It's the SIL's Fault!

Has it been two months since I last blogged? OHMIGOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What have I been doing?

Playing with the Silhouette. Playing with the Silhouette alot. See, David is a genius when it comes to computers and he showed me how to find JPEGS online, open them in RoboCraft, get an outline and BAM! a new file for my SIL. Thus, I have spent long hours searching for files I could cut in my SIL.

Hours and hours have been spent going through Google images, trying to figure out which ones work and which ones don't. Dark and simple lines work the best. Colored items are iffy. My favorite searches are for Korean symbols for the scrapbooks for David & the kids. I have found some great ones : strength (which is probably more Chinese and/or Japanese), fire, father and sensei (teacher in Japanese).

Notice how the symbols are supposed to be in Korean, but I said they were Japanese? Turns out, at least according to my research, that Korea and Japan incorporated the Chinese symbols, later creating their own. It is driving me NUTS!!! Undoubtedly I am driving Sheryl (the aforementioned sensei) and her husband Geoff batty with my questions. We are all aware that somethings do not translate well, so we are doing our best to be careful. They look so beautiful, so I feel this need to replicate them perfectly. (The card is at the top of the post.)

So, I have spent hours and hours looking for items to cut out on my SIL, but very little actual scrapping. I am behind on my die challenge and all of the layouts I need to do.

Thus, it is the SIL's fault for tempting me to spend those hours dreaming about scrapbooking, but doing little actual work.

I need to get my butt in gear.

Valentine Thoughts

Today is Valentine's Day. A day to remember the one you love. I did that, I just forgot to make him a card! I cannot believe I forgot that. I even cut out the knight in shining arm in white (on my SIL) and then I totally forgot!

Luckily he loves me. He also forgot to get me a card, so we are even. Not in a tit-for-tat way, but rather in a "gee, I really love you, but we don't need to celebrate today just to make each other look good way." I would rather he hold my hand in public in the heat of July than buy me roses in mid-February. And since I prefer peach roses to red, and do not love those expensive chocolates (a box of Dove Bananas Foster-filled Milk Chocolates is my ideal), I am not the target market. Thus, no tears or complaints here!

[Disclaimer: part of the reason I was remiss in the card department is that we have a coupon from Wolf Camera for a free photobook from when we bought the new camera, and I decided to use it -with some paid upgrades- to create a photobook for David of WDW. I spent 2.5 hours on Thursday creating the book, only to have the system crash on page 16 out of 22. I left the store extremely disgusted, determined to make him something on Friday. I got called to work on Friday. Then we had to run him his tuxedo to the airport (he had flown to Orlando for a work meeting (Alex was beside himself with jealously) and had a dinner at 5:30), and then I had to make supper. By the time our company (an aunt is visiting) went to sleep, and I got the kids ready for bed, my brain wasn't working.]

What we did do today meant so much more. We renewed our vows. Our church holds a ceremony every year and this was the first one we have been able to attend. It was sweet, it was touching and it brought tears to my eyes. It was strange, in a lovely way, to say the vows in English. Our wedding was in Spanish since we were married in Mexico, and now I can say that this time I understood what I was promising! (Just kidding, I am very fluent and was more so 13 years ago since we were actually living in Monterrey and I had to plan everything by myself.)

So, while in church, that section of my brain that is dedicated to scrapbooking was whirring. I think this special occasion deserves to be commemorated. I had a friendly church member take our photo (not the best, but Sandy took a Photoshop class) and I can do a layout using a reprint of a photo from when we wed. It's not like I need to buy any dies (although there is a SIL banner that would be perfect.)

That can be my belated Valentine's 'card' to David. I hope he likes it. Maybe I can work on it tomorrow.

I Have HOW MANY DIES?! (Not for David)

I have been remiss in listing the dies I have been using. I decided it was time to get caught up. It took me about an hour. I hope I didn't miss any.

For those who do not know, I decided I would challenge myself to use a die a day starting August 12, 2008. It hasn't quite worked out that way. Some days I use several dies - mainly due to my Design Team Submissions- and there are days I do not use any QK. I know that sounds like a blasphemy, but the Martial Arts pages for David & the kids are not using a lot of QK since there are few QK dies I can use.

So, as of now, and barring any dies I may have forgotten, my list is up-to-date. I am proud to say that I am ahead of my goal, thanks to a second DT assignment at the end of the month, plus new submissions for the next DT. The deadline was today. I made it with 11 hours to spare! Hey, I have been a bit busy!

I doubt I will be chosen again; there are so many talented people who deserve a chance. At the end of December I was in denial about it, then I passed to sadness and now I have reached acceptance. Plus, there are some who tried out for the DT that will throw a holy fit if they are not selected - and I do not want to have that tag. It has been fun, I have learned alot, I have expanded my horizons and my confidence has had a major boost. Now it is someone else's turn.

I have made the decisions to participate in more swaps, they stretch me with the assigned themes and I will be receiving items from others that will inspire me. All-in-all, a wonderful step forward in furthering my creative wanderings!

Oh no, I just remember two dies I forgot!!!

Off to post them while the memory is still rewarmed!

OOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooops!!! It was actually four!

WE"RE BAAAAAACK!!! (And I am BEHIND!!!!!!)

Ohmigosh, has it really been that long since I posted? Wow.

WDW was a BLAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We came back with just under 2400 photos!

On check-in I received a pin proclaiming it was my birthday. David helped with that. When the registrar (drawing a blank right now) noted that we had a celebration listed on our reservation, my darling hubby was helpful and pointed out that it was mine the following Tuesday.

I wore that button everyday. I have NEVER been wished 'Happy Birthday!' so much in my life. At first I felt guilty, but then I just went with the flow. It was easier than explaining to every single person.

Our first day was at Epcot. The park was pretty empty. We started at Mission Space. I decided to try it since it was cold enough that the dizziness should dissipate rather quickly. (My Meniere's seems to dislike the cold; for some reason dizzy attacks that are immediately followed by cold - preferably with wind- tend to go away much more rapidly. Of course I prefer warmth, which probably exacerbates the problem.) I walked out dizzy - and that was the Green Ride! I sat outside and watched the Monorail while David & the kids took another gander on Mission Space. We also did Soaring ( I am fine until we zoom over Los Angeles in the dark.) Test Track is my favorite - we did that three times in a row! Lunch was at Akershus. It was okay, though Ariana had the tiniest cheese pizza I have ever seen that was not labeled micro! Then we did a bit more in Future World such as a private visit with Mickey & Pluto thanks to our Disney CC. At one point Mickey litterally got right into my face while I was photographing Alex & Pluto!

We ended the night at Downtown Disney. I got some great photos in the dark! Turns out our new Canon Camera takes awesome night shots once you figure out how to work it. I need to figure out how to make those layouts shine.

Day Two was also Epcot, punctuated by a quick visit for yours truly to try to fix the problem with Ariana's reservation. We booked before she turned 10, but Disney considers that to be an adult. I had paid the difference, but the info did not transfer. Luckily Rafeeza was much more able to help me than her boss. He was a lost cause!

I returned to Epcot to find David had only taken a couple of photos of the kids. We were mistakenly told that Future World is not open for Extra Magic Hours, but World Showcase is, so we spent the whole night in back. We bought pearls in Japan. My last pearl had identical twin pearls that David had set in gold drop earrings. My other pearls were set in gold, one with a small emerald and the other in a gold cage. Ariana had two pearls set in a ring and the other set with a small sapphire. Alex chose an oyster which contained an 8mm pearl! He had it set in a tie tac. We finally were able to enjoy the American Experience, something very meaningful to me since I am an Inauguration Baby.

The photos that night of the different buildings in the dark turned out incredible!

More later!

Disney-Bound

I cannot believe that we will be in DisneyWorld in four days!!!!!!!!

Ohmigosh, there is so much to do!

I need to finish the kids' autograph books.

I need to make DD a dress.

I need to make DS a Peter Pan Shirt.

I need to clean my scrapping area.

I need to clean the house because my mom is coming 36 hours after we return.

So, I guess I need to make this a short post so I can make some headway.

My next post will be fun. I promise. It will be about Disney. And all the photos we took.

I hope!

DH & the Sil

Gee, this Sil can get rather addictive!

All those shapes that I can make any size and not have to worry about storing!

The ability to create my own shapes.

Scrapping with DH.

Yes!!! DH is a pretty good artist and is willing to help me create special items for use on my Sil. This is wonderful! Something we can share - and now I can have all the martial arts items I need for his & the kids' books. He actually did a search and found two martial arts figures for free!!! He is going to tweak them so that I can use them. My rant from awhile back on this blog has been answered - and in a totally unexpected way!

I am feeling pretty special - my friend's hubby made a face when he found out that DH is going to work with me on this. Friend's DH likes the finished project, but has no patience or interest in working with her. You should have seen his face when DH & I were discussing which alpha I should use one day! (DH has three favorites - my first three alphas and thinks I should have stopped there! The alphas are Star, Indigo & Marisa (all Classic.))

And I need to get working on my other projects. We are leaving for Disney in two weeks and the autograph books are not even started.

The DT projects are also do! The December release was great, and the January is even better!

Too much to do and so little time!

I am now the proud owner of a Quickutz Silhouette. It is the electronic cutter that I have been on the fence about for nearly two years.

Why did I get it? Well, at first, I was not interested at all. With my history, I was sure that it would only be a matter of time before I broke it. See, the Sil needs a computer and our main computer is downstairs, whereas my scrapping area is upstairs. I know that running up and downstairs would be GREAT exercise, I wouldn't get much scrapping done and that if I moved it, it could fall and break. Then there are the blades. Blades are sharp. They can hurt you. I hate getting cut by my tools.

That then was my argument: too much potential danger involved. Case closed.

Then I began seeing all the wonderful creations made by my SRWMB friends. Envy struck hard. Jason made knights using the Sil.

I could really use knights.

The doubts crept in. DH, a major techie, told me that I could have an electronic cutter, but to make sure I knew which one I wanted. The prices are what freaked him out. I would really have to use it. The Cricut was also interesting since it didn't need a computer, and it cost about the same as a Sil, but it requires $90 cartridges - and really how much Disney scrapping am I going to do?

So, I pushed the thoughts of an eletronic cutter out of my mind. Almost $400 for something I am not sure I am going to use is too much.

Then Sherri had Sils for $140 for Thanksgiving. Frank, a absolute genius, is also giving classes. I almost caved, but I had just received the new camera.

Then QK released a cottage for the Sil. A cottage!!! Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and cards all came to mind. I pouted.

The sale returned. I tried to ignore it.

DH, the kids and I went up to pick up my friend's BD gift and for the kids to learn to snow dance. DH saw the Sil boxes. He asked how much. $140. He said "You have money from your mom." I said "Where would I put it? I'd have to clean my desk!"

We went back and forth. I decided to go for it.

So we brought the Sil home. I opened it on Xmas Eve. I had FUN!!!

To be continued......