Scrapbook Crop, Shopping and Thoughts

I apologize that I haven’t been posting as regularly as I usually do. DH actually took a three-week vacay from work (unheard of!) and we’ve been gone a lot. I’ve done the whole ‘pack the entire house into 4 duffle bags’ and ‘unpack 4 duffle bags worth of laundry’ thang 3 times in the last 2 weeks. Not a lot of scrappin’ going on here unfortunately, but now I DO have tons of photos to work with this fall and winter when, baby, it’s cold outside.

So I think I’ll just blab a bit…random scrappy thoughts, if you will, since I have no fabulous topic in mind tonight. My online class began today, Back to Class with Trish Turay (for more info, see HERE…you can still sign up if you’re interested). All I got accomplished today was downloading the instructional PDF and some pre-done titles, quotes and journaling. I read through it all tonight and can’t wait to get started! Today, I went to the Big City (about 40 mins. from here) and did my once a month Costco-Barnes and Noble-Starbucks-Tuesday Morning-Dollar Tree-Michaels-LSS run. At the LSS, I picked up a few things for my Back to Class project…my first ever D-ring album, a 12×12, chocolate brown leather album by We R Memory Keepers (I got that brown one on the right).

I still hold fast to my need for postbound (converted to SNAPLOAD) albums for my everyday needs, but the D-ring will work great for the school albums, as layout continuity is not a must. I can’t get used to how BIG the D-ring album is. I also got a few packs of Generations Memorabilia Holders. I’ll use 1 holder per year per child to hold all the fun school stuff and photos that I don’t incorporate into layouts. Yes, these are going to be some big honkin’ momma albums by the time they reach 12th grade. I realize I’ll probably need 2 or 3 albums per child, so I’ll be using my next several 40% coupons to buy more albums. Those babies ain’t cheap! Anyhow, I also got a pack of 8.5 x 11 white cardstock from Mike’s, to use for journaling, titles and such. Now I’m debating whether to start working on the BTC project at home this week, or just pack it all up and take it to the crop I’m hosting this weekend.

Speaking of which…I’m holding my last crop this Friday and Saturday :( Since I’m going back to work full-time, I have to give up most of my Memory Works business which includes hosting crops. Which, among many other things about going to work full-time, also sucks rotten eggs. But I’m not bitter….really….

On my shopping marathon today, something kept becoming painfully obvious…scrapbooking is taking a downturn. Well, we all knew that…the economy or whatever…but it’s really not nice when it slaps you in the face at every turn. First of all, Costco had a big fat nuthin’ in the way of scrapbooking materials. What happened to the good old days of My Minds Eye mega stacks for $12.99, two-packs of leather albums for $12.99, and Heidi Swapp mega-embellishment packs? Gosh, I miss those days. Then at Michaels, I handed over my 40% off coupon that had been cut out of a single page flyer card instead of the old 4 to 6-page flyer. {On the plus side, I did find an awesome scrappin’ book that I’d been looking for}. Tuesday Morning, which used to provide me all kinds of jollies with their cheap scrapping goodies, was a wash. The scrap mag section at B&N has shrunk in size, with only about 4 magazines still offered (if you don’t count the digi-scrapping magazines, which I don’t…skadoosh!). After unloading Costco groceries, I looked forward to curling up for a while with my new issue of Memory Makers, but it’s so thin it only took about 30 minutes. So, yeah, a bit depressing…

I know everyone is busy with Back to School shenanigans, but the message boards have been kinda’ slow. Which is prolly good, because I have SO many other things I should be doing. So, off I go! I know I didn’t give you much to go on, but feel free to comment on anything scrap-related below. Any cool scrap shopping you’ve done lately? Your thoughts on thin scrap mags? Whatevs…