Musing with Marlyss

My Amaryllis plants are like people

2012-01-10T18:03:00.000-05:00

I planted both of these bulbs on

the same day in December. They looked to

be the same size bulb from the outside

but who knew what was going on inside.

They were placed in the same spot by

my kitchen sink so I could keep

them sufficiently watered in an easy way.

Turns out they are like people. They

grow up at their own pace.

I'll bet if I were still in school I could

write a whole essay on how people are

like amaryllis flowers. Instead I'll just ponder

on how much my name

Marlyss is like Amaryllis...especially if

you take away the A.

What is it about those Chipmunks??

2012-01-09T23:41:00.000-05:00

What is it about those darling

chipmunks?

I taped the movie on my Dish Network.

I was watching it last night and...darn it...

I fell asleep. Not because I wasn't just

enjoying it like crazy. I was sleepy.

I just love them.

I have Alvin scream at me when

I get a text message on my phone.

He goes:

"text message, Text Message.

TEXXXTTTTT MESSSAGE!!!"

I never get over loving it.

Now little Eleanor is my computer screen saver.

I'm so hooked.

Is there no hope for me?

I'm too old for this.

Or not. I guess there is no

age limit on chipmunk love.

Inexpensive Memory Books for theme parties

2012-01-05T21:20:00.000-05:00

Last year we started making these

simple and inexpensive

Memory Books for parties.

We've made them for Bar/Bat Mitzvahs,

Sweet 16's and currently we're working

on one for an adult birthday party.

The book is 12" x 16" and have 20

big pages inside. The cover is a

glossy bright white so any color

decorations look good on it.

They are only $65. plus shipping and

often can ship with other items that

are ordered so the shipping costs nothing.

We just slide it into the box with other things.

We like making one-of-a-kind things because

we often have to make multiples of things and

that's takes so much more time. It's why we

also like making Gift Card Boxes for their

unique and one-of-a-kind qualities.

I hope we get to make many more Memory

Books this year in 2012 'cuz we like to do them.

Front Porch Holiday Decorations

2012-01-02T23:14:00.000-05:00

Well...last year it was around March before

I decided to remove the decorations.

It probably will be the same this year.

I'm in no hurry about it at all.

A fatal fall we couldn't save her from

2011-12-07T22:23:00.001-05:00

My Mother always worried about falling.

We installed an extra stair rail.

We installed bars in the bathroom.

My brother put a rail by the front porch and

one in the garage by the entry into the house.

We taped down the rugs.

My Mother steadied herself with a rolling walker and had a cane.

Yet she still fell and sustained a fatal bleed on her brain

from which she died on November 7th, 2011.

Now it's January 1, 2012.

Pickin' up life here again on this blog.

It's yogurt not mayonnaise!

2011-10-21T19:21:00.000-04:00

I'm sitting at my computer multi-tasking. Eating and working.

I had slopped in some fat free Meijer Brand vanilla yogurt into a soup bowl. It was fast and filling.

Stacey came over and looked into the bowl and looked at me. "Are you eating MAYONNAISE?" she asked.

Not on my worst most decadent eating day would I eat a bowl of mayonnaise.
After all, I take a cholestrol lowering pill. That would be like self-sabotage.
Besides...yuck. Who's eats that much mayonnaise? I feel guilty if I put a
tablespoon on a turkey sandwich. A whole bowl??

Then one night as I was channel surfing I saw Andrew Zimmern...that guy that travels around the world eating weird things. He was visiting a mayonnaise restaurant in Japan. Yeek gads...you can get mayonnaise soup? mayonnaise drinks? mayonnaise fondue? He thought it was yucky and he knows yuck.

Oh well...it's my blog and I thought I'd share this earth shattering interesting bit of information.

Connecting the creativity dots with ipad apps

2011-10-18T22:02:00.000-04:00

In 1996 Steve Jobs was quoted as saying

this about "Creativity":

“Creativity is just connecting things.

When you ask creative people how they did something,

they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it,

they just saw something.

It seemed obvious to them after a while.

That’s because they were able to connect experiences

they’ve had and synthesize new things."

Well that's exactly it.
Well stated.

He said you just connect the dots.

Easy Peasy.

Even easier now with ipad apps.

I love to make photos into something

new and different. Maybe even

more fun to view.

I guess that's why I also believe in

a little photo airbrushing to improve

people in their photos.

Here's a few of my current favorites

ipad apps. Try 'em and see if you don't agree.

1. WaterMyPhoto

2. PosterFX
3. OutColor

(It's not called OutPhoto but I

keep calling it that...makes more sense to me.)

(By the way...this is just strictly
my opinion....not any sort of
paid advertising for them.)

Nascar racing party decorations

2011-10-13T18:27:00.000-04:00

Nascar Racing!

Here's some signs and

centerpieces and placecards we've done

in the past year for this slant on car racing.

We've done go-cart type car racing party themes before

but Nascar is on a different level.

Here's a few ideas if you are looking for

something fast and colorful and fun.

These pictures are mix from 3 different
parties but it does seem like black and
red always are the dominant colors mixed
in with checkerboard.

Red is hot and sexy.
Checkerboard is flashy and eye catching.

Guess that sums it up.

DIY: How to make a foamcore palm tree centerpiece

2011-10-09T16:02:00.000-04:00

This tree is made from 3/16" foamcore
and is 3 dimensional and looks the same
on the front and back.

You can make it any size but this one was
about 32" high.

It would make a cute centerpiece for a

tropical beach theme, Hawaiian Luau or

even part of a travel theme.

Here's how to make one yourself.

Start with the trunk.

Now make the leaves.

Here's how to assemble it altogether.

Hope you enjoy the instructions!

www.marlyssandstacey.com

Music Parties vs. Sports Parties .... Who leads?

2011-10-08T22:12:00.000-04:00

In the year 2011 are boys (and some girls) picking a

music theme over a sports theme?

Well...if you ask me, MUSIC is pulling out ahead.

Now we've done some sports party centerpieces and

Here's a couple of signs with a sports theme.

ESPN of every sort, All Stars, Sports Center,

Sports Spectacular, Game Day......some of the few words

we've used mixed in with footballs, baseballs, basketballs,

hockey sticks, etc. Throw in some lacrosse and swimming

and running too. Add some stars and lights and

it cool and fun looking.

Even lots of sports tickets for PLACE CARDS.

But there are loads of up and coming guitar players out there.

Could it be because of Rock Band and Guitar Hero?

We've done Rock Band and Guitar Hero centerpieces elevated up like this one.

We've made them simpler too.

But more than anything, we've done loads of

guitars in all shapes and ways.

Here's one of our newest ideas.

This works well on a round table in the

entrance to greet your guests with a fun guitar look.

Placecards can be placed all around

this centerpiece with its triangular base.

Guitars really do Rock!

We've done guitar centerpieces for birthdays from 1 to 80.

For Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Sweet 16's, Corporate Events,

once for "Our Docs Rock"...even weddings and baby showers.

Of course, baby showers. "Potty like a Rock Star" is popular

and the first time I heard that, I found it so hilarious and cute.

I still do.

If you need things for a music party visit:

www.guitarcenterpieces.com

If you need things for a sports party visit:

www.marlyssandstacey.com

Or visit us on Facebook for a real hodge podge of

things that are currently flowing thru our workshop if you

haven't found your theme yet.

See the Facebook link on the right side of this page.

We like all kinds of themes.

Even some that are a little off the wall

are okay with us.

My Mirror

2011-10-04T14:44:00.000-04:00

I don't think my little gal knows

how she can touch my heart.

This little note resides on the metal

track on my bathroom mirror.

It's been there for a couple of years now.

I can't ever take it down.

I love it there.

It's a fixture in my life and upon

the mirror I look into every day.

How do I feel about airbrushing?

2011-10-01T11:49:00.000-04:00

How do I honestly and truly feel about airbrushing?

I'm for it. Bring it on. In moderation.

This photo on the cover of a Costco Connection

magazine bothers me.

What woman says put me on the cover of a magazine

and show all my flaws? Would a little airbrushing

here of her smile lines and creases hurt?

Wouldn't we still recognize her as

Caroline Kennedy? Well...yes, we would.

We re-touch pimples on kids school pictures.

It still looks like our kid. Who needs the zits in

the picture. Do we need to remember those?

A picture is a memory. It's a time capsule.

It's there forever. We all want to be remembered

as looking fresh and rested...at our best.

So Caroline is older. She has wrinkles. We all do when

we smile. Even babies. We crease up. That's what forms

those lines after years of smiling and crying too.

(and I'll admit...gravity too...It keeps us

grounded in more ways than one.)

We have them. We earned them. We own them.

We see them in the mirror everyday.

They are there. We all know it.

I'm not saying deny the truth. But if your dress has

a tear or stain we didn't notice, would they

air brush that out? Sure they would.

When I take a photo of some work I've done and

there is some lint or misplaced junk in the photo, do

I use that retouch button in my iphoto? Yes.

I also use the "enhance" and "exposure", "sharpness" and

"de-noise" features to get the best photo.

It doesn't change the integrity of the original. It

just makes it nicer to view.

Most of my pictures of my work are pictures of

inanimate objects. They don't care.

But if I take a picture of a person and it has

a flaw or two, I fix it. It's still the same person.

They look at their best at that moment in time.

Whatever age they are.

You can't change them into babies if they are

grandparents. That would be crazy and unreasonable.

But why not bring out the best in them.

That's why folks wear nice clothes. To bring out

the best. That's why we comb our hair before we

take a picture if we have the chance.

We want the picture to reflect us at our best.

Now really...do you think this photographer and

whoever was in charge of putting this photo on the

cover really wanted Caroline to look her best?

I think not for some odd reason.

Do they think it makes a better cover?

Well not in my opinion.

Here's a really sexist remark (sorry): But I think

maybe it was a man who made that decision.

Could it be a woman who made that decision?

I would hope not. But maybe.

People can be mean to each other.

Look at all those tabloid magazines.

But this was on a Costco magazine.

Really...Costco? It's not a tabloid.

It's also not a Glamor magazine, I know that.

It's about everyday people and everyday things.

Was that what they wanted to show?

"Everyday Caroline"?

Party Centerpiece Construction Instructions

2011-09-29T18:30:00.001-04:00

Here's an example of an "instruction

sheet" we send with items we make.

We assemble everything and take

a picture and then take it somewhat apart

for the shipping process.

I add any notes on anything that looks

like further instructions would be

helpful or mark where things go.

Here's an assembly page I send out with

our elevated guitar centerpieces.

This page I can use over and over but this next

page was specific only to this centerpiece.

I often end up with lots of these pages because

most everything we send out is unique and

different each time.

We're in a niche.

Our niche is "custom themed party

centerpieces and signs". Pretty specific.

Not something you'd find

on a big box place Amazon.

I'm sometimes so amazed folks can

find us on this big internet...but they do.

Google must like us. If they know us.

Hey Google, do you know us?

Do you "like" us?

Hey...I forgot for a moment this

wasn't Facebook.

Apple's iWeb is bad...what the heck?

2011-09-27T23:14:00.000-04:00

Let me say first that I'm a HUGE Apple fan. I have Mac computers, an iphone and an ipad. I would NEVER...repeat NEVER....switch back to a Microsoft computer. You couldn't drop one in my lap for free and make me use it. That's how much I love my Mac computer and all things from the Apple Store.

That's why I'm so bummed and really surprised that their software iWeb is so darn bad.

I've tried about 6 different variations of website building software. By far my favorite is Bravenet. This isn't an ad for Bravenet but I've had websites with them for going on 7 years and I love how easy it is to have a website with them. I can't say the same about that iWeb software that came on my computer and their soon-to-be-fazed out Mobile Me.

How can it be so bad? They do things so well....most of the time. But iWeb they really missed the mark.

I understand they know they missed the mark and iweb won't be shipping with new computers coming out next year. I've heard that from hanging around in the Apple Store. It's a happy place for me. I take classes and drool over their stuff as often as I can get that into my schedule.

Give me a day to work on a Personal Project in the Apple Store with an Apple expert there to help me out...well...for me...that hangs close to the top of my favorite things to do. I come home filled to the brim with new information and problems solved.

But I digress.....

I know that you learn something best by just jumping right in. So I bought a pretty website template. A template only available to use with iweb though. First mistake. But I'm riding my learning curve.

I struggled with the site and learned stuff. It wasn't great. But it wasn't like I needed it to be great. I was taking it for a test ride. I played around with ideas then I just left it hanging around out there on the web. I just left it out there to Google along. Recently I headed back to it and made some changes.

Since Mobile Me will be fazed out next year I had to transfer it somewhere. So with the help of an Apple Store instructor, I FTP'ed it to Bravenet. But since it was an iWeb-made website, I had to keep using iWeb to update it and then re-send it over to Bravenet after each change.

Again, I struggled along. It was really annoying so I only made a 6 page website. The list of what I don't like about this software is long but the worst is that you can't work much "behind the scenes"... even if you want to. Apple believes in protecting you from yourself so they only let you go so far. Then you are blocked out.

I'm not an HTML genius or webmaster extraordinaire. Not even close. I'd consider myself an intermediate. Middle intermediate at best....not a high level one. But I do know some HTML code. I wanted and needed to get behind the scenes. Just a little more. But nope. Not allowed except for their crazy little "snippets". They know us middle intermediate types needed to be stopped at the door.

I won't go into all the boring details or spend time on a constructive critique of some software that I've heard is not going to be updated or improved.

But one page of my small little 6 page website inspired me to write an About Us page. Check it out until I screw up the link and it doesn't work anymore. It looks like this but if you go directly there you may be able to read it better and see the other pages of my test-run website devoted to Party Placecards.

http://www.barmitzvahplacecards.com/Party_Placecards/About_Us.html

My first Party Decoration and how I got started...the good and bad of it.

2011-09-21T13:13:00.002-04:00

Here's the VERY FIRST

party decoration I ever did.

It was over 20 years ago.

I find it funny and a quirky coincidence (?) that

it was something to do with guitars since

we now have a complete website devoted to

guitar centerpieces.

We've done many other themes thru the years.

So why was the first thing I ever did a guitar thing?

Hard to figure.

I didn't make the decision to make this boy with

a guitar. Someone asked me to.

How it came about was that I was sitting at

the bar of our favorite restaurant with my husband.

We were eating a late afternoon Saturday lunch and

enjoying the surrounding

company and having a drink or two.

A party planner was doing a party in the downstairs

banquet room which was an extremely

popular party venue at the time.

She kept coming upstairs about every 1/2 hour (or less) and

ordered a drink and was chatty and friendly.

We struck up a conversation.

She asked what I did and I told her one of the things

I had recently done was paint the doors of

this restaurants ladies and mens room with a caricature

of a woman and a man...sorta

vintage 1920's style people.

A 40-ish man with a moustache and a big busted elderly

sophisticated woman with a hat.

(It was that kind of restaurant....kinda colorful and funky and fun.

Darn...I wish I could find a picture of those doors now.)

She asked me if I could do a figure of a boy playing a guitar if she

gave me a photo of his face. I figured I could try.

I have to say I worked really hard on it for hardly any money.

But it worked out well and she asked me to do more stuff.

I did and I did and I did some more. Wow... she kept me busy.

Actually she kept me very busy until things fell apart for her because

she had a drinking problem...and some other issues too like a chronic

"runny nose" and a need to wear sunglasses indoors. I was slow to catch on to

the "issues" and the fact that her 2 employees were doing their best to keep

the business going until even they gave up. They branched out on their own

and she went to rehab and then into another line of business.

Isn't life so messy sometimes?

By then, my name was getting known around town as

someone to call for themed bar/bat mitzvah and sweet 16 party

decorations and I started working with lots of people.

And here I am today.

Still working with lots of people.

Foamcore Letters for Signs in 2 different ways

2011-09-19T18:41:00.000-04:00

COMPUTER LETTERS or HAND CUT LETTERS?

(Here's some answers to the question I often need to answer.)

Both use foamcore.

One uses the computer.

One uses paint and glitter.

The computer letters work well for
smaller letters or more intricate fonts like
these curly letters and can be simpler to work with.

Here's a sign done all in computer letters.

Here's a close-up.

These letters were printed on the computer and

then mounted on foamcore.

Then they were cut out around the shape of

the outline around the letter.

Another way to do it is to cut out each letter.

Then paint and glitter those letters.

Then mount those letters on 2 or 3 more layers.

Like this one here.

Here's a close-up of the Joshua letters.

Both require a sharp knife to
cut around the foamcore.

We like both styles.

We can suggest which is the best option to
fit the sign situation for both the budget and
to get the best look.

The Lonely Polygamist

2011-09-17T21:10:00.001-04:00

I admire someone who can write a sentence like this one:

"He stepped closer to her and felt a drop in temperature; Beverly was a woman whose moods held sway over the immediate atmosphere, who seemed to be in control of everything, including the weather."

A semi-colon and 2 commas and a long flowing sentence that said what this character was all about.

Do you learn this type of poetry in words in school or does it just come naturally to some people?

I admire the writing style of Brady Udall. I'm going to enjoy reading this book "The Lonely Polygamist".

CANDY Centerpieces for Parties

2011-08-24T22:35:00.000-04:00

Making candy centerpieces for parties is hazardous to my health. We have to buy too many sample boxes and then I just eat too much candy. Yum Yum.....I like my job....hazards or not.

Big boxes elevated up on poles or low centerpieces sitting under eye level...both work.

I can't think of any flavor of candy that won't work for this theme.

We've done all chocolate. That's good.

We've done assorted. That's good.

My personal favorite candy is Good 'n Plenty.

I love black licorice.

I also like Sweet Tarts.

Don't let me near those. I'll eat the whole box.

I think these boxes of candy look cute all by

themselves but when there is other candy added,

I think it just goes over the top.

I think other centerpiece themes are healthier but

who wants to do a broccoli party? I've never heard of one.

Artsy Gazebo

2011-08-14T01:28:00.002-04:00

When Jacob and I were in Arizona we went to the Desert Museum.

They had the most wonderfully artistic gazebo with a beautiful view.

As someone who really likes twisted wood and things built with them, I

had a hard time moving on from this spot.

I would have like to take it home and put it in my yard.

I'd hang some plants and put some natural wood

furniture underneath it.

You know... the kind you'd find at an art fair.

Maybe hang a swing....although I'm not sure where.

It's wild and crazy looking, isn't it? Maybe the swing isn't

such a good idea.

Airplane trip to Arizona

2011-08-01T19:32:00.001-04:00

Assorted random thoughts on our trip:

AIRPLANE:
1. I love flying on an airplane. The flight attendants are old. I always thought they were young and pretty but I haven't seen one of those. They all look around 40-60 years old and tired. That surprised me.

2. Food in the airport is pretty good. Good coffee and good variety. I had some taco thing with great re-fried beans..not those mushy dog food like kind.

3. Nobody checked Jacob's I.D. either coming or going. But they patted my body down once on the way home and scanned my water bottle for "vapors" and emptied my backpack to look around it. I was fine with it all. Neither was an intrusion or anything that offended me. In fact, I like the diligence. Go for it.

FORGETTING THINGS:
I didn't forget one thing. Of course, as I said before, I pack like Monk. My suitcase weighed 44 pounds on the way home. I checked it, of course. I loved the fact that I didn't have to lug it around the airport or try and squeeze it into some overhead compartment because I had packed lighter so I wouldn't have to pay the $25. For me, it was worth it.

TUCSON AIRPORT:
Wow! Great signs everywhere. It was so easy to navigate thru. You'd have to be brain dead not to figure out how to get anywhere.

Great electronic charging station counters. I loved them and received wonderful WiFi reception.

JACOB...My TRAVELING COMPANION:
What can I say. He's the best person I've ever traveled with.

OUR TARANTULA CONFERENCE:
That's for another blog but it was unusual, interesting, informative and a well planned event. I got a kick out of it.

THE ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT HAVING TO GO HOME:
1'm going to get to install Lion on my computer.

TUCSON, ARIZONA:
Beautiful...absolutely breathtaking beautiful. If I couldn't live on water...which I do...I would want to live by mountains. They do what water does...change with the clouds in the sky and where your body is viewing them and every view is a good one. There is no bad view of a mountain or no bad view of a body of water.

The Raffle

2011-07-24T04:13:00.000-04:00

We sat at the pizza dinner/raffle at the same table as the lady who started The American Tarantula Society in 1991. She is an 8th grade science teacher right now.
She had 2 sons that shared her tarantula hobby as they were growing up.

She had 1,000 (yes, that's not a typo) tarantulas when her oldest son got meningitis at 18 years old and died in 1998.

Since it was a shared hobby with her boys she couldn't even go into her tarantula room any more and they started dying. She lost over half of them before her youngest son helped pull her out of her well of despair and they could start caring for them again.

This was the 13th annual Tarantula Society Conference and the first one she was able to come to even though she was the original founder of the idea and others had to take over when her heart breaking tragedy occurred.

She's on the other side of the pain...as they say....but her story stabbed my heart.

You sure can't just look at a person and see what scars they may be carrying inside.

Tarantula burrows

2011-07-23T15:17:00.000-04:00

Are you interested in knowing about tarantula burrows in the Arizona desert? If so, read on. If not, then run away to something else on the web. Hey...speaking of "web".....that's what this is about.

That's how you identify a tarantula hole from a hole that is not as much fun to explore. You look for the soft webbing across the hole. It's a very subtle thing and hard to spot...at least for me....not so much for Jacob.

Then you insert a tiny soft stick inside and "tickle" it out. It thinks it food and is intrigued and either comes out fast and quick or more tenuous and slowly. You never know.

You can also pour a little water into the hole and that encourages them to come out.

Jacob will sometimes start digging to discover the tunnel of the burrow if he thinks it went way down into it's hole. He gets in that hunter mode.

Now wasn't that interesting?

Night hike and Arizona scenery

2011-07-23T14:46:00.000-04:00

Jake and I took a long night walk in the dark of night (with a guide) into the mountains looking for tarantulas in their burrows and scorpions under a black light. It was an incredible adventure. Knowing that there were rattlesnakes around us, we treaded carefully.

It was a lovely 85 degrees with a slight breeze. Nonetheless, walking up the gradual incline made me sweaty. Or, maybe it was the thought of the snakes, I'm not sure.

I really liked walking in the dark. I'm not sure why. Usually I don't like the dark. I leave lots of lights on in my house. But this was a beautiful adventure.

I even took one of those scenery pictures that probably a million people have taken just before we set out. I think I'll make it my new computer desktop picture.

Ken The Bug Guy

2011-07-21T20:31:00.000-04:00

Jacob got to meet Ken The Bug Guy. The celebrity of the tarantula world who had the tv show.

Weird pointed kid-friendly plant?

2011-07-21T16:48:00.000-04:00

Not touching tarantulas or sharp prickly things. Nope....he's definitely not. I won't let him and definitely wouldn't take picture.