LOVE Challenges

Check out this layout. I love it. It is a combination of a lift and color challenge. I just LOVE lifts and challenges. Great stuff to get the scrappy mojo flowing. Scrapbook Heaven is having a lift crop. I lifted Carla's choice for this photo. It became perfect for the color challenge at The Moments because of the purples in the photo. I used my favorite Doodlebug papers and brads. The glimmer mist made the perfect background. LOVE LOVE LOVE the purple/green combo. Most materials are doodlebug (pp, brads, stickers). The purple scallop border is Martha Stewart painted with smooch. Letter stickers are AC, EK, Kaiser, and Adorn-it. The journaling block is from a nestabilities die.

Title: My Baby is growing up. Journalling reads: WOW! My heart skipped a beat when I saw this photo. It was taken in May of '06, 5 years ago. You are growing up soo fast. I wish I could slow down time, and yet I can't wait to see who you become!

A layout!

Yep...I have finally scrapped! I hadn't scrapped since August and this unfinished layout was buried on my scrap desk. So...viola. I think it started from a sketchabilities sketch...but not sure anymore. It felt good to get it done! And...I think it is one of my new favs! Ya just gotta love the MME product. I had soo much fun playing with it!

It is also the first layout I've photographed with my new camera (Canon 50D)...I'm not sure I like how it turned out. The lighting wasn't that good...but it seems fuzzy to me. I'll have to play with the settings on the camera.

I've been making some cards also. Birthdays have been coming up and I haven't had time to make my loved ones cards. So, I assembly lined about 10 of them the other day. It feels good to be ahead in this department. I'm already working on Mother's Day cards and more Birthdays. I want to have a card for everyone pre-made for the year! Then it will just be grab and go.

I'm planning on attending an online crop at Pages in Time April 30/May 1st. Nothing like a crop to get those hibernating mojo juices going...I can't wait. I hope you can join me. I miss all my online scrappy friends.

Now...as to what happened. Well...I guess I needed to learn something about myself. And the good lord wasn't getting through to me...so he threw some curve balls my way so I'd have to listen! It all started with being let go from a design team...a way big blow to my ego. Then my father-in-law was diagnosed with cancer. I had to drop off from volunteering for an organization I love, moved my mom into a nursing home, Christmas, big blow up with the hubby, Father-in-law passes away, dropping off another volunteering position, and my hubby has been diagnosed with a 40% blockage on the widow maker! PHEW! It was just too much...especially on top of a very busy schedule.

During this time, I think I read every book written by Kristin Hannah. Very, very good stuff. There seemed to be a recurring theme in all her books...relationships, how not speaking up, not telling the truth and the impact that has on our relationships. I had realized how I was doing the same thing. Not speaking up, not asking for what I need, and just sitting back wishing and hoping it would be different. Being the victim. Poor me. So I spoke up and let go of a bunch of stuff. Because sometimes...it is what it is. And you know what...it is pretty good!

But, there was one more thing. I also realized I do a lot of things just to feel special. Message boards, design teams, volunteering, etc. All those things make me feel special...Oops...feeling special has to come from inside! Wow, no wonder I was crushed when some goofy things happened last year.

So...I'm going to focus on being the best wife, mother, daughter, scrapper, and friend I can be. I'm going to stop looking for the external recognition and give myself the recognition inside. Thank you Lord for waking my behind up!

Cinch or Bind-it-all

Well...I have to admit I groaned when I saw WeRMemoryKeepers came out with the Cinch. I already had the Bind-it-All...and well...I wasn't really all that happy with it.

I bind 6 12x12 Calendars every year. I do not bind all the way across the top. I cut a binding wire into 4ths and use 2 on each calendar. 6 holes twice. Sounds easy, right? Nope...the Bind it All is not all that sturdy. I had to hold the pages up, make sure they didn't topple out and hope for an even punch which was difficult. The bind it all doesn't have counter weight to the punching side.

The Cinch is heavier, can punch more holes at a time, and the paper lays flat...a win right there. I happened to have 50% off coupon at my LSS, so I thought I'd give it a try.

The Cinch is a MUCH better punching system. Easier to line up, easier to punch, and easier to load the wire. Plus I could punch more pages at a time! I was thinking the Bind-It-All was going to become garage sale fodder. Then it came time to bind...the actual squishing of the wire. Cinch works with 3/4" wires and above. It would not smoosh my 1/2" wire...bummer. So I used the Bind-it-all for that.

The Bind-it-All might still end up in a garage sale. I can't see punching with it anymore. And maybe I can find a way to shim the smooshing process on the Cinch.

If you are only working on smaller...I'd say 6" or smaller books...then the Bind-it-All would be fine. Once you start creating larger books...Cinch is the way to go!

Almost caught up!

Well, it's January 17th. I finally finished the 6 calendars last night. I just need to bind them up and ship them out! I'm just now prepping for my class tomorrow. New book, new software...I'm not near ready or comfortable. I hope to get the Christmas decorations finally down this week. AND I hope to finish getting my mom's finances all settled this week.

Hmmm...I remember selecting "Balance" as my one little word that I'd work on for 2010. I don't think I actually accomplished it. But I did learn a ton. I think I will continue to work on "balance" again for 2011.

I really need to work on asking for support. Adding the second kid, teaching part time, having a daughter on team gymnastics and cheer, and still volunteering...well I just can't do it all by myself anymore. Support is a beautiful thing...it is soo easy to give, but much harder to ask for (for me anyway). I don't think I can create balance without support.

Me time...this one seems so easy, yet I also find it difficult to implement. I always put the needs of others before myself. Taking time for me...reading, relaxing, scrapping, eating healthy, exercising...etc is always last on the list. I did better with the healthy eating and exercising last year. I joined a gym close to Kelly's gymnastics so I can work out while she practices. I ate healthy for about 2 months. It became stressful. I need to find a way to implement the plan in a non-stressful way this year.

I also need to get back to scrapping. I had some very bad online experiences last year. I love the online community, but not the drama that comes with it. I love the challenges of being on a DT, but have yet to find the right fit. Maybe I'll just start out with some online challenges and see where it goes.

I hope to post about Kelly's cheer competitions. She's doing so well that she doesn't want to quit. She is finishing the season and then focusing on gymnastics. I'll also put up more photos of the calendars. They seem so simple, but took a long time. I think this year I'll buy the card stock with the pattern papers I'll use. I spent a lot of time looking for matches. I'm also going to work on them monthly. I said this last year...and was much farther ahead when it came to November...but life took over. It was a crazy Christmas this year.

So that's it for now. I hope to have some scrappy stuff up soon!

January

Well here it is. My Calendar for January. Simple but sweet. Now to make 5 more of these and then on to February.

I ended up adding a lot of glitter to January. It took a lot of time and now I'm out of white glitter--I didn't realize how low I was. I guess I should have taken stock of my stash before starting the project! The problem is that I'm such a poor planner! I do have all the months printed out and I bought 2 of each month of the Creative Imaginations line (I hope that is enough...time to be frugal!). But who knows what I'm going to add to the pages! LOL!!

Hopefully these calendars will re-stoke my scrappy mojo and I'll make time to create again. I do miss it. And I miss my scrappy friends. I guess it is time to go find a friendly message board to hang out at.

Back?

Well, sort of anyway! LOL!! Moving my Mom was a bit more complicated than I expected. We brought her down on the Sunday after Thanksgiving and then moved her into her new apartment in the assisted living portion of Lutheran Homes Monday evening. Tuesday morning she had an appointment with her new wound Dr. He immediately put her in the hospital. Geez...Welcome to Muscatine!

Anyway, she stayed in the hospital until Thursday and is now in the Nursing Home portion of Lutheran Homes. Needless to say, I've been spending way more time with my Mom's situation than I expected. The plan is to get her into her apartment by the end of the month. I am hoping, praying, and providing as much support as I can to motivate her to do what she needs to do to get into the apartment. Otherwise, it looks like the Nursing Home will be her new home.

I am finally working on my calendars! Yeah...scrapping. I have not scrapped since the end of September. I'm definitely going through withdrawal. I haven't been on a message board, walked into a store, or even blogs. I LOVE having my Mom close by, but it is like I now have a third kid. I need to work on balance again. The schedule has just been too crazy. But, I can see the light...no more gymnastics competitions until next fall. Cheer competitions will be done in January and we won't be continuing that sport. And Christmas busy-ness is almost over.

I never thought I'd get to the point were I actually need to schedule time for me, but I really need to look at this in the new year. Maybe even create some scrappy goals to motivate me.

Tomorrow I'll put up my January mock-up up. I try to keep the calendars simple (I am making 6). But somehow...I always manage to make them a little more complicated. Oh well.

Bald is beautiful?

Update: Here it is...Mike decided that he and Max needed to shave their heads in honor of Papa Billy. Papa Billy lost most of his hair due to Chemo, so he shaved his head this weekend. And of course, the testosterone was flowing in the Ball family with challenges and dares gallore. So here are my two dudes sporting the bald look! LOL!! I just wish I had taken the family holiday photo before the clippers came out! Anyway, Billy seems to be doing better. He is breathing better, they don't need to drain his lung, and he is finally home. Seems like the Chemo is working. He is still very weak and is on oxygen...but he sound more like his own fiesty self!

Mom came in for her evaluations at two facilities last week. We finally overcame her reluctance to moving down here. She likes Lutheran Homes and I think she is looking forward to the move. I hope to get details of her move finalized this week. It looks like sometime right after Thanksgiving she will be moving. Kelly is looking forward to seeing her Grandma more often.

Kelly has been doing awesome with her gymnastics! So well that the coaches moved her up to Level 5. She has another meet this weekend along with her first cheer competition of the season. It is going to be a busy weekend!

And me...well...I'm still trying to catch up. The house is still a mess...but the laundry is caught up. I hope to be caught up with everything by Wednesday. I can actually see a light at the end of the tunnel.

I haven't scrapped since September and I am missing it. I am still trying to get used to my new camera...Canon 50D with a 28-135 lens. I LOVE the zoom capabilities and the speed of the action shots. I'm still having difficulty getting it to focus on what I want it to focus on. And my action shoots are still too blurry. I really need to practice and learn how to use the features instead of staying in auto-mode.

I'm feeling the holiday crunch already. I have my Christmas cards somewhat designed and need to order the materials. Calendars...I started off wanting to keep up monthly all year...but alas this did not happen. I don't even have all the photos printed out! ARGH! Looks like I need to get hot!