StuffDock

Donna Downey: the twins are coming!!

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 01:17:26 +0000

check out the first sneak peeks of my 2 new babies "fabric scrapbooking" and "designing layouts"!
i am hoping they will be here any day now!

Alannah Jurgensmeyer: "The Moose Out Front Shoulda Told Ya"

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:50:24 +0000

Ever see the movie "National Lampoon's Vacation"? The original one? I really feel like yesterday we did the edited 'just a day trip' version of that movie minus the hotel filandering, deceased relatives and pet demise. OK it wasn't that bad. But funny in a 'this can't all be coincidence' kind of ha-ha way.

We decided yesterday to drive to Springfield, MO for the day to go to the Bass Pro Outdoor Museum. We used to take day trips like that just to go to the store because it has so much more than the store there, there's a great restaurant inside it, many huge fishtanks, turtle terrariums, duck ponds, etc. but a couple years back they added on a whole building that was nothing but an outdoor wildlife museum. The boys went last year but I'd never been so this would have been my first trip inside that part.

We had a package that already had postage on it but it was too big to fit in our mailbox so we decided to drop it off along the way because we do pass through several small towns to get there and some of them have their post offices right along the highway. The first P.O. we came across was CLOSED for lunch. OK the entire building was only as big as a roadside taco stand so we can understand there's probably only one employee working there and they have to eat, right? So we decide to hit the next one we come across in about 15 mins. It's a HUGE post office in comparison to the last one. About 20x as large. We go in to drop off the package. They're closed for lunch! We can't believe it! For all the time we've now wasted pulling off and trying to drop off a package we could have driven to the one in our town and been on our way!

At this point it's getting comedic. We used the GPS on my phone and when we passed through another larger town about 45 mins later we followed the GPS directions to their Post Office (it was after 1pm by now) and we finally found a P.O. with actual postal employees that work during the day to take the package.

As we get closer to Springfield, I have to use the restroom. I thought I could wait until we got there but about 15 mins away I decided we'd have to stop to take a 'break'. I knew exactly where a Wal-Mart was along the highway thanks to a previous trip I'd taken last year to a crop retreat and had to make the same kind of stop :) So the boys decide they could use a 'break' too and we all head inside. Much to my dismay the Women's Restroom is closed for cleaning! Another CLOSED!!! Seriously. I am marked for unavailability of everything today apparently. I end up having to troop to the back of the store (it's a supercenter!) to find the other restroom before we can get on our way.

We finally make it to Bass Pro! YAY! The store is open! YES. But wait....why are there no cars in the museum parking lot? What is that large sign over there? Oh no way. "Closed for Renovations" reads the billboard-sized sign. The museum is closed. It's apparently been closed for the past 3 weeks and closed rather abruptly due to some faulty original construction. So after being open for only a few years they've shut the whole thing down and are tearing it apart. They're not predicting a reopen until Spring 2009!!!

I mean, come on. We had everything happen today except to see John Candy outside Bass Pro Saying "Sorry folks, park is closed today. The moose out front shoulda told ya!" And the irony in that is that there IS a huge moose statue out front of the Bass Pro museum!! LOL

So what is there left to do but start squeezing all these lemons we've collected and start making some lemonade. We had a late lunch in the restaurant inside the store and sat at the bar so we could face the giant saltwater fishtank they have behind the bar for a wall. Then we did a little shopping and a little sightseeing around the store. A couple hours later there was nothing left to do but head home.

The boys have officially tagged me the "If you want it to be closed, take Mommy with us" parent :) Fun day still...just not what we were hoping for.

Tara: finally...

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:54:31 +0000

Last night I finished Challenge #7 for ADSR3. Whew! There was a fair amount of on my part and I likely would have dropped out if it were not for my partner. I couldn't penalize her because I am lame,...

Donna Downey: good friday...

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:22:57 +0000

a little flip clip share from this morning!
have a GOOD FRIDAY..

sorry no bunnies this year...(LOL)

Ali Edwards: Weekend Creative : March #2 : What's Your Message

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Remember back to that first Weekend Creative? The prompt that weekend was about seeing and putting a word into a new context - taking things out of their ordinary environment and creating something new in the process.

As I was packing up some things for Simon to play with in the car on our long drive today I came across the mini Magna Doodle. I was thinking about living with words and what that means to me. I was thinking about the chalkboard I recently found at Goodwill and how much I am enjoying the words and concepts I have listed there in my office. I was also thinking about all the darn toys we have accumulated for Simon and how in reality he plays with just a few. Less is more.

In so many ways, from so many different angles, less really is more.

What's your message this weekend, this day, this month, this minute, this year? Find a creative way to visually document a message, take a photo, and then tell the story either on a scrapbook layout, in a journal, on your blog, etc.

Or simply leave a message for your family members or yourself. What is is that you need to see today?

Art - and life - is about improvisation, discovery and awe. It is about leaning over the edge and staring deep into the abyss. It's about staring into our own inadequacies and, just as we think we might come up short, finding the answer that we need was there all the time. As we create we not only reveal Reality, we reveal ourselves.
[ Todd Henry ]

Posting about this tonight made me also think of this and this fantastic idea (that would be a great Easter weekend project as well) which also lead me back to this message and this one too.

Hummie: How Ironic--the sun and Good Friday

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:11:30 +0000

How ironic is it that the sun is shining so brightly (finally after all the days of rain) on Good Friday.

I am happy to have the day off of work and I have been enjoying scrapping with my time off so far. We will be leaving soon to attempt to get Mason's driver's license, so wish us well!

Earlier this week I had to empty my pocketbook - Ouch!- on two class rings. I did this for Lori's clustering elements challenge and used Tina Williams new Faithbased kit for "Faith." See, my title is clustered! Aren't you proud of me? I love the clustered look, but it doesn't come natural for me. Tina does it on every layout and it's her style--you should check it out.

All of Tina's Faithbased kits are 70% off right now!

There are SO many challenges in the forums that are so lonely--won't you join us? The sponsors have challenges in their own threads, as well as my challenges. Surely there is something there to get you inspired!

Hummie: Links for 2008-03-20 [del.icio.us]

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Java Chat Software - AddonChat

Cathy Zielske: If I am not, in fact, the first person who ever thought to do this…hold your "sorry to inform you, but..." posts for a day or so, just so I can live another 24 hours under the illusion that I invented something spectacularly brilliant

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:23:19 +0000

You know how when you open a package of say, stickers, or rub-ons, or whatever… and they come in a plastic sleeve?

Well, if you're like me (and you KNOW you want to be!) you might not use every single item on said sheet of stickers or rub-ons, or whatever. So… what do you have to do?

Put the stickers or rub-ons, or whatever BACK into the packaging.

And what happens? Come on... every single time? What happens?

The product STICKS to the sticky part of the flap on the plastic sleeve.

ARE YOU WITH ME?

Well, I don't want to toot my own horn TOO loudly, but I invented the following cure-all to this very common scrapbooking dilemma.

Watch closely:

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is EXACTLY what I'm thinking every single time I scrapbook.

Happy Easter.

Love,
Cathy

Missy: Killing Me

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 23:23:25 +0000

Saw this today over on cute overload
I just had to share... because it's killing me.

it's a PEEP SHOW.
Get it?
heeeeee

Pamela Gibson: Pictures from Wigwam Camping!!!!

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 21:58:00 +0000

Let me start off by saying it was SOOOO FUN!!! and the facilities were fabulous. They had a huge kitchen free of charge to use including stoves, microwaves, sinks, all the dishes, pots, pans, cutlery, etc you could ever need, as well as a pool table and a big kitchen table and chairs you could sit at. The bathrooms and shower block were great and was filled with individual shower rooms with a toilet, sink, vanity, shower, etc all in one so you didnt have to go into prison style shower blocks. lol. The wigwam was much bigger than the last pod we stayed in and it had lights. It had 4 beds along the walls and a coffee table, it had a counter on one side with a mini fridge, heater, and 2 extra sockets. The fridge, heater, and 2 sockets were all controlled by one coin box, and we put in one pound coin and it kept the heater going all night long, and at one point it even got TOO WARM!!! when we woke up it was half raining and half snowing and freezing. lol. Danny
decided he didnt want to have breakfast in the restraunt so i went by myself and had Texas Eggs Benedict which was basically eggs bennedict minus the meat. It was pretty darn good and came with orange juice for £3.75. lol, it was really good though. We had the barbecue hut last night and we spent a couple hours in there barbecueing some fresh steaks from the farm it is located on, chicken, and hot dogs. We then just chilled in the wigwam, they were each named after famous american people, places, and battles. We stayed in number 1 which was called the Alamo. lol. anyways, onto some pictures.

A view of some of the 12 of the wigwams they had on site.

Scruffy on the deck of our wigwam. He spent a bit of time underneath it and found a tennis ball left by a previous dog.

Scruffy mid sneeze inside the wigwam, between 3 of the beds and in front of the coffee table.

Inside the Barbecue Hut

Scruffy playing outside the wigwam.

Scruffy Playing outside the wigwam, he loved running about outside

The barbecue Hut.

Scruffy outside the hut, watching the people staying in one of the other wigwams.

p.s. every word i write is my own oppinion no matter what the subject of the post. to see my disclosure policy scroll down and click the link at the bottom right.

Ali Edwards: Inspiration is everywhere.

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:25:03 +0000

Did you know that Polaroid is going to stop making film? Check out Photojojo's article: Ten Ways To Love Polaroid Before The Film Runs Out.

I love this idea for modern monthly photos.

Leo at Zen Habits created a really nice list about living simply: 12 Essential Rules To Live More Like A Zen Monk (I am currently working on #1: doing one thing at a time).

I am really enjoying the writing of Brene Brown on her blog Ordinary Courage.

Check out Unphotographable from photographer Michael David Murphy. I am interested in this concept of documenting through words the photos that are/were missed (essentially, capturing life through words). According to his "why" page: "Unphotographable is a catalog of exceptional mistakes. Photos never taken that weren't meant to be forgotten. Opportunities missed. Simple failures. Occasions when I wished I'd taken the picture, or not forgotten the camera, or had been brave enough to click the shutter." This, to me, is really seeing. You can listen to him talk about this project here.

Jeanine Baechtold: FREE at Shutterfly!

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:21:54 +0000

Aside from all the freebies at the KV Blog, don't forget Jen and I are featured at SHUTTERFLY this week! We designed a ton of freebies just for them so visit Shutterfly throughout the week to download the coordinating creations! Here is just a taste:

And here is a layout I did with one of the KV Blog free QPs using the Calista Collection:

Even though we designed Calista with Spring in mind, I really thought it went well with Calista's jacket and the orange pumpkin...

Have a great Thursday!

Maggie: Triduum has begun

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:40:00 +0000

Hi Everyone:
Today starts the 3 most Holly days in Christianity, starting with the Lord Supper, then Good Friday, Saturday Easter Virgil..

Easter is going to be low key this year due to my sister being in Iraq, please keep the troops and their families in your prayers...:)

Don't forget to enter the shakerbox 25.00 GC giveaway.

To win the kit in the post below you have until wend next week.

There are so many challenge blogs now, which ones are your favorite?

I'm going to leave you with a gift and please if you download leave a message.
Free Word art freebie

What to do with the word art? you can print it on transparencies and use on your lo, you can use it for cards, lo, use it on a digital lay out for your digital scrapbooking.

Here's a preview

this link is good for 7 days only, so enjoy!
http://download.yousendit.com/59D5D93F7497B6DF

Have a great day everyone,
Maggie

Susan White: The World is Round

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:34:00 +0000

Another one of my favorites.....

Credits:

Hummie: I love Dani's layout! I love Claudette's layout!

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:02:55 +0000

I was so excited to see this adorable layout that Dani made with all the focus on the photo using my new Irish Heritage Add-on kit that I just had to share! The layout is so clean and simple and my style!

I just love the little cluster of elements she created. I was so excited about it I decided to recreate it and share the custer element as a freebie!

This freebie is set to expire in three days! Click here!

Oh, and I'm loving using this Wikisend instead of 4shared. I don't have to worry about taking the file down after a while as I can set the expiration date and do not have to log in to see comments as hopefully everyone comments here instead. I do have comment set so you do not have to log in to make it easy for you to leave your love right here on the blog.

Have a blessed Maundy Thursday everyone! As you think about the significance of today and the Last Supper, reflect on the three leaves of the Shamrock as it represents the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

I am so glad the rain has stopped. I feel like singing, "I can see clearly now the rain is gone." Although the local flooding of streets is down, now we are watching the Mississippi River rise above flood stage in the next few days.

Check out Claudette's layout which you made with my heritage kit. I love how she stapled the tag to the frame!

Tara: digi enabler...

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:15:37 +0000

No layouts this week, but should be soon. I am about 1/2 way done ADSR challenge #7. This is after starting, deleting and restarting last night. Whatcha gonna do? I was not feeling it with the first one and, so...

Donna Downey: wenesday weigh-in & vlog...

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:01:07 +0000

random vlog today!
still reeling from the rosie comment!
i actually played with stuff last night too...

Ali Edwards: Getting ready.

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:26:35 +0000

[ this is what I see as I walk back into my office on most days : Lily is a great work from home companion ]

Do you ever find that you are always getting ready for something?

As I started putting together a list of what I am getting ready for right now I noticed that everything I am working towards includes something to celebrate. Love that. Here's what I am getting ready for today:

1. Getting ready to celebrate Grandma's life with family this weekend in Eastern Oregon.

2. Getting ready to celebrate Easter with Tricia and her family and go see The Wiggles on Sunday afternoon. Tricia and I have been helping the Easter Bunny pick out fun little things for the kids. Planning to dye eggs on Thursday night.

3. Getting ready to celebrate Spring Break with a real vacation with Chris + Simon.

4. Getting ready to celebrate my friend Jill's awesome ability to put together a yard sale. She will be having a sale this Friday, March 21 from 9am-3pm. You can email her for more information and directions.

5. Getting ready to celebrate creativity + friendship by traveling with Jill and Dona to Artfest. This includes reading over the supply list and shopping for supplies at my local art store. I still can't believe I am actually going. Really looking forward to my chance to be a student.

6. Getting ready to celebrate the fact that I am sending off our tax information to our CPA today.

7. Getting ready to get off the computer and get some work done. Have a great Wednesday.

One more thing: if you are new to my blog I want to invite you to check out last year's Easter traditions post. There were so many great ideas for celebrating the day in creative, fun, and reverent ways. You can read them all here.

Amber Alicia: Hopping By...

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:16:04 +0000

Only a few more days until Easter is here...kind of sad to already be putting the easter items away...I prefer a mid-April Easter myself!

Also now is the time of the spring birthdays...I have 2 friends, Mom, Sister and Hubby's birthday all in a three week span! Have to do a little shopping in the next week to cover them all. :)

Mom always sends me terriffic holiday packages...I love adding little things to my collection. Brandon secretly likes it too. ;) I didn't catch the new additions in these photos, but here a few to share...

And I was SO happy to find this at Kirkland's on Saturday...1/2 off from when I originally saw it months ago...going to put a photo of us in there and hang in the bedroom....

Happy Wednesday!

Maggie: Lucky Wedn!

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:12:00 +0000

Hi Everyone:
Happy Humph day it's a fantastic day of sunshine, wind and the temp is finally down to the high 70's, the past few days it has been in the high 80's. I'm not complaining I just wish we had more kewl temp.

Today is a lucky day for 5 winners. I will be giving away 5 of the Calico Vert Kit at Scrapinstyle TV. Take your scrapbooking to a new height by using a digital kit, you can create a digital scrapbooking lo, or altered projects and use stamps Here are some examples below.

here

Link this kit on your blog, then come back and leave us a link
and we will select 5 winners. How easy is that?

Here are some ideas to do with the kit..
Hybrid Purse by me

Andrea's Card

Lay out from Nikki Cleary

Hybrid mini album

Hybrid card from Ellen

Details

Have a great day everyone, don't forget to link back here to win!
Maggie

Connie & Heidi: Offering Getting Organized with ACDSee Photo Manager Class

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:00:54 +0000

I am pleased to announce a class offering of Getting Organized with ACDSee Photo Manager. I have joined with Jessica Sprague and will be offering my class at JessicaSprague.com. Here’s Jessica’s opinion of ACDSee Photo Manager, "ACDSee Photo Manager by ACDSee Systems changed the way I approach digital scrapbooking. Getting organized with my digital supplies has helped me see new possibilities, complete pages faster, and get great use out of my digital stash."

The class will be two weeks long. The class starts on Monday, March 31. The week will start off with a PDF guide and some video tutorials. (Some things are just so much easier to show than to read about, but I wanted you to have something to refer back too.) At the end of the week, which is the following Monday, April 7, I will host a live session showing my ACDSee Photo Manager and the users can ask questions live. The same day, the second week of material will be available: another PDF guide and a few more videos. On Monday, April 14, there will be a second live session to ask more questions. Throughout the guide, videos and live sessions you will hear tips and helpful hints. At the end of the session you will feel comfortable moving around in ACDSee Photo Manager, understanding how you should organize and how to keep up and maintain your organizing! This is a class for starting out organizing, if you already feel comfortable organizing then you may want to wait for other advanced classes (that if all goes well will be offered.)

How does this class differ from what is on our DigiScrapInfo website? Connie and I setup this website to be a self-serve find your own information. We do have a forum where you can ask questions and we help point you in the right direction. In the Getting Organized with ACDSee Photo Manager class, I will guide you step by step through the organizing process. I will demystify the organizing process by providing simple instuctions that you can use immediately. I have taken what I have learned in the last year of helping people and put all the information together into a package that’s personalized for you.

Here is all the information at Jessica’s site about the class and how to register: Getting Organized with ACDSee Photo Manager

I am so excited to get this course going!

Cathy Zielske: So where was I?

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:54:14 +0000

Oh yes… I was making tags.

I got me some new stamps from the creative people at Cat's Life Press. I love this (Gotta Love the Everyday) and this one (Today I Feel) and this one (Random Memory No.). Good stuff. This company has really made me unafraid of stamp usage. Go Cat's Life Press!

And my little tag book is getting thicker…just like ME!

But it's all good, right? Monday's 2-year Smoke Free celebration culminated in my predictable justification that I deserve to buy things on my anniversary with the money that I would have spent on smokes. What's funny is that I've used this very logic to buy things so many times that I would actually have to START smoking again, and smoke three to four packs a day for at least another 15 years just to have those funds truly available. I'm actually heavily in debt to the Bank of What I Would Have Spent on Cigarettes.

That said, I bought this nice little all-purpose Nikkor 18-55 with Vibration Reduction. Ever since I dropped my camera while mildly buzzed at my Pampered Chef party and busted up my 28-105, I've wished for a different all-around lens, and this new one should fill the bill. Plus, I'll have more wide angle than I've had since going digital. Which I may soon need for decent self-portraits. Besides, the price was nice. Just under $200.

So put that in your Bank of What I Would Have Spent on Cigarettes and smoke it.

Love,
Cathy

Hummie: Feather/Vignette/Blending Video Tutorial in Photoshop Elements

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:13:41 +0000

I was happy to get another video tutorial finished last night.
I made this sentimental sappy layout of hubby taking down our swing set. Boo hooo! My grandchildren were supposed to use the same set as my children! Rust had other plans for the swing.

You can see the video on how to blend the photo as in this layout in my forums, but you need to be logged in. After a bit of time, the video will only be available in the Subscriber area, so catch it for free now! The written tutorial will always be free.

Amber Lee Pence: The Big Picture

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 06:27:12 +0000

So I said it before, but I'm taking a Big Picture Scrapbooking class, Stacy's Library of Memories. It's more of an organizing class than an actual scrapbooking class, but you have to organize your photos to scrapbook (I'm realizing). So it's brought me face to face with my digital photo mess. Not really a mess, but just more the overwhelming amount. I've decided to organize as Stacy says, with favorites folders by quarter.

I have only two quarter's done so far. If you want to see how her class works, and don't want to wait until her next class (next year) I really recommend her new book: Photo Freedom. So good. Anyway as part of this process I'm going through and printing these quarterly photos. It's adding up to a lot of photos, as you can see. My first order should be coming from Shutterfly in a few days. My storage binder/albums will be here tomorrow and then I can get to sorting. It's exciting really going through all the pictures, and the layouts:

Here I've flagged what type of layouts I've made. My least common? "People I love", how crazy is that. Even crazier? Despite all my travels my "place I go" category was a close second. I think that is because I do a lot of separate albums for those layouts though. My least used of the who, what, why, when, where was where, so the layout that combines both of my least was people/where. I made up this one of Emilie tonight to start filling that gap:

I'm excited to go through the photos I get back. Just looking at them again on my computer has made me want to scrapbook more, and I'm thinking that holding them and filing them will bring up even more memories I want to capture. Added plus? Using long forgotten scrapbooking supplies like fibers and pebbles stickers and random Japanese stationary.

Jeanine Baechtold: Free, free and more FREE GIFTS!

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:47:28 +0000

Whoa. So we went a little crazy. Um, yeah.

The timing of all this is a little insane, but if you go and check out the Kristy Valshan blog you can grab yourself some freebies and coupons... THEN head over to Scrapbook Etc Magazine if you haven't already and get that free QP the ladies made using our kit... THEN head over to Shutterfly EVERY DAY this week to get even more stuff! Crazy, crazy stuff going on!

Hope you LOVE the new collections in the store too - Calista Collection and Jessica's Garden Collection. Perfect for Spring!! :)

Kristy: Blogoversary Blog Candy

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:01:00 +0000

Example only - your postcard will be unique.

Today is the second Anniversary of this blog! I can't believe that I've been doing this for 2 years now....I'm actually secretly impressed with myself that I've managed to keep it up for so long. I know I don't post every day, but I do try to keep it going as best I can and I hope my regular visitors enjoy reading my posts. A big thank you to all of you who visit and who are kind enough to leave comments, I do appreciate them even though I don't always say so here.

So, as a big thank you for your continued support, I'd like to offer some Blog Candy. As my regulars will know, I love my Character Constructions stamps most of all, out of my ever growing stamp collection. I especially like to build Collages using them. So I will make one of my Collage Postcards especially for the person I pick at random from anyone who leaves a comment on this post. These are pretty special, just simply because I do spend a fair bit of time on them, and I've never made one design more than once.

Example only - your postcard will be unique.

But that's not all! I also have 1 set of weird and wonderful Character Constructions stamps to give away, as well as several other stamps and bits and pieces that will be well worth having.....

So if you are interested, please leave a comment on this post and I will randomly select a winner on Friday. Have a great day!

Example only - your postcard will be unique.

Kristy: An Album for baby Pierce

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 22:35:49 +0000

I'm heading down South early tomorrow morning to spend Easter at home in England. It's a long trip, as I am driving due to my current flight restrictions. Typically it takes me a full day to get home, but on the plus side, the journey takes me past my friends house and I've arranged to drop by to see her and her new Baby. I've made baby Pierce a little album just like the little one I made for baby Cecilie, but this time in blue. There's minimal stamping on this album (just the little journaling labels) but it was good fun to make and put together just the same. I could easily get addicted to book making!

By the way, check back tomorrow because it's my Blog's second anniversary and I'll have some blog candy on offer! :o)

Hummie: Record Rainfalls? This Weather!

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 22:45:30 +0000

Dear Blog Readers,

Do you recall my recent post regarding the weather changing daily here in Missouri? If you don't like it, wait a day--it will change.

On Sunday, I was so excited to see my Daffodils blooming for the first time! This variety blooms before the other varieties.

Today we have had a record rainfall statistic broken by 5 p.m. (10 and a 1/2 inches) and the rain is not due to stop at any time soon today.

I took a quick tour about my back yard and down the street to share with you my weather as you can see in the video. The camera grumped at me every time it focused, so bear through the odd noises!

Rain, Rain, Go away, Come again another day--but not as ICE!

Pamela Gibson: Incredible Store About a Dude

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:42:00 +0000

So my mom called me the other day and told me this bit of gossip. There was this guy who went to one of our competitor schools and was one of the best guys on the basketball team. In grade 11 he got his girlfriend pregnant and was banned from the team as a punishment. This was a Christian school so they were within their rights to kick him off the team, but for some reason in grade 12 they let him play and he got a full ride scholarship to university for basketball. When he graduated he couldnt find a job that paid enough to support his girlfriend and baby. So he started playing online poker and my mom said there was just a story about him in the paper, apparently he got mega rich off of online poker and now plays proffessionally. He and his girlfriend, whos now his wife have just bought a huge million dollar house in White Rock and have 4 kids. How amazing is that?? I wish i could get that kinda money off something like online poker, but i'm really not that skilled/lucky. lol. I think i might have a go though, if i had the money i'd probably go here best online casino to find a good casino to play at. I must admit, while i'm not the best at poker, i'm pretty alright at roulette. lol. i know i know, game of luck, but i tend to at least get the number right on a few times. This site has fabulous reviews of all the different sites from poker rooms to bingo, and if i had the chance and the disposable income to have a little go i'd definitly go there first to find a good casino that wouldn't totally rip me off. I LOVE bingo though, so that will probably come in super handy as its really easy to navigate and i love to find new bingo sites. Nothing like bingo to pass some time and even though i rarely win, its something i can spend a couple hours doing for not so much money. I just have a feeling this site will come in handy for me in the future. Who knows, but at least i have somewhere informative to go if i want to find out more about the whole thing, and who knows, maybe i'll be the next online poker millionaire, lol. Wish me luck!

p.s. every word i write is my own oppinion no matter what the subject of the post. to see my disclosure policy scroll down and click the link at the bottom right.

Hummie

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:34:36 +0000

Surprise! I am trying to gather together creators of digital scrapbooking videos together in a group at YouTube.

You can go here to see the group and videos.

Anyone can join the group and subscribe to get notifications of videos.

Anyone can share a video.

What are you waiting for? Grab the blinkie and go!

Pamela Gibson: Pot-A-Doodle-Doo!

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 19:12:00 +0000

We're going to Pot-A-Doodle-Doo wigwam village for a night tomorrow, just to relax. We've been to a wigwam/camping pod before and loved it, but this one has electricity, heat, and a bunch of activities so we decided to try this place this time! For those of you wondering what the heck i'm talkin about, here is a picture of what we're staying in.

I dont know why that picture wont line up, but thats what the inside looks like. They also are combined with a farm that makes fresh food, meat, etc... So we're buying some fresh steaks and we booked their Finnish Barbecue Hut.

This is the barbecue hut and we have it for all of wednesday evening. I'm looking so forward to this. These wigwam holidays are perfect for us because they're good for just one night, theyre very inexpensive, and we can bring our dog so we dont have to worry about him. I'm very excited about this one night away because i'm really stressed out about university and getting the house up for sale that i just need to unwind. Anyways, if you want to look for yourself here is the Pot-A-Doodle-Do Wigwam Village Website and for those of you in the UK, its in Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland if you want to go for yourself!

p.s. every word i write is my own oppinion no matter what the subject of the post. to see my disclosure policy scroll down and click the link at the bottom right.

Kristy: Wednesday Stamper

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:38:14 +0000

In my Garden

Click on Picture for a much bigger view

This was a real labour of love! I started it on Saturday by covering a plain box, (which I bought in a Hungarian craft shop - I bought several as they are so cheap there compared to here in the UK), both inside and out with some lovely papers by K & Co. Then the fun began! I started to create Garden scenes all over the box. Guess what? Once again it fits the Wednesday Stamper theme this week which is 'In my Garden'

I had intended to do this in time for Mother's Day, but as I was sick, I never got round to it. I wanted to decorate the box to fill with some lovely Bulgarian Rose scented goodies which I bought on one of my work trips to Bulgaria. In case you didn't know, Bulgaria is famous for growing premium quality Damascene Roses for the Perfume industry. If your expensive perfume contains Rose oil in the ingredients, the chances are that the roses for the oil came from Bulgaria.

Stamps: Woodware (Butterfly, Rabbit and small flowers) Magnolia Stamps (all other stamps)

Inks: Staz-On in Timber Brown and Colorbox Chalk ink in Ice Jade

H2O's: Cherry Sorbet, Fuzzy Peach, Fresh Oregano, Almond Beige, Cinnamon Brown & Sea Glass.

Other Media: Watercolour Pencils in Flesh, Pink and Grey, Mod Podge & Paper Lace. Quickutz Die Cuts (Swirls, Ivy leaves and Grass) & White Gel pen.

Below I have set up a Screen show so that you can see the box in full:

Donna Downey: thank you...

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:46:49 +0000

i am simply left speechless today, thank you blog friends!

Ali Edwards: CKU Chicago.

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:10:36 +0000

Thank you Friday Evolution students.

Thank you Saturday Evolution students.

This CKU event had a whole different feel. It was more laid back, more go with the flow, and in the case of my Evolution album track, a bit more emotional.

Introducing a new class is always an interesting experience. After teaching A Week In The Life for the past three years I was ready for something different. On Friday morning as I watched the students pulling out their enlarged photos (many of them from past generations) and getting to work I was feeling that awesome creative high that comes from being a witness to a story coming together. It was the coolest thing.

I also loved seeing all the different ways that students approached the theme of evolution. Stories were told about parents, spouses, children, cousins, grandparents, families, and (often I think most importantly if it has not been done before) stories were told about the person sitting there creating the album. Witnessing someone going through the process of telling their own personal story - their own personal evolution - is such an honor and a privilege.

Check out Tim's great recap on his blog.

Additional thanks from this weekend:

Thanks to Paolo for being one of the best travel partners + creative photographers + for being my friend for all these years.

Thanks to Jenn + Nicole for being the best TA's + knowing what to do without me saying a word. I appreciate you both.

Thanks to Kelly at It Kit Studio for sending along such a great surprise for my students.

Thanks to Windy City Scrapbooking for being a great place to visit + shop on Wednesday night. Susan, you are great.

Thanks to Tim for always knowing where the best food is located. And to Margie for making me laugh so hard that I cry. And to Jessica for being the pioneer. And to the three of you for all the hugs and support after the phone call about Grandma.

Thanks to the CK Events Staff for making everything so smooth and anticipating needs.

Thanks to all the students for embracing + risking + playing + creating + sharing your stories + being open to the possibilities (and for the very thoughtful words + gifts).

And special thanks to the lady in the back of the class on Saturday who brought a very special handmade gift for Simon. I told you he was going to LOVE your gift - he has not stopped playing with the goodies since I got home (she made him a whole collection of food from felt...he is so, so happy).

Ali Edwards: Three Things : Bundles

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Groups. Gatherings. Collections. Bunches. Bundles. I am one of those people that likes to put things into groups and I also like things that come in nice little packages. Here's three happy bundles just waiting to be a part of your next creative project:

Bundle of Fabric : Amy Butler Fabric Fat Quarters (see other bundle listings here)

Bundle of Numbers : Maya Road New York Chipboard Numbers (and I love their great little tins which become perfect storage for all kinds of Simon treasures)

Bundle of Papers : Mini Piles of Paper from One Good Bumblebee

Susan White: Diets, Calories, Weight etc

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 08:46:00 +0000

For quite some time I've been intrigued with creating recipe cards digitally and have used this blog to provide them for free. And it is amazing at how many people download them which is very cool. I started doing them to preserve recipes we use all the time or ones that are special for my family.

But then last year DH decided that it was time to lose some weight. Being the lovable geek that he is, he went around this by researching various options. I've long been a fan of Weight Watchers but he decided to do something much more radical which he recently posted on his blog Unpopular Ideas. You can read about the Southern NH Beach Diet. - the title is a tongue in cheek reference to the fact we live in southern NH, near a lake. And if you would like to delve into the biochemistry behind it you might read The Calorie Fallacy, though I will warn you that it is a very long post. It is an interresting read and follows his usual pattern of coming up with interesting and sometimes unpopular ideas.

At any rate I can tell you does work - he has lost a lot of weight. Sadly being a computer geek doesn't burn much in the way of calories but this diet does seem to work for him. It did mean changing our dinners a bit and interestingly enough one of my best sources of new recipes has been Weight Watchers which seems to be avoiding carbs now too. It gives you something to think about....

Hummie: New Prayer Journal Challenge

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 08:32:13 +0000

Credit for Graphic - My Heritage Add-on Irish Kit

When my boys were little, I typed up this list and taped it to the back of my kitchen cabinet.
Each week I choose one word to encourage in my boys.
I said the word to them often to teach them the meaning of the word and to praise them for good behavior.

I often found myself running and opening the door to seek for just the right word when disciplining or praising the boys.

After the boys could read, they were running to the door to find a word for me.

I wonder if, now that they are older, they remember this activity at all. It did carry on for years until one day I could not stand the food stains and finger prints all over it. I took down the list and retyped it and stuck it in my Bible.

*****
The Challenge

You can find the challenge in this thread.

Create layouts and journal your prayers for your children using these traits.
Upload it to the gallery using the Faithbooking Challenge label.

Post the layout in a matching thread. If there has not been a thread started yet, please create one.
However, please create threads with these exact titles as in the graphic so others will be able to utilize this graphic as an index.

Pray! Feel free to come back to the thread and share any answers to prayer.
Pray for each other--read other's prayers for their children and pray for them.

Download Full Print Size Version

This is not 4shared, but a faster download, so please leave comments here before clicking!

Hummie: Links for 2008-03-17 [del.icio.us]

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Wikisend

Ali Edwards: Thank you.

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 04:45:49 +0000

Just want to say thank you for all the kind comments regarding Grandma Cathy. Your thoughts and prayers are much appreciated.

Amber Alicia: Spring Fling

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 04:13:53 +0000

Spring seems to be flirting with us here in Nashville...all of us are longing for the 70 degree days...and we get one here and there the past month...only for it to turn to rain or cold (or even snow) the next day.

All the colors and cute Easter things in stores are making me happy and I'm feeling a bit creative too. You can't help it either when browsing through Etsy.com - selected a few gifts for some special people and then I was stuck for another hour myself creating my own mental wish list! :)

Photo from Heather Bailey blog.

I am in love with bright, modern graphics...two of my favorite pattern makers are Amy Butler and Heather Bailey. So naturally I want to stock up on just about everything in those fabrics on Etsy!

I love this cheerful quilt (cute name too!)...or this quilt is simply gorgeous too! And this tote bag! This bag would be great too for groceries...

Makes me want to bust out my unused sewing machine from Xmas 2003...we'll see! LOL ;)

Amber Lee Pence: Our 88 year old kid

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 03:31:24 +0000

Grandpa turned 88 yesterday. So he put on his flat fronted khaki's and came down to the special dining room to party!

Yes, I brought back the hats from Bj's party last year (from left: Bj, Brent, Taylor, Jim, Grandpa, Kathy, Mom (Julie), Bill). Kat didn't quite get in the picture, nor I, as the photographer (this tends to be a problem with being the designated shooter).

Kat with my brothers. Seems like Brent picked the perfect girl as they both make ridiculously funny faces at the camera. They also brought Henry (per my request, little doggies sure cheer up grandpa):

Can I get an awe?!?!

This is grandpa's "I'm trying to look mean but not succeeding face." I think it's so funny. He is in a lot of pain ("I want a goddamn new butt!") but managed to hang out with us for almost an hour and a half. That's a lot of sitting (he spends most of the day laying). Kathy said, "you'll feel better on your next birthday!" To which he replied, "ya when they throw dirt in my face." Geez grandpa, it cracked up the whole table though. And I know he's' just doing it for laughs as he wants to be cremated anyway, so there won't be any dirt, LOL. We (well Bj and Kathy) cooked him dinner. Fish, crispy mashed potatoes (like fried mash potatoes), and green beans. His number one complaint (except his butt, of course) is the food, so we thought this would be a good present.

Grandpa blew out all his candles in one breath. Not eighty eight of them, but a bunch in the shape of an eighty eight. The cake was insane by the way.

That's, count them, 15 layers! She whips these up in like an hour and a half, but I guess that makes sense, as a cake that thin can't take long to cook. Now I don't eat brownies, chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, or chocolate frosting (barf-o-rama) so Kathy made me my own little dessert.

Damn, the thing was over half frosting (and a divinity frosting at that), with sparkles!! Mmmmm. She made me two. I ate the second for breakfast this morning, oops! Grandpa opened his presents after dessert and I looked over to see him doing this.

I was like, what the heck?

What a goof.

Love ya grandpa!

Pamela Gibson: Mortgages, Homes, and having your own space

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:55:00 +0000

So its coming up on that time again. In October our fixed rate Mortgage will be up. We've been approached by a lot of mortgage lenders recently trying to get us to go with them. Little do they know we will be moving to Canada and are currently trying to sell the house. This is a bit difficult since it seems that with this depression the world seems to be falling into that people are having trouble getting a Mortgage I dont know about you, but when i see the word Mortgage i cringe inside because i find it so confusing and such a stressful thing to go through. At the end though, its all worth it if you love your house, and are finally on that housing ladder. lol. I know its rough at times but theres nothing better than knowing that you own your own place. I love the fact that i have a place for me and my family to call our own, somewhere where we can be ourselves and have the privacy we need although i am glad to be going to Canada and getting a bigger better house to live in than our little apartment.

p.s. every word i write is my own oppinion no matter what the subject of the post. to see my disclosure policy scroll down and click the link at the bottom right.

Pamela Gibson: Brides and Birdies

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:05:00 +0000

First of all, might i say, i am IN LOVE with Miriam Lima's new kit, Garden Party. Its super cute, in great springy colours and so usable. Heres a layout i made with the kit.

Its made entirely with Garden Party except for the gems, which are from Miriam's Rainbow Gems set.

Next, i created some beautiful birdie brushes. I think they're super cute!!!

arent they super adorable??? They'll be going into store probably tomorrow so look forward to them. I just wanted to give a bit of a sneak peek because i love them soooo much!!!

Ali Edwards: Peace be with you Grandma.

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:15:22 +0000

My Grandma Cathy (seen in the 2004 layout above) passed away on Friday evening after living a very fantastic full life.

Grandma Cathy was my Mom's Mom. Awesome, independent, vivacious, confident - all words that come to mind when I think of her. She was a super classy dresser and she gave the best hugs. She and my Grandpa always had the coolest drink stirrers in their bar area. She kept an immaculate home: tidy and organized and the most formal of any of my relatives. The ticking of a grandfather clock and the crazy sound of a cuckoo clock will always generate thoughts of my Grandparents. Her simple vinaigrette salad dressing is still one of the best I have ever tasted.

As a child one of my favorite things to do when visiting my Grandma was to have tea + cookies with her. I always felt really special and grown-up during those times. She had a delicate white cat teapot (which now lives with me) that poured the best cups of tea in the whole wide world.

One of the things I will treasure most about my Grandma is that she was such an awesome Mom to my Mom. I benefit from their relationship daily because she taught my Mom how to be a good Mom (through her words, actions, kindness, example, etc) and a good friend. My Mom and Grandma were close as adults, just as my Mom and I are close. My Mom means the world to me and I am so very lucky to have her in my life.

Thank you Grandma for giving me such a wonderful Mom.

I also want to share with you a very special email that Chris sent to my Mom on Saturday evening:

I talked with Simon a little about Grandma Cathy tonight. I brought it up during a break in our TV time, and then later when I tucked him in. We said a special prayer for Grandma Cathy and then I asked him if he loved Grandma Cathy and he nodded yes in the pure way that only he can. Then I asked him what he remembered about Grandma Cathy and he said: "Going to the city, in the tall buildings, and going in the elevator like this" (followed by upward motion with his hand) : )

I asked him if he remembered all the cats and that Grandma Cathy always called him Tiger. He shook his head and said "yes". Then I asked if he remembered the x's and o's for the tic tac toe game. He again nodded yes and then said, "and I look out the window at the city and all the tall buildings".

I am really grateful that Simon has some memories of Grandma Cathy and he seemed happy thinking about them.

Sometimes you have powerful moments that you can feel are being seared into your memory as they are happening. This was one of those. It wasn't long, but the few minutes remembering Grandma Cathy with Simon was moving and brought to mind all kinds of emotions. Good ones. For Simon, for Grandma Cathy, and for all the family.

Just thought you might like to know.

Love,
Chris

We all miss you Grandma. I am going to have a special cup of tea in that fantastic cat teapot to celebrate you today. Give Grandpa a big hug from each one of us.