I miss...

I miss coffee shops filled with books & magazines & cozy plump chairs. I think if I were to ever see one again, I would run inside & twirl around-n-around with my arms open wide, a big goofy grin plastered across my face. And then I'd stake out the coziest & plumpest chair of them all & camp in it all day, with a stack of new crafty books & mags at my side & a yummy coffee drink within easy reach. And I'd make some people mad 'cause I'd be hogging their favorite seat. And if I eventually had to use the potty I'd stick a sign in my chair that said "...Be Back in 5 Minutes."
*sigh*

♥ Nikki



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Week in Review

A busier week than usual. A good busy. And it snowed! In fact, as I type away it's still snowing---3 days straight!

I do have a more jam-packed week coming up though:
•book-art making
•getting my Nebraska driver's license
•Virtual Bowling Bash planning (& the event is this Saturday!)•women's ministry meeting at church
•working at the newspaper (now twice a week!)
•column writing
•shop photos to take (I think my computer will arrive this week which means I can get back to the Etsy grind!)
•craftiness (because, you know, not enough craftiness makes for a grumpy Nikki)

Happy Monday!!

*Click on the picture mosaic for a photo play-by-play.

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Ah, phooey!!

The Mr. celebrated a birthday on Wednesday. But I didn't have the time to wish him proper happiness & such on the blog since I was too busy trying to help plan a surprise party for him.

Maybe this is just inexperience talking, but I've decided that surprise parties are not all they're cracked up to be. It's all lies & deceit & false storytelling. And then there's the guilt & shame for telling all the lies & deceptions & stories.

And why does the celebratory birthday man get extra nosy when I am devising secrets & scheming plots? He doesn't normally ask me lists of stupid questions. Why now?

It's all just so stressful: Hiding certain text messages. Answering the phone in a hushed voice. The nervous twitches. The heart palpatations. The sweaty palms. The pressure that comes with trying to act "normal". Always on the alert. Constantly thinking about what you're going to say before you say it so you don't spill any secret party beans. Exhausting late-night combat drills... No one told me it would be this way.

I thought it would simply be like this:
1. Turn out the lights.
2. Birthday man walks in.
3. Yell "Surprise!"
4. Done.

But that's not at all how it goes. It's more like this:
1. Lie.
2. Head to secret party location.
3. Phone birthday man.
4. Lie again.
5. Wait.
6. Birthday man gets suspicious. (Well, he gets MORE suspicious because he was already suspicious before.)
7. Birthday man approaches secret party location. (Finally!)
8. Birthday man tries bribing someone else to enter the dark & spooky building first.
9. A hand reaches in to flip the light on.
10. "SURPRISE!!!!!!"
11. Birthday man steps into the building while slowly glancing around at everyone staring at him. (A slightly awkward moment.)
12. Birthday man announces that it was no surprise: he knew.
12. Former bets placed are now divided up.
13. Cake.

But it was "thoughtful", he said. And, last time I checked, that's what counts. And there were balloons. That counts too.

♥ Nikki

(P.S. Oh yeah, happy birthday honey!!)

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Woot! Woot!

♥ Nikki, the newspaper columnist.

*giggles*

Oh my golly.

My shift last night at the newspaper was super duper! I took my thoughts, jotted down on lined notebook paper, & laid them out in proper newspaper fashion. I was so giddy I could have squealed! In fact, I am pretty sure I did.

I am so happy with how it turned out & you can bet I'll be running to get a copy of the newspaper when my column publishes tomorrow.

As far as I know, the newspaper is not available online. But subscriptions are super cheap. And, hey, there's nothin' like supporting a small town & an establishement that takes part in the creative process. And plus, you'll make me look good.
Out-of-state subscriptions are available for around $28 a year. (Or you can buy just one paper if you want.) Contact the Bridgeport News-Blade at:
books [at] newsblade [dot] net

Ok, now that the infomercial is over, I continue with the long & random post I promised yesterday....

••••••••••••••••••••

To answer some of your questions...
The girls made 1" buttons for their classmates on Valentines Day. And the kid's & teachers loved them! Zoey & Pazely were rather proud to see everyone wearing their creations right away!
I purchased the button machine from a shop on eBay called Button Safari. Here's the link:
http://stores.ebay.com/Button-Safari
I have the 1" Model 100 button machine that came with 1000 parts. Other machines are available that make larger buttons too.

••••••••••••••••••••

Yikes! Mr WhiMSy love's birthday is tomorrow! What shall I get him?!?!?!

••••••••••••••••••••

Oh! I totally forgot to tell you what the name of my column is! It's called "WhiMSy love...(in print)". I love that I got to keep the whole WhiMSy love thing. I don't know why, but I never thought it could be an option. And I am able to have my blog link & email on the bottom of the column each week. I thought it would be fun someday to have a "Dear WhiMSy love" post on my blog, full of questions & comments from my newspsper fans. Well, if there ARE any fans. Or comments. It may just be whistling wind & crickets. Who knows?

••••••••••••••••••••

I'm on the hunt for a fun retro/vintage bowling shirt. Me, the mister & a handful of other folks are planning a Wii Virtual Bowling Bash for the Jr High & Highschool aged kids in the community & I want to be all decked out in bowling duds. If you find any cool cheap ones, let me know! For reals!

••••••••••••••••••••

I just heard through the grapevine that my computer is fixed! It's being shipped to me from Lincoln, which is on the other side of the state.

••••••••••••••••••••

Do you ever watch the previews before a movie & they show a montage of all these awesome bits of movies & yet they don't tell you what movies they're from? I HATE when that happens.

••••••••••••••••••••

I am now waiting outside the girls' school in my car. School is out soon. I always bring a snack. Today it's orange cream soda & fudge grahams.

••••••••••••••••••••
Ta ta for now!
♥ Nikki

Week in Review

I'm a bizzy-buzzy girl today, mostly hangin' with my man on his day off & working like mad to get the first piece written for my newspaper column, which is due this evening. I'm sure some might think I'm working too hard. You should see my table--covered in papers which are covered in inky notes. But I want to make a good impression. This first piece is gonna set the tone, ya know?! And I want my new tiny town to like me.

I have more to say, & your questions to answer, but not enough time to chit-chat at the moment. You can look forward to a wordy & random post tomorrow.

*Click on the picture mosaic for a photo play-by-play.

♥ Nikki

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One World One Heart WINNER!!

Congrats to Bluebeard & Elizabeth of the blog "Altered Book Lover" found here: http://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/
Yahoo!!!

Thanks to everyone who played along, visited my blog & left lovely comments & emails.

Due to the poor timing of my computer permanently fading out, I wasn't able to join in on the fun. But I promise, soon, to make a visit to all those that left messages & visit your cozy places in the www, as is the true spirit of OWOH.

♥ Nikki


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Happy Heart Day!

Love is...heart shaped pancakes & pink milk.
♥ Nikki

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The Bed-head Olympics

The girls & I have recently started a ceremony-of-sorts every morning. We find it amusing to see each other's wacky morning hair-do's, also known as bed-head. So, I created an award with a thrifted bowling trophy ($1!!) & a faux Barbie head (free!!). Yes, I'm the oddball mom who asks, "Honey, do you have a spare Barbie head I could have?" And my children are the sweet sort who respond, "Sure mom!!" Of course, the more ratty & tangled the Barbie hair, the better!


The trophy gets passed to a winner every morning after we vote & decide who has the craziest bed-head.

♥ Nikki

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This Year's Valentines

About a month ago my silly hubby--on his own--found some Valentines he thought the girls would enjoy passing out to their friends during the school Valentines party. (I asked him why he was purchasing them so early. He replied, "If we don't get them now, all the cool ones will be gone." Isn't that so sweet? And slightly neurotic?)

Well, being a wee bit disappointed that I wouldn't be able to help the girls create handmade Valentines for their classmates, I decided we should still add a tiny bit of handmade to the cards anyway.



Zoey & Pazely worked so hard doodling & drawing with markers to create little pieces of artwork that we made into 1" pinback buttons.



I punched a hole in the corner of each Valentine & slid the pins through. This way, the girls were able to specifically choose which friend got which button.

Today is the party & I can't wait to hear how much their friends loved the buttons. Because, what's not to love about tiny + handmade??

♥ Nikki

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Yesterday I was isolated at home without a car---& I LOVED it. I lounged around the house, sipped hot cocoa, listened to some opera & watched a documentary. I wasn't expected to go anywhere & didn't have to do anything. It was lovely!!!

Today...different story. Wednesdays have officially become my cleaning days. And we all know how MUCH I loooove cleaning. (Ugh.) It's so hard for me to get into cleaning mode. I'd much rather stay in chill mode.

When I clean though, I feel like putting on a superhero cape. It makes me feel so strong & powerful when I am completing a task I hate. I feel like I could fly high in the sky, do loop-de-loops in the clouds, rescue strangers from a burning building. I feel like I can tackle, take-on, undertake...anything.

The dust bunnies are the crooks, the rings in my toilet bowl are the villains. The darn little whiskery hairs that my hubby leaves stuck to the bars of soap after shaving are the miscreants.

"KA-POW!!!!" I say.
"BAM!" I shout.
"ZAP!"
"bOiNk!!"
"SHA-ZAAM!!!"

"Don't mess with me...I just cleaned my house."

♥ Nikki

(-Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone)

Week in Review

My week included: a sick kid...a visiting ma-in-law...shopping & dining (which happens when the ma-in-law visits)... Superbowl parties, complete with hollering, high-fives & the occasional chest bump...a wee feature in blanket magazine (YAY!)...& snow! (Finally! I've been wanting it to snow. It's so much prettier that way.)

OH!! Do you finally want to know my little piece of exciting news? I have an opportunity to work at the local newspaper! Last Monday l played like Cinderella & stayed up past midnight. I drank diet Dr. Pepper (an attempt at staying awake & retaining some form of sanity) & got to hang out with lovely newspapery peeps while learning new computer programs & piecing together pictures & captions & stories like a puzzle for the weekly newspaper. That'll be my playground every Monday night. But it gets better: I'll be able to use a much more grown up camera than my point-n-shoot & help photograph school activities, sports, events & who knows what else!! Can you stand it? That's not even my most favoritest part. Well, ok, it's tied for favorite: I was offered the chance to write my own weekly column, with topics of my choice!!! Is that insanely awesome or what?!?!?! I have been bouncin' off the walls since being offered all this candy last week.

The newspaper, the Bridgeport News-Blade, is published every Wednesday. And when my first column is published, I'll let you know.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about what I could call my column or ideas about what to write about. (I'm pretty sure I'll get my own little picture next to my column too-- you know, like they do?) I'm thinking of having the things I write about be really random--just my thoughts on certain topics, so I am not confined to a constant theme. At first I thought it would be fun (& hopefully funny?) to talk about the small-town stuff I find so amusing. (With respect, of course.) But then what? I could really include anything & everything. So maybe that's too broad. Maybe I do need a theme to contain my randonimity. Hmmm. I think I need to do some investigative research...

*Click on the picture mosaic for a photo play-by-play.

♥ Nikki

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We're Spilling the Jumping Beans.

Here it is, my jump-happy friends: A tutorial on how to take a jumping self portrait! Aren't you excited? I bet you're jumping with joy: Now, just keep jumping, grab that camera & you're all set!

I am TOTALLY honored to be partnering in this hip-hip-happy tutorial with fellow Jumping Queen, Jessica, a.k.a. jek-in-the-box, who is all things superb, crafty, adorable & lovely in every way.

So, let's get to it...Here's all we think you need to know about taking a jumping portriat...

The (Han)Solo Jump:

Jumping by yourself is definitely much easier than jumping with other people.

First, find a spot to jump. Scan for a dandy backdrop & a place to set your camera. You can set your camera on the ground or up higher, like on a bench or something. Look through your viewfinder to make sure you'll have enough space to jump. Keep scootin' your camera back until you're pretty sure your whole jumping body will be framed in the picture. Of course, headless shots are quite nifty too! And even jumpy feet shots!

Now it's time to jump.

The Self Timer Is Your B.F.F.

A timer is essential if there is no one around to take the picture for you. Most cameras come equipped with a self-timer. But, you'll have to really practice & get the feel for your timer.

After you've framed up your shot & see where you need to stand, set the self-timer & push the button on the camera & then run to your spot & prepare to jump. Usually cameras have a series of beeps &/or flashes right before the camera takes the picture. Learn to watch for the flickering lights or listen for the beeps & practice jumping at the precise moment before the camera takes your photo. It will take some time to sharpen those self-timer skills, so don't get disheartened!

Up, Up, & Away!

No, it's not some secret superpower that launches you to great heights, but simply a wee bit of camera trickery to help aid in your jumpy launches. Setting the camera lower & slightly tilting it up gives the appearance that you are actually jumping higher.

To get even MORE height, you can start your jump from higher up: stand on a bench, a stool, etc.

Once you've got your jumping scene all mapped out, & your self-timer is set, press the shutter release button on your camera & then quickly run to your starting position. Crouch down.....wait.....JUMP!

If you jump too late, you get a picture of you landing. If you jump too soon, you'll get a shot of takeoff. Neither of which is very pretty. (But those shots sure can make for some great giggles later on!)

A Catapaulting Clan

A jumping shot with a friend or GROUP of friends is an adventure in itself. The more people you have trying to jump all at the same time, the harder it is. But, the more HILARIOUS it is too! Good times all around & up & down.

If you're familiar with the way your camera works & feel comfortable enough with the self-timer then you're gonna set up the camera for a goup photo the same way you would for a solo shot. But, you'll also have to shout "1-2-3-JUMP!" so everyone knows {&hears!} exactly when to jump. Jump on the word "JUMP". To make it easier, have everyone already in a crouching position ready to catapault on cue.

Jumpercize

Keeping fit while taking photos? You better believe it. You might jump several times before you get a pleasing shot. All that running & crouching & waiting & leaping & jumping & running again is a workout!

 Simon says: "JUMP!"

Now, snapping photos of OTHER people is much easier. Let them do all the work while your lovely little finger rests so patiently on the shutter release button. Watch, as, back-n-forth-n-back-n-forth-n-back-n-forth they go, jumping, until you decide the perfect hoppy shot has been got. And even if you get the perfect shot right away, it's still fun to watch them go back-n-forth-n-back-n-forth-n-back-n-forth.....(They'll never know!)

The Bounding Beauty

Yes, jumping is super fun, but we also wanna look cute. So, here's some tips for looking like a lovely leaper.

1. Make sure your shirt is tucked in.

2. If you're wearing a skirt or dress, at least put on some knickers you don't mind flashing.

2. If you aren't gifted in the chin area, tilt that head up & drop your shoulders.

3. Work on your jumping smile.

4. When you jump, if you throw your arms up you look higher.

5. If you tuck your legs up while jumping it gives the impression that you've cleared a lot of air.

6. Experiment with different arm & leg poses.

Extra Jump-tastic Stuff:

*Do you know who started all this jumping photo madness? Philippe Halsman. Just LOOK HERE at some of the famous people he got to jump for him on camera.

*To see Jek's Flickr jumping photo set click HERE.

*For a quick little video of a jumping shot in action click HERE.

*To see Nik's Flickr jumping photo set click HERE.

Now go rocket-launch yourself to fantastic jumpy heights!!

♥ by Nik & Jek

Check out the latest issue (#20) of blanket magazine @ blanketmagazine.com

I'm featured in a jumpy article alongside my new jumpy friend Jessica of scrumdillydilly.blogspot.com

{blanket is an online PDF art + design + photography magazine}

♥ Nikki

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Oh Happy Day...

I've been isolated at home with a sick kid, cleaning up vomit sheets, germy laundry rotating around the clock. Ma-in-law arrives for a 4-day visit in 24 hours & I've gotten nothing done. (Except for a nap or two to refuel.) Life is getting busy. My list of TO-DO's grows. I've got a bad hangnail. A house full of people will be arriving this evening & I haven't even started getting prepared. And why do my toilets decide to clog NOW?

So this morning I danced around the kitchen and sang loud songs badly while the radio blasted. And when my throat got sore I lip-synched instead.

I flung the curtains open & welcomed the sunshine, arms open wide, with a silent goofy grin.

And I've decided: It's gonna be GOOD day...

♥ Nikki

Week in Review

Last week's "Week in Review" pictures are in my dead computer. They will sit there safely until the 'puter is repaired. It could take 3-4 weeks. (Whoa dude. That's intense.) I think I can manage. But, believe me, I will be having a welcome home party when it returns. Streamers, balloons, the works!!

This is my first Week-in-Review made completely of photos from my iPhone. Not the best but it'll do.

I'm slowly getting back into the crafty way of life & it feels so good!

This small town is growin' on me. And I can't wait to tell you about a cool opportunity that I may have coming my way in this lovely little town of mine!

For a photo play-by-play click the picture mosaic.

♥ Nikki

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone