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  • Fruit of the Spirit Blog Design

    June
    28
    2007

    fruit of the spirit custom wordpress blog design' class=
    “But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

    Debbie has been a regular reader and friend of mine for a long time now. She’s sweet and kind and peaceful, and she has three beautiful cats, too.

    You can imagine how tickled I was when she ordered a new design through EW and requested me, and then gave me artistic freedom with her new blog design. A couple of key words and an open mind – what more could a girl ask for? Her earthy color scheme with a touch of berry make her new look feel very calming and spa-like to me.

    Stop over and say hi, and browse through her photography while you’re there, too!

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    Filed under: Custom Illustrations, Graphics, Blog Designs, E.Webscapes

  • The Face Behind The Blog

    June
    27
    2007

    david dairey the face behind the blog memeShelly at This Eclectic Life tagged me to participate in The Face Behind The Blog meme. Shelly has a great collection of old photographs from her childhood days – now I don’t have that many in my possession, but I’ll do my best.

    Here’s how it goes, in the words of the originator, David:

    “Post a short blog article that includes a photograph (or a series of photos) showing the face behind your blog. If you already show a photo somewhere on your site (such as in your about page), then make your post more interesting and choose a photo that’s not currently online. Include links to other people that have displayed a photo, or include their photos in your post, adding a reference. A link back to David’s post is much appreciated, to help create a more personal community! Then tag as many others as you like in your post to spread the meme. Each person tagged should create their own post and repeat the process.”

    200pic1.jpgAlrightie then. Lemme see here. It all started out when I was a wee munchkin in a suit with a.. mom? What did you put on me? Is that a TIE? Ohhh the 70’s. It’s not my fault, my mommy made me do it. At least I’m wearing a skirt, I think? I don’t really know. But I’m cute, eh? I had those grandma-pinchy cheeks. Yep, the grandma’s loved me. The dad? Not so much. He bailed not long after this photo was taken. Can you believe it? I’m so stinkin’ cute, how could he leave? ::resisting urge to pinch my own baby cheeks::

    Completely skipping those awkward years of my youth because thankfully, those photos are in mom’s house, somewhere, and I am really fine with that. They can be lost, or found and burned – whatever works. I’m good. You know what I looked like at my Senior Prom – and that’s all that really matters, right?

    200pic2.jpg Skipping right on up to my late teens – early twenties (just saying that makes me feel old), when I lived in the beautiful sunny San Diego area. Aaah, those were the days. See how happy I am with my Super Big Hair? I loved living in California. I met one of my dearest friends there, after having worked with her for several months thinking she was a snotty valley girl – and here all along she thought I was a big B-word. Funny how first impressions can be so wrong! She and I hung out on Oceanside beach and Carlsbad.

    200pic3.jpgI can’t even begin to describe how much I loved living in California. I can still hear the sound of the waves crashing up onto those rocks, and I can smell the Pacific like it’s embedded in my sinuses. I miss living on the West Coast very much!

    At the time, I worked in Accounting. Can you believe it? I can’t. I’m horrible with numbers. I always say “that’s why God made calculators!” I worked hard, though, even though my brain hurt and recovery 200pic5.jpgdid require lots of cheap grocery store wine at the end of the day. Just kidding. I wasn’t a lush, but I did have a much more relaxed and carefree lifestyle while we were living there.

    All of these photos were taken by my friend Erin. Our men were both in the Marine Corps so we had a lot of fun getting gussied up and taking photos for them while they were on duty. I was even wearing her clothes at the time, which was cool because I always wanted to wear something smaller than a size 10. That only happened for like 6 months out of my whole entire life, and only because I sucked my gut in really really hard. She took the photos in black and white so you couldn’t see how my face was turning blue from holding my breath in.

    200pic6.jpg And then. I should just have you caption this photo for me. The winner would be something like “And then she moved back to the midwest.” or “Illinois. Takes the Cali right out of a girl.” You know, something gloomy and snowy that makes you want to grow your hair out long and wear college sweatshirts and put static guard on your hair in the fall and winter. Why am I showing you this? Just to show you folks on the West Coast what will happen if you move to the Midwest. You’ll completely forget how laid back and sensible life can be, and you’ll become one of those corn growers who doesn’t know how to put an infinitive in front of a verb. You’ll start saying things like “My hair needs cut.” instead of “My hair needs TO BE cut.” I swear, “to be” or not “to be” is never a question around here.

    200pic7.jpg Aaah getting settled in, chopping the hair off, adding a dog and then a kid to the brood, life is good. Chloe came first in 1993, then Catybug was born in 1996. The two of them got along famously as you can tell, Chloe guarded us even from that scary clickity thing that daddy was pointing at us. Then she smiled pretty because she realized she was on candid camera, and she was a smart girl. We’re coming up on the one year mark of having lost our first baby girl, so expect another mushy gushy kleenex getter of a post.

    200pic8.jpg Like I mentioned, we live on the Mighty Muddy Mississippi. We’re not allowed to feed those ducks anymore – can you believe that? Apparently a goose scared the crap out of a person, instead of the other way around, so now they’ve prohibited any of the good old traditions of going down to the river to feed the ducks. Catybug and I giggled a lot that day.

    200pic10.jpgThis is one of my favorite photos, but mom would have a meltdown if she saw her winky smiley face on the internet, so I blurred up her face some just to make her feel better. She’s really cute (go see her here, she actually doesn’t mind that one being on the web!) – I would have cut and pasted her head but boy that would have looked wierd. I got this great upright piano from a gal I worked with who was going to lose it to the burn pile if she didn’t find a home for it. I love having mom and my sisters over, we all sit around and play chopsticks and songs from when we were kids – and my mom also plays Grandma teacher with Catybug now, too. It’s a wonderful thing, those memories of playing the piano when I was a kid. I still know one or two songs from my childhood, too.

    200pic11.jpgI don’t think anyone who visits my blog has seen me pregnant. So TA-DA, here I am, pregnant with our little Chickeymonkey. Yes I gained like three hundred pounds and we had to install that backing up beeper on my rear end so I wouldn’t crash into people when I moved around. Sheesh. Yeah, pregnancy is beautiful – when it’s over and you’re reminiscing about it. This is me and my hubby on our second wedding day. The second marriage, I mean. And boy am I pregnant. Woah. Where’s the beach? Maybe you should just cover your eyes and scroll down now? That would be good. Thanks.

    leanne wildermuthThe Chickster wouldn’t let me get a photo of the two of us together, making things all even between sisters and all that – so I leave you with my most current photo from a couple of weeks ago. This is me, folks, in my studio. After all these years, I’m doing what I love to do. I’m creative every day, I get to be with my kids, I get to enjoy my home and my life and I get to savor it at a slower pace.

    And that concludes my “short blog article that includes a photograph (or a series of photos)”. What is short, anyway? I don’t even want to know the word count on this entry. It’s probably longer than a whole month worth of entries all put together.

    Who to tag?! Now I’m supposed to choose some people to do this. I can tell you who I’d like to see doing this – people who haven’t shared pics of themselves very often, if ever. I’m not going to tag anyone, though. I’m going to ask that if you’ve made it this far, and if this is something you’d like to do, please let me know and I’ll link to you.

    * * * * * * * * * *
    Include links to other people that have displayed a photo, or include their photos in your post, adding a reference. Here are the others who have participated so far:


    Char at Essential Keystrokes

    Zep at The In-Sect
    Ingo at Stixster

    Stevie at Lost In Cyberspace


    Wendy Piersall at eMoms at Home





    Dave Olson at Live the GREAT life that you desire
    Greg at Become a Remote Control SEO


    Armen at iFFECT.NET




    Lisa Gates at intrinsic life design



    Adam Kayce at Monk at Work

    Tammy Lenski at I Can’t Say That!






    Steve at Ramblings from the Marginalized
    Troy Worman at on!blog
    Lilith at Lilith’s Owl Nest

    Revov at REVO-OVER


    Derrick Sorles at Life By Design
    Ken Xu at Mysites Advisor dot com

    Roberta at Roberta Ferguson


    Ingrid at Through My Eyes
    Don Lawson at Affiliate Watcher







    Faddy at Girl Next Door
    Thess at In Nederland

    Suzie at 1Day@ATime



    Skipper at My Life Starts At Forty-Two
    Seiche at Seiche
    Leah at Leah’s Cafe

    Josie at Josie Two Shoes
    Dr Ellen Webber at Brain Based Business
    Mika at Text Unlimited
    Nell at Tales of a Melodramatic Moron

    Pen at the pen is mightier than the sword

    Jamie at Terinea Weblog


    K at K, speaking!

    Chase at Queer Chef
    Hanne at Lucid Unreality
    Jill at Gelb9
    Tish at The Kat House

    Jessica at Life is RANTastic!

    Logtar at Logtar’s Blog
    Julie at TeacherJulie.com
    Wilson at Get it Funk

    Sue at Life in the Urban Zoo
    Isabelle at Tricotine

    Alternati at Sarcasm Aside
    Mousey at Sasha Says
    Diana at Nazarene Family Services

    Jen at Expat Travels
    Meeyauw at meeyauw

    Tammi at Drawing on Words
    Jams at The Poor Mouth
    Mar at maremagnum

    Karen Delaney at A Strange Life
    Lynnette at The Fun Times Guide

    Trish at Incoherent-ish
    Lisa at Lisa C Writes
    Becky at Becky’s Nook

    Dora at Peppylady
    Renny at RennyBA’s Terella

    Autumn at Autumn’s Meadow
    Jen at Jen’s Horde

    Sandy Carlson at Writing in Faith
    Captain Lifecruiser at Sea Lifecruiser
    Trinity at Rooms of My Heart

     

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    Filed under: A Lil' History

  • People Like Me!

    June
    27
    2007

    My sweet friend YellowRose managed to make me blush the other day, sayin’ all kinds of nice things about me and adorning me with this nifty pink shiny button that you can’t even click on, because it doesn’t go anywhere. heh! Go ahead now, hover and click to be sure, I know you want to. (And you better admit if you did. I need the chuckle.)

    Most often, I really don’t feel deserving of such an award. I mean I scrape by here by the skin of my fingertips – hoping for some eyes to pour over my words that see things the same way I do. That’s all a girl can really hope for in the blogosphere, you know? I’m not a writer, I’m a visual artist. So for my words to make sense to someone is super cool to me – and I’m flattered that people take the time to read the words I type as much as I am that you like the designs and art that I create.

    This is the part where I tell you that there are other more amazing bloggers who really make me want to read what they write – theirs are the words I write vicariously in my dreams of being a more prolifically wordy blogger who garners the attention of the readers of the blogosphere, the ones who like a good long story and don’t stop reading until it’s over.

    Passing on the torch to five of my (not all inclusive) favorites:

    1. MommaK : MommaK rocks. She has the wit and sarcasm that I love and can totally relate to – and deep down she’s a huge soft sqwishy hearted fiercely loyal friend.
    2. Robin : Robin has a way of writing that makes you feel like you’ve got her on the phone. WYSIWYG. I love that, because I’m the very same way.
    3. Lisa @ The Shizzle : Lisa can manage to add a touch of hilarity to any given situation, and with her huge family – that’s a requirement. She has to have the shoulders of a linebacker. Seriously. I admire her strength and wisdom, and patience. Because you need a lot of patience with that many kids.
    4. Laura @ VitaminSea : I pink puffy heart Laura because when I go there, I feel like I just popped over for coffee on her patio.
    5. Nancy : Nancy is smart and has a nurturing way about her, I always feel my spirit lifted up when I visit with her through her blog or in email. She’s a wonderful person to know.

    There you have it. Go, visit, and let them know they rock, because they really, really do!

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    Filed under: Hahaha! That's Funny.

  • Don’t forget your camera.

    June
    26
    2007

    I can’t tell you how important it is that if photography interests you, you need to take your camera with you wherever you go.

    We went for a walk lastnight, just around the neighborhood within a mile or so – particularly this one area where we sometimes see deer. I was hoping for a great shot of a different bird, and boy did I see and hear some that stay really well hidden in those trees. I ate some wild blackberries, and found deer tracks in the mud alongside the road.

    I didn’t expect this shot, though, and this is why it’s so important to strap your camera around your neck before you head out the door.

    Keep reading »

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    Filed under: The Great Outdoors, The Photog in Me

  • I’m not that fancy.

    June
    24
    2007

    markleanne1989.jpg  markleanne2007.jpg
    1989                                2007
    We may look like a fancy couple, but half of us is perfectly good with hanging out barefoot in Hanes t-shirts, Levi’s and drinking Kool-Aid from a pink plastic tumbler. Yeah, that’d be me. I just clean up good for the camera, is all.

    Yesterday we celebrated our wedding anniversary. And when I say celebrate, I mean we basically hung out all day at home, he tidied up Cocoa’s cage while I put fifty trillion braids in my girls’ hair while singing loudly to Martina McBride’s new CD.

    When I reminded Catybug it was our anniversary, she said “which one?” because we have so many. We note every important event in our lives on the calendar and use it as a reason to go out and have dinner at a fancy restaurant. No. Seriously. We’ve been married twice. Yes, you read that right. It’s confusing enough that I didn’t know what I was doing the first time – now I have to try to figure it out again, AND remember another date on top of it. What’s most confusing is how we just lump all of the years together overall, instead of trying to figure out how long we were together, then apart, then together. That’s just silly, and it’s also a reminder that we don’t know what we’re doing. Who needs that? And where’s my Kool-Aid?

    To celebrate our whatever anniversary number it is, my fancy husband got all dressed up in his shiny shoes and took me out to dinner. I had to whip out my calculator and subtract 2007 minus 1989 before we left, though, to figure out how many years I can still proudly admit that I’m just as confused now as I was then. That’s 18 years. I should get an award, really.

    We arrived at Portabella’s Italian Bistro (because I love Italian food, but I never get any because my family is crazy and doesn’t like cooked tomatoes in their food) and we were greeted by a vacant stare from the only couple in the place. How charming! I was quickly distracted by the water fountain, and stuck my finger on the concrete glazing ball thing to disrupt the flow of water. OoooOOoh. That’s COOL.

    Then some cute guy in a white shirt and black pants came up and asked us if we had a reservation. I looked around and thought – woah. We need one? You should pay us for being here, really. heh. My husband in all his shiny black shoe-ness handled the situation with class, and I just giggled and rolled my eyes. We were seated in a booth, and my hubby started to browse through the drink menu. I snatched it from him pretty quickly and chose a Merlot – and what happened after that was what proved to me that I am just not that fancy.

    The waiter, matire d’, whatever title he’d like to have- brought our wine. He presented the bottle all charming and stuff and said it was a 2000 Grand Archer Merlot and blah blah blah he popped the cork while I gazed at the menu. Then I noticed he handed the cork to my hubby, who was supposed to sniff it – LMBO! Sniff cork? Who sniffs cork? What’s the point of the cork sniffing? I sniffed the cork and it doesn’t smell anything like the wine. I am not sure of the significance of that, but I’m no wine connoisseur. Obviously. He poured a little wine, my hubby tasted it, nodded, and then our waiter poured into my glass. I’m not kidding – he held the bottle of wine like he was dipping a baby’s head into a bowl to Christen him. That’s fancy.

    So I took my first sip, and Wee! It was very alcoholic! I haven’t had alcohol in a long, long time. You could tell I was out of my element, because I grabbed my fork and started taking ice out of my ice water and dumping it into my wine glass to chill it. You know, like the stuff you get at the grocery store, you just keep it in the fridge, right?

    Except ice in a fancy wine tastes really, really yucky. I won’t tell you how fast I drank that glass just to get a fresh room temperature refill.

    We had some amazing appetizers, the Bruschetta trio (bruschetta topped with different stuff, like goat cheese and reduced balsamic vinegar – yum) – and then of course the focaccia with herb infused olive oil and parmesan. I was in my danger zone with all of those carbs, and with the wine – my mouth was on fast forward.

    I ordered the Chef’s Signature Creation, Pork Osso Bucco.

    “Tender jumbo pork shank glazed with a light caramel-thyme demi glace served with our house garlic smashed potatoes and fresh vegetable, a must try item.. “

    Woah. It doesn’t say anywhere in here that you get a half a pig. Okay so it does say “jumbo” but how was I to know it would be an extra-large pig? When our waiter set my plate in front of me, I had the immediate desire to put down my fork and knife and pick the thing up like a chicken leg and start gnawing the meat off like a cave woman. It could have been the wine, of course. I’m going to blame it on the wine. Part of me wanted to ask for the reduced balsamic squirty bottle so I could sign my name on the other half of the charger this thing was dished out in. “Leanne was here.” or “Came. Saw. Drooled. Ate like the pig she ordered.”

    I’m sure by the end of our date my poor well mannered hubby thought back to the good old days and wished we’d just stopped at the Taco Bell drive through, instead.

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    Filed under: Home n' Hearth

  • Melissa the Mouth Blog Design

    June
    21
    2007

    custom blog design brown green chick wordpress' class=
    I finished up another WordPress theme today for EW, this one is brown and green and cool and chic and just a smidge preppy.

    Melissa is a really great gal and a good read – so stop by and say hello, and be sure you add her to your blogroll.

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    Filed under: Custom Illustrations, Graphics, Blog Designs, E.Webscapes

  • Icklebug Blog Design

    June
    19
    2007

    icklebug wordpress custom blog design' class=
    Icklebug has been launched – you’ve gotta see this one! It’s so ding dang cute, with the watermelon-y color scheme, and the bunnies you can throw around (boing, I mean.) This was an E.Webscapes project (I’m an Associate Designer, so if you want to order a custom blog design, please do order through EW and feel free to request me if you’d like me to be the one to design for you!). Bex had a lot of specific things that she wanted to implement, like those cute little pixel icons (a couple of those are custom to her design), and a bunch of nifty plugins and customizations, including a special plugin written by Becca just for EW.

    Becca rocks!
    I have to make note of what I think is the cutest part of the design – the comment page. She requested the official comments plugin, so I hooked her up with alternating comment bubble background and then the official comments (registered users, authors) have a solid pink bubble. I really love how fun the comments are displayed, so check ’em out, and leave one while you’re there!

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    Filed under: Custom Illustrations, Graphics, Blog Designs, E.Webscapes

  • My Backyard Birds

    June
    17
    2007

    I’m chillin’ on the patio this weekend with my family and my camera, here are a few new birdwatchy photos I’ve added to my photoblog. I’ll add a couple more later today or tomorrow, too.

    Hope you’re having a good weekend – Happy Father’s Day to all the (not deadbeat) Dad’s and single Mom’s who do it all, too!

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    Filed under: The Photog in Me

  • How do you say it?

    June
    16
    2007

    I’m sure you’ve all made up a new word or two – either from mispronouncing, from having children, or just for the fun of it, right? We’ve managed to successfully implement a few fun words into our family vocabulary, and I’d like to share them with you.

    1. Dinareenah : this is a personal family favorite, because that runny stuff just isn’t pleasant. Why not make it just a little fun?
    2. Zookini : Better than a one piece, I’ll tell you that. You might need a cover up, though, so’s you don’t spoil.
    3. Hopsipsul : Where you go to have babies, and get your tonsils out.
    4. Beeputer or Pitter : The box you’re using to get on the internet.
    5. Hupme : When you wanna be picked up.
    6. Absofruitley : Yes.
    7. Froo Froops or Froopoops: Only the best cereal ever.
    8. Confoozed : Crazier than kung-fu. You wouldn’t understand.
    9. Prenzel : A little stick pretzel just for kids.
    10. Jabar : A big black cat, that doesn’t have any dots.
    11. Schwirrel : That fluffy little tree rat I so adore.
    12. Shreekit : A loud whisper that everyone can hear.
    13. Cowboys : Bad Boys are skeert of ’em.
    14. Skeert : Very, very afraid.
    15. Vacannoom : The powerful dirt picker upper.
    16. Sim-Sims : Better than the Simpson’s.
    17. Sweats : Those sugary little candies. MmmM.
    18. Keetchy : Where the figerater is.
    19. Figerater : It keeps food in the keetchy cold.
    20. Merrrrrr! : Gimme dat!
    21. Got a good one? Do share. I’ll add more as they pop up!

    Your turn – what crazy words have you replaced in your own vocabulary?

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    Filed under: Chit Chat
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