Like I said, I really can't cook...

I've always been better in other rooms of the house than in the kitchen. I'll clean the kitchen; for HOURS.  I actually prefer cleaning to cooking.  I'll do the bathrooms.  I'll run the sweeper.  I'd clean the pool if we had one.  I consider cleaning as a perfect form of therapy for me.  Don't get me wrong, I don't go out of my way to find stuff to clean up, but I have been known to spend good portions of beautifully sunny days inside mopping floors.


Yes, I am sick.  And no, I've not consulted a therapist about this.  There may need to be a 12-step program.

I do have other hobbies.  I gardened for awhile, but when it's hot enough out to fry eggs on the back of your neck and the love of your life is lying on the sofa in a comatose state with the A/C blowing overhead and the TV on... well, there's just something totally screwed up about being outside with a shovel and half-dead plants.  I used to sew by hand.  You know, cross-stitch and embroidery.  But my fingers get stiffer every year and the eyes aren't what they were, so that's gone by the wayside as well.  I do still read, but it puts me to sleep so I only read when I'm already in bed.


So, what does that leave me?  I scrapbook.  I know it's the latest "craze" and all that, but I honestly enjoy it and am pretty specific about what I make and how it looks.  I completely dislike anything that could be termed "cute" in favor of things that might be considered a bit off the norm.  I also like to take pictures and (I think anyway) I've got a good eye.  So, I usually take pictures with scrapbooking in mind and that makes things so much easier when it's time to put the two together.

I also like working in the smaller formats.  Most of my books are 8" or smaller.  I love the chipboard books that spell out words and have even made my own when I didn't find the word I needed (Sister and I made our own "Beach" books for our Port A pictures) although I don't think I'd do that again without a machine to make more accurate cuts.

So, here's a sample of the "Engagement Calendar" I'm putting together for Mandy.  It chronicles the year (actually 14 months) of her engagement.  I thought it'd make a nice keepsake.

My other ongoing project is now in it's fourth year.  I started with an 8" scrapbook of Sheli's pregnancy with Justin and am now working on his book for age 2 to 3.  For now, it's almost as much fun creating the books as it is spending time with him.  Actually, it's much quieter...

This one is a bit harder in that I have to remember to get at least one picture of him each month, but it's been fun to watch him grown and change.  Eventually his changes will slow down and (hopefully) there will be other babies to do books for, so I don't know how many more "year" books he'll have.  Initially, I didn't photograph the pages as I went, so I do need to go back and do that against the day I don't have them to hand for reference or to browse any longer.

For now, I have them all while his room at his house gets reorganized.

 

And that beach book turned out a lot better than I'd hoped!!