Spot of Tea

More Mini Albums, Mixed-Media and Cars

Still working on mini albums.  Have so many ideas running in my head of these little things to make.  A Halloween one that resembles a trick-or-treat bag.  Another made from teabag envelopes, love this itty-bitties.  Still working on one with Starbuck's cup cozies, got a few kinks need to smooth out.  Have one started using a mac-n-cheese box for the cover, going to be fun.  And started a coin envelope one too.  Too much fun creating little treasures.

Also started working on a WINTER themed mixed media piece.  Had to go through a bunch of snow photos to get in the mood since it is 90+ degrees outside.  I feel like I'm melting even in the air conditioning and I'm working on a winter theme. But I did come up with a poem which lead to an idea for the piece.  I am doing this as part of the Cloth Paper Scissors 'winter holiday gift' art swap.  I really wanted to play more with mixed media so I figured I could start with this.  I think it will turn out well and I already have an idea for a bigger piece I'll start after this piece is done.  If this one turns out well that is.  I can see it in my head and I love it.  The problem is making it look how it does in my mind.  Just gotta keep trying.

Talk about problems and working on it ... the car situation is driving me CRAZY!!  I so need my car fixed but we just don't have the money to get it done.  Can't believe how expensive it is to get these contraptions fixed.  If it was an older car DH could fix it himself but with all the computerized junk we have to take it into a mechanic.  Still glad my brother is a great mechanic.  As soon as I can save up the money to get it fixed he'll have it waiting for him at the shop.  But for the moment DH and I are still sharing the car and dealing with the troubles it creates.  Just need to remember that it is temporary and will get better shortly.

Fireworks, Training Wheels and Mini Albums

Went to the big firework festival over the weekend.  Biked down to the riverside craziness, like every year.  Traffic was packed, as usual.  DD rode her own bike for the first time down there and was super tired by the time we got home around 11:30pm.  It was a nice fireworks display and the kids loved it.  I got a couple of decent photos but not many.  Would have been better if I had taken the tripod but I couldn't figure out where to stash it on my bike. :)

We also went to Old Town University's "Red, White & Blue Gala".  It was great to watch the fireworks display while sitting in a comfy, air-conditioned space with delicious food.  We are at the perfect spot to see the whole fireworks.  The kids loved it.  I really like the air-conditioned part and the great view.  Too fun.

DS is now riding his bike training wheel free.  Yep, no training wheels for the boy now.  My baby isn't such a baby anymore.  His sister had her wheels off at 4-years old and he is a little earlier since he's been trying to keep up with her for the past year.  He petals those little legs super fast and keeps up with all of us around the block.  By the end of the summer he'll be ready to try out the hand-me-down Spiderman bike from our friends.  We were going on longer and longer jaunts but now we're back to around the block for a bit until he builds up his stamina.  Glad he is having such fun with the bike and going for rides.  Plus he is just too cute.

I've created a couple of cute mini albums for upcoming classes at Old Town University.  Love mini albums and I've now got the bug to create more.  The Americana Mini turned out really cute but I'd like to make a more vintage version too.  The Water Fun Mini also turned out really cute.  Love the cover - it's a beach ball with the middle cut out to create a frame.  Used the Silhouette to cut out the pieces and the water-drop shaped pages.  Fun stuff.  I've been scribbling furiously in my notebook with ideas for mini albums I'd like to create.  Now I just need to make some time to fit in all the stuff I need, want and would like to do.

Mini Albums, Flower Pictures and Music

Made a cute mini album for my "Daddy & Me Mini Album" class at O.T.U. but still haven't gotten any decent photos.  The last two times my battery died as I started taking photos, ugh.  It did turn out really cute though.  Used papers from Graphic 45's new A Proper Gentleman line.  Love it all, especially the gorgeous vintage cars.  I just have to charge all of my batteries and get some photos taken.  I just need to finish the "Fun in the Sun" mini album and the "Americana" mini album class samples.  Love my mini albums.

Took a bunch of pics of all the different flowers starting to bloom around the yard.  Played with the macro function on the camera.  Maybe that is why my batteries died so quickly - display on and macro function.  I usually don't have my display on for the camera and the batteries last quite a long time.  Got some great depth of field shots for my rose bushes.  Also got some interesting "background" type shots - favorite is the roses against the rough wood.  I know exactly how I want to use the photo and hope that it turns out as well as I think it will.  One of those projects I'll get to in the next month or so.

I've been listening to my collection of "World's Greatest Masterpieces" recently.  Got the collection of great composers for a birthday, a while ago.  Forget that I have them but finally loaded them onto my iPod and onto the iPod for work.  Favorite is still Tchaikovsky.  Love how dramatic, emotional and telling the music always is, especially the ballets.  Handel has been growing on me too.  Also enjoying some new stuff too.  Didn't realize that I would like Adam Lambert but kinda reminds me of some of my fav 80's music.  Also just found Green Day.  Not sure why I'd never listened to them but they are pretty decent too.  Another is The Wombats - love the song "Let's Dance to Joy Division".  Loads of "old" or "classic" stuff (not to me but the radio stations says so) from the 70's and 80's. 

Finishing Up Week in the Life

Life has been busy ... Chaos abounds, insanity reigns supreme.  Seems like I've been spending all my time running between work and kids stuff.  Still trying to finish up my "Week in the Life" album/journal.  Got some great photos, some interesting pieces of daily 'stuff' and good stories to tell.

I was busy doing some baking last week.  Gingersnaps, Brownies, Rumpledoodles, Rhubarb-Strawberry Crisp, Home-made Granola.  Lots of yummy stuff to eat.  A bunch of rhubarb stuff too - Cinnamon-Rhubarb Syrup, Pineapple-Rhubarb Cake, Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie.  This week I've got to replenish my baking supplies.  We've still got a ton of rhubarb to deal with and I'm out of ideas, ugh.

Getting ready for DD's dance recital.  It'll be the last one at this dance studio.  The owner/instructor has moved out of town for her hubby's job.  So the studio is closing.  DD says she doesn't want to take any dance classes next year.  She said possibly singing lessons ... or guitar lessons ... or cheer leading ... or more gymnastics ... OR ...  Oh to be seven years old with endless possibilities.

Daily Life and Other Stuff

I love that participating in Ali Edwards "Week In The Life" project reminds me how great it is to capture all the little details of daily life.  I usually cruise through the daily routine and all the little stuff that goes on but this helps me pay attention.  Watching my DD learning to cook.  DS's crazy collection of cars and how they are everywhere in the house.  How much the kids love to play outside.  Baking snacks for the family.  How much laundry I do and how many dishes we get dirty.  Yikes.

I've got a painting class to teach at JoAnn's tomorrow.  I really like teaching, whether its scrapbooking, engineering, painting or something else.  I thought about being a teacher when I was 9 or so, an English teacher or ballet teacher.  But I really wanted to be an engineer, and that is what I did for 20 years.  Now I'm having such fun teaching that it makes me wonder.  Then again, I loved what I did as an electrical engineer so it was a good thing and now I get to do something else.

DD, DS and I made Gingersnaps today.  I was planning on making RumpleDoodles (from Winnie-the-Pooh's Heffalump adventure) but we didn't have enough coconut.  Then the kids said to make brownies, but we didn't have enough butter.  So DD solved the issue by getting out her Strawberry Shortcake Cook Book and finding something we did have the ingredients for, GingerSnap's Gingersnaps.  And they did turn out very well.  Kids enjoyed them with hot coco and I sipped some of Upton's Pu-erh-tao-cha.  Yum.

Week in the Life @ My House

Yep, I'm documenting my life this week, along with countless others that follow Ali Edwards' blog.  I have tried this before and had such fun.  Took some interesting photos, found out how many routines I have in my life, and saw that life is full of wonderful surprises.  So I will tackle the next week with great expectations.  I already have some fun photos that capture my cute kids in their daily activities.

 

DD had gymnastics this evening.  Loves it but says she is going to take next year off from it and all of her dance classes.  The dance studio she currently goes to is closing after this season so we would have to find another one if she does decide she'd like to continue taking classes.  I would like her to keep taking ballet or gymnastics but won't push her.  She says she'd like to play more sports next year then maybe she'll go back to dance.  We'll see what happens.

I had a great time creating a cute mini-album for a class at OTU.  Used the Silhouette to cut out the pages, the butterflies and the vine.  I also made a "Mother" layout for display, which turned out well.  Love getting creative and I still have to finish Mother Day card samples and a mini album.  Fun, fun, fun.  I have a painting class at JoAnn's on Thursday this week too.  Need to get ready for that.  Have some other fun painting classes coming up for July and August also at JoAnn's.  Will also be teaching the SDU classes there starting in May, which is just around the corner.  Time is just flying by faster than I thought possible.  It is already past the mid-way point of April.  Yikes, I've got to get moving on all those projects I want to get done before summer arrives.

Checked out Stacy Julian's blog today too and found her "purse dump" challenge.  So, of course, I just had to take the challenge.  My purse dump photo is missing two items - a Tootsie Roll (DS decided he needed it more than mommy's purse did) and my camera.  I didn't realize that my purse actually holds so much stuff and pretty neatly too.  I did clear out a few things after I was done but not much.  Here's the list of "stuff" in my purse - wallet (crammed with stuff too), letter stamps, postcard stamps, sticky notes, hand-painted cards, a postcard for friends art show, lab slip, journaling notepad, checking deposit slips, 3 sets of keys, a princess sticker, a "box top", reward punch cards for various vendors, 3 pens, a tiny pencil, a pink eraser, two zip-top bags of tea bags, a zip-top bag of baby wipes, 2 of DD's barrets, face powder, mini-tin of mini-Altoids, hand lotion, lip gloss, lipstick, powder brush, camera USB cable, iPod, my business cards, ticket stub, business cards, my MaryKay business card holder, MaryKay name badge, 2 lip gloss samples, DD's purple bracelet, MaryKay pin, heart pendant, and a foam roller.

 

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. 

Fabric Painting, Lions and Swords

Thanks for all the comments regarding the Kicked-Up Cocoa.  I went thru the entire batch I mixed up in two days and need to get more ingredients to make somemore.  Hope everyone who tries it enjoys it. :)

I had a ton of fun creating the class sample for my upcoming "textile painting" class.  The kids thought it was so neat that they had to make their own wearable fabric art pieces - really cute t-shirts.  Both kids would have liked to create more "things" but we ran out of plain t-shirts and clothes that can be spared.  So I'm going to have to go thrift storing soon so we can get creative again. :)  They make a bit of a mess but it is so fun to watch them make their own thing and enjoy it so much.

DS has this huge lion that he got when he was a baby from a friend of ours.  He pretends to ride it.  He likes to lay on it.  He "walks" it.  It is one of his favorite toys (besides the huge collection of cars) and he just loves it.  I finally got a few pictures of him playing with Lion today.  Now I'll be able to create a layout, once I get the photos printed.  They are both so cute.

Having a bunch of wrapping paper rolls around lends itself to some interesting play around our home.  DS and DD got into the act this afternoon with some rolls I had just finished with.  Your typical sword fight ensued.  So did a shoot out, a tap dance routine, a huge batch of "stew" to be stirred and even some pole-vaulting.  Amazes me how creative and imaginative kids can be.  They can pick up just about anything and come up with a million ways to use it and have fun with it.  Reminds me of when I was around DD's age with all the great ideas we had.  Also reminds me to be more open minded and to look at things as something other than what they are.

I had to pick up some fabric for a project DD is doing for my dad and just drooled over some of the lovely trim I saw.  I wanted to buy yard after yard after yard of the stuff.  Fringe, beaded, braided, organza, gingham, ruffled and too many others to describe.  And yummy buttons that I wanted to add to my collection.  I forgot how fun it is to shop in a specialty fabric store, not just for fabric but for all kinds of crafty things to do.  Some of the trims would be adorable on a few of the layouts I plan on working on over the weekend.  I love my vintage buttons but some of the new ones would fit right in with my collection.  I just have to make more space for all the stuff I'd like to put into my stash.  Never enough time or money to create, collect or add to the stash all that I'd like.  :)

Updated Albums, Projects in Progress, Fun Stuff

I've been busy updating my albums here.  The Layout Album and Mini Album Album have plenty of new eye candy to look thru.  I've got more photos to take of all the projects, cards, mini albums and layouts that I've created recently, and not so recently.  I'm still making page kits with all my existing papers and embellishments for the ton of photos I already have developed.  Now I just have to get some of the recent photos I've been taking developed.  Some really cute ones of the kids, fall, everyday photos, holiday photos, food photos.  Can't believe how much paper and how many photos I have that I forgot about.  Kind of exciting to go thru and find old/new things.  Gets my creativity flowing too.

I have a few projects that I've started that I hope to have completed by this weekend.  Took a break off this past weekend to spend time with the family for the holiday.  Now I'm jumping right back in to the flow.  I've got paper craft projects (like the cute "santa" box that pops open and holds a gift card), scrapping projects, a couple of sewing projects and even a painting project that I'm hoping to tackle on Saturday.  Lots going on at here on the home front. :)  I'm even going to be baking some cookies, some bread and a pie this week too.  I've got to use up some apples before they go bad and some bananas too.  So banana bread, banana muffins and apple pie.  And the kids would like me to make chocolate chip cookies and some oatmeal scotchies.  So the Domestic Goddess is in full charge here.

And finally ... I've been looking for a scrapbook kit club and DH has suggested I make a selection quick.  I do believe it might just be my holiday present. ;)  I'm pretty sure which one it'll be, as long as DH agrees that it is reasonable.  I'm excited and I can't wait to let him know which one I'd like.  It is kinda fun to know what I'll be getting, as long as that is what he is thinking.