I love it when I’m cruising the gallery at Oscraps and see my word art on awesome layouts and projects! I thought I’d show off a few of those now! :) Thanks to everyone who buys my word art and makes it look SO good on your amazing layouts!
Here’s an awesome card made by madigirl at Oscraps! She used my Dude-ulrific Frames and my Age is Just a Numbah Word Art. Click on the image to see the full credits! I love the ribbon at the top, the swirls, and the little rhinestones she put on the number one - just the right amount of bling!!! Great card, Maya!
Here’s a great layout by one of my best customers, lukasmummy! I just love the design, that adorable photo, and the way that she used the Sleepy Time Word Art to help tell the funny story in her journaling! As always, I *love* the white space in the layout! Click the image for full credits!
There are tons of new layouts in my Designer Gallery at Oscraps…some of my CT members have been crankin’ out the goodness, so go check them out!
I have tons of new releases scheduled to debut this week, so be sure to check back often! In honor of my Travel and Road Trip Word Art Packs (watch the store today), I have this little sneak peek freebie! Grab this “Going Places” word art, make a layout with it, link me up here, and you could win the Travel/Road Trip Combo! Layouts must be linked here in a comment by 10:00 AM (CST) on Tuesday, August 20th, so hurry!
Thanks to everyone who applied for my CT! I was worried I’d only get one or two…but I was pleasantly surprised! I now have to begin the long, long process of going through all of these. As promised, I will announce by 3:00 PM (CST) on Wednesday, August 13th! Thanks again to everyone who applied!
I am having one of those days….the weather is pleasant (which has not been the case lately), I have a yummy, steamy, cup of Highlander Grog (our fave coffee that we found SUPER cheap on sale - which makes it taste even better), my beautiful child is happily digging in the rocks, and the dogs are frolicking in the yard.
I’ve realized that I am finally starting to come out of the funk caused by having 3 people pass away in the first four months of this year. Am I over losing Nan and Mamaw? No. But, I am starting to accept it and realize that I can’t let my grief consume me. Losing Aunt Peggy was definitely a shock to the system and I do miss her, but I wasn’t so close to her that I feel like a giant part of my life is missing.
Most people I know would be shocked to hear that I’ve been as depressed as I have been…and I kind of feel the same. I had a few days alone while Lily stayed with my parents and Shan was working, and I really spent a lot of that time reflecting on the first half of 2008 and I have realized that I have to get back to living my life. I will always miss them and I will think of them daily…but I (and tons of other loved ones) are still here and alive. I have to start focusing on living my life the best I can and appreciating every single moment I have with the people that I care about. Perhaps some of this was prompted by the fact that over the last two days I read For One More Day by Mitch Albom. It’s a great book - a fast read and really well-written. Have some tissues ready just in case.
Sun sets cross the ocean, a thousand miles from anywhere. My pocketbook and my heart just got stolen, and that sun acts like she don’t even care. Wind blows cold when you reach the top, it feels like someone’s face is stuck to the bottom of my shoe. I got a plastic Jesus and a cordless telephone for every corner of my room. I got everybody but you telling me what to do.
But I’ve been down so long, it can’t be longer still. I been down so long, that the end must be drawin’ near.
I look to everybody but me to answer my prayers till I saw an angel in a bathroom and said she saw no one worth saving anywhere. Blind man on the corner said it’s simple, like flipping a coin - don’t matter what side it lands on, it’s somebody else’s dime.
We’ve been down so long, it can’t be longer still. We’ve been down so long, I know the end must be drawin’ near.
So, yes…I’ve decided that it is time to wake up and smell the Highlander Grog. Life is still going on all around me and it is time to snap out of it. Nan and Mamaw wouldn’t want me to be missing out on life any longer because I’m sad about them dying. They were both ready to go home…even if we weren’t ready for them to go. And if the fact that Jewel’s Angel Standing By just came up as the next song on my iPod isn’t a sign…I dunno what is.
All through the night I’m watching over you. And all through the night I’m standing over you. Through your dreams I’ll be right there baby holding your hand to tell you everything is gonna be alright. When you cry, I’ll be there baby tellin’ you that you’re nothing less than beautiful. Don’t you worry, I’m your angel standing by.
I have dabbled with MySpace and Facebook in the past, but they never really held my interest for long. I usually only log in to my pages when I get a “so-and-so has added you” email. That has all changed….I have recently reunited with several old friends that I haven’t spoken to or seen in years (some as long as 10 years!) and it is just stinkin’ amazing to me. I love how Facebook does this “People You Might Know” thing and helps you see who matches up with several of your friends. I know I’m not explaining it well…just go check it out yourself if you’re at all interested. \
Ok, I know I had a reason for telling you this. Ahhh, yes…Shauna Sever. She also has a really cool recipe/food blog thingy called Piece of Cake. At the risk of getting too nostaligic, let me fill you in on the story of how I know Shauna Sever.
As a college freshman, I lived in a co-ed dorm that divided the boys and girls by alternating floors. At least I think it was alternating…hahaha! I know Joey, Doug & Duran, and Don lived on the basement floor. I’m pretty sure a few other girls who were fellow special education majors lived on 1st floor. Not sure about 2nd, and I know boys lived on the 4th floor. So, that leaves 3rd floor. 3rd floor U-Hall was the scene…the friggin’ place to be, dudes. Seriously. We had such an odd mix of girls…preppy, grungy, studious, flunky, straight-laced, party animal, boy-crazy, rich, poor, athletic, lazy….you name it, U-Hall 3rd floor had it. We even had a former Miss Illinois living on our floor (I think - maybe she lived on a different floor and just had friends on 3, but I’m pretty sure she lived down the hall around the corner). I will admit (with mixed emotions) that I probably fit in to almost every single one of those categories at some point during my freshman year. Well, I fit into all of the categories except beauty pageant winner, rich, straight-laced, and flunky (that came later in junior year…ack!). Shauna also fit into a lot of those categories.
At first glance I never would have guessed that Shauna and her roomie, Linda, would have been people that I would have enjoyed hanging out with….and I’m pretty sure they probably thought the same thing about me. Hahaha! But, that’s the cool thing about freshman year, I guess…you take chances and get to know people that you normally wouldn’t have had the chance to know. Shauna and I weren’t those friends that did everything together or shared clothes….but she was one of those friends that I knew I could always hunt down for a late-night heart to heart or just a little silly goofing off if need be. Linda and Shauna called me Jodeci - one nickname that has actually stayed with me in some of my college circles.
So, see? Facebook isn’t just a silly way to send cupcake hugs and cyber-poking your friends in the chest….it’s a great way to reconnect with those friends that you might never have crossed paths with again. So, Shauna, my homegirl…if you read this, congrats on the pregnancy and all of your MANY successes. I always knew you’d be famous….ever since that big audition you left for and made me swear to GAWD that I wouldn’t tell anyone what it was for. Peace out, homies….go check out her blog! She has some great recipes and is a great writer….you’ll be entertained even if you don’t like to cook.
I’ve been meaning to blog about new recipe ventures for a few weeks now…I even have pics saved and recipes ready to type out. So, thanks for the inspiration, Shauna.
Sorry I’ve been quiet for a few days…we’ve had a lot going on! I am going to use this post as a way to catch up on all the stuff I’ve been meaning to blog about in the last week but just didn’t get to it. So, get a snack kids…this is gonna take a while.
CHA Related Jibber-Jabber and Photos
Here is a great photo of the amazingly talented and all-around awesome Mark Montano! The picture I got of the two of us together is a terrible pic of me, so I’m not showing it. It’s hard to look cute standing next to him, anyway…he is just adorable, isn’t he? My cousin, Stephenie, wants to put him in her pocket.
One thing I totally forgot to mention about CHA was the fact that I also got to meet and chat with Jennifer Perkins! She is awesome in all of her vintagey, jewelry-making glory! I had a blast at her Make-n-Take and have really enjoyed reading her blog since I’ve been home! I’m also excited to start spending WAY too much money on her goodies…she sells really sweet vintage, revamped jewelry and accessories in the Naughty Secretary Club Store. She also has a great new book out - details on her blog!
Here she is with another designer at the make-n-take booth:
In addition to all of her crafty talents, she also has a lot of marketing and business smarts…and she shares some of that info on her blog. Here’s a great post regarding Indie Businesses! Ok…obviously I think Jennifer rules. On to other CHA schtuff…
Here are my pics of Heidi Grace doing personalized doodles at the Fiskars booth! She is such a wonderful designer and also a very sweet person! It was an honor to meet her!
Here’s the really nice lady who helped me make Lily’s Hello Kitty necklace (her “most favorite soob-a-near” that I brought home from CHA)! I was such a pain while making this - I didn’t follow directions well (imagine that) and kept making mistakes…and she was so patient and helpful! The necklace turned out great - you can see it in the pic, too!
I also made my niece, Olivia, a onesie at the Pentel booth! That booth was another one of my favorites - tons of cool pens and markers to try out!
Ahhh, yes….Angela! She was the one and only person I met at CHA (other than my relatives) who had heard of Jodie McNally Designs! She is also a lead Fiskateer and a LOT of fun to hang out with! Her blog is over in my blogroll - it is highly entertaining, so check it out!
Speaking of Fiskars…I saw the Rock, Paper, Trimmer! It really is pretty cute and *insert subtle hint to my cousin* I can imagine myself using it a lot at school or for hybrid stuff and card-making.
New Puppy!
Yep…you heard me! We got a puppy…a little terrier mix named Addy (short for Addison - GO CUBS!) that we adopted from Guardian Angels Animal Rescuers. Our older dog, Sierra, was not exactly thrilled with the idea of a tiny, playful pup…but after a few days, they have become best buddies! They can’t go outside without each other, they wrestle around and play together, and they love going on walks together. The best part is, they match! Reddish-brown heads, black/white spotted bodies, and red-spotted feet. Here are some pics of our furry family members:
Ok…I’m off to bathe my child and get her ready to go to Mimi’s house. She is spending the night (possibly two nights) there, so she is excited to get a move on! I will be back tomorrow (maybe) with some pics of an awesome hybrid gift I made for my niece’s baptism yesterday! Have a great Monday!
No…really. I wanna go there. But *only* if James Blunt is there and only if he’ll sing to me. I already loved him and then he had to go and do something adorable like sing this:
Seriously…how cute is he?
So today was uncomfortably hot and muggy…and the air conditioning in my car is broken. Shocking, I know…especially for those who have ever been in any car I’ve ever driven. LOL! Let’s pour one out for the old station wagon. Moment of silence.
Ok…anyway, since our fridge broke the other day we had to go and replace *everything*. So after I cleaned up around the house, played with the dogs (Oh yeah, we got a new puppy! Details and pics coming later in this post.), did some laundry and all that jazz, Lily and I went to the store. We had a nice lunch at the grocery store (that’s what she picked) and then spent about an hour and twenty-five minutes getting groceries. She entertained the meat counter guys by beat-boxing and singing Hannah Montana…which they loved, of course. She also sang “Oh…sweet po-ta-tooooooo” over and over and over again for about 5 minutes straight. That was a blast. She thought she dropped the tiny little plastic kitten statue that Nan gave her….so she cried about losing something that Nan had given her.
Of course, after my cart was overflowing and I had even stuffed things into the truck part on top that Lily was riding in….I picked the poor little checkout guy with carpal tunnel (sorry, dude) and three packs of turkey chops rang up wrong and Lily was getting VERY tired of shopping, and a little lady got in line behind me with like 3 things so I felt bad for making her wait so long. The exciting part about this is that since our grocery store rocks, so I got $20.00 of turkey chops for free since they rang up wrong!
Thank goodness for drive-up grocery service because it wouldn’t all fit in one cart and I never would have been able to get 2 carts and Lily to the car in a busy parking lot. Well, if I had packed the bags it probably would have all fit…but the people at the store don’t seem to realize that they can pack a lot more into the canvas bags than in the plastic grocery ones. Oh well…he was a nice kid and even helped me load the bags into my car!
I can’t show puppy pics and CHA pics yet because there is still something wrong with the network drive thingy. Yep, that is the official term. My dear, sweet hubby will surely fix that problem after dinner.
Since the Oscraps shop is down until tomorrow, the Cheery-Os have been doing some awesome challenges! The “Out of the Box Challenge” lets you get a free piece of word art and then a chance to win a $5.00 GC to my store….all for just scraping a layout that isn’t your usual style. Pretty easy, right?
My niece is being baptized on Sunday, and I’m her godmother! I have to figure out what to make or buy her as a gift. Maybe I’ll just make something little and get her a savings bond….oooh no….I just figured it out! I can’t say here just in case my brother or sister-in-law reads this. I doubt if they do, but just in case.
In other news: Congrats to my CT Member, Rachel, on the birth of her new baby boy! She called me today and let me know that she and the perfect baby boy are doing well!
Ok, get ready to laugh! Lily just came in from playing outside while Shan grilled dinner and said, “Phew! I am SMA-OKIN’ HOT!” Oh Lord, help us.
So anyway…I’m off to go search the Disney Outlet for a Halloween costume for Lily (Thanks for the hint, Laura!), chill with the family, and have some dinner. I’ll hopefully have pics to show tomorrow or maybe I’ll even update later if I get *really* crazy! Oh, and Kara…dude, I miss you!
Until next time, I hope all your dreams are triangular!
Who doesn’t love a good way to help someone and get something cool in return? It’s a flippin’ win/win situation, dudes!
My friend (as seen in my people cooler than me list), Lain, is raising money for her son’s baseball team….check out her blog for more info!
His team recently was ranked as one of the top 24 teams in the nation and invited to compete in the World Series at Disney’s Wide World of Sports.They need to raise *a lot* of money quickly in order to go…soooo that’s where we come in.
Bascially, by donating $5.00, you will get a chance to win a TON (like $300+) of scrapping products and you’ll get a prize pack in the mail that is worth $5.00. So you’re really just buying $5.00 of scrapping goodies to use for hybrid projects and getting a chance to win a TON of good stuff.
I saw the Memory Makers tote she’s talking about. Here’s a pic of a pink one…the one she is giving away is *gasp* lavender!!
TRUST ME, you want it. Even if you don’t paper scrap….this tote is SA-WEET. Heck, win it and give it to me if you don’t want it. You *know* how I feel about purple! Bwhahaha!
I’m going to sweeten the deal a little…when you send Lain your $5.00 via PayPal, add a note in there that I sent you. Anyone who does that will get a $2.00 coupon to my shoppe at Oscraps as a thank you for helping out her son’s team! :) So for donating your $5.00, you will get a $5.00 prize pack from Lain, something of your choice from my shoppe, and a chance to win a SA-WEEEET $300+ prize pack. Oh, and for EACH $5.00 donation you make, you’ll get a prize pack from Lain, a chance to win the grand prize, and a $2.00 coupon from me. So donate $10.00 and get $10.00 of product from Lain, 2 chances to win, and a $4.00 coupon from me. Wooty McWooterson!!! Seriously….why are you still here and not donating? Seriously.
So lemme make it simple for ya:
1. Send your $5.00+ tax deductible donation to Lain via PayPal by Wednesday, July 30. The grand prize drawing will be held on Thursday, July 31. Here’s her PayPal addy: lainehmann@comcast.net
2. Make sure you include your mailing address so she can send your $5.00 prize pack.
3. Make sure you also drop her a note saying that I sent you so I can hook you up with a coupon code.
4. Get free stuff for your tax decuctible donation. Again I say…why are we still here? I’m off to PayPal Lain.
Be sure to check out her blog for the “official details” because her info is sooo much easier to make sense of when compared to my rambling. All the info on her blog is official…if anything I said her doesn’t jive with her details…you should pay attention to hers. LOL! Shocking, I know!
Now, I realize that not everyone can donate…no worries! If you can’t donate, just send those little guys some positive thoughts!
