Friday Five

1. This is a weird one that I just realized I liked this week. I like reading cool books. I don't mean cool in regards to the story itself - though that's important, obviously.  I mean the book itself being cool.  Stay with me here.  I'm currently reading Lena Dunham's "Not That Kind of Girl."  And it's a very, very good book of essays, which it looks like from the outside. However, inside there are cutesy little doodles, and cartoons.  It's totally girly, but you'd never know it from the outside.  So I realized, cool design features like that makes some books even cooler.  Does that make any sense whatsoever?

2. After months of putting it off, I've finally watched the fourth and final episode of Gilmore Girls.  And though I'm still angry about the last 4 words of the series, I'm willing to give it a solid B+.  Lauren Graham was outstanding as expected, and the wedding was fabulous.  But I think it lasted just a wee-bit too long and like I said, the last 4 words made me irrationally angry.  Mostly because the last 4 words were technically only 3 words.  But also, the 3 words were not what I would have ended with.  But they do leave the door open for yet another Netflix run in the near future, so let's go ladies!  Get a move on!

3. I found this watercolor shop on Twitter earlier this week, because Jenny Colgan re-tweeted her.  It turns out that the artist was so taken by Neal the Puffin in Jenny's books, that she started painting him into her artwork.  I totally visited her shop to see the Neal paintings, but I fell just as head-over-heels with her paintings of the seaside towns of England.  So fun I'm having a hard time deciding which one to purchase.

4. Duck Tales were never my thing, but have I mentioned lately how much I adore David Tennant? : )
           

5. This is the face of a man who understands just how cool it is that he's getting to hang out on Sesame Street!

I. Am. So. Happy. Today. Thank you Sesame Street for this magic day and for the memories both old and new. 🍪 pic.twitter.com/yaOg1LDslG

— josh groban (@joshgroban) March 2, 2017

Focus on the Good

Today was a terrible day.  I believe the legal definition of today is craptastic.  Yes, as a matter of fact, that's exactly what it was.  There were things - one big thing - that went terribly wrong.  In short, it sucked.  And I'm not sure what to do about it.  I'm trying to be wise about the whole thing and decide what I can change rather than blaming other people.  I've decided on my totally lack of communication skills and my inability to speak up for myself. That's what I need to work on so this doesn't happen again.

Until I succeed, I'm focusing on the good.  At least, that's what I'm trying to do.  I need to see the good in the situation and focus on making it better for myself.  And realize it could be worse - which just sounds dire when you think about it.  But it's not.  Everyone is healthy and safe.  That's what I'm focusing on.

And while I'm focusing on the good, let's take a minute to focus on this new fancy schmancy blog design, shall we?  Isn't it cute?  I've been browsing Etsy for the last week or so, and finally found one I loved.  If you're looking for a new design I definitely suggest Blogaholic Designs. Her designs are adorable and her tutorials for uploading everything are super helpful.  I just love it so much more than the dumb one I tried to put together! 

There we go - one fabulously happy thought to end the crappy day with.  Now to build on the happiness for tomorrow...

Currently...

I was told today, by a friend whose dog house I'm in, that I never talk about myself (which is why I'm in the dog house.in the first place)  In my defense, if she'd asked, I'd have gladly told her what she wanted to know.  But because I didn't say something immediately, she got a bit bent out of shape.  I'm not sure how I feel about that.  I'm not a big talker in general.  But I've always felt that the whole, brag about everything happening in your life at that very moment, was a bit overwhelming.  Honestly, I'm not that interesting.  In other words that's not how I roll.  But in the interest in making her happy and not mad at me, here's all about me currently in one little post.

I am...sitting on my sofa wrapped up in a blanket trying to clear out some shows off the DVR. (In this case, Supernatural)

I keep...wishing tomorrow was actually Saturday instead of Friday after a ridiculously meeting-filled day.  Though the fact that Monday is a holiday, does make things look a little brighter.

I wish I could...get away somewhere for a quick vacation for a battery recharge.  North Carolina would be nice.

I love...the Orioles and the fact that they're in the playoffs.  I'm used to all of Baltimore getting excited about the Ravens but seeing the orange everywhere is so new and so exciting!

I read...a little too much about the George Clooney wedding in Italy.  I was under the impression he was waiting for me to marry.  Imagine my surprise when he wed the lawyer instead... ; )

I dance...never.  But I do jam to some classics in the car in the morning.

I think...meetings that last longer than an hour should be outlawed.

I really...need to get get a clue with Etsy.  I've been leaving it by the wayside lately and need to get back into the research.

I need...a haircut badly.  But as usual, I'm being totally indecisive.

I should...be in bed.  My eyes are fluttering and I'm pretty sure I've lost the thread on this storyline...

I can...do this much better than sharing this information in person.

I like...cupcakes, especially the double chocolate one I had tonight.  Yum!

I make...cards and such but I've been severely slacking.

I always...Pinterest.  It's a minor obsession that I'm pretty much ok with.

Friday Five

1. Loving my new glasses!  Not only can I see pretty perfectly (my old glasses were 3 prescriptions ago...I'm a bit of a procrastinator : ), but using Costco was the smartest decision ever.  I never realized how much cheaper glasses were at Costco. Love a great deal!

2.  If you ever needed an explanation as to how a silly scavenger hunt could possibly make a difference in anyone's life, all you need to do is watch this video. Spectacular!  I'm all for people being who they are and being accepted for who they are.  How awesome they were able to find a team who loved them accepted them.  Go GISHWHES!
            
3. I'm so hoping this story is true.  I've always been a fan of John Harbaugh's and I've felt for him throughout this controversy.  He's a good guy who's stuck in a hard situation but the evidence has been pretty damning.  How could he have backed the party line?  But if ESPN is true, he didn't.  He is the good man I thought he was.  If the Ravens organization was smart, they would have listened to him sooner.  Because between today's Goodell press conference and the speculation on Bisciotti texts, the entire NFL is just not looking so hot. Just a thought, when Goodell finally does resign or is ousted (which will hopefully be sooner rather than later), I know a certain good and decent coach that would make a fantastic replacement...

4. I'm not sure if Friends could be any cooler than it already is (in case I never mentioned it, I'm a HUGE Friends fan - I use the term "then beef sauteed with peas and onions" on a daily basis), but this little girl made it even more awesome.  How darn adorable is she?!
         

5. Etsy trade Show: OK, I'm saying I like this idea, but I have to admit I'm not sure I actually get it.  I was told to join groups as a way to drum up business on Etsy, so I did, but then really didn't do anything else.  Now this week I got invited by one of the group members to a trade show.  This means we'll apparently agree to a trade if someone wants to purchase an item - instead of money I'll take something from that person's shop and they'll take something from mine.  In theory it sounds like a fabulous idea.  I'm hoping it's fabulous in practice : )

Why I Create

I know many people that don't craft, cook or create anything at all.  They'd much rather sit back and pay others to do it for them. I've always thought that the better gift in life is something homemade.  I think that's why I have such a soft spot for Etsy - what's better than getting something completely unique and made especially for you?  

However, like I said, not everyone feels the way I do.  And because of that, it can get a little lonely.  Crafty people put so much into whatever they're creating but they may never get to see the outcome of their creation.  Of course, that's not why we do it at all.  We do it because it's fun and it makes us happy.  Making other people happy too is a huge bonus that we may never get to see. 

Enter, possibly the best text I've ever received.  I made the card you see above for my Etsy shop.  My coworker loved it and bought it (and coincidentally became my first real customer so she's already top of my list of fave people) then sent it to a friend to make her feel better.  That friend loved it so much she put it in her journal.  Just knowing that my work was so special to her, makes me all sorts of giddy.  

Learning she's kept it permanently and I helped to cheer her up is much better than any award!  

Making people smile and sharing the love - that's why I create.  

Cupcake Burnout

These are the makings of 20 cupcake invitations that have occupied my entire last 2 weeks. Here's the deal.  I love having a project.  It allows me to be creative and get paid at the same time.  It's usually fun. However, here's the thing.  People who need tons of one thing, have a certain level of perfection.  They like to get every little detail perfect so that requires LOTS of prototypes - I think the final design may just be the 8th version.  

And now that we have a final version, I've got a serious case of cupcake burnout. They were cute at first but now they're just multiplying at an alarming rate and I'm sort of done with them.  I cannot wait to get these darn things off my desk on Friday.  Of course, that's provided I can get what needs to be printed, printed tomorrow evening without spending my entire budget at Office Depot. The worst part is, that there's also a banner yet to be made - out of, you guessed it: more cupcakes! 

Of course, along the way there were some lessons learned.  The top of the list is corner rounding.  Don't round the corners of the original prototype.  While it looks cute on one, it's a MAJOR pain in the butt to actually do 8 corners (2 pieces of paper for each) of 20 invitations. Also, if you're too accommodating, your customer, will continue to add things to your list of things to do which requires many, many trips to craft stores.  Particular craft stores mind you because AC Moore, Michael's and Joann's all have different paper stock. 

But I have to say, in the end, as long as they're cute, I'll be happy - I'll never be making cupcakes again, but I'll be happy : )

Too Pooped to Craft

I had such high hopes when the day started.  There were about 18 cards/crafts I had planned to get done today.  Unfortunately, after a food-filled, fun-filled Saturday and some spatial issues (I can't seem to keep anything in my hands today) I only finished 3.5 cards. After such a great weekend, I could really use tomorrow off.  Do you think it's too much to ask for another snow day?

PS: Loving this whole special order thing, but it usually means I'm too lazy to get the good camera out to take good pics : )

Good Intentions

If it helps, I had planned an intelligent post for this evening on everything in the news this week.  There were deep thoughts and lots of questions.  However, that was all before the bestie talked me into submission (2 hours).  Don't get me wrong, I love chatting but 2 hours on the phone is exhausting : )  And that was on top of crafting for everyone else but me.  On the upside there are at least some products of my very long evening.  Promise to be back to my semi-intelligent much less tired, self tomorrow.

Things You Learn

Etsy seems to be the gift that just keeps on giving. On one hand, it's incredibly difficult to market shops well.  So far the only orders I've received are from people I know.  I have no idea how to get my shop noticed and I have no idea how to drum up business.  But on the other hand, it's incredibly easy for friends to order things ALL the time.  Before I opened my shop, crafting was just a thing I did that people sort of knew about.  Now that I have an Etsy shop, it's like an open call for everyone to special order whatever they want, whenever they want.  It's a bit stressful at times and a bit hard to manage the orders.  But, oh have I mentioned it's also pretty awesome : )

PS: Can you tell the orange card is supposed to be a sunrise?  I feel like it was more obvious in others I've seen but it's sort of abstract in my version...

Colorfully Inspired

After a crappy day, I needed some scrappy and some happy in my life so I got working on a photo frame for my favorite Color Run photo.  If that couldn't turn my smile upside down, I don't what could.  After loving how it turned out, maybe a few more will show up on Etsy quite soon.

Ready and waiting for a trip to Costco for this photo

Caring Cards June: Random Acts

Last week I provided a sneak peek at the new line of Caring Cards for the month of June.  When I started my Etsy shop, I knew that I wanted to find a way to give back to some amazing organizations that continue to do good work each and every day even in troubling financial times.  That's sort of where the idea of Caring Cards came from.  I decided that each month, I would create a special design and sell only 25 of that design.  At the end of the month, 50% of the proceeds for that design would go to the charity for that month.  It's an easy concept (why it sounds confusing when I try to explain it, I'll never know). 

So without further ado, June's charity and the very first recipient of Caring Cards Cash is:

Random Acts is a charity solely focused on conquering the world one random act of kindness at a time.  Quite honestly I just learned about this charity a few months ago, but since then I've fallen for their simple concept and their creative ways.  By focusing on the motto to Be Kind always, Random Acts has managed to do some pretty extraordinary things!  Among its many different accomplishments, the most impressive has been the Children's center below.  Thanks to donations, 2 years of hard work and a group of hard workers, Random Acts built Jacmel Children's Center in Haiti. That's pretty extraordinary when you think about the amount of shear paperwork that goes into getting projects accomplished in a country like Haiti.

long with the Children's center, they also run a school reward program called Class Act to get kids active performing random acts, and Endure for Kindness - a global 24 hour pledge event.  Honestly, what's not to love?! And what better charity than to randomly start this hop into charity work than one that celebrates randomness?  

June's Caring Card is below.  Because they're just such a happy organization, I figured focusing on smiling was always a good idea.  So head on over to the Scrap Happy Traveler now to buy some super cute cards (even if I do say so myself) and help a fantastic organization do some awesome work!

Friday Five

1. Reading Rainbow Kickstarter: So I'm not sure if this is a new thing or I'm way behind the times, but the fact that Levar Burton was able to raise 2 million dollars in 2 days to bring Reading Rainbow to the web restores my faith in humanity!  I'm a big reader and have always been.  I used to LOVE watching Reading Rainbow as a kid.  Kids today (caution, old lady speaking) are so focused on ipads and video games that they aren't getting into books as much as they should.  And having the king of reading back on air to show them how much fun reading can be is just what they need!

2. I'm not sure why this tweet made me laugh as much as it did, but every time I look at it, I giggle : )

3. My current obsession is rubber stamps.  I used to avoid them like the plague mostly because I was worried I'd mess up whatever I was working on and have to start from the beginning again.  Now I can't get enough of them.  The dollar bin at Michael's is like crack.  I can't not buy at least one.  But I've upped my game a bit and started checking out specially made ones on Etsy.  RubberMoonStamps, Melody the Cloud and Mountainside Crafts are my current favorites.  I already bought the Mason Jar and a Tolkien quote from Mountainside Crafts which I use ALL the time.  And I'm currently coveting the Sugar Skull from RubberMoon Stamps and ALL the Doctor Who stamps from Melody the Cloud.  So cute!

4. The Wil Wheaton Project: It's a fairly nerdy version of The Soup for SciFi nerds, hosted by, you can probably guess.  It premiered this week and made me laugh... a LOT.  I'm a fan of his anyway and his particular brand of snarky but never mean humor is perfect for this show.  I'm hoping they get to do lots more mostly because the SciFi scene isn't so big in the summer.  I'm already imagining all the fun they can have when all the new shows and movies come out in the fall.  Go watch!  It's worth it! (And while you're at it, check out Heroes of Cosplay as well - It's fascinating in a weird sort of way and you just can't look away.)

5. While this is a ridiculously lame thing to get excited about, it never the less made me all sorts of happy this week: It's Watermelon season!  Yum!  Usually this early, they're not so hot but my first one was delicious!  I'm currently craving some more right now since I finished it off at lunch.  Bring on summer!

Special Orders Don't Upset Us

In the last week I was lucky enough to have 2 special orders from friends.  One knew exactly what she wanted and the other had no idea.  First up is a father's day gift for a police officer's first father's day.  This was actually a rip off from Etsy but it was a great design.  The other order was for some teacher thank you cards and a retirement card.  I wasn't sure where I was going with those, but they turned out pretty cute - aside from some nitpicks that I always have. All in all it was pretty fun being commissioned and I hope they love them as much as I do!

Busy Evening in Etsy Land

Seeing as I'm supposed to be up in less than 6 hours to walk my first 5K. I should not have been up until 11:30 making 25 cards, but here we are...Though, the first set of Cards for Charity is ready for next month so I suppose I should feel a bit accomplished : )

Hello There...

~ I am...ecstatic that I just got a sale on Etsy (alas, it's from a friend, but still that's beside the point...)

~I keep...checking my pedometer to see how many steps I have for the day.  (My step challenge goal for the day was 12,500 and I bypassed that a few hours ago.  Woohoo!)

~I wish I could...be outside right now instead of stuck at my desk.  It's really gorgeous out for the first time this spring.  I'm counting down the minutes (currently 62) until I can hit the road!

~I love...Cinco de Mayo salsa leftovers for lunch.  Yum!

~I dance...I don't actually dance.  I'm amending this to I walk.  And when I walk I listen to the Nerdist and Girl on Guy podcasts.  Someone with as little rhythm as I have, should not be allowed near a dance floor.

~I sing...Randomly.  For the last week, I've had "The Boy with the Thorn in his Side" stuck in my head since I heard it in AC Moore.  I had never heard the song until I watched the BBC Series Blackpool about a year ago and honestly, that was the one and only time I'd ever heard it, until this week in AC Moore.  It's a weird 80s song but is now stuck in an infinite loop in my head.

~I think...the photographing and listing part of Etsy is nowhere near as fun as the creating of products for Etsy. I literally hate it!  I've been scolding my friends who have bought things, because that means I now have to list more things which means more photographs.  I somehow feel this is counterintuitive...

~I really...need a crafting holiday. A holiday in which all I do is craft, not a holiday from crafting, just to be clear.

~I need...a new 2 inch circle paper cutter.  Mine is seriously having issues.

~I should...have work to do here at work.  Let's be honest here...

~I can...be socially awkward. 

~I like...working with people that are fun and funny!

~I make...lots and lots of greeting cards.

~I always...dream of destinations far away from where I am.

Friday Five

1. Girlonguy.net: I've personally never understood the whole podcast thing.  As I've learned, it's basically just a recording of people talking about all sorts of things.  I suppose I thought the "pod" meant something different.  But enough about my technology cluelessness. Lately I've been doing a walking challenge with work and I needed something to listen to while I was racking up the steps.  Enter Aisha Tyler and Girl on Guy.  She's a pretty great comedian in her own right, but when you mix her with very funny (very geeky) guys like Nathan Fillion or Zac Levi, she's even funnier. The last part of each show is dedicated to self inflicted wounds (i.e. most embarrassing stories). I challenge you not to laugh at Nathan Fillion's cringe worthy tale of flirting gone wrong.

2. Best News I've heard all week!

3. I'm loving figuring out Etsy.  It seems that all the stress and headaches (while there still are a few) were for nothing.  They seem to make the whole selling process pretty darn un-complicated.  Sure, setup was a pain but selling?  Not so much!

 

4. New Item Sneak Peek - I've had this in my head for a while now but I finally sat down and completed it last night.  It's a game of Memory for little ones.  Because it turned out so well, I have a few other tweaks to make to make it even better.  Can't wait to start selling!

 

             

5. The Good Wife: At the risk of sounding like an old lady, The Good Wife may be my favorite show on air right now.  After the heartbreaking loss earlier in the season (I'm still up in arms and pretty much in denial about this loss!), the show's been on fire ever since.  The acting has been breathtaking and the stories are all sorts of topsy-turvy in the best way.  Must see TV for sure!



Grand Opening!

After months and months of stressing out about opening an Etsy shop (what to call it?  what to sell?  is anyone actually going to buy my stuff? how in the world do I actually do this?) I hit the button this morning and we are now officially open!  I have to say, it feels pretty good!  Granted, the only cards I've so far sold were to people I know and love, but that feels even better.  I love feeling the support and love from all my favorite people.

I'm not sure how it will go and I'm not sure how stressful it will be, but so far I'm liking it.  When I hit the button, and everything looked like a real live Etsy shop, I couldn't have been more thrilled!  I have lots to learn and I'm sure there will be lots of mistakes made.  But for now, I'll proudly say, I'm an Etsy shop owner!

So please come visit me at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ScrapHappyTraveler

I'll be stocking all your greeting card needs (I say I will be mostly because after taking a few hours to stock the shop last night, my stock currently needs to be replenished due to sales.  But I suppose that's a great problem to have! : )

Hump Day Hum-drum

~ Since about noon yesterday, it's been raining consistently here in Maryland, which as you can imagine makes the work day fly on by.  It's quite hard to concentrate or even get anything done when the entire office just wants to be curled up in bed with a good book and some warm tea (though that's probably just me, I'm assuming everyone else would choose coffee).  I have high hopes that since today is the very last day in April for the April Showers to occur, that when I eventually get up tomorrow, it will be spring finally and the sun will be shining in the sky.  But seeing as it's supposed to rain through tomorrow, I'm not all that optimistic.

~ Like I've said before, Etsy shop opening is not nearly as "easy" as everyone makes it out to be.  It's highly stressful and a bit complicated.  However, when I previewed the only item I have listed (so far) it looked like a real, live Etsy shop which probably thrilled me a little more than it should have.  One can only imagine how I'll act when/if I make a sale...

~ Planning a trip is quite involved and becomes quite complicated when all you want to do is look up restaurants and food trucks.  Though, I've come to terms with it.  I just love food : )

~ Not a single person has donated to my AOK in May yet which is a little sad.  I'm hoping to get lots of people involved without bugging them too much, but I was also hoping for a bit more excitement than I'm seeing.  But I'm sure it has something to do with issue number one above.

365 Days - Redux

Almost 365 days ago, I turned 29+1 and made a pledge to finish some things before I turned 29+2.  While the year wasn't as terrible as I thought it was going to be (I hate being 30!), I finished quite a few on the list - not all but some.  However, I'm still lacking in the get up and get out there department. Maybe this year will be more fruitful...

1. I will, once and for all, stop biting my finger nails! - For 3 months I had fingernails, then they broke. I'm in the process of growing them back out so I'm calling this one complete!
2. I will continue to try whatever I'm offered. - Complete!
3. I will nail down the one, end-all, be-all perfect recipe for macarons and they will become my specialty. - Haven't quite nailed this one down yet.  I'm a cheapskate and I just can't bring myself to buy the $12 almond meal required.  I made them 2 times, but perfect would not be the word I'd use to describe them.
4. I will go on a date (hopefully more than one but why be greedy?) - I actually went on a few.  None of which actually went anywhere so I suppose I'll be a bit more specific this year...
5. I will visit 2 other countries. - England and Scotland
6. I will see Shakespeare in the Park (Comedy of Errors this year!) - Unfortunately, Shakespeare in the Park is only performed at night so if I wanted to see it I would have to spend the night in the city so while the show is free, the hotel would eat up the budget.  But I did get to see lots of other Shakespeare so that's a plus.
7. I will (try to) be me.  I will enjoy what I enjoy, do what I like to do, eat what I love, and dress the way I feel comfortable, contrary to other opinions. - Still working on this but it's becoming a bit easier.
8. I will attend an O's and a Caps game (I'd say Ravens too but since they're now World Champs, the ticket prices have jumped from ridiculous to obscene.) - One O's but no Caps or Ravens : (
9. I will (try to) stop caring so much about what everyone else thinks. - I've come to the conclusion that this is impossible!
10. I will learn how to code/program mostly to understand the really fun web design stuff and not feel like such an idiot when computer-y people at work try to talk to me. - I gave this the whole college try but god is it ever boring!  I'll stick to being crafty in other ways which is unfortunate since no one ever pays for pretty scrapbook pages...
11. I will save more money instead of buying things I don't need. - Managed to save money for vacation, pay off my car and a credit card.
12. I will continue to decipher crocheting - so easy yet so difficult at the same time. - Also, slightly impossible but I did take a class so that has to count for something.
13. I will attend at least 2 shows and 2 concerts. (Clybourne Park and Richard II are set but what concerts to choose?) I saw 3 shows but no concerts.
14. I will become a tourist in my own state. I always want to travel outside of Maryland, but I should probably discover a bit more of what's close to home too.  This will of course be after the camera purchase referenced in #25.  I've become a bit more adventurous but there's still a great deal I haven't seen.
15. I will attempt to amass enough crafty output to populate an (admittedly small) Etsy shop. - The Scrap-Happy Traveler (fingers crossed) will be open this spring.
16. I will find a course or seminar on Book Arts and finally learn the ins and outs. - Nope.
17. I will learn to sew or embroider (Not even sure what embroidery entails so this may pose a problem...) - I can sorta kinda embroider but I haven't really perfected it yet.  It's progressing nicely though.
18. I will travel to at least 3 other states. - New York, Virginia & Pennsylvania - in other words, the 3 states I travel too every year.
19. I will eat authentic Dim Sum, Ramen and Indian (even if I have to go myself!) - Tried Indian and wasn't a fan.  No Dim sum or Ramen but I did try hand-pulled noodles and was sorely disappointed.
20. I will take a yoga class. (Confession: The only reason I haven't done this yet is that I haven't a clue what to wear...) - Nada.
21. I will blog about each thing I tick off this list which will hopefully account for 30 blog posts.  I never actually complete this list so I'm trying really hard this year!) - I accomplished this one fairly nicely if I say so myself.
22. I will complete at least 1 race for charity (very slowly, most likely) - Unfortunately I didn't complete it in this year but I am signed up for the DC Color Run this May.
23. I will master the art of the chopsticks. - Impossible!
24. I will volunteer for at least 1 event or charity. - I am a terrible person...
25. I will purchase and learn how to use a good DSLR camera before my European adventure. - Purchased and still learning.
26. I will grow a back-bone and try to speak up for myself. - Nope, still a pushover.
27. I will re-read the Harry Potter series since I've forgotten so much of what has happened in them...but there are about 30 books that are screaming my name to tackle first. - I read the first 2 in 2 days but then the rest of my reading list got the better of me and I turned away from Potter.  Books 3-7 are on the agenda for this year.
28. I will throw a tea party, after I master the art of macarons.  You can't throw a proper tea without post desserts! - No macarons, No tea party.
29. I will try to organize old photos in some semblance of order. -  Complete!
30.  I will jump back on the healthy eating and exercise path I was following last summer. - Not so much but I'm working on it.

Friday Five

1. Fatherly Illustrations: A father has created truly awesome posters of things he's had to say to his children and they are as amazing as you may think.  This one is by far my favorite!

2. Cabin Pressure on BBC Radio: Yes, the only reason I started listening was the fact that Benedict Cumberbatch was in it.  Yes, the only other reason I started listening was to lighten the mood after watching the fairly intense True Detective.  And yes listening to BBC radio makes me about 150 years older than I actually am.  But it's just too funny to stop.  The final episode just recorded last week so it's not airing any more, but you can still catch up on YouTube thanks to some lovely Benedict loving citizen.  Just go listen to one, I guarantee you will continue through the entire series.

3. Food trucks from 2 cities, was pretty darn amazing, but now there adding a third?  Woohoo!  As usual, it's sure to be the highlight of the spring!

4. As someone who is struggling slightly with figuring out the ins and outs of opening an Etsy shop, this series on opening one in 30 days is about the most helpful post I've ever read.  

5. Have you ever seen anything cuter than this little guy?  It's a bit creepy how much he looks like a human baby but aside from that, he's completely adorable!