Smiley Face

- today is a great day to SMILE
- art journal entries
- 62 degrees in Illinois, gotta love it!

Bananas grow via plants, not trees

Clowns, scary or Funny?

Here's what I've been working on for the last 5 days.  Part of my 21 Day Challenge.  I tried to re-arrange my page, but the pictures were not cooperating.  Every day I have found a new word to research.  And then created a page in my Art Journal.  Along with this, I have been working on stretching and being conscious of putting things away, minimize the clutter before I make it, cooking something creative and new and being positive.

Aries, my astrological sign

First day, CHALLENGE

Love today's page....SMILEY FACE.... emoticons.... emotion icon.... facial expression pictorally, represented by punctuation and letters.

Smiley Face, see them everywhere today!

An Arien Clown has a severe Challenge with a Banana

- Just pretty cards

- Living a quiet life

- Monday

Got some pretty "linen" paper half price at M's last week.  Not that I'm a completely paper hog like I read in other places.  But, it is always fun to get some new paper to 'play' with.  Small pad 6 x8 ... just enough to put soft touches in different areas to a very nice and simple card.

Not that the weekend zipped by, but typical... watching football games on tv... Bubba went to his highschool playoff game, they are going to the next round.  Exciting Packers play and win big against Dallas.  Raking leaves, big tree in the back decided to drop all it's leaves, flume.... all almost at once... we take bets when it will drop the leaves, Sissy won.  Cooking out on the grill.... sliders last night... tiny turkey burgers and hamburgers.... the night before it was grilled chicken, mashed potatoes and cheesy broccoli casserole.  Warm cuddly blankets, watching Toy Story 3 together as a family.

Back to another Monday.  21 day challenge (keeping the kitchen clean and doing stretches) along with new words or definitions of colorful words to put in my art journal.  CHALLENGE, BANANA, ARIES and today it's all about those silly fun loving CLOWNS.

Focus

- Peace

- 21 Day Challenge

- Friday

In a hurry scurry my picture came out blurry, so to make things seem more intentional, I used special effects and created a cartoonish picture of one of my latest cards.

I came up with a challenge.... to learn something new every day for the next 21 days... I'm looking for topics, I will report here... be it 5 new words and their definitions, herbs that become other spices, what do banana's do to your digestive system, a new yoga move.  Should be fun!

We have a bet.  One big tree in the backyard keeps it's leaves forever.  Lot's of yellow things are floating to the ground today.... Sissy's bet November 6.... the tree might be empty by then!

Tiny, tiny spaces

-Where's Waldo

- Creativity or Complexity

- My Space

My computer has already shut down on me once.  I was typing something I thought was pretty profound.  I guess the computer god wanted to 'shut me down'.  My battery is making an awful noise.  I need to be fixed!  Ugh.

Can you find Waldo in the above picture.  You could look and look and never find him, because he's not really there.... but there is a lot of 'stuff' there.  OMG but really, seach for the Zindorf masterpieces and the different ribbon flowers I'm trying to make and the cute little penguins for a winter card!

Here is a view of my desk.  Head on. Scary.  There is my sucky computer there to the right.  Resting!!!  All my stuff with in hands reach.

Another view.  My inspiration.... my bulletin board, not the tv.  A lot of that 'stuff' on the board was given to me, thoughtfulness in that I could use it... somehow.

My work space.  See the teapot?  That is the beginnings of my 21 day Challenge.  That is the area.... 8-1/2 x 11 that I work in most days. I just push stuff away from me. Something has got to be done! craftroom intervention.

Can't get no, S A T I S F A C T I O N

- The set-up

- Winners & losers

- That's a wrap

Although my creative study looks like I've been in there designing masterpieces of art, I got nothing to show you!  It's upstairs... my camera is in the kitchen.... downstairs.  Can you say "L-A-Z-Y" !!  I thought what a perfect opportunity to show off these cute tomatoes in this adorable fall bowl. 

 I recently saw a tv commercial for Halloween candy, the shot panned out to a huge bowl of pre-wrapped Peanut Butter Cups and Kit-Kats and all the fun candy.... and each piece was perfectly laid in the bowl.  Can you imagine how long it took the set designer to make sure each piece was perfect? Face up, layed left to right, label showing etc..  I saw that in a McDonald's commercial once.... all the french fries were standing straight up in a perfect line, tall, short, tall......and I also saw a segment on one of the cooking shows, it took hours for the prep cook and or set designer to lay out all this food so that when the camera panned it for a brief 3 seconds, (when they ran out of time for the segment)  it looked beautiful... so beautiful, you couldn't see it all.  I hope those artist get satisfaction in their work!

My frothy Chai Tea... that yummy stuff sure warms me up!!!

We were still getting phone calls last night at 6 pm to go out and vote!  So funny how many calls we still got to vote in Wisconsin when we have lived in Illinois for 4-1/2 years.  So who all won?  Did a message get sent to Washington, we want less government?  I don't know, but on Dancing with the Stars.... Bristol Palin is sticking around another week.

Everyone is back home, safely in the nest.  It's Wednesday.  Mexican Pizza (recipe from Taco Bell, Kopy Kat) is on the agenda for dinner.  It's a gloomy fall day. Tiny dust bunnies are teasing me from under the couch. I have to find one of those summer sunny days that I tucked in my memory and bring it out!

R- the foRgotten title

- The R's have it

- Real pain, or royal pain, Rant

- Red cup

The surname or synonym for family name is R... for Robinson.  We have a lot of RrrrrR's around the house. Grandpa didn't know we had lots of RrrrR's around the house.  Here are a few of our RrrrR's.  They spell nothing!  Just remind me of R......obinson.

 They look nice and all the stores sell letters.

ROBINSON Surname Meaning & Origin:

The most likely origin of this surname is "son of Robin," although it may also derive from the Polish word "rabin," meaning rabbi.Robinson is the 27th most popular surname in the United States according to data from the 2000 census.

Well, I feel better from yesterday's Rant.  But I'm still sad.  I think I have a cold too.  Bummmer!  And, now below my lower back hurts, so every time I sneeze I have to brace myself for a surge of discomfort.  Yikes!

Did you know that Starbucks has gotten their "RED" cups out.  I didn't know that either, but I guess it's something to look forward to if you are a fan of Starbucks..... the start of the holiday season!  Oh boy! We're talking about it over at the House of Shine.

Watched part of one of my favorite movies yesterday.... When Harry Met Sally.... love it!

GO VOTE - Roger that!

Nutcase or tidy nut shell?

- Simple card

- How many challenges can I start (and complete)

- November 1

Well, an easy and  simple card, no layers.  Easy to write a note on.  A little master piece of artwork with a smoosh of ink and a stamp and a line doodle.  Perfect to send in the mail.  Which I will do today!  Send any FUN mail out lately????

Some thing has GOT to change.  My brain is swimming with ideas, I can't type as fast as I think, and then I can't think straight enough to figure out how to do this.  I've had it!!!! 

Love Love card making and paper crafts and taking on a challenge to create something as a gift for someone.... but my brain is so sad and confused.  Truly what is my purpose here??????

I'm taking a 21 day challenge here with Rhonna.  It takes 21 days to form or break a habit. This starts FRIDAY.   I just found Carol here.  She has a blog all about Living Your Truth and things about loving your look. I haven't figured out 'what type I am.... 3 or 4"  it might explain who I am... who is the REAL me??   I am blown away and amazed by Heidi and her fun spirit and creativity here!  And I'm excited every day to see what Claudia has to teach me here!!!  Notice a pattern?  No REAL people... all blogs and entrepreneur women who found a way to take their talents and present what they learned to other wo(men) via blogs.  PS Plus I have a lot more blogs of amazing people who just blow me away with their talent!!!

That's just me (in a nut shell) , a little sad today 'cuz I need to find something a bit more.  Stay tuned to see if I can learn anything new this month.

A roller coaster of ups and downs in our house: Bubba got his first acceptance letter and academic scholarship for 4 years to the University of Iowa.  So proud.  Sissy had her second tryout for her club volleyball team and she didn't make the team.  Over 60 girls tried out for 30 spots, she became an alternate in case one of the 30 girls decides to quit... so she just barely missed making the team.  So that kind of sucks!  She is such a team player, hard worker... and maybe size DOES really matter, not talent or skill!!!  Hard ... hard... lesson.  The Packers won!  That's always fun ... being Cheese heads in a "FLATLAND" is always a challenge.  Hubby's flight to Columbus was delayed.... is that a good thing or a bad thing???  Shrimp Po Boys for dinner after Drivers Ed! Oh man, and this DANG computer.... I want to throw it out the window!!!!!  Sounds like fun to be me!!!!