fonts anonymous

via smashing magazine.


hi my name is celeste and i'm addicted to fonts.

like purses and shoes, you can never have too many fonts. smashing magazine selects “fresh” high-quality free fonts each month. the selection this month is worth a look through. wendelin and graublau would be great for journaling.


what are your favorite fonts for journaling and titles? even though i have tons of fonts i seem to gravitate towards the same fonts. favs for journaling include rockwell, century gothic and calibri. titles i'm more likely to look around for a font (i use the font thing to organize) - i do use century gothic quite a bit for a clean, classic look.


i recently purchased a silhouette - so i'm even more interested in fonts and dingbats that i was before - if that is even possible!

if you don't know this creative soul, you will...

because she's busting on to the scrapbooking scene soon. heather bailey, renowned fabric designer, designed a line of YUMMY papers based on her fabric designs for autumn leaves. i was thrilled to see the huge banner up in the booth at cha introducing her to the scrapbooking community. i believe heather's line will be coming out in june or july. her blog is just a feast for the eyes. she shares her creative process and the photography (between heather and her photographer husband) is, well, stunning!

a first for me

the image isn't that great sorry. i'm teaching a class at wiggles & giggles on national scrapbooking day! i'm so excited - it's going to be fun!

trying something a little different here

from confessions of a pioneer woman

everyday i read or scan an inordinate amount of blogs - craft blogs, style blogs, decor blogs, scrappin' blogs. i see a lot of really cool ideas/creations that inspire me. i'm going to start sharing some of those inspiring items here - hopefully one a week day. i figure share the wealth right?

well guess i should get started huh?

do you read confessions of a pioneer woman? ree is an incredible writer and photographer. i was sucked in via cathy zielske's blog a few weeks ago and now it's a daily stop for me. ree shares stories about her life on a working cattle ranch, as well as recipes, photography tips, and home decor ideas. she also gives her photography away for free! you must read the story of how she met and married her husband, black heels to tractor wheels - you'll laugh, you'll cry - i guarantee it!

anyhow, the other day ree shared her incredible actions for free with her readers. they work with cs2 and they are awesome - very subtle. just last night i installed a spyder (color calibration software) on my monitor. i look forward to using ree's actions to work on about 400 photos that need editing going back to november.

what blogs inspire you? i'll update the places i go on the left soon with some of the places i go! :)

she's moving on...

stacy julian is lightening her load at simple scrapbooks. she has inspired so many! check out the simple blog for more details on how you can help send her off with a bang. personally simple scrapbooks changed the way i scrap - stacy's philosophy validated my love of clean and simple, gave me permission to scrap out of order, and helped me organize my scraproom and photos to make my scrap time more manageable. thanks stacy!

hug your mom day

march 11th will always be a sad day for me. my mother died from complications related to treatment of breast cancer 8 years ago on this day. it's really amazing that it's been 8 years in some ways it feels like just yesterday and others an eternity. i miss her so so much. so on this day i ask you if your mother is still alive please please please - give her a call and tell her you love her. i know that's what i'd do if i could. also in some small way you will be helping to keep my mother's memory alive. that's really all she wanted - to be remembered.

tag you're it

i've been tagged! tina cockburn tagged me today, and this is what i have to do:

* share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

* tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

* let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here goes my seven (and I'm going to try to scrap this too per tina's challenge on the studio blog. :) )

1.) i was never given a middle name. i guess with a name like celeste my mother and father thought they'd let me choose my own. when i was confirmed i chose the name ashley for my confirmation name. ashley is not a saints name and really not an appropriate choise for a confirmation name. i figured i would use that as my middle name. celeste ashley fallon - that just not right. ha! when i was married i changed my name to celeste fallon smith - my maiden name became my middle name. i like it!

2.) speaking of names i was horribly teased as a child because of my name. it's taken me years to come to terms with it and when people tell me it's a pretty name i just say "abondanza!"

3.) my hair is dyed. the amount of gray on my head is starting to exceed the amount of brown. i started going gray at 18 years old. by the age of 25 i had a skunk streak. i started dyeing for a job interview and now it's nearly impossible to stop. maybe someday i'll grow it all out and be natural again. but until then every 8 weeks to the hair dresser i go.

4.) along the lines of ugly feet, i have athlete's foot right now. it is so itchy and gross - it's like something is eating away at my feet. i need to get it under control!

5.) i've met a good deal of famous people in my life. i used to wait tables at a fancy restaurant on martha's vineyard called lattanzi's and terry used to sous chef at a 4-star restaurant called l'etoile. needless to say that the vineyard is a mecca for famous people. here are a few i've encountered - princess diana, james taylor, carly simon, dan ackroyd, walter cronkite, billy joel, mike wallace, jim belushi, spike lee, diane sawyer, david mccullough, patricia neal, mike nichols, fran drescher, stephen tyler, art buchwald, and many more.

6.) i've only been outside the united states once in my life - terry and i went to grand cayman - i had won the trip through work. i've never even been to canada. what a sheltered existence i lead!

7.) i recently lost 25 pounds. i was on the la weight loss plan and then they went out of business. i would have liked to lose more - now i'm trying to maintain my weight. it's not easy when the world is filled with peanut butter cups and pasta and chocolate cake.

and now to tag seven!

caroline ikeji

denise morrison

dina wakley

doris sander

emily pitts

paula gilarde

sara dickey

have fun ladies!

the amazing debbie hodge

is offering a new class at nyc scraps called scrap yourself.



check it out here.



her classes are a lot of fun and debbie is an excellent teacher!

cha and other assorted info

ack i changed the background here to white and lost my blog header. ugh - i'll need to work on that later!

well i went to cha last week. it was so fun to meet and see online friends. i didn't take my camera to the show and of course now i'm regretting it. in chicago my vow is going to be getting photos of me with friends and taking some photos of booths and things.

i went about my whirlwind tour all wrong this time around. in chicago i'm going to trya nd visit some of the booths outside of the scrapbooking realm for inspiration. as well i missed out on smaller vendors wares and didn't get tours of booths that i should have. ugh.

anyhow i did put together my list of must buys. note that october afternoon (yummy papers,) prima (that dude line!) and american crafts (the kid line is scrumtious) aren't on my list because i'm getting them anyway! :) lucky me!

scenic route providence
sassafras lass - all four of the new paper lines - robotics, sunshine lollipop (ooh the yello dot,) pocketful of rosies, my dearest
chatterbox - happy day, eclectic, and botanico paper
ki memories - bloom
fiskars - threading water scallop punch
autumn leaves - cute world by mindy terawasa and heather bailey too!
fancy pants 12x12 acrylic sheets and the new felt

countless embellies - i'm limiting my paper because well i have more than i could use in a lifetime!

take care. :)

did you ever...

as a young adult meet an adult that didn't treat you like a child? an adult that really listened to what you had to say and respected you? in my teenage years i didn't meet many, but one person really stands out. walt dzitko. walt was the father of a good high school friend. he was the kind of father that you actually wanted to hang out with. he had a wonderful sense of humor and he loved his children more than anything in the world. i believe he worked hard through those tough teenage years to remain a constant in their lives, to always be there and to make their lives fun and fulfilled. unfortunately, walt passed away on friday. linda emailed me and her subject heading was "we lost a good one today." i don't think she could have expressed it any more succinctly.

walt's son, ed, posted the obituary on his blog. i'm off to the wake tomorrow - an unfortunate reunion with linda. it's just sad.

amazing online class

debbie hodge is offering an amazing online class at nycscraps.com called "scrap your everyday life." to promote the class, she's written a sample class available here. it's an 8-page pdf with lessons, examples, and sketches. go check it out - the sample is free and i think you are going to love it!

Simple Scrapbooks Contest

“Put It in a Letter” Page Contest
Help us celebrate Universal Letter Writing Week by posting a letter-themed layout in our online Reader Gallery during the week of January 21–25. What do we mean by “letter-themed layout”? Write a letter to yourself, your spouse, your child, your friend, your mother, your brother—anyone—and use it on a scrapbook page. Use the keywords “Universal Letter Writing Week” in the comments so we can find your layout.

At the end of the week, Elizabeth Dillow, author of The Scrapbooker’s Almanac, will select five favorite layouts and announce them in the Reader Gallery. Each winner will receive a copy of Elizabeth’s book and one grand-prize winner will also receive a cool letter-writing kit from Elizabeth.

Only layouts posted January 21–25 will be considered official entries. Post as many letter-themed layouts as you like. No purchase necessary.

root canal

oh my! i had a root canal yesterday. ugh. the tooth itself feels much better. after 90 minutes of having my mouth open and four shots of novacaine, my jaw feels awful. hard for a chatty cathy like me and hard to stick to my diet as i can't really chew well. and joy oh joy i now get to go get a crown. :)

nothing much scrappy going on. i finished up a bunch of page packs for my next crop. i used mostly scraps to make them - which felt good. i'm working on a layout for simple scrapbooks may/june - a no-photo layout! i also would like to complete the scenic route challenge for january. i did a layout for hmitm last night - it's not very good i won't post it. i think i might skip this week.

sam has started to play on the computer. of course, this means my computer time is limited, but i have to hang out in my scraproom to help him when he gets in a bind. maybe this will be what gets me scrapping more regularly again.

crop

went to a crop last night at the buzz and had a blast. those ladies really get me giggling. of course i came home with tons of glitter in my hair. :) missing one of our glitter girls though - it's just not the same without her. ;) i finished 24 layouts in 7 hours. crazy huh? it was a get er done night. some of those packs have been in my bag since august. so glad to just be done with them. not sure i'll even scan any in this time around.

oh seems i have a critic posting on my blog. i had to laugh because more and more i could care less what anyone thinks. i am really doing this to document the kids lives and just have fun. the rest is just gravy (and free stuff!)

booked my flight to cha in anaheim today. looking forward to seeing some online friends and hanging out with the simple folk. :)

more later...

working from home

oh how i miss working from home. today i did just that. i was able to get a lot of work done and i didn't have to get dressed up and freeze in my cube at work! another plus i picked adam up from school at 2pm (wednesdays are short days) and he didn't have to go to aftercare. of course, before picking him up i snuck in one of these....

(disclaimer - not my photo - it's from google images)

that would be a venti, non-fat no water chai extra hot. if you've never had a starbucks chai without water, well, you are missing out. it's just hot perfection in a cup.

now i'm making dinner - well heating it up - meatloaf, rice, and carrots. yum! all while slaving away at work. ;)

hmitm #64

here is my contribution to hmitm #64. the challenge - 8 pp, 8 buttons, 8 photos, and 8 stickers.

the pp is clockwise basic grey, crate paper, scenic route, chatterbox, love elsie, scenic route, american crafts, and prima. buttons are buttons galore. stickers are the centers of the ki memories reinforcement sitckers. font is century gothic.





this is a challenge i'd like to participate in this year as it really eats away at stash! tfl!

guilty pleasure

did you see what is back on tv? the writers strike has really brought out a whole slew of bad tv programming. well this goodie is an exception...





yes that's right it's american gladiator! 14 years off air and they've resurrected the show. it's still as cheesy as ever, it's become my guilty pleasure. last night i kept the boys up to watch. they loved it!

poppy ink january and maybe a goal?

now you are thinking what has got into that girl? two posts in one day? i'm going to try and post more of my layouts here this year. hey that's a goal isn't it? lol!

on the new year

well i still haven't set my goals for this year. there is so much time and so little to do - scratch that reverse it. (do you know the reference?) i should sit down and do a layout about my goals for '08 - might help me devise my evil plan for the year. ;)


sharing some xmas pics here. some with my new lens (tamron 18-250) that dh bought me. he's a keeper i tell you. most use my dreaded flash - i really need to work on how to use it - i have the demb diffuser on it as well



a little xmas eve montage - click to see it bigger!







o christmas tree...



opening the pickle gift...

loads of littlest pet shop...

a wii! he's so excited!

and one more a little montage of sam that is just beyond cute and on one of my poppy ink layouts this month...

thanks for reading. i'll share my jan pi layouts later!

oh my

i haven't updated my blog in a long time eh?

well i was crazy busy with thanksgiving preparation and now christmas. i haven't been scrapping much. took a much needed break - only scrapped at a couple of crops and fulfilled dt responsibilities. hence the lull here.

the decorations are up at our house. the tree is adorned, the presents are wrapped - we are ready. well i'm ready - dh still needs to decide the menu for xmas eve. he's the chef so he gets to pick.

i wish all of you a very happy holiday and a wonderful & inspiring new year. i leave you with our christmas card this year. aren't they getting big?

cool online class

my wickedly talented friend, paula gilarde (hof 2007) will be teaching an online digital scrapbooking class at nyc scraps starting monday, november 29th. paula is super sweet and i'm sure you will learn a ton about digi scrapping. i'm excited to take the class. it's really reasonably priced - a two week class with a lesson every two days and a digital kit is included as well - all for only $20. if you don't have photoshop a free 30-day trial version is available - so that isn't an excuse. if you are interested you can find the class at nyc scraps. and tell paula i said hi!

my updated studio

ok i'm going to share, but remember it's still a work in progress. sorry for the grainy photos. the walls will be behr watermelon pink and the trim will be all white one day. i still need to paint my printer cart, the little red table, and my ikea fira black. i need to buy a curtain and i want to update the ugly particle board bookshelf to a white one. so without further ado, i present my studio.

view from the doorway


my desk - new vika table tops and cabinets


my sewing station - new ikea helmer unti holds sewing supplies and other odds and ends - that's my scraps bin next to it - sorted by color (well i shove stuff in the top and sort when it gets overwhelming)


my scrap table


expedit #1 holds embellishments sorted by color and cardstock up top - you can see my white board with my assignments on it too!


expedit #2 holds all sorts of odds and ends


sterilite storage for october afternoon and american crafts supplies


ugly bookcase holds patterned paper and albums


ribbon storage


button storage


little white cabinet holds american crafts house shapes, paint and ribbon - the photo holder above is from ikea


new fabric covered bulletin board


wood floor with new rug


so that's that. a work in progress but so much better than a couple weeks ago. feel free to ask questions. thanks for looking.

halloween photos

ok so i've shared these elsewhere, but figured i might as well stick them up here too!











a good time was had by all!

good reads

have you been to goodreads? i've been loving reading about what everyone else is reading. i have a "to read" bookshelf growing by the day. i went to the library for the first time in a long time yesterday with my list in hand and brought home a couple of new books to read. now i have to try and squeeze the reading time in somewhere.

i've been busy decorating my home for company over thanksgiving, reorganizing my scraproom, getting ahead with my scrapin' responsibilities, and carting the kids from birthday parties to soccer and back!

hope all is well. more later...

sometimes i wonder

why i even suffer with a blog. i never update here and readership is low. of course maybe it would be higher if i posted more. ha!

news news news...

well if you haven't heard i've been asked to be a simple gal for simple scrapbooks magazine. what does this mean? well i'll be posting layouts in the simple studio gallery, i'll be published more regularly in the magazine, and i will be a trusted adviser to the magazine. i'm thrilled - this is my own personal hof folks. it also gets me off the hook in terms of hof and mmm as well - i'm exclusive to simple for one year.

on the homefront, we have refurnished and decorated our living room. we still need a few pieces, but it's starting to come together. as well, terry started the powder room. he painted and installed a new toilet. he has to install the sink and mirror. then it will be curtain and shower curtain hanging time. this was our mini-remodel because we have guests coming for thanksgiving.

kids are doing well. sam is not transitioning into his new room all that well. he has a temper and hits sometimes when other children do him wrong. adam is loving school. he seems to have settled right in - having the same teacher again doesn't hurt.

have a great day! :)

nutty

ok so i spent the greater part of last night pouting about not making the october afternoon team and then the calls went out.

and i didn't get a call.

and then they said a few of the calls hadn't panned out. it wasn't over.

and then i kept checking my home phone all day hoping that there was a call. no call.

and then the phone rang at 5:20 - i thought it was terry. nope.

it was kim! from october afternoon! yay! i got the call!

can you say happy dance?

if you haven't seen their stuff check them out...

october afternoon

galblog

ok so you have to check it out...

a brand new blog so full of inspiration you'll just be in heaven.

i am. and all those rak's - sigh.

galblog

sigh

it's our last day here on cape cod. it has been a fabulous week - we've spent so much time on the beach enjoying the sun, surf, and wildlife. our first night we went down to the beach (literally 50 yards) for a sunset. this shot is unedited and not cropped (no tools on dh's computer.) those specks are adam and terry hunting for crabs in the tide pools.


we are definitely planning on renting again up here in eastham next year. we even looked at a rental today right on the beach. i'm hoping it will be available the week we'd like it as it would be perfect!

back to the grind tomorrow! sigh.

i'm off (*see mel your kick in the pants worked)

ok so yes i'm off in more ways than one. lol

i'm off this blog way too much. i might move it over to scrapgal they have a new blog thingy that works ok and maybe i'll update it more if i'm over there?

i'm off my routine. i was sick with strep again last week and then i aggravated my plantar fasciitis - this has led to evenings spent on the couch relaxing rather than hanging out in my studio scrappin' and surfing. i also didn't get to go to my monthly crop which means not a lot of scrappin' was done this month.

i'm off on vacation for the next week sans internet access. it's going to be nice to have a break from the routine of my life and rejuvenate.

what else has been going on since my last post. not much on the scrappin' front. i had no calls really this month. a little lull - oh well.

personally i had a birthday. i was sick. it sucked. oh well. my present was the crop - it didn't happen so i'm planning another one for september. yay!

i did post this layout at the beginning of the month. thanks to all my peeps who sent in photos. you all encourage me every day and i appreciate you more than you can comprehend. it's funny how i feel so close to people yet they live so far away. this world we live in is so small in a way!





looking forward to september and getting back into the school routine with adam. no more making lunches everyday! woohoo! :)

have a great week everyone! xoxo

embracing the simple

for awhile there i was having a little style crisis. i was trying to hard to be something i'm not and feeling like i had something to prove to myself. i've come full circle on this. i realize that the most important piece of any layout i create is the story behind it - not the paper, glue, or even the design. i realize that i want to focus more on my writing and my photography in an effort to leave the best possible story for sam and adam.

one thing i need to work on is jotting down the little things that my family says and does more often. the stories are all there just waiting to be told. i just have a horrible short term memory.

so basically i'm embracing the simple philosophy set out by simple scrapbooks and scrappers like stacy julian, cathy zielske and others. this does not mean i won't try new things or get out of my little box once in awhile. it does mean that i'm changing up my process a it and the end result will be simpler.

i feel like a huge weight has been lifted. i am going to continue with my design work for awhile and see where it takes me. so when you see my work in the future don't be surprised that i'm back to my roots!

bad blogger

yes i've been a bad blogger. almost a month. in that month i've been busy. went to cha. met some cool people. came home and now we are in house guest mode which means cleaning cleaning cleaning. so fun. here's a pic i took of sam last night. i wish i was a better photographer and all my shots could look like this!

happy august everyone. :)

ive been tagged by the fabulous kelly and here i go:
my roommate and i once:
never in my life have i: been to europe
high school was : horrible - too clique-y
when i'm nervous : i'm chatty
my hair : grey
when i was 5 : my parents installed an inground pool - what great summers we had
when i turn my head left : i see a window looking out onto a pitiful building in hartford
i should be : working ha!
by this time next year : i hope to have more balance in my life.
my favorite aunt is : aunt betty - she's gone - she was so good to me as a child.
i have a hard time understanding : i think i'm going to agree with Kelly - stupid people.
you know i like you if : i laugh with you and tell you secrets.
my ideal breakfast is : eggs over easy, bacon, home fries and english muffins.
if you visit my home town : i'll take you to a nice restaurant.
if you spend the night at my house : you will be sleeping on a fold out couch.
my Favorite blonde is : unsure
my favorite brunette is : unsure
the animal I would like to see flying besides birds : pigs LOL
i shouldn't have been : so ignorant about my mother's illness
last night i: made an awesome pasta salad and read my book
a better name for me would be : anything other than celeste
i've been told i look like : donna downey lol
if i could have any car, it would be: a restored vw convertible karmanghia
i'm tagging dina!

do i *know* you?

online that is? well if i do please send me a photo of yourself for a layout i'm working on.

gypsyheartpea@gmail.com

thanks in advance!

updating

ok so i've been told to update (thanks miss mel.)

let's see - just returned from a weekend on cape cod. i'm seriously wondering why we don't live closer to the beach. the boys had a fabulous weekend - digging in the sand, crabbing, eating too much junk, and riding on the go karts. they can't wait to go back.

adam started day camp today. i'm praying he likes it. it's nerve wracking actually. i can't wait for the day to be over so i can hear how it was.

scrapping has been on a hold for a week or so. i went to a crop and produced nothing really worthy of sharing. i have to start working on july poppy ink. otherwise, i'm chilling. i'm seriously contemplating some changes. i need to make mroe time for my famil and dh somehow.

i'm back at work today and swamped and procrastinating. ugh.

take care!

much better photo

for the action.

oh it's lovely and i hardly manipulated any of the settings. thank you thank you mindy bush!

design team call

scrapgal is having a design team call. it's a great store and a great community. go on over and check it out.

scrapgal design team call

one of the perks is you get to work with me. ;) that was sarcasm. :)

i wish i had more ___________ because _____________.

i wish i had more time because then i would be able to sleep more. i'm exhausted and a little stupid actually - stayed up until 12:30am last night watching food network star - a reality show - now i feel like death warmed over. of course if i had more sleep i'd have more energy and then i could get more done. maybe even exercise. sigh.

action

since everyone (one person lol) is so interested the action is from mindy bush - it's color wonder in her color wonder set.

editing photos

ok so i purchased a set of actions today and i've been fooling around with them this evening. trying to edit three months of photos and get them uploaded and ordered this evening. fun - not. so i decided to give a set of actions a shot. you can see the original, the way i used to edit photos and the action. which one do you prefer?

oh and this is dh being funny at the pumpkin patch. he said, "how about this one?" he's such a jokester that one. :rolling eyes:

wish me luck only 50 or so more photos to go. :)

i've been tagged

by hillary

1. regular or diet soda: rarely drink soda but when i do it's regular - ginger ale or root beer.
2. salt or pepper: i like both.
3. hot or cold weather: can i say in between. i like hot but only if there is air conditioning inside to go into to cool off. and i like cold if there is heat! lol
4. dogs or cats: cats. dogs are too much work.
5. dieting or exercise: neither - yeah i'm ok with being fat.
6. cooking or doing dishes: dishes - i
7. sleeping or shopping: sleeping - i remember when i used to get to sleep.
8. red lobster or outback steakhouse: ick.
9. classical or hip hop music: classical
10. dancing or playing sports: dancing
11. back rub or foot rub: back rub, but only because dh rubs my feet a lot.
12. fruits or vegetables: fruits
13. grey's anatomy or house: grey's anatomy. but i do watch house.
14. coffee or tea: coffee in the morning, tea the rest of the day
15. curling up with a good book or a night out on the town: book
16. straight hair or curly hair: straight
17. skirts or shorts: shorts - i only own one skirt.
18. burgers/hotdogs or chinese food: chinese food
19. vacationing in switzerland or mexico: mexico - love the beach
20. sports car or suv: sports car - better gas mileage at least.

what a week

i feel like i've had the best week. martha stewart - last friday - my layout on tv! i won. what a fun fun fun day. then guest garden girl at two peas this week and that mag assignment from simple scrapbooks. i don't think it can get any better. oh wait it does tonight i'm going to a crop with some of my online friends at a great lss near the shore. i can't wait. the next 8 hours better cruise on by!

incredible week - whee!

well i can't reveal specifics but this has been an incredible week for me in terms of scrappin' goodness. i feel like the planets are aligning finally and maybe just maybe all of my hard work both scrappin' and posting has paid off. all will be revealed soon.

i can share one - beth proudfoot gave me an assignment for her simple scrapbooks color inspiration column. i adore beth's work and that she thinks highly enough of mine to give me this opportunity really pumps me up. it's such validation!

i've been really busy scrappin' this week. i have to work on that assignment (due tuesday.) i hope i finish before saturday because there is an online crop at scrapgal. i'm hosting the crop - there will be challenges, prizes, and chats. so come on over. on friday evening, i'll be posting a couple of jumpstart challenges. then saturday i'll post ten challenges throughout the day. two chats one at 3pm EST and one at 8pm EST - we'll draw the winners at the second chat. hope you can come over and at least say hi. i'm hoping i get to do a few of the challenges as well.

three things i know for sure

one...
three year olds whine. the day they turn three there is a little switch in their little brains that turns on - it's the whining switch - it takes one year for the switch to turn off. instead of asking for something they whine. instead of talking they whine. oy vey - it gives me a headache. this i know for sure.

two...
boys smell. yes they do - it's a weird mixture of dirt, sweat, toe jam and other assorted ick. if they are not bathed daily and do not wash their hair, the house starts to smell funky. this i know for sure.

three...
my boys are a disaster. if there is a clean surface in my house, it will only be clean for as long as it takes the boys to enter the house. if you wash the floor, they will walk in with muddy boots. if you scrub the toilet, they will leave the seat down and miss terribly. if you clean the sink, they will decide to clean the mud pie plate in it. if you make their bed, they will jump on it. if you organize their toys, they will dump them all in a big pile ("i'm making a mountain mommy.") if you change their shirt to go to a function, they will spill juice on it or use the clean shirt to wipe their dirty little hands. this i know for sure.

don't get me wrong, i do love them, but geez.

letters

lisa challenged me to list adjectives that describe me using the letters of my name. great - 3 e's. hmmm.

C - creative or crazy - well they can be similar right?
E - energetic - when i'm not feeling really tired
L - lucky - two great boys, a wonderful man - need i say more?
E - emotional - yes i am a rollercoaster of emotions
S - sarcastic - love sarcasm love it!
T - tired - well at least today - darn medications.
E - expressive - that one is from lisa - i could just blab on and on...

list update

sara asked what i was able to get done on wednesday so i'll update my list...so i've updated the list with x's - by end of day wednesday i was almost finished.

work
x emerging issues news monitoring
x start weekly news briefing
x finish retention report
x download annual reports
x find q1 conference call times
x write up new hire interviews
read pile of reports on desk
x compile frequency and severity for personal lines carriers q1 2007
x start q1 2007 activity log
x finish travelers news for briefing book
x expense report

personal nsbr (not scrapbook related)
x confirm hair appt.
x make doctor's appt.
x write out check for pre-school deposit
x agenda for parent's association meeting tonight
x grid for teacher appreciation
x pick up adam at school
x make dinner
x make kids lunches
x parent's association meeting
x watch america's next top model
x pharmacy - get prescriptions filled, buy tonic

sbr (scrapbook related)
x page a day for scrapgal - scan and post
x finish 4 scrap packs for crop on may 5th
do one layout for secret project (shhh)
x put pile of patterned paper away
x post office - mail scrapbook trends layouts in
x catch up in scrapgal gallery
x post qotd at poppy ink
x email carly about donation

so the secret layout and the pile of reports didn't get done. i finished the reports yesterday. the layout maybe late this week.

fearful friday

ok so my challenge is to tell you about a fear or a time i was afraid.

something happened this week that fits this bill and looking back on it i'm not sure if i should have been afraid or not. after a pta meeting, i was standing outside with another mom talking. we were between our two cars. all of a sudden there was a police car in the road by the parking lot. the policeman was walking down the sidewalk towards a man with a backpack. the policeman said "you've got a needle don't you?" then he said "freeze!" the man kept walking. he said "freeze" again and the man kept walking. then i started running towards the door to the school and so did the other mom. i heard a pop and not a gun pop - a taser pop. now since the door was locked we both got into her minivan. my heart was pounding with fear. by now there were three cop cars and we couldn't get out. we waited a bit in her car and it seemed like the police had it under control. so we left.

i think the incident at virginia tech really has made me more afraid of strangers and perhaps my imagination can more easily see a scenario where i get hurt because of something like this.

how's that for a little fear?

what's the big to do

we all have them - to do lists. i'm a crazy list maker. like almost obsessed with lists. i've been a little bit better lately - not so many lists. i think that perhaps i've got some of the juggle down with two kids and a full time job. i think also that i've let a lot of stuff slide. i still keep my grocery list typed in the computer in aisle order and i have all of our pack lists for trips saved too! i keep a list of assignments that i have due and any scrapbook calls on a white board in my room - with a little corner for things i need to purchase as well.

shandy asked us to share our to do lists for today. the x next to the item means i finished it. i'm not sure much of this will get done.

work
emerging issues news monitoring
x start weekly news briefing
x finish retention report
x download annual reports
x find q1 conference call times
write up new hire interviews
read pile of reports on desk
compile frequency and severity for personal lines carriers q1 2007
start q1 2007 activity log
x finish travelers news for briefing book
x expense report

personal
nsbr (not scrapbook related)
confirm hair appt.
x make doctor's appt.
x write out check for pre-school deposit
x agenda for parent's association meeting tonight
x grid for teacher appreciation
pick up adam at school
make dinner
make kids lunches
parent's association meeting
watch america's next top model
pharmacy - get prescriptions filled, buy tonic

sbr (scrapbook related)
page a day for scrapgal - scan and post
finish 4 scrap packs for crop on may 5th
do one layout for secret project (shhh)
put pile of patterned paper away
post office - mail scrapbook trends layouts in
x catch up in scrapgal gallery
x post qotd at poppy ink
x email carly about donation

well that's it. i used to write shower on my list, empty dishwasher, clean kitchen. but now i know i can get these things done without writing them down. for awhile i felt so overwhelmed that i needed my list to guide me. it gave me a sense of accomplishment. now i'm just happy to be able to get things done. oko well i confess i do email myself at home to remind myself to do things and i'm not above leaving a message on the answering machine either! yes i'm a little whackdoo!

Jen Gallacher Benefit

Jen Gallacher's son Joey is 12 years old and has been diagnosed with terminal colon cancer. Here is a post from Jen about it...http://twopeasinabucket.kaboose.com/mb.asp?cmd=display&thread_id=2207039

He did have Make a Wish come the other day...http://twopeasinabucket.kaboose.com/mb.asp?cmd=display&thread_id=2211728

The family has incurred incredible medical bills and a fellow scrapbooker, Tania Willis has started a fund for them. A lot of scrappers and companies (including Carly and Steve) have donated layouts, gift certificates, and supplies. There will be a drawing on May 2nd from the pool of people who donate to the fund. Here is the link to the fund website...http://www.benefitforjen.blogspot.com/

Jen is a published scrapbooker on the DT for Deja Views, Karen Foster Design, and Li'l Davis Designs. She was an 2006 HM in HOF.

I just felt the need to pass on the information. Please give if you can.

bizarre facts

i can surely bore you with all of the bizarre facts i know about insurance. doesn't that sound like an interesting way to spend your time? no. ok here are some more facts i know.

did you know...
a person uses approximately 55 sheets of toilet paper a day?
the phrase we say most to our kids is shut the door?
83% of men have played little league?
on average people spend two whole days a month on the internet?
if kids wear a superhero costume they are more likely to end up in the hospital?

well you would if you visited scrapgarden - they have an impossible question board with useless trivia just like this. :)

truth or dare

well lisa asked me truth or dare so i'm taking the truth. i'm not a risky type. ;)

here's lisa's question...
have you ever "regifted" a present. if you have, tell us what the gift was, who you gave it to and why the gift was passed on to another person. was it a hideous velvet elvis painting? a chia pet? a sweater that was three sizes too large and in a color you'd never wear?

i have regifted before, but for some reason i can only remember one. it's not anything exciting or anything. for a secret santa exchange one year, i received one of those glass jewelry boxes with the dried flowers embedded in it with a slot to slide your photo it. i really don't have much jewelry, i'm not a fan of dried flowers, and at the time i didn't have children so whose picture would i have slid in the top? needless to say i regifted it to my stepmother. well at teh time she wasn't my stepmother. i really didn't know her very well, but we were going to their house for her birthday (which is also adam's birthday) and i didn't have a gift. the jewelry box was still in the box awaiting re-gifting. voila - instant present! she liked it - i guess.

what celeste needs

well google tells me the following....

• celeste needs his help. hey i'll take all the help i can get.
• celeste needs to understand that don was married for 10 yrs and you don't just forget someone who was a big part of your life. who in the heck is don and why can't he just forget?
• celeste needs to do her own dirty work. don't tell terry or he might make me vacuum. :P
• celeste needs a girlfriend. um nope but i'd take a wife. lol
• celeste needs to get to sleep. this one is true - i do need sleep.
• celeste needs all the support that we can give at this difficult time in her life. well it's not that difficult right now, but i'll take the support!
• celeste needs surgery because she needs her gall bladder removed. ack! get that scalpel away from me.
• celeste needs a trifle more time. i'd love more time. more time to create, more time to spend with my boys, more time to relax, more time to sleep.
• celeste needs to buy a new quality digital camera with her blood money. ooh i wish i had some blood money i'd have that 10d in my hot little hands.
• celeste needs to lighten up. true too true.

have an awesome wednesday!

Life is like a box of chocolates

"Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get"

Lisa has asked me what this means to me. I guess I just believe that you don't ever know what is going to happen in life and you have to live each day as if it's your last. Seize life! I don't do a great job with this, but it's always a goal of mine to try!

The movie was Forest Gump and Forest Gump says this in the movie and so does his mother, Mrs. Gump.

Have a great Monday!

what's in a name

shandy has challenged us again to answer the following...

"tell us about your name! yep, that's right... your name. how did your parents come up with it?... is there a story behind it?.... do you like your name?... if you could have named yourself, would it have been the same or something different? "

my name...hmm. well my mother was never very original about anything. so you are probably thinking, how did she come up with the name celeste? my father really had no say in any of our names - he let her have her way after pregnancy, labor and delivery. i'd say who could blame him. my mother named me and my siblings after people she knew - unoriginal. celeste was her best friend in college. celeste lives on long island and i probably haven't seen her in 25-30 years - my dad saw her a few years ago i think. if i was a boy, my father wanted to name me miles. thank goodness i wasn't a boy.

growing up having a name that was different was not easy. of course, the fact that my name rhymed with pest wasn't easy either. i also rue the day that celeste's pizza hit the market - cries of abondonza and mama celeste would ring down the school's halls. in high school, one girl took to calling me mama leone - no idea where that came from. the only true nickname i had in my life was c - yes the letter c and only one friend in high school called me that.

as a child i did wish i had a different name - something common and everyday like jennifer or susan or christine - no offense to any of you jennifers or susans or christines out there. it would have been nice to have a name that (a) people could easily spell, (b) i wasn't asked to spell every time i ordered something, and (c) that people didn't misread ( i get collette or chelsea a lot.) i can't say i cared for my name - i threatened a good part of my life to change it and i should have when i was married, by that time however it had stuck.

and my middle name - well my mother didn't give me one. no one believed me growing up. they figured with a name like celeste for the first name, my mother must have given me an absolutely horrific second name. nope. nada. nothing. i took my maiden name when i was married because i couldn't stand not having a middle name. remember when those monograms sweaters and little purses were popular? i couldn't have one because i had no middle initial. thanks mom!

now i'm ok with it for really what's in a name?

lie revealed

well i bet you are anxiously waiting and wondering who i didn't sit in a room with.

martha's vineyard is a haven for celebrities. i have sat in a room with bill clinton and princess diana. i've never been anywhere near michael jackson.

i'm at work today. i feel like crud - sick with a cold. so nothing more today. sorry.

shandy's blog challenge...

"i thought for this challenge we'd try something a little more "interactive"... so today we are going to tell 3 statements about ourselves. 2 will be true and 1 will be false. in the comment section, everyone votes on which one they think isn't a true statement about me. i'll reveal the real falsehood on the next blog challenge day :) Sso.. ready to play? here we go:"

1. i have sat in a room with bill clinton.
2. i have sat in a room with michael jackson.
3. i have sat in a room with princess diana.

take a guess!

collection

i never was one for amassing great quantities of things. in fact, i am the exact opposite of a pack rat. i'd have to say i'm a chucker. then i started scrapping and all of that changed. now i find it hard to part with an eyelet (which i never use.) the one thing i've amassed quite a quantity of is buttons. i love them and can't seem to get enough - it's a sickness.

so hope you like my new blog header. shandy is really stretching us on these challenges.

i posted a ton of work this weekend in my scrapgal gallery - the link is in my link list if you want to see.

oh and my favorite poppy ink layout for the april kit is on the home page of the site! yay! add-on kits are still available and may pre-orders are being taken. heather has really expanded her inventory. go take advantage - you won't be disappointed.

sweet side effect

for the past few days, i've had terry pick sam up at school. it was becoming such an emotional drain on me and really making me crazy and uptight. i'd get to school and sam would hide or run away or start whining that he didn't want to go home. invariably he would end up hitting me or kicking me and then i'd have to drag him out kicking and screaming to the car. then he would proceed to cry all the way across town to adam's school - not want to get out of the car to go get adam. then he wouldn't want to leave school. horrible. so i told terry that he needed to do it for awhile and go get him after work (an hour later than i usually arrive.) terry's first couple days were awful, but now sam knows terry means business so it's getting better.

the sweet side effect in all this is i get to go straight to adam - i get there 20-25 minutes faster. then we can actually talk in the car without a whining and crying three year old! it has been truly wonderful. he tells me about his day and we hang out together a bit before i start dinner. today i asked him to let me take a few photos - sometimes when i'm talking to him i can't get over how cute and smart he is. today was like that - he was talking about the masters (renoir, seurat, monet, michelangelo etc.) and i asked him if i could shoot some photos. so here he is - my big boy. :)

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and yes he loves to be goofy - what kindergartener doesn't? i did manage to get him to smile a couple times!

blogger is awful for photos. here's a link to a better view of the montage...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/celestefsmith/montage.jpg

a site that i found recently that i enjoy

i was looking around for inspiration the other day and found this blog that really spoke to me. of course, i have no sense of personal style and my house is blah. however, i could see some fabulous color schemes and design here to inspire my scrapbooking. also, the list of other blogs and sites that are listed is fabulous as well.

on another note mm idol voting is still on today. so go vote!

last night i stopped at michael's and picked up some storage. unfortunately i can't find a vertical cropper hopper to save my life. i was able to get some embroidery boxes and those cute $1 acrylic stamps they have right now. when i returned home, i helped dh put the boys to bed and put away 40 containers of american crafts brads. i also was able to replace a couple of containers that had fallen apart recently. a great accomplishment. see what a cup of coffee after work will do? now if i only felt like scrapping!

all alone

ok so shandy asks us to blog today about this.
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"what do you do when you are all alone and think that no one is watching?" .
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ahem
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well yeah that could be embarassing now couldn't it?
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no it's not that - mind out of gutter.
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ok i'll admit it.
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i think everyone does it don't they?
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well maybe an image is in order.
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hee hee.
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well at least i don't eat it!

on childhood fads and other assorted garbage

well shandy over at scrapgal is hosting a blog challenge this month. presenting us with all sorts of interesting topics to discuss. today's topic is "tell us about a fad you had to be a part of." if i wasn't so lazy i'd go dig out a picture. at the time the fad was called the bi-level haircut nowadays we'd just call it a mullet and move on. absolutely horrific looking and maybe i'll dig out a picture and scan it in.

in other news i made it to the next round of mm idol and lucky me i get to stress about the next project for the rest of the week. thanks for voting and check it out again on monday.

10 things that make me happy...

1. sleeping in on the weekends
2. boxes of scrapbooking goodies on my porch when i get home
3. a clean house
4. when my boys giggle
5. a pedicure
6. spending time with my family
7. days off from work
8. dh's foot rubs
9. my favorite programs on tv
10. a spark of creativity and a finished project

i think...

well a little challenge over at scrapgal has me scrambling to catch up and it's only day 2! i missed day one ha!

anyway...here goes.

i think that i'm eating too much crap at work. seriously. friday there was cookies, then a baby shower with breakfast goodies and cake, then more cookies and goodies, then a birthday party. this am someone brought in chocolate donuts at this rate i'm going to need new pants.

mm idol voting has begun again. you can vote until tomorrow at 4pm - you don't have to vote for me but these ladies through their heart and soul into these projects so go give someone a vote!

bad blogger bad bad bad

it's been three weeks since my last blog post. yikes.

let's see...scrapbook news...
had a few items picked up for scrapbook trends. made the top 30 cut for mm idol - next vote is next monday - stressing about the assignment a bit. getting a jump start on my work for the month. going to a crop on friday.

homefront....
boys are good. growing and learning more each day. sam is a handful - wrote with marker all down the handrail of the stairs this past weekend. back to watching him like a hawk. adam is doing great in school - he loves it and i'm thankful for that.

good news on the sinus front - went to the doctor yesterday with a sinus infection and i'm feeling better due to antibiotics. they referred me to yale - let's hope some experts can figure this out.

i desperately need a haircut i've had to cancel twice in the past week because i was too sick to do much but go to bed. bought new glasses i think they are a little dorky i have a couple more weeks before i can return them and tell them i want something else.

not much else to report - hope you are all well. off to a meeting.

online crop this weekend

Scrap Garden is having an online crop this weekend -- it is being sponsored by Croppin Frenzy. There are some awesome challenges, games and lots of random goodies being given away this weekend. Come play at .:Scrap Garden:.

woot

excitement! my first magazine assignment! yay! i sent the layout off yesterday to memory makers. i was so nervous, but it all worked out. i also had 5 layouts picked up for an mm book – fun stuff!

packages should start rolling in this week. a scrapgal order, some bam pop, march poppy ink kit and a swap rak too! all that cha goodness – i can’t wait! heck, maybe my big box from american crafts too!

i’m in a little bit of a holding pattern here - waiting on product so i can get my march work done. in the meantime, i’ve been organizing some and sketching out designs.

we are headed to pennsylvania on saturday for the long weekend. we are attending the baptism of our new nephew clayton. sam and adam are looking forward to meeting the little guy. sam thinks clayton is going to play with him (clayton will be around 8 weeks old!) adam keeps calling him caitlin! my funny, funny boys. i can’t wait to get some pics of the little guy.

work is blah – all those competitor earnings calls. sigh. i’ll be glad to be done with them.

holy mackerel

it's been over two weeks. so sorry i guess i have no excuse just laziness. mel gave me a nudge - thanks mel!

exciting goings on this am here at the smith household. but let's look back a little first...

two years ago after baseball they had a fair and there were people giving things out. one of them was this litle tooth holder shaped like a tooth. the other night i checked adam's tooth and saw that it was wiggly. he shot up out of bed (we were reading) climbed up on this table in his room and brought the tooth down and said "guess i'll be needing this soon!" i was so surprised that he had kept it and remembered where it was. i was giggling - he was so excited!

well back to this am, my niece, lila, "helped" adam and pulled his tooth right out. how funny is that? so while taking photos of him and the tooth. i took one of her with the tooth holder. if i'm motivated later i'll try and post them.

nothing going on in the scrappin' world for me. i did post my poppy ink and scrapgal layouts for february. fun stuff. i just had a lot of fun this month and didn't worry - which felt liberating. i'm going to try and aproach it like that next month.

cha - oh my - huh? my list is a mile long. i even bought some of the new american crafts even though i'll be sent a bunch. couldn't wait! here's some of the paper...it's available right now at scrapgal - run don't walk. carly will get it in the mail to you today probably if you order this am. you'll have it in your hot little hands on tuesday! she's the speediest shipper on the net.



i've seen the scenic route out there. it's coming soon. i'm trying to be good and not buy what i won't use. not buying full collections of paper and mostly embellishments since that is really what i need more of. so my list includes 7 gypsies, hambly grids and rub ons, scenic route, the creative imaginations scalloped paper, ki, love elsie, bam pop, pizzazzill, sassafras lass, makimg memories, autumn leaves journal stamps, gin-x as you wish, project essentials (office linle from imagination project), heidi swapp and i will be buying a lime green cropodile. no bg, no mme, nothing distressed! i don't do distressed well and i have volumes of it! i'm super energized about the new lines. can't wait to get them and play.

the sinuses - the cat scan showed nothing. not enough sinus disease and a slightly deviated septum so no surgery for me - it's a wait in see. in the meantime, i'm coughing again. my md prescribed tessalon. it seems to be working a little better than nothing. i'm doing a lot better than i have in the past. so i'll take it. sinus pain is ick - sinusitis - no infection - so that's good.

this weekend - no plans. i hope to clean out a closet, help adam with valentine's cards for his teachers and of course his homework, and go through the kids clothes - wish they'd stop growing!

we have snow on the ground here for the first time this year. i'm sure the boys will be out playing in it this afternoon.

hope all is well with you!

noses

adam is home with a sinus infection - poor little guy. if you've never had one consider yourself blessed. i had a cat scan on saturday and they found nothing - so i'm forced to wait and see on sinus surgery. that is a big fat suckola as far as i'm concerned. i've been coughing for almost a year and i've had multiple sinus infections every year - like 6 or 7 - for the past few years. i know the surgery isn't fun but i was hoping for a cure.

i've slowed down on my scrappin' a lot. it's been awesome to just veg and watch tv at night. i need some time away to think about what i'm doing. i am keeping up with dt responsibilities and i have another crop in a couple weeks so i'll be scrappin' some for myself. i'm just trying to keep up at this point.

not much going on here. work is hectic. home is hectic. that's life.

the news

well i left scrapjazz. i know you are thinking that was short lived. they changed the requirements somewhat and i decided that they weren't for me. lucky for me carly and dina took me right back at scrapgal. i really really really missed being on the dt there. i so enjoy creating for the newsletter and coming up with/doing challenges. it really pushes my creativity and yes even somewhat writing articles - well not really but that's just a self-conscious thing anyway. i'm so happy to be back where i feel like i belong. never leaving again - they will have to kick me out lol.

i actually feel re-invigorated! excited for my crop on friday - all set to go too. working on my last layout for scrapjazz for a fellow jazzer. i hope to finish up and post tonight.

kind of boring and ant-climatic huh? sorry.

new year

ok it's a new year. i was going to try to get healthy and lose some weight, exercise, eat right, blah blah blah. well it isn't happening. that's all i'm saying.

scrapbook wise - status quo is where i'm at. except for photography. i have to work at this in 2007. i bought a diffuser for my flash. i'm reading a bunch and i would like to try and be comfortable shooting in manual by the end of the year. as well my photoshop skills - i want to improve them. maybe next year's goal will be digital scrapbooking. :)

i haven't been scrapping much. i feel like i'm still recovering from the holidays. ;) i have a crop next weekend - going to scrap one page this weekend for ac then pack up 16 crop packs for the crop - i might be lazy and just bring my scraps bin and some cardstock/title stuff/journaling stamps, etc. i'm not sure yet. hope to be productive.

dt changes are afoot - i'll keep you apprised when it's firm. nothing major.

and i'm still looking for another manufacturer. have a couple feelers out - we'll see.

UHU

receiving free products in the mail is always fun. i couldn't wait to try out the UHU stic and UHU glue roller! first i tried the UHU stic. adam (he's 5) made some thank you cards for his teachers and a couple friends. i loved that he was able to see where the glue was on the items he was gluing down and even when he was over zealous the glue dried clear and not lumpy at all. i saved the UHU roller for my poppy ink kit this month. i loved how the tape held great, but you could reposition items easily if needed. i'm so indecisive so this is a great feature! hey if they want to send me more i wouldn't be averse. ;)

if you have a blog and would like to receive free samples, visit maria filosa's blog. look for the entry dated november 2nd. maria also has demos and other cool information about UHU on her blog. :)

more later...c.

of christmas prep and letterboxes

let's see not much to update here. we've been preparing for christmas here. we wrapped all the gifts this past weekend and decorated a little gingerbread tree. i'm pretty much ready to go - just food shopping and such. huge sigh of relief. the kids are gearing up for it and can't wait to decorate the tree tonight. it's my mom's birthday today - trying to think about her a lot today. happy birthday mom - i miss you!

been working on my january scrapjazz assignment - fun new ki wild thing paper - ki was generous - the full line! i've done 7 layouts - hope to do one more and a card this week. nothing earth shattering just my usual style but fun. poppy ink january kit should arrive soon - bg blush and other awesome goodies - heather burch has done it again! i'm missing the pi girlies as the board is down until after the holidays - hope you are all well and enjoying the season.

yesterday we went letterboxing for the first time with the kids. no we weren't letting them hit each other with huge letters nor were we delivering mail. :) here's a good definition...

letterboxing enthusiasts hide and hunt weatherproof containers in remote or
scenic places. each container holds a guestbook, a rubber stamp and stamp
pad. the planter of the letterbox distributes clues to it's location. clues
can be easy to difficult; finding a letterbox may require a combinaton of
skills such as mapreading, orienteering, and puzzle-solving.

basically, you go to the letterboxing.org website, look up a location and print the directions. off you go on a hunt for boxes. the kids loved it! i loved it! terry loved it! so much fun to have a quest during our usual tromp in the woods. so intriguing to know those boxes were hiding out there the whole time. i see a lot more of this in our future. i took a lot of pictures but didn't have time to go through them last night. who knows we might even get into geocaching - which is a similar concept, but using a gps.

work is awesome - i'm loving my new job. so much better than the last one. so much better than my prior position - i'm really excited about it!

hope you and yours are happy and healthy. have a wonderful christmas and a prosperous new year! i'll post next year. ;)

we have a winner

well update first and then i'll tell. or you can scroll down to the bottom and find out now. lol

scrappin' has taken a backseat lately. i'm too busy with the whole christmas experience to even think about it. i finished the shopping this weekend and the decorations are up. hoping to have all the presents wrapped by the end of next weekend. and we decorate the tree on monday - my mom's birthday - a little party for her - one of her last wishes to keep her grandchildren aware of the love she had for her family and christmas. fun but a little melancholy at the same time. each year should get easier - but in some ways it gets harder watching these children grow up without her.

enough of the sad...not much else to share. oh you want to know?



hmmm....



the winner is nicole. hey nicole hope you know how to get in touch with me. ;) i have a few questions for you and then i'll send you a lovely package.

voiceless

yep laryngitis - can't say much of anything. at least i can still type! the boys aren't listening to me - it's chaos around here. it's my first time with true laryngitis.

i finished cleaning up my scraproom, sorting stuff by color and putting stuff away from my crop. i even uploaded all 13 layouts - i found another one tucked away - to scrapgal. you can find them in my gallery there.

dh and i are off to play santa - the boys are going to my sister's and we are headed to borders, target, and toys r us. wish me luck. i'm hoping to just finish my list on this excursion - then we can get the wrapping done.

no housewives tonight and i have to iron. we'll have to resort to hgtv! ;) remember to sign up for the rak below. have a great sunday!

rak

i'm leaving that rak open for a week or so. So post on the thread below. it won't be a random rak - it will be specified to your tastes. so i'll be asking you questions about what you like if you win.

the lady at the crop was thrilled. i arrived first and she came after. i told her i had a box in the car and she could have it - but she had to take the whole box and I didn't want anything back. :) she said you've made my month. it made me feel good. and best part more room in my studio. yay!

i was able to complete 12 layouts - well almost - some brads and finishing touches. nothing pub-worthy mind you. just getting stuff done. i feel energized. and best part they are going to do this once a month! yay!

ok i have to stop procrastinating and clean this room so maybe i can finish up those layouts tonight.

going to a crop!

well i’m going to a crop tonight. yay! i packed up a bunch of mini-kits to bring with me. i’m hoping this kick starts my mojo a bit. it will also be fun to see some scrappin’ friends i haven’t seen in awhile.

on a spending freeze which is going to be hard while seated in an lss. lol

and as for the purging mentioned yesterday. i did a bunch of purging last night. a lot of provo craft stuff, coluzzle templates, and some odds and ends. i think there is 18+ inches of assorted pp in the pile. do you think this is crazy? i'm going to bring the box to the crop and pick one person there maybe determine who is the newest to scrapbooking - then i'm going to tell that person to come to my car and take the box. a true rak. i just can't afford to ship all this stuff out and it's all old stuff that most seasoned scrappers wouldn't want anyway.

on an unrelated note, i am going to do a rak – so post below and i’ll give a little something something to one random person. not posting this on any message boards so my loyal (few lol) readers will get first dibs.