A let down and a look up...

I didnt make the team at Serendipity Scrapbooks. I am really bummed out about it. There was a lot of talent over there, but I really thought I had a good chance, and I really thought I was fitting in with the board. So, I started evaluating the way my scrapbooking is going right now and thought about applying somewhere else, but decided that maybe Shannon is right. maybe I just need to focus on what I have going on, rather than spreading myself too thin, and stressing about contests and deadlines and all that. Besides, I would really like to see my style grow a little more and I havent seen that happen lately, possibly because I have been in a holding pattern because I was trying to come up with all these entries.

I know, I sound like a broken record, but I often go and get head over heels in something so that I forget that I told myself I wasnt going to be like that. So here it is - reality check! I am a member of TWO awesome design teams at TWO awesome communities. and yes, the scrapperie one will be over in two short months, but I might as well enjoy it while it lasts. And I really do love it at Scrapperie so I am not going anywhere, and if I have to wait until the next DT call that I am eligible for over there, then that isnt the end of the world is it?

I really want to work on my card making and stamping. So I think that is what I am going to focus on. I am not going to completely abandon serendipity because the challenges are just so awesome, and Shannon and I are in the team challenge and I couldnt abandon her. She has already mentioned that she wants to do it next month - which if she wants a randomly drawn partner that's fine, but if she wants me as a partner again, I am up to it! but the team challenge awards points for how many things you make and how much stuff you put on the pages. And for me, that is kinda counter to what I am hoping to do - which is slow down and savor my scrap time. That really is what it is all about isnt it? (I mean other than the family memories part - but pah! who cares about that stuff anyway?)

So anyway, there you have it. Less contests and challenges and more scrapping for me! I am also not going to totally give up my challenge blogs, but I am only going to enter the ones that really 'speak' to me. There is no rule that I have to enter every one, and why should I?

Oh and another thing that I am going to start doing is creating classes for Scrapwords. I am goign to get my own forum for them and everything! So keep your eye out, in the next week or so, I should have the first one ready - "Ten Techniques with Transparencies (give or take a few)" - lol! I love the aliteration of the title, but I dont think I actually have ten techniques, more like 7 or 8, but it just doesnt have the same impact - lol!

And here is a page that I finished this weekend, using Love Elsie and Pop culture stuff, for the Sisterhood of Scrap challenge. I used an ad from Self magazine as inspiration, and did a color blocking technique.




oh, oh, and in other news. Eliana is proceeding beautifully with the potty training. She is consistently telling us when she needs to go, and even (I think) woke up dry this morning despite wearing her diaper. She has also cut down on the number of times that she thinks she has to go but really doesnt. And she doesnt seem to be sitting on the potty just to attempt to get a piece of chocolate anymore. So that is good. And did I mention that we are going to disney world? so she will be potty trained for that. And as soon as this cold passes (which I think it is on its way out) I am going to start my own sort of training for that. I decided that in no uncertain terms, I need to lose weight before Disney world. It is going to be hot, and I am goign to want to wear small amounts of clothes and go swimming and I can't do that feeling and looking the way I do now. So - workout here I come!

Wow - sorry for such a long post.