Cricut Carts and 7 Gypsies, hooray!

I'm so obsessed with other people's lives and blogs that I tend to forget about my own.

Harper is 5 months as of yesterday. She got her 4 month immunizations yesterday and in the future I will never make another afternoon appointment EVER!

Ugh so we waited in the sick room because there was no place to wait, and there were TONS of sick kids. I was afraid that Harper might catch something, so I moved to wait in the hallway. We got there at 3:45 for our 4:00 appointment, then we were finally called back at 4:30, and then finally seen at 5:00. Then the nurse finally came in with the shots at 5:30. We had a dinner date with Gavin's parents so we got to their place at almost 6:00. Pam made some delicious fall of the bone ribs, corn and sliced cheesy potatoes, yum!

Gavin is taking a half day at work to study for an exam and get his flu shot.

After I nurse Harper at lunch I will head to Walgreens and get my very own flu shot. I suppose I should call them to see how much and see if they have any before I head that direction, super.

I'm super mom!!!

I'm sad that there is a crop this Saturday. I would totally be there but I cropped last Friday night. I wouldn't have gone to the Friday crop if I knew about this earlier... eek!

I NEED TO PLAN stuff I'm so bad about that.

Playing games with Kindred Creations today. Bought some awesome 7 Gypsies stuff from Peachy Cheap this week.
I purchased my first two cricut cartridges on EBAY... I won Home Accents and Stamping Solutions. Can't wait to use them!!!

I love online shopping.. I really shouldn't though. Ebay is my FAVE.

Post from SHOT Meet Up Group

So if any of you gals are like me, then you must love a deal, discount, steal, sale, clearance, bargain, closeout, giveaway, value, low price, markdown, nominal price, reduction, overstock....and one of my favorites "additional __% or $__ off!"

Well I thought that I would share some of my tips and tricks to getting smashing steals on scrapbook stuff.

Most of us probably cut and use coupons for our LSS (local scrapbook stores) and big box craft stores like Michael's, Hobby Lobby, and Joanns. I love going to places like these where you get to touch and feel the pretty papers, bewitching bling, sassy stickers, adorable alphas, precious punches, seductive stamps, enchanting embellishments, and smart scrappin' tools! Well I am here to tell you about some of the places online that you can stock up on some fabulous finds for almost pennies (well really…a few quarters, nickels and dimes but still a steal is a steal no matter how small)!

I love DEAL a DAY sites… I know there are lots of them out there for NSPR (non-scrapbook related) stuff, but there are some ultra cool Scrapbook steal sites available to us if we just search a bit. Here are my faves!

- www.ScrapbookSteals.com

This site launched not too long ago. They offer $5 shipping every day on all purchases, and most of the products are generally 25-75% off.

- www.FlowerstoFlourishes.com

This one is the bomb! The owner of this site offers some mega deals daily! Her shipping varies per item, but it usually runs around $.99 to $4.99. Lately she’s been doing some $.99 and $1.99 shipping on all purchases. A few weeks ago I purchased 5 packs of 7 Gypsies Rub-Ons for $7.99 + $2.99 shipping. What a steal!?

- www.CropChocolate.com

This site offers some delicious deals… not only are they a deal a day site, but they sometimes offer MULTIPLE deals a day. They have a cute blog that I follow. They offer giveaways, free shipping deals, and some decadent discounts if you don’t mind me saying. They recently started their Crop a la Carte, where you sign in and purchase deals for the week. They combine shipping on all of your steals and send all of your items to you at once. Just a wonderful site!

- www.CraftySteals.com

Another wonderful steal a day site here! I follow this blog as well. Right now she’s offering sweet shipping deals, and for the next month EVERY item each day is Halloween themed to get you in the mood for the spookiest season of the year!

- www.PeachyCheap.com

This place is just peachy and cheap!!! Shipping is usually $3.99 to $4.99 daily. Sometimes even cheaper, sometimes even free! Peachy Cheap is known for their lovely grab bags that are $9.99 + shipping, and they full of surprises from brand named paper slabs to American Crafts Thickers (thick Alpha stickers), embellishments, and other cool croppin’ stuff! Check ‘em out!

- www.KindredCreationsIdeas.blogspot.com

Okay, so this is definitely one of my favorite sites. The owner of this site hosts a little shop on her web forum, and monthly they have Auctions starting at just pennies. They had their September Auction this past weekend, and I won a pack of Daisy D’s die-cut frames for $.02. I mean 2 cents people!!! The fees alone on Paypal cost more than that, so she is giving them to me for free. No I am not even paying shipping. Today’s deal on her blog is a 2 pack of American Crafts Thickers (Chit Chat in orange and pink) for $4.50 +$1.50 shipping. That’s 2 packs of Thickers for the price of 1; what a steal?! This is one of the first sites I check on daily because she keeps her shipping costs low… I think the most I’ve ever seen for shipping was $5.00, but usually it’s around $1.00-2.50. Her deals are definitely the cheapest around. Even cheaper than the other sites above! Some brands that I see on her site include: Crate Paper, P is for Pebbles, Daisy D’s, Three Bugs in a Rug, and American Crafts.

- www.ScrapbookMoja.com

I don’t know too much about this site, and the other day it wasn’t working, but before their site started having complications they sold bigger scrapbook items like the Yudu from Provocraft, the Cricut, Your Story, and even scrapbook totes like the Navigator. They had some awesome deals, so I hope that they come back and give us more opportunities to buy up those deals and discounts at closeout prices!

- www.DailyMemories.com

I don’t like this site too much, but I thought I’d share it anyway. Sometimes they offer scrapbook deals. In the last month that I’d checked them they’ve had 1 scrapbook steal and everything else is mostly home décor items. Not my favorite, but I’m sure that someone can find something fabulous here!

If any of you gals know of anymore deal a day sites online PLEASE let us know! I for one know that I would visit it daily!

Okay and on to some wonderful sites online that I love to visit just for scrapbook fun! Most of these sites have forums and stores that I participate and shop for stuff on.

- www.ScrapFreak.com

Mama Freak Monica put this site together that offers a store, forum and gallery. I participate on the forums daily, and when I find time I upload my scrapbook related images into the gallery. Her store is wonderful too for all of us North Texans. She offers 10% off daily on all her of products, and host sales generally 1 time per month. You can find out about her discounts, challenges and other announcements through her monthly newsletter; sign up on her website. Her scrapbook store is done right out of her home in Highland Village, TX, so although she offers a cheap $5 shipping on all orders and free shipping on orders of $60 or more, it’s free to pick up from her house, and generally orders are ready for pick up by the next day.

- www.TwoPeasinaBucket.com

This is a big box online retailer of scrapbook and other cool crafty things! They offer daily deals, a large forum, and free shipping on orders of $50 or more with their monthly free ship code, available in their newsletters. This is a great place to find deals on ALL of your favorite brands.

- http://txscrapmania.com/

I like this site because it stays up to date on all the Texas retreats, events, boards, meet-ups, and local scrap shops. This is the site that I found my favorite LSS: Scrappin’ Bunnies and SHOT meet-up group, GREAT site if you are looking for a place to retreat to and a crop; great starting place for beginner scrappers like myself.

- http://52sketches52weeks.com/

- http://pagemaps.com/

Both of these sites are great to find sketches on the fly. If you need some inspiration too both of these sites have great little galleries.

- www.ScrapbookPictures.com

If you are looking for a place to host your images, edit and print your photos then this is the PLACE. They are inexpensive, and their coupon codes can be found on Retail Me Not. The most recent code is for 15 free prints. They have LOW shipping everyday unlike some places I’ve used online, and the picture quality is better than ones that I’ve gotten from Walmart, Target, and Walgreens. They are number 1!!!

Here is a list of retailers and other websites that you can find CLOSEOUT prices on scrapbooking items where you may not ordinarily look for scrap stuff…

- Big Lots

- Tuesday Morning

- Walmart

- Target

- www.Overstock.com

- www.Amazon.com

- www.Craigslist.com

- www.TapeDepot.com

- Dollar General

- Dollar Tree

So I’m finished for now, but I would love to see your comments of some of the places that you find wicked awesome deals on your scrapbook finds.

Where do you go? What are some things that you find? What are some places that you just have to visit online when you think of SCRAPBOOKING!?

Thanks Gals,

Gabrielle Watson

www.fromwatsonwithlove.blogspot.com

Dr. Suess

A person's a person no matter how small.

Goodness...

No one in my family is getting any better, eek! Gavin is sick as a dog, running a fever all night. I took Harper out last night we picked up a few things at the W.

Tomorrow is my crop for this month, so I sure hope that Gavin is feeling well enough to take care of Harper. After all I did it when I was dead sick the other day when his mom couldn't watch her, so I'm sure he can handle it. I only ask for 1 day a month.

I'm going to pack up my stuff tonight in my new case that my mom is giving to me. I can't wait. I'm giong to have a rolling case, yay!

I might stop by Scrappin' Bunnies after I get there and unload my stuff in the morning.

I hope that Harper has a good night tonight and a good day at school. I had to leave her outside with her teacher this morning because all the teachers were locked out of their school, geez! You would think that all the lead classroom teachers would have keys to the building, duh. That only makes sense if you ask me.

I'm extremely tired, and I still have a cough, but overall I'm feeling much improved from the last week or so. Gavin needs to see a doctor tonight or something. I hope that we don't have the flu. I don't suspect it's flu, but I guess we'll know if Harper gets really sick like us.

Sick, sick, sick...

So to update everyone since I haven't blogged at all this week... sad news right!?

I'm sick with some ear infections and respitory infection of sorts. Been on meds for a few days now, and I'm feeling a little better, but still coughing a bit and not feeling quite myself... Harper has a cough. Ugh. When I'm off these meds I'm getting the flu vaccine since she's too little right now. Gavin is coming down with something. He's sick, sick, sick as a dog like I was the other day, so now he knows.

This weekend I have a wicked crop, and I can't wait. Tonight I need to make a belated birthday card for a student worker, and then I need to bake a cake or something. Or I may do that for Monday since tonight Harper and I are alone, all by ourselves while daddy learns stuff in class.

Had to drop one of my classes this semester but I really don't mind. It was too overwhelming, two online classes, full time job spending lunches at the nursery: nursing my daughter, then when I get home at night too exhausted to read after nursing for hours and then finally going to bed.... and of course there's stuff in between there, but there's just so little time to do much of anything else.

I'm still enrolled in a couple of hours though, so that works for me and the fam.

Gavin and I decided that we are going to wait till 2011 before we start trying on another little baby. I love my little one so much, and I would love another now, but I don't want to take anything away from her. I want her to have her special baby time all by her lonesome :D She's my sweet angel.

I wish I could stay home with her this first year.... I feel like I miss so much when she's at school all day.

Sleepy Head...

Ok so I'm still exhausted from our trip to San Antonio. We had a good time even though it was a bit stressful at times. I ordered some Cosmo Cricket Earth Love. Love it! I think that I'm picking it up tonight. I don't know though because it all really depends on Harper and Josie.

Gavin has class tonight. I was breaking out in hives again this morning, but they went away on their own, yay! I figure they're probably caused by stress or something at my house.

This morning our street smelled like sewage. It was quite disgusting.

Harper seems to be feeling better. I had to take her to the doctor on Tuesday. She had some cold virus, but she's doing better now. I don't have a crop this weekend, and I'm kind of sad about it, mope.

Gavin and I have decided that Harper is going to be Sloth from the Goonies for Halloween. They have identical hairstyles now that most of Harper's hair has fallen out and by that time she may have at least 1 little toothie.

Teehee.. so glad that I shared.

Okay for lunch... a free subway sandwich courtesy of SCRABBLE. Yay!

And.. of course seeing my little girl as usual. This is the best part of my day.

Now... working and paying bills, eek!

So found out today that our mortgage company was bought out by Bank of America, and the debt collectors at BofA gave Gavin and pretty nasty call about how we haven't made our payment for August. LIERS! Well I called them and fussed about this and apparently our mortgage company went out of business, and they are supposed to be sending our August check to BofA. They said that we will not be penalized for anything because it is not our fault, and this is happening to several people and not to be alarmed.

I'm counting down until I can head home. I was talking with a "lady" online about selling my other wedding dress to her (the one that I didn't wear), and she was so happy to buy it, but only if I she could send me the shipping box, extra money and a cashier's check. LOL. Scam! Gosh I don't get why there is thievery in the world.

Eek!

San Antonio or Bust...

This Friday Gavin, Harper and I are headin' to Ole San Antone for a weekend of loveliness with my family. I love those guys!

I feel terrible though because it's my friend's baby shower this weekend, and the Highland Village crop. Eek. I'm so sad to miss both, but I've had this on my calendar since before Harper was born!

Anyhow, I will make the next crop, and I will make a little Mama and Harper date to hang out with Elizabeth before she pops!

I have a full September... I'm thinking about dropping one of my courses as well. I know I shouldn't take less than 6 hrs, but I don't feel committed enough to focus all of my free time on two classes this semester. There's so much to read for just one of them. I may just drop it and wait till next semester. I feel like I keep putting this class off, but it's much harder now that I have a little one to watch in the evening. At least I'll be in 1 class though.

Yeah, I should just drop it.... I think at least.

We'll see.
9/12 - SLOP Crop with the SHOTS gals in Frisco 10 am - 11 pm
9/19 - Crop with gals in South Denton from 4 pm - 12 am

and I didn't know if I told anyone yet but I got a merit raise at work, and I *hopefully* will be bringing home about $300 extra a month. That won't cover all of Harper's daycare, but still.. it's a little extra that we have been needing really badly!!!