I Love This Time of Year!

There is something about fall that just makes me smile! I love the cooler fall weather, the changing colors of the leaves, having bonfires and roasting marshmallows...I am really amazed with any season change really as it reminds just how amazing God really is!





We went to Hilger's Farm Market over the weekend and I got some fun pictures. Too bad we would have had to mortgage our house to actually participate in any of the activities LOL! So we just enjoyed walking around. They had a farmers restaurant, a sunflower maze, pony rides, hay rides, and of course a HUGE market full of pumpkins, ghourds and indian corn.

The girls are really excelling in soccer. Hanna keeps telling me, "Mom, I will try harder next time, I promise." I don't know what it is in society that tells our children they have to be #1 and that winning is the only way we can receive any glory. It is frustrating! I always hold her face in my hands and tell her as long as she tried to hardest, and had fun, that mommy will be proud of her no matter what. Bless her little heart for wanting me to be so proud of her!

I created this layout yesterday (about Chloe and how she persists that a hot dog is not a hot dog, but chicken) and I crack up everytime I look at it. In fact, I showed it to Chloe and asked, "what are you eating in this picture Chloe?" Wanna know what she said? Anyone wanna wager a bet?! Yep, she said "chicken mommy!" Love that girl!

I'd love to hear of any funny stories or experiences you've had lately! Post one here on my blog and I will pick a winner by next Tuesday to get a fun little RAK from me! It will include some new American Crafts chipboard, some Heidi Swapp journaling spots, and an adorable little Rhonna Farrer (Autumn Leaves) stamp.

I recently put a stat counter on my blog just out of sheer curiousity as to who was reading my little ol' blog. Suffice to say I am amazed at the amount of page loads! Thank you so much for "stopping by" to read about my ordinary life!

Taylor Turned Eight!!

We had 15 little girls at our house on Saturday for a birthday party!!! We played bingo, did make up, hair, and nails, and the girls loved it!! I didn't know how it would go having 15 screaming, running, giggling girls in my house for 3 hours. I was pleasantly surprised (well, yes they still did all 3) at how well it went. The girls were all so sweet and loved getting dolled up. Hanna's birthday is in 2 months but I'm not sure I'm ready for another party LOL!

And little Chloe really did it tonight. She got into my liquid chalk for stamping. Oh yes she did! She stamped herself, my scrap table and chair, the carpet, a bunch of buttons and an adorable crocheted flower(GASP), she also chalked up my mattress in my room and my bedroom floor. Chad immediately grabbed her, threw her in the tub, and was really mad that I made him step aside for a picture, hehe. I was stunned and angry but never get any of her antics on film.


Later, as I'm trying to clean the black mess, Chloe comes into my scrapbook room. She puts her hands on her hips, squats down, and proclaims, "YUCH mom, that disgusting!" OH little girl it's a good thing you are so darn cute....she then hugged me and told me she loved me and did the same to Chad. He suggested that she is like that candy called "Sourpatch Kids." Have you seen the commercial before? It states, "first their sour, then they're sweet." That would be my Chloe!

I'm ready for the fall shows to start. There is nothing on! I have been watching "Rock of Love" with Bret Michaels. It is something like the bachelor except the chicks are expected to be able to hang like a rockstar. It has been quite entertaining!

I also finished a mini album from our monthly sponsor at CMK. Creative Imaginations sent me this adorable BE heart mini album. I will only share a couple of pages. There are 10 total. I love making mini albums. Hope you have a great week!

Got Kn{owl}edge?

Well if not, you should!!! Create My Keepsake now has monthly kits and this one is perfect for back to school. I love the mix of product. To check out Rebecca's kits just click here Got Kn{owl}edge? It is packed full of goodies from Jenni Bowlin, Scenic Route, and has the cutest custom stamp (journaling lines with a cute nerdy owl!)

Create My Keepsake is also hosting a contest this month in conjunction with Creative Imaginations. Details are here Creative Imaginations ContestYou have the opportunity to win some cool prizes! They also sponsored our Design Team this month. I worked with the new "Blue Bell" line by Karen Russell. It is beautiful! Here are some projects I did with her papers and embellishments:


The scan came out a little dark, but, what do you do?!! I can't take a picture of a layout to save my life, so....I did a really fun mini album with this line too and will post it once I get pictures! I also worked on a boy layout of my cousin Elliot. He is such a cutie, and I used pink and butterflies! Never thought I'd do that on a boy layout ;)

Chloe is finally starting to potty train. I mean really POTTY train!!! (Insert hand clap here). I'm thrilled. I'm sick of buying wipes, and pull ups, and diapers. Does that mean I can buy more scrapstuff? (Yeah right!)

Well, I'll catch you all later. I'm having family over for my SILs birthday. Fun times!

One of Those Days

Ever have one of those days where you wish you could just crawl back into bed and throw the covers over your head? Yep, I had one of those days today. It started out fine, normal, I just had a lot on my mind. So I took the girls to the grocery store, loaded the Trail Blazer full of goods, and was on my merry way. So I get home and my first intention was to unload all the groceries. Well, I got side-tracked. I'm a mom, I multi-task, and obviously a little too much sometimes. I get the girls lunch, make sure Hanna's book bag is ready for school,and make some phone calls. Yes, the groceries are still in the truck. So I leave to drop Hanna off at school. I come home, get Chloe ready for a nap, and get several more phone calls. By this time, I have completely forgotten about my milk, frozen burritoes, and corn dogs. Fast forward a couple of hours, the girls get home from school, my mom stops by, and my SIL drops off her 2 boys so I can babysit for several hours. I am now getting supper ready for 5 rugrats. I take a bag of doritoes (for yummy taco salad) and open the bag. A LARGE FAMILY SIZE bag. Can ya see where I'm going with this? I dumped them, like a big clumsy idiot, I dump the bag onto my kitchen floor. I stared at it for a couple of seconds, in disbelief of what I just did, then turned to the kids and asked "who wants doritoes?" They all look at me, look at the floor, back at me, and all raise their hands. Good. We're all eating dirty floor doritoes tonight. Glad we're all in unison on this. My nephew asks for a glass of milk which I happily oblige to though when I opened the frig, there was no milk to be found. Wait a minute, where in the heck is it??? Then it hit me, HELLO Tina, you're groceries are still in the car! I gasp, then sigh, I mean I REALLY sighed, enough for my nephew to turn to Tay and ask, "what the heck is wrong with your mom?" Nothing besides 2 gallons of milk, hamburger, 2 packages of hot dogs, frozen food, and my "can't live without it" coffee creamer ALL GONE. WASTED. Because I'm good like that people. I clean up the dinner fiasco and put a video in for the kids. Veggie Tales songs are blaring, kids are screaming, jumping, and hanging from the lamp. I so didn't care at this point either! I'm sitting on the chair, feeling defeated, tired, irritable, and out walks little Chloe. Anyone who knows her knows she is terribly sweet but oh so much trouble. She managed to unscrew the lid to a GIANT sized bottle of Aquaphore. Essentially a big expensive tub of vasoline. It is in her hair, on her legs, on her clothes, on MY FLOOR and COUCH , everywhere. So I throw her in the tub. As I'm sitting there feeling sorry for myself, Chloe looks up at me with her big brown eyes and says "I wub you Mommy!" OK, now my heart is melted. I grin from ear to ear and scoop this little ball of sweetness up and plant a million kisses on her. My life isn't so bad afterall.

Scenic Route!

I just love their new releases "Sumner" and "Ashville." Scenic Route was our DT sponsor at Create My Keepsake for the month of August. CMK is having a contest featuring Scenic Route this month as well. If you're interested, details can be found here: Scenic Route Contest The prize packs are amazing!!! There will also be a live chat with Layle Koncar on August 29th. Hope to see you there!




Chad is still working alot at the railroad. We miss him a lot! Taylor and Hanna will be starting soccer in a couple of weeks. They love it. I love it except for when it rains the night before and Chloe runs loose in a muddy field *insert eyes rolling*.

The girls start school tomorrow. The summer sure went fast!

Let's Catch Up K?

I'm still here lol. Just lots going on in my life right now.

Well, I attended my first CHA in Chicago last week. It was F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S! I met Elsie Flannigan and Becky Higgins. Both were totally sweet and down to earth. And of course I'm a HUGE fan of Elsie's work and new line so it was such an honor to "meet" her :) I met so many of my on-line friends. All the girls on my 3 Bugs DT, Kris & Rick Turner (the owner's of 3 Bugs), Creasa Brown and Lydie, Gretchen McElven, the fabulous Opel Sisters, Rebecca Cross, Kim Musgrove, Carrie Postma, Barb, Vicki Boutin, Greta Hammond, some wonderful girls from Scrapsupply, my friend Andrea Deer released a new line for Scrappin' Sports and More (she rocks!), my pals from Fort Wayne Carrie and Sue were also there, not to mention all the girls I ran into that I may not have "known" but had good laughts with, and so many talented designers who's work I really admire. I also "stalked" from afar Jennifer McGuire (she was across our booth working for Hero Arts), and yes I know no shame whatsoever. I think my friend Lydie turned me into a "scrapstalker" but that's a whole different story! I totally stole this photo of Beth, Susan, and I as I DID NOT bring my camera, GASP!

This was my first "break" away from my kids, well aside from giving birth LOL! It has really refreshed me. The last night of CHA a bunch of us girls went down to Navy Pier for a rockin' meal and some drinks. I felt like such an "adult" haha. I love the city life but I would never want to life there.


I was also thrilled to come back and get my comp copy of Card Creations 5 which I was lucky enough to have a card featured on the cover. Mine is the one with the flowers, butterfly, sun, and fun little cut grass.

We are gearing up for Harlan Days (a local fair) and the start of school. Can't believe it is that time again! It is bittersweet really. We will get back into a routine but now I have to wake up EARLY...sigh.

At Create My Keepsake we had Crafter's Workshop as our July sponsor. If you've never checked them out they have some kick butt templates. I made this rainbow with their "circle circle dot dot" templatelayout is a total throwback to the 80's. Rock on!!!
I'm also hosting a manufacturer challenge at Create My Keepsake. Gotta make room for all the new CHA goodies! So come on over and hang out! The site is also hosting a HUGE contest this month where you can win LOTS of the new Scenic Route goodies. You've seen the new Scenic Route right? Yep, it is gorgeous!!!

My Class Kit Debuts At CMK!

I am so excited...a mini album I designed is debuting as a class kit for Create My Keepsake. Here are some pictures:



And here is some information about the kit:

On occasion we will prepare special project kits or holiday themed kits just for our kit members! This month our Design Team Member Tina Albertson has prepared a special project kit just for you! This kit is perfect for your little prince or princess. It would also make a great gift album for any new parents. We have 2 versions available (boy and girl) and quantities are very limited.

The project kit comes complete with all the materials you will need to finish an entire mini album. All you need to add is adhesive and a journaling pen! Here is what you will receive:

(2) Bazzill Bling Black Tie cardstock
(6) Scenic Route Hampton patterned papers that are doubled sided
(1) Pack of Scenic Route Hampton Coordinating Chipboard
(1) Creative Imaginations Bare Elements Nicole Chipboard Album (6"x6")
(2) Heidi Swapp coordinating bling stickers
(1) set of step by step instructions complete with color photos!
*Please note...photos are provided for the girl version only. The boy kit contains exactly the same products except they were assembled using the blue and green papers and chipboard sets from the Hampton Collection.

Project Kit is: $23.00

More information can be found at: http://www.createmykeepsake.com/home.php?cat=643

Another Cool Find At Target

Who would have thought that deco scissors would make such a big comeback LOL??? Anyway, I was perusing Target's dollar section as I do each week when I came across these scalloped scissors. They are "smaller" than the large ones found at Dollar Tree and the "normal" Fiskars size. Of course I had to pick some up...love me some scallop!!!


We have been having a lot of fun outside. Chloe loves it and cries everythime it is time to come in. Chad told the girls the other day that is was OK to turn on the hose to play in the sand. UM, hello???? What was he thinking? This was the result of that mess:



Chloe loves the swingset. She has graduated from the baby swing and is obsessed with flying on her belly using the "big girl" swing :) :) Love that girl!


And this is "Sammy the Seal" as Hanna calls him. She asked if he could stay the night in the house, haha. I gently informed her that pool floats have a home in the barn, not in her bed. She was sad and disappointed but is ok now :)

Visual DNA?

I saw this cool thing on several blogs now. It is called "Visual DNA" and I just had to try it. You get to go through several options to choose your "likes" and "dislikes" and then the site puts it into this cool little slideshow for you:

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

So this is my "visual DNA", my favorite would have to be the "this is gross" slide, haha!!

We bought Taylor a "big girl bike" at Walmart last night. Surprisingly enough she taught herself how to ride w/o training wheels on her old itty bitty bike. Her poor knees were slapping the handlebars. So we picked her out a purple and pink girly girl bike complete with sparkly tassles, ornaments on the spokes, and a "must have" zippered pouch on the front to store all the treasures of a 7 year old :)

Have you seen the new kits at They are simply fabulous and Rebecca is adding more kits for the month of July.

I have been having fun using the new "Love, Elsie" line by KI Memories. Here is a fun layout I did last night:


Toodles (OMG haven't said that in FOREVER, haha) for now!!!

Is It REALLY Almost June???

WOW. Where did May go? Seriously. This has been a crazy busy couple of weeks. The girls have had games 2-3 times a week, I've had a game every Monday night, we had a garage sale, went to Fox Island, to the Toledo Zoo, and are wrapping up the end of the school year for the girls. I am thrilled for summer!!! Best news yet, our pool will be open this weekend...YAY!

Here are a couple of photos from our Fox Island and Toledo Zoo trip:








I've also been super busy scrapping!




Hope everyone has a great week!!!

I've Been Tagged

My good friend Rebecca, owner of www.createmykeepsake.com has tagged me! Here is how it works:

Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves.

People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

I have LOTS of quirks but will be brief, haha!

My ceiling fan runs in my room 24/7, all year long.
I make "popcorn balls" with popcorn, a long story but I'm surprised Chad still agreed to marry me ;)
I crack my knuckles.
I still sleep with a nightlight on.
I am scared to sleep alone in the house at night.
I don't like generic brands of pretty much anything.
I own an absurd amount of storage containers (and yes, I label everything!)
I have never flown.
I sing in the shower and while driving.
I enjoy watching reality t.v.

Now I'm tagging:

1. Susan Opel
2. Beth Opel
2. Sue Fields
3. Carrie Postma
4. Rachel (happay)
5. Andrea Deer
6. Michelle St. Clair
7. Carolyn

Some Of This & Some Of That

Have you ever done a kit swap at an on-line site? Well not like this one! I host the kit swap at Create My Keepsake and these ladies continue to WOW me each month!!! I received this gorgeous kit from my friend Roree today! Sign ups for the next round will take place next month. Come check it out in the "roundtable" at the CMK forum :)

I have one more Hambly layout to share. I have scrapped these photos over and over, they are my favorites. I love the Urban Lily with the Hambly graph overlays. I am going to have to get some more of those!!


And I have such a busy week ahead of me!
MONDAY
*Mail paypal items and IRS payment.
*Pick up (2) birthday presents.
*Call about re-financing the house.
*Call all the women helping with the Teacher Hospitality meal at Harlan.
*Schedule nursery duty at church.
*Taylor and Hanna both have practice.
*I have practice for softball.
TUESDAY
*Get groceries.
*Clean house, grandparents are coming over.
WEDNESDAY
*Taylor has practice.
*I have practice.
*"Serving Up A Little Humor" at Harlan Elementary that night with Taylor.
THURSDAY
*Make chicken for 60 teacher's at Harlan.
*Make brownies for ladies at church.
FRIDAY
*Pick up food from amish ladies.
*Drop off food at Harlan Elementary in the teacher's lounge.
*10:00 am, get food and all preparations ready.
*Drop off Brownies at church.
*1:00 pm, clean up food in teacher's lounge.
*Hanna has practice.
SATURDAY
*Make Buffalo Chicken Dip for friend's birthday party. (35 people)
*Birthday party from 1-3 PM
*Birthday party from 2-4 PM
*ANOTHER birthday party from 3-?

Sorry. It really helps me to make lists :) :)

I'm a Cover Girl!

I am so excited to announce that I received an e-mail last night from the editor of PaperCrafts magazine letting me know that my card "Love & Bloom" will be on the cover of their Card Creations 5 Idea Book!!! Thanks Brandy!

On other notes, Taylor and Hanna started t-ball and lobb ball this week. After that nice hard rain, Chloe had a fun time romping in the mud with her brand new little pink sketchers. I should have figured! Hanna had a lot of fun and is looking forward to playing. It will be a busy summer at the ball diamond with Taylor, Hanna, and me playing each week.

Chad's job is going well. He has been working a lot of hours and is still training. This week he has been in Defiance all week. So he gets different shifts each week, and different city locations. It has been such a nice change from construction, and we are this much closer to finally having insurance again...YAY!

I have had the pleasure of working with Hambly Studio product this month at Create My Keepsake. I do have to say that I think I am now addicted!! I NEED more Hambly LOL! I would love to share some of my work with you...




And I did a fun game with Google. You take your name like this "Tina needs" and google it. Write down the first 15 things you "need" LOL. Here is mine:

Tina Needs...
1. your help to build it (OK)
2. to win this (really?)
3. love (I do need this :)
4. to move on (from what exactly?)
5. a home desperately! (what's wrong with mine? LOL)
6. your HELP (I need help a lot :D)
7. a break (oh yes, I can vouch for that)
8. to be kept as an indoor cat (ouch)
9. to get over herself (well, I never realized!)
10. some funds so she can buy the rifle she wants (HA, I am such a hunter ya know)
11. a weave (do you think?!)
12. to shave a bit (hey, how'd they know that???)
13. to get a laugh eery 10 minutes or she gets nervous (what????)
14. to make a choice (everyday!)
15. to go away and get a life (how rude!)

OK, now go play and post here so I can read all about YOU!!!

Chloe is officially 2!!!

As I'm sitting here cleaning an OH SO dirty house I can't help but smile as I reminisce about the past 2 years since Chloe has joined our family. Sure the kid is a handful (LOL) but she has brought us so much joy! I had a hard pregnancy, and was on moderate bed rest for several months. The complications lasted from week 13 to week 25. Everyday that we made it closer to the due date was such a relief. Once I passed the 32 week mark or so I was elated and began to worry less and less. And now here we are, 2 years later, blessed with her. God is good indeed!

Taylor and Hanna are getting ready to star Lob Ball and T-Ball. Ahhhhhhhh another summer spent at the ballpark! When I asked Hanna if she wanted to play again she said, "oh yes, bring on the consession stand!" So I'm paying $50 for hot dogs and laffy taffy basically, haha.

The kids only have 8 weeks of school left!!! I can't believe it. Time goes too fast. I want to make the most of this summer as Hanna is going to start kindergarten in the fall. I have plans to buy a zoo pass to the Fort Wayne Zoo, having picnics in the park, and having lots of get togethers and cook outs.

In the scrapping world I have found stamping with acrylics and am IN LOVE!!! I can't get enough of it! My favorites are KI Memories, Heidi Swapp, Autumn Leaves, Fontwerks, and Back Porch Memories (designed by Wildflowers). It is also the end of the month which means Poppy Ink kits and add-ons go on sale tonight. Love that! Also, is having a HUGE on-line crop to celebrate their 2nd anniversary. Pop on over if you get the chance! I made this layout for the Becky Fleck sketch contest:



She has an awesome site!!!

Punky Moods

If you notice to the right of my blog, I have a new heading. "Today I Feel" and the little cartoon emoticon were taken from an idea on Lindsey Teague's blog. I love these little things! If you sign up at the site, there are 100's of different emotional "punky moods" to choose from.

Today, it says I feel relieved. And why is that? Because my husband left me a note this morning that made me smile. Usually, when we have a financial problem, or just a problem PERIOD, he shuts down. He gets angry and moody and frankly isn't very fun to be around. Well, his truck is giving him some major trouble and it doesn't look like it is going to be cheap. So you can imagine his mood last night. After talking with his uncle he came up with some pretty good solutions and I am so proud of him for talking it out and coming up with a game plan. So for that, today, I am one relieved chick!

And how can it be the end of another month???! My little baby will be 2 in a couple of days *sigh*. How time flies. Remember my last post about her crazy antics? Well you'll get a kick out of this! Yesterday, 5 minutes before we are supposed to leave for a BRAND NEW church, she comes out, stark naked with blue marker on her face, her teeth, arms, legs, torso, and even on some unmentionable parts [blush]. I couldn't believe it and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She was dancing around singing, "me! me! see me!" So I laughed...after we returned home she proceeded to take her diaper off at least 5 more times...SHEESH. The last time she went #2 after taking off her diaper. She then thought it would be a GREAT idea to take her little people cars and run over it....OMG!!! Are you kidding me??? Chad wants to duct tape her diapers to her rear, lol. I am tempted too I tell ya!!!

Oh yeah, what do you think of the new blog header? My good friend Rebecca Cross, owner of Create My Keepsake, made this for me. Isn't she one talented chica? I think so!

Is the 3rd Child Always So Ornery?

Seriously. My third child, my third GIRL, Chloe, is always into EVERYTHING. I mean EVERYTHING. I love this girl soo sooo soo much and couldn't imagine life w/o her. But WOW she keeps me on my toes. Most the time I can laugh about it, other times I want to cry, lol. Let me share some examples with you:

1. This girl EATS chicken and beef bouillion cubes. Have you ever tried one? Disgusting.

2. She won't stop taking her darn diaper off. She loves to be naked. Honestly this girl loves the breeze on her tush. The problem? She pees. And where does she prefer to take her diaper off at? Why my bed of course...

3. What happens when you combine a curious toddler, with 3 tubes of glitter glaze, and excitement? You have a kid so covered in glitter that you can see her a mile away, a scrapbook room that has MILLIONS of little splatters that will take forever to clean, and 3 completely empty tubes of paint. Thanks Chloe.

4. Let's have a pretzel party. What is a pretzel party you ask? It is where you take a bowl full of pretzel stickers and you joyfully throw them in the air while yelling WHEEEEEE!!! You then proceed to step on them and crumble them into the carpet. That, my friends, is a pretzel party.

5. Wanna make your room smell like chamomile and lavendar? All you need is one bottle of Huggies lotion, a bored 2 year old, and voila instant aroma. Oh yeah, I don't know if one would consider the full bottle squeezed onto the carpet then rolled the best way to achieve that. Obviously Chloe does.

6. What would make a brand new kitchen table even prettier? How about some fork stabbing all over your seat. That is what I found on the spot where Chloe sits the other day. She is trying to kill her chair by fork. How original.

7. Baby girl, a toilet scrub brush is not a toy. Once again, gross.

8. How about a popcorn party? Yes, this is much like the pretzel party but MUCH much more messier.

9. The other day she shut herself in the bathroom. That girl is smart as a whip I tell you. She then opened the drawer so when we tried to open the door, the drawer prevented the door from opening but a couple of inches. WHAT???! Yes, and by the time we found something long enough to stick in the door, and push the drawer shut, she had some nice red face paint smeared across the back of the door. Isn't this how Picasso started out?

Well, I had better go. Chloe just peed on my comforter. Kind of ironic considering what I am blogging about...

Happy {Un} Birthday Crop Event At CMK!!!

We have just announced the details of our {UN}Birthday Crop Event that is taking place on March 31st!!

Follow along with us as we create projects inspired by the adventures of Alice In Wonderland!

CMK is turning 2! However we wanted to finish off National Craft Month in a big way, so we are celebrating early! What is all the hype you ask?? Well how about this:

We have teamed up with Becky Fleck from PageMaps to host a contest based on a sketch designed just for us!
We are going to reveal the name of our new digital designer and give away our exclusive Celebration digital kit FOR FREE!
We will send you on a scavenger hunt throughout our site for a chance to win a $100 Grand Prize!
We will post new challenges throughout the day and have prize pack giveaways for each challenge.
And lastly…we will reveal free project ideas just in time for the Easter holiday!
Do I even need to convince you to join us?? I hope you can clear your calendar to join us for some serious inspiration and fun!

Hope to see you all there! Here is the web site address:

http://www.createmykeepsake.com

My Dear Sweet Mother Sent Me This...

...and I just wanted to share it with all of you. I smiled as I read it because it is so similar to my nights, as I'm sure so many of you can relate :) Thanks Mom!

WHY I LOVE MOM

Mom and Dad were watching TV when Mom said, "I'm tired , and it's getting late. I think I'll go to bed".

She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches. Rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for supper the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container put spoons and bowls on the table and started the coffee pot for brewing the next morning. She then put some wet clothes in the dryer, put a load of clothes into the washer, ironed a shirt and secured a loose button She picked up the game pieces left on the table, put the phone back on the charger and put the telephone book into the drawer. She watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket and hung up a towel to dry.

She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom. She stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for the field trip, and pulled a text book out from hiding under the chair. She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote a quick note for the grocery store. She put both near her purse.

Mom then washed her face with 3 in 1 cleanser, put on her Night solution & age fighting moisturizer, brushed and flossed her teeth and filed her nails.

Dad called out, "I thought you were going to bed."

"I'm on my way," she said.

She put some water into the dog's dish and put the cat outside, then made sure the doors were locked and the patio light was on. She looked in on each of the kids and turned out their bedside lamps and TV s, hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks into the hamper, and had a brief conversation with the one up still doing homework.

In her own room, she set the alarm; laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack. She added three things to her 6 most important things to do list. She said her prayers, and visualized the accomplishment of her goals.

About that time, Dad turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular "I'm going to bed." And he did...without another thought.

Anything extraordinary here? Wonder why women live longer...? CAUSE WE ARE MADE FOR THE LONG HAUL..... (and we can't die sooner, we still have things to do!!!!)

Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been. -Mark Twain

Help me find a new BLOG name!!!

I've been thinking. I'm not crazy about my blog name. Sure I know the meaning of it but other's may think I'm vain, LOL!

PLEASE help me think of a cool/fun/totally me blog name. If you will post it here, I will choose my fav and send you a fun little rakky rak! It involves some NEW Pressed Petals, some Heidi Swapp, and other goodies :) :)

************ETA***********

Thank you thank you thank you to those of you who gave me some awesome suggestions! I decided to go with "SupahStar", the way Molly Shannon pronounced it on the show. Thanks to Carrie Postma who is so brilliant!!! Love ya girly!!!

A Challenge By Rebecca At CMK.

Rebecca, the owner of Create My Keepsake, issued a challenge to the bloggers on her site. She wanted us to tell some things that others may not know about us. I hope I still have friends after this LOL!

THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ME

* I have OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)

* I have to sleep with socks on

* I loved English and Social Studies in high school

* I was once in a severly abusive relationship

* I can't wink

* I eat, A LOT, I have always loved food!

* I've detassled corn, worked at Subway, did customer service/shipping & receiving/and sales for a kitchen equipment manuf., I've taught pre-school, and taught scrapbook classes

* I have mitro-valve prolapse, a condition where one of my heart valves is faulty

* I've never had stitches or broken any bones other than my little toe :)

* I have played softball for 20 years now

* I took tae-kwan-do lessons 8 years ago

* I was a cheerleader in high school

* I'm allergic to cats and asparagus, LOL

* I have a fear of flying

* I had Bell's Palsy when I was pregnant with Taylor

* My husband is a volunteer firefighter

* I have never had a speeding ticket (that doesn't mean I don't speed ;)

* I have friends in my life that have been there for 25 years.

* I am extremely impatient, and I wish I weren't!

* I have regrets in my life but have learned so much from those mistakes

Thank you for taking the time to read a little more about me that you may not have known before! I swear I am normal, LOL!!!

Shoplifters, New Job, and Other Changes

Well, here is some of my recent work. There really isn't much new with me. I'm kind of stuck in a scrapping rut. Where are my creative juices, lol? Maybe they left with Chad :) The 3 Bugs layout was done for Create My Keepsake, the KI Memories was done for Luv2scrapbook, and the other one was just for pleasure :)

So yesterday, I'm leaving Walmart and I see two guys running down the sidewalk. I thought, hmmmm, they must be in a hurry. Then I see tennis shoes falling from the first guy and something told me they weren't paid for :rolleyes: So the other guy behind him and a girl were on the phone running after the first guy. I pulled my truck in front of him and told him the security cameras have his picture so he might as well stop. He looked at me, dumbfounded for a couple of seconds and then a cop pulled up. He was arrested right there. It was crazy, I had never seen something like that :eek:

Chad is in Georgia, training and taking schooling to be a freight conductor with CSX. We are so excited for the opportunities that will come about because of this job change. Better medical insurance (WAY better), 401 K, retirement, not to mention a much better paycheck. Chad is really excited to be out of construction and I'm just happy to see him excited about this. He is doing really well in the schooling and will be done soon. YAY!

Lots of changes for the new year!

Yes, I've taken quite a break from my blog. I just have not had time nor have I had anything really interesting to say, LOL. So I will start again by doing a little re-cap of the past 8 weeks:

*Christmas was NUTS I've never been so busy. PTA, classroom parties, church events, family get togethers...next year I'm going to relax and enjoy my family :)

*We've been sick, multiple times, I am tired of seeing my doctor's face (no offense Dr. Sauer)

*I am the new 2007 DT Coordinator for CMK...thanks Rebecca!

*I got to scrap with the awesome and oh-so-talented Beth and Susan Opel. Not only are these girls seriously GOOD at scrapping...they are silly, real, down to earth, chatty, lovable, good friends, so so cute, and I could go on forever! Love you girls!

*I made the 2007 3 Bugs In A Rug DT!!!

*Chad has had an awesome career opportunity present itself recently. I will go into more detail when I can!

*The girls are getting bigger and I couldn't love them anymore than I do! Taylor and Hanna are doing well in school and Chloe is sweet and 100% trouble :)

*I got 2 mini albums picked up by Scrapbook Trends YAY! and a layout was requested for their May issue :) I *heart* Scrapbook Trends.

*My house is still a mess but we are happy :)

Here are some of my CHA layouts for 3 Bugs: