Cristina (formerly) Blomberg's Blog

New Scrapbooking Blog

2007-01-23T06:40:00.000-05:00

Thanks for visiting...

Please note that my scrapbooking blog has moved to

http://scrap4brains.blogspot.com/

Click on over and see what's new from Scrap4Brains Designs!

Ex-Husband's Wedding

2006-10-17T19:55:00.000-04:00

As a good friend said, "We wish them well and our karma is good."

http://www.zhangdamu.com/gallery/v/family/wedding/

Healing

2006-10-12T21:49:00.000-04:00

(This was comment #37 on a previous post, so I thought I'd post as a new subject and for some closure.)

It is true that time heals wounds (notice I didn't say "all" wounds), and I believe that what does not destroy us makes us stronger.

I can only speak of myself when I say that I have grown so much from this experience. I have found in myself an inner strength that I did not know I have. At the beginning of November, I will be in an apartment (and have asked my boyfriend to move in with me), and just last weekend, I purchased my very own FIRST CAR! I love my new job and "new life". Financially, I'm on my way and very pleased with all that I have been able to accomplish on my own.

Emotionally, I’m so much stronger and practical that I thought I ever could be. I won’t pretend I got to this point on my own… on the contrary, my family (most of them anyway) have been supportive and loving; my true friends have offer all kinds of help and support; and my sons have even been an inspiration with their upbeat outlooks. I am a much more mature person since leaving that 14 year marriage. Perhaps my ex-husband took such good care of me that I grew dependant on him and never knew my own strength.

As an update, the boys are faring rather well. They are doing well in school, great news as we were all worried that the divorce would negatively affect their schoolwork. Their father has begun to get them active in physical extra-curricular activities so they will not be sitting at home in front of the computer or television all week. And I think they actually enjoy doing different activities with me on the weekends when we visit together.

Even the ex-husband has healed and moved on… he’ll be getting married on October 14, 2006. I know the future Mrs. and have no doubt that they will be more compatible that he and I were. (And for those of you who worry, she’ll be just fine with the boys. Their father would never allow anyone in their lives that would not love and care for them.) No, I was not invited to the wedding, and I never expected to be. That would just be weird.

I must add my sour note, however, and say that I think the ex-husband owes me a thank- you card. If it were not for MY courage to end our 14-year marriage, he would not be re-marrying and would not have found his perfect mate. But I know I won’t get a thank you. LOL.

Thanks to everyone – both online and offline – that have been supportive or shared your experiences. Sometimes it is just very nice to know that others who have been through something similar have “lived to tell about it”. To those who haven’t been as supportive to me, thanks to you, too. It shows you cared enough to comment. In today’s busy world, it is nice to know that people care enough to take the time to comment, regardless of their stance on the subject.

Now I just need to find the time to get back to digital scrapping… I miss that creative outlet! Thanks again everyone!

~Cristina

Rebuttal

2006-06-26T20:55:00.000-04:00

Let me first apologize for the blog post you are about to read... This is my rebuttal to all the forum posts and blog posts that my soon to be ex-husband has posted out there on the world wide web. Without being too ugly, I want to tell my side of the story.

I also apologize for those of you only reading my blog for scrapbooking purposes. Just skip this post if you want, no free files or sale info here.

It's a long one, and if you know me, you know that I do my best thinking outloud. If I could do this post as a pod-cast, I would... It would save my fingers the typing. I'll type just as I'd say it. Forgive the random interjections and side notes, or even the disjointed thoughts.

So here goes...

Some of you may know that on May 15, 2006, I called my husband of 14 years (he was out of town on business) and asked him for a divorce. Yes, I called him on the phone. Yes, it was a crappy way to do it. I did it that way because I did not want all the raw emotions in the house at the same time my boys were in the house. May not have been the best way, but it's the way I chose to handle it. The topic of divorce is hard enough as it is... There is no easy way to tell the father of your children, who has cared for you for 14 years, that you want a divorce.

One of the first things he said to me was, "I knew this day was coming." So he was not entirely surprised. Hhhmmm.... Orin mentioned in a blog post on MySpace, which has been recently removed, that though I want to remain friends, he never considered us friends so we will be just "acquaintances". I have a few questions...

Why I am the "bad" person for wanting out of this marriage if he never considered us friends in the first place?
How in the world can you be married to someone for 14 years, have children with this person, and not consider this person- at the very least- a friend?
Who's the hypocrite on this topic?

When I confronted Orin about the blog post (actually, jumped down his throat about it is a more apt analogy), he mentioned that I always dismissed his ill feelings about our relationship as just "overthinking" and attributing them to his manic-depression.

I did not always do this. Orin was very insecure about himself when we met, and I - having recently come out of a relationship that did not end on a very good note- wanted to be with someone who needed me. It felt good to make him feel special and my desire to help him turned into a relationship. (Yeah, not a good basis for a relationship. I know that now.) Seeing as how he has aired all this in online boards and in a blog post, I guess he is a stronger person now. Mission accomplished, I guess.
I got in over my head. At one point, I don't think I can pinpoint when, it drained me to be his emotional cheerleader. All the love and support in the world cannot help a person if they do not want to help themselves. Though he improved immensely, I could not make him completely feel better about himself. His self image was still caught up in the past. So, yes, I gave up. In hind-sight, maybe I should have seeked outside help instead of just giving up.
If he felt for so long that our relationship was in trouble, then why did he not confront me? Even if I did keep dismissing his feelings... you mean to tell me that in 14 years he did not have the strength to confront me about it? If he chose to accept my dismissals and not enter into confrontations, then he is as much at fault for the ruin of our marriage as I am. How dare he lay sole blame with me?

I never claimed to be the perfect wife or mom, but I always tried very hard to make it look that way. That's what I like to I do... I tweak and touch up and make things look pretty. For some strange reason, I thought that was what I was supposed to do... to make a happy home... or at least make sure everyone else knew I had a happy home. I felt I was the only one unhappy... when everything else was so "perfect"... then it must have been a personal problem on my part. So I just coped. I dealt with my discontent by keeping myself busy... PTA, scrapping, emails, cleaning house, volunteer work, shopping, decorating, etc.

Discontent... that's the first time I used that word when speaking of my divorce. I've been using the term "unhappy" and I think that I have been using it wrongly. You see, I was never totally "unhappy". How could I be? Prior to the ugly online posts, Orin has always been very good to me... he's a great father, he's a great provider, he's always been able to give me what I needed. We've done wonderful things together as a couple and as a family that I could only have dreamed of... world travel, fabulous outings, very comfortable homes, etc. I really do have great memories of some of our time together.

Orin has been more than generous when we drafted the settlement. Basically, I asked for not much at all... I felt- and still do- that I owe him so much, especially since I am the one who wants to leave the marriage. My boys will stay with Orin as I have given him "primary physical" custody. This basically means that, though the state of Georgia encourages us to work together in caring for the boys no matter where they may live, Orin has final say in any decisions. (I do not have a problem with this because I know that Orin will always act with the boys' best interest in mind.) My other reason for this is because I have felt for quite some time that my boys are more "in tune" with their father than with me. At this moment in their lives, I believe they will be happier with their father. Add to that the fact that I haven't had a "real" job in years, and worry about how I'll care for them or where I'll be living, and the boys being with their father just makes more sense. I AM NOT "LEAVING" MY CHILDREN! I am insulted at those of you (you know who you are!) who have alluded to such a thought.

Why all the rucus? I'm in love with someone else. I have realized that the reason for my discontent is because I did not totally give myself to Orin... I could not... as my heart had already belonged to someone else so long ago. In all honesty, I should have known this from the very start. In the beginning of our relationship, Orin and I were pretty good together. I really felt as if we needed each other, and love quickly grew from that need; but looking back, it was not a good way to start our relationship. All relationships, especially marriage, should be based on friendship. True love can only grow from true friendship.

That being said... I am not in love with the idea of a person I knew in the past. I love the friend I know today. I realize we are not the same people we were in high school, and that we have both changed. Give me a break! Do you think I'm an idiot? Do you think I would disrupt my entire life, emotionally scar the man who has cared for me for 14 years, uproot the life of my children, risk losing friends, and hurt my family for a crush or mere physical attraction? If so, then you don't know me at all and I don't need your "friendship".

How are the boys handling it? To be honest, I am a little upset that they are taking it so well. The fact that they are mostly non-challant (is that the right spelling?) about the whole situation makes me think they don't care for me very much. Perhaps it's a coping mechanism, and they are being distance to save their feelings. I hope so. Either way, I honestly believe that they will be okay through this whole process, and that they maybe even enjoy the fact that they will have new experiences as a result of this life change. They have a huge support network and lots of friends and family to turn to if they don't want to talk to their parents. As far as the boys are concerned, Orin and I have either raised smart, stable boys or cynical, unfeeling ones.

By the end of July 2006, the divorce should be final. I will revert to my maiden name and it will probably be a year or so before I re-marry. By mid-July, I'll be back in my parents' home... something I didn't want to do, in all honesty. Once I had ventured out on my own, I've always felt that moving back home was a bit of a failure. Still, it's nice to know that I have a place to call home and that I won't be homeless and alone.

Yes, I'll be going back to work fulltime and will not be able to live the life of luxury of a stay-at-home mom... or as Orin so eloquently stated on one of his boards,
"the wife is looking into a future of working like a dog, because her new beau has a lot more debt than I and has child support for his child, as well as the child support she will have to pay me."
For the record, I never minded going back to work. If he wanted me to work outside the home, then he should have said so.

I guess it all comes down to an inability to communicate. I was wrong in not confiding in Orin for a great many things in our marriage. I have always felt guarded and that I could not tell him everything. I should have realized from the first time I felt that way, that no marriage could last without friendship and communication.

So now I'm actively pursuing a chance at true happiness with a person whom I know I can communicate and work with as a partner. Many people may think I'm wrong to do so, but those who know me, my new love, and our history have welcomed us with "it's about time you two got together" and "you both look so very happy". I've found my happiness, I've found my true love, I've found my soul's mate. I will not live an unfulfilled life of regret!

It's a pity some people will never feel as happy as I.

Thanks for reading.

Changes

2006-05-19T18:58:00.000-04:00

There will be a lot of changes in my life in the next few months. At the risk of being crass, I'll be updating my blog with my personal issues as I'm ready to share them. Not to be melodramatic, but just to keep everyone posted without 2 million phone calls or individual emails.

For now, let me say just a few words...

...Friendship is a great source of strength. I am so lucky to have the friends I do, online and in real life. Thank you all for your support.

...Love is an ever-changing and growing emotion. I believe it to be the greatest of all emotions. All the decisions a person makes in life should be based in love.

...Being true to myself is harder than I thought it would be. Why is this?

Thanks for reading and sorry for being so cryptic.

Week of Chats, Huge Sale, and New Kits @ Digitals

2006-05-07T11:10:00.000-04:00

In honor of the Digitals Scrapbooking Celebration Week, many of the items in my Digitals Store are on sale through May 15th. I did this to allow everyone time to get the items and scrap for the various chats and crops at Digitals this week.

Check out the shedule:

May 6th (and I know, sorry I'm posting late!)
7am- Tying the Knot with Tink
9pm- Celebrate Cultural Diversity (MINE!)

May 7th
7am- Redesign with Stacey
9pm- Celebrate You with Sue

May 8th
7am- Crop with Firewolf
9pm- Celebrate Daily Delights with Southern Belle Scraps (me and Jennifer!!!)

May 9th
7am- Crop with Firewolf
9pm- Crop with Maddy

May 10th
7am- Crop with Firewolf
9pm- Celebrate Modern Life (MINE!)
May 11th
7am- Crop with Firewolf
9pm- Crop with Stacey

May 12th
7am- Crop with Firewolf
9pm- Timeless Celebrations (MINE!)

At each chat, you'll be given a balloon. We all know balloons mean "instant party"! When you collect 5 of them, and add them to a really cute balloon guy created by Joan Thompson, and post them to a specific gallery, then you'll get the awesome Celebration Mega Kit!!! CLICK HERE for more info.

Among the new items I uploaded just for this Celebration Week are the Hot Peppers Kit (formerly available at Elemental), the Hot Peppers Add-Ons, and Portable Play. I've included previews below for you. Just click on them for more info and descriptions in the Digitals Store.

I really hope that I'll be able to chat with a few of you in the chatroom. And hopefully, you'll see something that you like in my Digitals Store. If not my store, I'm sure you'll love the work of other Digitals designers as well. Have a great week and thanks for reading!

SC Aquarium and Fort Sumter

2006-05-04T12:42:00.000-04:00

On May 2nd, I had the pleasure of being a chaperone for Kyle's 4th grade field trip to the SC Aquarium and Fort Sumter National Monument. What a day!

Since my parents still live in South Carolina, I thought it would be nice if my mom also came to help chaperone (my dad was working that day). Since we've always lived far away from them, it was really the very first field trip that Kyle was able to have his grandmother attend. We were lucky enough to have the very best of weather, not at all hot and with just enough sun and breeze to stay comfortable. It was so nice, especially while on Fort Sumter and the ferry out to it.

I've included a few of the pictures from that day, in no particular order. I'd like to say thank you to my mom for helping to chaperone and thanks to the boys for being on as- best- as- can- be- expected- 10-yr-old- boy behavior! LOL!

5 on Friday: Favorite Spring Memories

2006-04-28T22:36:00.000-04:00

Here is my second "5 on Friday" posting. Again, with the hope of inspiring a creative work of art from someone and giving me another excuse to make a layout, I offer you a challenge...

1. Create a layout with today's "5 on Friday" theme: Favorite Spring Memories (or use the April 21st theme), using any of my designs purchased from any of my online stores.
2. Post your layout to any online gallery you wish, listing proper credits for the kit and where you purchased it, if possible.
3. Come back and post a comment with a link to your layout; or you can email me a link (please use "5 on Friday" as the subject for your email). You'll find my email at my personal site.
4. Complete all this no later than midnight EST on April 30th, and I'll send you the Tapestry Mini Kit. (STILL no preview yet, I'm still making the kit!)

Sale info and special coupon codes can be found on my personal site, too!

Here are my 5 Favorite Spring Memories
1. Seeing the "famous" cherry blossoms in Washington, DC.
2. my dog Quinn's first photo with the Easter Bunny
3. the decorated "chicken" Easter cake my sister Jessica made- from scratch!
4. egg hunts
5. Mother's Day, 2002, at the lake.

I know I owe you last week's layout, too! Not to mention the preview for the posting bonus... ugh... so many scraps, so little time! I'll get to it!

Road Rash or Anatomy of a Not-So-Serious Bike Crash

2006-04-28T09:09:00.000-04:00

Well, it was bound to happen... my first "bike crash". Not even one full week since I got my new bike and this morning, Orin will be taking it back to ChainReaction for repairs.

Late afternoon yesterday, we took the bikes out for a ride around the neighborhood. We took the dogs, too, as they are family and we were trying to get them out as well. Orin had the huskies pulling him, as they sometimes do, and I had Quinn. Well, it was Quinn's first time out with the bikes and my first time with a dog and a bike. Mistake #1.

We didn't get far, just 2 blocks over, when we turned around in a court. After chatting with a very nice neighbor for awhile, we headed back home. Just before turning on our street, Quinn started moving to my right side. In order not to get his lead caught in my bike chains, I tried to maneuver his lead with my right hand, keeping my left hand for steering. Quinn stopped suddenly to "do his business", I stopped suddenly with the left hand break... the one that stops the FRONT tire. Mistake #2.

As far as I know, my front tire stopped, Quinn stopped, but nothing else did! The back-half of the bike and I flipped over. (I realized this about half-way home, as I noticed the steering column was backward as I was walking the bike back.) The front gears are broken, shattered in the crash. Nothing else seems broken, so it shouldn't be too hard or horribly expensive to replace.

As for me- no bones broken, but I'll be sore for at least a week.
- My palms are scrapped up. The right hand looks like a mild case of stigmata.
- My elbows are mildly roughed up, just some torn skin on the right elbow; but the left elbow has a few scratches and it will definitely leave a scar.
- Left shoulder is scrapped up, not bad really. Feels like a sunburn, looks like cat scratches.
- I am horribly sore from my left shoulder all the way down to my left hand.
- My left knee is a little less scratched that my left elbow.
- My left upper thigh is bruised and knotted up... that's gonna hurt for awhile, I think.
- Small tight bruise on my left hip.

A few observations about my fall...
... my life did not flash before my eyes, so either I knew it wasn't going to be that bad, or my life wasn't interesting enough for that. (wow, that's a pathetic thought! LOL.)
... tuck and roll... yeah, right. Unless you fall ALL THE TIME, there is no way to "train" for tuck and roll. I did the natural thing... I stuck out my hands to break my fall. That's why my palms are ripped up.
... I obviously landed on my left side- that's the side that hurts more.
... after the initial stinging and pain passed, the first thing I could think of was... and you knew it was coming... I need photos to scrap! Sadly, I thought of this as I was cleaning myself up, and the initial dirty bloody photos would have been better. Gladly, I did not have my camera with me, or it would have been totaled in the crash. I think the loss of my camera would have pained me more. (Can I get an "amen"?!)
... I didn't eat a cookie to "make me feel better". But I think if my hands didn't hurt so much, I would have!
... this is my first bike crash that I can remember. Even with driving a scooter in Taiwan, I never crashed it.
... I've got all minor "injuries"... they are so minor I hesitate to call them "injuries". For this, I am truly grateful.
... I don't handle pain well AT ALL. This explains the whinny blog post! ;)

Orin has been guilt-ridden, it was his suggestion to take the dogs with us, and I've been pretty whinny. It's no one's fault by my own... maybe Quinn's fault a little! LOL. Orin's been so sweet to cater to me all night- even sending off an email to my Digitals designer group for me; and this morning, he made sure I had all I needed before going to a meeting and dropping my bike off.

I had a rum and coke last night-- to ease the pain and help me sleep, of course. And Orin will get compresses for my bruised up and knotted thigh (that's my clutch leg and I need to drive!). I'll get pictures up as soon as I can... they are on Orin's camera and I'm no good with getting photos off that one.

Thanks to all my Digitals designer buddies for their sweet emails and joining in on my pitty party. I've got a lot of catching up to do, so I'd better get to work.

Thanks for reading!

Scrapping Away!

2006-04-26T21:47:00.000-04:00

Yet again, I did a lot of "trash talking" among the Digitals designers regarding the monthly challenges at Digitals. So now that April is coming to a close, I've been scrapping like mad, trying to finish all the challenges.

Below is one I completed just today, and you can see a larger version, along with all the credits in my Digitals gallery. You can read the journaling in the larger version, too.

I don't have truly accurate "before and after" pictures, as I didn't take a whole lot of pictures when I weighed my heaviest. As a scrapper, I'm ashamed that I didn't get a "before" photo when I first started Weight Watchers. But I'm taking tons of them now! hee, hee.

Am I vain? Yes, probably. But I'm married with 2 kids now, so it's nothing dangerous or malicious. ;)

Tomorrow I'll start training to be a Weight Watcher receptionist. I'm so excited about this new "career" as it will keep me focused on maintaining my healthy weight and will give me the opportunity to help others reach their goal, too.

Well, thanks for looking and reading. Sorry to tell you, you'll see that "after" picture more. I paid $$ for that one and I'm gonna scrap the heck out of it! LOL.

By the way, anyone in the Augusta, GA area looking for a photographer... I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Rick Milton Photography!

Thanks again! Have a great day everyone!

Marketing Help for Small Businesses

2006-04-24T10:45:00.000-04:00

My good friend, and FAMOUS AUTHOR, Angie Pedersen has a new site to "help small businesses get noticed". There is some good info posted that, at the very least, wouldn't hurt! LOL.

Scrappy Marketing Solutions is definitely worth a look and does not only pertain to scrapbooking businesses. That's the great thing about Angie, anything she posts can be related to anything in life... such a versatile thinker!

Thank you, Angie, for looking out for the "little guy" and for sharing your wonderful ideas with the rest of us. Maybe we'll all be famous like you one day!

A Busy Saturday!

2006-04-22T23:20:00.000-04:00

Published! Well, sort of...
The charity kit, A Child's Love, has been featured in Simple Scrapbooks' Digital Scrapbooking 5 Magazine. On one area of the website, you can see a preview of the kit (PREVIEW MADE BY ME! WOOHOO!) and also a few layouts. Take a look at the layout on the bottom left corner of that group? Look familiar? Can't really see it? Check it out here.

Thanks to all the Digitals designers who contributed to the kit and thanks to all who purchase it. A Child's Love was made to help raise funds for Casa de Amore. For purchase and kit information, please CLICK HERE.

Cleaned up the Garage
It wasn't really junky, but we finally put together the shelves and got things organized. We also swept out the dust and made room for...

My NEW Ride!
I've finally let go of my elliptical exercise machine. Sure, I'll have to find another place to hang my laundry, but at least I've sold it to someone who will get more use out of it than me. Now for exercise, I've got a new bike. Isn't she SWEET?

We've already been around the neighborhood and I'll be honest- I look good on this bike! ;)

I'll put some "action shots" on later, maybe tomorrow when we go out riding as a family. I was the only one missing a bike, so now we call all ride together. I even bought a really cute pink helmet, because safety is important and I need to set a good example for my boys.

Naturally, there will be a layout posted soon... I'm a little behind on my scrapbook layouts. But you know I'm good for it! LOL. Thanks for reading!

5 on Friday: Electronics I Can't Live Without

2006-04-21T21:54:00.000-04:00

I must be one of the laziest bloggers! Here I am making another list, and this time, it's only 5!

This is a special list I'd like to post every Friday, with the hopes that someone will read this and get inspired to create something. So if you scrapbook, either paper or digital, get creating!

If you use any of my kits, to make a "5 on Friday" layout, I'll send you a mini kit... a sampling of my soon to come Tapestry Kit.

Here are the rules:
1. Create a layout with today's "5 on Friday" theme: Electronics I Can't Live Without (or wait for the April 28th theme), using any of my designs purchased from any of my online stores.
2. Post your layout to any online gallery you wish, listing proper credits for the kit and where you purchased it, if possible.
3. Come back and post a comment with a link to your layout; or you can email me a link (please use "5 on Friday" as the subject for your email). You'll find my email at my personal site.
4. Complete all this no later than midnight EST on April 30th, and I'll send you the Tapestry Mini Kit. (No preview yet, I'm still making the kit!)

Sale info and special coupon codes can be found on my personal site, too!

Here are my 5 Electronics I Can't Live Without:
1. my laptop
2. my alarm clock
3. my cell phone
4. my coffee maker
5. my external harddrive

I'm off to make my layout and will hopefully have that done this weekend!

Thanks for reading and I hope I've given you a good excuse to scrap something.

You Never Know...

2006-04-20T18:46:00.000-04:00

Thursdays are my Weight Watcher meeting days. Even though I've reached Lifetime and only need to weigh in once each month, I still attend weekly meetings. It keeps me on track and gives me a great motivation for the week ahead.

Today, a new member who joined last week, Cyd, made my day! After she weighed in, she told me she thought about me all week and that I motivated her to stay on program. She lost a little more than 7 lbs her first week! She said I was where she wanted to be and that I was "so cute" that it movitated her.

How sweet is that?!

This is a prime example of how you never know whose life you are affecting, even in the smallest way. Last week (at the same meeting where Cyd says that I motivated her) I thought that I was coming off as a bit show-offish and annoying. I was determined to be more low-key this week. Then Cyd came and put the biggest smile on my face with her wonderful comment.

Am I posting this to toot my own horn? You bet I am! ;)

I am also posting as a reminder... you never know who is watching, so be sure that everything you do and say will be something that you are proud of later. Sweet words are easy to swallow... it's the bitterness that makes you humble.

Thanks for reading!

Restaurant Reviews

2006-04-19T11:35:00.000-04:00

Bistro 491
Orin and I went out last Saturday night with my AirForce roommate, Mary and her lovely hubby, Mike. They chose the restaurant, Bistro 491 in Surrey Center. None of us had been there before, so it was interesting to go to a new place and try it out together. (Mary and I have known each other since AF basic training, and we always have a great time when we're together, so it really didn't matter where we went!)

A little review of Bistro 491...
- the decor is cute and very much like a small intimate bistro.
- the bar is nice and a bit more posh than we were used to... Mary couldn't get a cider like she wanted and there are no beers on tap.
- our server, Bridgette, was cute, young, perky, and handled our order very well. She was very knowledgable about the menu and made some good recommendations. She checked back with us often, but not too often and didn't "bother" us.
- appetizers and drinks from the bar were great. I stand by my theory that if the appetizers are bad then the rest is bad, too. But I was not disappointed. I had the meat and cheese plate (there was a fancy french name for it that I don't remember). And the Villa Maria Chardonnay was great!
- salads were well plated, looked pleasant, and my Ceasar salad was really very good.
- meat cuts were FABULOUS! I loved my Australian lamb chops and everyone else seemed to enjoy their meals too.
- desserts were good. There was a good variety, though most were European inspired, just like the rest of the menu. The creme brullee was not as good as I've had elsewhere, but good in it's own right. The croissant bread pudding could have used more bread... it was mostly the same custard as my creme brullee. But I've never met a dessert that I did not like, and next time, maybe I'll try the homemade ice creams.

Overall for the Bistro 491? I'd definitely go back, and I'm sure I would enjoy it. It would just have to be when I'm in the mood for European. Dressy casual is recommended and anything less makes you feel out of place. And the timing of the service was great, too... there was just enough time to enjoy each course and not feel rushed. This is a great place to go with friends if you like to chat with them... if there is a lot of dead air in the conversations, Bistro 491 will seem stuffy and pretentious and make the lulls in the conversation feel awkward.

Panera Bread
Finally! There is a new Panera Bread store in the Mullings Crossing Center in Evans. "My" Starbucks is just a few doors down, Target and Kohl's are just across the parking lot, and this center is just minutes away from home, so naturally, I was very excited to see the "Now Open" banner. Perhaps I built up so much emotional excitement that I was bound to be disappointed.

Yesterday, Orin, the boys, and I walked in on the invitation-only "friends and family" day, where everything was "on the house". However, when we arrived, there was no one at the door checking for invitations, no mention that it was invitation-only, the "now open" banner was displayed on the outside front, and we did not realize everything was free until after we placed our order and tried to pay.

Naturally it was crowded, and I do believe the staff was still getting used to running the registers and making the menu items. All that we ordered was wrong, or they had already run out of bread for certain items. What we got was still delicious and fresh, but it wasn't exactly what we ordered. By the time we figured out we weren't really supposed to be there- we overhead one of the store managers turn people away at the door who did not have an invitation- we were already seated and eating. Since we got a free dinner and "crashed" their party, we decided not to complain about our orders.

In all honesty, though, I can say that I was disappointed in Panera that afternoon. The Atlanta Bread company's sandwiches are better. In all fairness, we intend to give Panera another try in a week or so and see if it was just "opening day gitters" that attributed to the disappointment.

This morning, Orin and I had breakfast at Panera. Lattes and Pecan buns (11 Weight Watcher points for the pecan buns!) were very good and the staff was so helpful and attentive. They even dug out the nutrition guide so I could check my Weight Watcher points for the different items before ordering. We even ordered sourdough bread bowls to-go, so we could have chilli in bowls tonight for dinner. Today's positive experience makes me think that I just need to give Panera some time to get up and running at full-steam. Thank goodness, too... I really liked eating at Panera in Maryland and did not want to be totally disappointed.

Why all the fuss for food? Because I have food related memories... honestly! My mother is Italian and my father is Filipino... all of my favorite family gatherings included a TON of food. If there wasn't food included, I probably will not remember it. This probably led to my weight control issues, and I still have to work hard to maintain my weight. Still, I have to eat- there is no way to avoid it. And my theory is that if I'm going to watch what I eat and count up points with Weight Watchers, then I'm going to make sure what I eat is worth the effort!!!

I think I live in the wrong area to watch my weight, though. It seems that the Augusta, Georgia area has many more good restaurants and eateries than most towns. Oh well, at least I'll have lots of good memories! ;)

10 on Tuesday: Just call me "Scarlett"

2006-04-18T18:03:00.000-04:00

I'm a list maker... and on my previous blog, the "10 on Tuesday" lists were a great way for me to describe myself, get others to know more about me, and really make me think! So here's my 1st "10 on Tuesday" on this blog...

Just yesterday the UPS truck brought my copy of Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind and it's sequal, Alexandria Ripley's Scarlett. I haven't started reading yet, and so far my only vision of the heroine is Vivien Leigh's portrayal in the movie. And so, here are...

10 Ways I'm Just Like Scarlett O'Hara
In no real order, just numbering them to keep track of how many I list.

1. I live in Georgia.
2. I like to be the center of attention.
3. I am not as frail as I look.
4. I hate talking about politics at parties.
5. I support the troops.
6. I (would if I had to) fight to survive.
7. I am a great flirt.
8. I am very stubborn and strong-willed.
9. I'm (just a tad) dramatic.
10. I was so naive when I was 16.

Perhaps I'll re-visit this list after I've read the book. But until then... I would love for you to post and see if you agree with my views, even if they are unflattering. I promise I won't delete unflattering comments... everyone should get a voice. (Spam doesn't count... I'll definitely delete those!)

Thanks for reading!

Easter Bribery

2006-04-15T16:10:00.000-04:00

We have family friends, who have adopted our kids as their grandkids, and who occassionally send the boys spending money. This Easter, my mother added to this gift and put these funds in a check in my name, to give to the boys. Being the dedicated mother- and crazed scrapbooker- that I am, I've held these funds ransom for a family photo. The boys refused to take the "traditional" Easter Bunny photo until now.

That's right... I did it... photo bribery! I've got 2 pre-teen boys, one hippy/pirate wanna-be, one Easter Bunny, and one happy scrapper all in a holiday memory that will last forever!

Naturally, I've made a layout. You can CLICK HERE to see it.

Hope you all enjoy your family time and have a very Happy Easter!

Highlights

2006-04-12T20:16:00.000-04:00

So I've highlighted my hair again. Just a tad lighter this time. Dena, my stylist, calls it "mocha". I asked for "vanilla latte". I'm still not used to it, but I think I like it.

(And yes, for those of you wondering, I have truly been to Yale. I was there in summer 2004 for about 2 hours in the co-op and this was the t-shirt I finally decided on! LOL.)

It was another gorgeous day today. With the weather being so pleasant and agreeable, I felt like my hair needed an update. Along with a cut, I decided to add more highlights. I had my mind set on a more subtle reddish brown, but since the weather was so nice- it actually felt a bit more like summer- I was feeling bold and decided to go with a lighter color. Still not drastic, but more noticable, I think.

Now I'll have to see if I can change the color of the highlights in my avatar, made by Clara Wallace of Matter of Scrap. Can't have her all over the web with different color highlights!
Hope you get to do something to bring warmer weather into your life, too.
Remember, ladies... if you insist on wearing sandals, please keep the world beautiful and get a pedicure.

The Warmth of the Sun

2006-04-11T16:16:00.000-04:00

I'm an "island girl". My father is filipino; my maternal grandfather was Chamorro (from Guam); I've lived on Oahu, HI and Taiwan (both islands); I've visited Japan, Vancouver Island, and Ibiza, Spain (all islands); and I look good sitting on the seashore (if I do say so myself!). Even when I'm land-locked on my deck in the backyard, I love the feeling of the sun on my skin.

I know it's not healthy to get too much exposure, and to be honest, right now I'm sitting out in jeans and a long-sleeved thin cotton shirt. With my darker complexion, I've had very few sunburns, and I always wear a thin layer of sunscreen under my make-up (I have acne scars that really need the sunscreen daily, but that's another blog post entirely!). But I can still feel it... the late afternoon springtime sun sending UV kisses that pour over me like sitting in a warm bath at the end of a hard day. It's gorgeous out here right now!

My husky, Kodi, loves the sun. He's sunbathing on the outdoor couch, one of his favorite places to spread out. I love to pet him whenever he comes inside from sunbathing... his fur is not only soft, but also warm. My other husky, Freki, is in the shade by the door. Freki's coat is much thicker than Kodi's, which probably accounts for the difference in lounging locales. But even my eskimo, Quinn is out here now. Not so much for the sun... Orin has started the grill and all the fur-babies know that there will be great scents in the air soon. If Orin is particularly sentimental, he'll "accidently" drop something on the deck and the wait will be worthwhile for them.

It's springtime and days like this are rare in the south. We usually only have 2 seasons: fall and summer. The sun is beating and there are no clouds, but there is hardly any humidity, about 72 degrees (fahrenheit) and the occassional breeze is enough to keep me comfortable. By southern standards, this is a very good spring day.

So let's see... the purpose of this post? It is to remind myself at a later time, when life gets all harried and the humidity unbearable, that life is good. Your situation and weather may be different, but I hope that you're having as great a time as I am. And if not, then I'm sure there is at least once that you have felt just as good.

As the Beach Boys once sang... "'cuz I've got the warmth of the sun... it won't ever die..." and I will try to keep this feeling with me and recall it when I need it the most.

Excuse me while I log off now and go enjoy this day- unplugged- with my family.

Thanks for reading!

Finally finished a book!

2006-04-10T16:41:00.000-04:00

One of my 2006 resolutions was to read more books that are harder to read than my boys'. I've enjoyed a few really great spring days out on the deck and even actually finished reading a book! The first in forever, it seems. No, not Dr. Zhivago... that is going REALLY SLOW for me. I just finished Lost Laysen by Margaret Mitchell. That's right, the same author who wrote Gone With The Wind (which I have yet to start reading!). To be honest, though, Lost Laysen is a pretty thin work.

Let me backtrack a bit here. I LOVE the Gone With The Wind movie. Vivian Lee is just the epitome of southern belle and living in the south as I do, and being a female... well, there is something about grand homes and fancy dresses and drama and love stories that I just adore! Ms. Lee's portrayal of Scarlett O'Hara has got to be the very first real DIVA on the big screen. That being said, it's a really thick book and the type print is rather on the small side. ;) I have been looking for it at our newly build county library, and every week I've gone, the books (all 5 copies) have been checked out! (It's either very popular or we have some slow readers in my county! LOL!) No doubt, I will end up buying a copy of my own. I thought it would be "standard issue" when we bought the house here in Georgia or applied for our driver's licenses.

Now back to Lost Laysen.

It was actually a lost manuscript! Apparently, as the forward tells, Ms. Mitchell wrote this story in 2 composition books the summer of her 16th year. It's a bit racey in thought for a 16-year-old, if you ask me; I'm a mom now and perhaps that's why I'm so disturbed by it. And I don't believe it to be a great work of art, either. To me, the letters and photographs in the forward were much more interesting than the fiction she wrote.

The letters and composition books were sold to the Gone With The Wind Museum in Atlanta, Georgia by Mr. Henry Love Angel, Jr. Mr. Angel's father was a beau of Ms. Mitchell, unknown to all but a few close friends. The letters and composition books written by Ms. Mitchell were a secret until Mr. Angel Jr. brought them to the museum. Just by reading the letters and seeing the pictures of them together, however, it makes me think that there was a great love - or at the very least a very strong friendship - between Angel and Mitchell.

In my opinion, their story would have made a better one than Lost Laysen. Still, it is very interesting to know that there is finally more than just one story published by Margaret Mitchell. Hopefully, I'll eventually get to read the great one.

$3 Kit Sale on Selected Kits at ScrapOutsideTheBox

2006-04-09T18:37:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to let you know that I've got a few of my kits on sale for just $3 at ScrapOutsideTheBox. You can click HERE for more information, but I've got to let you know that my Wild Child Kit, regularly $7 is included in this $3 sale! It features some fabulous furry backgrounds, and was one of the first kits available on the web with such gorgeous textures.

Click on the preview below to read the kit description in the SOTB store:

Thanks so much for your continued support of my work!

Untamed is Back!

2006-04-07T17:14:00.000-04:00

The Untamed Scrapper is back online and I'm already filling up MY GALLERY.

I also put up a new digital challenge, just for this weekend, to help fill up the new Untamed gallery after the site crashed. I'm also offering a sampler and store coupon as a posting bonus. I'll have the preview uploaded soon.

The great thing about the Untamed gallery is that you do not need to use selective digital kits/elements. You can use any and all digital kits you have and post any layout, as long as it's not offensive, of course. And if there are any other paper AND digital scrappers, then you can post your paper layouts and projects there, too!

I have a lot of posting to do, so I'd better get to it. Hope you'll be posting soon, too!

Create with Cristina at Digitals- TONIGHT!

2006-04-06T16:48:00.000-04:00

I hope that you'll join me in the Digitals chatroom at 9pm EST tonight, April 6th, for my monthly chat and crop. This month I'm featuring 2 kits:

PRIMARY NOTES KIT

This kit would be great for "general" photos, photo collages, teen photos, or when you need to put lots of photos with varied subjects on one layout.

From now until April 10th, this page kit, regularly $5, is just $2!! This is more than half off, and if you're a bargain shopper, you should get this kit even if you don't want the posting bonus or need it right away. This kit is so versatile that you are bound to find a use for it very soon.

SOCCER SEASON KIT
The Soccer Season Kit will also be featured this month. I originally wanted to feature this kit alone, but know that not everyone has soccer players in their families, so I thought the Primary Notes kit would be a great alternative.

Also on sale for just $2, this kit is regularly priced at $5.25... an even better value!!

This kit has a matching alphabet, sold separately, and pictured below:

Click on any of the previews to read more about that item in the Digitals Store. Thanks so much for taking the time to look.
I hope you won't be disappointed!

ATTENDANCE IN THE CHATROOM IS NOT REQUIRED!!!

For more information about the chat/crop, a preview of the posting bonus, a sketch for inspiration should you need it, and to see sample layouts using the above kits, please visit the Create With Cristina April Layouts gallery.

Hope to see your layout in the gallery soon!

Welcome to my New Blog

2006-04-05T18:48:00.000-04:00

Some of you may know that I had a previous blog, hosted by my good friends at Digitals. Sadly, some evil spammers started posting some horrible comments, and those blogs are currently shut down.

I decided to have my own blog, unaffliated with any digital scrapbooking site. This way, I can offer news about all my online stores, my personal website, and my real life without taking away from the time and efforts of my hosts. I would like to personally thank Rick and Stacey Mann, owners of DigitalScrapbookPages, for getting me started on the blogging craze.

That being said, let me re-introduce myself for anyone new to my blog.

I'm Cristina Blomberg, a digital scrapbook designer. You can read all about me on my personal site, scrap4brains. I also have there some of my latest news about my real life, my digital designs, and any online offerings in the way of chats/crops/free samples.

Thank you for reading, and be sure to check back. I may not blog daily, but I'm sure to have something posted here that will make you laugh, cry, muse, ponder, etc.