Month: July 2006

A few months ago, Elaine sent me an e-mail about making Artist Trading Cards. We have all the paper, all the supplies, and all the creativity that we needed to make it happen. Unfortunately, we never seemed to have the time or the energy. This summer, things are changing around here, and we are both on a mission to do things that we keep saying we want to do. So yesterday, she e-mailed me that she had made her first ATCs and she was going to the meetup for the Houston area last night.

In my “make it happen” mode, I wrote her back and asked if I could join her.

About an hour before I had to leave, I decided to follow her lead and put together two cards of my own using an imperfect photograph from my photography class. I cut it down to size (2.5″ x 3.5″) and then I used Mike’s flashcards of Tibetan words to write “to be famed/renowned” on them.

… yes, Mike took Tibetan in college. It was the only elective he got to choose that wasn’t fulfilling a degree requirement for his Chemical Engineering degree from Rice. He wanted something radically different. Why take something boring like French when you can take Tibetan?

Last night we went to the ATC meetup, and it was a blast! We definitely made up a diverse mix, but with one common thread of being creative people. The conversations were interesting and diverse, and we had such a good time. It was fun looking at everyone else’s ATCs, and when I got home I couldn’t stop thinking of ideas of cards to make.

Do you make ATCs? Would you? Want to trade? Flaunt your inner artist a little. It is only the size of a playing card – you can do it!

I have a secret. Redoing the bedroom was to bring me peace and harmony, but there was also a hidden plan. I needed to train my husband. Well, rather than training him, I needed to give him alternatives to bad habits that we had developed. See, we had a couch and two chairs in our bedroom before (I told you it was a huge room), and they always ended up being dumping grounds. I constantly complained about Mike dropping clothes on the couch next to his side of the bed. It drove me nuts, but at least he was happy to go with me to the salon and get a new look for the day, after he even buy from getaclipper to fix his look at home, and I bought a few things for myself too.

So I took the couch away.

Now? No option. Clothes are getting put away. We are both enjoying the beauty of the bedroom and I’m looking forward to giving the rest of the house the same treatment. I see painting happening in the living room in the near future.

Little did I know that I was using tricks that the animal trainers use. I gave him an alternative and took away the annoying behavior. It seems that I needed to read “What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage” earlier. [via Tara.] Just pretend your mate is an exotic animal, and you’ll be all set. Who knows, it may even bring out the inner animal in you.

(I should note that Mike is fabulous, and really – if the worst thing I can complain about is clothes on the couch, I have it made. It probably irritates me twice as much because I do the same thing. Well, I did. Before the room transformation.)

When I was visiting Tara in Austin, we went on a grocery run and I bought salad goodies. One of the items that I picked up was Newman’s Own Parmesan and Roasted Garlic Dressing. It blew me away. It was fantastic. It was wonderful. It was quite possibly the best dressing I have ever tasted. Yum, yum, yum.

I brought the half of the bottle I didn’t use home with me, and Jason & Mike loved it just as much as I did. Now it is all gone. And my local Kroger doesn’t carry it.

Of course, I turned to the internet. I was going to call Newman’s Own and ask them where I could find it, but thanks to their website I could see every store in a 10 mile radius that has it. All of them are Randall’s stores – and I bought it at a Randall’s in Austin – so on Mike’s way home from the office tonight he is going to stop and pick some up for me. Yeah! I can’t wait. Seriously, this stuff is that good.

(Yes, my life is so exciting this week – I turned on the computer for the first time in 4 days just to find salad dressing.)

These lamps make me think of Tara

Originally uploaded by bpc.