After Black Friday Giveaway

Hello!

Have you recuperated from your Thanksgiving gluttony?  Did you partake of the Black Friday mania?  I did not... I do most of my shopping online, anyway.  I'm not a fan of grumpy shoppers. I AM a fan of happy shoppers. I try to be the latter, and I always try to make the cashier smile.  But mostly, I just fire up Amazon.com or other sites to shop at.

Well, one of the sites I was browsing recently is My Memories.

And today, as the image above suggests, I'm doing a giveaway for their software!  (Keep reading for info on how to win!)

I don't know if you were reading way back when, when I decided I thought I maybe might want to try digital scrapbooking.  I own Photoshop and I've seen what wonderful things people have made, digi-wise.  Of course, it's taken me nearly two years to dabble in it to see if it's something I like.  One of my delays was simply: Photoshop. I enjoy it for certain reasons, but I did not want to take the extra time to learn some of the tricks I thought were involved with digi scrapbooking.  I know there are classes out there at Jessica Sprague, and I have considered but never jumped.  Then I found My Memories digital scrapbooking suite.

I'll be honest.  They approached me and asked me to give it a try.  It was good timing.  I was finally ready to try something new and (hopefully) easy on the side of digi/hybrid.  So, why  not?  I downloaded the software and dabbled in it for a while.

I was pretty pleased with what they offered.  Now, to be fair, I have not spent days and days in the software, but I did spend about 8 hours in it, playing and figuring things out.  I did not watch any tutorial, but I know there are some, including this one:

Now, what did I think? Overall, I liked it and I think it'll be something I will use over and over again.  That said, I'm never giving up traditional scrapbooking...

My Memories Suite was sufficiently easy for the beginner (me).  I am thankful I'm computer savvy, though, but if you hover over different buttons for the screen tip, anyone can easily get started, even someone who isn't all that computer savvy.  What I liked best is I didn't have to think, or create, my own "things".  I just basically used the "drag and drop" method to pull things over and then simple editing tools to change colors and shading.  The package comes with some papers and embellishments, very basic.  Of course, there are plenty of add-ons over at their site, where I spent many hours browsing and downloading.  There are many FREE downloads, and then the priced packages are there too, which are much more robust.  And, if you have downloaded digi supplies from other vendors, you can pull those in too while you're working on a layout.

My Memories is also a great design tool, which I might use as well to create sketches.  But it's certainly more versatile than as a sketch machine.

Let me share my very first, baby-steps digi layout with you (be gentle):

I spent a long time on this, even though it's very simple.  Mostly because I was playing around with this feature or that feature so I was moving things around a lot.  This is "all me" in that I didn't use a premade sketch or drag-n-drop template.  I just placed things and moved things around, changed the colors and the papers several times, added embellishments and deleted them.  Wished for a "splatter"  but couldn't find one in the items I downloaded (although I'm sure there was one out there somewhere).  I settled on the swirly doodle.  The best part of the layout?  It was a wonderful Inside Out moment for me and working through my residual depression over losing Hunter last March.

After spending so much time on that layout, I used a preloaded template for this one:

Snip Snap!  This sucker was done in 5 minutes.  Now, THAT was gratifying!  Yes, I do believe I like it.

How to Win:

Now, today is YOUR day to win a chance to get this software for FREE.  Seriously, all you have to do is leave a comment and tell me why you digi (or want to digi) to win a free downloadable copy of this fabulous software.   For an extra chance to win, visit the My Memories site and view their digi kits and tell me which one you like the best.  Yet another opportunity to put your name in the hat: follow their blog, like them on Facebook or follow them in Twitter and then come back and leave another comment telling me which one(s) you did.  That's up to five chances to get your name into the hat.  This will be open for comments  until 5pm Eastern Time on Friday, December 2nd.  Please pass the word...

If you don't want to play along to win, but you like what you see and want it NOW, click the blinkie to the right for $10 off My Memories Suite and use the code below the blinkie.  Using that code will also give you a $10 off coupon for downloads, so that's $20 in savings.  Pretty good deal.

It's fun, it's easy, and it could be yours for FREE!  What a great holiday gift to yourself.

Before and After...

Thank you, everyone, for all of your supportive words in my last post.  Today is Thanksgiving in the USA, and I want to say I'm so thankful for YOU... but honestly?  I'm not just thankful today, but every day... for your time when you read my blog, your interaction, your support and your sharing.

I have had a really good week this week.  So much to share.  But, as today is the Thanksgiving holiday, the one day a year that seemingly is all about gluttony, I wanted to share with you my family's superoverindulgences.  Is that a word?  Oh well, today it is.

First, let me share with you that The Hubs is a turkey-a-holic.  He LOVES his turkey.  Me?  I'm a bit more "meh" about turkey.  I think I get it from my dad.  BEFORE I met The Hubs, I actually detested turkey.  But AFTER I tasted one of his, I was won over.  Well, for the day anyway.  He makes a darn good bird.

The biggest challenge I have before Thanksgiving is finding a bird that is "big enough".  Most people go out to buy a turkey based on how many people are coming to dinner, doing some mathematical equation such as "X number of pounds times Y number of people equals a Z pound turkey" or some such nonsense.  At our house?  The equation is: "buy the biggest damn turkey you can find!"  This year was a small one, compared to some previous years:

But it was quite big enough for me. 

As I wasn't home while The Hubs was dressing the turkey, I couldn't snap a "BEFORE" shot of the ol' girl.  While he was preparing her for the oven, I was at my first Zumba class.  Yes, seriously, I was Zumba-ing on Thanksgiving morning with my gal pal CT.  It was fun!

However, I did get a beautiful picture of our bird AFTER it was done:

And here it is AFTER the cooking bag is removed, getting ready to be "unstuffed":

Lori, this photo is for you...

Now, to share with you our feast, but before I head to the food, here's the empty table BEFORE everything is laid out:

Notice anything?  Yes... that table has only four plates set on it.  No, there isn't a kiddie table anywhere... this turkey and feast will be served to four people.

Now let's carve the turkey... BEFORE The Hubs eats it all:

He's been nibbling at it by this point.  So much for "saving room"... he's already "tasted" so much!

AFTER he's done carving, I set the food on the table and call the kids.  Here is what it looked like BEFORE we started eating...

Holy feast, Batman!

Sadly, I was too busy stuffing my face to take any "during" shots, plus the kids would have had a fit, considering they had basically lounged about in bed watching movies all day ("I have to do my hair before you take a picture!").  I'll admit, though... we barely made a dent in it all. 

Yeah, I knew that would happen.

But the turkey looks like we gnawed her to the bone:

AFTER we took all the meat off the bone.  Two giant storage bags of leftover meat and
one full sized breast in the freezer for a later dinner, unless The Hubs pulls it out
to munch on it before I make said dinner.  He's such a turkey-a-holic!

No one was hungry for desserts, but I had a lovely apple pie and pumpkin pie ready.

Bummed my crust "fell in" on one side, but this was YUMMY!

I failed to get a photo of the apple pie after it was baked, but here's a BEFORE photo to prove I made one!

Dutch apple pie with a crumbly topping... more about this pie later...

Well, I hope you enjoyed seeing the absolute over-indulgence of our family on this lovely holiday.  We are all barely able to move here, although they have all gone back for desserts by the time I published this post. 

BEFORE I take off, though, again... thank YOU for all that you do.  I am so grateful to have you in my life.  Now go on... have a slice of pie!

An Apology

I have been largely absent for the past month (or more) from blogging.  I have shown up with a post, here and there.  But mostly, not invested in what I was writing (with the recent exception of Storytelling Sunday).  I want to apologize.  I wish I could explain.  There's nothing "major" going on in life that has prevented me from writing more often, or better posts, or sharing the crafty goodies I've been working on, or sharing the recent valley in my fitness quest.    There's nothing wrong, I'm not overwhelmed with work or family or pet situations.

I suppose, I've just been uninspired.  It's as if my brain is tired. 

I often sit with my laptop and open a new post and just stare at the screen.  Sometimes literally for hours.  And then I shut it down without publishing anything and put the laptop away.

It bugs me.

Because I truly love to write.   I truly love to interact with all of you out in cyberland.  And I know I miss it. 

My brain is tired.

It's been doing a lot of work lately.  Sometimes I wish my mind came with an "off" switch.  I guess even though have electrical impulses, it doesn't come with a breaker box.  :)

So, bear with me.  I'm here.  I'm around.  I'm not closing up shop here, not at all.  But, for a while, it seems I will be "less". 

Just for a while.

Please don't give up on me/my blog yet.  I absolutely have so much more to share.

Let me just get my brain to relax a little first. 

Just Something Fun...

A while back, during a blog hop I shared with you a tongue twister.  As a child, I was always fascinated by these... as a budding perfectionist, I wanted to "win" the game of "five times fast".  Somewhere, buried in this house of mine, I still have my tongue twister book that I would read and re-read.  Until I find it, today I'm sharing with you one of my favorite tongue twisters.  It probably was one of my favorites because I lived in New York (state) for much of my younger life...

Unique New York

Okay, I dare you - say it fast, five times in a row.  Can you do it?

Top Ten Reasons Why I Love November

10) The leaves finally stop falling off the trees. Because there are none left to fall. Eventually...

9) I stop sweating (except for when I’m with the Sadist, but that’s normal)… and I hate to sweat so this is a big deal for me.

8) Looking back at what I’ve accomplished this year.

7) My house starts to smell like cinnamon and spice. (I’m a Scentsy freak and a candle snob)

6) Christmas music starts, and that doesn’t bug me anymore. In fact, I embrace it.

5) Sales!

4) Sending out Christmas cards (later in the month) to people whom I haven’t talked to most of the year. (Yeah, I guess I should send out more mail or keep in better touch, but sometimes, reaching out that once a year is special…)

3) The air seems fresh (probably because of the cold snap) and clear.

2) Snuggling up in my blankets in my cold house with my kitties laying next to me. Of course, soon I overheat, but the beginning is what counts!

1) November contains the ONE DAY in a year where gorging on high-fat and high-sugar foods is socially acceptable, even approved and encouraged without guilt or (hopefully) remorse.

For more 10 Things on the 10th, visit Shimelle's blog!