A new year means a new planner

Every year I go through this search for the perfect calendar for the upcoming year. I have written about on my blog a few times. And some years I find the perfect premade product on the market and some years I have to pull out the scrapbooking supplies and get to work on creating my own. And honestly when it's all done, for that year that calendar is absolutely perfect for me. So I have been searching online for the perfect calendar, and there is one that I like because of all the trendy colors but honestly I know that it would not serve its purpose for me. One of the biggest things a calendar has to do for me is allow me enough space  to write things down that I want to write, sometimes that means a thought about something that I want to do or scrapbook, or sometimes that means the spending I want to do for a house project.  I need the space to write. And the planner that I love because I saw thousands of videos on, doesn't allow me to write horizontally and that would drive me nuts. And I can't stand writing vertically. It doesn't make sense to me. So it wouldn't work for me. It also has the days separated by morning, afternoon and evening and that wouldn't work for me either because like I said I like to write and most times it has nothing to do with the time of day or a scheduled event. I write appts./ meetings on the monthly calendar section of my planners and so times are not important to me when I am writing weekly info. And the cost of the planner honestly didn't bother me too much because I have bought Franklin Covey planners in the past and to be honest it makes perfect sense to spend the money on something that I  like; especially if it serves an important purpose for my everyday. But it has to function for me. And the one online doesn't, Franklin Covey planners used to be ok, but to me they are now to boring. Sorry but they are. And I don't want to have to decorate it all up if I paid a lot of money on it but I honestly know that I would end up doing just that. But the most important part to me is having enough writing room and I don't want too many stickers and all that on my planner pages because to me it's all about the writing.

So I was thinking about this since mid-September when my current planner broke. And this is the reason why I'm not buying that planner type this coming year.  The planner was awesome. It had a perfect hard pocket on the front that I used to make a scrapbooking page of some of our favorite photos from years past. It was perfect. It laid flat so I could write in it while laying in the bed at night, it gave me more than enough space for writing but it wasn't durable. It first broke in May and then in September the front cover was completely off and I was using a huge pink binder clip to keep it together... Here is a photo of it next to my new planner for 2014.

But once again it was perfect it broke.

But I also couldn't get it to fit into my purse anymore either without damaging it more so I decided that I needed a smaller planner. Smaller meant that I would loose out on writing space and the calendar squares would be smaller; but I was ok with looking.

Well it is December and the perfect time to set-up my new planner is now while I'm on vacation. So I felt like I had to rush and make a decision cause the holidays and new year is fast approaching.

So today I want to Staples and picked up an Arc notebook and refills for it. I also got some Martha Stewart products that have the same disc system and I decided that I really wanted to dress up the planner. It is the smaller version. I decided on that one although I love the bigger one because once again I can't get that bigger one in and out of my purse so easily.

The upfront cost seems like a lot to me because you really aren't getting a planner that's premade but after a few shopping trips for other home things, I decided to check out the 99cents only store. And they had planners from 2013-2014 for you guessed it $1.00. I wasn't purchasing them to use for the actual planner, but the acrylic to make the plastic cover that I wanted on my new planner, and a long plastic tab thingy. I also went to Hobby Lobby to find some more accessories and I saw the BH 12x12 dated plastic tab things for Project Life. But that cost was way too much.

This new planner combines the best of two things for me, a planner and it allows me to be creativity too. I love cutting down the acrylic to make the things that I need to be organized. I purchased the punch because honestly if I don't like the planner in 30 days I can return the punch per Staples no questions asked. Here is the inside of the planner, the pouch and was purchased but the quote was actually on a two pocket folder sold at the 99cents only store that I cut down in order to use the scripture.

The original images weren't showing up...reloaded images. Planner on the left was 2013 planner and one on the right was the ARC planner for 2014. This is the cover before I decorated it.

Front cover after I decorated it.

So do you use planners? Do you make your own? Do you purchase pre-made ones and dress them up? Share what you do...I'm curious.

There once was a woman who had a blog...

and she believed that she would be able to post on her blog daily. And her posts would include beautiful pictures of the scrapbooking/cards that she made and sold. And she would update her blog with photos of all the updates and redecorating projects that she started and completed. And she would keep her family updated with all the things that were going on with the family. And then that woman got a fulltime job that sucked the creativity out her. That exhausted her mentally and honestly she did redecorating projects but she didn't do anything crafty really. Just little things here and there and very few if any of those things that she did that was crafty was actually scrapbooking or card related. And there sat her beautiful space unused, unappreciated by her. It was a space that almost taunted her because she felt guilty that she didn't want to be in there but to sit in the chairs and watch TV or get on the computer. That woman blamed her lose of creativity on her job, on her space being so neat that she didn't want to mess it up, and the biggest excuse was that she didn't have a laptop anymore to use with her die-cutting machine. But really none of these reasons where really the issue. She just didn't feel like crafting honestly. It was sad but it was ok to her, because she knew that one day, when it didn't make any sense at all, she would start crafting like a crazy person again. And it would be like she never even stopped.

That day still hasn't come but that woman would like to say that she loves reading craft blogs of others. And she has been doing that lately. And although she hasn't done much scrapbooking that woman made a Christmas card today in 30 minutes using products that had been sitting on her desk with dust on them. How could she have dust on her scrapbooking desk? It was the strangest thing for her to see and she cleaned it up but she really was motivated to at least come into her space once or twice a week and dust at least from now on...

So that story is over...lol
I wanted to show you the card that I made. It is cute and simple. A perfect start to a card since I haven't made one in forever. But honestly I'm still going to be sending it to a co-worker. I hope that she likes it.

 

I really need to make Christmas cards this year. And since I have several hours of PTO I must use before I loose it; I got some free time on my hands.

But I do want to also show you our mantel that I did this year. It needs something?? But for right now it is absolutely perfect. I hope to have much more to share in the coming weeks. I know that this time off will fly by fast so I have made a daily schedule that includes a little crafting every other day. I hope to be able to keep up with that schedule.

Have you ever completed a project and wondered why did you invest that much time and money into bit? Well I have started to wonder that about my scrapbooking space lately. It is all organized and absolutely perfect for my style of scrapbooking but I find myself working on everything else lately other than scrapbooking or card making. Working fulltime truly has made my free time much more important to me. I find myself wanting to do more with the family when I'm off instead of crafting....
Like going to the movies...


Or completing renovations...well hopefully the crafting itch will start up again soon before the holiday season since I'm now part of a monthly stamp club and I can use some of the new stamps I just got on holiday cards. Maybe?

Test run

I'm trying to get this ap to work again...more posts coming soon

Since I haven't posted on my blog in forever I decided to stop in and just chat a little. I have been busy with my new job and making sure the kids are in a routine that works for all of us since they are going to school a lot later in the morning than normal.

We have started some major home improvement jobs around the house. Nothing major like tearing out anything and replacing it (although that is what I plan on doing to this ugly carpet soon), but I have painted our master bedroom finally and immediately after completing one wall Vele says this room feels better and seems bigger and brighter. It is strange how beige/tan can almost make a room seem much smaller than it is to us. Our bedroom is 27x22 so it always felt big but for some reason it started to feel smaller than it is. I plan on getting us some very nice seating in there, maybe a small loveseat or something? I haven't really figured that out. But I did replace the old beige sectional that was in our family room this weekend. I love love love the new leather sectional. It is so the style that I'm looking for as the base piece of the living room. And that thing is huge. But I also need to paint the family room and then I'll upload photos of the space.

I'm still without my laptop. I have come to the conclusion that it really is going to be going to laptop heaven. And despite the fact that we went computer shopping a couple of weekends ago I didn't get a new one. Although somehow hubby talked me into getting a new family computer. And so I got an all-in-one. I love that there is no longer a computer box and the monitor is huge compared to what we had before. But I'm still trying to learn how to use windows 8. That has been an adjustment. But I'm going to get it eventually I hope. I'm also going this weekend to look at laptops again. It is so crazy that we new have 2 family computers, and a laptop but I still need my own personal one. Hopefully I get one this weekend instead of something else.

Well I'm off to bed and I hope that everyone has a great week.

Back to school lunches and supplies

Well I just had to stop in and say hi for those still sticking around checking out this blog ever so often. I have been busy working on new schedules for the kids since school just started. And honestly I really feel awesome when plans comes together so smoothly.

I can't believe that washing fruits and veggies and packing into snack baggies on Sunday night makes such a big difference in having lunches ready on time during the week. I really love making things run so much more smoothly for our family. And one of the things that I am starting to realize is that I'm really good at making those systems work well for us.

On another note, My daughter came home from first grade with a piece of scrapbook paper and a note saying that they were going to have a classroom scrapbook and that she needed to do a scrapbook page for the book. I loved the idea but immediately began to think that I didn't want to over help her with the project. And that was my original plan going in and I stuck to that but working on that page with her really made me want to get some school pages done for our albums. So for the next few weeks I will be printing photos from last year and getting them onto scrapbook pages.

So since we are talking about school... here is a photo of our family's school supply stash. And before you say we have a ton of stuff please remember that we have 4 children to have a stock for the entire year for as well as a husband who often takes college classes to check is computer training up to date.

Well I hope that everyone is getting really good deals on school supplies.

Random things...

Just stopping by to check in. I think that right now I'm all over the place on what I like to do so there has been very little scrapbooking. And the scrapbooking that I have done I can't upload it because my laptop to a crash. And it is literally in pieces. It took a lot for me not to break down and cry about it. Mostly because when it fell off my bed, it had my memory card in it and it also was damaged. So I am adjusting to being a 2 computer, no laptop home. And honestly that means that I actually am on the computer a lot less, first because the computers are in the office and although I'm in the office a lot, I'm usually sitting at my desk and not at the computer desk because hubby or one of the boys are usually on the computer. Besides all that I just mentioned doesn't even compare to the issue that the photos that I take now will not actually be able to be edited because my laptop had Adobe PS on it and although I have the key code, I can't add it to either of our main computers because I had already added it to 2 other computers.



So this adjustment is going to be hard for awhile. Well at least until around Christmas when I'll most like be able to get another laptop maybe? But I have also started to focus on other things besides scrapbooking. Like make-up and fingernails. I have had long nails for years but cut them off always when have a newborn or a toddler around. But since the youngest are girls, I have to comb their hair and longer nails can lead to an accidental scratch while braiding hair. So I have kept them short for the last two years. And I have decided that I can grow them back out. But also that I want to do nail art too. So for the 4th of July I painted my nails red, white and blue.
My nails aren't long but here is a photo of one of left hand that I painted for the holiday. The more I look at them now, it actually reminds me of Wonder woman instead of the 4th of July.

And my nails are actually longer than they were on the photo now.

I have also been more into hair and trying to finds the right balance of product for the girls so that they can wear their hair down. LeiLani (my oldest of the girls) has been asking about her hair being down and how much she wishes that she could wear it like mine. But we have 2 different hair types and really her hair is a lot thicker than mine and it seems to look dryer no matter what I do to it. But I am determined to find the perfect product for her. Cause the whole point to having hair that is natural and beautiful honestly is to be able to wear it down.

Here is a picture of her wearing it down for the 4th of July.  She wouldn't smile so that the oldest could take her photo.

And here is a photo of my baby (who isn't really a baby) wearing her hair down as well.

The other thing that is the issue for me is that their hair seems to be white for a long time. And I still haven't figure out how exactly to be able to eliminate that. Especially since I am looking for a year round hair product for them. It was so much easier to do their hair in MN because the water wasn't so salty and their hair never seemed as dry it is now in the desert. But this has been an ongoing learning process and I'm hoping that sooner than later the perfect product for each of them will come along.

Well I'm excited and sad at the same time because our summer break is coming to a close almost faster than it began. In fact the kids have less than 2 weeks left of the break and I am starting think about how much I will miss them while they are at school. Well until next time. Smiles, Tracy