'Count your blessings'

I have to admit I'm a little bummed, I designed this album as a class that no one signed up for. What's not to love about chocolate chipboard, Basic Grey Paper and CHF backgrounders, with a few primas thrown in for fun?

I just don't get it...

Urban Dictionary...and I was like.

Have you ever visited Urban Dictionary?

I'm always curious when I see a random person has been referred by Google. I like to click and see what they were searching for...the latest round: 'And I was liek' to which google second guessed and decided the person fat fingered 'And I was like...' My little blog is about 5th on the list and Urban Dictionary on top. I couldn't resist, I had to see how 'and I was like' was defined.

I think it's pretty dead on, how about you?

Obnoxious(ok maybe not this part) people use this phrase after they have recited an anecdote about their petty tribulations. This is to compensate for their complete absence of wit or original insight into anything. Teenage girl drops her lipstick. Girl: Omigod becki, this morning i was like, putting my lipstick on, and then i dropped it and there was lipstick like alllllll over the floor and i was like AHH!!!! Boy: uhhh... how exactly can you be "like ahh"? Girl: I apologise for my poor use of English. I tend to use "like" as an all-purpose word. Yes, I was slightly disgrunted at the time, but I wasn't physically comparable to a sound, nor did I actually raise my hands in the air and shout "AHH!" Boy: I think makeup and clothes stores contain brain-destroying chemicals. Girl: Help me.

Today...

I played a little 'legal' hooky from work and spent the day with this beautiful girl. We did a little rewind on Halloween when? I found the bumblebee costume in clearance at Target for $3.50 (who could resist that?) I always love when Lisa puts photos in digi frames so I thought I would give it a try for a couple of my favorite shots.

Crafty Goodness...

One thing is for sure, if the Broncos continue their 'non-winning' ways I'll have lots of extra time to work on my paper crafts.

This weekend was very productive, after demo-ing four different cards(yep four cards) for the frenzy I set to work on some personal projects today.

First up, my sketch for the store blog, I didn't waste any time putting the pics of Sienna in her pumpkin hat on a layout. This one takes me back to my color blocking days. At least I'm not afraid of patterned paper any more. (and really who would be afraid of these happy trees?)


Then it was time to play with my new bellas, I brought Glideabella(how could I resist a skater girl) and Snowbunnybella home with me on Saturday along with some new Copic colors that finally made their way back to the store.

I needed a little inspiration to get going so I started with a lift of a card I found at SCS. You can see the original here. This one had me digging into my scrap stash and finding some BG from Xmas last year and some Wild Asparagus polka dots from long ago. I used the 'Curls' goosebumpz from Quickutz on the top panel. You can't really tell from the scan, her collar, cuffs and skates have glitter on them.

Then I was off and running on my own. I love this aqua snowflake paper from SEI's Glitzmas line so I was determined to color the bella with complimentary colors. I love the way Copics blend and shade. For this one I used flock for a furry collar and cuffs.
But wait there's one more...I finally got my hands on some Versadazzle ink (my fav new product from CHA this summer, YAY!) so I stamped the CHF geometric flower on the red with the champagne versadazzle, it ends up with a subtle gold glitter. Then I stamped 'Snow Bunny' on kraft and on the red AC Damask paper(love this paper!) Then, just like I used to do with my Barbies the Bella got dressed in her smashing coat. Again flock for the hood and cuffs. A little Cosmo Cricket journal spot and the card is done. Hope your week is off to a great start...

Less than 72 hours before it's all over...

Just in case you are one of the 20% still undecided in the upcoming election, here's one more 'hot' political question asked to the politicos, the pundits and the 'everyday' American.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

The politicos....
SARAH PALIN: Before it got to the other side, I shot the chicken, cleaned and dressed it, and had chicken burgers for lunch.

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a change! The chicken wanted change!

JOHN MC CAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure right from Day One that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?

COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

AL GORE: I invented the chicken.

JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

The Pundits...

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he's guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

BARBARA WALTERS: Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its lifelong dream of crossing the road.

The everyday American...

GRANDPA: In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken 2008, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken 2008. This new platform is much more stable and will never crash or need to be rebooted.

ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?

***Hope this made you smile, believe it or not I found this one blog surfing for Bella and Copic ideas.***

Video Thursday

Happy Halloween from people who have way to much time on their hands...

Random Thought

Does pear ice cream count as a fruit?

10 on Tuesday

So, I've sorted through my 200 or so photos from the 4 days in NYC and tried to pick my top 10 to share here.
1. The Chrysler Building

2. 6th Ave. by Rockefeller Center, love the vibrancy of the traffic and thankful I don't have to drive in it.

3. Looking up at the Empire State Building from Bryant Park

4. The heart of the Garment District

5. Radio City at night

6. Central Park and midtown skyline from the roof of the Metro. Museum of Art

7. Jeff Koons' 'Balloon Dog' also on the roof of the Met.

8. Taxis lined up on 5th Ave.

9. Central Park

10. Times Square

This one's for you mom...

and for anyone else who wants to see the pumpkin hat in action...

A little crafty goodness...

I made it home safely from a great trip in NYC, many photos and ephemera to sort through before a post or two about the trip.

Unfortunately, somewhere between Central Park on Thursday afternoon and my own comfy bed that night I picked up a flu bug that took me out for a couple of days, I'm just starting to feel like myself after lots of extra sleep.

I woke up this morning feeling crafty and decided to get to work on my frenzy projects.

Here's a sneak peek at a couple of my cards...I forgot how pretty this Quickutz snowflake is...made even better by glitter (then again what's not made better by glitter?) This card came together pretty quickly. The next one, not so much...

I really struggled for a bit, AC makes this super cute paper covered with mittens. I tried several different layouts before deciding to fussy cut them and attach with brads.

Hope to see you at the frenzy! Check out the Scrapbook Destination Blog for more info and my sketch for this week --- I cheated just a bit and did a card sketch.

Freakin' Broncos

fumble much? enough about them...

I confess, I didn't really get out of my sweats/pajamas all day. Something about the foggy weather and canceled pumpkin patch plans took any momentum for life outside of the condo today.

I did take the opportunity to finish a couple of crafty projects. I'd been working on this little hat for Sienna for most of the week and put the finishing touches this am, hopefully we'll find a pumpkin patch when we get back from NYC so I can take some photos of her in it.Then I spent some quality time in my scrap space. The fall paper from Crate Paper finally made it to the store and I couldn't walk away from it yesterday. I challenged myself to see how many of the papers(cardstock not included) I could get on one layout. Care to take a guess?
If you guessed 5, congratulations! I don't usually spend a lot of time on the small details, but something about this paper just screamed 'fussy cut me' and you have to listen when the paper talks. Clearly, I should have spent a little more time gluing on the 'o'.

10 on Tuesday

I decided to tag along with Shelley on a business trip to NYC in a couple of weeks. Here's what's on the agenda so far

1. Sleep in...hooray for comfy hotel beds
2. Visit the MET
3. Visit the museum at FIT
4. Visit the MOMA
5. Drool over lenses in person at B&H Photo
6. Take the Sex and The City tour (cheesy I know)
7. Take in a Broadway musical
8. Enjoy the fall colors in Central Park
9. Window shop in the High End shops on 5th Ave.
10. Get lost in Macys

Any tips for a fall trip?

Bonus Round

look what nice things Alisa from PaperCrafts had to say about our store...

http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/content/view/10761/60/#josc38711

A productive day...

I decided to cash in one of the comp days earned over the past couple of months and take a day off.

Well at least a day off from work...much to do on the home front

Cleaned out the fridge --- Yuck!

Tanner got shots and his annual physical...Yay! he's in good shape except for a little tartar buildup

Fall clothes clean and front and center in closet, summer clothes tucked away for another season

Make and Take project ready for Saturday complete

Mini-album class with new Basic Grey paper sample done (photos to come later)

Yummy dinner with Houston and fam

and a few minutes leftover to make another card with my new favorite stamps, I decided to color in the geometric flower stamp from CHF and love the way it turned out...

it dawned on me today that at this point last year I was on pace and doing something creative nearly everyday as opposed to the 'once a week if I'm lucky' pace I'm on now. I'm going to strive to get back to that creative place.

I'm here...

just don't have much to say...work's busy not a lot of time to create, but I did manage to finish a couple of cards.

Have you met the Bellas? These whimsical ladies have taken our store by storm, you can't help falling in love with them. Of course they're also flying off the shelves and I can't get the ones I really want quick enough, so thanks to Kelly and Angela for letting me stamp their girls.


I made the one below for Becky's 'Make It Sparkle' Stamptoberfest Challenge on Two Peas...Unfortunately you can't really tell from the scan, but glitter is all over this card, I'm not sure my scanner will ever recover.

Walk with a Purpose

I love this picture of Connor, so typical of a toddler on a mission. and what's not to love about this harvest moon paper from Pink Paislee. {hello!} a scalloped circle and polka dots = scrappy heaven for me. It's a little hard to tell from the scan, but the epoxy letter are brown polka dot too, these were a freebie I wish I could get my hands on more.

On the Move

Sienna is just starting to hit her crawling groove. This was one of her first experiences playing in the grass and she had a ball. Here's a quick peek at the layout I did for the store blog this weekend.
I love this polka dot and scalloped edged paper from Pink Paislee, perfect for my little chica. I thought the bazzil swiss dot was the perfect compliment.

10 on Tuesday

I have a little problem and I know some of you share the same, we just can't say 'No' when faced with a problem or see something that needs to be done. In searching for something else in Internet land, I came across this list of ways to say No. I think I might need to laminate it and pull it out when needed.

1. I'm in the middle of several projects

2.I 'm not comfortable with that.

3. I'm not taking on any new responsibilities (I don't know about you, but this would not go over well at my work.)

4. I'm not the most qualified person for the job.

5. I hate to split my attention among projects

6. I have another commitment.

7. I need to focus more on my personal life. (while this may be true I can't ever imagine using this one)

8. I need to focus on my career right now.

9. I would rather decline than do a mediocre job.

10. NO

You can see more of the list, and get other helpful organizing tips here.

Video Thursday...the Early Edition

ok I know it's not Thursday, but once I saw this little gem I had to post right away. For those of you(like me) who fall asleep long before SNL hits the airwaves, here's a little Monday treat.

Ducky finds the best stuff

How she does she do it? How can you resist a reincarnation placement exam... I know you will all be *shocked* at my placement.

Your result for Reincarnation Placement Exam...

Middle-class America

43% Intrigue, 76% Civilization, 59% Urbanization, 41% Hedonism, 60% Spirituality, 33% Romance.

You were a little difficult to place, but there is a civilization for you. And it comes with all the cable TV a working class hero can eat.

Your answers indicate that you're interested in a peaceful and civilized existence. You like the benefits of civilization and you're willing to pull your own weight, so you will do well in an urban setting. What made your placement difficult for us is this: You seem to be quite fond of humanity as a whole, but you don't necessarily like to deal with them as individuals -- you know, you're not really a people-person. But that's okay! There's an entire civilization set up for working together, and then cocooning into little households at the end of the day. It's called... America.

Well... You're in for a pleasant and predictable life. No adventure for you! Join a union and a bowling league. Enjoy your nuclear family, and give my regards to Norman Rockwell.

Take Reincarnation Placement Exam at HelloQuizzy

I'm a little disappointed I won't be leading a more adventurous life when I come back around.

10 on Tuesday

I love this time of year as fall slowly makes it's way in and summer and her ugly temperatures move along. As much as I love fall, I often look on the backside of summer with some regrets of the summer things I didn't get to do.

1. No roadtrips to mountains or other Colorado destinations
2. Didn't visit Alaska
3. Not enough trips to the dog park at Chatfield
4. Didn't go to any concerts at Red Rocks
5. Didn't eat enough fresh in season fruit (with the exception of Cherries, I ate too many on a couple of occasions)
6. Didn't get a chance to go to farmer's and open air markets
7. Missed lottery for O'Bama tickets
8. Never went to the pool (but I did get a key this year which is better than last so some progress was made)
9. Only got 1 pedicure (I realize that this activity doesn't have to be limited to summer, but in thew winter I don't see my toes enough)
10. Missed the Chatfield ball on festival for the 2nd year. (I know a couple of you make this an annual event, so I'm putting you in charge of making sure I don't miss it next year.)

Et tu? What did you miss out on this summer...

How about a few pages...

Not necessarily new layouts, and many have been posted different places at some point. Since not everyone visits everyplace and it's been a LONG while since I posted anything crafty I thought it would be a good idea and something easy to help me get my blog groove back.

This one is from way back on the fourth of July, I love the way the title turned out and what's not to love about teal polkadots.These photos are a few months old, but were perfect for this new paper from October Afternoon. Yummy!

I think this is one of my all time fav pics of Sienna (granted she's only 9 months old, but...)
New paper from Scenic Route...

and finally to prove that I don't just scrap kiddos...


Have a great week!

The iBook G4 gets pimped

I know the day is coming when my vintage iBook will give up completely and I'll have to get a new computer for home. I've been saving, slowly but surely but still have a long way to go before a new macbook is in reach. I started to panic last week when my frayed power cord finally gave up and with a battery that held less than two minutes charge I thought I might have to make different plans (a cheaper PC perhaps). My Mac is over 5 years old and I thought the chances of a new battery slim to none. But with slim hopes I headed out to my local Apple store with no genius bar reservation (dead computers have trouble getting online, you know).
After waiting a bit(in fairness they unlocked there doors early and let people in before they were fully staffed) I got help from not a 'genius', but a knowledgeable 'specialist' none the less. He welcomed my baby with open arms. (as opposed to the OMG, look how old this thing is I was really expecting) And to my surprise actually had a battery and power cord in stock. Yippee! Now, I can once again blog hop in my bed with out worrying that I will fall asleep and the cord will strangle me in my sleep (I wonder if that's how it got so frayed in the first place).

But my friendly specialist went one step further, when he noticed that the 'P' was missing from my keyboard. It has been for about 2 years, something happened in the move I think. Quite frankly, I've gotten so used to hitting the under key that I don't think about it that much. He and another helpful gal set out on a mission to find a new P, when none of the white keys they had seemed to work, they moved on to different keys and finally found a silver P that was the perfect match. Now my book looks like a rapper with a grill.
The 'special' treatment didn't stop there, they installed a new battery (I know, totally something I could have done, but...) and wiped down the entire think with Apple polish. Yay!
So while this baby still lacks a jungle cat version of OSX and a decent memory, I think she'll last until I have enough money for this new friend I was drooling over while waiting.

In the know...

or not so much, I admit that I heard Sarah Palin was on the Republican list for VP and immediately dismissed the idea as internet rumors. The announcement on Friday had folks swinging into my cube and wanting to chat. I was in just as much shock as everyone, at least I knew who she was and who she is not.

I've spent a lot of the weekend thinking about her, scoured the Internet for a chart comparing her side by side with Hillary to post here. A little disappointed, I couldn't find one. But then maybe that's because other than having a vagina and a being politicians there is nothing in common. My skeptic self wonders what kind of skeletons do the other republican women have in their closets? Surely there must be one that has traveled more, has more experience than running a tiny town, anything beyond what Sarah has done. Someone who knew what the VP was supposed to do before being placed on a list. Someone who could break the glass ceiling and really know what to do with the power when they do...

A good pick for O'Bama and Biden for sure, after all if those two can't beat this republican ticket the democrats will have some serious thinking to do about the future of the party.

A bloggie break...

2500 and counting students
+ 60 Learning sites
+ 30 teachers and countless paraprofessionals
+ 2 web-based curriculum platforms
+ 71 courses x 60 sections for each course
+ new authorizing district
+ new student information system
_____________________________________________________

= 12 hour days and weekend work for me for the next few weeks.

Not that I'm doing all of the work myself, but we are thin, thin, thin on the administration side so there's only a few folks doing a lot of work to get things off to a smooth start tomorrow.

It will probably be after Labor Day before you see this blog return to lists, videos and the randomness that you usually see.

A special thanks to all who helped my birthday extra special, including mom who sent evidence that 'she does read my blog'. :)

10 on Tuesday

My brain is so focused on work as the countdown to the start of school gets shorter and shorter, I'm a little stumped on a list for this week. But, I am a creature of habit and routine so...since I have a birthday coming up and my family harasses me about being hard to shop for (so I'm a little picky, what's wrong with that? they would say I'm the worst kind of picky since I never tell them what I want, but pout if it's not the right thing) So on the off chance they'll read the blog between now and Sunday, I thought I would make a little list.

• Panera gift card
• Jewelry
• Starbucks gift card
• tickets to a Broncos game
• a new george f. grill (boring I know, but I really need it)
• Scrapbook Destination gift card (then maybe I could save money I make instead of spend it, sorry MK)
• A Kindle (yeah right, but I covet MK's so it had to go on the list)
• This 50-200mm lens

• or this one (another in the highly unlikely category, but a girl can dream)
• flowers (yep just a beautiful bouquet of flowers, I'm cheesy that way)

What's on your birthday wishlist?

Video Thursday...Girl Power Part 2

A campaign ad for the millenials, thank goodness Paris stepped up and responded.

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

You've got to hand it to the girl she really knows how to work her 'celebrity' status.

If this video is coming out of left field, you clearly have TIVO and are fast forwarding through commercials or are living under a rock.

10 on Tuesday

I came a cross this cute list in Becky Fleck Page Maps sketch book, she scrapped a layout with her dogs and used this as journaling.

'A Dog's Pet Peeves about Humans'

1. Blaming your toots on me. Not funny, not very funny at all
2. Yelling at me for barking. I'm a friggin' dog you idiot!
3. Taking me for a walk, then not letting me check stuff out. Exactly whose walk is it anyway? huh?
4. Any trick that involves balancing food on my nose.
5. Any haircut that involves bows or ribbons. Now you know why we chew your stuff when you're not home.
6. The slight of hand, fake fetch throw. You fooled a dog! What a proud moment for the top of the food chain.
7. Taking me to the vet for the 'big snip', then acting surprised when I freak out every time we go back there.
8. Getting upset when I sniff your guest's private parts. I haven't mastered the handshake thing yet.
9. Dog sweaters. Haven't you noticed I have fur?
10. How you act disgusted when I lick myself. Look- we both know the truth---you're just jealous.

I'm guilty of number 6, I don't know if I'll ever think of it in the same way again.

100th Post...this year!

I seem to have hit my grove and got the hang of this blogging thing. To be honest it's a little intimidating, I think this occasion calls for something deeply profound...alas, I'm just not that kind of writer so I thought I would borrow from one of my favorite quotes.

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded.

Did you think this was an Emerson quote, me too until I looked it up and surprise it's not. It appears to have been written by a woman named Bessie Stanley. You can learn more about her and the quote here.

I hope this blog is a bit of me leaving the world a little better whether it be through Art, Laughter or random trivia. I love the fact that I can connect with kindred spirits all over the globe from my little spot in cyberspace. And it is so gratifying to know that others are discovering this little place and taking away thoughts or ideas. I read and treasure every single comment. So thanks from the bottom of my heart to all you readers out there who make my day every time you take a moment to leave a comment. It really does mean a lot!

Counting the days...

until all of the stuff MK bought at CHA makes its way to the store. Thanks to my swift [yes swift] feet and quick move to the BG booth, our rep got this email straight from the BG folks

has one of the very best and first wristbands so we shouldn't be starting before too long.

Right On!

In the meantime, I thought I would share some more photos from the Maya Road booth. I'm not usually one who's into altering and working with chipboard, but after seeing this booth I may be converted.