The First Step Is Admitting It

I got an invitation in the mail yesterday. A friend of mine has decided to embark on a career in scrapbooking. She going to sell supplies and teach classes on scrapbooking and stamping. The invitation was to an open house and workshop at her house next week. It was an invite that very quickly went into the garbage. I know, I know I'm a horrible friend. I should, at least, go and support her new venture. That would be the nice thing to do. Mike actually told me the same thing.

Let me tell you a little something about myself. I love crafty things. I desgined and made both our wedding invitations and my brother and his wife's. I used to cross stitch. A lot. I have designed and printed calenders using old and new family pictures. I am constantly redecorating our house, either physically or mentally. I routinely think about how I would redecorate the houses of my friends and family. During walks with the kids I check out my neighbour's houses and decide the first things I would do if I owned them. I take a lot of pictures and manipulate them digitally. Although not as well as my brother does, but I'm learning.

I love scrapbooking. Now I've never actually scrapbooked before, but I can promise you I love it. I mean I put together a couple of albums celebrating some milestones for both my Mom and Dad and Linda, but they were pretty stripped down basic albums compared to what's available on the market these days. Scrapping represents things that are important to me. I love pictures. Love looking back over old pictures. Love sharing them with other people. The physical act of scrapbooking really appeals to my creative side. And if you're reading this then you know I love the journalling that goes along with the scrapping. So much happens in everyday life that is so quickly forgotten. I was only 12 when my Dad passed away and I have now lived two thirds of my life without him. What I remember about him lessens with every year. There are lots of pictures of Dave and I growing up, but few pictures of him. Somebody had to be behind the camera. Because of that I make it a point to make sure Mike and I are in pictures with the girls. As well as their Grandparents and other family members. I write here and before in journals so they have a taste of what our lives were like when they get older. I have my Grandma's "diaries" and they are some of my greatest treasures.

I am well aware what would happen if I attended my friend's open house next week. I would be seriously hooked. No question. I know that about myself. I know that because I routinely stroll down the scrapbooking aisle at Wal Mart. I drool over the papers, the die cuts, the borders, frames, scissors, stickers and stamps. I imagine the amazing layouts I could design if I only had the tools. I also realize I have neither the time nor money to sustain such a hobby. I understand that I couldn't just "try it". That it would be like just trying crystal meth. I would be detrementally hooked instantly. I would become a scrapbooking junkie. Dave and Mel got me a mini scrapbooking kit for Christmas. It's a small sized Princess album with papers, borders and stickers all Princess themed. It would be a great brag book for pictures of the girls, but the kit sits unopened. Tucked away on a shelf in my bedroom. I'm afraid to open it. I have looked at it briefly. Checked out the papers inside, but I can't bring myself to open the pack of accesssories. I know that would be like opening Pandora's box. If I go that far, I might not come back.

Now on the subject of will power. My "diet" is progressing okay. I stayed the same this week. I blame Mike's birthday weekend. Too much cake and cheesecake. I started riding my stationary bike last night. I haven't done that in a while so I only rode 10 minutes. Slowly I'll keep increasing it. I have been sticking to the no eating after 8:30 pm. Lately I haven't been eating at all after dinner, so that's even better, but that's because it's grocery day tomorrow and all the snacks are gone. Last night was hard because Wednesday night is my FoodTV night. Yep I watched FoodTV while I pedalled away on my bike. What in the hell kind of torture was that? All my favourite shows are on Wednesdays. Secret Life Of, that's a show where they tell you all the secrets of one specific food. Last night it was fried chicken. It was all about where fried chicken orginated in history and where you can get the best fried chicken today. They had a fried chicken restaurant chain from Mexico featured last night and let me tell you it really seemed worth the drive. Then it's on to Unwrapped, two episodes of that show. That show takes you to the actual factories and shows you how our everyday foods are made. Last night I learned how hard taco shells are made. Also, the founder of Taco Bell, Glen Bell (Yep there's actually a Bell behind Taco Bell) invented the hard taco shell. Who would have thought? I round out the night with my most favourite of shows, Iron Chef America. There is a stable of Iron Chefs; Mario Batali, Bobby Flay, Morimoto and Cat Cora who go head to head with a challenger chef. They have 60 minutes to create 5 unique dishes containing a "secret" ingredient revealed at the beginning of each episode. Last night it was crawfish, but I have seen, chocolate & coconut, pizza dough and salmon to name a few. Just another way I choose to torture myself.