Just wanted to share something

I just wanted to share something I made last night. It took about 2 hours to complete. I bought this little birdhouse at Joanns about 2 months ago and I got it home and wondered what to do with it. So I just started playing. It got better and better. I kept adding and adding and there is the finished product. I really like it. Now I need to find someone to give it too. I rarely make anything for myself as I tend to describe our house as early garage sale, and believe me, with tons of teenagers running through our house (not ALL mine), I guess it is better that way.

I used Shabby Princess from Bo Bunny, Heidi Swapp mirror bird (where can I get about 20 of them--cause I can see using them over and over), Creative Imaginations paper lace (works well for lattice in this case). Just wanted to put something up that I wasn't sure would turn out well and turned out better than I expected.

Reveal Night at Studio Calico and other stuff

Having a great day today. Have been really productive this week. Sent in 2 entries for calls that I wanted to attempt, which meant several layouts, emails about how wonderful of a scrapper I am (LOL), pictures, downloading the pictures, cropping them and loading them.

For anyone that knows me, I am a computer dumbhead. I can operate the computer system at work that we use for patient hospital records with my eyes closed, hands behind my back and can help someone over the phone--without having a computer in front of me, but when it comes to the good old windows, I stink. I actually have to go back and calculate mega vs kilo bytes in my head. This is something I would love to fix, but I feel like it is low on my list of priorities and if I give it more leverage, then something more fun will get bumped down. So I will just continue to muddle through and manage as I have been.

Tonight, it is Studio Calico's reveal night. I have a plan to stay up late for the add-ons. I want the second one I think, and so does everyone else it appears but I will give it a shot. Looking forward to that yummy kit when it gets here.

Tomorrow is my uncle's burial (My Godfather). I am going out there for the service with my brother, Tim. I thought that I would not bring the kids. The funeral was in January and I think, at least explaining it to DD, again, why we are doing it is too much. I think understated is better for this, and DD tends to get pretty worked up and I am not sure she really knew him at all. I am going more for my aunts, and dad, who cannot be there. They took the time to arrange this, so I want to be there.

I do plan on scrapping tonight and alot this weekend. Looking forward to it. I made a little altered item last night. It is a little wooden birdhouse that I covered in pretty paper. I will post it later. I cannot upload pics at this computer. Not much else to say. Kids and hubby are good. Love and hugs.

He's Back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just a long week without number 1 child. Now granted, I had a fabulous time with my daughter, a little girl's week was good for us, but one always does miss the humor and all out guffaws of my son's presence in our lives and home. DS is the child who makes me laugh almost as much as my hubby does. Don't get him started on hairlips. you will have tears streaming down your face in no time.

Well, he has been in Guatemala since 6/6/08 building a house for Habitat for Humanity through school. I know {I "heart" this kid), for choosing to do this. What a wonderful experience for him. I just know that he is going to be changed in a good way from this. How? He left all--ALL--of his clothes in Guatemala for the kids there as he knows that clothes are really scarce there. WOW. Now granted, that is not a huge hardship as we bought a lot of that before he left at discount stores, but he didn't have to leave it there.

We were up until 230am as he did not get in until 1140pm and then the bus brought his back to the airport. He was so full of stories. I could not hear them all but I am sure that I will hear more tonight. I can't wait. He brought some lovely things back from there for all of his loved ones. Very thoughtful.

I cannot wait to get at his pictures. I am going to make a scrapbook for him of his trip....bet you never saw that coming (wink). I am going to try and make him journal though, as I was not there and do not have firsthand knowledge of the whole experience and since it will be his scrapbook, I want HIS memories in it.

Got to work today...bummer. LOL, yeah now, I have to work every day. Love and hugs!

I did it!

Just a little commentary on my morning. As you know, gas prices are through the roof. Yeah just a bit! Well, my hospital will pay for us to commute using buses and/or light rail, so like totally a good deal.

I left at 613 from my house, went to the park and ride about 3 miles away and boarded an express bus that takes me downtown Minneapolis. I walked 1.5 blocks to the light rail and hopped that for the VA. Yeah, ok, I got there at 713am (usually would start work at 730am so that is good).

On the way there, I realized that I had not planned this too well. THe morning express bus does not go back to where I am until afternoon. Ummm, decisions. GO into to work on my last day of vacation or find a way home. Well it is a given what I chose. I called MTC and they helped me plan a way home. It was relatively seamless. I got back to my car at 832 and home by 840am. That was about the amount of time it I had planned for this little exploration trip. So it is all good!

I think that it is pretty slick. Once I learn my way a little better, it might go easier. Looking forward to starting it on Monday. Kudos to MTC lady (Jeanette?) who helped me get back home without too much trouble.

Lessons learned: plan your trip well before you start. Print out all schedules for light rail. Carry the bus schedules with you (I had what I needed to get there though).

That is all for the day. I feel like an accomplished commuter already...well, maybe just a little bit accomplished. Time for breakfast, more coffee...need it, was up until 12am scrapping and then left the house early. And then on to more scrapping!

Every now and then...

....a vacation at home is good. I have been home all week. Well, really, not home all week but you know what I mean. I have been to Valley Fair with my daughter. To A's and M's, had some friends over and went swimming at the Y, was hostess to daughter's friend and worked a little at night.

I have not done much scrapping yet, but I made this layout tonight. It turned out really nice. I am loving it. It makes me happy. I wish I could find the time to do it all, but laundry and housework and other stuff does take priority.


Love and hugs.

Today is the day...

... that I take over my liver transplant job full time. No more procedures. Yay! I have no procedures to do in the morning and now I will not feel pulled in different directions. So far, worked pretty hard putting the mess on the desk straight.

Did some organizing at home this weekend too. Yes, I organized the clipitup and realized that I do not EVER have to buy a single thing again. I have so much crap on the clipitup that it is full, full, FULL! Loving that I revisited that stuff. I think that is important too as a person forgets what they have and then they (gulp) buy it again, forget and use something else when that certain something would have been just PERFECT, and too, as time goes by, those items get old (rubons don't work) or they are outdated and not as trendy as they were once.

So my vow is to avoid "saving" my stuff for that fabulous layout I dream of making someday, and using the stuff that I have on a day to day basis. I know that I hoard or at least save, cause I want it. Yeah, like the HS clear gels...I HAD TO HAVE IN all colors and have I a used a one? NOT A STINKIN' ONE, so here is to using those asap.

I made some cards on Friday. I just used the rest of the line of Cosmo Cricket. I wanted to keep using those scraps cause I liked the line and wanted to make sure I did not recycle that line before I used more of it. I was liberal with it also. Wanted to NOT SAVE as I have been doing. Turns out I made 10 cards and they turned out wonderful. Loving them. I will try and photo them and post them asap. Besides, I have another kit coming soon, so have to have room for that stuff too!

Got to work. Will revisit this site soon. Love and hugs.