Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm feeling better today- although right now, I'm exhausted. It's been a really long day, and I have to wait until the washing machine is done before I can go to bed (gotta make sure that Mike has clean socks for tomorrow. Man, is he picky or what?).

I made a green bean casserole and crab rangoon this morning before heading over to my parents. We stuffed ourselves silly with turkey, ham, the stuff that I made, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, olives, stuffing- all the traditional Thanksgiving food. The boys played, Mom and I talked, Mike and Dad talked, we had fun.

After that, we headed over to the inlaws for dinner (or rather, rolled ourselves over there- we were that stuffed). More turkey, pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes, corn, stuffing, etc, etc, etc. I'm a beach ball! Look at me roll!

But- there's more. You see, when we got there, MIL had a little scavenger hunt planned for the boys. First up- they had to find a bag of clothes that were in her room, give them to Daddy, and have him put them in the car. Once he did that- then they could have their next clue.

Aunt Sam helped them read the next clue, which was to get 'magic quarters' from three people in the room (Grandpa Thomas, Grandma Thomas, and Aunt Sam). Then- they had to put the 'magic quarters' in the piggy bank in Grandma Vicky's room.

Where they found- another clue.






This clue led them to the closet in the living room, which led them to get their coats on.


From there, they were told to get a message from Aunt Sue's cell phone.







They were told to go out to the shed, and they would get their surprise out there. We all head outside and out back, in the shed we find...





Something behind the door...









Rosie!

Rosie is our Christmas puppy (that we got on Thanksgiving). She's a pedigree beagle- and such a cute little dog. Her full name is Triple Lee's Irish Rose. Dylan's decided that she is HIS DOGGIE and nobody can tell him any different. The boys love her- and she loves them. They played together a lot- running up and down the hallway, chasing each other.

We're home now- and she does not like riding in cars. Oh boy, does she HATE riding in cars! She whined, barked, and paced up and down in her little crate the entire ride home. She was perfectly fine once we stopped the car and let her out- she explored the house, and now she's back in her crate, sleeping.

She's really the sweetest dog- even if she is a bit... frisky. But that's ok- it means that she'll be able to keep up with the boys.

The Day That All Shoppers Dread: Black Friday

It's coming.

That wonderful and horrible day- Black Friday. The day after Thanksgiving, where every single store is having a sale. Wake up early! Hit the stores! Get those gifts! Buy! Buy! Buy! Spend! Spend! Spend!

Or- you could do the smart thing. Avoid those crowds. Sleep in. Sit in front of your computer in your cozy pajamas, with a cup of coffee in front of you. And head right on over to The Digi Chick for their Black Friday sale. Save 25-50% on the kits that you need to complete gift albums, holiday cards, or just stock up on new kits that delight your senses and flatter your pictures.

All of my kits will be 50% off. All of them.


Click the picture for a large view of the ad. And don't forget- Friday only, 50% off ALL kits created by me, Tracey Lee.

**If this entry sounds odd or weird or just plain silly, don't mind me- I'm sick. Blame the icky bug that has me down, and not me. I swear- I'll be back to myself soon enough.**

The Incredible Invisible Virgin Mary

About 13 years or so ago, I asked my grandmother for a Precious Moments nativity. My grandmother had the hardest time finding one- I mean, a REALLY hard time finding it. It took her about 3 years to find one. I was so excited when I opened the box. I love this nativity- and for years, had it displayed year round. I boxed it up earlier this year, because we were moving. I wrapped each piece in newspaper, put them on the top of the box, and put the box in my parents' garage.

Sunday, I went to get the tree and ornaments out of the garage. The tree was easy to reach- right there, in front. I couldn't reach the ornaments- they were buried in the back of the garage- so I left them there, and figured that I'd ask Mike to help me get them out yesterday. While I was in the garage, I found a box of yarn, and the box that I had put my nativity in earlier this year. I got those boxes inside, and began unpacking them.

I found shepherds. Joseph. The baby Jesus. My sister's flute (why it was in the box of yarn, I have no idea). A really cute crocheted shawl. Lots of pretty yarn.

No Virgin Mary.

So I have a few theories here.

1. Someone broke into our garage, found just that box, opened it up, removed Mary, closed the box and restacked it neatly.
   
2. Mary is now invisible.
3. I have another box of Christmas stuff buried in the garage somewhere.
   

Number one is unlikely- there are two sets of expensive golf clubs in the garage, a propane heater, lawn mower, etc, and someone stole my Virgin Mary? Number 3 is believable- but why would I pack Mary in another box and the rest of the nativity in that one? Number 2- well, I doubt that she's invisible.

Normally, this wouldn't bother me. Any other set, and I'd just replace her. But not this set. Remember me saying that it took my grandmother 3 YEARS to find it? Well- I haven't been able to find the rest of the set since then. I want the angels and the wisemen, but haven't been able to find them anywhere. And I've looked. I think that my set has been retired- which means that I have a snowball's chance in hell of finding affordable pieces for it.

I want to get a new nativity- because I have three boys, and if a miracle does happen and I do find the rest of the pieces to my set, I don't want them to get broken. I have three boys- and I can just see them getting wild, throwing a ball in the house (not allowed- but they don't always listen), and knocking the pieces over and quite possibly off my curio cabinet. Yeah- not good. The one that I really like is the Willow Tree nativity.

It's pretty.

It's cool.

It's also wood.

I'm so tempted to wrap my house in bubblewrap.

Swamp Water

Swamp water. Just the sound of it conjures up images of dark green smelly water with something funky and slimy growing on top.

And this is what my son said that the hollandaise sauce that I made last night was made out of.

First of all- the nearest water that could even remotely be called 'swamp water' is 20 miles away. Since I have no car, and Mike was at work- I'm pretty sure that I didn't get an 'swamp water' with which to make my hollandaise sauce yesterday.

Second- my hollandaise sauce was *yellow*, not green.

Cody's imagination is huge. And wild. And just a teeny tiny bit out there. He believes that one of Rudolph's jobs is to light Santa's way IN the house. He believes that tortellini are belly buttons. He believes that turkeys are chickens, and no amount of us correcting him will change his story.

He's also stubborn. I think that's where the 'swamp water' thing came from. And the thing is- he's not a picky eater. Never has been. This child ate horseradish sauce on his fries at eighteen months. He ate jalopenos at 2. Put it on his plate- and he'll eat it.

Except for my hollandaise sauce. A few weeks ago, Mike was making something with garlic. (BTW- Mike thinks that there are only two food groups: spicy hot and garlic. Since I don't like spicy hot, he tends to make a lot of stuff with garlic. He gave Cody a little tiny piece of raw garlic. Cody decided that he didn't like that- and refused, and I mean REFUSED, to eat anything with garlic in it. Including garlic bread (which he previously loved). Earlier this week, I made belly buttons (tortellini) with a garlic alfredo sauce. He ate the belly buttons, because he didn't know that the sauce had garlic in it (and I didn't tell him). An hour later, he walks up to me, garlic bread in hand, and says 'Ya know what, Mommy? I like this.' 'Really? It's garlic bread, ya know.' 'Yeah, I know.' And he just walks off, eating it.

I don't know what changed his mind- probably watching Dylan scarf down FOUR pieces of garlic bread and realizing that he was missing out on something. Whatever it was, it worked. He's back to eating garlic bread (but he still won't touch raw garlic. Frankly, I don't blame him).

So- I think that the whole 'swamp water' hollandaise sauce thing is him being stubborn. He feels that he has to have something that he just doesn't like. So he picked the one thing that he did not recognize at last night's meal- and decided that he didn't like it. Now, I won't confess to being the world's best cook. I'm better at baking, and I'm told that I make a mean mac and cheese (out of a box). But I was damn proud of that sauce. When Mike made it last month, his sauce was too thick, even a little bit lumpy (don't tell him that I said that- he takes his cooking seriously, and somewhere I have black mail pictures of him holding a pan of burnt belly buttons). It was good- but not perfect. Now- my hollandaise sauce was perfect. Thick, but not too thick. No lumps. *Sigh* At least I liked it.

Thanksgiving is this week. Tomorrow, I'm heading to Walmart to pick up the stuff that I need to make crab rangoon and green bean casserole. I'm also going to be picking up my christmas stuff from my parents' house, and getting a new crochet hooking (since I still can't seem to find mine). I think that we might also have to get dog food. Now that will be interesting! How to buy dog food without the kids finding out that I'm buying dog food. Because we will get the dog on Thursday.

Oh- gotta remember batteries. I need pictures of the kids' faces when they see Rosie and realize that she is their dog.

Still In The Mood

I'm tempted to call my parents and have them bring my christmas decorations by. I forgot- they aren't in our garage, they are in my van, which is currently sitting in my parents' driveway.

*Sigh* But I did manage to complete a christmas layout yesterday. The pictures were taken last christmas- amazing how fast kids grow! In the pictures, Evan still looks like a baby- now he looks like a child.

I used a kit that I just finished making for this layout. I'm uploading it as I write this, and it will be available later this week. The kit is titled 'Gingerbread Christmas'. Now that I think about it, this could be why I'm in such a Christmas-y mood lately. Hmm...

So- last night, we made cookies. The gingerbread cookies didn't turn out like they should (probably because I couldn't find any cookie cutters. The sugar cookies turned out perfect. The kids had a ball, loved helping make the cookies, and were covered in flour from head to toe by the time that they were done. Cody got creative with the chocolate chips.

This is me, in chocolate and cinnamon chips. Notice the ponytail. And boobs. Yes- my five year old son made sure to remember that Mommy has boobs. Of course, this is the child who draws nipples on all of his people drawings before putting clothes on them.

He also got creative with Santa yesterday. Lately, Santa seems to be the conversation topic of choice for our walk home from school. Yesterday's Santa related topic: How Will Santa Get In Our House Without A Fireplace?

This is what we came up with: He'll have to use one of the doors, but not the front door, because then we'll hear him come inside. Cody decided that in order to 'make sure' that Santa uses the back door, we'll have to stay up and wait for him on Christmas Eve. I told him that won't work, because Santa won't show up until he's asleep. We compromised- we'll leave the front door locked and unlock the back door.

That led us to another conversation: Does Rudolph's Nose Really Glow? I'm not sure on this- I told Cody that I'm sure that some reindeer have red noses, but I don't know if it really glows or if it's just shiny. Cody thought about it- and he's decided that Rudolph's nose does, indeed, glow. And Rudolph goes in the houses with Santa, in order to light his way around, because it's dark inside houses at night.

I think that Cody might be a writer when he grows up. He's got the imagination of one, that's for sure.

Ha! Christmas Music!

See? Changed the video today. As sad as I am to see JD Fortune go (man, is he HOT or what?), I'm a little bit happier to have Christmas music.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

I'm in a baking mood. It always happens right around this time of year. Something about the holiday season that just puts me in the mood to bake cookies. Lots of cookies.

I made peanut butter cookies a couple days ago and did something that I've never done before. I forgot the vanilla. Luckily 'no vanilla' is much better than 'too much vanilla'. At least they were still edible. Last night, I decided that I wanted to make some gingerbread cookies. But we didn't have any butter.

Damn. I went to the store this morning to get butter. While there- I noticed that they're playing Christmas music. John Lennon was playing (So This Is Christmas), and I joked with the cashier that it was a little early for Christmas music.

I wonder if she realized my true feelings? I'm am so totally ready for the holiday season. I love Christmas music. I'm tempted to break out my Mannheim Steamroller CD and listen to it today. I'm actually considering getting my Christmas decorations out. I know that my husband would kill me- KILL ME- if I put the decorations up too early. Right now, I'm to be content with the nesting dolls that his aunt bought us last Christmas. It's hard, I tell you- HARD.

So I'm going to satiate this desire to decorate for Christmas already with a good festive round of baking cookies. I'm going to make a couple batches of gingerbread cookies today. This weekend, I plan on baking a couple batches of sugar cookies.

Oh- and I'll break out the Mannheim Steamroller CD, as well as those old CDs of 'once famous pop artists singing christmas music from the 80s'. This is the Christmas music that I grew up with. My mom listened to pop/rock music, and she had all of those CDs. Man, I wish I knew what they were called. They had some funky little guy dancing on the covers and a new one came out every year. I think that they still make them, only it's just not the same with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilara. I want the cheesy 80s Christmas musis. I want The Pointer Sisters! And Bon Jovi! And Madonna! Pre-Bobby Brown Whitney Huston!

*Sigh*

I love Christmas. The whole season is so warm and cozy. The colors are beautiful- blue and silver, red and green, lots of gold. Candle light, spiced scents, peppermint.

I will be putting the tree up before Christmas. In less than a week, we'll become the parents of one very fiesty little beagle puppy named Irish Rose (Rosie, for short). This should be interesting.

The End Of The First Year

Five days ago, I passed my one year anniversary of being a SAHM. Today, while reading at another site, someone posted this want ad.

Let me just say that I'm jealous. Because number one- there's no way in hell my husband would allow me to hire a sitter for three days a week just so that I could have a 'break', especially if I'm going to be home. And number two- this guy is getting a break. An almost guaranteed break.

I woke up this morning to snow. Yes- snow. It's not sticking, it's just flying around out there- but still. It's snow. Yesterday, it's in the 50s all day, the day before I think we actually hit 70. Today? It's 30.

In the year since I became a SAHM, I have rediscovered childhood loves. Like snow. No longer is snow something that I worry about- no longer do I dread winter, because 'snow' means 'idiot drivers in SUVs who think that just because they have four wheel drive that everyone else on the road does as well.' Now- snow is something fun. It's for playing. It changes the world into this magical place. I even find myself a little bit sad this morning- because the snow isn't sticking. No watching the world turn into this magical white wonderland- just snow flying around, being blown by the wind.

Another childhood love- rainy days. Instead of rushing around, trying to find my umbrella, worrying about parking in the muddy spot in the driveway (and taking along a second pair of shoes), making sure that I have enough time to dry once I get to work... I can sit on the couch, all cozy like, with a cup of coffee and a good book.

Another childhood love- the after school snack. When I worked, the snack was 'on the go', as I drove the boys to their grandmother's house. They ate it in the car, instead of at the dining room table. The talk after school was more along the lines of 'be good for your grandmother' and 'don't lose your socks, you know that your father always forgets to grab them when he picks you up.' Now, we can sit and chat. After school snack isn't rushed- it's us, chatting about what happened at school, what happened at home, what we're having for supper.

This year has seen so many changes. My fil has moved out (hallelujah). We've moved into an actual house. My grandfather passed away. I've discovered that I'm pretty resourceful when it comes to keeping three boys busy. Cody is learning to read. Evan is one smart cookie- he already knows his shapes. I've discovered that I really enjoy doing laundry. Oh- and I love watching Corneil and Bernie.

Sharing...

It's been awhile since I've shared what I've been working on. I won't share my two latest uploads until they hit the store on Thursday, but I can share the two kits that I uploaded last week.

First up- Rainy Day. Yeah, not exactly 'seasonal', but a little appropriate for what is going on here today (rain, rain, and more rain). I think that I'm moving away from paisleys. Not that I don't like them, just that everyone and their mother is using them now. I'm really proud of those paper flowers. I think that they look neat. :)






Also new- Snowy Fields. Funny- my latest uploads are weather related, lol! This is what I wish we had- I love snow. Especially now that I'm not working. I can just sit at home, all cozy like, and watch the snow fall.

I'm also loving glass/acrylic elements right now. They're so fun to make- plus, they look neat on paper. I'm also sketching more for my kits. The floral bouquet brush/overlay and paper in the Snowy Fields kit was hand drawn by me- it has a sketch feel to it. ((And yes, I know- flowers and snow don't exactly go together.))

Last week was a blue week- this week is a pink week. I'm holding off on creating christmasy kits until after Thanksgiving (even though I'm dying to get to work on them). Both of these kits are available at The Digi Chick.

Have You Seen This?

Best and Brightest

How cool is that? I'm planning on entering- already have assignment one done, and am working on assignment two. That's a hard one for me- as much as I love to manipulate photos, I've found myself staying away from it with my scrapping (other than changing color photos to black and white). I have an idea for this, but am currently looking for a kit to use with it.

Assignment three is going to be fun- all those fun little things that digital scrappers like to do in one assignment.

Did you see the inspiration for assignment five? Wow. Just- wow. I love the pieces that they've chosen for this and it's going to be so freaking hard to choose which one I want to do.

I've toyed around with the idea of entering HOF and other things like that before. But the thought of having to print everything and get it all ready has been keeping me from entering. I really think that this one is right up my alley, so to speak.

Other non scrapping related stuff:

Cody told me the other day that when he's in first grade, he'll be able to drive. Poor kid- he looked so forlorn when I told him that no, he won't be driving when he's six- he'll have to wait another ten years before that happens.

Cody didn't believe me when I told him that Santa does go shopping. He told me (all smug like) that the elves made all the toys. My response? The elves do make most of the toys, but come November, they are usually behind, because there are soooo many good little boys and girls in the world that they just can't keep up. So- Santa has to go shopping. But whenever he goes, he's always surrounded by kids telling him what they want. It's why we see Santa in stores and shopping malls at Christmas time- he's not there to find out what the kids want, he's there to shop for gifts. Now- just wait. Cody will ask Santa if he's there to buy gifts when we take the kids to see him.

He's growing up so fast. He loves to help me make the beds. Which is a good thing, because I need his help. With two sets of bunk beds, they aren't easy to make. So- he helps. He gets up on the top bunk and helps straighten the blankets and sheets out. He asks me every morning if I'm ready to make the beds. I just wish he'd ask me every day if he could pick up his toys...

I found yet another use for Photoshop. Evan is such a smart kid- he knows his shapes. When I'm working, and he wants to sit on my lap, I'll open up a new image and using the shape tool, draw shapes. We can spend hours pointing out the different shapes. Stars, circles and squares- he knows them all. Makes working rather interesting- he'll stand there beside me, shouting 'tar, mommy! mommy! tar!' Or 'kurkle! kurkle!' (translation: tar=star, kurkle=circle)

It's now November 14th- it's been two weeks since Halloween. And Dylan is still wearing his Spongebob costume. I woke up this morning to one child in a pair of jeans (Cody), one in a pull up (Evan), and one wearing a pull up and his Spongebob costume.

Random thought- my house smells like apples. Yummy! I bought a candle from an online company a few months ago, and they sent some sample break apart tarts for me to try. I burned the candle a long time ago (it was yummy, too), and while cleaning off my desk yesterday, I came across the tarts. Yesterday- the house smelled Creme de le Creme (yummy- but the scent didn't travel as well as the apples), today- baked apple crisp. I must- MUST- buy more of these tarts. And a warmer. Right now, they're in an old saucepan on the stove. But still- yummy.

Who Defines Art?

In high school, my art teacher used to tell us a story about the artist Duchamp. During an open call for art work way back in 1917, Duchamp sent in 'Fountain'. 'Fountain' was actually a urinal.

Yep- a urinal. I think that he signed it using a fake name. Either way- the gallery thought that it was trash, not 'art', and threw it away. A piece of art- gone. Because someone decided that urinals are not art.

My teacher used it to explain that just because *we* don't like something, does not mean it's not art. There is a lot of artwork that I can appreciate- but frankly, it's not my style. I love Monet's work- I love the colors, the fact that he didn't use black, the way that he would paint the same scene, over and over again, playing with the light. Years ago, I saw the Monet exhibit at The Art Institute of Chicago- breathtaking. I think that I sat in front of the Waterlilies paintings the longest.

But- there are just some artists that I really don't gravitate towards. The surrealists- not exactly my style. The interactive art pieces that just leave me wondering 'what the?' That's not to say that I don't consider them art- they just aren't my style.

I love art. I love to look at it, and I love to make it. I'm crafty- to me, that's art. I love to paint, to photograph things, to draw, to sketch, to manipulate photos... In high school, I had my art teacher take digital photos of myself for me to play around with. I cloned my nose over my eyes, cloned my mouth over my eyes, and just had fun. Those pieces hung in the school's art show that year- my mother said it was 'disturbing' (and what, a two headed cat trying to break into two cats isn't disturbing? (I sculpted that one sophomore year)).

You can't claim that something isn't art because you don't understand it or you don't think the medium is acceptable. Digital art is still art. Digital scrapbooking is still scrapbooking. Artists try to stretch the boundaries of art all the time. Look at Monet- he actually went so far as to completely and totally eliminate a color from his palette. Look at his later works- there is no black. Look at Duchamp. He took something that is merely 'everyday', turned it on it's side (or was it upside down? Can't remember anymore and am too lazy to look it up). It's art- but it is art that was thrown away by the gallery that he sent it to.

It doesn't matter what other people think of digital scrapbooking. As long as you are happy, and you consider it art, then that is what it will be.

Art.

Hell Yeah, I'm Greedy

Apparently, because I'm a designer, I'm greedy.

If enjoying creating new kits makes me greedy, then hell yeah- I'm greedy.

If kicking the biggest kick out of seeing what someone else does with my designs makes me greedy, then hell yeah- I'm greedy.

If making less than minimum wage makes me greedy, then hell yeah- I'm greedy.

What I find oddly amusing about this whole thing is that I don't think most designers are greedy. Sure- there are a few that might be, but most of them- especially those that are considered 'hot' right now- aren't. If designers were truly greedy, the average kit price would be a lot more than $4-7. Many designers are UNDERPAID.

What prompted this? Someone (who shall not be named) informing her little 'club' that she's not wrong for giving away designers' kits for free... because designers are 'greedy'. It's a Robin Hood complex... except that designers aren't rich.

Most customers are completely innocent- they just have no idea that this type of sharing happens or that it's illegal to share someone else's kits this way. So- for those of you who happen to join Yahoo or Google or MSN groups, or forums for sharing, here's some things that you need to know.

1. Beware ANYTHING that says 'Snag.' This means that the person sharing it snagged it from someone else. Chances are- they are sharing something that they shouldn't be sharing. Designers do not care if someone snagged it from someone else- ignorance isn't a reason, it's an excuse.
   
2. Most designers put their intials or full name in their file names. If you see someone sharing something that doesn't include their own initials or name, chances are- they aren't supposed to be sharing it.
   
3. Download freebies only from reputable sites and groups, like stores, SBB, DSP, RAKScraps, and ComputerElements2 mailing list at Yahoo etc. Often, the stuff being shared there is stuff that was made by the person sharing it. This is the ONLY way that sharing should be done- period.

Before you share anything- ask yourself how you would feel if the tables were turned. This isn't a game.

PIRACY IS ILLEGAL.

Hilarious!

This thread at 2Peas gave me a giggle this morning. Most of us have had someone criticize our hobby- doesn't matter if you are digital or paper. My new favorite line of all time comes from that thread: "If you are so danged devoted to surgical-grade preservation of photos, then why in the name of all that is holy do you persist in chopping your precious, precious pictures into such ugly-ass shapes?"

Yep, hilarious stuff. No, I don't use my own handwriting on my layouts (would like to, but I'm still working on writing with my tablet. I'm practicing by doodling- check out my new profile pic. She started off as a doodle). I don't think that is what is important, anyway. I have a recipe box, with handwritten recipes. When I'm gone, my family will have that to remember my handwriting. Or my address book. Or my handwritten journals.

What's important is our reason for scrapping- whether that reason is to preserve memories or as a crative outlet or simply because we have folders of pictures that we need to do something with. Who cares if you hand write your journaling or use everything including the kitchen sink or create your own elements in Photoshop?

Gah, I'm tired right now. I was going somewhere with this... I think that my point is it doesn't matter HOW you scrapbook. Because HOW you scrapbook is going to tell the people looking at them after you are gone a hell of a lot more than WHAT you scrapbooked about will. Think about it. Looking at my layouts, someone who did not know me might assume that I enjoy working on the computer, that I'm creative, that I love my family, that I have a sense of humor, etc, etc, etc. I don't think that we should do things just because someone else told us to, because they think it's 'better'. If you like gluing pictures to construction paper, doodling cute little flowers in Crayola markers, and sneezing stickers all over the place, then go for it. Ignore those who laugh and point and say 'sticker sneeze!'. Just like I ignore those who look at my layouts and say that I'm missing out on the tactile feeling of scrapping. Trust me- I'm not.

The Day Has Finally Arrived!

Check it out! My first kits are up! This is so exciting!

Don't forget that this coming Saturday the new designers at TDC are hosting an event. There's a free kit, plenty of challenges, and a chat. Stop by and meet some of the new designers!

In other news- I'm sick. I blame my three year old for this. He was sick yesterday, and now I'm sick. Ugh. That's the price that I pay for spending yesterday cuddling him when he needed it the most. Luckily, it's not a stomach bug. But I don't really feel like doing anything. Except sitting on my butt, doing nothing.

Blah.

Boo!

Happy Halloween!

God- how I love love love LOVE Halloween. The costumes. The spooky stuff. The candy. Oh yeah- chocolate, chocolate, and more CHOCOLATE.

I did take my little goblins out trick or treating tonight, and they had a blast.
First up, we have Lord Vader himself. Cody is going through a Star Wars phase. Or rather- a Dark Side phase. He actually told me the other day that he only likes the Star Wars with Darth Vader in it. He saw a Darth Vader sleeping bag online and said 'Oh man, oh man, oh man- I have to have that!' So, of course, a Vader costume was a must this year.

His friends thought that it was the coolest costume- and they even asked where his light saber was (at home- the whole 'no weapons at school' rule, ya know). The light saber lights up, so we made him carry it while trick or treating. That's the only problem with the all black costume- it's so hard to see him, especially since he kept taking off and running for the next house.

I'm kinda surprised- it rained here, so we only did two blocks instead of our usual three or four, and Cody didn't complain when we said that it was time to head back. He did complain when I made him put his candy away for the night, however.

Ah- Clifford. I love Clifford. Clifford is cute. Clifford is big. Clifford is red. I'm not all that fond of the hat on this costume, but we dealt with it. Out of all three, Evan seemed to have the most fun of all.

I also realized that I just might be raising a spoiled brat. That little light bulb lit up right around the fourth house, when Evan screamed at his brother. I think it was his 'get out of my way, road hog' scream, but I can't be positive. His 'get out of my way' scream sounds a lot like his 'I'm so happy, I could just die' scream.

It didn't take Evan long to catch on to the whole Halloween concept. He had it all figured out before we even left home. Well- sorta. He knew that if you said trick or treat, you get candy. He walked around the house repeating 'tih tee'. It was the only time that he said it all night- after that, it was more along the lines of 'Candy!' and 'Mine!'

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea... Dylan has been my problem child. Oh- not tonight. Tonight, he was good. He didn't yell or scream, he didn't wander a mile up ahead, he stayed with us and remembered to say 'thank you' when we left.

But the weeks before Halloween? He wanted to be a ghost. Insisted on it. Had me make him a ghost costume and everything. The week before Halloween, he comes up to me and says (all determined like) 'I no wan be ghost.' *Sigh* I had to find him another costume to wear.

I tried Mickey Mouse. No go. He wanted to be Clifford. He insisted on it, no matter how many time I told him that he wouldn't fit the costume. While packing up at the apartment, I came across Cody's old Spongebob costume. Well- part of it. There are some black shoe covers somewhere, but I couldn't find those (nevermind that I've been washing the darn things every two weeks for the past two freaking years even though they haven't been worn since 2003). I only had the Spongebob top, which is enough to satisfy a three year old.

After we found Spongebob, he got into it. I mean- he really got into it. We have a stuffed Gary doll, and Dylan's been attached to him for the past two weeks. Dylan told me that Gary was going to be a pumpkin for halloween and he was going to be Spongebob. I'm glad that it was raining today and I could get away with telling him that Gary doesn't like water, otherwise I probably would have spent today trying to find something orange so that I could make Gary a pumpkin costume (the things that we'll do for our children).

Pumpkin Guts!

Yes! I just spent the last hour elbow deep in pumpkin guts! Well- ok, so I wasn't exactly 'elbow deep', luckily- my boys enjoy getting their hands all dirty like that. Cody and Evan were elbow deep in pumpkin guts- me? I was watching from the sidelines, camera in hand.
We had fun while doing it though, and that's the important part. Now, Cody wants me to roast him some of the seeds (blech- I don't like roasted pumpkin seeds). I will, once Evan goes to bed (in about ten minutes- thank God for small favors).

Oh- and yes, the pumpkin was painted before we carved it. so it has sunglasses on oneside and a carved out spider on the other. I'd have carved an unpainted pumpkin, but there's a problem when you wait until the day before halloween to buy your pumpkins.

The store sells out of them. Sooo- this is the only pumpkin that we'll have this year, which is fine by me, because guess who has to take the rotting things to the garbage? Yeah. Me.

And it's supposed to rain some time tomorrow, and I'd rather just deal with one small pumpkin than three water logged, rotting ones. And yes, I realize that I could avoid all this if I tossed the darn things the day after Halloween, but then again- anyone who mentions that obviously doesn't live with three little boys who think that Halloween is just the best holiday, EVER (outside of Christmas, of course).

Oh- and chances are, you won't have to face Darth Vader and his light saber, either.

Fall From My Window

When we moved, we went from a 'townhouse' (read: apartment with a superiority complex) with only a set of sliding doors in the living room (NO windows) to a house with this huge picture window in the living room. I love this window! Especially what I can see when I look out it.

This is the view out my window, as of Friday afternoon. What I want to do is take pictures of the view every month, so that I have this entire year of pictures.

I love fall. The colors are gorgeous, the weather is perfect, and there's just something about the smell of burning leaves. Now- if Yankee Candle would come out with a burning leaves scent, I'd be all over that candle. And yes, I know that I'm weird.

Today was Cody's last day of soccer for the season. We got his team picture today and he got a medal (they all did) and a token for a free treat from Dairy Queen.

Dylan keeps changing his mind about his halloween costume. First, he wanted to be a ghost. So- I made him a ghost costume. Now- he's decided that he doesn't want to be a ghost, and instead- he's now going to be Spongebob (thank God Cody was Spongebob a couple years ago and we still have the costume). He's at that age where he attaches himself to things. Right now, he's attached to a long sleeve tee shirt with a mummy on it that my mom bought him, his plastic pumpkin bucket, and his Gary doll (Spongebob's pet snail). Oh- and in his plastic pumpkin bucket?

His Spongebob costume. How he managed to fit it in there, I do not know. But it's there.

Announcing The Creative Team!

It was a hard decision to make- as everyone who applied was talented. But- I could only choose four ladies, and went with these four:

Ays

Becky

Jennifer

Misty

These ladies are awesome and I'm so happy to have them on my team!

Celebrate Our Debut At The Digi Chick!

This is going to be fun! A free collabortive kit, a chat, lots of challenges! I hope to see you all there!

For more info- check this thread out!

Oh, My Aching Back!

I hurt all over. Today, we finished moving our stuff out of the apartment. In three hours- I cleaned and packed five rooms and three closets. Luckily (for me, anyway), Mike and his friend Ed loaded up the trailer. I'm not even upset about it. We've been in the new house for over a month (we've been putting off moving out of the apartment completely), so *this* is home and the apartment is just the place where we used to live.

I spent the morning working on a new kit that I'm hoping to have available for my debut at The Digi Chick. Oh, I'm so excited! This new kit- which will be titled "My Favorite Things"- is going to be sooo awesome! It has my favorite color (purple), my favorite patterns (dots, circles, paisleys, florals, stripes and argyle), and some of my favorite elements... Once I decide what those are. Definitely ribbon. Probably some rick rack, I'm even considering putting some brushes in. (And if you are looking for a preview- you'll just have to wait! As my five year old says, 'Nah, nah, neh, boo boo').

Oh! And before I forget, I have to tell you all about a conversation between Mike, my three year old, Dylan, and me.

Me, to Mike: I'm tired, my back hurts, my feet hurt, and this is the first thing that I've eaten today. So, I'm sorry if I'm a little cranky.
Dylan, to anyone in general: I cranky!
Me: I know, Dylly boy, I know.

Aside from all that, the only bad thing that happened today is that I lost the stone from the opal ring that my parents' bought me for my 21st birthday. I'm heartbroken over that- I haven't taken that ring off (except during the third trimester of each of my pregnancies) for over six years. My pinky finger feels naked without it. *Sigh*

Little Goalies, Lasagna, and Lost Balls. Or, A Recap of My Saturday

Ah- Saturdays. They used to be such lazy days.

Then- my son started soccer, and the face of Saturday changed forever. This morning, we were up early because Cody had soccer team pictures and a game today. Wonder of wonders- he actually PLAYED today! And wouldn't you know it, Mike decided that today would be the perfect day to sleep in and skip the game.

We arrived at the same time that Cody's friend did. This is the friend who plays on the green team (Cody is on the orange team), and since the orange and green teams always play each other, they are always together. Which is good. What isn't good is that Cody and his friend tend to hang at the back of the pack, talking. Today, however, Cody just got out there and played. He was running, he even kicked the ball once! He was also cheering his team on, yelling 'Kick the ball, Dan!' and 'Go for it!' He was so cute. Today, they tried it with goalies. First, he tried to be goalie for the other team, then- when he was goalie for his team- he sat, and walked around, and sat some more... Luckily, when the ball was headed for him, he stood and watched the ball at least.

After soccer, we headed to my parents' house for lunch. Lasagna! With garlic bread! An afternoon of chatting with my mom, while the boys and my neices watched Robots and played outside. It was fun- until we were getting ready to leave. Cody had brought his soccer ball with him, and while we were getting things ready to go... we couldn't find his ball. Uh oh. It's just the perfect size for my parents' three dogs to play with. We searched all around the yard. We looked in the manure spreader (decorative), wagon (also decorative), sleigh (yep- you guessed it, decorative). We looked in the fort part of the swingset, every toy box, in the shed, in the garage, inside all five cars, in the power wheels pick up truck that they were driving around earlier, in all three boats, in the house, under the porch, under the ramp, under the dock, in both fire pits, and under all three picnic tables. Then- we grabbed my mom's binoculars and started searching the far side of the pond. No ball. We looked for over an hour! And, just as my mom said that she'd keep her eye out for it, and that we should get going, I spotted the ball.

It was inside an old walker that belonged to my boys' when they were babies and that my parents still had. It was on the porch (where we looked), in plain sight. AND WE MISSED IT. (and, for the record, we did ask Cody and his cousin what they did with the ball and they couldn't remember.)

I should probably scrap this, but right now- I'm too darn tired.

Creative team update: I've received some emails from a few ladies. Thanks so much! Keep them coming! For more information, click here.

Creative Team Call!

I'm looking for four people to promote my kits by creating layouts and posting in galleries around the web.

Starting in November, my kits will be available at TheDigiChick.com. I want as much exposure as I can get- so I'm looking for a few good layout designers to help me out.

Team requirements are simple. Team members will receive two kits a month, FREE. They will be required to post one layout per kit (2 layouts total) to the Digi Chick gallery, and then send me the link to the gallery post, via email. Team members may create as many layout as they wish and post where they wish, after posting the two layouts to the Digi Chick gallery. Please note that my creative team members will NOT be part of The Digi Chick staff.

If you are interested, and think that you have what it takes, please send me an email at mommymonster@gmail.com with the following information:

1. Your name and email address
   
2. If you are a Digi Chick member, your Digi Chick screen name
3. A sample layout, no smaller than 600px wide, using my free sample from The Digi Chick: Blue Eyes.
   
4. A link to your online gallery (preferrably the one that you use the most).
   
5. Why are you interested in joining my creative team?

I want to get the team going as soon as possible- application deadline is Wednesday, October 26th, with me making the announcement on my blog (hopefully) on Friday, October 28th. Hope to hear from you soon!

Sister Rights

Being a sister, I should have dibs on any good information that happens in my sister's life, right? Especially if she were to, oh, I don't know, meet any members of any famous bands like, oh, let's just go with RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE!

My *lovely* sis met the lead guitarist from Rage Against The Machine. Did I hear this from her? NOPE! I heard it from our mother. I mean, sheesh! I told HER when I met Disturbed, she could at least have said 'Hey, dear sister of mine, guess who I met today?' But, oh no!

I really need to have a chat with that girl. I have sister rights to this information. Now I'm wondering just how, exactly, she met him. Looks like I'll be waiting up for her to get home from work so that I can grill her.

Consolidating

I've decided that I don't really need two blogs. Scrapbooking is as much a part of my daily life as my boys are, so I've decided that from now on, I'll be including the ramblings about being the only female member of a household full of males here, right alongside the ramblings about digital scrapbooking.

I really like DiD, plus- it gets many more hits than Life with Boys ever did. That, and I think my readers deserve more updates to this blog.

So. Here I am. Maybe if my back didn't hurt this much I'd actually have more to write about.

Check Out This Chick!

I have a routine in place. I get up, get dressed, and sit down to check email, check my boards, and have my coffee and a smoke (yes, it's a bad habit I know). A couple weeks ago, I go through this routine.

Except that there's nothing happening on the boards that I was checking out, so I decided to head on over to The Digi Chick to see what was happening there. I hadn't been there in a while (simply because I've been busy moving- no other reason). I just happen to look up in the right hand corner of my screen and see Private Messages: 1 unread. I check it out and...

*thud*

That's me, on the floor. I read it again.

*thud*

This is getting ridiculous. I take a few deep breaths (eyes closed, didn't want to fall out of my chair again). I tell myself that I must have misread the PM. I mean, it couldn't possibly be saying what I thought that it was saying. So- I peek. Yep, it was saying what I thought it was saying. This time- no thud. Only me getting up out of my chair so fast that it flew across the room, the sound of a herd of elephants running through the living room, and the sound of me tackling my still sleeping husband, screaming 'I'M GOING TO BE DESIGNING AT THE DIGI CHICK!'

Poor guy. He really had no clue what hit him.

So- check it out! New designers! (and I'm one of them!) Check out the downloads section to see samples of our work. Our first kits will be available in the store starting in the first week of November. :)

Professional

You can't judge whether a person is professional or not based simply on their credentials. While those who do have formal artistic training do very well at this business, there are those of us who do not have that training.

Am I to think that I'm any less of a professional than those who have a graphic arts degree? Nope- not going to happen. I've been doing this for the past three years. I've been selling for two years. There is a huge difference between the first layout that I designed in 2002 and the one that I designed yesterday. Huge difference. We're talking night and day.

And the thing is- this is true of almost every single digital scrapbooker that I know. We learn. We get better at our hobby. No matter what your style is, it will evolve over the years.

The same goes for digital kit makers. Hold on- going to hunt down some pictures for you. Ready? (I can't believe that I'm even admitting this.)

This is Baby Bug. It's one of the first kits that I offered for sale (not the first, but one of them). Oh, my gosh. FOUR backgrounds? ONE tag? *Blushing* It's small- like, really teeny tiny! How freaking EMBARASSING!

But you can still buy this at POTH DSS. Ya know, if you really, really like it.



Now- check this kit out. This is my latest upload to POTH DSS- Tracey Lee's A Boy's Life. This kit has 11 backgrounds, ribbons, ric rac, brads, eyelets/grommets, an alpha, and other stuff. Compared to Baby Bug, it's freaking huge.

Oh- and this one is also available at POTH DSS, for $6 (hey, it's my blog, and I'll advertise if I want to).

Looking at kits like Baby Bug, I wouldn't call myself a 'professional'. But- look how far I've come in the past two years! A more varied color scheme, the elements are realistic (and usable), I like the ABL patterns more than the BB patterns.

While I don't know what other people think of me (comments welcome), I do know that I view myself as a professional. I take this stuff seriously. A professional is constantly learning- they go back to school and keep up with the current trends.

Banging Heads Against Brick Walls Isn't Good For Your Health

I stumbled across a rather... interesting thread at Veggieville today. All about illegal file sharing.

First off- yes, it does happen. Just because it does happen doesn't make it right. It doesn't mean that we can't be outraged about it. It doesn't mean that we should just look the other way because people are going to do it anyway.

If we don't take the time to educate people that {pay attention, this is an important point} STEALING IS WRONG AND SHARING PURCHASED KITS IS STEALING, then we can't say that we're doing anything to prevent this theft.

Normally, I read the threads, nod my head, maybe utter a few 'damn straight' while reading. Usually by the time I get to a thread, someone (or more likely, fifteen people) have already said what I wanted to say and I really don't care for the 'me too!' and 'What she said!' posts, so I just read and keep quiet.

Today- I debated posting. Seriously debated it, even had the post all typed up and ready to go. But then I chickened out. It came across as flammatory and I really didn't want anyone to think that I was flaming them. So- here it is!

Dear Customer and Potential File Sharer:

I love you, I really do. Many times, you have helped me feed my kids, pay my electric bill, and purchase more kits to add to my ever growing collection.

But I do not care who your friends are. I do not care that you only shared the kit of mine that your purchased because your friend is 'new' to digital scrapbooking, and therefore- not willing to waste money on a hobby that she may not like. I don't care if you are trying to teach someone a technique.

If it's not given as a gift (meaning that you do NOT keep the files on your computer or purchase the kit twice), then I don't want your excuses. I want you to stop sharing my files (and those of any other designer out there whose files you might have shared). I would like an apology, but know better than to expect one from a thief.

Oh. That was a little harsh, now wasn't it? Yep. Sure was. And, unfortunately, THE TRUTH. You are taking money out of my pocket. End of story.

I think what really bothers me about this is that people really think it's ok to share with their friends. And that they think the above excuses will make me think 'oh, well then, that's ok, now isn't it?' Well- the truth is, it won't. And I don't know any designer whose mind would be changed if faced with those reasons.

With all the freebies about there- there is no reason to share a kit with a friend. You want to be a good friend- then point her in the direction of freebies. Don't turn her into an accomplice.

2Peas Blog Challenge

Ten memories from school.. Linky poo

1. Being a soda machine in a play in 4th grade. It was a play about healthy eating. The pop machines were guards, and we wore cardboard boxes. Oh- and the play was loosely based on Star Wars.


2. Early morning (7am) marching band and flag team practices.


3. 42 rolls of toilet paper on a teacher's house. We had this planned. We painted a sign in his class, dressed in black from head to toe, then road tripped to his house. We left the sign on his back porch- he knew that we were there and who did it.


4. Coming to school the following Monday morning and being there as one of the people in our group opened her locker to find it stuffed full of those Styrofoam packing peanuts as revenge for her part in the TPing.


5. Duct tape, blindfolds, war paint, and lock ins.


6. Burning the midnight oil and pen throwing- both essential parts of the drama department. And who could forget 'Sinatra loves you baby' and trying to get senior discounts based on stage makeup? Or wearing a friend's bathrobe on stage, where the audience (including your parents) are supposed to assume that you are *gasp* naked underneath?


7. Having to have *the* perfect dress and not wanting to have the same dress as anyone else at prom.


8. Deciding that it was too hot in the gym for mittens, a scarf, and a hat, walking up to the teacher's piano in the middle of the Christmas pageant to put them down before heading to the microphone to say my lines (I was in 1st or 2nd grade at the time- the play was Frosty the Snowman).


9. Playing haunted house in the tires on the playground.


10. One classmate brought kringlas to an art class fieldtrip during our freshmen year. After that- his mom had to make them for every art class field trip, all four years. The few times that she couldn't make them, he didn't quite live it down.

The Art of Scraplifting

Scraplifting. Such a controversial subject. Is it a good thing or a bad thing? If you scraplift someone- are you complimenting them or insulting them? If someone scraplifts you are you insulted or honored?

I don't think that scraplifting, in general, is all that big of a deal. But for some, it's this horrible, for lack of a better word, technique. For them- it's unethical, it's not the right thing, and it's *gasp* plagiarism! In reality- they are probably overreacting. Why do we buy scrapbooking magazines if not to look at the layouts and techniques inside and lift them for our own layouts?

We often forget that scraplifting isn't limited to just design concepts. It also includes techniques- someone inks an edge, someone else comes along and copies it. It includes element use- someone staples ribbon to the edge of a photo, someone comes along and staples ribbon to the edge of a tag. It includes journaling placement- someone journals on a photo, someone else comes along and journals on their photo. It includes photo use- someone uses one photo, someone else comes along and uses one photo. It is entirely possible to have multiple lifts, from multiple layouts on one layout.

There is a huge difference between 'scraplifting' and 'CASEing' (Copy And Steal Everything). To CASE a layout means that you take every single element and use it on one of your layouts- you use the same brand and line of papers, the same fonts, the same concept, the same quotes, title, everything. The only thing that changes is the picture and any journaling that you might include. CASEing is, if anything, even more controversial than scraplifting. It's something that I try to avoid, simply because the layout doesn't seem like 'mine' when I CASE someone. I don't get that feeling with scraplifting.

So- should we be hurt or upset when someone scraplifts us? I don't think so- I think that we should feel honored that someone liked our layout enough to take something from it and use it on one of their own layouts. This doesn't mean that I don't think that people shouldn't give credit when they scraplift (they should). It just means that I think people shouldn't get so bent out of shape about it when it does happen. We shouldn't get so offended when someone lifts our layout- we shouldn't think that someone took something away from us.

We should also realize that sometimes- lifting is incidental. Not every layout that uses a title similar to ours, fonts close to ours, or even has the same general idea as ours is a lift.

Showing Off

Yep- I'm in a showing off mood today. I just finished these two kits in the last two days.

Tracey Lee's Fall Harvest kit is the one that I finished yesterday. I like the colors in this one, as well as the patterns. It will soon be available at POTH DSS (once I get the time to upload it).

Fall is literally right around the corner. How freaky is that? It's so hard to believe that we are moving past the beach layouts and summer cookouts and heading for raking leaves and pumpkin pictures already. It feels like summer just started!

I find it interesting that how our color schemes change with the seasons. You don't see many red/orange/gold color schemes during the summer. They are already starting to pop up in the stores. And just think- in another month or two, we'll have a ton of blue/silver and red/green kits in the stores, what with the holidays (eek! Christmas! I don't even want to think about that yet!).

I can't let go of the bright colors just yet- even if I have to mute them by distressing the papers a bit. That's how I came up with my Pumpkin kit. The colors are still bright- but they're muted a bit. I think that is what I really love about this kit- I can't wait to use it myself (hopefully I'll get time this weekend). I think that what I really like is the stapled ribbons. Man- I'm loving that Warp tool in PSCS2!

Another neat element that I've included in both kits is the Pop Top ribbon slide. I saw someone use one of those on a layout and thought 'How cool is that!' I just had to make some, for myself. Plus- I haven't really seen them on digital kits yet. Yeah, here I am, hoping to start a new digital trend. Either that, or I'm completely blind and just haven't been looking at the right digital layouts.

I have another kit in the works that I'm hoping to finish this weekend- it's working title is Witching Hour. Yep- I'm working on Halloween stuff already! This kit will include a lot of purples and blues. It's about all I can do to concentrate on packing and not start working on that kit.

I do have one layout to share with you all. It's called 'Butterflies'. I used a kit from the Shabby Princess, I can't remember the name off the top of my head, but I believe it might have had Citrus in the name? I wanted something with really cool patterns, and in oranges and yellows to accentuate the bright yellow butterflies in the photos.

My parents own an eight acre, non-working farm. They have a ton of butterflies, every year. There's only one spot in the driveway that gets puddles, and after a rain and until the puddle dries up, you will see hundreds of these butterflies just sitting there. Walking through them is neat- because all the butterflies take to the air and you are surrounded by them.

I wanted something simple for this layout- the story isn't all that important, but the butterflies themselves are. I love butterflies. I'm hoping to turn the garden in the front yard into a butterfly garden next spring or the spring after.

Oh- and what's up with me and why I haven't been posting as often. First reason- nothing to rant about. Second reason- we're moving. This morning, Mike dropped a bombshell- he wants us to be in the new house before he goes back to work on the 20th! There's so much work that needs to be done here as well as at the house- bedrooms need to be gutted and rewired, we need to paint, pack all of our stuff... Oh, it's just a mess! I took the time to sit back and work on those kits simply because I needed a break. I hope to be able to start posting more once we're in the house and settled.

Buying Kits For A Good Cause

Many sites are selling kits and donating the proceeds to the victims of Katrina. So many designers have donated kits for this cause. It can be hard to keep up with who is donating what kits, and one person had the idea to compile of list of these sites in one easy to access place: Digi Scrappin With Jen.

10 Places I Want To Travel To

I've been wondering where these were at and have been missing them. First- the link: Blog Challenge. And now- my 10 places...

1. England. Not just London (although I'd love to visit), but small towns around the country.
   
2. China.
   
3. Alaska.
   
4. New York.
5. Brazil.
6. Hawaii.
7. India.
8. Japan.
9. Australia.
10. Egypt.
    

*Gasp!* A Freebie!

Click here to download!

When I'm working on a kit, there are often items that don't make it into the final version that I offer for sale. There's nothing wrong with them (most of the time), they're usually cut in the interest of kit size, or they don't fit the mood of the kit. These are two papers that were cut from my Cherry Vanilla Cola kit, because I felt that they didn't really 'fit' the kit. So- I'm offering them up here, as a freebie.

I plan on doing this will many of the things that don't make it into my kits. I hope to upload new freebies for your enjoyment- as a way of saying 'thanks for stopping by!'. Most of them will probably be backgrounds- although I have one freebie that I'll be offering in the future that is really a set of curve templates that I'm calling 'The Girls'.

I hate having things go to waste- which is why I'm offering these things as freebies. I figure that someone, somewhere could use them.

Oh- and before I go, if you are interested in seeing a larger preview before downloading, simply click on the image.

Enjoy!

*Proud*

Yep- I'm proud. Very proud. Insanely proud. I don't do this often- most of the time, I tend to doubt myself too much, but this time- I'm going to be proud and toot my own horn, so to speak.

I've been a busy little beaver the past couple of weeks, and I managed to get FOUR new kits added to the store today. Yay! Some weeks, I'm lucky if I get two kits added, lol!

I really really really like this kit. It's called Summer's End- and it's a really neat combination of oranges, greens, yellows, and reds. It's probably a little on the girly side, but considering that the other kits that were added this morning are more boyish than anything, I don't really care. I think that it looks good, imho.

I took this picture a few weeks ago, with the intent to scrap it and talk about how my parents have all this space at the farm, and my boys chose to play in the mud puddle in the middle of the driveway. I hadn't done anything with the picture, because I just wasn't in a layout mood. But- I just had to do something with this kit, and I don't always feel like saying that. (It's that self doubt thing that I really need to get over.)

I'm working on getting over my self doubt. It's not really a good thing to have- because second guessing myself could possibly hurt me. I just need to sit back, and think 'hey- if I feel like it's done, then it's done.' Otherwise, the kit just keeps getting bigger... and bigger... and bigger. It's not really an 'excitement' thing- it's a 'will this be worth it for my customers?' I'm not longer willing to sell myself short- I put a lot of hours and blood sweat and tears into my work, and I want to get paid for it.

It's a good feeling when you can look at a completed kit and go 'Damn, I'm good.' I wish that I could do that all the time.

Because, ya know, damn- I'm good.

Something Fun: A Scrapbook Survey

I picked this up from One Digital Scrapper, who got it from someone else. Feel free to copy and pass it on.

Scrapbooking Style
Traditional paper based or Digital? Or Both (Biscraptual)?	Mostly digital, sometimes biscraptual
Other Mixed Media Arts?	I like to alter tins and stuff
Define Your Style in 5 or less words	Eclectic? I tend to go with whatever feels good at the time.
Name your Scrapping Heroes	Um, Holly McCaig is the only one that comes to mind at the moment.
Social Scrapping
2Peas or Not?	I check it out every day, but don't post all that often. i mostly spend my time between a private board, the Digi Chick, and Pages of the Heart
One forum lover or spreader of your joy?	tend to spread the joy, lol
Active Member, Moderator, or Lurker?	somewhere between active and lurker on most boards
Do you Scrapblog?	Yes
Do you Attend Crops, and if so - how regularly?	not really- although I try to attend crops at POTH.
Do you Attend Scrapbooking Events and Retreats - if so, how regularly?	Nope
Scrapbooking Objectives and Profile
Are you or would you like to be a Scrapbooking Designer?	Yes- at POTH Digital Scrapbook Store
Would you Like to Make Money from Scrapping?	I already do
Is Scrapbooking a Career Objective - fulltime or parttime?	part time, wouldn't mind full time, but the kids don't allow it, lol.
Do you scrap for yourself, your family or others?	Mostly for myself. if the kids decide they like them, great. if not- oh well, i had fun doing it, lol
Is it about the legacy, the memory or the art?	all of them!
How Many Hours on average per week do you plan / actually do towards scrapbooking?	as many as i possibly can...
Average Monthly Budget for Scrapping Supplies?	whatever I make the month prior from selling my designs, lol.
How many scrapping magazines do you buy/subscribe to on average per month?	i don't subscribe to any- i buy them whenever i have the extra money.
How many Idea Books do you own?	nothing for scrapping- a couple idea books for altered art
A Bit About You
How many years have you been scrapping?	almost 5 years total- digital for 3 years
Define your family and partnership status	married for 6 years in november, three sons (5, 3, and almost 2)
Fultime worker, part-time worker, fultime at home	i'm a SAHM
Just Some Fun
What do you think will be the next big product / trend in scrapping?	not sure- I'm loving the return to color and basic shapes, as well as the retro look. i like the softer distressing looks that are popular now- especially when combined with clean lines.
What old product / trend would you like to see make a comeback?	i really can't think of any, lol!
What’s your favourite website to do with scrapping? (Only one!)	Pages of the Heart- little bit of everything, with friendly members.

Newsflash: We're Allowed To Complain!

Why is it when someone complains about a site or designer, that someone invariably has to come along and defend said site and designer?

I'm not talking about the polite conversation- the one where people say 'I don't see that' and leave it at that- I'm talking about the people who flame someone for not liking their favorite site- the people who say nasty things because they take complaints personally.

We should be allowed to voice our opinions. We should be able to say that we aren't happy about something without being flamed for it.

The site can only control what is said on their message boards and mailing lists (if they have them- not all do). They- and their members- can not control what is said on other message boards and mailing lists.

People are going to form opinions based on their experiences. If my experience with a site is negative, then I'm going to use my right to not visit said site. I may or may not complain about it to someone else. This is my right. Nobody can control this- but me. Don't assume that just because your experience with a site is a positive one that everyone has had a positive experience with that same site.

And definitely don't try to change my mind. It won't work. Let me- and everyone else- complain without the whole 'bashing bandwagon' thing. Maybe- just maybe- the site isn't all that you think it is.

Ads

The latest discussion on the DigiScrapCustomers group is about shopping habits. It's been a rather interesting read so far- even though I've heard these things before (they come up often). What I keep forgetting is that not every designer is a member of the DSC group- so they miss out on all these wonderful (and often eye opening) discussions.

So- from the most recent discussion, this is what I'm picking up.

1. Most customers do not browse the stores and 'window shop'- although they will go check out their favorite designer's stores.
2. They are more likely to check out a new designer if their ads contain pictures.
3. They will delete ads that don't have images of the kit(s) for sale, or where the images are attached rather than imbedded.
4. Links to the kit in the store are an absolute MUST.

To me, this seems like common sense. Yet, there are still designers out there who do not- for whatever reason- imbed pictures in their email, or who do not provide direct links to the kit (they might link to the store, but that isn't enough- many designers are prolific kit creators, and attempting to find a kit in a store is a daunting task). It leads me to wonder just how many of these designers really are worth the trouble- since many customers seem to be deleting without checking out these designers' kits.

It really should be in our best interest to do everything that we can to sell our kits.

Expectations

Why should customers have to pussyfoot around designers? Why are customers not allowed to state how disappointed they are in a designer's work? Why should they not ask questions in public?

I simply do not get the trend to shame someone who chooses to make something public. I've seen it at SBB, I've seen it at 2peas. Designers should have thick skins. They should be able to handle the criticism politely, with class, and without the snide remarks (the 'that's totally untrue and unfair' type comments). Did we all of a sudden forget that the people that we chat with on message boards aren't just people? They are potential customers! Everything that we say and do is going to be critiqued by the general population of a message board. And when it comes time to shop- no matter how good a kit looks, or how much you advertise that kit, someone, somewhere is going to think 'Well, that designer was flat out rude when a customer had a problem and asked a question in public.' Guess who won't be getting my money is I see this?

I know that I've ranted about this before- but it seems that it needs to be brought up, again. Once a person chooses to become a designer, s/he loses the freedom to post what you want when you want on a message board or mailing list (or, heck, how about a blog?). Oh, a designer can still post whatever they want- but not without consequences, whether they realize it or not. It stands to reason that if I won't give my money to a company that hires rude employees, then why should I give it to a rude designer?

But back to expectations. I do not expect any customer to ignore a problem. I also don't think that we should expect them to only handle problems through private email. Not every problem that is posted in public is done so in a malicious manner- as some would have people assume. Private emails are appreciated- but asking in public is wrong? I understand that we don't want to have an bad advertising- but when designers post on those threads that people should have kept it private, it shouldn't be posted on a public board, and basically shame the living hell out of a person simply because they chose to ask a question about a problem with a popular designer's kits, it doesn't exactly make that designer look good. I don't think that it's fair to our customers if we limit how they can contact us. Let them vent in public. Let them question in public.

Maybe what we need to do is step back and look at the problem in a new light. We need to start thinking 'is this really a malicious post? is the customer only asking an innocent question? how can I answer without making me look bad?' Let the other customers do all the shaming. The designers should take the high road and be polite and cordial- exactly what we expect from brick and mortar stores when we walk in and complain about something. Oh- can you imagine what would happen if this was face to face stuff? A customer walks into a digital designer's store, and asks if the problem that she's having is on her end, because it's happening with each kit from that designer that the customer has purchased. The designer's response? 'That's untrue and unfair, but I'm working on it.' Somehow, I don't think that would fly...

Done, Done, Done, Done, Done, Done, Done...

Shout hallelujah and praise the Lord, I am DONE!

Finally. I think that this might be my last request album for awhile- all you ladies who do this for a living, more power to you. Because this is freaking HARD.

Don't get me wrong, I love my hobby, and I love the subject, but when you are trying to create a book for someone, with specific instructions, for a specific reason (that doesn't include holidays or anniversaries), it's hard.

I think that I need to reward myself with something. Maybe the new Harry Potter book... And now I'm off to go soak my over worked fingers.

Only Two Days Left...

Ack! In only two days, I need to complete this album, burn it to CD, and get it to my mom, so that she can give it to my sister, so that my sister can print it out and put it in an album. But, on the upside, I've been working like crazy and have some layouts done. Yay!

This is one that I did yesterday. I took the picture over the 4th of July weekend, and knew that I'd use it in her album (how could I not? Just look at that face!).

I'm really enjoying working on this album, even if I'm rushed to get it done in time. I don't get to do all the girly stuff (unless it's for me), and Jasmine is a really girly girl. The kit that I'm using for this album is Good Times, by Holly McCaig.

This album is important because Jasmine has a major surgery coming up- the album will help cheer up Jasmine, as well as anyone who looks at it (hopefully).

Meme Challenge #8: 10 Desert Island Discs

2Peas Meme Challenge

This is hard. Really hard. That's probably because I don't buy CDs anymore- I download all of my music, and then burn it all to CD because I'm too poor to have an MP3 player yet (hopefully soon). Of course, I doubt that I'll ever be stranded on a desert island (because, right now, my very sunburned thighs are telling me that spending any time in the sun isn't a good idea). Since I don't buy CDs, and couldn't tell you which of my favorite songs were on what album, I'm going with my ten favorite songs.

1. Lacuna Coil- Swamped (You're listening to this right now).
   
2. Evanescence- Missing
3. HIM- Wicked Game (666 remix)
4. Nine Inch Nails- Deep
5. Orgy- Fiction (Dreams In Digital)
6. Green Day- Basketcase
7. Disturbed- Prayer
8. CKY- Plastic Plan
9. Lacuna Coil- Heaven's A Lie
10. Lacuna Coil- Falling Again
    

Time Crunch

Ack! I have less than a week to complete the album for my neice. Her surgery is coming up- and I promised my sister that I would have it done before her surgery. Ack, ack, ack.

Did I mention that I can't seem to find the CD with the pictures that she wants me to use in this album???

I have three layouts done- but need to do more. She wants a complete album that my neice can take with her to the hospital.

I'm hoping to work on it tonight, but we'll see how I feel. We're heading out to the farm for this afternoon. I'll probably come home exhausted. Oh- and the boys have been whining ALL MORNING LONG. I'm thinking early bedtime tonight.

Publishing

An interesting concept was brought up on this thread at Pages of the Heart. Are magazines really looking for pages that don't focus on children? Will submitting a layout that doesn't feature a child actually raise your chance of being 'noticed'- and therefore, published?

On that alone- probably not. Think about all the layouts that are submitted for subject specific calls ('summer', 'Christmas', 'The Day I Drank Tea'). Only a few out of the many submitted are picked up for those calls. Obviously, it probably couldn't hurt- but, and let's face it folks, if the overall design sucks, the magazine isn't going to pick up the layout. They do want to showcase only the best in their magazine (because how often would we actually purchase a magazine that featured layouts that just didn't work? Really- you can't trust articles on design in a magazine that chooses to feature layouts that are, well, not up to par).

But, let's talk about this whole child free layout thing. I don't blame magazines for wanting to publish layouts that don't include children- there is this huge demographic of childless scrapbookers out there. The paper companies realize that children aren't the only reason for scrapbooking- most of there lines would work well with layouts whether the subject is 2 or 22.

There's nothing wrong with scrapbooking your child's life, but your child is going to grow up eventually. Eventually- you will be the parent of an adult child- who doesn't have children. Will you stop scrapbooking when they are twenty? Doubtful- many of us are so far behind that we have no hope of catching up, but I think that once our children have grown up, and start lives of their own, we'll have plenty of time to get caught up on their childhoods. And once they are caught up- those who claim to really love the hobby might be looking for something else to scrap. At least until grandchildren come along.

And let's take a look at the Book of Me trend. Many are doing this so that our children know who we were. But there are also many of us who are doing this simply because it's fun to be a little egocentric for awhile (or because we love all the pink kits that are out there, but since we live in a testosterone dominated household, we can't use them on our children). When I scrap myself, I want colors that fit me NOW, not colors that fit me when I was three or four. I want to open a magazine and see layouts that will not only inspire me, design wise, but will inspire me to complete a layout for my BOM.

Take The Plunge

Just Jump

I love watching my children play. They don't think about what 'might happen.' They don't worry about things- they just do it. Take my five year old, Cody. When he saw that large pile of sand being dumped in the front yard at the farm, he didn't think about the sticker weeds that lined the beach, or the rocks hidden in the sand. He didn't think that he could sprain an ankle, or otherwise hurt himself- he JUST JUMPED. Last night, while watching the neighbors' set off their fireworks, he would slowly creep up to them, and I would keep calling him back. He didn't think about getting burned, or whether or not the large noises would hurt his hearing- he just thought 'those are cool' and went to look at them.

When he sees someone doing something that he thinks is cool- he doesn't stop and consider the consequences. Instead, he just watches how something is done and then he does it. We could learn a lot from him.

As adults, we spend so much time weighing the pros and cons of anything that we do. Do we splurge and buy the latest kit from our favorite designer, or do we hold off for one more paycheck? Should we stop for gas now, and can we wait until we reach our destination? Do we take the kids to the zoo even though the weather report says '30 percent chance of rain', even though there isn't a cloud in the sky? Do we hit Walmart at 3 in the afternoon, since we're in town, or do we make a second trip at midnight so that we don't have to stand in line (but we end up using twice the gas that we would have if we had gone at 3? Do we try some new technique or element that we see popping up in layouts all over the internet or do we stick to what we know- and are comfortable with?

While we feel best in our comfort zones, they can be dangerous. By sticking to what we are comfortable with, we run the risk of basically creating the same layout over and over again- we don't challenge ourselves to think of something new and unique. Eventually, we get stuck in a rut- and get bored with our hobby.

What I don't understand is how people can buy idea books, magazines, e-zines, and so on, and still create the same style layout over and over. These publications publish layouts for a reason- to give their readers IDEAS, to show them something new and different, to allow us the chance to step outside our comfort zone and do something different.

There is no guarantee that you'll like the new technique- just like there was no guarantee that my five year wouldn't land on his ankle wrong and sprain it when he jumped off that pile of sand. And the beauty of stepping outside your comfort zone is that you don't have to like the technique! You don't have to get it right the first time! It's a learning experience- you can either attempt to learn more about it, or you can decide that technique just isn't for you (but don't let 'failure' lead you to think that stepping outside your comfort zone is a bad idea- it never is).