The Monitor Wins!

I got my new monitor.... a Samsung SyncMaster T240 24-inch Widescreen LCD Monitor.
London Drugs had a very nice sale on in the computer department this weekend and I was able to get a my new monitor at a great price. My sweetheart also picked me up a 500 Gb portable external hard drive (I hinted - actually I phoned LD and had it put aside because the price was an incredible $130.00).

I am calling it all part of the birthday package along with the monitor. Dear husband is happy that I am happy and I am happy that he is happy and it is all good! Everybody is happy!!!
Now not only can I see all the photos I am editing in Lightroom 2, I can save all those precious photos to a hard drive outside my computer because if I ever lost my computer - yikes - I don't want to think about it!

And isn't that all just so much more practical then a diamond ring??

My new monitor is, well, big and pretty and wow so fun to work on.

Aint she a beaut.

Spent an evening on the phone with computer expert son walking me through an upgrade for my graphics card to get er working. This 52 year old soon to be a grandma can now open a computer and tell you the difference between the motherboard and the graphics card ~ very proud of myself. Even more proud of the fact that I was able to crawl under my desk with a flashlight holding a phone under my chin- to figure this all out and get back out again without getting stuck - it was close I tell ya. Note to self - add a few more yoga classes to the gym schedule!

The specs because I know you are dieing to know!

• Resolution: 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA)
• Brightness: 300 cd/m²
• Contrast Ratio: DC 20000:1 (1000:1) (Typ.) THIS is good!!
• Viewing Angle(Horizontal/Vertical): 160º/160º (CR>10)
• Response time: 5 ms that's milliseconds - this is pretty good - but not so important for photo editing. Gamers on the other hand would be impressed but MY computer is off limits to all gamers. Ya hear? Off limits!!
• Stand function: Swivel, tilt

Birthdays are fun especially when you get to pick out your own birthday present. I have learned that waiting for a surprise from my dear husband does not bring about the best results... remember last years birthday???
So this year I was prepared!! And it worked out just fine!

Hard to believe another year has flown by. A few more wrinkles/grey hairs. A few more experiences. Many more blessings. But the best blessing of all - His son Jesus Christ. God is so good to me!!

Have a wonderful day everyone.

I'm pretending.

Another few days of minus 40's wind chills and I am using my remote start from the shower at the gym in the early mornings (almost). But we are getting a bit of a reprieve now.

To cope I am posting a few pictures that came to mind when Cheryl reminded me in her comment in my previous post, just how beautifully HOT it is in Mexico!!!

Since I am here and not there I am just going to reminisce a bit.

Ahhhhh ......Mexico 2007

Go ahead Cheryl - have another margarita for me...please! And bring some of that beautiful hot sun home with you!

Back to REALITY!!

This is for you Kate. Clocks - I know how you love em as much as I do. We unpacked them this afternoon at JSI - only three of them and I got one. All three clocks come in each package.

heidi swapp 6x6 transparency overlays - mini clocks. Brand new and very fun!

I am betting they don't last until Friday late night crop. I know I'll be using mine in no TIME. LOL

In other news, #2 son arrived home safely late tonight - as in 11:30 pm after 11 hrs on the road from Thompson, Manitoba. Glad to have him home. Wish he would leave at 8 in the morning when he does this!! I am now off to bed in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. I am thinking I may not make that 6am spin class at the gym in 6 hrs.

Blessings!

For me?

In 2002 I turned 45. .....it seems so long ago. Allison made me a cake and decorated it. Sweet girl.

I used that new Bazzill paper along with BG ambrosia "winsome" so pretty. Thickers letter for "For me?" which is really hard to see in this scan, but it is there. Some heidi swapp clear extras - the butterfly over the journalling and the "happiness" and the 45 comes from K and Company stash. And of course my trusty white gel pen.

Me? waterskiing??

Yup! It's me.

The journalling reads....

I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life, and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I've wanted to. (this is a quote but aptly describes me)

AKA - pride!
A year later I was waterskiing and broke a rib.
Haven't been back since - not fear - just didn't want to!
Have you ever broken a rib?
Don't laugh!
It isn't funny. LOL Actually it is not that big a deal, but it sure hurts when you laugh!

I have scrapbooked those pics - they were the second page I ever did in my life - which means I discovered this addiction scrapbooking in the summer of 2002 - maybe.... while I was recovering from a broken rib. :)
Anyway, it is pretty sad page! Remember when we used to cut the people out of the pictures? I might not show you. Okay if I get an overwhelming response I MAY post the page....

Don't overload my comment box now!

44 years old

That's how old I was in 2001 - was it that long ago? Journalling reads.. Well I feel blessed! For my 44th birthday Harold made me cookies with Happy Birthday Mom inscribed on them and gave me some beautiful carnations – boy he sure has a soft spot for his mom. The Bergen’s invited us, along with Judy Leslie, all over to their house for supper and surprised me with an ice cream cake. Lucky me!

Ah sweet Harold...when did you get to be 26! And you still brings me flowers. I am blessed!

Scrapbook Party more pages!

Last night the "design team" aka the girls at Just Scrap It! got together to scrap, munch and laugh! I wish I didn't fall asleep at 10 pm every night because I could have got a lot more pages done. I did hang in there until 10:30 though! Yeah! Three pages done. I love this picture Melina took of David and me. Have I told you lately? I love you! Every day! Every day!

And another picture of David and me in Mexico - I love this new line of vacation paper just in at Just Scrap It! VERY tropical!! If you are looking for vacation paper, Just Scrap It has it!!

Doesn't this paper just scream sun, warmth, relaxation and fun - oh yeah!

Have to go back soon! Oh such fun together !!

My space...used the new line of Dream Street Papers just in - oh I love it all!! This paper is beautiful!! I have grabbed one of each - it is flying off the shelves. You have to come in and see this line - just gorgeous - I don't know, I may like this line better than Basic Grey!! Just really cool distressed paper with real variety and yet it all works together and it is nice heavy weight - yeah - a new favorite. Journalling reads...

This is my space. It is one of my favourite places to be. It is my haven, my get away, my therapy, my little space where I put the commitments of my life aside and create something. Here is where I play in Photoshop. This is my spot to scrapbook and put on paper my memories and thoughts. It is from this chair I do all my blogging and on line Bible lessons or just reading. I pray in here. This is where I store all my photographs and sit and organize them for hours. It is here that I reminisce and remember and marvel in His goodness to me. This is where my bag of inspiration from Just Scrap It! lands when I come in the door. It is in this chair that I go through my Google reader and find out what all my friends in far away and not so far away places are busy creating in their scrapbook havens. It is from here that I get to connect with their lives. It is where I stay warm –it is right over the furnace room and it is small. This is where ALL my scrapbook supplies and photograph equipment are. In this space I create, I blog, I pray, I organize, I dream, I read my Bible, I plan. It is such a big part of me and yet I really don’t get to spend a whole bunch of time in here. But it is enough to revive me. I transformed this room from a messy disorganized, cluttered smelly corner into “my space” for my 50th birthday. I am almost 51…and this space of mine has been a favourite place for almost a year. I think it will just keep being that for a while.

Thanks for letting me share...love to hear your thoughts.

Have a great day!

Julie

More pages...

More of the Creative Imaginations overlays...

Journaling reads... Our TEEN girl ! …the sweetest TEEN in the world

Yah, I can see you on the front of a magazine – not a glamour magazine because you are too real for that stuff. You are not out to be something you are not or to impress the world. You are just you and perfect the way God made you.

And yes you have the perfect smile – not from whitened or flawlessly straight teeth, but a perfect smile because it is seen in your eyes – the window to the soul. Your smile reveals the real, pure, sweet, honest, chaste, quiet you!

First date jitters? What’s that? No issue there.

Shopaholic? Well you did go through an American Eagleaholic phase. Is it over? …saving for University now!

Beautiful lashes instantly?
I think we are getting through that phase now too. Your gorgeous sparkling blue eyes are shining through again.

WOMEN Magazine! There are very few pictures of me because I am behind the camera all the time and even fewer good pictures of me. But David caught me with our point and shoot Olympus ...very relaxed one evening in Mexico!

Journaling reads ....are you ready for this?

Desperate housewife?
You bet!

Desperate for a husband who takes me to a five star resort on the Mayan Riviera where I relax after a day of lounging on the beach.

Wouldn’t that give any girl a million dollar smile? ……Ohhh yes!

And no clones!
I want him all to myself!

Ha ha...having sooo much fun on my first day off to myself in 2 weeks!

Julie

Just Scrap It April Challenge

Okay here is my challenge page - this was hard - much easier talking about my wonderful kids and vacation spots than about me...although I must say I got verbose! I just couldn't say mother, wife ... because they are only a small part of who I am.

the words read...
Who am I? That’s a huge question. I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up – a photographer, photojournalist, own my own business that involves photos and scrapbooking on the computer, Photoshop guru, world traveler, go back to university and get smart and earn a lot of money?…or maybe a grandma who lives in a neat clean condo and travels to visit all her grandkids. I would love to travel the world with my sweetheart and take pictures and scrapbook them. All dreams, thoughts, musings… but they don’t really say who I am today and , well to tell the truth I am not sure I know myself. Yes I am a mother to four fabulous kids, a wife, a scrapbooker, a volunteer, a healthcare worker, a friend, a lover, the mainstay of our home, a chauffeur, cook, home creator, a wannabe gardener, a teacher, encourager, a neighbor, full time Mom and homeschooler (retired). I love to laugh – gosh it feels so good. I hate to cry –it feels so awful - usually, I want to love people and help people and do things for people, I have a servant’s heart and a heart for those with struggles, pains and losses, but my pride and self-centeredness get in the way sometimes. All these thoughts and wants and realities are temporal and will all someday be gone – just a moment in my lifetime however long that might be.. Here today and gone tomorrow – a memory in a scrapbook. The groundwork, the foundation, the core of who I am, what I do and why I do it, is the Lord Jesus Christ.. I am who I am, whatever that might be, because of Him. He is my Creator, my sustainer, my Savior. I am, I exist, I do, because of Him and so in all the things I do and say and think, in all the things I am, He is the reason.. He is perfection - something I will never know or understand this side of eternity. But because of Him I can strive towards perfection – for His glory. I fail miserably all the time, every day – oh this wicked flesh - but because of Him I can also pick myself up out of the dust, brush myself off and keep running the race He has set before me…because my eyes are on Him, because He has paid the ultimate price for undeserving me. I can give unselfishly, because He has given me the ultimate gift – life – not just in this present moment in time, but real life – life eternal without any of the groaning and trials and sin of this world. Yes I guess I am a lot of things to a lot of people – but the foundation, the cornerstone of all those things is Jesus. I am a child of the King! And so in all things I have joy! Even in the trials and tribulations of this life – there is joy in knowing and being known by Him. I stand in the love of Christ. There is no better place to be.

Thanks for looking...and reading. :)