Silk Screening

I'm still teaching myself Illustrator..when I find the time..lol :) The tools are similar to photoshop so it has been easy for me to navigate so far. My goal is to make a design to print out on a t-shirt. I have signed up for a silk-screening class. So far it does not seem that too many have signed up so I am getting worried it will be cancelled.

I did find a article on screen printing at home. It got a lot of good reviews and it seems like a cheap process. So if anything I guess I can teach myself this too. I think it would be so great to learn how to print my own designs on t-shirts or hoodies.

Learning Illustrator

I decided to start teaching myself Illustrator since I have a pretty good knowledge of photoshop at this point. I only have the CS2 version at the moment but I'm sure one day I will get the upgraded version. I ordered the Adobe Illustrator book from Amazon and was happy how cheap it was with the CD included:) I am really ready to learn about vector art and to start creating designs for print. I hope to create my own graphic tee's and hoodies one day. Even if it is just for myself;) I am going to sign up for a silk screening class so I can learn about the process some more and get some actual hands on experience. .

Please share any resources that are great for learning Illustrator. Share your designs as well!

Vegas Trip!

NY NY Casino

I went to Vegas for the first time for work but still had some time for play :) It was a very exciting town and I found there was no way you can see everything in one trip. We stayed at the Rio which is about five minutes from the new strip and it has a great venue on the roof called the Vodoo Lounge. I was very happy I was able to dance on the roof and get such a great view of the strip. My favorite site has to have been the water show in front of the Bellagio. It was so beautiful. They had one every fifteen minutes. From the street you get a great view of the Bellagio casino and if you watch from the front of the Bellagio casino you have a great view of the casino Paris which includes a mini Effiel tower.

View from the plane

M&M Factory

View of Paris from Bellagio

Create your personalized gift

My husband and I decided to start a new side business for some extra income. He has made this beautiful priceless personalized creations for family members for a couple of years now and he decided to start marketing it. A lot of people loved the idea and we have already have a couple of jobs lined up! I am so happy that I know the programs now to create them as well. These captured memories are great to give to anyone for any occasion. All you need is to gather a bunch of photos and think of a word that sums up your memory and you have a priceless personalized gift to give. Please check it out and feel free to leave feedback!!

Top Ten Favorite Holiday Songs

I love holiday music. It brings back many memories of childhood and all of the holiday traditions that brought me so much happiness. Here are my top 10 favorite holiday songs:

• The Christmas Song
• Baby it's Cold Outside
• Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree
• Sleigh Ride
• Dominic the Donkey
• Jingle Bell Rock
• Santa Baby
• Winter Wonderland
• I'll Be Home For Christmas
• All I Want For Christmas is You

I like to play carols on the piano while my husband joins in with his guitar. We don't have to much time to practice these days but we appreciate anytime we do get to play together. We had our holiday party this past weekend and had the pleasure of some friends entertaining us with music. I could never imagine life without music.

Please share your favorite holiday tunes with me.

Rockin out for Charity

My husband's band The Anger Management Project, along with other local bands In Spite Of, and Artikay to name a few are coming together this Sunday December 14th in Union Beach, NJ at the 7 days bar and grill to raise money for a friend suffering the financial burden of medical bills from a dirt bike accident that has left him paralyzed.

Come by and show your support if you are in the area!

Here is a copy of the article about the event from newstranscript.gmnews.com:

Friends & family rally for Marlboro resident
Ken Majonis, 31, was left a paraplegic after Sept. dirt bike accident
BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer

MARLBORO — The Majonis family had a lot to be thankful for on Thanksgiving. Carol Majonis said the family is extremely thankful for the support and encouragement that has been received from their friends and family members after her adult son was seriously injured in a dirt bike accident in September.

Ken Majonis, 31, suffered spinal injuries that left him paralyzed from the waist down as a result of the dirt bike accident on Sept. 21 in Tinton Falls. Majonis was flown from the scene of the accident to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, where he underwent surgery to stabilize his shattered T-12 vertebrae. Following the surgery, Majonis was transferred to the Kessler Rehabilitation Institute, West Orange.

"We are just so grateful to our friends and family for the tremendous support," Carol Majonis said.

She said the encouragement the family is receiving is the only thing keeping them going during this difficult time.

When he is released from Kessler, Majonis will return to his childhood home in Marlboro. He grew up in the township with his parents, Carol and Eric Majonis, and sisters, Michelle Shashoua and Andrea Majonis.

Majonis is a 1995 graduate of Marlboro High School and is a member of the IBEW Local 400 electrical union. His mother said the family is in the process of working with Marlboro's building inspector to have their home modified and ready for Ken's homecoming. It is not known when he will return home.

Shashoua said her brother was always strong and said watching his progress at Kessler shows just how strong he is. Just months after his accident, Majonis is able to maneuver his body using his arms and abdominal muscles.

"We see rays of hope from his therapy (progress)," Shashoua said.

With the mounting medical bills not covered by insurance, the Majonis family knew something had to be done. Estimated costs for the first year of paraplegia could cost almost $300,000, according to information provided by the National Transplant Assistance Fund and Catastrophic Injury Program (NTAF).

Carol Majonis said with friends and family members offering to help with the

medical costs, the family looked into the possibility of establishing a fund in their son's name. The Majonis family set up a spinal cord injury fund in honor of Ken through NTAF.

NTAF has been serving the transplant community for 25 years; in 2008 the organization expanded its mission to assist patients with spinal cord injuries. NTAF provides tax deductible options and fiscal accountability to contributors. All contributions are administered by NTAF exclusively for injury-related expenses and contributions are earmarked for Majonis's exclusive use and are available to pay for uninsured medical expenses and to assist with his recovery.

Majonis's medical insurance has a cap of $25,000 for the type of injury he sustained. The average lifetime cost is between $697,163 and $1 million depending upon the severity of the injury, according to NTAF. A fundraiser has been organized to help offset some of the medical bills Majonis will face.

On Dec. 14 from noon to 10 p.m., "Rock Out," a battle of the bands, will be held at 7 Days Bar and Grill, Union Beach. The donation to attend is $25. The cover fee can be paid in cash, check or by credit card and is tax deductible for those paying by check or credit card.

Bands expected to appear include Rope Tree, In Spite Of, Rhyme & Reason, I'll Be John Brown, Anger Management Project and Artikay. There will be raffles and prizes including hockey tickets, tickets to a Broadway show, autographed sports memorabilia, an iPod shuffle and a Fendi watch. All of the prizes have been donated by people who have given time to help, Shashoua said.

She said the network of friends and family members who have helped to organize the fundraiser has been amazing. She said the owner of 7 Days Bar and Grill is a friend of Ken's and offered the restaurant for the event. Another of Ken's friends is in a band and used his contacts to compile a list of bands to play. After setting up a cause page in honor of Ken on the Internet social networking site Facebook, Shashoua said more than 300 people have become members of the cause and have offered assistance.

Proceeds from the day's event will go to cover costs such as hospitalization, rehabilitation, durable medical equipment, home modifications and ongoing therapy.

The constant outpouring of support is one factor that Shashoua feels is responsible for the progress her brother has made so far. Shashoua said Ken's face lights up when he receives visitors, especially his nephews, Jacob, 3, and Ari, 9 months.

More fundraisers are likely to be held in the future, Carol Majonis said.

Anyone wishing to make a contribution to the Ken Majonis fund may do so by sending a check to NTAF, 150 N. Radnor Chester Road, Suite F-120, Radnor, PA 19087. Make checks payable to NTAF Mid- Atlantic Spinal Cord Injury Fund, writing "In Honor of Ken Majonis" in the memo section. Credit card contributions may be made by calling 800-642-8399 or by visiting www.catastrophicfund.org.

Contact Rebecca Morton at marlboro@gmnews.com.

Slideshow of NYC Marathon 2008

I have experimented with Windows Movie Maker at work before to post some testimonials to our website and discovered that is a great program to create movies and slide shows with. I decided to create a mini-movie for my brother after he successfully completed his second marathon. I was able to take the photos of him running in the NYC Marathon along with some video footage and music to create a mini movie. The program also also allows you to add animated titles, credits, and transitions. Kudos to Windows Vista.