Another Layout

Just thought I would share a quick page before I head out for the day. Taking Kat to get her hair cut and to Build-a-Bear. Kristen is coming with us... so it should be a fun day!

Creative Juices are flowing!!!

So I LOVE being a teacher. I mean I really love it. I also really LOVE winter break. The holidays are almost over, so I have time to just create. Chris has been off the past few days too, so he plays video games and I play in my scraproom. It has been awesome! Now reality is starting to set in... lesson plans and a yearbook deadline are calling my name. But I am not giving in just yet. I still have a little more time... and how much will I really be able to get done with the kiddos the first day back anyway? :-)

So here are two of my creations from today. I am in LOVE with this paper from KI Memories!

Now back to my scraproom for some more creative time. School will be here before I know it! :)

Last Minute Gifts

So I totally forgot that we had a party with some dear friends tonight. I have made something for their three girls each year... altered comp books, altered paint cans, etc... I didn't remember that the party was tonight until 2:00! Yikes! So I decided to make paper bag albums for them this year. I like to use coordinated papers when I have to put something together quickly. The first one uses chatterbox, the second KI and the third Christina Cole. Love all of these papers. Here they are:

I'm In! I'm going to CKU-A!!!

I am so very excited. I didn't realize how much I really wanted to go to the CKU-Albums until I actually registered! It is really tight right now for us financially... but this is something I have really wanted to do and Chris made it ok for me to do it!

For those of you who don't have a clue what I am talking about... CKU stands for Creating Keepsakes University. It is a large "convention" for scrapbooking. It is the premeir event and includes classes taught by the top scrapbook professionals in the country. It is pricey... but from what I have heard you get your money's worth! It happens to be in Chicago this spring. (Never been here before!) AND is over my spring break, so I won't have to miss any work! It was just too perfect NOT to go! :-)

I am taking the album track from Junkitz... LOVE LOVE LOVE their product and designers. I took a class from Teresa last summer and can't wait to take another one! I am also taking a class from Tim Holtz who is the premier Stamp Artist!

It's nice to be excited about something again. Can we really afford this? No not really. But it's nice to spend money on something other than fertility treatments for once....

Christmas Cards

So I had this great idea for our Christmas cards this year. I saw a great card in a magazine that had a little girl holding large letters spelling out "JOY." Why couldn't I do the same thing, but with the dogs and cat? I had these great photos in my head.

I went out to the store and bought the letters... Except they were out of "j" because they had all gone on clearance. They did have "u" so I bought those and had Chris cut it to make the J. Problem solved... I thought I would just put the "o" over the cat's head. Who was I kidding? Then I gave Romeo the J. All he wanted to do was chew on it UPSIDE down... And then when I sat on the floor to take the photo, he started licking the lens. At least Chris and I were laughing at all of this. I didn't even try with Patches.

Here are some of the rejects:

So onto Plan B. I have played with Digital Scrapbooking a few times. I thought this might be a perfect time to use some of the free kits I have been collecting. I am fortunate to have Adobe PhotoShop Elements on the computer. So here is the first prototype of the card:

I sent it to the online photo center at Wal-Mart. I am anxious to see how it turns out with the processing. I printed a few from my PictureMate here at home to see how they would look. I am trying to decide if I will make them postcards or if I will adhere them to a card front. Still have to decide that.

Then there is always the debate... write a letter or not? Last year I was so out of it that I didn't even send cards. I really don't have lots to say in the letter. Although we have made some life changes in the past two years that some of our distant relatives might want to know. We'll see if the mood strikes me.

We meet with the RE tomorrow. I am not anxious like I usually am. I am really at peace with everything. I am anxious to hear what he has to say. We'll see.

A few Layouts

It's been awhile since I shared some layouts, so I thought I would share a few. These are two that I taught last weekend at a retreat. I am pretty happy with the way they turned out. The weekend was about proving that I am still alive and well in the scrapping world. More on that at a later date!

So, here they are:

10 Quirky Facts about Me

10 Quirky Facts about Me…

Inspired by a challenge on the Two Peas Board.  Thought I would jump in on it!

1. I have issues with textured food.  Can’t do tapioca pudding or small curd cottage cheese.  Forget rice pudding or couscous.


2. My middle name is Anne… I always thought that was funny since I have such an unusual first name.  I went by “Pati” for about 6 weeks in middle school.  Just didn’t fit!


3. I LOVE pens and pencils.  I could get lost in Office Max or Staples.  Luckily I have some good friends who share my passion.  Last year my good friend Bridget gave me an entire bag of office supplies.  I LOVED it!


4. I can’t watch scary movies.  AT ALL.  I end up having nightmares and flashbacks to the movie.  My DH has gotten used to this and understands.  He even warns me when a show might get too scary for me.  


5. Sometimes I have to look at my hands to tell Right from Left… (Your left hand makes an L.)  Just something that never really stuck in my head.  High IQ- no common sense sometimes!


6. I could get lost in a paper bag.  My sense of direction is NIL.  My mom always tells me to think about which way the Lake is… not really sure how that is supposed to help.  If I can’t see it, it won’t work.  I also hate when people give me directions and tell me to go “East.”  Tell me right or left, people!  


7. I am a bonafide geek.  I love learning new things and reading.  I am an information junkie.  When something happens in my life, I deal with it by gathering as much information as I can.  Makes DH crazy!


8. I am guilty of letting the dogs sleep in the bed with us.  I know it is not the right thing to do.  Yet, I can’t help looking at their puppy eyes and giving in!


9. I can’t swim.  Now this is the funny part… DH is a swim coach!  I have spent most of the past 10 years at swimming pools.  Yet, I have never learned to swim myself.  I can critique stroke and am even a level 1 official.  I couldn’t swim the 25 free if my life depended on it.


10. I love shoes… it really is a problem.  HOWEVER, the first thing I do when I get home is take them off.  Can’t stand having shoes on.  I guess they are just for show?

Feeling Creative again

So I was in a little creativity drought. I spent most of last Sunday cleaning out my scraproom so I could actually create. I also had a shift in thinking about some things in life, so I have found more mental "space" for my own creations as well. I am trying to create some albums, canvases, etc, to have on hand as last minute gifts. I have even thought about selling some items through school.... we'll see.

Here is a paper bag album I finished tonight:

I am pretty happy with the way it turned out. One of my coworkers has a birthday tomorrow. Trying to decide if I am going to give her this one or if I am going to make one for her. Leaning towards making another one tonight.

Didn't go to work today. I woke up with a scary pain in my chest. I don't think it was anything serious, but it was scary at the time. It started about 4 am, and didn't let up by 6. I decided to make the call then. I went back to sleep and ended up staying in bed till 11. Maybe my body just needed the rest. Who knows. I am so grateful to have a great friend who was able to do my lesson plans for the day and take care of my kiddos. Thanks Beck! :-) I am still a little achy tonight. Hopefully it will all be good tomorrow.

So I haven't worked out since Monday. I was doing so well. I WILL go tomorrow and Saturday. Chris has to work Saturday morning, so that will be my motivation.

Off to create something for tomorrow...