Ordinary Days

One Little Word

2012-01-07T16:21:00.001-07:00

For the last few years, I've watched as other people on forums and blogs chose a word for the year and then have discovered ways to live that word out. I decided that I'd like to try that this year and after much deliberation, I've decided on the word "ENJOY". Ryan and I laughed about this, saying that maybe I should have chosen a word that would be more natural to my personality. I am goal-oriented. I like the end result and not always the journey. So this year, I promise to be more deliberate in enjoying my family, enjoying my work, enjoying my play time, enjoying my writing, enjoying my time in prayer...just enjoying.

"Live and work and do not forget to play, to have fun in life and really enjoy it." --Eileen Cuddy

"Enjoy life. This is not a dress rehearsal." -- unknown

"It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness." --Charles H. Spurgeon

"Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don't wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it's at work or with your family." --Earl Nightingale

Waxing Sentimental

2011-12-10T16:45:00.006-07:00

Doesn't Christmastime automatically make everyone a little sentimental? Remembering childhood Christmases, the sounds and scents of the season, the sweet and sappy Christmas movies they show on Hallmark Channel? I love it all. And as a scrapbooker, I love it when my designers come out with their new Christmas designs each year. I can scrap the same photos over and over with new kits and spend time reminiscing and smiling.

Here's one page I did with this month's Artisan Guild kit, A Handmade Christmas. I loved looking back on how little kids were and the sweetness of the photo. Sigh.

But after spending the afternoon trying to perform "crowd control" on kids at pageant practice, I'll take my older kids and their independence :)

Seriously?

2011-10-02T17:32:00.002-06:00

My beloved Vikings can NOT really be 0-4. I'm hoping we find out that someone is being paid to throw these games because I seriously can not believe how bad this is.

And the fact that Detroit just came from behind and beat Dallas? I'm pretty sure I can hear the ice forming over a very warm lake if you get my drift :)

Keep watching, NFL fans. It's going to be a bumpy ride!

9-11: Never Forget

2011-09-11T13:21:00.002-06:00

As a nation we have spent the last week or more reminding ourselves of that horrible day ten years ago. We all know where we were when we heard the news. We all hugged our spouses and children a little tighter to us when we went to bed that night. We all cried together, sang together, prayed together. Obviously, some of us live with the consequences of those attacks every day--the empty place at the dinner table, or in the bed next to us. And I will not diminish that grief. But I, for one, would rather remember the moments and the days and the weeks after that day when this nation put aside all of its internal bickering and said with one very loud voice, "We are Americans! You have no right to come into OUR house and mess with OUR family!" The solidarity of patriotism during those days was a thing of beauty. And the heroism, courage and sacrifice of so many during those days showed us, and continues to show us, the best of people during the worst of times.

Here is a link to an article written on September 12. Leonard Pitts Jr. wrote so eloquently and spoke the hearts of so many with this article. I cried rereading it this week.

God bless the world and God bless America.

Memory Lane, Part Two

2011-09-07T18:48:00.004-06:00

I found lots of great photos in my weekend of digging up old stuff. But it's amazing what other stuff you'll find in old photo albums. My grandmother had apparently kept a copy of an essay that I wrote back in 1986. It won a city-wide American Legion Essay contest. I'd nearly forgotten about this, but it was a really big deal to me. I got to attend a special luncheon and my essay went on to the district level (where it met its death, but we had a good run!). I also won a dictionary and thesaurus set which I still use.

So here is the text of that award-winning essay from eighth-grade me, circa 1986. Although I warn you that you don't get the same effect reading it digitally as you do seeing it created with a dot-matrix printer.

Freedom Under the Stars and Stripes

The freedom and liberties we have in this country are numerous. This nation was built by our founding fathers on the idea of "liberty and justice for all".

In the United States we have freedom of speech. We have the choice that other countries don't have to proclaim our like or dislike for our government. We can say whatever we want in public.

We have freedom of the press. Any newspaper or news report can say or print what they want whenever they choose. TV and radio news can also say what they want about government personnel or events.

With freedom of religion we have the right to go to church or not and to decide which religion to be. We also have the right to worship in public and not be persecuted for having certain beliefs.

Some foreign countries don't give people the right to travel around in their own nation. In the Soviet bloc you can not travel without a permit.

This country gives us many freedoms that we take for granted. The most important freedom we have in the United States that we take for granted is the right to vote. In hundred of countries the leader is a dictator who puts himself in power or there is only one name on the voting ballot. We are very luck y that we can put whomever we want in office, take anybody out who isn't doing a good job, and generally have a say in government affairs.

The freedom of choice is another liberty most Americans take for granted. In some countries people don't have the opportunity to decide whether or not they want ot go to college or if they would like to own businesses or property.

Other countries don't like the freedoms we enjoy in America. The think that if they give people freedom they will overthrow the government.

The justices and liberties we have in this great nation make us very lucky. We have more advantages in this country than other people dream of. We should all be glad to be Americans.

Memory Lane

2011-09-06T19:46:00.004-06:00

I spent a good portion of this past weekend wandering down memory lane. It started with a box of old yearbooks. I made the mistake of asking the kids to see if they could find me on the page and when they couldn't I began to wonder how old I really look!

After the yearbooks, I moved on to a box of scrapbooks and photo albums that were Grandma's. I absolutely adore old photos, whether I know anything about them or have any connection to them or not. I just love that a photograph I hold in my hand is a moment frozen in time, never to be seen again. Pretty cool.

I have in my mind to scrapbook some heritage photos and some of my childhood. I found a fun little photo of me and my favorite doll which led to this page for the Digi Dare this week. Ain't I cute? :)

I found photos of people I barely remember and photos of people I can't believe I had forgotten. There is something to be said for wandering back into the past for a little while. I don't want to live there; but just a short visit now and then is good for the soul.

Resurrection Time!!

2011-09-01T17:17:00.003-06:00

It has been a LONG time since I posted anything on my blog. The last six months I've felt a bit overwhelmed by life as well as uninspired. That is not a good combination for a writer, I think. I'm not sure that I'm any more inspired today than I was yesterday, but I've decided that I'd like to write more, regardless.

So whether it's deep or not, useful or useless, I'm going to try and post something several times a week. Hopefully it will at least be interesting enough for you to come back!

Everything old is new again...

2011-04-09T07:34:00.003-06:00

Anyone else see this? An article about how the Commodore 64 is being released again. Oh, how many hours I spent on our Commodore 64 when I was young! I've been a geek as long as I can remember (I think I can thank my Dad for that) and it was pretty exciting to be one of the first families I know to have a PERSONAL COMPUTER! I typed in little programs from the Family Computing Magazine and watched pixel-by-pixel as amazing (at least for that day and age) pictures and programs appear on my little 13-inch monitor. I was hooked on the power of computers. Years later, I find myself having spent much of my adult life in front of a computer monitor--as both a software engineer/computer programmer and a digital scrapbooker. How different my life would be without my computer!

A day to Celebrate!

2011-03-24T06:01:00.003-06:00

River~Rose is celebrating 3 years of designing! So welcome to the Designiversary Blog Train!

Here's my contribution to the blog train. It's an alpha I made to coordinate with Celebrate. Hope you enjoy. And link back here if you do use it. I'd love to see your pages!

DOWNLOAD HERE

Here's a list of all the other stops on the train:

River~Rose
Tamara
Simona
Lynn
Jacqueline
Viola
Katie

Enjoy!

Fun stuff from Misty!

2011-03-23T06:01:00.000-06:00

Misty O'Brien has a great new release today at Funky Playground Designs. It's a new old kit that she's updated and re-released. If you (or your family in my case) love to camp, then here's a kit for all those memories you make when you hit the trail.

And two coordinating alphas

And a layout of photos on my one and ONLY camping trip with Beckers :)

Another happy Friday!!

2011-03-18T06:17:00.000-06:00

The weather here has FINALLY started to look like spring! Last week I saw my first robin, so I have hope :) It was actually almost 70 degrees here on Wednesday. Now I'm ready for some flip-flop weather!

Not much to share today, except a little tease for this fun celebration with River~Rose

Definitely check it out and play along...it'll be fun!

Yesterday, St. Patrick's Day, I was too busy to get on the computer, but I wanted to share a page that I made in honor of it. I had every intention of printing it out and hanging it on the wall, but didn't. Story of my life. In any case, be blessed today and always!

Created with Feeling Lucky by Jady Day Studio. Click on the image for full credits.

Happy Friday

2011-03-04T14:14:00.000-07:00

It's Friday! Hope this has been a good week for everyone. I've been busy getting ready for our women's retreat. It will be a fun time to get away and I'm sure that the kids will have fun with Ryan without mom around being a buzzkill :)

I'm on a roll with my Project 52 this year (meaning that I've made it all 8 weeks so far)...woo hoo! Our lives aren't very exciting, but that isn't an excuse not to scrap it, right? (How's that for poor grammar?)

This week I used this colorful new kit, Lumineux, by River~Rose. Gorgeous, isn't it?

Here's another one:

So go now and live your life this weekend!

New Release from Misty

2011-03-02T14:43:00.001-07:00

Today Misty's got two different products in her store that you're going to love!

And hurry, because the arrows are on sale for 20% off until Friday, March 5th!

Misty has also teamed up with Amanda Carlson and Michelle Batton for a fabulous Free With Purchase at FPD for the month of March. I had so much fun playing with it!

New Glitters from Misty O'Brien

2011-02-22T18:55:00.000-07:00

Just in time for spring, pastel glitters are here from Misty O'Brien. Available at Funky Playground Designs exclusively! And don't wait because this--and ALL of Misty's glitters--are on sale now through Friday, Feb 28th at 30% off!!

My poor, sorely-neglected blog :(

2011-02-20T08:38:00.000-07:00

It's been ages since I posted anything! We've been dealing with cold temperatures outside, sickness inside and life is good, but busy. So today, Sunday morning with church canceled because of the swirling snow and cold temps, I thought I'd finally post on my blog. Lots of things to catch up on!

I've been doing Project 52 this year, which means one layout per week to sort of follow our lives for a year. We're pretty dull, so the pages aren't super exciting :) but last week Gretchen and Bryce came with the girls for a visit, so I had great photos to scrap for once!

I used Kristin CB's newest collab with Fee Jardine, called I've Got Sunshine. It's GORGEOUS!

And if you're interested in any of my other P52 layouts, check them our here.

Here are some other layouts I've posted this week over at FPD. Click on any of them to go to my gallery where you can get all the info!

And probably my favorite layout right now:

And lastly, not scrapbook-related at all, I promised Maria I would promote her blog giveaway. Go check out this post and enter to win!

Time sure flies...

2011-01-29T13:14:00.000-07:00

Is anyone else having a hard time believing that it's been 25 years since the Challenger crash? I remember being in Ms. Q's homeroom class when they wheeled the tv in so that we could watch the coverage. I don't remember seeing it live, but I couldn't tell you for sure. Twenty-five years? Time sure does fly.

On a scrapping note, I've been pretty busy scrapping for all my teams and have made some really fun pages. Here are some of my favorites:

This page using the Free Your Mind kit from River~Rose won the random prize at Digi Dares last week!

This one turned out great, I think. I used the Love Is kit by Totally Twisted Scraps and it won Layout of the Day over at ESS.

Made with Ruby Lane's February Everyday Matters kit, I loved this layout using some favorite photos of my little sweethearts:

And last, but not least, using River~Rose's kit called Nineteen Seventy-six:

Keep smiling and happy scrapping!

Friday releases and layouts

2011-01-13T17:36:00.001-07:00

It's new release day at FPD! This week's kits were inspired by different wedding cakes at the website Pink Cake Box. Go check out these cakes...they are gorgeous! And so are the kits they inspired:

from Misty O'Brien, Let Them Eat Cake (on sale 20% off through Sunday)

And my layout with it:

Misty's got a few great sales and surprises going on right now. If you buy this kit before Sunday, you'll get a 50% off coupon to her store. Additionally all her letter and number templates are 50% off, so check those out here.

And here's a sneak peek of her new kit coming out next Wednesday.

From River~Rose, two new kits, Puppy Lovin'--

and Angelic

And last, but not least, from Ruby Lane, Vintage Romance

Phew! Better get your shopping on...lots of great stuff going on over at FPD today!

Woo Hoo!! I won!!

2011-01-06T06:15:00.000-07:00

I haven't written too much in the last year, partly because I've been busy doing other things and partly because I haven't been too inspired. Well, at Faith Writers last week there was a link to a Flash Fiction Writing Challenge at a website called Wake Up Your Muse (which is exactly what I need!). The challenge is to take the sentence that they prompt you with and write a story under 400 words long.

On a whim, I wrote a story, looked it over a couple of times, and sent it in. I got an email yesterday that I'd won the challenge. What a fun surprise and a little encouragement to get back into the writing game. Here's the entry if you're interested in reading it. I'm already working on the next challenge, even if I can't win again.

Just had to share!

Sneak peeks!

2011-01-04T16:38:00.001-07:00

Ruby Lane's newest kit is gorgeous (trust me) and comes out this Friday. Here's your tantalizing tease:

And River~Rose is coming with a bright, fun kit. It's a perfect antidote for the January "blahs".

Both release this Friday at Funky Playground.

Layouts and other stuff

2010-12-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

I've been scrapping like crazy this year. I'm on several CTs and I've had such fun going back and scrapping favorite photos from this year and years past. Maybe next year I'll start to scan in some "old" photos of my childhood and other things. I'd like to do more heritage layouts. After counting up just the layouts I've done this year the number is over 240. Wow!!

I'd also like to do Project 52 this next year. I'll do a layout a week, with photos and journaling about our lives in 2011. If I can stick with it, it should be a great book at the end of the year. I guess we'll see how it goes!

Many designers have taken the last week or weeks off to get a break for the holidays. But River~Rose released four more mini kits in her Many Seasons collection. I did layouts with two of them.

And Ruby Lane is starting a line of products to help with Project 365/Project 52 layouts. January's mini kit was released this week. The bright, fun colors are wonderful and they can be used for just about everything!

Click on the layouts and you'll get all the links and credits. Here's hoping that 2011 is a year full of joy, surprises (the good kind), inspiration and creativity!

I did it!!!

2010-12-31T09:46:00.000-07:00

I finished the One Year Bible in one year!! I'm so proud of myself (although I know that pride cometh before a fall--I think I read that somewhere :) ). I've already got my bookmark back at the beginning, so I plan on starting all over again. I read somewhere the other day that only 30-or so % of church-attending people read the Bible daily or even weekly. And an even smaller percentage believe that the Bible has made a significant impact on their lives. I don't want to be in either of those categories! And so, I will read the Bible again and again. Until I am the person I want to be.

River~Rose Sneaky Peeky!

2010-12-13T15:44:00.002-07:00

She's got a great kit coming out on Friday. AS always, head on over to River~Rose's blog, leave a comment and be entered to win this kit when it releases!

New release Friday!

2010-12-10T07:30:00.001-07:00

Ruby Lane has several releases this week. I didn't have a chance to play with either one, so I don't have a layout of my own to show you, but here are the beautiful previews. Click on the images to go shopping.

I did get a layout done with her last week's release (I know I am soooo behind), called "Merry and Bright". Click on that image for all the credits.

And last, but not least, River~Rose has a fantastic collab this week with Creative Victorian Designs, called "Secrets of the Heart".

"Funky Days" are here!

2010-12-01T06:22:00.001-07:00

Today starts Funky Playground Designs' Funky Days of December month-long giveaway! It will kick off with a fun paper stack from Ruby Lane using her brand-new kit, Merry & Bright.

Click here to head over to FPD's blog, then make sure you come back often to see what all the fun's about.

Enjoy!

Video of Living Proof Live

2010-11-29T08:23:00.001-07:00

Here's a video of the Rapid City Beth Moore event from Living Proof Blog. Be blessed!

Living Proof Live - Rapid City from Rich Kalonick on Vimeo.

Living Proof Live event

2010-11-20T14:51:00.001-07:00

What a blessing the Beth Moore Living Proof Live event was here in Rapid City this weekend. I'd known for over a year that she was coming to town and I kept hemming and hawing about whether or not I was going to go. I kept saying, 'Oh, it costs a lot' and 'Oh, I've seen her before', but after going I am always glad that I did. Her message this time was a study of the words "anguish" and "joy". God promises to turn our anguish into joy! What a hopeful message for many who live each day without a lot of hope. Don't let the enemy rob you of your joy because it is your birthright as a child of God.

But my very favorite thing she said was: "Anguish twists, but Joy twirls!" When your anguish has twisted you inside and out, give God the chance to untwist you and set you to twirling! Praise Jesus!

It's Friday!!

2010-11-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

Starting today I'm not sure I'm going to sit down and relax until after Thanksgiving. I've got some fun things, like going to hear Beth Moore live tonight and tomorrow, and performing in the bell choir all morning on Sunday, and getting to go to Danae's piano recital and then Special Person's day at school and then traveling to Wyoming for Thanksgiving, but phew! I'm tired already!

Several of my designers have fun new kits out today, so I'll show off a few of my recent layouts.

Using River~Rose and Amanda Carlson's collab, First Frost:

Using River~Rose's Christmas Surprises (hint: if you can't read the recipe, scroll down and find the freebie...it might just help):

And two using the gorgeous Soft and Tweet kit by Ruby Lane:

And because it's Friday and I'm feeling generous,
click here for a fun little freebie and a great recipe using River~Rose's Christmas Surprise kit. Happy scrapping and have a great weekend!

First snow

2010-11-17T06:15:00.001-07:00

This morning we woke up with a dusting of snow on the ground. And if you live somewhere outside the upper midwest of the US and are asking yourself, "Isn't this late in the year for a first snow out there in the middle of nowhere?" My answer is, "Why, yes it is. And we've enjoyed every moment of warm weather we've gotten, but we always want the moisture." So here comes winter. Better get used to it (she says mostly to herself).

** Ruby Lane is having a CT Call. Amber is a wonderful designer to work with, the requirements are light and the kits are amazing. Take time to consider applying. We'd love to have you join us!

** A fun challenge just got posted at Misty O'Brien's blog. Scrap a favorite recipe and get put in a drawing for a GC to Misty's store! Definitely check it out :)

Sneak peeks and layouts

2010-11-13T14:30:00.001-07:00

A sneak peek of River~Rose's new kit and a chance to win it! Go to River~Rose's blog for all the info.

Sneak peek of Ruby Lane's new kit. Will be released in the store this coming Friday. I can't wait for you to see it!

And a couple of layouts from this last week, using Bohemian Love by Ruby Lane, available at Funky Playground Designs.

And using Countryside Fall by River~Rose also available at Funky Playground Designs.

A little of this...

2010-11-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

and a little of that. Here's some scrapping news for you.

*Ruby Lane is re-launching her weekly newsletter, so if you're not signed up you'd better hurry. She's giving away a fabulous freebie kit to all of her subscribers soon, so don't miss a chance to play with one of her chic, shabby, elegant kits. Click here to go to her blog and sign up!

*Scrappers Give Thanks' 2010 project is up. I love that doing something that I enjoy can be part of something that will be used to bless other people, especially, in this case, children. Take a look and if you have the time, make a card or two to be shared. Here are the two that I made:

with Polar Pals by Garden Girl Designs

with Movie Night Marathon by Ruby Lane

Chance to win!

2010-11-08T14:42:00.001-07:00

I posted a contest at Misty O'Brien's blog this morning that I called "Count Your Blessings in Disguise." Come and play! All you need to do is leave a comment and you'll be entered to win a $5 gift certificate to Misty's store.

DSD sales

2010-11-07T06:48:00.000-07:00

Yes, Digital Scrapbooking Day was yesterday, but there are still some great sales going on.

Ruby Lane is having a Buy My Store sale. You're sure to love all her elegant, fun, colorful, gorgeous designs. Hurry, it won't last forever!

And check out River~Roses's blog for a chance to win and a beautiful (I mean 'handsome') new kit!

Friday round-up

2010-11-05T06:22:00.000-06:00

Yeah! It's Friday! As much as I enjoy my job and everything, it's always nice when a quiet weekend shows up on the calendar. Jackson's got a birthday party to go to tonight, and Ryan's shooting a wedding tomorrow, but the weather is going to be beautiful and the weekend is fraught with possibility. I wonder how we'll spend it? :)

Friday is release day for almost all of my designers and I've been terrible about showing off my scrapbook pages. I've really been able to step up my scrapping and I'll scrap almost a page per day now. That's a lot! Here are a few that I worked on over the week.

Using River~Rose's November Boys (at FPD)

using Paper Planes Designs' Looking Owl Pretty (Elemental Scraps)

Using the collab Sweet and Sassy by Ruby Lane and Amanda Carlson (at FPD)

Using Misty O'Brien's Scrap On (at FPD)

Monday Sneak peek

2010-10-25T06:32:00.001-06:00

Mondays can be quite painful, can't they? But with a sneak peek at a new kit from River~Rose, the edge is definitely taken off :) Here's this week's kit and as always, head over to her blog leave a comment on the sneak peek post, then be sure to come back on Friday to see if you've won this gorgeous kit!

Freebie from Ruby Lane!

2010-10-23T07:58:00.000-06:00

Head on over to Ruby Lane's blog and grab the freebie paper stack made from her newest kit, a collab with another designer I CT for: Misty O'Brien! It's a gorgeous fall kit with textured papers and elements you can almost feel. Here's the preview of the freebie:

Happy Scrapping!

PaperPlanes Sneak Peek

2010-10-12T20:01:00.000-06:00

A great kit for men and boys, you're going to love this collaboration between Project B and paper Planes Designs. Coming this Friday to Elemental Scraps.com...you don't want to miss it!

Another Monday...more sneak peeks!

2010-10-11T14:52:00.001-06:00

I've got a sneak peek of a gorgeous kit by River~Rose Designs. It's coming this Friday, but you can win it if you go to her blog and leave a comment. Easy as pie!

**On a completely different subject, take a moment and check out the video below. The lyrics of this song were written by a friend of mine. Isn't it great? I just had to share. Be blessed by it today, just like I was :)

Good TV

2010-10-09T14:35:00.001-06:00

...or at least I think it's good tv. Have you seen the new CBS show 'Blue Bloods' yet? I was absolutely hooked after this scene from the pilot episode. (The sounds quality isn't great, but I couldn't find another clip of it and I really liked this scene.)

Where else have you seen 1.) a family eating dinner together and praying before hand 2.) a discussion about "torture" where both sides of the issue are shown and what I would consider the more conservative side treated as reasonable?

And of course, you can't forget Tom Selleck. I don't normally dig cop shows, and maybe it was Tom Selleck's presence that made me even decide to DVR that pilot episode, but the family dynamics, great writing and talented actors are what will keep me watching. Great job, CBS...now I just hope that other people share my opinion and that it isn't cancelled in a week or two!

Heartbreaker -- Sneak Peek

2010-10-07T19:49:00.000-06:00

Paper Planes Designs has a new kit coming this week called "Heartbreaker". Here's your sneak peek! Go on out to her store at Elemental Scraps and see what else she has while your waiting :)

Sneak peek -- and a little extra!

2010-10-04T13:47:00.000-06:00

A beautiful new kit from River~Rose coming on Friday and you have a chance to win it free, as always. Head over to her blog and leave a comment. Then don't forget to check back on Friday to see if you've won!

And as if that isn't enough...

...make sure you sign up for her newsletter here and be prepared for a very special gift coming your way in November. That's all I can say for now, but trust me you'll love it! :)

How sweet....

2010-09-29T08:19:00.000-06:00

for me anyway! Happy National Coffee day! I got a coupon for a free coffee from Dunn Bros. this morning and I even got there before the line got too long. Yes sirree, it's gonna be a good day :) Now it's your turn to grab an Americano, cappucino, frappucino, breve or a plain ol' cup of joe and enjoy!

And because I for got to link this up last week, head over to Paper Planes Designs blog for a freebie I created last week with one of her gorgeous kits. I'd love to know if you use it, so link back to me if you do!

Headline Humor

2010-09-28T08:49:00.001-06:00

I love a good chuckle. This list gave me a smile this morning and hopefully it will do the same for you. Enjoy!

~ March Planned For Next August
~ Blind Bishop Appointed To See
~ Lingerie Shipment Hijacked--Thief Gives Police The Slip
~ L.A. Voters Approve Urban Renewal By Landslide
~ Patient At Death's Door--Doctors Pull Him Through
~ Diaper Market Bottoms Out
~ Stadium Air Conditioning Fails--Fans Protest
~ Queen Mary Having Bottom Scraped
~ Henshaw Offers Rare Opportunity to Goose Hunters
~ Teacher Strikes Idle Kids
~ Lawyers Give Poor Free Legal Advice
~ Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
~ Fund Set Up for Beating Victim's Kin
~ Killer Sentenced to Die for Second Time in 10 Years
~ Cancer Society Honors Marlboro Man
~ Nicaragua Sets Goal to Wipe Out Literacy
~ Autos Killing 110 a Day--Let's Resolve to Do Better
~ 20-Year Friendship Ends at Altar
~ War Dims Hope For Peace
~ If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last A While
~ Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
~ Half of U.S. High Schools Require Some Study for Graduation
~ Blind Woman Gets New Kidney from Dad She Hasn't Seen in Years
~ Man is Fatally Slain
~ Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Experts Say
~ Death Causes Loneliness, Feelings of Isolation
~ Defendants Speech Ends in Long Sentence
~ Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
~ House Passes Gas Tax Onto Senate
~ Police Discover Crack in Australia
~ Stiff Opposition Expected to Casketless Funeral Plan
~ Collegians are Turning to Vegetables
~ Scientists to Have Ford's Ear
~ Quarter of a Million Chinese Live on Water
~ Hershey Bars Protest
~ Carter Plans Swell Deficit
~ Caribbean Islands Drift to Left

Sneak Peek Monday -- River~Rose

2010-09-27T13:53:00.000-06:00

It's time for River~Rose to give away another of her FABULOUS designs. This one is perfect for pictures of your favorite guy...that's all I'm going to say. Click here to go to River~Rose's blog and make a comment. You might just win!

Hope the weather is as beautiful where you are as it is here. It's in the 80's today with bright sunshine. It's been so nice I can't bear to dig up my flower garden because the annuals I planted as still in full bloom. When am I going to get to plant my tulip bulbs? *sigh* What problems I have :)

Another CT Call AD -- Misty O'Brien

2010-09-25T14:57:00.000-06:00

I have really enjoyed guesting for Misty this month. And now you have a chance to play with her great designs too. I'll be applying, so here's me crossing my fingers :)

It's hard to read, I know, but click on over to Misty's blog for all the info.

I'm an auntie--again!!

2010-09-23T14:26:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the world, Amelia! Auntie Glynis loves you and can't wait to see you :)

This and that

2010-09-21T10:27:00.000-06:00

I just did some "power reading" (300+ pages in two days!) and finished up A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving before book club on Thursday night. Wow. What a book. I usually don't hold well with books full of what I think is questionable language, but the beauty of the storyline and underlying messages of faith and doubt outweighed the crude language. It's definitely worth the work to read it.

Scrapping news: It's time for another giveaway on River~Rose's blog for her upcoming kit released on Friday. It's a fun kit, just in time for ghosts and goblins. And that's all I'm going to say :)

And lastly, I'm still waiting to be an auntie again! Gretchen, here's praying for you to have that little one SOON!!!

Don't wait until tomorrow...

2010-09-14T08:23:00.000-06:00

for "Today" by River~Rose. Here's a sneak peek of Bobbie's newest kit (released on Friday) and it is GORGEOUS (trust me)!

Click on the image to be taken to River~Rose's blog for a chance to win this new kit!

Happy Scrappin'!

** On a personal note--I'm praying that all goes well and that by the end of the day I'm an auntie again! Prayers and hugs for you, Gretchen...love you!

CT Call!

2010-09-13T06:56:00.000-06:00

Join the fun at Paper Planes Designs! Alyssa is an up-and-coming designer (in fact, come check out her latest entry for DSA's Designer Apprentice here and her store at Elemental Scraps.

Apply today!

Days of sorrow and celebration

2010-09-11T14:05:00.000-06:00

Obviously, today is a day for all Americans (and those around the world) to remember the terrifying events nine years ago in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. We must never forget the villains who caused fear and heartbreak, as well as the heroes who inspired us to strength and resolve. Fly your flags proudly and say a prayer for the families closest to these events. Those families, and all of us, will never be the same.

But for my family, today has always been a celebration. Today is my parent's 40th anniversary. I couldn't find any of their wedding pictures that we scanned in several years, so I had to do a layout/card with what I had on hand, so here goes:

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad ...and here's to many more years to come!!

Sneak Peek for River~Rose

2010-09-06T08:36:00.000-06:00

Don't you just love Mondays? Well, ok,most people will say no...but on River~Rose's blog Monday means entering to win something free and fabulous Wink So, Mondays are good again, right?! Here is the sneak peek coming September 10th:

Just click here to go to River~Rose's blog, comment on the post and check back Friday to see if you've won. Also, don't forget to stop by my FPD store and grab a grab bag or 2. You'll get 5 brand new products for only $3.00! One is 365 themed and one is
all CU. Have a great week and thanks for stopping by.

I'm a guest CT for September...

2010-09-01T18:42:00.000-06:00

for Misty O'Brien Designs!!! I love her products, available at Funky Playground (my new fav digiscrap hangout) and I was so excited to get to be a guest for her this month. She's got a fun new grab bag for sale today and if you use this Code: GrabBagSpecial you can get it for 25% off!

and here's my layout using the products inside, along with Misty's beautiful Flirtatious kit and Jac Bernardo's Journalers Templates.

She's also got a great deal on a buy-one-get-one for her latest kit, Beautiful Dreamer.

Check out the post on her blog, for the coupon code and more information.

I loved my layout with this kit. It's hard to believe that beautiful little baby is an 8-year-old boy who spends most of his time climbing things, jumping curbs with his skateboard and playing video games. Boy how the time flies :) (Of course, I haven't aged a bit, you know!)

Last week of summer

2010-08-24T07:10:00.001-06:00

So here it is: the week every school-age child dreads--the last week of summer vacation. Last week Danae declared this "the longest summer ever...in a good way" and although I like her attitude I'm not sure I agree. It seems to have flown by like they always do. The weather has been hot, the fruit and vegetables delicious and the vacation relaxing. So all-in-all the summer has been a success.

But now I'm ready for the kids to go to school!

On a completely unrelated note, I've done a lot of scrapping this summer. I've been learning to take better pictures (thanks, Ryan) and I think my scrapping has improved as well. I'm on several new CTs (see my sidebar for links and info) and so here's a sneak peek at River~Rose's new kit, due out on Friday.

And if you head over to her blog post and make a comment, you'll be entered to win it!

I'll be back later with some layouts and photos from vacation. Have a great day!

Long time, no blog...

2010-07-11T13:33:00.000-06:00

June went by in a blur of band camp, church camp and piano lessons. Fourth of July was fun with fireworks, food and family. Now we get ready to send the kids to Sheridan for a week of 'grandma camp' and then pretty soon it's off to the west coast for a family reunion. After that, it's back to school and summer's over. Wow!

Well, maybe summer's not over yet. I just ate the first tomato from my cherry tomato plant. Delicious!

So I've spent some time scrapping in the last few weeks. Here is a roundup of some of my favorites. Click on them for full credits.

Why Ask Why?

2010-05-28T08:12:00.000-06:00

Time for Friday morning funnies!

Why do you need a driver's license to buy liquor when you can't drink and drive?

Why isn't phonetic spelled the way it sounds?

Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii?

Why are there flotation devices under plane seats instead of parachutes?

Why are cigarettes sold in gas stations when smoking is prohibited there?

Do you need a silencer if you are going to shoot a mime?

Have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations?

How does the guy who drives the snowplow get to work in the mornings?

If 7-11 is open 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, why are there locks on the doors?

If a cow laughed, would milk come out her nose?

If nothing ever sticks to TEFLON, how do they make TEFLON stick to the pan?

If you tied buttered toast to the back of a cat and dropped it from a height, what would happen?

If you're in a vehicle going the speed of light, what happens when you turn on the headlights?

You know how most packages say "Open here". What is the protocol if the package says, "Open somewhere else"?

Why do they put Braille dots on the keypad of the drive-up ATM.?

Why do we drive on parkways and park on driveways?

Why is it that when you transport something by car, it's called a shipment, but when you transport something by ship, it's called cargo?

You know that little indestructible black box that is used on planes? Why can't they make the whole plane out of the same substance?

Why is it that when you're driving and looking for an address, you turn down the volume on the radio?

Now that you've hopefully had a chuckle, go enjoy your Friday!

"After" Pictures

2010-05-26T15:41:00.000-06:00

Here are some pictures of my garden, now that it looks like a garden:

And my EarthBox:

Adventures In Gardening

2010-05-25T14:29:00.000-06:00

Days 1 - 3:

Sunday afternoon was beautiful. I decided to trot down to the local greenhouse (along with about a gazillion of my neighbors) and finally (!) get some plants for my newly-landscaped flower bed. I've never done any real gardening before and had already spent considerable time with a master gardener at Jolly Lane Greenhouse furiously writing down notes and plans on a clipboard and hanging off her every word. (I think she enjoyed it too. She said it was nice talking to a novice gardener because she had the opportunity to have me learn how to do things the "right way"). I had done my research online and in some gardening books and I felt ready to take this on.

My flower garden is round-ish, about 5' 6" wide by 4'8" deep. It was suggested that I do a three-tiered garden: shasta daisies in the back, salvia and black-eyed susans in the middle and moonbeam coreopsis in the front.

Here is the "before":

On Sunday I planted two "Crazy Daisy" Shasta daisies, one "Alaska", two Black-Eyed Susans and one Meadow Sage Salvia. I also planted two Husky Red tomatoes and one Husky Red Cherry in an earth-box (thanks, dad!).

Monday was the stormiest day we'd had in a long time. The rains came down and flooded creeks, sent tornadoes ripping through trailer parks and generally upended everything. So I knew that the ground would be super soft for me to finish my flower beds. On Tuesday morning I made my way to a much-less-crowded Jolly Lane Greenhouse for my Coreopsis. I also picked up a set of my very favorite petunia breed, the Merlin Blue Morn (which I haven't seen in several years) and some White Figaro Dahlias.

I promise to have an 'after' photo as soon as I get it off the camera!

What? No blogging? Me?

2010-05-20T18:47:00.000-06:00

Is it possible that I haven't blogged since last month? Where does the time go? Seems like just yesterday I was taking pictures of the kids going off to the first day of school and here it is the end of the year already. Everything is sort of wrapping up for the year: Sunday School and Wednesday Nite Live at church, piano lessons are taking a break and of course, the kids' birthdays are both coming up. Jackson's party has been moved up to this weekend simply because it falls on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend and we knew a lot of his friends would go out of town. It's going to be really low-key, but I'll post pictures when it's all said and done.

Here's what I've been up to recently:

I am guest CT'ing for Amanda Carlson this month and having a really fun time. Check out her designs, especially A Mother's Love (see the final layout in my list).

And that's about it. Later!

Strap on your shopping shoes...

2010-04-30T18:57:00.000-06:00

International Scrapbook Day will be here tomorrow!! If you need some help knowing where to shop, let me direct you to a few of my favorite designers (in no particular order :) ). Click on the links or banners to go right to their gorgeous stores!

RK*Designs

Danielle Corbitt Designs

Totally Twisted Scraps

Kristin Cronin-Barrow

LePinguoin Designs

Sharia Braxton

Have a wonderful (i)NSD!

More scrapping!

2010-04-25T17:13:00.000-06:00

It seems that all I've been inspired to do lately is scrap. I'm scrapping for several new CTs including Jaclyn Bernardo and RK*Designs. Here are some layouts for them, as well as a few from Danielle Corbitt Designs, Totally Twisted Scraps, LePingouin Designs. Click for full credits and information.

A film EVERYONE should see

2010-04-20T10:29:00.000-06:00

I got an email this morning from ChristianCinema.com, that had a link to watch the documentary film, Jesus, Save Us from Your Followers by Dan Merchant for free online, TODAY AND TOMORROW ONLY. I just finished watching it. I laughed and I cried. Click here to watch the entire movie!

Even if you don't have time to watch all of it, please check it out. This movie is for anyone, on all sides of the political aisle, for everyone in every pew in every church, who wants to see how Christians are perceived outside the church and how to have an honest conversation about it.

Here is a trailer:

If you do watch it, come back here and let me know what you think.

Layouts

2010-04-17T16:33:00.001-06:00

Just a few of the layouts I've done recently. Click on any of them to see full credits.

Funnies for Friday

2010-04-09T08:17:00.000-06:00

Just something I got in an email that is sure to make you smile. Have a beautiful Friday!

The Children's Bible in a Nutshell

In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is one, but I think He must be a lot older than that.

Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did.

Then God made the world.

He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet.

Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden.....Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars. Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel. Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.

One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.

After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.

Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable.

God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These include: don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor's stuff.

Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother. One of Moses' best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.. After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me.

After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed up on the shore.

There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them.

After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of The New. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn too, because my mom is always saying to me, 'Close the door! Were you born in a barn?' It would be nice to say, 'As a matter of fact, I was.')

During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Democrats.

Jesus also had twelve opossums.

The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him.

Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount.

But the Democrats and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead..

Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

Sale Time for LePinguoin Designs!

2010-04-01T15:05:00.000-06:00

A great time to feed your template addiction:

Chugga-Chugga...Woo woo!!

2010-03-22T06:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to this stop on the LePinguoin Designs/Spinky Dink Scraps blog train!

Here's my contribution, which I hope you enjoy!

And don't forget to make your way around the blogs and stop at every station on the track. By the end of your trip you'll have a fun little brag book for your own "Little Engineer".

Adi
Lindsay
Lisa
Lynn
you are here ----> Glynis
Lizzy
Marla
Crystal
Sarah
Chel

Happy St. Patty's Day!!

2010-03-17T06:20:00.000-06:00

A fun little quiz:

Your Leprechaun Name Is: Twindle McPixie

Top of the mornin' to ya, Patty!

What's Your Leprechaun Name?

Blogthings: 100's of Fun, Free Quizzes and 3 Stupid Ones

And some music to enjoy! Have a fun day :)

Completely UN-inspired

2010-03-09T11:02:00.001-07:00

I don't know if it's the weather (cold, gray, depressing) or what, but I am totally uninspired to write or blog. I can't put three sentences together to say anything interesting, so this sentence #2 is about all I've got.

I'll leave you with some of the latest scrapbook pages I've done. I'm on a new CT for the fabulous Danielle Corbitt Designs over at Polka Dot Plum, and I'm loving it! Enjoy :)

Wow! It's been awhile :)

2010-02-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

What have I been up to that I can't even post a quick note on my blog? Not much, to tell the truth. It's been cold and snowy here and although you can see the sun today, we've had more gloomy days than I care to think about. That kind of weather just makes me a bit apathetic, you know?

Jackson's had a cold (knock on wood that Danae doesn't get it) and we've been doing homework and basketball, piano lessons and church obligations and that doesn't leave a whole lot of time for writing or blogging. I have been scrapping quite a bit and have a few layouts to show off. Here goes..click on any preview for detailed information:

I've done more, but I'll bore you with those later. Have a great day!

End of the Road

2010-01-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

The Vikings' great season has ended with not a bang, but an interception. Yikes! Oh well. It's just a game and now I can say without equivocation...Go Colts!!!

On a totally unrelated subject, if you remember from some time back, a friend of mine made a short film from one of my essays. Well, he was going to re-engineer the sound and asked if I would do the voice-over. So now on YouTube, you can see his film with my voice. Pretty exciting! Enjoy.

Helping Those In Need

2010-01-19T06:35:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else feel helpless when seeing pictures or hearing the stories about the devastation in Haiti? My heart goes out to everyone who's been affected by such a horrible disaster. I can pray and I can give and that's about it. If you need a place to donate, think about giving to UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief). They do such good work for disaster relief around the world that you can be assured your money will go where it is needed.

Or, if you need to feed your digi-scrapping addiction, here's a way you can help:

Let's do all we can to help!

Life is suh---weet!!

2010-01-17T15:19:00.000-07:00

Go Vikings!!! I know football is just a game, but boy, is it a fun game when your team wins! See you in New Orleans for the NFC Championship, baby!

Glitter Graphics

It's been too long!

2010-01-12T07:17:00.001-07:00

I've let my blog slip. So what have I been up to, now that it's the year Twenty-Ten? Scrapping, reading, doing very well (if I say so myself) on keeping up with my One-Year Bible reading (see my other blog). I'm leading three small groups/Bible studies at church and being mom and wife comes in there somewhere too :)

I'm currently reading Out to Canaan by Jan Karon. I just can't seem to stay away from Mitford. I'd love to write books someday that just make people feel good, like the Father Tim books. No great conflicts, no huge spine-tingling, neck-tensing action, but full of life, love and faith. Can't say enough about them.

And I've been scrapping for my CTs, especially Tracy from Totally Twisted Scraps and Adi from LePingouin Designs. But I've been just completely addicted to the new challenges at Sweet Shoppe Designs. So here are a few of my recent layouts:

Click any of them for full credits.

I'm also trying to get back in the swing of writing. I'm working on an entry for this week's writing challenge...which is to say nothing is actually on paper, but all in my head :)

Hope you are having a wonderful week and a great beginning to the new year!

Little of This, Little of That

2009-12-21T11:33:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like my attempt at daily blogging has failed. I guess the holidays will just have to go on without my making hourly comments on how they're doing. But since I'm here, I'll just bring up a couple of items.

Book recommendations: I just finished the book that our church book club is reading and it's probably one of the best books I've ever read. You NEED to read Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. Prepare to be moved. If you aren't, then you might want to check your pulse...your heart may not be beating.

After I finished having my heart broken (in a good way) by that book, I started reading Reckless Faith by Beth Guckenberger. Another amazing book testifying to how God works in us and through us when we are willing to walk in faith and love in "dangerous" ways.

I believe that it is vitally important to our own faith and spiritual well-being to see how God is working right now and to hear the testimonies of those around us. Both of these books will move you to tears and give you fresh eyes with which to see the broken, hurting and hopeless people who inhabit the tiny corner of the world in which you live.

On a different note, a friend of mine has written, directed and produced a short film that shares the story of a team attempting to liberate a missionary family from war-torn Kosovo. Click below to watch a trailer from this movie. Way to go, Brian!!

Holidays in Hand | Days 13, 14, & 15

2009-12-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

Wow! How did I get so behind?

How important is a Christmas tree in your decorations?

This year, we went without the big tree. I thought it would be sad not to have it up, and I think the kids (okay, Danae, mostly) weren't all that happy about not getting to decorate, but it only bothers me a little. I'm happy that I didn't have to rearrange the furniture and that I can have a table for my nativity set. Usually the tree is the focal point of the room and I do love that. But the point of Christmas shouldn't be the tree, or what's on the tree, or what's under the tree, anyway.

Who do you spend the holidays with?

Family. We do have a few parties with friends, but it's mostly family these days. In the past, during college or as a military brat, we've hosted more than a few friends with nowhere else to go, but it's almost always all about family.

Does the concept of 'hope' find a way into your holidays?

I want to be someone for whom 'hope' has no season. Hope is a central component of my faith and because of that, I want it to permeate my life every day. I love the ability to help someone else have hope through a difficult time or see that they are not, by any stretch, hopeless. Isn't that one of the best gifts we can give someone? The ability to see that 'hope' isn't something far off, like heaven, but rather something that God gives us to get us through the here and now.

Contest time!

2009-12-12T17:45:00.000-07:00

LePinguoin Designs is hosting a contest. You've got to check this out! Her templates are fantastic. Here's the latest one that I did with her Template Set Quads and the latest release from Kristin Cronin-Barrow, All-Star. The kit and the template worked so well together, this took me less than an hour, even with all the layers. Yeah!

Holidays in Hand | Days 11 & 12

2009-12-12T17:18:00.000-07:00

Talk about plans for any holiday parties this year.

We only had two planned parties this year and they happen to be on consecutive nights. Our praise team Christmas party was on Thursday the 10th. We ate a lot. Seven-layer dip, hot apple pork loin, spinach dips, poundcake and gingerbread men for dessert..wow! Methodists sure can cook, can't they? The entertainment for the evening included a few Christmas carols (for a group that sings and plays together every Sunday, we didn't sound very good....technical difficulties, I'm sure) and a 'white elephant' gift exchange. The gift that got the biggest laugh was a photo frame with the pastor's picture in it. And since Doug wasn't there, it was even funnier! I came home with a copper oil derrick figurine that plays 'Babes in Toyland'. And the funniest thing was Jackson's comment upon seeing said derrick: "Mom. I thought you said these gifts were supposed to be terrible. But that one's a GREAT gift!"

Our second party was on Friday night. The whole church staff had a potluck dinner at Lori's house. She and Quint are wonderful hosts. Their house is cozy and elegant. We ate a lot (again!), including another seven-layer dip, tuna pate, chicken florentine, my homemade French bread, pecan pie and chocolate chip cake. The company was wonderful (how blessed I am to work where I do with the people I do) and the evening came to an end too soon.

I'm not much of a party person (ask Lori!) but our two parties were really as much fun as I thought they'd be.

Talk about the holiday movies you love to watch.

It's not Christmas unless I've seen "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown" and the old "Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer". Last weekend we watched "The Santa Clause"...love that one. One that we don't always watch, but which we only have on VHS is "The Muppet Family Christmas". We have to round up an old VCR and hook it to our big screen in order to watch it, though, so it doesn't happen every year.

The one that does happen every Christmas is our Buhler family favorite: "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby. I can quote every line, sing every song, and my sister and I could probably do all the choreography for the "Sisters" number at the dinner club. It's my absolute favorite of all-time. I can't remember a Christmas in the last twenty years when we haven't watched that movie together. Usually while enjoying Mom's pumpkin pie. Doesn't get better than that.

Holidays in Hand | Days 9 & 10

2009-12-10T13:17:00.000-07:00

Write about your favorite holiday books.

After reading this prompt, I am completely embarrassed. I consider myself at least a nominally well-read bibliophile, but I don't have a favorite Christmas story. Other than Luke chapter 2, of course. I don't read Dickens every year. I enjoy a few of the children's stories like The Polar Express and such, but there isn't something that I pull out of the box and feel like I just HAVE to read it or Christmas won't be the same. Now for the next year I'm going to be on a quest to find the perfect Christmas book. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Write about your favorite holiday sights.

Snow. Christmas tree lots. A children's choir. Live nativity scenes. A fireplace mantle decked out in garland and stockings. A house framed in white lights with candles in each window. Downtown streets decorated in wreaths and lights. A plate of Christmas treats.

So many sights to delight the eyes, I wish Christmas came twice a year...only kidding!

Holidays in Hand | Days 7 & 8

2009-12-08T13:35:00.000-07:00

Day 7: Talk about a food that reminds you of the holidays.

Lots of traditions seem to be embodied by food. I suppose there must be some connection between satisfying the soul and the body, but you can elaborate on that yourself. I adore cookies all during the year, but Christmas cookies are the best. Buttery spritz cookies, fruitcake cookies, and Russian tea cakes always make me think of my mom. Pfeffernuesse, on the other hand, is the cookie I associate with my dad. I think it's about the only thing he bakes (isn't that right, Dad?).

Not every year, but often enough, he and I and my sister would spend making up the traditional German anise cookies. They're a little time-intensive because the dough is rolled into one-inch snakes and cut into tiny pieces, then baked, but I LOVE them! The small size is perfect for snacking (and not feeling too guilty) and the spicy flavor of licorice satisfies my taste buds. The perfect Christmas cookie...well, one of the many perfect Christmas cookies :)

Day 8: Talk about a piece of holiday decor that you've inherited.

If I had an infinite amount of space for collecting and displaying, I admit that I could very easily collect nativity scenes. As it is, I don't have either of those things, so I have one really beautiful set that we got from Ryan's grandmother several many years ago now. They are simple porcelain with a blue-white iridescent paint covering each piece and I love them. This is the first year that I have had a spot on which to display them and I am thrilled.

Holidays in Hand - Day 6

2009-12-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

Write about a holiday symbol that is significant to you.

Something about the bright colors of a sprig of holly make everything feel festive and wintry. We had a holly bush at the corner of our house when we lived in Illinois and I remember one Thanksgiving we spent there: snow on the ground, cold, turkey cooking in the oven and I was looking out the front window. There was a bright green leaf of holly and a couple of berries sticking out from the pristine white snow and I knew that Christmas was coming.

It seems that the origin of holly as part of the Christmas tradition comes from the re-purposing of Celtic, Druid and pagan traditions during the winter solstice when Christianity made its way to Europe. Prickly holly became a symbol of the crown of thorns Jesus would wear during His crucifixion and the berries look like drops of His precious blood. What a powerful remembrance of the true reason for the Christmas holiday.

Holidays in Hand | Day 5

2009-12-05T15:02:00.001-07:00

Write about a specific holiday song that is special to you.

Only one? Trying to pick one favorite Christmas carol is like choosing between your children! But I guess if I have to write about just one song....

Christmas of 1999 I was pregnant with Danae. I was taking piano lessons at the time and there was an arrangement of 'Away in the Manger' and 'Brahm's Lullaby' that just made me cry nearly every time I practiced it. (I'm sure the hormones had nothing to do with it.) We weren't going to tell the family about the baby until we surprised them at Christmas with framed ultrasound photos. I loved keeping this special little secret and when I played this lullaby I felt like I might understand what Mary had pondered in her heart about the birth of Jesus. I had joined the special society of motherhood and the song about the little baby in the manger took on a very precious meaning for me.

Holidays in Hand | Day 4

2009-12-04T15:22:00.000-07:00

Talk about a sentimental piece of holiday decor.

We have a lot of handmade ornaments and I just love getting them out of the box and remembering where they came from: a handpainted ornament from my Grandpa Harris, a cross-stitched ornament I made as a teenager, paper and craft-stick ornaments from my childhood or my children. But one handmade piece stands out in my mind as completely sentimental.

When I was in second grade my dad was on a remote tour to South Korea. Mom, my sister and I spent that year living my grandparents in Oregon. In school I made a little tree out of pink styrofoam egg cartons and silver garland. Grandma hung it right on her wall in the living room and I thought it was beautiful. After Christmas Mom wanted to toss it (like I now do with much of my children's 'artwork' rationalizing with the phrase 'We just can't keep everything!') but my little six-year-old heart was devastated. I'm not sure if Grandma was just trying to keep the peace or if she really wanted to save it, but she didn't let Mom throw it out. Year after year she pulled out that old eggshell Christmas tree and put it up as part of her decorations. I got it back when she passed away. It had been carefully wrapped in tissue paper with this written on masking tape on the back:

Just writing this makes me feel kind of guilty that when we were cleaning up to move, I also decided to get rid of it. But I couldn't throw it without taking a picture:

Obviously, this isn't really about an eggshell Christmas tree. My grandmother knew how to love--not just me, but everyone. Fortunate children have one person who loves them so unconditionally. But the really blessed ones--like I am--are surrounded by them.

Holidays in Hand | Day 3

2009-12-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

What does the word 'joy' mean to you? Does it play a part in your holidays?

'Joy' is defined by as 'keen sense of pleasure or delight'. I think I add a qualifier to that in my personal definition which states that joy is 'a keen sense of pleasure or delight no matter what my circumstances'. I want to be one who lives life joyfully because the alternative is too terrifying to contemplate.

Joy shows up completely expected at the holidays. We share our laughter more readily, ourselves more easily and more completely with friends, family and strangers at the holidays than any other time of the year. But what a wonderful world we would create by living that joy, delight and pleasure all year long. It could quite possibly help usher in that world peace thing that we keep talking about. Who knows?

Holidays in Hand | Day 2

2009-12-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

Read the article Welcome Home...For the Holidays! and share your thoughts.

I have always wanted to have a home that makes people feel comfortable. I will never have a Martha Stewart-esque home and I don't feel bad about one little bit. My home will never look like a museum piece and I wouldn't have it any other way. I learned from my Grandma Harris that homes are about the inhabitants and not about the objects within. It wasn't until I was older that it suddenly occurred to me that she had a living room with light green walls, dark green carpet, an orange couch and a purple recliner, because, frankly, it didn't matter. I always felt at home there and although we didn't spend as many holidays there as we would have liked, the atmosphere in that house every day of the year was always one of warmth and family and gratitude and joy. And that is the essence of the holiday spirit, isn't it? Would that I could have that feeling in my house--and in my life--all year long!

Holidays in Hand | Day 1

2009-12-01T12:18:00.000-07:00

Write your thoughts about your family's holiday values.

I love the season of giving. I love the season of family, togetherness, and working toward peace on earth. I love the season of joy and herald angels. But most of all, I want to experience a season of holiness; expectation; incarnation. The awareness that the baby in the manger is God come down to earth. He chose, simply out of love for us, to squeeze His Infinity into a helpless human body and become one of us. I want to be reminded, that although Christmas is about serenity and adoration, it leads irrevocably to Easter where that serenity turns to sacrifice and the adoration becomes the glory of the Resurrection.

I pray this year that my family will spend time in worship of the one who gave the perfect gift, which allows our own gifts of love to have any meaning. What I hope to remember this holiday season is perfectly stated in a small portion of one of my favorite "new classic" Christmas songs: Welcome To Our World by Chris Rice

So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy

Perfect Son of God
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world

November Round-Up

2009-11-30T16:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, so tomorrow is the beginning of the end--of the year, anyway! I'm actually kind of hoping that December will be a little less crazy than November was. I know I'm probably living in a dream world, but I want my Christmas holiday to feel more organized than usual. I've already wrapped some presents, scrapped my Christmas card and made my list of which Christmas movies I HAVE to watch :)

I took advantage of Jessica Sprague's Holidays In Hand class and plan to scrap and journal my way through December. Starting tomorrow I'm going to try to journal and/or scrap for 20 minutes about the holidays every day. We'll see how well that goes (if you notice my NaNoWriMo word count is gone because I didn't do so well with the novel..it will get done, just not in November!)

See y'all tomorrow!

Another sale!

2009-11-29T13:53:00.001-07:00

I'm on a new CT! LePingouin Designs (boy, I hope I learn to spell that right!) is opening a store at Divine Digital. Check out her beautiful template sets...and here's my first LO for her using Kasia's Designs called Lavender Dreams. I was on sale over DSD at Shabby Pickle and I couldn't resist :)

FREEBIE ALERT! Adrienne's also got a freebie on her blog in honor of her grand opening. If you download and use it, link back here, 'cause I'd love to see what you do with it!!

Sale Time!

2009-11-24T12:16:00.000-07:00

Totally Twisted Scraps has gone exclusive at PrettyScrappy.com! Come celebrate with 50% off from now until November 30th!!!

I love her new Homespun Holidays kit for a timeless set of classic Christmas colors and elements.

And Blessed is great for those Thanksgiving photos you'll be taking this week

So get shopping...no time to lose!

Thank you to all who serve

2009-11-11T06:27:00.000-07:00

One day out of the year is certainly not enough to say a proper 'Thank you' to all who have so faithfully served or do currently serve in our country's military. Our soldiers never get the gratitude that they and their families deserve. So today I say thanks to those among us who keep us safe, give of themselves, spread the hope of freedom and liberty and for the families who mourn the fallen. You are very much appreciated, today and always.

I stumbled on a site called ScrappersGiveThanks.org where we scrapbookers can say thank you by sending our soldiers homemade cards that they can use to send to their friends and family. I love this idea!

Another way to say thanks is to send soldiers a gift from home...like a great cup of coffee! Boca Java Coffee gives you the opportunity to send a package of coffee to the troops. Add a note and say 'thank you' yourself!

Let's never forget what these heroes do for us.

Magazine Day

2009-11-06T06:18:00.000-07:00

Blog prompt: What magazines do you like to read?

I love magazines of all kinds. Glossy pictures, pages and pages of information (useless or otherwise)--I really will at least flip through any kind of magazine or catalog, except gossip or hollywood types. But magazines are PRICEY! I quit subscribing to magazines when we were trying to budget our money better, because it's just out of control to buy two or three $4 magazines a month! But I still love scrapbook magazines, cooking and home decorating magazines or informational magazines. I'll give a plug to my favorite news magazine, World, news and politics with a Christian worldview.

**If you're still interested in following my novel's progress, here's a *.pdf of the intro and the first two chapters. I'd love to hear what you think, but be kind....remember there is no editing involved--they call it a 'rough' draft for a reason :)

Little Arrays of Sunlight - Intro through Chapter 2

Sandwiches and other good things

2009-11-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

Blog Prompt - Today is the birthday of John Montague, the creator of the sandwich. Describe in great detail your favorite sandwich.

When I saw the prompt, all I could think was Compagno's Market & Deli. We ate there in Monterey when we visited California in April and had the most amazing sandwiches. The place is very small, so we took our sandwiches with us and ate them overlooking the water. The sandwiches are ENORMOUS, even a 1/2 was more than I could eat, with tons of meat, bacon, cheese and fabulous bread. Wow! My mouth is watering as we speak. I couldn't find a website, but click on the link above because you have to see pictures of this place. It's just a little deli in a convenience store, and because it's near the Presidio it caters to military clientele. There's a boatload of memorabilia from all the services and it's quite an experience. I'd go back in a heartbeat. And I just realized that I've described that experience more than the sandwich. So maybe you can say that sometimes a meal is more than just a meal.

** First unrelated subject: I made the Gallery Standouts at Sweet Shoppe's blog with the layout I showed you yesterday...first time ever! Yeah for me!

** Second totally unrelated subject: I just had to post a link to an article that I heard read on the Mornings with Brant radio show yesterday morning. Albert Pujols, a baseball player with the St. Louis Cardinals, and his wife for the past three years have hosted an annual prom for young adults with Down's Syndrome. The kids get dressed up, dance and have a wonderful time. What struck me were the following paragraphs in the article, written by Tim Ellsworth of the Baptist Press, who was invited to cover the story.

Their population is a shrinking one, because ours is a society obsessed with perfection and devoid of a healthy appreciation for the beauty of all human life. Conservative estimates indicate that more than 90 percent of unborn children diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted.

So our culture is deprived of the honesty, the loyalty, the unbridled joy and the unconditional love that so often characterizes those with Down syndrome, those who despite their shortcomings bear the distinct image and imprint of their Creator.

That struck me and brought tears to my eyes. Don't we all have shortcomings? Don't we all bear the mark of our Creator?

And in the words of Forrest Gump: That's all I have to say about that.

Writing and other good things

2009-11-02T06:07:00.000-07:00

With the beginning of November came the beginning of my (possible short-lived) novel writing career. I've gotten 1500 words so far, so if I can just do that 33.3333 more times before the end of the month, I'll be done :)

I scrapped a page about it, since I couldn't actually do any writing until yesterday, so here's what I had to say, using Kristin Cronin-Barrow's Bookworm kit.

And if you're bored, I've posted the first few "chapters" for you to read. Let me know if you think it's worth forging ahead with. And especially let me know, if you think it isn't!!

Little Arrays of Sunlight - Intro through Chapter 2

Have a great day...oh, and VIKINGS BEAT PACKERS! YEAH!!!

Life is Good

2009-10-19T13:52:00.001-06:00

Blog Prompt: Today is Evaluate Your Life Day. Reflect about your life and how it's going so far.

Here's a breakdown of today's snapshot of my life:

Kids are both feeling better and a trip to the doctor confirms that Danae has nothing more contagious than a simple cold. Yeah!
I'm feeling better and have the house to myself for a few hours to recoup some of my missed weekend.
Vikings are 6-0 for the first time in six years. Yeah, baby!
I sip a good cup of coffee and blog while outside my window the landscapers are hard at work on my birthday-Christmas-anniversary-for-next-five-years'-present. (We're getting retaining walls, a fire pit and a garden, along with edgings, bushes and trees! Now that we've been in this house five years we'll finally have landscaping to show for it.)
Last night I came up with a glimmer of an idea for my novel (see previous post). I think it'll be a geek-love story, so my next hurdle is to come up with a working title. Any and all suggestions for appropriately nerdy titles will be reviewed and considered.

So I guess, the conclusion for me, today (and every day)...LIFE IS GOOD!

Glitter Graphics

Taking the plunge!

2009-10-18T10:44:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I'm home this weekend sick, taking care of kids who are no longer really sick, which only makes my job a little harder. At least when they were laying around on the couch with me, I could keep track of them :) We're supposed to be in Mobridge, SD for the annual Anderson Family Reunion & Pheasant Hunt (if it had an official title, that's what the t-shirts would say).

So possibly because I'm in a compromised mental state from fighting off some kind of virus or because I just can't bear to let my schedule have any breaks, I went ahead and registered myself at NaNoWriMo.org to state to the world that I'm going to spend my month of November writing a novel. [That's what NaNoWriMo stands for--NAtional NOvel WRIting MOnth.] The goal is to write 50,000 words between Nov 1 and Nov 30. I think it should be "fun" (in the most stressful interpretation of the word), but as of right this moment, I still have no idea what kind of book it's going to be, what genre I want to tackle, who my characters will be or why anyone else in the world would want to read something I've written.

The email I received after I registered gave this piece of advice: Tell everyone you know that you're writing a novel in November. This will pay big dividends in Week Two, when the only thing keeping you from quitting is the fear of looking pathetic in front of all the people who've had to hear about your novel for the past month. Seriously. Email them now about your awesome new book. The looming specter of personal humiliation is a very reliable muse.

So there goes.

Scrapping Sales (aka "Let's Go Shopping!")

2009-10-09T07:09:00.000-06:00

A couple of "my" designers are having sales, so maybe it's time to get some new supplies!

Scrapper Girl:

Totally Twisted Scraps:

My Space (of the reading kind)

2009-10-08T12:05:00.000-06:00

Blog Prompt: Where is your favorite place to read?

It depends on the season, but I have to say my very favorite is to sit somewhere in the sunshine and read. A few weeks ago I had the privilege of spending a few days out at our church camp, Storm Mountain, in the beautiful Black Hills and in between all the other activities, I had the chance to sit on the grass, in the sunshine, 65 degrees, light breeze and escape to another world. Considering this morning we awoke to our first snow of the season, I'm all the more thankful for that last beautiful summer day.

Top Ten list

2009-10-07T15:15:00.000-06:00

Blog Prompt: You've been hired as a writer for "Late Show with David Letterman." Your first assignment is to come up with a witty, nonpolitical Top Ten list for him to read on air.

Top Ten Reasons Why Books are Better than TV:
10. Some of the greatest books have been around for hundreds of years; even the best TV shows haven't nearly stood the test of time.
9. In a loud, crazy, chaotic world, books are blessedly quiet.
8. My book doesn't require a converter box or care whether the signal is digital or analog.
7. I never have to steal a book away from my husband (unlike the remote).
6. I don't have to wait until someone tells me how it ends if I don't like it. I can just read the last page.
5. No need for batteries, a power supply or an outlet.
4. I'm sure I will never hear a pilot in an airplane say, "Please turn off all your books because they're interfering with the navigational instruments."
3. Portability (And don't tell me about 2-inch screens on your iTouch. I don't buy it.)
2. I never have to adjust the volume on my book.
1. No commercials.

When 'Thank You' is Not Enough

2009-09-29T07:08:00.000-06:00

Blog Prompt:On September 29, 1789, the U.S. Congress passed an act that officially established the U.S. Military. What would you write in a letter to a serviceman or servicewoman who is currently serving our country overseas.

Dear Sailor, Soldier or Airman:
I am aware that today one of you missed your daughter's birthday party or your anniversary. Or the family reunion where all of your loved ones gathered, except you. You didn't get to the watch your alma mater's big game or take your son to his first soccer tournament. You weren't there when your mother had surgery or your father got that award from his company. These are sacrifices that you didn't have to make, but you did. Know that I and millions of other Americans appreciate how difficult these days are for you and we wish you the best. Know also that prayers are continually raised to the Father on your behalf that you will remain safe and find yourself home soon. God bless you.

Sincerely,
A Fellow American Patriot

I'm all for progress, but...

2009-09-22T07:30:00.000-06:00

Blog Prompt: Talking to my sister the other day, she told me that her 1st grade son was now suppose to read his books on-line instead of bringing them home. How do you feel about that?

I'm such a purist when it comes to books, I'm just not sure I like that trend. For me, the experience of a book comes with the whole range of senses. I love old books that have a bit of a musty scent; I love the texture of different papers on which books are printed; I haven't eaten a book since I was child, so maybe it's not the "whole" range of senses LOL, but it encompasses more than the words on the page. I love holding a book like Shakespeare in my hand, because it feels weightier than the latest bestseller, just more important somehow.

***
Haven't posted in awhile, since I've been spending a bit more time scrapping. I'm on one more CT: Totally Twisted Scraps whose kits can be found at Pretty Scrappy and Scrapable. My first layout for her won me Lei-out of the Day at Scrapable!

Danae's First Digi-Card!

2009-09-19T11:53:00.000-06:00

Danae's first taste of digital scrapping was a card she made for her friend's birthday this afternoon. She used Kristin Cronin-Barrow's adorable kit, Giggles from Sweet Shoppe Designs. I only helped her learn the basics of Photoshop and she just took off from there...I hope I haven't created a digi-monster. I already have to share the computer enough as is :)

So long, summer

2009-09-07T10:03:00.000-06:00

As you can see by the new graphics on my blog, I'm gearing up for autumn, my favorite season because

the weather is warm in the daytime, but cool at night...perfect for sleeping
the kids are back in school and the schedules may get busier, but I love my routine (most of the time)
football season starts!
I love "sweater weather", pumpkin pie and warm comfort food

********
I haven't posted for awhile, so here are some layouts I've done in the last few weeks. Click on any of them for full credits.

Just a few notes: The second layout won 'Lei-out of the Day' at Scrapable.net and the last layout is for my guest spot on Lyndsay Riches' CT over at ScrapOrchard. Thanks for stopping by!

The Last Day

2009-08-31T08:03:00.000-06:00

Today is the last day of the kids' summer vacation. Usually Tuesday is my day off, but I switched for this week and decided to stay home with the kids for their last day. We made M&M pancakes this morning, but haven't decided what else to do with ourselves yet. This day always seems a little bittersweet to me.

Tomorrow we'll get our annual 'Going Out The Door' photo. Here's the layout I did from all the past 'First Days'.