Here are some of the more memorable, month-by-month occasions from 2006. Kinda fun to reflect back on the year. Click on the photo, for a more detailed caption of these photos and their meanings.
Thanks to all who came along for the ride!
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Saturday, December 30, 2006
2006 in Review
Well, most bloggers complete this meme. Who am I to buck such a trend?
1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before? I touched Jimmy Pankow's hand after a Chicago concert, and I visited the states of Texas and South Dakota for the first time. I was in Texas for the Ohio State vs. Texas game, and was in South Dakota because of work.
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I, like every year since 1990, vowed to lose weight. I lost about 20 pounds, twice this year, but I find myself on the high end again. I struggle immensly with this whole
lifestyle change. Aaah! But, I'm committed to doing it right in 2007...consistently, so that I can have a different resolution for 2008.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? No
4. Did anyone close to you die? No
5. What places did you visit? Too many to mention. Football and my job took me to several locations, as well as a vacation to Niagara Falls.
6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006? A regular sleep schedule, no travel committments for my job, and a fit body.
7. What dates from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Hmm. Well, November 18th was rather important, as my beloved Buckeyes beat scUM, 42-39.
8. What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year? I can't think of a response to this one. Pretty sad, really.
9. What was your biggest failure? Getting back on caffeine. Ugh! I had it licked.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Yep. I had a stress fracture in my foot. Spent March on crutches and in a boot.
11. What was the best thing you bought? Sloopy, I think. Though she's not here yet.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Heisman trophy winner Troy Smith, and the rest of the Ohio State Buckeyes. I'm so proud of them!
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? There are some things at work that are being ignored. If they continue to be ignored, I'm thinking the problems will get worse.
14. Where did most of your money go? Ohio State Football, Rubberstamping, and my mortgage. (I cringe to think of the order there...so I placed them in random order).
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Ohio State beating Texas and Iowa in September. Those huge victories really set the tone for the rest of the season.
16. What song will always remind you of 2006? Unwritten, by Natasha Bedingfield. (located on the sidebar if interested in listening to). I think the lyrics really hit me and are quite relevant to my life.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? depends on the day and time.
b) thinner or fatter? about the same (ugh!)
c) richer or poorer? poorer
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Exercise! I just didn't want to move much this year.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? spend less time on the internet. I can, and do, spend many hours surfing aimlessly. Searching what? I must ask myself. What is missing from my own life that I'm searching for.
20. How did you spend Christmas this year? I went to my parents. My dad had a nasty stomach virus though, so it wasn't that jolly. I'm just glad he's feeling better.
21. Did you fall in love in 2006? Haha! No. Sadly, no.
22. How many one-night stands? None of your business, but I'm sure you can guess accurately if you really wanted too.
23. What was your favorite TV program? I enjoy "My Name is Earl" but I'm not liking it at 8:00 this season. I'm not ready for television so early. I'm inspired by "The Biggest Loser".
24. What did you do for your birthday in 2006? Went to a Chicago concert in Rising Sun, IN. Touched Jimmy's hand. Caught Keith's guitar pick. Was one of the greatest days of my life.
25. What was the best book you read? "Charmed Thirds" by Megan McCafferty. Love me some Jessica Darling and Marcus Flutie.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Didn't discover anything really. I tend to listen to the oldies...70's and 80's music. LOL!
27. What did you want and get? A win against scUM. A way better Curves, thanks to the new owner.
28. What did you want and not get? Cheap gasoline prices??? I don't know. I usually get what I want. And, my Buckeyes this year surely gave me what I wanted.
29. What was your favorite film of this year? I don't really watch movies. Sorry.
30. Did you make some new friends this year? Friends? No. Acquaintances? Yes.
31.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? More sleep on a regular basis. And, a slimmer, healthier body. These are two things I can control.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006? Elastic.
33. What kept you sane? My faith (?) that things will get brighter.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? I don't know.
35. What political issue stirred you the most? The war. Our very messed up school funding issues.
36. Who did you miss? I'm not going to say his name. But, I will say, after several years, it is getting a wee bit better.
37. Who was the best new person you met? Call me crazy, but I think my periodontist.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006. I'm starting to realize, that if I want it...I've got to do it.
I'm hoping for a good 2007 year. I feel as though everything around me is great (the Buckeyes), but I personally am in a slump. I'm sluggish. I'm lazy.
1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before? I touched Jimmy Pankow's hand after a Chicago concert, and I visited the states of Texas and South Dakota for the first time. I was in Texas for the Ohio State vs. Texas game, and was in South Dakota because of work.
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I, like every year since 1990, vowed to lose weight. I lost about 20 pounds, twice this year, but I find myself on the high end again. I struggle immensly with this whole
lifestyle change. Aaah! But, I'm committed to doing it right in 2007...consistently, so that I can have a different resolution for 2008.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? No
4. Did anyone close to you die? No
5. What places did you visit? Too many to mention. Football and my job took me to several locations, as well as a vacation to Niagara Falls.
6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006? A regular sleep schedule, no travel committments for my job, and a fit body.
7. What dates from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Hmm. Well, November 18th was rather important, as my beloved Buckeyes beat scUM, 42-39.
8. What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year? I can't think of a response to this one. Pretty sad, really.
9. What was your biggest failure? Getting back on caffeine. Ugh! I had it licked.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Yep. I had a stress fracture in my foot. Spent March on crutches and in a boot.
11. What was the best thing you bought? Sloopy, I think. Though she's not here yet.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Heisman trophy winner Troy Smith, and the rest of the Ohio State Buckeyes. I'm so proud of them!
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? There are some things at work that are being ignored. If they continue to be ignored, I'm thinking the problems will get worse.
14. Where did most of your money go? Ohio State Football, Rubberstamping, and my mortgage. (I cringe to think of the order there...so I placed them in random order).
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Ohio State beating Texas and Iowa in September. Those huge victories really set the tone for the rest of the season.
16. What song will always remind you of 2006? Unwritten, by Natasha Bedingfield. (located on the sidebar if interested in listening to). I think the lyrics really hit me and are quite relevant to my life.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? depends on the day and time.
b) thinner or fatter? about the same (ugh!)
c) richer or poorer? poorer
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Exercise! I just didn't want to move much this year.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? spend less time on the internet. I can, and do, spend many hours surfing aimlessly. Searching what? I must ask myself. What is missing from my own life that I'm searching for.
20. How did you spend Christmas this year? I went to my parents. My dad had a nasty stomach virus though, so it wasn't that jolly. I'm just glad he's feeling better.
21. Did you fall in love in 2006? Haha! No. Sadly, no.
22. How many one-night stands? None of your business, but I'm sure you can guess accurately if you really wanted too.
23. What was your favorite TV program? I enjoy "My Name is Earl" but I'm not liking it at 8:00 this season. I'm not ready for television so early. I'm inspired by "The Biggest Loser".
24. What did you do for your birthday in 2006? Went to a Chicago concert in Rising Sun, IN. Touched Jimmy's hand. Caught Keith's guitar pick. Was one of the greatest days of my life.
25. What was the best book you read? "Charmed Thirds" by Megan McCafferty. Love me some Jessica Darling and Marcus Flutie.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Didn't discover anything really. I tend to listen to the oldies...70's and 80's music. LOL!
27. What did you want and get? A win against scUM. A way better Curves, thanks to the new owner.
28. What did you want and not get? Cheap gasoline prices??? I don't know. I usually get what I want. And, my Buckeyes this year surely gave me what I wanted.
29. What was your favorite film of this year? I don't really watch movies. Sorry.
30. Did you make some new friends this year? Friends? No. Acquaintances? Yes.
31.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? More sleep on a regular basis. And, a slimmer, healthier body. These are two things I can control.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006? Elastic.
33. What kept you sane? My faith (?) that things will get brighter.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? I don't know.
35. What political issue stirred you the most? The war. Our very messed up school funding issues.
36. Who did you miss? I'm not going to say his name.
37. Who was the best new person you met? Call me crazy, but I think my periodontist.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006. I'm starting to realize, that if I want it...I've got to do it.
I'm hoping for a good 2007 year. I feel as though everything around me is great (the Buckeyes), but I personally am in a slump. I'm sluggish. I'm lazy.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Arizona State of Mind
Here's another card I made. This card will be sent to my friend who just had lapband surgery last Friday. I'm thinking she'll understand why I chose this southwestern image. I guess I have Arizona on my mind. Nothing wrong with that!
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
"Howl" Should I Interpret this Sketch?
I made this card for Sketch Challenge #104 on Splitcoast Stampers. Like I said earlier, I'm going to try really ard to participate in these, as I still maintain that I am layout challenged. I'm hoping these challenges will stretch me. In fact, I know they will. Though this card doesn't look like much, I struggled with what papers, and colors to use where. The coloring of the image was the easy part. I used Prismacolor pencils and tried to do some layering and blending.
In Prismacolor news, I did email Terry Medaris and asked him if he was teaching some classes in the near future. He was kind enough to respond, though unfortunately, he isn't going to be doing any classes when I am in his area. He did say though that he hopes to make it to the midwest. That would be awesome! My dream/goal is to take some of his classes and learn his technique.
In Prismacolor news, I did email Terry Medaris and asked him if he was teaching some classes in the near future. He was kind enough to respond, though unfortunately, he isn't going to be doing any classes when I am in his area. He did say though that he hopes to make it to the midwest. That would be awesome! My dream/goal is to take some of his classes and learn his technique.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Retro-Dub-Dub, A Bear in the Tub!
Every Saturday on Splitcoast Stampers an "Inspiration Challenge" is posted. It is where you look at an everyday object or picture and create a card using that given inspiration.
I had a lot of fun creating this. The inspiration was a picture of a retro looking bathroom. So, I looked at the colors, the retro-ness, and then I remembered I had a Darcie stamp of a bear in the tub. After that, the card became my obsession all night long.
My goal for the coming year is to participate in many more inspiration challenges, because I want to learn how to look at the world around me and use it as a spring board for my cards.
Inspiration picture can be found here:
Retro Bathroom
I had a lot of fun creating this. The inspiration was a picture of a retro looking bathroom. So, I looked at the colors, the retro-ness, and then I remembered I had a Darcie stamp of a bear in the tub. After that, the card became my obsession all night long.
My goal for the coming year is to participate in many more inspiration challenges, because I want to learn how to look at the world around me and use it as a spring board for my cards.
Inspiration picture can be found here:
Retro Bathroom
Thursday, December 21, 2006
'Tis the Season to be a Buckeye
I know you all have been waiting to see this....well, maybe not. But, I have certainly been anxious to post it. I made 48 of the these, starting at the beginning of December. So, I've done nothing else but.
However, I am very pleased with this card for several reasons. First and foremost, I can only send such a card if the Buckeyes had a great season. And that they did/are. I found this Whipper Snapper stamp in Iowa, and I came up with the idea that if the Buckeyes were to win out, I could add my take on "good" and "bad", with the good being,of course, the Buckeyes and the "bad" being our college football foes.
I gave these out at work yesterday, one of which to a graphic artist. She didn't know I made it. She thought it was professionally produced. I take that as probably the highest compliment I could ever receive on this.
For those of you wanting to see the Northwoods ornament card I thought I would be mass-producing, well, stay tuned for next Christmas.
The front of the card reads...."'tis the season".
The inside of the card reads..."to be a buckeye....win, win, win, win, win, win, win, win, win."
Tehe! Get it?
Go Buckeyes!!!
However, I am very pleased with this card for several reasons. First and foremost, I can only send such a card if the Buckeyes had a great season. And that they did/are. I found this Whipper Snapper stamp in Iowa, and I came up with the idea that if the Buckeyes were to win out, I could add my take on "good" and "bad", with the good being,of course, the Buckeyes and the "bad" being our college football foes.
I gave these out at work yesterday, one of which to a graphic artist. She didn't know I made it. She thought it was professionally produced. I take that as probably the highest compliment I could ever receive on this.
For those of you wanting to see the Northwoods ornament card I thought I would be mass-producing, well, stay tuned for next Christmas.
The front of the card reads...."'tis the season".
The inside of the card reads..."to be a buckeye....win, win, win, win, win, win, win, win, win."
Tehe! Get it?
Go Buckeyes!!!
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Card-Stocked
Imagine my distress when I ran out of red cardstock as I was working on my Christmas cards on Thursday evening. Tragic, I know. LOL! Granted, I had some red, but not the right shade of red.
Anyway, I bribed M (promising to buy dinner on the way home at great Amish restaurant) into taking me to Hollo's in Cleveland. If you are in Ohio, or surrounding states, you must go to Hollo's if you've never been there. I only buy paper from them, because by the simple fact of the matter...I'm spoiled by them. Once you pay $1.00 per pound for some great, high quality cardstock, you'll not want to fork over the astronomical prices elsewhere.
So, stuck no more. I'd say I'm card-stocked.
Anyway, I bribed M (promising to buy dinner on the way home at great Amish restaurant) into taking me to Hollo's in Cleveland. If you are in Ohio, or surrounding states, you must go to Hollo's if you've never been there. I only buy paper from them, because by the simple fact of the matter...I'm spoiled by them. Once you pay $1.00 per pound for some great, high quality cardstock, you'll not want to fork over the astronomical prices elsewhere.
So, stuck no more. I'd say I'm card-stocked.
Special Moment for Troy Smith, and OSU
Awesome!!! As expected, but none-the-less thrilling, Troy Smith won the Heisman. I am so excited for him. He's so deserving. A very special Buckeye, indeed, that we'll be talking about for years and years. Thanks, Troy, for the memories.
I love this photo of Troy, as I think it just shows true joy. (Photographer is Paul Hawthorne from AP for Hard Rock Cafe).
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Take The Time To Read This Article
Now, I will admit...I'm biased. I couldn't be more proud of him. I'll just say that upfront right now. I predict tears streaming from my face on Saturday evening, I really do.
But, if you take away the name of the given university, and just read his story, I'm anticipating that you'll have some tears rolling down your face too, as you read the article...and maybe on Saturday too.
Troy
(Note there is one error in the story, but it doesn't really take away from the story. Troy played backup in seven games in 2004, not 2003 as was mentioned.)
But, if you take away the name of the given university, and just read his story, I'm anticipating that you'll have some tears rolling down your face too, as you read the article...and maybe on Saturday too.
Troy
(Note there is one error in the story, but it doesn't really take away from the story. Troy played backup in seven games in 2004, not 2003 as was mentioned.)
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Many Thanks
I'm forever grateful to Sloopy's breeder, who has agreed to keep her just a weebit longer. That way, Sloopy can spend some more development time with her mother. And well, I can go do things on January 8th that I need to do. Pictured is a quick card I made for her.
I will say though, for a dog I've never met, I sure do miss Sloopy. I look at her picture all the time. Can't wait for her to be here.
I will say though, for a dog I've never met, I sure do miss Sloopy. I look at her picture all the time. Can't wait for her to be here.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
An Old Sweatshirt from 1997 Now Relevant Again
Rematch with scUM??? Not! They had their chance. Next! We'll take Florida, please.
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