Deep thoughts, by Mish

This is a Circle Journal page for my friend Robin. Her theme was to do a top 10 list. I'm on an anti-paper/element kick lately, which explains the composition.



Credits: Notebook paper and stitching by Jessica Bolton, acrylic alpha by Traci Reed.

Journaling reads:
1. I read magazines backwards.
2. I would own a pair of Crocs in every color if I could.
3. It look 3 long years until I became a mom.
4. They do not sell tires here (Canadian Tire is a Wal-mart type store in Canada)
5. God rocks - these are cool (tulips are my favorite flower)
6. Whatever happened to tie dye?
7. Teeth are a little bit creepy (especially when they fall out, like Gretchen's did today)
8. T-shirts are best when being used for other purposes. (If you can't tell, I cut them into strips, tie the strips together to make yarn, and knit with it)
9. We should all mind our parents like this.
10. Bigger isn't always better (that is our house - I love it here).

PB & J Quiz

What Your Peanut Butter And Jelly Sandwich Means

Your eating style is gluttonous. If you like something, you're going back for seconds... no matter how full you are! You have an average sweet tooth. While you enjoy desserts, they aren't exactly your downfall. Your taste in food tends to be pretty flexible. You may crave sushi one night, and your favorite childhood recipe the next. You are probably a fairly normal, upper middle class person. You don't rock the boat too often. You are a tough person who isn't afraid to live life fully. There isn't a lot that scares you. Precise and controlled, you can be a bit anal retentive when it comes to how you like things. You're definitely a perfectionist.

What Does Your Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Say About You?

Chocolate Peanut Butter & Jelly Cupcakes

I haven't actually tried these, but I just bought the most adorable PB and J themed digi scrap kit at Sweet Shoppe Designs, and I had PB and J on the brain. Don't they sound fabulous?


Layout Share

Working girl - me!

Yesterday morning, I got up and went to a JOB for the first time in 3 years! Woohoo! Before I had the girls, I worked in a real estate office for a Realtor for 6 years, managing his marketing, Internet/web site, some client contact, etc. It was a great job and I loved it, even though I got a bit burnt out towards the end. We have kept in touch over the years and last week he called me out of the blue, asking if I'd be interested in coming in to help out part time. I said YES I WOULD!! LOL Right now I'm just working one morning a week to get re-acquainted with everything, and as market gets busier I'll be adding more hours.

It's fascinating to realize all the little things I used to take for granted working there. Like...I have a REAL chair that is comfortable, one that you can adjust up and down and that swivels. There is fresh coffee available all day long. The bathroom is clean and bright, and has several lotions and "girlie" things available...and I don't have to clean it! I have my own phone extension and my own computer. I have really arrived!

One challenge is that I've realized I have a totally crappy looking wardrobe right now. So tonight, during my "night out" I went shopping and found 3 pairs of pants and 2 blouses to wear to work. I believe that is a record for me. I HATE buying pants, since I need petite length (not width, that is for sure!). K-Mart was my friend tonight. I wanted to get new shoes too, but the price wasn't listed and I was too lazy to ask. ha ha

They just called and could use me tomorrow too, so I think I'm going to see if I can work that out. Any extra money is a good thing!

A new list

I saw this on Meredith's blog, and it's one that is "new to me" so I thought I'd throw it on here!

10 YEARS AGO-
Rob and I had been married for almost 4 years, we had our house, I was working in a real estate office and we traveled a lot. I wasn't ready for kids yet! LOL

5 THINGS ON MY TO DO LIST
1. Work on the school yearbook
2. Workout every Tuesday at the Y
3. Laundry, laundry, laundry
4. Paint the girls' bedroom
5. Make several doctor appointments


5 SNACKS I ENJOY
Light popcorn
Yogurt
Apples
Cheese
Soft pretzels


5 FOODS I LOVE
Peanut butter
Turkey
Rice krispie treats
Chocolate
Butternut squash


What would I do if I were suddenly a billionaire.
Donate a whole bunch of money to my church, KLOVE radio and a whole bunch other places
Then I would pay off my mortgage, and the mortgages of my family members
Travel


5 PLACES I HAVE LIVED
Lexington, Kentucky
Oxford, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio

That's right...I don't even have 5!


FAVORITE QUOTE
"Music is love in search of a word."


Tag, YOU'RE it - Melinda, Robin, Jessica, Cathy, Tracy, Connie, Jeanmarie, Carrie - anyone else who'd like to join in!

PDW's Build Your Own Grab Bag Event!

Plain Digital Wrapper is having a really cool promotion starting tomorrow - March 26, 2008. We'll be offering you a chance to build your own grab bag! Each mystery item will be priced at $.50, and you'll be able to see the designer name and what type of item it is (papers, elements, templates, etc.)

I have 3 template sets available for just $.50 each! This is a deal you can't miss!



Hope you check it out!!

Just for fun

You Are a Swirled Easter Egg

Completely psychedelic ... just like the Easter Bunny!

What Kind of Easter Egg Are You?

Friday Favorites at PDW!

I have a brand new template set out today - on sale for just $2.00, today only, at PDW. Check it out! There are lots of other cool new products too...

Sick as a dog

Uuuuuuuuuuugh. It's 2am and I can't sleep due to a nasty case of the flu...fever, chills, body ache, coughing and an outrageously non-stop runny/stuff nose. Ick ick ick!! I have to get over this soon! It started on Tuesday night, and tomorrow am I'll be calling the doc for some drugs.

I did finish a few pages from my San Diego trip...trying to distract myself from feeling bad...

Credits: Template from my new Rectangle Quickies Power Pack 7 at PDW, everything else is from Traci Reed's Petite Couture at Traci Reed Designs

I had the best seafood ever out there...fresh salmon, crab cake sandwich and awesome fish and chips. Mmmmm. We also check out a cool little Mexican restaurant my buddies had seen on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network. I got to sample some Horchata, a traditional Mexican drink made from rice. It had a milky appearance and a slightly sweet, cinnamon taste.

Credits: Template from my new Rectangle Quickies Power Pack 7 at PDW, everything else is from Jessica Bolton at SBG

Credits: Template from my new Rectangle Quickies Power Pack 7 at PDW, everything else is from
Traci Reed's Hello Sunshine, available at Traci Reed Designs

Mt. Helix is so pretty. The view from up there was awesome. The story is that the top part of the mtn. is a public park, but at the very top where the cross is...that part is private land, so the cross can never be removed. Love that. You can see the cross from all over the city.

Around here the weather is finally showing signs of spring. It was almost 60 degrees today, to the 8 inches of snow we got last weekend is just about gone now. Yeah!

Well, I'm going to *try* to get some sleep now...

San Deigo Trip :-)

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

I'm conservative, what a surprise!

You Are a Conservative Chick

Like Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Ann Coulter, you're conservative and proud of it. You speak your mind, even if everyone else around you disagrees. As you see it, you have to stand up for traditional values and what's right.

Are You a Liberal Lady or a Conservative Chick?

Needle needle needle

I finished a layout of my new knitting projects!

Credits: Urban Vintage by Traci Reed, Date Bits 2 by Misty Cato, DJB Kelli font

I'm going to make another iPod cover for Rob, and then start a doll dress for Heidi's Bitty Baby. :-)

Here's another one of my Power Panther experience:

Credits: Heart Song by Traci Reed, Date Stamp by Amber Clegg, DJB Kelli font

Crazy Week

Oy...I'm glad we are starting another week. I don't have the energy to actually write out everything that happened, so I'm making a list.

~ Mom took the girls for the day on Tuesday. I visited my knitting store and got some advice.

~ Worked at church on Wednesday. Sang at two Lenten services and went to Knit Night to meet some other knitters. Finished my hat but it didn't fit! Had to rip it all out and start again.


~ Played Power Panther on Thursday - very fun! Rob brought me flowers, a card and a new iPod for Valentine's Day. I couldn't give him his "gift" because I can't print right now at home. Sigh.

~ Friday was a long day. Rob had to work at the basketball tournament. During the day, Gretchen colored her headboard with crayons, painted herself and her porcelain with a body stamp thingie, and both of them snuck Valentine candy.

~ While playing in their bedroom, the girls managed to unlock and open a window, through dolls clothes out onto the roof and planned to climb out to get them. Luckily, Heidi told me before they ventured out. They spent the rest of the day in their room, after I removed all toys and stuffed animals. I stayed in my room so they couldn't pull anymore stunts. We canceled the babysitter and subsequent date night we had planned. That stunk.

~ Today we stayed home from church, as I have a cold and feel yucky and Gretchen kept telling me she was going to through up. They were good all afternoon, so we went roller skating tonight. Heidi seemed to have fun, but Gretchen reached her limit after an hour and started to melt down. One of the boys from their class (a wild, out of control little thing who is never supervised by his parents) decided to kiss Heidi on the cheek. She was really embarrassed. I wanted to clock that kid.



~ Our washing machine died today too, so I ended up washing a load by hand. Looks like I'm making a trip to the laundromat tomorrow.

~ No school tomorrow due to President's Day. Too bad, 'cause I love routine!

I have a new hobby

It's amazing how one thing can distract you from another. I've been digiscrapping for about 3 years now and still love it, but sometimes I get in a rut and get a little bored with it. I've been wanting to learn how to knit for so long, and I finally went and bought some yarn and needles and figured I'd give it a try. This is where I was reminded of the real value of face to face, personal interaction, rather than just the Internet.

I went to You Tube to find some videos on the basic procedures for slips knots, casting, knit stitch and purl stitches. I found some really good ones, and they were really helpful. So I decided to go for and and began making something that kind of resembled a scarf. It wasn't really supposed to be anything specific, but more so just to practice the stitches. It came out pretty garbled looking and really pretty ugly! LOL

Yesterday I went to the little knitting shop which is literally right around the corner from my house, hoping to find some guidance. Mom had the kids for the day, and I wanted to take a little time for myself...yay! The shop is so warm, cozy and inviting. There is nothing like being able to touch and see all the yarns, and talk to the owner who is so knowledgeable about all things yarn. A lady, who reminded me a lot of my Grandma, took me around the store and answered all my questions. I wanted to make a hat (which I'm realizing now is more of an intermediate project...oh well), and she set me up with a pattern the yarn and the needles I would need. I sat down with her and she supervised me casting on and knitting a couple of rows. It was so cool to have someone who was willing to take the time to teach me, and it feels good to be supporting a local business rather than getting my supplies at Walmart.

I'm going to try to remember to take photos along the way, so I can document my first official knitting project. :-) I'm probably the only one who is truly excited by this, but I don't care...it's fun!

the cutest Valentine card idea ever

I want to make cards like these for the girls' preschool class. :-) Click the photo to find out more...

A tag from Melinda

1. Name your two favorite scrapbooking topics: my kids and the "everyday moments"

2. Where are the two best places you've been to? Disney World and the Canadian Rockies

3. Name two things you do every day: Read/write emails and take my BP

4. Tell us two things that pretty much everyone knows about you: I'm a musician and a digiscrapper

5. Tell us two things that everyone DOESN'T know about you: I worked for a rape crisis program during college, and was a synchronized swimmer for about 8 years when I was a kid.

6. Tell us two things that got you into the hobby of scrapping: My friend Patrice, who is a paper scrapper, encouraged me to try it and was patient enough to help me through the learning process. Also, once I found digiscrapping, it was a natural fit since I'm a computer geek by nature. I was surfing for layout ideas online, and stumbled across Scrapboo-bytes.

7. Tell us two things that you want to accomplish in the next six months: Lower my blood pressure and lose 30 pounds

8. Name your two favorite scrapping tools: Photoshop CS2 and ACDSee 10

9. Name your two favorite sources of scrapping inspiration: Ali Edwards

10. How has your scrapping changed since you started? I do a lot more journaling now, and I'm less worried about making my pages look a certain way. It's more about telling the story for me now.

11. What scrapbooking project have you yet to try but would love to? I would love to make an altered tin album, and also get a 12x12 3-ring album so I can make an album with different sized pages.

Happy lamps & book covers

Greetings from the land of Barnes and Noble! Tonight is my "night out" so I'm here soaking up a bit of time in the cafe while perusing various art and project books. I just have to share a project from one of the books I'm reading:

How to make a book cover
1. Measure the length and height of the book when fully open, then cut a sheet of kraft paper 3" larger than the length and height of the book.

2. Fold down top and bottom edges until the height equals the height of the book.

3. Fold ends around book and turn left and right flaps into the inside of the front and back covers. Finish with a binder clip.

Now, I don't condone plagiarism. If I thought this was an original idea, I would never have given you the instructions like this. But HELLO??? Covering books like brown paper? I did that 25 years ago in junior high school! Only we were cheap and we used paper grocery bags...you know, the ones they used to give you before they decided they were killing too many trees? This just cracks me up, that this project is in a book published by a very popular scrapbooking company. But I will say...thanks for the inspiration. I plan to go home and cover a few books later, just for fun. The best part of having book covers in school was being able to draw all over them, and writing funny notes to friends. My best buddy Mel still has most of those book covers with all of our crazy rantings on them. WTG Moosie!

In other news, I bought myself a happy lamp today. Yes, they really do exist. My "special friend" (aka counselor) mentioned a store that sells them here in town, and right after my appt. this am I darted over to pick one up. The jury is still out on whether the thing actually works, since I've only used it for one day. I will say that I found it to be extremely bright and on a gloomy day I imagine it's quite useful. Today wasn't a good test day for it because it was actually SUNNY here ALL DAY!! LOL

I got to visit my friend Heather again tonight. She will have a c-section on Friday to deliver her little girl, who will be 34 weeks along at that point. I pray that both she and the baby, who will be very small, will fare well. If you are the praying type, please say a little prayer for Heather and baby. :-)

I want to congratulate my friend Melinda on being a Prima Hybrid Flower Girl (aka creative team member). She is so talented making altered projects and totally deserves this honor. If you haven't checked out Prima's new site, do so...they have some wonderful inspiration there, and a group of very talented designers.

(Hey, maybe they should make book covers....)

Okay, better sign off before I say something stupid. Nite nite!

Reslient

I finally made my layout representing my one word for 2008:


Didn't do a whole lot today. Rob made us breakfast, and then he had to work most of the day. The girls played outside since it was sunny and we took a walk around the block. After lunch we watched Ratatouille - very cute show.

Tonight I have been trying to organize my scrapping supplies on my HD and delete some things. I have a strange thing going on in my HD right now. I have a 142MB HD, and I can only account for 66MB of stuff on there! I downloaded one of those freeware programs that show you the sizes of all of your files, and that is what it's telling me. It's odd. I wouldn't care, but I am running out of space.

That's all for now...trying to get to bed a tad earlier these days.

Bucks blew it again

Anyone who knows me IRL knows that I am NOT a fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes. I am a fan of the University of Michigan, and in these parts you CANNOT be a fan of both places. The rivalry between the two schools is arguably the best in all of college sports. Due to our position almost halfway in between the two schools, the hype before the game where they play each other every year is insane. They even have a store called the Buckeye & Wolverine shop, there they sell only OSU or Michigan stuff, and it's organized so that each team's colors are on separate sides of the store, with a line down the middle.

But last night it was the Buckeyes' time to shine. I donned an Ohio State t-shirt, belonging to Rob, showing my support of our home state's team. I may not be an OSU fan, but I'm still a Big 10 fan. We were supposed to have a "party" here but as it turns out, only my brother and sister-in-law showed up. Nice. That's okay, I enjoyed the food Rob made and was able to relax and watch the game.

Ohio State just couldn't pull it out. I was disappointed for them. But here's what I don't get: OSU fans are SO obnoxious all year long....we're number one...yada yada yada. Then they get to the big game and blow it. It's the second time they've done this in recent years...last time they lost to Florida. Um hello? Can't execute under pressure? Hmmmm.

You didn't know I was such a football expert, did you? LOL

Speaking of football, did you see the JERK who did a front sommersault into the endzone last weekend? Uncalled for!! That coach should have BENCHED HIS REAR END!! It gets really old seeing such unsportman-like conduct on the field.

Okay. Off my soapbox now.

::Cleaning Spree::
It doesn't happen often, but when you are having people over there is a great motivation to clean! Here's what I've done in the past two days:

• Vacuumed main floor
• Mopped kitchen and dining room
• Cleared off counters
• Cleaned both bathrooms
• Put away toys
• Decluttered my bedroom dresser top
• Cleaned master bedroom blinds (man, were they dirty!)
• Laundry
• Decluttered girls' dresser top
• Cleaned out underneath girls' beds
• Made appointment at foot doctor
• Made appointment at OB/GYN

Yay! I hope this streak continues. :-)

Tonight is my night out, so I'm getting my haircut and my go to the hospital to visit my friend Heather and also my Dad. He had to go back in yesterday to have extra blood/fluid removed from around his heart. :-( He got through it fine but it has me worried that this is going to be an ongoing problem for him. I wish he could just get back to his old self.

Until tomorrow...

Manic Monday

Yup, this qualifies as manic. My plans for today have changed about 12 times already, and the day is only half over. So let's see...

Mom was supposed to pick up the girls from school and keep them for the afternoon. I had a whole list of stuff I wanted to get done. Great! Mom calls at 8:45am saying she and Dad are headed into the cardiologist...Dad is still having symptoms of irregular heartbeat and shortness of breath. Turns out he still has fluid around his heart and they decide to admit him to the hospital for some procedure where they remove the fluid. Yikes! Okay, plan B, no problem.

Kids come home, we have lunch, color, read stories, etc. Rob has the afternoon off so he can help get ready for our little college football championship party tonight. Great! Then my MIL calls at 1:30pm, saying they have some friends coming to visit at 2:00 and they'd like to see the girls. Now this is where I get cranky. I'm supposed to drop what I'm doing and just go over there, so she can parade them around like little dolls to show off to her friends? Hmmmm, don't think so. She's supposed to call when it's time to go over, but guess what? ROB will be taking them. It's his mom, right?

I know I sound really snotty about this, but there is a long history of spontaneous, lack-of-planning kind of stuff and right after the holidays I just want a break from all of it.