Pondering 28 Things.

So... with April's Studio Calico kit, I decided to make a mini album. I didn't really know what I was making it *about*; I just really wanted to make a mini album. Tee hee. And I wanted it to be journaling *only* because I wanted to use my journaling stamp lots and lots... and lots. Ha! (Okay, and I really wanted to use the new Studio Calico rub-ons! EEE!)

This is the front:

The inside is simple, colorful, and has spaces for journaling (thanks to the awesome stamp, a trimmer and my trusty corner rounder...) and one photo of me in my super-cool "28" shirt! ;-) So now I just need to come up with the 28 things. *sigh*

I can't believe my 28th year is almost over! It's gone by so quickly! But Jeremy says I can still say I'm 28 if I want. I can just say, "I'm 28! .... plus one (or you know, plus twelve... whatever)." Tee hee.

Otay, umm... let's see...

1. I live on PB sandwiches, quesadillas, chocolate milk, french fries and iced tea.

2. For the first time in my life, I LOVE my wardrobe!

3. I feel like a mom already... without a baby. Some day... :-D

4. Creating makes me very giddy.

5. I NEVER leave home without water or lip stuff.

6. I don't like spending a lot of time online.

7. I watch Friends, Love Actually, 50 First Dates, and You've Got Mail WAY too much. :-)

8. I need a nap every day, or my body just doesn't work.

9. I never thought I'd be childless and jobless at this age, but I'm learning to be okay with that... for now. ;-)

10. I LOVE Texas weather!

11. I listen to Christian music, Glee soundtracks, and a single playlist I made on iTunes. That's about it.

12. I can't sleep without earplugs... or Jeremy. ;-)

13. I promised myself I wouldn't choose my children's names before they were born, but I have already... tee hee.

14. People usually think I look 20.

15. I LOVE our pets (Ruby, Amber and Kissa). They make me so happy. :-)

16. I miss coaching gymnastics, but I don't want to go back. LOL.

17. My house is VERY organized.

18. I LOVE the color blue (in all shades).

19. My other favorite colors are green, peach, and yellow. And white! Does that count?

20. When I don't get to spend a lot of time with Jeremy, I get cranky. :-p

21. I can still hold a handstand.

22. I think too much. About everything.

23. I still love dolls and stuffed animals. I'd probably buy lots if Jeremy didn't stop me.

24. I talk on the phone. A lot.

25. I'm still in shock that we own a house.

26. I spend a lot of time with Elizabeth... as much as I can! :-D

27. I LOVE talking to my grandparents.

28. I want to be 28 forever.

Okay. Perhaps I'll change a few, but for now, this looks good to me. :-) Now I'll have to write them in my mini, so I can post inside pics. Yay. :-)

Have you made *your* list this year? :-D

Finding (and Creating) the Perfect Nightstand.

So when we bought our house, we bought a new bed (before we even moved in, and we put it on hold at the store)...
because... well, we hadn't slept on a bed (our mattress was on the floor) since 2005. And now that we actually had *room* for a bed (YAY!), I wanted my dream bed: King sized, four-poster, canopy bed... in white. :-) Thankfully, Jeremy was totally stoked on it as much as I was! Hee!

And then since I had the perfect bed, I needed the perfect nightstand to match our perfect quilt (both sides A and B)...
And I just didn't want any ole nightstand! I wanted one drawer (preferably two) AND a shelf on the bottom. AND it had to have character. And be cute too. :-) I looked EVERYWHERE: Online, thrift stores, furniture stores, antique stores, flea markets, Craigslist. I didn't find one I loved. And even ones that I sorta liked were out of my price range (under $100, which I think is reasonable).

So one day, I'm driving home from work. I turn on to my street (my old street of the apartment, not the new street of the house), and I see this beautiful and perfectly fabulous (with potential, of course) nightstand laying on the side of the road...

My reflexes couldn't have been faster! I pulled over, hopped out, threw it in the back, and drove away. Tee hee.

But as I'm driving, I'm thinking, "Holy crap! I just threw something... that I found on the side of the road, no less... in the back of my car and drove off like a lunatic like I was robbing a bank! It could have a bomb! Or... or... a freaky animal! Or poisonous spiders! Or drugs!" I floored it back to the apartment... petrified that it could be one... or all... of those things.

I was probably trembling as I slowly and cautiously opened the top drawer...

Turns out, it *did* have something horrible in it. Well, something naughty (at least, in my eyes). I'm guessing someone's girlfriend got pissed that her boyfriend had naughty stuff, so took matters into her own hands... or something. Tee hee. I packed up all that... umm... adult stuff... and put it in a black trash bag and promptly threw it in my dumpster. HA! Take that, Naked Ladies! :-p

Then I got to work! First, I primed it...


Then I painted it with leftover paint from my closet renovation (Green Wisp by Benjamin Moore). Then I got two knobs from Anthropologie (would you believe some of their knobs are cheaper than Home Depot?!?!), and oh my, every time I walk in our room and see this, I'm totally stoked that it's mine! :-D

It's greener in real life. Huh. Strange. Ah well. You can click on it to make it larger. :-)

The box on top is an altered project I did a few months ago (it's for trash). The boxes on the shelf are boxes I altered (with Basic Grey Sweet Pea papers from LONG ago). The frame was Christmas gift from my in-laws. And the lamp I bought in Rhode Island at an antique store, but it's not an antique! LOL. And I'm actually going to move that lamp into the guest room, I think, and we'll get swing-arm lamps instead... maybe.

For our next renovation/DIY project, we're painting and making over hubby's grandparents' old China cabinet:



Stay tuned for that! I bought the new hardware today, and we just need to finish painting! EEEE! I LOVE projects! :-D

Creating. Mmm... Creating is Therapy.

This month's Studio Calico kit?

Is GORGEOUS. It just may be pure perfection in a box. I'm just sayin... ;-)

Thank goodness this kit is all cozy and warm like a blanket. I'm not gonna lie... since quitting my job, I've been kinda down about it. But trying not to get *too* down, so on with creating! :-D

I had so much fun making this layout! I used the negative of the October Afternoon journaling cards, and I was totally inspired by Paige to bust out my VersaMark ink pad that I haven't used in ages!

I love that this design left open THREE spots for my journaling. I just really had a lot to say. And I when people see this photo and layout, I want them to know what I think of when I see this photo of myself, my mom and both my grandmothers. And that's exactly what I wrote down. :-)





Tomorrow, I'll show my Before & After shots of my awesome Nightstand Makeover! You won't wanna miss it!

p.s. Products used on this layout...
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics
Patterned Papers: October Afternoon, Studio Calico
Flowers: American Crafts, K&Company
Buttons/Stamps/Baker's Twine: Studio Calico
Chipboard Cloud: Buzz & Bloom
Alphabets: Making Memories, October Afternoon
Kit: Studio Calico
Stamping Ink: VersaMark
Pen: Copic

Sharing a Journaling Challenge!

(Papers/Thickers: American Crafts, Bee: hand-drawn, Markers/Pens: Copic,
Baker's Twine: Studio Calico, Photo Label Punch: EK Success)

A new challenge is up over at Journal Challenges! Yay! This one is really fun... Humour! Or "Humor" if you live in the States, which I do, but using the "ou" is just so much fun! :-)

Here's my journaling:

Jeremy: I’m a bee! I’m a bee! I’m a - I’m a - I’m a bee!

Me: You’re a BEE?!

Jeremy: No... I’m a bee! It’s a song by the Black Eyed Peas!

Me: Hmmm... Why are the Black Eyed Peas singing about being bees?

Jeremy (laughing at me): No, they’re not singing about being bees.
They’re singing, “Imma be,” as in, “I’m gonna be...” Get it?

Me: Oh. Okay. Huh. I’ve never heard that song.

Jeremy: No? Imma be! Imma be! Imma - Imma - Imma be!

Me: I guess I need to get out more. :-)

Okay, that's all for today. I'm really busy cleaning and organizing and decorating and just enjoying all my new-found time! :-D

Altering Is SO Fun!

*sigh*

I love to alter stuff. LOVE it. I haven't done it in a while, but now, I'm totally in the *altering mood*! :-D

I got this box at a thrift store... I'm pretty sure it was $0.79 (that's what the price-tag on the bottom said... LOL.) It was totally falling apart, and honestly, I can't believe I didn't alter it sooner. I think it's because the original color/design matched my former blue, shabby chic scrap room. And the fact that it was falling apart was just driving me NUTS! I couldn't take it anymore...


And it was VERY hard for me to cover up this cute old woman's writing:

I mean, how cute is that?! She kept her long nylons in here! ;-) I figured a photo would suffice because I REALLY wanted it to be adorned with October Afternoon paper. :-D

And the after shots...

(Paper: October Afternoon, FabRips: Studio Calico, Flower: Creative Imaginations, Brad: Pink Paislee)

Yummy. :-) Pure blue, green and white loveliness.

I've said it before, but Studio Calico FabRips are PERFECT for altering stuff! Seriously! I've used those for this box, a canister, a journal, scrap pages.... probably something else too, and I LOVE them.

I keep cards I make in this box. They collect in there until I have a big stack to send to my mother-in-law. She loves cards. :-) There are also a few in there that *I* need to send out... LOL.

More altering to come... ;-) Thanks for stopping by!

Leaving Something (Special) Behind.

I quit my job yesterday.

It's bittersweet, really.

Those of you who know me know that I LOVED my job. LOVED it. It was so perfect for me, and every time I was there, it felt like Christmas. Christmas for two years. LOL. I'd be having a bad morning/afternoon, and my mom would say to me, "Don't worry! You'll get to work and feel MUCH better! And when you get off work today, you'll be in a MUCH better mood." And you know, I knew she was right... every.single.time. Not many people can say that about their jobs. I absolutely LOVED being there.

I hate to say it, but I quit for "health reasons." I just couldn't handle them counting on me anymore... knowing that I might be too sick to work. And I found myself resting during every hour I *wasn't* at work, preparing myself for the next shift, so that I could give 150%: my perky, positive, upbeat self. That's not a life, and this *will* be a good thing. It will be. It's the best for me. For us. And I just have to keep telling myself that when I'm missing work.

It's okay though! Jeremy (hubby) has been encouraging me to do this for MONTHS now. We want to have a baby, I want to be a stay-at-home Mom, I want to homeschool, I want to go to church on Sundays, I want to spend more time with Jeremy, we want to travel more, and I want to open an Etsy shop (EEEEEE!). And I want to take care of my husband: cooking, cleaning, doing errands, etc. I *enjoy* that. And I can still go back and visit my awesome co-workers.

And I can still help people organize outside of work, right?!

So yeah... if you have ANY organizational dilemmas (scrappy or otherwise), please don't hesitate to drop me an email or post. I would LOVE to help you. I actually think I'll do a "series" of organizational videos on YouTube. And now, I have plenty of time on my hands to rest, be well, and help people out with organizing!

Thanks for listening to me babble. I just needed to vent about it.

*sigh*

I feel better.

p.s. I don't usually copy and paste blog posts, but this was actually a forum post I wrote. It said everything I needed to say, everything I'm feeling, so I decided to post it here too... so I could look back and remember.

Talking? No, thank you.

I'm taking a vow of silence. Okay, not really. But kinda...

Let the vocal rest commence.

So... I've been on vocal rest for the past... umm... okay, only 90 minutes. But guess what?! I already am feeling better!

The doctor now thinks my breathing problems are stemming from dysfunctional vocal cords (not letting me breathe properly) and causing my cough to be worse (and why I can't stay well for more than a few months). She said that if I give my voice a rest, she thinks I'll feel MUCH better.

Now, for those of you who know me, this is no easy feat. ;-) But darn it, coughing so much has given me too much pain and stuff, so I'm willing to try ANYTHING! Bad news though... if this *does* end up helping, it means I'll have to take *more* vocal rests in the future. *sigh*

Well, you know... maybe it's God's way of telling me to finally be quiet! ;-) Or maybe this really is a sign that I need to become a sign language interpreter (something that I've really been wanting to do for the past 12 years)... ;-)

Or maybe, I just need a break...

Thanks for listening to me ramble! Please let me know if you stopped by... being online is my only method of communication right now! :-D

Sharing My Purse Contents!

Well, I'm still sick. But I went to the doctor, and it turns out I have Ulcerative Pharyngitis (Read: ulcers in the back of my mouth). OUCH! I was going to post a photo, but then I was like, "Ew. Nobody wants to see grossness." So you can Google it if you're curious. LOL. :-p

So since I'm just lounging around in my pajamas, I thought I'd take a photo of what's in my purse. I'd seen a bunch of people do this, and I was intrigued. And then Paige did it, and I was very inspired. So here it is...


1. My Russell & Hazel day planner. Love, LOVE this planner! It's 3-ring, so I can add or take away anything. I love that I can add note paper and a calendar and room for phone numbers and other cool stuff. I also added a pen loop (from The Container Store) to the inside, so it doesn't stick out. :-)

2. My Vera Bradley All-In-One Wristlet wallet (shown here in Hope Garden). The front holds my driver's license and debit card. The back has a pouch for my cell phone. It zippers open for card slots and a coin pouch. It's the best wallet ever because I can just grab it and hook my keys to the loop if I want to leave my purse in the car!

3. Eco-Lips - Mint. I'm not going to call it Chapstick because technically, it's made by Eco-Lips. :-p This cute little sleeve stays attached to my wallet, so I have it with me AT.ALL.TIMES. :-D (Note: I, technically, edited the contents of my purse. There were THREE other lip moisturizers in there! LOL! One can never have enough, I suppose.)

4. Water Bottle. I HAVE to have one. HAVE TO. ALWAYS. It's either Reduce or Nalgene. I never leave home without water.

5. Cell Phone. It's small. And almost 2 years old. I don't have a smart phone. I don't need one. I like this one for three reasons: 1. It's small. 2. It's blue. 3. It's Samsung. I heart Samsung phones. :-)

6. Throat drops. I'm addicted to Sugar-Free Halls throat drops. Really. I've talked to my dentist and doctor about this, and they're just fine with it as long as they're sugar-free. Tee hee. :-p

7. My ID card to The Container Store.

8. My inhaler. Just in cases. ;-) (If you think I added that "s" on accident, you would be wrong. See this movie if you don't know what I'm talking about. :-)

9. A cereal bar. Umm... I always need a snack, and gluten-free cereal bars are SO easy to just throw in my purse! It's ALWAYS changing. There are so many out there, and I like to mix it up!

10. Mints. Never gum. Ew. I hate gum. But I love these mints. Ice Breakers Sugar-Free Wintergreen. Yum. I also LOVE Wintergreen Tic-Tacs! (I also keep a pack of mints in my apron at work... LOL.)

11. Sunglasses. My pupils are always dilated, so I have to wear sunglasses all the time. Sometimes, I even have to wear them inside. So silly, I know. :-p

p.s. Most times, I also have this little reusable bag in there. It wasn't in there today because I just used it, and I haven't emptied it yet. Tee hee. Sometimes I'll throw my camera into my purse too! And sometimes, I will leave my planner at home... on purpose. ;-)

And that's all. I have a separate purse when I go to work. My purse I bring to work is large enough to hold a 32 oz. water bottle, plus my lunch and other necessities when I'm gone from the house for a while. That's a post for another day. It's RIDICULOUS how much stuff I carry in there. But I like to be prepared!

And what's in YOUR purse?! :-D

Suffering.

I'm a sickie.

Jeremy was sick for two weeks. I was shocked I hadn't caught it. Turns out, it was just waiting for my parents to arrive. Hmph.

Ah well. At least I was well for the first half of their visit. :-) They're on their way back to Colorado now. We had a great time. The time flew by much too quickly.

And now, I'm going back to bed. And I'll probably go to the doctor today. I think I may need some anti-biotics.

Being sick... is ew. But as Jeremy says...

"It's great being sick! I like it! It makes you appreciate how good you feel when you're not sick!"

We're meant to be. :-)