The Color Sense Game from Pittsburgh Paints The Voice of Color

Just something a little fun tonight...now I guess I know why I'm always drawn to rooms that are shades of green and orange!


The Color Sense Game

I am Al Fresco - Fresh and balanced, the al Fresco greens are a natural and versitile choice for all interiors. They recreate nature and put the essence of renewal in our everyday lives.

My secondary harmony family:
Desert Spice - If you are in search of warmth and friendship, look to the muted or radient orange that emanate from the Desert Spice Harmony collection. Known to enhance conversation, teracottas and oranges are a perfect match for evening and candlelight, and work especially well in dining and living rooms.

What were your results? Were you surprised or what you expected? Are you tempted to repaint your entire house now? :-)

Send a singing love telegram...from Altoids?

You just never know where you're going to find fun stuff on the web! Here's a good one if you're looking for something silly to send your honey on Valentine's Day.

Altoids Singing Telegram

I'm 83% wired...

for creativity, that is!!

83%

How 'bout you? Take the quiz...leave a comment with your percentage (or a link to the blog post with your results).

Instant Christmas Journaling

Here's a couple little meme's I've come accross lately that were fun to do and would also serve as great 'instant' journaling for Christmas themed scrapbook layouts or minibooks. You could take the quizzes yourself and/or use the answers of other friends and family members, too!

This one is from this week's meme prompt from Tuesday Twosome:

Shopped early for presents or are still procrastinating: Shopped early
“Bah Humbug” or “Jingle Bells…”: "Jingle Bells..."
Buy presents because you enjoy giving or because you feel obligated: Buy presents because I enjoy giving
Enjoy all the holiday cheer or “Enough already. Give me my present.”: Enjoy all the holiday cheer
Open presents on Christmas Eve or wait until Christmas morning: Open presents on Christmas Eve at my parents and on Christmas morning at my husband's parents...the best of both worlds!

This one was an email meme I received from a good friend of mine (thanks, Rhnissa!):

Wrapping paper or gift bags? Mainly wrapping paper
Real tree or Artificial? Artificial - real are too messy
When do you put up the tree? The weekend after Thanksgiving
When do you take the tree down? Usually a couple weeks after Christmas…
Do you like egg nog? Not really - never been a fan - I like Tom & Jerry’s MUCH better
Favorite gift received as a child? I can't remember a 'favorite', but do remember one I was quite surprised to receive - George Michael's 'Faith' tape...I wanted it, but couldn't believe my mom actually bought it for me considering that there was a song called "I Want Your Sex" on there! I was only 11 when that tape came out!
Do you have a nativity scene? Yes…but it is a VERY simple one…
Hardest person to buy for? My older brother…
Easiest person to buy for? Kaitlin - she wants everything, so she'll be happy no matter what she gets!
Mail or email Christmas cards? MAIL!
Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Belts for my car from my husband last year…which he still hasn’t put on!
Favorite Christmas Movie? Polar Express
Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No
Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Everything!!
Clear lights or colored on the tree? clear
Favorite Christmas song? Carol of the Bells
Travel at Christmas or stay home? A little travel…Tabor on Christmas eve…Springfield on Christmas morning.
Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Not a chance!
Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Eve at my parents; Christmas Day at Justin’s parents after we open Kaitlin’s presents from Santa at home
Most annoying thing about this time of year? People being rude and crabby - its supposed to be about family and fun.
Favorite ornament theme or color? Clear lights, burgundy, cream, glass ornaments!!
Favorite for Christmas dinner? All of it!
What do you want for Christmas this year? To spend time with family…and scrapbooking stuff!

The Twelve Days of Christmas...

like you've never seen it before courtesy of Straight No Chaser!

Can You Pass 8th Grade Science?

What can I say...it's been a long time since 8th grade science. Give me an English test!!

A Little Link Love

Just a few things I've found fun, helpful and/or inspiring lately:

*Equation Bookshelf - A shelf with something to say!


*Free Rice - Test your vocabulary skills...feed the hungry...it's a win-win!

*Handipoints - Makes getting children to do their chores a little easier...and more rewarding for them.

*goodreads - Keep track of what you've read and get great book recommendations.

*be hospitable - Hospitality is not completely dead...here's proof!

Introducing Mirecle33 Creativity Patch

Wow...there really is a 'patch' for everything these days!! :-)

Now I know exactly what I need when I hit my next creative slump...the Mirecle33 Creativity Patch. Thanks Chris Dunmire!

I just need to find the Moretime24 Patch and I'm all set...if only it were that easy!

Go Elf Yourself!!

No, this is NOT profanity...but it is about the funniest thing you'll ever see.

Have you heard of "Elf Yourself" on the OfficeMax website? I had run across this myself about a week ago and was going to create one with Kaitlin's face, but just hadn't gotten around to it yet.

Then, my sister calls me tonight and says, "You have to go check your email RIGHT NOW! Mom just about pissed her pants!" (Sorry, Mom...but I just about did, too!)

So, I did and this is what I found (warning - may take a bit to load, but totally worth it!):

The Pechous Family Elf Yourself

Now, it might be as funny to you being you may not actually KNOW these people, but from left to right the dancing elves are me, my mom, my dad (he doesn't normally stick his tongue out, but adds SO MUCH to this), and my younger brother (with one of his classic goofy faces)...notice my sister didn't want to embarrass herself and therefore left out her face. I don't care though...it's just hilarious...and, of course, I think I'm the best (sexiest) elf!

AND...here's the Paulson Family Elf Yourself!

That's Justin on the left, Kaitlin in the middle and me on the right this time.

So, go make a dancing elf troup out of you own family faces and leave me a link in a comment...I'd love to laugh at your family, too!!

It's snowing...

In honor of our first snowfall today...here's some snow fun:

TYPEflake - create a snowflake out of personalized text
Make-a-Snowflake - create your own cut-out snowflake

Unfortunately for us, it's not a pretty snow. It's a heavy, wet, sleety snow. Nonetheless, Kaitlin was adamant about going out into the mess as soon as she got up and looked out the window this morning, so I bundled her up and out she went for a while.

We also attempted our Christmas dress shoot today. Not sure if I'm quite pleased with the results...may have to try again later. Have I ever mentioned how I hate taking pictures indoors??

The Sprague Lab: Blog of Note and a Quote

I love Jessica Sprague! Not only is she an incredibly talented hybrid scrapbooker, but also an incredibly generous teacher! She is always providing a host a great tutorials through her blog, The Sprague Lab, and sharing interesting bits and pieces of her life.

She recently completed a redesign of her blog, which is GREAT by the way, and included this quote in her header:

"Time stands still best in moments that look suspiciously like ordinary life."
~Brian Andreas

It is definitely one of my new favorites!!

Five on Friday...a New URL...a New Business

Five on Friday

Would you rather...
1: eat nothing but chocolate or go without chocolate for the rest of your life? go without
2: stub your toe or get a paper cut? stub my toe
3: write the news or make the news? make the news (but only in a good way)
4: lose 10 pounds or gain 10 IQ points? lose 10 pounds
5: wear a costume to work or wear normal clothes to a Halloween party? wear a costume to work (Five on Friday Meme Website)

New URL

Did you notice the new URL? Making some changes and decided to use a custom URL. Don't worry...if you have your reader or bookmark set to the old one (https://jillmarie7276.blogspot.com/), you'll still be forwarded right here, so you won't miss a thing.

New Business

No, I'm not quitting my day job, but I do have a new side business. (As if I needed something else to fill my time with!) I am now an Independent Consultant for MemoryWorks, a direct sales scrapbooking company.

As some other consultants have done, I decided to register my own business name (A Matter of Memories...hence the new url) if I would at some point sell my own handmade items and/or host crops/classes for a fee. At this point, that's a VERY BIG IF...there are just not enough hours in the day, you know, but still wanted to have that option open from the start. We'll see what comes of it.

My consultant website is online, but still in progress, so be kind, but definitely head on over, check it out and let me know what you think of the product lines that MemoryWorks has to offer. I know that many of the manufacturers they carry have been on my favorites list for a couple years now.

If you think that you might be interested in ordering at some point, go ahead and create a username and password by clicking on the "Start Here" on the upper right (below my name and contact information). If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to contact me.

I am having my very first MemoryWorks party tomorrow at my house and must admit I am a little nervous about it. I am very excited to present the products and hope my attendees have a great time! I'm sure I'll have more to share on this afterwards. Wish me luck!

I Do Dog Tricks

Every once in a while you run into something cute in email forwards...this is one of those times. I got this one from my mother-in-law a while ago...just getting around to sharing it. Thanks, Ruth! It still makes me smile!

Type in a command (sit, roll over, down, stand, sing, dance, shake, fetch, play dead etc.), click submit and see what happens. It's also very cute if you type in a command that's not recognized!! Make sure you type in "kiss" too, but do it last.

I Do Dog Tricks

A Little Rant on Pachelbel's Canon

I actually really like Pachelbel's Canon in D...but this is still way funny:

i ges i kan spel...

I Scored a 100%!

"Canned Meat" - Tuesday Twosome Meme

I found this meme over at Tuesday Twosome entitled "Canned Meat" interesting and decided to participate:

Do you check your email once a day or more? More Explain: I am a slave to my email...I have my work email up at all times and check in NUMEROUS times per day. I check my personal email at least twice per day.

When you receive SPAM emails, do you just delete them or take the time to mark it as SPAM? DELETE Explain: I used to mark them, but, honestly, I don't think it helps much.

When a friend/acquaintance emails you a “forward” email like a joke or chain letter, do you forward it to your friends or just delete it? DEPENDS Explain: I almost NEVER forward the chain letter type forwards...I hate those. Sometimes I will forward a forward if it is especially funny or cute, but overall, I don't forward forwards very often.

Who are two people whose emails you look forward to receiving? Julie, Rhnissa Explain: Two friends who live far away and we are all busy and don't email each other often, but when we do, there is usually lots to catch up on.

Do you believe that email has completely replaced other forms of communication? Not completely...I still send Christmas cards w/ a letter. :-)

SSFS #28 - Three Things Quiz

Here's a great little quiz for your Sunday Spur this week to give you some journaling inspiration:

THREE THINGS
Three things that scare me:
1:
2:
3:

Three people who make me laugh:
1:
2:
3:

Three Things I love:
1:
2:
3:

Three Things I hate:
1:
2:
3:

Three things I don't understand:
1:
2:
3:

Three things on my desk:
1:
2:
3:

Three things I'm doing right now:
1:
2:
3:

Three things I want to do before I die:
1:
2:
3:

Three things I can do:
1:
2:
3:

Three ways to describe my personality:
1:
2:
3:

Three things I can't do:
1:
2:
3:

Here's my answers:

Three things that scare me:
1: rats
2: state of the environment
3: war

Three people who make me laugh:
1: my 5 year old daughter, Kaitlin
2: my brother, Lee (when he's not crabby)
3: Mike Rowe (from Dirty Jobs)

Three Things I love:
1: family
2: scrapbooking
3: taking pictures

Three Things I hate:
1: not having enough time for the things I love
2: bills
3: swearing

Three things I don't understand:
1: any language other than English
2: my husband :-)
3: why the government doesn't pass more laws to help the environment

Three things on my desk:
1: phone
2: files
3: laptop

Three things I'm doing right now:
1: um…answering these questions
2: sipping on tea
3: listening to Daughtry

Three things I want to do before I die:
1: she my daughter grown up and happy
2: travel
3: and travel

Three things I can do:
1: scrapbook
2: take good photos (but still have a lot to learn)
3: flare my nostrils

Three ways to describe my personality:
1: friendly
2: reserved
3: helpful

Three things I can't do:
1: ice skate
2: play the piano
3: ballroom dance

Your challenge: Take the three things quiz, post to your blog and leave us a link...then go create a great new all-about-you page!

What My Pizza Says About Me

Just a fun little quiz for today...actually quite accurate for me. Click on the link at the end to see what you pizza of choice says about you!

What Your Pizza Reveals

Your appetite is pretty average. You don't go overboard - but you don't deprive yourself either. You consider pizza to be bread... very good bread. You fit in best in the Midwest part of the US. You like food that's traditional and well crafted. You aren't impressed with "gourmet" foods. You are generous, outgoing, and considerate with your choices. You are definitely unique and artistically inclined. You should consider traveling to Prague. The stereotype that best fits you is guy or girl next door. Hey, there's nothing wrong with being average.

What Does Your Pizza Say About You?

Rockin' Girl Blogger

I was tagged by Shaunte. She's a Rockin' Girl Blogger and I guess now I am too! :-)

1. Your entire family has gone away for the weekend. The house is all yours. What are the first three things you do? Hmmm...let's see...I certainly wouldn't waste it cleaning, or doing laundry and anything 'productive' like that. I'd have to say I would: #1 - Sleep in; #2 - Do some scrapping; #3 - Do some more scrappin' (of course!)

2. Your bankbook is looking healthy, you have a four-day weekend ahead. What sounds good? First, I would wonder if I made a mistake when I balanced my checkbook! Then, I'd probably head online to do some scrapbook supply shopping (if only I looked as cute as this gal while doing it!) and take Kaitlin to the movies or something that we don't ordinarily do.

3. What do you do while waiting in the doctors office? Luckily, I've never had to spend much time there - either for myself or Kaitlin - but I usually just thumb through some magazines...and discretely keep my distance from the other people that look REALLY sick.

4. Would you rather spend an afternoon alone in a book store, a mall, napping in the hammock? A bookstore. I not much of a shopper (unless you're talking about online scrapbook supply shopping, that is) and I've never even been in a hammock. I'd probably fall out and hurt myself!

5. You have an unexpected 48 hour stay in the hospital. You're coherent and not in pain. How do you spend the time? Reading? Channel surfing? Laptop surfing? Calling your friends to come visit? Ringing for a nurse every five minutes? Sleeping? Enjoy the peace and quiet first of all. Then, I'd probably do a little reading, channel surfing, internet surfing (updating blog, scrapbook supply shopping...do you see any trends here?), and a little extra sleep never hurt anybody.

6. You have a nine hour trans-continental flight. How do you pass the time? Reading a hot novel? Watching the in-flight movies? Become best friends with the stranger seated next to you? Take three valium and sleep the time away? Read, watch, sleep...probably in that order. As for the stranger, I guess it would entirely depend on how 'strange' they happened to be. I had a bad experience when I was about ten and had to take about a 10 hour bus trip by myself...I don't like to talk to strangers...

7. You have a seven hour layover in Chicago O'Hara airport. Do you wear down your cellphone battery calling friends? Read a book? People watch? Shop every store in the airport? Take a taxi and see the city? People watch...for awhile. I've never been to Chicago, so I'd probably do a little exploring and spend time taking some pictures.

8. What do you do when you're bored stiff? I don't know...I'm usually too busy to get bored.

9. Work first, play later? OR play while you can, the work will still be there when you get home? Work first, play later. The work is what supports the play.

10. List three times that you are easily bored. Long car rides. Watching any kind of sports. (Although, I have a strange love for sports movies...can't explain it.) Anytime I'm trying to watch TV when my husband has control of the remote - he's an incessant clicker. Just about the time I get interested in something, he changes the channel...EVERY TIME! That's when I usually leave and go do some online scrapbook supply shopping...heh...heh...

The 'tag' must go on. If you are reading this, consider yourself tagged. Copy and paste the 'Rockin' Girl Blogger' button, the questions (replacing my answers with yours of course) and go post! Please leave a link to your post here...I'd love to read your answers!! (Some of these would make a great jumping off point for a scrapbook page!)

Fun Quiz - Just One Word

Just One Word - Just a fun little meme for today:

1. Where is your cell phone? Charging
2. Relationship? Married
3. Your hair? Long
4. Work? Necessary
5. Your sister? Lynn
6. Your favorite thing? Scrapbooking
7. Your dream last night? None
8. Your favorite drink? Tea
9. Your dream car? Clean
10. The room you're in? Basement
11. Your shoes? Flip-flops
12. Your fears? Numerous
13. What do you want to be in 10 years? Content
14. Who did you hang out with this weekend? Family
15. What are you not good at? Housecleaning
16. Muffin? Cheesecake
17. One of your wish list items? DSLR
18. Where you grew up? Farm
19. Last thing you did? Change
20. What are you wearing? T-shirt
21. What aren't you wearing? Dress
22. Your pet? Fish
23. Your computer? Dell
24. Your life? Good!
25. Your mood? Relaxed
26. Missing? Time
27. What are you thinking about right now? Supper
28. Your car? Dodge
29. Your kitchen? Ugly
30. Your summer? Fast
31. Your favorite color? Burgundy
32. Last time you laughed? Today
33. Last time you cried? Recently
34. School? Work
35. Love? Kaitlin

If you play, be sure to leave a link to share.