welcome to the world.

Meet our beautiful baby girl Malia Noelle... Born just yesterday. (I'd put her stats here, but since this is a public blog, I'd rather keep it quiet)...

Yes, I have a chance to blog. Proud Daddy is holding her while she's asleep and we get free Wi-Fi in the hospital.

Hooray! :)

cricut cartridge storage: mission COMPLETE!

I admit it. I'm terrible with completing projects. My mind has so many projects I'd like to tackle and I'm good at starting them, but I'm terrible with the follow-through.

Anyway, I came across this little project that seemed easy enough... It's a storage box for Cricut cartridges. How convenient! Kudos to the ladies who came up with this (I'm nowhere NEAR that creative!)...

Instructions can be found HERE...





I got the Snapware ribbon storage box from the Container Store when I made my trip with DH today... There's also a coupon going on for 25% off so I got it for a little over $8. :)

I got the plastic canvas from Walmart. $1.97 for 6 sheets. WAY more than I need. I don't have that many cartridges and don't know if I plan to buy more since I have SCAL now.... so if anyone wants me to cut the sheets to size and mail it to them (we'll discuss reimbursement later), let me know! Just leave me a comment here...

Isn't it cute?

I'm so proud of myself. As for the original boxes that the carts and booklets came in...I haven't decided what to do with them yet. I don't want to throw them away just yet... And if ever I decide to sell them or give them away, I'm sure the buyer would like the box. So, for now, they're shelved in the closet and away from my main scrap area. We'll see if I change my mind...

I've been getting a lot done...

I've been doing pretty good while waiting for this baby to make her appearance. I've been scrapping and cleaning and just trying to do some crafts. It doesn't feel like she'll make her appearance any time soon so it seems like I'm getting a LOT done...

Here are some layouts and cards I've made recently...


supplies: patterned paper, letter stickers, die cut shapes: Sassafrass Lass; letter stickers, pen: American Crafts

supplies: patterned paper: (unknown, will update later); felt border: KaiserCrafts; letter stickers, chipboard letters, chipboard shapes, pen: American Crafts; rubber stamp: Cat's Life Press; stamping ink: Color Box, Versamark; embossing powder: Stampin' Up!

supplies: cardstock: Bazzill; patterned paper, bingo card: Jenni Bowlin; letter stickers, journaling pen: American crafts; chipboard: Scenic Route; transparency frame: My Mind's Eye; other: ribbon

supplies: cardstock: Bazzill; patterned paper: (unknown, will update later); rub on sentiment: American Crafts; circle cutter: Coluzzle

supplies: cardstock: Bazzill; patterned paper: (unknown, will update later); rub on sentiment: American Crafts; oval punch: Marvy Uchida; die cut label: Top Note Die for Big Shot - Stampin' Up!

So, as you can see, I'm making the most of my maternity leave. I'm hoping the mojo will stick around after she arrives!

(I couldn't remember the name of that patterned paper I used in the layout and the 2 cards... Preggo brain, I swear! *lol*)

a layout

I should have been putting my feet up and laying on the couch when Jonah was napping. Instead I scrapped a page.

supplies: patterned papers: Making Memories, Flair Designs; Letter stickers, journaling pen: American Crafts; heart punches: Stampin' Up!

Used what I had lying around... Including a piece of patterned paper that was an impulse buy (and I have a hard time using patterned papers that are too busy!)

Professional photos are my achilles heel. I have a hard time scrapping them... and big events that have tons of pictures - birthdays, christmases, etc. Ugh.

baby update...

We are officially 38 weeks and 1 day pregnant.

This picture was taken last week when we were about 37 weeks.

I'm having contractions every so often - still irregular, but my doctor said I'm about 2cm and 70% effaced.

I'll take these contractions over back labor (like I had with Jonah) ANY DAY.

I downloaded a Contractions app for my iPhone. Yes, I don't know how to count and tell time. Seriously though, it's because Carl is working every night until Saturday and I'm very afraid of going into full blown labor without him.

I still have scrapbooking on my mind (as you can see with my previous post!).

I'm excited that the hospital where we're delivering has got Wi-Fi (they didn't have it 2 years ago when Jonah was born.)

I'm anxious about going into labor again. They measured her and said she's about 8lbs 5oz (give or take a pound). Leave it to her to already be kicking her brother's ass (he was born at 7lbs 7oz at 37 weeks and 6 days). *lol*

wish list...

You know, I really should stay away from scrapping messageboards. All they ever do is enable me... and make me want things I cannot afford right now, but SO WANT. I'm a tool junkie. Besides idea books, new scrapping tools make me weak...

On my list?

A Making Memories Slice. They now carry it at Michaels. But of course, you can't use the coupon on it. I guess it's because it's still a new item?

I still want one.

It's cute. It's portable. And the the images and fonts on some of the cartridges are too adorable!


Another thing on my list? Stampin' Up's exclusive Big Shot. I know I can get the Big Shot anywhere... But I like the sleekness of the all black SU! version. And I know that I already have a Cuttlebug and a Cricu - what do I need a Big Shot for?

There are some dies exclusive to SU! that are just so cute and I'm not sure that my Cuttlebug will accept them without breaking. I think I'll buy this next quarter though to help me with my minimum sales...









Nestabilities Dies! Aren't these labels so CUTE? I never knew about Nestabilities until last night while hanging out on the 2Peas board. AND then I found a Google video on how to use them in the Cuttlebug. I SO want them all.

But it's a bummer because I JUST bought a bunch of punches. These would have been better. I would have saved some money AND space!

**edited to add** - Ok, I caved and bought this set online at Cut@Home. If you join their mailing list, every month you get a 40% off coupon to use on one item. So I used it on this label set. I couldn't resist the price!

There's also a sale going on for a few days on Nestabilities at Joann.com. But if you're patient (like me), I'd just use the Cut@Home coupon once a month until I collect all the dies I want. It'll take a while but it'll be worth saving the money in the end!

been busy...

We've been busy preparing for the little one's arrival, who, according to my OB, can arrive any day now. I know it's early (I'm only 37 weeks!) but with my previous history with Jonah (he was just shy of making it to 38 weeks) and my gestational diabetes, there's a chance she'll want to make her appearance sooner or she'll be too big for me to carry to full term. We will see...

So, I've been frantically trying to organize the house, the scrap room, and get everything ready for her arrival. It's been busy to say the least!

But I've had time to scrap a little! Yay me!

supplies: kraft cardstock (Stampin' Up!), patterned paper (Candy Lane Designer Series Paper - Stampin' Up!), font die cut letters (Fling font cut with Cricut and SCAL)

I finally got SCAL loaded into my laptop and I'm having a lot of fun with it! No more investing in new cartridges... Well, maybe it will decrease my desire. I can't promise anything! *lol* It's so easy to use. I love it. I just hate how it cuts so SLOW. But I guess that's the price you pay for the value...

Anyway, I made 3 other similar cards.. And I made this one:

supplies: American Crafts patterned paper and cardstock; Thank You rub-on: 7 gypsies; stamping ink: ColorBox; scallop and circle punches: Marvy Uchida

I made the cards for some co-workers at work who gave us some awesome baby shower presents. :)

And there were a couple of group gifts from some units so instead of cards I made layouts to display in their report rooms:

This one was an 8x8 layout... I hadn't scrapped in this size in FOREVER. I love how liberating it is! supplies: cardstock, silk flower: Bazzill; patterned paper, brad: American Crafts; scallop border punch: Stampin' Up!; font: 2Peas Sailboat; die cut letters: Alphalicious (Cricut)


And this is a 12x12 layout I did for my unit... supplies: patterened paper: Sassafrass Lass; cardstock: Bazzill; silk flower: Prima; font: 2Peas Sailboat; die cut letters: Alphalicious (Cricut); felt letters, pen: American Crafts

And finally I made a card for my MIL's birthday this past Tuesday. Super simple! supplies: patterned paper: I can't remember what set, but it was a hostess set from the Spring/Summer 2009 catalog from Stampin' Up!; fabric label: Making Memories: scallop border punch: Stampin' Up!

Whew! I've been busy, haven't I??? I want to use all the scrapping mojo I can before the baby's arrival. I doubt I'll have time after that!

Have a great rest of the week!
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book review: Get Creative with Type

I finally had a chance to go through the book a little better and I do have to say I'm pretty impressed.

Pros:
- lots of great ideas for using fonts in titles and journaling!
- lots of tips on how to use them effectively on layouts.
- I loved the different examples they gave. Lots of fun artists in there!

Cons:
- While I do love fonts, I love them FREE. I really hate paying for fonts. I mean, WHY should we have to pay for them if they'll be used for personal stuff? Most of the fonts showcased in the book are PAID fonts. (I googled most of the ones that caught my eye.) And these fonts AREN'T cheap. They run anywhere from $29-49 each! Insane!
- The book doesn't go into detail about how fonts actually can slow your computer down. My husband told me that a while back - Especially if you're using a Windows based computer. Fonts take up a lot of the hard drive and actually slow down the way Windows runs (I'm not sure about Macs)...

Anyway, I have a gift for you... I found the Fling font online for free when doing my research... It's the font that's used in the title of the book "Get Creative"...

Follow this link... You might want to hurry too. I'm not sure how long the link will be valid!

take a guess!

Anyone want to participate in our baby pool?



Anyone want to take a guess? No official prize, but I'm curious to see what you all think!

Here's a little info:
- We're having a GIRL.
- She's due April 1st.
- Jonah was 2 weeks early.

Good luck!

no photos... but...

I made 2 cards the other day. Both were birthday ones and I must say they were really cute. I didn't get a chance to take pics of them because I was rushing off to my baby shower and I already gave them away! Bummer. So take my word for it, I made 2 more cards. :)

3 more shifts left of work (tomorrow, Friday and Saturday) and I begin maternity leave. Can you tell I'm excited???


I swear the UPS guy is going to kill me. *lol* I've had more packages delivered these past 2 weeks than ever - I know I said I'm on a strict budget, but I'm trying to get the room organized and I need help with that! Anyway, here's my latest purchase. It's a hard carrying case for my still unused sewing machine. It's such a shame. My mom was a seamstress before she retired. She worked for the for quite a bit when I was growing up as a kid. She can make sleeping bags with one hand tied behind her back (well, not really, but you get the point. *lol*)

Anyway, she got me a sewing machine a couple years ago for my birthday because I asked her for one - to try and learn some simple sewing and perhaps sewing on scrap pages, but the thing is STILL in it's box and sealed. *hangs head in shame*

So I got a carrying case so I can get it out of the box and out in the open. Maybe seeing it out of the box will convince me to use it someday.

Or maybe it'll just be more convenient for my mom to use when she comes over so I can ask her to alter my pant hems. *lol*