Post Retreat Blues

So the retreat has come and gone and I have to say I could have used another day with all my girls!  Especially since I got my all time low done...three pages!!! I'm a little horrified with myself but at least I enjoyed all the amazing company.  It was SO nice to spend time with my sister!  She helped me cook some good food and helped support me when my phone broke (believe me it was a tragedy!).  I'm hoping that at some point soon I'll start scrapbooking all the pages I didn't get to since I'm so much more inspired again.  However I know myself well enough that I will need to get past some more pressing projects before I can even unpack my stash and scrapbook again.  Here's hoping that part comes along sooner!

The "junk journals" I received

The scrapbooking goodies my sister and I put together for the girls

Just arrived and holding my box full of goodies and the amazing mat they gave us!

My workspace

Some of my girls and I preparing to take a shot out of mini solo cups (Thanks Angela!)

Sometimes there's a lot of ribbon...

...and sometimes you run out of alcohol (or maybe just the first bottle ;-)  )

More fun times (notice we are also holding the letters to throw at someone when we need their help!)

My phone before it was fixed (see a tragedy!!!!)

Some of the goodies we received and the class project I made!

Time

Again I'm sorry about how long it's been since my last post.  Football season has started as well as finishing up swaps and baby shower projects.  My friend's shower went off without a hitch and she enjoyed it.  I finished the secret sister swap and junk journal swap as well.  I received my secret sister swap and expect to get the journal swap any day now.  It's been a little crazy because my father in law passed away suddenly last Thursday (clearly September 11th is determined to be an awful day).  Although its added a few things to the schedule it has also put things into perspective.  Time is something that can paralyze you (so much to do so little time!) or empower you.  We don't always have as much time as we think so we should spend it doing things we love and that really matter, and spend it with people we love the most.  On that note I'm very excited about my sister coming to visit next week and then getting to do a scrapbooking retreat with her, my cousin and another good friend of mine!  So what I need to do now is prep my plethora of products for this upcoming retreat so I can enjoy every second of my sisters visit!

The handmade project I made for my secret sister

What my secret sister sent me!

She made me the cutest paper bag album

The decoration I made for my friends baby shower

More homemade decoration

The first home game

The tailgate pass was the final gift from my father in law

Family

Tailgate fun with great friends

Post Vacation Blues

So I'm back from California. I had so much fun in Disneyland and California Adventure that I'm sad to  not be there. But I suppose that's what happens when you leave the happiest place on earth. The World of Color show was amazing and totally worth the wait! Of course I cried my eyes out when the Aladdin parts were on, but it seemed a fitting farewell to the amazing Robin Williams. Truman and I attended our 29th wedding (or maybe it was 30th, I've clearly lost count) and had a wonderful time.  They had a fun photo booth, caricature artists and great music.  It was in Beverly Hills so it was kinda cool to see all the fancy cars and Rodeo Drive. On our way back to LAX we were on the shuttle with not just one but TWO Emmy award winners. They won for The Colbert Report and Sherlock.  They were very kind to let others look at and hold the awards (including Truman).  I really thought it was fake at first since I had completely forgotten that the show had happened but clearly I was very wrong.
Right before we left for vacation our poor Roxy herniated a disc in her back!  Luckily we had enough time to treat her properly and she was able to go to Papa and Nana Cris' house and had a great time.  We also had a birthday party to attend which was fantastic as a monsoon blew in at dinner and gave us a great view of the lighting storm. So now that I'm back I need to get on with all my art projects and swaps.  I have finished most of the items for my friends upcoming baby shower but am still working on the junk journals.  In the meantime I will share with you some items I made for a swap quite some time ago.  I finally received my package so I figured it was okay to share them now.  I have done hardly no art journaling and my scrap studio is a mess.  Here's hoping I can finish these last couple of projects and get things organized before the October retreat!

One of Tucson's monsoon storms

Disneyland!!!!

We rode the new Star Tours three times and saw three of the four stories

I LOVE Disneyland and the Disneyland Hotel was great!

Fun in the photo booth

More fun!

Truman holding the Sherlock Emmy with the actual winners in the background

One more picture from the wedding

                      

The baby shower invite

Altered spoons that I made for the swap

Altered chip clips 

The goodies I received from the swap

On one set of clips I did
different papers

Overwhelmed with my own Expectations...Again!

I swear every time I read back thru my blog I see that I say I'll post next week...then a month later!  Sorry folks about my lack of organization again.  I've been working on a few projects for yet another baby shower.  Let's be honest, I expect so much of myself I can't do anything unless it's perfect for my friend, therefore it takes FOREVER!!!!  I have finished a few of the projects for the shower which I shall post later and I have also managed to clean my entire house thoroughly and finish one swap but sign up for another before I'm done with the last one!  I have also been keeping track of the Journal 52 project prompts though I'm still on week 7 of 30 now.  It's okay though because I'm hoping to use the subjects as inspiration even if I don't finish them within the year.  I'm trying to cut myself some slack since I end up volunteering for projects for others in the interim. Art is art, right?! Well I'm hoping to finish up my junk journal swap and decide on a theme for my next secret sister swap after that.  Then I can organize this RIDICULOUS chaos that is my studio so I can focus on what I want to do for the scrap retreat with my amazing sister and cousin in October!!!!  Then maybe do a little art journaling before my vacation to Disneyland in two weeks with my hubby....at least it's a plan, right?!  Likely I will finish my junk journals, my secret sister survey and send out baby shower invitations and attempt the rest when I come back from California.  I think I will look on the bright side...it's nice to have so many friends and have so much to do with and for loved ones!  Cheers!

My secret sister loved cooking and the color periwinkle so I made her a recipe box

All of the different monogram projects I created

Bottle cap magnets and she loved Scrabble so I made her Scrabble charms

I covered two chipboard letters with the jewel tones she requested

The haul I received from my secret sister!

The special box she created!  So pretty!

My love and I on the Fifth of July, 17 years together and he put on a fireworks show!

Some of my friends and I at the Fifth of July celebration

Fun with friends at our house during a monsoon!

Busy Life and Crazy Swaps

It's been a month since my last post and I apologize.  It's been really hot here and I've had no inspiration  or desire to do much.  However there's nothing like a deadline to get you going!  So I finished the movie card/tag swap and mailed it out and I only have one more item on the monogram secret sister swap to finish.  I was feeling so confident I signed up for a mini junk album swap too!  I'm crazy, I know.  There were a few fun things happening like Beer and Bacon Fest and I got my hair updated too.  Then the not so fun things.  I've been helping my mom move and getting ready to help my dad when he goes to visit my sister (jealous!!!).  I'm ready for the monsoon to start already so that I can enjoy the Fourth of July and crafting a bit.  Well anyway, hope your Independence Day is grand and hopefully I ll have something more to show you next week.  Cheers!

Pirates of the Caribbean tags

The special one I made for my sister

The Pirates of the Caribbean cards

The Empire Records cards (I was trying to make them look like records)

The Empire Records tags (I just love the fun fibers and ribbons)

The special tag I made for my sister (I knew only she would get the quote and quarter reference)

One of the items I made for the secret sister swap (more to come)

In the dugout at Baconfest!  So good!

Spruced up hair!!

Summer Heat Equals Laziness?

I didn't realize how long its been since my last post!  Since that post I have received some fun mail, i.e. the secret sister matchbox swap.  As it turns out one of my secret sisters was my very own sister!  To say the least that set of two mini matchboxes was AMAZING!!!!  I loved what my other secret sister did too.  I have signed up for another secret sister swap that has to do with creating monogramed items.  I love a monogram and have lots of ideas for items but my inspiration is slow in coming for how to alter the items.  Luckily I have one swap finished and ready to send but two more including the monogram one) are due at the start of July and I'm having a lull in creativity something fierce!  I'm going to blame it on the heat...yeah thats it...the heat!  well heres hoping my inspiration returns soon but heres some pictures to enjoy in the meantime.

Another Journal 52 entry (subject: what did you want to be when you grew up)

Close up

The two mini matchboxes my sister made me!

Books was one theme I chose

Jeremy Renner was the other!

I was seriously giddy opening this! Obsession...yes!

My other secret sister did a little set of drawers (so cute)...

...in vintage with lots of little things included!