Let's try this again

I am getting an error on my blog when a comment is added.  I wonder if it happens when I post a new blog...

New Comment Form

I really want a better commenting form on my Swagger Gift's Website - so I am testing it here:)!  I don't want anything bad to happen if you know what I mean.

I did quite a bit of research and am trying IntenseDebate as my new comment form.  Let's see if it works - shall we?

It worked!  Now let's see if I modify the post - will it still work? 

New Signature!

I just figured out how to add a signature to my blog posts - what do you think?

I learned how to do this from this post at Shabbyblogs.com! Thanks Shabbyblogs!

Picnik - a cool tool

Okay - so I was spending lots of time on FB (a current habit of mine) and came across a picture from one of my husband's cousins. She had written on her photo in this really cool photo with the caption of - I picniked. What the hell did that mean?

So of course I googled it:) What did I do before google? seriously.

Picnik is a cool *free* website that you can use to tweak your photos. It has some of the same "tweaks" as Picasa but a lot more AND there are cool graphics, picture frames, and fonts! I recently purchased PhotoShop CS3 but since I'm not at 100% of knowing what the @#%@ I'm doing - this is super cool! It has a lot more fonts than I currently have downloaded and I haven't quite figured out how to do picure frames in CS3 yet - do I have to buy those? Anyway - I hope I don't just use this software as a crutch and not learn more/use my expensive CS3 anymore!

Here is a picture I messed around with and added text, boarders, picture frames, tweaks - etc. I'm not sure why I choose the picture or what the hell I was writing, but it was an experiment and I was short on time - okay? Don't judge:) I will work on a "real" picture later. Until then - here it is.... Beautiful, huh?:)

I love Picasa Web Albums

I am using this blog to test out some new features (well new to me) on Picasa. I have never embedded a slideshow before and I want to see how it works - okay?

So I am embedding a slideshow of our brand new Digital Holiday Cards from my gift shop, Swagger Gifts. I am super excited about them because they aren't your "typical" holiday card - they have cool patterns and the pictures are printed on card stock instead of the flimsy picture paper you would get at somewhere like Eckerds. AND they are 30% off until November 10th - yeah!!

So without further ado -let's see how this slideshow works shall we?

Here is the Slideshow with Extra Large 600x pictures:



Here is the slideshow with Large 400x pictures:



Looks like the 400x wins. The pictures aren't huge but I guess you can see them all right. What do you guys think? Any suggestions?
Mandy

Shabbyblogs.com Rocks!

Hey There! Remember me? Well I understand if you don't:( I haven't posted on here since June 2008 - yikes! I have been posting on my two other blogs though (does that help?).

So AnYwAy, since I last posted, I moved to Zurich, Switzerland! My husband and I are over here for 1 year and we are loving every minute of it! Since moving, I have really been trying to keep all my friends and family back "home" up to date with our day to day life and travels on my travel blog.

I wasn't sure how it was going to work out running Swagger, my gift shop, from this side of the pond but it has been wonderful! I hired a really amazing store manager and the store is thriving without me (does that mean I don't have to work much when I come back?)! I have had the opportunity to became less attached to the day to day operations of Swagger and have been able to do more ecommerce stuff and keep up with our Let's Talk Shop blog, too!

This past week I decided to make all my blogs PRETTY! I love my friend's blog - Erin McLean Events - so I started there. I found out she uses a shabbyblogs.com background so I made me way over there! Wow - talk about beautiful stuff! This is one talented lady for sure! How do you like my new background? So cool - right? You can get one too for free - and if I could figure out how to do it - anyone can!

From this website I found a link to KevinandAmanda.com and found some awesome fonts! I haven't quite figured out how to change the font on my title bars yet..... but I am working on it! Stay tuned!

I just wanted to say a HUGE thanks to all the wonderful bloggers out there who try to make the blogosphere a pretty place - FOR FREE! You guys ROCK! My little corner has now been beautified!

love,mandy

Make - OVER!

I am a makeup moron. I mean - I think I usually look presentable enough - my foundation matches my skin tone and all - but I just can't do eyes nor do I know ANYTHING about new cool products. I think it is because I hate Sephora - I get really overwhelmed by all the products and since no one will help you I just wander aimlessly until I give up and leave. This is why I shop at makeup counters, but the problem with that is I always feel so guilty when someone helps me that I HAVE to buy something. So for me - going to the makeup counter = buying product. And of course I'm such a sucker - I don't just buy one thing - it is $100 worth of things. Why I do this I don't know. I own a gift shop and everyone who comes in doesn't buy from me. Which is totally fine so why do I get suckered in if someone shows me an ounce of attention? Because I'm a sucker. :)


ANYWAY, the point of my story is that I am so bored when I look at myself in the mirror that I knew I HAD to get some new makeup. If I put on that same damn eyeshadow one more time I was going to scream! So today I walked my happy ass to the local MAC counter to buy a new eyeshadow - that should help with the boringness right? Well one eyeshadow:

Paradisco - kind of peachy and very fabulous

One Long Lasting Lipstick in Clingpeach - I LOVE this stuff - it literally doesn't come off - amazing! (And my mother always said that I looked dead without lipstick - thanks mom!:))

And one blush in PeachyKeen

So who knew the blush was where it's at? Holy crap! I've never worn blush before - I always used a bronser - but as the salesgirl pointed out - bronser makes you look tan but it doesn't make you glow! So yeah - now I glow! And it only cost me $50 total! Now that is a bargain! Hell - I guess I could have looked into Botox! Turning 30 is a bitch!;)