(diva)logues

Grief...

 

So... I went to bed thinking about this last night & woke up thinking about this, so I'm compelled to write.

 

Someone I only "know" through social media passed away suddenly at 40 yesterday.  I was shocked & I cried.  In reading his wife's posts and IG stories, I'm not only reminded about Bryn & I watching his silly videos 9 years ago, but also of my own anger I had to sit with for many years when my sister passed away suddenly. 

I'm also reminded that life is SHORT.  So find what makes happy, find your passion, find what lights you up.  Give your energy to those that matter... those you love & who love you back.  Ignore the nonsense, the negativity, the drama.  Make each day count because there are no guarantees & none of us know how long we have here.  But who you are, how you make people feel and the impact you have on others is your legacy, whether you realize it now or not. 

 

Back story...

 

As some of you already know... I used to be heavily involved in the world of scrapbooking, card-making, paper-crafting.

It's the sole reason my blog came to fruition  in 2008... to be a vehicle for more exposure in that world, to have a place to showcase my work, to market for the companies I'd someday represent and even to share part of myself, my life, my family.

And it worked.  I would eventually have companies send tons & tons of free product to me in exchange for my design work. 

I would eventually have my stuff published in magazines & books & product catalogues. 

It took me a couple years of hard work & determination, but I did it.  And the first time I made it into Creating Keepsakes Magazine in February 2011, I about lost my mind.  Not even kinda kidding.  I'd been in Scrapbook Trends & other books by that point, but CK was the mecca of all publications at the time as far as I was concerned.  And I think I shared in that opinion with most people.

 

 

All of this wasn't a huge money-maker for me, but I did get paid for work that got published, and the magazines would also pay me when they published my work. 

I LOVED it.  All of it.

Blogging, writing, designing, scrapbooking, taking photos, taking photos of my work, card-making, marketing products, submitting my stuff for publication, the social media forums... all the FREE products I received... seems like forever ago & also just like yesterday. 

People that followed me over the years watched Bryn grow up too.  Her face was on most of the pages that were published, so technically she can say she's been published in magazines & books too.  LOL

 

I've been scrapbooking for as long as I can remember in my life, with old scrapbooks from my youth that I've found made out of construction paper & yarn.   Photos, memories, stories, pretty paper, glue, stickers... ugh... why am I not still obsessed with it?  I love it so much.

Oh yeah... Zumba stole my heart, time, energy, passion... and then my other passion took a backseat. 

Coincidentally though... BOTH passions have helped me with my grief over the years.  Both require focus on other things or other people... and both allow me to escape my own thoughts and place my attention elsewhere.  Both started as hobbies, but they drive me in different ways and save my sanity. 

 

And just like with any other industry, the paper crafting world has people everyone knows because of the work they do or because of the companies they're associated with or simply because of social media forums where you might get to chatting and strike up friendships based on your common interest. 

I met some of the people I knew only online, in person at convention or even on family trips believe it or not, but whether actually meeting people or not, you knew who was who.

Elizabeth Kartchner, aka. Dear Lizzy, has been a huge influence in that industry forever.  And just like anyone else who blogs, or in her case... creates a product line sold in stores, you get to know their families through them over the years. 

 

I stopped following the majority of the people I followed back then when I stopped regularly blogging & designing because I was following everyone typically through their blogs. 

Facebook & Instagram started taking over the world of social media, with blogging in general losing much of it's steam for most people.  

And in my own life, fitness started to play a bigger role. 

And unless I made a point to follow people through FB or IG, I lost touch with their lives over the years.

But Liz's husband, Collin, became well-known in the industry along with her.  At one point he made a handful of videos poking fun at the scrapbooking industry.  To most people the things he says in these videos, the names (I ♥ Cathy Z.) & picture of Lisa Bearnson on the wall... would make no sense.  But to those of us at the time, we were living it.  And it was laugh out loud funny to me.  And also to Bryn who watched with me. 

Fast forward to 2 years ago when Bryn had her wisdom teeth pulled.

If you remember I posted a video on my blog of her still high on drugs on the way home from the appointment.  In the video she randomly blurted out, "Hi... I'm Cleetus McDuffy... get some..."

I mean... WHAT?!  You hadn't seen that video in like 9 years??! I laughed so hard at her that day!  Crazy kid. 

 

 

All this back story though to say that he passed away suddenly yesterday.  He went on to do more than just be his wife's sidekick... and by the way, those two seemed inseparable & quite a team.  4 kids later & in the past couple years he was a big advocate for kids with regard to social media & Smart phones.  Cause of death was unknown & natural causes stated.  Someone said brain aneurysm today, but either way he was young. 

Liz's Instagram Story yesterday immediately brought back my own feelings of anger that I experienced when my sister passed away suddenly.  And it's hard to imagine this anger unless you lose someone suddenly that you were very close to.  I remember this feeling so vividly.  It's painfully relatable & takes me right back to what has healed in me over the years.  But it took awhile, especially when well-meaning people say the wrong things to you.  Or want you to be ok when you're not. And all you can do is keep getting out of bed every day. 

And by the way, they're Mormon.  Her last post referencing how she'd only said the F word once in her life when she was 16...

 

They didn't know us, but we know them.  Rest in peace, Collin.

Sending prayers of strength for the Kartchner family.  We are so very sorry for your loss.  ♥

 

And maybe I'll pick up some paper, glue & photos today just for old times sake...

XOXO

Fri-yay...

 

So I mentioned that I finished some pages for the scrapbook recently.  What I didn't mention is that I printed almost 1,000 photos last month that have been taking up space on my phone.  Not that I don't have probably 1,000 more that still need to be put onto pages, but just looking at that stack of photos alone makes me feel so far behind.

My own fault.

I used to be so on top of all our photos + telling stories while they were fresh in my mind.  So much detail in old scrapbooks that I would've never remembered years later, had I not put it onto pages soon after it happened.   But that was also prior to working outside the home again.  And while I don't work full-time, I do spend a lot of time outside of class preparing for it... memorizing, trying to come up with new stuff to keep my classes fresh, not to mention Bryn's busy schedule that I have to keep up with.

For some strange reason she's no longer content to sit & play in my craftroom while I'm playing with photos.  Miss those sweet days.

Anyway... slowly but surely I'll catch up.  If one can ever really "catch up" when it comes to scrapbooking. 

 

Here's some of what's been completed recently.  Working with bright colors &/or summer photos makes me wish for slightly warmer weather, I have to admit.  Love looking back at photos though & reminiscing.  I could spend hours looking at old photos... and sometimes when I'm on Facebook that's what I'm doing... looking at old photos & smiling about good times... or sometimes just shaking my head too...

 

And here's where all of this happens.  Just a small spare bedroom turned into an office.  I kept the walls white because I wanted the zebra print rug to take center stage.  Also really into gold lately & wanted a feature wall that didn't compete with the rug.  So I went with self-adhesive/removable gold polka dots.  They were so easy to apply... lots of sizes & availability on Etsy...

And that shelf is a story for a whole other day.  I repainted a total piece of crap brown shelf I found on a local online buy/sell group.  Many thanks to a bestie for going with me for that purchase, as I may have turned around & gone back home without it had I not had someone else with me concerned for my well-being...  LOL

Random other things are in the room that inspire me... like Bryn's artwork of herself from 3rd grade that I put in a frame... some bling (found the sequined XO in the dollar bins at Target)... some fur (purchased recently from Home Goods)... a dress form wearing an old Zumba tank top... and of course a big piece of pegboard on the wall for additional storage & organization in the room.  It's cheap & easy to hang.  Directions for hanging it found here.  I purchased my pegboard & hooks from Home Depot, but I'm sure any major hardware store has it available. 

I found the ribbon holders at Michaels and I got the clear bins several years ago from Target I believe.   So many things you can use pegboard for.  Search for it on Pinterest & you'll find lots of inspiration!

 

TGIF tomorrow!  Looking forward to starting my morning with my awesome Friday Zumba friends!  Always a BLAST!  Also looking forward to doing conditioning/Zumba at a local school for a girls swim team in the afternoon!  So happy to have the opportunity to give those girls a fun break from the pool & hopefully turn them into Zumba lovers like the rest of us! 

Love love LOVE my job!

Have a great weekend, everyone! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Stop calling, stop calling I don't want to think anymore... I left my head & my heart on the dance floor..."

 

I just decided to jump back on the Daily Planner band-wagon, along with a lot of other people.  Scrapbooking companies are helping to make them cool again (cool as in if you're a dork like me).  A few years ago my phone calendar replaced that organizational tool I'd been using since high school.  

 

I remember one day when I was in high school, my youngest sister, who was in elementary school at the time, picked up my planner off the counter & said, "Here's Deana's organized life!"

She was of course making fun of me, but I do believe if I've taught her nothing else, that she did eventually conform to using a planner too.  Although I'm just sure mine was always cuter.  LOL

And quite frankly I'm not sure if I really loved being organized or if I just loved having cute stickers & stuff on my planner pages.  This crafty thing has been a lifetime of madness, I tell ya!

 

Over the years though, my planner seemed more & more like a pain in the booty to carry around with me when I could just put everything on my phone instead.  

Although if my phone ever crashes & I lose everything, just consider me screwed & late for everything, as I'll be completely unaware of my impending schedule... other than maybe my Zumba & BodyPump classes.  That's about all I have committed to memory!   

 

Anyway, I blame SRM Stickers for this newfound old love of mine, because when the owner added me to their Planner Sticker Fun page on Facebook (I used to do design work for her team), I could no longer resist the temptation to add something else to my to-do list. 

I mean why scrapbook, when I can waste time with a new planner instead? 

I'll get back to that eventually I guess.

 

So initially I ordered a Franklin Planner calendar pages set since that's the brand I typically used in the past.   And it's cute & colorful.  The boxes are kind of small for writing stuff in, but it's still functional...

But then I ran across this Me & My Big Ideas Happy Planner at Michaels & since I had a 50% off coupon burning a hole in my pocket, well...  I guess we'll just consider that last purchase a flop & move on because this thing ROCKS.  (I mean if you're into planners, that is)  And after seeing it at 2 different stores, I figured it was calling my name.  LOL

[You can see the entire contents of this planner on their website if you're interested.  It's SO CUTE!]

 

I started filling up October last night while sitting next to Bryn when she was doing her homework.  That was on purpose, mind you, because I've really been trying to get her to start using the dang planner I bought for her before school started. 

Gee I don't know... maybe then she could write down what's due & oh I don't know... maybe know when there's an online test she needs to complete before I find the email from her teacher at 11:00pm the night before it's due.  

Let's just say I was wearing designer bags under my eyes to class this morning.  So tired!!  

Anyway... it may have worked.  We'll see.  But she was paying a lot of attention to what I was doing.  She even asked me if it was a planner or a scrapbook because she thought I was getting a little too carried away it.  LOL  Me?  Get carried away with something?  Nah...

 

 

And of course I used several SRM Stickers on there too! 

 

For those of you who like to be organized about your workouts & food prepping along with your other daily to-do's... I found these free printables while looking for inspiration for planners via Pinterest. 

 

 

Download free planner pages here.

 

 

In fact, you probably don't really have to purchase an actual planner.  There's so many cute & FREE printables out there you could build your own.  Tons of inspiration too!  Just search for it on Pinterest & boom... you'll be hooked again like I was!  

Have a great weekend! 

 

"Gotta smile while you're hurting & whistle while you work it... "

 

Just thinking about challenges lately & things that are "challenging." 

We ALL face challenges.  No one gets through life without difficult times, major change, loss of life, depression on some level.  If only we could.  And we either grow from it all & find a way to deal with it... or in some cases people don't.

The people I love the most are those that will show you how vulnerable they are & how crazy their life really is.  No one's life is perfect & exempt of challenges... although sometimes people's lives appear more perfect than they are.  

And then there's those overly dramatic people we all have in our Facebook newsfeed.  Yep.  We ALL know their life is NOT perfect. 

Puh lease... could you keep things a little more to our imagination?   

Raising a teenager, for instance, can sometimes be challenging.  She never went through the "terrible two's" but there are moments when I wonder if she couldn't have just gotten it all out of her system THEN instead.  And that's not to say that she's terrible now by any means... it's just that she feels very comfortable arguing with me over stupid stuff all the time. 

Like... reallllly???  Whyyyyy???? 

I do miss her being so young, even though I have LOVED every single age & the young woman she is becoming.

Just took her to the doctor for her annual checkup & she's 5'8"... as in 4 inches taller than me.  And I bet she still has an inch or two to grow...

 

Finding time to get my photos onto pages & into the scrapbooks is a MAJOR challenge for me lately.  AdvoCare has a 24-Day Challenge to get your health back on track... so maybe I should do my own 24-day challenge to finish a page every day for 24 days?  Imagine how much I could accomplish if I would just DO IT. 

I do randomly get pages finished, it's just that I'll go back through old scrapbooks & feel so thankful I got those photos & stories on paper before POOF it was gone from my old brain... & think... how many current memories & conversations am I not putting on paper that will never be remembered? 

Just shaking my head.

But here's some of what's been accomplished in the last couple months... (if you're a scrapbooker & want to see more detail, you can click on each one to see the images bigger)... assuming anyone is even still coming here for scrapbooking inspiration because I'm pretty sure that ship has sailed.  I suck. LOL

 

  

   
   

 

Some people's challenges involve cigarettes, alcohol, food... whatever their drug of choice is.  One person's bottle of wine every night, might be another person's gallon of ice cream. 

But how is it... that same person will say they can't afford to buy something healthier... like fresh veggies or nutritional supplements?  "It's too expensive."

They ARE affording to buy product... expensive products that add up... just choosing to buy non-healthy stuff instead.   

 

I did my first 24-Day Challenge at the beginning of May.  It's been almost 90 days & I'm getting ready to do another cleanse.  Will I follow it with all the perfect food choices?  Maybe not, but I'll get close.  Last time I did it, I lost a few pounds & some major bloat.  Did I necessarily need to lose weight?  No.  But I did want to get rid of some toxins & re-set my body for better health, so it was really nice to see results from my effort.  At the time I was looking pretty bloated from newly teaching 4 night classes in a row every week & it was messing with my body big time to come home & eat a big meal at 9pm.  

 

What else does the challenge do?  It starts you thinking about making different choices in the kitchen. 

It's been said that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. 

What IF you made a couple different choices in the kitchen?  What IF just a couple changes gave your body more energy, less fatigue, better digestion?

Small changes lead to big results.  

 

 

You don't necessarily need to be local to join me in this.  We can chat from afar.

 

No time like the present to challenge yourself with some changes... rather than letting life continue to challenge you. 

It's how we continue to grow & become who we were meant to be...

 

"You will remember me for centuries..."

 

This blog has gone from being a mostly scrapbooking blog... to being a mostly I'm-not-sure-what kind of blog... but probably heavier on the fitness talk than anything. 

Because well... that's been my job for the past 3 years.  Whoopsie. 

So... I thought I'd post a few pages that were made in the past couple months.  Just to prove that I do in fact still scrapbook sometimes, even if I don't ever post the pages regularly anymore.

Just grabbed products that matched... old & new... and made it work.  Some of the photos aren't of great quality either, but as I've mentioned before... I'd rather have "real" photos & stories in the books... than staged, professional one-photo pages without any journaling.  Just not my style...

 

 

 

 

All of Bryn's extra-curricular activities keep me pretty busy too, outside of teaching classes all the time.  Gone are the days when I sat in my craft room while Bryn was next to me playing with her "babies." Now I'm lucky if I can even get her to set foot in the craft room! 

Yep... those days are long gone....

And did I mention she just recently tried out for and MADE the freshman winter cheer squad?

High school here we come! 

"I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be..."

 

Yes there is life outside the gym.  I know right?  Odd. 

Granted it may sometimes include scrapbooking, but that is "a life" nonetheless. 

And yes, I probably need to get a life, but I am very proud of all those books. 

But damn... I have finished quite a few pages for the scrapbooks in the last couple months.  Which means I'm on a creative roll here.  Or just a hermit hiding in my craft room sometimes.  Yay me. 

But I was looking through Facebook photos recently & it made me wonder if it appears to others that all I do is workout & go out with my friends, because that couldn't be farther from the truth.  The reality is... that's all that is "tagged" of me. 

I usually don't post regular status updates on Facebook unless it involves teaching classes, really. 

Or at least something funny or positive. 

Can't call me Negative Nelly.  Ain't nobody got time fo dat.

And yes, my friends & I all take a ridiculous amount of pictures.  In the gym & outside the gym.  Especially on that once or twice a month night out we all finally get to hang out with each other.  It's a sickness really.  Duck face anyone? 

But I don't do a "status update"...

• When I just got out of bed with bad hair, bad breath & old pj's and I'm making sure Bryn gets out the door on time.
• When I'm sitting by myself after class eating lunch at Crazy Bowls or Bread Co because really I'm just happy eating after I workout whether anyone else is there or not.  Just please don't explode the green salsa all over my back & hat when I'm minding my own business. 
• When I'm standing at the front door sometimes with a towel on my head (because I finally took a shower) waiting for Bryn to walk home from the bus.  Because you can bet your sweet ass I'll sprint down the street barefoot in a towel if anyone messes with her on the way home. 
• When I'm driving from cheerleading clinic to volleyball practice & stopping in between for  gas & Gatorade.  I mean, really... sometimes people do post these dramatic events.
• When I'm in the background of the 25th Snapchat that Bryn sends to her friends daily.  And trying to cover my face because I've got bad hair, bad breath & old pj's on.
• When I'm sitting in the bleachers for about 8 hours of volleyball.
• When I'm walking through the grocery store laughing out loud at a text on my phone & people are looking at me.
• When I'm making dinner & someone asks why I always make grilled chicken & salad.  Umm... because I like it?
• When I'm walking through Target AGAIN & wondering what the hell I came there for because I forgot my list, only to realize when I get home what it is that I forgot. 
• When I have a migraine for 2 days in a row, but I workout & resume daily life anyway.  Laying in bed all day is for chumps. 
• When I'm sitting at my laptop working on my playlist, working on Zumba choreography & memorizing new BODYPUMP tracks in the craft room, because I'm fairly sure no one else in the house wants to hear the same song 18 times in a row while I'm memorizing. 

And yes, all these sometimes funny, random, every day life things happen, but they happen to all of us.  So I let the fun stuff get tagged & keep the rest in my messed up head.     

Keep people guessing.  Less is more.

Unless we're talking about pictures and then more is more.  LOL

And speaking of those Snapchat photos... a I managed to snag a couple of them for this page.  Lots of selfies with my crazy picture taking daughter.  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  And these selfies are just a few of MANY more that were taken over the last year & 1/2.  Most of them I never even see... as they get sent right to her friends. 

 

 

Could not love that girl more than I do.

Okie dokie then... time to brush my hair & my teeth and get this party started...

 

"TRUST is a fragile thing. Easy to break... easy to lose... & hard to ever get back..."

 

February is a memorable month for a few reasons. 

 

 Yesterday marked 7 years since my first post on this silly blog.  7 YEARS... 

 

 

Why I started it I don't know.  I think because it was a standard thing in the scrapbooking world & if you wanted to be a bigger part of that world, you had to have a blog.

And here's my 2nd post (the next day)... you can see how much younger Bryn was.  She was 5 years old to be exact...

 

 Especially compared to how tall she is now.... as I posted in my last blog post a few days ago... 

 

 

And although I don't post as much these days as I used to (& have questioned if I should even still have it)... a lot transpired in the last 7 years because of this blog.

• I did design work for 2 manufacturers...

• My cards & scrapbook pages have been in major publications & books...

 

• A memorable trip to Chicago for the Craft & Hobby Association trade show in 2010 where I got to meet some of the cool people I designed for & with... and also see some of my work on display...

 

• My work has been pinned by others on Pinterest....

 

 

And no, I don't know why that guy with the abs comes up under a search for my name. But if Pinterest thinks he should be associated with me, who am I to argue?

It's all kind of crazy.  But it's a hobby I adore, so it's been a labor of LOVE. 

And NOW well... I'm a Zumba & BODYPUMP instructor that's a bit distracted when it comes to the whole paper crafting world.

 

Although I have finished about 10 new pages recently.  I've just been too lazy to photograph & post them...

 

 

Which brings up another reason why February is memorable.  Today (President's Day) marks exactly 3 years since my first Monday Zumba class (now Cardio Dance Funk) at the YMCA... AND exactly 2 years since my awesome friend asked me to be her 2-3 month sub at Brickhouse Cardio, while she was on the mend with her broken foot.  And what I thought was going to be just a couple months there, turned into a couple years... a huge blessing in my life. 

So yep.... I kinda LOVE President's Day.  It's been the start of some AMAZING memories & friendships for me...

 

 

Gotta love all the crazy Brickhouse fun memories.  Could not possibly love these people more than I do...

Happy President's Day & happy first big snow day of the year! 

 

"It's goin' down fo real..."

 

The obnoxious Zumba attire level can be taken up a few notches at Halloween.  Last year I wore a 70's disco costume for a party at Brickhouse Cardio. 

 

Not sure if it was more fun to wear an afro wig or an ozone-destroying amount of hairspray on my own hair for an 80's costume theme that same year.  And someone actually asked me if I was wearing a wig.  Umm noooo.... that would be my real hair.  I knew I kept those hot rollers for some reason. 

Jane Fonda eat your heart out...

 

I finally did something with those pictures from last year.  I'm only a year behind...

 

And since it's been a balmy 20 degrees outside lately, I figured I'd be an over-achiever & get this year's Halloween photos out of the way as well. 

If the afro wig can stay on my head for last year's Zumba... it could surely stay on my head again this year.  Although I did tell my class beforehand that if there were any wardrobe malfunctions, like splitting my jumpsuit pants while umm jumping... or if my wig flew off my head... the rule was that we just keep dancing. 

"Look away!" 

 

Okie dokie.  That's all for today.  Although I did finish 3 more pages recently. 

Over-achieving again!  

Because it's been like 20 degrees. 

Fo real...

 

"You're as cold as ice, cold as ice, I know... "

 

Cold weather is a sign that it's time to hide in my craftroom & get caught up on some scrapbooking.  Not that I'll ever be "caught up" on it.

And that hiding only takes place after I get my daily work-out in.  I'll leave the house to do that in ANY weather. 

Well maybe not a tornado.  Or ice. 

But rain & snow are just fine with me.  I have an umbrella & boots.  

I can even bust out the neon pink leg warmers if necessary.  I'm pretty versatile like that. 

And working with warm-weather photos & colorful paper makes a cold, gloomy & windy day seem brighter as well.  You can dwell on the negative or look for the positive in every moment. 

 

A mix of products here, but mostly Simple Stories DIY on these 2 pages + SRM Stickers...

 

 

Bryn usually looks at all my pages when they're finished.  When she saw that 2nd one she said, "You ampersand me???"

I said, "Ampersand is what the "and" sign on the keyboard is called."

She said, "Oh.  Ok."

 

See... I don't always give her "pimento answers."  Sometimes I'm honest right away.  LOL

 

Off to get a massage for this beat up body of mine.  Then 2 classes tomorrow & one on Saturday.

Bring it on!!

 

 

"You could've been getting down to this sick beat..."

 

Shopping at Michaels = new stickers & new CAR-eography.  Who knew? 

Hey, hey, hey!

Found these fun letter stickers there... with a 40% coupon, of course.  They are BIG so they can be used to make for a bold title on your page, as I did with these...

 

 

Used several SRM Stickers on the next page.  Oh & if you haven't already seen these 2 movies, I'll forewarn you to bring a box of tissues with you.   No more sad movies for me please.  Sheesh.

 

And you know it's a LONNNNG stop light when you can "car dance" to almost an entire song.  It's called Target's parking lot on a Saturday afternoon, where you're stuck in a line of traffic forever trying to get out.  And it's not even Christmas shopping time yet!!  For some reason Bryn loves to randomly record me/us.  Sometimes I see the phone video going & sometimes I don't.  Lord knows where those clips of me where I don't know I'm being recorded end up... probably texted to her friends, I'm sure. 

And as for "car dancing," we've been doing it since she was teeny tiny sitting in her carseat behind me.  Oh how I WISH I had video of her when she was just a baby & she'd be waving one arm to the beat of the music.  It was AWESOMENESS.  So funny to watch her in my rearview mirror. 

I can only imagine what the people in the car in front & behind us were thinking during this one. 

Oh wait... we don't care!!  LOL

 

 

And on that note... a new week of Zumba & Body Pump coming up! 

I'm always ready to DANCE... even in the car...

Insta♥love...

 

As you may already know, I used to be part of a couple design teams... Nikki Sivils Scrapbooker (for the entire 3 years the company existed) & also 2 stints with SRM Stickers.  Both companies supplied me with enough free products to last a lifetime.  Gotta love that. 

I will love both companies' products forever.  Even ended up getting a few scrapbook pages & cards published in magazines using their products.  Gotta love that too. 

It's a big reason I still blog.  Just in case I ever end up doing that again.  Although "they say" scrapbooking is a dying craft. 

I just say NO, as it's a hobby & passion of mine. 

As I was creating this page though, I happened to receive an email from the owner of SRM Stickers letting all of us who were ever associated with her company, know that they were now on Instagram.  Coincidentally I was making this page using photos from Instagram & also happened to be using SRM Calendar Small Stickers in the corners of each photo...

The one thing I've always loved about SRM Stickers is that they're clear... so putting them on top of paper, photos, etc is seemless.  #totalawesomeness 

Anyway... you can follow SRM Stickers on Instagram now.  And if you can't find their totally cool products in your local stores... you can shop online, which, by the way, is my favorite way to shop.

Speaking of what else "they say"... I also heard that Facebook is out & the "in" way to use social media is Instagram & Twitter.

I just say NO to Twitter.

No tweets for me.  Ca ca! 

"I never miss a beat... I'm lightening on my feet... "

Heard of Hurricane Odile?  I probably wouldn't have paid much attention to it, except my parents are in Cabo this week, where it hit & caused quite a bit of destruction.  Not exactly how they planned to spend their 47th anniversary, but we're hoping they're being flown to Mazaltan or Mexico City today via military plane so they can take a commercial flight home from that city, as Cabo's airport will be closed for awhile.  That was the hopeful plan as of last night, when we finally heard from them after 2 days of no phone or wi-fi access & their resort running on a generator.  Aside from no AC there & a couple days without access to the outside world, they did have food, water & booze so I guess they were able to make the best of it.  They were never sent to a shelter like many tourists were, and the resort staff took good care of everyone.  My sister & I, in the meantime, have been freaking out all week playing the waiting game & wondering when we'd ever hear from them!  Thank goodness we found the resort's page on Facebook that was updated with awesome info in the past few days.  Continued prayers for them as they somehow make it back home & for the locals who have endured not only destruction, but looting & all the awful things that follow when Mother Nature wreaks havoc.  

Craziness. 

Onto more pleasant things, like paper & cute photos!

If there's one fun little thing I love for adding a little something extra to a page (besides bling... duh), it's Glossy Accents.  I go through phases of using it on everything & recently used some on these pages.  It's goes on as a liquid, but then dries with a hard, clear finish that adds a little realistic dimension to the page...

As you can see on the pencils, I'm clearly NOT into applying it perfectly.  It's more wham bam thank you ma'am I'm done.  I swear I'm usually more of a perfectionist than that.  Whoopsie daisy...

 

 

I redeemed myself a bit on the crayons.  But the good news is that no one will notice or even care about any of these details in 20 years... and frankly I'll rest peacefully in my grave if anyone even reads all these scrapbooks when I'm dead.  So I shall carry on with my wickedly awesome Glossy Accents skills...

 

And there ya go.  Perfection is totally overrated.  

Especially in Zumba. 

Accidental solos are the best...

"Should've known better than to mess with me honey..."

 

Middle school can be yucky.  I can't say I really remember it being like that, but I'm sure it probably was at times.  Girls can be mean.  Girls don't usually throw punches with their fists like boys do... they throw punches with their words.  Like cut-through-your-heart words that leave marks that last way longer than a bruise.  I really don't remember anyone being mean to me, but we also didn't have the technology then of being in so much contact with each other.  And some of the technology allows for anonymity, which means someone can say anything they want & then later say it was a joke if found out.

Ummm... no one is laughing?

Maybe I should start over.

Being the MOM of a middle school girl can be yucky.  I don't have all the answers, but I do feel like I want to save her from all situations & I know I can't.  I know it's my job to help her get through these situations.  We all need to go through things.  It's how we learn.  It's how we learn who we want to spend our time with & who we don't.  But at the same time, I really want guns blazing & asses being kicked.  Is that so wrong?  LOL  

And on that note, I think I shall go run & pump some iron.  It's a good alternative to being in ass-kicking mode & also a good option for building those "guns" that may need to be blazing at any given point.   

 

But first some scrapbooking.  Sigh...

I was going through old photo files yesterday & came across this photo that somehow escaped being put into the scrapbook. 

These girls.  Just some of the MANY girls I've met over the past 8 years (I think?) of doing Zumba, that have become good friends of mine.  Not only is it an incredibly fun class & awesome work-out that would eventually become my job 3 years ago, but it's the reason I know most of the people I spend the majority of my time with outside the gym. 

So middle school may have it's share of girls that are sometimes mean, but adulthood (and I use the word "adult" loosely) definitely has it's share of awesome, very nice, ass-kicking women, who I'm lucky enough to have in my life.  And as far as "jokes" go... we are hilarious.  Like pee your pants laughing.  Middle school "jokes"... not so much.

I'm confident though, Bryn will always manage to surround herself with the same awesomeness.  She's cool like that...

"Eat, sleep, rave, repeat..."

 

 

Been memorizing some new Body Pump tracks... (love the music they send us) one of which is reminding me of hanging out in the clubs long ago.  Nothing makes me happier than loud music & dancing.  Oh & maybe some strobe lights too.

This video even looks fun.  Well minus the blood & stuff.

Call me crazy.  I may never grow up. 

I might even be willing to jump into a rave like that right now if I didn't think they'd all be asking, "Who's the old lady trying to bust a move?" 

 

In reality though... this song will be burning the hell out of our shoulders while holding a barbell in our hands.  It's a good one, I tell ya.  Granted it might be more fun to dance to this song with a glass of wine close by, but at least once this class is over... our arms will be looking HOT.

Got guns? 

We do.

BOOM! 

 

Have you tried a Body Pump class?  Shoulders are just 1 of the 8 major muscle groups we work in an hour. 

Approximately 800 reps in an hour.  It's awesome.

This class has been a total game-changer for me.  It's changed my body & I hear the same thing every day from people who take the class.  I had one friend tell me her legs have more definition (I totally concur) and another friend who told me she hit a golf ball the farthest she's ever hit one in her life (you GO, girl!)... and the comments go on & on.

This class works.

Ok so my chest might still be the same size.  Irrelevant.  It's stronger & I can afford a Wonder Bra.

 

Found some time to create yesterday.  Hasn't happened in awhile, but now that school has started, I decided I need to get back to doing what I love.

What I love as much as I love working out, that is...

 

Lots of Echo Park Hello Summer on there.  It's an old collection, but I recently got it for half price.  Also used some SRM Sticker sentiments & date stickers.  The photo collages were made using the free PhotoGrid app.  

 

Ok... so that trip.

I loved that trip as much as I love working out & creating.

It was a great week & I will treasure those days with those 2 girls forever...

 

"Wine it up... wine it up... wine it up... move your body... "

 

Had a question submitted here the other day about the photo collages on my scrapbook pages.  After I responded, I thought I'd go ahead & address it here as well just in case anyone else had the same questions. 

As you know, I love multi-photo pages.  I also love clean lines & creating a "scene" on the page... so the combination of both can be tricky.  My main reason for using lots of photos, is that I can't usually seem to narrow it down to just 1 or 2 to tell the story.  Sometimes I don't have any photos to tell the story... but most of the time I have several, if not MANY. 

Sheesh.  I just HAVE to use ALL of them.

Which brings up the question.... what do you do with all YOUR photos that don't make the scrapbook cut?  Would love to hear your ideas.  Before digital camera days, I just stuck the rejects into photo albums.  Now... they either don't get printed or just pile up in a box.  Ughh...

And boy does this topic bring up the guilt I feel for not having/making enough time anymore to scrapbook all the photos that continue to pile up daily. 

Oh well... moving on.  Zumba anyone? 

 

Here's a few new pages that show examples from the app & website I most frequently use to create my collages.  Using collages takes the guess work out of either printing small photos or cropping photos to fit to the right size for your pages. 

Pic Monkey is a favorite for all my digital/non-iPhone photos.  Personally I find it easier to navigate than Photoshop for editing photos.  There's lots of free editing tools on there (as well as collage options), but I've upgraded to pay for the "Royale" features.  At this age, being able to erase wrinkles is worth every single penny.  Those people know what they're doing by making you pay for that feature. 

You're so vain... you probably think this song is about you...

You can also add text to your photos/collages as I did on this one...

 

I ♥ google eyes.

 

On the next 2 pages, I used the free PhotoGrid app.  It pulls the photos you've selected from your iPhone & then puts them into a collage design based on the number of photos you're using.  If you don't like the collage it puts them into... you can choose from other designs.  Once I've created my collage, I'll save it & then email it to myself so I can print it in the size I want.  Love the app. 

 

Gosh that was a fun week.  Love me some Vegas.

 

Mostly lots of Simple Stories DIY Boutique on those pages.  Lots of random SRM Stickers too, including the calendar on the last page which is made by them as well.  Questions on the rest of the products... just ask & I'll attempt to answer.  LOL  

 

As for the question about my blog post titles... a lot of the time I use song lyrics.

If only I could've memorized all my school work the way I can memorize song lyrics, I would've graduated Suma Cume Laude. 

Usually the song lyrics somehow tie in to the content of my blog post.  Sometimes it's the just the lyrics or title of a song that I'm using in one of my classes.  Sometimes it's just a song that's stuck in my brain that I recently heard.   Sometimes the titles have nothing to do with song lyrics at all & then I have a friend tell me they googled my title & no song came up.  TOO DARN FUNNY. 

You all are an observant bunch! 

So read into the titles however you'd like.  Sometimes our own interpretation of what something means... is much better than the intended meaning...

 

BOOM.

 

"The daddy mac will make you jump, jump..."

 

Bryn turned 13.  I can't believe we've already celebrated this many birthdays.  A teenager... Lord help me.  These middle school years have been full of enough drama so far though, that I may just be equipped to handle this. 

The other day she told me it was "the terrible 12's, just like the terrible 2's."  I said, "But you really didn't have the terrible 2's?"  She said, "Oh." 

So how about we have the terrific teens though!  Pretty please...

She requested her birthday dinner at Red Robin. 

In the words of Junie B. Jones... yucky blucky fruitcake. 

Not my favorite place to eat.  But what the birthday girl wants, the birthday girl gets!  She also asked for dresses, maxi skirts, shoes.... oh & a trampoline. 

What the birthday girl wants, the birthday girl doesn't always get. 

Insurance agent for a dad means no added liability in the back yard.   Daddy mac won't make you jump. 

Can we have a pool instead maybe???

Plus the likelihood of her wanting to jump on a trampoline beyond the age of 13 is pretty slim. 

 

We got her the clothes, shoes & accessories... my sister got her the Coach crossbody bag. 

Can you tell she has a thing for chevron these days? 

 

Oh my.  Where does the time go?? 

 

We have a family BBQ this weekend & hosting a sleepover with her friends the following weekend, so more celebrating coming up! 

And speaking of celebrating... my sister & I recently celebrated our birthdays too. 

Apparently I have a thing for chevron too.

 

Even though my sister doesn't live here anymore, we still manage to celebrate together every year since our birthdays are 4 days apart.  Thanks to her flying in, that is. 

Although I'm always willing to meet her in Vegas to celebrate too.  40th next year for her.  Ahem. 

 

Or the beach... I could do the beach too.  Just give me sun & fun...  

 

 

 

"If this is a dream, then open my eyes... am I asleep, no I'm alive... "

 

OK... so enough about gratitude (or the lack thereof) and boobs (or the lack thereof)... I should probably change gears & post about something crafty.  You know, like the primary purpose of this blog.  Although some may wonder if my life really revolves more around Zumba (and now Body Pump) than scrapbooking.

And the answer is yes... yes it does. 

Speaking of which... I'm going to teach my very first full hour of Body Pump without team-teaching tomorrow.  May need to wear my HOT MESS socks just incase...

 

Video-taping will happen soon.  In fact Les Mills just sent a kind reminder that I have only 30 days left to get my video tape to the company. 

No pressure.  Nope, none at all.

 

And let's see... my little girl is turning 13 on Monday.  And really I wish she was my little girl, since I'm very much missing those days.  She's actually my taller-than-me young lady now.  Yesterday was her last day of 7th grade.  Can't believe she has one more year of middle school & then she's off to high school.  Lord help me.

 

Since she's obsessed with Instagram (and I wish I could say I was exaggerating), I thought it would be cute to have an Instagram-themed birthday party.  So I showed her my idea.  The first thing she said when she saw the invitations was, "No Mom, that's so hoosier." 

Hmmm, not the response I was expecting. 

Hoosier is not usually my way of doing things, thank you. 

Well, unless you're keeping track of some of the pictures of me on Facebook where I've flipped off the camera.  That might be kind of hoosier.     

Sometimes I wonder if she even knows what certain words mean or if she just says them because she's heard them before?  Hoosier invitations??  What is that?? 

The fun thing about living with a teenager though, is that every moment can have new mood.  Much like living with a 46-year old.  It's fun! 

So later that day she said, "I'm sorry I said that earlier about the invitations, Mom.  I didn't even look at them or read them & they really are cute."

Ooookay... so we WILL have an Instagram-themed party?  I shall print them out. 

I made note on there for the girls to bring their smiles for many party pics & said to please just say NO to more duck face photos. 

Fairly confident that part will be ignored.

And please don't bring up all the duck face photos of me on Facebook.  I'm old & there's no hope for changing me at this point.  There is still hope for my 13 year old though.   

 

 

And all of her friends said the invites were "SO CUTE"... which definitely made them less hoosier, I'm sure. 

Insert sigh. 

 

 

Finished a few more pages recently too.  All old photos, but chronological scrapbooking went out the door long ago.  Now I'm just happy to get photos in the books at some point.  Mostly used a new Me & My Big Ideas "Quoted" paper pad I bought the other day.  It's cute & colorful & has some inspiring quotes in there...

 

 

In addition to that paper pad, I also used a few SRM Stickers on the 3rd page.  Love those.

 

 

 

Ok then.  First day of summer.... here we go! 

 

 

"Can't nothin' hold me down...now watch me shut this thing down... "

 

I know I say this a lot & I know there's probably a lot of eye rolling about it, but I love Mondays.  I had a friend tell me once that she used to hate Mondays when she was working, but now that she's retired & taking my class, she loves Mondays.  And I have to agree.  Unless you're doing something fun, it's probably not a day most people look forward to.  But really I do!  I think all my friends that hang with me can attest to that. 

I used to think it was my favorite day of the week , but then I started teaching on Saturdays too.  And now it's my 2 bookends. 

Start the week with a smile... end the week with a smile! 

2 weeks ago, was the first day the new Brickhouse studio opened.  It's amazing.  Twice as big as the old studio... which means more space for everyone to shake their bootys!  There were a few pictures taken before & during Zumba that morning and then a fun one of my friend & I while painting the old studio afterward.  It's a term of endearment we use around there & a picture I just love!! 

And no worries for the landlord... painted over it after that photo opp!  LOL

 

That was such a fun & special morning!

 

I will say it over & over again.  I've been blessed with an amazing opportunity to teach & pay it forward.  And whether I'm teaching or participating in another instructor's class, Zumba has been life-changing for me, primarily because of all the cool people it has brought into my life over the years.   

Seriously.  They all mean a LOT to me. 

And the friends I hang out with the most outside the gym, are my friends from Zumba.   Such a blessing. 

 

Have you tried it yet? 

Step out of your comfort zone & try something new.  No excuses like, "I can't dance" or "I'm not coordinated."  It's FUN!  And I bet you'll be surprised how much you love it. 

And the fact that you're burning calories while you're there, is a definite PLUS...

"Your bridges were burned and now it's your turn... to cry... cry me a river... "

 

February was heart health awareness month.  My good friend and fellow Zumba instructor at the YMCA, was interviewed by a local TV news show to promote her annual American Heart Association Zumbathon.  It's an event near & dear to her heart, as you'll hear in her interview.  A group of us helped with her Zumba routine on the Great Day St Louis segment.

You can see her story & watch us dance here.

 

 

Love those girls. 

It was a memorable event worth journaling, to say the least. 

 

2 days of LOTS of rain & storms around here.  We had the craziest winter ever... and I guess this is our spring now? 

One big river of hot mess...

 

"Take me away... a secret place... a sweet escape..."

 

Been trying to get photos off my phone.  Bryn showed me a fun app that I've been using a lot recently to make photo collages... Photo Grid.  You pick the photos you want to use & the app puts them into a grid for you.  Lots of other choices of grid designs, too, based on the number of photos you're using. 

Plus I don't have to email myself all the individual photos this way.  I can just email myself each photo collage once I've created it...

 

 

I used the app for my photos from our trip to the Bahamas that I posted here.  I also used the app for these 3 pages today.  I like that I don't have to mess with measuring the photos & putting them into a design that works for the scrapbook page.  I just print the grid in the size that I want... quick & easy.  

And for the first 2 pages, I used some SRM Stickers along with some more of the free downloadable journaling cards I found on the Pocket Source blog...

 

 

 

I've deleted about 400 photos off my phone & am down to around 700 now.  Still don't have enough storage space to do the latest iPhone update, but hopefully eventually I can get there.  Craziness.

And yes, I know.  Adding more apps like this one, doesn't help free up storage.  Oh well...

 

"Take a picture, sweetie, I ain't got time to wait..."

 

Ok... so LOTS going on lately.  Mostly good stuff keeping me really busy and laughing... and other stuff.  Stuff that karma will take care of for me, I'm sure.  Gotta love that!  And my eye was twitching for 2 days straight. It drove me frickin nuts.  A friend of mine had her eye twitching for a week & thought it was stress.  Hmmm. 

Anyway.  Eye twitching has ended.  Booty twitching & shaking, however, never ends.  

It was awesome to be gone for a week & it's awesome to be home.  I always miss my friends & my daily routine at home.  Even though I'll hit the treadmill while I'm gone, I especially miss my routine at the gym.  Zumba anyone?  And while I know it's good for me to tune out from my phone/internet/etc... that contact is what keeps me laughing most of the time.  Because I have very funny friends.  And somehow there's always funny situations.   Even situations that aren't funny end up making me laugh. 

I mean like laughing until I cry. 

Or laughing & typing on my phone, while eating in public, by myself.  That usually gets a few stares.

Why did my daughter call me a weir-do?  I don't get it.

 

Anyway, I have lots of pics from the Bahamas & have even started a blog post about it, but that's about as far as I got. 

Apparently I ain't got time for dat. 

I got time for Zumba though!  Fun times coming up!

 

And apparently I have time for scrapbooking too.  Yay me...

I used an actual map of Phoenix/Scottsdale for my background...

All I can think about when I look at this next page is the thousands of screaming girls that literally screamed for 2 hours straight.  Never heard anything like it...

 

Love the Today's List of Awesomeness journaling card on the next page.  I say that word all the time...

 

 

And speaking of that Today's List of Awesomeness journaling card, here's more awesomeness...

Bryn got accepted to the National Junior Honor Society at school the other day.  Could NOT be more proud of that girl.  She didn't think she'd get accepted since she had no leadership experience, but I told her she had 100% chance of not getting accepted if she didn't try.   

The only Honor Society I was accepted into in school, was for excelling in my social life.

 

Oh well... Zumba anyone?

"But I'm a creep.... I'm a weirdo... what the hell am I doing here..."

 

The other day I asked Bryn to describe me in 2 words.

She replied, "Weir- do."

I burst out laughing.  Not the answer I was expecting, but it definitely works.

Poor kid.

 

But hey... at least I'm not doing the kissy face on all my Instagram photos.  Now THAT is weird.  And I have asked her over & over to please stop doing that all the time & just uhhhh I don't know... smile maybe?? 

And then she asked me to do this "Transformation Tuesday" photo and it occurred to me that I must've taught her to do that dumb pose when she was a little girl. 

Just add that to the list of all the other dumb things I've taught her & will probably teach her before she moves out. 

Or sprints out as fast as she can. 

The good news is she's not flipping off the camera yet.  That's always an attractive pose.

Ahem.

Lots of dimmensional hearts on here created with a heart punch & a stapler...

 

 

Speaking of weirdo... is it weird that I love googly eyes?  If I could use them on everything, I would.  Well everything with eyes, that is...

The animals look cute with googly eyes on them...

 

 

And here's some more cute animals...

 

 

LMAO. 

Ok then... carry on with yo Hump Day. 

Yo Lenten Hump Day, that is.

 

Maybe I'll give up being a weirdo?

Or not...

Turn it up... baby we don't have to say good-bye...

 

Not sure what the deal is, but there's been a whole lot of creating going on around here.  Like late at night, when I really should be going to bed instead.  I'm a roll.  We're getting ready to leave soon for Spring Break, so that's usually what gets my butt in gear.  I figure more pictures at the end of a trip, means I better do something with all the pictures I already have.  So I've been randomly printing photos from my computer & phone.  Old pictures, new pictures... whatever works with the products I have out right now.  I really NEED to get more photos off my phone.  I have over 1000 on there.  The other day I went to take a picture of someone & got a message that I was out of storage. 

Aggravating.

Hate when I miss a photo opp because I have to spend time deleting photos & videos to create some room.  

If only I would get back to using my Canon more often instead of my phone, I wouldn't have such an issue.  Note to self.

So here we go.  I am really digging the Simple Stories Daily Grind collection.  That's probably why I've cranked out so many pages.  It's just cute stuff... chevron, word bubbles, bold colors & it's all kinda rainbowish... you know what I'm sayin'... love it. 

 

 

 

The Minion was just an image I found & printed... then added some googly eyes...

 

 

A little bling anyone?  :-)

 

 

Speaking of cute stuff... check out the Pocket Source blog for a free dowload of very cute journaling cards.  I used one of them on that last page. 

And as usual.... every single page has SRM Stickers on there somewhere. 

 

I've also been asked to test out an adorable cupcake holder kit that will soon be sold on Etsy in this cute little shop.   She is quite talented!  More on that soon. 

 

TGIF!  Looking forward to a fun morning tomorrow at Brickhouse Cardio... and NOT looking forward to the predicted snow & ice coming on Sunday.

Apparently we haven't had enough of that yet this winter...    

 

 

"People will stare. Make it worth their while."

 

It's Thursday.  Thought I'd share some of what's been keeping me busy lately... aside from Zumba which is always a distraction. 

I mean, this IS primarily a blog about crafty stuff.

Or at least it was supposed to be anyway. 

And people DO actually visit to get ideas. 

Or... at least they used to visit for ideas.

 

Don't give up on me yet. 

 

So anyway... Zumba anyone?  LOL   2 new songs... & working on a 3rd.  Somebody stop me...

 

 

No, but really.  I finished 8 pages recently... 3 of which that went straight into the books because they either weren't that great or were essentially mostly just photos & not much creativitiy... and a 4th one that I may or may not post on another day.

Here's 4 today though. 

And if you've paid any attention to my stuff, you'll notice that I used some of my past page designs for inspiration to quickly finish these.  I do that a lot.  Less thinking involved. 

And let's face it... when I think too much, it's never a good thing.

 

What's that she's playin'.... Annie... get your gun...

 

You'll also notice that I did the banner thing on 2 of these pages.  Ask me if I care that the pages will look similar in the scrapbook.

Let me think about that..... ummmmm no.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did you notice another common thing about all the pages? 

All of them had SRM Stickers on there somewhere.  I am a forever fan of those awesome clear stickers & sticker sentiments. 

Lots of Simple Stories Daily Grind & Harvest Lane on those pages, as well as Recollections Winter Woodland on the Christmas page.

A mix of old + new on everything. 

It pays to stay home sometimes.  Zumba AND crafting get accomplished.

 

Fun times with friends on Friday & Saturday!  Bring on the weekend!  Yahoo... can't wait! 

"Forty days and forty nights..."

 

Just sitting here thinking about some of the things that make me happy, so my mind doesn't trail off with worry.  Like let's see... here's something... warm weather.  As in no snow.  None.  Not even a few flurries.  Like the warm weather we had in Arizona last summer... when my crazy daughter & her crazy father decided to do this FlowRider thingy... which to me looked like an ER trip waiting to happen.  Or at least looked like a major time-out from my Zumba career.  After watching all the people ahead of them bust it onto their butts, shoulders, heads.... I said HELL TO THE NO.  I'll just take pictures, thankyouverymuch. 

Lots of Simple Stories I Heart Summer on this one, along with a few SRM Stickers...

 

 

Here's something else making me happy.  This song I've been obsessed with all day, since I heard it in the WAY too early 5:15am spin class I did.  And when I say obsessed, that usually means I've played the song like 50 times. 

Kinda like I've done my whole life when I love a song.... like since playing 45's on my Donny & Marie record player.  

Ok.  So I'm old.    

 

 

Helping to lead a 2-hour Zumbathon, along with my 5 other awesome instructor friends made me happy.  Lots & lots of fun...

Attending crazy 40th birthday parties makes me happy too.  Especially when it means laughing at all the photos on my camera the next morning. 

Even if I did feel like my head might explode. 

 

My mom always said.... when you play, you pay. 

True dat, Mom.  True dat.

Ego. Remove the E & let it go...

 

A few months ago, I noticed I was getting a lot of hits on my blog from 2 Peas in a Bucket.  I noticed it was from a link on their message boards about "simple scrapbookers."  Any of you been around the scrapbooking world long enough to remember the magazine "Simple Scrapbooks?" The thread was started by someone asking if anyone could recommend scrapbookers that had more of a simple style, rather than the artsy style that is so often posted these days.  About half-way down on the thread, I noticed someone had a posted a list of people that inspired her & that she thought had a simple style.  I have to say, it was very flattering to see my name listed among people that happen to inspire ME as well. 

And even cooler than that... when I responded on that thread to thank her, she responded by telling me that reading my blog had not only inspired her scrapbooking, but had also inspired her to start doing Zumba because she said I made it sound so fun. 

I mean seriously?  Now that is WAY cooler than inspiring someone creatively.  LOVE IT. 

And it IS fun.  Not to mention a GREAT work-out.  

 

Back to scrapbooking... the products that I've used have changed over the years... depending on if I'm designing for a company using their stuff, or just using what I've got on hand.  But what's remained constant over the years is that I love multi-photo pages + lots of journaling.  And in my opinion... if I'm going to have a lot of photos on a page... I really HAVE to keep it simple or else it will just look like a jumbled MESS of a page.   Every once in awhile I may have a page with only 1 photo on it, but I'll never have a page without some kind of journaling.  There's no way anyone will ever look through our scrapbooks some day, look at the photos & wonder what happened.  I'm all about telling the story.  I do feel like my pages have become a little too simple lately, but at least I'm getting something accomplished & putting them in the books I suppose. 

So with that, more "simple" pages.  And I'll keep it even simpler, by not giving detailed image shots for each page so this isn't a mile-long post.  There's SRM Stickers on every page too.  Love them.

 

 

And I swear this next one doesn't look crooked in real life, but it sure does on here.  Hmmm.

 

 And speaking of keeping things simple... divided page protectors make it very easy to do that, especially if you have a lot of photos like I always do...

 

Speaking of SRM Stickers... lots of brand new cool stuff in their online store!

 

By the way...  did you see that Archivers is having a going out of business sale?  I need to get over there & buy some stuff before it's all gone.

Because.... you know...  I need more scrapbooking stuff like I need more Zumba clothes.

I'm kinda bummed about this though.  Looks like I'll be shopping online now & paying shipping.  While I do love to shop online, I don't like shopping online for scrapbooking products.  And Michaels stinks for carrying the latest & greatest.  So boooo...

Bueller... Bueller...

 

Anyone... anyone... ?

 

Cricket.... cricket.... 

 

Maybe I should go ahead & re-introduce myself since it's been ridiculously long since I've last blogged.  Like since November 7.

 

Hi... I'm Deana.  Not DeAnna

Blogger for almost 6 years now.  Although in the last couple months you might wonder since it used to be almost daily.

Scrapbooker for almost a lifetime.  Again with wondering.

Zumba instructor who no longer has much drive or inspiration to stay connected to this blogging/crafting world, but is still not willing to give up on said blogging & will probably never quit scrapbooking either. 

I guess a big part of the problem is that I'm no longer designing for any companies, so I don't have anything I HAVE to do. 

 

Torn between 2 lovers... feelin' like a fool... lovin' both of you is breakin' all the rules....

 

Anyhoo.  Here's some of what's gone on in the past month...

• Lots of Zumba.  Duh. 

• Also Spin class & running.
• And an Insanity class that tried to kill me.  I won though.
• A rotator cuff that's having issues. 
• A girls night with fabulously crazy friends

• Annual mammogram & fasting physical.  Still healthy, although one may argue I need meds for craziness.
• 2 movies with a friend:  Thor & Hunger Games... one of which was at a 5-star lounge where they served you from a menu.  Are you kidding me??  Yes please!!

• Lots of volleyball practices & games for Bryn

• Our home alarm motion detector activated in the basement while not home, resulting in the police coming to search our house.  False alarm.  Thankfully no one jumped out of the closet to kill me after they left. 
• Alarm company at house to fix the false alarm problem.
• A weekend in Memphis, along with the Mizzou vs Mississippi football game at Ole Miss.  Coldest 9 hours of my life ever.  But Mizzou won.   Go Tigers!

• Candy Crush.  Level 123.  And yes I know...  I need a life.  Literally & figuratively.
• Mizzou girls volleyball game in Columbia.  They won & are ranked 4th in the country.  Makes me SO want to play volleyball again. 

• My hair did.
• Bryn's hair did.
• A wonderful Thanksgiving with family.

• Black Friday shopping at 2 stores because it was on Bryn's "bucket list" to experience it.  Hopefully the 1/2 wait in line cured her forever, since I already know how much I hate it.
• Cyber Monday, on the other hand, is ok.
• Date night with Bob to watch Mizzou win & go to the SEC championship game.  Tigers vs. Tigers on Saturday.... gotta love it!
• A wake for my friend's dad.
• Some of the Christmas decorations out, along with a tree that's still naked.

• Annual YMCA employee tests and a CPR & First Aid re-certification class.
• Too many iPhone photos & not enough (or rather any) with my Canon.
• And a couple finished pages + a few pages in progress still laying on my floor...

 

 

Suffice it to say that this is the first year in last 5 years that I'm not doing a December Daily mini book.  I'd be lucky to blog daily & we all know that isn't happening...  so I'm pretty sure the mini book is NOT happening either. 

Am I a little sad to not be doing it?  YES.  Because the finished book is always pictures & daily memories that would've never been documented in the main scrapbook had it not been for the work to complete it. 

But also one less thing to stress me out in December.

So yay me.

 

Okie dokie then.  I'll be back in less than a month.  Even if it kills me...

"Them baggy sweat pants & the Reeboks with the straps... she turned around & gave that big booty a slap..."

 

Ok here we go.  I actually have acccomplished something other than playing Candy Crush or cruising Facebook lately.  Why I ever let my friend finally talk me into Candy Crush, after at least 6 months of harassing me to play, I don't know.  We're talking SERIOUS time-waster, folks. 

As if Facebook isn't bad enough.  

If you're not already playing this stupid game... just say NO.  I recommend just doing Zumba instead.  Then you can EAT candy, instead of just getting aggravated by it. 

 

Halloween was a blast this year.  I got to dress up TWICE for Zumba.  Once for a Halloween party at Brickhouse Cardio Club where I teach... I dressed as a 70's Disco Queen, afro wig & all...

 

 

.... and then it was an 80's costume theme for Zumba on Halloween morning at the YMCA, so I dressed like I actually used to dress for aerobics classes in the 80's.  That's me on the right in the pink leotard & pink leg warmers.  And no that's not a wig this time... just dusted off the hot rollers & used a ton of hairspray.  Although it did look like a wig, I must say.  A really BAD wig. 

Why did I ever think my hair looked good like that?

 

And Bryn dressed up as Minnie Mouse this year...

I also went on a 7th grade field trip to the St Louis Zoo, with a horrible sinus infection.  Bryn wanted me to go though, so if a 12-year old still wants you around.... you grin & bear it... since that may not last forever...

And yes... she's officially taller than me now. 

Sigh...

 

And here's a few pages I finished recently... all of which have SRM Stickers on each somewhere...

And just incase you missed my last post... I passed the AFAA Group Exercise Instructor test.  So I'm officially certified.  Or certifiable.  Either works in my case...

 

 

 

Leave a comment if you have questions, because I'm leaving product information off this time.  It's already a long enough post and well... I'm feeling lazy. 

Or... maybe it's because Facebook & Candy Crush are calling my name?

 

Step away from the phone...

Just say NO. 

"The way she pop it low... drop it low... shawty's got dance moves..."

 

Hmmm... only 12 days this time... wow, I think I'm onto something here. 

And it's called neglect. 

Strangely enough... people still visit this blog every day in spite of my not posting.  A LOT of the traffic is via Pinterest for this project I posted 2 years ago when Bryn was playing volleyball.  I made these gifts for her teammates (using SRM tubes + stickers), since I was one of the coaches for her team.  The owner of SRM Stickers has told me before that it's the most-pinned project of everything she's put on Pinterest from her design team. 

People love colorful shoe laces, I guess.  Who knew?!  LOL 

And speaking of volleyball, Bryn is FINALLY back at it again.  I mean, have you seen how tall that girl is?  She NEEDS to play.  Us shawtys that played volleyball back in the day, could only bump & set.  That girl can slam it over the net with those long legs if she'd just stay at it.  Anyhoo.... her first game is next week while we're in Vegas.  Very bummed to miss it, but I think Grandma will be able to take her.  

In addition to volleyball, other things going on around here include teaching/subbing Zumba, watching Mizzou football with friends in the rain, taking Bryn to the dermatologist for some weird virus on her legs that looks like gigantic zits, helping with boatloads of 7th grade homework (minus the math... that's Bob's department), spinning & running, hangin' with my peeps, enjoying the cooler Fall weather & looking forward to seeing my sister this weekend. 

I've also finished a few things lately, while catching The Voice & the Cardinals playoff games.   

Gotta love St Louis!

No detail shots on any of these, so it's not a mile-long post.  Just message me if you want product info.  I figure I may as well post all these at once since it could be another 12-17 days before I'm back on here again.   

Ahem. 

 

On this one I used Bryn's artwork.  She drew her name with markers one day at the Y while I was teaching so I saved it, cut it out & put it on here with some of her "selfies" she took over the summer.  The rest of the page is a list of things she did this summer.  You know... a reminder to her when she tells me she never goes anywhere...

On the next page, I forgot that I had already used these comparison photos of the first & last days of school, like ummm 2 weeks ago, so technically I have 2 pages with these same photos.  And before you ask how that happened, the answer is YES.  I AM LOSING MY MIND.  Don't judge. 

Hey, at least I never posted the first page or you'd really think I was strange.  Perhaps that's why I forgot. 

And yes, I know you think I'm strange anyway.  Don't judge. 

And since I really didn't like that first page I made a couple weeks ago anyway, but did like the journaling card... I just peeled it off that page and stuck it on this next page! 

Not so strange after all, huh?

And the journaling for this last page was taken directly from my blog post seen here.  Just typed it onto Word, printed & added Bryn's 7th grade photos taken at orientation in August.  Easy peasy...

 

SRM Stickers on all 4 pages.  Whether I'm designing for them or not, I'm a fan for life! 

 

Oh.... and I FINALLY received my copy of the March issue of Scrapbook Trends magazine where my card was published.  After this long of waiting, I thought for sure they had forgotten about me.  Never got to see the edition until now, but gotta love that they gave me a 2-page spread...

 

Bob asked me when I made those muffins by my card & why didn't he get any? 

Ummm... it's the magazine's styling for the photo shoot..... helllllooooo.... ?

 

I heard they've recently gone all digital.  As have a lot of magazines.  Kinda sad. 

 

Ok then... I leave you with my new favorite Zumba song...

 

 

Time to hit the dance floor...

"Let me be your ruler... you can call me queen bee... and baby I'll rule... "

TGIF... and the weekend is upon us.  It will be a weekend full of lots of Zumba + a crazy girl's night in between.  It's kinda my favorite kind of weekend.  The only thing better might be a crazy girl's weekend... like out of town... but I'll take what I can get for now.

And speaking of girl's weekends... the one I had in Pittsburgh for a Zumba class a few months ago with Lil Jon on stage was pretty darn FUN.  It wasn't a weekend, just 2 nights in the middle of the week, but a total BLAST nonetheless.  And I'm finally getting around to doing something with all the photos.  Once again... all I have are iPhone photos.  Fairly sure I probably brought my camera with me & then conveniently left it in the hotel room.  Too big to carry around, especially while dancing.  Some of the photos actually turned out pretty good though... especially that photo of the city taken from across the river...

This is the exact same page design I just used for the Vegas page I posted the other day, but since I have a lot of pics again... it works.  And more American Crafts Dear Lizzy Neopolitan on here.  I seem to be getting a lot of use out of that collection lately...

 

 

Ok then.  Bring on the weekend! 

I am ready to DANCE!!!