Happy Summer!

Hello, Hello Hello!!!!

I know, I know......SORRY! So much to tell! My husband and I went on vacation as soon as I was out for the summer. It was a great trip. It was wondeful getting away and "reconnecting". Sometimes we get into the habit of being 2 ships that pass in the night. We had a great drive down, visit with my cousin and her friend

Sammy. We went to Clearwater Beach for 2 days and on our way home we stopped in Atlanta to see a friend from High School. Now Ron and I haven't seen each other in over 25 years! We reconnected on facebook. It was a great visit. He and his partner Harry took us to a great place for dinner. It was so wondeful catching up!

I have done a lot of nothing this summer. Hanging out with family, reading and just being plain lazy! I have been "farming" a lot on Facebook's Farmtown. It is actually kind of fun and makes me laugh when I have crops to harvest and no one is around. I get all nervous, like the virtual food is going to spoil! I can hear you chuckling!!!

I have lived pretty much in the sunshine either out in my yard putzing around or at my sister's in her pool.

I have done a little stamping here and there......100 Thank You's for a Wedding gift and 100 Baby Shower invites for my hubands nephew. I will post pictures soon.

I have gotten the new Stampin' Up! Catalog and habve ordered some new fun stuff from it. I am hoping to play with my new stuff this week. As soon as I get the samples done I will post them.

I hope everything is well in your world!

Happy Mother's Day! and more.......

Hello! Hello! Hello!!!!


Were you worried about me??? I know, absent once again!! Sorry!!!! I have been busy with my school work this quarter, that jeez!!! I took one final on Thursday. That class has ended, Just have my Math class left on Saturdays, yes I did say Saturdays!!!! That ends on June 13 ~ and it is my last math requirement. WHOOT WHOOT!! Math I must say is no my cup of tea!


Let's see, what has happened in the past 2 months, hmmmmm..........


I co-chaired a Scrapbook Weekend Fundraiser for St. Vincent DePaul. It was a warm and wonderful weekend. It was a really fun weekend and I got a lot done. It always feels good when that happens.

I made 160 wedding invites for a wedding gift. Crystal was a "former" scout in my troop. My friend Laura and I made the invites as our wedding present. It was a fun thing to do! The wedding was this past friday.


Here is a picture of the invite:











And the Happy Couple,
Crystal and Dave












I also, with my sister Francy and ther bride Sara, made 130 shower invites for Sara's shower. I like the color combination and of couse I love the new edge punch. Francy is working on the envelopes so they can be in the mail by tomorrow.......






I am currently working on thank you cards for a teacher at work, she is getting married in June. This year, my husband and I have received 4 wedding invites. The most we have received in the last 3 years!

Well, it is time for me to leave for church. One last thought for you:

Happy Mother's Day everyone!


Blessed are mothers
Models of care, like no others.
With mothers' love in mindMay we grow to shine.
Bright beacons of care
For family, friends, neighbors-
Our world family everywhere!

-Susan Kramer

Where oh where have I been????

Where in the world have I been, you asked?
Won the Mega Millions and keeping a low profile?
Jetting around the world in 80 days?
My husband kept me quietly locked in the basement,
where I am only allowed to Scrapbook and Rubberstamps all
day???????


No, none of those. I have been tied to my school books. Yes, that's right, my school books. *SIGH* This quarter has been one tough go! I have had at least 10 hours a week homework in my Graphic Design class, and about 3 hours in my Algebra class. Nuts, I tell you!! Only 2 more weeks and I am done for this quarter. Can I get a WHOOT WHOOT??

I have been missing out on my play time, and let me tell you, I am one sad stamper! HOWEVER, I stayed up until 2:45a this morning, and got my graphics homework done, Today, I am PLAYING!! I still have my final project to finish, but the majority is done and I am going to PLAY ALL DAY!

I, along with my friend Laura, are making Wedding invites for a former Girl Scout of ours. One of our scouts is getting married......gosh we must be getting old.......oh wait Laura is! On Monday she celebrates another BIRTHDAY! Laura is 4 months older than me and I let her know it every chance I get! Anyhow, back to the invites. Our gift to to the bride are 160 homemade invites. We are probably 1/2 way done with them and hope to be finish by today. I can't wait. I hate the feeling hanging over your head feeling. I can cross that off the list!

I also need to get my birthday stack together. I am running very low on Birthday cards for myself. I was going to work on that too! So by tomorrow I should have some pictures to post!!

Tomorrow is my nephew Anthony's 6th BIRTHDAY! HOLY MOLEY!!! I can't believe it has been 6 years. Time sure has flown! I remember, just like yesterday, when he was a baby! Now a Kindergartner! Go figure! Happy Birthday BUDDY!

My husband and I had dinner with an "old" friend of mine, last evening. We reacquainted ourselves through Facebook. Have any of you, become Facebook Junkies? OH MY GOSH!! It's so much fun! I can thank my friends Amy and Stacee for getting me started! (OH and Stacee gave me another sock monkey, that I will be sharing soon!) I have renewed some friendships from my grade school and high school days. Along with cousins whom I never get a chance to see! Anyhow, back to dinner. I haven't seen him in a good 12 years. He hasn't changed, still the same and told my husband and I that we hadn't either. Funny, our conversations pick right back up where we left off! It was a nice evening.

All righty then, I am off to the postoffice, Target and stampin. I feel the creativity coming through!

I promise more updates of pictures this weekend!

Have a great day!

Happy Birthday Valerie!!!!!

I bet you wonder where the heck I have been!! Well, I have been holed up doing HOMEWORK! My graphic design class has a tough load of homework this time around. I am doing about 14 hours a weekend on it. Mix in Math homework on top of that, working and well that pretty much tells the story!



How are you? Well, I hope! Happy Valentine's Day to you! In our house, we celebrate low key. Dinner out (the night before.....my husband hates the crowds!) and a card. That's it! Our Wedding Anniversary is the 28th of the month, so we pretty much do our celebrating then.



Today is also another special day in my family. Today is my niece/God-daughters birthday ~ Valerie. Valerie was born today, 3 years ago on Valentine's Day. She is our special Valentine's Delivery.

Happy Birthday Valerie!

She was named by my sister Lizzy. We have dinner at my parents every Sunday. The Sunday before Valentines day, Francy was there and as she was leaving, Lizzy told her "I can't wait to meet my niece Valerie on Tuesday (Valentine's Day). Francy's due date was the 14th of February.......but who knew! Francy had her on Tuesday ~ Valentine's Day, thus naming her Valerie. What a cutie she is!

I haven't done much stamping, just a little.....I promise to post pictures soon. I am off on Winter Break from school.....two days of getting caught up! Can I hear a WHOOT WHOOT!

Happy Valentine's Day to you!

Enjoy your day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY............................

HappyBirthday Mary Z.!!! Here's to many many more!

Happy Birthday......................

KIM MARKEY!!!! Here's to another 100 Birthdays!

(...........no picture of Kim. cause she hides when the camera comes out!)

Down and Out

Hello Friends,

I haven't forgotten you...I have been down and out with a wicked wicked flu! All I can say is I hope no one else comes down with this........YUCKY!! I am on my 3rd day home sick from work.......I promise as soon as I am better, I will be posting.........

The new catalogs have arrived.....but sadly enough they were delivered to my parents home.....I don't even have them to keep me occupied! Unless my husband takes a drive over to get them for me!!!

Have a great and healthful day!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's off to work we go....

.......oh just one more day, PLEASE!! Isn't that how it always is?

Happy New Year to you and yours! Sorry it's a few days late.....was feeling a bit under the weather....no not too much to drink, just some kind of yucky flu bug! UGH!!

I am back in the mode of stamping. I know that tomorrow when I get back home from work, I will need sometime of creative outlet. Just you wait and see!

Tomorrow I promise to have the Christmas Cards I received posted. I promise!

Here's to a new year, that brings you much love, health and prosperity!
Happy New Year!!!!!

What a Wonderful Life

Happy New Year!

Isn't it funny how reflective we become when the new year roles around??? I am truly grateful for all that I have. I have a loving husband (of 11 years in February), loving family ~ my parents, my sisters, their husbands and children. I have a job that I love 98% of the time and friends who round out my life.

I never gave it a thought when I became a Stampin' Up! demo how enriched my life would become with new "stampin friends" I would make. From my upline, Shari Dudek, to my downline Sandy Webb, to all the demo's I have meet at differnt events. The creativity, support and fun I have had with these woman.....( I wish I could say men too! BUT I have not had a man stamp with me............yet!)

I think the best has been all the new friends/woman who have come into my life has enriched me beyond my wildest dreams. This makes for my demoing so much more fun!

I promised you I would post some of the homemade cards I received this Holiday. These ladies did such wonderful jobs......even with the Sock Monkey!!!

Stampin Up! 1990-2009

This card came from Kim M. Now in my group of stamping I have 3 ~Kim M's. Isn't that too funny! Anyhow, I meet Kim at a Daycare center I worked at for a short time. We became "distant" friends, until after I left the center. Our paths crossed when a friend of hers and mine, invited me to one of Kim's crops. We became quick friends then.

Kim has been a stamper much longer than I. I have learned many tricks of the trade from her! She is also an awesome scrapbooker whom I have enjoyed scrapbooking with! She always tries new techniques and is always willing to help those who are stump!

This card came to me from Emily. I meet Emily through a Girl Scout Buddy, Sheila. Sheila and Emily's husband have been friends through the school years. Emily is so energetic and fun to be around. She makes us all laugh and always has a good time where ever she goes. She has such a great outlook on life!

Emily has been card maker for sometime now. She also is an avid scrapbooker too. On top of it all, she now had a beautiful daughter of 1 who adds joy to her life!


Copyright Stampin' Up! 1990-2009
This card came from Shelia. Shelia and I meet many moons ago through Girl Scouts. She was friends with a friend of mine, Laura. Laura and Sheila "sucked" oops I mean "requested" my help in the International Friendship weekend for the younger girls. We lost track of each other over the years, and she found me on a Yahoo Group! She found out I was a Stampin' Up! Demo and booked a workshop. She has introduced me to many new friends. Her thinking is "always" out of the box and comes up with really fun and exciting cards. She surprised everyone by making her Rehearsal Invites......oh they were so very cute! She is also a Creative Memories Demo and her creativity overflows into her scrapbooking. Once again her books are clean and crisp.....always thinking outside the box!

Copyright Stampin' Up! 1990-2009

Susan, Sheila mom's sent this beautiful card. She was a novice stamper and always afraid her stuff wasn't great.....well I am here to tell you, that they always have been and continue to get better and better with every new card! She even ventured out and used water color crayons on this card. Way to go Sue!

Copyright Stampin' Up! 1990-2009
This Card comes from my friend and neighbor, Carol. Carol was one of my original "groupies". A group of my friends were worried about me going to homes of people I didn't know, so they would come along to the workshop, and be a "groupie". Carol was one of those people. She was a great co-pilot and map reader when we drove out to God's county for a demo (1hr 30 minutes away!) She is also one who helps fuel my need for more scrapbooking stuff! Besides all the animals she has fostered that have found their way over to my house and became part if my family!

Carol made this card at a 12 card class I held. I was not too particular in the design....just wasn't cuttin it for me (and me a birds......not so much.......). Carol loved it and asked if I was OK with her making that card. I was honored that she wanted to us one of my designs.

Amy sent this card. She only made a few, because like the rest of us, she had the candle burning at both ends! Amy and I became friends through Valerie. Amy is a "true" person. She gives so much of her self! She is always bringing me something homemade. She is such fun to be with!!! She is the one who enlightened me to the "Copic Makers". HOLEY MOLEY! and she can find the deals!!

This card was made by Valerie. Now here's a few things about Valerie.....she is the NICEST PERSON I have meet thus far in life. She is always happy and has the best, and I mean BEST outlook on life. She always has a smile and I have yet, in the 5 years I have known her, she her in a bad mood. I meet Amy at a workshop, of 4 woman and she is the only one out of that group that stamps with me!!!! She loves to try new stuff and always has a creative thought in that head of hers! Valerie even got me hooked on the book "The Secret". Watching her live her life as she does, I know that a positive way of life leads to a positive life!

She embossed with a cuttlebug new embossing folder~ Swiss dots. I love the look!

Copyright Stampin' Up! 1990-2009
Lois sent me this card, all the way from Florida. I meet Lois through Sheila....at Girl Scout camp. Lois too was a novice. But as you can see by her card, she has come such along! She too enjoys new techniques and used watercolor crayons this time around!
Lois tells me all the time that she misses stamping with us. I hope that when she comes up for a visit in June that we will get a little stamping time in!

Copyright Stampin' Up! 1990-2009

This card came from my upline Shari. As I had said before, Shari was the 1st Stampin' Up! Demo that I went to. She had me hook line and sinker! Her presentation, made you want to stamp. She is also a fun friend to travel with (how many people do you know, would to Louisville, KY for a Stampin Regional ~ from Michigan~ for an overnight stay and come back home the next day?)

She also knows all the words to Queen songs, how many people (besides me) can say that? She is also is a HUGE Captain Jack Sparrow and Van Halen fan. One day when your paths cross, ask her about the bracelet she made and gave to a Van Halen member!

Oh Yeah, and she takes a mean High School Photo too! (Salt Lake City Convention!)

Last but not least...........

Copyright Stamin' Up! 1990-2009

THE SOCK MONKEY!!! This card came from Stacee. Stacee was introduced to me, through Valerie and Amy. Stacee and Amy are partners in crime.......they always like to "surprise" me with goodies and homemade stuff. Stacee even made me a "Mr. Crabby Pants" bookmark. She too, has a love for that Sock Monkey and vows that one day I will too!

I am glad that am able to share with you the holiday cards I got from these outstanding woman!

Have a great rest of the evening........I am off to stamp!

Binky Balls, Binky Balls, Binky all the way!

My nephew "M" sings binky balls instead of Jingle Bells ~ that's how he sings/says it. It is really cute and makes me laugh very time I hear it. Along with his "Ho Ho Ho, Merry Nismas". I spent Christmas Eve with "M" and his brother "A". It was fun hearing/seeing how excited they were that Santa was coming!! They even tracked him on the computer!~ I remember my dad and mom showing us "blinking" lights in the sky, on the way home from Church telling us it was Santa. We had to hurry in the house put our pj's on and get to bed! Now he is tracked on the computer.......jeez I am OLD!

I got to scrapbook with my 6 year old niece "A" and to tell you the truth, so does a better job of picking out colors and pictures than me! She saw so much more than I. It was a interesting/enlightening experience. I can't wait to scrapbook with her again! Time with my nieces and nephews are so special to me!

I had a HUGE revelation on Christmas Eve this year. I was stressing over what I bought whom, would I get it wrapped, etc. Plus, the thought of my Aunt still in the hospital, mentally a lot on my plate. As I was wrapping up the last couple gifts, I started to reflect on the past year. It was sort of a jolt....you know when you have a "brain fart" (as my friends call it). My husband has done so much for me and my family this year, visiting my dad everyday while he was in the hospital for his back surgery. He was there everyday for the 33 days, that my dad was in the hospital. He was "our" (my families) eyes and ears when we couldn't be there. He helped out at my parents when my dad couldn't get stuff done......was at the hospital with my mom, for my dad's last surgery (when us girls couldn't be there because of work and children) and has been my dad's "coach" taking him to rehab the last 3 weeks. Besides all the stuff he does for me here, helping get stuff together for my demo's to making my lunch everyday, to going here and there with me, when I know he would rather be at home watching whatever sports is on! Now I know that I have made he sound like a saint......which at time he is far from, but in retro spec the good out ways the bad.

I am truly grateful for him realize how lucky I am that he is in my life!

I guess it wasn't what was in the "wrapped box" so to speak, but the actions of the whole year. I felt so loved and so blessed that of course I had a crying meltdown!! When I tried to explain to him why I was crying, he told me that he was part of my family too, and that is what family does for family.

I have been slacking the last couple days, reading and lounging. I need to get back to stamping and getting my "stuff" ready. Before you know it, I will be back in school and back to work!! OH how I wish I would win the Mega Millions!!!

Thanks for all your prayers and good thoughts for my Aunt. She came home from the hospital the day after Christmas. We spent that evening at her house, celebrating Christmas part II with her.

OK enough rambling at this ungodly hour. I am off to do some more reading and drinking hot chocolate.

Have a great day and until next time...........