Quality time with the laptop

Tonight I'm working on some computer updates, updating web sites and such. I should work on my reading assignment for tomorrow night, and I should work on my club assignment for Monday. But I want to make some progress on this first.

Rockin around the Christmas Tree

So tonight I decided (to start a sentence with a preposition.) No. Tonight I decided to have Karlene put her Christmas tree in the living room. Last year, I put my tree in the living room and she put her tree in the family room. It worked well. But I decided I wouldn't put my tree up this year. So (there I go again) her tree went where there was the most space; the living room. When she was putting her decorations up, I started feeling nostalgic and thinking about my decorations. For a little bit, I was sorry that I had decided to forgo my tree this year.

Then a little while later I was sitting in the living room, and I looked at Karlene's tree. It's very pretty, but very different from my tree. Looking at her tree, I remembered my tree last year, it's first year in that spot. The tree last year was part of so much... Dave coming home, Christmas, our wedding. This year, it's better to save it. I made the right decision.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, friends and family, near and far. In a little while I'll be off to the Crilly's.
Here is a simple CG page about my step-dog. She's pretty special.

One more picture

Later this week at Too, we'll be getting in Making Memories Grommet Setting sets. I did this page as a store sample. I hadn't formed an opinion before doing the page, but I think I like the grommets. They're pretty easy to use.

New!

Last night I went to visit my friend Carrie and her new baby, Eva. She was born on Saturday morning. Big sister Julia just turned two, and she liked helping the baby. She brought Eva her alphabet books, coincidentally, first the "E", then the "V", then the "T".... Ok, her spelling isn't very good. She's only 2.

Dinner with Friends

Tonight I'm going to have dinner with friends. We've been looking forward to it for some time now. I'm looking forward to finally giving them this little gift I'd been planning since August:

Here's the reader's digest version: Carol's dogs bring home ticks. Liz picks off the ticks and deposits them into a beer can with a little rubbing alcohol in it. Carol comes home after a long, hard day at work, and grabs the wrong can.

Ish.

(This limited-edition commemorative six-pack is actually MGD.)

Happy Special Coffee Day!

Back when I used to work in the office (prior to April 2005), Monday through Thursday, the gang would get regular coffee from the restaurant in the building. But on Fridays we would go across the street to Caribou. Mmm, special coffee. I miss that about Fridays.

Hmm, that smells like a scrapbook page....

From October: Stripes Challenge

The October Challenge was to use stripes in a way that you hadn't before. Everyone really took this challenge in different directions.



I actually had "garbage can inspiration" after my original idea for using my striped paper didn't work out. I offset the stripes slightly to create playful visual movement. Secretly, I think I might have remembered the design idea from The Flash comic books I used to read. As soon as I saw the stripes like this, I knew what pictures I wanted to use... also containing a lot of movement!

Last Night's Challenge

Last night the scrap group met and we had a great time sharing our projects. We also had a challenge, to scraplift a page from a CK Hall of Fame winner (whose name escapes me... ), with the supplies provided and with a time limit of 20 minutes. Here's what I came up with.


Next month we are bringing back a page, using a single sketched layout and the supplies provided in page kits we exchanged. I was struck with a little inspiration, and although I'm far from finished, here is a little tease of the finished page:

Good weekend

This last weekend was really fun. I worked Friday night and Saturday at Too, and Saturday evening I went to my sister-in-law's for dinner. Sunday afternoon she and my niece came over to scrapbook. I think Rachel finished the most things. I like to watch her create. At 8 years old, there is no limit to her creativity. It helps remind me to sometimes throw away the rules about color and patterns.

Scrap club meets again tomorrow night. I've been looking forward to tomorrow for quite some time now... partially for scrap club and partially for saying goodbye to all of the political ads.

Ah, But of course! Coming to your tv soon: the Christmas ads - you know - the ones that tell you that you don't really love your family unless you run yourself ragged and go deeper into debt during the holiday season?

Hmm. Guess I'll go to the library & get some more books.

And now, November

I woke up on Monday completely positive that it was November 2nd. I'm not sure how that got stuck in my head. But now it really is November. It's a good thing. It feels good to turn the page on the calendar and know that the number of days until Dave comes home is getting smaller and smaller. I don't know the date yet, but right now we're expecting him sometime around March or April (more likely April).
November looks like a good month. I'm working a little less; playing a little more. Still no plans for Thanksgiving (hint hint!)