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Tuesday, August 23, 2011

kids crack me up!

These always brighten my day :)
Take a stab at it.  See if they work for you.

Yup... in the words of this guy...


"I don't care who ya'are... that there's FUNNY!"

Friday, August 19, 2011

IMPRESS AND BE YOUR BEST

I FOUND THIS POST @ MARK AND ANGEL HACK LIFE
and I just had to share...
Here are 28 dignified ways to impress everyone around you. If you practice these tips on a regular basis, they won’t just impress others, they’ll help you become a better person too. {There's some great life lessons in this list for your kids too!}

{We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give. ~ Winston Churchill}

1. Be authentic. Be true to yourself. ~ Judy Garland once said, “Always be a first rate version of yourself instead of a second rate version of somebody else.” Live by this statement. There is no such thing as living in someone else’s shoes. The only shoes you can occupy are your own. If you aren’t being yourself, you aren’t truly living – you’re merely existing. And ask yourself this: If you don’t like who you really are, why should I like you?

2. Care about people. ~ If you don’t genuinely care about people, they won’t care about you. The more you help others, the more they will want to help you. Love and kindness begets love and kindness. And so on and so forth.

3. Make others feel good. ~ People will rarely remember what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel.

4. Be honest and take ownership of your actions. ~ Nobody likes a liar. In the long-run, the truth always reveals itself anyway. Either you own up to your actions or your actions will ultimately own you.

5. Smile often. ~ Everyone likes the sight of a genuine smile. Think about how you feel when a complete stranger looks into your eyes and smiles. Suddenly they don’t seem like a stranger anymore, do they?

6. Respect elders. Respect minors. Respect everyone. ~ There are no boundaries or classes that define a group of people that deserve to be respected. Treat everyone with the same level of respect you would give to your grandfather and the same level of patience you would have with your baby brother. People will notice your kindness.

7. Address people by their name. ~ People love the sight and sound of their own name. So make sure you learn to remember names. Use them courteously in both oral and written communication.

8. Say “Please” and “Thank you.” ~ These two simple phrases make demands sound like requests, and they inject a friendly tone into serious conversations. Using them can mean the difference between sounding rude and sounding genuinely grateful.

9. Excel at what you do. ~ I am impressed by great guitarists, writers, bloggers, painters, motivational speakers, internet entrepreneurs, computer engineers, mothers, fathers, athletes, etc. There is only one thing they all have in common: They excel at what they do. There’s no point in doing something if you aren’t going to do it right. Excel at your work and excel at your hobbies. Develop a reputation for yourself, a reputation for consistent excellence.

10. Help others when you’re able. ~ In life, you get what you put in. When you make a positive impact in someone else’s life, you also make a positive impact in your own life. Do something that’s greater than you – something that helps someone else to be happy or to suffer less. Everyone values the gift of unexpected assistance and those who supply it.

11. Put a small personal touch on everything you do. ~ Think of it as branding your work. If you’re funny, add a little humor into it. If you’re an artist, decorate it with illustrations. Whatever you do, customize it with a little personal touch of ‘you.’

12. Over-deliver on all of your promises. ~ Some people habitually make promises they are just barely able to fulfill. They promise perfection and deliver mediocrity. If you want to boost your personal value in the eyes of others, do the exact opposite. Slightly under-sell your capabilities so that you’re always able to over-deliver. It will seem to others like you’re habitually going above and beyond the call of duty.

13. Get organized. ~ How can you get anything accomplished if you aren’t organized? You can’t. Make a regular habit of organizing your living space and working space. 

14. Do your research and ask clarifying questions. ~ Don’t be that clueless dude in the room who just nods like he knows what’s going on. Prepare yourself by doing research ahead of time. And if something still doesn’t make sense to you, ask questions. The people involved will respect your desire to understand the material.

15. Share knowledge and information with others. ~ When you can, be a resource to those around you. If you have access to essential information, don’t hoard it. Share it openly.

16. Be positive and focus on what’s right. ~ Everything that happens in life is neither good nor bad. It just depends on your perspective. And no matter how it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should. Either you succeed or you learn something. So stay positive, appreciate the pleasant outcomes, and learn from the rest. Your positivity will rub off on everyone around you.

17. Listen intently to what others have to say. ~ Eyes focused, ears tuned, mobile phone off. In a world that can’t move fast enough, someone who can find time to listen to others is always appreciated.

18. Be faithful to your significant other. ~ Sustained fidelity in a long-term intimate relationship is not only impressive, it creates a healthy foundation for everything else you do.

19. Learn to appreciate and love Mother Nature. ~ Those who truly appreciate and love the natural world surrounding us typically exhibit the same high regard for all humanity. It’s a positive way to live, and it’s something people notice.

20. Invest time, energy and money in yourself every day. ~ When you invest in yourself, you can never lose, and over time you will change the trajectory of your life. You are simply the product of what you know. The more time, energy and money you spend acquiring pertinent knowledge, the more control you have over your life and the more valuable you will be to everyone around you. 

21. Perform random acts of kindness on a regular basis. ~ Buy the office receptionist flowers just to say, “Thank you.” Help an elderly lady with her groceries. There’s nothing more rewarding than putting smiles on the faces around you.

22. Compliment people who deserve it. ~ Go out of your way to personally acknowledge and complement the people who have gone out of their way to shine. Everybody likes to hear that their efforts are appreciated.

23. Speak clearly and make eye contact. ~ Most people have a very low tolerance for dealing with people they can’t understand. Mystery does not fuel strong relationships and impressiveness. Also, there’s little doubt that eye contact is one of the most captivating forms of personal communication. When executed properly, eye contact injects closeness into human interaction.

24. Make yourself available and approachable. ~ If people cannot get a hold of you, or have trouble approaching you, they will forget about you. Your general availability and accessibility to others is extremely important to them. Always maintain a positive, tolerant attitude and keep an open line of communication to those around you.

25. Be self-sufficient. ~ Freedom is the greatest gift. Self-sufficiency is the greatest freedom. And self-sufficiency is quite impressive too. In the business world, it’s one of the primary dreams that inspire people to give-up their day jobs to pursue entrepreneurship.

26. Exploit the resources you do have access to. ~ The average person is usually astonished when they see a physically handicap person show intense signs of emotional happiness. How could someone in such a restricted physical state be so happy? The answer rests in how they use the resources they do have. 

27. Be a part of something you believe in. ~ This could be anything. Some people take an active role in their local city council, some find refuge in religious faith, some join social clubs supporting causes they believe in, and others find passion in their careers. In each case the psychological outcome is the same. They engage themselves in something they strongly believe in. This engagement brings happiness and meaning into their lives. It’s hard not to be impressed by someone who’s passionate about what they’re doing.

28. Stand up for your beliefs without flaunting them. ~ Yes, it is possible to stand up for your beliefs without foisting them down someone else’s throat. Discuss your personal beliefs when someone asks about them, but don’t spawn offensive attacks of propaganda on unsuspecting victims. Stand firm by your values and always keep an open mind to new information.

Of course, the coolest thing about this list is that everything you need to impress everyone around you is already contained within you. So stop trying to impress people with the possessions you own and start inspiring them with who you are and how you live your life.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

How to make a LITTLE MAN bow tie


 
See the whole gorgeous shoot on Martha Stewart Weddings here and get the full DIY for how to sew a clip-on bowtie for a boy after the jump...

How to Make A Bowtie

You'll need some fabric and a teensy bit of lightweight interfacing for the bow. There are two different ways to sew a bow tie, in this DIY.  See the measurements for each item below.

Simple Bow Tie & Double Bow Tie

These two use the same method but the big one doubles up. Make 'em any size you want, I like them a little big to give the boy a funky look.

1.  For each bow tie cut two rectangles of fabric 1/4" bigger then you want your finished bow tie to be.  Mine are 4.25" X 3.25" for the small one.  For the big one I also cut two pieces 6.25" X 5.25".  You'll also need a piece of fabric for the center of the bow tie 2" wide X 3" long. I eyeballed it after the fact but it should be double the width you want it to be plus 1/2" and the length plus 1/2".


2.  Cut a piece of lightweight double-sided interfacing 1/4" smaller then the fabric and iron it to the wrong side of one rectangle.


3.  Leave the paper on the un-ironed side of your interfacing and pin your rectangles right sides facing.

Sew all the way around the edge with 1/8" seam allowance, leaving a hole in the center of one long side for turning, then remove the paper from the interfacing and trim the corners:

Turn it inside out, push the corners out as sharp as you can, and fold the edges under at the turning hole.  Iron it flat, which will attach the interfacing to both sides and give you a stiff rectangle:


4.  Now take your small piece of fabric and fold it in half the long way right sides facing and sew a tube.  Turn it right side out and iron it flat with the seam in the middle:

Fold it in half right sides facing and sew together along the short side like so (ignore my huge seam allowance, I cut it off after as I was eyeballing it):

Iron the seam flat:

Turn it right side out:

Take your bow (or two bows) and fold them accordion style:
-
and slip your tube over them.  Arrange your bow tie to your liking:

You're done:


Double Fold Bow Tie

This one is my favorite and also the easiest!

1.  Cut two long pieces of fabric, double the length you want your bow tie plus 1/2" and the width your want your bow tie plus 1/4".  So for mine I cut two pieces of fabric 12.5" long by 3.5" wide.


2.  Cut a piece of lightweight double-sided fusible interfacing the size of your finished bow tie (3"x6" for mine) and iron it to the wrong side of one piece of fabric in the center:


3.  Leave the paper on the un-ironed side of the interfacing and lay your two pieces of fabric right sides facing:

Sew around the two long sides and one short side:

Trim the corners, remove the paper from the interfacing, turn it inside out, poke out the corners, and fold the edges of the unfinished side under.  Iron it flat to fuse the interfacing to both sides:


4.  Decide which side is the front of your bow tie and fold it in half with that side to the inside:

 Sew up the short side:

You've created a tube.  Turn it inside out and align the seam to the middle of the back:


5.  Sew the tube as described in the simple bow tie above:

And slide it onto your bow tie with all the seam to the back:

You're done!


The little boys at the party will all look so dang cute wearing these! Oh little MAN I am so so excited!


The little man birthday party planning has officaly begun! Looking at the calendar it's only 1 month away (YIKES!) so I thought I had better get started! Thank you Martha Stewart for this free bow tie pattern! <3
xoxo

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

12 most MOTIVATING QUOTES

LOVING THESE FAMOUS INSPIRING QUOTES
perfect for the start of a new week...
{Print them out and stick them on your fridge!}

1. Happiness is a direction, not a destination.
-Unknown

2. Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it.
-Bill Cosby

3. Love yourself.

4. Where there is love, there is life.
-Gandhi

5. The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
-Eleanor Roosevelt

6. The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.
-Jimmy Johnson

7. An eye for an eye only makes the world blind.
-Gandhi

8. Bring deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
-Lao Tzu

9. Happiness depends upon ourselves.
-Aristole

10. If you're doing your best, you won't have time to worry about failure.
-H. Jackson Brown Jr

11. The purpose of life is a life of purpose.
-Robert Byrne

12. We can't solve problems by using the same thinking we used to create them.
-Albert Einstein

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

FAIRY FABULOUS Birthday


A land filled with fairies, giggle dust, cupcakes, and enormous amounts of imagination for such a sweet little girl! A day I will never forget! Enjoy....






A land filled with fairies, giggle dust, cupcakes, and enormous amounts of imagination for such a sweet little girl! A day I will never forget! Enjoy....