TILT for 8/31/06

TILT for 8/31/06
Originally uploaded by CreativeExile.

Things I Love Thursdays strikes again. Why else would I write? Haha.

We have a local (not chain) pharmacy with the most amazing gift section (and groceries, but I digress). I found this "Native Herbs" soft-sided journal and had to have it, despite the 3 or 4 blank notebooks I already carry around in my purse.

It has illustrated blank and "gridded" pages...just love it. Can't explain it.

Things I Love Thursdays

Memories of China fave
Originally uploaded by CreativeExile.

This is for a Flickr group I belong to; this is the first Thursday I've remembered to post to it!

Found this fabric on my Birthday Discount hunt...shopping with Mom at stores that gave me a discount for my birthday...Viking Sewing Center in Ann Arbor offered 30% off fabric that day.

I was so delighted to find this fabric; we have friends adopting a girl from China soon, and I've been wanting it to make a tie quilt for her.

I saw it featured in a recent issue of McCall's Quilting; they had cut it up and combined it with other Asian fabrics in a patterned quilt, but I will just make a tie quilt. Otherwise, the poor girl will be graduating high school before she gets it (just ask my niece and nephew...oh wait, they're 14 and 15 and STILL haven't received the quilts I started for them when they were born)!

Happiness is...

Happiness is...
Originally uploaded by CreativeExile.

...a really cool combo birthday/Birth Day present. E knows not to buy me jewelry. I've been sending him research on digital SLRs; this is what sounded best for my needs.

Best of all, he got all romantic in its delivery (this, from the most non-romantic guy on the planet...must be taking lessons from my Dad, who is ultra-romantic to my Mom).

I came downstairs on my birthday to a dozen red roses and a little jewelry box (psych!)...opened the box, the foam ring holder read: SEE LID.

E had scrunched up a "Treasure Map" ("Authentic Map!" "Very Old!!"). There was a crude drawing of me, in my room, a line of dashes showing my progress to the kitchen, then down to our basement and into the closet under the stairs.

There it was! And I've been studying operation manuals ever since. Hey, I even installed the software to hook up the camera to our 'puter. That's how excited I am to start playing with this awesome camera.

In Limbo

Still here, still pregnant. About four weeks to go...

Picture me like this: I am in a kayak on top of the very solid rock of my 40th birthday, waiting. Soon I will be pushed into the rushing river below, and I don't know which direction I will head in:

Upstream with a very strong paddle, toward the birth of my second child?

Or downstream into the rapids, without control, as my father in-law dies inch by inch, in the final stages of his 5-year battle with advanced prostate cancer.

I'll just stay on this rock a little longer, thanks.

Ginormous socks

Ginormous socks
Originally uploaded by CreativeExile.

I realized a couple of weeks ago, as I was working on the heel flaps at Knit In, that I wasn't doing the customary knit-one-slip-one on the heels. Ooops. That and the fact I made the biggest pattern possible, using the biggest needles possible, and I am possible one of the world's loosest knitters (hey, watch it...) has made these socks just the enormous, slouchy, comfy pair I envisioned.

So there.

New CTMH stuff

New CTMH stuff
Originally uploaded by CreativeExile.

FINALLY, something to be excited about, Close-To-My-Heart-wise. I have pretty much given up my business, since I hate doing home parties (v. expensive for the consultant, don't ya know) and haven't been able to keep up with all of their "innovative changes" (read: I don' t have the money to keep buying new stuff).

But, at last, a few new things I can focus on, for myself. If the business follows (next year, maybe, I gave up my CTMH website in Dec 05), great. I'm starting to hang with a regular group of croppers in Chelsea, and joined a Stampin Up monthly stamp club (not that I have any intention of pushing my product there, that would be rude), but I'm starting to be more regular about my scrapbooking and meeting women with similar interests. If I can get excited about new CTMH stuff, maybe I can pass it along.

So...there's storage boxes for my acrylic stamp sets (the boxes are HUGE, and just what I need to organize my growing collection), the "newer" (introduced last year) layout guide, "Cherish" (I am addicted to layout sketches, this one has 50 of them), 3 new ink colors (grr...new inkpads...too big for my current storage system), and new papers...a close up on those down below.

Now if I could just get my new fall catalog...this is where CTMH really falls down. They think they are building excitement over it, when they are really just building consultant AND customer frustration. I picked up the new SU catalog in July, for pete's sake! And the poor ladies at the CTMH booth at Auntie Amy's this past weekend were still pushing Summer catalogs...how frustrating for them.

I could go on about the numerous product defect issues CTMH has had, introducing new "innovative" things, but I want to try and stay on a positive vibe here.

Off to try out my new stuff.

New CTMH stuff-up close

New CTMH stuff-up close
Originally uploaded by CreativeExile.

About dang time they updated their patterned papers. These are double-sided, too, making them even more useful.

I also purchased some of their new cardstock; now textured (like Bazzil) and also double sided, light/dark. Very versatile.

More weird kid stuff

Raspberry fingertips
Originally uploaded by CreativeExile.

She is very amusing. When we have lunch together at the gym, she loves to pretend to be a rat stealing my food.

I have to make a big deal out of leaving something on the table (M&Ms, raspberries, etc.) and raving about how much I love it, can't wait to eat it.

She hides under the table during all of this, then while I "look away," she reaches up and "steals" it.

I have to pretend to be surprised that my food is gone (AGAIN), make a big deal out of "where did it go? oh, boo hoo, I was so looking forward to eating it," then notice her hiding and invite her up to share.

The raspberries were her rat "claws" today. What a kid.

My kid is occasionally odd

Weird coin trail
Originally uploaded by CreativeExile.

She has this peculiar need to line things up. Alphabet magnets, chess pieces, coins...hey, at least it kept her quiet for about 20 minutes.

Not quite a scrapbook

Donna Downey project #1 for August
Originally uploaded by CreativeExile.

I bit the bullet and decided I need a bit of inspiration for August. Oh, sure, I've got layouts to work on, but I've always wanted to take a class over at Big Picture Scrapbooking, and Donna Downey's all-year class offers a 1-month option.

I paid for the month, then saw the first project (a decorated jar) and groaned. I want to do layouts! You know, scrapbook stuff!! Well, I said to myself, think outside the box for once. And you know what? I really had fun with this. Especially considering I DIDN'T SPEND A DIME. Everything you see on this jar is out of my stash (even the jar).

Not sure what I'll use it for just yet. There's the Journal Jar concept, and the V. Oprah Gratitude Jar (Jesus alert: that 2nd link is V. Christian). I'll probably just stash candy in it ;)

So...this weekend is the big Auntie Amy show in Novi. I look forward to this one all year. Apparently she is a pain to deal with, however, thus the Stamp Scrap Art Tour rebels last month, and a handful of companies who are displaying their wares only at Scrappin and Stampin in Livonia (where I took my first scrapbooking class, waaaay back in 1999). There's a big open house there tonight, and I'm debating whether to go to that (free make-n-takes!) or whether to just go cropping.

My Stampin Up demonstrator just dropped off my order, including one of their new layout kits, so I have plenty of scrapping to do. Maybe I can do both...but I have to be up EARLY tomorrow to get to Novi by 9:30a.