Happy birthday!

I'm finally posting some cards from my April card swap. The celebrate stamp is from the Birthday Jubilee July 2013 sentiment kit, and the 29th sentiment is a new favorite from Unity Stamp Co.

I'm posting these for Unity Stamp's Friends with Flair. Thanks for stopping by!

$4.07

Noooo! Over four dollars a gallon and the summer price increase hasn't even started. :(

Doufeu

Sounds Chinese, but it is actually French. Here's my new Le Crueset pot:

We used it tonight to make some corned beef and it was so delicious and tender! I can't wait to use it again. Maybe next time I'll fill the whole 7 and 1/4 quarts.

March card kit

No photo of the kit because I dug into it as soon as I got it. At least I got photos of the cards before I sent them out.

The birthday stamps are from Unity and the note stamp is from Studio G. I'm posting this for the FWF challenge. Thanks Susan, for a great kit!

Check back in 57 days

I was at a local nursery, checking out some potential shrubs for the backyard, which I didn't end up getting. But I did get these. I started with one, but discovered they were on sale when I went to check out so I got three more.

The little tags say they should be ready in 57 to 80 days. I can't wait!

And I found this volunteer:

Yes, that's my tumble composter.

Fourteen in 2014 update

Well, I'm not doing so well. Can I blame it on my health (had an outpatient procedure and it took more out of me than I expected)? Travel (two trips home)? Work (I'm averaging between 9 and 10 hour work days)? Really, those are all just excuses, so let's just get down to updating.

1. Write/email/call everyone on my Christmas card list.
   Still working on this...
   
2. Blog more often.
   As you can see, I haven't made much progress.
   
3. Send at least one card/letter a month.
   Yay! So far, I've sent out a thinking of you and two thank you cards.
   
4. Clean up the spare bedroom.
   Err, still working on this.
   
5. Turn the spare bedroom into a scrap room.
   No progress on this. I can't even say I'm working on it.
   
6. Send two boxes of cards to Operation Write Home.
   No progress.
   
7. Go to the gym once a week.
   Yay! I was averaging twice a week, even with getting the slow start in January. Hopefully, I won't be set back too much with getting sick yesterday.
8. Keep my average weight below XXX and hit the "magic number" at least once.
   Well, January was depressing. I hit a two year high, then that number continued to rise the next two days. But in February, the ounces starting coming off and leveling, so I'm feeling pretty good about my weight right now. I'm sure the huge salads for dinner helped.
   
9. Take a one-week vacation away from home.
   This is still in the planning stages (but at least we're thinking about it, right?).
   
10. Have a dinner party/crop/event at the house.
    No progress.
    
11. Make enough room in the garage to fit a new car.
    Mr. Fix-it is working on this. He found a couple of large items that will be listed on Craig's List or ebay soon.
    
12. Attend a crop.
    I was a last minute attendee at a crop in Nor Cal and had a great time. If anyone wants to join me for an overnight crop down here, let me know. 
13. Make at least six scrapbook pages for my in-laws.
    No progress.
    
14. Make at least $500 in extra money.
    Errr, I have good intentions, but haven't done much.

I'll update again when I've made more progress or in another month or so.

Happy New Year!

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Chinese New Year's eve was last week, but since the celebration lasts for two weeks, I figured I had a bit of time to decorate my office. Earlier this week, I made paper fortune cookies using these instructions. All the fortunes are somewhat work related.

They were a big hit! Several disappeared before I could take a picture so I had to make more to bring in and then get my picture.

Tips:

• I happen to have a Quickutz 4x4 die with a circle, but you could hand cut your circles.
• Lighter weight paper (but not as light as Chatterbox) worked better than heavier weight paper (Basic Grey, Creative Imagination).
• If you use heavier paper, you need extra strong adhesive to hold the cookie in place. Glue dots won't cut it.

$3.39

Compare this to previous years:

1/2/12 $3.49
1/8/10 $3.01
1/19/09 $2.09

CHA fun

I'm too tired to post the CHA day 2 photos and commentary (plus there's tons of sneak peeks out there already), but I wanted to share a few fun photos. I'm not into bling, but I did enjoy these.

And these want me to take up knitting and crocheting.

Happy Monday!

When I walked into the office this morning, I found these at my desk. I missed out on the We R Memory Keepers washi/washi tape holder last year, but that's okay because this year's tape has even better designs! A coworker kindly picked this up from the local Costco for me since I'm not a member. My goal is to limit the open rolls to what's in the holder. Let's see how long that lasts.

If I expand my collection, I'll probably go with this idea.

The peanut M&Ms were the last from a giant warehouse store bag that a coworker saved for me. I better donate to the candy fund to keep the goodies coming.

CHA Winter 2014

I had the opportunity to attend CHA this year, thanks to my LSS friend. I hadn't been to CHA for four or five years so a lot has changed. There are fewer exhibitors and companies are going for smaller booths. There are fewer make-and-takes. There are more places to sit and rest (maybe that's because they needed to fill space). That said, there is still lots to see and oohh and ahh over. My forever favorites Jillibean Soup and Bella Blvd., and new favorites like Lawn Fawn are showing, but I didn't take any pics of their booths. You can see all their new collections at their websites.

What's hot? Pages, journaling cards, and embellishments for Project Life/Life Documented are hot. There are smaller pockets for Instagram photos and DIY to customize your pocket page cards (I thought the divided pages were supposed to make scrapbooking quick and easy). A surprise to me was how many companies are showing dies. I've never seen so many companies show dies and I know of several others who aren't showing). I remember when Sizzix was the first company to make a home die cutter and when Quickutz was $149 an alphabet, just upper or lower case, not both. Mixed media and art journaling are still popular. This means stencils are hot. Washi is still hot...everyone has added washi or paper tape to their product line. Lots of enamel dots. Not as many wood veneers (but still quite a bit) or chipboard. Nor cabachon flowers or shabby chic (thank goodness for me!). Cameras and stars are still popular themes. DIY is big, whether you're a scrapbooker or other crafter.

What did I see that excited me? First up, a small company from the UK, Photomate. (I always like highlighting new companies.) This is foldable display photobooth, perfect for photographing your creations. You use the stand as is or you can add a drape. It includes a storage case, about 15x15:

Here it is in action:

Estimated price is $30. I think this would be so much easier (and save space) compared to the posterboards I've been using. They're looking for a US distributor if you're interested. I'd rather buy one here than pay for shipping from the UK.

We R Memory Keepers is offering albums for your Instagram photos. Such a cute idea!

Here's a close-up of the album:

Simple Stories has added some must-haves. Photo overlays:

Photo flips (haven't I seen these from someone else before?), great for adding another photo or more journaling.

More pocket pages, includes lots of 2x2 slots.

And DIY pieces to make your own goodies to fill those pockets.

I enjoyed testing out the Cutter Pillar Pro trimmer and saw the Fiskars 12' x12'' Rotary Ruler Combo. They didn't have it there to try, but I was able to test the 6''x24'' version. Fiskars mean this for cutting fabric, but of course, we scrapbookers are all over it. Note that this requires a cutting pad to protect your table. I need a new trimmer and am still undecided.

My favorite new-to-me company is Little B. Their website does not do their products justice. They have great paper tape and washi tape and dies.

They also have nesting circles, scallops, squares, labels, hearts, stars (~$24); birthday, travel, party, baby themes (~$15), and these phrase collections ($25), and much more.

Look at these!!!! There's the nesting scallops on the right. But what I'm most excited about are the first two. The first is a magnetic storage folder (~$6). All their dies come in same folder, but I'd like to get a few for my other dies. That thing in the middle? That's their "Perfect Positioner" ~$4. It is a slightly sticky clear mat that you stick to your cutting pad. It holds your die(s) in place and has measurements/guidelines to help you align everything. This is high on my wishlist!

Little B had an adorable make-and-take, but I didn't take a picture of mine since I didn't finish it. I didn't sit down until almost 5:00 and it was lights out before I finished.

For more CHA photos, check out the Perfect Day Scrapbooking Facebook page. She can order (almost) anything you want and ships throughout the US.

It's still Christmas

At least it is until all of the Christmas stuff is clearanced out at the stores. I couldn't help adding to my stash at 70% and 80% off. The veneers, buttons, washi tape, and journaling cards are going in my scrapbook stash. The ribbon is going in the gift wrap ribbon box (not the scrapbook ribbon boxes). The gift boxes and stickers are the only things being packed away with the Christmas stuff.

Fourteen in 2014

Goals, hate 'em.  We have "stretch goals" at work and the only stretching I want to do is at the gym. But, I will say that having those goals at work is motivating, if only because I want to get paid. Well, I can't pay myself, at least not in dollars, but maybe putting this out there for all the world to see will motivate me, if only because it would be really embarrassing to fail at all of these. So, in no particular order, here's what I hope to accomplish in 2014.

1. Write/email/call everyone on my Christmas card list since I didn't send out Christmas cards this year.
   
2. Blog more often. I have lots of dozens of photos on my camera's memory card planned for short blog posts, but somehow, they never make it on to the computer. So here's to clearing out my memory card.
   
3. Send at least one card/letter a month. You know, that old-fashioned snail mail. I don't want the USPS to go away and I know how much I enjoy receiving real mail. Hopefully, I can brighten a few someones' day.
   
4. Clean up the spare bedroom. I have big plans for it (see below), but until it is cleaned out (or half cleaned out), I can't do anything with the room.
   
5. Turn the spare bedroom into a scrap room. Now that's a biggie since that room has been used as a storage room for the past 10+ years. That's a lot of cleaning up/tossing out.
   
6. Send two boxes of cards to Operation Write Home. Making the cards isn't a problem. Sending out the box out is.
   
7. Go to the gym once a week. This may not sound like a lot (and it isn't), but my gym is by the office and I only go after work. I'm already behind this year since I didn't go this week (I'm still on vacaton) and I most likely won't go next week (health reasons).
   
8. Keep my average weight below XXX and hit the "magic number" at least once. Again, I'm off to a bad start since I can't exercise for at least another week, but hopefully, I can do some good before the end of the month. And I know that strength, endurance, and loss of inches/fat is a better measurement of health, but stepping on the scale is an easier way for me to track progress.
   
9. Take a one-week vacation away from home. Somehow, vacations have fallen by the wayside. Even long weekend away don't happen very often. I have many weeks of vacation saved up and I earn many more each year. I actually had to create a spreadsheet to make sure I took enough vacation time (we stop accruing if our vacation bank reaches a threshold).
   
10. Have a dinner party/crop/event at the house. Again, that involves cleaning/tossing/making room.
    
11.  Make enough room in the garage to fit a new car. We never replaced my car after it was totaled and we've slowly filled the empty space with stuff. Much of it came from Mr. Fix-it's dad's house after he passed away, but I think it is time to reclaim the space.
    
12. Attend a crop. I miss it sooooo much and the place I used to go for overnight crops is being sold. There are a couple of local peeps who hosts overnight crops so I may attend one of those. Anyone want to join me?
    
13. Make at least six scrapbook pages for my in-laws. I give them pages every year for Christmas. I've been slacking on the pages (only two pages last year) so there's lots to catch up on.
    
14. Make at least $500 in extra money from garage sales, Craigslist, Swagbucks, Ebates, or whatever else I can think of. This is quite the stretch goal. Less clutter, more room, more (vacation) money. A win-win-win!
    

Basically, I challenging myself to clean up the 20 years of crap that has accumulated in the house/garage. Posts specific to these goals will be labeled with "2014," in case you want to check up on me. Wish me luck! Any tips are welcomed.

Note that some links are referral links and if you sign up using them, I may earn a referral fee.

Still hungry?

Are you out and about with after-Christmas returns and sales? If so, here's something else you might want to shop for. This time of the year, I like to buy restaurant gift cards for places that I frequent because they often offer a bonus card with a purchase. Note that the bonus cards usually have restrictions or time limits. Here's a few deals that are still available:

Carls Jr. Expires 12/31/13. Buy a $20 gift card, receive a Six Dollar Thickburger
Daphnes Greek Cafe Expires 12/29/13. Buy a $30 gift card, receive a $10 bonus card valid 1/1/14 - 2/9/14
El Torito Expires 12/31/13. Buy a $25 gift card, receive a $5 bonus card valid 1/1/14 - 3/30/14
Red Robin.com Buy a $25 gift card, receive a $10 bonus card valid 1/1/14 - 2/28/14
Rubios Buy a $50, receive a $5 bonus

If you have a favorite restaurant, you can easily do a quick search online to see to they are still offering gift card deals. Some deals expired on 12/24. 

Oh Christmas Trees

We made a couple of Christmas trees to contribute to Christmas eve and Christmas day dinners. Of course, these were inspired by Pinterest. The trees are an easy way to present a small appetizer. My platter is around 10x12 inches. I used about 4 oz of pepper jack cheese, 6 oz of sharp cheddar, and less than a pint of tomatoes for each tree.

The trees I saw used grapes, but I liked the idea of a more traditional red and used cherry tomatoes instead. The tree trunk and fronds were leftover from a fennel dish we made for Christmas eve. Dill or another herb would also be a nice touch, or leave off the fronds all together. The stars were cut from lemons.

I'm dreaming of a blue Christmas

Here's the second decoration I made for my office. It is made from a old projector manual. A few years ago, our admin was determined to clear out the filing cabinets. It pained me to see all that hard work (and paper) being tossed so I "saved" as much as I could. The tree turned out to be so popular, I gave a "lunch and learn" last week and also, I gave away the tree to a lucky winner. After all, I can make another one next year.

Season's Greetings

I'm old fashioned and enjoy sending snail mail. And did I ever tell you I like matching my stamps to the season?

Jingle all the way

I decided to decorate my office, cubicle actually, for the holidays. This was the first thing I made:

I used a glass block and bells that I purchased from Hobby Lobby and ribbon that I custom printed with an Epson LabelWorks printer.

The hardest part was adding the bells to the glass block in the office. It was a little embarrassing to "jingle" as I walked in with my supplies and more embarrassing to really jingle as I poured the bells into the block. Oh well, better than me singing Christmas carols!

$3.41

Three cents more than last week, but less than this summer. Hope gas prices don't continue to rise through the holidays.

One sketch, five ways

Interested in a fun cardmaking class? Then join me for, "One sketch, five ways" at Perfect Day Scrapbooking in Huntington Beach. We'll start with a simple sketch and then make five fabulous cards, each one a different variation of the sketch.

The class is only $18 and will be held Saturday, December 14, from 10-12. Be sure to call the store at (714) 369-2862 to sign up. Bring a basic tool kit (trimmer, scissors, adhesive (wet, tape, pop dots or glue dots) and I'll supply the rest! You can also bring your favorite sentiment stamps, ink, and border punches to personalize your cards.

For more info on Perfect Day Scrapbooking, my favorite scrapbook store, check out their blog or Facebook page. They're having daily deals this month!