The Spoonjar Chronicles

Fall Colors

Grace and I are enjoying our walks-the colors are magic!!

Pinterest "Intervention"

 Pinterest is a very popular website.  I have enjoyed being on Pinterest.  I like to see what others are Pinning to their boards, but what I really like about Pinterest is the ease at which it organizes things I see on the web.  Also, I like   finding new and different websites that are linked to the photos.  I really don't spend too much time on Pinterest.  I use it about the same way I would use my time to browse through a magazine.   Those of us who use Pinterest probably don't look at the big picture-like who is doing this?  Why are they doing this?  What is in it for them?  Could it all be about advertising...collecting trends, data on what people like or don't like? Now the investor side of me is wondering how Pinterest plans to make money.  So far it is alllllllll free-at least to the users. I believe there are even some Pinterest Etiquette rules that say it is not to be used for self promotion.  Yet, I keep wondering where the revenue stream will come from.  Hmmm.  Do you think Pinterest may be selling the information they are collecting?  Just sayin'. 

I have given plenty of Pinterest  invites to friends.  There is much gushing of gratitude for said invite and also gnashing of teeth from people who have been waiting to be invited.  This considered, I think Pinterest could make a killing offering support groups for the addicted.  Although as one grateful Pinner told me, she needed a support group, but alas, was so busy Pinning she wouldn't have time to attend.  Do you need a Pinterest Intervention.  Have you neglected your friends, family and other responsibilities in front of the computer screen...Pinning, pinning and pinning away your life?  Maybe we all need an intervention. Facebook makes money on ads.  What do you think Pinterest will do to have a revenue stream?  Suggestions?

 Sherry Turkle is a professor at MIT and recently wrote the book Alone Together.  You can read the review in the NYT here.  I recently attended a  lecture she gave.  My interpretation of what she said is that we move about the internet world, dropping bits of personal information here, there, everywhere and how no one seems to be too concerned about this.  She said this information will be the BIG, BIG, BIG revenue stream for companies.  Companies will buy all this information to use for marketing and who knows what else.  I don't think she was saying that this is a bad thing necessarily, but was pointing out how cautiously  we used to guard information.  Now we boldly put it all out there for the world to see, process, comment on, and copy/paste to someone else. This is all just food for thought.  I don't have the answers.  I am definitely NOT going to stop Pinning.  If there are some suits in an office in Dallas, Tx monitoring my Pins, I am not going to sweat it.  However, if I were in the office furniture manufactoring industry I would take a REAL close look at this PIN.  Here is a photo of it:

You see that Pin was Repined several hundred times.  You don't have to be a rocket scientist or a marketing genuis to know THAT photo hit a nerve. 

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to pin I go!  Have a great day!

 

 

 

Christmas Cookies-The Hunt for the Perfect Cookie

It is that time of year...time to make the list.  You know the one...the list of cookies to make.   The pretty ones, the delicious ones, the favorite ones, the traditional ones.
I give Christmas cookies to friends and family as a special treat each year on Christmas Eve.  I enjoy putting the gifts together and sharing our love. 

I have favorite, go-to recipes that repeat every year.  I struggled to find a really good chocolate chip cookie recipe.  My chocolate chip cookies did not have pizazz.  I began to research this cookie and found a very interesting article in the New York Times.  You can read the article here.  I have used this recipe with great success.  The cookies are definitely better after keeping the cookie dough in the refridgerator for a couple of days.  Making a bigger cookie too is key.  I use a golf-ball size of dough for each cookie.  Here they are!

Give Thanks and Be Joyful via Pinterest

Thanksgiving was a wonderful-food-filled event at our house.  Much preparation went into cooking, then eating, then eating some more...yikes!  I wrote some emails to friends and loved-ones in the days leading up to and on Thanksgiving.  As I wrote I was awed by the many, many blessings that we experienced this year and reminded that God is good and gracious and oh-so-kind.  So many of my prayers were answered this year...in fact so many that I made a special mosiac in honor of the blessings that God has given us this year...

1.  Goofy Gracie  2. ENGAGEMENT and New Job close to HOME! 3. SUCCESS in Culinary School  4. New healthy life for Pearl 5. New addition to family-Lilly  6. Creative endeavors  7.  Family Vacations      8. Happy Faces  9. Healing   10. Bridal Showers  11. Gardens  12.   Rehearsal Dinners  13. New Homes  14. Showers of Love  15.  Memories  16.  All you need is LOVE  17. Relaxing Getaways  18. Celebrating Birthdays Together  19.  THE WEDDING  20.  Johns Soda  21.  Holidays  22. Parents  23. Cuppajoe  24. Family! 

How has God graced your life this year?

Words To Live By; via Pinterest

This is pleasing to me today.

Have a great day!

10 things I LOVE about Summer in Chicago

We are well into our summer here in the Chicago area.  The weather has been less than ideal, but I think we are ready for a gorgeous, not-too-hot, not-too-wet weekend.  If you have not been to Chicago in the summer, you are missing out on a great experience.

This is my TOP TEN list

1. Art Fairs, galore...every weekend, somewhere in the area is a great art fair

2. Farmer's Markets...ditto above.  I bought a delish marinera sauce at the Lincoln Park market which is held Wednesday's and Saturday's from 8 am till 1:00 pm

3.  Navy Pier...no explanation needed if you love the smell of cinnamon nuts, Garrets Chicago Mix popcorn while watching the boats cruise by

4.  Long walks - along the lake front or window shopping on Michigan Ave.

5. Eating outdoors at the many restaurants with out door seating...you can have your dog with you if you eat outside...love that!

6.  The dog parks are in full tilt!

7.  Printer's Ball-Yay!

8.  Taste of Chicago after a bike trip down the lake front

9.  Go Cubs...

10.  Chicago Bontanical Gardens...do not miss this if you are in the area!

I really love how welcoming Chicago is to our Pets.  If you are walking your dog, people are so friendly, stopping to ask about your pet, inquiring about them and just generally being so pet-friendly.  Grace loves our trips to the big windy!

List of ways to stay Creative...I found this on Tumblr...I would love to give credit...but the link to the source was not listed...

Key Concepts for Creativity

Hello All!   Over the years I have gathered information on creativity from a variety of sources.  Much of the writings on creativity have been out there for a long time and if you have read much on this subject you will recognize many of the buzz words as you jump around the internet.  For example, I repeatedly hear the words, "artist date."  Bingo-Julia Cameron.  She wrote the book  The Artist's Way.  This is a great book with lots of thoughts for creatives'.  Some other words that come to mind are:

• out of the box
• paradigm shift
• viral
• time management
• big idea
• take it to the next level

I believe that creativity is the ability to look at the ordinary and see the EXTRAordinary.  Not an easy feat.  As I am working to build my blog and think "outside the box," I wonder about what it really means to me to "take it to the next level." These are the key points for the "paradigm" I am applying to the creation of my blog.

1.  Develop the appropriate skills

2.  It is all a matter of perspective

3.  Break the mold

4.  Making mistakes is part of the process

5. There is ALWAYS more than one way

6. Be passionate and persistance in pursuit

What principles do you use in your creative pursuits?

Pinterest Invitations

Hi Everyone!  I want to talk about Pinterest today.  I was leaving a comment on someone's blog yesterday and I wanted to let them know how I came to their blog.  I saw their project pinned on Pinterest. I went on to say how interesting it is that the vernacular of the word "pin" has now changed, even though it is still a verb, it has a WHOLE  new meaning to the blogging world. Just like the word "Google" is such a creature of the internet. We Google, pin, surf, post, blog, host, flickr, subscribe, and move around this virtual world in ways that have, for most of us, drastically changed the direction of our lives. 

I have been on Pinterest for about two months now. Lots of people are talking about how you need an invitation to join. Here's the 411...  Once you are a member you can invite people to join.  Here is what one of the creators of Pinterest, Ben Silbermann, said in a little blurb on the Pinterest site: 

"To Our First Users,

You're a special group: the VERY first people who have access to Pinterest.

I invited you because I think you have incredible taste to share with the world. As you explore Pinterest, you'll find amazing people: artists, architects, product designers, chefs, bloggers, and (of course) software engineers. I'm inspired by the people trying out Pinterest. I hope you will be too. I also want to ask for your help. Pinterest is, more than anything, a community for you. Let me know what you like and what you want to change. If you know people you'd like to invite, or have ideas to make Pinterest a better place, get in touch!" 

In the first sentence he wrote "invited," but he also the said the first people. The community on Pinterest is being built by invitations that members offer to other creatives  in the internet world.  If you want an invite leave a comment below, I will be happy to add your email to the list that is provided for each member on the Pinterest site. Then you will receive the invitation via your email.  I encourage you to do so.  (I happened across a  blog today that was using Pinterest invites as "prizes." You know the drill, leave a comment, like me on FB, Twitter this...and so on, then a "winner" would be picked. Seriously? I guess the invitations are intriquing and are fueling the interest in Pinterest) You can all be winners here! Ha!

I have totally changed my frame of mind when I am lazing away some time surfing.  I have two thoughts; first how nice it is to search on Pinterest and not have to go through Google to find images that are mainly advertising for the first 50 hits.  Second, as I am surfing I am aware that I need to pin things to pay it forward, so to speak.  I also pinned a few of my own photos and creations as well. All of us pinners have a responsibility to keep Pinterest fresh and Pinteresting!

Finally, I will say I started Twitter and Pinterest at about the same time.  I still have not quite figured Twitter out.  I get it generally, but there are alot of people saying things, that I don't have a clue as to who they are talking to or what they are referring to.  I get the marketing part of Twitter and I have used it myself to announce of few things.  But seriously...does ANYONE care if I feel like ice cream right now? I do feel more connected to the internet world on Pinterest because first of all, it is visual, and I am an artist.  What can I say?  Also, I love getting emails when someone repins a photo that I pinned up on my board and I  enjoy the comments posted too! 

So head over to Pinterest, if you haven't been there.  You can visit my Pinterest Boards here.  I am headed there now, but first I am going to get some ice cream...want some?  Oh, wait...first I have to tweet this!

Guest Book for the Newlyweds

I made a gift for the Newlyweds.  You can read about them here.  In the past I have visited places that have guest books and I love to read back through the comments that people make about their visits.  I took that idea and made this guest book for their new home.  
I know in the years to come they will look back with fond memories of their first home together and the people that graced their lives. 

The sewing is the trickest part for me.  I have made several of this style of guest book and I am not sure the next one will have the corded binding.  I need to think that part of the design through.  It is quite a tedious stitiching routine to get it line up accurately.

My favorite part of making the book was designing and embellishing the cover.  I collected things from my stash and audition each item and made decisions as I went.

I also like to design the page layouts in Photoshop.  The guest pages included space for  name, date and comments. I printed the design back to back on 8.5 by 11 sheets of cardstock.  I wanted something young, fun and artsy-just like the newlyweds. Here they are... : )

Here is a what the layout of the page looks like.

This is the embellished inside cover and title page.  I had a tiny gardian angel charm that I stitched to the fabric...just want their home and them watched over...so carefully.

When I was visiting them this week, I peeked inside their book and they have LOTS of messages already; from friends and family that came to visit their new home.  Many heartfelt messages of love and encouragement for the newlyweds.  LOVE it!