I am HorseAndPony and this is my Journey to Giant Squid
I began my journey to Giant Squid on October 1, 2009. I am going to use this lens to document my growth to giant. Why would I want to do this? Well, I have a degree in Electrical Engineering, and have great math and science skills but my spelling, grammar and writing leave a lot to be desired. Until a few months ago I struggled to write a multi-sentence email. Now at the beginning of this journey I have thirty two lenses. That is a huge accomplishment for me. However, I have so much to learn. So, I joined the Giant Squid Challenge group and in just one day I have learned so much. I feel like I am in third grade again. I'm all excited about what I learned and accomplished in school. So look around and see what I did at school today.
Image of Squid School by tagsforkids at SquidArtToo
Table of Contents
(My First Giant Squid Challenge is December 31, 2009)
First Week
My First Day at Giant Squid School
October 1, 2009
What did I learn... First, I was directed to the lens GiantSquidTips on Twitter by rms. It's a Twitter kinda' thing and there was a Tweet that spoke to me.Oct 1, 2009 @ 12:23 pm
Today! Go to your first lens ranked higher than 2000 and add a new module to it.
I was like, Oh, Oh, I have a lens ranked higher than 2,000. The excitement ended there. Gosh, it was my crazy Chad OchoCinco lens. This lens is flooded with a mess of modules. I was sure that he would soon do something crazy and I would add another module. So, I gave up on that idea. I then went and looked around at some other Giant Squid tips and it happend again. BevsPaper, aka Bev Owens, had a tip to add the About Me Module. That's it! I had seen this module on other lenses. This module caused me to experience module envy. However, at the time I was just too busy with lens building basics and very nervous to write anything about me. Well let me tell ya, my OchoCinco lens is lookin' sweet with an About Me module. I am sure if he knew, he would request it to be changed to an All About Him module. He's just an all about himself kinda' guy. Anyhow, back to my day. My first day of school ended with some great image links from GrowWear, aka MiMi GrowWear.
One of these links took me to Squid Art Too by tagsforkids. I found my introduction image there. Tagsforkids is a Squid Art genius. Go on, take a look. You will find some great lenses full of very silly Squid images.
Thank you for a great first day. I love Giant Squid School.
Lenses I Made on My First Day of School
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Send FREE Ramadan eCards!
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Going green is as easy as sending a FREE Ramadan eCard. Living Green is in the best interest of everyone. However, going green can sometimes be expensive. This is one great way to go green for free. Well, it is even better than free. Whether you send...
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My Journey to Giant Squid
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I began my journey to Giant Squid on October 1, 2009. I am going to use this lens to document my growth to giant. Why would I want to do this? Well, I have a degree in Electrical Engineering, and have great math and science skills but my spelling, g...
Day Two - Will the Learning Never End
October 2, 2009
I ended day one by posting two lenses that I had published. When I logged on today I had a few comments from a_willow, aka Michelle Willow. First I had misspelled a word. This normally happens to me when I have a word spelled correctly but it is the wrong word. Not this time. I need to stop editing in the module.I had other comments about module titles, removing Wiki modules and writing my own words. Oh no, not more of my own words. The words are there they just have a hard time getting themselves correctly from my head to their new container. After adding some new stuff, in my own words, I had module order issues.
I needed help with my module arrangement. luvmyludwig, aka Crystal Touchton, and a_willow had so many helpful suggestions. I love how easy it is to move modules around. I am so much better at this than the writing stuff and it sure helped my poorly arranged lens.
I ended the day with a very special comment that I received. It said something like my ideas were nice but I should get someone who is not illiterate to write the lens. That was a very helpful comment. I was sure the lens had problems but I was not sure what the problems were. Another helpful Giant Squid School tip is ask questions on the SquidU Forums. I posted for help and all my SquidU peeps came to the rescue. They helped me correct the many problems with my lens. Many thanks to all the SquidUers that helped me. Wow, I had a lot of lens cleaning tasks today.
I am so glad tomorrow is the weekend. School is out for the weekend, isn't it?
Day 3 and Day 4 - The First Weekend
School was out for the weekend. Everything, was very quiet on the Giant Squid School playground. So, I caught up on my assignments. Okay, so I tried to. I should have cleaned up my eCard lenses... but I didn't. I have a good excuse for this one. There is a weekly lens challenge. My personal goal is to complete all lens challenges before the next one is assigned. This first assignment was to write a lens about a holiday book. This was great because I immediately knew what I was going to write about.I love SquidLit lenses and started to put together my secret lens. Well, I got slap happy and started to write all kinds of crazy stuff. I wrote so much crazy stuff that I had to create a separate lens. Dang girlfriend, buckle down and focus on the task at hand. Anyhow, my newest lens is 'Twas the Morning of Our First Rocky Mountain Christmas. I guess everyone can now figure out what my secret lens was going to be about. Holiday book lens here I come!
I Made a New Lens on Day 3 and Day 4
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'Twas the Morning of Our First Rocky Mountain Christmas
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In the summer of 2009 we moved from Pennsylvania to the Colorado Rocky Mountains. We have incredible views, weather and have had many amazing wildlife experiences. You might recognize this story of our first Colorado Christmas as a spin off of the ti...
Week Two
I'm Still Alive on Day 5
I did it, I did it! It's time to celebrate. I published my first assignment. We were to write a lens on a holiday book. The book I chose was 'The Night Before Christmas'. This may come as a big surprise but my lens title is none other than, The Night Before Christmas. Not real creative but just straight to the point. Maybe that is something I need to work on. I think a short and sweet title is often the best but how about some creativity. GOSH!I also worked on updating older lenses and adding stuff to lenses that have not been published. I kinda skipped school today. I get carried away reading other peoples lenses and then I do not have time to work on my own. I'll be back at school tomorrow.
My First Assignment Lens
A Holiday Book Lens
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The Night Before Christmas
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This timeless classic, 'The Night Before Christmas', is magical tale that has brought excitement and wonder to millions of people. This is a tale that my family reads every Christmas Eve. It keeps us young and still fills each one of us with a child...
Daaaaay 6
October 6, 2009
What did I do today? I fiddled with some published and some WIP lenses. I made a new WIP but did not add anything to it. I finished a lens that was a WIP. It's just another lens in my eCard series. I spent lots of time reading lenses made by other Squidooers. Blah, Blah, Blah...It seems like after I create a few lenses that strain my writing abilities, I am spent. I must rest my writing abilities because soon it will be... LENS CHALLENGE FRIDAY. I need to just spend some time relaxing before the new challenge. This is a warning to all of my Giant Squid Challenge competitors, I am an expert at relaxing.
The Day 6 Lens
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Send FREE Rosh Hashanah eCards!
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Going green is as easy as sending a FREE Rosh Hashanah eCard. Living Green is in the best interest of everyone. However, going green can sometimes be expensive. This is one great way to go green for free. Well, it is even better than free. Whether yo...
Deleted Seven on Day 7
She encouraged me to make some changes and I did. I decided to keep my main lens about going green by sending holiday eCards. The individual lenses are not about going green anymore but will be more about the holiday. After making this decision I did not want to write about every single holiday on the planet, so I deleted them. I have lots of fixing to do but I love the way they are turning out. I did create a lens before I went delete happy. Hope I don't need to delete it.
And on the Seventh Day She Created Lens Number: 37 - 7 + 1 = 31
See, I am Good at Math
And on the Eighth Day an Angel Appeared...
October 8, 2009
And on the eighth day... I don't think anything really happened on the eight day. This was like the day of enjoyment and happiness. That is exactly how my eighth day has ended. And on my eighth day an Angel appeared. A luvmyludwig Angel, to be exact, and she blessed this rambling mess. OMG! I was blessed, I was blessed! I feel blessed. I don't really know what that means but I am very happy. Thank you, Oh Thank you, luvmyludwig Angel. My family thinks this is all very strange. It's like I visit another planet when I am Squidooing. Anyhow, did I mention that I was blessed by an Angel. Yep, well I guess it's time to move on.What did I do today? I deleted one more lens so now I am at 30 lenses. I keep telling myself it's all about quality, not quantity. I really started fixing my eCard mess. Luv Them! I have only fixed a few but I know what they need to be when they grow up. Well, that's it. Oh one more thing, I was blessed by an Angel.
Image of Squid Angel by tagsforkids at Squid Graphics
Day 9 and Soon to be the Weekend
Started off the day applying luvmyludwigs comments to my OchoCinco lenses. One comment was about doing Twitter stuff. OchoCinco loves Twitter. I need to get a hang of Tweetin'. She even suggested that maybe I should Tweet OchoCinco when I am done. What would I Tweet? Maybe my Tweet will go something like... "What's up my dude! Wanna see my lenses?" I'm going to need to work on this. I don't think that's what she had in mind.Created a WIP or two. Didn't get to the eCards. It was Lens Challenge Friday. It's an About Me lens. We need to write about any personal vacation experience. NO! Not a personal vacation experience.
Day 10 and 11 - The Weekend
I did nothing this weekend but make this lens with my daughter. I am so wishy, washy about this weeks lens challenge. I do NOT want to make a vacation lens. If I don't make it, I will violate my goal. Maybe the saying is really... Goals were meant to be broken. My whole life I have been thinking it was... Rules were meant to be broken. Wow! I think I will now live my life by both.-
Model Ponies for Kids: Schleich Ponies
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Schleich Ponies are a great gift for any pony loving kid. They are durable, adorable and are very inexpensive compared to other brands of model ponies. There a number of ponies to choose from and the special attention to each breed makes choosing jus...
Week Three
Day 12 and 13 - I Must Write More Lenses!
What have I been doing? Spent day 12 doing nothing but reading other people's lenses. On day 13 I started to get back on my game. I edited a few published and WIP lenses. I have a new goal, I hope to keep. I need/want to make two new lenses a week. I have the ideas but do I have the skills? I also am going to join the Rocket Moms Ning Thing. Oh boy, what am I getting myself into. One last thing I need to get off my keyboard. I have come to terms with the fact that I am not going to make a vacation lens before the next challenge. There, I typed it. However, I might still make it. It's just going to take a while. I better get to work or I'll never amount to Giant Squid. Day 14 and 15 - Big News
Okay, so like I have been skipping writing about my journey for a few days. Well, here is my story this time. I am working on this one lens with my daughter. She is ten and Oh My God she just talks all the time. So like, I was making edits, and she was talking my ear off about these edits and I kept going uhuh, uhuh. I homeschool her so while we are schooling I don't think it would be a good thing to say, DO YOU THINK YOU COULD JUST KEEP YOUR MOUTH CLOSED FOR A SECOND? You know what I'm sayin'. So anyhow, I wasn't paying attention and I pushed the Publish button instead of the Save Draft button. I screamed, NOOOO! We are not done with the lens yet. Now I tell, miss talk all the time, that she better get busy because her big dreams of her mother becoming this Giant Squid thing is all about to go down the tubes. :) She shows fear, her mouth closes and she starts working and working and ... well you get the point. We still did not finish the lens but here it is. I am adding to this lens because I must be true to my diary but I am not putting up on any of the message boards yet. After that I became a RocketMom.I am a bit nervous about the RocketMom thing. There are so many RocketMoms and they have great lenses. How do I know they have great lenses? I read them. I start reading them and then I don't stop. I love to read lenses. How will I ever become a Giant Squid if I spend all my days reading instead of writing. I started reading the many Walt Disney World lenses by EverythingMouse. My family loves WDW and it was great to think about our fun family vacations. Well, turns out she is a Squid Angel. I was blessed again. I can not believe it. Thank you EverythingMouse Squid Angel. Now the pressure is on to be a Giant Squid. How can I let my daughter and my Squid Angels down. I must keep on writing. What a great end to my Squidoo day. Now my big dilemma is what image do I use for this entry? I need a mural of a little girl with a sock in her mouth, the RocketMom image and a Squid Angel with Mickey Mouse ears. I bet tagsforkids never thought of that before.
Image is from Squid Art by tagsforkids
Beware Lens Under Construction (Fixed on Day 17)
Read my entry for Day 14 and 15 to find out why this lens was published.
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Creating a Certified Wildlife Habitat
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What qualifies as a Wildlife Habitat? Maybe your very own backyard. Do you think that your yard is too small or not located in a good spot? Well, size and location do not matter. So, what does matter? Providing a few things for the wildlife in your...
Week Four
Day 19
I have been so busy just keeping up with comments, reading lenses, joining RocketMoms, updating lenses, writing new lenses and more. I am in a Squidoo whirlwind. Well, during this whirlwind there was a new Giant Squid Challenge to create a Halloween lens. I started creating it and bang I hit publish again instead of save draft. I had to hurry and get it done. I was not sure how it was going to turn out but I am very happy with it. Now on to the next lens. Some days I am not sure if I will be able to create 50 lenses by the end of December. Oh and this lens was blessed again. Thank you so much Squid Angel MsSnow4a for your very kind blessing. I guess I better keep working the Angels are watching.Squidaholic Image is from Squid Art by tagsforkids
Day 19 Lens
Lens #33
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The Ghost Horses of the Headless Horsemen
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Horses and Men, that's plural. How many Headless Horsemen are there? Well, there are Headless Horsemen haunting Ireland, Scotland, United States and more. So underneath every Headless Horseman there must be a horse. Who are these ghost horses an...
Day 20 - No Drama Just a Lens
I created another lens today. I loved the Squidboo and ghost horse thing so much I had to do it again. I also spent time reading other lenses. It was a boring but good day in Squid Land.-
Horse Ghost Books for Kids
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Horse Ghost books are not just for Halloween. However, they are perfect for a horse crazy kid during the Halloween holiday. There is nothing better then getting in the mood for a holiday with a theme you love. Holiday themed horse books are a good w...
Day 23 - No Time to Chat
I have so many lenses to make and so little time. Christmas lenses are coming. I am not at a loss for ideas so I must keep on writing.-
Christmas Advent Calendars Filled with Gifts and Treats
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The entire month of December is a holiday celebration for our family. We love decorating, holiday music, holiday movies, special events and more. One of our favorite family traditions is to count down to Christmas using an advent calendar. Howev...
Day 25 - And Another Lens
Keep them coming!
If I keep working I think I can do this Giant Squid thing. I think I can, I think I can.-
Send FREE Christmas eCards!
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The Christmas holiday season is a great time to send greeting cards. This year why not send along a Free eCard. Sending Free eCards makes it easy to reach more people with your holiday greeting. They can be personalized with any length...
Week Five
Day 27 - I Completed My First Assignment
I haven't announced it here yet but I will now. Here it goes... I'm a Rocket Mom. I didn't want to announce it until I was sure I could complete at least one assignment. Well, I completed it. Our assignment was to create a selling lens on unique gifts. Mine is all about unique Champagne Glasses. I love my lens and the Rocket Mom group. I think I will be able to do this. Plus my lenses count towards my becoming a giant squid. Gosh, it doesn't get better than this in Squid Land. Day 27 Lens
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Champagne Glasses and Flutes - Unique Designs
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Champagne can be for both formal and fun celebrations. There's no better way to serve champagne than in a special glass or flute. Uniquely designed champagne glasses and flutes are a great addition to any celebration. These...
Day 28 - OMG! I Made Another Rocket Moms Lens
I didn't think I could make one Rocket Moms lens and then BAM! out popped another. Rocket Moms do Rock. I am living proof. I am so glad I joined the RMs. I am learning so much. I have some lenses in the works that will be ready shortly. I can now tell that I am going to make 50 lenses. I am a Rocket Mom and I'm Rockin' It Day 28 Lens - Another Rocket Moms Lens
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Winter Holiday Candles - Unique Candles and Holders
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Candles add a feeling of warmth and coziness to a home. This is especially true during the winter holiday season. Having a hard time picking a gift for someone? Candles and candle holders make great gifts. You can't go wrong giving a holiday...
Week Six
Day 33 - OMG! LOTD
November 2, 2009
Okay there is this charity cookoff thing that Squidoo started. They made this great lens template with a Turkey. I'm not much into cooking but couldn't resist the charity thing and that cute turkey. So I quickly created my lens and published it. OMG! I was the first winner. I am so excited. I love my charity, Operation Gratitude and am so thankful that they will receive a donation from Squidoo. It is great having an all charity lens and the little turkey is lookin' sweet! Day 33 Lens
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Pumpkin Spice Coffee for Your Thanksgiving Holiday
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When does Thanksgiving day begin? Well, that would be different for everyone. Myself, I like to sleep in until I wake up. So, my Thanksgiving day begins right at that moment and I like to start celebrating as soon as possible. That means, b...
Day 34 - 39 - Hectic Week
November 3rd - 8th
I have been slacking off on this lens. I created a few lenses and had to finish them at break neck speed. I selected the Save as Draft button and they published. I would hate to have an unfinished lens published so I worked and worked. I have been making some money off of my lenses and I have over 1,000 visitors to all of the lenses in one week. This has been a very productive but hectic week. Day 34 - 39 Lenses
Lens #41 - 44
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Best Family Movie of all Time - The Black Stallion
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The Black Stallion is a timeless classic that tells of a love story between a boy and a horse. This movie is many things, happy, sad, thrilling, suspenseful and as if that wasn't enough, the scenery is breathtaking and the action, heart stopping....
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Giving Thanks for The Horse
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People have been thankful for horses from the beginning of time. They were thankful for a horse that was used for work or transportation. However, over time a horses usefulness changed. It's no longer thought of as a tool for work but a friend th...
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The Black Stallion - Book Series
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On October 15, 1941, Walter Farley's book, The Black Stallion, was published. Young readers everywhere fell in love with this magical story between a boy and a wild stallion. This timeless classic still has the same power for young readers today....
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The Black Stallion - Movies, Gifts and Apparel
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This site has it all, Black Stallion movies, gifts and apparel. The Black Stallion movie is one of the best family movies of all time. The magic doesn't end there. Two additional Black Stallion movies exist, the prequel and a sequ...
Week Seven
Day 40 - 43
Lenses 45, 46 and 47 but Deleted One, So 46 Total Lenses
Okay so here's the deal. I am soooo busy. I have too many ideas and I am so excited to create these lenses. I created two lenses for Rocket Moms and one for the Giant Squid Challenge. I can't keep up with the OchoCinco news so I am deleting the news from the original lens. That means I do not need a lens for just Ochocinco news. So, I deleted it. Gota' run. Just too busy. I love making lenses.-
Breyer Collectable Model Horses - Dressage Set
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Breyer has created some of the most beautiful model horse collector pieces and have certainly outdone themselves with this Dressage set. I love to ride my horse in various disciplines but Dressage is always our basic training. When trained and ridden...
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The Kentucky Derby
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The Kentucky Derby is a one and a quarter mile race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. This Thoroughbred stakes race began in 1875. It is held annually at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, on the first Saturday in May. The Kentucky Derby...
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The Ultimate Rocking Horses
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These Limited Edition Rocking Horses will be loved by both children and adults of any age. They are beautiful to look at and smooth to ride. Everyone will enjoy these heirloom quality rocking horses. No matter if it is for a collection or for t...
Day 44 - 45 and Lens 47
I am running out of time.
I created one new lens and have been updating my old lenses. I have 14 lenses that still need to be updated to get them to Giant Squid quality. Help!-
The Trail of Painted Ponies - Christmas Ornaments
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These beautiful Trail of Painted Ponies Christmas ornaments are a one of a kind holiday decoration. They are specially designed by different artists and tell a story through their uniquely created personalities. What a great addition to your Christma...
Week Eight
Lens 48 but I Don't Know What Day It Is.
Home stuff is getting in the way of Squidoo this week. However, I did make a lens and received two Squid Angel blessings. Thanks inkserotica and Jewelsofawe.-
Trail of Painted Ponies - Holiday Figurines
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Want more horse to your winter holiday? These beautiful Trail of Painted Ponies Winter and Holiday Figurines are a one of a kind decoration. They are specially designed by different artists and tell a story through their uniquely created personalitie...
Not Keeping Track of Days Just Weeks
I finished my horse holiday series, unless a Rocket Moms assignment calls for another. Anyhow, as I look back through my journey it was an emotional rollercoaster. You can just look at the images and see what I am talking about. I have one more lens to make to get to 50. Some make something special to mark the occasion but not me. I have currently have 24 WIP lenses that need to be published. I have a group of about 5 that I have been working on for sometime now. I will finish them and then be over 50. My plan is to keep making lenses until the end of November and then except for challenges I will continue to correct my first lenses. When that is done I will make more. Who knows how many I will have before the end of the challenge. Lens 49
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Krinkles Holiday Horses - Ornaments, Figurines and More
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If you are looking to add something magical to your holiday decorations or need an extra special gift. Then look no further. These unique holiday horse ornaments, figurines and jeweled hinged boxes are one of a kind. This collection was designe...
Week Nine
I Did It! I Made 50 Lenses!
I am at lens 50 and beyond. That does not mean I will make Giant. I need to edit my older lenses. Rocket Moms has a toy assignment for the week and I will be making many of those lenses. I didn't think I would be able to make 50 lenses. I am very happy. Lens 50
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Horse Themed Crafts for Kids
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Do you need a gift or activity for a kid who loves horses? Well, horse themed crafts are the perfect activities for horse crazy kids. This site has the best selection of horse themed crafts. There are paint and create model horse activities, drawing,...
Lenses 51 - 56
Go Steelers!
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Pittsburgh Steeler Mugs
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These Pittsburgh Steeler Mugs are a great addition to any beverage. Need a new coffee mug or a gift for a Steeler fan? Maybe you want to start a new game day ritual with a great game day mug? Well, you have come to the right place. There are many Ste...
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Pittsburgh Steeler Outdoor Gear - Jackets and Caps
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If you must cover up when going outside, make sure you have the appropriate Steeler gear. This site offers the coolest selection of Pittsburgh Steeler outdoor gear. These make great gifts for yourself, family and friends. However, I will warn you we...
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Pittsburgh Steeler Sleepwear
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If you are a Pittsburgh Steeler fanatic you need Steeler Sleepwear. This site has the coolest Steeler Sleepwear available for men, ladies and children. These make great gifts for family members or yourself. I will warn you we don't do pink. So, i...
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Pittsburgh Steelers - Game Day Rituals
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Like so many other Pittsburgh Steeler fans we are fanatics. As fanatic fans, we believe that our game day rituals play a part in the winning or losing of each football game. Sound crazy? Well, we are not alone. Why do you think the Pittsbu...
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Pittsburgh Steeler Game Day Apparel
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Pittsburgh Steeler apparel is great for any day of the year. However, I hope all Pittsburgh Steeler fans gear up for the game. This is something that you should have learned in grade school. Need a new Steeler fan look or a gift for f...
Lens 57
Another Rocket Mom Assignment
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Horse Computer Games for Windows
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Need more horse to your life? We do. We have two horses and a pony and still just can't get enough. These horse themed computer games give us that little extra horse that we need. Check out our top 5 horse computer game picks.
Thank You Squid Angels!
I know it might be hard to believe but this lens has been blessed.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Squid Angels for blessing this mess.Thanks to the following Angels:
luvmyludwig
EverythingMouse
MsSnow4a
inkserotica
Jewelsofawe
Image of Squid Angel by tagsforkids at Squid Graphics
I Started Blogging on November 24th, 2009
Check it Out!
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byHow am I Doing at Giant Squid School?
Are you a Student or a Teacher? Let me know what you learned today?
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Reply
- crosscreations crosscreations Nov 22, 2009 @ 8:03 pm
- You are actually doing GREAT! Not only is this an excellent lens but to be in the 40s already? Awesome! Give yourself a break and keep up the good work.
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Reply
- Jewelsofawe Jewelsofawe Nov 18, 2009 @ 1:01 am
- This is fun! Blessed by an angel!
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Reply
- inkserotica inkserotica Nov 16, 2009 @ 6:46 am
- So worthy of a blessing by a passing Angel :) and, of course, 5*!
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Reply
- MikLint MikLint Nov 14, 2009 @ 1:05 pm
- Great idea for a lens! I will be joining the ongoing Squid Challenge soon so I am really interested in reading your experiences here. Heading back to your week 2 now. Good luck!
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Reply
- WordCustard WordCustard Nov 14, 2009 @ 2:49 am
- I love your Giant Squid journey diary and can't wait to visit some of your other lenses. Your commitment and passion for lensmaking is inspiring. Congratulations on the LOTD too!
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The Bio of a Giant Squid Wannabe
Lensmaster HorseAndPony has been a member since January 21 2009, has rated 821 lenses, favorited 786, and has created 57 lenses from scratch. M C donates their royalties to ASPCA. This member's top-ranked page is "Pumpkin Spice Coffee for Your Thanksgiving Holiday". See all my lenses





