More snow blowing in...

It's been snowing and blowing since about Noon today and with the temperature teetering right around the 0 degree mark, it's just not very nice. There is continued snow forcasted through 6 a.m. tomorrow morning. Hmmm...snow day?? If only I should be so lucky! Neither the College nor the local school district here is known for doling out snow days easily.

Anyway, we've been really busy despite the cold.

I got back from my conference late Friday afternoon and barely got to spend any time with Kaitlin before I had to wisk her off to play practice.

There's less than a month to go before opening night so practices are really starting to pick up. She had practice Friday, Saturday, Sunday and again tonight...and they're all 3-4 hours long.

Kaitlin is really loving it though. This is how the weekends go when we are together all day:

Kaitlin (shortly after waking up): "Mom, do I have practice today?"

Me: "Yes, sweetie."

And nearly every half hour or so for the rest of the day until practice starts (usually around 4 p.m.) she will say, "Mom...remember I have practice today." or "Is it time to go to practice yet?".

Yah, she's lovin' it!

On Saturday, I spent a good portion of the day finalizing my laptop research...and I finally made the purchase!! Whoohoo! I have been wanting to do this for a long time and finially have enough saved up to comfortably make the purchase.

After much deliberation (part of me REALLY wanted to get a mac), I finally decided to go with a Dell. Our desktop is a Dell and I have to say that she's been good to me...despite getting unbearably slow in her old age (8 years...I know, amazing she's even still running). And I'm sure the facts that she wasn't really built for what I use her for today and she's holding thousands and thousands of digital photos taken in the last few years doesn't help either.

So, I was sure to build my new one to handle it...more memory...a bigger, faster hard drive...I am soooo excited.

Once it arrives, I'll clean some of my stuff off our desktop and give her a break...which will hopefully help her speed back up again a little. Then Justin and I won't have to fight over who gets to use the computer anymore either...another bonus!

Sunday was a scrapping day...got THREE layouts done. I'm up to October of last year now. I'm closing in...slowly but surely.

Send a singing love telegram...from Altoids?

You just never know where you're going to find fun stuff on the web! Here's a good one if you're looking for something silly to send your honey on Valentine's Day.

Altoids Singing Telegram

You know you're a scrapbooker when...

(Before I proceed, I should note that the word 'obsessed' should probably be added in front of the above mentioned noun.)

...if you have a dream that actually meet Cathy Zielske and Ali Edwards and your husband embarrasses you to tears (not that he usually does this...not to tears anyway) and the most devasting thing is that NO ONE has a camera...

Meeting CZ and AE would most definitely be a dream, but with those other factors involved...it was really more like a scrapper's nightmare! :-)

What would be your "You know you're a scrapbooker when..." moment/event??

Out of town...

for a conference for the next couple of days and missing my little monkey already tonight.

When I was packing my bag last night, Kaitlin brought in one of her little stuffed animals - a little blue bunny - and put it in my suitcase.

"Here Mommy...sleep with my blue bunny while you are gone 'cause I know you're gonna miss me."

Awww...how right you are little one.

And when I dropped her off at school this morning and told her to be good and keep Daddy out of trouble (she's pretty good at this actually), she said, "Remember the bunny, Mommy."

So, the bunny's on the pillow next to me...

Anyway, the town my conference happens to be in is the same town where my little brother goes to college, so I gave him a call on the way up and invited him out to dinner.

We went to Applebee's and being the good little Catholics that we are on Ash Wednesday, we both had fish. (Aren't you proud of use, Mom?) I had this:

Honey Grilled Salmon...that was the first time I've ever had salmon and I really like it...will be eating more of that, I think. Mmmmm.

I don't get to spend too much time with my little brother these days, so it was nice to catch up. He filled me in on his job, school and his unending pursuit of girls...oh, brother! :-) He always knows how to make me laugh.

As it is in most college towns, Thursday night is bar night and he wants me to go out with him and his friends tomorrow night...I don't know about that...I'm pretty sure I couldn't have kept up with him even when I was his age!

Although, I have to say that it's kind of sweet that he actually wants me to come out with him and isn't embarrassed to be seen with his older (old) sister! :-)

More CHA winter 2008 sneak peaks...

Was it me who said I hadn't seen much to get excited about yet in the sneak peaks for the CHA winter 2008 show other than Karen Russell's new additions?

Hmmm...I think I might have spoken too soon! I can always count on Fancy Pants to come up with something I'll love and this time the Simplicity collection fits the bill.

Making Memories also has some super cute additions to one of my new favorite lines - Noteworthy.



Here's some beautiful new papers from Prima.

Here's some gorgeous looking papers from a NEW company called Pink Paislee with two debut collections - Spring Fling & Office Lingo.

My little & big list...

Ali Edwards has been a great inspiration to me this past year. She recently started a project on her blog called Weekend Creative and her assignment this week seemed like a lot of fun. So, here's my little & big list for 2007 and following her lead, there is one item for each year of my age.

1. Was greatly inspired by Ali Edwards!

2. Photographed a flower.

3. Learned how to spot color in Photoshop.

4. Attended my first parent-teacher conference.

5. Had scrapbook layouts published for the 1st time - three by Memory Makers magazine, 1 by Simple Scrapbooks.

6. Revisited the Tulip Festival with my 5-year-old daughter. I was 5 years old the last time I was there.

7. Went on a horse drawn trolley ride.

8. Watched my daughter graduate from preschool.

9. Observed the power of a tornado...a little too close to home.

10. Visited Ponca State Park.

11. Had a layout featured in Becky Fleck's PageMaps Newsletter.

12. Lead my team, Company E, to the #1 spot during YBA week!!

13. I got a promotion - Assistant Director of Admissions.

14. Took some fireworks shots that I really love.

15. Attended my first concert in about 10 years.

16. After loving American Idol for years, saw an AI contestant in real life. (See above.)

17. Photographed a fish.

18. Made 243 blog posts (compared to 11 in 2006).

19. After having visited the Old Market in Omaha many times, finally took pictures there.

20. Caught a rainbow...sort of.

21. Attended a Josh Groban concert...amazing! (pics not allowed...sorry)

22. Stayed on the 17th floor of the Hilton in downtown Minneapolis.

23. Watched a jousting competition at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.

24. Enjoyed my daughter's first season of soccer.

25. Convinced my daughter that she should be a little 'witchy' for Halloween.

26. Visited an airspace museum.

27. Visited a wildlife preserve.

28. Helped about 45 students continue or begin their college education.

29. I was elf'd!

30. Was proud of my daughter's confindance.

31. Posted 17 reviews on various photography and scrapbooking idea books.

Exciting news...

for me!! I am one of the newest members of the International Scrapbooking Association's VIP Team! at iSCRAP.net. I am so excited about this! My name was just added to the list late last night, so I will be working on getting the information for my page ready so they can link it up soon, but just had to share the news right away!!

I have the day off (no school for Kaitlin today) so hopefully can get that and also some scrapping done today!


About ISA:
The International Scrapbooking Association (ISA) is the worlds largest and most diverse scrapbooking organization in the world. They are a global resource for all aspects of the industry. With representatives from all across the globe, they bring and promote scrapbooking world wide. With excellent customer service, vast resources and advanced technology they can help you as a scrapbooker bring your work to life and show it to the world.

The ISA was originally founded in 2003 as the National Scrapbooking Association (NSA) based in Houston Texas. As times have changed, the needs of the industry have grown, borders eliminated and more scrapbookers using the internet, the NSA has expanded its services, implemented new technologies and transitioned in to the International Scrapbooking Association (ISA).

Join the International Scrapbooking Association today!