I got an invite from Suzi Blu a couple weeks ago for this 3 Week Challenge going on over on ning. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was joining when I signed up, but I figured anything Suzi was doing would be fun.
I gotta say I wasn’t all that excited when I found out what it was about, though. I don’t know. I hate to be negative. I really do, but I have reason, see? The group is based on a ten year old book that I didn’t like when I read it all those years ago. And part of the challenge is reading it. I had another look at it on Amazon..
I won’t go into all my reasons, but let’s just say I can’t. Not again.
Putting aside my thoughts about the book, and I have decided to do the 3 week challenge, anyway. There are some great women in the group, and I really like hanging out with them. Three of them wanted to buddy up with me, and well, how can I say no to that sweet gesture.
I’m just going to modify the challenge to better suit my needs, that’s all.
The one thing I can say that I got out of the book are the morning pages. 3 pages, handwritten, in the morning, don’t stop..go! I’ve been doing this exercise for ten years, on and off. So, today I made a little book. I made it small because I don’t feel wordy right now. But, I figure I can handle writing 3 small pages a day for 21 days. It won’t kill me.
I also did some art in my art journal, and I walked 1/2 hour on my treadmill this afternoon. So, it’s off to a flying start. Only 20 days left to go.
don’t let it fool you.
it has unexpected twists.
the trailer does not come close to telling the whole story.
i laughed.
i cried (more than once).
i fell in love with this family.
if you’d like to see more of my favorites, look at the tab above or click here. yes, this film got me to make a page just for my favorites. it was that good.
If anyone would like to trade Etsy minis with me, let me know. I will be featuring a couple Etsy shops here in my blog each week, probably on Fridays. Leave a comment or email me - mizkatie228 @ gmail.com if you’d like to do a swap. Close up the spaces around the @ sign before sending email.
Oh, and when sending the mini code, my blog can only use flash. You can make it whatever size you like. My blog is wide enough for 5 x 5. Please let me know what size is good for your blog.
I don’t know why I’m fascinated by memes lately. I guess they’re kinda fun, in a stupid, stupid way. heh! That said..the bold has been done. The not bold is yet to come, maybe..if I want to.
Feel free to steal it, and let me know when you post your results.
1. Started your own blog 2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland 8. Climbed a mountain 9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child 16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty 18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train 21. Had a pillow fight 22. Hitchhiked 23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset 31. Hit a home run 32. Been on a cruise (only a day cruise, though) 33. Seen Niagara Falls in person 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors 35. Seen an Amish community 36. Taught yourself a new language (computer) 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa 45. Walked on a beach by moonlight 46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling 52. Kissed in the rain 53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies 62. Gone whale watching 63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp 67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy 70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt 73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London 77. Broken a bone 78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican 82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem 84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible 86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox 89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury 91. Met someone famous 92. Joined a book club 93. Lost a loved one 94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake 97. Been involved in a law suit 98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day
okay, i’m off to my studio. I’ve got some painting to do.
Well! This is the first morning since Halloween that I’ve felt ok. Still not tip top, but a little better than meh. I just may get through the day without sleeping it away. I have been sleeping waaay too much. Needless to say, I’ve been neglecting so many things, like my blog. I’ll probably post a flurry of entries today, like this one.
mmm..can’t resist.
I stole this recipe from one of my favorite websites. There’s only one thing better than cake on this planet, and that’d be cupcakes. YAY!! I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Gingerbread Cupcakes with Lemony Frosting
prep time: 20 minutes | cooking time: 17-22 minutes | makes 12 cupcakes
Equipment:
12 cupcake tins and paper liners, 2 medium mixing bowls.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup light molasses
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup soy milk
2 tablespoons soy yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
For the frosting
1/4 cup soybean margarine
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup soymilk
juice of 1 lemon
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line tins with paper cupcake liners.
Sift together flour through salt.
Wisk together wet ingredients (oil through yogurt) until well emulsified.
Fold dry ingredients into wet, wisking to combine.
Fold in lemon peel and crystalized ginger.
Pour into tins, 2/3 of the way.
Bake 17 - 22 minutes, until top springs back when touched or a toothpick comes out clean.
When fully cooled frost them with frosting below.
Prepare the frosting
In a round bottom bowl cream margarine and shortening with a strong fork. This could take 5 minutes, to make sure they are thoroughly blended and smooth. Add sugar and mix, adding splashes of soymilk as you go along to make blending easier. Add lemon juice, and keep creaming away until everything is perfectly smooth. Refrigerate until cupcakes are ready for frosting.
One crow sorrow, two crows joy,
three crows a letter, four crows a boy,
five crows silver, six crows gold,
seven crow a story yet to be told.
My grandmother always told me that if you say “luck, luck, luck” when you see one crow, it automatically changes sorrow to happiness. So.. luck, luck, luck. Let’s hope that works.
