Organize your Stuff: Week 6 (round 5): WOYWW #130

Wow! What a whirl wind week! We are here again at WOYWW (What’s On Your Work desk Wednesday), where we wander willfully throughout that world and oohh and aahhh at others desks. To see others, visit Julia and the rest at the Stamping Ground!

This is our work desk at the moment. Here is OCD Me’s tight shot.

…and the slightly more realistic wide angle by the POW.

Since this is the Pacific Northwest, and it is after November 1st, we are officially in the rainy season. No, seriously!! Last week we had traffic diverted because salmon were LITERALLY crossing the road …to get to the other side! …when the rivers began to overflow.

So, when Creative Me went to create her design team card for Tuesday Trio’s Sketch#95: Anything Goes, she could not resist this digital image of Flopsy in the Rain by Crafty Sentiments Designs.

Since last Wednesday, we have celebrated Thanksgiving (a major turkey dinner and tryptophan coma inducing feast here in the United States), demonstrated our black belt in Black Friday no holds barred freestyle shopping (Inner Hoarder scored well in the electronics, clothing, AND major furniture catagories), gave blood, and spent the day supporting Illusive Middle Child at wrestling. …and that just takes us to Saturday afternoon (and last post *here*).

If that were not enough, we had TSO (Trans Siberian Orchestra) that night! If you ever get a chance, this is a MUST GO. The POW (and all of our children) say, “Put it on your bucket list!” We have gone every year since 2008, and every year the kids cannot wait to go back as this is our one present to the family…an experience rather than a gift. We dress up in full Christmas best. This year Girl Friday chose red sequins. Illusive Middle Child requested a “real” tie. Oldest Child requested a clip on tie that “will not choke me”.

Sunday, we started moving Girl Friday into the room left vacant by Awesome Auntie. Monday, we watched the Original Grinch who stole Christmas on TV. Tuesday, we put up the outside Christmas lights. The POW is overwhelmed, and it has not even hit December 1st yet!

However, we always have time for you! Wednesday is WOYWW on the couch, and a cup of coffee! Thank you Julia!

Organize your Stuff: Week 6 (round 5): Photos

As far as an organizational week, this one is kind of a boring one. The POW got us onboard with digital photos back in 2004. During round 2 (here) OCD Me got what few film pictures we had (about 4 grocery bags worth) and sorted them into photo boxes.

Some people struggle with how to find their digital photos. After all, if you are looking for Baby’s 1st Birthday… is that IMG23456 or IMG32457? Do you have to go through them all? And then how do you find the stragglers from your cell phone or that were e-mailed to you and are out of sequence?

OCD set up our digital photo system (backed up on a terabyte external hard drive). It is a series of folders. The master folders are by year. Then, as the POW offloads pictures from memory chips, she automatically creates a folder by date (automatically saved with the photo if you set it up on the camera). Example: 01-01-2012 New Year’s breakfast. Adding the zero for months 1-9 is important. Otherwise, October (10) pictures will immediately follow January (1).

This seems to work for us, anyway. Here is a layout from this summer…PA Me has been dragging her feet, but we are mostly done with our Big Picture Classes Big Idea Festival layouts from August. Yes, we are behind. However… We just had to go to the 2011 folder, scroll down to the end of June, and find 06-23-2011 GF lost 1st tooth. *Ta Da* Girl Friday’s lost tooth!

As for this weekend, we are still recovering from Black Friday shopping. The executives who decided that shopping from midnight to 6 AM is safe, must own stock in Starbucks and Red Bull. If the Inner Hoarder did not have an eighth degree black belt in Black Friday shopping, we would have just skipped all together. Riiiiigghhhht.

We came, we saw, we shopped and shopped. We came home, crashed, and then went back out with Fabulous Spouse to Ikea (15% back on gift card! Score!) Now that Awesome Auntie has returned to her house, we were re-furnishing the play room… couch hunting! (Cell phone picture).

Furiture assembled, and replacement Xbox with Kinect (Black Friday purchase) in place. (Digital camera picture).  Fun family time playing Fruit Ninja...Priceless.

Still jet lagged and riding the rest of our shopping high, we had a 6AM start the next day, so that we could give blood at our church before heading off to wrestling for the day. Illusive Middle Child gave it his all, and finally scored his first win and first pin in the last round of the day! Woo Hoo! (Another cell phone picture).

Organize your Stuff: Week 6 (round 5): WOYWW 129

Jeepers, Creepers! It is that time of the Week again! WOYWW …and T-minus one day until Turkey Time! It is time to wander the world and see what’s on the work desk…while avoiding the sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie! (Tomorrow is the Thanksgiving Holiday in the US, and the day after is Black Friday).

Here is our work desk today… Creative Me is actually busy working on another layout (from this summer, not Iraq).  To see other desks around the world, head over to Julia's Stamping Ground!

As for our card this week, Creative Me really outdid herself when she took bread tags and Copic’d (is that a word?) them to make a Thanksgiving Turkey tail for our design team entry for Tuesday Trio’s Sketch #94: recycle. That is why Creative Me just LOVES her Copics!

This weekend, we finished up our cheerleading season by watching Girl Friday dance and cheer and stunt against nine other teams for the indoor Championship. Of course, PA Me left the camera chip in the laptop, so we had camera... no film.  Fortunately, someone invented the camera phone!
 

Two of the teams were three times the size as ours, but luckily size does not matter in cheer.We had many tiny girls with big hearts!  They stunted and twirled... even the boys got into it in the stands (shhhhh...do not tell anyone).  Being parents, we saw every flaw, so we were hoping for top 4. (Note: Girl Friday is in silver sleves in front in this photo).

We Won! Here is Girl Friday with the trophy. An awesome end to an awesome season!

Organize your Stuff: Week 5 (round 5): scraps

In preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday at our house we have actually been cleaning! Do not get too excited, we have not cleaned that much. PA Me would never allow that!

Well, here is our scrap table! OCD Me just could not take it anymore.

We squared up the rough and wonky edges and put them in piles. The POW has warned OCD Me that this is temporary. Creative Me is already itching to play in them, and Girl Friday has been eying them too!

We have another 2007 Iraq layout under our belt too.

The patterned paper is from October Afternoon that Fabulous Spouse helped pick out at CKC, and the title and school table were cut from scraps on the Cricut. The picture mat was a scrap too! Maybe there is something to be said for this organizing thing that OCD keeps trying to make us do!

We have been busy this weekend too. Here is Illusive Middle Child at his first ever wrestling meet. He lost all three matches (it is matches right?). But he got experience, and that is what counts! Especially since football took so long with the playoffs, that he only had 2 practices (or 3 hours) worth of wrestling training ever before we got there. Hopefully he will get better as the weeks progress… or at least continues to have fun!

Happy Early Thanksgiving!!! …or happy Monday to those outside the U.S.!

Organize your Stuff: Week 5 (round 5): WOYWW #128

Well, it is that wonderful time of the week where we wander the world and whip up some WOYWW (What’s on your work desk Wednesday) love for our fellow crafters!

This is our work desk today…

Our scraps are still not organized (*Sad face*). However, they are getting better… (I'm not dead yet...) The POW even made OCD Me put the dreaded scrap pile on the left into the picture.

For other savvy WOYWW'ers, hop over to Julia's Stamping Ground!

This week we have been working on finishing up Fabulous Spouse’s Iraq album as we only have about six weeks until he leaves for Afghanistan. Six weeks! Aaagggghhhhh!

We also put together our Design Team card for Tuesday Trio Sketch# 93: Autumn. Creative Me was in a truly zen place when she got to work on this sketch. This card is made from our scrap pile with a white scrap inked up for our moon.

The copper leaves arrived just that morning (along with the words and the acorn) from our monthly Heartstring Designs kit. They were inked up with Copic markers (which have alcohol inks inside)!

PA Me totally blames Creative Me for our not cleaning. Inner Hoarder did not help either. We think she opposite of helped by locking OCD Me and the POW in the closet and then batting her eyelashes lovingly at Fabulous Spouse to take her to the CKC Scrapbooking vendor faire.

With a hypnotized Fabulous Spouse in tow, we increased rather than decreased our stash of scrappy goodness. Most of our buys were Afghanistan related. However, there are no photographs…so in true Mission Impossible fashion, that he can disavow this at a later date.

Also, Illusive Middle Child got his second place trophy from the football season that would never end (we have been playing since August 1st!). This Sunday will wrap up cheerleading as well with the league indoor cheer championships! Woo Hoo! Wish us luck!!!

Organize your Stuff: Week 5 (round 5): Scraps

Hope that all of you had a great Veterans’ Day weekend!

This week we are tackling scraps. How are yours organized? Do you even keep scraps? Is there a minimum size?

Here is another Iraq training layout where Creative Me raided our scrap stash for the accents.

To be honest, OCD Me has tried to corral our scraps, but between Girl Friday and Creative Me they are always escaping, being fruitful, and multiplying. It does not help that Inner Hoarder refuses to throw them away.

Here is where our scraps are today. They are definitely in need of some OCD Me love.

This is the accordian folder where our scraps are supposed to live.  When Girl Friday wants to create something the POW just directs her to the folder and tells her how many scraps she can use.  This is probably the only thing that keeps the scraps from rising up and taking over the house.

This is the little side table that has runneth over with hedonistic scraps that multiply when we turn our backs on them.

Finally, here are the scraps that get shoved to the side (and that never seems to make it into our WOYWW frames).  OCD Me is totally embarassed now.

As for our family, Illusive Middle Child and Girl Friday went to the Championships in football. It was cold, it was rainy, and alas, there was no joy to be had… as we lost. However, as we told our boy, there is no shame in losing to an undefeated team… especially if you tried your hardest.

Organize your Stuff: Week 4 (round 5): Veteran’s Day

Happy Veteran’s Day! (or Armistice Day to the non-Americans)… and happy 11-11-11 as well!

Thank you so much for those Service Members who have put their lives on the line for us… and the families that have supported them and stood by them!

Here is a layout that Creative Me whipped up in our attempt to finish Fabulous Spouse’s 2007 Iraq album before he deploys to Afghanistan. It uses the super awesome Simple Stories Destinations line. The POW is pretty sure that is why we have not started prepping for Christmas…because 2 days later he deploys. Anyways….

Yesterday was a flurry of patriotic activities, as today is a holiday for all (except our trash men who will probably come around 5:30 AM and squash our attempts to sleep late). Fabulous Spouse took the day off to be shown off in his “monkey suit”.

Here he is at Girl Friday’s First Grade. They are learning about continents, and he is showing them where Iraq and Afghanistan are, as well as the places that his submarines have travelled over the years.

Illusive Middle Child was at recess when we stopped by, so Fabulous Spouse drew an even larger crowd… especially when Fabulous Spouse pulled out his mounted medals (brought to school at Illusive Middle Child’s request).

Then, there was the assembly. Illusive Middle Child’s 3rd Grade was the musical entertainment. Fabulous Spouse was presented a carnation by both Girl Friday and Illusive Middle Child. Then he was featured in the Veteran’s slide show.

Finally, there was the Veteran’s Day Mass at our church. Oldest Child’s Boy Scout Troop was the honor guard, and Oldest Child was also the alter server. (However, he was moving too fast for Fabulous Spouse to get a good photo...we were at the last practice for the Football Championships with Illusive Middle Child). Fabulous Spouse was asked to bring up the communion gifts… as he was still in uniform. Goodness! What a long day!

God Bless Our Veterans!!!!

Organize your Stuff: Week 4 (round 5): WOYWW#127 and Paper

It seems like just yesterday that we were on the internet perusing crafty goodness… How did Wednesday sneak up on us so fast? Well, it is Wednesday, and that means that it is WOYWW (What’s on your work desk Wednesday) across the planet… where we get to see crafty goodness in every form thanks to the Wonderful Julia at the Stamping Ground and her charming Mr. Linky!

Here is our desk…not too terribly bad today. OCD Me was busy tackling our front room and entryway all morning, so mild chaos was left behind on the desk.

We were working on our Design Team entry for this Week’s Tuesday Trio Sketch #92: color challenge (banana yellow, pink, brown and blue). When the POW hears these colors, her mind automatically thinks… baby. However, that is not what Creative Me wanted. Out here, we are at peak Fall Foliage! One good sneeze, and the trees will be naked until June.

So we broke out our Tattered Angels Mists and made our banana yellow the kind of yellow a banana is …right before it is made into banana bread or banana muffins. Mmmmmmmm….

This week also starts getting us into the weeds for the Organize Your Stuff Challenge. It is time to take a closer look at your paper. (Nooooooooooo!) If you have an Inner Hoarder in your life, then this could potentially be a problem. If PA Me lives in your house and is close friends with your Inner Hoarder, then we are soul sisters (and misters) and we KNOW that there is a problem.  There IS a reason we keep doing this challenge over and over again.

Hello. Our name is Scrappnbee. It has been six days since our last paper purchase (but come on! It is Simple Scrapbooks Yearology… and Creative Me NEEDS more Christmas paper because we are only three years behind on Christmas albums, and they need cute new paper!).

Yes, we will return our no shopping token when we can find it. We think that we left it under some paper. Here. Somewhere.

In the interest of almost honesty (because we are not sharing under the desk again, and OCD Me has forbidden us from showing the supper scary clutter stage left of the crafty semi-cleanliness), we still have not sorted and put away all of our papers and projects that we got from the CKC Portland Scrapbooking Convention back at the end of March. OCD Me is mortified. PA Me just keeps moving her hand around and whispering, “this is not the paper you are looking for.” *Sigh*

In personal news, we have retired our sash and are no longer the acting Lady of the Shoe, as Awsome Auntie and her family returned to their duty station.  It has been a great nine months, and the house is eerily quiet now.  We miss them!

 Illusive Middle Child's football team did the impossible and won their playoff game in arctic like temperatures (30 degrees Fareinheit anyways). (no pictures at this time as blogger is giving me an error message. Will try again later). Therefore, we are double and tripple booked for kids activities everywhere! This weekend we are in the Championships! (Woo hoo!). Then, come heck or high water, the season will finally be over! ...then wrestling starts up... (actually, they already started without us)!

We probably should make an effort to put at least some of this away before next week… and not replace it with even more new stuff! …well, after we visit all of you and your desks, of course… *wink*!

Organize your Stuff: Week 3 (round 5): WOYWW #126

Wow! It is Wednesday again! That means that it is time to click your way across the world and peek at desks of the crafty and creative! It is What’s On Your Work desk Wednesday again!

Here is our desk… post Halloween costume central…and currently being abused by Oldest Child for a last minute English class project. (Also, *gasp* you can see under my desk, and it is scary!)

The POW is a little nervous at the destruction that may occur. For while Oldest Child may not be quite up to “bull in the china shop” levels of destruction anymore… we hope… it still makes us wary. For other desks (which have not been sublet to 12 year olds) please visit Julia at the Stamping Ground!

Creative Me has been in bliss this week. While it may be a little stressful for the POW to produce, we have had three blog posts in three days now! Phew!

Today, we are sharing our design team card for Tuesday Trio’s Sketch#91: raised elements. This card uses the new Cricut Projects: Flower Shoppe. Totally cool and having Creative Me doing mini back flips at the Prima-esque flowers that she can make by herself in the future.

These flowers are super simple to assemble, just roll up the spiral. And, since they are Cricut, come in every size!

This week we will begin the clean slate process in the Organize Your Stuff Challenge. Time to actually buckle down, clean up, and distract the Inner Hoarder with the promise of Christmas papers or shiny objects.  Happy WOYWW!

PS- If you missed the kids Halloween picture from yesterday... they have come down from their sugar high.  Here they are in their Soldier, Final Fantasy Future Warrior, and Rapunzel glory!

Organize your Stuff: Week 2 (round 5): OLW

It is that time again! Time to share our monthly homework results from Ali Edward’s One Little Word (OLW) class at Big Pictures Classes. BTW- Ali has already confirmed that there will be another round of OLW for next year… just in case you were interested!

Here is our hop list (goes live at 8AM PST). You just came from Lynn, and will be continuing on to Jill if you are going in order!

Margie http://xnomads.typepad.com/
Julie Ann http://julieannshahin2.blogspot.com/
Lisa http://backtoallen.com/writers_blog
Sam http://learncreatedo.wordpress.com/
Jenn http://studiojenn.blogspot.com/
Cheri http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com/
Jan http://mysimplelittlelife.typepad.com/
Debra http://blakleyhomeplace.blogspot.com/
Nikki http://www.inkyart.com.au/
Monica http://questtoperfectimperfection.blogspot.com/
Rebekah http://istampscrapcraft.blogspot.com/
Lynn http://crafty-creativity.blogspot.com/
Amanda http://scrappnbee.blogspot.com/  <---you are here!!!
Jill http://jillconyers.typepad.com/

Our homework for this month was photos of our word in our life. Our Word is Embrace. Here are the photos we chose.

1. Oldest Child embracing nature and hiking more.
2. Embracing football (pep ralley pic).
3. Boxes. Embracing Awesome Auntie's family.
4. Back to School (Embracing learning).
5. Embracing Fabulous Spouse with more alone time.
6.Embracing growing up with Girl Friday's 1st American Girl Doll.
7. Embracing grief. Illusive Middle Child's coach dies.
8. Embracing change. Nov 1st starts the rainy season.
9. Embracing Fun and family time. Happy Halloween!

As for the family… yesterday was Halloween, and so of course, there is the obligatory montage of Halloween pictures that the POW must share.

Here is the tribe carving their pumpkins. The finished pumpkins are in the last picture.

Here is the kids in there Halloween school attire (Halloween parties of our youth are no longer allowed as they might offend Wiccans (no, seriously, the school district banned it to not offend those of that religion) and people who do not play dress up).

And finally…ta da! The kids in their Halloween attire.
Oldest Child: Soldier
Illusive Middle Child: Final Fantasy Future Warrior
Girl Friday: Rapunzel
Shark Bait: Peter Pan
The WMD: Tinkerbell