The Royal Wedding

I've been obsessed with the Royals for sometime, so obviously I was super excited about the royal wedding. Our family went to the Lion and the Rose to watch the wedding festivities. They were having wedding coverage all day. The food is good and pretty authentic. We arrived complete with hats and were sitting right by a giant screen. Our timing however was a little off, because the Spurs were also playing and this was the game that determined their future, so half way through the wedding coverage we got cut off with the Spurs game. Spurs mania was rampt in the pub, so there was no chance that they were switching back to the wedding coverage. We finished up our dinner and decided to go home to watch the rest of the coverage on BBC America. I was a little sad that the wedding pub party was not exactly as advertised and I probably built it up in my head (where were the prizes?!) In the end though it was fun to hang out with the family.



The ladies with their hats (Mom's hat is the hat she wore to my wedding in Scotland)


This is a great picture of Dad. Love his hat!

My Day in Photos

SEE MORE DAYS HERE!

layout

I am taking two online classes at once. Which in retrospect was a little much for someone who has not taken many online classes before. Anyway, I am learning and being inspired lots, so it's a good thing. Below is one of the layouts I did for Kelly Purkey's Sketchbook 3 class.

Blog goals

So I am taking an online course called Beyond Blogging for Scrapbookers:

http://www.shimelle.com/classes/1001/online-scrapbooking-class-beyond-blogging-for-scrapbookers/

One of their prompts was to write goals for your blog. Here are mine:
Get connected to crafty folks
Get my name out there
Work on my header
Create my own blog designs vs. using other's designs.
Create sidebars/corners of stuff in neat little boxes
Better ways to archive
More concentrated journaling with themes.
...Basically, kick my blog up a notch!

Shimelle (our instructor) suggested these:
Do you want to blog more often?
Write posts that feel more special or important?
Increase the number of readers?
Have more conversation in the comment section?
Get your family to read and interact via your blog?
Start to make money with your blog?
Use your blog to help get on a design team or other scrapbooky thing?
Use your blog to help organise the stories you want to scrapbook?

I think those are awesome, too.

Scrap Poll

Good morning all!

In reference to the organizing scrapbook supplies on my part, I wanted to do a survey specfically about organizing paper. (Yes my favorite thing ever is pretty papers and I have a lot) Anyway, I want to see what my readers thoughts were on paper organization. Please take the time to fill out the poll below:

Ideas

Hello Readers!

So as you have seen in the previous post I am in the process of clearing out my scrapbook room in favor of the nursery (getting ready for the home study). I still really want a scrap space of my own, but I am struggling on what that new place will be and what it would look like. I want a space that can be organized and tucked away, especially since there will be a kid in our future. I am toying with the idea of having supplies in more than one room, but I don't want things in every nook and cranny of the house. I am looking for ideas, so I turn to you dear readers. I am wondering what your creative spaces look like? Is there a defining piece that brought your nook together? Where do you scrap/create in your house? Where do you store your stuff? Please leave any ideas in the comments section of this post. Thanks in advance for your help!

Cheers!

changes

So I am currently clearing out my scrap room to make it into a nursery. I am a hoarder of things, so at times it is overwhelming. I am also not known for organizing. I really just don't have the knack. I always exist in a form of messy chaos that makes sense to me and no one else. I can find things, but others would be confused at my labeling system, since there is no logic to it.

Anyway, I started putting things in baskets, but I kinda have a lot and no scrap room, so I may have to let go of some things. Tear! Things that I am not ready to let go of I have been putting in big bins and shoving into the garage, until I can figure out what to do with it. I may be able to find other spots in my house for things. I thought about my bedroom closet or the laundry room. Of course there is tons of junk in both places already. It really comes down to Sam and I have a ridiculous amount of stuff. We are both hoarders. I am also not a fast cleaner. I always find something that triggers a memory and then I sit and think about it and usually decide to save it in a random drawer I 'll forget about later. Yea, you can imagine packing and moving go awesomely with us.

All those organizing shows say you should set timers, so it does not feel overwhelming when doing the cleaning. They also say you should lay out different sections to categorize your stuff. On TV the sections usually are categories like: sell, giveaway, and keep. I may try some of these techniques and see how it goes.

What I decide to give away I am going to give to the YWCA. Mom said they are going to do a scrapbooking class with the teens. They did it once a while back and they loved it. Even guys came. So at least I know folks will appreciate my stuff.

Wish me luck!

Lutherans!

Ok, so we set up a meeting with the Lutherans and they look awesome! They answered all our questions and we met for about an hour. There were a few questions the gal we met with did not know,so she said she would get back to us on. She was getting ready to go into a meeting after us and some answers would be revealed there. One had something to do with cost. Ekkk. She said it was more about when to pay versus rising costs. They are quite a bit cheaper. The Methodisst were great,too. However, you can't argue with cheaper.

Thier next intake is in June/ July. They do them once a year unless there is a need to do more. They have a day long orientation session that explains all the processes in adoption and also general new parent stuff. The home study expeirence they do all in one super long day. The homestudy could be resolved in a month.

I could see us having a baby by the Fall. The reason I say this is we are more flexible on race and general issues than most. We are at least willing to weigh and look at most situttions, where others are not. They give us a profile of the birth family up front and then ask if we want to meet..that is part of the discuss part. The gal we met with said we can have plenty of time to do this. Even if a baby was born and there had to be a discussion we could still do it and the baby would just go into craddle care. Essentially a very temp. home/foster sitution. She said it is basically retired ladies rocking babies. Cute!

I am hopeful!

Scrapbooking classes

So I took Ali Edward's Scrapbook On The Road class and loved it! See link below:
http://aliedwards.com/shop/project-classes/scrapbook-on-the-road

So I thought I would try some more classes. I came across the post below and I thought it gave some good info. to think about when thinking about which classes to take:
http://www.scrappyjedi.com/2011/03/upcoming-online-classes-im-taking-how.html#

So I am going to take these two:

http://kellypurkey.typepad.com/its_me_kp/2011/03/sketchbook-3.html


http://amytangerine.blogspot.com/2011/03/class-is-now-in-session.html

I will letyou know how they go!

Back to the Future

This is cool:

http://irinawerning.com/back-to-the-fut/back-to-the-future/

Travel scrapbooking

After reading about this yesterday:

http://amytangerine.blogspot.com/2011/02/many-pictures-of-mini.html

I recieved an email about this today:

http://aliedwards.com/shop/project-classes/scrapbook-on-the-road

Obviously, google is reading my mind!

Adoptive couple friends

Sam's friend he games with is adopting from the Methodist Mission Home. They decided and signed up. Sam's friend and his wife saved up half and the parents paid the other half. So they have a home study in March. Is it wrong I want to be these people and am a little jealous? At the very least they can give us the scoop on everything!(:

I did find out some dirt, though. When I asked about the price increase, I was told economy. However, Sam's friend noticed that there was a big dip down in adoptions last year (stat. nerd) Anyway, they finally got MMH to tell them why. They had a mother who found out you can get money for having babies from the government, so she rode it out got free health care from MMH and then changed her mind, so she could get the $$. She came back to the campus and convinced 7 other mothers to do the same. That means there were seven tearful hopeful adoptive parents crushed. It's one thing to change your mind because you just can't go through with it after all. It's another thing to change your mind for cash. Tear. Anyway, Sam's friend thinks that's why prices went up. Kinda of a weird circumstance. They still seem one of the better agencies. Just wish prices had not gone up.

Oh, the lady I was working with at the Lutheran place is going on maternity leave! (yea another thing. Sigh!) So I get to work with her supervisor. She will be the one we interview in March. This could be good, cause she probably knows a lot of stuff.

This guy made me laugh....

His enthusiasm for weather is awesome!

http://www.weather.com/outlook/videos/cantore-surprised-by-thunder-snow-19541#19541

response

So the agency called me back. They said we could come into the program at any time. They said they had 3 birth moms right now that would be ready to look at folks with one mom due in Feb. Us and one more family would be the only ones shown because no one else was ok with african american moms. Yea, but I did lose a little faith in humanity. Really people? Its none of my business, but I am surprised that more people are not more open, but then again I am not surprised.

Then the bomb hit. The prices have gone up. Really up. I always just assumed I would be a stay at home mom. I still want to, but I also would like a kid before I am 80. They have a payment plan, but we can't make the payments if I quit. We make good money, but evidently not really enough to get a baby.

The price is high enough that we are going to look at other agencies. Back to the drawing board, I guess. I will re-call the Lutherans. They don't do sit down info. meetings, but will talk to you on the phone. I am going to request a sit down and see what they have to say. I just don't trust conversations over the phone. I can't see your body language and what you really mean. Some of Sam's friends were doing foster care through an agency in Austin I may check with them, too.

There have got to be cheaper places out there. Really, I am just kinda of sad. I just feel like once we get close to something a hurdle is thrown in our way. It happened with China, Ethiopia and now this. I just don't think it's fair, we are not rich folks and we just want a baby. That is all. Just one soft little baby. I know there must be a master plan and everything happens for a reason, but mostly I am just disillusioned and frustrated. I think I need to go take a bath and just go to bed early.

decsions/waiting

I was going to do Project 365, but I have decided to wait. I was coming off of Dec. Daily and I think the combo of both were too much. I may save my Project Life kit and document the first year of my baby's life. The kit basically sets itself up. I just need to remember to take pictures. Somehow with a new baby I think I will be inspired regularly.

Speaking of babies....
So I got a call from the adoption agency on the 10th saying they want to talk with me about the prelimanary application we sent in and said that they were looking for people to be brought into the program in Jan./Feb. I called and emailed back..several times. I am at the point that I feel like a stalker and I am wondering if something else is up. There is only one person that coordinates domestic adoptions. Maybe the coordinator is at a conference or sick. She has been prompt with replies in the past. I think next time I may just ask the front desk what is up and see if they tell me anything. I am excited, but now conused on what is happening. I had some questions I wanted to ask on timing, but so far no respose. I guess this is the stressful waiting people talk about. Boo.

Dad Labs

These guys are cool:

http://www.dadlabs.com/about-dadlabs.html

World Heritage Sites

This person is awesome! My new goal (the other being visit all radio telescpoes in the world)is visting World Heritage sites!

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/checklist.php

Only 877 more to go!

Yea

So we got an email from the agency asking if we want to come into the agency this month. (meaning Jan. I guess.) It is exciting. We are not exactly sure what this means. Does this means we are on an active list or waiting list? Are we moving through the steps on the Powerpoint or zooming through at top speed. She told me that they placed 7 families in one month. Meaning they matched them, not necessarily handed them babies. Our agency contact was out with bronchitis for a month and then went on vacation for the holidays, so we have not yet spoken to her to see what this all means and what we should be doing on our end. So far Sam and I are just cleaning out the garage and generally trying to look less like an episode of Hoarders. I have been reading Baby Bargains which was given to me as a gift. It has been super helpful. I was going to get creative and design the nursery myself, but then I decided that was insane. So I like this bedding/design: http://www.kidslineinc.com/products/infant/bunny_meadows.php
I also like the is furniture: http://www.babysdream.com/ProductBrochures/Serenity%2009.pdf
I am still deciding whether I will do cloth diapers or not. It does not look as hard as I thought it would be, but you never know until the baby is in front of you. If I did, I think I would go for the all in ones. It seems there are less steps too worry about. There will be constant washing, but isn't there anyway? Hmm. I am still thinking on that and not sure which brand I would use.

cute ad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=M6cFmY79w9g

Dec 1 Page complete

Here is my completed page for Dec. 1: