I'm getting my first apartment. I applied on Sunday and I'm hoping to hear back tomorrow on whether I was approved or not. Since this will be my very first apartment I don't really know the process but I love the place. It's 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. I'm having a blast on pinterest, craigslist, and etsy planning my upcoming purchases.
I wanted to do an entirely second hand apartment where everything is used but I just can't do second hand fabrics that I can't launder so.....Some things will be purchased new, i.e., couches, upholstered chairs, etc.
Here's what I'm loving and inspired by so far. (If only I could afford all of it...)
I guess I never thought about it much. It still amazes me when I get a comment from one of my blog readers who are not family or one of my personal or online friends.
It's really amazing that my blog is read by people who have never met me {all 1o of them......who I adore so much. :-)}
I teach it to my students almost daily being an English teacher.
And now today my twitter timeline is abuzz with it.
What am I talking about? Imitation, stealing, and plagiarism.
A few days ago a blogger friend and I face-booked about it when she saw that one of her readers had copied her post and posted it to her blog. Yes, she changed a few words. Yes, she made the references about her own life. But No credit was given. All in all she plagiarized someone's blog and passed it off as her own. She took an ORIGINAL concept and copied it. I'd call that plagiarism.
Today another of my favorite bloggers tweeted that someone had stolen their ORIGINAL website design, altered it slightly, and are now using it on their blog.
Another favorite blogger of mine retweeted a post by one of my favorite designers outlining what is appropriate and what is not appropriate in using her ORIGINAL artwork without express consent.
As a teacher I know that in my 8th grade class I have this conversation alot with my students. Taking someone else's idea and using it in any way WITHOUT giving credit to where the idea originated is NOT ok. I don't think I can make the point any better than Kelly did when she wrote this post. You should definitely go over there and take a look and make mental notes.
As a new blogger and a crafter lots of things that I post about have originated somewhere else or with someone else, but I make sure I give credit where credit is due. Most people love the idea that you agree and/or like their idea and are more than thrilled that their concept/idea is being spread via bloggers. But by all means, pay homage to that person for their inspiration. Not only does it let them know that you appreciate what they do, it's the fastest way to make friends online. I have met some great people through my blog, linking to other people's blogs, and retweeting links to other's blogs.
Don't insult someone who inspires you by stealing from them. No bueno.
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.
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.
I'm so glad that it's National Scrapbooking Month. What an exciting time in the creative world of papercrafts, alterable, digital crafting, and so much more. I've been crafting up a storm and having so much fun. Seems that I can't craft when I'm stressed so since my kids have been TAKS testing here in TX for the last week haven't scrapped in 7 days. It's about time to dive into some patterned paper and adhesive. It's the small things that make me happy. he he.
Today I'm spotlighting a great machine that was suggested to me via Rhonda Daniels. I'd mentioned that I was looking into purchasing the Silhouette SD, and she sent me an link to a great Youtube video showcasing the Craftwell eCraft Electronic Cutting System. (craftwellusa.com)
The first video is by Noel Hyman of Paperclipping.com from CHA 2010. She gives some great introductory information regarding creating your own images, selling your custom images online, and much more.
The next video is a demonstration using the purple version of the machine and gives a great tutorial on how to use the machine.
The last video is showcasing the the software that is used with the Craftwell eCraft.
The next video is showcasing the iPhone app that works with the eCraft machine.
Pros:
Beautiful colors
No cutting mats needed
Create and cut your own images
The ability to cut banners from rolls of paper
Sell your images through Craftwell eCraft Central
Can be used to cut edible shapes
Computer not required, but awesome software available
Draws and Cuts at the same time without changing tools
The cutting tray where you can cut multiple images without having to reload individual sheets of paper.
Professional model which can be used as a commercial production machine
Cons:
You paper must be less than 1 mm thick paper
Has not been released just yet. (I'm sure there is going to be a line to get one of these) Projected release Spring 2010
Not MAC compatible just yet.
Only the professional version of the machine will alow you to use SVG images to cut.
Differences between the Models:
The basic unit has a B&W display and will come with one SD Fun Card. The deluxe unit has a color screen and will be bundled with two SD Fun cards. We are planning a unit designed for heavier use that is ideal for craft stores, clubs and power users, It will be equipped with a heavy duty motor drive and other industrial features. All units will have the same cutting capabilities.
Price: MSRP
Basic Model: ~$259
Professional Model: ~ $399
Basic Software: ~ $69.99
Pro Software: ~ $159.99
SD Cards: ~$39
Seems to me this machine can do everything that the Silhouette & Cricut machines can do. But will it create enough of a buzz to compete with such well respected companies?? I'd be really interested in testing this machine out to see if it lives up to all that I think it can do.
Tell me what you think? Would you like one??
In addition to all that I'm also highligting a video posted by Jennifer McGuire (one of my favorite crafty ladies) that she posted on her youtube account last week.. In this vid she shows us her favorite crafting tools.
Some of my favs are the We Are Memory Keepers Corner Chomper, my ATG guns (yes I have both sizes), and dimensional adhesive.
Are you a grungy girl? Do you love Tim Holtz distress Inks? Have all those foam applicators stored in little baggies? Want a great storage solution? If you answered yes to any/all of those questions then take a quick look at this video by Patti Behan
Is that the cutest idea? And guess what? Stampin' Up! has a matchbox die (114890) so you can make the boxes out of your favorite patterned paper. I would also cut some acetate to put inside the box so that the box won't soak up the left over ink and get mushy inside.
If you're like me then you like to have things in more than one place, preferably in your head and on paper somewhere filed away for mind lapses. So for all us card-makers out there, even the one's who don't know their card-makers yet here is a little guideline I found. Hope it helps.
