A Few Thoughts...

It's been awhile, I know. All kinds of things going on but nothing really noteworthy so I think I may just ramble a bit to catch y'all up.

Abby is a mountain goat - I bet you didn't know that cocker spaniels led double lives, did 'ya? You can't leave a chair out, anything within six inches of the edge of a counter or a glass on an end table - what, are you crazy! She climbs chairs, the couch, the back of the couch, the kitchen table - loves to grab all the napkins in her mouth and trot away dropping them as she goes saving a large enough amount to chew and spread all over the family room, in pieces, lots of pieces - many, many, MANY pieces - 'enuff said...This is Abby caught in the act of eating a magazine...

Alexa has a cold or something. She is a very resistant, resilient kid. She doesn't catch every germ going around the school or gym. She is rarely sick and when she is, her personality and actions are like a light switch turning off - makes it real easy to tell when she's just whining or is truly not feeling well. She's got the current rage going round - sore throat, cough, and low grade or no fever. I kept her home yesterday as it was a half day anyway but she went to school today. I'd really love her to be able to kick the sore throat...and yes, I'm keeping a very watchful eye on the temp for a relapse.

Yes, I still scrapbook! That was Alexa's question to me. Do you ever just make a regular layout? Something NOT for the store? Yes, Alexa, there is a scrapbooking mother in me. Here is a page to prove it - about you! I did this at the retreat last weekend along with three 2 page, 12x12 layouts, ten 8.5x11 layouts for last years vacation book, the chipboard Christmas tree I talk about later and a baby book for my friend Sarah. I'd write about the retreat but to be honest, much of he conversation is unprintable - we were naughty, big girls, but we had fun! (Sorry about the glare in the shot)

Christmas is coming, yada, yada, yada...I know, I'm a grouch :-( (welcome to my REAL world). We are staying home for the holidays this year. Money very tight, puppy concerns for traveling and staying in a hotel or even whether we should take her with us. Wondering how I'm going to put up a tree with danger dog in the house. She eats one of my handmade ornaments or faves and she is a dead dog!

Excited too because the store is going to be all decorated and we're doing our day after Thanksgiving Holiday Make 'n Take for the family the store will adopt for the holidays. I've already done two pieces for the store. I covered a wooden nutcracker (unfinished) with paper. I took the idea off the cover of a magazine and used the Basic Grey Eskimo 6X6 paper pack. Keeping with the BG theme only this time in 12X12, I covered the Maya Road Christmas tree chipboard ring album.

Keeping with my ever increasing cluttered-couldn't-find-my-head-if-it-wasn't-attached state of mind, I STILL haven't found my camera. I took Norm's to my retreat last weekend (if I can find it now, I'll see if I have any pictures to post to illustrate sentiments above). My craft room is still uninhabitable...and I don't even want to talk about the rest of the house (our bedroom is starting to look as bad as Alexa's!)

So, I think I'll go look for the camera (his) as I wait for the heating guy (third visit in week) don't get me started...and then try to make a dent in straightening up the house-I need a maid, butler, Merry Maid, cleaning droid, or whatever to do that. On that note (er, plea) I'll sign off and wish everyone who stops by a Happy Thanksgiving - a safe and successful Black Friday and best wishes for a good and healthy start to the holiday season!