Work KNose

I know this is going to sound completely lame but I am worn out from working all week. I worked alot more hours last week and this and it's been tiring. I am happy that we have settled a big claim that I have worked on for the past 6 months - we won't go to trial 2 in two weeks and it's a good thing. I feel proud of my contribution. They still don't get it at work but what can you do? Get over it.

My secret sister called this week and she's sending my present on Tues or Wed. It will be really great to get it - I can't wait. I love surprises. I hope I get it before I leave town tomorrow.

I am having surgery for a deviated septum on Wednesday. It should be easy and go smoothly. I'm good at listening to the doc and taking pain meds (Hell0 - Darvocet!) and hopefully by Fri afternoon I'll be sitting pretty and working on some scrapbook stuff. I have the pre op doc appt tomorrow afternoon and then we are heading off to East Texas. A storm is coming through so it will be cold & rainy at Canton (it is first Monday) so after a visit with DeWayne's mom we're heading over to Shreveport for the casino. Here's hoping I have good luck like last month. I still look at that photo and shake my head and can't believe the triple triple 7 picture. Chills! I'm looking forward to some laughs and good times. Happy New Year!

Looking Ahead

Woohoo - how 'bout them holidays! It's a relief now that the presents have all been bought and opened and the list making has lessened and we can all now focus on 2007 and its bright prospects. I am looking forward to 2007 - I know it holds alot of hope for me. We had a hectic Christmas Eve with a healthy dose of irony. Rachel's car broken down about 50 miles north of here that morning. DeWayne and I drove up there to pick her up (along with her brother and some random girl). What is so amazing is that we had anticipated it breaking down (120,000 miles on it) and bought another vehicle - to surprise her as a birthday present (she was born on Christmas Day). So, the keys to the car were in her stocking. It's a beautiful car - I'd like to keep it for myself. A shiny white 2002 Camry that only has 55,000 miles on it - a co-worker was selling it because she got a new Lexus company car. I felt so fortunate to happen upon it and then I still can't figure out what was the lesson from God when Rachel's car broke down on Christmas Eve. The time frame when it happened was interesting too. Hopefully, it will be revealed to me in good time. Anyway, we had stockings and then steak and then presents and everyone was happy, I think. I am so lucky because my husband loves Christmas and loves giving gifts. He gets a huge kick out of it and goes all out. We have several fun traditions and I am very fortunate.

Anyway, it was just weird about the timing of the distress call from Rachel. My husband was all grumpy because he hates to drive anywhere and yet, when we set off for it, he shifted gears and changed his attitude and we ended up laughing and having fun. It was a good thing and we needed it. I tell ya, this marriage thing really befuddles me.

I am going to clear away all this Christmas card stuff and get some new projects set up and ready to go. I need to make my journal for BPS A Year To Remember and also Stacy's Library of Memories. I got a nice call from my secret sister, Norma today saying my package was late because she had a death in her family. I was bummed before but I can so relate about that plus she was so sweet to call me on my cell, that's all I needed. I remember her at CE, she's really sweet and nice so I know I'll enjoy her package when it gets here. Besides, I've been holding off buying stuff, thinking - maybe I'll get it in my package, so my pocketbook has been spared!

Totally Random

It has NOT been a week since I posted. I don't believe it. Well, you see... I've been waiting by the mailbox for my CE secret sister package. Oh yes, and I've been waiting by the mailbox for the latest circle journal to arrive (hint, hint Megan). And I've been collecting packages from the mailman but have I been wrapping any of them? That would be a big no. We didn't have a tree until tonight when Rachel (niece #2) took pity on us and came over and whipped us into shape. We now have a sparkly tree and two less ornaments. Crash! Thank goodness that Target had the new cone dirt devil thing on sale and I bought one (well, thanks to Jeanette, really - her blog egged me on). Came in handy to pick up the shards from the two broken ornaments. Really nifty thing to have.

And if you have absolutely nothing to do tonight, you can always read Best of craigslist. The first few are pretty funny. My brother likes to read the rants and raves.

I don't have much else, so I'll leave a pic of the Killer boy with the Akita next door...

Snowflakes and CJs in a Scraproom

This is just too much fun... you have to play with it. You can make your own snow flakes. Pretty cool when it's 70 degrees outside! Make a flake.

I just finished Megan's post CE circle journal, my scrap space. It was fun to do and of course, I included some hidden journaling. It is so much easier to do a 2 page LO than set up the whole book - this went way quick, even though yorkphoto didn't get my photos to me on time! I didn't do alot of embellishing - the paper has a great fuzzy texture so I just stuck with that.

This is the hidden journaling on the left side which basically explains that we bought and remodeled our house in Feb 2004 and we didn't have much family in Houston then, so we decided to forgo a dining room. The room is constantly evolving - in the two weeks since I took the photo, I've moved a bunch of things around, already!

This is the sign in card. I stamped on the back with my new address stamp from Three Designing Women and added a few words about me.

Here's a pic of the corner of my scraproom INCLUDING my scary monkey ala Tim Holtz. He found one in an antique store. I found mine on ebay. He's sitting on an old Remington ammo box. It looks pretty junky... and I need more vertical paper holders. Yes, Megan, that is your mail-box for your CJ on the same shelf. But it's gone now! I don't know if everyone else has this problem but I seem to collect magazines and can't toss 'em. I have 4 or 5 stacks in the sunroom right now that need to be purged. I have some friends who barely scrap so I was going to share them and then donate the rest to the local assistance ministries place (they sell them). I am looking for a tray to alter with chalkboard paint. Moments in Time has a cute vinyl tray with Christmas paper that is really adorable. I'd like to do that also! I looked at a dollar store but the tray didn't have a flat surface. I'll keep looking.

If you don't get everything you want...

This "Daily Thought" from Real Simple magazine has been ruminating in my mind for the past couple of days and after watching Oprah yesterday, it totally brings it into focus.

December 05, 2006
If you don't get everything you want, think of the things you don't get that you don't want.
— Oscar Wilde

Things I don't get, that I don't want:the flu, debt, car repairs, flat tire, stolen car, car wreck (and repairs), sick puppy dog, a funeral to go to, having to take shots (like my friend, Pat), an abusive husband, a stressful job.

So, like most people, I have little problems here and there - stuff that is stressing me out, but I definitely need to remember it is minutia compared to what could be looming. I'm going to try to let my current worries just slide away like water off a ducks back. Let's see if it works.

I had a great time at Michelle's house yesterday. Her Mom was my neighbor for 16 years and they went to a Creative Memories class I hosted once in 2003. That was all it took... now she's a CM rep and they scrap every Friday afternoon. She had leftover yummies from bunco and they sit and jaw all afternoon. She is such a great story teller and makes me laugh at all her expressions. Her new phrase is "jacked up". She gave me an amazing recipe for bread pudding that I will be making this weekend. It was lots of fun and laughs. They are real women and you pick up right where you left off, no matter how much time passes.

Anyway, when I watched the Oprah show last night and the woman was set on fire by her abusive husband, I almost shut it off because it was so depressing and gross. But I watched some of it and it dawned on me that whatever my problems are, they are miniscule compared to what that woman will face, with surgeries and just living. I need to be grateful for that, that is for sure. I was once in an abusive relationship and thank God I had enough strength to get out of it. Maybe that's why it made me cry. Anyway, I want to be focused on how good my life is and how lucky I am...

Made a pretty new Christmas card from Anna Griffin paper, will post later.

Projects!

It's almost midnight and I am soooo tired but I want to post some pics of what I've been working on... I made this for my hubby... Manly yes, and I like it too! It's just a wall hanging on a paper mache plaque. This chocolate polka dotted sheer ribbon is my favorite right now... I also have been working on a birthday book for someone's 50th birthday. I got the pictures yesterday afternoon and I finished it tonight - over 25+ pictures! I did two accordian fold outs so I could fit them all and then put it in a board book. I'm not sure a board book was the best choice but it's done and I'm liking it! If I had more time, I would have made some different choices but I need to deliver it tomorrow. The pictures of the girls in this book are adorable - they really are cute kids and one of them is incredibly photogenic (she's 3!).

I left the space under celebrate for the 11 year old to write a note. The 4 year old wrote "Dady Miner". She's 4 and she can spell!
Okay, my last pic is a clipboard I made for my Christmas secret sister: You can't see but there's a cute white initial tied with ribbon. I love taking a 97 cent item and altering it!



I'm going to bed. This midnight bedtime is too much for me! G'night.

Sunday is Scrapping

I finally figured out why my fingers are so cut up and rough - Diamond Glaze and others! I haven't been very good about keeping the glue off my hands - keeping them washed. It was a great Sunday today. I piled all the junk from the table onto my desk and then put it where it belongs. Organized a bunch of drawers and put up scrap paper (which was overflowing). Last night I ordered something like 225 photos to be printed! York Photo loves me - that's for sure! I took a break and made some pumpkin bread and then came back and made 4 projects. I did two for my secret sister - her initial and a clipboard and then embellished a small note pad - nothing fancy. I also did a paper mache wall hanging (small) with the Serenity prayer for my husband. I used some cool brown plaid paper. I am telling you - I am totally in my "Chocolate Period" (not to be confused with Picasso's Blue Period). Everything I am doing right now is in the shade of chocolate. I absolutely love Coach's choice of chocolate. This is my current choice - the bling around the top is a nice touch. Target has some great 600 count sheets in chocolate that they had at some ridiculous price for Black Friday. I really would like to do my bedroom in blue and chocolate but the trend is espresso and that pale shade of green (which is pretty but not what I want!).

I had to follow Martha's advice and add some glitter to my Christmas cards. She's absolutely right - just a little touch of bling and it makes a difference.

I did a southern tour and NW tour of scrapbook stores this weekend. Friday I ran down to Just for Fun to pick up 6 HKS bat masks - people on the BPS A Year to Remember yahoo board were looking for them and they are sold out at Advantis so I RAK'd 6 people - which was fun to do. First I ran to Junkie in Kemah - I tell ya, they have some great stuff down there and stock that nobody else has. It's really fun -I just wish it wasn't so far away. Also ran into Novel Approach and picked up a couple of items for my Christmas Secret Sister - she wants Colorbox chalk, which they carry. I didn't get home til after 6!

On Saturday we kept 2 little girls, ages 3 & 4 and man, I was so dang tired after that! That is alot of work. It really kind of helped me though, because I have been mourning the fact that I never had children lately. This was the flip side to that, which was nice to see another perspective. Taking care of kids is alot of work! They left at 3 so I managed to run out to Memory Depot. Unfor. they are closing their Houston store and all was 30% off. Like Novel Approach they have great stamping supplies, so I picked up some good stuff. Also stopped in at Hobby Lobby and got Christmas wrapping supplies at 50% off. Now the picture is clearer... why I had so much rearranging and putting away today! I am free all of tomorrow, so I hope to get more projects done. Wish me luck...