Life of a Dudleychick

Changes, Closed Doors and Opened Windows etc...

2011-11-02T23:37:00.001-06:00

As I sit here writing this post I am starting to freak out just a bit.

BIG changes are headed my way in the very near future.

I am getting really excited for lots of reasons, but freaking out for just as many. I am NOT ready, and I am not sure there are enough hours left in the days ahead to get as ready as I should be. Maybe my insomnia will serve me well in the next 10 days...

DID YOU JUST READ THAT???

AHHHHHHH...I only have 10 days!!!!

Sorry, just another momentary lapse of sanity.
It's been happening a lot lately.

I have lived in Colorado for 42 years, that is a VERY long time. I have been in the Denver metro area since 1985 when I was just a young lass fresh out of High School (4 days out to be exact). And now I am about about to embark on a journey that will take me to a new place, and new adventure and hopefully a new job. It has not been an easy decision to make. In fact it has been a really hard one. But I need to start again, to find my purpose again, to feel needed and useful again.

A year and a half of unemployment has taken its toll. I feel stuck, in a rut, stagnant, depressed and just about any other phrase you can think of for ICKY. So when I found out I was going to have to move anyway (darn economy + darn housing market + darn unemployment = darn foreclosure) it set in motion a lot of things. If I had to find a new place to live anyway why not make a fresh start someplace new, right?

I rolled around the idea of moving to Utah to look for work. I even planned a trip to go out and stay with friends and scout out the area. That trip fell through when stuff came up here that I had to deal with (house junk) so I was still thinking about it when my friend told my daughter who was visiting Provo from Cedar City to, "Just tell your mom to pick a date and we will be there to help her move, and she can stay with us." I wasn't there so I don't know exactly how the conversation went down but that was the general idea. When Ashleigh told me I thought, really?? You know how friends and acquaintances always say stuff in conversations but you are not sure if they really mean it. Things like, "Let's do lunch sometime." or "Call me if you need anything at all." or "Sure, I will watch your six kids for a weekend." etc. We have all said things like that. I honestly think that for most of us we do mean them in theory, we just hope we are never actually called on it. Am I right?

So I thought about it, and I prayed about it and then I called my friend Angie. I asked her. "Are you sure?" and you know what she said YES! I cannot express how thankful (tis the season for thankfulness, right) I am to have such a wonderful friend. She and her husband and her entire family are willing to make huge sacrifices to help me. I don't know how I will ever repay them (but I am willing to cook, clean, do laundry and take care of children so that might help.)

Photo by Patti Merrill

So meet my new family. I will be their new Sister Wife (JUST KIDDING...we are not THAT kind of Mormons)! I love them and have missed them so much since they left Denver 5 years ago. I am excited and I hope I don't overstay my welcome (I promise it won't be 5 years).

I already have a couple of leads on jobs in the area. There are lots of tech companies and many of the BIG craft companies in the area, my two strengths, so hopefully finding a job there will be easier than it has proved to be here. My dream job is to work on the corporate side of one of the major craft companies, and I WILL do it, just give me time! So if you know anyone looking to hire an eager worker in the Salt lake City/Provo area let me know.

To all my Colorado friends and family I say so long, because I will never really say Good-Bye to Colorado. I will miss so many of the people and things here. I have made some amazing friends and had some awesome experiences but as I prepare to leave I choose think of my life here as a chapter in the great book that is my life.

I am not closing the book,

I am only turning the page.

Wish me luck!

PINtastic

2011-10-26T20:13:00.003-06:00

I have a new obsession, I may need an intervention soon, or at least a 12 step program. What is my new obsession you might ask?

If you haven't been sucked in yet I would be happy to send you an invite. What is it? It's like a virtual bulletin board where you can "pin" ideas you find on your internet surfing rides. For a creative person like me it is hugely addictive. I can find TONS of ideas for things I would like to make, recipes to try, fashion ideas, DIY tutorials, photography, quotes, wish list finds, dream places and living spaces...I could go on and on. You can categorize and name each of your "boards" so things are easy to find later. You can also "stalk" other pinners by following them and get even more ideas. I can safely say I have pinned more ideas, recipes and things than I could ever do or try but I still love finding new things to pin. Did I say obsessed?

So last night as the snow started to fall I decided to actually make something I saw on Pinterest. Here are the results...

I pinned this link to MICROWAVE CARAMELS. The great thing about Pinterest is that when you "pin" something you choose a photo to represent what you are pinning. SO much better than just a bookmark because the photo then links back to the original site and you can actually remember why you saved it in the first place.

Anyway, I gathered my ingredients.

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sweetened condensed mink

1/2 cup light corn syrup

I dumped them all into my Pyrex measuring cup

The recipe says to cook in the micro for 6 minutes stirring every two minutes. Since my brown sugar was a little on the hard side I only cooked it for 1 minute the first time so I could blend it all together. After that first minute I set it for another minute and stirred again. So far so good. Round three I set the timer for the recommended 2 minutes. And THIS is what I got when I opened the microwave door...

Ooey, gooey, boiled over stickiness! I scraped what I could back into the bowl with a spatula and wiped the microwave clean. This time I set the timer for just 30 seconds. That worked pretty well and I continued stirring every 30 seconds. After 6 minutes it didn't seem to be as caramelized as I was hoping so I continued my 30 second stirring intervals until it had been a total of 8 minutes.

Now that I had the caramel I had another idea. I had found these babies at the grocery store earlier.

Caramel covered marshmallows sounded pretty good to me so decided to dip them in.

I thought I had some lollipop sticks but I couldn't find them

so I had to use toothpicks (note to self get the lollipop sticks for next time).

Now that they were covered in caramel there was only one logical next step. Can you guess where I am going here? Here's a hint, my favorite See's candy is the Scotchmallow.

Bring on the chocolate!

So after a second dip into the chocolate this is what they looked like.

They could be prettier but they taste divine!

I think if I ever do these again (and I think i will because they are SO good) I will use the regular big marshmallows. These were a bit too much of a good thing (if that is possible).

Now back to Pinterest so see what I can make next!

In an instant...

2011-09-03T01:41:00.001-06:00

Over the past few days and weeks I have been reminded how life can change...in an instant. Sometimes the changes are subtle and sometimes they are more profound but there are those moments which you know you will never be the same.

Tonight I had one of those moments, in a Walmart. Let me first say that I am not a big Walmart fan. I much prefer Target for many reasons. Especially in the area I live. Ashleigh and I have for years called the store I went to tonight "Ghetto Walmart". It is small, always crowded and under staffed and usually not very clean. I hadn't stepped inside that store for 2-3 years at least.

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that they were remodeling "Ghetto Walmart" and I stopped for something really quick. I was in and out in under 15 minutes, not too bad. After I got home I realized that I had bought the wrong thing. I placed the receipt in the bag with the merchandise and put it in my car to return (where it has been for the past couple weeks).

Tonight after enjoying dinner and a movie at Cinema Grill with a friend and her son I decided to swing by "Ghetto Walmart" and get back my $10 bucks. It was just before 10:00pm and the store was pretty quiet. I went to the customer service counter and the return process was slow but uneventful. With my $10 bucks in hand I decided to go ahead and pick up a few necessities while I was there. While looking down the isles I ran into an older gentleman employee who asked,
"How are you doing this evening?"
"I am good, how are you?" I replied.
He reminded me of my dad. Even more so when he said, "I am good but kind of slow today."
I laughed and told him, "We all have those days."
To which he replied, "Well I am 86 so I have them more often."
I laughed again. "Today is my dad's 86th birthday".
"Mine was on Wednesday."
"Well then, Happy Birthday".

Our conversation was cut short by commotion and people talking and running. I didn't know what was happening. A female associate came toward us and said,
" There are gunmen in the store!" Unsure where they were or what I should do I started moving away from the front end of the store. I stopped and looked for the older gentleman employee, but never saw him again. On my way towards the back I ran into a young mother and her two daughters, probably about 4 and 7 years old. By this time the employees had vanished so I quietly whispered to her what I had been told. The older of the two girls heard me and started to cry, obviously understanding what I had said. She was visibly shaken and scared. Without thinking the young mother and I huddled toward the side of the isle and knealt down, sheltering the two girls between our bodies. She reached for her phone to call 911 (which I am sure others were already doing as well). It was just then that I realized that I didn't even have my phone. I had left it charging in my car outside.

We were kneeling in the isle when another store associate told us to go to the back of the store. The two little girls were crying so I took the older girl by the hand and stayed next to her mom who picked up the smaller girl and we followed other customers and employees through the back rooms and out the back of the store. At this point we had no idea what was going on inside. Were the gunmen still in there? Was everyone ok?

After a few minutes we heard the sirens telling us help was on it's way. It was the waiting that was the hardest, no one came to tell us what was going on or what to do. I was scared but holding it together so I could help reassure the girls that we were safe and everything would be ok (but I wasn't really sure myself).

I have no idea how long we were out there, it always seems like an eternity when adrenaline has taken over. I am wising I had my phone. I think about my loved ones and wish I could contact them. I don't feel like I am safe and lots of "what if's" run though my mind as I try to keep calm. The mom of the two girls makes a couple of calls, letting her loved ones know what is going on. She too is scared but keeping a brave face for her girls.

Eventually, we are escorted back inside but told we need to stay in a certain part of the store while the police secure the area. A few employees start talking about "last time" and that they thought it was the same guys that had held one of them at gunpoint during a previous incident. Obviously this had happened before. Other employees try to keep us as calm and comfortable as possible, bringing bottled water and folding chairs. Police officers come back to ask if anyone saw the gunmen and take those who had to begin getting their statements. I was lucky not to have seen anything. Whispering starts that they were unable to catch the gunmen after they ran away on foot.

More waiting. The girls next to me are calming down. We talk about "normal" things and even laugh at the fact that the older of the the two girls has lost one of her shoes in all the commotion...only to be found later in mom's purse. Upon finding the missing shoe in her purse the mom also finds a roll of ribbon she stuffed in there but doesn't want to take without paying for. I check my purse too and sure enough the hair clips I had been looking at just before my conversation with the old gentlemen are tucked neatly inside. I set them on a nearby shelf. That conversation seems like an eternity ago, and I think again about my dad. More waiting.

Finally, the assistant manager comes back and lets us know that the store and the perimeter have been secured and that we may leave. I walk with the stream of other customers toward the front of the store. The younger of the two girls grabs my hand (we're friends now). Her mother gives me a hug and tells me, "Thank you". I tell her, "You're welcome" knowing she and her girls helped me as much or more than I helped them. We walk under crime tape that is being help up by a police officer. Lights flash in all directions and I try and remember where I parked my car. The older of the two girls runs toward a tall and anxious looking man in the parking lot, "Daddy!" I smile knowing they will be ok, but realize I don't even know their names.

I reach the car and search for my phone. I see a missed call from Ashleigh, and dial her number. It's good to hear her voice. I relay my evening's story and she tells me I need to move out of Aurora and I think I agree. I drive home and pull into my garage and quickly push the button to close the door.

Was I ever in any real danger, probably not. But, I was scared for my life just the same. This evening's experience has made me look at things (especially that particular Walmart) differently.

I am finally home, but forever changed.

Dudleychicks Do Disneyland

2011-07-30T02:06:00.018-06:00

Well so much for keeping up on my blog...stuff happens! Lots of stuff actually but I have not been good about documenting it all here (for the three of you who actually read my blog).

But I did want to do a special post on the recent convergence of the Dudleychicks on Disneyland. I went to the CTMH convention which just happened to be held at Disneyland this year. Be warned it is a long post with LOTS of pics. Since Ashleigh didn't come home to work this summer but opted to stay in Utah I decided she should drive to CA and meet me for a couple of days of family fun. She agreed, but wasn't sure she could get the time off. It took some creative maneuvering and sweet talking her supervisors in order to get the time off but she figured it out.

I headed towards California by air on Tuesday morning while Ashleigh took to the open road.

We converged here... ready for some fun!


The Disneyland Hotel

Unfortunately, our room was not quite ready so we had to wander around a bit,

but look who Ashleigh ran into!

Once our room was ready we grabbed our bags and headed to the Adventure Tower. The room was awesome. We loved all the little Disney touches everywhere but my favorite part was the headboard that lights up and plays, "When You Wish Upon A Star". So cool!

We knew we had limited time so we made haste settling in and headed for Disney's California Adventure.

Now when I was younger my father lived in CA and I would visit him for a month every summer. We always went to Disneyland but I think the last time I was there I was 16...that was just a FEW years ago. In those days what is now California Adventure was a parking lot. Now it's a hopping park full of fun (but partially under construction to add a new front entrance and Cars section). We had dinner reservations at Ariel's Grotto later in the evening but had some time to kill so we headed for one of our favorite rides. We knew it was a favorite because we have ridden the one at MGM in DisneyWorld many times.

Because we were staying at the above mentioned hotel we were given magic tickets known as FASTPASSES. These babies let us skip the hour wait in line...love that! Here we are just before we got on the ride.

These are our scared faces, but really we were excited.

We screamed and laughed like little girls and remembered when we once rode this ride lots of times in a row on New Years Eve in DisneyWorld. Good Times! Next we headed over to It's Tough To Be a Bug and donned our honorary bug spectacles.

Finally, our tummies were reminding us of our dinner reservations so we headed over to Ariel's Grotto.

Dinner was delicious!

The Menu

Yummy salad

Antipasto

Shrimp and Clams

Fresh Sourdough Bread flower with dipping sauces

My Tri-tip entree

Ashleigh's Fish

The desserts were divine!

With our dinner we got priority seating (which really meant standing) for The World of Color show. I have to say this show was probably my favorite show I have ever seen at a Disney park. Think Bellagio fountains on steroids with color and lasers and movie clips projected on walls of water. It was breathtaking! We were standing right up against the railing next to the water...front and center!

We were so close we got wet from the back splash of the fountains. This is what I looked like after.
I guess I should have worn water proof mascara!

Day 2...
We got up leisurely on Wednesday and nursed the beautiful blister that had appeared on Ashleigh's foot before heading into Disneyland. Angie and Vicki joined us for the day's adventures.

Our first ride of the day was Pirates of The Caribbean, followed by Splash Mountian. Vicki doesn't like the drops so she opted to wait for Angie, Ashleigh and I...little did we know how smart she was. I just wish we had left our backpacks with her. I think this is the absolute wettest I have ever gotten on a ride that wasn't at Water World. We got completely soaked! There was at least four inches of water in the bottom of our "log" when we got out. It took the camera a while to dry out but the phones were ok, thank goodness!!!

If you look closely at the pic you might just see a special appearance of the tie-dyed traveling underpants on this ride.

Next we went to new Orleans Square for a bread bowl of Clam Chowder, some Mickey Biegnets and a trip through the Haunted Mansion.

We took a short break from the fun to head back to the hotel and check in for convention
but were back just in time to watch the fireworks over the castle.

Mickey Fireworks shot by Vicki

All in all it was a blast and some much needed fun time with my girl. I just wish it had been longer.

Now it's time to say goodbye...M~I~C~K~E~Y M~O~U~S~E.

The Gift of Girlfriends

2011-05-28T23:07:00.002-06:00

I am a little late with this post. You see my birthday was more than a month ago, but I have been wanting to write about what a great birthday weekend I had this year.

But before I get to that I need to back up a few years and explain that back in 2006 I went through a bit of a mid life crisis. There were some pretty big changes in my "inner circle" that fall. My baby girl went away to college to spread her wings and find herself. I was ok with that, after all I had spent eighteen years preparing her to go out into the world and make something of herself. I would be fine, I still had my good friends to see my through. OH WAIT...NOT! You see, two of my best girlfriends moved away around the same time. The NERVE, the GALL!! Didn't they know I needed them? Didn't they know it was all about me?? Forget that one was going through a not so fun divorce and the other was moving her family so her husband could find work. I needed them!

Fast forward to my birthday weekend 2009. We had planned a great girls weekend getaway, It was great to be together again. We had a blast and someone got themselves hitched! For more on that trip see this post from my friend Becca. And don't forget the surprise ending of that trip here.

Now back to this year. I had been in a funk. It was a big, ugly, unemployed, what am I doing with my life, feeling sorry for myself funk. So when my dear friends told me they would like to come for a visit and stay the weekend with me I was so excited. They will tell you they came to see other people too, but I know the truth. It was all about me! They both arrived on my birthday after all. One brought along a little friend, the other one brought a mumu.

It was like a high school slumber party. We laughed, watched movies, ate junk food and caught up on each others lives.

We explored Pirate booty at the museum.

We played in the park.

Then we laughed and talked some more and made plans for a big reunion dinner.

I didn't take nearly enough pictures to chronicle our adventures and unfortunately the ones I did take were with my phone, but I had a blast (funk officially blasted away). We're already talking about next year.

THANKS GIRLFRIENDS for the best birthday gift ever!

The Great Food Truck Race 2011

2011-05-18T03:40:00.001-06:00

One of my favorite shows last summer was on the Food Network. It was called The Great Food Truck Race and it was a reality show/competition where they followed six or seven food trucks across the country. They stopped in a different city each week and competed in some crazy competitions. At the end of each stop the truck that made the least money was sent home while the others moved on to the next city. It was a fun show to watch and I was happy to hear it was making a comeback this summer.

A few weeks ago I got this picture message from Ashleigh.

The trucks were in Cedar City on their way from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City. Unfortunately for her they were just passing through and she didn't get to sample. I had heard that they were heading to Denver after Salt Lake City so now I knew they were getting closer.

Word spread quickly on Facebook that the The Great Food Truck Race was in town on Mother's Day weekend, so I set out with a friend to see if we could find some of them. Some of the local food trucks like The Denver Cupcake Truck and The Biscuit Bus had taken these special visitors under their wings and were updating Facebook and Twitter as to their whereabouts.

Helen and I found three of the Trucks parked on Colfax near the Bluebird theater. The lines were long but there was an exciting buzz in the air and the food coming by looked and smelled delicious.

Our first stop was The Hodge Podge Truck.

Love that logo!!

These guys really had personality!

The team is from Cleveland, Ohio and they were serving up some yummy treats. I opted for the Lobster Roll with marinated tomatoes and a fresh squeezed lime-aide. .

Menu photo from http://thecastlerockincook.blogspot.com

Next up was the Lime Truck.

This California based truck had some delicious offerings too.

Menu photo from http://thecastlerockincook.blogspot.com

We indulged in the veggies from this one. Helen got grilled asparagus and I went for roasted corn on the cob.

Photo from boulderlocavore.blogspot.com, I forgot to take a photo before I devoured the deliciousness.

The Roxy's Gormet Grilled Cheese truck was across the street but the lines were really long so we decided to try to find them again the next day. Sadly, I never found the Roxy truck again.

Finally, we decided to try and hit the Korrilla BBQ truck which we were hearing was parked the the Stuben's parking lot on 17th and the lines were not long.

Seeing their car told us the truck couldn't be far!

We made it over there just in time to hear them say, "Sorry folks, we're sold out. Come back tomorrow!", to which our small crowd replied with "AWWWWWW". Actually we heard them say it and made our reply four times (different takes...this is reality TV). They asked us to sign release forms and took our pictures. We were thinking, sweet, maybe we will make it onto the show.

The next day I decided to go back on my own and try to find the Korillia truck again. When I got there there was only one poor guy working the truck.

Apparently old #7 threw a wrench in the works in the form of a challenge. I won't spoil it, you will have to watch and see.

Anyway, they recognized me from the previous day. They had me say something like, "This better be good I was here when you ran out yesterday and I came back".

Another great pic from http://boulderlocavore.blogspot.com/

The menu was limited due to the challenge so I decided to try the tacos. They had me taste the food which was AWESOME (by far my favorite of what I tasted), and do an on camera interview. They asked me if I was from Denver and if I was a Bronco fan. They did a few takes with me saying different things and they took more pictures of me and my food (I didn't remember to take a pic). So who knows, maybe I'll be on the show and maybe I'll end up on the cutting room floor.

Either way the adventure begins on August 14th on the Food Network and I know I will be watching.

I only made it to three of the six trucks that were in town, but I enjoyed myself anyway.

For more info on The Great Food Truck Race's visit to Denver check out a couple of local food bloggers take's at My Kitchen in the Rockies and Boulder Locavore as well as this article in Westword.

The Poop Deck

2011-04-24T22:58:00.001-06:00

pic from Nataliedee.com

I have house guests of the un-invited variety.

They are squatters and they have taken up residence on my deck.

They are pigeons and they squat ALOT!

The deck has been re-named The Poop Deck in their honor.

I avoid The Poop Deck at all costs.

The other day I came home from dropping my friend Angie off at the airport (miss ya girlfriend) and found that The Poop Deck had been cleaned off and things were re-arranged. I had also had house guests of the invited variety so I texted each of them to see if they had felt sorry for me and decided to clean up The Poop Deck as a birthday gift. Each of them replied with, "EWWWW NO!!"

It was a mystery, how did The Poop Deck get magically cleaned?? The next day a friend came over to pick up something and handed me a business card that had been stuck in my front door. It was for a pest control service, mystery solved...kinda.

I have to admit that it kind of freaks me out that someone was on my deck without my knowledge or any prior notice but that has happened before. My HOA is notorious for sending men to do repairs on my deck with no warning. Last time I was awakened by men on ladders leaning against my bedroom window hammering the siding back in place at 7:00am.

I guess I am happy that it is cleaned off and I didn't have to do it. But the real surprise is on them because the birds are already back. AND, if they think I am paying for pest control services I didn't ask for or authorize, SURPRISE...I am not!

Good Eats...5280 Week 2011

2011-04-23T11:54:00.001-06:00

Every year in February Denver has an awesome tradition. It's called 5280 Restaurant Week. It is a week where literally hundreds of restaurants in the Denver metro area create a special dining experience for two at the cost of $52.80 (or just $26.40 for one). Keep in mind that there are dining establishments on the list that normally charge much more than $52.80. Last year a group of friends and I celebrated 5280 week with a trip to Texas deBrazil. I was a first timer and I was amazed at the journey my taste buds were taken on. We laughed and made many a crude joke about "men with meat". I think Michelle's face in this pic says it all.

This year when 5280 week rolled around we decided that we needed to up the anty a bit and we chose three places to visit.

My friend Helen was the Hostess with the mostest.

She did all the organizing, created themes for each night and made decorations and favors for everyone.

Round 1

Our first outing was dubbed, "A Night of Glitz, Glam and Bling" at Elway's in Cherry Creek. We were asked to wear our finest attire and all the glitz glam and bling we could carry off.

Here I am dressed and ready for a fun night.

When we arrived we were greeted by a table decorated with feather boas and these cute GG&B boxes at each places setting. Inside were beautiful rhinestone earrings for each guest.

Dinner was scrumptious!

Especially Dessert!

Brownies and Cheesecake lollipops, yummy.

(Insert schweaty chocolate balls jokes here...we did.)

A great time was had by all (to the envy of the tables around us).

Round 2

Our second outing was a repeat of last year's "Men With Meat" (on skewers).

This year it fell just before Mardi Gras so we went with the festive Mardi Gras Theme.

The men with meat did not disappoint.

Some new friends were added to the group.

And Helen even had a slice of King Cake for all of us. Cass was the lucky winner of the baby in her slice.

Fabulous Food and Festive Fun!!!

Round 3

Our final 5280 week outing was to The Melting Pot of Littleton. It is one of the restaurants that extends its 5280 special well past the official dates. We enjoyed our "It's a wrap" dinner on the March 31st, the last night of their month long special. For me that date was bittersweet. I was excited to go to one of my favorite places with friends,  but the date marked the anniversary of my layoff and an entire year of unemployment. I decided that the only way to properly enjoy the evening was to invite a couple of my friends who were laid off with me, so Mindy and Nora joined the 5280 group. 

We dipped our sorrows in melted cheese, doused them in batter and fried them in oil and finally drizzled them in chocolate. I couldn't think of a better way to make ourselves feel better.

All in all this year's 5280 adventure was a HUGE success. Thanks again Helen for all of your efforts in organizing and planning these fun evenings.

I may have eaten lots of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and top ramen in order to afford these fun nights, but it was SOOO worth it!

Can't wait for next year.

This is my life...

2011-04-22T15:22:00.001-06:00

Wow, hard to believe that this is my first post of 2011!

Where have I been???

What have I been doing???

Well lets just say that the life of the unemployed is about as exciting as watching paint dry most of the time. I have been posting fairly regularly on my craft blog but I haven't had much I felt like blogging about in my personal life so this little blog has been sadly neglected.

This past year has been HARD, really hard. I feel like I am stuck. Like I am driving in a blizzard and can't see the direction I should be going or even the destination I am heading towards. I don't like that feeling. I keep asking myself the same questions.

How did I get here, and where do I go from here?

What am I supposed to be doing?

When will I see the light at the end of the tunnel?

I have to have faith. Faith that everything will eventually be ok. Faith that HE has a plan for me even if I can't see it right now. Faith that I can do whatever it takes to get through this.

Because I don't allow myself to wallow in pity for very long (a little wallowing is healthy...right?) I have to acknowledge the positive things that I have enjoyed during the past year.

I have had LOTS of time for crafty projects. They have kept my mind and my hands busy. I have spent time during the day with other crafty friends and stayed up until the wee hours of the morning creating. I have had the chance to build my hobby into a small business, not enough to live on but every little bit helps.

I have read LOTS and LOTS of books! I love reading and I can get lost in a book so easily. I read more than 100 books in 2010. I haven't had that luxury in a very long time and I am really enjoying it.

I have succumbed to my body clock and my inner night owl. I enjoy staying up until 3:00 or 4:00am reading, crafting or sometimes even cleaning. I also enjoy sleeping in until 10am. When I have to adhere to someone else's schedule I will need some time to adjust, but for now this is how I roll and I am loving it.

I have had the chance to volunteer my time to various projects, friends in need and charities. There is nothing better to raise your spirits than to serve someone else.

I have enjoyed lots of good times with great friends! More on that in future posts, stay tuned.

Yes, this is my life and as Kate would say, "It might not be a perfect life but it's my life."

Twas The Night Before Christmas...

2010-12-24T13:46:00.001-07:00

I will start this post by saying that this is not my original work.

I shamelessly stole this from a friend of mine

and just as he did I have tweaked it a bit.

See Steve's version here

It was originally written by Harvey Ehrlich.

‘Twas The Night Before Christmas And Santa’s A Wreck

‘Twas the night before Christmas and Santa’s a wreck.
How to live in a world that’s politically correct?
His workers no longer would answer to “Elves”
“Vertically challenged” they were calling themselves.
And labor conditions at the North Pole
Were alleged by the union to stifle the soul.

Four reindeer had vanished without much propriety,
Released to the wilds by the Humane Society.
And equal employment had made it quite clear
That Santa had better not use just reindeer.
So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid,
Were replaced by four pigs, and you know that looked stupid.

The runners had been removed from his sleigh;
The ruts were termed dangerous by the E.P.A.
And people had started to call for the cops
When they heard heavy footsteps upon their rooftops.
The people at PETA were all up in arms,
His fur trimmed red suit had caused animals harm

If that wasn’t enough, to add to his woes
Rudolf was suing over unauthorized use of his nose
And had gone on Oprah, in front of the nation
Demanding millions in fair compensation
And as for the gifts, why, he’d never a notion
That making a choice could cause such commotion

Nothing of leather, nothing of fur
Which meant nothing for him. And nothing for her.
Nothing that might be construed to pollute.
Nothing to aim, nothing to shoot
Nothing that clamored or made lots of noise,
Nothing gender specific, for just girls or just boys

No candy or anything bad for the tooth
Nothing that seemed to embellish the truth.
And fairy tales, while not yet forbidden,
Were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden
No XBox or Wii that could ruin the eyes,
No iPods, iPads, iPhones, nothing with ‘i’s.

No baseball, no football, where kids could get hurt
Besides, playing sports exposed them to dirt
Dolls were said to be sexist, and should be passé
Computers would just rot your whole brain away.
So Santa just stood there, disheveled, perplexed,
He just could not figure what to do next.

He tried to be merry, tried to be gay,
But you’ve got to be careful with that word today.
His sack was quite empty, limp to the ground,
Nothing acceptable was to be found.
Something special was needed, a gift that he might
Give to all without angering the left or the right.

A gift that would satisfy with no indecision,
Each group of people, every religion,
Every ethnicity, every orientation
Everyone, everywhere…the whole population.
So here is the gift, it’s priced beyond worth,
May you and your loved ones enjoy

Peace On Earth

Whatever your thing at this season so bright

Kwanzaa or Hanukkah the festival of lights

Festivus, Christmas, Solstice, Diwali
We wish you great joy at your winter party
From the Dudleychick ladies, here's our wish to you
Warm winter blessings to you and your crew.

Times are tough...but I do my best!

2010-12-09T23:09:00.001-07:00

My dear friends,

Although it is somewhat embarrassing to admit, since I have been unemployed my Christmas budget is tight this year. I will be making bedroom slippers for you all as gifts. Please let me know your sizes. You'll most likely agree that it's a splendid idea, and should you wish to do the same, I've included the instructions below.

How to make bedroom slippers out of maxi pads:

You need four maxi pads to make a pair. Two of them get laid out flat, for the foot part.

The other two wrap around the toe area to form the top.

Tape or glue each side of the top pieces to the bottom of the foot part.

Decorate the tops with whatever you desire, silk flowers (this is most aesthetically appealing), etc.

These slippers are:

* Soft and Hygienic

* Non-slip grip strips on the soles

* Built in deodorant feature keeps feet smelling fresh

* No more bending over to mop up spills

* Disposable and biodegradable

* Environmentally safe *

Come in three convenient sizes:

(1.) Regular(2.) Light and (3.) Get out the Sand Bags.

I've attached a photo of the first pair I made above so that you can see the nifty slippers for yourself.... Awaiting your response.Please respond with your desired size, and decoration color.

Happy Holidays

Love ya, LeAnne

No really I just took them to my ward's RS Christmas party white elephant gift exchange.

They were a hit and Mary Jo ended up

choosing the box with these beauties inside.

She was not the one who ended up taking them home though.

The best gift of the evening was Becky's selection...

Yep, that's right. Of all of the gifts she chose the pregnancy test.

Uhhh, I think we all know the results of that test.

Anyway, fun was had by all.

I love white elephant gift exchanges.

Wanna know what I got?

I ended up with this

courtesy of the talented Patti Merril. It was hard to get a picture without the light reflection in the glass but it says LOVE in photos.

S*C*O*R*E!

I had just commented how much I loved this when she posted it on facebook, lucky me!

Catching up.

2010-12-05T01:38:00.000-07:00

As I sat in my parents house my mom reminded me that I am still behind on my thankful posts. That was last week and now it is not even November anymore but I wanted to finish.

So here is the rest of my list, again in no particular order.

#17. Chocolate

Oprah's set made entirely of Godiva chocolate

Here are a few of my theories on my favorite sweet treat.

SEVEN DAYS WITHOUT CHOCOLATE MAKES ONE WEAK

CHOCOLATE IS CHEAPER THAN THERAPY,

AND YOU DON'T NEED AN APPOINTMENT

THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THAN A GOOD FRIEND,

EXCEPT A GOOD FRIEND WITH CHOCOLATE

#18 Weather forecasts that are WRONG

Last week there was a "storm of the century" forecast for Utah, right before Thanksgiving. People were stocking up on groceries and water, buying generators, and schools closed early. College students prepared to face the worst roads in years as they headed over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house for Thanksgiving. My daughter was among them. She loaded her car with essential supplies in case she got stuck in a blizzard. The blizzard that never happened.

#19 Grocery Stores

While enjoying my Thanksgiving dinner I thought about the early settlers and all of the work they had to do to put on their Thanksgiving feast. I am thankful that all the good food I need (and some of the junk I don't need) is just down the street at my local grocery store.

#20 Sleeping in on Black Friday

In past years I have been one of those crazy people who go out in the wee hours of the morning to stand in line in freezing temperatures waiting for a great Black Friday deal. Not this year. This year I slept in, went no where near a store of any kind...and really enjoyed it!

#21 My Sewing Machine

I have been sewing for a long time. I got my first sewing machine for my birthday when I was 12 or 13 (I don't remember exactly) but I still have that machine and it still works great, Thanks to my local repair man who told me to forget buying something new, that he would keep my old friend running for me. It has made baby clothes and blankets, pajamas, at least a dozen prom dresses, skirts, curtains, duvets, pillows and other home decor. It is not a fancy machine, just an old Kenmore with lots of miles on it but I love it.

#22 Computers

This was the first computer I ever used. It was a Radio Shack TRS-80 and I took a computer class in middle school. We learned to write programs using If>Then statements that would make a green dash on a black screen do something cool.

We've come a long way since then. Today computers can fit in your pocket

and connect you to the world. I love technology!

#23Tweezers

The older I get the more hairs I find growing out of strange places...nuff said!

#24 Children's Laughter

No matter how bad my day has been or how depressed I may be feeling hearing the sounds of children laughing (especially babies) makes my day.

#25 ATMs

Cash in a box, what could be more convenient?

Well, maybe unlimited funds.

#26 Peanut Butter

Maybe I am just a kid at heart but I love Peanut Butter.

A good PB&J is just divine.

Even just on a spoon I love the stuff.

Even better when combined with #17 above.

#27 Good Customer Service

I have worked in customer service for much of my career. It is often a thankless job. People can be very RUDE and unappreciative. That is why when I do get good customer service I try and make a point of letting them know how much I appreciate it. I have recently received great service at Wells Fargo, Dish Network, Chase, and even at Walmart in Grand Junction.

#28 My Faith
I am a Mormon, LDS, Latter Day Saint...whatever you want to call it.
I am proud of my faith and thankful
for how it has shaped me into who I am today.

#29 America

I have always thought Lee Greenwood's song says it best.

I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me. And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘ Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA

#30 ME

I am not perfect.

I make mistakes.

I laugh.

I cry.

I love and I am loved.

I enjoy life.

So that's my list for this year. I am sure there are things that I am thankful for that I neglected to mention in this list.
I am going to try and be thankful for something every day,
not just in November because I am truly blessed to be me.

Want something FREE on Black Friday?

2010-11-26T09:44:00.001-07:00

This year I opted to sleep in instead of get up early and fight the crowds of crazies for discount deals. It felt good! When I awoke after a few extra hours of sleep I decided to do a little blog surfing.

Imagine my surprise when I found this offer from the creator of my favorite song at the moment.

Mindy Gledhill is giving away a case

of her new album (that's 30 copies) to one lucky winner!

If you have not had the pleasure of hearing Mindy's music then enjoy this video. The song is Hourglass and it is on her new album Anchor...which she is giving away 30 copies of!

Since I am unemployed this year and my Christmas budget is tight I am hoping I win, so I can give them as gifts this year. Wouldn't that be grand?

She also has some other great deals going on. You can get a whole case of Anchor CD's at the wholesale price of only $6.63 each. That's $199 for the case.

The retail value of 30 CDs is $509.40, so this is an amazing value.

She is also doing a 2/$20 special which gets you Anchor and her previous album Feather in The Wind both for $20. Such a deal!

Click here to check out the deals.

http://bluemorphmusic.mybigcommerce.com/

WAAAAAAY Behind...

2010-11-18T01:18:00.009-07:00

I am more than a little behind but here are a few more of the things I am thankful for.
In no particular order.

#6. My Cell Phone

Affectionately known as my "Crackberry".
It allows instant communication with friends and family
and even feeds my Facebook addiction on the go.
I never thought I would be so attached but I have to admit I am hooked.

#7. Paper, and Stamps, and Ink...OH MY!

This is a picture of my table this past weekend. I was preparing for my Christmas card workshops.
I am thankful for the ability to create (it keeps me sane) and to share my creations with others. I am also grateful to be a part of a great company, Close To My Heart.

#8. My Car

This is my ride (and my friend Jane). It's a 2000 VW Cabrio.

This pic was taken the day I bought it.

Ashleigh calls it my clown car and refuses to ride in it, but I love it.

Here are some highlights

115K Miles and still going strong

Convertible top (my fav on Indian Summer and warm Spirng days)

Great gas mileage

One out of four hubcaps (thanks to the jerkwads who stole the other three)

A few character dings that came with it at no extra charge

I own it...NO CAR PAYMENTS!

#9 Facebook

I know I am going to get some heat for this but I am actually thankful for Facebook. It has allowed me to reconnect with old friends, make new friends with similar interests and keep on everyone's lives (also known as Facebook stalking). I have also seen how Facebook can gather people around a cause, predict election results and provide free marketing for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Plus there are some addictive games on there in case you have some time to waste.

#10 Netflix

What ever did I do before my movies and TV shows came to me in the mail
or instantly streamed on my computer.

#11 I am grateful that some children are not mine!

OK maybe that sounds bad but when I see the screaming child in the grocery store or hear stories of unruly children I am glad they are not mine. My girl had her moments believe me (if you want to know ask her about the time the neighbors called the cops or a certain orange juice incident). But in all honesty I had a pretty easy kid. Much to my mother's dismay who swears to this day that I did not get what I deserved.

#12 Modern Medicine

Don't get me started on my feelings about Health Care, that is for another post. What I am grateful for here is modern medicine and the people who chose to spend their lives taking care of others. With the recent hospitalization of my dad I have been reminded how important good heath care is.

#13 Books
I am a lover of written words. Of stories.
Of escaping to another time and place.
Of learning and growing by reading.
more on what I love see this post.

#14 J.K. Rowling

Not only did she write some of my favorite books of all time, but I think J.K. Rowling truly changed the world. Before Harry Potter if you asked a third grader to pick up a 300, 400 or 700+ page book and read it you would have been looked at like you were crazy. And wait in line at midnight for a new book, no way! Books weren't cool. Yes, there were readers and people both young and old who enjoyed books but books were just books. Jo Rowling created a world both children and adults wanted to be a part of . She created anticipation as we waited with baited breath for the next installment of the story. She created jobs when bookstores hired extra people to prepare for the releases. Toy companies, clothing companies, the movie industry and now even a theme parked jumped on board. She created an empire. But most of all she made books cool, made children pick up huge volumes and read them from cover to cover multiple times, and paved the way for writers to tell their own stories.

For anyone who says that one person can't change the world...
this single mum from England is my example of how it can be done.

#15 Diet Coke

I have been working hard to kick my Diet Coke habit.
I try not to buy it to have at home and that has helped
but sometimes a few shots of Diet Coke
(or a bong as shown above) is what it takes to make it through the day.

#16 Plumbing

My bathroom may not be luxurious but it is not this...nuff said!

More to come!

Live, Love, Laugh

2010-11-05T02:15:00.000-06:00

This thankful post is all about

Living...

Loving...

Laughing

Living in Colorado

I may have been born in California but I am a Colorado girl at heart.

The kids in this video went to school with my daughter
and I think they did a great job of summing up Colorado girls.

I really do love it here. I grew up on the western slope in

Grand Junction and this was in my back yard.

Colorado National Monument photo found here

Now the Mile High City is my home.

Photo found here

Colorado really does have everything I love (except a beach).

Some of little things I love.

These are a few of the every day things
that will always bring a smile to my face.

1. Baby Laughs

2. Clean sheets and towels

3. Cards, letters and packages in the mailbox

4. Bubble baths

5. Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows

6. Birthday Candles

7. Good music

8. Cupcakes

9. Disney Movies

10. Blog Comments :)

Girlfriends who make me laugh.

Throughout my life I have always been privileged to have great girlfriends. Life moves on and some friendships remain close, others fade, and new friendships are made. Some of my fondest memories are of laughing with girlfriends, often until our sides and cheeks hurt.

I love how I can speak to old friends and remember fun times like they were yesterday even if life has taken over and we haven't spoken in a long time. Just the mention of the ice cube incident, shopping for Dark Helmet, a certain Sarah Lee cheesecake, Hoppy Burfdae or Mr Microdot brings a smile to my face to this day.

(If you were involved in these memories you know who you are.)

I love how girlfriends can make you laugh when you really feel like crying and then still be there when you remember what you were crying about.

Girlfriends are like chocolate for the soul.

Today I am thankful for the laughter brought on by girlfriends...past and present.

Giving Thanks

2010-11-02T17:34:00.000-06:00

Lately, I have felt like I have been making lots of

As in, "When life gives you lemons make lemonade."

My life is not where I would like it to be and I feel lost in the LEMONS.

But, even on the days where I am feeling the sorriest for myself

I am reminded that

I have lots and lots to be thankful for.

So since this is November, the month of Thanksgiving

I am going to attempt to post something I am thankful for every day. The posts may not be daily but by the end of November I will have posted 30 things I am thankful for.

My Family

Even though there are admittedly a few nuts on my family tree (I MAY even be one of them) my family has always been there for me. They love me unconditionally in spite of all my faults. I am so lucky to have them.

My Daughter

I know that technically she is encompassed in being thankful for my family but to me she deserves a separate mention. I love this pic. She will tell you that it is a result of photoshop enhancements, but this is how I see her.

Fun

Funky

Sweet and Beautiful

Perfection.

Stay tuned for my thankful thoughts, more to come.

What are YOU thankful for?

My problems are solved!

2010-10-28T18:54:00.001-06:00

For the past six months that I have been unemployed I have been worried about finances and where the money I need is going to come from. Imagine my surprise when in my email today I was offered the answer...from a Princess no less.

Hi,I am Princess Ruby,
I'm diagnosed with esophageal cancer, because it went unnoticed
I had to undergo laryngectomy.I have decided to donate the sum
of 15.5 M USD to you for the good work of the lord.
I am also donating my body after i am gone for research.
I want this last act of mine to be an offering to GOD and humanity.
send a note back to rubiesforruby@gmail.com with this ref. SvaSo so i know you
got this.I know I don't know you, but I have no family to leave my fortune to

and I know you are a good person.

God bless you abundantly,
Hotarubi

WOW, I could use 1.5 million!

But wait, there is another interesting email for me today. This one looks

very official. I better contact them right away and get my money.

FROM THE DESK AND OFFICE OF HISASHI OWADA
THE PRESIDENT AND PRESIDING JUDGE,
THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE,
(WORLD - COURT)
PEACE PALACE, CARNEGIEPLEIN-2 2517 KJ,
THE HAGUE, NETHERLAND.
EMAIL:          thomasicj@w.cn
OFFICIAL WEB-SITE:  http://www.icj-cij.org/homepage/index.php

ATTENTION: BENEFICIARY,


                   INTERNATIONAL COURT INTERVENTION ON FOREIGN PAYMENT:

IN CONFORMITY WITH THE DETERMINED INTEREST OF DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT TO PAY OFF 
ALL OUTSTANDING FOREIGN PAYMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOREIGN PAYMENT POLICY AS 

CONTAINED IN THE FOREIGN  PAYMENT ACT OF 1990, AMENDED TO EXPEDITE THE IMMEDIATE 

SETTLEMENT OF ALL OUTSTANDING APPROVED FOREIGN PAYMENT. 

ALL AFRICAN PRESIDENTS ADDRESSED THE UNITED NATION'S ASSEMBLY BEFORE THIS 
HONORABLE COURT OF INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE (WORLD COURT)DURING THE 
OFFICIAL MEETING WITH THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT, BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND OTHER 
UNITED NATION"S (U.N) COMMUNITY'S OFFICIALS ON THE 10TH OF OCTOBER,2010 ON THE 
THEME: THE SCAM/FRAUD IN AFRICA AND ALL COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD, FOLLOWING SERIES 

OF REPORT AND PETITIONS AGAINST FRAUD/SCAM.

THIS LETTER IS AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS WAS FOUND AMONG THE 
LIST OF FOREIGNERS THAT HAVE NOT RECEIVED THEIR PAYMENT.YOU WILL ONLY RECEIVE A 
PART PAYMENT OF ($5.5M) FIVE MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES 
DOLLARS IN THIS LAST QUARTER WHILE THE BALANCE SHALL BE PAID TO YOU IN THE FIRST 

PAYMENT QUARTER OF NEXT, YEAR 2011.

THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE, ALL PRESIDENTS/HEADS STATES AND ALL UNITED 
NATION COUNTRIES MEMBERS ARE IN A GLOBAL CRUSADE TO SALVAGE THE IMAGE OF OUR 
GREAT NATIONS WHICH HAS BEEN TARNISHED AND ABUSED INTERNATIONALLY BY FRAUDULENT 
SCAM IMPOSTORS. BY THE AUTHORITY AND POWER OF THIS HONORABLE COURT,THE AFRICAN 
STATES GOVERNMENTS, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT, BRITISH 
GOVERNMENT AND ALL UNITED NATION?S COMMUNITIES ARE NOW ON RAMPAGE WAR TO STOP 
THE IMPOSTORS? OPERATIONS SO AS TO ENABLE THE AUTHORIZED OFFICIALS TO DISCHARGE 
THEIR DUTIES DILIGENTLY.

NOW YOU ARE WARNED TO STOP ANY COMMUNICATION AS A CONTRACTOR/INHERITANCE/LOTTERY 

WINNERS WITH ANY OFFICE OR GOVERNMENT AGENT NO MATTER WHATEVER NAME, OFFICE OR 
POSITION HE/SHE MIGHT CLAIM TO BE OR REPRESENT AND STRICTLY ADHERE TO THESE 
DIRECTIVES. THIS MESSAGE IS ON CIRCULATION ON THE WEBSITE, CNN AND BBC. IF YOU 
RECEIVE THIS MESSAGE AND DID NOT DISCONTINUE DEALING WITH THOSE FAKE OFFICES AND 

OFFICIALS, YOU WILL HAVE YOURSELF TO BLAME ON ANY LOSS, NOT ONLY THAT, YOU WILL 
BE PROSECUTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTERNATIONAL LAW.

IN OTHER TO ENSURE A PROPER CO-ORDINATION BY THE APPOINTED LEGAL BODY SADDLED 
WITH  THIS SANITARY RESPONSIBILITY, A COMMISSION'S OFFICES HAVE  BEEN 
ESTABLISHED 
FOR TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.

THEREFORE BY THE DECISION AND DIRECTIVES OF THIS HONORABLE COURT,THE ENTIRE 
UNITED NATIONS COMMUNITIES HAS CONSTITUTED INTERNATIONAL COURT AND APPOINTED THE 

UNITED NATION'S COMPENSATION COMMISSION, UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF HON. IDRIS 
LEGBO KUTIGI, AND APPOINTED SECRETARY IS MRS. CAROLYN JONES (FROM THE UNITED 
STATES OF AMERICA) AND FIVE OTHERS IN THE COMMISSION THIS LEGAL BODY IS THE ONLY 

AUTHORITY IN CHARGE OF FOREIGN PAYMENT FOR NOW BY THE LEGAL AUTHORITY OF THE 
INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE AND IN AGREEMENT WITH ALL UNITED NATION'S 
LEADERS.

THEREFORE, YOU ARE NOW DIRECTED TO CONTRACT THIS BODY FOR YOUR PAYMENT 
ENDORSEMENT AND NORMALIZATION THROUGH THIS BELOW STATED CONTACT INFORMATION 
IMMEDIATELY SO THAT THEY WILL GIVE YOU DETAILS TO ENABLE YOU RECEIVE AND CONFIRM 

YOUR OVERDUE PAYMENT IN YOUR DESIGNATED BANK ACCOUNT WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DELAY.

AUTHORIZED PANEL:     UNITED NATION'S COMPENSATION COMMISSION.
CHAIRMAN:                 HON. IDRIS LEGBO KUTIGI.
SECURITY I.D. NO.:        UN 2O1O COMP/ICJ.
TELEPHONE:                +234 808 180 3895
E-MAIL:                            honidriskutigi@w.cn
OFFICIAL WEB:   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idris_Legbo_Kutigi

CALL THE BODY/ OFFICE IMMEDIATELY FOR YOUR PAYMENT INFORM THEM THAT YOU RECEIVE 
A  MESSAGE FROM MR. PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE, INSTRUCTING YOU 
TO CALL THEM FOR AN IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF YOUR COMPENSATION FUND AND ALSO FORWARD 

YOUR INFORMATION (YOUR NAME, ADDRESS,TELEPHONE,OCCUPATION AND AGE ) TO THEM FOR 
AN IMMEDIATE  PART PAYMENT OF FIVE MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES 
DOLLARS ONLY.PLEASE TO ENABLE ATTEND TO YOUR PAYMENT VERY QUICK AND SERIOUS,MAKE 

SURE YOU CALL THEM AFTER SENDING AN EMAIL TO THEM.

NOTE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED AS WE HAVE MOUNTED A HIGH SECURITY NETWORK TO 
MONITOR ALL PAYMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS. IF YOU ARE FOUND STILL DEALING WITH ANY 
OTHER GROUP OF PERSONS OR PEOPLE (BANKS OR INDIVIDUALS)THOSE FRAUDSTERS THAT 
HAVE DENTED THIS NATION?S IMAGE GLOBALLY, YOU WILL BE HANDED OVER TO YOUR 
COUNTRY GOVERNMENT FOR PROSECUTION. YOU SHALL BE EXPECTED TO CONFIRM TO US 
IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOU RECEIVE YOUR FUND  FOR RECORD PURPOSE.

REGARDS,
MR. THOMAS BUERGENTHAL
FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE.
http://www.icj-cij.org/homepage/index.php


CC:      SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS.
CC:      UNITED NATION'S COMPENSATION COMMISSION.

Another $5.5 million now,

and more in 2011, my luck is certainly

changing. But wait, that wasn't the

end there was still one more.

Dear Friend,
 
Compliments of the day and God's blessings
 
I am glad to inform you that I have successfully concluded the 
transaction,the money transferred to London. It was

 transferred through the assistant of your country man

Mr.Howard Ferraro who is a London base business man.

 Currently I am in London with him,my husband

and children.
 
However,I did not forget you because you are the source of

my success,you made me what I am now though you are not there

 to complet this project with me but I gave all the credit and

thanks to you. I know it was not your fault or rather
your wish to back up on me and the transaction.

I understand it is simply because of what you must have heard

about my continent and her business opportunities.

 Actually there are still good ones for example myself.
In appreciate of your assistance I have mapped out as a

compensation and wrote on your favor an International

Certified Bank Draft worth of US$2,500,000.00.

(Two Million,Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars
 Only) I left the Draft with my attorney  Dr Philip Martin, on my 
departure to London. I would like you therefore,to
 contact him on the below info so that he can mail it to you.
 
Dr Philip Martin
Email:(philip.martins92@yahoo.fr)
PLEASE SEND TO HIM WITH YOUR PERSONAL CONTACT
1,FULL NAME.................
2,DELIVERY ADDRESS........
3,PHONE NUMBER...........
4. AGE:........................
 
Contact
 My attorney in Benin-Republic so that he can release your Draft

to you. While contacting him you have to mention

this code 999 to him for identification.
 
Regards,
Mrs. Joyce Gimba

I guess I should stop looking for a job

now, looks like I am all set.

 $9.5 Million dollars

just for opening my email.

 Let me know if you need a loan.

This is the story of a girl...

2010-10-22T03:31:00.004-06:00

Let's see how should this story begin?

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away...

No that's not right!

Once upon a time in a magical kingdom...

Hmmm.......nope.

One cold dark night....

in a unfamiliar room I hear the beeps of machinery, the chatter of people outside. I am uncomfortable. I can't seem to find a position where the pain subsides. I am scared and excited and tired and unsure. I have been here for more than a day and I just want to go home. I realize that there is no turning back now, I must make a decision. I look to familiar faces for help, for comfort. I am told that the decision has to be mine but that time is running out. It is nearly 9:00pm. I tell them my choice and am whisked away. Bright lights, funny smells, whispers of , " Think Pink". It all happened so quickly.

At 9:01pm on October 22, 1987

this changed my life forever.

Ashleigh Rene' Dudley - 7lbs 7oz - 19 inches

This tiny perfect pink bundle is mine. It is the best thing I have ever done. Hmmm, I wonder what happened to the instruction manual?

I watch her grow and learn and develop. There are lots of firsts.

First smile, first laugh, first foods, first teeth, first words, first steps.

She grows so quickly and before know it a year has passed, then two, then five.

Now, she's wrapped around my finger

She's the center of my whole world

And my heart belongs to that sweet,

little, beautiful, wonderful, perfect

All American girl

Time goes so quickly now. I need to pause, to rewind. I wish I had a remote control.

What happened to my little girl? School days, homework, sleepovers, girly giggles.

Growing up so fast...
                           Middle School...
                                              BOYS...
                                                        trip to England...

High School...
                      Driving...
                                      Proms...
                                                    College Applications...
                                                                                      Graduation...

Leaving home for the first time

Butterfly fly away,

butterfly fly away,

Flap your wings

now you can't stay,

Take those dreams and make them all come true.

College days...

fun..

friends...

independence

Personal Growth

Meeting an eternal friend,

who shares the same birthday.

I could not be more proud of the young woman she has become.

This is the story of MY girl,

And I absolutely love her when she smiles.

Happy 23rd Birthday Ashleigh...and Gabby too!

There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island. ~ Walt Disney ~

2010-10-17T23:13:00.001-06:00

First a quick follow up to my last post. Operation body clock reset has been at least partially successful. I got up around 10:30 am on Monday and stayed up all through Monday night. I was planning to meet a friend to do some crafts on Tuesday so I knew that I would be busy and it would be easier to stay awake all day if someone else was there. Thanks Vicki for keeping me occupied and awake. I made it until 9:00pm and then went to bed and fell asleep immediately. I did wake up for a couple of hours at around 2:00am but then went back to sleep until around 9:00. I felt better than I had in months and had a pretty productive day on Wednesday. I was in bed before midnight and only read for a little while. On Thursday morning I woke up around 8:30 and reached over to my nightstand and grabbed my book for a few minutes of reading before I got out of bed.

I had just started The Hunger Games the night before and only read a few pages before falling asleep. Upon picking it up again in the morning I was sucked in. I spent the day reading then forcing myself to put it down and get something else done only to come back to it again and again. I finally finished the book at around 5:00am (so much for that reset) but it was worth it.

"Outside a dog, a book is man's best friend.

Inside a dog, it's too dark to read.~Groucho Marx

This is my nightstand.

Can you tell that I love books and reading? Since I have been unemployed it has been my books and my crafts that have kept me sane. I love to escape to another world where I can be magical, supernatural, or explore another time and place. Books let me live out dreams that I could never have imagined on my own. They teach valuable lessons on life, relationships, history, and what is possible if only you have the determination and courage to follow your dreams.

I recently subbed in a third, fourth and firth grade classroom where I took in a creative project. We made book marks using famous quotes about books and reading. I am including a few of my favorites in this post.

"I often feel sorry for people who don't read good books; they are missing a chance to lead an extra life." ~ Scott Corbett ~

A closer look at the books currently on my nightstand.

Here is a list of some of my recent favorites and what I thought about them just in case you're a bookaholic too.

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - I loved this book but I will be the first to say it is probably not for everyone. It is about a future world where a controlling Capitol requires teens from 12 districts to fight to the death in a yearly televised game. It is captivating and I could not put it down. There are some great lessons to be learned here but you have to be in the right state of mind for it and I would not recommend it for anyone under 13.
2. Water For Elephants by Sarah Gruen -This was a great story that I have had on my bookshelf for over a year and never gotten to. It is a about a traveling circus in the 1930s. The characters are memorable and the story is a little taste of history with some adventure mixed in.

There is no friend as loyal as a book. ~Ernest Hemingway

3. The Time Traveler's Wife - by Audrey Niffenegger - I had read this one when it first came out a few years ago and enjoyed it. Then I saw the movie and couldn't remember how it differed from the book but I knew it did. I picked this up again and liked it even better the second time around. After seeing the movie some of the time lines were easier to follow and the story made more sense.
4. The Help by Kathryn Stockett - This is a wonderful story about a time not so long ago. It gave great insight into the lives of the black maids and "help" in the 1950's. I have a much better understanding of what was going on in the south during that time and an even greater appreciation for all the progress we have made since then. I am so happy I live in a time when I do not have to choose my friends based on the color of their skin.

So please, oh PLEASE, we beg, we pray, Go throw your TV set away, And in its place you can install, a lovely bookshelf on the wall. ~Roald Dahl

5. The Alchemyst, The Magician, The Sorcerer and The Necromancer by Michael Scott- If you like Harry Potter then you should pick up this series. It is about the immortal Nicholas Flamel who is mentioned in the first harry Potter book as the creator of the sorcerer's stone. Nicholas Flamel was a real person and he and his wife Pernelle lived in England. Their home still stands as one of the oldest in London and now houses a restaurant. What I love about this series is the extensive research Michael Scott has done to create this series. Only the main characters Sophie and Josh Newman are fictional. All the other characters are real historical or mythological figures. The stories are fast paced and exciting and left me wanting to find out more about history and mythology.
6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K Rowling - What can I say about this one. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a Harry Potter freak. This one is my favorite of the series by far. I have read it at least five times so far and will probably read it again before the movie comes out in November.

"Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him." ~ Maya Angelou~

7. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert- I read this one because of all of the hype. Everyone said it was great. I liked it but can't say it was one of my favorites. I loved the eat part in Italy, struggled with India's pray portion and ended up enjoying Bali and the love sound there.
8. Three Cups of Tea and Stones Into Schools by Greg Mortensen - These books were real eye openers, great examples of how one person can make a difference.
9. Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris - This series is the one that HBO show True Blood is based on. While I have only watched a couple of episodes I found it much to risque for my tastes. The books are much more PG-13. Vampires, werewolves and fairies..oh my!

Life happened because I turned the pages. ~ Alberto Manguel

10. The Percy and The Olympians Series by Rick Riordan - Another great young adult series. Lots of Greek mythology, suspense and action. The books are WAY better than the movie.
11. Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer- Since I am a Mormon and Stephenie Meyer is a Mormon author I was reading these books long before they weer so popular. I have read the entire series multiple times. Team Edward...nuff said!
12. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks - I enjoy Nicholas Sparks books but I know I need to be ready to cry when I pick one up. This one was no exception. I finished this one literally within minutes of meeting a friend to see the movie. What was interesting was that at the end of the book the author explains how the story came about. It was actually written for Myley Cyrus who wanted a story similar to A Walk to Remember. He actually wrote the screenplay first and went back and wrote the book later. I found this very interesting when comparing the two. I almost always like the book better but in this case there were parts of both the book and the movie that I loved.

I could keep going but this is enough for one post. Leave me a comment and tell me what you've been reading.

The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.~Dr. Seuss

It's been a hard day's night

2010-10-11T03:18:00.006-06:00

image found here

I am an admitted NIGHT OWL. I have been ever since I can remember. I love staying up late and usually I am very productive in the wee hours. When I was young I remember writing many reports and papers and studying for tests long after everyone else was in bed.

As a young parent my late nights were ME time. After Ashleigh was in bed I could watch something "adult" (not that kind of adult... but I was a sucker for Melrose Place and the original 90210). I could clean without someone messing it up immediately or sew, or do crafts or eat cookie dough, you get the idea.

As she grew up it became harder to get my late night ME time. It seemed I was raising another night owl who was all to willing to stay up with me. So during her school years on weeknights I would fight to get her in bed at a reasonable hour and on the weekends we would enjoy late night movie watching, game playing, etc. We still enjoy late nights together when she is home and when she is not home it us not unusual for her to call me at 1:00-2:00am to catch up because she knows I will most likely be up.

While I have NEVER been a natural morning person, there have been times in my life that early mornings have been a necessary evil. I did what I needed to do to get Ashleigh to school and myself to work on time on a fairly regular basis. I may not have enjoyed it, but I did it. Even when I was getting up early it was rare that I went to bed before midnight, and I did just fine on an average of six hours of sleep a night.

What I have noticed though is that as I get older my night owl tendencies are not serving me well. I started having sleep issues a couple of years ago. I have a hard time falling asleep before 2:00am and once I am finally asleep I don't always stay asleep. I have tried all kinds of natural remedies and even some prescription meds all of which failed to provide the ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ's I need on a regular basis.

When I was laid off I thought, great now I don't have to fight it for a while. I can stay up as late as I want and sleep in and it won't really matter. At least that is what I thought. But as the months have rolled on I have been staying up later and later. I thought nothing of reading or scrapbooking or watching movies until 3:00, 4:00 or even 5:00am, no big deal...right??? WRONG!!!

Now I can't even get to sleep then. I find myself staying up all night several times a week and I have totally messed up my internal body clock. I feel like a newborn who has their nights and days mixed up. I have no energy, I eat at strange times and am starting to feel depressed. I know it is all related to my sleep or lack there of but I can't seem to find the reset button (it is 3:14am as I am typing this).

A friend of mine suggested that I try staying up for 24 hours and then go to bed at 10:00pm and then force myself to go to bed at a more normal time for a week to reset my body clock. I am going to give it a try this week...wish me luck.

If this doesn't work I may be looking into moving to Australia, France, Germany, Hungary or Korea. I know people living in all of those places right now so at least I'd have friends.

Would you likey some ear bling?

2010-10-06T23:01:00.003-06:00

My friend Reb is having a fantastic giveaway for some sweet earrings. All you have to do is leave a comment on her post here. Good luck!

And hey if you don't win those you can go to http://www.diamondearrings.org/ and get some for yourself.Now tell me what girl wouldn't like a little extra sparkle.

There is no FUN in unemployment

2010-10-01T23:26:00.005-06:00

If you are reading this blog because you actually know me you probably know that I have been unemployed since April 1st. I never thought I would become a statistic or a victim of the crappy economy but alas here I am. I was fortunate enough to get some severance when my company decided to close the Denver office and I had an awesome summer being magical at Hogwarts for 144 young witches and wizards. All of this (and some help from family) has enabled me to go without collecting unemployment benefits until now. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for unemployment, but I am also very frustrated by the entire process.

I filed for unemployment the week after I was laid off but because of my severance package and working over the summer my claim was postponed. Did I mention that unemployment benefits comes at a price, there are lots of hoops to jump through and rules to follow. In order for me to reinstate my claim I needed to call in and talk to someone...yeah right!

cartoon image found here

After two and a half week of calling in every time I thought about it throughout the day every day (avg 6-8 tries per day) I still had not spoken to anyone and had only gotten though once only to be cut off after 35 minutes on hold. The money was running out and I was getting desperate.

Finally I decided one day that I was getting through if it killed me and I got nothing else done that day. I woke up at about 7:00 and got all of my paperwork in front of me and started dialing at 7:30 on the nose. Each time I got the recorded message that all agents were busy and to try again later I hung up and hit redial. I did this for three and a half hours straight (I lost count but I think it was somewhere in the range 150 calls)!

So I had finally gotten through and thought I was making progress only to have my hopes dashed when I heard, "Due to the high volume of calls your expected wait time may be up to 120 minutes."...Seriously!!! A mere 110 minutes later I finally got to talk to someone. Who took all of my information and reinstated my claim in under five minutes. UUUGGHHHHH!!!!

A new leaf

2010-09-30T19:32:00.007-06:00

Awesome pic of fall colors by my cousin Christopher Eberhart (shamelessly stolen from facebook)

I don't really consider myself a blogger, I am just someone who has a blog. I love blogs. I love reading about other people's lifes and adventures. Yes, I sometimes blog stalk people I don't even know. I am outing myself as a bit of a blog stalker right here and now. I get excited when I see that one of my regular stalking stops has a new post, it makes me happy. I read about the every day lives of other people but never think that my everyday life is anything anyone else would want to read about.

I started thinking differently after reading this post from my DD. I realized that I don't blog for anyone else. I am NEVER going to be a cJane or a NieNie or Pioneer Woman who has thousands of readers and followers. I blog for me, as therapy and to remember what is going on in my life and in my head.

I was never good at consistently keeping a journal so when I started this I was hoping that the blog would be easier... but not so much. It's fall, a time of change so I am going to change my blogging habits and turn over a new leaf. I have decided to take Ashleigh's idea of posting at least once a week from now until the end of the year. That shouldn't be too hard but we'll see.

If you do stop by and read my ramblings leave me a comment so I know you were here. I love visitors comments make my day. You'll get no judgement from me even if you are a friend of my daughter's roommate's neighbor's cousin and I don't know you at all.

Peachy keen...

2010-09-12T16:29:00.007-06:00

Where did the summer go?? It seems like I am always saying that this time of year. Summer is always crazy busy and this year was no exception. Ashleigh came home for a few months, it is always great to have her around. We had 150 kids come to summer term at Hogwarts season #8 and even enjoyed a couple of froomie visits from afar.

I know the summer is over when the house is too quiet again and it is just me, myself and I. I enjoy fall though. I am happy to say goodbye to the scorching summer heat. It is my favorite time of year to make use of the convertible and ride with the top down. It is also the time of year when the earth presents it's harvest. I love all of the fresh fruits and vegetables that are available this time of year, especially the peaches. Having grown up on the western slope of Colorado peaches are a fall staple. In Grand Junction when I went to high school (way back when) the school year even started later so the teenagers could help with the peach harvests. I always bring a few back from my fall visits, but they go fast.So when a friend from church said she had a connection to get western slope peaches for $18 a 25# box I signed right up. Then I realized...it is just me, myself and I...how am I going to eat 25# of peaches?? My friend Mindy wanted some too so she agreed to split the box with me but that still leaves 12.5#. Then I remembered that I had to bring a dish to my monthly CTMH meeting and I already had these in the fridge.
So here is what I made. A super yummy raspberry peach cobbler. I couldn't find a recipe that was exactly what I wanted so I combined a few and came up with this. It was a hit and I will make it again for sure. Here is my recipe if you are interested.
Raspberry Peach Cobbler-Crisp
Filling:
3 cups sliced fresh peaches
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
3/4 cups sugar
Gently mix peaches and raspberries. Add sugar and set aside.
Cake:
1/2 stick softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
Topping:
3/4 stick softened butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup granola
Cream together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. Mix together dry ingredients before adding and then add slowly alternating with milk.
Grease a large casserole dish with cooking spray and add fruit. Top with dollops of batter and spread as evenly as possible.
Mix topping ingredients with fork until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly on top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.
For the very best results serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy...I know I did!

New Blog!

2010-05-04T03:16:00.004-06:00

I have decided to move the crafty stuff to it's own blog. Check it out Dudleychick Designs for lots of new pictures of my crafty stuff and info on upcoming classes etc.

In the meantime this blog will be getting an overhaul and probably a new name...more to come on that.

We are living in a "Virtual World", but I am not so sure I am a "Virtual" girl.

2010-02-13T19:57:00.012-07:00

Well hello again my dear friend blog. I have been ignoring you for a while now. Nice to see you again.

I have been thinking about the world we live in these days. The world where virtual and digital IS our reality. Maybe it is because I am a child of the 80's where "virtual" meant things like, " I am virtually 5'10" (because I could tease my hair to an extra 3 inch height).

Photo courtesy of www.yearbookyourself.com

These days virtual means something entirely different. The Internet and other modern technologies have made it so that we could literally survive without actually interacting with another human being, but I often wonder if that is a good thing. Anyone remember Sandra Bullock in the movie The Net?

Don't get me wrong I am as addicted to my computer and my smart phone as much as the next person but I also like "keeping it real".

Here is how some of todays modern technologies break down for me. Some I like and some not so much, but I would love to hear your thoughts too.

Friends: I LOVE having virtual friends. With blogs, facebook, yahoo groups, and online communities I call many people I have never met in person my "Friends". I communicate with them digitally through IM, email, facebook, tweets and other means of virtual communication. We share our lives, loves, hopes and dreams as well as our problems and addictions. Some of these friends know me better than my so called "real" friends. But as much as I love my virtual friends there is nothing like laughing with good friends right there by your side. Somehow LOL or even ROFL just isn't the same.

Customer Service: Because of what I do for a living this one is a biggie for me. If I am having a problem and seek out customer service I want to speak to a human, preferably one that speaks English clearly. I HATE automated phone systems where no matter how many times you say "talk to an agent" or press 0 you get sent into another loop asking you to push a button or speak your choices. I also HATE being sent overseas to talk to someone named "Bob" with very broken English. Chat support is not much better. Recently I was trying chat support and was virtually hung up on before I even had time to type my next question. Seriously, is that what they call customer service?

Texting: This one is a mixed bag for me. I text but not as much as many people I know. I guess part of it is that I am not under 25, but I can never see my self sending upwards of 500 texts per day. I admit it is convenient for quick correspondence but again I wonder what texting is doing for our ability to really communicate. I would almost always rather hear your voice, but that's just me.

Is it really necessary to text someone who is sitting in the same room? Ok, maybe there are situations, like when you want to mention how cute the guy at the next table is without embarrassing anyone but most of the time wouldn't be easier to just talk?

Texting has also become another dangerous distraction to driving.

Do you text and drive? If you do ...STOP before someone gets hurt! Oprah is championing a campaign to make your car a NO PHONE ZONE, I signed the pledge. Will you???

Digital Photos: I love digital photography. I love the instant gratification of seeing your pictures instantly on the screen and not having to wait until they are developed only to realize that you missed that perfect shot. I love being able to keep 100s of photos on a card the size of a postage stamp. What I don't love about digital photography is that we seem to do less with our digital photos. Some people never even print them. I know that there are digital photo frames and we can create slideshows on the computer but there is something special about having a photo in your hand. I like holding a little piece of captured history. The thing I worry most about, probably because I am a scrapbooker, is how these digital images will be passed to future generations. When my grandmother passed away at nearly 103 years of age I was given a box of old photos she had kept throughout her life. Those photos are some of my most cherished possessions. In this digital world will we remember to pass on our treasured memories...I hope so.

Digital Scrapbooking: I am not really sold on this either. I have been a scrapbooker for a long time and at this point I am probably in need of a twelve step program for my addictions. Maybe this has made me a snob when it comes to digital scrapbooking. Or maybe it is that I spend at least 40 hours a week on a computer so I don't want my creative time to be spent there as well. Digital may be faster, it may be easier, and in some cases it may even be cheaper but for me it's just not the same. I love getting my hands dirty with ink and adhesive. I love cutting out shapes and poking holes for tiny brads. I love adding a bit of bling or ribbon or some other three dimensional embellishment.

Close to My Heart is coming out with our own digital scrapbooking software in the near future. I have been trying it out before it's final release and I have to admit that it is pretty cool but for me it will not likely ever replace the REAL thing.

eReading: There has been a lot of hype recently with the impending release of Apple's iPad and the popularity of Amazon's Kindle.

Advertisements for these devices highlight the lightweight slim design, the instant downloads of thousands of titles and the on the go ease of use. Sorry, but I am not buying it. I LOVE books! I love the smell of a bookstore, I love reading until I wake myself up because I dropped the book on my face. I love the stacks of books next to my bed. I even love the paper cuts gotten by my excitement in turning a page to find out what happens next.

When asked to describe my idea of a perfect day it will almost always include a quiet place (usually a beach) and a good book.

Somehow " a quiet place (usually a beach) and a good Kindle" just doesn't cut it. Besides, books don't need batteries and I can tell you from experience that electronic devices and sand are NOT a good mix...RIP dear Kodak camera who died an untimely death on a sand dune along the Oregon coast.

Online Shopping: Online shopping Rocks! I love being able to get what I want with just a few clicks. I can order pizza, clothes, craft supplies, books and movies, or just about anything else I can think of from the comfort of my own couch and I don't even need to be dressed. Ok, get your minds out of the gutter I am not a naked shopper (that's just creepy), but I have done lots of click shopping in my PJs. If only I could figure out how to click and fill the gas tank on my car I would be all set.

I will admit though that I am a girl, and sometimes an actual shopping trip where my senses are involved is a wonderful thing. It is nice to see the true colors of things, to feel the textures and actually try clothes on, but only once in a while.

While I am on the subject of online shopping I have to mention eBay, Craigslist, Etsy etc. I LOVE these sites. They bring online shopping to a whole new level.

"Reality" TV- calling "Reality" TV reality is a joke, they are not fooling anyone. But as long as you realize that reality TV is edited for drama and they only show you what they want you to see then I think it can be entertaining. There is so much out there these days in the Reality catagory that I am sure everyone can find something they enjoy. Some of my favorites are

The Amazing Race
Project Runway
Extreme Makeover Home Edition
Ace of Cakes

I can do without

Jersey Shore
Any of the Real Housewives
The Real World
The Hills

I guess with all of this ranting what I am trying to say is that I am not completely sold on everything virtual. I need to interact, to touch, to feel, to hear, to make use of ALL my senses. I want to know that things are really REAL and not just virtually real.

I do love the modern conveniences but sometimes going retro can be a good thing too.

Holiday Heyday Sale Starts Tomorrow!!!

2009-12-01T11:15:00.001-07:00

Hang in there this post is going to be a long one, but there are LOTS of bargains to tell you about.

Starting December 2nd, there is a Close To My Heart Scrapbooking and Stamping CLEARANCE SALE online!! 50%-80% Savings! Below is a list of CTMH clearance items that will be available during the December "Holiday Heyday" sale (while supplies last). Log in on December 2nd starting at 9:00am MST to purchase from a special clearance section. This sale has quantities restricted to FIVE per item to provide a smooth shopping experience for all customers and clearance items are only available through a consultant's website. Serious shipping savings apply with minimum orders. Clearance items may not be combined with regular-priced items in a single shopping cart, and clearance purchases are not eligible for Stamp of the Month.

Here is a link to my CTMH website.

This is a great way to get all the scrapbookers and cardmakers on your holiday gift list wonderful presents they’ll love at super prices. There are some great things on this list and they will go fast so log on early for the best deals. Happy Shopping!!

CC1008 Grab Bag $30.00 ($100 value) You wont be dissapointed!
Z9990 Key to My Heart Paper Pack $5.00 (one of my favorite paper packs...beautiful)
Z9991 Just Because Card Base $2.00
Z9992 Life Delights Pack $4.00
Z9993 Promise of Spring Pack $5.00
Z9994 Magic Moments Pack $10.00
Z464 Sassy Strands® Summer Carnival Collection $1.00
Z400 Sassy Strands® White Daisy Collection $1.00
Z467 Sassy Strands® Spring Blossom Collection $1.00
Z401 Sassy Strands® Autumn Harvest Collection $1.00
Z402 Sassy Strands® Winter Classic Collection $1.00
Z463 Sassy Strands® Spring Harmony Collection $1.00
Z466 Sassy Strands® Autumn Garden Collection $1.00
Z465 Sassy Strands® Winter Cozy Collection $1.00
Z468 Sassy Strands® Summer Celebration Collection $1.00
Z1108 Chocolate Brads $3.00
1759 Silver Brads $3.00
Z1105 White Daisy Brads $3.00
Z1107 Black Brads $3.00
Z1111 Brads Summer Carnival Assortment $3.00
Z1137 Brads Spring Harmony Assortment $3.00
Z297 Bigger Brads Autumn Harvest Assortment $7.00
Z298 Bigger Brads Winter Classic Assortment $7.00
Z1051 Bitty Brads $3.00
Z288 My Accents® Topiary Accessories $6.00
Z285 My Accents® Garden Green Accessories $6.00
Z286 My Accents® Outdoor Denim Accessories $6.00
Z284 My Accents® Cranberry Accessories $6.00
Z290 My Accents® Autumn Terracotta Accessories $6.00
Z196 My Accents® Baby Pink Accessories $6.00
Z1015 Clear Inspirations Believe Ribbon Slides $1.00
Z1013 Clear Inspirations Precious Ribbon Slides $1.00
Z1133 3/8" White Daisy Ricrac Ribbon (bulk) $4.00
Z803 Organdy Ribbon Rounds™ Spring Blossom Collection $4.00
Z807 Organdy Ribbon Rounds™ Autumn Garden Collection $4.00
Z802 Organdy Ribbon Rounds™ Spring Harmony Collection $4.00
Z808 Organdy Ribbon Rounds™ Winter Classic Collection $4.00
Z804 Organdy Ribbon Rounds™ Summer Carnival Collection $4.00
Z805 Organdy Ribbon Rounds™ Summer Celebration Coll. $4.00
Z1301 Designer Ribbon Rounds™ Chocolate Collection $4.00
Z823 Designer Ribbon Rounds™ Autumn Terracotta Coll. $4.00
Z1306 Designer Ribbon Rounds™ Heartfelt Collection $4.00
Z1305 Designer Ribbon Rounds™ Holiday Collection $4.00
Z816 Ribbon Rounds™ White Daisy Collection $4.00
Z814 Designer Ribbon Rounds™ Cocoa Collection $4.00
Z812 Designer Ribbon Rounds™ Hollyhock Collection $4.00
Z1303 Designer Ribbon Rounds™ Outdoor Denim Collection $4.00
Z815 Designer Ribbon Rounds™ Twilight Collection $4.00
Z331 Eyelet Mat $2.00 Z169 Black Eyelets $2.00
Z159 Buttercup Eyelets $2.00
Z136 Heavenly Blue Eyelets $2.00
Z171 Pewter Eyelets $2.00
Z149 Garden Green Eyelets $2.00
Z165 New England Ivy Eyelets $2.00
Z153 Indian Corn Blue Eyelets $2.00
Z150 Autumn Terracotta Eyelets $2.00
Z179 Chocolate Eyelets $2.00
Z1012 Braggin’ Tags™ Mini Album $3.00
Z1017 My Creations™ Circle Album $3.00
1776 1/8" Long Reach Punch $7.00
1762 Write ‘n’ Rub™ Pen $6.00
X1401 StickStock® Linen $6.00
X1400 StickStock® Twill $6.00
Z820 Window Charms™ Squares $5.00
Z922 Pastel Coloring Pencils $4.00
Z920 Earth Coloring Pencils $4.00
X8701 Floral Impressions Embossed Photo Mats $4.00
Z1044 Dimensional Elements Basic Shapes $3.00
Z4128 Foundry® Frames $3.00
Z1134 Holiday Fabric Tags $3.00
Z309 Sculpting™ Foam $2.00
Z657 Vineyard Berry Embossing Powder $2.00
Z1010 Colored Staples $2.00
X277 5" x 5 1/2" Clear Cello Envelopes $2.00
4109 6" x 6" Matte Memory Protectors® (15) $2.00
X143 Door Hangers with Pouch (10) $1.00
X8519 My Child's Reflections™ All About My Family $4.00
Paper Lines
X5802 Creative Basics® Everlasting Collection $5.00
X5803 Creative Basics® Silhouette Collection $5.00
X5804 Creative Basics® Boom-Di-Ada Collection $5.00
X7045A My Reflections® Vintage Travel Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7045C My Reflections® Vintage Travel My Stickease® $4.00
X7056A My Reflections® Discovery Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7060A My Reflections® Heirloom Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7060B My Reflections® Heirloom Level 2 Paper Packet $6.50
X7061A My Reflections® Floral Impressions Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7061B My Reflections® Floral Impressions Lev.2 Paper Packet $6.50
X7061C My Reflections® Floral Impressions My Stickease® $4.00
X7062A My Reflections® Laid Back Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7069A My Reflections® Just Chillin' Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7069C My Reflections® Just Chillin' My Stickease® $4.00
X7071A My Reflections® Best Friends Forever Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7072A My Reflections® School Zone Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7072B My Reflections® School Zone Level 2 Paper Packet $6.50
X7072C My Reflections® School Zone Level 2 My Stickease® $4.00
X7073A My Reflections® Abundance Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7073B My Reflections® Abundance Level 2 Paper Packet $6.50
X7073C My Reflections® Abundance Level 2 My Stickease® $4.00
X7076A My Reflections® Sonata Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7076C My Reflections® Sonata Level 2 My Stickease® $4.00
X7077C My Reflections® Sweet Harmony My Stickease® $4.00
X7078A My Reflections® Cutie Pie Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7078C My Reflections® Cutie Pie Level 2 My Stickease® $4.00
X7079A My Reflections® Rough n Tumble Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7079B My Reflections® Rough 'N Tumble Lev. 2 Paper Packet $6.50
X7079C My Reflections® Rough 'N Tumble My Stickease® $4.00
X7080A My Reflections® Route 66 Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7080C My Reflections® Route 66 Level 2 My Stickease® $4.00
X7082A My Reflections® Expedition Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7082C My Reflections® Expedition Level 2 My Stickease® $4.00
X7083A My Reflections® Let's Get Together Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7084A My Reflections® Floral Tapestry Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7085A My Reflections® Everlasting Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7085B My Reflections® Everlasting Level 2 Paper Packet $6.50
X7085C My Reflections® Everlasting Level 2 My Stickease® $4.00
X7086A My Reflections® Caprice Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7086B My Reflections® Caprice Level 2 Paper Packet $6.50
X7086C My Reflections® Caprice Level 2 My Stickease® $4.00
X7087A My Reflections® Enchanted Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7087B My Reflections® Enchanted Level 2 Paper Packet $6.50
X7087C My Reflections® Enchanted Level 2 My Stickease® $4.00
X7088A My Reflections® Free Spirit Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7088B My Reflections® Free Spirit Level 2 Paper Packet $6.50
X7088C My Reflections® Free Spirit Level 2 My Stickease® $4.00
X7089A My Reflections® Life Delights Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7089C My Reflections® Life Delights Level 2 My Stickease® $4.00
X7093A My Reflections® Sweet Pea Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7093B My Reflections® Sweet Pea Level 2 Paper Packet $6.50
X7093C My Reflections® Sweet Pea Level 2 My Stickease® $4.00
X7094A My Reflections® Paper Garden Level 1 Kit $5.00
X7094C My Reflections® Paper Garden Level 2 My Stickease® $4.00
X7099A My Reflections® Whoops-A-Daisy Level 1 Kit $5.00
X8524 Simply Snapshots® Rough 'N Tumble Album Pages $4.00
X8525 Simply Snapshots® Lets Get Together Album Pages $4.00
X8526 Simply Snapshots® Floral Tapestry Album Pages $4.00
X8528 Simply Snapshots® Everlasting Album Pages $4.00
X8529 Simply Snapshots® Silhouette Album Pages $4.00
X8530 Simply Snapshots® Sweet Pea Album Pages $4.00
X8531 Simply Snapshots® Boom-Di-Ada Album Pages $4.00
X8532 Simply Snapshots® Perfect Day Album Pages $4.00
Card Kits
X8608 My Originals® Groovy Blossoms Card Kit $6.50
X8611 My Originals® Pretty Purses Card Kit $6.50
X8613 My Originals® Peaceful Season Card Kit $6.50
X8614 My Originals® Holiday Photo Greetings Card Kit $6.50
X8615 My Originals® From The Heart Card Kit $6.50
X8617 My Originals® Holiday Wishes Card Kit $6.50
X8620 My Originals® Merry & Bright Card Kit $6.50
Stamp Sets
A1084 My Acrylix® Sweet Flowers (Set Of 6) $2.00
A1092 My Acrylix® Simple Invites (Set Of 16) $2.00
A1093 My Acrylix® Genuine Fun (Set Of 4) $2.00
B1071 My Acrylix® Playful Numbers (Set Of 20) $4.00
B1167 My Acrylix® Thinking Of You (Set Of 6) $4.00
B1182 My Acrylix® Let It Snow (Set Of 6) $4.00
B1215 My Acrylix® Life Is (Set Of 16) $4.00
B1258 My Acrylix® Merry Little Christmas (Set Of 7) $4.00
B1260 My Acrylix® Let Us Adore Him (Set Of 5) $4.00
B1262 My Acrylix® Celebration Labels (Set Of 34) $4.00
B1277 My Acrylix® Hello Friend (Set Of 13) $4.00
C1079 My Acrylix® Playful Lowercase (Set Of 52) $6.00
C1198 My Acrylix® Let's Play Ball (Set Of 8) $6.00
C1209 My Acrylix® Christmas Scripts (Set Of 13 $6.00
C1221 My Acrylix® Choo Choo Train (Set Of 8) $6.00
C1222 My Acrylix® Seasonal Thoughts (Set Of 39) $6.00
C1226 My Acrylix® Floral Charms (Set Of 12) $6.00
C1227 My Acrylix® Our Wedding Day (Set Of 13) $6.00
C1244 My Acrylix® Glistening Snow (Set Of 11) $6.00
C1245 My Acrylix® O Christmas Tree (Set Of 26) $6.00
C1252 My Acrylix® Abundance Borders (Set Of 4) $6.00
D1013 My Acrylix® Playful Caps (Set Of 57) $8.00
D1111 My Acrylix® Card Sentiments (Set Of 10) $8.00
D1115 My Acrylix® Princess (Set Of 17) $8.00
D1211 My Acrylix® First Class (Set Of 10) $8.00
D1126 My Acrylix® Precious Alphabet (Set Of 52) $8.00
D1140 My Acrylix® Miracle (Set Of 9) $8.00
D1146 My Acrylix® Back To Nature (Set Of 7) $8.00
D1152 My Acrylix® Follow Your Dreams (Set Of 15) $8.00
D1153 My Acrylix® Because Of You (Set Of 16) $8.00
D1165 My Acrylix® Bundled Up (Set Of 10) $8.00
D1175 My Acrylix® Steep And Deep (Set Of 12) $8.00
D1176 My Acrylix® Youthful Heart (Set Of 13) $8.00
D1179 My Acrylix® Festive Thoughts (Set Of 14) $8.00
D1086 My Acrylix® Birthday Bash (Set Of 16) $8.00
D1197 My Acrylix® My One & Only (Set Of 11) $8.00

Paper Pocketbook for Gift Cards

2009-11-15T21:28:00.012-07:00

I am all about the gift card. It's a small piece of plastic that can bring big smiles. Any time of year you can whip up one of these cute little paper pocketbooks in just a few minutes and fill it with iTunes, shoes, lunch, gas, groceries, a night at the movies or anything else you can find a gift card for.

Follow these simple instructions to make your own paper pocketbook...

Supplies-
6” x 6” double sided patterned paper
2” x 6” patterned paper
2 ¾ “ x 4 ½” coordinating solid cardstock
9” piece of ribbon
Scoring tool
Paper Trimmer

Fold 6”x6” patterned paper in half. To cut sides at an angle place the fold at the top. Line up the top folded corner with the cutting line on your trimmer. Angle so that the bottom open corner touches the 1” line on the trimmer and cut. Flip the paper over keeping the fold at the top and repeat for the second side.
Cut a half circle out of the top edge of the 2” x 6” patterned paper. Adhere it to the cut 6”x 6” base above the fold line leaving the top edge open to create a pocket. Trim edges off using scissors to match the angles of the base.

To create the top flap score the 2 ¾” x 4 ½” piece of cardstock lengthwise at 1 ½” and at 1¾”.

This will create a ¼” wide top where you can attach ribbon. Use a cropadile or small punch to punch holes ¾” to 1” from each edge. Thread the ribbon through the holes and knot on the under side to create a handle.

Round the corners of the longer side. Attach the shorter side to the back of the purse base so the longer flap is in the front. Use Velcro dots or small magnets to close.

Decorate as desired.

Got Gift Cards??

2009-11-13T23:59:00.017-07:00

Everyone loves a gift card. They are great to give and to receive. What I don't love is the tacky packaging most of them come in. Here is a way to dress up your gift cards and make them much more presentable and fun.

Follow my little tutorial to learn how to make your own.

Pop Up Pocket Gift Card Holder

Supplies-
Card Base- cut 2 of cardstock measuring 7” x 4 1/4"
Pattern 1 – 2 ½ “ x 4” (front), 2 ½” x 4 ¼” (pocket cover)
Pattern 2 – 2” x 4” (front), 1 ½” x 6” (reverse side for flap)
Flap – 1 ¾ “ x 6” cut from cardstock
Inside stamped image - 1 5/8” x 1 5/8”
Image frame–1 ¾” x 1 ¾” of coordinating colored cardstock
Strong adhesive – I use what I call “red line tape” but it goes by several names.
Corner rounder
Stampin Up word window punch
Circle punch

Score both card base pieces at 4 1/4”.

Fold flaps towards inside of card. Use the red line tape to hold the two flap pieces together on three sides

with the top remaining open. Attach the 2 ½” x 4” piece of patterned paper on the front side of the pocket close to the open edge. There will be a small space between the edge of the paper and the fold. Use a circle punch to punch a half circle out of the top of the pocket through the patterned paper and both layers of cardstock. This makes it easier to remove the gift card from the pocket.

Stamp desired image on the 1 ¾” x 1 ¾” white cardstock. Back with the 1 5/8” x 1 5/8” of coordinating colored cardstock and attach to pocket front. Stamp desired sentiment to the right of the gift card pocket. Add two pieces of patterned paper as background on front of card. I use the Stampin Up word window punch for the slot and punch through all layers about ¼ “ from the edge. If you don’t have the punch cut a 1 5/8” slot through all layers using a craft knife.

To make the flap closure, center the 1 ½” x 6” piece of patterned paper onto the 1 ¾” x 6” strip of cardstock and ink the edges. Round the corners of one end. Score through both layers at 4 ¼ from the straight edge. Insert the rounded corners through the slot and line up the score line with the edge of the card. Add adhesive from score line to straight edge and press firmly to back of card.
Complete the gift card holder by adding stamped images and embellishments of your choice.

I used the Ms. Holiday Cheer stamp set from CTMH. I think this is a perfect way to present a gift card to your favorite shopaholic.

All papers, inks, stamps and embellishments are from Close to My Heart. To get them visit my website.

Stampganza

2009-10-31T01:41:00.004-06:00

Calling all my crafty friends. November is going to be a great month. The CTMH stamp set for November is called "Around The Block", and it is soooo cute. I have been waiting for this one since the new catalog came out. Here is a card that I made for a swap using this set and the Sweet Home papers.

There are different doors and windows and another roof and cute sayings, this set has so many possibilities. As always you can earn a discount on this stamp of the month set by placing any order in November. $25 order gets you the set at 25% off, $50=50%, $75=75% all the way up to earning the set for free with a $100 purchase.

Want an even better deal? Buy any two stamp sets in November and get one free! This is such a great deal for holiday gift giving or to get the sets you need to make awesome handmade holiday gifts.

If you are in the Denver area and want to come see a catalog and play with a few stamps to make a holiday card and a gift card holder come on over on Saturday Nov. 7th for my Holiday Preview at 1:00pm.

To check out the catalog or place an order go to my Close to my Heart website.

Happy Birthday Tangii

2009-10-24T16:26:00.003-06:00

I have a good friend that I have never actually met. I guess you could call her a "virtual friend". She is a fellow scrapper and stamper and one very talented lady. In celebration of her Birthday Tangii is giving away some pretty awesome blog candy.

Take a look

Click here to enter to win it. Happy Birthday Tangii. Thanks for sharing your prezzies!

Fresh as a daisy

2009-10-11T15:35:00.007-06:00

I redid my living room this summer. With Ashleigh's help we picked out new furniture, painted and hung new artwork. I really like how it came out. We did not do anything to the bathroom except paint a swatch of the new living room color over the old green. I like the new color much better that the old seafoamy green. For months I have lived with one spot of new paint on the wall but never taken the time to do much more.

This week as I was getting my house ready to host my first stamping party that splotch of paint really started to bug me. The unfinished state was fine for me but I didn't want to invite friends over to see it so on top of everything else I had going on this week I decided it was time to re-do the bathroom...with very little time and budget.

Now you must realize that my main floor bathroom is tiny. It is classified as a 1/2 bath but I am not sure it's not really more like a 1/3. It contains only the necessities..a toilet and a vanity. You must carefully maneuver around the door to close it and access the toilet. Leaving the door open while doing your business is not even an option.

The first step is to paint the whole room and not just that one little spot. Painting this tiny room is NOT fun. It requires some creative maneuvering and a few contortionist poses. Once the paint is done it already looks better but now I need to spruce it up with some decoration (again on very little budget).

I found this frame on clearance at Target for $6. I wasn't sure what to put in it but I knew I wanted to add some color to the room. I love gerbera daisies so I searched online for some good pics and then just printed them out on photo paper and arranged them in the frame. I love how it came out and it cost me almost nothing!

I found some long stem "silk" gerbera daisies at Dollar Tree so another $8 and I have a vase, some rock filler and a bunch of daisies for the counter. The soap dispenser and towels are from Target and I love the bright colors with the brown.

The glass shelf is something I bought for the other house and never got a chance to use. I found it in my storage unit. I bought the medicine cabinet at the Young Women's garage sale this summer for this bathroom and I really like how it looks.

So for about $25 and a few hours time I have a new bathroom...fresh as a daisy!

Creative Juices

2009-10-04T22:38:00.017-06:00

It's been a while since my creative juices have been flowing like they were this weekend. When I quit Archiver's at the end of May I thought it would give me more creative time but until now that hasn't been the case.

I NEED my creative time, it's my therapy, it's my sanity and it's fun!

I recently decided that I could get more creative time and make a few extra $ at the same time by becoming a demonstrator for

I have used and loved their products for a long time and I know it's a great company so the decision was easy. Check out the newest catalog see all the great stuff CTMH has to offer on my website. This weekend I was invited to do to an overnight retreat with my upline and other members of our group along with some of their friends / guests. It was a great group of fun ladies and I had a wonderful time. I was even pretty productive, here's the proof.

Recipe~ Stamp- "Ashley" from Paper Makeup Stamps, Paper- Twitterpated by CTMH. Colored with Copic Markers.

Recipe~ Moody in the pumpkin patch by Paper Makeup Stamps. DP- Eerie by Basic Grey. Solid papers and ribbon by CTMH. Colored with Copic Markers.

This one is all CTMH. Stamp Set is Flourished Blessings.

Paper and Ink in Creme Brule, Tulip and Chocolate.

I love this Halloween Set by CTMH. It is called Beware. I embossed the images in black and used the Eerie line of paper by Basic Grey. Solid papers by CTMH in Creme Brule and Sweet Leaf. Ribbon is Autumn Terra Cotta by CTMH.

A great little Christmas card. All supplies by CTMH. Stamp set is Holiday Trinkets. Designer Paper is Jingle. Ink and papers in Tulip and Creme Brule.

I love the classic look of white and blue for Christmas. This card uses the Stamp of the Month set by CTMH for October- "Holiday Warmth" along with the Snow Flurries set. I embossed using Versamark ink and white embossing powder on Juniper paper. The dove and the snowflakes are embossed in silver on white daisy. Background snowflake paper is from CTMH's Jingle line. Simple holiday elegance!

This one is one of my favorites because it hold a little secret inside. It has a special place inside for a gift card! What a perfect card for your favorite shopaholic! All supplies are CTMH. Stamp set is Ms. Holiday Cheer (l love this set!). DP are from the Jingle line. Ms. Holiday Cheer's coat is paper pieced and embelished with stickles. Jingle Glitter brads finish it off.

I have no idea why this one uploaded sideways but I couldn't get it to turn. I love this card so tilt your head if needed :). This image is another one from the Ms. Holiday Cheer set. The tree and her dress are embossed. Ornaments are Jingle glitter brads. DP is more of the Jingle line. Circles are cut with nestabilities.

Pretty Productive wouldn't you say.

You Gotta Have It!

2009-09-03T21:43:00.007-06:00

Attention all my crafty stampin' and scrappin' friends...

Do you have one of these?

Do you hate paying up to $80 for a new cartridge every time you want a new font, and then finding that the look you REALLY are going for isn't even available. I mean where is that Harry Potter cartridge I so desperately need???

I found the greatest software that works with the Cricut and allows you to...

Cut any TrueType font with your Cricut

So, I am sharing the info with all of my crafty friends. I bought, I have used it and I love it! It just opens up so may new possibilites, and yes I found a Harry Potter font and a great Disney one too. If you already have the Design Studio it works very similarly...only better! You can weld words into one piece..amazing! It will even cut SVG images so you can create your own artwork and cut it on your Cricut.

The Software is called Sure Cuts Alot, just click on the name to get it, and let me know what you think.

Here are some of my favorite fonts and where to find them.

dafont

Girls are weird - great curly girly font

Bell Bottom Laser -groovy 60's fun

Harry P - the one I was lookin' for :)

Waltograph - My fave Disney Font

1001freefonts.com

Loki Cola - the Coke font

Antsy Pants - Fun fat font

Calamity Jane

Chocolate Box

Just to name a few...there are so many fun free fonts out there!

But my very favorite thing is that you can create a True Type font from your

very own handwriting

at Fontifier and then cut it on your Cricut... How COOL is that???

You know you want it...huh!

Of ice and women...

2009-06-18T22:21:00.011-06:00

Ok, I said that this story deserves it's own post, so here goes.

In April I went to Texas with my very dear friend Angie. I miss Angie SOOO much. She moved away to Utah right around the same time Ashleigh went to away to school in Utah and I was MAD. Who was I supposed to have game nights with, share "I've got this..." colaborative Sunday dinners with and enjoy spontaneous movie nights with.

Me and Angie...somewhere in Teaxs

It was Angie who originated the Texas girl's weekend idea. She invited Becca, Michelle and even arranged for Elizabeth to drive down to meet us too. It was supposed to be a girl's weekend anyway until Summer had to go and get married...such a need for attention, that Summer.

We all had a wonderful time staying up most of the night of Summer's wedding laughing and having crazy conversations until the wee hours. On Sunday we all headed back to our respective homes. Angie and I shared a flight from San Antonio to Denver, and then Angie would head on to Salt Lake City. For this flight our asssigned seats were not together. We asked the flight attendant if we could switch to two seats together. We were told that the flight was pretty full but there were two seats in the very back row of the plane so we took them. When we boarded there was another young woman already seated in the window seat. Angie sat in the middle seat and I was on the isle. When the drink cart came around the young woman in the window seat was sleeping. Angie (being Angie) asked for a cup of water and a seperate cup of ice.

I don't even remember what I ordered, but it doesn't really matter. We were just having a normal conversation and Angie was chewing her ice when suddenly the unthinkable happened! A large piece of ice slipped out of Angie's hands and flew right into the

CROTCH!!!!!

of the sleeping girl in the window seat. Angie made an honest attempt to catch the offending ice cube before it reached it's final destination but pulled her hand back quickly when she realized where it was headed. I saw the ice cube fly but thought she had just dropped it...until she started bouncing in her seat. She was trying to be quiet but was laughing so hard she could hardly speak. I call them the "church giggles" and as she tried to tell me what had happened I immediately started bouncing too.

Then came the moral dilema. Angie asked me, "Should I wake her up? or just let her sleep?" We decided on the latter (possibly not the best decision).

Soon,our late night talk fest and big breakfast started to take their toll and Angie and I both started to doze. We were awakened by a soft rustling of the now awake girl in the window seat. She was lifting herself off the seat to gently pat her nether regions with a napkin. I can only imagine what she must have been thinking.

How did this happen???

Did I wet myself???

Did those bouncing ladies sitting next to me have anything to do with it???

We faked sleep and pretended we had no idea what was going on until the plane landed.

Certainly a memorable end to a fantastic girl's weekend. Thanks Angie! Love ya!

It's been a while....

2009-06-18T21:24:00.006-06:00

Wow, it's hard to believe that my last post was so long ago. Where has time gone? What has been happening and where have I been? It will probably take several posts to catch up comletely but here is the readers digest condensed version...

April- April is always a fun month. After all TAX DAY is in April ...and TAX DAY just so happens to be my Birthday! This April was an extra fun month.

I went to my parent's house for Easter. Ashleigh met me there and we had a lovely weekend with the family complete with Easter "baskets" from my mom.

Ashleigh and I on Easter morning

I even took and extra day off so I could enjoy a leisurely drive home on Monday and not fight the holiday weekend traffic. Then I went back to work for just two days (who doesn't love two day work weeks) before hopping a plane for a fun weekend in San Antonio with a bunch of girlfriends for Summer and Tony's wedding. My friend Becca wrote about our trip, you can check out her version here, she told it well so I won't bore you with more (except for a certain ice cube story which deserves it's own post). It was a ton of fun and we have decided it should be an annual event (except Summer and Tony may have ruined our plans for New Orleans next year).

Angie, Summer, Me, Becca, Michelle, Elizabeth

May brought Ashleigh home from school for the summer.

It also brought on a hard decision for me. For the past two and a half years I have worked part time here.

I love Archivers. I love seeing all of the new stuff, the smell of paper, the rows of sparkly bling, the creative inspiration. I love teaching classes and getting other people hooked. I love showing someone something and watching their eyes sparkle as the creative juices start flowin'. I don't love the aching feet, the 16 hours days, and the lack of weekends.

As most of those reading this will know summer is a crazy time for me. Summer brings Hogwarts (if you dont know watch for a later post). This year I finally decided that I can't do it all. I am getting too old to be

Wonder Woman.

I decided that the second job at Archivers had to go. It was a hard decision. I really miss the people I worked with, the customers and all of the fun stuff, but something had to give.

For those of you that started reading my blog for the creative stuff, I am still creating and will post here from time to time, but just as I am evolving and things are changing so will this blog.

More blog candy

2009-04-27T00:28:00.001-06:00

Check out this link to some amazing blog candy!

http://passionforcrafts.blogspot.com/2009/04/blogoversary-candy.html

The return of real posts of my adventures and crafty creations coming soon!

Who wants some blog candy??????

2009-03-07T13:47:00.005-07:00

Lori over at Scrappin Lori has had over 20,000 hits on her blog in just over a year...congrats girl!!! Anyway to celebrate she is giving some great blog candy.

Check out all that loot!

And Courtney is giving away a $50 goft certificate to My Favorite Things Stamp company for your very own shopping spree.

Perplexed...

2009-03-06T23:01:00.003-07:00

I work in an office building in the Denver Tech Center. We used to have the whole fifth floor and the bathrooms were all ours. Now we have moved to a smaller space on the second floor and the bathrooms are shared with other second floor offices.

For the past few weeks there has been something that has bugged me each and every time I use the restroom. Now get your minds out of the toliet because this is not THAT kind of post.

Whenever I use the bathroom I take the handicapped stall if it is available. I would not push a handicapped person out if the way to get it, I just like having more space without the TP dispenser jamming into my knee. Lately, every time I used said hanicapped accessible stall it seems someone has been leaving little gifts for me (again minds out of the gutter).

Let me explain with a picture, (yes I took my camera into the bathroom).

I swear, EVERY time I use this stall someone has left ONE SQUARE of toilet paper on the top of the dispenser. The first time I saw it I thought nothing of it and tossed it into the toilet as I flushed. The next time I went back a new single square had taken it's place. Now no matter what I do they are there to greet me each and every time. Why??? There is a full roll of toilet paper in the dispenser, why would someone save just one square. I am perplexed, and a bit obsessed with these little white squares.

Now each time I go back (and I drink a LOT of water during the day so ..ya know) I see that single sqaure and try to figure out it's origin. These are some of my recent theories;

1. Someone took 11 squares instead of their normal 10 and with the economy they are trying to be frugal.

2. It is an offering to the toilet gods, one I was never aware was supposed to be made...AAAAHHHH, I've been doing it wrong all of these years!!!!!

3. It is a gift from the potty fairy to be used only in case of emergency.

4. Someone actually thinks that the next person may want or need an extra square when there is a full roll just inches below.

If someone reading my blog has been leaving me these gifts...enough already...it kinda freaks me out!

Hot Diggity Dog!

2009-03-03T23:02:00.011-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I spent a weekend at a scrapbooking retreat with a good friend and a couple of my cousins. I can't wait to go back...but I am getting ahead of myself (I post the results of my crafty weekend in a later post).

First there was the Hot Dog. When my friend mentioned that she wanted to stop for lunch on the way to the retreat I said, "sure", we gotta eat right?? Then she told me where she wanted to go...Coney Island. "Isn't that a BIT out of the way", I am thinking.

Little did I know that this little beauty sits right off HWY 285 just south of Bailey.

Yep, that is a hot dog shaped hot dog stand, who knew! We ventured inside to find this

We figure we're here and like they say , "When in Rome...". So we order foot long hot dogs with Ketchup, Mustard, Relish and Onions along with Fries and Onion Rings. We sit down and take a look at our surroundings inside THE DOG while we wait for our food.
Lots of vintage diner style decorations. Then they call our number and....

HOT DOG HEAVEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Blog Award!!!

2009-02-17T00:51:00.003-07:00

I enjoyed a nice three day weekend but finding this from my friend Tangii was one of the highlights.

I blog mostly for me but it is so much fun to hear that someone else is enjoying it too. The best part is that now I get to give this to seven other great bloggers out there. There are so many good blogs out there in the bloggosphere it is hard to choose. Here are my picks in no particular order

1. Becca ~ Reb and Jeb and our Little Men - for finding the daily humor in motherhood

2. Lauren ~ No Name Good Enough - for her randomness and fun insights into college life

3. Gretchen - Boulieblog - for creative wit and artistic inspiration from across the sea.

4. Debra ~ My Year in Hungary - for finding the courage to follow her dreams.

5. Ashleigh~ What to do with my hands For just being awesome in general.

6. Katie - Paper Makeup - for starting her own stamp company.

7. Mariel and Jessica ~ Or so she says for picking me!

If your name is on this list then it is your turn to give this award to 7 more great bloggers, go on spread the love and make someone's day! Thanks Tangii for making mine.

With my own two hands

2009-02-17T00:39:00.000-07:00

This is some tagging with a twist. I did it on my daughter's blog here so now I have to post this on my blog too...fun huh!

The first five people to leave a comment on this post will receive something hand made by me, however there are some limitations
1. I make no guarantee that you will like what I make.
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It will be done this year (might take a while but I promise in 2009)
4. You have not clue what it is going to be, a photo, something I have craftily put together, or sewn. I may bake something and mail it you...the possibilities are endless
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange. It may blow your mind!

Here is the catch, if you choose to do this. You must post this on your blog and be ready to make something for five people too. This will be fun! When you receive the fabulous item I make you, you must post a picture of it on your blog and rave about it for all to see.

Ready, Set GO!

Another cool new blog...giving away an Anthropology prize!

2009-02-14T13:43:00.002-07:00

I love the bloggosphere. Each day I explore new found blogs and meet new virtual friends. I linked to this blog from a comment she made on mine. Check out Crazy Lady on Road 80 (don't you just love that name). She is giving away the most awesome gifts from Anthropology. It goes through tomorrow 2-15 so maybe my luck will hold out...it's worth a try.

I am a winner!

2009-02-12T23:45:00.005-07:00

My last post was a shout out to a new blog I found, Or so she says. Little did I know that my post would make me a winner of these

I enter all kinds of blog giveaways (blog candy) but this is the first time I have won anything. I love them and I have been looking for a good pair pf earrings to wear with browns so these are perfect. Thanks Mariel and Jessica for making my day.

Earring giveaway

2009-02-09T23:45:00.004-07:00

Every day I find fun new blogs by clicking through from one blog to another. Today I stumbled across "Or so she says". It is written by a couple of fun ladies and has "a daily dose of good ideas". They have recipes, fun ideas and more. They are even giving away some really cute earrings to get the traffic up since they are new to the bloggosphere. Stop by and take a look.

You've Got Valentines

2009-02-07T23:43:00.016-07:00

When Ashleigh was a freshmen in college I would send her care packages for every holiday that included something fun for her roommates too. In the beginning it was just to get her through the freshman year and help her make friends, now it has become somewhat of a tradition. The froomies (friends+roomies=froomies) have come to expect my holiday boxes.

Since December was so crazy for me and they headed home for winter break I didn't get a Christmas package to them, and was told they missed it (although I did bring them all back something from my cruise).

So for Valentines day I decided to kill two birds with one stone. When Shannon sent the challenge to alter the little metal mailboxes from Target's dollar spot I decided they would be perfect froomie Valentine presents. Here is a pic of all of the mailboxes together.

I used various valentine papers from my stash and at least one Stamping Bella image on each so they would qualify for the challenge.

I love how they came out. Each one is filled with Valentine candy. I hope they like them.

"Virtual" Friends

2009-02-07T23:11:00.006-07:00

Do you have friends you have never even met? People who you may talk to daily but only know them by a thumbnail picture. I call them my "virtual" friends, and I have lots of them. We discuss our lives, our families and kids, our addictions to shopping for the newest in crafty supplies and rubber stamps. We send RAK's (random acts of kindness) and enable each other's obsessions. Most of my virtual friends are crafty women I must admit, but I bet there are groups of out there for nearly every hobby you can think of. The internet gives us all a way to share our passions with a click of the computer.

Since entering the bloggasphere about a year ago I have met people from around the world. I have friends all over the US, Canada, UK, France, Mexico, Sweden and even a new friend from Qatar (and yes, I had to do a Google search to find out where that is).

A real friend of mine (one I actually go out with in person from time to time) gave me the Who's that eGirl stamp set from My Favorite Things for Christmas. It was made especially for my virtual friends, how cool is that?

This is the card I made for my virtual BFF Tangii. She is my Sistah on the Bellaholics yahoo group and she is the bestest. Supplies--> DP Basic Grey , Stamp- Who's That eGirl- MFT, Copic markers, prima flowers. Technique---> paper piecing. Maybe a few more of my virtual friends will be getting these. The set comes with some great sentiments like, "Happy Bloggaversary", "You've Got Mail", "Sending {{{Hugs}}}", "I {Heart} You" and "For my Sweet Cyber Sister".

Bellaholics Friday Embellishment Clallenge...Clearly so much fun!

2009-02-06T01:31:00.007-07:00

It's the first Friday of the month so that means it is my turn to challenge the sistahs over at Bellaholics Anonymous. This month is CLEARLY going to be lots of fun.

Here goes...

Use Acetate or a transparency as your card base and then embellish with something else clear. Use baubles, micro beads, rain dots, epoxy stickers, rhinestones, Tim Holtz's fragments, etc. There are lots of clear embellishments out there. Here are a couple of examples, although the photos are not great (taken with my phone because I can't find my camera). Acetate is hard to capture, they are always so much better IRL, but you get the idea. These cards are shown standing up and a little bit open. The oval image and the rain dots are on the card front. The white is on the inside with the frog stamped on it and the yellow is attached to the back of the card so that a border shows through.

Supplies:

Belinda Bumberboots - Stamping Bella

Clear acetate paper cut to 8.5" x 5.5" and scored in half.

Bazzill Swiss Dot Paper - Nestabilities Ovals - Rain Dots Stickers

Frog Stamp -Stampendous, Copic Markers

More of the same idea except this one is a Changito Stamp by Stampendous. The Monkeys are flocked...of course! If you are participating in this challenge I have created a folder on the photo site to share your creations Have Fun!

Do something!

2009-01-28T21:32:00.006-07:00

Are you a lover of handmade items like

handmade baby quilts, craft fair toys, knit scarfs and hats, retro toys, cloth diaper wraps, hand smocked dresses, collectible dolls, children's books and school supplies

if you love these things then you need to do something about CPSIA. One of my favorite artists and creator of wonderful handmade items for children is Gretchen of Chichiboulie . She has a wonderful post that explains it all here. She even has links to how we can contact our state representatives and senators. The law sounds good in theory; remove all lead from anything a child comes into contact with. But it in reality it would cause so many more problems because ithas not been well written or thought out.

So go ahead and do something to make a difference. I did.

"Crack"berry...a sign of the times.

2009-01-24T20:24:00.008-07:00

So, this is my new best friend, a little device I affectionately call the "Crack"berry (the new Blackberry Storm). It is hard to believe that just 10 years ago I don't think I even owned a cell phone. If I did it was my first and it was a large and heavy analog model.

My photos were printed out from canisters of film I would always forget to take for developing. When I got them back they were printed versions I could hold in my hand. I filed them away in their little envelopes until I could scrapbook them (yes, even 10 years ago I was a scrapper).

Music was on CD's (a recent development from cassette tapes) and it was played on a home stereo. My stereo had a cassette deck too because many of my old favorites were still in that format. My car only had the cassette deck so I dilligently made mix tapes of the CD's on my home stereo that could be played in the car for road trip enjoyment.

I had one email address I shared with my daughter (I still use that address to this day), and I had a desktop computer that accessed AOL with a dial up modem. I used an actual address book and I actually knew people's phones numbers (they usually only had one).

These days so much has changed. Technology is a huge part of my life and while sometimes I feel guilty for always being connected I am also thankful for it.

Today my new "crack"berry allows me tons of technological wonders all in one hand held device. I can call anyone and I don't need to know their number because it conveniently holds my contacts and captures new ones. It holds photos so I can carry my friends and family with me. It even shows me their pictures when they call. It has a 3.2 mexapixel camera (more than my first digital camera that used 3.5 inch floppy disks) so I can take pictures wherever I go. It is so nice to be able to prove the things you see and yet no one would believe :).

It holds as much music as my iPod (another technological wonder) and allows me to pick the songs that are played when someone calls. My Girl for Ashleigh, Hogwarts Theme for Janie, Bella's Lullaby for my Twilight friends, etc. I can hook it up to speakers and listen in stereo, just like the old days.

Today I have 4 email addresses I use for different purposes and if I choose I can have them all sent to my "crack"berry. For now it gets my work email and my original AOL address as well as unlimited text messages and Im conversations. I can surf the internet, watch episodes of my favorite TV shows (Grey's Anatomy anyone?) and download more music in seconds.

This came through on my "crack"berry the other day;

YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2009 when...

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.

3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.

4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is thatthey don't have e-mail addresses. Myspace or facebook

6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see ifanyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.

7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of thescreen.

8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have thefirst 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic andyou turn around to go get it.

10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )

12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.

13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.

14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.

15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.

AND NOW U R LAUGHING AT YOURSELF

What a difference a decade makes. My name is LeAnne, and I am addicted to my "crack"berry.

Gettin' Crafty

2009-01-16T23:57:00.007-07:00

It has been a long time since I have posted any of my crafty creations. I am finally finding some time so here are a few of the things I have done recently.

This is Changito. I loveey him! Changito is a stamp line by Stampendous and they are so cute. This set is called Changito Cupid. I love these stamps because I get to"flock the monkey". I always use fun flock on Changito because who doesn't love a fuzzy monkey. The striped DP is by Heidi Grace and the strip of letter DP is from The Paper Company. Some nesties, some copics, some heart shaped epoxy stickers and viola!
This one is a Bella, Topiary Bella to be specific. The DP has flocked red hearts that are so cute and it's by Doodlebug Designs. I colored her with my copics (so fun to finally say that even if my collection is still small). I added more red flocking to the heart and sash on her dress as well as on her red purse and the hearts in her topiary. The paper flowers are from CTMH (colored with my red copic to match) and the dotty ribbon is by Bazzil Basics. I did this for a calendar page and I love how she came out.

This is another calendar page. Goodluckabella is the star here. I used a spring glitter stack from DCWV, embossed the green glitter paper with my cuttlebug and added shamrock ribbon.

It feels good to be creating again. Thanks for looking.

Nie is back!

2009-01-16T23:48:00.003-07:00

After months of sleeping while the world rallied and prayers flowed Nie is back! She toched my life and if you are a reader of my blog you know why. If you don't remember then read this post. If you are reading this and wondering who is Nie and why do I care, then check out her blog here. Start with August and work your way to today. She'll touch you too.

Where did December go???

2009-01-06T23:14:00.014-07:00

Wow, it's already the middle of January and I still don't know what happened to December, this year it went by so fast. Here are some highlights.

Cruisin...

I went on a western carribean cruise with some good friends the first week of December. It was a much needed vacation and I cannot wait to find time to do another one. Here are just a few of my favorite pics. This was my ship, The Carnival Inspiration.

These are my feet. I was relaxing on the Serenity deck (only adults allowed) on the very back of the ship. It was my favorite place to hang out and soak up the sun and read.

This is my friend Janie and her daughter Lisa. They were my cruise mates.

This is Chakkanab National Park in Cozumel, Mexico. We spent the day here, relaxing after a swim with the dolphins. This is me and my new friend Louis. Swimming with him was an amazing adventure.

After the cruise I spent the day in the Atlanta sirport trying to get home (the joys of cheap travel and flying standby). I fnally made it home in the wee hours of the morning. Ashleigh came home the next day for her three week vacation from school. We had just a week before we headed to Grand Junction for Christmas with the family. Ashleigh is 21 years old and has never spent a Christmas at home. We ALWAYS go to Grand Junction (with the exception of one year when she was three when all the relatives came east over the mountains). We have lots of traditions and I wouldn't change a thing.

Last year we lost my grandmother the day after Christmas. She lived a long and happy life and would have been 103 years old in January. She was missed and remembered, but we all felt good that this was the first Christmas she was able to spend with my grandpa...her EC in 17 years. I know they had a very Merry Christmas and we did too.

The new year came and without much hooplah, which is how I like it too tell the truth. And now it's January. January is my busiest time of year at work, but I have vowed to find time to do what I enjoy so stay tuned if you read my blog for the crafty stuff....it's coming soon!

A couple of things I am "Tank-Full" for today

2008-11-19T22:12:00.005-07:00

Today I spent my lunch hour driving around in this

I bought my car in the fall about two years ago. It is used but it was new two me. I wanted something smaller and fun that got good gas mileage. The first year I had it I rode with the top down a lot when it was warm enough. But by the end of October it was up until spring. This year I havent taken the time to enjoy it as much (the top is manual so it takes a couple of extra minutes to put it up or down).

This week has been very warm in Denver, we even broke a record yesterday so I have been enjoying beautiful top down lunch hour drives...in mid November. I know it can't last (tomorrow is supposed to be in the 40's) but it hs been fun while it lasted.

To top it off today I filled up my tank for a mere $15.00. Now that is something

to be "tank-full" for.

Some sweet blog candy.

2008-11-16T01:18:00.002-07:00

Korin over at Sweet and Sassy Stamps is giving away some awesome blog candy. Check it out here.
More on Chris's blog here

Everybody needs a good laugh now and then.

2008-11-15T21:33:00.010-07:00

I have been way too busy and stressed out lately. Working more than I really want to. Not sleeping well or feeling great. I don't think there is anything really wrong with me other than too much stress. So in an attempt to relieve some of the stress my friend Emily and I decided to get tickets to the new Improv theatre. We looked through the list of upcoming headliners for a weekend that would work for both of us. We settled on Pauly Shore.

I know, I know, the Weazel himself. I would classify Pauly Shore as a D-List celebrity (like Kathy Griffin). He had a few stupidly funny movies years ago and hasn't done much since. I reluctantly admit that I actually liked Bio-Dome and Son-In-Law, but I still didn't know what we were getting into.

We arrived before the doors opened for the earliest show on Friday night. When we are ushered in the hostess asks Emily and I if we want to sit in the front row. We say, "sure". She takes us to a table litterally front and center. The edge of our table was actually touching the front of the stage and I could touch the microphone stand (I didn't, that would have been weird, but I could have).

We ate dinner, talked and waited. Of course there were a couple of opening acts. The first guy was short and hairy and he took off his tuxedo t-shirt mid act. At this point I am wondering why we chose to sit front and center (can I just say, eeewwww) . I don't even remember his name.

The second guy was a local guy. His name was Dick Black (yes, that is his real name) and he was VERY funny.

Finally we get to our headliner, Pauly Shore. I am not really sure what to expect. The guy may be 40 years old. He may not have had a hit movie since 1996, but he was funny! There were several times when I was laughing so hard my sides and my cheeks hurt. There were some crude comments and jokes, there might even have been a point where he had his foot on our table while doing some strange gyrations (sp?) but he delivered. He even stuck around for pics afterwords.

Thanks Pauly, I needed that. I feel better today. Maybe laughter really IS the best medicine.

An Ode to High Pockets

2008-11-05T19:14:00.010-07:00

So in my daily blog hopping yesterday I came across this post by The Jolly Porter. I love his humor. Read his post first and then this rant will make more sense

.Post Edit: This blog os no longer there but lets just say it was a guy who was surprised when his wife walked into the room with a sharpie pen sticking out of her cleavage...now read on.

My first reaction is that guys just don't get it. To a woman her bra/cleavage is just another pocket. I learned this from a very young age. When I was growing up we went on family road trips caravan style with cousins and grandparents. This was way before cell phone days so each car in our family caravan was equipped with a CB radio.

Everyone in the family had a "handle" or a CB nickname so we knew who we were talking to. My dad was Grumpybear, I was Littlebitz and my mom's handle was High Pockets. She earned this nickname for her uncanny ability to hide her keys, money, etc. in her bra. Whenever we would go somewhere and she didn't want to take her entire purse with her all the necessities went straigh into her high pockets.

Years later I am doing the same thing. I can't count the number of times I have been standing at the gas pump credit card in hand and I realize I am not wearing anything with pockets. Where does the card end up...you guessed it, it goes right into my high pocket.

This can be embarassing when my next stop is the drive through to pick up something quick for dinner between jobs. I place my order, drive around to the window to pay...and THEN I realize that my debit card is not in my wallet...it is in my bra and now I have to discretely dig it out and hand it to zit faced drive through boy.

Oh it gets better. Once I forgot my card was there after coming home from a late night and went straight to bed. I woke up the next morning with my credit card number imprinted on my left breast...nice! It has happened with change too. It is strange to see the heads of presidents imprinted on your skin.

Since we no longer have to use bulky CB radios on road trips I have started putting my cell phone in my high pocket. That way I can crank the music really loud and still know when my phone is ringing. Although it can cause stares when you go into a roadside truck stop and your boobs ring.

The following items have been in my high pocket at one time or another (sometimes more than one of these items are in there together).

Car keys

Cell phone

Money (Bills and change too)

Credit card

Lipstick/gloss

Papers (ie mapquest directions, coupons etc.)

Small toys (where am I supposed to put that dinosaur when the kid insists on bringing it but wont carry it anymore)

Candy

Pens

iPod

Headphones

Crumbs (strange what you find at the end of the day)

So to all the guys out there that wonder why we put things in our bras, it's out of necessity. Pockets are not always available. And if that is my list imagine what she can get into her high pockets

Honestly, you didn't think I was going to post a pciture of my cleavage now did you???

Chefabella in 'da house!

2008-10-30T23:20:00.004-06:00

This is Chefabella, she is cuter than Rachael Ray and she is cooking up a Thanksgiving feast.

I made eight of these cards for an employee card swap at Archivers. I love using Bellas for this card swap because they make my cards unique, and everyone always wonders which Bella I will use each month. November is an easy one...Chefabella is a shoe in ( Thanks Mary for the images, they came in handy).

Recipe for this card:

Chefabella Image

DP from DCWV Archivers Calendar Stack 2008, Copic Markers, leaf confetti, ribbon from my stash. MMMMM, she is making me hungry!

Watch out world...here I come!!

2008-10-29T19:33:00.003-06:00

So guess what was in my mailbox today??? This amazing little blue book. Yes, I am 41 years old and this is my first. I have traveled to most of the 50 states (Alaska and Hawaii and much of the East coast are still on my list), but I have never been out of the country except for a short dip into Mexico when you didn't need a passport.

I am going on a Western Carribean cruise in December so I need this little guy. Of course I forgot that I would need it until just a couple weeks ago. This sent a rush of panic to my travel companion as she had heard that it can take months to get a passport. I did a little research and made a few phone calls hoping that I would not have to pay out the nose for an "expedited" passport. I am told that they are currently taking about 4 weeks. At that time I had seven weeks until my cruise so I decide to chance it and not pay for the faster service. My luck held out and I received my little blue book today (much to the delight of Janie, my travel companion). Now that I have this wonderful thing in my hands I can't help but think of the places I would like to go. Maybe I'll go to France and spend a day with Gretchen having tea parties and bike rides through the French countryside. Or I could explore Italy with my friend Deb (she met an Itailan hottie there last summer) and I would like one of those. Or I could spend some relaxing days at Carolyn's cottage in England. Maybe I'll visit the school in China where Megan taught English to kindergarteners. Ohh I could also do some Bella stampin' with Duchiebella or Bere in their homelands. This little book opens up endless possibilities. I just wish my travel budget was endless as well.

Oh well, at least in a few weeks I'll be cruisin' and I'll have the first stamp in my passport.

I flocked a monkey...

2008-10-26T01:32:00.007-06:00

Most of you know that I work part time at Archivers. One of my jobs is as a Mania Hostess. Mania is a 6 hour crop we do from 5-11pm on Friday and Saturday nights. I really enjoy hosting Manias because I get a chance to create a make and take project. I typically do cards.

One night one of the ladies who came to mania was wearing a T-Shirt that said, "Spooning leads to Forking". We (the employees) thought it was funny and then one of them said, "Stamping leads to Flocking". Now that little quote is written on the white board in the stockroom.

Leave it to me to take it one step further. I love the Changito the monkey line of stamps from Stampendous. The holiday set is just too stinkin' cute. So tonight as I announced my make and take project for the evening I said to the crowded room of ladies, "Tonight we're gonna flock the monkey" giggles broke out immediately.

This is the card we did. I keep the layouts and techniques simple so they can be done quickly (there are up to 32 people at mania on any given night). We stamped the skating Changito with black Stazon. Next we used Versamark to stamp the Happy Holidays and embossed it with silver. We colored Changito's accessories with Twinklette glitter markers (the photo doesn't show the sparkle). Now comes the fun part...we colored Changito's body, legs, arms and tail with a quickie glue pen and the added brown flocking. Voila! a fuzzy monkey. We inked the edges with versamagic ink in Ocean Depth and added DP by S.E.I and red velvet rick rack. Cute and easy peasy.

Have you ever flocked a monkey??? If not you should try it!

Special Delivery... it has come full circle.

2008-10-24T23:51:00.009-06:00

I had a rotten day at work. I won't bore you with the details but it was bad. Until around 3:30 pm when a package arrived for me.

I have been waiting for this special package from across the sea (France) for a while now. I had it sent to my office because I couldn't take a chance that it would be left on my doorstep unprotected. I know what is inside and it brings a smile to my face and a tiny tear to my eyes. I carefully walk back to my desk to open my special delivery when a co-worker asks, "Is that what I think it is?" she knows I have been waiting. I walk to her desk instead and open it carefully while she watches. This is what I find inside.
For those of you that read my blog, you know. For those who are reading for the first time here is a bit of the story behind this image. This is a birthday gift for my daughter who turned 21 on Wednesday. It is a one of a kind original painting by a very talented lady, Gretchen Jakub Fabre of Chichiboulie.

It is also a tribute to another mother, a sleeping beauty, who has touched my heart. Her name is hidden in my painting. It's sweet reminder of why this was created. I won the auction Gretchen had to raise money for Nie Nie. I had this done to celebrate the bond I have with my daughter, and my hope is that my donation in some small way helps NieNie to have the chance to build a similar bond with her daughters.

Suddenly my "bad day" seems so insignifigant, who am I to complain about anything...life is good.

Birthday Invites

2008-10-19T22:20:00.003-06:00

My daughter and her BFF/Roomate are turning 21 on Wednesday. I made these birthday invites for their party. I used an acetate transparency by Fancy Pants Designs for the cards. I layered coordinating DP so that the layers can be seen through the card. A pic of the birthday girls (my daughter Ashleigh is on the left, BFF Gabby is on the right) and some bling finish it off. I love the way they came out. I hope thay have a good time.

Treat purses

2008-10-19T21:29:00.004-06:00

I made these treat purses for my daughter and her college roomies. I am kind of the house mom and I enjoy sending them all a box of goodies for each holiday. I usually include some sort if craft or cooking project, some holiday kitchen towels (they have quite a collection now) and I always send candy. For Halloween I included these treat purses.

I used clear envelopes for the bags. Filled them with candy corn, marshmallow pumpkins and peanut butter m&m's. For the tops I cut circles in two sizes out of Halloween DP, folded the circles in half and added ribbon handles. I love the sentiment on the "clasp". Gouls just wanna have fun.

Blog Candy Winner!

2008-10-13T22:24:00.002-06:00

Ok, I am a bit late in posting the winner for my blog candy becuase I worked both jobs today. Long day.....

I used random.org to pick my winner. Drum roll please...

The number was 18! The Winner is KIM

Kim said...
Hi Leanne....thanks for the chance to win a wonderful prize! I had so much fun playing along with your challenge...as I don't use buttons often...so this was a real challenge to me! I hope you enjoy my creation! You can see it HERE.Hugs~ Kim
October 9, 2008 6:26 PM

Kim send me your address and I'll get your goodies shipped out. Thanks to everyine who played along. Can't wait for next month.

Tagged again...5's this time!

2008-10-09T23:41:00.003-06:00

I was tagged again by Gretchen over at ChiChiboulie. I was also tagged in another (non blogging) group I belong to so I am answering both tags here. Since most of my blog world friends have already had the 7 things about you tag I am using the other one to change it up and get to know a bit more about my blogging friends. The rules are basically the same but this one is in fives.

Here's how it works...
1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Answer the five sets of five (these are easy)
3. Tag 5 people in the last section by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here are the 5 sets of five...

Things you love...
1. Sleeping in
2. Having time to create
3. The smell after it rains
4. Babies
5. Happy Mail

Things you don't love...
1. Traffic
2. Bills
3. Rude people
4. Coffee
5. Mangos

Songs on your iPod/Playlist
1. Troublemaker - Wheezer
2. Livin' on a Prayer - Bon Jovi
3. Americal Girl- Carrie Underwood
4. Man in the Mirror - Michael Jackson
5. Bohemian Rhapsody- Queen

Favorite Foods
1. Chocolate
2. Chicken Enchiladas
3. Diet Coke
4. Shrimp
5. Guacamole

People you are tagging...
1.Ramsey
2. Carri D
3. Melanie
4. Jacquie
5. Danette

Have fun ladies!

Buttons and bows and blog candy...oh my!

2008-10-08T11:45:00.000-06:00

Yesterday over on Bellaholics I announced the first Embellishment Challenge! I am so honored to be chosen as the first of the Queens to get your creative juices flowin'.

As an extra special treat I am adding something special to this one (but don't expect it every month). My blog reached 1000 hits this week so I am giving blog candy! Anyone who posts a comment with a link to what they did for my challenge will be eligible for the blog candy. Details below.

OK, now on to the challenge.

Bella Buttons and Bows Embellishment Challenge

Buttons remind me of my grandmother. She always had a jar of buttons she had carefully removed from clothing before it became a rag she used for cleaning. I knew her collection had been growing for many years becuase there were hundreds of them in that jar. I have fond memories of spending hours sorting grandma's buttons by colors, sizes and picking out my favorites. The vintage dress buttons were always my favorites. They were delicate and yet ornate and I could imagine the beautiful clothes they had once been a part of. I wonder what ever happened to grandma's button jar.

If you are like me you have a bag, jar or box of buttons that just sit there looking pretty. Once in a while you will use one or two on a card or a scrapbook page or just run your hand through the jar because you like how it feels.

My challenge this week is to make anything (doesn't have to be a card) using a stamping bella image, ribbon/bows and at least 5 buttons. Here is my sample, a great card that I used buttons to create a wreath around sockafellabella. It was hard to get a good scan with the buttons so the sockafellabella image is a bit blurry but you get the idea.

Ok, to participate in the blog candy you have until Sunday Oct. 12th at midnight to post a link to what you did for this challenge to the comments section of this post. The copy the link to my blog candy and you're done. I'll pick a random winner on Monday Oct. 13th.

The blog candy will include....drumroll please....

1 -Daisybella (a brand spankin new stamp)

2 - 8x8 paper packs from Deija Views

3 -packages of rhinestones in purple, pink and green

3- chalk ink cat's eyes in orchid, aloe vera, and chestnut roan

1- birds and swirls cuttlebug embossing folder

25 -various stamping bella images to play with

Have fun and good luck!

Peace on Earth

2008-10-05T20:22:00.003-06:00

I made 10 of these cards to send to the troops. Gina K has a great idea to send blank cards to the troops that they can then send back to their friends and loved ones this holiday season. Check out her blog for more info on how you can send some too. She even has a great list of prizes she is giving away. The top prize is $250 to Gina K. Every card sent gives you a chance to win. Check it all out here.

Stamps- Stampendous

Cuttlebug embossing folder

Nestabilities scalloped oval

Silver embossing

Mark richards gemstones

Want something sweet???

2008-10-05T14:42:00.002-06:00

Nothing is sweeter than blog candy so here are a few links to our friends who are offering candy.

1. Katie Cotton is giving away 100 pieces of blog candy for her 100th post.
2. Janet has 500 hits and is trying to get ot 1000.
3. Melanie has made it to 1000 hits.

Stop by their blogs to congratulate them on their blogging achievements and enter to win some sweet candy.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2008-09-29T01:28:00.004-06:00

Anyone who makes their own Christmas cards knows you have to get an early start. Somehow it does seem strange to be working on Christmas when it's in the 8o's outside. I have been busy working on a few projects this weekend and have lots of cards in various stages but here is my first picture.

Meet Polly Packages

I love this stamp because there are just so many possibilities. For this one I paper pieced her coat and scarf with DP from a DCWV Christmas stack. I used liquid applique on her hat, the top of her bag and the bottom of her coat. I also love the candy cane stripe leggings. The Ho Ho Ho is done with the Stampendous Candy Cane Alphabet. This set sold out last year before I got mine so when we got them in at Archiver's again this year I snatched mine up right away. Again, so many possibilities. More Christmas cards to come!

HUGE Blog candy for a good cause.

2008-09-25T02:39:00.004-06:00

Check out Cammie's blog for the most amazing chance to win blog candy valued at around $1000. She has gotten donations from so many amazing people and companies all in honor of National Alzheimer's Day. She asked everyone to make a card to send to someone with Alzheimers or to the people who care for Alzheimers patients. Here is my card.

This one is going to the facility down the street from my house. I don't personally know anyone there but I am sure they are doing great things and this will brighten someone's day.