Just another monday

My to-do list is growing by leaps and bounds, probably because I don't actually do any of the things on the list. I keep trying to show the list who is boss, but the list sometimes kicks my butt. Here is my latest, trying to keep things soft because it's for the baby book. However, my better half does not like the pink hearts. I don't guess that the mother's of little girls have this problem. It seems like every layout I do is being evaluated for whether or not it is masculine enough. It's a baby layout, it's supposed to be all warm and goo-y. I hate that I'll be limited to red, blue, green and kraft if masculine is the only way to go. I'm moving on to some toddler layouts, this baby stuff is harder than I thought and should only be attempted in small doses.
PS Sunny J if you are reading this, please post and let me know you are all right. I'm worried sick about you and yours 'cuz I haven't heard from you.

Busy, busy

I have taken the last two nights off from scrapping. Life happens and I was so wiped out that I went to bed early on Friday, and then Sat I was spending time with my better half. But, I just finished a layout, will upload tomorrow. Right now I thought I'd give Ali Mclaughlin's challenge a try:

Five things that...

Fascinate me


1. The ups and downs of the stock market
2. Celebrity gossip
3. The news on tv
4. Paper and stickers
5. Decorating

Inspire me

1. Beautiful photos
2. Songs
3. Truth/honesty
4. Color
5. Fashion

Anger me

1. Injustice
2. Bullying
3. Lying
4. Abuse of anyone, women, men, elders, children or animals
5. Crime

Confuse me

1. War
2. Road Rage
3. Piercing anything besides your ears (ouch)
4. Snobbery
5. Directions

Delight me

1. My family
2. My child
3. My dog
4.My friends
5. My life

Amaze me

1. Pregnancy/child birth
2. Medical miracles
3. People who never give up
4. Science
5. Life

Sadden me

1. People driven by hate (terrorists)
2. Poverty
3. Not taking advantage of good opportunities/advice
4. Death
5. Missing anyone I love

Fullfill me

1. Having a career
2. Being a Mom, wife
3. Taking care of a home/family
4. Creating art
5. Being needed

Frighten me

1. Sharks
2. Unexpectedly discovering bugs
3. Scary movies
4. Forgetting something important
5. People sneaking up on me

Relax me

1. Reading books
2. Drinking hot chocolate or apple cider
3. Candles
4. Petting my dog
5. Scrapbooking

Now it's your turn! Pass it on!

Friday pants story

Happy Friday all! I have on my friday pants and I'm ready to go! That is a tradition that I started when I was a student. In my postgraduate program, we had horribly hard tests every friday. So, I started to notice that I had an affinity for a certain pair of pants that I would wear every friday. Now, I was a good student/nerd, whatever, and I normally did make really good grades. I ended up being 2nd in my class. Anyway, I became so paranoid and superstitious that I could only wear these specific pants on Friday, somehow they were lucky and bringing me good scores (not all the studying I did day and night--couldn't be that!)

When I started working, I did the same thing. Habit after all those years I guess. Through the years I've had lots of different "friday" pants. My personal favorite had dots in every color of the rainbow on black pants. I changed up the tops. My better half told me I looked ridiculous when I bought them and some old lady in the store outside the dressing room hit him with her purse and told him not to say such things to his wife!! I knew I had to have them.

My mom "Friday pants" are actually a special pair of jeans. Things change, but this is something about me that never will. Now you know. Sorry for the horrible scan, this layout is a lot prettier in real life, but the colors are so soft the scanner is missing them. Could take a pic, but I'm out of time. Later gators.

For the love of hearts

Not that she would ever visit, but in the event that you do, Heidi Swapp, is there anyway you could make a heart punch or stamp or something? Help a girl out! I haven't played with paper hearts like this since I was in grade school. But it was fun. I do love those HS hearts.

Valentine's day, Happy Birthday Dad! I almost forget to call him every year, it's so crazy busy on V-day. Today I am making a cake for my sweethearts. I love cake and there really doesn't need to be a reason. I just baked a yellow cake with bits of tiny hersey's kisses in it, will frost with rich chocolate iicing. I lick the batter from the spoon too, even though I know better, even though I did get Salmonella poisoning once. It's a small risk, the pay off is worth the price.

I do (heart) you J and T. Happy Valentine's day everyone! Be happy, do something fun.

It's cold and rainy/icy here. I wish it weren't so. I feel blah. And I have a thousand things to do. I just don't feel like blogging today. I don't feel like discussing what is really bothering me, or thinking about it for that matter. I will just say, I wish that people would treat others how they themselves would want to be treated. I will defer to the immortal Dr. Seuss (so wise):

From Oh the places you'll go:
This you already know, you'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go.
Just remember to step with care and great tact and remember that life is a great balancing act.
Just never forget to be dexterious and deft and never mix-up your right foot with your left.

Yep, one of those days . . .

It has been one of those mornings, hurried, frazzled, stressed. At least it did not snow on me while I was out running errands, that would have made it a 10/10 flipping out kind of a day. I'm actually doing quite well not to model any of my bad habits for J, surprisingly being a mom has given me the kind of patience I always wanted. I know that's not normally the case, I don't know what went haywire during the pregnancy. Wires got crossed, maybe the circuit got fried, I couldn't tell you.

This layout is special to me because I hoarded that 7 Gypsies paper so long that it is vintage now, but I feel like it was the right choice. I have alot of vintage basic grey and mustard moon, and I would love to use it all in a new cleaner style than was popular when it first came out. But, I'm a little worried that this might fly in the face of convention. We are supposed to want the latest and greatest, and I do. I just want the old stuff too.

I counted last night and I have now 15 layouts for J's book. I don't know whether to feel like "that's it???!" or "I have 15!" It's all how you look at it. Today I'm leaning more toward, that's it? I guess I have such big work to do.

Rockabye

Hey all, good monday morning! Here is my layout using a technique I call "toned BW". I have loved this paper by Basic Grey LilyKate for a while, but couldn't figure out what to do with it. Having BW photos makes using up your paper stash so much easier. I still love color, but this is a nice change. Some of the other photos I printed last night were a little harsher, more black and white with little or no grey. I can't decide which I really like, but I do like since I tend to put some BW on every page that the photo already has it, so I don't have to factor that into the design.

In other news, my better half is working on taxes. Sounds like fun. My little tax deduction is sleeping. And for valentine's day I asked for a GPS for the car. I hate getting lost, swept away in traffic. Nothing makes me more frustrated quicker. Except for printer/computer trouble. Those two things will get your heart rate up in a hurry. I have to work on my father's B-day present, his birthday is Valentine's day. Kind of funny that the toughest man I know celebrates his birthday every year with pink hearts.

To those I owe email, I am working on that. I promise!