Sunday Scrappin'

It is bright and early Sunday morning and time to share what I have accomplished crafty this week. The first two layouts are from Jessica Sprague's Photoshop Friday class. Each Wednesday she has a new Photoshop Friday class that is only $1.00. It is a quick, easy page but with something really special to it. I usually try and complete a companion page to coordinate with the class page.
This week we made the round sticker from scratch. I reused it on the companion page.
The next pages are my completed Project Life pages. I am about a week behind on my Project Life blog but I have the pictures taken, I just have to upload them and then journal. This album is so much fun and so super easy.





My to-do's this week are almost the same as every other week. I am starting back to work on Tuesday so finding time to craft may prove a bit difficult.

1. Continue work on Project Life and My 365 for 2009. It would be really nice to cross off My 365 for 2009 once and for all.
2. I found a project that I started mid-2009. It's a class I took over at Big Picture Scrapbooking called This is Me. It is in an 8" x 8" album and I found all the class materials so I am hoping to finish this project in the next few weeks.
3. I have been going through my bead patterns and purging. I need to finish this project before Tuesday so I can get my living room back to normal.
4. Find some balance in going back to work and continuing to sell on eBay. I don't want the eBay business to be put on the back burner. Everything I sell is one less thing in my house!
5. I am not even going to worry about organizing scrapbook supplies this week - not a priority!

Other than some pictures in my Project Life album I didn't do anything with the food related challenge from last week.

Have a super week and happy Sunday Scrappin'!

Sunday Scrappin' (a couple of days late)

I spent the weekend with my parents and helped my mom get her eBay business up and running and that is why my Sunday Scrappin' post is late. Please join us and share your paper crafting accomplishments.

Earlier in the week I finished this craft project. I have way too many half finished or not even started projects around my house and it feels really good when I get one done.

Here are the layouts I did this week. The first is from the Type + Writer class at Jessica Sprague. This is the final 12x12 layout from that class. She has instructions for making a mini album but I don't have plans to do that.
Have a told you that I love Jessica Sprague classes? The past couple of weeks she has had a Photoshop Friday class for $1.00. The class is only available on Wednesday and I have taken three weeks worth of classes - awesome! This is week three, the first layout is the one created with her video and the second is a companion page I did.

I also got more photos printed for Project Life so will be posting more completed layouts from that album.

My to-do's this week are almost a duplicate from last week:

1. Continue working on My 365 for 2009 posts and scrapbook pages. Put my Project Life photos in the album, take pictures of completed pages and post.
   
2. Put my toe in the water again and continue organizing my scrapbook supplies. Maybe put some kits together to sell and continue working on simple scrapbook pages to sell.
   
3. eBay/Etsy - a little every day! I did pretty well with this last week, hope to do as well this week.

I think I am pushing it a bit to use the birthday layouts for the challenge last week. The challenge was to scrapbook a page or a layout about you - not your children or husband, just you. Maybe throw in a friend or two. My pages are about my birthday party but there are other people in the pictures. Better than nothing, right?

Have a great week and hopefully I will be posting on Sunday next week instead of Tuesday.

Spice Rack

I have been having those "noticing things" moments around the house lately. Too much time cooped up in the house, maybe? Anyhow, last week it was the broken light switch in the hall. This week it is the spice carousel in the kitchen. I got it at Goodwill, where else? And it was super cute without doing anything to it except put some spices in it and make some labels. I put spices in it when I moved here in October and labeled them with a Sharpie. Not the prettiest labeling but it got the job done.
Yesterday I pulled out three sheets of paper, one blue cardstock, one yellow cardstock and one blue and yellow patterned paper. Pulled out my trusty Cuttlebug and Spellbinders round dies and cut out some circles and some scalloped circle. Then I measured and made spice label on Photoshop and printed them on clear label stickers. Glued everything together, and laminated each one. And voila, spice jar labels.
And put them away. How cute did that project turn out and it only took about a hour from start to finish. ;)

Sunday Scrappin'

It's Sunday and that means it time for Sunday Scrappin'! I did a bit of scrapbooking and a bit more beading. Here is a layout from Jessica Sprague's Type+ Writer 2 class. I am almost finished with the class and love the quality of the layouts.
I also took Photoshop Friday 2 from her and here are those pages and some of the beady creations I have made this week.


I also got caught up on Project Life 2010. I have sent off for pictures so I will have something to share with you next week. And I did list a bit on eBay this week, not as much as I had planned but something at least.

This week my to-do's are:

1. Continue working on My 365 for 2009 posts and scrapbook pages.
   
2. Put my toe in the water again and continue organizing my scrapbook supplies. Maybe put some kits together to sell and continue working on simple scrapbook pages to sell.
   
3. Finish the Type + Writer class I took over at Jessica Sprague website. There are only one or two more layouts to complete this class.
   
4. eBay/Etsy - a little every day!
   

Missing Boo But Keeping Busy

So, I don't have Bailey Boo this week. I had too many things going on this week to keep her but boy do I miss that little bugger.

But, I have had more time to do some fun stuff this week. Here are two necklaces and one bracelet that I made last night and the night before. I had to stop at JoAnn's yesterday to get copper colored crimps and clasps.

I have more of these diamond shaped beads - enough to make at least another necklace if not a necklace and bracelet.
I kind of like the way this set came out. Simple but black and copper are colors that will match a lot of my clothes - if I keep it. I may put it on Etsy and see if it sells.
I took another Photoshop Friday class at Jessica Sprague. The first page is from the class, the second page I created on my own. I ♥ ♥ her classes!

Had breakfast with my friend Susan and we have decided to get together and craft! Yeah, a crafty buddy! I haven't had a crafty buddy in a few years so am way excited. Funny thing while we were eating - Dave showed up at the restaurant. It's a small world.

The job search is awful! Yesterday there were over 400 new jobs on indeed and not one of them was one I could apply for. I think I need to go into occupational therapy. Lots of openings for occupational therapists.

I am going today for some kind of meeting at DCF and tomorrow I am having a minor surgical procedure done. Brandon is going with me tomorrow so I don't have to be alone. He's such a good kid.

I am off to list some more stuff on eBay. Hopefully I will have a good week.

Sunday Scrappin' Post 2

My first post was getting long so I decided to split my Sunday Scrappin' post into two. This post features the scrapbook layouts that I made this week to sell. They are simple but effective scrapbook layouts that I really like but don't have any use for. I am going to sell them for $7.99 for a two page layout.

The first layout is for a water park visit. Title is Take The Plunge.
Second layout is a beach layout. Lumpy, bumpy embellishments on this one.
Cruisin' is the third layout.
The fourth layout is a dog themed layout.
Fifth layout is a bright, cheery birthday layout.
Another birthday layout with more subdued colors.
Hope you like what I created. Each layout took less than a hour to complete.

Sunday Scrappin'

Woo-hoo! I actually got some scrapbooking done to share for Sunday Scrappin'! I am still playing catch up on My 365 for 2009. Here are two two page layouts from September of 2009. At least I am making some headway on these.



If you read my blog much you know I love Jessica Sprague. I have taken many, many digital classes from her. It is probably because of her that I started digi scrapping. Last week she had a sale on her Photoshop Friday class and here are the two pages I completed from that class. The class was only $1.00, so very worth it.

Last week I only posted my to-do list hoping it would motivate me to see it in print. I did work on My 365 2009, I also started sorting my scrapbook supplies, got totally overwhelmed and quit. I have been making some simple scrapbook pages with supplies I have had for years that I am going to try and sell on either eBay or Etsy. I forgot about finishing up my class for Jessica Sprague and I did nothing on either eBay or Etsy this week. So my to-do list this week:

1. Continue working on My 365 for 2009 posts and scrapbook pages. Also get caught up on my Project Life 2010.
   
2. Put my toe in the water again and continue organizing my scrapbook supplies. Maybe put some kits together to sell and continue working on simple scrapbook pages to sell.
   
3. Get caught up with the Type + Writer class I took over at Jessica Sprague website. I got about half way done and then life got in the way. Must make this one a priority this week.
   
4. eBay/Etsy - also need to be a priority.
   

Freezer Cooking Results

You may remember about a month ago I talked about freezer cooking here. I got excited about freezer cooking after reading about it here. Rebecca's tips are great and the two that I think need repeating are:

1. Make sure you triple check your recipes to have everything you need.
2. Try to do this when you don't have little kids around. Bailey was here on both the days I cooked and it was hard to keep her occupied while I tried to cook.

My Mom does a lot of dual cooking - making one meal and putting the other in the freezer so my first step was to call her and find out what recipes we use on a regular basis would work well for freezer cooking. Then I made a grocery list and check the cabinets for anything I already had. This step was done Sunday night.

I dropped Brent off at school Monday morning and headed to Wal-Mart. About $200 and almost 2 hours later Bailey and I headed home. I brought all the groceries in, put the cold stuff away and fixed Bailey lunch. As soon as she was down for her nap, I started cooking. Monday was chicken day. I didn't plan it that way it just happened.

The chicken recipes I made were:

• Saucy Chicken and Asparagus (3 meals)
  
• Souper Chicken (3 meals)
  
• Creamy Chicken Breasts (2 meals)
  
• Chicken Bangkok (2 meals)
  

I also made a huge pot of spaghetti sauce as well as browning five pounds of ground beef to freeze.

This is Chicken Bangkok. I left off the almond and crushed corn flake topping until serving day.
Creamy Chicken Breasts with swiss cheese and stuffing topping.
My kitchen during the whole cooking process.
The stove and oven working over time.
Saucy Chicken and Asparagus.
A big pot of yummy spaghetti sauce.
At the end of day 1 I had 10 meals, five one pound packages of cooked ground beef, five containers of spaghetti sauce and a homecooked meal of pasta with spaghetti and meat sauce for dinner.

Day 2 was ground beef and steak day. I started out the morning by browning the second five pound package of ground beef.

Here are the recipes I created on Day 2:

• Hamburger Cabbage Casserole (4 meals)
  
• Minnesota Hamburger (2 meals)
  
• Cabbage Soup
  
• Best Meat Loaf (2 meals)
  
• Parmesan Round Steak (3 meals)
  
• Eggplant and Ground Beef Casserole (3 meals)
  
• Lasagna (4 meals)
  
• Macaroni and Cheese (2 meals)
  

Pictured top to bottom - Macaroni and Cheese, Parmesan Round Steak, Minnesota Hamburger
The kitchen during day 2 of cooking.
And the stove and oven during day 2 cooking.

At the end of day 2 I had 20 meals and five servings of soup ready for the freezer. I also browned another three pounds of ground beef and a couple of pounds of grilled chicken to freeze. We also had another homecooked meal of Minnesota Hamburger.

I got up this morning and got the kitchen back in shape and ran the dishwasher one last time. Today is not a cooking day but I am cooking and plan to divide Swiss Steak in the Crockpot into three servings. One for tonight and two to freeze. Total for two days cooking - 30+ meals in the freezer, spaghetti sauce, cabbage soup, browned ground beef and grilled chicken in the freezer. I am feeling good about all the good food we have in the freezer and the easy dinners in my near future.

I wrote this post in response to Once a month cook's question on my first time freezer cooking.