Mason Jars

I know you've seen pictures of Mason jars on the internet lately. Pinterest, blogs, Facebook, even just on other news websites. They're everywhere! And now, they're apparently the subject of commentary.

It started with a slightly-snotty opinion piece by a writer who encouraged us to see that sometimes, DIY-ing projects is foolish. She certainly makes an interesting point: we don't necessarily save money by doing projects ourselves. The poor Mason jar served as a lightning rod, particularly because it has become so popular.

But, actually, before I'd read the original, I came across a link to this responsive piece on the Country Living website. She defends DIY projects, noting that there's something to be said for doing projects for ourselves rather than buying them pre-made. She also defends the Mason jar, sharing some of the great history of the jar and the hard work that our country was built upon.

I'm not really here to get into the debate about whether making crafts is feminist, which is part of the undercurrent in both of the articles mentioned above. I don't know, and I don't care, as it pertains to other people. I do the crafts I do because I enjoy them. No one makes me feel like I have to do them, and I don't really care what other people think about the finished product. The only exception is when the project is a gift, in which case I care some about the recipient's views.

And while I was noodling about the questions raised in both the critique and the response, I ran across this end cap at Target. Plastic "mason" jars, with the word Aladdin scrawled on the front, that are now meant for drinking and traveling? Yeesh.

I don't have strong feelings about Mason jars in general. I know they're some people's style, but they're not really mine. That's not to say I don't find them charming, but I'm on overload with everything I've seen on the internet. To an extent, I'm with the critic: stop shoving pictures of Mason jars in my face. Anything else, please!! But, then, I look at this and I want to scream: YUCK! This is what happens when we outsource our style to a big company. Sure, I could find Pinterest instructions as to how to make some kind of lidded drinking glass out of a Mason jar. But why bother when I could plunk a ten spot at Target and walk away with this, right? That's what the critic would want me to do!

So here is my response to these writers, and the internet at large: there are some crafts I make because I really enjoy doing the craft itself. The prime example is knitting - in general, I find it very relaxing. But, for the most part, I make crafts because that's the way that I get what I really want. I wish I'd been blogging when I moved into my first apartment. I wanted to decorate my bedroom in pink and green, and I couldn't find anything in that color scheme. It was August, I wanted Easter. But, the perfect shades of pink and green craft paint were available. I slapped it on everything I could find. I make a lot of the jewelry I do because I'm seeking something in a particular style, color and length. Its so often that I start making something only because I've been out shopping and I've struck out completely. I guess I could get more active on Etsy, or other internet based options, though I actually do relatively little shopping online. I really prefer to observe things in person - I get a better feel for the size, texture, shape, color and sturdiness of whatever it is I'm shopping for. When you put that all together, you get a crafter like this one!

I think that, even if sometimes making it yourself is actually more expensive, especially when it comes to time, it can be worth it if that's the means by which you stay true to your style. If your style is the Aladdin brand mason jar, go for it. But, if not, I think its worth the energy to make the thing you really want. Just do it!

Lilly

I suppose most of you don't know the story about why I started blogging. I'll tell the abbreviated version right here: sometime in the summer of 2011, I began reading some blogs. Late adopter, anyone? Seriously - I knew what a blog was, I even knew some people who had blogs, but I wasn't a routine follower of any until 2011. The blogs that most captured my attention were those written by women about my age who all characterized themselves as "preppy." It's a little strange, right? I don't think that word has ever in my life been applied to me! (For the curious among you, the prime example of a preppy blog is Monograms and Manicures.)

As I read more, it became clear that Lilly Pulitzer defined this style. I'm not a terribly stylish person - I know this. Nevertheless, I feel comfortable saying that Lilly Pulitzer and her signature fabrics just aren't that popular in Minnesota. It's probably got a lot to do with the weather, and the fact that I'm not a member of a country club, and maybe a little to do with general Nordic plainness, but seriously: I don't think I've ever seen a woman in person wearing a Lilly print. But, the more I see these Lilly prints on the good ol' internet, the more I've begun to realize how pretty and fun they are!

With all of this background in mind, I hope you'll appreciate how excited I was to have something Lilly in my collection!

 I know it might not be what you were imagining when I began this description...

 To have two new items - neither of which can be worn - designed by a well-respected fashion designer...

But, they're here and they're mine and I love them! I guess I probably didn't really need these things, especially the whiteboard. I'm past the dorm room stage. But, as you can see from this one, I did some sweet, cheap damage at TJ Maxx when I collected these pretties. Yippee!

Guess who's back?

Finally - me!

I've been thinking for several weeks about how this return-to-life blogging post was going to go. And, during this same time period, I've had an ancient mix CD in the rotation in my car that features this song. Sorry for bringing him back to you, but I do think this is Eminem's best!

So, yeah, I've been away from blogging for a really long time. I had my surgery on July 9, precisely as scheduled. It was a nail biter until the very last minute, but it went without a hitch. We had basically three goals for surgery: completely eliminate two aneurysms, and have me wake up as myself. My surgeon had explained to me that he probably wouldn't be able to completely eliminate one of the aneurysms, because it was weird. We both hoped he might be able to take care of it completely, but he couldn't. It's not been totally resolved, though it's better than it had been. And, the two other goals were completely achieved: the other aneurysm is gone and, best of all, I got to wake up and still be myself!

I recovered in the hospital with the help of these cheerful balloons!

And I got to enjoy this awesome summer view of the Minnesota State Capitol every time I took a lap around the floor where I was staying. I actually managed to cut two days off my hospital stay from last time. I had surgery on Tuesday afternoon and was asleep in my bed at Mom and Dad's by Saturday night.

Recovery after the hospital went pretty smoothly. Last time, I had to take this medicine that made me feel tired and discombobulated for 3 months after surgery - and this time I got to skip that one altogether. That's part of why, when I was invited to go to a mid-day Twins game during my last week of FMLA leave, I was able to say yes!

I had the chance to enjoy the beautiful summer days, like this one, which are starting to seem like an awfully long time ago. Recovery certainly wasn't without bumps in the road. I'm sure there were days when you wondered whether I would ever return. I wondered that myself, actually, because there were lots of days when I was too tired to think about the energy I'd need to do cool projects and write about them. I kept thinking to myself that the gnarly medication had been to blame for how I felt last time I recovered, so I didn't understand why I felt so icky this time around. I guess the real answer is as much as the meds (it's Keppra, if you're curious) SUCK, surgery really takes it out of you either way.

But, eventually fall got here, and things suddenly seemed like they were back to normal. With one big exception, of course: the blog! So, I have a few things that happened during my break that I'll be able to share with you soon. I'm looking forward to more. Thanks for sticking with me despite this long hiatus. I know the real fun is about the begin!

Plus

So, a few weeks ago, I bought this...

YAY! I already had a Nook Simple Touch but I decided I was ready to upgrade: internet please!

And this is what it looked like. It's pretty darn awkward to take a picture of something with such a shiny screen, but you get the basic idea.

It worked pretty well, and I was happy. I originally had the idea that having a tablet was going to completely change my life. Spoiler alert: It didn't. It's really very cool, but it didn't live up to the hype (that I produced in my own head.)

Then, after I'd had the nook for less than 48 hours, I noticed a problem. Weird with the frame, right?

I know this picture sucks, but it helps me show what made me realize it was pretty serious. I mean, the frame separated so far you can see light passing through? No thanks. I was able to successfully push down on the frame so it seemed flush with the screen, but before long, it would tend to pop up and separate again. So then I took it back and they gave me a new one.

And it works great. You can see in this picture that the top right corner of the frame is flush with the top right corner of the screen. SCORE!

So, I slid the new one into its snap-on case and it works great. This case is actually a bit like the original folding screen cover for the I-Pad. The design on that one is a little better - this one can be a bit clunky. But the important part is that when the screen cover folds back, you can use it to make a little stand so the device can support itself at a comfortable angle for reading or watching videos. 

There's my blog! And the proof is in the pudding - no flash player, but that's okay. It's still very cool.

After I'd had it for a few days, I decided that the snap on screen cover just wasn't enough. I wanted to be able to shove the tablet in my bag and go. Basically, I wanted to be able to have it with me wherever. It's a little smaller than an I-Pad so finding a sleeve that was the right size was a bit of a challenge. I got this really cute one, which is for a 9-10" tablet, is made by Built NY and cost about $25. Not bad. And how cute do they look together, right? Have tablet, will travel. Hooray!

The 411

Okay, so today I'm linking up with one of my favorite daily reads, BHB. In honor of April 11, she's invited bloggers to share the 411 - and I took her up on the invitation!


1. The Basics
Who are you: Minnie... except not in real life!
Where do you blog: Right here at Marvelous Minnie.
How did you pick your blog’s name: I live in the Minnie - Minneapolis, Minnesota that is! My great-grandmother really was named Minnie. Having been born in 1894, she was the first woman in my family to go to college. A pretty good idol, right? And I started my blog so I could write about the marvels in my life and, despite some less-than-marvelous in the last 16 months, that's what I've done.

2. Location, location, location
Where did you grow up: I grew up out in the 'burbs south of St. Paul.
Where do you live now: Tangletown, in far southern Minneapolis, near the Minnehaha Creek!
Where would you live anywhere in the world: If my neighborhood had less airport noise, better snow removal and was 20 minutes closer to work, I'd live here forever...

3. Let’s talk beauty - what is your favorite or signature:
Lipstick: Lip Smackers. Yes, really. I buy the holiday themed multi-packs that are intended for Easter baskets or Christmas stockings for eight year old girls. Fave flavors include cotton candy, strawberry-orange, and mint.
Mascara: Mostly none - I always wind up rubbing it in my eyes. When I wear it, it's classic Maybelline Great Lash, top lashes only.
Perfume: The Beat by Burberry. I occasionally switch it up for Burberry Weekend.

4. Yummies - what is your favorite:
Cocktail: Not a drop since August, sorry to be a party-pooper. But, so, my favorite "cocktail" is a Northern Light Vanilla Cooler from Caribou Coffee - YES! I would drink at least one these every day if I could afford it.
Dessert: All of it. Including donuts.
Pizza Topping(s): Pepperoni and pineapple is a classic, I also love pizza with alfredo instead of tomato sauce. My current craving is Pizza Luce's baked potato pizza, which has mashed potatoes and a side of sour cream!

5. I always have these three things in my refrigerator:
Un: Diet Coke.
Deux: Hard-boiled eggs.
Trois: Baby Carrots.

6. Get artsy - what is your favorite:
Movie: The Count of Monte Cristo - starring Jim Caviezel (the guy who played Jesus!) and Guy Pearce. It's seriously the movie I watch when I'm sad... unless I'm watching Bride Wars, which is a movie about weddings that's actually about friendship.

Book: Elizabeth the Queen, the biography of the current queen written by Sally Bedell Smith was a real winner (and a gift from Daisy). I often read non-fiction, but I quite rarely enjoy it so much!

TV Show: I love reality TV a lot. My favorite is Teen Mom (and progeny... ha ha). I also love Hot in Cleveland, the Big Bang Theory, all shows Gordon Ramsay, Scandal, the Good Wife, the Following, Downton Abbey and Revenge.

7. Kid stuffs - three questions about your youth:
What did you want to Be when you grew up? For most of my childhood, I wanted to be a lawyer :)

Who was your favorite teacher and why? Mme Albertson, my high school French teacher. I think she was the first teacher I had who thought I was really excellent at anything. The ability to excel at one thing gave me confidence to believe I could be really good at other things too. 

What was your worst sickness/surgery/hospital visit as a kid? The one and only was meningitis at age 16. I didn't actually have to stay in the hospital for very long, which was a blessing, particularly since it happened in the middle of a vacation to visit relatives in St. Louis. I did, however, experience the thing that's worse than a spinal tap: an unsuccessful spinal tap. Shudder.

8. The Pretty Things - what is your:
Favorite color: Teal-turquoise-light blue. I love it especially when it's accented with red!
Favorite flower: Umm... live ones? I can never justify buying them, but I always feel spoiled when I receive them!
Favorite artist (painter, photographer, etc.): Love Michael Birawer, Lynne Loshbaugh, the Dutch painters, and Norman Rockwell.

9. Shop ‘Til You Drop
What’s one thing you buy the most often: Raisins. Eat 'em every day. Also, craft supplies! I go to Michaels or JoAnn's at least once a week, and sometimes, its a lot more.

Do you prefer to shop online or in-store? Electronics, love to shop online, especially to read reviews. Everything else? Always in store. I sometimes pre-browse online, during a slow day at the office...

Imagine you open your own store - what would you sell? Books, cute housewares, jewelry, antiques (maybe), and greeting cards. Okay, I'll admit it: I want to own Patina.

10. Be a Hater: what are three things you would like to go away?
Ein: Jet-lag (and the related phenomenon that accompanies Daylight Savings Time).
Zwei: Rude drivers - seriously, you're operating your fast-moving steel box dangerously. You're going to kill someone!
Drei: Taylor Swift. Her best song was "Our Song" and it's never even on anymore. The rest of her stuff makes me want to change the station (which rarely helps - she is stalking me!) or just turn the radio off.

11. The Final Three (x Three)
I hand you a genie - what are your three wishes?
1. Healthy eating habits that are effortless
2. Never a wait on a library book or e-book
3. A beautiful, clean, well-maintained, owned house that belongs to me with a dog inside who can pretty much take care of himself :)

List 3 things you can see out of your window right now.
1. Snow-covered trees
2. The Lyndale Avenue bridge
3.  A street that's been plowed clear sometime since I got up this morning!

Who are three people, living or dead, you would invite over for dinner?
1. My papa (say "paw-paw"), who was my dad's dad and who would be so proud of how much I've done since he passed away while I was in college.
2. My grammy, who was Papa's wife and who died when I was a baby.
3.  The rest of my dad's family - it would be the best family reunion ever!

Thanks for reading and, if you have a blog, please join up with BHB as well!

Knock knock!

Is anyone there? Still? REALLY? It's been almost three months since I've written a post on this blog. And you've hung in there this whole time? Thanks a million! I'm back!!!

As you might recall, I began a break from writing at the beginning of December. I spent some time getting ready for surgery, including a preliminary hospital visit. They put a bracelet on me that I though I'd be hanging on to during my admission. Just after leaving the hospital, I ran into my friend and former boss, Lisa, when I stopped by my alma mater to drop something off. She happened to have this bling in her desk and she set me up!

Unfortunately, this bracelet had to be replaced when I got to the hospital for surgery - not because of the bling, but for other reasons. The surgery took more time than the surgeon had expected, but was free of complications. Hooray! I spent six days in the hospital in downtown St. Paul recovering.

I was lucky to have a great care team, but by the time my 6 days were up, I was very excited to go home! While I was looking forward to returning to my apartment, I wound up going to my parents' house and recovering there until just before Christmas. Some great co-workers and friends sent me wonderful cards and gifts of encouragement.

Love these flowers! I can almost smell them just looking back at the photo!

And these guys came with a sweet balloon:

Yay! I spent most of December hanging out with my family, resting A TON, reading blogs, knitting a little, and watching lots and LOTS of Hulu and Netflix on the computer. My energy came back slowly but surely, and I was able to go back to my apartment before Christmas. Once I got home, I was lucky to be the recipient of gifts of food (which meant a ton!) along with plenty of visitors. It reminded me of just how very lucky I am to have so many great friends in my life.

I returned to work pretty much right on schedule on January 7. I spent a few weeks working reduced hours, though I'm now back to full-time. I had hoped to resume blogging around the start of the year, but it took quite a while for me to re-adjust to going to work for 8 hours each day. The best news is that the day is here! I'm looking forward to writing a few more posts this week and will hopefully be back to full strength here very soon! Thanks so much to everyone reading for hanging in there with me. You're here and I'm amazed. The best is yet to come!

It's a blogger's life...

Recently, I realized that I've been at this blogging thing for about 6 solid months now. It's surprising, because I feel like I'm still very new at it, but I also feel like I've learned so much and come so far. This got me thinking about what things I rely upon to make this blog happen, and I thought I would share this short list with you!

1. My Computer.

This trusty little guy has been with me since I started grad school in August 2006. While I've had to replace the battery and keyboard, it just keeps on chugging. The 12.5 inch screen is a little on the small side for blogging, but it's light and portable.

When I'm working at the computer, the two most important applications I use are Blogger (which hosts the site you're reading right now!) and Picasa 3, a rudimentary photo editing software. I'm certainly not an expert on digital photo editing and sometimes I wish I knew more about it. I've considered looking for a more advanced free photo editing program (probably one called GIMP), but I haven't gone for it yet. I like Picasa because I feel like we are at the same level - while it doesn't have all the features you might want, I still haven't learned how to use all the features it has!

2. My Camera:

I received this camera as a birthday gift about 3 months ago. I can barely describe how much I enjoy using it! It takes such better pictures than the digital camera I had before it. That camera, in fact, took such poor pictures that for the first three months I was doing this blog, almost all of the photos were shot with my cell phone camera. I still rely on my cell camera as an important back-up, especially if I need to take a photo while I am out shopping. I spent quite a bit of time researching what kind of camera I wanted earlier this spring, and I'm very happy with the one I selected!

3. Natural Light:
Even the best camera has difficulty doing its job in low light.

 

I live in an apartment with northern, eastern and northeastern exposure. I noticed the importance of the natural light when I realized just how much more difficult it was to get good images that were shot in the afternoon or evening. My place only gets direct natural light before noon, so I take most of my pictures during those hours. It's going to be more challenging  when the days are shorter this fall, but I'll have to be patient. Light is critical! 

4. My Lap Desk:

This is definitely the newest tool in the blogging arsenal. 

 Since summer got under way, I've been doing most of my blogging in the living room. I have a super cute, comfortable office in my apartment, but it's awfully far away from either of the two window air-conditioning units I have to try to keep the place cool. I've found myself parked on the futon almost constantly all summer long. While I can hold the laptop on my lap, it makes my legs hot, especially when I'm wearing shorts or lightweight pajama pants. I do have a coffee table, but putting the computer on it and then typing requires me to sit with terrible posture, which becomes uncomfortable after only a few minutes. So, I snagged this guy for about $10 at IKEA. It's narrow enough, too, that I can use it when sitting in the red chair. 

5. Time: 

I'm sure this one goes almost without saying, but blogging definitely requires time, and the related personal quality, patience. I do not regret the time I spend blogging - I love it much more than I'd imagined I would. But, I'd be remiss if I left it off this list. I am lucky to have time that I can devote to this endeavor, and that helps me be patient even when I'm frustrated.

A computer + a camera + natural light + a lap desk + time = one good blog = one happy blogger!

The Happiness Project

Earlier this year, I first heard of this book, written by Gretchen Rubin. I put my name on the list at the library and it came in recently. Here it is!

This book was awesome! I couldn't recommend it more highly. I would encourage anyone out there to read it. The author is a former lawyer, turned writer, who lives a pretty good life. She has a job she enjoys, a loving husband, and two daughters. She doesn't struggle with mental or physical health issues, and she recognizes just how lucky she is. But, in spite of all of these blessings, she found herself wishing she felt happier about it. I think many of the rest of us, who are also wonderfully blessed, sometimes wonder why we're not happier all the time. I know I fit into this category and I've wondered why I'm not happier. I related easily to the perspective and tone of this book and read it in a jiffy. I think it's part self-help book, outlining the things she did to try to make herself happier and making suggestions to readers, and part analysis of what makes people happy. The author did a lot of research into both theories and empirical evidence. This blend was interesting and definitely made me think.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is the emphasis on goals and measurements. It's weird - I think our culture has a paradigm that we're only happy when we're free. The ultimate in happiness is an afternoon spent in a lawn chair on a beach, the free feeling of happy hour after work on Friday, or the chance to go on vacation and eat whatever we want. Don't get me wrong: I love this "free" feeling. I don't think we should underrate the joy we can get from experiences like these, which seem to me to be fun because they feel spontaneous, or, at least, carefree.

But, there is another kind of happiness that takes a little more focus. The way the author decided to try to make herself happier, and determine whether her efforts were successful was to set goals. Her list of goals was long, and included general themes along with more specific action items. While I'm not sure that this specific approach is for everyone, and maybe not even for me, there's something here: sometimes we have to take on a project to be happier. I suppose people who have rehabbed a house, or housebroken a puppy, or raised a child understand this. These activities require extraordinary commitment and effort, and it can take long periods of stress before enjoying any of the happiness. This book reminded me that there are lots of things out there that any person could decide to do, even if they're not ready to buy a house, train a pet, or start a family, where we put forth sustained effort and realize a reward. For me, that's the key to this book and to improving my own life. I'm going to make more of an effort to think about projects that will make me happier and take the steps to accomplish them.

This blog is one example, and though it pre-dates my read of the Happiness Project, it fits right in. Some days, blogging is hard. It can be hard to get a project done, especially if something goes wrong. I've learned a lot about photo editing, but it has been tough going, and that's still true of the (limited) coding work necessary to make the blog look the way it should. And when I've had a tough day at the office, or I'm focused on something in real life, or I just have a headache, the last thing I want to do is sit down and focus on this project. But, I do it. I've done it. And it makes me so proud and so happy to see it growing. I'm hoping to use this blog to chronicle some of my projects that will make me happier.

To read more about the happiness project, visit Gretchen Rubin's blog here.

Pages, finally!

Okay, it's now been five months and over a hundred posts on this blog. I've spent just about that entire time intending to create pages on the blog. I've spent some time working on this in fits and starts over the last several weeks. But, now, FINALLY, they're up and ready for action.

I struggled a little bit with formatting my tabs. I used the Advanced options editing function to change the font and color of my tabs, as well as to eliminate the lines between them. I pondered how to make the tabs centered under the header and found this GREAT tutorial over at Mama and the Dudes. If you're struggling, this is one to check out.

Thanks so much for stopping by and take a peek when you get the chance!

Update: The work on the pages also inspired me so much, I decided to go back and label my posts. Why wasn't I doing this all along? I don't know. But, I'm doing it know and I'm going to do my best to stick with it! 

Birthday! (Part Three)

After awesome celebrations on Friday and Saturday, I was pretty worn out. But, there was still one day left of this marvelous birthday weekend! On Sunday, April 29, it was also my mom's birthday. Since she had been out of town over the weekend, we arranged to celebrate both of our birthdays together as a family that evening. Since the plan was to get together at my place, I had to spend some serious time cleaning up on Sunday. While this was a little bit of a chore, it was nice to enjoy my place perfectly clean as part of the celebration. I had the chance to look at all of the wonderful cards send by friends and family:

 I even received one very special homemade card this year from my favorite five year old!

I also spent some time on Sunday getting Mom's present ready to go!

I wrapped it up in the cutest wrapping paper I had - with the green card, it looks a little bit preppy, right?

We decided to eat dinner at our favorite restaurant, The Good Earth. After dinner, we came back to my apartment to watch the season finale of our favorite show, The Good Wife. Ahhhh! Cliffhanger!!! We also enjoyed the cupcakes from Cocoa and Fig that were a gift on Friday.

Mom opened up her book and says she's excited to learn more. I hope that's true! I also opened the presents my parents had brought for me:

Two books I really wanted! One about a twenty-something who'd read the Little House series as a kid (sound familiar?) and goes back to visit all of the sites. The other about a fruit and vegetable stand located in my home town that used to be surrounded by farmland and is now surrounded by suburban development. Does this stack make me look like the Midwesterner that I am? Check!

And then there was the big one, the birthday present I really, really wanted! Dream come true!

Yay! A new camera!! As I'm sure you can tell from this blog, this isn't my first digital camera. I got one as a birthday present right around the time I graduated from college in 2006. That camera has been with me through lots of ups and downs and plenty of travel. It has never taken very good pictures indoors. I realized that maybe it would be possible to upgrade when I got a new Android phone for Christmas and noticed how good the pictures it took were. (Most of the pictures on this blog were taken by the Samsung Exhibit II phone, which has performed admirably!) Seeing the difference in quality got me thinking about whether it might be possible to get a digital camera that performed better. I spent quite a bit of time this spring doing research online about what kind of camera would take good indoor pictures and this is the one I picked! I'm so lucky that my parents decided to get it for me! I'm looking forward to taking better photos with it and sharing them on this blog!
All in all, this was a terrific birthday. I couldn't have asked for anything better!

New Header!

That's right, the header above is new to Marvelous Minnie! I've wanted a new header pretty much since the day I started the blog. I did quite a bit of online research, which turned up lots of ideas for how to make a header for a blog using a picture and free photo-editing software, like Picasa or Picnik. I did make one with Picasa, though the photo wasn't one that I had taken, and I really wasn't that excited about the colors.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized I didn't really want a photo as the background. I'm not that confident in my photography, and I'm reluctant to use photos taken by other people, especially in the header. (I'm still just learning about blogging etiquette). I attempted to make a header with the generic Paint software that's part of Windows XP. It was okay, but it was very difficult to edit the colors and the text.

Then, I had a great idea! I realized I could use all of the features of Picasa or Picnik to create text, and other images, as long as I had a "photo" that was the background. So, I selected the perfect shade of minty green above in my Paint program and saved it, without any adornment, as a JPEG. I then logged into Picnik, which is a fabulous site, and uploaded that as my "photo." From there, I was able to edit the image to my heart's content. I added two text boxes, each of which allowed me to choose the font, size and color. Also, because Picnik is soon-to-be defunct, I had freebie access to the premium features, including the tree "sticker" above. This text-based header is just what I dreamed of!