Welcome 2010!

From my family to yours, wishing you all a very Happy New Year! 

Getting Back To Things...

...after being away is sometimes so hard...for me.  But I'm determined to "get my groove on" and get movin'!  Many of you who follow me on Facebook know that I came down with the flu the week before Christmas.  For those of you who don't follow me on Facebook, this explanation may explain why I have been M.I.A. here on my blog.  Very sick...yes...but I have made a full recovery.

While I was sitting here in my "lazy chair" with nothing to do but sleep and feel bad, I decided to do a lil' something for my son.  We have this nature reserve one town over from us where my family  & I like to take nature walks.  I have been going there since I was a teenager and just love it!  I used pictures from a walk Andrew & I took in Oct. 2008 to create this lil' mini:

I was inspired by the pictures to use this fun line from DCWV.  I based the cover on a similar album done by Angela Moen but used a Maya Road album instead because I thought it fit my pictures better.  LOVE LOVE LOVE how it came out!  Andrew loved it too, which made "Mama" VERY HAPPY!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas (belated) and a joyous and peaceful New Year!  Thanks for stopping by!

My FAVORITE Christmas special is...

"A Charlie Brown Christmas"!  I don't care how old I am or how often I watch it...it always puts me into the right mood.  And it's such a gentle reminder of what this holiday season is all about.  It's the best half hour of my day!

On the 13th Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me...

some new goodies from my new friend Kim @ Valley Primitives.  Here's what I got:

I loved the last stiched frame so much, I just had to get this one!

And this snowman stitched mat will look great with my collection!  Thanks again Kim!

Today I spent the day with my girl buds at the store for our annual Christmas party/crop.  I worked on a calendar for my mother-in-law most of the day and then started on my Christmas cards. 

I used the idea from my handmade ornament.  Using a snowflake punch, I punched out white and green snowflakes and arranged them in a circle.  I added some red bling gems to some of the snowflakes and added a red grosgrain bow.  I am very happy with how they turned out...elegant but not over-the-top.  4 cards down...26 to go! 

On the 11th Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me...

a 10 year old who still believes in Santa!  Hey...I still believe in Santa...so...it's all cool. 

This year Andrew has asked for (in addition to the usual Wii games, Nerf blasters, gift cards...etc) a puppet.  Deb, our pastor's wife and the head of the Puppetude ministry at church helped me research some puppets and recommended this guy from Puppetville:

This is "Kenny".  Isn't he cool?  His legs are removable and he comes with an armrod.  Hubby & I think he has a lot of character.  His clothing is removable too, which makes him very versatile.  I hope Andrew will like him...I know I do!

On the 10th Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me...

a few days off from the computer!

"Wait...what is she saying?"  Lemme explain.  Instead of spending days 4, 5, 6...and so on talking and typing, I decided to spend some time doing.  So...here's what we've been up to:

Saturday night we had our 1st real snowfall.  I just love it when it snows at night and everyone has their Christmas lights on.  This is a pic of our house (I took it from across the street.)  Vanessa had to talk me thru how to use my night settings.  It wasn't the kind of night to be setting up a tripod...so this was the best I could do.

This was the scene from our front door Sunday morning.  Such a beautiful shot with the snow covered trees.  Andrew couldn't wait to get outside and play!

Sunday afternoon Andrew had a puppet performance at one of the local nursing homes.  He belongs to our puppet ministry at church...it is a group of kids headed up by our pastor's wife and they perform Christian holiday songs to our seniors and kids clubs/events throughout the year.  He plays the black faced lamb in the this song.  Check it out!

Monday hubby helped me finish "decking the halls."  We made fudge and pecan turtle treats.  And we had some tv time.

Tuesday I spent the evening working in the studio.  I am making both of my sisters albums for Christmas.  I hope they like them.

Wednesday we had another snow day.  Andrew was home from school so we spent the day in our jammies and made cookies.

These reindeer cookies are made from peanut butter cookie dough and are decorated with pretzels for the antlers, a red M & M for the nose and mini morsels for the eyes. 

Andrew had the best job...decorating the reindeer & licking the spoon!

Today was another busy day here in the Schimanski house.  Tonight Andrew had his Winter Concert at school.  We invited both Grammas to come and watch.  Andrew was selected to perform "Jingle Bell Rock" with a few of the band students and the band teacher.  He did such a great job! 

It still amazes me how talented he is!  And not just becasue I am his mama!!  :)

Stay tuned for the 11th day of Christmas!

On the 4th Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me...

...new handmade ornaments for my tree. 

Did I mention how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE snowmen?  These three cuties will look FAN-TAS-TIC on my tree!  Thanks Valley Primitives!  I love your shoppe!

And...lookie what else I got from her:

This lil' frame will look really nice in my kitchen.  I can't wait!

On the 3rd Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me...

a *giggle*...watching you lick a spoon.

Andrew and I had such fun tonight making "cakeball treats" for his band Christmas party tomorrow.  I dipped while he added the most important ingredient...SPRINKLES!

Yes...they ARE as yummy as they look!

This is the finished batch for school in the morning.

Am I a cool mom or what??!!

I made the following holiday ornament for the employee tree at the store:

I cut out several snowflakes from a Sizzix die in both white and blue.  I adhered a layer of white snowflakes followed by a layer of blue onto a "wreath" circle cut out.  I added a third layer of snowflakes (white) and added a blue/silver ribbon bow at the bottom.  I embellished a few of the white snowflakes with pearls and added a silver tie at the top.  Kinda cute huh?  I think so.  It certainly got my "creative juices" flowin'!

On the 2nd Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me...

...a painting of three snowmen...singing!

Andrew's school publishes their artwork on Artsonia...a public site for schools to showcase young artists and their artwork.  He has had several items showcased on this site...this is the 1st piece for this year.  So cute!  When this one comes home I'm taking it over to Michael's to have framed.

Today I am thankful for a sleeping puppy under the tree.  December Daily...Day 2.

On the 1st Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me...

...a decorated Christmas tree.  Yip...my two honeys decorated our tree last night while I was working downstairs in the studio.

It was so wonderful this morning to wake up to the tree already done on the 1st day of December.  Some of you may be follwing Ali Edwards this month while completing your own "December Daily."  I have decided to do my own version and take a picture each day that brings joy to my heart about this wonderful holiday season.  Here is my 1st one:

Each ornament on our tree is a snowman.  This is one of my favorites.  He chunky-grubby with a carrot nose...can he be any cuter?

This week I started getting the itch to make something "Christmasy."  I took the chipboard Christmas keychain from Maya Road and decorated them.  Take a look:

Candy cane with red Stickles.  I used the Fiskars holly punch and added a red button.

I covered the tree with green swirl paper from Reminisce and added red bling jewels.

I covered the ornament with red Bazzill, used an EK Success circle punch to punch out a center from Imaginise paper, added a title, star and button to complete.  These sure got me into the Christmas spirit!

New Format

I was getting bored with the how my blog was looking.  Thought I would "jazz it up" with a template from Butterflygirlms Blog Design.  I picked this one out from her many designs...and thought it fit.  I like the "stretch" feature that she offers...it fills up the page so that all the little "buttons" are evenly spaced throughout.  Let me know what you think!  :)

"Touchtones..."

...so the printer is broken. And Vanessa is trying to help me fix it. And the radio is playing....and I hear the "touchtones." So I say...to Vanessa..."touchtones". And she continues to work on the printer. And then a few seconds go by...still the printer. Then she picks up the phone. She calls 96.5 fm. And the D.J. answers..."what are you doin?" And she says..."what are YOU doin??" And she wins! WINS! Freakin' Vanessa!

And the printer is still broken.

(But she is giving me the tix...cuz she doesn't like Daughtry.)

So hubby is taking our son to see Daughtry.

Thanks Vanessa! :P

Imaginisce Design Team Call

So...can I tell you that Imaginisce is one of my FAVORITE scrapbooking lines? I fell in love with the company last fall with the release of their Halloween line. And the rest is history.

Early this month, Imaginisce announced on their blog that they were looking for scrappers to join their design team. I was SO EXCITED!!! The deadline was yesterday and you had to submit 3 projects, a layout, a card and a project of choice...so I submitted the following:

I hope that they pick ME! :) Wish me luck!

When I do it...

...I do it up BIG!!! So, by now I am sure you have all heard that my family & I moved back here to CT. My hubby was offered a job here in CT on a Monday afternoon...we packed up the car with all of our crap, our kid & pup and left Tuesday at 5:30am. We pulled into my mother-in-law's in Bristol at 9:43pm on Friday night and the rest is history! Since then it has been a whirlwind trying to get back in the swing of things but I can tell you it was all worth it! We are so happy to be home!

When you get the chance, stop by NESC...you'll find me there...right behind the counter...where I always used to be. Lynn & Sue have taken me back & I can't be any happier! Have a great week! :)

So...Where Ya Been??

I've been here...in sunny CA...trying to get some kind of schedule together. Things have been busy at my store with the big sale last week. I have been trying to work on class samples, page kits, page kits for Just Scrappin' Happy, Scrap Can Do! kits, work, take care of Andrew, etc etc etc. Never enough hours in the day. All while trying to survive out here with no family...no friends. I can tell you...it's hard.

Thankfully, my gals back home at NESC are letting me continue to work for them 3000 miles away by letting me be a part of the Kit of the Month (KOTM) program. Here is the sample I did for October:



I know there will only be a few kits available once they prepare for the pre-sold kits, so if you want one, don't delay.

Things are CRAZY 'round here...

I know...I'm not the only mom trying to get back into the swing of things with the start of school. But this school year is especially hard...not just for Andrew. Although, I do have to say that he is dealing with things VERY well. He has already made some new friends. And they play soccer in recess...which he just loves.

This is Andrew with his "Nana." She is a teacher in his school (4th grade...he's in 5th.) So they ride in together. Love this pic.

So what's MY problem?? Well...all new papers to fill out, forms, different rules and procedures. Different times. Different everything. It's taking me some time to get it all together, not to mention working at the new store and learning their policies & procedures. Sure, the scrapping is the easy part. It's just everything else to learn. I'm not complaining...just trying to keep it all straight.

Wokring hard on my lil' business. Trying to get new kits added to my site soon. I'll keep you updated as they are released.

Next, it's on to new Scrap Can Do Kits. Vanessa & I are busy planning new designs with all new product lines. Fancy Pants, SEI, Pine Cone Press...we've got BIG plans! Look for new releases later this fall.

It's Official!

Come see my new site!!!

www.justscrappinhappy.com

New page kits just added!

Someone is giving Vanna "the bird..."

When I moved out to CA, I thought it would be fun to do a "page swap" with Debbie B. (my friend and colleague from NESC.) She jumped on the idea and we have had a great time thinking of themes and trading pages. I wanted to do a swap with Vanessa too, but she rarely scraps. BUT she makes other LOVELY crafty-type items (to see click HERE.) So instead of a "page swap" Vanessa and I are doing a crafty "prize swap." And this month, I am giving her "the bird."

I kill myself laughing...

:)

One Kit Left!

Ok kids...only one left. I am *THRILLED* at the response to the page kits. The Bo Bunny line was fun to work with and I can't believe I have almost sold out.

Gearing up for my second kit...found some lovely holiday paper from Melissa Francis that I just HAD to play with. And I think that it's never too early to get holiday pages done...or perhaps catch up on past years. I'll post later this week when it becomes available.

Vanessa and I are also gearing up for new Scrap Can Do! releases. Our previous kits have had great response...so well that we are down to our last few. New releases this fall include a "Disney-type" album, new baby albums, a "berry sweet" album and more. Look for the new "travel" album to be released later this month. I'm tired already just THINKING about it!

Looks like I'll be busy for a while. Happy Scrappin'!!

And...So How Did It Go?

Let me tell you...

The owner of the store is fantastic...she's a peach to work for! I feel right at home with all of the paper and embellies and ribbon. There are (of course) things I have to learn...like the register (we use different software than what I am used to), where things are, store polices, etc. But all in all, it's just grand.

Today I helped this nice lady (she's 80 but doesn't look a day over 65!) help start her scrapbooking adventure. She had never done scrapping before but wanted to put together something with her pics from the pageant she was just in. (CA is so different from back east!) We have one-on-one sessions that a person can sign up for, and since there were 3 of us on today (and me being the newbie) I was asked to help her out by the owner. What a sweet lady! But I felt confident & comfortable helping her start her book.

I talked with the owner about teaching classes and she was excited about the idea. I will be teaching in Sept and the woman I helped today wants to sign up already! I think I'll continue to teach once a month...just like at NESC. :)

For only working 4 hours and being all excited...I am pooped!

AND...I have only 2 more Just Scrappin' Happy Page Kits left...so hurry on over here if you still want one...cuz they're going...going...going...

Getting Back To Work

Tomorrow, my vacation is finally over. I am rejoining the work force and starting my new position at the scrapbook store here in CA. I can't explain how excited I am to be getting back to work...a little anxious too because it will be different from NESC. But I treated myself to a crop on Friday night and was pleasantly surprised at how "at home" I felt already. (But I did call Vanna to "check in" and talk "cropping." AND I was Facebooking Debbie.) But I met some new gals who were very friendly. I think I'm gonna be ok! :)


Tune in tomorrow to see how I did!


AND...for those of you who have asked...I am now offering "Just Scrappin' Happy" Page Kits. I have listed my 1st kit here. Same great design efforts (by yours truly), same great detailed instructions and a color photo. Plus I offer FREE SHIPPING! I have a limited number of kits available, so don't delay!

Sunny CA

Just checking in to let you all know we are having a fabulous time here in sunny California. The first few days we spent getting ourselves settled and we did some driving around to get ourselves used to the area. Then, on Sunday, we spent the day at Disneyland. Andrew had the best time! There was hardly any waiting for rides and the weather was perfect!

My husband's father and his wife have been so loving and caring with our transition. They have made it easy for us to make ourselves at home.

Friday we fly back east to pick up Jake, finalize some personal things and visit with family & friends once more before we make the trek across the U.S. to our new home. We are excited about our upcoming adventures. I am planning on taking MANY pics along the way...including all of the CORN FIELDS (*giggle*)! *corn corn corn corn*...

As far as employment...you'll never guess what I have landed...a job at our local SCRAPBOOK STORE! Well, it's not final yet...I'll know definitely tomorrow whether or not I have the job...how how great would that be? Can you imagine...me...working at a SCRAPBOOK STORE? Life is GRAND!

Check back soon to see what we're up to...sending love & hugs to you all!

How Do You Say Goodbye...

...to the people and places that you've known your whole life? Let me back up...


Sometimes life throws you a curve ball...out of nowhere. And that curve ball changes the dynamic of your life. And with that comes choices. Choices that you have to make to survive and protect your family. So, we made some choices.


Today is my last "official" day at New England Scrapbook Co. My family is moving to CA (as in California) later this month. It's hard to believe that I was only at NESC for 2 years...it feels like a lifetime. I couldn't have asked for better employers, better colleagues, better customers...or better friends. How many people can honestly say that they love their job and the people they work for. My tenure at the store was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And to leave it behind leaves a big hole in my heart.

So many of you have had the chance to say goodbye to me while others of you are just finding out. What I have to say now - I say to ALL of my family & friends...you never know how much people mean to you until you leave them. I carry all of you in my heart...now and always.

I'll be updating my blog with news & events of our trip to CA and once we get settled. I hope you will continue to follow my adventures even though I'll be on the opposite coast. Many of my "scrappy" friends have asked me to continue to post pics of my layouts & have even gone so far as to request that I still make "Designer Series" kits once I get settled. Please keep me & my family in your prayers as we embark on this new and exciting journey. I miss and love you all.

Sad News

I try and keep on top of my "electronic socializing" by updating Facebook, Twitter, my personal blog, my biz blog, etc. And in the course of doing so tonight I found very sad news:



I am a bit of a news junky, so this was very upsetting to me. I can only hope for the best.

These are the moments that make me smile!

This kid just cracks me up! Coach Jack was juggling baseballs around tonight during the practice session right before the game. So what does Andrew do? While I am on the phone with hubby, Andrew decides HE wants to "teach himself how to juggle" just like Coach Jack. Meanwhile, the dog wants in on the action too, because afterall...those are HIS balls. So everytime Andrew drops the balls, Jake is right there to fetch them. This would make any Momma smile!

New Designer Kits Now Available!

We've been busy making new Designer Series Kits. Hop on over to the store before they sell out!

Busy Little Bees

Vanessa & I are gearing up for our upcoming workshop on June 14th at New England Scrapbook Co. We are teaching two sessions...a travel kit in the morning and a family kit in the afternoon. Hope you can join us for one (or both!) Here is a "sneak" of the morning class: