It is so much harder to take small steps, but I reached my goal.

I am taking advantage of my vacation and blogging early. After sleeping for nine hours, twice as much as normal,  I feel energized. There is a “To do”-list waiting for me but I don`t stress about it. I just want to enjoy my time these first days.

A little scrapbooking inspired by May Flaum`s  BPS class.

This reminds me that I have a wedding album to do. I forgot about that.

If I had my sewing machine I would have stitched this, but since it has taken residence at my sister in law`s house I settle for poking holes.

This layout was inspired by one of my classmates; Di Turner. I might have tried ruffling the edges once before but these technique is pretty new to me.

The black paper is so beautiful. I have to see if I can find some more of it. Maybe I will go with black as a theme in the wedding album instead of the pink. A well, I am still 13 layouts away from shopping.

Last night I read the book – Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, as a preparation to Cathy Zielske`s class Me: The Abridged Version.  I found it hard to get the grip of this concept in addition to translate it into Norwegian. When I read the book in English I am thinking in English. That makes it hard to find the words and letters in my own language. Reading Kolette Hall`s take on this helped a lot. I you consider taking this class you should go read what Kolette  says about it. Like Kolette I could not stop writing. All the small things was lining up in my memory.

Now – off to read Shimelle`s prompt for the day`s layout in her Go to Press class at Two Peas…

I did The Art of Becoming More with Kolette and Jason last year and now was a good time to look at the goals I sat during that class.

1. Working less

2. Losing weight

3. Learn something new

Okay. I did good…

Working less was my main thing last year, and I think I have succeeded reaching that goal. And that feels good. I don’t see a need to put that one on my list for 2009.

Losing weight and eating healthier – did not happen at all. Did I forget? No, I just overlooked that one. That was not a good choice, but a choice I can live with. Hmm…that means I have to drag that goal all the way into 2009.

Learn something new. I did, I did. I learned a lot in 2008. Finding the courage to take the opportunity to learn through the internet was a lucky choice for me. And I will keep doing that.

This tells me that one of my goals for 2009 will be eating healthier. I don’t want to focus on losing weight, mostly because there really isn’t that much weight to lose. I am just talking about feeling more comfort buying cloths.

It has been snowing all day. It is wet and I don’t think it will be there in a few days. I have been working on finishing my pages for my Christmas journal. I went back to work on the 27′Th and worked until New Year. I was planning to make an album featuring the highlights in 2008 for my brother and his wife for Christmas. Since my photo developer didn’t deliver at their end, I wasn’t able to finish. I used the evenings between Christmas and New Year to finish the album. So I cut my journal short and did 28, 29, and 30 into one page highlighting the album.

The days between Christmas and New Year

On December 26 grandpa and grandpa had the pleasure of giving the grandchildren the “cars”. So – maybe the adults had more fun than the kids – but who cares…

Elin had to try the car outside and she did have FUN.

Kristian liked this one best, and his feet were almost long enough...

I got so exited about Kolette Hall posting the Pre Work projects for the class at BPS tonight that I almost forgot blogging. The albums, the templates are so beautiful. I can`t wait to get started. Sometimes it is difficult to find all the products needed. I know we can substitute, but it is nice to have the products found on the supply list. And Kolette, being the great designer she is, creates beautiful things with them.

I did work on this weeks sketches for the DYL class, both of them. Almost finished the first one and I picked the photos for the second. Then my printer stopped cooperating. So this is just a little sneak peak.

Sketch - Cathy Zielske - Design your life - BPS

I had problems deciding how to match this wedding photos with card-stock. I better sleep on this big decision:)

I spent some time reading up on some blogs I like to follow. It never stops to amaze me how many creative and smart people there is in the world. I can spend hours reading. Just wish I had it in me to follow up on all the ideas this is giving me. But rather than doing something, I seem to consume the ideas and forget all about it. And I move on….

I have been reading up on Jason Hall`s blog today. He is an excellent storyteller and he always has a deeper meaning with his story and in the end he has a word of advice. The best thing about it, I get what he is saying. That does not mean I am capable of follow up on his advice but sometimes during the day I can hear his voice in the back of my head.

Jason Hall was teaching along his wife Kolette in the Big Picture Scrapbooking class; the art of becoming more…, earlier this year. So when I say I can hear his voice, I really can. Coming January 1Th the two of them start a new class that will run through the whole year. I think this will be an amazing journey for everyone joining them.

You can see the class here: A life well crafted at BPS….and go read Jason Hall`s blog.

And then there is some scrapbooking. I finished the second assignment for week 3 – DYL.

Sketch: Cathy Zielske - Design Your Life.

 Great grandma Karen is tutoring baby Kristian in the art of drawing.

…and her Giving Well class. Not because I am any good at giving – because I am not. But I like Kolette – and I did say that I would join any class she would ever teach. She is giving us this neat projects and a motivation for giving good. I certainly need some advice in that department. Usually I stash some money in an envelop and I am done. Sometimes there is no Christmas present at all. Since baby Elin was born I found an even easier approach to giving gifts – I transfer money to the kids saving accounts every month. Well, the bank takes care of it. Talk about taking the easy way out….

Giving is not easy. We all have a lot of stash filling up our homes. Do we really need more? Me – I always wish for socks – because I need socks. Another thing – do people appreciate home made gifts?  I honestly don`t think they do. Kolette does have a good point; you got to connect with the person you are giving to. Okay, at least I am in training for giving gifts…

Papirgleder showed us how to make this neat card today, and I had to try it out.

With just enough room for some goodies.

Viva Bahia…, originally uploaded by elinjanne.

I want to go back….Today I slept long in to the day. I did not regret that when I looked out of the window. The rain has been pouring down all day. First I have two weeks of vacation in June and it was raining the whole time and now it is the same all over again. Well, after two weeks in the sun…who am I to complain….I feel a little down tonight. Tomorrow morning there will be no message from Tena Spenger in my mailbox. I have enjoyed her class so much and feel a little sad that it is all over.

So…what to do next….I know Stacy Julian told her class to concentrate on her “30 days Hath September” and only that. I can`t help feeling that I have done this before. I love the project; to be present in your life…..And I do capture, collect and record and I am making my September album, but I am on vacation time and it is raining outside. So I need something more. I did try to access my membershipat VG “vektklubb” today, with no luck. I need to loose a few pounds and I need to get in shape. And I need someone to tell me how to do it. Even if I do know how to do it, I need something to hold me in line. Hopefully I will get an answere to how to access my account in the morning.

With nothing to do I surfed around on the net and I discovered that Kolette and Jason Hall is teaching a year long class at Big Picture Scrapbooking next year. I did say a few months ago that I would take whatever class they were teaching. And I did say; A year….go for it. So I guess there will be no LOOM class next year. I have been wanting to do that class for some time, but I rather join Kolette and Jason. And I have to choose.

So...I rather be at Viva Bahia....