Sunday, August 23, 2015

One Scrapbook Done

Three more to go.... The one I've finished is for my sweet, darling son Tad. Yes, that's his real, full first name. Not Todd, Tod, or Thaddeus. Just Tad. I wish you all could meet him. I wish you all had a son like him. He makes my heart smile. He makes my whole face smile when I think about him. I love him very, very dearly. He's got a birthday coming up, and it ends with a 'zero' this year. A big one....And since I used to was a big scrapbooker, and since I have all the supplies from years past, I thought it might be nice to make him a book to commemorate some snippets of his life. I started in January. Did about 5 pages. Did a few more in the Spring. Kept looking at the box, and kept thinking, "I've got time, and besides, I'd rather make cards." Lo and behold, August rolls around. I pick up the pace a bit. Birthday in September. SH**!!!!!!!! I really get working on the book. Then I get a phone call from said darling son. On Monday. "Ma. We're coming for a visit on Sunday for a few days." Mom says, "That's wonderful, honey! I can't wait to see you all!" Brain thinks, "Oh. My. Gosh. You're in trouble now. That book is nowhere near finished." I step it up into high gear. Up at 5:30 in the morning. Let the housework go completely. Hot dogs for dinner. And frozen pizza. (Poor DH, and what a good sport, too!) I begin to hate scrapbooking nearly as much as spiders. Use up tape runners, black cardstock, and white cardstock. Dull Silhouette blade, and de-stickify the mat. Make a fast run to Michaels and lose an hour of 'book time.' Home from college granddaughter stops by. For two hours. Had to visit with her and turn off brain (she's a sweetie and I really did enjoy our time together). Run to Walgreens for that last family photo for that very, very last page... get it home and Tad's head is cropped off. Will this book ever get done???? Deep breath. I can reorder and pick it up after the 6:30 A.M. grocery store run on Friday morning! Annnnnndddd DONE. He'll get it on Tuesday when we celebrate his birthday. It's a "tad" early, but since they'll be here, we'll party. Maybe I can convince him to take a selfie with me... I've also learned a lesson concerning the last three scrapbooks I have to make (the last ones I'll EVER EVER make...). I'll be making pages once a week or so from now on. I don't really want to, but I don't want to go wacko at the last minute like this again.

And that's where I've been. Haven't had time to visit your blogs or anything. Sorry. The kids will be here early evening, and I've only got a few chores left to do after church, so have time for this post. Once they leave later this week (boohoo!) I'll be back to a more normal life, and will get back to visiting you, and commenting, I promise.

I did make a card. After what seemed to me like endless scrapbook pages, I just had to. Felt so good, and I know that you know exactly what I mean. Our family is still in heavy birthday mode, so this will fit any number of them... It's headed to the Freshly Made Sketches 200th Celebration too. Congratulations to Lesley and the entire DT. Those ladies are always gracious and kind, and their creations are stunning. How wonderful to be able to celebrate such a milestone. With that in mind, I made a little something celebratory... (first the sketch...)



The stamps are from SC; and I'm finding I'm loving them enormously! Three inks - SC orange, ME Ocean, and Versafine black. The blue sequins are from Darnell following the BABES adventure last year, and the orange flowers are (I think) Doodlebug from a million years ago. A scrap of blue surrounded by Michaels white. Pretty quick, pretty easy, and now it's time to clean the bathroom, run the vacuum, and get the last of the picking up done --- the kids are coming!!!!! Happy dances everyone, and I'll see you soon. 

24 comments:

Linda Callahan said...

Just a fun celebratory card! Cute as can be! Thank you for helping us celebrate 200 at Freshly Made Sketches!

Barb said...

Well Done finishing the Scrapbook for Tad's Special Birthday. It made me feel tired reading all about it ....

Your Celebration card is lovely. I like the colours. Have a lovely time with your family. Barbxx

Rose said...

Don't know how you manage to do it all & still make a gorgeous card! Lovely CAS card with just the right amount of sparkle.

Judy1223 said...

I was laughing out loud at this post, Bev! I am going through the same exact issues every summer, right about now! I make scrapbooks for all four of my kids...since I started doing it the old fashioned way when they started school, I am so OCD that I must finish them the same way! So, every school year I start accumulating pictures of all their activities, and in the summer I do all of their pages. As they get older they have been involved in many more activities...and thus the pages have increased tremendously! I always run out of basic supplies (tape runner, black and white yardstick, etc.) so this post really made me laugh! Could you hear me saying, "YES, Bev! Yes! That happens to me, too!" I always swear I'll do a few pages during spring break, etc., but it never happens. So may other things I want to do! Who knows, I'm beginning to think I work better under pressure...I am determined to have their pages all finished before it starts all over again in September. Wish me luck -- I haven't started yet! :0

Your card is clean and simply wonderful...love it! Enjoy your visit with your son...I'm sure he will love his scrapbook! And happy birthday to him, too!

Nora Noll said...

Since I only have one child, Charlotte has about 12 scrap books and I an NO WHERE near caught up. I don't think I will ever be. I scrap randomly and I love to look back on events of the past. I used to be such a great journalizer of events too. Now she is a teen and protests when I try to take her photo. It makes me so mad!! Anyway, your card is lovely. Simple and the colors are just so happy. Have a fabulous time with your son!! I know he will love his gift!!

~amy~ said...

Yay you!!!!! You did it!!!! What a spectacular keepsake!

...and your card?! Perfect! Awesome colors!!

Taunya Butler said...


Your card caught my eye over in the Freshly Made Sketches Gallery and I wanted to come visit and see more! So fun and super impressive - love the colors you chose and the extra details with the sequins is so awesome!!! I really enjoyed visiting your blog and I would love it if you popped over for a visit to my blog at daisiesgirl.com!! I have a giveaway going on right now!
Taunya Butler
http://daisiesgirl.com

Laura Norris said...

What an accomplishment to finish his scrapbook for him!! I'm sure you are exhausted- but it will all be worth it when he opens it and loves it! I did the same thing with a scrapbook for my mom of her and the grandkids. I was putting the last pages together the morning we left to visit her! Love your card too! Very fun! Enjoy your visiting.

Amy O said...

What a great use of the sketch! I'm sure your son and family will love the scrapbook. What a special gift. Thanks for joining in our 200th sketch celebration at Freshly Made Sketches this week!

Kim Heggins said...

Party time in Wisconsin!!! The earth is shaking way out here in California from all your happy dancing...so excited that your scrapbook is complete. I know how much work they can be, you would faint if you saw my 60+ albums I made since Ashleigh was born...LOL
So happy you had time to squeeze a card in too and it is just fabulous as that. I love those perfect blue lines and all your wee dots around your bits of bling, just so clever! Hope you and your sweet family are doing well and Go Giants!!!!!

Jacquie Southas said...

Love the colors on this card and super job stamping the Celebrate!! Way to go getting the scrapbook done - I have a few project piles I need to tackle and keep putting them off to play with new stamps & dies.

Kathy said...

Congrats on completing your son's scrapbook in time for his visit. Your "Congratulations" card is great! I came to visit your blog from Barb's Faraway Cards and have spent the last half an hour browsing through your card creations. I'm now one of your followers and I'll be back to visit regularly. ta ta for now, Kathy

I Card Everyone said...

Though I question Kim feeling it in California, I now know what caused those fabulous 10 footers on the Lake, Bev! Awesome!!! Was your son a "tad bit" early coming into the world as well? Love his name, love that you love your boy this much... go ahead, girl, you deserve these happy dances!
... and I LOve the card...
=]

Jen Timko said...

Clean, fabulous and oh so happy! Hope Tad has a great day (he is sure to enjoy this). Thanks for joining our celebration at FMS!

Darnell said...

Of course, I knew you would get it done, Bevie! You're a 'get 'er done' kinda woman! I just wish we could all see your labor of love for your beautiful son!! Your celebration card is CASlicious and perfect for the FMS challenge!! Miss you! Mwah! Hugs, Darnell

Anita in France said...

Yay, Bev ... woo hoo ... congratulations on a mega achievement ... I know your terrific Tad will love every single page! Deliciously CAS card ... cool stripes topped with that full-of-movement sentiment, surrounded by those little explosions of bling ... fantastic! Enjoy each moment of your family time, my sweet friend ... I know you will! Miss you! Hugs & bisous, bisous, Anita :)

shirley-bee said...

Well done on last-minute completing your scrapbook, Bev! When mine were babies, I bought two "This is Your Life" scrapbooks, a page per year to age 21. Books unfinished, kids 32 and 29...
Love the two-colour sentiment on your card.

Geri said...

I can GUARANTEE that there was not one single BABE who doubted that it would be `Mission Accomplished`. And with hours to spare! I seriously lost it though, when I read about the picture from Walgreens! Are you kidding?

Love the card! Seems only fitting that it is a 'celebratory' card considering the task that you just completed! Sweet wee smatterings of daintily splattered bling! NICE shadow on 'celebrate'.




Bobby said...

I have a proposition for you, Bev. You know when they say exercising is easier when you do it with a buddy that keeps you on track? How about buddy scrapbooking. I don't do it for each child but I do have them for holiays, summers and special events with family. I have four boxes of photos in chronological order by event (ie: Christmas 2011, Lake 1999) that need to get put in albums. And I don't do the fancy stuff either, just lots of pictures per page that tell a story, with captions and a few images. Maybe we need to check with each other once a week to see if we got any pages done. That would definitely guilt me into doing it. ;) Love your card with it's celebratory sequins.

Kim S said...

What a story! You will definitely have to share his reaction with us.

LOVE your use of the sketch! The dots behind the the sequins and flowers is such a wonderful touch! And the two-colored sentiment really makes it stand out. Glad you could play along with #200!!

Susanne Vargas said...

Congratulations! You finished the scrapbook in time! Sorry that the process wasn't more enjoyable! I, as a procrastinator completely understand! Your son will cherish it forever, though! Enjoy the time with your family!
Very sweet card!

Tracey McNeely said...

Congrats on getting the scrapbbok done and I love the colours of this card Bev!

Petra Swart said...

Oh, my, I had to LOL at your scrapbook story, Bev!!!!! So enjoyed it - would have loved to see what it looked like in the end!!! Next time you take photo's to share your scrapbooking, hey!!!
Your card is beautifully CAS, Bev!!! Love the cute little flowers and the sequins with the little dots around them!!! Lovely card to put anyone in the mood to celebrate!!!!

Kylie said...

I hope the scrapbooking went well and I just *know* your Tad would have LOVED it! I hope he had a very happy birthday!

As for your card, WOW, Bev! It is so lovely!