Spot of Tea

Class Samples, Hot Days and Baking

Have been busy creating class samples for all the August classes I've got coming up at Old Town University.  A couple of One-Stroke painting classes - Cards and Welcome Plaque.  A few paper crafting/ scrapbooking classes - Travel Mini Album, Cards, Transfer Technique Tags.  A few kids classes - Painted Frame, Garden Stone, Painted Apron.  Working on all these samples has me ready to get creating for myself too.  I can't wait to use the sunflowers on an old shovel, it'll be super cute.  I also have some fun ideas for the kids to do when they get bored around the house.

Hot out again and getting hotter.  Not fond of the humid and hot days of summer.  Prefer it when it is a bit breezy and not super hot.  The kids are enjoying it though.  Bike rides, swimming, running through the sprinkler, playing at the park.  DS has fun playing with cars, bikes, really anything with wheels.  He is such a cute "car guy".  DD loves the water and is endlessly bugging me to go swimming.  We've only got a wading pool and sprinkler but a few of the neighbors have pools.  I have to keep telling her that we are not going to bug the neighbors to go swimming.  Maybe next year we can get a pool but this year the kids will just have to enjoy wading in the tiny pool and running through the sprinkler. 

I'm going to be baking some zucchini bread today.  Thankfully I've got a breadmaker so I don't have to turn on the oven.  I can probably get another three loaves of bread using the zucchini a neighbor gave us.  Everyone loves the new recipe I got for this bread.  Rather than the usual quick bread for zucchini this is a yeast bread that makes a fluffy, white, moist, delicious loaf with just a hint of zucchini.  Yum!  I think I'm going to grill some chicken tonight for dinner too.  Should be yummy.

Creative Kids, New Books and More

My DD is having fun during spring break drawing and sketching.  Horses, castles, flowers and such.  She loves to draw, paint and do anything creative.  Hopefully there are some art classes in the area for her to take this summer.  I think she'd love it.  DS had way too much fun coloring his bedroom walls with marker, black - permanent marker, the other day.  Such fun having creative kids.  Now I get to paint the bedroom.  Maybe I'll do part of it in the Chalkboard Paint.

I just picked up Tim Holtz's new book - "A Compendium of Curiosities".  Love it!!  Can't wait to try some of the techniques in it.  What fun things in there to try and do.  I also picked up Somerset Memories Spring 2010 magazine today too.  Lovely stuff in there too.  Gosh I'm going to be busy this weekend catching some creative ideas.  I also found a book I'm dying to pick up - "Playing with Books" by Jason Thompson.  Amazing things in there that have me just itching to get creative.  Fun, fun stuff.

Having a great time at work.  Love the people, love the place, love what I do.  And I have an extra bonus that just makes me happy.  I spent most of my childhood not too far from where I work.  I remember spending time among the shops and such at the time.  I also remember seeing things looking run-down, beat-up and depressed.  We moved for my dad's job but a majority of our family remained in the area so I saw it on a regular basis.  It makes my day to see the area coming back, to see new shops and businesses, including where I work.  It is exciting and thrilling to be around as all this happens, to maybe add just a little something to help.

Tea and Comfort

First day of "spring break" for the kids, meaning no school.  So after work today we spent time outside playing then headed inside for tea.  Used the end of my Christmas Tea from Murchies today.  It smells so yummy - oranges, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamon.  Rosy cheeked children, a steaming pot of tea and some cuddle time on the couch.  A lovely start to spring.  It is a bit chilly out still, but it is supposed to get warm, like 70's or so, yet this week.

Started reading a new book, when I have a sliver of time here or there.  "The Secret of Excalibur" is by Andy McDermott.  The first few chapters have been interesting enough to keep me reading it at least.  The kids and I are finishing up "The Wind in the Willows" and then we'll start "Alice in Wonderland".  DD has been reading a bunch of her books to DS while we are relaxing during snack time and as part of bed time.  So fun to watch.  Just love that they will sit next to each other and read.

The things that bring me comfort.  Tea and reading.  I can count on these things to help me relax when life is crazy, or the kids have been out of control, or I'm stressed out, or anytime I need some peace and quiet.  And on that note ... I'm going to make a cup of tea, grab my book and settle in for a little reading before heading to sleep.

Flip-Flop Mini, Taxes and Food

I made a cute flip-flop mini album as a sample for Old Town Scrapbooking Loft for this month.  I used heart doilies and vellum envelopes along with paper and embellishments from K&Company, Basic Grey, Bazzill, and Pink Paislee.  Also played with some Glimmer Mist, while looking forward to the new stuff from Tattered Angels to come in.  Love creating mini albums.  I need to get some of my snow photos developed so I can make a mini about our snowy winter this year.

I've almost completed our taxes for 2009.  I hate doing taxes.  Really don't like seeing how much of the money we make we don't get to keep.  Yikes!  Hopefully I'll get them done by this weekend.  Then I won't have to worry about them until next year.

I got an interesting and entertaining book about food in the mail from my aunt the other day.  "Food Rules, An Eater's Manual" by Michael Pollan has been a quick read with loads of tidbits.  Some of the rule titles are too funny - "Rule 13. Eat only foods that will eventually rot."  Okay, yes it actually makes sense, especially after you read the why's, how's and whatnot.  But the title just kind of sticks with me and makes me smile everytime I think of it.  Another one I especially liked "Rule 26. Drink the spinach water."  Doesn't that just make you go - Um, eww, what?  I actually use 'spinach water' in cooking but wrinkled my nose when I read it.  I really like this book and need to send my aunt another thank you note for sharing it with me.

Holidays, New Projects, and More

Hope everyone had a lovely holiday.  We are still recovering.  DH and kids put up the Christmas decor on Christmas Eve day while I took photos and cleaned as they went.  Amazing what a mess you can make when you decorate.  Got some cute photos and the kids had a ton of fun.  Was a bit hard getting thru all of it without my mom.  Baked some Wreath Cookies like we always do, just isn't Christmas without them.  The recipe is handwritten by my mom so I had a bit of a melt down.  But we made it.

Spent time with family Christmas Eve.  DB took the kids out for snowmobile rides in the cold and snow after dinner.  DD loved, loved, loved it.  Said it was super fast and super loud and when can she go again.  Yep, that's my girl.  Love seeing all the kids together having fun.  From 14 yo to 1 yo.  So cute, charming and funny when they all get in one spot.

I started working on a cute little tea envelope Christmas mini album over the holiday break.  It isn't complete but I can't wait to get it done.  I've selected a bunch of fun little items to add to it.  So fun to get creative with glitter, metal, ribbon and such.  DD wants to make a mini with all the sparkly stuff too.  I'm going to help her get started and see how she does.  I know it is going to be messy but that's part of the fun.

I'm trying to get all the stuff organized for my upcoming classes, my scrapping stuff, the sewing stuff and all the kids craft stuff.  At the moment it is stacking up in the kitchen and making it hard to find anything I need.  We were planning on putting in a couple of pantries and a built in bench at one end of the kitchen but after measuring everything out the standard pantry won't fit.  Now DH wants to build custom pantries and bench.  But it'll take alot longer.  So I'm just watching everything pile up.  Ugh.

Picked up a book that I can't wait to dig into tonight.  Creative Time & Space has great stories, ideas and prompts.  I saw it at Barnes & Noble and just had to have it.  Love some of the artwork in there too.  Will have to let you know how I like it and what it is all about. 

Allergic Reactions, New Reads and Class Prep

Well, I can finally sit long enough to type and get something done now.  Got bronchitous like DD and got put on a sulfa anti-biotic.  Bad, bad, bad.  Had a horrible allergic reaction to it.  Which is now, mostly, under control.  Still itchy but at least I'm not aching terribly and gasping for breath.  I guess it's payback for rescheduling my appointment six times.  I've been to see her now three times in a week.

On to better and brighter things ... I picked up the latest CK today at Barnes & Noble.  I also grabbed a copy of "Studios" by Cloth Paper Scissors.  So neat to see the studios where other women create.  Gives me a bunch of ideas.  I also had to get "Dead Heat" by my all time fav author Dick Francis.  He co-wrote this book with his son.  I can't wait to sink my teeth into what I know will be a great mystery.

And last, I'm going to be teaching a class and have been working on some class samples.  It's not the normal class where everyone makes the same layout.  This class everyone will start with the same sketch and create a layout based on their own photos, style and such.  I'm creating five different layouts based on the sketch and having fun doing different things to show how unique each is even if it starts from the same base.  Most of the students will be beginners or those that have only done a little scrapbooking.  So I'm hoping this will help them in a few different ways.  I'll also be helping them choose colors, papers, accents all based on their photos.  It'll be like a mini Scrapbook 101.  Should be a blast.  Scrapbook 101 was one of my favorite classes to teach, watching first time scrappers complete a page that they are proud of.  Love that.

simple still has it

Still going through some of my old scrapping magazines.  I'm still keeping all of my issues of Simple Scrapbooks, especially after looking them over.  Going through copy after copy of these treasures I still find the information, ideas, principles and inspiration as current today as it was when it premiered in Jan/Feb 2002.  So sad that it is no longer published and I will continue to miss it.  Thank goodness there are places I can go to find the vibe, theory, practice and people - especially Stacy Julian.

And along with keeping it simple ... I received new "daily" dishes as a gift from my dad.  After having dinner with us yesterday he decided that we needed some new everyday dishes so I wouldn't have to used my good china all the time.  Simple, cute and a much better fit with the kids.  And I even have non-chipped, kid-usable bowls now too.  DH and I were just talking about how we need to get new dishes since all of our original china is chipped, cracked, or unusable except for the teacups and saucers.  Gotta love Dad.

And the not so simple ... DD was having a not so good day today.  She hurt her hand, she had issues with her brother and she misses her dad.  She lost her tooth on Monday and still hasn't been able to show her daddy the open spot yet.  She is not liking his working the odd 4pm until 2am shift that he is currently working.  She doesn't get a chance to see him because he is sleeping when she leaves for school and he has already left for work by the time she gets home.  She is waiting impatiently for Friday to come along so she can spend some time with him since he works four ten-hour days.  But it is hard on a six year old to wait all week to share all the important stuff of her world with her daddy. 

I know that I feel like a single parent some days when DH has to be in early, or work late, or work the weekend.  Everyone says be thankful he has a job at the moment, and I am thankful.  But there are those days that I wish he didn't have to work such weird hours.  And there are days that I wish that I was the one working again and he was staying home with the kids.  Not because I don't like being home with them but when I worked full time I usually could depend on working 6:30am to 3pm five days a week.  Granted I could be called in anytime day or night, weekdays or weekends.  But the way things are now that wouldn't be too likely.  But we'd have more time together as a family.  But for now we'll just deal with it the way it is.

Forgotten Treasure

So, I've been on this "simplifying" or "organizing" trip lately.  I've been sorting, purging and basically getting rid of things I don't need, want or have room for.  Most of the stuff is being donated, a bit I'm going to sell but I have come across a few treasures that I just can't let go of.  I found scattered among my scrapping/paper crafting and home decorating magazines various issues of my all time favorite magazine - "Victoria".  I think I have almost every issue from the original version and all of the latest one.   

I spent an hour this afternoon with a pot of tea while rereading and looking through a couple of issues.  It was like sitting and chatting with a dear friend in a comfy, cozy setting.  Love the gorgeous photos, lovely stories and mouth watering recipes.  Even the ads in these magazines are beautiful.  I got super crazy inspired just from the short time browsing through just those few issues.  Can't wait to get busy creating.

DD lost one of her upper front teeth today during her ride home from school on the bus.  She has been going on and on for the last few days about how she needs to lose this tooth.  And now it has finally happened.  She is so excited.  She had to call DH at work to let him know.  And she can't wait to tell her teacher because she'll get a certificate and special treat.

Books and Me

     Well, I finished reading "The Egyptologist" last week, and I'm still left wondering why I even bothered to do so.  It did have some interesting moments but overall was a terrible read.  It was long, boring, slow, easily figured out, lacked atmosphere, plenty of "interesting" characters but none that were moving or drew you in.  All I can say is I finished it hoping for something to happen, something, anything, but was disappointed.  I've also finished (yet again) the 5th installment of the Harry Potter series Order of the Phoenix to get myself ready for the 6th book due out on July 16th.  I love the Harry Potter series and am looking forward to the new book with great expectations.

     Since DH & I are going to start remodeling the upstairs I've been sorting my stacks, racks and piles of books.  I have tons that I need to get rid of.  I just hate to even think of it.  I will be keeping my favorties - favorite authors and favorite reads - but need to unload much of the books that I enjoy but don't LOVE.  It will be so sad to see so many lovely books go but I'm sure that I'll love having a "library" that is filled with authors and books that I treasure.  I've been picking up some great design books that have been recommended by Pubsters at 2Peas.  My new area will not only be my library but my scrappin' space too.  Can't wait till we get started on it!!!