Feels so good...

To do a little paper scrapping!

Well, this was a while ago...about 3 weeks, I think. I had just organized my Studio Calico kit (which I am no longer getting, but have plenty to spare!) papers by color, and cleaned out my inspiration binder, so I was ready to rock. I like how this one turned out. A LOT. The mists went on quite dark but dried beautifully. Perfectly, in fact.


I was ready to upload this one at the same time, but it needed something more. There was a big blank spot above the chipmunk in the large photo, and I filled it with a die-cut swirl. Did I tell you I bought myself a Sizzix Big Kick with some birthday money? I am all about the hand-crank, heh.

I had more than one Christmas surprise, when I was not expecting any. Not after the rockin Laptop Gift of 2009. How could E top that? I even said as much to him when he told me he'd bought "something technical" for me this year. I was ready to give him a list (with one thing on it: The Cinch) when he told me that, so I didn't mention it at the time.

Then he headed out to do some "last-minute Christmas shopping," wink wink nudge nudge on CHRISTMAS EVE. Yeah, that's last-minute alright. I had figured his "technical" gift from earlier was a red herring (maybe an origami-folded paper wallet? haha), so I told him about the Cinch wish, but he shook his head and said "I'm not going all the way out there" (to the JoAnn's Etc on the other side of town) even though I had a coupon for him if he wanted to check it out.

Flash forward to Christmas Day: not only did I get the Cinch, but also the promised "technical" gift, which was truly a techie dream: an iPod Touch (which I refer to as simply the "iTouch"...probably incorrectly, since it sounds a little dirty).

The first app I downloaded was the Hipstamatic. I have been drooling over others' photos from this app for a while now...and now I have some of my own.

I've been thinking about participating in another 365 project, starting in January, and the iPod Touch makes it soooo much easier to participate than lugging my DSLR around (both lenses are having focusing problems, to boot...I need to get them to a repair shop). Since I started taking pictures right away, I figured, why not start a 365 right away? So I did.

Now to get a Flickr pro account again. Mine expired in September and I haven't taken the time to renew it.

It's always darkest...

...just before a little Glimmer arrives...Somehow I won this kit by commenting on Northridge Media's/Scrapbook Trends' blog on Black Friday. I have no memory of entering a comment (or a contest), but I'm not complaining! Oh my no. I noted that they also selected "random" winners from folks who had ordered $50 or more from Northridge that day, but I know for a fact I didn't do that (I was too busy getting freebies from the awesome DigiScrap Addicts blog train rolling that day)! I did pre-order their Christmas Cards magazine back in October, but that was only about $20 worth of stuff. Clueless! Anyway, thank you Northridge Media!

When I got the email saying I'd won, I'd been having a particularly rough day...I don't remember why, probably due to the 2 (count 'em, TWO) last-minute Co-op fundraisers I was compiling...coffee sales & scrip cards (remind me not to do that again, please...not Ways & Means, but 2 fundraisers due at the same time)...yesterday when the package came I'd just finished a day of errands, good errands, but at the expense of completely forgetting the high tea I look forward to attending each month with my Mom...she called to see if I was on my way as I was heading out the door to do those errands. Grr. Then...package! Which made me feel better, if not her. Sorry again, Mom :(

My current daily obsession is the month-long sale going on at Designer Digitals. Stop, I beg of you! Every day they put new things on sale, things on my wishlist and things I hadn't noticed before. One of the first things I downloaded was the Circus Circus paper kit from Jesse Edwards, with my photos from the Ringling Museum eagerly waiting in the wings. I tweaked it a bit every night, especially the titlework, where I taught myself how to cut letters out of a patterned paper using a layer mask (quite proud of myself, I am).

It has been easy enough to avoid buying Ali Edward's handprinted title/word packages (I really should use my *own* handwriting, right?), because I have the (legally!) downloaded Creating Keepsakes version of her handwriting font (which I used here). Still, it's missing the lovely flow of actual handwriting, so I believe a few (ahem) of Ali's lettering packages have made it into my cart in the past week or so.

Here's to hoping I can avoid further temptation...16 more days to go...damn you Designer Digitals! :D

"I don't want to share this LO! I don't!" (folds arms, stomps, pouts). Well, here it is anyway. The unvarnished truth: I ran today, and paced my mile: 12:38, nearly a minute off my 13:30 time from August! So, I WILL share this LO. It's solid, it's where I'm at, and I finished it today.

Am I happy with my measurements? Well, some surprised me (another quarter inch off my arms, and three (3!!) off my thighs (if I could just get that effect moving up toward my waist...but stopping at my chest. Heh). And that after skipping my training intervals for 3 weeks in September and again in October.

Am I ready for the 1-mile fun run on Saturday? Umm...sort of. I'm actually looking forward to the cold weather, since I sweat like a _____ in ______ (fill it in with your own nasty description...I've got mine...!) when I run. My only concerns are (a) huffing and puffing when I breathe (makes my throat sore) and (b) water (!) I think on that last one I'm just going to have to drink most of it *before* the run...might give me a reason to run FASTER, iykwim...

So that's what I did today. Thanks, as always, for commenting. Remember what Henry James said: "Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind." ;)

Aaaaand the LOs just keep on comin'...

This one is pretty much all Designer Digitals schtuff...they are having (yet) another fantastic sale all through the month of December. Finally used those Cozy Crochet pieces! Yum.

Today was a bit emotionally stressful for me. Totally my own Deanna Troi moment...I can't help but feel for friends (and remote acquaintances, even) who are in pain. That's all I can really say.

I'm thankful I have the insurance to keep up my meds; I would not want another December like I had last year, where I was so anxious and depressed that it took me 2 months to figure out it was all hormone-related. Now when a day like today comes along, with a lot on my mind, praying without ceasing (for friends near and far), I can take a deep breath and relax, knowing it is all in the hands of a higher power. Oh, and Zoloft. Heh.

This year I made the conscious decision to *not* do a December daily...in fact, it's a bit of a joke amongst my cropping buddies. When handed a CK with Ali's annual encouragement, I said "UGH!" Thinking I was upset that those pages had been torn out, my friend handed them to me, but I said, "good LORD, no, I don't need *another* thing to keep track of in December!"

However, a daily photo (and perhaps blog entry...don't hold your breath) seemed do-able. After waking up to our first snowfall (and a very soft, pretty one...not much stuck but at least it was sparkley), you'd think I'd be out there getting some snow shots, but no...as if a learned behavior from my (failed) 365 project in 2008, I didn't grab my camera until the evening, when I got out the kids' advent calendars for the first time.

I think this set a record for me...I downloaded Katie Pertiet's Graphic Pop Grunge Frames No. 4 just before finishing up this entry...and I used them on the above photo. Hurry, they're still on sale! ;)