There’s a new routine in our house for the past 3 weeks. Our son got a new job and I am driving him into San Francisco every morning so that he doesn’t have to take public transit and increase our risk of Covid exposure. I don’t mind it. It is a familiar thing for me to drive the kids somewhere, that’s what mom’s do. This is a typical loop drive, hop on the freeway, hop off the freeway, up a couple of blocks, and then back down a couple of blocks and hop on the freeway again. Sometimes we talk, sometimes we don’t.
I have been keeping my eyes open for new things. Here are a couple I’ve managed to catch, thanks to my son who takes the pictures while I drive:
A Big Dream on the side of the hill
Sunrise over the airport
That same sun coming up over the SF Bay
The City itself is a different world. Our drive takes us through downtown and in front of the city hall. Right now in the area across from city hall there are huge tents set up with voting machines. We see lots of “interesting” people as we go too. Seems like every day I see something I haven’t noticed before. It’s kinda fun.
What’s been happening where you are? Any new routines started? Share!
from WordPress https://scr4pl80.wordpress.com/2020/10/17/its-only-october-2020/
Really, it seems like this year is taking forever. Or it’s flying by. I can’t decide which. I feel like I’m in some kind of dystopian novel or huge circus. Things will never be what we thought of as “normal” again but will we be able to have some semblance of the life we had? Who knows.
For the moment, I am grateful that I have been busy with transcription work. It has meant that for the last three weeks I have been typing all day, sometimes up to as late as 10 PM. Fortunately, I work from home which allows me to do that. Unfortunately, that also meant that I was not able to blog as much or even comment on as many other blogs as I usually do. And definitely not able to spend time in the studio, which you know feeds my soul.
I have finished the major portion of one of the projects so I have a brief time to say hello and share some things with you. First off I’m going to tell you about a new nail polish product that my friend, Amy, is selling. You may or may not have heard of Color Street Nail Polish Strips. They come in a package of two strips of eight different sizes.
This one is Caribbean Coral
A few months ago Amy had a virtual party and I bought a couple of colors to try – just to kind of help out a party host. You know how you do that (how many Tupperware items do you have?) I also won a free set for playing one of the games. I love winning prizes! I don’t use nail polish on a regular basis but I do like the way it looks when my nails are longish and they’ve gotten to a decent length so I decided to actually give the nail strips a try.
I chose No Way San Jose for the first go around. I will confess that I did not watch any of the videos that I’m sure are available to show how to apply them. In my mind, they are stickers and being a crafter, I should know how to use stickers, right?
The strips break apart to different sizes to fit your nails.
I chose to apply them before I went to bed. I started with my left thumb and took one of the larger nails. It went on pretty smoothly and I used the file they give you to file down the extra bit. The next ones were a little trickier, but I think it was because I was trying to get two nails out of one strip. I should have cut it in half before starting to apply but I didn’t so it ripped off too short. The instructions say to stretch it a little as you put it on and I stretched another one a little too much. Out of the 16 individual strips you get, those three are what I have left.
I did find it easier to stretch the sheet BEFORE I started to apply it. Then it fit better and it wasn’t so awkward. If you get a bubble or it doesn’t quite meet the edge, you do have some time to pull them off and restart but now that I’ve had them on, they are on there well. The instructions say that you can use regular nail polish remover to get them off.
As I told Amy, I don’t think they will make me type any faster but I do like the way they look. They are not perfect but even when I use actual nail polish I don’t get them perfect and there would have been no way they would come out like this if I had polished them right before bed with standard liquid polish. Plus, usually I put on a base coat, then two layers of color and then a top coat over that. These are perfectly dry as you put them on and it is just the one coat. They are shiny and smooth and even with the adjusting, it only took me about half an hour. I’m sure the next time will go much faster. You may also get a tip or two if you watch the videos – LOL
This is the set I won. I love glittery!
The package comes with a nail prep pad and a file. The prep pad was just a tiny square to wipe off your nails before applying the strip but it wasn’t any special formula or adhesive. The file is okay but I used one of my own after all the nail strips were applied. I had chosen the two colors thinking that they would match with the sparkly Tokyo Lights but when I actually got them all, they don’t really so I may have to find another color because I want to use the glitter as an accent nail.
The bottom line is, if you are looking for a quick and easy way to get your nails polished, these may work for you. I am very happy with the way mine turned out. They have some special ones out for the holidays now too. Lots of interesting designs and some gorgeous colors. You can check out Amy’s shop here:
They have some great names for these don’t they? Of course there are solid colors and different glitters. They even have some that look like a French manicure if you like that style.
I will say that some of the designs go fast but it seems like they restock pretty frequently. I’m sure they will be coming out with some Christmas ones. If you get some, I’d love to hear which colors and how they worked for you. Also, you’d be helping to support a small business owner like me and that’s always a good thing. They would make great stocking stuffers, if we are even going to have Christmas this year. Who can tell?
Anyway, nice to see you all again. Hopefully I’ll be around a little more often!
from WordPress https://scr4pl80.wordpress.com/2020/10/05/its-only-october/
I am not sure if you know but I am a Creative Memories Consultant and there is a free shipping promotion going on from now until Friday. Usually you can’t get free shipping unless you spend $250 but for now it is only $80. That’s a big deal. My site is here:
I’ve shown some of the cards I’ve made using the kits they sell
And a video to show how easy it is to put together the card kits.
And they also have albums, papers and all kinds of other scrapbooking tools. If you have been looking through your old photos during the shelter in place time we’ve had or are looking for something new to spend your time on, check out the site. I’d be happy to answer any questions or help get you started!
from WordPress https://scr4pl80.wordpress.com/2020/09/09/suddenly-its-september-2020-2/
And almost two weeks of it are gone already! I can’t even describe how our sky has been looking lately because of all the fires. Add that to the virus and I really have to wonder if we are in a science fiction novel.
Orange glow through the kitchen window
This is the view out the window. The top of the neighbor’s roof. The sun is NOT out, but it is 9 AM.
It’s 10 AM and the lights are still on by the train tracks.Some of the fires in our state. I live right below where it says “Lifted” in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Staggering numbers.
I took Benny for a walk this morning and now my eyes are a bit irritated. Needless to say we’re staying inside for the rest of the day. The pictures do not even tell the true story. It looks like it is nighttime here. I mean, kinda scary.
On another note, I have been watching our Giants play baseball and it has been very exciting at times. Even though we weren’t supposed to be very good this year, there have been some great comeback wins and the new kids are doing some amazing stuff. I haven’t seen many of the American League games but I have to say that our team has the best fan in the stand cutouts. We have over 15,000 cutouts of people in the seats and it really makes it look like there are fans at the game.
This looks like a full stadium but they are cutout pictures that people have sent in. $99 each and at the end of the season, you can go and pick yours up.
We didn’t order cutouts for ourselves but we did put our name in to possibly get a game ball. Since no one is there to catch foul balls, they are sending five from each home game to random people.
This month is moving right by too. On the one hand I feel like the sooner we get through this year the better off we’ll be but on the other hand I feel like we are losing something.
So many weird things happening between the COVID virus and the weather. I wrote last week about the lightning. Turns out that while it was exciting to watch, it was not such a good thing because it started several fires burning throughout our state again. We’ve been experiencing fires a lot in the past few years. (Old #45 says it’s because we don’t rake our leaves or clear the underbrush).
I’ve shared about our annual Boulder Creek Golf Tournament that my husband and his friend started. This year would be our 24th year. I had not intended on going because the villas at which we usually stay right on the course were not being rented this year due to the virus. We have to stay at a motel a few miles away. This would mean that while the guys are golfing, instead of having a whole house with a yard at my disposal,
I’d have had to stay in the motel room (not even sure they have a pool area). I could go shopping as some of the other wives do, but that’s not really my thing. Another group of wives gets together and parties all day. That’s not really my thing either. After the golfing is done we usually all get together for dinner both nights but, again due to the virus, there will be no gathering. It just didn’t sound like much fun for me. I’d rather have the time alone in the studio, so although my hubby says he will miss me, he’s okay with me not going.
Now, however, the area is in danger of not even being habitable due to the massive fire in the mountains. This is the local store we go to when we are there, Johnnie’s Market.
Farther down the road is the motel:
We are a couple hundred miles away from any of the fires and yet this is our sun and sky at about 7 AM. The sun itself is really that bright orange color but I couldn’t capture it that way on my phone. Later in the day, I still have the notice that the air quality is smoky.
I don’t think that just brushing some leaves would have prevented the fires or stopped them from spreading. Thanks to Linda for the #SoCS prompt of brush.
Cross fingers that the fires get contained soon. Stay safe out there everyone.
from WordPress https://scr4pl80.wordpress.com/2020/08/22/its-actually-august-2020/
As much as the times are in a state of constant upheaval right now, it is only logical that we’d have some unusual weather as well. The last few days have been extremely warm here in my part of California and the temperatures have been close to if not hitting 100 degrees. Friday night at 8:20 PM it was 79 degrees! That’s usually a midday high.
The sunset as seen from my front porch. Aren’t the colors gorgeous?
This morning we woke up to thunder and lightening. It went on for about 2 hours.
Followed by this sunrise out our back porch:
Almost looks like the sunset doesn’t it? So glad I got up to see this spectacle of nature.
So my song for #SLS today is “Dance Into The Light” by Phil Collins.
It’s there in the eyes of the children
In the faces smiling in the windows
You can come on out, come on open the doors
Brush away the tears of freedom
Now we’re here, there’s no turning back
We have each other
We have one voice
Hand in hand we will lay the tracks
Because the train is coming to carry you home
Come dance with me
Come on and dance into the light
Everybody dance into the light
There’ll be no more hiding in shadows of fear
There’ll be no more chains to hold you
The future is yours – you hold the key
And there are no walls with freedom
Now we’re here, we won’t go back
We are one world
We have one voice
Side by side we are not afraid
Because the train is coming to carry you home
Come dance with me
Come on and dance into the light
Everybody dance into the light
Do you see the sun, it’s a brand new day
Oh, the world’s in your hands, now use it
What’s past is past, don’t turn around
Brush away the cobwebs of freedom
Now we’re here, there’s no turning back
You have each other
You have one voice
Hand in hand you can lay the tracks
Because the train is coming to carry you home
Come dance with me
Come on and dance into the light
Everybody dance into the light
