Category: brilliantly creative

« Older Entries
February 7th, 2010

theOatmeal.com | Snarkiness and Grammar Combined

A quick mini review today. I am in love with theOatmeal.com and the snarky little illustrations about using semicolons, misspelled words, and using apostrophes. The author/illustrator draws up how-to comics of common mechanical problems and other enlightening topics (e.g. How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You) (And yes, my cats are plotting to kill me). His graphics are protected from copying, so I won’t post them here, but I strongly encourage you to check out his material. Just don’t drink milk while you read, as it might come spraying out your nose.

P.S. If you’re looking for a Christmas present for your favorite English teacher, you can buy posters of these illustrations. Personally, I’d like semicolons, misspelled words, and apostrophes hanging on my wall just for funsies!

P.S. 2. Matthew Inman, if you read this post, may I request a poster about how to use the word everyday vs every day?

Time to votey voterson. Brilliantly creative or gigantic idiot?

Gigantic IdiotBrilliantly Creative (+1 rating, 1 votes)
 Loading ... Loading ...

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in brilliantly creative | No Comments »

February 6th, 2010

Book Preview | Dancing On My Ashes

Book preview? Yes, the book I am sharing with you today is not yet available in stores. No, this is not a review because I am much too close to this project to talk to you about it objectively. Dancing On My Ashes was written by my dear friend Heather Gilion and her sister Holly Snell, and I had the privilege of editing it before it went to the publisher last year. (A huge shout-out to my college editing instructor Tracy Dalton for equipping me to tackle such a huge project!)

In the book, Heather and Holly first chronicle the story of their family, specifically the health issues their dad faced when they were young and how they overcame his health problems by their faith in God. Once in college and on their own, each sister goes to college, falls in love, and marries the man of their dreams. And the kingdoms they’ve built for themselves come crumbling down. Their dad dies when his body finally caves to its health problems. And then their husbands die in a canoeing accident.

And their response was not to run away from God but to run to God. The rest of the book chronicles their journey of healing and how God turned their mourning into dancing. They now dance on the ashes that once covered them.

This book has a special place in my heart, not just because it’s the highest profile project I’ve worked on, but because I know Heather, and I got to watch her work through many of the lessons she shares. God is funny. When you meet Heather and her husband Dallas, it’s natural to assume that this beautiful (because they are both awesome–inside and out), talented (you should hear the songs they write together) couple with these two beautiful boys have never had a care in the world, but then you read this story and realize that God wounded them and scarred them and healed them and that what you’re looking at is what God has healed. A.maz.ing.

If you know someone who’s lost a loved one, specifically a young widow who’s lost a husband, you must share this book with them. Or if you’re just not happy with life’s status quo, you must read it. The book is not available in stores until April, but you can order it directly from the publisher. And you can find the girls on Dancing On My Ashes’ Facebook page, which also has listing of their speaking engagements.

As a bonus, here’s an interview they did with my pastor last year:

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in brilliantly creative | No Comments »

February 5th, 2010

Taking Time to Blog

Today is Take It and Blog Friday over at SGFblogs.com. This is my response to the topic Taking Time to Blog.

Time. Right. You may have read Monday’s post about the top 10 things I should be/want to be doing while I am letting online teaching take over my life. Blogging is one of those things that I want to be doing with my “free” time. And so here I am this morning (actually, it’s Wednesday morning, and I’m going to schedule this post for Friday, so I’ll look cool and “with it”), and I am taking time to blog.

Nike’s advice comes to mind. Just do it.

Yeah, it’s not that simple, but it is that simple. Just sit down and write. For five minutes. For five hours. It doesn’t matter. Just sit down and write. Don’t tweet about blogging. Don’t tweak your blog design. Don’t check your statistics. Because nobody is going to read your blog if you don’t give them something to read. Readers don’t care that you spent three hours adjusting the padding on your sidebars last night. They come to your blog, subscribe to your blog, because they want to read your blog. Or they’re family members who are afraid you might say something incriminating about them on your “blarg.”

Matt said it well when he reminded me that blogging involves more than writing. It’s “pimping” your blog to the world: social networking, commenting, designing, pleading, tweaking until the whole world reads it. And that’s overwhelming, so it’s no wonder that blogs have incredibly high abandonment rates. It’s a lot of frickin’ work!

My time is almost up, so to summarize: However much or little time you have to blog, spend that time writing.

Okey dokey artichokey. Time to vote. Brilliantly creative or gigantic idiot?

Gigantic IdiotBrilliantly Creative (No Ratings Yet)
 Loading ... Loading ...

Tags: , , ,
Posted in brilliantly creative | No Comments »

February 2nd, 2010

Brulee Bot | You’re Never Gonna Be Jello

Another Christmas crochet project to share with you today. This one is an amigurumi from Crobots, another crocheted creature book I bought last year.

Her destination? My best friend forever Jenny. (We’ve been best friends for 17 years–more than half of our lives!) We decided to make gifts for each other, and she made me a flashy new apron and two embroidered dish towels.

Her name? Brulee Bot. Why? My and Jenny’s movie is My Best Friend’s Wedding. And we like to remind each other that creme brulee can never be jello. You’re never gonna be jello.

Her task? To keep Jenny company while she’s far away in St. Louis and working on construction sites (QA gal) during the day and sewing at night.

Don’t you love her? Tell me: brilliantly creative or gigantic idiot?
Gigantic IdiotBrilliantly Creative (No Ratings Yet)
 Loading ... Loading ...

For Kicks and Grins

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in brilliantly creative | 1 Comment »

January 26th, 2010

Day of the Dead Couple

I gotta share with you a cute couple I crocheted for a customer before Christmas. Meet the Day of the Dead Guy and Gal:

How cute are they?! I found their pattern in Creepy, Cute Crochet. I bought this book last fall, and this was my first project to tackle. Isn’t the guy handsome?
Don’t you love the top hat and boutonniere?

Isn’t she pretty? Don’t you love her wreath?

I think their button eyes make them endearing!

I had a ton of fun making them. Lots of little details to make them special! I like going back and forth between little projects like this pair and big projects like afghans. The former take a lot of concentration, but I can finish them quickly; the latter generally have a pattern I can memorize, but they work up in less time.

Time to vote! Brilliantly creative or gigantic idiot? Gigantic IdiotBrilliantly Creative (+2 rating, 2 votes)
 Loading ... Loading ...

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in brilliantly creative | 5 Comments »

January 25th, 2010

Sarah’s Guide to Meal Planning

Chris and I don’t make official New Year’s Resolutions, but since both of our jobs have/are going through some paycheck changes, we’re working really hard to get our budget in order this year. Unfortunately, most of our discretionary spending seems to disappear into the “eating out” category of our budget.

I’ve taken it upon myself to make the most of my weekly trips to the grocery store, and I’m learning the fine art of carefully planning my meals and grocery list every week. Some weeks are easier than others. For example, this is the last week of the month, and Chris and I both have paychecks coming from a school, which means we don’t get paid until the end of the month. We’re s t r e t c h i n g the money and food this week.

A few weeks ago, I drew up this meal planning chart using a trusty Sharpie marker and graph paper. (See the picture?) In the top set of boxes, I write in the evening meal for the day and any activity we have happening that night. For example, we always have Bible study on Wednesday nights, so I don’t have to plan dinner, but I do have to plan a side dish, dessert, or salad to take. In the middle boxes, I write the groceries I need to make those meals. Before leaving the house, I double check my pantry and cross any items I already have off my list. In the bottom box, I write in any other groceries that need purchased for the week.

It’s rudimentary, but it seems to be working for me. Before committing to each week’s meal plan, I try to run it by Chris, so he can “approve” the week’s meals. He’s not too keen on leftovers, but we usually have a lot of leftovers (even when I freeze extras), so I also try to have plenty of mac and cheese on hand for him in case he doesn’t want leftover Mexican lasagna or leftover fried rice.

Anyway, I thought you all might enjoy my chart! Be inspired! Go grocery shopping! Feed your families! Save money!

Votey vote: Brilliantly creative or gigantic idiot? Gigantic IdiotBrilliantly Creative (No Ratings Yet)
 Loading ... Loading ...

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in brilliantly creative | No Comments »

January 23rd, 2010

Book Review | What Difference Do It Make?

I’ve finished the first book on my required reading list for 2010: What Difference Do It Make? by Ron Hall, Denver Moore, and Lynn Vincent! I read and reviewed Same Kind of Different as Me, the first book by Ron and Denver in 2007, and just before Christmas, their publishers contacted me about receiving a complimentary copy of their new book. My first blogging swag! How cool is that?

I’m under no obligation to review the book; they simply thought I might enjoy it. I did, and as a thanks to Tommy Nelson publishers, here are a few thoughts on it:

What Difference Do It Make? picks up where the previous book leaves off and continues the story of Ron Hall and Denver Moore. Most importantly, it chronicles the aftereffects of Ron’s wife Deborah’s involvement with the homeless in Fort Worth, TX. Nearly a decade after her death, her work still continues at Union Mission Gospel and inspires those who’ve read Hall and Moore’s books to get involved in reaching the homeless across the country.

In addition to reading the stories of other readers and how they were inspired to make a difference in the lives of the homeless, we catch up with Ron and Denver and learn how Ron came to make peace with his father before his father passed away. All of these stories testify to how God can work in the direst of situations and in the most broken of relationships.

I’m once again encouraged by these authors and the stories they tell, and I’m challenged to dig into the lives of those around me, not so I can change their lives but so God can! I think you’ll be encouraged and challenged by this book too! You can find copies at your local bookstore or on Amazon.com.

Here’s what other bloggers are saying:

If you’ve read the book, vote for it below:

Gigantic IdiotBrilliantly Creative (No Ratings Yet)
 Loading ... Loading ...

P.S. Do you know about BookSneeze.com? It’s a book review program from Thomas Nelson Publishers for bloggers!

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in brilliantly creative | No Comments »

January 22nd, 2010

Trism: The Ultimate iPhone Game

I’d like to share with you today my favorite–and I think, the ultimate–iPhone game: Trism! Chris introduced it to me shortly after he got his iPhone, and it was the first app I purchased when I got my iPhone last fall. It is an excellent waste of time that will leave colored triangles etched on your eyelids when you fall asleep at night.

The object of the game is to group like-colored triangles together by sliding them on their axes (left-right, diagonal-right, and diagonal-left). When three like-colored triangle are connected, they disappear, leaving a gap on the playing board. Using the iPhone accelerometer, you then slide rows in your desired direction by tilting and rocking the phone. As your levels increase, challenges like exploding triangles and locked triangles make the game interesting? fun? frustrating? even more awesome? Yes, indeed.

Not convinced? You should know that Wired Magazine named Trism the third Most Awesome App of 2008. Need to know more? Wikipedia’s explanation of Trism game play and modes will fill you in. Want to buy it? It’s available for $2.99 on iTunes, of course!

If you’ve played Trism, tell me, is it brilliantly creative or were the creators gigantic idiots? Vote below:

Gigantic IdiotBrilliantly Creative (No Ratings Yet)
 Loading ... Loading ...

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in brilliantly creative | No Comments »

January 19th, 2010

Camo Blocks Afghan

One fun thing I did for Christmas this year was make gifts for everyone on my list. The afghan below was commissioned by my dad and made for my niece (his granddaughter) Livie Jo. The only directions I got from him were: Livie needs a camo blanket. A big one.

I found this pattern in an old Workbasket magazine. (Mom had a bunch and I photocopied the crochet patterns to keep.) I already had the camouflage yarn and most of the black yarn. I only had to buy the green yarn and an extra skein of black.

Here’s the picture of the afghan while I was steaming it into shape:

And a picture of it on my couch:

And a closeup. The pattern was easy peasy: Double crochet and single crochet.

This is one of my first commissioned (i.e. paid) projects, and I have a few more to share. I’m working toward getting pictures of my work on Flickr and Facebook; eventually, I’d like to do an Etsy store, too. Thoughts? Brilliantly creative? Gigantic idiot?

Gigantic IdiotBrilliantly Creative (+1 rating, 1 votes)
 Loading ... Loading ...

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in brilliantly creative | No Comments »

January 18th, 2010

Required Reading: 28 Books in 2010

I love reading, right? You’d think for all the books I have scattered about my house. And I do love reading, but there are far too many books on my shelves that I have not read. Or that I’ve started and haven’t finished. Taking my cue from Linden, here’s my list of books to read this year:

  1. What Difference Do It Make? by Ron Hall, Denver Moore, and Lynn Vincent
  2. Secrets: Transforming Your Life and Marriage by Kerry Clarensau (started but haven’t finished)
  3. The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
  4. Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson (started but haven’t finished)
  5. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
  6. Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears (started but haven’t finished)
  7. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
  8. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (started but haven’t finished)
  9. Persuasion by Jane Austen
  10. Lady Susan by Jane Austen
  11. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
  12. Story Collections by Oscar Wilde
  13. Plays by Oscar Wilde
  14. Poems by Oscar Wilde
  15. Poems in Prose by Oscar Wilde
  16. Essays by Oscar Wilde
  17. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
  18. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
  19. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
  20. The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells
  21. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
  22. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
  23. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
  24. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells
  25. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
  26. The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells
  27. The Food of the Gods by H.G. Wells
  28. In the Days of the Comet by H.G. Wells

Two themes present themselves in this list:

  1. I start a lot of books but don’t finish them. Not sure why. Maybe they’re not interesting enough to finish. Maybe I just got busy. Regardless, I’ve got to get them off my to-read list.
  2. I have a lot of books by the same authors. Chris bought me several “Library of Essential Writers” collections for Christmas a few years ago, and I’ve hardly touched them. Authors include Mark Twain (read it), Ernest Hemingway (read it), Jane Austen (reading), Charles Dickens (struggling through Oliver Twist), Oscar Wilde, and H.G. Wells. Reading a collection of books by one author is actually my preferred method of reading books one after the other. I think I inherited this from my Toni Morrison/William Faulkner and Edith Wharton literature classes in college.

Twenty-eight books in 365 days? I think I can do it. That’s just over two books a month, and some of those I’m already in the middle of. I just have to be careful and not let my stack of unread magazines pile up around me, too!

Thoughts? Am I brilliantly creative or a gigantic idiot for tackling all these books this year?

Gigantic IdiotBrilliantly Creative (No Ratings Yet)
 Loading ... Loading ...

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in brilliantly creative | No Comments »

« Older Entries
 

You need to log in to vote

The blog owner requires users to be logged in to be able to vote for this post.

Alternatively, if you do not have an account yet you can create one here.

Powered by Vote It Up