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

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Every Thursday in 2012, I’m taking a look at tasks I wish I would have accomplished “if I died today.”  This month, I’m listing out estate planning tasks, so I have an idea of what I need to do and gather together.  Laws are different in every state, so my husband and I plan to visit an estate planning attorney to make sure we’re doing what we need to do.  This month, I’m preparing my “lists.”  I’ll make three separate lists – Important Documents, Business Documents and Personal Documents.  If you notice I miss something, please let me know in the “Comments.”  These posts are not authoritative, rather they are like one friend talking to another, sharing plans.  This week, I’ll start with the “important documents”:

A Will – A will allows you to determine what happens to your money and possessions when you die, and who becomes the guardian of your minor children. If you don’t have a will, state laws and courts make those decisions for you.

A Living Will – This document speaks for you if you become too ill or injured to speak for yourself.  It outlines the medical procedures you want taken.

A Durable Power of Attorney – This document allows you to appoint someone to make decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated.  There are two types: one to deal with your personal, legal and financial affairs and the other to deal with healthcare decisions.

Real Property Documents – Proof of ownership documents for real property like real estate, vehicles, etc.

Life Insurance, Retirement Accounts and Assets with a Beneficiary – A list of policies and pertinent information like account numbers.

Bank Accounts – A list of investments and bank accounts along with any pertinent information like account numbers.

Daily Inspiration

 

Unbeing dead isn’t being alive.

e. e. cummings 

Special Notice – I’ve heard that beginning March 1, 2012, Google Friend Connect will no longer support blogs that are not published using the Blogger platform.  I use WordPress to publish What Remains Now.  I certainly appreciate how convenient it is to follow blogs using some means of notification.  I use RSS feeds on Google Reader to follow the blogs I love.  So, using the discontinuation of Google Friend Connect  as motivation, I’ve added a few new ways to follow What Remains Now.  On the right-hand sidebar, you’ll notice several different options.  You can follow What Remains Now by subscribing to my RSS feed, on Facebook, on Twitter or on Google+.  I will add the option to sign-up for e-mail updates in the near future.  You can also follow me and all your favorite blogs through Bloglovin’.  Hopefully, these options will make it easy and convenient for you to read What Remains Now.  Please let me know if you have trouble with any of these connection tools.

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I love painted finger and toe nails, but I don’t like to have salon manicures and pedicures…just a little weirdness with me.  So long ago, I perfected my at home manicure and pedicures skills.  Here are my secrets:

 

1.  Do the prep work.  Since my nails are strong, I like to use a clipper.  I finish by filing my nails.  I love a glass or crystal nail file because it gives a nice, smooth finish.  I’m glad a current style is short nails filed straight across…very practical.  SECRET – Make sure your nails are completely dry.  Don’t paint your nails right after getting out of the bath or shower, and if you use an oily polish remover, make sure you remove any residue.  Also, make sure you don’t have any lotion residue on your nails.

2.  I am “old school” when it comes to using a base coat.  I don’t like combination base coat/top coat because they tend to be more like a top coat than a base coat.  SECRET – I like a base coat that is not shiny and gives the polish something to grab on to.

3.  Choose a good quality polish.  I used to use OPI (which I still love), but recently started to use Essie.  I find that Essie is a little thinner than OPI.  SECRET – I like to stick to one brand because then you become familiar with the consistency of that particular brand and the brush.

4.  Thin coats are best because if you apply thick coats you may get bubbles in your polish.  I allow at least 15 minutes between coats.  I apply the base coat, then a coat of polish.  Apply a second coat of polish, if needed.  SECRET – One of the techniques that will make your at home manicure look like a salon manicure is to make sure you cover the entire nail.  Pay particular attention to the sides of the nails and make sure you take the polish all the way to your cuticles.  I paint carefully, but don’t worry if I get a little on my skin.  Once the polish is dry, it comes off  the skin quite easily.

5.  The final step is the top coat.  Generally, I find this manicure lasts 5-7 days, with only a little wear at the tips.  SECRET – Use a high quality top coat and make sure you paint the entire nail.  If your manicure starts to look dull, apply another thin top coat layer.  Your manicure will look nice and fresh.

Nail polish is a fun way to add some glam to your look, and by choosing “current” colors, you’ll look modern and up-to-date.  A bonus with the at home manicure/pedicure…For the cost of one salon manicure/pedicure, you can purchase a high quality base and top coat and several colors of polish.

Note:  The Essie colors in the first picture are Mamba 664 and Go Overboard 740.

Daily Inspiration

 

You were born an original.  Don’t die a copy.

John Mason

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Here’s what I worked on this past week…

 

As part of my “Try This” posts, I tried my hand at some decorative knots. 

I painted my first “Organic Girl” in Juliette Crane’s How to Paint a Girl E-Course.  This week is the final week.

I also worked on my art journal.  I’m following a weekly prompt, provided by the Art Journal All Year E-Course from Red Velvet Shop.  The idea is that I complete a page a week.  What I tend to do is not work on it for awhile and then work on several pages at once.

The Art Journal All Year E-Course offers 52 prompts.  Each prompt offers an “Art” challenge and a “Journal” challenge.

Next week, I’ll have my project completed for the 2012 Creative Color Challenge.  February’s color combination is Lavender & Green.

Daily Inspiration

 

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Last year, I did a post with some “fun facts” about the Academy Awards.  You can read that post here.  I can’t resist; here’s a little more Academy Awards trivia:

1.  The Oscar statuette depicts an Art Deco styled knight holding a crusader’s sword standing on a reel of film with 5 spokes representing the original branches of the Academy: Actors, Writers, Directors, Producers and Technicians.

2.  Bob Hope hosted eighteen Academy Award ceremonies. After tonight, Billy Crystal will have hosted the ceremonies nine times. Johnny Carson hosted five Academy Award ceremonies.

3.  Three actors have won Academy Awards for playing characters that don’t utter a single word throughout the entire film. Jane Wyman won the Best Actress award for her portrayal of Belinda, a deaf mute, in Johnny Belinda (1948). Sir John Mills played a mute in Ryan’s Daughter (1970) and won the Best Supporting Actor award. Holly Hunter won the Best Actress award for her portrayal of the mute Ada McGrath in The Piano (1993).

4.  The only Academy Award winner who won but was never officially nominated was Hal Mohr for Best Cinematography for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935). Mohr was the first and only person to win via a write-in vote.

5.  At the 61st Academy Awards, held in 1989, the Academy decided to replace the trademark phrase “And the winner is…” with the phrase “And the Oscar goes to…”

6.  On March 19, 1953, the Academy Awards ceremony was telecast for the first time across the United States and Canada. Thirteen years later, on April 18, 1966, the Academy Awards were broadcast in color for the first time. Both of these ceremonies were hosted by Bob Hope.

7.  Two films tie for the record of the most Oscar nominations without a single win. Both The Turning Point (1977) and The Color Purple (1985) received eleven Oscar nominations, but won not a single Academy Award.

8.  The longest film to win Best Picture was The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) at 250 minutes.  The shortest film to win Best Picture was Marty (1955) at 91 minutes.

9.  The three movies that won the most Oscars were The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003), Titanic (1997) and Ben-Hur (1959).  All three movies won 11 Oscars.

10.  The longest acceptance speech last around 5-1/2 minutes and was delivered by Greer Garson in 1942.  The shortest acceptance speeches were delivered by Alfred Hitchcock (1967) and William Holden (1953)…they simply stated “Thank You.”

 Daily Inspiration

 

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Tomorrow is the 84th Annual Academy Awards.  I was looking over the list of Best Pictures awardees…here are the ones I haven’t seen:

1920’s (2)

1928 – Wings, 1929 – The Broadway Melody

1930’s (8)

1930 – All Quiet on the Western Front, 1932 – Grand Hotel, 1933 – Cavalcade,  1934 – It Happened One Night, 1935 – Mutiny on the Bounty, 1936 – The Great Ziegfeld, 1937 – The Life of Emile Zola, 1938 – You Can’t Take It With You

1940’s (6)

1941 – How Green Was My Valley, 1944 – Going My Way, 1945 – The Lost Weekend, 1946 – The Best Years of Our Lives, 1947 – Gentleman’s Agreement, 1948 – Hamlet

1950’s (4)

1950 – All About Eve, 1952 – The Greatest Show on Earth, 1956 – Around the World in 80 Days, 1959 – Ben-Hur

1960’s (3)

1963 – Tom Jones, 1966 – A Man for All Seasons, 1968 – Oliver!

1970’s (3)

1971 – The French Connection, 1973 – The Sting, 1976 – Rocky

1980’s and 1990’s (0)

2000’s (2)

2004 – Million Dollar Baby, 2008 – Slumdog Millionnaire

So which one(s) do I need to watch right away?

Daily Inspiration

 

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This week, I learned how to paint The Organic Girl, in Juliette Crane’s How to Paint a Girl E-course.  Here’s a picture of my first organic girl.

The organic girl is a “simple” girl that lets a favorite background shine through.

 Daily Inspiration

 

Dreams say what they mean, but they don’t say it in daytime language.

Gail Godwin

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This month, I started tackling my boxes (and boxes) of photos.  One of my goals is to “live” with my photos and be able to enjoy and share my memories by having them displayed throughout my home.  That got me thinking about how to do this.

Frames are a must and probably the easiest and best way to display and protect photos.  They’re also cool because you can get them to fit your décor and budget; but, I don’t want to rely solely on frames.  Here are a few ideas I thought of:

Hmmm…I don’t know what to call this type of frame.  An album frame?  A multiple frame?  I like it because it has an interesting presence.  This one came from Exposures.

I love this…an artist’s interpretation of a photo.  My mom had this pencil drawing done of my daughter.  After I determine which photos I want to display, I would love to do several of these, from different artists, in different mediums.  I love that they turn a treasured photo into an original work of art.

These are fun and simple…photo holders.  I think these are great for photos you want to enjoy in the moment, but maybe don’t want to keep.    I also think they would be a wonderful way to display holiday/seasonal photo memories.

I’m looking for unique ways to “live” with my pictures and would love to hear your ideas.

I’ll revisit “photos” later on this year, after I’ve had more time to sort through mine.

Daily Inspiration

 

Memory is a complicated thing, a relative to truth, but not its twin.

Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Dreams

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This month, I’ve been playing around with spool knitting.  Last week, I posted pictures of a few different flowers you could create with the spool knit tubes.  This week, I used the spool knit tubes to create ornamental knots.  I used the book 75 Chinese, Celtic, & Ornamental Knots by Laura Williams and Elise Mann for the patterns.

 

I’m not sure these are practical for anything; but it was fun to create them…kind of like doing a puzzle.

 

Double Flat Button Knot

This is a variation of the button knot.  Traditionally, round button knots were used as buttons, hence their name.

 

Figure-Of-Eight Chain

The figure-of-eight pattern is one of the 12 elementary Celtic knots and is a symbol of eternity and the boundlessness of God.

 

Carrick Mat

 

I also made this small flat knot mat.  I imagine this could be worked into a cool wall hanging if you added more rows.

Daily Inspiration

 

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.

Maria Robinson

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Mr. Chewy contacted me and offered me a $50 coupon to use on their website in exchange for an honest review of  their services.  My answer was, “YES!” 

Mr. Chewy is a online retailer that offers 70+ popular brands of dog and cat food, treats and supplies.  Mr. Chewy also offers free shipping on orders over $49.  Another cool thing…Mr. Chewy offers an auto-delivery program so you don’t have to “remember” to order your favorite products.

Here’s why I like Mr. Chewey:

If you live in an area where you don’t have a good selection of pet products, Mr. Chewy brings a specialty pet store right to your door.

Delivery to your door is a wonderful service for anyone, but could be a real lifesaver if you have trouble lifting heavy pet products or have transportation challenges.

The auto-delivery program is a great convenience, especially if you typically notice you need to buy more food/litter/treats when you’re already out of the food/litter/treats.  I’ve done this more than a few times.

 

Ordering was easy, particularly if you’ve ordered online before.  I ordered two packages of Greenies, a package of Pet Naturals of Vermont Calming Dog Chews and 2 Spiral Flossies.  I ordered on Sunday night and my order was delivered on Wednesday.  The packaging was nice and all recyclable.

Mr. Chewy also has a referral program.  If you are placing your first order, enter the code WHAT3271 during checkout and you’ll receive 10% off your order and Bideawee will receive a $10 donation.  Bideawee is one of the country’s oldest and most respected animal welfare and pet adoption organizations.  I receive no compensation for you using this code.

For folks who are interested, you can follow Mr. Chewy on Facebook and Twitter.

The verdict…my experience with Mr. Chewy gets an A+.

Daily Inspiration

 

Who does not thank for little will not thank for much.

Estonian Proverb