This Seriously Rocks My World

Have you seen it yet? The Creative Cafe stuff from Creative Imaginations? If not, just let me say you're in for quite a treat. Got my grubby little paws on some of this stuff (thanks, Stayce, you are for sure my hero!) and it is TO DIE FOR cute! I think these rub-on swatchbooks alone are going to keep me excited for weeks. Like "not be able to sleep" excited. Haven't felt that way about a new product in quite a while. My grandma is in town for a week, and bless her little heart God knows I love her, but she is keeping me too busy to go near my new stuff! It's making me a little cranky as I'm sure you can imagine. So no thanks to grams, I haven't been able to really dig in yet, but when I do....look out! Gonna make some totally cute stuff! Love that it's here in time for Christmas, and it looks like I can already start crossing names off the gift list...mini books for the grandparents, frames for friends and family, mason jars decorated with rub-ons and ribbons for the neighbors....

They're Heeeeere...

The Santa Ana's are HOT, dry, strong gusty winds that plague Southern California from September to February off and on every year. They're born in the Rocky Mountains, and push their way down to us through the high deserts, warming 5 degrees every 1,000 feet they fall, usually fanning brush fires along the way. Today there are 13 fires burning in Southern California, and the smoke and ash is everywhere. My brother just bought a new house, not 10 miles from where a huge fire is burning in the Foothill Ranch area. In San Diego county, over 250,000 have been evacuated from their homes. Power is out in many areas. I'm praying that the winds don't shift overnight, sending the fires in new directions, and doing any more damage than they already are. The worst part about it all, is that many of the fires are started by arsons, who know the Santa Ana's will send a fire out of control. We see it every year, each one more devistating than the last. It's just so very sad, and my heart goes out to those that are dealing with this nightmare.

7 Months Already

Can it really be that long since losing my mother to cancer? It still feels like yesterday, and I imagine it will for a long time to come. I've really been missing her this week, the grief has been like a shadow following me around. Like something I can't really see but I know is there. Scrapping her memory, for me, is a part of the healing process . It's a way I can honor her memory, and spend a couple of hours alone with her again. Her pictures have become my link to her, and I am so, so grateful that I have them, and that this hobby offers me the creative outlet to celebrate them.

Ghosts and Goblins...

I love Halloween! It's probably my favorite holiday of all time. When else am I allowed to sneak up behind my daughter with a hairy plastic tarantula and scare the living crap outta her by dangling it just inside her peripheral line of sight? Halloween rocks!

In order to properly advertise my love for all things spooky and creepy, I've made this to hang on my <----front door under the black porch light. It features actual mummy bandages and the aforementioned hairy tarantula!

Okay, so I actually made it for a class I am teaching at the Scrapbook Garden on October 24th, but still. I made it, so I get to hang it on my door when the class is over. And okay, fine. The mummy bandages are actually from Walgreens. BUT If you are gonna be around next Wednesday, say...5:30 pm...why not sign up and join us? Just give Melissa a call at (714) 841-1801 and she'll be happy to hook a sistah up. Hope to see you there!

Just Because

"I will never start a blog."

That's what I told myself way back in the beginning...when blogs were something new and exciting and fun! Later, I reminded myself again when practically everyone I knew and their mothers were blogging. And I said the same thing when I discovered my cat blogging in the middle of the night while I was sleeping. Okay, I get it...EVERYONE is blogging. But still, the idea always seemed ridiculous to me...why would anyone want to read about all the crazy crap running around my head on a daily basis? It's hard enough for me to handle, so why would I possibly want to subject the people I consider friends and family to that kind of madness? Nope, I'll never start a blog. Not interested, Don't Have Time, Not Enough To Say, Never Happen in a Million Years.

Well, here it is. My first blog post. Well, second technically, if you count the test post.

As I sat down to type it I suddenly remembered why I swore I'd never do this. The minute I clicked on "create new post", I was paralyzed. White screen...blank...staring at me, mocking me, giving me the stink eye. A big scary monster, with pointy fangs, just waiting to eat me all up. Staring at me with beady yellow eyes and hideous breathe.

I typed in a title and almost hit the delete button.

And then, in a rare, light-bulb kind of moment I realized...that scary monster is fear. Fear of what people will think of me, fear of being judged, fear of failure. The scary monster with pointy fangs lives in my head. He's the part of me that says "see, I told you not to try something new...It's uncomfortable and difficult, and you're not a very good writer".

Well, screw him. I never was one to back down from a good fight, so here's to conquering fear, and learning to never say never.

Is This Thing On?

Testing, 1...2...3...! Not original, I know...but hey, cut me some slack. It's 5:00 am, and I'm not feeling particularly clever yet.