Organized Chaos

What's in a Name?

In the spirit of Halloween (and my new obsession), here's a site where you can get your very own Goth name! Mine is Angeldust.  What's yours?

I still have no idea what i'm going to be for Halloween.  J already has his costume- a Gladiator.  It came in the mail the other day and he couldn't wait to try it on.  He asked me if I thought it would be ok for him to wear it to class.  He then proceeded to pull out his sword and order me to make him a meal "fit for a king." ♥ 

Things I Can Cross Off My Lifetime To-Do List

What I have been up to lately:

1. I finally went to Balboa Park here in San Diego!  I know, crazy, seeing as how i've lived here for a YEAR.  J and I went a few weekends ago to check out an exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls at the SD Natural History Museum.  There were 12 scrolls on display, and another 12 to be displayed (I think now, actually) until December. Utterly fascinating.

2. I've been to Utah!  And stayed in a real log cabin!  Seriously?  The birthplace of scrapbooking.  And the cabin?  It was the mother of all log cabins.  I've wanted to stay in one ever since I was a little girl in Hawaii, struggling to build something out of her very own set of Lincoln Logs.

3. I (re)learned how to crochet! I remember my grandma teaching me as a kid, but as I haven't done it since, I thought i'd forgotten.  I KNIT A SCARF!  More on this later, actually.

4. I can now say that I make Arroz Con Pollo (some Puerto Rican dish that J taught me how to make) better than J does.  Way better.  Even he said so, though he probably wouldn't publicly admit it.  Every Sunday, we've been gathering with our neighbors out on the patio at our condo for a potluck.  It's been a really nice way to end the week- great food and lots of laughs.

5. I've finally tasted an earthworm.  Courtesy of Bertie Bott's, of Harry Potter fame (and well, Amazon). ♥

Bea-HOOT-iful

So remember how I said I've been sick a lot lately?  The other day my very beautiful friend Kim called to say hi and I told her how i've not only been feeling ill but rather blue, too.  We chatted for a bit and hung up.  A few hours later, my phone rings and it's Kim again.  She tells me she bought me a present to cheer me up and that she's kidnapping me- essentially, forcefully removing me from the house that i've been holed up in for a few days. Gasp! She arrives at my door within 15 minutes, plops down on my couch and hands me a bag with this in it:

I may or may not have screamed "I love you" a few times.  Isn't it beautiful?  J left for class, and Kim and I left for The Forum where we wandered through the shops (I found these super-cute scalloped-hoop earrings!).  Then she took me to dinner (my fave, Italian). By the end of the night my mood had definitely lifted.  Who knew such a simple thing could cheer a girl up so much?  :)  Thanks for the loveliest apron there ever was, Kim.  And thanks for being such a sweet friend! 

Love this guy too? You can find him here, as well as a ton of other designs!  Happy shopping! ♥

It's all about the Vampires, baby!

Usually I complain to no end when I see FALL stuff in stores IN THE SUMMER.  But this year?  Nope, not one single word comin' outta this girl's mouth.  This year, my new favorite holiday is Halloween.  And who do I have to thank for this new development?  A very cool dude by the name of Edward.  Yes, I have a new love.  Too bad he's a vampire and also, well, a character in a book.  I have officially lost my mind, people.

 

The Author's Homepage - Great source of info on upcoming projects

Amazon.com - Because you will want copies.  Thank me later.

Seriously?  The only other series (let alone, BOOK) i've ever been this into is Harry Potter.  And I LOVE books.  Read them like crazy.  I've been handing out my copy of the first book, Twilight, to everyone I know, trying to get them to understand JUST HOW GOOD IT IS.  I've never been into gothic novels, never even watched Interview With A Vampire (I will now, though!);  it just never really piqued my interest.  But now?  Well, lemme just say, I'm eating Count Chocula cereal as I type this. ♥

I can't come up with something creative for a title

hehe.. the only thing going through my head right now is "ahhhhhh!!"  LOL I need a chill pill.  :)  SO MUCH GOING ON!  Time for a list!

1. Just got back from UTAH!  My first time, ever, and I have to say it was a blast.  Attended the annual Rusty Pickle Chef Retreat.  We scrapped, took classes, laughed, ate some good food and scrapped some more.  I was pretty sick before I headed out there and for some reason my allergies kicked in big time.  I headed off to bed earlier than i'm used to on most nights and I found a new book obsession (more on that later).  That book saved me so many times; when I felt so uncomfortable from being sick, it kept my mind off of it.  I felt a little bad that I wasn't at my normal energy (and even with thyroid issues my energy level is bad as it is) but everyone was pretty understanding and sweet about it.  It was so nice to meet the other Chefs and get to know them even more.  More photos on that over the next week or so.

2. Speaking of Rusty Pickle, they're giving away tons of stuff from Memory Trends this week in honor of the new blog!  If you haven't checked out the new blog yet, it's full of inspiration and info on the latest RP happenings.  Go have a look-see.

3. I've updated the CLASSES album with a new look and hopefully made it easier to maneuver.  Classes are now listed alphabetically, so all you need to do is scroll to the class title and click on the link to direct you to that album.  Hope this makes things easier for you all!

4. I just want to say that I totally adore my sister Ashley.  We chat pretty regularly each week and I truly look forward to our talks.  My family has always been my source of comfort (ha! as well as annoyance at times, of course).  They truly are my center.  When I feel lost, I buy a ticket back home, spend two weeks with my family and come back feeling grounded and whole again.  It's an amazing thing.  With my sister Ash, it's like getting that feeling in small doses, over the phone.  She cracks me up, she makes me mad, we cry together, we make fun of our other siblings.. she's my best friend and I often wonder if she really knows just how much that means to me.  Last week, we got in a HEATED ARGUMENT ABOUT TRADITIONAL MEDICINE VS. NATURAL MEDICINE.  Seriously?  Who does that?  LOL  I suppose we do.  I love it that we can get so ANGRY with one another and in the next breath be trading "I love you's".  You would think i'd be used to it by now, but it constantly amazes me, the bond of sisterhood.

5. I have a Japanese Language test on Wednesday that I need to study for.  Ack!  The class is going fairly well, though i'm still kicking myself for not using the language for the last 5+ years and ultimately forgetting it.  It's slowly starting to come back, so there is hope!

6.  I also wanted to say thanks to all of my friends and everyone who reads this blog.  Thanks for not giving up on me.  My life sort of stopped right around July and it never really got back on track.. it's starting to get there, though!  I'm still working on emails.. should be done this week.  :)  Hope you're all doing well and thanks for the words of encouragement!  It means a lot!

7.  Starting to brainstorm on ideas for Halloween.  I'm so excited this year!

♥

I bet you thought I abandoned this blog

Nevar! lol Life has been INSANE.  Forgive me! I feel like I haven't been home for a month.  I've been super busy helping out in the booth at RP shows, school started (ugh!!  WAY too much homework this semester!!), trying to keep up on my classes, my house is a mess.. you name it.  Last week I was feeling just overwhelmed!  Usually when I get to that point, I find that taking a step back, setting aside a few days to clear my head and get my life organized (or set up an attack-plan) seriously helps. 

Painting my toenails usually helps, too. I rarely paint my fingernails as I find it pointless- i do too much with my hands. By the next day, the polish is rubbed away.  But I digress.

So, um, yeah.  That's what's been going on in a nutshell.  I'm home for two weeks and then I head off to UTAH (my first time ever!).  How cool is that?  I'm stoked.  ♥

swimming

Been in San Jose for the Expo.. right now i'm in SF, recovering from sleep deprivation.  :)  Those of you that sent me emails.. please be patient.. i have a bulging inbox. Trying to wade my way through.  Be back soon.  ♥

Drive-By

SO sorry no update for a while.  Life is CRAZY!

THIS is my desk at the moment.  ugh!  I have so much to do and so little time to do it in, it seems.  Almost ended up flying to PA this weekend to work in the RP booth but had a class at Ever After lined up for Saturday.  The class was great (it sold out!)- if only we'd had about 10 more hours to play.  :) Just wanted to say a quick THANKS to the ladies who attended.  You were all so sweet and fun and I honestly enjoyed all of the craziness!  Just so you know, I will upload pics of the project this afternoon.  Remember when my computer crashed a few weeks ago?  Only last night did I discover that ALL of my scrap projects that i've ever had scanned or taken photos of were lost.  So I need to retake photos of the travel book and will have them uploaded today!  Those of you who wanted extra books.. I haven't forgotten!  I'll let you know if i can track down more for those of you who didn't get one but wanted to.  I have a MILLION and one things to do today - classes for August & Sept., RP Kits, 100+ emails, phone calls, household chores.. you name it! I need to get off the computer (J is already getting huffy- we have an appointment!).  I'll be back later! Have a good one!  ♥ 

Like a Bird

THIS is my favorite new shirt, a la Target.  I'm debating on giving him a rhinestone eye.  :)  I've been in love with birds for quite some time now.. who can resist them?  They're cheery, dainty and universal.  There are birds everywhere in scrapbooking these days- my favorite winged product would have to be Heidi Swapp's Bird & Twig Mask.  You can spray paint it, sponge it with acrylics or trace it onto felt and cut it out! Got any favorite pages using bird embellishments?  I'd love to see them!  Just create a link in the comments section to show them off.

As for my other love, Harry Potter, I finished the book on Monday.  Took me about 2 days to get through it but man was it worth it.  Well done, J.K. Rowling!  I will cherish these books forever. ♥

Rockin' Girl Blogger

I've been tagged!  Pretty cool that someone would think me or my blog rocks (i'm pretty sure there was a mixup somewhere).  :)  But I digress.  During the Amazing Race, I had the pleasure of getting to know some of my teammates and what a blessing that has been!  I got to add a pretty cool chick named KIMMY to my list of friends.  She has been a great source of inspiration as well as laughter.  She is also a member of the Pencillines DT.. which, if you're not aware of, is a GREAT sketch site.  So check out Kimmy's blog as well as the sketches! 

And now, onto my list of Girl Bloggers that I think ROCK, in no particular order.  :)

1. Kim - Who'da thunk i'd get to know TWO super cool Kims?  This girl is a GREAT scrapper.. we feed off eachother A LOT.  Tons of ideas, support, energy and good times.  :)

2. Lainie - Or Lain, as most people know her.  :)  We go way back.. and I still enjoy our talks now as much as I ever did.  'Cept now it's over email or blog comments instead of in person.  She EXUDES personality, energy and coolness.  She is sharp, witty and oh so cool.  Lainie writes articles for Simple Scrapbooks and she even has her own PODCASTS!  Which I seriously encourage you to check out.. you can listen while you scrap!  She recently was sweet enough to include me in Episode 13!

3. Ann - Another girlie that i've come to really respect.  She is talented, creative and has a love for writing.  Very cool in my book.  :)  We got to meet up during the Race and I was just so impressed with her.  She has always been so sweet and supportive.. a real gem of a person!

4. Christine - I just recently had the pleasure of meeting this really talented Hybrid crafter.  We both teach classes at Ever After Scrapbooks; Christine's projects are always amazing!  She is SUPER sweet and excessively talented!  You can view a lot of Christine's work at A Million Memories, where she is a DT member.  If you haven't checked out their site before, follow the links through Christine's blog and see why they are a great online scrapbook community with awesome kits! 

5. Amanda - And yet another girl that i've come to know through the Race.  Amanda has such a fresh, clean style.. her layouts are bound to inspire you!  She just recently joined the blogging world so be sure to drop her a message to welcome her!  ♥