How exposed are you?

Did a quick Google search for one of my favorite bloggers this morning. I was looking for a previous post that they'd written about techie stuff, when I happened across SPOKEO.COM. Initially the search result gave me a list of links associated with my blogger but then it showed a map of the USA with all the placed marked where someone of the same name LIVED. I was a little taken aback by this so I did a quick little search of my name. Oh My Word. I did a little more digging and actually found a one search result that showed my previous address as well another one that showed my current one, a picture of my current home with the ENTIRE address listed, my home phone number listed, and my personal email address. WTH?!

I'm a pretty open person and all but I make sure that nothing about me is out there that I don't want to be out there. I Google myself at least a few times a year just to see how long it would take someone (or perhaps an disgruntled student) to find me and and my Facebook privacy settings are check regularly. There are quite a few people in the world that share my name but this information was a bit too much. So I did another quick Google search to find out how to have this information removed.  I completed the removal request for both profiles and had them both deleted within 2 minutes. It was easy peasy. Here are the steps.

1. Visit Spokeo.com

2. Use the search bar at the top of the page to search for yourself. You might have to be a little diligent here but most creeps are so you should be as well to protect yourself.

3. After you find the result that lists your information go to http://www.spokeo.com/privacy and enter in the link for your profile, your email address, and the captcha.

4. Spokeo.com will send you an email with a link where you can delete the profile that you requested.

5. Click the link and the profile is deleted automatically. Done and Done.

Just wanted to give you all a heads up. Take care.

Angee Lee

Are you a Coffee Snob??

I am not a coffee snob. I'm not even a huge coffee drinker. I never really was. I have developed an affinity to drinking coffee on occasion when I'm completely overwhelmed, overscheduled, and have looming deadlines (which has been the case more often recently). That being said I can say that I have drank more coffee in the last year than I did in all my previous years drinking coffee. I remember my mom drinking coffee every morning before work. The little Folgers crystals that came in a jar. One tablespoon in a cup of hot water. A little cream, lots of sugar. That's how she likes it. I was never a fan of the coffee crystals. I drank it every now and then because that's was was available at home but my first trip to Starbucks changed all that. Would Starbucks be considered gormet coffee?? Maybe, or maybe not. But it was my first taste at good coffee, and I haven't went back to those crystals yet.

Coffee really became popular for me in college. Pulling those all nighters studying (ok not really studying, he he) and having to be up early for those 7 AM classes, coffee became a regular way of life for me. After getting my first real job as a secretary for a CPA firm, coffee was the culture at work.  Now I drink coffee at least a 3 days per week and sometimes on the weekends. I just like it. And the weird part is that I actually have a cafeine allergy so instead of the energy boost, it totally relaxes me. Weird right??

When my doctor told me about my cafeine allergy, I instantly started researching coffee and it's effects. That led me to research different types of coffee's and tea's, and that in turn led me to a few coffee specific purchases.

Number # 1:

Today as I popped into my local starbucks, Double Grande Vanilla Latte was the drink of choice, I happened upon a French press. I've been looking into getting one of these at work for quite some time because I wouldn't have to have a full fledge coffee maker in my classroom.  These things can get pretty pricey but Starbucks had one for $16.95 and I thought that was a deal. I also got an accessories pack that included a measure, fill (looks just like a beaker from science class, a stir (which is just a wooden spoon, a steep (or a timer.....Gotta love the names), and a clean (which is just a spatula). Was this kit absolutely necessary?? Nope. Is it cute? Yep. And it was on clearance. I'm still a sucker for the clearance rack.

Number # 2

 

 

My starbucks orders have gotten very elaborate. I started off with the Grande Caramel Macchiato. Then it went to a Non-Fat Double Grande Caramel Macchiato, No Whip. Now my favorite is a Triple Grande Fat-Free Soy Vanilla Latte, No foam. Ok Ok, that may be a bit of an exaggeration but it's always weird to have to explain my order to my bff when she's picking up starbucks for us on the weekend. Can you please get me a Triple Grande Soy Vanilla latte no whip. The first time I said this she totally was silent on the phone and I could tell she was trying to figure out what the HELL i was talking about. lol.

Number # 3

So as much as I love starbucks, I sometimes feel that their coffee has a burnt taste. Now I'm not a professional coffee taster by any means but sometimes I feel that my coffee is burnt or the after taste is bitter. Can you burn coffee?? I guess the beans could burn?? And of course you can find tons of blog posts, websites, and articles online about how starbucks over-roasts their coffee beans. In any case,  I've been looking into other coffee brands and friends of mine have recommended tons of them to me,  but I live in the Houston suburbs and Starbucks is the coffee of choice out here. So off for more coffee induced internet research.  I definitely want to try Dunkin Donuts coffee because my friends up north really love it and we don't have Dunkin Donuts here in Houston.  ***I stand corrected. We have 3 Dunkin Donuts locations here in Houston. I will be making a trip there over the weekend.

I happened across a coffee company online via the NYTimes called Stumptown Coffee. They have a wide variety of coffee's from around the world but they are only located in NY, but thanks to the internet I can have the beans shipped right to my door. I'm told that a french press produces a much richer, better tasting coffee but only time will tell. I think I might do a comparison between Stumptown, Dunkin Donuts, and Starbucks coffee. I will let you guys know the outcome (from an ameatur's point of view of course).

So I know a few people who are coffee snobs but I certainly don't think that I am one of them. I'm just delving into the world of gormet coffee. And really, what in the world does gormet really mean? Is it gormet just because it's expensive? Hard to find? Not available to a mass market? Not known on a wide scale? Who knows. I just want coffee that taste good, if not great. And I'm on a mission to find it.

Are you a coffee snob?? Pop over to ineedcoffee.com  to see. It is a pretty funny read.

iTeach: Teach me how to Study........Love this...

For Hip Hop News & Entertainment at DimeWars.Com

YT Finds: Furoshiki Gift Wrap....Recyclable gift wrap.

I have no idea how I happen across these things online but I can always seem to find the most interesting things, like the following video:
Furoshiki Gift Wrapping


How awesome is this??? Love love love this.

High Fashion Home Art Prints

Happened across these online and I'm loving them.

I found these at High Fashion Home. They are Awesome, don't you think??? At $46 each they are not super expensive. And with some crafty know-how I'm sure I can recreate these for much cheaper.

Which do you trust......Your Head or Your Heart?

While blog hopping on Tumblr I came across this quote. I must say right now I trust my head way more than my heart, in matters that concern me, myself, and only I (in Love) I wouldn't say I'm unlucky because I am loved by some truly great people, and I love them back. I'm just not that great at choosing for myself romantically. A good friend of mine said that I'm a very self aware person and I need to learn to trust myself, especially in that area of choosing a person to share my life with. I've made a two choices that started out wonderful and fabulous but ended, not sourly, but leaving behind serious doubts as to my ability to judge lasting character.

I had another friend ask me if I ever thought of giving up on finding love. Um.....I'm 28, of course not. My philosophy is that I've had my heart broken enough that I definitely know how to put the pieces back together. If anything I still put myself out there because I know that if it doesn't work, I am skilled at broken-heart-repair and I know that I will be fine in the end. Plus, if you don't risk it you will never find it.

But right now my focus is solely on me, my career, and some amazing business opportunites that have come my way. I simply wanted to share a quote then got all pour-your-heart-out on you guys. Thanks for listening.

So do you have a better head or better heart?

Card Deets:

SEI patterned papers

American Crafts Silver Foil paper

PTI (PapertreyInk) Signature Greetings Stamp Set

Internet Finds: Vibram FiveFingers

If you've ever been around me then you know I absolutely hate wearing shoes. Well.......from my massive shoes collection you may not realize that off hand but if you've known me for years and years then you'd know that I don't like them. I'm a run-barefoot-through-plush-carpet-tile-and-anything-else-except-grass (darn allergies) type girl. I love being in bare feet. It may be all my former dance training and spending hours upon hours working on pirouettes in the dance room barefoot that brought this about. I'm not exactly sure but for as long as I can remember I've disliked shoes.

Actually I think it's because of my foot abnormality. I was born with broken feet. I had to wear special shoes as a toddler to correct this issues. These shoes had a hard sole and included a metal bar that attached to both shoes to keep the shoes in the "correct" position that the child wears while they sleep. Horrible shoes. Horrible.

But imagine my delight and utter jubilation when I came across these shoes on youtube. Every now and then I will just browse youtube for great workout video as inspiration and motivation to get back into a regular workout routine. One of the reasons I don't like working out (besides sweating.....a story for another day) is the fact that not only do you have to wear shoes you have to wear socks too. <-----Did I mention I hate socks too? Anywhoo, I came across this video of Mark deGrasse from MBodyStrength wearing the awesome looking shoes.

Thank goodness for comments. Just as I was about to message MBodyStrength I read in the comments a mention of Vibrams. What the heck is a vibram? I was already familiar with kettlebells so I knew they could not be talking about the weights, so a quick google search later I came across this.

Remember going barefoot as a child? It’s the way you first discovered and conquered your world—without the constraint of shoes. Or the sense of duty you acquired later on.

Now you can experience that same physical and visceral sensation in Vibram FiveFingers—the only footwear to offer the exhilarating joy of going barefoot with the protection and sure-footed grip of a Vibram® sole.

FiveFingers footwear connects you to the earth and your surroundings in a way that is simply not possible in conventional shoes. It puts you in touch with the earth beneath your feet and liberates you to move in a more natural, healthy way. FiveFingers stimulate the muscles in your feet and lower legs to build strength and improve range of motion. Our customers report an increased sense of balance, greater agility, and visibly improved posture.

Choose from a variety of designs to cover the wide range of activities you would rather do barefoot—everything from fitness training and yoga, to running and trekking, to kayaking and sailing. Discover a level of performance and a connection to your environment that is positively without peer.

So you mean there is a "shoe" (and I'm using the term loosely solely for my peace of mind) that feels like your barefoot??? Am I in wanna-be-country-girl-in-a-city-girls-body heaven or what.

Now of course I spent the better part of an hour researching these shoes, the pros and cons, types, and prices. Here's what I found.

• There are 9 types of these shoes in the USA with more rumored to be released soon.


• Prices range from $75 to $125 brand new from the VibramFiveFingers.com Site.


• You can wear them to do most anything from casual leisure activities to rigorous workouts depending on the type.


• They are supposed to feel like you are barefoot.


• They have even been worn while running marathons and scuba diving.


• They are not sized like normal shoes. Here is a quick video about how to measure your foot for Vibrams.

I even found a beginner's guide to these awesome shoes. They are on youtube, and facebook so you can find them everywhere.

As you can see they are sort of my new "thing", and I'm loving them. I found a couple stores here in Houston, TX that offer them so I will be trying them out and purchasing soon.

Toodles.

New Music from Pomplamoose......Love them.

Angee Lee's Deal of the Day: Pink ATG

Hi all.

Here's another deal of the day brought to you by Flowers to Flourishes. They have the new PINK ATG (Advanced Tape Glider).



Now I did not order this today because I have 2 ATG's already. I have the Yellow 1/2" and the Red 1/4" so I can't say I need it just because it's pink, but I can say that I was REALLY tempted to buy it.

If you would like an ATG and love the fact that it's pink, Flowers to Flourishes has them today for $21.99 + $5.99 shipping.

Later.

Internet Finds: Necklush

I spend lots of time on the internet and I frequently come across awesome things online. They can be just from searching Google and clicking on a advertisements in the sidebar, or it may be something my favorite Youtuber mentioned, or it can even be a misspelled website that I happened to click on. If you come across any links that you think I would be interested in, just leave me a comment or email me at angee {at} angeeleebutler {dot} com. On to the internet finds.

Today I came across a great website called Necklush. If the name wasn't enough to entice you to click then the fact that they make awesome scarves definitely will.



These are not necklaces and not really a scarf but sort of a hybrid between the two. Being a crafter I just love the endless possibilities of the accessory. I can imagine wearing it all year long, with dresses, skirts, suits, and the like. Whether you put a broach on it, twist it up, or leave it long, you will love the versatility of the necklush.

Here is a few of the hundreds of different ways you can wear the necklush.

And here is an instructional video for you.

I'm so super excited about this, Necklush. I can't wait to get mine in the mail and accessorize it all up. This is a quick way to add some color when your in a hurry and still want to be the creative DIVA, or Cool Dad, that you are.

Hugs,

Angee Lee

Angee Lee's Deal Pick of the Day

Deal-a-Day sites are the one of my well kept scrapbooking secrets, well until today. I find alot of my supplies and tools on these sites. They offer one deal that is only available that day or while supplies last. The best part about this is that the deals are deeply discounted scrapbooking supplies. Most of them are very current and up to date so you are not getting outdated deals.

The best part for me is waking up and getting to the computer or if I'm very busy that day checking my iPhone to see if any of the deals that day are something I MUST have. It's so much fun. Plus I'm a bit of a supply lover so that is definitely an enabler. :-D

The very first deal-a-day site that I was turned onto was PeachyCheap.com. I've gotten punches, paper flowers, thickers, and patterned paper collections from them and I've never been disappointed with an order.

Another deal-a-day site that I love is Craftysteals.com. The first thing I ordered from them and still order from time to time was a Scrapbooking Trends & Cards Magazine bundle. I saw it  one day on the site but didn't order  it and regretted it immediately so I had to wait until the next time it came up on the site.  They regularly offer the current volume of Scrapbooking Trends & Cards Magazines in  a bundle for $15.99. That is a great deal seeing both those subscriptions are over  $50 per year each. I don't purchase this deal every month but a few times a year I treat myself to the loads of inspiration they have to offer. This is one of the best items I've found on these types of sites.

Sometimes I pass on things like patterned paper, chipboard elements, or rubons. However, I love the days when the deals are Martha Stewart punches, new release collections, or popular scrapbooking magazines.

Here are a few of my favorite deal-a-day sites. I've ordered from every one of these sites without a hitch so I have no qualms about recommending each of these for your shopping pleasure. =)

• craftysteals.com


• flowerstoflourishes.com


• peachycheap.com


• cropchocolate.com

Angee Lee's Deal Pick of the Day:

From FlowerstoFlourshes.com

Tim Holtz new 2010 Distress Inks: 6 ink pads for $15.99 +$4.99 for shipping = $20.98 Total

Colors: Barn Door, Bundled Sage, Chipped Sapphire, Crushed Olive, Forest Moss, Pumice Stone

I've already submitted my order for this great deal. I'm working my way up to owning all of the distress inks by Tim Holtz. I just love how versatile they are and they open so many creative opportunities.

I don't know how often I will post my picks, but know that if it's a great deal I will have it up for you. As a scrap newbie I bought loads of stuff that I had no idea how to use or how to make it work for me. Now that I've gotten better and acquired more techniques to use I know whether or not the products you find on the site are actually things that I will use in my crafts. So that would be my only advice: make sure you purchase something you will actually use and don't just buy it because it's a good deal. It's only a good deal if you will use it.

Hugs,

Angee

YT Find: Pomplamoose Music

[caption id="attachment_132" align="alignleft" width="263" caption="Jack Conte & Nataly Dawn"][/caption]

Hi all,

I am a huge Youtube fan, so much so that I watch more youtube vids than I watch an actual television. My favorite things to watch are scrapbooking vids, makeup tutorials, and music videos.

The best thing about youtube is the raw, unfettered, non-commercialized talent who post their incredible music, and Jack Conte & Nataly Dawn of Pomplamoose Music are just two of the many groups that I've come to follow.

If you are a music lover like I am then you will definitely love this band/group/duo. Whatever you want to call it I think they are simply awesome. The first song I ever heard from them was this one:



How awesome is that? The musicality and creativity of this just makes he sooo happy.

So after hearing this on Facebook I happened to browse their channel and came across this.



What!!!!! What!!! Now that was freakin' fantastic. But that's not all. How cute it is??



Ok that's enough for now. Go visit their channel and see for yourself.

Oh and they also have an album on iTunes. So click here to check that out. I have it and I think you should too.

More crafty goodness coming later this week.

Hugs,

Angee Lee

Furniture shopping: Help me make WHITE work!!!

Hi all, 

I back with a quick update and am in need of some advice. I'm planning to redo my bedroom soon and I'm buying white furniture. Well I'm not a particular fan of white furniture. Ok well that's not 100% true I love white furniture in other peoples homes but I can't seem for figure out how to make white furniture work, and look sophisticated and classy. So I got this dresser on hold at my favorite furniture place in town and I'm not quite sure how to make it classy/vintage which is my style. So i'm in need of some inspiration photos, links, etc. 

How to I make this furniture work?? Took this pic on my iPhone so excuse the quality. 

I got the dresser. Not sure about the mirror though. I don't really want matchy matchy. I think I may look into getting a mirror like this.

 (just hopefully not at this price :-/).  Or maybe a vintage gold mirror like this. And I'm also going to change the hardware out to crystal knobs to class it up a bit. I kinda feel like white furniture tends to look a bit country and that is definitely not my style. I love shabby chic with a vintage twist though so that would be a good mix for me. As you can see I'm not quite sure which way I'm going to take this. What about beach chic?? Lol.

I'm also thinking of adding mirrored bedside tables with this to class it up a bit. 

I love these but the price hurts my feelings. They are antique and $2,476.15. OMG. 

And these are super cute, but over $2k too. 

Potterybarn has these for $399

What do you think?

Hugs, 

A

Update: I found some inspiration pics on hgtv.com. Help me do something like this. 

My Favorite Flowers

I am in a pretty colorful mood today. I'm finding all types of inspirations via the internet. Yesterday was all about shopping and midcentury modern furniture. Today is all about flowers. I've never really been a garden girl (oh, 2peas GG i wish) but never really a dirt, and sun type of girl until recently when my mom and I purchased our home did I really understand the calming, rewarding, and theraputic nature of gardening. 

So in honor of all that here are a few of my favorite flowers. 

First in line is my all time favorite. RANUNCULUS. Oh my I will have to find a way to grow these in my garden as I love them so much. The color variation is awesome. Click here for great tips to grow Ranunculus.  

Check out these gorgeous bouquets. Oh My Word. 

Ranunculus

Chrysanthemum

It is the national flower of Japan and don't your just love the tight pompons, and the beautiful range of colors. 

The Calla Lilly

I first fell in love with this flower at my good friend, Alaric's funeral. This flower is just so serene to me. It has a calming effect on me with it's simple design and soft coloring. God is awesome and this flower reminds me of that every time I see it. 

The Canna

It's the quintessential tropical flower. Don't you just love the yellow background with the orange specks. It makes me happy just looking at it. Here are a few more of my favs for your enjoyment. 

Gardenia

Hyacinth

Iris

Orchid

Peony

Stephanotis

So my favorite flower story. A good friend of mine decided to take me out right before Valentine's Day last year. I'd just gotten out of a very serious relationship and we were both working on the actual V-day so we went out the weekend before. He showed up to my door with a bouquet of white lilies.

About 1/2 of the flowers had already bloomed while the other half were just bulbs. I put the flowers in my bed room on the night stand and left them there all week. About 1/2 way through the week most of the flowers had already died. I snipped those away and left the bulbs in tact. Well to my surprise when I got home from work on Valentine's day the bulbs had bloomed. It was the best surprise in the world. I don't even think I told my friend this story. It really changed my perspective about the breakup and helped me truly move past that relationship. I don't know if he knew those bulbs would bloom within a week or not but I can't even tell you how much I loved seeing those flowers after a long day at work. So Julian if you read this thank you so much. You have no idea how much those flowers mean(t) to me. :-D I'm still down for sushi anytime. lol.

Hugs. 

Angee