Calendar, check. Cards, check. {Daily December 19}

It's 11:45pm and I never even left the house today. Didn't even check the mail. I suppose I should and will as soon as I'm finished here. But I'm feeling much relief because all of the calendars are printed and bound and all my Christmas cards are signed, sealed and stamped, ready to be mailed on Monday, which hopefully means they'll get to their destinations by the 24th. I'm not sure I've ever mailed my cards this late. I still need to wrap presents, but I'm not even worried about those because i can always wrap them right before Santa comes down the chimney. Can you believe I went this whole holiday season without ever going to the mall? Yay me!
_

I see the light {Daily December 18}

I think I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. I finished the yearly family calendar at 5pm tonight. Now we just need to print and bind 13 copies before Sunday night. I wanted to get my Christmas cards in the mail today, but that didn't happen. I'm working on them now and watching Elf. Elf will bring me back in the Christmas spirit. I'm counting on it.

Maybe now I'll be able to sleep.
_

Take a hike Scrooge {Daily December 15}

Was feeling a bit scroogy today, mostly because I'm not feeling 100%, but when I got home and found a little package from Ragged, my Christmas spirits were renewed!
_

It's Got a Good Beat and You Can Dance To It {Daily December 14}

I realize I'm starting to repeat myself about my obsession with Glee and Line Dancing. But hopefully this'll be the last time (for this month at least) because tonight was my last night of class till January and the Glee season is over till March.

But tonight's class was extra fun and special because we did some of the dances to Christmas music. I missed last week, but Julie had mentioned to Mandy, the instructor, that I had posted a Christmas song that matched to the beat of the steps for the Cruisin' dance. So when Mandy played "Last Christmas" by the singers in Glee, I was...
wait for it...
gleeful!!

um, yes, i really am this dorky.
Oh. you already figured that one out, didn't you?
_

The Spirit of Friends {Daily December 11}

Christmastime is a good time to make an extra effort to get together with your friends. It can be hard, especially with everything going on, especially when it's easy to say, "Let's catch up in January when things calm down", but making that extra effort certainly warms the heart when frustration levels are high. And that's what the spirit of Christmas is all about, right?
One of my crafting friends couldn't make it to our annual Holiday dinner on Monday. She left a comment on my facebook which prompted me to ask if she was available for lunch today. After lunch, I dropped in unannounced on another friend while she was at work. We hadn't seen each other in a year and a half and she only works 35 minutes away from me. We've been friends since the 3rd grade, and yea, we've gone down different roads, but we were best friends till we graduated from high school. On my way to see her, I told myself to remember to get a photo of the two of us together but once I saw her and we started chatting, I never thought about taking out the camera till I was on the road home. Maybe that'll give me a good reason to drop in on her before another year and a half passes.
_

Remembering the Joy of the Holidays {Daily December 09}

I'm working on the annual family calendar, picking photos from the year to be included. I came across this one of Jimmy from last Christmas. Goofy as he always is and more loveable for it.

We're having a big Christmas this year. Usually our Thanksgivings are massive, but for a while now, Christmas has been a smaller group. Of course, we're talking Jimmy's family, so small is 9-11 people. And we're only adding 6 more people from last years total, but adding 6 will feel like quite a bit more. I can't wait, it will be awesome! Or should I say, Actually, it will be awesome! We're staying local for this holiday, everyone else is coming up Northern California.

Jimmy's brother, the one w/ the 3 boys who often come to the cabin during the summer, are coming up the Monday before and meeting us there for a day or two before we all come back to the Bay Area for the Christmas celebrations. They've never come in the winter. Winter activities are completely different from summer activities, but hopefully there will be plenty of snow to wear those boys out!

But that means that I have to have absolutely everything done by the 20th. And that is freaking me out a little. No, a lot. I've only purchased 1 gift out of...well...you've seen how big the family is. And some need to be mailed. Thank god for amazon.com i tell ya. And not just because I'm biased!
_

Merry {Daily December 07}

Tonight was my 1st holiday party of the season. In the month of December, instead of getting together to craft, we go out to dinner and exchange presents. It's a lot of fun, especially the white elephant style of gifting and stealing. I stole that handmade ornament along w/ the tools to make it. ;)

One of the cool things about the Daily December journal is that I made the layouts/pages ahead of time. On November 30th and the morning of Dec. 1st, I busily created 18 double-sided pages, so when the appropriate date came, I could just glue in a photo or write down my thoughts. And there's room to add pages or photos as needed. So at the end of a busy day, all I have to do is print photo and write just a little something. Like tonight. Super easy when you plan ahead. Which isn't something I typically do.
_

A Paper Crafters Christmas Poem {Daily December 05}

The days when I'm not doing much Christmas related stuff, I'm kind of at a loss on what to write in my daily December book. Thankfully, a paper crafting friend emailed a cute little poem that I was able to use. The poem is under the red scalloped circle. It reads:

Twas the night before Christmas, I’m glued to the tree.
I’m wondering what Santa brought just for me.
Could it be cardstock or ink pads or lace?
Or rubber stamps, I said, with a smile on my face.
And that’s when I heard him……
“Hi Santa, ” I said
He replied, “You know….good girls should be in their beds”.
“I know I should Santa,and now I’ve been caught.
But I was just so excited to see what you brought.”
“Well, let’s take a look in this room where you work".
He shook his head quickly, and left with a jerk.
I heard him exclaim as he put it in gear.
“You’ve got enough crap,
I’ll see you next year!”
_

I heart photo cards {Daily December 04}

We received our first 2 photos cards in today's mail. Along with Christmas newsletters, they are one of my favorite things of the season.Today's {Daily December} is where I'll include all of the photo cards we receive. Good thing I used those extra large binding rings!
_

Holiday Memories {Daily December 02}

Since I didn't do anything in regards to Christmas today, I decided to journal about an old Christmas photo.

As I was finishing up this page, I realized that it's appropriate that I used that photo on the 2nd of Dec, because I'm 2 in that photo and the 2 for date seems to work as a 2fer.

Haven't put any Christmas decorations up yet. Have you?

Here's another video of a dance I learned in my line-dance class:
_

Daily December

I have to admit that since I had been neglecting my blog for much of this year, I'm proud of myself for posting every day from Nov 11th till Thanksgiving so I'm gonna try another daily challenge from now till Christmas day.

I'm inspired by Ali Edwards, a well-known teacher in the paper arts industry. For the past 3 years, she's documented the 25 days leading up to Christmas in a homemade journal. This is what she did last year, and this is what she's doing this year.

The style of my album is different from hers, but each day I hope to document something relating to the spirit of Christmas, from shopping finds or nightmares, holiday crafting goodness, glad tidings, colorful decorations or even stressed-out, head-exploding, clock-ticking countdowns. I think it'll be a good way to document the season, which goes by way too fast and most of the details get forgotten.

I start my 1st day with this simple quote:
"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."

-I used extra-large binding rings so I'll have room to add extra pages or photos as needed.
-There's a glare because I glued the quote onto a piece of acrylic that I cut in the same shape as the album cover.
_

Album for an Anniversary

A couple of months ago, I mentioned that my local paper arts store hosts a monthly challenge where they give you a starting piece and you bring it back on the 1st Wednesday of the month completed and you get the next month's project free.

Our June project started with 2 red "bracket" covers:My SIL and BIL have been heavy on my mind lately so I decided to make this album for them.

My SIL has been in ICU since the end of May. She's getting better, but it's a very slow and long road. They were suppose to come to California this month to celebrate their 2rd anniversary. They got married on 7/07/07 at 7pm. It was a beautiful wedding and Jimmy and I were honored to attend. If you wouldn't mind adding a little prayer in your daily routine for her, I'd greatly appreciate it. And go ahead and give your loved ones an extra kissy-kissy while you're at it, too. <3
_

Desiderata

My local paper arts store is doing a monthly challenge. On the 1st Wednesday of the month, they give you a specific 'canvas', and if you show them the finished project the following 1st Wednesday, then you get that month's 'canvas' free. April's canvas was a plain chipboard scallop-edged minibook. Since it's April, I decided to do a poetry theme, I used excerpts from Desiderata by Max Ehrmann.








Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
_

back in the saddle

Getting my craft back on after a week + of ickiness.
Fun class with Marah Johnson at Suzy's on Saturday.

Monday had a great Stampin' Up demo and made 3 cute cards:



Crafting makes me happy and is the best medicine.

and since it's Nat'l Poetry Month, I'll leave with partial lyrics to the famous Gene Autry song:

Whoopi-ty-aye-oh
Rockin' to and fro
Back in the saddle again
Whoopi-ty-aye-yay
I go my way
Back in the saddle again
_

I'm baaaaaaack

I'm feeling like my old self and I have a spring in my step again. At least this week, ha!

It feels good to be silly, to laugh, to not feel drained and overwhelmed. Much of it has to do with Tuesday's events. But more of it just has to do with the people who surround me. Blessings being counted.

A boost in spirit gives me a boost in energy and a boost in creativity. I'm creating, crafting, imagining, sewing and dreaming.

Yesterday morning I took a mini-class with KB at a local scrapbook store. We made this super cute, super easy magnet clipboard notepad holder.

Later that evening, I got together with a few more friends and they taught me how to sew the cutest bear towels.
I shouldn't show the pics of these because they are going to my cousin's kids (surprise V!!), but they are so freaking adorable that I couldn't keep them to myself till after I mailed them. I'm the worst mailer. She might not get these for a month. Or more. (Sorry V!)

I've done a bit of scrapbooking, too.This is me.

And...
me, too. Yup. Dork. Not just dorky enough to take a self-deprecating photo like this, but uberdorky by actually putting it in a scrapbook. And then post it for all to see.
_

commencing december freak-out

The countdown is on and there are only 14 more days till Christmas. I'm a little bit in freak-out mode right now, because it seems like I'm spending much of my days running errands but adding more to my to-do list than I'm crossing off. I suspect this sounds familiar to many of you, too.

I suppose taking a class shouldn't be a priority during the busiest time of the year, but when an artist whom I've admired for a few years comes to the Bay Area to teach, I'll drop all my Christmas errands and pause for a few hours in the day. Marah Johnson taught 2 classes at a local scrapbook store yesterday and she is such a high-spirited, soulful and edgy artist.
The morning class, she taught us this beautiful Christmas mini-book.Great techniques, lots of glitter and each page alternating pulls up, or pulls out.

The evening class, she taught this wicked accordion pull-out album.I have a friend who went to the Africa last year, so I'm thinking about giving this to her. But not until I make my own nearly exact replica using either Marah's Rock Star collection or her Heiress Collection.

This is a layout I did last year using Marah's Love Struck collection. There was a meme going around last year that had you list a few random things about yourself and I decided to do a layout on it.

Phantom of the Opera was great. The music is amazing and really sticks with you. So much so, that during the 2nd Act, I actually cried! OMG, i don't think i've ever cried during a theatre performance before. Sure, at movies all the time, but not at the Theatre (make sure you say it with a snooty accent, lol). I have to admit my eyes got a bit droopy in parts of the 1st Act, but I would definitely see it again. Coincidentally, the movie was on TV the next day, so I TiVo'd it, but haven't watched it yet. I'm so behind in TV, here's my list of what I need to watch:

Ugly Betty (3)
Oprah (5)
Ellen (5)
Reeves, Keanu (7)
Pushing Daisies (1)
Eli Stone (3)
Funniest Videos (2)
My Own Worst Enemy (5)
Heroes (1)
Big Bang Theory (3)
Jon and Kate (2)
Brothers & Sisters (2)
Phantom of the Opera
Lipstick Jungle (5)
Ghost Whisperer (3)
Sanctuary (5)
Grey's Anatomy (2)
What Not to Wear (6)
Twins, Twins and Sextubplets
Life on Mars (1)
Ryan, Meg (4)
Extreme Makeover Home Edition (2)
Tim Gunn's Guide to Style (1)
Hepburn, Audrey (2)
Californication (5)
And really, a whole lot more.
I say I watch a lot of tv, but the truth is I record a lot of tv. Then I watch in 5 hour marathons. Like Heroes, I had 6 unwatched episodes, but decided to spend a few hours watched 'em all. Same with Grey's, Pushing Daisies and The Mentalist. I may never get to Lipstick Jungle. Anybody out there watch it? Should I invest the time in it?

I really should update more often again instead of doing these long 'ol posts once a week. We are staying local this weekend. Baking on Saturday. Sunday a GTG and cookie exchange with some friends. Maybe finish up those cards and get 'em in the mail by next week (does that sound like a repeat from my last post?).

Have a great merry cheery weekend!
_

Choose Curiosity over Certainty

I was reading Andrea's blog this afternoon and she wrote about how her friend had a postcard about How to Build a Global Community. It lists some ideas on how to be more globally aware. I had to write it down. But writing them down wasn't enough today. Within a few hours, I made this album with a few of the tennents that resounded with me the loudest.
Think of no one as "them"
Honor indigenous cultures

Question consumption
Choose curiosity over certainty

Visit people, places and cultures

Learn people's history
Never believe you have a right to anyone else's resources

Pledge allegiance to the earth
Question nationalism

I encourage to you check out the entire listing.
Thx A for the inspiration!

I painted outside today and this critter kept me company, gathering and eating nuts from our walnut tree.
_

Bye bye June

I took a couple of classes this weekend at PMP with Becky Fleck, an artist and designer for Basic Grey, my favorite sb paper company.
I took the 1st class with my friend Doris, but she had to abandon me before the 2nd class. I guess her duties at her temple bazaar were more important than another class with me. I wonder about her priorities sometimes. Not only that, but we weren't able to finish the album in class, so I suggested that we get together on Wednesday to finish it. Well, the woman is leaving for Italy on Wednesday, once again leaving me in the dust. Whatever. Well...I showed her. I finished both albums on my own before I went to the temple to help at the bazaar on Sunday. Here are just a few pics:

Adventures of the Heart
This is a cool journal-style album. The idea is to journal about your goals and dreams at this moment in time.
Adventures of the Heart

A spot to write down goals.

A spot to write down your beliefs. Quote on the left reads: "You can't set the course for where you are going until you know where you are."

The back page has a pocket to tuck in your own personal mantra.
There are several more pages to list other aspirations and dreams.

I Wish You Enough...
Another heartfelt mini-album where the author leaves wishes for a loved one.
The front of the album. I didn't have the forethought to change the color of the album till after the pink was glued down. Oh well, Jimmy didn't seem to mind, he's secure enough to have a pink album. ;)
I did however, change it up on the inside pages.
Journaling reads: "I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how grey the day may appear"

"I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting"
There are 4 more pages in this same style.

(Have a great trip, Doris! I'll miss you. Take tons of photos so you'll have something to scrapbook!!)
_