*sob* *sigh*

So, my FAVORITE magazine is currently on newsstands as it's last issue ever. ever!

Ever?

Total bummer.  

There is this whole new philosophy in scrapbooking that is best told by the originators:

Stacy Jullian (love that first name, missy)

and

among others:

Cathy Zielske

The philosophy is a no-stress, no-such-thing-as-"caught-up", and super fabulous.

It is something like this: (my version at least) ... scrapbook 10 photos, 1 photo, or none - whatever it takes to tell your story.  And tell your story!  If you come across photos from 20 years ago & they spark a great memory - record it now!  worry about those birthday party photos later.  have fun.

There you go.

And, there are just too many things/people I love disappearing lately.

(in fact, don't you think my grandkids would love to read this exact story someday?)

New Blog...

http://9m-ninemonthsandbeyond.blogspot.com/

still dreaming...

Look, no cars parked on the lawn;

Listen, no mariachi music blaring all day Sunday;

Feel the cool breeze from the ocean;

Taste the sweetness of living in Spreckels;

Stretch out in your comfy chair in your huge house in this cozy neighborhood.

Enjoy.

are you in?

Well?  I need a traveling companion!  Or two!  Or three!  

The more the merrier, really.

I attended the San Jose CKU three years ago.  It was awesome.  Super fun meeting the scrapbooking celebrities (and, yes people, there is such a thing!)

It could be awesome: 3 nights away from the family.  Time for yourself and whatever the heck you wanna do!

And oh, the new scrapbooking products!

I figure with Hotel (already checked out the Pasadena Sheraton), gas, food, crops, and classes - you are talking between $300-500.  It is cheaper for more people because we split hotel and gas!  And you don't have to take all the classes - just the ones you can't live without!

OK, I hope this sounds as good as the Sham-WOW commercial, because I really want to go.  And, I need a travel companion.

Think it over!

Yours Truly,

S-Dub

new scrapbooking...

I was flipping through my new photo organization system last night (more on that in a minute), and discovered some fabulous photos that I had not yet scrapbooked.  So, I used the same title for the two of them (those small letter stickers say "thing not to forget").

I love the new freedom of scrapbooking non-chronologically and with different sized pages and photos.  These pages only have one photo, but the story is the part that really counts.

I just love that I got a photo of this stretch that Jane used to do when she was done eating.  It seems like forever ago that she had this habit - I would have forgotten had I not scrapped this photo/story.

So here is a photo of my new-ish bookcase (IKEA!! - duh) on the right side of the closet.  

What is on the other side of the closet, you ask?  An equally large gun safe.  Of, course.  This office is equal opportunity.

Back to MY side: I organized all my superfluous stuff (i.e: rarely used) into these compartments.  Leather drawers hold:

1. Stamps and ink (including foam stamps which are quite large and space-taking)

2. Cards, envelopes, mini-books, and my sewing threads/needles

3. paint

Then, there is a shelf for my cutting items: cricut/cartriges, slice/mat, and Creative Memories cutting shapes.

Lastly, there is a shelf to hold my miscellaneous albums, scrapbooking kits, and old paper that I guess I should just donate to someone.

The rest is for toys.

Now, here is a photo of my new photo organizing system.  I took all the photos since the day Jane was born and divided them - not chronologically!!! - into categories instead.  

For example, I have a bunch of photos spanning months of time of Jane climbing into baskets.  It is a really cute phenomenon that I am sure will not last into high school.  So, I want to scrapbook it.  I created a category for that so I can make a page about this cute little habit, rather than one Tuesday in march when she did something cute.

You follow?

Now, switching over from a chronological scrapbooker to this new system takes it's toll on my anal retentive side, but the stories I tell seem more meaningful and interesting this way.

I still store everything in chronological order in my scrapbooks.

So, there you go!  If you care - ha!

what do you see?

when  you look at this photo, what do you see?

Probably, it is not the same thing I see.

For example, I see:

* ratty old nasty carpet that needs to go to the dump;

* weird squarish feet that are not shaped like other people's;

* what the heck are all those veins doing?;

* man my feet are sore from running this morning;

* my kid is flipping cute;

* Kylie was right, I should have painted these toes before!

one out of six, right?

Beauty for ashes

These are some photos I took of beautiful flowers that were given to my family in memory of my father.  I loved these flowers.  Their colors were so vibrant and alive.  Just like my dad was.  I think this specific arrangement came from Wild Things owner Charlie Sammut.  Thank you, Charlie for such a striking way to remember my father: full of vigor and bright light.