What I am working on this week

Creativity Challenge: These never go very well for me. But its good to try. I did use some of my paper scraps that I wanted to use a couple of weeks ago but then I just ended up adding more scraps to the pile too. For the next couple of weeks I am going to be working on this:
Yep… that’s the manual to my camera… I figure I’ve had the camera for 3 years it’s about time I learn how to use it! I will post my progress (if I make any!).

Projects I'm working on: I still want to start an etsy shop but that idea hasn’t gone any further. I also have came up with a couple class ideas and have to have proposals in by the end of the week to the store owner so I am still working on those. And my most urgent project is travel journals for our road trip. Yeah that’s right Mom and Danielle, I’m creating travel journal/mini books. And you are going to like them, and use them! Deal with it! Here are some of the supplies I plan on using. I’m going for a distressed/vintage travel theme…

Budget Update: Well I was definitely over budget BUT wasn’t doing too badly….that is until we went to Raleigh and I went to Archivers for the very first time (and second time... yeah I went twice!). I wouldn’t have done too badly except I found a lot of 7 gypsies stuff I needed to make travel journals. Oh well… there’s always next month….

Road Trip Update: Mom, Danielle and I have decided to stick with the VA/NC mountains idea and have even booked hotels!!! Go us!!

A cuteness update: Not to be outdone by all the cute kittens here are pictures of Cinnamon looking just as cute... but much much bigger...ok lets be honest... it looks like he ate the kittens...

The Dreaded Budget....

Ever since Dustin and I moved in together we have had a general budget, that way we knew how much was going to the bills every month and what we should be setting aside each month in savings. In February we started keeping all our receipts and tracking every cent we spent in an excel spreadsheet (surprisingly my idea...thanks dad for making me read all those finance books). Well we didn't really pay too much attention to where we were spending the money as long as our savings for the month was pretty close to our goal. Well in June we didn't do so well... and I made the mistake of going back and adding up how much I was spending on this scrapbook habit.... and well I'm putting myself on a budget. Starting TODAY! So here it goes: I have decided to limit my spending to $20 a week. Yeah you might think "Melissa .... $20 a week is a lot to spend on paper, this doesn't sound like a budget at all.". Well no one asked you! Just kidding!! Baby Steps people, baby steps.... you wouldn't suggest that a 3 pack a day smoker quit cold turkey would you? Okay you might because smoking is bad for you. But I'm not going to get scrapbooking cancer. Considering I could easily spend 2-5 times that in a week... EASY... $20 seems like a good place to start. And I have decided that I will start each week off with a $20 bill. If I have any left over at the end of the week it can roll over into the next week but I can't use next week's $20 early. And I am going to challenge myself to use the products I buy versus just putting it in a pile somewhere and forgetting about it. So this is going to be good for me.... or I'll give up in a week.... either way it will make for a good blog....

Creativity Challenge

So in light of my new budget (I will post on this tomorrow), I have decided to challenge myself to use the products I have in my stash. I hope to post every week with a challenge to create something during the week using products I already have on hand. It can be a layout, an ATC, a card, or any other crafty project as long as I use the products I have previously selected. So here are the products I plan on using this week:

Something Old: Tool

Here is one of the new EK Success punches that i bought when it first came out because I thought it was so cool. Sadly I think I have used it once since then, so my goal is to use the punch during the week.

Something Old: ProductHeidi Grace embellishments: I think these were on sale somewhere online a couple months ago and I went a tad bit crazy and stocked up. So my challenge will be to use some of these stickers.

Something New: Product

Each week I will challenge myself to use any product that I buy in the previous week. Lask week I bought some of the new BasicGrey June Bug papers and Cosmo Cricket Early Bird Papers so I will be using them this week.

Something New: Tool

I do not plan on buying a new tool every week but since I bought this Spellbound cartridge for the Making Memories slice last week so I will be using this.