Stopping by

Christmas has rushed on through once again, this year bringing lots of snow and a horrible, wicked cold for me.

Today I spent some time cleaning out my email boxes, starting fresh. I have been saving all of the Reverb10 I have not done and well I deleted them. I have allowed myself to wave that white flag and not be a hot mess trying to catch up and finish. I did as much as I could and that is good enough. Maybe next year.

As for December Daily, its there and it wants to be finished and it will. Slowly but surely. I have had some wonderful December days that I want to capture and the perfect book that I created to put them in. I will get around to doing, I will.

Tomorrow I turn 31! Yikes, the year went by so fast. I am hoping for some bigger and better changes this 31st year of being me.

I will be back on January first with a clean slate.

Hope all is well with all you, hope the holidays are treating you good. If you got dumped on by snow, I hope you are keeping safe and warm.

I am off to work with my January kit from Scrapbooking from the inside out, my first month with them starts on January first so stop back for a reveal!!!! Go stop by their site and see what has been going on this past month for their December kit, some great tutorials and ideas!

Catch up time

So I will just chalk all of this non blogging up to the holidays. Hold on while I catch my breath...............ok time for some reverb10 blogging.

Prompt15: 5 minutes. Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010.

Making new friends, time spent with family, vacation with mom and Cathy, vacation with Will, turning thirty, my first trip to Atlantic city with Erin, concerts with Sara, wonderful snow storms(to me that is great) traveling to see friends, getting a car again:), summer days spent on Shelter Island and out east. And now I am running a blank.


Prompt16: Friendship. How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst?

Well one of my friends went through a very big change this past year. Her life was something I had always admired and looked up to. Things turned around over the course of a few years and this past year she has struggled to get it all back on track. She taught me that you can lose your way very quickly in this crazy world and that it is a very hard hill to climb back up to the top. I feel as if I learned this right along with her, gradually through her journey.


Prompt17: Lesson learned. What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward?

That I can be a little bit of a pushover and allow some people to walk all over me. As for next year I will start to work on not allowing this to be the case anymore. Standing up for myself, speaking up for myself.


Prompt18: Try. What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn't go for it?

I want to try and lose weight and become a healthy person. I wanted to do that last year but I let my evil side get the best of me. I have to learn how to cope with stress better, how to take care of myself better. I feel once I accomplish this, other things that I want to try will be easier and more fulfilling.


Prompt19: Healing. What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011?

This I am still working on.

Prompt20: Beyond avoidance. What should you have done this year
but didn't because you were too scared, worried, unsure, busy or otherwise deterred from doing? (Bonus: Will you do it?)


I should have saved my money and moved out of the house I am in. Started to live my own life(with Will) in our own place. Goal for 2011 is to do it, make it happen.

Phewwwww, all caught up:)

Time for a layout

This is an image of my sister, my Aunt Pat and me. It was taken at my Aunt and Uncle's fiftieth wedding anniversary. She happens to be one of the best aunts out there. Her sense of humor is the great, she is the best thrifter I know, she has a quirky personality and has some of the funniest names for her cats. I look forward to the day when I live a little closer to her and I can join her for some thrifting and some dinner.

Reverb10 catch up

Prompt 12: Body integration. This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn't mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present?

Swimming in the bay this past summer. When you swim you use every part of your body really. Your arms, legs, lungs, eyes, you are quite aware of the water and your body's movements. You are quite aware that you are alive and on this planet.

Prompt 13: Action. When it comes to aspirations, its not about ideas. It's about making ideas happen. What's your next step?

Organize, concentrate, less Internet more time creating. I need to get my thoughts in order, put them on paper and organize them. Right now everything is just floating away up there in a giant ocean with nothing to hold on to. Things get lost and forgotten. I need to concentrate on ways to accomplish goals and make things happen, more time thinking less time dreaming. Less Internet as stated below, it drains my time, takes away from me creating, really making things happen.

Prompt 14: Appreciate. What's the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?

My family. Plain and simple. I have spent a lot more time visiting my parents and will be spending a lot more time visiting in the year to come because I will finally have wheels. I have also come to appreciate my good friends a lot more as well, the ones who keep in touch with me, show their concern, express their faith in me, who are there in general.

Phewww.

Why must the holidays be so insane? I just need one day off so I can breath, get things in order and maybe nap! But it appears that the end is not in sight yet and things are just piling up. I will catch up on Reverb10 prompt 12 and 13 soon(probably tonight after I give them some thought) I also have been slacking on my December Daily, there you go I admitted it. I have however been recording what has been going on in a notebook and taking pictures. So even though its not all in the book, I do have it all ready to go when I get that moment. And now I must head off to the post office and ship out three big boxes. I just wanted to share a layout I did.

I have finally gotten around to doing a page about our first camping trip together. This is Will in our very retro tent. Everyone else had this massive mini city tents with air mattresses and we had our triangle, old school tent from the seventies and flannel sleeping bags. Haha. On the last night of our camping trip, there was a torrential down pour and our tent got flooded. We winded up bunking with our friends in their out door mansion. All in all it was a fantastic time and we need to do this more often, perhaps with a better tent next time:)

Reverb10 day 11

Prompt: 11 Things. What are 11 things your life doesn't need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life?

This has been something on my mind a lot lately. In 2011 I need some big changes, this past year I have let things go by the wayside.

So 11 things, lets see.

1. My life does not need any extra weight! Geez louise. Shall I share a picture of old Patty.

And I will not even post a picture of the new Patty, oh no. So for 2011 I really do not need all that extra fat, sugar, calories. Non of it.

2. I do not need so much Internet, I am cutting back. I spend way to much time on the computer when I can be reading, listening to music, creating, spending time with my boyfriend. In 2011 I will not need that Internet app on my phone, oh no sir. I am getting rid of it, I am cutting the cord and I am going back to enjoying an hour a day or less of blog reading, blogging, Facebooking, twittering, all of those Internet time sucker uppers.

3. I am weeding out those people who just bring drama, who hardly talk to me, who just talk to me when they feel like they want to. Don't worry, its non of you, more like the people in my life out here. I just do not have the patience for playing along anymore.

4. I will not need as much caffeine. I am cutting back, ONE cup a day if at all. NO MORE STARBUCKS almost every day. Save the money, make your own. Maybe once a week if any of Starbucks. My money is going down the drain and my sleep is getting deprived.

5. Clutter, who needs it. I am making things simple. I am getting rid of a lot, it weighs me down, it makes me anxious. If its not getting used or worn, its gone! I feel the need to live a more simple life. It will help your health a whole bunch.

6. I will not need one single cigarette ever again, NOT even social. Why bother? Even just that one cigarette every few months is horrible for you. Do not fool yourself. ITS BAD! Bye bye social butts.

7. Alcohol. Alcohol makes you fat, it is so very bad for your health. We over do it on the weekends and at gatherings. NO MORE. I will limit myself to drinking only twice a month. And when I do drink, it will be in moderation. I have a beer belly, I will admit it. This is a very important thing to cut out.

8. Disorganization. Time for lists, goals, organization of financial things. No more being UN organized and stressed. I create to much anxiety for myself and its horrible. Its probably the reason I cannot fall asleep at night as well. I lay there thinking about things that need to get done.

9. Anything that is not water. No more soda, iced tea, lemonade, any sugary drinks. MORE WATER! I see it in my face, dry skin, over all health. I will limit myself to about 2 sugary drinks a month as a treat.

10. An empty wallet. Save more, spend less on useless things. No more buying lunches in the city. No more random magazines for the train. If its extra spending, then I do not need it.

11. Anymore new makeup, scrap supplies, art and craft supplies in general. Use what I have, be frugal. Treat myself to new stuff when the old stuff is gone. Be more aware what is being bought and for what purpose.

Phewwwwwww, that pretty much played out like a New Years resolution list, it really is though:) I killed two birds with one stone. Its like a relief though, and I hope that I can maintain and make a change.

Reverb10 day 9 and 10 and a layout

Day 9 Prompt: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people

Oh man, they all seem a blur, lol. As for parties, our friend's had a Christmas in July party that was a lot of fun. There was trailer park of sorts present exchange, Christmas food, drinks, even a yule log on the ole tv. We had a blast but the next day I was a hurting. The people who threw it was a great group of people, lots of fun, very welcoming. As for gathering I will have to go with my trip to Ohio to see the girls(Mandi, Jen, Vanessa, Danielle) I also got to meet Vee and Stephanie. We had fun thrifting, shopping, crafting, skyping, talking, laughing, you get the idea. I look forward to these get togethers every year.

Day 10 Prompt: Wisdom. What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out?

Wisest decision I made this year was to let go. I was with my job for two years and I so desperately did not want to go, however the child I watched would be start school and would go 5 days a week 9-12. It would have left me with no hours and yada yada(yes I say yada, yada a lot) When my boss talked about what would happen when she started school, and she asked me what I wanted to do, I spoke up and told her that I would sadly have to move on. This was a smart decision because I did it at just the right time and was able to secure a job a few blocks away with a family I already knew. I guess its not a huge past year decision but for me it was big, it was a big change and it all turned out alright:)

Now since my blog posts are lacking visual creative things, I thought I would fit in a layout with this reverb post!

This is just a little ode to me and Willard. This picture is probably from 2007 or so(I used it on my very first blog post!). It was on our trip to the Oyster Bay planting fields. This happens to be his favorite picture of us, probably because I am looking all cute, j/k :) hehe.

Reverb10 Day 8

December 8 – Beautifully Different. Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful.

I would have to say my sense of humor, my ability to make people laugh. Sometimes I laugh when I am nervous, people can take that the wrong way but I always try to make light of heavy moments I suppose.

Today I also wanted to remember a great man that was taken from us on this day in 1980. Such a talented, genuine person was taken from us. I would have liked to see what he would be doing these days. You will live on through your music.

Reverb10 Day 7

Prompt: Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011?

This one was super easy. First of all my discovery for this community began back in 2009. It started out on a message board called SiS(Scrap in Style TV) and from there it connected me to many amazing ladies who love to create just like me:) The community I am speaking about is the online creative, crafty community and blogging community all rolled up into one. I have traveled to Tenn., Chicago., and Ohio to meet up and spend some time with a wonderful group of friends. If it was not for that little piece of internet that connected us all, I would never have met them and my life would not be as wonderful as it is now. Not just that but it has been great to meet people who enjoy scrapping and crafting just as much as I do. Here is to 2011 introducing me to many more creative people in internet land and scrap land and to our fall meet up on Danielle's turf this time!

Reverb10 day 6

December 6 – Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?

Well my last thing I made was a layout, it seems to be the only thing I make lately. My sewing machine keeps screwing up on me and I will not be making anything with that till it is figured out. So scrap booking it is. I made a layout which is pictured below:) I used paint and stamps, card stock, a sticker banner embellishment and a picture of a very cute dog.



I do want to get a start on my hoop swap I am doing with Sandy, Danielle and Jen. I do need to find the time to just get it started and put in my bag so I can bring it with me while I commute. Must do that on my day off.

Reverb10 day 4 and 5

December 4 – Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?

Hmmmm, I would have to say that I read a heck of a lot more this past year. When you read you place yourself in so many different stories. You allow your mind to go above and beyond and think about things. You learn a lot from books and man did I read a lot of books this year. It definitely created a sense of wonder in my life.

December 5 – Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why

The past, slowly but surely I let go of it and stop thinking that I could have changed this or changed that. It is time to live in the present and this year I will focus on it even more.

Reverb10 day 3

December 3 – Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors).

This one took me a very long time to think about, it really is a hard one. When I think back I can recall a moment this past summer where I felt so alive and so calm. Living here on Long Island we really do have our pick of beaches. There was this one beach that me, my sister and her friend went to . It was right after a rain storm and the sun came out, the tide was low and you could walk out into the bay for miles it felt. The water was clear and the bottom was sand and it reminded me of walking on water, it was amazing. I sat so far out and just floated under the sun and felt so relaxed without a care in the world. The water was pretty warm because it was so low and it was a hot day. The beach came alive right after the storm passed and people we exploring the waters, floating on tubes and reading books. There were children fascinated by the fish and the snails that lived in the bay. The smell of course is like no other, salty and full of life. I need to relive this moment all over again next year.

And before I go, a very happy birthday to the best dad:)

Reverb day 2

On to day 2 of Reverb 10.

Prompt: Writing. What do you each day that doesn't contribute to your writing -- can you eliminate it?

Well this one hit me right away because it is something that I have been thinking about everyday while I do it everyday way to much. That would happen to be surfing the web. I spend way to much time on the internet filling up on other's creativity instead of taking the time to use my creativity. If I was to cut back on the computer usage, I would be able to do much more productive things with my time. That is a given and quite possibly a goal for 2011.

Good news.

As for that news I talked about yesterday, it is now that time to share. Last month I sent in a try out for Scrap booking from the inside out kit club design team and yesterday I was emailed by them and told that I was chosen to join them! I am so very excited to be a part of this team and see what the next 6 months hold while designing for this wonderful company. Be sure to check them out, they have a great message board to hang out on and be inspired by as well as gorgeous, jam packed kits every month! I look forward to sharing what I create as well here on my blog.


This is their December kit that is now available over on the site!

Hope all of you are having a wonderful almost weekend:)

Reverb 2010

While visiting Ali Edwards site recently for some December Daily inspiration, I came across this little project called Reverb 10. Its all about reflecting on the past year before the new one starts. Looking back and remembering certain feelings and thoughts can be such a good thing for the year ahead of us. It can remind us not to make the same mistakes, it can also remind us of all of those special moments we may have forgotten. It is a wonderful tool as well for your story telling and scrap booking. So I have taken the pledge for this years Reverb and today starts day one. Please join in if you can.

December 1 One Word.
Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?
(Author: Gwen Bell)

Bumpy. I choose this word because 2010 was pretty much a roller coaster. Some days were so wonderful and others were the complete opposite. I moved on from a job I was in for 2 years and dealt with a lot of change. We watched a few friends lose parents and it was a very difficult time, trying to cope and be there to support them. I also turned thirty and felt sort of disconnected from a lot of things including friends. It was a bumpy, rocky year and I hope that next year my word may perhaps be smooth:)

Thankful

Happy December 1st! Today starts the beginning of December Daily, can you believe how fast that went by? Over here in NY we are having one heck of a weather day, as I type this up I feel the house sort of sway with the wind. I am not looking forward to my train ride into work at 12, ick. For now I will stay in my very warm, very festive house and drink my egg nogg coffee while I watch Martha and dream of days where I can do this all day long.

Oh, exciting news. Last month I did put all of my efforts into something that I wanted to be a part of and well I received an email yesterday with some very good news. I will share when I am allowed to, I just have to say that I am looking forward to this new part of my scrapping life and yeah that's that for now:)

Following along in the whole "Thankful" subject here today I do have a thankful layout that I made during the Thanksgiving break.

Well of course I am thankful for everyone in my life but in this picture is Will and my dad, and well I am very thankful to have these two guys in my life. They are complete opposites but bring different things to the table. Will is entertaining and lovable and my father is very giving and caring aside from numerous other great qualities. I took this picture at Thanksgiving last year and have been wanting to scrap book it. Will really adores my dad, he looks up to him and finds him to be a very good man, so I thought it cute when they were sitting next to each other on the couch talking. This is one of the reasons why I am thankful this year.

Before I leave I wanted to let you know that we have a new challenge up over at The Creative Type. You are playing for a guest designer spot on next months challenge. So go and check it out!

Paper and me are like this..........

Last night I did a quick tally of all of the layouts that are on my desk waiting to be put away, all of these layouts have been made within the past two months and I had 27 of them laying there. So paper and me are like this(just picture me crossing my pointer finger and middle, yeah you get it) Anyway I was amazed with myself, I have seem to have gotten the scrap booking bug.

I think I found a new perspective on it and I give credit to a number of things, one of those being Ali Edwards. In the past I just scrapped my images and stuck pretty things on the paper and a title and that is it. Now a days I take the time and think of what the picture is all about and what I want other to read when they look at my layouts. A lot of people do scrap booking just for themselves which is great, but a part of me does it for the hopes that someone years from now when I am long gone will look at my books and just enjoy reading about who I was, what I did, that sort of stuff. So when I started thinking that way I got into scrapping more, especially child hood photos. All the pretty stuff of course is great to and I love playing around but it really is the stories that are now more important to me.

This past weekend I went to another crop. Me and my friend have been on the hunt for a good crop in our area that we could attend. The last one we went to was a total dud, everyone was so structured, no one talked and it was just so very boring. We winded up leaving early, waste of money. The one we went to this weekend was awesome, it was in a great space and pleasant people oh and I won the fifty fifty which paid for the money I spent on pretty paper there. But the best part was the brownie sundaes at the end, yes brownie sundaes, haha. I will be attending these ladies crops more often. While at the crop I finished six layout and as well as 2 more at my parents house while visiting for the holidays. I find I work better when surrounded by people, its strange.

Now its time for a layout.

This is a layout in which I used a picture of me at one of my birthday parties. Growing up, my mom would throw my parties at either the bowling alley or The Ground Round. This picture is from The Ground Round. Man I miss that place, they would make fresh pop corn in which they would put into baskets for your table and they had a huge TV screen that played cartoon after cartoon. I am unsure though of which birthday this was for me, I am guessing I was in kindergarten because I do not recognize the kids in the picture. After kindergarten I went off to Catholic school for 6 years and was with the same group of kids for all of those 6 years and remember their faces by heart. So I was probably turning 6 here, just my guess. Its such a funny thing because as I got older I really stopped celebrating my birthday. Last year I turned thirty and did not a single thing. Perhaps this year I should have a birthday party at my local bowling alley:)

Post turkey

And so it begins, the holiday season. We start it by stuffing ourselves with turkey and end it with a hangover(usually) haha. I feel like it really snuck up on us this year, in a blink of an eye it was Halloween then Thanksgiving and now in a few
short weeks, Christmas. Yikes, I better start with my shopping.

I spent a few days at my parent's home for the holiday. Its always so comfortable there and I usually get fed real well, my dad is a great cook. On Thanksgiving my sister and brother in law and my aunt and cousin all joined us. My dad cooked up a storm, it was so delicious and I enjoyed the time with my family. And now to share a few glimpses from my day.







Molly begging for pieces of food while my dad cooked.


Dad cooking.


The table after my mom set it.


Dad.



Mom


The feast.


The fire.


Dessert, Dad's awesome pumpkin cheesecake.

I did not get many pictures of everyone there, obviously or even any of myself. But the pictures I got, I love. Happy post Turkey day.

The layout that went Christmas.

Happy post turkey day. How was your Thanksgiving? Mine was spent at my mom and dad's, very low key, small get together. In the early afternoon while sitting near the fire I did a little scrapping. When it comes to theme scrap booking, its not my thang:) For some reason though with the fire going, and the smell of the dinner cooking as well as a holiday movie and a Christmas photo from last year sitting at the top of my photo pile, I went for the gusto. This happens to be my very first Christmas layout ever! I played it low key on the Christmas colors and embellishments, I also got around to using my Martha Stewart Vintage Doily punch which I love.

That is a picture of me and Will in front of the Rockefeller tree from last Christmas. I think it was one of those pictures where you stick the camera out at an arms length and take your picture, that would be why its so out of frame and wonky but I love it. Even though we live close to the city and venture there quite often(I also work there) we make it a big touristy deal to do the whole holiday thing every year. We visit all of the wonderful window displays on 5th ave, visit all the fun toys at F.A.O Swarz, light candles and reflect at St. Patrick's and of course take in all of the beauty of the Rockefeller tree. We usually end our evening with a visit to our favorite bar, The Blarney over on 32nd. This has become a tradition of ours, one I enjoy immensely and now I have a layout of it:)

The post where I go photo heavy.

Ok, well I am just gonna cut to the chase here. I have finished the foundation pages of my December Daily and man it feels good:) I am one step closer to actually working on it this year and I am gonna admit it, I am proud of myself for starting early and getting it done. All that has to be added now is maybe, possibly some journaling spots(not quite sure on how I will do this) and of course, hopefully some pictures.

I used pretty much everything in my kit that I bought from Every Jot and Title. I also used my trusty water colors, some Martha Stewart Holiday tape, Martha Stewart stickers, and really a modge podge of other things. I will be sure to share as I fill this album up.

Well, I want to wish all of my American friends a Happy Thanksgiving. I will not be posting until after turkey day, a lot of things happening this weekend. So enjoy your holiday, your time with your friends and family and eat, drink and be merry!