True Blood Anyone?

Where have I been?  Oh, right, I don't have HBO.  Started watching the first season on DVD from Netflix, and I am HOOKED.  We just got the next disc and will be watching those tonight.  Of course, since I am slightly obsessive-compulsive, I have already read the first two books (picked them up Thursday, finished them by Saturday morning) in the Sookie Stackhouse series (which it is based on) and have ordered the rest.  Once I start a series I am compelled to finish it!

So if I disappear again, I'm reading, watching, or scrapping.  I do have the September kit on my desk and I'm working on that as well!

Either a crazy good time...

or just crazy.  What a picture.

Me and G45? Who'd have known?

I can honestly say, I rarely buy or use any Graphic 45 papers.  But, they were a part of the July Smaller than a Breadbox kit and I finally had an idea to use them.  I've been holding on to a couple of the "printers trays" and I think the combination came out well.  Do you?

I used a bunch of stuff from my stash as well, Jenni Bowlin bingo cards and bingo numbers, BG letters and dollies, and some extras from ASD kits as well.

I should have some sneaks from the August BTABB kit soon.  I have finished all of my layouts, sans journaling on two of them.  I've used almost every scrap of paper.  Literally.  The August kit is chock full of good stuff!

Garden Goodness

Here's part of what we've been doing this summer.  Ok, really me.  I raked, weeded, planted and picked the garden.  So far we are reaping some great rewards.  H-U-G-E zucchini's, at least 15-20 so far, some yellow squash, a good 2 lbs of green beans, some Japenese eggplants and a few tomatoes.  Including some heirloom ones - red stripey and pink girl.  Yum.

You know what chaps my ass?

Those stupid, freaking annoying "tax relief" commercials.  "We owed the IRS 3 million dollars, but only paid 1 million dollars."  Really?  Glad to hear you skipped out on your taxes.  Bastards.  Apparently, I'm supposed to be happy for them.  I'm not.  Last I checked, the IRS didn't give me 66% break because I paid my taxes late.

*rant over*

A post? Really a new post?

It's been far too long, but the summer has been busy and full of fun activities, so my blog absence is from good times.  I've been scrapping the last couple weeks, after taking a month or so off and not creating a thing.  I've gotten back into scrapping with my project 12 layouts.  I'm catching up, happy to say that March, April and June are done, while May's layout is sitting waiting for a few touches and it will be complete as well.  And if you can believe it, June's layout is done BEFORE the deadline.  Go figure.

Here is June:

I used some October Afternoon Thrift shop and those awesome corrugated alpha's from Jillibean Soup.

For good measure, here are April and March layouts as well. 

Alright, off to do some creating - I have the Apron Strings August Bigger than a Breadbox kit in hand and it is awesome!  Echo Park papers and Jillibean Soup papers!  I already have one single page layout almost completed and a two-pager as well.

Reclaiming "Me."

I'm not exactly sure when I "decided" to reclaim my body, maybe sometime in  March?  But, since then I've been eating better, and eating less, and exercising more. Walking on my breaks at work, and adding elliptical at night along with some weight lifting.  Fast forward to Tuesday, and I'm down 11 pounds.  My goal is 20 pounds total, so, halfway there.  I can see, and feel a difference.  Even John has noticed.  Just being able to see the change, is very motivating to keep going.   My goal is based purely on vanity - I want to wear a bikini again, and I want to wear it well.

Exercising has given me another "me" time.  Scrapbooking is a creative escape, exercise is a stress reliever.

We're getting back into the swing of spring/summer schedules again.  Tee-ball for Alexa, softball for me, visiting the cottages on the weekends when we can, looking forward to school being out.

In a couple of days the ASD May kit will go live, and it has one of my favorite scrapping items included in the "bigger than a breadbox kit" - Glimmer Mist.  Even in a color I didn't have! 

Hopefully it will stop raining and dry out here soon, it's been raining bucket and the girls have been a bit cooped up inside after school.