Last year was so much fun, we're doing it again. Um... well not the whole year, but just one special part of it. In case you haven't heard, the Be My Awesome Valentine Swap is back again! That's right, crafty fun people from all over the world will be masterminding their own version of the Awesome Valentine and swapping it with other clever scamps. Doesn't that sound like fun? Of course it does, and you should join us. Check out our Flickr group for more details and to chat with other swappers.
Schedule:
So what are you waiting for?
What are your top 10 most-played songs currently?
In no particular order:
- Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken -- Camera Obscura
- Jackie -- The New Pornographers
- Impossible Germany -- Wilco
- Who Do You Love? -- Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
- Various Stages -- Great Lake Swimmers
- Emily Jean Stock -- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
- Maybe Sparrow -- Neko Case
- Post-War -- M. Ward
- Exactly Like You -- Nina Simone
- Hate It Here -- Wilco
What is the most interesting class you have ever taken?
Submitted by Melissa.
I'd still have to say the most interesting class I've taken would be "History of Medicine" taught by Prof. Lois Magner at Purdue University. History, medicine, philosophy, humor, wackiness and plagues -- what more could you ask for? (textbook here: http://www.amazon.com/History-Medicine-Second-Lois-Magner/dp/0824740742) I think I still have the study guides for this somewhere...
What sites show up if you type "S" into your browser's address bar?
A lot of boring work-related things ... and then simpy, swivel.com and scribbling.net
I’m not sure what it is with memes and numbered lists and groups of five … in fact most memes I’ve seen lately seem to have a specific number attached. I’m not sure if that’s arbitrary or if this is hinting at the underlying dependence on numerology. Then again, who am I to question the mystical significance of the meme? Right. I was amused to see that even my my fiancé got sucked into the trend by listing “5 Things You Didn’t Know About [him]” … of course I knew all of these things and I must say that there is so much more hiding away that I’m lucky to know as well. So I thought I’d just jump in and try my own post … little did I realize I had also been tagged by Brittney to list five thangs as well. Without further ado, I present:
Five Things You Didn’t Know About Me
1) I have a small panic attack any time I’m going over a bridge of any considerable size or when driving through tunnels. It does seem irrational, but I just don’t like the feeling. This is sort of ironic since I do a lot of driving over a lot of big bridges and through tunnels. I should be comfortable with it by now, I suppose, but it’s something that I just can’t seem to shake.
2) When I was in 8th grade I won an American History Essay Contest sponsored by the DAR with an essay titled “The Road to Ratification” which was all about the Constitution. This was probably the most detailed essay I ever wrote to this day and I remember I had to read a portion of it at our local DAR chapter’s ceremony. Then I think we got to go to the local Short Stop restaurant (which later became a Hardee’s and now is nothing but an empty lot) before having to go back to school. Probably due to this type of thing and because my stepdad is a history expert and teacher (trust me, I’ve been to a LOT of Civil War battlefields), I later ended up (quite by accident) with a history minor when I graduated college. (Sidenote: I actually am technically a DAR, but I’m not actually a certified member of the organization. I wonder if they have karaoke parties and sleepovers?)
3) My middle name is Denise. I’m not really sure how I feel about this. I’m actually not even sure why my parents picked this name, so if my mom is actually reading my blog, maybe she’ll post a comment and clue us all in!
4) I really hated having my picture taken as a kid and there’s still a part of me that feels irritated by it now. Some things you just don’t outgrow. Oddly, I don’t seem to mind taking pictures of myself.
5) I am a really light sleeper and I often have a hard time falling asleep. I also can’t sleep during the day, except for the times where I’ve had to stay up all night. I also must have a blanket when I am sleeping, even if it is scorching hot outside. I think these things never fail to flummox my fiancé who can, admirably, fall asleep anytime, anywhere.
Wasn’t that fascinating?
Hmmm … now for tagging people I know who haven’t already done this … I will tag Anniefay, Cooking for Margy, Julia, Neil and … uh … you.
– As I’ve mentioned before, I am a fan of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. I’d say their debut album is definitely somewhere on a list of my top albums (although I’m not quite sure how to put together one of these lists really). Although it’s not officially released until January 30, I am happy to hear that the new album, Some Loud Thunder, is available for download and pre-order, right from their MySpace page. You can actually listen to the entire album via the in-page player, but I recommend you just buy it already and be done with it. I haven’t had a chance to give the complete album my full attention all the way through yet, but my first impressions are good. I will say that I may end up just liking it and not loving it as much as I did the first one, but I will have to see how it evolves after a few listens.
– Who doesn’t love Art? And by Art I mean Garfunkel, of course. Did you know that not only is Art coming out with a new album, he’s also a pretty busy reader. Why he’s read more books before I was even born than I’ve probably read in my whole life! Ok, maybe I’m exaggerating, but he is definitely into reading. So much so that he’s recorded every book that he’s read since 1968. I KNOW! Oh and in case you’re wondering, yes, Art did read The DaVinci Code (in February 2004). I guess the once Mayor of New York should be well-read. [via mental floss]
– One may be the loneliest number, but is zero the most mysterious? Probably, but don’t tell 13. Not sure why, but I found this short history of zero fascinating.
– Ok, maybe I’m not trendy and gourmet enough … or something. Lord knows I’m not cool, but is it just me or is there somewhere we need to draw the line here?
– As someone who recently purchased a dSLR camera, I am enjoying reading up on articles like this one by Philip Greenspun, Building a Digital SLR Camera System. It goes beyond just selecting what works for you, but outlines how to really get the most out of (what is most likely) a new approach to photography for those getting away from P&S.
– Are you disorganized? Of course you are. And it’s likely costing you money! If that’s not motivation to get your act together, I don’t know what is. Since one of my resolutions for this year is to really get a handle on not just managing my finances, but managing them well, this Mighty Bargain Hunter post: Sixteen ways being disorganized costs you money didn’t come a moment too soon.
Swap bop de bop blop bop...
Hello everyone! So the Christmas tree is on the curb, the menorah is packed away, Festivus grievances have been aired and the New Year's champagne is more drained than me at the end of a typical work day... what's a crafty, holiday-loving person to do?
Well that's where we come in ...
Remember in grade school when you'd decorate a shoebox and wait for all those different Valentines to come in from your classmates? Or picking out the right Scooby-Doo Valentine for that "special" someone in your class? Even better -- maybe you made your own Valentines out of construction paper and foil doilies. That's right, instead of the sexy, we're bringing Valentine making back
Official Rules, Schedule and Guidelines stuff:
Sign ups: To join in the fun, you should sign up by January 19, 2007. This will give us time to see how many entrants we have and assign everyone to an awesomely awesome group. To sign up, just email Caryn (firecracker at lit-fuse dot net) or Jamelah (jamelah at jamelah dot net) with your name, email address and a mailing address. You know, one where people can actually send real objects to. If you have a blog/website address, include that as well. Please also include if you do not want to mail to an international address (outside of the US/Canada). (If you are already outside of the US/Canada, well then you're probably not going to be able to be only matched up with people in your local area and besides, what fun would that be?) Also we're not going to give your info away or sell it or any of that jazz, it will just be redistributed to those in your group for the purposes of this swap.
Assignments: We'll send everyone their group assignments by January 26, 2007. These will be the people you will need to send your swap item to. Each group will be approximately four - five people.. You can make a set of identical items to send to each person in your group or make different items for each person. You will also be assigned a group administrator to send your swap item to as well, to make sure everyone is being all fair and love and rainbows.
Swap Items: The swap items don't have to be extravagant, professional looking or expensive. However they should be handmade or hand altered and show some creativity and care. That is, we don't want you to send out a boxed valentine or scrawl a heart on a Post-It note and call it good. Read some more about this here.
Mailing: You should complete and mail out all your swap items by February 9, 2007 with the goal in mind to get them to your group members before Valentine's Day. If you're mailing to/from an international address, you may need to add a little extra time. We do understand that things come up or unforseeable disasters may happen, but in order to make this fair and fun for all, we do ask if you sign up, please make every effort to complete the swap. You'll be glad you did. Really.
Results: We think that swaps can be a fun and creatively motivating -- not only for those in your group, but for everyone "watching along at home" as well. For that reason we'd love to have you post about the swap on your blog, invite others to join in even, post about your swap items and include pictures of your swaps and the swaps you receive in our Flickr group or here on Vox. Tag your photos/posts "ValentineSwapapalooza2007" and add them to the pool, if you're posting on Flickr.
And that's about it ... now sign up and have FUN WITH IT!
WOO!
Show us something that warms your heart.
My daughter bonding with her new cousin-to-be outside the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC
Show us how you rang in the new year!
Recent Comments
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J Dewey said:
Ever since my good friend Bradford told me Clap Your Hands Say Yeah was coming out with a new album... read more
on Bits & Pieces -
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Enjoyed your post and I share some of the same things as you and I thought I was the only... read more
on Meme is the Word