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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Giveaway Winner and ScrapTiffany Reveal

Thank you so much to everyone that signed up and voted for my Dad's company in the GE contest.  I appreciate you taking the time to check it out. From the comments Random.org picked the following winner of a $25 Studio Calico gift card:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:


13
Which makes the winner....

Blogger erin m said...
Thanks for bringing this to our attention Michelle! I wish your Dad & his partner the best of luck in this contest. Such a great opportunity to help ALL of us out. I will pass the contest website on to my husband too. He enjoys learning about alternative energy & conservation.
September 13, 2010 7:58 AM

So it looks like Erin may be shopping with me on reveal day (midnight, the 28th) over at Studio Calico. October kit sneak peeks went up tonight and they look delicious.

Erin, please send me an e-mail at: (michelle(dot)colormedaisy(at)gmail(dot)com, with your address info and I will have your Studio Calico gift card sent to you.

Again, thank you to everyone who took the time to vote. If you haven't voted and want information and links it can be found here.

Our ScrapTiffany challenge for the week was to scraplift someone. Recently I saw this layout on Rebecca Keppel's blog (my fellow ScrapTiffany teammate), I wanted to do a similar theme for my layout and used this layout from Nicole Harper as my design inspiration.





I also really wanted to use the stamp on the left that I recently found in my stash. One of my many nicknames for Jackson is Peanut Butter Pie. It was his first nickname really.  I called Nicholas Pumpkin Pie when he was born it came from one of my two favorite pies. So Jackson had to be nicknamed after my other favorite pie.

If you take the ScrapTiffany challenge to scraplift someone this week, send it to Tiffany to share with us.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Weekend Update

Another one bites the dust.

The weekend was filled with down time. We needed it. We had a bit of a rough week last week. We had an appointment for Jackson that was frustrating and we were dealing with the emotions of that. So we needed some down time and took it easy.



We watched silly movies, that did not get good reviews, but provided some laughter...




Mike, Nicholas and I read magazines on the patio....


Finally getting to enjoy a cooler early part of the day....



We played outside...





We ordered pizza, went out for Mexican food and got KFC grilled chicken take out.

We took naps. We (me) had a pedicure/manicure.

Sometimes you just need these things.

I only scrapped for an hour. It was all I wanted to do. I felt like reading, enjoying my family, watching movies, playing with my new camera lens, sleeping, and organizing my photos. I have 2 packages arriving this week with scrappy goodies, so I know I will want to immerse myself in all that pretty paper again next week.

I did have fun with that one hour. I did my ScrapTiffany challenge for the week. However, Tiffany is having a bit of trouble with her internet, so I will have to wait to post my layout until she can get the DT reveal up. Here is a peak for now:


Since I can't share the ScrapTiffany layout yet, here is one I did last week to document Nicholas's thing for blowing me kisses, which of course I love...



Using the Studio Calico Summer Camp kit, EK Success Label, Jumbo Star Border and Martha Stewart Starburst punches. 

Hope you have a great week!

Friday, September 10, 2010

Five Bits of Happiness on Friday

What five things are making you happy on this fine Friday?  My top 5 are:

1 - This boy's laugh...


2- This boy's silly faces....


3 - My new camera lens that came yesterday and getting to play with it this weekend...



4 - And this cutie bag that came last night to put it in from Jo Totes


5 - Fall is sort of here (okay it is still around 100 degrees in Arizona), but the return of cool mornings and evenings, gives me hope.  And the fact that I can now find all these goodies in the store.  Now that is just bliss... 





And a bonus bit of happiness, having a phone in my camera so I can take these pictures when running errands and a hobby that gives me a way to remember something I look forward to every year.

If you haven't entered my giveaway for a Studio Calico $25 gift card yet, see yesterday's post.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Help save energy and a Giveaway.

I am asking for a few minutes of your time to help save energy.  After you have read below and voted, please leave a comment here in my blog.  I will draw from the comments for a $25 gift card to Studio Calico.  I will leave comments open through Monday, September 9th, and announce a winner Tuesday.

My dad, Bob and his partner, Scot  have built a company that provides a proven technology that cuts energy waste on large air conditioning systems by over 50%.  They are in a world-wide competition sponsored by GE called, “Ecomagination Challenge” and they just entered on Friday. The current leader is from China and they entered over a month ago so they have a solid lead.  Will you help their company become recognized as the leader they are?

Below is a letter from my Dad's partner, Scot talking about the challenge and the links to their proposals follow.  I would love it if you took a few minutes to vote.

Please click on one or all  \of the links below and cast your vote. You will need to enter an e-mail address and confirm and then cast your votes. It will take a few minutes of your time, but you’ll be helping a great cause.


Re: Casting your vote for our technology.

Hello everyone,

If you are getting this e-mail, it means that we have bumped into each other at one time or another over the last 30 years or so, or we have a mutual acquaintance.  I am writing to ask for your support – we are competing in the General Electric “Ecomagination Challenge”.  It is a GE initiative to identify viable strategies to reduce energy waste and consumption, and also viable methods to cost effectively produce and utilize renewable energy and improve grid/system performance on a global basis.  The winners of the competition will get a cash award, but more importantly, this will be a platform that can be used to help the world reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and the pollution that results from that process.

The winners are selected by a combination of votes from the general public and evaluation by technical experts on the Ecomagination Challenge team, so public votes are extremely important.

We recently entered six ideas in the competition, and would ask you to spend approximately 2-3 minutes clicking on the links below and evaluating a short summary of the submitted ideas.  We were limited to a 50 word summary for public consumption, but we were allowed a 500 word summary with more technical detail for the judges evaluation.  Since the people I am sending this to are typically more detail and technically oriented than the general population, I have included the long versions below at the bottom of the e-mail, in case you have some time, or more interest in what we are proposing to do to help the world out of it’s current energy jam.

If, after you have evaluated our proposals, you feel that our ideas are worthy of your vote, I would also ask that you consider forwarding our request to others that you might know that might be interested in the topics we are proposing, and asking them to consider voting for some or all of our proposals.

Thanks in advance for your time and consideration.

Scot M. Duncan, P.E.
Vice President
Retrofit Originality Incorporated

Load Based Optimization System (LOBOS) for HVAC Systems

Air conditioning systems in large buildings are wasteful of energy, due to how they are controlled and the constant speed nature of the major equipment.  LOBOS, when used with variable speed equipment has proven that it can cut air conditioning energy consumption by 40% to 60% or more.



Load Based Optimization System (LOBOS) and LOBOS-Demand Response

Integrated Energy Efficiency and Demand Response systems like the Load Based Optimization System can dramatically cut energy waste at power plants and buildings.  Properly applied DR systems can cut spinning reserve power plant losses that have to run “just in case” there is a grid issue.



150% Efficient Air Conditioning Energy Storage Battery

Thermal Energy Storage, or “Permanent Load Shifting”, when used with Load Based Optimization System design strategies for large buildings, can reduce HVAC related peak electrical demands by 80%+, while reducing overall energy consumption by 50% +, and enabling the use of wind power generated at off-peak times.



High Efficiency Dehumidification System (HEDS)

For most of the U.S., summers are muggy.  Air conditioning systems do a poor job of drying the air and the air delivery method can promote biological growth.  The HEDS can reduce cooling plant energy waste by 25%+ on peak humidity days, while eliminating reheat energy waste.



A Smart Grid-Integrated Efficiency Solution

Combining the Load Based Optimization System, LOBOS-DR, Permanent Load Shifting and the High Efficiency Dehumidification System can solve many problems.  Peak HVAC related electrical demands can be served by wind power generated at night, and biological growth can be nearly eliminated, saving 100’s of millions of $$.



Cost Effective Near Net Zero Energy (NZE) Solution

Net Zero Energy buildings are a laudable goal, but the typical Return On Investment takes 30+ years.  Commercial office buildings take even longer to pay back the investment.  Combining properly designed building envelopes with other efficiency solutions can result in cost effective near NZE buildings.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

That's a Great Story

Although he can't read on his own yet, Nicholas loves books. He brings us books to read to him, his favorites lately are Dr. Seuss, Green Eggs and Ham and of course his beloved "Pigeon" books by Mo Williams. We read 4 of them every night, in the same order, before bed.

One night I got bored with the pigeon driving the bus, finding a hot dog, wanting a puppy and staying up late. I think Nicholas did too. So I changed it to driving a motorcycle, finding a sandwich, wanting a kitty and not letting Nicholas stay up late. It stuck and I am no longer allowed to read about buses, hot dogs, puppy's or the pigeon not being tired.

In the afternoon after Jackson has gone down for a nap, Nicholas heads to his room and finds his Pigeon books. He knows Mike can hear him through the baby monitor. He calls out each book and waits for Mike (or me when I am home) to acknowledge he is ready to start. He will then proceed to "read"/recite each book. With all of the changed words, all the intonations of the story, the works. It's cute.

I got these pictures of him one morning while the boys were destroying Jackson's room. Nicholas picked up a book and started reading to Jackson about monster's. Making it up as he went along, since he wasn't as familiar with this one.


The layout was done as part of a lift of fave layout challenge over at Studio Calico. My layout was based on this one by Kelly Noel.  I finished the layout and didn't enter the challenge. But I am happy to have this little part of him scraped. And the title, that is what Nicholas says when he finishes a book. "That's a great story".

Have a great Wednesday!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

How about some cards?

What a fast weekend. It seems like whenever I have an extra day I cram so much in to make the most of it. We had a couple of barbeque's in the backyard. I baked. I worked on my first assignment for the photography class I am taking with Maggie Holmes. I actually opened my camera manual and started reading. I made lots of cards and a few layouts.

I did not open my new Stampmaker. Something to look forward too, I guess.

Our ScrapTiffany assignment this week was Cardstock Only.  A while back I saw a layout using punches layered  for the background. I had wanted to do one like that, but when I sat down to work on it, the layout wasn't working out for me and I felt like making a card:


I inked the edges to make each one stand out. I want to try it on a layout too sometime soon.  There are so many fun things we can do with cardstock. Check out what the other girls did over at ScrapTiffany , and if you make a project based on the challenge share it by e-mailing it to Tiffany over at ScrapTiffany.

I have 3 nieces that have September birthdays. So I made a bunch of cards up yesterday for them and a couple more. 

Using up some Cosmo Cricket Material Girl this one is for my niece turning 3...


Love the girls on the chipboard, but hadn't had a place to use them....


And using up some of the girlie stuff in Studio Calico's Summer Camp kit and add-on's I made this card...


and one for my card stash from leftovers scraps....


Another from the same kit for a friend that has been sick.  The butterfly's are the punch outs from the new EK Success jumbo butterfly border punch. I didn't like the way the border looked so I used the negative instead and used my EK bracket border on both sides of the strip to make the border.


Yippee for short weeks! Have a great Tuesday!

Friday, September 3, 2010

Friday Fun Stuff

Just one more work day to get through and then a 3 day weekend! Yippee! Yesterday I got home from work and  found this on my front porch. I can't wait to open it up and play...


I'm pretty excited about trying out making my own stamps, and I didn't know it but you can make your own embossing dies too. I know what I will be playing with this weekend.

Here is a quick card I made this past weekend.



I love that Dear Lizzy ribbon. It can dress up a simple card super fast.

Nicholas loves school and it makes me happy. Just a few minutes ago Mike told him they needed to get moving to take him to school. Nicholas said "School today, I love school. I'm going to school mommy to see Mrs. Jacci". I hope he always loves school. I finished up one more layout from his first year in pre-school.


Two more layouts and his first year will be finished. Then on to this year. Happy Weekend! Thanks for stopping by.