Warning: Spoilers Within

Not yet, don't worry. I don't know why I chose today to update. We'll see if this one makes it to "Publish".

Anyway here are a few of my latest layouts..."latest" meaning new since I last updated. I've been feelng a bit introverted with my scrapping recently. I guess with a shelf full of what I think of as the "glorified photo album" kind of layouts, I'm looking into scrapbooking also as a means of journalling my life. I don't really write a journal, not at the moment, anyway...but scrapping is kind of a neat way to record emotions, random thoughts and creative habits as well as just life's moments and events. I've also been feeling Christmasy, so there's a few of those in here too.

Don and I saw Beowulf today. We actually meant to see it 2 weeks ago, but it wasn't playing at the right time...ended up seeing August Rush instead. Neither of us had heard of it, but it sounded better than Fred Claus, and those were the only 2 playing a a time we could be out of in time to pick up Tones. It was freaking awesome!!! Sappy as anything, but fortunately Don and I being music people (and parents) were the perfect audience for this brand of cheese. I would totally see it again.

Beowulf, on the other hand...wasn't exactly what I expected. Not that it was bad, or anything. Call me a dunce, but I never realized this was an animated movie...apparently Don had seen the reviews so he knew...instead, I spent the whole picture wondering why all the women had no expression on their faces and their dresses never wrinkled when they sat down. This is the most realistic computer animation I have ever seen...perhaps they intended for people to not be able to tell the difference. The problem is, it borders so close to reality that one who is none the wiser (aka me) judges it as a live-action movie with actors who move like robots injected with huge amounts of Bo-Tox. I remember thinking the same thing about that Final Fantasy movie a few years ago. It's just my personal opinion but computer animation is good for special effects, other than that I think it's best left to kids' movies. Fantasy and reality are both better in their pure forms.

Speaking of which...I'm supposed to see Enchanted with a friend from work this week. This will be the third week we've attempted to get out to see it. First she got called into work, then she lost her phone and we couldn't get a hold of each other...maybe third time will be the charm? I rarely get to see Disney movies...so we'll see if this one can prove me wrong about my whole outlook on fantasy meets reality.

Random Thoughts September Edition

Tones is starting kindergarten today and I'm sooooo excited for him! This being the first day, and knowing he's there right now, I'm also nervous. I don't even like to think about school now that I'm done but I hope he has fun. I'm so proud of my big boy!



I saw the movie Stardust lastnight with Don. It was amazing. Why don't they make more movies like that nowadays? I just adore fairy tales.



Getting over a lousy cold. Haven't tasted a thing since Friday, so I don't feel like eating anything, which is good because I think I must have gained 30 pounds in Quebec City. How does a 4.5 hour road trip turn into 7 hours??? I keep meaning to go to Curves but whenever I pick up a night shift I end up not going because I'm sleeping all day after. And there have been a lot of night shifts. Which is also a good thing, considering how much money we've spent this summer. However, I'm electing not to panic. Some things are worth panicking over--money isn't one of them. I mean, not being able to pay your bills is one thing. Having to suck it up and pay interest on our Mastercard bill for a few months is another. Air miles, baby, air miles!



Well, today we're going to Japanese Village for lunch so my sense of smell and taste had better be back by then. I woke up this morning not drowning in my own sinuses for once--that's a good sign.



Time to go...I feel other sanity-replenishing random activities calling me....

Just Breathe

So today I just spent nearly 2 weeks' spending money buying the first season of Namaste Yoga on DVD. Why? Because that show is freaking hypnotic. I think I've finally found an exercise routine that works for me...and I'm looking forward to doing it every day rather than getting up insanely early on my non-work weekends to catch it. And of course I'll still be watching it at work!

That's one thing I love about the rise of the DVD (despite my aversion to the concept of the start menu and the illusion of being able to stop and start wherever you want when your remote gives you the "restricted" sign at all the parts you'd wanna skip anyway). With it has arisen the concept of being able to own every episode of a TV show to watch at your leisure. My first childhood obsession with Punky Brewster may have only lasted through 1986-87, but it was strong enough to teach me all about the emotional anguish that can arise from becoming too attached to any show that only comes on once a week. I'm done with revolving my life around being home on a certain night...and going insane when it inevitably gets cancelled or I'm forced to be elsewhere on My Night. It didn't take me long to learn that. Now I own 3 seasons of Punky Brewster, 6 of Star Trek: TNG and one of Roseanne...sheesh, all I need is a couple of Futurama and I won't even need cable anymore!

Aut-o-bots wage their bat-tle...to...de-stroy...the-e...vil-for...ces-of...the-De-cept-i-cons....

Oh my goodness...looks like we've discovered what very likely could be Antonio's next big obsession when the Cars craze phases out...and Don has already bookmarked a whole bunch of old episodes on YouTube for him to watch. Which is a sweet thought, but the thing about YouTube is it's as simple for Tones to seek out classic Transformers episodes as it is for him to come across Optimus Prime's rectal exam from Robot Chicken or some expletive-laden overdub some teenager made in their spare time. It's a good thing the computer's in our bedroom.



Well, I'm ashamed to admit it...but I suck at the stay-at-home-mom thing. Tones has had 2 weeks holiday from daycare and I've run out of things to do with him. We've been going to the beach a lot, which is great. I just wish it was easier for us. I think the 2 of us could use up an entire bottle of #45 sunscreen in a week...and we still always get a little crispy. I don't care what they say, waterproof sunscreen is never totally waterproof. Tones & me always spend the whole time in the water...that's the only way to do the beach. Especially in this crazy weather. There's just something about diving in and getting your hair wet...it makes the whole trip worthwhile.



Tonight my work weekend starts again...and then we're going camping! I've been freaked out with all the rain we got in July, but so far they're only calling for light showers on the Monday and sun the next 2 days. I guess I can live with that.



Hey...did I mention one of my LO's is finally being published??? My "Freaky" Halloween page made it into the Fall issue of Canadian Scrapbooker! I know I had a copy of the Fall issue last year when we went camping, so I've been stalking the mailman for a week or so now. I submitted a few for the winter issue but haven't heard back. This week I made 2 new scrapbook pages, and finally got back some old ones from Scrapbooking Cafe. Also got my August kit for KC...now I just gotta get some pictures printed. Have a nice weekend, sweet dreams, and will someone please get the Transformers theme out of my head...?!?!

Christmas in July

Well, I would start this with an apology for not updating since Easter, but then again, has anyone really missed me that much?!

I hate to admit it but I've been struggling with Scrapper's Block again. The thing is, I've been trying to perfect other areas in my life like spending more time with my guys and trying to pick up more shifts at work. There's no point in scrapping if I'm not creating memories worth preserving, and I can't maintain the art of preserving them with style if I have no extra cash to improve my stash with. I will still continue to scrap, and to seek new inspiration for scrapping, I just won't scrap away all my memories just yet. I've learned to appreciate the joys of not being "caught up".

Anyway, these are my most recent creations. For some strange reason all I feel like scrapping right now are old Christmas photos. Somewhere back on KC I got the idea of doing an all-Christmas album that spans the decades. I don't yet have pictures of EVERY Christmas since I was born, but I do know my parents' photo album closet like the back of my hand, and I KNOW that there ARE pictures in existence to make a complete album, 1978 to the present, with one page per year. Plus a title page. 1986 and 1987 we probably missed since those were the two years my dad went crazy with the cool Back-To-The-Future JVC video camera instead...but I'm a scrapper. I can improvise.

I'll leave now by saying I can't wait for Season 4 of Punky Brewster to come out on DVD, and I really wish the scrap world would stop saying things like "Don't be afraid to use girl embellishments on boy pages" and start inventing something other than more freaking flowers to decorate our pages with. Oh, to own my own scrap line....

He Is Risen

Joyeuses Paques! It's Easter Monday...that still counts, right? We had a fabulous time yesterday with friends eating too much lunch, followed by a super fun egg hunt which saw three preschoolers leave with probably a kilo of chocolate each. Not to mention the chocolate monster truck the Easter Bunny left for Tones. Yes, nothing says "Jesus Is Alive!" like chocolate before breakfast.

Today I'm home with The Boy, and for the first time in 2 years, it's not an issue. Yes, I only work nights now and have been enjoying my newfound sanity for a month! All this free time during the day has come at the perfect opportunity...I am now an official member of the Kindred Creations Design Team! Just got back last weekend from the Mad Scrappers Retreat in Hamilton...also my longest ever road trip alone...where I met a whackload of other KCers, most of them for the first time! It was a lesson and a half in auto racing (I made it there in 4.5 hours!) and a social opportunity that I so rarely ever get the chance to experience. One of my layouts even won the layout contest the first night! Then Saturday's was won by another KCer...we were 2 for 3! Got a ton of pics...looks like this will have to be a mini-album! I miss them already...but then again, I do have CKC Buffalo this June to look forward to with my friends from Scrapbook Star!

And I got my hair cut & highlighted again! It was December 2004 last time anything was done to it...I'm loving how it looks, though I'm so not used to having bangs again. It's been a good chance to re-kindle my relationship with barrettes...now that my hair's not too heavy for them anymore. Now I can straighten it or leave it natural...and it curls up much more than it ever did before.

If you have a minute, check out the Scrapbooking Cafe website...one of my layouts is on the homepage!

I'm going to go hang out with Tones now. Enjoy what's left of your Easter holiday...if you're lucky enough to have it off!

Be My Turquoise Valentine

Well, it's Valentine's Day again. Some people like it, some people think it's the most depressing day ever. Personally, being lucky enough to have married someone who turned out to be perfect for me, I'm about as OK with Valentine's Day as I am with any other holiday where you don't get a day off but gifts are implied. However there is one issue I do have with it, and that is RED. Red, red, red...EVERYWHERE you go. Now usually I don't mind red...I'm a fan of burgundy and love all harvest shades. But pure fire-engine red is a very powerful colour most effectively used as an accent, perhaps in a primary colour scheme or very dramatically against a combination of black and white. February rolls around...and suddenly every store is stocked floor to ceiling with RED stuff. I walked down an aisle in Dollarama the other day and I swear nothing for the whole length was anything but flaming bright red. For those of you familiar with the psychological effects of colour, it's commonly accepted that red is an angry colour. Here we are trying to shop for a day that's supposed to celebrate love, and the walls are screaming at us.



How long has Valentine's day been around? And anyhow, who was it that decided Crayola red was the only colour capable of representing love? Come on, everyone...we're more creative than that. Let's celebrate Valentine's Day in another colour for once. I nominate turquoise. Turquoise is an awesome colour and I'm glad to see it's finally making a comeback in the fashion and scrapbooking world. With that, here is my Valentine's Day layout...and I should also add this is my very first all-digital layout ever!

In my face

OMG...we've gotten HGTV for the month my m-i-l is out, and Debbie Travis' Facelift is on. They're planning to re-do "one of the ugliest kitchens (she's) ever seen". And wouldn't ya know it...they have the exact same cupboards we do!!!!! Aaaaaackkkk!!! Nothing like rubbing it in!!!

I'm too I-don't-know-what-exactly to admit this IRL, but to put it lightly I'm having second thoughts about what we did to our cupboards. Turns out they needed FOUR coats of that freaking burgundy melamine, and still I think I can tell where the thicker strokes were made in the first coat. Those cupboards sat all over the floor for what felt like a week, while we got to re-enact that first scene of Raiders Of The Lost Ark every time we needed to walk through it. I'm positive more than one of them was stepped on by Antonio. I may have given them a 5th coat were I not so rushed to get my floor back. Despite tape, the wall still was such a mess after painting the underside of the cupboards that I needed to go along the whole thing with white paint again. And now that they're done...I can't help thinking we've gone in the wrong direction. Most people when re-painting old 70's cupboards go from a dark colour to a light colour...we've gone the opposite way. I want to say I'm OK with them, but in my mind I wonder if I'm forcing myself to like them because of the ordeal it was to get them painted. Maybe these plain cupboards just don't work in any colour. Oh well...Don says he likes them. That's a start.

Moving on to something more POSITIVE...I am finally quitting my job!!!!! I got an overnight rotation with the new place, so finally I have the stability I need to leave my old job. It's really the best thing for my sanity...and will leave my days open to pick up more shifts on call at the new place. Know what's crazy...instead of 5 days a week 4 hours a day, it's 2 overnights and an evening shift every second weekend...and my paycheque will be almost the same. Right now I'm still sticking it out in a very tense environment in my old job while she knows I'm leaving but I still have to work there, so I haven't really grasped the excitement of it all yet...but February is a short month. I'm looking forward to a life filled with less panic.

Colouring my world

When we first moved into our new place, Don said we should wait till we lived here for a few months before we think about painting. Just so we're sure. Well now it's January, and we've started our painting binge. Actually I'm the one doing all the painting. But Don's the one doing all the Antonio diversions, so I guess we're doing our equal share. Me doing the stuff that takes creative skill, and Don doing the stuff that requires patience. Works for me.

So far we've done Antonio's room (crazy bright glaring Kermit-the-frog green), the living room (4 walls alternating dark blue and dark green), and tonight I started the kitchen cabinets. It was Don's idea to do the cabinets, I was just thinking the wall, but he had something aversive to off-white so whatever. So I find out in the store that you're supposed to use melamine paint for cabinets...ok, whatever. Guess I should have read the can before going home, but apparently melamine-based paint requires paint thinner for clean-up. And of course this never occurred to me until I'd already finished the first coat on all seventeen cupboards, laid out all over the living room floor on top of Sears flyers and our old Ikea shower curtain. It could have been worse...luckily I didn't make much of a mess (two rooms painted this month...I'm in practice now!) but I did have a crazy time trying to get the red off my hands (I ended up using body butter followed by apricot scrub). Also I'll be picking up a new set of foam brushes with my paint thinner tomorrow. Hope it comes off the laundry sink.

I saw those new Doodling Genies in Scrapbooking cafe. Lots of people are excited about those, but that's something I'd never buy. I like my own doodling just as it is. It's like that time I almost bought that Heidi Swapp date stamp, with all the dates in her handwriting...then I thought about it some more...and what's wrong with my own handwriting? I think this is why I don't get scrapbooking stuff for Christmas...I'm more a hoarder of the small stuff, not really into tools and gadgets. Recently the Cricut went on sale at Michaels and everyone seems to be flocking to get one. If I were to ever buy one of those cutting machines, I think I'd go with a Wishblade or Craft Robo or whatever I don't need to buy extra equipment for. But given the opportunity...I'd really rather have $500 worth of patterned paper and a good pair of nail scissors.

I was also browsing through some "dream scrap rooms" this morning. Some of them were pretty amazing. It would be a dream to even have my own scrap room. If I did...I would only have one table, and it would be really low, Korean-style or something. I'm a floor scrapper. My stool serves more time as a sanding/cutting surface than it does as a seat. Anyway I don't think I have any new LO's to post but check out the Scrapbooking Cafe link to see my DT projects!