Blog Archive May 2007

…And I still have a few spaces left.  If you are interested, you can sign up by clicking here. Just a reminder, we’ll be creating a box accordion album with supplies from Jenni Bowlin and Junkitz.  The Franklin Mill Store is tossing my attendees a 10% discount the night of the class (bonus) and I will do a raffle or two to spice things up and make things fun. $35 smackeroos for two hours of sheer bliss and a bunch of scrapbooking supplies…not bad if I say so myself!

If you are visually motivated and pictorally stimulated, here is another snapshot of the class sample.  This is an open view of the accordion…the cover can be viewed on the main Website.

What are you waiting for?  Sign your pretty little self up today!

It’s my 9th wedding anniversary.  My husband and I celebrated with a fancy dinner over the weekend, so there won’t be much fanfare today.  A couple cards, a couple laughs, the Red Sox game on the tube, and some “I love you’s” – that will just about do it.

But, as I sit here waiting for him to get home from work, I think.  I think about how we met and how far we have come in the 12 years we have been together.  How we’ve gone from a couple to creating a family together. I think about the infinite love we still have for each other and how our relationship has evolved with each milestone in our lives.  It’s been one hell of a journey and I am so happy to have him in my life.

I’m lucky.  My prince arrived unexpectedly when I was 23, on the heels of a tumultuous, unhealthy relationship.  Some people will spend a lifetime never knowing a love like this.  I am very lucky indeed.

My husband doesn’t generally read my blog (don’t weep for me…if my blog was located smack dab in the middle of the sports page, I know he would scan through it), but Bobby, if you are ever perusing through the site…I love you.

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My mom and sister have been in Paris for the past ten days.  They are having a blast! Am I jealous, you ask? No, not at all. Honestly, I have no desire to go to France.  None.  I’d love to see me some Tuscany and Venice, maybe a bit of Galway, but I have no desire to experience France.

My sister is a professional photographer, so I am excited to see her pictures.  I’m sure she captured such an amazing essence of Paris and the surrounding countryside.  I bet I could make her one hell of a scrapbook out of all her shots!  No doubt she bulked up her portfolio quite a bit!

Enjoy and have a great day!

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Actually, I changed my mind…let’s talk T.V. instead. A little fluff for a Friday night – I am feeling kind of devoid of any profound thoughts.  (spoiler alert)

Anyone watch The Office?  The season finale didn’t have me wetting my pants with uncontrollable laughter, but it was good and I loved the Jim and Pam cliff-hanger.  Haven’t we all known a Michael Scott along the way?  And an Andy Bernard? That’s what makes the show sheer genius – if you have worked in any kind of office or have been in corporate America at some point in your career – you get it. Without question, “Women’s Appreciation” was the all-time funniest episode.  I could watch it 100 times and still laugh the kind of laugh where no sound comes out of your mouth – just tears and tonsils.

Gray’s Anatomy.  Kind of predictable.  Did anyone really think Christina was going to get married?!  Lacy Gray…hmm, that’s interesting and will make for a good story line. Izzy and George – not seeing it. I think I like Izzy and Alex better.

LOST – can’t wait until next week.  I am clearing 2 hours from my schedule. Actually, I am blocking off all of Wednesday night and proclaiming Thursday as a holiday.  I heard the finale will blow our minds and rock our worlds.  It better.  I am kind of sick of waiting for something mind-numbing to happen. Is it me or is the show losing a bit of its oomph?  Don’t get me wrong, it is still one of my faves – but something is missing.  Maybe too much of the Others for my liking.

Criminal Minds – one word. WOW!  Fantastic show.  I didn’t watch last year because it directly conflicted with LOST and it was my pre-DVR days.  But, now I am hooked.

FYI – as I type this, I just caught the end of some National Geographic thing on giant hornets in Japan.  My flesh is crawling.  And I am itchy.  And I have this overwhelming desire to call an exterminator and have all 15,000 square feet of my property fumigated.  As my daughter would say, “bees make me nervous.”

On a happier note, I can thank my friend Shawn for my DVR.  Earlier this year, he convinced my husband and me to leave 1982 behind, get a better T.V. and ditch the VCR.  He was right. Thanks, pal.  We haven’t looked back…

I realize that I have been missing for a few days, but with good reason.  It has been gorgeous outside and I took some time “off.” I had dinner with my best girlfriends on Friday night, spent 7 glorious hours at the Brimfield Fair, and truly made the most out of my Mother’s Day weekend.  I’ve been juggling a lot lately – both professionally and personally – and really felt the need to unplug and give myself a break for a couple days.

One of my biggest beliefs is: just because we CAN be plugged in and connected 24/7 doesn’t mean we SHOULD be (there will no doubt be a page about that very topic in my scrapbook and journal).  In terms of balanced living, it’s not healthy to be parked in front of a computer screen, have a cell phone growing out of your ear, or have your thumbs work overtime on texting or gaming. We’re human and we have needs beyond technology.  For me, it is human contact, fresh air, and quality time with my family.  So, I sought out a blissful 48 hours without the internet monkey on my back and I loved every single second of it. I went to the nursery, worked on my gardens, played wiffle ball with my daughter, had picnics on the deck with my husband and children, and spent seven leisurely hours at the flea-market.  It was heaven.  And, we are all happier today because of it.  My kids never once asked to watch television, my husband and I conversed while we weeded the beds, we all got a little sun on our faces and our fair share of exercise, and we slept fitfully at night – that good kind of sleep that’s induced by fresh air and outdoor livin’. Today, my muscles have that twinge of soreness…not couch potato stiffness, but the aches that accompany a full weekend of movement. I didn’t worry about the blogosphere or packing up the kits for my class or whether or not my cell phone was ringing.  It felt refreshing and I think I need to vow to do this more often.

Sure, opponents of my theory would argue that my lengthy to-do list is still waiting for me and I wasted a perfectly good weekend.  And, I would have to agree that, yes, I still have a ton of things to do.  And, yes, I could have spent a couple hours food shopping or vacuuming the carpets.  But, in my eyes, stuff like that can wait for rainy days or evenings when the kids are in bed.  The grocery store will always be open, I have voice mail on my phone for a reason, and my kids aren’t always going to ask me to play with them and offer to help me plant flowers in my garden. In my life, sun on my face, grass between my toes, and uninterrupted time with my family is what matters most and I am not willing to mess with that.
 

That would be National Scrapbook Day for those of you that aren’t in the know.   I’m writing a quick post before my Saturday takes me away from my internet connection – the kids are currently content chilling on the couch and saying “Arriba!” right along with Dora, so I have about 5 minutes. After that, my day will be filled with soccer, laundry, yard work, an assortment of errands, and I really want to get to the gym before it closes.

I wish I could have gotten my act together because I would have liked to gather together a little raffle or something in honor of the occasion.  But, maybe I will buck the trend and do something later in the week instead when all the freebies have been gobbled up from all of the other sites.  Yeah, that sounds like a plan.

In the meantime, have a great day.  Maybe save your scrapping until tonight so you can get out and enjoy the gorgeous spring day today (me-thinks NSD should have been in the dead of winter, when it is a treat to stay in all day and be crafty).  Plus, it’s Cinco de Mayo, so maybe you can combine crafts and Coronas.  A little know fact about me – I like to drink beer when I scrap.  Usually one or two Bud Light bottles and I am in the groove.  I think the booze relaxes me enough so that I can comfortably scrap instead of worrying about the laundry and stray toys that are begging to be put away. We all have our coping mechanisms, right?  Maybe tonight, I will bust out a Corona Light and a lime instead my usual beverage of choice.

Before I head out, I want to give a shout out to Donna’s Cakes in West Roxbury, MA.  They make the most incredible cakes and cupcakes.  For the past 6 years, I have used them for every occasion: christening, birthdays, holidays.  I design my kids’ invitations, and each year I bring in an invitation and they make a cake from it.  This is the most recent cake made from one of my invitations (see one of my earlier posts).  Isn’t it beautiful? I highly recommend them if you are within an hour or so from Boston.

I love these handmade invites for my daughter’s birthday, made by yours truly.  She is turning three in June and told me she liked monkeys for her birthday theme (she will probably change her mind 50 times before then, but I ran with it).  If you have ever met her, you kind of know how appropriate the monkey theme is – she’s kind of mischievous and spirited.  hahaha.  I have to credit The Paper Source for the awesome blank cards and patterned papers. But cutting those monkeys out one by one was a biyotch…I don’t recommend it.

Got a bunch of monkey themed plates and napkins from Shindigz, monkey bean bag toys from Birthday Express, and a bunch of monkey party-favor goodness from Oriental Trading Company.  Voila!

If you have any ideas for games we could play, or food we could serve – let me know. Beyond bananas, I don’t have any other bright ideas percolating in my brain (And how lame would it be if all I served was bananas? the kids would think I was nuts!).

I also just found out that the Mill Store is generously offering a 10% discount in their store if you shop the night of the class.  They have a delicious assortment of fabric, buttons, knitting supplies, sewing notions, kids’ toys, and a ribbon selection that is to die for! (I have this insatiable love of ribbon) Pretty cool…

I will also be doing a couple raffles that night to keep things fun. The link to register for the class is now active.  I only have 11 spots left, so register soon.  It doesn’t matter if you are a scrapbooker or not, consider this a fun girls’ night out that involves a handmade craft and a lot of laughs.