Dunder Mifflin Office Love

I'm a huge fan of the television show "The Office." I love both the British and American versions. I am not alone in my adoration. Here are some great tributes to the show and characters.

Find out more about Dunder Mifflin

That's What She Said by youwannatalkjive

There is no shortage of love for Dwight Schrute and his beet-loving heart.

 

Urine, it was urine... by JRoseArt

Schrute Farms by Totally Severe

Dwight Schrute Fact Pendant by badassbunny

However, those who love Jim or John Krasinski can feel the love (imaginary as it may be)

I want to know what love is and I want John Krasinski to to show me card by lemons with a pea

Mii Madness: The Office Characters by n1c2c8

TUT: Decorating with Childhood Memories

The hubster has a number of old puzzles from when he was but a tot. Some are cardboard, but the majority are very thick wooden puzzles. I'm working on places to display these pieces throughout the house. They don't deserve to just sit in the attic without anyone to admire them.

One of my favorite cardboard puzzles is this butterfly-centric piece that will go great in the bathroom. The colors in the room are variations of green, brown, and white, with a focus on nature. Wood, birds, insects, and especially dragonflies and butterflies are little highlights throughout the room.

The great thing about this puzzle is that it already has a hole in it for hanging. Initially, I thought I might frame it, but we actually liked the raw puzzle look of it so we'll just hang it up as is. I did use my handy Mod Podge Matte-Mat to secure each piece, and protected it with a final coating of the Podge all over the surface of the puzzle.

The next puzzle, Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater, is one of my favorites because it probably started my husband's love of the redhead. While I think the original poem a bit odd, I do like this artistic translation.

The little boy on this puzzle had a damaged face, and I was able to repair it quite a bit with paints and colored pencils. You can still see where there was surface rubbing, but it isn't too bad.

For the pieces in this puzzle, I used a reusable sticky tack adhesive to adhere the individual pieces to the board.

The next one is a sweet puppy. Again, this puzzle is made of a heavy wood, so I used the sticky tack to secure the individual pieces and then attached a sawtooth hook on the back for hanging.

 

Just use as much or as little of the "sticky tack" that you need to keep the pieces down. My pieces are heavy, so I applied a good deal to each puzzle piece.

This is the sawtooth hanger I used:

I did have to snip off a bit of the nails that were included with the hanger or they would have poked through the front of the puzzle. I just snipped them with some pliers.

I love the idea of using these sweet mementos as decorative elements in our home. These pieces of art are just another way that we celebrate the stages of our lives.

YouTube Tutorials: Build a Light Box

Tired of waiting for the magic hour in which to photograph the items you want to sell in your online shop? Then it is probably time to build a light box. I recently built one, and I love it. They really do make a difference, and if you watch the videos below, you'll see just how quickly and inexpensively you can have one of your own (or two or three if you so desire).

YouTube is used and watched for so many purposes, but my favorite use is to find helpful hints or tips on how to perform a DIY task, or learn a new skill or craft. A simple search term can return so many results. Who knows, you may just find a new passion.


My Experience:

I couldn't find any end caps in my local stores, so don't panic when you see them used in the videos and you discover that your local stores are also void of them. I think they add a little more stability maybe, but I'm doing fine without them.

I also chose not to use glue. I wanted the ability to move my light box and potentially alter it in the future. It does great sans adhesive. Unless you have it in an area that gets a lot of traffic or needs to be moved every night, I wouldn't worry about the glue.

I built a fairly large box. I needed a wide and deep one to accommodate large and long pieces. Base your measurements on the items you will be photographing.

I use a couple of floor lights and a clamp light for my lighting. I do use full spectrum fluorescent lights. They remain cool to the touch and cast a beautiful light. No more waiting on the perfect time of day to capture the needed sunlight.

A word about the videos:

The video from Tushygalore was the first one that I viewed. She tackles the project head on and does a great job of explaining the tools you'll need.  Fair warning, Tushygalore is very funny and personable, you may just find yourself watching her large library of entertaining videos and falling behind on the photographs you need to be taking.






Speaking of entertaining videos, another helpful tutorial I just happened upon  is from BuzzFisher. He had me laughing throughout the entirety of his three-part light box tutorial. He tackles the background image/fabric issue from a very creative angle, and I think many of you will find his method fits your needs best.

Documentary: Waging A Living

What is the American Dream? I don't think it has anything to do with a picket fence or 2.5 kids and a station wagon.

No, I think the Wikipedia article on the "American Dream" that references the following quotation by James Truslow Adams is a pretty good summation of what the dream should be:

The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.

This phrase was first used by Adams in 1931 in his book, The Epic of America.


The documentary, "Waging a Living," fully embraces that ideal expressed by Adams and exposes the harsh reality that a huge portion of Americans do not and will not attain this dream. The "dream" is altered by a seemingly inescapable loop of poverty that forces Americans to stay stagnate in their earning capabilities.

The movie, by filmmaker Roger Weisberg, follows four people over a period of three years. The featured individuals and their families share their struggles with job searches, limited or non-existent household funds, health insurance and health care, and job security and advancement. They become the physical embodiment of the poverty statistics that are peppered throughout the film.

The movie does a great job of illustrating how very difficult it is for someone to "pull themselves up by the boot straps" and step out of the darkness of poverty. The featured individuals are hard-working, goal-seeking people who attempt to gain more education and experience in the hopes of getting ahead in the workplace and in their place in life. These are full-time workers who do not have the financial means to cover their basic needs.

A single mother of five who works full-time and attends college part-time in order to earn an associates degree, utilizes the social services that are available to her only to discover that every step she makes to become more self-sufficient keeps her increasingly dependent on welfare aid. She says she is "hustling backwards" and that it seems the system is doing all it can to keep her a member of the working poor.

Filmmaker Roger Weisberg states that the term "working poor" should be an oxymoron. I'll go one step further and say it shouldn't be a part of the American lexicon.

I was raised with the edict that if one works hard enough, they will see their dreams come true and will live comfortably. The ironic part of that lesson is the fact that the members of my family quoting that line were themselves a member of the working poor.

Filmed in 2005, this documentary reflects the struggles still apparent in 2010. We still don't live in a country where every person can attain "the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position." Yes, life should be richer and fuller based upon the ability, desire, and application of one's work ethic. Unfortunately, this concept is not a reality for the more than 30 million Americans who struggle every day just to keep their lights on and feed their families.


What is your state's minimum wage? U.S. Minimum Wage Rates

Are you making a living wage? The living wage calculator is a great site that breaks down information by your county to help you determine exactly what you need to be bringing home just to cover your basic expenses or to "meet minimum standards of living."

Wings and Fences Crafts for Animals In Haiti

Just as I had sit down to design a new line of brooches, Haiti was hit by a devastating earthquake. As fate would have it, the brooch design centered on the American Sign Language symbol for "I Love You." It only seemed appropriate to donate a portion of the profits from the sale of these brooches to the Haiti Animal Relief Fund.

I am a trained volunteer for United Animal Nations EARS Team – Emergency Animal Rescue Service. The UAN, as a participant in the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti, is helping to provide financial support for a mobile veterinary clinic that will provide emergency care to the animals injured and displaced in Haiti.
I encourage you to check out UAN, and if you've ever been interested in volunteering with an emergency animal rescue, you should attend one of their training workshops.

To find out more about the fund: http://www.uan.org/index.cfm?navid=670

So, from Jan. 18, 2010 - February 18, 2010 I am offering the following:

Etsy & Artfire Wings and Fences Shop: 

10% of the profits from the sale of my ASL "I Love You" brooches will go to the Haiti Animal Relief Fund.

5% of the profits from the remainder of the items in my shop will go to the Haiti Animal Relief Fund.

Etsy Buy Handmade wingsandfences

Bonanzle Wings and Fences Shop:

10% of the profits from the sale of all items in my shop will go to the Haiti Animal Relief Fund




One Pretty Thing, a highly addictive and beautiful site, is compiling a list of  "Crafters for Haiti" who are raising funds for assistance to Haiti.