Labor Day is just around the corner. That means fall, cooler weather, and scrapbooking! To be fair, just about everything means scrapbooking to me, but I mean organized scrapbooking with other people. Here is my plan for productive scrapping:
Pictures! I typically work photos-first or story-first, but to me scrapbooks ain't nothin' without the pics. So it's time to get organized. First, I'm going to move the unscrapped photos from Deuce's first year and sort them into my file box. I'm satisfied that I've scrapped every event from the chronological collection, and I also want to free up the binder they're in. Then I'm going to upload and order all the event photos from last year that got lost in the mix, including those from Facebook, other people's cameras, and cell phone pics (cell pics I might just print at home). I put those into my 3-up photo binders. Any Simple Scrapbookers or Stacy Julian fans will recognize this as a loose interpretation of Stacy's Library of Memories (I have her book Photo Freedom and lurve it).
Stuff! I also love to keep the scrap in scrapbooking, but I tend to lose the scraps along the way... I found a nice box to keep scraps in, so I need to move some things from the junk pile on the desk to there. That box can also serve as inspiration when I'm in need.
Projects! Some scraps are for specific albums, for example, our California trip/BIL & SIL's wedding, and my garden notebook. I have file pockets with little tags to collect scraps, photos, layout ideas, paper, journaling and embellishments together until I get everything I want (and time to work). I need to look through my product to see if I have all I need to complete a project or should be looking for something specific.
Products! I feel pretty confident that I have most of the products I need to make the pages I want to make. But I might take some time to reset some of my organization from winter.
Ideas! My idea book has paper with sketches messily tossed in it (like, not even clipped into the binder), so I need to sort that out some. I would also like to sketch some of my fav pages to try and use some of my designs again.
Stories! My journalling books are all missing. I'm sure they're around here somewhere... the idea to keep journalling notebooks around at all times to capture thoughts an moments has not worked for me since about a year ago when implemented. Need to research online for a better solution.
Computer! I need to pick either Windows Photo Gallery or Picasa to store and tag my pictures because I'm lost. I know I organized some things in one place and other things elsewhere. I definitely like Picasa for editing, but I think I'm staying w/ Photo Gallery. I like their tags better. That said, I need to back this shiznit up. I'm screwed if this computer goes up in flames.
Destash! I'm hosting a swap in 2 weeks, so I need to go through my piles to see what I can swap with other people. I have a stack of swap stuff from when I cleaned the office - 8 months ago!! It's time to get rid of it.
In the meantime, I'm scraplifting this. No sense doing all this organization for nothing!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
We return, broken, dirty and damp
We spent the last 5 days visiting with old friends upstate where we used to live, visiting with my in-laws, and enjoying a festival that DeuceDad has participated his entire life.
Let's rehash the good before delving in to the aftermath. Deuce was so well behaved, I'm very proud of him. Our first stop was at the home of friends with a 7 week old baby. Deuce wasn't jealous at all when I held her and managed to leave their dog and 2 cats alone enough at least to not make anyone hiss or growl. Way to respect other peoples' homes! We had dinner, wine the husband makes, and rootbeer floats, and compare some of those early parenthood moments. (i.e. "Is he/she ever going to stop crying" and "I have the feeling back in my nether regions"). They love to watch Deuce run around and imagine themselves 2 years into the future!
Then the drive to the ILs, and the moment I walked in the door another BFF called and told me her baby she's pregnant with has Downs syndrome and 2 other health problems that have been identified. I spend the next 2 hours crying on the phone with her, then an hour crying while DeuceDad and I discussed (again) what we though we might feel in that situation. It's tough to know what to do as a friend (call, don't call...) but I'm going to keep calling her until she tells me to quit. Let me tell you I held Deuce tight as I could and thanked God for the gift of him.
After a crappy night's sleep, we headed to "the city" for an ill advised shopping trip. I needed one thing, but couldn't find it at the local WalMart. So I though I had to drive almost an hour to "the city." Turns out, I could have gotten this item at the Farmer's Coop. I though that was where you bought chicken feed or something, but I guess it's a real store. Live and learn.
Next day it was off for a friend's house. We wanted to go to the beach, but it was raining. She suggested we take the kids to a McDonald's PlayPlace. I had never been to one, but I was really concerned for her sanity when she said that. I respect this woman, but... really? It actually was nice. It was newly built, and was mostly a huge padded climber with a slide. The boys had a great time and we got to relax and chat. I knew she was a smart cookie!
Another day, another drive, this time to the Thousand Islands area. We sat around at our friends' boating club and watched their 3 year old and Deuce play in the sand and the water. Deuce has really picked up on how to play with other children, and I love watching it. We talked, gossiped and laughed, and had a great morning. I got to watch their 2 girls for a few minutes while they left for a wedding and their babysitter was on her way over. I never plan to have a 3YO, 2YO and 7MO at the same time - they were well behaved, but I needed to be in 2 places at once for sure.
Today we watched DeuceDad and Grandpa do their lumberjack show (sooo fun - I'll take some video next time I'm at one), ate some fair food, and jumped in the car.
After all that, I, my dog, and my possessions are the worse for wear. Deuce and DeuceDad are tired, but not visibly damaged in any way. Everything is covered in sand, horse stall funk and dampness from the humidity, and I am tired, bug bitten, pinched and sick to death of being in the car. I drove our family car a minimum of 3 hours every day, much of it on the same stretch of country road, avoiding construction and the Amish and trying to make up time.
In the mean time, 3 of the measly 4 bras I own gave up the ghost and now have wires sticking out of them, stabbing or poking me in the side. What's up with that? They get a lot of use because they each get worn twice a week (more of less, don't nitpick the math), but why did they all have to go at the same time? The one I was wearing today literally snapped in half on one side and pinched me all the way home. I probably could have pulled over on the interstate and removed it, but one more instant in the car and I would have keeled over.
I'm in recovery mode. The car is sort of unpacked, except for the floor in the backseat, which has apple juice spilled all over it and I need to psych myself up for tackling that mess. The dog bed and dog himself are washed and drying. MIL does most of the wash, so that's no sweat, but the 2 giant duffles are going to take a few minutes. And I should consider what I'm feeding my son tonight. The time is fast approaching and I'm NOT going to the grocery store. Hopefully we have cereal.
Oh, and I have no pictures because I forgot the camera. I took a couple with MIL's camera, but didn't upload anything.
So my souveniers consist of my own crap, but dirtier. And memories made with good friends.
Let's rehash the good before delving in to the aftermath. Deuce was so well behaved, I'm very proud of him. Our first stop was at the home of friends with a 7 week old baby. Deuce wasn't jealous at all when I held her and managed to leave their dog and 2 cats alone enough at least to not make anyone hiss or growl. Way to respect other peoples' homes! We had dinner, wine the husband makes, and rootbeer floats, and compare some of those early parenthood moments. (i.e. "Is he/she ever going to stop crying" and "I have the feeling back in my nether regions"). They love to watch Deuce run around and imagine themselves 2 years into the future!
Then the drive to the ILs, and the moment I walked in the door another BFF called and told me her baby she's pregnant with has Downs syndrome and 2 other health problems that have been identified. I spend the next 2 hours crying on the phone with her, then an hour crying while DeuceDad and I discussed (again) what we though we might feel in that situation. It's tough to know what to do as a friend (call, don't call...) but I'm going to keep calling her until she tells me to quit. Let me tell you I held Deuce tight as I could and thanked God for the gift of him.
After a crappy night's sleep, we headed to "the city" for an ill advised shopping trip. I needed one thing, but couldn't find it at the local WalMart. So I though I had to drive almost an hour to "the city." Turns out, I could have gotten this item at the Farmer's Coop. I though that was where you bought chicken feed or something, but I guess it's a real store. Live and learn.
Next day it was off for a friend's house. We wanted to go to the beach, but it was raining. She suggested we take the kids to a McDonald's PlayPlace. I had never been to one, but I was really concerned for her sanity when she said that. I respect this woman, but... really? It actually was nice. It was newly built, and was mostly a huge padded climber with a slide. The boys had a great time and we got to relax and chat. I knew she was a smart cookie!
Another day, another drive, this time to the Thousand Islands area. We sat around at our friends' boating club and watched their 3 year old and Deuce play in the sand and the water. Deuce has really picked up on how to play with other children, and I love watching it. We talked, gossiped and laughed, and had a great morning. I got to watch their 2 girls for a few minutes while they left for a wedding and their babysitter was on her way over. I never plan to have a 3YO, 2YO and 7MO at the same time - they were well behaved, but I needed to be in 2 places at once for sure.
Today we watched DeuceDad and Grandpa do their lumberjack show (sooo fun - I'll take some video next time I'm at one), ate some fair food, and jumped in the car.
After all that, I, my dog, and my possessions are the worse for wear. Deuce and DeuceDad are tired, but not visibly damaged in any way. Everything is covered in sand, horse stall funk and dampness from the humidity, and I am tired, bug bitten, pinched and sick to death of being in the car. I drove our family car a minimum of 3 hours every day, much of it on the same stretch of country road, avoiding construction and the Amish and trying to make up time.
In the mean time, 3 of the measly 4 bras I own gave up the ghost and now have wires sticking out of them, stabbing or poking me in the side. What's up with that? They get a lot of use because they each get worn twice a week (more of less, don't nitpick the math), but why did they all have to go at the same time? The one I was wearing today literally snapped in half on one side and pinched me all the way home. I probably could have pulled over on the interstate and removed it, but one more instant in the car and I would have keeled over.
I'm in recovery mode. The car is sort of unpacked, except for the floor in the backseat, which has apple juice spilled all over it and I need to psych myself up for tackling that mess. The dog bed and dog himself are washed and drying. MIL does most of the wash, so that's no sweat, but the 2 giant duffles are going to take a few minutes. And I should consider what I'm feeding my son tonight. The time is fast approaching and I'm NOT going to the grocery store. Hopefully we have cereal.
Oh, and I have no pictures because I forgot the camera. I took a couple with MIL's camera, but didn't upload anything.
So my souveniers consist of my own crap, but dirtier. And memories made with good friends.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
N is for New hobby
I just can't get enough knitting. I'm doing mostly small projects because there are lots of pregnant ladies in my life! This is the umbilical cord hat from Stitch 'n Bitch...
This is a little hat pattern that I found on Ravelry. I plan to make a larger one for Deuce because I like the alternating cables and ribs. He's clearly larger than the infant size modeled here...
This is a little hat pattern that I found on Ravelry. I plan to make a larger one for Deuce because I like the alternating cables and ribs. He's clearly larger than the infant size modeled here...
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