monday already?

sigh. well, it was a great weekend. friday we went to see the da vinci code. i found it very interesting and it really got me thinking more about religion. i do not "belong" to any organized religion. i guess most of the time people are religious because of growing up "in" it; being taught to believe something. behaviours and beliefs are modelled for children, and they in turn believe and model. however, sometimes the chain gets broken, and patterns change. so, i grew up not being religious, and not learning about religion or god. and yet, since my early teen years...in fact, since i was a child with friends going to sunday school (which seemed just so fun by their descriptions), i have been curious. as a young adult, i thought that i would take religious studies and history at university. the subject fascinates me. there is something in me...as an adult i can feel it and identify with it. a spiritual component that is like a sponge...wanting to soak up information and learn, learn, learn. i try to identify with that side of myself when i can, and it feels good.

and boy, did i get my scrap on this weekend. the 1 year old party was fun. taila looked like a princes...can't wait to get through those pix and start scrapping them. for now, here are some of the pages from the album i gave my friend tanya. it was a hit :)

tweezers are MIA

this is bad, people. very bad.
if i don't find them soon, i will be suffering from monobrow syndrome.
i have like 5 pairs. where are they!!??
one or two pairs are in my crafty stuff, and, well, they're covered with paint and glue and bits of paper. i don't think they'll function very well for tweezing hair anymore.

in other news, i've been madly scrapping trying to put together a whole bunch of pages for a friend's baby's 1st birthday. want to fill a book. friend would die! (of happiness) baby is named taila. you might remember seeing her a couple times recently. she is the super cute, totally adorable half-asian love muffin who we know is not my own baby (unless i happen to have been cheating on my husband, which, i assure you i have not). i suppose we could have adopted her, but there's been no adopting of children going on in my house either. i do love her almost like she's my own because she's so darn charming and gorgeous. she's got that certain something that some children seem to have that just ropes you right in to thinking you might just want another child. riiiiight. moving right along and away from THAT subject, i will do my best to get things scanned and shared before the party. it's tomorrow.

it's also friday (thank you jesus), and that means another dare is up and running for the current week! i absolutely loved it because i'm forever taking photos that are...well...totally crappy and disappointing! now we get to use them :)



and that's that. now i shall get back to work.
LOVE!

the rain

you know when it rains, but it's still warm?
and then it stops raining, but everything is still wet.
the birds are literally singing their eyeballs out.
the grass is green, the trees are dripping.
i'm walking in a t-shirt because it's so warm.
it smells fresh and clean.
the world has been washed.
i love that.

amazing

talk about the silver lining.
talk about taking adversity and something so sad and turning it into a positive thing.
talk about love.
talk about amazing.


this site was made to remember alex, the sister of my dearest g1 and e. alex succumbed to anorexia on march 5, 2006. these girls, with the help of good friends, are making an effort to help individuals and families suffering. no bigger hearts, i swear. they amaze me. they are organizing a run (see the remembering alex site for details) and also raising money by selling t-shirts...and damn...they are sweet. even if you can't make it to the run (which i won't be doing...despite my 5am training and all), check out the t-shirts etc. and support this awesome cause.

i have to choose a shirt still. and i'm thinking they would make awesome gifts too...hmmm.

for my sister, aley (an A name...yeah) who started running not too long ago:


for my mother, annie (another A name...sweet!)


who doesn't need a cool logo mug to sip pipin hot coffee out of each and every morning?


for me (although i'm still contemplating my fave):


and this just makes me want a dog:


there's something else on that site that makes me want a baby, but we won't talk about that.

just wanted to share some of my faves...show off the good stuff. these girls, this family, and the cause deserve all the support i hope they get. and also super excited for an announcement from nisa who is doing her part. love it.

challenge-ville

just got back from my run.
woo hoo!
(yeah...don't ask)
smokin hot cup o java sitting beside me...what could be better...aaahhhh.

so today is the unveiling of two challenges from me

1. freestyle blog challenge #6 for which i created this page:


the challenge is to use various mixed up alphas on a page. FUN!

2. leaving memories weekly challenge

this one is all about using patterned paper as the background for a page...a difficult thing for me to get used to, but a trend that is definitely being spotted more and more.

i had a good weekend.
back to work today.
hopefully a quiet day due to the holiday in the states.
i could use a quiet day to ease back into the work thang.

5am

is the most evil time on a friday morning.
why is it so difficult today?
oh right. the week is catching up.
SO.
i'm on day 4 of the diet.
folks...i have done WELL.
i'm proud of myself.
i've eaten more
chicken &
vegies &
olive oil &
balsamic
than ever before.
it's workin.
i skipped the "run" yesterday.
today i walked (fast).
creating new habits.

new dare up today on the dares blog.
it's fun...
and i had a BLAST making my page.
once i finally figured out how to make the 546 photos i took work (slight exaggeration). made it flip open...yeah.:)

i was so incredibly inspired by ali on this one. i'm really enjoying her article in CK...i just wish it wouldn't end so quickly. who would love to see the ali edwards magazine? i mean...this woman has so much energy and creativity and constantly inspires sooo many people. how does she keep her ego in check!!?? amazing down to earthedness going on over there. i've been so motivated to create lately...i think about it all day every day pretty much. and when that little thing called "life" happens to get in the way of me being able to actually DO it all day every day, i just store the motivation. because really, my life is pretty damn enjoyable and inspirational in and of itself.

here's my page...thanks for reading...thanks for looking...may every single one of you have a fabulous friday and a wonderful weekend. xog

late

i need to go to bed.
it's 11:20, and the alarm will go off at 4:45.
i got into a project tonight.
a project for friday to be exact ;)
and i couldn't stop.
and i love it.
it's not done...but i already love it.

THIS is what i want to remember for a while.

NOBODY CAN MAKE YOU FEEL
INFERIOR WITHOUT YOUR
PERMISSION
*eleanor roosevelt

05.24.2006

**edited to correct the spelling of my husband's last name. haha...ooops!!!
happy 3rd anniversary, adrian alleyne.
i love you i love you i love you.

lost her ever-lovin mind...

yep.
that's me!
two words:
diet
running

eeeeeeek!

we shall see what we shall see.
i'm doing this with a friend.
it's about bloody time...
but there are issues.

1. i LOVE food.
2. i do not love sprinting around the city (or even moving at a pace that will make my heart pound, my lungs ache, and my body angry)
3. especially not loving starting at 5:00am

HMM.

the first part will be the hardest.
no sugar.
no carbs.
moderate fats.
i can't even eat carrots for pete's sake!!!!
sounds harsh?
yep...to me too :(
but apparently the idea is that you re-train your body/appetite.
yeah.
tell that to my bread-and-cheese-and-chocolate-lovin self.

wish me luck!!!

friday :)

AND it's a long weekend up here in canada.
YES!

thanks for the sweet sweet comments & emails...
such awesome support.
so uplifting.
wow.
being open to different perspectives is so rewarding.
and i do hope i didn't offend anyone...
with my reference to the whole online friends thing...
cuz man...
some of the most important and amazing people in my life are you.
it's just that disappointment is still there...
just like in real life.
but we roll with the punches, right?
i still feel so lucky and blessed.
for those of you in my life...the genuine people...
the people who are willing to reciprocate...
be open to friendship as a two-way street.
sharing and bearing your souls.
enriching my life.
i love you.

then there's those i hardly know at all...
lurking around.
comment, don't comment...
i don't mind.
it's up to you.
if you can relate to anything i say...
if i can make you smile or laugh...
if i make you mad or sad...(although hopefully not)
i appreciate that you come here.

this week's dare was so fun.
just to relax and play.
let the creativity flow and take over.
i was happy with the results.
everyone did amazing things with this week's dare.
hope you decide to join in!

for my page, i flipped the ad on its side.
as soon as i did that, i was reminded of a window pane.
i know i've done this before, but i wanted to do it again. so there.
i used a plastic card out of my wallet to get those lines of paint...nice and thick.
i had the yummy yummy 7G paper sitting on the table...
it was begging to get cut out.
although that was hard.
i love that paper.
i then journalled around the pp and the edge of the page...
then cut out that window part...
then i tore off the left side of the page because it felt a little unbalanced to me.
done.




my plans for the weekend?
lil man has a soccer game tomorrow.
maybe going to see "over the hedge" tomorrow w/ colleen & the boys
otherwise cleanin and scrappin.
scrappin and cleanin.
and hopefully, staying very close to home.
need me some home time!

i hope everyone has a fabulous friday.

contemplating.

**eta: warning - book ahead**

i cherish those moments of reflection when i am doing some random task like brushing my teeth and i come to a realization that i know for sure will make me a better person or make my life better, even if it's sad or frustrating or difficult.

once in a while i slide into self doubt and insecurity. today it dawned on me that i spent so much of my teenagehood in total angst and manic-ness and anger and sadness and over-the-moon-ness. flying from horribly insecure and depressed to wildly confident and having the time of my life. probably fairly typical for a teenager. the current slips are so reminiscent of those years...it's unsettling.

doubting my art. this is huge for me. in the past year of sharing myself and my art on the internet, i've become enriched beyond belief. met amazing people and seen things and opened my mind up to things that leave me to never be the same again. i gain inspiration from others. i also compare and strive and yearn...to an unhealthy level at times. and it's hard to realize what i'm doing to myself before the funk hits. so important to recognize...and i suppose i will only learn by once in a while living through the funk.

today i was thinking about friendships. i feel the same. you think you know people...you put yourself out there...you can only hope that your efforts will be reciprocated. i wear my heart on my damn sleeve and it just screws me sometimes. i've learned how to deal with people in real life. totally. i keep my expectations low...and i'm not talking in a pessimistic way here. i have awesome friends in my life...who are all there for a reason. the ones who make as much effort and put as much heart and soul into the relationship are the ones who benefit from me giving all of me. i LOVE having friends. i LOVE giving and sharing and talking and being honest with people. it took me a long time, but i finally realized how to let myself be vulnerable...drop my pride and open myself up...to the right people. connecting with people on the internet is different. still experimenting with that one. internet friendships are awesome and awful. they are easy and exciting. but they are also unstable and unsure. really...do you KNOW these people? maybe. maybe you do. but that doesn't mean that they FEEL the same. doesn't mean that they can't play games (a lot more easily than in real life). it doesn't mean that they are going to always be honest...always reciprocate or always stay constant. so much less accountability it seems. i lovelovelove that i've met some amazing incredible people in the past year. i feel like being online and scrapping and sharing has enriched my life beyond belief. but once in a while, i feel those old negative, insecure feelings creeping back in. and then i have to take a step back. regroup. centre myself. think about and focus on what IS real and what i can count on beyond all doubt.

dren is the first person in my life that i trust with ALL of it. my heart. my spirit. my body. my mind. my life. my child. what an amazingly SECURE feeling. there is nothing better, when it comes right down to it.

my child. we had a pretty rough start, he and i. he was what you might call a "difficult" baby. and we can just follow that up with i was what you might call a "psychopath" first-time mother for about 6 or so months. i didn't know it at the time (when you're psychotic you're not often rationally self-observant, after all) and so i didn't ask for or seek out the help or support we really needed. i realize now what i needed then. i wish i knew then, because i could have been a much better mother. while i doubt my skill then, and still do from time to time these days, it's gotten better and better. i've forged a solid, loving relationship with my child that will NEVER go away. what an amazing thing.

today we were walking (well, i was walking, he was riding his bike...fast, like sonic the hedgehog) to school, and he was rambling on and on. i love these moments we share. it means about an hour and fifteen minutes from the time we leave the house until i arrive at work, but it's so worth it. he was riding along...in such a good mood. randomly rambling little out of the blue comments like the ones in this gem of a conversation:
"i know when the dinosaurs went a-stinct"
me: really? (genuine surprise here folks)
j: yep...sixty million hours.
me: wow...hmmm.
j: or maybe sixty million hundred.
me: holy smokes!
j: do you know how big a pachycephalosaurus is? (yes, the kid knows all the crazy dino names...he's gonna be a paleantologist just like ross...and if i spelled the name of the dinosaur or the name of the person who studies them wrong, then sue me...i'm so not one of those people)
me: nope.
j: free. he's free feet.

ahhh. it's gonna be alright. it's gonna be just fine.
nothing like a 4 year old to get it all in perspective for me.
the sun is shining and i'm getting nice and re-centred.

**and if you did actually make it all the way through and to the end of this, i do thank you. so very much.

lots

to share, but i'm left with this...
the view from the house
etched in my memory.



i love getting out of the city.
relaxed.
refreshed.
like a different human when i'm away.
we had fun.
slept
relaxed
drank
danced
made fire
shopped
read trashy magazines
laughed (a LOT)
gazed
often.
wicked music
took photos
ate awesomely
watched the boys
had fun.
it was so good.

she outtie

i'm off for the weekend!
going to spend time w/ friends at a cabin on a lagoon.
mmmmmmm.
no computer.

and also, it was dare day today!
check out the blog for details.
hope everyone has a wooonderful weekend.

miles davis, SWH & feeling more human

wow what a good night's sleep will do for a girl.
i feel like a human being.
jaxon seemed like a human being this morning.
got him off to preschool and everything.
left the teacher with meds instructions...
and ones about keeping him calm & settled.
ha.

i'm listening to miles right now...
"kind of blue"
this is one of my all-time fave albums.
very grounding for me.

still on the damn safari...
thanks for the firefox tips girls...
gonna import my 'marks later and give it a shot.

SWH.
duh.
of COURSE it stands for the one and only.
Sabrina
Ward
Harrison
(thanks k)
duh.
and thanks also for the reminder.
do you know i don't own ANY of her books?
must order.
feeling an amazon spree coming on.

josh is back.
no more two jobs for me.
yipee!
i hope i get all caught up on work fast today.
then i can go get caught up on all my blogging that i have neglected.
i MISS you girls!!!
must read up.

feel like creating something.
right.
back to work.

LOVE!

just a little update

jax is sick.
he's got asthma/reactive airways.
so when he gets a little cold, it turns into this huge lung/coughing issue.
we finally finally got help for him the other morning when dren took him to children's hospital emergency around 3:30am.
i HAD to be at work this week - a co-worker is absent and i've been doing 2 jobs.
dren stayed home today and yesterday.
i reallyreally hope he's well enough to go to school tomorrow.
poor lil dude...
between him and i...man what a mess!
but i'm so glad to finally know the cause of all this coughing.
and to have a treatment.
i think i need a nap.

holy MIA

there is not enough time in the day.
where did this week go, exactly?
how odd.

well...it's friday.
time for a new dare!
all about scents & smells...
mmmmm....
smelly.
love me some coffee...beans or the liquid.
i actually have about a billion things i love the smell of.
gasoline included (only in small doses of course)
but i chose just a few to plop onto this page.
oh yeah! and the dare was sponsored by blackberry buckets!


well, i'm at work so i shouldn't post long...
plus i'm doin the mac thing...
and now that i know that blogger hates safari
and loves internet explorer...
well...life just ain't the same postin at work.

sushi for lunch
a whirwind of birthdays weekend ahead.
hopefully a bunch o scrappin too!

cute summer clothes, missing creativity, and a hematoma

i super shopped this weekend.
TOMs with renee.
my FAVOURITE.
new scrappy crap - yay!
can we say like 30 sheets of 7G....
sluuuuuurp.

then the clothes...
capris (2 jeans, one sweats...but nice sweats)
hoodie that goes with the sweats ones.
shades.
ALL for the whopping sum of $77.
uhm hell yes.

i have to share a story with you.
i want to record it forever and figure out a way to scrap it.
the funniest shit.
i just don't know if it will be funny to others or if you had to be there.
that's probably the BEST way to start out telling a story right...? doh.
ANYway.
renee told me about a dream she had.
"nightmare actually" she said.
"i dreamed that your creativity was in your appendix!!!!"
she sounded SO distraught.
musta been one of those dreams that felt so real.
she told me how everything i was making sucked so bad.
then.
we had to go look for it.
my appendix.
we went to the hospital.
trying to find it.
to get my creativity back.
poor renee.
i would say poor me...
but i don't think it was accurate.
i mean...i've made a couple pages since then.
while they might not be my favourite ever...
i don't think they would classify for the "that sucks so bad" category.
hope not...hee!

then there's the hematoma.
also known as.
h-e-m-o-t-a
if you're gabby.
she tried to correct herself.
but i wouldn't listen.
it's a bruise inside me in my tummy.
due to operation.
sucks, but what are you gonna do?
i'll tell you what.
you're gonna call it a HEMOTA
and pretend it's an awesome japanese restaurant that you want to visit.

it's a NEW day

onwards and forwards.
it's OK.
it's about learning and changing.
becoming stronger day by day.
everything is fine.
mum reminded me this morning that this is a learning experience for her too.
yeah...she's 59.
does that mean she won't make mistakes?
nope.
she's appreciative of everything GOOD that happened last night.
i'm gonna take a page from that book of hers.
not staying stuck on what was.
let's move on...

like perhaps to a new DARE DAY!!!
can i just please shout out to the incredible hambly!!???
the product is SO scrumptious.
wanna eat it up.
or at least scrap with it lots.
here, i did just that...couldn't stop:







AND people...i have to mention, since i have not yet (shameshame)...
we are FREESTYLE bloggin baby!!
freestyle has become a part of my heart and soul.
i'm blessed and honoured to be a part of such an amazing group.
i often feel not worthy...
but still appreciate the opportunity...
and the ongoing inspiration and friendships our group has formed.
the fun continues...
with challenges! the first being to scraplift any page from the book.
my only problem with this is...which one????
i flip-flop a lot...
the possibilities are endless.
but man oh man should you EVER check it out and join in.
the talent and eye candy is unbelievable.
i have incorportated the freestyle way of scrapbooking into my core.
it's SO freeing and fun.
helps you realize your inner artist...
seriously...every one of us scrapbookers has one.
no doubt.
i challenge you to find yours, recognize yours, release yours.
the freestyle floor is open folks.

a few more things.
one:
thank you for your kind sweet supportive comments.
two:
the "belongs to" tag on the framed project is from 7gypsies...LOVE!
three:
and it's friday!!!!

sideways

the present was a hit.
and a part of me would like to pretend that it was all great.
but the truth is, it went a bit sideways at the end.
so unfortunate.
shoulda known better.
why did he want to be there?
why did she say yes?
why am i stuck in the middle?
why do i feel so alone?
why does it make me so sad?
because i love them both.
because they're my parents.
because i'm their only child.

s'm'art

tuesay

great title huh?
would help if i spelled (spelt?)(surely not) it right.
but i spelled/spelt it wrong twice.
to tuesay it is.
for 63 more minutes.

i MUST say a humongo thank you to miss missy for telling me about this because now i can be a much more efficient blogger. really. efficiency rocks. i suppose stiiiill being off work has nothing to do with me having more blog time...right.

in LOVE with project catwalk. very similar to project runway but well...BETTER! like a billion times better. in. LOVE. L-O-V-E love. makes me happy.

still appreciating all of the good wishes, phone calls, emails and visits i've received since being laid up. i have a good life, full of good friend and family, and for that i am soso grateful.

renee brought me some NEW 7g paper yumyumdrooldrool amongst other fun and sweet goodies. LOVE goody drops. speaking of...it was a great mail day yesterday. got the may kit from LM. full of cactus pink & HS journalling spots, along with other awesomeness. oh, and !!!cactus pink is our DT sponsor this month so that meant LOTS of extras - yipee.

one good thing about this PC.
PC loves blogger.
or blogger loves PC.
i can link like a fiend...and i think even make things bold and change colours.
you should know, my friends, that these options were just not readily available on the mac. and i never bothered to find out if they actually were available at all.

and two more things.

i love sunshine.
and taking photos outside with the wonderfully long light days.

scrappy stuff to share tomorrow.

ho hum

strange day today.
good
then tired
then good
then sore
then good
then sore
still sore :(
i guess this is recovery.
i won't be going back to work until next monday.
doctor's orders.
tonight, i feel glad for that.
boss's (aka brother-in-law) response to email notifying him?
"yikes"
thanks for the support dude.
over the weekend and today taken a TON of photos.
from a chair on the soccerfield sidelines (saturday)
from a chair in the courtyard saturday afternoon, sunday & today.
GORGEOUS weather.
G O R G E O U S.
like summer.
mum's bday bash on thursday.
we have 45 confirmed guests surprising her @ a restaurant/bar/loungey place.
perhaps more.
she will be thrilled.
59 and thrilled.
can't wait to eat.
tapas tapas & more tapas.
you WILL want to fly here gabby.
did you hear?
there
will
be
tapas
tapas
&
more
tapas.
guaranteed.
i WILL be there.
even if i have to sit in the same spot all night.
and no, my mother doesn't read my blog.
must get that present for her done.
kinda lost a pre-mum-bday week there.
but for now.
the couch.
it's calling my name.
peace out sistas.

my boy

finally, some art to share.

feels like it's been forever!
nothin like a little dare action to put me in the sharing mood.
the one, the only, the amazingly inspirational ae brought this dare to us and extends it to you.
play - it's fun.

may i just say...i'm a last-minute person.
many of you know...surgery was monday night.
did i have my dare done? no.
did i think about it as i was awaiting the trip up to the OR?
yes. i even mentioned something out loud to dren about bringing my scrap stuff to recovery.
he thought i was joking. i did not laugh.
thank goodness i was out of the hospital...the mama probably would not have allowed it.
but i snuck in some scrap time on the couch yesterday.
thankully, i had printed pix on sunday...planning ahead...who knew!?
chopped and rubbed and stuck and inked...for about a good 4 hours.
let's just say i was NOT speed scrapping yesterday.
it was fun though. but man...i never knew scrapping could be so exhausting!


i encourage you to think in an observational way.
it's very interesting and eye-opening.
then translate it artistically.
can't wait to see the creativity that comes out of this one.
thanks ali!

when people love you

it makes bad things seem ok.
your life is easier.
you smile just thinking about them.
they make your day with a single phone call.
they tell you it's ok if you can't talk.
you get flowers when you're sick.
your email inbox is never empty.
you can relax.
i love you.
thank you.

guess what i got for easter?

appendicitis.
and the matching laparoscpic appendectomy to go along with it.
happy freakin easter huh???
went from a wicked spread @ rhi's to emergency @ UBC...
ended up in surgery @ VGH a little over 12 hours later.
and, due to our wonderful government cutbacks, and no available beds...
here i am at home, discharged about 12 hours after surgery.
i'm actually happy to be at home...
on my couch, laptop on lap,
checkin a little buzz lightyear action with the j-man,
stoned on oxycodone, and pretty much being waited on hand and foot by d.
love this man.
i have a movie, the first season of v-mars, flowers,
all sorts of mags (trashy & fashion), a new book, getting better.
lotsa water, lotsa rest and hopefully a shiny happy me in the next few days...

the woe files pt. deuce

email to bossman tonight:
"could you please email me all my safari bookmarks? [currently stored in the apple baby you stole back from me...yeah i know you just bought me a laptop but i'm suffering remorse] thanks much. g."
yeah.
so.
blog much?
no.

seriously...i suppose i *could* go through all previous posters and pea files and all that...but you know...uhm....just lazy i guess.
oh. and it's 1:08am. tired and lazy.
and constantly pressing the wrong button.
like the red "x" instead of "queue" on an email.
not good.
are you SICK of hearing me complain yet?
it will get better. i swear. it HAS to!!! :D
at least i'm getting lots of scrapping done!
at some point, you might see it.

sweet dreams my loves.

really...uhm...yup...

missing it.
my mac.
boo hiss. (hmmm...sound familiar missy? hope you get better SOON!!)
doesn't help that for at least 8 hours per day i'm on one.
so what does that mean?
that means i close emails on the pc instead of "queing" them (or however you spell that...why those two completely opposite functions need to be on the same top right hand corner of my email message is beyond me...i know i know...bill gates and steve jobs (or whatever his name is) don't care and certainly weren't in cahoots back when they figured that out...or their peons did)
that means apparently i can't figure out how to make my scanner work.
that means my computer just isn't as friendly.
and yes, i like a friendly computer.
because please people...these machines we rely on so heavily are not REALLY our friends...
but the more we can pretend the better right?
i mean...since we spend so much time with them and everything.
SO> (HAHAHA. apparently my PERIOD key didn't want to work there for a minute..NOPE i'm not bitter...NOT ONE BIT)
SO. (PERIOD!!!) damn thing...
holy crap i'm ranting.
and i can't even remember what was supposed to come after SO.

but i do know this.
it's mara's birthday. yep. i haven't slept yet, so even though the whole time thing means it's officially over...well...in my world it's not yet. so...HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARA! an if it weren't 1:21 am i might link your blog or something. but it is so i'm not. (member...i'm lazy :)

exciting news on the DARE front (another non-linkage thing...but check out the link of the side if you're not already familiar)...supa dupa.

kristina made me flipping HOWL on the phone today. love you and your uhm.......totally stable self ;)

gabby rocks. she loves her friends so much. kind soul.
phone date must be had. soon.

miss lots of people...good friends that i've been not so connected to lately...stupid computer...stupid job (sort of not really, but you know)

spent the evening scrapping with my awesome girl-pal coco j. love her bunches.
got a page done for LM....DT inspiration piece. fun. and it involves another wicked g-friend...RENEE...again, no linkage...sorry! :P

oh.
received freestyle in the not mail...the fedex...on monday.
it is amazing.
more amazing every day.
i love flipping through it.
putting it down
flipping a little more.
examining all the little close-up shots of little bits and pieces.
reading titles.
absorbing greatness.
eventually, i will sit down with it and absord more from it.
for now, still...for a while to come, probably...MAJOR eye candy & inspiration.
wicked, wicked stuff.
i HIGhLY recommend it....heehee.

ok
so gotta go to bed.
i certainly hope i can figure this damn commputer out so i can share some fun pix etc soon.

xoxog

bye-bye mac

big changes in gen's computer land this weekend.
gotta take the imac back to work.
i'm hiring someone to help me out w/ gfx stuff...so i needed it there.
however, it turns out that we need another computer there too...
and i still need a computer at home!
solution?
laptop!
bummer part?
mac laptop of any kind = mucho $$$ cha-ching!
i will save my pretty pennies and buy myself one...one day.
but for now, we have the boss-sponsored hp pavilion whatever whatever...
it's super fast dude.
like faster than my mac.
so although i'm so sad to say goodbye to my cute and beautiful and friendly and lovely and awesome little mac....
well...this baby flies! and has 160 GIGs for me to load up with graphics & photots.
oh, and it has a 17 inch screen. yeppers.
gorgeous.

and i have the "fun" IM now too ;)

i spent the better part of this weekend backing up my files and photos onto dvd, and moving stuff to the new machine. what a chore!! but i'm done and well...that's a good thing...a major relief. i forgot to get my bookmarks off my old computer. damn.

desperate housewives & grey's anatomy are both reruns tonight.
dren has aliens on.
right. uhm. might be bedtime for me.

hope everyone had a fabulous weekend.

i love having a computer w/ a wireless card.

life is good :)

woman power

dare #23 is up!

check it out. seriously.
makes ya think.
makes ya feel stronger.



***ETA: i totally forgot to mention previously (at 6:whatever a.m. when this post was original done)
that this dare is brought to you by the letter F
F is for FONTWERKS!!!!
i *heart* fontwerks.
i have a special thing for them because they're not only cool, but local to me :)
but also cool. like cool stuff to use.
fun.
they are responsible for me wanting to stamp again after swearing off stamps forever.
do you hear that kah-mei!!!???
now it's becoming a problem.
but a fun problem.
oh, also a cool creative team.
a couple cool garden girls, a cool hof winner, a couple other cool kids too! ;)
always doing drool-worthy stuff.
REALLY cool stuff for this dare - check it out on their site.
yum. fun.
so yay for fontwerks and yay for stamping and NEAT paper!!!
on this layout, i used kate teague simply neat paper, typesetter & stitch stamparoos.
love em.



i got a new shelf from ikea yesterday.
dren got it made in like 1/2 an hour.
i think that's a record.
then i organized.
cleaned.
purged (just a little).
will share pix later.
LOVE my new space.

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!

last night i sat on the couch

i actually don't sit down on the couch and relax very often.
it was really nice. i'm too high strung and busy...
my hands always have to be doing something, and normally it's making art or cleaning.
even on the rare occasion i do sit and relax, i have a book or magazine for commercials. i totally tune out during commercials. they irritate me. well, except for a few select good commercials, of course. those are few and far between.
i did do some creative stuff, but realized how tired i was.
so, i sat on the couch with a glass of shiraz and watched boston legal.
relaxed. totally.
HEAVEN.
such an awesome show, that BL.
james spader is a genius.
so is david e. kelly...but that's sort of a given.

OH! and other TV news...
i finally got to see the project runway finale...finally!!!!
the show was AWESOME. i love love love that show.
i reallyreallyreally wanted santino to bring it and win...
honestly, i think half the reason he didn't win is because all the judges know he's going to be a raging success no matter what - that boy's got talent. his collection was totally BLAH for him...chloe's stuff was fun and well made and she does the whole marketing thing and well...whatever. i guess she totally deserved it. the edited the show well - i thought she was going to show a whole collection of satin prom dresses. yikes! you all probably saw this a month ago. i'm happy to finally be able to KNOW the results and talk about it and eagerly anticipate the next season. but i'm sad it's over. it's like finishing a really awesome book - kinda anti-climactic and depressing when it's over.

and i do have some circle journal fun to share.
i'm in this group dubbed "scrappin divas" by sweet mara
such awesome talent and fun. we will each end up with a wicked book in the end, i'm sure.
my theme is "dreams"...open to any and all interpretation.
here are some shots of my book.
gotta get this puppy in the mail.
oh - and i better get a move on to work. sigh.

sunshine, tulips & little books

gorgeous day here today.
i love spring!
there are tulips and cherry blossoms and daffodils everywhere.

so. more to the art journal. loving this SO much.
i thought it might mean i'd get less done on other creative projects.
not so. more creative juice flowin.





**eta: is it wrong that i stole a fridge magnet from my child who never plays with them? it was on the kitchen floor, i stepped on it, swore, and then looked down and it was the number 8. on day 8. imagine that. so i stole it.


i am grateful for my amazingly talented friend kla. she inspires me incredibly, and yesterday when i checked her blog and saw her AWESOME art journal i was so inspired to give my pages a home. to make this a permanent process. i'm often afraid of the permanent. i don't label things with permanent marker...i like labels to be removeable. screw it. i want to change. i made a book. and i love it.






took some pix of my new circle journal today too.
will edit and share later.
i've fallen in love with little books.

i am not a fan of the time change

and do you think i could also blame it for making me feel car-sick on my bus ride to work today?
hmmmm.

i had such a fun and creative weekend.
i wanted it to go on forever.
i am counting the days til our 4 day weekend coming up...

alrighty then.
let's post a few art journal/challenge entries, shall we?
i must admit, while i am enjoying the creative process immensely, i'm not noticing a huge change in my behaviour....yet. however, i am definitely more conscious and aware of the problems, and i AM making a serious effort. gotta start somewhere, right?

thanks to all the wonderful players of this challenge for keepin' on, and thanks also to my fellow bloggin females who stop by to say hello. contrary to how that just sounded, i am not accepting an award of any kind.

{do}

poor jax was sick again last night. this bug is really staying with him. so i went to bed really early snuggling w/ him last night. didn't get a chance to do my day 4 entry...but i DID get a bunch of stuff ready for the mail, which i will be taking today. this is one of my goals - get to the post office more often. i'm taking it to work today and will get out during a break today. yay!

i don't want to fall too far behind on this challenge...not for the sake of keeping up with the challenge, but for the fact that i am LOVING it. keeping the creative juices flowing. being conscious and aware each and every day to push myself towards my goals. i do truly believe that pushing my self (ie: the CHALLENGE) will keep me motivated to make choices that make my life better. so i woke up early this morning and worked on day 4.

i love the message of yesterday's quote. i had been thinking of journalling something like "do it today. not tomorrow. do it today." but after i got the quote down, the following came to me...and i love the result. simple, to the point...exactly what i needed.

i hope everyone has a wonderful friday. get a kiss...get a hug...tell someone you love them. make it a good day. i know i'm going to. DO it.



ink and pens...yum yum. oh, and my new addiction is stamping. i think i've spent about a million dollars on stamps in the past couple weeks...my friends at fontwerks are mostly to blame. here, i used their new george alphas (totally obsessed with these) and also the technique tuesdays functuation (i would have bought them just for the name - love it). oh - and the 7Gypsies fabric reinforcers stickers. YUM. (thanks TOM!!!)