Creative Chaos

I'm still here.........

All you need to do is follow the trail of "funsize" candy wrappers and you will find me slumped over a stack of CSET books nursing a cold cup of coffee muttering phrases like "Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492.......x+y+6z equals the square root of 4q......... The Pythagorean Theory rules.......why can't the questions involve glitter and gluesticks"........ Yep. That's where I am.   Either there or at Target replacing all the Halloween candy that I've been eating all week. The test is this Saturday so this cram session is finally coming to an end.  Although, the additional 5 pounds will remain with me long after the holiday's.

For those of you didn't tune in to see a half eaten snicker's bar, here are some things I've been sneaking in between studying........

A collage I finished for one of my sisters

Some more gift bags that I will hopefully...eventually get up on etsy.....

Talk to you soon!  Karin

Halloween is the least of my scary problems......

So even amid the craziness of San Diego burning up into a pile of ashes, I have managed to do some cards and study. (and on that note, my sister calls me from Michigan after watching CNN.  Apparently they are congering up this image of all San Diegans running just ahead of the wall of flames and jumping straight into the ocean.  I told her we weren't quite to that point yet. But I would let her know when I was floating on a raft for safety) So anyway, I have decided the more I study, the less I know.  What I mean is.....I really, really should have paid better attention in biology 101 at San Diego State instead of trying to decide if I was going to wear the black crop top or the white crop top to Moose Mcgulicuddy's on Friday night........

So my reward for what seems like endless studying has been creating more cards and tags.  Oh...and just take a look at my $4 banner I created.  I got those letters at JoAnn Fabrics in their $1 doller bin and just added the tulle. Voila! Can't get any easier than that.  I bought stuff for another more detailed Halloween banner.  I suspect I'll get that done just before Easter.

Thank you everyone SOOOOO much for your concern and well wishes.  Luckily, My family is safe and sound (We live about 15-20 miles from the actual flames).  However, so many across the city and county have lost their homes and belongings.   So many miles of San Diego have been devastated.  Things are finally under control.  Now everyone is facing the sad prospect of picking up the pieces and recovering.    Hope all is well with you and yours!! Talk to you soon!  Karin

Waving "Hello" amid the smoke.........

For those of you who don't know, I live in San Diego where the wild fires are burning out of control.  Although, my family and I are at no risk of any immediate danger, as we live close to the city, other parts of our county have been devastated.  The air quality has been extremely poor.  Schools and business have shut down and people have been pretty much been told to stay home. It's crazy to imagine that almost a half a million people have been evacuated. It's been a tense and sad couple of days here.  The last fire that blew across the San Diego region was the Cedar fire in 2003.  Just  days before this fire broke out, the papers were printing up the "anniversary" stories of that fire.   And then this happens..... The fires are still at 0-5 percent containment with no sign of letting up soon.   It's going to be another long night for the folks at the evacuation centers and the bone tired fire fighters.   Let's hope for some let up.....

Talk to you soon, Karin

I'm still nodding at Halloween.......

Well, well, well...... look who has been very productive making Halloween tags for her family and friends.  Of course, I have to ask myself if these same people would be getting anything at all if I wasn't taking a class.  Of course, the answer is a resounding no. 

I have concluded (with my well researched hypothesis) that the more critical the study time, the far more creative you become.  Therefore, after I receive my teaching credential, I intend on entering medical school.......I figure that my creativity level will fly off the chart with all the procrastination and my artistic projects will will reach the level of the Sistine Chapel.  I'll be world famous.

Alright, in my defense, I did get quite a bit of studying done.  But, boy oh boy, did I have fun making these tags!  I even bought some supplies to do a banner.... I'm out of control...... 

My Nod to Halloween........

I love Halloween.  As a matter of fact, Halloween is probably my favorite holiday with Thanksgiving coming in a distant 2nd.  I have issues with Christmas as explained in this post and this post.  Let's just say the Christmas season has reached a near panic proportion that rivals  someone screaming "FIRE" in a packed theater.  I say when a holi"day" starts lasting for 3 months, something's just not right......

Anyway, although it doesn't seem apparent on the Chaos Blog, things are looking very spooky over here in the Chaos household.  We have Spooky Town set up on the piano (constantly being rearranged by Carlos) and Spooky graveyard set up on the front lawn......again, constantly being rearranged by Carlos.   Everyday when we get home school and the minute he jumps out of the car, he moves things around and tries to "up" the scariness factor.  He was just telling me how he is going to put the fog machine under the tree so it will blow the smoke across the tombstones and we should get a second one to put on the other side of the lawn to make it extra scary.  The only problem with his plan is #1......we don't have a fog machine and #2...... I have no intention of getting one.  But, I love how he plans away without paying any mind to the details.

Here's is a picture of the Halloween of all Halloween costumes that I did f0r Carlos circa 2001.  I reached my peak of cute costumes before he even turned 2.

I saw this costume in the Martha Stewart Magazine and HAD to do it.  The BEST costume I have ever seen for a kid.  And, super easy. 

A couple years after this picture was taken Carlos and I went as Mama and baby chick....

Here's some other stuff I've been working on. I'm using this Crate Paper of which I have one sheet.  I just love it.  Wish I had more........

Another Pink Christmas Tag.......

Some Gift Bags I'm working on for Etsy......

That's it for now....Talk to you soon! Karin

Different Directions.........

I've been going in quite a few directions lately.  One is in the usual direction of being a mom......another is going by way of my art & craft......the other is the ever looming path of insanity..... and, lastly, this direction......

I am studying to get my teacher's credential.  It's something that I have wanted to do for quite some time.   With Andres getting older, and my mom retiring after the first of the year (so she can watch Andres) the timing is perfect.  I'm going to start subbing after the first of the year and start my classes.  In the meantime, I've been studying for the CSET. It's a test all teachers to be in California must take, and, most importantly, pass.   I'm already in trouble....I haven't been in school since 1991 when I received my BA (unless of course you count comedy traffic school)  and this whole studying business is new to me.  Last night, Cosme took the boys so I could "hit the books."  Here's how it went......

6:30 pm:  All children and husband leave. It is just me, my books and a quiet house. I'm ready to study.

6:31:  Open book with earnest.  Find perfect pen in which to write important notes.  Arrange papers in front of me.  Decide at that moment that I need to finish Christmas gift tags.  It's imperative that I finish them..........for some reason.

6:40: Open book, again.  Get mad at myself for not paying better attention in English Lit. Wish for sudden miracle to bequest me with knowledge of poetry.   Go to refrigerator to get chocolate.

6:45: Decide that I need a yellow highlighter.  The yellow highlighter pictured with my assistant two posts below.   The yellow highlighter I haven't seen since that day...... The yellow highlighter that I know will be the key factor between passing and not passing.   Make mental note to suspend all goldfish and juicebox breaks for assistant.

6:50: Sit down to really, really get back to business.  Determine that I need to look at my Etsy store to see if there was a mad rush on Christmas gift tags and collages that needed to be mailed out overnight express rush..........None.........back to the book.

6:55:  Wonder if I'll get invited to any frat parties or get asked to rush a soroity.  And, if so, what will I wear? Make mental check to update entire wardrobe this weekend and dye gray hair.

7:00:  Where is that highlighter?!? .........Get up to get more chocolate and decide what I need is a calming, focusing cup of tea.  Look in cupboard for mind focusing green tea.  None.  Make cup of coffee.

7:10:  Sit down with cup of coffee and look at fingerprints on refrigerator.  Ask myself how in the world I have been living this way for so long with these fingerprints all over. There is no way I can study with that kind of distraction.  Get up and wipe it down......along with the stove and the toaster. 

7:20:  Hmmmmm....toast.....that sounds good.

7:30:  Sit down with toast and more chocolate.  Spread out all notes from last night's class.  Organize them in a purposeful fashion.  Stack them.  Spread them out again.  Decide that maybe what I need is an embellished note binder to hold all these important papers.  Jot down note to pick up binder tomorrow at Office Depot.  Go into craft room to look at vintage wallpapers that look studious yet fun.   

7:40: Can not get the song "Boo Boo Choo Choo" from Thomas the Train out of my head. 

7:50:  "Hi Mommy!  Were home!  Did you miss us!?!?"  Sigh deeply and think how fast time flies when your head is buried in the books. Close book and decide that's enough studying for tonight........

Here are some new things for Etsy!

I have a confession to make.....

There's another man in my life.  He's sweet, yummy and a bit of a bad boy.  It's a once a year fling.... as he is only in town on business for a month.  He arrives at the beginning of October and is on the road by November.  It is literally short and "very" sweet.   By the way, there is no need to wonder....my husband knows all about him.  He tolerates him because he knows he will be leaving town after a short stint, and therefore, puts up with my indiscretion and bad judgment.  The kids adore him and wish he could stay all year long.....but, alas, it's not to be. He leaves as quickly as he arrives.  I feel like a kid again when I'm with him.   Would you like to meet him?  Now remember.....what he lacks in good looks, he by far makes up for it with his exquisite taste............

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I love October and all that it brings......

The creative force behind Icing on the Cake.....

I know that everyone just assumed it was lonely old me toiling behind a gluestick and a paintbrush creating all sorts of glittered gift tags and collages.  But the truth of the matter was, I was getting burnt out on the demanding work...... I needed to bring in help.   So, I did what I usually do in busier times......I called the temp agency and brought in some extra hands.  Why I keep calling this place, I have no idea as they continue to send the same guy over and over again.  But, since I was short on time and didn't have the energy to interview around, I kept him onboard.  Big mistake.

Unfortunately his design style leans towards highlighter pens and lots of scribble scrabble. He takes way too many juicebox and Goldfish breaks.  He has Thomas the Train on constantly while "working."   He takes no appreciation in vintage wallpaper or color theory, nor does he acknowledge the virtues of glitter and chipboard. 

Plus, he's constantly lying down on the job.......

In a word....he's useless.  I find myself doing the same amount of work AND having to serve him a sippy cup of milk and a cookies at the same time.  It's ridiculous.   Unfortunately, I have no other choice than to keep him on for the upcoming One Year Blogversary Party Giveaway I'm planning.   I'm going to need all the help I can get to get this thing off the ground.  It will involve cake....balloons....giveaways....all sorts of fun.   

I just hope I can survive until then!

What keeps me awake at night.....

Global warming?.......The plight of the people in Darfur?.....How I can pay for my kids' college tuition in leftover craft supplies and gift tags?....... No.  What keeps me up at night is ribbon storage.  Yes, that's right.  The complicated, yet, oh so vital, ribbon storage.   I think I finally have it all figured out.   Now....I'm sure everyone remembers my embellished ribbon rack. (don't you love how I say that as if "everyone" here has been reading my blog as if it were a standard autobiographical requirement for life.... "Oh yes Karin....how we all love and remember that rack fondly"......)

Anyway, as pretty as that rack is, it just isn't very functional. I just end up taking everything down when working. Smaller ribbons get lost under bigger ones.  And, I really feel like I need the ribbon color sorted. So, as time went on, it became clear that as my ribbon collection grew, I was going to need to take a new direction in ribbon  management and containment. Well, I present to you my new solution.........

I got the little metal containers at Target.  They're originally for cd's.  However, they were just what I need for my ribbons.  What I like best about them is that they are designed to be stacked. And, I can pull my ribbons out; yet, still be able to see how much I have left. 

Now, if I can just figure out... for the love of dead brain cells....why they insist on coming back with a third season of "The Real Housewives of Orange County"  (are there still that many unanswered questions about middle-aged women trying unsuccessfully to look and act like they're 20 year's old out there?)....  I will be able to get some sleep!

Talk to you soon! Karin