Jenn's Scrappin' and Stampin' Corner

I missed a day...but want to talk about goals

Hi everyone,

It has been a very long weekend...and we still have another Nutcracker performance to go...but it has forced me to evaluate my life.  My daughter has taught me a very important lesson.  I was so worried about her taking on this whole Nutcracker thing, thinking she was too young for such a rigorous dance schedule.  The hours she has had to put in to this...and she LOVES it...and is a beautiful dancer.  At first, I thought it was because her friends all do it, and I am sure that was the initial reason...but I figured it out, she really wanted to finally be a part of an incredible experience.  And, she is just like me.  Set a goal, and no matter what it takes, you finish it all the way through.  And what I learned is that, someone shouldn't tell you you can't do something if you want it badly enough.  Yes, she is 8, and making a BIG decision like that, has to be done by a parent, but I should have listened to her in the first place and not gone to the negative so soon...and believed she was capable.

Last January, I set a goal for myself.  I don't believe in resolutions any more, now that I am older, I believe in goal setting.  Steve and I have done goal boards, goal lists...etc, each year.  One goal I set for myself was reading.  I wanted to read 50 books within the year.  A very unattainable goal, for the most part.  But what it forced me to do was, stop watching so much TV, take out my books and read, even if it was oly 2 pages before falling asleep.  There were nights that Steve would come to bed and find me with the book on my chest and the lights on and i am fast asleep.  I accomplished my goal...I finished 26 books and I may try to get one more in before Jan. 1st....but I LOVED most of the books I read, I chose a lot of different types of books....and many different authors.  Here is my list of 26...maybe I will encourage you to try some of them (I have most of them too, I buy them off the used books on Amazon, I also found a used book store across from St. Claires hospital, a part of the assisted living, wher eyou can give them your books, and get some for $1 -$2.  I have a stack of books that I can't wait to start.

Set those goals...you can do it !!!

• with or without you
• The Alchemist
• The Pier - Bill Noel
• Black and Blue - Anna Quindlen
• Crow Lake - Mary Lawson
• Folly - Bill Noe
• The Help
• Washout - Bill Noel
• The Island - Elin Hiderbrandt
• House Rules - Jodi Piccoult
• The Edge - Bill Noel
• Safe Haven - Nicholas Sparks
• Mystic Lake - Kristin Hannah
• The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
• Gone for Good - Harlan Coben
• Catching Fire -
• Mockingjay
• Silver Girl - Elin Hiderbrandt
• The Marsh - Bil Noel
• Room - Emma Donoghue
• Live Wire - Harlan Coben
• Hold TIght - Harlen Coben
• Sarah's Key - Tatianna De Rosnay
• The Beach House - Jane Green
• Vermillion Drift - William Kent Krueger
• Beach Trees - Karen White

 

ok...4 more days until Christmas

  
Well, well, well...so much has been going on in our house, as we get ready for Christmas and santa to come.  I just wanted to remind all of you that this is the last two weeks to order from the Holiday Mini Catalog 2010 before the new Ocassion Mini comes out (which I can't wait for).  There are some great products that will be leaving ;(.  So check out the mini and make sure you have what you would like from it before it is too late.  Here is the link to the whole catalog!

http://www.stampinup.com/ecweb/itemlist.aspx?categoryID=216

An Incredible Read

I don't know about all of you, but I have found that I have progressed, technically, in the last 3 or 4 years, when it comes to scrapbooking.  I look at some of my old scrapbooks and although they were good for the time, I am so different now.  But I have also found that I am spending way too much time on one layout.  I find these extravagent layouts, with all these incredible handmade embellishments, crazy techniques...etc.  I have gotten away from my simple days.  I have found this book that spells it out for me and has reminded me that not every page has to be "magazine" presentable.  My kids love to see my pages because it has them in it.  They aren't taking stock of how many brads I have used, or if I made the embellishments myself or they were store bought.  So here was a wake up call.  You should check it out!

Here it is

The New 2010-2011 Stampin' Up catalog!

 

Another Mini Album

Yes, I am LOVING the mini albums I have been creating.  One thing I have learned is that SIMPLY SCRAPPIN' kits have made them all a bit easier, but also they are gorgeous when I put them all together.  They match, they inspire me to do more, and I put many embellishments to add to the papers and "stickers" (not a fan of stickers...so I need to make them "cooler").

So here is another one I made for a friend:

The "feared" F-10

When you go through Jen Peel's sketch book "scrapbookers shortcuts" @ www.scrapbookersshortcuts.com, there is one sketch that all of us "creators" avoided doing.  I know I did...BUT, I wanted to try it.  So, at the Scrapbook weekend, I challenged myself and created a page of the "FEARED F-10"...check it out.  My challenge to you is to try doing this sketch (or check it out in Jen Peel's book first) and see if you can create the masterpiece.  It is awesome when you finish it.  What a sense of accomplishment.  AWESOME sketch Jen Peel!!!