MMmmm - Coffee!!!

Yep - it's not a big secret - I LOVE coffee! My kitchen is decorated as a coffeehouse and every year I get a great Cafe themed calendar to hang... but it's always a little sad to say goodbye to the last years' fun! Well - I decided I would 'go green' a little and make myself a set of fun coffee cards... to send to some who can't share a cuppa in person! Here are some of what I made:


I also made a few Birthday cards and thanks to Alicia from my Sisterhood group, I tried my first attempt at a few Wiper cards! They were really fun:





Other than that - we have been IMMERSED in high school tennis! Wow?! Our dd has been taking lessons just for fun for several years now but had never played competitively... we were encouraged to sign her up for a Junior Championship tournament at the local Tennis Club before her try outs started. So last wknd we signed her up - and she played her first ever competitive match - it lasted over 2 HOURS... wow?! She lost the last set 5/7... nut they were both exhausted! Her second match was the next day and she won it in two straight sets. The next day she played the other top seed (in the JV division!) and lost to her. But - she came in 2nd place! Not too shabby! She was so sore and had three new blisters - one for each match! And then - Try outs for high school tennis were every day last week (and today... and on Monday which is a no school day!?) She already knows she made the JV A team - she was not wanting to make the Varsity team because most of the returning players are seniors and they are all really good - so she would be forced to play doubles most of the time... so she was thrilled. They will get their ranks on Monday I think - she is pretty sure she is #1... maybe #2. We'll see if she is right! Besides the EVERY SINGLE DAY of practices from now until the end of MAY - the real shocker is the COST!? Wow?! We only have one kid?! HOW do you guys who have three or more even AFFORD to have your kids in sports!? Oh my?! We had to pay for a Sports Physical ($40)... she needed a tennis skirt and shirt and - um - a 'real' sports bra - for the Tournament ($140)... we need to pay an extra $30 for insurance and Dave just lost his coverage from work and we haven't found anything we can afford yet - but it's the law that they have SOMETHING... we have to pay a Pay to Play fee of $70 to the school. Her uniform (which is one skirt and one top) is $100... there is also a required $32 sweatshirt, plus 'optional' sweats and shirts ($28). That is all before the season actually STARTS... which will include traveling so that will add up too!? Whew?! At least now we will know for next year! Next year she will be on the Varsity team which will cost more and include more fun things like District and State!? Yeah... that's gonna cost more! But - it will be worth it if she is loving it... and if it will get her a scholarship - which is what is driving US! LOL!



Besides that - I am back on track with my running... I have stayed consistent in running over 4 miles 3x's a week for the last 3 or 4 weeks! I want to work up to 6 or 7 before I start training for the 5mile Clear Lake race... that one is up in the hills - and will - well, have some serious hills!?

We are experiencing some SERIOUS Spring like weather here lately... which helps with the consistent running!

Scrap On... what are you guys working on?
~Karrilee~

Happy Heart Day...

OK - so I am a day late... but that is because I couldn't really post my photo's until Valentine's Day - and well, I really didn't find time to sit at the computer yesterday!?

First off - I got to buy gifts in a SWAP exchange with my Sisterhood of the Traveling Crops team on Spark! We did this last year - and it was so fun! Of course - the added bonus to doing it this year is that most of us were able to meet in person and spend some time together over the summer last year - so drawing names and buying specifically for a 'Sisser' - so fun! The funny part is Denice got my name... and I got hers! So - I didn't take pix of what I got to send to her - but as I was shopping I definitely had her in mind and then, I bought some paper and embellies to do a LO of my own in and realized I HAD to make a card for De using it too! I couldn't show it beforehand - but now that she has it in her little hands - I can show it here:


So - here is the LOOT that she lovingly sent to ME:

Oh yeah... that is a Bucket of FUN, baby!!! (Filled with not only Bucket of Fun contents - but TONS of other goodies too! Goodies like acrylic stamps - SO CUTE! Some fun coasters, Glimmer Mist, Scents for card making, etched mirrors, some fun Valentine's Day embellies, and some awesome Cricut shapes too!)

So - between De's box, and Kay's unexpected gift of a GORGEOUS frame and some liquid pearls - I was taken care of on Valentine's Day! As a bonus, my Honey got me the perfect card, with the perfect note written in it, a single Yellow Rose, and the new Lady Antebellum CD!


I also had fun making a few cards for all of my "Sissers" again this year... who says we have to grow out of sending Valentine's? Not me... I love it! Here are some of the fun ones I made this year:



Here are a few other fun cards I have made... playing with my Cricut and new Sweethearts cartridge - I LOVE it!








Well, my Monday meeting is starting so I must wrap this up...
Hope you all were celebrated over Valentine's Day and know that you were made very well aware of how loved you are!
Scrap On!
~Karrilee~

Workshop Done... but not worth it?

Finally - I can breathe a bit... well, after Saturday that is!

Last weekend was my Trio of Love Workshop out at Selah High School for their all day Crop fund raiser. I led a workshop last year, doing a Valentine's Flipbook and it was a huge success! I had a blast, the ladies all loved it, and it was profitable in more ways than one!

So, when I was asked to do it again, I jumped at the chance! I found that I really do enjoy teaching in all forms and we all know how fun Scrapbookers are anyway! The idea came to me quickly to do a Squash album. When I was playing around I also found a mini treat basket and had enough scraps left over to make a matching Valentine's Day card! Wallah - project done! A three piece 'set' for Valentine's Day - A Trio of Love! The sign up (which was a bit down from last year) and then the fun shopping was next! After that - was the hours and hours or prep! It SHOULDN'T have taken so much of my time - but I know how difficult it seems to be for some to score and to figure out how to fold and assemble the Squash albums... so I did literally almost ALL of the work for them. Yeah - sucked up my time and ate away at my profit really! Then - I get there... I had 12 sign up - 10 show up - and only 8 pay!? So - all in all... I have 5 Kits left over (for sale - $10 ea!) and at this point made a whopping $17 profit - divided up into apx 6.5 hours of shopping/prep/class time and that averages out to $2.62 per hour! Nice?! (Um - not really... that was sarcastic!) Insert tired, weary sigh here! It IS a fund raiser... and I really DO enjoy the teaching part and the creating part too... just not so sure I will do it again next year? (Someone remind me of this post around December, OK?!)

I did manage to make a few birthday cards the other day while prepping for the class... used up some shapes from a Cricut Swap I did last year... pretty cute!

I have more cards to work on on Friday... My goal this year is to make all the cards (Bday/Anniv) on the first Friday of each month... in theory this will help me to be better at actually sending them out ON TIME this year?! We'll see!?

I continue my training for a 4 mile race that is on Saturday. I walked it all last year and came in at 67:08. I did the course yesterday to practice and I came in at 49:13. Hopefully on race day I can beat that time! I'd love to take off 20 minutes from last years time? I am running now - but do walk a little still - haven't quite worked up to 4 miles straight yet! I am a SLOW runner... but I have my goal in mind and my sight is set on completing it at least under 50 minutes - in 45 would be great!? We shall see!

Once the race is over... I hope to continue to run and train... there is a 5 mile race in June up at Clear Lake that I want to do... apparently some killer hills on that one too. I am pretty sure there will be a 5K or two in between - so that should help keep me motivated!

Anyway - I am off to create some Valentine's cards and sip on MORE coffee...
Scrap Happy - and let me know what you are working on!!!
~Karrilee~

Getting all caught up!

Well - I have been a busy girl... and FINALLY was able to sit down and do some actual hands on - old school Scrapping this week! It was great! I still have one more LO to complete and then I will be, once again, all caught up! (I know... I know!?) I had my Scrap Happy monthly Crop on Thursday and printed out our Christmas photo's and grabbed some paper that I had on hand... no buying supplies for me right now as I am TRYING to use up what I have! Well - I SAY that - but I did ACCIDENTALLY bought some Bo Bunny Valentine papers?! Oops?!

Anyway - I scrapped our Christmas photo's and realized that I need to scrap our Family Portraits still - and then I will be 'Done done!' I am planning on only doing Digi LOs for this year for our Family Album! We'll see if I can stay strong... I may be asking for photo's to scrap just to feed my obsession?! ( I said MAYBE!?!!?)

So - here are my latest LOs:


And yesterday on the Sisserhood Chat - Vi led everyone in a great little Clipboard Craft - and while I wasn't able to play along - I did make one this afternoon just so I wasn't left out! I made a matching altered journal to give as a gift... so fun!





Scrap On!!!
~Karrilee~

The Bootcamp Craziness, The Spark, & The Collage!

Aaaahhh...

The Holidays are officially over! I only know this because of the PILE of Christmas decorations that are hiding my dining room table! I know, I know - it's already well into January - but my week was CRAZY and I just had no time to UNdeck the halls! Today I decided I would at least get so far as to make huge piles that will somehow FORCE me to do the rest over the weekend?! (At least - theoretically the fam' will be home to help me lug the boxes up and down the stairs?!)

After Christmas, I decided to join up with the January Spark Your Body Bootcamp. I did one last January as well... the only thing that I remembered was that I didn't really lose any weight - but I thought I would give it a try again... what I didn't remember was how freakin' SORE I must have been!? Yeah - and I had this brilliant thought on DAY THREE?! Well - we are almost a week into it - which means only 3 more to go! After I signed up - but before it started, Millie died. Yep - she bit the dust!? Dave is trying to fix her - but she is not really interested in the idea! I was forced to pull out Evil Ellie!? We HATES her?! She is mean - and she KNOWS that I prefer Millie - so her jealousy just makes me have to PAY!? That - and she is all Touchy-feely with me?! Less now that there is - well - a little less of me - but I have to pay attention or I get sore for all sorts of bad reasons?! However, already - I am down two pounds?! I haven't been able to say that literally for MONTHS and MONTHS?! So - I may have to hates her a little bit less... at any rate - I am in it to win it... well - to lose it really!? I am refocused - and determined!

I am refocused and fired up - partly due to the basic New Year/Resolutions/I HAVE TO DO THIS... and partly thanks to the new book I am reading: The Spark! Yes - I know - shocker?! But this site has helped to change my life - and while part of the book is really review - there are some things in there that I had forgotten about - like the importance of Goal setting... so in line with the book and the site - I decided to sort of rethink where I am headed - and make some new goals! I also went back and actually DID the Visual Collage that you are supposed to do in the beginning! I sort of thought it was a bit New Agey and didn't do it then - but now - with this plateau - hey - if it will work - I will try it! So - here is my "Visual Collage" (that we are just calling a digital layout?!):

So - a few of my renewed goals are to reach that goal weight - which is not set in stone but includes at least another 30 pounds?! Once I get there - if we haven't already bought it - I am gettting a Wii and a Wii Fit Plus! I want one SOOOOoooooo bad... it seems I am the last one on the planet without it! (I know this is not true... trust me - I DO have SOME perspective?!) At any rate - that is a major reward I have lined up - along with that 'must have' Little Black Dress. I also want to take a trip to the beach - preferable the CA beach - but I won't be too picky! We didn't get a chance to go in '09 - and I missed it so much! The roles I want to step into this year are to be a Runner, to actually learn how to and to play Tennis, and to continue to press through and finish up the books I am working on! One of the things they tell you to put on your Visual Collage is what you want to look like... well - I am not so into porno or staring at photo's of women - but, uh - I couldn't find any that I wanted to look at. So - I searched out some old photo's - and while I KNOW I will never look 15 again - I can see myself again in these photo's! I can foresee the return of at least part of that physical shape - but more importantly - I can foresee the return of that confidence...

Another one of my goals is to be better at sending out birthday cards - ON TIME?! So - the plan right now is to make the months' worth of birthday cards all made on the first Friday. We'll see if I can keep it up!? Here is what I made for this month:
Now - I need to get to work on scrapping our Christmas photo's... of which somehow I was not really IN any of them again!? Oops?! Anyway - I am off to scrap...

What are you all working on? Do Share!
Scrap Happy!
~Karrilee~