Z is for Zoo - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter Z

Zoo 

Short Short 

Stories

Zoo story number one, is where my father and I went to the Miami Metro Zoo. I did not have my father in my life while I was growing up. I was able to obtain contact info for him at 17 but life did not cooperate enough for me to reach out to him until I was about 19. He flew down from Michigan and visited for about a week or two, it was an awesome time. He wanted to buy the largest stuffed animal the Zoo gift shop had out on the floor. 

Y is for ... - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter Y

YOURSELF

YOUR/YOURS

&

YOU

A Short Playlist

-----

Shinedown - How Did You Love 
official
lyrical 

X is for Xanadu - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter X

Xanadu

by 

Definition

Up until about a year ago, if you had asked me about Xanadu, I probably would have said, "Great movie! I have always appreciated it, regardless of whatever poor ratings it might have received. 

It seemed to me, to be a fun movie, with lots of joy, great singing and dancing, some wonderful art deco architecture, and an awesome soundtrack.  It was also really great to see Gene Kelly still "killing it", with such great dance moves, regardless of age. Like all movies it is a fantasy, but a really great fantasy, IMO, full of love, happiness, and music.

I'm pretty sure I won't ever get tired of listening to many of the tunes from this soundtrack. I keep a few favorites on a playlist I listen to regularly, these are Magic by Olivia Newton-John, All Over The World by ELO (Electric Light Orchestra), and the title song Xanadu also by Olivia Newton-John. 

W is for Writing - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter W

Writing

WiP's

What I Use

or have used

In the post for Letter N, I talked about my notebooks both digital and non digital, the ways that I work now vs how I have worked in the past, as well as a few of the writing related projects. You can read about that over here.

In today's post, I will share some of the screenshots of my setup for Scrivener. Many of these screenshots represent the process of me moving all of the WiP content (blog or fiction/non fiction) into Scrivener from the notebooks (digital or non digital formats).

V is for... - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter V

Video Games

Vintage &

Victorian

x5

1. I enjoyed playing The Sims for many years on a desktop. I owned version 1, 2,  and 3. I had most of the expansion packs for 2 and 3. I also attempted to make art and import it into my games. I was very interested in making art for games at one time, specifically scenery and buildings, but I also dabbled for a bit with some modeling/posing applications. 
2. I had a version of The Sims 2 for PSP, and played that on a PSP 1000.
3. I played Xtreme Games on the original Playstation. Of course I had to turn off the lady with the motivational? lectures SMH... My favorite on that one, was the luge.
4. I loved Mario Cart on the Wii, even though I completely sucked at it, I would laugh and laugh every time I "flew" off the roadway and had to start over again. I wish I had the same outlook about real life, lol.
5. I had Harvest Moon and I'm pretty sure I played it on two different devices, but can't recall which at the moment or which versions of Harvest Moon. It's kind of sad when you are getting older and the memory issues you already had most of your life, start getting worse. :\

U is for UPCYCLING -#atozchallenge 2024

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Letter U

UPCYCLING

is

USEFUL

Upcycling is not only useful, it is also really great for the environment and an affordable way to be creative and more organized. I have been known to save all sorts of things from the landfills for both of these purposes. I don't shop with some specific use in mind but I've often been excited that I was getting more boxes or a certain type of container as part of my grocery order. 

Some of my soup cans became pencil holders, and some of my aluminum beverage cans or plastic beverage bottles have been dissected to be used as cookie or clay cutters. I don't have lots of pictures to share since I am starting over again after many losses but one of the creative projects I have been the most happy with, was made by upcycling a cardboard box. It was a Cardboard Box Inkle Loom.

T is for Ten Things - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter T

Ten Things

About Julie 

@jmdCR8V

1. TEAL - It's my favorite color.

2. Technology - Just A Simple Girl In A High Tech Digital World ... I'm always looking for opportunities to learn and possibly gain access through any free beta tests, product reviews, or even deeply discounted options. It could be home office tech, gaming tech, art tech, crafty tech, kitchen tech, or workshop tech, I think it's all so fascinating. The link goes to lyrics for the song by Jewel, titled Intuition.

3. Treadles - As in old sewing machines that were foot powered. I owned two of them at one time. One was a Singer from 1912 and the other was a White Family Rotary from 1913. I loved them both but between the two, if I could get another treadle sewing machine, it would probably be the White FR. All of the links lead to pictures of similar machines for reference purposes. I had sewing machines that were useful but if I were funded enough to be a collector, I would probably want a Fiddle bed with fancy decals in pristine condition, something I could drool over. Not literally of course. 

S is for STORIES - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter S

Stories

There are many stories that could be shared by a woman that has struggled too much in one way or another, for most of her life. She often prefers to be able to live her life in peace and not share any of these things. Of course when life and people keep giving her material, not sharing can seem so impossible at times.

R is for R and R and R and woRd-aRt - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter R

R and R

and R 

and 

woRd-aRt

😂😋😎

Seriously though???

R is for Respect

and Recreation

Q is for Quatrefoil - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter Q

Quatrefoil

Pattern Resources for Creatives

Quatrefoil is one of my favorite patterns and I am sharing links here for any one who also appreciates quatrefoil as much as I do. 

If you are not familiar with quatrefoil, Wikipedia describes it as a decorative element consisting of a symmetrical shape which forms the overall outline of four partially overlapping circles of the same diameter. 

I think it's really pretty and in addition to a few of the areas mentioned by Wikipedia, I think it looks especially great on cookies and when used in digital art or home decor. 

P is for Peony - Sugar Flower - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter P

Peony

Sugar Flower

My interest in cake decorating has mainly been in the making of sugar flowers, even when I was teaching. Maybe even before that. Decorating cookies is next in line and you can see some of those, over here. 

As part of the process to create this flower, I had researched more than one source, and reviewed several blog tutorials, youtube videos, and pictures, before starting the entire process. While working on the flower petals and leaves, I referred back to a few pictures and videos but mainly attempted to create without any extra input.  

O is for Outside (Exterior Decor) - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter O

Outside (Exterior)

Balcony & Gardening Items

These are some of my Pinterest boards that reflect what I would like to have outside of the Apartment, on my balcony. There are also outdoor items related to gardening and flowers, which might be adapted for the balcony or inside the Apt. Some of the items could be useful during Hurricane season when there might be a power outage or some other emergency.

N is for NOTEBOOKS - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter N

Notebooks

(for Writing & Blogging)

Prior to 2017, I had a process that was less digital and more "old school" for anything that was writing related. This process involved binders full of articles and notes, as well as a typewriter, index cards, and lots of (physical) notebooks. I had a computer as part of a home office setup, and had tried a few digital products for writing but had mainly preferred to write things first in non digital ways. It seemed better to me, to move the work to a digital format at a later time, once it was ready. 

Of course, the more I worked on these writing related things, it became difficult to keep track of all of the notes and work in paper form.  I investigated different methods for organizing and tried a few of them but couldn't seem to find anything that really worked for me, or my brain, lol.

M is for Miniatures and Model Making - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter M

Miniatures

and

Model Making

Today I am sharing links to resources for many of my favorite Miniature or Model Making Artists across the internet. Many offer free tutorials or printable projects that will allow you to create your own models or miniature items. There are a variety of mini and model types, mediums, and inspiration to appreciate in this list of links. No affiliation, just appreciation and admiration. ;)

L is for LOVE - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter L

LOVE

Thoughts about love...

Whatever is based in love, should not be shamed.

K is for Kindness & K.I.S.S - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter K

Kindness

K.I.S.S.

Language

Humility

Gratitude

There are many ways to express or show kindness to others. It's never too soon to do the right thing by another human. To lessen their burdens and lift them up. This can often be as simple as ensuring that they have whatever necessities they require as humans. Since each human is different, some individuals may require additional effort. 

It's always good to try and KEEP IT SO SIMPLE = K.I.S.S., for the one we are helping = showing kindness to, even if it is only to verbally encourage them. Adding extra to their plate as part of the help or encouragement, is not kind. 

J is for JAH - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter J

JAH / JHVH

GOD

CREATOR

JEHOVAH

It seems difficult to express all of what I think and feel, in a single blog post, where Jah is concerned, but I do want to share at least a few items. I hope these will convey at least a few of my thoughts and feelings about our Grand Creator, what he wants from us, or for us, and the highler love that is possible.

I is for Inside Interests (Home Interior) - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter I

Inside Interests 

(Home Interior)

Today I am sharing some of my Pinterest boards that reflect much of what I would like to have inside the Apartment. These include colors, furnishings, and other items that are either decorative or practical.

H is for Hot Wheels! - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter H

Hot Wheels!

I was diagnosed with Epilepsy at the age of eight approximately, and while my seizures are not convulsive there is still some potential for danger, so for the sake of safety, I have mainly chosen to not drive. 

I happen to also have a fascination with antique or vintage / classic cars and trucks, older tractors and various types of trains. This has probably been  since I was young too but I didn't start indulging myself until I was a young adult. 

I used to have more Hot Wheels, some other model cars, tractors, and at least two train sets at one time. Currently I just own these four vehicles. 

G is for Genealogy - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter G 

Genealogy

I am not sure exactly when or why I became interested in Genealogy. I think possibly my love for puzzles and stories are two factors that contribute to my interest in this area. I loved to sit in my room when I was a child and play with sliding puzzles, and then later I would sit for hours solving jigsaw puzzles, as well as many other types of puzzles. I have also enjoyed learning about history, especially my own family history. I found it at least interesting to hear the stories about different family members, even when the stories were not very pretty, and unfortunately there have been many of those. This all has continued into adulthood.

F is for a Few Favorite Freebie & Font Resources on the Web - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter F

More than a Few Favorite 

Freebie & Font

Resources on the Web 

Today I am sharing more than a few of my favorite locations on the web, where you can acquire free fonts or freebies. These can be used for creating digital art and creating or working with digital scrapbook pages. 

E is for EARRINGS! - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter E

EARRINGS!

When it comes to Jewelry, I probably like Earrings as much as I like Alpha's or Fonts, and that was typically what I have purchased the most of over the years. 

Prior to the pandemic I had a nice collection of earrings, that were acquired as part of regular shopping mall trips with my daughters, back when we were younger kids or teenagers. Quite a lot of those earrings were not high end but that was ok. If we thought they were affordable, pretty or pretty cool looking, and it didn't make our skin break out, that's all that mattered. 

D is for Deviled-Eggs #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter D

Deviled-Eggs

Today's post is at least short even if it's only sweet by its intention to not be as long as yesterday's post was, lol. 

It has been a favorite of mine as well as many family members and friends that I have made them for in the past. I usually had to make a double or triple batch depending on how many people would be eating dinner, and to also account for all of the one's I might eat before dinner, lol.  

C is for Cakes and Cookies - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter C

Cakes and Cookies 

I have always enjoyed being in the kitchen, and baking more than cooking. When I was starting out as a young adult, I made a point to invest in things for my kitchen, as well as obtaining different types of books to support the baking and sugar related interests as much as possible. 

Thankfully there are Public Libraries, thrift stores, yard/garage sales, Freecycle, and clearance/discounted options for those of us who are not always budgeted for much. 

Additionally, when I was starting out back in the mid 80's, we didn't have internet like it is today, so the Public Library was like a second home, and not just for these things.

One of my efforts in cake decorating back then was this Cactus cake, and as it happens that at least one picture still survives, I am able to share it here. 

B is for Banana Bread - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter B

Banana Bread

First, you will gather your ingredients of course, these are extremely necessary of you really want to make this banana bread recipe. 

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour 3/4 cup sugar 

1/2 - 3/4 cup chocolate chips 

1/4 cup brown sugar 

3 large or 4 small bananas (mashed) 

2 whole eggs 1 Stick of Butter (softened) 

1/4 tsp kosher salt 

1 tsp baking soda 

1 1/2 tsp vanilla 

A is for Alphabet With An Alpha Freebie - #atozchallenge 2024

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Letter A

Alphabet 

w/ An Alpha Freebie

I have a bit of an obsession with Alphabet related things, which includes a huge fondness for Type / Typography, Fonts, and Lettering. Almost any type of Alphabet Book and nearly any craft projects with Letters or Words in them, it doesn't matter if they are Digital or Non Digital.