enJOY it

• I ran FOUR MILES on Saturday while I was watching the swimming events. I just kept thinking, IF THEY CAN SWIM FOR FOUR MINUTES AND BE THE BEST IN THE WORLD I can run another lap.
• Paul says things like : "DUDE. SHE FELL. HOW CAN THEY GIVE HER 15.4?"
• All the commercials are inspiring. I cannot decide is I should sign up for a Visa card or fly to Beijing and wave an American flag around.
• All the commercials have the best music ever invented "I've got soul, but I'm not a solider………"
• Our DVR records over 12 hours per day. We get to fast forward to the good parts. And by good parts I mean the whole damn thing.

• The Opening Ceremony : I watched most of it with my jaw dropped in awe. I cannot believe the level of complexity the whole thing was. And the organization. And the in-sync-ness. I was stunned. So awesome. I love the Olympics. Cannot wait for the events tonight.
• Breaking Dawn : Nearly all of yesterday was dedicated to the book. I was surprised completely with where the plot was going in this one. But I loved it. I am quite in love with the idea of "forever".
• Apple Blossom Studio : Hooray for a new adventure involving lovely little stamps.
• Handmade kits : I am completely inspired by what Stacey made with my first one. I have plans for more (in larger quantities) in the next couple weeks.
• USC v. VIRGINIA : Some of my girls are coming out at the end of August for the game. And by game I mean laughter and drinks and TOGETHER IN REAL LIFE INSTEAD OF JUST GMAIL. So anxious to see them.
• Home Sweet : Saturdays are Elise + Paul Day. Chipotle and Olympics and Laundry. All good.

So.

Turns out that crazy "steal your paypal money" man (or woman) also adjusted my gmail filter so that all emails from EBAY (which gmail must have confused with ETSY) and PAYPAL were not passing Go, not collecting $200, and instead going directly into my trash folder. I want to kill that internet scammer. But Paul thinks it is a computer program and my bet is that a computer program will kill me first.

EITHER WAY.

Problem solved, passwords changed.

Ka-BAM.

And thank you for the support. It was a little touch and go this morning. But nothing that some wine, corn on the cob and really strange homemade cookies cannot cure. Seriously…the cookies taste like a not good flavor of bread. Paul thinks they taste like sweet dough.

I think he is just trying to make me feel better about the fact that a machine was smarter than me.

It is working.

Boo on today.

I woke up. Got annoyed by my email. Got concerned as to why etsy and paypall had not notified me of a transaction. Checked my paypal account. Got angry when I noticed EVERYTHING HAD BEEN TRANSFERED OUT OF IT by a noname being. Called paypal. Cried to some poor guy who asked me to please “not hold this against [him] personally.” Promised him I wouldn’t. Talked to someone else at paypal. Found out some hacker had stolen my money. They promised it would be back by the end of the day. Changed my paypal password.

Got to work. Found out our computer system was down due to storms in Chicago…(Is everyone okay in Chicago?) Had to take credit cards numbers and manually enter them later.

Went to Barnes & Noble to buy Breaking Dawn as this morning I finished Eclipse. They were out of stock. I nearly cried again in B&N.

Boooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

As of now, my paypal account has been re-credited with my missing money. (Hooray!) Etsy and paypal are still not notifying me of transactions. (Are any other etsy sellers – or buyers – having this problem?)

I have approximately 8 hours and 45 minutes to turn this day around. I suspect some wine may be involved.

Six new art journal kits + 5 COLOR prints are up in the shop.

I woke up early this morning to make something with my own kit:

Everything you need to make a mini book like the one above is included. Minus the pen and the scalloped scissors…and the photos and stapler. I used the plastic packaging (it comes stamped with the frame) as a page. And I used the string wrapped around the kit to bind all the pages together.

Annnd now…….off to Starbucks!

I spent four hours in letterpress land today. And the four hours flew by before I knew I was starving and needed some lunch. I got some custom orders done and a few other randoms.

Like the color print.

My first attempt at real life color/text alignment. FIVE COLORS. This is intense my non-letterpressing friends. Or maybe it is not if you are a letterpress pro, but I am not a letterpress pro. I am just a newbie at setting and printing (and I love to waste excessive amounts of ink getting JUST THE RIGHT COLOR).

I am working on putting together another HANDMADE art journal kit using the idea: she collected details. I love details. I also love paper. Did you know that?

Everything (kits and prints) will be up in the ye old etsy tomorrow a.k.a SATURDAY.

BTW, it is August. We are entering BACK TO SCHOOL mode. Today I wandered the Target BTS aisles with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. Last year I was right in the middle of getting teeth into my mouth and moving to Maryland. I barely had time to think about college ruled notebooks. But today: I was sad to not be starting new at something.

To compensate for my newly accepted grown-up status…I bought some Crayola Markers.

and Blogland, I love you too.

Thanks for the sweet comments on my video. The thing about video is there is no delete button. So sometimes, sentences get a little, how do I say, ummmm, ahhh, like….run-on.

But anyways, totally worth it to show you my deal and a half. Look how excellent this paper stacks up. Can you see the fabulous fabric like edges now? Saweeet. (Here is a link to some Arturo Paper.)

I showed Paul the video and he said during it, “You are such a girl.” And I thought, “Babe, you needed a video to tell you that?”

Also : Just watched Project Runway…Stella is crazy. I do not get it. Is she going to win a challenge? Is she going to show at Bryant Park? Am I missing the joke here? Awkward.

I am letterpressing tomorrow. Yellow. Green. Teal. So if you would like some custom stuff in those colors SHOUT IT TO ME, and I will make it happen. I have a few print plans in my head, but we will see if those pan out.

I am also going to Target and the office supply store. And celebrating Friday drinking wine with my main squeeze who is even more dreamy than paper.

So, I met Paul for dinner in Bethesda.

And as we were walking to restaurant, he asked how my day was.

“Good.” I said. “I trained some girls in how to sell paper….and….um….well…I got some good emails….”

“Cool, baby” he said.

“What did you do today? Any surgeries?” I asked.

“I held a guy’s heart in my hand.”

And at that moment…I knew.

I knew.

I was absolutely certain that for the rest of our lives…unless I discover a solid replacement for the gluestick…Paul is for sure going to be paid a higher salary than me.