Where the heck have I been?

You know you haven't posted to your blog in a while when you start getting notes from blogging buddies asking if everything is okay. Yes, I am still alive and kicking its just home life that has been so crazy busy.  My oldest kiddo is getting ready to graduate from High School this year and we've been busy doing college selection, applications, scholarships, college visits and helping to guide our girl through all the paper work and processes.  All this while she's been maintaining an incredibly difficult senior year with four Advanced Placement classes (Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science and Language Arts) along with Pre-Calc, Psychology and Art.  Yeah, she's a busy girl!

We're so proud of her because she's been accepted to all the school's she applied to and was accepted into the Honor's colleges at two of her selections so far (still waiting on one college).  After a very fun weekend college visit she's made her decision so now some of the college pressure is off and she can focus on studying for her AP exams and finishing up the school year.  I have to admit I won't miss getting up at 5:30AM to get her to zero period AP classes (they start at a sickening 6:30AM sharp every school day) but I will miss having her home.  We are very close and I'm just not ready to really think about the concept of not being with her every day.  Next year our second kiddo is going to take just one of the AP zero period classes so we'll only have to get up at 5:30 AM three days a week - LOL!  I wonder if by kid #3 getting through high school if I'll just become an early morning person???  Somehow I think once I don't HAVE to get up that early anymore that I'll go back to getting up at 7AM.

So, getting back into the swing of things on the crafting front guess what I just bought this weekend?  My very own Cricut Explore!  Yep, I just couldn't take watching all the videos and seeing projects done by other peeps PLUS I still had money on a gift card my husband gave me for Christmas to Michaels.  My take on it so far?  The machine is quiet, has AMAZING precision in its cutting ability and the free two weeks of half the library is cool.  I love that it will separate out all your layers for a cut for push and go project making.  On the down side, the Design Space isn't as flexible as CCR for altering your images.  I know they'll be adding features to this program over the next few months but right now its a bit of a PITA learning a new program that doesn't operate the same as CCR, has a few more limits in certain things and you can't change the files from a Design Space file to a CCR file - meaning I'll still have to design in CCR as well for doing cut-your-own classes.

My first project was helping my youngest with a science fair project - cutting out the title on some mirrored cardstock that I had from a Christmas package.  I used the poster board cut and let me tell you, that sucker cut like BUTTER in the new machine with the regular blade.  I used the Art Philosophy font with the circles on each letter and every single circle was perfectly round - LOVE IT!  So for me, the upgrade was about two things - fast and easy mat layers for doing card classes that I pre-cut for people and the increase in precision cutting.  The increase in precision does come at a cost though, the machine varies its speed to keep the material from ripping and getting precise cuts which means more intricate things cut a little slower than on the E2.  All in all I'm okay with that as I'd much rather have it take a few more seconds and have the cut be perfect.  

Looking forward to sharing projects soon but in the mean time I have a fun Artbooking video to share.  If you don't see the video directly below and are receiving this via e-mail, click out to my blog via the link above to watch a Sprintime layout video!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Paige