Ringing in 2011

I am not a fan of New Year's. I never really have been. I can think of maybe three parties I've been to in the past 27 years (that weren't parents' friends parties where I was a kid at an adult party), and only 1/3 was actually a lot of fun and even then it wasn't that much fun. When I was working shifts, this was the holiday I volunteered to work because it was better than sitting at home renting sappy girly movies.Still it's coming, no matter how hard I'm trying to fight it and 2011 is bringing me quite a bit with it. There's the rest of the 27 before 28 list to finish (I don't have updates yet, but I did get a sewing machine for Christmas from Champ so there's step one towards finishing #7), there's concerts that I want to see, at least...

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Canvas Panels

My girls got a special gift this year because I was feeling creative despite the fact that my new townhouse is a total mess. I have a half a room dedicated to scrap things, I just haven't had the time or the motivation to really get into setting it up. It's going to be a must though because Champ got me a sewing machine for Christmas this year (!!) and now I have to get things set up so I can play with it.Back to the girls.I tried something different because I wanted to try another medium so I went to Hobby Lobby and bought myself some 10x10 canvas panels and painted them. I've got five total, but the last one will be mine and I haven't done it yet. But the other four came out lovely!Each of one of the girls got a different one. Gina's was...

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Here Come the Holidays

Image sourceI can't believe Christmas is finally upon us. I've been, like last year, so out of the Christmas spirit. Last year I'm not sure what I blamed, but this year it was the move. Finally with our party on Saturday, I found myself into it, cooking up a storm. I got to use my new cookie press which apparently makes cookies in bulk which might not sound too intimidating, but you aren't the one with like fifty spice cookies chilling in your house. (I took them to work to make the boys there eat them.)The new kitchen is nothing but love and glorious amounts of space. I've never been so happy. Gina did make fun of me and point out that of all people in the world to end up with a red kitchen, I have a red kitchen (not my choice). The girls...

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Checking Things Off the List

Well not completely checking them off but making progress. I said 12 books before 28, and so far I'm three books in (I just finished another last night). The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Stieg Larsson) I jumped on the hype and got these books for cheap with a coupon from Borders (I've stopped opening those emails to cut down on my spending) and of course got sucked in. I'm quite enamored by the Lisbeth character, though for the obvious reasons. Social pariahs always catch my eye, plus I still have a fantasy of being a Trinity-Level hacker as well as being okay to be tattooed in obvious places. The book is full of suspense and parts of the ending just blew my mind. (The Swedish movie is also quite good and I'm very much looking forward to Rooney Mara in the American version.)The Girl Who Played...

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27 Things Before 28

I finished my first list! Don't mock the fact that I'm really, really excited about this. Remember this list? I did mine even though my birthday was a few months ago. (If you're interested Elsie just posted her 28 before 29 list). So here's mine: Since it's probably near impossible to read my handwriting even if you click through I'll type it out neatly here for you to read through. (I will never be one of those neat handwriting types. I won "best handwriting" as a superlative in middle school and almost cried because I knew it was a complete lie. Even at 12 my handwriting was just as horrible.) 27 Things Before 28 1. Finish writing my book 2. Re-design my blog (and become a real blogger) 3. 30/30/30 Challenge 4. Start (and maintain)...

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Little Ones

Alright, this is a little ridiculous but I want a kid. Wait. Let me rephrase that. I want someone I know to have a kid that I can spend time with and be involved with said kid's life. I don't actually want a child in my life. I'm very aware of the fact that children are something that I am in no way ready to devote the necessary time to and that they need to be fed more than once a day. I'm aware of all this. But I hung out with some of my family last weekend and saw my cousin Brooke's kids Sophie and and Evan (and her stepson Asher) and I realized how much fun it must be to have an actual relationship with a child. To take their pictures and talk to them and hear what they have to say. Our new neighbors have kids but most of the time they look at me like I'm some sort of giant monster (which...

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The Better Part of a Decade

source: carryonsupertramp.tumblr.comIt came out in the news today (or it got big news pull today) that Prince William has finally proposed. I know I looked at the magazine cover and the new today and thought to myself "well finally" because face it, he's been dating this girl for eons and they've been speculating about their engagement since day one. After a moment though I took a step back and shook my head. How far have you really come? I asked myself. If this news had come out ten years ago in 2000, it probably would have been met with tears on my part. If it had come out 15 years ago I know it would have been met with tears on my part. In middle school I had this photo (from a shoot done for what I'm guessing was about his 16th birthday?...

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Cross your fingers

Good news! I have not abandoned my blog, but instead have been in the process of moving. But we're almost completely in the new place which has more space and less cost, which is as good as it gets. Even better yet, I managed to get my hands on a new computer so I'm up and editing again. I have a back log of layouts to update with and some photos from the past few weeks (as well as a tour of the new place!) Just hold on tig...

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Pencil Lines Sketches!

Fun things going on over at Pencil Lines Sketches to Celebrate their birthday! I've fallen in love with the inspiration going on over at this blog. Make sure you check it out tod...

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Photo Journals + Some Great News

I just joined an e-course done by Elsie over at A Beautiful Mess (and what a beautiful mess indeed. I need have a new blog crush!). I'm so excited about this course. It's fun for me because it's got all the tutorials, but unlike an e-class, I can get everything at once which means I can work at my own pace. Or in my case out of order. The idea of tackling a collection of photo books? I'm so excited. Now to come up with themes...In other great news? My lil sis in the sorority and in a way my real little sister Cressie just got engaged!! She and her boyfriend Chris are in New Zealand for a post-law-school-trip (I've only read about this tradition via Meag's blog) and he finally popped the question. I must say..as much as I love people getting married especially my friends, this one is special...

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Wary About Fall

Apparently fall has started. Of course in Atlanta fall doesn't ever actually start when it's supposed so as an area we just sort of make it work. We mix summer and fall clothes and call it good. We wear leggings with tank tops and boots with t-shirts. Like today where I have on boots that would be fine if I lived in NYC or Boston where it's actually cooler and fall-like, but with temperatures hitting 90+ degrees today I feel sorta silly wearing them. But they looked best with the skinny pants that I wanted to wear to work, so boots it is. I've had one of those "smack you in the back of the head with at 2x4" sort of past 12-24 hours when it comes to figuring out my life. Champ and I spent the evening yesterday with a good friend of Champ's...

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Photo fun

I'm a huge flickr person. I love that website. Most of my photos go there because it's easier to share and then easier to use to host for photos I put up here on my blog. Not too long ago they aligned it with picnik to edit photos. This was a god-send for me because I'm always cropping down my photos of layouts for posting. Tonight boredom struck in the worst sort of ways. I was feeling creative, but had no urge to write (trying to work on that novel) or to actually make the ATC cards I'd started after I let my kitty play with the piece I needed and saw to it that I'd have to cut up more frames for my cards. Photo editing to the rescue! I needed some new icons for a character in one of my games so I opened that photo up and started actually...

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Dragon*Con continued: A Parade

The parade at D-Con is always the most fun, with everyone dressed up marching in it and lots of Atlanta coming out to see it....

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More August C2P Layouts

I wasn't kidding when I said the mojo was back!For this one I used the Pencil Lines Sketch 202 to complete.A little bit of detail. I love that birdie!Love these old photos! Used Little Shop of Sketches #69 for this one. Last bu not least, this one is for the first prompt over at Better Living Through Scrapbook...

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Dragon*Con 2010

I think I've said it before, but I am a giant geek. I love all things geeky and in 27 years I've finally come to grips with that. I'm okay with dressing up for a convention. Hell, I'm okay with attending said convention. Last year I went for fan-girl purposes, and this year I went to have fun. My friends were there, Jacki, her sister Jessi, Cressie and Gina. Plus I made new friends while I was there. So for the first post, we'll focus on the friends. Cressie! Dressed as Kaylee from Firefly (the best show you didn't watch. I recommend the netflix if you aren't watching it yet).Jacki and Jessi as Pam and Sookie from True Blood.Jacki and Jessi again as Steampunk Alice in Wonderland. Jacki (on the left) is the Cheshire Cat and Jessi is the Mad...

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August Commit 2 Paper

I've got tons to show off this week so get your google reader in gear. I'll start off my Tuesday with some layouts, even though I know everyone is itching for Dragon Con photos (those will come later!) I was a little wary about the August Commit2Paper kit, but more because I've had mojo issues lately and not because it's a bad kit. Turns our that whatever mojo I'd lost? I found it again. The colors lend great to a set of photos from a Fourth of July parade, and the stars were just too much fun to cut out with the Slice. For this layout I used the sketch provided from Color Combos Galore though not the color combo itself. I've been busy working with these older photos (this one using photos from freshman year in high school), which is good....

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