Back To Work!

So this was my first week back at work. I am sooooo tired!! You would think that after teaching 15 years, I would'nt be so tired! I think I forget how much work we do and how much preparation it takes to get your classroom ready for a new year. This week only the staff is back. The kids don't come until next week! Now, that will be a week! My own kids start next week too, so I'm gonna have to get back into cracking the whip to get them going every morning! Well, I think it's past my bedtime! Oh, Here's the layout I did for round 2 of the ScrapsAhoy Idol Contest. I want to thank everyone who went to ScrapsAhoy to vote for me! And with your help, I made it to the 3rd round!! I'm gonna ask for your help again, but for now I just want to say thank you!! Take care and be blessed!

Good Things Happen Everyday!

Something really wonderful happened to me the other day. I got an e-mail from Pamela Scruggs who is the Artwork Coordinator for Stampington & Company http://www.stampington.com telling me that a wonderful woman had contacted her about my work in the June/July issue of Legacy Magazine. She said that this lady loved my work so much that she wanted to send me a gift. I was like, "Are you kidding me? Someone liked my stuff so much that they want to send me a gift?!" Well, let me tell you that this totally blew me away! I would never think in a million years that someone liked my work so much that they would go through the trouble of contacting the magazine to get in touch with me! Well, you can't imagine how good this feels to my soul. Things have been so crazy in my life here lately, and this is just the kind of medicine I needed to get myself back to my happy place. And you wouldn't believe how sweet this lady is! She is an amazing person herself who I am thrilled to get to know! It just goes to show you that good things do happen and you never know where your next blessing is coming from. Be blessed all!

Super sweet Nicole H. sent this to me with her answers and asked me to answer the questions too, so I did! I guess this is like being tagged! It was really fun to answer because it made me think about the things I like. I don't know about you, but I never have time to think about me, so it was pretty cool. Thanks Nicole!! Things you may not have known about me..... A) Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Worked at Long John Silver's for about a week!
2. Clerk at a Beauty Supply store
3. Cosmetic Salesperson at Famous Barr
4. Hair Stylist at several Beauty Salons
B) Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. The Color Purple
2. Forest Gump
3. Ray
4. Steel Magnolias C)Four places I have lived:
(All of these are in St. Louis, MO)
1. Purdue Avenue
2. Clara Avenue
3. Kingsbury Place
4. Appleton Drive D) Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. Big Brother All Stars
2. Hell's Kitchen
3. Biography
4. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
E) Four places I have been on vacation
1. Washington D.C.
2. Memphis, Tennessee
3. Long Beach, California
4. The Great Smokey Mountains F) Four Websites I visit daily:
1. Scrap-Tastic.com 2. Imaginecreatescrap.com
3. CreativeXpress.com
4. TwoPeasInABucket.com G) Four of my favorite foods
1. Spring Rolls
2. Chicken Wings
3. Imo's Pizza
4. Steak and Shake H) Four places I would like to be right now
1.Scrapbooking 2. Hanging out with family
3. On the beach
4. Shopping Here is a page I did of Michael and Tatum for a Scrap-Tastic DT assignment. Be Blessed!!

PLEEAAASE!!!

Okay, the voting is open for the ScrapsAhoy Idol Contest. Will you please go vote for me???? PLEEEEAASe, Pretty Please with sugar on top?? If you remember me now, I'll remember you when I hit the lottery!! (LOL) Here's the link. It only takes 2 seconds to cast your vote!! http://www.scrapsahoy.com/content/round_2/round_2.html Okay, be blessed you lovely people!!

Oops!!

I forgot to upload my digital page!!! Pray for me! (LOL)

Digital Me!

Hey everybody! I did a digital layout and it was tons of fun, but it was hard! I decided to give this new trend a whirl, so I enrolled in the fabulous Renee Pearson's digital class at Big Picture Scrapbooking http://bigpicturescrapbooking.com and it was a great experience! I think it was so hard for me because I'm a brand new user of photoshop and I really didn't know the program very well. Let me tell you that Renee is a great teacher and she answers every question you have in a timely manner! I love professionalism! Hey, I'm in the ScrapsAhoy Idol Contest and I need votes! PLEASE, PLEASE go to the site and vote for me! The competition is fierce (loads of talented ladies in the contest) so I'm gonna need some help. Here's the link: http://scrapsahoy.com . GO NOW! It won't take long! Okay, enough begging (LOL)! Here is my digital page. Remember it's my first so be kind! Be Blessed!!

Power to the People!

That's what we've all been saying in St. Louis for the past week! Get the power to the people! More homes are back in business today, but there are still 1 million families still left in the dark. Thank goodness our power came back on last night. 5 days without electricity, no food, no water, and my family was crazy in this hotter than hot St. Louis summer weather! We had to get rid of EVERYTHING in the refridgerator and then I had to clean it good because you wouldn't believe the smell !! UHGGG! Anyway, all is good with my family, but there are still those who need help. So...say a prayer for them. I did get to scrap and I came up with my favorite layout I've ever done! Hey, maybe if I suffer more maybe I can become famous?? Here it is. Be Blessed!

Blackout!

We haven't had electricity since Wednesday!!! The entire city of St. Louis and St. Louis County had a blackout!! I can't begin to tell you how horrible it has been! Thursday was the hottest day of the year-101 degrees!!! Thank God my mom's power came on Friday evening, so we're all camped out over here. The power company says they hope they can get our power back on by MONDAY!!!! I think I'm gonna have some kind of attack or something if I can't home before then! The city has gone crazy too! There are hardly any gas stations opened and only a few grocery stores opened. St. Louis City and County are huge to say the least so you can imagine the mess and hysteria! Oh, I forgot...we're also on a water boil order!! But we can't boil water because we don't have any electric!!!! Soooo, everyone is on the hunt for ice and bottled water and it's scarce! Trying to get gas and food today I saw at least 5 fist fights!! I'm also disappointed because I think I'm gonna have to drop out of the ScrapsAhoy Idol Contest. I have my entry done, but I can't upload it and retrieve my article by the deadline because it's on my computer. Oh well, I'll give it a go again next year. Actually, as I look at things I realize it could have been a much worse situation. I think of the Katrina victims and my sister-in-law whose house just burned down. At least we still have homes to go to! These people don't. Okay, we're blessed and you be blessed too!

Happy Monday to 'Ya!

Happy Monday everyone! This is the start of a brand new week and I'm feeling great! I've got a few projects I need to get done so I'm gonna focus on that before school starts again. What are you gonna do with your time this week? Will you spend it relaxing and taking it easy? Will you be finishing up projects you've been putting off for a while? Will you do something positive for a friend, family or yourself? Will you help someone who is in need? Or will you choose to hurt yourself or someone else because of anger, resentment, or jealousy? Only you make the choice. Remember, your attitude makes a big difference in your altitude!! Be Blessed!

Thank You!!

I just want to say thank you to all of you wonderful people who wished me a happy birthday yesterday! I've got to tell you that I had the best birthday I've had in years!! It was just so perfect from beginning to end! Thank you everybody for caring and I love you all! Here's a page I did yesterday of my cutie little cousin Tatum. Take care and Be Blessed!

Yeah Baby! Today is my Birthday!!

Oh yeah! Today is my birthday and I'm pretty hyped! I must say that I thought I'd be going crazy because I am OLD! Yep! I really am and I'm cool with it! Today I am 42 years old and proud of it! I know... I look much younger right??????(LOL) It's okay if I don't cause I'm definitely getting better with each birthday. I may not be as cute as I used to be, but I'm definitely getting wiser! Let's face it, when you're young- you're dumb! Really! Think back to the way you were 10,15, or (for you older folks like me) 20 years ago. You were dumb, right? I know, me too! I'm just happy to be alive and happy to be me! Here's my latest picture of myself. Happy Birthday Me!!! Be Blessed!!

Wanna Be Published??

If you answered, "Yes" to the above question, then I have the perfect solution for you! Imagine, Create, Scrap! is starting an E-Zine!! (You know, a magazine on the internet!) That's right! The call is for 1. My Home Town, and 2. Getting Wild With Nature!! For more information click on this link, http://www.imaginecreatescrap.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4918 ! You better hurry though! The deadline for this call is July 15!! I hope to see you in future issues!!


~*Oh, If you get a chance please include my sister-in-law and my niece and nephews in your prayers. Their house burned down over the weekend and we need prayers to keep them strong through such a difficult time. God Bless!!

Busy

Boy have I been busy since I got back home! I am so backed up with projects it's crazy! I don't know why I'm complaining cause I love it! I've been making some cool stuff, but I can't share it just yet. I'll be able to really soon though! I entered the Scraps Ahoy Idol Contest http://scrapsahoy.com in June and I made it to round 1! I don' know how this one is gonna turn out for me because it's some serious competition going on! You should go check it out. These folks are serious about winning, so I think I better step up my game if I want to do well! Anyway, I got this cool package of Sassafrass Lass stuff from the fabulous Becky at Scrap-Tastic http://scrap-tastic.com and I made some cute pages! We're having a Sassafrass Lass Contest at Scrap-Tastic so you better run, not walk on over and give it a shot! You should also go check out our rocking gallery! I promise... you will be inspired to create! Here is one of my pages using Sassafrass Lass! Princess features my good friend Shelby's adorable neice Shayden. So, Go on over to Scrap-tastic and check out the Sassafrass Lass Gallery! Take care and be blessed!

I'm Back!

So I'm back from D.C. and I had a wonderful time! My cousins were soooo much fun! They're crazy I tell ya!! My cousin's house is gorgeous too!! She has SIX BATHROOMS!!! That's right, I said SIX!! Anyway, I hadn't seen them since my brother's funeral (which wasn't a fun time for anyone) so we really had a good time. I did a lot of scrapping while I was there so I came back with lots to upload!

Before I left, I went in for a visit with my nutritionist and my diabetes counselor. All I can say is I thought I knew so much about food before this visit. Now I know I knew nothing! What a wealth of knowledge these ladies have!! Anyway, I got a food plan from my nutritionist Michelle and I have been dedicated in following it. This lady really knows what she's doing. She taught me what food combinations I should eat at each meal and explained to me the rationale behind it. It totally made sense. Here are the biggest things I learned.

1. Carbohydrates and sugars are synonyms because all carbs turn into sugar!
2. Do not waste money on fat-free items. Manufacturers replace the missing fat with carbs! (which is sugar to
make up for the missing taste!)
3. Just because something is fat-free doesn't mean that it's low in calories!
4. Protien is our friend!
6. Portion control is the biggest factor in losing and maintaining our desired weight!
7. Eat regular food in smaller controlled portions. This way you won't feel deprived!
8. Use a measuring cup to measure out your portions.
9. Do not skip meals!
10. Don't say you are on a diet. You are simply making positive changes in your life-long eating habits!

I could go on for days with the valuable information I learned, but I won't! Hey, following my food plan I lost
4 pounds while I was in D.C.!! And I ate what everyone else ate, just smaller portions! I'm feeling really good guys!!

Here is one of the pages I made while on vacation. It's actually a remake of a page I did over a year ago that I never liked. Take care of yourself and be blessed!!

D.C. Baby!!

Well, in the morning I'll be flying to Washington D.C. to attend the Great American Scrapbook Convention with two of my favorite ,crazy, scrap-happy cousins! I am sooooo excited I could scream! One of my cousins lives there so I'll be chilling with her and her family until Monday. I am super-psyched to go, but Gregory and Michael seem to be losing their minds over it! Gregory decided to pick an arguement with me so that I would be mad and maybe say I wasn't going. YEAH RIGHT!! DREAM ON BROTHER!!! Why are men so much like little boys? They both act just alike except one is 50 and the other is 4!! I have a big one and a little one flipping out over here because Momma is gonna be gone away without them! Michael is sticking to me like glue! I can't even go to the bathroom without him coming too! I guess I should be happy that someone cares, but they sure have a weird way of showing it!! Now all Brittany was worried about was if I was gonna let her have the keys to my car so she can go crazy this weekend too! Hey, if anybody is gonna be there, be on the lookout for me!! I look just like my avatar...just a whole lot bigger!!(LOL- I know that was corny!!) Anyway, here is a page I did called," Life Without You? Never!" Be blessed!

So I'm Not Mad Anymore

I know I was complaining about not being able to get my submission in to MME, but not I am sooooo excited for the new members cause I know 2 of the lucky scrappers and let me tell you that they ROCK!!! DT member Rachel C. from Scraptastic and former Scrap-Tastic DT member Michelle W. are fabulously talented!!! Oh, did I mention that these ladies are not only fantastic scrapper's, but they are truly sweet and wonderful women as well. The entire team is stellar and they couldn't have chosen a finer team! So, CONGRATULATIONS ladies!!

I've been working on trying some new stuff in my pages lately. I see so many cool things people are doing with their stuff , so I thought it might be fun to try some! Here is a page I did called,"Lil' Cutie Pie". It features Britt when she was 9. Gotta go! Be blessed!!

On My Soapbox!

How many of you tried out for the My Mind's Eye design team? Well I made the pages I posted in my last blog entry for the contest, but I never got them in to MME! Did anyone else have trouble with their e-mail coming back saying MME's mailbox was full? I sure did! I know I sent, re-sent, and sent my entry in at least 6 times before I got tired of sending it! Don't get me wrong. I totally love MME! They have some of the most beautiful papers out there , but I don't like how they handled the the process of submitting. Okay, I'm done! On a lighter note, have you seen this blog: http://scrapblogs.blogspot.com/ ? It is totally fabulous! They have (it seems like) everyone's blog listed here and if yours isn't, just e-mail it to them and you'll be on it lickity split!! To my surprise mine was posted on there when I went to check it out! Go check it out and all of the blog entries. It is very cool!! Here is a page I did of Ms. Brittany when she was 2 years old. She was such a cutie pie, girly girl baby!! Well, she still is!! Be Blessed!!

I really don't have anything to talk about today. I'm feeling good, having a nice day. I sat and actually scrapped all day and that was nice. So, I'm just gonna share what I made. Be Blessed!

I'm A Thief!!

So, those of you with small children or anyone who has had children will probably relate to this story. Well, I had some errands to run this morning and it was gonna be a trip with only Michael (4 years old) and myself. I knew to take all the regular precautions one must take when taking a 4 year old boy to run errands. I fed him, made sure he had pottied, let him choose his favorite small toy for the car, threatened him with bodily harm...you know, all the usual stuff . Anyway, we went several places and all went well! We even went to Wal Mart to shop in the Garden area! We browsed, chose some bedding plants, checked out and went home. He had been so good that I let him choose where we would have lunch, which was Burger King. Well, as I unloaded the car I noticed there were some barbecue tools laying on the back seat. It was a spatula, a grill brush, and some tongs. I wondered how the heck they got there because I didn't buy them. I asked Michael but all I could get out of him was "From the store, Mommy." Then it hit me. When we were in Wal Mart I was looking at them and I said I needed some new ones. I did pick them up, but I put them back on the rack. Well, this is a time when having a child with autism and a language delay isn't so good. I know Michael must have picked them up and carried them out of the store, but he couldn't tell me. All he could tell me was where they came from. Hey, that's actually a great thing! 6 months ago he couldn't tell me that! So there you have it. I'm a thief! And no I didn't take them back. I think I'm gonna use them tonight!(LOL) Here's a page I did for a challenge between myself and the fabulous Tiffany B-J. Be Blessed!!

WOW!! What a week!!

So this is the first week of my summer vacation and man does it feel good! I don't think I've looked decent all week! (LOL) Gregory has started looking at me really funny, but he hasn't said anything yet. I know he's wondering why I haven't had on any make-up, done my hair, and worn these same old sweat pants and tee-shirt all week! I have been showering though(LOL)! My scanner broke and I was all messed up because with it being the first of the month, I had projects to upload and I couldn't scan them! Uuggg!!! I did get a new one and I'm back in business. Anyway, guess who made the Paper House Design Team??? Yep! That would be MEEEEEE!! I'm so doing the happy dance! In honor of that I'm gonna give you two layouts!! On My Cutie Pie the paper is SEI ( I'm loving their new stuff!) and on Love You the paper and stickers are from 3 Bugs in a Rug Sugar collection. Be Blessed!!!