Organize your Stuff Week 19 (round 5): WOYWW 147

Well Wednesday, you have got us again! Where did you come from? …and how did you do it so quietly? We swear that Wednesdays sneaks faster and quieter than any Monday could hope to…Why? Because today is WOYWW (What’s on your Workdesk Wednesday)! It is time to peek and drool over the desks and creations of fabulous folks all around the globe! The always super, spectacular, and fabulous Julia of the Stamping Ground hosts this lot, so see the folks that make WOYWW so hot!

Today’s desk is our kitchen table as we copic’d twenty mini basket handles for Fabulous Spouse’s office on the Front. In true PA Me fashion, we have waited until the absolute last minute to do this, even though OCD Me and the Inner Hoarder went shopping for the insides of the baskets over a week ago (hence the late post today).

*spoiler alert Fabulous Spouse* This is what the finished basket should look like. (yes, those are camoflage easter eggs for the jelly beans!)

Also, Creative Me did some more traditional paper crafting, and came up with this card for Tuesday Trio Sketch#112 Brads or eyelets (PS- in total violation of the no sales pitch, please visit Tuesday Trio, as it is possibly closing down if they do not get more sketch players).

*The POW’s warning: the rest is family. Skip to the end if you are just peeking at the desks*)

From the Front, Fabulous Spouse has provided his photo of the week…volleyball in T-shirts out of doors (remember that there was snow inches deep like less than a week ago!)…Men! He swears that it was warm and the sun was out, but the POW is sure that it was still too chilly for her.

Oldest child had a rather eventful week. He had his first pin EVER in wrestling (which was the only one of the three matches that we missed…as we were taking Illusive Middle Child to soccer). Then Oldest Child had a small solo on trombone for Jazz Band at the Middle School Spring Concert. Then he was elected by his Boy Scout Troop to join Order of the Arrow (a Boy Scout Honor Society of sorts) just last night!

Illusive Middle Child has been in soccer land. It was mucky for our Saturday game (where yet again he is the ball thrower- inner). He is having some frustration that he keeps accidentally touching the ball with his hands and getting yelled at by his teammates)… and yet the coaches ssem to like him so….hmmm. We did however get to see the scary and bright yellow orb in the sky for practice this week. It is gone now, but It was here, we SWEAR!

Girl Friday has been enjoying her sports free time by hanging with her mom and helping with the tidying and cooking and crafting (we have a bunch of Cricut paper doll cut outs now). Also, this week, our Council celebrated the Girl Scout’s 100th birthday…with a 100th Birthday Bash. Girl Friday joined the Uniform Fashion Show with our old Cadettes/ Senior vest. She also had her end of season basketball party at a bouncy house place.

…just a little crazy here…LOL! Well we are off to peek at your places! Thanks for visiting!

Organize your Stuff Week 19 (round 5): WOYWW 146

Whether the weather be hot, or whether the weather be not, Happy Wednesday! It is that time again when we take time out of our day to snap that picture of our happy craft place in all its glory…sometimes neat…oft times not (we raise our hand at that one!). This fabulous peek-fest has been coordinated by our lovely Julia at the Stamping Ground. Come pop on over to her place to see over a hundred fabulous places and crafty spaces.

Here is our disaster area…

Federal funds are tied up in committee, but hazmat suits have been issued and TLDs must be donned at all times. PA Me does not really seem fazed by this. She figures that it will sort itself out when Creative Me needs more space. …besides OCD Me is busy doing laundry, dishes, and keeping the kids' schedules straight!


Stamps:Avocado Arts, paper: CTMH, button: unknown
ink: Momento & Copic, twine: Queen & Co., punch: Fiskars

Creative Me does not mind the mess. It speaks to her Mojo Muse (this definitely does not make OCD Me happy). So, this is the card that Creative Me was able to craft for her Design Team Entry for this week’s Tuesday Trio, Sketch 111: Something torn. Creative Me just loves this Avocado Arts stamp set…and living in the Pacific Northwest… AKA: Starbucks land, we can foresee this being used often!
*A POW PSA (Public Service Announcement): The rest of this post is family, so skip to the end if you just came for the peek.*

picture from ISAF media

Well, this week, the world was green, and not in a let’s hold hands and recycle kind of way. It was St. Patrick’s Day. Therefore, everything, including the Front itself was Irish…if just for a day.  Word from the Front was that those in Her Majesty’s Royal Army were issued shamrocks.

The rest of the lads and lasses had to find another way to represent and show a little wearing o’ the green.

Our little clan back stateside wore green as well (although the POW was quite sure that we were going to have to put the Come Hither on them before we could get a family shot).

They also had some green “brostaches”…the Oldest Child begged to be disavowed and not posted… even though he took the extras to school to share with his friends.

It has been a total Irish weekend.  Dress up for school on Friday, Disney's Darby O'Gill and the Little People for Pizza and a movie night on Saturday, loaded baked potatoes on Sunday, and Guiness beef stew and Guiness molasses bread on Monday!

We hope that you enjoyed yours as much as we enjoyed ours!

Organize your Stuff Week 18 (round 5): WOYWW 145 & tools

Welcome Wednesday! It seems like you come quicker and quicker these days! If it is Wednesday, then it must be WOYWW time…AKA…What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday. It is the time that we share our creative spaces in all their messy glory (ok there are a few not so messy ones too) as well as what they are crafting. The always Fabulous Julia at the Stamping Ground has the links to over 100 desks throughout the world for us to sneak a peek.

Here is our desk (in the Mariott Courtyard Hotel) from this weekend at the Creating Keepsakes Convention (CKC Portland). It was a wonderful weekend with fabulous new friends and lots to learn!

Most of our learning was done on our new favorite tool- Photoshop Elements. Here OCD Me and Creative Me took copious notes and WOW! …after six hours of classes over the weekend, this is the last of the three one page layouts that we created…

Now, all of the credit goes to Patty Debowski (of http://thedigitalscrapbookteacher.com/). She took us from zero to hero (the POW is eternally thankful for Patty’s patience with all of OCD Me’s questions). Total infomercial: We recommend her to anyone wanting to learn about Photoshop elements! …and she was totally fabulous about it too. (Even posing for a photo!)

*Warning: The POW is letting you know that the rest of this post is family stuff. Scroll to the comments if not interested*

Well, as for news from the Front, Fabulous Spouse is “off the grid” this week on an off base field trip. However, he did send this “Stop” sign posted along the way. It is quite humorous in the English translation. We do not really care where he is, as long as he is safe, and brings home souvenirs!

Oldest Child might as well be of the grid, but he had two more wrestling matches. He lost the one while we were in Portland and then had a forfeit yesterday (making him 2-3 as of now). He has also discovered Xbox live…and his friends who are also on it… *sigh* The POW feels that the upside is that it is one more thing that we can take away when the grades slip….

Illusive Middle Child started soccer…in the freezing rain! ...and has his first game this weekend. We also wrapped up the basketball season at Round Table Pizza with the obligatory awards (and a pull aside by the coach that if we needed a good coach for next year to let him know because our boy has POTENTIAL!)…that makes a mom feel good…except that means more basketball games LOL!

Girl Friday missed her last basketball game this week. She did have one more Girl Scout Cookie sale down town…in the cold with her Girl Scout BFF…

Did we mention that we got Voodoo Donuts from Portland? Awesome!

Now only if we could convince Mother Nature to stop snowing… (picture from today)

Organize your Stuff Week 17 (round 5): CKC Portland…Scrapbooking Convention

WoW! First of all, thank you Fabulous Spouse for arranging for us to have this AWESOME weekend away.  It is THE best gift ever! Second, thank you Grandmother, for taking on the gargantuan task of child wrangler and actually making it possible!

Thurday Preview Crop

For those of you who do not know what CKC is… it is the Creating Keepsakes (like the magazine) Convention. There are a gagillion classes (yes, spell check , gagillion is a real word…ask anyone under 3’ 10”), crops, vendors, techniques. Creative Me was in heaven, OCD Me was stroking out, and the POW was doing everything within her power to keep the Inner Horder from busting the bank!



Friday Photoshop Class



Today the POW had us spend 6 hours (3 classes) learning about Photoshop Elements. Mrs. Patty Debowski (of http://thedigitalscrapbookteacher.com/) was our super patient and fabulous teacher. By the end, even PA Me was getting the hand of it! *Yeah*

Here are our first 2 (ever!) digital layouts:

OCD Me loves this! Creative Me is still sitting the fence…(especially with her good friend the Inner Hoarder just salivating to buy some more tactile stuff!), but we must admit it is a pretty cool way to whip up layouts quick!

Also, while we were walking about in between classes, who should we run into…none other than Michelle Ogdahl…the COO of Avocado Arts (Clear Acrylic Stamp Company). She is super cool and super nice!

Now, we must admit, that we have been cyber stalking Avocado Arts for a LONG time now… (it made the favorites list LONG before the school district…with the printable lunch menus…did on the computer). However, the POW has always put her foot down when Creative Me and the Inner Hoarder wanted to buy them, because we did not know what quality of clear acrylic/ photopolymer with which they were made. (We are still recovering from our made in China crappy MME Acrylic Stamps that were SO cute *sad face*).

Let us tell you, these ROCK! Love them! This is a card that we made without conditioning the stamp at all! Fabulous ink acceptability! They are photopolymers made in the United States, and super sticky and pliable. Did we mention that Miss Michelle was super sweet and awesome in person too! She even let us get our picture with her!

Tomorrow is four more hours of Photoshop training…and an evening crop. Wish our bottom well…It is in serious danger of falling asleep…LOL!

Organize your Stuff Week 17 (round 5): WOYWW 144

Wednesday! Aaaaggghh! How did you get here so fast? It is time again for WOYWW (What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday) hosted by the always jovial (and currently recovering from her first chocolate flavored Philadelphia Cream Cheese…) Julia at the Stamping Ground. Pop on over there if you want to see other people and places and the things they have created…It is an international look-see to delight the eyes!

This week is a little organized chaos (ok, when is it not?). OCD Me has been distracted by tonight’s airplane arrival of our Mother-in Law…AKA: the Grandmother. We love her dearly, but OCD is about to pop a blood vessel every time she looks at the chaos that continues to be the front hallway. (We think that the sock monsters, who are currently expanding their territory, have teamed up with the children to undermine her work). She now hovers around it like a bird of prey. However, no sooner has she swooped down and straightened up and turned her back then they have struck again!

So, PA Me keeps glancing at the desk muttering Jedi phrases (this is not the room you are looking for. Move along…) and as an escapee coat is yet again on the floor…it works. *sigh* Curse you sock monsters!!!

This is the card that Creative Me slipped in and created when she ditched coat and shoe patrol. This week, Creative Me also did the technique of converting the plain brown cardstock to the faux crumpled paper texture at Tuesday Trio’s Sketch 109: Arrows. Click over to see!
*Warning: The POW says that the rest is family stuff. Skip to the comments if you are not interested*

To make up for last week and no new pictures from the Front, Fabulous Spouse sent a picture of himself shaking hands with General John Allen, the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) Commander… or the guy in charge of Afghanistan. Illusive Middle Child was super impressed… especially since Gen. Allen was interviewed on ABC News the next night. His Dad knows someone "famous".

Oldest Child has started the wrestling matches in earnest now. One last week, and two this week.  This is a picture of his first Varsity win (by forefit...shhhh don't tell). So his record has improved to 1-2.

Illusive Middle Child was busy with his basketball. He is becoming quite the force on the court. He is responsible for more steals and rebounds than anyone else on the team. Unfortunately, there is no stealing the ball outside the key… and so he has the most errors too. (at least it is not double dribbling like Girl Friday).

Girl Friday is wrapping up her basketball season as well, but more importantly, it is Girl Scout Cookie Season. She has her smile and her sales pitch perfected, and is ready to take your order!

As for us, Fabulous Spouse’s present for this week is a weekend away (hence the visit from Grandmother). We are going to the CKC Convention in Portland to relax, create, and finally learn how to use our Photoshop! Yeah! Thank you Fabulous Spouse for arranging this, and Grandmother for taking the time off work to cover the kids!

Have a great WOYWW all! If we miss you on Wednesday because OCD Me has us hunting sock monsters and scrubbing bathrooms, we do promise to get to try and get to you Sunday or Monday!

Organize your Stuff Week 16 (round 5): OLW Blog Hop

 Happy March everyone! It is definitely roaring in like a Lion over here, so let’s cross our fingers that it goes out like a lamb!

Today, being the first of the month, is our chance to share our One Little Word homework for the past month. What is One Little Word (OLW)? It is a word that many of us have taken on to represent our year, or discover within ourselves as the year unfolds… (PA Me, stop snickering in the corner, it is rude). Ali Edwards at BPC runs the class (enrollment is always open) and the Intrepid Margie hosts our homework hop! (Thanks Margie!!!), and you most likely came from the blog of Devon!

This Month (February) we were tasked with finding pictures that represent our word… literally or figuratively…in our life. Our word for 2012: Journey, and what a journey it has been!

For those who are not regulars to our blog, Fabulous Spouse has been deployed since December 26th, 2011 to Afghanistan. That in and of itself has been a Journey! We have had power outages and snow storms, crazy kids’ schedules with conflicting sports, scouts and church functions.  The POW had gotten us more deeply involved with the church…so that our spirit can journey… now if only the house could follow suit and journey to cleanliness…*sigh* We cannot have it all... We lost our clone (to do the extra driving), and the laundry fairy is on strike.  At least the cat is getting fed...usually...

Above is Creative Me’s initial nine patch for this prompt. We have the good fortune to Journey down to CKC Portland next weekend, where we are taking a bunch of Photoshop classes. Therefore, we are quite certain that between OCD Me and Creative Me, there will be a little bit of a redo before the next hop on April 1st…well, we are 75% sure. It all depends on how busy life gets!

Thanks so much for stopping by and seeing what we are up to! (hop live at 8AM PST)

Amanda http://scrappnbee.blogspot.com/  <---you are here!!!
Brooklyn http://www.everysnapshot.com/  <---next
Kristina http://hrinspirationfromthe403.blogspot.com/
Jen R http://jenritchie.com/
Kara http://iwannabemewhenigrowup.blogspot.com/
Eydie http://www.whatwecreate.net/
Ruth http://suburbansahm.blogspot.com/
Missus W http://www.mrswookieswanderings.blogspot.com/
Marilee http://rose-brier.blogspot.com/
Cindy http://seriousplay.typepad.com/
Kaylea http://www.myscrappylife.com/
Dawn G http://www.sunshineandcreativity.com/
Rebekah http://istampscrapcraft.blogspot.com/
Becky http://www.becky-handforth.blogspot.com/
Orange Gearle http://orangegearle.blogspot.com/
Katrina http://www.katrinasimeck.com/
Jo http://www.mrsbeee.blogspot.com/
Nicky http://www.seejanebake.blogspot.com/
Beth http://www.thesingularlyordinary.blogspot.com/
Kelly http://mindingmynest.com/
Tere http://terecontodomicorazon.blogspot.com/
Margie http://xnomads.typepad.com/ (START/ Lost & Found)
Melissa S http://blog.mshanhun.com/
Sharyn http://lavieenchic.com/
Kimberlee http://scrapsandsass.blogspot.com/
Jill http://jillconyers.com/
Cheri http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com/
Cindy http://www.cynthiacrysdale.com/
Jenn http://www.studiojenn.blogspot.com/
Monica http://scrapinspired.com/
Catherine http://myview-catherine.blogspot.com/
Naomi http://poeticaperture.com/
Jamie http://jmpgirl.blogspot.com/
Coley http://www.coleybelle.blogspot.com/
Melissa C http://www.smudgetime.com/
Donna http://holimess.blogspot.com/
Monica B http://questtoperfectimperfection.blogspot.com/
Veronica http://www.veronicanorris.typepad.com/
Heidi D http://mommy.heidimdavis.com/
Lisa http://backtoallen.com/category/one-little-word/
Nikki http://www.inkyart.com.au/
Devon http://www.youhadmeatneurotic.com/