What a fun Christmas!

Had another fun family get together with the whole crew at my house. The more I hear about other families and how they don't talk to each other the more I appreciate the fact that in my family we all like each other and get along. I think most of the time it's because we choose love over taking offense. Things happen at times where one of us could get our panties in a wad but it's more important to remember that we love each other and to let it go. I think part of it too is that none of us believe in playing the victim which is another choice to be made. My Christmas sermon is "people do things you don't agree with or like but let it go and just love them."

Getting presents is not important in my family either but we do really enjoy it when we can give gifts that are really wanted. I think everyone received some things they will enjoy for a long time. I know I did. My family got me a flash for my camera and a photography lesson. I can hardly wait to learn to use my Rebel better.

Monday Mom and I had our little gift giving and lounged around and watched some travel shows. Of course, every place we see we want to visit. Managed to move from the pajama mode to going out to visit Rebecca and her family. She has quite a gathering this year with her Mom in from Germany and her brother in from Autstralia. It was a really nice evening hanging out with all of them and enjoying all the laughter. The Bible says "a merry heart doeth good like a medicine" and I find that to be so true.

Well, guess I better get back to work. Ugh!

Christmas is almost here

Well, the Christmas cards are finally finished and in the mail. Maybe this weekend I'll manage to post some pictures of them. I really needed to make more than 46 but I fizzled and just couldn't squeeze out any more. Next year I really have to start much earlier. This December has been way too hectic and it's not going to calm down until after the new year. It's all fun but I'm so ready for a nap.

My friend Rebecca and I met at Archiver's on Saturday for the full day scrap to finish said Christmas cards. It was really nice that Misti was able to break away from her new baby and join us for a while. We also got to meet two new friends Sandy and Stephanie (sisters). They were hoot. Rebecca and I act like sisters so it was quite funny. And I finally met someone else who is in computers and scraps.

I'm really looking forward to some family time on Christmas Eve and to some pajama time Christmas day.

I hope everyone has a blessed and beautiful Christmas!

Getting Up to Date

I've been a little distracted lately because I'm considering gastric bypass surgery. Each week I've been to different doctors for testing to see if everything is okay and if I'm a candidate. I'm in pretty good condition except for a little elevated blood pressure (probably from all the coffee), low iron and found out I'm diabetic.

With the surgery I'm torn between doing something that drastic to my body and needing something that drastic to not spend the rest of my life morbidly obese. I need to lose about half of what I am today. I'm a firm believer in avoiding surgery except as a last resort and to try everything else first. I could keep trying different programs for weight loss but in my heart I know the results will continue to be the same. I will lose 30-40 pounds and then lose the momentum.

Through the process I've asked God to help me with the decision and each time I start to think of aborting the process someone who's been through it all comes along to offer encouragement. I'm starting to feel that for me this is what is necessary to attain a healthy lifestyle. I so admire those who have found the light switch in their heads and have been able to get the weight off and to keep it off but I also find no shame in needing surgery to get on that path.

So that, in a nutshell, is what has been going on for a month now. In the next few weeks I will find out if my insurance will pay for it and then I have to make my final decision.

A Study in Flowers

Okay, okay. A couple friends have been complaining that I haven't posted in a while. Last night I was looking through some of my pictures and am sharing with you some I took with my macro lens. I wasn't using a tripod and probably didn't use any of the correct settings but they came out interesting anyway. Hope you enjoy.

Yes, it's been a while...

I guess I haven't felt very chatty lately. Here are some pictures of the wedding gift albums I've completed. I have one more but can't show you yet because it hasn't been given yet. Don't want to spoil the surprise.

The first album was a wedding present for my brother and his new wife and I used the new K-ology papers. The second album is an example of the gift albums made for those who attended the wedding in the Dominican Republic and the pictures were similar but customized for each person. This is the one I made for mom. I used the new Bohemia papers by MME.

Get Your Own! View Slideshow

Here are some recent birthday cards I made.

It's all about the weekend...

Unfortunately, life seems to revolve around the weekend and waiting all week for it to come. I do enjoy my job but I live for getting to do what I want to do on the weekends. Saturday, Rebecca and I had another fun day scrapbooking at Archivers. I fed my paper addiction and bought more paper that I didn't necessarily need but how can you not use a 20% off coupon.

About a year ago we had seen another scrapper using this big tape dispenser for her adhesive and I have yet to find it in a local store so decided to order one from http://www.framingsupplies.com/ because they had such great prices. The gun is a little bulky but it is really easy to use and the tape is acid free, 36 yards and under $3 a roll. So far the adhesive is really strong. I've been finding that all the normal ones aren't strong enough for the gift albums I've been making especially since the pages don't have protectors. The only drawback of course is if you get something partway on the page and realize you need to adjust it. Not so easy with really good adhesive. Oh well, the price is worth it.

Sunday I ended up having a pajama day and all I accomplished was getting the laundry done. Sometimes you just need some down time.

On a more serious note, I have a life altering decision to make. I found out that my insurance is paying for gastric bypass surgery. I've struggled with my weight since my 20's and even spent a year with a trainer trying to change my life style for the better but it just doesn't seem to come off. I've come to the realization that in my own strength I'm not able to lose the 150 lbs that I've accumulated. So I may need something drastic. Keep me in your prayers as I weigh the benefits against the risks and drawbacks.

The creative flow...

Well, while looking at the html codes for this blog to help Rebecca with her placement woes I noticed a new color scheme in the templates and just have to try it out for a while. I'm afraid I'm one of those people who likes change and I get bored with the same look so you may see my blog change from time to time. Wish I could change my look as easily.

I had a wonderful weekend. I started it on Friday. Woke up and it was "that time" and decided that I didn't want to face the world so played hooky from work. I didn't accomplish all I would have liked (like finish printing wedding pictures for my brother's album) but I had a gloriously lazy day in front of the tube. I did find that Daisy D's had paper on sale for 18-23 cents so had to buy a bunch of it. Stocked up on some that will come in handy for Christmas projects.

Saturday, Rebecca and I got together to work on our various projects that we can't show yet. Of course we did need a bit of shopping therapy so we hit Hobby Lobby for some of the sale items. At first I was grabbing everything I might want in the acrylic stamps and rub-ons and then had a reality check. These things will go on sale again so I put most of it back and just got a few treats. I actually spent less than Rebecca this time.

It was nice to work at home and not deal with all the bodies and noise at Archivers and we will be there next weekend. I think the only drawback was that my mom's dog was house bound (he found a girlfriend whose mother was not pleased) and he was whining all day long. Can't say I've ever seen such persistence.

I started a new project Saturday and was just having too much fun. The whole creative process just makes me so happy. I wish I could do it full time and explore even more avenues but I'll just be thankful for what I do get to do. I'm also thankful that I get to make things for other people that they enjoy. I know I like looking at my creations but it's nice for it to be a pleasure to others. It's like when I cook a dinner for friends or family and they really enjoy it. Makes the labor worthwhile.

I did miss getting to visit with Misti and Kimberly. Rebecca and I have such a good time but it is fun to see her and Kimberly in action. Misti is about to burst with her new baby so I won't get to see her for a bit. We'll have to have another scrap at home so she can bring her baby without worrying about logistics in a store.

Well, I have this pesky job so I better get back to it.

Lovely Weekend

Well, I had a lovely weekend. It started with knowing it was going to be sunny the whole time so I took the top down on the Jeep and enjoyed the open air immensly. For some reason I just find it invigorating.

Saturday I lugged my scrapbooking bags to Archivers to crop with the girls. We had a fun time as usual. It's like having more sisters. We have so much fun ribbing each other.

I managed to get three birthday cards done. It usually takes me a day to do just one but I already had ideas on what I wanted to do so it made it much easier. Kimberly got a fair amount done but she was trying to do some challenges and that slowed down her creative juices. She still had some really cute pages and even made a pretty card. Rebecca started a project that I think is going to be a Christmas present so can't give any details but it is beautiful and she is using some of my favorite paper, that new Bohemia line. Misti managed to join us for the evening but she is about to pop with that baby of hers. I think she only has about three weeks left. She has some really cute stories about her hubby and what he is doing to prepare.

Sunday drove two hours to my sister's house for a birthday party for one of my nephews. It was a nice day and a nice time. Wish it could have been a longer visit but that's always how it is.

My brother said his boss liked the mini album I did so much that he might want to commision one himself. I have no clue what to charge so did a little research and I was surprised at how much custom albums cost. Some ladies charge as much as $30 a page and they weren't even all that creative. I wouldn't be able to bring myself to charge that much at least not for the first time out and not for someone I know. I will have to do some more research and ponder it.

It also made me wonder if I could do that for a living but I'd really have to crank them out to support the life style I've become accustomed to with my current salary as an IT person. Sometimes I wish I were an awesome programmer or developer and could earn enough to work part time. Oh well, I just need to be patient and see what God has in store for me.

ttfn

Epiphany

Last Saturday, at my brother's party, we're all sitting around getting to know new people and they ask if he is the oldest. My sister and I pipe up and say no he's the baby but as I was sitting there I thought, why not let him be the oldest. I've always been the oldest and I'm willing to pass the torch. He's the tallest anyway. So, from now on Sherri can remain the middle child and I'll be the youngest. Course the drawback is I may forget what my age is but I'm willing to chance it. ;-)

At this point age is relative anyway. It's how young your spirit is. My mom has a young heart (most of the time anyway) and I think it is a better approach to life. Youth is optimism and expecting great things in life and that should never stop. Life throws us some hard things sometimes but learning and going forward with gusto is much better than becoming a victim and giving up. Oops, didn't mean to get philosophical about it all. Oh well.

Made it...

Well, Saturday was my brothers reception/birthday party and I managed to get all the albums done and in his hands.

Saturday morning I slotted time to add a couple more pictures to some of the albums and found a few of them where a little glue got on the pictures and turned them green so there I was reprinting a bunch and trying to gently remove the bad ones. I didn't get to see everyone look at the albums but the ones I did see seemed to be enjoying them. It was all worth it to see everyone enjoying the pictures and the memories. It didn't hurt either that my brother gave me a gift card to my favorite store, Archivers. I was so very tired on Sunday but I managed to drag myself out for a little shopping spree. I'm hardly ever too tired to shop. :-0

I'll post a picture of one of the albums as soon as I get it scanned.

We'll time to get back to my real job.

Wow! What a weekend

Labor Day weekend. A whole extra day! I really needed one or two more days. I'm working on those 7, no make that 8, gift albums for my brother. He liked the one I made them for a wedding present so much he wanted some for friends who went all the way to the Dominican Republic to attend his wedding.

The weekend before I started and figured out the cover but then had writers block so didn't get very far. Saturday though I came to the realization that I couldn't embellish a 6x6 book like I do larger ones and things went much faster. Or so I thought. Finished the prototype and figured out what extra paper I needed and ran down to the Memories store before they closed. And guess what, they were out of some of the paper I needed. It was almost more than I could bear. I'm using the new Bohemia paper by My Mind's Eye and apparently it was very popular last week.

In the mean time I met up with my friend Rebecca at Archiver's for a work day on Sunday. And made good headway but made better time when she helped and we setup a little assembly line. The store decided they wanted to close for the evening so we headed back to my house and went until about 10:30 or 11:00. She helped so much and we were almost finished pasting the pictures in when low and behold I had a stack of pictures but no album. At that time of the night it took the wind out of my sales. I thought I needed 7 books but needed 8. Now I needed even more stuff to finish up.

Monday dawned and I was a little bummed so got a late start but started calling around and found more of the paper but an hour away. Oh well, such is life sometimes. Not to make a long story longer. Got my paper and made the 8th book. All I have left now is to finish the covers and put them together. Told my brother he owes me dinner. I'll post a picture later of the albums.

We call it scraplifting...

Ok, so I "borrowed" an idea from Rebecca (she'll call it stealing) and used slide.com for some pictures. On the side are pictures from a recent trip to the Domincan Republic for my brother's wedding. I bought the Cannon Rebel XT in January for a trip to England and am still learning how to use it. At the bottom I have another one with cards I've created.

I think I'll have to come up with something else though because I have lots of pictures and I mean lots. My mom and I went to England, or the United Kingdom I should say, and I only took about 2000 pictures. Of course some will be deleted because they are too blurry. It was my first time out with the Rebel.

Well, It's about time to go to bed. This weekend I need to make 7 gift albums for guests from my brother's wedding. The things I get myself into. At least it's a three day weekend.

What's a girl to do...

Well, it seems everyone I know is starting a blog and I'm thinking I'll give it a whirl. My good friend Rebecca started because we met Kimberly scrapping and she had one. Then our friend Misti had to join in and now Rebecca's brother and mother have joined in. I'm succumbing to the peer pressure.

A little about myself...

I work in the IT department at a law firm as a Senior Applications Analyst. Don't ask me what that means because it changes day to day. My friend Rebecca (same one who started blogging) introduced me to scrapbooking a couple years ago and it has been an addiction ever since that has morphed into cardmaking and getting more serious about photography. So there are three of my hobbies. I also own a Jeep Wrangler and love to go off roading although those other three hobbies have put quite a crimp in that.

I suppose I should get back to work since lunch time is over. More later.