Silhouette Saturday

I'm back for another edition of Silhouette Saturday. I have been working on more canvas pieces (which is driving my husband crazy -- he hates unframed pieces). Yesterday, I made a really cool piece for spring.

I started with a canvas board. I got a packet of ten on sale at Michaels for $2.99 (so, of course, I bought three packets! I cleaned them out!). While you can't hang these unless you frame them, they work well being propped up for seasonal decorations. I don't like hanging seasonal pieces on the wall (but I am going to get over this aversion, thanks to 3M Command Hooks!).

Anyway, blank canvas. I printed out a cute Spring Subway piece from the Silhouette store. When I weeded it out, I realized I made a mistake. I had wanted to use the negative space so that I could paint some words different colors. Ooops. What to do?

Well, I decide to paint some fun pastel stripes. I hadn't tried this before, so I figured since I already screwed up my original idea, I could always paint over it if I didn't like it. And no, I didn't purposefully paint it in ROYGBIV order, as my wonderful husband so kindly pointed out. I wanted contrast between the colors.

Next, I transferred the vinyl onto the canvas, once my stripes were dry. Have I mentioned how much I love using clear contact paper as transfer paper? It isn't as easy to use as transfer paper, but it is SO much cheaper. I can deal with spending a few extra minutes to make it work (though I will use good transfer paper when I do big pieces, for sure!).

Then, I added the "cover coat" - painting over the entire canvas and vinyl. I chose white for this step. You have to be careful during this step because, sometimes, the paint can bleed through the edges of the vinyl. I had some wiggle room because of the stripes. If paint bled through, it would still work out and not be as noticeable, so I thought, then if it was on a solid base. I used a seasponge to "blot" on the first coat of white paint around the vinyl. Once that dried, I rolled on a few thin coats of white paint.

Finally, once it was almost dry, I used my handy-dandy Silhouette hook and pulled off the vinyl. This is always the scary part. Some acrylics can dry too plastic-y and pull up paint along with your vinyl. However, I took my time and everything that was supposed to be pealed up came off with no extra paint giving way.

The final product? A pretty darn cheerful Spring Subway canvas!! While I wish I hadn't made the stripes so big (especially the green -- you can't see the yellow at all) and would have placed it on a better-fitting canvas, it will work for a seasonal-only-going-to-display-it-for-a-month piece. And now, I think it has inspired me to make a matching stripe-y floral piece.

Breaking Bullies

Bullies.

We have all heard stories in the news or in real life of kids being bullied so much that they start believing what is being said, that they don't feel there is a way out, and that they take their own lives. It's heartbreaking. As a parent, you pray that your child will never experience such cruelty.

I was bullied when I was in middle school and high school. People, who I thought were good friends, decided one day that they wanted to hate me. Other "friends" made fun of my swimming, saying I was going to the Special Olympics. I was made fun of for the boy I dated. I just counted down the days until I was out of that too-small town, away from these people who hurt me so much.

Then, I wondered if people, "friends" who I was raised with could think so little of me, say such horrible things would think those things, what would people who didn't know me think???

But, it got better. College was awesome because I found my niche, a group of people who didn't make fun of me. After college, I made amazing friends.

Then, one day, years later, I encountered another bully. This time, I was a parent, a homeowner, living in an awesome neighborhood where we would all meet in the evening and talk outside while our kids ran, playing in between our yards. A neighbor, a person I considered a very good friend, got belligerently drunk one night at a party. She started saying how she never really liked me or felt comfortable around me because I was in a wheelchair. I tried to make sense of this - asking her to clarify. Her answer was just because I was in a wheelchair. Once again, I felt like I was back in high school. How can adults act that way?

I have mentioned on here that I went out of the way to make sure Mason never gets made fun of for having a mom in a wheelchair. It has happened. I'm sure it's happened more than I know of.

Some people say that being bullied is just a fact of life. That getting picked on builds a backbone to make us stronger down the road. Well, I've been down the road - I've gone through a lot in life and being bullied in adulthood still stinks and hurts as much as it did when I was much younger.

So, I can see why there are kids today that get bullied so much that they decide ending their lives would be the only way to end things.

And it absolutely breaks my heart.

Spring Break Recap

So many visions of what our Staycation would be like. Well... let's go back to that checklist that I wanted to accomplish:

1, Book our next Disney vacation.

Complete! We are now booked for a week in a two-bedroom villa at Saratoga Springs during our February break. I didn't add the Dining plan yet. Or purchase tickets yet. I know when I can book our dining. Like always, booking through Disney Vacation Club's Member Services is easy-peasy (though, IMO, booking Disney trips on your own is too!).

2. Complete reading Game of Thrones, Book One in a Song of Ice and Fire Series.

Did not complete. I did, however, get through most of the first season on Blu-ray. I still want to read the series, I just didn't yet.

3. Finish watching Season 1 of Sherlock (again).

Complete! Now, I am ready to start the second season.

4. Job hunt some more.

Still a work in progress. Obviously, I didn't find a job yet, but I have a more direct action-plan.

5. Go get sponsors for our middle school's 5K.

Didn't even begin. More on this later.

6. Finish St. Patrick's Day projects.

Did not complete. I wanted to make a shamrock button piece. I bought the supplies, I just didn't do it. Oh well. Next year!

7. Start Easter/Spring projects.

Complete, I suppose? I started. I did make an egg. And I cut out a bunch of things on my Silhouette machine to work on. So, I guess I did START some projects. Hey, I never said anything about finishing them!!!

8. Spend time with my three favorite boys.

Sort of completed.

Mark had Tuesday-Sunday off, so that was great. We did do some fun things as a family, however our Break began with Mason getting sick. He was fine by Tuesday, however had ever so nicely passed those germs onto me and I am just today finely returning to the world of the living. So, I had planned to go out and get sponsors (especially on Monday, while Mark worked), but we just couldn't.

Though I didn't finish reading Game of Thrones, I did, however, finish reading another great book. When She Woke is written by Hilary Jordan and is a modern re-telling of The Scarlet Letter, taking place in the dystopian future. Instead of the main character wearing a scarlet "A," however, her entire body is "chromed," or dyed red. It is really an amazing book (especially very relevant with today's government choices regarding the female body and abortion).

So, that was our Spring Break. Lots of tissues and Nyquil was used. And, sadly, we only watched one episode of Season 6 of Doctor Who. However, we played 48394587 games of Draw Something. That counts for something, right?

Back from my Break

Hi friends. I have taken a much needed Blog break. And I'm back!!!

What did I do while I was "gone?"

I wish I could say I went on a fabulous vacation. I didn't.

I wish I could say I worked on a huge project. I didn't.

I wish I could even say I completed a book. I didn't.

I just have been busy LIVING. Hanging out with fabulous friends and even fabulous-er (teehee) family.

This week is Spring Break for The Boy. Mark is taking a few days off work and we are just going to veg at home. And probably watch Season 6 of Doctor Who on Netflix.

What I want to accomplish this week?

1. Book our next Disney vacation. And I will blog about it. I am obsessed with Walt Disney World and we are Disney Vacation Club members (Disney's version of a timeshare), so we go quite often and I loving planning. I have a pretty good idea of the when and the where, I just have to get off my booty and call Members Services and book it (I could do it online, but I have a question to ask).

2. Complete reading Game of Thrones, Book One in A Song of Ice and Fire Series.

3. Finish watching Series 1 of Sherlock (again).

4. Job hunt some more. Seriously, this is starting to get depressing...

5. Go get sponsors for our middle school's first 5K. Your's truly is one of the co-chairs.

6. Finish St. Patrick's Day projects (just in time to pack up for next year. Ooops).

7. Start Easter/Spring projects.

8. Spend time with my three favorite boys.

Oh! My wonderfully amazing friend, Mandy, has a website. Each week she features a Geek of the Week and I am this week's Geek! Read about me here!!!