Happy New Year!!

Ok, it's the last day of 2005!! Wow, where did this year go? This will be my last post of the year (not that I've been all that dedicated and regular in posting) and I guess as the year comes to a close I am thinking about all the new resolutions I have for the coming year. I love the start of a new year, gives me a feeling of freshness...I can make changes to my life right from the get-go, a new year is like a diving board...you can dive off into clean waters and start new! Not that I have a ton of things I want to change but there are always a few. Number one, I want to learn to enjoy each day more...not sure how to do this yet but will work on it! Of course there is the obvious, lose weight, eat better, get more sleep resolution that alot of us have LOL, I want to become more organized in my scrapping and in life in general, learn to make better use of my time! I want 2006 to be my best year yet!!

What do you all have in store for yourselves this year? Whatever it is you hope to acheive this coming year, I wish you all the best in your pursuits! Here's hoping we all stay happy and healthy, that we have dear friends to share our ups and downs with, that we have family to love, jobs that keep us sustained in the necessities of our lives and time on our hands to enjoy life and have fun!

Blessings!

Cricket

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Can you believe that it's almost time...Christmas is almost here!! It's hands down my most favorite time of the year for sure and I cherish every moment that is associated with it, sure hate to see it come and go..I get so blue after the holidays, all the planning and stuff and then it's over!! Today I had to run some final errands, wrap some final gifts and...ick...clean the house but I'm happy to say that I am officially ready for the holiday!!! I'm just sitting here at my computer, about to tackle cleaning my scrap room and decided that I needed to post on my blog. I'm not as good at regular posting like a lot of people but I have fun doing this nonetheless...(is that all one word?? LOL) I need to learn how to actually add some photos to my blog. I used to know but somehow I've lost all that precious info in my brain! That's just one of my resolutions for the new year, that and to learn how to use my digital camera better and my Photoshop Elements 4.0 software! I see all these really cool things done with Photoshop and I wanna learn darn it!!

Not much else to post. I want to wish anyone who happens to stop by my little corner of the world a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year. I'm hoping to make 2006 my best year yet!!

May God Bless You!

Cricket

Whew....CKU!!

Whew is all I can say! I am sooooo relieved that the registration for CKU Chicago is finally over with, I was a total wreak these past few days..even went so far as to have a nightmare the night before, now that's crazy!! I'm happy to say that I was lucky to get in and get all my first picks!! Yippee!! I am so excited about this, it's gonna be great! My sister is coming in from Arizona to attend it with me, this will be her first CKU and I tell ya, she is in for the ride of her life! LOL! Such an amazing experience it is, can't wait until March!

Okay, so I'm starting to feel just a bit overwhelmed by the holidays. I have a ton of things that somehow still need to be done and as I look at my calendar I am finding that I have precious few days and hours left to complete them all...what's a girl to do I ask? Oh well, I know that in the end I'll rally and get it all together but I'm really feeling kinda nervous about it right now...that, and my stomach is still doing flip flops from last nights registration roller coaster ride! I don't think it gets more intense than that...heck, giving birth was less stressful to me

This is gonna be a short one. I need to seriously get to bed and try to get some rest, slept like crud these past couple nights and if I'm not careful I'll lose all the steam I need to finish my holiday stuff! How is your holiday shaping up? Getting all your projects finished? I'll leave you with the name of another song I love..sure wish I was computer saavy enough to provide a link but the name will just have to do right now (maybe I'll make a new years resolution to learn how to do that, also how to post some pics here as well)..anyways, check out Tran Siberian Orchestra's "The Wizard of Winter"...it ROCKS!! Nothing like some good heavy metal Christmas music to put ya in the holiday mood!

Blessings,
Cricket :)

Blog Addict???

My name is Cricket and I'm a blog addict! Ok, there I said it!! Yep, I can't help myself, I surf blogs!! Is this some wierd form of voyerism?? (did I even spell that right??), anyways..when I'm bored, when I need a scrap break what do I do?? I visit blogs!! some of the ones I visit are so freaking cool...of course the divas of scrapping are always cool to see, but seriously, there are some out there that I run upon and I have to say they are terrific!! What is it about us humans that makes us want to peak into each others lives so? I can't answer that, I just know that I enjoy reading or seeing what others are up to. I also have to say that I just love writing and so a blog gives me a creative outlet to do just that, however lame it might be!

Tonight I worked on some circle journal entries that needed to be done, of course, surfed some blogs and listened to my itunes!! I can't get enought of my music lately and seem to be downloading songs like a crazy person! My latest download is by James Blunt...your beautiful...it's toooooo awesome!! I saw an ad on tv for it and ran right up to my puter to check it out. Still deciding if I need the entire album or not...hummm??? Got Hoobastank's "The Reason" blasting right now...well blasting as much as I can considering Mandi is trying to sleep right next door to my scrap heaven!

Well, that's it, just rambling tonight. Feeling wierdness today...missing Roger too much I suppose.

Oh yeah, got a cool new toy today!! Bought myself the new Blackberry phone!! It's so dang kickin cool...I can email, manage my calendar, call my buds etc..all from one device..no more handling my phone and palm pilot! Ok, so I need to learn how to fully use it yet but it's still so stinkin cool! Yeah!! Technology rocks!!

Blessings,
Cricket :)

Early Morning Thoughts...

Ok, I've not yet been to bed but technically it's early morning for me...it is after midnight and I'm wired!! I went to my lss tonight for a crop..I love going there, have sooo much fun chatting with everyone that I rarely get much accomplished but what the heck, I have a great time! I did get to work on some cute Christmas ornaments that I am making for some gifts so that was good!

I did the coolest thing today (well cool for me I suppose LOL)...I joined an art journal class online and we are creating a journal just for the Christmas/Holiday season! I've never done anything like this before and I am sooo freakin excited to be expanding my creativity and stepping outside my boundries of what I typically find comfortable. I love to write and the idea of writing something everyday really appeals to me. The scarey part is the creating of art. I'm no artist mind you, but have always aspired to be one ...I think I'm going to have a terrific time doing this and I'll share some photos along the way so be on the lookout!

Roger comes home in a week...that will be good, I miss him especially now with the holidays around the corner...miss just hanging out, listening to Christmas music and looking at the tree. I was going through some photos earlier today in prep for the crop and came upon a pic of our first Christmas together as a married couple. It seems like a lifetime ago, yet it feels just like yesterday as well. In the pic is our "first born" Felix. Boy I sure miss that little guy, he was absolutley hands down the best dog ever!! Hard to believe this will be our second Christmas without him....

Ok, need to really try and get to bed, got a ton to do tomorrow and it's gotta start bright and early!

Blessings,
Cricket

Bread and Clipboards!

Ok, so those two don't actually go together but they consist of what I did on Sunday afternoon. I decided, after a conversation with some friends on a yahoo group I belong to, to drag out my breadmaker that has been sitting, collecting dust in my pantry for the past couple years and make some bread. Now, my husband loves his mother's cheese bread however she makes it by hand and, well, I just don't have the time to do that so I searched the web and found what seemed to be a nice recipe for Cheddar Cheese Bread for bread machines. So, I give it a whirl, head out to the grocery store to get the necessary items needed and head back home, put it all into my breadmaker and viola! 4 hours and some odd minutes later I have this wonderful loaf of Cheddar Cheese Bread!! My darling hubby decided he could not wait until dinner to taste it so, of course, he and my daughter dug right in. The verdict was a big thumbs up!! Yeah!! So, now I guess I'm going to have to find some more tasty recipes to make.

Well, while the bread was baking I was at my lss teaching a class on Altered Clipboards! I had such fun. All the ladies seemed to really enjoy themselves and we all had a great afternoon. So there you have it, Bread and Clipboards!! Hee Hee

I still need to work on my Christmas cards. Only have 1/4 of them completed and of course there are the two circle journals that need to be mailed out this week, along with a sample I need to prepare for a class I'm teaching in a week or so...that one looks to be really fun too, it's a Rusty Pickle Teeney Weeney book!

Tonight Roger and I are heading to Mandi's teacher/parent conference and then out to dinner. It will be the only time we have to spend together alone before he leaves again for Europe. I try so hard to accept his traveling....oh well.....

Ok, lets see, what song can I leave you with today? Humm...Ok, I've got it. I just purchased the new Point of Grace Christmas CD..yep, I'm a geek, I love, love, love Christmas music...listen to it from the time I can until Christmas Day!! So, anyways, if you have a chance, check it out, it's a wonderful CD..gotta love their song "Let There Be Light".

Blessings,
Cricket

Friday!

Ok, I just got the cutest dang pajamas from Victoria's Secret...they rock! They are white with multi-color dots all over them...flannel with matching slippers...I just put them on and they are the BEST!!! I love comfy pj's and when I saw these in my latest catty I knew I had to have them. Course I had to order a few different pairs of pj's and some new undies too...such fun! Makes my cold feel soooo much better (hee hee). I've had the WORST cold this past week...had to miss a day and a half of work (bummer..really, I love my job at my lss) but went back today feeling like a new person. I usually don't work on Friday's but the owners are heading out of town this weekend for a scrap retreat (sure wish I could go...) and so I filled in for them today and am working Sunday too. I've been working on some altered clipboards that my mom has asked me to make for her to give as Christmas gifts, and I'm also making a few for myself to give. Then I decided that my 9 lunch tins needed to be worked on so I'm altering one of them as a gift as well. Used the new Making Memories Vintage Hip line of papers and bellies...waaay cute stuff!!

Roger is on his way home as we speak...flying in from Brazil. It will be nice to have him here for a couple weeks...or will it?? (just kidding)...and it's so hard to believe that Thanksgiving will be here in two weeks!! I can't handle it, my Christmas tree will be up in two weeks!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! I have to say, I'm really ahead of the game gift wise this year, got almost all my holiday shopping done, except for Mandi but other than that, and to make a few more gifts, I am done!! I decided years ago that I was tired of stressing out at the holidays because I was never ready...so I started to plan and now when Thanksgiving arrives I'm set and can enjoy the holiday much more...which reminds me, need to work on my Christmas cards this weekend too!!

Ok, that's about all for tonight. I'm thinking I need to pop a dvd in and chill...just got finished listening to Madonnas new single "Hung Up"..man that is one awesome tune..can't decide if I want the whole album or not...it's waaaay cool though, makes me just bop around when I hear it! If you've not had the chance to hear it, go to her website: www.madonna.com and you can listen to the whole tune! Makes ya wanna get up and dance I tell ya! Of course, lets be honest here, a true disco diva I am and anything that is remotely like ABBA is gold in my book!

Have a wonderful evening!

Cricket :)

Smiling again....

Ok, so I guess I kinda suck at this whole bloggin thing huh? I really have been meaning to post sooner but as usual time just gets in my way. Ok, so no big deal, I'll try again to be better!

I'm smiling again!! Last night I got fed up with how my hands and nails looked!! I'm talking really shabby here and not the cute shabby chic I like to see in scrapping either LOL! I should tell you that in my previous life (say 4 months ago) I was a nail tech. I finally got burned out on doing nails and said "ENOUGH" and took my own nails off (fake ones guys..hee hee)but since then I've hated how my hands looked so awful (I'm a closet cuticle picker as well when I don't have my artificials on), so last night I called a local salon and booked my appointment...ta da...I now have my nails back and it feels so good! Of course my typing is suffering but beauty comes with a price right??

Whatelse has been happening? Oh yeah, the convention....it went well. The one class that I was stressing over wound up cancelling but my other one, the paper bag album went really well, I think that the ladies who attended it really enjoyed themselves. Other than that, it was a pretty calm day! Now it's just back to working on my classes for the next couple months, getting the samples made and getting my schedule all worked out. Rogers visit was fun, Halloween was fun and now, here we are in November!

Tonight I'm heading to a crop, gonna work on a small project. Ok, that's about it for me. I am going to try to post more often, I hate it when I visit a blog and the owner doesn't post on a regular basis so maybe that will be my motivation to do this better.

I'll leave you with another song that has had major airtime on my ipod...it's kinda old but I love it...My Immortal by Evanescence..course I love the more metal edged version but either one is beautiful! Have a terrific evening!

Blessings,
Cricket

On a roll!

Wow, look at me, I'm on a roll now, three nights in a row!! Unfortunatley this will be my last post until Sunday, big and busy weekend ahead of me. Tomorrow is the convention I was talking about. Finally got all my samples together (both in my head and on paper) and my bags all packed! Just need to figure out what I'm wearing and then get to bed! Wish me luck!!

Roger got home this evening. It's nice having him back. Mandi had some school party to attend with some friends so we just watched a movie and vegged out! It's not been a very exciting day here, I basically just got done the many things that I had been putting off all week. So I'm all caught up and ready to rock and roll!

Ok, that's all, it's a short one tonight. I'll leave you with another favorite song on my ipod...Brave by Nichole Nordeman, a Christian song and how perfect for me tonight as I head into new territory tomorrow morning...gonna be brave!

Blessings....

Fearless???

Ok, I told you all I was going to do this, so here I am again, two nights in a row but tired as all get out. I'm stressing just a bit right now. I am teaching some classes at a convention on Saturday and one of the samples I am teaching is not one I've designed. I'm just a bit concerned that I'll be able to teach this correctly and provide a good class and experience for those that have signed up. I was very tempted to pull out of it and say "forget it" but then realized that I was letting fear control me and I so do not want that, so, I am forging ahead with the class. I spent a few hours tonight going over the the projects notes and the sample and feel much better about things. I am going to kinda write out my own directions for some cheat sheets in class and sorta modify a few things and I think I will be good to go. Of course I have a million and one things to do and all before tomorrow afternoon. Rog comes home and I want everything to be finished so that I can spend some time with him seeing as I'll be gone on Saturday. I've taught classes before but not in this type of venue so it's both exciting yet terrifying at the same time.

So I spoke of not letting fear control me, that's a big step for me! I have had a tendency in the past to allow my fears of failure, fears of what others thought of me etc..to control how I behave but something in me today just said NO!! I won't let it happen anymore and I can't tell you how freeing that feels for me, it's like a lightbulb moment for me!! Have you let fear take away an opportunity for you? Life is too short and I want to take every opportunity that comes down the road for me, not gonna let anything or anyone stand in my way anymore!

Ok, that's about all I have for now, need to get some rest..gotta big weekend ahead of me. Think about what I've said and stand tall in the face of your fears whatever they may be, you are strong, stronger than you think!

Blessings

Still Trying....

Ok, so my last entry, a month ago, I was talking about how I can't seem to get the hang of daily blogging...obviously!! I love to surf blogs. I have some that I visit on a regular basis ( the scrapbooking world class divas like Heidi Swapp, Donna Downey, Ali Edwards, Cathy Z...you get the picture) and they are all so awesome. My blog needs some serious attention. I'm caught between this fine line of deciding what to say and how to say it. I realize this will be out on the world wide web for anyone to view, and that is kinda freaky in a way. On the other hand, I really enjoy them and want to be a part of this. Ok, I just need to make up my mind and do this or forget it! I want to do this!!

I'm sitting here, looking at my computer screen, listening to my itunes and just waiting for Rog to come home. He will be here Friday, can't wait. I have a big weekend ahead...teaching classes at a local convention and working the crop at the store. So much to do and so little time left. I need to make up kits for class, clean my house, pay bills, run errands..sheesh..I suppose it is better than having nothing to do though, so I am blessed and grateful for that.

Ok, Mandi is trying to go to sleep and I imagine my tunes are just a little too much for her quiet space (hee hee) so I suppose I will end for tonight. Ok, so my plan is now to at least check into my blog, lets say, once a week...baby steps right?

I'll leave you with a name of one of the many songs on my iPod...Franz Ferdinand "Do You Want To" Have you heard this one...really awesome tune, can't get enough of it! And, by the way, if I was better at this bloggin thing, or computers in general, I would create a link here for you but, alas, baby steps...


Blessings....

Trouble starting....

Okay, I know that a lot of you blog and when I visit them you all have these incredibly detailed, well kept journals. I can't for the life of me seem to get into a swing with this blogging thing! I think the idea is awesome and I want to have a really great blog but I just can't seem to keep up with this, so tell me what is the secret??

Well, it's Sunday. Tomorrow starts another week and another week of getting up at the crap of dawn with my daughter! I swear, last year she could sleep until 7:15, this year (new school...junior high now) she is at the bus stop by 7:00!! We are getting up 1 1/2 hours earlier now and it's rough, plus add to that the fact that I went back to work! I only work 3 days a week, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and it's at my local scrap store which is waaaay cool but it's really kicking my butt! I keep hoping that my body will eventually get used to this...sheesh!

Roger is out of town again, so what else is new huh? It really helps to have this part time job, makes my days go by a little faster. And what is with that?? Having my days go by fast?? Shouldn't we be savoring each moment? Making time last?? It's not that I want time to fly or my life to whiz by but with him being gone so much and me being here by my lonesome (well not really, I have Mandi), I just like the weeks he is gone to go by quickly...that does make sense right?

On a happier note, I think I've come up with a good plan to start my own little side business. Just need to work out some final details and then get the ball rolling. I am quite excited about the possibilites of it though I must say! I'll dish on that as soon as I'm sure of things..hee hee!!

Other than that, not much changes in my life, which is a good thing I suppose. Things are just rolling along as should be and for that I am thankful and blessed.

Better get Mandi to bed, heck that alarm goes off too early!

Until next time, God Bless!

Feeling Good!

I just have to share my happy feelings today! I've been so blessed to have landed a job at my local scrapbook store and it's the BEST!! The owners, Carol and Tracy are so cool to work for, very laid back. Both are moms so they know and understand the demands of motherhood and raising children which I am so grateful for because with Roger gone so much I'm pretty much the parent who has to be here for Mandi 24/7. My hours are awesome 10 - 4, 3 days a week. I don't have to be there until after Mandi is on the bus to school and I'm home about an hour after she is (she is in junior high and is now old enough to come home by herself). I get a great discount on product (this helps with my addiction you know) and I'm meeting some really great scrapping buddies as well! I've had a tough time these past few years really figuring out what it is I want to do with myself now that Mandi is older and Roger is traveling for work so much, this job I think is God's way of answering my constant prayers. I feel so thankful and have found a new happiness in life. I've made quite a few changes over these past couple months, changes that needed to happen but I was being too passive about. I finally decided the time was now, after all we only get one go around at this right? I can't even begin to explain how different I feel and what a different outlook I have now.

Ok, it's Labor Day and time to head outside. Hard to believe that this is our "official" end of summer holiday..bummer! Oh well, Autumn is my favorite season and I'm kinda ready to pull out my sweaters!

Have a good one!