Tagged & Stuffed...

I was Tagged by Tracy and will use that as a sorry excuse of an update, throw in a few pictures and call it good for now! OK - I know... I am so overdue but I am feeling so stuffed up and foggy right now I can't really care so much!? LOL?!





So - real quick - I DID end up going to Ellensburg last Friday... we had a blast walking through art museums and galleries, sipping on latte's and enjoying a nice lunch... we ended up walking around downtown so much - we didn't make it to the campus. Between that fact, and the fact that Dave took my digital camera with him on the boat - I got no photo's to share?! He did not catch one fish at the Derby and slept in the boat both nights - in the cold and rain... I think my weekend was WAY better than his?! LOL!? I stopped in to CW and bought the items I had in mind - and sort of window shopped... I am leaning more towards some items that are between $20-$50 that I would not normally spend $$$ on... but I am still undecided and at least for now - the Gift Card is not burning a hole in my pocket - so I will just wait! Oh - I went shopping at Maurices too and found two pairs of pants (in a glorious smaller size from the 'regular' section) for a total of $18! Score!





Monday of this week I met up with a friend from elementary school... that was a blast from the past (thanks once again to Facebook!) Tuesday I went to see The Women (not so great) with Robbin for a matinee - the hanging out with Robbin part was WAY better than the lame and yet not so offensive movie. Wednesday I ran some errands and celebrated my sisters' b'day. Thursday I walked with two friends (two different times) and that took my entire day! Today - well, I planned on napping and chatting online - but life happened and I was needed elsewhere. All week long I had plans of crafting... maybe tomorrow?! Of course - I also need to clean my house and pull out all my Fall decor... and I am, as I mentioned above, feeling stuffy and warm!?



Here are my most current LOs:







...and here is my 'Tag':

1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.

2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

7 things about Me!

1. I had a contact melt in my eye during high school science/biology - so I was 'reassigned' to FFA... nice!!?

2. I always only wanted ONE child... and I always wanted a Girl!

3. I had a psychic tell me when I was five that I would be a teacher or teach people, and I would be a writer! (both are true now!)

4. I LOVE Project Runway! (Karrilee misses Suede, ...and Blayne! LOL!?)

5. I look outside my window on my way to bed, every night, to look at the weather/garden/pathway... I know it is rather OCD/Monk like... but I just can't skip it?!

6. I am really shy when I first meet new people! (Really... I am?!)

7. The first photo's I ever scrapped were my favorite Wedding Photo's... so I pretty much HAD to get into this hobby in order to finish my wedding album?!

Who did I tag?
Darcie (http://three-monkeys.blogspot.com)
Corinna (http://www.clstevens.blogspot.com)
Natalie (http://nataliemyrwold.typepad.com)
Amy (http://http://scrapjunkie-amy.blogspot.com)
Frenchie (http://scrap-happy-de.blogspot.com)
Michele (http://thescrappinsunflower.blogspot.com)
and lastly, Tracy - because, well - #1 Fair is fair, and #2 who else did you leave me to name?! (http://tracyswhimsicalthoughts.blogspot.com)

Spark On! I am off to rest!
~Karrilee~

Still Avoiding Craft Warehouse!

It's true... I am still avoiding the Warehouse! I have already decided that I 'need' a few things - of which I plan to pay for with cash - so I can leave the lovely Gift Certificate at home while I wander through the store and ask some questions (like Cricut/Silhouette type things?!). Maybe this weekend I will be able to browse through and get some ideas! I found that many of my beloved SU! marker/pens are drying out - so maybe a set of pens would be smart... any suggestions of MUST HAVE brands?! I am not even sure what CW carries. But I DO need some more cards/envelopes and some spray adhesive, as well as a few more items to alter! I was GOING to go today - but listing on etsy ate up my time - and I am not even done! I had neglected my store for so long - I had a lot of clean up to do first!

I DID print out some photo's so I have stuff to scrap on Thursday night... however over the weekend, I hope to craft some more for the store. I already sold over 1/2 the cards before I was able to list them! This is a GOOD thing - but it means that 1/2 of my Fall listings are gone... so I need to replenish those and list away! My hubby bought us a new hard drive last night... with LOTS of room! Nice! So - in the midst of listing and cleaning up the website, I have been transferring files over to the newer empty space... hopefully once this is done and I get to delete away I am hoping things will be F-A-S-T-E-R!!!

Anyway - here are some of the projects I have completed in the past week... (I didn't want to BORE you with all the cards?! LOL?!):

Blank 12x12 Layout:

Various Cards:

Gift Bags:

My day trip to Leavenworth has been postponed... because, well - it's BEST to go in mid-October to get all the lovely fall colors! Instead, we are going to Ellenbsurg and browsing through the art galleries there, as well as wandering around downtown and grabbing lunch somewhere fun! We may even walk around the campus just for a little exercise mixed in! If I manage to get some cool photo's - I will post 'em here... as well as whatever I accomplish on Thursday and over the weekend!


Oh - to my dear dear S2L friends... this does, in fact, mean that I will be MIA on Friday for our online crop - however, whenever I DO make it home - you KNOW I will log on and distract you!!! I promise!!!

Scrap On!
~Karrilee~

Sunshine, New Projects, & Unspent Prize Money!

Aaah - ok... I GUESS it is time for an update! (...before I leave smack elsewhere... that's right - if you haven't updated lately - expect some smack comin' your way soon enough!)

I still have not yet gone back to Craft Warehouse... I am sort of afraid of what will happen there!? LOL?! What I really wanted was the Cricut... I have heard good things about the Silhouette too - but I don't think my $250 will cover it and I doubt Dave would see the 'logic' in having to spend MORE $$$!? I liked Chuck's idea of just selling the card and buying the Cricut at the Wal-Mart - but I doubt I would get my MIL to BUY it for full price?! I have been waiting for a nice new CW Sunday ad so I can flip through it and dream without the danger of impulse spending right there on the spot?! LOL?! Not that there would be much chance of buyers remorse there really?!

I HAVE been busy making some new items for etsy... just have to list away this week... it's not much but it is something and that is sayin' something because I have not been feeling super inspired to create lately!? (well - you know, for the past few days...) I have sadly neglected both of my etsy/cafepress stores over the summer and that means that I should be REALLY focused and busy listing new things right now so I will have things up and running by the holidays... ugh - the holidays?! I can't even think about it - and I don't want to know about your checklist, Na! Just keep it to yourself! LOL! Anyway - I DID create a handful of things for the store with more plans to craft this week! I will post some pix of a few things I managed to make during our online crop last Friday once I have them listed in my store!

I was honored to win the first ever online LO Contest via our SparkPeople Scrap To Lose team challenge combined with Vi's website (Thanks Vi for hosting! You ROCK!) that we use for chatting and cropping together each week! Scrap Happy meets this week and so I will have at least one night set aside to work! I am finding that I have not scrapped in my own family album since our Boise trip... that's right, Chuck - I said 'since our Boise trip'!? I have played with digi's or mini's but nothing added to the main fam' book!? I may need to print out a few pix from various summer trips to scrap just so they are included in our Family album.

Oh - a few weeks ago - Dave finally DID go up and take his flying lesson! He LOVED it... it was a gorgeous day and much to his surprise - he was responsible for EVERYTHING... he has to check the engine and fuel tanks, read off all the safety checks, start her up and lift off... fly around the Valley and land the baby too! Whew?! Of course - what a thrill... the next lesson is over double the cost... and if he ever wanted to actually get enough hours in to get a license - it would cost us something like $8-10,000 (but - renting the plane to fly somewhere is only $80 per flying hour! Not bad!!!?!) Anyway - here are a few shots from his trip! (Yes - he took pictures, and No, none of them have him in them!?):

We decided that we had lived in this area long enough without actually going up to hike around Mt Rainier! (We've lived here all our lives and the reason we never hiked around there was because we are not really Hikers, per say!?) However, thanks to weighing nearly 50#s less, and being way more active, the challenge didn't seem so daunting! So - we drove up to the hills and enjoyed a gorgeous family friendly hike of about 5 miles... we took this 'Loop' that took us around Naches Peak, brought us up to overlook Dewey Lakes, and then hike through meadows of wildflowers towards the gi-normous Mount Rainier in all her glory! What a PERFECT day! It was gorgeous... not a cloud in the blue sky, about mid-60's up in the fresh mountain air with scents of honeysuckle and other flowers, and my little family surrounding me! The hike was relatively easy - there were a few spots where I knew my heart rate was up there and I could feel my legs getting a great workout - but overall - I never needed to stop or pull off for a rest and I can promise you that this time last year, that would not have been the case at all! Bonus - we got some AMAZING photo's to scrap... see?

So - something is wrong with the universe if Chuck is planning and creating Christmas cards and I have not even thought of a design yet?! Man - am I really THAT far behind! I am working on Fall/Thanksgiving stuff right now - I haven't even THOUGHT of Christmas - for me or for my clients?!

As promised, I will post back whenever I decide to take that glorious shopping trip! My Honey is going on (another) out of town fishing trip this weekend - so I may take a girls Day trip to Leavenworth - which will provide even MORE stunning photo op's! WhatEVER will I do with all these pictures?!

Scrap On, Ladies!
~Karrilee~

What to buy.... what to buy!!!?!

Hey there... just a quick update...

I stopped in to my local Craft Warehouse today and did a wee bit of shopping...

apparently I missed the 'big announcement' and all the hoopla

but as I was paying for my glue I asked the cashier

if she knew who won the Scrapbook Queen contest.

She said, "Um - yeah... I think it was something like Karri Aggett!?"

Yeah - that's right! I did that whole both-hands-up-in-the-air-to-show-victory

thing involuntarily (honestly!) and said something like, "That's me! That's me!!!"

Yeah - I'm special?!

So... she called someone up to confirm

and the pretty lady just so happened to be on her way

to the safe to lock away my prize...

So - I won Scrapbook Queen for the Yakima store,

but didn't win the overall Grand Prize

- which would have been SaWeet

because it would have been a $500 Gift certificate!

However, $250 is still nice!!!

I had originally thought I would buy a Cricut with my win, however it appears that they do not even CARRY Cricuts?! I could have SWORN I saw the set up there not too long ago - but now?! It's nowhere to be seen?! Of course, I limited myself to the scrapbook section as I dreamed of what I would buy... some big ticket items that I am too cheap to buy with my own money?! LOL?! But - other than the super nice self-sharpening paper cutter for $50... I am just not sure?! I COULD buy the Bind It All - but do I need it?! No ... will I use it?! Maybe... don't I have one I can use at another lss? Yep... so cross that off the list! Of course, Craft Warehouse ROCKS in all area - not just scrapbooking... and Dave has already hinted at maybe purusing the art/home decor area... I thought for a minute of the fun Cubes to build your own workspace that are $30 each... but I am not sure... I will have to think about it!?

And - as if that was not good enough, my friend Lorraine gave me a Queen for the Day gift certificate to Fashion Bug today too... just because?! Wicked Cool!

So - I feel a shopping trip coming up here pretty soon! I don't really want to buy anything practical... LOL! This is, after all 'free money' - and so I really want to PLAY with it! Any suggestions?! Let me know! Thanks again to all of you who voted for me... you girls ROCK!

Scrap Happy!

~Karrilee~

I've been a Busy, Busy Girl!!!

But - it's all just fun and games! LOL! It's nothing as exciting as a new client or a new project for a client... but, it's been fun nonetheless! (It's just not paying the bills?!)

Aaaah - yes - Back to School has been good for us! Kayelyn is enjoying her classes and has already had more homework this year than nearly ALL of last year?! But since she is still loving it - I am not worried... I think last year was so relaxed and undaunting to her that she is ready for a challenge! The hard part will be if she is unable to adjust to the heavier workload... but so far, so good! And to have a weekly routine back in play has done wonders for the WHOLE family! I have a schedule again and that means that we can count on groceries on Mondays and a clean house on Tuesdays and laundry done AND put away more than every once in awhile... I get my workouts in early in the morning again, and - oh yeah - I have time to READ again!? Sigh... yeah, sure - I miss her a bit in the afternoons... but by then, it's almost time to go get her anyway?! She is back to school, and back to Tennis - which means a tad bit of running around twice a week - but it is worth it!

Speaking of Tennis - THAT is why I don't feel like I have all this 'free time' yet - I am glued to the US Open... wow - have there been some amazing matches so far... and it is on all stinkin' day - so I get nothing done?! LOL?! We even went to watch the finals of a local tournament over the weekend... not as exciting as Nadal or Novak - but still good!

Anyway - so - these are the things I have been working on the past couple of days... (yeah - I said days!):

Finishing up my Lunchbox Album... still missing a few current photo's and one or two peoples' comments (NOT Chucks... she played already and it turns out she likes me... she really likes me!)

I also played a bit with some Fimo clay and pigment powders... so fun!!!

Plus I made this super cool Tim Holtz necklace...

and a few cards... most of which I already mailed and forgot to take any pictures of?! But - this is one...

Oh - and this super cute little gift bag (thanks Tracy for the instructions!!!)

...not to mention a LO for a Spark contest - which I remembered to NOT include here... so no photo's of that one!

I am re-reading The Shack (if I can keep it in my hands long enough to actually read it... I keep ending up giving it away?!) and I am reading "Right People, Right Place, Right Plan" by Jentezen Franklin - it's really good! My sister gave me the entire set of Mitford books by Jan Karon - so that stack is waiting for me, AND I have pulled out the Nights of Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks again to reread before the movie is out later this month! Of course, instead of all this reading, I SHOULD be editing my own works and preparing to have them typeset... but reading other peoples' stuff just sounds WAY more funner!? LOL?!

Anyway - I am off... need to make some more cards and think about Fall and preparing to load up in my etsy store soon(ish?!) I hear a romantic comedy calling my name from my scrap room... must go see which one it is?!

Scrap On!
~Karrilee~