So Very Grateful ...

Happy Friday!!

How is it that I look forward to weekends even though I'm a work-at-home-mom?  It's not like a LOT changed in my day from a weekday to a weekend!  ... I suppose I just like having my peeps around even though we tend to do our own thing most of the day.  I DO have reason to celebrate the weekend THIS week ... NO WORKOUT TOMORROW!!  Woo Hoo!!  Oh.  Em.  Gee.  I've been doing my new T25 workout videos ... and I can't believe I'm still alive!  *lol*  Monday was a cardio workout.   I made it to the end but seriously - I thought I was going to throw up.  And really.  Should a woman at my age and in my level of fitness (or lack thereof) REALLY be doing "jump squats" ... REALLY??  OBVIOUSLY Shaun T has never had children.  I won't provide you with a graphic overshare on the workings of my bladder control but let's just say jumping jacks + squats + 2 litres of water are NOT a good combo!  Just sayin'!!  Tuesday - Thur were all different videos working different areas.  Some I nailed ... some not so much.  Today was a fresh new hell as I got to do TWO of them back to back.  Oh yes - 25 minutes of agony wasn't enough.  Shaun recommends TWO workouts on Friday "but if that's too much don't stress about it, just do the second one on the weekend".  Uh, ya, Shaun.  Right.  Given that my legs were so shaky after the "lower focus" workout I had to hold onto both handrails going down the stairs I figured I'd be lucky if I could STAND on the weekend, let alone workout ... so I pushed through another 25 minutes of cardio. Whilst I didn't feel like throwing up this time it wasn't my idea of a great time.  The only thing keeping me going was knowing that I didn't have to do it tomorrow!!!  So YAY for Friday!!  ... and bring on 9 Friday's from now when I'll (apparently) be "Beach Ready" ...... or in traction ... time will tell *lol*

SOOOOOO!  My organizing / purging / sorting has slowed down a bit the last 2 days.  Not just because all I get accomplished by noon is working out, walking the dog and showering but also becasue the "fun" organizing / purging / sorting had been done.  Now it's the REALLY time-consuming stuff that makes me not wanna play anymore.  I managed to get down there last night for Rebecca / Mom time and while she painted I made cards.  That's one of my projects!  I have a box FULL of all the old "left overs" from old parties and classes.  Ziplock bags FULL of cut card stock.  Sounds like it should be quick to slap the cards together since they are already designed and cut right?  Ya, no.  Not in my world.  First of all I'm lucky if I can figure out which card was MADE with which bag of stuff ... and then I have to hope I still own the stamp set that I used ... and then I have to still LIKE the original card I made.  See?  It's complicated!  Be that as it may I pressed on ... and managed to purge one bag of templates.  The first card came from the leftovers from this Christmas card:

I loved this card!  It was made with the now retired Watercolor Winter.  It was so quick and clean!  I thought I would crack off the extras using the same layout and just change the stamp set so I could maybe use the design again in a future class or party.  Ya.  No.  What was supposed to be quick ended up taking about 2 hours!  This was my first attempt:

 Hmmm ... It's ok ... not as awesome as I hoped it would be.  I used theAdorning Accents folder for the embossed part and the So Very Grateful stamp with Staz-on Black Ink.  I colored the centres of the flowers with my Raspberry Ripple marker and then used the Silver Sparkle Dazzling Details glue to bling it up.  (Did you realize there IS a Silver glue?  I didn't until it had been around for about 6 months!  Check out page 166 of the catty!  I knew there was the Dazzling Diamonds and Cherry Cobbler glue but that one slipped under my radar!)  The little flowers are from none other than the SAB FREE set Banner Blast!  AND the little flower coordinates with the tiny flower punch from the Itty Bitty Punch pack - who knew??!!)  The top left flower was punched out and popped up on a dimensional and then I added a grey Candy Dot in the centre ... and then used the silver glue to sparkle it.  The others are punched out but not popped up and just have glitter in the centre.  Yay - I like it but it didn't blow my hair back.  Since I had more templates to use I tried again.  Here was my second attempt:

Hmmm  I dunno.  Not an award winner.  I just wasn't feeling it, I guess.  Same idea, just no color.  I sued a gimmer black brad this time and some DSP - the Kaleidoscope DSP from the Occasions mini.  Meh. 

I grabbed another stack of templates and made them up pretty much as-was ... I just changed the sentiment to one from the current hostess set "Express Yourself".  This was a CASE of a Mary Fish Card:

This is a fun, easy little card.  I spend about half an hour trying to change it to use some of the new DSP from the mini ... but ended up with what I started with.  It really is great just the way it is!  The butterfly is punched out with the butterfly punch and then paper pierced using the Occasions Paper Piercing pack.  The paper, DSP and ink are all Rich Razzleberry (which is just fun to say!).  A few rhinestones finish it off nicely.

So that's what I've been up to ... oh!  I DID make an easter card with this template that looks NOTHING like the original card.  I'll a) find it b) take pics of it tomorrow and c) post it.  Until then, have a stampy Friday!!!


Tam