I love me some Christmas!

Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday! I love everything about it: the chill in the air, the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, Christmas Eve at Church of the Resurrection, decorations, watching "Christmas Vacation" (squirrel!!!!!!) and spending time with family. And have you noticed that people just flat-out tend to be nicer during the holidays? Love it.

I thought it might be fun to make some sassy ornaments for friends and family this year...something just a tad irreverent. I love pairing vintage housewives with cheeky quotes (a la Anne Taintor)--and what could be more fabulous than throwing them on an ornament with some bling and glitter? Deck them halls!

Scrapbook Kit Clubs

As I mentioned in my last post, I think monthly scrapbook kits are one of the most wonderful inventions of the past 10 years! The concept is spectacular: ladies far more hip and talented than myself create amazing themed and color-coordinated goodie packs, containing the latest and greatest scrapbook products, and send them directly to your home. Seriously, can it get any better than that?? This month I ordered kits from both Studio Calico and Magpie Club---and adore them both! It's great fun to create layouts using brand new papers and embellishments I've never seen before--and may not have been brave enough to purchase on my own! I created this layout using the Studio Calico "Marketplace" kit and I love how the colors came together!

Top Ten Best Inventions of the Past 10 Years!

This afternoon, I came across this hilarious picture of my daughter when she was about 5 mos old, looking very retro in her sunglasses and chilling out in her Bumbo. Man, I loved that Bumbo! I truly feel that it is one of the most brilliant inventions of the modern age! It was fab being able to have her sit with us wherever we were in the house and I know she thought she was pretty cool to be sitting up.

I keep a running list in my head of my top 10 most favorite inventions of the last ten years. I'd like to create a mini-book to document these extraordinary finds for my kids to giggle at when they're older...maybe putting this list in writing will inspire me to start that project. Here goes, in no particular order:

1. The Bumbo


2. Adjustable waist pants for kids


3. Satellite radio


4. Botox (can I hear an AMEN?)


5. Wireless internet


6. Dry shampoo (changed my life!)


7. Monthly scrapbook kits


8. Nancy Grace (ok, not really an invention per se, but I do love her!)


9. Etsy


10. AMC Fork and Screen Theaters

Anybody agree?

Giving it a whirl!

Ok, so I'm on Day 3 of this great online class called "Blogging for Scrapbookers" through www.shimelle.com. I've been seriously thinking about creating a blog for several months now, but have had two real issues (ok, excuses) that have prevented me from getting started:

1. A lack of technical knowledge, and
2. The pressure of having to come up with posts that are both witty and informative. (Seriously, who needs that kind of stress??)

Well, thanks to Shimelle's amazing class, I now possess the step-by-step instructions to create, edit and maintain a fabulous blog and will receive daily "prompts" for the next three weeks with creative suggestions for posts. But, more importantly, I now understand that it's ok to create a blog that's really just for me! I'm the boss, applesause, and I can talk about whatever I want! I can be as sassy (or serious) as I want, post pictures and projects I am having fun with right now and if no one ever visits or reads my posts, that's ok! This little blog can just be another extension of my creativity and allow me to express my thoughts and feelings about my everyday life. And hopefully it will also bring some new energy into my most favorite pastime: scrapbooking!

Ok, so it would be great if at some point in the future someone other than my Mom and sister follow my blog, but even if they don't, I'm excited that I've taken the first step on this journey!