Sunday Sustenance

“It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.”

- Eleanor Roosevelt

Lunch Box Jokes–Week 2

Have your kids been enjoying the lunch box jokes this past week?  Kristen released 2 pages of jokes today – 20 more funnies guaranteed to make your kid the hit of the lunch table!  Not to mention, it’s a “love” note from mom that they won’t be embarrassed to let the other kids see.  :)

Go HERE to download your 2 pages for Week 2!

 

Sunday Sustenance

"It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it."

- Lena Horne

 

 

Lunch Box Jokes–Week 1

Do your kids love silly jokes?  Looking for something fun and clever to add to their school lunches?  How about some Lunch Box Jokes!

I collaborated with Kristen Duke this past week and helped her design some fun, new freebie printables you’re sure to love.  :) 

She’s released just Week 1 so far, with more to come…

 CHECK IT OUT!

 

GIVEAWAY :: Winner of KDP’s “Say NO to Auto”

The lucky WINNER of the Kristen Duke Photography’s “Say NO to Auto” e-book giveaway is:

#90 – mamabeck

 

CONGRATULATIONS!

Mamabeck, I have forwarded your e-mail to Kristen, and you should be hearing from her shortly.

If you didn’t win this giveaway, don’t fret! 

You can order your own digital or hard copy of “Say No to Auto” here.

Thanks to all who entered!

Don’t miss it!

 

The deadline to enter the contest for the free copy of Kristen Duke Photography’s e-book “Say NO to Auto” is end-of-day tomorrow (Tuesday, August 16th). 

Have you entered?

Go HERE!

Sunday Sustenance

"Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position. But certainty is an absurd one."

- Voltaire

Just 5 days left!

Is your camera stuck on auto like mine has been for years??

Do you want to learn how to take better pictures without having to spend a lot of money or time confusing educating yourself??

Have you entered this week’s giveaway yet??

 

Go HERE!

 

Further clarification

I’ve been getting quite a few e-mails lately, asking me to clarify personal vs. commercial use of my designs.  :)

If you accept money to design printables for a party… and in your design you use one or more of the Sprik Space Pattern Pieces… you need to buy a commercial use license from me.

If you accept money to design personal blogs and/or websites… and in your design you use one of the Sprik Space Pattern Pieces… you need to buy a commercial use license from me.

Etcetera…  It’s a simple request.  It’s the right thing to do.

If you have any questions, regarding personal vs. commercial use of my designs, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

For those of you who have alerted me to commercial use of my designs, thank you, thank you.

If you have been using any of my designs commercially, no hard feelings… just please contact me ASAP to purchase a Commercial License.  Thank you!

Number of times I mentioned the word “commercial” in this post = 7

 

Just because (37)

Lately, one of Connor’s favorite phrases to say is “Do it again!”  It’s a great way to guarantee a fit of giggles as long as whatever you’re repeating gets sillier and sillier! 

After singing “You Are My Sunshine” to him for the umpteenth time in a half hour, it dawned on me that although I had done portions of the song as printables (1 & 2), I had never worked up the first line of the song.  I’ve also had ombre on the brain recently, too.  :)

So I’ve “done it again”… it’s another printable for you in the Just Because Series!

 

This time around, the printable is available sized as an 8x10 in a whopping 25 colorways!

To download the 8x10 image(s) for printing, simply click on either image in this post, and a new window will open to the download locations in 4shared.  Save the image(s) to your computer, and they’re yours!  Just print it out yourself, or upload to your photo printer of choice. 

 

I’ll be posting this project to a few of the link-up parties listed here:

Under the Table & Dreaming	I Heart Naptime	Keeping It Simple
The Girl Creative	Sumo’s Sweet Stuff	Making the World Cuter
C.R.A.F.T.	Skip to My Lou	Mad in Crafts
I’m Topsy Turvy	Sugar Bee Craft Edition	Tip Junkie
Today’s Creative Blog	Someday Crafts	Blue Cricket Design
Bargain Shopping Paradise	Night Owl Crafting	Somewhat Simple
Creations by Kara	House of Hepworths	Fireflies and Jellybeans
Beyond the Picket Fence	Tatertots and Jello	Fingerprints on the Fridge
A Few of My Favorite Things	It’s a Hodgepodge Life	Fun to Craft
Tidy Mom	The Shabby Nest	KojoDesigns
Just a Girl	Seven Thirty Three	A Little Lovely

 

I always love to see the creative ways you put my freebies to use.  Please be sure to send me links or pictures!  I can’t wait to see what you’ve done with them.  :)

Enjoy!

Pin It

GIVEAWAY :: Kristen Duke Photography’s “Say NO to Auto”

I’m breaking status quo here on Sprik Space to share something with all of you that I’m head over heels excited about… and I’m running a GIVEAWAY!

Eighteen years ago, I was a senior in high school and she was a freshman… little did I know, Kristen Duke had some mad photo skills brewing and would later turn into an amazing photographer! 

Of course, at this point in my life I would love to get my little family professionally photographed… by Kristen.  Sadly, she’s in Austin, and I’m in Chicago.  I haven’t been back to Texas since the year that photo was taken (layovers don’t count), and when I missed her recent workshop in Arizona by a mere 4 hours, I was majorly bummed. 

So, for now, I’ll just have to make do by trying to better my own photo-taking skills.  Let’s be honest, for pictures worth keeping and especially framing, auto settings on any camera just don’t cut it, and standard flash usage ruins great photos.  I’ve studied a little bit online, but it’s more than a bit overwhelming for a newbie like myself.  There’s just way too much information out there, and I don’t really know where to begin. 

Enter wonderful Kristen Duke.  :) 

Kristen has recently updated her popular “Say NO to Auto” e-book, and I absolutely love it!  You don’t have to own a DSLR camera to benefit from her helpful tips.  I downloaded her revised e-book a little while ago, and it’s already helping me to understand the manual settings on my little point-and-shoot camera.  That’s because she’s broken it down to 3 steps – just the basics you need to learn to achieve better-looking photos, no matter what type of camera you own.  This easy-to-understand e-book is just 17 mini-pages or 4 regular-size pages, that you can print yourself or peruse on your computer.  And, guess what – Kristen has graciously offered a copy of her handy dandy e-book to one of my readers!  

What you’ll win:  A copy of Kristen Duke Photography’s “Say NO to Auto” e-book of your very own!

To enter, you must do one or all of the following: 

1. Be a fan of Kristen Duke Photography on Facebook, and leave a comment below.
2. Subscribe to Kristen Duke Photography’s blog, and leave a separate comment.
3. Be a fan of Sprik Space on Facebook, and leave a separate comment.
4. Be a Google Follower/Friend of Sprik Space, and leave a separate comment.
5. Subscribe to Sprik Space, and leave a separate comment.

That’s up to 5 opportunities to win for each of you!

Giveaway closes:  Tuesday, August 16th at 11:59pm, central time.

Number of winners:  One lucky reader.

Other info:  I’ll select the winner using random.org and announce on Wednesday, August 17th.

P.S.  If you’re chosen as the lucky winner, and you’ve previously downloaded Kristen’s e-book, she will happily refund your money.  :)

P.P.S.  Don’t trust your odds in this giveaway and want to get her e-book for yourself?  It’s only $10, and you can read more about it here.

P.P.P.S.  If there’s a good response to this giveaway, I have a music mix I’m dying to share with a lucky reader in a potentially upcoming giveaway… and it’s seriously gooooood!!

Sunday Sustenance

“You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give.”

- Eleanor Roosevelt

Alphabet Mosaic

We’re still brainstorming ideas for the walls in our dining room Connor’s playroom… yup, we started this project way back in January – the furniture and toys are all in place, the walls were painted, but nothing is hung on them… yet.  I know I want to put some sort of alphabet print (and goodness knows I’ve worked up several!) over his little reading corner, but I’m having trouble deciding which way I want to go. 

Connor’s also at the stage of spotting and pointing out logos and letters everywhere we go, so in brainstorming ideas for a new ABC print, I immediately thought of Leo Reynolds.  I first became familiar with his amazing Flickr photostream after I saw this project last year, and I ended up creating our own name sign for the collage wall, plus several more for family members last Christmas.  Using his images is such a fun, unique, and funky way to create word “art”.

So, I thought I would design a bright and colorful alphabet mosaic… since that’s how Connor’s playroom is turning out to be.  You’ve guessed it – I’m gonna share!  :)

This time around, the printable is available in 4 different sizes – 5x7, 8x10, 11x14 and 16x20!

To download the image(s) for printing, simply click on the image above, and a new window will open to the download locations in 4shared.  Save the image(s) to your computer, and they’re yours!  Just print it out yourself, or upload to your photo printer of choice.  (If you upload to Costco, make sure you choose the full resolution upload and turn off the color correction option.) 

I’ll be posting this project to a few of the link-up parties listed here:

Under the Table & Dreaming	I Heart Naptime	Keeping It Simple
The Girl Creative	Sumo’s Sweet Stuff	Making the World Cuter
C.R.A.F.T.	Skip to My Lou	Mad in Crafts
I’m Topsy Turvy	Sugar Bee Craft Edition	Tip Junkie
Today’s Creative Blog	Someday Crafts	Blue Cricket Design
Bargain Shopping Paradise	Night Owl Crafting	Somewhat Simple
Creations by Kara	House of Hepworths	Fireflies and Jellybeans
Beyond the Picket Fence	Tatertots and Jello	Fingerprints on the Fridge
A Few of My Favorite Things	It’s a Hodgepodge Life	Fun to Craft
Tidy Mom	The Shabby Nest	KojoDesigns
Just a Girl	Seven Thirty Three	A Little Lovely

I always love to see the creative ways you put my freebies to use.  Please be sure to send me links or pictures!  I can’t wait to see what you’ve done with them.  :)

Enjoy!

Just because (36)

This phrase is one of my favorites… it comes from one of my favorite songs, and one of my favorite scripture passages.  I felt the sentiment would be perfect for a printable in our home...  and yours, too, if you wish!  :)

There are 13 colorways on this printable.  If you’d need it in a different color, please go here for more details. 

To download the 8x10 image(s) for printing, simply click on the collage image above, and a new window will open to the download locations in 4shared.  Save the image(s) to your computer, and they’re yours!  Just print it out yourself, or upload to your photo printer of choice. 

I’ll be posting this project to a few of the link-up parties listed here:

Under the Table & Dreaming	I Heart Naptime	Keeping It Simple
The Girl Creative	Sumo’s Sweet Stuff	Making the World Cuter
C.R.A.F.T.	Skip to My Lou	Mad in Crafts
I’m Topsy Turvy	Sugar Bee Craft Edition	Tip Junkie
Today’s Creative Blog	Someday Crafts	Blue Cricket Design
Bargain Shopping Paradise	Night Owl Crafting	Somewhat Simple
Creations by Kara	House of Hepworths	Fireflies and Jellybeans
Beyond the Picket Fence	Tatertots and Jello	Fingerprints on the Fridge
A Few of My Favorite Things	It’s a Hodgepodge Life	Fun to Craft
Tidy Mom	The Shabby Nest	KojoDesigns
Just a Girl	Seven Thirty Three	A Little Lovely

I always love to see the creative ways you put my freebies to use.  Please be sure to send me links or pictures!  I can’t wait to see what you’ve done with them.  :)

Enjoy!

Just because (35)

I’m always brainstorming for new images to add to or to replace old ones on our collage wall in our master bedroom.  My husband inspired this printable.  ;)

There are 16 colorways on this printable.  If you’d need it in a different color, please go here for more details. 

To download the 5x7 image(s) for printing, simply click on the collage image above, and a new window will open to the download locations in 4shared.  Save the image(s) to your computer, and they’re yours!  Just print it out yourself, or upload to your photo printer of choice. 

I’ll be posting this project to a few of the link-up parties listed here:

Under the Table & Dreaming	I Heart Naptime	Keeping It Simple
The Girl Creative	Sumo’s Sweet Stuff	Making the World Cuter
C.R.A.F.T.	Skip to My Lou	Mad in Crafts
I’m Topsy Turvy	Sugar Bee Craft Edition	Tip Junkie
Today’s Creative Blog	Someday Crafts	Blue Cricket Design
Bargain Shopping Paradise	Night Owl Crafting	Somewhat Simple
Creations by Kara	House of Hepworths	Fireflies and Jellybeans
Beyond the Picket Fence	Tatertots and Jello	Fingerprints on the Fridge
A Few of My Favorite Things	It’s a Hodgepodge Life	Fun to Craft
Tidy Mom	The Shabby Nest	KojoDesigns
Just a Girl	Seven Thirty Three	A Little Lovely

I always love to see the creative ways you put my freebies to use.  Please be sure to send me links or pictures!  I can’t wait to see what you’ve done with them.  :)

Enjoy!

The Nursery Series

Have you seen this commercial for YoBaby Yogurt?  I see it frequently on Sprout right now, and I have a very hard time getting it out of my head each time it airs.  They play the first lines of 3 different nursery songs, all sung in the same key… 

So, guess what happened!  Naturally, I had it in my head when I sat down to design a new printable series.  :)

I decided to highlight 4 nursery songs for this series:  “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, “This Little Light of Mine”, “If You’re Happy and You Know It”, and “Hush Little Baby”.  I designed these printables so that they could easily be hung in a grouping together, piece-meal solo, or even as part of a collage wall.  I’m offering them in 2 different STYLES – gray text with a graphic [1], and white text without a graphic [2].  I honestly couldn’t decide which way I liked them better!  These are also all sized at 8x10s (big enough to see on the wall, small enough to not scream at you).  ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The series is available in the following 13 colorways…

I kept it light and bright, of course to work with most color schemes.  If you’d need it in a different color, please go here for more details. 

To download the 8x10 image(s) for printing, simply click on the specific STYLE image above, and a new window will open to the folders of the download locations in 4shared.  Save the image(s) to your computer, and they’re yours!  Just print it out yourself, or upload to your photo printer of choice. 

I really hope you like this series!

I’ll be posting this project to a few of the link-up parties listed here:

Under the Table & Dreaming	I Heart Naptime	Keeping It Simple
The Girl Creative	Sumo’s Sweet Stuff	Making the World Cuter
C.R.A.F.T.	Skip to My Lou	Mad in Crafts
I’m Topsy Turvy	Sugar Bee Craft Edition	Tip Junkie
Today’s Creative Blog	Someday Crafts	Blue Cricket Design
Bargain Shopping Paradise	Night Owl Crafting	Somewhat Simple
Creations by Kara	House of Hepworths	Fireflies and Jellybeans
Beyond the Picket Fence	Tatertots and Jello	Fingerprints on the Fridge
A Few of My Favorite Things	It’s a Hodgepodge Life	Fun to Craft
Tidy Mom	The Shabby Nest	KojoDesigns
Just a Girl	Seven Thirty Three	A Little Lovely

I would love to see how you’ve put this Nursery Series to use.  Please be sure to send me links or pictures!  I can’t wait to see what you’ve done with them.  :)

Enjoy!

Back to reality…

Oh, what a crazy summer it’s been!

And, I do mean C-R-A-Z-Y.

We kept it all on the down low, but back in May, Brian was abruptly laid off from a very good job with a company he loved. 

Amazingly, by the end of June, he had found a position with a much larger (more stable) company.  Just as we had begun to accept the unknown, the perfect opportunity came along with an offer he couldn’t refuse.  We did not expect it to happen so quickly after his layoff, but we feel so incredibly fortunate and blessed!

The new job means quite a bit of travel still, but when he’s home, he’s home…that is, working upstairs, in our home office.  So, we really can’t complain.  :)

Once he accepted the new offer, Brian took a full month off, and boy, did we take advantage of it!  We planned projects around the house, family outings, sold/bought a car, made a trip to Michigan, hosted family and friends, began redecorating, took a family vacation to Arizona, and fit in a spa getaway for the two of us – it’s been wonderful having that precious time together before starting the new job and getting back to the grind of things.  (And that’s why the blog’s been so quiet, and I’m beyond late in responding to e-mails and phone calls for so many weeks!) 

 

 

Meanwhile, Connor… (or “Honnor” as he likes to call himself – hey, it’s better than his last rendition--“Kanye”!) is walking, running, and talking up a storm.  He’s a bundle of energy wrapped up in a cute little 2.5yo package, and we couldn’t adore him any more than we already do!  He’s kinda sorta fitting into 2T clothing, but his waistbands will probably have to be rolled for a long, long time.  He always wants to try new foods (especially meat!), and is mastering self-feeding with a spoon and fork surprisingly well.  The jury’s still out, but he just might be a lefty.  He’s showing a little bit of interest in potty-training, but it’s likely too soon to capitalize on it (basically, I’m not ready to commit to it yet).  His best buddy lives a couple doors down, and they LOVE to play together (when it’s not too sweltering outside for the moms).  He’s a human sponge and loves pretending that any object is a phone or a laptop, so he’s constantly making calls and checking his e-mail.  ;)  He’s very much into cars and creating parking lots all over the house – we’ve got neat little lines of toys in just about any room, always underfoot – he’s going to make an excellent valet attendant when he grows up.  ;)  We had a rough few weeks, but he’s back on track with his stellar sleeping habits – 10-12 hours per night, with a 2-3 hour nap each afternoon.  I know, I’m a spoiled mommy!  His good boy days still far outnumber his bad boy days – the terrible twos are definitely upon us, but we’re taking it in stride.  All in all, we’re pleased as punch with his progress lately and remain pleasantly surprised by and grateful for everything he’s accomplished thus far!

 

 

I’ve got several dozen more photos to comb through and edit to share here on the blog… and, one of these days, it’ll get done.  The grandparents will have to make do with just these few.  :)

All in all, we’re exhausted – it’s been an emotional and hectic summer – but, we feel so incredibly fortunate and blessed!

Stay tuned, because I’ve been busy the last couple of days, trying to quietly play catch-up (unsuccessfully) and design some new freebies for the blog (successfully!).  If you’re a Facebook fan, you’ve already seen a SNEAK PEEK!

August Birthday Wishes

Brian & Connor – July 15, 2011

 

Brian’s trying to hang on to his 30's!

He turns the big 39 on Sunday, August 8th.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WEEK, DADDY!

We love you!!