It's Been A While

It sure has been a while since I've scrapped - over a week I think. There's just not been any time - partly hockey tournament, partly working late, partly visiting dh's aunt at the hospital, partly no energy or inspiration. Yikes, everything is conspiring against me scrapping!

But, I do have a recent layout that I haven't shared with you yet:


Supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Scenic Route
Arrow: Scenic Route
Flowers: Prima, Daisy D
Fabric Brad: $ store
Foam Sticker Letters: $ store
Buttons: ?
Journaling Block: Luxe
Tag: SEI
Ribbon: ?

The layout is recent, but the pictures aren't; they're from summer 2005, when dd had to accompany her dad to a wedding because I had to go out of town to take care of my parents. I can't believe it's been almost 3 years. Time doesn't just fly, it flies at the speed of light!

Tournament Update - 3rd and Final

Alas, they lost the semi-final game (2-1 in double overtime). BUT ds scored the lone goal for his team halfway through the second period ... they were 1-0 for the longest time ... AND he got the game MVP (most valuable player) trophy. So even though they didn't get to go to the finals, ds was, justifiably, very pleased with himself today.

Now I have to go catch up on all my weekend chores ...

Tournament Update #2

They won their 3rd game 3-1. Ds scored the final goal in the last minute of the game, into an empty net from the other end of the rink ... it was a sloooow motion goal ... totally cool.

They've earned a spot in the semi-finals tomorrow. Hope my voice holds out!

Tournament Update

Ds' team won the first game 6-1.

Then they won the second game 6-0. Ds scored a goal in that one.

They're sizzlin'!

One more game tomorrow, and then it's very likely on to the quarter finals etc. on Sunday. My voice is cracking already, at this rate I won't likely have a voice left by Sunday evening!

Checking In ...

I'm still here ... just too busy to blog all week, let alone scrap. Random stuff:

1 - Dh's aunt is hanging in there. Up til about Wednesday we were doing the bedside vigil thing, that's how bad things were; and then Wednesday morning she seemed to snap out of it, sat up, recognized people, drank some water ... now she's even had some food. She doesn't have much time left but it doesn't seem to be a matter of a few days anymore.

2 - Ds has a hockey tournament this weekend. I'm off work and he's off school today as the first game is at 1:00 pm. I am totally looking forward to screaming my lungs out.

3 - I haven't taken a picture in days, maybe even weeks. What's up with that? I plan on making up for it this weekend.

4 - My dryer is broken. Something about the belt. Dh usually fixes things around here but he's pretty busy so he booked a dryer guy for Monday. I may need to beg some dryer time from a neighbour or maybe my sister this weekend, because this household cannot skip a weekend of laundry!

5 - My Sens are still struggling. For weeks I prayed for the big line (Alfie-Spezza-Heatley) to get back on the ice, but now that they are back they just don't play like themselves out there. For the time being Emery is in nets, but he hasn't played like himself all year, so what can I say. I've tried changing my game-watching ritual ... sat on a different end of the couch, sat on different couch ... I even tried not watching to see if that would help ... but somehow (and I know this is hard to believe) my game-watching behaviour does not seem to affect their game.

6 - I had a bit of a Weight Watchers set-back this week (something to do with meetings where muffins etc. are provided) but my jeans are definitely fitting much better and I can't let one (okay maybe two) slices of banana bread bring me down.

7 - I'm moving offices today (or rather, my office is moving itself today, while I am off). Last August I moved to a gorgeous office in a different building (leased from private - so nice accommodations) and for the first time in a long time my staff was all together in the same area. Now I have to move back to the government-decor mothership (cause of the job upgrade) but they only have room for me and a couple of key staff right now. It totally makes sense for me to move but, :o(

8 - I am so sick and tired of coats, boots, cold, snow and brushing snow off my car. I.Need.Spring.

Well, happy weekend everyone. I'll let y'all know how the hockey tournament goes. Go, Panthers!!!

Keepin' it Simple

Sometimes when I look through all the unscrapped pictures in my picture folder - both printed and digital - I get pretty overwhelmed. Even though I've managed to scrap chrono albums covering 1991 to 2005, I'm very behind on "current" (ie, 2006 and 2007) pictures, and I have tons of older pictures begging to be scrapped, and stories begging to be told. I am still looking for someone willing to dish out the equivalent of my salary so I can just stay home and scrap for a living, but I am not holding my breath on this one!

I've come to the conclusion that not every layout can be an artistic masterpiece. Heck, not even 1 in 5, really...because if I spend 6 hours on every layout, I will never, ever, ever catch up. I will never capture all the memories I want to capture. So lately I've been giving myself permission. Permission to not agonize over every little detail, and also permission to keep it simple. With that in mind, I produced the layout below in less than 30 minutes. Mega simple, with the bonus of using up scraps and old stash.


Supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: SEI (mini memories - fireflies) OLD SCRAPS
Chipboard Alpha: Thickers by American Crafts
Rub-On Alpha: Trademarks by American Crafts
Sticker Letters: Stickopotamus VERY OLD STASH
Chalked Embossed Corn Embellishment: From a swap VERY VERY OLD STASH
Tools to Note: Small circle punch by EK Success OLD TOOL

I also gave myself permission to use a layout design that I've already used twice in the last month. Once for my recent fishing layout, the other time for the sense of humour layout. But looking at them together, they don't really look alike. Each one has its own twist.

Most of the 30 minutes spent on this layout, were spent trying to find just the right pp and embellishments. Once that was done, it came together in about 10 minutes. At that rate, hopefully I'll be scrapping 2008 pictures soon... :o)

I've Got the Cranks

I woke up cranky this morning. This goes against my nature - I'm one of those despicably happy morning people, who bounce out of bed screaming "Good morning world, bring it ON!" (Ok not quite exactly - I look like hell and shuffle around confusedly for a bit - but in general, I wake up a happy gal).

I'd like to attribute my mood to PMS, but problem is, since my endometrial ablation almost a year ago, I don't have periods anymore and have no idea where I am in my cycle at any point in time (too much information, anyone?) ;o) And I suppose it could be pre-menopause, or even menopause, who knows ... I hear that can bring on the cranks.

Truth is, it's probably just Life. I've got a lot going on at work and I feel like I'm behind on everything. I've just signed on for a job I'm not sure I can actually do. I don't know what to eat anymore because half the food I can't have because I'm intolerant to some chemical or other in it, the other half I can't have because it's too fattening and I'm only 'sposed to eat 21 points a day (I.Hate.WeightWatchers.) More importantly, though, I was bummed out on Valentine's because while everyone else was all pink and red and cupid-y, all I could think of was Valentine's Day two years ago when my mother passed away. And my husband's aunt, to whom we are very close, is dying from the pancreatic cancer she fought so well a couple of years ago. She's just been put on palliative care. I took my mother in law to the hospital to see her this morning, and it was just so sad to see how much she deteriorated since just a few days ago. And I think I have post-traumatic stress syndrome. I walk into the hospital and feel like hyper-ventilating. I have seen enough hospital rooms, hallways and cafeterias to last me a lifetime. And while we're at it, I have seen enough grocery stores, laundry machines, ironing boards and brooms to last me a lifetime too. So there.

Now that I have that off my chest... I hope you don't have the cranks after reading this depressing post. But when you do get the cranks, what do you do to cheer up? One of my favorite cheer-ups is just being around the kids. Ds in particular is just goofy enough to get me out of my (infrequent) bad moods. With his goofy personality in mind, I scrapped the following layout the other day ... I kind of scraplifted myself from an earlier layout, as well as a magazine layout I had pinned onto my bulletin board. As a result, it came together so easy, it wasn't funny (pun):


Supplies:

Cardstock: Unknown
Patterned paper: Scenic Route (Chicken Scratch) and Frances Meyer (Japan Garnet Wine)
Wooden frame: Unknown
Chipboard Letters: Chatterbox
Alpha Stickers: Stickopotamus
Alpha Rub-Ons: American Crafts
Number Rub-Ons: Forever in Time ($ Store)
Buttons: Not sure. Either Daisy D or Dollar Store
Brads: Making Memories

Another thing that would help with the crankies, is if the Sens win their game against the Devils tonight. Gosh, imagine how cranky I'll be tomorrow morning if they don't ... ! So even if you don't care much for hockey (and I know y'all don't, lol) ... maybe you could wish for a Sens win tonight on my behalf, ok???

Don't Get Excited!!!

I'm not having a baby!!! The blog is dressed up in honour of the scrapbooking project I accomplished this weekend.

A friend at work is having a baby after many years of trying - she'll be off on maternity leave very soon. We're having a lunchtime baby shower this week to wish her well. I got inspired yesterday and decided to make her a picture-ready baby scrapbook for baby's first year. Only problem - she hasn't found out the gender of the baby, she wants it to be a surprise. How was I to make a totally cute scrapbook if I didn't know whether to go pinks or blues? Well, Wal-Mart (of all places) to the rescue. I found a really cute 8x8 green/blue/yellow/white album by Generations, and a totally cute "cardstock bundle" kit by American Traditions chock full of very versatile multi-baby-coloured patterned paper (and a few buttons and silver brads, which inspired me to dig into my stash for similar items to carry the theme throughout). I put a serious dent in my blossom stash (didn't think that was possible, lol) and used the cutest adhesive foam letters I had picked up at the dollar store - a great buy, as they are very sturdy and very adhesive. I put in a couple of hours yesterday, and a few solid hours today as well (ahhhh...cropping bliss!), and now I am all done, including a matching greeting card (see above).

In addition to the title page, there are 12 numbered pages where the numbers stand for each month of baby's first year. All she has to do is add a picture taken sometime that month. The little blue squares on the picture mats are photo tabs - she just needs to lift up the blue paper and stick her pictures down. Next comes a 2-page layout entitled "A Year of Firsts", with some journaling blocks where she can record any firsts she likes (first tooth, first solid food, first word ...) without being limited by the specific firsts usually listed in baby books. And finally, on the last page there is space for both Mom and Dad to write a letter to baby on the occasion of his or her first birthday. I hope she likes it. I can't wait til she comes back from mat leave in a year and shows me the album filled with pictures!















Still here??? Thanks for sticking it out to the end!!! Just for fun, why don't you post a comment and let me know whether your first thought when the blog loaded up was "OMG, is she pregnant???". Lol. Isn't going to happen - factory is closed - but hey, I had you all going there for just a teeny minute, didn't I???

My Boy

Isn't he just gorgeous?

Most of the pictures I have of my boy show his happy go lucky side. He's usually smiling, or goofing off. When I saw this picture on my digital camera (no idea who took it - probably his Dad), I was struck by how serious and older he looked. I was also struck by how grey his eyes look. He has gorgeous eyes, which waver between blue and grey.

I had lots of fun with this layout. I wanted a simple layout that would showcase the picture; and I wanted it to look masculine. I wanted a 2-pager, which is a challenge with just one picture! I couldn't help adding some flowers (lol), but at least they are grey, and decorated with brads that look like screw heads!! The white "boy" letters are straight in real life, by the way. They just hang from brads so they got kind of crooked during the scan.

Supplies:

Cardstock - Bazzill
Epoxy letters - Making Memories page pebbles
Metal circles - $ store
Metal alpha - not sure - I think Making Memories
Ribbon - Unknown
Ribbon slide - Making Memories
Rub-ons - Making Memories (Boy Rub-on Images), American Crafts (flower doodles), My Mind's Eye (Bohemian - Bluebird "Boy")
Buttons - Unknown
Flowers - Prima
Brads - Making Memories, Unknown
Journaling Box - Luxe

So let's see ... what's new in my life ...

- I re-joined Weight Watchers tonight. I'm a lifetime member since 1992 ... coincidentally, I appear to have 1,992 pounds to lose! Lol. More like 20. There, 20 doesn't seem so bad anymore compared to 1,992! Bear with me, I'll likely start blogging about the point value of foods in the near future ... :oP

- Yeah, well, my Sens lost another one yesterday but I saw some of the old magic in the 3rd period and I hear the Heater is back in the lineup tomorrow night, with Alfie following closely on Saturday. Yipee!

- I continue to manage some time at the scrap desk in the evenings. Using my stash, and cranking out the pages. Ahhh, better than the spa. Almost.

- I've got some roller-coaster feelings about work lately (top of the heap one minute, bottom of the pile the next!). Next on my to-do list: get an executive coach. It's time to crank things up a notch.

- My poor dh has the flu. I really do feel bad for him - but you know what men are like when they have the flu. I just hope I don't catch it! But if I do, it will surely mutate into women's flu - you know, the kind where you have the flu, but you still cook, clean, take care of the kids and go to work!

- My scrappy friend Robyn went in for some surgery this week ... waiting to hear how it went! Lotsa positive thoughts going out to you girl!!!

Ciao!

Flower Explosion

Those of you who have been scrapbooking for a while have probably, at one time or another, become a victim of sticker sneeze. I know that I look back on some of my early layouts and cringe at the number and placement of stickers on the page! I wonder what we will shudder at a few years from now. Maybe flower explosions. If so, there'll be a few layouts in my albums that will elicit shudders!!

I just couldn't resist adding all these flowers to this layout, though. I found the pictures of my (then 15 year old) dd dressed up as a fairy for Halloween so very pretty, so I was overly inspired! Also, didn't hurt that I completed this page after having a few glasses of Chardonnay. Who says wine and scrapping don't mix, lol??? Some people drink to bolster their courage in social situations. Apparently, I drink to give me the courage to overly embellish layouts!! :o)

Supplies:

Cardstock - Bazzill
Patterned Paper - Basic Grey (Perhaps)
Green chipboard letters - $ store
Patterned chipboard letters - K&Co (Amy Butler)
Flowers - Bazzill, Making Memories, Prima
Brads - Making Memories, unknown
Ribbon - $ store
Sticker - K&Co (K-Ology Grand Adhesions)
Journaling Block - Luxe

PS: Remember that package of embellishments for my sister D? That I was supposed to mail out 2 weeks ago? It got mailed TODAY. Sorry D. At least it's in the mail now!!!! (Must.Get.Organized)

Keeping the Faith

Yeah yeah, I know y'all don't follow hockey. I honestly don't know how it became such a big part of my life. It's gotten so that I just hate missing a game on tv (and don't get me started on the pay per view nights or worse, the black-out nights - that's just not fair!). I didn't get to watch last night because I went to friends' (non-hockey-watching friends) for dinner. Which is probably a good thing.

Even if you don't follow hockey, if you're from around here you've probably heard my Sens aren't doing so well lately, especially without Alfie and the Heater. And you've surely seen the newspaper-front-page controversy surrounding my boy Ray. Who, incidently, was in nets last night. When my Sens lost 4-2 to the Leafs. The Leafs.

But never mind all the nay-sayers. I'm keeping the faith.

IF my boy Ray can just forget about being a millionnaire sports superstar and focus on his game; IF the other 16 players can find their groove and gel in their new lines; IF the magic comes back, just for a period or two ... my boys will win the next one.

Supplies:

Cardstock - Bazzill
Photo corners - $ store (from my sister's stash)
Sticker strip - Mrs Grossman's
Ribbon - Offray, $ store, unknown
Rub-on Alpha - Forever in Time
Large Alpha - Colorbox Sticky Alpha Stax
Sens Sticker - $ store
Brads - MM

Photos taken this summer when ds and I went to ScotiaBank place for the unveiling of the new Sens jerseys. See what good seats we had? That picture was taken at about 4x zoom but still, so close! The scan is wonky, ignore the beige strip at the top of the left-hand page ... it isn't really there!