Odds and Ends

LSNED Day 1

If you read yesterday's post you will have noticed that I had put my scrapbooking tool kit in a safe place that was so safe I couldn't find it.  :)  But I found it this morning. I'd put it away in a drawer in the dresser. Of course I remembered that in the middle of the night. :) So with my basic tools (knife, scissors, tape etc) I could finally get to work on doing the first layout for my first LSNED album. I've got a 6x6 album that hadn't been used for anything else so I thought - why not use it and with it being September, I decided to have a fall look running throughout the album but now I'm thinking hmmmm  not sure if I like that idea. I think that is because I need to get out and get more stash (embellishment-wise that is). Although if I totally finished organizing all the "stuff" I do have I might have a better idea of what I have. :)

This is the layout for September 1 when I discovered what happens to me when I totally skip breakfast.

The colours aren't quite true - everything is much brighter than how they came out in the picture.   I think I'm having the same problem Sian was having - different light in September than during the summer so I'll need to find someplace else to take the layout pictures..

Leaf punches are I think Martha Stewart - they don't say but I'm pretty sure that's where I got them from and they are punched from scraps that I had so don't know whose papers they were.   The tag and background paper are both from  a Deja Views Sharon Ann collection called Home for the Harvest that I've had for eons.
 
It's pretty KISS (keep it simple stupid) as a friend of mine would have said.

Learn Something New Every Day

Shimelle (of shimelle.com) has a class running this month called Learn Something New Every Day that I decided to sign up for. Evidently she runs it every September but this is the first time I've taken it.

I haven't decided yet what format my scrapbooking for it will take but I have been writing things down every day, except for last Friday and Saturday when for the life of me I know I learned something but can't remember what. Hopefully they will come back to me. Most of the stuff is pretty mundane and some of it is re-learning but there is the odd really good thing.

We're now almost at the end of the second week and I thought maybe I better post about how things are going with LSNED. So here's how the first week went.

The month started out with me learning how vitally important it is that I have breakfast. Now that doesn't sound like a big thing but since I've recently been diagnosed as being pre-diabetic it is. I discovered this while driving home from the grocery store when all of a sudden I was having issues with my eyesight - not a good thing when you're driving. Luckily nothing happened and I got home safe & sound.

Day 3 found me finally learning what a hashtag was. I kept hearing the term and finally decided to find out what it was. I also found out, klutz that I am, that I need to wear shoes in my scrapping room after painfully stubbing toes on both feet on the feet of my chair. DUH!

Day 4 had me relearning that I need to come up with a system to know just exactly what is in the spare fridge after discovering strawberries in there that one of us had put there. By the time I found them they were fit for the compost bin. Lesson learned!

Day 5 had me discovering that I really need to keep up with class prompts and handouts after discovering purely accidentally that I'd missed out on some digital templates in last year's Library of Memories class I took. They're no longer available so I now know to at least read the prompts everyday that they come out so that I don't miss out on anything else.

On day 6 I learned that until the car dealership service department finally figures out what is wrong with the Mustang and the vibration at highway speed that I better not make plans for the day until the last minute as they are tending to get changed so that I can take it in yet again.

Day 7 was one of the super mundane things - I learned of a quicker way of getting to the car dealership. Pretty lame but I didn't know of it before. :)

After writing this I came up with an idea of how I wanted to do my scrapbooking for it and immediately set to work - oh oh - where is my tool box? The last time I saw it was when the kiddos were coming to visit and I put it away someplace safe so that they couldn't get hurt if they came across it. Now to just remember where the someplace safe is. :)

 

Ten Possible Scrapbooking Links

It’s time for 10 on the 10th, something that Shimelle brought up at the end of her Beyond Blogging for Scrapbookers class that I took this spring.  This month I thought I’d share some websites and classes that I really like to do with scrapbooking – both digital and traditional as I’m not totally changed over to digital yet.  Be sure and check out Shimelle's and everyone else's 10 on the 10th blog entrys here.

 1)  This morning I found this absolutely terrific site that has video introductions to all the new Basic Gray products, digital classes, layout classes and oh so much more.   Check it out here.   I think you’ll really like it.  I found some product that I know I just have to have.

2)  Ok, now that I’ve shared a “traditional” scrapbooking site it’s only fair that I share a digital one.  By far my favourite is Designer Digitals.   It’s great for kits, templates and word art.  Just lately I got this Going Away Kit by Katie Pertiet from them and am dying to use it.

3) I’ve been unhappy with my scrapbooking lately and found this really neat course that I’m hoping will help with the design and give a pleasing look to my pages.   It’s a self-paced 12 week workshop at Big Picture Classes called “Design Your Life” by Cathy Zielske.   I’ve just started it but am really happy with it so far.  Looks like I’ll be using a lot of my stash for this one.

4)  It’s just finishing up for this year but if you get a chance to Finding Photo Freedom also at Big Picture Classes.  I took it last year when it was Library of Memories and was able to take it again this year as an alumni.  It has absolutely worked wonders for me being able to find the pictures I want.  Keep an eye out for it next year.

5)  While we’re on the subject of classes, if you scrapbook and blog you should keep an eye out for Shimelle’s Blogging for Scrapbookers.  It’s not being offered right now but keep an eye out on the website for it.  She offers another one beyond that course that fittingly enough is called Beyond Blogging for Scrapbookers.  

6) Another one of Shimelle’s courses I like is Journal Your Christmas which she offers every December.

7)  Still on Shimelle’s courses is Love your Pictures, Love your Pages.  I’ve taken all of these and thoroughly enjoyed every one of them.   Check them out.

8)  Now as for learning how to digital scrapbooking – for me it’s Jessica Sprague’s site hands down.  I’ve taken Up and Running, Now We’re Rockin and and I’m taking Digi in Deep.  After that there is one more called Digi in Deeper.

9) Ok, back to traditional scrapbooking sites for my second last one - this one is a Canadian one  - The Scrapping Bug ( a couple of hours west of us).  Its a great resource within our country for things that you think can only be found in the U.S.

10)  Finally for inspiration there is a blog that I discovered while reading Amy's blog at Over at Our Place  Now Amy's layouts are inspiring in themselves but she's part of a group blog that has now become one that I check everyday - it's Simple Aussie Girls where they share as they say their clean and simple pages.  Check it out.

10 on the 10th

Shimelle  started something called 10 things on the 10th for her "Beyond Blogging for Scrapbookers" class and today is the second time for it.  If you'd like to see everyone else's 10 on the 10th posts please check out Shimelle's blog.

Now as for mine - in going over the pictures we took while we were down in Halifax just over a week ago, I thought I'd share the 10 pictures I wish we had taken.

1) A picture of us with my sister's family that were there.  It seems we were all too busy talking and doing other things and it wasn't like there weren't cameras around.  I know we didn't take our tripod down but my BIL has one we could have very easily borrowed.

2) A picture of my sister and I.  We don't see each other too often anymore and I really would have liked one of just the 2 of us.  I mentioned it a couple of times but we didn't do it when I mentioned it thinking we'd have more time later in the trip.

3) A picture of J (my hubby) and I.  We hardly have any of those. 

4) Some pictures of J - it's like he wasn't even on the trip.  What on earth was I thinking?  I guess I was just enjoying being with family and totally forgot about the camera I always had with me.

5) Some food pictures - we had awsome food while down there, most of it cooked by my sister and BIL - especially that lobster dinner!

6) Some portrait pictures of everyone.  I really would have liked to have practiced more with doing that and coming away with pictures of the family.

7) A picture in the Pier 21 research room where I found my Mum's family's Immigration records thanks to a wonderful research assistant.  I would have loved to have seen the look on my face when the research assistant managed to find my Grandfather right away - I sure didn't have that type of luck when I was trying to find the immigration records.

8) A picture of Point Pleasant Park now that the damage from Hurricane Juan is cleared up.  That's one place that the only pictures I have of it are of the damage after Juan and that was from the road outside of the park.  Maybe instead of sleeping in on Canada Day we should have got up and gone down there with them while they walked Calloway.

9) A picture of J walking Calloway (the dog) and getting conned out of milk bones.  We were told that when you got to a certain corner she would sit and thats when you would give her a milk bone.   It worked great but Calloway must have thought - hmmm, maybe if I sit there on the way back I can get another one because that's exactly what happened. 

10) Pictures of the Canada Day fireworks down in the harbour.  It was too easy to just sit out on the deck and listen to them after our late dinner. 

Do you have pictures you wish you had taken while away or visiting family?   I'm making a list for the next time we go down there (hopefully in 2012 or 2013).

Ten Things I Love About My Garden

Shimelle has started something called 10 things on the 10th for her "Beyond Blogging for Scrapbookers" class and today is the first time we're doing it.  If you'd like to see everyone else's 10 on the 10th posts please check out Shimelle's blog.

Here's my first post for it. 

Some of the wonderful late spring flowers blooming in our yard in June.

 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

Planning - I Guess I Didn't

I was going to write my blog today from new little Sony netbook that I got yesterday.  So I put it in my bag and headed out for the day – hmmm I didn’t have any pictures loaded into it and hadn’t brought along any of my storage devices so slight change of plans in what I was going to do with my Five on Thursday post.  So instead it’s going to be five things I’m planning to do between now and Sunday for National Scrapbooking Day (I know I'm not in the US but we have it in Canada too).

First and foremost – work away at my Beyond Blogging for Scrapbookers classes.   I am slowly going through them and I’m all the way up to day 7.  That only leaves 7 more days to get through just to get to today.  :)

Second is work away at my redo of Jessica Sprague’s Up and Running class but this time version 2 so that I can refresh my memory.

Third is make the layout I’ve got in my head in honour of my Mum who passed in 1976.  I haven’t done any of her yet but I think right now is the perfect time – late March was the anniversary of her death, last week would have been her birthday and Sunday is Mother’s Day.

Fourth is to actually do some paper scrapbooking – the one of Mum is going to be digital. 

Fifth is to start getting ready for Stacy Julian’s new Photo Freedom course which replaces her Library of Memories at Big Picture Classes.   I was lucky enough to take the LOM class last year and so get to sit in on the new course.  I’m looking forward to seeing what’s different this year.

What are you doing for National Scrapbooking Day?  Is anyone doing something totally different for it?

My Day in Photos

 

 

 

 

   
   
  
 
 
See more days here.

 A Beyond Blogging for Scrapbookers class project.


 

A New Blogging Class and You

Just the other week I finished taking Shimelle’s Blogging for Scrapbookers  and yesterday I started a brand new one that she offers that takes it further Beyond Blogging for Scrapbookers which will help me improve my blog.    Some of the things I'd like to do are I really want to blog more often, improve it and make it more interesting for you my readers.   But to do this I need your help, whether you’re a new reader or a long-time one.  I’d like to know what you would like to see to make it more interesting for you.   If you could answer my little poll it would help me knowing what to work on to improve this.  And as always comments are most welcome.

 

Now for a wee bit of my "KISS" scrapbooking.   I hate to say it but I have absolutely no idea what companies to credit the supplies to.  This is a layout I did of my sister (she's the one on the right) and I many, many years ago back in the day when my Mum dressed us alike.

 

I Can So Relate To This

I find this video I heard about at Weight Watchers funny and think you will too.   It sounds like so many of my days or parts of them anyway.   :)

Five Signs of Spring - Finally

The Robins have been here for awhile – they’re no longer a sign of spring as sit seems they’ve adapted and spend the winter here, but there have been other signs in the past couple of weeks of winter being over and spring arriving.

The first sign was one day a couple of weeks ago when I was going out – I smelled a  skunk.     Thankfully it wasn’t me that had hit it but some other poor person.  I hate to think what their car must have smelled like after that.

Sign number 2 - the lawn care people calling to see if we were re-signing up with them.

Sign number 3 - the crocus are in bloom (and so far, knock on wood, the rabbits aren’t touching them).   Watch, now that I’ve said that I’ll go home to find they’re all gone. 

  

Sign number 4 - the Hellebore (Lenten Rose) is in full bloom.

 
 Sign number 5 - we were able to go out for a drive in the Mustang with the top down – a first.   John even drove it to work today (with the top up as it’s not as warm today as it has been).