The Memory Bee

What have I been up to all week?

Good question!
1. I made the mistake of starting the Twilight series of books. I don't really like them (I'm one of the few) and don't think they're very well written, but they are addicting...I had to know what was going to happen to the characters. I've finished book three but I'm determined not to read book 4 until I'm traveling again or something. I have too many other things to do!

2. I've been getting a lot of things done around the house! I used to always have some sort of decorating project going, but I haven't done anything lately. You know how one little thing can lead to another and then to another and so on? My current project in our master bedroom started with my visit to the "going out of business sale" at the Shabby Chic store in NYC earlier this month. I got a couple pieces of bedding there. That led to getting a new bed to put it on. We had not gotten a new bed since before we had kids (and Jeremy's 22!) That led to rearranging our room, painting a wall (over an old stenciled border that I was really tired of), painting a garage sale headboard, and cleaning out closets.
I mixed the pieces from the Shabby Chic store with pieces from the Simply Shabby Chic line at Target and love the results! Here's a few pictures...

The new mattress is very thick, so I got the low box springs. That put the 18" bed skirt onto the floor, but I like it. It's very flowy! Yesterday I was cleaning out the flower beds and found a single hyacinth. I don't know where it came from and the smell was so heavenly, so I had to bring it in and enjoy the  fragrance.

I really related to the quote that Rebecca Sower had on her blog the other day:

How wonderful it is

that nobody need wait a single moment

before starting to improve the world

{ anne frank }

I've been following that this week and getting so much done! I usually think that I need to wait until I have a large block of time before I tackle a project, but I've just been taking the moments here and there and getting little things done. Those little moments add up to getting lots done! It feels so good to improve the world right here in my home! I know has bigger meaning than just cleaning the house, but that's my world today.

3. I'm getting ready for preview days for Creative Escape next week in Phoenix. Each of the teachers will teach their classes to the other teachers and volunteers to work out any kinks in the instructions or the kits. I'm so excited to do the other classes and see everyone!

4. I've also been working on my album track for CKU (Creating Keepsakes University) at the end of May in Nashville. Planning an 8 hour class is fun, but challenging!

5. I'm in the process of painting a desk from our bedroom white and putting it in my scrapbook room as my computer desk. More sorting and cleaning...yeah!

When work is play!

I've spent the day just chilling: reading (LOVE my Kindle!), downloading and uploading pictures, unpacking, resting, and listening to the wind and rain. It's the perfect day after a busy weekend in Virginia!
First of all...I stayed with the best hosts, Pam and Jouni Keravuori! Between Pam entertaining me with shopping adventures and Jouni's coffee-pressing and grilling skills, I was completely pampered. It was such gorgeous weather, so we spent lots of time in the evening and into the night out on the screened porch on their deck with our computers, sharing links and discoveries. We'd make a good Apple ad, wouldn't we?!

On Thursday we browsed our way through Anthropologie and Paper Source at the Reston Town Center and then on Friday we spent the day in Leesburg. So many great little shops! I was looking forward to returning to The Cottage and wish I could have brought some pieces of furniture home. It was so nice to see Ann again! The inspiration begins outside and continues room by room through the whole house.

After another memorable grilled cheese sandwich at the Lightfoot (they serve a special grilled cheese sandwich of the day), we crossed the street to check out Ekster. The store is filled with European finds with a neutral palette. Very serene and elegant. I found a great cake pedestal which broke in my suitcase on the way home! I should have carried it on, but thought I had enough bubble wrap around it. Oh well! I loved the huge script paintings, especially this one with Amazing Grace on it.

From there we went on to the Beekeeper's Cottage. I love the polka dot shutters and the shabby chic furnishings!

The iron pieces outside are so cool, but a little hard for me to bring home!

I actually "worked" on Saturday and Sunday and taught three classes at Scrapbooks Plus in Chantilly. It was so nice to see everyone again! The students worked so hard and got to go home with three albums that they're going to use, right?!! Thank you for all your kindness...I've got your cute pictures in an album on the side.

I could almost feel guilty that my work is so much fun! I guess that's the best kind!

Airport time again

My phone rang at 5am with a call letting me know that my flight at 1pm was going to be delayed 2 hours. So much for sleeping in! I was able to switch to an earlier flight, add a stop, and still get to Washington sooner! I'm at the airport now, heading to Virginia to teach at Scrapbooks Plus this weekend, but before that I get to shop and play with my good friend Pam. Tomorrow we're heading to Leesburg with Amy. Can't wait...some of my favorite shops are there! Am I a lucky girl or what!

I've posted info for my students at CKU on the class blog which is found at the link on the right (or here.) Let me know if you have any questions!

Sign ups have begun for my classes at By Design Scrapbook Boutique in June! I'm so excited to be celebrating the store's second birthday with Tracy and all my friends there. Two years ago I was the first guest teacher this same weekend...I can't wait to return for all the festivities! There's going to be a lot going on! Definitely a good time for a road trip if you don't live in the area.
I'm teaching 3 classes: the Just Be album on Friday night, and a travel album and a class with the 7gypsies ATC holder on Saturday. You can see pictures of the Just Be class on my blog or on the store's calendar. I haven't designed the travel album yet because several companies are coming out with new travel products in May and June, and I want to use some of this for something brand new. You know how I love to make albums of my trips, so this will be perfect for lots of pictures with tons of products and techniques involved!
Because so many students enjoyed the ATC holder class I taught over the last few months, I am redesigning the class with new product and ideas, so that if you didn't get to take it last time, you can now, or if you did take the class, you could add the little layouts and pockets and all that we'll make for the ATC holder to what you've already made. You will get enough product in this class to have extra to make several layouts or an album. You can see pictures of the last ATC class on my blog under Upcoming Classes (Be My Guest) to see the idea of what we'll be making.
If you can't make it to class, you can order a kit from the store.

I'll be back with lots of photos to share. :)

Bellas, Baskets, and the Big Apple

Registration began tonight for Silver Bella in November and I'm in! It's the one event I look so forward to for myself! It seems so far off!
We had a nice day yesterday for Easter beginning with the tradition of finding the Nerd boxes hidden in the living room before you can find your Easter basket. Brandon had to look for them alone but he's such a party pooper that I'm sure we'll be finding them for some time since he gave up looking after a little while. I did manage to hide his basket well though since it took him more than just a couple minutes to find it! We missed having Jeremy here to make fun of my traditions too.

He bought a bee hat for the cat but it was way too small, so it found a home on a bear! Pretty funny though! The cat was NOT happy!

I need to finish sharing about my trip to New York! After Ranger U was done, Jen Starr and Donna Salazar gave me a ride to my hotel in the city. Donna had never been to New York before so she decided to spend the night and go back to California from there the next day. I loved showing her some of my favorite places. We didn't get into the city until after midnight...she couldn't believe how many people are around at that time of night. By the time we walked around Rockefeller Center and got back to the hotel, it was almost 2am! Crazy people!

The next morning we went to Balthazar, my favorite restaurant for breakfast where I had my usual waffles with fruit. Yum! Pretty enough for a picture!

It was pouring rain but we still had to take a peek at Central Park, the Plaza, FAO Schwartz, and walk down 5th Avenue.

After Donna headed to the airport, I continued on my adventure...more shopping, relaxing, and just enjoying the city. I didn't see any shows this time. The Easter break crowds made all the musicals sold out and I just wasn't in the mood for a play. I had a couple good star sightings but no pictures! I was eating dinner in Joe Allen's when I looked up and saw a girl who looked like Star Jones. I realized that is was her (I had just seen her on Oprah) and then looked at her dinner companion who was Rosie O'Donnell! I would have loved to hear their conversation...maybe about their experiences with Barbara Walters?! The funny thing is that I started going to this restaurant after hearing Rosie talk about it on her show years ago.
At the airport on the way home, Rudy Guiliani was sitting just a couple seats away from me. He was talking on his phone the whole time or I would have said hi. It's a silly little game I play when I go to NYC...who can I see!

I spent some time in the Shabby Chic store in Soho. So sad to see it closing! The girls working there said that Rachel hopes to buy back one of the stores in California and then open just one store in New York some day. I also waited in line to get into the first US location of the British store Topshop. Some of the clothes were cute and some are really far out! I bought some pearls...how exciting is that! I bought myself pink tulips to bring home from the Whole Food market on the lower level of the Time Warner Center and I went to the new-ish scrapbook store The Portrait Bug on Broadway between 91st and 92nd. I'll possibly be teaching there one of these days! The sun finally came out for a little walk in Central Park.

There's just something about the energy, the neighborhoods, and all in this city that I just love! Never enough time to do all I'd like! I'll just have to go back!

Happy Easter

Easter crept up on me this year! With no little kids to dye eggs with, no family vacation to somewhere warm, no new Easter outfits, and only one sort-of-lame basket to get ready for a son who says he doesn't want one, I haven't given much thought to this holiday. We made a last minute decision to go to church last night for the Good Friday service...I'm so glad we went! The music, the message, and celebrating communion was just the reminder I needed of the power of Jesus' death and God's forgiveness and grace and looking forward to tomorrow...Resurrection Day! I'm so thankful!

When I was in NYC this week, I stopped by Tinsel Trading Company and had a nice talk with Marcia (still working on a class at the store...there might be something special coming soon!) and bought a couple lovely things. I just love this "regal" egg and beautifully etched cloche and feather nest with an egg nestled inside.

 

May your Easter be blessed and full of joy!

It's about time!

I'm finally home and ready to share all the Ranger U goodness! I learned so much and just loved touching and creating with the products and techniques that we played with over the three days of class. I now know how to use 95% of the products that Ranger makes! I didn't realize that the inks, paints, and all are actually mixed and packaged right there at the facility in NJ. We got to tour the production lines and see the ink pads being glued in and the bottles of Stickles being filled...yes, I could have put my face in the vat of Stickles...so pretty! An amazing place!
Our teachers...Tim, Suze, and Claudine were so fun and so talented. I loved getting to know them better!

I have a lot of pictures, so I'll put them in an album on the side. Good thing we each got a notebook filled with all the product and technique info! My brain was on serious overload! It was almost all new to me. Patti and all the others had us so organized. We were loaded with the product that we used and then got to bring home. I shipped a box home that I'm now going to have to find a home for in my room!

We played with Perfect Pearls the first morning, melted and poured and made some beautiful pieces with the melting pot that afternoon, spent another few hours with Distress products, got messy with Adirondack inks and dyes, and dabbed away with paint dabbers. Can you believe I made the pieces in the frame below? (I didn't like two of my pieces, so I'll need to make something to fill in those two spaces.)

My favorite thing of all was using Claudine's paints and mediums. Seriously yummy! I love the colors and the consistency of the paints!

Everytime we learned a new technique, we got to practice it on a tag. It's a great reference to have to go back to now.

Another GOOD thing was getting to know the other students...teachers, designers, retailers, manufacturers... they choose a wide variety of people from the applications they receive. My buddy Becky Olsen and I shared our table with Sulie from Austria and Jennie from the UK. Becky has a great post about Ranger U and more pictures. We were good sharers!

It felt like going home from camp when the weekend was done! Lots of new friends to keep in touch with! From there I went on to NYC for three days...I'll share those pictures soon!

I'm off to school!

Early in the morning I'll be heading to New Jersey to be a student for three days at Ranger University with 23 other people from around the world! I feel like a kid getting ready for the first day of school...I'm so excited! We'll spend one day learning from Tim, one day with Claudine, and one day with Suze. I'll finally learn how to use this drawer full of Ranger products that I don't know what to do with and that are so out of my comfort zone. Can't wait to learn and be stretched and meet these artists and store owners and creative souls from such diverse places! I think I'll be getting my hands dirty!
THEN I'm taking the train into New York City and spending three days just doing whatever I want! Shopping, eating, seeing a show or two, walking, wandering, and exploring. One of my first destinations will be the Shabby Chic store. I'm so sad that almost all the stores have closed (the NYC store closes June 1), the online store is gone, and it's the end of an era for a brand that has changed our decorating and even our vocabulary. Hopefully Rachel will reinvent the brand and re-emerge someday.
I'll be back along the way with photos and news...I wonder what famous people I can see this time!