Brandy's Design-iversary Sale!!!

Image is linked to Brandy's Blog!!!

Starting January 1, we will be celebrating my 1 year Design-iversary on my blog!

Each day in January, there will be a freebie download and at the end of the month, you will have a complete mega kit great for scrapping those winter photos and it is even versatile enough to scrap your everyday photos as well!

January 7, there will be a template challenge. Make sure you visit then to download your free template and every participant will be a winner with one grand prize.

During the month of January, I will also retire some my oldies but goodies to make room for 2010! Select items will be on sale for $1.00-$2.00. All other items will be on sale for 30% off all month!

Every customer in January will be put into a drawing to win all of my New Releases for 3 months!

10..9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1

Happy New Year!!! (almost)

It is nearing 8 p.m. here in the Midwest on the last day of 2-0-0-9! This is a year I am seriously glad to put behind me.

I can recall entering this year caretaking for my Aunt Maggie who had ostomy surgery in December of 2008. To her disappointment she came out of surgery with an ostomy bag. Who knew one little bag would require as much attention and care as a newborn baby? Thankfully it was only temporary and we looked forward to March when she would have her reversal surgery to remove it.

March arrived and the date for her surgery was set. We were excited. However, something else was about to take place this month that would over-shadow anything & everything in my life. On March 8th....a normal Sunday morning I received a frantic call from a friend informing me our Pastor had been shot in the middle of him giving his sermon. This is the second time in my life I have received utterly shocking news. The kind of news that literally sucks the breath out of your lungs. The kind of news you can NEVER prepare for....EVER.

The hours, days, weeks & months that followed "that" day have been like climbing Mt. Everest. Not that I know what climbing Mt. Everest is like other than what I have seen on TV. From what I understand just trying to do the simplest tasks require the utmost focus & energy. And, you are left exhausted. That is what life has felt like since March 8th.

However, life (as it always does) goes on. Surgeries, birthdays, earning a paycheck, housework, trips to the vet, stealing moments of joy with toddlers, scrapbooking, filling up the gas tank, grocery shopping.....life goes on.

And since life went on.....there is so much more to my 2009 than the 8th of March. May 19th I saw my great nephew (or is it grand nephew?) Caiden turn 1. Then, 7 weeks later on July 7th I watched as Trevor did the same. Oh how God knew I would need these bright, shining, silly boys this year. They have brought me endless smiles and scrapbooking moments.

I turned (gulp) 39 this year. Pardon me as I shed a few tears over seeing that in print. [sniff-sniff] okay, I am fine now. Oh no!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That means in 2010 I will turn.......no, I can't type it. I can't even thunk it!

New topic.....the year has ended with Mom getting her left knee replaced on December 7th. A blood clot in her lung set her back in the recovery process and after 25 days between the hospital and the rehab facility she came home on December 30th. She still has many weeks of recovery ahead and the blood clot medication/side effects will have to be monitored closely over the next 6 months. Despite it all, she talks of getting the other knee done once she is cleared of the blood clot. Prayers were answered far above & beyond what I asked for on her behalf. Thank you God.

Many, many, many other things made up this year. Too many to even list. But, important just the same. Even though I will turn ____ (still can't type it) in 2010 and knowing for certain there will be tears shed over hurts & disappointments (and the fact I will turn ___)....despite all this I am happy to turn the page from 2009 to 2010.

Maybe this will be the year I reach the top of my Mt. Everest. One. Day. At. A. Time.

Christmas Smooch

A page I worked on last night. The first one in awhile. Not completely feeling this one but hey, atleast I can say I scrapped! This is a photo of my mom giving my dad a smooch on the cheek after she opened her Chanel No.5

(Created w/ Warm Winter Wishes by Jennifer Fox Designs)

Snapshots of Christmas 2009

As I wait for my car to warm and snow on the windshield to melt I thought I would post some Christmas memories.

Dad and I loaded up his truck with Kruta donuts for the nursing staff at Memorial Convalescent Center, Christmas gifts and Miss Molly (who was very excited to go see her grandma). We arrived at MCC about 9:15 and proceeded to unload the truck. Jeff arrived soon after Dad and I so we all just visited for awhile.

After Jeff left we did our gift exchange. Every year since I have lived on my own it is tradition for me to go to mom and dad's Christmas morning. No matter when we do our big family gathering & exchange, our gifts to each other are always saved until Christmas morning.

Dad and I left about noon so he could let their puppies out. I immediately began to unpack my favorite gift and set it up. It is a Keurig Special Edition Single Cup Coffee Maker and I think it is the greatest thing since sliced bread!!!!

Here are some photos from our morning.

Mom being silly!

Have you ever seen BLUE mistletoe?? Mom is so happy with her Chanel No.5

A Christmas shot of me, Mom and Molly-Magoo!!

A photo of my new Keurig preparing a fresh cup of coffee of my personal enjoyment!

Happy Birthday Jesus

Luke 2:1-20

Christ Born of Mary

1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife,[a] who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Glory in the Highest

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold,[b] an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 “ Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

[c]15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely[d] known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Merry Christmas

Four More Shopping Days!

Isn't that nice of me to remind you just how few days are left before Christmas? As if the usual 5 minute turned 15 minute commute passed the shopping centers wasn't enough of a clue.

I had to go into a certain electronics store this afternoon. I had to get 2 gift cards and Aunt Maggie needed a battery for her cordless phone.

First off, I had NO idea where the land line telephones were since the only huge sign displayed is for "mobile phones". Just the way of technology I suppose. I just start walking in hopes of seeing what I am looking for and trying to squeeze through the crowds was.....let's just say ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU SCREAM EVEN WHEN WELL MEDICATED!!! I soon realize I am never going to find the telephones or batteries for the telephones.

Aunt Maggie suggested we wait for someone to help us. BWAHAHAHA was the sound that came out of me next. Hello? Do you "know" where we are? We will NEVER get assisted in here....NEVER.

With that said I begin walking in a new direction. Have I yet mentioned I am very hungry due to not having eaten lunch yet? I mean I was "really" hungry but, crow was not what I wanted to eat. However, crow is what I was about to be served when a salesman asks the one question I believe I have NEVER been asked before when in this particular electronics store...."Are you finding everything okay?"

"Why would you ask such a question dear sir? Do you NOT see the look of complete and utter confusion upon both our faces at this moment? Do people who are finding everything okay tend to walk on their tippy toes trying to see over the crowds of freakishly tall people in an attempt to find CORDLESS LAND LINE TELPHONES?"

Fear not, I turned on the filtering process in my head and what actually came out of my mouth was "Actually, we are looking for a battery for a cordless telephone."

He walks the opposite direction from where I was going and led us into a dark, dimly lit & very unpopulated part of the store where there was a very sad display of cordless telephones & accessories. Poor, pitiful little telephones....orphaned and abandoned by the "mobile phone age".

Alas, we found the batteries but guess what???? They no longer carry the battery she needed! SERIOUSLY? I took a deep breath before leaving our cozy, little, uncrowded nook and dove back into the crowds towards the check out lanes.

Oh, and don't get me started on those check out lanes. What are we......humans or cattle???????? Nuff said!

Oh yes, I so love shopping in a huge electronics store only FOUR days before Christmas!

So, how was YOUR day? I would love to hear the insane shopping stories I KNOW you have experienced. Come on, fess up!

Polka Dot Plum Christmas Sale!!!

Get it while it's HOT!

Polka Dot Plum is having a super sale today through the 24th! Head on over and grab some great kits by JENNIFER FOX DESIGNS or BRANDY DESIGNS!

K, gotta run.....must go see what great deals I can get for myself, hee hee :)

Well Wishes For Marti, 12-18-09

It is 5:23 a.m. as I begin this post. I fell asleep about 8 o'clock last night, therefore, awoke at 4:15 a.m. That's okay....I really don't mind waking up before the birds. Really. Shower is taken, it's such a peaceful time, and no rushing around like I normally do. Ahhhh, nice.

I have some "super-calla-fragilistic-espee-alla-docious" (see what a refreshing shower & good sleep does for me?) news. Mom went from baby steps yesterday morning to leaping & bounding her way into the care center in the afternoon.

She was incredibly worried, depressed, anxious over an issue she was having with her left leg. She wasn't able to lift it while lying down. I prayed with her and sent out prayer requests across the WWW and within 2 hours I was receiving reports she was starting to lift the leg AND several of her doctors had approved her to move over to the rehab center.

She was settled into a "private" room by late afternoon. The nurses thought it would be nice, after all she has been through, to be in a room all to herself. That or too many of her past roommates have complained about her snoring, LOL! Shhhh, don't tell her I said that :)

Lots of praises.............that's what I like to report! Gotta run, thanks for stopping by. And, thanks for the prayers<><

Well Wishes For Marti, 12-17-2009

Morning everyone. I am running late getting this post up today. Mom is having a rough start to the day. She has always battled depression (something she lovingly (not) passed along to me) and after 10 days in the hospital she is struggling. Understandably so, she wants to be home in her own bed....with her puppy dogs....able to sleep without so many interruptions, etc!

Couple the homesickness with the fact she is worried about not being able to do certain things with her left leg at this stage of the healing process. I hope today she will firmly voice her conerns to the PT's and surgeon and they can give her some concrete answers as to whether this is normal and will get better with time.....it is not normal but they can reverse it.....or whether there is really something to be concerned about. She is tired of having to constantly tell the different staff about the problems she has with that leg (even before surgery) and feel as though they are not grasping what is trying to say.

I prayed with her and asked others to do some extra prayer cover for her today. Two PRAISES are:

#1 She made it back down to the orthopedic ward yesterday
#2 She is down to 2% oxygen thru her nasal tubes & holding at 95%!!!

BABY STEPS!!!!!

Do you have some encouraging words for her today? She would love to hear them :)

God Bless<><

Well Wishes For Marti, 12-16-2009

Mom had a somewhat better day yesterday. I am praying she was moved back to the orthopedic ward sometime in the evening. The surgeon is getting concerned about her not being further along in the therapy process. Of course, this is due to the set back of the blood clot int he lung, which could not be helped. I will be going to see her about 11:15 a.m. today. I have a helper in the office so I am going to take my dad's usual slot.

Thank you to those who have left mom a message. I have printed them out and will take them with me today. Let's pray her over to the care center everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

God Bless <><

Well Wishes For Marti, 12-15-09

I know this time of year is busy and sometimes getting out to visit or even getting a card purchased and mailed can be a monumental task. So, I am setting up a place on my blog where you can come and leave her a message, which I will then print and take to her at the hospital to lift her spirits.



Each morning I will place a new entry entitled "Well Wishes For Marti, (date)". I may have other posts for that day so just look for the well-wishes post. Click on the word "comments" under the post and type whatever you would like to say. Comments are able to be viewed by anyone else leaving a comment just so you know :)

You will be asked to choose how you want to "announce" yourself. The 2 easiest ways for those who don't have a Google or Blogger account is to choose either NAME/URL or ANONYMOUS. If you choose NAME you can just type your first name only and leave the URL blank. Anonymous is just as it states and you don't have to type anything BUT I ask that you atleast leave your name at the end of the comment so mom knows who left the message. You may be asked to type in a series of letters/numbers that look odd but this is just a security measure to keep spammers from posting in my blog.



God bless!

UpdateS

I have two updates to post. The first being about my mom and her recovery from knee replacement surgery. Her surgery was on the 7th and very soon after it was discovered she had a blood clot in her lung. This set her knee therapy & recovery back several days to say the least. But, she has been incredibly positive and strong through the process. Oh, she has had her moments of screams & tears during the really painful & frustrating times but seriously, she is amazing me with how well she is doing. I think she will be sent on over to the care center where the real "therapy" will begin on her knee. Thank you Jesus for Darvisets!!

My other update is to say I was accepted as a creative team member by Brandy Designs. I received the confirmation email. Awhile back I posted that I had received some disappointing and rather hurtful news from the one and only designer I was still creating for. Out of the blue I received an email to say my services were no longer needed. No explanation other than to say she is changing things up for the new year. It came at a time when I was already feeling some blues over other things in my life. I believe I would have felt the same way about the news even had nothing else been hanging over my head because I just really believe the designer, since moving to a more prominent store, just didn't think my style showed off her designs and I no longer was "good enough" to design with her kits. I came to accept it a few days later and see it as her loss, not mine.

I am not one (anymore) that wants to work for just ANY designer just to be able to say I "am" and to get free kits. I have to really like the designers work. I came across a CT call at Polka Dot Plum for Brandy Designs and after looking through her store I could really the versatility in her work and decided to apply. She is taking the rest of December off so I don't know I will be doing much for her until January. That is fine with me because with mom, Christmas and all the other demands that go with this time of year I have my hands full enough. I will leave you with some of Brandy's kits that I am itching to get my hands on and do layouts with. Each preview is linkable to her store at Polka Dot Plum....just click it!

Hospital Visits & Birthday Wishes

It is so hard to believe that the little guy, smiling "that sweet smile" in the photos below is 23 years old TODAY! He still has that sweet smile. I was all of 16 when he, my first nephew, was born. I still remember the excitement I felt as we prepared to leave for the hospital to await his birth. I remember the baby bed I kept in my own bedroom for when I babysat him every Saturday while his mommy went to work. I loved those Saturday mornings when we would eat breakfast and watch Winnie The Pooh on TV. I loved taking him for walks in his stroller up to Main Street or taking him to the park to feed the ducks or to Olin Mills for a surprise photo shoot for his mom and dad. Now, he is all grown up with a toddler of his own (Caiden, the Mini-Josh). I don't know if Josh remembers all those times we spent together when he was just knee high to a grasshopper. That is why I scrapbook photos like these shown below.

Happy Birthday Joshua Ryan!!!

Something else I am struggling to believe is the fact it is FRIDAY already. Mom had her knee replacement surgery on Monday and due to trips to the hospital and various errands I have not arrived home much before 6 p.m. every night. Most probably think "that is normal for me" but it is NOT normal for me and when it continues for days on end it begins to take its' toll on me. Couple that with the fact Mom took a turn for the worse (after doing so awesome) when they discovered she had a blood clot in her lung that was causing the low oxygen levels in her blood. We are hoping and praying she can be weened off so much oxygen and be moved to a regular room. She is obviously bummed about the set back because she wants nothing more than to get to working on this new knee so she can get home again. Home for the holidays.

That is my week in review...hospital visits and birthday wishes! Here's too a "just as busy" weekend I am sure!

Bye!

A Twist On Gift Wrapping

I super-duper love this idea I read about on The Creative Mama's blog today! It is a great way to be creative in your gift wrapping of smaller gifts.

After reading her post I am going to dig my Christmas paper back out of the boxes of scrapbooking supplies I packed up a few weekends ago. The only items needed are 8"x8" or 12"x12" pieces of Christmas designed scrapbook paper which you can get really cheap at Hobby Lobby when they run their sales....double sided tape....and a paper crimper as shown in her post which you can find by clicking HERE or on either of the photos below.

I know of a few gifts I already have that would be PERFECT for this technique! Wow, never would have thought I could get excited about wrapping Christmas gifts. To know me is to know I DREAD that part of Christmas. I love looking at the gifts when I am done wrapping them but just don't like the process of it. Probably because I don't really have sufficient space in which to be able to lay out all my gift wrapping supplies and do it neatly & comfortably.

Some ramblings...

Notice my new blog design? It's called Little Joys by Zoe Pearn. I can almost change my blog design without using the tutorial.....not quite but almost. Wanted something Christmaslike for December.

This month has me as a guest creative team member for Jennifer Fox Designs at Polka Dot Plum. It's kinda weird to jump in as a "guest" but I am slowly getting my bearings. Be on the look out for some layouts using her fab kits soon. For now you can check out her store by clicking HERE.

I have always said that when one door closes, another one will open. I am trying to remember that today of all days. That is all I am going to say for the moment. I know, leaving you hanging from a cliff, but I will explain in due time. In due time.

Well, I will leave you with a layout I did this morning. I have to get ready to head out the door for my Sunday School groups Christmas party. In the ever inspiring words of Tigger...

TTFN....TA-TA-FOR-NOW!

Christmas Circa 1991.....Jesse Allen in all his cuteness!!!

It's beginning to look alot

like the Christmas (winter) season around Scrap Orchard!!!! I tell ya, this one amazing group of designers!! Here are few of some of my favorites from the Fresh Fruit Friday selection this week. All of the kits shown below are linked to the Scrap Orchard store just by clicking on the previews. And, the BEST part is......these are all 20% off for the next week so what the heck you waiting for??? Get clickin' and grab some adorable Christmas & Wintery kits to work on all those upcoming photos!!!

I adore all these little snowmen!!! There is even a snow kitty & snow puppy! How cute?

Who doesn't love hot cocoa & marshmellows? This kit is perfect for scrappy those snow days!


I think my favorite element in this kit is the little lamby!

And I just love everything about this one!!!

There you have it.....some Friday Fave's of mine :) Enjoy & stay warm!!

Calling all Dreamologists

Full moon + ingesting 1 ES Excedrin + really naggy headache = WEIRDED OUT DREAM!!!!

I started to feel the pressure point headache coming on around 3:00 in the afternoon yesterday. This time it was around my right eye socket/right temple area & right side of my forehead. It was a little frenzied at the end of the work day so I thought it would pass once I left work. No such luck.

After making some dinner and cleaning up the kitchen the headache was still there. I tried to just sit down and rub my eye/temple/forehead but it would not let up. So, I did the unthinkable...I took just ONE extra strength excedrin because it was that kind of headache and I knew nothing else would kick it. I turned off the lights and TV, set my timer for 30 minutes and laid down.

Thirty minutes later it was still there but eased up a little. Enough that I was able to get a scrapbooking layout done for a designer I work for. I promised her I would get it to her by early evening and I emailed it at 7:06 pm! That's still kinda early, right? But, then the headache was completely back again. Ugh!

I finally gave up at 8:45 and just went to bed in total darkness and drifted off to sleep massaging my aching temple and eye. However, I think the excedrin caused my subconscious to go into overdrive because I had such an odd, gross, weird dream about my sweet dog, Peanut, who died several years ago.

***FYI--if you are squeamish, you may not want to read about my dream***

I dreamt (sp?) I was walking him on a leash (I never walked him on a leash) and I went to pick him up and I noticed he had this enormouse gash on his right front leg. The gash was so bad, the skin was peeled away and I could see bone. Yeah, GROSS!

Of course, I freak and carry him to a veterinary clinic. The clinic was like some third world country clinics for humans.......horribly over-crowded with just ONE doctor to see them all. I was praying they would take Peanut in right away due to his injury and they did. The doctor said they had to do surgery right away and she whisked him out of my arms and said "follow me". I am trying to tell her he has a very bad heart murmur but she would not let me talk. I asked where I could go to wait and she says "no, you must stay and watch" Hello? Watch? Seriously? Again, she says "you watch or we don't repair him". And so, I watch as she injects him with meds to put him under. I watch as she flops him around like a rag doll while he is unconcious. Then she tells me his leg is broken in half and I watch as she removes part of the bone....stitches up the skin and then wraps the wound. All this was done in record speeds. She hands him back to me and without another word I am escorted out of the OR not knowing how to care for his wound or anything. Next thing I remember is he is walking around on all 4 legs (the one still bandaged from surgery) and acting fine. I was relieved.

How stinkin' weird (and gross) is that? I woke up sometime during the night to go to the bathroom and realized my headache had finally gone away but in its' place were the weird flashes of that dream.

Does anyone else have weird dreams, too??

Christmas Gift Idea

If I have said it once I have said it 100 times, I LOVE BLOGLINES!!! This morning I seen there was a new post from The Creative Mama. She posted about giving the gift of warm Christmas cookies but in a new way. Well, it is new to me. I love the idea and though I doubt I personally will get around to doing this I thought someone reading MY blog would like to know about it.


Below is the post I took from The Creative Mama blog:


The Gift of Warm Cookies by Tisha on nada
Every year the same question comes up -What am I going to give my neighbors, friends etc… for Christmas ?Normally I end up giving either fresh baked cookies or family photo sessions. Most of my friends want the family photo session :-)

But hey…respect must be given to the gift of Christmas cookies. I know I personally love getting them! I love tasting everyone’s yummy cookies and candies. I am sure many of you have received the Cookies in a Jar gift. I love those too!Anything is better than a fruit cake…right? (ok I know some people actually do like the stuff but I have no love lost for the stuff)

So when I was gabbing with my good friend, Shannon, the other day and she mentioned making and freezing all of her Christmas cookie dough right now so she can bake them closer to the holidays when a house full of relatives makes prep-work “interesting”, a light bulb went off in my head. Why not give them as a gift? What a great idea! I love warm cookies, fresh out of the oven. The Cookie in a Jar gift is nice, but my friends would still have to prepare and make the dough. Giving them cookies that are already baked is great gift idea but we all have so many during the holiday’s we can never eat them all and some just end up in the trash…gasp!

Most of my “mom friends” are so busy with day-to-day life, there is little time during a week to make homemade (from scratch) cookies. Wouldn’t it be a great gift to just be able to pull a container out of the freezer with several different types of homemade cookies, chuck them on a pan and cook just enough to make your family smile on a cold winter day?Perfect!

Thanks, Shannon!So my dear neighbors…guess you know what you are getting for the Holidays ;-)

11 years ago today

our lives changed forever in the span of a 60 second phone call. It's the kind of phone call that you NEVER dream of receiving but when it comes the whole world around you seems to pause for a short time and then when the play button is pushed again it seems as though you are the one going in slow motion and the world around you is going in fast forward. The kind of phone call that takes your breath away......rips your heart out of your chest......causes you to question so many things.

Dennis.....we miss you.