December Daily...

So last year I really wanted to do a December Daily/Christmas Journal. (Inspired by Ali Edwards). I had the whole book premade and ready to go Dec 1. I think I made it two Dec 3 before I gave up. But this year I vowed it would be different. I bought a cute book and cute papers and was so sure I would have everything premade and ready to go for today. Well.... shocker that didn't happen!! But I'm still going to do it! I decided to give my blog a little holiday makeover and that will be the basis for Day 1 of my journal. For the 25 days leading up to Christmas (and including the day) I will try to fill my journal with daily activities (Christmas related and otherwise) and holiday memories. I will try to post here on the blog "daily" (every other day maybe? Okay at least once a week!!) with my progress and pictures. I plan on using a Making Memories recipe book I found that I will alter to make into a cute journal/mini book. I have also talked my mom into doing one too. You can see the beginning of her book here. She is using the same base for the book as I will be. It will be fun to get together on Christmas to see the differences in our books. I hope you will check back to see my progress (if there is any!!)

Winter Class Kickoff

What do the Mona Lisa, stickles and the making memories slice all have in common? You will have to come to Class Kickoff on Saturday to find out (but here's a little peek)...

Memories Galore Winter Class Kick Off -Saturday Nov 21st

10am-Noon Brandermill Store

1:30pm-3:30pm West End Store

Check out all the new projects and classes, meet the teachers, and get 10% off your class fees when you sign up in the store on Saturday!

What do the Mona Lisa, stickles and the making memories slice all have in common? You will have to come to Class Kickoff on Saturday to find out...

Holiday ATCs (West End)

Last night was my last class of the quarter: Holiday ATCs in the West End. Everyone had a great time and it was interesting to see the different ATCs that people came up with from using the same materials. Here are a few pictures from last night:
Check back tomorrow for that sneak peek at what I'm teaching next quarter!!

Busy Busy Week

This week is going to be ridiculously busy for me. Tonight I am teaching a Holiday ATC class tonight in the West End. To thank the students for coming I have made each of them a fun little ATC:

This Saturday is Class Kick Off at Memories Galore. I'm really excited about the classes I am teaching this quarter. And for those Richmond readers of my blog I will be posting sneak peeks this week of my classes so be sure to check back and remember to come to class kick off this Saturday at Memories Galore Brandermill 10am -12 and in the West End 1:30-3:30!

And on top of that we are closing on our house this week (hopefully... fingers crossed!)

Getting ready for class on Monday....

This past week just flew by and I never made it back to the blog as I intended to. Lately I have been working hard to get everything ready for class kickoff on November 21st. Expect my new classes to be really heavy on this: The slice... man I LOVE this thing! If you are taking any of my classes next quarter expect to have lots of cute little slice die cuts. Speaking of which I spent tonight cutting out snowflakes for my Holiday ATC class on Monday in the West End:
cute huh? I cut them out of a book I bought at Goodwill. They aren't acid free but they are cool and vintagy and perfect for ATCs. And then as I was cutting I thought. HEY! I could cut these in 4 inches and string them up somehow and use them for decoration.... so that is an idea I'm going to try to store in my head for when Christmas comes closer. And then I also want to play around with the piece of paper leftover:How cool would these be if you sprayed them with glimmer mist and put them on a scrapbook page? Another idea to try....

And finally I've been slowly packing for the big move to our new house. We close next Friday!
I hope to make it back to the blog sometime this week. But next week expect sneak peeks of the new classes. And if you live in Richmond mark your calendars for class kick off on Saturday November 21st!!

I really should get some sleep...

but I think I have my best ideas at 2 am:

Here is a 5x7 mini album I'm working on for my pictures from Rhode Island...

Really I'm procrastinating.. I should be working on class ideas but instead I am creating whole new books...and staying up all night to work on them... that's bad right??

Ok... time for sleep....

What I'm working on...

This week is going to be crazy! I'm pretty much going to be nonstop crafting. Here is what I am currently working on:

Classes: I have 3 classes for next quarter that I need to finish samples for. Class Kickoff is November 21st but if you are lucky I might post a couple sneak peeks

Christmas Wreath: Linda (from Craftaholics Anonymous) and a couple other friends and I are getting together later this week to make Christmas wreaths. Our inspiration is this Halloween wreath I found over at the Sassafrass Lass blog.

My nametag: I've been meaning to fix this nametag for the longest time:
I think it needs a huge layered flower - made with the making memories slice of course! We shall see how it works out!!

And on unrelated note: I went into work early today to work on some class stuff. However I got distracted by all the cute minibooks that customers and employees made as part of October's Crafting Support for the Community. Finishing touches were being added and then they were being donated to cancer patients at St Francis. Here are a couple pictures: And here are a few pictures of the one I made:

And if you want to see my favorite minibook you should check out the other Melissa's book ...seriously fantastic...

You thought I forgot...

Since I said I would post every day this week, and since I have been good so far I am posting a quick "what I've been working on lately": Yes I know it looks like the other books I have been making lately.. but what can I say.. I'm in the middle of a phase...

My mom and I worked on these all day yesterday. She finished hers. You can see it here.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween Everyone! In honor of this super fun holiday here are some super fun pictures of me and all my different costumes growing up:
Me in 1984 - with my doll Cindy (named after Cindy Lauper of course!) - it looks like Cindy got a little too close to that electrical outlet - FYI Cindy's hair was always like that - it wasn't a halloween costume!!

Me as a clown in 1986 - the first of many halloweens spent as a clown - love the glasses though - they look a lot like the ones I currently wear

Me in 1987 - She Ra Princess of Power!!!
Me in 1992 as a witch

Me, my sister Danielle, and my best friend Carey in 1993 - I told you a clown costume would pop up again - I'm pretty sure I wore that costume for several years. - My mom used to make our costumes - notice how Danielle's costume is way cuter and has a matching bag ... hmm... and her makeup is way cuter too... nice mom ....nice

Me as Raggedy Ann in 1995 and Danielle as Snow White. This was my last year trick or treating ( I was 12).

What was in the box...

Thanks for being so patient... inside the box was this scrapbook I made for my mom with beautiful graphic 45 papers. I have been on a "vintagy" graphic 45 kick lately. And a mini book kick too... but man these little things take DAYS to make.... Oh and my mom has a blog too (that I recently helped her get rid of the horrendous blogger template from). You can check it out - here She also has an etsy shop where she sells all sorts of cute little mini books. You should check that out too - here.

And if you are interested...look for a post later with pictures of me when I was little in costume... and if you aren't interested... check back tomorrow when hopefully I'll have something else crafty to post!

What's in the box?

I finally finished making my mom's birthday gift (her birthday was on Tuesday). Want a peek at what I made her? .... Sorry.... can't do that! Since my mom is one of the five people that read this blog it would ruin the surprise.... HOWEVER... I can show you as soon as she opens it... look for a post later tonight or tomorrow with lots of pictures!!

Now I have to go finish packing and then I'm off to spend the weekend in North Carolina!

Quick post and a photo...

I am teaching a class tonight so I don't have a lot of time to post today but since I promised I thought I would post a photo of me dressed up for halloween in 1995:

Yep that's me as the giant Raggedy Ann doll... when I see this picture I think I look far too old (or maybe just tall) to be trick or treating but in my defense I was only 12....which isn't too old right??

And yes I know... Danielle looks adorable as snow white... what else is new?

I need a craft room...

I am in serious need of my own craft space. And I think my husband would agree... actually I know he would because yesterday after he went flying across the apartment as a result of tripping over my Making Memories slice power cord he commented how happy he will be once I have my own room. Currently I have been working out of our tiny dining space... actually that's not true... I had been working on the dining room table but then that got too messy so I moved everything to the coffee table...well.. here see for yourself...

I know ... it's bad... but LOOK! There are boxes! I am packing stuff for the big move to our house! That's positive right? .... well...actually .... I brought those home with the intention of packing for the big move but now they are just sitting on the living room floor for the cats to play in... hey I've been busy.

Speaking of being busy here is a sneak of what I've been working on:

Ok there is much more to it than this... but I can't post it yet... I will be posting it this weekend.

So far so good on my plan to post every day this week...

Autumn in Richmond

Last week the other Melissa posted this post about Autumn in Virginia. Fall being my favorite season, I immediately felt the urge to run out with my camera and find the nearest tree to start taking pictures so I could post them here. Well I did put it off a couple of days but on Sunday Dustin and I went to Belle Isle in Richmond. I took tons of pictures but after looking at them at home have realized there was a lot more green than I wanted so here are a few even though I don't think they look that much like fall....

October ATC Swap

Here is my submission to the store's October ATC Swap. We made ATCs this month along the themes of hope, strength, courage, love and self esteem going along with the store's efforts to promote awareness during Breast Cancer Awareness month.

And I have been terrible about posting blogs lately. So this week I will be attempting to post every day. So be on the look out for more posts: pictures from this weekend, hopefully something crafty, and maybe some embarrassing past Halloween photos. Now I know I have you interested right??

What I've been working on..

I really need to be better about posting more often. I haven't completed a project in a while so I figure I should just post my half finished projects. First up: the mini I made to put my Rhode Island pictures in:

And then I've been working on another mini that I might turn into a class... I know what you are thinking... Red Yellow and Pink... fantastic color scheme!!! .... ok calm down... it's just scratch paper that I've been using for a draft.... trust me the finished project looks really good... in my head anyways....

My weekend plans

Sitting around the house reading magazines, planning how I'm going to decorate my NEW HOUSE (we just bought one - officially close in November!), working on some scrapbooking/crafty projects, and my new favorite: Starbucks Carmel Apple Spice

And judging by this picture I should add "cleaning the apartment" - but I doubt that will happen!

Hopefully I'll have something good to post after the weekend is over!