Sale number Fifty !!!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

My Etsy shop, Shana's Shop is so close to selling item number 50! A few months ago my brother joined me and together we have been running Shana's Shop. This is very exciting for us and with 49 sales we are excited to see what our 50th sale will be. We have been adding new items daily and have a wide variety of items and prices. Check out some of these great photographs and fun small items here. If you haven't been by recently please take a moment to check it all out.

As a special thanks to all my blog readers I am offering free shipping on all items in our shop for this week (Decemer 13th to the 19th). If you are interested in buying something please convo me and let me know which item(s) you are interesting in. When you contact me just mention my blog and I will create a reserved listing for you with free shipping! Also all matted printed have free shipping everyday and check out the PIF section for more great deals! Enjoy...

Glass pebble magnets

Photograph - Walnut Street Bridge - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Blank Owl Note Cards

Photograph - Chaco Canyon, New Mexico

Flat photo magnet Glass pebble magnets

Set of three Photo Notecards - Blank inside

Photograph - Dixie National Forest, Utah

I hope you find something you like!

Gift wrapping with what you already have

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Another idea for gift wrapping is using things you already have around the house. Recently I got something in the mail. It was a tiny little item in a huge box. Silly, right? Well the box was stuffed full of paper to protect the item. So I just flatted out the paper, used some stamps and ribbons I had and there you go! Making your own wrapping paper can be fun!

Tips: When stamping paper make sure you have a flat hard surface or the stamp won't look good. If you are wrapping something like a book you can stamp the wrapping paper after you wrap the item. It the item isn't hard like a book or won't create a flat surface you should stamp the paper over a flat surface before you wrap the gift so the stamp will turn out great.
In my last post about wrapping gifts there were some great ideas for beautiful simple ways to wrap your gifts. What are some other things you like to use for wrapping gifts besides besides store bought wrapping paper?

Last week in Seattle & Vancouver

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Last week I had a great time visiting with friends and family in Seattle for Thanksgiving. Since we were so close to Canada we took the train up to Vancouver for a few days too. Yes it was cold and there was some rain but we actually had a few beautiful days. The food was amazing and the company I was with was even better. The funny thing is now that I'm back in Nashville it hasn't stopped raining! What's that all about?

Here are a few views from the Space Needle on our last day.

Wrapping it up

Monday, November 30, 2009

I love wrapping presents. Sure, cute wrapping paper is always fun, but what about some other ideas? Last year I heard about things like wrapping a cookbook in a fun new dish towel or putting the gift in a beautiful box that doesn't need to be wrapped. I love these ideas because then the wrapping is also a gift.

I was wrapping some gifts the other night for a swap I found over at great crafty and creative blog Just Jingle and came up with something new (for me at least). As I was using tissue paper to pad some to the gifts before I wrapped them in wrapping paper I had the idea to just leave them wrapped in tissue paper and then add a simple rub-on. I love the way they turned out and think the little bit of messiness of the tissue paper just adds to it! What about you? What are some of your wrapping secrets or tips?

Time 4 Snowflakes!

Saturday, November 28, 2009

I love snowflakes! Here are a few of my favorite recent finds on Etsy.

Hand painted rusted tin snowflakes by Tandie from Nesta Home A beautiful original wall hanging or print from Wendi Gratz. A simple but stunning clear snowflake sun catcher from Island Glass And a beautiful set of 6 snowflake cards from Talia's Creative Printing
No real snow in Nashville yet, but so many great finds on Etsy. What's your favorite wintertime or holiday decoration?

The new photos on my Refrigerator door

Friday, November 20, 2009

Here are some of my favorite photos from my recent trip to India.

I loved this sign! I saw it near the place you were suppose to leave your shoes at the Dalai Lama's Temple in McLeodganj. Luckily my shoes weren't stolen, but I met a guy who did have his shoes stolen. It was OK though because it was hot there and he wanted to buy some new sandals! These are not my hands, but aren't they beautiful? Many women do this for their wedding or special occasions. Tourists just do it because they're in India!

This is my favorite monkey picture out of all the ones I took. If you look closely you can see he is sticking his tongue out at me!

What photos have you added recently to your refriderator door?

Shana's first road trip

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

As we drove down to Tuscaloosa, Alabama last weekend I realized my dog, Shana, had never been out of the state before! Well, she loved her first road trip!We went down to Alabama with my parents to visit my younger brother. We saw the beautiful university campus, some fun artwork and sculptures and yes, we saw Archaeology in Action!

I had to stop in Mumbai

Saturday, November 7, 2009

I got home yesterday from my five week trip in India. After over 37 hours to get back with three different flights and more waiting in the airports than anyone should ever have to do, it is wonderful to be home. The trees are beautiful as they are changing colors and the crisp cool weather is perfect. The only problem is it makes it hard to show off my great new tan I’ve been working over the last few weeks!!

No trip to India would be complete without stopping in Mumbai, so I spent my last four days there. When I arrived in Mumbai I saw exactly what I was expected, numerous high rise buildings sprouting up along the waterfront for as long as I could see. With a population of over 20 million people (almost double the population of New Delhi) I was surprised at the calmness and order of the traffic and how clean the city and the air seemed.

There is so much to see and do in Mumbai. It is very expensive compared to the rest of the cities I stayed in and there were many brief moments it felt as if I could be in any city in Europe or America. Mumbai has a very modern look and feel. It’s funny because that is what I expected to find in New Delhi when I first arrived in India, but that was not at all what I found. New Delhi and Mumbai are completely different cities. I’m happy I was able to see both of them and especially that I flew into New Delhi and not Mumbai at the beginning of my trip. It was a wonderful way to dive right in, head first and completely shock my system.

In Mumbai there is a wonderful mixture of architecture. Many modern high rise buildings fill the city and many more are being built. There is an extravaganza of well kept up Victorian Gothic buildings mixed in with gracefully deteriorating Art Deco apartment houses.

One of my favorite places was Juhu Beach which is about 20 km from the city center. I did a city sightseeing tour one day and this is where the day ended. It was probably one of the best days to visit the beach because it was a holiday and there were more people there than usual. There were people along beach and in the water for as long as you could see. Their black silhouettes against the sun setting in the sky were beautiful. A small collection of busy food stands welcomed you in and smaller food stands and people selling everything you could image, but would never need where everywhere along the beach. I had meet two Indian girls in my tour group for the day and they explained what all the different types of foods were and we tried many different things. Many different good tasting things!

One day I did a day trip out to the Elepanta Caves that were about an hour boat ride from Mumbai. Since this is such a touristy area there were signs up about the monkeys. These monkeys knew that when people were carrying food and water bottles it would be more fun if they had them than just looking at the people with them. I saw one girl start to peel a banana that she wanted to eat just to have a monkey swoop in and grabbed it from her. Then saw another monkey grab a guy’s water bottle. The monkey then punctured the bottom of the bottle with his teeth to drink the water only to be scared away by another monkey that actually unscrewed the cap on the bottle and then came back and drank it like we do!

I know it sounds too crazy to be real so luckily I got it on video.

The sad thing was the same guy also had a plastic bag with his lunch in it and the monkeys also ended up with that too.

Yes, India has much to offer, but my favorite part - there was definitely never a dull moment.

Sambhavna Trust Clinic - Bhopal, India

Sunday, November 1, 2009

A few days before I arrived in Bhopal my mom mentioned something about the disaster here in an e-mail. I didn't know much about it.

After a day of sightseeing and a day out at Sanchi I had one day left in Bhopal. I didn't really want to shop, but I figured New Market would be a good place to hang out for the day. I took an auto rick shawl there and started to wander around. The people selling produce was my favorite part. They are so fresh and colorful, the food and the people. Then I ran into an American woman that was here volunteering at the Sambhavna Trust Clinic. This is how I really learned about the tragedy.

In 1984, Bhopal made national news headlines with the Union Carbide disaster when a poisonous gas escaped killing and injuring thousands of people.

We started talking and when she found out I was an architect she invited me to come see the clinic. The clinic was finished in 2005 and is a wonderful contrast to the typical stark white hospitals or clinics I had seen before. The scale of the building and materials that were used create a very welcoming and comfortable place for the patients (over 20,000 people have died from this disaster and 100,000 survivor still suffer severe, chronic and disabling illnesses).

The clinic has many wonderful features. They use solar energy and recycle their grey water. They also grow and make their own medicines which are all free to the patients.

Escaping the Circle of Poison

Recent studies by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reveal significant levels of 13 pesticides in the average American body. In many cases, people who are sick because of industrial poisons are forced to take medicines manufactured by chemical corporations that also pollute the environment. Through herbal and drug-free remedies, Sambhavna is committed to setting an example for people across the world to escape this circle of poison.

-Quote taken from Sambhavna brochure

It was a great learning experience to tour this facility and see what great things have come out of all the compassionate individuals that have made contributions of time and/or money over the last twenty plus years. There are also great volunteer opportunities here and the accommodations that are provided are some of the best I have ever seen. Volunteers from around the world can apply their skills in medical work, social work, writing, research, gardening, photography, information systems and more.

I am so glad I ran into this wonderful lady and was able to visit this clinic and learn more, first-hand, about this unfortunate tragedy.

You can find more info here: http://www.bhopal.org/

Warnings

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

I think when you are issued a visa to visit India it should come with two warnings, two very big bold flashing warnings.

The first warning would be that the Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays. The day I had planned to visit the Taj Mahal was Friday, but luckily I noticed this in my guide book and was able to extend my hotel reservation before I arrived. I would hate to know how many people arrive in Agra Thursday evening with a train ticket leaving Agra Friday afternoon and plan to visit the Taj Mahal Friday morning. I met a few people that this happened to and felt so sorry for them. I mean it is the Taj Mahal! If only those people had that tiny bit of important information for one of the world's most famous buildings and probably the most visited building in India. That's why I think it should be in big bold letters on your visa. Ok, maybe just tiny print, but you need to know that information before you miss seeing it for yourself, up close and in person.

The second warning I would propose is DO NOT EVER buy a "general" train ticket. I found this out the hard way. When I was leaving Agra I tried to buy a ticket for a seat, but they sold me a "general" ticket. Why the lady selling the tickets didn't realize I could not physically fit in those cars, let alone me and my huge backpack on my back is beyond me. Why it is not emphasized anywhere in the 3 guide books that I had before I left or the one I bought with me is very strange. It is possible I just missed that bit of information, but if it was in big bold letters somewhere maybe I would have seen it!! Now the cars for the "general" tickets have more people in them than physically possible. They are crammed in there and once you get in how would you ever get out?? There was no way my bag and I would fit in any of those cars. No way! So why that lady selling me the ticket didn't just tell me buying a "general" ticket would be the worst possible thing I could do? Well, now I know...

Never a dull moment...

Friday, October 23, 2009

India - day 23

So the other night I found myself on the back of some guy's motorcycle. It was perfect. The temperature had dropped a few degrees from the unbearable heat of that day and no one noticed I was a tourist since it was dark out. We circled round-abouts inches from other motorcycles and cars and zipped down narrow streets with only one purpose in mind: toilet paper.

Many people ride motorcycles in India and until that moment I had no reason to be on one. I have given up many things while traveling in India. Many things that I am OK with and can live without. Some things like western style toilets (for the most part), hot showers (the cold showers are actually perfects after a hot day), cold drinks (they are so hard to find) and air conditioning just to name a few. But I just can't do without toilet paper. Most people in India do not use toilet paper so sometimes it is hard to find. Before that day I had been able to find it, but as I used up the last of my supply panic set in as I couldn't find anymore all day long.

That evening I asked at my hostel where I could buy it and that's how I found myself on the back of this motorcycle. They told me someone would give me a ride and I assumed they would have a car, but when I saw my driver with a helmet in his hand I knew that wasn't the case. Earlier that day I had arrived in Jaipur and had asked my hostel to arrange a city tour for me in English. It turned out the tour had everything I was looking for expect the English part. It wasn't that big of a deal because I was still able to see many of the sites. The funny thing was as I was taking photos of the sites: temples, palaces, the old city, everyone else was taking photos of me. Apparently, I was more exciting. It was crazy. I had mothers handing me their babies (crying, of course) to take a photo and whole families crowding around me to have their holiday photo taken with me in the center.

Many people said hello and some wanted to shake my hand but most really seem to want a photo with me. It was fun at first ,but got very exhausting very quickly.

When I returned from my non-English tour of Jaipur the people working at the hostel hurried to put something together for me. They truly intended to put me on an English tour so one guy ended up offering his son to take me around the next day.

This turned out to be wonderful. Again, I assumed there would be a car involved, but quickly realized that was not the case when I meet the son with his helmet in hand. We went to places I had not seen and he spoke English which was nice, but the best part of the day was learning about his arranged marriage.

He is 23 and I asked him if he was getting married by an arranged marriage.

His is how I found out about his arranged marriage of "Love". You see, he had meet a girl a few months earlier and they had fallen in love, but they needed their parent's approval. They had spent much time with both sets of parents getting approval and had finally convinced them all to allow the marriage happen. His mother seemed to be the hardest to convince out of all the parents. I was so happy for him and didn't know that he could actually choose his wife. He told me that the religion and other factors played a big part and just because you are in love doesn't mean you can get married. He told me about his friend that was in love with a girl that his parent's just would not approve of and he had to give up on marrying her and allow his parents to arrange a marriage for him instead. There was nothing else he could do.

Hearing my guide tell me about this girl he was going to marry in 38 days and see how in love he was was so beautiful.

A few days earlier I was in Delhi for the second time. I was there for Diwali. What an amazing and crazy holiday. I sent the day in the markets and loved all the flowers they were selling for Diwali. There were orange flowers everywhere on the streets for sale to decorate your house or shop for the holiday. And then there were the clay pots, heaps of them for sale with cotton and oil all over the place.

Diwali is probably one of the biggest holidays in India. And not only do they light candles and these little clay pot lamps, but they love firecrackers. All day long I heard them being shot off in the narrow street my hotel was off of. In the evening I stood in the doorway of my hotel with the security guard watching the firecrackers and sparklers from a distance. We both jumped back when they felt too close.

And then I discovered the roof. Most hotels have rooftop restaurants, but mind didn't so I never thought to go up on the roof. Then one of the guys that worked there asked if I had been up there. So he showed me our roof with the best view in Delhi. I sat up there for a while with the other workers from the hotel and enjoyed the amazing 360 degree view of fireworks in every size and color. Everyone was setting them off from there roofs. For as far as I could see there were fireworks. It was beautiful, alittle smoky after a while, but absolutely beautiful.

After visiting Jaipur I took a 5 hour bus ride to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is one of the most breathtaking buildings I have ever seen. When I arrived it was too late in the day to pay to go into the enclosure to see it. Instead I walked down to the river where I saw it from outside the gate. What an emotional experience to see the Taj Mahal for the first time in person. It was so much more than I was expecting and tomorrow I will get to go inside.

(Note: This is only my opinion and I am not an expert on religion or marriage in India.)

HPS Senior Secondary School in Mandi Dabwali, India

Friday, October 16, 2009

The last few days have been the most amazing experience in India. I was invited to visit the HPS school in Mandi Dabwali and am so glad I was able to visit them. From the moment I stepped off the train everyone was so welcoming and helpful.

This is a very interesting story becasue it all started with this blog.

A few months ago when I started this blog Ramesh, the director at HPS, found it. We have been in touch ever since then. He was excited about the creativity I was sharing on my blog and had told me about his school. When I stared planning a trip to India only about a month or two ago I was back in touch with Ramesh. I was looking for volunteer opportunities while I was in India. Ramesh's school didn't have any short term opportunities, but instead he invited me to visit his school.

Mandi Dabwali was a little out of the way but it was worth all the traveling. I took a four hour bus ride to Pathankot and spent the night there. Pathankot was a very busy city with no tourists in sight. I found a hotel and the railway station. I couldn't really figure out how to buy a train ticket, but eventually figured it all. The only thing was I bought a general ticket, but sat in the sleeper section. Twice they came by and checked tickets and told me this. I didn't know where the general seats were and they didn't know enough English to tell me to move or to ask for more money so I just stayed and they just walked away. I thought maybe the police would be waiting for me when I got off the train, but that never happened. At one station about ten police officers boarded our car with a video camera, metal detectors and a dog. They were asking which bags belonged to each person, but they never asked to see my ticket so I was OK!

When I arrived at the train station in Mandi Dabwalia around 8 pm (9 hour ride) I was greeted by our driver with a wonderful sign welcoming me along with Ramesh, Kunal, Vimal (2 teachers from the school) and beautiful flowers. They drove me to Ramesh's brother's house where I stayed.

What a wonderful welcoming family. I had such a wonderful time with them. Ranjana, the mother was so kind and I enjoyed talking with her. The two children were so much fun too. That evening after a small ceremony to welcome me into their house we have some wonderful treats and then I changed to go to the older school for dinner. Since Diwali is coming up soon we stopped at shop owned by Ramesh's friends and I got to see all the wonderful sweets being packaged for Diwali gifts.

At the older school I meet the older students that stay at the housing provided by the school. They made a beautiful caulk sign for me as I walked into the school and had cooked an amazing Indian dinner for me.

The next morning I went to the newer school for a program organized for me. I was shocked at all this. It was wonderful. All the students were dressed in their white uniforms and were waiting as I arrived. Some of the teaches greeting me with flower necklaces and we made our way to the stage. The performances were amazing. The students prayed and meditated which was beautiful. Some students sang and danced and they all preformed so beautifully. They even got me to dance on stage in front of everyone!

Then I spoke to the students about my thoughts about education and how important I thought it was. At the end they asked me some very good questions at the question and answer part of the program. Most of them wanted to know the difference between American and Indian students and the differences between our education systems.

After the program I went to different classrooms and talked to the students a little more. It was wonderful to see them in the classroom settings.

That evening I meet with about 20 parents, teachers and members of the town. I spoke for a few minutes and then they asked me questions about America and my experiences in India so far. It was a wonderful discussion about our two countries. Again we ate a wonderful Indian meal.

The next day I visited the older school again. They are in the process of moving to the larger newer school but the younger children are still at the older school. I ate lunch with the children and was able to speak to many of them. Most of them really just wanted to shake my hand.

One of the ladies at the school took me to the market because the school wanted to buy me some gifts. I was so surprised by this and did not expect it. It was so kind of them. She took me to a fabric store to have an Indian Salvar dress made for me. All the fabric was so amazing. Then we went and found a Krishna statue and some beautiful Indian shoes.

There are there amazing Jeeps that are made in Mandi Dabwali. Ramesh arranged for two teaches to go with me on a tour of where they make and sell these jeeps. As we drove around town everyone noticed me. I think I really stood out because there were no other tourist around. It was very strange to have everyone looking at me because I don't really feel like I stand out, but apparently I do.

When I got back to the school I spoke to the teachers for a short while. Then we all went to visit the memorial. In 1995 there was a fire at one of the schools and 442 people were killed. It was very sad and difficult to see because not only do they have everyone's name on the memorial, but there is also a photo of each person that died and photos before and after the fire.

The people in this town were amazing. Everyone was so warm and welcoming. I had a wonderful time and am so glad I was able to visit and see how wonderful the HPS school is.

Before I left on this trip I set up a pen pal program with my Mom's students and some students at the HPS school. My Mom's students are very excited about this program and have just written there letters. I know the students here in India will enjoy meeting another student in America and will be so happy when their letter arrives. I plan to keep in touch and hopefully we can all learn from our new friendship.

Here are some pictures from the morning program at the school:

It is Real

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Today I am leaving the town I have been in for the last week and where I have been volunteering. I love it here, but am off to see more of India. I have learned so much while I have been in this town.

Have you heard Free Tibet or Save Tibet before? I'm sure you have. I have heard it before, but now it is so much more real to me. Fifty years ago the Chinese invaded Tibet and would not allow them to practice Buddhism any more. India was an amazing country and let the Dalai Lama seek refuge in their country. Today there are many Tibetan refugees that have made the 30+/- day trek by foot to get to this country and now call it home because they have religious freedom here. Many of them want to learn English and I have attended a few conversational English classes while I have been here. They are so happy and eager to learn English and loved to talk to me. After class I was even invited out to tea by one student because she wanted to keep practicing English with me.

I have also heard a lecture from a man that was imprisoned by the Chinese for 12 years for displaying the Dalai Lama's photo which is strictly prohibited in Tibet.

This is real. These people have been displaced and what is being done? The other day I saw the newspaper and saw that the US gave the Dalai Lama an award and the Chinese were not happy about that. They want the US to stay out of their personal affairs.

What can we do to help the situation? Boycott Chinese goods? Write to our government or the Chinese government? Donate to Tibetan charities? I don't really know, but I think the first step is education and think that everyone needs to beware of what is going on because it is very real.

Buses & monkeys & monks! Oh my!

Friday, October 9, 2009

Some people travel from very far away to come to McLeodganj where I have been the last few days. Some come for enlightenment and because the Dalai Lama lives here. Others come for one of the many different types of massage certification courses, Tibetan cooking classes, Hindi language classes, yoga classes, Raiki or meditation courses. Not me. I have come to this area to volunteer to help teach English to Tibet refugees and monks. All the other things are interesting but I have no interest in doing a 10 day meditation course where you can not talk from 4am to 9pm. It is enough to be around the people doing all these wonderful things and just to hear about them. So instead of signing up for some kind of class between by volunteering I have been venturing out and seeing the other parts of this area.

The last few days have been quite an adventure. I have seen things I have never seen before. I have tried foods and traveled to places that are all very new to me.

There are wild monkeys here. And when I say wild monkeys I mean they are everywhere and they will bite. Or so I have heard. I don't know if they will really bite, but I don't want to find out first hand.

I went on a hike the other day on my own. There were other people on the trail and I saw many monkeys along the way. Then when I came to a group of moneys in the middle of the trial there was suddenly no one else around. I didn't know what to do. As I slowly approached the group of moneys they didn't move. Still I didn't know if they would leave, but didn't want to walk past them because there were so many of them. I passed others before, but there were only one or two of them. This group, I was approaching, was very large with about ten monkeys. Still I walked slowly towards them.

Then suddenly one monkey, the biggest one, went crazy! He started making all kinds of crazy noises and jumping up and down and then started jumping on the monkey next to him! I didn't want him to do this to me so I turned around very quickly and went the other way. Then there was another trial above so I went up there. As I approached the area where the monkeys were down below I started to see them appear. They were all coming up the hill and crossing the trail I was on, or so I thought. I thought they were all up on the upper trail so I went back to the lower trail, but the big crazy one was still in the middle of the trail just wait for me!
I don't know what is on the other side of him and didn't push my luck, but got some great videos and photos of these friendly monkeys. From a distance these monkeys are so cute, but if they fell threatened they will hiss at you and jump up and down. They are not so cute when they do that.

Then yesterday I had a wonderful adventure riding the public buses. I'm not talking about an air conditioned tourist bus now, I'm talking about a real local in your face Indian bus. Four of them and a jeep bus. I went down to Dharamshala to explore with the monk that I met a few days ago. He knows that town so it was actually really easy to get around. Dharamshala is not as touristy as McLeodganj where my guesthouse is. It was great to be in the middle of everything. The first bus ride was alittle crazy. We all just loaded on and we off. I didn't know if we even had to pay, but eventually someone came around to collect our money. We explored the monastery and at small Tibet handicraft village.

On the ride back I was told we were going to take a bus. Well it was actually a jeep that would hold about 8 people comfortably. We fit 13 people in there! I was in the middle seat. The fourth person, a monk, could hardly close the door. Now I am not that big, but compared to everyone here I am. I felt bad because I was the first one in that seat and he probably could not fit because of me. There was still a space in the back. I thought we were waiting for everyone to get comfortable so I asked if I should move to that spot in the back. They told me No, they were waiting to fill that spot with 2 people before we could leave!

What a ride! This jeep ride was probably the craziest, most freighting, scariest and most amazing ride ever. We whipped up the curvy partially paved road at top speeds passing other jeeps and trucks with only inches to spare. It didn't help that it had also just started raining and the road was getting wet. I thought how can they drive like this? They must know what they are doing? I haven't heard of any problems with these jeeps and as soon as I thought that we passed a truck and a jeep that had run into each other! All the passagners were standing on the side of the road and one was hurt so that was good. I closed my eyes and prayed I didn't die in this jeep but then just stuck my face out the window and realized I might as well enjoy the ride. It really was wonderful but the best part when when we parked and I got out of the jeep.

Who knows what will happen tomorrow...

Cell phones?

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

There is a Buddhist monk staying in the room next to me at my guesthouse in McLedoganj/Dharmshala. I meet him yesterday and found out he is here to learn English. He was telling me about a beautiful waterfall near here and offered to take me so he could practice his English. So on the way we meet another guy I had meet on the bus up here and we all went off to the next town to see the waterfall. It was a very interesting day with many good conversations about Buddhism.
But what I learned today was that Buddist monks have cell phones! But not just cell phones - camera phones! For some reason I didn't expect this. As we were leaving the waterfall the monk turned around, pulled out his cell phone and took a photo of the waterfall.
Is there anyone left in the world that doesn't have a cell phone? Oh yeah, me at the moment, but I don't know if that counts...

New Delhi

Monday, October 5, 2009

Backpacking in India - Day 1
I arrived in New Delhi, the capital of India, around 4 pm and it was 34 degrees Celsius. That is very hot, but it was not that bad because it was late in the day and the sun was not out. Everyone drives around with their windows down and there was a nice breeze.
The city is everything I was expecting and more. The taxi ride to the place I was staying was such an experience. It took about 30 minutes and was wonderful to see the city, but the traffic is what I was amazed at.
It is recommended that visitors do not rent cars but hire a car with a driver. This is true. I think it would be impossible for me to drive here. It is crazy with all types of vehicles on the road. It might look like total madness, but if you look closely it all make complete sense. Everyone knows what is going on and there are rules, but at first it does not appear there are any rules at all.
There is not road rage like we have in the states. There are just so many cars and people the traffic is different here. Looking around the city was wonderful on my ride into the city, but my favorite part was to turn around and see the traffic coming towards me. There were 2 or 3 lanes and 4 or 5 vehicles coming towards me at once! When you stop the cars just pile into the intersection and then take off when the light changes. And the honking, oh there is nonstop honking. But it is not in a rude "get out of my way" honking but to let the others know you are coming and will pass them.

I stayed on the Main Bazar. Now this road is a world within itself. This is a crazy place with shops on both sides of the street. There are all kinds of shops, food and many backpackers all around. I really stand out here and many people just come up and start talking to me. Most speak really good English. The Main Bazar is almost as wide as a two lane street and the traffic goes both ways. My taxi drove me down this road to the alleyway where my accommodations were. Now it is not an alley like you are probably thinking but just another small walkway with more shops, hostels and Internet cafes.
On the Main Bazar there are taxis, tukuks, bike taxis, people walking, motorcycles and even an ox or two pulling a cart.

Day 2
I took a tour all over New Delhi for 10am to 4pm. It is a big city and I saw many of the main sites. At 5pm I took an overnight bus to McLeodganj. The bus was very long and bumpy. It took more than 12 hours to get here but it is worth it.

Day 3
Here in the mountains it is beautiful and so peaceful. McLeodganj is near Dharamsala and I will look for volunteer opportunities in this area to teach English. I'm not sure how long I will stay here. It is nice but hard for me to stay too long because there are so many places to see in India.

India here I come...eventually

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

In 1897 the well-traveled writer Mark Twain called India

"...the one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of all the rest of the globe combined."

I'm packed and ready to go. I'm suppose to leave tomorrow for five weeks in India. There's only one little problem. One little important detail...Air India is on strike. I'm leaving tomorrow morning and connecting through JFK. The flight has already been cancelled so, fingers crossed, I will be on the next flight on Friday.

I could be upset and frustrated, but why? I can't do anything about this and every time I go to NYC I never have enough time to see it all. A day in NYC, I love it!

Digital fun

Friday, September 25, 2009

A quick digital page layout I made.

I don't usually journal, but have started doing it more and more on my pages:

I cooked...it rained...they came. Earlier Kari helped with the colorful paper flowers that decorated the kitchen. Too wet outside to put any tables, but that worked out fine. I cooked before the party started and, of course, I cooked too much. Enough for an army, but it was delicious. We had marinated chicken, salad, fruit, beer bread, couscous, pita chips and humus. There was wine and soda and two cakes to top it all off. Wendy came by early and Daniel was in town. Juanita got lost and Amanda snuck back around. I worried where everyone would fit, but everyone seemed to find a place to sit. Opening presents was so much fun, but the entertainment afterwards, now that made Neal want to run. With my cheeks in too much pain it all had to end, but not before my mom found the forgotten party favors I was saving for the end!

And the winners are...

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Last night I picked the 3 winners with Random.org for my note card giveaway and they all sounded very excited!

The winners are....
Shelley of Random Stuff by SAM
Debbie from Our Side of the Mountain Crafts
and JuliaA of JuliaA

Congratulations to these winners and thank you to everyone that helped me celebrate turning 30.

(photo: my cakes)

Wordless Wednesday (Ok just a few words)

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Three generations

my dad, his father and grandfather

Minnesota

1950s

Will it rain?

Monday, September 21, 2009

I have been so busy the last few weeks getting ready for my 2nd craft show.

Produce. Package. Price.

Repeat daily.

The 1st craft show I did was not that fun because it rained. And when I say it rained, I mean it really rained. The forecast doesn't look that good for this weekend either. It is frustrating because I can't do anything about the weather. I have an outdoor booth and all the indoor space is sold out. So what can I do now?

I'm just hoping the weather will clear up by then and hopefully turn out to be a beautiful day! I have made so many new things for this show that I haven't even put on my Etsy shop yet. I'm really excited about all the new items I've made including my new series of magnets. I'll just keep working and hoping the rain will hold off at least for that day. Come on, enough with all this rain!!

Decluttering your life

Friday, September 18, 2009

Soon I will be turning 30 and a good friend of mine is also turning thirty shortly afterwards. Here is a card I made for her recently titled:

How to declutter your life before turning 30

29 Things you CAN do without

I got the idea from a magazine and had so much fun coming up with the list...

What is something you can do without in your life?

Wednesday Wonderfuls

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Today I want to share some wonderful graphic paper goods I found on Etsy.

A wonderful lady I found recently on Etsy runs her own company called Shalom's Cottage Home. She makes the most amazing and beautiful items. I love her snowflake graphics and hope she will start selling them again soon. She has a wonderful fruit series that would look great in any kitchen. I hope you enjoy them too and will check out her shop.

I love to-do lists. I am obsessed with them and crossing off everything on them until I've finished everything I need to do. I have pads of paper, small notebooks and scraps of paper all over the place with my to-do lists on them.

Another great shop on Etsy is Boygirlparty. Susie that runs this shop is inspired by her love of music, nature and life. I love her creations and illustrations. Her notepads are absolutely wonderful! I hope you have fun looking around her shop too.

More Great Finds

Friday, September 11, 2009

Last weekend when I went to North Carolina we took a day trip over to the huge Labor day tent show in Hillsville, Virginia. Have you been there before? There were so many tents and they just went on for as far as you could see. After walking around and looking at about half of the tents I made a great find. This old solid wood toolbox. I loved it and had to have it. Then another great find. I love to make furniture and have made or refinished about half of the furniture in my home. I love to know how things work and love finding creative ways to make new furniture. What's better than making a wonderful piece of furniture? Finding one! So check out this wonderful early Birthday gift from my friend in North Carolina. Do you know what it is? Here it is folded up... And here it is unfolded. Its a pool chair, but you don't have to have a pool to enjoy this beautiful chair.So since I'm about to turn thirty I wanted to have a little party to celebrate. A few weeks ago I found a great simple idea for paper flowers from one of my favorite blogs Domestic Fashionista. So during my trip, we took an afternoon, watched a movie and started making some fun paper flowers for party decorations. We made a few different sizes and used three different colors to make these fun paper flowers. Here's a photo of the small pink ones that turned out great. I can't wait til the party to see how it all comes together.

Paper Anyone?

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

He's cute and he's all paper! A fun display I saw in a store last weekend during my trip to Greensboro, NC. It is amazing what you can do with paper. I love it!

SuRvivinG SeAttlE

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Someone very special to me just moved to Seattle. He got a job a few weeks ago and was so excited. After talking to a few people around town he wasn’t that sure about the city. Not hearing anything good and only about the rain and how depressing Seattle was he was wondering if he should even go. But he did and he already loves it. I was planning on going to visit at the end of the year but he wants me to come next week! That’s how much he loves it there and wants me to see it too. I’m so excited now and can’t wait to visit Seattle because I’ve never been there before. Have you been to Seattle before? What did you think?

(Image: Front of card by me)

Wednesday Wonderfuls

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Here are a few tasty looking treats to share. And the best part is they come with no calories at all!

Good enough to eat Cupcake magnets by Three Rabbits

And some tiny charms that look so cute and tasty by Roscata. Also is running a giveaway right now for another one of her items. Check it out here.

I hope you enjoy these wonderful artists too and don't forget to enter my giveaway below again and again because you can enter each day.

Write Something by Hand

Sunday, August 30, 2009

I love this idea. I saw this recently on one of my favorite blogs {A} by Ali Edwards. Have you seen her blog before? If not, you can visit it here.

I don't particularly like my handwriting and usually use stickers or type things out when scrap booking or making cards.

But I think it is true that things written by hand are more cherished. One example is a ruler that I have. My friend Wendy, from college, has the most beautiful handwriting. She wrote my name on the back of one of my rulers when we were in Architecture school. It always makes me smile when I see it and reminds me of her.

So try it today. Write something by hand. Maybe your favorite quote or poem. Send it to someone or use it in your next layout. You never know who will cherish it later on.

Great finds

Thursday, August 27, 2009

I always enjoy reading The Queen of Clearance's blog. She always finds the best deals when she goes shopping.

Well, today I have some great finds to share.

I am preparing for a craft show at the end of September so I headed to Michael's for some supplies today. I found these super cute little birds that I thought would be perfect to hold up a pricing sign for some items at my booth. Every time I go to Michael's I get a coupon for the next week so I was ready to buy one of these little birds with a coupon. To my surprise it was already on sale. So I had to go back and get two more! Everything is always better in threes! And then I found this picture frame. I thought it would be perfect to make a small magnet board out of because of the fun frame.It was on clearance. I thought I knew what the price was, but to my surprise, when I checked out, it was marked down even more. You can't beat that kind of surprise! Prepared with coupons in hand and I didn't even need them. Stay tuned to see how the magnet board turns out.

And don't forget to enter my Turning 30 Giveaway that is still going on. You can enter each day for more chances to win so check it out.

Wednesday Wonderfuls

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Etsy is so much fun. I enjoy working on my shop but even more I enjoy all the other fun things I find. Just to share a few, here are some of my favorites.

Beautiful prints by Hirondelle Rustique
This print is also currently the prize of a giveaway going on here so check it out.
Beautiful artwork by Constant Dreamer

And some super cute birds from Red Hot Pottery I hope you enjoy these wonderful artists too and don't forget to enter my giveaway below again and again because you can enter each day.

GIVEAWAY - Turning 30 - CLOSED

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

I'm turning 30 in September. I can't believe it. I don't feel like I will be thirty but that's how the numbers add up.

Yes those are all pictures of me! I don't know what happened to my curly hair...

So how about a fun giveaway to celebrate? I thought some note cards would be fun. Everyone can use some note cards and your friends and family will love to get a card from you in the mail even more! So here they are and the best part is there are 3 note cards to choose from and there will be 3 winners! Just think about which pattern you like and if you win I will ask you which one you want. The note cards come in a set of 3 so you could so get one of each if you want. These note cards are on sale at my Etsy shop Shana's Shop here so if you can't wait you can buy them too.

So now for the rules. How do you enter? That's the easy part.

1. Leave a comment. Any comment. Say something serious, say something silly or just say hi. Leave your favorite quote or some advice. Just say anything you want but the best part is you can do this part each day for additional entries, so start following or bookmark my blog so you can find it again and come back each day to enter again.

2. Tweet about this giveaway or post it on your Facebook page. This can be done each day too. Just let me know what you have done it.

3. Enter your e-mail address on the right hand side to Subscribe to my blog. Please leave a comment only once you have received an e-mail and have activated your subscription or let me know you already subscribe.

4. Post this giveaway on your blog and leave the link to the post.

This giveaway will end Wednesday September 23rd at 6pm. I will pick 3 winners with Random.org. Have fun and come back each day for a better chance to win!

Please leave an e-mail address with every entry so I can contact you if you win, especially if you are leaving a comment as an anonymous entry. Thanks!

Sixty Roses

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Sixty roses for a Mom turning 60! And I can't believe I will be turning 30 next month. Oh, how time flies!

The cutest thing

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

My second attempt at saving a bunny was more successful than the first. We found this little bunny that had been separated from his mother. There are bunnies all over where I live. I see them all the time and they drive my dog crazy.

I wanted to keep him, but he wouldn't eat anything and I was worried he won't make it. I started researching and read that you are supposed to put them back where you found them so I did. I don't know if his mother found him again, but he is doing well and I love seeing him outside.
The other day I opened my door to take Shana for a walk and he was sitting on the bottom step. He ran across the street when he saw Shana, but he stayed there the whole time I was walking her. I don't know if he knows who I am, but I know who he is and am happy every time I see him.

Customize your frames

Sunday, August 16, 2009

So many of us love to scrapbook with photos from our trips, but have you ever thought of customizing your frames for the photos you display?

This is one way I like to use those little things you pick up along your trip that you don't really know how to use. I love getting those little pins from the places I go, but I never wear them! Here are two frames I did from our family vacation to Alaska last year. I found two matching frames with a big thick edge to add things to. This is a great way to help remember your trip alittle more.

On another note I can't believe it is time for another school year to start! The kids in Nashville have just started back. My mom is a teacher and she is excited to start another great school year. If your schools haven't started back yet I'm sure they will in the next few weeks. Good luck to all the students and teachers that are starting back to school and here's to another great school year!

Blueberries in Paris

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Last year I started writing a book of different stories from my travels. Here is one of my stories.

Paris 2001
On my second trip to Europe I found myself wondering around the streets of Paris on my own one morning. My friend I was traveling with wasn’t up and ready to go yet so I went out to pick up some breakfast. I walked past bakeries filled with fresh croissants and all kinds of bread and coffee shops filled with beautiful people sipping their perfect looking coffees. Eventually I found a street with small white tents full of fresh fruit and flowers. As I walked down the street the plumpest blueberries I’ve ever seen caught my eyes. I stopped to find out how much they cost and tried to ask the Frenchman selling them. I asked in English and he answered in French. We tried it again and I continued to speak in English and he continued to speak in French. I was frustrated as I realized we couldn’t communicate and I might not be able to walk away with these beautiful blueberries.
I stopped talking as I realized he didn’t understand or speak English and my lack of French was not helping. As I looked at the blueberries and the Frenchman continued to speak to me, I realized how divided we were by our languages. Just then an older man said something to the Frenchman and they started to talk. The older man turned to me and told me in English how much the blueberries were. As I reached for my money and paid the Frenchman for the fruit, the older man and he continued to talk. Finally the older man turned to me and said, “He says he wishes he could learn English just so he can speak to you.” I just smiled at both of them and then walked away with my new fresh blueberries in hand wondering how many times that line had been used by that Frenchmen.

One Year Anniversary

Monday, August 10, 2009

I can't believe it!! Shana's Shop, my Etsy shop, is celebrating its one year anniversary today. Over the last year I have learned so much about Etsy and selling on-line. The products I sell have also evolved along the way. I am always excited when I come up with new items and want to share a few of my newest creations.











So to celebrate I am offering free shipping for the next week! Yes free shipping! So stop by and take a look around and remember the price you see is the price you pay when you check out. Take advantage of this great sale and pass it along to your friends because it won't last long. Thanks for helping me celebrate! Thank you to everyone that has made a purchase and for helping me continue doing something I enjoy!
✽✽✽ Shana's shop http://www.shanasshop.etsy.com/ ✽✽✽

What gives you inspiration?

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

So far I am enjoying my forced vacation. This week is turning out to be a much needed break before I start my job search. I have been so busy and productive it is wonderful. Monday morning I took Shana to the park. She was so excited she couldn’t even stay on the trial. She was all over the place. A trip to the craft store, grocery store and library kept me busy. Yes the library! Why have I not been there for so long? I found some wonderful craft books that have already given me some great ideas.

I signed up for a craft show at the end of September. So, if you are in Nashville or Murfreesboro I hope you will come out and say hi. Signing up for the craft show will be wonderful because as I start to look for a new job I will have the preparation for the show to keep me busy. I am excited to do another one because I know it can’t be as bad as my first attempt. If you haven’t read about that horrible experience before read about it here.

Something fun to share! A birthday card I just made for a friend of mine who just turned 40. He loves Lost and when I saw the photo of the guys from Lost in a magazine I got the idea. I love looking at magazines because I always find wonderful inspiration; whether it’s for a scrapbook page layout, a great color scheme or just adding my own words to the images like I did for this card. What gives you inspiration?

Thank You to Everyone

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Friday was my last day at work. It was hard, but I’m OK. I know I will be OK. All the kind words from my friends and family have meant so much to me during this time. Thank you to everyone that have left such inspirational and meaningful comments or sent me uplifting messages. I know I can’t pay the bills with these, but they have meant so much to me. It is wonderful to have such support while I deal with how the economy has affected my job and the job market.
And a huge thank you to my Mom, who reads my blog but still hasn’t figured out how to leave a comment!

I want share something I read on the front cover of a notebook at a small shop in New Zealand a few years ago (Yes I always have to write good stuff down when I see it).

Life is a journey
Where I go from here
Is very much up to me
I am not afraid to explore
I am not afraid to take risks
I know what stops me
From succeeding is me
I will be the best I can be

I found the image above at my new favorite blog Oh,hello friend. I was so excited when I found this blog because the images and artwork on this site are amazing and remind me of me and everything I love. What a wonderful place for inspiration, beauty and creativity. The image reminds me of the saying about when you are given lemons make lemonade. Why not just color the clouds the colors you want them to be. Why not?

The Inkwell Alley

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Have you been to The Inkwell Alley before? I am honored that they are featuring my brother and I for Shana's Shop as their Friday Feature. Please stop by (click here) and show some blog love.

Attention Customers

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

The summer before I started college I worked at a grocery store as a cashier. Before that summer I didn’t have my own car. For as long as I could remember I wanted a Saab. And when I say, “as long as I could remember” I mean over that last few months which seemed like my whole life. Now, I’m not a car person, by any means, but I loved the look of the older Saabs. My younger brother and I found an older Saab for sale for only $500! What a deal! It had leather seats, automatic locks and a sun roof. Ok, too good to be true, right? Well, the sun roof didn’t work, it needed new tires, there were bees living somewhere in it and you couldn’t shift into fifth gear. But, were all those things really that important? Since I didn’t have to drive on the interstate to get to work I could live without fifth gear. My dad helped tremendously to get the car all fixed up and, of course, we ended up putting much more money into the car then we originally paid for it. But I loved this car! It was my dream car.

One day, when I was at work at the grocery store that summer the manager came on the load speaker and said, “Attention customers, someone has parked in the middle of the aisle way in the parking lot. Please more your car immediately.” What? Why would you park your car there?

After this was announced a few times the other cashiers and I started talking about it. What was this customer thinking and where were they? Why didn’t they go and move their car? I continued to work. After a while I didn’t have anyone waiting in my line so I thought I have to see this. I walked outside and to my surprise it was my car! What in the world!!?? Why was my car sitting in the middle of the aisle way in the parking lot?

The man that worked at the bank in the grocery store was outside standing right next to me. I told him it was my car. “Well move it then,” he said. “It’s not that easy,” I responded, “My keys are inside at my register!”

So this crazy customer we were all laughing at was me! And that is how I figured out the emergency brake didn’t work either. I had pulled into the parking spot that was on a slight incline. I parked the car in neutral and used the emergency brake. The car had slowly rolled back out of the parking space into the aisle way the same way I had turned into it.

Unfortunately that car was just not meant to be mine for very long. A few days later my brother was driving it over to his friend’s house and saw smoking coming from the hood. He pulled over and opened the hood to see the engine was on fire!!

I ♥ this, but what is it?

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

I found this a few weeks ago and love it! I love the leaves and birds on it and love that it is silver, not real silver, of course, but silver. The only thing is I have no idea what it is. I found it at the store and knew I had to have it as soon as I saw it. I carried it around the store with me for a while debating if I should buy it or not because that is just the way I am. I debated because I really didn't know what it was. Finally I decided to buy it because I really don't buy stuff for myself that often and I loved the look of it. I have it on my mantel and love looking at it but am still wondering what it really is. The bottom part is curved like a bowl so I thought it might be a candy dish or something like that. The leaves make me think of something you might hang earrings off of but those usually have holes in them to keep the earrings evenly spaced. It doesn't really matter what it is for because I'm enjoy having it just sitting there, but what do you think it is meant to be? I'm just wondering and maybe you will see or think of something I haven't....

Well...

Friday, July 24, 2009

Only a few days after reaching a great milestone in my professional career I received bad news at work. My company is closing two of our offices, including mine. Not only did I find this out, but that is all I found out. There are no more details and that is hard to deal with. I don't know when or how it will happen, but only that it will happen.

Shana's Shop hits 30

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Sale number 30! Excitement filled the house last night when I found out I had made my 30th sale! I started my Etsy shop called Shana’s Shop just under a year ago. It started out as a collection of square plastic magnets I had just started making and slowly evolved into a variety of things including round glass magnets, photographs, handmade books with the my version of the Coptic stitch and handmade cards. I have just started making earrings too, but that has been a very slow process. I have learned a lot over the last year and my shop have evolved to reflect that. Thank you to everyone that has stopped by to take a look around and especially to everyone that has made a purchase!

Yesterday & Tomorrow

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Yesterday marked four years at my current job. This day came with mixed emotions. Of course, it is wonderful to look back and see what I have accomplished in this time. Over the last 4 years I have completed my internship, completed my architectural licensing exams to become a registered architect, passed another exam to become a LEED AP and saw my first project entirely transform from drawings to a completed building. Last weekend was the first service at the church I have been overseeing the construction of for the last two years.

I am thankful that I have a job, but there is also uncertainly and fear that my job could also be taken away from me at any moment because of the economy. For now, all I can do is continue to work and I will just have to see what tomorrow will bring.

Before digital...

Friday, July 17, 2009

I've been doing more and more digital scapbook pages recently, but here is one of my favorite page layouts I did, by hand, a few years ago.

Tokyo, Japan June 2005

Homemade Sushi

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Last weekend Oley was craving Sushi. We usually go to our favorite Japanese restaurant, but he wanted to make it at home. So we went to the huge Asian food market near us and picked up the ingredients we needed. He did the hard work and made the rolls. I gathered up my unused collection of chopsticks scattered around in the silverware drawer and filled up some small dishes with soy sauce. We've had it three times since that trip to the market. Homemade Sushi is so good and it just keeps getting better each time he makes it.

Last Weekend's Project

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Ever since my friend Kari introduced me to Amy Butler fabrics I have been in love. Last week I finally made my first purchase and recovered a few pillows I already had. Making a simple envelope type cover, these really took no time at all. The fabric store I went to has everything 1/2 this week so I think I might go back to get some more fun fabric...

Free bookmarkers

Monday, July 13, 2009

Aren't these fun? You can download these fun bookmarkers here and print them out on card stock. I'm trying to finish reading the 6th Harry Potter book before we go see the new movie this weekend and before anyone says anything to ruin it for me! I know, I know, why did I wait this long...

What books are you guys reading right now? Anyone reading anything good that you would recommend?

For more great downloads visit Creating Keepsakes downloads page here.

Fabric Birds

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Last year I bought a few fabric birds like these at a craft show for a gift. When I gave them as a gift everyone thought that I made them. I was amazed because I didn't think I could ever make anything like this. But then I found the pattern and it turned out I could! Here are two fabric birds that I made. Yes, I made them! If you want to try one yourself check out the pattern here or check out my Etsy shop Shana's Shop to buy one.

Old-World Charm

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

I love artwork that anyone can make, but doesn't look like just anyone created it. I saw this project yesterday when I got the Creative Ideas mailer from Lowes. I think it is a beautiful piece of artwork that you could create for a large wall and what is it? Spray painted wood! First, you stain the wood and then put a door mat on top of the wood, spray paint it and you have instant art! For the full directions go here.

And the winner is....

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Thanks to everyone that entered my scrapbook memory album kit giveaway! The answers everyone left to explain what they would use this scrapbook kit for where absolutely wonderful!

Congratulations to the winner - Jacky and please check out her great Etsy shop TheArtOfPaper.

Get out there and enter some Giveaways!

Winning a giveaway is so much fun! Recently I found out I won a few giveaways sponsered by some lovely ladies that I want to share with you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last week I was one of the winners of Sun Laundry Detergent from Christy's blog Is it Naptime Yet? She always has great giveaways going on so go check out her fun blog.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I also found out that I won a Scentsy Car Candle from Angela over at her blog Authentic Wickless Candles. This came in the mail yesterday and smells so good. It will be perfect in my car that my dog loves to ride in so much. Thanks Angela and please visit her and check out the wide variety of products and the great business opportunities at her blog.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Then I found out about the AVON giveaway! Angel over at her blog Starting Over sponsered this great giveaway for $50 worth of Avon products. $50! She had the drawing on July 4th and I was the winner. I am very excited and am heading over to AVON to do some shopping. Thanks Angel and please visit her for a really funny blog and all your AVON product needs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another great giveaway still going on is over at April's blog April's Little Famliy. She is having a wonderful Target Gift Card giveaway. Now, the only reason I'm sharing this with you is because there are 3 prizes so I still might have a chance to win if you know about it. So head on over there and show her some love. And the best part is you can keep visiting her everyday this month and enter over and over again. How great is that? So get out there, find some giveaways and Good luck!

New Blog Button

Sunday, July 5, 2009

I'm still pretty new at this whole blogging thing, but I had to have a button. Strolling around the blog world, I see them everywhere. Everyone seems to have one and I wanted one too. I'm happy to say after trying and trying again, mission accomplished. It wasn't easy, but I finally found a wonderful blog with many great tutorials and I made my own button with HTML code to copy. So if you want to put my button on your page I would be honored. Or if you just want to test it out for me and see if it even works that would be great. Just leave a comment and let me know if it works. Thanks!

Please take a moment to check out this great Etsy shop - Sam's Stuff

Thursday, July 2, 2009

I have to share this with you! A few days ago, I found out that I won the giveaway sponsored by the Etsy shop Sam’s Stuff. As the winner I was able to pick the crocheted headband of my choice. I knew the prize was in the mail, but what a surprise when I opened the package today. This Etsy shop owner is not only talented and creative, but she pays attention to every detail. As an architect, details are important to me, but I was blown away at the attention to the details that went into this package of goodies. I actually debated for a minute or two if I should open the wrapping on the headband. The stitching on it was so beautiful that I wanted to keep it, but I really wanted to see the headband! Finally I unwrapped the package while saving as much of the stitching as I could!!
The package also included a handmade book marker (did she know I’ve been using an old receipt in the book I am currently reading or what?) and a hand drawn piece of art in a frame. The headband came with instructions for care and how to adjust it if it didn’t fit, but it fit perfectly and I haven’t taken it off since it arrived! So how blown away was I with this headband? When I took it off the holder it came on and looked on the inside of it, there was a hand stitched label! I love it!! Please stop by Sam’s Stuff and show this lovely Etsy lady some love. Her shop is full of vintage and handmade items.

After you visit Sam’s Stuff don’t forget to enter my giveaway in the next post if you haven’t already. Only one week left.

GIVEAWAY - Scrapbook Memory Album 12"x12" Kit - CLOSED

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

And here it is, my second giveaway! As you know, I love photographs, scrapbooking and making crafts. So what would better than a kit to make your own scrapbook?

This kit includes all the materials needed to complete a beautiful professional quality project! (That's what the sticker on the front says!) This kit makes a book that holds standard 12" x 12" page protectors (not included) and is a $30 Value . I made a smaller version with one of these kits and I was amazed at how great it turned out. Here is an image of the paper that comes with this kit, but you could use any paper you want.

The back of the package reads:
Our bookbinding kits are fun and easy to make! All of the professional quality material needed to create a beautiful album are included, cut to size and ready to be assembled:
-easy-to-follow instructions
-ph neutral bookboard
-acid-free "endpaper"
-decorative paper
-imported bookcloth
-ribbon

Tools and materials to complete your project are available at any art and craft supply store. You may already own many of these items. Here is a list of what you will need:
-scissor or craft knife
-1/2" to 2" glue brushes
- pencil and ruler
-PVA (good quality paper glue)
-wax paper (suggested)
-bone folder

So how do you win? Well it is easy, just leave a comment and let me know why you would love to win this scrapbook album kit. What photo project you are working on now or what photo project you would love to do, a new baby, your last vacation, whatever it might be or do you just have finished scrapbook pages laying around everywhere that need to be put in an album? Just let me know how you could use this album.

Once you have done that you can also leave additional (separate) comments telling me you have done one or each of the following:
1. Enter your e-mail address on the right hand side to Subscribe to my blog. Please leave a comment only once you have received an e-mail and have activated your subscription or let me know you already subscribe.
2. Become a follower or let me know you already are one.
3. Post this giveaway on your blog and leave a link to it in your comment.
4. Post this giveaway on Facebook.
5. Post this giveaway on Twitter.
6. Grab my new button.
A winner will be pick with Random.org on July 7th at 6pm.

Continuous games of Canasta

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

I just got back from a great week long trip with my family in Minnesota. My dad grew up in MN and we always enjoy meeting there to go canoeing, hiking and spending time with our relatives. The weather was a little cold and rainy at first, but it turned out to be a beautiful week. There were great big meals in the cabin and on the camping trip, continuous games of Canasta and plenty of mosquitoes. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the trip.

They know...she can't get them

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

There are rabbits all over my neighborhood. This time of year I see them everywhere. When I take my dog Shana for a walk she goes crazy when she sees them. They are all over the place just waiting to torture her. I think they know she's on a leash and can't get them. When she spots one they act like they are scared and they start to hop away but they usually stop and just turn back around and look at her like they know she can't get them! That tortures Shana even more.

A few months ago we found a baby who's mother had left him. He was the cutest thing I have ever seen. We tried to give him food and water but unfortunately I think he was just too dehydrated (and probably traumatized). He only survived a few days. I was very sad that we couldn't save him.

Featured Artist - Photographer Benjamin from Silent Mountain Photography

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Benjamin has been taking amazing photographs for over 15 years now. He grew up in Nashville and after college ventured out to photograph landscapes and scenery. Ben has tried different cameras and types of film over the years and is still trying to learn what works best for him. He started out with a SLR 35mm film camera and has recently picked up a medium format camera. Traveling and work have taken him all over the Western United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Alaska. Ben is currently on a photography trip out west and is working on a book of his photography that should be in print later this summer.

Some tips on photography from Ben:

1. Know your equipment. Read up on your camera, filters, etc. Somebody’s already written about them.

2. Practice, practice, practice. Find a subject, shoot an entire roll. Play with the settings, write them down. Find out what works and what doesn’t.

3. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Experiment.

Photos - Top left: Joshua Tree National Park, CA
Middle right and bottom left: Great Sand Dunes National Monument, Colorado

More of Ben's photographs can be viewied or purchased at http://www.silentmountain.com/ and http://www.ShanasShop.etsy.com/

Before it disappeared

Friday, May 29, 2009

After Oley and I went to the movies on Monday we stepped out of the movie theater and saw this beautiful rainbow. It was very exciting so we drove around trying to get a better view but it disappeared...

Collage your trips (or anything)

Thursday, May 28, 2009

I'm sure you can tell by now, I love photographs! One of my favorite things to do with my photos after a trip is to put a handful of them together in a collage. This way I can see many photos at once. This is a collage I put together last year after a trip to San Fransisco. I selected the photos I wanted to print and used Windows Picture and Fax Viewer to print all of my selected photos as a Contact Sheet. You can print up to 35 photos per page this way and they are all small and consistent. I also used foam squares behind some of the photos to add depth by placing some further out than others. I added and few trolley tickets and framed it for my wall. For my Chicago trip I did a layout on two 8"x8" pages. For these photos I also used Windows Picture and Fax Viewer but printed them with the Wallet Prints option. I'm not a big journaler in my scrapbook layouts so I only added a few words to this layout. I try to add interest with words by the way I place them. By making the "walking, walking, walking" look like it goes on forever it reminds me of how much walking we did . My favorite part on this layout are the three photos put together for the view of downtown Chicago buildings. Please click on the photos if you want to see them larger.

And the winner is....

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

And the winner is.... Kristy! OK this is not what she won, this is a birthday cake that my dog got a hold of while we were out to dinner before the birthday party. It was still OK so we lite the candles and used it for the Birthday party, well to sing Happy Birthday at least!

I am very excited for Kristy and so thankful to everyone that participated in my first giveaway for my red flower glass pebble magnet set. It has been so much fun and I learned how to use Random.org (OK not that big of an accomplishment there). I will have another giveaway shortly so please keep in touch.

Opononi, New Zealand November 2004

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

This is one of my favorite pictures and just perfect for my refrigerator door. This view from a lookout in New Zealand was amazing, but this picture actually reminds me of a runaway hubcap! A year after I graduated from college I moved to New Zealand to work. In this extremely laid back country everything just seemed to fall into place. I found a job at an architecture firm in Auckland during an interview for a different job. Then I found a flat the day before I needed to start looking for one when I was talking to a friend of a friend. My year in Auckland was filled with evenings with friends, Bodycombat (the greatest kickboxing class in the world) at Les Mills, Link bus rides and many road trips.

Road trips were full of incredible scenery like this photo that Kari took in Opononi as we explored New Zealand north of Auckland. We drove up to an overlook and just stood there taking in this view. After we got back in the car and I started to drive away, I slammed on the breaks and yelled at Kari to grab our hubcap. All of a sudden I noticed one of our hubcaps was off and rolling away from us. Kari looked at me as if I was completely crazy (because how often does someone yell something like that at you?) but luckily she was quick enough to jump out of the car and run after our hubcap before it got away.

Reading Eat, Pray, Love. One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India, Indonesia

Monday, May 25, 2009

A day off from work today means I can read the book I've almost finished: Eat, Pray, Love. I first heard about this book a few years ago and then a friend of mine recommended it again more recently. When she told me about the impact it had on her life I knew I wanted to read it. Since I can not find time to read regularly I'm glad I have a day off from work to read some more of this great book.

I love to travel and would absolutely love to go on a trip like Liz goes on in this book. She uses her year in 3 countries to find herself and happiness. From this book, I have been inspired to start writing about my own travels. I know haven't dealt with anything like what Liz is dealt with in this book (i.e. divorce) but my travels are important to me and have made me the person that I am today. I don't know if I would ever try to get my stories published but I have enjoyed writing them down. Maybe one day I will but, for now, I'm just trying to finish this book before the movie comes out.

Glass Pebble Magnet Set GIVEAWAY!! - Closed 05-27-09

Thursday, May 21, 2009

If you have a refrigerator or magnet board this giveaway is for you!! I will be giving away one set of my red flower glass pebble magnets. There are 6 magnets approximately 3/4" across in this set.

Starting now you can put your name in the hat to win! Next Wednesday, May 27th at 6 pm I will draw a winner and it could be you!

How to win:

First visit Shana's Shop http://www.shanasshop.etsy.com/ and look around. Leave me a comment and let me know what your favorite item is. Please leave your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.

Once you have done that you can also leave additional comments telling me you have done one or each of the following:

1. Enter your e-mail address on the right hand side to Subscribe to my blog. Please leave a comment only once you have received an e-mail and have activated your subscription.

2. Become a follower or let me know you already are one.

3. Post this giveaway on your blog and leave a link to it in your comment.

4. Post this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter.
5. Try to beat my horrible craft fair experience in my last post (True stories only!).

Good Luck!!

And Then it Rained!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Well, my first craft booth experience was…interesting. The forecast called for rain but Pam and I were very hopefully. It stormed in the early morning and rained when we went to set up. Once we got our tent put together and plastic around for walls to keep us dry we realized we were in the wrong spot. We were close but didn’t think we could stay in the spot we were set up in. Since the booth next to us wasn’t there yet we figured it would be better to move before they got there. Quickly we all worked together to shift our tent and tables over a few feet putting us in the correct assigned spot and we were ready to set up.

Here is a quick view of what was for sale:

Fabric Birds

Cards for every occasion

Glass Magnets

A fun example of a page for my pre-made photo books

Books made with the coptic stitch

Scarfs, Pillows and Purses by Pam

By the time the Picnic was ready to stat the sun was out and we took down all our plastic walls. The weather was good for about 2 hours but I quickly realized we were not in the best location. I thought we had picked a good spot from the layout of the booths but I think we were wrong. There wasn’t anything to bring people our way. The booths near the food had tons of traffic but we only seemed to get a few people wandering our way. Also we were right next to the main stage, need I say more?

And then the rain came. It came and it came hard. Luckily we could tell it was coming so we covered everything up and nothing was ruined but we literally had to hold our tent down for about an hour.

This is me, soaked, after the worst rain was gone. I was only able to put on my rain jacket after I was already completely drenched!

Cold, wet and tired, we packed up once the rain stopped and were ready to go home. A lady at another booth told me not to let this discourage me because she has been doing this every Saturday for years and these were the worst conditions she had ever seen.

All the hard work and preparation we put into this show made this experience disappointing, but I do think I want to try it again…one day.

Thank you so much to Roger and Oley. We couldn't have done this without you guys!

How To - Triangle Banner

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Here is a card that I made recently. I used a triangle banner to give it some added interest and fun. This is easy to do and can be used for any different designs. You can make banners like this and use them not only for cards but on scrapbook pages too. A banner like this would be great for someones name or the title on your scrapbook page. Give it a try.

You will need:
Paper, patterned or solid
Scissors
Awl
String
Rub on letters or stickers

Glue

1. Cut out a triangle that will be large enough for the letters you want to add.
2. Once you have a triangle that you like use it as a template and cut out the rest of your triangles.
3. Use your awl or the tip of your cutting blade to make two holes in each triangle.
4. Thread the string in the holes entering from the front left hole, and out the right hole, repeat.
5. Once all your triangles are added rub on a letter on each triangle, add a sticker or you can write a letter in your own beautiful handwriting on each. I like to add the letters after the triangles are on the string. You can add the letters before you put the triangles on the string but you just have to make sure you put the triangles on the string in the correct order!
6. Add to card or scrapbook page. I like to put a little glue under each triangle to keep it in place.

Another idea for this is to frame a picture or collection of pictures in a frame and make a banner like this to add another element to your photos. Have fun with it and I hope you will share what you come up with when you try it.

Take the photos with you...

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Another great way to enjoy your photos of trips, family and friends is to take the photos with you in a pocket size photo book. I love to make these as gifts by filling them up with a variety of photos, patterned papers and postcards. The more you put in there the more fun it will be!

To make your own I suggest:
- 20 +/- pages about 5”x 3” (Cardstock works well)
- Hole punch
- Round corner punch
- Small chain or metal ring
- Photos, postcards and patterned papers
- Glue stick (Yes glue works well too)
- Stickers
- Wax paper and heavy books

I like to put my photos in chronological order and place patterned papers and fun postcards throughout to add variety. Roughly arrange what goes where before you start gluing.
1. Start by gluing everything that will be on the front side of each page.
2. Place wax paper between each page and place under a heavy book over night.
3. After these pages have dried trim the edges away and round all the corners. Punch a hole in the upper left hand corner. Once one page has a hole punched in it use it as a template so all the holes will line up.
4. Next glue what goes on the back of all the pages.
5. Place wax paper between each page and place under a heavy book over night.
6. After these pages have dried, trim the edges away and round all the corners. Punch a hole in the upper right hand corner matching up with the hole on the other side of the page that you already made.
7. Place on a chain or ring and your photo book is ready to go!

What's on your fridge?

Friday, April 24, 2009

Hi, my name is Debbie and I am very excited about this blog. This is my first posting so I thought I would try to explain what the name means. I named my blog "On the Refrigerator Door" because I love what people put on their refrigerator doors.

I love to travel but spend most of the time sitting at a desk. All my traveling started many years ago. I went to Israel when I was 14 and since then I haven't been able to stop traveling. I studied in Krakow, Poland in architecture school for a semester and worked in New Zealand for a year after I graduated. I have also traveled around Europe, Australia, Asia and stepped into Africa for a day.

Since I love all these places that I have been to but can’t be there now I love to look at photographs from my trips. I try to capture these places in photographs and then surround myself with them. They are all over my desk at work, my house and even on my refrigerator door.

Most people’s refrigerator doors are full of memories with photos from trips, family, friends or children’s artwork. You can get a glimpse into someone’s life by looking at their refrigerator. You can even get a glimpse of someone’s personality by the way their refrigerator doors are kept especially if there is nothing on the doors at all!!

In addition to the photos on my fridge I also have my own handmade magnets. I started making my own magnets about a year ago. I made a large magnet board for an odd shaped wall and couldn't find any magnets that I liked. I started my Etsy shop called Shana’s Shop in August 2008 to sell these magnets and other things that I make.

What's on my refrigerator right now? Well, last July I went to Alaska with my family. My younger brother had been working there and wanted us all to experience it too. We were there for a week but we all want to go back and see more. I still have photos and postcards from Alaska on my fridge because it was so beautiful there.

Thanks for reading my blog to learn a little bit about me.