Happy Thanksgiving

Well… Eve :D  I am totally waiting on the food tomorrow.  I can’t wait!  The house already smells like awesome pumpkin pie! YUMMMM!!

I managed to finally get back in my scrap room and do a couple layouts.

I am making this short as I am off to bed.  BUT I know it has been a few days since I posted.  I do want to end with a few things I am thankful for in no certain order other then the first one is my ultimate first….

1 My family 2 my job (though I wish it was full time so I wouldn’t have to worry about finding a full time job) 3 my country (I LOVE being an American) 4 my friends who have cared and loved me for years 5 that Christmas is just around the corner (It is my favorite holiday)

May all of you have a safe and Blessed Turkey Day!

Odds and Ends

First the usual business.  Finished with that green kit and totally wish I had more.  It was tons of fun.  I got a couple new kits that look way fun to do.  Some Monsters with Sassafrass lass and geo hectic by WeRMemory Keepers.  Does anyone get those moments where you really want to scrap and have a ton of ideas but just not the motivation to actually scrap!  I really should have tonight but just couldn’t take the time to make it down there.  Life’s stress just got int he way.  Which is silly as it is my stress reliever.  Anyway I digress… Here are the four I did to finish the kit.

Sorry for the poor quality but my batteries are dead in my real camera so used the phone.  Not sure which one is my fave.  They all turned out well.  This kit was so easy to use!

This weekend we went to a Dance Off at University of Missouri.  It was a fundraiser for the children’s hospital and Kids Miracle Network.  We were a featured family.  It was a cool time.  Here are some photos I took.

There was this one part where my three year old was given a small purple guitar and he proceeded to dance with it and pretend to play it.  First there was a few of the kids watching him then slowly he had just about all 200+ kids watching, clapping, and going crazy with how cute he is.  Afterwards he had them lining up to take a picture with him.  He is a crazy kid!  lol

And because I can’t stop there I have to add these cute video Alex and I took while waiting for Daddy at Lowe’s  The first is showing off his big muscles and where he got them for and the second features his favorite saying “Because I said so” and telling me how he is the boss.  BTW – in the beginning he is asking to watch his muscle video.  He loves to watch and laugh at himself in photos and videos.  Gotta LOVE the age of 3!

Just for the record I have two other very cute boys but I just haven’t gotten a chance to take good videos of them.  If I find one as I weed through what I took I will post.  :D  I will be leaving for my old home town (sorta – where my boys grew up really) this weekend and I have tons of fun planned.  This week is going to be forever!!  Isn’t that how it is when you are waiting for something fun and then when it gets there it only feels like a minute! 

Thank God for Blog Family

So I had been feeling pretty down about blogging.  I wanted to express some displeasure but then I was like who wants to hear people or me whine?  Though to be honest I like the blogs that have the good and the bad.  I don't want one that all it is doom and gloom but some insight into the person is refreshing.  What is funny is this post from Karyn at French Charming spoke candidly about her feelings for blogging and how we often do not life up to our expectations.  I think it is awesome the people who are so faithful to leave comments.  One that is uber awesome is Maggi I have seen her be super faithful to her favorite blogs and is always a joy to read her comments.  Now I have had other folks post here and there.  I think they are more like me and post a comment when they really have something to say.  Though I have feelings on all blogs I read... I just don't have enough of one to always post.  But then I am lazy... honest I am.  It isn't that I don't care but I feel guilty sometimes just being a lurker most times.  I do not want to leave out two more people who I also adore for their faithfulness to reading and commenting (at least to mine so I am sure others.)  Carrie and Callista.  Thank you to all three of you ladies... you make me feel warm and fuzzy and read.  Which is the point of blogs right?  Ok so in real life I tend to babble and I think I am now here too.  SO to point.  I was just feeling like some unpopular git who is silly for keeping up a blog.  Like how am I important.  But Karyn's post made me realize hey I do this for myself.  I hope to make friends and have awesome meet up stories one day but if that doesn't happen.... I have decided I am ok with that.  I will just keep plucking along because one day my children will have a digital record of our lives in a way and will slowly see how there are "strangers" out there that are for real and can care.  I know I felt that strong when my son had his brain tumor.  I really should not take it for granted!

Now I am also feeling better with this whole budget thing that was kind of depressing me.  I had posted on 2 peas in a bucket some budget ideas.  And thankfully people replied.  One awesome ideas was a dollar for every layout I complete.  I LOVE this idea.  Because it keeps you from hoarding (which in general I don't do other then some older embellishments I really need to use) and keeps you in a realistic guilt free budget (at least for me).  This thought was reiterated by a comment from Carolyn who's blog I have totally fallen in love with.  I sincerely LOVE her work I saw.  Some people I see work and I think man are they trying ot just put every peice of prima/bling etc on there or are they trying to be artful.  I love artful layouts for scrapbooking.  I am not saying I accomplish this... no I do in my own way but not like a lot of people I see.  Anyway again I am getting off track.  Carolyn really has artful gorgeous work!  And the other thing I liked is she showed some organizing she does.  I just wish I could sew!  So a big shout out thanks to Carolyn for finding my blog and commenting.  I totally made my day.  (you too Maggi and I agree I should just get the basics but man I go through a lot of tape so I am fearful that is where all my dollars would go too if I included in my budget.  KWIM?)

SO I guess that is it... and if feels good to get these few things off my chest.  SO next time I should be back to layouts and family photos.  No more sour stuff for a week or two I promise :D

PS -- I want to add and forgot to say 1) Carolyn is also a dragon for Chinese sign as I am and Maggi -- Not sure about others but dragons are the best lol and 2) If I am a follower I do read your blogs.  I look at my reader every day.  I might not read them all every day but I get caught up almost every Tuesday at work.  (HEE HEE don't tell my boss :D just kidding he knows as I am the only one he has to talk to and vice versa.  It is often nice being the only worker besides your boss BUT it is sometimes lonely... Sigh :D)  Ok thanks again for following and reading!  Angela

Contemplating

I really need to budget my scrap spending.  It is not like I have gotten us into debt with it.  It is mostly why I have a part time job but I feel I am putting it before family needs way too often.  Just feeling guilty about it.  Plus I am starting to wonder if the kits I get really are that economical.  I think I am going to drop two and keep one.  I find scrapbook deals 4 u to have the best value with the best embellishments.  I am thinking of getting those kit(s) and then buy a few extras and stay within 100 a month.  This includes tools too.  I will either take a once a month trip to my LSS or buy online.  I like the idea of online if I can get free shipping and a discount. 

I was wanting feedback from anyone on how they budget or do in these economic times.  How do you decide what is a must have and a would like too?  Maybe I am just being too hard on myself as I have recently felt how productive is the scrapbooking  -- other then giving me a creative outlet.  Which is important but in the long run will people care?  I try not to be a downer on here but I wonder these things recently and need to get it off the chest. 

Green Themed layouts

I love the alternative LPS kit for October.  It is so boy and easy to use.  It is full of rich greens.  Here are the layouts I have done so far with this kit. 

I still have several bits of paper left as I got the mega kit and the add-on.  I will probably do some more in the next week.  Though I really need to clean that room.  I should take a picture and show you just why.  It is a mess!

I Mucho Love

slow weeks at work.  I am a church secretary so some weeks I am very busy and others I am not so much.  This week was a not so much.  I took my scrap supplies with me and away accomplished!  :D  I only work part time so this is what I got done in about 6 hours over two days.  I have one more that I didn’t have the complete as I think I needed some flowers and other embellishments.  So here are the completed ones.  I still need to add most of the journaling but other then that they are complete.  I used one complete kit and did not cut it up at all.  I used whole sheets as background instead of cardstock.  This was fun and challenging.  It makes it easy when the paper is not double sided.  I didn’t get as many pages as I usually do but at least the kit is killed.  I use to try to be as frugal and stretch the kits as much as possible but I can totally feel myself evolving in my scrap style. 

I feel this one is missing something but not sure what or where??

I have to add the number 33 to the top in big numbers but I didn’t have any number alpha’s with me.  Weird huh?

I don’t think there is a single one I don’t like so you know it is a good scrapping session when that happens.  They are all pretty simple and embellish light but sometimes the paper just does the talking for you.  This times challenge at the All About Me blog is what can’t you live without.  Here is my submission.  I love this paper and again the paper does ALL the talking as far as beauty so i didn’t add a thing other then my picture and the journal scraps.

Sorry the weird light on the other photos the sun is going down here on a beautiful day.  I kinda regret not doing more outside today but I forget how soon it gets dark now.  Also there is a smell in my house I can’t get out or figure out.  I am embarrassed and pray no one stops over!!  Does anyone know any blogs that help freshen up a house?  Or tips of your own.  Please share!  It is driving me nuts.  And it is not the garbage, the dog, and I have smelly candles burning but the smell is so strong it just has mingled with the funk making it worse I would say!!  AGH!  Thanks in advance for any help you can give!  lol  Hope all your weekends are going well!

Knocking out those kits

I think I told you guys how much I LOVE the Dream Street Sam papers.  Well I used them all up already from the PS October kit.  And some Kitchen Spice I had from the LPS Main kit.

 

To round out the layouts are my submission for a previous All About Me challenge to scrap what color you are and the current one which is to document a turning point.  My color is pink as I am so girly even though I tried to fight it for a few years.  And the current challenge is to document a turning point.  I did it of my getting laid off and how we had to sell our home.

 

I realized today that I have changed a little in my scrapping.  I use to be so OCD about taking a kit and use it until it is gone.  And I still do those but I find myself also letting the photos dictate what kit I use and have been taking out a kit then putting it back when done with the layout.  So people can change or adapt lol.