We just got home from dropping Jenna off at her friend's house for a playdate which is effectively going to last ALL day. After heavy laboring all weekend so far, my house is clean (relatively speaking), the laundry is clean, folded and put away, the groceries are bought, the monthly menu planned and snacks ready for lunches.
Which means I really don't know what to do with myself. There's a basket full of magazines waiting to be read, 2 books of which I'm in the middle of and months worth of scrapbooking that I could be catching up on.
What would YOU do?
Showing posts with label Scrapbooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scrapbooking. Show all posts
9.05.2011
8.19.2011
Organization!
Last weekend, I finally got around to doing what I have been meaning to for a while.
This is my scrapbooking area. When I don't use it for a while, the stuff starts to pile up. Jenna has a craft table next to mine and she's bad about not putting up stuff when she uses it. So, I recruited her to help organize. I went out and bought a label maker to label all the containers we have. I was just tired of the mess. After several hours, here's the "after" photo...
It looks way better. I can actually walk through the bonus room now instead of climbing over stuff. And I could totally get into the label making thing! I had the urge to even label my chair and my desk etc! But I refrained.
You are welcome.
You are welcome.
8.12.2011
My Other New Love: IKEA
I've been waiting to post for a couple reasons...first of all, after the whirlwind week we had last week, there's really not much to say. I was hoping to be able to announce we got Pre-Approval (PA) and show you all my sweet baby girl's face. I realize I've only known her a week but I am already falling in love with her. The other day, her picture popped up on my screensaver at work and the unexpectedness of it stopped me in my tracks. Anyway, hopefully it will be here soon and I can share her sweet face!
In the meantime, I thought I'd show you what we bought at IKEA because I love them so much...remember these???
Oh yes we did. We bought these lovelies.
The set at IKEA in the first picture was 5 units. We only bought 4. The first picture shows 3 of them on the far bonus room wall. At first I didn't think we'd have enough books to fill them, but boy did we! The 4th one holds ALL of my scrapbooks! I'd show you my scrapbook desk but right now it is a HUGE mess. I have always wanted shelves like these, but thought I'd have to have them custom made. I love these. LOVE them. LOVE. And now that I have a real place to put my scrapbooks with some room to grow. Jenna has a craft table and I have my scrapbook area and we are trying to figure out how to rearrange to give us more room. Jenna and I are almost never up there together...heck, I rarely scrapbook at home anymore...so maybe we can get rid of her desk. We have a desk with the desktop on it and a printer, my scrapbook desk with a scanner and printer and then Jenna's desk with a printer. We have contemplated getting rid of the desktop and desk because we always used our laptops. But it is still chugging along, so not sure we are ready to say goodbye yet. At any rate, the bonus room and Kylie's room is a mess right now because that is how it goes when you are trying to organize.
So that's about all I have to say. We registered Jenna yesterday for 4th grade. She has her first 1/2 day today, so later we'll have some pics to share of that. And we have some fun plans for the weekend so maybe between those things, I'll have a few more posts next week!
In the meantime, I thought I'd show you what we bought at IKEA because I love them so much...remember these???
Oh yes we did. We bought these lovelies.
The set at IKEA in the first picture was 5 units. We only bought 4. The first picture shows 3 of them on the far bonus room wall. At first I didn't think we'd have enough books to fill them, but boy did we! The 4th one holds ALL of my scrapbooks! I'd show you my scrapbook desk but right now it is a HUGE mess. I have always wanted shelves like these, but thought I'd have to have them custom made. I love these. LOVE them. LOVE. And now that I have a real place to put my scrapbooks with some room to grow. Jenna has a craft table and I have my scrapbook area and we are trying to figure out how to rearrange to give us more room. Jenna and I are almost never up there together...heck, I rarely scrapbook at home anymore...so maybe we can get rid of her desk. We have a desk with the desktop on it and a printer, my scrapbook desk with a scanner and printer and then Jenna's desk with a printer. We have contemplated getting rid of the desktop and desk because we always used our laptops. But it is still chugging along, so not sure we are ready to say goodbye yet. At any rate, the bonus room and Kylie's room is a mess right now because that is how it goes when you are trying to organize.
So that's about all I have to say. We registered Jenna yesterday for 4th grade. She has her first 1/2 day today, so later we'll have some pics to share of that. And we have some fun plans for the weekend so maybe between those things, I'll have a few more posts next week!
3.18.2011
More Scrapbooking...
Just to give you all an idea of what I've done during my scrapbooking retreats over the past years...
And most of those are of Jenna. Each year of her life is documented in one of these albums. Along with our Disney, Hawaii and Florida vacations. Both of our mission trips are in individual books.
While I was away at my weekend scrapbooking retreat, I learned that the Dollar Mart in our area has really good scrapbooking supplies for a fraction of the price of those in hobby stores. So. I went and checked it out this past weekend...
So this is the stash I got. Check out the price tags...
That's $1.25. Some stuff was just $1. Nothing was more than $1.25. It was super cool stuff. I had also recently placed an order for some Close To My Heart supplies.
Basically, I'm getting stocked back up. :)
While I was away at my weekend scrapbooking retreat, I learned that the Dollar Mart in our area has really good scrapbooking supplies for a fraction of the price of those in hobby stores. So. I went and checked it out this past weekend...
3.14.2011
Scrapbook Weekend
Last weekend, I went on my twice annual scrapbooking weekend. It starts at 3pm on Thursday and the big scrapbook room we set up in is open until the last person passes out at night. Then it opens as early as the time the first person gets up in the morning. We can stay until about 3pm on Sunday afternoon.
I always get there as close to 3pm as I can on Thursday and try to leave on Sunday around lunch. This retreat was no different. I got there about 3:15 and got unloaded and set up. But after a couple hours my eye really started to bother me. It just kept feeling a bit runny and was red. I kept looking at it and touching it and dabbing at it. At one point, I sent Steve this picture to ask him what he thought the problem was... (WARNING>>>IF EYEBALLS AREN'T YOUR THING, SKIP THE PIC!!!
I'm such a goofball, I know. But totally unlike me, I ended up going to bed about 10:00 because I felt like I just needed to rest my eye (no kidding huh!?)
The next morning I woke up and thought my eye was crusted shut. I got up, ran some warm water on a washcloth and cleaned up my poor eye. Then I looked in the mirror to see if my eye was still as red as the night before.
Um. Yeah. It was pretty bad and I'll admit, I was a little worried. I texted the photo to Steve and his response? "Yep. Looks bad." Thanks honey. It was still early (7am) and I headed out to the local walk in clinic at the request of my friend Rachel VG who assured me the clinic "did" eyes.
The clinic opened at 7:30 and I got there at 7:50. There were 3 people in front of me. While checking in, the lady says to me, "I assume you are here about your eye?" I just laughed. And then said, "Actually I have this rash..." Anyway, they took me back and when the doctor came in, she didn't even bother shining a light or looking at my eye. She said they'd had 3 cases of pink eye already that morning and it was either that or another infection. Either way, they were going to treat it as aggressively as pink eye.
I told her my eye wasn't itching or burning or feeling scratchy and that's why she thought it could be some other infection. She said the swelling was from me messing with it so much the night before. She sent me away with some prescription eye drops and the instructions to ice my eye when possible to reduce the swelling.
On a side note, they tested my vision which I was very interested in because the only vision test I've had since my LASIK surgery was at the LASIK office. I was kind of wondering if my vision was as good as the LASIK office was making it out. Turns out...IT IS. Her comment was, "You actually have excellent vision!"
My vision wasn't affected by the infection and she said while it was contagious, I should not worry about infecting my scrapbooking buddies unless they were touching my face or my eyes. After picking up my prescription, I headed back.
By the end of the weekend, my eye was better, swelling gone and my other eye starting to look red. Just as a precautionary measure, I started treating my other eye since it was highly likely I'd infected it anyway.
But despite the crazy eye-drama, the weekend was a success for me. I finally got all caught up on Jenna's school album, got our family album current and got many of my South Africa pictures in an album. In addition, I got 2 years' worth of vacation put into albums.
We have another scrapbooking weekend coming up at my church. It's not nearly as extensive as the other...just Friday and Saturday and we sleep in our own homes, but it is going to get me one step closer to being caught up.
I always get there as close to 3pm as I can on Thursday and try to leave on Sunday around lunch. This retreat was no different. I got there about 3:15 and got unloaded and set up. But after a couple hours my eye really started to bother me. It just kept feeling a bit runny and was red. I kept looking at it and touching it and dabbing at it. At one point, I sent Steve this picture to ask him what he thought the problem was... (WARNING>>>IF EYEBALLS AREN'T YOUR THING, SKIP THE PIC!!!
The next morning I woke up and thought my eye was crusted shut. I got up, ran some warm water on a washcloth and cleaned up my poor eye. Then I looked in the mirror to see if my eye was still as red as the night before.
The clinic opened at 7:30 and I got there at 7:50. There were 3 people in front of me. While checking in, the lady says to me, "I assume you are here about your eye?" I just laughed. And then said, "Actually I have this rash..." Anyway, they took me back and when the doctor came in, she didn't even bother shining a light or looking at my eye. She said they'd had 3 cases of pink eye already that morning and it was either that or another infection. Either way, they were going to treat it as aggressively as pink eye.
I told her my eye wasn't itching or burning or feeling scratchy and that's why she thought it could be some other infection. She said the swelling was from me messing with it so much the night before. She sent me away with some prescription eye drops and the instructions to ice my eye when possible to reduce the swelling.
On a side note, they tested my vision which I was very interested in because the only vision test I've had since my LASIK surgery was at the LASIK office. I was kind of wondering if my vision was as good as the LASIK office was making it out. Turns out...IT IS. Her comment was, "You actually have excellent vision!"
My vision wasn't affected by the infection and she said while it was contagious, I should not worry about infecting my scrapbooking buddies unless they were touching my face or my eyes. After picking up my prescription, I headed back.
By the end of the weekend, my eye was better, swelling gone and my other eye starting to look red. Just as a precautionary measure, I started treating my other eye since it was highly likely I'd infected it anyway.
But despite the crazy eye-drama, the weekend was a success for me. I finally got all caught up on Jenna's school album, got our family album current and got many of my South Africa pictures in an album. In addition, I got 2 years' worth of vacation put into albums.
We have another scrapbooking weekend coming up at my church. It's not nearly as extensive as the other...just Friday and Saturday and we sleep in our own homes, but it is going to get me one step closer to being caught up.
2.28.2011
Scrapbooking time!
If you've been reading any length of time, you know there is a scrapbooking retreat I attend every March and October. It begins on Thursday afternoon and goes until Sunday afternoon. Well, this Thursday, I'm leaving for the spring retreat and I am SO excited!
I remember the first time I went...I went in with my big rolling cart filled to the brim with scrapbooking supplies. Which consisted of paper, scissors, tape runner, markers and stickers. I thought I was hot stuff with the rolling tote. What I saw there knocked my socks off and let me know what an amateur I still was!
There were women with multiple totes, rolling high back chairs, ott-lights and accessories piled high on their table. I saw them using things like Cricuts, chalk, embossers, Xyrons, and all manner of things that I had no idea even existed!
I have become those women. I load up my big rolling comfy chair and every pice of scrapbooking equipment I own and load in. AND I LOVE IT! I'm determined this year to get caught up. I'm not that far behind. I just have what's happened this year for Jenna's school album and then I think I'm all caught up in her regular book until about summer of 2010. I want to do the South Africa album before I forget. But I need to look back and see where I am. Anyway, that's more than you want to know I'm sure.
Just know that this long weekend, I will be busy, NOT blogging. Making friends and catching up. I can't wait!
I remember the first time I went...I went in with my big rolling cart filled to the brim with scrapbooking supplies. Which consisted of paper, scissors, tape runner, markers and stickers. I thought I was hot stuff with the rolling tote. What I saw there knocked my socks off and let me know what an amateur I still was!
There were women with multiple totes, rolling high back chairs, ott-lights and accessories piled high on their table. I saw them using things like Cricuts, chalk, embossers, Xyrons, and all manner of things that I had no idea even existed!
I have become those women. I load up my big rolling comfy chair and every pice of scrapbooking equipment I own and load in. AND I LOVE IT! I'm determined this year to get caught up. I'm not that far behind. I just have what's happened this year for Jenna's school album and then I think I'm all caught up in her regular book until about summer of 2010. I want to do the South Africa album before I forget. But I need to look back and see where I am. Anyway, that's more than you want to know I'm sure.
Just know that this long weekend, I will be busy, NOT blogging. Making friends and catching up. I can't wait!
10.25.2009
Scrapbook weekend
I said I'd try to be better about posting so here's my attempt...
This is one of my favorite weekends of the year. SCRAPBOOKING WEEKEND! Rachel and I left on Thursday afternoon for a state park just down the road a piece to hang out with about 18 other women who are as crazy about scrapbooking as we are.
There are two retreat weekends a year...one in October and one in March and I look forward to each of them for weeks before they get here. Thinking back to the first one I went to a couple years ago (has it been that long)...I thought I was a serious scrapper with my rolling tote and all my stickers etc. Well, you have never seen the likes of what some of these other women come with. When we first started, we stayed up until 11:00pm and thought we were pushing the limits. But these other women are hard core. Staying up until 3am almost EVERY night. And you know what? I'm one of them now.
Every spring and fall, Steve removes all the seats in my van (except the passenger seat (and driver, of course!) and by the time Rachel and I have finished loading up all our stuff, it's filled to the brim. I mean, I take two scrapbooking chairs also...and everything in my scrapbook room goes. And when we get there, it's like being "home" again. Back in the day, the retreats would start on Friday and I'd head out after work on Friday afternoon. Subsequent retreats, we'd move it up to only working 1/2 day on Friday. The day came when my consultant and retreat hostess opened it up an extra day so that we could arrive on Thursday afternoon and by that point, we jumped at the chance!
Now, Rachel and I have a standing lunch with some scrapbooking friends around 12:30 on Thursday (we now take the whole day off). Then we head out and get there right at the time it starts and we can check in our room. And we stay up until 1am or later just about every night. And we don't really sleep in. Most days we are in the room by 9am. Oh yes...it is one of the highlights of my year.
This year was just as wonderful and much anticipated. I managed to get a couple of Christmas gifts done (books I was making) and finally got caught up on Jenna's school album as actually into 2009 with her regular book. There's still lots to do, but these retreats give me the opportunity to really get going. Unfortnately, Rachel started getting congested last night and I woke up clogged up this morning. It is definitely allergies. Complicated with the wishy-washy weather and the fact we both got a flu shot on Wednesday of last week. Oh well...we rung out every last drop of the weekend we could. And now, we begin the countdown to March.
And for all you scrappers out there...this is NOT a closed group. You are totally invited to come. It's very economical...you have lots of space, a pretty decent room (for the few hours you are in it sleeping) and catered lunch and dinner for Friday and Saturday. Plus you get time away from the family to concentrate on getting your stuff done not to mention the really good company of people who like doing this as much as you do! If you are interested, the next retreat is in March...first weekend I think...let me know if you want more information and I will get it to you ASAP. If you live out of town, that's NO PROBLEM. We had 2 from Kentucky and one from south Alabama...they come from everywhere...Murfreesboro, Nashville and even my friend from MI, Becca, came one year...so start planning now and join the fun in March!
Thankfully, I take off 1/2 day on the Monday after scrapbook retreat weekend too. Usually I'm getting groceries, finishing laundry, unpacking etc. However, not sure how I will feel tomorrow...guess we'll see...I'm all drugged up on Actifed Allergy medicine and ready for a LONG night of sleep.
Later! (and sorry to all of you non-scrapbookers...I know this post was a huge bore to you all!!!)
This is one of my favorite weekends of the year. SCRAPBOOKING WEEKEND! Rachel and I left on Thursday afternoon for a state park just down the road a piece to hang out with about 18 other women who are as crazy about scrapbooking as we are.
There are two retreat weekends a year...one in October and one in March and I look forward to each of them for weeks before they get here. Thinking back to the first one I went to a couple years ago (has it been that long)...I thought I was a serious scrapper with my rolling tote and all my stickers etc. Well, you have never seen the likes of what some of these other women come with. When we first started, we stayed up until 11:00pm and thought we were pushing the limits. But these other women are hard core. Staying up until 3am almost EVERY night. And you know what? I'm one of them now.
Every spring and fall, Steve removes all the seats in my van (except the passenger seat (and driver, of course!) and by the time Rachel and I have finished loading up all our stuff, it's filled to the brim. I mean, I take two scrapbooking chairs also...and everything in my scrapbook room goes. And when we get there, it's like being "home" again. Back in the day, the retreats would start on Friday and I'd head out after work on Friday afternoon. Subsequent retreats, we'd move it up to only working 1/2 day on Friday. The day came when my consultant and retreat hostess opened it up an extra day so that we could arrive on Thursday afternoon and by that point, we jumped at the chance!
Now, Rachel and I have a standing lunch with some scrapbooking friends around 12:30 on Thursday (we now take the whole day off). Then we head out and get there right at the time it starts and we can check in our room. And we stay up until 1am or later just about every night. And we don't really sleep in. Most days we are in the room by 9am. Oh yes...it is one of the highlights of my year.
This year was just as wonderful and much anticipated. I managed to get a couple of Christmas gifts done (books I was making) and finally got caught up on Jenna's school album as actually into 2009 with her regular book. There's still lots to do, but these retreats give me the opportunity to really get going. Unfortnately, Rachel started getting congested last night and I woke up clogged up this morning. It is definitely allergies. Complicated with the wishy-washy weather and the fact we both got a flu shot on Wednesday of last week. Oh well...we rung out every last drop of the weekend we could. And now, we begin the countdown to March.
And for all you scrappers out there...this is NOT a closed group. You are totally invited to come. It's very economical...you have lots of space, a pretty decent room (for the few hours you are in it sleeping) and catered lunch and dinner for Friday and Saturday. Plus you get time away from the family to concentrate on getting your stuff done not to mention the really good company of people who like doing this as much as you do! If you are interested, the next retreat is in March...first weekend I think...let me know if you want more information and I will get it to you ASAP. If you live out of town, that's NO PROBLEM. We had 2 from Kentucky and one from south Alabama...they come from everywhere...Murfreesboro, Nashville and even my friend from MI, Becca, came one year...so start planning now and join the fun in March!
Thankfully, I take off 1/2 day on the Monday after scrapbook retreat weekend too. Usually I'm getting groceries, finishing laundry, unpacking etc. However, not sure how I will feel tomorrow...guess we'll see...I'm all drugged up on Actifed Allergy medicine and ready for a LONG night of sleep.
Later! (and sorry to all of you non-scrapbookers...I know this post was a huge bore to you all!!!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)