Photos Create Memories

Wow, it has been a few weeks since I posted. I was on spring break so my blog was as well. It was a wonderful spring break this year although I should just call it a break since it didn't feel too much like spring to me.

My trip started off on a sad note, but got better and better. My cousin died of a brain tumor on my birthday so I went to Pendleton, Oregon with my Mom and Dad. He was only a few years older than I am so it was rather difficult to face. It was also rather quick between his diagnosis and our loss. It was great to see family though. Unfortunately it reminded me that we see way too little of one another. It also reminded me of the importance of photos and the emotion photos evoke in us. When we lose someone all we have left is memories and one of the ways we can preserve those memories is through photographs. My older cousin and I were talking about our grandfather and what we remembered about our grandfather who died when I was ten and he was about fourteen. One of the things we remembered was a rare Christmas we spent together as a family at our grandparent's home. As we talked about it, the one thing we both remember clearly is a photo that was taken of our grandfather in his chair with a package on his lap. I don't know that we really remember the Christmas although we both knew that it was rare and important so much as we remember it because of the photo. The photo sparks the memories. It just goes to show how important photos are to our memories. What is also odd about the funeral is that I didn't cry when I found out my cousin had died. I didn't cry when I saw my uncle. I didn't even cry when my cousin's daughter played "Amazing Grace" which always gets me. I totally lost control of my emotions when they played the photo slide show. I looked up and saw the cousin I remember; a photo of him when he was probably between ten and twelve sporting his impish grin. That is when I lost control and cried and missed him.

Rest in peace Gregory Mabbott. You will be missed.

The message today: Take more photos!

When disaster strikes, go shopping

So this past week, I have been doing a little retail therapy to replace the paper I lost during my art studio flood. I've spent a little bit too much money on paper I plan to use, but may just become my stash. Fortunately, there have been a few sales at my local JoAnn's as well as Michael's which I have to rely on because we don't have a LSS here on the north side of town anymore. In fact, I think there is only one place left in this big city of ours. We really have to rely on chains and big box stores for supplies or drive to the valley which is about a half hour away. I miss getting all of the new and latest and greatest and settling for what the chains have in stock. My old LSS owner used to go to CHA and buy the coolest paper. That store was truly current. I could order online, but there is just something about browsing and touching paper that is just so exciting to me. Even though I had to settle for chain choices this week, I was able to find a few cute things that I didn't have in my currently inventory. Here is one of my favorite pieces I bought from Cloud 9 Designs. This is Cinnamon Stick, but I also bought Chocolate Mint. Both so cute! Glad I got it because it looks like it is unavailable online. Maybe there is an up side to a chain store with old stock.

What did you buy with your Michael's coupon?

A little more retail therapy here! Last weekend, I went to Michael's with my coupon in hand to buy something. What? I was clueless but I had a coupon that I just thought I had to use. After all, it was my birthday so I deserved a little gift right? Not that I needed anything mind you, but I wanted something new. Well, I wandered the store. Up and down the aisles. I wanted a Martha Stewart scoring board, but my coupon said no Martha Stewart products. I thought, hmmm what big ticket item could I buy. After all, it is my birthday on the 11th. I deserve something fun! Of course, no Cricut items included. So I headed to the cutter aisle thinking I might enjoy a new cutter for the cabin. Sure enough, I found this cool cutter that I wanted. Just then I looked up and saw that it was already 40% off. So I took it off the hook and handed my coupon to the lady next to me. Thing is, I like it so much that I may have to go back for another because I want this one for home. I love the pre-marked measurements. The only drawback it that it doesn't fit in my 12x12 plastic boxes which I use for hauling projects. Maybe I will just save my money.

Cute St Patty's Day Idea from Obsessed with Scrapbooking

I saw this cute St Patrick's Day card at Obsessed with Scrapbooking using the Heirloom Imagine Cartridge and Give a Hoot from ProvoCraft. I find the cutest things on that blog. It just makes my brain start swimming. One of my favorite parts of this card is that the inside has, "Have a Sham-rockin' Day" in it. Too Cute!

I don't have an Imagine nor do I have Give a Hoot, but I do have a Cricut and a Gypsy with 20 or so carts which made me think about how I would do this card using my Cricut, my Gypsy and patterned paper. I have even gone so far as starting the LO on my Gypsy on my way up to the mountain.

Cute Cute! Maybe I will even get a couple of these done for my daughters who are going to college before St. Patty's Day 2011. Or, not since for me the designing is often more fun that the actual creating part and my Art Studio is still buried. Stay tuned and find out if my design gets off my Gypsy and onto my Cricut!

Standing in line

Saturday was a day of early morning fun. My oldest daughter and I got up, grabbed some coffee at Starbucks and headed downtown to get in line for Wicked tickets along with somewhere around 400 other Spokanites. Tickets went on sale at 7am at the box office and then online at 10am. We wanted to make sure we got some decent seats in our price range so we braved the morning and the cold to get our five tickets.

After that we wanted to run to Auntie's Bookstore, an amazing bookstore in downtown but it wasn't open yet so we ran over to Atticus for a cup of soy chai. Atticus is a coffee and tea shop here

that also has some of the coolest gifts and books. A guy I went to high school with owns it along with his wife who was also one of my daughter's teachers. It was there I found this amazing hanger

for which I am now saving so I can hang it in my art studio. I cannot wait to buy it. It will be perfect to hang over my washing machine where I can attach snapshots and postcards. I won't be able to get it for about a month or so. I hope they still have it! (Sorry about the photo quality. I used my Droid and I had chai in my hands)

Too Many Photos

I just had to pick out my photos out for my i.Scrap class. I am supposed to pick out nine photos from last year to go with my i.prompts. Wow did I take too many photos last year! I love to take pictures and I am always worried that I may miss that one great shot so I take about three of everything. I think when I am done here, I need to go through my photos and do a spring cleaning as I'm backing them all up to my external hard drive. I did finally get down to nine. Here are a couple of my favorites pictures of the year. I have uploaded all of them to Walgreens so I can pick them up tomorrow and then get started on the rest of my assignment. I am probably about a day behind, but it won't take long to catch up. One thing I do know is that based on all of my photos, 2010 was one amazing year! By the way you can still sign up for this fun class at BPC.