poison oak, originally uploaded by jendera.

So today is a Tuesday, but I keep checking the calendar to double check cuz it sure feels like a Monday. I haven’t been sleeping well lately and got up bright and early, took my shower and sat down with a cup of hot chocolate and began to sift hrough my emails. Really had a feeling that today was going to be a good day and I have been getting a lot done during my “sleep deprived” phase. Anyway, so after email I decided I’d start a layout until I had to wake the kids.

Ok so starting layout, all is going well… I’m flying through it really, and this layout came really easy to me, which usually happens when I really like the photos I’m working with, and Ethans expression here was, well priceless. Anyway, so I start to put things together and want to hang the Queen & Company Chic Charms to the Heidi Swap Clip with jump rings, well wouldn’t you know it, I can’t find my small jump rings… who knows where they ran off too. So moving on I make me own out of wire, not an easy task when they are that small. But I did it, and moved on. So I punched my hole in the clip and it got stuck in the punch, which it usually does, so instead of getting it out with my scissors… I used my paper piercer, and it broke. Ok, moving on… slightly aggrivated now. Ok onto journaling. I usually measure the space I have and type it out in a text box and then print it out. Well now my ruler is gone. Its clear which is good and bad because I can see what I’m doing but it blends in and then I can’t find it. I put a big ring on the end with ribbon, and still I loose it around here. So I had to eyeball, oh well. I’m wondering if this is a sign of the rest of the day to come. So as I grieve over my paper piercer, lol, I brace for daily disaster. :p

Heres to a better day… I hope.

~j

   

  Valentine Gift, originally uploaded by jendera.

Valentines Day is nearly here, and with that I spent my morning making Valentines for Ethan and Dylan to give out at school. This idea came from a Better Homes and Gardens Scrapbook Mag. I modified it a tad, but the principal is the same. I made a total of 50 so they had extras to give out for teachers and such. I waited until nearly the last minute. Dylans party is tomorrow and Ethans is on Thursday. I don’t know why I do that, I’ve had the suckers that went inside, but I guess I work best under pressure. I think they came out pretty cute.

Now, brace yourselfs for a shock… I have registered a seat for myself and my buddy Jeannie to scrapbook at Little Scrapbox on Thursday. They have a big screen and show Greys Anatomy during crop time, so thats a plus.

For those of you that know me, you know that I don’t scrap outside my scraproom except for the one weekend a year that I go on my retreat. I don’t think I’ve gone to a crop in nearly 4 years and about 4 months ago I got rid of all my totes (navigators, xxl, etc.) and only kept one Karen Foster Seat Case that I take with me when I teach classes. (As a sidebar, I don’t suggest that KF tote, I love the bright pink, but it really isn’t very functional.)

I don’t crop away from home for a couple reasons, and both of them revolve around all my scrapbook treasures, and I can’t pick and choose which goodies stay home and which ones get to travel with me. As I’ve said before I have the vast majority of my things in Craft Lockers (6 of the accessory lockers and 2 ribbon lockers) and they travel well, but do I really want to haul ALL THAT?? Am I going to look like a freak at a crop with ALL THAT?? Why can’t I just preplan like NORMAL croppers? The answers… NOT REALLY, PROBABLY and WHO KNOWS! (On top of the Craft Lockers, I have QuicKutz to haul, ugh.)

My second reason, again revolves around ALL THAT stuff. I don’t generally handwrite my journaling. I don’t like my writing, which I’m sure is every scrapbookers number one excuse. I know its important to leave behind a handwriting sample, but those left here to look at the layouts after me, well, they’ll get over it. I have this fear that I’ll get everything all the way I want it, then journal on the layout and make a mess of it. On top of which I usually get it all set up the way I want it, and measure my space for journaling and then type it up in the size text box that I need. (Can you tell that I was a computer neard in my past professional life?) So, my point, I can’t bring my computer, could bring my laptop I suppose and a travel printer, but again that gets me back to ALL THAT stuff!

Finally, and this is again along the lines of the computer, I NEED my Pazzles Creative Cutter. I’m so very lucky to have it, and I use it often. I can create anything I want on the computer and have the cutter cut it out to any size I want out of just about anything you could think to cut. It has gotten to the point now that I don’t even take out my QuicKutz (except for shapes) because I have the fonts that represent the alphabets and I can cut them via the Creative Cutter to any size I want. Well that Cutter is MASSIVE, my scrapbook pals call it “Big Daddy” and for good reason. So that I can’t haul even if I wanted too.

So what is a crazed scrapbooker to do? I’ll probably leave it until the last minute and drag a ton of stuff with me, cuz thats just who I am. I’ll let you know how it all works out. *wink*

~j

  

   laugh, originally uploaded by jendera.

Could it really get any colder here? I guess the answer is yes as the first two days of this week the schools here were all closed due to the cold. I didn’t know they even did that, close schools due to cold I mean. So Monday and Tuesday we (menaing the kids and I) spent the day huddled inside near the fireplace roasting ourselves. I can’t stand this kind of weather, really, YUCK.

Spend yesterday morning with my good friend Michelle checking out a new scrapbook store that opened here this week. It’s called Little Scrapbox, and I think it opened on Monday. Great store! Great Staff! Two thumbs up!! If I were going to crop outside of the walls of my scrap room, and I’m not saying that I am, I would choose to crop there. According to the info I’ve gotten, the building they are in is around 7,400 and they do crops on Thursday (on other days too) night with Grey’s Anatomy playing on the big screen tv, lol, which is the draw for me!! They do have an online store, for those of you that are not local, so be sure to check them out.

At any rate, I shopped, came home, and then called Jeannie so we could plan a trip there today. So again today, I shopped, lol, do you see a theme here. In my defense, Shelby found an album there yesterday by K&Co. that lights up and with a tiara and the word “Princess” on the front. Anyway she ran right up to it again today, so I go it for her. You can see who really runs the show around here. *wink wink*

~j

   

  god mother, originally uploaded by jendera.

Well sadly the weekend is almost over. As usual I didn’t get half of the way through my To Do list. (As usual!) I”m sharing a layout I did during the week. I finally started scrapping some more of the baptism photos I had sitting here from Shleby’s baptism in 2005. I picked up some Bazzill Bling Cardstock the other day while I was out and used it here. I really wish you could see the pretty shimmer in the scan. If you want to pick some up for yourself I’ve seen it locally at Remember When and Scrapbook Emporium. I’m sure you can purchase it online also. I got mine by the sheet but I think there are Trio packs of it now also. Anyway, hunt some down, its pretty stuff.

Ethan turns 7 today. I have no idea how that happened! I mean really, where did the time go. He has changed so much in jus the past year that it just amazes me and saddens me at the same time. With every day that goes by he looses just a little more of his boyish features and I just HATE that part. At the same time all the things he can do now for himself, well that part, uhh, I love. Here is to another year passed and a great year ahead. Happy Birthday Ethan!

~j

   

  enjoy the journey, originally uploaded by jendera.

All new Grey’s Anatomy tonight… who is gonna say yes/no?? I can’t stand the suspense much longer. I don’t get into a lot of shows, but this one is a must watch for me.

Anyway, I scrapped yesterday and got two layouts done. I’m in a simple scrappin mode lately and I like the results. Todays layout is a photo I just got around to working on. I took this on Ethans first day of first gade. He was walking ahead of my a little on the sidewalk and I thought it was a cool photo. I was thinking to myself how many more years he will be walking this same path, and his brother and sister after him.

I had this photo printed in 8×12 and then cropped it down slightly. As usual click for the full supply list on flickr.

I hope everyone is having a good day!

~j

    

  One Cool Dude, originally uploaded by jendera.

So I spent the morning today with my buddy Jeannie, and that generally requires a visit to a scrapbook store, or someplace along those lines. So, we met up at Starbucks, hit Michaels, JoAnns and then another little local store (Remember When… Scrapbooking in New Baltimore). Of course I shopped and got some cool little goodies. I’ve already got all my new found treasures put away in thier “hiding spot” in my new Craft Locker Accessory Lockers, and any remaining evidence of new purchases has been destroyed. {wink wink}

I plan to scrap a little more today, but all I can seem to focus on right now are my new Crocs. They should be here any minute via my favorite FedEx guy. I ordered them last week when I realized all too quickly that my idea that we were going to make it through an entire Michigan winter with minimal snow was really just a pipe dream. The snow has started, and I suppose I shouldn’t complain as its almost February and this is really the first of it, but I hate the cold. At anyrate… I ordered myself a pair of All Terrain Crocs and they are due to arrive today. So I wait…

Speaking of dreading cold weather… for those of you that don’t know, the CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) show is going on right now in California. Ahhh, wish I was in California, far far away from snow. If you want a good update on what is going on there I’d suggest keeping tabs on Emily Adams… she blogs frequently and provides some good updates and if its a funny you are after, pop by and check out Ginger Rohlfs blog.

Well I’m off, my new Crocs should be here any minute and I’m due for a dose of cold medication. On that note, if anyone has a good suggestion for how to AVOID having a cold for the entire school year (thank to all those nasty germs that seem to come home) please fill me in!! I think I’ve had a cold in some form since September!

~j

     

  Go Fly a Kite, originally uploaded by jendera.

So something super simple here I did just the other day with some photos I had laying on my desk. It came out pretty cute. I have really been wanting to try out the Heidi Swapp Alphabet Masks and I finally did here. I have a major phobia when it comes to paint. Not real sure why, I just don’t trust myself with it too much. So here I used ModPodge to paint over the masks and then filled in the space left behind with Stardust Pens. Not exactly what I had in my minds eye, but I like it.

Thanks to Linda for calling me out on my lack of posting for the last few days…. Yes I noticed Linda!

~j

    

  Bathing Beauty, originally uploaded by jendera.

Well day two, and I’m still on track with posting. You’re impressed I know. :p

Anyway I did this layout the other day with some new paper I picked up and Prism Cardstock that Jamie @ Prism was nice enought to send me If you haven’t tried Prism, I would suggest giving it a try - its great stuff, the colors are fab and yes, it is textured. It is a little difficult to find locally, but if you are near me (Metro Detroit area) try Paper Tales in Eastpointe. They have it on hand, as well as Bazzill for all you die hard Bazzill fans.

Anyway enjoy the layout, you just have to love the goofy faces that sweet little girl of mine makes!

~j

 

  i love daddy, originally uploaded by jendera.

Ok so I’m a cheater, I didn’t actually complete this layout TODAY… I actually did it December 30th, but this is my “experimental post.” My plan, (yes I do have a plan), is to not only keep up with my scrapbooking, but to try to keep a good supply list for each layout that I do. I keep a supply list… sometimes, but I’d like to get in the habit of doing it more. So, that being said, I’m posting some layouts here and by clicking on each one it should take you to a bigger version with the supply list and any technique info.

enjoy…
~j