musings of a poor blogger

I would have to say I'm really bad at blogging. I want to do it but there are great lapses inbetween posts and I'm boring. So, I'm thinking I need some direction here and have decided to focus more on my hobbies and interests such as scrapbooking and how to live frugal.

The "frugal" part is rather taking over my life these days as I never imagined I would be struggling so. I get by but most of the winter I have lived without heat. I could have had heat and do have oil and gas in the tanks but decided to only use it when I absolutely had to. It really hasn't been as bad as one might expect. The good side is I've spent less than $1500 in fuel oil and propane so far. My house is old and not insulated (yeah, I know what your thinking, thats another story). I love my home and have lived there since I was 3 years old.

Its in need of repair but I keep intending to hit the lotto so I can do what I need. I do intend on getting some plumbing work and painting done this spring.

Ah spring!!!!!! My favorite time of the year. Floweers are starting to bloom, pollen is about to ascend on us and I can finally open windows and let some fresh air in. So much to do and so little time to do it before it gets hot. I must make a "to do" list and stop procrastinating. Every spring I say the same things... going to paint this, going to do that and it ends up getting hot, crabs start to come on and I find myself spending my weekends out on the river with my Dad and never get a dam thing done around home. Not that I'm complaining as I love spending time with Dad out on the boat.

Ok, time to stop dreaming and get back to why I'm a poor blogger. I think I will surf through some blogs and find some interesting ones and get some ideas for my little spot on the net.

Blah Monday

Don't ya just hate those blah Mondays??? I had such a big weekend... Zumba, new hairdo and Dancing With the Stars Saturday night. Had a blast, very upscale. My friend Cherae won and she was so awesome!

Sunday, I spent catching up on stuff.. washing clothes, dishes etc and watching my soaps! Dad wanted me to go fishing but I said no way. Had enough of that last week. I was freezing out on that darn boat. Now... maybe if I had a little brandy.

Today, its back to the same ole same ole. Last week it was around 65-70 degrees, today its around 45-50, not that I'm complaining that's pretty good for here this time of year. Leaves are really coming down today. I hate to see it getting cold. I can't afford heat this year, don't know what I'm going to do. Buy long johns I guess.

Long day at work, 8:30am - 10pm. I did get out for a bit this afternoon. It was a little cool but nice out. Freeze warnings tonight, yuk! Time to get my flannels out!

:)

Just Chillin Out & Thinkin

I've been kinda laying low since the holidays. Still on an odd schedule for work. I am about to take some time off to go to the beach on a scrapbooking weekend on Presidents Day Weekend. I'm looking forward to that althouggh I'm not as excited as I usually am.

Not sure why exactly, just that my pennies are tight and I can't get some of the supplies I need in time. A little bummed about that. Never the less it will be wonderful to get away from work a few days and get out of dodge, lol!

In one of the Scrapbooking groups I frequent on the net some of the girls started a 12 on 12 scrapbook challenge. I've decided to join in, just wish I had started in January. I will start next week! All I need to do is take 12 pictures on the twelfth day of each month and scrapbook them.

Considering that I guess I had better tidy up my house, lol. Need to do that anyway because Dad will be taking care of the kitties while I'm away. He never complains about my dirty house but I know he would feel better if it were clean.

I don't know what the big deal about housekeeping is anyways. Yeah, I understand about germs and dustmites. Trust me its not that bad! A few dishes in the sink or an unmade bed is not going to stop the world. Know what I mean? Eventually the bed will get made, now it might be made right before I get in it tonight but it will get made.

I am glad today is Thurs. The boss has been on the warpath all week, just one more day and then its the weekend for me. I've been working later than usual so have been sleeping in during the mornings some. I'm behind on most of my normal chores.

When I get back from vacation I should be able to get back to a normal routine. Thank goodness!

Musings of a layout I didn't like...

Now I know I said I wasn't going to purchase any new scrapbook supplies this year unless I really needed it. I was speaking mainly about the "basic" supplies as in tape runners, albums, paper, stickers and other embellishment type things. Seems I have now every color brad or eyelet ever made, a whole drawer full of Jollees and Jolee type embellishments and paper well.

Good grief I don't even want to think about the amount of paper I have in my stash! Can one have to much paper???? All I know is I never seem to have exactly what I want when I sit down to scrapbooking. Like just yesterday, I decided I would "pre-make" a layout for some Fall pictures of trees and leaves. I also decided I was going to use my new Cricut. Good so far....

Other than the cartridges that came with my machine I purchases Doodlecharms which has some great leaves, acorns and that "bushel basket" I've been longing for.I got my papers out. I've been using CM's Gazebo palette for my 2007 album. I cut lots of leaves out with coordinating cardstock. I cut the title "Autumn Colors" out with my George cartridge in black.

Down in the bottom left corner of the left side page I placed my bushel basket full of leaves and a few leaves on the ground, along with the acorns. I scattered a few leaves across the top of the 2 page spread and then I was going to put the title across the top of the leaves. Sounds ok so far, huh? Looked like crap to me, lol I did all this watching a movie "Harts War". An hour and a half and I don't like it. It looks to plain or something or maybe its the background I chose which is sort of a peachy/apricot color. Now I know I could have gotten my crimper out and my punches and quickly punched lots of leaves. Maybe I would have liked it better. Maybe I could add a few brads here and there to gussy it up a bit,dunno Do you guys ever get "stuck" like that? Seems to happen to me more than I care to admit, lol. What do you do? Do you go ahead and create the layout knowing you don't particularly care for it or do you rip it all apart until you get that "perfect" design. I know the layout will be fine as it is but these are my photos in my album on my creation. hmmmm This is the very thing that inhibits myscrapbooking progress.

Then again I'm thinking $'s, Cricut machine, Doodlecharms cartridge, paper, Xyron, paper and my time. $250 would you guess???

*pouts* just not fair

Crop Club

I'm still pooped from yesterday. I had fun, it was a good crop. I managed to get a little bit accomplished. Not as much as the other ladies but did good for me, lol! I did my interpretaion of Novembers Sketch Challenge. Its not complete as I haven't done the journaling and found my little Jolee's seagulls to stick on there. I may do my journaling on vellum, not quite sure yet. What do you think? I could use some suggestions.
I suppose I should have just taken a shower and gone to bed last night when I got all my stuff hauled in the house and my chores done(hungry critters).
But nooooooooooooooooooo, since I had packed up most of my supplies on my scrapbooking table for the crop I decided it was time to move my table from in front of the fireplace (getting that time of the year, you know) and re-organize it. Well that took until 11:30 but did get to watch Brothers and Sisters (Kittys preggie, omg!!). I have yet to do the vaccuming. I wasn't quite that rambunctious last night.I will enjoy going home this eve to a nice organized workspace*grins* and I'm all set up to do things for the craft show. :)

Autumn

Someone asked me this morning what my 3 favorite things about Autumn were and don't choose the obvious like leaves or pumpkins.

Hmmmm, after I thought about it for a minute I said...

1. the clean crisp air without the humidity
2. Christmas is just around the corner and...
3. its almost time to get the fireplace going!
and pumpkin pie aint bad either!

Fall has always been one of my favorite seasons next to Spring. I feel good in the Fall. I do wonder about Global warming and what that is going to do to our Fall. Will there come a day when the leaves don't fall?

What are your 3 favorite things?

Gee, 6 months since I was last here

and it was raining! They say we'll have some showers here this afternoon but I'm not holding my breath. It is so dry. We've barely had any rain all summer. Here it is October and its in the 80s!!! Yes.. here in MD in the 80s!

I'm certainly not doing a good job at keeping up with my Blog. The motherboard in my computer died so that kept me offline for over a month.

I'm trying to get back on track with my scrapbooking. I've fallen so far behind but then again I haven't taken many pictures this year. Lacking inspiration I suppose. I thought this time of year I would go track down some beautiful foliage shots but its been so dry most leaves are turning brown and falling.

My biggest news of late, last month was my birthday and I celebrated my setting up a 10 gallon aquarium and put 4 baby goldfish from my pond in it. We're approaching 5 weeks now and they are doing great. I like watching them and seeing their colors change. It will be interesting to compare them with their siblings (still out in the pond) next spring.

I did try to take some pictures of them. Boy, that was challenging from lighting to glare to action. I'm to embarrassed tp post them here but I'll keep trying until I get some good ones. I'd love some tips!

I'm off for now as I'm at work and need to start looking like I'm doing something, heehee. Now that I know my password I'll be back soon. :)