The Pink Swap & More

Misty over at Rainy Day In May is having a huge shebang to encourage Breast Cancer Awareness in the month of October.

She's going pink all month long!

From pink giveaways, to 31 days of awareness-increasing posts and stories about breast cancer from her readers, and donating all of her blog revenue for the month to the National Breast Cancer Research Foundation, she's really reaching out to the blogosphere to make things happen!

She is also hosting a Pink Swap!

For the swap, the participant's job is to find a minimum one pink item to send to their swap partner, which somehow supports or raises awareness for breast cancer, that also brings beauty and joy into their life. Hand-crafted items are welcome.

You have until October 1st to email Misty, the lovely lady organizing it to get involved, and all of the details are on her blog.


*Yes, this is likely all the most pink you'll ever get from me. *chuckle* See what I'm willing to go through for my friends?

Cre8ing BuzZ

I've been really busy lately with all sorts of things, and haven't been doing all of the social networking or business extra stuff I usually would do in a day, so it came as a huge surprise when a week or two ago, my ranking on Cre8Buzz ranking was 42, and yesterday I looked and it was #1!

WOW

Just wow.

It only lasted a day, so I popped in and added more new content for folks to check out and rate so I can pop back into the top slot, but it is really exciting to be at or near the top of the heap in my category. Of course, now that I'm working to maintain top doggy in my category, I guess I am supposed to work towards being in the top 10 site-wide. It's really fun meeting new people and sharing interests with them, and some of the best new bloggers I've discovered in the last 6 months have been found by browsing around there.

Great folks, good times, laughs and useful information, all in one close-knit community. I'm so glad I found it!

To join in on the fun, click the kink in the blue widget/box on the left of this blog to go to my profile page and hit the "login" link at the top of the profile.

See you on the BuzZ!

Tagged for Greatness

I found Whimspiration listed on someone else's blog again a while back while browsing the Internet, and had to go take a look at what they were doing and why my little blog had made it to a place of honor on their piece of the web. I tracked it back to it's beginning where this amazing blogger lists me as an awesome and insightful writer capable of keeping company with many of my favorite reads like Lifehacker, CopyBlogger, and Successful Blog, amongst hundreds of others.

I even got a special recognition badge for being an "Outstanding Blogger"!

Another fabulous blogger "doing the meme" challenged us all on the list (and anyone else for that matter) to join the Entrepreneur Meme and link back to the meme's starting page. For each link back he got from folks participating, he donated $1 to charity, up to $500!

Now, I can't think of a nicer thing for a body to do; provide hundreds of folks with excellent blog-fodder, amazing reading material, oodles of extra traffic, and donate to charity for each person who takes him up on the offer. Kudos!

To participate, we were to read A Complete List of 100 Attributes of People Who Start Companies: How You Can Be One of America’s Entrepreneurs. Add our own story, and either link back to him or drop him an email so he knows you've done your bit.

Now, I never managed to find the time to do the meme, but, I strongly suggest reading the article for anyone who has or is interested in starting their own business. It is a fabulous guide for entrepreneurs everywhere, in all fields of work, from service to sales and more. The traits of a successful business owner. Read it, learn it, live it. The definitive recipe for success.

I feel bad that I didn't participate, but when things are busy, sometimes there's no chance, and no time to simply "do more".

Not So Perfect

My bloggy buddy Penelope Anne gave me this big fat juicy award. I love it! *grin* It has already made itself at home over on the awards page (see links list up in the right sidebar).

Thanks Mama Bear! *hug*

Bodacious Blog Award

Penelope Anne over at The Cafe At The End of the Universe awarded me this lovely bloggy award.

This is a special type of award, that you get awarded, then award it on to others. Take some joy and pass it on!

To fun and friends. To each other, sharing, supporting, and laughing through the pains and successes of life.

Thanks Penelope Anne!

I am giving this award to my know-you-in-real-life blogging friends. Without further adieu, Here's the list.

Faithib
Ameryth
Dana
Rambleman
Lovelife

Now I get to travel around and tell all these lovely folks in their comments that they've received this special reward.

Pass on the love. Who do you know with a bodacious blog?

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A Holiday Award

Mary over at Mary's Writing Nook dropped in the other day and gave me an award for sharing the spirit of the holiday.

Obviously we celebrate the season differently, she and I, but that doesn't change the feeling and intent behind the recognition and the special gift. Like I said last year, it's not how the positive wishes are expressed that makes the statement one of kindness and generosity, but rather it is that the person thought enough to stop in their busy day, say hello, and wish you joy. The blog will wear it proudly, all season long. *smile*

Thank you Mary!

Here's hoping everyone has a safe holiday season, filled with family, friends, and love.

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We Did It ! & Other Revelations

Well, the internet didn't quite explode, but I had a lot of fun! *grin*

National Blog Posting Month has come to an end, and I have managed to post every day! Despite the erratic nature of the times of the posts, I've shared something new with you, reliably, for 30 whole days in a row, with hundreds of like-minded challenge-seekers.

Among the thousands of participants, I discovered a plethora of fabulous new blogs, found many new bloggy friends, and met the goal. Hundreds of other determined bloggers have made it to the end with me; overworked, successful, and proud. My comrades in wordcrafting, I salute you.

To those who didn't quite make it all the way this year for whatever reason, there's always next year! Another challenge, another day, whereupon many more of us will succeed through the power of determination, stubbornness, or just some strange form of lemming-like insanity that seems rampant on the blogosphere. *wink*

Last year was my first attempt, and I missed a couple of days like most of us do when we first try, but this year I got it right, taking a few minutes or an hour out of each day to write something new or elaborate on something I had seeded earlier in order to create fresh content for you each day.

I learned a lot this time around. A lot about myself, about other bloggers, about time management, and about prioritizing my goals. I've decided that I should meet the small goals first, then work my way up, and that no matter what else gets in the way, even homelessness, there is always a way to do what you feel is truly important. It's the most stable and reasonable way to truly reach, and then maintain my dreams.

One down, millions more little dreams to go. Maybe next year, I'll commit to the ultimate insanity and do NaNoWriMo in addition to NaBloPoMo. With any luck, I'll be doing them both from our traveling home, our very own RV.

In the nice time, you know where you can find me. *grin*


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JingleBlog JingleBlog Jingle all the Day

Happy Ho ho, Festivus, and gifty season everyone!

Now that Thanksgiving is over, I feel the need to decorate. Seeing as how we have no home of our own to make pretties, I decided virtual decor was going to have to do. *grin*

This is my first time decorating the blog in any way but a small image in a post, and I likely wouldn't have gone so far with it (note image banner, colored text, and fancy new super-light green background color) had I not been inspired by an outside force. Heck, I even changed the colors of the Google Adsense ads to match! *laugh*

Of course, the happy little Deck The Blogs Un-contest from Contest Hotel didn't have anything to do with it. *sly wink*

It was really fun to try out decorating, and I even managed to put in a third column, which I've been wanting to get done for ages. It was a great lesson in CSS, and heavens' know I really needed a good, working knowledge of that.

So in thanks to my lovely and talented motivators, and in cooperation with the contest rules, you will see the contest badge on the left side of the page.

Oh what fun it is to find a new contest to play!

I am a participant in NaBloPoMo.

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Whooo Aaaare Yooouuuu?

Who indeed.

Red Monkey writes about cultural identification, what it means to have a place to belong, and the search for a heritage, when there is none to be found in your own family. Robin's family always said they were American, which led to a personal lifelong search for something that fit. It's a great read, and really made me think.

We also say that we are American, but only because our family tree branches like Yggdrasill. I am Spanish, Italian, Scotch, Irish, English, German, and Native American. Keebler is Norse, Slavic, French, Scottish, Irish, Spanish, Polynesian, Egyptian, Native American, Greek, and a light dash of some Asian, such a small amount that they haven't properly traced it back yet. Ladybug's father is mostly English with a dash of French and German, while Littlebit's birth mother is English and Welsh. 100% muttbred. *grin*

We adopt cultural traditions and recipes from all over, creating in our own family a sort of mashed cultural identity, which I deem very appropriate for who we are, the place this country is, and who/what all goes into it to make it what it is.

We are all people, from all places, coming together for common goals. We are a blend of the best and worst of all cultures. We are American, even if we never achieve the goals that first brought us together.

Who are you?

I am a participant in NaBloPoMo.

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Google Fun & Surprise SEO

I've been looking at some new blogs and "meeting" fabulous new people this last week online as a break from other, much more tedious tasks, sitting on the floor and utilizing the neighbor's free-yet-nebulous WiFi. In my journeys online, I discovered that you can find out where your site visitors come from, and what searches on Google brought them to you.

So I decided to give it a try. *grin*

Single most popular search term that brings new folks in right now: anything relating to the Fly Fusion Pentop Computer. Anything at all.

fly fusion review
Fly Fusion Pentop Computer
fly fusion reviews <- First Page! fly fusion pen reviews <- First Page! reviews "fly fusion pentop computer" <- First Page! fly fusion pentop computer reviews <- First Page! fusion like pen <- First Page! LeapFrog FLY Fusion Pentop Computer reviews <- First Page! flyworld pen <-First Page Higher Up! FLY Fusion Pen Top Computer reviews <-First Page Higher Up than the last! fly word products <-First Page Higher Up than the last! does the fly fusion pentop computer work <- Third on the list! what can the FLY fusion pen do <- Second on the list!! fly pen that hooks up to computer <-TOP Google Rank!!!

Of course all of those lead to my thorough review of Leap Frog's newest product.

I don't blame them though, that thing is fantastic, and to top off the amazing, no lead paint! (They put the lead in the white paint see, so even without special testing, I know that my gray pen with a black icon has no lead, a quality that is increasingly rare in popular holiday toys this year.) I do so love this thing! Heck, I'm practically gushing! *chuckle* No, really, buy one. Even better, buy one by linking from the Amazon ads on this blog. *conspires* You'll be glad you did.

These next ones didn't come in on the front page, likely because there are several different versions of this online, and some of the websites they are on actually pay huge marketing firms for advertising. *wink*

thanksgiving tree craft
hands tree crafts thanksgiving

Where you can discover how to create lasting memories and thought-provoking, compostable fun for the whole family while taking up no floor space whatsoever, or the two smaller versions that I created and posted about later that month.

But it is the season for such searches, and with winter coming on fast, the next one was a no-brainer as well.

cardboard faux fireplace
recyclable fireplace
temporary fireplace
faux fireplace instructions <- First Page!
large cardboard fireplace <- TOP Google Rank Again!!!!!

Where you find instructions for creating the most simple and easy, eco-friendly recycled fireplace craft on the planet.

Ending up the lot is a bit of green to remember the past season.

guerilla gardens planting seeds in ugly places <- First Page!
steps to addiction <- TOP Google Rank Once More!!!

Which lead our lucky searchers to my tutorial about how to easily get addicted to beautifying your city with Guerilla Gardening, a process that relies on regular people reclaiming neglected places through horticulture.

Of course, then there are the folks who just Google "Whimspiration", as well as the token obligatory "I forgot I was typing in a search box instead of the browser window" full URL search. *chuckle*

I've never checked my page rankings for various search terms before, and this was both really fun, and enlightening. Can you tell by all the exclamation points that I am excited about my newly discovered search engine rankings? *grin*

Where'd you find me?

I am a participant in NaBloPoMo.

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2000 Bloggers

Getting back into reading my blogs a little again, I read on Everyday Goddess about Tino, who is putting the faces of 2000 bloggers into a fantastic art and community linking project. Click here to try and locate me.

You can even get included in the project, regardless of your popularity or niche. How fun!

11 Goals In My Post-Thanksgiving Agenda

Ben over at Instigator Blog asks "What are your post-Thanksgiving goals?" for the post Thanksgiving goal writing project.

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year;

* I will recover all of my data from a hard drive I thought was dead and back up all the data, twice!

* I will attempt to recover the data from my other previously-assumed defunct hard drive, as I now think there may still be hope for it.

* I will continue to blog every day, even after NaBloPoMo is over, no matter how busy I get.

* I will manage to get the holiday pictures taken, gifts made, and most everything delivered.

* I will make the ArtFoodFun website into something that is at least functional and possible to make purchases from, even if my divatastic artist self recoils in horror at the way it looks. At least I'll finally have some form of functionality. After two years of nothing, working is a step I'll be happy for, no matter how ugly it is. *sigh*

* I will spend more quality time with my children.

* I will finish cleaning and organizing the closets.

* I will breed the rabbits.

* I will get the yarden clean and straightened out.

* I will post two new recipes to the blog.

* I will finish building the raised bed and fill it with leaves and compost.

What are your goals before December 25th?

Tags: Post-Thanksgiving Goal Writing Project instigator blog instigator rabbits cleaning recipes goals writing group writing project data recovery blogging gifts delivery presents holiday photo website web design web store ecommerce yarden gardening garden food not lawns quality time children Thanksgiving Christmas Yule raised bed compost

Come See Me: Gather.com Frontpage!

I just got two emails from the Gather.com staff in my inbox. Never before have I had a private message from them, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I had my hopes up. Come to find out, I should have expected better than the best!

I have been recognised for my contributions on an international website that I have only been a member of for a little over a month to such an extent that the site editors have decided to feature me (from their many millions of members) on the front page of the site! *hops around excitedly*

Here's the first message they sent me;

"Dear Kryistina,
On behalf of the editorial team here at Gather, I am very pleased to inform you that we are featuring members who enjoy making crafts, and you have been chosen to appear on the Gather homepage.
Congratulations! Your icon will be featured on Thursday, November 23, 2006 from 6:00 a.m. EDT. Be sure to tell friends and family to go to Gather.com to see your great efforts recognized.Best regards, and thanks for contributing to Gather!"

The second note stated that I was to be featured on Friday, November 24, 2006 from 6:00 a.m. EDT! I take this to mean that I am going to be featured for two days running! I've never heard of that before on gather, and I am SO excited! *grin*

Come join me here, and take part in the fun!

Tags: blogging blogger blog showcase blog recognition myspace crafts gather crafty gather.com front page feature featured

I'm a Face Painting SOB, and Making Cordage is Fun!

I am pleased to announce that I have been counted among the Week 48 SOBs over at Successful Blog. Have a look at The full list and read some of the other blogs who share the honor of being named "Successful and Outstanding Blogger".





Yesterday was another day working painting faces at the Bearfest Village tailgate party in the parking lot across from Plaster Stadium at MSU. Again, it was great fun, and again, we did well. We'll be there every home game, so be sure to stop by and say hi if you are in the area. *smile*

While I was gone at work, the primitive cordage workshop was going off without a hitch. From leaf to fiber to rope, everyone made their own beautiful bit of cordage to take home. A couple of people had to cancel, so those who could make it got to take home extra supplies to work with at their leisure.

How to Top 5 +1

The results are in for the group writing project over at Pro Blogger. Over 300 bloggers turned out to participate and the final list is The Biggest List of ‘How To’ Blog Posts Ever Assembled.

The thing is, admissions couldn't be old posts. They all had to be new ones. New how to posts on demand, pick a subject. I found it really challenging, but also exceedingly fun. *smile* I will definitely be participating in the next group writing project over there if I can.

In order to further increase community in the blogosphere and in accordance with the suggestions where all this started, here are my top 5 in no particular order.

How to Always be Late for Everything by Nascent Life.
A funny and honest look at what makes the incessantly late get that way more often than not. A very good read.

Creating Cartoons With Your Pencil and Computer Part 1 by Chewing Pencils
Informative and helpful, with full illistrations to help you along, the beginning of this series looks like it has a lot to offer anyone looking to get into multimedia art.

How to Have a Better Garden than the Neighbors by Doug Green's Gardening
Well written and simple, while still being highly conversational and friendly. I like the subject matter and how he writes. Garden bloggers unite!

Attempting to "how too" - now with more pie! by Busy Mom
A hilarious look at how danred near impossible it is for a busy mom to kick out good content on short notice. Beautifully done, and it gave me a good laugh right when I needed it, all the while nodding my head in agreement.

Teach a Person Good Headers and Style Cred is Theres For Life
A really informative and well written post on a rather obscure but important blogging subject. Not only has the subject not been covered very thoroughly, but the title just refuses to leave my head.

I will say that there were a lot of amazing and well written posts submitted. I will also say that, like most people, my choices of what to read were based almost entirely on the title of the post, so I did not read all of the entries.

How to Begin Selling on Ebay by Thatedeguy
A great starting point for anyone interested in selling on Ebay, outlining all of the basics so you don't get lost in the beginning and give up in dissapointment. I chose this one thinking of my friend They-are-not-aware, who I just met in person for the first time this week (much with the happiness). I only skimmed through this one because the absence of line breaks was about to drive me mad, but I had to link to it for her. *smile*

Anybody know what kind of spider that is up there? She lives in our shed.

Technorati Tags: Spider Successful Blog Top 5 Nacent Life Chewing Pencils Busy Mom Ebay How to Tutorial

Bloggy Awards

Presented in reverse chronological order, for your enjoyment.