Songs from the past...

So, I have this sister, M*, who razzes me about growing up in the 80s. About my hair styles, clothes and tastes in music (and music videos). All very interesting. But considering by the time I was really independent (16 or 17 years and up), we are talking the 90's. I graduated in 1991 from high school. My first 1/2 of the 90s was spent attending college and traveling Europe. College and music really go hand in hand. All this was before ipods and MP3 players. I had a boyfriend for years that would take me to ALL the concerts...and I mean ALL. The fraternities would blast music from their windows. The first thing I did after walking into my dorm room or house was to flip the radio on to 97x the Future of Rock and Roll...aka the local station playing college music in a college town. I even was a DJ on the college radio station for a semester. I was an art major in the studios for hours and there was always a radio permanently stationed in each studio. Mixes...remember mixes? Oh yes...we had our mixed tapes. (Okay...this was before you could burn your own CDs too. Now M* is really going to razz me.)

So last night, when I fiddled around with my first playlist...I gravitated toward the 1990s...and those songs that I grew up on. Yes, I listened to 80s songs...in the 80s but I lived in the 1990s. I matured in the 1990s. I figured myself out in the 1990s. So I think, I need to find those long lost and forgotten songs that I listened to...if only to remember those feelings/memories/thoughts that made me who I am today. The songs of the 90s are so diverse in style. I want to recapture it and save them...in a way that will last longer than a mixed tape.

(And M*...who doesn't look dorky in middle school. I guess I had a double whammy...the 80s and being 12! Talk about awkward!)


Sincerely,
A Generation Xer

Notice anything new?

Do your ears deceive you? I think not...

I added music.


After hearing Sillybird's awesome playlist, I wanted my blog to ROCK musically too! We are kindred spirits you know. Why does she have to live across an ocean? haha. What do you think Alex?

Got a good memory?

http://stampstars.blogspot.com/2007/03/contest-is-here-whoo-hoo.html

I DO!

Small Square Pocket Card Tutorial

Last night, Jessica of Faerey Wings and Stamping Things sent me a note encouraging me to post a tutorial for my Small Square Pocket Cards. You might have read my directions on Jen**'s blog. Since pictures are helpful for me and I have had several people ask me for these directions, here is my first try at a tutorial. Lately, I've been making them and using them for Valentine's Day cards and thank you notes. They are square and cute. I add a small notecard for the pocket. Jessica mentioned you could stick a gift card inside too. (Great idea.)

Let's get started!



Start with an 8 inch square peice of patterned paper. Score at 4 inches in both directions.



Cut the lower left quadrant off.





Fold the lower right quadrant up so you have a triangle flap.




Next, fold the upper left quadrant so that you make another triangular fold.




Glue both flaps closed.



Along the right edge, where DS is pointing, glue the flap up...




This forms a pocket.




Mount the folded paper onto a piece of 4.25 inch square CS.




Finish decorating the outside, as you like.





Add a small card inside the pocket to write a message to your friend. Let me know when you post one of these cards on your blog or gallery. I'd love to see it!

DD is a VSN WEINER!!

Scroll down and you'll see DD's VSN submission for one of the kids' challenges. Lo and behold...she was chosen as one of the "weiners." Such a big accomplishment for such a little girl. Many of you have posted compliments for her on my blog or in my gallery. Thanks for making both of our days!

How LOST makes me think...aka RAK Allison (StampinWhenICan)

So...I'm sitting on the couch watching LOST, a commerical comes on and I start telling DH how dumb things are getting on that show...

When I realized how DUMB I was with my Blog Contest. Haha!

I will have to think up another prize. B/c I can't give have one prize...and basically two contests. So there will be two prizes. I'll come up with a prize for the RAK Allison Drawing(StampinWhenICan). Allison posts tons of blog candy contests and neat tutorials and deserves a RAK avalanche...even if it is spring!

Guess the number of jelly beans on the post post below by clicking here. And keep guessing and keep RAKing!


EDITED on SUNDAY 4/1:
This is no April Fool's entry. If your name is drawn, this is your prize:



(Special thanks to a blog candy contest I won from Inkerdoodles. Since I already have this set, I thought I'd pay it forward and offer it up on my blog! Thanks Lisa.) Oh, I'm drawing the name on Easter Sunday! Be sure to post that you sent a card on this entry!

How many jelly beans?

One of the nice things about stampers is that they are SO GENEROUS! Whenever I like a stamp set...not enough to buy, but one that I'd love to use on a few cards...I can find a stamper willing to send me a few plain images stamped on white or vanilla CS. Also, just think of all that blog candy that is out there. Fun stampers are giving away fun goodies. Here is YOUR chance to win some goodies.

Since all of my images are stored in a plain white lunch tin, I thought someone out there in stampland would LOVE a decorated tin for their own images!!



B/c DD loves the back and thinks the frog needs a crown:



This beauty even comes with dividers!




But wait, that is not all you will receive...The winner of this contest will receive a bunch of card bases, envelopes, scalloped punches and middles (oval, circle and square) in their favorite colors!! (I want this candy to be something that you can use. We all have different favorite colors that we use in our card making. The selection below is NOT what you'll receive. You'll get more and in your personal color choices.)



To win...

Make a guess of how many jelly beans fit in a larger sized SU stamp case. You know the one...the size that background stamps come in. To help you visualize, here are some jelly bean Vannas. (A rare pix of DD smiling!)





One more shot in case you are counting the jelly beans one by one:



Of course, you all want something to sweeten your odds of winning this fine selection of Blog Candy and I have just the ticket! If you know blog candy contests, you probably know Allison of StampinWhenICan Fame. If you send Allison, the "Blog Candy Hound" a RAK, you will get an extra entry for this jackpot. (Email me at dawnmercedes at hotmail for her addy!) I will draw the name on the Easter Sunday. That gives you plenty of time to make and mail out a RAK to Allison...and guess the number of jelly beans in that stamp case!

Have Fun!!

EDITED to say: Read the above post about how I realized this is actully two blog contests! So there will be 2 prizes. Post your jelly bean guesses to this entry. When you send a RAK to Allison, let me know on the above post by clicking here.

Our first Pinewood Derby!

Saturday was our first Cub Scout Pinewood Derby! The weekend before, C and DH made the car. I was afraid that they would never get started. But they did and painted the car in stages, several nights of the week leading up to the big race.



The Tigers are Den 2 and here is their fleet of fast cars! (C's is the one on the very left. Don't you love the one with the turtle for a driver?)





After a false start b/c of technical difficulties and a racer's name not in the rotation, we were off and racing! C is learning to be a good sportsman, to cheer on team mates and to not gloat when he wins or break down when he loses. What a way to put hair on a little boy's chest! Here is my son (right) with a boy in his Den who lives around the corner. They ride the same bus and M* has a crush on this boy. She even asked me to if she could take his pic while we were at the Derby. He gladly posed with his race car for her. See, CubScouts even learn to be gentlemen. in the background you can see the 2 tracks we had. One was wood, while the other was metal. Each Den was able to race on both tracks. They were pretty high tech...the finish line was hooked up to computers to calculate which car had crossed the finish line first. (In a friend's troop, they did it by site and had a video cam at the finish line in case they needed to replay a race. haha.)




In the middle of the even, Dens and siblings participated in a paper airplane contest. C* earned a second place ribbon. Ironically enough, the boy in our den who placed last with the cars, won the paper airplane contest. I told him that he needs to forget cars and concentrate on airplanes! Here is E* right after he threw his plane down the school hallway!




C* is standing in front of some of the posted ratings. He ended up coming in 2nd place in his den and 8th overall. Pretty good for a first time derby racer! He car averaged 148.7 MPH! Wow...I don't want to think how fast he'll be when he gets a read car!




Here is our Den of Tigers, posing with their cars and awards. Each participant recived a sharp looking trophy. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place racers in each Den received a trophy. There were also first, second and third trophies overall in the Pack. There was a set of ribbons for the paper airplane contest in each Den too. Everyone walked home a winner!




Now...is it time to start planning for next year? haha!

Coming Soon...

BLOG CANDY!