I just got an email yesterday from Paper Coterie.  They are having an Open House on Wednesday, May 4th and offering $40 off of your purchase (shipping is not included).  If anyone wants to check it out, here’s the invitation with the code.  Go have some fun creating something for you or someone else and enjoy $40.

About a month ago, I was reading one of my favorite blogs (I Am Momma, Hear Me Roar) and came across a giveaway.  The first 25 people who left a comment would be sent a promotional code to use toward any one item (including free shipping) on a photo printing site called Paper Coterie.  Of course, I went down to the comments section, counted to see how many people had left comments (tee hee), and posted my comment.  The only catch was that I had to review this website (as they were about to launch their grand opening and were looking for any feedback they could find to better themselves).

Within a week, I was emailed my promotional code, headed to their site and got to work.  My first impression was a very good one.  The colors are very pleasing to the eyes, the layout is modern, it’s inviting and off the beat, gets you excited to surf around and see what they have to offer, and the navigation is so simple.

Their sample of photo books shows you all of the pages and they load up so quickly so you can flip through them fast to see if you like it.  They offer so many options in so many sizes.  They have the perfect balance of things to offer for any gender or occasion.  The loading of photos was very fast and easy to do. The editing and typing for the photo book pages was simpler than any other photo book I’ve ever created.  They even had more features to use that I hadn’t seen before.

I placed my order on March 27th and my item arrived on April 1st.  Talk about fast shipping!  The box was white and had a whimsy and fun label on the front, addressed to me.  It felt like a wrapped gift already.  And the packaging itself was over the top.  Looked VERY expensive!  I could just give my photo book as a gift like that and not have to wrap it at all.

I’ve ordered several photo books before, but the quality of this photo book was impressive!  My only complaint about the quality of the book is that the photo I used for the front page was not glossy, but matte, which made it look very dull.  Any other photo book I’ve received has always been glossy and stands out.  It’s not to say that I don’t like it this way, just something I noticed.

And are you kidding me with the necklace. Yes, they gave me a cute necklace too.  It’s beautiful, fun and would look great with a pair of jeans or a dress (not that I own one)!  What a wonderful gift to all of their new members.

And, to top it all off, a week later, they sent me a thank you note in the mail for sending them my review (it’s that special touch, that great customer service that’s going to keep me going back again and again). Over the top!  Everything from start to finish is classy with this company.  They are quickly becoming my favorite photo creation site.

Every day, I write myself a note, telling me what I have going on the next day.  I put this note in the bathroom on the counter.  I’m not sure why I do this.  Maybe I think if I write it down, it will be fresh in my mind so I don’t forget.  It’s also a reminder to read right before I go to bed (as I’m brushing my teeth) and first thing in the morning.  The bonus to doing this, is that Jason can also read what I have going on in my day (nosy husband).  LOL!  I will say that it’s a great reminder for him to ask how our day went when he gets home from work.

If you know anything about my husband, he is amazing when it comes to grammar.  He is a genius and even knows the reason why things should be said the way they’re suppose to be said.  Me, on the other hand…I’m a lost cause.

This morning, I was reading my note (reminding myself where we were heading and what time we needed to be there).  I noticed that someone (and it wasn’t me) had crossed out “bring” and wrote “take” above it (see photo below).  Yep, that was my grammar loving husband.  *sigh*

I get “bring” and “take” wrong all of the time.  I’ve heard Jason tell me the “rule” so many times and I’m still clueless.  Let me quickly Google it so we all know the rule (in case you’re questioning it too).

Bring/Take Rule:
The very common verbs “bring” and “take” are sometimes troublesome. One reason this happens is because “bring” and “take” have almost identical meanings but are used for different “directions” in English.  “Bring” shows movement toward the speaker, but “take” shows movement away from the speaker.

Side Note:
And for anyone who thinks I’m wasting paper, I purchased a container of cheap paper (350 sheets to be exact) for just $1 (the photo makes it look huge, but it’s only 2″x3″).

There are two projects that I’m excited to do and of course have not set aside any time to do them, so who knows when I’ll get to them, but they’re on my list.

1. Polaroid Magnets – How cute are these!  I was thinking of using photos of Brody’s friends, my nieces and nephews, Brody, etc… And, what a great gift this would be for someone (personal, fun, cute, functional).
2. Business Card Holder – Love these!  While I have no business cards to tote around with me, I do have my store saver cards that would work perfectly in one of these holders.  Heck, around Christmas time, I get so many gift cards, this would be a great place to house them until they’re used.  Just a couple of thoughts.  Also a fun gift to make someone that is fun and functional.

So, there you have it.  A small list of craft “to-do’s” that I’d like to get to in the next month.  And to keep track of my list of to-do’s, I signed up for a TODOIST account.  It’s free and easy to use.  I have all of my to-do’s in one place (things I want to blog about, list of crafts to make, things I need to get caught up on, etc…).  It’s so nice to have it all in one place.

This morning, Jason, Brody and I were in the car running some errands. I said something to Jason and ended my sentence with, “laugh out loud”. Jason paused and processed what I said then pointed out what I said. I had no clue I even said that.  Seriously? You know you’ve been texting too much if you’re saying it out loud. At least I didn’t say the letters “L..O..L”.

Speaking of texting humor, my friend Tina, over at Faith, Fitness, Fun had a funny post the other day about her texting woes, concerning the stupid spell corrector (I hate these things…helpful on some words…not so much on others).

Here’s the picture of her phone.  Read the texting for a good laugh.