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Today I heart...Typewriters, especially if they are vintage and blue...When I was six, Marie (my biological mother) asked me: "Baybee geerl wha doo joo whant for Creesmus?", I answered, "A typewriter". Sitting under the tree that Christmas was:
but no, typewriter...I was crushed, but didn't want to seem ungrateful, I mean she tried and maybe because she is a foreigner she got confused between 'typewriter' and 'escalator', it could happen, English is funny like that...I feigned a smile and then my brother ran to his room, came back and handed me a present, my brother was nine, not much older than me, but he had taken his allowance and gotten me exactly what I wanted (he was always an exceptionally thoughtful gift giver) a blue typewriter! It was perfect, I sat around and played with that thing for years and years...Here are some of the blue typewriters I am coveting now...
Okay, I have to make this a quickie, I know, may not be possible, I am kinda long in the tooth or whatever that wacky expression is...I wanted to discuss design. My personal preference is not to get too crazy with it. You can be crazy BUT not too crazy. Keep the elements down, so that people aren't easily distracted and can enjoy your take on the world. I'm talking messy here, don't make your blog so messy that someone can't find you beneath all the crap. I will get more into design later when I don't have my boss wanting me to work or something, who does he think he is anyway??? Fonts, there's the standard fonts that you have to use if you want people to be able to read your blog and then there are fun fonts that you can use in your banner, on posts with graphic elements, etc. Since you aren't independently wealthy (yet), where do you get some cool free fonts that not a lot of people have? Well I am glad you asked because I have found some for you. Yes, you...These are sweet as in (insert a whistle here) and I haven't seen them round much, they might be fun to incorporate into your blog...
So this is how it goes down:
Another thing you might have heard on the streets is that if you want a wildly successful blog you should focus, focus, focus! Well, I am here to tell you if you like to talk about anything and everything than do it! There will be people out there willing to read about anything and everything and maybe even enjoy it, so it's your blog do whatever the heck you want as long as you are enjoying yourself (and pretending you are working) than gosh darn it, I would consider you a success (especially if you don't get caught by your employer, than you are really successful!)!
Whitney Beard that is.... Whitney is the talented (and awfully sweet) designer behind a new Etsy shop called Whisker Graphics (get it? Beard/Whisker?) I asked her to tell me a lil' bit about herself and this was her humble response:
" I have a degree in Graphic Design that I’m finally putting to use (after 19 years!). I have ALWAYS loved paper goods, from playing office in grade school (I would spend my allowance on the little sales books with the carbon paper) to creating cards and stationery with Whisker Graphics now. WG does the pdf templates and personalized printed stationery too. I would like WG to eventually start doing wedding invite sets. "
Whitney wasn't content to just do a fab download for you pretties, she is also doing a freebie for you in her Whisker Graphics Etsy store a gift with purchase, here are the details:
" I will put the freebie (with purchase) Etsy listing for the Thank You card template in the “Reserved” section of my etsy shop so that it will be easy to find. What is the “secret code/message” from your blog that buyers need to type in the “Message to Seller” section to get the free template?" (BTW, it's just Blahg).
And here is the download I promised last week (better late than never?):
I am so thrilled she decided to participate, (for selfish reasons of course), I absolutely LOVE having these downloads for me as well. As a paper fanatic I can not get enough of all the talent out there. Thank you Miss Whitney for being so generous!
This may not be my most exciting post but I wanted to get this in before 'they' made me work or something. Just kidding, that's all I ever do and since I don't get a break (really) I am taking these 2 secs to share my non-break with you. I was really inspired yesterday by a post over on Creature Comforts about Cannelle et Vanille, a lovely little interview with a wickedly talented pastry chef and now photographer Aran (she's been shooting for only a year!):
I am currently more obsessed than usual about photography since I got me a fancy 'ol camera from my Fancy as a birthday present. I am a pretty green when it comes to truly being able to take a 'proper 'photo, I mean I can fake it and I Photoshop like nobody's business but to take a gorgeous shot on it's own like the ones above--no can do, BUT I want to! So, I have taken to trying to learn as much as possible (without resorting to reading the manual of course). I check out Flick'r and look at and study styles I love. One thing I learned yesterday was that when you go to Flick'r on some photo's you can actually learn the settings the photographs were taken on to perhaps try to learn and recreate a similar type of photo style.
Confused? Okay, I'll try to explain, here's a screen shot on the page of a photo I loved, it reads the type of camera the photo was taken with, in this case a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (just happens to be my brand, yea!) Below the camera name in blue reads 'More properties', click on that and...
Of course you can always shoot automatic and probably get a very pretty photo, but if you have lost your marbles like me and everything is confusing and all you really want to know is how did they do that? Then this is a good and fun route to take, some people just learn by doing and then there's me I learn by falling on my face a couple times and then hopefully things 'click', if you are the former and not the latter than this might be a good way to go.
You can look up your camera in the search box on flickr and see other photo's taken with your type of camera and go searching for more info from there:
Once you start hanging around Flickr a little bit you might even be able to build up your confidence to send a Flickr mail or two and ask the photographer a couple of questions. One thing I don't know how to do is make someone my Flickr contact, which is lame because ti looks like all the other kids know how to do this and well I am just a little slow I suppose.
For those that don't give a hoot about the above there's always some Flick'r toys here that can help make your photo's fun for the whole family...
Okay pretties, I am sitting at my desk with a tissue stuck up one nostril, no, not a fashion statement a nose bleed, so please if you are a winner lemme know...
So, the last winner for the Smashbox small prize didn't post a hello or email or nada, since this a.m., so I had to go and pick another lil' lady. This is my alternate winner and if she doesn't pipe up I am just gonna take the booty for my big 'ol greedy self!
Okay Jenn I am giving you until tomorrow, please email me so I do't look like a big loser who can't give her prizes away...
And the alternates for the Monyette Paris parfum giveaway? Well they are right here:
Imagine my relief when I realized I actually have Catherine's address so this is perf, she's getting her some parfum whether she likes it or not! And this lovely little lady:
And there you have it, my 3rd attempt at giving away the prizes. I do hope the third time is a charm..
Unfortunately Miss Chloe one of our Smashbox winners never claimed her prize. Fortunately this pretty was chosen in her place:
