A Resolution Update

The blogging challenge on 2peas for Monday is about how your resolutions are going. Here's a recap:

Exercising more---not sure about the eating less part! (which means probably not!)
*I've been good about Sunday School
*I haven't written any more in my book, but I did name a few characters. That 5 0'clock club is lookin' serious people!
*My "No Caffeinated Soda" (since I only like my caffeine cold!) was going well, but I succumbed on Saturday. WARNING--POSSIBLE TMI AHEAD!!! For the last 5 years I've suffered from really clammy nasty night sweats. Interestingly enough, when I went cold turkey from the Sauce last year, they pretty much stopped. I didn't think much about it. Now I notice, however, that when I have the soda, I have night sweats again. Coincidence? I think not. Just goes to show you that drugs really are bad for you!

I did try to post my "This Year I Will" book in my 2peas gallery, but apparently 2peas didn't have enough memory to do it. I'll have to resize the pictures first I guess. There are a lot of pictures, so that's a lot of time. Time I'm not sure I want to spend right now. But I want to share the book, so SOMETHING will have to be done!

TTFN~!

Counter's Back!

YAY Sitemeter! But this means I have to start from zero again....so if you read my blog, go ahead and hit me several times a day!

Just kidding, (no really, go ahead and do it!)

Well, I have a busy couple of days ahead of me....I just found out that my Scrap 101 class at Stampin'Cat had people sign up for it TODAY--the LAST day that you could have signed up for it. I don't have a lot of samples ready, so I'll be getting that done asap. Luckily it's a class I've taught many times, and really enjoy teaching, so that'll be fine!

My "This Year I Will" Paper School class SOLD OUT!!! (Well, really it just filled up---in less than 24 hours! And I have 5 people or so on the waitlist, so Lisa (the store owner) and I just scheduled it again for March. Yippee Skippee! It's a terrific little book---a pop-up book of affirmations. I've been looking for the right kind of mini-album to offer her customers (it's more of a rubber stamp/paper arts store than a scrapbooking store) and I think I've found it! I'll put my pics of the book on 2peas later tonight or tomorrow for you to ogle and ooh and ah over. All kidding aside, this is a book that I'm really proud of--something that I really loved making and love the finished product. I'm working on a version of Craft TV Weekly's "Memories Cubed" (look for it in the archives) presentation for February. I'll let you know how that goes as well!

See you on the Counter! Smiles to you!

2peas Thursday Blogger

Well, it's not really Thursday here yet....but I'll answer the question anyway.

I back up my pictures on my laptop hard drive, my external hard drive, and once a year, I back them up on to discs. I'm hoping to get a dvd-burner someday and back them up onto dvd's.

That's it. I also make sure to print the best of the many, many pictures I take so that at least they are printed somewhere. I know that no digital solution is foolproof, and that there may come a day when I lose everything (knock on wood!) but having already lost some one-of-a-kind, eventful, never to be repeated photos and lived, I think I'll survive if that happens. I'll cry a lot, but I'll survive! Then I'll take more pictures!

Thanks 2peas!

New Year

and I'm still here! I've had a dozen thoughts floating through my head.....

but right now, I think I'm too sleepy to type much out!

A recap on my goals:
the usual eat less/move more (I'm back to my Pilates 2-3 times a week, plus my playground workout, plus I'm working to walk the dog more...)

Sleep more (I suffer from chronic/inherited insomnia. I sleep sporadically, and where other people just move into a cycle of lighter sleep--but still stay asleep, I always wake up all the way)

Avoid caffeine as much as possible. (I've learned that my chronic insomnia improves exponentially when I am caffeine free. This is hard 'cause for a long time, a diet pepsi was a big treat for me. It's also kind of a huge WELL D'UH!)

Go to Sunday School (instead of socializing in the foyer)

Some of my do's for the year:
Take more pictures

Sew more stuff

Put things in my etsy shop

Learn to use Photoshop CS2

And.....I'm writing a book! I'd love to be able to post bits of it here for you to read, but this is something I'd really like to pursue publishing and making a "real" book. I've thought about writing a book my whole life. I love to write! It's one of the reasons I started this blog in the first place. I will tell you that it's a work of youth fiction, and it's a retelling of the Snow White Fairy Tale. I'm pretty consumed with it. I have the whole thing mapped out in my head. When I take the time to write, it just flows together. Now to find the time to write....that's easier said than done. I'm actually considering getting up at 5am to write for a few hours when the house is quiet. When I was COMPLETELY ensconced in the pink MK bubble, I scoffed at the whole "5 o'clock Club" idea; now I am ready to embrace it wholeheartedly. Kinda ironic, I know.

My "one little word" for the year is FOCUS. By keeping my focus on what I really want to do, and what's really important, I'll achieve what I'm working for.

That's all for now! Go sleep!

I lost my counter!

Bummer! I loved seeing those numbers go up. That's what you get when you re-do your blog when you are too tired to think well....

I'll have to add another one. Meanwhile, enjoy the slideshow! (and they're not my pics....still figuring out how to do that!)

Merry Christmas to All!!!!

And to all a good night! Hope your Christmas was as lovely as mine was.

Something I've learned today....

After dealing with 20-some-odd kids ranging in age from 3-8, kids who are loud, needy, clingy, whiney, prone to tantrums, cry at the drop of a hat, whiney, loud, busy, full of convenient hearing, and did I mention whiney and loud? Anyway, after being at work for about eight hours straight, I've learned something very important...

I've learned that my patience well is dry.

And I've little left for the people who deserve it the most: my family.

I'm sorry family. I'll do better tomorrow.

A Manly Gift Idea

My husband decided he needed this for christmas....actually he bought it and then said it was an anniversary present (our anniversary is today) from me.

Go figure.

Gift Idea #3

Blueprint Magazine. While I struggle with the moral issue of putting more money into Martha Stewart's pockets, this really is a terrific magazine. I love it! I wish it was more often. It's always full of wonderul ideas and great articles and pictures.

And once you've gotten over giving something more to MS, wash yourself clean with a little sumpin'sumpin' from The Dirty Soap Co. Lovely stuff there. You won't be disappointed. They also have excellent customer service. No, it's not my Etsy shop.

Enjoy!

More Christmas Ideas!

Let's start with what has been my favorite CD for the past 2 years:The Weepies: Say I Am You. Go to their website to hear selections from this album. You won't be disappointed.

If you really don't know what to get someone for Christmas, head to the Paper Source. They have everything! Beautiful papers and cards, Letterpress items, ornaments, stuffed animals, and for the person who has everything (including a healthy sense of humor), this. They have a lot of other quirky books that would make great gifts as well. Plus free shipping when you spend $100--AND you can buy gift cards that people can use online as well as in person! One-stop shopping!

I wish there was one in Oregon. Ah phooey! At least I have the internet.

One the first Day of Christmas...

I wanted to post some gift-giving ideas. Feel free to pass on to any importan gift buyers in your life. Or just order one for your mother-in-law.

Gift #1 (and I did order one for myself...)

I mean if you are going to clean the house anyway, you might as well have some fun while you do it! We had a bottle of the lavender hand soap in our bathroom this past year and were really impressed w/it. Smelled wonderful! (even DH liked it!) Sadly, when I went back to Target to get some more I discovered that the great T no longer carried their products. No on in Albany carries their products. So I'm getting this for Christmas.

Enjoy!

This is pretty neat!

I just found this while blog surfing, and had to share!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zabSLYWhZuE

It makes me think that I need a coluzzle....even though I have other circle cutting methods. It just looks so easy! I loved the music as well...think I need that now! And everything today deserves an exclamation point! I'm going to check out her video archives on her blog as well.

Enjoy!

DT Application

I applied to the DT (Design Team, for those of you not immersed in the scrappin' world...) for a stamp manufacturer called Inque Boutique. They were specifically looking for scrapbookers who stamp, and I've considered myself a "stampbooker" for most of my paper-lovin' "career", so I applied. No idea if I'm what they are looking for. I enjoyed the challenge anyway. I worked really hard to coalesce my style, represent it well, and still show that I understand a few things about design, like color theory and symmetry, and the visual triangle and stuff like that.

Here are my entries. They wanted 3 layouts, preferably multi-photo, and they wanted their stamps on the layouts. That's pretty much all I used.

I'll find out Monday if I made the cut. I'll let you know....

a few thoughts on friendship...

The prompt for today on 2peas is to blog about your thoughts on friendship. This struck a chord for me.

What I want most from a friendship would best be described as equality and balance, tempered with loyalty. Meaning that you give as good as you get--that you give as much as you take from me. And you speak with me honestly and openly as I will speak with you--without judgement, and that you keep my secrets as well as I keep yours. This hasn't always happened for me; I value it so much more when I find it.

That's really all I have off the top of my head. Seems simple enough---it's basically the "golden rule." 'Nuff said.

Not quite the other side, but close enough.

Link to MiniBook

HERE at my 2peas gallery.

Enjoy!

Hey Look! I made Stuff!

It's been a blurry couple of weeks. I designed a quick make-and-take project for over 100 women for the store's "Designing Desserts" (a customer appreciation event) that was held on November 8th. I also finished up 4 out of the 5 ornaments for my December Christmas Ornaments papercrafting class (also for the store) and made 3 different MiniBooks for my November Paper School class. I then taught a Christmas Card Bar class (for myself--I teach a papercrafting class once a month here in town) on November 10th. I had to have 125 Christmas cards as pre-made as possible so that those taking my class just had to put the cards together. I also made 3 different tote bags for the school craft fair (The craft fair was November 16 and 17...the bags were my own design, for my etsy shop that I'll get up and running before the end of the year) under my Cerulean Blue Goods label, designed my new business cards, designed my own CD Case calendar ('cause I didn't want to sell the Blueprint one at the school craft fair), {TOTAL SIDE NOTE: my good friend printed my cards and calendar for me--so if you live in the area, go to Alphagraphics for all your printing needs. He's done a bunch of things for me, and always does great work!} made 2 reversible aprons (also for the Cerulean Blue line, also for the school craft fair), and did the planner masters for next year's planners--both the portrait orientation (which I prefer) and the landscape orientation (which other people like). And I made the coolest MiniBook I've ever made--for a class I call "A Little Bit Me." (I'll get you a link after I post it to 2peas--there are a lot of pictures!) I've also started rehearsals for our big, annual Christmas Fireside concert for church, which I am the Assistant Director for (and have a solo in this year as well). Whew! Then it was Thanksgiving. And I worked the whole time as well.

Pictures of the goodies to follow--um maybe. Blogger seems to be acting up....

LOOK! It's my first digital scrapbook page! Thanks to PSE 5.0...

And I need to make my class kits for the two classes I'm teaching on Saturday at Stampin'Cat. Which means I really don't have the time to blog right now (shh! don't tell on me!) I'll try one more time, then I'll just have to post it later....Bye!

Some Yummy Thriftiness!

Found these at Goodwill on Saturday. The green/coral/turquoise vintage fabric will probably be an apron for me. The stripey fabric I'm not sure yet. The bowl is just going to sit around my crafting space and look pretty. I LOOOOOOVVVVVVEEEE that bowl! If anyone out there knows what the makers mark "RP" means, let me know! (that's the only mark I could find on the bowl)

Smiles to all!

Found Jill!

Not that she was lost....

Jill

I've been having some fun thinking of all the things I could PIF you guys!

One of the good things...

about having a full-time job is the ability to get this:

Yep...after futzing around with old, used models, this bad boy is on it's way to my house as we speak. I can hardly wait. Sometimes, I'm a little giddy when I think about it.

And lest you think I've lost my frugal ways, I'll be selling off the extra pieces of the older model I have now on eBay. Heck, my mixer base just needs a $40 part. I saw a mixer base that DIDN'T EVEN WORK!!! sell on eBay for over $50 (before shipping!!!) so mine that works (but needs the part that makes the blender spin) should sell just fine. Plus I have an extra dough hook. EVERYONE needs an extra dough hook! That should knock down the price to the $300 I'd budgeted for it. maybe even $250.

I can smell the bread baking already!

PIF Winners

Here's to Allanna, Aimeslee, and Jill (Jill, I couldn't find your blog) who will get the PIF. I'll be emailing you to get your addys. You could also email me at DianneKNelson (at) yahoo (dot) com with that same info!

Congrats guys! Let me know your favorite colors!