More about the Chair from Saturday

On Saturday evening I posted a photo of a chair hanging on the wall. I posted it because it has a hold on my heart.

Joal and I took the boys on a little day trip up to Bowling Green KY on Saturday. We visited the Shaker Museum in Auburn, KY--a small community about ten miles outside Bowling Green. I have a long-standing fascination with religions in the vein of the Amish, Shakers, Mennonite, and others that embrace simplicity and communal spirit.

What a unique experience. The chair hanging on the wall is the perfect symbol of the way of the "Shakers".

The Shakers embraced a cummunal lifestyle, believing that God was both mother and father. The Shakers were founded by a woman belived to be a prophetess, Ann Lee. They were a self-sufficient people and the photo above is of the school area. Wow. And some people call modern home schooling conservative. :)

More on this in a while. I have to get the boys to bed.

Nicole Wright

The newest issue of CK is really rocking. I picked it up yesterday and haven't been able to put it down. My favorite layout is on page 54, "one perfect day" by Austrailian Nicole Wright. She really personalized that Becky Sketch.

Notice the stitching! It's on my "Scraplift This Immediately!" list!

I did some digging to find more of Nicole Wright's work. If you wantto see more of her scrapbooking, she's on the Design Team at an Aussie store... www.scrapboxx.com.au. Her gallery can be enjoyed here.

Happy Sunday!!

Hooked on Metro!

My first layout using the new QK Metro alpha! The first of many!

This layout is a "scraplift" of this page made by Scrappygirl at2Peas.

I am usually challenged when it comes to mixing 2 or more patterned papers, but got lucky with this one. The dotted paper is from the Wild Asparagus collection and the stripe is from Scenic Route. I was surprised at how perfectly they go together. The orange solid is the reverse side of the dotted paper. The word "LIFE" is the Heidi Swapp chipboard letters that are too easy and too cool. I am totally hooked on those buggers too.

My cruise album is 8x8 but I wanted a cruise layout to hang in my space, so I did this one in 8.5x11, to match the other pages hanging on my wall.

Happy Wednesday!

Lost and Found

Rings.

I'm just killing some of my "I'm-trying-to-be-patient" time with some random musings...there is a thread on 2Peas today about wearing wedding rings or choosing not to. I have some thoughts on that...gee, I know you are shocked, right.

Joal sang 3 songs at our wedding. I will never forget when he sat down on the stool, began to play the quiet opening notes of "Love of a Lifetime" after we had exchanged vows and rings. He played a few notes, stopped completely and held up his hand, he readjusted the pick in his hand and smiled at me. "I've never played with a wedding ring on." he said. Then he went on and finished the song. It was one of many funny sweet moments of our wedding.

We both have gold bands, both engraved with our wedding date and I have a small solitaire. We got married in college, almost 15 years ago, when 3 months salary wasn't nearly what it is today. LOL! I'm OK with that tho. I do love my rings.

Joal has worn his wedding band everyday from that day to this. His finger has a grove where the band sits. I love that.

Nine months after we were married, I lost my wedding rings. We were moving to our first apartment from the lowly married-student housing and when I was cleaning, I took off my rings and put them in a cup on our dining table. I forgot to put them back on before I left for an evening class. While I was in class, Joal and our friend David decided to use their dinner break to move some of the larger items to our apartment, including the table. The items on the table got moved to a box, including the cup. Unfortunately, by the time I caught up with the cup in the box, my rings weren't there.

I have rarely been that sad.

Joal said all the right things. "We'll get you a new one." and "It's just a ring. We are married, with or without it." but there wasn't much consolation. I remember feeling helpless and hopeless. All through the moving process, we hunted for them. We went thru every box, hoping it got stuck in the folds or something, but to no avail.

Word got around. (It was a small school.) I worked in the library and for days, every library patron would see my hand and ask "Where's your rings?" or "Haven't found the rings yet?" It was difficult and I felt horrible.

And then one day about a month later...after class, I was in the cafeteria studying, when David came in. He was beaming with a smile--something that was very unusual for him. He sat down next to me and held out his hand. "I think these belongs to you." he said and in his hand lay both my wedding rings.

Come to find out, one of the single faculty members moved into our place after we moved out. He hired one of the students, my friend Kim, to do some housekeeping for him. In her cleaning, she discovered my rings, but she hadn't heard about my loss. She decided to turn them in to the office. David worked in the office and was there when she brought them in. He knew just who they belonged to and he came to find me immediately.

It was a sweet day.

Since then, I have rarely taken them off. Pretty much the only time I've been without them, I was in the hospital giving birth. My rings were important to me before I lost them, but became even more important after that incident.

Yes, I know they are just a symbol, and we are still married, whether we wear them or not. But to me, a wedding ring says something. It's a declaration. It's a reminder. It's an unmistakable signal. It makes the lines of demarcation very clear.

He is claimed.
Spoken for.
Committed.

I am claimed.
Spoken for.
Committed.

And we want there to be no room for doubt.

I like that.

So Now We Wait. Period.

Let's just talk facts.
I am not a patient woman.
I want to be.
But I am not.

Waiting is not my forte'.
It's a downright struggle within me.
Money burns a hole in my pocket.
I scrap the newest photos first.
I rush the people around me.
I usually shop alone.
I like to eat the favorite food the day it comes home from the grocery.
Both my children were born early.
My wedding started 3 minutes early.

It's a lifelong pattern.

Unfortunately we are now stuck in this waiting pattern for test results for Julian from Vanderbilt University. Yes, I know they have this impeccable reputation as the home of many world-class researchers and great doctors but that impecability doesn't seem to carry over to their labs.

The labs move at a snails pace.
And they don't recall phone calls.
And at least one of their techs is incredibly rude.

They seem to "care not" that much of my future (and my sons) is going to be plotted according to what they find in that vial of blood. They have information that I need. Need.

ASAP.
NOW.
Please.

Did I mention how much I hate waiting?

Some love for SEI and slowing down...

I think SEI is one of the most unique, innovative scrap companies out there. They are always doing something a little edgy. When cute was dominating, SEI was doing stripes and circles, and the SEI color choices have always been non-traditional and cool. Today I was looking at the SEI website and I noticed the sale page, where they are clearancing quite a few of their older items. Funny how looking at older paper is so sentimental to me. Check it out here.

The very first SEI paper I ever saw in person was the striped vellum pictured above. I still love this paper!

One of the things I adore about scrapbooking is the speedy proliferation of new and exciting products. There's quite literally *always* something new coming out. Unfortunately, the flip side of that is the incredible speed at which what is new becomes out-of-date and old news. This market moves at an incredible pace. Sometimes I think it moves a little too fast. We could slow down and enjoy stuff a little longer. I am trying.

If I could have one wish, I would wish that some of the powers-that-be in the scrap community would really take on this "new-to-old-in-60-seconds" problems. I wish that magazine editors would see the value of "vintage" and manufacturers would slow down with the flush of new stuff and focus on supporting (really supporting) what is already available. It's going to take a concerted effort. If one cog in the consumer-LSS-magazine-manufacturer wheel doesn't fully get on board, we'll be stuck in this whirlwind of new until the market breaks. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy new as much as any scrapbooker. I just happen to think there is a limit to what the market will stand for. Many of the scrapbookers I know already have a brutal case of product-ADD. I'm not sure how much frustration we can stand.

If you still love the older SEI styles, they are being offered at serious savings on the SEI site.

Happy Friday! again!

2006 Toyota Corolla SE

There's a new set of wheels in the driveway! Well, new-to-us, anyway.

It's a white 06 Toyota Corolla SE with 5025 miles on it. It's a sweet little ride and is perfect for my favorite salesman who's tracking to drive 42,ooo miles this year (down from last year's 53,ooo miles).

The ever increasing price of fuel prompted this move down from the Jeep (although we do still have both Jeeps). The Jeeps are lucky to get 18-20 miles per gallon. The Corolla is reprorted to get 35-40 miles per gallon. This switch could effectively cut his gas bills in half...and let me tell you that's a h-u-g-e difference. We spend more in gas each month than some house payments!

Happy Friday!

Not for 9.75 Percent!! Not even for 10!!

Tomorrow will be the beginning of the first TN Sales Tax School Gear Holiday. In our area, that means a savings of 9.25 to 9.75 percent on school gear and clothing.

People are all excited.

I am so not.

You couldn't pay me to go shopping this weekend. Not for a mere ten percent discount. No way. Not in those crazy crowds.

Look what we did today!!

"It's a rainshower!" Grey said laughing hysterically!

Leigh Ann, you made our day! Can't wait to go back with ya'll!

Appropriate...wouldn't ya say?

I couldn't resist this!
I must sit down at the computer 50 times a day...

"When does public school start so I know when the splash park hours change?" Go to the school system website.

"What's the weather like in Florida at Christmas?" Go to the MSN weather site.

"What's the expected life of a Toyota Corolla and a Honda Civic?" Go to the big three car sites for stats.

"What's my inlaws address?" Go to Whitepages.com.

"What time does J's flight land on Wednesday night?" Go to the US Air website.

"How do I get to the Dr office at Vandy?" Mapquest.

"What are the peas discussing today?" Go to www.twopeasinabucket.com

"What do I need to know about a new med we are considering for Julian?" Go to Google.

"I want to hear a sermon replay from my pastor from a few weeks back." Go to the church website and play it.

"I need to clean out some of my old sb stuff to buy a few new things." Sell on ebay or Scrapbook Addict.

"I need to order that Club Scrap set of UM stamps..."
Email Sabrina. :)

"I want to get a movie."
Put it in the Blockbuster online que. It will come to my door.

"I need a recipe for ______."
Go to Google or foodtv.com.

"I need to get some pictures developed."
Go to Winkflash or 2ps.pictures.

"I need postage stamps."
Go to USPS.com.

"I need to find out when our tree in the backyard should be pruned so that it will actually bloom next summer." Go to Google.com.

"I need an address to send Julian's letter to 'Ask This Old House' to."
Go to PBS.com.

"I need to know what kind of menu to expect at Buca Dibeppo (Italian restaurant) in Brentwood." Go to www.bucadibeppo.com.

"I need ideas for my Sunday School class Jonah craft on Sunday." Go to Google. (Oh man. There's some cool stuff out there for SS teachers. I had no idea.)

"I need a printable calendar to track what days we "do school"." Go to http://www.printfree.com/Calendars.htm

"I need to print my bank statement." Go to bank website. Looked for a "free money" button but couldn't find one. Will have to keep looking.

"I need to catch up with some friends." Email said friends and check their blogs.

"I vowed last December that I would not wait until December 2006 to do my shopping for Christmas." Oh my. Internet shopping is so much fun!

"J needs another book on firemen. (snort) I dig around in the library files for some new books and request transfers." Go to Nashville Library website and renew other books while I'm there.

Seriously. If I could just find a way to do my grocery shopping online...I'd be a happy camper.

Happy Tuesday.

Summer Smiles!

The pool may be on it's last leg (this is it's third summer of service) but I think the boys would find happiness in water even if it were held in a paper bag! :)

I so love water pictures.

The one in the middle makes me laugh. When J was really little, we went to a museum in Mississippi. In the courtyard of the museum was a concrete statue that was spewing water into the fountain below. J got a huge kick out of it at the time and he's always remembered the statue. Since then, everytime we go swimming (and sometimes in the bath tub), he always says "Look, Mom, I'm the statue." Then he takes a big gulp of water in his mouth and spews it.

I've complained a little (that water is terribly unfit for consumption) but it makes no difference. He thinks this trick is hilarious so on this small thing I let him win and try not to think of the germs in pool water.

Such is the life of mommy-hood. Finding a balance between enjoying life and managing risky behavior. :)

In other news, Joal and I watched Glory Road last night. It's an awesome movie. Definately a flick for adults, although I don't recall any cursing. The topic and story are just intense and there is some fighting and vandalism. It's the store of a real basketball team from Texas--the first NCAA team to field black basketball players. Kentucky fans (who are generally in need of a dose of humilty anyway) will hang their heads. This was a sad reflection on Kentucky basketball legends...but the triumph of Texas Western was righteous and the movie was really good. If you like Remember the Titans, (which I did) you'll like Glory Road. (Only no Denzel.)

Two observations:

First, the cheerleader outfits were so funny-looking. Loooong skirts. There was no skimpiness there. LOL! They were practically poodle skirts.

Second, I wish the lead character had been played by Matthew McConnaughey. I think he could have done a better job...and he's a Texas boy.

Happy Monday!

MFR= Most Favorite Restaurant!

It's unfortunate really.
Whenever I choose a Most Favorite Restaurant, it invaribly closes.
Not a gift, I tell ya.
I've "closed" 3 good restaurants in as many years, simply by declaring their wonderfulness.

So with great hesitation, I am fulfilling the 2Peas writing challenge for the day.
My most favorite restaurant is McAlister's Deli. Perhaps since they are a chain from Mississippi, they will be immune from the curse. Here's hoping. They have the best tea!

Tea and Chicken Ceasar Salad

That's my favorite meal!

I have a most favored local restaurant...but I'm not telling anyone about it. I like it too much.

Happy Sunday!

Crop Circles

No, not the mysterious kind...LOL!

The pea challenge for today was to share a funny story from your cropping experiences.

I've been to so many crops it's not even funny. Houses, churches, stores, civic centers, conventions, camp grounds and hotels. I have attended crops as a cropper, a teacher and I have hosted crops at my home and in hotels.

The funniest was the very first Croptoberfest, way back in 1999. It was funny in so many ways. Looking back it was amazing and wonderful and yes, funny. It added so much to my life. It was a weekend retreat held at a Baptist campground in the hills of eastern TN for a group of online friends who met thru a Yahoogroup. It was a weird and brave thing to do--back in 1999--to go to the woods to meet a bunch of people you only knew via the email, but it was so worth it. That's where Anita first started making me laugh and where I sat next to Rebecca Sower for the whole weekend and gleaned from her amazing work and where I became known as the woman who slept thru Croptoberfest (even tho I really didn't) and where Julia spilled salsa on Claudean's album (not a funny moment) and where I learned to stamp in a scrapbook and where I ate way too many of Julie Parker's butterhorns and where I discovered a knack for winning HOTP Paper Pizazz books in the random door prize drawing (I hate those things but couldn't stand to not be gracious--I came home with 4 of them) and where I fell in love with the mountains and where I began to realize how important it is to get away occasionally. There's more...but I don't want to incriminate anyone. :) And believe me, I could.

The worst was a scrapbooking group advertised at my church in late 1998. It was advertised as a crop. It said nothing about being a Creative Memories event. We had just moved from MS to Nashville and I thought it would be a great way to meet people. Boy, was I wrong. There were about 30 people there--All CM devotees. Which would have been fine except that I kinda stuck out like a sore thumb, not being a CM convert. The overriding problem, however, was that there were no introductions, no get-to-know-your-neighbor games...no one seemed to be in charge. I introduced myself to the people at my table but got the distinct impression that I was intruding. It wasn't a pleasant evening and as I recall, I left early. It was cancelled just a few months later.

Over the years I've become a very selective cropper. Selective is the nice way to say "picky", ya know. (I admit it. I'm picky.)

Many of you know that I hate to pay to crop. It's just one of those qwirky things. It just seems like such a waste. I won't attend store crops that charge a fee--I hate the notion of paying to shop. I don't expect much (a chair and a table and good lighting) and prefer no meals or snacks. I love to be able to shop while I am cropping and do, regularly. I don't think I should have to pay for the priviledge of shopping and using a table. Like I said, it's a gwirk.

I don't attend convention crops because I can't focus in a room full of 400 scrapbookers and they are way overpriced. Way! The last convention crop I attended was at Simply Scrapbook and Stamp. There was a keynote speaker that unfortunately no one but me was paying attention to (which I thought was incredibly rude) and later was followed up by Kareoke. Can you say "bad idea"? Just because you have heard a song on the radio...does not mean you have the pipes to belt it out!

Anyway, lest you think I am completely negative...I'm not. I've just come to understand what I like.

I like it when I can crop with a small group of friends.
Have a nice meal.
Take time to talk and catch up with each other.
Tools to share.
Stories to tell.
Burdens to bear together.
Laughter to enjoy.
Dessert to indulge in once in a while.

I've been hosting crops in my Great Room for almost two years now. Nothing to buy (unless you want). Come early. Stay late. Eat or don't. Scrap or cut stamps or whatever appeals. Soak up the friendship like a sponge. Borrow tools. Learn new things. Get ideas and give them. Laugh and cry--either or both. Answer that call from your hubby or ignore it and we won't tell. Vent a little and we'll try not to call you on it too much. Show off your latest work or your latest purchase or confess you haven't done a thing since our last get-together. It's all good.

If my walls were lined with every color of Bazzill ever made and every Quickutz alpha set, I wouldn't love Scrap Night any more than I do now. Well, OK maybe just a little. But it's the girls that make it special.

-Heather, the proficient scrapper who has taught me to get on with it and the woman who finally convinced me to go digital (and my favorite lamination expert)...
-Carla who drives a billion miles to be here and rarely ever scraps (but that's OK)...
-LeighAnn who so generously loans out her tools and books and who is stronger in heart than she knows, I think...
-Sabrina, the walking Club Scrap Encyclopedia/Sales Person and the brave lone mother of a daughter amidst all these mothers of sons...
-Debby who's just starting the scrapping journey but is definately holding her own and is our favorite not-yet-married woman...
-Susannah who used to be the mother of all boys but recently joined the "MoG" club and who still thinks we are a little weirdly obsessed with this paper thing...
-Connie who makes pages we adore and dips she doesn't like and shares her recipes for both graciously...

...and other occasional guests (Michelle, Anita, my sister Deborah, Hannah, Brookelyn...maybe others). These are the women who grace my table with their gifts and their friendship...who I treasure. We've had to take a little break thru the summer months and it's making me nuts. I feel like part of my life is missing and I can't wait to get back to our monthly shin-dig!

Cropping for me is less about the cropping and more about the people that it has brought into my life. That's a good thing because they all know I rarely ever actually get anything done. It's OK. I enjoy what it is to be among a circle of friends...I will forever be grateful for Scrap Night.

May you have a blessed Sunday!

It's a Great Day!

Oh happy day...
Rebecca Sower has a blog

Happy Friday!!

Saturday Night Woes on a Sunday Morning...

I don't get it.

Why is it that I always get on a creative jag on Saturday night?

Basically, Sunday morning is generally the only day of the week when I have something that I have to get up earlier than normal to do--go to church. And it never fails...Saturday night finds me so jazzed about some scrapbooking thing that I don't get to bed until 2 or 3 am. Which means I feel really not-so-delightful on Sunday morning for about the first hour.

I really have to change this.

I have always respected the creative streaks. I try to go with it when it feels right...because it's not always "on". Creatively, I come and go. The cylces are controlled by some spiritual, mystical, hormonal, inspirational, life-force that moves like the wind. Felt but unseen, unless there's something in it's path.

The little guys and girls (all about the same age as Grey) in my Sunday School class deserve better from me. My guys deserve better.

Happy Sunday!

Just a thought to ponder...

Everyone should have at least one friend who is loving enough and courageous enough to speak the truth into your life when it looks like you are screwing up. A real friend, you could say.

I'm blessed to have such a friend.

George Canyon

Nashville has missed the mark on George Canyon, but fortunately, Canadian Country music fans know a great thing when they hear it...and they have had the good sense to reward this man with a remarkable career.

The runner up in the Nashville Star competition two rounds ago has just released his second project for Universal Records, this time with Universal Canada. I checked 4 major record stores in the alleged Country Music Capital of the World and *none* had George Canyon's newest release on the day of it's release, July 4. Sad. Because you don't get any more country than this disk. Joal actually had to order it off the GC website. It arrived yesterday (autographed and everything) and I am loving it!

It's real and rockin' and country and sentimental and the man can spin a phrase! It's a good country record--a record of substance in a time when thoughtless brainless country seems to be the norm.

It has been said that the sophomore project of any new artist determines the rest of the artists career. If that's the case, I have no doubts that George Canyon will be in this for the long haul. This sophomore project is remarkable. It's personal. It's expressive. It's honest.

Oh yeah. It's also slammed with plenty of scrap-worthy lyrics. :)

Happy Saturday!!

Sketchbook Update

I finally updated my sketchbook. Months ago I found a snappy business card folio at Target. It was plain with a magnetic closure. I really liked it but it needed something. Ribbon.

Finally, tonight I decided to work on it. Added my favorite brown ribbon from Textile Fabrics. The top photo is of the outside.

The lower photo is of the inside front cover and the front sheet of sketches. Luckily, Joal recently got a promotion that necessitated new business cards, so I am the happy owner of 3 boxes of old business cards perfect for my sketching. Recycling...gotta love it.

I'm also working on a way to print layouts from my 2Peas Book of Scraps straight onto business cards. The time and ink that would save would be amazing...not to mention really cool. I might have to use a separate book for those...there's not much room left in my sketch book.

Sketching is like making a plan or reading a map. It gives me a goal and points me in the right direction. Sketches can come from anywhere...signs, wallpaper borders, junk mail, websites, nature, etc. Sometimes a sketch is just an element of something that seems useful, or sometimes a whole page layout.

In other news, the new banner at the top of the blog is in honor of our upcoming trip to Fort Walton Beach. My heart beats faster just thinking about it. The beach is my place of deep living. It speaks to my soul. It makes me feel smaller and more creative than any other place on earth. The ocean is a powerful force that both confronts and soothes. Saltwater and sand...blues and greens...sunrises and sunsets...elation and serinity. Fo me, the beach has it all.

Along about May of every year, I start to get a longing in the pit of my stomach and it doesn't subside until November. There is no other place that does this to me. I can barely explain it but boy do I feel it deeply. A few weeks ago, Joal announced that he has a training to do in Fort Walton...and asked if the boys and I wanted to come along for the weekend before. He had to ask...I started packing that very day. LOL! I'm not sure I'm truly brave enough to take the boys to the beach alone (Joal will be training during the day) but I'm going to anyway. There's a fine line between brave and insane. For a trip to the beach, I'll walk that line.

So, now you know. :)

One last thing...the gallery at 2Peas has been on fire lately with great stuff. This layout by kokopuffs really made my day! Enjoy!

Happy Thursday.

One more thing...

Remember that awesome layout by Tammy Graves that I mentioned sparked me to try stitching? Well, half of it is posted on Scrap It's blog HERE!

Tags Need a New Home

Anybody want some tags? Metal-rimmed, white, vellum and colors, all sizes and many shapes...

Speak if you would like a bag o' tags.

I'll send them your way.

Email me your mailing address scrappinsarah at msn dot com.

________________________________________
In other news, a special thank you to everyone who has wished Julian and Joal well lately.

Joal is healing nicely. Sore but not too bad.

Julian's appointment with the new pediatrician went really well. He is going to have the genetic test we have been considering and in the meantime, we'll be making some other lifestyle changes in an effort to help him. I can't tell you how much relief I find in having the fresh eyes of a new and very caring pediatrician come to similar conclusions as I have. In the past ten years of taking him to various doctors, I have never once felt that *all* my questions and concerns had been completely satisfied before leaving the doctor's office. That is until this visit to this new pediatrician. What a different experience!

Happy Tuesday!

The Trolley!

We rode the Franklin Trolley today! To the boys, trolleys rank up there with school buses and 18-wheelers. A while back a friend was telling me about the trolleys that run around Franklin. She and her small daughter live in Franklin and enjoy riding the trolley from a stop near their house, over to Wal-Mart and home for the grand price of a dollar. With ever increasing gas prices, that's a great deal. That got me to thinking that we could make a fun day excursion out of a trolley adventure.

That was the best entertainment the boys and I have had for $1.50 in a really long time. We got on at The Factory at Franklin (after a nice browse thru one of the most creative places aroundand a tiny bit of shopping at Creation Station for scrapbook stuff) and rode the whole tour. It took about 75 minutes and the boys thought it was incredible. At one point G looked at me and said "Can we do 'gin tomorrow?" This was (I think) his first experience with riding in a moving vehicle without the restraint of his carseat. I think he's a fan.

We all are actually.

Ding Ding!

Cars--the Movie and the Joy of Glue

Cars ROCKS!

That's the long and short of it.

It's the feel good movie of the year! Julian and I went tonight to see it and had a blast! It even has a fiesty fire truck named "Red", which of course, made J's night!

Afterwards, we went to Wal-Mart, which is my least favorite place on the planet, save one redeeming sight--the school supply section. I can't resist that aisle...I have loved the school supply section since I was a child. There's something so hopeful and so freshly organized about all new notebooks and freshly sharpened pencils and clean backpacks and pens all lined up in a row. And glue. Elmers. That stuff is pure unadulterated sustinance to the creative heart, I tell you.

One of my personal joys of home schooling is the sheer fun of being the one to make that all important document--the LIST of *necessary supplies* for the next year of school.

And then I get to go and buy the fun stuff!

Tonight I took a deep breath and played with all the goodies. Tomorrow I will begin the planning, and when the planning is done, I will make the LIST!

I can't wait!

Happy Sunday!

Dude. Let's Make Mud!

Memory Book Inspirations/Quickutz

If you feel a little intimidated by 2Peas, there's a nice little gallery/board that I frequent that moves slower and is less intimidating at www.memorybookinspirations.com. It's a nice casual place with some friendly participants. Check it out!

Happy Birthday Quickutz! You sure are big for a 5 year old! Hehe.

I came late to the QK game after years of resistance. I guess resistance really is futile, huh. :) I have done enough product demonstrations in this business to know that if you get someone to actually *use* a product themselves and achieve something they think of as *remarkable*, you will sell them. Maybe not today...but they will be sold. I know this...and it still worked on me. I first used a QK at Croptoberfest last year and while it was a cool thing, I thought it was too expensive for me. Then Leigh Ann loaned me hers on occasion at scrap night and I started browsing their website for ideas. Then I ran across a pea who wanted to sell her gently used one to upgrade and she offered me a deal. It was too good to pass up. I am completely happy.

I have a nice little collection of dies multiplying in my little stash. I am starting a list of which friends have which dies. :) I have bought dies locally, from ebay and from other scrappers who are upgrading to a Wishblade or other electronic gear.

I have used them on every layout and card for several weeks now. I am feeling snappier about scrapbooking with a new thing than I have in a long time. I call it "new tool euphoria". :) I used Studio Classic and Sunshine at my LSS. I would like to eventually own Studio Classic. I used Sabrina's Frankie SkinniMini and it's definately on the list. I really like that size! Stilletto is funky. I kinda like it but will probably continue to use it at the store for a while before I buy it. The QK team did some fantastic stuff with Metro...I think I'm going to want that one too.

The peas are giving QK a hard time today, but I am a woman in love. Metro is really cool. It's going on my list and I'll be watching for other releases this month...

In other news, if you have a chance and are of a mind to, please pray for Joal and Julian. Yesterday, at our friend Debby's, Joal-in his enthusiasm for being a great Daddy- forgot apparently that he's 6' 4" and weighs significantly more than a three year old! There was a slip n slide, a slight hill, and plenty of water...perfect for a three year old to run and leap and slide and stop at the end...but not-so-perfect for a fully grown man. In an effort to encourage his son to slip n slide, Joal proceeded to demonstrate what not to do as he slid and slid and rolled and came to a stop with a moan. He ended up with a badly sprained shoulder that put a damper on the rest of his day and probably the next few weeks. On top of hurting, he feels pretty dumb. Poor guy. He said he knew by about the fourth step that this was a dumb thing to do but there just was no stopping. Momentum is a powerful force. :)

Julian's going to the new doctor tomorrow for a complete physical and most likely, a genetic work-up. We have concerns that weren't being addressed and hopefully this will be a more determinded step in helping Julian grow and get in step developmentally.

Happy Wednesday!!

Happy Birthday America!!

Happy
Independence
Day!

We are doing completely traditional Indepedence Day things today...grilling out, going swimming, watching fireworks with friends...enjoying the day.

Ever mindful of just how blessed we are to be free
And that our freedom has been purchased at a handsome price
And that being an America carries responsibilities equal to the freedoms
And that freedoms which are not mindfully guarded will be lost for all...

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Happy
Birthday
America!

And yet another use for ribbon...

It's true. I have the shortest attention span on the planet. I jump from project to project and from idea to idea. I sometimes have a hard time finishing what I start.
OK...check that.
Let's be honest.

*Much of the time* I have a hard time finishing projects. (It's why I was a bad bad bad secretary. I hate repetitive tasks.)

Consequently, hand sewing has never held any alure for me. I love to look at it and touch it...but the thought of spending months on a single cross-stitch project is just not something I can wrap my brain around.

But...you know I *love* ribbon, right? Well, a few months ago I found this treasure stash of silk ribbons at Michaels in the discount bin. Ribbon, on sale...be still my heart.

So, um, yeah. I bought a few...
dozen...
packages.

:)

Fast Forward, to last Saturday.

Last Saturday I had the good fortune to spend some time cropping at Scrap It! in Hermitage TN where an excellent page artist-Tammy Graves- works. Tammy showed me a layout that she had completed and is offering in one of her upcoming classes and it was breath-taking. Great color, well-balanced, artsy techniques and totally fun. I noticed that on the corners of some of the photos she had hand-stiched a row of small appropriately-colored straight stiches. It was, in fact, this small but powerful detail that sold me on the layout. The stitches added just the right spark to the entire layout and it's something I have never (in a million years) considered doing. I ordered a kit (I can't attend the class--it's during the week) and can't wait to complete it. (Incidentally, you can see Tammy's awesome layout at the store. When I signed up to purchase the kit, there were only a few seats left in the class but you might get lucky if you sign up soon.)

But in the meantime, I got to thinking about the corner stitching. I love the idea and just happened to run across the little bucket of silk ribbons while I was mulling on it.

Can you say "Light-bulb moment"?

Suddenly, I realized that I might enjoy stitching if a) I could do it with some measure of precision and b) I could do it with ribbon!

My real beef with stitching is that it's (until now) been imprecise. I like uniformity but I can never quite achieve it in free stitching. Which begs the question--is there such a thing as a stitching template?

Guess what?
There is!
Several, in fact, according to the all-knowing peas that I asked!

By using a template and a piercer to punch the needle holes into the paper before actually stitching, most of the imprecision is eliminated. For someone with almost ZERO stitching experience (not since my 9th grade home economics class anyway), I would have to say it's sailing pretty smoothly. You can see for yourself.

My first project--the red star was finished last night at about ten pm. From that time, until now, I have been ribbon-stitching e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g in sight. This is so much fun!

American Traditional Designs makes stitching stencils. I ordered a few but in the meantime, printed the image an used it as a rough pattern. I also found a template (thanks to the peas) made by Timeless Touches called a *Fiber Friend*. It's specifically made for corners and easy-straight stitching.

On advice from a frugal pea, I used a plastic canvas circle as a template for this piece I am working on now. Because I am using 7mm silk ribbon instead of thread, the stiches have a bolder feel, however thread is next on my list of things to try. Tammy used several slips of floss, but I'm thinking of something a little bit heavier. I'll have to look into that in the next few days.

It's such an easy process:
=Find a template for the design.
=Using the paper piercer (or a really large thumb tack), transfer the design to the cardstock, one hole at a time.
=Thread ribbon into a large needle and stitch from hole to hole, up and down.
=When the design is complete, tie off the end and snip.
Currently, my ribbon stitching gear includes:
--a small cork board for anchoring and poking the piercer into.
--silk ribbons in various colors and sizes.
--large needle
--temporary adhesive.
--paper template or plastic canvas shape.
--cardstock, scissors and extra thumb tacks.

How fun! I'll post the results as sson as I am done. but it might take a few days, as I have to order some photos.

This is one project I will definately be repeating...well, with different colors and shapes, of course.

Ribbon stitching--it's a little different twist on silk ribbon embroidery...and a very neat addition to the scrap craft library that is my brain!

Happy Monday!

Objects in Motion...

The Water in Wilkes Barre

My in-laws lived in central Mississippi when Katrina hit New Orleans and the MS Gulf Coast. They were without power for a week and of course, felt the crush of evacuees as well.

Now they live in Wilkes Barre PA and again they are facing serious weather and flooding. Their apartment is within a mile of the levee. They have been evacuated to a hotel some miles away and are out of direct danger of flooding but their apartment is right in the path. Pray that they'll be safe, that the levee will hold and that God will use them in the midst of this storm.

Here's a link to a story from the Boston Sun about the flooding.


1God is our mighty fortress, always ready to help
in times of trouble.

2And so, we won't be afraid! Let the earth tremble
and the mountains tumble into the deepest sea.

3Let the ocean roar and foam, and its raging waves
shake the mountains.

4A river and its streams bring joy to the city,
which is the sacred home of God Most High.

5God is in that city, and it won't be shaken.
He will help it at dawn.

6Nations rage! Kingdoms fall!
But at the voice of God the earth itself melts.

7The LORD All-Powerful is with us.
The God of Jacob is our fortress.

8Come! See the fearsome things the LORD has done on earth.

9God brings wars to an end all over the world.

He breaks the arrows, shatters the spears,
and burns the shields.

10Our God says, "Calm down, and learn that I am God!
All nations on earth will honor me."

11The LORD All-Powerful
is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress.

---PSALM 46:1-11

$21??

While we were in Knoxville a few weeks ago I picked up three small packages of these "candy" knock-offs at JoAnn's. The package price was $6.99 each. This is 3 packages. I can't imagine paying full price for these--the words are downright odd. (They were marked down to 50 cents per pack.)

I am
stupid
ducky
pout
testy
and
are
is

I just don't get why anyone would choose these sentiments? but anyway...my thinking was I would find a way to remove the backing and re-apply the clear acrylic dome part to some other image or word.

However, I am having a difficult time getting the backing off. Anyone have ideas? The trick is to do it without damaging or scratching the acrylic.

Thanks for the help.

Just Call Me a Fan of Men

I am married to a remarkable man.
I have two sons.
I have a father.
I have two brothers.
I have a father-in-law.
I have a brother-in-law.
I assist a man who teaches G's Sunday School class every week.
I like the men my best friends are married to.
Most of my best friends have sons--I definately like them.
I like my husband's friends, who are men.
I like his boss in Dallas (but then our cruise was his doing..so maybe I'm biased about him).

Shall I continue or are you seeing the point? There are many men in my life that I truly like and admire and love.

Basically, I like men. Especially the ones in my life. So with this in mind, you can probably understand why I don't take too kindly to man-bashing. It does not sit well with me and it never has. Sure, there are less-than-wonderful men in the world...just like there are less-than-wonderful women but for the most part, I don't like to be stereotyped as a woman, nor do I tolerate stereotypes about men--especially negative ones. This practice of using a person's gender as an excuse for something or as a disparraging statment is annoying. For me it ranks as a pet peeve.

I bristle at these statemets and others like them:
"That's a man, for ya."
"Well, what do you expect from a man?"

So, today, while the boys and I were checking out the newly-remodled (very nice) JoAnn's today I witnessed an incident that set my hair on end. I went to the fabric counter to have some fabric cut. The lady there rolled out the yard of fabric I wanted and aligned it up with the yard stick that is mounted on the big cutting table. She got out her scissors and moved to cut to fabric. This is when she realized that the table's metal cutting gutter (the scissor guide) on this cutting table had been installed at the half-yard mark on the ruler, not at the usual yard mark.

Her response was to exhale deeply with exasperation and say "No doubt, a man did that." The disdain in her tone was clear.

Right there under the attentively listening ears and watchful eyes of Julian (my ten year old), who was leaning over the table to watch closely the cutting of my fabric, she chooses to disparrage all man-kind. Gee, thanks.

I looked at her. I looked at my sons. Did she really expect me to commisserate with her based on no other fact than that I am a woman?

Not this chick. I like men. Just call me a fan of men.

On the way home, I was thinking on this as I munched on my Chic-Fil-A nuggets. It occurred to me that it is not acceptable to make slurs against a group of people based on their race or ethic background. In fact, it's so unacceptable, we have a term for it--"racial slurs". If used in the committing of a crime, speaking or writing a racial slur can elevate the crime to the level of a *hate crime*. The penalties for a person guilty of a "hate crime" are more serious than the penalties for "run-of-the-mill" crimes. That's how serious most American's take racially-based slurring or dengration.

So why not ban similar "gender slurs"? Or at least make them socially unacceptable? Gender and race go hand-in-hand. Neither can be changed and both have been the subject of prejidice in our sordid past. So, why is it OK to casually and uselessly bash a group of people based on their gender, when we wouldn't think of allowing similar words about a persons race to pass between our lips? Why is it called harrassment if it occurs in the workplace, but is aceptable elsewhere?

I say it's not OK. Nobody benefits from this and we can do better.

Words carry weight, although we often throw them around like paperclips, as if they make almost no difference in the universe. Even Julian (who many times is not at all sensitive to vocal tone clues) recoiled at the weight of her tone. He backed away and looked at me to see if he had done something wrong. I winked at him and we went on.

Hate serves no righteous purpose and improves nothing. Whether the woman actually "hated" men or (more likely) was just expressing her exasperation without thinking about her audience, I don't know.

So now you know.
I am a fan of men.

Scrapbook Shopping List

Quite a few things I would like to acquire but I'm trying to pace myself. I thought perhaps a list would help. (A job would also speek the process.) :)

1. Technique Tuesday Stamps. I purchased my first set--Love Notes--a week or so ago and I am loving these. Acrylic stamps are different from rubber (and I'm sworn to love rubber forever). But the designs are so right now. On my list are Functuation, Back Rounds Large, Infinite Wisdom and Petal Pushers.

2. More stamps. Scribbles Alphabet by Rhonna Farrer and Scribbles Punctuation.

3. Brown Bazzill Brads (the mixed package of 3 different shades of brown).

4. Quickutz Studio Classic. I know, I know. I said I wouldn't buy an alphabet but Studio is just so perfect. It's on the list but still may be a while. I'm watching Willow Traders and SBA for a used set.

5. Easier Than Ever Scrapbooking (published by Creating Keepsakes).

6. Wild Asparagus Rounds Definitions...I love these.

7. Doodlebug Uncle Sam Jelishments.

8. Foof-a-La Paper--the Super Dad from Dad's Ties. 2Peas Garden Girl Tracy Miller did a right snappy layout with this stuff...she made me want it!

So now you know.

In other news, I found the cutest little stitched suede photo wallet at JoAnn's last week for $4. It hold 40 wallet-sized photos. I'm thinking of using rub-ons to decorate the front. Do rub-ons stick to suede? Might have to try a bookplate instead.

And finally, a piece of art. I know my blog has been woefully lacking in art lately. Not a good thing for a scrapbooking blogger, right? I'll try harder. Promise. Surprisingly, no journaling. Just one of my favorite "nose-shots" by Anita. I used a piece of Making Memories paper (something old) and the new TT stamp set (something new)! Trust me...you'll be seeing this stamp set more...I relly like it.



Happy
Monday!

My Favorite Peas

I'm starting a new list--*My Favorite Peas*. It's going in the sidebar and basically it's just there so I can click on my favorite peas easily. If you happen to enjoy it too...well, isn't that just icing on the cake!

LOL!

First entry is Star of May.

Happy Sunday.

What's Up with Lil' Davis?

Lil Davis Designs...what's up? For the longest time LDD was one of those special companies who did totally unique, totally cool stuff and you didn't see them in every flipping scrapbook store on the planet. They were shabby/retro/funky/artsy before shabby/retro/funky/artsy was cool. They made their own style. I loved that. When I think of innovative...I think of just a handful of companies...and LDD is on my list of innovative companies.

And then, LDD got into JoAnn's. Suddenly, the market is totally flooded with LDD goodies. I admit it--I was a little disappointed. The specialness was seeping out. I know. I know. Bottom line and all that nonsense. I felt like I was seeing Louis Vitton at Wal-Mart.

So, then a few weeks (or months) ago, a pea posts about finding Lil Davis at Tuesday Mornings--a discount/outlet store. Sure enough. I went to my local TM and found some Lil Davis stuff...stamps, chipboard, ribbons, etc heavily discounted at TM. OK. So maybe they had overruns or discontinued items to get rid of...? Still it stung. (I know. I take this scrapbooking thing way to seriously.)

Today, I visit one of the best scrapbook stores on the planet (a store that has, in the past, been an overflowing candyland of the best Lil Davis had to offer) and find the selection of Lil Davis is almost extinct.

What's up with that?

Then tonight, I'm snatching up some flower stems for a new wreath at Michaels and what do I see? A heaping pile of Lil' Davis items in the DOLLAR BIN! The DOLLAR BIN!

Are they selling Midori Ribbon at 7-Eleven now?
Are they selling Manolo Blahnik at Sears?
Are there Godiva Chocolates at McDonald's?
Is Chef Boy RDee making caviar ravioli these days?

Did I miss something?
Apparently.

I certainly do not blame any inde scrapbook store for backing off of a product line that is clearly over-saturating the market and undercutting the scrapbook stores. Yes. I do believe there is such a thing as over-saturation and it bugs me.

(Can you say "Mrs. Grossman's Red Heart Store"?? Now there was a prime example of over-saturation!)

Certainly, Lil Davis can do what they want with their product...that's their choice but it sure does make me sad. I guess I kinda feel betrayed on behalf of those scrapbook stores that took a risk on shabby/retro/funky/artsy before it was a sure thing. Frankly, I think they deserve better treatment.

"It's not personal. It's just business." someone will say. Hmm. To an inde scrapbook store owner, it's very personal.

Scrapbooking is an interesting business because it is a total incorporation of "business" and "personal". You can't have one without the other.

I have an unyielding affection for unique, independent, creative companies--companies that raise the bar in their industry again and again by doing what they do really well. I love to see small companies *score* on the merits of their own uniqueness. I am a boutique girl, through and through. I like *special*.

And *special* is not found heaped in the DOLLAR BIN of a chain craft store!

1 Down, 300 to Go

It's finally Friday! This has been the longest week. Seriously, it slinked by at a snail's pace.

Joal's in Dallas. Left Monday before 6 am but he's coming home tonight.
Finally.

Which of course, means I have no less than 3oo things to do before he gets here. I'm making a list. A very long list.

Happy Happy Happy Friday!

The Endless Debate

There's an endless debate in my house. How much sleep do I really need?

I have 2 sons, 10 and 3. The oldest is home schooled and they require most of my attention and activity throughout the day. There are those brief periods when they are playing outside or in the playroom that I can squeeze in a little creative play for myself but mostly, I am occupied with them thru the day.

I am not complaining. Just stating the facts so you can see my dilemma.

So, when bed time comes and the house suddenly becomes quite and somewhat controlled, I face a choice. Do I take advantage of the wonderful quiet and create (write, scrapbook, etc) or do I collapse into bed?

I need both.
Desperately.

The downside of choosing to go downstairs and write or scrap is that it's an all or none proposition. If I get started, it's unlikely that I'll stop before 2 am. The upside is the creative high that boosts my emotional state. I truly enjoy working on my projects--it's deeply refreshing to my soul. The downside of sleeping is that I feel like I am wasteing what could be productive hours. The upside of choosing sleep is, of course, I feel rested and refreshed, the next day.

So. It's 10:13 pm.
And here I sit.
Writing.
Trying to make this choice yet again.
Work or sleep.
Work or sleep.

Can't decide.
In the scheme of life I should be grateful to have such choices, I know. And I am.
But these Technique Tuesday stamps are calling my name...maybe I could make just one card. ((snort))

Happy Friday! It will be a very happy Friday for us!

2Peas List Challenge

1. FIRST NAME? Sarah
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? no
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? This morning
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? yes
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Roast beef
6. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Yes, 2
7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? maybe
8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Yes, several
9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Duh!
10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes
11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Not unless there was a gun involved…
13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? no
14. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? no
15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Buttered pecan
16. SHOE SIZE? 9
17. RED OR PINK? pink
18. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? How long do you have?
19. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My mom
20. WHEN AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Oklahoma City OK, 1972
21. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Tan, white
22. WHAT IS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? granola
23. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Sara Evans
24 IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? brown
25. FAVORITE SMELL? My husband
26. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED WITH ON THE PHONE? My husband
27. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU MEET? Their hands
28. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Scrapbooking
29. FAVORITE DRINK? Diet Sprite
30. FAVORITE SPORT? Baseball
31. HAIR COLOR? brown32. EYE COLOR? blue
33. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? no
34. FAVORITE FOOD? Black Corn Chips and Salsa
35. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? I hate movies that feel like a waste of time. I prefer happy or thoughtful endings.
36. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? The Incredibles
37. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Lime green
38. SUMMER OR WINTER? Winter
39. HUGS OR KISSES? Depends on who the other person is…
40. FAVORITE DESSERT? Cheesecake
41. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Hop on Pop, Amelia Bedillia, and Faith of Our Sons
42. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Don’t use one.
43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Quiet
44. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles
45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME Cozymel Mexico or Orange County, CA…I’m not sure which is further.
46. IF YOU COULD PICK ANY TWO PEOPLE TO HAVE DINNER WITH, WHO WOULD THEY BE? My husband and Frank Wycheck (a retired Titan)

Wish Me Luck

I'm diving in to my woefully overloaded email inbox today, determined to delete and file until the massive wad of email is down to a managable number--like say--3.

I confess to being a pack rat in real life...and in cyber life too. How silly is that?

I don't think I've had a totally empty mailbox since the moment I signed up with my current ISP.

Wish me luck.

1600+ miles in 40 hours!

I'm finally recovered from my 40 hour buzz to Oklahoma--it was *so* worth the time and money to be there. I had a great time with my family and I was completely astonished by my brother. In the light of the news of the past two days, I am having a difficult time processing it all.

The United States Army makes no bones about their function.
Soldiers are trained to kill.
I knew this before I ever set foot beyond the gates of Fort Sill.
I knew it in my head but not so much with my heart.
And certainly not in terms of the soldier that is my own brother.

Until Friday.

I have been in favor of the retalitory portion of this war from day one of the conflict. I have always supported our troops openly. Given my somewhat educated stance on these issues, I was somewhat surprised to learn that I am completely uncomfortable and ill-at-ease with the bluntness of military action. Emotional re-coil hit me firmly in the chest on Friday as I watched a video made during Andy's Basic Combat Training cycle. Somehow, I like the term "boot camp" better. It's less brutal. Although perhaps it lessens the reality of the brutal-ness. Nothing prepared me for even those few minutes of images of men preparing to enter combat and do the Army's bidding. Nothing. Like I said. I knew. But I didn't *know*. Even now, the thought of it all makes my breath catch in my throat. It makes my stomach hurt. Quite literally. (And I'm just the sister.)

Suddenly, it's quite personal.

And yes, I admit it shouldn't be that way. Every soldier is somebodys brother, son, daddy, etc. I get that. I just didn't expect to feel this change so deeply.

Beyond the actual emotionally-charged events, it was good to be with my family. We laughed a lot and enjoyed the short time we had as best we could.

In other news, I'm finding this creative team assignment for Timeless Reflection to be just what I needed to boost me out of a ho-hum-ness I've been in for a while. It feels good to be productive again.

Julian has taken a liking to my Quickutz. We were shopping today and he tried to insist that I *needed* the Swiss Army knife die for the QK. Crazy boy.

Happy Tuesday!!

The Future

Funny. The 2Peas blog topic today is about the future. Recent events have made me consider deeply my future and that of those I care about. I've come to realize that most of my wishes for the future center around those I love, more than myself.

I want my children to grow up healthy and safe. I want them to be well-educated and prepared to be Godly men-- independent adults, responsible citizens, loving husbands, good fathers and men who are passionate about whatever they choose to do.

I want my husband to be healthy and safe. I want to grow old with him holding my hand and pushing stray locks of hair off my face. I want him to write songs that move people and cause them to think deeply.

I want my sister to know the blessing of love and never hurt.
I want my Army brother to be unharmed no matter where the Army sends him.
I want my oldest-but-still-younger-than-me-brother to know the love he can't live without and to continue to be the rock that he is.

I want my parents to be able to slow down just a little and take in a little more scenery together...especially the scenery between Texas and Nashville. :)

Those are just a few of the things I wish for--and pray for daily. I'm glad to know the One who writes the future, orchestrates the present and cares for the past. That alone keeps my wishes from becoming overwhelming fears.

"Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the LORD."
--Psalm 31:24

Now for a dose of "Oh WOW!" go look at Lulu by Marah Johnson! She gives new meaning to the term die cut Diva!
Happy Monday!

My Brother--the Army Private

Letters from Andy

Got a letter from my brother today. He wrote about receiving letters and cards from some people he doesn't know but who apparently know his sister. Thank you doesn't begin to cover this. I deeply appreciate those of you who wrote to him during boot camp. He's grateful. Deeply.

I mailed one last letter off today not really sure if he'll get it before graduation on Friday or not. Maybe. Hopefully.

I can't wait to see him on Thursday!--I promise to take way too many pictures to share later. :)

If you would like to join me in continuing to acknowledge the service of American troops, I encourage you to check out a non-profit organization called A Million Thanks. Due to tightened security, you can't send cards and letters to "Any Soldier" anymore but this organization exists for collection and distribution of letters and cards of thanks for soldiers/troops working within the military quidelines.

Happy Tuesday!

PS If you haven't had a chance to check out the amazing jaw-dropping work of Tina, go right now to her blog and view the work of a woman who makes this phrase ring true loudly:

Great pictures don't really need much embellishing!

Summer

The 2Peas challenge for the day is to write what makes summer special.

Summer.
My first thought--watermelon.
I love that first bite of watermelon right out of the heart, right after it's been split. Oh man. That is the pure unadulterated goodness of summer.

Beyond watermelon, there's the traditional things I truly enjoy--cooking out, 4th of July parades and concerts on the waterfront, fireworks, vacation, catching fireflies at night, kids playing in the waterhose under the guise of washing the cars, baseball games and garage sales. And of course, there's camp. As much as I said I would never go back after last year...I think we might try it again as a family again.

I think I like summer because it brings a sense of freedom. For so much of my life, summer ment "no school" and while it's not that way anymore, there's still a sense that life doesn't have to be so scheduled in the summerime. I like that.

Happy Summer!

It's the Great Magazine Debate, Charlie Brown!

So, by now, ya'll probably know that I am a sucker for a good magazine debate, especially at 2Peas. Magazines are my forte. I read them. I've been in them. I still submit occasionally although not very often because I am a busy woman. Unfortunately, lately there have been several really intense magazine threads that got my attention. I've come to a new conclusion--some people just like to complain about magazines and use them as an excuse. Although that bothers me (because cop outs in general annoy me), I try to let it go. Try.

First of all, I think the primary role of a paper art magazine is to inspire and challenge the reader to try new things and to expand creatively. Sure, it's going to be hit and miss because no editor is good enough to inspire 100 percent of her audience, 100 percent of the time. Maybe a torn piece of paper on a LO is a total creative expansion and departure from the norm for you. Or maybe it's venturing into the use of watercolors or that Pearl stuff. Maybe some part of a layout or project in a magazine speaks to you and makes you a better writer or an improved photographer. Whatever causes the readers to be inspired to stretch...that should (IMO) be the goal of the editors.

With that in mind, a reader of a paper arts magazine is not just an observer. Well, I suppose you could be, but that's another topic. Get beyond the eye-candy. Use the magazine--let it be your jumping off point. Dig into it and *use* what you are able to see.

Second, don't expect every layout in every issue to be something that would fit into your personal style. Let's just face it: you aren't going to be bowled over by every layout in any issue. Not every issue is going to be chock-full of "Oh my goodness, that's amazing" work. Don't expect this and you won't be let down. That's precisely why it's important to learn to glean usefulness from any source, even a layout that you don't find particularly appealing. Sometimes the mental act of determining what you might do differently to "improve" what you think is an unappealing layout will lead you to the building blocks of your own excellent layout.

Lastly, art is subjective--which is just another way of saying "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". It's not a lie. This thing called scrapbooking is personal. Sure, magazines make a business out of it, but it's still very personal. Most people who get published in magazines are ordinary scrapbooking, memory-making, paper-lovers like me and you. Sometimes they are lucky enough to make a short-term career out of scrapbooking...sometimes it blossoms into something remarkable BUT for every Becky Higgins there are 500 normal scrappers who get published a once or twice and are positively happy with that.

If I had to guess, (and I'm not about to spend time researching this) I would say that 90 percent of all published scrapbookers are "short term professionals"...meaning they may get paid for a few layouts, win a contest and maybe write an article...and then they move on with the rest of their lives. That's my guess. Popularity in scrapbooking seems to be a short-term gig for most people.

I love magazines...that's certainly not news to anyone. I love that they inspire and inject a level of creativity into this medium that wouldn't be there if they didn't. I love that they give me a place to turn when I get into a hum-drum rut. I love that they brighten my space with the art of other people. I love that they challenge me to incorporate elements and ideas into my layouts that aren't (or weren't) "totally me" but can become "totally mine".

So, what do you love (or hate) about our scrap/paper arts magazines? I'd really like to know.

Happy Sunday.

Leaf Ribbon

Impress Rubber Stamps is perhaps the most appropriately named stamp company on the net, in my book! Seriously, I go to their site and just oogle. They have four physical stores--I would love to visit there someday! Their presentation of merchandise is so uncluttered and elegant and the actual merchandise they sell is remarkable. When I saw this green leaf ribbon, I knew it would be cool. But 30 yards. Who buys 30 yards of ribbon...wait OK. Who buys 30 yards of the same ribbon?

So this is the perfect time for a group buy. If you like this ribbon, and want to go in on a group buy of it, email me for all the details at scrappinsarah at msn . com .

Happy Wednesday!

And Lastly,

The Blue Scrap Room is finally posted HERE at 2Peas.

Incidentally, this will be my last blog of the day. Three in one day--apparently I need a life.

You guessed it...
Happy Monday.

This and That Again

I got a nice fat package from www.scrap-mart.com today containing some QK dies I ordered. Check it out--they sell QK at 30% off (and no tax)! Leigh Ann, I loved that pumpkin of yours so much I bought one of my own... :) (Just so everyone knows, I shop my local stores first and then buy on-line.)

Have I mentioned I've been reading two positively delish idea books? The Spring Take Ten from Stampington and Designing Scrapbooks 2 from Simple Scrapbooks. Both are a-may-zing!

Got word last week that I made it onto the "design team" (I am not a fan of the term) at Timeless Reflection for the summer. I'm looking forward to this cool new challenge with some other really talented scrapbookers too. When Michelle gets the blog updated and rolling, I'll post a link to it.

I like TR because it's small and unique. It's new and has a very personal feel. I think I've mentioned before that Michelle's goal is to not carry anything that could be acquired at a craft/chain store. I find that so refreshing. I have a special place in my heart for small businesses and love to see them flourish.

Nashville (well, the greater Nashville area) is so fortunate to enjoy several truly excellent scrapbook stores. They are unique and each one seems to have it's own character and personality. As summer comes on, sometimes scrap and stamp store owners experience a lull-- many customers are outside playing, traveling or otherwise making scrapbook memories and the summer can be a little dry for them. I encourage everyone to let your local inde stores know that you appreciate them (assuming you do). Make a quick card or send them a Starbucks GC or something equally delightful. It can be a difficult thing to be the boss...while many people see it as a glam job, it's not always that way. While you get credit for the success...you also get all the blame when something goes wrong. It can be heavy--attested by the fact that many many small businesses don't make it thru their first 5 years.

I've updated the Scrapbook Stores in TN list several times over the past few days. Check it out at http://scrapbookchannel.com/tenn.html

Happy Monday again!

Magnolia Monday to You

Magnolias are Magnificent.
Don't you agree?
Talk about a sensitive flower tho.

I don't have many memories of my maternal grandparents becasue they both passed on when I was very young. One of the few things I remember learning from "Bobbie" was about Magnolias. She had a magnificent Magnolia tree in her yard. When it bloomed she would cut one and set it in a bowl of water on her dining table.

I remember that smell. It would waft through the house and make everything smell like springtime. Anytime I see a magnolia or smell one, I think of her.

When I would come around, she would tell me "if you touch it, it will turn brown." Even as a young girl, I loved the smell and beauty of a Magnolia but the temptation was too great.

Of course, I had to touch it, just to see if she was telling the truth.
Would one single finger cause such a pretty thing to turn brown?
Just one finger on the edge...maybe it wouldn't turn brown
from just a gentle touch?

So, I touched it.
Sure enough, it turned brown in that spot.

Of course, it was obvious that I had touched it.
Who wouldn't notice the brown finger-shaped spot that developed on the petal?

I can't help but think how closely this paralells life. There are things we shouldn't do. God tells us. Our parents tell us. Conscience tell us. Many times we know the consequences (or at least that there will be consequences) so why do we do them anyway?

Because our hearts wander. Because we wonder if the rules apply to us? Because we hope the rules of life don't apply to us.

We make bad choices.
We touch the proverbial flower.
Just to see if they were serious.
And our lives turn brown.
Sin has a way of coming to light.
It leaves it's mark deep on our hearts.
As much as we try to hide it, it's never truly hidden.

One of the private schools in my neighborhood has a banner in it's yard. I can't help but think that there is no more fitting verse for students and parents and the general community to see every day as they drive by. It's Psalm 51:10.

Create in me a clean heart,
O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit
within me.
--Psalm 51:10 (JPS)

Happy Magnolia Monday!

Mo Love for tha Flowahs and da boyz

Found these pretty silk daisies at M's last night--

on the
clearance
table
for $2!

There was a time when I wouldn't have given anything orange a second look...but things change. :)



In other news, when we visited the Knoxville Zoo last week, near the exit was a huge wooden crate. The sign said something like "This is the kind of crate used to bring all the animals from their homes to the zoo. Do you think you could live in a crate for days or weeks on end?" The crate was massive and the ends were open so children could climb in. Of course, my guys couldn't let an opportunity like this pass by...in they went. I ran around to the "exit" and when they got to the end, had them sit so I could take this picture. It wasn't until later that I got to laughing about this particular picture. It's about as real life as we get.

No glamour or poise...we are boys.
We stick out our tongues and pick our noses.
We wear our slushie mustaches proudly.
Danger...
We are Live Animals!

Happy Friday!!