Serious question for my blogging friends. I am about to get a custom domain name for a website to use in addition to my Etsy shop. The name is everything. I want to keep my "brand" which is "smile making" so what do you think about these names:
Janetsmiles.design
Janetsmiles.me
Janetsmiles.gallery
Janetsmiles.shop
Janetsmiles.studio
Janetsmiles.com
Or separate the name and say Janets-smiles.
I think these are too long but there is:
Asmile4ufromjanet.design
Asmile4ufromjanet.shop etc.
It is going to be a website for shopping in addition to the Etsy site I have. Janetsmiles.design sound too hoity-toity?
Since my last two videos I've started with "Janet in the Studio" maybe I should go with Janetsmiles.studio?
Love some feedback. Can you think of something different?
When you walked up behind me and covered my eyes And whispered in my ear, guess who I rattled off names like I really didn't know But all along I knew it was you
And, the longer we talked, the more we laughed And wondered why we didn't last It had been a long time, but later last night Baby, we caught up real fast
And maybe it's a little too early To know if this is gonna work All I know is you're sure looking Good in my shirt
That's right You look good in my shirt
Well now I'm not saying that we solved overnight Every way that we went wrong Oh, but what I'm seeing I'd sure love seeing Every morning from now on
And maybe it's a little too early To know if this is gonna work All I know is you're sure looking Good in my shirt
c'mon now Aww that's right Oh you look so fine
And maybe it's a little too early To know if this is gonna work All I know is you're sure looking Good in my shirt
And maybe it's a little too early To know if this is gonna work All I know is you're sure looking Good in my shirt
You look good in my shirt You look good in my shirt
I usually try to feature artists I have seen so I have pictures to share and this week I do have some pictures, but not of Keith Urban.
You may remember the most recent Sketchbook I did for the Sketchbook Project. It is on tour in California right now and happened to be in San Francisco so my daughter and I went to check it out. At the San Francisco Center for the Book they were having a little printing festival and the Sketchbook Road Tour had a booth.
All the sketchbooks from California artists that were submitted on time were in the mobile library that is going through this state (and others). I gave my name and they were able to find my book! How cool is that?
I even got an official artist pin!
While we were there we looked at some of the other books and it was very interesting to see different concepts. I definitely got some good ideas for next time. We took a picture of the backs of the books so I can go online and tell the artists I enjoyed looking at them.
I saw these shirts and had to get one!
Cool, don't you think?
And now for the Pick One: For #SLS: Country Music or Rock and Roll?
Although there are a few country songs/artists that I enjoy, for the most part I gotta have rock and roll. What about you?
It's time for Stream of Consciousness Saturday and Linda's prompt is Wrap/Rap. You know it is almost Christmas again (don't yell at me, I have no control over the passage of time) and there are a lot of people who give gift cards as presents because it is easy. Truthfully sometimes a gift card is more welcome than a set of knitted socks would be.
I think that it is appropriate to give gift cards, but a lot of times you wonder how to wrap them. I mean, everyone knows what a gift card looks like and while you could put it in an envelope with a card, why not make it a little more interesting?
Here's a short video I did showing how I make these cute Slider Cards. I think it elevates the gift card to a different level, don't you? Plus, you get to see my smiling face :)
I am slowly adding stock to the Etsy site and have just listed a couple of the Christmas ones. There will be more for other occasions coming soon so check back. If you have a special request, send me a message on Etsy and I'll see what I can do!
Gift card giving doesn't have to have such a bad rap with something like this!
Your questions for today:
What do you think of "Janet in the Studio?" I was thinking of starting all my videos like that.
Pick One: Gift cards or knitted socks? Happy Saturday all!
Jim has given us the prompt of Floor/House/Roof/Walls for this Sunday's entertainment. A couple of years ago we saw Bon Jovi during their "This House Is Not For Sale" tour. The album is the first album that the group did that was not on the Mercury record label after having been with them for 32 years. It also does not include Richie Sambora who had left the band. Jon Bon Jovi said the album is about their integrity. The songs on the album clearly have a lot of meaning behind them.
These four walls have a got a story to tell The door is off the hinges, there's no wish in the well Outside the sky is coal black and the streets are on fire The picture windows cracked and there's no where to run I know, I know This house is not for sale
I set each stone and I hammered each nail This house is not for sale Where memories live and the dream don't fail This house is not for sale Coming home I'm coming home
Drove a spike into the ground and I staked my claim Standing on the dirt where they'll dig my grave Now what built these walls is in my veins No time for looking back, the wolf is at the door This heart, this soul This house is not for sale
I set each stone and I hammered each nail This house is not for sale Where memories live and the dream don't fail This house is not for sale Coming home I'm coming home
This house was built on trust That's what it is and always was No wrecking ball could knock it down This house was built on higher ground
I set each stone and I hammered each nail This house is not for sale Where memories live and the dream don't fail This house is not for sale Coming home I'm coming home Coming home I'm coming home (this house is not for sale) Coming home I'm coming home I'm coming home I'm coming home (this house is not for sale)
Interestingly, this was in March of 2017. I thought these signs were particularly meaningful.
And the video - this is how they opened the show we saw. So cool!
I did a post about another song on the album last August for a #SLS prompt, Drive, "I Will Drive You Home." That kind of works for this week too, doesn't it?
Can't forget the Pick One for today: Drums or Guitars and why?
I'm a drum person myself. While I appreciate good guitar playing, give me the beat of the drums every time! Have a marvelous Sunday!
Missed a couple of days here but I've been working on something a little different. Tried my hand at making a video to show my latest Halloween themed mini-album. I want to start doing more of these. I'd love to know what you think.
If you like it, I'd appreciate a thumbs up on the YouTube site.
The #SeeYouInSeptember prompt is "Seasonal" and I think this fits.
Pick One for today in keeping with the season, "Pumpkin spice: Yes or no?
I have been on many different "diets" as a way to lower the amount I weigh. Some have been successful for a while. At one point around the early 2000's I lost 44 pounds and was down to 169 pounds. That was using the Weight Watchers way. Of course things happened - don't ask me what because I don't remember anything specific - but I do know that I got all the way back up to 238 pounds!
Far cry from this girl who, admittedly is quite a bit younger!
The next thing I tried was Hungry Girl program. Again I lost about 40 pounds. Why is it that I didn't keep going? Who knows. I am an Italian and I love pasta? I am a wife and need to feed my husband who doesn't like low fat/sugar free foods? Busy working so I call for take out? All of the above!
Then my son worked the Keto lifestyle and lost about 30 pounds. He suggested several times that I try it too but I was resistant. It's not a healthy way of eating...too much fat...I have diabetes I can't have too many ketones in my urine...all excuses. Finally, around my birthday in March this year, I decided that I'd had enough and it was time to get my act together so I investigated the Keto plan more thoroughly and found that it was actually not that bad and it might even help with my diabetes. I had a basic set of lab tests done and checked with my doctor who said that each "diet" be it vegan, keto, WW or whatever, have their own proponents but in the end it really is just an individual thing and every body reacts differently. She said that I should get repeat lab work in September to see where things stood.
I can say that so far I've lost 38 pounds since March and 54 pounds since my all time high of 238 (you do the math). The last time I was at this weight was April of 2006. I keep setting mini goals for myself and while I know that if I was even stricter with intermittent fasting I could lose it more rapidly, as long as I keep going in the downward direction I'm okay with it. This is me today. Excuse the messy hair and the glare from the light. A bit different than the first picture, no?
My daughter and I have tried many different recipes from the books we've gotten and online and most of them have been very good. I am still not a fan of really spicy foods but I am using more spices in meals than I did before. Mostly I like garlic and pesto but on fish I use dill. We do also add some whey protein occasionally.
Well, I think I've put myself out there enough for now and gotten both prompts in so here's the Pick One question:
Missed posting yesterday. I stopped in the middle of the day to watch the Giants game and work in the studio so I lost track of time. The #SeeYouInSeptember prompt was School Supplies and although I have no kids to buy school stuff for, Office Depot remains one of my favorite stores. Pens and markers are my weakness and I love having lots of different points and colors.
Just a few...
The #SeeYouInSeptember prompt for today is "Cool Weather." The temperatures have dropped around here but I know that our Indian Summer will afford us some warmer days for the next month or two. This is what I saw out our back door this morning.
I have been wearing at least a long sleeved shirt or light sweater when I walk Benny in the mornings, especially since he is a sniffer and we make multiple prolonged stops so he can smell the ground. We are also noticing increased activity since we live a few blocks from the local elementary school. That takes some time too as he has to check everything out. I swear our dog has a serious case of FOMO (fear of missing out)!
Today's pick one is Gray or Blue skies and why? I like blue skies but the mystery lover in me likes the gray cloudiness as well. Tough call. What about you?
It is September and that is the month when for the last 22 years we have been going to our cozy spot in the woods of Boulder Creek, CA. My husband and his friend started a golf tournament there and it is such a beautiful, relaxing place. I don't golf so I get to do my own thing while the guys are out on the links. I do get together with the other wives but that is mostly in the evenings. Introvert me loves the peace and quiet and the beautiful scenery.
I tried to recreate a cozy spot in our backyard but when we cleaned it out and made room for the studio, things got moved around. Besides, those chairs are old and worn out so they are on the way to the dump.
The backyard is still a work in progress so maybe I'll get a cozy spot again.
Your pick one for today: Floppy sun hat or golf cap? Why? You already know my answer! Happy Wednesday.
You know I love a good challenge and my blogging friend, Melodye Shore, has come up with one called #SeeYouInSeptember, a month of show and tell. I'm not giving up on the Pick One series though so let's see how clever I can be with combining them!
I am not going to worry about September 1 and 2 because this is a stress free zone and because I did similar ones last month. Today's prompt is "Favorite Color."
I have to say that my favorite color changes from time to time. For a long time it was yellow. Then I added orange.
California Poppy
A card I made practicing some techniques
When it came time to paint the studio though, I went in a whole different direction.
Baby Blue Ocean drink
Nautical
Maybe my love for the ocean is stronger right now.
It is the beginning of the month so Linda has given us the Escapist Coloring Club link too. I'm surprised I didn't submit an entry last month but here are mine for this month. I am still working in the Alice In Wonderland coloring book. I may not be able to eat the sweets but there's no carbs this way.
Magic potion
So there you have the color themed post for today. My Pick One for you is: Color inside the lines or outside and why? As you can probably tell, I'm a bit more inside than outside. How about you? Favorite color to use when coloring inside or outside?
In honor of Labor Day here in the United States, I offer this pick one:
Whistle while you work or sing in the shower and why?
One might think that singing in the shower is better but I'm picking whistle while you work. In my mind, if I am happy enough at work to whistle, then I am enjoying my job and that is something we all want to be able to do. Here are Snow White and the Dwarfs to show what I mean.
Of course, if I had all the help she does while doing the housework I'd have no problem whistling, but I'm sure you get what I mean.
On the other hand singing in the shower can be very therapeutic as well. According to How Stuff Works, singing in the shower relaxes us. Being relaxed releases dopamine which can start the creative juices flowing. Maybe that's why I come up with some of my best ideas in the shower? Also, because of the breathing you put into singing, it gets your blood flowing which gives you better circulation and that is good for both mind and body. The acoustics in the shower are great too which means you sound good!
Still, you are only in the shower for 5 or 10 minutes usually and you are at work for a much longer time than that, so I'm still going for whistle while you work. Which do you pick? Happy Labor Day everyone!
Looks like this one didn't get posted! Found it in my draft file. Ooops!
Day 19 of the #Augustbreak2019 gives us the prompt of movement. It has been pretty warm in our neck of the woods lately so we have fans going in most of the rooms in the house:
Today the prompt for #SLS is cowboy/gun/hat/horse/western. Jim has been doing a great job since taking over for Helen. I haven't heard anything about her lately so I hope that she is doing well.
I have to share again the song that my mom used to sing us to sleep with. It is called Cowboy Jack and it holds a very special place in my memory.
I made a mini-album for my family of this song. It was one of the first minis I did and I was pretty pleased with how it came out, but I think I'm going to take some better pictures of it. I made a few of them to give to my family.
My mom singing.
Mom would sing the chorus after each verse to make the song last longer, especially if it was harder to get us to fall asleep.
I used to sing the song to my kids too.
Maybe one day they will sing it to theirs.
Here's the song as sung by Don Edwards.
Fortunately, my mom and dad's story had a slightly happier ending since they were married for 40 years before my dad passed away.
Do you have a song that you remember from your childhood? Want me to make a mini-album for you about it? Do you like cowboys and westerns?
Also, I'm starting a new series for September. I'm using the book "3000 Pick One Questions" to see what you all have to share. Hopefully you'll play along. For today, since the #SLS prompt is western, my question for you is:
Combat boots or cowboy boots and why? My answer is cowboy boots for sure. My dad passed away over 35 years ago and I still have a pair of his well-worn boots. Love the colors and I can remember going with him and my mom to the Western clothing stores to pick out new boots and hats.
