..:: october : what's in my planner ::..

So yeah, I love my Get to Work Book.  Here is my October spread.

Colored pencils #FTW

Stamps, markers, and colored pencils, oh my!

 Last year's Elle's Studio Halloween collection. Eek! I love.


Until next time!

:: Printable Sunday : July Goals ::

I am up on the blog today using a FREE printable from Paper Issues (available here). This printable, design by the great Becky Monmaney and Jana McCarthy, is a black and white dream, just waiting to be colored.

I added some color.  :-)

I colored it up and put it in my planner with my July goals (more on my goals next week).

I grabbed this patterned paper from Amy Tangerine's Rise and Shine collection and fussy cut the labels.  I also grabbed some other Amy Tangerine from my stash and added some circle cutouts just for fun.

The alphas are from Webester's pages (all supplies linked below). I stitched the alphas to a label before I glued it down so that the stitching didn't go through to the other side of my planner page.

It was super fun to work with these printables. Check out what a few other DT members have created with them here.

Grab any supplies you need from the Paper Issues Store - but don't forget to use my code orangegearle to receive 20% off your entire purchase!

Paper Issues Free Printable
Black and White Alphas - Webster's Pages These are the Days
Patterned paper from Amy Tangerine Rise & Shine


I am using Elise Cripe's Get to Work Book as my planner base. Update on my goal setting and planner thoughts coming soon!

..:: project life : week 1 ::..

Holy New Beginnings, Batman! Project life is So. Much. Fun.

As mentioned before, my plan is to have my weeks go from Wednesday-Tuesday, and I will share on my blog on Sundays.  Yay! It's Sunday!

left

right

::This week's highlights:: WEATHER! Specifically the Polar Vortex! We missed 2 days of school due to the cold temperatures, which extended our already longer than normal Winter Break (I didn't complain)! The weather got it's own insert this week. I also started One Little Word this week, as well as another 365 attempt (both are reflected in this week's spread). We celebrated my MIL's birthday this week and I won a Silhouette Cameo from Studio Calico (Part of the 12 days of Christmas)!

::Supplies:: I used Design A page protectors for both sides.  For the insert, I used a Design G page protector, but I cut off the 2, 6x4 spots on the far right and stitched it up the side to hold the cards in. I mainly did it this way because I had the Design G on hand! :-) For this first week, I took a look through a few past Studio Calico Project Life (monthly) kits to complete the week (my January kit arrived just as I was finishing -- so I was able to add that lovely "start" badge!). Most of the cards are from December 2013, but there are a few others from past kits. I tried to stick with a red, grey, black & white color scheme. I used my Silhouette Cameo to create a see through element on my insert -- the cut was purchased from the Silhouette Store. I used stamps from several manufacturers including, Elise Blaha Cripe, Studio Calico and Pink Paislee.

::Techniques or Additions:: This week I decided to use a photo as my title card.  I don't know that I will do that all the time, but this time it just seemed to work out so I did.  I used some gelatos and a water brush to paint on a few of the cards. For example, the card was just black and white, and so was the circle stamp.

I also used Pinstripe Mister Huey's and a paint brush for the grey.  I used both the gelatos and Mister Huey's to splatter a bit of paint as well.

On the last card I have a photograph of a puzzle that my mom did.  I also included the actual newspaper behind the card.  It's not removable (I had thought I might do that, but then changed my mind). I used it like I might use patterned paper. The story is about how my mom saves newspapers for us (more on that in a different post) and how I often find the puzzles (specifically Sudoku) finished.  I love my mom and I love finding these reminders of her in my house (I don't see her as often as I wish I did)!

One last fun item I added this week.  I took some video of my daughter dancing to "I Love Rock 'n Roll" this week (she requested the song, of course). I took a screen shot of the movie to use as a photo, and I uploaded the video to You Tube.  Then I created a QR code and included that on the card, which will send you to the You Tube video to watch her dance!  Fun!  ((I will do that again, I think).

See the QR code on the bottom left?

My happy mail even made it in!  Hello Just Add Color!

Thanks for stopping by!  

Scrap Your Story :: top of the world tonight

It's Friday!  That means, pizza and wine for supper (at least for us)...but before that, a new challenge at Scrap Your Story Challenge blog!

This week is our "theme" week -- and April's theme is SPRING! The title of this layout is "Top of the World Tonight", which is my daughter's favorite Cheap Trick song! She's been requesting it and singing it since she could talk! On the lovely spring day that I snapped these photos, she was climbing on top of the rocks in our garden and saying, "See, Mommy, I'm on top of the world tonight!"

These photos were taken during our spring break last year - 2012 (This year during spring break, we were sledding and shoveling snow -- that's Iowa for you)! But last year, it really felt like spring. 

I will admit that I had already started with these background papers for a different layout -- then decided I didn't like it -- but I liked the papers. So, now a month later, I grabbed them again and got busy. First I took the PinkPaislee patterned paper and cut a hole out of the middle.  Then I decided that it was a bit too bright, so I spread Gesso over all of it. Then I added the blue paper in the middle -- it has a little bit of pink in it and I loved the two papers together! I roughed up the inside of the square -- quite a bit -- and sewed it in place.

I've been into vellum lately! I used an Elise Blaha Cripe stamp "get excited" and stamped with yellow ink, in a diagonal, all across the vellum. That was the mat for my highlighted photo. But you really couldn't see what it said, so I also added it to the tab of the hidden journaling -- and I embossed it.

I found this American Crafts flair in my stash, and it was perfect for that rock'n roll sorta aspect of the layout - as an added bonus, it's the right colors.  ;-) The yellow letters are Amy Tangerine letters that I inked with a yellow stamp pad. 

I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out the "Hello" tab (from 8 tabs by Lori Whitlock). I put some clear embossing powder inside the word hello to highlight it a bit more.

I was going for some layers...

Hope you play along with us this week! This is a fun challenge that goes through Thursday, April 11th 11:59 PM (central).

I also linked this one up to Paper Issues!  Their "Current Issue" is Up in the Clouds!   You have until Saturday, April 6th to link up with them!

AND, if that wasn't enough, I am also taking a "Lots of Layers" class over at My Scraps and More (with the great Audrey Yeager). We were working on peek a book layers.  My peek a boo involves the cut out background, vellum, "hello" cut out....you get the idea!

:: my pinterest challenge | taped table ::

In this post I talked about how this year I am challenging myself to actually do something with all those lovely things I am pinning on Pinterest!  I find myself pinning, and pinning, and pinning, but not returning to the pins and doing, doing, doing them! My not-so-lofty goal is one per month.

I have been wanting to tape a table like this since I saw it on Elise Blaha Cripe's blog last June! There were a few obstacles in the way, but it's done and I like the final product!  Obstacle number one: I wanted to do it, but I had no tables or spaces that needed it at all!  My work desk at home is in great condition and it's rather "pretty" wood that I didn't want to cover, and the only other thing I could think of was Bea's work table (which still might happen).  My concern with using Bea's table is that I'm not sure that it will withstand all of the water ('tea') and paint that gets spilled all over it! However, I knew I wanted to do it, so I went to every Target within an hour or so of my house to look for the tape that Elise used.  Obstacle number two: None of the Targets within an hour of my house had the tape.  They had similar tape (same brand) but it was patterned and wouldn't work for me.  So, I kept looking every time I was in a Target, but never found it.

How this table came to be. So how did it happen?  Well, without going into it all, my job description was tweaked a bit this year and I am seeing more students than I have in the recent past (as a Literacy Coach, I work mostly with teachers).  So I have been trying to make my room more inviting for students and I switched out some furniture recently.  I ended up with three tables, all with black tops and in good condition, but not exactly inviting.  Enter: perfect opportunity to make a taped table! With this renewed motivation for the project, I set out to get that tape.  Not available from Target online, or anywhere else online that I could find, I decided to see just where the Target Store is that has the tape (you can do that on Target.com).  Bad news. Nothing for three to six hours away.  That would be expensive tape!!! Enter: casual conversation that turned magic.

I was telling a colleague about my predicament. She and her family just happened to be traveling that next weekend to visit family about six hours away in a city that had this tape. And she said that she would be going to Target anyway and would pick some up for me.  Score.  I got the tape on a Monday, and a half hour later I had a taped table!

in progress

in use

Before I felt like I could really use it, I felt like I needed to seal it.  So, I purchased some of this Mod Podge to seal it and make it a little bit more durable (especially because there will be kids using it).  I gave it four coats, drying about 15 -20 minutes between, and now it's done.  Pinterest Challenge for January...check!

Coming soon:  Project Life Weeks 2 & 3 (almost ready to share) & OLW blog hop (on Feb. 1st).

:: goals and my olw ::

Most people post goals on their blogs at the beginning of the year, month, week.  Nope.  I'm posting in the middle of the week toward the end of the month, and twenty three days into the year; I'm fun like that, yo!

I decided that I cannot do a post about my word for this year, without also sharing some goals I set for myself.  I also couldn't share my goals without my one little word.  They are so connected.

If you are a friend, or happen to have followed my blog over the last year or so, you will know that 2012 was a rough year, a rough year that actually started October of 2011.  :-)  Our miscarriage, my oldest daughter's marriage dissolving, adjusting to her and nearly two-year-old Mikaela moving in (but I was glad they were with us), Mikaela's accident and death, and several other deaths in our family, to name the biggies.  Ugh.  I'm am glad that is over!  There were positives to last year too, and I have NOT forgotten them.  My mother, who lost a daughter to a car accident many years ago, said something quite wise to me during all of this, "There will always be a hole, but I don't have to live in it."  I am happy to say that she is completely right (as usual) and that I haven't been living in it, but I'm keenly aware that it's there!  :-)

What a powerful quote this has been for me!  I am happy to say that my oldest daughter is participating in Ali Edwards' One Little Word class with me.  I am so excited about that!  Her word is strength. What a wonderful word for anyone, and perfect for her.  I contemplated that word myself, but another one just kept coming at me.

Be Present. If I've learned anything over this past year or more I've learned that nothing is permanent, and that it is important to embrace the present...and be present for yourself and for those around you.  So present it is.  I need to remember to live in the present, not worry obsess about what the future brings  (at least not too much) because it 'empties today of it's strength'.  And today is so strong.  Completely connected to that, my word is also about being present for my family. Listening to my Soul Mate completely; noticing, appreciating and loving him as he deserves. Three year olds, work and life can make that seem impossible sometimes, but it's so important, and so possible.  Computers, blogs, and memory keeping also get in the way, if you let it.  My goal with this word is not to let it. And work, let's not forget work -- it can so easily engulf you me if allowed to, and I must not allow it.  Being present is about being present in both body and mind. So, my focus with this word is also related to choosing to be physically present at those things that are important to me, namely with family & friends.

I will continue to share my adventures with this word in future posts.  As I finish Ali's first prompt (which has been amazing to work through) I will also post pictures of my product, and more about my focus and experiences with this word. What a fun journey this word will bring me.

Goals.  In addition to Ali's class I am also participating in another self-paced class at Big Picture Classes.  This one is with my other mentor, Elise Blaha Cripe, called I Choose, and it's all about goal setting.  It seems so funny to call Elise (who is more than ten years younger than me), a "mentor", but I cannot think of a more perfect word to describe it.  I would love to be more like her when I grow up -- she starts and finishes things!  LOL. The class has helped me to look at goal setting a bit differently, and likely more manageable.  I'm looking forward to getting 'er done.  I think this has been a perfect match with OLW for me this year.  Many of my goals are silly and fun, and others are more serious and connected with keeping my word close to me.  My plan is to "share as I go" with this one.  I thought about following Elise's lead and sharing a list at the beginning of the month and then checking them off as I go, but I think I'm going to let these goals seep into my blog as we go, if that makes sense.

Seep. If you follow my instagram feed or flickr, you may have already caught a glimpse of one of my goals. Do you pin stuff on Pinterest and then never do anything about it?  One of my goals is to do something with all of these lovely pins; do a project, use a sketch, scraplift a layout, make a recipe, transform my house, etc.  At least one per month.  At least that's how I'm looking at it now. So, by the end of the year, I will have done at minimum twelve projects that I've pinned.  Not too lofty, but still progress compared to pretty much nothing.  ;-)  I have a feeling that I will end up surpassing this goal, and I may even beef the goal up more as the year progresses.  Either way, this is one that I hope to share here, and I'm calling it my Pinterest Challenge.  If you want to play along, I would love to hear about what you are doing, please share!  I have met this goal for January and will share soon.  There have already been sneaks, so it may not really be a secret.  ;-)

More information about One Little Word with Ali Edwards can be found here (and the class is still open).  More information about Elise Cripe's I Choose class is here (and it's a self-paced class, that is also open)!  Also there are links on my sidebar!

Peace, love and understanding to ya!
:-) o.g.

project life 2013 :: week 1

Week One Spread

Holy smokes, Batman! This project life thing is addictive!

Week One :: Left Side

Week One :: Right  (I will probably write a bit on the photo with the hole in the glass, but I haven't decided exactly what to write yet!  It's quite the story.

Here's the lo-down: I'm not yet satisfied with my "product", but the "project" is awesome. What does that mean? It means...

I love the idea of Project Life, or at least my idea of Project Life. I am an everyday scrapbooker. When I am motivated to document something with photos and words, it is almost always something that happens in everyday life, and almost never an "event" (such as a birthday or holiday or reunion, etc.). Project Life, as I see it, is exactly that...documenting the everyday. I especially realized that this might be for me when I did my December Daily 2012. I am loving the memory keeping part of this project.

My product isn't there yet. I think I'm not in the groove, or maybe I just haven't found my style for PL. That is OK. The project is worth doing, and I know that I will figure out the product part as I go.  In fact, I have almost completed week three, and each week the product has gotten better, or at least closer to something I can be happy with. I'm going to try really hard not to go back and fix the stuff that I don't like.  :-)  Also, I am a bit worried that I won't make traditional layouts anymore, mostly due to time constraints, and I'm not sure that this project meets my needs in the creativity department. That is totally what is adding to my dissatisfaction when it comes to the product.  I can't put my finger on what I don't like exactly other than it just looks amateurish, which is probably understandable, since I AM! :-)

A bit about how I am tackling this project: I decided to have my weeks go from Sunday to Saturday. I have no reason for this, I just had to pick a starting day and I didn't like starting on a Tuesday (Jan. 1st) so I chose Sunday. I may need to switch that at some point (maybe not until next year) so that my weekends are together.  Not sure. Did you notice that I'm already talking about next year? That is how much I love this project and it's only been three weeks. It's difficult for me to imagine not doing it...indefinitely. Anyway, so Week 1 started on Sunday December 30.  I am also attempting another 365 (photo a day) project, and sharing on flickr.  However, I am not tackling Project Life in that way.  I don't necessarily include every 365 photo in my book.  And I'm OK with that. I imagine that many of them will be included, which is cool, but not necessary.  Also I am using both my Canon and my iPhone (can't wait to upgrade the iPhone though). I do plan to incorporate quotes each week (sneak: so far they are all related to my One Little Word, but I don't know that it will stay that way). Finally, I'm looking at this as more of a "week in review" and not being super strict about having a photo or story for each day.  So far I think I actually do have a photo/story for each day, but I'm not worried about too much, it's mostly about the stories!

I am using the Becky Higgins Project Life Seafoam Core kit designed by Elise Blaha Cripe.  It wasn't available when I started, and I'm impatient, so I decided to purchase the digital kit and print from that for those first couple of weeks.  I am so glad I did that. I liked being able to start right away and not feel like I was behind from the get go. Plus, I think I may use, modify, and print cards from the digital kit throughout the year.  I like being able to change the cards a little bit before printing. Here is one example of that:

On the original the stripes were all the mustard color. I wanted orange (of course), so I changed it in PhotoShopt to orange using the eyedropper tool to pick the color, and then the paint bucket to color each stripe.  Then I decided that I wanted one stripe aqua, so I repeated the same process with aqua for one of the stripes.  LOVE the result.

I think this will help keep the kit fresh for me.  The kit is awesome. And I love it even more now that I have it in person!  I'm not sure that I will be able to use just the kit all year, though, so I will likely incorporate other papers and things throughout the year. I will probably not link every single product that I use because I want to get the blog updated and that part holds me back (just sayin')! So, if you want to know something specific, just ask in the comments and I will do my best. 

I also purchased some (digital) Project Life Templates and I'm using them to help myself organize each week.  I hope to be able to share that process at some point, but I'm just figuring it out myself, so it will need to wait!

I ordered a bunch of flair from my favorite place: A Flair for Buttons.  Shelley wrote me a nice little note, so I kept it!

This is the note hidden behind one of her cards and little baggies that flair arrived in!

This week's supplies: Seafoam digital kit (printed out). My badges are from A Flair for Buttons, and I've thrown in a bunch of stickers/labels which are mostly from Elle's Studio.  My alphas this week are mostly Amy Tangerine, and the  "January" calendar card is from Paislee Press (I will probably use one of these in the first spread of each month).  The "hello" stamp is from Target.  I stamped it directly on the calendar card, and then again on something else.  I used my 1 inch circle to cut it out of the second piece of cardstock and then use a foam square to make it pop off the page a bit. When I write on photos I use American Crafts Slick Writers. This week I also used these awesome Hero Arts/Studio Calico stamps and all of the ink is StazOn.  Then, of course, my other addiction besides flair, washi tape. The washi I used this week was Freckled Fawn and Recollections (from Michael's).

Week two is also completed, and week three just needs a few finishing touches.  Will share those soon!

Final  note: I totally thought our lives might be too boring for Project Life.  But during this week we had our window shot at (seriously, it was just a pellet gun, but this is another indicator that we need to move), we had visitors, I got tons of happy mail, we celebrated a birthday and visited old friends.  Whew!  Guess we aren't as boring as I thought!

Peace, love and understanding to ya!
:-) o.g.

Confused about Project Life?  Check this out from Becky Higgins.

~ december daily :: a foundation ~

Hello!  I have been so busy (probably you too, right?)!  GOOD busy, not icky busy.  Creating has not suffered a bit, in fact, it is part of the “busy” -- just the sharing on my blog has been lacking!  I’ve started an art journal, I have completed a couple of layouts and started to prepare for Christmas – all of which I hope to share here soon.  Today I would like to share the start of a project that I think many people have been working on lately – December Daily.  If you’d like more info about December Daily, check out Ali Edward’s site here!

I attempted December Daily last year.  Attempted.  Didn’t finish.  I thought it would be easiest to purchase a book from the amazing Elise Blaha Cripe, so I did.  But I didn’t even decide to do December Daily until rather late, so I ordered the book late, so it didn’t arrive until we were several days (more than a week) into December.  Plus, I had no idea what I was doing and I had never done a mini before.  I'd say I had a few strikes against me from the start!  Now that I have a few minis under my belt I think I just might be successful with my goals this year! 

One of the things that I have learned about myself as a documenter of memories – I can’t really do 4x6 mini albums!  I’ve tried several times.  I like 6x6 WAY better!  So, no Elise book this year (boo!), but that doesn't mean you can't get one (here).  I love her stuff, but I’m pretty sure I cannot do that size (no worries, her stamps will totally make it in the book).  So, I decided I would purchase an American Crafts Modern Album (6x6 in cardinal red) and some 6x6 paper pads -- Sleigh Ride (Crate Paper) and Merry and Bright (Carta Bella), along with a few other items (such as Hambly Transparencies), and of course I will shop my stash. 

When I got the album in the mail I was excited and disappointed!  When I ordered it I did not read carefully enough to realize that “chipboard cover” wasn’t Kraft (the only place it was Kraft was in my head).  I was thinking I would be able to leave it fairly plain (Kraft + red is very “Target” but also just awesome), but when I got it, I knew I was going to have to paint it or cover it with something.  So…I went with it.  I covered it with this awesome jillibean soup paper -- And I love it!

Another “issue” that I’ve had while attempting to prepare this album for December is the album’s binding.  I attempted to stamp/emboss on the binding with a stamp from this awesome Ali Edwards set.  But, it didn’t quite look like I wanted it to!  Ugh!  I hate it when that happens.  I did fix it a bit – it’s a little better and will work, but I’m not quite done.  I know am going to do something fun at the top, but I’m not sure what yet.  

1st try

second attempt

I used the "December" stamp from that same Ali Edwards set, to emboss some funness onto a green circle (the same green paper is on the inside covers).  I hooked my Cricut up to my computer and created the "twenty 12" cutout, then embossed it with silver glitter.  Added a few more fun things, and the cover was done and I'm happy with it.

One of the things that I’ve learned over the last year about minibooks (for me) is that it helps to have a theme or pattern to what I’m doing.  For example, the format of the engagement book that I did for my friend Amber was simple – two page spreads, one side had a 4x6 photo and the other side had a quote with some embellishments.  I also threw a little love and magic in the mix (every engagement book should have a little love and magic, no?).  I stuck with circles (mostly), and a few arrows mixed in for good measure.  So for my December Daly mini I decided that I needed to have a few similar guidelines for myself.  I’m going to stick with circles, snowflakes, and stars.  That might seem like a lot, but I think that snowflakes and stars are like circles, if that makes sense.  I know it doesn’t probably, except in my strange mind.  But it works for me.  So I’m going with it.  That, and you will see the word “magic” frequently!  Why?  Because I just know that Christmas is going to be so magical for B this year!  The age of three is So. Much. Fun.

SO… enter problem number 327…I really wanted to use this new stamp that I got recently, but it’s squares (and my plan is circles, remember?).  I thought it would make a great title page!  Well, I fixed that easy enough with my sewing machine!  I stitched a circle around it.  And I had a bunch more fun with this page!

I used some discarded packaging, sewed around it and stuck some confetti inside -- FUN!

Yay!  I love it!  I love the pink, too!  This title page is chipboard, painted with gesso and pink paint.

I’ve tried really hard to do “foundation” pages, like many of my fellow December Daily blogging friends are doing.  I can’t do it!!!!  Maybe someday, but I’m not there this year.  I can’t seem to put it all together with numbers and stuff, if I don’t have the pictures.  However, in addition to the cover and title page, I have done some things that I’m going to call my “foundation”:

1.     Organized my embellishments and other extras so that I don’t have to dig through things when I’m doing my page each day

2.     Cut Hambly transparencies to the right sizes and maybe added a little tape or other things (minus the number) so that I can just pick what works for the day and go with it

3.     I have a plan for several things that I would like to include: the obvious (tree decorating, traditions, etc.) and the not as obvious (journaling prompts that I’d like to include if there is a dull day)

4.     Ordered a bunch of stuff in advance and it will all be here before Saturday (most of it is already here).  For example, you are going to see fun flair from a flair for buttons and Ormolu (they both have awesome December collections), but I also just had to add some items to my stash that will help me bling-i-fy my minibook.

5.     I have a basic “plan”.  For example, I know that I want to have either a Hambly transparency or a stitched insert between each two page spread, and I want my focus to be the “Magic” of Christmas, with things like circles, stars and snowflakes

6.     I have a basic idea of color – mostly red and green, but also pink, blue and silver (and I have, and will continue to, get my glitter on)!

This is WAY further ahead than I was last year.  I feel better and more calm about it.  I’ve also given myself permission to not get all wrapped up about which day things happened and documenting it exactly like that.  I will probably stick to the day fairly close, but if I have several things that I want to document about a day, I might make it two days, or I might use four pages instead of two, or whatever.  And that is OK.  My purpose is to document what happens, the everyday and the extra special, the magical and the mundane.  It’s all worth remembering and that is why I do this. B. loves to look at my scrapbooks and other photos that haven’t made it to print yet.  When she talks about the photos and "remembers" the stories from the pages, it is so rewarding!

Are you doing a December Daily?  I would love it if you would link it in the comments.  One of the things that I love about the online community is being able to share, see (and sometimes steal) what others are doing all over the world! I will be sharing here as we go through the month, but I am also sharing via instagram and twitter using #decdaily and/or #decemberdaily.  I will also be sharing photos of this project in this flickr group!

This weekend I hope to attend Craft & Fancy and see my friend Kirsten (who is also blogging her December Daily)!

Peace out!

~ mini gift ~

A few weeks ago I took engagement photos for a friend and her fiancé.  It was stressful, but also quite fun!  I got a few good ones out of the hour and a half, and she was happy, which is all that really counts!

As a gift, I decided to stick a few of her favorites into a minibook.  I was going to use her wedding colors, but decided I would stick with fall colors since they were such a part of the photos.  One of my (and her) favorite photos is this one :

I bought two ampersand stamps from Elise Blaha Cripe (along with a few other stamps from her store) and used circles and ampersands throughout the book.  This was a bit of a challenge because there was no journaling.  I don't know them as a couple all that well (I mostly just know Amber), so I didn't feel like I know enough about the two of them to journal, and Amber isn't a scrapbooker, so I didn't want to just leave some journaling spots (not sure that would be a "gift", if that makes sense). So I found some "love" quotes and printed those out for the other side of the page.

Hambly screen print overlay on the front and back of the book.

Thanks for stopping by!