10 Things

So since I nearly forgot about 10 things on the 10th of the month, I am going to do a quick post and use the theme of family (from NaBloPoMo) for my ten things.

Ten things you may or may not know about my family:

Liz & Jessica

• For awhile, I forgot I had a sister.  My sister was born when I was 18 and out of the house, so for a little while, if people asked me if I had siblings, I would only mention my brother.  (Sorry, Lizzy.)  But now I have it under control and will always mention her.  Which leads to...
• My daughter and my sister are the same age.  My sister is two months and a day older than Jessica, so my mom and I were pregnant at the same time.  I swear, Father of the Bride II stole our story, although we didn't go into labor at the same time (obviously). 
• For a little over a year (in 2001-02), my brother and I lived next door to each other, but the only time we really saw each other was when we ran into each other in the grocery store.  
• My grandma is going to be 92 in two months.  Today would have been my grandpa's 100th birthday (if he was still alive).  My grandma is still living on her own, driving, and in good health (in spite of the car accident she had on Wednesday afternoon).  
• My mom and her mom (my grandma) haven't talked in about 24 years.  Lots of old family issues that could never be resolved and came to the breaking point when I was pregnant with my daughter.  They got in a fight then, and weren't even in the same room with each other until my bridal shower sixteen years later (where they ignored each other).  
• My mom was adopted when she was 6.  She was taken from an abusive home and adopted out to my grandparents.  When I was 16, she found out about her birth family.  Every once in awhile she learns something new about them.  One of the "fun" facts is that her biological grandmother participated in the "world's oldest profession."
• My in-laws are about the same age as my grandma.  My MIL is 91 and my FIL is 88.  It seemed sort of strange at first, but they are really really sweet people.
• My step-daughter and step-son moved to and live in Walla Walla, with their mom.  We don't get to see them often nowadays, but when Tim and I first got together, we had one or the other of the kids for several years.  Tim is a great dad, and his kids should feel lucky to have him.  
• My dad committed suicide in May of 2008.  It still bothers me and makes me feel bad.  We weren't close at the time, so I guess that makes me feel even more guilty.  
• He was not my biological dad.  My biological dad (and his family) didn't want to have anything to do with me.  He signed over any rights to me when my mom married and my dad adopted me.  To this day, I have never had any contact with my biological dad.  I don't really care to.  My mom thinks that is odd since it was a big thing for her to find her biological roots. 

So that is that.  

What sorts of oddities do you have in your family tree?

10 Things

10 Things

Shimelle hosts 10 Things on the 10th.  Check her out.  :)  

Over at The Lily Pad, there is a discussion going on about stats and faves of 2011.  You can check it out here.  I normally wouldn't have thought about how many scrapbook layouts I did in any given year, but that thread got me thinking, and I had to go back and count them up.  I accomplished more than I believed, largely because I was on a CT for a bit and got a bunch done for her massive product releases.  It was a fun time.  Anyway, I ended up completing 86 layouts.  I was happy with that number because it was averaging more than 1 a week even though there were bursts of activity and big giant lulls when I did no scrapping whatsoever.

I thought I'd go back and post a ten of my favorite layouts from 2011.  

1.  This was one of my favorites because I seriously worked so very hard on this.  It was for a challenge at Sweet Shoppe, and you had to include 25 words about yourself.  It took me quite awhile to go through my digi stash and find enough words (that fit) and elements that were the right color (or could be re-colored).  

2.   I loved this because I created the stamp with the art quote.  It is also a picture of a painting I did for my friend, Jerisha, for Christmas.  

3. A fun picture of my daughter and her friend Amy.  I love the colors and the viewmaster reel.   

4. A funky layout (I believe it was a scraplift challenge) of our dog, Bobby.  I loved the unserious nature of it.   

5. I loved the kit I used in this layout.  I also loved the picture, and I liked how it all came together.  I ended up posting this for a challenge at TLP, only to have it deleted because the kit was from Oscraps.  Oops.  I re-did it using TLP products for the challenge, but still like how this one turned out.   

6.  I loved this picture of little mister wiping ice cream off his mom's face.  I also loved loved loved this kit from Dani Mogstad.   

7.  The pictures of Tim and I are few and far between.  It isn't the best picture, but I liked it anyway, and I love having a layout of the two of us. 

8. This is a layout I did during a speed scrap at Sweet Shoppe on National Scrapbooking day in May.  This is my nephew, Lucian, and it is rare to catch him smiling, so I loved this layout.   

9. I love Sara Gleason's templates (Zinnia and Swallowtails), and this is one of those weird layouts that just sort of happened without planning, and I really loved the funkiness of it all.   

 10. I am not a big fan of having my picture taken. I rarely create any layouts featuring myself, but this was for a speed scrap, and I like how it turned out.  I love the painty stuff, the sequins and the stitching.  

Have you picked out your favorite layouts/projects of the year?  If not, why haven't you?  It is kind of fun to go back over and see what you did, if your style changed over the course of 12 months and/or what you documented.


  

10 Things: Family Traditions

It is the tenth of the month, and that means, a big group of people share ten things... they can be ten of anything.  Shimelle started this fun project, and you can check out her post as well as many others here.

It seems that we have been on a streak of bad luck lately.  I've been trying to just get through one day at a time, so I've been a little scattered and not keeping up with my blogging.  Ugh.  I figured that this was a good opportunity to be grateful for the happy things we do have.  Growing up, my family did not have a whole lot of traditions, which I think is kind of weird.  We have an unusual family, so I guess it is just the way that it is. I've always been one that has craved traditions and always on the lookout for something new to try.  Here is a sample of our traditions...

10 Family Traditions:

1. Socks.  My daughter, Jessica, is notorious for losing her socks.  I am not sure how she does it, but she always runs out and ends up stealing mine.  I have a weird thing with socks, and if they look grungy, I don't want to wear them. Unfortunately, she always makes them look grungy, so she ends up with mine as well as hers (that are lost).  Every year, I end up buying her a package of socks for Christmas.  It is now a running joke and sometimes she gets them for her birthday as well.
2. School supplies.  We always shop for school supplies.  It doesn't matter if anyone is going to school or not.  We always stock up on cheap pens, pencils and composition books.  It is a family rule.  
3. Uncle Dan's.  We always have "Uncle Dan's" dip for the holidays; really it is made on any holiday.  It is just a garlic ranch dip packet that you find at the grocery store.  Nothing mind-blowingly special, but it is a must for us.  I'm not really sure how this started, but it is deeply entrenched in my family.  Tim is learning to accept and love this tradition... lol.  My grandma used to make the dip, and then my mom made it, and I even remember one holiday when I'd first moved out on my own, my mom was remarried and didn't make the dip.  It was horrible for all of us.  It seems silly, but that is one of *the only* traditions we really had, so it made a big difference to us when it was missed.
4. Thanksgiving Eve.  We do not cook dinner on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.  We spend so much time and effort cooking on Thanksgiving (and usually prepping the day before), that we refuse to cook.  We eat out that night and save ourselves the hassle.  

10 Things

Shimelle started a wonderful tradition over at her blog, where she documents 10 Things on the 10th of each month.  There are no other rules.  Just 10 things.  Hmmm.  I always get so excited about the possibilities, that I end up flustered and can’t figure out how to narrow my ideas down to one topic (I tend to be that way on most things, unfortunately). 

So this month, I decided that I would come up with a list of ten things that I want to blog about for future 10 Things posts.  That will take away some of my own personal drama.  LOL. 

1. Favorite Holiday Traditions:  Our family doesn’t have a lot of them, but I’d wager a guess that I could come up with ten that we currently have or add in a few that I’d like to incorporate in the future.  Do you have any holiday traditions to share?  It could be any holiday, really. 

2. Favorite recipes:  Since I’ve been wasting spending a lot of time on Pinterest, I’ve bookmarked quite a few recipes that I’d like to try.  There are also several I have tried, so I could mix it up. 

3. Good Causes:  Toward the end of the year, I always receive so many requests for last-minute funds/donations to all sorts of worthy causes.  One of these days, I’d like to pick some of my faves and write up a bit about each.  Do you have specific causes you favor?  Or volunteer activities that mean a lot to you? 

4. Things That Have Been Inspiring Me: Again, Pinterest has a load of inspiration, but there are other sources of inspiration as well.  Different music, videos, blogs, magazines, designers, artists, etc. 

5. Music That Conjures Up Memories of My Dad:  My dad and I were never very close, but it bothers me a lot more lately.  He committed suicide three and a half years ago, and there is just a lot left hanging around in the corners of my mind.  I have some songs on my playlist that always remind me of time spent with him when I was young.  I’d like to explore that further.

6. Poems I Need to Write: Sometimes, I think I have too many ideas, and that is why I never get anything accomplished.  If I listed out a bunch of my poem ideas, they’d be there, germinating, and I might be more inspired to complete them.  Same goes for stories.

7. Good Books: I’ve read some great books in the past couple of years, yet anytime someone asks me about something good I’ve read, I can’t remember specific titles.  I’d like to have a fun list of them to look back on in the future.

8. Letters to Grandbabies: Ali Edwards posts occasional letters to her kids.  They are really wonderful, and they provide a great snapshot of what is going on in their everyday lives.  I’d like to start creating those for Little Mister and Coco so  I have them saved.  Since I am saving those for future posts, I’ll just share a couple of quick scrap layouts of the boys. 

 

9. Topics I’d Like to Learn More About: There are so many things I’d like to learn about, it isn’t even funny.  Maybe if I sketched out a top-ten list of those, it would be easier to make the time to tackle a new topic every now and then.

10. Creative Projects I Want to Tackle: Like number nine above, there are tons and tons of creative projects I want to do at some point. Most of the time, I end up just creating a new scrapbooking page or something in lieu of starting a new creative project because I just freeze up when I think of all that I want to accomplish. 

Ugh.  Looking at this list makes me wish I didn’t need time to sleep.  Life would be so much easier if science could solve that little issue for me. 

What about you?  Do you create lists for yourself?  Do you have a to-do list that is a million miles long?  How do you juggle everything you want to do and still maintain your sanity (and a reasonable sleeping schedule)?

10 Things

Shimelle hosts 10 on the 10th.  Check her out.  :)  I totally have a girl/creative crush on Shimelle.  Okay, so now that I seem to be a crazy person, I'm just going to go ahead with my list.

10 Things that are currently making me happy...

1. Tim's post-surgery follow-up went well and he is cancer free!  There is just not gratitude enough for such wonderful news!  I am looking forward to life getting back to normal later this month (fingers crossed).

2.  Today is his birthday, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY, dear Timbie!

3. The Puyallup Fair started yesterday.  This, for the most part does not make me happy because we live 6 blocks away and have to deal with parking issues for the next three weeks, but I am looking forward to going to the fair next week and taking Kennedy to see the animals and other fun stuff.

4. Kenny & Zuke's - Portland:  in honor of Tim's birthday, we are going to go to Portland for an overnight trip.  We found this great deli the last time we were there, so we are looking forward to going back.  They have THE BEST sandwiches.  They also have great breakfast options with a fresh bagel available instead of toast.

5.  A trip to Powell's.  No trip to Portland would be complete without a trip to Powell's books.  I have to practice restraint when I go, but just wandering through the stacks of books makes me smile.

6. McMenamins - In Portland, we'll be staying at the Crystal Hotel, which is one of the McMenamins properties.  We stayed at the Kennedy School last time, so we are looking forward to seeing this one.  Their hotels are quirky and artsy, so it is always interesting.

7-9.  Artfest 2012!!!  I just registered for next year's Artfest and am totally excited.  I was nervous because you are never guaranteed that you will get the classes you want, and it is a lot of money for not getting a guarantee.  But I lucked out and got my first three choices.  Now I am totally excited and can't wait until spring.  Ugh.  Seems like such a long wait.  But I get to take a class with Michael DeMeng, Andrea Matus and Jesse Reno!  Totally psyched.  This is my graduation gift to myself.  :)  

10.  Fall is in the air.  It is that time for back-to-school, and I am always energized at this time of the year.  I don't know if it is the idea of school starting, the freshness in the air, canning food (we just preserved 15 jars of pickles and are getting ready for tomato sauce), the fair, or what, but I am a big fan of fall.  Last night, in our back yard, you could hear the cheering crowds from the high school football stadium (several blocks away) which totally brought back tons of memories, and there is just nothing quite like the feeling of September.  Soon it will be time for the pumpkin patch and then, before we know it, the holiday season will be approaching.  Sigh.  It is time to get organized! 

What is making you happy right now???

Ten Things

Shimelle hosts Ten Things (on the 10th of the month) on her blog.  I thought I'd jump in and participate. 

Since I am officially "on vacation" for a few days, I thought I would post my top ten favorite things about vacation/traveling.  We haven't been on vacation for quite some time.  I went to England in January, but it really wasn't a vacation (since it was all about school).  Right now, we have three days of sightseeing (vacation) in New York, and then Saturday is my final presentation and then Saturday night is graduation!  Sunday will be winding down and seeing a little of Jersey before heading back to the airport.

Without further adieu...

1. Staying in a hotel.  I love not having to clean or make the bed.  I love to be spoiled by staying in a hotel and having nice bedding (without cat hair) without the work.  
2. Going out to eat.  It is sort of piggy-backing off of #1, but it is so nice to not have to be responsible for deciding what everyone will be eating all day, not having to do the shopping/prep/cooking and cleanup.   By the time we get home, I know I will be tired of eating out, but the first day or two it is always nice to relax.  
3. Photo opps!  I totally love taking pictures of little mister day in and day out, but it is nice to get a change of scenery and see some things that aren't local.  :)  There will be lots of opportunities to scrapbook in the upcoming months (and maybe it will inspire me to get out the pics I took two years ago in NY and scrap those too... yikes).  (Photos to be uploaded later.)
4. New York vibe.  As much as I love living a small town (suburban-barely-above-rural), it is nice to get into the major city in the country and experience all that it has to offer.  We aren't getting the full experience in just three short days, but it is a taste, and that is good enough for now.  I think that the small doses of big-city life are terrific because it always seems new and exciting.  If I had to live in NY, I'm not sure that I would like it, but visiting is loads of fun.  
5. Sense of history and awe.  We are going to Ellis Island.  In normal day-to-day life, we handle family issues and dysfunction.  Normally, the bigger picture is cloudy and very far removed.  We don't have a lot of family history or extended family.  A visit to Ellis Island is a reminder that our families have come a long way.  It is a brush with history and destiny at the same time.  It is powerful.      
6. Art.  We are going to be checking out some art galleries in Soho and wherever else our travels may take us.  I'm excited to see art on the edge and gain inspiration from color, urban scenery, and personalities.
7. Coney Island.  I've always had these ideas and images in my mind about Coney Island.  They probably come from the movie Big or other various movies/tv shows.  Now we will experience it in real life, and it is exciting.  I hope that it lives up to my expectations.  I hope it is fun, picture-worthy and we lose our breath on a ride or laugh until we shoot food out our noses.  
8. People watching.  No matter where we go, we have fun watching all of the different people and giving them stories.  We are always good at spotting characters and entertaining ourselves with them.
9. Getting to spend some quality alone time with Timbie before he has to have surgery.  In less than a month he will be having major surgery and will be down and out for at least a month.  I know he claims he isn't worrying about it, but I find that hard to believe.  Anytime someone is diagnosed with cancer, it is a life-changing issue.  I think it is good for him to get away and have a bit of a break before everything changes.
10. Missing and being missed.  There are times when I believe that togetherness tends to breed complacency and we often take each other for granted when we see each other all of the time.  We get caught up in the day-to-day hectic paces and forget to really think about each other and how we relate in the household.  Having a few days of time away can provide us with those realizations of how much we care about each other and make us appreciate the time and relationships that we do have together.  

What are your ten?