Simple Scrapbooks

Weirdo Words

So my little Simple Scrapbooks team just returned from one of our fun brainstorm sessions (this time for the special issue that will be on sale in November...doesn't that seem SO far away?), and anyway we often pursue strange and unusual topics. Today, for some inexplicable reason, we got on the topic of words we don't like the sound of. These are words we'd frankly rather not say, thank you very much. But sometimes you just have to.

Collectively, we don't like the sound of:
moist
flesh
ointment
gurgle
panty
bunion
clogged
slacks
gesticulate
Do you have any (PG-rated) words that kinda gross you out? Do share.

Here are a few of the 31 comments we received on this post, originally posted June 18,2008:

really don't like the word "salve"...Katrina

Posted by: Katyat35 (June 18, 2008)

Moist, yes, but also chunky. Bleh! Jennifer L

Posted by:   (June 18, 2008)

 

Ointment definitely tops my list! Here are a few others: bladder, vacillate, clump.  ~T.

Posted by: bcre8uv (June 18, 2008)

Hmmm . . . right off the top of my head the word girdle sounds kind of icky. I've never worn one mind you, but it doesn't sound very comfy either.

Posted by: MO Scrapper (June 18, 2008)

 

Maybe it's because it kinda sounds like the word curdle. YUCK!

Posted by: MO Scrapper (June 18, 2008)

Facility. And Flush and System, as in a physical sense ("Taking lots of vitamin C will flush your system!"). It's funny, because for a while now I've been collecting words I don't like, and hashing them out and making them into sentences with my brother.

Posted by: Elizabeth K (June 19, 2008)

"peek". i hate that word! especially when used within the phrase "take a peek". *shudders* :) *

Posted by: wizard121312 (June 19, 2008)

Thought of another one...clot. Jody

Posted by: Winks (June 19, 2008)

 

penalize when people choose to pronounce it peee-nal-ize.  Yuck-a-roo!

Posted by: Emilie A-hern (June 20, 2008)

 

Fistula....having one anywhere doesn't sound like a fun idea. -Heidi

Posted by: nap-hobbiest (June 21, 2008)

My sister-in-law has a list of words that she considers "phonetically displeasing." She's had the list for years and anytime she hears one of the words, she cringes in horror. It's pretty funny to tease her about it. Some of the words on her list that aren't on yours are: sofa, fussy and slacks. I sent her a copy of this post and she was pleased to know there are others out there in the world like herself (that is, with a LIST of words you don't like). And reading your phonetically displeasing words made her realize she had overlooked a few words on her list. :)

Posted by:   (June 22, 2008)

 

the word crotch is the number one yuck word in our house. My two dds, ages 7 & 9 almost get violent when they hear it. How's that for funny? :-)

Posted by: scrappymum (June 23, 2008)

July/August 2008 First Bound Copy!

 

Look what I have...

 

I'm willing to give away one of these "first-bound copies" if you'll just leave me a comment telling me which of the cover call-outs most appeals to you!

I'll even send it out this week, before anyone else in the WHOLE WORLD, besides the office staff and Stacy Julian, gets to see it. (It's not supposed to be officially on sale until June 10.)

FYI, "cover call-out" means the enticing little blurbs we put on our cover. They seriously take HOURS to brainstorm and write...you have no idea how we labor over a five-word call-out. I'd love to hear which ones would make you pick up this magazine at the newsstand and plunk down your hard-earned $5.

Note: If you can't read the call-outs on my crappy web-cam photo, here they are:

SUPER EASY travel albums: make one tonight!

186 QUICK TIPS & layouts for
*summer
*travel
*sports
*teens & more

adapt any design to fit YOUR photos: 6 cool tricks

win BIG! $1,584 in mini-albums up for grabs

15 trendy looks for teen pages

Don't forget to include your username in your comment...or at least type it in at the end of your comment...so I can find you.

Winner!

Congrats to ipswich89. You've won a first bound copy of our July/August issue! Thanks everyone for your comments. It's very interesting to hear what appeals to you when you're making your newsstand purchasing decisions. The issue will be on its way today.

A Second Chance

originally posted May 21, 2008, receiving 31 great solutions! Three were published in our September/October 2008 issue.

All right, I'm going to admit something. We're not perfect. I know you're all shocked beyond belief right now, but it's true. Let me tell you about a little mistake we made in an e-mail newsletter, and hopefully you can help us out. (If you'd like to start receiving our newsletter, sign up here.)

In a recent e-mail newsletter, we asked you to share your greatest scrapbooking success stories and solutions. We planned on publishing a handful of your solutions in our Sept/Oct issue, and we were going to reward those we published with a complimentary Simple Scrapbooks special issue or subscription to the magazine!

We received hundreds wonderful solutions and success stories. You all are seriously SO inspiring! There's just one small problem. ALL of the responses were anonymous! We forgot to include a field in the entry form that allowed you to share your name and contact information. (Duh.)

So, we're going to try again. I'm going to pose the same question to you, our loyal blog readers, and offer you the same opportunity to win a subscription or a special issue! If you already responded to the question in the newsletter, by all means, share again. But please include your name (first and last) and your username in your response so we can track you down!

Here's the question:
What is your greatest scrapbooking success story? We want to hear about a scrapbooking challenge you once faced (time, money, ideas, organization, etc.), as well as your best solution for conquering that challenge.

Let's hear it!

Yay for Jelly Beans!

Yay for Jelly Beans!

Our beloved Stacy Julian has vowed to keep us eternally stocked up with Jelly Belly jelly beans! She sent each of us a cute little tube of jelly beans with a personalized note, plus this HUGE teacup and plenty of backup beans. Isn't she SO sweet (no pun intended)?

We've got a flavor key hanging on the wall by the teacup now. So help us out, do you have any favorite Jelly Belly "recipes" that we should be aware of? I'm not adventurous enough to combine them, myself. I just eat one at a time. My favorites? PEAR (all the way), peanut butter, and buttered popcorn. What's your favorite? And please, do share "recipes"!

 

There, NOW you can see how big that teacup is!

comments:

Sorry I don't know any jellybelly recipes, but I have to say that those look yummy! How nice of STacy!

Posted by: thedudesmom (May 15, 2008)

 

Great timing, Angie! My friend just got back from the US and brought a big bag of Jelly Belly Beans round an hour ago! I'm experimenting as I type and I have to say that orange are by far my fave, but orange, lemon and pineapple make a tasty combo :)

Posted by: Scarlett79 (May 15, 2008)

 

sorry, angie no recipes...i'm a one-at-a-timer, too.  my favorite is absolutely butter flavored popcorn!

Posted by: scrappinaly (May 15, 2008)

 

Hmmm, I'm not sure there's much work going on at that office! All this grocery store visiting and jelly belly combining and general partying - so can I come work there? :)

Posted by: autumnb (May 15, 2008)

 

Oh - just kidding, I know you work very hard in between all the fun stuff. Thanks for the fun posts!

Posted by: autumnb (May 15, 2008)

 

marshmallow and cherry.

Posted by: mlepitts (May 15, 2008)

 

I'll arm wrestle you for the pear ones... ~T.

Posted by: bcre8uv (May 15, 2008)

 

that's a great photo of jennafer! i love buttered popcorn.

Posted by: *Celeste* (May 16, 2008)

Time to Vote!

It's time once again for you to vote on a layout that we'll publish in our next magazine issue (Sep/Oct 2008)! For this issue, I was browsing the reader gallery for layouts that share accomplishments, triumphs, and goals achieved (however big or small). So check these out, and leave a comment voting for your favorite!

Who knows, you might even win a prize. (I'll pick two random commenters to win fun prize packs from the office, so make sure your username shows up on your comment, even if you have to type it in yourself.)

A: girl learning to surf by KarenF.
B: silver medal in soccer by RamonaT
C: the shoes that helped Emily battle heart disease by mlepitts
D: learning to ride a bike by thyme4me
E: finally tying the knot after 9 years by Winks
F: achieving a happy divorce (NOT an easy feat) by gis4green

Happy Voting! I'll tally the votes and announce the winner by end of business on Wednesday.

Help!

Help me choose a layout from our Reader Gallery to publish in our July/August issue. The layout with the most votes wins! I'll also pick three random commenters to win a package of scrapbooking goodies from the office (Contest closes end of business day on Monday, and only votes with usernames listed will be counted.)

As if you couldn't tell, I was on the hunt for vacation or travel themed layouts this time. Cast your votes!

A: "now" by forestsister
B: "Daughters" by Di4Kids
C: "Enjoying the View" by tdavenport
D: "Seashore" by Emilie A-hern
E: "Hang Loose" by Scarlett79
F: "He Knows Me" by forestsister

(Yeah, I know there are two layouts in the mix by forestsister, but I just couldn't resist.)

You Have Spoken

And I listened. Thanks to all your votes, "Daughters" by Di4Kids will get published in the July/August issue! Congrats to Diane in Sydney, Australia. I'll be in touch to get more info about the layout!

And the winners of the random drawing are:
scrapinhero (aka Jeri from Utah)
DanielaD (aka Daniela from Texas)
KatieScott

Hooray!

Holly Jolly

We all got new scarves! Thank you very much to sexy knitter Lain Ehmann...isn't she fabulous? (Although I do think Lain is plenty sexy, I was referring to her status as a card-carrying member of the Sexy Knitters Club. At least I didn't call her a yarn harlot, although I happen to know she's also a fan of the original Yarn Harlot, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.)

 

The Christmas goodies are starting to roll in... THANKS a bunch to baker and cookie-tin-decorator extraordinaire Kelly Jeppson! (Also a great feature writer and contributor to the magazine.) Homemade sugar cookies and chocolate-peppermint candy cookies in an adorable package...bring on the holiday weight gain!

Quick poll: what holiday treat do you find it impossible to avoid? For me, it's the sugar cookies. Fudge I can take or leave. Peanut brittle is hardly a temptation. Egg Nog is just not worth 220 calories per half cup. But sugar cookies...mmmm.

Made in the U.S.A.

No, I'm not talking about Lain and I, although we also were both made in the U.S.A. I'm talking about a recent field trip Lain and I took to Scenic Route, where we discovered that they produce almost everything right here in Utah! Chipboard, patterned paper, etc. It's all printed and manufactured locally. I personally am a BIG supporter of locally owned and operated businesses. I shop at a family owned grocery store when possible (gotta love Harmon's!) and I can't remember the last time I ate at a Chili's. I'm all about the mom & pop shops. So it's always heartening to see companies who share the same values.

To continue the story, the folks from Tinkering Ink stopped by yesterday to show us their newest product line, and they too manufacture and print almost everything they make in the good old U.S. of A.(except for one product that they can't find a local source for). I love it when companies support the little guy in their neighborhood, state, or country, rather than getting everything as cheaply as possible; I love it when values trump profit. (Which, by the way, also applies to Australian companies who use their own local printers and suppliers, or Canadian companies that keep things Canada-made. You get my point...)

Now for a quick poll: what other scrapbook products or companies can you think of that are American made (or Australian made, or what have you)? Kudos to the companies that keep it local!

A bit of context about the photo: Although the picture above might suggest that Scenic Route has lured us away from our lucrative (ha ha) magazine jobs, the truth is Lain and I just popped in to say hi while she was in Utah last week. You see, Scenic Route is literally within walking distance of the office, if you're brave enough to dodge the semis and dump trucks that come barreling down that road. (The route to Scenic Route is not all that scenic...that was Lain's joke.) Their warehouse is just on the other side of a field full of bulls. And occasionally there must be cows too, since the Scenic Route folks report that the view gets pretty interesting come springtime.

Comments (21):

Fontwerks is a Canadian company, and I love their stamps, of which I have many! I'm not sure if they're actually 'made' here in Canada though? Another fantastic Canadian stamp company is Stamping Bella- if you haven't seen these stamps, you've got to check out her website- they're adorable, and a very hot commodity at the lss where I work. :) Posted by: melsboys (December 12, 2007)

i think everything made at pcLayers.com is digitally created by US designers. (i really just wanted to say how funny your comments about the route to scenic route were. lol!!) Posted by: scrappinaly (December 12, 2007)

I don't know. I'm just jealous that you got to go to Scenic Route.  Even if the route wasn't all that scenic! Posted by: ettal (December 12, 2007)

And convicts! Aren't there convicts along that road, too? I think I remember seeing some sort of Utah prison not far from the building. Posted by: edillow (December 12, 2007)

It seems like everything I have is made somewhere else so I'm glad to see some things are still made here. Yep and I'll second the jealous about going to a scrapbooking factory / loved Lain's podcast about how she thought it would be like Charlie & The Chocolate Factory! Posted by: KatieScott in St. Pe (December 13, 2007)

I'm cracking up about Lain's comment on the non-"scenic" part of the route! And now that Elizabeth has pointed out the convicts, let's all remember NOT to pick up people wearing head to toe orange or stripes. And let's not forget the springtime bees and birds lessons... LOL! Not only are the SR products awesome, but their offices seem very very entertaining...Posted by: LindaBarber (December 13, 2007)

lol at your scenic route comments. lol elizabeth - convicts! Posted by: *Celeste* (December 13, 2007)

Hambly!!! Many Hambly products are designed and mfctrd right here in the south San Francisco Bay Area. Yea, Hambly! I forgot about the convicts. Here they are switching back to the retro black-and-white striped outfits. How funny is that? Totally loved our trip to the not-so-Scenic Route. I will have to come back in the spring, when young bulls' fancies turn to thoughts of...!!!! Posted by: GettinScrapHappy (December 13, 2007)

Indeed Elizabeth is right. We can see the state prison from our parking lot. I'm not making this up: we have received calls at the office warning us to keep the front door locked as they have misplaced a prisoner. If a prisoner comes knocking on our door, he's (or she to be politically correct) pretty stupid. We're right on a busy main road, in view of the freeway. ~Angie :-)

Posted by: simple-gal (December 13, 2007)

Great picture of you and Lain and how fun to visit SR! I don't know which companies use American made products or manufacturers. But I also try and support the local mom and pop places as my family use to have the local mom and pop restaurant in our hometown. Posted by: ca longhorn (December 13, 2007)

Thanks for the great imagery (cattle and prisoners...oh if only the view from my desk were so inspirational!)! I can't stop giggling at work and people want to know why. Gotta love "Mom & Pops!" (Cool aprons, btw.) Posted by: lisart (December 14, 2007)

Love Scenic Route! So jealous. Got to meet Layle and Sarah at Scrapbook Expo Ontario - cool ladies. I totally love supporting companies that source locally - also check out the 'slow food' movement - same issues about how and what we eat. Posted by: rachinla (December 14, 2007)

I have driven that route, and it is not so scenic! But hanging out with all that yummy smelling and looking paper is sooooo worth it! Love Sarah and Layle, they are both so talented! I love supporting mom & pops shops too, so good for the heart of a community and the economy! B- Posted by: Bekzilla (December 14, 2007)

Interesting topic. I haven't really paid much attention to where my scrap/stamp products are made but I will from now on. Sue  Posted by: Sue AR (December 15, 2007)

Nice! Love me some Scenic Route!! I know Hambly does "all-in-the-US" thing too :)  Posted by: noamii (December 16, 2007)

Close To My Heart manufactures all of their acrylix stamps right in Utah! It's a great way to maintain high standards by being so close to the manufacturing process. Posted by: ltdesigns (December 17, 2007)

i was just looking at my 7g stickers, they're made in the usa. Posted by: mlepitts (December 17, 2007)

I always go straight for the Scenic Route papers, so I'll feel not so guilty anymore for loading up! Thanks for sharing this...I prefer to opt for the local products too. Good to know about Hambly, and I'll check out 7gypsies. These companies make such good products! Posted by: SaraEll (December 18, 2007)

Paper Trunk is a new paper company and not only is it made in the USA but it is also made from recycled paper that is acid free and they use vegetable dyes for their ink Posted by: EmmaJ (December 19, 2007)

Kudos on the Locally made products! I'm very picky about that sort of thing lately- ever since I went into a large chain craft store and picked up this cute Americana themed tin- that was made in China! I REFUSE to buy Americana stuff that's not made in the good ole USA, so that started my kick of noticing where things are made. The Angel Company unmounted rubber stamps are made in Missouri (or right around there). And of course most digi products are made "locally". lol!!

Posted by: senovia (December 24, 2007)

And the Winning Layout is...

By a margin of just SIX votes!

I closed the polls at 5:03 MST when there were 168 votes. By the time I counted and posted this at 5:32 MST, there were 170 votes, but it did not alter the outcome.

Perfect Day by melsboys got 39 votes!
Following close behind was Grandpa & Me by LisaDay with 33 votes.

And our randomly drawn winner is wookiegirl! Her 10 extra votes went to E, Big Love by Neshelman, but it wasn't enough to make it the winner. Wookiegirl IS a winner, though, and will be getting a cool prize package sent out from the office.

Thanks for voting. That was fun! And congrats to melsboys!

Cast Your Votes!

Here are six great layouts from our Reader Gallery that I'm considering publishing in the May/June "Our Readers" column. Unfortunately, I only have room for one layout! How about you help me choose? Leave a comment telling me which layout is your favorite by 5:00 p.m. MST on Thursday, December 6, and the layout with the most votes will win. (Note: only comments with a username listed will be counted as votes.)

The candidates are:
A: Horse With No Name by mlepitts
B: ride by nicole s
C: ice cream by Jennifer L
D: perfect day by melsboys
E: Big Love by neshelman
F: Grandpa & Me by LisaDay

In case you detect a few recurring themes, this issue I was looking for layouts about moms, dads, grandparents, and spring/summer in general. Don't let that influence your choice, just tell me which one you like best.

And to sweeten the stakes a bit, I'm going to randomly draw one comment out of the pile which will be worth 10 votes (instead of just one), and the person who left the comment will get a package of scrapbooking goodies from the office. Okay, now vote!