New Puppy Scrapbook Layout

I admit it.
I haven't scrapped a single page of anything in almost a year.
Totally shocking if you could see the entire room of scrappy crap that I have accumulated.

Lucky for me scrapping is kinda like roller skating.
Once you know how to do it, you can do it forever although as you get older and more time passes, the first time you get up on those wheels it may be super hard and you may fall on your face.
I decided one day last week that I was going to scrap.
I literally had to make a commitment to myself that I wouldn't give up and just one page done, nothing fancy.

It was hard.
Real hard.

I just haven't done it in so long and really lost my creative mojo.
And I know plenty more crafty people that this has happened to.

So here it is, the super simple page that took me like 2 hours and lots of cursing and frustration...

I used Making Memories Noteworthy Collection which I had sit collecting dust since it originally came out.
And American Crafts letter stickers, Heidi Swapp chipboard flower and Bazzill Eggplant color cardstock as the base although in these photos it doesn't look very purple.

Isn't she cute?
But man, don't let that cuteness deceive you, she is a little troublemaker.
She's 5 months now, totally house broken (thank god) but has her moments where she just feels like jumping up on to our dining room table.
And don't be surprised if you sit down and she instantly jumps into your lap like a 40lb. cat.

2010 has been a trying year so far.
I really thought it would be the year of the spazz and the stars would allign for me but so far that hasn't happened.
As much as I try to keep up with blogging, managing the Craft Critique blog keeps me VERY busy and so does life.
Isn't it funny how life gets in the way sometimes?

But, while I am still job hunting and trying to maintain some sense of order around my house and parent a mouthy teenage boy, I am determined to find my crafty groove again.
So stay tuned, if there is anyone out there on the interwebs who even look here anymore....

My Busy Life

(that title's an understatement!)

I don't think that title is larger enough or bold printed enough for the magnitude of my busy life.
I miss blogging.
I miss being bored at work.
I miss having extra time, just a few extra minutes to breathe.
I miss my friends and family.

But life is good.
Real good.
We are all moved in and settled (for the most part) into our new house.
There is always something to do or fix, but compared to a year ago and living in a tiny 2 bedroom apartment....we are in heaven.
Our family has been a major help to, installing water heaters, painting rooms, advising, and helping in about every way you can ever imagine, thank god.
Here we are the weekend we finally moved in back in late May...
(the kid IS a lot taller but he's standing on a higher step too, he's not THAT big...yet)

And the store, everyone is always asking, "How's the store doing?", well it's fine.
Could be better, could be a lot worse.
I've met so many crafty people at the store and am so lucky that part of my job is to hang out and talk crafts.
That's probably the best part about the store, the people.
I am even more busy this year than last, you would think that I would have learned to do things a little more effectively or been more organized but sadly I am a person who creates work for herself.
Like I tell my friends, I am the person standing in a large hole and instead of climbing out, I'm digging myself deeper.
We celebrated our first year anniversary and we have learned a lot in the first year, so hopefully we will have an even better second year.
And we've learned some lessons, the hard way but will just grow stronger because of it.

And since I have so much spare time.
And I'm already so deep in that hole.
I dug even deeper....much, much deeper.
And adopted this little bugger from PAWS.
Meet Nasdaq. (this picture is the best representative of the massive size paws this little guy has and just how big he will grow to be)

He's my new baby.
Everyone is always commenting about how I ONLY have ONE kid.
Well, I actually have three now.
And they are all adorable.
And two out of the three don't talk back.
Our old dog Neo is still getting used to having the little troublemaker in the house.
But he has a #1 fan who is always giving him undying attention, so that has to makes him slightly happy.

And he is an amazingly good puppy.
We've had him 3 whole weeks and I really think we are about 90% housebroken and he already knows sit really well.
He eats EVERYTHING, especially sticks, but luckily if you just tell him to drop it, even from a distance, he does.
And he is kinda lazy for a puppy so we are lucky he isn't a hyper little fella.
Oh yeah, since I know you are all wondering since you saw the size of those giganto paws...He's 13 weeks old today.
Like I said...He will be HUGE, bigger than our Rott when full grown.

Oh and the kid, well, he's still a teenager.
And he has lots of teenage angst from being misunderstood, naturally.
But luckily the nerd academy is finished for the summer and he's been off a few weeks now and the happiness that comes from a lack of homework has definitely made him nicer to his parents. (and vice versa)
He starts 8th grade in a couple weeks and I can't believe we aren't in kindergarten anymore, time flies.
And he's learning very quickly about girls.
And his mother is not happy about it at all.
Or handling it well.
I find it hard to accept that my baby isn't a baby any more.
Which is exactly why we now have a giant puppy so that I have someone at home to baby that doesn't tell me how uncool I am all the time.

And I still make crap.
Tons and tons of crap to be exact.
I am teaching about 20 classes a month at the store, so I'm still crafty if not craftier than I was.
Here's a little proof...










If you want to see more of my creations and need a little inspiration, check out the CraftFancy Gallery, I make most of that stuff as well.
Or on our CraftFancy Blog.
I also just started unpacking all my crap from when I moved it all into storage back when we moved into the tiny apartment and man, do I have too much stuff!
I am working on organizing and arranging, but expect pictures soon as well as a big giveaway and little garage sale.
I couldn't possible use all this stuff in my lifetime.

And I am teaching a couple online courses as well.
(there she goes again diggin' that hole deeper and deeper...see what I mean??!)
When I get more details and set dates, I will link it all up on this blog.
Since I will be blogging more, it's on my lengthy To Do List toward the top, right below Sleep, Feed Family and Breathe.

That's about it for now.
Back to work, lots and lots of work.
And then off for the week to get ready for our Housewarming Party on Saturday.
Talk about stress.
Hope everyone is well, I need to catch up with my bloglines reader that has over 5000+ unread entries.
Yikes!
Chime in and tell me what's new, save me from my blog list, please!!

Life is BIZ-AY!

Yes, I am still alive and kicking.
(thanks to all the nice people who sent emails to make sure I was still among the living)
I am so super busy these days that I am amazed I find time for eating and sleeping.

The kid is at Nerd Academy now til August 1st and it is majorly hard.
I am having difficulty helping with most of the homework.
He's only in 7th grade.
And there is a ton of homework which we didn't really expect.
Some homework would be fine but 4 hours a night is just painful for everyone.
Only 4 more weeks to go.

And the commute to the Nerd Academy from home each morning is a nice tour of the city.
I am amazed every morning that I don't see cyclists strewn along the streets.
With the way they ride and nearly cause accidents left and right...there should really be more tragic accidents.
After leaving the drop off in Lincoln Park, I head north to the store each morning and lemme just say...some mornings I am leaving my house at 8a and get to the store just before 10a!
Road rage is so much clearer to me now.
And I am having a problem staying awake on the road in the mornings, the traffic and lengthy commute make my eyelids super heavy.
I have started a regime of Red Bull in the morning the past couple days and it seems to be helping.
Last week I would drop off Max and tell him, "Have a great day and pray I don't die in a fiery wreck today!"

The store is great!
Our website is now up and awesome, thanks to Karen.
(If you are looking for anything web related, Karen is the gal to go to!)
She got the website up and running and even re-vamped our blog.
Now all we have to do is get the online store running and we are totally set.

Our Grand Opening was last weekend at CraftFancy and it went great.
I am just amazed at the power of word of mouth in scrapbooking.
My buddy, Greta blabbed about the store online last week and low and behold...2 girls from Fremont, Illinois (3 hours away!!) showed up to shop!
If I ever doubted the power of Greta, I don't anymore.
And everyone is telling everyone, which has really been the best advertising we could have ever hoped for.
So, thank you to all the blabbing crafters, you keep us in business!

I am officially moved, again.
Anyone who has known me for a little bit will know that this is the 3rd time I have moved in 3 years.
Yes, I am insane.
Well, the last time was just up a flight in the same building.
That was stupid now that I think about it.
But now I am temporarily moved into the man's apartment.
We are attempting to buy a house and it is taking longer than expected to find a dream home we can afford in the city of Chicago, so for now we are all cramped into his place.
So far, we are all surviving but it's only been 3 weeks.
And if he doesn't let me use his computer, since we don't have ours connected yet, I may kill him in his sleep tonight.
So, I'm definitely not a single gal on my own anymore.
Although, I am still technically single, no ring on the finger yet.
Not that I am holding my breath, I don't really care about such things.
I'm just happy we're all happy and all together...finally.
So yes, me and the baby daddy have shacked up.....Finally.
And once we find a bigger house for all of us and the dog, I will be even happier.

I am still creating like mad.
Especially with the store needing so many samples and classes.
It's what I spend my days doing, in between business stuff and chatting with crafty people.
And I couldn't be happier.
Even with the life-sucking commute.
It is my dream job.
Jealous?

And here's a little proof that I still make stuff:
It's the new SEI Poppy Collection.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!
I am looking forward to relaxing and having a few days that I don't have to work, pack or move anything.

Off to make something fabulous....

Letter Challenge

The challenge over at ScrapYourCrap is near and dear to my heart because well...
My name is Simone and I am a letter sticker addict.
Seriously.
I have a hard time not buying letter stickers anytime they are around.
And no matter how many letter stamps I have and that they are so much more economical (and you know I am a cheap gal), I still can't resist them.
And I use them on almost every page I make.
If you are like me and have a ton too, especially several kinds with certain letters missing (for me, it's S, M and E), then this challenge is perfect for you.
Please join us!
This title on this layout cracks me up!
But they are.
And look at all those letters I'm using up and all those brads too!
And that patterned paper, American Crafts' Celebration line, only cost me 20 cents at a sale a couple weeks ago!

DT Work

My stint as GDTM for NoelMignon.com is officially over.
I had a blast working with those girls and Noel for the month, she is an awesome person to do design work for.
Here are the last of my projects that I haven't shared.
All the details are on the Layouts and Projects blog.
That Thank You card is for you, Noel.
Thanks for picking me to bat for your team for a month!

And her new kit, Cotton Candy, is up on her site and if you need a reason to take a peek, I would say there are 20 pieces of patterned paper inside and check this out:

My buddy, Michele

This is my buddy Michele.
And I am now officially amazed that I have only 2 pictures of us together and we both look good in both pictures.
I am pretty convinced I can now only take photos posed next to her.
I love the way this LO turned out, totally simple with just a hint of sparkle on the butterfly with stickles, Michele loves the glitter.
And it is totally true.
She does totally get me.
We've been bestest of friends I think since the moment we met and we have so much in common, it is insane.
And she listens to my complaining all the time, like a trooper.
And lets me razz her to no end and takes it like a champ.
Yeah, I total love her.
She makes me look good in photos and is an awesome friend.

All the details about this page are featured over at the Noelmignon Projects Blog!!

Remember Foam Stamps?

Do ya?
Well about 3 years ago they were all the rage and everybody had them.
Heck, everybody made them too.

Some of us still have some (or a ton) and never use them.
So that's the challenge over at SYC this week.
The title here was stamped with white paint first and then I journaled over it.
More details over at the ScrapYourCrap blog.

This picture so sums up the kid these days.
He is computer obsessed.
And it is always, "Ok, one minute!"
"Hang on, I'm saving."
"Just let me get to the next level."
Drives me batty.
I always say, at least he doesn't watch TV.
But wait, that little monitor is like a TV!
Ahh, but it is interactive.
And he mostly plays strategy and simulator type games.
He's currently hooked on Command and Conquer.
And occasionally he dabbles in the old school Nintendo.
But who can blame a kid for wanting a little Donkey Kong once in a while.
Especially after seeing this awesome documentary about it.
Just hope he doesn't want to be like the grown men in the movie, spending their whole life trying to beat the dang thing.
I hope it starts to warm up some more so I can encourage a little more movement out of that kid besides his fingers.

Day Late and $1 Short

I am a chaotic person by nature.
I've got that kid.
I work almost full time in a dungeon office.
I pick up an extra kid after work every day and am responsible for him maintaining average grades as well as my own kid.
We eat a home cooked meal almost every single night, nothing extravagant but it still requires preparation and heating of some sort.
I try to maintain a love life with the man, mostly with just phone time (ok, that sounded bad) but occassionally I may even lay my eyes on him.
And it is just the way of my world.
Do I love it this way? Nah.
Do I kinda like it? Yeah, kinda.
I think I would be easily bored without it all, the constant motion, the underlying stress of each day.
It's the adult ADD.
I never would've admitted that before but I am really starting to come to terms with me.
I'm OK that I am a tad crazy, always.
And that I am unorganized and spazztic.
And constantly late.
Wait, that part of it, the tardiness, I don't enjoy as much.
At all.
I am your friend that will send your birthday present or card a month (or more) late.
I am the one always late to meet up.
Punctuality is not one of my talents, at all.
I'm just happy when I meet my deadlines occasionally.

And as the GDTM for Noelmignon.com this month, I am happy to report, I made my first deadline, thank god!
My submission for the Manly Challenge over there, you have til Friday to get your entry in and possibly win your own spot as GDTM for June.
Or if you want a little more permanent spot on a DT, she is having a call for that as well and all the details are HERE.
I can say, having been on the team for the past few weeks, it has been a breeze and the girls and goodies are fabulous, so if you're looking for a great site to do a little work for, I can't recommend her enough.

This page was made with the Scenic Route Providence line, completely. The only extras were the little buckle and the black chipboard from American Crafts.
LOVE those chipboard pieces!
Design is based on an Ali Edwards in one of her books, not the Life Artist, probably the patterned paper one, I love that book.

I know I am sucking at this whole blog thing(see above) but I am way busy these days with work, the new store (which I do not own, am just working there once we open, if ever), that kid, trying to find a house (did I mention that?) and still watching that devil child afterschool.
So bear with me.
And if you wanna see what I am doing, thinking, up to...Check out my twitter on the right side of the blog and also here.
Just more of my daily ramblings and nonsense.

She {hearts} Candy Too!

My very first article is up over at CraftCritique.
It features this Layout...

Be sure to check it out!
And if you are looking to spend a little money tomorrow for National Scrapbook Day, my buddy Noel is offering free shipping all weekend in her shoppe and her current kit is awesome!
Happy NSD People!

Chipboard Challenge

I'll tell ya all about the birdie tomorrow, I'm gonna try to phrase what occurred in a manner that will be pleasing to aviary lovers everywhere.
I'm just not sure of a good synonym for "oops" yet.

Until then, the challenge this week over at ScrapYourCrap is to use up some chipboard.
I have a ton, so this challenge was one of the easier ones.
I used naked chipboard and inked it up with some white pigment ink and embossed them as well before added some stickers to them.
And also used the new Providence line from Scenic Route that I got from Noel's store and I love the colors.
It wasn't really on my must-have list, but since I have gotten it, I can't stop using it.
I also used some Scenic Route chipboard letters and inked the edges of my patterned paper.
Just a simple LO of Max's dog.
He is always looking for attention and secretly wishes he was a lapdog but at 100 pounds there is no way he sitting in anyone's lap.

The RAK is still open til Friday, so don't forget to leave your comments there!

Just your typical weekend chaos...

Friday night I spent my time entering product for my new job.

Oh, did I fail to mention a new scrapbook store is opening up in my neck of the woods?
Yep, you heard right Illinois residences, a new shoppe is currently underway.
Well, we are working as quickly as possible.
Where, you ask?
Arlington Heights.
When, you say?
After we make it look more like a store and less like this...

There was an 8am soccer game Saturday morning which I did not attend.
Yep, I am the bad parent that opts out of games earlier than 9am for my own sanity.
And then, after that and the world's fastest shower, we headed off to Max's interview which was at 11am.
Parking is a major PITA in the part of town, seriously.
It cost me $11 for an hour and a half!
But the kid did awesome and looked great, so think we may be a shoe in.
The best news I heard was that they had 400 applicants and only interviewed 100, so that alone impressed me.
Now, all we need to do is be one of the 65 they take in the program.
The worst news is that he will be in school almost all summer, full-time, which really puts a damper on some of our normal summer fun.
But he did let me take this picture, in front of the other school building, so as not to embarass him too much.

Then we drove 2 hours to University of Illinois to visit my baby brother.
We usually go down a couple times a year but this was the first time due to our crazy schedules.
We went to dinner, watched Juno with some of his friends and just hung out.
We also walked around campus because it was a perfect day yesterday and I always think this is one of the coolest looking campuses.
These two are really starting to look like twins, they even wear the same shoes!

We walked super far just so that the kid could get one of these...
What?!
Never had a bubble tea?
Drove back home with some of my brother's junk to move back home.
We needed to be back to go to Sunday night dinner, it's our family tradition.
Got back, raced to make this page for the SYC challenge this week.
I was so happy this page took me like a total of 30 minutes, start to finish!
I used the new Scenic Route Providence line I got from Noel's store.
And 24 brads!

And now it is Monday, the weekly chaos starts all over again!
Although sometimes the weekends are more exhausted than the week days!

I see I am now at 40,000 visitors {thanks!} so I will post the blog candy tomorrow, I need some photos of the goods so that you know what you'd be winning, right?

1990 Re-Visited

I have been pulling out old photos lately to inspire me to scrap.
It seems to be working.
But it also seems like more of a walk down memory lane than anything else.
I've been thinking a lot about my life, where I've been, who I am.
I've pulled out old pictures of me, or the kid, and on occasion, I've even been getting a little misty.
So unlike me.
It's amazing how fast time flies.
And I look at old me and try to imagine what she would think of this current version of me.
Would old me walk right up to current me and give her a good smack, "What have you done?"
Seriously.

When I found this picture of me and the man, I instantly felt like I was 18 again.
Totally stupid and naive.
And completely smitten with this man from this very first prom night.
It was the easiest I have ever fallen in love in my life and the hardest, for sure.
And as much as I hate this picture of me (I remember I was eating fruit salad as it was shot), the memories of myself in this moment, in this picture, are priceless.
It just makes me want to take more pictures.
And pull out some more oldies.
I'm still astounded at how skinny we were and amazed that these too people made the coolest kid on the planet.

Paper is Theresa Collins and Foofla, Stickers are Making Memories, Grungeboard heart, Making Memories flower and brad.

Mother of One, Again

No, the mother does not read the 'ol blog.
She most probably doesn't know what a blog is.
And if she did, I wouldn't care...I told her all this in person and on the phone.
Us, single moms need to stick together!
Which is the reason I watch this kid to begin with, to help out my fellow SM.
But last week was so mentally exhausting, I was completely worn out on Saturday.
I did absolutely nothing.
Max was so excited to have order in the house again.
Went to a family dinner and took some headshots of my baby brother, but that was it.
And yesterday was pretty much spent the same way...doing nothing.
I watched bad Tv and stayed in my jammies all day.

This page is up at Scrap Your Crap for the challenge this week.

It's Tool Time over there this week.
So pull out your tools and try to use 2 or more on a layout, project, card...whatever, just use them!
I used my Sizzix (the old school red one!), my Bind it All and the Cropadile on this page.
And I realized that I broke my Cropadile!!
Has anyone else done this?
The little nib that holds the eyelet to set it was broken off.
I guess I don't know my own strength.
And now I need a new one because it sets the eyelets all wonky without that piece, which is why mine look weird here.

Wassa Goin' On?

Man, I am a slacker, huh?!
But I am too exhausted to have been slacking.
I'm just busy...yeah, that's the ticket...busy.

* I am working on stuff for Scrap your Crap.
This week we're all getting felt up...no, not in a back seat kinda way!
So if you've got some felt laying around, come on over and join us.
My LO makes me giggle, look at how little the kid is.
Now we're eye to eye!

* I watched the movie, The Mist last weekend.
It's the one by Stephen King.
I can't stop talking about it.
Watched it twice.
It was a totally commentary on human nature and scary true.

* A very lovely gal sent me one of these to try out and review.
I guess cause she saw my video and knows I have a lot of ribbon.
So, expect to see that coming up next week.

* I'm also catching up on Rock of Love.
But I'm only on season one, still.
Without cable, I have to watch these things on DVD or in this case I bought it from Itunes so that we could watch it on the plane from Jamaica.
I am hooked.
The stripper just got Bret's name tattooed on the back of her neck....omg...I thought for sure he would stop her.
But that would be sane!
And even though I know who he picks at the end, thank you very much Greta, I am still enjoying the process immensely.
"Don't threaten me with a good time!"

* And I went and saw my buddy Michele last Friday all the way in the south suburbs which is a feat in and of itself on a Friday night during rush hour traffic.
We traded some images.
And Joanne showed us how to make this card.

Isn't this stamp cool?!
It's from Outlines stamp company and after lots of coloring with my Copics and cutting, lots of cutting, it look totally cool.
I think we successfully convinced Joanne she needed Copic markers.
And a blog. (just sign up already!)
Until then, you can see her gallery here.

* I also got a challenge done for NoelMignon.com.
And it was on time, for a change.
It was a sketch challenge, if anyone is looking for a good sketch, it is still up at her site and it's a good one.
And she has a new challenge posted as well.
The winner will get a spot as Guest Designer and the topic is balls.
Heehee...I said balls!

This LO is totally Scenic Route.
Perfect Camping paper.
And because it came with letter stickers and coordinating cardstock...this was super easy.
Even those chipboard circles are Scenic Route.
Again, super old pictures that make me laugh.
Man, I was hammered in that group shot but boy was it a fun weekend.

* I am addicted to the group Vampire Weekend.
Love the whole album.
It is exactly my kinda music.
The kid is now appalled that we like the same thing.

* Hell's Kitchen just started again this week.
I am addicted to people cooking and Gordon yelling at them.
I know, it's a sickness.
But there is nothing like high pressured lobster bisque.

That's about it, I think.
Just busy.
Today is sunny and I hear it will be almost 55 degrees...woo hoo, heatwave!
So before it turns totally gorgeous and perfectly 70 degrees I have been crafting up a storm and working on more videos.
Because once 70 hits, there is no way I can be kept inside.

Oh and it looks like I am coming up on 40,000 hits.
Can that be?
Really?
I'm just shocked when one person reads this wackiness.
Well, when that bad boy hits the big four-oh, I am giving away a little prize package filled with all kinds of summery goodness.

Anthologies Scrapbook Studio

If there is one thing I know about crafters, it's that we like pretty stuff.
We are generally people who love the look, the feel and sometimes even the smell of things and usually buy accordingly.
I am a totally visual person.
And so I love to see people's stuff.
I love to just look.

And so, while in Mississippi visiting my friends, I not only taped each and every scraproom I visited but I also made a short video of the scrapbook store in Biloxi called Anthologies Scrapbook Studio.

This is a cute store that is run by Jennifer Fox, who is not only one of the friendliest people I have ever met, but also a great scrapper and mom.
She single-handedly runs this well stocked store and also makes almost all of the store samples.
Inside you can find all sorts of lovely product such as Hambly, KI Memories and even the Creative Cafe!
And there is a good mix of themed lines as well as trendy, I love that.
And TONS of ribbon...my weakness.
And most of the store is arranged by product line...YAY!
And she carries entire lines of product, not just a few choice pieces, which is also remarkable.
And then there are sections for baby, school, etc. as well.
Which makes it easy to find something if you have a specific project you are working on.

So enjoy this little look inside this awesome store.
And if you are in the area, be sure to stop by and tell her some spazzy chick from Chicago sent ya!

Anthologies Scrapbook Studio from spazzgirl on Vimeo.
If you are unfamiliar with viewing these videos online, it is best to hit the play button, then pause til the entire video loads.
That way you can view the entire video without it stopping to load while viewing.
Hope that helps.

Old Skool Paper

This morning...

Me: Max, take a picture of me with this paper, I gotta show Greta and I look cute today.
Max: You look cute today?
Me: Don't start, just take the dang picture.
Max: Why are you taking a picture of paper, I mean....
Me: JUST TAKE THE PICTURES!!
Max: Don't I need a flash?
Me: Nah...just take 'em.

Fine...here's the flash.
Isn't this the paper you own too Michele???
And the grand finale of the worst patterned paper I own and yes, kept after I sifted through my paper and gave away all the horrible prints I had in my collection....

I don't even go to the beach.
Or own a sealife stamp to use this on a card.
I don't even know why I bought this paper to begin with.
This paper has to go or be used in the next 30 days, or it is outta here.
It is on death row waiting for a pardon.

If you have paper like this in your collection, old patterned paper, join us over at Scrap Your Crap and check out what Greta and I cooked up!

I went to Mississippi and all I got was this lousy Strep!

Yep, we came back and got sick.
I kinda expected it, with all those germ infested planes we rode.
And when I came back to work last week, my computer was sick too.
He greeted me with tons of porn popups.
A girl can only find her horny match so many times before getting bored.
And very angry.
So after countless hours with tech support.
I am virus free again.

And totally behind on my work.
And about 1000 posts behind on my bloglines.
And I leave for Jamaica in 10 days!
So much to do, so very little time.

And yes, I still scrap!

I've run outta new pictures to scrap that inspire me, so I started sifting through old photos that I never scrapped and it was like a trip down memory lane.
So, if you are in a scrappin' rut, I highly recommend digging through your old photos.
I think I actually forgot how little the kid was once.

Letters in this page are the negatives from my American Craft letters, this is one of my favorite cheapo tips and I use it all the time.
The paper is from KI memories, I bought it while in MS.
And if my friends ever questioned just how cheap I am, they witnessed it firsthand at the LSS when I only spent $20.

Dear Prudence...It's a Brand New Day!

What a nice relaxing weekend.
Went to see my buddy Michele on Friday night, beer and pizza was had.
No stamping was done.
Get the two of us together and you can't get a word in edge-wise!
I did tape a little video of her awesomely full room 'o crap. (coming soon)
She gave me an awesome birthday present, tons of scrapping goodies, none of which I already owned and plenty of skullz and rockin' embellishements!
And a card.
You may remember my rant about these stamping images a while back.
Well, Michele used one to make up a birthday card for me, but added the nose and mouth herself.
Thank God!
Now the poor little dear can smell and eat!

On Saturday, it was warm here and wet.
So we stayed indoors, in jammies and played the day away.
I scrapped up a storm and got all 5 challenges done over at Scrap-diner for their CHA Challenge...woo Hoo!
This one was the hardest of the challenges.
The countdown challenge.
Use:
6 brads
5 ribbons
4 patterned papers
3 flowers
2 chipboard
1 stamp
Yeah, it was a real stumper!
But I got it done.

Saturday night, we watched Across the Universe....
This movie was awesome, beyond awesome.
The music, the photography, the trippy effects...I loved it all.
I haven't stopped singing Beatles tunes since.
Mimi, if you haven't seen this one, add it to your list pronto!
It had everything I love in musicals too, I am a fanatic about musicals. As a kid I had always hoped that people would spontaneously break out in synchronized song and dance.

On Sunday, we laid low again.
It was very wet and miserable outside.
More scrapping was had, Max was enthralled with a video game that came from his gamefly subscription.
I made some porkchops in the 'ol crockpot for dinner, gotta love 5 minute prep times.
And we were in bed relatively early, even thought today is a non-school day.

I was awakened a few times last night by a rumbling sound coming from above me!
I am not a light sleeper.
I was when Max was a little guy but in recent years I have become increasingly good at sleeping through just about anything.
Which is why it is so shocking that something woke me up about 4 times last night between the hours of midnight and 6:30am!
I am on the top floor of my building.
The sound was definitely coming from above.
I am thinking there is a vermin in the crawl space/attic....or several.
Tonight will be the test.
Then someone's gotta come out and git 'em.
I can't lose any beauty sleep, I am not a happy camper when I don't get my 8 hours!
Fingers crossed there are no more mystery sounds tonight.

There is a new challenge up over at Scrap Your Crap...it's the holiday paper one.
Great challenge for card makers, scrappers and crafters alike!
So come on over and join the fun.

Page details: PP by Dude Designs, Cardstock by Bazzill, Chipboard by SU, Letter stickers by Doodlebug, Stamps by KI memories, Flowers by MM, Prisma and the $1 store, Brads from Target $1 spot and Heidi Swapp

SYC Challenge #2

The second challenge is up over at Scrap Your Crap.
If you are a person who has a lot of stickers, this one's for you.
Ahhhh-Chooo!!
Check out my sticker sneeze people.

That's 17 stickers on one layout!
Lucky for me, I had these Chatterbox stickers that matched their paper perfectly and worked together so well it was simple.
If you are a card girl....Try 5 stickers on one card.
I know, it's hard, that's why they call it a challenge.
And with 5 stickers a card, you can realy plow threw your stash pretty fast.

ps. Full episodes of My So Called life are now available online for free over at abc.com, which is what totally inspired this layout.

Makes me Wish for Warmer Days!

Looking at this Layout totally makes me dream of warmer weather.
I yearn for the day I can tell the kid..."Go outside, you're making me nuts!"
And we are so lucky we live across the street from the public park.
A playground, field house, ativities...all across the street.
It's perfect.
Max thinks it's HIS park.
The other kids are just lucky he lets them use it really.
He walks around the playground as though he is the mayor, waving politely and kissing babies.

In August 2006, yes during wonderful weather, they closed the playground to remodel it.
I figured they were trying to get it done before the end of the year.
I was wrong.
They didn't re-open that park until June of 2007!
It was a long fall and spring, let me tell you.

Then one warm June day, the protective fence was down and I can't tell you how fast the kid ran over to that park, you would've thought they were giving away money over on the slide.
He had to be the first to check it out, swing on the swings, attempt the monkeybars.
Then report back his complete Ebert-like review.

These pictures were taken on that first day of the new park.
The paper is very old Fancy Pants that has been in my stash of crap for a very long time.
But now that we are doing weekly challenges, I am hoping to use up a lot of the stuff that has, up until now, just been taking up room.

This page was originally entered for a multi-photo challenge over at ScrapDiner!