So where was I?

Oh yes… I was making tags.

I got me some new stamps from the creative people at  Cat's Life Press. I love this (Gotta Love the Everyday) and this one (Today I Feel) and this one (Random Memory No.). Good stuff. This company has really made me unafraid of stamp usage. Go Cat's Life Press!

And my little tag book is getting thicker…just like ME!

But it's all good, right? Monday's 2-year Smoke Free celebration culminated in my predictable justification that I deserve to buy things on my anniversary with the money that I would have spent on smokes. What's funny is that I've used this very logic to buy things so many times that I would actually have to START smoking again, and smoke three to four packs a day for at least another 15 years just to have those funds truly available. I'm actually heavily in debt to the Bank of What I Would Have Spent on Cigarettes.

That said, I bought this nice little all-purpose Nikkor 18-55 with Vibration Reduction. Ever since I dropped my camera while mildly buzzed at my Pampered Chef party and busted up my 28-105, I've wished for a different all-around lens, and this new one should fill the bill. Plus, I'll have more wide angle than I've had since going digital. Which I may soon need for decent self-portraits. Besides, the price was nice. Just under $200.

So put that in your Bank of What I Would Have Spent on Cigarettes and smoke it.

Love,
Cathy

Comments

[Deborah P]

Loving the daily tags - thanks for sharing them with us.

"Which I may soon need for decent self-portraits." ???? Anything else you feel the need to share? :)

[Jeannie]

Just add a monetary value to the health benefits of not smoking and you're way ahead!

btw - I just gave birth to my daughter last week on your birthday

Jeannie

[Sue]

Cathy - I have been doing a tag book too. Not nearly as cool as yours. Only inking and stamping and writing in anything special about the day. I have really been enjoying it. Seeing your tags makes me want to jazz up mine in some ways. anyhoo, thanks for the idea. Will be neat to look at down the road.

[René]

I quit smoking in 2001 - boy do I have a LOT of catching up to do for the "Bank of What I Would Have Spent on Cigarettes!" YAY YOU for treating yourself!

I'm making one of the tag books as well and mine is definitely not as cool as yours, but it's mine and I love it. I bought some of the Cat's Life Press Stamps as well. They came in the mail today and I am so excited to use them.

Thanks for always being an inspiration!!

[Joanne]

You're going to be "Oprah-like" by recommending a product and it will fly off the shelfs! I never heard of Cat's Life Press but because of you I visited their website and am now buying stamps!

[Tracey]

"Which I may soon need for decent self-portraits."

LMFAO! You are NOT fat. Sheesh.

[Tracey]

Btw, I LOVE your tags. I should SO do one of these.

[Glee Scrap]

Go YOU! Congratulations on being smoke-free for 2 years-that IS a big deal! Love your 'lil tag book...it's wonderful...love your blog to bits-you are so COOL!

[Jane]

I am doing a tag book for April...printed out my pages for the inside this a.m. and have the cover almost ready..waiting on my tags from Cat's Life too!
I keep looking at the calendar waiting and waiting for April so I can start it.

[sansku]

Love these tags (my kind of scrapbooking - quick and simple, special project). Cat's Life sure has awesome stamps! Thanks for sharing.

ps. I'm tired of the snow as well. Isn't spring supposed to be here by Easter...

[tara Whitney]

I'm actually heavily in debt to the Bank of What I Would Have Spent on Cigarettes.

that? best sentence construction ever.

Which I may soon need for decent self-portraits.

that? totally didnt go over my head.

[ShellyJ]

Oh you are so rotten! Now I MUST get those stinkin' cute stamps... I LOVE what you have done with them. So AWESOME Babe!

[Tina]

Justification is justification, just buy what you want :)
AND I too, am about ready to move to anywhere-that-it-never-snows. We had our first snow in September (it lasted 2 days...) Seriously, how do you have an egg hunt in this?

[sue Treiber]

Between you & Ali, I will never get out of debt.
I love those stamps.

[Abby]

Yep, Cats life is killer - got a bunch o' dem meself! LOVE how your tags are coming out, and that you are SO freakin' excited about everything these days!

[Darlene]

I just wanted to congratulate you on not taking out the trash so often! My dad smoked for about 70 years before quitting. I have to say I am so proud of you for doing so....

Now, I gotta get some of those socks you wrote about the other day! My husband will be repulsed, but it isn't as if I force him to look at my feet. When we first met I was wearing knee highs with those little toes. First words out of his mouth to me was, "Those have gotta be the ugliest things I've ever seen!"

[Susan]

I love it! I do that all the time too. I'll have some extra money and think, "Well, I'll spend it on this." ... then later, "Ok, I'll get this too." and before you know it I've spent that same amount of money 5 times over! ha! Must be a hormonal thing.

[Chels]

Love the tag book!

[Carla Prock]

I saw the "Here's the story" stamp on one of your other examples and did a google search for it. I spent a little bundle at Cat's Life after that. Love them!

[Julie Mitchell from Canada]

Thanks for the smiles this morning. I must say I do the same thing but as a never smoked person I say instead I don't smoke. This would be cigarette money if I smoked!! Everything is justified and guilt-free.
Have a good Easter.

[NanaBeth]

This is not a good thing Cathy-I went to cat's life also. I believe I'm going to spend at least 1/2 of the I haven't drank in 16 years imaginary stash. What a cool place-thanks (I think)for the link.

[Kim]

The part I love is "Ever since I dropped my camera while mildly buzzed at my Pampered Chef party..."
You are so funny and so real:)

[Bridget =)]

WTG on the 2 yr anniversary!!!!!!

I love Ken Rockwell! =) Kick ass lens!

[Bridget =)]

jeeeeez, i meant to say I love Ken Rockwell's reviews! I mean, I haven't even MET the man, so to say I love him is a little stalkerish, right? duh.

[stephanie]

the new nikon lens is a great addition. enjoy!

[Carolyn]

Are you going to build more tag templates for the rest of the year? I would love to use these for our Christmas trip to Disneyland...

[Shannon]

i am so lovin these tags. my lil book is coming along pretty well and every time i see your updates, i'm smacking myself wondering "why didn't i think to do that!" such is life. congrats on the whole no-smoking thing, its one of the hardest things ever to quit, so kudos!

oh and in my humble opinion, being buzzed/tipsy/hammered at a pampered chef party is mandatory. i would never have bought a $40 mini bundt cake mold while sober.

[Laura Lee]

Ok, so you want to know what 5 years of no smoking will get ya...about $25,000 in scrap stuff! I quit in 2002 for my Daughter's birthday..(awwwwwwwww...I know)! I was the one in your first BP class (5 random things) that told you I missed smoking EVERY STINKING DAY! I don't miss it every day anymore..(yay)! Only about 1 time a month. *wink* Anywho...Congrats on 2 years down and a lifetime to go...you gotta admit you smell better! LOL...(I can wear perfume now without WEARING perfume)! :) So that little debt of what I would have smoked...isn't really so bad. It could be so much worse, you could still be smoking!

Hugs and Congrats..love the book too!

[marianne]

Dear Cathy, thank you for inspiring me (a norwegian girl living in Amsterdam) to do this project. I've printed out your template and made my own little tag album "8 days in march 2008". I loved doing it and love the result. You're welcome to take a peek in my blog (http://creativelyjustme.blogspot.com)if you feel like it. I love your style, your journaling and your humour. I'm a "less is more" girl myself and - anyway I just wanted to say THANK YOU! or TUSEN TAKK!

[Ginny]

Are you going to be making these tags in a pdf for the summer months?