crafty little Christmas elf

Two days in a row! Not bad. Not bad!

So today I’ve been working on a "modelling portfolio" for my little cousin for Christmas.

I love taking photos and I practice my "people shots" with my new camera every time we go up to Ottawa to visit my family. (Also trying to get some good family pics to include in our slideshow at the reception when we come back from our South African safari wedding! hee hee SHHH! nobody knows about the slideshow yet)! Anyway, my little cousin (we’ll call her "S") loves clothes and got the bright idea to start modelling for me one day in all kinds of different outfits and poses. I have quite a selection of photos now. Some quite good I think. So I’ve been picking out the best ones and attempting to edit them a bit before heading to Walmart to print them.
I have a scrapbook I purchased at Liquidation World last year and some of those little corner sticky things that I got there last week -they had a HUGE bin sale where you could fill a BASKET for $1!!! I had a blast!! I figure printing 25 or so photos will make a nice "portfolio" and won’t break my bank since technically we’re not doing presents for anyone except immediate family this year. I had originally wanted to do one of those bound photo books from shutterfly or even Walmart has them now I think but this way S will have room to add more.
Been having some issues with Adobe Photo Shop. I can’t get things to work the way I want them to. I’m used to using PSP to make siggies and graphics for websites. Totally frustrating!! I think I’ll make BF find me a copy of my PSP tonight when he gets home instead of dealing with this wonky program anymore.

I’m being a crafty little Christmas elf this year I think. I have a Santa Claus cake pan and I am going to make at least two of those – one for my family’s Christmas Eve celebration and one for the crazies’ Christmas Eve party. I might make one to send to BF’s work too. I have all of the decorating utensils, all the tips. The other project I’m currently collecting supplies for is Christmas crackers. I found a site that shows me how to make the paper crowns although I’m not sure I’m going to include those yet. I am going to include the usual slip of paper with a corny joke on it though. I have to google for Christmasy one-liners later today. I have to pick up the snappy things from Michaels on Friday (payday) and search out some appropriate wrapping paper to cover the tp rolls with. I almost forgot about the little goodies inside! But yet again Liquidation World has come to my rescue – at least partially. Back in June I got a whoooooole bunch of personalized little ornaments with family names on them for 10cents each – YES, ten CENTS!!! I don’t have everyone’s name yet but for those I can’t find at the dollar stores I’ll figure something else out. It’s a nice way to do a small little gift for everyone – but, again, it’s going to cost more than I thought. LOL At least it gives me something to do, I guess.

We’re going to dig the Christmas totes out of the closet this weekend and do some decorating around here!! WOOT!! Last year I didn’t have any Christmas spirit. Hopefully I can spark some this year. You know you’re getting old when the thought of pulling all that crap out and making such a mess only to take it all down in a month or so exhausts you and ALMOST outweighs your Christmas spirit! We will have to wait until December to put up the tree though since we will need to get a real one. Last year we had a fake tree and the cat climbed it over and over and it fell more than once. The year before when we had a real tree she didn’t bother with it – the smell and the sap presumably. I think we’re going to do a blue and silver tree again this year. Something different than the mish-mash of the other two trees (both mothers’) we are forced to decorate, dammit!

Randomitis…

Brad Pitt looks ridiculous with a mustache. (He’s on Oprah right now).

Dancing with the Stars – rooting for Lance and Lacey since the beginning. Hope they win!! I think Brooke will though.

So You Think You Can Dance Canada – Nico from the very first show and Nico all the way!!! Love Arrasay too!

Legend of the Seeker – makes me desperately want to read the books again!! but I can’t because BF is reading them. (he’s so slooooow but I don’t want to discourage him – he rarely ever finishes books). I’m sorely disappointed in this show. I know it has to be different than the book but man… 🙁 Needs to be a LOTR-esque movie series instead of a tv show.

Dr. Phil – when did he go Jerry Springer-ish??