Advice Needed

As most of you know, I use Creative Memory albums and I am also coming home to be a full-time homemaker at the end of this school year. This poses a problem. I have about 100 pages that I need to put in an album, but can I afford CM albums? One album cost $38.00 plus tax that includes only 15 pages and I'll need at least 2-3 more page refills along with 3 page protector packets. Right now, I need at least three albums. Now that gets expensive! I am realy scared to change as I already have over $1000.00 invested in CM albums. The reason why I went with CM albums is because they compliment each other so well. I love the neatness of them and all the wonderful colors they have. I love them. If I change, what do I use? What are my options? Is this a good time to go digital? Maybe buy albums with tax return? I am desparate!

I hit the Jackpot!

 

 

 

Rachel called me Wednesday night to tell me she had just returned from Hobby Lobby and they had two cricut cartridges on clearance for $35.99 and that I needed to check it out. These bad boys are $59.99 at the Lobby and the same ones cost $89.99 at Michael's. What a fantastic deal! I couldn't wait to head straight to the Lobby after school in hopes of hitting the jackpot. As I entered the Lobby, my heart began to pound and I became anxious. I had no idea if I was wasting my time or getting lucky. I went straight to the cricut center and I looked. I didn't see any clearance signs on any cartridges. I did see some empty spaces and decided to ask a clerk. She directed me right to the cartridges that were on clearance. There were three left of each of these cartridges. I hit the jackpot! When I left, there were only two left of each! I had the intention of buying only one, but look at the savings! I spent my allowance for a month in two minutes. I have four cartridges now and they sure will come in handy when the money runs dry in a few more months. A special "shoutout" to Rachel for her sharing with me this awesome find. Next up for the cricket is the design software to mesh the letters together. This machine has endless posibilities. What a great investment to a scrapbook junkie like me!

My Challenge Reward

In Novemeber, my scrapbooking friends (Rachel, Amy and Amy)and I made a deal that we would not buy any supplies until we completed 50 pages by Dec. 21. We had just walked out of Hobby Lobby and was feeling buyer's remorse when we made this challenge. I have to admit, I did buy a couple of supplies along with tape after 38 pages were completed. (Come to find out, I wasn't the only cheat!) It took real effort to come up with ideas based on the supplies I had at home. I did struggle with the last 12 pages and even took time out to paint the livingroom and hallway to just to give myself a break. Luckily, I was able to finish the twelve. I was very proud of myself. My husband gave me $100.00 to buy two cricut cartridges for Christmas and my birthday, but instead, I bought one cartridge and spent the rest on scrapbooking supplies. I was one happy camper! Now, I need to set another challenge so that I will use all of the new supplies!

 

The challenge was to use blue and brown on the page. Not sure if the blue in the picture counts, but it counts as another page complete!

 

This is the page I just blogged about. I finished it last night because I really didn't want to throw it away! I really like it.

Page Incomplete

I have been working on a layout for just over two weeks now. All I have to do is the journaling. It took me a week just to glue on four letters and I did that at church last Wednesday night! I sit down and try to work on it but household and mother duties call me away from my closet. I do not mind my motherly duties. I just happened to notice how long it is taking me to complete this layout. Everytime I think about the page, I am either not at home, in the middle of something or I do not have enough time to even get started. Hopefully I can get this page done by Friday night. If I don't, I'm going to throw it in the trash!

Tag-You're It!!

I've been tagged by Rachel:)
2 favorite scrapbook topics: Forrest and Sadie
2 best places I've been: Red Rooster Retreat (scrapbooking retreat twice a year!) and Salt Lake City, UT
2 things I do everyday: call my sister and family prayer
2 things everyone knows about me: I always have my camera with me and I love to scrapbook ( what else would I do with the pictures?)
2 places I wish to visit: the scrapbook superstore in Pigeon Forge, TN and Palmyra, NY
2 things you may not know about me are: I have a intrathecal pain pump and I choose to be a PE teacher over being a band director
2 favorite foods are: Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Icecream and Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Icream
I'm going to tag Mary Kate and Amy Lynn! I hope you play along!!

It feels great!

 

 

It feels great to be able to create a layout without "stupor of thought". The first layout I did is with Forrest wrapped in his camo blanket I made him last Christmas. he has to snatch it from me because I absolutely love it! The second layout was of a picture I took of Joseph and Hyrum Smith this past summer in Nauvoo. They are truely heroes of mine forever.