So much fun!!!!

My Dad invited me to meet him in Colonial Williamsburg for a "photo shoot" on Friday. He's a Pentax man.... he's got the new K10 and it's little brother. He's still trying to convert me from Canon!!!

Anyway, we had a blast!!! He may think that my spending the day with him was a gift from me to him, but I was the one who felt gifted on Friday! It's been a long time since I've had my dad all to myself for a day! I'm just so excited that we both have this passion for photography. Of course, he's the one who planted that seed in me.... he gave me my first real camera.... his Nikon FG!!!

So, Dad, thank you for such a great day! And happy father's day!

More June projects!

These are for Scraplovers!!!! We had the super cute Crafter's Workshop papers and templates to work with.... and man, oh man, were they ever generous with their product!!! http://www.thecraftersworkshop.com/ I absolutely love the versatility of their templates, and their papers are so bright and cheerful!!

In other news, we were on vacation last week on the Outer Banks of NC... we had great weather and a fabulous time as a family! My dh and fil went on a big fishing trip, and my fil caught a 70 lb. Cobia! They also caught several flounder that ended up becoming our dinner one night!

My dh also found out that his job is moving to St. Louis. We, however, are staying in Richmond. All of our family is here, and we have no interest in moving. So say some prayers for us that he can find a new job that he enjoys. It looks like I will have to go back to work full time, though :(.

June Scrapncircle Projects!!!

After I created these, I realize that I essentially made the same design for each!! But I still like them... LOL!!! Jeri gave me the wonderful MME Signature Life papers to work with!!

May Scraplovers Projects! (part 2!!)

I did a bit of stamping with this reveal! With the first layout, I actually made the green patterned paper with an ink dauber and by clear heat embossing of some flower images (Autumn Leaves and Paper Salon).

I had the privelege of working with more Prism, Queen and Company, and Scribble Scrabble!! Did I mention how wonderful Prism paper is to stamp on? And it takes color so well!!! And the Scribble Scrabble papers were so adorable and SO perfect for this picture, I was inspired to create this layout the very day I received the papers in the mail!

A little family fun...

We took the kiddos to Maymont Park on Saturday. They have a beautiful nature center, and the kids had a really good time! I think the otters were their favorite. My older dd was especially amused that one of them seemed to be playing with her! He kept doing flips right in front of her!

It's so nice to have a free resource like this in the area! I wanted to take some photos outdoors, too, but it was a bit too rainy, and I forgot a plastic bag to protect my camera!

One of the things...

about working for a Jewish nursing home is the culture. I love it. I'm a little Baptist girl (although not a conservative one), and I have a deep respect for the Jewish culture.

And working for such a home, the likelihood of meeting a Holocaust survivor is relatively high. I have met 3 in my life... all at the home. It's meeting a gem of human history when you meet a survivor.

I must admit that reading about the stuggles of survivors was an interest of mine in middle and high school. I read the Diary of Anne Frank and other accounts of what it was like to be Jewish and live through such awful times. I studied why WWII came about. I read about that unspeakable evil man and what he did.... to put it extremely mildly, it is frustrating to me that similar things are still happening around the world. (and if you recall US history correctly, we had our own concentration camps here during WWII, but singling out another group).

I am in awe of survivors. It is a great mark of their spirit and character to have endured what they did...

One resident in particular has had me thinking about this recently. He's an amazing man. So sweet... so likable... yet there's this thing always bothering him. It's always there... almost unspeakable for him. What do you say to someone who endured such horrible things? He talked briefly to me about how he survived. He simply became whatever tradesman they were looking for in the work camps. He had no clue how to be a bricklayer... or much else they were looking for, but he did them to survive. And just thinking about it brings him to tears.

I can't imagine being part of that or enduring all that he did. I don't know if my spirit would have been strong enough to live. To have been born in this country, relatively immune to persecution for what I believe... that's a gift. And it's also a gift that I have met great men like him to remind me of how lucky we all are.

May Scraplovers Projects!

These are from the first round for the month. We have the pleasure of working with Prism cardstock and Queen and Company products!!!

I really love the texture of the Prism cardstock. It has that nice orange peely texture on one side and smooth on the other. It's easy to stamp on, too!!! And the fact that they sell little accent color packs is great!

The Queen and Company sequins and brads are simply too cute for words. I love how they are packaged like make-up!!! Adorable!!!

TFL!!!

Remember 4-16-2007

I think I 'm finally ready to write about this.

Most of us who are in our thirties can relate to both the college kids and the parents... it's not too long ago that we were in college, with idealistic dreams, just coming to terms with who we really want to be as "real" adults. And all of those promising young lives cut short. I am deeply saddened by this.

Those kids were to go on to become successful contributors to society. Now there will be no fulfillment of dreams... no marriages to form... no children to be born... no more chances to tell the ones they loved that they do love them... no opportunity to realize that all of that hard work in college pays off.

As a parent, I also sympathize with the mothers... I would be completely heartbroken to lose my child in such a senseless way. Words can't describe what they must be feeling.

I wore maroon and orange today. It's such a small thing... but it made me feel better to show some outward sign of support for the victims, the survivors, and the families. It was nice to see others today who did the same, many of whom exchanged glances with me. Their eyes all said the same thing... that they were sad, too, but hoped for healing as well.

I will continue to pray for the vicitms, their families, and the survivors. God bless you all.

Have you seen this?

If you are a fellow Richmonder, you have to pick up a copy. I'm so proud of my friend Tisha... she does the most amazing work, and this is her photo on the cover! (you can link to Tisha's blog in the sidebar).

Kudos to you, my friend! You deserve all the best that comes your way!

In honor of the survivors...

of the tragedy at Virginia Tech.

A little background about this layout... this is an idea I've been mulling over for almost a year now. The idea was to capture that feeling you get when you celebrate the simple joy of living... and how wonderful life can be. With the recent tragedy so close to home, it took a new direction, becoming a quiet tribute to those who survived this horrific event and, for me, what I will try to take away from it and other similar events, like 9-11. It is in no way meant to discount the suffering so many have faced... or the answer to why it has happened. It is, however, a reflection of how precious our lives truly are, and the hope that those who have been affected can rebuild their lives.

The quote I have used for my layout is from John Mayer:"I am invincible... as long as I'm alive."(Cautiously celebratory of our gift of life...)

This is my third April project for Scraplovers.

Supplies:

Patterned papers and chipboard letter (Zsiage)http://store.scraplovers.com/zsg-z0205.htmlhttp://store.scraplovers.com/zsiage.htmlStamps (Stampin' Up)Inks (Colorbox, Ranger)Journaling pen (American Crafts)Cardstock (Nicole, Bazzill, DCWV)

Photo by Tisha McCuiston

April Scraplovers Projects!

This month, we have the pleasure of working with the awesomely unique products from Zsiage! Our theme this month is poetry/quotes, one of which must be incorporated into each of our pages.

The "welcome home" project was made by altering a 5 x 15 inch plaque from the Dollar Tree. I had so much fun painting and inking the Zsiage chipboard letters! The swirl is a foam stamp by Teresa Collins for Junkitz.

I love how the page about my cat turned out. The paper was just perfect for showing off my handsome old man!

April Scrapncircle Projects!

I had so much fun playing with the SEI "Such a Boy" paper line. Such beautiful colors with those aquas and terra cottas... it makes it a very versatile line! Perfect for beachy layouts! Thanks, Jeri, for challenging me with the boy papers! I always love how that makes me think outside the box!

Yay!

Well, first of all, we finally got my dd into the bathtub tonight, and she feels much better. She even wants to try to go visit at school tomorrow!

And another toot! This one for a photo for Simple Scrapbook's Focus on Photos column! It is scheduled to appear in the September/October 2007 issue!!!

As much as we try...

As much as we try to protect our kids from danger, accidents still happen. And I am so sad. My older dd broke her leg yesterday. She's only 5. And she cannot bear weight on her leg for at least 3 weeks. I did at least know to ask for a script for a wheelchair from the doctor today. Being a PT does come in handy sometimes. I called my favorite medical equipment provider, and we had the chair by this afternoon.

*sigh*

We spent several hours in the ER yesterday evening. The pediatric orthopod on call would not come in to cast it. By making us wait, he sent me the message that my child was not worth his time or effort to get up off of his butt and go to the ER to set it. He made her wait until today, but was expecting our call... or so he told the ER doctor. When I called the office this morning, he was not in today. It was a scheduled day off after being on call. The receptionist told me I must have been mistaken, not the doctor. (my discharge paperwork even has this info about the expected office visit on it!) Needless to say, I was more than a little PO'd..... the other pediatric specialist was in surgery. She told me I would have to wait another day. I told her no.... and asked her how she would feel if this were her child who was injured and in pain and a doctor had lied to her. She found another doctor who was willing to see my dd, but made it very clear to me what an inconvenience it was for her office, that I would have to wait a long time, and that we were being worked in. It was a complete fiasco!!! I asked her to tell me about any other orthopedic practices that had peds specialists, and she would not tell me. So, I stuck with them. They were fine in the office, and the doctor was nice, so I guess it all worked out. But I'm still feeling like a momma bear.....

She's in so much pain despite the pain meds. And I feel totally helpless in how to help her. I told her that I wished it had been me that broke my leg instead of her... and she told me that she wished that, too!!! LOL!!! Still a smarty pants, that kid!

So send my little girls some prayers and positive thoughts, will you? She really needs them!!!

You take the good with the bad....

So, the bad news, obviously, is that I did not get a call of any kind for HOF. *sigh*.... but I see some names of some truly talented folks on that list.... so kudos to them!!! It's been an exciting couple of days!!!

But, the good news (which really softened the blow!) is that Paper Trends wants to publish the shadow box I made for Scraplovers using Hambly products!!! Yay!!! It is by far my favorite project I have created thus far! Yay!!! My second pub with this family of publications! Even more fun? I will be in the SAME article with 2 of my fellow Scraplovers DT members!!!

So, I am happy! And grateful for another opportunity to have my work in print!

March project #3!

Our theme this month is inspirational women. So, I had to do a layout about my mom!!! Where would we be without them, right? My mom is special. I just wish I could spend more time with her! It seems like since I moved an hour away it is nearly impossible to coordinate our lives :(. I miss our shopping trips especially!

Patterned papers and brads from American Crafts. Bazzill cardstock.

Some days I just love my job!

I am a physical therapist, and I specialize in geriatric rehabilitation. I never thought I would end up in this specialty. I originally entered this field because of an interest in pediatrics. I swore I would never work in a nursing home, but the truth is, the most rewarding job I have ever had has been working for one!

I have an amazing patient right now who has suffered a stroke. He came to us just a week after the event. He has the significant advantage of not having suffered any cognitive deficits, but his affected leg was pretty much flaccid. In other words, little to no voluntary movement in that leg.

His first day with me, I made a point of walking with him. I have a few tricks I've learned in my years of practice for teaching someone how to walk who is paralyzed on one side. Well, he did it. And he did it well. He was so excited... and so was I. Those are the days PT's live for!!! He has now progressed from using a rail in the hallway to a large based quad cane. He has lots more movement in that leg... his progress is phenomenal, and I am so glad to be a part of it.

I guess the bigger challenge of working with this population is assisting those with dementia... especially those with significant issues, such as what you find with advanced Alzheimers. I have one patient now who is a retired Baptist minister. He just happened to go to the same seminary as my father. And I found a connection with him.... which is the key to helping these patients learn to trust me to help them. My breaking moment with him.... asking him what his favorite hymn is. He could tell me. And I told him mine. And he told his wife that they have some fine people working there....

I try my best to treat everyone with the dignity and respect they deserve. I imagine how I would want my own mother or father to be treated. And I pray that I never have to see them that way....

Sometimes the best toots in life are not scrapbook related. I am so lucky to have the job I have.

How ironic....

that while I was searching in my car for one of the latest and greatest inventions of the past couple of years (my bluetooth!), I came across some quite older technology.... one of my cassette tapes from my college years.
You know you made mix tapes from your CD's when you were younger, right? This one was my favorite. From 1994! I remember that I had put it in my car when I sold my little red Corolla last fall. It has songs from the Smiths, REM, the Cure, and bands I've even forgotten the name of.... each new one that played was like uncovering a long forgotten gem!!! I had fun listening to it again.... and it suddenly dawned on me. The only tape player I have now is in my Subaru!!! Once I get rid of that car, I will have no way to play it anymore!!!!
Hmmmm.... I wonder how many more years I can get out of my Subaru?

March project #2!

I bought this chalkboard from Big Lots months ago. I kinda forgot about it... but found it again the other day while searching for something else! I had this crazy idea about ribbon for the center of a flower, and I really like how it turned out.

More with the fabulous American Crafts products. Love these colors!!!

March project #1!

Here's my first of 2 projects for Scraplovers. We got some of the AWESOME papers and embellishments from American Crafts to work with, including those cute Thickers letters!!! Love those things!!!

Anyway, had to do a page about a girls' afternoon at Krispy Kreme. We call the doughnuts "hot nows." LOL!!! I don't know how often we will be going from now on with this change to a more organic lifestyle, but I'm sure we'll sneak a trip there every couple of months!

On going organic...

I have to say, it is really agreeing with me! I have lost 11 lbs., and have dropped 2 pant sizes!!! I'm back in the single digits!!! It's a lifestyle change, really... of course, groceries have gone up considerably. And now we make a special trip to Ellwood Thompson (our biggest natural foods market here in Richmond) at least once a week. My dh has lost over 20 lbs. The thing is, we're not dieting! Just changing the type of foods we eat.
http://www.ellwoodthompsons.com/retailer/store_templates/shell_id_1.asp?storeID=U68APW9PKBSR2LHA0G03N0ET9DM96189

We have also been doing some herbal detox kits by Renew Life. They seem to really work!http://www.renewlife.com/

We also bought a juicer, and drink fresh, organic juice at least once a day.http://www.powerjuicer.com/?src=JL249TG They sell this one at Costco in silver.

So, we may have just crossed the line into granolahood. Even my older dd has been asking about what she eats, interested to know if it is organic or not!!!

The funny thing is, as I have lost weight, started to have more energy, and organizing my eating habits, I have started to organize other parts of my life better, too!!!

Check it out!!!

We are having a cyber crop over at Scraplovers this weekend... lots of prizes, games, and challenges... so head on over... and get your scrap on!!!

Do you want to see the "before"?

Here's that picture of my baby girl before all of the marker was edited out!!! Her babysitter was doing some dishes... and she though the baby was being awfully quiet!!! And when she checked, she discovered marker everywhere! Keep in mind that this was AFTER her face had been washed several times!!! LOL!!!

More of my muse!

So I'm on a string of creating layouts about my baby girl.... with this one I used Basic Grey Lollipop collection with a bit of Gypsy. The use of the tags was sort of inspired by a commercial I saw on TV. The journaling is on a transparency which was painted, then stamped in green with a Junkitz swirl stamp. I also used various ribbons by Offray, May Arts, and the Michaels dollar bin. Title was hand cut.

The paint technique was inspired by Lisa over at Scraplovers!!! She posted some amazing paint technique tutorials over there...

Photo was shot with my 50mm 1.4 lens. It's a bit soft... but still scrapable, IMO!!!

My baby girl...

My 18 month old has learned the most infamous toddler word this week... "MINE!!!"

So, she says to me, "Mommy. You fun!" And then, a few minutes later, as I am holding her, she pats her hand on me, and says, "mine!," gives me a big hug, then looks up and giggles at me.

Too sweet!!!

Here's a shot of her the other day.

Guest DT calls!!!

First, Scrapncircle has a guest DT call for March!!!

We are looking for a Guest Design Team Member for the Month of March. Do you have what it takes??? I bet you do!!!! Your challenge is....Create a layout with the theme of *LOVE*. This can be love for your child, your husband or a dear close friend. Of course even those pets count. Your layout must consist of Basic Grey products.. At least 70%. ALL layouts must be created for this challenge and must be NEW. They can not be posted on other sites until the designer for march is chosen. Deadline is the Feb. 25, 2007 by midnight ESTOur current DT will be choosing the winning LO. We will post the winner March 1,2007Please upload your entries in the gallery here: You must be a registered member to be eligible for this challenge.http://www.scrapncircle.com/Photopost/showgallery.php?cat=620Winner will have all the luxuries our current DT has. including the DT packet for the month!! Feel free to ask ??? if you have any.

And Scraplovers also has a guest DT call for March and April:

Scrap Lovers is looking for a couple of talented scrappers to join the Sweetheats as Guests Designers in March or April. I can't even believe I am thinking about April!!!!Outlined below are the requirements for the position and the application procedures. If you have any other questions feel free to send me and email (Christina@scraplovers.com) or a pm.The deadline for entries will be Feb 12th. I will announce the Guest Sweethearts on Sunday during the Sweethearts crop!!To apply you need to upload one layout and one project into the Guest Sweetheart gallery. The theme for both the project and the page is PASSIONS! This is the same theme that the Sweethearts will use for their reveal in February. You will also need to send an email to designteam@scraplovers.com with your responses to the questions below. We will pick two team members one for March and one for April. Guest DT members will receive a discount in the Scrap Lovers store, a shipping allowance, in addition to the DT supply kits. Guest Designers will be responsible for the following during their appointment:• Each month the Guest DT will be required to design 2 layouts and one project. You will receive a selection of products/gift certificate from ScrapLovers.com or a selected sponsor to create these uploads.• The guest DT member will need to upload other work throughout the month.• Guest DT member needs to participate in the weekly challenges.• Guest DT member will need to participate on a consistent basis and maintain an active presence on our message boards. This includes posting praise and starting threads, as well as joining in and sharing on threads.Restrictions• Guest DT members may be on other DTs. Please make sure that before you apply you are certain that there will not be a conflict and that other positions will not impact your participation in the above responsibilities.
Questions for the Entrant:
1. Tell us a little about yourself.
2. What are your favorite product lines to work with and why? How would you describe your style?
3. Are you currently on any other Design Teams? If yes, for whom?
4. Do you have an online gallery? Please provide a link.
5. Why do you want to be a part of the Scrap Lovers team?

You should check these out!!! :)

Happy Birthday!!!

Yesterday, my first baby turned 5!!! I can't believe she's that old already!!! How time flies...

Anyway, we went out to eat last night, and as luck would have it, it was kid's night!!! And they had a clown who paid special attention to my little girls. Well, he kept us in stitches all night... and we got some great souveniers, including this SUPER TALL hat!!! It almost touched the ceiling! It was like something out of a Dr. Seuss book!!!

Photo taken with my 50mm 1.4 lens on 1.6 shot in AV mode.

Here's a fun birthday page I did for the PubCalls Birthday Bash!!! Scraplovers is a sponsor! The sketch is by Becky Fleck!!! Patterned papers and stickers by KI Memories except for the black "5" by American Crafts.

My second February project for Scraplovers!

This chipboard paisley mini-album by Maya Road screamed to be a quote book!!! I also used ribbon by Maya Road. Stripes... ribbon.... true love for me!! Gorgeous stuff! I am only posting a few pages here... you can see the whole album posted in the Feb 1-7 DT reveal gallery at http://store.scraplovers.com/index.html

Did you know that Scraplovers is helping PubCalls celebrate its first birthday? Head on over to http://pubcalls.blogspot.com/ and check out the celebration!!!

My first Scraplovers February Project!

OK, we got to work with the wonderful products from both Maya Road and Fancy Pants Design. Woohoo!!! Love them both!!

The Scraplovers theme this month is passions... so, I had to scrap something about my dh, naturally!!!

There is more to come... I am working on a cute little mini-album!!!

February Scrapncircle projects!!!

Jeri gave me the awesome We R Memory Keepers Boho Chic line to work with!!! She also gave me coodinating ribbon, a huge silk flower, and some white Doodlebug letter stickers. This was fun!!!

I'm in love...

With my new lens!!! I was planning on buying the 50mm 1.8 (because I'm cheap!!! but also because I was saving for the 85mm 1.8). However, as luck would have it, my dear friend Tisha decided to sell her 50mm 1.4. (I think I would, too... she replaced it with a zoom L lens!) So, I am now its proud owner!!! Yay!!! This lens has not left my camera since I brought it home!!!

This is my favorite shot from yesterday!!! The only photoshopping was the b&w conversion with a bit of contrast boosting. Those catchlights are real!!!

So, THANK YOU Tisha!!! You are the bestest friend EVER!!!!

Well, the reason for my absence...

I've been busy. I know... excuses, excuses. But I am done, I think, with my HOF entry. I'm quite sure I don't have a snowball's chance, but, you know, I've got to try!!!

We have also begun making more definitive plans for building a house. We hope to break ground soon!

And there's always work to keep one busy!!!

I'm sorry I don't have much to share right now!!! I will be working on some DT projects this week, so I will most likely post those.

The transformation is *almost* complete....

Into full granola status!!! LOL!!! I made this realization as I was in line to pay for MORE orgainic groceries today. My selections included: Amy's Natural cheese pizza (YUMMMMMY!!), raw almonds, Tofutti chocolate "ice cream" sandwiches (tastes just like cake batter!!), and distilled water.

Some of you who know me from the message boards know that my dh is on a kick to lose weight. In his quest, he found a book by Kevin Trudeau that discusses an all-natural lifestyle and how environmental toxins have contributed not only to the rise in health problems but to obesity as well. We were already doing some organic, but we are pretty much transistioning over to all organic if possible.

I buy into his philosophies. My preferences tend to be on the natural side anyway... breastfed both my kids until at least 1 year old, my older dd goes to Montessori school, and I am a semi-vegetarian. I also avoid artificial sweeteners and trans fats.

I gave up all sodas 2 weeks ago... I was really addicted to Coke!!! Love the stuff!!! But, some days, I would drink 2, 20 oz. bottles a day!!! That's 480 calories in soda!!! So, my first step was to eliminate that. I have already lost 5 lbs. And I really haven't craved it too much!!!

So, we'll see where this journey takes us!!! It will mean much less eating out than we do... but it will be good for us. Our goal is to limit "regular" foods as much as possible, and aim for a healthier diet and moderate exercise that we can live with. Wish us luck!!!

A few pics...

Here are a few photos taken with my Canon XTi. All but the last one are taken with the kit lens, wide open! The last one was taken with my Canon EF 70-210mm f 4.0 lens at 70mm, f4, AV mode.

Thanks, Tisha, for teaching me how to create a vingette look with my pictures!!!

I've been tagged!!!

Thanks, Stephanie, for tagging me!

A - Available/Single? Married
B - Best Friend? I have 3: Tisha, Tabitha, and Misty!!
C - Cake or Pie? Hmmm... yellow cake with chocolate icing, or my mom's Impossible Pie (custard!)
D - Drink Of Choice? Coke or unsweet tea with lemon.
E - Essential Item You Use Everyday? Besides the usual toiletries, Great Lash mascara!
F - Favorite Color? Oh, boy. I love lots of colors... aqua, plum, spring/sagey greens...
G - Gummy Bears Or Worms? I'm with Stephanie on this one... SOUR gummy worms!
H - Home or Homesick? Um... a bit of both. I love my new home, but at times I miss Tidewater.
I - Indulgence? Any Starbucks coffee drink. Don't have it that often!
J - January Or February? February, because my older dd was born in that month!
K - Kids & Their Names? Kendall and Anna.
L - Life Is Incomplete Without? My family.
M - Marriage date? October 23, 1999.
N - Number Of Siblings? 1
O - Oranges Or Apples? Gala apples.
P - Phobias/Fears? Hmmm... I could have a heart attack trying to find a parking space in a busy shopping center!!!
Q - Favorite Quote? "Music expresses that which cannot be said and cannot be suppressed."
- Victor Hugo
R - Reason to Smile? Hearing a favorite song. Watching my kids play well together.
S - Season? Spring or Fall. Love those transitional seasons!!!
T - Tag 3 or 4 people? I'm definitely tagging Tabitha!!! I'll have to get back to you on the others!
U - Unknown Fact About Me? I have a MS in PT.
V - Vegetable you don’t like? Hmmm... not fond of mushrooms!
W - Worst Habit? Letting people aggravate me on the road!
X - X-rays You’ve Had? Elbow, foot, chest, back, dental
Y - Your Favorite Food? Right now, turkey burgers!
Z - Zodiac Sign? Virgo!

Whew!!!

I thought I had lost my blogger access....

My computer lost my cookie (now, doesn't that sound interesting!!) But I finally was able to access it to post!!! (I am blonde, you know!!!)

So, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I have been tagged by Stephanie, so I will try to post this very soon!!!

December projects!

Here are my December projects for Scrapncircle!! Jeri sent me the super cute Kaliedoscope papers from My Mind's Eye. It was fun to play with them!!! You will recognize the first photo... it is in the last post! The other photo was taken with my old Panasonic Lumix! TFL!

My new camera!

It's sad how "stuff" can make you feel soooo happy... but my new camera really does!!! I finally saved enough money to buy a Canon Rebel XTi. I'm still learning, but it's way better than my point and shoot... don't tell my old Panasonic that I said that!!!

Here's a couple of pics from the XTi... using an oldie but goodie lens that I'm test driving from a very dear friend of mine. It's shot in AV mode, f4.o, natural light; the lens is a 70-210mm f4, originally produced in 1987 and discontinued in 1990. Comments appreciated!

Merry Christmas!

I made these trees from styrofoam cones, various patterned papers (from Gin-X, Provo Craft, and Scissor Sisters), ribbon, a few QK dies, and a large tag punch. I used the punch to make all of the "branches," inking the edges, and rolling each tag around a pencil. I attatched them to the cone with low temp hot glue.

I thought it may be time to get into the Christmas spirit!

Oh.... and if you pull up beside me at an intersection... I'm the crazy one with Handel's Messiah blasting on my car stereo!!! (my parents would be so proud to know how much their fondness for traditional Christmas music has rubbed off on me! After all, I can only take so much of "Feliz Navidad" and "I Want a Hippopotomas for Christmas"!! Although I am enjoying Michael Buble's version of "Let it Snow")

Hope you are almost done with your shopping so that you can enjoy the season a bit!

Scrapncircle November Projects

Jeri sent us some wonderful goodies from Wild Asparagus by My Mind's Eye to play with. I really had fun making these pages!!!

I'm ready to play with the big girls!!!

After months of saving and numerous serious discussions with my dh about how much it will cost to get one, I finally purchased a real dSLR!!! A Canon Rebel XTi.

It's silly to think about how happy "stuff" makes us... but I am VERY happy I finally have a real camera! I love my film SLR dearly (and it has sentimental value, since it was a gift from my father), but it can't keep up in the digital world!

I'm so nervous about using it that I haven't even really taken it out of the box to put the kit lens on it! It arrived on Tuesday. I tried out a couple of lenses at Richmond Camera today... trying to decide a reasonable one to purchase. And I got a 2 GB memory card on Thursday. So, I'm ready to start shooting, I think.

My dear friend Tisha is going to work with me on how to make the most out of this camera. I can't wait...

Well, we survived...

Our annual trip to the Outer Banks this year for Thanksgiving was punctuated by a most powerful Nor'easter that blew through ALL night Tuesday and well into Wednesday morning! We're talkin' about 60+ mph winds that just wouldn't quit! My girls were awakened at 4:30 Wednesday morning (does that time actually happen twice a day? LOL!!!) when their night light went out!!!! We were without power for several hours and cable for a few days, but we fared pretty well, all things considered. Some water damage to the house we were in from the wind literally blowing water into the house!

I have some pictures of what is now left of the dunes on the beach... the view of the waves crashing into the parking lot of the beach access area across the street from the house we were staying in... and one of the many sets of steps leading to nowhere after they were detatched from their beach walkways. I will post later!

Otherwise, we had a nice, relaxing time. I did lots of thrift store shopping, especially for items I can use in my scraproom. I'll have to post pics of those, too!

It is nice to go on vacation... but it's even nicer to be home!

Yipppeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!

I came home to an e-mail from Scrapbook Trends for a request for the April, 2007 issue!!! Yay!!!!!!!!! It will be my first time in their publication!

Fish!

Thought I would post something scrapbook related for a change... since I have become political in my old age!!! LOL!!!

I created this layout of my dh for a challenge over at Scraplovers during their birthday bash cyberchat! The challenge was to use only cardstock! Letter stickers were also allowed! These are by American Crafts. TFL!

I got the new John Mayer album, Continuim, as a birthday gift from my dh. This is the first song on that CD. Keep in mind that my birthday coincides with the week of 9/11. So, when I first heard this song, it was a beacon of hope.... it made me realize that I was not the only one frustrated by the system.

I just listened to this song again after not hearing it for a while, and now it plays like a victory song for me.... hoping that the change has begun, that we can bring our troops home, and that we can work on healing our great nation.

-----------------------------

Waiting On The World To Change

me and all my friends
we're all misunderstood
they say we stand for nothing and
there's no way we ever could

now we see everything that's going wrong
with the world and those who lead it
we just feel like we don't have the means
to rise above and beat it

so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

it's hard to beat the system
when we're standing at a distance
so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change

now if we had the power
to bring our neighbors home from war
they would have never missed a Christmas
no more ribbons on their door

and when you trust your television
what you get is what you got
cause when they own the information,
oh they can bend it all they want

that's why we're waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

it's not that we don't care,
we just know that the fight ain't fair
so we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

and we're still waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

one day our generation
is gonna rule the population
so we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

The winds of change....

Ahhh!!! Today is a good day!!! I didn't expect voter turnout to be sooo overwhelming. Nor did I expect the shift in the political landscape of our country that occurred yesterday. But I'm glad it did!!

I'm kind of proud of how we, the people, all went out, voted, and told our government what we needed them to hear. I don't think this election was truly about specific issues. It was about telling Bush that the status quo isn't good enough.

It's not about left vs. right, liberal vs. conservative, or morals vs. immorality, as some may believe. It's about CHANGE.

So, if you voted, be proud that you let your voice be heard... whatever that voice was!!!

I voted!!!

I did make time to vote today on my way home from work.

I actually enjoy the political process and fulfilling my "civic duty." I got that goosebumpy feeling when I hit the big "submit vote" button on the computer screen of my voting kiosk. I don't think my choices will win, but at least my voice will be heard!

At my voting station, they had so many voters that they ran out of stickers!!! That is amazing! a 65% turnout in Virginia!!!

So, did you vote today?

Woooohooooo!!!!!

I have a TOOOT!!!!

I have been invited to join the creative team at Scraplovers.com!!!! Yay!!!!

This is a SUPER group to chat with... and lots of talent over there!!! You should really go and visit... I have added the link to the sidebar.

My term begins January 2007. Yay!!! Again, I am soooo excited for this opportunity!!!!

Looking for something scrappy to do this weekend?

Come over and visit me at Scrapncircle all weekend for our crop.... or at Scrappinchicks tomorrow night for the chat, and all day Saturday for our crop! I will reveal a sketch for Scrapncircle and a sketch and an ad for Scrappinchicks!!! So come on by and say hello!

I never thought this day would come!!!

But I got an e-mail today from Simple Scrapbooks magazine! They have requested a layout for the March/April 2007 issue!!!! I am floored!!! It's a layout about my older dd fishing... and one of my favorites!!! Yay!

OMG!! I actually won something!

I hardly ever enter contests, but I did enter the September layout one at Scraplovers.com! And I actually won!!! Woohoo!!! So excited! http://store.scraplovers.com/index.html

It was a contest using Piggy Tales papers! This is my layout!