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So, I still really love my Fuji Instax Mini and the tiny photos it spits out!
I have added more of the adorable pics to my Instax Minis Album that I whipped up one evening on my sewing machine! This album is almost full now, only 2 more pages to go.
Am already planning the next mini album to hold my precious photos...
Have a super weekend!
I am hoping last night's spring snowstorm will melt by tomorrow...
So, I finally completed a real paper layout!
It has been a long time since I have been able to do this. With my printing issues unresolved for such a long time, I was limited to only digital layouts. I think I have my printing capabilities back (knock on wood) as I was able to print this one photo. Haven't tried any more yet...
The flower embellishment I created myself. By cutting out a flower from patterned paper, tracing it and trimming it in two sizes, I was able to achieve this effect of a layered flower. Didn't turn out so badly!
This LO came directly from my post about my Spring Go-To Shoes.
It sure felt good to work with paper and glue again...
So, this is my city, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and I love it!
In the heart of downtown there is a street called Stephen Avenue. Along this street many of the original buildings have been restored and preserved from when the city first began.
I love the architecture.
I love the stone.
I love the preservation of what once was.
I love the integration of the new.
I love that these buildings are being used.
I love the spirit of the old cowtown.
At one time, the Calgary Tower (formerly the Husky Tower) stood proud as the tallest structure in our city. It has since been dwarfed as a result of the booming oil business. No matter...it remains a heart-warming icon of the city.
And why, you ask, did I choose to post about this today?
Well, for the past 2 days I attended a teaching conference in the heart of my city and I spent my lunch break walking around with my camera!
So proud to be Canadian...and a Calgarian!
When was the last time you documented the history of your hometown?
So, I have just joined the world of Twitter!
Sure, I am a bit late, but I am not one to jump into things without careful research and purpose.
Anyway, here I am. Ready to say my piece and make some sort of impact in this ever-growing world of technological advancements.
Joining Twitter also ticks off another item on my REALIZE list.
Just a warning... this is the first of a few changes that you will begin to see on my blog. I am doing some revamping that I have wanted to do for quite some time. Now is the time!
So, Saturday we answered the call to check out our local Farmer's Market.
We are very fortunate to have several local markets within a short distance to our house. Having started up only a few months ago, we had not yet visited this market. It did not disappoint.
Upon approaching the doors, we were enraptured by a steel drum musician, and that was just the beginning of our experience. Rows and rows of vendor stalls stretched out before us...olives, chocolates, greeting cards, carved wooden crosses, all competing for attention. Pungent smells lured us in various directions.
Not surprisingly, Sean and I were enticed by similar vendors. We both enjoy good quality food. We both appreciate the heart and soul that goes into hand-made items. None of our choices were disappointing.
Our first stop was intriguing, to say the least. It was a wine, not made from the expected fermenting of grapes, but that of honey. Apparently, through a similar, but unmistakably different process, honey, too, can be seduced through fermentation to yield a very clear, sweet wine. After a successful taste-testing, we agreed to purchase two varieties - traditional and cinnamon. I had never heard of such and thing and learned something here.
The lunch hour upon us, we definitely followed our growling tummies and the need to appease that gnawing feeling. Mapping a trail through the meats and cheeses, our intentions were to make a tasty sandwich alongside a hearty soup. After succumbing to a large assortment of spicy meats and creamy cheeses, we turned to face the Mediterranean stall with its scent of falafels and donairs. One look at each other, and we gave in. The meats and cheeses could be eaten tomorrow...today's lunch would be the flavors of the Mediterranean. We had 4 meals wrapped up to take home and share with our girls, but not before picking up plump bags of beets and purple potatoes.
I swear that there is some scheming going on as to the placement of vendor stalls. In order to escape the remaining temptations, one must attempt to pass the flower shop with its assortment of colors and foliage and lilies. I gathered up my fortitude, promising myself not to bend near the aroma, but keep my eyes forward on the back of Sean's head. To my surprise, he paused and turned toward the sweetness and suggested I pick out something for myself! Before he could retract his proposal, I quickly inquired about the twigs that held the promise of pink and red buds. Satisfied with the price, they came home with me and now rest in my bay window.
I love the farmer's market.
So, I found myself a pair of the perfect shoes for Spring.
Love the closed toe, perfect for those fresh chilly days.
Love that they are black, so they go with everything.
Love the little wedge heel, because I cannot do a complete flat shoe.
Love the large buckle, so like a Mary-Jane.
Love that they can be dressy or casual. I've already worn them with jeans and leggings.
Love that I can wear them with or without socks as the weather dictates.
They are made by Bare Traps. Unfortunately, I could not find out much about them online, other than the fact that they are made in Australia. I found them at Winners for $40.
Yeah for Spring! I am ready!
So, I am having printing problems and I need help!
I bought my Epson Stylus Photo R2400 printer about 4 years ago. From the day I brought it home and set it up, it has brought me great pleasure. I am able to print on a whim, customize my picture sizes, and choose the paper size (this is a wide-format printer, so I can also print on 12x12).
In trying to perfect the colors in my print out, I did start playing with the print settings. It was not just random, but rather on the advice of various tutorials. That seems to be when the trouble started. Now, when I hit PRINT I just get a COMMUNICATION ERROR notice every time!
These are the settings that I am currently using (as advised by various tutorials)...
When it comes to Color Management, I followed tutorial advice once again...
Another mystery to me is this message that I get every time I open a photo in Photoshop...
I am not sure what to do here. I have tried using the embedded profile and I have tried converting to the document working space. Both still result in the COMMUNICATION ERROR message.
I have been unable to print since about Christmas (just at the end of my December Daily project!) and it is driving me nuts! Every night I come down to my craft room and try to solve the issue, but have been unsuccessful. I honestly do not know what to do next!
Here is what I have done so far...
1. Uninstall and reinstall Photoshop CS3.
2. Uninstall and reinstall my printer software.
3. Uninstall and reinstall my print drivers.
4. Walk through several tutorials and You Tube videos trying to troubleshoot the issue.
5. Talk to the guys at the store where I bought my printer...they were stumped too!
6. Talk to everyone I know who prints with a similar set-up to mine.
As I mentioned, I believe that it is a settings issue, where my printer and Photoshop are not talking the same language, but I cannot be sure.
Can you help me? I would be so grateful for your advice. If you can see something in the above information that I should change, or that you can recommend trying, please leave a comment for me.
I just want to resume my printing so I can get back to scrapbooking my photos! Thanks.
So, we had a big dump of snow again this weekend!
I really thought that spring was making its way into my city. But, alas, I was mistaken. It snowed non-stop for the last two days, which amounted to about 6 full inches! We saw nothing but grey and white for hours on end. I was preparing myself for the worst.
To my surprise, however, we awoke this morning to sunshine! The sky was brilliant blue, and the reflecting snow piercing my eyes. I felt joy in my stomach. It was the kind of day that made me throw open the windows and clean my bathtub...not sure of the connection there, but I did, in fact, clean my bathtub.
Because of the sunshine, my day was quite cheery. We started off with a trip to Starbucks and a race at Sudoku. Then to Superstore to buy ingredients for lunch. Sean made his tasty homemade chicken soup, which we soaked up with warm focaccia bread.
In the afternoon, Jess and I went wandering through our neighbourhood with our cameras. I thought this was the perfect opportunity for some TtV shots. We happened upon these dynamic snowmen that someone obviously had great fun crafting in the park! Seeing these creations made the previous days' worth of snow all worthwhile.
The brilliance of the day brought about a few more fun shots...
And the fun carried on indoors...
This last one Ashley took when I wasn't looking. She did a great job, didn't she?
How is spring shaping up in your town?
So, a great big welcome to all visitors today...the new and the faithful!
Today, I am a participant in the April Blog Hop for fellow students of the One Little Word online class instructed by Ali Edwards at Big Picture Classes. Each month, we are given an assignment that has something to do with the word that we have chosen for the year 2011. For the month of March, our assignment was to TAKE ACTION with our word and see what we could do!
My word is REALIZE...as in, make it happen, accomplish, see it through, get it done! I have many ideas and inspirations, but seem to have trouble making them happen. This class has been instrumental already in helping me to 'get some of my projects done'!
If you are interested, here are the previous month's assignments that I have completed...
Pre-class work:
February - pics representing my word
Because my OLW already implies taking action, I have been busy doing just that! However, what was helpful this month, was Ali asking us to focus on one particular area for the entire month. For a few years now, I have had the itch to write a book. After teaching elementary school for most of my career, I can safely say that I have read my fair share of children's books. All that reading put the dream in my heart to write my own book. This month, I set some personal goals in regards to my writing and was pleased with the progress that I have made.
Here is the opening page for March...
A close-up of my Action Plan...
A little bit about how I executed the Action Plan...
And a full-page view of the March assignment...
I really feel like taking this One Little Word is making a difference for me. I can't say what it is exactly, but I seem to be finding the time to work on all of these things on my list that I could never complete before. Even as I start, I can hear myself say, Just Do It... Make It Happen... Realize It!
Thank you for visiting my blog today!
I welcome any comments, if you are so inclined.
Now, take a moment to link to Stacy, who is next on the blog roll.
Here is a complete list of the ladies participating today, in case you get a little lost. As you browse through the blogs of the following ladies, I encourage you to take note of the tremendous creativity that these ladies possess.
Thank you again, for visiting! I hope you come again soon.
