Katie the Scrapbook Lady

Thought-provoking

 

I’ve found some interesting posts, videos, and articles lately that have my thinking wheels turning in new directions. I love finding new perspectives and/or being reminded of things I already know and believe! Here are some things worth thinking about:

• Real beauty sketches (Dove)
• 28 ways to stop complicating your life
• Can we bring the holidays down a notch?
• I am the mom on the iPhone
• Everybody could learn from this (a neat basketball moment)

 

And to finish things off, here’s an excerpt from an email that one of my Dad’s dear friends sent to him after the Boston Marathon bombing. I really appreciated hearing his words of appreciation for the good people of Boston.

My wife and I were just three-quarters of a mile from the Finish Line when the race was stopped by the bombings.  The race started out with perfect running temperatures but was colder after Mile 18 because of a cold wind.  Many runners were not prepared for that change; you stop a few thousand wet runners in a cold wind and you can have a problem.  But instantly there were residents all around taking care of the runners.  It was a wonderful and amazing thing to be a part of.
We did not appreciate the extent of the bombings until we got back to our hotel --- about 7 PM because of the delay in getting our clothing and the subways not operating until 6:30. 
All in our group were okay; runners were not targets.  By contrast with the evil of the bombings themselves, we saw instant and pervasive kindness all around us.  The people of Boston have always been noisily kind and we sure saw that.  The Police were patient, kind, helpful and instantly super-well organized.  We never saw anyone impatient or adding to the problems.  Neighbors in the area we were stopped in were quickly out of their houses offering water and clothing and food to the cold runners.  We will have nothing but wonderful images and memories of the goodness of people.  A grateful, memorable contrast!

 

Good stuff!

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a squirt of catch-up

 

It’s time to “catch up” on a few things in the world of scrapbooking! Here are some great things I’ve been wanting to tell you about. Let’s start off with this super fun celebration + giveaway from Debbie Hodge at Get it Scrapped. Debbie is one of those amazing people who really gets what memory keeping is all about. She’s like an Energizer Bunny in the amount of quality content that she puts out and I always learn something wonderful from her seminars and posts. Right now, she has an AWESOME giveway going on! Click here for more details on how you can win a gift card or a membership to Masterful Scrapbook Design.

 

My son loves to participate in kickstarter projects and it’s been fun to see people make their business dreams come true and get some fun goodies in the process. Well, I was super excited to see Studio Tangie aiming for the stars to make her dream a reality. I pledged $25 and I will be watching and hoping for her as she works toward opening her own real life studio in Arizona. Very cool! You can read all about it on the Scrapbook Graphics site and also find the link for this fabulous freebie gift!

 

Anyone who knows me will realize that I’m a longtime Ali Edwards fan and now I’m honored to call her a friend. We recorded a great Digi Show episode with her last week on Daring Greatly and it’s one of those thought-provoking episodes that has already generated so many thankful comments from our listners. I’m so happy that Ali has been able to bring back her classic Life Artist book in PDF form! This book has been out of print for awhile and every time I’ve seen it sitting on my own bookshelf, I’ve felt sad that others couldn’t get it too. Now you can! It’s a favorite of mine and I bet you will love it also!

 

I’ve been so excited that digital scrapbookers have been able to purchase the new Project Life editions from AC Digitals before they hit physical stores next month! I saw all of them at CHA and I knew I wanted them for my own digital projects. I’ve been so excited to check the AC Digitals store each Monday to find out which collection has been released. Oh, and if you want to know a great little tip – check out this post on The Daily Digi to find a 10% off coupon to use on the Project Life editions!    (expires May 1, 2013)

 

Good things going on! I just love being a scrapbooker!

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a little catch-up

I try and do one of these "catch-up" days every once in a while so I can share cool links and ideas with you that might not take up a full blog post. Here are a few things I’ve been wanting to tell you about:

 

Linda Tieu interviewed me for her pixel and paper series about digital scrapbooking techniques that apply to any scrapbooker. I hope you will take a minute to check it out!

 

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I’ve been rediscovering my love for Flickr lately and I’m feeling very inspired by the #FlickrFriday challenges like this one

Here’s a little more information about the challenge group

How can you participate? We will publish our weekly theme every Friday. You'll then have the whole weekend to take your shot and share it with us in the group pool. Don't forget to add the "Flickr Friday" and weekly theme tags to your photo.
We will feature a selection of the most amazing submissions on FlickrBlog the following week.
You can find the weekly theme right here in the group, or get notified about it on Twitter or on Facebook.
If you have any feedback or questions, let us know in the group discussions.
Kay, Thea & the Flickr team

 

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This short little video is an interesting look at the hidden costs of Facebook. The part that interested me the most was the first segment that talks about what Stanford’s psychology department says: Facebook users reliably overestimate other people’s happiness, and therefore are more depressed about their own lives – a problem plaguing women more so than men. On the flip side however, access to Facebook at work makes employees happier, and each year about 10% of companies allow browsing to improve employee morale.

 

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There’s a great post over at How About Orange on using free Library of Congress images for personal use. She always has such fun stuff on her blog!

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Well, that’s it for today. I’d love to know if you have any fun stuff to share or catch me up on!

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quick questions from Katie

 

I'd love your input to help make my blog and templates better. Here’s the link to the google form. Your answers will be completely anonymous and it’s super fast and easy to fill out. There are only 3 questions!

Can’t wait to hear what you think!

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Matters of the Heart

 

I’ve been thinking a lot about matters of the heart lately. A few weeks ago, my Dad had his third heart attack. I’m not sure how many of those a person can keep having and be ok? It scares us all. He has a lot of genetics against him. His younger brother died instantly from a massive heart attack at the age of 50. His parents both had troubles with their hearts and/or blood pressure. Since he doesn’t have great genetics for the heart, that means I don’t either. I’ve also got that dreaded apple body shape going that makes the fat I have much more dangerous. All of that means that I need to be smart, eat better, and exercise more. Of course, that is all easier said than done.

The more I learn about the heart, the more I realize how many people (even women) are at risk. I’ve had this nagging feeling that I should share some of this here on my blog in hopes of educating someone who might not otherwise know the warning signs. The reason my Dad is still here and doing pretty good is totally because my Mom understood the warning signs of a heart attack each time and insisted that he went to the hospital.

 

Common symptoms of a heart attack shared by both genders include: (from Dr. Weil’s website)

• Chest discomfort
• Arm discomfort
• Shortness of breath
• Sweating and clammy skin
• Nausea
• Stomach pain and feelings of indigestion

Additionally, women are more likely than men to experience unusual fatigue, sleep disturbances and anxiety, as well as throat, jaw and neck discomfort during a heart attack. Don't let your gender influence your response to heart concerns. If you experience these symptoms and feel you might be having a heart attack, don't delay dialing 911 - the most effective window for treatment occurs during the first 60 minutes of symptoms.

 

A few more resources to check out:

• American Heart Association symptoms of a heart attack
• WebMD heart disease guide
• Mayo Clinic heart healthy diet
• NY Times article on stress and the relationship to heart attacks

 

Besides being scary in the best circumstances or fatal in the worst, heart attacks hurt (a lot) and have many ramifications and side effects. After witnessing what my Dad has gone through, I know I don’t want to ever experience any of it. I also realize how important it is to know the warning signs so I could get help for myself or someone else if a heart attack ever occurs. Even if you don’t feel like you are at risk, chances are that someone in your life is or will be at some time. Learn the signs and have a plan to get help if needed.

Just a little public service announcement today to lighten the weight in my own heart.

 

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