Great Programs/Sites for Creative Types

I found some neat/fun/cool sites today that I think are great!!!

Picnik - free photo editing software

Some things you can do:

* Turn you photo into a pencil sketch.

* Doodle all over your image.

* Add a frame.

* Fix blemishes, red-eye, whiten teeth.

* Regular editing stuff to. (Sharpen, resize, rotate, change color, change the format (jpeg, gif, tif, etc.)

Inkscape - Download a FREE program that will help you write in spirals, waves, etc.

Here how I did it (thanks to Scraperfect's Blog):

1. Using the "A" text tool on left, write a sentence. Using the Spiral, draw a spiral.
2. Select both (edit --> select all). Go to top menu and choose TEXT--> Put on Path.
3. To remove the spiral line, Go to top menu Object---> Fill and Stroke. Then click Stroke Paint and check NO PAINT. (I didn't click NO PAINT, so you can see the lines on mine.)
4. Save it. It saves as a .svg format. To change the file format, export and choose .png format. You can change the resolution (dpi) to 300 if you want to print it. The resolution is fine for the internet. Open it, chang the format to jpeg, and save it.

Your Fonts - turn your own handwriting into a font ($7.50) An example from their site -

Spell with Flickr - get help designing your own words. Here's a nice one:

Just type in the word/words and the site will create it for you. You can change a letter by clicking on it. I captured it off the site, so I'm not sure if you can save the whole word or each letter.

Because I'm Lazy

We survived the first week of school and everyone is still alive! :) Todd and I are exhausted, but we are determined to have a great year ahead of us both. I've been particularly worn out because my sleep schedule has been completely thrown for a loop. After starting training two weeks in a row, going on a scrapbook retreat, my mom's surgery, worrying about Mary (my gma), setting up my classroom in record time, and being thrown into a room with sixteen rats (aka students), I'm beat!

I'm kicking back this weekend and trying to catch up. So far, so good. I've slept for at least ten hours each night for two nights now. Think I'll do the same tonight!

So . . . in my pursuit to maintain this blog, I'm being lazy and cheating. Here's what I've thieved from Julie:

i am: being a bum today.
i think: i'll make this a great school year.
i know: that I am loved by many.
i want: to have a family.
i have: many blessings in my life.
i wish: the shelving unit my mom offered me would fit in my closet.
i hate: green peas.
i miss: having hope and naivete about pregnancy.
i fear: heights.
i feel: relaxed!
i hear: the ceiling fan spinning above me.
i smell: the pizza i just baked.
i crave: hugs, kisses, and snuggling.
i search: the internet via google reader, the blogosphere, and facebook.
i wonder: what our babies will look like.
i regret: quitting the saxophone.
i ache: when someone i love is hurting.
i care: deeply for my family and friends.
i always: kiss my husband each day.
i am not: a patient person.
i believe: that God has great things planned for us.
i dance: whenever i want.
i sing: random songs as they come to mind.
i cry: often because i am tender hearted.
i don't always: open up like people think i am.
i fight: if there is fighting to be done.
i write: in my blogs instead of journals.
i never: have had a pedicure.
i stole: a mailbox sticker from the store when i was little.
i listen: and have to remember not to think of my response while listening.
i need: some new pants. why did i only buy shirts before school started?
i am happy about: the fact that i am loved, that i love others, and good things will happen because they have to happen.

No tagging here, but if you want to take my lazy route and thieve this from me, let me know & I'll read it!

My Quirks

I've Been Tagged! I was wondering if someone would ever specifically tag me rather than the lame "I tag whoever hasn't done it yet." j/s

Here are the rules:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you: Susan
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking to them
5. Leave a comment for each tagged blogger to let them know that they have been tagged

6 Quirks about me:
1. When I was young I ate only butter (and lots of it!) on my pancakes. I did it more to piss off my step-mother than because I loved it. :)
2. Raw meat makes me very nervous. I just can't touch it with my hands.
3. I ask Todd smell things from the fridge before I use them for leftovers or throw them away. (Maybe a quirk for him is that he usually does it!)
4. Everything in my world is parallel or perpendicular and in order. It works for me.
5. I basically have no septum in my nose (the "divider" in your nose)
6. I like to see how low on gas I can get before filling up, and I've only run out of gas once (20 years ago while in college).

6 People I am Tagging: Amanda, Cathy, Joyce, Laurie, Misty, Tracy

Guess I Really Am Tired

Case in Point #1: Todd and I were sitting in the den early this evening just chatting & talking about our day. Apparently for no reason I told Todd to shut up - and I don't even remember it. Even right after I supposedly said it, I didn't know that I had. Todd's not one to make stuff like that up, so I had to apologize for saying shut up to him. Even though I still have NO recollection of it.

Case in Point #2: Less than an hour later, I asked Todd what the date for Election Day was in November. I asked him if it was the 11th & he said no. After looking at his calendar, he told me it was the 4th. I racked my brain over & over trying to figure out why I remembered Nov. 11th. (My brain stores up information like dates, phone numbers, etc.) I told Todd that I knew SOMETHING was on the 11th - like a holiday or something. He checked his calendar for me & said, "Nope. Nothing."

I kept thinking. Finally, he said, "The first date we had?" AAAHHHH! YES!!! The date of our first date in 2003. Geez. I always remember stuff like that. The fact that TODD actually remembered it first proves that I'm tired.

I'm in bed getting ready to do some school stuff & go to sleep. I'm sure I'll never catch up.

A Boy and His Toys

I swear I love this dog more & more every day. He cracks me up!!



Thank you to the "One Spot" at Target for only costing me $1 per toy. Considering the toy is now dead, a whole dollar wasn't much of an investment!

Lesson Learned

Last night I could have easily screamed, "KILL ME NOW!!!

For the first time in my memory, I went to an office supply store. After the first day of school ended. WTF was I thinking? Had I really not had a long enough day?

When Todd and I walked in, he called out across the store to two of his students. Todd suddenly said, "Hell no!" and turned around to walk out. That's when I saw the line. The HUGE, long line of people. (Is that lady in the white shirt trying to cut? I think not!)


You can't see the ones at the end of the line because they are hidden by shelving. Believe me, they were there. I swear there had to be at least 50 people. That's when I saw the other line - you know - the short line. The man in the tie was not the last person.


Because I (1) desperately needed binders for school today, (2) wanted to purchase them for $0.25 each, and (3) could buy up to 25 binders since I'm a teacher . . . I stood in said line. For about 25 minutes. And, yes, I sent Todd to get some yogurt down the street and come back later. I'm such a nice wife.

Kill me again for just thinking about it. Lesson learned.

Classroom Project

I've been busting my butt this past week to get my classroom unpacked, setup, organized, decorated, and ready for a bunch of 9 year olds. I was easily working 10-12 hour days for a week, and everything was ready as of 9pm on Saturday. Today is the first day of school - here we go!!!!

I took an old, antique chair from our house to use at school. It was old & ugly plus the legs had been chewed on by a few different dogs. I wanted it out of our house, and I thought (hoped!) it might work in my classroom.


Before:

I went to Target and bought some jersey sheets that were used to drape the chair. I needed something that I could remove and wash if necessary. It's not gorgeous, but it was cheap and easy to do!