National Scrapbooking Day

To celebrate National Scrapbooking Day, I got together with my girlfriends for a fun-filled day of crafting! Technically, only one of us did any scrapbooking -- the rest of us made thank you cards! It was definitely a much-needed event!

Yesterday on QVC, they showcased some new Creating Keepsake items and I had to buy their new Hall of Fame Double Page Layout Kit:



It's such an awesome kit -- there are 18 sets of pre-designed double page layouts. Sometimes you just need to feel productive rather than creative and these pre-assembled kits are perfect for that! They include all the accessories and they've done the designing for you -- all you need to add are the photos (and journaling, if you want)! I highly recommend their products -- they're great!

Have you heard...

...about this site called ETSY? Well, I accidentally discovered it several weeks ago and have absolutely fallen in love with it!

For those of you not familiar with Etsy, it's like Ebay, but 100x BETTER! All of the items are handmade and the stuff you can find is unique, high-quality, and just down-right cool! The first time I perused the site, I was there for several hours and didn't even realize how much time had gone by! So be forewarned: this site is addictive!

Is my memory going?

Shortly after publishing my last post, I realized that I missed some significant points:

CAR...I have a new car! I tend to tire of cars after just a couple of years and my last car was no exception. I mentioned to my husband that I was ready to look at new vehicles and he decided to go looking while I was in Palm Springs. He called me and wanted to know what he should be looking for -- were there any options that I could NOT live without? Duh...heated seats, sunroof, and manual transmission! I also preferred a dark color and either satellite radio or iPod integration. Later that weekend I spoke with him on the phone and he indicated he didn't have the opportunity to shop for cars. So it was with much surprise and joy to see my husband picking me up from the airport driving a NEW BLACK 2008 AUDI A4! What a sweet car this is...it has everything I wanted and even more...I'm totally in love with this car! I think I might keep this one for more than a couple of years! I'll get around to posting a pic soon.


ETSY is an awesome website that I recently discovered by sure chance. It's a site similar to eBay; however, the items are all HANDMADE and the fees for selling aren't nearly as gouging as FeeBay, er, eBay. I kid you not, the first time I perused this site, several hours passed in a snap! There are so many fabulous items for sale - people are so talented!

Has it really been 5 months?

I honestly don't know how things like this happen; I start blogging and then the next thing you know, it's been 5 months since my last post! I suppose I could make excuses and blame it on work or something of the like, but what good would it do? So, here goes another attempt! To kick off this "new" beginning, I've decided to get a custom blog banner, so stay tuned for some exciting changes to come...

Quick update:

WORK is going well; I'm still absolutely loving my job! I've officially been assigned to a service/specialty within the OR --> Orthopedics. They have a really great team, so I'm excited to be their newest member. I'm also starting a new schedule, 0700-1730 M-Th, so I certainly don't envy my friends/family who have to work 5-days a week!

FAMILY life is essentially the same. Most notably, Dj et al have somehow convinced me to play WOW, aka World of Warcraft. I haven't started yet, but will be inducted around the first week of March.

CRAFTING time has been very limited; yet just like blogging, I'm going to make an effort to play more. I joined my crafty friends last weekend and created some Bella cards...photos to follow soon. We've even decided to have a Girls Scrappin' Weekend in April!

Here's a pic from Linda's birthday bash in Palm Springs last month. We had such a blast! Shortly before this picture was taken, our waiter asked us, on behalf of two guests, if we were all hairdressers because we looked so "fabulous"! Ha...no, we're just all a bunch of make-up whores!


That should suffice for now...

I'm still alive...just BUSY!

The cruise was wonderful and I highly recommend a visit to Alaska for those who haven't been there -- it's absolutely gorgeous! We thoroughly enjoyed our whale watching excursion and saw not only many whales, but also several sea lions as well. Plus of course we had ample opportunities to shop and spend money -- so of course we did! Actually, I should clarify that and say "I did". I finally bought a watch that I've been wanting for years -- a Philip Stein. And I even bought a loose alexandrite stone that I'd like to use in a ring; I just need to design it first! For those of you not familiar with alexandrite, it's a rather unique/rare stone -- it changes color! When in daylight it appears green, then in changes to a reddish-purple (raspberry) color in incandescent light. You must check in out!

Since our return, I've been extremely busy with my new job at UWMC. I know I'm really going to like it there!

I haven't had any "free time" to stamp or create in the past two weeks, which is why I haven't posted anything. Who knows if I'll get any in the next few months. However, I'll try my best to post on a regular basis even if it's not stamp/scrap-related.

Here's a cute picture of Sherlock cuddled up on the futon -- he always seems to think each piece of furniture belongs to him!

Alaska, Here We Come!

We are heading out today on our 7-day Alaskan Cruise (aboard the Sun Princess) so you won't be hearing from me until we return. Have a fun and safe Labor Day!

Clip It Up!

How did I ever survive without this nifty gadget from Simply Renee called the Clip It Up? I've always stored my Scrapbooking supplies (embellishments, stickers, etc...) in various boxes to stay organized. However, I must admit that if I don't see it -- I don't use it! Now that I have this new system, I'm certain to maximize the use my supplies as they are always easy to see and within reach!