Whine, whine, pity party alert...
The AC wasn't working at work today, and obviously had not been working since Friday. You know you are in trouble when you go out in the sun on an 80 degree day to cool down. I know I should not really complain because I had a fan, but I really do not know how everyone else survived. I made the mistake of going to the gym after work for a quick half-hour cardio session. Maybe that really messed up my body temperature. I did not know if I was going to make it home before I started throwing up. I must have had heat stroke. I got home and started crying (still not sure why) and had to take a long cold shower. Then I iced my back, which was hurting worse than it has in well over a month. It is four hours later and my skin is finally not hot to the touch anymore.
Hopefully the AC will be fixed tomorrow because it is supposed to be a lot warmer.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Scrapbooking Today
A layout from one of the classes I took at CKC. Perfect for my adorable cousins.
I'm taking advantage of the extra weekend day to plow through my to-do list and get a little R&R. What are you doing?
I'm taking advantage of the extra weekend day to plow through my to-do list and get a little R&R. What are you doing?
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
CKC Review 3- Friday PM Classes
I want to be able to blog about other things too, so I guess I better work on finishing up my CKC Manchester reviews.
The fourth class I took Friday was the Basic Grey class. I had read about it on the CK forums, so I was prepared for a huge, fast-paced class. We really did complete 4 layouts in an hour! I didn't finish the titles though because I thought I might want to use different words. The layouts were beautiful! I especially liked working with the Stella Ruby paper because I have such a hard time using some of BG's big patterns that I tend to avoid the manufacturer altogether. I felt inspired enough though to go buy some more at the vendor fair. The thing I did not like about this class was the instructor- she really rubbed me the wrong way. I felt like she was constantly talking down to us and insinuating that we are stupid. Just because I do not use a craft knife every time I scrap does not mean that I do not know how to use it- I just prefer not to! The thing that really bugged me was that she basically tricked everyone. After they had cut out their letters, she said that the best way would have been to use the straight edges of the paper to minimize cutting. She also said that if she'd told us that before, we would have been confused. I do not confuse that easily thankyouverymuch! I do not want to say the class is bad, just that I do not learn the best with those types of instructors. Her sanding hints were very useful though.
In summary:
Event Name: Basic Grey Latest & Greatest
Cost: $16 (1 hour)
Recommend: Yes, if you can't just get the class kit
Finished?: Mostly
Hints: Just be prepared for a fast-moving class with no personal interaction with the instructor.
Before I took my next class, I got a nice break for shopping at the vendor fair. I spent way too much money, but got lots of cute things. My hint on that- shop around. I saw items that had a significant price difference from one booth to the next.
My penultimate class was "Wanted!" I hate to be overly critical, but this class was a waste of time. Basically all the instructor did was hold up a board with a layout and tell us to copy it. Cute layout, worth a $5-7 page kit, but that's all. You can more or less figure out how to do the layout just by looking at the thumbnail example on the CKC class list. The one thing I learned was how to make "buttons" using chipboard, pp, and eyelets.
In summary:
Event Name: Wanted!
Cost: $16 (1 hour)
Recommend: No
Finished?: Yes, with time to spare, and I did more to my layout than the example
Hints: Good for a beginner, but otherwise, save the $ for shopping.
Phew, are you tired yet? Six classes was a lot, and by the end of the day I was completely exhausted, but I loved it and would do it again. My last class was possibly my favorite. Super fun/nice/happy/amazing instructors, lots of student-teacher and student-student interactions, cute project, new techniques. This is one of the only classes where I actually learned a technique. We learned how to use the Strano Ribbon Stiff. Such a cool product! It makes your ribbon stiff so it won't fray and so you can run it through die cut machines, punches, etc. That plus the inspiring instructors (including the founder of Strano Designs herself and the founder of scrapbookeronline) would have made the class worthwhile, but we even started a cute mini book and learned another technique- how to bind the book using ribbon. We did not do any of the internal book pages, but the instructors showed us samples, gave us lots of ideas, and even included a bunch of extras in the class kit.
In summary:
Event Name: Strano Designs Ribbon Mini Book
Cost: $25 (1.5 hours)
Recommend: Yes
Finished?: Finished the cover and binding of the book (what they intended us to do).
Hints: Check out these links: Strano Designs; Scrapbooker Online
The fourth class I took Friday was the Basic Grey class. I had read about it on the CK forums, so I was prepared for a huge, fast-paced class. We really did complete 4 layouts in an hour! I didn't finish the titles though because I thought I might want to use different words. The layouts were beautiful! I especially liked working with the Stella Ruby paper because I have such a hard time using some of BG's big patterns that I tend to avoid the manufacturer altogether. I felt inspired enough though to go buy some more at the vendor fair. The thing I did not like about this class was the instructor- she really rubbed me the wrong way. I felt like she was constantly talking down to us and insinuating that we are stupid. Just because I do not use a craft knife every time I scrap does not mean that I do not know how to use it- I just prefer not to! The thing that really bugged me was that she basically tricked everyone. After they had cut out their letters, she said that the best way would have been to use the straight edges of the paper to minimize cutting. She also said that if she'd told us that before, we would have been confused. I do not confuse that easily thankyouverymuch! I do not want to say the class is bad, just that I do not learn the best with those types of instructors. Her sanding hints were very useful though.
In summary:
Event Name: Basic Grey Latest & Greatest
Cost: $16 (1 hour)
Recommend: Yes, if you can't just get the class kit
Finished?: Mostly
Hints: Just be prepared for a fast-moving class with no personal interaction with the instructor.
Before I took my next class, I got a nice break for shopping at the vendor fair. I spent way too much money, but got lots of cute things. My hint on that- shop around. I saw items that had a significant price difference from one booth to the next.
My penultimate class was "Wanted!" I hate to be overly critical, but this class was a waste of time. Basically all the instructor did was hold up a board with a layout and tell us to copy it. Cute layout, worth a $5-7 page kit, but that's all. You can more or less figure out how to do the layout just by looking at the thumbnail example on the CKC class list. The one thing I learned was how to make "buttons" using chipboard, pp, and eyelets.
In summary:
Event Name: Wanted!
Cost: $16 (1 hour)
Recommend: No
Finished?: Yes, with time to spare, and I did more to my layout than the example
Hints: Good for a beginner, but otherwise, save the $ for shopping.
Phew, are you tired yet? Six classes was a lot, and by the end of the day I was completely exhausted, but I loved it and would do it again. My last class was possibly my favorite. Super fun/nice/happy/amazing instructors, lots of student-teacher and student-student interactions, cute project, new techniques. This is one of the only classes where I actually learned a technique. We learned how to use the Strano Ribbon Stiff. Such a cool product! It makes your ribbon stiff so it won't fray and so you can run it through die cut machines, punches, etc. That plus the inspiring instructors (including the founder of Strano Designs herself and the founder of scrapbookeronline) would have made the class worthwhile, but we even started a cute mini book and learned another technique- how to bind the book using ribbon. We did not do any of the internal book pages, but the instructors showed us samples, gave us lots of ideas, and even included a bunch of extras in the class kit.
In summary:
Event Name: Strano Designs Ribbon Mini Book
Cost: $25 (1.5 hours)
Recommend: Yes
Finished?: Finished the cover and binding of the book (what they intended us to do).
Hints: Check out these links: Strano Designs; Scrapbooker Online
Sunday, May 20, 2007
CKC Review 2- Friday AM Classes
Hi, I'm back for another installment of my CKC Manchester review.
My first class was Holiday Highlights made simple. I do not think this was the best class for me to take first. It freaked me out a bit and did not set a very good tone for the rest of the day. That is not to say that I did not enjoy the class, because I did. The album is super cute. (Take a peek of the cover on the CKC website.) The concept is great too- I love the idea of having a book full of family holiday traditions. The problem was that basically all we finished was the cover and the tabs. There were instructions, so I know I will be able to finish the album later, but I still wish there had been time to complete a couple of pages. The problem was that one of the first steps was to punch holes through chipboard. Any of you who have ever tried to do that know that it is nearly impossible with a regular hole puncher or eyelet setting tool. They should have either pre-cut the holes or provided each table with a crop-o-dile. It is no fun to spend most of your class punching holes. Also, I did not really like the stamps, but I guess that is more of a personal preference for clear stamps over mounted ones than anything else.
In summary:
Event Name: Holiday Highlights Made Simple
Cost: $19 (1 hour)
Recommend: With reservations. Cute project, but I would have been happy just buying the kit and doing the whole thing at home.
Finished?: Not even close
Hints: Bring a crop-o-dile and be prepared to do most of the album at home
My second class of the day was Rusty Pickle's Everything Mini Album. I had heard that Rusty Pickle classes were some of the best, and I completely agree. The class name is a little deceptive. Basically, we did a mini A B C album with the theme "Everything I Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten." I have already decided I'm going to put a bunch of my school pictures into this album. We started out by painting the album covers and cool cardboard letters. Painting is a little hard to do in such a confined area, and there was not nearly enough paint, but it was also fun to do something different. After that, putting the rest of the album together was a breeze. The instructor was very outgoing and fun. I finished about 20 minutes early, but even if I hadn't, they included very easy to follow instructions in the class kit.
In summary:
Event Name: Everything Mini Album
Cost: $32 (2 hours)
Recommend: Yes!
Finished?: Yes, with time to spare
Hints: Wear something that you don't mind getting paint on. Also, bring lots of adhesive- there is a lot of gluing in this class.
Still reading? You're quite a trooper. Just one more review for now. My next class was "Just Be You" by The Button Farm. Go check out their website. They had some of their other kits on sale at the vendor fair, and they are so cute and fun. I'll be keeping my eyes out for new kits. We made a 4 x 6 album using Scenic Route papers. The instructor was sweet. You could tell she wanted us to all have a good experience and didn't mind answering questions, demonstrating how to use rub-ons, or handing out extra supplies. I really liked this album and could see myself making more of them. Just note that if you want to add pictures, they will have to be small, and you need to plan ahead so you don't put a rub-on or other element over where you want to put a photo.
In summary:
Event Name: Just Be You
Cost: $20 (1 hour)
Recommend: Yes
Finished?: As much as I could without adding photos
Hints: Plan for a few minutes where you want to put your photos, or just make it an inspiring quote album
My first class was Holiday Highlights made simple. I do not think this was the best class for me to take first. It freaked me out a bit and did not set a very good tone for the rest of the day. That is not to say that I did not enjoy the class, because I did. The album is super cute. (Take a peek of the cover on the CKC website.) The concept is great too- I love the idea of having a book full of family holiday traditions. The problem was that basically all we finished was the cover and the tabs. There were instructions, so I know I will be able to finish the album later, but I still wish there had been time to complete a couple of pages. The problem was that one of the first steps was to punch holes through chipboard. Any of you who have ever tried to do that know that it is nearly impossible with a regular hole puncher or eyelet setting tool. They should have either pre-cut the holes or provided each table with a crop-o-dile. It is no fun to spend most of your class punching holes. Also, I did not really like the stamps, but I guess that is more of a personal preference for clear stamps over mounted ones than anything else.
In summary:
Event Name: Holiday Highlights Made Simple
Cost: $19 (1 hour)
Recommend: With reservations. Cute project, but I would have been happy just buying the kit and doing the whole thing at home.
Finished?: Not even close
Hints: Bring a crop-o-dile and be prepared to do most of the album at home
My second class of the day was Rusty Pickle's Everything Mini Album. I had heard that Rusty Pickle classes were some of the best, and I completely agree. The class name is a little deceptive. Basically, we did a mini A B C album with the theme "Everything I Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten." I have already decided I'm going to put a bunch of my school pictures into this album. We started out by painting the album covers and cool cardboard letters. Painting is a little hard to do in such a confined area, and there was not nearly enough paint, but it was also fun to do something different. After that, putting the rest of the album together was a breeze. The instructor was very outgoing and fun. I finished about 20 minutes early, but even if I hadn't, they included very easy to follow instructions in the class kit.
In summary:
Event Name: Everything Mini Album
Cost: $32 (2 hours)
Recommend: Yes!
Finished?: Yes, with time to spare
Hints: Wear something that you don't mind getting paint on. Also, bring lots of adhesive- there is a lot of gluing in this class.
Still reading? You're quite a trooper. Just one more review for now. My next class was "Just Be You" by The Button Farm. Go check out their website. They had some of their other kits on sale at the vendor fair, and they are so cute and fun. I'll be keeping my eyes out for new kits. We made a 4 x 6 album using Scenic Route papers. The instructor was sweet. You could tell she wanted us to all have a good experience and didn't mind answering questions, demonstrating how to use rub-ons, or handing out extra supplies. I really liked this album and could see myself making more of them. Just note that if you want to add pictures, they will have to be small, and you need to plan ahead so you don't put a rub-on or other element over where you want to put a photo.
In summary:
Event Name: Just Be You
Cost: $20 (1 hour)
Recommend: Yes
Finished?: As much as I could without adding photos
Hints: Plan for a few minutes where you want to put your photos, or just make it an inspiring quote album
CKC Review 1- Thursday Album Crop
Ok, I have a lot going on, my back really hurts, and I'm sure you don't want to read a bunch of long posts, so I'll be doing my CKC reviews in pieces.
First up- location. My room was divine- as big as a large part of my entire apartment. Sleep number bed, comfy chair, plenty of floor and desk room for cropping, and NESN. What more could a girl want? Everyone from the front desk person to the people who delivered my room service were friendly and helpful. I definitely recommend the Manchester Radisson if you're in the area. My only complaint was that I had to pay for parking. Glad I did though- the parking lot was full by 11 am Friday morning.
Now on to the good stuff.
My first scrappy event? The Thursday evening album crop. I would post a picture of the cover, but I do not know if that is really fair to CK. The album theme was "Things I Love." I think it was worth the money for the adorable Technique Tuesday stamps. Each page or two was taught by a different instructor. There were a few pages that I did not like, but the rest were generic enough that I think I'll use them. I especially enjoyed learning how to use the Basic Grey magnets. My one suggestion though would be not to attend the album crop alone if you aren't very outgoing. I am not, but I just sat down at a table with four other ladies, thinking I would make friends. Unfortunately, I picked the wrong table. Each only talked to her friend, and I felt very left out. One group of two was even making fun of the obviously newer scrappers who kept asking questions. I could not believe they were so rude. All four left early, so I ended up sitting at a table all by myself. One of the organizers came up and talked to me (we have the same last name) and was very friendly. I also won a door prize, which was pretty cool.
In summary:
Event Name: Thursday night album crop
Cost: $35
Recommend: Yes. I personally like a structured crop where you actually complete a project, as opposed to regular crops which are more social than productive
Finished?: Mostly. I did a couple finishing touches up in my room after the crop
Hints: Go with a friend or sit with a table full of nice people
First up- location. My room was divine- as big as a large part of my entire apartment. Sleep number bed, comfy chair, plenty of floor and desk room for cropping, and NESN. What more could a girl want? Everyone from the front desk person to the people who delivered my room service were friendly and helpful. I definitely recommend the Manchester Radisson if you're in the area. My only complaint was that I had to pay for parking. Glad I did though- the parking lot was full by 11 am Friday morning.
Now on to the good stuff.
My first scrappy event? The Thursday evening album crop. I would post a picture of the cover, but I do not know if that is really fair to CK. The album theme was "Things I Love." I think it was worth the money for the adorable Technique Tuesday stamps. Each page or two was taught by a different instructor. There were a few pages that I did not like, but the rest were generic enough that I think I'll use them. I especially enjoyed learning how to use the Basic Grey magnets. My one suggestion though would be not to attend the album crop alone if you aren't very outgoing. I am not, but I just sat down at a table with four other ladies, thinking I would make friends. Unfortunately, I picked the wrong table. Each only talked to her friend, and I felt very left out. One group of two was even making fun of the obviously newer scrappers who kept asking questions. I could not believe they were so rude. All four left early, so I ended up sitting at a table all by myself. One of the organizers came up and talked to me (we have the same last name) and was very friendly. I also won a door prize, which was pretty cool.
In summary:
Event Name: Thursday night album crop
Cost: $35
Recommend: Yes. I personally like a structured crop where you actually complete a project, as opposed to regular crops which are more social than productive
Finished?: Mostly. I did a couple finishing touches up in my room after the crop
Hints: Go with a friend or sit with a table full of nice people
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
CKC This Weekend!
I can't wait! Hmm, I think that needs a couple more exclamation marks. I can't wait!!! Much better. I'm going to the crop Thursday night and then classes basically all day Friday. I'm sure I'll have plenty of pictures, stories, class reviews, etc. when I get back.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Complete Game
There isn't a single Red Sox post on my first page of postings, so I figure it is about time. All of you non-baseball fans can skip this one if you want.
I just finished watching the Sox beat the Tigers 7-1. The big story here (besides the bottom of the 8th)? Daisuke Matsuzaka, the $100 million+ man just pitched his first complete game. According to the Boston.com Extra Bases blog, this is the first complete game by a rookie since Tim VanEgmond did it in 1994. While I commend Dice-K on a wonderful outing, I cannot help but feel that it was showing off a little. He pitched 124 pitches, much more than the typical 100 or so for a starter. I guess it adds to his legend though, sort of like the gyroball and running for a long time before a start, making him a more formidable presence. Even if I feel the complete game was unnecessary, it was fun to watch. I do not usually yell at the TV unless someone does something particularly stupid, or we are playing the Yankees, but I did my fair share of yelling in the 8th and 9th, plus a bunch of chuckling after the game.
Part of what made the game so fun (and funny) to watch was what happened after the Sox won. Of course everyone wanted to congratulate Dice-K. This is where the cultural differences got a little confused. It was hilarious to watch the mix of congratulatory bows, tentative high fives, hugs, and fists. I think every player hit their head at least once. Dice-K looks like he still does not quite understand the concept of the high five. He does it like a four year old would. If he keeps pitching the way he has in his last couple of starts though, he will have plenty of opportunities to practice.
I just finished watching the Sox beat the Tigers 7-1. The big story here (besides the bottom of the 8th)? Daisuke Matsuzaka, the $100 million+ man just pitched his first complete game. According to the Boston.com Extra Bases blog, this is the first complete game by a rookie since Tim VanEgmond did it in 1994. While I commend Dice-K on a wonderful outing, I cannot help but feel that it was showing off a little. He pitched 124 pitches, much more than the typical 100 or so for a starter. I guess it adds to his legend though, sort of like the gyroball and running for a long time before a start, making him a more formidable presence. Even if I feel the complete game was unnecessary, it was fun to watch. I do not usually yell at the TV unless someone does something particularly stupid, or we are playing the Yankees, but I did my fair share of yelling in the 8th and 9th, plus a bunch of chuckling after the game.
Part of what made the game so fun (and funny) to watch was what happened after the Sox won. Of course everyone wanted to congratulate Dice-K. This is where the cultural differences got a little confused. It was hilarious to watch the mix of congratulatory bows, tentative high fives, hugs, and fists. I think every player hit their head at least once. Dice-K looks like he still does not quite understand the concept of the high five. He does it like a four year old would. If he keeps pitching the way he has in his last couple of starts though, he will have plenty of opportunities to practice.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Layout
I'm loving this lo right now. No, I'm not that clever- it's a scraplift from a magazine. I think it would be fun to have everyone fill out the journaling. I bet it would be very different, especially the occupation part.
Happy Saturday!
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Just a Random Picture
I found this picture while looking for photos for my CK All About Me album. (Sorry, couldn't find a link to it.) I was looking for a more recent picture, but I couldn't resist this one.
I think this was one of the pictures that my parents submitted to my senior year high school yearbook. I guess they thought it summed up my childhood and my personality pretty well too.
- Brightly colored clothes- check
- Big purse- check
- Basket filled with stuff in baggies- check
- Extra beverages- check
- Ready to do some serious shopping- check
Think there were some scrapbook supplies in that cart?
Edited- Not sure why it looks like my eyes are brown. They've been blue my entire life. I also need to remember to ask where this picture was taken- I'm guessing one of my grandparents' houses.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Happy National Scrapbook Day!
I hope all of you who scrapbook had a great National Scrapbook Day. I had fun chatting on a couple of sites, and even finished some pages (insert shocked face here). Actually, I've already done more than I did in all of April. Here is my favorite page from yesterday:
I love the new Rhonna Farrer line for Autumn Leaves. I have a kit full of her stuff to play with this month. I attempted a hand cut title. It was not as difficult as I thought it would be, although I am sure it would have been easier if I'd had a craft knife instead of using scissors.
Just for fun, here is a page I did about my cat. Now that the weather is nicer, we can open our windows. Fenway loves to sit in the windows, watching the birds and staring at the cats in the building next door.
I love the new Rhonna Farrer line for Autumn Leaves. I have a kit full of her stuff to play with this month. I attempted a hand cut title. It was not as difficult as I thought it would be, although I am sure it would have been easier if I'd had a craft knife instead of using scissors.
Just for fun, here is a page I did about my cat. Now that the weather is nicer, we can open our windows. Fenway loves to sit in the windows, watching the birds and staring at the cats in the building next door.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Exhausted
I am so mentally and physically exhausted that I can barely sit up to type this. The problem with being an insomniac is that exhaustion does not necessarily = able to sleep. I hope that is not the case tonight.
Saturday
Guess I suddenly decided to be chatty tonight...
Who is as excited as I am about National Scrapbook Day on Saturday? I'm meeting for the 1st time with a personal trainer at 10, but then I plan to scrap the rest of the day, at least until a Cinco de Mayo party. Couldn't they have planned that one better?
Who is as excited as I am about National Scrapbook Day on Saturday? I'm meeting for the 1st time with a personal trainer at 10, but then I plan to scrap the rest of the day, at least until a Cinco de Mayo party. Couldn't they have planned that one better?
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