Unexpected Destination

Happy Day-After-National-Scrapboooking-Day Day!

Yesterday morning, I got up before 6 and was by myself for almost 3 hours! When Joshua came down, he said, "Oh,Yeah! It's that big scrapbooking holiday, isn't it?" Yep! I was able to log on for Paula's 8am chat and Kellie 9am at Designer Digitals and I got all my links and stuff ready for my chat at 7pm. Isaac slept WAY-LATE, and then he and I went to see Nim's Island with Lily's family, Rahoul, Tess. Very fun. I knew nothing about the movie and somehow had it confused with Secret of Nimh and thought it was going to be a cartoon about  Medieval Squirrels. NOPE! It rocked. Loved Jodie Foster. Loved the whole movie. And we went to Bugaboo Creek --- and at one point  Imentioned NSD and Elaine said very kindly, "This is killing you isn't it?" Actually it wasn't but I was anxious to get to the party. And then we picked up Rubber Soul for Joshua to take to a sleepover as a gift and got Joshua to his sleepover and finally got in bed with my laptop for an evening at Designer Digitals on NSD. I really enjoyed my chat. And here's a page a I worked on way too late.


I'm really exhausted this weekend, but planning to hit the ground running early tomorrow. Really! I updated my Photo-A-Day (almost) blog for April. That was one whopper of a month with two major school plays, 1 field trip, 1 school party, several big school projects, Joshua's birthday, Passover, and a trip to Marlborough. I cleaned the two decks and the screened porch and set up all the furniture AND I moved furniture all over downstairs. AND! I totally created my own website from scratch and launched and promoted it and started my first class there AND my book came out. That's my excuse for being so tired and I'm sticking to it.

Cattle Crossing

I scanned these photos and many other older photos when I was preparing the materials for my Scrap Yourself workshop -- thinking they'd work well for the Origins session.

{{DIGRESSION I goofed off today. Got a lot of housework done yesterday (parted ways with my housecleaner over a month ago), and it's been a busy month and I'm really tired (I know many of us are --- and I *am* feeling really defensive about this). But . . .once I got the boys off  . . . . I got back in bed with my laptop. And I stayed there til 2:45 when I quickly showered and did a little more pick up. When Neil came home, he made a fire, and as soon as I got everyone fed, I settled next to the fire with my laptop. In my defense, I've worked many hours a day for many, many weeks. And Neil thought it was a good idea. When Joshua came home, and I told him, he said, "Good for you. You needed it." }}

So ... .long way of getting to posting this page. One of two I did today. (For all my talk of "Getting It Scrapped" I am often known to spend several hours on a page). So here's Cattle Crossing (supplies here). I like this page.

Oh! There's nothing like a sale weekend at Designer Digitals

to get me inspired and scrapping. The coupon (30% off --- which you can combine with the Thrifty Thursday discount) is already in the gallery header! I'm hosting a chat on Saturday night at 7 -- on multi-photo pages! Here's the chat schedule. Freebies and prizes every hour!

The designers have been cranking out new product that will be rolled out over the weekend. "Tea" uses a new kit from Kellie Mize called "Fresh Linens" (available on Sunday) and the papers and embellies on "That's Our Boy" are from a recent release by Andrea Victoria called "Mod Bebe Boy." Click on layout titles above for full supply lists --- complete with links to the item in the store.

Create My Keepsake is an Iscrap sponsor this month

and here's a layout I did with the May kit. And here's a link to Create My Keepsake. Still have a bunch of goodies in it for a couple more pages. This one will be part of tomorrow's Scrap Your Events class --- we're talking about holidays and I'm doing a few new pages to illustrate the points in each session.

Lots of great chat going on at my website

Class starts tomorrow and the designers (Shaunte, Sharyn, Erin, Amber & Paula) are participating in a fun q&a that will culminate in a drawing for a copy of my book, Get It Scrapped, and the SEI Jolie Chocolate paper pack. COME ON OVER!

He liked it

Neil, that is, liked the rooster very much. And, Mollie---you suggested the naming thing, as did Isaac, so we're working on it. Last night in the hotel room with my mama and my boys sleeping, I scrapped these photos immediately. I used Studio 70 Kit by Lynn Grieveson --- and what I think is cool is that she's from New Zealand and the tin in the rooster is from New Zealand, and it's like the kit was made for the photos.

Scrap Your Events starts on Tuesday and there's lots of action in the "welcome" forum for the class as well as in the General Forums. Check out the fun Q&A with class designers HERE --- there are links to their bios & blogs in case you need help coming up with a question (because there are prizes involved).

And there are five students so far for whom this is their FIRST ONLINE CLASS EVER!!!

(links to layout supplies at Designer Digitals)

Hey, Honey! Look what I bought!

Didn't plan on travelling today and certainly didn't plan on buying a rooster made of tin from New Zealand. Must be spring fever. Hope you're enjoying some "quiet time."

a Passover page

full journaling and links to supplies are at designer digitals

Need to get in the party mood

'Cause we haven't thrown one for Joshua yet ---- and actually a big reason is that he was so busy this month he didn't want to think about it til things slowed down (he really enjoys the thinking about it). So here's a page about our parties past.

hurryhurryhurryhurryhurry --- it makes the world go round

4 days of housecleaning and cooking and a fabulous evening --- and I will post photos --- and now I'm catching up....

boys are home this week --- Isaac doing a.m. camp, and I'm playing CATCH-UP while trying to show all of my boys how much I care!!!

I keep my to-do list on backpackit --- and I'm keeping it open in a window all the time . . . check . . . check . . .check . . .

Pa Primary today :-|}? !

the gallery at my new website is very very very awesome . . . check out the layouts today in the public gallery

have you seen my new website!?

photoshopping sketches . . . sketches . . sketches . .. 'cause I provide 4 for each of the 10 classes in the workshop Scrap Your Events starting next Tues AND the designers are waiting for me to get them done and match them up to class material so they can inspire! AND I need to get the "getting ready" document done because the forums are opening up the day after tomorrow for a little
"orientation."

and . . . it's the Pa Primary today :-|}?

the designers are: Sharyn Tormanen, Paula Gilarde, Shaunte Wadley, Erin Campbell Pope, Amber Ries --- linked under blogs in far right column

wrote my Sept/Oct Take 2 column for MM today---very happy that Doris Sander did the layout for it :)

my book is shipping . . . and there are giveaways at my new website AND at My Craftivity and you can see a bit inside of the book at IdeaBooks4U.com

and have you seen My Craftivity? --- 'cause right there in the banner on the Scrapbooking & Papercrafts homepage is a piece of a layout by Betsy Veldman that's in my book!

and . . . . . mywebsite has new smilies AND a blinkie! check it out here

and the boys are moving up to bigger bikes --- Joshua to one of Neil's and Isaac, thus, to Joshua's. Helped Isaac this after noon try some field biking and he's trying to figure out the whole gear thing. He got hot and tired and wanted to come home and watch Mary Poppins, to which I said, "sure" and I finally got it going---he watched til the kids were returned home by the police the first time and said, "I want to watch the movie but I want to ride my bike, too."

I believe I mentioned that . . . the PA Democratic Primary is today. Feeling anxious about it. When I'm not dozing as I type :)

The day before our Seder

We're hosting our seder on the second night of Passover, which means all three of our very favorite "mixed" marriage families will be here tomorrow. I spent Thursday and Friday "shining the shanty." I love saying that the way Sharyn does :) Today was the first day of cooking and this is what things were looking like at 9pm. Brisket and onion sauce done (for today). Vegetable broth and matzo balls done! Eggs hardboiled and sliced. Charoset done. Leeks and carrots chopped and ready for the fish croquettes. Dressing for fish done. And Joshua even made a garlic "bread" recipe he found -- It's a flat kind of thing. I'm really tired. And anxious about other things that aren't getting done. But . . . at about 4:30 both the boys joined me and spent several hours helping, singing Passover songs, and just being generally good company --- which is exactly why I, the non-Jew in the family, am committed to hosting this holiday.

So . . . the brisket ROCKS . . .here's a link to the recipe. Can't wait to see how it tastes after sitting a day. And the matzo balls seemed to go really quickly and easily this year. Joshua thinks it might be because he and Isaac are great helps ---- Joshua has become especially competent this year after two quarters in life skills focusing on food and wellness. We always use the vegetarian broth and accompanying matzo ball recipe in Let My People Eat.

Oh, how I wish I had the energy to scrap right now. There are so many great new products at Designer Digitals. I do have a page from Joshua's field trip on Friday almost done --- I used speed byte #102 by Pattie Knox --- hope to get up early and post it tomorrow morning.

I started moving furniture before . . .

I found out I needed to go on a field trip this morning AND that Isaac and I would be making an album for Ms. Seddon last night. I even emptied the china cabinet. There are dishes and papers and pantry contents (we don't have a pantry yet, but Neil's new bike almost built ;-) ) all over. The album looks good. I'd wanted to go on the rocket-launching outing, but didn't think I had time -- seems I do.

How cool is this?

Just this morning I posted a page in the IdeaBook4U Inspiration gallery based on the book Scraptastic by Ashley Calder --- go check it out along with some others HERE--and then Jill Hogan-the owner of IdeasBooks4U-just emailed me that "Get It Scrapped" has arrived and it's going on her website today :) Makes me happy. Go look at the blog I linked above and how Jill presents ideabooks and helps you see new ways to use them and then check out the store. She has a fabulous assortment of books.

Rumor has it . . . .

that Amazon is shipping GET IT SCRAPPED! That's the buzz on the forums at www.debbiehodge.com :)

Other news: Joshua got a 97 on his Social Studies exam!!! (that one I spent 2+ hours helping him study for) Last night I helped him with a heap 'o homework --- and he came home and said it turns out it's not due til Friday. Tonight I helped him with another big stack of homework ---- and missed the first 40 mins of the Democratic candidates' debate --- and then when it was done, he figured out that it's not due until . . . you got it: Friday. While we were working on it, Joshua said, "I like having a Mom." I said, "I like having a son."  Then he said, "I like having a watch, too." He got one for his birthday. Quite the moving moment being categorized with a watch. . . . though . . . he really does like that watch.

I winnowed down almost 800 photos from Isaac's rehearsal and performance to 200 (I was taking photos for the music teacher) and I cropped them and I photoshopped them --- all day long. Done. I used actions from The Pioneer Woman and they greatly eased the process. Here's a peek. Will post more soon. As well as some shots from Joshua's birthday yesterday. We had Jello cake!!! Isaac is in the middle of the first shot (dancing the Spanish Panic) and the middle of the last (singing a love song with the Sir Harrys from Act 1 and Act 2).

We went to see our friend Lily perform in a revue tonight. During a group performance, the singers paired up. There was a very little boy dressed up to sing "76 Trombones" and no one was taking his hand and he was standing alone and he announced: "I LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT!" It was hilarious. He was so pleased with the crowd's response he said it a few more times. When Lily came off the stage, she said to Isaac, "Sorry I had to put you through that." We actually enjoyed the evening throughly.

So . . . if you've been wondering when on earth I'm going to get whatever it is I owe you to you . . . I'll be emailing you tomorrow. Family life and work life have been busy. And I don't have a housecleaner any more (yeah, I know, many people don't, but it's been my splurge and this week I could really use it) AND . . . we're hosting a Passover Seder this weekend. I have not even planned the menu, but I know it includes brisket & matzo ball soup and that Robin and Patty are helping me and it'll be great! (Oh, and Neil hasn't finished our pantry yet and we still have food all over the dining area so we need to figure something out about that).

art-y pages

Little Daisy Scrapbooking is the April sponsor at WeScrap (or is it Iscrap?) this month and here are a couple of pages I did with the kit --- all from the Love Elsie/Zoe line.

my favorite new kit in the Designer Digitals store

and there's a lot of other stuff to love, too. This page was done with Lynn Grieveson's new Studio 70 kit. Click here for journaling and links to supplies. I also used one of Anna Aspnes' products (FotoBlendz 4) to get the effect with the focal photo. They're real easy to use-- layer them beneath your photo and "clip" the two layers together (ctrl alt g in PS CS).

Friday Morning

Woke with geography of Africa going through my mind: Gambia, Senegal, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cape Verde Islands, Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, Niger . . .  I'm seeing their shapes and positions. And then onto the capitals. Not sure how many I'm remembering right: Togo-Lome, Cape Verde-Praia?, Ghana-Accra, Uganda-Kampala, Kenya-Nairobi, Rwanda-Kigali, Burundi-?, Ethiopia-Addis Abbaba. All this because last night, as he got ready to do his homework, Joshua said that he was going to do really badly in his Social Studies test the next day. WHAT? I am the queen of study skills and  am here to show you how to do a lotta memorization in a little time . . . well maybe not a little time, but we went from almost clueless to very competent. The math didn't get done, though. Priorities in 6th grade? Guess So.

Sharyn blogged about the book this morning!!!! Check out the great photo of her mom reading the advance copy that Eileen Aber at Memory Makers Books found and got out to her. Thanks, Eileen!

Did you see my new website? Few bugs at the beginning of the week. Many thanks to Terry for helping me iron those out. I'm giving away a copy of my book each week through April and May. Go on over and find out how to win one---and get on my mailing list.

Squirt GUNS!!!!! And I was in here setting up my mailchimp and my google adwords instead of out there getting more photos. But I'm not working this summer. . . .

Off to see Isaac in a dress rehearsal of Once Upon a Mattress. Isaac is Sir Harry in cast C. I think he wants me there --- I need to find out what some of those songs are so we can sing them around the house. He and four others are singing a song with stuff about love . . . . . Mrs. Felber said she thought the kids were going to mutiny on her. She had to keep saying: "I know you're kids and you're not in love. It's a play."

Busy week coming up: Isaac has more rehearsal and then the performance, Joshua's BIRTHDAY!!!, Passover Seder (always gets me a little stressed) with Lents and Cohens and hopfully the Durochers!

Tectonic Plates are only a theory

aka So That's What Happened to Atlantis!

aka I Don't Think this is how 6th Grade Girls would approach a Group Project

Ah, the group project! That chance to work with others, to see leaders emerge, to learn cooperation, to produce a thing of . . . interest?

I will say they've been working hard. Last Sunday, with Aidan's Dad they built and painted the base and paper-mache'd a beach ball. Last Monday (teacher work day) with Logan's Mom they did a "prototype" of the core and discovered that cream of tarter is essential to the playdough recipe. This Saturday, it was my turn to host. All parents felt it would be good if the boys could bring this project to an end. At one point, I said, "Whose house are you guys going to tomorrow?" and Logan said, "Oh, That's just cruel!" I spent my time fetching sharpies, paint, food . . . . . . and saying, "who is doing what right now?"

So . . . after a couple of false starts and re-gessoing, the plates were drawn, painted and labeled. There was a lot of concern about getting them right, but it wasn't going perfectly and that's when one of the boys reminded the others that "tectonic plates are only a THEORY!" Oh, yeah! So there is no *right.* OK. Good enough.

A good batch of playdough was produced. The core was rendered in cardboard. The earth was stuffed with bags and newpapers and the core was . . . somewhat anchored. And then they began on all the extras . . . a little laptop action, some clay, some index cards . . . . and . . . it had been 4.5 hours and I just had to SEND THEM OUTSIDE to wait for their rides!!! They'll be back Monday after school to create those finishing touches. Nice boys -- prone to running around, flinging stuff, goofing off, and yet concerned with getting it done.

a layout @ a boy who loves costumes

full journaling and supplies here. I really don't like it when Friday rolls around and that list I so optimistically opened at the beginning of the week doesn't have much checked off --- lots of starts and stops but no finishes and new stuff added. and I'm too tired to figure out why my bridge between phpbb and coppermine isn't working tonight so I thought I'd scrap a happy page before I went to bed --- even though it's not on my list. :)

Photos from Aladdin

Joshua's the guy in raggy pants at the beginning and the silver turban by the end. The play was really wonderful. Every kid on the stage really rose to the occasion and performed well. A huge thanks to Mr. Ervin and Mr. Nasberg.

There are a lot of parents and kids as stressed as we've been this week-- Joshua went in today with still lots of work to wrap up.  Apparently the LA teacher said the draft due tomorrow was more important than the play and it better be done. Why does it have to be about what's more important? Wouldn't it be nice if the teachers coordinated things and supported each others' curriculums? Tomorrow is another group project meeting! At our house! Can you tell how excited I am to have 3 boys paint and make self-hardening playdoh and  . . . whatever it is they need to do at our house? Apparently there was an onion-flake incident at the Aldrich's and something ate through snow. . . .

If I'm feeling a little stressed . . .

imagine how Joshua's feeling --- that's right, I"m waking up worrying about how and when he's going to get all of his end-of-quarter projects finished up while working on the music class production of Aladdin--in which he *is* Aladdin. Yep. When I type it here it sounds silly. He's been pressed all this year to work more and better and to manage things well, and now this week seems to be even more than before.  And he's sick. And he's plugging away and it'll all be fine. Tonight he's a back-up singer/dancer to another team's performance and then tomorrow night is his performance and in between, he met over the weekend 2x with his science team to make a geological model of the earth (like straight out of an Arthur episode :) , and he's also working on a blog page about Ancient Egypt, a story about bullying, and constructing an archamedian solid (don't know if I spelled that right). I guess I'm thinking about this a lot because it's a turning point in his young years in which he's really becoming more responsible and more independent and I want it to go well and him to feel good about it, 'cause . . . . that's life!

And on my end, I've spent the last couple of weeks learning about html and cascading style sheets and squarespace and domains and forums and galleries and bridging software. And it's mostly fun and interesting (got to be glad for those years spent programming in my 20s) and I almost have everything working. You can check it all out at www.debbiehodge.com I'm going to teach my first class at the site starting April 29 - a redux of Scrap Your Events, but with new sketches and new designers and a little tweaking. Also in preparation for the release of my book (got the advance copy in my hands !) I'm going to be doing some giveaways that will require a little uploading of layouts into the gallery. I guess I want you to let me know if you see anything klunking over there and I'd love it if you'd get on my email list so I can tell you about book giveaways --- and class pass giveaways which I"ll do with Scrapscene.

Other news: I"m going to Florida with Elaine and Jill soon!!! Every group of friends needs that friend who makes things happens, who often functions as the oil and that's Elaine in this instance. She was so determined to go to Fl and she was calling us about dates and we said "sure, sure" not really understanding it was soon and for real and then Elaine told me to bring my laptop to coffee and she wanted us to all buy our flight tickets right then and there. Jill & I were immediately . . . ummmmm . . . not ready. And Bev said she was saving her $ and hours away from home for Uganda (thanks, Bev!) But over the course of the next week we came around to Elaine's side. And, yes, the ticket prices did go up a bit, but we just weren't ready! In this photo, I believe Elaine is saying something about us being the "biggest old stick-in-the-muds . . " And it was Jill's birthday :) And actually the funniest thing about this photo is that Elaine has only recently learned how to surf the net and use email ---- though she's already backing off of email --- and here she was taking charge :)

And I'll end with a page I did the another night while waiting for Joshua at play practice. All supplies are designer digitals and you can see links to them here.

Designer Digitals is celebrating birthday #3

and doing it in style. Click HERE to get the details including:
- link to freebie gallery where there's a new freebie each day (for one day only before it goes into the store)
- coupon for 15% off storewide
- info about Katie and Randy's chats and more

If you haven't spent any time at Designer Digitals, here's some stuff that's worth knowing. Katie and the other designers are awesome. EVERY Sunday, there are A LOT of new products and they are not just new products to fill the store. They're fabulous. And every Sunday, two of those new products are $.25 for a day. The gallery is full of very fine inspiration. Paper and digi scrappers can both get lost there. The forum is really great too. Got a question--get fast answers. Just want to yak. The people are nice!

Here's today's freebie:

A digi page from the fall

in celebration of DD's 3rd birthday. see next post for details. and here's a link to supplies. The word art is from a set of overlays by Anna Aspnes.
 

mosey on over

to www.debbiehodge.com and get on my email list (over to the right) if you'd like to know when my classes are running AND when I'm giving away class passes AND when I'm giving away copies of my book ---- the advance copy of which came last week :)

I did this page for today's "Scrap Yourself" class. All about my love of dishes.

Several of the class participants have put pages from the class on their blogs. Check them out (and if you're in the class and have a blog and I missed it, let me know).

http://creatingwithcandace.blogspot.com/
http://laineysalteredego.typepad.com/
http://www.stampingrooster.typepad.com/
http://creativecricket.blogspot.com/
http://lanamphone.blogspot.com/

Even though I love winter . . .

there was something about cuddling up with sick boy yesterday while the sun poured in on us that made me finally get a little itchy for spring. My kids love to find craft project templates and instructions online and I decided to try this out for myself. I'm not good at projects -- I have a hard time envisioning them.

Enter the Scrapping Spring Ebook from Scrapscene.com (it's $14.99). I'm liking how the projects have a funky-vintage look, something bordering on primitive decor but then using motifs that are trendy right now, like cupcakes and birds. Anyway I've downloaded the book and I'm going to try the Cupcake Canvas first --- it reminds me of the framed fabric pieces at a local store Just the Thing. Then next one of the bird projects. Also, I LOVE the vintage jewery flowers -- makes me want to hit the antique shops in Northwood.

Catch Up

When I'm writing a new class, I don't get much else done -- Sun, Tues, and Thursdays are late-nighters usually finishing up the text and getting a layout started. Then Mon, Weds, Fri are very early mornings (5-ish) as I finish a layout, proof the class, make the pdf and get it uploaded. Just two more to write for "Scrap Yourself" and then the gallery is open for another month --- all of us are feeling like three classes a week was just too much for these subjects, which have required searching for photos, memorabilia, and sometimes writing extensive journaling.  Anything I could say about the class would sound corny and, in fact, several of us have apologized for saying cliches about the class --- which is very moving. I have a whole new appreciation for the trajectory of any and every life.

Isaac's sick with the flu today and he's been in our bed all day while I've been nearby.  I don't think any of us have ever had the flu before, but he's got a fever, pains in his eyes, achey everywhere, so I'm thinking that's it. I took the chance to clean up my office and scan a few of the layouts I made while I was at Scrapbowl in Virginia last month. So . . . here are a few of them. Viva La 2003! And now I need to change those sheets so Neil doesn't get sick --- esp since he's just come off of prednisone. He went in for a catscan today in the ongoing search to figure out what's going on with him. Oh . . . and he's shopping for a new chair. {{please, please let him make the decision soon ;-) --- Neil likes to make optimal purchasing decisions and I just want him to get whatever he likes, and this has been going on since we bought our first crib }}

Revisiting my 20s

I dug through a lot of old stuff the other night for the "Scrap Yourself" session on work. Here's a layout from my years at Touche Ross in D.C. (all supplies are from designerdigitals.com).

My mom's been scanning photos for me

for the early sessions of "Scrap Yourself." Here's a childhood story (see supply list at DesignerDigitals--I used a new kit called Toddler Time).

a Hybrid project

Inspired by this layout by lenasmommy in the Designer Digitals gallery, I made a journal for one of my son's best friend's birthdays (she's also the daughter of one of my best friends). I didn't get a photo of the finished journal because I was punching it with my bind-it-all right before her party -- but here's the cover and a photo of the birthday girl holding it.

Supplies are all from www.designerdigitals.com and by Katie Pertiet, DoodleDo This and That Overlays (background); Cloudscapes 2 Paper Pack; DoodleDo Frames No 2; Wings Curled & Flat.

Look what my mom and I made this weekend in NY

My mom has an awesome wholesale business. While her designs are frequently copied, she was the first and she keeps have new original wire designs made. The rosehips and oils she uses are best quality. And she continues to have the best prices. If you live in seacoast NH, Just the Thing in Dover sells these. This ad we made is going in a craft-industry magazine.

Back from NY and the Green Room is open

The trip was too short but lovely just the same. More tomorrow. Here's a layout I did from the trip. You can see all supplies and journaling HERE.

The Green Room for my "Scrap Yourself" class opened this morning --- the first class doesn't go up til Friday, but those who are already registered are stopping by to yak and introduce themselves. Love that there are so many folks new to NYCScraps AND there are so many of my previous students.

There's lots of wondering about what to use for photos on layouts for subjects a good distance in the past, but I've got ideas, suggestions, and resources (that I"m going to have to use myself). Shaunte just sent me the designer layout for the first class--Friday's and she really did an awesome job with both the topic and the sketch.

We're also doing some "Engine Priming" in the green room. Working on going through all that's in our minds about ourselves to come up with lots of page ideas. There's still time to sign up -- just remember that it can take 24 hours to get access once you pay. ----> for details, click on the "Scrap Yourself" icon over there in the first column to the right.

Drawing for a pass to my next class at ScrapScene

Check it out here: http://www.scrapscene.com/2008/02/giveaway-online-class-with-debbie-hodge.html Deadline to enter is tomorrow midnight and drawing is on Saturday --- you've got to post about a habit of yours --- loving reading them.

Day 1 of winter break: On Bulkhead Watch

We had a squirrel in the basement. On Saturday, I found a jelly candy (from an old Gingerbread kit) half eaten on the stairs. On Sunday another one --- and we're thinking mouse, but then I opened the door at one point and saw the bushy tail scoot under the stairs. We borrowed a trap, which the squirrel sprang without getting caught. I REALLY wanted the squirrel out. Critters in the house make me a little nuts. So I opened up the bulkhead and stood watch --- for 1 hour and 35 mins ----- at which point he (or she) stopped poking his(or her) nose out and finally made a break. At the beginning the boys tried scaring it out by playing the trombone and my clarinet really loud. It all might have gone faster if there weren't moments in which . . . all was quiet and then "MOM! Joshua threw snow at me." I didn't answer because I was on stealth duty --- I HAD to know if it left and I didn't want any more critters going it. So when I didn't respond there was more yelling from the boys and then, finally, yelling from me, and the quiet wait had to start all over again.  What a happy moment to see it exit. :)

And then Joshua's friend Daniel showed up and his mom decided right then to whisk them off to the MIT Museum in Cambridge. And as they were leaving Isaac's friend Molly showed up. A  nice day.

Who got us all started in scrapping ourselves?

I've recently been working on developing and promoting my upcoming "Scrap Yourself" class. Angie Pederson was the pioneer scrapper in this area, with her Book of Me encouraging women to scrap their own stories. Since then some of  us have started scrapping "all-about-me" pages and others of us have just put it off. Angie recently blogged about my class and her book and pointed out similarities in our material---and indeed there are topics about scrapping oneself and approaches to writing about this kind of scrapbooking that we've both decided to cover. I haven't read her book yet, and I'm going to wait until my class is over so that I'm giving you my own take on the subject, but maybe you'll join me when the class is over in checking out her book—and in thanking Angie for adding "book of me" to the everyday scrapping lexicon.

Are you on the scavenger hunt challenge?

My blog is a stop on Debby's Dare Blog challenge today. If you're a part of the hunt, here's what you need to do (and if you're not you can check it out at the link above :) )

Consider this quote and scrap a page about one of your habits that you think is a good habit to have:

Good habits, which bring our lower passions and appetites under automatic control, leave our natures free to explore the larger experiences of life -- Ralph W Sockman.

Use one of the sketches at the end of this sample "Scrap Yourself" class (starting Mar 7) and post your page over on Debby's blog. Thanks for stopping by.

Check out the Freckle Friends gallery at Iscrap this month

Freckle Friends Kit Club is a sponsor at www.IScrap.Net this month and the design team has been using the February kit to make pages and projects. Check them out HERE. Here's one I did---finally got around to using the oh-so-cool-now GRAY!

Ah, 40!

Happy Birthday, Alyssa.

New kit in the Designer Digitals store tomorrow

Wynken Blinken & Nod --- papers by Katie Pertiet and felt guys by Pattie Knox. Here's a page I did with this sweet kit.

Also . . . two brand new items are $.25 until Tuesday morning.

It's My Dad's Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Dad!!!! I'm a little worried about senile dementia setting in since he told me he'll vote for Obama over McCain :-O  The political world is a nutty place right now. We'll be in Oxford in a few days and I'll keep a close eye on him.

Went skiing on the river with the boys today. Neil said he'd get out with us tomorrow--once he's got another day of Prednisone in him (went to his dr with him last week --- need to write it all down, but not now since I need to meet friends in 45mins, but I really think he's got something fibromyalgia like. He told me to say that in front of his doctor, that it would be a real hoot ;-) she was fine with it all, love to watch her sitting there thinking about it all). Neil waited on taking the prednisone til after an impt meeting on Friday. At the beginning of a round of this drug he has what we call his god-complex. He's got a HUGE personality --- very fun and entertaining. I'll talk about the next phase when it comes around. About the skiing --- really should have gone to the groomed trails in Doe Farm, but the boys wanted to get on the river. The bank was so icy, I just sat down and slid on my bottom behind the boys -- we got off the river further down on flat land and went home another way.

Joshua went over to hang out with his first best friend today --- who he's not spent time with for a few years because they've had different interests and energy levels. He keeps saying what a great day he had, and Nancy and I hugged each other to see our boys together again. We spent so many hours together since preschooler-hood and I've missed all of them.

Josh just came over to see how the photos with me in them turned out :) He took them. He asked if I liked them and I said, yeah--I don't get in a lot of photos and I love being a part of the record, and he smiled and said he did too. Life is good. Off to a 40th birthday party. And did I mention that Joshua got the lead in a class production of Aladdin? Yep, he's our Aladdin.

Roxanne went to CHA and look what she brought back for me

Thanks, Roxanne! There on the outside of the F+W booth, is the opening spread for my "Happily Hybrid" article (Jan 08 Memory Makers) including the layout that Roxanne Jegodtka did for it. (I that article there were also layouts by Sande Krieger, Hillary Heidelberg, and myself and step-by-step how tos for all five of the pages on the MM website).

Designers for upcoming "Scrap Yourself" class

My next class, "Scrap Yourself," starts March 7th (with the Green Room opening on the 3rd for a little getting-comfortable time). For each class I teach, I hire several designers to create layouts based upon class topics from the class sketches, and just generally provide inspiration to the participants. The round-up this time includes 5 fantastic writers/story-tellers who offer a variety of styles: Paula Gilarde, Katrina Kennedy, Erin Campbell Pope, Sharyn Tormanen, and Shaunte Wadley. I'm anxious to get a look at their "yourself" pages and see just where they came from, where they're going and how they're doing it. Links to their blogs/galleries are on the class page.

Scrapping 2003

Somehow I skipped scrapping much of 2003, so I've been working on those photos lately. I did this one with a kit called Little Red Bird that showed up in the Designer Digitals store last week. Love the frame and the little bird. And the "4" is a new alpha in the store.

Check out my class participants' blogs & galleries

over on my "Scrap Your Everyday Life" blog page, I've linked up blogs and galleries for some of my students. If you were a part of the group it's a way to keep track of classmates afterward -- and if you want me to add your link, let me know. The links are in the first column -- beneath the sample class link.

Back From My 1st-ever Crop: Scrapbowl

I spent the weekend in Virginia at Get Croppin's Scrapbowl. It was simply a lovely time. I primarily went to meet up with Hillary and also to spend time with Sara. It was a bonus to get 12 pages scrapped and take a class with Stacy Julian -- who definately turned Hillary onto minibooks. The class and seeing what Sara and her friend Robin were doing with minibooks really made me realize what a great alternative to several 2-page spreads a minibook is. I did one from our Labor Day party. Hillary did her recent Disney trip. I know HIllary will be doing more of them --- and maybe I will :)

Loved spending time with Hillary. It didn't occur to me til the 2nd day that I'd only spent a few hours with her in-real-life before and that was last January. I really enjoyed her company and how easy it was to navigate the weekend with her. I also met a few new people who were at our table: Deborah Mahnken. She's a 07 HOF HMer. Sara's friend Robin is an attorney --- hmmm at the Pentagon or something in the government. Bridget and Lisa were at our table, too. They're Robin's neighbors. Bridget was getting her Disney trip scrapped. In this photo is: Deborah Mahnken, Robin, Sara , Me, & Hillary.

Scrap Yourself Sample Class is Available

This class will start Mar 7 (with Green Room opening Mar 3). Lot of details about the class are available HERE. This layout is a part of the sample class --- it's based upon one of the sketch variations and it's an example of the sample class's scrappable aspect of you: your routines, habits, attitudes, and approaches to life. Thanks for taking a look and please email me if you have any questions.

Also come back tomorrow or the next day and check out the Everyday Life Class page linked to the right --- I'm gathering links to participant blogs and galleries so that you can see what folks have been doing.

Check back also in the next couple of days for a list of guest designers for the upcoming Scrap Yourself class.

Again???

yep. another power outage. This time the potatoes were done enough but the fish hadn't even been started. While Neil started a fire (with the wood I had just carried in) the boys and I walked to the end of the road to see what we could see -- which was lights across the road & lights toward the bridge, but no lights toward Doe Farm or on our street. Here we are eating Neil's very delicious potatoes. And then we got in bed and did homework. The lights came on before 8.

Saturday morning.

I'm up and ready for some news about the primaries and caucuses going on today. Got my hair cut yesterday and my hairdresser's in Maine so there was talk of caucus-going. Marlene wants to caucus for Obama but she's going with a neighbor who is pushing Hillary (yay!) and she's not sure about how it will all play out in this scenario where you're not in a booth making a private choice.

On the haircut front -- love the cut (last time there was some kind of subtle mullet-thing going on that I didn't like). Marlene noted that I still don't have any grey hair, and told me that maybe I'd never get any! That would be cool, huh?

I woke up dreaming of a bat in the house. The room I was in was a combo of my current room and my childhood room. I don't hate bats, I just hate having bats in the house. Maybe I should do a layout about it :)

I'm meeting Hillary Heidelberg and Sara Dickey in Virginia next week for a crop --- I've never really been to a crop and don't know how to prepare. I meant to ask Celeste since she's an organized cropping expert but she's left for CHA. CHA! wow. Have fun.

I've been thinking a lot about not working this summer. I can do it. There's no reason I can't except for my own compulsive love of work. Last summer I was finishing the book and writing articles for  Jan & Feb Memory Makers. The summer before, I was writing for Scrapbook Answers December issue.  Scrapbook Answers December never saw the light of day and the Feb article I wrote for MM is never going to see the light of day. I think about the hours I spent writing those articles (while on vacation with the kids) and I just want to kick myself. I'm still writing my column for MM -- "Take 2" but it's short and I'm having others do the art--but I'm no longer submitting article ideas. (The March issue is available--haven't seen it yet, but Lori Mar did the layout for my column and the layout rocks. )  All my writing efforts are going toward my class. I'm going to teach a classes in Mar, May, and Jun, and then I'm not doing anything over the summer. Really. We're all going to drive out to Chicago and I'll sign my books at CHA and we'll check out where Neil grew up. Other than that we're doing the beach and Water Country. We got a deal on season passes last year and I'm hoping that we'll be meeting the Cohen girls there a lot.