Bits&Pieces

good

• boys playing fall soccer, with zeal

• This sneak peek at the new book from scrapbooker Elizabeth Dillow, The Scrapbooker's Almanac.

• Sorting through photos from September 2006 through July 2007 and putting them into temporary albums so I can actually see what photos I have.

 

• This recipe for Roasted Autumn Vegetable Soup, which I pulled down from the Weight Watchers web site. I added the brown sugar, and honestly, you could add more squash and less parsnip, but that's just the parsnip hater in me talking. Will be having this tonight for dinner, with some hot fresh Johnny Cake!

Download roasted_autumn_soup.pdf

(And if the download goes correctly, you can trim it out and it fits perfectly into the American Crafts 6 x 6 album, from the recipe album thing I posted a while back. You know…file it under "soups."

• EDITED: I made the soup and it was borderline INEDIBLE. So sorry. Proceed at your own risk.

• It's actually cool enough to eat the aforementioned soup. [see above bullet point!]

• My mom is safely out of surgery today, and that is the most good thing of all. Love you, Mom!

what it looks like

It's so tiny…I know, but THIS is what my template looks like. It's 6 x 6, and the directions actually flow into 2 columns if need be.

Sorry that the template doesn't work for some of (well, most of!) you. It is an InDesign CS2 template. Therein lies the problem in cross platform file sharing.

Okay…it's 10 a.m., and that means T-minus 9 hours or so 'til I'm in Neil heaven. I don't think i'm going to run out and buy a small digi point and shoot to take with me. But that might change around 2 this afternoon. I figure, people I know are taking far better pics than i would take, so… who knows.

I will simply  have to rely on my memories, and perhaps a few snaps with my camera phone (thanks for THAT idea, Krista! )

But here's the sad thing…what the HELL am I going to obsess about after tonight?

I'm taking suggestions, starting NOW:

If you like food, and pink, and brown…

Then I share with you my last weekend's project: a brand spankin' new recipe binder:

And here's a shot from the side:

And here's the title page:

Now everyone together: oh for CUTE!

See, I collect recipes. Lots of them. Then I create a little template in Adobe InDesign, to retype them, and transfer them into my various recipe binders. My old binder is full to the brim, so I decided I needed to make a new one. And…well, that's what I did.

But here's where it gets fun if you like hot pink and brown. I'm going to give you the artwork to make your own tabs (same categories I have, mind you) as well as the list o' things you need to make this binder. Sound good? Okay then…

First, the tabs:

Download TabsToPunch.pdf

1. Print these out onto white cardstock, but preferably, matte coated photo paper. I used photo paper, because I liked the finished look better. It turned out crisper, and was easier to punch.

2. Trim apart the tab artwork, because then you punch them out using the McGill Tab Punch. You simply turn the punch upside down, line up the artwork, and punch!

3. Adhere the tabs to alternating 6 x 6 patterned papers. I used only the two patterns you see in the photos, the big floral and the smaller one. And, i simply staggered the tab placement.

Those are the basics. Now here are the other products I used:

1. A 6 x 6 album from American Crafts.

2. These Thickers in pink and white, also from American Crafts.

3. And some brand spankin' new patterned paper, the Metropolitan Collection, also from American Crafts and i can seem to find a link to save my life. So if anyone out there knows where to find it, post it here!

And finally, you just add recipes as you go. Just design a document that you can type in your recipes, and trim it down to 6 x 6. The nice thing is, if you need more space for your recipe, just make another page. And, if you want to add pics as you go, then by all means, do!

How fun is that?

Yes. Extremely.

To those who loathe hot pink and brown, my apologies. To those who do not loathe, enjoy!

tradition

It's the first of September. And I do the same thing every September, and have for nearly 20 odd years. I listen to David Sylvian's song, September, on the first of the month.

And if you'd like to partake in this tradition, by all means, do…

Download September.mp3

p.s. the month of Neil is also here. And you thought I had OCD before. That, my friends, was child's play.

two things

ONE: I love getting a new bag from ElisaLou.com. And this picture doesn't really do the fabric justice. It's ADORABLE. It's not a huge bag, but it contains my wallet, eye glass case, and another little ElisaLou pouch i carry assorted sundries in just perfectly. Thanks, Elisa! Nothing like a new purse to take away the sting of having a really pathetic little wardrobe.

TWO: Go the to the Simple video page and watch Stacy Julian's clip on "Capturing Words." THIS woman… she reminds me why I do still like scrapbooking. She's so... i don't know. She's just… she's got, and always has had, vision. It's just something you're born with.

Now me? Honestly? I'm a follower. I'm a really good conveyer of the vision. But Stacy? She's the source. The real deal.

Let's hear it for real deals.

Amazing starts with an "A"

And so does Ali.

Yes. Another post about my friend, Ali. But really, it's more a post about you. And people like you.

Holy crap! Have you seen the Ali's charity leapfrogged to the number one spot at sixdegrees.org?

Because of people who read blogs and scrapbook.

Damn! That is so cool.

I got giddy. I saw the number and got giddy. It's like people take ownership. And they feel like they've got a stake in it. And you do. And I do. And we all do, because for better or worse, were all connected. Does that sound too new-agey, hippy dippy? Yes? Well, good! I feel like wearing flowing peasant skirts and not shaving my armpits anymore. So full of the love am I…

And Ali posted a free class as a thank you. How cool is that? Very. Very cool.

You know, i made a little donation a few weeks back. Nothing earth shattering. Just doing my part. And there is something to be said about being anonymous. You know, the quiet person who donates even more quietly. That is an admirable thing.

But when you make a donation, don't you kind of want to let someone know? You know...kind of? A little bit? Because it is selfless. For most people, money does not grow on trees. And so… you feel good. You feel like you're making a difference.

And...you are.

I was thinking about smoking today (no, really?) and I thought, i used to burn through (pun intended) a pack a day. A bloody PACK a day. Do  you know how much a pack costs? Last year, it was just over $4. When you add that up, that's 120 bucks a month, spent on PURE LOVE AND SIMULTANEOUS EVIL.

I should be sending that money to charity. You know? As a penance. As a way to say, "I might be chubby, but i'm doing double good in my life!"

Right on.

Did you see that episode of the Office where Steve Carrell thought he was making a flat donation of $25 bucks, and didn't realize it was per mile?

Well...i'm not saying I can easily toss $120 bucks out, but it sure as hell warrants at the very least a second donation.

I've got a stake in it.

You?

Besides all the good it does…Ali might end up meeting Kevin Bacon.

Now that's something.

the bag queen

That would be me…the bag queen. How do I know?  Because I love bags. (See in the background? Cute Donna Downey bag, and a really cool bag one of my CKU Chicago students made me last year…and my new bags in the foreground!)

And my new bags are from the incredibly talented Elisa Lou. I just got my new boxy tote today in the mail (Thank you, Elisa!)…just in time to take to CHA. My master plan for this bag? Knitting. Storage and totage. See the little matching zippered pouch? Tape measures, yarn needles, KnitChek....that kind of stuff goes in there. But how cool is this:

She made me a knitting needle holder. Awwwwwwwwwwww. For CUTE! Seriously, dudes. SO cute.

I also have two other bags from Elisa, and every time, and i am not exaggerating, that I leave my home here in St. Paul, some strange woman or another will tap me on the shoulder, and say, "Cute bag…where'd you get that?" So…i have a nice stack of Elisa's cards now. I will be passing them out at grocery stores all over the Twin Cities. : )

Sweet.

So today…packing for CHA. I went shopping too…thinking to  myself, "Man…I really need something cute to wear to the show." And, i came home with a t-shirt from Old Navy, and that's it.

And I have a question: when did my body begin to revolt against clothes from the Gap? And, when did J.Jill get so…boring? My two never fail locations, failed me miserably. Or, did I fail them? All I know, is i'm not paying $60 for a pair of jeans from the Gap, which promise to make me Long and Lean, only to have me bend over and display my two very voluminous, ghastly pale half moons to the world. Not the look I'm going for right now.

So…I will not be cute at CHA. No. I'm going for the "I just rolled out of bed, but DO have on lip gloss" look. I think it will be just perfect for California. For some reason right now, I am feeling way to good about life to worry about new shoes and camouflaging muffin tops. So, if you see me in a tank top and no bra, worry not. I'm at peace with it.

I will not be posting from the road because  I'm leaving my —gasp— laptop at home. Don't need it. Don't need to try and look cool on the plane either. So…i'm loading up my video iPod with Season One of the Office (never seen it) and maybe a few other television sundries...

and of course, my just frogged hat, which i started over last night.

peace out! happy CHA to all, and to all a good night.