it's all about the details

we're all behind our baseball team

WARNING: This post contains rampant baseball nostalgia!

When I was growing up, my parents had an album (yes, album) called "The Year of the Tiger 1968." Many a Saturday, as we did our chores, that disc provided the soundtrack for our scrubbing and dusting and polishing. The record traced the Tigers' pennant-winning season and contained highlights and interviews and lots of exciting play-by-play excerpts. Scarily, I can recite full sections of that album, which starts like this:

"And the windup, and the pitch. He swings--a line shot, base hit, left field! The Tigers win it! Here comes Kaline to score..." (I could really go on and on for awhile, but I'm sure you can live without it.) I loved the parts when Ernie Harwell and Ray Lane would get really excited about a Gates Brown homer or a Denny McClain pitching gem. The season even included a triple play, for heaven's sake!

My point? We Opels really can't help loving our Tigers. It's in our blood. As an adolescent, I didn't have posters of the typical teen idols on the wall. Instead, my room was covered with newspaper and magazine clippings featuring 1976 Rookie of the Year Mark Fidrych. I didn't have a crush on him as such--I just thought he was so full of life, and man, could he pitch. (When he died suddenly earlier this year, I was quite shocked and saddened.) I even drew pictures of him and other favorite Tiger players, and on my 18th birthday I actually was allowed in the Tiger clubhouse to meet him and his teammates.

In 1984, the Tigers were wire-to-wire champions. They started out 35-5. Unheard of! I was living in L.A. and driving home when Kirk Gibson slammed his second homer in game 5 to finish off the San Diego Padres. Yep, my horn was a' honkin' for all those Californians to hear!

I actually had tickets to that 2006 ALCS game when Magglio Ordonez sent the Tigers to the World Series with a walkoff home run to beat the Yankees, but I had to sell them so I could attend the Scrapbooker of the Year festivites in Las Vegas. I actually sold them to a Yankee fan (who paid me handsomely for them) who took his sons to witness that awesome Tiger moment.

Between the glory seasons were many "rebuilding" years, and our family has always stuck by the Tigers. Dad writes the score on the calendar every day and calculates which days of the week are most successful. My parents don't miss a game on TV, and if the Tigers win, they actually have a victory dance they've choreographed. Sometimes, if the game isn't being broadcast nationally, I sit in my car and listen to them on my satellite radio.

 

So yeah. We can't help it. We're addicted to our team. Do we get frustrated? Oh yeah. But the beauty of it all is that there's always tomorrow, next time, next year. And maybe this WILL be the year! They've been looking strong, and I have a good feeling!

Go Get Em', Tigers! Rawr! (Click the link for an AWESOME song!)

Beth

how to be more photogenic

People often tell Susan and me that the camera loves us. Now, though there may be something to a genetic predisposition to looking nice in photos, I firmly believe that the reasons that people don't take a good picture may have a lot to do with things they CAN control. So here's a little advice for looking your best in a snapshot:

1. Don't duck and hide when a camera comes out. Instead, be aware of its presence, and if it's pointed anywhere near you, tilt your head a tad and smile slightly. Not a big cheesy grin, as it will squint up your eyes. Just a pleasant, natural expression will do just fine.

2. Don't move. My dad is famous for his odd fidgeting during photos. He'll raise his eyebrows, change his mouth position, even talk when you're trying to press the shutter. The result? We have many photos of him where it looks like he just came from "the home." Hold your pose, and the odds of getting a good-looking shot increase dramatically. (My mom has this down.)

3. Mind your posture. Nobody looks good all slumped in a chair. Sit up straight, shoulders pulled down, chin out slightly. If you're standing, push forward the parts you want to be prominent. So if you're pear-shaped like me, thrust your pelvis back a bit and your chest forward.

4. Have some go-to stances. Did you ever notice that pictures taken of celebrities on the red carpet often are taken at a 45-degree angle with one foot in front of the other? That's no accident. Also, hands on hips are good, as well as hands on knees (cute and a little flirtacious) and hands under chin. So consider the position of your hands!

5. Relax. Pretend you're a model and that you do this all the time. When you let go of the self-consciousness and just "be," the real you can be captured. Think of little kids...they don't worry about their gut or their wrinkles...they just beam, and the camera portrays that attitude.

6. Avoid certain poses. You know how people come at you from the side and want to get a shot of you and the two people next to you? If you lean back and in, and you're the one closest to the camera, the result will be a picture of you and your seventy-five chinny-chin-chins. Also, putting your arm around someone screws up your clothing and makes you look like a linebacker. Move to a place that will flatter you more.

7. Be willing. The more photos you allow to be taken of you, the better chance you have of ending up with a good one! If you're constantly making it clear that you abhor having your photo taken, when you DO succumb and stiffly allow it, the photographer will snap one or two and then quit. If you're more agreeable and let her take several, the likelihood of getting one you actually like increases.

8. Get down. Most everyone looks better when shot from above. When you're looking up through your eyelashes and lifting your chin, it's just a flattering angle. This works well with group shots, too. Stand beside a staircase and have the photographer up a few steps shooting down. I think you'll like the results!

9. Practice in a mirror. Yep, you heard me. Smile with your eyes. Think of someone you love. See how different expressions look. Try various ones until you like your reflection, and you'll have your photo face.

10. Take care of yourself. Sometimes it's just a matter of being unhappy with how you look. Believe me, I've been there. You recoil in horror at a photograph because you didn't realize (or don't want to accept) that you look like that. For me, the minute I start working out and watching my portions and moisturizing and defuzzing and whatnot, the more I am pleased with photos of myself. If I know I'm heading in the right direction, my self-esteem shows through the lens.

Now, you may never become completely at ease in front of a camera, but perhaps if you try out a few of these "tricks," people will start telling YOU how photogenic you are. If I'm taking your picture, it's probably because I love you and want to have a tangible memory of you. Whether the camera knows it or not, I sure think you're gorgeous and wonderful!

Beth

fire & ice

The Pat Benatar concert in Wendover was totally outstanding, as I suspected it would be. While Celine Dion puts on quite a show with lights, costume changes, dancers, and a myriad of musicians, Pat Benatar relies solely on great music and an amazing voice.

The Peppermill Concert Hall is an intimate setting with only 1000 seats, so any seat is a good one. Probably my favorite part was that my snazzy camera was welcomed to the show as well as my sister, and my friends Mark, Cath, and Jennafer. Maybe one of the most amazing thing about the night was that Russ (from the band) and his wife Elaine met us for dinner and then when we all went to get our tickets, Russ and Elaine were RIGHT next to us. We hadn't bought our tickets at the same time. Pretty cool.

I have to admit, when she closed the show with "Heartbreaker" I was pretty much in ecstasy! Thanks, Neil and Pat for continuing to ROCK!

The next morning on our way back home, we decided to make a stop at the Bonneville Salt Flats Speedway. What a completely otherworldy sight to be surrounded by sparkly salt that looks like snow or ice. The speedway itself is nothing other than a sign and salt and mountains and sky. After a little photo session, I got in my car and tried to break some land speed records of my own! It was pretty much downright awesome.

I had to get a pretty intense carwash after my trip to the Salt Flats, but it was totally worth the experience!

Susan

one crazy week in july

I think last week was one of the most hectic weeks EVER, but lots of fun, too.  Take a look at the week in pictures.

 

My band, Natural Causes, has been preparing for a demo recording, so last Wednesday we headed north to Russ's house to record. He's got all of the state-of-the-art equipment needed to get the best results. Pretty dang fun to hear my voice on playback with the guys rocking it out right behind me. If you are on Facebook, you can become a fan of our band and get updates.

 

There was also fun at work with our intern Courtney and a little luncheon with new Go-to Gal Kim Hughes while she was in town. And then on Saturday night I met up with Kim, Becky O., and some other fun ladies for a night of crafting in Taylorsville. It brought back a lot of memories of crops in Indiana. What a fun couple of hours we had together.

 

Saturday morning was the much anticipated Draper Days Parade. Cath and Mark's house is right along the parade route, and since Cath has missed the parade for the last four years because it was the same time as CHA (which was moved to a later date this year) Cath was quite giddy to share the experience with her friends. It was a good old hometown parade with politicians, beauty queens, horses, and bands. And we enjoyed this summertime treat from our seats right out front of Mark and Cath's house. Good times!

Who says teachers have the greatest summers?  I'm having a blast!

Susan

get your camp on!

I'm not a camper. I actually used to have a luggage tag that proclaimed my position on that pasttime, similar to the one shown here. I come by my distaste for "roughing it" rather naturally, since my mom once brought her microwave on a church group camping excursion, as the primitive cabin we were staying in didn't have one...But I do have to say that the camping experiences I've had have shaped me in some pretty important ways. As a pre-teen, I attended Camp Lu Lay Lea (stands for Lutheran Laymen's League). I won a Polar Bear award for getting up early each morning and taking a dip in the icy lake, learned how to shoot a rifle and draw back a bow, and had a moving spiritual moment on the candlelight prayer walk.

Later, I returned to Lu Lay Lea for a summer stint as a counselor, which aided me immeasurably in preparing for a teaching career. I learned how to lay down expectations and stick to them, let myself get a little nutty for the benefit of my campers (like allowing them to adorn me with dead fish so we could win the "Ugly Counselor Contest"), and realized that what kids really need most is love.

 My brother Kurt was a counselor that same summer, and it was a wonderful bonding experience for us both. I really think I saw him for the first time as something other than a pesky little boy that year. I'll never forget how the cabins vied for an opportunity to have us come sing them to sleep with the ever-popular lullaby, "Hit Me With Your Best Shot." (He could play a pretty mean guitar even then.)

Last week, Creating Keepsakes hosted an online Summer Camp for scrapbookers. Gals around the globe crafted and chatted and created. (Though the official week is over, you can still take a look at the classes and recipes and quizzes here.) We ate ants on a log and s'mores, shared our favorite camp destinations, and created projects based on camp classics like boondoggle lanyards and pinecone bird feeders. What struck me most was that even though we weren't in the woods or by a lake, the campers and I developed that same spirit of camaraderie. When Friday came, it really did have that bittersweet "goodbye until next year" feeling.

So yeah, I'm not a camper. But I gotta admit, I'm itchin' to sit around a campfire and float on an inner tube on a placid Michigan lake. (I'm hearin' a little Kid Rock..."summertime in Northern Michigan...") Come with me!

So, what are your best camping memories? I'd love to hear about your favorite times communing with nature. Grit, insects, varmints, lack of creature comforts and all, it's a magical summer thing to do...

Beth

i'm all fired up!

Now I believe there comes a time

When everything just falls in line

We ive and learn from our mistakes

The deepest cuts are healed by faith.

                                ~ "All Fired Up" Pat Benatar

I'm all fired up because I'm gonna see Pat Benatar - one of my rock idols - in concert in Wendover, NV, tonight!  Yeah, I'd never heard of Wendover until I moved here, but I'm glad that Pat decided to stop by.

My older brother Kurt was obsessed with Pat in the early 80's, and he made it his mission to play the guitar like Neil Giraldo. Her MTV music videos showed a confident woman with a heart for rock and roll. In the 80's Beth, Kurt and I saw Pat in Detroit, and it was phenomenal. Such stellar performances!

And now as a member of a rock band Natural Causes, I pay homage to Pat by singing two of her songs, "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" and my favorite, "Heartbreaker."

It's no secret. Pat Benatar rocks, and tonight I get to see her LIVE. I am beyond STOKED. And I have this teeny tiny fantasy that I could get my picture taken with her. :)

Susan

paper crafts magazine: the inside scoop!

There are so many exciting things happening at Paper Crafts magazine this summer! Even though many of our minds are on summer and vacations and relaxing, at Paper Crafts we are forging into 2010! I am about halfway done writing my articles for January/February, and yesterday we concepted the March/April issue. Before this month is out, the September/October 2009 issue will be on the newsstands. It's exciting!  And sometimes confusing when I am writing checks. :)

The year 2010 marks a new era for Paper Crafts. For almost 5 years, Alisa Bangerter, Wendy Johnson, and Susan Neal served as the Paper Crafts Pros, guiding and inspiring our readers. But now the three of them have decided that the time has come to pursue other avenues. Their departure resulted in a search for some new designers to fill these very big shoes. In the next two and a half weeks, we will be revealing the identities of the Paper Crafts Go-to Gals. Check our blog - Paper Crafts Connection - and be one of the first to know the identities of these SIX talented ladies. It's going to be exciting!

Another cool thing that's happening with Paper Crafts is our Gallery Idol contest. Twenty INCREDIBLY talented ladies are vying for your votes to be crowned your Gallery Idol. And remember, you can't complain about who gets "sent home" if you didn't vote! :) 

Oh, and one last thing... It's Paper Crafts. Two words. With a space. :)

Susan

festive fourth and a western road trip

Last summer was our official first 4th of July in Utah, but we were still in the process of unpacking and getting our house into livable (and cute) condition. This summer we vowed to do something a little more celebratory than stand outside and watch fireworks from behind the clubhouse. We discussed options like heading to Denver (for a little Container Store fix) or an overnight stay in Park City with spa treatments. But in the end, we opted for a fun (and more financially sound) day road trip into uncharted portions of our state.

With an atlas, a cooler, sunglasses, and patriotic music on the XM radio, we headed north with no real destination in mind other than Logan, UT. We had read that there was a restaurant there - The Bluebird - with fantastic milkshakes. And we had also heard that east of there, the drive through Logan Canyon was very pretty. And I'd have to agree that those old-fashioned milkshakes were pretty darn tasty. And our walk along the Logan River Trail in Logan Canyon was almost as refreshing.

From the other side of the canyon, we headed toward Bear Lake which straddles the Utah/Idaho border. What a picturesque spot it was! We enjoyed seeing it from the scenic overlook and then driving south along it.

Next, the adventure took us south and then east again on scenic byways. We came within miles of the Wyoming border, but stayed in Utah all day. Eventually we meandered to Park City (which seemed quite familiar to us after hours of new territory).

Park City was all abustle with tourists in patriotic clothing and moods - a real jolt of civilization after traversing the mountains and valleys of rural Utah. We had heard of a restuarant owned by Robert Redford called Zoom, so we stopped for a burger and salad and a little vino before heading back home.

We still haven't figured out the fireworks situation here in the Beehive State, yet, but I'm sure we'll get our chance someday. We're just so spoiled by our hometown fireworks, we don't want to be disappointed.

It was a fabulous day. We loved having the moonroof open (which resulted in some pretty fun sunburn marks), the radio blaring corny, majestic, and rockin' tunes, and having the capability to just get in the car and go!  God Bless the USA!

Susan

I think my Facebook status really put our fun day in a nutshell - "Mountains, milkshakes, nature, nostalgia. Scenic byways. Great Salt Lake, Bear Lake, Utah Lake. Aaron Copland, John Phillip Sousa, Lee Greenwood. Sunshine. Gingham and polka dots. Summer hair. Park City. Zoom. A very happy 4th!"

 

 

it's better in bay city

Fourth of July weekend. I've spent it in Chicago, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Nashville, Detroit and Salt Lake City (and probably a few other places I'm not recalling). But the BEST place for an Independence Day celebration? My hometown. That's right--little Bay City, Michigan, does it like no other. For years they've boasted the Midwest's best fireworks, and people, if you've never lain on a blanket in Vets Park with those huge multi-rocket blasts seemingly raining down right on you, you haven't lived. They actually put on three nights of fireworks shows. Yep, some of those big cities may have fancier displays, but give me good old-fashioned explosions perfectly choreographed to go off in rapid succession, culminating in a simultaneous climax of light and sound...ahhh, heaven!

Bay City is Midland Street, the Sage Library, City Dairy ice cream, Madonna (born in BC), Center Avenue historic district, the State Theater, the Bay City Rollers (named after BC), Saginaw Bay sunsets, Mill End, softball games and the Riverwalk.

 

Summer in Bay City abounds with fun things to do: the Tall Ship Celebration, the River Roar, the Pig Gig, concerts in Wenona Park. Oh yeah. And the fireworks.

 

Every time I've gone to another city's fireworks display, no matter how hoity-toity the metropolis, the story's the same. As we head back to our cars, toting coolers and lawn chairs and blankets, we take up the inevitable chant: "Bay City's better...Bay City's better...Bay City's better..." Not loudly. Not rudely. But quietly and firmly, to ourselves, but also to our home sweet home.

Beth

i like that boom boom pow

Seriously, what is it about fireworks? Last weekend we ventured out to a local festival, which was good for people watching and getting some of that summer vibe. We sat for awhile and listened to the band Abraxas, a Santana tribute band whose drummer Joe is also the drummer for Susan's band Natural Causes. But I digress...

 

It was a little chilly, and there was a karaoke place we wanted to check out, so we didn't stay too long. As we were heading back to our car (which I had masterfully parallel parked in a very tight spot, I might add), the festival fireworks began. Now, I must mention (because this seems to be a tangent driven post) how amusing it was to me that LOTS of people were trying to snap photos of the fireworks with their phones. Pretty sure those won't turn out. ANYWAY...

What I wanted to say was that, to a person, all eyes were riveted on the show in the sky. Rough-looking dudes with menacing dogs, young families all aglow with fluorescent light sabers and rubber necklaces, elderly couples in matching t-shirts---everyone was smiling and ahhing and just lovin' the sparkle and crash of the pyrotechnics.

As we drove away, we passed many clusters of folks on blankets or lawn chairs or pickup beds checking out the show. A little further south, another community was shooting off fireworks, too. Moonroof open, classic rock on the radio, summer Saturday night. And this is really just the start of fireworks season. It's just a happy time. A few weeks that remind us to look up. :)

Beth