do not open until Christmas.

This is my last time here until after Christmas. I will be leaving tomorrow morning to go to Michigan. Upon returning I plan on setting up my computer desk (finally) It won't have the internet at first, but will allow me to scan, upload, and if I get Photoshop for Christmas, edit my photos, oh and if I get ink for my printer, print. I will be a fully functional computer/scrapbooking nerd once again!!! YES!

I hope everyone has a Merry Merry Christmas, take time to slow down, appreciate friends, family, traditions, and LOTS of good food, I know I will :)

student loans and christmas parties.

LOANS: One thing I love, and one thing I hate...can you guess which is which? Haha. I won't go on too much but student loans are at the top of my sh*t list right now. I am trying to get it all figured out and plan and budget and right now it seems impossible. But, I REFUSE to give up. I will not let these loans take over my life and I will remind myself that they allowed for my education and invaluable life experiences. Ahhhhhh...that felt good.

PARTIES: One a lighter note, the first of the few Christmas parties I have to go to this year is tomorrow...and it just so happens that it is at my house :) I am super excited and have LOTS of yummy food to cook. I will be sure to take pictures and try to upload them sometime soon. The menu consists of a brie wreath with cranberry chutney, bruschetta, stuffed mushrooms, a veggie tray, ham roll-ups, and chicken/mozzerella meatballs w/ pesto...and that's just what I am making :) Denise is bringing falafel, Suzy is making cookies, and Christie is bringing Jello Shots and maybe some chicken/ bacon wraps. Ahh, the food is my favorite part about parties. Should be a blast. Then I have Christmas with my cousin and family next Friday, with Tom and Robin on Saturday, and Christmas Eve on Mon. I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!!!!

An inspirational quote I found today "Remember life isn’t about finding yourself - life is about creating yourself…” on Tim Holtz's website.

blog feelers

Work has been slow and I have been putting my blog feelers out there. Here is some fun/inspirational stuff that I came up with. (Please excuse the weirdness of the picture placement, I haven't figured this out yet)

Love this quote (found on a past post of Keri Smith's Blog) this is relevant to my current urge to REorganize my scrapstuff, yet again:

My problem with classifications is that they don't last; hardly have I finished putting things into an order before that order is obsolete. Like everyone else, I presume, I am sometimes seized by a mania for arranging things. The sheer number of the things needing to be arranged and the near-impossibility of distributing them according to any truly satisfactory criteria means that I never finally manage it, that the arrangements I end up with are temporary and vague, and hardly any more effective that the original anarchy....In short, I muddle along."-- George Perec

Just a rambling that I also found on her blog, I firmly believe this.

This is the layout for the current challenge on Two Peas...
love the idea of collaging and using LOTS of product. Want to try this technique.

Found this site through Ali's blog, fun to play around with.

good intentions :)

Well, I had good intentions of once again becoming a member of the blogging community, however certain circumstances are trying to stand in my way. As of this past weekend the internet at my house is not working or as the cable company puts it "limited or no connectivity" This could be from one of two things, the first is that the cable company just doesn't have their poop in a group and their network is down (which with these guys is totally probable). The second would be the fact that our balance is over due and they have chosen to freeze our internet access and let us keep the cable TV (this is also very probable, unfortunately, but it is the Holiday season.) Either way, this means that I will not be able to upload photos and such with ease. I have full access here at work (thank God!!!) and will do what I can from here until I can get up and running at home again. Cable is just too stinkin' expensive, and I am thinking of trying to go TV free. I don't know if Dave and I would make it, but think of all the reading and crafting I could get done :):):)

tgif.

I feel like this week lasted FOREVER. But, it's Friday and the day is moving along nicely. I am looking forward to a weekend of staying in and completing the rest of my holiday projects since it is going to be cold and nasty here. I am also planning on uploading new pictures and making my blog banner.

I can't believe the first week of December is already gone! I have a week until the Christmas party at our house and less than two before I get to go home for a week...I cannot wait!!! SO many fun things planned. I am hoping to be able to sign on while I am there to give little updates, however the computer at my parents is way way too slow to try and upload pictures so that will have to wait until I get back home.

On another note I have been thinking about the new year and what I want to get out of it. I want to set some goals for myself and really follow through with them. I think one of the things I am going to do is to enter the Creating Keepsakes Hall of Fame contest...if not that at least try to participate in more contest/submission calls. I miss it and need to figure out a system that is going to work for me. I am also thinking of taking one week night and dedicating it to crafting. I think this will relieve some of the pressure I feel to enjoy my hobby.

Alright, I will check back in this weekend with a banner and pictures for all to see :)

reconnecting.

Five months later. I am trying to reconnect with the world. The world of blogging, sharing stories, and scrapbooking. I am also giving the blog a facelift. I have updated the colors and will be adding a new banner sometime this week. The season is a busy one, and maybe not the best to add something else to my list of things I want to do, but it is also the season for sharing and that inspires me. My outlook on things is also changing, slowly but sure and that inspires me too. Lastly, it is inspiring to see other people sharing their lives through words and pictures in such different ways. So, to those who are interested..."I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaack" :)

bUSy liTtLE BeE

As usual I am busy keeping myself busy :) Here's what I have been up to and some things I want to share.

--LOTS of homework ( I have to keep reminding myself that I only have three more weeks until I am done FOREVER!!)
--Finishing up the last week of my internship this week for the Petersen House Museum. Overall I think it went well. It was fun and I learned a lot. I HOPE *fingers crossed* that I can find something in this field in New Jersey.
--Speaking of New Jersey, 11 days and counting until we leave. I am SO SO excited! A little nervous but mostly excited :) So, I am busy packing, and making lots of arrangements. I am still waiting to hear back on a couple of things regarding the finances of the trip and am biting my nails until I know what's going on.
--So, since I am packing, this means that all my scrap stuff is being packed away :( However, I feel like this is a good thing. Although I love it, scrapbooking is not the only avenue of art that I enjoy. I feel like I need to get back to what started my interest in art, drawing, watercolors, colored pencils, stuff like that. So when I set up my new desk at our new place I am going to set it up for creating paintings and drawings, very excited about this.
--I cannot however completely give up journaling and photos, so I have decided to keep an art journal/ travel journal. I have limited myself to filling one 12 x12 art bin with supplies from my stash...let me tell you it is TOUGH to choose what to include. I am excited to see how it turns out though with a limited number of supplies.
--Lastly, I am jumping on the flickr bandwagon and starting my own page to share photos. Here is the address and it will be added to my links on the right. There is only one pic right now, but I will be adding more soon.
--One more thing...if I owe you a RAK, and you are checking this I am still sending them, just haven't got to the post office yet :)

OK....I have been wanting to do one of these for a LONG time...and now is the time! My first RAK...and trust me I will be doing more within the next few weeks :)

So the first one is for a Journaling Your Story idea book from Scrapbook Trends...I was published and given two copies...and one of you lucky folks will be the recipient.

Just leave a comment and I will draw Sunday night and announce the winner on Monday! Good Luck!

hAPpy 4tH!!!

Happy 4th of July! We are grillin out, maxin and relaxin. On the menu is T-bone steaks, corn on the cob, ceasar salad, chips n dip, and brownies!! YUMMY! Oh and some beer :) Hopefully going to see CCR tonight and catch some fireworks...right now just enjoying my A/C (its 117 here) and the A-Z weekend on the Classic Rock station. Have fun today.

At ThE NOok

Well I have been online the last few days...a lot actually, but I haven't posted because I have been spending most of my time over that My Scrapbook Nook. I was invited to participate in phase two of a Design Team call and it has been awesome! I have been scrapping, and chatting and uploading non-stop! It is a great way to do a call. I won't know who made the team for another week or so and am dying of anticipation...but whatever the outcome I am going to stick around over there. It's nice to have people to talk to and obsess over this thing we call scrapbooking.

Other than that my life has been the usual homework (only for another 5 weeks though:) and errands. Our plans for moving are going along nicely and we should be out in a month. We put some stuff up for sale (furniture and stuff) and have almost sold all of it so that's nice. Need to do some more packing, but I need boxes first. I can't wait. New Jersey here we come!!!!

a ReiNstatEmENt.

Well in looking at the date of my last post, it looks as though I haven't been here in about a month. That is why I am reinstating my blog. It has been a crazy month, but I am ready to return so I can share, create, and be inspired.

To start things off, I decided to share some photos I have gathered from various blogs and sites that are inspiring to me. Enjoy!

Much needed vacation...

Ahhh...why does life have to be so tough sometimes? I feel like it never ends. But there is an upside...vacation. And that is exactly where I will be from tomorrow afternoon through Monday. Dave and I are driving to LA to visit Heidi and Jon and I CAN'T WAIT!!!! It is going to be so much fun and I get to go to the beach...yea! I plan on taking a million pictures of course. Speaking of pictures, below is Dave and I's newest obsession. The Golden Spoon, they serve over 20 flavors of completely fat-free frozen yogurt....and man is it good. Cheesecake and Peanut Butter are my favorties. The picture is from when we went to the Grand Opening and got FREE ice cream. I went with old fashioned vanilla and sprinkles :) Good because it tastes good, but even better because it's guilt free. We went three times in the last week...hehe. The only bad part is the toppings, they can get dangerous, but with fat-free ice cream do I really have to worry? Sorry for those on the East Coast, this is a West coast only francise.

New and exciting things are coming...

I know I shouldn't want them to, but I can't wait for the next ten weeks of my life to go by. Not that I am not doing anything worth while here, quite the contrary actually, but I love change and new things and that is coming very soon. I have moving fever and have already started some of the planning process. I have our route planned and our budget (now all we have to do is save the money). I have also decided-no scrapbooking-until we move. I know it sounds crazy since it is usually such a part of my daily life, but I am feeling uninspired and overwhelmed by it. I am going to focus my energy on my internship and doing the best possible job I can and our move, new ideas for our new apartment, selling old stuff, packing, planning all of that. And I am going to try and just take more pictures without thinking about how I am going to scrap them and all of that. I have this gut feeling that Pittsburgh is going to be the place for us. I didn't have that feeling about Arizona, and it definitely wasn't. I am starting a new chapter in my life now that school is over, we are saving money for a house, and have big plans and goals for ourselves. It feels good. It feels right. Here are some pictures that I took while out on a walk down the canal (manmade) that runs behind our complex. The first is a really cute car I saw, the second is the canal at sunset, and the third is obviously a street light, but I love the way it came out.

self portrait

One of the challenges on Elsie's blog today was to take a creative self portrait. I love doing this, and having a digital camera makes it easy to take a ton and keep the good ones :) Also some new exciting things are happening in my life so I will hopefully be blogging a little more often. Busy morning though, gotta run.

a new chapter...

I have so many things I want to write about right now. So many thoughts and ideas going through my head I don't really know where to start. I guess I will just pick a spot and go with it.
Well, yesterday was officially my last day of class....FOREVER!!! I will never have to sit in a classroom for school again (unless of course I choose to go to grad school, but we will cross that bridge when we get there :). I still have two tests next week, but NO MORE CLASS! It is a weird feeling that I don't really think has sunk in yet. This has led me to other thoughts about where I am going next and what I want to allocate time for. A blog that read from Ali Edwards has been exploring the idea of taking what she calls your life temperature. This consists of weighing your priorities and trying to achieve a sort of balance that works best for you. Also, in leu of spring, (even though we really don't have that springy feeling here in AZ) I have been itching to clean stuff out, simplify, and focus on what I want to be a part of my daily life. We have 13 weeks left here before we go to Pennsylvania and I can't wait to go through all my stuff and get rid of some of it. I am definitely not a pack rat and have never had a problem getting rid of stuff. I hate when I start to feel like my stuff overwelms and controls me. I just went through my closet last week and got rid of two bags of clothes. I still had stuff from highschool in there (and I graduated 6 years ago!). It felt good and makes getting dressed in the morning easier without have to weed out all the stuff that doesn't fit, or is worn out. It is better for the self-esteem too I think. So, that is my goal for this first week without classes. Set a sort of schedule for myself and really think about what I want to do and stick to it (that is always the toughest for me). Well that does it for now. I will keep you updated on the process :)

12 Days later...an update :)

Well it has been a long time since I posted. I am not even sure if anyone really reads this other than my sister. Dave says he checks it every so often, but he is here everyday and knows what goes on in my day-to-day so I am not sure that counts:) Anyways here is an update on various things along with some photos.

Easter: Went out for a fabulous breakfest at the farm then for dinner we went to our friends for dinner. Their little girl Jackie got a pirate kit in her Easter basket, we had fun playing pirates :)

CKC Mesa: No photos for this one. But, I did shop and got all kinds of new goodies. I also got some freebies for volunteering, books and kits and what not. It was a good experience overall.

School: Almost there, only a couple of classes left. Everything is in order for my intership (so far at least). And I am enrolled for all but one Summer class. I can't wait to be done :)

Scrapping: Cleaning the studio today and going through pictures that I haven't been through in a while to gather some older photos and really old ones (the ones from my grammy) to be inspired and challenge myself to scrap some new stuff. Like I said I got lots of new goodies that I dying to use :) I will share the layouts in my gallery.

Random: Dave got a tattoo!! It isn't done quite yet, but here is the outline. Also he was a sweetie and bought me flowers the other night as a surprise :) Love them!

Enjoy the pictures and have a great day!

sick.

Well I have officially lost track of the days and have not written in quite a few. I am sick of school. Sick of Arizona. And yesterday was VERY sick to my stomach. I am hoping to get all things back in order and on my way to not being sick. I will let you know when I get there and will soon post easter photos.

DAY THIRTY: New Etsy Shop!

Well, I have taken on yet another creative endeavor. I have opened and Etsty Shop! I will have a wide variety of items here from scrapbooking, to glassware, to photo prints. I am currently working on adding to it and will continue to do so throughout the week. Check it out and help spread the word!

DAY TWENTY NINE: On my mind

Just wanting to share some things that are going on with me right now and on my mind.
*Submitting lots of pages for publication (hopefully)
*Trying some new techniques on my pages
*Throwing around ideas for a book and hoping to work with Heidi on it
*Happy that my herbs are doing so well (except the violet, its not dead yet though)
*Not wanting to go to school, I would rather be creating
*Reminding myself I need to call Dad and Marlana
*Looking forward to the weekend (food and fun)
*Not looking forward to the weekend (I have a paper to write and two tests to study for)
*Happy that the weather has cooled down some again (high of 68)
*Trying to come up with ways and contacts to break into the world of creating as a career

quick note

I recieved a copy of the book I was published in today...absolutely fabulous! Here is a link Journaling Your Story. I am super busy this week and will write more later :) Have a great day, night, week, whatever!