Catalyst 78 - Live Free

Catalyst 78:

What’s something you want to accomplish before you die?

This was easy. I already had a list growing in my mind of things I wanted to accomplish in this life. Top of my list, become a wife and mother. I think I was built that way. I never cared too much for casual dating. I was always the type to have a serious committed relationship and, for as long as I can remember, I've always wanted to have a family. Now that I have the relationship, I can't wait to get married and have children. Just waiting...

Added several things to my list. Unfortunately only one of them has been done and that's buying my own car. I had a Corolla as my first car, but it was given to me by my parents. My first REAL car is my CR-V which I bought with my own money. I love it! Definitely proud of accomplishing this goal. Maybe a year from now I can revisit this catalyst and see how much of my list has changed and been completed.

Counting down...

Just two more days until Buffalo! I can't believe the trip will be this Thursday. We reserved these spots about two months ago and it just seemed so far away that it would never happen. It really has been nice being on "vacation" while waiting to go on this trip.

So yes...I am officially in limbo right now just waiting until my start date on the 14th. Taking two weeks off before starting the new job was definitely the right thing to do. I'm not too happy about being unpaid for a week, but knowing that it'll be several months, if not a year before I get another vacation this long, I figured I might as well take advantage of this. Spent my first two days of official vacation just laying around the house, scrapbooking, and basically chilling. It feels different waking up early in the morning at the same time, but knowing that I don't have to be anywhere at all. Can't remember the last time I was able to do this.

Plans for tomorrow...get a haircut to trim those flyaway ends and attempt to add a little body to my limp hair. Have to look nice for the pictures right? Maybe do a little shopping for the trip...have lunch with Nestor...and get a headstart on packing. Probably have to do a small load of laundry, too. *sigh* But no rush. I have ALL day to do it!

Catalyst 28 - Good Times

Catalyst 28:

What’s a negative behavior or habit you have overcome?

The sketch for this layout is based on a page maps challenge sketch. As for the catalyst, oh if I could only list all my negative behaviors and habits. Since I had already done one for my past bad behavior of smoking (smoke-free for over two years now!), I wanted to highlight one of my other more prominent habits.

I...am...a...pessimist.

I can preach over and over again about looking for the silver lining in everything, but when it comes to myself, I tend to gravitate towards the worst possible scenario. Maybe it's because I've dealt with enough disappointment in my life. I really don't know. I don't think I was always this way. But now...I have to actively remind myself to think a little brighter. I have had good times in my life and I need to remember those. And when things get a little rough, I need to just take it one day at a time.

Supplies:
Patterned Paper - Sabrina (Making Memories)
Stamps - Technique Tuesday (Ali Edwards)
Other - Tim Holtz fluorish mask, Tattered Rose Distress Ink, Making Memories brads & stickers, American Crafts ribbon, MME title, Little Yellow Bicycle epoxy sticker, Designer Digitals journaling spot (Ali Edwards), House of 3 journaling spots, Papertrey Ink button, Colorbok chipboard

Catalyst 75 - Welcome to Our Life

Catalyst 75:

What’s the hardest decision you ever made?

Liked this one. Hardest one was moving in together with my boyfriend. Worries on each side, but is he worth it? It felt good journaling about it on the layout.

On another note, I had a great time working with the new Boyfriend line from Cosmo Cricket. Such fun patterns! Everything came together perfectly and I really think part of it was due to how the patterns just work so well together. I added a few wooden tiles I found at Starlit Studio. Aren't they cute? Also added a few eyelets from my old stash. It was so good to finally be able to use them somehow. I remember when I started this obsession of mine, one of the first things I did was buy a million eyelets in different colors and then it sort of stood by the side forgotten until now. I loved using them to hold the tied twine together. Added a few charms along the side just because I felt like it. =) Gotta have a little whimsy sometimes.

Supplies:
Cosmo Cricket - The Boyfriend Papercrafting Kit
PTI Cardstock
Fancy Pants journaling card
K&Company diecut title
wooden tiles, chandelier drop (from Starlit Studio)
Making Memories - love notes looking glass stickers, eyelets
American Crafts - slick writer pen, ribbon
Ranger glossy accents

OLW #57 Sweet Memories

OLW #57 word: SWEET

Okay...to be honest I was having a hard time trying to find something to do about "sweet". I could have gone the easy way and done sweet foods, like ice cream, since it is summer. But...it didn't really speak to me to make my last layout about sweet. Then, I was looking through some recent photos and this one of Squirt caught my eye. She looks so darn cute and SWEET looking up the way she is. And looking at the photo even more, it just brought to mind all those sweet memories she's given me over the years. Even though I have a younger girl cat now, my little adopted step-kitty, Squirt will still be my baby girl. I was the one who chose her out of all those kitties up for adoption that day. She clung to me with her little claws and started purring like mad and I was hooked. I know, pretty lame, but it's true. She's always been my cat. And now, she's Nestor's cat, too, but she's still partial to me. We like to talk to one another when I'm in the kitchen, me asking her questions and her answering right back. She also loves to massage my neck as she sniffs my shampooed hair. I prefer this immensely over her licking my hair like she does to Nestor. She's also a real lap cat and, if she spots me on the couch, she just has to jump on my right leg and settle down. Never the left leg, always the right. All those sweet little things add up to a bunch of sweet memories.

Page Maps challenge - Apron Strings

This layout was based on the sketch from the Page Maps blog for the Apron Strings contest. The theme for this challenge was "summer". Perfect! I love this picture I got of Nestor on our last weekend getaway. It was getting pretty hot in New Hope, PA, so I caved and bought him a cone since he was so great and allowed me to browse to my heart's content inside this book store without any AC. Isn't ice cream the perfect sign of summer? I know of a place across the bridge that only sells soft serve ice cream during the summer months. Nothing totally spectacular, but it is a sign of warmer weather.

I love these patterned papers by MME in their line, Magnolia. Really spoke "summer" to me. Just cool and fun colors.

Supplies:

Papers:
My Minds Eye - Magnolia collection
Basic Grey Offbeat

Stamps:
CHF Photo Op

Embellishments:
MME die cuts/transparency
KI Softies frame
wooden heart
Ali Edwards designer digitals - chipboard tags
Blue Moon charms
7gypsies 97% complete stickers - Together Ensemble

Other:
ZING embossing powder - butter
shimmerz paints
Anna Griffin journaling tag
Martha Stewart baker's twine

OLW #56 - Why

The word is: WHY.

I probably could have done a whole BOOK on this. I love to ask questions. But, I was inspired by Ronda's layout and I thought...why do I scrap? I love to scrapbook. This has become my absolute favorite hobby...but why do I do it?

My journaling is written in random places throughout the layout. I have so many different reasons. I do it to record moments. All moments. Special ones. Everyday ones. I don't want to forget them. I scrap as a sort of therapy, to work things out in my mind and have it come out on paper. I scrap to lose myself in it, in the art. Or at least, my version of what I call ART. It has become my escape. It has become my record.