Ramblings and The December Daily: Days 19 and 20

It's December Daily time. Again. I really have to wonder when I can get back to the regularly scheduled layouts and when I do will I ever use the colors red and blue again. I am doubting those two colors will make an appearance in any of my layouts for a long time. Not that I hate them. I just need to break up with them. So here is Day 19 and 20:

Day 19 was when I first began to seriously shop. I am normally done by this time, so I am blaming my delay on all the extra time I was spending putting my December Daily together. That time should have been spent shopping. I'm lying. I got paid and that is why I held off until this time. Whatever the real reason, shopping late kept me on budget and kept me from the buying/returning rotation. Next year I am starting late again, except when it comes to getting those Bakugan - the hot toy around my area. Those buggers were hard to find. Good thing I found a couple earlier. I was going to use those to bribe my niece and nephews into posing for a Christmas portrait, but that never occurred. It seems they are not posers and may never be again. Grrr.

Day 20 was a snow day. It snowed quite a lot, which resulted in most people being home bound. I have a Jeep and was on a tight shopping schedule, so it didn't stop me - only slowed me down. Came home to find this machine in my driveway. All I can say is thank goodness for friends with large machinery. It was a bit overkill having that large contraption doing my small driveway, so Reece did our street, too. There is never a way to thank someone enough for clearing a path to the mall, Target and Caribou for you. Nope...there sure isn't. Muchos Gracias, Amigo!

Well, that is it in the creative realm. I could go on and whine about rude, nasty people and I did, but I am going to delete it. They shouldn't get that amount of power. However, let me say one thing about it and I will end. If you ever need a lesson on how to treat people look no further than how you want to be treated. If you can't treat someone like how you wish to be treated, then stay home, stay off the phone and keep to yourself, because the person you are being sarcastic to knows how to do reverse look up. Got it? Whew...I feel better. Have a happy day!

December Daily: Day 17 and 18

I came to the realization the other day that if I didn't finish this December Daily by the end of December it would never be finished. Since that time I have picked up my pace. Well, not in actuality, but in my head. Sometimes I can't make my head and actuality coincide. It's nothing serious. I am just lazy. Anyway with saying that, here is day 17 and 18:

Day 17 was the party for all the office tenants. It's potluck, so all I really have to do is show up and be social. That is hard. I'm really not a social person. Well, I am when I feel like it. The party went well. No fist fights or bloody noses, because I behaved myself. Yay me! However, some routiness would have made a more interesting layout. Maybe next year.

Day 18 was my sister's birthday. I have the luck of having both my sister and brother's birthdays in December. Growing up I felt ripped off. First, my mom misses Christmas eve festivities twice. Second, each time she does she comes home with a huge stocking with a dang baby that I have to love, protect and share all things precious with. Not good. I'm older now and realize they are here for good, so I am trying to accept that and get on with my life. LOL! I was a little spoiled, don't you think?

I am now working on 19 and 20, but have to take a time out to go visit the Falls - Minnehaha Falls, which means laughing waters. It is hard for me to believe that an American Indian language actually used the word ha ha for laugh. I am betting it was some pioneer that thought it sounded Indian and pretended and then convinced all it was. If I learn differently, I will certainly let you know.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope Saturday is good to you!

December Daily: Days 11 - 16

Nothing like posting everything at one time. I have been procrastinating on the December Daily a little bit, but hey...it's still December and I consider that good. I am having a little bit of a giggle as I just realized as I was posting the photos here that I have the word HO in my DD. When I bought the acrylic letters I thought ho would go well with santa photos. Hmmm...good thing the book is for me. I can see the humor and it is good. Day 16 is incomplete. I will add words of wisdom tonight. Now I might as well be honest and admit that the subject of day 16 could have actually been used as a subject on four or five of the days. A Caribou employee made the rounds at our office complex and for me not asking him to leave he gave me free coupons. A whole boatload of them. See...it is true. Being nice does get you things sometimes.

December Daily: Days 8, 9 and 10

I seem to be a bit behind in this December Daily thing. In actuality, I am and I am not. I know what each page is going to be about. I have the photos, the memorabilia, the junk - just not the time. Tonight I have scheduled time to get caught up. I penciled it in right between finishing the last of my present shopping - I only need 20 or so gifts - and making fourteen dozen cookies. Plenty 'o time. Who needs sleep? Apparently not me, since for this entire month I haven't gone to bed until 1:30 -2:00 a.m. and I am up around 7:00. I have to tell you getting "beauty" sleep is a crock. I am hotter than ever despite the lack of sleep. Of course, my eyes aren't focusing correctly. Well, not focusing correctly when I can actually keep my eyes open, which is not too often. Anyway, all this equates to is that my perception of being scorching hot may be a figment of my imagination. Let's be honest...it is a figment of my imagination.

MO JO JO JO

Other than the December Daily I am working on nothing. I have forgotten how to scrapbook. It's true. I went to my cousins last weekend to scrap. I pulled out my un-holiday photos and a 12x12 piece of paper and then NOTHING. Not even a glimmer of remembrance. I even forgot to bring my adhesive along. So I put it all away and ate chocolate while staring at my December Daily. The mojo has a-go-go-ed. Oh well...if that's all I have to complain about, I am quite fortunate. Word.

December Daily: Days 1 through 7

I'm too uptight not to change things once they are complete. Therefore, I am reposting the first couple of pages of my December Daily due to making a few minor changes. I like most of the pages, except for day six. That page irritates me, so I might as well fess up now and tell you that I am in most likelihood going to change it. LOL! I know sad and totally against the principal of how the December Daily is supposed to go, but I have never been one for following anybody's rules...including my own.

Oh and look at how pretty this is! I am in awe and all I can say is wow! Well, I can also say thank you, too. I received a blogging award from Kristii Lockart. If you haven't been to her blog, you really need to do so for many reasons. First of all, she is amazingly creative and her blog is overloaded with eye candy. Secondly, you will never leave her blog without feeling good. Kristii is positive, upbeat and spiritual. She loves her children, husband and friends. She never slams anyone. There is never any negativity. Wrap all that together and you get a rarity...a feel good, creatively filled blog. It's true...Go see it with your own eyes. Thank you, Kristii, for this honor. I am very fortunate! Part of the rules is that I choose five to nominate. The question is...who do I pick? There are so many awesome choices out there. I definitely have to think this over. Can't I just nominate everybody I know? Is that the easy way out? LOL!

BASB Part 3: Ad Challenge and December Daily Day 3

The new challenge is up at BASB. This challenge was hosted by Waleska and you are to create a layout based on your take on the ad provided. Here's the ad:

And here is my layout:



And I even did a card.

You must need a break from working on your December Daily, so why not join in? :o) Deadline for submitting is by midnight on December 14. Winner announced December 15.

Speaking of the December Daily, here's Day 3 of mine. A trip to Bachman's, which is a local garden center. Well, it is a blinged out garden center. Filled to the brim with beautiful decorations - real and fake. I had a chance to embarrass my sister a bit by taking photos of anything that walked, sat and fell down. I made her pose with an elf. It could have been a fairy. It really doesn't matter. What does matter is that we almost got kicked out, because she then decided to try and kiss it. Well, I lie about the kicked out part, but she did get caught by an employee. I was hiding behind a ten feet high glass ball tree muffling my shrieks of laughter as he commented on his amusement at her. Hey...isn't that what sisters are for?

AND finally, here's the beginnings of Day 4. I plan on burning a cd of my favorite holiday music. I may change my mind, but it seems like a good idea now in the light of day. When I leave work in the dark who knows?

Thanks for stopping by and also for all the great comments left on my Day 1 and 2. Some emailed me to say they liked my list for Day 1. It was a little silly, but I truly am going to attempt to do all of those items. In regard to TPing my neighbor's Christmas Tree, that is an on-going joke. Last year we placed a blinking Santa hat on her cat sculpture. You need to have fun and my neighborhood has a really great sense of humor. I am in search of holiday theme toilet paper. That will make the tree even more festive. Don't you think?

Two for One: December Daily and Circle Journal Layout for Judi

DECEMBER
It's amazing that I am actually following through with doing this December Daily challenge. OK...we all know it isn't a challenge, but that's how I look at it. It will be a challenge for me to keep up the momentum. I have poor follow through. Thankfully I have had a little help keeping me on track. You know who you are...Briana. Thank you. :o) It helps that there is a group of us doing this, so that will help me out, too. I look forward to seeing all the different versions of the same theme in the days to come. I'm still trying to figure out how to arrange this book. Ali Edwards' idea of doing a layout per day is great. However, my Christmas season starts in November with putting up exterior decorations, shopping and visiting Santa the week of Thanksgiving. This tradition began when my nephews were toddlers. Due to their verbal apraxia they needed extra time to convey their wish list to Santa. When we found Santa arrived at the local mall early we were thrilled. More time with Santa and no lines. That is heaven on a stick. Uhhh...Minnesotans have an odd fascination with things on sticks, so pardon the previous remark. LOL! Anyway, I will have to find a way to incorporate those November events into the December Daily. It will work. I just have to think, which is something that I avoid a lot of times. As if you didn't know that already.

JUDI JUDI JUDI

Another project I just completed is my layout for my friend, Judi's, circle journal. The theme of her book is what do we treasure. The journaling is hidden, but basically says that I had a hard time figuring out what I treasure. I have no diamonds, money or gold fillings in my teeth. Then I realized (and this was a doh! moment) that what I treasure most are "my" kids - Dave, Jack, Nick, Jake and Emily. The journaling sounds better on the layout. Much more melodic. Oh please...the only time I am melodic is when I play my clarinet and the neighbors have all gotten together to make sure that doesn't occur too often. So here it is.....What I treasure:

TREASURE

Specifically...It's a Tree.

Today just a quick project that I worked on this week. It's a tree. You have to love that description, but it is what it is. I guess I should take the advise that I just gave the new security guard where I work, which was I need more specifics on your log...not just I walked. LOL! So this is the Kaiser Craft wooden tree. All I had to do was slap some pattern paper and embellishments on it. Loop some jump rings through the holes. Dig up an embarrassing photo of NJE (sorry Nick) and woo hoo life is swell. In regard to the photo, it is true, I am one of those aunts. Quick kids just throw on these elf-eared hats and I will buy you a pony. They didn't get the pony, but I am sure they got something almost as good...like my eternal love. Nah...that wouldn't cut it. It had to be something Pokemon.

A close up to prove that for once I layered. Not just one layer...I did two. That will never happen again. Not that it was overly strenuous or anything. I am just too lazy for that much detail. So did it...done it...over it. Last, but not least, a birthday card for my friend's daughter. I used the Slice on this. Overall, I like it. A few minor things irk me, but not enough to turn me against using it.

Wrapping Things Up

I woke up with an idea in my head. Sometimes the ideas I wake up with in the AM are not that great, such as the time I woke up and decided I didn't need to work anymore. Half way into that day I realized the error of my way. Showed up to work around 1:00 and declared my temporary retirement was over. Luckily, no one had picked up the voice mail as that is normally my job. Sure I was still employed, but a bit sad no one knew I was living on the edge. Whatever. I digress. This morning's idea seemed safe enough, so off I went. The above used to be packaging that held Crate Paper chipboard letters. Covered it in some Fa La La paper and a poinsettia I received from Anne as a RAK and voila! There you have it...a covered container. So I'm new to this re-purposing thing. It started out as a container to hold a mini-Christmas tree. What was I thinking? That ended up looking like a palm tree in a thimble. Not one to give up. It is now a gift card holder. Tomorrow it may be something else. Yeah...living on the edge the Denise way can be pretty exciting....or not.

Halloween Layouts, Part 2

Halloween layouts part 2. It is almost over. However, I just realized I still have to do a layout for my niece's album. Sigh. Well, maybe not. She pretty much refused to pose for any photos, while in her costume. That is what I get for asking for a pose. Have I learned nothing? Guess not.

BOOOOOOOOO

First layout is about Jake. He was in a fantastic mood on Halloween. Usually serious...the main photo pretty much shows what he was like...all night long. :o) Second layout, has hidden journaling. I love hidden. This layout is for Nick. His first year choosing a scary costume. Well, scary, but not too scary as he refused the offer of the Scream mask with streaming action blood. Ick...I don't blame him. Third layout is all mine. Just a little reminder of halloween items I encountered during the season. Fun. No journaling. I plan on having a perfect memory when I am 102 years old. Riiiight.

So that's it for the scary season. Bring on the turkeys. Hmmm...maybe the season of scares isn't over afterall. Turkeys can be pretty frightening. They can gobble you up. Oh...that was bad.

BASB Challenge 2: Shop your Stash

The second challenge is now posted for BASB. Dawn, has come up with a fun challenge. Because we all love kit clubs, she has made a challenge that you shop your own stash of scrap supplies and put together a kit. After that create stuff. Post on the BASB Flickr page or link your kit/project to the blog thread for a chance to win an awesome RAK. Deadline is midnight of December 1st.

BASB

Below is my shopping spree results. I put together Bazzill, Cosmo Cricket, Collage Press, Creative imaginations, Hambly, Stampin' Up and Making Memories.

These are the items I made. I will admit making the stamp set fit in was hard. I should have picked a alphabet stamp set instead, but I am happy with the outcome.

A layout of my niece enjoying a jump in the leaves. When she saw this photo she said she said she didn't like it and I should stop taking photos of her. She's six. What can you expect. LOL!

A card. I thought it could contain a happy fall or thinking of you greeting. I guess it could also say Leaf Me Alone, but that isn't a nice way to be. How about a I've FALLen for You? Whatever...for now it is blank.

A gift tag. No greeting need, except for a To and From. Easy...that's me.
THANKS
Thanks for stopping by! Hope you liked what I came up with and decide to give this challenge a whirl. It was a lot of fun and helped me get rid of a bit of my overload of scrap supplies. Have a glorious Tuesday!

Halloween Layouts, Part 1

Just when you think Halloween is behind you...I bring it back to life. This past weekend I blasted through all my Halloween photos, so lucky you will get to see a couple more scary layouts throughout the week. Well, unless you choose to take this as a warning and avoid this place. :o)

WEE

Well, other than that there is nothing too exciting happening here to report. I could make up stuff just to impress you, but my family reads this and they would call me out. Dang family.

Circle Journal: Layout for Anilu

Well, one circle journal down and another to go for this month. The layout above was for my friend, Anilu's, journal. Her circle journal is amazingly beautiful and every layout added is gorgeous, so I felt a lot of pressure to keep up "the good". I hope I did a worthy job. :o)

Other than that there is not much to mention. Made it to another weekend and all I can say yippee-ki-yi-ay. I hope your weekend is jam packed with whatever you wish it to be jam packed with. Enjoy!