random reflections

Blog Challenge

Found this challenge on 2Peas tonight:

List 5-10 blogs that you read online on a consistent basis.. and also journal/write why you love these blogs so much!

Since I’ve become a regular blog reader here are the ones I read regularly. I read almost all of them for the same reasons:
inspiration for scrapbook layouts
inspiration and techniques for taking better photographs
information on new products
information on techniques
great quotes and funny stories--great for journaling ideas
book reviews (all kinds, not just scrapping)

Here are my favorite scrapping blogs:
fertile press
altogether too happy
{bits and pieces}
ali edwards
the  possibilities are endless
simply me
{me}
There are some others, as well, but these are my favorites. I have subscribed to most of them at bloglines.com so I can go to one site and see all the updates at once. It’s a real timesaver.

And then there is my daughter’s blog. She’s a seminary student, a great writer and photographer (no prejudice here). I read her blog for uplifting messages, to keep current on important issues, and to find out what’s happening in the lives of young seminarians. One of my favorite entries is “Failures of Imagination.”

Organized . . . again

I really, truly tried to resist the urge to reorganize once again but . . . when I read that Stacy Julian organized all her embellishments in shallow drawers by color, I was immediately intrigued. I resisted for over a month, but the idea stayed in the back of my mind along with her comment that having all the embellishments in one place increased her creativity. So since I already had some shallow drawer units doing other (rather insignificant) duty, I decided to give it a try. It only took one evening and I organized mine in six drawers rather than ten. I put pink and purple, green and brown, yellow and orange, and black and white together. I can already tell you that it was worth the time and effort. Stacy is right. We scrapbook by color and seeing all the embellishments you have prompts you to consider things you might never have thought of using. The only expense was the purchase of some small ziplock bags to hold the tiny embellishments. Thanks, Stacy--once again.

One Down, One to Go

It’s the end of the semester. Today I turned in 23 updated literacy profiles and 10 week plans. I have all but six report cards ready to turn in next week. Then the flurry of paperwork will die down for a while. Whew! I'm ready for some serious "me" time.

Challenges

One of my goals this year is to scrap more and keep track of the layouts and cards I make. I see people post on 2peas and they have an ongoing list of their accomplishments. I made a little Sweetwater calendar to keep track of what I accomplish as well as what I spend on scrapbooking and cardmaking.

When I saw the post on 2peas asking people to join a challenge scraplifting 4 (or more) layouts each month from the Designing With 2006 Calendar, I decided it would be a good way to motivate me to get some work done. I've already enjoyed it and have all four of my layouts done and posted for January. Posting my work in the gallery was also a goal. I've gotten involved on the message board but avoided the gallery because scanning seemed too much of a bother. I still haven't tried to scan a 12 X 12 layout, but most of mine are going to be 8.5 X 11 this year anyway.

This is my fourth January layout based on the January 1 page and Ali Edwards' Christmas layout posted on her blog. I had taken all the photographs on Thanksgiving with another layout in mind but the photos from 2peas pictures (2 X 2) were so perfect for this. It's a 12 X 12 (too many people in our family for an 8.5 X 11) and I took a photo of it rather than try to figure out the scanning and stitching. It was a fun one to do, but more tedious than I expected because I had to cut all of the squares rather than punched them. But I do like the final result. Next challenge:  How to make a photo album with the DW Challenge layouts to put on the blog? I've started the process, but it's not up yet.

What a change. . .

One day later . . .

Daffodils in January

Yep, those are daffodils--peeking out of the ground on January 13th in Rochester! It's been warm all week and today it was 63 degrees when I left work. Tracy and I walked through Highland Park in shirt sleeves. It's a rare event in western New York to have such a nice stretch of weather. Big change in the forecast for the weekend, however.

The Big Picture

I bought a copy of Stacy Julian's The Big Picture for myself and a friend for Christmas. I read it cover to cover and it really liberated me from some preconceived notions about scrapbooking. This summer I did a few 8.5 X 11 layouts which I really enjoyed doing and liked how they came out. But they seemed kind of random and most of my scrapbooking has been theme-based because I came to this hobby so late. I have 30+ years of photos to scrap. Stacy's album system (Family, Friends, Travels, etc.) just made so much sense to me. I ordered two 3-ring binders from Archivers and just love how this is all working out.

Then I found The Big Picture website and the online classes. I just finished my Cathy Z. layout:  5 Random Things About Me. Not a page I would ever have considered on my own, but one I enjoyed doing. Her audio presentation made me think about the random facts in a whole new way. This originated as a blog challenge several months ago and most of the posts were single sentences. Cathy asked us to think about writing 5 things our kids didn't know about us. That turned out to be pretty difficult since my kids know me incredibly well. I finally came up with a few they may not know at all, but certainly wouldn't come to mind quickly even if they do. Here it is:

Random Thoughts

Survived the first day back at work. My energy level was at least 10 times greater than the fifth graders in my class. Easy to tell they'd been staying up late and sleeping in, as I have been as well. It took a lot of energy to keep them going!

Thought for the day:

It's time to scrap the notion that mothers are always kind, understanding, patient, and wise. Persistence and grit should be given their due weight as maternal virtues. (From a great little book, Normal is Just a Setting on the Dryer and Other Lessons from the Real Real World)

I've found that persistence has been one of my greatest attributes. In the face of the worst maternal crises, persistence has gotten me through. Not always as gracefully as I would hope, but through nonetheless. One of my greatest gifts of 2005:  no maternal crises.

Lunch

Here we are--the girls (ladies?). Out to lunch at Bistro 135 in East Rochester. It’s so much fun to get together and we really know how to extend a lunch! Small world:  four of us have worked at the same elementary school. Our waiter went to Winslow from kindergarten through sixth grade--remembered all his teachers--most of whom have retired. Two of us are still there. Great food, good service, the luxury of time, the pleasures of a vacation.

Wedding Plans

The last two visits Sarah and Adam have finalized many details for the wedding. We had already secured the location for the reception. Sarah’s aunt is doing the flowers (lucky us!), and the church has been reserved. This month they found (after five interviews) the photographer, the cake lady, the location for the rehearsal dinner, and were able to reserve a block of rooms at the Crowne Plaza. The latter proved to be more challenging that we expected since the RIT graduation is the same weekend as their wedding. But the most challenging from their point of view was getting registered. When you don’t have much the needs of establishing a household and the variety of choices can be overwhelming. This is Adam with “THE GUN” at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. It wasn’t all drudgery as you can tell from the picture!