Circle Journal Madness!

Edit: Ok, so I'm surfing 2peas (as I so frequently do) and I see the Saturday Blogger Challenge is to blog about music..here goes:

I love so many different kinds of music that it is hard for me to talk about any specific favorite at the moment. I suppose Green Day is holding my attention right now, love them sooooo much and Billy Joe is soooo cute! But instead of telling you what are my favorite songs or artists I think I'll tell you a favorite memory that is associated with music..well, really two memories. The first is my grandfather. Like I said before, I have always loved music. I could listen to my "transistor" radio for hours, enjoying every minute. I have a vivid memory of my grandpa telling me that I never stood still..that I never walked, that I was always dancing around to music! It has stuck with me til this day and will always, even now, as I sit here writing this, my foot wiggles to the music I listen to. It's funny, my girlfriend and I were shopping the other day and I was un-knowingly singing and jiggling around the aisles to the music that was playing..she commented to me about it..LOL!

The second memory is my dad. I think I get my love of music from him. He was a musician. Studied at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago, majored in music at Tennessee Temple University, played with the Glenn Miller Band and always played or sung with the church. I can close my eyes and see my dad and I heading out to the library where you could "rent" record albums (yep, the days before cd's) and we would come home, put them onto the stereo and lay on the living room floor in the dark listening to wonderful music..mostly classical! I treasure that memory that I hold of my dad, it was a special time that we shared with each other and as I grew up, and we would butt heads because I was of course a teenage who knew it all (or thought I did), I knew that deep down, my dad and I would have something special that just we shared together. My dad is now gone but my love of music lives on, thank you dad for that!




OMGosh!!! Ok, so I've now got 3 circle journals pending in my craft room..do I say scrap room or studio?? humm...sorry, sidetracked by a 2peas post this week on what we call our "creative spaces"...ok, so I've got 3 circle journals in my craft room and although I am actively working today on one of them, I am feeling a bit of circle journal madness here! Sheesh..I LOVE (can I stress that enough..)LOVE doing circle journals, they are so enriching for me, I receive so much back from them and I am forced by doing them to look deep into areas of "me" that I might not otherwise think about all that often...but....when I procrastinate on doing my layouts for them, I get all be-fuddled and start to feel the madness close in on me!! ARGH!!!

One that I am working on right now is "Why I Enjoy Being A Girl"...it's for my post CKU-A circle journal group and I'm loving doing this, however, for the sake of honesty, I am using a layout I did in a 2peas journal but I so enjoyed the layout I did and the journaling I did (sorry..I know...shameless of me to brag!!) that I wanted it in a journal of my own. I'm using the new line of Chatterbox papers...love, love, love that Chatterbox! I'll post a pic when I finish it this weekend. Got all my journaling done, just need to complete some of the papers for the layout and it's good to go! The other two cj's have me scratching my head! One I know what I want to do, just need the time to actually do it, and the other..well..the topic is so foreign for me that it will be super hard to do. I'll do it, no worries, but I fear it's not going to be one of my better layouts or cj entries!

So that's my life right now...circle journal madness! Why do I do this to myself you ask...because in spite of my b**ching right now, it is the funnest(is that right?) thing to do and I love to do it!

Until next time (or until my madness ends..)

Blessings,
Cricket :)

Thursday Blogger...

Hey! Ok, so I've not updated in over a week, wanted to give some time to Diana. I'm ready to move onwards though so I'm going to do the Thursday Blogger Challenge from 2peas! Here we go:

1. My current favorite song: Easy..playing on my blog...Green Day: Boulevard of Broken Dreams. There are sooo many songs I love right now though, this is just one that I really, really like all the time!

2. The last book I read: Humm...do scrap idea books count? LOL Actually, the last novel I read was a cute, fun little book called Little Bitty Lies by MaryKay Andrews..just good light reading, very enjoyable! I always want to read, love to do it but it seems by night I am so tired it just puts me out!

3. What I'm wearing right now: Ha! pajama pants and a tank top!

4. The last cd I bought: Well, I no longer buy them at a store, just download from iTunes and I just got Bruce Springsteen's newest one, so loving the folk song sound to it!

5. The last gift I bought for someone: I'm doing a secret sister swap on an off-shoot group from 2peas so that would technically be it. Otherwise I would have to say the gifts I gave Mandi for Easter!

That was fun! Ok, I'll be back later....so love to blog!

Blessings,
Cricket :)

Aunt Diana

Thursday evening, around 6 p.m. our family lost Diana. Diana had been sick for years, developing a rare form of leukemia due to some radiation treatments she had done as a young girl for her thyroid. Diana fought this fight with such strength and determination that I've not seen anyone have. I don't know that if it was me that had been diagnosed with such a horrible disease, I could have had the courage she did. I spoke with Diana sometime after her illness began and remember her telling me that she had lived a good life, that she was able to see her boys grow up, see grandchildren come into the world, have a career she loved, a good marriage and a beautiful home, that she was ready for whatever was dealt her now and that she was not afraid of dying. I remember the scared feeling in the pit of my stomach as I listened to her speak these words, thinking to myself "would I feel the same?" I hope I never have to find these things out about myself. So, like I said before, Diana lost her battle on April 13th, 2006. Knowing that this would eventually come to pass still does not prepare you for the actual event. I worried about Roger, so far away from anyone, what would he do if he got this news and was all alone, a fact that happened unfortunately, and I worried about Amanda. Aunt Diana was so very special to her. Mandi had a very special love just for Aunt Diana. Aunt Diana never once forgot Amanda, even through all her illness and struggles. I am so thankful that Mandi got to know her and spend some time with her. These will be memories that she will now carry with her the rest of her life. My heart broke the other night, before Diana passed. She was in a coma and I was explaining to Mandi that Aunt Diana's brain was just so sick that she wasn't really thinking clearly and was having a hard time knowing who people were. Mandi said to me "Did Aunt Diana forget me?" I wanted to cry..I still want to cry when I think about this. I told Mandi "Heavens no, Aunt Diana will NEVER forget you. When Aunt Diana goes to heaven to be with God, she will be all healed and she will remember every single minute she spent with you". Having to go into Mandi's room and tell her of Diana's passing was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Mandi cried, she was so heartbroken at the loss of her beloved Aunt. My heart broke too. I want to thank Diana. I want to thank her for the love she gave to my daughter, for the memories she gave and for reminding me that life is so very precious. You just never know what the future will have in store for you. It is so important to hang onto those you love with both hands and not let go. We will miss you Diana.

The layout above is my favorite photo of Mandi and Diana. It was taken about 4 years ago.

Blessings,
Cricket

Thank you Rachel!

Just have to say a big thank you to my gal Rachel!! I have been wanting to put a video on my blog for sometime now and I saw that she had done it to hers so I wrote her to ask for her help. Well, it took some fiddling around with but Rachel got me there! I now have tunes on my blog!! Added some eye-candy and ear-candy to my blog today as you can tell if you are reading this! There is something strangely attractive to me about Mr. Billie Joe Armstrong! Green Day rocks...it's Mandi's favorite group and I have to say at this moment mine too! Anyways, thank you dear Rachel for making me one happy blogger, and thank you Billie Joe for the awesome tune! Enjoy everyone, and check back..now that I can do this, I'll be adding new tunes often!

Blessings,
Cricket :)

  

Back again, twice in one day, what a record! Ok, so today was beautiful! It truly felt like summer outside. Mandi had her early day today from school so I took her to get her haircut. Because it was so nice outside I decided that we should stop at Starbucks for a Frappucino! I decided that I wanted to try something totally new, so I got a Blackberry Green Tea Frap. It just looked so good and ya know what? It was! I think I'll be getting more of these drinks this summer!! Mandi is a creature of habit so she got her standard Caramel Frap (decaf of course). When we got home I took this picture of her on our front step, enjoying the last bit of her treat. I ask you, what can be better in the life of a 12 year old? Early school release day, summer like weather and a Caramel Frap!

Blessings,
Cricket :)

Blogger Challenge...

Ok, so I've never done the Blogger Challenge from 2peas but I always seem to check them out, what can I say, like you (or you wouldn't be reading this..hee hee), I am addicted to blogs..so, I checked todays Blogger Challenge and decided that today is the day I take the plunge and do this..so here goes:

chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate all the way..like vanilla but I'm most definetly a chocoholic!!

sandals or barefoot? Barefoot!! Love the feeling of being barefoot.

basic grey or scenic route? This one is tough because I love both lines soooo much and for different reasons, but I suppose if I had to choose only one it would be Basic Grey!

primas or HS flowers? Primas. Just recently got some HS flowers and they rock but I love, love, primas.

computer journaling or handwritten? Computer for sure! It's not that I don't like my handwriting, I do use it to journal sometimes but I love to type and with computer journaling I can get funky with letters, sizes etc..

Madonna or Gwen Stefani? Gwen, she is awesome!!

Leno or Conan? Never ever watch either...can't say! Not much for late night talk shows..I'd rather watch a movie!!

Koolaid or Crystal Lite? Hey Kool-Aid!!! Black Cherry is da bomb!!

American Idol or Amazing Race? American Idol. Sure hope Chris Daughtry wins..he is soooo awesome!

catlover or doglover? Dogs. I've had cats too, but am allergic now and nothing beats the love of a dog!


Ok, that was fun. Now I can officially post a reply on the thread at 2peas saying "I Blogged"!! Check back later for some pics I took today!

Blessings,
Cricket :)

Heidi!!

Ok, so I did it...I signed up for Heidi Swapp's Creative Escape Arizona event in September! I CAN'T WAIT!! What am I doing? LOL I'll tell you what, I'm enjoying my life and doing things I want to. I think this will be such a great event, something new and different than CKU. Now, wait just a minute, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE me my CKU's but I am in need of something different too, and I think this is just the ticket. Cool part is that there are 5 of my gal pals going with me!! Whoo Hooo..can you say too much freakin fun?! I'm seriously trying to get Becca to come along to, won't be the same without my dear Becca!! Anyways, it's being held at a really beautiful resort in Phoenix so we are all flying in on the Wednesday before and going shopping at the cool Arizona scrap stores, then bunking or should I say slumber partying at my sister's house Wednesday night (don't think I'll get too much sleep that night huh?) and then heading out Thursday morning for the big event! I've joined the yahoo group for this as well, helping to moderate it and am already meeting some wonderful ladies there!

Other news, on a sadder note, my sister in law, who has been battling a horrible form of leukemia for years is now in her final stages. It's so sad to see life end and at such a young age. It is teaching me more than ever to appreciate every moment I have and all those in my life. Remember those that you love tonight, tell them if you can for you never know what is around the next corner.

Until next time,

Blessings,
Cricket

Tagged!!

Ok, so Tracey tagged me the other day and I'm just now getting to it...sheesh, where does my time go?? LOL

I'll try to post some more CKU pics later today..wait, did I just say later today?? Does that mean I might post TWICE in one day?? Wow!!

Ok, here goes:

5 snacks I enjoy:

popcorn
chocolate
chips and salsa
cheese (is that a snack?)
doritos

5 songs to which I know all the lyrics:

Star Spangled Banner
Happy Birthday
Eensy Weensy Spider
After All (Cher/Peter Cetera..my wedding song)
I Think I Love You (huge crush on David Cassidy LOL)

5 bad habits:

Cuticle picking (not good for a nail tech huh?)
foot swinging (like when you are sitting and swinging you foot)
leave lights on in rooms I'm not in anymore
leaving clothes in dryer until they are sooo wrinkled they need to be re-washed
leaving leftovers shoved into the back of the fridge

5 things I like doing:

Scrapbooking
Stamping
Cross-stitching
Playing online
Watching movies

5 things I would never buy or get new again:

A bikini...just waay past that stage of my life
A blade runner...what was I thinking there?
Lipstick..I'm more a lipgloss kinda gal!
An ice cream making maching..too much work, rather hit Baskin and Robbins!
CD's from a store..so much easier to download from itunes!

5 favorite toys:

My iPod!!
My computer!!
My Canon Digital Rebel XT
My Tivo
Stamps and ink

5 people to tag:

Becca
Jennie
Diana
Hollye
Rachel

See ya later....

Blessings,
Cricket :)

CKU is over...bummer!

Wow, hard to believe that a week ago today I was sitting in the informal crop at CKU meeting terrific ladies that I had been chatting with for the previous 7 months or so on the yahoo group. Time sure does fly! I'm sad. I'm like that though, after all the planning and waiting and anticipation, it's over in the blink of an eye and it just makes me blue. I have some wonderful memories and pictures though and believe me, I've been creating layouts in my head already for them! We arrived on Wednesday and basically that day was just spent with girls checking into the hotel, nothing to really do with CKU yet. I did take a mini class and made a great mini album and used my favorite Daisy D's papers so that was way cool! We had a few burps I'm afraid in our CKU experience (shari and me), our mom got sick the night before we were to leave for CKU and that threw a major fly into the ointment! My mom was to be staying with my daughter Mandi while I attended CKU and now couldn't..what to do!!!!! With the help of some great neighbors and some fancy rearranging, Shari and I were able to attend most of CKU. Thursday was kick off day! I took Mandi along and she had a blast! She got to do make and takes and meet the scrapbooking celebrities that she has heard me talk about so often. In fact, she pointed out Heidi Swapp to me!! She loved that make and take and especially loved the pink Heidi Swapp gumball she got! Thursday night was the tailgate party and I don't think Mandi imagined how crazy nuts a bunch of ladies could get, but she was right there with us, standing on chairs, waving our pom poms and dancing along! It's such a blast! Our dorm, The Chicago Scrap Sox, had an extra hat so we made Mandi an official member too! One gal in our group, Bunnie, won a raffle and that also meant our table won too, including Mandi. She got some markers and glitter glue and thought that was too cool! I think the highlight of the evening was when I took Mandi over to meet Cathy Z. Cathy Z's favorite band is Green Day and so is Mandi's! I took a picture of the two of them showing off their Green Day bracelets, this, even though the lighting is kinda icky, is my favorite picture of the weekend!
We ended the night with my circle journal group getting together and exchanging our journals. The ladies in my group, Sue, Kathy W., Kathy N., and Karen G., did such an amazing job in my journal, I will truly treasure it forever! Thanks ladies!

Okay, I'll post some more pics tomorrow, plus I've been tagged by Tracey so I'll do that tomorrow too! I'm listening to some Green Day and trying to put away some of this stuff I came back with from CKU. Until next time...

Blessings,
Cricket