Christmas can't be next week...

The month between thanksgiving and Christmas is always a busy month, but this year it seems almost like a blur. Between work, home improvement projects, DT assignments, and yard work I got really behind on Christmas this year. I finally got all my boxes that need to be shipped dropped off at the post office today, but it was a frantic week getting there. I still haven't mailed out a single Christmas card and I am not done shopping for DH. YIKES, remind me next year not to let myself get this far behind again!!!

In other news, DH and I are getting ready for a nice trip to New York next week. We have some traditional Christmas visits planned and also an event packed day in the City with my mom. Even though I HATE the cold weather NY City really is the best place in the world for Christmas. Seeing that giant tree in Rockafeller center always puts a smile on my face. I'm looking forward to seeing my family and some friends and just having a nice relaxing break away from work.

Blogger is once again being difficult for me and not allowing me to post picture.....so I will do my best to be back to share new cards and layouts soon.

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!

Looking forward to the Thanksgiving break

I simply can't believe how fast this year has seemed to go by. We are one week away from Thanksgiving with Christmas right around the corner. I am taking all of next week off work. My MIL will be in for a few days for the holiday, and I plan to get a lot of Christmas crafting done. I've had a busy few weeks with several magazine assignments and filling up my card rack at the consignment store. So I am hoping to use the long break to finish up those assignments and then do some crafting for my own Christmas decorations.

Here are a few of my recent pages that I tried to post last month. The first one is from my trip to NY earlier this summer. We went on a little nature walk with my mom....when we had to step over a few rocks she asked me if we were "Extreme" hiking. She was so funny. The 2nd page is my youngest niece taken last spring.....I just LOVE that doodlebug flocked paper!!!

Thanks for stopping by and hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Halloween!!!

It's hard to beleive that we are already at the end of October....but here we are on Halloween day. With the rain in the bay area I'm not sure how many kids will be out tonight, but I have a carved pumpkin, and some spooky lights to welcome those that brave the rain.

Things at work have finally slowed down a bit. This has allowed me to catch my breath the past couple of weeks and close on some projects that have been lingering. I am hearing the rumors that once again our department is going to be reorganized....so that is sure to bring some excitement when it comes.

My mom came out for a visit the week before last and we had a fantastic visit. Most of our time was filled with scrapbook shopping and card making, but we also got in a trip to the coast and some of our favorite foods. So that was a bunch of fun.

Craft wise I have been keeping busy. After getting a bunch of new goodies while my mom was visiting I have been doing quite a bit of scrapbooking and cardmaking. Here are a few of my most recent projects:

OK....blogger is not cooperating this morning so I will have to try to load the pictures later...errrr

I finally did it....

I have been himming and hawing for a long time about trying to "sell" some of my cards, handbags, and various paper crafts for quite some time now. I even set up an Esty store many months ago, but never ended up listing anything. But last month I made the decision to once and for all try a consignment store that is really close to my house. So I am now the proud renter of two spaces in the store. One for my handbags, and a card rack for my handmade cards. I busted it pretty good in August to be set up for the September 1st "opening", but was so happy that I had enough to fill both spaces.

It's been almost 3 weeks now and things are going better than I expected....although I admit to keeping my expectations LOW so that I didn't get disappointed. In the end I am more than happy if I just break even on the rent....and if I make any profit I would be extatic.

So that's been keeping me busy for the past month or so. This weekend I am going to start making some Christmas cards, because the store owner said they do 75% of their sales in November and December.

I had to sign a 6 months contract. So I am going to try it out for these 6 months and then see how it goes after that.

In other news....I can finally share one of my favorite layouts in a LONG time. This is a picture of my niece and stepdad goofing around at her sisters birthday party last year. I just love these two:

Cupcake anyone?

OMG, don't these things just make you smile?

I bought a dingbat font of cupcakes and used my pazzles to cut them. For the flowers, cherries, and strawberries I used doodlebug glitter cardstock (that stuff is so YUMMY), and then I added a bit of stickles glitter glue to finish them off. Seriously, they make me happy just looking at them. This weekend I plan to fnish making them into cards.

Saying Something Nice

I was catching up on my blog reads and found a very nice comment about me from my friend Wendy. It totally made my day. Just to think that someone with so much going in her own life not only took time to think of me, but also posted about it was really touching.

So I thought I would share some nice things about special people in my life who I probably think about a lot more than they know. Some of these folks don't even know I have a blog so they wont see my messages....but I still hope they know I'm thinking about them

Robin - My very best friend from high school. We meet in the 7th and 8th grade and were virtually inseparable until graduation. Now my dear friend is a school teacher (something she was born to do), a mother of 2 of the most precious and polite litter girls, building a brand new home, and being a stabalizing figure for her entire family. This woman is amazing and her friendship means the world to me. Even though we only see each other once a year when we get together it is like no time has passed.

Karen - I seriously can not imagine college and the first few years after graduation without Karen. I could quite possibly have an entirely different life if it weren't for Karen. We shared the same brain in college, we were partners on virtually every assignment. I really don't know if I would have made it through engineering school without her support. After college we took jobs at the same company (and both of us still work there), we shared an apartment for 2 years in Albuquerque. Today Karen is a super successful manager with the potential to go very high in this company and a mother of 2 little boys. I haven't seen Karen since her wedding a few years ago but I still feel as close to her as ever.

Wendy - www.fragrantblade.blogspot.com - My first real friend who I meet over the internet. In my early days of scrapping Wendy was my main support and a HUGE inspiration. Always willing to give of her time and help with no expectations in return. Offering up a huge amount of advise and know how on all things crafty. As we got to know each other better we found a lot more in common then scrapping. We bonded instantly, and often referred to ourselves as lost sisters....that is the way it really feels with Wendy. I have never thought of Wendy as an "internet friend" or a "scrapping friend".... no way, there is no qualifier needed with her....she is and always will be my "friend". Wendy is a wife to her high school sweetheart (that still blows my mind), a fantastic mother of two, a professional woman, a community volunteer, an extremely talented crafter, and one of the most generous people I know. I seriously have no idea how she makes the time for it all. Now after writing this I realize that I am in need of a scrapping get away soon!!!

Danea or Zee - www.zeedoda.blogspot.com - I also meet Danea online several years ago. At the time she was living in Canada and dating a guy in "California". I later learned that her boyfriend (who is now her husband) lived right here in San Jose. With a year or so of meeting online Danea had moved to California and now lives literally less than 5 miles from my house. Zee is a character with a wicked sense of humar, and this truely amazing talent for scrapping. I have often said that average scrappers can make BasicGrey look fantastic, but it takes a real artist turn the ugliest paper and stickers into something you "have to buy"....seriously she is an amazing artist. Now this is the kicker....she does all this with extreme arthritis (RA) in her hands. Now a mother of a 1 year old boy (completely healthy and cute as a button) Danea has this amazing ability to stay positive and laugh at herself even with all the medical crap (for lack of a better term) that she has to deal with. She is a true inspiration for dealing with dificult times....but I still don't want to be seen with her in flip flops.....cover those toes girlfriend!

Paula - www.keepitsimplemakeitgreat.blogspot.com - Paula....yet another one of my croppers cottage friends. Paula and I have never been extremely close friends....but I think about her all year long as I wait and wait for the annual Christmas photo. Paula is from the Argentina and has a beautiful family (that seems to be growing up so fast), every year they take a picture with Santa....but the thing that gets me is that December is HOT in Argentina, so her entire family wears t-shirts and maybe even shorts when the sit with Santa. For whatever reason this just makes me smile from ear to ear to see.

last but certainly not least
Toni - www.misteejay.blogspot.com - I don't even really know Toni, but she is from the UK and visits my blog. Even when I go missing for over a month so is always the first to welcome me back with a positive post. It's quite possible that she will be the only one to read this post (hehehe) and I really wanted to thank you for your support and let you know that it means a lot to me.

It's August already!!!

With things at work still so busy it just seems like time is flying by this year. I can't believe that we are into August already. Before you know it the holidays will be here again.

Next week we are getting ready to start our 3rd and final bathroom upgrade. So it will be goodbye to the 1960's pink tile vanity and lenoleum floors and hello to ceramic tile and granite countertops. Nothing too fancy just brining the style up to date. We saved the hardest upgrade for last....the master bathroom. I'm not looking forward to the workers coming in and out of the house, but we can't do it ourselves so I just have to suck it up and deal with it.

I've also been keeping busy on the crafting side. Just yesterday I went to a local consignment shop to inquire about space availability. The owner of the shop seemed very nice, but right now they have a wait list for cards and tote bags....so it might be a while before I get a spot. I picked a place because it is less than 3 miles from my house, so stopping in would be easy. So keep your fingers crossed that a spot opens up soon.

I have been doing a lot of playing with my pazzles tool lately. I got it back in March and am finally getting some time to learn more.

Here are a couple recent pages:



This is my niece at her princess party last year. I normally hate purple, but didn't want to change the background in the pitures....so I went with it and have to say I was happier than I thought I would be with a purple layout.


and this is my nephew also from last summer when he had no front teeth. This little guy is getting ready for first grade next month!!!!

Cards, Cards, Cards

It's funny that I actually make way more cards than I do scrapbook pages, but I never seem to share them here. So I decided to share a few cards that I have done....some of these a bit old.

I have actually been crafting up a storm lately. After months of sitting pretty in her box, I finally unloaded my pazzles inspiration and got her hooked up. She is a beauty....and I have been playing quite a bit. I joined a few Yahoo groups to get some tips and tricks, and thanks to some very knowledgeable ladies on this site, I am really coming up to speed quickly. The user interface is easier to use than the WinPC that came with the mini....so it has been so much fun.

Sharing some of my latest pages

A couple pages of my youngest niece....just like her older brother and sister she is growing up too fast. Next month she will be 3!!! I'll be back soon to share more of the two older ones.

Inspired by Wendy

Well looky what I made last week......


Oh man was this thing super fun and easy. Basically you cut a ton of flannel squares, make a sandwich out of them, sew an X on each square, sew the squares together, fringe the edges, and wash. I worked on the blanket for 2 nights during the week, the better part of Saturday, and Sunday morning....I just love the way it came out. All thanks to the information and help from Wendy.

The blanket measures 4' wide by 5' long. It is 3 layers of flannel and very heavy....this would really keep you warm and cozy on a cold winter day. Just perfect for a lap blanket.

This is a close up of a few squares so you can see more of the details.

I had so much fun making this one that my plan is to make two more of lighter weight cotton for spring type blankets (or when DH has the air conditioning too hight for me). I'll probably make a few more for gifts as I know a few people who these would be perfect for

Thanks again to my wonderful friend Wendy for the inspiration....now you created a rag quilting monster.

Hello again...

Once again I return after some serious blog neglect.

There just has not been much to blog about lately. Work has once again been consuming the majority of my time....and that is certainly not fun to blog about.

On the house front we started the major remodeling of my bathroom about 3 weeks ago. It is going much slower than I had hoped and that the contractor told us at the start. The good news is, as of last week the tub and tile were all in and it is starting to look like a bathroom again. I'm really happy with the way the tile came out....now I'm just getting anxious for the project to finish. My guess is the end of next week.

DH and I are heading to El Paso tomorrow after work. We will spend a few days visiting his mom and eating some fantastic Mexican food. It has been quite a while since we have been down that way. It's always a boring trip as there is very little to do down there, but I am looking forward to the food.

The best news is that all of my annual reviews for work have been written and delivered. This is always a huge time sink....but this year it wasn't very bad at all.

Crafting wise I have not done much of anything in over a month. With some many people in and out of the house for the remodel I just haven't been in the mood to craft. I don't seem to craft much when my routines are broken....so I hope to get back to having some fun in my room next week.

So if is actually still reading this I really appreciate you stopping by. -Missy

Super Fat Tuesday!!!

Well it's both Fat Tuesday and more importantly Super Tuesday. So if you are in a state with a primary today, don't forget to get out and vote.

For the first time in a long while I was excited by more than one candidate on the ticket. Over the past few months I have gone back and forth on who should get the vote. My problem is when I listen to my head I decide one way, but when I listen to my heart I go another way. To be honest I will be happy with either Hilary or Barack, but like everybody who votes I had to pick just one.

To my head Hilary represents most of my values and has a lengthy resume of experience. To my heart Barack represents hope and enthusiasm. But the question is which one do I want to see as our president.

It did both my head and heart well last week when the two shared the stage in a debate. They looked very much like running mates - a dream ticket IMO. I only hope that the one who does not get the nomination will consider the runner up prize and join the ticket.

Being an engineer I almost always follow my head....and this seems to be no different. I took the approach that I often do when hiring people into leadership positions at work. It is often a better choice to go with someone with experience and a few battle scars then to go with the new college graduate. With experience usually comes some known weaknesses, but those can often be off set by the strength of experience. While there is a chance the new college graduate may be a great leader, a little experience never hurts. If he/she is born to be a great leader that strength will be with them throughout their career.

So with that logic, I cast my vote this morning. My ideal outcome would be that Hilary wins the nomination and Barack agrees to be her running mate. With 8 years of experience in the VP office I have no doubt where I would cast my vote in 2016.

It really shouldn't be this hard....

to update a silly little blog at a reasonable frequency, but lately I just can't seem to find the 2 minutes it takes. I know that is really lame as I am on the computer everyday....

With CHA less than a week away I'm getting pretty excited for my trip to Anaheim. I'm taking DH with me so we can have some fun when I am not at the show. I am looking forward to seeing some friends that I haven't seen in person for well over a year!!!! Woo Hoo.

Work is still keeping me busy from morning till night. A few months ago we started probably the biggest project I have ever been responsible for and it's quite challenging....to say the least. The bad news is that this project is going to stretch until the end of 2009, so I need to figure out a way to get balance back in my life. Working crazy for a few months is expected, but working crazy for two years is not good!!!

The good news is that I have been making the most out of the little free time I have. I've been cardmaking, scrapping, and sewing and have learned to be more efficient with my time. Here is one of my latest pages of my beautiful niece....isn't she getting big (and this was taken last summer).

Thanks so much for stopping by. -Missy

Still getting back into the swing of things

It's hard to believe how slow a work day goes and how fast a vacation day goes....just doesn't seem fair. I'm back to work and still feeling guilty about all those little things I "planned" to do but didn't get to during the break. The good news is the main reason why I didn't get to all my planned stuff is because I got distracted by other fun.

With the exception of a few cards I did for an assignment, I took a little break from papercrafting and ventured into other crafts. I tried my hand at loom knitting, sewing, and before the holiday's I tried to use up some of my ribbon stash by making some styrofoam trees. Wanna see?

Even though it's been a few days of being back to work I am still having trouble getting into the swing of things. It's probably because I have more material sitting in my scraproom just waiting to be sewn into those little bags.....aren't they cute?

I'm hoping to post again real soon with my 2008 goals and objectives!!!

Thanks for stopping by.