Thursday, August 31, 2006

Nothing to Update

Ugh!! Once again I'm playing the waiting game. I went in and was tag-teamed by the three attorneys that I would be working with. They all seem nice and I think I would enjoy working with them. After talking with them I met with the office manager. She led me to believe that they had others to interview and then they would get back to me - I was not aware of that, but I'm not necessarily in the *need to know* category. She said that the staffing manager would be getting back to me one way or the other.

I called the agency that sent me. J was on the phone and didn't get back to me, so I assume she hasn't heard anything either. I'm going to go on the concept of no news is good news at this point. However, it sure would be nice to have some positive word tomorrow - it would make for a great holiday weekend!

There are times when I really wish S were here. I hear a song on the radio or see something on TV and start bawling. I give myself less than 5 minutes to wallow in self-pity and then I have to pick up the pieces and move on. We're really doing extremely well considering the circumstances - I've done this so many times before, but that doesn't make it any easier. The kids both miss him, but this is the life they are used to also. C mentioned today that she had had a rough day missin him today. We talked, cried, hugged, and went on with homework :)

Good Friends


Good friends are hard to come by, especially with all the moving we military families seem to do! I wanted to play for a few minutes to relax before I get ready for my interview - see below - and came up with this card. Hope you like it!

Fingers Crossed?!?

Now that the kids are back in school and life is starting to settle into a routine, I have "kicked it up a notch" in my search for employment. I interviewed with a firm last Friday - see "Fun Frames" below. I have been waiting all week to hear something. I knew that the firm had done a background check, and the agency that sent me has been checking my references. Fast forward to today - in exactly 4 hours from now, I have an interview with three attorneys and after I meet with them I meet with the office manager. I was told I would probably know something definite either this afternoon or first thing tomorrow morning.

Can you say "no pressure?" LOL - neither can I! It's bad enough having to interview, but having to sit with three attorneys at once - give me strength!

So think happy thoughts for me please, keep all your fingers and toes crossed, and if you're the praying type, even say a little prayer! I'll update with more as soon as I know something!

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Color Challenged


There are daily challenges posted on Splitcoast Stampers and in the three plus years that I have been a member, I have *never* participated! I have been thinking about it a lot lately and had wanted to start, and figured yesterday's challenge was as good as any!
This challenge involved using three of the new In Colors - Marigold Morning, Cranberry Crisp and Cool Caribbean - from Stampin Up! I have been thinking about this card for the past two days and I finally got around to stamping it tonight.
First I stamped the Word By Word background stamp with black StazOn on a transparency. I then painstakingly cut out the inside of each of the boxes so I had a template. Next I inked the actual stamp with a marker - I used Chocolate Chip - and stamped on Very Vanilla cardstock. Then using the template I stamped with the above colors and the Do the Hula stamp set, and then sponged, faux stitched, and added ribbon. I even made my own ribbon - the Cool Caribbean is white grosgrain dyed with the stamp pad, and the ribbon that matches Cranberry Crisp so well is actually one of the Bravo Burgundy ribbons from the Prep School Ribbon Originals set.
This is one of those "I'm not sure I like it" cards - the ones I absolutely love from the get go are few and far between.

It's All About Me!!






I thought I'd share a little of my other passion here with you - scrapbooking! These pages are the beginning of an All About Me album. As mothers and scrapbookers, or just as scrapbookers in general, we tend to scrap events, holidays, pets, children -- everything *but* ourselves! I found this album by Lisa Bearnson on QVC - it's one of four, the other three being: All About You; Family; and the Year in Review. Although I *do* enjoy coming up with ideas for pages on my own, I do like how all of the ingredients to make this album are already included.

If you've never done an album about yourself, I suggest thinking about it - but be warned - it's HARD!! I have found that working in this album has made me very self reflective - and I don't always like what I see. However, with that being said, I believe albums strictly about yourself will provide your family members and friends with some wonderful insight into who you are and what makes you tick. And as with all scrapbooks, think of the legacy that you will leave!

I'll add more pages as I get them done, and will also put in some pages from other albums that I'm proud of . I will also be putting in a link to a scrapping gallery on the sidebar where my convention pictures are located.

Monday, August 28, 2006

My New Guys!


Oh man, am I in T-R-O-U-B-L-E!!! Here's my latest - Woohoo - I got *3* done today!!! I have two ways of thinking on this - one, I am so going to be spending a lot of money now on Whipper Snapper!! and two, this is the beginning of the change that I think I am looking for. I absolutely love how this card came out and can't wait to do some more. Think I am going to have to get a snowflake stamp from them now too.... the ones on this card are from SU!.

Much Better



I wasn't completely thrilled with the Gamsol "magic" on my other card, so I decided to "go back to basics" and try again. I stamped our dude with StazOn on watercolor paper and watercolored him with aquapainters this time. I am so much happier with this result! I guess this just goes to show that I need to spend more time playin with my stuff.

I can't believe it - I actually did two separate cards today that had nothing to do with swaps or anything - I can't remember the last time I stamped just to stamp. It really felt good, and I'm even in the process of working on a third!

Hooked!


In part of my branching out and wanting to try new things with my stamping, I forced myself to buy some non-Stampin' Up! stamps. I have been seeing some things done with this little guy and absolutely *love* him, so decided to finally check out the Whipper Snapper Designs website. LOL, boy was I in for trouble!!

I have seen so many cards and designs done with Gamsol that I just had to try it out. I actually received my Gamsol and stumps from Inky Antics back before I left Okinawa, but never had a chance to play with them. Unfortunately, I don't have Prismacolor pencils, but do have Stampin' Up!'s Pure Color pencils, which also work.

I had a blast making this little dude - my stamps got here this morning and I just *had* to play with him immediately! I feel like there is still something missing from this card, but didn't want to put a ribbon on and interrupt the picture. Oh how I wish I had the new colored brads from SU! Guess those will definitely go on my next order!

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Do you second guess yourself?

I do!! I need to take a lesson - make that lessons - in self esteem. There are two things I know about myself and will readily admit: 1) I do not take gratitude graciously; and 2) I am my own worst critic when it comes to my work. I have seriously worked over the years to learn to graciously accept thanks and gratitude when given, but still have a serious problem with judging my creative work.

What brings this whole rambling dialogue on, you ask? Yesterday I created my very first picture frame - see below - and as much as I absolutely loved the finished product, was afraid that my stamping peers would find the flaws - one of the corners wasn't right, something was lifting, maybe it wasn't straight - you get the picture.... Put one of my creations in front of me and I can always make a list of things that I think others will nitpick on them.

Anyway, I had mentioned that I was taking the frame to a meeting of Stampin' Up! demonstrators and it was to be one of the door prizes. So it's meeting time and time to pick doorprizes. There on the ledge were all the beautiful stamped and decorated gifts, and to my surprise which was the first one that was chosen by someone as theirs? You guessed it - mine! Deep down inside I was totally "woohooing!"

So how do you get beyond the "I'm not worthy" part of worrying when creating? I'm really going to have to work on it!

Friday, August 25, 2006

Fun Frames


I just have to say I *love* being back in the states and having more crafting options available to me! I am going to a meeting with some other area demos tomorrow and have to take something that is stamped as a door prize. Well, I didn't stamp, but I did use all Stampin' Up! products. I have to tell you, for a $2.49 frame to end up like this, I think I will be doing a lot more as gifts in the near future!! I didn't want the frame to be completely empty when I took a picture of it, so I put in a picture of C and Lucky. The frame says "favorite friend" - and it's a very appropriate picture. LOL, so much so that she is now begging me to make a frame just like it to put this picture in for herself.

On another note, here's to keeping fingers and toes crossed, and even saying a little prayer. I went on another job interview this morning. The firm that I interviewed with has 3 positions open, two downtown (about 45 minutes away) and one about 15 minutes away in a different office. I found out this afternoon that they are seriously considering me for the job that is closer to my house, they are just waiting on the results of my skills testing. I didn't hear anything back late this afternoon so now I have to wait until Monday.

*Sigh* I don't know what's worse - not knowing anything at all, or knowing that they're interested and then the waiting period.....with the possibility of them not wanting me at all.... but I'm not thinking that way - they *do* want me and I *will* get this job!!! So why am I so stressed?

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Finally!


Wow, it's been a while. The dog has adjusted wonderfully, and today was the first day of school!! Yippee!! I am still looking for work, but actually got to stamp today! Here is a little card I am working on for a swap with some other demonstrators that I have coming up on Saturday. The template is from a card that I received from a very special and talented demonstrator and member of Splitcoast Stampers. I changed everything else about the card - the stamps, colors, ribbons, etc. LOL, my fingers are so blue - I didn't have a grosgrain ribbon to match the new Cool Caribbean ink so I dyed white grosgrain to match.

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Woohoo!

I had to take the paperwork back to the Humane Society today and they made appointments for us for tomorrow!!! We have to meet with their vet because he had heartworm, and we have to do a behavioral class with him, and then we get to bring him home! The kids and I went shopping for all his new stuff today and can hardly wait to get him home. I think this is really going to help them. They both have had a difficult time with the move. They got to go spend a lot of time with family and friends around the country this summer, but neither of them have any new friends here. School doesn't start until the 24th - once it does I know things will get better for them, but in the meantime, they will now have Lucky to take care of and love.

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Lucky!


The kids and I had an eventful morning... I said before that we were going to go look for a new member of our family. After much consideraton today, we chose Lucky! (Or did he choose us?) We all three fell in love with him and can't wait to bring him home. He was at the San Diego Humane Society. He is a transplant from Mississippi and was surrendered by his elderly owners last year after the hurricane. He is a 3 yr old shepard mix. We have to get a written okay from S for them - they would prefer all family members to come in but since he is in Iraq that's kind of hard to do right now. We also have to go through a couple of behavioral classes with him, but are hoping to have him home with us by the end of the week!

Friday, August 04, 2006

New Convention Pics!

I have been playing around with my blog some tonight and added a Photo Gallery link. As I update I will add a cards section, a scrapbook page section, and a family section, but today I uploaded all the pics I took at Stampin' Up! convention in July. Enjoy!

So much fun!

I have thoroughly enjoyed working in the office today - I got my new desk set up, I have the computer and printer on it, still have to get the scanner set up, I have all my stamp sets cut and mounted, and my scrapbooks are sitting here begging to be played with. I renamed my site once again to "Simply Stampin." I think that fits me. I have always been a stamp on the fly type of person - I never have time to sit and play a lot so I have always done simple cards. As much as I would like my style to change, and I do dabble from time to time, I always end up with my simple, quick stuff - hence Simply Stampin.

Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to play. In order to keep the peace around this house I am taking the kids to rescue a dog from the pound tomorrow. We have looked at the pictures and are debating betwee two or three - I will post pics once we get it home!

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

New Rubbah!

Watch for new updates soon!! I am off to cut and mount 14 new stamp sets that I received today from Mr. Brown. LOL, I haven't been here that long and he already told my daughter today "your mom knows me." I said, "Yeah, we've just moved in and he already knows that I get deliveries all the time!"

Can't wait to play - so I guess I better get to cuttin!