Blog Archives April 2008

I was taking a gander through the Two Peas gallery (something I don’t often have a chance to do anymore) and some work really stood out. Sometimes when I am in a rut, I will look to the gallery for inspiration and ideas.

• Here’s a cool layout about reading (I talked about this in a recent post).
• I loved the photo of an everyday item, the use of paint, and the centered stickers on this one.
• I was touched by the quote on this one, and loved the series of photos.
• This one reminded me of a picture I took of my daughter in her elephant costume when she was little. I love that you can’t see her face in the big picture. Such fun photography.
• Love the homey red and blue combo on this project. Very cute!
• I loved the bareness of this page, how everything revolved around one tiny picture of the sun. Very cool use of white space!!
• I am a huge fan of Ashley Calder’s work.

Tip for today: When you are feeling stuck, grab a copy of your favorite magazine (doesn’t have to be scrapbook related). Or, look on the message boards/galleries of some scrapbooking sites. Visit blogs. Inspiration is all around you – you needn’t look far to get the creative juices flowing again.

In many ways, I am kind of old fashioned. Where most of my life is spent in the hustle and bustle of the 21st century, I also appreciate the simple things in life. I love being unplugged and just enjoying time outdoors listening to the birds and the sounds of kids playing. I really dig looking for shapes in the clouds and feeling the sun and a warm breeze on my face. Occasionally, I will tell my husband that I want to move to the country and live on a farm (he’s not buying it). I am not one of those parents that buys their kids the latest and greatest in technology (really, why does a seven year old need a cell phone or a laptop?). Not that there is anything wrong with it, I just don’t choose to rear my kids that way. I believe in good old fashioned exercise, running around in the neighborhood, and having personal interaction with the people around us (instead of IM chats or text messages).

And, I also am a strong proponent of reading. You can often find me with my nose in a book or a magazine. It really is one of the greatest gifts we have given our children – a love of the written word. There is something just so fulfilling about seeing my kids curl up with a book and drift off with just their imaginations and the text on the page. Each night, both of my kids pick out a couple books and read them as they drift off to sleep. My oldest is a voracious reader, devouring chapter books and never getting enough. My youngest is not yet an actual reader, but she mimics her sister and gets great enjoyment out of looking at pictures and following along as we read to her.

In this day and age, it is truly awesome to have kids that don’t need a TV, DVD player, computer game, or iPod to keep them entertained all the time. They are boosting brain power every day and are enjoying every second of it. Some of my favorite parts of the day are the times when my kids will curl up with me for a marathon reading session. And, I also love the times when they take the initiative to seek out a book on their own.

I’ve seen people do layouts that highlight their childrens’ favorite books. They either scan and print covers to talk about what their child’s favorite books are at the moment, or use a photo of their child in the act of reading. I did a layout a long time ago and used a poem to highlight how I felt about reading with my daughter. You can see the layout in my Two Peas gallery.

My advice for today: read to your kids. And then scrapbook about it.

Doing my civic duty.
Rushing to the overcrowded courthouse.
Squeezed on a hard, unforgiving bench between two people I would rather not be sitting next to.
Sneezed on.
Coughed on.
Hear gas being passed on the hard wooden surface.
Personal space is non-existent.
Three hours pass before we get instructions.
Tax dollars wasted.
Judge requests a jury.
We file into the court room and answer uncomfortable questions in a public forum.
The case sickens me and turns my stomach.
Innocent until proven guilty – I know that, yet my heart breaks for the victim.
Two days on a panel, will they pick me or won’t they?
I am called on day two; more questioning, more interrogation.
They seek the perfect jury.
I am not fit.
I am free to go.
I am relieved.
Two days I will not get back.
Two days devoted to civic duty.
Looking forward to the three year reprieve.

We can totally chock this post up to random blathering. If you are looking for more substance, you should maybe visit another post.

I have a love/hate relationship with Starbucks. I love the environment and the “brand,” but I hate the prices. I don’t drink coffee, so I only go for the occasional cider, chai tea, or iced tea lemonade. My mom and I have affectionately nicknamed Starbucks “FourBucks” because every drink tips the scale at $4 a pop.

Now, one would think that if you are paying $4 a pop for a beverage that you could get it the way you want it. Not always the case. I prefer light ice in my cold beverages. If I am paying for a drink, I want to actually get what I am paying for and not drink a cup of frozen water. Light ice to Starbucks is a scoop full. It’s too much. I take three sips and then I am done, lugging around a cup full of semi-flavored ice. Not cool. I’ve asked for light ice and been told “well, we only put the tall amount in and you ordered a venti, so that’s light ice.” Really?  Me thinks not. A scoopful is a scoopful is a scoopful.

So, Starbucks, the way I see it is that you are still making a pretty penny off me even if I order a drink with light ice. It does not cost you $4 to make my tea – not even close.