on a red, black, and white kick

Not sure why, but I seem to be on a red, black, and white kick lately when it comes to card making. I just like how those colors go together so well with other colors like grey and light blue. So here are a few cards that I created over the weekend. That little crab is from the Stampin Up! "Crab & Company" set and he's starting to become my new favorite. :)

new bird stamp

I bought this new bird stamp at Ink About It earlier this week and had fun making these little cards. I especially like how it turned out with the Galaxy Gold Brilliance ink pad on plain white paper.



Okay, back to crafting, children ...

do you love hunnie too?

I've discovered a new way to walk from the T to Pierce Hall after my morning appointments so that I can avoid the hustle and bustle through Harvard Yard and jibber jabber of college students (no offense, sorry!). And along the way (I think this is just past the back doors to one of the libraries) there is this tree that someone has decided to make into Winnie the Pooh's home. Quite cute actually. Strange, but cute. There were more stones lining the walkway to his door last week, and some stuff that looked like frisee or an entree garnish as a make shift garden. Just goes to show you that some people have a lot of free time on their hands.

clean desk = creativity?

So a couple of weeks ago (read: once in a blue moon), I got the sudden desire to clean off the surface of my desk in my craft room. Emphasis on sudden. And voila!

Holy crap, Batman! There is a wooden surface on that thing! LOL

Anywho ... I've been feeling semi creative lately so I managed to make these cards over the past couple of weeks. Does a clean work surface have anything to do with it? I'm not sure, but I tell ya, it does help. ;-)





P.S. They're available on Etsy! ;-)

phototherapy

After delaying a couple of months due to sickness, job change, and the lack of health insurance, I finally started my phototherapy treatments last Friday. Basically, it's like standing up in a tanning booth. I'll go three times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) up until our wedding in June so I'll probably be a couple of shades darker by then. LOL

So far it seems to be going okay. I mean, my skin hasn't completely fallen off or anything scary like that. It's a pain to have to get up really early on those mornings and trek over there, but hopefully it'll all be worth it in the end. Cross your fingers folks.

This is totally random but I was searching for something on my blog and came across a post on 3/23/06 about making lists. Funny, I don't make lists as often as I did back then when I think about it now, but my job situation has changed a lot so maybe that has something to do with it. Anywho, I had posted something I had received in an email and thought it might be fun to fill it out with current answers, especially the food part since we've discovered my food allergies. What would your answers be? (I posted the old list in black type and put my new answers in green next to them to see the changes.)

Twelve Movies (not in any order)

1. Sense and Sensibility
2. Pride and Prejudice (yes, the really long 2-disc version!)
3. I, Robot (Spanglish)
4. Mad Hot Ballroom (The Holiday)
5. Ever After (No Reservations)
6. Roman Holiday (Garden State)
7. Sixth Sense (it still gives me chills!) (Oceans Eleven)
8. Notting Hill
9. Love Actually
10. Hamlet (the Kenneth Branagh version) (Chicken Little)
11. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
12. The Wedding Singer (I can never really get tired of that for some reason) (Amelie)

Eleven Good Bands/Artists (not in any order)

1. The Cardigans
2. Weezer
3. Kelly Clarkson (The Shins)
4. Kurt Elling
5. Sting
6. The Push Stars (Pet Shop Boys)
7. The Corrs (Harry Connick Jr.)
8. Jackson 5 (The Killers)
9. 311 (Lenny Kravitz)
10. Marcy Playground (Sade)

Ten Things About You (delete after the ... part and fill in with your answer)

1. I'm ... 4'-7.5" (an auntie to three nephews)
2. My favorite color ... has always been some shade of green. (is still green but I really like brown too these days)
3. When I was little I wanted to be ... the smartest person in my class. (a lawyer)
4. I miss ... being with my nephews. (working with some people at Spark)
5. I am a ... big [but shorter] sister. (bride-to-be!)
6. I'm definitely ... not a morning person. (allergic to too many things)
7. I like to ... clean my ears out with Q-tips even though I know you're not supposed to and I tend to dig in there too deep to the point that I gave myself an ear infection and the doctor told me to lay off the Q-tips. LOL (take a lot of photos)
8. I'm ... creative. (baking cookies right now)
9. I eat ... just about everything! (a lot of cheesy pasta)
10. I love ... romantic surprises! (sleeping in)

Nine Good Friends (not in any order)

1. Tony
2. Linda
3. Shannon
4. Jeff
5. Brian (Liz)
6. Debi (Jill)
7. Renee
8. Sara
9. Karen (Lorena)

Eight Favorite Foods/Drinks

1. sushi (now I just can't have the sesame seeds or soy sauce but I still LOVE sushi!)
2. Korean BBQ (creamy macaroni and cheese)
3. a frozen mango margarita with salt from Fajitas 'n Ritas (a glass of petite syrah wine)
4. potato pizza at Cambridge, 1
5. the little egg custard desserts that you get at dim sum (and any Chinese bakery)
6. smoked salmon bagels
7. a vanilla milkshake from Mel's Drive-In in San Francisco, CA (but you have to have a burger with it, of course ...) (manchego cheese)

Seven Things You Wear Daily

1. under garments (a bra)
2. a watch (vaseline)
3. a necklace (my engagement ring)
4. some type of clothing (it's not good to go to work naked)
5. shoes
6. my security badge for work (panties -- sorry, running out of things to list!)
7. now that it's still frigid outside, long johns

Six Things You Hate

1. when people are excessively late (but geeze, hate is such a strong word ...)
2. tourists in Boston during the summertime
3. tourists in Boston during the winter, spring, and fall ...
4. racists
5. mosquitoes (and mosquito bites)
6. cleaning (my sister got that gene ... hee hee)

(funny, all these things are the same ... LOL)

Five Things You Do Daily

1. check my email
2. drink at least one whole bottle of water at work
3. get a caffeine fix
4. go to the bathroom about a gazillion times a day (see items #2 and #3 of this list)
5. read at least one person's blog

(and these are the same too ... hmmm ...)

Four Shows You Watch

1. CSI (Scrubs)
2. Grey's Anatomy (Globe Trekker - OMG, we love that Ian Wright!)
3. Desperate Housewives (The Food Network)
4. King of Queens (Jon and Kate Plus 8)

Three Places You've Lived Before

1. Hayward, California
2. Aurora, Colorado
3. Lynn, Massachusetts

(again, the same)

Two Things You Want

1. To win the lottery big time ... I mean BIG time ... so that my boyfriend and I can just do the things we love most in life and not have to worry about paying for life's luxuries.
2. To always be happy in life.

(not bad ideas so I'll keep them the same)

One Person You Want To See Right Now

1. My sister (Tony once his jazz gig in Worcester is done)

Okay so I'm going to tag three people to do this list on their blogs. Let's see if they follow through! I'm tagging Liz, Amy C., and my training-for-the-Boston-marathon friend, Laura.

Walk Now for Autism Bay Area - 06.07.08

I am participating in Walk Now for Autism to help find a cure for autism in honor of my nephew, Cade.

Autism is the second most common developmental disorder in the United States affecting one in every 150 children born today. Despite some promising discoveries, the cause of autism is unknown and a cure does not exist. Research is crucial. Every 20 minutes another child is diagnosed with autism. Not only must we find ways to improve the quality of life for children and adults with autism, but we also must find a cure, and soon.

Walk Now for Autism is our chance to make a difference in the fight against autism by raising money for autism research and heightening public awareness. Please join me in my fight as I raise $500.00 to help fund essential research. I will be walking on Saturday, June 7th (the day before our wedding!) with my family and friends and would like you to support those affected by autism.

(Note: if you're in town for our wedding and would like to walk as well, please register online and join our team)!

You can donate to Walk Now for Autism online through my webpage at http://www.walknowforautism.org. Donations can also be mailed to Autism Speaks using the donation form located on my page or send me a check made out to Autism Speaks. My team name is "Blastoff for Cade"; please note this on your check and the donation form.

Please join me in my fight against autism. Please pass this info on to help my team do this for Cade and all those affected with autism.

Thank you so much in advance for your support! :)

world autism awareness day

I know I've been due for a post soon but this is just a quick one to let you know that today is World Autism Awareness Day. You can read more about it here.

Did you know ...

• Autism affects as many as 1 in 150 children and 1 in 94 boys
  
• Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the world
  
• More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with diabetes, cancer, & AIDS combined
  
• Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism
  
• There is no medical detection or cure for autism, but early diagnosis and intervention improve outcomes
  
• Autism does not discriminate by geography, class, or ethnicity

My nephew, Cade, has autism. He is now six years old and has just started kindergarten. His vocabulary has grown so much in the past two years -- he can even count to ten in Spanish. He is so full of energy and can always make you laugh.

My sister's best friend, Aurora, has started a Walk Now for Autism team for the Bay Area walk in Pleasanton, California on Saturday, June 7th called the "Blastoff for Cade Team". Their goal is to raise $3,000 to help raise awareness about the increasing prevalence of autism and the need for increased research funding to combat this complex disorder. Please consider making a donation to support their team.

We love you, Cade!