last post of 2008

it is an important day to write a blog post...the last day of a wonderful year. :) thank you 2008 for all the wonderful memories and the life we have lived.

i think semi-sonic said it best in their song closing time:

"every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

:D

the frost and some layouts....

so i've got all my scrapping stuff set up and out on a table at work. it so helps me to stay creative cuz its right in my face and accessible. so i've created a couple more layouts. :D



we've also had some seriously crazy cold weather here, as in many places this season. the only thing i like about it are the beautiful pictures.
look at this one! its just outside our apartment.
the snow is deep...
the frost is thick...
winter is here indeed.

Create My Keepsakes Design Team Call

as my title suggests, CMK has openings for their design team, and the way to apply is sooooo cool and different! what you need to do is create your own kit using scrapbooking supplies you have, and then make a few projects with it.

here is my kit:

included are:
-3 bazil cardstocks in blue, green, and brown
-another differnt blue scalloped edge cardstock
-4 papers from differnt MyMindsEye lines
-Die Cuts with a view patterned paper
-and one orange dot paper from BoBunny
-Basic Gray cardstock stickers
-brown rick-rack, green and orange fibers
-green and white brads, bling flowers, rub-ons, chipboar flourish, and journaling blocks

it was seriously so much fun to create my own kit. i had some things in mind that i knew i wanted to use, and matching everything else turned out so well.

now onto the pages i created. i did 4 12x12 pages and one card.

here is a close-up of the journaling--taken from a recent blog post.

and the card

so what do you think??
there is some amazing kits and pages so far, so i'm honestly thinking i have no chance, but i had a lot of fun putting the kit together and doing these pages.

wish me luck!! :P

*TALENT*

1. peachskin., 2. Out Take, 3. aftermath, 4. 278/365 take a spin*, 5. jonny & danielle, 6. Think Happy Thoughts, and You'll Fly, 7. Coming To Life, 8. "I'm Fine", 9. ..., 10. i've got a perfect body, 'cause my eyelashes catch my sweat (51/365), 11. Untitled, 12. 15/365 Platinum Egoiste, 13. love, 14. *, 15. Playing God's harp..., 16. Mwah. Week Four.


lately i have found some extreme talent in my searches on Flickr. these ladies have amazing skills and a true eye for art and beauty. enjoy this little snippet and go check out their photostreams.

you'll fall in love!

WHAT??

...its been like a week since i've posted.
and its been a rough week.

i don't wanna talk about it....

so anyway, chris's mom had surgery on her foot last week, so we went for a couple days to spend some time with her and "keep her from vacuuming." (quote from dad!) we had a nice visit. i also got to go to a craft store in wenatchee while we were there and pick up some new scrapbooking supplies. i'm working on a little mini-book from our 'stay'cation a couple months ago. should be fun. its been SO LONG since i was able to buy anything new. made me smile. :D i've also got a fun full day of scrapping planned on the 1st with a couple friends. i'm soooo looking forward to it.

i read this morning that dear Mandi's grandfather passed away. i just wanted her to know i was thinking of her. <3

i wanted to write a little bit about the love of our congregation here. they have been so supportive of chris and i through this rough, financially tough time. just last night a few families got together and went "shopping" in their cupboards to get some groceries together for us, and gave us cash and a gift card to safeway. and last week, a sister gave us the full amount of money we will need for chris to take his school bus driving tests (which isn't cheap!). sometimes the love of jehovah's organization blows me away. they truly CARE and LOVE and SUPPORT. it is humbling to experience such love. that is what it means to be part of a brotherhood. and we thank jehovah every day for that!

well, now i'm gonna eat some lunch and do some scrapping.
have a terrific day everyone!!!
<3

excited for the wedding!!

abi, nate and brenna (abi's sister and MOH) stopped by last night. she had the bridesmaid dresses ordered and picked up already and wanted me to have mine and try it on. I LOVE IT!!! the color is such a soft green color. i'm totally going to do my hair red for the wedding...it would match so good!
the dress will need some altering cuz we had to order a big enough size to fit "the ladies" and so its loose around the waist. but that's ok. i'm gonna add some straps to it too, just to keep it up. it has the coolest shape to it... the neckline is perfect and there is a cool train in the back. we'll have white sashes with bows on the back too.


this is gonna be such a fun wedding!!! :D

the snow....

some fun shots i took yesterday i wanted to share. i need to remind myself that this season can be beautiful...as long as i'm not behind the wheel of a car!
:D

:(

it just started snowing.
can i just curl up and hide till spring??

i've decided im not driving till the season is over. chris is just gonna have to do the driving. it scares me... i'm a wuss.

man... i been kinda MIA

but now it feels like i've got tons to catch up on!

its been a nice week. i got a TON of my classwork done. getting into some pretty in-depth stuff now. gotta buckle down. but i'm still really enjoying it. :D

we had a celebratory dinner on saturday night and had a couple from our hall over for dinner. chris cooked pork ribs and i made rice. turned out soooo good. then we played a round of skip-bo and visited. it was really nice.

on sunday we got invited over to another couple's place for dinner after the meeting. there was a small group of brothers and sisiters together, talking, visiting, and getting to know each other. lovely meal! and then for desert they treated us to something we'd never heard of.... chocolate pasta. pretty tasty!! mixed with ice-cream and berries...made a lovely desert. :)
it was such a nice evening. :)
i even got my new friend marta addicted to flickr and picnik! yay!! :D

chris and i have been getting to know another new couple in our hall a bit more lately. casey and mathea. he's been out of town for a couple weeks training for his new job so we've had mathea over a lot. :D she's so much fun. on monday she came over and brought a few movies and bought pizza! fun night!! then last night we had planned on band practice in wenatchee (which didn't end up working out) and asked her to come along. we hung out with our friends at the raven, and then walked the ave. it wasn't even that cold out. i'm so glad we're becoming good friends.

another exciting thing that happened yesterday is that my boss have us our bonuses!!! so with the money (and the credit i had with verizon) i got the new phone i've been wanting soooo bad!!! the LG Dare. and i got a pink cover!!
totally IN LOVE.

isn't it the cutest thing you've ever seen?? :D

so this week is our CO's visit. chris and i got to go in service together yesterday morning. it was so nice. and so tonight we have out bookstudy and service talk. it should be good. i love our CO. he is the same one i had for the last 3 years before we moved here, so i know them both really well. i was so excited when i heard they were going to be here now. awesome!
so i'm looking forward to the meeting tonight.

and just a quick question: did anyone else cry at the house episode this week?? i mean seriously....

alright all!
<3 ya.

oh, PS. my cousing whitney is starting her own photography company. i've got the link to her blog in my sidebar. today she had me do a re-design for her blog. hop on over and check it out!! :D

on second thought...

its a WONDERFUL DAY!!!!

chris got a job!!!

he starts training on monday morning with the school district as a bus driver!! yay!! wahoo!!! i'm so proud of my man! its something he's done before, so he's already has the licence and endorsments needed, so he's all ready to go.

i'm sooooo happy!
<3

its a beautiful day...

this picture was last night...at about 4:30 pm. crazy eh? it was so beautiful, i ran out of the office to take a picture.
<3

i have something exciting to share!!! i got some awesome HAPPY MAIL today!!!


as "payment" for re-designing her blog jamie mailed me a bunch of yummy scrappy goodness! it feels so good to have new scrapbooking stuff. its been so long...
along with that, she included one the elsie felt dolls that everyone has been making from the class. i've loved them from afar, but now i have one of my very own!!! and she's my two favorite colors!
thank you sooo much jamie! i love everything. :D




yesterday i got a couple of my ATC sets finished for swaps i'm in. so i thought i'd share! :D

this one is for the "love quote" swap on SIS. the quote is from one of those dove chocolates. i got it just after chris and i started dating. i'm glad i listened... <3>

this one is for the SIS nov/dec swap. the theme is thankful. chris is the one thing i am most thankful for in life.

these are the complete set of THe CrEative TyPe design team swap. i'm so honored to be a part of this amazingly talented group of ladies. we have so much fun!!

well, i guess that's all for today.
love*love

yesterday was a sunny day...

it felt good to be outside for awhile.

but today is a different story...
i feel like i've hit a brick wall of frustration.
so many things are spiraling out of my control, and i'm not dealing very well with it. i have things to say, but i don't know how or when or if i even should say them.
i'm wasting days.
i hate that...

i can't believe that its already december. in a week, chris will have been unemployed for 2 months. the time goes by so quickly.

okay shaina....need to focus on the POSITIVE!!!!

i got 2 of my recent test back from my course i'm taking. A's on both!! im really enjoying what i've been learning.

last night i had a talk in the TMS. it went really well. i enjoy doing that. :)

my mom bought me some fabric to make curtains for our house. its the perfect green color with flecks of brown. i'm so excited to make them.

got 2 huge loads of laundry done this week. i wait till i can't wait any more to do it, cuz i have to go to a laundrymat. :( but, while the clothes were drying i just loved the colors blended together and just needed to take a picture. <3
tonight we've having a friend over for dinner. her husband is out of town for the week, so i thought it would be nice to invite her over so she's not so alone. chris is cooking again! yay!! so

now i will leave you with a smile for today. have a wonderful week one and all!

a quick update....
no job yet. his interview went really good, but the problem is that its a new manager who is wanting to get rid of the current staff.... which he has to do before he can really hire. so again its a waiting game.
chris is going by the school district bus garage today, cuz we heard that they were looking for someone. he's driven bus before, so that will help him. we'll see how it goes.
:D

finally!!!

chris moved the AC out of my scrapbooking room last night, and i got 3 whole pages done. :D :D it felt so good to create something after so long. its been about a month and a half already. that's HORRIBLE!!! i'm hoping i can keep my mojo going now that i've got my room back. happy shaina!
so here's what i created:

this one is for the Work-Your-Soul challenge this go-round. the challenge was to take a dishes pattern and use it on a layout. i love how it turned out. this picture was taken when i was about 11 up in smithers, BC canada, where my dad used to live. some of my greatest memories were made there...

this is a picture of my cousn hannah's little baby Aiden. he is the sweetest baby, with an ever-ready smile. such a good baby. :)

this one i did for prompt #8 over at THe CrEative TyPe. the challenge starting today is to focus on one word. i chose the word "beauty" and a picture of my best friend kelly.

***************************************

on friday night chris and i drove to moses and i went by Maurices again. i had a gift card with some money on it to use. and i bought this new purse. :D isn't it fabulous?? i *heart* it. its huge and perfect and leather and it makes me happy!

on saturday night we had our friends cassy and matae over for dinner and a movie. chris made pork ribbs and i made rice and vegetables. everything turned out so good, and we had a really nice time. we had invited another couple, alan and tonya, over too, but tonya got sick. which is too bad because they are moving back to whidbey island next weekend. i'm really going to miss them.

chris has a job interview today. keep your fingers crossed!!! :D

congrats my friends!!!

over the weekend our good friend nate proposed to his girlfriend abi. he planned out a whole scavenger hunt for her to do, leading her to places they've spent time during their courtship. then the last clue led her to a park where they first met. that's where he proposed!! and she said: YES!
then they went back to her parent's place where chris had been all day preparing a special meal for them... chicken picata. (its his best meal...seriously!) they had a little candle-lit dinner just the two of them. our friend vinny was the "waiter."
i had to work, so i missed the actual proposal day, but i went down to kennewick on saturday afternoon. they had a big family dinner for them, and just included chris and i. it was so nice to be involved in such a special moment for our friends.
we stayed over saturday night and spent all day sunday with them too. they had meeting at 4 so we got the whole morning to hang out. we watched wall-e (so cute!!) and had family study. interestingly the watchtower was about marriage. rather apropos! ;)
they have also invited chris and i to be in their wedding party! we are so honored and excited!

love you guys!!
<3

it was a fantastic weekend.

*fresh beginnings*

so today, for reasons that elude me, i decided to re-do the design elements on my blog. felt like going back to my roots.... pink & brown & black.

i <3 it.

what do you think??

tagged....

this morning i was doing my usual read-through of all my favorite blogs and saw that my dear friend Dani tagged me!!

so here's the deal:
go to your pictures.
go to the 4th folder and find the 4th picture
post it
tag 4 friends

this is my photo!
this picture is from november of 2006. chris and i had just been at our friend (and best man) nathan's concert with the Wenatchee Valley Symphony. AMAZING. nate plays the upright bass. he's fantastic! after the concert chris and i, nate, and my cousin jen went to applebee's for late night drinks and appatizers. this was our first "get-dressed-up-and-go-somewhere" date. so i had nate take a picture.
this is why i love this man!!! he always makes me laugh. :)

now its my turn to tag 4 friends....
i choose:
1. Jamie
2. Brandy
3. Heather
4. Holly
alright ladies! have fun with this one. :D

thanks dani
<3 ya!

there are not enough words to describe how i feel about this amazing woman: my mother.

we had a spectacular weekend together. nothing out of the ordinary, but she was with me, and that made it perfect. we just hung out, played cards, watched comedy, made food, ate food, had chinese food!, looked at pictures, shared good real laughter, and TALKED. i feel so good when i'm around her.

next to chris, she is my best friend.

we didn't take pictures like i'd hoped, but this one of her is a new favorite of mine. it was from my mom and dad's recent vacation to the oregon coast. she looks so happy here.

she went to the meeting with me on sunday morning, got to see me interpret a meeting for the first time, and meet all the wonderful brothers and sisters in our hall. they were so excited to meet her! it was pretty awesome. :)

i'm so glad that she came.

*******************
so i realize that its been a LONG time since i've posted anything really scrapbook related...and that's cuz i just haven't created anything in just as LONG. :( we took the AC out of our livingroom window, and with no place to store it, its ended up on the floor in my my "scrapbook studio" which is about 8'x8'. tiny! i can't even get in there right now.
but.... the awesome ladies over at THe CrEative TyPe have knocked another prompt out of the park!!! head on over and check it out. you're bound to be inspired!! :D i'm just sad i had to skip this one. maybe we'll just put the AC in the trunk of the car... there's a though!! :P

have a great week everyone. :D

looking back...

i was going through some things last night and found these photos of me as a little girl. they warmed my heart with thoughts of childhood, innocence, memories, and life. i wanted to share them. :)
they're not the greatest quality, but they are special to me.

my mom used to have this one in a frame by her bed.

mom says that i knew i'd marry chris all along: tall, dark, and handsome! :D

this was my pose! i love that little curl on the side of my head... :)

in other news: my mom is coming for a visit this weekend!!! i am so excited. she will be here tomorrow night and stay through sunday. i have been missing her so much lately. i think it comes with being sick, and worried about life. she is such a comfort to me. i can't wait!
hopefully we'll take some pictures that i can share!

things to be happy about today....

last night i got 13 packages of Happy Mail ready to be sent for today. it makes me feel so good to give and make someone else's day. i've received so many packages, and now its mine turn to give back. :)

this was the face of my baby sleeping this morning.... god i love this face.

i have tons of good music to listen to. seriously: who needs this many cd's ? lol.

today i tried a new sandwich for lunch: turkey, cream cheese, and BBQ sauce. sounds weird i know, but it was seriously SO GOOD! that, my diet coke, and my fritos made me smile today.


i spent some time today looking through my old scrapbooks. it was interesting to see ways that my style has grown, changed, and evolved, and ways that its stayed exactly the same. i like that. :)

i found my favorite coffee cup this morning... i thought it was lost. it was just hiding: in the cupboard. imagine that! lol. so i used it for my orange juice. its one from starbucks with pictures from our wedding in it. it makes me smile. happy memories.

its been about 10 days of no sun. which has been really hard on chris and i. its been very depressing for both of us. its amazing how much that can truly effect a person. hense the need for my "happy list" today.
now i'm praying for a hint of sunshine....but i hear its supposed to snow. :(

so sick i can't think....
which is never a good thing when working with money.

chris and i are SO SICK. been feeling sickish since the assembly, but its really hit us last night and this morning. but he gets to stay home in bed... :( i have to work. thank goodness its a slow day, cuz i don't think i could handle much more than that. its to the point where my head feels like its in a balloon. every breath echos and i'm constantly wiping my nose.
pouty face. :(

i got a text from my brother micah this morning. he lives in grande prairie alberta and THEY HAVE SNOW! sucks to be him. (or vaccuums as we used to say :P ) i do miss him though... glad he said hello.

my class is going well. i'm working on root words, suffixes, and prefixes of medical terms. i have a bunch of flashcards that came with the coursework. chris helps me by quizing me with them. we have a lot of fun coming up with ways for me to remember what they mean. :) i'm enjoying it a lot. kinda having a hard time concentrating on it today though with the head space i'm currently in. that's one good thing about it being a "work at your own pace" course.

i've signed up for a couple more cool ATC swaps over at SIS. one is a "post secret" swap. a cool fun concept for a swap. the other is the general SIS swap focusing on thankfulness. i'm excited to get started on them. :) if you read my blog and haven't stopped over at SIS (Scrap In Style) you really need to. its a wonderful, supportive group of women who love to take pictures, scrapbook, and create. there are message boards, a place to post your layouts and things you create, awesome classes, group activites, and webisodes full of scrapbooking how-to's. come on over! :D

well, i think that's all from me today...
sorry i don't have any pictures or pages to share. i'm kinda sad about that. i wish my camera was better; then i'd do more for sure!

in need of some inspiration....

these artists move me,
they stir my soul,
they make me want to create & take pictures,
they make me feel alive,
and in wonder of the world we live in.

i am grateful to the art of real life,
and so glad that i can be an observer.

1. Watch the Time, 2. Mmmmm. Sighpants., 3. Pink Gerber, 4. feet in the mirror, 5. Paisley (low resolution), 6. a long way from home., 7. He loves me! He really really loves me!, 8. Lucy, 9. A heart, for a ♥, for a heart, 10. our.dreams, 11. possibility, 12. Road to recovery..., 13. just a touch. (110/365), 14. What would we do with out coffee?, 15. Untitled, 16. ...pale dress...

the circuit assembly and a crazy kitten

that about sums up our weekend!!

chris and i already had been to sunday of the circuit assembly in omak at the beginning of last month, but we were still so eager for our own. i took tons of notes! the theme for the assembly was from Rom 12:21 "Keep conquering the Evil with the Good." it was full of thought-provoking parts, encouraging experiences, new perspectives on things that we know, and for our little family, direction towards some new goals.
here are some of my favorite points:

• we can be "fortified" against evil with 4 provisions (like the 4 walls of a "fort") from God. 1) his word the Bible 2) holy spirit 3) the congregation with its "gifts in men" 4) prayer
• nothing we face in inapropriate for prayer...when we don't know what to do, really we do know: we pray.
• we can recieve power to conquer evil today through genuine godly devotion.
• the goals that we set need to be smart: S= specific, M= measurable, A= attainable, R= realistic, and T= time-bound.
  
• true permanent relief from evil is promised. Matt 19:28 in speaking of the paradise calls it a 're-creation.' things included in this re-creation: 1) a global cleansing 2) any extinct species can be created again 3) every human resting in God's memory will be resurrected.
• all Jehovah asks of us is our best...he knows that our best is not the same as anyone else's and that it might now even be the same as it was before because life changes.
  
• we can strengthen our faith by improving the quality of our personal Bible reading. it needs to be reverent, unhurried, and worshipful reading.
  

the district overseer was and incredible speaker. i could listen to him for hours. his closing prayer touched my heart....
it was a beautiful assembly.

now on to the kitten!.....
we were able to stay at derek and nina's apartment in kennewick for the weekend. they were out of town, so we had the place to ourselves...and their kitten. oh my word!! CRAZY CAT!! he is so spoiled and not trained very well. needs a lot of attention. i'm not really a big cat person, and apperently he realized it because he felt the need to attack me whenever i walked by him. we went to bed and just closed the door to let him have free range of the rest of the apartment. but NO....he wouldn't have that. he sat outside the door and literally wailed for 2 hours straight. so then chris gave up, got up, and opened the door. then all he did was attack our feet, crawl all over us, play in my hair, stand on our faces, drink water from my cup on the nightstand, claw at our fingers, and make noise. we got NO SLEEP!! needless to say it was a rough night. i'm cured...i don't want a kitten! :P

so how was your weekend??

tonight we start a new book in our American Sign Language bookstudy. i'm so excited. we're doing the new learn from the great teacher book. we just finally got our DVD copies of it this weekend so we can have our study. we were worried! i'm so excited. and proud of my hubs for the job he does taking care of our little group. :)

the seminar was SO TERRIFIC!

so terrific in fact that i paid for and brought home this:


Course #1!!!
i'm now training at home to become a medial transcriptionist.
there are so many advantages to this profession and i'm so excited to get started. the class is a step-by-step, study at your own pace, in your free time course. studying just 15-20 hours a week will get you finished with the full course and completely certified in about 5 months.

the seminar last night talked in detail about medical transcription and the growing need for skilled workers in this field. in this system, the medical field is fast becoming one of the only profession with "job security." people will always get sick and go to the doctor. through this course you learn the skills needed to be a medical transcriptionist, establish your own businees, and make a living working out of your own home. it is a job that could be suited to so many different kinds of people and circumstances. i'm hoping that it will work out for me and my little family.

interested???
check it out! : www.at-homeprofessions.com

so far i've already finished with lessons 1 and 2 and sent off my first exam. i'm so excited about this!! and it sure feels good to be a student again. :)

10-29-2008

things on my mind....

• how cool it is that chris and i get to spend so much time together...and we don't get irritated with each other. :D
• i <3> philly cheese steak lean pockets!! yum yum.
  
• my eczema is really acting up lately cuz the weather is changing. :(
• i can't wait to scrapbook with those pictures we took the other day. i've got some ideas in mind!!
  
• chris taught me how to play FreeCell on the computer and now i'm addicted. makes me think and i like that. its like a puzzel with cards. i got sooo excited when i solved my first one. :P
  
• i really wish that i had a better camera. mine is only 5 mega pixels and its just not doing the trick anymore. i would kill for a Canon Rebel... and then photoshop! dreaming.....
• i'm thinking of switching purses. i'm usually one of those girls that ADDICTED to buying new purses...but i haven't gotten one since march when i found the perfect shaina purse! but now i'm feeling time for a change. so i'll pull an old one out of my closet. easier than spending money we don't have. brilliant! :P
• tonight i'm heading to Moses Lake for a free seminar on medical transcription. i heard about it on the radio yesterday, and thought it might be cool. that's something that i could totally do while i'm sitting here all day at work. pretty much do two jobs at once. i have NO idea what it would entail to become one, like schooling or whatever, but i figure they'll let me know tonight. kinda excited!
• tomorrow morning i've got an appointment at the family planning place in town to see if i qualify for the free birth controle. we don't have medical insurance anymore, cuz we had it though chris' work, so i need to figure something out. hopefully they'll be able to keep me on the YAZ, cuz that is working the best for me...balancing me out emotionally. its been really helpful with the PCOS symptoms. we'll see!
  
• my mom said she bought a calendar for me...like as a surprise present...now i want to see it!
  
• we have our circut assembly this weekend in Pasco. soooo looking forward to it! we've already been to sunday of it (in omak) but i'm anxious to hear it all again...and to TAKE NOTES!!! must do that. :P then i can share some of my favorite points on here! chris and i get the priveldge of helping with the contribution boxes again. so we'll be up and there really early!
• we're going to stay at derek's apartment for the weekend (even though they're out of town). so it will be like a comfy hotel! and free. :D :D
  
• hoping to get the stuff for derek and nina's invitations this weekend also, and get cracking on those. got to make 300 wedding invitations!! chris has offered to help. he's so good to me.
  
• i've missplaced my adele cd and i'm missing it. :(
  
• chris is sitting behind me working on a puzzel right now as i type. he is so cute. i love him bunches!
  

i think that's all.... :P
enjoy your evening!
can you beleive its almost November??
crazy....

come take a walk with me...


i adore sunny fall days, especially spent with the man i love.
we had breakfast together at the Tumbleweed Cafe.
we went shopping at wal-mart. chris got some new dress shirts, and i got a pair of jeans that fit!
stopped in a gorgeous orchard, full of changing leaves and fallen apples to take some pictures.
we got changed and headed to the football field to toss the ball around. ended up playing till the sun went down.
decided to stop by some friends house and spent the evening visiting and drinking coffee with kahlua. :) yum!
went home, i put on one of chris' big cozy sweaters and sat in bed listening to him read to me. we're half-way through the first eragon book. so good!
then chris rubbed my back and we talked till we fell asleep.
a perfect fall day.