A White Christmas

I took these photos less than a 1/2 hour ago. This is what is looks like outside right now. These were taken from the front door of where I work. The forecast has it snowing and possibly sleeting for the rest of the day and night. There is a possibility that we will be working from home tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed. We will definitely have a white Christmas.







This year with the organization taking place in the craft cellar and many crafty items stacked on top of my large tree, I decided to put up a small tree. I wasn't into the moving of furniture and all that so I picked up what I thought was a red tree (pickings were slim just a week before X-mas at the craft store). This one came pre-lit and all I had to do was pick up some ornaments.




Last Thursday I took a vacation day and Rick and I went down to the Museum of Science and Industry to walk around. I wanted to see the Christmas trees from around the world. Here are two pictures of the main tree in the center of the rotunda.







My paternal side is German so here is the tree for Germany and some of the ornaments.

A Bit of Catch Up

Well all of the pomp is over. I ended my current academic pursuit with an A in my final class and walked with my fellow graduates to receive our diplomas in front of family and friends. Of course our diplomas really weren't inside the leather diploma sleeves, but it looked good. I am proud to say that I did not trip or fall and that although at times I got teary eyed I did not cry. I was surprised with the gorgeous flowers from my family. The scent of fresh flowers is wonderful. I will have new cards very soon. Got to get to work.


The two beautiful bouquets.

A Vent & Frosty

ARGH!!!!

That is not a cute take on a pirate but an exasperated vocal display of disgust!

Our term paper was due last night but we didn't hand it in.
Two reasons:
1. The syllabus stated that the paper was due on 12/3 but the data on Blackboard (the student online course forum) stated that it was due on 12/8.
2. 10 minutes before class, I left the room to go to the ladies room and I ran into Tom (one of my goup-mates) whom has not done ANYTHING for the paper. I did the paper on Sunday and had everyone's data EXCEPT Tom's. On Monday, late afternoon I get an e-mail from Tom sent from his iPhone that he would have his data to me the next day (Tuesday). Nothing arrived on Tuesday, nothing yesterday and finally at 3pm I spiral bound the paper and left for class at 4pm. So back to the hallway, as I am walking one way Tom is walking towards me. He stops me, hands me a jump drive and says that his part of the paper is on it and I just have to print it out. He says that he is not coming to class and starts to walk away. I catch up to him and ask how am I supposed to return the jump drive. He says that maybe he'll be in class on Monday. I just stood there dumbfounded. How completely selfish. No nasty phrase can sum up his actions better than SELFISH!

So, today during work I have to find Tom's data on the jump drive. Fit it into our paper. Unbind the paper I did yesterday add his data and rebind.

Okay, enough of the vent!



Just something that I threw together this morning.


The snowman is raised with pop dots.

Enjoy your Thursday

P.S. I MUST put a disclaimer on the card. I did NOT color him. It was a pre-colored image that I cut out and I do not want to take credit for coloring him (thanks Joanne for thinking that I have that much talent).

One Version

Here is one version of the Christmas cards that I made to send out. I thought that the "vanilla" ribbon would show up better but it was a disappointment. I have done the card with a cranberry ribbon too and like that one much better. Of course I ran out of ribbon and can't remember where I bought it so the card took another transformation. The latest version has the words stamped in SU Bravo Burgundy ink and I used a burgundy sheer ribbon. That one is my favorite so far.

I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Mine was relaxing and I thought that the term paper was done but my colleagues have a few suggestions to tweak it and make it better. The paper is due tomorrow so whatever happens between today and early morning tomorrow will be the last chances to fix what needs to be fixed.

Happy Birthday

I started this card when I had jury duty a couple of weeks ago. This is from a SU birthday kit. I finished it this morning before going to work. The birthday cake is raised by one layer of pop dots. The words Happy Birthday have two layers of pop dots. Not much but trying to get the crafty gene going.

Forward Progress

Okay, so I know that I have alot of stamp sets. What I didn't realize is that I would be scrambling to find good places to store them. So I was working away on Saturday afternoon and ran out of the small dot stickers so I had to stop. While grocery shopping yesterday I picked up another package. I thought about getting two but read that there were 306 dots in a package and thought that I would NEVER run out of dots. Yikers, I did and had to stop yesterday when I was very close to finishing this phase of the organization. Once completed this will document the Stampin' Up sets, I still have the loose stamps and stamps sets that I have purchased at stores and online to deal with. I also want to get myself set up to do multiple crafts. Believe me, behind all of those stamps that were stacked on the table is my sewing machine and serger just calling out to be used.


Not much but it is a card. I think with all of this organizing that I have lost my creative side. I hope that it is just clogged with too many ideas and that once the stamps are done that I can get down to creating with all of these stamps.


I filled the large pantry size cabinet.


On the first shelf I put sets two deep, not super practical but necessary.





Believe it or not, the cabinet does close.














I put the stamp sets that are being stored in this cabinet into containers first so that I can just pull out the container, grab the set and go. This cabinet is much deeper than the pantry cabinet and the best use of the space was containers so that I wouldn't constantly be moving sets around to get at the ones in the back.





I originally bought this four drawer plastic storage bin with wheels to store all of my punches. It was working very well until the weight of all of the punches broke two of the wheels. I will have to find an alternate punch storage place and with the wheels off and this up on top of a sturdy piece will work great for the remainder (I hope) of the SU stamp sets (just need more dots and I can finish).

Believe it or not, I actually found some sets yesterday that I hadn't stamped for the binder. I think that they are multiplying while I'm upstairs sleeping.

Getting Closer to Organized

The project that I started a little while ago is getting closer to being finished. I have FINALLY mounted all but a handful of SU stamp sets. I have stamped them on white paper and have put them into two three ring binders. Yesterday I began the task of getting like sized boxes together and numbering the set and then the page in the binder. My hope is that I can quickly flip through the binder, find the stamps I want to use and then go to the storage cabinet and pull the set, use it, clean it and put it away. I hope to eliminate stamp sets laying around all over my house. I still have all of my loose non SU stamps to "catalog" but I have made some good progress.


The main stack of SU stamp sets, some are two deep.


A pile here.


Another pile here.


A pile over here.


A pile there.


Piles everywhere!


One binder for all non-Christmas sets.


The sets were stamped and put in plastic sleeves inside the binder.


The cabinet before. The colored "pencil" boxes in the bottom will be removed and relocated to another area of the craft cellar. Yes, they contain loose non SU stamps.


The first two shelves are filling up fast.


The tall stack of stamps sets begins to dwindle as they are numbered and put away.


The numbered sets are being added to the cabinet as I cross reference them in the binder.

Same Old Image

Here's another card, same ol' image, different colors.

Autumn Colors

I have been trying to make some cards whenever I run across a "colored image" as was the case for this card. I am in a craft fair this Saturday and I have been trying to complete a crochet baby afghan by tonight so that I can wash it and have it ready for Saturday.

The stamp is a SU stamp, stamped a few times, colored with pencils and the patterned paper is also SU.

History Will Be Made Today

Today is election day.
Today history will be made.
We will either have our first African American President
or
We will have the first female Vice President

Either way, be a part of history today.
Cast your ballot.
Many have given up their lives or limbs so that we could have the right to have our voice heard.
Raise your voice today, be heard, be counted.

As for me, there is a saying that is said here in Chicago, "Vote Early, Vote Often".
Well, I did vote early, was in line at 5:45am for a 6:00am poll opening. I used a paper ballot as I am not very confident of the touch screen. Oprah used the touch screen and the thing flipped her vote.

I come from a "blue" state and there is often a slight shade of blue-violet or purple to my ballot. I have only missed one election is my entire adult life and like to say that I am a middle of the road voter. I like to vote for the person I feel will do the best job, heck, after all I along with you are paying that person's salary.

This year I have to say that my entire ballot was a DEEP BLUE hue. Not a bit of red appeared on my ballot this time around.

So, whether you agree with me or not

GO VOTE

I Crafted

Yup, sit down I actually produced something crafty over the weekend. Nothing spectacular, but at least something other than my life's dribble.

Speaking of dribble, last week we had class in the gym. We were doing teamwork exercises and let me tell you, some were rather odd. The one that was the most challenging yet crippled this old broad was this:

My instructor and a gym professor had a large jump rope.
There were 31 of us students in the class that night.
The two professors were going to twirl the rope.
All 31 of us had to jump over the rope at least once.
The rope could not hit the floor without someone jumping over it.
We did this for 35 minutes.
The BEST that we could do was 28 people.

The lesson that I learned:
Ask as many questions about how this can be done before the situtation begins, because once we started they would not allow us to ask questions.
One question that we should have asked: Did the rope have to make a complete circle or could we just have it sway back and forth?

The other lesson that I learned:
This OLD FAT BROAD has NO business jumping rope if she expects to move like a normal person the day after and the day after that.

The last lesson that I learned:
If I didn't carry all this weight I would have had no problem jumping rope and walking briskly the next day.

Answers

Very tardy answers to the phobia post.

Better late than never, it gave you extra time to dwell on the correct answers.

1 = C Fear of your step-mother
2 = J Fear of laughter
3 = D Fear of chickens
4 = I Fear of clowns
5 = A Fear of phobias
6 = G Fear of long words
7 = H Fear of the Pope
8 = E Fear of puppets
9 = F Fear of going to school
10 = B Fear of teenagers

I did some crafting in the wee hours of this morning. The time change and my body are out of whack. I will post those later.

What Are You Afraid Of?

On Saturday I took part in a trivia contest at the parish where my Mom, sisters Caryn & Jenny attend church. Our table/group conisisted of 10 players. There were 16 total tables and 10 categories. Suffice it to say that we were not the winners, nor were we the losers. It was a humbling experience and although I did save the questions and answers from this category, it however was the only one in which I did. It is definitely a small world when I looked over at another table to see my fellow J.U.G. (just us girls) Suzi and her husband Jerry. It turns out that Suzi's sister belongs to the parish and she was part of that team. It was alot of fun and I definitely would like to do it next year. At least we have a year to study so that we don't feel so stupid.

Take the test below and I will post the answers tomorrow.

What are you afraid of?
Match the following phobias with their definitions.

1. Noversaphobia --------------------- a. Fear of phobias
2. Geliophobia ----------------------- b. Fear of teenagers
3. Alektorophobia -------------------- c. Fear of your step-mother
4. Coulrophobia ---------------------- d. Fear of chickens
5. Phobophobia ----------------------- e. Fear of puppets
6. Sesquipedalophobia ---------------- f. Fear of going to school
7. Papaphobia ------------------------ g. Fear of long words
8. Pupaphobia ------------------------ h. Fear of the Pope
9. Didaskaleinophobia ---------------- i. Fear of clowns
10. Ephebiphobia --------------------- j. Fear of laughter


Good Luck!!
Don't cheat by using Google, try it yourself.

Hair

Here is a pic of the top of my head to show the new colors.
My hair is pulled back in a ponytail so it doesn't give a great show of the highlights but you get the idea.

Just Stuff

Okay, here's an update of what I have been doing since I haven't been posting any crafty fun.

I did get my hair cut and colored.
It is not the color I thought it would be and the cut is basically the same as the pic that is posted on this site. The stylist cut off about 2-3 inches and it is around my shoulders. I am still learning to embrace the color since I am so used to the dark brown so give me a bit of time to play with it and get a new pic (plus I HATE myself in pictures).

I got 15 points on my Wal-Mart case analysis paper out of 15 points. Right now the only deduction that is reflected in my total grade so far is the group presentation. So out of a possible 35 points, I have 34.4, it's an A but I would have liked 35 out of 35. I don't know why I am obsessing about this grade thing in my last class but I am.

I have been cataloging my stamps. I have started with my SU sets and have been stamping each set on a piece of copy paper and then putting them in plastic binder sleeves and putting them in a binder. I have only made a small dent in the work but believe that it will make me more organized and able to find things when I want them, which is another way of saying more productive. I will have the binder organized by holiday/theme and then I will number the stamps to correspond with the binder sleeve. The stamps will then be stored in my cabinets in numeric order and will make for faster retrieval and use. I was amazed at how many Christmas stamp sets that I have. This is a real awakening for a hoarder, to see how much that I have horded over the years. Yikers!!!! But, so far I have only found one duplicate and I have already sold it on e-bay.

I am working from home tomorrow and just may be able to sneak in some crafting fun (after all my work desk is also my craft desk) but don't snitch to my boss cuz I'll deny it with my whole heart.

Forest Friends

Another Sunday at the forest and this time I brought baby carrots which were a hit with the deer. The ducks were all up near the path.
























Look in the foreground of this picture to see Gidget (she blends in with the forest floor right now)




















Ducks take flight


Gidget and Maggie, queens of the forest.






Enlarge this picture and see the cute little squirrel.