Packaging from A-Z

Is it funny or what?  Today is Friday - Free for all Friday.  For those of you who have forgotten, or who are new to the game, this is the day of the week when we open up the blog to brainstorm anything and everything of interest to you.

Heading into the day with a full docket of things to talk about (ie. six letters worth of packaging materials) goes a little against the grain.  As it happens, these last six letters have proved tough for me.  It's not that I came up completely dry.  I kind of thought "U" could stand for a unique signature or symbol that people will automatically associate with you and your packages.  I thought "V" could be vellum paper; "W" could be a wax seal; "X" if I'm stretching it could be an x-acto blade; "Y" I'm not sure; and "Z" could either be ziploc bags for storing opened bags of shred or "ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz" for all the sleep you'll need after experimenting with letters A-Y.

I wasn't completely tapped out of ideas, but on a scale of 1-10 - with 10 being the winningest idea and 1 being "showed up," I give myself a "1."  Lucky for me, it's Friday - the day meant for me to talk a little less and to listen a little more.  So, today I will sit back with my bucket of bon bons, put my feet up, and listen to what ideas you have for which products or tools, corresponding with the last six letters of the alphabet, can be used to enhance our gift wrapping.

Lest you think I'm checking out, I'm not.  I'm taking careful note and preparing to run out for any last minute "must have's" before Saturday night's Eighteenth Annual Random Acts of Kindness Packaging Party.  Party goers are prepared to put together 3-4 festive packages for unsuspecting people with whom they would like to reconnect (or even get to know).  Each person attending will be a dozen of some small treat to be placed on a community table and shared with the other party goers who will do the same.  I will supply the A-Zs of packaging essentials, including everything from boxes to envelopes, tissue paper, ribbon, stickers, and notecards.  We will eat dinner, mix and mingle, and and - with love and care - put together packages for people who are on our minds.  For more about this idea, check out the post from 2/20/08, titled, "Birds of a Feather..."

I'm reserving one of my care packages for someone truly random.  For someone that one of you knows and you thinks is deserving.  I don't have a smart way for determining who that might be, so I figure I will get select name from a reader who makes a post today.  If you make suggestions today for letters "U" through "Z," I will put your names in a hat and then select one of you to give me the name and address of someone you would like to receive a package made at Saturday's Random Act of Kindness.  

But that's not all we have to decide on today.  Today we must also look ahead to next week's showdown between Treye and Melanie in the Foot ball Snack Throw Down.  Here's a little recap of where we've been...

Richard versus Brian: Secret Ingredient: Bacon, winner Richard

Julie versus Nicole: Secret Ingredient: Vanilla, winner Nicole

Maureen versus Katie: Secret Ingredient: Nutmeg, winner Maureen

This secret ingredients we are voting on today are... (drum roll, please...)

Peanuts or Coconut

Final Announcement

• Congratulations, Cheryl who was the winner of yesterday's drawing.  Cheryl will win a small box of raffia, ribbon, and rubber cement.
  

The A-Zs of Packaging: P-T

Announcements at the end.

Can we make a pact?  Can we each promise that as we package up Halloween treats, Thanksgiving surprises, or Christmas and Hanukkah presents that we will try at least one new packaging trick shared on Highlowaha?

Me?  I've picked up quite a few new tips.  I love the idea of using lace to wrap packages; I'll search high and low for the metal tags Peggy mentioned,  And, I'll steal the easy, but quirky suggestion of covering packages in fun words like, "Quack."

How about you?  Tell me the trick or treat you are willing to commit to trying and be entered in a drawing to win a supply of today's featured item.  Here are a few more you can "choose to use."  

Today we will cover letters P through T.

• P: Paper Cutter, Postcards, and Paint Pens.  My husband bought me my paper cutter for Valentine's Day one year and it is, by far, one of the most used items in my artillery of creative tools.  The nice thing is that most paper cutters (mine is a Fiskars) have interchangeable blades.  Mine can cut, score, or perforate paper.  I have a lot to say about postcards, but for that I'll wait a couple more weeks.  Finally, paint pens...  Look at how I used paint pens to decorate the plastic barrel of fun I sent T. Shay during our USPS Prank.

• Q: Quotes: I wandered a craft store a few weeks ago to make sure I wasn't missing an essential tool or item and, to be honest, to search of items that start with crazy letters like "Q," "V," and "X."  The only thing in the entire store I could find that started with the letter "Q" was quilling paper.  Quilling is an art form that involves the use of strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued together to create decorative designs.  It's not something I've ever done and, though I love paper, I don't see myself delving in anytime soon.  As for quotes.  Google is a great resource for over literally over a million quotes.  Here's one that caught my eye.  "The great accomplishments of man have resulted from the transmission of ideas and enthusiasm."
  
• R: Ribbon, Raffia, and Rubber Cement:  Today will be sponsored by the letter "R."  I like all the letters we're featuring today, but "R" starts the name of some of my favorite goodies.  I love ribbon, raffia, rubber cement, and rubber stamps (though I am not very proficient with them).  Ribbon I love and I will talk more about why under today's featured item.  Raffia is sort of like ribbon, but I use it when I want the package to have a more "earthy" feel.  Today I am sending Cassie the baked good she won from bobbing for apples.  I am wrapping them in brown paper, so I'll use raffia and some shred (matte not shimmery) to finish off the package.  Check it out.  Rubber cement.  I love it.  No lumps.  You can rub off the excess rubber cement, and if you make a mistake you can remove what you have glued without ruining the picture or clipping.
• S: Stickers and Sharpie Markers:  My sticker collection rivals my neckerchief collection and Aunt Annie's accessory collection.  I have A LOT of stickers.  To me, they just add a little something to the outside of an envelope or box.  Amy shared with the group in Philadelphia that she likes to use stickers of people's initials to address their boxes.  I have been the lucky recipient of Amy's packages and it is true.  Receiving a package bearing your initials in bright colored letters automatically brings a smile to your face.  It's become a trademark of Amy's over time.  Do you have a package trademark?  I don't, but I want one.
  
• T: Tubes, Tissue Paper, and Tags: I love tubes.  I think you can have totally tubular fun when using it to send a package.  Flat and square = predictable.  Circular and long = F*U*N!  Tissue paper I like to buy in "folds" of assorted colors.  I feel like it makes any package seem a touch more luxurious (maybe not the perfect word, but you know what I mean).  Tags.  Tags are even more abbreviated than the small note cards we talked about yesterday.  They are a perfect way to attach a name or a short note without compromising the "look" of the package.  Take a look.
  

Sticky note vs. Decorative tag

Today's Featured Item: Ribbon.

A quick note.  All ribbon is not created equal.  Today we will compare three ribbon choices - curling ribbon, satin ribbon, and wired ribbon.  Curling ribbon is the least expensive and most frequently used.  When I use curling ribbon, I usually double it or even quadruple it to make sure it looks fuller.  Satin ribbon is a great way to upgrade your package.  It's a touch nicer than curling ribbon and often comes with decorative patterns (a roll at hobby Lobby is $1.00, on sale).  Finally is wired ribbon.  To me this is the easiest ribbon to work with, because you can move it and shape it however you like.  Take a look at the same package, all wrapped in brown paper but using three different kinds of ribbon.

Announcements:

Blog-a-thon:  Help spread the word.  The Blog-a-thon will not take place this Friday.  Due to limited participation, we have moved the date to Wednesday, November 5.  We have also shortened the length.  Sign ups for the new date will begin on Saturday.

Helping Hand:  I got word yesterday that an update has been on the Helping Hand website.  Check it out.  We are getting closer to the the deadline for making contributions for the family we adopted for the holiday season.

Pumpkin Patch:  Don't forget.  Enter our pumpkin carving contest by submitting a picture of your Jack-o-Lantern to kkolkmeier@gmail.com by Wednesday, October 29 at 5:00 p.m.

Signing off until tomorrow...

The A-Zs of Packaging: K-O

For those just tuning in, two questions.  First, where have you been? Second, do you have a glue gun?  If the answer to question #2 is, "No," then go directly to yesterday's post.  Do not pass "go.".   Do not collect $200.00.  Immediately log off, head straight for Michael's craft store (or something like it) and purchase yourself a hot glue gun.  You'll be a better equipped and I'll sleep better.

In honor of my Eighteenth Annual Random Acts of Kindness party, scheduled for this Saturday at 6:00, we are spending the week celebrating the art of packaging.  As noted yesterday, if you're in town and want to drop by, feel free.  The more the merrier.  Have no idea what I am talking about?  Check out the pictures below and read more about the idea on the post dated 2/20/08 (the pictures below, by the way, are from Amy's party hosted last weekend).

Yesterday we explored items such as foam shapes, the essential glue gun, hole punches, HLA labels (love it) initiating ideas to spark our innovative packaging, and above all... Tera's suggestion that a little bit of "F"un should be included in each package we make.

Today we move on to letters K-O.  As always, feel free to share some of your favorite products, beginning with the corresponding letters.  As for my top packaging picks of the day... here they are: 

• K: Krinkle:  This is the point in the week when things really get fun.  We've revealed enough packaging products that we can begin mixing and matching to get the full effect of how, when these items are used in concert, we can improve the presentations of our packages... exponentially!  Krinkle is one example of this.  Cellophane, combined with foam cut outs, combined with krinkle can work wonders.  Incidentally, there are two kinds of Krinkle (sometimes called Shred).  There is matte, paper-like form of Krinkle and then there is the shimmery, more metallic-like version.  I like the matte, paper version if I am wrapping in brown paper (it feels more earthy) and the more metallic-like krinkle for just about everything else.  More on that below, as krinkle will be today's featured item.
  
• L: Labels:  If time was not an issue I would always cut out a fun shape on which to write the address of the person receiving my package.  It doesn't take that much longer, but it makes the package seem more fun from the outset.  Take a look at AZLori and Peggy's packages to hit the mail later today.  Another source of fun labels can be images from old wrapping paper.  At the end of the holiday season, I love to cut shapes out of the paper in anticipation of using them as gift tags/labels the next year (I store them with my wrapping paper).
  
  
• M: Michael's, Magazines and Mod Podge:  If I've said it once, I've said it a million times... you should NEVER have to pay full price for a craft supply.  Michael's typically issues a weekly coupon for a 40% discount on the item of your choice (sometimes 50%).  Hobby Lobby and Joann Fabrics does it too.  The only "M"-related thing I might like more than that is the combination of Magazines and Mod Podge.  Come to think of it... I like it, but CSPgrad has perfected it as an art.  I will let her share some of the ways she uses Mod Podge and magazines.  Take it away, Katie.
• N: Notecards: Unless you're Peggy, who can whip up a great looking card in a snap, good notecards are hard to find, but boy can they make a difference when sending a package.  You can have a great looking package, but if you cap it off with a note scribbled on a post-it note, you have undermined your good work up to that point.  Target carries a block of notecards and matching envelopes.  They aren't great looking, but with a sticker or a fun hole punch in the top, the notecard can finish the package off nicely.  For those of you into fashion, not crafts... think of it this way.  It would be as though you were sporting a beautiful, well coordinated new outfit, but on your feet were old, scuffed, and dull shoes.  Notecards are like the "toe" of dressing nicely from "head to toe."
• O: O Shaped Paper:  Speaking of paper and Target... they also sell round pieces of paper that I use for either quick notes or mailing labels (when I don't have time to cut a shape).  They are different enough that they keep you package feeling special.  Look how easy!

Today's Featured Item:  Krinkle.

The item... fun Halloween socks, per one of your Friday suggestions

Pre krinkle and post krinkle

(though I must admit... the pictures are not doing the post pictures justice!)

That's it for today.  Tomorrow, letters P-T.

Signing off until tomorrow...  

The A-Zs of Packaging: F-J

Announcements at the end.

Welcome back for another fun-filled day of packaging.  For those of you just tuning in, we are spending this week exploring some of the items that turn an ordinary gift into something extraordinary.  Yesterday we covered letters A-E, touting the importance of everything from... yes, Altoid tins to construction paper, candy, die cuts, boxes, envelopes, and DCWV paper.  But the real star of yesterday's post was "C"ellophane.

Cellophane catches light and by doing so makes your treat sparkle and appear fancier.  It crinkles when you touch it and it makes most anything look a touch more crisp than it would otherwise.  If you don't own a roll, invest in one.  A little bit goes a long way and it is well worth the money.

Maybe you're not convinced.  Maybe you don't buy into the idea that packaging is as important as I'm suggesting.  Here's a recent example of how packaging influenced my decision making.  

My mother in law invited me for lunch and a pedicure on my birthday.  It wasn't the first pedicure I'd ever had, but pedicures are not part of my normal routine, so I was E*X*C*I*T*E*D.  When we walked into the spa where our appointments were booked, we were met with cascading water behind the receptionists desk and warm and welcoming smiles by the women who were working.  Soon we were escorted to the back, immediately swept off our feet, warm neck pillows put in place, masks placed gently over our eyes, and all while sitting in comfortable reclining chairs.  I'd love to tell you more, but truth is I fell asleep.  Yes, I did say pedicure, not massage!

This was by far the best pedicure experience I have ever had (or ever heard of anyone else having), beginning with the ambiance of the spa, the calming music, the voice of the nail technician, and on an on.  That pedicure was well packaged.  Could I whisk down the block to the strip mall and, in the end, have the same painted nails, while sitting under flourescent lights and watching cars come and go from the parking lot?  Sure.  But the packaging of scenario two would not keep me talking for weeks.  And it certainly isn't where I will go when I, in turn, want to give the gift a pedicure.  I will go with option one.

My pedicure is an example of how we might package a service to make it more appealing, but in anticipation of my Eighteenth Annual Random Acts of Kindness Party, we will stay focused on the packaging of items - presents if you will.  Today's letters... F-J.  Let's get busy.

• F: Foam Shapes.  I'm sure there are a lot of other "F" items you will come up with, but this is the one for me.  I LOVE foam shapes for how effectively they add dimension to a package.  I have them in countless color and shapes.  I have Halloween pumpkins, witches, and ghosts; fall leaves; Christmas trees; snowmen; snowflakes of all shapes; hearts; letters; animals; weather related shapes, like clouds, lightening bolts, and raindrops; geometric shapes, and more.  This will be today's showcased item, so stay tuned.
  
• G: Glue Gun.  Thing about my foam shapes is that they are made impossible without a glue gun (a hot glue gun, that is).  Do you have one?  If you don't, drop what you are doing this very minute (which is reading my blog) and proceed to your nearest craft store.  My blog can wait.  I'm serious.  If you do not own a hot glue gun it is not o.k..  I cannot rest until I am quite sure that everyone who reads this blog has one.
  
• H: Hot glue gun and hole punches.  Have I mentioned the essential nature of a hot glue gun when making any real attempts at extraordinary packaging?  If you're still reading this and you don't have a hot glue gun, you have not taken my plea seriously enough.  If you already own one, then we will move on to Hole Punches.  I love hole punches.  Hole punches can be used to embellish a simple index card or to create homemade confetti for inside a card or package.  I have quite a few shapes, but my recent favorite has to be the fall leaf I just sent Chris Peres (who won it while bobbing for apples (F is for Festival, 10/16).
  
• I: Idea or theme.  Yes, sometimes your idea for packaging will come from the "theme" of the party or gift itself.  For example, Cassie recently had a birthday party for her boys.  The invitations looked like magic hats with rabbit ears sticking out (pull the ears and out comes the invitation).  A magician was scheduled to be at the party, so I thought it might be fun to have the packaging be magic related.  We painted long white mailing tubes black to look like magic wands and then dipped the ends in silver glitter.  Once completed, we filled the tubes with magic tricks and other treats.  Point.  The theme of the party inspired the idea for packaging the gift.  Below is another.  Richard got cowboy boots for his birthday.  I didn't have fun wrapping paper, so instead I used the box and let the gift inspire the wrapping.
  
  
• J: Jewelry Accessory Bags:  This was a hard letter, but then I remembered about a recent purchase I made.  I bought a package of 100 small jewelry accessory bags, not to hold jewelry, but instead to hold small treats that I sometimes want to package.  Patchwork patches are a good example.  Instead of just throwing your hard-earned Patchwork patch in an envelope, isn't the treat made just a little bit nicer by sealing it in a small bag?  I think so.  
  

Today's Featured Item:  Foam Shapes!

The $5.00 treat... Dishtowels, per one of your Friday suggestions.

Pre-wrapping

Pre foam shapes and post foam shapes

 (though admittedly not the greatest photograph)

Announcements:

Today's Treat: Yesterday's packaged treat was given away as a Random Act of Kindness, per the suggestion of Amy - one of the Bobbing for Apple participants who won a Random Act done in their favor.  Today's treat goes to Lori who, while bobbing for apples, won one of this week's treats.

DCWV Giveaway:  Peggy's on a roll.  She is yesterday's lucky winner of the pad of DCWV paper (seems rather appropriate).  

Pumpkin Patch: Remember, earn a pumpkin patch for your Patchwork jeans by submitting a picture of a carved Jack-o-Lantern to kkolkmeier@gmail.com by Wedneday, October 29 at 5:00 p.m.  The winning Jack-o-Lantern will receive a prize in the mail. 

Blog-a-thon: Difficulty getting people to participate means we will be forced to do two things: (1) move the day of the Blog-a-thon to Wednesday, November 5 and (2) shorten the length of the Blog-a-thon to 10:00 am - 10:00 pm.  Hopefully the changes allow us to be successful in reaching our goal to raise money for the Helping Hand family we adopted for the holiday season. 

Paint the Town Red: I know some of you continue to stay committed to our  goal of collecting as many Reward points as you can for Heather's friend Julie.  Maybe Heather will post a comment today with the latest standings.  For more information see post labeled, Paint Your Town Red, 9/13.

Fess Up:  If you don't have a glue gun, get it off your chest and tell us now.

Signing off until tomorrow...

The A-Zs of Packaging

Announcements at the end...

I love this week.  I won't go as far as to say, I've waited the whole year for this week, but it will rank right up there as among my favorites - regardless of how well I execute.  If people - like companies - had tag lines, mine would have to either be, "Think Big" or "Packaging is Everything."  Both are phrases I probably utter way too often and both are sentiments that drive much of how I approach life.  

This week is dedicated to my Eighteenth Annual Random Acts of Kindness Packaging Party.  For the die hards who have been with me from the beginning, you will remember me referencing the party idea early (2/20), in a blog titled, "Birds of a Feather..."  That post, however, was compliments of Amy, who also hosts an annual Random Acts Packaging Party.  This week we'll be gearing up for mine - to be held Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. (if you're in town and want to come, just say the word). 

The philosophy of the party... send packages to unsuspecting people.  They can be people who whom you've fallen out of touch; people you know need a pick me a up; a former boss or colleague; or even someone you would like to know, but whom you've not yet met.  Party-goers decide  for themselves.  Each guest brings twelve small items and I supply the A-Zs of packaging - all the things that transform a simple item into a magical and thoughtful gift.  It's those things (tissue paper, ribbon, gift tags, stickers, etc...) that we will be talking about this week on Highlowaha. 

Maybe by the end of the week you will be inspired to host your own Packaging Party.  We'll see.  And, if you don't want to host a packaging party, use this to establish a check list of creative items to consider having on hand.  As you know all too well, part of being creative is surrounding yourself with creative tools.

Five days; 26 letters.  That's five letters per day and six on the last.  Today... Letters A-E.  Before I jump in, let me say a few things.  Some of you are probably more qualified.  No.  Some of you ARE more qualified than I am to be doing this segment.  Play along with me, anyway.  Enhance this week's blog by sharing your brainstorms and adding your own favorite items, beginning with the day's assigned letters.  As excited as you are, let's try to stick to the letters of the day and not jump ahead (otherwise I'll be out of business by Tuesday afternoon).  O.k. here we go...

• A: Address Book: O.k., I'm cheating a little bit.  This is a weak beginning, but you nonetheless essential to mailing packages.  I like to remind my party goers to bring their address books.  There's something fun about watching people flipping through their address books (or phone) and deciding right there, on the spot, who will be the recipients of their packages.
  
• B: Boxes: White boxes from the Container Store are my number one choice.  They are white, clean and just waiting to be decorated.  It's worth noting that box tape can be simple and clear or can be themed with holiday shapes and colors.  I like to use the themed tape at Christmas.
• C: Cellophane.  I won't even muddy the water by introducing other important items like confetti and containers, because cellophane is KEY!  Cellophane makes an average treat look extra special.  Peggy uses cellophane bags to package her beautiful greeting cards and the bags make her cards look like they belong in boutiques.
  
• D: DCWV Paper(Diecut With a View) and Double Stick Tape.  I'll be honest.  DCWV paper is new to my artillery of necessary items.  I'm not a scrap booker and my Scrap Journaling system is so simple there is not room for fancy paper (see 7/28-7/30).  What I don't use in scrap booking, I love to use in making my own notecards and tags.  The DCWV paper comes in a variety of patterns and colors.  I take a sheet from the pad and then mount a piece of card stock on top.  It's not a fun and fancy card like Peggy might make, but it's a couple cuts above a sticky note or a blank white index card.
  
• E: Envelopes:  Like the white boxes from the Container Store, I only use white envelopes from the Container Store.  Brown envelopes are not an option (markers don't show up as well) and envelopes with preprinted spaces for addressing the package leave no room for using creative shapes as your labels.

Today's Demonstration: Each day I will pick one of the items and feature it by using it to "package" something.  Hopefully the demonstration allows you to see the potential of the items featured.  Today we'll showcase cellophane.  I painted a terra cotta pot to hold the cookies I baked (as one of the suggested Random Acts of Kindness from an Apple Bobbing winner - see 10/16).  In the first picture pot and cookies - no cellophane.  In the second picture, same pot, same cookies, and cellophane.  See what you think. 

Announcements:

• Congratulations, Maureen!  Maureen was this week's winner of the Football Snack Throw Down.  She joins ranks of Richard, Tera, and Nicole.  Next up Melanie and Treye.  Tune in on Friday to help determine this week's secret ingredient.
  
• Blog-a-thon: An executive decision will be made by end of day today about how we will proceed with the scheduled Blog-a-thon.  We've had a minimal number of people sign up.  Feel free to make a suggestion.
• Aunt Annie: Aunt Annie was in town yesterday and yes, she bought more accessories.  Cowboy boots and another belt.  See picture below.  
• Win a Prize: DCWV donated a pad of their cool paper to me, for the express purpose of my giving it away to you.  How about this as a criterion for winning the prize.  As noted earlier, I am a big believer that packaging goes a long way in shaping our opinions about a product or service.  Share an example of something you purchase expressly because of the packaging.  Post a comment and your name will go in a drawing for the pad of DCWV paper.
• Speaking of Prizes: Peggy won Saturday's drawing for the Highlowaha t-shirt.  Peggy, send me an email with your t-shirt size preference and we'll get it ordered.

Signing off until tomorrow...

   

Free For All Friday: Packaging is Everything

T.G.I.F. A busy week of mailboxes, journaling, whacking, and then even more whacking on the side of the head.

Today is all about teachers and what they consider - after a LONG, hard, year of work - to be ideal gifts/gestures of appreciation. Before I simply open the floor up to our loyal readers and visitors, let me add another dimension to our Free For All...

Before I got married, I always strived to be the most "creative" gift giver. That meant that I thought I was too creative to defer to the couple's registry. The registry, in my mind, was for lazy people who lacked any imagination. Then I got married. I came to appreciate - with every ounce of my being - the "experienced" people who in their infinite wisdom knew that a place setting of china would ultimately be more appreciated than his and her watches bearing each other's names. The truth is, neither of us has much occasion to wear our watches, but each time we set our dining room table we have cause to think about the thoughtful people who chipped in and helped purchase the place settings included in so many of our family celebrations.

My point... sometimes practical has its place. The handful of teachers and educators with whom I have spoken in the past three or four days have all suggested they appreciate receiving gift cards. Teachers, as we know, do not make a lot of money so the ability to shop for something they've eyed but couldn't afford, is actually a thoughtful gesture. So, gift cards should not be considered an impersonal, thoughtless, cop-out.

What is sure to transform a gift card from simply generous to... generous, thoughtful, and even sentimental is... PACKAGING. So, today our loyal readers and visiting teachers should feel free to comment on EITHER: (1) the gift you've most appreciated receiving, or (2) the best packaging of a gift card.

For those of you who love packaging... have no fear. This will not... I repeat will NOT, be the last time we visit this topic. It is one of my favorites and therefore will be revisited again (and again). To get us going, I am including a photograph our loyal reader Heather sent yesterday. It is a photograph of appreciation gifts she just presented to her daughter's teachers. I am happy to report it is a spin-off (much enhanced) of an idea shared via highlowaha.com. The stick of dynamite contains Hershey's Hugs and Kisses, along with Target gift cards for each teacher. The note on top reads, "Hugs and Kisses to a DYNAMITE group of teachers." Proof that creativity breeds creativity and, that on a good day, creativity can be found right here at this very blog site.

Have at it.

Signing off until tomorrow...