Saturday, May 29th, 2010

As you know I have been out house hunting. I have seen over 35 homes. Today I went back out and saw my top picks again. This is the one I have decided upon. It has 1,719 square feet of liveable space. This afternoon I wrote a contract for the house. My offer is much lower than the asking price. So I am betting that the seller will counter-offer.

It is a brick home with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. It has an electric stove in it now, but it DOES have gas hookup for a stove! That makes me a very happy camper. I love a gas stove. Above you see the front of the house. The two windows you see on the left are the two extra bedrooms. The master is to the rear of the house behind the 2 car garage.



This is the living room (or great room). It has a gas log fireplace. It is about 16 ft. x 20 ft. The double doors open onto the sun room. To the left you see the bar of the kitchen and the dining area.

Notice the bar in the kitchen to the left? You saw it from another angle in the previous photo. I will have to replace the electric stove with a gas stove, and purchase a refrigerator. Those cabinets on the right are a pantry storage. The bottom cabinet has deep drawers that pull out that will make it easy to find what you are looking for. There is a dishwasher that you can barely see on the left close to the sink. This room (the dining area, the sunroom, and both bathrooms) are ceramic tile. The rest of the house is carpeted.

This view was taken from standing in the kitchen at the sink looking into the living room. That is a gas log fireplace. The sunroom is off to the left through the French doors.

A view of the sunroom. The plans suggest it be used for a sunroom, a formal dining room or a study. This will be my scrapbook area to work. I plan on using the smallest bedroom for scrapbook and stamp storage. There is a bank of windows across the back wall of this room to view the sunlight and backyard.

There is a small deck out back (you go out thru the sunroom to the deck) but if you know me, I don't stay outside long. But I love, love, love windows. And this has windows!!!!! I can work and actually get alot of natural lighting. I can already say I want to plant some gardenia bushes outside that set of windows! LOL

Will let you know next week what they counter offer..... I have a bit more breathing room to use for this house.

Arlene

Sunday Morning, May 16th, 2010

Finally! This is my new classroom area in the NEW Middle School Building. We were given the keys on Friday. I can now come and go in the room and begin to get organized! The students will begin the new school year in this building. What you see above is the massive amount of room for my classroom space.

On the wall with the red fire alarm will be a SMART BOARD.... it is an amazing piece of technology where I can show students lessons from the Internet. It makes the lessons enlarged for the entire class to view. That gray rolling computer stand is for my *hopefully* digital camera and new laptop. Off to the right you can see one bulletin board... further down that wall is a wipe board to write on in class.

Now this side of the room is opposite of the WHITE BOARD. As you see I took the photo before moving tables or the rolling computer stand. Will take more photos this week to share. My desk is now in the middle of that bank of windows. Behind it and centered to the windows is my black bookcase. Makes it easy for me to turn around and grab something and then turn back to my desk. My computer will rest on the right side of the desk and the printer will be on a computer stand next to my desk (can't move these until school is out!).

Ahhh! A kitchen! We can finally teach a few simple cooking skills to the students. It is a galley kitchen style. Love the buttery yellow walls. Floors are concrete and then stained. There will be no tile to deal with in this building. That door you see at the end of the kitchen opens into my storage unit.

Now I love the fact the storage unit came without shelving. LOL... Yesterday, Wayne, Laura and I took 7 sets of bookcases to the school. Wayne assembled them and we got them placed inside that storage unit. I am moving one more bookcase in that room from my current classroom. But finally I will be able to properly store, organize and find materials! Each bookcase is 31 inches wide and 76 inches tall with 5 shelves. So I have 40 shelves!!!!! I already have my plan on how to fill these shelves. One bookcase will be strictly for Science books and materials. Another for Social Studies books and materials. The next is for Independent Living materials (Life Simulation, Drivers' Education, Independent Living books). Next is the Reading/Language Arts bookcases (yes need 2 of them!)... and so on. Am excited that I will be able to walk into the closet and grab the right book without having to drag out boxes and check out each one. My current storage closet is smaller than my kitchen pantry.

Now the other side of the kitchen. The wonderful bank of windows! I am going from a tiny, tiny room to this wonderful room. Going from a single window to 2 huge banks of windows. For me it is great because I love natural light.

Today I am cleaning the scrapbook room (and currently as you see taking a break). I have to stamp some images for a trade I did with a lady. Then I have to begin prepping for my June 5th card class. Today I am going to work on the Father's Day card, which is so cute. I saw an idea on the web and then have played with it and changed it a bit. I am going to use that stamp set called Totally Tools. Can't show you until the 5th of June because my class gets to see it first!

So I better go put something into the crock pot for dinner tonight, and get back in here to finish cleaning. I have alot of stamping I want to happen today. Yesterday was a dud day for me. After I got back from the middle school I ended up propping my feet up all day.

I went out to dinner with Tawanna and Lisa on Friday night. I know better than eat Chinese food, even though I love it. The sodium kills me. My ankles were sooo huge. They were much much wider than my feet. Oh and they ached! I was walking (or rather shuffling) because it was so painful. Thought that I better keep them up and not stay in a sitting position any longer. Went home and took a fluid pill and of course, drank water by the gallon and was constantly in the bathroom.

But today, they look more like ankles. But am taking another fluid pill ..... something about the combination of heat, humidity and then add sodium and my poor ankles and legs fill with fluid. The doctors call it "idiopathic (unspecified) edema" --- basically they cannot find out why this occurs and it has been happening since my late teens. My ankles look like elephant feet.... ugh ugh ugh... that is why you NEVER see me in dresses..... and I only wear shorts around the house.

Hate people seeing my horrible legs. Now add the psoriasis that the chemo gave me.... I look like a patchy, scaly set of elephant legs.... Even have almost quit wearing short sleeve shirts for the same reason. The psoriasis is bad in red scaly patches on my legs, but both elbows are hard white patches and sometimes it appears on my hands and face.

Yet, I cannot complain too much. After all the chemo is also what has kept me alive. So it truly is a small price to pay. Life with psorasis versus death without psorasis.... hmmmmm rather be alive. I think my mission in life or on earth is not finished. So here I am!

I will get off my soapbox now. You all have a great day!

Arlene

Wednesday morning, May 5, 2010

Good morning! Here is the 4th and final card from Saturday's stamp camp. The stamp set is called Sweet Scoops. The cardbase is the retiring Pixie Pink. The first mat is the retiring Green Galore. Then I took a 1/4 sheet of White cardstock and ran it thru my BIG SHOT with a wooden rectangle frame I purchased at Michaels. By putting this frame at the back of the Square Lattice Embossing folder when going thru the Big Shot, I created the negative rectangle on the white mat. The rest of the mat had the embossed design of the Square Lattice. Then I trimmed it to be 1/4" smaller than my Green Galore Mat.

I used a More Mustard Marker and my stampin-ma-jig to center the ice cream cone on the rectangle space. I stamped 3 ice cream scoops on White cardstock, using a Pixie Pink marker, a Green Galore marker, and a YoYo Yellow marker. Then I came back with the striped stamp (looks like ripples in the ice cream) with a Pink Passion marker to overstamp the Pixie Pink ice cream scoop; a Garden Green marker to overstamp the Green Galore ice cream scoop; and a Summer Sun marker to overstamp the YoYo Yellow ice cream scoop. Then you cut out all 3 ice creams scoops. In any order you like, place 2 scoops on the cone using adhesive. On the top or 3rd ice cream scoop, add a dimensional to it to make it pop up!

On the inside I added a white mat and stamped the cherry using a Chocolate Chip SU marker for the stem and a Real Red SU marker for the cherry. I chose to stamp in the lower right corner. Then I inked up the sentiment, "Have a sweet celebration!" with the Chocolate Chip marker. I centered the sentiment in the remaining space at the bottom of the card to the left of my cherry stamping. Viola! You are done.

Today is supposedly my next to last chemo session. I go back May 26th for a supposedly final chemo session and my 3 month scans. I say supposedly because until we get the results of those 2 scans, I will not know if this is over or not.

Supposedly we are moving into the Middle School building this week. All we are waiting for is the occupancy certificate. We already have a OPEN HOUSE scheduled for Tuesday night, May 11th from 5 -7 p.m. I won't be around work for the remainder of the week during the move due to my chemo cycle. Now I did not plan this. We have been supposedly gonna move several different times for over a month. This time I believe it because we were given the Open House date.

Okay I must get moving.

Have a great day!

Arlene

Monday morning, May 3, 2010

Yet another card that I taught at Stamp camp on Saturday. This one makes me think of Micki, who loves Hawaii and Lucia who loves the beach. It is a double flap card. On the top flap I stamped the palm tree from SU Tropical Party in Chocolate Chip and Old Olive ( I used the SU markers). I made a mask with a torn post it note and then sponged in Close to Cocoa for the sandy beach/island. I took a dauber in Tempting Turquoise to create the water. This was matted to a Old Olive mat that has a 1/2 inch scored flap (it fits under that white base; between the white and turquoise cardstock).

Now the inside flap. First I stamped the coconut with SU markers in Close to Cocoa, Yo Yo Yellow and Rose Red. Later cards I changed from Close to Cocoa to Chocolate Chip for the coconut and liked it much better. This is matted on a Old Olive Mat and it hides behind the upper flap of the card when close.... sort of a surprise treat. The inside flap is So Saffron cardstock. I used Versamark ink to stamp the tropical flowers over it to give it some texture/depth to the card. This flap is also scored 1/2 inch from edge to be attached between the white and turquoise mats. I used Old Olive Grosgrain 1/4 ribbon for the bow.

Now the inside, which has a sentiment from Sincere Salutations in Old Olive Ink centered on the mat. The DSP (Designers Series Paper) Island Oasis are strips 1/2" x 4" placed at the top and bottom of the white mat (which is 5 1/4" x 4"). This is mounted on a piece of Tempting Turquoise cardstock (5 1/2" x 4 1/4").

Here it is Monday morning and I am up at a strange hour..... it is only 4:35 a.m. Well I am going to go do a load of laundry and wash a few dishes before I go shower and dress for work. I seem to have most of my energy between the time I wake up and 1:00 p.m. After that I slowly go downhill.

Tonight I am going out to dinner with my family. Today happens to be a special day... ssshhhh ... it's Wayne's birthday and we are going out to steak dinners at Colton's Steak House.

Happy Birthday Wayne!

Sunday Evening, May 2, 2010

Wow! Two posts in one day! Here we are again with another card from Stamp Camp. This one features a motorcycle stamp. I used Stazon Black for the motorcycle, then used Basic Black, Sahara Sand and Real Red SU Markers. I cased this coloring from a card I saw created by Melissa at http://www.thestampdoc.typepad.com/ I used Crystal Effects over the red part of the motorcycle to make it shine! Makes me think of Gas, Ilaria's hubby. Maybe I better send this card to him.

Now Melissa also used the texture plates with aluminum foil, but I changed the design to suit me. She deserves all the kudos for the design, I just took it and went a new direction. The real kicker to this card is the lower front. It is alumimum foil that I ran thru my Big Shot using a textured plate. Don't you love that metal effect? Just a word of warning.... always apply the adhesive to the cardstock and not the foil (you will rub out the embossing otherwise).

Hope you enjoyed this peek at our May 1st Stamp Camp cards.

Sunday Afternoon, May 2, 2010

Yesterday we had the May Stamp Camp. This is one of the cards that we made. It is a gift card holder. On the front of the card we used the stamp set GO GRADUATE. The cardbase is Brilliant Blue, which is sadly retiring (still got to stock up more of it because it is the school color for sis's school!). The mats are Basic Black and Whisper White. All designs were colored in with SU markers. The black ink is Black Stazon.

Now the inside of the card. The upper part of the inside is a single SU stamp called Graduation. Again on Whisper White and matted in Basic Black. The bottom of the card used more stamps from Go Graduate. Again on Whisper White and matted in Basic Black.

The opening of the gift card holder is made with the Word Window punch used 2 times. Then use a circle punch to create the opening. You can slip in a gift card to anywhere using this trick.

The base of the card is 4 1/4 x 11. Score at 3", 5 1/2" and 8 inches on the 11 inch side of the paper. The center fold is a "peak fold" and this is where you create the actual pocket for the gift card. You do the punches along the center fold. After all the punching is out of the way, turn it where you can add a thin strip of red line tape to the outside of the punch area. Do both sides. This prevents your card from slipping out and also creates the final pocket. The other folds at the 3" and the 8 inch positions are called "valley folds". Just think about a mountain going up (that's the peak fold) and the valleys going down.

I have 5 more cards to post from Stamp Camp, but am going to do them one at at time, so I will start blogging more often.

School, home and medical life for me is very hectic right now. We are moving into the new building this week at school. I have chemo this week. House is a disaster and I have started packing a few boxes in anticipation of actually moving out of this rental in June or July. My mortgage is to be approved in June. So late May, I am going out house hunting. On top of all this, my teeth are giving me fits. The chemo has damaged the bones.... and I already had a course of action/treatment planned with my lovely dentist before I started all this chemo. I have not been able to do any of it since I have been on chemo (basically 3 years). Anyway, about a month ago a tooth fell out.... simply fell out. Long story short, I am going to have to have all the upper teeth removed and a denture only on the uppers. Now get this, I cannot have any work done until chemo is finally over (and probably a month out from the last chemo). So I am getting many toothaches and earaches (from the tooth issue). GRRRRR......... life on antibodics and on pain pills as necessary.....

See you later! I have a pile of housework to do. I started deep cleaning the living room this morning. Three hours later, it is immaculate. Now off to the kitchen/dining room. That is my limit for today. Hallway bathroom gets done this week. Next weekend I am hoping on my closet. And finally the following weekend the master bedroom and the master bath. That will leave me only my scrapbook room that is in constant flux between clean and messy.... LOL

Toodles,

Arlene