Ramblings

Today's the day!!! Oh my goodness gracious gravy . . . I'm so excited. This weekend feb10 design and I are taking Catered Crop to gourmet status. We'll be working on the site and there may be times when it looks a little crazy as we transition from one design to the next. If you like those home make-over shows, you're gonna love watching the Catered Crop makeover.

December 9, 2011 | Filed Under: Ramblings | 1 Comment

My "Friday Five" is just my crazy collage of gossip, stop-the-presses news, and random thoughts for giggles and grins. Friday Five just includes anything rattling around in my head, structured a little like the way my attention span works . . . random.

Not so Grin Worthy but Important, Grin #1 – Stop the presses!! Google announced they're doing some Spring cleaning and shutting down several products. On March 12, 2012, Google is retiring Google Friend Connect for everyone who doesn't use the Blogger platform, which, includes Catered Crop (I use WordPress).

So, 202 of you lovely people who connect to Catered Crop through Google Friend Connect will need to subscribe by any of the other features like Facebook, RSS, e-mail subscription (my personal favorite) if you want to continue to keep up with all the latest and greatest (oh, and I do hope you do). Just click on any of the subscription options on the sidebar there . . . and do stay in touch!

You can read the press release about the retirement of Google Friends Connect at the Official Goggle Blog.

Grin #2 – Are you traveling during the holidays? Gotta get your scrapbooking fix while you're away from home? Check out this very cool site at Paper Crafter's Corner: US Scrapbook Stores Map.

Grin #3 – Tangerine Tango is the new Black. Pantone Color Institute®, global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, just revealed their choice for Color of the Year for 2012.

Here's what Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute® has to say about it: “Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

Oh my, is it getting warm in here is it is just me? What a seductive color choice.

Grin #4 – Design Seeds! Oh baby, this site is so full of FAB-u-Lous eye candy and design inspiration, I can just get lost for hours. If you're challenged like I am with putting together lovely color combinations, or if you just love color, you gotta see this.

Design Seeds takes objects we see everyday and dissects their color combinations. You'll never look at a carrot the same way again.

Super Big Grin #5 - Feb10 design is finished with the redesign mock-up of Catered Crop. There's rumor we might even get the new design up and running this weekend. So, if we look a little cattywampus this weekend, you'll know we're under re-construction.

Here's a sneak peak. Recognize this color combination? Yep, it's Design Seeds' carrot {ribbons}.

My heart goes into crazy palpitations when I see what feb10 design has done. Oh swoon!!! Every single element, top to bottom, is custom designed and gorgeous. You guys are gonna freak when you see it. I Can't Wait!

Alright, that's all she wrote for tonight. Now, get back to work you slugs – it's not the weekend yet.

December 9, 2011 | Filed Under: Friday Five, Ramblings Tagged With: Friday Five, Ramblings | 2 Comments

I will not play tug o' war. I'd rather play hug o' war.
Where everyone hugs instead of tugs,
Where everyone giggles and rolls on the rug,
Where everyone kisses, and everyone grins,
and everyone cuddles, and everyone wins.
~ Shel Silverstein

Just for giggles and grins . . . and you know, just the crazy way my mind works . . . here are a few random Catered Crop moments.

Grin #1 –

Just for fun, go to the Google search page and search "askew". Hee hee . . .

Grin #2 –

For giggles, check out this Random Tutorial Generator. Press the “go” button (a cute little button) and a totally awesome, cool tutorial pops up. What a fun way to grab some inspiration.

Grin #3 –

feb10 design is working fast and furiously at my new blog design. Coming soon to a screen near you. (I'm so crazy excited!) You guys are going to be so floored when you see what she's done.

Grin #4 –

I love all the creations from the My Favorite Things design team – I stalk, oops, follow each of them religiously. (Sorry, girls, I don't leave more comments – I should!) In this month's Creative Chat they each shared how they organize their creative space, and it inspired me to find a better way to store my Copic Markers – my favorite all-time crafting tool.

Check it out! I stamp at the roll-top desk I inherited from my Dad. Turns out all those cubby holes are perfect for the markers with room for more (hint, hint Santa).

My favorite thing about my "creative space" is that it's full of lots of sentimental memorabilia. You can see the Crop Crib (yes, I've named my space!) in all it's glory here.

Grin #5 -

I'm crazy excited (again) about making it to the top five of the Blog Guidebook Top Blog 2011. Thank you all for helping me make it this far.

I'm way behind in the polls right now, which, honestly, is not a bad thing. I'm in such incredible company and it's such an honor to have made it this far.

But, it's Rally Time! Please, darlings, if you have a minute, vote for me here. If you enjoy reading my blog, it would be fabulous if you could help by mentioning me on your blog, to your facebook friends, and/or your twitter followers. (Last plea, I promise.)

Grin #6 -

Are you working on your year in review? All this month the Follow the Recipe challenge is a year in review with themes each week! All you need to do is link up your favorite project in the theme of the week. This week, the theme is "Thank You" projects! Our fabulous Top Chef design team is getting in the action. Check out these favorite projects from 2011.

Renée Van Stralen's favorite 2011 Thank You card is this gorgeous multi-layored masterpiece.