My Favorite Layouts of 2008

My first layout for Scrapstars...I was so happy that Jill and Shaunna asked me to join! It's been a blast!


A new one...and something I'm trying to focus on more than I do.


Because my sister is awesome. I'm happy we've started to get past our petty squabble stage. I feel like I've been a better sister to her this year.


I didn't think we'd have a cat this year. Now I can't imagine not having Lola around.


As a teacher, I've dealt with too much loss this year.


I like all the stuff on this page.


I love my husband more and more each day, and there are still days where I wonder what I did to deserve him. :)


I got my passport this year, and traveled to Poland and Germany.


Again, fun stuff on this page. :)


Someone stopped me to tell me they thought my headband looked like a tiara. :D


My dorm room in college. There are days I miss college.


This is a new one...Lola inspecting the lights. I promise she's not eating them.


Another school year...this one has been much better than I anticipated.


My brother finished his first year of college. I'm so happy for him...and yes, he IS that much taller than me.

Pa

I have tons of photos to share (3 Christmas' worth!), but I'm still going through all of the files. So I wanted to share some video that I took of Mike's grandpa singing. He's a lot of fun to watch!

I hope everyone had a very happy Christmas! I'm working on my 2009 goal, and I'll share those soon. Oh, and that pen story from a couple of weeks ago...promise I haven't forgotten!

And now for your listening pleasure...

...my Christmas mice.

I gave these to my grandma a few years ago as a Christmas present, because she loved moving, musical decorations like these. I got them back after she passed away, and they rank among my favorites.

Yesterday was....

Waking up under a heavy comforter.
6 degree temps.
A purple scarf and red vintage flower pin.
Going to work while Mike stayed home.
Beef jerky and goldfish for lunch.
A 6th period exam that everyone passed.
Getting crafty while waiting for a Windows update.
Lots of grading.
A new video camera to play with a work.
A sweet surprise from a sweet friend.
Being too tired (perhaps lazy) to cook dinner.
Writing an engineering exam.
Packaging gifts.
Being tucked in by my husband.
Prayers of thanks that the day went better than expected.

A couple of shares

Check out challenge #10 at Scrapstars! We're sharing our handmade Christmas gifts -- lots of cute stuff over there!

And the Pretty Committee is still doing the 12 days of Scrap-mas, and there might be a prize or two involved.

I have two more days of school remaining before break, even though every other teacher I know is already on Christmas break. Snow-day vibes would be greatly appreciated. :)

Here's a little something I can share...

My 12 Days of Scrap-mas tutorial is up over at the Pretty Committee blog. We're making ornaments because I couldn't resist buying a tub of beads at Michael's - lol.



My favorite is the yellow one. I decided today that I would like a tree with yellow ornaments. That's probably means I'm difficult -- I haven't seen a yellow ornament all year long. :)

We saw a local performance of A Christmas Carol. It was performed as a radio drama, and my Jenny was the Ghost of Christmas Present. She rocked! It was such a great performance, and I love that it was local.

And wow, it's been a great weekend for movies on tv...last night was Gremlins and The Princess Bride. This morning, Ghostbusters II.

Oh, I'm saving this topic for my next post, but I want to know something first: What is the highest amount of money that you are willing to pay for an ink pen? (Don't worry, I'm not going to try to sell you anything!) Odd question, I know. But it relates back to an odd situation at work. I promise I'll share more about it soon!

'Tis the season for crafty things

I want to make stuff.
Christmas stuff, to be exact.

I did make this collar for Lola. It took about 15 minutes to stitch up. And only thirty seconds for her to remove it.



I am loving all the great decorating/craft ideas I've been seeing over the last month.

I especially love this one, and am in the process of making a small one for the cute tinsel tree I picked up this weekend (for $4!!!). I love that it's so simple to make.

I want to make some of these. Total cuteness.

I made this wreath, and then I shrunk down the pattern to make ornaments. I made a last-minute decision to give the ornaments as gifts to friends and extended family this year. The cardboard is a bit of a pain to cut out. Literally. But the end result is so worth it.

I want to make this wreath, too. Because you really can't have too many wreaths.

And these would be lots of fun to make.

Seriously, next year I'm gonna have to start Christmas crafting in June. :D

But I'm ashamed to admit with all the exciting craft ideas swirling around me, I have not put the Christmas tree up. Hopefully Mike and I will remedy that issue this weekend.

Oh, and I have some crafty goodness of my own to share. But you'll have to wait until they're posted here and here. I'll let you know when that happens.

Off to download some festive songs!

I love a good challenge.

And two challenges are twice as nice!

This is the first Scrapstars challenge for December...scrap your Christmas list. Except mine isn't nearly as exciting as my husband's...since he actually made one this year. Yeah, it's a first!



There's also The Pretty Committee's first challenge of the month. What is the one thing that you want for Christmas? My big wish is to have the 22nd and 23rd off of work, like most every other teacher in the area. I'm still holding out for snow days... :)

Lola and I made a video...

...documenting her love of lids. Seriously, she loves them more than anything.

Yay for Fall

But first...


They came in 3rd. That's okay...he found his confidence, so that's important. :)

I made this for the RVKC challenge. Love the idea of a scrapbook in a jar. And I love fall. Too bad it seems to be slipping away much too fast. But winter comes in a close second as my favorite time of year. Because as much I enjoy a cool, crisp fall day, snow days rock.



Check out the RAK going on over here.

I am so excited about Thanksgiving! I wouldn't have said this a couple of weeks ago...I was kind of dreading it. My family celebrates Thanksgiving at my grandma's house. The grandma who passed away last year. She was very clear that she wanted the family to continue gathering even after she was gone. So we do. But it isn't the same, and that hit me hard last weekend. But it will be good to see everyone. It's just being in her house and knowing that she won't be there that is so hard to take in.

I'm so happy to have some time off. It's been a crazy 2-day week. Crazier than most 5-day weeks. I keep thinking I have to work tomorrow. I'll probably wake up in the morning thinking I've overslept.

I know who I want to win DWS...

...and if you read my blog regularly, you'll be shocked.

j/k -- I think we all know who I want to win. Loved this performance. Except for the gaudy stuff on the back of Lance's jacket. My only complaint, though. :) Enjoy!



Edited: Check out Lacey at the 00:38 mark...girl has some serious core strength!

New Scrapstars Challenge

It's a good day for scrap challenges, isn't it? :)

The new Scrapstars challenge is up -- another great one this month! Here's my take on it:



This one is due on the 29th!

November Pretty Committee Challenges

The November Pretty Committee challenges are up! Here's the first November challenge. I chose to do the 2nd challenge this month...the DT comes up with such great ideas! The challenges are due November 25...still plenty of time to get these finished and posted!

Here's my take on the 2nd challenge...I think this is the first page I've made that doesn't have a title. I love this page because it reminds me of the day I brought two of my very best friends together.

Oh, and I'm officially a woodgrain contact paper addict. :D

It was a good week.

Our Election Night Party was a blast! We just took the streamers down today...they were just so much fun to look at. :) Here are a couple of photos to share.





































I found my Christmas gift project while we were at Barnes and Noble today. I'll share it soon. I'm very excited, mainly because I can make these gifts for roughly 50 cents each!

Check out this girl's etsy. Her journals are fabulous, and she's a total sweetheart, too!

I bought this last weekend! Elsie never fails to get the creative juices flowing.

Found this when I was looking for Dancing with the Stars clips on YouTube. Lacey totally blows me away, and watching this dance gave me chills.



Have a great remainder of the weekend!

I just jogged 5K! Without stopping. I don't even care that it took me 38 minutes!

I hadn't done much jogging lately...my knees started hurting a couple of weeks ago. Patella tendonitis. Fun. I didn't even know what a patella tendon was - lol. But now I wear a patellar band and I ice down my knees when I'm finished, so it's all good.

Seriously so excited about the 5K. Just needed to share. :D

It's taken practically forever to get here...

...but tonight I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve. Except that instead of opening presents in the morning, I will be casting my vote for President (And state senator. And state rep. And various city council positions.)

And we're hosting our quadrennial election night party! Mike has lots of political-themed games planned for our guests..."put the lipstick on the pitbull" is my favorite.

So, wanna know who I'm voting for?










Can you keep a secret?











So can I. ;)


(Yes, I'm a bit of a tease. And I stole that line from Dear Abby. Or Prudence. One of those advice columns I love to read.)

DWS results tonight...Halloween on Friday...

...so a little something fun and gothic (seriously, how often do those two words fit together?) to get you in the mood for Friday! :D Loved this tango a few weeks ago.

Lance was my favorite NSYNCer from back in the day!




The creativity is slowly coming back. I get so overwhelmed with my job that I sometimes don't know how to relax when I come home. But I'm getting there.

I made this address book over the weekend with one of her tags.

I try to think, and my brain say, "Ugh".

Okay, I have to do something creative.
Something fun.
Something for me.

I haven't scrapped (or blogged -- I know) in what seems like forever.
Can't think of anything cute or creative.
My brain is so blah right now.

Any ideas to get me though this dry spell (other than quitting my job and glue-dotting myself to the scrap table)?

On a positive note, I have been running for the last two weeks. I didn't really mean to start...it just sort of happened. But yesterday I ran just short of 2 miles. Never done that before -- go Bekka! :)

"Friday Eve" Post

• Loved, loved, loved The Office season premiere!!! Well worth the wait.
• Been looking forward to a presidential debate. Hope that happens tomorrow.
  
• Starting a scrapbooking club at school.
  
• Getting together with her tomorrow for some Chinese food.
• Swapping ATCs with her.
• Bought this tonight. Can't wait to try it out.
• Tomorrow is Friday!
  
• Hubs has a sinus infection and is snoring. I'm probably gonna sleep on the couch tonight. But that's okay, because I like the couch.
• Can't stop listening to this song.
• Reconnected with a good friend tonight. I wish we didn't live so far away from each other.
  

Have a great Friday!
And just so you know, I totally appreciate each and every one of your comments! Don't be shy! :)

Can I share a secret?

One of my favorite bands is Hanson.

Yeah. I said it.

Gotta share my all-time favorite. This is my go-to song when I need a jolt of energy.


And yes, I even like this one. Especially stripped-down like this.


Now that I've got that stuck in your head, have a great weekend! :)

Lola knows a trick

Okay, maybe not, but she's still super cute. Since I haven't really said anything about her lately, I thought a video of her would be fun. Enjoy the cuteness that is Lola. :)

This sums up...

...my Tuesday at work:

The stream-of-consciousness post

Tonight we had dinner at Justix.
So excited about going.
I've been looking forward to it since last weekend.
They had Izze!
The food was a bit bland -- just the way I like it.
Food on a stick is the best. :)

I bought a new dress tonight.
The kind I can wear with jeans.
Love that look.


Tomorrow we're getting up early because Mike is running a 5K.
Then I'm having my Arbonne party.
Love Arbonne.
Last Sunday I bought these to serve my guests.
The bag has been sitting on the counter for a week.
I resisted the urge to open them.
Yay me! :D

Then I'm gonna do some scrapping.
Because I'm on a new design team.
The Pretty Committee.
Cute name. :)
Check it out. Lots of girly fun!

School has been great!
This is the best year ever so far.
Love the new schedule.
There have been a few "squirrley" days.
But the kids have been awesome!

Lola seems to be feeling better.
I think I forgot to mention she was sick.
Tummy issues.
It's been a week since her last episode.
And she's staring at me right now.
Does she know I'm writing about her?!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

A few layouts

I realized today that I haven't posted any layouts in a long time!

First, the August Scrapstars challenge is up. This month's theme was "Hot for Teacher". Of course, I chose hubs! :D


This is last month's "Summer" challenge. Oh, how this song made me want to dance through the halls at school on the last day!


One of my favorite lyrics right now:



I made this one using the Sassafrass Lass insert in this month's Scrapbooks etc. Yay for freebies!



Some painted drywall tape. My cat is an odd creature.

My friend and her daughter (this one made the Catwalk on SIS!):


I made this one today. The magazine clipping came from my NEA magazine. So far the school year is going well! I'm back in my classroom for good (and it looks fabulous!), and I love the new schedule. Oh, and the kids are great, too!


This is what I do when I want to relax. Oolong tea at Paradise Cafe.
Yellow has become my signature color this summer, so I had to put it all over a layout!

For all you bad bloggers out there...

I just found out about the lazy blogger. Hehe - my blogging lapses shall be no more! Here's my generated post:
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Holy Cow! I just noticed I have not updated this since long before Shakespeare wast a boy...you would not believe how much more of a drama I could make that. I hope you still love me!

I am so busy with responding to fanmail, choosing my retirement village, and just generally being a delightful mistress to my husband. My day seems to be a litany of stuff and giggles from 4am to 11pm, at which point I fall asleep on the couch. I am not complaining though. Life is good.

I totally promise I will write something that makes sense soon. No, really! What do you mean you don't believe me?
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Sounds just like me, right? ;)

A Post-It Post

Two day into the school year, and I feel good! Well, actually right now I feel exhausted, but it's that good "I-did-something-to-deserve-feeling-exhausted" exhaustion.

My room looks awesome! I have both floor and ceiling tiles -- woohoo! Although I do question the decision to put my ceiling mounted projector directly below a sprinkler. But I guess it's a good example to point out to my design students when we discuss poor planning. :)

We're working with adhesives tomorrow in Engineering class. Part of this lesson involves talking about how Post-It notes were invented. I tried to find a video about the creation of Post-It notes on YouTube. I didn't find what I was looking for, but I did find this. Enjoy the cheeze-tasticness.



And I will leave you with a fun fact: most of the world's Post-It notes are manufactured in my town.

And I thought I was busy before...

School starts back tomorrow! I'm actually excited. We're going from four 90-minute classes per day (with alternating sets of classes) to seven 50-minute classes per day. In the past, I've noticed a tendency to loose students around the 60-minute mark, so I think the shorter class will work in my favor. Oh, and on Sunday, I spent 12 hours at the computer working on curriculum for the year. Ugh.

Let's review:
Students = Yay
Curriculum = Ugh

See. We're reviewing things. I'm already in teacher mode. :D

On Saturday, I did this:


I have my Master's degree. Finally. Amen.

By the way, I think deep down I only wanted the Master's degree so I could get the awesome sleeves. And do this:

Being dignified is so overrated. :D

And because I feel bad for holding out on you all, I will finally share photos from our mission trip. I'll start with Krakow, because that's where the trip started.

For me, this photo captures the essence of Krakow. I loved the center of town -- lots of stuff going on, but it didn't feel rushed or busy. People seemed to know how to take it easy.


Lots and lots of street performers. They were fun to watch.

Mike + maps = happy. Mike + ginormous map = really happy.

My husband is very resourceful. He bought the phone card he is holding using no less than three languages. (First he asked, in Polish, if the postal worker spoke English. Then he asked for a phone card in German...not sure why, but it made sense at the time. Then he and the postal worker spoke English.)


The name of our hotel literally meant "the hotel under the castle".


This is the castle.
This is the Wisla River (pronounced vee-swa, because the "l" should have a slash through it, making the w sound. I don't know how to make and "l" with a slash through it.). This was right across from our hotel.

Doesn't hubs look like he's going to jump somebody?

This sign made me smile. I was on the lookout for children carrying giant lollipops across the street.

Gelato and lodi. Loves it. (And check out that light fixture!)

"Hamburgery" is a fun word. It makes me think of "tomfoolery", but with hamburgers.

Next up...photos from Wisla.