10*28*10

I forget to blog things a lot in my life that are really important. Mostly because I started this blog as a place for me to share my cards and scrapbooking projects. But, my family is who comes here the most. So, I should be sharing my life as well.

On that note, a couple of weeks ago we went down to see some of my mom's side of the family in Mesquite. We haven't seen any of them in about 15 years! That is way too long when you only live 5 hours away from each other. We had some serious fun.

After a hilariously fun road trip with just us sisters (Andy couldn't make it), we spent the night at Aunt Lori's house on Friday night. We went to a car show and fall festival in Overton with Lori and Grandma Hoopes on Saturday morning and met some cousins who don't really remember us lol. They were too young last time.

I'm really glad we went to see them. Grandma has emphysema and lung cancer, so it was important that we did after so many years.

Uncle Rick and Cousin Alicia Singing at the Festival

Mexican Dancers at Festival

Kim, Lacy, Alicia, Lori, and I with Grandma (Dora) Hoopes

Then we drove back to Mesquite and went for a night out on the town with the cousins (Leslie, Preston, and Charlotte), their significant others, Aunt Bonnie and her hubby, Tyler, and Uncle Shan.

There are more pictures, but I didn't really want to surf through them all to pic some good ones for the blog. So, you can find them on Kim's or Lacy's facebook if you're interested. I'm tagged, so even if you're not friends with them, you'll probably see a lot of them if you just click on "view photos of Michelle" under my profile picture.

If anyone knows her, this is so Bonnie!

All the girls--Leslie, Charlotte, Heather (Preston's wife), Lorie, Bonnie, Lacy, Kim, and Me

On our way home, we went to see my mom's road marker where she died. I had been able to avoid picturing the accident up to this point because I couldn't picture where it happened. As soon as I saw the marker, pictures flashed in my mind. Emotions flooded me. She must have been terrified. It was very emotional for all of us. I couldn't have held it together without my sisters there. I kind of wish Andy was there just for this moment. But, then again, maybe it's better that he wasn't. He can barely remember her as it is. But I still wish he'd been there. It was kind of like putting it to rest in my head. Gone but not forgotten.

Me with Mom's marker

Lacy with the marker

Kim with the marker

Her name, birth, and death dates are on the black steel part. You can't see them very well anymore. But they are there.

I love and miss you mom!

10*27*10

I just wanted to share some cards I've made over the past week. I think I've already stated this, but I've made a deal with myself that I can't buy anymore stamps until I use each set I have at least once. Of course, that deal never entered my head until I had already ordered a new one. Dah! I'm so bad. To be fair though, I am in a stamp club. So, I had to by something. I'm obligated. Plus, the set that I bought goes with punches I already own. So it will help me use my other stuff. Right?

This one was made about a month ago at a workshop. But I liked it and wanted to send it to an old friend that I thought would like it.

These next two were also sent to some old friends. Hope they all liked them. I have a thing for zebra stripes. I {heart} this card lol.

I really like the colors on this card, and I used a stamp set that hasn't been used. The rest of the cards below use this same set. It is the A Little Somethin' set from Stampin Up.

One set-down a zillion to go lol.

I hated this card when I first made it. But, when I took the pic this morning I was really liking it.

I just made these last two today. The argyle on both was stamped using the All Around Argyle set from SU. The star was made using the same set I mentioned for the above cards.

I always have a hard time with boy cards, but I think these are awesome. I was originally just going to do the one, but then a piece of the blue bayou patterned paper (also from SU) fell down next to my black and I was in love with the color combo.

This one is my fave! I really like the colors and grunge look.

Well, thanks for looking.

No news on the employment front. I did find some promising leads on the Utah jobs website today, so hopefully something good happens soon.

10*20*10

Just wanted to share a couple little bits of paper-crafty goodness with y'all. My sister, Kim, had a birthday about two weeks ago. I had a good friend of mine make her this watch. Then I made the matching tin and card below. All are in her fave colors--blue and green. I hope she liked it. If I know her, she probably liked the little paint can most lol. She's a cute container lover.

And, this is a card I made today for a good friend of mine that seems to be having a hard time with the whole unemployment thing. We worked together at Roberts, and were laid off at the same time. It's been about three and a half weeks since I've seen her now. I know that doesn't really seem like long, but when you spend every day with someone right next to you for 9-12 hours, you grow on each another lol. I know she was really worried about us losing touch, so I wanted her to know that I could never forget her.

This looks like kind of a masculine card, and truly I didn't know who I was going to give it to when I made it. But the sentiment is perfect, and I know that she'll love the little guy.

I probably need to make some cards for a few of my other girlfriends I used to work with at a previous job as well. They might already think I've forgotten them (oooops). I really haven't though. You know who you are, and I love your faces! I'm just lousy at keeping in touch sometimes.

I'm trying to use every stamp set I own before I purchase any new ones (aside from the ones that are already coming--yikes!). So, you never know if you might get one soon lol.

Thanks for visiting my blog!

10*8*10

Just thought I would post some pictures of one of the best camping trips I've ever had in my whole life. Seriously--we had some great friends with us and it just made it so much fun. We didn't harvest any deer, but I think you can imagine that I don't really mind that too much ;)

I didn't take as many pictures as I usually do. I guess I was just too busy having fun. I wish I would have, but hopefully I'll have plenty more opportunities in the future to take more.

Beautiful Colors

Colin and John with the grouse they shot

Dustin with his 9mm

Garrett shooting the .22

Ryan shooting the .22

Uncle Shane teaching Ryan to shoot the .22

Shane shooting his 9mm

Dad shooting Dusty's .22

Ryan being bored and wanting a ride

Dad and Diane

Shane's Dad

Pam and John

Garrett

Shane

Colin

Dustin

Ryan

Me and Shane

Yep, we sure did order pizza while camping.

Cute kids

To be continued next year..........

10*5*10

Wow, I'm unemployed. I've looked forward to this day for months, and now that it's here, I just don't know what to even do with myself. I feel like I should be stressed out, and so I am. There is plenty to stress about as far as bills or money are concerned, but that's not what I'm stressing over. I feel guilty......like I'm sluffing (sp?) work or something. Like any minute now I'll get called into an office and yelled at. Then I remember. I'm free.

I haven't been unemployed since I was 16 years old. It's odd.

This is the first job that I ever really owned. I loved it. I enjoyed it. I woke up excited to go to work. I made very good friendships. I had it all.

Then it all just started falling apart. I woke up with knots in my stomach. I saw the same fear and stress in my friends faces. I cried all the time. I yelled at my family. It wasn't fun anymore.

So, yes, it is bad to be out of a job in this economy. But, no, I am not sorry. I will find a new job. Hopefully I will enjoy it. For now, I'm free. I can do what I want to and not live in fear. I will love life for now.

9*23*10

I decided to make a quick bookmark to go with the other gifts below this morning. Kristie loves to read too, obviously, so I think this is a good addition.

I used the giant paper clips that you can find in the office aisle at Walmart or probably at any office supply. Then I used dimensional foam adhesive squares from 3L between the two pieces to hold the paper clip in between them.

9*22*10

I made this cute little gift box and card for a friend of mine. It was her birthday today. She is off work on vacation, but she is coming out to go to lunch with us tomorrow, so I'm going to surprise her. She is a huge Twilight fan, so I got her some Twilight jewelry and decorated a little plastic pail in Twilight colors for a gift box. Hope she likes it!

And, I hope she doesn't read my blog lol. I don't think she comes here too often, so I'm probably pretty safe.

09*19*10

I'm getting a little bit excited to be off work for a while. I'm definitely going to be trying to find a job, but it will be nice to have just a little less stress for at least a few weeks. I've had a headache for about 5 days now just from thinking and stressing too much about everything that needs to be done before I leave work. I was talking to Shane yesterday, and he said he'd like me to find a job that's just an office-type position where I can go and and do my job and come home and not have to worry or think about it at all. I told him that was kind of funny. Because that is how I've always had it, at first. Then I get promoted a couple of times and it all goes to hell. But, how do you turn down a promotion? That is a validation that you are worth something and that you are a good employee. And, let's face it, it usually comes with better pay and a few other benefits. Not only that, I wasn't exactly given a choice this last time. I was asked, and I said no, and then I was told.

Hopefully I can find something that is a little bit less stressful though. I'm tired of working in a high-stress environment.

But, I've heard from a lot of people lately that have been laid off and unemployed for more than 2 years now. That is really scary. I'm hoping that the skill set I have will save me from having to worry about that.

Anyway, I decided to try not to think about all that today and made a really fast scrapbook layout. This one only took like 20 minutes start to finish. That is way fast for me. But I don't know how I feel about the handwritten title. It's crooked, which is okay I guess, but I'm just really not feeling it. It could look much better if I cut the letters out with my Cricut or Slice for the title. Hmm...I'm betting that is going to get fixed at some point in the near future

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09*12*10

Here are a couple of quick pages I did today. The closer I get to being laid off from my job, the more scrappy mojo I seem to get back. Go figure huh?

My dad catching an afternoon nap

Garrett practicing shooting the muzzleloader (bottom left) and his BB gun

09*07*10

This is a quick 2-page layout that I did using this new sketch blog that I found. All of the sketches use 4X6 photos. I love it. I think it's a great idea. The lady who does it is named, Amy Alvis, and her blog is http://4x6photosketchblog.blogspot.com/. I highly recommend you check it out if you have a lot of 4X6 photos to scrap and don't want to do them all on separate pages.

I'm trying to get at least a few camping layouts done before we go hunting again at the end of the month.

09*03*10

I decided that I needed to get out of this little personal funk I've been in lately. So, I decided to make a quick scrapbook page. Okay, well a scrapbook page is really never quick for me. I take too much time trying to pick my paper and the layout of my pictures. So, this really simple layout took about 3 hours over two days lol. But, honestly, that is pretty fast for me. Especially for a layout with lots of pictures. I have to get it just right or I'll end up taking it all apart again and redoing it later. Yes seriously. And, yes, I do need help.

Anyway, once I picked my pictures, paper, and layout, this all came together pretty quickly. Only a couple little cute embellishments and I was done.

These are pictures of Tabiona Mountain. This is where we go deer hunting every year. These pictures were taken in 2008. I just started thinking about how we'll be up there in a few weeks, so it made me want to scrap about it.

I tried to post a picture of the layout all side by side, but it kept turning it lengthwise. I tried resizing the picture and everything. Not happening. So, anyway, the top picture is the left side, and the bottom is the right side.

I don't usually put the title in the top right of a layout, and I still feel like it looks a little weird. But, I'm not going to change it. I'm not.......