green.

I asked how much for the tree. The answer was $159. I thought that was too much, but you pay for innovation, right? Next year, it will be cheaper. Then I looked it up online tonight and it was $359. All of a sudden $159 looks good.

I think I could make one, hahahaha!

Normal Girl

Cookies for Niece 3

The Sequoia Niece 3 turned 18 this weekend. I know. How do you process that the kid was just toothless and is 18 this week? Now, Redwood Nephew 4 is the only non-adult we have left. By the way, Redwood Nephew 4 is now 6'5". How does that happen?

So, a couple weeks ago, my pals Amy and Amanda taught me how to make the fancy cookies with royal icing and decorations. I had fun and tried it on my own for the birthday this weekend. Niece 3 said, "You made those? I thought you bought them in Frankenmuth!" HA, success!

Things I learned about making royal icing cookies:

• these cookies need a better name
• they take a lot of time to make
• if I give you one of these cookies, it means I value you, I love you, or I am bribing you

Looking forward to making Christmas cookies!

Normal Girl

Stick a Fork in it

This was my morning activity instead of Black Friday shopping....which I would rather clean all of your ovens than do. I went to the flea market and found some old forks and turned them onto photo easels. I think they might be part of the table decorations for a bridal shower I am working on. I was lucky to find some nice old silver forks with pretty patterns.

What are all of you doing for Black Friday?

Normal Girl

A Good Idea that Just Didn't Work

I walked by these poinsettias this afternoon and had to utter a reflexive "OH!" I am sorry the photo does not do them justice and I cannot describe the color. Electric blue? Neon blue? I for sure do not have a problem with non traditional colors for Christmas, I do own some lime green and turquoise poinsettias, but this was shocking.

If they are perfect for your own holiday decorating, head on over to Michaels. My guess is that nobody else has bought them yet.

I'll not have a blue Christmas,

Normal Girl

Ch Ch Ch Chia

I stopped into Rite Aid this afternoon and this caught my eye and made me laugh. At first look, Chia Abraham Lincoln and Chia George Washington felt disrespectful and Chia Lady Liberty is just wrong. But then I noticed Chia Obama. I am still laughing.

I am not exactly sure why I find it funny, but I do.

Do not buy me one for Christmas,

Normal Girl

That's Right Dolly!

Fresh from the kiln. Painters call these Dolly Parton hearts.

Funny, right?

Normal Girl

I Heart You

I worked on Valentine's Day projects today. Like that better then Christmas. I tried for two very different feeling bracelets to appeal to two different groups of people. Although, I like them both. Maybe I am in all groups of people when it comes to jewelry.

Imagine that,

Normal Girl

Seeking Parental Advice

The issue is hair. The girls on my dance team absolutely refuse to pull their hair out of their faces for rehearsal. I am not saying it has to be a ponytail, just the front part of the hair pulled back from the face.

That means they play with their hair, shoving it out of their faces approximately 45 times per minute. That makes for zero concentration on what they are trying to do while rehearsing. I have asked nicely. I have explained why and how it will help them. I have emailed reminders. I have even brought them headbands to wear. Finally, I offered bribes. Wouldn't you know? That did the trick.

Each week that their hair is pulled back, they get a prize from the "Yay, my hair is out of my face treat bag."

Now I have a different problem. Of course, they are complying for the wrong reason, and I am going to go broke bribing them.

Dear parents out there, how do I stop this with a good ending?

Help?

Normal Girl

Check One Item Off My List

I have been wanting to learn how to make these cute cutout cookies where you float the royal icing over them. For my study break today, I spent 3 hours in the kitchen with Amy, Amanda, Anita, and Denise. They showed me the steps. They had the cookies all baked and most of them iced. But they saved some of each step for me.

Amanda is pretty artistic with the decorating bag, and she let me go for it. The plan was to make a pile of cookies for a wedding reception tomorrow. Lots of them have the initials of the bride and groom on them. The rest we just made cute.

Mixing up the icing. I was surprised at how easy it is, just meringue powder, water and powdered sugar. Who in the world made this sound so hard? It wasn't.

Here is one tray of mine. I had fun and am taking my coupons to Jo-Ann's and Michaels for supplies. Ready to try it on my own!

Maybe some pilgrim hats....

Normal Girl

P.S. Even with a 3 hour break, I still got 10 pages in today, woohoo!

Study Break

Reflecting my new love of button rings (thanks Helen!) and my four days spent in the offices of Blumenthal Lansing looking at 234098343 buttons that I wished were in my possession, this is what I did on my study break tonight. Beads, buttons and elastic cord. Pretty cute!

I have been writing most of the day. Ya, I know. I can hear your applause.

Back to work,

Normal Girl

One Door Closes

Martha is having a contest to win a vendor table at the annual Martha Stewart Christmas Craft Sale at their office in NYC. They are expecting 2500 shoppers. I entered my fiber wrapped bangles along with my spare tire bangles. I thought I might have a shot. They selected 8 crafters and their work, published the finalists on their blog, and the world gets to vote. The top 5 get in the craft sale. I am not a finalist. But among the finalists are these....

What do you do with these?

Hahahaha. Really?

What is the message for me in this?

1. Selling finished goods is not going to be where I excel.

2. Finish the thesis!!

Alright already!

Normal Girl