Thursday, December 27, 2007

Train Date





This was a fun layout to do. I'd been saving the few pieces of Basic Grey Scarlet's Letter paper that I'd managed to find at a few different LSS's. I love how the paper isn't too girly, since it is about a train! (Well, and a date...) By the way, Jesse is now a volunteer brakeman at this railroad, and I am very proud of him for finding such a neat, worthwhile hobby! The name of the railroad is the Battleground/Yacolt/Chelatchie Prairie Railroad. They run a steam engine that was built in the 1920's!

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas

I want to wish everyone a very merry Christmas. As we celebrate the baby born that gave hope and reconciliation for all mankind, may we remember to share His love and peace and hope with the world around us. Be salt and light, for Him. And eat lots of good food!

Sunday, December 23, 2007

A Mixed Blessing

So it looks like maybe it's not actually the flu, but maybe Strep Throat or something. I'm not going to urgent care though, so I can't get to the Dr. until Wednesday. So, no Christmas for me, since I really don't care to infect my beloved relatives with whatever I've got.
On the upside, I've had time to create away, and I finished all of my christmas gifts. I decoupaged little boxes and a couple of clipboards. Pretty cute, and an inexpensive gift.


I really like how one of the boxes turned out especially, the one I made using DCWV Once Upon A Time "Dragon" paper. It's my favorite.









The Mermaid box is a close second favorite though, since it has my favorite colors and mermaids are just really cool anyway.

Jesse and I at his company Christmas dinner


Oh Yeah! I made this super cute sign too.

Friday, December 21, 2007

I have the flu.

Ironic, since DH had the flu on Thanksgiving.

Fever's down though, and since I actually have the day free since I can't go in to work with the flu, I think I'm going to start my Christmas gifts.

I'm decoupaging little boxes for my nieces and nephews.

If I actually accomplish anything today, I will post with pics...

Surfing everyone else's blogs takes much less energy though, although I'm starting to feel that creative itch that won't be ignored...we'll see...

Saturday, December 15, 2007




OH The JOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Cuttlebug came today, and my alphabets too, even though they weren’t due until Tuesday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got Olivia, Curls and Swirls, Hippie Chick, and Fancy Pants.

They are soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo CUTE!!!!!!

I gotta go scrap now!!!

Holiday Cheer and Good Times


So last weekend I had Scrapapalooza (as my dh calls it), by scrapping for 13 hours straight at Scrapbook Attack in Beaverton. It was soooooooooooooo fun! I got to get to know Marilyn (aka Melonscraps), a fellow CKMB’er. She was very generous and shared her Cricut with me. She also gave me tons of good technical advice about scrapbooking and was really patient with my endless questions. I am so glad to have made a new friend!

This week at work was so hard for me! My job remains a great struggle for me, but I really try to just be content there. It seems like God has me there for a purpose. And although it’s hard, I do love the 2-year olds that I teach, dearly. They embody absolute cuteness and they have me laughing all day long at the silly, clumsy things they do and say as they try and grow out of babyhood and into childhood. I was given some more responsibility at work this week, which may explain why it taxed my emotions. This situation remains a work in progress for me, but at least I haven’t given up and quit yet! I did cry when I got home from work last night. Anyway, I just couldn’t blog this week, my emotions were too overwhelmed. But now it’s the weekend, and here I am!

Last night was sooooooooooooooooooooooooo fun! We participated in a progressive dinner with some other young couples from church. It started at 6:30 and didn’t get over until about 11:30, due to some murphy’s law-esque mishaps. First we had appetizers, Italian brushetta and cheese and fruit. It went rather smoothly, although Jesse and I left a little early since we realized we hadn’t made anything for people to drink. We frantically ran around the grocery store looking for the ingredients for Shirley temples. We got home and he finished serving up the French onion soup while I made the drinks.













The next stop was the main course, where we exchanged white elephant gifts. That was very funny. A friend’s little girl, who was a newbie to the white elephant tradition, gave away something that she didn’t actually want to give up and ended up stealing it back at the end of the game. We were mostly pretty nice though, and let people keep the things they really had their heart set on. Jesse got an antique knife and I got a pretty 3-tiered wall sconce. Not too shabby.










Then we sat down for a Mexican feast. It was delicious!














By then it was about 10:00 and we still had the dessert course to get to! The couple who were hosting the dessert course realized the wife had forgotten her purse at our house. Jesse went with the husband to get the purse, and the rest of us went over to their house to wait for them. Well, the wife and I got there, and she said, “Oh no! My house keys are in my purse!” We had to get out of the nice warm car and tell everyone as they arrived what had happened. So we all had to wait out in the cold for Jesse and the husband to arrive! To make the time pass, we all huddled together in the middle of the apartment complex and sang Christmas Carols. It actually kept us warm, even me! (I had forgotten my coat at my house after the appetizer course). Then Jesse and the husband arrived and we could all crowd together in their apartment as she served us a scrumptious flourless chocolate cake on a graham cracker crust with toasted marshmallows on top-(her original creation)-aka “Smores Cake”!

The whole evening was such a delight. We laughed much, and just enjoyed the spontaneity of it all, especially the multi-cultural menu. (Which had not been discussed beforehand-obviously!)

So today I had to clean up the kitchen. (All that baked on cheese-ugh it took forever!) Mission accomplished though, and I plan to scrap while I wait for the fedex man, who is supposed to arrive at any time today with my new CUTTLEBUG!!!!!

Thursday, December 13, 2007

7 random facts about me...

1) I was born on a small island in Alaska.
2) I have a Master’s degree in teaching but I work at a daycare (and am very
disgruntled about it, although God has really been changing my heart about it lately).
3) My first car was a ’74 Nova, creamy yellow with plaid bench seats. Too cool, but the brakes sucked!
4) I went on a trip to meet my in-laws for the first time without my husband.
5) I used to have a pet dove named Rachelle.
6) I was a nanny in manhattan for 4 months when I was 19.
7) I went to Victoria, Canada for my honeymoon.

Friday, December 7, 2007

5 Minutes of Pure Bliss!!!

First of all, look at the awesome header that my CKMB buddy, hickschick, designed for me since I am completely digitally illiterate!!! It is gorgeous, thank you so much hickschick!!!!!!!

Second of all, I was tucking my dh in bed and we were talking about my cuttlebug disappointment today. I mentioned that maybe I'll just order it online sometime at creativexpress.com, since they have it for $35 plus shipping. He said, "It's only $35.00? Then why are you so bummed that Michael's wouldn't let you use the coupon. Just go order it right now."

I said, "ARE YOU SERIOUS???"

He said, "Yeah, go ahead honey. Merry Christmas."

I think it took me about a minute and a half to get that order put through and NOW MY CUTTLEBUG IS ON IT"S WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of course now I'll have to save to buy some alphabets...

Like I said, 5 minutes of pure bliss!

A Minor Setback...


So...Michael's won't accept Joann's internet coupons. Who knew? Therefore, I am still cuttlebug-less. Maybe it's a sign. To just use the die-cutters at the LSS when I go crop, or something like that!


Tomorrow I'm going to go crop all day at an LSS that I've never been to before or even heard of before. Apparently they let you use their quickutz, and they have some alphabets. I'll have to report back if my experience satisfies my deep need for neat-o fonts. I'm going to crop with a girl from the CKMB. I'm pretty excited, actually. I've never gone to a crop with anyone else. I'm a fairly new scrapbooker, having just started the craft a year ago, and all my "old" friends think I'm slightly daft since I've gone completely overboard! So, I'm trying to make some new "scrap buddies".


By the way, I'm adding all you CKMB'ers to my list o'blogs on my blog, so if that's not ok, please let me know! I'll take you off right away!

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Waiting for a Cuttlebug





Waiting for a Cuttlebug…

Payday is just 2 days away, and it feels like forever…

After much thought and weighing the pros and cons,
I intend to buy a Cuttlebug and some cute alphabets to go with it.

I can bring it to crops with me since it is small and portable.

That way I can crop where I like to, rather than cropping where I need to in order to use the die-cutting equipment.

I really want to meet other scrappers, for sure!

I’m tired of scrapping in isolation.

I may be barren, but there are other things in life besides having children.

I may be Mara (bitter) but there’s still hope in my future. I still have a purpose.

I’m still a child of God.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Always


“Always”

I took the title for this layout from the movie, “Always” (1989) starring Richard Dreyfuss and Holly Hunter. I saw it in the theater when I was 12 years old and it has always been a favorite. So beautiful and poignant. I got to thinking, what else in my life lasts for “always”. I’ve been doing a ton of soul searching since I turned 30, and more and more I am turning to the faith of my childhood to satisfy my deepest longings. My relationship with God is the ONLY thing that will last “Always”.

I used this adorable new paper I bought at the LSS last weekend. It is MM Hillary Stamp Shape. I also used some Basic Grey Figgy Pudding paper to mat the photo. I used Colorbok white chipboard letters, American Crafts Thickers in Black Tie Aqua Velvet, and dollar store paper clips. I hand drew the letters in “always”. I journalled on old notebook paper, which I edged with small scallop edging scissors, and punched some small holes with my crop-a-dile.

I journalled the following on this layout.

“This journey, that started when I was 5 years old under the weeping willow tree in our backyard when I asked Jesus into my heart for the first time~(It wouldn’t be the last time I did, by any means)

This journey...
has surprised me with the pain it has held in store for me. Was anyone else on this lonely planet as surprised by this as well? Was I the only one?

This journey is so full of ups and downs. So hard most of the time. God and I have so many falling outs and distant times. I feel discouraged often. Yet I’ve never completely given up on God, and I know (in faith) that my God has never given up on me. That’s a miracle.

I’ve re-committed my life to God, at 30 years old, twice this year alone. And still I am unsure as that 5-year-old. Although unfortunately less joyful and trusting.

But…I’m not unsure about God. Only unsure about the daily steps I travel in following Him.

Evidence of His grace, providence, and peace are obvious in my daily life. He answers my prayers both Big and little.

Yet my faith falters…
Yet holds fast.

Always.”