Fridays = FUN!!! (US Open Rocks, and Thanks for Voting!)

Aaaah yes... not only was this week Back to school for four glorious days... but today is Friday and that means an online crop all day and all night! It is a private group from SparkPeople (Scrap To Lose Team) and we gather to chat (mostly) and scrap (some?!) all day long! Since my Scrap room and all my supplies are downstairs - no where near my non-laptop computer, I usually just distrac- I mean, chat - instead! Sometimes I will work on some Digi stuff just for fun! But no matter how productive, or unproductive I am, I always have a great time!

Today - I was actually productive! I did a couple of digi's:

...and I had this sweet little set up goin' on:

SaWeet!

So - as you can see, I am working on the Lunchbox album! I am lovin' it! And I suppose I should say that Chuck came through and not just with some lame little thing - but something shockingly super sweet... I was pretty sure she really liked me?! LOL!? When I read that she found a poem that reminded her of me, I admit I had visions of obscene lyrics or something - so the actual poem was not only a tad bit touchy-feely for Chuck - but her added comments were perfect! (Thanks Chuck - no more negativity! LOL!) I am still a bit short on a few comments and several current photo's but just getting it out and working on it is making me feel better! I know when it is finally done - I will truly treasure it ALL the time!!!

I have been LOVING the US Open... SO GREAT! LOVE that it is on every day all day! (Sorry Michelle?!) GREAT matches... in fact, there is a fairly large tournament here in town at the Tennis Club this weekend, and Dave is thinking that he will tear me away from the tv to get me to go outside to watch a real live match (as if they would compare to Roger or Rafa, or Novak?) Still - it could be fun!

And lastly, I wanted to thank all of you who voted for me for the Craft Warehouse Scrapbook Queen contest! The online voting is now complete... it is now up to the judges - Heidi Swapp and Ali Edwards and the like?! (Thanks Denice for offering to take Heidi out and vote for me in her place! That was super sweet!) The winners will be announced on Saturday - I will let ya know how it goes!

Last night - we had a GORGEOUS Sunset... reminded me of that old Lifesavers (?) commercial!

Scrap On! Dinner is here and the rain delay is over... I gotta run! LOL!

~Karrilee~

Aaah - Back to School; Back to Routine! (+ Vote for me!)

Yes... I know... most of you probably already have voted for me... but just as a reminder, voting ends on Thursday at midnight for the Craft Warehouse Scrapbook Queen contest. If you have yet to vote, go to: http://www.craftwarehouse.com/ and follow the link to vote for Scrapbook Queen! (My Layout is in the Yakima category!)

OK - business out of the way... on to the fun stuff!

Today was back to school! My daughter was awake and dressed before I even thought about opening my eyes this morning! Oh how I wish this was a new leaf and we would not have to worry about that dreaded truancy threat from Juvie hall - however, I know that it was just first day of school ("Oh God, please let my locker open and let me not get lost or go into the wrong classroom!") jitters! Oh - you think I am kidding about the juvie threats?! I am not! You would think that I would be able to get her to school on time. I stay home, I have no other pressing things or even other children to get ready... and yet, she is too big to carry out to the car and belt in myself - so I am resorted to being an audio alarm clock! She is SO not a morning girl... and neither am I really, so it is not easy for any of us! We signed up for afternoon kindergarten ON PURPOSE! However, that was a long time ago and you would think that we would have figured it out by now!? We did much better last year than the year before! We went from elementary school starting at 8:50ish (HEAVY on the -ish as all of her teachers were laid back!) to Middle school starting at 7:50 (no grace period given!) Luckily, Junior High starts at 7:50 as well and today - at least - we were on time! We even had a brief moment to take our annual first day of school photo:

We MEANT to be early, but don't even get me started on the whole Mr. Mom "Exit from the North!" fiasco of the local school district!? Oh MY! Add to that, the (sorry Chuck - you know I am not talking about YOU!) Suburban driving Moms who seem to think that no one could possibly be as important as they are and the rules don't apply to them cutting everyone off and causing multiple near-accidents as well as elevated road rage! Yeah - so, Kaye got out of the car with 5 minutes to spare to get to her locker, hopefully open it, put things in order and head to class!

Did she make it, you ask!? Well yes! She did!

Did her locker open, you ask? Well, no! It didn't!? At least not until 4th period... but she did eventually get it! All in all, she had a great first day and came home (thankfully!) with no homework! She DID have tennis lessons that I had forgotten about and now she is getting ready to go to youth group... so I need to wrap this up!

What did I do all day, you ask?! Well... I LOVED the quiet!!! I worked out with Millie and cooled down playing around a bit on this computer... I made a grocery list and ran a few errands! I went out to lunch at The Taj - a delicious authentic Indian food restaurant, with my sis and I got groceries all by myself! I even had time to come home and put them all away too!

What am I doing tomorrow, you ask? I am dropping her off (hopefully early!?) and working out and then meeting a girlfriend at Starbucks to visit for hours and hours... and THEN, if I have time, I will work on that Lunchbox album of mine! (Hint, Hint CHUCK!?)

Hope ya'll are enjoying this back to school season as much as I am!

Scrap Happy! (Oh - and vote for me! again... shameless plug?!) LOL!
~Karrilee~

Whidbey Mini: Done - and VOTE FOR ME!!!

OK... I actually was able to start AND finish my Whidbey Island Mini Album! In reality - I started it a few days ago... but hadn't really done much actual scrapping with it! However, my Crop last night was very productive!!!


I bought this super cute little mini album while Chuck was in town and was obsessively trying to find fun paper that 'matched' the blue on the outside of the album... I found this line and LOVED it! Who doesn't love stripes and polka dots?! I mean, really?! So fun! So - here are some little Medleys of LOs in the mini... it really is small - only about 16 pages in all - which, for me - is tiny!? LOL!

Next up - I simply must say I am in love with two new men... I know?! Not just one... but two?! And Dave?! Well... Dave loves them too... I took my Kayelyn to the Super Mall and we discovered Steve & Barry! OH MY GOODNESS?! How did I not know these guys before Wednesday?! It is now our favorite store!?!! Seriously!? EVERYTHING in there is $8.98! Everything!? Is this always the case!? If it is - I am going to need to plan a trip there at least 4 times a year!? LOL?! It's probably best that I DON'T have one in town maybe?!


On Tuesday Kaye and I headed out of town to hook up with one of my bff's from high school! Thanks to Facebook - we reconnected in February this year and have gotten together here in town a few times... but she lives over in Renton and we decided a Girls Back to School Shopping day was in order! She has a little one who is starting Kindergarten, and then there is mine - starting Junior High! Anyway - we stopped off at some outlets on our way and picked up a few things... and then found Annette's house. We all went out to eat at Armondo's (super YUM!) and met up with my other bff from high school! The three of us were ALWAYS together in high school and I hadn't seen MaryAnn since before I was married! That was a lot of fun, and despite the 20 year (shut it!) gap in time, we picked right up where we left off... (um, for better or worse?!) LOL!


Here we are on our Graduation Day:


and here we are now:



So fun!


Then, on Wednesday, we spent the entire day at the Super Mall! My daughter had never been - so we started off in Burlington Coat Factory - which we only bought two things - a black and white striped sweater and BRIGHT blue leggin's (yes - that is how I say it?!). Then we walked all the way around the Mall - stopping off in several stores like Nordstroms Rack, Hot Topic, Zoomies, Gymboree, Old Navy, Icing, Claire's, & Marshalls! However, our favorite store - the one I said we should START with and boy was I right (but we didn't start there!?) was Steve & Barry's. I was not really shopping for me - but we were back to school shopping for Kaye. However, I told her that if I found a pair of jeans in the right (current) size, I was going to buy them because it is getting cooler and I have NO fall clothes anymore... I got rid of ALL of them... Anyway - I didn't think Steve & Barry would even have clothes in my size... (I keep forgetting I have lost weight?! LOL!) So - S&Bs carry Bitten - the Sara Jessica Parker line, and Dear - the Amanda Bynes line... as well as Venus Williams and who knows what lines for the boys/men... no - I didn't even LOOK over there?! I ended up buying a pair of black slacks, cream cords(ish?!), and a jean jacket!? All for $8.98 each?! I was excited when I saw that they had some larger sizes (up to about 22 or 24 I think?!) and remember that I am needing smaller sizes now anyway?! Yay! So - the cream pants are a bit snug - so they are more like Goal pants I guess... I mean, I can get them on and zip them up - but really, they are so tight they are inappropriate?! LOL?! In a month they will be perfect! The Jean jacket is a classic cut and I love it... it fits perfectly and replaces a beloved jean jacket that I had not yet gotten rid of but could no longer wear?! Kaye scored on a pair of jeans, two tops and a super cute pair of boots?! I mean - they have casual and dress wear, coats, jewelry, shoes, jeans, pj's, etc - ALL for $8.98 each?! I will not shut up about this?! LOL?! (OK - I will... but you get the idea! Steve and Barry ROCK!) I did also get a new pair of jeans which fit perfect but are too long (again?!). Don't worry though - Kayelyn is the one who came home with bags and bags... however, (one last time) when I reach my final goal - I am SO going to Steve & Barry's! LOL!


Anyway - the trip was a huge success and yesterday was Orientation! I did NOT follow Na's lead and take photo's of the locker shot or follow my precious down the hallways... I let her attend the day all on her own (well - carpooling her and her friends, I mean?!) She is excited about her classes and is ready to go!


OK - I must get going here... I am off to work on a few Digi projects and get ready for my sister and her fam' coming to town tonight! Yay!


Only a few more days til Back to School here - which means a Girls Matinee celebration soon! LOL!

OH - and by the way... I submitted a LO for the Craft Warehouse Scrapbook Queen contest... you can check it out (and vote for me please - yes, this is a shameless plea!) at:
http://72.3.135.178/index.php?option=com_ponygallery&func=detail&id=380&Itemid=102
You have to log in to the main page and then click on Photo Gallery, and 2008 Scrapbook Queen Contest, and I am listed in the Yakima Category! Thanks in advance for looking... (and voting... I say subliminally, of course!)


Scrap Happy!
~Karrilee~

I am alive... and I HAVE been doing something...

Hey there everyone...

OK - I know... I have no good excuse other than just life stuff?! I keep trying to not be sitting in front of a computer all day too - and so that has not been helping?!

Chuck was here... and we had a short visit - but even though it was limited - it was classic Chuck! I seem to recall something about dirty pictures on her Bunko Score sheet... but hey - at least we all got prizes that night! (Plus I still have a couple of bottles of wine in my frig?!) We had fun at the Scrapbook store and yes, I STILL have your Owl Stamps... they are Oober cute, BTW! LOL! I will send them to you soon - I promise! I am thinking they may come with a 5x7 Acrylic block and maybe even something else too... we'll see!? I haven't decided what yet?! ...it will all depend on how "Golden Moon" I am feeling!

Last week it seemed I had an appointment (or more accurately, a play date!) every single day?! No wonder I felt busy... add that to the reality of having the OLYMPICS in the complete OPPOSITE timezone, and I don't feel so bad for feelng so exhausted last week!? Each day I had a fun little coffee or lunch date with a friend! On Tuesday I met up with a few of my Prayer group gals and had a great visit! On Wednesday I met up with three local Sparks gals and had lunch! That was fun! We had been chatting online and decided to meet up in person - something I think we will do more often now that we have done it once! That was fun! On Thursday I had a 'date' with all my crazy Scrapbook Spark gals online and, well - THAT was fun too! Then, on Friday, I had a date with a friend from church! We had been trying to hook up for literally a couple of months... and that was fun! It seems, even though I am a fairly quiet person (shut up!), I can get together one on one, or with a small group - and hours just seem to disappear?!

However, it hasn't been ALL fun and games... I also did some 'work' - well, not really! I have been corresponding with two possible new clients, but the work I refer to is my own projects! I worked a bit on Saturday on that infamous Friendship Album:

How much do you LOVE that Cosmo Cricket line?! YUM!!! ...and on Saturday I also started work on a Mini album for those gorgeous Whidbey Island photo's I shared in my last post:

Today we had church... and then Olympics (OH yeah - I woke up at 3am to watch Nadal win Gold... nice!) and then we had a city-wide concert/worship service at church! That was great! It was like a family reunion - we saw so many people we haven't seen in ages - so that was fun, plus Ross Parsley is AWESOME!!!

So - this week, I have a meeting tomorrow morning. Tuesday morning I have an online crop, and then in the afternoon I am taking my daughter out of town to go Back to School shopping... we'll come back Wednesday night... Thursday I have a date with my sister (and Kaye has Orientation at the Jr High) then in the evening, I have my Scrap Happy group. Friday I have another Online Crop and then my sister and her fam are coming for the weekend! Yay!

Then, we have ONE MORE Monday to hang out together (which I THINK will include some movie rentals and a Jammie day!) before school officially starts up again! This summer seemed to fly by! We had a great summer - staying somewhat close to home - but it was relaxing! I am, however, ready for back to school and back to routine! (and maybe back to cleaning my house again too!? ...maybe?!)

Anyway - there ya go... a somewhat lame update - but an Update nonetheless!

Scrap On!
~Karrilee~

Alive and... well, Well!?

Hey there...

I know, I know... I promised it would not be such a long span in between updates - but what can I say... I am (still) on vacation?! LOL?! I honestly haven't done much scrapping to update and so since that it primarily what this blog is about (although my love of words causes me to spill the beans on every other area of my life here too?!)... I just wasn't feelin' the need to update. However, after leaving a wee bit of smack around blogland last night, (and then seeing that CHUCK updated WHILE on vacation?!) I decided maybe it was, in fact, time for an update!

So - we just got back from a long weekend on Whidbey Island! It was perfect... gorgeous weather - (I hate to say it - because everyone over there wants us to always say it is gloomy and wet...) the sun was shining every day and it was actually mildly hot! Not like the desert heat here - but nice take a walk outside or sit on the shore kind of hot! Sweet!!! I even found a tiny bit of sand to dig my toes into! Nice!

My brother-in-law recently bought a boat so we actually spent a bit of time out on that in the Sound... to understand how huge this is - you have to understand the spirit of fear I was raised with and know that while God has delivered me from MANY fears - water is one of the last to go! But, both my sister and I went out on the boat... and we actually had a great time! We took about a 30 minute ride to another little town on the island, docked the boat, walked around town and did some sight seeing and shopping, and had lunch, then took the boat back to Oak Harbor. Of course, my baby has inherited NO fear (just like her Daddy) and so she was ecstatic to ride on the front of the boat! I had to bite my tongue - until we started picking up speed and then I made her come back in the boat! LOL!

We also went to Deception Pass park... sat on the beach and relaxed and took a little trail up to a better viewpoint as well! That was fun! My sister and I walked down to the Marina one night after the boys had already taken the boat out... and we walked all along the docks and back home - that was a LONG walk - but it was great! Here are some random photos from our trip:












I managed to get a custom card order the day before I left so I knocked that one out and mailed it off before vacation, plus the same day - I had those 'friends' (jk!) e-mail me some photo's to scrap for them and I was able to do 2LOs for each of them! That was fun... and I am not so sure that they really thought I would do them?! I will post them here later maybe... afterall - they are not technically MY pages!? I need to hit the scrap store today (they are having a big sale - plus I actually NEED some matching Bazzill for my Lunch box album!) I know - ya'll are starting to think that there IS no lunchbox album... what can I say - some of my friends are losers (Oh - you know who you are!) and STILL haven't gotten anything to me to use in my album... but I do have enough that I can start working on it now! I am hoping to begin work on it this weekend or early next week!



I am leaning towards not doing the conference I was asked to do... I really need to pray about it before I decide one way or another - but unless I feel like God wants me to, I am gonna pass this time. I just don't have much on hand right now and I really need to turn my attention to my Etsy store and to my Cafepress store as well once school is back in session... I am open to doing it if that is what I am supposed to do - but if it's up to me, I chose not so much! LOL! Who wants to be busy with things that are not really 'required' of you!? Not me... not in this season of my life!


So - that is what has been going on here... Chuck is in town for a few days - so I will hopefully get to hang with her a bit... I weighed in this morning and found that after Whidbey I gained 2#s (just like after the Cabin!)... so that was a bit disappointing - but I know it was due to trying that Fish & Chips basket... um, twice?! LOL?! I hadn't had anything fried for 6 months and we were on an island with fresh fish everywhere - so I gave in and ordered it and it was so not worth it! It wasn't fresh and it tasted bland... really sad. But - as we were leaving the island, we saw another fish place and stopped in for lunch and I ordered it AGAIN... this time, it was worth it! YUM! (2#s worth it?! I am not so sure!?) Anyway - we are home again... pretty much staying put now except for that Super Mall trip coming up, and possibly that Waterpark deal... we'll see?! I can't believe that school starts in...19 days! (Yes... I am now counting down!? LOL!)


I am hoping to work on my digi's for a book as well as print out these Whidbey photo's to scrap too... plus I have that infamous Lunchbox Album to work on... so - uh - all of the sudden I feel busy!? (It's nice!!!)

Oh - lastly, here is a "painting" I did of the Oak Harbor Marina at dusk...




Scrap Happy!
~Karrilee~