I Made It! :)

We're having an employee and customer appreciation event at my day-job tomorrow.  The theme is "Fiesta!" this year.  Office staff were asked to bring in a dozen cupcakes of any style.  Well... I was going to be lazy and buy some, but was somewhat harangued at work over that statement. I kept hearing,  "You're too creative..."

:)

Okeydokey.

Never one to back down from a challenge (most of the time), I searched the Internet for some ideas on how to decorate a cupcake Fiesta!-style.  After seeing several very cute photos, I found two that really, really intrigued me.  And I settled on this one... look what I made!

I'm so excited that they turned out as well as I had planned/hoped.  A friend of mine helped me figure out how to make the taco shell so everything is 100% edible.  Well, except the paper wrapper.

Creative in the kitchen today.  It feels good...

The Problem...

The problem with going to a 4-day retreat where you spend 75% of your time scrappin' and 25% of your time eating and sleeping is that when you get home you fall into a deep depression when you realize you can't continue on that way 24/7 for the rest of your natural life.

It's That Time Again...

I tell ya... 2012 has been the Year of Scrapbooking!  I have had an event of some sort nearly every month of this year and I've had a blast.  Coming up soon is my annual retreat to A Crop for All Seasons. 

I've been spending this weekend getting prepped and I *think* I have a pretty good handle on things this time around.  I would really love to be super organized and productive as I have multiple projects on my plate.  Nearly everything I'm taking is for someone else so I'd love to get those projects done and make October's crop weekend all about me.  It's time. 

Please... tell me what you've been doing to be crafty... creative... arty... etc...

I love to be inspired by YOU.

Why You Don't See Me Commenting on Your Blog…

Hey Yo!  I just wanted to share with you why you may not see me hanging around your blogs anymore.  I blame it on work.  Not the amount of work I have to do, but that my workplace has locked down internet access so thoroughly that it has prevented me from enjoying my favorite breaktime activity: visiting and commenting on your blog!

You see, I used to be able to start out at Google Reader, read all of your blog post (if you had it set up to allow reading the entire post) and then I could bink over and leave you a little love.

Now, it’s considered “web communications” and I’m no longer able to visit any of you out there who have “blogspot” in your address, among other “web communications” site addresses. 

To make matters worse, the IT dictators have even blocked some of what I can view on Google Reader!  If you have a post that contains any photos that are uploaded to/from your blog – yep, those are all blocked as well.  So, I can only read the text but we all know that many of us post photos as well and that’s more than half the story! 

It’s terribly frustrating.

So why don’t I read them when I’m home at night?  My nighttime hours are slammed!  I work out nearly every night, have household chores to keep up with, plus two “second” jobs to try and stay on top of (which I fail at most of the time).  And then there are those nights when I just crash.  Yes, yes, I could make a better effort, I agree.  But… well, it is what it is.

I am sad and miss my lunchtime reading.  I will, however, make a better effort, I promise.  But in the meantime, know that I’m still there… reading what I can from Google Reader and sharing in your worlds the best that I can.

(Hugs) all around!!

The Day I Arrived at School Too Early

Here I am for Storytelling Sunday... a day late and a dollar short, but here nonetheless.

Once upon a time, I was a creative writer. It was a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, but I really enjoyed writing and I think – for my age and wisdom of the time – I was pretty good at it. But please, let me present to you one of my award-winning short stories and let me hear what you have to say…

The Day I Arrived at School Too Early

written when I was around 13 years old (1983/84)

On Tuesday, May 3rd, 1990, I arrived at school earlier than usually.  I have never seen such sights as I did at that time…

I walked through the front doors and the first thing that impressed itself upon me was that everything sparkled, like a diamond under a bright light.  I decided to put everything in my locker to get rid of the load.

The second strange thing that hit me was that I couldn’t open my locker.  In fact, all of the locks on every locker were stuck shut!  I dropped my books on the floor next to my locker.  “Ouch!”  That’s what I heard.  Looking around, I saw no one so I decided it all must have been in my mind.

Walking by the principal’s office, I glanced in.  What I saw almost gave me a heart attack!
There were two…things… in there.  I assume that they were the Principal and vice-principal.
They each were pea-green in color.  All out of shape, almost like a blob.  They had pointed, orange ears (on backwards) and purple horns coming out of their noses.  Bright red eyes (three and one-half) looked as if they would have been able to burn anything up.  They also had seven brown fingers (all together).

They started to turn so I ran across the hall and hid. I  definitely did not want them to see me.  They made a sucking noise (like a suction cup) as they traveled.

I turned around, from facing the door, after I had heard them move away.  What I saw then was total chaos! The clock was talking, telling the desks (which were moving) where to go.   (The clock kept pointing with its hands.)

I ran out of there and up the stairs as if I were being chased by a pack of wolves.  I should have left right then and there, but at that time I figured the bathroom would be safest.  WRONG!!  Water sprayed all over; things flew in the air.  I turned “about-face” and stepped out.

I could hear murmuring next-door (the teacher’s room).  I walked over and opened the door a crack.  Looking inside, again I almost had a heart attack!  Most all of the teachers were in there; including the principal and the vice principal.  What was worse… ALL of the teachers were exactly like the principal, except, maybe, different coloring.

Now the vice principal takes out this rainbow colored liquid.

This liquid was unique.  It had every color in the rainbow and no matter how much they mixed it, the colors never combined.  Then, passing it out in miniature tea cups, everyone drank some of the liquid.

Immediately they all changed into the teachers as I knew them.  I did not hesitate; I ran out of that building – fast!  Can you imagine what the Home Ec or Health room might have looked like?

I waited, then finally came back an hour later.  Everything was back to its old, dull self.  Lockers opened, clocks told time.

To this day I feel that maybe I was dreaming - - - BUT, one day while I was doing a favor for a teacher, I opened a drawer and found a small vial of RAINBOW COLORED LIQUID!

By the way, it really was award winning.  Only I didn’t read the announcement so by the time I went to pick my prize, there wasn’t much left to select from.  At the time, I was not into metal bands or hair bands or whatever they called it in 1983.  My prize?  The Scorpions “Love at First Sting” record album.

Hmmm… I think I still have it…




To read more stories, visit Sian for links to other Sunday tales...