FOBTY: I can't give it all up....

We are having to tighten our belts with the budget. Jon's unemployment will run out next week (extended only a week because he didn't get it one week because he didn't look for work). Add in a week unpaid furlough at my company (which I will take in July), repairs on the house, and a planned vacation to Vegas, and it's getting really tight around here.
So, we give up some things. I've reduced going out for lunch and tried to reduce the amount we go out for dinner. I am trying to cut back on my scrapbooking hobby. But now that I fell back in love with it, I can't seem to cut back on my knitting, especially my knitting groups. Sock Club (fortunately usually only $5 every 2 weeks), Ladies Night Out ($10/month), Cat Bordhi Sock-A-Long (free-yay!) and the Mystery Afghan (free as well thankfully) are becoming constants in my life. But with those store trips for those groups comes..... MORE YARN. But I need it - the sense of companionship and togetherness, creating something useful, appreciating each others' work.

The other thing I am doing is trying to get a design gig, which might help pay for my hobby expenses and a few other things while times are tight. I figure it is at the very least a way to cut back on my scrapbooking purchases since I will be designing my own stuff. (Alas, my wish lists at the Sweet Shoppe and other stores still continue to grow....) So I am working hard at this contest at Funky Playground. So far, I have made it through 2 rounds and I just turned my assignment in for the 3rd round. I'm nervous every time, but we started with 66 entries and now there are only 20 of us (there were 21, but it appears one dropped out as they did not turn in the last assignment). But I love the excitement of seeing my stuff downloaded. Here are the previews of what I submitted so far:
Round 1: Love My Dog


Round 2: Pleasant Valley Sunday (Color Challenge)

And the Add-on for it:


Round 3: DaDooDaddies (Extraction/Recoloring Elements)


Please go to the Funky Playground for some free Scrapping Monkey Design products while supplies last! (edited as the FP site was revised)

Easter Candy & More

For the FOBTY this week:

You Are a Chocolate Bunny

A traditionalist, you secretly want to dress up like a bunny. And not just on Easter.

What Easter Candy Are You?

So interesting things have been happening to me in the digi world. First, a bit ago I snagged a proofing position at My Scrapbook Art's new newsletter/magazine Flourish. The initial release will be made soon and while I didn't do much editing this go 'round (the writer I was paired with did not turn her article), I still like I've contributed and can't wait to do more.
Also, I decided to join the contest "Capture The Flag" over at Funky Playground Designs. The contest is for designing digital scrapbooking kits & products. So I made a kit for Round 1 (out of 4 rounds) called "Love My Dog": http://www.funkyplaygrounddesigns.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=14173
Well, I made it past the first round - there were 66 entries and only 30 made the cut and I was one of them. So here I sit trying to design a kit for Round 2. Of course I am limited by the fact that I all but broke my left hand last night. Ugh. Hurts like crazy.

TV Show Dedication

There's not a lot of shows I've seen every episode of - if I do it's usually because they were short-lived shows, lol. Here are 5 shows I believe I've seen every episode of:
Life On Mars

Kyle XY

Heroes

Roswell

Quantum Leap


As you can tell there's a theme running there - shows where the science fiction meets the everyday "normal" existence. While I love sci-fi by itself and I like many other shows (including reality, dramas and comedies), these are the ones I gravitate towards. Other shows I've probably watched every episode of: My Name Is Earl, Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, America's Best Dance Crew, Felicity, Life and many others I can't remember right now...