Weekends

I forgot how quickly they pass. When you're a teacher, every day is a weekend in the summer. But now that school is in session, they're the two days that pass so quickly my head spins. But the good news is I have a four day weekend next weekend. So that's something to look forward to.

So did I scrap yesterday? Heck no. Went to my mom's for coffee, ran to the Gap to return some jeans, and then got a call from my DH. He needed to drop something off for repairs, so met Jen and I at the mall for lunch. We jumped in his truck and off we went. We passed the zoo on the way to the shop, so of course Jen wanted to go. So off to the zoo we went. And I did not have my camera. BUMMER. Halfway through the zoo, I started to get a migraine. That's my second in a week. WEIRD. I get the aura (vision disturbance) first, and if I take 3 Alleve immediately, I get a very mild headache. Therefore, I carry them with me everywhere I go. So I took my meds, but stumbled around the zoo for that time. Then the problem was I needed to be dropped off at my car to drive home. And I couldn't see.

So Bill and Jen dropped me off and I headed over to the LSS which is a block away from the mall and chatted with the owners about some of the classes I'm teaching. And I bought some stuff. And two hours later, I headed home. No, it didn't take me that long for my vision to clear, I was just shopping and chatting. Priorities, you know!

So here it is, Sunday, and nothing done again. I have 4 ProvoCraft projects due on Friday, so I suppose that's my first order of business. Maybe I can hammer out one today during naptime. Wish me luck!

Have a great Sunday!

Fighting with myself . . .

on this back to school thing. You see, the one bad thing about being a teacher is how tired you are at the end of the day, just from simply interacting with people all day long. It's the weirdest thing . . . I remember Bill asking me how I can be so tired "just from talking all day." And yes, it did make me want to take out a gun and shoot him. But now that he supervises so many people at work, he gets it. It's a mental exhaustion. And it sucks.

So last night Bill wanted to go to a football game and take Jenna. What a fun thing for a family to do, especially while the weather was decent. But I didn't feel like going. My stomach was a little funny, and I was just so tired! So I stayed home and felt guilty that I didn't go. I can just hear Dr. Phil saying, "And how is that working out for you, Kay?" Well, not so much. I have students who would like me to go to their games, and it means a lot to me, but it's so hard to muster up the energy.

And the worst thing is being away from Jenna all day, and being so tired when I get home. I mean, I only have a few hours with her in the evenings, and she deserves my time and energy. I guess I need to make some changes. I am in control of this, after all. But any suggestions are welcome!

I took the picture on Wednesday night. Jen and I had a picnic outside, and we played. She is just the happiest girl I know.

KMA August

Here are my last two layouts for August. I did them so long ago I almost forgot to upload them on the site! Oops!

I'm just finishing up my first week of school, and while it's a lot busier, it's good to be back into a routine. I have great classes, and love laughing with teenagers. Maybe it's because my maturity level topped out in high school . . . who knows? LOL! But there is never a dull moment. I love that.

So maybe this weekend I will break out, do something different, and scrapbook! Really! I'm not kidding! It's such a novel idea . . . hopefully I haven't forgotten how to. Wish me luck, and have a great Friday!

The latest . . .

Here is some of my latest stuff . . . it is so hard to get a good picture, which drives me CRAZY! I'll learn. But for now . . .

So you think you can dance?

Jen does. I don't have the heart to tell her otherwise. I got the black leotard and skirt for dance lessons, and outside she went. Let's just say the music moves her. Where to? Who knows. Here are some of my favorites.

Then this last picture is one of those magical pictures that just happens. The background blacked out everything else, and she struck a pose. Magic, I tell you!

A sarcastic shout . . .

out to my gal Elaine. You see I saw her at school today in the office, and she says, "Rogers, I got on my computer last night just to hear something funny about the first day of school." As I told her, I'm finding it a tad bit difficult to be funny about such a tragedy. Nothing funny here folks, move along.

So yes, school is IN SESSION. Kids come tomorrow. Classes are overloaded. Not enough desks, calculators, anything. Michigan is in the midst of a pretty serious crisis, and we are feeling the effects. It always takes me a while to clear the cobwebs from the old "summer" brain, and get back into the game. It's such a different kind of thinking, and it's pretty exhausting at first. But I've already visited some of my former students, and it's fun to catch up with them. And that's what it's all about.

I gave up my DT at ScrapMuse. I have decided that keeping up with message boards is just too much with everything else. I will focus on the DT's that I have, and will possibly scale back again. I believe two of them have "term limits" and I'm nearing the end. If I'm going to grow as a designer, I need time to learn and grow. And when every layout is prescribed it's just too hard. But I'm sad, because I love the people at SM. The good thing is everyone has been very supportive, and that helps. I'll always be part of the Muse. You couldn't keep me away if you tried! (Well a restraining order may slow me down, not gonna lie.)

We have put Jenna on a "nighttime schedule." Got the idea from "The Nanny." And we all know from watching that show that the nanny helps the parents, not the kids. So I guess you could say "I" have been put on a schedule. So far, so good. I was so bad about any kind of routine during the summer . . . I mean isn't summer for NO ROUTINE? Isn't that the idea? So it's time. And Jen is just kicking butt at it. And so am I, thank you very much.

Some random friend/loved one encounters from the last two days: Got some beautiful flowers from my newly-retired sister for the first day of school. What a beautiful surprise from a beautiful person (love you, Beth!). Also my newly-retired coworker Mark from my middle school days stopped in to see me today. Earlier his wife stopped by. I got a nice email from Sarah yesterday wishing me well on my first day of school, then Tonia emailed me today to check in. I also met some fabulous people at the weekend crop, and we have been emailing back and forth making plans to get together. Got to talk on the phone last night with Leslie from Scrap Muse, love that girl! Got an email from my Maddy-friend whom I miss TERRIBLY! Then I went out to dinner with Gayle and Sue from my old school, and we made plans to see each other. Plus catching up with everyone at work, staff members and my kids . . . sometimes I feel so blessed to have such wondeful people in my life!

Off we go this afternoon/evening to move Em into her dorm room. There were piles of boxes, and random bags throughout the entire house. It will be interesting to see it empty after the carnage. Of course she "forgot" that everything was supposed to be in the garage to make it into Bill's truck, and, well, it doesn't all fit in her car. So Iget to go home and load up my van to take to meet up with Bill before we get on the road. The joy of parenthood.

So if, like Elaine, you need a laugh today, please check out "ThreadBared" which is linked on the left side of my blog. Another friend, Shaunte, pointed it out. I think it is HILARIOUS!

Have a great Tuesday!

Finally!

The fix! I downloaded Firefox! Here is the August kit from Scrap Muse. I'll post tomorrow, I've lost all my creative energies working on this stinkin blogger issue!

Back into a routine

and that's a good thing! School starts tomorrow. Here we go, folks! Back to the grindstone.

Blogger issues on my computer for some weird reason. Every time I go to post a picture onto my blog using Safari, it unexpectedly quits. So I went into Explorer to post that way, and the icon to post a photo is nowhere to be found. Good times. Tried emptying cache and reseting Safari, no go. So for now, I am without photo posting capabilities. Add the fact that Em will be taking this nifty laptop I am using back to college. The laptop I am using to watch YET ANOTHER episode of Gilmore Girls, out on my sunporch with the windows open and a very nice fall-like breeze wafting in, surfing the net and checking my email. It's the life of Riley, I tell you! But sadly it is going bye bye on Tuesday. I really need my own laptop. Who knew?

Let's see what's new. Went to The Scrapbook Zone with Jami for an all day crop on Saturday all day.It was a meeting of the Michigan Peas, and it was a fun day! It turned out to be a small group, but I got seven layouts done. I mes some sweet Peas, that I hope I will meet again! Plus we hit the mall and did some power shopping, then ended the day with a trip to IKEA. A good ending to a good summer.

Today the family headed off to Frankenmuth. It was a beautiful day, so we decided to wander around and have some lunch. We went to the mall area (to the bead store, of course) and as I was checking out I was listening to the music. There is a courtyard area where people can sit and listen to live performers. The person waiting on me said, "Oh look, there are some cute little girls dancing on stage!" As I turned around, who do I see? Miss Jenna up on stage, doing a little freestyle dancin'. It was so cute! And the performer kept her and two other little girls on stage for the next 5 songs. I had tears in my eyes, not because the girl can't dance, and trust me, she can't, but that she was having so much fun. It was so sweet! Then the performer came off stage and did a little dance around the courtyard with the girls dancing behind her. There was a family sitting with a young girl, probably about 10 years old, and when the girls got to her, the dad pointed at the little girl to sing with her. She handed over the microphone to the girl, and this 10-year old belted out "Redneck Woman" like you wouldn't believe. The performer took her (and the backup dancer Miss J) back on stage, and had her pick out another song, She sang it beautifully, to the cheers and whistles from the crowd. More tears. It was really cool!

OK, off to make some phone calls, and maybe make a necklace. Perhaps if I sold some of these pieces I could afford the laptop. Hmmm. . .

Have a great Sunday evening!

Hey Peeps!

I'm hoping that with my peppy tone I can mask the fact that my sweet freedom is OVER baby. I went into school today, much to the teasing of my coworkers. You see, back in the day, I would have gone into school WEEKS before the first day to prepare. What? I don't remember. I'm getting old here, so cut me a break.

Of recent years, when people ask me the date of the first day of school, I honestly reply "I have no idea. I guess they'll call me if I don't show up on time." Now before you get all judgemental, thinking I'm "one of those" teachers who only teaches for her summers off, STEP OFF. Not true. Love my job. And I can now effectively do it within the confines of the school year, thank you very much. But since I'm teaming this year, I'm afraid my two work days will be consumed by meetings, so I decided to get a head start. GO ME. And to be honest with you? I'm getting kind of excited about getting to know my new students.

So I spent the day with Em while Jenna was in daycare for the day. We went and got her a new phone, went and got beads (and I spent WAY TOO MUCH moola there), and went out for lunch. It was nice. Tomorrow we're going shopping with my mom. No scrapping for this gal. But I am done with my projects, they've been accepted, and I'm sending them out tomorrow. The relief. I can't tell you. Shaky mojo still. Better, but still shaky.

Coolest news? Our local newspaper is having a photography contest dealing with our local county fair. Well of course when we took Jenna the other night I hefted my SLR, and took a few photos. On a whim I entered one, and I WON FIRST PLACE TODAY! See it here! I'm so excited. Yep, a geek too. So I get some gift cards, it's already framed and up at the fair, and I get a chance to win the whole contest. Go me!

Also, made a very cool bracelet/earrings set, and necklace/earrings set. I'll take photos and post them. Just call me crafty!

Have a great Wednesday. And Thursday too, since I probably won't blog until the evening.

I'm out . . .

Tick, tock.

That's the clock running out on my summer. But I am feeling ready to go back to school now. I'm actually getting excited. I do love my job!

And Em goes back to college next week as well. I will definitely miss having her around, like I've said before having her come home made me feel whole again. I didn't realize the hole she left when she was gone. But coming home after being in college to our small town with very little to do had to be a big letdown. So I'm excited for her fun college life to begin again. She's such a good kid. I can't even tell ya. And the layout is of her. She will be 20 in October. Twenty. Wow. I'm old!

I should finish my super secret project work today . . . then maybe have some time to scrap a bit! What a concept! I also want to make a run to the bead store. I got a new idea magazine and I can't wait to try something new.

Have a great day. It's a beautiful one here!

Look Mom! Another layout!

That I like, anyways! This is the longest stretch of "No Mo" that I have ever faced. Not pretty, I tell you! But these last two layouts with BasicGrey have helped me tremendously. I went to a crop on Friday night, and got two pages done for the store (which I left without scanning) and did four more just for me. What a novel idea, scrapping for yourself. I need to try that more often!

Possible cause for the 'jo-less dark period . . . still no junk food. How do people do this? I just can't fathom why one would choose an apple over some Junior Mints. But I am making some progress. Last night, however, I was outside watching Jenna play on the swingset, sipping some diet flavored water, after just finishing a tasty Lean Cuisine. Ah, what a full life! I was still a bit hungry, and was contemplating which luscious piece of fruit I could just nibble on, when the neighbors came outside to fire up the grill. OK, I'm OK, I tell myself. They are probably grilling swordfish, or something else I don't care for. When the smell of hamburgers hit my nostrils, I almost wept. So if any of my neighbors read this, and you happen to be missing a burger form the "barbie" I have NO IDEA who took it. No idea, I tell you!

So off today to a family reunion. The weather is absolutely gorgeous, almost fall-like temperatures, which is reminding me that this is my last week of sweet freedom. Next week, it's back to the old grindstone. Have a great Sunday!!!

Hello from boresville . . .

Hi there! It's me! With nothing to say. Again. Love this layout . . . different mix of colors for me, not "matchy matchy." I'm guilty of that ALL THE TIME. So this was fun.

Worked on projects that should take 45 minutes for each one . . . took me an hour and a half for each one. Only got two done while Jen was at preschool. Not a happy camper on that one, I tell ya!

So had a houseful of people over last night for Emily's "Lia Sofia" jewelry party. She got a lot of perks . . . I got a headache. No, I had fun. Great jewelry, but I admit as I was looking at it I kept thinking to myself "I could SO make that." I know, I'm a geek.

It's family reunion weekend, so I will be scarce. Plus I'm cropping tonight. Wish me luck!

Well how boring . . .

am I right now? On a scale of 1 - 10, 10 being the most boring, I'd say I'm an 11.

Let's see. Finished the kit from Scrap Muse. It is seriously a cool kit. I mean, great colors, great products, WOW. Loved them. But mojo was on a little vaca, OK, a big VACA, so I hated my stuff. If it wasn't for the terrifically-talented Mikki's sketches, I wouldn't have been been worth a "blank." And anyone who knows me knows I swear like a sailor, so insert your own expletive. GO BIG. That's all I'm sayin'. I was SO DOWN about my pages . . . I feel like my work is so same old same old lately. SNAP OUT OF IT, SISTER!

So I went to the Dr. for a referral on my losing my voice. Turns out I need a procedure where they put a camera in through my nostril to peek at my vocal chords and see if there are nodules, or if my vocal chords are somehow becoming paralyzed. OK, how many ways can I tell you how happy I am about THIS? Good times. But it needs to be done. What's a teacher without her voice? (And if any of my students read this, no need to answer here. Move along, kids.) So come to find out, one of the side effects of hypothyroidism is hoarseness. Whodda thunk it? Plus my allergies? Well, there you go. No voice for me. Well, a frog voice. Call me Kermit.

So today, no big plans for finishing anything. I mean, I'm fully aware that I need to finish my 3 layouts for KMA, plus a card, and need to have my stuff sent by the 21st. Plus, my LSS owner gave me some stuff from summer CHA to work with. Plus my super-secret project that I need to start on. But mojo? Nojo. Send a seach party.

Then the weirdest thing happened. I sat down, and cranked out three pages that I'm quite happy with. HELLO MO! Thank you for returning! And where the "blank" (you know the rules) have you been?!?!?!

I'll post them here when I can!

Have a great Wednesday.

Routine

It's time to start getting back into a routine. Do you hear it? Listen carefully . . . it's wailing in Michigan. It's me, crying my eyes out, because I need to get back into a routine. Of Jen going to sleep at the same time, in the same way, every night. Schedule. Clockwork. UGH.

And while there is comfort in a routine, there is comfort for this rebel-at-heart in not having one. No more deciding it's time to go hunting fireflies. No more late-night runs to get ice cream just because. (Does that explain the size of my butt?) And it is a sad, sad day when I need to admit that I'm a grown-up and that routine is good. And this grown-up gig? Highly overrated. That's all I'm saying. (Can I just say that I was carded TWICE this summer? I think I scared both people with my "I love you!" reaction . . . particularly the waitress.)

So here's to a manic Monday, when the weight of the world crashes down on you and makes you realize that indeed, you are a grown-up. With responsibilities. And routine is your friend. Yeah, right.

Hey Mo?

Where are you, friend? It seems as if I have temporarily misplaced my mojo. Pisses me off every time. I need to finish up the kit for Scrap Muse, and just got a pretty big assignment that I can't reveal AGAIN, and no 'Mo. Sweet. What great timing. It's the end of summer blahs. Where I look at the summer and think I could have done more. I should have done more. Regrets, and grieving that my non "Mrs. Rogers" persona needs to go bye-bye. Stupid, but true. You'd think that once I knew my pattern, I could break it. But heck no. Not this girl. She likes to stay mired in her stupid ways (and refers to herself in the third person. Who knew?)

New to me . . . I'm lusting over a new laptop. I was never the laptop sort, but after using Em's all summer and sending it in for repairs for a week, I'm lost. LOST, I tell you. So I'm pooling my recent checks from scrapbooking-related endeavors, and soon it will be mine.

What else is new? No layouts to report, and any work I've done lately can't be shared. HATE that. Praise ho? I guess so. Another sad quality of mine. My short-list is growing longer by the minute.

So before I reveal another character flaw, it's off to the grocery store. Will the fun never end?

Picture is Miss J being Miss J, messy hair and all.

Have a great Sunday!

UGH.

That's how I feel about my "diet" right now. Yep, I decided it was time to seriously work on that extra 15 lbs I've been hefting around since the spring, especially given the fact that I can't fit into any of my school clothes. And I'm too cheap to go out any buy a whole new wardrobe because I've eaten my way out of my last one. Will I go out and splurge on some new "school clothes" anyway? Well heck yeah. But not because my azz is now the size of a watermelon. No, it will be because I wanted them, rather than had to have them.

So what have I been doing? Not enough exercise during the massive heatwave, but now that the weather is decent again, it's back out for my 4-mile walk, coupled with step-aerobics. But what I've been focusing on is my eating. Fruit for snacks, (and I hate fruit) lean cuisines and salads for lunch, and a reasonable dinner. Small portions at dinner. Last night I had a zesty chicken bowl from Taco Bell because Jen and I were at the mall, and I ate half of it. Life is good, no?

NO. I feel like crap. I have been craving chocolate ALL DAY LONG. And no, it's not a hormonal thing. What I wouldn't give for a box of Junior Mints. I physically feel ill . . . or is it well? Is my body rebeling from the sheer health factor of the foods I'm eating? Is this sugar/fat withdrawals? Cuz it's not pretty. Soon I'll be doing straight shots from the Redi-Whip sitting in my refrigerator for some good old-fashioned sugar. It won't be pretty, but C'MON! And a nectarine JUST WON'T DO!

I need help. Seriously. Is there a twelve-step program for junk food addiction? Hello, my name is Kay, and I have a chocolate addiction.

The flower pic is from yesterday. I haven't been taking enough pictures lately. Need to add it to my "TO DO" list.

Bill is out cavorting with Tiger Woods yet again at the Buick Open. I hope he doesn't scare Tiger away with his adoration (stalker-like qualities.)

Have a great Friday evening. I'm off to hit the Redi-Whip.

And the countdown begins . . .

as school starting is a mere two weeks away. Two weeks. YIKES. I got an agenda in the mail today for the first staff meeting, as well as important dates to remember, and I felt faint. Truly. You see it is such a mental switch to go from summer vacation to "back to school" mode. It's tough. And it gets tougher every year. (Does that mean I'm old? Well heck yeah!) So I am going to school tomorrow to meet with a new teacher, and visit my classroom. Start to get my "head in the game" if you will. Oh boy. Here we go!

I got my KI entry to the post office. It is now going postal. Not me, the package. And Daniel (one of the wisest people I know) from DesignerZine challenged me to knock off the "no expectations" self-defeating talk and have some confidence. His quote about my hedging as far as my entry was this, "Modesty may be a virtue, but self confidence is not a 'sin'!" Words to live by.

Why is that so tough for me? Maybe because saying that I don't expect anything from the contest will make it seem like it mattered less than it does. You see, it matters. I have loved KI from the beginning of my scrapbooking. The bold colors, the geometric patterns, love it all. Own it all. I could do a hundred albums with all of the KI stuff I own. Yep, heavy user. And this is my dream gig. Oh, don't get me wrong. There are a lot of companies I would love to design for, but KI holds a special place in my heart. It is the line I go to when I need to do a quick, bold layout. Everything just comes together for me. I call it my "KI Therapy."And yep, I'll be crushed if I don't win. Crushed. But my entry is a good one, and I didn't talk myself out of even trying for it. I tried, but I followed through. And I haven't done that in the past. Because it matters. THERE. I said it.

So breaking out of my comfort zone AGAIN, (entering this contest took me way out of my zone,) I did a layout today that was specifically for a call. Usually I just look through my layouts for ones that I have already done to find one that fits a particular call. To me, designing specifically for a call is putting yourself out there for rejection. Weird, but true for me. I guess my theme is "ego-preservation," and I can just hear Dr. Phil asking me, "Kay, how is that working out for you?" Well, Dr. Phil, it's not. All of my self-preservation has kept me standing still in this industry. And if I want to move forward, I need to change some of my ways. So I completed a winter layout for the CK call. It is my goal to get a page pubbed with CK, and if I am to meet that goal, I'd better get off my can and make something happen. And guess what line I used? KI. Of course.

So that's my Thursday. Hope you have a good one. And make sure you say hi if you visit my blog. I love that!

It's done.

My KI entry is done. And going postal in the a.m. I really struggle with deadlines like this . . .I have talked myself out of finishing this a million times. Because I know I'm not getting the coveted spot. And truthfully, that's OK. I'm not going to like KI any less. I like my album. It's me. And it's something that I will love . . . no matter. I give myself kudos for finishing. knowing that my chances are nil. But I am NOT going to be one of those people who wonders why their work didn't get "first" and ripping on the winners. Not me. No way.

And a special thanks to Amy, Maddy, and Tonia for walking me through my insecurities. I love you all!

So besides FRANTICALLY trying to finish my entry (which I gave myself until Friday to do) here was my day.

Bill went to the Buick Open and saw Tiger Woods in person. He was GEEKED, to say the least. He goes back on Friday. He is excited!

We had another hot day. I mean miserable. No kidding. But tonight the rain came, which means I may be able to take my long walk tomorrow. Serious cabin fever going on right now. Serious.

We played games as a family tonight, just like winter. You just couldn't go outside . . . so we played "go fish," "Shanghai Rum," and "Euchre." It was fun. And watched the rain and the thunderstorms roll in. A good family day, to say the least.

Beth and Dave went back on the road. I miss my big sister and my best friend. And Beth, if you are reading this, know that I love you. That's all.

Signing out . . .

HOT.

Not mad, just miserable. There are actually heat ADVISORIES in Michigan right now, and they are NOT KIDDING. It's been hot for a while now, but not like this. With the humidity, you can barely catch a breath. And I'm really tired of being cooped up inside.

So the weekend is over, and yesterday was again the domestic activity that needs to be done to repair the damage from the weekend. Laundry, dishes, cleaning . . . good times. Also finished two more KI layouts yesterday. I am determined to get these done this week. Want to just say I did it and move on. No hopes, just an album I love. And I'm OK with that.

Pictures are from Sunday. It was so hot that day, but it was early morning, so slugger went out with her daddy to play. She's really quite good. She is an athlete. We're looking for soccer for the fall, and she'll stay in swimming and all-sports too. Gotta keep this one busy, or she'll get in trouble!

Have a great Tuesday. I'm going to try to kick out another KI layout this a.m. wish me luck!