A positive concept

I recently came across this blog, called Welcome to Jillville. One of her posts was entitled "100 Positive is as Positive Does". It includes a great list of fun and creative ways to try your hand at living in the present. I've borrowed that list and re-copied it here - it's great food for thought! Head on over to positivelypresent.typepad.com and read more about this very positive and gratifying concept!
1.Ask someone about his/her life.
2.Write a handwritten note and mail it.
3.Make a promise (and keep it).
4.Look up at the sky and describe it.
5.Hug someone close to you.
6.Indulge in a long, warm bath.
7.Tell someone how much you love him/her.
8.Do something on your To Do list.
9.Apologize to someone you've hurt.
10.Re-read your favorite poem.
11.Turn off the TV for a week.
12.Relax in bed before sleeping.
13.Eat your favorite thing mindfully.
14.Ask someone an interesting question.
15.Take pictures of your favorite thing.
16.Go for a long walk somewhere beautiful.
17.Meditate for as long as you can.
18.Research an interesting topic.
19.Ask someone for advice and really listen.
20.Pay attention to your breathing for two minutes.
21.Answer the phone with cheer in your voice.
22.Make a decision immediately.
23.Close your eyes and image your paradise.
24.Mentor a young child (or an adult!).
25.Volunteer at a local charity.
26.Write a list of all you're grateful for.
27.Consider all possible solutions to a problem.
28.Take a different way to work.
29.Prepare your favorite meal for your family.
30.Offer praise to someone who deserves it.
31.Pay attention when others speak.
32.Watch a dog or cat (or baby) sleeping.
33.Prepare for tomorrow's work today.
34.Look at the details of a flower or plant.
35.Lie outside in the sun for a few hours.
36.Smile at yourself in the mirror.
37.Say "Thank you" and truly mean it.
38.Share your wisdom with someone else.
39.Do one thing that scares you.
40.Offer to help someone in need.
41.Watch a sunset or sunrise.
42.Visit a local museum and enjoy learning.
43.Organize your favorite photos online.
44.Send an email to an old friend.
45.Draw or paint something inspiring.
46.Host a party for no particular reason.
47.Tell yourself what you love about you.
48.Look for the positive in a problem.
49.Notice when the seasons are changing.
50.Imagine kissing your significant other.
51.Eat an ice cream cone outside when it's warm.
52.Share a joke with a friend and laugh loud.
53.Consider how feng shui might improve your home.
54.Spend a few hours alone, relaxing.
55.Make something from scratch.
56.List all of the things you've accomplished today.
57.Re-purpose something in your home.
58.Go to bed early. Wake up early.
59.Look for fireflies twinkling at night.
60.Pay attention to what your body is saying.
61.Make a very silly face at a friend.
62.Tell a child your favorite fairy tale.
63.Buy a gift for someone for no reason.
64.Watch a very positive TV show.
65.List the things you love about your body.
66.Take a road trip somewhere new.
67.Listen to your favorite song on repeat.
68.Smile brightly at the driver in the car next to you.
69.Write a love letter to yourself.
70.Kiss someone sweetly on the cheek.
71.Ask the question, "Why?"
72.Go for a run (or a quick walk). Move it!
73.Start a new, exciting project.
74.Spend a Saturday email-free.
75.Listen to and accept criticism with grace.
76.Speak cheerfully to your coworkers.
77.Look around you at how many colors there are.
78.Push yourself a little harder when working out.
79.Allow yourself to daydream.
80.Stop a bad habit (right now!).
81.Give yourself advice and follow it.
82.Turn off your phone for an evening.
83.Focus on what you're doing right this minute.
84.Speak to someone as if you really do care.
85.Treat yourself to a tasty snack.
86.Take three deep breaths before falling asleep.
87.Do jump jacks or jump rope.
88.Play with a puppy and watch how s/he romps.
89.Appreciate winter in summer (and vice versa).
90.Think about how amazing an invention is.
91.Hold someone's hand unexpectedly.
92.Wake up with a really long stretch session.
93.Pay attention to others' observations.
94.Watch how clouds move across the sky.
95.Listen to a bird's song (without being annoyed).
96.Introduce yourself to someone new.
97.Write down everything you're feeling today.
98.Think about why you love your favorite outfit.
99.Ask yourself, "What's awesome about this moment?"
100.Call someone just to say "I love you."

Breast Cancer Awareness and A Blog Shoutout!

I know that everyone has seen the little pink ribbons and heared about Breast Cancer many times this month. It is a real thing ladies. I encourage everyone to think about it seriously and do their monthly self-exams. In my searching the web today, I found an awesome site that is giving a shout out to Breast Cancer Awareness (BCA). Hambly Screen Prints is doing a very beautiful thing. They have a BCA Kit right now. This kit is amazing. I love love love it! The kits are $10 ( a twenty dollar value) and 100% goes to the Susan G. Komen Foundation! the foundation is dedicated to education and research about causes, treatment, and the search for a cure. how absolutely wonderful is that? This is a real issue that could potentially affect your life someday or the lives of people (men can get it to) you love. Why not spend that $10 for a bunch of products that are fantastic anyways, and help a seriously great cause? I ordered my kit today, and I jsut can't wait to get it in the mail. To see the kit, you can go to this link here. The link actually takes you to their blogand a picture of the amazing kit, but it's too easy to navigate from there! Thanks Hambly!!!!

http://hamblyscreenprints.typepad.com/

Some of my creations

Bloggin' On

Again today I have realized the blah-ness of my blog. Hmmm....a trend? Probably. I have been blogging around for the last week or so and I have found so many great and fantastic blogs. It seems like most of them are groups or businesses though. I have seen some personal ones for the record. The few that I have seen have given more inspiration to do more with my own. Time - the one thing I wish I had endless amounts of. Ok, so I have created over 100 pages of scrapbooking greatness (well, maybe not the greatness part) over the last month and a half. The first 18 were uploaded to Two Peas. Does that tell you anything? Yeah, my addiction is beginning to end at the actual page creation. How unfair of me. I take take take everyone else's inspiration and ideas and leave non of my own behind. So, here I am promising that I will TRY to be unselfish. I will try my damdest to remember that scrapbooking inspiration comes not only from everyone else, but from myself too! Although I am in no way tooting my own horn or saying that my LOs are grand, I will be attempting to add to the world. I will begin once again to post up my LOs for the world to see. Please feel free to check out my albums at TwoPeas and give out some CC. I truly do need it. How am I going to get any better if nobody tells me what I need to work on? Alright, and I guess I might even put a few of them up on my blog here too! Maybe all of this will make it a little better and get more people looking. Of course, there is the fact that there is not really any way to look me up or find me. If you do happen across my blog, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give me some CC and feel free to pass it on if you think it is worth it. So, yeah, there you have it!

a rant about intolerant scrapbookers!

A scrapbook career in shreds -- latimes.com

Posted using ShareThis
I found the Dare book one day while shopping in Memphis with my sister Tiffany. I fell in love. I didn't even know what the story behind it was. Now that I am really getting back into scrapbooking, I have spent so much time looking for ideas and challenges and whatnot on the web. Today I decided to investigate the web and see if I could find any websites that offered more dares or further information about the book and it's fabulous authors. To my horor, I came across this article. The gist of the article is about how one of the books authors, Kristina Contes, went through a terrible patch and was dogged out nad ripped apart. I wanted to cry for her (until I got to the happy ending). I am one of those rebelious scrappers. sure, I do have a lot of pages that "follow the rules," but let's face it, life is not all about flowers and butterflies. Life can be inspired, blunt, angry, drunk, pricey, silly, upsetting, ugly, and grand. Why should we stick to the rules when life never really does. The plans we make always change or don't work out quite right. I just think that it is sad that people would show such intolerance to a fellow scrapbooking queen. If it is perfectly fine for you to lay down four pictures ai a pretty little grid with some flowers and lace and tell about how nice the weather was at the park, then why is it not alright to spill some black paint and ruff it up with some red, throw down a picture of tears, and write about how badly your heart hurts today. People really upset me when they can't open up to change. Hey! Those damn butterflies you used on your page, weren't always butterflies you know! They used to be ugly caterpillars. I think everyone has to experience everything in life. Life happens and EVERYTHING that happens makes us who we are. A lot of times it is the non traditional scrapbook themed things in life that shape us the most. Our addictions to candy bars might have more of an impact on us every single day than the 8 million pictures of granny's surprise birthday party. Everyone has a different story. Oh, and not to stray off the main idea of the article too much.... I think that the scrapbook contest was more about the scrapbooking than about who took the pictures! I have about 1000 pictures from a trip my sweetie and I just took, and guess what, I can't remember who took which pictures because we both used both of our cameras! At least she was concerned and loyal enough to her friend to remember and give her credit! Blah!

Busy Days Pass By Quickly

Wowza! As of about 30 minutes ago, I finally got the chance to sit down. I did so many things today. I cleaned (a lot) and even gave my puppy a bath. That was fun. It was actually very funny. She hates water. It is getting cold out, so I dragged out the hairdryer to make sure she didn't get too cold or sick after the bath. She didn't like that even more than she didn't like the water. Whe was barking and running back in forth in the bathroom. Each time I managed to grab her up into my lap, I only got about a minute worth of drying in before she managed wo wiggle free. After she was finally dry the little stinker went outside to go potty, and what did she do? She rolled around in the wet grass and dirt of course! Go figure. Silly puppy. I did manage to head over to the blog stomp on paper popsicles too today and get in some comment time and learn some fantastic ideas for crafting. I can't wait to make all the neat projects that there were! It will be great fall fun. Ooooooh, I also did a coupld more scrapbook pages about our trip to Australia. I can't believe that I already have over 60 pages to document the trip! Yeah! I know, it's a lot for a two week trip, but hey! it was a trip of a lifetime. I'm over half-way done though. I think that is the meat of my day though. I talked to my mummsie and the little sis. I did not take a nap at all which is unusual, and I did some research. I am totally stoked about a really great project I just discovered. Teach for America! I have decided that once I graduate from college (Going back to school in May and will be attending Westwood College in Denver{fingers crossed} for Interior Design and Computer Aided Drafting) I really would like to apply for this unique opportunity. I want to to be a part of it in order to give kids a better chance; in order to try to make a difference! Check it out if you can. Alright, well, now that I am sitting down, I am also talking online with my sweetie. He is still in Iraq but will be back next month after being there for a year. So, because I am talking to him, I have to get going. Lots to chat about with him! Laters!

Things that made me happy this week

Oh dear, what a challenge...I just wrote my post about all kinds of things that make me happy. I made a list of 109 things. Considering that most of this are things I get at least a little taste of every week... hmmm

My Scrapbooking Story (blogged on Two Peas)

Okay, okay, I will admit that I am a newbie by scrapbooking standards. Now, what on earth do I mean by that? I don't yet have a style of my own. I don't have products that I use over and over again. I usually find it difficult to generate my own ideas. I am in what I will call "stocking up mode!" I have mentioned that I started scrapbooking when I was 13. Back then, my idea of scrapbooking was slapping about 4 or 5 pictures on a page, making polka dots all over to fill in the space and writing down the names of the people in each picture. Tadda! Finished! Each event that took place was a new page to scrap. However, only the big events starred in my books. The dance, 8th grade graduation, homecoming, prom, and each season of cheerleading. I had no idea that more than one page for the same even was totally acceptable. I also had no idea that less than 4 or 5 pictures was acceptable! I went by the "rules" although I couldn't tell you what those rules were. Looking back, they might have been something along the lines of: 1)use as many pictures as you can, 2) cram them all onto one page, 3) the only words should be the names of the people in the picture, 4) Be very afraid to get creative, and 5) The less color and pattern, the better!
So I finally made it to senior year and that is well known as the best year ever, right? I stepped up my game a little bit there. I learned to use a little more color, I learned how great pictures look when matted or framed, I learned that more than one page is fabulous, and finally, I learned that creativity helps to tell the story. My pages got a little better. They were at least something more like art and less like a plain jane photo album.
After graduation I forgot all about scrapbooking. I had way too many things going on in life to do that....yeah right! I took about a million pictures, but I had no intention of actually taking the time to scrap them. One year, two years, three, four, five....time just kept adding up. The pictures kept piling up.
That brings me to now! hooray - the present! I decided that if I did not hurry up and get these pictures scrapped up then, I was going to forget the important things that made them such great pictures; such great memories. I had by this time forgotten a lot of the details of all the events, so I sort of went back to the beginning stages of throwing them onto a paper and jotting down what I could remember. I got through the first two years alright. There were some pretty lame excuses in there though for a scrapbooking page. However, there were also some really great pages that somehow, by the power of miracle, turned out pretty cool. I was relatively proud of my book which I names California. I named it this because it documented the two years that I lived in California! How original, right?!
Then, abrupt halt again....I went on a vacation with my hunny to Australia. Now let me tell you that this vacation was amazing! I loved loved loved every second of it. I didn't want to forget a thing. Every little detail was just so important. I took 1011 pictures in two weeks! Yeah - A lot! Too soon the vacation was over and I ordered my pictures. Good grief, no! I did not order 1011 pictures. I brought it down to 465 pictures! they came in the mail from Kodak. That night, I sat on my living room floor and separated them into piles for each thing that happened, or each thing we saw or did. that was a lot of piles! Then the overwhelming feeling came to me! What on earth was I going to do? I wanted each page to be perfect. I wanted each page to tell all the details. I wanted the book to be just right! The problem was....I was not inspired to be perfect.
Solution....Two Peas! Hooray! I got onto the website, and although my pictures were staring at me and begging to be played with, I spent two weeks just looking through the gallery. Let me tell you, this is no easy feat. Do you know how many amazing things are in the gallery? Do you understand how many inspiring pages there are? Holy Cow! I had all the inspiration I could take. I was about to burst I was so inspired. I just had to start scrapping... oh yeah, I forgot one thing! I didn't really have any cool scrapbooking stuff left. To the shopping page I went. And oh boy, did I shop. I shopped and shopped and shopped! Even after I placed my order, I kept shopping and adding to my wish lists for later orders.
Finally the items arrived and I started scrapping! I learned quickly to scrap-lift, to use ribbon (which I am now addicted to), to mix and match pattern, to love rub-ons, to cluster, to layer, to frame, to leave unframed, to use one photo, to use 8 photos, to use one page, to use 3 or 4 pages. I learned color and journaling. I learned so many things. I owe it to Two Peas! My creative juices are beginning to flow. I still don't have my one unique style. I still do not have that one product that I use over and over, but I do have inspiration and creativity, and a huge new addiction. Scrapbooking is taking over my free time....I love it so much and it is all because of Two Peas and because of all the wonderfully talented artists that share their memories and inspirations in the gallery. thank you so much Two Peas and everyone else! You have got me scrapping' for real now and I can't stop! Truth is, I don't want to stop. If you are interested, Here is my Two Peas album so far....only uploaded about 18 layouts, but I have nearly 50 now. I'm far behind on the upload part because I just can't get enough scrapping!http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/album_display.asp?album_id=80902

109 Things I can't get enought of

Nothing pressing to do at work leads to surfing the Internet, which leads to realizing I have a dull blog, which leads to deciding to write a new post for my blog.
:109 things I can't get enough of" is a good starting off point I suppose....
The question is whether I can actually come up with 109 unique things, or if I can even narrow it down to 109....
In no particular order:

• Mom
• Grams
• Tiff, Boo, and Rodney
• Dakota
• Family in general
• Friends
• Scrapbooking
• Memories
• My memory!
• love
• breathing
• soft pillows
• flip flops
• My Pug, Kayerayna Amor
• pasta
• hummus
• wheels
• jeans
• stickers
• pink
• Law & Order: SVU
• vacation
• travel
• warm weather
• music
• lyrics
• Internet
• pretty pens that write nicely
• journal
• oatmeal
• purple
• my birthday jewelry
• red balloons
• Ferris wheels
• bridges
• organization
• hot showers
• flushable toilets
• tattoos
• coffee
• comfy shoes
• girly accessories
• buttons
• red
• art
• photography
• stuffed animals
• staples
• tape
• quotes
• inspiration
• chewy cookies
• post office
• email
• two peas
• spaghetti squash
• energy
• clean fingernails
• purple eyeliner
• charm
• compassion
• loyalty
• reassurance
• pretty paper
• call phone
• rubber gloves
• hats
• going fast
• airplanes
• smart people
• sticky notes
• instant message
• file folders
• spray paint
• painted walls
• fireplaces
• smell of spring
• cut grass
• bare feet
• summertime
• swimming
• sunsets
• hotel beds
• staple removers
• brushing my hair
• peas
• time
• dolphins
• architecture
• design
• creativity
• emotion
• antidepressants
• laughing
• smiling
• hugs
• kisses
• glitter
• Disney movies
• all movies
• laptop
• camera
• vellum
• weddings
• cards
• singing
• rugs
• paintings
• black and white anything

Oh my goodness! I can't believe that I had to stop there! I could have gone on forever....I just love love love so many things and find joy in all kinds of fantastic stuff! Maybe though, this list is a good list that shows a little deeper into me and gives a reader some ideas about my personality. If nothing else, maybe it makes you stop and think about what you can't get enough of or what is important in your life. Maybe it puts a positive spin on the little things in life!

An Outlet

I suppose I just use this whole blog thing as more of an outlet than anything...it's like having a diary or something. Well, maybe more like having a journal. Today I am really thinking about my poor personality traits. I really don't like myself too much anymore these days. I am always bitter and angry. I click between happy and mad as though changing the television chanel. One minute I am fine and the next minute I am crying and completely believe that the world hates me and I am worthless. Half the time I can't bring myself to do the dishes or clean the bathroom until it is so bad that I have to use paper plates or can't take a shower because all the dishes are in the bathtub. If there is no conversation to be had with my boyfriend, I assume it is my fault because I am uninteresting and he doesn't really love me. Why must I be so negative? Seems like the only positive in my life is scrapbooking these days. Some days that is not even positive though because I don't think my pages are good enough. I don't get praised for them on the sight I post them too, and then I can only see them as ugly, or as I see myself; not good enough. Arrrr! I wish I could not click out of these crazy mood swings and depressed state for good.

Scrapbooking: an addiction, an antidepressant

The other day at work I starting typing. when I finished, I read what I had typed....

I am typing just to type right now because everyone is in the office across the hall and can tell if I am “working” or not. Of course they can not see my
computer screen or anything, but they can see my actions. If I at least
keep typing this entire time that they are over there, it makes it look like I
am actually working and doing stuff. I have no real urgent work to do and
I'd rather be home scrapbooking, so I do not actually want to tell them that I
have no real work to do. If I tell them that, then they will give me work
to do and I will have to actually do it instead of messing around. I love
love love looking at scrapbooking on Two Peas. I totally am addicted to
it. I really seriously do mean addicted, too because I do it every waking
moment that I have. I go to work and do it all day (of course I do a
little work here and there), and then I go home and get online and do it until
my eyes hurt and I know that I have to sleep or else... Do they make rehab
for that? Haha! No, seriously though! I think I need rehab for
it….wait, no, I don’t need rehab. If I went to rehab I would have to
change my ways. I definitely do not want to change my ways. I love
love love it and I do not want to stop doing it by any means. They can’t
make me stop! They just can’t do it! Hmmm….I should really print
this out and use it for a scrapbook page about scrapbooking! That’s not a
bad idea. See, I told you I am addicted. I am getting that
scrapbooker’s mentality. I think of things in terms of scrapbooking.
I take pictures in terms of scrapbooking. I see things in terms of
scrapbooking. I eat, breath, and dream scrapbooking. Scrapbooking is
the absolute best thing. Okay, okay, not the best thing because we all
know that the best thing in my life is Dakota, but it is in my top ten.
Family and friends have to be rated before it, or I wouldn’t even have anything to scrapbook about. I think Dakota might be getting tired of me talking about scrapbooking all the time though! Let’s just take a moment to think about it though. Color, shapes, design, creativity, beauty, love, fun….
And on and on and on. What is there not to love about it? It keeps
me so busy that the time goes by so fast, and then I don’t have a whole lot of
time left to be sad and depressed and angry about my current life
situation. It keeps the clock ticking down until Dakota comes home from
Iraq; not that I will stop when he gets home! It is an outlet for my
frustrations, a source of excitement and a documentation of all the truly great things about life. It helps me to think in term of goodness. There
are positive things in my life and scrapbooking proves it. Scrapbooking is
re-living the good. It is my antidepressant.

I liked it so much that I have been using it alot. I added it to my profile at Two Peas even.

Antonio

So, I have been watching HGTV's Design Star and have been completely envious of all of them for the last while now. After going on vacation I realized that I missed so many episodes. No good. Lucky for me they had last weeks show re-run today! Hooray. Except my girl got her show canceled. Tonights show just so happened to be the finale. Competition was down to Dan and Antonio. Dan had some good designs, but they always seemed typical. Besides that, I don't really care for his camera personality. Antonio is wild. That is the absolute only way to describe him. He is totally his own person and has amazing designs even though he never even went to school for design. My vote was going to Antonio even before I saw his finished house tonight.
So I began watching the show only to find Dan useing excessive lilac and mirrors. Antonio really shook things up like always, and HE WON! Hooray! Antonio's show is going to be so much fun! I can't wait to see it. Next week....Antonio does his own home. Good luck!

Sitting in the middle of the living room

Happy Sunday! A week and a half ago, my sweetie and I got back from vacation. We spent 16 days in Australia and it was amazing. Between the two of us, we took 1011 pictures (not including the underwater camera). Naturally, it was time to downsize that collection. I uploaded the really important ones and sent them off to Kodak for developing. Now I am sitting in the middle of my living room surrounded by over 470 pictures of our fairytale adventure! The task that lies ahead of me is documenting it all. I have one scrapbook, 470 pictures, and 2 months before Dakota comes home from Iraq! I am going to be so busy!