Amanda Rose blog

blogs that rock & why // a case study

This post is my homework submission for the 'Blogging Your Way' ecourse I'm taking this month. It's a course run by Holly Becker from the blog decor8 (find out more information HERE) and it consists of tips, advice, and research on how to be a Blog Boss. ;)

This week, she had us do a case study of blogs that we think rock and why:

 

The blogs you saw in this video are:
enjoy it
...love Meagan
CAKIES
Love Taza
The Nearsighted Owl

and two more blogs I think rock, but neglected to upload & put in the video are:

Goodnight Little Spoon
&
FAT MUM SLIM 

(...and from the 'Blogging Your Way' class...)
Behind the Lines
&
ADRI'S WORLD

Thanks for visiting & viewing & reading!

Link to any other blogs you think rock (even if it's yours),
and I'd love to check 'em out!

a Day in the Life | 2.28.2013

Thursday I participated in Ali Edwards' documenting exercise of capturing a 'day in the life' of yourself. 

I'm not usually one to 'exact replica' another's style of doing something.  Usually I'm more of a 'oh-that's-cool-I'm-inspired-How-can-I-make-that-more-my-style' kind of crafter, but when I saw Ali's January DayintheLife insert, I was floored.  It was so beautiful and appealed to the designer/life-artist in me more than I can describe, so I really wanted to give it a shot JUST LIKE SHE DID IT.

I purchased and downloaded Ali's templates...HERE and HERE.
I printed her recording sheet which helped me track my day...HERE.
I woke up Thursday excited for the project, and I did it.

It was a heck of a good time.

I love the end result:

Some of the happenings from the morning:

...and the highlights from the afternoon and evening:

Here's how I fit it into the |week 9| spread of my Project Life album.  

I strongly recommend giving the next 'Day in the Life' a try.  

I'm definitely going to give it another go, and it will be interesting to compare my day in March to this day from February, especially since my 'Day in the Life' March edition is going to take place during Spring Break off from teacher work.  Woo hoo! How much more exciting it might be! (OR NOT! Pajamas all day, anyone?)  Haa haa!  We'll see!

Have a happy Sunday in the life!

;)

Hey, ChickenPox font, you were fun to make.

I got the itch to make my own font, after I became smitten with this lady's.

The lowercases are spotty and the uppercases are hand-written and basic.  

I used the popular iPad app iFontMaker to make it, and I look forward to unapologetically experimenting more with it. :)

You can download it for yourself here.

Look for more of my font in the future!

Happy, snappy Sunday ALL!

xOxO,

I've got PAPER ISSUES, and they've got me.

The lovely ladies at PAPER ISSUES have got a hold of my stamps,
and boy did they do wonders wth them:

Take a closer look at the art above by visiting the blogs of: Judean, Missy, Kellie, and Aimee.

Oh. Em. G.

Until December 29th, PAPER ISSUES will be hosting a giveaway of some of my stamps.

See the PAPER ISSUES post HERE for details on how to win.

Also, HERE is the PAPER ISSUES shop and follow PAPER ISSUES on facebook HERE.

*  *  *  *  

However, lover duckies,
if you can't wait until 12/29 to see if you've won,
you have the next 2 weeks to take advantage of a

BUY 2 STAMPS, GET 1 FREE

offer at my shop.

Details are as follows:

1. Visit the STAMP SHOP to peruse the sweet selection.

2. If you're interested in purchasing, and want the above offer to apply, send me an e-mail 
    [ amandaroseblog@yahoo.com ] telling me which stamps you would like.
    *put PAPERISSUES in the subject line

3.  I will follow up with an e-mail and a Paypal invoice applying the discount.

4. Once I receive payment on the invoice, I will happily ship your items.

PLEASE NOTE:
For the offer to apply, all transactions must be done through e-mail.
If you attempt to purchase the stamps with the 'Add to Cart' button on
the STAMP SHOP's website, the offer won't apply. 

Offer is valid until Saturday, 12/29/12.

-     -     -

Thank you, as always, for visiting.

I am very excited about this collaboration,
and I hope I'll be shipping loads of stamps!

Yippee!

UPDATE on my New Year's Stamps

Howdy, and hello, readers and peepers!

I know it's been over a month since I first posted about these stamps coming to my STAMP SHOP, but literally -- that's how long the process has been taking. I got a batch that were imperfect, had to figure out why, made several other copies of my designs, sent them to the company, waited for a response, was told what to do, did it, still didn't work, tried this, did that...haa haa!

Bottom line: I think I got it right just yesterday (crossing my fingers)...and hopefully, I'll be placing the order for the bunch by tonight, and by this time next week or so, they'll be in my shop...just in time for a December 16th Blog Hop with Paper Issues.

Yes!  You read that right!  A Blog Hop -- featuring my stamp-a-roos -- starting on December 16th, and going for two sweet weeks.  There's a chance to win some stamps from my shop, and it should be an awesome time!

If you have a particular liking to any of the stamps above, TAKE THE POLL in the middle >> column and let me know which is your favorite!

You can also let me know in the comments or in an e-mail to amandaroseblog@yahoo.com as I am going to be ordering a very limited quantity to list in my shop.

 That's all I have to tell you for now. :)  

I hope everyone who's December Daily-ing is having as much fun with it as me.  

 

Happy almost-Friday!

a good little x-mas MEME for DecDaily

Okay, first off, what is a MEME?  I looked it up, and I found the definition:

meme/mēm/

    (noun) - An element of a culture or behavior that may be passed from
one individual to another by nongenetic means, esp. imitation.

Oh, okay.

Now I get it.  (Sorta.)

I got the Christmas MEME below from here.

Here't goes...

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?

Hot Chocolate, hands down.  

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

He wraps 'em, I wrap 'em, we all wrap'em.  Cute paper's where it's at!

 

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?

Little bit'o both.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?

I did last year. See here.

5. When do you put your decorations up? 

Usually the first week of December, but I'm so in the Christmas mood this year, it might be today or tomorrow.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?

Stuffed aritchokes. They are our fall/winter delicacy.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?

 Playing with the figurines in our nativity set...pretending that they were Bo Peep and TomTom from March of the Wooden soldiers.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? 

 I don't remember how I learned the truth, but I think when was in 7th or 8th grade.  

Yeah...I believed for a long long time, and then was in denial for about two years.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

 Yes. Always have. Just one...or two. ;P

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

 No theme, no consistency...just years worth of collected ornaments and multicolored lights.

...and no more tinsel b/c we have kitty boops.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?

 Love it when I'm off work and it first falls.  Hate it when I have work and it's old and dirty.

12. Can you ice skate?

 Yes. Take me, please?

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?

Yes.  I was in 6th grade, I wanted to be Storm from X-Men, and under the tree was an X-men Movie Maker computer game.  I believe I was a hermit in the computer room the whole rest of that year's Christmas vacation.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?

The time spent with people you love.  It's so hard to get together regularly, and the holidays are designated 'be with loved ones' days. ♥ ♥

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?

My tiramisu, and biscotti...for dipping in coffee and tea.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?

I love the making and mailing of our Christmas card each year, the trip to Rockafellar Center to see the tree with friends, and as of last year I love the idea of Christmas Karaoke.  I look forward each Christmas to making holiday traditions with my own future family.

17. What tops your tree?

It's been a star these past years.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?

I love giving a gift that I know the reciever will love, but I hate the pressure of needing to give gifts.

19. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum?

The smell: YUM.

20. Favorite Christmas movie?

Home Alone.

21. Saddest Christmas Song?

Christmas Shoes.

22. What is your favorite Christmas song?

December by Norah Jones,

Something About December by Christina Perri,

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,

Love is Christmas by Sarah Barrilles, to name a few.

--------------------------------------------------

If you decided to start your December Daily project before December starts to document the holiday season, and not just the month, then the list above might be a great way to kick it off. 

I'd love to read your answers, so if you do the MEME on your blog or December Daily, link to in the comments.  

ThankYouLoveYouBye.

Happy Saturday.

If you don't know, now you know, scrappa...

As we get closer and closer to December, more and more references to December Daily -- or as instagram likes to call it #DecDaily -- are being made.

If you were like me a few short weeks ago, then you have no idea what Decemeber Daily is. However, I was determined to find out and with research and internet snooping, I discovered this:

December Daily was started by Ali Edwards and refers to an album project that documents the 25 days leading up to Christmas.  According to Ali, some people start earlier, and go longer.  It's all up to the individual scrapper.  See HERE for Ali's past December Daily albums (they're amazing).

So it's really just a way to soak up the magical month of December on a daily basis in an album made specifically to document your Christmas season.  I think it's a fantastic tradition to start, and imagine in a few years, when you've accumulated several albums, what joy it will be to look through them. 

I have been going back and forth whether or not I want to do my version of a December Daily.  I feel like I will be doing it in my Project Life anyway, but a separate mini December Daily album would be different.  Last year in December, inspiration flooded my being.  This blog was created, I signed up for a Doodle 12.31 Art Journal Class (which was an art-journal, rather than scrapbooking, form of December Daily...info on this year's Doodle 12.31 here).  
With prompts from that class, I flew, and ended up creating the December pages here, here, here, here, and here.

I hope this has helped you better comprehend what seems like an awesome scrappin' December time: December Daily.

After writing this I'm thinking how could I NOT do some kind of December Daily somethin' or other. So, I think I will.  ...and now's the time to ready your album/journal/whatev for it.  

Updates to come.

Happy Tuesday, ya'll.

Life-record on!

I woke up a winner.

Well, hot damn!  I opened my eyes this morning and there, waiting for me on my phone was an e-mail from the magnificent Maegan Tintari from ...love Maegan telling me I won the Desigual Houndstooth Coat From ideeli.com (see above) giveaway she hosted on her blog last week!

What a wonderful and welcomed surprise!  You know, I enter those giveaway things on different blogs all the time thinking 'what do I have to lose' ?  ...and unlike most people who say 'I never won anything in my life,'  I win things quite regularly.  I'd say one out of every 20 times I 'enter' or 'compete' or 'try' for something, I win.  Perhaps this is because I enter things a lot, I try for things a lot.  I increase my odds of winning.  I should play the lotto more.

Alright, readers and peepers, I'm off to have my DAY OFF!  I'm planning on finishing my PL |week 38| and setting up that post for later this week.  I have tons of teacher-work to do, stamp orders to package and ship, and DIY projects to (hopefully) start.

Have a happy happy...!

P.S. - Outfit Post featuring my new coat COMiNG SOON! :)

summer 2012 / I want to remember...

I still have not wrapped my head around the fact that summer has disintegrated.  

However, I'm sure the Fall's chill will get me there quickly.

This summer...ah, this summer...I'd have to say that this summer was a yin-yang of light and dark, but I think every single bit of it was a crucial part of this year's quest for {movement}.

Elise did a post of this format a few days ago, and this here is my version to encapsulate all the things from my summer twenty.twelve. So without further ado...

From summer 2012...

I want to remember the feeling I had on the last day of school of my super rough first year, and the dress I wore.

I want to remember that it was the first summer in about 10 years that I didn't work or school.

I want to remember that I went to the beach with friends about a handful of times, and each time was magical.

I want to remember how fun learning Photoshop was for me, and how this summer's PS play has made me hungry to learn more.

I want to remember that I met my technological soul mate: the BAMBOO tablet.

I want to remember that big 4th of July BBQs are fun, but casual at-home 4th of Julys with close family and fireworks in your backyard are fun too.

I want to remember that I dreamed a lot about my future kids' summers.

I want to remember my mint Anthropologie watch that I bought myself for completing my first year.

I want to remember all the quality time I spent with the boops.

I want to remember that trip to IKEA with my sister and mom.

I want to remember that a few key items can makeover a room and make it feel more like home.

I want to remember how much Baskin Robbins mint chocolate chip I ate, and how still -- after 20+ years, uhh...YEAH! It's still my favorite!

I want to remember that I mastered some basic skills of organization. 

I want to remember my chubby cat iPhone case, and how I finagled the guy to give it to me for $9 and not $20.

I want to remember that I launched my STAMP SHOP. ♥ ♥ ♥

I want to remember that I went wine-tasting for the first time.

I want to remember our 2nd Annual Crazy Cousins' Day.

I want to remember my quiet afternoons in the pool.

I want to remember my delicious discoveries of Shock-Top Raspberry Wheat beer and Tate's Bake Shop's Chipless Wonders.

I want to remember our East Coast Road Trip.  I want to remember everything about it.

I want to remember BINGO night with Grams.

I want to remember I shot a gun!

I want to remember the long bouts of time in the car with Tomas, seeing actual chickens cross the road, random highway forest fires, singing and napping and laughing and goofing and thinking.

I want to remember Washington D.C.

I want to remember how much I missed home.

I want to remember all the stamp shop orders I walked to the post office.

I want to remember my reawakened appreciation for cute mugs and my participation in the #mugswap.

I want to remember how August became silent and sad, and even still, gave me room and space to think and grow.

I want to remember the Olympics: the Fab 5, the synchronized swimming, the woman's indoor volleyball...

I want to remember Carmen & that water bottle.

I want to remember not wanting my Summer bubble to burst.

I want to remember mornings spent in the craftroom for hours, or outside PLing in the sun.

I want to remember Jamina's pool-visit with the kids, because every year they get so much bigger!

I want to remember to cover my Staz-On ink pad after using.

I want to remember Claude's, my sister's, and my trip to Estelle's to find her a Sweet 16 dress.

I want to remember the Friday morning Claude and I spent crafting the backdrop for the photoshoot.

I want to remember Claudia's Sweet 16 Photoshoot that I planned, orchestrated, shot, edited, and was theMOSTfun.

I want to remember my olloclip purchase.

I want to remember my late-August burst of cute-outfit inspiration.

I want to to remember that I took polaroids, and should never stop taking polaroids.

I want to remember Tomas's dad's birthday at Keen's in the city, and the delicious steak I had, and the open sun roof city ride that followed.

I want to remember that did my best to prepare for the new school year.

I want to remember my complete addiction to instagram and the recording of the above events.

I want to remember this summer forever.

...so there was this #mugswap, and it was all kinds of awesome....

If there're two things that totally jazz me up, it's making connections with new fun and fabulous ladies from here, there, and everywhere, and drinking my morning coffee out of a cute mug.

Enter ACUPPAKIM's Second Annual Mug Swap,
which I saw mentioned in an instagram image,
and knew I had to harp on it.

>>click image above to see the recap & the mugs sent 'round the globe<<

I sent my info to cute Kim to send to another cute lady, and she sent me my #mugswap buddy. If you remember, I gave my swapee this sweet mug equipped with DIY tea-bag tags.

About a week later, I received my mug:

Gah! It was wrapped in hot-pink bubble wrap, with sweets & treats from Florida from the super sweet @resriejean. See her blog here.

I've had it for a few weeks now, and I still smile when I sip from it.  

Thanks, Kim, for secretly letting me slide into the swap. :)  It made my August.  

Count me in for the next one!