School and Job

My husband says to me today 'why don't you go back to school'. I asked "why" He said "don't you have any ambition to do anything." And I think "No" Does that make me weird? There is nothing really I want to do with my life. When I was in school, I never really thought of a career. I use to want to be a Vet, but not now. I don't do well with blood, guts and such. I was really good in accounting but yeah not so much. Those are the only 2 things I can think of that I thought about in High School. Just finding a job I am good at and like and getting paid that is all I care about. I am good at crafts. I would love to take photography classes but other than that, there is really nothing. I am almost 40 years old. I have spent the last 13 years being a mom to 3 kids and I still have 13 more years to go before all my kid are adults. I so far have applied at Target and Archiver's and have only heard back from Target and not for the good. I am going to fill out applications for Big Lots and Joann's but honestly who wants someone who has only worked for a year before getting pregnant and been out of work for 13 years. Also working will totally mess up my fitness regimen

Scrapfest 2011

This year I decided to attended Scrapfest at the Mall of America. I have lived up here since 2003 and never attended. Didn't know what to expect. It isn't like the expo's I have gone to before where there are make and takes at booths that sell the brand they are making and taking. They just had the make and takes and then if you wished to purchase that you had to go to the Archiver's store. (scrapfest is put on by Archiver's) There is also A LOT of standing while waiting in line. They had workshops but since it was my first year, I didn't attend any. Next year I am definatly going to try and get into Tim Holtz's class. One he is Tim Holtz and two I heard you get a lot of swag. His class was $65. He just has a lot of grand techniques that I just want to learn. The other class I was told was good that you get a lot of stuff was Fiskars.

I went with my 2 sister's and my cousin and it was fun even with all the waiting. Then we had plans to come home and scrapbook that night and the next day but we ended up going back Saturday. We did get a little scrapbooking done on Saturday. Next time we will get there at 8. Also next time i plan on having one of these totes. Bag with attached Chair

There are a couple of tools that I used this weekend worth mentioning. First one is by Prima. it is called the Prima Distressing Tool. It is AWESOME. It has what is like a dry skin remover for your heel on one side, it has razor blades on another, and a metal brush hidden on the end. this tool is the Bomb. it will definately be added to my arsenal


The next is the Cinch by We R Memory Keepers. It is similar to the Bind it all. I have never used the Bind it all so i don't know what the difference is. But basically it allows you to make your own ring binders. So if you wanted to make a calendar for family you can, cookbooks as gifts. it was fun fun fun



Another fun thing we used was ink pads that had a heart shape to them and they had these grips. so if you do a lot of edge inking these are wonderful. I don't remember the name of them though. I will have to get back to you on that one.

Smash Books--now I saw these before and just didn't think it would be for me but after seeing a book in my hand and talking with my sisters, I am thinking I may give it a go. Basically a smash book is how scrapbooking was. it is a book with everything, you go out to eat, put the napkin from the resturant in there, you go to the movies, ticket stubs. one page in the sample had a straw taped in it. the book ends up not laying flat and that is OK. Just things you want to remember but really don't want to scrapbook. it comes with a double pen, with one side pen and one side glue. Here is a video on SMASH BOOKING

OK now on to the make and takes. We didn't do all of them but there were 31 make and takes. well really 29 because 1 person didn't show due to flooding and Smash book really wasn't a make and take. Here are the pictures of what I did...

7 Gypsies - We did Tissue flowers and covered a book board circle with tissue. it has a pink Ribbon to hang, I chose the number 5 for my 5 members in my family.



American Craft - We made a Coupon book using a new paper cutter that has a blade housing where you can choose cut, score and perforated with a flick of the switch. we also used a 12inch stapler (awesome)


Authentique - Here we used the new Free Bird line. there is some GORGOUS Paper. and when I say NEW, it is new, the guy said the paper just came in that Wednesday.



Basic Grey- We used some of their paper and I learned how to stamp and image and you add water to give it the water color effect though i think i need more water for it. i wish the instructor would have told us that is the reason for the spritzing. i thought we were just re moistening the stamp. Also used this awesome silver leaf type stuff. I have to find that.


Bazzill - We used their new embossed paper with the white core, took some sandpaper and sanded it off. Nice 12x12 layout


BoBunny - We went to this one cuz we wanted the flower they were giving away with the layout. I guess it is the trend to get a flower every year as we saw some with quite of few different ones. if we had time i would have gone back to do another page to get a double layout. Next year


Graphic 45- this is my cousins favorite line. I am so so on it. The paper is Wizard of Oz. I am not sure what I am going to do with this tag.


Prima - this is my all time favorite. It is Gorgous. I am thinking of putting in a glassless 8x8 frame (the page is 6x6) and putting it on my daughter's wall. or it might be a gift for someone.


We R Memory Keepers- This is the project we used the Cinche on. made a cute little book. It was suppose to be Halloween but we don't celebrate that so I made a generic type book. I am not to keen on the bottom folded paper. I may replace that with some ribbon.



Smash Book - this is the mini smash book we got at the Smash book booth.


Well that is it. Scrapfest 2011 is a wrap. Next year we know what we should and shouldn't do. Even if my sister's can't make it. I will definatly be going back while the kids are in school. Gotta get another BoBunny flower for my bag. The price wasn't too bad for what we got ($22) Would have been nice to get more make and takes done but I feel we did the best of them. There was one that has a 2 HOUR wait. That is Crazy. I also wish we would have done Reminisce the first day. We planned to go back and do it Saturday but they changed the make and take and it went from a Fall layout to a Christmas one :( Some of the booths do that, BoBunny did but we never got time to do that one.

I hope this was helpful to you if you are on the fence on going to Scrapfest by Archivers.

Dancer

Ah my girl. She is 12.5 years old. I notice she is slowing down some. Sure she has bouts of energy where she seems like a young dog but then there are times where she just don't want to move. She also isn't eating a lot. She eats it but it seems like such a chore for her. Yesterday my husband had to coax her up the stairs. She didn't follow me up when I went up for bed like she usually does. I am back to giving her pain meds for her aches. Part of me is gearing up for the worse. I just have a feeling that she won't be with us at the end of the year. She is a good dog. The best we had. Australian Shepherds are an awesome breed. And if we ever find ourselves down to one dog again, I think another aussie will be in the cards. But who knows she may prove me wrong and live another year or 2. The oldest Aussie on record lived to 16yrs.

Back to School time

I love this time of year. It means supply shopping. I love supply shopping. it brings back such fond memories when i was growing up. They put limits on how many notepads and such you could get and i remember going in with my mom and sister and brother and she would hand us each $2-3 and we would each get the max allowed. so that we didnt have to go in and out. The smell of crayons, i love it. the joy of finding everything on the list. the new cloths for the kids. My boys don't care about that stuff. i get for them what i think they will wear and they are ok. i tried to show my oldest his new shirts and he just shrugged me off. he don't care about those things. Camden is a little better at it. But SAMANTHA omg she loves picking out shirts and pants and cloths. This years theme on her wardrobe and supplies is hello kitty. I am ok with that. i love hello kitty. There is 20 days left till the kids go back. i don'tknow what i am going to do with myself. i will have the whole day to ponder. i know tues, wed and thurs is water fitness day. I want to get my scrapbook room in order also. Then i guess i will have to see if i can get a job with mommy hours. Just something part time. but Not right away. i want to enjoy the full day of silence. also i am not sure if dh is going to be switching to days so it may put a damper on what days i could work.

My Mind is always racing

So why does the man have to have the Attitude. The past few days this has been what i been thinking about

1. rummage sale
2. De toy'ing house
3. Sorting, tossing, donating, selling
4. Kids
5. Ording Medication
6. Cooking
7. Cleaning
8. groceries
9. Why hubby has 'tude
10. Making sure hubby's needs are Satisfied (not sure what is up with 9 as i have completed 10)

I never once get to bed before 11pm. Last night i worked up to practically 12am. But the front room is Spectacular. i just need to carry toys down stairs. (will do that soon before kids get up.

Then on to laundry and working on living room.

Boys room is DeToy'd, Sam's room has her stuff in order.

I don't think i am going to be able to get the garage sale going this week. i didn't realize i had so much stuff in the basement from the last g'sale. those need to be gone through, repriced if needed and stuff put for donation.

I am donating to Courage becuz 1. they help stroke victims (my sister had a stroke so i know how hard it can be) and 2. they pick up at your house.

on my list to do is go to half price books to take in 3 bags of books and some movies i found down stairs

So yeah, why does the man choose to have the attitude when all he thinks about is, work, eat, sleep, game. Sure he also pays the bills too. he also gets what he wants if he wants but I have to worry "if i get this will he complain" Even though he said if i need new cloths get it. in truth it really isn't so simple. Today i have to run to the store. Milk is almost depleted, butter is non exsistant. but it is already 8am and i have made myself breakfest (no one else is up but 2 waffles are waiting for kids) unloaded and loaded the dishwasher, and will go and do some laundry and take those toys down stairs.

I don't know when i am going to think about even remotely scrapbooking in the future. by the time the house is suitible and clean, i will be hopefully having a part time job and there goes any free time i might think about.

Silence isn't always Golden

I woke up Sunday morning to Jim watching tv. I wasnt' up but for a few minutes when he mumbles under his breathe "i am so sick of this marriage" that is his way of telling me he is upset about something. He has said this a few times so really nothing new. But that is really the last words he pretty as much spoken to me. Day 3 of Silence. I am not sure what is wrong, what happened and how could it have happened over night while i was sleeping. If anyone should be upset it should be me. Since i was trying to sleep and he always watches tv. It can't be becuz of the house cuz I have been keeping it picked up. Laundry washed, dishes done, bathroom cleaned. I even started cleaning out the garage for a garage sale. It could be that I am planning my annual trip to the Jehovah Witness convention (if i can get money) This is my only trip out of town. the only time i get to see my family and my mom can spend the weekend with her grandkids whom she don't see. I was also planning on spending a week after and then attending my class reunion maybe. but i would also like to spend time with my Sister who is still in that Gosh aweful nursing home after suffering a stroke. I just wish he would speak to me. I can't fix anything if i don't know what is wrong. I am finding it hard to go about my day knowing he is upset about something. Today i took the car in for oil change, mowed the lawn, picked up the house. One thing i do know I am not an emotional eater. quite the opposite, when i am upset i have to force myself to eat. I know we will get through this we always do. But seriously, I hate that i have to be a mom to 4 children and one of them is 37 years old. He has got it good. all he does is work, which he would do whether we were married or not. on his off days he watches tv, plays computer games, if he wanted to go golfing he could do that too. He can do what he wants when he wants if he wants. This is my last summer. Next Sept Sam starts full day kindergarten, then i can look into getting a job. it will only be part time. I will apply at Michaels, Joann's and Archivers. those are jobs that i know i can do. after all it is Craft jobs.

The Past -- J I Case High school

My friend had just mentioned in her blog that she just remembered that it has been 15 years since she graduated. Well i got you beat. This year is our 20 YEAR reunion. Wow has it been that long. We were Case Eagles and We will Soar up where we belong. Our school colors were Green and Gold. I tell everyone i was meant to live in Wisconsin cuz Green Bay packers colors are green and gold also so i was meant to bleed those colors. GREEN AND GOLD GREEN AND GOLD. don't mess with the best cuz the best don't mess, don't fool with the cool cuz the cool don't fool. Yes, my friend was on the cheer squad and I joined her on a few practices. High school is when i started dating. my first boyfriend was a douche. Ok at the time i didn't think he was, he was also my first ah hum. Sadly I will never forget him cuz of that. He was very abusive, a little bit physically and alot emotionally. We broke up and i remember that summer i kicked my ass into gear and came back skinny (in retrospect i was skinny but I looked good that following year. it was my best school picture too. Yes, said boyfriend was kicking himself. What clique was I in. ALL OF THEM. i had friends in every group. But i mostly hung out with the stoners/smokers. Jr. year i fell for a boy. Fred. I fell hard for him. i dated him for quite a long time. Yes this year I dabbled in drugs and drinking. only Pot. still to this day i think nothing wrong with it. I skipped school alot. i was actually a jr. for a year and a half and a senior for only a half a year. i had to bust my butt the first half of my senior year to graduate with my class cuz i skipped half of my jr year away. I was awesome at skipping though. I was also awesome at mixing vodka with squirt and drinking it in school. it is amazing how easy it was. There were a few fights with my "bff" frome elementary. i use that term loosely. I always felt i was fighting in her shadow and now that i think about it. She really wasn't anyone i wanted to be anyway. Still do this day she is pretty much the same. but high school was also when i met my bff. to this day i still call her so, even though we are 6hrs away and see each other maybe once a year. I don't remember how we exactly met. My Bff in this new town reminds me of Mystical in some ways. Things i regret about high school. not going to Prom. Being a follower instead of a leader. being a doormat to some. Things i don't regret, doing pot (still see nothing wrong with it) knowing my friends. Mystical and Joe are my two top and I still talk to though Joe i don't know where he went. i havne't spoke to him in a year and it makes me sad. after i graduated it was about 6-7 months when i met Jim. We ended up dating for a long time then got married and still are married with 3 kids. Jim was/is not they type of guy I am attracted too. i was always into the long hair, leather and jeans guys. and Jim is a computer guy in khaki pants and polo shirts. but it was following a heartbreak of Fred (he cheated on me with my elementary "bff") I miss high school though. i miss learning, taking notes (always loved that) i miss lunch time and gym. I miss it all. it was so easy back then. I am still pondering if i want to go to the reunion. I wish i could talk to Joe and see if he is going. I am thinking I will ask Mystical if she wants to go with me if i do go. even though she graduated 2 years after me. she still was friends with alot of the same people i was.

Some nicknames i have, Shorty, Fritolay, Midget. but mostly it was Shorty.