I've been limping along, trying to get my life back together as we slowly set up this new computer. I tell you what-- once it is completely set up, I will be in heaven. This thing is FASSSST! Heaven!

But until then, it's like trying to manage your regular home life without electricity. You can do most things you did before, but might have to come up with a creative way to make it happen. Creative= slow. Example-- without electricity to heat your water, you could still take a bath by boiling water, one pot at a time. In my case, I don't have my Photoshop and all of my workflow actions in place yet. So to get photos ready for this blog post, I had to "boil water", i.e. dig into Photoshop Elements 2.0 (ay yi yi!!) and try to figure out a few things there just to get things prepared.

Needless to say, I am a bit stunted by the Elements program, so I can't promise any "wow" images for a few days yet...But it'll do.

ANYWAY.

Big day today. I had my third dentist appointment in as many weeks. Boy, that drill sound is awesome, isn't it? And if anyone appreciates a good bit of irony, my afternoon ahead will be filled with cupcakes as I host a Cupcake Party. (Hey, they might be pure sugar, but at least they'll be soft on my poor teeth, right??)

But that's MY life. Its a big day for you guys, too, because I'm having a GIVEAWAY! Today! Right this minute!! Woot!

The other week I saw the cutest, EASIEST project featured on a sweet little blog called Finley and Oliver. She shows how to make a simple little Valentine's Banner, HERE, and I had to make one right away. (Oh my gosh! I just saw her most recent post. Aren't THESE the cutest things ever??!?? Making some!)

ANYWAY. (Got distracted). Point is, I MADE a Valentine's banner. And then I made another one. Because I figured one of you guys needed this banner, too.

Simple. Timeless. And cute. Right? Well, who wants it? 

In my perfect world, this blog post and giveaway would have happened last weekend. PLENTY of time for posting your entry, plenty of time to get it mailed to you by Valentine's Day. But then my computer crashed, I was left without access to these images, and well... that's life. So. 

This will be a FAST contest. Like, by midnight tonight, I'll pick a winner, and I'll throw this at the mailman TOMORROW. With a lot of prayers, it might get to you ON Valentine's Day. Maybe. 

So to keep it simple, just leave a blog comment. Tell me what you do to survive February, or survive technological setbacks. Or tell me what kind of cupcakes you'd bring to my cupcake party if you could come. 

And at midnight, only 11 hours from now, I'll random.org a winner and get your address and send it along. Easy!!

*

Lastly, in my perfect world, pre-computer-crash, I was going to finally un-hoarde the special photos I have of my Lucy with myself that my dear BFF Katie took last August.... Because you can see a sneak peek of that session up on the mantle photo above. It would have been a lovely little segueway into talking about that session and sharing the photos. But, well... you know. Photoshop Elements TWO and all that jazz. Boiling water for a simple bath. Just not gonna happen here today, folks. 

So I'll keep hoarding. For now. Soon, I promise, a feast of Lucy images. Like crazy FEAST. It'll be cuteness overload. 

Til then, post a comment. Enter to win! Have a grand day! And so on....

Technical Difficulties...

Ay yi yi! 

a little under a week ago, I had one last run-in with my desktop computer that left me in tears: Too clogged up, too old, too overworked, too EVERYTHING, and it finally ground to a near-halt. I managed maybe THREE things in a full hour of working, and that means ONE email, ONE upload, ONE photo order.... Three things that should've taken me 5 minutes, not 60. 

So. We retired it. 

It is not in the budget, but it is necessary. 

Joe went out and did some research that very day, and came home with a new tower that promises to be at least twice the computer our old one was. 

But....

Switching computers always takes time, especially if all of your critical software is buried in boxes in the basement from when you moved two years ago... 

So. 

We've been hobbling all week... keeping in touch and in business via iTouch and laptop. And needless to say, with all my files and basic programs inaccessible for the moment, there is NOT a lot of blogging going on. 

Or editing. 

Or emailing. 

Or basically MOST of what I do most days. 

So.... if anyone is expecting something from me, I promise we are close. I hope to be back in business by tomorrow evening.... of course, just in time to have to divert all of my energy elsewhere, since I have a major dental visit on Friday morning, a million things to do to get the house and myself prepared for a Cupcake Party on Friday, and a session to get ready for on Saturday. 

ACK! 

For all of my attempts to simplify my life, this week hasn't felt very simple. Oh well. Next week I go back to ZERO items on the calendar, so I think if I can get through this weekend, I can begin to dig out of the computer hole from this whole past week. 

Meanwhile, I'm using my low-tech time away from the computer to work on a scrapbook project (first in 4 years, SQUEE!! I didn't know how much I missed it til I started planning this little project. AH!) and catch up on DVR'ed stuff... As well as some much-needed housekeeping and home projects.

I'm kinda liking the away time. 

Anyhoo... That's me. 

Someone comment and tell me what YOU'RE up to this week? I'll respond in comments if anyone asks a question or anything. Might be fun!