On Wed, I'm up in Milwaukee... doing the regular kind of thing... working, lunch, Hip Hop Hustle. (Oh that would be a whole other blog about my "dancing ability" - needless to say I did buy dance sneakers. ) And after work my girlfriend Connie and I head out to "The Scrap Store"(I know, nice original name) in Greenfield.
With Christmas gift certificates in hand, we both began our shopping. I love this little store. They have the cutest darn displays. Using jewelry boxes and cakes plates and mirrors, the product and samples look adorable - and make you want to buy - because they look adorable. A paper clip sitting in a little crystal dish is so much more attractive. "Oh - look at this paper clip!!! I have to have it!!"
The new spring lines were coming out. (Yes scrapping follows fashion) and I picked up some beautiful Easter patterns in a 6x6 tablet. Some papers, letter stickers, couple birthday items, etc and I finished at 23.85. Which, was darn close to the $25 gift certificate I had. The remainder is a store credit. That's good. 'Cause I know I'll be back. There is a page layout contest calling me.
Connie managed to hit her gift certificates within 5 cents; $44.95. She should be on "The Price is Right".
We needed to energize before we continued shopping so a quick trip to Noodles and Co for a fairly healthy dinner and we were on to Joann's.
EVERYTHING - was 40% off! Their scrapbook department had been picked over pretty well, but that didn't stop me! 40% off - I had to buy. Got some scripture stamps which will be used over and over again. 40% off - If I sell two cards with them, I've made my money back. Two stamps out of the dollar bin. Wedding items - $1. Blue chipboard letters - $1. I was in dollar heaven!
And the $1 items - that is like penny candy to me. No calories!!! The price is perfect, the items are good, and there is so much of it I can use on cards. So I bought. Some little 3-d tags, a roll of cupcake ribbon, etc. the "rush" of the buy is was SO fun. And I got some basics; black cardstock - 50 sheets for $2.50. It doesn't get any cheaper. Maybe I should have called this blog the "Frugal Scrapbooker" Anyway.. I spent $28.69
I had such a good time shopping and dinner with Connie. We laughed! Checked out other people in the restaurant; why the man sitting alone, should meet the women sitting alone and maybe they wouldn't have to eat alone. Shopped. Explained scrapbook projects that we are working on to each other. Shopped. Would try to convince or debate why a scrapbook item we had picked up would be needed. Shopped. It was a great night out with a girlfriend.
So if I spent $28.60 then so be it! It was worth it! Do you know how many people drink $28 worth at a bar and have nothing to show for it except feeling bloaty the next morning. At least my bloat is in the form of scrapbook stuff.
And thanks Connie - I had a great time.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Day 168 - Back Sliding
It's only day 168 - 168! That's all? OMG it truly seems forever!!! And I swear, it has not gotten any easier. Well, maybe a little easier. I'm more conscious if nothing else. And, as pointed out by a wonderful friend, "you've been back sliding".
This is like dieting. One chip. Two chips. Three chips. The bag!
Doesn't everyone. Isn't this the same thing as putting on 10 pounds from Christmas holiday cookies? It's the New Year's resolution to exercise EVERY day, and by week three you are thinking, "who am I kidding. I'm not retired and don't have all day to work out! I can't find time to go to the bathroom let alone, stretch, workout for an hour, stretch, shower, make up, hair. What is that - an entire morning?!
And so, we back slide, cut corners, just give in a little. And we will always find a justification for it.
Like yesterday.
I'm working and a friend e-mails me. "HSN has scrapbooking day today." You would have thought that the gun went off at the start of the race. I quickly turned on my tv to channel 3; HSN. Facial Cream. They are showing Facial Cream. Do I have the wrong channel? In a panic I log on to a second computer, pull up HSN and there spread across the screen in glorious 18 inches is "Today's Special Value". An Anna Griffin card making kit.
Ohhhh Anaa..... your stuff is so Victorian, so ageless, so formal.
Known for her "Grand Adhesions" (yeah-they are stickers) they are always beautiful and always 3 dimensional. Anna does a good product.l How do I know. She's been around ever since I've been scrapbooking. (Yeah - that's 11 years now.) And the price... to make 30 cards is only $26. It was an all occasion kit and I KNOW I will use every bit of the kit in my cards. If I use her design, or modify it, (which I usually end up doing) I know that this product will be opened and used upon arrive. (There's justification - at least if I use it, I can buy it.)
Come on U.P.S. - my "brown Santa" - everyone thinks Santa wears red ; no way, he wears brown.)
For $26 dollars I can double my money and it's not as if this kit will just lay around. I'll use it. (I promise.)
So with a quick sign on, a password and three clicks of a button, it was done. I had purchased.
Buying, it can be emotional. When 16,000 other people have purchased the same item - you want it to. If they think it's a good deal, it has to be. Right?
In order to help in my backsliding capacity I went to the library and have stared reading "I'm Not Buying It"; a couples journey of not buying anything except necessities for an entire year. Maybe it will help. When I sat down to read it last night, (I probably should have started reading yesterday morning to avoid the purchase today). Really, when you think about it. How much stuff do we buy that keeps at least 4 different stations on cable, selling stuff 24/7. And one is exclusively jewelry. There has to be enough interest, or they would not be on the air. And we won't even get into info-mercials. Our national hobby seems to be shopping.
So I'm back. Back on track. The train may have jumped the rails for a little bit, but we have to get things in line again.
What is the saving grace here is my gift certificates. I have some left (I know hard to believe when it's January 21st already.) And I will use those funds to be selective.
What really seems to drive the no shopping home to me is when I have to put my "toys" away. Last night I was emptying packages from layouts completed. (That is a task that is NO fun, but so has to be done regularly or the piles become unbelievable!) When I have to put it away from using it.... I think, holy cow! I've used all this stuff to make layouts, cards, etc... and it doesn't look like I touched any of my supplies. I find things I didn't know I had, and makes me want to use them. You have to "get into" to your stuff, and LOOK to see what you have. And once you do, you come to realize - I have it all. :) And I'm so grateful.
(Although.. I still believe, never enough flowers or ribbons- right?)
This is like dieting. One chip. Two chips. Three chips. The bag!
Doesn't everyone. Isn't this the same thing as putting on 10 pounds from Christmas holiday cookies? It's the New Year's resolution to exercise EVERY day, and by week three you are thinking, "who am I kidding. I'm not retired and don't have all day to work out! I can't find time to go to the bathroom let alone, stretch, workout for an hour, stretch, shower, make up, hair. What is that - an entire morning?!
And so, we back slide, cut corners, just give in a little. And we will always find a justification for it.
Like yesterday.
I'm working and a friend e-mails me. "HSN has scrapbooking day today." You would have thought that the gun went off at the start of the race. I quickly turned on my tv to channel 3; HSN. Facial Cream. They are showing Facial Cream. Do I have the wrong channel? In a panic I log on to a second computer, pull up HSN and there spread across the screen in glorious 18 inches is "Today's Special Value". An Anna Griffin card making kit.
Ohhhh Anaa..... your stuff is so Victorian, so ageless, so formal.
Known for her "Grand Adhesions" (yeah-they are stickers) they are always beautiful and always 3 dimensional. Anna does a good product.l How do I know. She's been around ever since I've been scrapbooking. (Yeah - that's 11 years now.) And the price... to make 30 cards is only $26. It was an all occasion kit and I KNOW I will use every bit of the kit in my cards. If I use her design, or modify it, (which I usually end up doing) I know that this product will be opened and used upon arrive. (There's justification - at least if I use it, I can buy it.)
Come on U.P.S. - my "brown Santa" - everyone thinks Santa wears red ; no way, he wears brown.)
For $26 dollars I can double my money and it's not as if this kit will just lay around. I'll use it. (I promise.)
So with a quick sign on, a password and three clicks of a button, it was done. I had purchased.
Buying, it can be emotional. When 16,000 other people have purchased the same item - you want it to. If they think it's a good deal, it has to be. Right?
In order to help in my backsliding capacity I went to the library and have stared reading "I'm Not Buying It"; a couples journey of not buying anything except necessities for an entire year. Maybe it will help. When I sat down to read it last night, (I probably should have started reading yesterday morning to avoid the purchase today). Really, when you think about it. How much stuff do we buy that keeps at least 4 different stations on cable, selling stuff 24/7. And one is exclusively jewelry. There has to be enough interest, or they would not be on the air. And we won't even get into info-mercials. Our national hobby seems to be shopping.
So I'm back. Back on track. The train may have jumped the rails for a little bit, but we have to get things in line again.
What is the saving grace here is my gift certificates. I have some left (I know hard to believe when it's January 21st already.) And I will use those funds to be selective.
What really seems to drive the no shopping home to me is when I have to put my "toys" away. Last night I was emptying packages from layouts completed. (That is a task that is NO fun, but so has to be done regularly or the piles become unbelievable!) When I have to put it away from using it.... I think, holy cow! I've used all this stuff to make layouts, cards, etc... and it doesn't look like I touched any of my supplies. I find things I didn't know I had, and makes me want to use them. You have to "get into" to your stuff, and LOOK to see what you have. And once you do, you come to realize - I have it all. :) And I'm so grateful.
(Although.. I still believe, never enough flowers or ribbons- right?)
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Day 163 HAD TO purchases
I had to. I had to go to Michaels yesterday. I had to get a Valentine's Day stamp. The one "Happy Valentine's Day" stamp that I did own has gone missing. It's not on the vinyl sheet... or in the binder... or in the bucket of vinyl stamps. And I didn't have any wooden block stamps. And I didn't want to spell out "Happy Valentines Day" with stamp letters - because I wouldn't have a block long enough and not enough As, Es and Ns to spell everything out. So I had to get one. And I found the cutest little "Happy Valentine's Day" and it was in the dollar stamp bin. So I had to. But it was the only stamp I got. I swear.
Then I had a 50% off coupon. 50% !- so I had to get the "Tiny Attacher" (not a stapler) that I wanted for Christmas. 50% off!! I had to. Brought it down to $7. Seven Dollars!!!!
So then I walked through the dollars aisle. 'Cause I had to see what they have. They were having a sale - 80% off select items.
They had chip board books - complete with metal rings and 5 tabbed pages - 20 cents. I had to have it. Had to. 20 cents! You can't buy tabs for 20 cents. Let alone the cardboard or the metal rings. Had to.
And I got glue- 'cause I had to. I made forty cards in two days and used a bucket of glue. Had to. (BUT, I did walk out of the store first, using my 50% off coupon for the stapler. Put the bags in the car, and went back and used a 40% off coupon for the glue. I'm so damn cheap!)
That was it. I didn't get any more cute adorable Valentine's Day stuff. And I didn't get any extra stamps even though they were on clearance. And I didn't get any paper.
After 163 days, it still takes a conscious effort and inner voice telling me "put it back and step away from the paper".
Then I had a 50% off coupon. 50% !- so I had to get the "Tiny Attacher" (not a stapler) that I wanted for Christmas. 50% off!! I had to. Brought it down to $7. Seven Dollars!!!!
So then I walked through the dollars aisle. 'Cause I had to see what they have. They were having a sale - 80% off select items.
They had chip board books - complete with metal rings and 5 tabbed pages - 20 cents. I had to have it. Had to. 20 cents! You can't buy tabs for 20 cents. Let alone the cardboard or the metal rings. Had to.
And I got glue- 'cause I had to. I made forty cards in two days and used a bucket of glue. Had to. (BUT, I did walk out of the store first, using my 50% off coupon for the stapler. Put the bags in the car, and went back and used a 40% off coupon for the glue. I'm so damn cheap!)
That was it. I didn't get any more cute adorable Valentine's Day stuff. And I didn't get any extra stamps even though they were on clearance. And I didn't get any paper.
After 163 days, it still takes a conscious effort and inner voice telling me "put it back and step away from the paper".
Friday, January 14, 2011
Day 161 - This Week it's all about the Cards
This week has been really busy. With cards. Lots of cards. I was going to Milwaukee so I made cards. The Chicago team was going to Milwaukee. So I made cards. I made cards FOR the Chicago team but sold them in Milwaukee the day before their arrival. So I made more cards. I received an invitation on Wed for a party on Saturday night, hosted by one of my card customers. So I've made more cards.
I did 12 cards on Wed night. I've made 25 cards today. I can't even remember how many I made on Monday. And I haven't even gotten to a lot of Valentines yet.
And the funny thing is... there isn't a dent in my supplies. :)
Tomorrow morning, I'll be making more cards.
I did 12 cards on Wed night. I've made 25 cards today. I can't even remember how many I made on Monday. And I haven't even gotten to a lot of Valentines yet.
And the funny thing is... there isn't a dent in my supplies. :)
Tomorrow morning, I'll be making more cards.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
DAy 156 - Some Goes Out. Some Come In
Today was donation day. I dropped off donations at the women's shelter. (Clothes, shoes, purses, toiletries.) A chair at the Salvation Army, and scrapbook stuff at Memories and Beyond for a scrapbooking club at a local school.
I had two bags of scrapbook stuff go out. Cutters I hadn't used in years. Albums that in the last 10 years I haven't used, I don't think I'll be using now. And other miscellaneous items I've collected in the 10 years I've been at this hobby. They had all come from the closet project at Christmas time.
As I was walking out of the store, I happened to walk into their stamping section. (Should have just kept walking!) Oh, I'll just look to see what they have. I was looking for a tip to my glitter glue which I had lost. (I think I lost it when I dumped my entire tool kit just outside the door at Archivers. about a week ago. But that was ok too! Made me re-organize the entire thing.)
So I was looking for the tips, and the tips only for the glue.
And low and behold are these beautiful card samples! Cards! I'm always looking for ideas. (You should have kept walking. You just bought a card idea book with your gift card on Friday night. A "non-count" purchase. ) There was one card, that had theses beautiful bracketed accents to a cupcake on a stand. (And I already have a cupcake stamp AND a stand stamp.) I had to have it!!! I could do so much with it and my cards.
Then I moved into the next section. (I should have moved out the door.) There they were. A sheet of sympathy letter stickers that read "with sympathy". I can't have enough of those these days. So I picked up one in silver and one in gold. (Should have just used the "with sympathy" stamp set you have at home. ) And right next to it was some Hero Art lace. After having just been in a class where we actually dyed the ribbon in the ink pad, this lace would be perfect. AND, it's hard to find lace - you usually see just ribbon. (And you should be using all the ribbon you have.)
And some green bling. I started a running album on Friday night and the accent to the black/red/white book are green gems to match my green running shirt. HAD to have them; Archivers was out of green. (Oh yeah - it's Christmas, everyone is working with green and red. No green in the store would make sense. But is there green bling at home? Should have probably checked the inventory first.)
So $21 dollars later and I'm working out of the scrapbook store and this was only in three small stamping sections. I didn't even look at the "normal" scrapbook stuff. Could you imaging how much damage I would have done in there??
I just can't help myself.
I had two bags of scrapbook stuff go out. Cutters I hadn't used in years. Albums that in the last 10 years I haven't used, I don't think I'll be using now. And other miscellaneous items I've collected in the 10 years I've been at this hobby. They had all come from the closet project at Christmas time.
As I was walking out of the store, I happened to walk into their stamping section. (Should have just kept walking!) Oh, I'll just look to see what they have. I was looking for a tip to my glitter glue which I had lost. (I think I lost it when I dumped my entire tool kit just outside the door at Archivers. about a week ago. But that was ok too! Made me re-organize the entire thing.)
So I was looking for the tips, and the tips only for the glue.
And low and behold are these beautiful card samples! Cards! I'm always looking for ideas. (You should have kept walking. You just bought a card idea book with your gift card on Friday night. A "non-count" purchase. ) There was one card, that had theses beautiful bracketed accents to a cupcake on a stand. (And I already have a cupcake stamp AND a stand stamp.) I had to have it!!! I could do so much with it and my cards.
Then I moved into the next section. (I should have moved out the door.) There they were. A sheet of sympathy letter stickers that read "with sympathy". I can't have enough of those these days. So I picked up one in silver and one in gold. (Should have just used the "with sympathy" stamp set you have at home. ) And right next to it was some Hero Art lace. After having just been in a class where we actually dyed the ribbon in the ink pad, this lace would be perfect. AND, it's hard to find lace - you usually see just ribbon. (And you should be using all the ribbon you have.)
And some green bling. I started a running album on Friday night and the accent to the black/red/white book are green gems to match my green running shirt. HAD to have them; Archivers was out of green. (Oh yeah - it's Christmas, everyone is working with green and red. No green in the store would make sense. But is there green bling at home? Should have probably checked the inventory first.)
So $21 dollars later and I'm working out of the scrapbook store and this was only in three small stamping sections. I didn't even look at the "normal" scrapbook stuff. Could you imaging how much damage I would have done in there??
I just can't help myself.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Day 155 - I'm Scrapping
I'm working on a on-line scrapbooking class called "Decorate Life". It's a class that runs 30 days, with daily emails and in the end you have 14 completed layouts. 14!!! That is more then some people do in the entire year - and I'll have it done in a month. The teacher (Darci) has you pull all the embellishments first, along with some pictures; but the embellishments and the photos you pick that day don't necessarily go together. THEN every other day she has you pull the embellishment AND pictures and gives you a layout sketch to follow - LOVE it!!! The layouts are simple and cute and you can always add to it if you want.
And I have plenty to add. The reason I like this class so much is that I use what I have. She always calls for a lot of flowers and buttons and I have no shortage of those. ALTHOUGH, I was eyeing some new crocheted flowers at Archivers. That, and I was also thinking about buying a kit so that you can do 12 months of pages - like a year in review / shorten 365 project. (Shortened - no kidding - from 365 photos to 4 per month!!! I like THAT!)
I'm starting to look... starting to think about what I want to buy... starting to untie the purse strings.... it could be scary.
But, there may not be any stores to shop at! June (in Utah) was telling me that there are two more stores closing. Two more! There isn't going to be anything left except Michaels, Joanns and Hobby Lobby - not THAT is sad. We didn't know how good we had it 10 years ago when, in Utah there were approximately 30 scrapbook stores in a 10 mile radios. Ahhhh the good old days. When i first was using fancy scissors, paper and stickers. No ribbon, no brads, no flowers, no inks, no paints. And a "hybrid" was a fruit or flower, not a 'digital with physical elements scrapbook page'.
And I have plenty to add. The reason I like this class so much is that I use what I have. She always calls for a lot of flowers and buttons and I have no shortage of those. ALTHOUGH, I was eyeing some new crocheted flowers at Archivers. That, and I was also thinking about buying a kit so that you can do 12 months of pages - like a year in review / shorten 365 project. (Shortened - no kidding - from 365 photos to 4 per month!!! I like THAT!)
I'm starting to look... starting to think about what I want to buy... starting to untie the purse strings.... it could be scary.
But, there may not be any stores to shop at! June (in Utah) was telling me that there are two more stores closing. Two more! There isn't going to be anything left except Michaels, Joanns and Hobby Lobby - not THAT is sad. We didn't know how good we had it 10 years ago when, in Utah there were approximately 30 scrapbook stores in a 10 mile radios. Ahhhh the good old days. When i first was using fancy scissors, paper and stickers. No ribbon, no brads, no flowers, no inks, no paints. And a "hybrid" was a fruit or flower, not a 'digital with physical elements scrapbook page'.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Day 153 - Now That I Got It
Holidays are over - finally. It seemed as if there was so much to do with so little time and I didn't even have that much to do!
And my friends got me the perfect gift - the one that fits - gift cards to my scrapbook stores! Thank you all!!! :) And if they didn't get a gift card, they got me scrap stuff and that is just as good - love that too.
So now... after the tree is dark, and the new years resolutions made I've got "cash" to go shopping. Remember when this started -gifts don't count as purchases. But I don't know what to buy. I don't want to "waste" it and go into a store and just buy anything. I'm waiting for the one item that totally screams at me "Take me home!! I'm so stinkin' cute you can't live without me! Buy me now!!!"
And with all the scrap projects I'm currently working on... ("One Little Word", "Decorate Life", "365 Project", Picture Winter, ) I really haven't had time to shop. I seem to be ok with what I have.
So I guess I'll keep it in my "saving account" - and just hold on to the gift cards.
Why rush - I still have 7 more months to go!!! OMG!!!!!
And my friends got me the perfect gift - the one that fits - gift cards to my scrapbook stores! Thank you all!!! :) And if they didn't get a gift card, they got me scrap stuff and that is just as good - love that too.
So now... after the tree is dark, and the new years resolutions made I've got "cash" to go shopping. Remember when this started -gifts don't count as purchases. But I don't know what to buy. I don't want to "waste" it and go into a store and just buy anything. I'm waiting for the one item that totally screams at me "Take me home!! I'm so stinkin' cute you can't live without me! Buy me now!!!"
And with all the scrap projects I'm currently working on... ("One Little Word", "Decorate Life", "365 Project", Picture Winter, ) I really haven't had time to shop. I seem to be ok with what I have.
So I guess I'll keep it in my "saving account" - and just hold on to the gift cards.
Why rush - I still have 7 more months to go!!! OMG!!!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)