Thursday, July 15, 2010

Sizzling Summer Songs & Challenge Thoughts

It seems to me that every summer there's a certain song that encapsulates that summer.  It's played nonstop on the radio but somehow I don't mind because it's fun and catchy and I always sing along.  Last summer, it was "I gotta feelin' that tonight's gonna be a good night" by the Black Eyed Peas.  Two summers ago, it was Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie."  This summer, for me at least, it's "California Gurls" by Katy Perry.  I know that chronologically I'm way too old to be one of those girls in the song, but inside I still feel fine, fresh and fierce enough to represent the west coast! With apologies to Amy and my other friends in the Southern Hemisphere, do you have a signature song for this summer?


In other thoughts, I've been thinking a lot about challenges lately.  I really love them because they often give me the inspiration I need to get moving on a project. But I sometimes find that they can drive me crazy because I start making a list of the challenges out there and feel almost compelled to do them all.  Yikes! That's no fun and not compatible with my artistic vision. So, like Mel who is "blogging without obligation," I decided I'm "doing challenges without obligation."  Once I made that promise to myself, my artistic mojo started flowing again, and I made this tag in response to the "heat" challenge at the Gingersnap Creations blog.  I'll still be doing challenges at Gingersnap, Studio L3, Something Completely Different,Sunday Creative and all the other wonderful challenge blogs out there.  But I'm not going to drive myself crazy doing it!  Do you do challenges?  Do you ever go overboard?  Or have you found a happy balance?
at

19 comments:

  1. debs14July 15, 2010 at 11:17 PM

    Katy Perry is on all the radio stations over here too and I absolutely loved the Black Eyed Peas single last year (still play it in the car on my way to work to put me in a happy mood for the day!) I love songs that make me want to sing along and smile so I'm with you on your choices of summer songs!
    I've not really done too many challenges - but I enjoy seeing other people's end results!

    ReplyDelete
  2. scrappyjackyJuly 16, 2010 at 12:39 AM

    I,too, like summer songs that you can sing along to as you drive...and make you feel really alive.
    You know I love challenges, Rinda, for much the same reasons as you.....they give me inspiration and push me to do things....I used to be far more obsessional about it than I am now....and do far less than I used to....maybe because I'm doing more classes...and being inspired by them.
    I love the hot,summer feel to the tag.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AmyJuly 16, 2010 at 1:21 AM

    Yes, when in the season a summer song is great - love the BEP song too!
    Not too much of a challenge girl but I scrap when I feel like it and try not to worry if I don't ... it's all fun! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Julie ShoemakerJuly 16, 2010 at 2:07 AM

    Great tag Rinda, love these colors. I can see where trying to do all the challenges would make you nuts. I just pick and choose without obligation, as time permits.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AbiJuly 16, 2010 at 2:28 AM

    Hi Rinda. Lovely tag. you have a talent for making beautiful, detailed tags! Katy Perry is played everywhere at the moment. Have you seem the video? Very popular with the boys I know! Lol! I sometimes get overwhelmed with scrapping in general. Because of school and exams in the last few holidays I haven't had much time to scrap, but I came to realise its more fun to scrap when I feel ready to, rather than tyring to squeeze it in! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  6. MargiJuly 16, 2010 at 2:46 AM

    absolutely love this and altho I'm not a girl any longer I agree with you on your self assessment as it aligns with mine!
    Last years song that continues, for me, into this year a bit is Kid Rocks "All Summer Long" ( http://s0.ilike.com/play#Kid+Rock:All+Summer+Long:54732200:m26471177 ) I so love Kid Rock. This year, the big song in Mid MI for me is "Smile" from Uncle Kracker, another artist I love to pieces.
    ( http://s0.ilike.com/play#Uncle+Kracker:Smile:136881000:s50784535.13763839.1808671.0.2.42%2Cstd_1adb9e6722cb4e20a9c3f8e1832df934 )

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousJuly 16, 2010 at 3:48 AM

    I think I'd better turn on the radio! Usually I listen to NPR if I'm driving or to whatever CD I have in the car. At home, I tend to work in the quiet--a holdover, I think, from working so many years with kids all day. Off to listen to Katy Perry. I do challenges as I can fit them in. Lately it hasn't been as often as I like. I keep a list of them with their due dates, though, because I do enjoy them.

    ReplyDelete
  8. CherylJuly 16, 2010 at 3:52 AM

    Great tag!

    I have gotten totally away from doing challenges. Way too many and not enough time. Maybe I'll get back one of these days.

    ReplyDelete
  9. CheriJuly 16, 2010 at 5:06 AM

    Rinda - you totally nailed the songs for the past three summers. I LOVED the BEP song. My teens are going around singing bits of Katy Perry, so at any given time I can hear an out-of-tune "Daisy Dukes, bikinis on top" floating through the house. Love the tag - goes perfect with the song. As for challenges. I do them only when one particularly inspires me AND I happen to have the time at that moment... you know, when the planets align just right... which of course is not often, but often enough to suit me.

    ReplyDelete
  10. ElizabethJuly 16, 2010 at 5:29 AM

    No, I don't really do challenges. However, I do try to challenge myself to try new techniques. Some I like and others I don't. My favorite summer songs belong to the Beach Boys. I've just about worn that CD out.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Tammy Lee BradleyJuly 16, 2010 at 6:27 AM

    Creativity overload. For me, it is Thursdays with Picture Summer, Team-up Thursday, Bigger Picture Moments. Add that to work, 3 boys, etc. My brain gets mushy. :)

    Do you sell your tags, etc? This is wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  12. humelJuly 16, 2010 at 8:26 AM

    Good for you taking the pressure off yourself! I did SCD for a while and enjoyed it, then needed to give myself a break from it. I think I'd get overwhelmed if I looked too hard for challenges to participate in!

    I love the Black Eyed Peas. My ringtone is 'Where Is The Love' and I often bop around the kitchen to 'I Gotta Feelin''. There are certain songs that I'll always turn up the car radio to and sing along, though naturally I can't bring to mind any of them right now!! I find that Katy Perry song annoyingly catchy, I didn't want to like it but I find myself singing it quite often...

    ReplyDelete
  13. donnaJuly 16, 2010 at 10:55 AM

    The last song I have heard is the one that stays in my head till I hear another. The hard part of challenges for me is coming up with an idea fast. I do them and then I don't. I like the idea of blogging without obligation.

    Your card is fantastic! I love everything about it.

    ReplyDelete
  14. TerryJuly 16, 2010 at 1:31 PM

    I just started doing challenges and find they can be overwhelming, but I need that push. It makes me create better projects. Love your tag and that image is awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  15. DinaJuly 16, 2010 at 8:44 PM

    I'm weird in that challenges usually paralyze me. As soon as they say, "use orange," all I want to do is use pink, kwim? But I think there's a place for challenges as long as you control them & don't let them control you.

    ReplyDelete
  16. melissamythJuly 17, 2010 at 10:10 PM

    awesome tag :)

    I think the challenge without obligation is a good thing. I like to look to them for inspiration, but the obligation should be to yourself, not the challenge.

    ReplyDelete
  17. sharyncarlsonJuly 18, 2010 at 6:58 AM

    Beautiful tag; I love how the colors work together! And cheers to taking off the creative pressure! I often look at challenges, but very rarely participate. Oh, and California Gurls is my summer song, too!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. AnonymousJuly 18, 2010 at 7:59 PM

    Gorgeous! Thanks for playing the Gingersnap Creations Heat Challenge!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Connie LutzJuly 19, 2010 at 7:31 PM

    Fun tag, Rinda!

    ReplyDelete