Good Morning...again! ;)

Can you tell I am trying not to do what I am supposed to do???? ;)

A friend visited (virtually) this morning...like uh, 2 mins after I posted a project on Fiskateers...so I just wanted to say Hi Friend! :) Pinky is my new stalker...so I am gonna return the favor and stalk her too! She has an adorable blog... http://www.blueyecicle.blogspot.com/ Plus, us homeschoolers gotta stick together...especially the crazy crafty ones :) Pinky is crazy crafty! and check out those tutorials!!

Oh, and I finally ran out of my super size box of tea that my parents bring me from Canada. SIGH...no more Tetley Orange Pekoe...so I have been sampling others, but yet to find a fav. Sterling (9 year old) and I, since he is my tea drinkin pal, have been consuming Twinnings for the past few days. It was ok, but I am not sold on it. Then we moved to Stash (Portland, OR company!!!) for their English Breakfast...yeah, it's ok...I hate that they use staples...cause to compost the bags, I gotta take them out (another point for Tetley...they do not individually wrap their bags, and the bags are round, with no staples or strings! Very eco friendly!) BUT...then this morning...I found, buried in my bag of tea, ORGANIC Stash Breakfast Blend...I think I have found a new tea!!! I could easily consume it daily...Now I just gotta contact the company and see if I can urge them to use less packaging...no individually wrapped bags, and lose the staples! :)

Ok, back to work...again ;)

Mundane Monday

I should be doing homework. I have an assignment that was due last night, but I just couldn't bring myself to sit here at 10 after I finally got all the kidlets to bed....and I should be doing it right now, but its Monday in Oregon...with a cloud filled sky and a grey world out my window. It's just so blah out there!

I usually can't start my day without visiting the Fiskateers, and having tea...well, I visited the Fiskateers, but did a rather silly thing yesterday and let my kettle boil dry, which I noticed only from the horrid plastic smell. Now, I have a beautiful brushed stainless kitchenaid kettle (the type that costs almost $100 but I got at a Mervyn's sale - Oh I wish there was still Mervyn's here!!! - for $8! I love being a coupon shopper! :)) Anyway, there are only 2 small pieces of plastic on this kettle...and they have never melted before...so you know I did a major thing getting them to melt. Sigh. I am not sure if I am going to use the kettle again...or if it will become decor. The thought of melting plastic and tea just doesn't mesh well for me...Good thing I have excess supply of Paderno pots! No plastic on them! :)

I have math class tonight...which I don't mind, and I am actually looking forward to since I heard that some other BigLots have gotten in new scrap stuff! Not that I should be buying ANYTHING but I gotta at least CHECK the deals ;)

And on that thought...I had better go check my pot...they say the watched pot never boils, but if I don't watch it, who knows what might happen! :)

Mini Book

This little mini book was inspired by fashion...which was a "challenge" at the Fiskars Craft website for the month of April. I have been trying to upload to their gallery, but it just ain't working for me! :(

I spent alot of time at the grocery store (since the kid's Karate Dojo is right there) so I walk by the cutest little store all the time...it's called Corky's Daughter. They have awesome stuff...it's a great lil' gifty shop. Well, for the past week, they have had the most adorable apron outside. It catches my attention everytime!!! It's turquoise with white dots, and big white scalloped flowers and cherries in the middle of them...yes, cherries! And I just LOOOVE anything with cherries!

It inspired this mini book...




I used DCWV cardstock and Creative Imaginations pattern paper. The white cover flower is chipboard, which I traced and made matching cardstock ones for each of the pages. I also used some odd rub ons I just got in my April Fiskateers swap, and some ribbon I had lying around. Best thing...it is created on tags made from an old cereal box. Fun way to recycle!

I think we may send it to my mom for Mother's Day filled with pics and notes from the kids. She can hang it up at her store to show them off :)

Kids Say the Darnest Things...

Here I am...crafting (finally)...listening to the kids talk in the other room when a cartoon came on...

Sterling (9): I've never hear of this show...
Rowan (13): Oh, it's old, ask mom. She used to watch it when she was a girl...
Sterling: Mom's always been a girl.

LOL

With 3 kids...these moments are plenty...but I couldn't resist sharing this one!

***here's another...I was just sorting through some photos (with the hopes of scrapping tomorrow) and found pics of my daughter's first "real" hair cut...I was getting so annoyed with how her hair would just fall in her face, that I decided it was time to chop it. I took her in the bathroom, combed her hair and cut. Once finished, she stood up, looked in the mirror and said, "I got hair like Willy Wonka now!" LOL (At this moment in time - 1 month ago - Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was her favorite movie) Personally, even tho Johnny is pretty cute, I think Aoife is much cuter ;)

Quote Junkie

I'm a quote junkie! At least I can admit it ;)

I stumbled across this in my email this morning...

“The best effect of any book is that it excites the reader to self activity.”

Scottish Historian Thomas Carlyle

and I love it! I thought it fitting to share since a couple weeks ago I created a Scottish Cultural Display for the World Beat Gallery (downtown Salem, Oregon - Reed Opera House - 3rd floor) and formatted and published a free educational curriculum to coordinate with it (which can be downloaded - FREE - here!) AND now...I am working on (among many other things) getting ready for the 2008 summer reading club for the homeschool group with which I volunteer....PLUS, books excite me (read last post) so well, this quote is my inspiration for today...maybe it will inspire you, too!

I closed my eyes and 3 weeks past!

OMG!!! 3 weeks have past since my last post...what the heck happened?!

I am on the computer often enough (too often really!) but I have not managed to visit my own blog until now...2/3 kids are at the movies...leaving me with the one who is self sufficient, therefore, I can have a little "me" time (I really should be doing geography homework though as it is due today...but it will wait for a few minutes while I visit with you!)

As a crafter and earth-lover combined, when I stumble across products that are created with the environment in mind, I get pretty excited :) There are a few scrap companies that make recycled paper (such as PiggyTales and TimeFies...both who I assisted at CKC Portland) and I would love to see more get on this bandwagon!

So anyway, April 22 is just around the corner...which means that there is extra enviro-talk going on right now...which is kinda funny because I have been thinking alot (NOTE: spelling is Canadian, EHabout environmental issues lately, especially relating to my educational/career goals...

I know exactly what I want to do, but well, there is just not enough of me to do all I want to do! :) Ideally, I will be publishing books, paper, magazines (eventually)...and as every day my concern about the environment and environmental issues increases, I know that I will not be just any publisher...I do not want to further contribute to the cycle of excess waste, clear-cutting and pollution (of all sorts), so I find myself researching environmental issues relating to publishing...and I had my AH-HA moment! :) Publishing books with vegetable or soy based inks on 100% post consumer recycled paper. Yes, a grandiose goal, but I know I will get there...sooner or later! (Let's hope sooner than later ;))

A couple months ago I learned that my previous education was not transferable to a US college because I went to a private institution...so me going back to school was actually like I was starting over...SIGH! But...now, as I am reconsidering just how I go about reaching my goals, I realize that maybe it was a good thing that I am having to stay in school longer than anticipated because now I am looking at getting a degree in Environmental Engineering, too!

Well, homework calls...and I need to clean my table since my camera has gone MIA and I think its buried somewhere around here! Hopefully, I will be back later with some crafty goodness to share as I have a few new projects in progress! Woo hooo! :)