Frustration with Swapping

I love joining swaps (especially if it's something your making), but with joining swaps sometimes there are complications. Yes, I am an understanding person and I know that things happen where you can't complete something in time. That's completely understandable but if you have nothing going on and you sign up for a swap well in advance ( a month or more ) then I really don't think that you have a valid excuse for not having completed what you initially said you would. Whether it be to purchase something, make something, or put something together. Honestly think about it, how long does it take to do that. Ok for those who say they don't have money, then why join the swap in the first place. Maybe instead of buying that 5 dollar cup of coffee at Starbucks (I don't drink coffee so I don't know how much it is I'm just setting an example), you could go ahead and buy that 5 dollar swap item that is due at the end of the week. If scrapping and swapping, and all that goes along with it is not an important thing (I won't say priority because I think family is the main priority lol) then why join swaps to begin with. It just irks me that we sign up for something in the beginning of November, and it's not due till the beginning or mid December and there are always those slackers that just can't get it completed. Like seriously why'd you even bother. You are just hindering the people who got their stuff on time and were expecting things to be completed and done. I think that's why I'm so hesitant to join anything anymore. I'd like to think that I'm a responsible person and when I join something I try to get it completed as quickly as possible so as to not be late, but I guess not everyone is as responsible as me. It just sucks sometimes, and I just needed to rant about this because I know that I am not the only person in the scrapping world that feels like this. Slackers we love you, but get things done on time please! Thanks haha!

3/50 Completed

Here are two layouts I did tonight, I really wanted to do more but I ran out of time and I'm just sleepy LOL. The first one is of Kirk, just a cute picture of him, wanted to scrap it. I'm not thrilled with it but it's completed. The second Layout is about my trust issues, and how I'll never forget the people in my past because they've made me he person I am today. I kind of like the layout, and it's definitely one of my favorite pictures because it fits the sentiment the best. I love taking pictures of myself sometimes, but only when I take them cause I can capture me, where as if someone else is taking it I feel like I have to act a little. Any who I used all scraps I had of these old Love Elsie lines. Way to use those scraps for me! Yeah!

1/50 It's Begun

The journey has begun ... here is my first of fifty. Wish me luck! This picture is one I took of myself at work when I was bored. I loved that it totally looked like I was thinking whatever, and I had recently purchased these cute rubons and found the perfect one for the title. The journaling basically says how at work because sometimes it gets so boring, I'll watch movies, tv and chat all day long. I really liked how this layout turned out. I was hemming pants all day yesterday after I came home from work (because my friend wants to borrow my machine I figured I'd get it done before I leave and give it to her), I was so inspired by the sewing that I just had to put sewing on my page. It's been so long since I've sewed on a page and it was quite fun to have that little extra on there.

Stash Diet

So I was browsing blogs this morning and came upon this fabulous idea which I'm totally going to take on. It's called a Stash Diet, I found it on this blog. The rules are below. This is a great way to save money, get rid of old stuff (you know the stuff we say we will never use again). It's true what the blogger said when she said that if my kids look at the LO's when they are older they are not going to say "oh man, that is the time when mom used all the 'old stuff' on our pages." They don't care what products or when the product was made just that there is something made of that memory. I love this idea and I hope that all of you join in with me and do this. It will be quite a journey to get out all that Stack paper and use it up. This time no saving of the scraps lol....

the rules are as follows.
1. Create 50 layouts using only products, tools, and supplies we have on hand.
2. Cardstock and adhesive can be purchased when needed. Who can make many pages with no adhesive?
3. Gift certificates, RAK's, DT kits are not included -those can be used.
4. Larger altered projects count as 1 layout.

So who's up for the challenge with us?

Guilty Pleasures

Scrapdragons has a new challenge up asking what we are guilty of, my guilty pleasure is Reality TV. There's just something about good editing of reality life that just makes it fun to watch. I love The Hills, The Real world (I've watched almost every season London was the worst), Project Runway, America's Next Top Model, Survivor, Cops, Big Brother and who doesn't love Kitchen Nightmares? There's just so much variety out there and everyone including me loves to see reality drama. Things that could happen to you (but thankfully aren't). I'm all about the reality TV!

One Little Word

One Little Word could mean so many things to so many different people. This months challenge is "live". To me living is to be happy. So I made a LO of me and Kirk who is a person who truly makes me happy, even when I'm mad at him lol. Thanks for looking!

Christmas Cards Continued

Here are the rest of my Christmas cards, hopefully this is the last lot. I don't usually send out to too many people. So hopefully I got all the really important people hehe.

Christmas Cards

So my mom was telling me today after dinner she was going to start addressing her cards, I'm like OMG cards. I should probably get those started so I can mail them out on Monday. So that is my project at the moment. I finished seven today. they are simple and fit into a regular letter envelope, the cards are cut to fit the envelope and are bi fold. I'm using all Figgy Pudding line from Basic Grey to get my cards completed this year. (Lo's I'm planning on using Love Elsie's Christmas line can't wait to get those pictures taken and scrapped just so I could use the line soon)

Turkey Day Scrappin

So on Thanksgiving it was a pretty much say at home and relax day since dinner wasn't till evening. I actually got to do some scrapping done and was so freaking happy that I was able to. I actually got a six by twelve mini book started of the scrap retreat that I took in early October. I like the way it's turning out, hopefully I can finish it in the near future.

Scrapping Withdrawal

I haven't scrapped in a while and I'm feeling the withdrawal, the inspiration online is endless with blogs, galleries and emails on various ideas. I'm dying to do the advent calendar with boxes. Maybe I'll work on that tonight. What do you put in those things anyway hehe. I've never done one. I should go and do some research since I finally finished all my work and it's only 930 in the morning. Boredom blah!

Tears of Joy

Well .. it's Christmas time and with that comes shopping and lots of it. Well it's really hard supporting 3 people sometimes and trying to get everything that everyone wants so money has been tight. And credit it's something you use and don't even think it will ever end, that is until the day you go to the store and they tell you I'm sorry it's been declined (tear). So this is a major bummer. So I gave my card to my mother and if I don't have cash from now on I can't buy it, period! It's the way it has to be from now on. Luckily Kirk has finally finished paying his repossessed car (from before he met me) so he will have extra money and can maybe take on an extra bill. Things are just too expensive in life you know. I don't even remember the last time we were able to go out to dinner you know, and I love going out just me him and the baby. (tear again). Any who I made a mistake a happy one. I seriously thought this week I would have no money (well this Friday because that's when I get paid and that's also the day I send the bills out for the week), but it turns out my two bills aren't for the same week, it's for separate weeks so I will have money to spend this weekend! Yippee ... and I can pay my mother back for the purchase she had to pay for at Old Navy because my card was declined (tear). I don't want to have to owe her money you know, it's never fun owing people money. (well family cause due creditors LOL). So tears of joy for being able to pay my mom back for that purchase (all xmas gifts i wanted to get thank god she was with me) and that i will have a lil extra money! Ok my happiness has been said, and my embarrassment of my shopping addiction that has gotten out of hand to an absolute extreme.

Thanksgiving

So there were ups and there were downs, and now I just want to go take a nap lol.

Ups - Dinner was nice and everyone was good, no arguments or anything like that.

Downs - My hard drive is dead, all my pictures etc LOST. I need to take it to be recovered somewhere so if anyone knows a good place please let me know. In the meantime I have to go buy a new HD cause without it my comp doesn't want to play nice.

Ups - Up at 4 in the morning to go shopping before work with my mother, always a good time. Met up with a friend who was already in line (so I didn't have to go all the way to the end yippee)

Downs - They had NOTHING that I was looking for (bummer!).

Ups - I did find a couple things that I bought for gifts. I will keep shopping after work and during lunch. Try to get everything out of the way as soon as possible. I hate last minute shopping. This year I promise to buy a minimum of gifts. Because I buy too much LOL.

Downs - I'm freaking exhausted and practically falling asleep at work with the heater at my feet blowing up to my face making me feel more cozy and warm that I am literally closing my eyes every couple seconds hehe.

Ups - Kirk is home so hopefully he will let me take a nap when I get home (crosses fingers)

Ok enough ups and downs, I did get some scrapbooking pages done yesterday yippee. It's from the mini book I'm making of the Scrapbook Retreat I did in October but I can't upload them without my laptop (tear) that's def a down :-(

Ok I'm back to watching TV at work and pretending to work even though I wish I was out shopping some more :-(

Chocolate World

So we made it to Hershey PA. I didn't get to meet my whore, but I still went for a day trip with the fam anyway just for fun. And fun we had with lots and lots of chocolate and goodies of course. I bought two Coach bags (one for me and one for my mom for xmas), and then me and my mom bought one for a friend. Then I hit the scrapbook store and was so proud of myself that I didn't over spend too much. After that we were off to Chocolate World, and we had tons of Fun.

Here's a pic of me and my mom on the trolley, I love that she loves going on adventures with me.

Here's a pic of Isabella and Kirk at the lights outside of Hershey park which we didn't go in because it was kind of late and we still had to drive home.

This is a pic of Isabella and Kirk on the Chocolate World tour on how they make the chocolate.

Kirk had to get a picture of Isabella on top of the chocolate piles. I was telling him to get her off that because people buy and eat those candies, but he never listens. I took the pic anyway.

This chocolate was HUGE and HEAVY. It weighed a ton I swear lol. That's something that would last two years or more lol. We should have bought it haha maybe next time.

This is me clocking out of the factory haha.

At the entrance they had a huge christmas tree and I just couldn't resist getting a picture. We did get Isabella with Santa but she started crying when she was alone so Kirk took the pic with her, I'll have to scan that one day.

All About Eve

All About Eve has a fabulous challenge about loving your body. Which let's face it, it's not something too many women love. I know personally I have my days and my moments as much as anyone. But I'm lucky in that I have someone that loves me very much no matter what I look like. And we are complete opposites. He's very slim where as I'm not even close to slim hehe. But he loves me just the same. And I love him just the same. We compliment each other. I had taken these pictures a while ago for a challenge someone gave me on taking a picture of something that not too many people see. Of course now everyone will see it hehe. My belly button, I took one of his too just because I wanted to show the difference between our belly buttons. I call this tummy love.

Scrapdragons

Here is my LO for the Scrapdragons Challenge. I love these challenges, they always seem to come up with something different to try out. For this Challenge we had to pick two of a couple of choices to make a LO of our choice. I used the word Inspire and at the top corner I tried to copy the Shoprite Logo from the first picture choice that had. I took these pictures a while ago during some fireworks at a park (it wasn't the 4th of July either). It was Isabella's first time seeing Fireworks and once they started she just lit up with excitement.

One Little Word

Here's my entry for the One Little Word challenge, which this month is FULL. Full could mean many many things. I took it in the literal sense as in being full. I had taken these pictures some time ago. A friend at work had bought me this huge croissant and it was just so tasty, what I could taste of it. Because once I opened the package Isabella took it out of my hands and just started grubbing.

Because I ...

Scrappy Mood

I'm hoping to get a couple of challenges done tonight (cross fingers). I really want to get a lot done tonight, it's been a while and I'm feeling the with drawls.

Today is my Father's Birthday, unfortunately he's working so we can't really celebrate it. Hopefully we can pick up a cake tomorrow and sing him Happy Birthday (which btw is Isabella's favorite song, she will sing that song ALL day). We bought him a new recliner, he still needs to get used to it. He's not the type that likes new things. Very much a routine kind of man. I really need to get to the store and buy him a card for Isabella to give him. She's such a man crazy girl, she only loves the men in her lives. Oh the things that will come in the future, am I ready for a boy crazy teenager, probably not haha.

My thoughts are just really random and not really cohesive but that's how I'm feeling. I'm going to meet one of my Whores this weekend, should be interesting. Chez I'll see you on Saturday! We're meeting up in Hershey Pa, I'm hoping to catch a few moments to take Isabella to the chocolate factory or at least the store and just get lots and lots of chocolate. My brother said if I was going to go meet Charlie at the factory hahah. We love that movie so much!

Alright I really should be working right now so let me get back to it .. or at least pretend to while I sneak a peek at Kitchen Nightmares haha.

Scrap'n Bingo

This is something that I made for Etsy. I really loved making it and even though it took me literally days to make the game up it was an absolute pleasure and I would definetly do more if his one sells in different colors and even different words. I love creating new things and his is definely something that I've never seen before. There are just no games out there for scrapbooking that I'm aware of. I know that many of us play Bingo online with picking words daily but it 's just a whole different feel when your in a room with a bunch of your girlfriends and someone screams out in joy "Bingo!", there's just no feeling of elation like that, everyone loves winning something sometimes. I know I do hehe. thanks for looking. Happy Scrapping!

Beach Pictures Continued

I will be doing massive amounts of beach pictures and some other ones, just trying to catch up on all the photos I have that I need to scrap. Here are three layouts for you to check out.

Kirk put our names in the sand and then took a picture of it, I thought it was too cute so I had to add it to the family picture.

Here's Isabella hanging off the side of the restaurant that we were eating at. She was standing on the table (don't worry I promise you I was holding her you can even see my forehead peeking out on the second picture). She was all smiles for her daddy. She's such a daddy's girl. He loves it that's for sure.

Here's a picture of my friend at the beach, it was her first time at the Jersey Shore. She said it was too damn cold for her, it was just too funny seeing her squirm at the touch of the water that I had to keep snapping pictures of her consecutively running away from the water every time it came close to her. We had a really great time that day and next year we will definitely do it during the summer time when we can actually attempt to go in the water and not freeze to death.

OLW Challenge

Here is the correct entry for the One Little Word challenge, hehe cause you know I did believe thinking that was still the word lol. I really like how this LO turned out. It's the first picture from the scrapbook retreat that took place in California last month that I have finally started doing. I probably won't do ALL the pictures but I'm going to try and do my best. I'm so happy that I get time to scrap, I know for sure tomorrow I will do a couple more pages. Friday not so much because I'll be sitting in the movie theater all night Fri-Sun watching the 8 movies to die for ... aka Horrorfest! Can't wait!!! I'm going to try and be a true scrapper and take some pictures hopefully there will be some cool decorations and stuff for all the movie goers.

Random Lo's

So I've been very busy scrapping lately and I really love it. Here are two lo's I did. The first LO is a complete lift from Becky Fleck's Page Maps it's her first sketch and the first LO. It was so funny because I kept cutting the wavy paper the wrong way. I totally meant to put it horizontal but unfortunately it came out vertical, oh well life goes on it's still a cute LO in my opinion hehe.

This LO is funny because honestly I made it for the One Little Word challenge, and I was all excited that I got two challenges done today. And then I went to look at the blog and realized that I did the challenge of last week. So I suck lol! Either way it's another completed LO that's not too bad. Now I will for sure have to go and try that challenge again but definitely with the correct word this time.

I don't think I will get any Lo's completed this weekend because of the party and all but here's hoping that on Sunday I can get something done. If not then there is always Monday that's for sure. Thanks for looking as always.

All About Eve

So I decided this month to try the All About Eve Challenge. It's to make a LO about your idol. There's no one I think more highly of in this world other than my mother. Through thick and thin she has been there for me and my family. She is truly the most devoted person I've ever met. I love her so much and wouldn't ask for a better mother, she is my best friend. Here's the LO I hope you all enjoy looking at it I know I found great joy in creating it. It's not too often that I get to scrap my mother, and it was a pleasure.

Halloween Costumes

Isabella was a pirate princess this year. I bought her costume very early when they first put up the costumes. She looked absolutely adorable in her costume, but she didn't want to keep the hat on, luckily I got a couple good pictures with it on. She's so hard to cooperate when I want to take great pictures of her hehe, kids you know. There's a group picture where everyone is a pirate, that really was a popular costume this year. I don't know who decides these trends but more power to them. Next year who knows what the costume of choice will be. Hopefully something fun, I know my younger brother wants to be a killer clown next year. We're hoping to get our costumes made.
Here are a couple pictures of us carving pumpkins, the white bat is my pumpkin. I love carving pumpkins it just brings the family together!

Funny Dream

I have been having this habit of waking up around 5ish lately and I don't have a clue why. Well needless to say it happened again this morning. Then I tried to go back to sleep and I guess I started dreaming but I honestly thought it was reality. (Maybe it was who knows haha but doubtful) I looked over at Isabella and she was awake and playing in her crib, I figured if I went back to sleep that she would too, which she usually does especially if the room is still dark. Well sure enough next thing you know she's standing outside the crib as if she crawled out. Because the side was put down instead of up. I was like oh whatever you know let her roam the room it's ok. So I closed my eyes next thing I hear the door open (it's my father) I jump out of bed in frantic search for Isabella who had gotten out of the crib. He looked at me funny, I looked at her crib and she was passed out asleep lol. I'm like OMG it must have been a dream haha. It was so unbelievably vivid. I literally thought she had gotten out of the room, I'm going banana's lol. That's actually the first time I had a dream about my daughter too. Funny huh? LOL. Anyway, later today as soon as I can find my camera I'll post the LO I did last night off of Becky Fleck's new sketch, and of course some trick or treating pictures. Wait till you see how absolutely adorable Isabella looked in her little pirate costume.

The County Fair Completed

So I finally finished pictures from the county fair, next project will be our adventure to the beach. I'm doing so good because I haven't bought anything new and I've used all old paper. I'm so proud of myself. Here are the rest of my Lo's and I can't wait to make some more. I'm really having fun doing these 12x12's even though they are simple in that they are not super embellished they are perfect for my books. I leave all the embellishments for non eventful things. When working with less pictures I tend to put more, but working with more pictures I'll put less. Thanks for looking.

And Sunday was a BEAUTIFUL day, a little chilly but perfect for pumpkin picking. We never made it to the festival, but we had fun at the pumpkin patch. They had an awesome amount of pumpkins to pick from, and different colors too. Here are a couple of pictures, we'll probably be carving them tomorrow though because I didn't have time today. Much fun to be had, but wow are we cutting it close to Halloween or what haha. Love it!!

See the variety, we found a bunch of funky gourds, me and my mom were having fun with them lol. Isabella went into the little kid maze. It was so cute because she kept going into the dead ends. But she just kept on trucking, it was adorable!