Sunday, November 13, 2011

Catching up

Yikes it’s been over a month! Sorry I had Bronchitis and was a hot mess all of October!

What’s new…

Well the art room that you all remember from this post back in January that was a tour of the whole room… well through that one out the window. I spent ALL last week dedicated to resetting my art room.

The reset is something this room needs… I originally had my dad build me a table so big (it was built in the room it was so big) so I could seat 6 comfortably for my card making classes. Awesome, but after 6 years of teaching, I no longer need THAT big of a table in the center of my room. It’s a room just for me. (and sometimes the kids!)

The fact that I’m not teaching in here, the functionality and the flow of the room, well they just were not working for me. I went to Better Homes and Garden’s website, they have this really cool ‘Arrange-a-room’ feature, that you can use, for free. To plan out how a room will work. I mean these tables in here JUST fit… while I seem to be a bit of a fan of moving rooms around just by guess-timating the fit this one was going to be tight!

While moving the room around, looking for what should go where, I had a genius ‘AHA’ moment, and I mean I yelled “OH MY GOD! I HAVE THE. BEST. IDEA. EVER!!” followed by a running man dance combined with some walk like an Egyptian and butterfly moves. (scaring my cats to their cat tower, and my children to flee to their toy room. Dancing sometimes works wonders that way!)

The AHA moment… well I’ll just have to have you wait till it’s done… (cliff hanger!)

AND, since I’ve been moving ALL my desks, tables, and art supplies ALL over, I had to stop. Pack them up. And take them to a crop!

It was a much needed break, and to get out with the girls. My mom, the Queen and I love to do these scrapbook weekends, she’s not so much a scrapper, but she does ATC cards (Artist Trading Cards) and paper crafts as well. We had our good friend Pipe, and Lisa go with, stayed at a local hotel (it’s a 45 minute drive back home) and took over the local Archivers! (if you’ve never been be warned. It is addicting. It’s full of fun things, glitter, shiny, and pretty things, all that will make you say ‘ohhh… I want that’)

Archivers Crop Nov 11 12 2011

(This is Maureen and I, she’s an employee there and treats me like an old friend. So much of the staff at the Orland Park, IL store are so great!)

We showed up at Archivers at 10 am (doors opened!) on Friday, and stayed till they kicked us out at 11 pm… went to the hotel, and were back again on Saturday for another 13 hours of paper crafting heaven!

It was awesome to get out, and get some work done, I sadly only did 12 layouts. I blame the dinner out to Buffalo Wild Wings, and Texas Road House, and the shopping around us well… there is also the fact that I LOVE to chat with all the other croppers… I mean counting us each day there were close to 40 women in the work rooms. And being the social butterfly I am… sigh, THIS is why I try to do most of my cropping in my art room, alone with my music so I can focus!

IMG_3469

My good friend, Lisa was smart she brought ALL the stuff to work on her trip to Florida… I don’t have that kind of attention span to work on the same project for two days, little alone 2 minutes.

IMG_3464

Above is pictured my stuffs I bring. OH it’s a whole lot of everything. I have to say I am pretty organized, I know where EVERYTHING is that I brought…

IMG_3465

Here is my work space, this was my last page (not quite done yet here)

IMG_3466

My mom got a hold of their die cutting machine, and never sat down! They have a WHOLE wall full of dies to choose from, and 3 machines, and they were always busy!

She found a box die cut, and was cutting them out for a party favor (she needed 60+ of them!) Not to mention all the other cute one’s she found!

IMG_3471

I have to tell my mom there is a new rule with taking pictures together… she slouched down, and I was sitting up super straight! Bah, I look silly! Either way the two of us had a blast together… as always. We make our own fun and have the best time we possibly can!

Oh and not pictured is Piper… I’m just learning to accept that some people refuse to have their picture taken… as much as this annoys me for the sake that my ONE friend is not documented… I am trying to respect the fact that she just doesn’t want to be seen on camera. (now my husband Blue? He doesn’t get that pass… it’s not an option)

So I’ve been busy, trying to heal from my bronchitis, from my foot issues (planters warts removed) and finally getting to the art room. I will be posting when I get the room all done, I am SO close!

Until then you can read about my daily ramblings at Unconventional Randomness! Hope your all doing well!

JCat McGack

The kids? What did I do with them these last 3 days?My beautiful babies were with my In-laws from Friday morning till today! (Sunday, lucky me!)