Pandemonium

Down 7 lbs!

Two weeks ago I went to lunch with Layle and Jessi and they were going to start this Race to Waist with a bunch of our other friends (like Allison and Vicki). I wasn't going to do it but Jessi's enthusiasm was contagious. Thanks Jess!

I'm so glad I did!

My pants are baggy now.

I have more energy when I walk.

And instead of grabbing a cookie or chips or candy when I'm feeling creatively blocked (I turn to food for comfort) I'm grabbing popcorn or a piece of fruit.

And water...I'm drinking a boatload of water.

Good stuff.

Under construction ... again... cha-ching cha ching

Today they started digging out the window well for the window we're putting in my basement studio.

Yay! I love progress!

They ran into a little snafu, though. The posts that used to hold the gate up, which we thought were in about 6 inches of concrete...well...of course, in keeping with our "money pit" luck they're in 3 feet of concrete.So they are going to have to jackhammer them out. nice.

Next week they are going to cut out the opening for the window. 

I can't remember if I posted this before but most foundations these days are 6-8 inches thick - not ours - it's 20 inches. Yep...she's a BIG MAMA! 

So this window cutting out is serious business and usually serious business means it costs SERIOUS money and makes a SERIOUS mess. :oP

But YAY! It's still progress!

Oh...and in keeping with the cha-ching...cha-ching theme, Spencer's car (my old 4-Runner) died yesterday a long, expensive and painful death. 

Less that 2 years ago we had a new engine put in it (it only had 80,000 and threw a rod) and now the same thing is happening with this engine. delightful. another non-fun thing sucking money out of our wallets. 

So why can't it ever be that someone calls you and says..."I'm sorry Mrs. Krieger, but you're going to have to spend $1800 on a shopping spree in New York. That's the bad news. The good new is we can save you a little money if we book you at the Marriott instead of the Ritz Carlton." 

yah...I want one of those kinds of phone calls instead. :oP

Home again...home again...jiggity jig

Spencer got back from Germany late Monday night.

He had a great time and was very excited to tell us about it even though he was exhausted.

These are a couple of shots of he and his host brother Martin.

All of the American students stayed with host families whose kids went to the same private school. 

The families that Spencer and Liz lived with were hour away from each other so Spencer got very proficient at using the public transportation to get around.

When Spencer asked what I wanted him to bring me back I said handwritten papers in German that I could use in my artwork.

So Spencer asked Martin if he could have his old school papers and notebooks. 

Martin thinks I"m wacko!

Even his mother, Elke donated one of her notebooks.

It's good to have him home.

Both boys started back to school this week while Ski is taking his summer finals this week at University of Chicago.

We just got our US News in the mail with the college rankings for the US.

University of Chicago moved up to 8th in the nation! Yay!

It is now tied with Columbia and Duke at the 8th spot.

Last year it was tied with Columbia for 9th.

Mike and I thought maybe that ranking meant it was the 8th most EXPENSIVE college in the nation. LOL! It feels that way sometimes.

The schools are ranked according to: Test scores, Graduation rates, Freshman retention, Faculty resources, SAT and ACT scores, Student to Faculty ratios and other things.

Over 70% of classes at U of C have less than 20 students. Geez - at the high school he went to a lot of his classes had around 50 students. Sometimes he wouldn't even have a desk to sit at.

You've come a long way baby! :o)

He loves it there and that's all that matters.

New digi kit

I only have one for this week.

The past few weeks have been so busy with design work, house renovations and just regular life that I haven't had as much time as I'd like to design digital kits.

This is a little bit of a departure from my normal vintage style.

I've been feeling a bit whimsical the last couple of weeks and this is what came out.

This is available at 2 Peas.

MISC - panning, photos, packing (back) & painting

Not panhandling but panning!

That was the topic this week that I wrote about on the Scrapbooks Etc. Photography blog.

Check it out for a an explanation of panning and how to do it.

Here is an example of panning.

This past week I helped Jessi shoot the "white coat" ceremony for incoming Pharmacy students at the University of Southern Nevada. 

In some ways I envy the new students, all excited for this phase of their lives... for new classes and new subjects to learn. But I am glad that I won't have that overwhelming amount of homework at the end of the day. :o)

Mike and Mick have been away on a backpacking trip in the high Uintahs. They got back on Saturday. 

While they were gone I was able to get Mick's room painted.

He had chosen a color called "Jack O'Lantern."

Yep...

I was afraid his room would turn out looking like the inside of a pumpkin.

But it looks AMAZING!

It looks like a Pottery Barn ad...the color does.

He picked out some bedding and a graphic art print from IKEA.

We're headed back tomorrow (after Freshman orientation) to get him a chair (the one he has is out of our library).

My frames at work....

Jamie Harper is a fabulous photographer, scrapper and artist. 

She just sent me a link to some photos she took of Teresa Collins and her family.

They are fabulous...and even better looking in my French Laundry frames!

Free Photoshop Elements Digital Scrapbooking Tutorials

I just put together some tutorials for 2 Peas on how to get started digital scrapbooking using Photoshop Elements. You can watch them here.

Happy Birthday Layle!

A big shout out to Layle...I hope you have a fabulous day! Love you!

If you want to leave a happy birthday post for Layle...you can do it on her blog!

Photoshop Elements Tutorials

This past week I ran down to the Apple store and picked up this little guy.

Isn't he cute! He is a Snowball mic from BlueMic. 

I got him because I am just starting to record digital scrapbooking tutorials that will be available for FREE on 2 Peas. 

I will be starting with a really basic set of tutorials to get you started digital scrapbooking using Photoshop Elements. I will be using PHotoshop Elements 6.0 but they will help you no matter which version you're using.

So check back soon and I'll have a link to them on 2 Peas.

If only...

the weekend were one day longer!

Have you ever felt that way???

There is always so much to do and I never feel ready for Monday.

This weekend (well, Saturday anyway) we got quite a bit accomplished.

Mick and I are in the process of painting his bedroom. 

As you can see we are painting over the wallpaper.

It was in good condition and glued on very sturdily so a couple of wallpaper experts recommended that we seal it with something called Zinsser BIN Sealer/Primer. 

Our next step is to put a skin coat of sheetrock mud on the seams, sand it and then paint the walls.

We are also working on my new studio in the basement - this is a pretty scary picture...it will look so much nicer when the sheetrock is up!

This weekend's projects were finish the lighting and moving the gas line that is going across the ceiling and also a water line that was under the coal shute window.

Mike is incredibly handy (and strong). I'm amazed that he knows how to do all this stuff.

And Mick is very strong too. Thank goodness. At one point we were all holding up this heavy cast iron pipe above our heads for about an hour trying to get it into the space and fitted in securely.

We got the water line moved but the gas line is only partway moved because we ran out of time and the plumbing supply store that carries the cast iron pipe closed.

So we haven't had hot water, a stove or a dryer for a couple of days.

But thanks to our wonderful neighbors, we don't stink. 

They've let us invade their house and take showers.

Our next project is getting ready for the concrete cutters to cut a hole out for the bigger window we're putting in. We have to move a gate and fence outside the window to make room for the window well but that's a project for next week.

I also got a couple of fun boxes in the mail.

One from American Crafts and one from Little Yellow Bicycle. Oh...and my Revolution dies from 2 Peas! Yay! I'm so excited to sit down and play.

Right now I've taken over the dining room (which hasn't been decorated yet).

So how was your weekend?

Hopefully it involved hot showers! LOL!