Confession: I am Desperately Out of Shape

Beau and I just got back from a 3 mile bike ride.

I may be skinny, but I am desperately out of shape.

I think I need to work on that.

Confession: I Don't Scrapbook

Looking for the Norah James Designs giveaway?  Scroll down or click here. 

Okay, so you all know that I am a Paper Freak.

{If you don't know that... did you miss the title of my blog?} 

I am a Paper Freak.

I love paper.

I love being creative.

I love design.

I have a secret dream of designing a line of Scrapbook Paper.

I have a basket of my essentials on my work table {just the things I use every day}:

These are the machines I own:

A Laminator

A Xyron

A Cricut

A Binding Machine

Not one Paper Cutter...

but three total.

One wall of my office looks like this:

But here's the thing... I don't scrapbook.

I made one scrapbook in high school and one in college... and that's it.

I didn't scrapbook my wedding.

I have never made a baby book or any sort of scrapbook for my son.

I tried to start digital scrapbooking.

That was a colossal failure.

I spent weeks on one book, got through about 10 pages and gave up.

I have never finished it.

I have several credits in my Heritage Makers store that will never be used.

I am too much of a perfectionist.

I'm thinking about renting out time in my office to scrapbookers.  

It seems like someone should be scrapbooking in here.

 

Confession: I am Intimidated by Women

Looking for the Queen Bee Designs giveaway?  Scroll down or click here.

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This may sound surprising to women who know me, but the truth is... I am intimidated by other women.  

Aren't most of us?  

I mean, isn't most of what we do an attempt to impress other women?  

If we're honest, don't we dress to impress other women, and not really for the men in our lives?

Give me a room full of men, and I will walk right in and join a conversation.  In a room full of women... I will desperately look for someone familiar, then stand in the corner talking to that one girl all night.  

Maybe that is why I never joined a sorority in college.  

In fact, I was a little sister to a fraternity!  

Men don't scare me. 

Sometimes, women scare me.

So here's the kicker.  I agreed to be the emcee at our church's women's retreat this year.

And by "I agreed" I mean that Brooke said yes for the both of us while I was on the operating table.

The good news is that I love these women.  

I know many of them.  

I know they will love me even if I can't be as funny as they expect.  

Plus, I will have Brooke standing next to me, and she is my security blanket.

The other day we met with Lori, our Fearless Leader, to discuss the plans for the retreat, and she was telling us that we still have several spots to fill.  This surprised me because we have an amazing women's ministry at our church and there are hundreds of women involved.  Why are we having trouble filling 190 spots?

You know why... because if people like me are intimidated by other women, then people who are less outgoing are probably petrified of other women!  But I have been to enough women's retreats to tell you that they are the place to find safety in other women.

Now it's time for a little Crossline shout out.

If you live in the Southern California area, or are looking for a reason to visit {it's beautiful here people}, I would love to invite you to the Crossline Women's Retreat. 

It is June 4th - 6th (that's in two weeks).

It's at the Murrieta Hot Springs Conference Center {that's right... hot springs}.

You will get to see Brooke and me make fools of ourselves on stage.

You will get to listen to one of the most amazing speakers I have ever heard, Lysa TerKeurst.

You will get to relax, eat, sleep {maybe a little}, laugh and cry with some wonderful women who shouldn't intimidate you.

You will have a weekend to yourself.

And I promise to sit with you at a meal {see... now you don't have that excuse}.

If you're thinking about it... stop.  Just go here and register.

I mean it.

Let's face the reality that we are all just a bunch of dorks, and stop being intimidated by one another.

Need more incentive?  Okay, fine. 
I'll give someone a prize. 
How about some Gloveables?

Register by this Sunday and I'll give you an entry in the drawing.  If you have already registered... good for you!  Let me know and I'll give you an entry too.  I'll pick a winner Monday morning.

Confession: I Live at the Foot of Laundry Mountain

When Beau was born and I began my career as a Stay-at-Home Mom, I decided that rather than spend my week battling laundry, I was going to have a Laundry Day. So that’s what I did. Every Monday I would spend the day sorting, moving, bleaching, stain-treating, folding, and hanging. And that was that. By the end of Monday… laundry was done and I had six laundry free days to enjoy until the next Laundry Day.

I was a stickler about Laundry Day. Sometimes Nathan would run out of work out clothes or we would visit the pool too often and be out of towels… but that was too bad! If it wasn’t Monday, I wasn’t doing laundry.

Then reality set in. I started my own business. Beau got bigger… so did the laundry piles.

What I used to be able to get done in 4 or 5 loads now takes 8 or 9. Laundry Day has turned into Laundry Days… okay, Laundry Week.

Enter Laundry Mountain

I still start Laundry Day on Monday (usually), but I am usually still finishing my loads on Tuesday and Wednesday. I don’t fold as I go… I pile… I build Laundry Mountain.

The other day Nathan told me he is getting a complex that I am trying to take him out. I build Laundry Mountain next to his side of the bed. 

On more than one occasion he has tumbled down the mountain in the middle of the night. 

This is what my room typically looks like.  

Giant pile of clothes next to (Nathan's side of) the bed.

Stack of unmatched socks on (Nathan's) nightstand.

Pile of clothes on the window seat that need to be hung up.

Oh... and on this day, note the suitcases in the right corner that need to be unpacked... more laundry!

In the mornings we all excavate… looking for a clean pair of underwear or a pair of matching socks. If it is a week that my cleaning lady is coming then I spend Thursday night folding and hanging. If not… well then, what’s the point… I’m just going to have more to add to the pile in a few days, right?

So now you know the truth. I hope it makes you feel better about the state of affairs in your home.