The longest blog and catching up...

Did you ever go into a store for a couple of things and spend $100? The bookstore doesn't count. I figure most of the people who are reading this already do that.

No I mean have you ever innocently walked into say MICHAELS arts and craft store for two things, just TWO and left with one bag that cost you $100? Well, I set some kind of land speed record when I did this yesterday in just 30 minutes. I stopped for filler pages and post extensions for Shmoo's scrapbook and began buying little things called "embellishments" for the scrapbook. Like these music ones I got for Shmoo. Anyway, the next thing I know I'm walking out of the store with one bag and $100 poorer. At this rate I'm going to request a Lloyd's of London appraisal on the scrapbook when I'm finished.

Amazingly, I've only re-done 2 pages. Which if you knew my track record you'd widen your eyes in amazement. I haven't progressed beyond the Shmoo's 2nd grade which is where I was on Monday. So I've got the next 10 years of his life to finish this weekend. I HAVE TO. When I go to bed Sunday night the scrapbook and letter book both have to be done. Finis. Finito. The End. Seriously. I CAN'T be working on it until graduation. Not happening.

You believe me...right?

On the other hand, all the stuff for the luau is awesome. The invitations turned out cute. Except for making final decisions on food we're in good shape for the party.

Fortunately, Shmoo tracked down enough tickets for everyone who will be here on graduation day. 15. The little schmuckety will have 15 people in the crowd cheering their brains out. I'll be loudest of all. He's graduating. Halleluia!

In other news, work has decided to be insane this past week. Totally nutso. My boss surprised me today and told me that I could have Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off next week. That was very welcome news. One of my sisters will be here visiting and I'll be able to enjoy my time with her AND get everything done for the party AND go to Beanie's college tour on Thursday. Yippee skippy doo-dah day!

Someday I'm going to tell you about how I almost committed a capital crime in a SPRINT store this week trying to buy my new phone. Here's my pretty.

Good Lord I've never had so much trouble giving someone money in my life. I want to buy a phone and renew my contract for two years and you'd think I was trying to rob the place instead of giving them business. All I can say is "Thank you Arnie in Texas!" for letting me buy my phone. After much angst and wailing I got my phone yesterday and finally got it activated and synced with all my stuff. It doesn't take much to make me happy. Really.

Beanie had his last day at junior college today. Three years and two AAs later he's graduating and off to Cal State Fullerton next year. You can count on hearing more about that as the summer progresses. We are all excited about his new adventure. I've worried and fretted from time to time, but I'm also very proud of him.

Shmoo has his last final tomorrow. So we are down to less than a week until graduation and 9 days until the party. Time seems accelerated right now. Posting will probably continue to be sporadic and Lord knows when I'll catch up on reading any of yours. I try to catch up and read from google reader randomly, but they seem to reproduce more quickly than I'm reading.

This is the longest post ever but I sleep better knowing I've told you more than you want to know everything. I've got my paltry (9? 10?) May reading half written. Maybe I'll get it posted over the weekend. We'll see. I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.

What's New in my World

In a little less than two weeks, it will all be over...Shmoo's graduation and the party. This is all keeping me young. Right? Work. Exercise. Chores. Party planning. I should be about 18 by the time the party is over. I keed... I keed... (Only sort of. Heh heh)

It's all good and aside from worrying that I'm going to have my back against the wall again with the scrapbooking, everything is going pretty well. Even the scrapbook. I always forget until I get going on this stuff how long the arranging, then rearranging, redesigning, finally cutting, pasting and hoping it's what I really like...takes. In 8 1/2 hours today I did six pages. SIX!

Unfortunately I only got to work on the scrapbook one day again this weekend. We had a very busy Saturday with shopping, chores and then a friend's birthday party. I was too beat to start anything last night. Well except for a book.

I had to read it I tell ya! I won RUNNING WILD by Sarah McCarty in a contest over at Lisabea's. I love Sarah McCarty books. So you can see why I HAD to postpone the scrapbooking until today. Don't you?

BTW, you should check out the link to her page as she has a new letter up on the home page talking about her upcoming releases. I'm excited because the next book in the Hell's Eight series SAM'S CREED is releasing in July. Just one more month and another Sarah McCarty book is out AND it's a western. Bliss I tell you. Bliss.

Anyway, I'm working on my dismal May reading list and will post that tomorrow. God willing.

Not REALLY Here

You don't really see me. I'm NOT really here. I'm NOT checking emails. I'm NOT reading books or posts. I'm NOT writing posts. I'm scrapbooking.

OR...maybe...

I'm the F-L-A-S-H!

6-0-5 and counting...

Life she is muy busy right now. I started scrapbooking. Which isn't to say I actually started Shmoo's. In reality I'm finishing my boys' version of the heritage scrapbook. I'm almost done with one and have about half of the other to do.

Yes, it IS more than a little whacked to be working on scrapbooks that could be done AFTER the graduation. But here my little chiquitas is the deal. I lose interest in projects when the "moment" has passed. I did the heritage scrapbooks for a specific moment in time. Christmas 2006. I got all the books done for my siblings but never finished the two I was doing for Shmoo and Beanie. Now 18 months later I HAVE to get them done before I start Shmoo's scrapbook. If I don't finish them now, sadly, I never will.

The good news is that I got more stuff for Shmoo's book on Saturday and pulled out more of the stuff that will go into his book. I also got everything organized and ready to go. I'm pretty giddy over the idea that I only have to do ONE SINGLE scrapbook this time. By the time I finish these last two heritage books I will have done TEN of them. I need some serious therapy. I didn't have to do one for all of my 7 siblings did I? Plus my two boys. Plus the experimental prototype that started it all. Huh? Did I?

So I'm plugging along. I've promised myself I will do a little bit everyday. I have *checking the calendar* 20 days left to get it done by my deadline which is Saturday June 7th. That's the last Saturday before graduation. The following Saturday is the grad party. So no procrastinating. It's going to be different than Beanie's graduation. Really, it is.

I don't very often notice what post number I'm on, but I've just completed post 605. Can't believe it. What a wild ride.

For the Inquiring Minds...

These first photos are from Beanie's scrapbook. I chose 12x12 sized scrapbooks for both of the boys and for the most part I'm glad I did. These larger pages are the traditional size most of us visualize when we think of a scrapbook. However, it's not always easy filling those big pages.

Also, I'm not an expert or even particularly creative or clever. I am glad that I've gathered the stuff all in one spot and have it glued down some where, but don't expect a professional layout. It's just me. My only hope (and goal) is that my boys will appreciate having this stuff saved and put together. Some day. Maybe.

For the double page I photographed below, I had no trouble filling the big pages. It's the "He ain't heavy... He's my brother!" layout. I had lots of photos to chose from for that.

Side Note: I was too lazy to confiscate find the digital camera in Shmoo & Beanie's room. So, as usual, I took a shortcut and used my phone. The pictures aren't the greatest. End note.

I also took a couple of pictures from the heritage scrapbooks I did for all my siblings in the Fall of 2006 for Christmas gifts that year. This book is 8x8 and has a recurring color theme of pale green, red, and pink. I tried to use vintage looking paper, ribbon, lace, buttons, etc. to give it a historical feel.

The first page I'm showing you is the one I did of my parents wedding...

This next picture is of a page from very early in the scrapbook. I made a page with a large brown shipping tag like people used to put on their luggage when they came to the U.S. through Ellis Island. Then I used a label maker and made individual strip tags of all the family names I found in my research.

So now you have a little taste and feel for what I've done. I thought I'd share them with you since I frequently whine about being neck deep in some project.

Shmoo's scrapbook update: I bought some more cool stuff to go IN the book but haven't measured, cut or glued a single thing yet. But I'm thinking, thinking, thinking about what I'm going to do. Thinking. A lot...

Lots and lots of thinking.

A Day Late...

...and a dollar short. I had hoped to do this post last night but I had the worst mother of a migraine headache yesterday. Probably the worst I've had in about three years. I don't know if it's the recent posts by Holly and Jenster about their headaches or just what, but Lord-a-mercy the headache I had yesterday made me sick as a dog. I'm much better now, but also a bit exhausted. So, I'm off to bed as soon as I get this posted.

Here's the latest list of books to be added to my TBR. BTW, today I bought FORCE OF NATURE by Suzanne Brockmann. It was 40% off at Barnes and Noble if you have a membership. I had an additional 15% off coupon so I walked out with the book for just $14.47. That's cheaper than most trade sized paperbacks. If anyone needs the 15% off coupon just click here. You have to be a B&N member to use it, but it's good until August 19th, so have at it.

Books I bought Saturday from the wonderful Toni's New and Recycled Romances:

1. SECRETS - Volume 9. I confess I bought this one new. Even though it's my first volume of SECRETS and even though Rosario gave a recent less than stellar review of Volume 4. I confess I couldn't resist with two of the four authors being familiar to me. This one contains stories by Bonnie Hamre, Kimberly Dean, Lisa Marie Rice and Kathryn Anne Dubois.

2. FORGET ME NOT - Marliss Melton. I've got two of her books now because I heard good things about her. I haven't read either one yet.

3. Sil Sp Ed #1732 HIS COMFORT & JOY by Jessica Bird

4. Sil Sp Ed #1750 FROM THE FIRST by Jessica Bird

5. HEART OF GOLD by Jessica Bird. What can I say? I read one SSE and decided I need to read more of Jessica Bird aka JR Ward. Apparently I'm the very last romance reader on the planet to know these are the same person.

6. GOSSAMER by Rebecca Hagan Lee. Rec from SL Wendy

7. MIDNIGHT RAIN by Holly Lisle. Rec from SL Wendy. Don't worry Wendy, I've heard good things about both these authors and they are both new to me, so new is good. Wendy, bless her, thinks she influences me to the dark side by recommending books that I snatch up and buy. Heh, heh, like I ever need help buying books. I'm just grateful for the recs.

8. CODE OF HONOR by Catherine Mann. Actually her category romances were recommended to me by Lori at Let's Gab. I didn't find any of those at Toni's place but this sounded interesting so I scooped it up.

9. EMBRACED BY DARKNESS by Keri Arthur. I just keep buying the books in this series. I haven't started reading it yet. Although I must admit I like when I have four books in a series to start with then the next one doesn't seem so far away by the time I get them read AND I can read them all in a row.

Next are the pictures of my TBR which is now stored in rubbermaid tubs. There are only about 3-4 books on my bedside stand and I now can live TBR anxiety free. Take a look at the new tubs o' TBR.




Top two tubs most likely to be broken into. Already these are both full.




What else would be next? Although the Regency tub is a broad term for really all British historicals whatever the time period.




Last but certainly not least are all other Historicals.




Here they are all five of them in their glory messing up what once was a nicely organized office.




This is my now messy office. See all the scrapbooking stuff that has been out since my project since last Christmas? I'm still working on the last two heritage scrapbooks for my two sons. Since Shmoo is graduating next June I need to get his scrapbook done.





The scrapbooking table that never ends. Note the neat piles of even more scrapbooking paper under the table. Does it look like there's much room between this table and the TBR tubs? There isn't!


***ETA***
Don't forget when you comment your name will be added to the drawing for the Sylvia Day book, book bag and poster.

Where Have I Been?

Well, the mysterious Christmas project that ate part of November and all of December was heritage scrapbooks for each of my siblings and their families. You might not think from the sound of it that this should take up so blasted much of my time. Well, neither did I. In fact while it is a project I've been contemplating for many years, it was something I'd been putting off due to lack of time to devote to really doing it right.

Like many people, I have an interest in our family history. Because my father's parents died when he was so young, we got very little information from him about his family and family history. On my mother's side both of her parents were first generation immigrants from Italy. Fortunately, we heard stories about coming over to America from Italy and about their families while growing up.

Over the years I've been collecting bits of information and just sticking it in a folder. A few years ago my mother gave me her childhood scrapbooks she had done of school events and her early years with my Dad. Then in October I was going though some photo albums of family pictures to look for a particular picture for one of my brothers and thought it might be in Mom's scrapbook. While looking through them I got struck with the idea to make heritage scrapbooks for my siblings. My original intention was just to do something fun and only go back to our grandparents' generation.

You know what they say about plans? Life's what happens when you are making plans. While verifying information on family members on a couple of search websites I kept finding more and more information about our ancestors. I ended up with a book going back three generations on both sides. The end result was a 30-page scrapbook for my 7 siblings. Yes, you read that right SEVEN siblings and their families. And, yes it is one of the more cuckoo ideas I've had because of the short time period I had to complete the research, plan the scrapbook, purchase all the materials and then actually do the books.

A few of them I had to get done right away because I had to get them mailed to be received in time for Christmas. I considered chucking the idea more than once and not trying to get them all done by Christmas, but I just couldn't put the idea away.

Of course, during the two months I worked on the project I was filled with doubt and insecurity whether they would like the books or not...I mean not everyone is interested in their ancestory. After a 8 or 10 hour day of cutting and pasting I'd crawl into bed and ask TGILW if he thought they'd like the books. Thankfully the man is as patient and sweet as he is and he kept encouraging and reassuring me.

Even with TGILW's wonderful encouragement it wasn't the same as sharing some of the "finds" with my family members. Thank God my sister Mary came to visit for my niece's graduation in early December. I had her open her scrapbook on December 8th. Selfishly, I wanted to be with her when she opened it and secondly, I was going crazy without someone to talk to about it. Without her those final couple of weeks, I don't know what I would have done. Not only did were we able to discuss the family history, but she scrapbooks so I had a sympathetic ear to moan about the long hours to complete each book.

By the time Christmas arrived I was very anxious and nervous. Just as Mary and TGILW predicted, I had many tearful and wonderful conversations with my brothers and sisters on Christmas day. Everyone was so sweet and appreciative. I'm particularly happy that the information was so appreciated by my nieces and nephews.

I'm not completely done though. There is still some additinal research I'm doing for my own benefit and I'm finishing up two more scrapbooks to give to each of my sons which will bring the grand total to 10, 30-page scrapbooks. But these last two I don't have to get done in a specific time period and while I hope to have them done before the end of January, it will be at a much more leisurely pace.

So project done, holiday travel done, I'm back home and, I can't believe I'm saying this, anxious to get back to some kind of normal routine. I think I've read like two books the past month. Not because I'm in a funk, but either I've been too busy or too tired. I still bought books though. The TBR looks positively dangerous!