I haven't

been blogging here recently, but there is plenty I want to talk about.

First of all, I've been watching some amazing videos by a really awesome lady named Marion. They've been so inspiring that they're making me want to paperscrap now. Although I can't afford it right now. Some of her ideas are really cost-efficient and clever, like the paper bag album, and envelope album! I'm excited to try them out when I have the time to buy some papers and embellishments. A link to her page will be put on the sidebar when I'm finished posting this. Her blog is called A Piece of Craft.

Through her blog-portal she does this thing called ATC. It means "Artist Trading Cards," where papercraft artists make their own set of cards for a specific theme each month and they get sent to her. She sends 11 different ones back out to each person. It's a really interesting thing to do and a great way to get inspired. So I think, when I'm a bit older and hopefully more into the scrapworld of the internet, I can gather a good enough fan-type base to start my own ATC club. In the mean time, I kind of want to join one, but don't know where I should.

Tomorrow is National Scrapbooking Day, which is wonderful! I wish I could do something scrapbook-related, I probably will actually, but I might have to work in the morning. I'm really excelling at work, and I hope that I can get the opportunity to be Assistant Manager soon, if Ashley quits. I'm not saying she should, because I do like having her around. Her company is very amusing.

It's the beginning of May now, and I cannot wait to graduate. It's not so much that I hate school or anything, but I want to meet new people. Move on to the next step already. High School was never really my "thing." It didn't come easy for me social-wise, and it didn't click with me as much as something like work did. I love my work, it comes to me like second nature. Working with the customers, the people that work there, I even like my boss! It's hard to find a boss you like. I want to move on, to experience new things. To not have school set me back from doing what I want to do. I want to go to Sea World at any given moment without having to take a bus [although I must say I do love buses. I don't love Downtown]. Soon, I'll have this freedom. For now, it's 2-4 classes a day that don't stimulate my mind at all. Maybe that's the problem, I've been through every nick and cranny of our school that it's no longer inspirational. It was more inspirational when it was under construction, there was always some underlying hope. Now, it's trashed again. I don't know what it is, the people I go to school with, or the amount of discipline these kids get. Whatever it is, I hope the whole world is not like the way they act. NOT that they're terrible people, I just enjoy the company of respectful people. And a clean environment.

On a somewhat ending note, the following is a scrapbook page I worked on a while ago in Photoshop. The photos are group photos and one of Melinda and I at Core Camp. I really enjoyed doing this layout because of all the bright colors I used. It made the page feel funner and less tiring like the group pictures somewhat portray. The camp was held in UC Riverside in August, so it was burning hot every day! I had a blast though.


I have 2 assignments to get done for my mentoring program with Digital Scrapbook Place. I might as well work on them tomorrow night or Sunday morning after/before work. Some day this weekend, my parents and I are going to go out for dinner for my 18th birthday (which is on Tuesday). My dad will be gone for 2 weeks starting Monday for a little bit of routine Army training, so we have to celebrate early! All I want is dinner for my birthday. Scrapbook supplies would be amazing, but I don't think that's going to happen, considering my parents don't know that much about what I like, and my new scrapbook obsession.

For my actual birthday, I was thinking of just going out for dinner with my mom and Robert, my boyfriend. Then coming home for some brownies [I'll bake 'em! Ha] and movies. I'm not sure yet though. I'm not interested in smoking, naked people of any sort, or gambling, so none of those options are appealing. The only thing I'm interested in that makes being 18 an advantage, is driving my boyfriend around.

I am a little sleepy, so I'm going to get off now, auf wiedersehen!

Welcome!

So I just started up this blog, got it all pretty, and now I'm ... blogging. :) I know this sounds silly for some people, but it's a great way to keep people updated since everybody seems to be too busy to talk.

A quick update on the life of Phoenix:

• I work at Color Me Mine as a "Team Member" and I absolutely love it there for the most part. My boss is wacky yet cool, my coworkers are super laid back, and all the customers are *usually darling to work with! Working with kids and artistic adults is a great experience and I hope to stay there long enough to become an assistant manager.
• A Sonic Drive-In is opening in Santee on Monday (woohoo!!), my dad says we're going to go, I'm more than excited to finally taste the delicious bites they show on commercials all the time! The only thing is ... it'll be busy.
  
• I recently bought a Sea World Silver Passport [annual pass] that I plan to use a lot this summer.
• It's Spring Break for me!

So Thursday night, or should I say morning? I woke up to a stomach pain that felt familiar. After a few trips to the bathroom, that pain quickly went away, and I fell asleep soundly, only to start shivering uncontrollably when it was not even very cold. The shivering would not stop and my body weakened at every movement, so I called my dad on his cellphone at around 3 in the morning to ask for a blanket. Both my parents woke up rushed to my room and acted like I was a sick 7 year old about to die. All I wanted was a blanket. For another 30 minutes after receiving another blanket, I could not stop shivering. My parents took my temperature and stayed awake until I fell asleep. I have amazing parents! I'm 17 and still need their help. I'm definitely thankful for them, because I would not have been able to fall asleep at all without that extra blanket.
So Thursday night's morning wake ups made me sleep until 11 AM Friday morning. I didn't go to school because I wasn't feeling well enough to take tests and speak in front of people, let alone drive. So I slept pretty much the whole day, with a lunch in between, and ended my day watching TV with my mom and dad while eating some spicy ribs of my mom's own recipe.

Just a note, I want to take a picture a day. I'm hoping I'll stay motivated enough. I'll start Monday, the real beginning of my spring break.


My dad asked me to take a picture for my Aunt Chan for Facebook, we tried getting a good one out of my dad and mom, but my dad always looked high, or my mom never looked, I thought this one expressed both personalities of my mom & dad the best.