Monica's Random Thoughts

After a loooooong hiatus...

2010-03-11T11:49:00.000-08:00

I figured it was time to get back to the blog, at least now and then. I've cleaned it up a bit, and will be changing a few more things in the near future. I would like to be eligible for some design teams and product rep positions in the crafting world, and I'm noticing that most of those are starting to require an active blog. On the plus side, this blog will be around in some form or another until either I choose to no long have it or Blogger goes out of business, so I've got time to get it going again. I'm going through a bit of life changing right now, and trying to decide what direction or road life should take next. It's equal parts exciting and scary to contemplate. I'm not a fan for major changes at all. I enjoy spontaneity when it comes to random get-togethers with friends and family, or suddenly deciding to do something else for the day in place of what was planned, but not having parts of my life uprooted. Even when this meant moving into our house a couple years ago, it was still hard for me. I'm very thankful we found this great house to buy, and I love our space, but until I was settled and everything was put away I wasn't comfortable at all. Weird but true! We moved several time during my childhood, and also rearranged the main living area of the house on a regular basis, which left me wanting things to just stay when they have a place and not move!! (my mom is laughing over this)

Anyway, I hope to start doing some posting, and hopefully even some technique sharing, very soon. I've got a few projects I'm working on right now, so we'll see where it goes from here.

.... off to make sure I don't forget that left turn at Albuquerque!

A new year... and new resolutions....

2009-01-19T14:32:00.000-08:00

Well, 2009 has hit and I'm taking stock of my life... where I've been, the road I've taken, and where I may go in the future.

I took a big step last June by not only getting a business license, but becoming a Crafter for Club Scrap as well. I still have the business license, but I'm no longer a Crafter. I still think it's a wonderful idea, but not for me and not in the area I live in. I'm calling it a life lesson/learning experience, and I hope to take what I've learned and apply it to new experiences. I am not the type of person who can casually shat up people wherever I happen to be, and I had a hard time keeping the personal separated from the business. After it basically took over my life (not to mention all my spare time!), I came close to a break-down... which is when I realized that it was time for me to gracefully retire from Crafting. The real downside is that I was in debt a bit on the CC when I came to this realization, so now I need to be really good and pay that puppy off this year. *sigh*

I'm hoping to be able to find my creative mojo again, and actually start scrapping and stamping, and to that end I challenged myself to do Tim Holtz's 12 tags of Christmas 2008, and also join some swaps on the Forum I joined in November. And if you are looking for a great place to find friendship, support, and inspiration, may I suggest you wander over to PAO? Click here: http://wwwpaperartistsonline.com and tell them I sent you!

On a more personal note, I'm going to spend a little more time to spend with my hubby and a little less time on my own. We bought a Wii and a Wii Fit, so i'm also trying to get healthier and more in shape.... and since the Wii is just fun to do, I have high hopes of this working..... as long as I can get through the initial aches and pains of long-unused muscles screaming over having to work..... {ouch}

That's about it for now.... remember to watch American Idol and Celebrity Apprentice... and root for Clint Black on Apprentice as his charity of choice is the International Rett Syndrome Foundation... a syndrome shared by his niece and my niece.

TTFN!

Elections

2008-11-04T21:31:00.000-08:00

***WARNING!! If you're a Democrat, skip this page!! Do not flame me... remarks will be deleted!***

Well, I haven't blogged in forever, but I'm so disgusted with the country and the way the voting system works that I wanted to vent. I absolutely cannot believe people were so stupid as to vote in a person to run our country that has a crappy financial plan, wants to simply make nice with all the fluffy terrorists, and has no respect for our armed forces at all. What the hell was everyone smoking today??

Another thing I really don't understand is how the electoral college votes, which are supposed to be cast according to each state's popular vote( see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Electoral_College) manage to be cast before the majority of a state's ballots have been cast and counted. What the hell?!?! So basically this is saying that by the time I cast my vote in Washington state, it no longer matters because whoever represents us in the electoral college has already cast their votes. How is this possible?

We were discussing today at work how Obama could be the Anti-Christ... who knows? Maybe the world is ending and the Lord is coming back really soon. (fingers crossed) I've been saying for months that a snake oil salesman is still a snake oil salesman, no matter smooth a line he talks. I cannot believe that so many people blame the Republicans, and President Bush, for what's happened in the last 8 years, without taking into consideration that Congress has been run by Democrats for years now.

I feel for President Bush. Not even a year into his presidency, and some sick terrorists decide to take out the Towers. He declares war on them, and gets full support long enough to get troops over there, then the Democrats start backing away from it and he's gotten nothing but hell from them since. People are idiots, morons, stupid, misguided..... pick a word you like best.

Well, I'm off to bed... and will start tomorrow with a new gloom & doom outlook... which will last until 2012!

Mocha Java keyholder

2008-02-27T21:10:00.000-08:00

My New Year's resolution this year was to finish up all the projects & kits that I've gotten from Club Scrap and tossed into a drawer to languish. This is my favorite so far... a totally cool key holder from Club Scrap's Nature's Wonders kit that I totally changed into a coffee themed one. I bought the original Club Scrap Mocha Java stamps a couple years ago off a member, and then acquired some of the papers from another member last month, and they were just screaming to be done into this fabulous project. The focal points are air dry clay I stamped onto with the Mocha Java stamps inked with Ranger's Adirondack Espresso ink. Now I just have to decide if I'm actually going to let my hubby hang his keys on it or just use it for decoration!!

long time no news....

2008-02-18T12:12:00.001-08:00

Hmmm... I can see that I haven't been posting since I started packing up our old house to move into the new one! A lot has been going on since then.

We are all moved in, except for a few random boxes that seem to stay no matter how many of the darn things I unpack. We have enclosed a portion of the back porch for Dave to have his very own shop for the R/C airplanes and such. I am down to the last 3 or 4 boxes of craft stuff that I have to either find a home for or donate to a worthy cause. We bought a new stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher that look SO cool! They are black, and I totally love them!

We took 2 weeks off around Christmas and New Year's to drive down to sunny California and visit my family for the holidays. My brother was there for a couple days, and my grandma flew in from Kansas for 3 weeks, so we had a great time. I hooked my nephew on Insaniquarium, and we all did the karoake thing with the PS2 American Idol and country music games. We took a jaunt up to Big Bear/Sugarloaf to spend the day with Aeryn & Mike... too fun!! Also daytripped over to Cherry Valley to visit Dave's Grandparents. And last but not least, we went to the Happiest Place On Earth for a couple days, as you can't be that close to Disneyland and not go!

My best bud, Allane, finally came back from North Carolina, and we've been hanging out as much as possible since then. She got hooked on stamping while she was away, and I am loving the cards she creates. She's so talented!

And I've actually started putting photos on pages again, and not just ALSBing everything and putting them in PBs for later. If I don't start to print off and scrap those digital pictures, then I will forget what happened by the time I get around to them! I still have 2+ photo boxes of 35mm prints to scrap, but they are old enough that I can't remember particulars and I have little motivation to do them anymore. Club Scrap is doing a PSL (Pro Scrapbookers League) right now, and I'm on Team Gold (GO GOLD!!), so I'm scrapping those ALSBs with photos that I got printed last week. Gotta help my team get in the top 5 if I can. Winning would be nice, but I am just loving the finished layouts at this point. And I've been slowly posting them on the School of Scrap as well, so I'm back on that forum again.

Heading back to scrap some more....

Cyper-crop hop

2007-08-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I see that I forgot to toot my own horn here about the cyber crop! I only got one layout done, but I was othe random winner for that challenge so it was great! Thanks again to School of Scrap for all the inspiration I get! The base paper is from Club Scrap's Varsity kit, the mats are Culinary (silver) and Games (burgundy) - both Club Scrap, and the patterned papers and journaling box are FooFaLa by Autumn Leaves. The jacket and tassel are Jolee's, and the brads are Club Scrap. Titling is done with Thickers... I forget the company.

random scrapbook thoughts

2007-08-06T19:58:00.001-07:00

I've been laughing to myself the last few days, reading about people's various tirades on scrapbooking and what people choose to scrap. I do agree that when looking to post a layout on a forum one should keep in mind the stated rules for posting on that site, but if you have a personal space online where you feel the need to share any and all of your layouts, then go for it. I personally choose not to put any profanity or nudity in my scrapbooks (well, not yet anyway!), but I do feel that a scrapbook today is like a diary or even what I called a scrapbook (full of clippings and random stuff) from when I was a teen. Why flame someone who chooses to document their frustrations and misery, stupid mistakes and all? As long as they don't violate any forum rules what does it matter? Life happens, and in 30 years I want my friends and family to look at my pages and see how goofy, nutty, and normal we were.... not how "Leave It To Beaver" vanilla and bland we think we should be. Why must we only preserve the "perfect"? What does that truly say about our society nowadays? your style may not be my style but that doesn't mean we can't co-exist together in harmony. A little tolerance goes a long way, but it's harder to find than the dodo bird. I choose to use my blog to type whatever I feel at that moment, along with sharing some layouts and photos. Likewise, I choose to let my scrapbooks reflect the real me, not the me that "should" be. And I should warn you.... flame me and your comments will be rejected.... I do not tolerate negativity. Constructive criticism is fine, but mean catty cruelty is not. Okay, I'm off the soapbox for now, but stay tuned for future speeches! lolz!

Harry Potter ~ The final book!

2007-07-23T20:32:00.001-07:00

Yes, I was one of the millions of people crazy enough to stay up to midnight Friday, July 20th, just to get my hands on the new Harry Potter book! My hubby had pre-purchased me the book from inklings, a local bookstore, so I headed over at 11:30 to join the crowd. I didn't think there would be as many people there as it turned out there was, since we also have a Borders in town that had a huge bash too. They had a whole Diagon alley going in front of the store, and the Starbucks just across the way was open as well, doing a booming business with all the people waiting for midnight. I saw so many people in costume, not just kids but people my age and my folks' age as well! People were getting their fortunes told by professor Trelawney, watching an exhibition of different owls done by the same gal who does the bird show at the fair (they were so cool!!), making their own wands, getting sorted into houses.... all kinds of stuff going on. I decided to go stand in line, since I could still see everything from there, and I ended up being 6th or 7th in line! We were told to leave a 6 foot path in the middle of the lines and at the stroke of midnight Hagrid came roaring in on Sirius' motorcycle! Very cool! I had my book and was on the way back to my car by 12:10, and then I got up at 6am to get ready to head up to Marcus for the memorial service.... and I was TIRED! I read most of the trip up, and later on in the afternoon, and then finished it about 11 pm that night! So I can truthfully say that I finished it in under 24 hours from when I received it. Reactions to the final chapter to be discussed at a later date.

Memorial service/family gathering

2007-07-23T20:13:00.001-07:00

This weekend I went up to Marcus for the memorial service for my grandpa. It was great to see my folks... my dad looks so much better after his treatments in the hyperbaric chamber! And I saw relatives I haven't seen for 2 decades, so we caught up on each other's lives. The memorial service was touching but honest, and a true picture of him. I got to see 3 uncles I haven't seen since the 80's, and one I haven't seen since the mid-90's. I also got to chat with my great-aunt Nita, who was simply a delight to talk with. Her younger daughter, Martha, was there as well and we caught up on each other's lives. I also got to see my cousin Toby and his family, his mom Fran, and other family and friends who came. Uncle Rick really wants us to come over to Hawaii and stay with him and Vicki, so that's on our travel plans for tentatively next year. It was so great to see him!! I have a new attachment to my key chain now, as I asked for the picture of him and I that grandpa carried around on his key chain for so many years. I find myself dwelling more on mortality and what a person leaves behind them, and how short life truly is no matter how long you live. It's really sad that most families come together nowadays for only births, weddings and funerals. In this age of easy technology and instant communication we seem to find it harder and harder to keep in touch. Why is that, I wonder? I find myself just as guilty of this, and I'm on the Internet on a daily basis if possible. Something to ponder....

Talking on the phone...

2007-07-12T22:23:00.000-07:00

These pages are photos taken by my roommate at the time. I
m sure I was on the phone to my then boyfriend, now husband, and trying to get a bit of privacy. Obviously that didn't work well, did it? Papers are Club Scrap's Steppin' Out kit, with some yummy Primas for embellishment.

Bloomsday nuts...

2007-07-12T22:19:00.001-07:00

This is my sister and I after walking Bloomsday, the annual race held in Spokane on the first Sunday in May. For several years I would go up to Spokane and race with Donna and Mom. This was one of the last times I went. Papers are Club Scrap Reflections.

Fishing up at Twin Lakes

2007-07-12T22:03:00.000-07:00

These are some pictures of the family several years ago enjoying a day of fishing up at Twin Lakes. Papers are from Club Scrap's English Garden kit, and the stamps are from The Rhapsody kit. Oh, and the font stamps are from the refresh kit. Journaling done in my own handwriting. Aeryn and
I were just talking about scrapping events versus moments, and I think this falls somewhere in between. It's an event, but it's really just a moment with my family all together having fun.

Tagged by Aeryn!!

2007-07-06T19:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I promised to play even though I don't have 7 people to tag after I post, but here goes:

The Rules: So this is how it works. I must post the rules, 7 random things about me and then tag others to do the same. Sound fair enough, right? These are the rules…. each player starts with 7 random facts about themselves on their Blog. People who are tagged need to blog 7 facts about themselves and post the rules as well. At the end of their blog list 7 people you are tagging. Let them know that they are tagged by leaving them a comment.

1. I collect children's mystery series books from the 50s to the 80s. It started with me buying the Trixie Belden series being reissued in the 80s when I was about 13, and then I picked up several Nancy Drew and Dana Girls books at yard sales and used book stores. I have several different series now, and love them all!

2. I don't own good china other than the few pieces I inherited or was given as gifts... I own Princess House crystal for my good dishes! :)

3. My favorite breakfast in July is a big bowl of fresh red raspberries picked right before I eat them. YUM!!

4. I went to 9 different schools between 1st and 12th grade.... in 2 different states.

5. Ice skating is my favorite form of exercise and my favorite sport to watch.

6. Ariel is my favorite Disney princess, but in actuality I'm very much like Belle.

7. My mom, my sister, and I share a love for all things Maxine... we can amuse ourselves for quite awhile in a Hallmark store! although we do tend to get really weird looks..... lolz!

Hmmm... I may have to devote more blog time to some of these random thoughts... :)

Speaking of best friends.....

2007-07-04T20:58:00.001-07:00

I'd be totally remiss not to mention my best friend Aeryn Kelly!! She is such fabulous company. We chat via the net on a daily basis if possible, and also on the phone quite a bit. She's in SoCal and I'm in Washington State, so we've only met in person exactly once. She is such a funny person, always cracking me up, but also sensitive and very caring. And she always speaks her mind, even when it's liable to land her in hot water with someone!! We share a mutual love for CSI, although she's definitely a true addict and I'm somewhere a bit below that. She's also a writer and I anxiously await every new CSI fanfic from her. I should mention that when I say "CSI" I mean the original one set in Las Vegas. We are both scrappers and shameless Prima addicts too. We met online via the Club scrap chat group... she would say the things I wanted to say to people and then get flamed for it, so I would tell her thank you for saying what I was thinking! lolz She also is the "Evil Overlord" of the Circle Journey scrapbook page swap we do with 3 other gals. I'm very glad to have her in my life... she's a true original and a one of a kind! Wuvs you, Aeryn!

Independence Day

2007-07-04T20:40:00.001-07:00

Happy 4th of July!! I wasn't sure that I would be enjoying today at all, but I got quite the surprise this morning. My girlfriend Allane (one of my very best friends), who was re-activated from the Naval Reserves early this year, totally surprised me by showing up at my house about 8 this morning! I had no idea she was coming home for a visit. She was sent to North Carolina in February and I haven't seen her since then. What a wonderful surprise and proof that God always knoows when you need a friend to come cheer you up. We had the most wonderful day together doing those things best friends do... shopping, shopping, shopping.... oh, and we went to see the new Fantastic Four movie as well. {grin} This is exactly what I needed to cheer me up. God knows what I need and somehow always works miracles when I need them the most!

Sad news

2007-07-04T20:22:00.000-07:00

I found out yesterday that my Grandpa had passed away. Mom called at me at work to tell me, and I was so upset I went home for the day. Now both of my Grandpas are gone from this life, and I am left with only memories to cherish and photos to look at. Grandpa had a picture of him and me from when I was a little child that was attached to his keychain, and he carried it with him everywhere. I asked my Mom to get that for me as she's going to be over visiting Grandma Helen before I come for the memorial service. I was feeling very depressed last night, and my subconscious went down some freaky pathways early this morning, which resulted in some weird dreams. Death is not something I dwell on, but I am glad that he's now at peace... sleeping while waiting for Christ's return.

The scariest thing for me is that he had an advanced stage of Parkinson's, a disease also shared by his son (my Dad), and by my father-in-law. My Dad is currently undergoing treatments in a hyperbaric chamber to help his body heal itself and it appears to be working well so far.

Virgin post... the start of a new era

2007-06-01T22:41:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of my best friend Aeryn, this is my first post on my brand-spanking new blog!

*pause for applause*
Let's see... something about me for all you who deign to read this... hmmm....

I live in Yakima, Washington, with my hubby and my 4-footed cat child. I'm an avid crafter, especially stamping and scrapbooking, and I also love adventure and puzzle computer games. I am a member of the School of Scrap and Club Scrap.

I read voraciously, and I read various genres but a lot of scifi & fantasy. I'm not really big on the classics like Asimov and Bradbury, but I love Anne McCaffrey, Mercedes Lackey, Robert Asprin, David Eddings, and J.R.R. Tolkien. I also love anything by Patricia Cornwell, Monica Ferris, and Kathy Reichs. And for those tear-jerker moments, there's always Lori Wick!!

I love Disney movies, and have most of the animated movies. I also love Star Trek, Stargate, MacGyver, Buffy and Angel.... and the list could go on and on and on!! lolz

Not much else to say right now, but do stay tuned.... I could say something brilliant at any moment!