totally random stuff.

Fa la la la la

.... crappy scan.

This layout almost deserves a layout about how it was made. The "chillproof" tag is what started it all. We had several days where it was unseasonably cold here. It is fine when we can get used to it, but it was seriously in the low 80s one day, the next day a cold front came in and the high for the day was in the 60's! Desert dwellers don't do well when that happens. We all seem to freeze.

Anyway, the tag came off the hat, gloves and scarf that we had to run out and buy for school the next day. It is a shimmery, pearl color. Cool inspiration can pretty much come from anything.

I took the photo that first morning before school, but didn't have it printed yet. I ended up at Shanna's house the next day for a little get together crop before she gets married. Michelle needed something from the store she works at, and being the VIP that she is, she was able to get us in after hours. ;) I found all of the paper that I wanted to use on this layout. Then, as we are standing by the back register waiting to check out, Beth notices some scraps in the trashcan back by the die cutting area. She picked it up and asked Michelle if it was the new bazzil bling paper. (It is just frosty cardstock.) It was a cool pearl color. Beth plops it back in the trashcan and notices some big pieces of chipboard in the trashcan. We start to pick out the chipboard scraps. (The were pretty sizeable scraps, usually we aren't so desperate!) Anyway... in the trash is enough of the bazzil bling left over to quickutz the word "cold", and somebody had also thrown away that awesome snowflake that had been die cut from the bling as well! (I added the diamond dust and it worked perfect!) I grabbed them. So now we are laughing that we are officially dumpster diving for scrap supplies. Never underestimate a scrapbooker.

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Regrouping. It has been a week of regrouping for me. You know how sometimes things just feel like they are out of control? You take one step forward and two steps back? This month has seemed like that. In many aspects of my life. Family, friends, church, keeping up with the house, Christmas... pretty much everything. I think I was in a funk actually.

Somedays I just feel like I am treading water and just trying to make sure that I have accomplished enough at the end of the day so I don't start out behind on the next one. That is when I need to realize that some regrouping is in order. I think I started to realize it when I was at Shanna's house. We are all so busy right now, and each month gets away from us. I find that I really miss when I can't connect with these girls. Even though, sadly, some of them were missing this month due to personal things not allowing them to get away. But I always feel when I have been with these people that it feels so good afterwards to have caught up again. To realize how lucky I am with the people in my life. My family and my friends. I love you all. Even the ones that I don't get to see often. I think of you all the time.

Church. Sometimes it feels like such a pain in the rear to get up on a day when you feel lazy and know that you have to go for a three hour block. Then there is trying to get the kids to sit through an hour long of sacrament meeting, and due to the time of our block, I'm always starving during sunday school and relief society. - Once I go I always feel much better. I am so grateful for the church that I belong to. I honestly don't think it matters what faith you belong to, but just that feeling of coming out and knowing that you have reconnected with the Savior is an incredible feeling.

Heck, even my house. I was in a bit of a protest the past couple of weeks. I would do some things that needed to be done, but I never got to the entire house and always felt like I couldn't relax due to knowing that things still really needed to be done. I know the things could wait, but there is that gnawing feeling in the back of my mind when you have some whacked out perfectionist OCD about cleaning. Not to mention finally tripping over enough laundry scattered on the floor. I finally got it all done this weekend, and I feel like a weight has been lifted.

Christmas... Ok, still working on that one. I plan on getting the tree out tonight and I'm going to just let the kids do all the decorating of it this year. (I'm sure I'll go back and rearrange a little)

So, regrouping is a good thing. Just every now and then I need to remember... take a deep breath.... attack it all, or just reprioritize.