I Got A New Toy!!!

I got a new "Toy" today. A few months ago, a new friend introduced me to her Cricut and I feel in love. What is a Cricut exactly? No, its not an insect. That would be a "criket". A Cricut is a electronic cutter system that looks a lot like a printer but it "cuts out" diecuts. You have to put a cartridge in that has patterns of sort on them and then with a touch pad much like on a computer you put in what you want to cut out. With doing a preschool in my home, I find myself going down to the craft center to use their diecut machine all the time so I can lable something. This neat little bug can do more than just letters, I can do a school bus, a pumpkin, flowers and leaves...all sorts of things if I have the right cartridge in it. The problem with this system is it is a bit costly. Well, maybe more than just a little. I have the original Cricut; I think it runs about $190.00 or so in the store. With our house still not sold, I thought I would never be able to get one (the bigger one that does 12x12 pages is over $350.00!!!!). A friend mentioned that one of her friends back in the states was trying to find a new home for her "baby cricut" and was only asking $50.00 for it (she also included 3 cartridges with it and those can go for at least $40.00 each on ebay)! I had just earned about that much watching someone's kids while they were training for a new job so I claimed it! Even Brandon got into it when we pulled it out and started trying to figure out how to work it. It was a little unfair, he actually got the first couple of cuts out of it. Yes, I know this probably sounds awful silly to some of you. But its cheaper than going to the bars on the weekend (and gets me in a lot less trouble). So when I call and check in with some of you in the next few weeks, if you hear something "chirping" away in the background, now you know what it is. I'm probably cutting out the letters to lable the chair and the door! I'm finding all kinds of craft goodies here in Japan! I discovered Copic markers here (more on that later but since they are made here they are cheaper than in the states) and now my Cricut...I'm having fun ways to stay busy when I'm stuck in the house.