How I Design my "52 Lists. 52 Weeks." Lists

I just now realized that by putting things on flickr, people can actually view them and leave comments!  I feel so silly for having not known this before.  I just spent several minutes reading through comments that have been left on my 52 Lists. 52 Weeks photos.  You all are so sweet for leaving comments.  It makes me feel important when people take the time to leave me feedback.  I feel really guilty for being so busy and not having left comments on anyone's lists lately.  I promise in the near future, that will change!  Anyhow, I did notice a lot of comments about the scrapbook look to my lists.  I just wanted to share with you all how I have been making my lists.  It is so easy to do.  I started out by downloading FREE digital scrapbooking kits from Two Peas In A Bucket and then using the elements in Photoshop Elements.  It was pretty easy to do, but it was also time consuming.  For the last few weeks I have been using My Memories Suite software instead of Photoshop Elements and it has gone a lot faster and been a lot easier.  I am able to not only use the elements that are included in the software, but I also downloaded some free elements form their website, and I was able to use all of the elements I had already downloaded from other websites.  So easy!! 

If you are interested in checking out the software, I have a GIVEAWAY going on here and I also have a discount code listed in the post for all of my blog readers.  If you like what you have seen in my List photos, you will love this software!  The big bonus is that it is already way cheaper than other digital software I have seen for scrapbooking.  Check it out!
Loves!!!

My Memories Software **GIVEAWAY**

I'm really excited to share with you all some awesome software that I have had the opportunity to try during the last couple weeks. Have you heard about My Memories Suite?  Now, I've always been about scrapbooking the old-fashioned way because I figured digital scrapbooking would be super tough, but it's totally not with My Memories Suite!  It's actually really easy! 
Not only can you create scrapbook pages, and even scrapbook albums, but you can add sound and video to them as well to watch form your computer or share with friends.  The possibilities are not limited to scrapbooking though....you can make all kinds of beautiful digital stuff and you can also print it all out!!

Simple and easy collage

Use downloads from other suppliers

Use already made pages

Create your own pages by adding any number of elements and embellishments

I'm trying to remember when the last time was that I did any scrapbooking.  To be honest, it has been a very long time.  Why haven't I done any?  Because it is so time consuming and I always make a huge mess!  Well, My Memories had made these excuses irrelevant!  With the software suite, you make a complete page in just minutes!  And of course you don't have all the extra embellishments and paper scraps all over the floor and your desk!  It's all right there on your screen.  They also have downloads for when you are looking for just the right thing to finish that page. I love both their FREE downloads and their very inexpensive other packs!  Here is a quick look at only a few of them:

What is super awesome is that My Memories wants to give away the suite to one of my super lucky readers! 

All you have to do to win this amazing software is go to their website and tell me what fantastic designer pack you would want to create something fantastic  with. 

For extra entries you can also
     ***like them on on facebook and leave me a separate comment.
     ***follow them on twitter and leave me a separate comment
     ***blog about the giveaway and leave me a separate comment with a link
     ***comment about the giveaway on facebook and leave me a separate comment with a link.

The giveaway ends on Saturday, September 10 at midnight.  A winner will be selected by Monday, September 12 via a random drawing!

EVERYONE CAN WIN!!!!  If you visit the website and purchase the My Memories Suite v2, enter the code:  STMMMS44702  at checkout and get $10 off the already super reasonable price!!!!

Welcome to the Family! from Lisa Jurrens on Vimeo.

Hey all!  Just a really quick note to let you know that you will not want to miss my post on Sunday.  I have a really exciting post to share with you, that will include an awesome product review and a sponsored GIVEAWAY!!!  Don't miss out on the fun!  See you on Sunday!
Loves!!!

The giveaway Loot!

I promised to post up the pretties that I sent off to Steph last week for winning my 200 item/post giveaway.  So, without further delay, here are the pictures of all her fun prizes:

The very first painting I ever did on canvas!

Rubber stamps, buttons, iron-ons, humungous paperclips, an ring, and some handmade fabric flowers.

Scrapbooking how-to books, magnets, tags, a bracelet, and a pretty box of stationary

Fun scrapbook supplies

Embroidery string (great for friendship bracelets)

Necklaces, Fabric, a paper banner, and stickers.  The blue and clear necklace was one I made and wore for my first Prom

Thanks for stopping by!
Loves!!!

Winner! Winner! She's a Winner!!!!

I just want to take a quick moment to publicly congratulate Stephanie for her extraordinary win in my 200 item giveaway!  If you don't know who Stephanie is, you really do need to check out her blogs.  Yes, I used an "s" at the end of blog.  She has THREE!!!! Hope Sewing is Genetic, The Book Rant which she shares with Dianna, and Fewer Answers Than Questions. I can hardly keep up with one, but this talented woman as three!  Her interests include reading, writing, bike riding, home remodeling, and gardening.  Her blogs are really wonderful.  Her posts consist of subjects such as book reviews, life as it passes, sewing, and struggle.  By reading them, I can tell that she is a very compassionate, lady with the hugest of hearts.
I don't want to ruin her surprise by showing you all of the goodies she will be getting, but I will tell you a couple things, and then, once I am sure that she has received them, I will post pictures.  Included in her prizes, in case you didn't know, are 200 items, including, some fabric, some buttons, beautiful papers, stickers, stamps, and the list goes on.  I am also sending her something that is very dear to me.  It is my very first painting that I ever created on canvas.  I stretched and prepared the canvas myself.  The picture is eleven years old.  I really hope she likes it!!!  This giveaway, was about success, about fulfilling a goal, and about thanking the people that support me.  I cannot think of any better way to say thank you, than to pass on a piece of my heart. Well, I best be going now.
Have a lovely week!!
Loves!!!

Last Call for Entries!!

The GIVEAWAY ends at midnight tonight.  Don't forget to enter in 200 item giveaway.  You can enter on this post, here, here or here! The first link has a few sneak peaks of the prizes.  There will 200 prizes in all and they will include some of my own work and some amazing crafty supplies to create your own work.  Good luck!  I will be back to announce the winner sometime tomorrow.  I also have some fun stuff to tell you about cooking real Italian food!!

GIVEAWAY revised: The post in which I realize my design errors and offer another GIVEAWAY!!

Oh dear, I have been super busy!  In the last few weeks, I have picked up extra hours at work, my car has been in the shop, we traveled to Michigan, and I started Summer courses.  I also offered a giveaway on the blog that ran for a week.  I was somewhat offended to see that nobody entered in the giveaway, however, on Tuesday, I discovered some HUGE mistakes on my part that may have prevented you from entering the GIVEAWAY!  Mistake number one was that somehow during the slight redesign, I managed to make some of the text the same color of the background!  Included in that text was the link to comment.  Well, if you can't see the comment link, how are you to make a comment, and therefore, how are you to enter the giveaway.  This HUGE mistake has since been corrected!  Another failure on my part was that I did not tell you what will be offered as the prize other than the fact that it consists of 200 items.  I'm so sorry!  So let me try this GIVEAWAY  again.  The 200 items will consist of some artwork that I have done myself!  It will also consist of several crafty supplies to create some beautiful things of your own.  I still want to leave it a bit of a mystery, but I promise that you will not be disappointed!  I am currently trying to regain control of my crafty room and feel that a little purging is necessary.  I used to have a high paying job and had no other means of spending money other than buying craft supplies.  So, what did I do?  I bought way more supplies than any human could possibly use in a decade, then I stashed them and continued to stash them because I was too busy to use them!  Lucky you!  
Please click on the corrected link to leave a comment on either this post or the original post.  Tell me what you love, like, could use more of, could use less of, dislike, and hate about my blog.  Please be kind though - I love constructive criticism, but cruel words make me sad.  Let me know how you found me.  If you are new And Then We Started Living, let me know!  If you would like to let others know about this opportunity, post me a link in a separate comment.  You have one week and a day.  Get your comments in by Friday, June 17th before midnight.  The winner will be announced Saturday or Sunday.  Also, don't forget to include a way for me to contact you when you become the winner!
Have a fantastic weekend!!
Loves!!!

The post in which I do a 200 ITEM GIVEAWAY!!!!

Wowza!  I started this blog a year and a half ago and never imagined that it would turn into what it has.  I never thought that I would be doing my 200th post!  For me, this has been a journal, a documentary, a file, a place to speak my mind, and a place to call mine.  Along the way, I have cyber-met tons and tons of spectacular people.  I have learned so much about myself, about others, and about life.  Through my blog I have grown a lot.  I want to thank each and everyone of you for being supportive.  Whether you read my words, comment back to me, or pass along my links, I feel so blessed to be able to be a part of your life.  I cross my fingers everyday that I am able to provide something for you...whether it is a common mindset, a little inspiration, reassurance, contemplation, or just a happy smile that I pass along.  You make me feel special, and I hope that I make you feel the same.
I have always tended to be the one that starts something new and ends up putting it to the side and never finishing it.  With this blog, I guess I kind of thought it might end up that way.  Instead, it has blossomed.  For one of the few times, I have actually carried on!  For that, I want to celebrate.  This is a huge accomplishment for me, too!  As part of the celebration, I want to do a little GIVEAWAY!!!  I want to show you, my readers, how grateful I am for your encouragement along this journey of mine.  In celebration of my perseverance, my dedication, and my sticking-to-it-for-once project, I want to give one of my very special readers 200 THINGS.  You read that right: I WANT TO GIVE AWAY 200 THINGS to one very special and lucky reader that has made me feel successful!
To be considered for this giveaway, please leave me a comment.  In the comment, tell me what keeps you coming back to read my blog.  You can comment about things you like, things you would like to see, or pretty much any way that I could make this blog better.  I am all about constructive criticism (but please don't be down-right mean)!  In the comment, make sure that you leave an email address or other way to get in touch with you in case you win.  The lucky winner will be chosen on June 7th, so you have a week to get your comments in.  I will announce the winner shortly after that date.  If you are new to this blog, tell me how you found me and what caught your eye.  If you want to post about the GIVEAWAY on your site, leave me a link in a seperate comment, and you will be considered twice!!! 
 I love you guys, and hope that this upcoming summer is wonderful and sunny for you!  Thank you so much for all your kind thoughts and encouragement. 
Loves!!!

Pay it Forward!!! GIVEAWAY info and what's going on around here!

Hey all!  I just wanted to remind you of my Pay it Forward post I did a while ago.  If you are interested in this, let me know!  I want to make something special this you just for you.  If you would love some happy mail, comment on this post and then do the same thing for your followers!  I will then make something special and handmade just for you and send it to you before the year is up!  How wonderful does this sound?
I also want to let you know that in just a couple more posts, I will be doing a very special #200 post!  I have something great planned for this, and just a heads-up, there will be a really awesome GIVEAWAY during that post as well!  This will be just one of a few different Giveaways that I will be doing in the next few weeks so make sure to keep checking back.  You won't want to miss these ones! 
Today was my official last day of school for the semester!  Can I get a "hooray!!!!"  I was so happy to be done with this crazy semester.  It wasn't horribly hard, but I had to take a few classes I had no real interest in, so it was just a pain in the butt.  I've got a couple weeks off now before Summer classes start.  After my last final today, I went to sell my books back.  I turned in all of my textbooks and two of Mr. Fantastic's and all I got was $87!  Can you believe that?!?!  That was enough to pay for HALF of my Italian book for my first summer class that starts in June. 
This week is going to be slightly crazy.  I meant for it to be a calm week in which I got some rest and hung out at home doing nothing.  Well, that doesn't look like it is going to happen!  I was asked to come into work tonight for 5 hours and ended up working over 6.  Tomorrow our friend is coming by so we can go watch Thor.  I am also going to be doing some cleaning up around our really messy house.  It has gotten out of control the last few weeks because we have been so busy.  Wednesday I have to work again!  Thursday and Friday will be dedicated to some more cleaning up and some really long-awaited crafty projects.  I have to work Friday as well as all weekend.  Then it will be time to pack up and head to Michigan for a week!  I'm so excited to see my family.  I really miss them. 
Well, I hope that you all have a wonderful week.  Don't forget to let me know if you want to be a recipient of Pay it Forward, and please keep checking in throughout the next few weeks, as I will have some special posts and several updates, plus giveaways!!!!

Loves!!!

Just a Quick Note

Hello everyone!  I hope that your weekends were wonderful and that your weeks are off to a great beginning!  Once again I had to work quite a bit this weekend.  Urrrrr!  I really wish that making money wasn't so imprtant and that I could just create all the time!  Someday, I suppose.  This week I have a lot going on.  Tomorrow I am submitting some ideas for a website project in one of my classes.  I am also submitting ideas for a costume for that same class.  I had to make up a mythological creature.  Come Tuesday I will be attending an advising session for Graphic Design.  Basically I will be learning about my options in the upcoming semesters.  Wednesday is a pretty casual day.  Thursday I will be turning in the majority of my process book stuff and getting it ready for the midterm book I will be binding.  I hope that Friday ends up being casual too.  I have some catching up to do in a few other areas.  Our friend will be coming back home after being away for two months.  He was in Arizona with his girlfriend...fiancee....wife!  They had been talking about getting married for a while so he went down there to officiallyy get engaged and do the courthouse wedding thing so that they can have all the legal stuff out of the way before she gets reassigned to a new base (she is still in the Army).  We are excited to see him!  I'll be working only a little over the weekend, but it's a night so that isn't too bad.  It should give me plenty of time to study for midterms which aren't this week, but next!  I know...Already!
In the next couple weeks I will hopefully be making a dress or two to wear during our Spring Break trip to Florida for a wedding/Army friend reunion.  I'd also like to get a few other surprises done.  Fingers crossed.

Don't forget about the giveaway.  I still only have one person signed up for it.  Also, don't forget about my "Friends I Love to Feature" Posts that I would like to start.  If you are interested in getting some notice, send me a note and I would love to feature you on my blog.  I didn't realize that I would practically have to beg for people to put in this feature.  Come on, don't you want some free exposure?

Have a great week!
Loves!

Friends I Love to Feature!!

I really really really want to start a feature post about some of my blog friends.  My idea is to have a feature post weekly or bi-weekly about YOU!  That's right.  I would like to feature you on my blog.  I think the bloggy world is so wonderful and has done so much for me.  I've met a lot of wonderful and talented people and I want to share you with the rest of the bloggy world!  If you are interested in a feature post, please contact me by email at ZoiHoku143[at]yahoo[dot]com.  Use "feature post" as your subject line.  Together we can put together a really great feature all about you.  If you have your own blog, website, or shop, I'd love to put that in the feature as well.  think of it as free advertisement!!  Again, if you want to be featured on Then We Started Living, email me!!
Loves!!

Feed Your Soul: The Free Art Project

I came upon something today that made my heart so so so happy!  It is an amazing project that I would never do justice to if I tried to tell you about it.  So, I copied and pasted their "About" page:

News flash….the economy sucks. The stock market is up & down, people are losing their jobs and homes, all sorts of businesses are closing down & nobody seems to have any idea what the hell is going on. That’s the bad news…

Now for the good news. Even though the economy is tanking, it’s more important than ever to stay positive. We shouldn’t dwell on the negative news, it’s just not doing our souls any good. To that end, I came up Feed Your Soul: the free art project to hopefully bring a smile to your face and brighten your day.

“What is this Feed Your Soul: the free art project?”
Well, every month I will share FREE ART with you from artists that I have invited to participate in the project. Each invited artist will contribute one print that you can print out on some cardstock and frame or even just thumbtack to the wall.

“Why are you doing this?”
Well, I love art and I know you do too. I also know that when people start to tighten up the purse strings they tend not spend money on things that aren’t necessary for survival, things like books, magazines and art. But, art is important for your soul. It helps rejuvenate, it’s thought-provoking, offers inspiration and can generally brighten an otherwise dreary day among other things. In addition to helping brighten your day and put a little spring in your step, I want to help promote some of my favorite artists.

“Which artists are going to be participating?”
Go here to see a schedule of upcoming artists.

“I’m an artist, can I contribute?”
I’d love to take a look at your work, just send me an email,

“Okay, so where’s my free art?”
Just visit the Downloads page to see all the available downloads.

“What about legal stuff?”
You can print and share these downloads for personal use. You may not sell them or use them in anyway for profit. You may share them on your blog, email them, twitter about them, etc just make sure to give credit to Feed Your Soul: the free art project and the artists.

“Who are you?”
I'm Jen Wallace the writer behind the blog Indie Fixx. Indie Fixx is a celebration of the creativity, tenacity, and general spunky goodness that is the indie design movement. The indie design movement is made up of artists, crafters and designers who make a literal smorgasbord of delectable indie products. Once you shop indie, you’ll never go back.

“How do I contact you?”
You can send me an email.

I hope you enjoy and remember to feed your soul with some art! You can see some of my framed prints all ready to hang on my wall below.

Now, if this doesn't make your heart happy, then your heart is made of stone!!  Hahaha!  I'm just kidding!  But please go and check them out!
Here is the link again
This is just the thing that I needed to make my day!  I have to work literally all weekend.  I start tonight, then I go in first thing in the morning and work all day, and then I work all day on Sunday, and then I have a meeting Sunday night!  yuck!  So this made things a little better!
Loves!!!!  Oh, and have a beautiful weekend!

Pixies and Bears Giveaway!!

Pixies and Bears is having a giveaway!  Look at these amazing presents and then head over there to enter!!

Winner 1 

 This gorgeous crocheted Hello Kitty Hat made by Val from StinkerDoodles (can you tell she had fun modeling it for me?)

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Winner 2

 Your very own monster. You get to pick colors/name and gender :) Made by ME :)

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Lots of pampering goodies from Sandi of Nioi. 4 lip butters, soap and the newest discovery of amazingness.... EZ butter... butter for your whole body!!

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Winner 4

 Beautiful garlands and a cute clutch from Valerie at Pareltje

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Winner 5

 A chunky Infinity Scarf Cowl made by Tiffany from thatgirl1223

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Winner 6

 Pretty headbands with interchangeable hair-clips from Val at Stinkerdoodles

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Winner 7

 An up-cycled Moleskine journal covered in pretty fabric and felt made by ME :)

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Winner 8

 Pretty hair accessories made by Valerie of  Bloempjes

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Winner 9

Lots of scrapbook goodies and a felt cozy cover for your pen

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Winner 10

 Pretty thrift store tea cup finds from Val

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Pay it Forward!!!

 

I promise to make a handcrafted item in 2011 & mail to the FIRST 5 people who comment that they would like to join in, only asking in return that you post this on your blog and offer 5 people something you make by hand and mail to them this year.

Sounds like fun doesn't it?

Not sure WHAT I will make yet but I can promise you that I will put my hands, time, love & creativity into something cute!

I hope you decide to join in and Pay It Forward with crafty love!