ScrapHappy

Tough Decisions.

For the past three years, we have not had any television reception. It was a very tough call to make for our then-8-, 5-, and 1-year-old, but it was one of the best decisions we've ever made as parents.

It's not that we're anti-TV. We're anti-JUNK TV. And we were getting concerned about the amount of time all of us, not just the kids, spent in front of the old boob tube. On Saturday mornings, our kids would watch an alarming three hours of TV before we even got up! And the stuff they were watching wasn't the harmless Tom & Jerry of yore. Add in the incessant marketing, and it was enough to make us question conventional wisdom.

So the TV got unplugged. We still watched videos -- quite a few of them, honestly -- but there was a definite beginning and end, and no commercials, and we knew what they were watching because we'd seen the same shows over and over and (in the case of Peter Pan and certain episodes of Barney) over again. It felt safe, and it felt good.

We immediately noticed that the kids started playing together more -- fun games, too! Building forts, creating huge domino chains, hosting early morning Monopoly marathons, and more. Sure, we had entered a new zone -- we felt out of it when we had no idea what "Lost" was, had never seen a single episode of "American Idol," and didn't know who won the Academy Awards. But overall, the good outweighed the bad.

Now, as we get settled in our new home, we have a tough dilemma. We DO have cable reception for the first time in over 1000 days -- it came in a bundle as part of our Internet access and phone service. The kids are obsessed once again with junk TV (Total Drama Island has to be the dumbest show I've ever seen!). And we've decided once again to pull the plug. At the end of this week, the TV is getting unhooked from the cable box. The kids are not happy, but the honest truth is, we believe they will miss more by watching TV than they will by NOT watching TV.

Your Assignment: I'll be turning this blog entry into a scrapbook page. Make your own page about a tough decision you've made, or  alternately about your relationship with TV. What shows do you and your family like to watch? How much TV do you watch in a typical week? Do you watch for fun, entertainment, news?

Learning Something New.

Those of us on the creative path know that learning new things is an inherent part of the process. It's not enough to repeat the same things over and over again -- we crave expanding our horizons.

Whether we're scrapbookers, writers, cooks, gardeners, or songwriters, pushing our skills makes us better at whatever it is we do. And you know what the cool thing is? Learning something new in ANY area helps us in ALL areas. Learning a new chord on the guitar can help you become a better cook. Taking a yoga class for the first time can open new doors in your writing. And learning a new language can make you a better photographer.

How? A number of ways. I've found that when I push myself to learn new things, the results are felt throughout my life. I become more adventersome, I risk more, I feel more competent. And I become more willing to learn in every aspect of my creating. Natalie Goldberg, in her fabulous books on writing called "Wild Mind" and "Writing Down the Bones" talks about achieving "beginner's mind," that frame of mind where we forget about trying to be the expert and instead just focus on taking it all in. And that feeds our creativity.

Lately, I've been re-learning how to do the Rubik's Cube . Crazy, huh? I once upon a time could do it (about 25 years ago!), and in the last year have enjoyed watching my son become obsessed with it. He's now an "expert" and can do it in under 2 minutes -- and behind his back! As a way to connect with him, I picked up the 3x3 cube and gave it a shot. I'm a slower learner this time around, but that's okay. And he really enjoys instructing me for a change! The role reversal brings a whole new dimension to our relationship. How will it help my scrapbooking and writing? Not sure yet, but I know it will. :)

Your Assignment: Learn something new! And tell me about it.

Resources:

Natalie Goldberg's books are wonderful for writers, but great for anyone in a creative pursuit.

Words from the Wise:

"Get over the idea that only children should spend their time in study. Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life."
-- Henry L. Doherty

“In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few.”

-Shunryu Suzuki

A Quickie - and a Contest!

 

It's Friday! It's still raining! Ack! I need rainy-day activities for the kids, stat! Leave me a comment with your favorite indoor activities for the family and I'll pick one winner to be the lucky recipient of some of the destashing going on around here. :) You have until Monday at 9 AM eastern to share... winner will be announced Tuesday!

Home.

As you can tell, I've been thinking a lot about "Home" lately -- what it means in terms of a physical space, and what it means for me emotionally. I remember heading away to college and grad school and feeling HOMESICK -- that emptiness and loneliness in the pit of your stomach that tells you that you're far away from anyone who matters to you.

I haven't been feeling homesick (though I do miss California and my extended family), and I figured out it's because home is where my husband and kids are. If we're all together, then I'm okay. Isn't that a great feeling?

On one of my last substitute teaching days for my kids' school, the kindergarteners were watching "Finding Nemo," and a line from the movie perfectly captured my feelings. Dory, the fish with the short-term memory problems, tells Marlin, "I look at you and I'm home."

If that doesn't bring tears to your eyes...!!!

Your assignment: Join me in creating a page with the title, "I look at you and I'm home." I'll finish and post mine as soon as I get my boxes all sorted out!

Resources:

Words from the Wise:

"A house is made of walls and beams: A home is built with love and dreams."

"Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in."
-Robert Frost

"Home  is where you can say anything you please, because no one pays any attention to you anyway."
-Joe Moore

Too Much Stuff!

As I wade through the boxes in the house, basement, and scrap palace, I realize one simple truth:

I HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF!

Too many photos. Too much patterned paper. Too many buttons. Too many pairs of shoes, socks, and underwear (is that also too much... as in TMI??). And above all, TOO MANY BOOKS!

So what's a hoarder to do? Get rid of some of it! And that's the challenge... What to toss? What to keep? What to pass on? What to throw away or recycle?

These aren't easy questions, and I find myself looking for help from a variety of sources... de-cluttering websites, organization mavens, and (haha!) more BOOKS.

This is an ongoing process I will share with you on this blog. To start with, I'm setting an audacious goal... by the time we move again, I want HALF as much as I have now. Half as many pairs of shoes, half as much scrap stuff, half as many books, etc.

Is that crazy? Probably, but if I shoot for the moon, maybe I'll hit a star. ;)

Here are some other guidlines I'm setting:
-Throw something out every day
-When in doubt, throw it out
-Don't let other people's stuff distract me or provide an excuse for not addressing my own accumulations
-Focus on the things I love

Want to come along for the ride?

Your assignment: Think about your relationship with STUFF. Are you a hoarder, a purger, or somewhere in between? Tell me!

Resources:

Here are a few of the "textbooks" I'm using along the decluttering road:

Lots of choices there!

A short video to give you a jumpstart:

In My Opinion...

I've been thinking a lot about opinions lately. Actually, I'm always thinking about opinions -- mostly in terms of what people think about ME.

What will my new neighbors think of my family?
What will you all think of my blog posts?
What will my old friends think of the 10 extra pounds I'm carrying?
What will our landlords think of how we're setting up the house?

And on and on and on... Does that make me self-centered? I think it probably just makes me normal. We all care about what other people think to one degree or another. Where it gets tricky is when other people's opinions become more important than our own.

Personal story: I bought two lbs. (TWO LBS.!!) of spinach at the farmers' market last week (I know, I know, but it was $2.99!!). While searching for spinach recipes online, I came across one called "Turkish Spinach Cake." It actually looked really good!

I trimmed, washed and pureed the spinach as instructed, mixed up the batter, and baked it.

The resulting cake was... green. And, in my opinion, delicious! But no one -- NO ONE -- in the rest of the family wanted to even try it -- even when smothered in buttercream icing. I was intent on keeping the main ingredient a secret. But you can't keep a secret in my house, so it soon became common knowledge that this was a cake Popeye would deeply enjoy.

So I ate half of it over the course of two days and threw out the rest.

In some opinions, the cake was a failure. In others (mine!), it was a success. So who wins? Well, it's not something I'll be making for anyone's birthday cake, but I will make it for myself. And maybe for a party where no one will know how much spinach I put in. ;)

Your assignment: Do you have a particular page that might be deemed a "failure?" Maybe the photo is out of focus, or the journaling is stilted instead of flowing like smooth silk? Do you agree, or do you love it anyway? By the same token, is there a scrapbook "rule" that you can't abide by? (Does the rule of three give you the hives? Do you hate common margins?). Remember, you are the boss of your own scrapbooking!

Words from the Wise:

"Opinions are like belly buttons. Everyone has one."
-paraphrased by me :)

"I'm not sure I want popular opinion on my side -- I've noticed those with the most opinions often have the fewest facts."
-Bethania McKenstry

"The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we should speak, the divine floods of light and life no longer flow into our souls."
-Elizabeth Cady Stanton

 

My New House

Ten years from now, when someone comments on my kids' poor table manners and says, "Did you grow up in a BARN?!" they'll be able to say, "Why, yes, I did!"

Here's my cute bug in front of its new home in Lexington, MA.

Our rental house is more than a century old. It was originally the barn for the "big house" that our neighbors inhabit.

Lots of wood, lots of slanted floors, lots of charm and quirkiness.

Here are a couple more shots. The view from the front door:

 

And our closest neighbors' house (NOT the "big house," obviously):

 

Here's the scrap palace:

It's a small outside room on the back deck, complete with wood-burning stove... Don't look too closely, or you'll see the piles of boxes I have to unpack!

It's a great space (much larger than my previous craft closet) but with all those windows, I'm having a challenge with storage. Can't add bookshelves... Maybe everything will just stay in boxes. ;)

We're settling in and doing our best to make this house into a home. It's very different from what we're used to, but we're opening our arms wide to this new adventure!

Your assignment: What adventure or major life change are you facing right now? What would it look like if you embraced it with both arms? Can you scrapbook or write about what's holding you back, or conversely, what you're looking forward to? I'll be doing a page about what I miss about California, and what New England has ato offer that we couldn't ever experience at "home."

Resources:

"Change" by Tears for Fears

Life changes bring stress! What do you score on this Stress Test? (I scored 342!!!)

Words from the Wise:

"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it." 
~Attributed to both Jim Goodwin and Sydney J. Harris

"The man who doesn't relax and hoot a few hoots voluntarily, now and then, is in great danger of hooting hoots and standing on his head for the edification of the pathologist and trained nurse, a little later on."
~Elbert Hubbard

So, What Do You Think?

It's mid-month now... what do you think of the blog changes? Too much? Too little?

Comments, please. :)

Duck, Duck, Goose.

Coming out of McDonalds (JUST for the Diet Coke, really!), I saw some ducks in the parking lot! They were just bopping around like they belonged there. I told them to take off before Ronald began offering duck Mcnuggets. :)

Of course, I didn't have my camera -- and even if I had had it on hand, I'm not sure I would have snapped a picture. It didn't really have anything to do with our life or my kids or family. I mean, I barely have time to scrap my own kids, let alone some random water fowl!! (Although if any of them is interested in learning how to scrapbook, I'd be glad to help them out. Though their lack of opposable thumbs may given them a bit of trouble with the Crop-A-Dile.)

But what it did make me realize is how, as a scrapbooker, I am so much more aware of the little things. I could not only notice the ducks, but appreciate the whimsy of seeing them in an unexpected locale (no bodies of water within a few miles!).

 

Scrapbooking has gifted me in so many ways, not the least of which is this increased awareness of the world around me and an appreciation for everyday joys. Including a duck or two.

Your assignment: How has scrapbooking changed your life? Have you ever created a page about scrapbooking? Why not now?

Wise words:

Science and art have that in common that everyday things seem to them new and attractive.
-Friedrich Nietzsche

Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to continually be part of unanimity.
-Christopher Morley 

     

Obsession.

I hate to admit it, but I'm obsessed with the Jon and Kate Plus Eight scandal.

I know it's natural to want to watch a train wreck in progress, and the media definitely supports our constant attentions to all things prurient, but here's the rub:

I'VE NEVER EVEN SEEN THE SHOW!

 

What is it about these things that compel my attention? Is it because it makes my own life look relatively normal in comparison? Or is it just the ole' gossip gene kicking into high gear?

I thought I'd make fun of my own obsession and scraplift the "US" magazine cover above. Stay tuned for the results of the Ehmann tabloid headlines!

Your assignment: Join me in sharing your family's tabloid-worthy secrets.

Links:

Kate's blog.

Behind the Scenes.

Kate's book: