Blog Archives December 2008

It’s truly hard to believe that I have been on vacation for over two weeks! I have just constantly been on the go. It has been a whirlwind of Christmas preparation, family obligations, continuing education/studying, and endless housework/laundry. There haven’t been any manicures, massages, or days spent with friends. I haven’t read a book, flipped through a magazine, or taken one single nap.

Tonight, given that I only have one more week off, I gave myself permission to do some scrapbooking. I needed to do something creative. I needed to calm and soothe myself and this is very often my mode of meditation. It felt good. It felt good to work with some new photos and reminisce over the old. I feel the spark coming back, a tiny ember that I hope to nurture even more in 2009.

Here are a couple of the layouts that I cranked out while donning pajamas and drinking a few Bud Lights. Enjoy!

In this one, I wrapped my journaling around the buds of these glittery flowers. I really loved working with this Hambly paper. They have a great product line, one that often spraks creativity in unexpected ways.

This next one was really simple. I just used a grid to place my images and then wrote a very short blurb about how fresh air and family is so much more exhilerating than playing with toys.

Here is another one with the autumn theme. I love the texture of the bark paper. No journaling at all on this one. I let a few stickers and rub-ons do the talking for me.

I left all my supplies out and I am determined to come back to this tomorrow. Come back and visit to see what I come up with next!

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Well, it’s finally here! Today, despite the inclement weather, I will be baking cookies all day with my mom. My sister will be there, my girls will come for a while to “help” out and make their Santa cookies, and we are having a new guest star at our family tradition: my friend, Josette, is going to come hang out for a while.

We’ve been doing this for as long as I can remember. The tradition evolves and changes a bit over time, but the essence of it remains the same. We listen to music, we bake, we laugh, and then we give the goods to our family and friends for Christmas. It is a whirlwind of activity for 10-14 hours, but it is well worth it.

What traditions do you look forward to each holiday season?

Have a great day, and a wonderful holiday season!

So, I finished the entry for the design team search. Hopefully, someone from Right at Home Scrapbooking will be looking at it shortly and I will get some good news in the not too distant future. If you want to see my complete entry, please visit my Shutterfly share site at http://designteamsearch.shutterfly.com/. It was the easiest way to share the amount of images I wanted to send — no worries about faulty email delivery or how many megapixels I could send as an attachment. Wish me luck! I’m not sure how many people will be applying for the position, but I am sure there will be some very talented entries.

In addition to the contest entry, I have been consumed with all things Christmas. Shopping, decorating, wrapping, and holiday gatherings have taken up a significant amount of time lately.

I will also be working on the scrapbook layout for my daughter’s yearbook. I volunteered last year and loved being a part of the process so much that I volunteered again this year. It’s fun to be able to work on her class page and be a part of her elementary school history.

Until next time, here are some images to get you in the holiday spirit!

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So, I just wanted to quickly post another couple layouts and share some news with you. I am entering a scrapbook contest of sorts. I am compiling a portfolio of layouts/projects for a Design Team search. What that means is that my local scrapbook store (Right at Home Scrapbooking in Attleboro) is looking for designers and I am submitting my work in the hopes that I will be one of them. Wish me luck!! It’s been a couple of years since I have been on a design team, but I am really ready to go for it again. Fingers crossed….

Trying to keep the layouts simple these days as my time is being taken up with all things Christmas.

Have a great day (and send some good thoughts my way)!!

So, I know it’s kind of a strange and random post, but this one is about shoes. Sneakers, to be exact. And, this blog post is a precursor to a scrapbook page about my aforementioned sneakers. What’s so special about these sneakers? Well, let me tell you…

These are my gym shoes. They are marketed as “fitness shoes” because that is exactly what they are for. I wear them to the gym when I take aerobics (Turbo Kick) classes. There are no big treads on the bottom, so I can twist, and turn, and jump, and kick, and shuffle with the best of ‘em. I bought them in March when I embarked on my “Commitment to Fitness 2008.” Initially, I was under the impression that they would be like any other pair of gym shoes I have purchased in recent years — I would wear them, I would be gung-ho about the gym, and then they would eventually make their way to the back of my closet once the novelty of it all wore off.

But, no, these shoes are magic — they are too good for the back of the closet. And, I still pull them out faithfully at least three times a week. Not only have they helped me roll my “Commitment to Fitness 2008″ into 2009, but they have helped give me energy. I have endorphins. I have spark. I have determination and dedication. My smile is a little brighter and my laughter is a little louder. I deal with everyday stress a whole lot better. These shoes even help me eat healthier (usually). I am getting reacquainted with all my old friends, like Mr. and Mrs. Clavicle, Ms. Waist, and Mr. Pull-Up. Fitness and I are friends again and it feels good.

But, the most magical part of these shoes are the friendships I have made because I bought them, put them on, and kept wearing them for a solid 10 months without quitting. I have met some truly inspirational women. Women who were first only acquaintances, but have become trusted friends and confidantes. Women who encourage me and inspire me to be better, and fitter, and healthier. Women who have reminded me that it’s okay to take some time each week (or each day, if we choose) for ourselves. Women who make me laugh. Women who help me to push physical boundaries and keep on keepin’ on. Real women. Strong women. Women who are not afraid of or jealous of other women, because they possess an incredible self-confidence. Women who are there to pick you up when you are feeling down. Women who are kind and giving and nurturing. Women who I look forward to seeing all the time. Women who are just the way women were intended to be. Josette and Jenn, you know who you are. I love you!

These women are the reason there is magic in my shoes. I’m in good company when those shoes are on my feet. And, just like there is magic in my shoes — they have magic in their souls.

I love magazines. I subscribe to no less than 10 of them. I buy at least 5 more at the grocery store. Magazines clutter my living room and pile up in my bedroom. I get them for the tiny nuggets of information: the latest scrapbook layouts in Creating Keepsakes and Simple Scrapbooks, an abundance of eco-living and whole health in Body + Soul, fitness and diet tips in Shape and Self, home decor ideas in Country Home and Country Living, ideas for work/life balance inWorking Mother, and family ideas in Cookie. Then there are the ones I pick up at random when a good headline catches my eye.

Problem is, life has been so hectic lately, that I haven’t had time to read them. They are sitting unread, some still in the cellophane wrapper they were delivered in. So, I am going to carve out a couple “magazine” days in December (and probably January). It’s time to catch up…and then purge.

I’d be curious to know what you are reading…

(**Now that I’ve written about this, I think I need to create a scrapbook page about it.)

Today is my birthday.  Life is good.

It is also the time of year when the holiday crunch hits HARD and we all get overwhelmed with things to do, gifts to buy, people to see, food to bake. Let’s make a pact that we won’t lose sight of what is truly important at this time of year. Turn the unfortunate economic state into heartfelt greetings and gestures of goodwill.

Here are some inexpensive gift ideas for the special people in your lives:

• Use your scrapbook supplies and make a coupon book for someone. Each coupon is redeemable for an item like a back rub, a homemade dinner, a shoulder to cry on, or an hour of housework.
• Cut down some fresh greens and decorate a friend’s or neighbor’s entryway. Wrap some greens around their banister, fill their urns with greens and berries, or make them a homemade wreath for their front door.
• Write someone you love a letter and tell them why. Recall a moment that was important in your relationship, tell a funny story, or just tell them you love them. It’s a forgotten art, but I can’t think of anyone that doesn’t like receiving a heartfelt, handwritten letter.
• Bake something. Make cookies. Decorate a cake. Make muffins and deliver them with fresh orange juice and the newspaper.
• Call a long, lost friend or relative. Reconnect.
• Reduce, reuse, recycle. If you sew, make someone a quilt/blanket from old clothing. If you scrapbook, use old photos/letters/ephemera to create a scrapbook for someone. If you are an artist, sketch a portrait.

The holidays are as crazy as we let them be. Try to keep it all in perspective and enjoy them as much as you can! Happy December!!