Modified Keto day 10 plus 3 packages in the mail!!!

I must honest, today started out real rough. I woke up with a migraine that did not go away until around 6 this evening. I managed to drag myself out of bed around 10 and decided to fix myself something to eat. Today’s breakfast consisted of bacon and eggs. And yes, I did have my normal coffee intake. But, once again, no Starbucks.

The cruise countdown cheered me up but didn’t make the headache go away. I wonder if the diet has anything to do with the headaches…

I did receive some packages in the mail today. One from Baublebar, one from Michaels, and UPS delivered 2 Shutterfly orange envelopes. Not only did I get the replacement photos that UPS conveniently misplaced last month, I also received the replacement photos that Shutterfly sent. But since I still had a headache, I did not open the packages.

In the late afternoon, I started getting a little hungry so I had the last of the left over chicken stuff I made yesterday and I also had one hotdog that was sliced and stuffed with cheese then wrapped in bacon. My beverage of choice after my morning coffee was unsweetened ice tea.

Once I started feeling better I started opening a couple of the boxes. Up first was Baublebar. Today’s package only contained one pair of earrings, the Fantasia Drop Earrings. I just love them and I cannot wait to wear them on our cruise. I also received the Lobe Wonder Ear Support patches I want to try and the Devonne Sunglasses in pink which was a gift with purchase. I truly love they way they package their products.

Then I opened the box from Michaels. I could not wait to see the different colors of vinyl I ordered. I’m even more excited to start playing with them on my Cricut Explore Air. I have plans for some tumblers and now that I have all of the different colors of Vinyl that I want, I’m going to really start on the tumblers this week. Maybe even tomorrow!!! These are the colors I ordered: light yellow, red, grape, azure, med blue, caribbean, and flamingo. I’m just so excited!!!

Now about the Shutterfly orange envelope thingy’s… It is obvious that the original one was damaged and so far, I have been afraid to open that envelope. But, I won’t know the extent of things until I do. It didn’t take much to open the original package and I was really afraid that the photos would be damaged but, to my surprise, there was nothing wrong with them!!! I guess now I can organize these photos as well as the photos from our Carnival Triumph cruise and a trip to Galveston. There are plenty of photos to do some large scrapbooks!!!

With the headache finally gone, I feel energized! I think I will use this time to do something productive. I just do not know which productive thing I want to do. I think I will start with the photos so they do not get messed up!

Carnival Magic 2011 photos not used in scrapbooks.

This evening, I tackled organizing and putting away all of the photos we took when we were on the Carnival Magic. We took a lot of pictures. I believe it was well over 2000!!! And these are the ones we did not use!!!! They were originally in photo protectors but now that that project is over, it’s time to consolidate the remaining ones.

I did my best to make sure the left over pictures were in order and then I spent over an hour putting them in photo protectors. I buy mine at Hobby Lobby. There are 12 x 12 and each sheet holds 12 photos. I have used them with all of my projects and I have been very pleased with them. I’m even happier when they are on sale!!!!

So now, I can go to bed happy knowing that I have another task to check off my to do list!!!

What do you do with your extra photos???

Organizing my scrapbook paper I didn’t use for the Carnival Magic cruise series

Now that I have completed the Carnival Magic 2011 scrapbook pages, I had a lot of paper I didn’t use that I needed to put up. Luckily, I have several cruise scrapbooks I need to do and a cruise on the Carnival Vista coming up, so I know these papers will be used.

I keep my paper in 12 x 12 page protectors to keep them from getting messed up. They are then placed in cubes I purchased from Michaels and Hobby Lobby. I have them separated by category. It is very easy for me to find what I need, but I still have the urge and desire to buy more!!!! So today was spent putting all the patterned paper into page protectors and putting the solid colors in the proper slots in their cubes!!! So much fun!!!

I did manage to start some wedding pages from when Jim and I got married in 2001. The only thing I have done is put the pictures on paper, but I’m not sure I like it. I will probably end of changing them to something I like better in the next day or 2. But it’s a start!!!

Tomorrow’s weekly family lunch will be at my mother’s apartment. Luckily, that means I will not be spending to much time out in the heat. I have found that this extremely high temperatures we have been experiencing is affecting me negatively due to my COPD. I have come to realize that there are some things I will have to miss. I’m hoping for cooler weather, like in the 90’s!!!! And maybe with a breeze here and there!!!. I’m sure I would be okay if I was on a cruise in the Caribbean. I know the salt air would do me good!!!!

Cheers to better days!!!

Scrapbooking our engagement picture.

Jim and I have been married for 16 years and I am just now starting to work on our wedding pictures. I have completed our engagement photo so at least that is a start. But to be fair, I didn’t develop my scrapbook addiction until after we were married. And now, I probably have more supplies than I can use and still buy more so I can have the perfect (for me) page!

Our story is rather interesting, at least to us. You see, my husband knew my grandparents. His family had a TV store and had sold (and installed) many TVs for my grandparents over the years. Then he met my parents playing darts. When my parents and some of their friends decided to open a dart bar, my grandfather was there and Jim was rather surprised to see him there. In the conversation they had, he found out that my grandfather was my mother’s father.

Several years later, I started playing darts. I met Jim and he asked me what brought me to the dart bar. I told him that my parents owned the place so he quickly asked me who my parents were and so I told him. He then realized who my grandfather was and had some stories about him to share!!!

Jim and I became good friends. I knew that if I ever wanted to go somewhere, I could always call and ask him and if he wasn’t doing anything, he would always meet me wherever I wanted to go. For years, he would ask me out and I would decline because I didn’t want to change the scope of our friendship. But then one night, I had a dream about him and that dream convinced me to let my guard down and take a chance. Our first date was on January 8, 1999 when we took my son Wesley to the movies for his birthday. We went to see Patch Adams!!!

We have been together ever since and I must say, it was the best dream I have ever had.

Our engagement picture was, I’m sure, taken by my sister-in-law, Sharon. It was taken at the August (1999 family birthdays when Jim told his family of our engagement. At that time, we had not set our wedding date, but we knew we wanted to be married before the end of the year.

My plan is to start working on our wedding scrapbook pages tomorrow… at least that is my plan!!!!

Shopping for scrapbook supplies and some more Carnival Magic scrapbook pages.

I knew I had to go to Hobby Lobby today to replace the scrapbook paper my glass of Cran-Grape juice fell on. I asked my hubby if he wanted to go with me and he said yes. Now, I know most women prefer to shop without their spouse. I’m typically that way with Jim, except when it comes to scrapbook supplies. Somehow he manages to find stuff that I would need, want, or could use. This trip was no exception.

Before we went to Hobby Lobby, we went to Michael’s as I had a 50% off coupon to use and I was wanting to get a refill cartridge for my Xyron Creative Station Lite. I prefer to use the repositionable cartridges because I often change my mind about placement of things. Unfortunately, Michael’s didn’t have what I wanted, but the did have the Tombow removable adhesive tape funner refill, so I got that instead!

Once we arrived at Hobby Lobby, my first stop in the scrapbook area was the adhesive section. I was looking for a glue runner eraser and I found one and only one there!!! I want to try it and see if it will really remove the excess adhesive from the pages. I then picked up the scrapbook paper I needed to replace (LOL) plus a few sheets of white textured cardstock. I told Jim we might as well look in the clearance section to see if there was anything of use and his watchful eye did not disappoint!

My middle granddaughter’s name is Victoria. I always have a hard time finding just the letter V. But today was my lucky day. My hubby found 3 so I bought them all!!! I also picked up some other goodies including a paper pack.

As we made our way to the check-out counter, I stopped back by the adhesive isle in search of something that would be a good adhesive for glitter. So far, I have not found anything that seems to work. If you are reading this and have any suggestions, please let me know.

The papers in the paper pack were actually pretty good!!

Once we returned home, I continued working on finishing up the Carnival Magic 2011 pre-cruise album, making and adding a few pages. All of the pages are now securely in the album. I do need to do some touch-up on the outside of the album cover but that shouldn’t take long to do in the morning!

Tomorrow I plan on starting the first Carnival Magic 2011 cruise album and continue working on the journaling. I know there will be more scrapbook pages made for these albums as I like to include the daily Fun Times in my albums. I have a feeling there will be at least 2 albums just for the cruise. And hopefully I can organize the contents of these boxes I received today!!!!

Family Lunch plus some Carnival Magic fun today!!!

Today would have been my dad’s birthday. Since we have lunch every Sunday with my mother, we decided that today we would have lunch for breakfast. Breakfast food was my dad’s favorite thing to eat with the exception of a very good steak and lobster. After he retired, he would make himself breakfast every morning. And not just a bowl of cereal or some toast. He made a full breakfast… eggs, potatoes, bacon, biscuits!!! The aroma of his cooking still lives in my brain. Definitely something I remember so fondly. The first picture if my dad with my son and daughter. They were so young then.

Before I went to my daughter’s house for lunch I was trying to regain my composure of a tragic scrapbook incident that happened the night before. I was desperately trying to work on my journaling for the Carnival Magic cruise and I was making some very slow progress. And then it happened. I was drinking a glass of Cran-Grape juice. I had the paper I was journaling on in front of my in a nice, neat stack. When all of a sudden, the glass decided to fall over!!! The contents of the fresh glass of juice went all over the paper I was using for my journaling. All. Of. It. Was. Ruined. I decided to quit for the night and went to bed.

This morning, I woke up full of hope that I could at least work on the additional pages I want to use in my scrapbook and also put finishing touches on the scrapbook album. I definitely had success in that area!!!!

Now, I will have to FORCE myself to go to Hobby Lobby in the morning to get some more of the paper I want to use for journaling. I noticed in their ad today that some of their paper is on sale and the one I need is included in the sale. I think I will make sure to stock up on this particular paper.

Here are some of the pages I did this morning along with the finished scrapbook album decorated and a picture of how I am doing the journaling.

My plan is to work on more additional pages for the scrapbook album which I will share with you when they are done.

Thanks for reading!

Craffice is finished but…

Now it is in complete shambles!!!! After arranging and organizing everything, I decided it was time to start preparing for our cruise!!! It doesn’t matter that our cruise is months away. This cruise is going to be different and special. It is a family cruise!!! But what will make this cruise so special is that my mother will be going and it will likely be her last trip. You see, my mother has dementia. Our goal, as a family, is to go on one last family trip so, hopefully, she will make some special memories that will last in her memory.

Going on this trip will be my mother, myself, my husband, my daughter, her husband, and their 3 kids and one family friend. My grandchildren and our family friend have never been on a cruise before. I cannot wait to see their faces when they first set foot on the ship!!! I have never planned a cruise for 9 people before so this may or may not be a challenge for me. But, I’m up for the challenge.

The planning process actually began last year on July 23rd. The itinerary was selected first (by my daughter). Leaving Galveston going to Mahogany Bay, Belize, and Cozumel. Next was the ship. Freedom or Vista? Vista it is!!! Now we wait!!!!

Part of the fun of waiting is starting to think about what we want to do at the port of call. Thinking about what clothes we will need to pack, what we need to buy, do we need new swimsuits or will butts be hanging out??? Then we need to make lists… lots of lists!!! I have made lists for each person to know what the should pack, what is allowed to bring on-board and what is prohibited. I even have a Dollar Tree shopping list for some things we need to get.

During this waiting period, we have decorated our lanyards, working on decorating our luggage tags (for carry-on stuff). We are trying to decide on shirts… Maybe the one we have seen that says “Oh Ship, It’s A Family Trip” or something along those lines.

And since I have decided to be productive during this wait period, I have finished my scrapbook for our 2010 Carnival Conquest cruise and I have started on our 2011 Carnival Magic cruise. And after I finish that one, I will start on our 2014 Carnival Triumph cruise. Then I will be caught up on those and will start on the scrapbooks for our many vacations to Cozumel. Plus various family events like my daughter’s wedding, and my oldest son’s wedding, other family weddings, family birthdays, and so many other things. But I have an end goal, that might take a very long time to complete, but I have a goal!!!

At this time, I plan to blog about the scrapbook I will be making for my 2011 Magic cruise. It will be a large scrapbook as there was a TON of stuff going on. But for now, I must work.

Thanks for reading and please come back to read about my upcoming cruise adventures and to see the scrapbook’s I will be working on.