I'm the luckiest crafting girl!

If you even wanted to see inside my scrappy "fortress", now's your chance. My newest article is now on Scrapjazz.com and it shows a lot of my room.

My Scraproom

Of course, I'm so lucky that my g-pa made me 2 more cabinets, so I can't wait to put those up and take new pics :)

Michelle

A few things I'm proud of

As I've mentioned before, I started freelance writing for Scrapjazz.com. I've finally gotten into the groove of things and I'm really enjoying using this outlet to write some feature articles.

I recently wrote about 2 really fun things:

1) Using your scrapbook supply to make accessories - including something I discovered one day when my nail polish looked a little too Smurf blue...use rubons on your nails!

2) What to do with your child while you're crafting - I like this article because I sometimes feel guilty about not being with Jenna when I have been gone at work all day.

Anyway, check them out...and while you're at it, check out some other articles by some great authors.

Michelle

OL meets IRL

2 years ago this summer I got to go on a "me" vacation. I left Jason home with Jenna and went off to Michigan to scrapbook. I heard, "what? you live in Utah, why would you go to Michigan to scrapbook?" and "can't you just scrapbook at home?"

These women are the reason why

I have gotten to know this amazing bunch of women over the last 4 years, mostly online, and they are all such wonderful women I decided to not take my own advice and jump on a plane to meet them all. My internet safety tells me I'm crazy as did my dad who was worried to death about me flying there to meet people I've never met before. My reasoning for it being ok, I know one of the girls here in Utah who has met many of the women in this group. Was it worth it?

Uh - YES!!!

So, why bring it up 2 years after the fact? I've been reminiscing as I've looked through pictures and talking about crops with my online friends. So, what does a group of women do when they get together with no children or husbands?

We goof off any way we can. We raced chairs down the hotel hall, ask complete strangers to take a picture of us all, go site seeing to a Great Lake, and of course, get some scrapbooking done.

Oddly, I was not the one who came the furthest, my good friend, Lily, came all the way from Costa Rica for this. Since then, Jason and I have gone to visit her in Costa Rica and I talk to her quite often. 

Well, this year, my friend, Lesle has decided to take one of our in-person crops and put it all on line. The last few years she's put together a Texas Scrapfest and people come from all around for it. This year, we get to all join in from wherever we are. We aren't an exclusive club, I'm pretty sure if it was I wouldn't have passed the initiation or the coolness test. Everyone is so supportive and give great ideas when you get stuck.

So, please come join us scrapbook and join me with my now IRL (in real life) friends and so many others. There are also great prizes...and it's all for an awesome cause. A few years ago, one of our own lost her baby girl and have created a non-profit organization. You don't have to buy anything to play along, but there's a fun store with some things you can buy.

So, what are you waiting for? Meet some of my OL/IRL friends and join us for some scrappy fun.

Oh, right, the link...

http://www.texasscrapfest.com/

Michelle

It's been a while

Summertime gets busy and I love it. I went to Bear Lake with my family and got to spend a lot of time with my little brother, Russell. I even got to drive the 2 hr drive back just with him. I loved that opportunity.

I've also been busy taking some classes at the university and I'm learning quite a lot of new things. For example, did you know that the APA has now changed the space between "." to 2 instead of 1? No fun for me since I'm used to typing with just 1 space. 

I also took the Praxis Content Knowledge test and it proved that I am as smart as I think I am (all who know me should now be laughing). I was actually pretty nervous that I would not remember what I knew and that everything would be too overwhelming. I'm not a fan of long tests, especially multiple choice ones. Well, I got my results back and I scored in the top 15% in the US! I even got a handy-dandy certificate. I think I should be like a dr who puts their cool certificates up on the wall in their office to show people how smart they are. (Says the woman who has both of her degrees in her cedar chest somewhere)

I also got to do this....

and I loved it! I would totally do it again if it didn't scare Jason half to death. 

Well, maybe I'll put up some more pics later, but for now - that's all I got.

Michelle

For the rest of the summer...

I am looking forward to...

Bear Lake with the family

4th of July parade (held on the 3rd here in Utah this year)

More camping

And best of the summer...seeing this skinny guy for a couple weeks!

RUSSELL WILL BE HOME SOON ON R&R!

Then of course, we'll be participating in the Rubber Ducky Derby for Make-A-Wish again this year. No account set up yet, but I know Alia is planning on selling ducks again. I'll keep you updated to when her website is up and running. I bet her goal this year is to sell more duckies than she did last year. There hopefully will be another Rubber Ducky Derby party. Stay tuned for more details about that. I can attest that the wishes they grant are beyond any wishmaker can ever dream! I do know the ducks will continue to be sponsored for $5. 

Michelle

Alice Cooper lies

Since the last day of school, the song, "School's Out For Summer" has been playing in my head. Just the 2 lines I know. Thank you dad for getting that song stuck in my head and only ever singing those 2 lines.

School's Out For Summer
School's Out Forever

This is the part where Alice Cooper lies.

1 - School is NOT out for summer.
In fact, I'm back to school tomorrow - 2 days a week. I printed off the syllabus and both classes look like they are going to be a ton of work. Then again with names like, "Foundations in Special Education" and Fundamentals of Graduate Study", you know you're in for a load of work.

2 - School is never out Forever. 
This I have found out because I think I'll never be done with school - either I'm sitting being taught to, or I'm standing teaching my students.

I got a total of 2 weeks off between when I finished up with my class to when I start college. So here's to changing from teacher to student. Hopefully I'm half a good of student this semester as my students were to me this last year.

Michelle

Summertime Guys

Jenna had so much fun this year in dance. I have to say her costume this year is the cutest E-V-E-R! She also had an awesome teacher who she absolutely adores.

She's in the curls in the video, I tried to keep her centered.



Michelle