Scrapbooking & motivation

There hasn't been much of either of these lately. Although I see some possibilities opening up now to get me in both of those spaces. I think depending on the events of this week, there could be some major changes to my daily routines that will see me take a little more time for me. That can't be a bad thing. With any luck if I'm in a better place for me, I might even be in a better place for everyone around me as well.

This week I have had the opportunity to look closely at some of the things I do when I am under pressure. I've known that I do them for a very long time, but I've never looked at them in a way that would allow me to actually do anything about it before. I hate that when I get stressed I shut down. In an emergency (or a disaster) you can always rely on me to act first and then stress later. I mean I've always been a fix it now and stand there complain about it later kind of person. I think it comes from years of trying to not be like my mother who does the opposite. Stands there and complains about the situation for an hour and at the end of it all you still have to fix the problem. I just figure you might as well forget the bitching and get the job done. But when it comes to situations where my own personal life is in crisis, I just shut down, which is pretty stupid since the usual outcome is that I'm lying awake at night stressing about the things I haven't done instead of actually taking some action to do something about them. And I just don't get why I take so many steps to look after everyone else (often at expense to me in some way - and I don't just mean monitary) and then don't look after myself as well as I do others. To a relatively intelligent individual like myself - it doesn't make a whole bunch of sense and yet I do it over and over.

I know it's a pretty common thing, especially with women - well no make that mothers even more specifically - where we put ourselves last on the list of things to take care of. I know that over the past almost 17 years, despite the fact that I have had 3 live in partners, I've essentially been a single mother and that in itself makes it difficult to put yourself first. But that doesn't or shouldn't make it an impossible task to look after yourself. And I can't help but think that in another couple of years it's pretty likely that I will ONLY have myself to worry about. So you would think it makes some sense to get your head around looking after yourself BEFORE that time.

Anyway enough of the critique of the mirror for now.... Scrap Pile had a Cyber Crop on Friday night and my challenge was to scrap a layout of something you love or loved, preferrably a hobby, collection or interest you had or have - banned subjects were Scrapbooking and Family.... just to make it difficult for all the scrapbookers. Yeah I know, I can be mean like that sometimes. So of course my example had to be about dog showing... I mean apart from Lakeisha, what the hell have I done with the past 30 years of my life except that????? I suppose the one thing I can be grateful for is that if I do NOTHING else with my life except those two things - I can at least die happy knowing I did both EXCEPTIONALLY well...... Here is the layout entitled "Winners Are Grinners".


And I also managed to complete a card for Tammy's challenge. The challenge was to create a card using Black, White and one other colour. We then have to send the card to someone on the Scrap Pile site by Friday. Well the hard part is done and the recipient is selected.


This was my last CC as a part of the Design Team there. My stint ends at the end of this month. I think I've been a part of that team for so long I was starting to feel a bit like part of the furniture, but I think it's a great thing to change once in a while, get new blood, new ideas and a fresh approach. I have been so grateful to both Mel and Justine for the fantastic support they have given me not just through Scrap Pile but also the friendship and encouragement personally. And creatively I think this past 9 months has been invaluable. Some of my most favourite layouts have come from the Design Team kits sent out each month. Some of them have been challenging but the fact that I was able to create something that I was really happy with in the end only gave me more confidence to keep on creating. Not to mention that the site itself is just the most wonderful community of ladies you could find anywhere on the internet and I hope that it always stays that way. Although it's a bit sad in some ways not to be on the Design Team - at least now I get to compete for some of the great prizes! LOL

Hopefully there is another layout or so itching to be created today. I could use some creative therapy.