Rain Rain Go Away

This is one of Grayson's favorite songs to sing...although he always sings "come and GET another day" instead of "come AGAIN another day"! What a Q-T-PIE! Well anyway...it has been raining for a few days now and it is just miserable. This is not June weather. This is not summer. I protest! I was surfing some of my favorite blogs last night when I couldn't sleep and gals were complaining that it was getting too hot for them...I can only wish! The joys of living in the sub-tundra, eh?

Having said that, I did get a lot done in the past couple of days. Not being able to stand (my back is killing me since the baby dropped) I have been spending a lot of time sitting at my computer and scrap table. This is what I accomplished:

• Did a digital layout to include in a colleagues retirement album
• Finished and ordered a hard bound Storybook of the family photos taken LAST FALL!
  
• Sorted 2 years of photos into Storage Binders, and set up my Category Drawers for special photos (a la Stacy Julian's LOM system!)


• Completed an article I have been working on for submission to Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine (did I mention I am nervous as heck???)


• Did a layout that I am contemplating submitting to SimpleScrapbooks Magazine (the deadline is today, so I have to decide!!! Still nervous!) Edited....OK...I DID submit my LO to Simple Scrapbooksalong with a couple of others that I had originally posted on my blog (so I had to remove them until I hear back) Wish me luck!


• Sorted and organized some new embellishments and alphabet sets and continued to label and organize bins inside my scrapping cupboards


• Wrote a newsletter for my CM Customers (going out today)


• Worked on some photos in my computer...deleting doubles and touching up others


• Surfed some blogs and websites and looked through some magazines for ideas
• Edited...I forgot...I also made up a digital baby announcement template so when the little guy arrives I can pop in the pertinent info and send it of! I hope you get to see it soon!!!
  

Not bad for a rainy weekend eh? I think I got so much done because I have a space dedicated to my scrapbooking. I can leave out work in progress and when I have time I can come back to it. It helps, even when you only have 5 or 10 spare minutes. I LOVE IT! And I am so glad it is in our new rec room so G. and I can be down there togeher...he playing in his playroom (or where I found him yesterday - in the storage room playing with Shane's tools- yikes!) and me working on projects. When baby # 2 comes, I think it will be a good space to spend our days. Life is good eh?Now if that rain would just go away...

Happy Scrapping!

Noreen

Baby...where are you?

NO BABY YET. Arrrggghhh!

I went to the Doctor yesterday for my 39 week appointment, and because I was having a lot of contraction-like pains and pressure, I was told to go over to the Hospital to get assessed. But, even though I was in fact having contractions, they weren't regular or close enough together, my water hadn't broken and my blood pressure was OK, so they sent me home. Sheesh. I was hoping baby would be here because I am just so uncomfortable. It wasn't this bad with Grayson near the end, but then again I was induced at just 38 weeks, so I guess I didn't experience the last couple of weeks with him. Oh well...I am just praying that I don't go overdue...how will I cope for up to THREE MORE WEEKS????

In the meantime I am trying to stay comfy on the couch, doing a lot reading and surfing my favorite websites and blogs. I am also recategorizing my photos based on Stacy Julian's Library of Memories System. Instead of keeping all my photos in chronological order and being (somewhat) forced to scrapbook events as they happen, I am triaging my photos into categories such as "People We Love, Things We Do, Places We Go and All About Us" These categories allow me to view my photos more easily, especially when I am thinking about doing a layout about the effect a certain person, place or thing has on me. I am seeing connections and new possibilities for my scrapbooking, and I am only getting started!

I was helping dad organize the pantry at his place the other day so he can cook for himself a little easier, and we came across my mom's recipe box. Now, my mom has never been the best cook around, but she certainly had her specialities, so I am glad to have found them recorded in her own handwriting. I think I will scan some of them and combine it with photos to create a little mini-recipe book based on some of her (and my!) favorites. I am going to use Creative Memories new 7x5 inch softcover format of their Storybook (PS...it's very affordable at $18.95 for 20 pages,and like all the CM Storybooks is of highest quality!) I will (TRY to) post it when I am done (Lord knows when that will be eh???) If you have any layouts or projects using recipes, I'd love to see them!

Poor G. has a head cold right now and is zonked out on the couch after getting up at 4:30 this morning because he couldn't breathe. Even though it's only 8:30-ish am, I think I will join him for a little nap.

Keep your fingers crossed that baby comes along soon...
Happy scrapping,
Noreen

This and that...

I THINK I AM IN LABOUR....but no regular contractions or water breakage yet. But a girl can hope, can't she??? Lots of pains and pressure etc., so I am hoping it is soon!

Just taking it easy and re-reading Stacy Julian's Photo Freedom book. I am ready to reorganize my CM Power Sort box to accomodate the Categories that Stacy suggests and I am really looking forward to seeing my photos in a new light...not just in chronological order. I think I may be able to scrapbook and share more MOMENTS instead of EVENTS this way. Not that events aren't inportant, but there is definitely more to scrapbooking than just the birthday/holiday/family get together shots. I want to be able to tell the real-life-everyday stories of my family...what we do, what we like, where we go, who we love and why the things we do matter. I really encourage you to read her book, or at least have a look at Stacy's blog to get an idea of what she is talking about.

As for posting my new layouts and maternity photos...my techie hubbie has been working overtime and so hasn't had a chance to get me sorted out at home (it's like the cobbler's children who never have any shoes!) Hopefully he will get me organized in time to post pics of baby (whenever he arrives!)

Happy scrapping,
Noreen

Well...38 weeks and counting! Hopefully baby will decide to make his appearance in the next little while...I don't want to think about waiting up to four more weeks!!! Everything is good, but I am so uncomfortable at this stage! We had somematernity photos taken earlier this week, so I will post my belly shots for all to see when I get them back!!!

Anyway...we are busy getting ready for this baby- all the newborn clothes have been washed and folded; the blankets, washcloths, towels and bassinet sheets are ready to go, and a stock of newborn diapers has been laid in! We are ready. I think. Although...since we are still undergoing renovations and reorganization, baby's room isn't truly ready yet. But that's OK...he will bunk in with us in his cozy bassinet for the first few months since it is so much easier to do night feedings that way. That will give us a chance to first get Grayson's big boy room ready, and then paint and move the baby furniture into the nursery. No rush...baby ain't going anywhere!!!

Unfortunately in the midst of all the fun and exciting baby stuff, we have also been dealing with some sad events in my family. My dear mom was diagnosed with Alzheimers disease back in January 2007. She had been pretty stable until about 2 months ago, but since then her decline has been very rapid. Her doctor and my dad finally decided it was time to hospitalize her last week as she did not recognize dad anymore and she was becoming very angry and and agitated easily. She was also beginning to wander away from their home and had a bad fall outside on Mother's Day, so her safety was bcoming a real concern. Right now she is in the Foothills Hospital awaiting the first available bed in a care facility. We always knew she would eventually need full time care, but we didn't think it would come so fast, or be so difficult a process to go through. It is heartbreaking to see her so confused and not recognizing the people she loves. We can only hope that the facility she gets into is homey and friendly and makes her feel safe and comfortable.

Here is one of my favourite pictures of mom and I taken last September by our good friend, photographer Tracy McLeod:

I seem to be having some problems posting images (this photo took 25minutes to upload!) so I will try later tonight to post some layouts. (I will have to get my techno-geek hubbie to help me when he gets home!)

Happy scrapping,

Noreen

PS...I also have been reading Stacy Julian's latest book Photo Freedom which was on my wish list, so I'll have to share with you some of the great tips and tricks she passes on to help all us scrapbookers get over our guilt about not ever being "caught up" in our albums. Oh, and I added her blog site to my sidebar list...check it often! I love that gal! :)

Back in the saddle

Sorry for not posting for so long...I have continued to have health issues with this pregnancy that have taken a physical and mental toll on me. After lots of tests and Doctor's visits, my Doc finally has said enough is enough and has ordered me of work permanently until baby is born. This is a good thing (obviously it helps my health and that of baby) but a bit sad in that I am permanently leaving a school that I have really enjoyed working at for the past two and half years. But, since my deareast wish is to be a SAHM/WAHM after this second baby is born, I have to keep my focus looking ahead and not behind.

SO...in the time I have been off I have been researching more and more about how my passion and knowledge for scrapbooking can become a viable and fulfilling business. I have some great ideas gleaned from the web and from talking to trusted confidantes. I am going to continue my Creative Memories business, because I truly believe that they offer the best quality and variety of scrapbooking albums and products AND the best options for beginner digital scrapbookers (more on that later in this posting!) More so, I feel they are by far the best, most reliable and integrity driven direct sales scrapbooking out there (witness the demise of yet another direct sales company "Top Line Creations" just last week!).

What I am going to do is ADD to my business - I am working on building a scrapbooking website that hopefully will become one of your favorites! It will have lots of info on scrapbooking trends, styles, products, techniques and tips, and I hope to build a large gallery of layouts and sample projects to provide you lots of inspiration. I also want to offer more education opportunities (after all, that's what I do best!) in the form of online courses, as well as in-person classes. A colleague and I are working on securing a more permanent and regular home for our workshops/crops and hope to involve a wider variety of consultants and paper crafters. And, I will also be accepting commissioned albums - scrapbooking for those who don't want to do it themselves. I am really excited by and looking forward to these new aspects of my business.

So, as the old saying goes,"When God closes a door, somewhere he opens a window" is very true...although my pregnancy complications have prematurely ended my traditional career in education for me, it has also presented me with opportunitites I never expected.

Now, on to some fun stuff...

I think I already mentioned how much I am loving digital? Well, recently I was inspired to use CM's StoryBook Creator Plus software to create some 4x6 photo cards. YES, CARDS! Imagine never being at the mercy of the big photo developers again in choosing from only a handful of designs that don't really "match" your photo for the holidays. Imagine only paying for a regular sized photo (maybe 0.12 to 0.18 cents?) instead of up to 0.99 cents per photo card! Imagine never again buying "store-bought" invitations for kids birthdays or showers etc. It was a bit mind boggling to say the least to think of how many ways I could use these little gems. SO, I whipped up 6 different ones to just give you an idea of what you can do. It literally took me about 5 minutes per card, and now I can send them off to any photo developer (like Wal-Mart or Costco) and have professional looking cards done quick, easy and CHEAP! I am planning on doing up some more of these for my upcoming retreat, Mother's Day and of course, as baby announcements!

Here they are:






And finally today, the teacher becomes the student. I am really looking forward to attending a session on learning how to use Photoshop Elements. A LSS Scrapbookers Paradise is offering classes and I figured I should know how to use this software so I can have more knowledge when comparing it to CM'S StoryBook Creator Plus. My session is this weekend, so I'll let you know how it goes next week.

Have a great day...Happy Scrapping!
Noreen

Down but not out!

I am once again out of commission...I can't believe it but I had a fall coming out of our garage the other day and have re-injured my ribs AND banged up my knee pretty good. Baby is OK thankfully, but once again I am in a fair amount of pain and can't do much of anything. So I have once again been indulging in reading scrapbooking books and mags while propped up on my couch! Here's a few tidbits I thought would share...

I had purchased Stacy Julian's (founding editor of Simple Scrapbooks) book The Big Picture and finally was able to read it! I love the way Stacy organizes her albums...something I really needed help with! I am a very chronological scrapbooker, and sometimes when I make a layout I wonder where it should go! Stacy has a really flexible system that I think I am going to adopt...adding more albums but having more flexibility as to what goes in them. She also encourages us to be creative, to not get bogged down by guilt (as in not being "Caught up") and to stay motivated and enjoying our fabulous hobby! Great read altogether and I can see me going back to it time and time again.

I also purchased Cathy Zielske's book Clean and Simple Scrapbooking which was also a bit of a revelation. While her style is much simpler than even mine is, I really like the way she approaches scrapbooking. With her background as a photographer and graphic designer, her pages are all about the photos and the story. Love it! Although I enjoy looking at highly decorated and embellished pages, the things that I really want to see on a page are clear, crisp photos and words that describe the moments behind them - the stories, the feelings, the memories. And Cathy does this beautifully! In the book she covers basic elements and principles of design (a subject close to my own heart!), gives photo tips that will improve anyones photography, and gives really clear examples of working with typography (text) on a computer so you can journal and scrap your layouts quickly and easily. I highly recommend it!

Next on my wish list:

Photo Freedom by Stacy Julian
Clean and Simple Scrapbooking: The Sequel by Cathy Zielske
Best of Becky Higgins' Sketches by Becky Higgins

And I can't forget Creative Memories own magazine Lasting Moments. It's a great publication that comes out 6 times and year and focuses exclusively on CM products. You can get all the news on the latest products (like the new 12x12 and 8x8 TRUE size products...YAY!!!) and see lots more ideas on how to use your favorites in fresh new ways...including digital tips. You can subscribe to Lasting Moments for only $29.97/year CAD on my website - click here to find out more...you'll be glad you did, because as a thank you for subscribing, CM will send you a bonus freebie with your first issue and I will be offering you 15% off your next CM order! You can't go wrong!

So, lots of ideas and inspiration all around! Watch my blog over the next few days for some new layouts and project ideas! And If you have read any great scrapbooking books and want to share your opinion or tips or tricks, I'd love to hear from you!

Happy scrapping!
Noreen