iPhone update

I still feel like I don't know much about how my iPhone works, but today I was able to find out what happens when you're recording slow-motion and the phone rings. (when I chose to answer, the camera shut off)
I'm taking lots of photos, and I want to make a goal of instagramming one photo a day at least. Watch for some of the experiments coming soon...to my site on Weebly: SeeShell'sSchemes
This screenshot is taken with Weebly on the front page and the only way I could get to Blogger not on the front page. I'm taking the plunge! I've only just started, but come on over and watch the mess and fun.

I {heart} PayPal!

When PayPal says they guarantee unauthorized transactions 100%, they mean it!
I had over $300 stolen from me late Monday, and by Friday morning it was back in my bank account! Turns out, my password into PayPal had been hacked, it wasn't very secure, and it was the same password I had used other places, stupid me. But after changing my password (and making it more secure and singular), updating a few things on the PayPal account to prove it was me, one phone call, a little patience, and viola! I am no longer ripped off. WHEW!
Now, I don't want to embarrass myself, but I haven't always been that good with my budget, but recently, after a Rude Awakening, I have gotten all organized with my budget, made a spreadsheet, check my balance daily, all that. So let me just say that this could have been a whole heck-of-a-lot worse!
As a little reward to myself for having my budget straight enough that this little adventure didn't have to turn my world upside down completely, I decided to buy two things from Etsy that I have had my eye on. From two of my Etsy and crafty heroes to boot! (Rainbow Mermaid and Bugs & Fishes) They are both in England, so it will probably take a little while to get here, but I'm so excited!
Thankfully, except for the patience part being kinda hard, it wasn't a terrible experience. And the guy in customer service that helped me at PayPal was awesome!

PLEASE REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR PAYPAL PASSWORD SECURE AND DON'T USE IT OTHER PLACES AND CHANGE IT EVERY SIX MONTHS OR SO!

Ravel, Ravel, Ravel

I'm sure that most everyone interested in knitting, crocheting, looming, felting, &/or spinning already knows about Ravelry, but I just have to add my plug, here too!
I signed up for an invitation a couple months ago, after hearing about it on a few of the creative podcasts I listen to, and got my invitation in January. Now, to be honest, I like to sign up for everything that remotely interests me, so I can get my username before anyone else gets it. I guess that's kinda geeky of me, but it still annoys me that on any/all Yahoo! application, I have to use my amended username, because someone else got mine! So I promptly went to sign up as soon as I got the invite, but I didn't really check it out much.
I finally took an actual look around a couple weeks ago, since I'd been actively hookin' for a little bit. And I am sooo hooked! The layout is awesome, there are tons of groups, it's easy to navigate, connects easily to other web things, like flickr and blogger, and is a super community. I encourage everyone to go check it out, you might find the perfect group (or twenty) for you.
And I had my first opportunity to tell someone about Ravelry in public, too. I bumped into my friend, Z, handing out pie samples yesterday, and she commented on my hat, and turns out, she's a no pattern crocheter, too! So I had to tell her about Ravelry, of course. Come join us.
BTW, on Ravelry, and most anywhere else ;p I am "seeshells".

And Some Hooker Links

Probably mostly for my own reference, to clear out some of the dozen tabs I have open right now, but maybe they'll be helpful to others. and feel free to point me to any that I missed!

Get a Grip! How to Hold a Crochet Hook and Yarn the site I found when I was trying to remember exactly how to wrap the yarn around your fingers, I know it's up to each individual, but I wanted to see some recommendations
Learn to Crochet a GeoCities page full of lists of links, I haven't checked it out much yet.
Learn to Crochet Lion Brand site, has a few patters also
Basic Crochet Instructions from the Learn to Knit and Crochet website
Thread Heads Quickie-How to Crochet a You Tube video that I will watch as soon as I finish this post
Purl Bee Crochet Basics Awesome photos of the exact close ups I need

Making the Universe Laugh...

by, you know, making plans.
So I had been thinking about how to be a better blogger (so I can has cookie), specifically, thinking about how I wanted to write more.....immediately.
Not waiting a week for the photos, not waiting for the perfect way to say whatever it is I think I want to say, not talking myself out of what I think I want to say, and re-writing over and over in my head, but just getting the thoughts out. It's part of the creative process, too, the blogging about it, right?
And I was particularly inspired by my podcast listening Friday, and thought about it over the weekend, and reminded myself that I wanted want to stay current, stay in the moment, and go ahead and write what I was thinking and feeling and creating (if only in the back of my mind for now). And the weekend was nice, relaxing and busy at the same time. I sang a solo in church Sunday morning, and went to a Christmas party Sunday afternoon complete with awesome cheesecake and blooper reel. Watched some good movies, did some necessities shopping, had some good cuddling time with My Guy. And pretty much didn't have or take time to write the post that was bubbling.
Since I had a bonus weekend day, I sat down to write that post first thing Monday morning noon before My Guy, who sleeps like a vampire, got up.
And the internets have been out from that moment until just a little bit ago. My Guy even had to take the modem thingy in and have them replace it, and we still have no (internet) phone.
So much for staying in-the-moment, huh?

My Runway Project

Looking for more info on Project Runway, I found their cool site with games and junk. Here is where you can create your own design. (and vote for mine!!)
This little outfit I made really needs a sweater or jacket kind of thing over the tank, probably in the maroon color that the boots and hat are in, or is that too much?

Art Scout

I was never in Girl Scouts, we did 4-H at our house. I learned a lot, and for a short time even had a boy in our club. I got to take cookies (well, OK a cake that had to be baked three different times) to the fair, not sell cookies. I was then and am even more so now glad that I was never indoctrinated into that cult. But I did envy the badges.
Now there is an artistic alternative! Art Scouts is an awesome on-line club for creative types. I am so going to join and I'm getting started on my first button, the Art Journaller button, because I've already been thinking about starting an art journal, so this is a great way to get started. I have to do nine of the sixteen items, but I just may do all of them!
Does anyone want to play along?

Plushie Software

You've probably already seen this if you read Boing Boing.
This is one of the coolest things I've ever seen!! It's a program to design plushies! Go watch the video even if, like me, you're a mac user and can't actually try it! But the video is sooo cool. Link
If anyone tries it, please let me know!

Zombie Recognition

AND I almost forgot to share: my Zombie bag got featured on Feeling Stitchy!!
How awesome is that?!

Computer Art: Flower

Here's an old piece of computer art I did a few years ago. I really like the colors and lines.

I don't like Tuesdays

I have come to the realization today that Tuesdays are my least favorite day of the week. Today is sucky, and today is not the first Tuesday that is sucky, see my Haiku's of Tuesday Suckiness from a few weeks ago, on the other blog. Every other day of the week (is fine, yeah) has different specific things to look forward to, but not Tuesday. So my strategic and creative brain, like usual, as soon as it comes to this realization, jumps into how-can-we-fix-it mode.
Since it's when I get to work that I first recognize how sucky Tuesday is, my first thought is a work treat. A Tuesday Treat! I could stop for coffee on Tuesdays. Or something more decadent, like a muffin for breakfast. I could have a specific art project at work that I only get out on Tuesdays. Or a special pen to only use on Tuesdays, or a special mix of fun music. I could update my iPod on Tuesday mornings, get fresh poddy goodness. All these things could definitely help a yucky day.
I've also been thinking about setting goals about updating this blog, and I remembered that on my first old blog, I would have a weekly quote &/or a weekly link of something I found out on the interweb that I found particularly inspiring. I could revamp either of those on Tuesdays. Then I thought about memes. I haven't done a lot of memes, but I know they can be fun and thought provoking. So I decided to look for a weekly meme that posts on Tuesdays, that wouldn't necessarily be about crafting or creativity, but would be something fun to think about, and could keep my brain occupied, and help the day not be so sucky.
And I'll probably still go for coffee.

Ta-Daa!!!

So this is my new template! Isn't it great! Thanks a million to Zoe at Chic & Sassy Designs for making me this awesome template. I've also updated the sidebar some.
Let me know what you think!

A Few Cool Tools

If you're like me, you tend to have several projects going at the same time. We creative types just can't stop creating! I tend to have a couple-three current projects that I work on every other day or so, and another several projects, partially finished, but kinda on-hold, just sitting. And sometimes when a project is on-hold for too long, it kinda gets forgotten about for a while. And if it's not a creative project, maybe it's a book we meant to finish, or a recipe we were going to try, or just a site you meant to visit more often. Here are a few things that are fun and useful to help keep track of all those projects, or things-to-do.
Joe's Goals is a nice, free web based goal tracker, developed by a guy to help himself keep track of his own goals, and he opened it up to others. This tool is useful on a weekly basis, a day-to-day basis. You list your goals each seperately, and how often you mean to do them, and when you do them each day, or each week, you can put a little check mark in a box to show you did it. If it's a negative thing that you want to NOT do, you can put a bad red X if you did it, and you can also list a number in another box if you're couning up or down to something. (weight loss, or number of pages written perhaps) I use Joe's Goals for some personal healthy goals, stretching, eating breakfast, etc. But you could easily use it to track some of your projects. My New Hampshire Auntie, who loves scrapbooking, altering books, sewing, and trying many new things, told me her project plan of keeping track: she works on a certain project type on a certain day. You could definately do that with Joe's Goals, Joe could remind you that Monday is for scrapbooking, Wednesday is for sewing, etc. These goals stay private unless you choose to share them, and there is a section to be inspired by others' goals as well. Joe keeps updating the site, and the program, so it keeps getting better. Definately something to check out.
If you're looking for a tool that is a bit more public, take a look at 43 Things. It's more of an online community, where everyone makes and shares their list of things to do. Some go grand, big wishes, and some go down to the everyday mundaine. You could list 43 projects you want to work on, or 43 steps to a project. You can list which ones you've finished, and comment on others' list. You can also send yourself reminders, which are fun, "Dear future self, I'm reminding you about your goal. How's it going? Sincerely, Your past self." Very nice.
A reminder tool you could add to your blog is a personalizable count down from the Ticker Factory. This was origionally made for tracking a pregnancy or a birthday, but you could put any specific date that you want to count down to, a craft fair that's coming up, or the deadline for making hats to donate, or just a date you pick to have something finished by. And it keeps counting down for you. Below is my next birthday!
Try some of these cool tools, and if you find any more, let me know, too!