You might be wondering why.  Well there are a few reasons, but they all circle around the same idea.  When I looked back on the last year, I saw many successes that excited me.  Over the last year Sir Scrapalot Designs has gained almost 2,000 Facebook Fans.  I’ve been given the opportunity to teach for Masterful Scrapbook Design, guest post at both The Daily Digi and Simple Scrapper, and participate in The Digi Show podcast not once, but three times.  Through Facebook and Twitter, I’ve been able to connect with so many other digi people…some who I never thought I’d know (um..like Katie Pertiet!).  I’ve expanded the blog to include topics that people are interested in like social media, time management, and digi scrapping.  When I looked back at the last year…these were the things that stood out to me as successes.  Notice anything missing?  I did.  It was designing.  The truth is, designing had become one of my least favorite things to do.  At times, I just felt that my heart wasn’t in it anymore.  I needed change.

So change I will.  This marks the end of my design career, but not the end of Sir Scrapalot.  I will still be blogging, scrapping, and even teaching.  Some incredible opportunities have come my way, even since I started telling people of my decision earlier today.  I am so very excited to be able to share with you the things that I’ve got coming up.  Keep your eye out for a new website, and a new Fan Page very soon.

What would a retirement be without a retirement sale?  To say thank you, I’ve set up a pretty sweet retirement sale.  Remember, this is the end of the road for these products.  If you see something you like, grab it before it’s too late.

I could not have made it the past 3+ years without the support, friendship, and loyalty of the entire digi community.  I am grateful everyday that I have “fans” who want to hear what I have to say.  While some things are going to change, Sir Scrapalot will still be here to help every scrapbooker “shop. learn. connect. grow” like always.  I hope that you’ll come along for this new adventure with me.

Now that you’ve seen my inspiration, I wanted to show you what I put together with the kit.  A huge thanks to Zinnias and Swallowtails for the awesome template.

Check back tomorrow to see just what I have up my sleeve!

I got my Android phone last summer, and I remember how angry I was when I heard that Verizon would be offering the iPhone in 6 short months.  I had wanted an iPhone for ages, and now I had just passed up my chance to get one.  Funny thing is, by the time the iPhone from Verizon came out, I was in love with my Android.  I’ve seen a lot of blog posts about “favorite iPhone apps,” but today, I wanted to put together a list of my favorite Android apps.  I’ve linked them all to the Amazon App Store or the Android Market for easy purchasing.

Angry Birds – is there anyone that isn’t into Angry Birds at this point?  The best time waster, and most obsessive game I have…if you don’t have it yet, get it now.

Google Reader – I live by my Google Reader on my computer, and I love being able to have it with me on the go.  It’s great for when I’m at school or between meetings.

HootSuite – another staple on my laptop, having HootSuite with me on the go lets me check my Twitter, Facebook, and Fan Page all in one app with ease.

Double Twist – Double Twist syncs with my iTunes and lets me take my music on the go with me.  Great for playing the music in the car!

Ebay – I have started really using Ebay again, as I’ve started collecting Disney Vinylmation Figures.  The Ebay app keeps me on top of the items I am bidding on, and lets me know right away when I’ve been outbid.

Swype – Swype turns my Android keyboard into a super cool and easy key board that I can use by dragging my fingers to the letters of the word I want to spell.  I didn’t think I’d like it, but I’ll tell you…I don’t like when I have to actually type.  Maybe they can make a Swype keyboard for my laptop?

Touch Calendar – Until Google releases a Google Calendar app, Touch Calendar is the next best thing.  I love how it syncs and operates.

Taskos – same with this..until Google releases a Tasks app, Taskos does the job.  My favorite feature, when I put calling someone as a task, I can link up their phone number to call right from the list.

Where’s My Droid? – How many times have you lost your phone when it’s on vibrate?  Your automatic response is to call it, but it’s on vibrate and you may never hear it.  With this app, you can text Where’s My Droid to your phone, and it will turn sound back on, and start ringing.  Winning.

I write a lot about time management, mainly because it’s one of my greatest struggles.  Juggling a young family, a full time career, and Sir Scrapalot Designs is hardly easy, and I am always looking for ways to save time and get things done in a more efficient manner.  Often times, like today, I don’t get to sit down and engage in the internet until early evening, and spend a good amount of time playing catch up.  Ever wonder what my typical day looks like?  Today I’m going to share with you one day out of my crazy life.

• 5:00 am – Up and on the treadmill.  This is something that I’ve really just started doing again, but it’s getting my day off to a great start.
• 5:30 am – Showering and getting dressed for the day.
• 6:00 am –  Breakfast, a quick email check to delete or deal with anything that can be done quickly.  If I’m lucky, I get a chance to scan     my Google Reader and see what’s going on.
• 6:30 am – Help get everyone else ready to leave, get things together for the day, make coffees for my wife and I.
• 7:00 am – Departure.  We all load into the car, and head down to drop me off at school.
• 7:15 am – At school (what a commute!).  I check my mail, and then head to my room to get it set up for the day before my friends arrive.
• 7:30 am – Morning Meeting in my classroom (actually, this is just my friends gathering to chat and get ready for the day)
• 8:00 am – School Starts – My first class starts at 8:15, and my second class starts at 9:30.
• 10:45 am – Prep and planning period.  This is usually for meetings, time to work with my grade level co-teachers, or plan upcoming lessons.
• 12:00 pm – Lunch.  Another meeting in my room, during which my friends and I all try to talk, eat lunch, and check our phones for messages.
• 12:20 pm – Third Class begins.  Yup, you read that right.  I have a 20 minute lunch.  It’s not so bad since I have prep and planning right before, but the other teachers truly have 20 minutes to eat.  And that’s on a good day.
• 1:40 pm – Last class of the day.
• 2:52 pm – Dismissal.  Otherwise known as “my favorite time of day.”
• 3:00 pm – Office Hours, Extra Help, and After School.  If it’s a down day, I have a little time to check in on the internet and see what’s going on.
• 4:30 pm – Leave School.  Run to the grocery store, and return home to get dinner started.
• 5:15 pm – Dinner.  Discussions about what happened during our days, what we’re looking forward to tomorrow, and general conversation.
• 5:45 pm – Family Time.  Watching TV Shows, going for a walk, playing Barbies…whatever else the little ladies want me to do.  I also do the things that I’ll need to get done for the morning like ironing and packing my bag.  Occasionally, I get a little time to catch the news or start hopping online.
• 7:00 pm – Online Time begins.  The girls are usually in bed, and I can get started with the stuff that I need to get done.  Some nights, I am great about this time, and I’m really productive.  Other times, I sit here starting at the same websites, getting absolutely nothing done.
• 8:00 pm – TV/Online Time.  I have a few shows that I watch religiously, so usually around 8:00 is when I watch them and work, or I leave the computer and just watch TV.
• 9:00 pm – Back to the computer to wrap up whatever I’ve been working on for the night.  I usually try to get the things that I need to get done the following day together, and do another round of checking in before I head off to bed.
• 10:00 pm – Bed.  I usually read a little bit before bed, but if I’m really tired, the reading is usually short lived.  After that it’s lights out, and sleep until the next day starts again!

One thing I want to work on is making my night time online time more productive.  In a day, this is usually the only extended time I have online, so I need to make sure I am really making use of it.  While this is important, I also want to make sure I am taking time to do the things I want to do, like watching TV shows, and not spending all my time working.  And so, the battle rages on…maybe one day I’ll learn how to balance my time and get stuff done!

What does your day look like?  Let us know in the comments!

Congratulations to Carolyn!!  Please email me at aaron@sirscrapalotdesigns.com to claim your prize!!  Thanks again to all who played along!

Image via Wikipedia

I have a soft spot for Villains, Disney Villains in particular.  I think it’s partially due to their “misunderstood” nature, something I readily identify with.  when you look hard enough at one of the Disney Villains, you are sure to find some qualities that we find in some of the most influential people in the world today.  Take Captain Hook for example.  Sure, he had Tiger Lily tied to an anchor for drowning but there is a lot we can learn from Hook’s dastardly nature.

• He was focused. Sure, some may call it obsessed, but Hook was focused on the idea of getting revenge on Peter Pan.  He didn’t back down, even when his crew was begging him to move on (remember how one actually died of boredom?).  His unwavering devotion to getting revenge on Peter Pan keeps him on his toes, and always willing to try the “next best thing.”  Today, this is Lady Gaga.  She’s focused on the creative vision she has, and doesn’t let the nay sayers sway her focus.
• He re-assesses his plan. Always planning and scheming ways to capture Peter Pan, Hook is forced to keep refining his approaches until he gets it right.  This approach of “that didn’t work, what can we do better next time” is one that is commendable in some of the worlds greatest thinkers and developers.  Who would have thought that Captain Hook and Steve Jobs have something in common?
• He’s got charm. You really can’t argue this.  However “bad” he may be, the guy has charm and flash.  You can help but like him, even a little bit.  He knows that charm can take him some great places, and he well intends to use it.  Think Neil Patrick Harris’ Barney on “How I Met Your Mother.”  You may not like him, or agree with his “escapades”, but you can’t argue that he’s got some major charm.
• He shows fear. Wouldn’t you show fear if you knew a crocodile was after you?  While Hook may put on a great show of being dastardly and getting revenge on Peter Pan, the truth is that crocodile still scares him.  A lot.  He can’t help but show this fear when it gets down to the nitty gritty.  Showing fear makes him real, it shows that even though he thinks he is the biggest and baddest, there is still something that hangs over him.  Isn’t this all of us?  No matter how great we fancy ourselves, there’s always SOMETHING that makes us scared, something that we live in fear of.  If this wasn’t true, we wouldn’t be human.

No one crafts villains better than Disney.  The more you watch and pay attention to them, you see that they are truly flawed human beings who still have many redeeming qualities.  If you look hard enough, you can find the good in any villain.  Well almost any villain, I’m pretty sure Cruella DeVil is just plain mean.

Who is your favorite Disney Villain?