Happy Friday Links

Is it Friday already? Back to the Happy Book Mail Around! I'm uncorking the champagne bottle after this post because, for the first time EVER! I won a giveaway on a blog. I was poking around the Remains of the Day blog again (I know, I know! Just take the class already!) and I found this blog. And I entered her giveaway and I won! Never had the Random Number Generator picked me. Until now... When I receive the loot I'll post some pictures.

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Free Downloads! Everyone probably knows about these great programs already (and free! Did I mention that?) but I'll post them in case someone out there hasn't heard of:
Gimp: I'm still working out how to use this but I was told it's very much like Photoshop. I've gotten some fun results but then I'll add or subtract something and not be able to fix it. I should probably read the "Getting Started" online manual.

Inkscape: This is a vector graphics editor similar to Illustrator. It's techincal and daunting but I like puzzles and this is fun to play around with. If you start selecting random functions all sorts of interesting hell breaks loose. I'm sure it does something useful somehow.

And an amazing website:

Vpike: This could distract me all day. Type in an address and take a walk down that street. Want to see the old neighborhood? Check out a place to vacation? This site is fun. I'm not sure how often it will be updated so it could get dated really fast.

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Spent last Saturday at the Humane Society - that always makes me happy. Two more of our beautiful gals found homes last week:Tica went home with three of the cats from the shelter. She was last seen sleeping on a queen sized bed.Cheyenne finally found a home! She's been living at the RVHS since she was pup; she's been there 2 years! She was so deserving of a home and finally someone recognized her for the wonderful dog that she is. I hope you have your fairy-tale ending Cheyenne.

Happy Fridays!

OK, so it's really Sunday but we'll climb in a time machine and head all the way back to Friday so I can post my happiness to "The Next Chapter Happy Book Mail Around". I received 2 books in the mail that have made me very happy: Eco Books & Good Mail Day. I started working on a cover for a book made from plastic shopping bags:

I've been gathering scrapbook paper, junk mail and other random scraps of paper so I can make the signatures. I can't wait to have my own made-from-scratch journal. Yippee! That's my Eco Book happiness.

Good Mail Day happiness: I received a handmade card in the mail 2 days after I received Good Mail Day.

Conincidental, yes, but I'll take it as a fortuitous sign that I'll be recieving a lot of mail art. Of course I'll be making mail art so, if I have your address there should be some coming your way. Soonish. Thanks Ali! Mail art went from something abstract to something tangible in my mailbox. Now I can't wait to create some.

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Last, but not least, on the happiness front:

Bella, who was living at the Rogue Valley Humane Society, went to her new home yesterday. As much as I love the animals there, I'm always so happy to see them go to a real home. The RVHS is a wonderful place with hardworking staff and volunteers and the animals are well cared for but, it isn't the same as living in your own home. When the animals leave forever with a smiling individual or couple or family it makes my day. Goodbye Bella!