Merry Christmas!

Yes, yes, it's been a while since I've visited my own blog; but I've been a busy little beaver!  In June, I started a scrapbooking Bible study group at my church, where we each complete 2 pages every week on a specified topic.  Our first study was "Fruits of the Spirit," then "God's Good Gifts."  In January, we begin "Christian Living from A to Z."  (All these studies were written by Sherri Harris.)  And of course, as always, I made my usual attempt at handmade Christmas gifts.  However, this year, I succeeded more than in years past - I completed all but one (someday I vow I will make those beaded snowflake ornaments!)  Here's my list:

• Christmas photo/recipe/memory books for myself, my Mom, my brother & my sister, in memory of my Dad
• A folding star book for my mother-in-law with photos of family
  
• A decorated Altoid tin shrine for my father-in-law to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the US Air Force and his 60th birthday, both in 2007
• Homemade pink cranberry bath salts for my coworkers
• Homemade wassail mix for friends at church
  

I also completed a 6x6 scrapbook of the Hanging of the Greens ceremony at our church, with photos of the decorations and information about the symbolism of each one; and participated in a crock-pot recipe page swap with some scrapping friends.  So although I haven't shared it with readers of this blog, I have done a lot and I'm proud of my accomplishments.

2007 brings lots of opportunities for me, and I embrace them.  I hope to work towards getting current in my scrapbooks, send more handmade cards to friends & family, and continue making gifts for people.  Wish me luck!

I Met Her! I Hugged Her!
Many of my scrapbooking friends know that I am a "FlyBaby"; that is, an online protege of Marla Cilley, known around the world as "FlyLady." Her website (www.flylady.net) promotes simplicity, time management, and taking care of yourself first so you can bless the lives of others. Yesterday, she was in Chattanooga for a Christian women's conference, and I got to meet her; better yet, my friend Deanna and I were asked to man the merchandise table between and after sessions! We also met her co-author and friend Leanne Ely, and her mentor Pam Young. Here are a few photos from the day:

I'm Back!
Yes, it's been a while since I have posted an entry here; but for once there have been good reasons. My husband & I finished packing and got moved in early February, and my father passed away in mid-March. So there hasn't been ANY scrap-related news in my life in the past 4 months, other than working on getting my scrapbook space/art studio set up (photos to come soon) and enjoying sharing my Ledbetter reunion album with family at the funeral home.

In honor of my Dad, I'm planning to make a donation to the American Stroke Association:
http://www.strokeassociation.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200037

Not Exactly Scrap-related, But....
This was too cool not to share; this is for all my fellow Harry Potter fans out there. Enjoy!

You scored as . Hermione Granger 75% Remus Lupin 75% Ron Weasley 70% Albus Dumbledore 70% Ginny Weasley 70% Harry Potter 60% Sirius Black 60% Severus Snape 55% Draco Malfoy 45% Lord Voldemort 30% Your Harry Potter Alter Ego Is...? created with QuizFarm.com

Happy Independence Day!
Today, in honor of our country's 229th birthday, I want to complete a scrapbook that has been in the planning stages for a few years but never got started - a 7x7 Creative Memories "Glory" album with photos from my trips to Washington, New York and Philadelphia back in the 1980's. I think this will be a fitting way to spend my day off from work, don't you? Check back and I'll post a photo or two when I'm done!

[Added 7-14-05] Here is the title page and one other page. I completed the album in less than a day and it felt really GOOD to get so much accomplished!

Product Reviews
Today I have a much-deserved "mental health day" off from work, and I'm using it to get some things done at home. After a few light house chores, I sat down at the computer and cleaned up my bookmarks, my documents folder, and my temporary email folder. Now I'm getting started on a new project - a Product Review page on my scrapbooking webpage! Check back periodically to see the progress I've made; this is something I've intended to do for quite a while, and I think it will be a valuable addition: http://lklmail.tripod.com/id32.html

Family Comes First
A couple of weeks ago, we attended a reunion for the Ledbetters and Sutherlands (my Dad's side of the family). This was the first reunion in about 30 years, so it was great to have so many of us together at the same time!
I found this wonderful scrapbook at the Dollar General store and decided to use it for my album of Tony's photos from the event (taken with his brand-new digital camera!) I created the title page using some of the same types of embellishments that were used on the cover image.
Finishing this album is my only scrapbooking goal for this weekend!

Procrastination....Procrastination!
So, it's been almost a month since my last post and how many scrapbook pages do I have to show for it? ZERO! I haven't been totally lazy - I've done quite a few pages in my Alphabet Art Journal that the Tennessee Stampers group is doing as a collective challenge, and I've made some cards and other "non-photo" artwork to send to various friends. But I am not doing much with my goal to complete a page a day, and that bugs me. I know a big obstacle has been that black box with the screen in the middle of it....no, not the computer [I've gotten control over the time I spend here] but the television! Now that most of our "regular" shows are ended for the season and going into reruns, we are both vowing to spend less time on the couch and more time working on creative ventures like scrapbooking [for me], creative writing [for Tony], and blogging [for both of us]. We also want to read a few books and spend some more time focusing on each other, particularly with our new weekly "date night" (last night we went to see Star Wars: Episode 3, which was awesome!)
So please keep checking back and keep me accountable to my scrapbooking goals - I need all the help I can get!

A Page A Day!
Well, now that my big evaluation at work is over and I'm (mostly) recovered from strep throat, I can return my focus to one of my goals for 2005 - completing 365 scrapbook pages! While there's no way that I can actually sit down and scrapbook every single day, I can at least have a net average of one page per day. I was doing well in January and February (so far my total is stuck at 60 pages for the year) so I have some catching up to do. Luckily, my supplies and photos are organized and I have plenty of spare time in the evenings and on the weekends now....so check back often to see my progress (and, hopefully, some of my newly-completed pages!)