Thursday, April 29, 2004

 
Do you ever feel like your life takes weird curves just to make you stop and think? I feel like that lately. I'm having so much fun with Stampin' Up and getting my knitting classes together, then something happens to make me stop for a bit. I don't believe in a "god" in the Christian sense, I'm not sure how to explain what I believe. I do believe that things happen for a reason. I believe that everything comes back to you and that you must treat people the way you want to be treated. I think we get so consumed with our own lives that we hurt people unintentionally - either not calling when we should or not showing that we really do care as much as we do. I am just as guilty as the next person. Sometimes, I think we need to take a collective breath and just stop everything we're doing for 15 minutes and just meditate or something. Maybe every Monday at 12 noon, we should just stop - everyone! If people are driving they should pull over to the side of the road. I know I need to take a deep breath and just stop more lately. I feel like I'm starting to neglect a lot of things - my house, family, friends, my pets, and unfortunately, even Bryan. He's very understanding and says, "I want you to be happy and succeed." I'm just extremely grateful to everyone who is being understanding about my unfortunate neglect. I've been told several times in recent weeks, I'm a typical bride. I don't know which way is up at times and my life getting consumed with wedding plans. I'm sure that making the paper for the invitations and programs, learning calligraphy to address the envelopes and do table numbers along with everything else isn't helping. I just want it all to be perfect, which it all won't be but the invitations are the one thing that I don't to live with any imperfections.

I'm starting to run on empty. The Stamp Fair on May 8 is really starting to wear all of us working on it down. I think the Sunday afterwards we all need to RELAX! I know I really need it. The wedding planning is starting to feel overwhelming - with four and a half months to go, I figured it would start to feel like this. Now I know what newlyweds mean when they say, "I'm so glad it's over." It's amazing how much work goes into planning for one day but there are so many small things that can turn into big things. You really start to appreciate the smallest bit of help and understanding.
posted by erica Thursday, April 29, 2004 []

  Wednesday, April 28, 2004

 
I can't believe how little coverage the March For Women Lives got. If it was a right wing march, it would have been on the news for days.

Here are two really great articles that are a MUST read.
Beware the Bushwomen

Hydrogen's Dirty Secret - This gives you an idea of how Bush will "solve" the pollution problems.

Just a few things that are really great.
Clothing of the American Mind
I love these shirts. If I could, I would wear an anti-Bush t-shirt to work every day. We're not allowed to wear t-shirts to work.

The Truth About George

Wax Bush 2004

Democracy Now

Talking Points Memo

Unelectable Bush

TruthOut

TV News Lies

W You're Fired

View the new anti-Bush ads on the MoveOn.org site.

And this is a good way to take your true feelings out on Bush.

White Rose Society

So what else have I been up to besides looking at great websites?? Well, I had my first Stampin' Up! party on Friday. It went really well. The women that attended didn't believe me when I told them that it was my first party. My upline said I did great and that I'm a natural teacher! :) It was a very successful party. If the parties continue to be that successful, I'm in for a really great ride with Stampin' Up! My next party is this Friday.

posted by erica Wednesday, April 28, 2004 []

  Thursday, April 22, 2004

 

Support Women's Rights! We are PEOPLE too!
March For Women! If you can attend the March, GO!

HAPPY EARTH DAY!
Do something good for the earth everyday!

Recycle your paper!

Recycle your glass!

Buy recycled toilet paper. It's as soft as Charmin!

Use Mrs. Meyer's cleaners, they smell wonderful and clean beautifully.

And STOP using Tide or Cheer detergent - switch to Seventh Generation detergent. Did you know? "If every household in the U.S. replaced just one bottle of 50 oz. ultra petroleum-based liquid laundry detergent with our 50 oz. vegetable based product, we could save 99,000 barrels of oil, enough to heat and cool 5,700 U.S. homes for a year!" - from the Seventh Generation website. Just think what we could do for heating and cooling costs if we changed our laundry detergent!

I know I mentioned Bush's ranch in Crawford last week. I thought it was Earth Day appropriate. Here's a few very interesting article: Green Bush? - Bush's homes environmentally friendly?

Here's a great website to check out The Truth About George

And an article that shows that the USDA doesn't care about consumers and the quality of beef. I don't eat meat but if you choose to eat meat and want to pay more for safe meat, you should be able to buy meat so that you assured that what you're eating is safe. This article shows how the USDA really doesn't care about consumer safety!


posted by erica Thursday, April 22, 2004 []

 
Does anyone else think that W's comment yesterday was scary?? "Two-thirds of the Americans think we're going to get hit again? Well, I can understand why they think they're going to get hit again: They saw what happened in Madrid. This is a hard country to defend. We are making good progress in the defense of America."

Well, 2/3 of Americans think we're going to be attacked again because W's policies are making the world a scarier, more terrorist friendly place. I say "terrorist friendly" because he's doing exactly what bin Laden and the terrorists want him to do - occupy an Arab country. And W is great friends with the Saudi family.

"This is a hard country to defend." So why are you spending so much money fighting in Iraq and picking fights around the world, when we could be spending that money helping keep our country safe. Maybe if we spent the money to defend our country, it wouldn't be a hard country to defend. He was completely playing on peoples' fears, which the Bush Administration is so good at because if they keep you scared, you'll vote for them.

I also love the fact that they are really playing up this - what happens if we are attacked before the election. They would love for us to be attacked before the election because they could call off the election and put themselves in power for as long as they want. And if the election isn't called off, they'll say, "See you need us to protect you." If we are attacked, I hope it backfires on them and they are sent back to Texas so fast that their heads spin.
posted by erica Thursday, April 22, 2004 []

  Tuesday, April 20, 2004

 
Thursday, Bryan and I went to see Death Cab For Cutie at the Vic Theatre. Friday, I went to Galesburg, Il for a big Stampin' Up group meeting. I drove down on Friday morning, the other women in my group went down on Thursday night. Friday afternoon and evening, we stamped as much as we could with many of the stamps that one woman owns. We stayed with a woman named Lona, she has has over 200 stamp sets, so we were all in stamping heaven! :) It was like letting kids loose in a candy store! :) I stamped frames, backgrounds, small images to use on scrapbook pages and cards, and I made a very nice sympathy card. Saturday was the meeting. Janice Weightman spoke at the meeting. There are photos on Janice's photo page. It was a very fun weekend. Late Saturday afternoon, I drove back to the burbs. I got home and figured I would just crash, but I was so pumped that after dinner I HAD to do some stamping! :) I was working on what I'll be demonstrating at the party on Friday.

Sunday was the most productive day of the weekend, surprising considering what else I was doing this weekend. Sunday morning, I worked on a few more projects that I'll take as examples at the party on Friday. Then we went to see Eternal Sunshine at the first matinee of the day. After the movie, we came home and I started making paper for the wedding. I was going to make invitations but while I was hand-dipping the paper, I realized that the paper was not turning out the way I wanted my invitations to turn out. So that paper will be the programs for the ceremony. Then Sunday evening, I practiced calligraphy. I even managed to go to bed earlier than normal! :)

Yesterday it was back to work and the regular week. This week is actually very busy. Last night, I went to my calligraphy class. Our homework for this week is to address an envelope. I always feel funny telling people what my homework is for my calligraphy class because it sounds so simple. Last week was to practice my capital letters. Last night, we learned how to do the numbers in Copperplate Calligraphy and how do envelopes. This is what I've been waiting for since we started the class! :) I guess in a few weeks we'll be doing placecards too.

I'll have to schedule myself for when I'll work on addressing invitations and when I'll be making paper for the invitations. I just have to keep myself from stamping as much and concentrate more on the wedding things that need to get done!

Tonight, I have a Stamp Fair meeting at Alisa's for our group. We have about 2-1/2 weeks left before our Stamp Fair on May 8!

Tomorrow, I'm going in for a fitting for my dress and picking up the bridesmaids dresses. I can't wait to see the dresses. It was hard to see how they would turn out when I ordered them because the fabric swatches were about 2".

Thursday night, I'll be cutting paper and putting things together for the stamping party on Friday night.

Woo woo! New PJ Harvey will be out soon!
posted by erica Tuesday, April 20, 2004 []

  Thursday, April 15, 2004

 
I have homework for everyone tonight (Thursday night)! You absolutely must watch tv tonight. PBS' Frontline is showing The Man Who Knew. It is an absolute must-watch! You can find on the website what time it will be shown in your area.

It is about an FBI agent, John O'Neill, who had been tracking al Queda since 1995. He left the FBI several before September 11 and went to work in security at the World Trade Center, where he was killed in the attacks on September 11. It was fascinating. I think the Bush administration needs to watch it! They might learn something.

If you can't watch it TAPE IT! I will warn you, it's very intense and it may spark a deep anger at President Bush and his Administration's his consistent denials that they never knew anything. I think they knew something but they can't admit that they are human and made mistakes. It also may spark anger at Louis Freeh, the former FBI director. Just know that it's a fascinating documentary and you'll be glad that you learned something. I know that John O'Neill's name has been mentioned in the 9/11 hearings and that hopefully all of his findings will help prevent other attacks from happening. With the war in Iraq, we may have opened up cans of worms that John O'Neill couldn't have dreamed of.

posted by erica Thursday, April 15, 2004 []

 
I heard an interview with Laura Bush this morning on NPR. I found it very interesting that they were talking about the land around the Bush ranch. Laura was talking about how they are working to return the land to its native habitat and make it friendly for native wildlife. She was saying how there are animals at the ranch that were not there before. I find it very interesting that they are working so hard to make their ranch a great place for wildlife, but the rest of the country her husband is selling the habitats to his oil and energy friends. He cares about the land around his ranch, his sanctuary, but doesn’t care at all about other people’s sanctuaries – parks, rivers, lakes and oceans.

Here's the description on the NPR site: "Far from the distractions of Washington and world affairs, Laura Bush finds refuge outdoors, at the Bush family's Prairie Chapel Ranch in Texas. There, she's intent on bringing back native plants and grasses and restoring some of the spot's lost beauty. We take a nature tour with the First Lady." Hear the story here.

posted by erica Thursday, April 15, 2004 []

  Wednesday, April 14, 2004

 
Forget the Friends finale. The real comedy was last night, the President's press conference was a complete joke!! I was so embarrassed by the President's performance, but I'm so not surprised about how bad he was. I can't believe that people think he is a good leader. On NPR this morning they had a report about people thinking that Bush did really well. I can't believe people think he did well when he stumbled all over himself. He didn't answer any of the questions and his answer about why he and Cheney have to testify before the 9/11 Commission together was so STUPID! Could he have sidestepped that question any more than he did? I don't think so!

The best parts of the press conference were Bush's facial expressions.

Nightline had a great report about the press conference last night. I was glad to finally see the press be so critical of the president. They had a great report about Bush's previous press conferences - in February 2001, Bush was talking about going to war with Iraq and even in October 2001, he was talking about Iraq. It was fascinating to watch clips from previous press conferences and see how Bush's rationale has changed. You can watch the Nightline report for yourself on the Nightline page.

Al Franken on Air America Radio today was absolutely hilarious.

Here are a few websites that I heard about on Air America Radio that are very interesting:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com
http://www.tvnewslies.org/
And one that I found on my own: http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/steinreich8.html
posted by erica Wednesday, April 14, 2004 []

  Thursday, April 08, 2004

 
I have to mention this because I noticed that Kat, another blogger mentioned it in her blog. Air America Radio has become another thing to listen to at work. For a long time, I listened to Launch radio. I'm now listening to Air America almost all day. I love the fact that there are liberals on the radio that I can listen to. I never thought I would be a "talk radio" person, I was more of an NPR person as far as radio goes. I'm still an NPR person, but now with Air America, I'm also a liberal talk radio person! :) Al Franken is great, Janeane Garofalo is great and at first I didn't like Randi Rhodes, but I really enjoy her now. If you're tired of the talking heads like Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity or Rush and the crap they spread, which usually is just spreading whatever the Bush Administration is saying that day. If you want a nice change of pace - listen to Air America. They aren't easy on the Bush Administration and don't take the Bushies speak as fact like some of the other media outlets do, such as Fox News, which I can't even consider a real news channel.
posted by erica Thursday, April 08, 2004 []

  Tuesday, April 06, 2004

 
It's been a long day and it's only 2:30pm. I am SO ready for my stamping meeting tonight. We're working on our May 8 Stamp Fair. I'm really excited about the Stamp Fair and I'm really looking forward to getting my stampin' business moving along. My knitting business is moving along nicely and starting in October I will be busy. If I just had a lot to keep me busy right now, I shouldn't say that I'm not busy, I just wish that it was money making busy-ness. I do have a knitting class tomorrow night that I'm really excited about. I think I might be doing private lessons somewhat frequently! Yeah!!

Oh, I have to share this. I was at the Memories Expo and filling out a raffle form. I noticed that a girl next to me was from Arlington Heights, where I live and I said, "Oh are you a rubber stamper?" She said, "No, I'm more of a knitter." I said, "Oh my gosh, I'm a knitting teacher." So we talked a bit and she told me what she's looking for and I gave her my card. I should have gotten her name so that I can contact her, hopefully, I'll hear from her soon. I thought that was so cool, so I might have another student soon! :)

Btw, if you decide to go to the Stamp Fair and you get the flyer off of my website, please write my name (Erica Lee) at the bottom as I haven't put the flyer on my website that has my name printed at the bottom. If you have any questions, please email me.

I started a calligraphy class a few weeks ago that is going well. Now if I could just make myself practice a bit more. It's sort of a pain to drag the ink out because it's so messy. I'm learning Copperplate Calligraphy so that I can address my wedding invitations. I know I could pay someone to do them but being the crafty girl that I am, I really don't want to pay someone else. I'm making the paper for the invitations and I feel that I should address them too. :) Yes, another craft that I have making paper. I know I mentioned above that I'm teaching paper making, well, I'm making the paper for my wedding invitations, programs and possibly menus. I will probably have to use plain card stock for the place cards, if I have place cards. :)

posted by erica Tuesday, April 06, 2004 []

  Monday, April 05, 2004

 
Another weekend has past. Things are really moving along!! I have three places that I'm scheduling knitting classes with for the fall! :) Libertyville/Vernon Hills High School Continuing Education, Buffalo Grove Park District and Stevenson High School PREP Program (Continuing Ed)!!

This weekend was another one filled with stamping. Saturday, I went to the Memories Expo and took a class where I made a 6x6" bragbook that has a page for each month. It was a very fun class. Saturday afternoon

Yesterday, I spent part of the day working on my card for the May 8 Stamp Fair and other Easter cards. I will put them up each day on my cards page.

This week will be another interesting and crazy week.
Happy Spring! The sun is finally shining on a mostly daily basis and it's getting nice outside! Yeah, finally!!
posted by erica Monday, April 05, 2004 []