Happy Groundhog Day!

Just a few things that make me smile. No, I am not Oprah; but there are a few favorite things...I won't be doing a grand giveaway to the bloggy audience (I wish I could!). Here's my list-in-progress.

1. Groundhog Day. (today!!) An underrated holiday. We pull a sleepy groundhog out of the ground and are intrigued about his weather-telling abilities. Punxsutawney Phil must be a morning groundhog. If this were me in groundhog form, I'd be biting this guy, for sure. Especially after staying up late watching the Steelers win. (surely, he's a Steelers fan, as he lives about an hour out of Pittsburg) Prediction this year, BTW, is for six more weeks of winter.

2. Dansko shoes: I have owned these shoes for about a month. They are amazing. Comfortable, stylish, tall enough to wear with dress pants, and foot-worthy for the longest day of walking about. When you have foot problems, cute shoes and comfortable shoes are often not compatible terms. These shoes marry the best of both worlds. I'm saving my pennies now for a brown pair and some sandals for summer.

3. Brooke Fraser's Albertine: Fraser is known for her contributions to Hillsong Worship in Australia. This is her solo album...it has been in near-constant rotation for me lately. Like Plumb and Christy Nockels combined: Click here for a music video.

4. I saw a sign outside of our neighborhood last Friday that said "Yard Cell." That makes me smile all over.

5. Photoshop. It will do so much. It's a powerhouse. Here is just a silly little example of its awesomeness. Just a little tweaking to make a dull picture far more beautiful. Note the subtraction of the stoplights, too. I could spend hours and hours discovering the intricacies of the Photoshop.

Christmas 2008 Wrap-Up

Typically, I get great joy out of wrapping a nice gift in some plain red paper and plaid ribbon...or some such configuration. I will attempt to wrap up a YEAR (hard to contain) in mere words (lowly containers, indeed).

So, if you'd like to stick around...here goes nothing.

Jerod and I have cruised swiftly through our FOURTH year of marriage! I can't believe that it's been four years already. We celebrated by taking a trip to Asheville/Biltmore, NC, at the beginning of December. (the first two pics)

I am slightly sad to say that we have only a few interesting milestones to share this year...(so if you were thinking of checking on the price of an 52" HD TV at Bestbuy.com, go ahead, I won't fault you).

We have been busy taking classes--his for teacher recertification, and mine for digital design. I have finished 21 of 33 hours (as of 12/10!) for my certificate. Lord willing, I'll be done at the end of this summer. No, I'm not sure exactly what I'd like to do with my meager photoshop and other adobe software skills...but I surely have had a BLAST learning this stuff and creating some meaningful projects. (click here for small design portfolio)

Jerod has been on his toes keeping up with his "kids" at school, and driving through Charlotte each day to go teach them. The work is draining and satisfying, as I'm sure all teachers out there can understand. He often gets feedback from current and old students about how much they love him as a teacher. I would have loved him as a teacher, too. He gets so darn excited about whatever it is he's teaching. His students this year have named him "The Math Daddy."

Good ole Winthrop University is my neck of the woods these days, as I continue to serve in the President's Office coordinating events and maintaining two historic homes. I love being at a place that serves as a home and a community as well as a place of employment. I think few people are so blessed as this. We're feeling the money crunch at Winthrop as a state-supported school. The state of SC keeps asking for money back...so at this point, we're nearly private. So, in that spirit, I encourage you to do all your Christmas shopping in the state of SC since it seems to be lack of money in the sales tax area that has been the biggest contributor to the shortfall. (Or fire Governor Sanford, whichever you can manage for me. :)

In March, I was again able to travel with the Men's Basketball Team from Winthrop to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. We were sent to Denver, CO, so I had a few days in the Rockies to explore, cheer on the team (we lost in the first round...), and see my cousin, Elasha. Elasha lives in the best little neighborhood near downtown Denver, and it was quite a treat all the way around.

June took us to Orlando, as I had convinced Jerod that we should use our economic stimulus check for its intended purpose. We had a blast at the Universal Parks, botanical gardens, and zoo. A great time for R & R after long school years for us both. My favorite was the Dr. Seuss land in Islands of Adventure. Everything looked candy coated and unreal. And of course I could ride "the Hulk" roller coaster all day without stopping (see pic below with my YIPPEE IT'S A ROLLER COASTER!! face). There is at least one post about that from June should you want to hit the archive and read all about it.

I don't know exactly what has happened to the last half of this year. One minute it was July, and the next, December. Classes and church functions and fun have been a blurry whirlwind, plopping us smack in the middle of the holidays. I still have my two faux pumpkins on the side porch with orange lights (not lit since October)...but the tree is up, and there is some sense of festive around the house.

Finally, I've been keeping busy with "The Birth: A Reflective Celebration of the Coming of Christ." A play that I'm singing in this Christmas...and also that I've done some of the graphic design for. There is a post from earlier this month with details about that. But for the sake of the wrap-up, between this play and the messages I hear at my dear Renovatus (church--click for website), I am reminded that the Jesus I believe in is very real. He very much came here to show us how to live. He very much wants to be part of our everyday lives. It is a truth that I face every day, as I navigate both "the mud and the muck" of this life, as well as the completely happy moments. Our community, our friends, our faith..it's the glue that hold us together.

Our hearts are grateful for another year to learn, to worship, to give, and to share with you. Merry Christmas, and may God bless you in the coming year.

Love,
The Joneses







Jerod's email: jeirdo@yahoo.com
Shelley's email: iamshelleyjones@hotmail.com
And, we're both on Facebook, too. Come "see" us!

My Christmas Gift to You

I have a long love of the stage--any stage. Not because I am the greatest performer, but more because I love the excitement, the rush, the edge of it all. (Speaking of 'edge,' I do wish someone had video taped my fifth-grade baton routine to the song "Fame--I'm gonna live forever!" as my baton came down unfortunately on the edge of the stage and was only saved by teetering on a mic stand.) I am a pretty lame actress, and my baton career ended, ironically, after the "Fame" performance. But I like to sing, and that seems enough for stage opportunities from time to time.

For the second time, this year I am privileged to be part of an intimate little production entitled The Birth: A Reflective Celebration of the Coming of Christ. We're very official this time around, as the director/creator spent countless hours setting up a cool website. I also got to test my graphic design skills by creating the poster (pictured).

So, I'm not just here to toot my horn...but to marvel in the story that we are telling. We are crafting an experience for our audience to participate in the Birth of Christ...the most cosmic and earth-shattering event that has happened since He created the earth itself! We are telling His story...we are singing His songs...and moving to the rhythms of His grace. It's quiet and powerful. It's entrancing. And I am humbled to take the stage here...my feeble attempt to illuminate the most amazing gift ever given. It's my Christmas gift to you.

We will step inside this story as He stepped inside a suit of flesh, to let the cosmic mix with the common. I invite you to join in the story of the ages, see the creativity of my friends who wrote pieces and songs, and of my cast-mates who offer their talents (like this boy offering his little star to the great big sky >>).

Visit http://thebirth.net and join us as we tiptoe on this sacred stage together.

Guest Blogging

I am a guest blogger...kinda like a guest star, just with less pay! I am involved in a Christmas production this year called "The Birth." We're in our third year, and this will be my second year to be involved.

Click here to read my guest blog. Apparently, not only am I a co-conspirator, I'm also inimitable! (that is, according to Nathan Rouse, the incomparable writer/director/performer)

Click here to buy your tickets...it's not too early! We'd love to pack it out with our Charlotte-area family and friends!! Make it a night out in Plaza-Midwood! Or make a trip from wherever you live.

It's not too early to start thinking about Christmas. Big box stores have had their junk out for weeks now. Fight back by supporting your local artists!

~The Inimitable Shelley Jones

Group Project, Eye Twitch, other Fun

I know I should quit writing about this group project at some point...but my eye is still twitching from the sheer agony of it all! We submitted it last night. I must say, one of the guys really pulled out some good stuff at the last minute. I was mucho impressed. I was caught in an epic struggle to lead this group. They appointed me leader; I did not volunteer. Probably because they knew I was the type of person to get an eye twitch if things weren't going well! One lady in the group just refused to be led. She did her own thing without regard to the group...which is not so good when the assignment is come up with an ad campaign. All parts need to look very similar to one another. Wild cards are not in play, kids!!

I'll share the idea with you, as I was proud of what we ended up with. The premise was a product of the entire group, with about 80% of the art direction at my discretion--fonts, colors, illustrations, etc. Our basic idea was to create an environmental awareness campaign for the fictional "National Environmental Council" with a series of ads. We based it on the "This Little Piggy" nursery rhyme and showed our pig poster boy doing all kinds of horrible environmentally-unsound things. The slogan was then, "Don't be a pig."

Here is an ad and a book cover that I created, and a billboard idea from another team member. The book would be used in public schools and/or sold at retail stores. We also created reuseable shopping bags, recycle bins, and apparel whose proceeds would help the NEC:

Whew! Glad that's over!