Scrapbooks

I am so excited!  I just got 11 of my 15 scrapbooks embossed with dates on their spines  This is something I’ve wanted to do…..since I started scrapbooking!

Looking at my bookshelf, I realized that I have completed 11 family albums and 1 album that shows our vacation time with Bob’s side of the family.  That’s a lot!  The family albums I now have titled and they look great.  I didn’t know how to title the vacation one, so it will have to wait.  I also have 1 album that was completed for me (my wedding album – Thanks Aunt Katie!), 1 album that is “in progress” because I’m not sure how to finish it (currently holds our Cancun, Mexico pictures from 2003.  Maybe a beach album?), and 1 album that I gave up on and hope to finish some day (Bobby’s school album). 

This is quite the accomplishment, if I do say so myself!  I remember when I got started scrapbooking.  My friend Kate invited me to this scrapbook “party”.  I remember telling Bob “I’m just going to be nice.  I am SO not creative.  I’m sure this won’t interest me at all!”   Famous last words, as it has been about 9 years and I’m still scrapbooking like crazy.  I have made albums for friends and family members.  I did a stint as a scrapbook product consultant and had my “own business” for awhile.  And, of course, I will be enjoying my 8th annual scrapbook retreat this coming March with My BFF’s!

Take a look at my beautiful album spines.  I just love them!  I will be starting my 12th family album this weekend at my friend and CM Consultant Shelley’s event, and I’m hoping to possibly do some smaller albums as Christmas gifts.

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Friday Favorite Five – Girls Weekend Edition – 9/18/2009

My long time BFF’s, Denise and Eve, came to visit last weekend.

We met about 10 years ago when we were all young/new mommy’s living in California.  We belonged to the Roseville Moms Club, and we were all in a playgroup with babies around the same age.  The first time I met my friend, Denise, playgroup was at my house and both of our babies (Alex and Tarik) were under a year old.

1. Remembering old times – I remember that playgroup.  I was super nervous about having a bunch of women that I barely knew coming to my house where the babies basically just slept or were nursed while the mommy’s carried on conversations.  Back then, I was super shy but was determined to make new friends since I was new to California and living away from family.  I remember Denise being so friendly and supportive and very interested in my thoughts about raising babies.  She knew I had an older child (Bobby was 8 by then) and told me I was the “experienced” one. I remember saying that having Alex was like having a first born all over again and that I didn’t feel very experienced.  Anyway, this weekend we talked about that first playgroup where we bonded as new mothers, helped each other relax about some child rearing issues and take a stand on others.  And how we’re still great friends all these years later.
   
2. Playing tourist  - I was so excited to have the girls visit me!  Denise has been out here before, but this was Eve’s first time visiting me since I had moved from CA.  I fly back every year for our scrapbook weekend in Bodega Bay.  But this was our first girls weekend where we played tourist and didn’t scrapbook one thing!  We started our trip off with the usual Seattle Sites –- Pike Place Market, Original Starbuck’s, Waterfront walk and Harbor Cruise. How fun to share your favorite spots with friends! 
   

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3. Experiencing New Things Together – It was a glorious weekend in Seattle, so we decided to head up to the mountains and take in Leavenworth – a little Bavarian Village in the Cascade Mountains. We stayed at this quaint little hotel right in town.  We had a great time walking through the little shops, eating German food, and laughing until our sides ached!  That night we went to a beer garden and listened to some live music from a great band called “Red Means Go”.  They were awesome!  We each bought one of their cd’s as a souvenir.  It had been a long time since any of us had sat and listened to live music from an up and coming band.  We had a great time!
   
   

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4. Laughing Until Our Sides Ached – There is nothing better than getting together with girlfriends and laughing so hard that you about pee your pants!  And that is just what we did all weekend long!  I swear it fills you up with sunshine and love and happiness when you can laugh that hard with a friend.  Whether we were giggling over text messages, snickering about honey buckets, cracking up about Papa Smurf taking Eve’s chair, or embarrassing ourselves because of the loud laughter over the bathroom locks in the German restaurant, laughter is always the best medicine and a requirement with good friends!
   
   (our nicknames for the weekend – written on the floor of the beer garden)
5. Spending Time With Those You Love – I love these ladies like sisters.  We’ve been through hard times, sad times, and happy times together.  We’ve shared our biggest fears, our greatest weaknesses and our most successful accomplishments.  We’ve scrapbooked together, shared books, cried and laughed together, and scrapbooked some more!  I am so honored that they took time out of their busy lives to come visit me!  With soccer games (3 kids each), girl scout meetings (3 troops between them), house hunting and just being away from family for a whole weekend – it makes me realize even more how important our friendship is.  Thank you gals!  And, Debby?  You’re coming next year for sure!!!!

 

Thanks Girls!  I miss you already!

The 2009/2010 Breakaway Book Club Selections

Here they are -- the new list for my book club!  We are entering our 4th year as a book club and I am so excited to read these new books.  Unfortunately, I have read 4 out of the 10 books.  But that just means I get to look forward to finally discussing them with a great group of women!

Check out our new list of books:

“The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel” by Diane Setterfield (432 pages)

“The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows (290 pages)

“The Hour I First Believed: A Novel” by Wally Lamb (768 pages)

“Skylight Confessions” by Alice Hoffman (288 pages)

“Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time” by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin (349 pages)

“Time of My Life: A Novel” by Allison Winn Scotch (304 pages)

“The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins (384 pages)

“Astrid and Veronika” by Linda Olsson (288 pages)

“Firefly Lane” by Kristin Hannah (528 pages)

“The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel” by Garth Stein (336 pages)

Makes you want to join my book club, huh?  Feel free to read along with us!  We read 10 books in 12 months – we save the longest books for December and July.

Happy reading everyone!