Conclusion...

Since I've been making my own cards for several years now...I have bits and pieces, parts n things, etc etc etc...I'm finding that I spend more time try to match this with that and so on than on the actual creativity end...Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that after all my Christmas Cards are signed, sealed, and delivered that I am taking all those odds and ends and either tossing them or if there's an abundance (which I doubt) I will donate to the school, or toss in a "freebie" bag for my next IRL crop and let someone else deal with matchy matchy...

 

I also have no idea why I bought envelopes in every color under the sun...Wait, yes I do know why, because I was going to match them to the cards...Well unless you have a white pen, that actually works all the time, you need labels...Or at least I do, as my handwriting along w/my printing has a lot to be desired...

 

All that card stock that I won, people gave me, I picked up on a freebie table is going to go out with with the wind also...Same reasoning...I'm spending more time looking to coincide things than in the actual creativity part...

 

But when I first started this "hobby" I had no one to teach me, so I just went out and bought bought bought...Little did I know...Of course I got lots of bargains, but what's a bargain if I'm not using it...LOL LOL LOL...

 

Oh well another lesson, learned...or at least I hope it is...

 

Need to be up early tomorrow...have another busy day...Enjoy your weekend...Be safe...

Time Sure Has Flown...

I can't believe it's December 4th already...Seems like I just posted yesterday but it's been over 3 weeks...

 

Really don't have much to share...I've been busy...Plus I was down and out for several days with a cold/flu and what ever other bug decided to join the group...Feeling better that I was, but not where I'd like to be...

 

It's crunch time for me for sure...I have scads of things I need to get done along with several things on the daily calendar...

 

I decided that it's time to do a MAJOR purge around here...I've been in my home for 35+ years, which means I've accumulated a lot of stuff...Along with collecting things...A major wake up call for me is realizing that my kids nor my grand kids are going to want any of this stuff...I remember telling my own mother "that's not my style" or "I don't like that."  So I figured before I hear that from everyone, I'd bite the bullet and start tossing stuff on my own...My major purge is in my upstairs dormer...Three huge closets full of stuff...I managed to get one closet cleaned out and in the process of putting things back in there...Got rid of a huge TV along with an empty box for a TV, but it didn't fit the TV that was in there, so go figure...My next closet is the Christmas Closet...I've managed to take everything out...I have approximately 9 large tubs full of stuff...So far I've managed to toss some stuff, Goodwill other stuff, and there are a few things that I plan on keeping...Tree and Christmas trimmings will be cut way down...As much as I love the Christmas season with all the bright festive colors, I'll never ever be able to display all the stuff I have...End result, lots needs to go...That being said, I probably won't tackle the 3rd closet until after the holidays...This way I can get all that stuff packed and put away for next year...

 

Need to find time for a couple of Christmas Projects that I need to get done...I have everything I need, I just haven't sat down and done it...

 

Christmas Card labels are done...Some generic cards went out in the mail a couple of days ago...I just finished completing 6 handmade cards, which have also be signed, sealed, and ready for delivery in tomorrow's mail...Probably about 30 more cards totaled to get out the door by Sunday...Or at least I'm hoping...Think I need to venture to the store, for a box of generic cards as I know people don't save homemade cards and as much as I enjoy making them, the thought of them just being tossed makes me sad...I'm sure my creations aren't as beautiful as others, but I do take the time to try and create something everyone will enjoy...But of course, not everyone things the same way I do, when it comes to handmade items...

 

Well I think I've babbled on long enough, it's late, and I have lots I want to accomplish in the day...Until my next post, be safe...

Pinochle

Looking for a great site to play pinochle???
Here's a link...Hope to see you there...

Online Pinochle

Bundle of Joy Layouts

Here's a couple of layouts that I made with the Echo Park, Bundle of Joy Collection...The adorable little guy in the photos is my great grandson Mason...I still have lots of paper left over for more layouts which I'll be working on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at a crop...I LOVE this collection...

Thanks for looking and enjoy your week...

My Personal VENTS...

People that go the wrong direction in a parking lot when it's clearly marked with an arrow...And I do realize that now and then it happens accidentally...but come on now...there are some that just don't care...and then they expect you to move...

 

People that wait in line at the store and then after everything is rung up, decide to dig not just for their money, but for their coupons...Let's be prepared...

 

People that get to the checkout and after all is said and done don't have enough money and then start to pick and choose what to return...

 

15 items or less and cash only means exactly that...and that's 15 unduplicated items...

 

Common courtesy...what happened to please, thank you, excuse me, your welcome, I'm sorry, and the list goes on...

 

People that just "stop" in the middle of an isle at the store...either just stand there or decide it's time to chat with someone they met in the isle...

 

Parents that let their children run wild through the store..either touching and licking the fruit that's out, pulling stuff off the shelves, running into others with the carts that they are allowed to push and again the list goes on...and the parents/guardians they think nothing of it, and are  immune to what their child is doing, or think it's just plain cute...There's a time for cuteness and doing these kinds of things is not it...

 

There are cross walks for a reason...but do people use them...NO...they just cross where ever they want...but then if they get hit, it's the drivers fault for not paying attention...

 

Our streets are full of trash...people throwing things out of windows...emptying their ashtrays on the side of their cars and again the list goes on...Aren't you PROUD of your country???

 

I love having a cell phone, but I don't want to listen to your "loud and sometime personal" conversations...

 

Let's have some common courtesy when doing personal business and make or take that cell call after you're out of the bank, the restaurant, or the check out lines...

 

Telemarketers...

 

People that don't use their blinkers...

 

Having an appointment and being kept waiting way beyond what I think is a reasonable amount of time...but you be late for your appointment and they will either charge you or won't take you...

 

That call back from the consumer that never comes...

 

Repair people that are late and think nothing of it...Why do we have to make an appointment then???

 

Weathermen that tell you repeatedly what to do or not to do in case of inclement weather...Like duhhhhhhhhhhhh has it changed since last year???

 

And these are just a few...

I get so...

discouraged at times with my "crafty" abilities...or maybe I should say "lack of" ability...I have all the bells and whistles and yet I struggle with a layout or making a card...Unless I can lift it, I'm screwed, and even then I can't seem to get things right...Most people say that I'm too hard on myself...and in some part that's true...I try so hard...I take my time...I measure...and all those other things that you're supposed to do and I'm either crooked...cut too short...not straight in my placement...run out of room...don't have all the right letters...and the list goes on...

 

Some people say that if you're not enjoying your hobby that maybe it's time to quit...I do enjoy it...I just wish I was better at it...I'm scrapping so All Moments are Remembered and I'm hoping that down the road, my grandchildren will say "WOW" at all these creations...

 

Someone needs to create a scrap room where the scrapper sits in the middle of the room and their supplies are on a turnstile and with just a push of the button or the tap of a foot the supplies will just go around and around...This way, I wouldn't forget about all the stuff that I have and hopefully be able to use more and more of it as time goes on...

 

I did participate in 2 weekend long crops and even though I thought I packed carefully and planned things out, I still could have used "more" stuff...All in all, I believe I completed about 15 layouts...I have 1 more weekend crop coming up in November and I'm trying to decide if I want to work on Thanksgiving and Christmas cards or finish up some UFOs (unfinished objects) or create some new ones...I do have a few new photos and I know when I go through my stash there will be "new" paper to use...Meaning that it's paper I've forgotten I've had...

 

On the other hand, I'd really like to mass produce some Thanksgiving cards for my family and complete my Christmas cards...I have some made but I believe I might need a few more...I've gotten to the point that I only send my handmade cards to people that I think will appreciate the time, thought, and effort that goes in to making them...Sorry to say, the rest get generic cards as I know most people just toss them...There are a few people that will recycle and use them for tags on gifts for next year, but file 13 sees most of them...

 

Well it's been a long day and I have a fur baby that isn't feeling up to par so I need to check on her...Have a great evening and be safe...

 

 

TGIF...

I have a 2 day in real life aka IRL crop  this Saturday and Sunday and I am so looking forward to going...I've been packing up kits for a couple of weeks now...Some are my infamous UFO's aka UnFinished Objects and others are some CAS aka Clean and Simple Layouts that I've been wanting to do...

I'm still on my freeze, so I've been trying to kit up things from my stash...To be honest it's kind of like surprise shopping around here...We had the carpet removed from my scrap room several months ago so a lot of the stuff was put in the closet...Since we're planning on doing some basic peel and stick  up her, I haven't put that much back in the room as we'd have to be moving it again...Hence, forgot what I had and I've been  having fun finding things again...

In the perfect scrap room, everything would be at my finger tips...Like maybe I'd be on a turn style with my work table and then just be able to go around pick up all the little extras without leaving my chair...Not that I'm lazy, it's just that I really forget a lot of times what I actually have...

I'm hoping to make a few CAS Halloween cards this weekend too...I know I can only send out so many cards, but I get hooked on seeing all the cute stuff everyone is making and of course I have a stash of Halloween paper and embellies to use...Think I'll take my envelopes, address labels, postage stamps, and just put the cards right into the mail for my grand kids...

My goal this weekend is do get at least 20 layouts completed...Wish me luck...And I'll let you know how if I accomplished this goal...

Have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend...

It's all Relative

This layout was formerly an UnFinished Object aka as UFO...I love the papers and the photo...I definitely struggled with a title as I either didn't have enough letters in the package to fit the title, or I didn't have, what I thought, was the right color...

I really wanted to use the title "Grand" kids...as this is a photo of myself and my 2 oldest grandchildren...but the letters just weren't there...I finally found the pinkish letters in part of my "stash" that I was planning on getting rid of...The were the perfect color...But now that the LO is together, I'm not sure I like the size of the letters on here...It's like separately I like it, but together I don't...Strange...I did get a comment from a scrapbook forum that I frequent and someone suggested a butterfly w/some pink in it...So I'm on a mission for that...lol...Anyhow...you be the judge and leave a comment...Thanks for looking and have a great day...

Pork Chop Recipe

For years whenever I've made pork chops they have turned out dry...No matter what I tried...Found a simple recipe that I tried on Wednesday...As of this second this will be my go to recipe...I do have another one I want to try, but until then this is it...Simple, simple, simple, which is what I like...

 4 boneless chops, 1 T Olive Oil, 1 Cup bread crumbs (your choice of kind that you use), 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese, 1 tsp Garlic Powder ...Coat the chops in your olive oil...mix all dry ingredients,  then dip chops in the dry ingredients..put in pan at 350 in the oven, uncovered for approximately 45 minutes...Also line the pan with tin foil and then spray pam or the brand of your choice over the tin foil...I had 8 chops and was going to double the dry mixture, but once I saw how much it made by only doing it as a single recipe, I changed my mind...We had more than enough dry mixture left over to have done another 8 chops...we ended up tossing it...

Had buttered noodles, apple sauce, green beans, and it was YUMMY...

I found this particular recipe on Pinterest...

Fall Scrapbook Layout

Here's a layout that I did for a fall mood challenge...I took these photos at the Stone Trough in Ohio...The gal has several different craft shows through out the year...Depending on the weather and the weekend/s she has the Christmas one, I'd really like to venture out for a one tank trip...

Since I'm on a "scrappy" freeze, I found this piece of PP in my stash...I thought the colors were perfect and I'm quite pleased how this all turned out...

Thanks for looking and enjoy your day...

I honestly hate...

shopping...Since planning our vacation, I knew that I would need a few things...The majority of them being "unmentionables" and sox...I sox were easy...as I'm not that particular, but let me tell you, I've had so much difficulty with the rest...I know what I want, know the sizes, but I'm unable to locate in the local stores...I opted for an online purchase, only to find out after waiting and waiting, that the item was unavailable...Believe it or not, I received a refund in record time...I was impressed...I now have 2 different emails to Playtex and WalMart looking for the other product...So far neither has responded...which is very frustrating...I even sent an image of the packaging so that there would be no question as to what I was specifically looking for...Oh well, I'm at their mercy and everyone else's at this point...

Hoping to get some "scrappy" time in tomorrow along with some more purging...

Have a good night...

Who Knew???

Well I certainly didn't...In the past when I traveled, I would purchase travelers checks/cheques...Since I haven't traveled for ages and I'm now in the process of planning a trip, I just figured I'd get travelers checks and that would be that...Well, my bank no longer carries them, AAA no longer carries them, Ken's bank no longer carries them...Several banks in our area carry them, but only for people that have accounts there...So, I decided to look up American Express as that's where they come from...Lo and behold, they have you put in your zip etc to see what places near your area has them...Well did that, be there, done that, and no one carries them...So then I looked for a phone # for American Express...well that was a joke...as I couldn't find one...so then I looked up to see what you would do if you had the checks and they were lost, and it said to contact American Express Customer Service bla bla bla...LOL...tooooooooo funny, as there was no number...so like how would a person contact them...Then I decided to call the Chamber of Commerce in Las Vegas, as that's where were headed, and they weren't sure what the local casinos did, so they transferred me to the Casino/Hotel we would be staying and the answer is NO, they no longer accept them...So I was on a curious mission and called several other places and got the same answer...Through all this, the end result is...carry cash (which I really don't want to do), use an ATM card where they will charge you for every transaction), use a credit card (where they will also charge for that), try and write a check and there is a charge for that, get one of those pre-paid cards and there's still a charge for that...so all in all, as of this posting, I'm screwed no matter what I decide to do...

I realize that a lot of people don't read my blog, but if I can save one person from going through the hassle that I went through, it will be well worth it...

So that's my story and I'm sticking to it...

Enjoy your day...Off to watch Monday Night Football...

Blog Hop...

Looking for some creative Stampin' Up fall/Halloween ideas, then head on over to Chris's blog and  hop on for some creative fun...Don't forget to leave a comment to let these gals know how much your appeciate their ideas...Enjoy...

Stampedby Chris

"Scrappy" FREEZE...

Heavens knows that I have lots of bells and whistles for my "scrappy" habit...I have decided to go on a "FREEZE."  Yup that's right...I haven't bought that much stuff in ages, so it should be relatively easy...I know my stuff isn't all that current and I'm sure I have lots that has been retired, but I bought it because I liked it and it's time to start using it...I also need to remember to start using my ribbon, buttons, flowers, punches, and all those other goodies that I just had to have...I ran in spurts buying things...My purge on scrappy supplies has been completed so now it's now time to "use my stash."  I also had a scad of pre made kits that I have finally completed using...now I need to create on my own...Which is kind of funny, as I don't do well on my own...I am a lifter...I think I have good intentions, but when it comes to putting it all down I'm a mess...Two places that I look for lifts are www.scrapbook.com and Pinterest...I have also concluded that unless I am absolutely sure that I'm going to create what I find on Pinterest, I don't pin it...Just cleaned out all that stuff too along with the file folder that I have with layouts to lift...

I have 3 weekend IRL (in real life) crops coming up and I'm starting to put together kits to take with me...Makes things much easier...I also coincide with my friend Chris regarding who's bring what so that we don't duplicate...this way we have plenty of "stash" to use...

Well all most time to watch the Packers...Hope everyone had a wonderful day...

Till next time...CRAFT ON...

Things are starting to...

wind down for camping...Which means finding room for all the stuff that will need to come home...This is when I usually have duplicate of everything from soup to nuts in the cupboards...Pots, pans, dishes, and stuff like that stays out there...Clothes, bed linens, and food make there way home...Lots of stuff, such as cleaning supplies, bed linen, and stuff like that just get washed, cleaned up and put in the box for the spring...But the fact remains that it still needs to have a place until then...

Been doing a lot of purging of paper work, clothes, dishes and the list goes on...I've been retired 8 years now and all though I know I've done a lot around here, it seems like it never ends...Where all this stuff has come from is beyond me...LOL...

Purged a lot of stuff from scrapbook and card making too...If a new scrapper/card maker asked me where do they start in this wonderful hobby, I would tell them for scrapbooking to buy kits...Everything you need is usually there and it all matches...Card making, I would tell them to pick one product line and stick with it...Of course that would be Stampin Up...and if you are that new card maker, here's a link to a great gal that just happens to sell Stampin Up...and if you're an old hat at card making, still stop in and see Chris...besides being a GREAT friend she has some awesome ideas to share...Here's a link to her personal blog too...ENJOY...

Stampin Up With Chris

Chris's Blog

I can't believe that it's been...

over a year since I've posted here...No excuses...Not that I get that much traffic here, if any, but I must say I did enjoy posting things...

 

A little update on what's been going on...Have had issues with both of my knees...knee surgery took care of that...It's been a long road, but it is being well traveled...I'm still camping...The season is all most over so it will be time to close up soon...seems like it just started...weather hindered the first six weeks for sure...I'm still scrapbooking...making cards too...Have 3 IRL crops coming up in October and November...Also have a trip to Vegas planned in the near future...Grandchildren are growing like weeds...I'm trying to keep up with the latest trends in the world of scrapbooking, but I tend to go back to my pretty much plain and simple style...Had the carpet removed from my upstairs and my basement...consider vinyl planking in the upstairs...which is where my scrap area is...I like the look it will give the room, just not sure if I'm willing to spend those kinds of dollars...Ken and I will put peel and stick in the basement...Have had carpeting down there for years and now that the dogs are getting older, it was time to have it removed as the upstairs...I spend more time in the scraproom than the downstairs, even though it's finished...More of a man cave now...lol...I'm still frequent a couple of scrapbook forums...more active on one than the other...then I pretty much lurk at a few others...Hard to believe too that Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas will be upon us before you know it...Christmas is by far my favorite...I love decorating my house and it just seems to perk things up...Nothing fancy or expense, just me and my decorations...Really don't get that much company for the holidays except Christmas Eve when the family is here...I do it for me...Been doing a lot of purging around the house...I've lived here over 30 years and there comes a time when somethings gotta go...Figured it might as well be me and save some work for my kids somewhere down the road...Pretty much have all the rooms done except for the basement and attic...I've done more in the basement but still needs to be gone over...My upstairs closets are the ones...those are the catch alls and believe me they have caught a lot over the years...I've also been going through all my "scrapiness" and getting rid of lots of things...Some of it's just gone in the trash, other stuff to the art room at the local elementary school, and some other stuff I will take to the IRL crops and put out on the for sale table...Maybe I'll make a few extra dollars to spend on some more scrap stuff...lol...Well this pretty much sums things up and I think I've babbled long enough...

 

I'm really going to try and post more often...

 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day...