Shopping!

It seems to me that all I've done lately is shop. And I'm guessing it's because I feel so sad about my work life.  Nothing else has really changed except that.  I'm missing my friends that I used to work with and I love it when they call to ask me questions that only I can answer. 

Now, last time I posted I was talking about the stuff I ordered from piggytales.com and Joanns.com.  Well, Sunday I hit the mall because I needed clothes.  I have no new work clothes.  Now I took my boyfriend, he actually took me because he drove, and we set off from store to store.  Do you know what I discovered?  I'm three different sizes and I run the gamut from a 3 to a 7.  One of the sales ladies tried to tell me she was a 0.  I don't think so sister.  I was a 0 six years ago and you ain't it.  Not that I want to be a 0 again, but don't lie about it.  I'm not sure how I feel about three sizes.  What's real?  And skinny jeans?!? Really????  We are back in the 80's girls!  Totally!  I wasn't sure how I'd feel about them but I have been assured by the salesgirl and my boyfriend that they look great.  I just want to turn on some Madonna and get in the groove!

For three different sizes there doesn't seem to be much difference does there?

I had an alterior motive as well to this shopping trip.  I was going to swing over to Michael's and get some more scrapbooking stuff.  Apparently I don't have enough.  I was also going to return a Martha Stewart punch that didn't work properly.  Guess what- I forgot it at home.  Convenient?  Not really, now I'm going to sweat about it for the next two months and then forget it when I go Christmas shopping!  Anyway, the Fiskars punches were 50% off and I couldn't resist the paw punch!  Plus, I'm tired of rounding photo corners freehand so the corner punch was a freat find!  Loving the orange!!!

Buy Fiskars! I try to be a good Fiskateer!

So, that's it for tonight.  I've got to go look at the employment ads and then off to bed for this girl.  Enjoy the pics!

Retail Therapy Score!

Today my mystery purchase from Piggy Tales came in the mail!  I opened it up - no paper! - eeek!  I wasn't so sure I was happy about that!  But anyway, I looked and saw there were chipboard letters and decorations, some of it Halloween (which will go great with my Joann Fabric therapy), and a brown box, somewhat heavy.  Inside of this box was quite the surprise - a Hide and Seek Flap Book and a Slide Book!  I've never made one or the other and now I'm all excited and trying to figure out what I'm going to do with this treasure.   Hmmmmm...

Well, here it is-

What do you think?  Good haul?  We'll see!

Week Wrap-up

So, today I'm going to go into the studio and clean it up and then start creating again.  AND I'm going to the movies to see "The Help".  I read the book several months ago, by Kathryn Stockett, and it was a beautifully written, insightful novel that I could picture in my head.  After I finished reading it I found out it was coming to theaters in the fall and told my wonderful boyfriend that we were going.  Today is the day.  As the east coast floods and thoughts of my precious island falling apart stay fresh in my mind, I'm going to escape for awhile.

This week I spent money.  Not money that we've got to burn, but I needed some retail therapy so I spent.   I needed new anti-virus software, mine ran out on the 23rd, so I hit up Norton mid-week. 

I also ordered my glucosamine-chondroitan pills from a mail order vitamin company.  I used to get them from a health food store that I worked down the street from, but then I got a new job and wasn't near there.  I then purchased them from Walmart because that's the only place to shop around here.  Needless to say, the ones I got from Walmart were NOT any good.   My fingers ached and I thought I was going to have to stop scrapbooking.  Then one day after I picked the mail up at the post office I realized we got someone else's catalog.  It was a mail order vitamin company.  I went on-line and checked it out and I ordered on Tuesday or Wednesday and I got my vits on Friday!  I took my first pill on Friday night and what a difference on Saturday morning!  I haven't been this happy in a long time!  Now I'm also taking calcium in the form of a Walmart pill and am thinking I better switch it out and order some from this place.  Beginning to think Wally World's vits are made from chalk...

Last but not least, in the form of selfishness, piggytales.com was having an end of summer warehouse sale and I had to get into it.  I do like their paper and you just don't see it for sale anywhere near here.  Waiting for that to come in probably next week sometime...

So for any of you who still might be trying to follow this blog, I apologize for not being around.  A lot has happened in the last several months and to be honest, I wasn't sure if I was going to continue this old blog.  However, I am going to give it a second chance and hopefully will get it kickstarted into a higher gear. 

In July I quit my job, went on vacation, and started a new job.  All huge endeavors, two of which I felt great about, one that I regret. 

In the coming months I plan to re-organize my studio, join in a couple blog hops if I can find some fun ones, and give away some cool items that I just won't use.  I want this blog to be mostly crafty, but I'd like to sprinkle some of my regular life in, here and there. 

Like today, I'm going to be praying for my niece and her family in VA and my sister and her family in NC, to keep them safe in the storm.  I know my brother is ok, but that's all I know right now.

So if anyone reads this, thanks for stopping by!

Smash book - I Want One of My Own!

OMG!  Yes, very cute, very versatile, very compact and very portable!  No machines or cartridges, just a book with a pen/gluestick to carry with you as you journey through life.  I have seen the videos on youtube and I like it!  I want one!  And I want those little note pads too.  They look so fun.  I was thinking about picking one up for Hannah too, as a newley turned eight year old could write down or glue in tons of awesome stuff.   She sees things so differently than adults do - I love her perspective! 

Oh well, I had to say it.  The Smash books remind me of the scrapbooks I used to make when I was a kid.  Simple, to the point.  Thank you K&Company and EK Success!  You're definately bringing back an almost lost art- the simplified scrap! 

Nothing Crafty, Just a Good Day

Actually, a good past week.  It's been extraordinary and I had to share because I've never had a streak this good which is making me start to look around every corner.  Big trip coming up and I don't want to jinx it.

First I was one of the lucky people that was picked for the Unibind challenge.  I can't wait to see what it is and I am starting to follow fed-ex trucks to see if they are going to my house!  It's so exciting AND mysterious!

Then my boyfriend and I did the Relay for Life walk on Friday night.  We put in our names for a couple of raffles and on Saturday we received a call to let us know that we won a beautiful handmade quilt and rack!  We tried to win one the year before and it was the first thing we put our name in for this year, so that was really awesome!

I was offered a new job yesterday and I took it.  I interviewed last Thursday afternoon and when I left there were two others that were sitting for the job, so it was anyone's guess.  It's lower pay than what I'm getting right now, and it looks like it's going to be a lot of paperwork too, but I'll be working in the legal system and that is so exciting to me!  I'm going to miss my co-workers so much, they are more than that to me- they have been my friends and family and I must dedicate myself to staying in touch with them.  I'm just so tired of what I'm doing and there was no way they were going to let me move on to anything else because I'm so good at what I do!

 After I handed in my letter of resignation to my job of 12 years I ended up going to lunch with one of my friends and bought two lottery tickets.  One is a Mega Million and one is a Win for Life.  I forgot about it when I got back to the office but today I had another job interview and while I was waiting to go in (I showed up too early), I found the scratch-off in my purse and played.  I won $40!!! I've never won $40 on these tickets before.  The funny thing is I usually buy them in threes and don't win anything, but this time I only bought the one.  I know that $40 is for something.  God's earmarked it somehow.

Plus, today was my anniversary.  Twenty four years ago tonight I almost died.  I was a stupid kid hanging around with a bunch of people that were drinking and I got on the back of a motorcycle after a party.  We were on an old dirt road and apparently hit a rock and I sailed 60 feet through the air into a boulder.  Luckily I was wearing a full face helmet, I believe it saved my life.  I ended up popping my lung with a rib, fractured my pelvis, cracked some ribs, and I think I fractured my arm or clavicle.  Not sure, but I was one hurting unit.  If it hadn't been for a couple who decided to leave their camp and go home that night I would have died on the side of the road.  I have no idea who they were, but their decision saved my life.  There's a reason I'm here, although it eludes me.  But I'm glad I am. 

So that's my big news that I had to share.  I'm sure things'll get back to their normal every day way again.  Until then, it's a wonderful life! 

New Matchbook Album

Two weeks ago, as I was drifting off to sleep, I suddenly thought of a great project for my grandaughter-by-proxy, Hannah.  No, not for her to do, although it would be easy enough for a seven year old to put together.

No, this was for me to do for her.  You see, her birthday is in July.  The poor kid has never been in one place long enough to make friends, much less have a party with all of them.  She is, however unlike me, a social butterfly and is dying to have a birthday party.  I told her she needed to get all her friends addresses and phone numbers so when summer came we could get those invites out.  Well, that's easy to say to a seven year old, but without the tools - where does one start?

So, as I was drifting off to la-la land and not really getting there, I began wishing for a cigarette - totally smoke free for over two years now, but still crave, especially on sleepless nights - when I thought of matches, which made me think of matchbook, which made me think of my Cricut, which made me think that I could super-size the matchbook option and make an autograph album!

The mind DOES work in mysterious ways!

Well, I cut one out but it was way too small, so I just crafted one out of a strip of 6" x 12" peice of cardstock.  I used Blossoms & Butterfies by DCWV.  I ended up cutting the pages for it out of textured cardstock and then punching them with an office page puncher.  I used a hand punch to put holes in the album cardstock because the other puncher wouldn't put them where I wanted them. 

I then used some pink and green ribbon from Oriental Trading Co. to hold the autograph paper in the album.  After some refolding, I ended up with a pretty cool little album. 

I thought of adding some embellishments and some glitter glue, but I think she'll want to make it her own.  I was also wondering how I'm going to get complete addresses from seven year olds, but I'm hoping the teacher will help her with that.  Oh well, mema can't think of everything!

I hope you like my project. I'm going to do a few more for her and her brother for the sports they're playing this summer.  They'll have something to show their friends in the fall - kind of like a brag book!  I'll post those as I get them done.

Thanks for stopping by and keep on crafting!  As always, comments are most welcome!

Blog Candy Alert!

Hey my crafty friends - you need to check out this cool blog candy!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE Tim Holtz and this girl has some candy that's so tasty you're going to be spinning if you win!  Check it out right here and tell her that CraftyDivaLounge sent you over!

http://scrap-it-girl.blogspot.com/2011/06/blog-candy-tim-cosmo-maya.html