Genesis of a Blog Post, Or "Lid, How Do You Come Up With that Junk You Write?" and Flashback Friday

Sometimes people ask, "Lid, where do you get your snazzy ideas for blog posts?" Well, the answer is, I work really, really hard on being witty, current, snazzy and most extremely, brainy-ish.

Like this guy:


So now I take you to the inner workings of my brain to hook you up with "Genesis of a Blog Post."

Here is an actual Facebook message between Lid of Mocha With Linda and me which turned into a blog post:

Mocha Linda to 2nd Cup Linda: Good morning, my friend! Just wanted to say I hope you have a splendiferous day! Can't believe tomorrow is October 1st!

2nd Cup to Mocha: Good morning, to you, too!! I just came from the doc where I received an injection of cortisone into my left buttock. How's THAT for detail?

My eyes are doing the swelling thing again.

Speaking of Oct., my b-day is this month. Now normally, I don't broadcast it, except maybe on my blog where most people don't know me personally. However, this week, on a local radio station, they started a contest wherein you can win a birthday cake from a beloved local bakery which makes cakes to die for. So I thought, "I will enter." That was yesterday. This morning, as I was putting on my makeup, I heard "Happy birthday to Linda Crow, 48 years old today."

??? I forgot to put in a date, I guess. Sad part is, my birthday is next week, and that's when the contest starts. So now I think I will contact the station and say, "I think I got my birthday wrong."

Oh boy.

I think I just wrote a blog post here! haha.

Yep, I believe I did.

**************




What toys do you remember from your childhood? What did you like to do to entertain yourself? Did you mostly play inside or outside? Did you ride a bike all over the neighborhood? Play baseball in the backyard? Basketball in the driveway? Did you have to "get permission" to play at a friend's house, or were you and your friends back and forth between houses all the time? If you had siblings, was there a distinction between your toys and theirs? Did you "inherit" any toys from older siblings? What were the "fad" or "must-have" toys of your generation? Did you parents buy them? Was there a toy you always wanted and never got to have?

I played by myself a lot when I was little and had a vivid imagination. I had an imaginary friend named "Tacko," who I pictured looking something like this:



When I did play with neighborhood kids or cousins, I played pretend or The Partridge Family. I was usually Tracy, keepin' it real with my tambourine.

I liked to ride my bike and run little races in my backyard.

I also loved Barbies and other dolls, like Baby First Step, whom I have written about ad nauseum here. But she was so cool. She walked like Baby Frankenstein.



Here is a Barbie parade, featuring Barbies riding the ever-popular "Canister Vacuum Cleaner" float. I believe I was either anticipating or had already viewed a Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.



As I got older to loved to play volleyball in our street at night with friends. We would play well past dark by the street light. So much fun. Especially since the boy who lived down the street was suddenly, inexplicably, very cute.

Thanks, Lid, for sharing life and laughter with me--from miles and miles away! Someday we'll meet in person!

Spectacles

I got glasses this week. And my 6 year old says I'm a nerd. (Although she cried the first day I wore them when I picked her up from school.) And I have even cried once or twice since I got them. Is that weird?? It's just different looking at the world through these things. I feel trapped. And dizzy. And the Mr. says I look fine. Not "fiiiiiiiiine!!!!" Just fine. (haha!) I've even been called "funny looking" & "bottlecaps". Is this 3rd grade again?? Guess so.

And my eyes aren't even THAT messed up, but it's just that slight haziness & unclarity that was becoming an annoyance. I love them when I'm at the computer & I love them when I read.

And I just thought I'd tell you that I got a makeover---of the four-eye variety.

♥

Would You Like a Baby Climbing out of an Ice Skate?

Down in the Lower School (PreK-5th grade) of the Quaker school where I spend my days, the kids get stickers from their teachers pretty regularly.  By Middle School, though, they're far too sophisticated for stickers.

One of my jobs is to arrange for the diplomas.  I start in the fall because I like to get my order in early.  Do you know how hard it is to get 60 to 80 18-year-olds to drop by the office to tell me their middle names?  And then to come back and confirm that what is printed on the order form is accurate?

I thought you might.

But it turns out that by the age of eighteen, kids are pretty much sticker-deprived.  They haven't received any for ever, or so it seems. And their faces light up when one is offered!   So I keep a little box of assorted stickers on my desk.  It's fun.  I'll find out that some great big soccer player's middle name is "Patrick" and then I'll peer into my sticker box and say to him, "Would you like a googly monster with blue arms OR would you like a baby sitting on a watermelon?"  Oh!  The indecision!  And it turns out he can't resist the baby sitting on the watermelon.  Other kids will notice the sticker (some put it on their shirt, others on their hands) and inquire and then in they come.  And that pretty girl whose middle name is Rose will walk away smiling over the frog wearing a waistcoat.  I've been at it a week, now and am about two-thirds done.

I once had to offer a sticker to a faculty member who just had the worst time remembering to bring back his signed contract (talk about the absent-minded professor) and now it's become required.  Faculty and staff get them, also, for turning in their emergency forms.  Or for making me laugh.  I love it.  And they love it.

Who knew?

Tomorrow I just might offer the calculus teacher a pug dog sitting in a teacup.  And he'll be utterly delighted.

Still Lives

 The fantastic animated mindscapes of Jacek Yerka

Whew....we're busy busy....

but so darn excited that tomorrow is October 1st! {time for a new blog look!!!}

And for this Halloween loving family we can get all the decorations out, cobweb up the entire house and have the house looking spooktacular!!

Speaking of spooktacular...before I offer a few sneaks peeks of my Halloween projects I want to share some pictures I put together from the incredibly fun Archiver's ScrapFest event!



I truly had the best time...although I had to laugh as I knew how big the Mall of America was. So when I got to my hotel and they had to give me a map to find my room...it's was totally laughable! Both places were huge!lol But it was so fun....can I just say the women and attendees of the event were so amazing friendly and nice to me...the Glue Girl.

Meet lots of fellow worker bees in the crafting world....Joey Otlo with Bazzill {who even without a microphone is amazing!}, my friend and talented teacher Lori Allred with Imaginisce, silly Madison Parker with Echo Park {funny little tidbit...we almost named Haley Madison...and well Parker is Parker! So I'll never forget his name!} Brian Grow with Fancy Pants, David and Cynthia at Doodlebug, Mario Rossi with Tim Holtz, the Tattered Angels crew, Margie Romney-Aslett with Girl's Paperie and many many others.

I came home though and felt like some one had run me over and left me behind. WOW....I never need to "lay down" during the day and it was necessary several times last week. Thankfully I feel like me again.

And because I've got my umph back...it's time here to start pulling out the Halloween crafts and getting ready for the Show Me St.Louis October TV show. Here's a sneak peek of some of the crafts I'm working on that you'll see on TV or on the Glue Arts Blog!

  

That haunted house you see is one of my favorite projects to date but I will say it was very very time consuming. When you see the photos of it on the Glue Arts Blog for our Echo Park week...I think you'll agree...it was worth it. 

So that's it for today...I'm busy working on all sorts of fun Halloween items...so tune in next week as I'll start sharing all of them...wait till you see the fun things I've made {like that crow} with the Glue Arts Car Accent product...love it!!!

See you then!

Toenails From a Man. Humor Me.

Family Time

Family time is important to the WhiMSy love household & it's been a struggle to maintain it lately with the Mr.'s job as pastor. He has lots of visits, lots of responsibilities, lots of people wanting to talk & stuff, lots to do in general. And we just sometimes have to say, "This is OUR time. You can have tomorrow." Tuesday nights are one of those times.

We're always juggling, trying to get the recipe JUST right. And I think we nailed it. For now anyway. There's always adjustments to be made with life frequently rearranging itself.

And if Tuesday nights means playing with Legos on the floor together & building a cupcake shop, then I'M THERE.

Lego Cupcake Shop: Now open for business!! The grand opening is a success!

The lines: long.

The counter clerk: selling out of today's flavors left & right!

The wait-staff: efficient. The customers: happy.

The alien prison escapee: satisfied.

The chef: busy in the kitchen.

The cleaning girl: keeping a positive attitude.

The customer waiting for his order, who is also flirting with the cleaning girl: totally feeling the sweet vibe.

Pazely's pet donkey: corralled in a secure holidng area.

Oh yeah---& the cupcakes: delicious!!

♥

Alfazoo

 Alfredo De Santis was born in 1941 in Rome, and while as an art student, fully immersed himself 
in the lively and exciting artistic and intellectual life of the city during the 1950s. 

In 1962 he moved to Milan,where learned to appreciate the graphic design works 

of GIancarlo Iliprandi, Pino Tovaglia and other exponents of that fervently modernist era.

After moving back to Rome, in 1964 he opened a graphic design studio and published a number of 

children's books with Emme Edizioni. The funny alphabetic bestiary Alfazoo came out in 1968.

Thanks, Karla!

My friend blogless Karla had the most wonderful Facebook status this morning. I decided to grab and illustrate it. Thanks, Karla!

Life is not about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!

JF '10 Evening Expo

Houston, we have landed! Seems it takes just a day or two longer each year to recover from the craziness that is JunkFest! It's all good craziness, of course! Here are just a few pics to highlight the Friday night "Evening Expo."

Bellied up to yet another incredible masterpiece by SweetMelissa, are the JunkFest girls waiting to welcome shoppers to what we hoped would be a stress-free, no hassle shopping event. According to the feedback we received, we were successful.

Lynette, Andrea, Cassie, Missy (SweetMelissa)

Missy collects tickets from happy shoppers....a bit more relaxing than the Saturday morning "shot-gun" start.

Shoppers browse the vignettes and beautiful re-purposed pieces...




This smile says it all...

A little giggling among girlfriends....always welcomed!

The eating area we set up was well utilized (although maybe a tad too small?) by shoppers eating, relaxing, and pondering their purchases.

Our "local attractions" brochure was a hit for those out-of-towners returning for more fun on Saturday...

More chatting while Andrea writes up tickets.

Another one of those smiles we love to see at JunkFest! Perhaps it was the fun artwork on this chalkboard?!

We never tire of this site! The smiles, visiting, and sometimes even the "junk" bonding!

Need I say more? By the way....these are actual shoppers...not paid actors!!

Lynette and Missy prepare to draw for one of 5 fun door-prizes....

The door prizes: Fall mums in a chamberpot, framed chalkboard, funky fall wreath on an iron stand, cloche on rusty lamp base, and a necklace from one of our favorite vendor/artisans (thanks Tamra!)

One last shot....the lucky winner of the framed chalkboard.

Thanks for tagging along....stay tuned for more pics from JF'10!