Days 41, 42, and 43

     Day 41 - For Diva's Challenge we needed to do something Valentin-ish.  She called it a "Valentangle" !  I love that word!  I had already decided to do a Valentine activity with my art club that afternoon so the timing was perfect.  They had to do two tiles and trace a heart pattern on each.  On one tile they tangled the heart and on the other they tangled the outside area.  I traced two tiles into my sketch book and worked on the example for the class.  The kiddos loved doing this and the results were great.  This was my example.  I limited myself to only tangles that they had learned so without that limit I might have tried some other tangles but all in all, I like it.

      Day 42 - I had to wait until during the week to get the Journal52 page done.  The prompt was "window" and I needed to have a stained glass window pattern.  So I finally found one I liked and then made a copy onto cardstock.  I could have tried drawing it, but honestly it was a rough week and just sitting and coloring one evening was very relaxing to me.  I used my metallic gel pens and I think the sparkle it gives makes it look sort of like glass.  I then took my chalks and added a stone wall around it.  Lots of fun with this one!

     Day 43 - Adele Bruno's String challenge was to use the tangles buttercup, inapod, puf, and pozer.  I used three of them.  I just could  not see a way that appealed to me to get inapod in there.  I did however discover I really loved those other three - which I wasn't so familiar with before.

     Today is day 44 and I haven't started to create anything yet.  I plan on checking out the facebook challenge and hopefully the journal prompt is up for the week - who knows?  All I know is I am out of school on winter break, sipping hot chocolate in the comfort of my jammies and so relaxed!  What a great day!  I even got to create some late morning "ZZZZZZ's" this morning!  Yahoo!  Bye, I have to go "play".

Java Me Up! Review

Java Me Up! Review

     Are you a coffee drinker?  A lot or a little?  Just recently I was asked to review some energy bars.  They are mocha almond flavored and very coffee.  The package states that each bar is the same as drinking a half a cup of coffee.
     First of all, I am not a "real" coffee drinker.  I love the smell of coffee.  It is a wonderful aroma.  A touch of coffee taste in my ice cream or a piece of candy is great.  But I can count the cups of java I have had over the last year on one hand (with fingers left over).  It always amazes me that the people at my work place that cannot survive until at least one - or more - cups of coffee.  However I do love granola bars and such, so I thought why not?
     My box had 12 bars in it.  It wasn't the most attractive package ever, but I wasn't eating the package!  Because coffee really affects me and keeps me awake, I had to carefully plan when I had my bar.  I also knew I could only have one at a time due to the fact that caffeine messes with my medications in excess.
    
      The first thing I noticed was that awesome aroma.  It smelled like I was brewing a pot of coffee.  I do indeed love that smell and it was strong.  One bite and I knew the aroma wasn't the only strong thing.  The coffee taste was super strong and just a touch bitter (not unlike black coffee at least to me).   I liked it, but I wouldn't say I loved it.  Too strong for me.  I finished the bar and went on to school.  The bar seemed to fill me up as well as my usual bar and didn't affect me any way that was noticeable. 

      My brother feels about coffee pretty much the same way I do.  But in the spirit of helpfulness he had one too.  The results were the same.  For several mornings in a row we each had one.  One thing he noticed  was that when he "came off" the energy bar he had some pretty severe headaches - just like he does when he had had any sort of caffeine drink for a while.
     My next step was to share these with 2 coworkers - both who are mega-coffee lovers.  One lady said she loved it and was ready to go buy a box.  The coffee flavor was perfectly strong (her words) and it was more convenient than traveling with a cup of java to work.  I think I made a sale. 
     The next friend to try this was more middle of the road.  She said the coffee flavor wasn't strong enough and she wished the almond was stronger also.  She liked them but not overwhelmingly.

     All in all?  I won't buy them again, but not because they were not delicious.  They just didn't appeal to me personally.  One friend said she was going to check them out to buy.  One was more neutral.  I think the bottom line is try them - particularly if coffee appeals to you.  They are definitely worth the try.   They are sold on Shoplet.com.  The link directly to the bars is above.

Day 40 - "W" tangles

     I need some relaxing zen time.  No sleep last night nearly did me in.  I don't know if it was the front or something else, but my joint - particularly my legs - ached horribly.  Either way I am thankful for a few relaxing moments. 
     Day 40's tile was done for Suzy Mosh's challenge - New to Me.  I love this because it forces me to look at other tangles that I really never get back to using.  This week for the letter W I choose waterslide, wiggly waves and whirls.  I also added just a bit of pink to brighten it up some.

    It reminds me of cloth flapping in the wind.  I probably will use these tangles again - well, maybe not whirls.  It was okay, but not a favorite.
     Thank you for dropping by and I hope you have a wonderfully blessed day.  

Whew! Days 35, 36, 37, 38, and 39

     Busy week so posting like I had been doing was totally out of the question.  Not happening.  I had time - a few moments here and there to create, but no time to sit down and post.  So now, my friends, you get "blasted" with 5 days!  Sit back and enjoy or maybe better yet, flee!
     Day 35 - My creation for Suzy Mosh's challenge (New to Me) was to use tangles with the letter M.  They have to be new to me.  I found three new ones - multi, mathura, and mosiac.  I also added some aura lines just to help balance it all out.

     Day 36 - Diva's challenge was to use the new tangle, Athitzi by Seven.  I hadn't seen this one yet and at first thought, really?!  This seemed too . . .simplistic to be of interest.  Oh was I wrong!  It was a ton of fun.  In fact once I got started I almost didn't add anything else.  I love it.  It reminds me of those huts on an island.  So I added some CO2 stars to keep the illusion.

     Day 37 - String #78 for Adele Bruno was fun.  I got to play around with some more heart/Valentine tangles.  Even the string she gave was heart shaped.  How fun!  I distorted the string a little bit to make it fit the heartline tangle.  Then of course, just a touch of red.

     Day 38 - The tangle for Square One - Purely Tangle (a facebook group) was "well".  Honestly I really don't like this one so much.  It is not hard, it just doesn't grab my interest.  Oh well, can't love them all.

     Day 39 - Every Inchie Monday's word was night.  My inchie is sort of mundane I guess.   I drew the landscape silhouette and then added some gel pen stars.  Not flashy.

      Well, I did it.  I now need to work on my Journal52 page.  Or maybe go cook dinner - maybe.  Have a blessed day and thank you for sticking with me!

Day 34 - Journal 52

Journal 52's prompt this week was "television".  I love the old shows.  I grew up on I love Lucy, Bonanza, Mork and Mindy, and tons of other fun family shows.  I can't get into the "reality" craze that has hit nowadays.  I want my entertainment to take me from reality not plunge me into someone else's reality.  We made the decision several months ago to cancel our television (cable).  We rent movies a lot, but no longer am tied to the black box.  I really don't miss it.
     I painted my background and cut out my old fashioned tv.  For the border I wrote titles of show I enjoyed.  Of course, if it was an old tv, it needed the "rabbit ears and tinfoil fix".  What joy to try to get reception with foil!  The moment you sat down, it went.  That was so frustrating I am surprised we ever watched anything.

     Thank you for dropping by and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Every Inchie Monday and Day 33!

   The word for today was kitchen!  A kitchen in an inch?!  Oh my.  But I managed.  Here is my little teeny tiny retro kitchen -

     Have a blessed day!

Day 30, 31, and 32!

     I made it!  One entire month (and the first day of February)!  Lots of school work to do today, so I need to get started on that, but as long as it gets done I guess it doesn't matter the order.
     Day 30 is my challenge for Square One: Purely Tangled, a facebook group.  We had to use the tangle quandry.  I kept mine simple as I needed some calming zen.  Earlier in the day, as I left a business I fell!  Crashed to the sidewalk on both knees.  Not my most graceful hour, and definitely painful.  I am still extremely sore.  There was a ledge of about 3 inches and I just didn't see it.  I am very thankful I did not break any bones.  So I really needed the zen moments.  (Mostly needed to just sit).

    

       Day 31 was the day for my journal52 prompt. Remember the silhouette prompt?  Well, I finally got to redo the page.  I liked the windmill one, but this idea would not leave my head once my brother suggested it.  Ever heard the song Silhouettes on the Shade?  This is my take on that one.

     And last day 32!  I took a few minutes this morning before getting started and completed my last day of January page in my Tangle A Day calendar.  The gorgeous work over to the right is Carole Ohl's work.  It is fun to work beside a master!

     Now, I have played enough and I must do lesson plans and grade papers.  I keep hoping for a snow day.  It seems odd the rest of the "world" is digging out from under and we haven't seen a flake.  Just one good snow and then I will be waiting on spring.  Thanks for dropping by and I hope you have a blessed day.