Scraps-R-Fun

Thankful for the Day After

So, I realize yesterday was the big day for "I'm thankful..." blog posts, but me? I'm thankful for the day AFTER Thanksgiving. I'm thankful it's over, I'm thankful that we managed to pull through the day with no family arguments - always a plus for a family gathering in our world, I'm thankful that I didn't burn the turkey, or for the first year ever, boil over the gravy. I'm thankful that Sweetness didn't bite anyone who came over and that nobody choked. It was a good day. 

But most of all, I'm thankful for this blurry, poorly lit photo... which shows a celebration of family

 

and this one too... which shows not only my beautiful daughter just tolerating the family, but dad with his famous "look at my daughter, isn't she something?" expression on his face (and really, I know that's what he's thinking because when one sees that look, trust me, he suddenly speaks those exact words - and sometimes, it's quite embarrassing).

 

and then there's this bad photo for which to be thankful...which shows a perfectly made in 24 hours meal if I do say so myself... AND the pride that my aunt has for her family

 

But I'm also thankful for these two photos that show that while life may often be a blur, and sometimes poorly lit... it's always worth remembering

 

Happy Black Friday y'all :) 
 
 

 
 

Today May be Difficult

So today may turn out to be a challenge. We'll see. On the agenda... getting to the hospital with my dad to see if we can't manage to get some home health care for my parents. It's that time. While my mother has been hospitalized (since last Tuesday), I went to their apartment to help clean up. Well, without going into the details of what I found, suffice to say it has become apparent that they cannot be left to their own devices. What we really need is for someone to get in there and do a deep clean and sanitation, but I'm not sure we're going to manage that before she gets released. So, 

Step 1: Access home health care

Next the day will involve going to visit with my mother's physician and/or care nurse. This will determine whether or not it's time to take out the big guns with her. You see, although she has been diagnosed with pneumonia, something else is hindering her road to recovery. To determine said cause, they need to do a scope in her lungs. She has been refusing the test however. So, they are trying to get her healthy enough to go through the test, but yup, she's refusing most of the treatments. Basically, she is behaving in the hospital the way she behaves at home - lying in bed, being sick, doing nothing about it. 

Step 2: Convince mother to take test and/or treatment and/or, just go home then.

Next involves Thanksgiving preparations. Amidst all this, I have not finished cleaning my house, putting the menu together or grocery shopping. Over the weekend, I thought I wasn't doing anything for the holiday. But suddenly it turned into: the family (from California and Australia) is all coming over for the main event - dinner (oh, and they are staying with me too).

Steps 3, 4, 5, and 6: Plan menu, grocery shop, clean house, convince Taylor to be happy about it (she's being such a Scrooge). 

I'm not sure all that can happen in a single day, but a single day is all I have. If you have any super powers for sale out there... I'm in the market.

An Open Letter to My Favorite Idol Who Didn't Win

Dear Adam,

This, and I quote, "All hail freedom of expression and artistic integrity. :) fans: I adore u." is baloney. 

Your performance on the music awards last night had nothing to do with artistic freedom. It had to do with taste - knowing your audience and respecting your fans. This is not what we signed up for. Look, I personally think you have more talent and creativity in your pinky finger than any other performer out there right now. So, why stoop so low as to do the mere shock. Seriously? You call that creative expression? I could have seen that business on any porn video. Men kissing men? That is not shocking. I don't care about your sexuality. As a matter of fact, I applaud you for not hiding from it. But that doesn't mean that you flaunt it in front of an audience which includes children in it. It doesn't permit you to be so tasteless that cameras had to pan away from you because even your director didn't know where to look. It's not even about being gay here. Who cares? I for one, don't. But leave that raunchy crap for your concerts, your videos, be expressive, go ahead... but then let your viewers decide if they care to observe such expressions. It's clearly not about being expressive, and I would be equally angry and disappointed in any performer who behaved in such a manner. 

I for one was long anticipating your debut album. I was so excited, I *almost* pre-purchased. But man, am I  glad I didn't - and NOT because of that crappy, completely unentertaining performance last night. Because the music is simply put, bad. We can't even hear your rockstar talent over all that synthesized junk and your lyrics? Really? I expected so much more. I'm not even buying a single song, and that makes me sad. 

Your single is a clear message to those of us who awaited this day. You clearly don't care about your fans, or making music that does indeed entertain. Your single is a clear F.U. to all of us who simply wanted something new and crazy good when it came to music, something unique and from someone who can actually sing. But thank you for enlightening us to the fact that you don't care. Your music is for your own self-indulgence. I get it. Thanks for the update. I'll move on and become a fan of someone else now. And Adam, F.U. because if you're not here for my entertainment, I'm not here to be a consumer of what you're selling. Good luck with that attitude.

The Best Laid Plans...

My life is such a riot:

Here's how my Wednesday goes...

While at a random meeting...

Woman attending meeting: "may I ask you a personal question?"

Me: "yes, I am Sandy Landy's daughter (without letting her ask...)" 

Woman: "I KNEW it! She was the meanest woman I know!"

Grrrreeeat - thanks for sharing.

So, I go to call my mother that night to relay the story.

Dad: "hello?"

Me: "hey dad! it's me, how are you?"

Dad: "oh, I'm pretty miserable"

me: "miserable? why?"

Dad: "oh, your mom's in the hospital." 

me: "WHA? What do you mean? When?"

And so begins the saga. I asked my dad when he thought he might have informed me that my mother was in the hospital. He replied, "well, I figured she'd be in the hospital a few days and it would all blow over and then I wouldn't have to tell you." Ok- where is the logic in that? 

So, the day of cleaning, organizing and prepping for turkey day I had planned today turned into escorting my father to the hospital, sitting and watching my mother lie in a hospital bed in her own soaked clothes because she was too embarrassed to ask the male nurse to help her, and waiting and waiting and waiting more for the doctor to show up and tell us what is going on... which apparently is very little. 

Lazy, Lazy, Lazy...

Oy, what a Sunday. While Friday was fab... Saturday was a nightmare. It started with a trip down to Tucson. I hate Tucson. Really. I do. But while I hate the city, I hate the drive between Tucson and Phoenix even more. Lately, it's been even worse than usual. There's construction and there are no ways around it. If something happens on the highway, you are completely and totally stuck. 

The drive down was uneventful enough. That was good. But coming home, coming home was a road rage nightmare. I've never been more worked up than by the time I got home that night. I swear, I was going less than 45 miles an hour most of the time, with other times coming to complete STOPS! STOPS - ON the FLIPPIN' HIGHWAY!! Uh, people, the speed limit? is SEVENTY FIVE! Why, why, why do people insist on driving in the left lane and go UNDER the speed limit by 10 miles?!? Huh? 

And the kicker? Are you ready? All this... for no reason at all. There were no people lying dead on the side of the road, no crashes, no pile ups, nothing. And yet, for no reason at all it took me 3 hours and 15 minutes to get home, compare that to the 2 hours and 5 minutes it took to get down there in the first place. Yes, to say that I was annoyed, and full of rage when I got home was an understatement. And typically, I'm pretty patient when driving. But 135 miles of stop and go traffic for NO REASON made me C.R.A.Z.Y.

So, no surprise... I woke up with a migraine today. I tried relaxing, scrapping, sleeping. But it took all day to tame and therefore the only thing I got done was some crafty paper stuff... sigh. I will pay for this during the week...

Here's  something happy that happened during the weekend however:

Quickie

Well, the crop last night was definitely fun! I had a blast! I even completed two layouts! I always start with a lift or a sketch to get my mojo going though. I have such a hard time scrapping at crops - away from my full room of goodies. Though to be fair, I had the most goodies with me. But I only had one small rolling cart and one basket of Studio Calico kits. I remember the days when I had to bring my XXL cart and two full tote bags of stuff and still felt like I didn't bring enough. Kit scrapping has sure changed that - for the better! 

But I have to run to Tucson for work today :( So, no more playing for a while... here's what I DID finish though... (of course, these do not compare to the SIX layouts friend Kimmers finished, sheesh).

This is a lift of Kelly Noel at Studio Calico

Here's my layout inspired by my newest acquisition... I really am not sure how I ever scrapped without it. 

Planning to Play

Uh huh, that's me. I'm planning to play today. First, head to work for a partial day (damn I love a job where I can work a partial day and get paid for a full... of course I work Saturday for nothing extra, so it's all a wash in the end).

In any case, a while back I received an invitation to go cropping at my favorite scrapbook store of all time. I have been shopping here almost as long as I've been scrapbooking... discovered it some time around 1999. Since then I've lost track as to how many times they've torn down another wall and expanded either their crop space or their floor space into the next store front. I swear, someday they will be the entire strip mall itself. Nonetheless, I haven't cropped there in what feels like eons. Since creating my incredible space in my house, I much prefer to scrap at home. I'm in my comfort zone in my space... I mean who wouldn't be? 

 

 

Right? Why leave this nirvana? 

But tonight, it's all about friends and companionship. I'm sure we'll spend much of the night giggling and well, maybe gossiping (I know, it's shameful). But regardless of how little I'll accomplish tonight, I'll have a good time. I mean how else could this evening end when it is beginning at the best Mexican restaurant in the east valley - Tia Rosa's... mmmm mmmmm good. 

Now the big question of the day - do I, or don't I? Bring Mr. Singer along for fun? Oh, and last night? Made a second lanyard - took less than an hour and actually remembered all the steps without needing to look at the directions. I'm so in love with Mr. Singer...

Ta Da!

I think these will make cute gifts for people at work, no? 

 

I have a charm slide tied on at the bottom - here's a close up.

 

And could this print be any yummier? 

Even with the debacle of thread wrapped up around a screw on the inside of the machine, I still managed to pull it off! Can you tell I'm so proud! :)

Directions for this baby found here: I changed mine up a bit, I didn't like the grommets...

Moda Bakeshop

Mama's New Addiction

Exhibit A:

 

See that down the ribbon? Yes, that's stitching - as in, from a machine...

Exhibit B:

 

uh huh, that's right... there is stitching there too. 

Exhibit C:

Yes, I'm sure you see it. Machine stitching... again.

I have owned Mr. Singer for less than 24 hours. But he has stolen my heart. I no longer look adoringly at others' stitched scrapbooking and say, "I wish..." It was certainly not money I PLANNED to spend, but it was indeed money I had AVAILABLE to spend. My only regret is that I'm now that much set back from my ever coveted 24-70 lens... Goodbye lens, hello pillow making. 

If you know me...

... you know that this is likely the craziest impulse buy I've ever made...