Monday, July 22, 2013

Just a Little Graphic Whim


Here I am, in pajamas in my living room, in a bout of artisticism. Well, TADA!! I made a compilation of [some] of my favorite chalkboard fonts. By no means is this a comprehensive list, and I encourage you to do some poking around to find others. All of these, and thousands more can be found for free at dafont.com and fontsquirrel.com. I love finding fonts like this not only for computer projects and such, but also to generate creativity for my own hand-lettering. Pretty handy stuff. For convenience, here is a straight list, in order left to right, top to bottom:

*Orniste 
Marcelle Script
Ecuyer DAX
Londrina
*Bergomot Ornament
Windsor Hand
English Essay
Chalkline Outline
*Lullaby
Always in my Heart
Arsenale White
Windsor Hand
Handy George
*Hard Candy Striped
Amatic

* My most favorite fonts for personal use

If you, too are interested in using custom fonts on your blog, check out Kevin {&} Amanda's instructions. A word to the wise, or rather the less techno-savvy, it's a wee bit complicated. Brace yourself and best of luck, little lovelies! :)

Saturday, July 13, 2013

My Questionable Love for Tiny Animals


Guys, it's an illness. I love baby animals. Want to know how many I have caught? Couldn't tell ya, but here's a small sampling of creatures I have held in my hands (delighted, but hanging head in shame):

-baby bat - Nursed this little guy back to health in Zions National Park.
-baby hummingbird - Fell in the grass away from its mother (I am a great pseudo-mom).
-baby duckling - Caught alone on a cold night straying from the fold.
-baby blue jay - Cat attack. It was the least I could do.
-lizards
-snakes
-and anything I am allowed to touch any time I find myself in a pet store (chinchillas, bunnies, iguanas, sugar gliders, etc.). 

I am unusually interested in baby animals and I am always willing to be 'that girl' in the name of a good squirrel photo opt. 

I'm rad. I know it. 


Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Girls, BE CAREFUL!

I'm reblogging this because I feel it's an important topic. Reading this could save a life.

It seems that alot of attackers use some tactic to get away with violence. Not many people know how to take care of themselves when faced with such a
situation. Everyone should read this especially each n every girl in this world. THOUGHT THIS WAS GOOD INFO TO PASS ALONG…

FYI - Through a rapist’s eyes! A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:



1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle.
They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.

2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.

3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.

4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.

5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.

6] Number three is public restrooms.

7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.

8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.

9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas,or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.

10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.

———————————————————————————————————————————-

POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:


1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk:
can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter. Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.
 
2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would 
not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.

3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.

4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and
armpit or in the upper inner thigh - HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.

5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our
instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there.

6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using
much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.

7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel
little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.

——————————————————————————————————————————-

FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ….

I know you are smart enough to know these pointers but there will be some, where you will go “hmm I must remember that” After reading forward it to someone you care about, never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.


1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.

2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or
purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE.
 
5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:
a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be
hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .
b. If you! u are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
c. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
 
6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.
  
Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better safe than sorry.


If u have a heart or compassion reblog this post.
‘Helping hands are better than Praying Lips’ – give us your helping hand.
 
REBLOG THIS AND LET EVERY GIRL KNOW
ATLEAST PEOPLES WILL KNOW WATS GOIN IN THIS WORLD.
So please reblog this….Your one reblog can Help to spread this information.
I hope you all will Reblog. Lets See how many of you really care for this.
 
DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT NOT REBLOGGING THIS! IT COULD ACTUALLY SAVE A LIFE.
Original source says, "My grandma was tied up by Ted Bundy (She got away) so please please be aware."

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Catching up on the Wedding and Honeymoon

I think some updating is in order. Let's back up and talk about my wedding and honeymoon.


Wedding: a time for frivolity and real, happy tears. I never understood why we spend so much money and fret so (so, so) much about crushed, pink tablecloths until I arrived at the Salt Lake Temple on May 23, 2012. It really was the best day of my life. People said I wouldn't remember the details, but I think I do. We had cute straws... :) It was wonderful to see the two families so nicely integrated. I loved it! Also, and most importantly, Jeff and I and all our future posterity are sealed for time and all eternity. That's forrrrevvvverr. DO ALL THAT YOU MUST TO GET MARRIED IN THE TEMPLE. :) Just do it. It's so worth it.  I think one of my favorite parts was seeing my seven-year-old sister catch my bouquet and then head back again to catch the garter, bahahaha. A word about that, mmm, don't throw it from a balcony. I believe my bouquet picked up speed exponentially like a meteor about to hit the planet. Speeding mass of flowers careening through the Ivy House. Watch out.


I loved the whole thing. Weddings are awesome.


Honeymoon: the best darn sunburn you'll ever get. Turns out everyone on Earth knew I was going to Hawaii for my honeymoon, except me. Give that man a Klondike bar. I planned and packed for seven days in San Diego until we printed out our inventory at the airport. (!!!)


I was beyond excited and I almost used an airplane toilet (but I chickened out, for six hours).


It was all really fun. I swam by sea turtles, count'em, three times. Twice there was no one around but me, my hubby, and some algae-eating green sea turtles. Let me tell you what, turtle are exciting rocks. I hate to admit how bored I got watching them bask in the sun (for sooooo long) but they are really cute and interesting when they swim and eat, especially when you're not expecting to find one midst all the other things that look like rocks. I loved snorkeling except for the time this big scary eel swam under me, in five feet of water. It looked exactly like the one in the snorkel safety video with the caption, "some sea life may be hostile so keep your distance."


Eels. So creepy.
It probably wasn't that bad.


 Pretty sure I peed. In the ocean. Party foul. Anyway, eels aside, I love animals in nature and they were everywhere! I am sorry to say the only gecko I caught (one of my first goals set on the flight over) was a dead one. And I still took a picture with it to look cool. 


I also really liked when we were at Panda Express and Jeff said, regarding his fortune, "Claire, this is perfect for us today." It was. I cracked mine open and found the same one. Destiny!



We did get very, very sunburnt. Meh. It was funny- and painful- and now we are tan! We had a great time and props to Jeff for being such a champ when I asked him to ask the gift shop lady at the PCC if the display Christmas tree was for sale. Incidentally, it wasn't. Hahaha :)

Doing What Wifes Do

This is fabulous. I was always pretty concerned about aesthetics as a wee young thing so I cleaned and crafted and cooked and crocheted and tried to sew and took lotsandlots of cool pictures and I loved it. I put most of that on hold when I graduated high school and actually didn't buy a single baking supply until about my junior year of college. Well, I am married and my inner June Cleaver is screaming to come back. I have again donned my pearls and apron and I'd like to share what I've been up, outside of work and school and handling all the post-wedding details.


Our home had no furniture, until last week. Mister knew I was interested in painting if we couldn't find any noteworthy pieces for free or very, very cheap so one day I came home to a sturdy, practical, plain-looking desk he found on the side of the road. I had never painted furniture so I looked for some direction and found this blog that gave a wonderful tutorial. We headed down to Home Depot and  purchased TSP, primer, high gloss wood and metal paint (in "Forever Black", haha), some $2 foam rollers, foam brushes, and a drop sheet. It came about $40, what we had agreed to spend on a reasonable desk. Cool.



Jeff stationed me in the clovers and I got to work. It took two days and six or seven coats between the paint and primer. Now it looks like this:


I am pretty pleased. :)

As for the food in my little home, recently we've made Taco Chicken Tortilla Soup. We even pulled out our Gorge Foreman Grill to add an extra touch. It's a favorite. We've made it twice. We made no bake cookies (which my mother-in-law lovingly dubbed "squat-and-leave-its") and while listening to conference talks, made orange, sunflower, zucchini bread. It was not meant to be quite so poignantly sunflower so that was weird. Nevertheless, it crowned beautifully and the texture was phenominal. Lastly, I made Thai Peanut Noodles in, mmm, twenty minutes and it was not bad. The recipe calls for Linguine noodles (we used whole wheat), honey, peanutbutter, soy sauce, Sriracha hot chili sauce, minced garlic and ginger, cilantro, green onions, limes, and chopped peanuts. 


What a stylish black desk that bowl is stationed on :)

I am so happy to be back into crafting and such full swing. It's an irrepressible part of my soul. How's that for drama? 







Saturday, June 9, 2012

The Blissful End of a Five-month Engagement

Well, it happened. I am now Mrs. Married Lady and I love it. 
I love this.


Married life, in a word, is awesome. You can fall asleep watching "Meet the Robinsons" and wake up to green smoothies together. It's a date, all the time. A word about the Mister. It doesn't get better than him. Jeff is absolutely everything I've ever dreamed of.  He's the best and I want to be just like him. The most important thing is that he puts Heavenly Father first in all things. Everyone who knows him can testify of his sharp intellect, high integrity, mind-blowing prioritization skills, and a deep love for rugby. I truly have the best husband. Ever.

Well, the function of this new blog is primarily to update my family but I'll also include all the wifey things I've found helpful for anyone who might be looking for crafting stuff or great camping spots or a cache of someone's daily blessing. Those will likely all be inserted at some point... So watch out. :)

Happy trails, my lovelies.