Pumpkin Season

This year I've been pretty excited about fall. About pumpkin socials and sweater weather. I just love it when it's overcast and chilly and you get to cuddle in a sweater. But if you're a scrapper you know it's a great excuse to take pictures with pumpkins, in corn mazes, hay mazes and pumpkin patches, with your Starbuck's pumpkin latte's so you can use the super cute new Halloween lines. No matter what you can ALWAYS count on new, cute Halloween lines. This year I'd say my favorite is October Afternoon. I'll post some of my fall/Halloween layouts later, but for now I'll share some of my favorite October photos. We started the first weekend in October at at one of my most favorite friend's house...and of course Scott managed to photobomb just about every photo successfully. Photobomb master on the real.

Jarid and I spent a week in New Orleans which has been on my travel list for a long time. In four days/four nights we walked all of the French Quarter, Saint Louis Cemetery One, Did a Haunted History Tour, went to the Zoo in the Garden District, The Aquarium on Riverwalk, Had a Hurricane & Hand Granade on Bourbon Street, went to the French Market, walked Frenchman Street (Reminded me of Haight) and of course ate at Cafe DuMonde. Here are just a couple of photos.

Weekend before last I hung out in Half Moon Bay with a few of my scrappy friends. We went to the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Fest 2012, home of the largest pumpkin weighing 1700lbs. I actually was disappointed that this festival wasn't more pumpkin patch type activities. But that didn't stop me from trying Pumpkin Chili Nachos, Pumpkin Pie and a bite of Pumpkin Ice Cream. Yum!

We also went to Lemos Farms and Pastorino's Pumpkin Farm.

Last weekend we headed to G&M Farms in Dublin. Corn Maze and corn kernal "sand" boxes....good times haha.

And finally, this weekend. Saturday I spent the day scrapping. Here are some layouts I've done this month. Actually before I get to that here are a couple of photos from the Hay Maze at Arata's Farm in Half Moon Bay. Jarid and I got out for a couple of hours. :)

Okay back to some layouts. I've been on a roll lately. With Pinterest and Studio Calico kits I've once again been inspired. Although I won't be continuing with my subscription to SC past this month I am happy that it got me back to scrapping on a regular basis. I like that it's made it easy for me to mix and match manufacturers. I think, however, my real mojo is being able to scrapbook with friends. It's such a fun thing for me. I just wish I could get my far away friends to realize how awesome the Bay Area is and move here so they could scrap with me. THEN I need to get my non-scrappy friends scrapbooking so I can selfishly have all the people I heart so with me all the time!!!

You can see more of my layouts at MY FLICKR ACCT. Next weekend we're headed to Pasedena for DesignerCon 2012. If you're in the area you should come by and support my boo - JRAD If you've read this far, please leave me a comment! Until next time!

Whole Lot of Nothing

I feel like there's a lot and a whole lot of nothing going on. I've gotten into such a routine. Come Monday, get up go to work, go home, cook dinner, go to bed. Tuesday, repeat. Then comes Friday - yes, the weekend! But alas Sunday is here and I better get to bed early because I have a week to conquer. This can't really be what it's all about. But in the meantime, it is what it is. Doing my part as a citizen, fiance, friend and faithful employee. This weekend went by very quickly. The future mama in law came into town Friday night, and just left this morning. This meant plans! Saturday we went to our usual breakfast spot (Glen's Hot Dogs in Oakland - it's delish!) then headed to the Treasure Island Flea. I will admit I was a bit disappointed. By the look of the website I thought this was going to be a much bigger event. However, I would most definitely go again. There were some cool things to look at and best of all - yep, food trucks! Saturday I tried the Garlic Aoli Fries from a converted school bus. They were delish.

Afterwards we headed to Coit Tower (first for all three of us)

then drove down Lombard just to go home and NAP. Oh lovely Naps, I love you so so much. BBQ was on the menu as I marinated some chicken thighs (Yoshida's marinade, with minced garlic and sesame seed) and Jarid worked the grill.

Good Night Saturday. Sunday was the annual Niles Antiques Fair.

I was really happy we got to go, and really happy that I found some cool items totaling under $50! I think my favorite find was a dark room timer for about $12.50. It's rad!

At the fair I found a few other things - like an aunt & uncle I haven't seen in a year (which led to me crying for about 5 min after they left) and a co-worker who I adore. It was an interesting day but definitely a good one. I forgot to mention we ate at The Country Way in Fremont. Holy shit is their food delish! More butter? I'm looking forward to next weekend. A no-plans weekend. Hopefully I can spend some quality time with my new Cameo in my crafty cave. I hope to downsize more of the house and maybe even hang a few more pictures on the wall. We may only have about 5-months left on the lease, but it's home for now. Trying not to get too caught up in what the next steps might be and hope to enjoy the moments while I can. Enjoy the calm before the storm and all. Maybe next time I'll finally post all the layouts I've done over the past couple of months....

Forgiveness

I went to the PBWC yesterday. It didn't leave me as inspired as last year, but it definitely made an impression. I took a negotiating workshop and think that I learned quite a bit which will benefit me in my career. I was surprised to realize that a few of the techniques I already do practice and have been successful in using and look forward to trying out things I should be doing in the art of negotiation.

However what really hit me hard at this even was the workshop by of LeAnn Theiman called "Balancing Life in Your "War Zones"" Now her story was about rescuing 300 babies from Vietnam (one of those babies just happens to be a coworker of mine). But the moral of the story (at least, the moral I took with me) was to focus on what is a priority to you always, and to follow the signs. To me it was a reminder to trust in fate, in destiny, and to remember that every decision, good or bad, leads you to something great.

Another big part of her presentation was forgiveness. I have a really hard time with this in life. I've been burned, had backs turned to me by people who I never should have had to walk away from. People who should be there for you regardless of what you have or have not done in life. I've dealt with nasty, evil people and it's hard to forgive someone for those actions which you know are wrong. But what is even more of a challenge is forgiving myself. When she said this something just...clicked. She's right, I need to forgive MYSELF. I have been holding a serious grudge against me for a long time. Resentment for not being perfect, for making mistakes, for not living the way I'm supposed to, for making a bad decision. I've always said that I live without regret, and that's true, but looking back I wish I had done this sooner.

KRISTI, I FORGIVE YOU.

For every mistake I've made has led me to a greater place. For every decision I've made poorly, I've probably made 10 decisions amazingly. And please, what the fuck is living the way you're "supposed" to? So today I forgive me. I give myself a break for making mistakes, for not getting it done in a day, for saying the wrong thing or letting a task fall through the cracks. And tomorrow I move on, and start forgiving the ones that own way too much of my negative emotions.

What is this?!

Okay so blogger has a new look. Another reminder that I need to blog more, so I don't come here three months later and freak out cause it's all different. I've been the worst about blogging the last couple of years; it's amazing how much life changes...in a month, in a year, in years combined. I notice some folks are scheduling their blogs to post and that keeps them consistently updating their fan base....maybe I should look into that. Not for the fan base, because let's face it, I don't have a fan base. Maybe some day! Things this year have been the same ol' same ol'. Well, except for my move to Oakland which happened at the end of January. Of course that started a whole fiasco with my Fremont landlord. Still need to file the papers against her for unlawfully holding my deposit. Oh well. So now we live in a house, puppy on the way....in fact this is what I did today:
Before:

And here it is today:

So I'm not sure why this yard is such a mess, but the previous tenant/home owners decided to cover up the brick patio with potting soil which after much neglect turned into a massive pile of weeds. In prepping for puppy to come I want to make sure things are ready for her so I think this is the perfect start. So many things about this house we would change if we owned it...but we don't so it's about doing low cost upgrades to make us enjoy our surroundings to the fullest. The weather was amazing the last few days and I can't wait for consistent summer weather. Hopefully BBQ filled summer to come. Well I guess I'm going to wrap up the day by re-arranging the bedroom and hitting the hay so that I can get up on time, with enough sleep, ready to kick some ass. I think some friend scrappy time is in order for the week. In fact, I think I'll hit up my scrappy BFFs and see what they're up to this week.

Hello 2012

I start the new year with a cold, which Jarid & I are sharing. We're both munching on bad for us food, sneezing, blowing our noses and watching The Walking Dead. We managed to stay up to wish each other Happy New Year, but didn't make it to the Alameda Antiques Fair with MJ this morning or to any of the open houses we hoped to attend. Tomorrow we're seeing a place in Oakland that looks almost exactly like what we're looking for so we'll tough it out, sick or not, and make it to our viewing.

I'm excited for 2012. It's going to be a year of change. The first being in February when the best boss I've ever had leaves for an assignment with the company in another country. Jarid and I would SO go if we had the opportunity, so I can't blame him for taking it. I'm nervous about who is going to take his place, but if it's anyone that I think or have heard is applying for his job I think I'll be happy. Either way, 2012 is the year that Genentech takes me back to school to FINALLY finish my degree. Which means either by year end or early 2013 I'll officially be a college graduate and HOPEFULLY on a change in career path. I'm excited to see where I go from there.

In addition to that change, Jarid & I are hoping to move to Oakland this year. We've got a goal to save a down payment for a house but in the mean time want to move to the city to make sure that's where we're going to settle down. I use the term settle down lightly, because I've learned that life is never "settled" no matter how rooted you think you are. I never thought I'd be in the position to own a house; it's an accomplishment that I'm very proud of, and so happy that I have my life long partner to be to share the experience with. Through thick, thin, stress & anxiety he's so by my side, an for that I love him (along with the 20 million other reasons).

As like most of the people reading this, or not, I have some things I'd like to accomplish for 2012...in no particular order...

1. Move to Oakland
2. Go back to School
3. Get back up to speed in the scrapping world, getting involved with a retailer or online design team.
4. Make more time for friends. I feel like work has monopolized my time; and this year I'd like to make it take over less of my life.
5. Be more efficient. (In particular, with work - I need to stop brining it home!)
6. Go to New Orleans!
7. Take more pictures to document my day to day. I miss that!
8. Be healthier. Even if I spend a week, day, hour thinking about what I'm consuming it's gotta be better. I didn't get surgery just to plump up again. Even if I pay attention a little more this goal will be accomplished.

There are more things I'd like to do, but even setting 8 loose goals is more than I should. But hey, I'm ambitious.

But now it's time to eat dinner (thank you boo, for the soup & grilled cheese) and let the medicine do it's job. Until next time.

In Limbo

Do you ever feel like that? Like everything gets into such a routine, no changes, same thing every day....Don't get me wrong, life is still amazing for me. My boo is still amazing, one of the best people to ever walk into my life, work is still great, still have great friends, and in general things are good. But, I feel like I'm in limbo...like, there's something that needs to change or something. I'm not sure what it is though. End thought.

It's been a minute since I blogged, so I thought, let's blog. I was able to work a half day today, and not because I had anything planned, just because I needed a day away from work, away from any plans. First thing I did when I got home? Yep, nap. Oh do I love to nap. Kodi & Tedi love me to nap too, cause they lay with me the whole time. It's lovely. So after watching an episode of Clean House (apparently I'm obsessed with hoarding shows - Hoarders, Clean House, American Pickers) on Netflix I decided I needed to spend time in the creative room. So here I am. But then oh wait, I needed pics of my layouts that I've done over the last couple of crops so thank you distraction. As I go to do that I run into Bobby, our neighborhood cat. Isn't he cute?

This cat actually plays with the neighborhood kids, it's cute. They play chase, and yes, he chases them too.

Without further adeu (sp?) here are the last few layouts I've worked on:




Last weekend I went to Ashley's house up north for an over night crop with her and Marie. I was excited, not only to hang out and scrap all night (okay only until 12), but because I got to use my new tote! I have been wanting a new tote FOR EV ER! But all the ones I found were either too small or ugly. Suzy (Mrs. West) mentioned that some people use ones from the hardware store (told you, I'm obsessed with scrap stuff at the hardware store!) so I decided to check it out. After going to THREE (yes Boo, I shopped around) I found one. I'll have to take a pic of it sometime, but it's perfect! What a tease right, going to say I found the perfect tote then not even post it? Well how else will I keep you coming back.

Okay, with my half day offI'm determined to do something crafty!

Time to Scrap

It may be 8:30PM on the last day of my three-day weekend, but damnit I've got to scrap something! Actually, I shouldn't be so hard on myself. I did drive all the way out to Brentwood with Suzy to crop with Marie at Art Inspired Studios. I even managed to finish a layout, ha! I'm actually really glad I got out there Friday night. May not have gotten a lot of "work" done but I got to know both Marie and Suzy a little bit more, and they are both amazing women. I, of course, bought more product, that I don't need, but it's all just so purty. And Art Inspired is a great little store, just the perfect size. Oh geeze, I can't even believe I almost forgot that Daniela was there! It was a happy surprise to have her there too. :)

Well it's been busy since the last time I posted. I've been to Vegas, gone to a Kid Robot toy release, the Alameda Antique's fair, a baseball game AND a photo walk. AND, because I'm lazy, I'm not posting a bunch of pics of it all. You can always check out my Flickr (itssokristi) if you're interested. I haven't even caught up on posting all my photos there....someday, I keep telling myself, I'll get caught up. In the mean time, I try not to stress too much over it.

Here are a few layouts I've worked on in the last few weeks.








So now it's 9:30PM, and I have 30-minutes until laundry is ready to be folded and put away....do I scrap? Or, sit in my desk chair and watch Under the Tuscan Sun for the who-knows-how-many-times again? Hmmmm.....