Random Things...

Well, time waits for no one... that is one lesson that I am really becoming acquainted with this year. I can't believe that I only have a month left in school and that the breast cancer 3 day is almost here. Come November 1, all my obligations for the year are done. Now that is a crazy thought.

I have a few things I wanted to share, the first is a picture from the crop. These are our late night scrappers who stayed until the bitter end. We did have a ton of fun that day and I am proud to say that we raised a lot of money for breast cancer!



I have also been thinking a lot about the photography challenge 26 Things. I have a couple more to share that I have managed to snap in the midst of all the craziness...

Metallic



A rusty bridge that runs over the East-West Connector in Cobb County on the Silver Comet trail. I noticed the rusty metal against the bright blue sky and green trail while on a training walk on Saturday.


Tiny



The seasons first acorns. They are so tiny and would have been passed up by most people, but they are great reminders that we are entering Fall and big changes in the weather that are about to come.

Well, that is all for now!

Anything goes Friday!

I have made it through another week! Yeah! Still have a ways to go this weekend with everything I want to get done for school, but for now I am taking a few minutes to get caught up. I have been a very slack blogger lately! So here is what has been going on since the end of August.

Well, there was Labor Day weekend. It was full of long walks and working on projects for school and some for the DT at Sweet Memories. Then there was a week full of jury duty fun! Finally there was the much anticipated crop! I promise to update with pictures once I get them loaded into the computer.

We raised lots of money for breast cancer research and I am happy to report that I am at my goal for fundraising. Now all I have to worry about is blisters! Yikes! Next week we are looking at 18mi!! Yes, 18. Now that is going to take a while.

Anyhoo! Check out some cards I made for the store...

This Thursday Is My Friday!

Yup, taking off Friday. Long weekend, got a ton of homework to get started on, but don't worry, I am sure I can find some fun in there too! Been busy doing stuff! You know, stuff.... homework, working, fundraising for breast cancer, scrapping (just a little). Wanted to share what I had been up to lately:

Friday Goodness!

Ah, it is Friday! I have been sleep deprived this week, so it couldn't come too soon! Excited about getting some things done this weekend and keep on track with all the balls I have in the air right now.

The crop has been taking a good deal of my time lately, planning, replanning, changing things.... if you asked yourself, what crop? then check out this link:

http://kip.kennesaw.edu/~jruhl/crop

Its for a great cause!

Now, some Friday zen....

Did You See THAT?

Ok, this one made me look twice! This funny bathroom sign hangs on the door of a local pizza joint that we frequent at work. Too good!

Effort!

Yes, this was an effort! With barely any training, I stepped out onto the road to run the Peachtree Rd Race. What did I end up with besides this lovely red face? Well, a blister the size of the sun!

Aaahhh!!!



That was the last word the postage meter ever said before the ink cartridge exploded and it died. Yes, that was one mess! By the time I was done, my hands were stained a nice pinky-red color from cleaning up that bizarre mess made by our old postage meter at work.



Spiral



Every great drink needs a little something to make the presentation spectacular... this one has the orange peel spiral. My most favorite pomegranate martini made with love by the folks at Marlow's.

Trimming For Ta-Tas!!!

I am sooooo excited to announce that my benefit crop for breast cancer is really going to happen! With the help of a great friend, we found a site and even have a website. Now all we need is people to fill the seats! So if you in Atlanta around the 13th of Sept, you should come!

http://kip.kennesaw.edu/~jruhl/crop

Yummy!

Back on track! What is more yummy than baked goods? Cookies and mini fluted-bunt cakes-spice with cream cheese icing. In my endeavors to raise funds for breast cancer, my team decided to have a bake sale this past weekend. So we all baked, and bakes, and baked...

On the Road



On Peachtree Road to be more specific. At the start of the Peachtree Road Race. This is a 4th of July tradition for us and I can't think of a better way to start the 4th!

Color My World




This is the back of a very rare gem indeed. One of 5 hand signed stained-glass windows by Mr. Tiffany in the world. It can be found with a mate in the chapel on Jekyll Island. When I walked into the chapel, my breath was taken away by the beauty of this window. Truly amazing! I learned that these windows are composed of multiple layers of glass, some a thick as 5 layers, that depends on what saturation and hue the artist is trying to render.... Basically, darker colors have more layers and lighter colors have fewer layers. I was so amazed that this thing of beauty was tucked away down here and sits silently waiting for people to venture into this tiny chapel. Of course we couldn't take pictures inside....

Historic



This is the oldest live oak tree in theses parts and for a long distance around it. They guestimate the age to be somewhere between 350-400 years old. It sits behind the clubhouse at Jekyll Island. There are so many big old live oak trees who's limbs drag the ground with age. So majestic and beautiful.

26 Things

is a super-fun photography scavenger hunt. This time it is running from July to September. I am really excited to get started and have already collected a few pictures, so here I go!



Framed

Something truly Southern. Live oaks with spanish moss complete the frame for a shot of the Club at Jekyll Island. I had a work convention there and it was a wonderful place to visit. Can't wait to go back!

Because Everyone Deserves a Lifetime....

Powerful words and a powerful emotion evoked if breast cancer has touched your life or the life of someone you know. We need a cure, because the reach of this disease is every man, woman, and child.... people's mothers, sisters, wives, and friends.

I have known so many who's lives have been touched by breast cancer and my heart aches for them. That is why I decided to do something about it. Something extreme. I am going to walk 60 miles from Lake Lanier Islands, GA to downtown Atlanta, GA (to Piedmont Park) in the 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk that benefits the Susan G. Komen For a Cure foundation.

I am planning to walk for all the friends and loved ones I know who have fought, and some that are fighting right now to win a battle against a disease that effects us greatly.

The walk will take place in late October and I am beginning my training. This endeavor will take a lot of time and sacrifice on my part, but the time and effort is minimal if we can make one more stride towards unlocking the secrets of how to beat this disease.

In order to participate, I need to raise $2,200 for research. I will do this gladly and willingly because I feel a debt to all the people I have know who's life has been affected by breast cancer. Because I am healthy, able-bodied, and lucky enough not to have gone through this battle.

As you can tell, I feel very strongly about this cause. I ask for your emotional support and also for you to get more information about breast cancer and maybe you too will feel as strongly as I do and aid in the cause.

You can learn more at the Susan G. Komen Website.

Should you want to help me reach my goal, you may do so on My Participant Donation Page

SHAZAM!

Ok, its not just a comic book saying any longer! Thanks to one of my favorite Photoshop gurus... Jessica Spague! Her blog recently featured a techique called "Shazam" that really makes your photos jump out and scream HELLO! Anyway, here is my attempt.... a recent photo I took while running the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta!

Happy Birthday USA!

Another July 4th in the books. Fun was had, fireworks were seen, grilled meats were consumed by many! The 4th has always been on of my favorite holidays. Every year I run the world's largest 10K, the Peachtree Road Race. This year, was no exception! Lots of fun running with 55K of my closest friends! it is quite a huge deal around here. This year I decided to do a "rock-umentary" of sorts... While running, I took tons of pictures of fun stuff I love about the race... all of that while I ran and listened to kick'in toons on my iPod... here are some of the picts:

Summertime and the Living is Busy!

You know, I am still having problems believing it is already June! Of course, the thermometer (and soon my power bill) will remind me! But the living has been good!! Cookout at friends houses, getting projects that needed to be done completed. All good stuff! Have only had time to do some schoolwork and a little bit of scrapping. Oh, and finally got my hands on some of that delicious Making Memories Passport line! Can's wait to dig into that for sure! Check out what I have been up to:





And here are a couple of one page sites I had to make for school:

http://kip.kennesaw.edu/~jruhl/poem

http://kip.kennesaw.edu/~jruhl/recipe


Ok, give me a break on the second one, I still have a couple of tweaks to make on it. ;)

Oldies but Goodies

Been thinking about some of my favorite LOs lately. Not sure why, just reflecting on things in general. Maybe because it is almost June and half of the year is already gone... Guess I really want to get to the heart of what I want to have accomplished by the end of the year.

One of my school projects will be to code my own blog and keep a student jump site. So this blog will not get the love it should. I will post a link here to the new site when I get it complete.

Until then, here are some oldies, but goodies:






Here is a mini book shaped like a car from a trip we took to Destin, FL.

Ouch!!!


Well, I cut the heck out of my thumb! It really hurt and I even almost passed out. Now that is a crazy feeling.

Rewind to last night…. I was opening something and carelessly sliced right into my left thumb! It hurt, but the worst part was after the adrenaline stopped, I went straight to nausea… do not pass go, do not collect $200…. Or so I thought! After spending a few quality moments in the bathroom, my head started spinning, and then next thing I knew, I was in hall on the floor (didn’t fall, but don’t remember walking into the other room and lying down). It was a rough evening. Thought I might have to get a stitch or two. Well, finally I was able to get a handle on things and went to bed. Now I am left with a large band-aid and some Neosporin and a thumb I can’t use right now. Kinda feels like I slipped down the evolutionary ladder a rung or two.

And remember… always cut AWAY from your hand! ☺

But on a brighter point, I have had a few moments to get a bit more done!

Scrap Etc Event at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel

Well, what can I say, I am finally catching up on sleep after getting back last weekend from the Scrap Etc event in Nashville. We stayed at the huge Gaylord Opryland hotel and all I can say it wow!!! That place was crazy cool! Plants everywhere and waterfalls intermingled around walkways. Just an amazing hotel. You could even take a boat ride around the hotel in the indoor canals!





I mean this event was jam packed with classes. We started at 8am and didn't finish most nights until 9-10pm! But it was great fun! By the time we were done, a lot of glue had been used and we were exhausted! And did I mention that there was an event store filled with lots of delicious new product? Oh, yes, there was! Driving home Sun was a pain, but I was so glad I got to go.


I am proud to say that I have cleaned up and uploaded all my picts already (a record for me right now). And I have even started a digital album. Here is the first layout.

Scrap Etc Event Projects

Ok, just got back from Scrap Etc's event in Nashville, TN. We stayed at the super cool Gaylord Opryland Resort... but more on that later. Here are some of the fun projects we made.... This was really cool. Heidi Swapp was launching a new mirror line of stuff. The album is actually a mirror (it was really hard to get a pict without a reflection on it).

Heidi Swapp:












Jenni Bowlin: These were super cute bingo cards.