Layout #198

Wooms by Haley Ross
This is my favourite layout from yesterday. I love it. I think I just love how happy Miles was to have discovered the worms "Wooms". I was also pretty pumped to use up some old alphabet stickers & find this paper that went so well... This is the epitome of SIMPLE Scrapbooking. There is about $10 worth of supplies & it is so easy. I just want to mention one more time how much I love the BoBunny Flex ruler which I used to make the wavy lives. Love it.
Materials: Patterned Paper & Die-Cut Words: Paper Loft; Alphabet Stickers: Rusty Pickle & Pebbles Inc.; Pen: Zig Writer by EK Success.

Layout #197

Hopaluks by Haley Ross
I can't believe this is layout #197. Insane. I might even meet my goal for the year (which would mean I have posted 250 layouts)! Having lowered expectations is fabulous for your ego! Only 53 more to go.... we'll see...
Materials: Patterned Paper, Stickers & Canvas Tags: Basic Grey; Brads: K&Co.; Rub-Ons: October Afternoon

Layout #196

Just Chill by Haley Ross
Someone who was looking at this layout said to me 'Good for you for not going with the Red'. I was high on that compliment for at least an hour :)
The thing is, I tried. I have been looking for red autumn paper for this layout since last fall. And finally I decided to give up. I am happy with this. Actually, I love it. The cute paper helps.
Materials: Patterned Paper: Sweetwater; Cardstock: Close To My Heart; Buttons: Basic Grey; Brads: Creative Impressions; Rub-Ons; Autumn Leaves; Pen: EK Sucess Zig Writer.

Layout #195

Goofy Miles by Haley Ross
Well, yesterday was the much anticipated (well, for me anyhow) Crop Till You Drop. I had a super productive day! This is the first layout I did... it took a long time to get "into" it... but once I did I was on a roll. It was also nice to see everyone again. Since I closed the store I have rarely spoken with any of the old regulars. It was good to see Jen & Jen (hahah!), Rhonda, Carol, TerryLynn & Martha. Everyone really...
'Scrapbook Season' has officially begun. I am so looking forward to the next crop (A retreat to Coleman!)
Materials: Patterned Paper: TPC and Scenic Route; Cardstock: Close To My Heart & Bazzill Basics; Chipboard & Vellum Blocks: Colorbok; Brads: Rusty Pickle; Stickers: Colorbok & Scrapworks; Pen: Zig Writer by EK Success.

Good Reads

I can't really tell you how I choose a book. I guess sometimes they come highly recommended (It seems everyone had read Freakonomics...). Sometimes I see them in a magazine (Real Simple has a no-obligation book club in each issue). I always read our book club book, until book club fell apart that is... And sometimes, sometimes the title or book jacket just grabs me (Such was the case with The History of Tractors in Ukrainian.) But lately I seem to have found a sure-fire way to ensure I will be engrossed in a book... read what you love. I love Jazz, so naturally when I discovered On The Road (pictured above) I was thrilled. I get a 'feeling' when I listen to Jazz music. It just does something to me. And nothing is better than live Jazz. Nothing. Not even chocolate. I can barely contain myself. I bop my head & patter my fingers on the bar... It's probably embarrassing for Brian... So when I read about the beat shows in dives across America & the intense experiences the characters take away, I GOT it. And I loved it. I also spent time on iTunes looking up songs of musicians I was reading about. It was a great novel, a stirring read & a great education in Jazz music. I just finished it.... and this is my official recommendation.

Read what you love. Seems obvious. Authors write what they know. And it works! I love Vueve Cliquot. Love it. And I love Champagne. So the history of one of the worlds most established champagne houses was thrilling for me. If someone even mentions champagne, I bubble at the chance to dazzle them with my knowledge (pardon the pun). I was mentioning the book at Wine Club when the Sommeliers there recommended I read The Billionaires Vinegar. And so I've thrown myself into it. And I love it. LOVE IT. Because I love wine.

Read what you love. Lately, it's worked for me. And if you aren't a 'reader' trying to find joy in a sad novel (I refuse to read 99% of Oprah's book club book. Although I am sure they're great, I prefer non-fiction) or a challenging classic (Pride & Prejudice is superb.) will leave you frustrated. I subscribe to three magazines: Real Simple (Best ever!), Scrapbooks Etc. and Wine Access. I wouldn't subscribe to Dog Fancy or Details. Makes sense.

I'm always looking for ways to spend my $ at Indigo... so write your best reads in my comment section... I'd love to discover something wonderful.

Layout #194

Sit by Haley Ross

I used some ooooold product on this layout. The leather frame , fabric tabs & stickers are super old, like older than 5 years.Yay.. And I have a bone to pick with American Crafts: WHY don't your vinyl alphabet stickers stay stuck? So annoying, I put them on & they fall off. I even glue-dotted them onto the page & they started to lift. Brutal.

Also, does anyone else think it's weird that I tilted the last picture (far right) so much? I think I have to go back & change that. Funny how I didn't notice until just now. It looks lop-sided.

I miss scrapbooking. Its been slow lately. Molly doesn't just lay around & sleep anymore, she's a little more demanding, so naturally my scrapbooking has suffered. I scrapped with Michelle for a bit this morning & it was nice, but chaotic with 3 boys & Molly.

I am super excited for the cropping I have coming. I always fill my Autumn full of crops. I have a day-long crop at the Lakeview Inn this month, a retreat to Coleman next month, a retreat in Pincher Creek in November & a crop day in November & December... lucky me. That's one weekend of every month. You may think I feel guilty from being away from my kids that much.... you're wrong. I miss them, but there is NO guilt. I need ME time... besides, hockey season is upon us...

Materials: Patterned Paper: My Minds Eye; Stickers, Brad & Ribbon: Making Memories; Fabric Tabs: Scrapworks; Frame: EK Success; Alphabet Stickers: Thickers by American Crafts; Cardstock: Bazzill Basics.

These are my confessions...

I like stuff.

There are some things I am proud of (My kids, my marriage, my brain) & then there are things that I hide. I have skeletons in my closet. No, I literally have skeletons in my closet. At least 7 that I can think of off the top of my head (all Halloween decor of course...)

I'm a hoarder. I am. I didn't think I was. I thought I was a 'collector'. But collectors can generally park their car in their garage & walk around in their basement. I couldn't do those things. And I think on some level I always knew it was not OK. Only my closest friends & family ever saw my basement. And then I got pregnant with Molly & I was suddenly aware of all my 'stuff'. I was aware that in order to fit Molly into our lives, some of my 'stuff' would have to go. And as I began to pack up my scrapbook room I was struggling to part with things, even things I didn't use. And even worse, I had to find somewhere to move all of my stuff to. It was a disaster. And one day my mom said to me "Haley, if you don't get this done before Molly comes, you'll never get it done." And I was hurt. I felt she was right. So when I made barely any progress & suddenly Molly had arrived, I sort of gave up for a while. And then I got cable. And I saw the show Hoarders. And Wowsers. It inspired me.

So I've been cleaning (that's an understatement). And I somewhere amongst all the stuff, I made a breakthrough. I was tossing things away at a breakneck pace. And finally, I can see progress.


It's really not hard to be a Hoarder & a Scrapbooker. The two really do go hand-in-hand. My focus now, and for the past 2 years, has been to use what I have. And it's working. But that wouldn't have been enough for me. So instead I gave stuff away. As much as I could, to anyone who would take it. And I sold a couple things. And now, when I look at my scrapbook space, I feel relieved... and dare I say, Inspired? I got rid of my big Cricut, the small one seems to be all I need. And I scaled back embellishments until they all fit into 5 medium-sized bins (pictured above). And now it's so much easier to find 'the perfect touch' for the layout I am working on.

I still have a lot of stuff, more than most. I like stuff. And I definitely attach emotion to my things. I am sure that one day Brian hopes he can use our dresser to set things on, but for now, I am happy to have it full of framed memories. I think he looks forward to the day when there isn't a bunch of lavender within arms reach, everywhere in our house (I find this sooo therapeutic & calming when I'm stressed or sad to roll the buds in my hands and take a deep breath). But I also think that having 'fall decor' in our house to celebrate the changing season is what makes us feel at home. So I plan to find a balance. And I think I am well on my way there. (9 trips to the salvage center helps...)

I do want to leave my children with memories and maybe even some fabulous scrapbooks, but not a house full of crap to haul to the dump...

Oprah!

Today Oprah started her Farewell Season. I cried & cried. This isn't anything new for me... I cry when Oprah is happy, sad & when she's giving things away. Today I bawled. I am just so sad it's going to be over. I am so sad that Molly won't grow up with Oprah the way I did. I never really stopped to think of how she has changed my life, but she has. An hour a day, since I was 5, when my mom first started to watch... until I was old enough to watch it myself.

My mom taped Oprah on our VHS Machine. My dad worked away so I understand now why mom taped the show. She wanted to wait until we were in bed so she could watch it, uninterrupted. I actually remember waking up & going downstairs where my mom was watching Oprah & doing the ironing. I curled up on the couch & watched with her. I don't remember what the show was about, but I remember my mom was so happy, ironing late at night. And I remember the smell of the steaming iron & that I was so happy she was letting me stay up.

When 9/11 happened I remember her first show back on the air. I don't remember how she said it, but she put the message out there that 24/7 coverage of negative news events aren't good & that it would do us all good to TURN OFF THE TV for a while & take a break. I remember to do that now. I don't need to be bombarded with images of earthquakes and war 24/7. While it's good to be informed, taking a break will minimize the shell shock. We need to be affected by these events. But we need to take away a message and not an image. This idea has served me so well in many parts of my life... it's about perspective, it's about positivity & it's about the value of life.

Thanks Oprah.

Layout #193

chugga by Haley Ross
Um, I love this layout. I loved this day. I love these pictures. And I love this paper. So over all, LOVE LOVE LOVE.
Materials: Patterned Paper: Stampin' Up & Sandylion; Stickers: Sandylion; Chipboard Alphabet: Lil' Davis; Cardstock: Coredinations; RubOns: American Crafts; Pop Dots: 3L.

Layout #192

fresh by Haley Ross
(with some help from my friends...)
Thanks guys! This is seriously the best way to scrapbook. So, from now on, I'm going to slap together a page & let ya'll finish it. I'm kidding. But it's nice to know there's so much help out there! I was actually super pumped to use these little glass drops I bought in Montana when I went for CKU... yeah, that was 4 years ago. I remember buying those & thinking 'These are fabulous, I bet I'll kick myself for not buying more.' Then they went into my stash & I forgot about them. So, I am glad I didn't stock up, but I was also glad to discover them!
Materials: Patterned Paper & Die-Cuts: Crate Paper; Ribbon: Colorbok; Glass Drops: Robins Nest; Stickers: EK Sucess; Quote Transparency: Daisy D's; Alphabet Stickers: Thickers by American Crafts; Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Pop Dots: 3L.

Food!

I LOVE HOT WINGS
But I actually hate eating them. They are messy & hard to eat (I also dislike large sandwiches, also too hard to eat). But I love a good hot wing. So I was pretty excited a couple weeks ago when I came across this recipe in a Rachael Ray cookbook. We tried it & we loved it! So tonight, because it's just Brian & I (Miles is away at Grandma & Papa's) we are having pizza & watching cable TV. If you like hot wings & you like pizza, you'll LOVE this:

Wingless Buffalo Chicken PIZZA

3/4 lbs chicken breast
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp Steak Seasoning
1 store-bought pizza shell (or dough)
2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce (I used more...)
2 - 3 tbsp of hot sauce
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 cup Monterrey Jack Cheese
1/2 cup crumbled Blue cheese (There was none of this on Brian's side, he hates Blue Cheese, but did admit it was good when I forced him to try it. I used a MILD blue cheese.)
3 scallions thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 425 F

1. Cook chicken with EVOO
2. In medium skillet: Melt butter, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce & tomato sauce.
3. Thinly slice chicken & add it to sauce. Pour sauce to cover pizza dough. Cover with cheeses & scallions. Cook for 18 minutes or until crisp.

Lovely.

Ten.

Today I got cable. Today, coincidentally, I feel overwhelemed. How will I know which shows to watch & which ones are a colossal waste of time? I've always loves SNL, The Office & am a fan of Modern Family. These are shows that are avaialble on local channels. But now I have options... about 140 of them. (As well as 40 digital music channels, 2 movie channels & Shaw Video on Demand.)

10 Shows I Could Watch

1. Tosh.0. It's the real reason I ordered cable (although I will allow Brian to think it was because I am a loving wife who wanted him to fully enjoy hockey season). Hilarious show. I've already set it on my TIVO.

2. The Food Network. I can't really name an specific shows, but I plan on learning them all. I'll get a pen & paper & write down as many recipes and cooking tips as I can. I am so excited to have this resource.... I've exhausted all my cookbooks.

3. Kate + 8. Who am I kidding? I could never watch this show. I get a headache after about 5 minutes. But I can appreciate the fact that she is still alive. You go girl!

4. Mad Men. I've heard it's fabulous.

5. Breaking Bad. After all the Emmy nod's it can't be bad... can it?

6. Intervention. My friend Jules & I watch this show together when I go to visit. It is shocking. I am always so invested in the recoveries of the addicts.

7. The Flintstones. One of the channels we have is a vintage cartoon channel. Cool. I wonder how Miles will react to old cartoons that I use to love?

8. Chelsea Lately.

9. Dexter. Yessss. I love this show. And until now, I've only had it on DVD. Can't wait to watch it in real time. I imagine each will it'll kill me to not have another episode to watch instantly afterward.. still, yessssss.

10. Really Big Things. I love this show. It's on the Discovery Channel & it explores, well, REALLY BIG THINGS. My favourite episode was on this hotel in dubai. No, it was the aquarium in South Carolina. No, the CAT machines in the Oilsands. What the heck, I like them all...