Oysterz - Boone Hall Plantation Oyster Festival 2011

Recently, Becky, Jesse, Caitee and I went to the Boone Hall Plantation Oyster Festival put on by the Charleston Restaurant Association. Oyster buckets were $10!!! OMG, they were so good! We sat in the sun, ate seafood, drank some beer and listened to music. All in all, a great time was had by all!!!

Another Day...not another dollar?

Big excitement...I tried Craigslist for the first time last week after my friend, Nancy E., recommended it. It was a successful venture. I'm going to root around for more things to see if I can't sell something else. I also had a successful week on e-bay. Not that I do it that often. I go in spurts, but I had some things I needed to sell, and so I listed them. We're trying to Dave Ramsey ourselves, and if you don't know who he is, I recommend looking him up. I'm too lazy this morning to URL! lol!

In that vein, I'm trying some new financial software that I seem to be having a good success with...which SUCCESS must be the word of the day! Mainly for budgeting, and that means expense tracking!

And as luck would have it, when doing some research on how to use this new budgeting tool, I found a great article on two headed snakes. What?!!! Not two headed snakes really. It was an article that basically said, pick your two biggest expenses that you think eat your budget...i.e. not your mortgage. Let's call them your budget eaters. Where you go off track...NOT THE LATTE. For me, right now, it is eating out. Not that we do it alot, but you get tired, and then next thing you know, you are getting a sandwhich somewhere. Try a goal of trimming this over the next month. By attacking your two weekest areas...and not eliminating them, but trying to reduce them. You free up the money you were spending there, to go to other areas. It may be a potential savings that if you keep on trying to find your two headed snakes, will help you keep your spending on track.

I think it is kind of like dieting. If you just go cold turkey and cut everything out, your mind is not happy! And you set yourself up for failure. But if you pick a habit, such as not getting fries with that meal, it's a change that when added to another change, becomes a lifestyle change and leads to weight loss on its own.


This is my last scrapbook page, which was sometime in June. I just have no mojo like I said. It doesn't have anything to do with a lack of materials, it's my brain won't cooperate. Maybe it's because life is busy right now. I miss my outlet, but it will come. I just need to give it time.


One thing really fun about my iPhone is the Hipstamatic film app. I bought it, which I don't usually buy apps. It has been worth every penny. This is my favorite combination (you Hipsters know what that means). B&W is my favorite film type. It can be so expressive in its contrast.

Anyway, that may be all I have to say for this day, aside from my glee in my coupon shopping yesterday at Bi-Lo! Save, save, save! Not my usual over 50%, but I bought alot of fresh fruit on sale so I still saved! Just could'nt get double coupons on top of the savings.

Mend, Layout of the Week at SBG

This layout was the Layout of The Week at Scrapbookgraphics this week and also featured on their blog, Scrap Matters. I was so excited. I couldn't believe it!
Last week, or week 2's, word was Accept. I didn't know what I was going to do at first and then thought of the Serenity Prayer...This page just came together...


Mend was the word for week 3. Not that I always follow the words or the prompts on the Art Journal Caravan, but I'm doing it so far, I guess! I really wasn't sure where that word was going to take me, and I had a hard time putting this page together. It was a "journey" for sure to get this the way I wanted and the journaling was difficult to get out. But I am really trying to be REAL with this art journal and having something at the end of the year that is about me...and life...

I still have not done my FEARLESS page. I'm waiting for some colors to inspire me!

FEARLESS

ONe of the journal prompts for the AJC this week is your word for the year, which is something I have done for the last two years as prompted by Ali Edwards. And as an aside, if you don't follow her blog, you should.

I will be scrapping my word: FEARLESS. HA! I have some ideas rumbling around in my head...I might piddle with a lo tonight...I'm also waiting for Tangie to release the next piece of the AJC and see what is in there! LOL! Of course, being on her CT, we got the two first pieces early, which spoiled me and now it is hard to wait for the next part!

No lo to share today, but sometime this week I am sure I will have something for the AJC.

Some notes about Fearlessness...
“Only with absolute fearlessness can we slay the dragons of mediocrity that invade our gardens.” George Lois
“Fearlessness is the gateway to success. One should therefore shun all kinds of fear. ” Riq Veda
“One can rectify the mistakes made in the past with the help of fearlessness and patience. ” Riq Veda
“Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.” Pope John Paul XXIII
Fearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own life that the more I exercise it the more natural it becomes to not let my fears run me. Arrianna Huffington
Every time you win, it diminishes the fear a little bit. You never really cancel the fear of losing; you keep challenging it. ~ Arthur Ashe

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Courage is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it. Unknown

"Living fearlessly is not the same thing as never being afraid. It's good to be afraid occasionally. Fear is a great teacher. What's not good is living in fear, allowing fear to define who you are. Living fearlessly means standing up to fear, taking its measure, refusing to let it shape and define your life."
-- Michael Ignatieff (1947-), author and critic

"Concentrate on where you want to go, not on what you fear."
-- Anthony Robbins, speaker and author

"The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore."
-- Vincent Van Gogh

Art Journal Caravan Expedition 2010

So Tangie Baxter is taking us on a fabulous journey this year in creating an art journal. I have decided to do 8x8 pages because I can print them out if I do them digitally. If I do hybrid or just paper, I can make them any size I want and fix my page protector to fit what I've created.

First off I made a cover for it last night, which will really end up being a title page as I plan to use a three ring binder style 8x8 album.

I hope you like my cover/title page.

I have also created three pages to go with it. I see someone has suggested that we create ATC's to go with each page, and then at the end of the year we would have 52 cards...just like a deck. Which I could do this as well, a piece part of each page I create and include some baseball card pockets in my art journal to keep this all together. It is also a fab idea if I feel that my creation is ATC size for what I'm feeling. Here are the created pages...and sometimes I will share my journaling and sometimes not.




I hope that some of you will tag along with me as I take this journey throughout the year and also join in. Check out the link: Art Journal Caravan

General Chat

Don't you just love camellias? I do. I have five bushes in my yard, and that is still not enough. This photo was from earlier in 2009 when we got a rare snowfall. I grabbed my camera and ran out to photograph my yard and spotted my camellias all delightfully covered with snow!

Just a little silly atc I made. Both kits are from Tangie Baxter at Scrapbookgraphics. I'm too lazy to post credits right now.

No, I am not General Chat. I am chatting, generally! LOL! I am downloading a new kit from Christina Renee Designs. She is moving from her own spot in the world over to OScraps. I'm going to play with her delightful designs later today as a reward for hard work...moving my scrap crap to Matt's room and moving Matt over the garage. Yesterday was massive cleaning for that grand adventure. Today may involve some actual moving! HOOORAY! oh and then more cleaning as I put it all away, but it really is pared down from what I used to have so I feel it will be manageable!

Thanksgiving involves me working for Black Friday, which I don't really mind. I expected it as I'm working retail. I think it will be an adventure. Will post about that. Turkey is thawing. Paula and I can't be together as I have to work and Jake and an appendectomy. Boo!

Project 365 Layouts

I'm somewhat remiss on keeping up with my Project 365 photos, but I do have some photos for every month. I have been somewhat hampered by the idiot who stole my camera leaving my with my iPhone. That is better than nothing, but the picture quality is so low! GEEZ I'm spoiled!

Here are some project 365 layouts I did recently. I am through April, which is kind of neat I have to admit.

I've had some lo's pubbed, too. I guess I need to post about that as well. Later, though. Let's focus on the Project 365. After all, it doesn't do any good to take all those pictures and not do the layouts to record them. Please excuse my laziness about crediting each and every designer to each and every lo. I merely ask that you visit those credited in my labels as those are the ultimately talented ladies whose products I used!

Some recent layouts

Shame on me for not blogging since February 11th! OMG! Blogging is my favorite. I can say whatever I want and people have to listen...well, read it!

I went through a long dry spell of scrapping. The creativity was sapped. It was really weird. I think it was related to getting my son to graduation! OH YES! And he did, so WOOHOOOOOO! Stress both good and bad!

I miss checking out my blogging friends and stuff. I've been facebooking. Not the same as blogging. I really need to do both.

I do have pics to share for project 365 as well. Later I guess!

ASDR Here I Come

OK. So I was over at Tangie Baxter's CT forum checking on what was going on and Carolyn was looking for a partner for the Amazing Digi Scrap Race. I figured, "What the hey!" So starting Jan. 4th, she and I will be racing together. I think that will be big fun and give me some good scrapping challenges!

Well, for those of you who have visited, you know I signed up at ChaCha to earn some extra money. It is a legit thing, but they are having alot of problems on their site, apparently getting the text questions out to what they refer to as Guides, which are us. Anyway, it has caused a big slow down in the amount of money people can make. Sometimes questions are 10 minutes apart. Some folks sat for three hours and got none. Now, if you know me, that is not gonna happen. I have ants in my pants all the time. I liked it when I first joined...I think the first two days when it was working. It has been broken since.

Then they have alot of rules about which sites you can and cannot go to for answers, which I apparently violated a bunch of rules to the point I nearly got myself kicked out of ChaCha. And you must use complete sentences that are grammatically correct with no spelling errors. You get 160 characters to reply. And if they don't like your reply, they hit you with a QC complaint. All that for ten cents a question, unless you make top guide, but to do that you have to comply with all their rules. If you know me, you know I am not too good with rules. Rules are for everyone else. In my life, if you can't get around the rule, you didn't approach it correctly. HOLY SHIT! This is supposed to be some mad money not a chokeholding, smothering additional stress factor! LOL!

Anyway, I'm not killing myself until they get their site fixed. And apparently the MOzilla Firefox that you must work out of instead of IE SUCKS! It caused my computer to lock and not operate. Now, as a scrapping addict, we cannot have that. Locked computer means I don't have access to my designs. I don't have access to my photos. I can't scrap. That will not do.

I scrapped today and yesterday. I can't share either lo because (and lo is a no-no on ChaCha cuz you must use real words and cuz is out, too)one lo is going in a grab bag in December and the other can't be shared until tomorrow, which when you read this will be tomorrow. So then I could share it, only it is not tomorrow now so I can't.

I have alot more to ramble on about, but then I'm not sure I really can because I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings in case they read my blog, which I don't think they do. But I'm not sure.

I'm a bit aggravated. So let's just say I need to run apparently. Which I only ran one day this week because it was cold. Boo hoo!

Christina Renee and Tangie Baxter and Me

digi credits: HERE

I made this lo for the challenge this week going on at the Loft over at Tangie Baxter Designs. I got really creative with my photos. Plus Christina Renee is having her block party and I had to use this kit Dare 2 Be U Bundle by Cinzia Designs. It even has some quick pages in it for those days you just feel like slapping something together! LOL! The alpha in this kit totally rocks. I adore it! It's so different. And I'm not even on her CT so all this talk is REAL from the HEART! Which I only talk about what I really like anyway cuz I don't believe in being fake. But anyhoo, I hope you will check it out!

My son made me so mad yesterday, I thought I was going to lose my ever-lovin' mind! He has to pay for 1/4 of his insurance every week that he gets paid. He has shorted us, and we catch it and make him pay up or no driving. He has shorted us, gotten caught, paid up, and withdrawn it from the bank. We make him pay up or no driving. This week he paid up money he owed for shorting and then some with no tricks. I was so proud. We thought he learned his lesson. NOPE> He withdrew every last cent. Now his whole paycheck this week has to go to cover 2 weeks of insurance. I guess the car will be parked because we've quit giving him any money at all for gas. We've cut off his lunch money. He gets no allowance. I have no idea what is on his brain when he does this crap. He knows he will get caught and lose the car. He doesn't want to lose the car, but he still does it. Then he's upset he doesn't have the car. Swears he won't do it again and does it again.

No Time To Blog

Digi credits: HERE

HAHAHA someone said I needed to update my blog. Where have I been? Working different shifts than I normally do! And reading, which when I read, I can't do anything else. Helping with a cheerleading fundraiser. Downloading like a maniac from CRD because the designers at her block party are sharing their goodies with the CT! YAYA! Fighting 4shared, which is not cooperating with me lately. Nervously shopping for an interview outfit for next week...oh what to wear??? So there you have it!

Celebration at TAngie Baxter Designs Oct. 1-4th

I made this treat box for Halloween out of the collab kit that Tangie and Clever Crow Studios created. Check it out here: A Merry Autumn Night

This delightful lo was made using the free kit that Sherriejd and Tangie Baxter collaborated on called Treetop Serenade. A piece of that kit is available each day Oct. 1-4 HERE

Finally, this is a lo I made using Terri Walsh's Timeless kit available at Digitals.

I went to the library today to check out some books. DD had to copy some pages from some reference book for a report for one of her classes. Now, mind you, as with many libraries, ours is in the worst part of town with the most impoverished folks around it. The sign on the copier instructs you to place the item you want copied "vertically". The copier itself has a keypad that looks like the Space Shuttle cockpit. I consider myself to be of above-average intelligence on most days but this copier even baffled me and wrangled me out of fifty cents before we had to get the librarian to come over.

She pointed to her arrow with the duly marked "vertical" inscribed up on it. Mind you, you are copying a rectangle with 4 sides. I realize vertical is up and down, but up and down in relation to what? Landscape paper? Portrait paper? I had two pages print out portrait and two print out landscape. I did the same things for each one. Again, I'm educated. I understand vertical. But WTF are they talking about?

Well, you must turn your book sideways (landscape), instead of your natural inclination to position the book in the portrait position, which is the normal 8 1/2 x 11 mode. DUH-HUH! Which leads me to think that perhaps you need to position your book horizontally.

But hey, I have an even better idea. How about two arrows - one at the top right edge and one at the bottom left edge. Then you can have a nifty little sign that says, "Position your book between the arrows." We can all understand between the arrows. Don't even use the word position. Say PUT YOUR BOOK BETWEEN THE ARROWS. Honestly, it shouldn't be a mind bending puzzle to make a copy! Glad I had a wallet full of change! LOL!

Tangie Baxter Birthday Celebration and the Teenage Mind

Just had to share that bit of news. I mentioned it yesterday, but Tangie put together her ad! I did a QP for it, which I believe will be part of the giveaways. I can't post it yet, or even the original that lead to the QP...but soon!

And the same thing is happening over at Christina Renee Designs with all kinds of guest artists, freebies, contests and such...for the whole month of October! I've seen some of the freebies, some of the collab kits, and girls, it's gonna knock your socks off!

Ah, the teenage life. Enjoy your babies, ladies, because the teen years are going to drive you nuts. My ds skipped school yesterday for the first time in his life. Mind you, the school has an automated system that calls the home phone if your child is absent from school. So he was snagged. Confessed. Why did he do it? No reason. Loss of cell phone, XBox, and car for one week. I hope that nips it in the bud. He's worked so hard to get to his senior year. I'd hate to see him screw it up and have to repeat! The teenage mind is a marvel. Do we ever really know what is going on in there? I feel a lo coming on...

Calendars Galore!

I'm cruising calendars for Christmas gifts. They are big bang gifts, as in people love them, and they are not hard to do at all! Check out this one by Beth Rimmer at Digitals. It fits right on the Ethan chipboard album by Cosmo Cricket, also available there. Easy and convenient!



CottageArts.net has a delicious selection of calendars in all sizes from CD cases to 11x17 that you can print out and put in an acrylic frame! I'm working on one of those right now and plan to make this terrific CD calendar that I'm showing you here!



And, Tangie Baxter Designs is having a one year BASH with lots of FREEBIES, new releases, and sales starting Oct.1-3. So mark your calendars and pop over. I've been a lucky dog and gotten to see all the stuff that is coming. You know how talented Tangie and her crew are so save your $$ and c'mon over and join in the fun!

Big news on my laptop home page this morning: Clay Aiken is gay. Are they kidding me? Like no one knew? Yeah, he just came out, but pu-leeez, it's not headliner news.

Terri Walsh at Digitals and ATC Fun

digi credits: Birthday by Terri Walsh at Digitals


digi credits: Timeless by Terri Walsh at Digitals


Check out Tangie Baxter's ATC stuff by clicking on her blinky!

I made some lo's this weekend. I scrapped my brains out! And I'm still in the mojo! I'm binge scrapping!

Remoulade Sauce (courtesy of Emeril Legasse)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
3 tablespoons Creole whole-grain mustard
3 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons chopped parsley leves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process for 30 seconds. Use immediately or store. Will keep for several days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Talk about tangy and delicious. OMG I made this to go over some salmon and as a side to dip shrimp in for dinner. It was absolutely amazing. I highly recommend it. It's easy, but it has a big bang impact. Definitely something you'd want to serve to impress your guests...and it's so easy.

I had to help my dd with a paper on some aspect of Beowulf. Surely she realizes that I have been out of high school more than (ahem) twenty years (egad!). Thank goodness for the internet because I was able to help her organize her thoughts and find examples to complete her paper.

Page Maps Debut & More

Check me out in the September newsletter of Page Maps by Becky Fleck. I'm so excited. I've used her sketches for a long time and to finally be a part of it is just wonderful!

Credits HERE

Credits HERE

I spent the day at my dear friend's house doing what we love best: scrapbooking! Wahoo! I made two lo's and had lots of girl time. Now that's a great day!

I'm Aggravated and Lo's and Rasberry Road Grand Opening

Let's chat first about Rasberry Road. Susan Darter has slated her Grand Opening of her new fully functional site for October 1st. There will be tons of games and prizes so it should be a good time. The new site will include a gallery and forum and blog and all that good stuff, along with her fabulous shop which she has been using Blogger to host.


This lo was made using Wee Lil Wise Guys available at Tangie Baxter Designs. Click on my active blinkie on the side to check out her store. I do still have ds's back to school page to do. At least I'm putting along on my lo's.

I ordered some lo's from My Pic Tales. Still waiting for those to come. I don't know what their turnaround time is. When I get them, I will give a full review.

And lastly, we have decided to sell one of our beach houses. BOOOHOOOO! It's mainly an economic thing in this slowed down economy. Which this economy is eating us alive. It's kind of depressing, and I handle all our bills so I'm feeling all of the pressure. Looming on the horizon is sending two to college a year apart, although all of their tuition is already paid. A fourth car since one will be gone. You know, all the usual home maintenance stuff with a 20 year old house ...plumbing, new dishwasher. I'm coming unglued...back to school. ACK! I know we are all going through it. I'm just venting! Oh yes, and ds is always starving because we are starving him because "we have no food in this house."

Michael Phelps, Thanksgiving Layout

I saw this pic on photobucket. I figured I'd share it. Ummm...Michael...that speedo is really teeny! and yes, I watched every single race he was in because I knew it was history in the making. I really loved when they interviewed him with Mark Spitz. He was very gracious, and it was fun to see Mark Spitz so many years later.

I remember in 4th grade, my girlfriend had a life sized poster of Mark Spitz in her bedroom with his 7 medals around his neck. We thought it was so racy! And HOT! I guess by today's standards, it was pretty tame! LOL!

Credits: Christina Renee Designs, Sherriejd at Tangie Baxter Designs, Rasberry Road.

I made this lo today. It might be a little busy, but I just really love all the kitchen stuff that Sherriejd whipped out at Tangie BAxter Designs. It is not out yet, but soon to be released. Isn't my dh a ham? He can't help himself!

Random comments:
My ds's friend noticed that none of the female atheletes have boobs. He doesn't like it. Now...do they really not have boobs or do their ensembles just mash everything so it looks like they don't have any?
Can you wear a one piece and play beach volleyball or do you have to wear a bikini?
How are the Olympic beach volleyball girls keeping their bikini bottoms from riding up with all that moving?
Are Chinese cats waiting for the volleyball to be over to poop in the big cat box?
Knowing they took dog off the menu before the Olympics in China, would you still be comfortable that no dog was on your plate?

Contest at TBD

I'm hosting the current week challenge at the Tangie Baxter CT Loft. I've posted all the details HERE with a link to the loft, too. Check it out because you can win a $10.00 GC to Tangie's store where you could buy her latest kit: Hip Junkie and still have $$ left over to get more cool stuff!


Some random comments from me:
How come toilet paper used to come in 12 packs and now you only get 8? Have you noticed that? I did today at the store.
Why can't kids use the same towel more than once? When I was growing up, my mom made us use the same towel for a week.

Some of July's Layouts & Page Maps for September

I made a slideshow since it has been a while since I blogged. I don't think I'm much of a summer blogger. There's just so much more I'd rather be doing outside. I don't like winter so I blog more in winter cuz I'm inside where it is warm! LOL!

Becky Fleck has sent me a sketch for the September issue of Page Maps. I am so excited to be asked to contribute to her new digital section. That just completely was awesome!

I went to Hard Rock Park yesterday with 5 teenagers. I think they managed to have a good time. I do believe the highlights of their day included (1) my cussing on a ride because I had lost my ever lovin' mind from fright and (2) my screaming, "Close your eyes if you can't make it through!" several times during a vertigo experience brought on by a drug induced spinning tunnel in the Moody Blues Nights in White Satin ride. Apparently I'm quite funny when I don't realize what I am doing brought on my extreme sensory experiences! LOL!

I rode some dag gum swings. Let me tell you about that. That scared the bejesus out of me. I do not like the feeling of falling. Never have. One reason I don't like airplanes cuz turbulence feels like free falling. So I hop on these swings and off it goes, scaring the wee-wee out of me because I am suspended in mid-air on a twirly-swirly ride where I am experiencing that falling sensation and the only thing I have to hang on to is the two chains currently in a death grip. If I even move one inch, the swing starts to turn, which sends another shock of fear through me, causing a more death defying grip. I realize I can't scream, "Stop this ride! Get me off of here! NOW!" I mean all the others enjoying the ride, don't want to endure my panic attack. So I have to endure, meanwhile my vertigo is aggravated and a wave of nausea is welling up. So on top of falling, I might vomit on anyone below me on this wildly spinning ride. That was it for me for the day. I then went to the Beach Blanket Bingo show. My speed! LOL!