It's National Pancake Day!

Did you have your pancakes today to celebrate National Pancake Day??? IHOP has been running ads over the last couple of days, so with project life in mind, I decided we should celebrate this event, even if I couldn't eat them.

The toddler got a free short stack of pancakes (which he made a dent in, but didn't finish), complete with boysenberry syrup for an early dinner. We had fun having a little outing, just the two of us, especially since I don't make pancakes much at home, mainly because the gluten free ones just aren't the same, no matter what recipe I try. I miss the fluffiness of the gluten-filled pancakes, so it's just easier to stay away from pancakes in general. Of course, that's no reason to restrict my toddler from eating them, so I figured this would be a nice little treat for him.

Granted, I wanted to have something interesting to put in my project life album for this week, which is what spurred me to even partake in this "holiday." It's funny how I sometimes plan on doing things, just so I can put them in my project life album, lol. But, later, it's nice to look back and know that I'm experiencing life in general, doing little celebrations for little things as well as big. Does anyone else ever do that? Or am I just the crazy one? ;)

Election Day

Courtesy of Katie Pertiet

All over the U.S., there are lots of people waiting to find out who will be elected as the president. If you haven't voted yet, be sure to exercise your right to do so.

I haven't yet tuned into any news to see how things are going, but I know I will this evening.

Here, we vote by mail in/drop off ballots. Everything is mailed to registered voters a few weeks before. Then you can take your time about voting and either mail in or drop off the ballots at specific drop points.

I turned my ballot in on Halloween, mainly because I was tired of having people knock on the door and leave more info about local candidates. It's been quiet since then!  :)

I got a picture of my ballot before I dropped if off, and today, Designs by Megan Turnidge offered up a free voting template for digiscrappers. Here's what I did with it:

CREDITS

Papers & Embellishments: Land of the Free by Gina Cabrera

Template: Tuesday Template - Week 36 by Megan Turnidge

Font: Century Gothic

Courtesy of Creashens

Also, if you are looking for more election freebies, visit Creashens Facebook page to get these cute flair embellishments! I posted one of them to my Facebook page!

Happy Election Day!

Scented Embossing Powder

This is a new one for me - scented embossing powder!?!?

In an email I received today, gel-a-tins is introducing a new embossing powder: Milk and Honey Scented Embossing Powder. I had no idea that scented embossing powder was even available. Apparently, once the powder is heat-set, the scent will last from 2-3 weeks, depending on whether it is enclosed (e.g. in an envelope) or not (i.e. left on a tabletop).

Upon further investigation, I discovered there are other scents available: gingerbread, chocolate, baby powder (for boy/girl baby cards - even comes in pink or blue), plumeria, and lots more - 1 dozen scents in all.

These are "[r]eminiscent of those fun scratch and sniff stickers," once very popular in the 80s. I'll admit I was a sucker for those scratch and sniffs, and the idea of scented embossing powder is intriguing. If I happen to try it, I'll let you know. If any of you have tried it, drop me a note!  :)

Famous Nurse Dies

I've always loved this photo, taken back during World War II by photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt and published in Life Magazine.

Today, I read the sad news about how the famous nurse in this photo died on June 20 at 91.

It must have been interesting being the subject of that famous photo. Unfortunately, the sailor's identity was never discovered. Another piece of history at an end...

A Tribute to Pearl Harbor

Today is the 67th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese.

Although I wasn't born when it happened, the event holds a lot of interest for me since my mother was 12 years old and living in Hawaii (even though it was not a state then) at the time of the incident. When I asked her about the incident a few years ago, she mentioned remembering the air sirens and having to run to the underground shelters. She didn't want to talk a lot about it. I think I understand that, but it would be interesting to get more details.

Here's to the those that were a part of this historical event.

Happy Earth Day!

In honor of Earth Day, do something good for the planet today. No matter how small, every effort helps!

Some ideas:
- Recycle your newspaper.
- Pack your lunch in reusable containers.
- Ride your bike to work. (Walking's okay too!)
- Carpool.
- Unplug appliances you don't use.
- Plant a tree.

Help make our Earth a happier place!
P.S. My niece Alyssa is a big supporter of preserving the Earth. This post is especially for her! ;)

The Bar newsletter is almost complete. Only another day or so of working at night...did I mention just how much caffeine I've had lately? LOL! Anyway, while I was working, I popped in the DVD of Juno (which Linden and I saw in the theater and loved!). There was one line that stood out for me (and I was trying to remember this when I saw it at the theater), courtesy of Juno's father:

"...the best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are--good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome...what have you. The right person is still gonna think the sun shines outta your ass. That's the kind of person that's worth staying with."

A HUGE thank you to Jen for listening to me tonight--I really appreciate our friendship! (And I can't wait until I get to toss a few of the "Jen's Gems" back at ya!!!) Hopefully, you won't hear from me on Tuesday night--I get to bend Kim's ear instead... (watch out, Kim!).

One last thing to share... Elaina sent me the only actual photo that was taken at the David Sanborn concert we attended at the end of March. Thanks, Elaina--love it and had a great time!

Running & A Taste of Korea

Mike and I found ourselves on NW 23rd Friday night after work after a whim to go to a specialty running store. Believe it or not, I was actually fitted for a pair of running shoes after finally deciding that I'm going to try to make running a marathon a goal. (Now I have no idea how long it will actually take me to train to do a marathon, but I'm hoping to at least try a 5K later this year.) Anyway, it was pretty cool to see how one gets fitted for running shoes. The store had cameras set up to track how your feet land when you're running on a treadmill. First, you try running barefoot to determine the necessary support for your foot, then you try out several pairs of shoes to see which work best. The guy at the store also showed me a way to tie the shoes so my heel didn't feel like it was slipping.

Afterwards, Mike and I tried out the Korean restaurant next door. Mike's never had Korean food, and I had real Korean food back when I visited Korea in the 1990s. (I am familiar with bulgogi, though--good stuff!) So, after perusing the menu, we decided to try the traditional Korean meal, which came with 7 courses. That was a VERY good idea on our part! The presentation was quite striking, but the food was fantastic! Very, very tasty. Good thing I'm planning on hitting the gym more--I'll definitely need it!

I tried out the new running shoes on Saturday afternoon at the gym. Not bad, I guess. Of course, I can't run more than 3 minutes straight without my lungs feeling like they're going to collapse. Guess I'll be working on getting my stamina going for the next few months! I can see why I LOVE the elliptical so much more than the treadmill. I'll just have to get past the burn to the "thrill" that you're supposed to feel about running after 20 minutes or so...hmmm...

Sunday was a great day to be indoors (can you believe there were snow showers on Saturday and hail on Sunday in LATE April?). Of course, with a newsletter deadline, I was definitely indoors and working. In the background, we caught the Pope's mass at Yankee Stadium. Wow--almost like going to church, but not having to leave home to attend! (And, you can talk and have lunch at the same time, LOL!) If the Pope had been closer, I might have actually tried to see him in person. After all, it's not every day that the Pope visits the U.S.

The other thing for the weekend: watching Lars and the Real Girl on DVD. (Did this film ever hit the theater???) It stars Ryan Gosling (from The Notebook--one of my favorite books!), who did a terrific job of playing the title role. This film is definitely not mainstream. If you watch it, be sure to remember "independent flick" in the back of your mind. Essentially, it's about a guy who gets a girlfriend--who just happens to be a doll. Now, after that storyline, how can you miss this flick??? ;)

Anyway, the weekend definitely flew by. Is it Friday yet?

Oh, last comment on a surprising news item: the Midwest had an earthquake back on Friday! It was a 5.2, and today, there was a big aftershock (lots of little ones over the weekend) of 4.5. It's a little amusing to me since a lot of people are so adamant about not living in California or on the West Coast because of earthquakes. Just goes to show you that an earthquake can happen anywhere--even in the Midwest!

Have a good week!

Cluttered Desks Unite!

I saw this article link about clutter on a blog tonight, and HAD to read it. I love it! Now I don't feel so bad!!!

There seemed to be a lot of interesting news today, aside from the snow that crippled the metro area.

1. Barack Obama launched his 2008 presidential campaign today. This should be an interesting development to watch, especially since if he is elected, he would become the first black president.
2. Being a single woman is finally seen as a choice. Personally, I don't know why it took this long to figure out that it can be a choice.
3. American Idol - Season 6 kicked off tonight. First stop: Minneapolis. It's always...uh...interesting...to see the early shows. Always good for a few laughs!
4. Rachael Ray had her show renewed through 2010. Yikes! Hopefully her perkiness will die sometime soon... I've caught a few episodes here and there, but she's a little annoying. I think it's best to enjoy her on paper, via her cookbooks and the magazine!

Finally finished (i.e. glued down) the layout for one of the classes I scheduled for next month. I feel like something's missing, but not quite sure what it is. I'll have to take another look in a day or two.

Have a good night!