New URL!

Hi come on over to my new home!

Project and Giveaway at my new URL!

Come check out this great wall hanging and a giveaway at my new blog url http://www.lifelovegreen.com/

Same blog new location!

I finally got my own URL

www.lifelovegreen.com

Check it out for a great giveaway! Including items from Apple Valley Soaps, Love for Earth, and The Pleated Poppy.

http://www.lifelovegreen.com/2010/05/the-new-url/

Followers I haven't figured out how to transfer you yet so for now you will have to manually 'friend' the new blog. When I see you on the new blog as a friend I will remove you from this one so you don't get duplicates.

I'm really excited I hope you all like it!

Stupid tonsils

Ok lets face it I'm in my late 20's and I feel like I've been sick for a year. I finally convinced a Doctor that it was something more than a 'simple' case of strep over and over and over and, well you get the point. I'm sick of having my throat hurt sinuses plugged and being tired. So I went to the ENT and he said my tonsils are chronically inflamed. Grrr I'm at the end of a one month trial with a heart burn meds to see if that was irritating my throat but I don't think that did the trick. That means I have to get my tonsils out (most likely, we are going to try one more thing with allergies I hope.)

I don't really like the thought of surgery even a fairly minor one. Plus this will take me out of work for a few weeks, talking is kinda important for my job. Grrr

Sorry just wanted to whine a little today.

Come back Monday for the big announcement!!!

Oh and don't forget today is the last day to write the FCC about this: http://wannabegreen.blogspot.com/2010/05/i-need-your-help.html

Thougths on Thursday

" I need specifics"

"Honey its in the bag outside pocket in the blue case" seems pretty specific till you realize we just got back from a weekend away and there are about 6 bags to choose from. Oops no wonder my husband was frustrated with me.



"The construction people are going to call on Monday about Tuesday" In my head this means they are going to call and see if that is an option. It really meant they were going to come no matter what and were going to check in on Monday. Big problem when they showed up and the electrical hadn't been moved yet...

These are two examples of how communication can fail. This seems to be something that hubby and I need to work on. Most of the time we are just fine, but other times we will be talking in circles because we don't know what the other person means. All I needed to say was, Honey its in the toiletry bag outside pocket in the blue case, and we would have been fine.

This can easily become a frustration in your marriage, but its an easy one to correct. Starting now I'm going to make sure I'm clear in what I'm saying so that my hubby has less of these avoidable frustrations. This in turn will ease some tension (on those bad days we just can't seem to say things right) and just generally make a better marriage.

Oh so check this out, the electrician is coming today to move some outlets in the kitchen and outside the house. Hubby and I talked about weather or not the vent needed to be moved before the guy came. Mac was very clear and because of that I wasn't stressing at 10:30 at night trying to take out the vent, Thanks hon!

Deadline is tomorrow!!! Please don't forget to write the FCC and save Video Relay Services as we know them.

Pictures 12-19/You Capture Yellow

It has rained 10 of the 13 days this month. I literally went outside during a break between showers yesterday. I got this idea right away after seeing the theme was yellow. However with the rain and the travels it got put on the back burner till last night....oops. Well here they are:

This it the sign that inspired it all.

This one is one of my favorites because I got to play with the shutter speed, and it worked!

Another one of my favorites.

My life in pictures (well part of it.)

These pictures represent a large part of my life, basically my high school years. A time when I grew in the understanding of who I am, and learned that others opinions didn't matter so much. The summer between my sophomore and junior year I went to Honduras for 3 months on a mission trip. When I came back my parents had moved to a new house (don't worry I knew it was happening.) Here it is:
See those windows at the top? That was the upstairs that I shared with my brother. We each had our own room and between those two windows was a large walk in closet that we shared (a door in each room.) We went through many stages with that closet, at one point I had my dresser in the middle to divide it but most of the time it was open. 'Buddy' and I were great friends, we still are. In fact I can say for most of my life he was my best friend. We talk about pretty much everything. We are both married now so its different, but we are still great friends. In fact he is part of the big surprise that is happening on Monday...

This building is part of a conference center my parents ran for a while. My friend Rose and I got permission to have a place where youth from the area (we lived in a party town) could come and hang out, play games, and basically have something to do besides drink. Little did we know that soon the building would be to capacity we would have a live Worship band every weekend and we would start serving dinner. It was great and a lot of my memories happened here.

This is the main building of the Conference center my parents ran. Its amazing. I've worked behind the scenes, with some fairly famous people and I've been interpreting the weekend worship there for years. I've made some great friends in the "techies" that work there every year and some of the musicians as well. There has been a lot of learning here and a lot of friends made. When my first hubby got sick it was over a 'conference weekend' and that is where we escaped to for peace and honestly fun. I still make sure I'm there at least one weekend a year.

This was my best friends house in high school. We are still great friends, in fact he is the father of my godson that I talk about every once in a while. Heck I was friends with the whole family I was even in his sisters wedding! His parents are some of the most loving people I know, at their own expense most of the time. They always had a few random teenagers roaming about the house. I have a lot of memories of movies, back rubs, napping and eating with friends and family here.

This is literally the crossroads of my life, behind is my high school town, left is my first husbands farm home and the city we lived in when we got married. To the right is my now and my future with Mac. Here I am standing at the crossroads (on a very windy day, why is it always so windy when I travel?) I've had a lot happen in my life, its taken me many different directions. But I like the way its going now. I've been blessed beyond measure. I just can't say enough... Here is one of my life quotes that pretty much sums it up:

"We live, we love, we forgive and never give up. Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above And today we remember to live and to love." ~SuperChick We Live

Please don't forget to write the FCC and save Video Relay Services as we know them.

Weekly giveaway list

Here are the giveaways that I'm aware of for this week, remember to check back for additions.


www.walkslowlylivewildly.com has a great giveaway check it out!
http://walkslowlylivewildly.com/2010/05/11/catina-jane-arts-giveaway/comment-page-3/#comment-12907 (blogger is being silly)

Great hammered necklace giveaway! http://tinyurl.com/KristenNecklace

Apple Valley Soaps!

With so many choices out there how do you decide what soaps to use on your skin? I choose to use hand made, naturally derived soaps that I know all of the ingredients in. I've mentioned them before in a post but they are so cool I wanted to do a whole post on them.


I mean even the paper they put around their amazing soaps is beautiful. The cedar wood soap decks are hand carved and the little bit of Sisal bag is an amazing to exfoliate. I'm just starting to transition over to all natural soaps as I'm running out of what I have. Currently I'm using their Vanilla Buttermilk Bar and it is heavenly. I'm also starting to use their shampoos I just got the Rhassoul Clay and Sea Mud Shampoo Bar and the Beer and Egg Bar!

This is a truly family owned and operated business and that is another thing I like about them. They have some great deals going on through the month of May before they go on break for a few months for the new baby. So stock up now.

I asked Natalie a few questions and got a fabulous answer check it out!

We are a family of 9 (soon to be 10) who has had various garden-variety skin issues (eczema, etc.) over the years. Using steroid creams seemed to eliminate the symptoms, but not the problems, and I did not like to continue slathering steroid cream all over the bodies of my small children. One night while walking through the Mall of America, my husband and I saw a display of Lush products and freaked out at how high priced everything was...yet we marveled at the marketing success of this company. It got me thinking..."if THEY can make stuff like that...why can't I?" And so I began a search for HOW to create ALL natural products (Lush uses chemicals as well as artificial scents/colorings in their products) that would appeal to a growing number of people who are concerned about what they put on their skin...the largest organ of their body!

My first lotion bar was the Cocoa Butter lotion bar...and it completely eliminated the eczema on my 4 year old's legs! Encouraged by this success, I made my first loaf of soap and "tested it" on friends and family. Everyone gave it rave reviews...and I made another one. And another one.

After making many loaves and selling them "at cost" to friends/neighbors and family, I began to delve into the whole area of shampoo bars. I have so many issues with my own hair...I wanted to see if I could make a shampoo bar that would help. After a year and a half of tweaking, tweaking, tweaking...I have come up with some amazing recipes that are FABULOUS for your hair! My hair dresser is totally amazed at how shiny, healthy, and strong my long, thick, permed, colored hair is! You would NEVER know it has been so chemically treated. I do not have split end problems anymore...fly-away, elastic issues...etc. I love my hair for the first time in my entire 40 something years of life. : ) I have had so many customers rave about the results they get just switching from a conventional, chemically laden, liquid shampoo to an all natural, solid, moisturizing shampoo bar.

Right now I am getting ready to have a baby boy in June, so we are going to shut down shop for the months of June-July to enjoy our new family member. Our customer base knows this and our stock is selling out quickly. However, we will be up and running...and fully stocked...August 1st. We will have three new body bars to introduce, giving you 26 body bar choices...AND we will have two new shampoo bars giving you 10 shampoo bar choices for all different kinds of hair/scalp types.

One more note of interest: our children are very involved in our little home business! We home educate our children, giving them an opportunity to learn how to run a business, and finish college early. Our 16 year old son manages our website, makes soap decks and has over a year of college credit under his belt. His goal is to graduate from college the year he is supposed to graduate from high school. Our 14 year old son makes soap decks and fixes computer issues for me. (What would I do without THAT????) Our 10 year old daughter does data entry and measure/pours all the oils/butters for every loaf of soap that is made. I am slowly training her in on other aspects of the business as well so that she will be a great asset to her future family. The rest of the "littles" are great testers...and love to get free "sniffs" whenever a new loaf of soap is being hand cut.

So grab a cup of java and come visit our quiet, peaceful, online shop sometime! You can make purchases through the month of May. After that, you can make wish lists and come back again August 1st! www.applevalleynaturalsoap.com

Now for the fun stuff come back next week for a big announcement and a chance to win some Apple Valley products and other great green items! Its my first giveaway!!


Please don't forget to write the FCC and save Video Relay Services as we know them.

The way I make cards.

I make my cards in batched, this is one of the ways that I make sure I use every scrap of paper. I know this isn't the most green of hobbies but hey everyone has a vice....

Anyway this was for valentines day, I pick a few papers and use them in different combinations for the cards. Then I make leftovers that I can use when something comes up alter. These could be used for anniversaries, notes to the spouse or other such occasions.

I don't know if you can see it but I like to use the negatives as well. For example the top middle red card and the bottom middle red card are the same cut out one has the negative and one is the shape. I start with basic embellishments and then add more once I know who the card is going to and why.


May is kinda a crazy month for me I have 14 separate events that need cards, so needless to say there isn't a lot of left over this month to leave as blanks...

Here are some close-ups of this month I started with 5 pieces of coordinating papers and just went to town. Each month I have one different thing I do, Feb was the Cricut for the shapes, this month was using brown in on everything and a few rub-ons and buttons. Here are some examples of the ink.Here is a example of how I use buttons. Don't forget to sew them on before you put the paper strips or squares on your card or you will have to sew through your card and have it showing on the inside. I've also found a little tape on the back of the paper makes it hold up to sewing a lot better.
The major tools I use are mostly from Creative Memories which is pretty much what I use for scrap booking exclusively, but for card making I'm less picky. I like the 12 inch rotary trimmer, the personal trimmer and the punches for card making.

So there you have it, let me see some of your cards so I can 'craft-lift.' ;)

I need your help.

Please link up, tweet, facebook whatever. If you agree with what I'm saying help make a difference. Ask me if you have any questions

**** The FCC is no longer accepting comments***

I honestly don't know how to start or how to explain this so instead of a 3 page explanation I'll just get to the point. I work for a video relay company (VRS) that interprets phone calls for people who use sign language. Think about all the calls you make in a day, to family, your doctor, your banker...on and on for business and pleasure. These calls would not be possible for Deaf people without an interpreter. This service is provided by the government as a part of the ADA law (Americans with Disabilities Act) the same law that requires wheelchair ramps and such.

Anyway, the VRS system is governed by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and on April 30th they published a public notice with the proposed pay rates for TRS (telephone relay service). This new rate will mean a significant decrease in pay for the companies that do the most work. Here is a direct quote from the public notice
" This calculation results in rates of $5.7754 for Tier I, $6.0318 for Tier II, and $3.8963 for Tier III. The Bureau also particularly seeks comment on whether the Commission should adopt 2010-2011 interim Fund Year rates based on NECA’s proposed use of weighted averages in calculating each of the tiers, as described in the 2010 TRS Rate Filing."
So this is what that means, the bigger companies that process most of the calls will not be able to go on at that level of income. They will be forced to either shut down or reduced their numbers considerably. This will cause more calls to go to the smaller companies who won't be able to process the calls in the allowed time by the FCC. Therefore they won't get paid for their minutes and have great financial troubles as well. I just don't understand how they think the bigger companies who are doing more work can survive on that amount. They are doing more work because they have more interpreters and therefore more overhead expenses. I honestly just don't understand the logic.

Anyway back to the point, if you don't like how this sounds and you don't like the loss of equal communication for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing please write to the FCC before May 14th. I've made it easy just follow these steps and if you want you can even copy and paste the letter I have at the end of this message. Please help keep the phone accessible for everyone.

So here is what you can do:

***The FCC is no longer accepting comments***

Sample letter

Thoughts on Thursday "Slowdown"

Life can get busy, work, kids, projects around the house....

Its easy to make it through the day without taking time to actually be with your spouse and acknowledge their existence. We just bought a new house last May and have been working on it pretty much non-stop. Even the simple act of painting can become quite time consuming. Make sure you are taking breaks between projects so that life can happen. Don't get so caught up in the next thing that you miss out on what you are doing. The kids are going to grow up. You and your spouse are going to get older, make sure you are enjoying life while you can. Never take a single day for granted, tomorrow isn't guaranteed for any of us.

You Capture Spring, round two.

Sadly my week got to busy for me to take some more pictures with my shoes on the baseball field for this week (that was my plan.) But I was looking through some of my archives and found these great pics from spring 2008 at a park across the street from my old work. It was a great place to walk during lunch and 'get out of the city.'

I like this vantage point.

This combines two spring things green trees and dog walks.

Check out other You Capture greats at I should be folding Laundry

This blog is carbon neutral!

How cool is that?

I've seen this logo on a few blogs and to be honest I always thought it was a little crazy. I mean who would pay to offset the minor emissions of a blog? Well yesterday I finally clicked on one of them to see what was going on and turns out its a pretty cool program...and its free! (oh and blog emissions aren't so minor)

Ok so here is whats going on. The Plumas national forest in northern California was destroyed by lightning strikes and a moon light fire. The Arbor Day Foundation (a non-profit conservation and education organization) has the goal helping reforest 5,500 acres of Plumas National Forest with 792,000 trees. They are working together with the "My Blog is carbon neutral initiative" as the US partner.

For every blog that posts about the initiative they will plant a tree in this devastated forest. The reduction of carbon emissions of one tree is approximately 11 lbs per year. The carbon emissions of a blog with 15,000 hits a month is 8 lbs per year. Since I have along ways to go before I hit 15,000 hits a month I'm in the clear and my blog become carbon natural!

Want to make your blog carbon neutral its easy!

1. Write a blog about the project

2. Click here pick a button and add it to your blog

3. Email CO2-neutral@kaufda.de with a link to your blog.

That's it.

CO2-neutral@kaufda.de

PS check out this great giveaway from Tatortots and Jello: http://tinyurl.com/mondaygiveaway

Giveaway link

Check out this great home decor giveaway http://tinyurl.com/mondaygiveaway

Here are a few giveaways on I should be folding laundry

http://tinyurl.com/momdaygive

http://tinyurl.com/gussygive

http://tinyurl.com/cherrycreekgive

http://tinyurl.com/camarastrapgive

One more! What cute aprons!

http://tinyurl.com/cuteaprons

A great birthday weekend!

My weekend started late Saturday morning (yeah for sleeping in) with a trip to the farmers market!

It was my first time this season, it was a short visit however because 15 or so min after arriving I got a call from hubby saying he had an accident with a knife and was bleeding pretty bad. I got home and took a look at it, it had already clotted so we steri-stripped it and went on with our day. On to a Living Green expo! It was great and I'm glad my honey came with me, it was nice just to be with him and check out all the fun booths. After that it was off to a late lunch at Olive Garden, yumm. It was there we discovered he was bleeding again, off to the hospital for some stitches. He didn't want his picture taken so this is all I've got.

After that we went home and just relaxed for the rest of the night. It was nice. Then on to Sunday, my actual birthday. We went to Church and then to Dinner with the family, yumm!

The best part was free dessert!

Then we did a little shopping and I spent my birthday money, the hubby took me to one of my favorite stores and told me to get whatever I wanted for my present from him. Woo Hoo!

We played frisbee for a while with the puppy...

Then it was time for movies and a relaxing evening! What a great day...oh and I made out with some great loot too!

Close up of the eye shadow:

It's my birthday!

Just thought I would let you all know it's my birthday today! I'm planning on a great dinner with my new family and some fun shopping with my hubby. Come back later to find out where and see some pics.