I want to share some of the crafts I made for Christmas gifts. I did share them before because the recipients sometimes read my blog and I didn’t want to ruin the surprise. So here is my first craft:

Memory Board

I made this memory board for my sister Keira. I used a piece of foam board, fabric, ribbon, buttons, batting, and a frame to make this.

This post is getting a bit long for the front page. Continue reading here…

I haven’t been posting a lot. I’ve been very busy making Christmas gifts which I will share with you what I made after I have given out all the gifts. I haven’t been doing a lot of designing either but right after Christmas I plan on doing as much designing as possible since I will be visiting family a lot I not sure how much I will get done. We are going to be driving to NH but I will be bring my laptop along and have internet access the entire time (everyone in my family has wireless internet, yeah!).

I’m also going back to school on Jan 7. I want to get my MBA. I am doing it online at UMUC. I have BIG plans ahead for me that will require me to have some business knowledge so getting a MBA will be great.

Still trying to sell my house. We’ve received a  foreclosure notice even though they are not suppose to foreclose on us until they’ve heard whether or not we can defer our VA Loan. To many communication problems between the mortgage company and the VA.

One good thing is everyone is healthy again. I am finally over my cold, ear infection, and bronchitis which all started before Thanksgiving. My son also had a cold and ear infection.

I hope everyone has a very merry holiday!

Credits: Scraplifted from Michelle Coleman’s layout Enjoy Life, Noel by Michelle Coleman, Meredith Fenwick and Jan Crowley at Songbird Avenue
Journaling: Starting in 2005 we have done a family portrait each year. This year we did the portrait at home with me taking the photos using our Sony Cyber Shot digital camera and a tripod. I took over 102 photos but only had a very few that were perfect and only one that was perfect for our Christmas card. There was some not so perfect photos that I really liked because they showed us as a true family and not as a “perfect” family we are not. Here are some of my favorites.

If you saw the latest sneak peak for the prizes of the Great Monogram Contest, then you have seen the name Zita before. The kit was named after my husband’s grandmother who I also think of as my grandmother. She is 91 years old and it still going strong! I hope I am as active as she is when I am that age.

Anyway for the RAKScraps July 07 Newsletter I made this layout:

Credits: Julia by Betsy Tuma

Since July 20th, when my husband had his last day of work, things have been tough. The 2 hardest things to deal with actually do not include money. Unemployment pays so well we can’t get Medicaid with less than a $10,000 deductible. Yet we can’t pay our mortgage or medical bills. So that brings me to one of the hardest things to deal with right now and that is no insurance. Before, when we had insurance, I went to counseling once a week for depression. Now I cannot go so my depression hasn’t gotten out of control. I am having trouble getting through each day without yelling at my husband or breaking down in tears. The only things that get me out of bed each day is my son and scrapbooking.

Well since my son prefers his daddy right now sometimes he doesn’t make me want to get out of bed. I try not to let it bother me that he prefers his daddy but with how wild my emotions are right now I can never predict how I feel from moment to moment and I have gone through most emotions lately. Also there are other medical appointments I used to go to weekly, one was physical therapy that without I am a lot of pain. I have some medication that helps (a little) but I am running out of that too and I can’t get more without visiting a doctor and also paying for the meds.

Okay so what is the second hardest thing? My husband being home all day. Which actually goes along with the other hardest thing. My husband doesn’t always think… about anything other than him and his computer. I often (too often) have to remind him about everything! Which causes a lot of tension especially if he is watching our son for awhile and doesn’t change his diaper and then our son’s diaper leaks. Well we were seeing marriage counseling but now that we have no insurance we can’t go and it seems as if he reverted back to not caring about our marriage. I don’t need another child, I need a husband.

So why am I telling you all this. Well it goes along with my latest layout which I made for a challenge on RAKScraps.

Credits: Star Light, Star Bright by Candace Duffy Jones, Atomic Cupcake

Journaling:
A toddler may not know the words but he can still tell you what he wants simply with gestures and/or through trial and error and lots of tears.

Scrapbooking can save your sanity when you cannot afford counseling. I have been more inspired to design when I have to pull myself away from chocolate and from having a bout of depression!

One of the biggest lessons I have learned these past few months, is that having your husband home all day with you, every day, is not good for your marriage!