Monday, February 8, 2010 - My Dear Cousins

Amazing that I even make 2 posts in one day. Been forever since I have done that. Since it is a snow day and I am at home, I decided to try the February Challenge Layout sketch at the Crop Room. I dug into my photos for photos of my wonderful cousins. I am sorry that Nikolas is not in the photos, nor is Gabby, Renzo and Luca (whom I did not get to see this time).

I used a patterned paper with the words COUSINS written in many languages as part of my base. I cut it to 11 1/2 x 11 1/2 and then mounted it to 12 x 12 SU Always Artichoke Cardstock. The photos are (3) 4 x 6 inch photos with SU Really Rust mats in 4 1/4 x 6 1/4 and (3) 3 x 4 photos with SU Really Rust mats in 3 1/4 x 4 1/4. I used the computer to write all the names using SU Naturals White Cardstock and then punched them out with a small oval punch. Then matted those names with SU Really Rust cardstock using the large oval punch. I mounted them using stamping dimensionals (pop dots) to give the page some depth. My journal is computer generated onto SU Naturals White Cardstock (4 x 6) and then matted in SU Really Rust cardstock at 4 1/4 x 6 1/4. I used a 3d diecut of the Leaning Tower for an embellishment and it picks up the tower in the photo below it. Finally I used my Cricut Cartridge POOH FONT SET (yes, as in Winnie the Pooh) and selected letters in 1 3/4 inch Marker style for the SU Really Rust and then letters in the 1 3/4 Marker Shadow style for the SU Naturals White Cardstock to get my title, My Dear Cousins.

It is a very simple layout and I cannot wait to go hang it up in my hallway. This way I can view all the cousins as I walk thru my house. Love my 12 x 12 hanging frames. I keep 3 double spread layouts up at all times. Occasionally I simply remove a double spread layout and add a new one to the frames. Talk about easy decorating! LOL

A whole hour after my last post and it is STILL SNOWING! Wow. At least I do not have to go anywhere today. I have a warm place to be, good food already prepared (I used the crock pot alot over the weekend) and supplies to make more layouts or cards.

You stay warm ,

Arlene

Monday, February 8, 2010 - Is this really Arkansas???

Jenny woke me at 5 a.m. this morning and told me to go check the weather stations. So I did... amazing! Sometime during the night, either my house was transported to a movie set and someone turned on the snow machine on the highest setting OR it was moved to Vermont. We never get this much snow! There is a layer of ice/sleet under the snow. This photo was taken about 10:15 a.m. (about 15 minutes ago) of my front yard. The snow is coming down in huge flakes and very rapidly. The weathermen are calling for 2 to 4 inches of snow HERE today!

At 5:30 all schools in this area were closed. The main roads were getting too slick. And of course, it might melt some later today, but it will refreeze tonight. So I am betting no school tomorrow either. WOW.....

In a few minutes I am going to post another blog post of a layout I completed this morning of all my wonderful Italian cousins (well those I saw at Christmas). I just noticed I am missing little Nikolas... sorry.... he was not in these photos I used.

Stay warm,

Arlene

February 7, 2010

This is a layout I made for Austin this weekend. He has a letter he wrote to Santa and a letter Santa wrote to him. There is a pocket on each page to add these letters. Nothing really fancy, but how else do you showcase letters? The Santa stamp is one I got at Patti's shop in Prato. It is made by Improne D' Autore in Milano. The other stamp of the toys is from a Stampin Up set called A Merry Little Christmas.

Sorry I have been away from the blog. Between the blog, work and chemo cycles I have been rushed. This chemo cycle on Wednesday, did not go well. The first needle into my IV port hurt something terrible. The 2nd needle did not hurt as much. Then I got sent over for an X-ray. Well the X-ray shows everything is in place. So off to the chemo lab I went. Ginger, my nurse, started the saline drip IV and I started having problems. There was a heavy burning right under the skin around the IV Port. So it looks like I have a leak somewhere. Saline burns if it gets in the skin. Ugh.... now we have to have a IV Port study with a radiologist. Ginger put an IV in my arm and away we went with the chemo treatment.

I experienced alot of nausea this time. Mostly of the roller coaster variety, but I feel like I have wasted 3 days at home doing nothing. You know me, I want to do something and fill my time while I am off work. I am simply not a good sitter. I have to be busy. Well I was busy alright, but with my nausea drugs instead. This layout took me 3 days to complete. Something unheard of for me. I could only do a bit at a time. An hour and then back to bed. Several hours later I was up and tried a bit more. Ugh.So far today, the nausea is low key. Let's

hope it stays that way. I have laundry to be done and dishes in the sink that need my attention. Plus I have another layout I need to do for Sandy.

This will be a short week at work. The students are there only Monday through Thursday. And on Thursday, we are going to the Area 10 Special Olympics Basketball Tournament at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, which is 75 miles away. On Friday we have CAP conferences, where the students/parents help decide what courses to take the following school year. No students at school that day. On Monday, the students and teachers are off for President's Day (It used to be Mid-Winter Break). I have oodles of CAP conferences to do, 2 IEP conferences and then got to get my portfolio's completed! Time is flying by.

I go back to see Dr. Baltz on Feb. 24th for my 3 month scan of the head, chest, abdomen, and pelvis as well as a full body Bone Destiny scan. Then I have chemo afterwards. Every 3 months I get the scans to show if I remain in remission or not. The following chemo cycle will occur during my Spring Break, so my poor paycheck can get a rest. I get 3 days taken out of it each time I have a chemo cycle. I ran out of sick days back in November, so this is getting a bit high in cost.

Lucia, if you are reading this, I sent a box for Zio yesterday. It should arrive in 7 to 10 days. Jenny took me to the post office since driving was really not a good idea for me to be doing while I have so much nausea.

Have a good weekend, or at least what is remaining of it,

Arlene

January 24, 2010 Stamp Camp stuff

Here are 3 cards we did in Stamp Camp yesterday. We also did 2 projects (a calendar and a little girls' purse with Faux Alligator Skin). The first card is a Valentine's Day card with LOVE BANDIT (new in the Occasions Mini). I used Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla cardstocks and the new DSP (Designer Speciality Papers) called Sending Love.

The second card is a Birthday card using Whisper White, Soft Suede and Rich Razzleberry. The stamp sets are Vintage Vogue and the sentiment set is Well Scripted. I saw this card on a blog and knew I had to try it out. I saw this at http://www.cardscraps.com/ I did change some of her measurements, but this lady (sorry do not remember her name) had a winner in her design.

The final card, I purchased a tutorial from http://www.stampingmoments.blogspot.com/ Of course it was written in centimeters and I am too lazy to convert the measurements. So I followed her directions on HOW to stamp, but used my own measurements. This card was the hit of the stamp camp!

Sorry I have been away from the blog. I had my chemo on Wed., Jan 13th and then got a terrible sinus/ear infection. So was off work for several days. Then busy catching up at work, trying to prepare for Saturday's stamp camp and also go to a scrapbook class. Whew... glad the weekend arrived.

Today I have to clean house and do laundry. It is piling up again. Then this afternoon I want to work in the scrapbook room some more.

See you again soon!

Arlene

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

The photos tonight are of 2 cards I made yesterday during my STERIOD phase. That is when my brain is racing from the steriods I am given at chemo and cannot sleep. This is a period you want to avoid me because I turn into a ADHD (Attention Deficient Hyperactive Disorder) personality. I CANNOT SHUT UP for the life of me and Lord can I talk up a storm... let's say you don't need truth drugs on me then... I will talk and talk and all sorts of things spill out while in my brain I am screaming SHUT UP ARLENE! LOL

Anyway back to these cards. The one on the left with the red mats/ribbon is for a SUDSOL SU Demo cardswap in which I am participating. I have to make 11 of these and then I will get different cards back for my sample book. SUDSOL is a group of Stampin Up Demonstrators. The card on the right with the pink mats/ribbon is a card I am teaching at my January 23rd Stamp Camp. Everything is the same with both cards except the mat/ribbon colors of red or pink. I used the Sending Love Speciality glitter paper and the new stamp set LOVE BANDIT from the SU Occasions Mini Catalog. Love that stinkin' little raccoon. The sentiment (which is small) reads You stole my Heart.... awwwww....

Today was a wierd day. I finally went to bed at 4:30 a.m. from my steriod phase. Slept until 7 a.m. WOW huh! Then around 9 I went to town to do a couple of errands, first taking a dose of anti-nausea drugs. An hour later I was back home with the bills paid. Then I sat up in the scrapbook room with Aunt Chuck (a friend of mine) and made 3 birthday cards. Finally I started getting that chemo flush and nausea again, so we stopped. Aunt Chuck left with her goodies and I went to take more meds and eat a bit of lunch. I stayed up longer... then at 4:00 I went to take a nap and slept to 7:30.. got back up. Fed the furrballs their dinner, and then grabbed some fruit. Came back and finished the last of my birthday cards I needed for a swap on the Crop Room (a scrapbooking and cardmaking group) for the January Card Queen. We all sign up for the card queen each month, and if your name is drawn you get lots of cards to use. Say there are 10 people in the swap, and one person is named the winner. The winner then gets 4 cards from each of the 9 other players, resulting in 36 cards ready to use. Great way to get your card stash to grow if you win. If you lose, then you are only making 4 cards. Normally I would do 2 of each design so I can keep one in my stash, but not today. Got too much on my desk.

Soon I go back to bed. Hope to sleep a decent night sleep tonight. Brain is back to normal, so I should be able to get a good night's rest. This cycle is going okay. Lots of mild nausea but the meds control it. I get a bit done, and rest as needed. If seems if I try to do too much, then I get the full blown out of control nausea. Then it is Phenegrin time, which I hate. That stuff makes me sleep for 12 hours and then I feel drunk for another 6 hrs. It does stop the nausea but I hate the price. Rather take the Zofran for the mild nausea and call it quits.

Tomorrow I will post more cards. I made several to send to Zio and they came out really cute. There is a boat, a frog on a lilypad, 2 different cat cards and a Sock Monkey card that I love. Will share them tomorrow.

Have a good night.
Arlene

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

It is hard to imagine that I took this photo only 2 weeks ago today. Stefano, Lucia and I were wandering around Miracle Square (home to the Leaning Tower). Stefano is not paying attention because there was a man who was bothering us trying to sell stuff to the tourists. This fellow and one other I saw, did not have vendor areas. They simply walked with merchandise in their hands and tried to harass you into purchasing. Stefano had already told him to go away once. The second time he did, the guy left in a hurry. Imagine that! LOL... In the background there is the Bascilia, the Catherdral and the Leaning Tower. In this direction you cannot see the Camposanto (cemetary building) nor the walls of Pisa from the medieval period.

I just noticed that 2 days have slipped by without a post. Sorry, but this is my hectic week. I worked only on Monday and Tuesday and have to prepare for the entire week with my assistant. Today is Chemo Day again. So I am off work the remainder of the week. Sometimes I do okay on Thursday thru Sunday after chemo, sometimes instead I have mild to severe nausea. You never know what will happen.

I have started the paperwork finally to become a houseowner. Not sure if anything will happen or not. Yesterday I completed a mortgage application, but found out I do not have a credit score. LOL... I have not used credit at all for over 8 years or more. I have operated only on a cash system. If I had the cash, then I could buy. If I did not have the cash, then I could not get it. Works well for me and I stayed out of debt. So time will tell if I get approved for a mortgage.

I did see a house near Jenny's that I really love. Does not mean I am getting that house at all. Just means I viewed it personally and it would fit my needs. What it does have that I do not need is a in-ground swimming pool. That is a luxury item that is not on my list. I like the house because it has a great kitchen, warm living room with a fireplace, and it has a sunroom area that would work great for scrapbooking / cardmaking classes. Plus it is completely fenced in with a wooden fence that is about 5 foot or higher. Behind the house is timber (a wooded lot) that will not be built upon. So I would have nature at my backdoor and not another house. Best of all it has NO STAIRS!!!! It is a simple one story house with 3 bedrooms (that way all my cousins can come visit!).

So I should hear from the mortgage company sometime this week. If this does not go thru then they will open me 2 lines of credit for 3 to 6 months to build a credit report for me. Sigh... Or my realtor says he will find another way. So I simply sit back and put it into God's hands. I have done all I need to do, and now it is HIS will whether this is where HE wants me or it is not. There are always other houses - getting the mortgage is the important factor.

I am going to go make my Dr. Baltz beam this morning! Thanks Paolo for getting the Ferrari book for me in English. I am bringing that and the lovely red Ferrari shopping bag with me to the clinic this morning. Can't wait to see his face.

Have a great day!

Arlene

Sunday Morning, January 10, 2010

Good morning! Yesterday I worked in my scrapbook room with my friend Lisa. I was helping her to figure out the dimensions on a layout she loved and wanted to copy. So I used this time to create the above layouts that Lisa loved but in bolder, richer colors that I love. Hers in pastels.

The layout is titled, Uncle of my Heart, and have photos of dear Zio Corrado. These photos are all from my trip in July 2008. The first long photo is when we were touring the buildings of Miracle Plaza. I have him sitting outside of the Catherdral for a few minutes. The 3 small photos are fun too. They show his personality! The day he wore that blue shirt, he was walking with Gus and myself in Livornio and I cropped us out of the photo to focus on Zio. Then the 2 other photos are in his home as we played Scopa. One of them he was telling me that he earned 2 points and Arlene earned 0 (zero). The final photo is of him sticking his tongue out at me when we were playing Scopa. LOL.... On the 2nd page, this photo is taken on the same day as our trip to Miracle Plaza. It was taken in the restuarant garden of Il Turista, where my cousin Lucia works. Her bosses invited us to have lunch there as a gift. It was a beautiful outdoor garden and we were sitting under an olive tree sipping wine, eating and enjoying the meal with Lucia and her colleague Sarah. Lucia is a translator for the company. She deals with the tour groups and reservations for many countries.

In my photo you see a small piece of my scrapbook room. On the table is my Cricut Expressions machine. I used it to cut the brackets, the florishes and the lettering on this layout. Everything else I used from the stamps to the paper to the punches was from Stampin Up. In the background of the room you see one of my 4 bookcases of RETIRED Stampin Up stamps. I have another bookcase of the current stamps (which is overflowing!).

It is my dream this spring that I find a house and get approved for a mortage. I have a hefty hefty downpayment ready. I need to find a 3 bd and 2 bath because I will be having company alot. But I want a room with a large den that I can turn into my scrapbook room. I would love to have my Stamp or Scrapbook classes in my house, instead of dragging everything across town. Maybe by Spring Break I will be on the way for moving into my own house. Just got to get across town to visit Jerry to start the ball rolling.

This morning Bruno and Cody are coming for a short visit. I brought them back a huge garbage bag full of gifts from Italy and their uncle and cousins. The gifts are truly is sitting in a white garbage bag in the living room. I had to have space for them and had no available boxes to pack it all in.

I am going in a few minutes to start the base of a stew. Got to go chop the trinity items -- celery, carrots and onions and get them ready. A little Knorr beef bouillon, some water and the beef itself, to form the base. It will take several hours to do it all. But my house will smell good and by lunch time I will have a hearty and hot meal. After that a quick shower before they get here (bet by 7 cause Bruno likes to start his day early!)

After Bruno leaves, I am goingback to my scrapbook room. I have some papers to put away from yesterday. Seems anytime I am creative that I create a whirlwind of chaos around me. LOL Then got to get moving on the cards for Zio, which must be mailed by tomorrow. Then work on my class samples for my upcoming Stamp Class on the 23rd.

In between all this I have to wash at least one more load of laundry to be set for the week. Be glad to get that dreaded chore off my to do list. LOL I hate doing laundry. Well, no, let me refresh that. I hate folding and hanging and putting away the laundry. I have no problem with loading the washer or the dryer. It is that last step... ugh...

Okay time for me to go start my day! It is 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning here. Plan on being back in my scraproom in an hour to play until Bruno arrives, and then back again an hour later. Got to try to get a photo of him today with Cody.

Take care!

Arlene