Creativity, Crafts, Books, Movies, Greyhounds & Favorite Things

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One of the great things about adopting a retired racing greyhound is the group of folks you get to hangout with.  Our group, Allies for Greyhounds of West Michigan, hosts a variety of events throughout the year.  My favorite is the Spring Fling.

Saturday morning, we loaded up and headed towards Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Our lovely hosts opened their backyard for this fun event.  There was plenty of room to picnic.

Including a great place for the houndies to run off lead.

Zonda, Casper, Miura and Eva 

We met our friends and combined our x-pens so the houndies could relax while we enjoyed an excellent potluck lunch.

Our event is open to anyone who wants to come.  It’s a great way for folks to check out the hounds available for adoption.  We also get to see old friends.  This is Pippa.  Before Pippa found her forever home, she was fostered by our friends, Tyler and Amy.  She won the award for “Youngest Hound In Attendance.”

After lunch, we had a family photo taken by Green Cherry Media.

Then, I went to check out my favorite area…the silent auction.

All too soon it was time to head home.  Thank you so much to everyone who worked to make this event possible.  It is a highlight of our year.

Wondering what I won in the silent auction?  Here’s what I got…

An electric cooking pot (for my husband).

 

Two gift certificates…one from Gini’s Greyhound Fashions and one from P.L.A.Y.  Can’t wait to spend these.

 

An authentic racing muzzle and silk.  I was going to have one of the houndies model these for everyone.

“Casper, would you like to model?” 

“Zzzzzzzzzz.”

“Nikki, would you like to model?”

“Zzzzzzzzzzz.”

“Freedom, how about you; would you like to model?”

“Zzzzzzzzzzzz.”

Everyone had a wonderful time.  It was a VERY quiet evening.

 Daily Inspiration

 

From beasts we scorn as soulless,
In forest, field and den,
The cry goes up to witness,
The soullessness of men.

M. Frida Hartley

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I don’t use Dawn dishwashing liquid to clean my dishes, but I do use it for some other things.  It all began with this “recipe” for stain removal that was posted on my Greyhound group’s message board:

1 large hydrogen peroxide
2 Tbsps baking soda
6 drops Dawn

This gets out blood, puke, pee, poop, wine, smells, anything!  I haven’t found a place this doesn’t work on.  If you use the mixture straight it may leave a white ‘hue’ (it’s NOT a stain or bleached!) but it will go away after you vaccum a few times or clean the carpets with a machine.

All of a sudden, I started noticing a lot uses for Dawn.  Here are some of my favorites (all use Dawn Original Blue):

1.  Dawn as a laundry pre-treater.  I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the great results I’ve had.  Don’t get too crazy with the application or wipe the Dawn away before washing.  You don’t sitcom-worthy bubbles coming out of your machine.

2.  Dawn as a soap scum remover in your tub or shower.  Smear it on, let it stand for 15 minutes or more, then clean it off.

3.  Dawn as a degreaser for hands, pots & pans or anything in the kitchen.

4.  Dawn as an oil spot remover for your driveway.  Absorb any oil with kitty litter.  Sweep up the kitty litter.  Apply Dawn, let soak, then rinse it away.

And now for a little fun…

Tuesday, I announced an opportunity I was given to host a giveaway from PrintRunner.  The prize…250 Business Cards.  For hosting this giveaway, I’ll receive 250 business cards too.  You can read more details about the giveaway here.

And the winner is…

Kari of Dog is God in Reverse – My Life With Dogs

Congratulations, Kari!  Thank you to everyone who left a comment.

Daily Inspiration

There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.

Jane Austen

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I’m taking the next few week to finish my “girl” and “owl” paintings.  This week, I was already pretty happy with the two that I “finished,” so the final details are subtle.

Before

After

The only thing I did to this painting was tidy the face outline and add a little cheek color.

Before

After

I added more blue to the sky, darkened the tree trunks, added a few more red highlights to the hair and tidied the outlines.

The next How To Paint A Girl E-Course starts on May 25.  Last Friday, Juliette Crane posted some of the “girls” from the last session (the one I participated in).  It is so neat to see all the different styles.  You can check it out here.

 Daily Inspiration

The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.

Emile Zola

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This month, for my “If I Die Today” posts, I’m asking some questions that are interesting (even fun) to think about.  They may also be helpful in deciding what’s really important to you and to those that love you.  I’m using them to help me sort through and make peace with my heirlooms, photos and memorabilia.

These questions were inspired by my friend, Amy, and conversations she shared with me (I like to give credit where credit is due).  Here’s this week’s question:

What 5 things tell the story of your life?

You can look at this question in a variety of ways…chronological, narrative (literal or figurative), quirky, whimsical…each one can help you define your story.

Daily Inspiration

 

Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.

Paul Boese

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This month, I’m learning to use my newest craft gadget…the flower loom.  The flower loom I’m using is Hana-Ami Flower Loom by Clover. 

The flowers I made this week were created by making two separate simple flowers, then gluing them together.  I added a button for the flower center.

I experimented with some other flowers, but they either fell apart or looked horrible.

I also experimented with the weaving technique, but wasn’t able to figure out how to finish the ends.

Then, I remembered YouTube.  There are quite a few videos demonstrating flowers made on a flower loom.  I’m going to watch some of them and see if I can come up with some new flowers next week.

Daily Inspiration

 

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. 

Henry Ford

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Guess who celebrated a birthday yesterday?…FREEDOM!  Freedom is five years old.

What can I say about my sweet Freedom…

1.  Freedom is my heart dog.

2.  Freedom is a leader, so she can come off as a little punk sometimes, but she’s just doing her job.  She has the sweetest, friendliest spirit.  Freedom knows no strangers.

3.  She has the cutest bent ear.

4.  When she wants to comfort herself, she grabs her hedgehog and squeezes it in her mouth.  Sometimes she even falls to sleep like that.

5.  She lets me hug her and kiss her as much as I want and for as long as I want.

6.  She has a lot of bald spots.  No fur on her chest, tummy, butt or neck.

I love my girl.  Happy Birthday, Freedom.

To celebrate Freedom’s birthday, let’s have a giveaway.  I was offered the opportunity to host a giveaway from PrintRunner.  The prize…250 Business Cards.  For hosting this giveaway, I’ll receive 250 business cards too.  Here are the specific prize details:

Business Card Size and Style Business Cards – 2×3.5 (Standard)
Quantity   250
Colors    4/4 Color Both Sides
Paper    14 pt. UV Coating on Front, 14 pt. UV Coating on both sides,
Proof    NONE
Rounded Corners   NO
*Giveaway is open to US Residents only, ages 18 years old and above.

Print online with PrintRunner.  They print business cards that look professional and expensive at an affordable rate.  You can follow PrintRunner on Twitter and Like them on Facebook.

If you would like to be entered in the drawing I’ll have for the giveaway, just leave a comment to this post before 11:59 pm on Friday, May 18.  I’ll draw a name and announce the winner on Saturday, May 19.

Daily Inspiration

Freedom is the oxygen of the soul.

Moshe Dayan

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Here’s what’s been happening in my studio:

For May’s “Try This” posts, I’m playing with my newest craft gadget…the Flower Loom.  This week, I made the same flower using different materials.

I finished these paintings.

Using Art Journal All Year E-Course from Red Velvet Shop as my guide, I completed a few new pages in my Art Journal.

Daily Inspiration

 

Each day comes bearing its own gifts.  Untie the ribbons.

Ruth Ann Schabacker

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Last Saturday, my girlfriend and I hit the road and took a bus trip.  Our destination…Long Grove Village, Illinois, for the Chocolate Festival.  This may become an annual tradition for us.  Last year, we went to see Diana: A Celebration.

According to flyer we received…The Village of Long Grove was originally settled as a German farming community.  Northwest of Chicago, it is recognized as one of the nation’s genuine historic villages and is Illinois’ first historic district.

Nestled in historic homes and buildings that date back to the community’s roots in the 1800’s, Long Grove’s many shops specialize in unique gifts, boutiques, exceptional art and home décor, and distinctive menus.

We had a blast.  It was a little chilly and overcast, but we comforted ourselves by checking out the great shops and vendors.

Walking around the village was a delight.  There’s a covered bridge, cobblestone paths, and places to sit down.

Even with the hustle and bustle of the festival, Long Grove had a peaceful vibe.

There were so many interesting things to look at.

How about tools in the sidewalk?

We also had the opportunity to talk with Katie Moritz, award-winning hammered dulcimer player,

and listen to her beautiful music.  If you’d like to hear a sample of Katie’s sound, you can check out her website .  Katie and Lisa Ferguson have a new CD coming out called Kaleidoscope.

It was a lovely day with my best friend, whom I dearly love.  If you want to see what we looked like when we first met in kindergarten, check out this post.

Daily Inspiration

 

I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.

Abraham Lincoln

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Whoops…I knew what I meant, but I sure didn’t say it well.  Yesterday, I said, “I’m taking a break for a few weeks in order to finish some things.”  What I meant was, “I’m not going to start anymore projects or e-courses for a few weeks in order to finish some things.”

Although not the same thing, this got me thinking about when you hear something wrong, like the words to a song.  There is actually a name for that.  It’s called a mondegreen…the mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase as a result of a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning.

American writer Sylvia Wright coined the term “mondegreen” in her essay, “The Death of Lady Mondegreen,” published in Harper’s Magazine in November 1954.  In the essay, Wright described how, as a young girl, she misheard the last line of the first stanza from the 17th-century ballad, “The Bonny Earl O’Moray”.  She wrote:

When I was a child, my mother used to read aloud to me from Percy’s Reliques, and one of my favorite poems began, as I remember:

 

Ye Highlands and ye Lowlands,

Oh, where hae ye been?

They hae slain the Earl O’ Moray,

And Lady Mondegreen.

The actual fourth line is, “And laid him on the green”.  Wright explained the need for a new term:

The point about what I shall hereafter call mondegreens, since no one else has thought up a word for them, is that they are better than the original.

This information about mondegreens came from Wikipedia.

Do you have any mondegreens?  Here are some funny ones.

Steve Miller Band – Abracadabra

Actual Lyric:  Abra Abra Cadabra…I wanna reach out and grab ya.

Mistaken Lyric:  Abra Abra Cadabra…I wanna freak out and stab ya.

Paul Young – Every Time You Go Away

Actual Lyric:  Every time you go away, you take a piece of me with you.

Mistaken Lyric:  Every time you go away, you take a piece of meat with you.

Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons – Let’s Hang On

Actual Lyric:  Got a lot of love between us.

Mistaken Lyric:  Got a lot of lucky peanuts.

Bon Jovi – Living On A Prayer

Actual Lyric:  It doesn’t make a difference if we make it or not.

Mistaken Lyric:  ‘It doesn’t make a difference if we’re naked or not.

The Police – Don’t Stand So Close To Me

Actual Lyric:  Don’t stand so close to me.

Mistaken Lyric:  Ghost man so close to me.

Johnny Nash – I Can See Clearly Now

Actual Lyric:  I can see clearly now the rain has gone.

Mistaken Lyric:  I can see clearly now Lorraine has gone.

The Beatles – All My Loving

Actual Lyric:  And I’ll send all loving to you.

Mistaken Lyric:  And I’ll send all my luggage to you.

Fanny Crosby – Keep Thou My Way

Actual Lyric:  Gladly the cross I’ll bear.

Mistaken Lyric:  Gladly the cross-eyed bear.

Bachman-Turner Overdrive – Takin’ Care Of Business

Actual Lyric:  Takin’ care of business.

Mistaken Lyric:  Baking carrot biscuits.

My mondegreen…when we learned the National Anthem, the first line is, “Oh say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light.”  I thought the first line was, “Oh, say, can you see, by the dawnzerly light.”  I thought “dawnzerly” was an archaic adverb!  I was quite a bit older before I figured out what the real words were.  I probably have others, but I still think they’re the words to the song.

So, I’m still posting and baking carrot biscuits.

Daily Inspiration

 

There is nothing in the world so much like prayer as music is.

William P. Merrill

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I’m taking a break for a few weeks in order to finish some things.  Like many artists, I love to start and work on projects, but sometimes I don’t finish them.  This is my opportunity to finish my “girl” and “owl” paintings.  Here’s what I did this week:

 

Before

After

I tidied up the outlines, softened some of of the hair highlights, added shading to the dress and outlined the neckline.

 

Before

After

I tidied the outlines.

Before

After

The background flowers seemed too dark, so I painted a thin wash of white paint over them.

Daily Inspiration

 

Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.

Anne Frank