Creative Minds Think Alike...

Scrapbooking Weekend

2011-03-15T12:02:00.000-07:00

Getting prepared for our yearly trip to the Warren Center in Ashland. Need to get my brother's wedding album completed once and for all! Only been 1.5 years since he got married. Just lost my motivation - does anyone have a solution for losing your motivation?

Reconnecting after all this time

2010-04-15T15:58:00.000-07:00

It has been over 20 years and I thought about my friends all the time - where they were at, do they have families, how were they doing. It hurt my heart that I lost touch with them - we were so close. Now we are connected again and I feel whole. It will be great to catch up with them and have them part of my life once more - as adults as friends again. Mary, Lori & Dee - missed you so much and won't lose touch again now that I have it back.

Tomorrow is the big day

2010-02-15T13:17:00.000-08:00

Big day for what you ask? Week 6 of maintenance on Weight Watchers - if I am within 2 lbs of goal I officially become a lifetime member!!! 2+ years in the making. I cannot believe it. So, of course, who is STRESS EATING today??? Me :( Cross your fingers.

The Vest...

2010-01-19T06:27:00.000-08:00

One trip to the mall with a 13 year old can get you into trouble - sewing trouble. Hence, the vest!! Seemed like a simple project and quick but it was more challenging than I thought. However, it is done and I did most of it on my own (with a little help from Linda at Sew It All and prep work from Mackenzie). I even had Mark try and help to interpret some of the directions.

Pink, purple and green. Stripes. I love the pink lining.

I got to use fusible web for the stripes (which was cool) and practice my hidden stitch (I cannot hand sew worth a damn).

So here it is and will be shipped out this weekend.

2010 - Hope you are ready!

2010-01-06T08:32:00.000-08:00

It has been so long since I have updated my blog. Well, for 2010, I will be doing more blogging with the focus on my sewing and scrapping projects.

Wishing everyone a great 2010!

Crop Cocks run a muck....

2009-03-29T14:18:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I have not blogged since December - time sure does fly and fast.

My post is to give a shout out to my scrapbooking buddies. I had such a blast in March at Ashland - good food, good conversation, lots of scrappin'.

Unknown to me, the contest was on for the best cock award - let me set the scene. At the Warren Center, it seems that each room has some type of rooster picture, whether small or large. My pal Kristen M, was quite in a fluster to find out that the girls weekend was truly not a 'cock free' one as planned. So, begins having a crop cock with us.

So the contest is on, for the next crop to have the best cock to represent you! Here are some pictures of this years activities:

The prize - isn't he cute!

The girls around the big rooster pic in the stairway

Kristin and her scary mask (she made me laugh all weekend)

And so the hunt is on - I will be ready for next year. Cock-a-doodle-doo

For my best friend

2008-12-09T06:44:00.000-08:00

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us."
– Helen Keller

It is now time for you to turn away from the closed door and go through the open one.

Random Caroling...

2008-12-05T14:50:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season to be jolly...
Caroling starts before Thanksgiving
It makes my heart sing
Why not share with friends
My karaoke style of song
On their voicemail when not at their desk
SURPRISE!
It's a feeling I need to share
My most favorite time of the year

History in the making

2008-11-05T10:33:00.000-08:00

I was part of a historical event last night! I helped to elect the first African-American President of the United States. A man who, I am confident, will bring great change to our wonderful country. To my democrat friends - WE DID IT!! To my republican friends, sorry but it was the right choice for all of us. I felt relieved and truly blessed - not just that the candidate I wanted to have was elected, but that we live in a great country that allows everyone to make that choice. Even Nicholas was excited about the election which was fantastic.

Flea Market Finds are great!

2008-09-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh, the best thing to do on a beautiful Sunday is go to a Flea Market. This one, at the Marshfield Fairground this past Sunday, offered so many different vendors. Yes, I did score on a number of things

First, a cute machine pieced, hand quilted quilt. The guy gave it to me for $10 if I bought it before his wife came back! All it needed was a wash - the hand quilting is really nice to look at.

Here is a great buy - for $10 I got this Vera Bradley bag - it was never used, clean and in perfect condition. Even if it is not a true Vera Bradley bag, it is still my bag (and I needed a winter bag)

A couple of beautiful pieces of fabric - the colors are fantastic. Not sure what I will be making with them.

Now, I have been into costume jewlery. I saw something on Martha Stewart where the old costume jewlery earings were repurposed into magnets - so cool. So I got to thinking how much, as a kid, I loved wearing my grandmothers jewlery. I thought she was so rich - she had so many sparkly items and I could wear the clip-on earings! So, I have been on the hunt to craft with (if I find mismatches) and to create a dress up box for a Christmas gift (I think Meaghan is a good candidate for it).

I love to find treasures...

Beauty right in our backyard

2008-09-21T16:52:00.000-07:00

OK, not really in our backyard but close - only 8 minutes away. We decided to go camping (since it was guaranteed nice weather) so we headed to Myles Standish State Park. Here are just some amazing pictures to share with everyone - enjoy.

Quilt for a great cause

2008-09-19T18:08:00.000-07:00

Here it is - the quilt I made for the Relay for Life. I wanted to make sure that it went to a cancer survivor or one who is in the process of being a survivor. My pal, Lisa, pulled through and made the quilt part of a survivor raffle. Kathy Wickert was the winner and sent a very nice thank you card.

This was one of the hardest types of quilts I could have made (being only my 2nd one) but I am glad I did it. It came out better than I expected. I cannot wait for next year and what I will create for this great cause.

Ben is having a baby!

2008-09-19T17:33:00.001-07:00

Well, more like Emelia is having a baby. We cannot wait for Kamryn to come and it will be soon - Oct

Erica and Thaissa coordinated the baby shower and it was at my house. It turned out great.

My brother looked so happy and Emelia looked fantastic.

The 'mommy' chair with the clothes line decoration - turned out really cute.

Here is the mommy

And here is the daddy (playing with Meaghan)

The cake was the cutest! The baby had a real pacifier in its mouth!!

Thaissa made the favors - vanilla fudge yummy

And the games - Name the baby food and Measure the mummy's tummy

Congratulations to Ben and Emelia with all the love and happiness a new family can have.

So close to goal!

2008-09-19T17:11:00.001-07:00

Well, I am now 5 lbs. away from my goal of 155! This has been such a long road to get to this point. My goal is to hit my goal weight and become a WW lifetime member (so I don't have to pay anymore). I am deciding how my 'after' picture will look so I can show the difference. So, watch...

Hello from North Carolina!

2008-07-28T07:41:00.000-07:00

Nick and I are on vacation - visiting David and Carrie in Lillington NC. Amtrak was our mode of transportation - very long ride but cost effective.

We went out on the boat yesterday and had a blast.

I will add pics when I can.

Here is your post Margaret

2008-07-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

I've been called on it - why aren't I out there??? Well, this ones for you Margaret - my bestest pal!!

How time flies - especially 25 years

2008-07-02T05:19:00.000-07:00

June 13, 1983 - that was the day I began my career with BCBSMA and still going strong today. The celebration the company gave was awesome.
I celebrated with 77 other folks who have been with the company 25+ years. The picture is of me with my IT crew - Ellen Curley, Joanne McManus, Kevin Campbell, David Palubicki and our interim CIO Ed Esposito.

Mark, Sydney and Nick were there with me which made me very happy. I will have to wait another 5 years to get a party like that again!

WW Update - 41 lbs!!

2008-06-09T08:21:00.001-07:00

Yes, I hit a total loss of 41 pounds last week - very exciting! I am hoping to do an after photo to show the difference.

Bunnies make me laugh

2008-06-09T08:17:00.000-07:00

Angry Alien has a new 30 second short for Sixteen Candles - enjoy
http://www.starz.com/bunnies

Find other funny shorts at www.angryalien.com

Sewing project updates

2008-04-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few things I have completed so far:

Sleep pants for me (no pic)
Placemats (showing the front and back)
Nick's cool Yoda sleep pants

I also made a cute tote bag and I am on the finishing stages of a twin size quilt! My next project is to try and make myself a skirt - we shall see!

Guess who talked to Martha?

2008-04-05T11:47:00.000-07:00

YES, it was me, talking to Martha Stewart on her radio show Wednesday!!! I knew Martha could help me out on how to remove the smell from my vintage dress form - I will be trying it out today to see how it works. I even got to hear myself cause there was a slight delay from me talking and hearing it on the radio.

My family thinks I am obsessed but I am truly not. I just find that this is a mentor. Someone who has great working ethics and talent that I inpire to be like. Great minds think alike!

Here is my dress form that I got for Christmas - solution to remove the mustiness? Baking soda - how simple is that?

Weight watchers update... and the number is????

2008-04-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

35.4 lbs! That is right my friends - and this last 5 lbs took forever!! Yipee...

What inspires you?

2008-03-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

I have been reading a book to organize my scrapbook/craft area (The organized and inspired scrapbooker by Wendy Smedley & Aby Garvey). It contains a workbook to start you thinking about different things in preparation for creating your workspace. One of the sections on Inspiration has you asking yourself: What inspires me? You have 4 categories to list people or things:

Creatively
Emotionally or spiritually
Visually
To scrapbook

It really made me think about what inspires me - here are a few for me. I have a list and everyday seem to be adding more and more to it. How about you?

Songs (makes me happy and sad)
Colors
Fabrics
Flowers
Nature

I am loving Heather Bailey's Blog

2008-01-27T18:01:00.000-08:00

I have the shortcut in my favorites. Her site is so beautiful and she gives some fun ideas. I cannot wait to create some yoyo's (she has instructions on the site).
Click onto her link and take a peek!

Sewing

2008-01-27T17:44:00.000-08:00

I have begun sewing classes. Yes, me, sewing! My grandmother was such a great seamstress. I wish I could have learned from her (there are so many things I wish I learned from her).

So, my first lesson was Saturday, January 19. I learned some basics about a sewing machine - how to thread, how to make a bobbin - then I was ready to create my first project which was a zippered case to carry my 'soon to get' sewing supplies. It was made out of some extra fabric that Linda had around.

This is the inside with the zipper I put in! It felt so good making something that I could bring home that day and use.

I am now working on a pair of pajama pants, which I am almost done with. Then onto placemats. I will post the pics when they are done.

Weight Watchers - Round Two

2008-01-16T16:46:00.000-08:00

Ding, ding, ding!!! I started WW the end of August 2007 at a wonderful weight of 207 lbs.!! Yes, my weight got way out of hand for sure. Fitting into a size 18 is not my idea of sexy for sure.

So, I got my mind in place and was determined to becoming healthier - loose the weight, move more, make better decisions about my health. So here I am, just signed up for round two (next 19 weeks) and my weight is at 180... Yes, I have lost 27 lbs so far (the equivalent of a small child or thanksgiving turkey). I am feeling good and hoping to keep the momentum going.

My overall goal?? It is not necessarily weight as it is size. To fit in a size 12-14 again. To have underwear that fit! To be able to fit in my ski boots without my 'cankles' getting pinched. To be able to do a two mile walk without being winded in the first 5 minutes. It goes way beyond just the number on the scale.

For anyone who is starting a program - awesome for you! Be sure you are doing it for the right reasons and stick to it! Here's to a healthy happy 2008!!

Back on the blog!

2007-12-28T14:46:00.000-08:00

I realized that my last post was in March of 2007! It is amazing how time flies by and, with a blink of your eyes, 2007 is almost done!! A New Year's resolution - to blog more...

I got for Christmas Creative Memories Story Book Plus software and have been playing all weekend. It is a fantastic product and I can't wait to print a 12X12 page.

I've been a blogger slacker!

2007-03-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

OK, life has really passed by fast and I have not blogged in a very long time! I will be doing better now. I have changed the look of my page to be a little more 'girly'.

I went on a 24 hour business trip to Wisconsin (yes, Wisonsin) - had a real great group of people traveling with me. Needless to say, last week was just a blur. I will post some pictures of beautiful downtown Wausau...

Technology is not my strong point

2006-09-22T04:35:00.000-07:00

OK, I work with computers all day so you figure that I would know more than I do! So much cool technology that I cannot keep up. Well, for my blog, I will attempt to 'beef' it up with some cool stuff so come back and see. I want some pics on my page so that will be the first thing. Maybe my pic so you know me (a skinny pic I think will be appropriate).

Ring Tones are fun!

2006-08-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

Girls just wanna have fun by Cindi Lauper - that is my new ring tone. My daughter was kind enough to select an 80's song that she thought her mom would love! Sydney, who has at least 50 different ring tones on her phone is an expert on finding them (as well as a texting wizard!).

It is kind of fun when someone calls me - it puts a smile on my face for sure! If you can, get a fun ring tone that will make you smile! That is another way to showcase your creativity!!

Heat lightning and fireflies

2006-06-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

Sometimes nature sure does amaze me.

I had to take my crazy dog Oscar out for his 9:00 p.m. duties (yes, it is every night at 9:00 - for some reason he has this time set in his internal clock to drive me crazy). While standing there waiting while he does his circles around to find the perfect spot, it happened...FLASH

The lightning in the sky was amazing! No sound, just beautiful light that illuminated the sky and the clouds. At night, when it is overcast, you just see black with no lines to differentiate the clouds. When the lightning went off, it was beautiful - you could see the outline of each cloud and colors of pink and purple. It was like enjoying fireworks without the noise.

I also saw the first firefly of the year. My yard is dark ao the fireflies are wonderful to see. So I had big fireworks and little fireworks.

Thanks Oscar - I would have missed out on this if you weren't so persistent...

The end...

2006-06-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

I just sent out the official email to all my wonderful customers that I will be deactivating as a Creative Memories Consultant. It was so hard to do - making this decision. Sometimes you feel as if you are a 'failure when you quit' something. I wanted so much for it to work but it was not the right time. I did learn alot about myself though - what I can and can not do, what I feel comfortable with and going outside of my comfort zone and I hope I have grown with this.

Do I feel a little sorry for myself? Yes, but I will get over it. It was more difficult to let my unit leader Debi know - I cried after I told her. She is great - understood why I had to do it. What a cool lady for sure!

I really appreciate women who go into the direct selling business - whether scrapbooking, food, toys, etc. - it is not easy for sure! In a way, I am glad it's over. No more pressure - I can relax and focus on what I enjoy doing.

What are your thoughts? Let me know.

And so it begins

2006-06-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog and my first post!

Creative minds think alike for sure! I am hoping to share some of my ideas with everyone. This is my first time using a blog so I am learning as I go along.

Thanks for visiting!

Linda