Aren't they damn good looking????????

Ok they do look like their Dad, but hey he's not hard on the eyes either. These are Drew and Timothy and the school pictures for this year Ok there are more of Drew he does graduate this year and this is only a few of his, but I must say I have some good looking boys. Can you tell I'm a proud Mother?????

Ok this one's for Brandy.......

This was sent to Cass at the store, and pretty much sums up the world today and is pretty sad if you think about it, but at the same time it made me laugh.

"Holiday Wishes Disclaimer"

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religiouspersuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great (not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country or is the only "AMERICA" in the western hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, or sexual preference of the wishee. By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms: -This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. -It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. -It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.



I wish I could just tell someone Merry Christmas, I do say Happy Holidays and just hope that I don't offend anyone, ands if I do then I'm sorry but do they ever think that they are offending me by making me change my life and the way I celebrate, because if I don't say anything people think I'm a bitch, and this season that's how I fell, I just can't seem to find the Christmas spirit in myself, and that makes me sad. I love this time of year I love the look on poeples faces when they open thier gifts, I love shopping guilt free (because it's for other people).


Well you guys asked for it, you wanted to know what was going on.

Yup, I'm bad at this and I really have nothing to say today, well actually I have plenty to say but nothing anyone really wants to hear.

It snowed pretty good here today, we got offically 6.7 inches in Sterling Heights, school is closed for tomorrow, yeah me. Tim is already on the phone and making plans for his day off. Little does he know I have plans for him too.

I told you it was nothing anyone wanted to hear or read.

I feel good..........

Sometimes you just heave so much on your plate that there is no way you can possibly get it all done. Well that's the way this week is for me, But I did accomplish everything that I wanted to this weekend, and I must say that makes me feel good. I still have a lot to do but some of that is not on my time so I can't control that which in itself drives me nuts.( I don't know if you know this about me but I'm a bit of a control freak) Example I so want to clean my fish tank and get more fish but I must let the medicine work how ever cloudy the water is and let the few fish we have left get better before I get new ones (DH bought sick ones while I was out of town).


I did get a wonderful surprise in the mail yesterday, I love getting stuff in the mail especially when I'm not expecting it, I got a RAK from Caroline Lau from Maya Road, I just love their goodies.


I did finish my Vintage Christmas book this weekend (insert happy dance here). I think that class is 12/3 check the store to find out www.papertales.com now I guess I better get back to my chore list.

Wow it's been a while.

So I've been told I need to blog. I've also been very busy, went to Chicago with my friends and had a blast. Even tho when I get in a large group of people I tend to get quiet. I;ve also been going to the doctors a lot I sware getting old sucks, if I get pocked once more I'm going to scream and I know there are at least two more needles in my near future, have I mention I've been known to pass out when needles get near me.

As far as work it's been crazy, we got 17 boxes today for Black Friday specials, whatch your emails for futher info. We are also having a whole week in December where we are having quick and easy classes so far I think I have about five done, Deb I know has two done and working on another, Andrea is working on some and Kate has a few up her sleeves as well. I have my Maya Road Sheer Snowflake book done and the sample is in the store, I'm trying to get my vintage Christmas book done and I also have a Maya Road Banner I'm doing, now if I can only figure out how to get 27 hours in a day and not have to sleep.

South Carolina

Well let's try this again, I tried posting this before but couldn't blogger was having a problem, that figures it was a very emotional post for me and now here I am having to type it all over again. I thought I saved it but apparently I didn't :(

I recently went to South Carolina to see my brothers and Uncle Jim (my daddy's only living relative). I haven't been down there since before my Father past-away 11 years ago. My Father never had a service or funeral so I never had any kind of closure I did realize how much I needed that. His ashes were scattered down the Nantahala River, his family is from there, his father's property is part of the park now, and we have a lot of family history there, not to mention my Father loved going rafting down the river. So JOn and I spent Saturday with my younger brother Rob and his family Barb, Kaitlynn and Missy driving to Nroth Carolina, into the Smokies and sent some flowers down the river for my dad. I wish I could have spent more time there just searching for old sights, as I said we have a lot of family history there.

Ok you may notice that things have changed around here, well I have been trying to figure out how to put links and other cool stuff on my blog but never could no matter what I tried, come to find out that I needed a new "updated" template. So let me see if I can now follow directions and add some links to my page.

Ok I guess I should post today since it was brought up in our meeting at work that we all need to post more often, well except Deb whose on top of everything. And NO Andrea I don't have the newsletter done yet sorry I'm slow.

I have been trying to spend some time getting some junk out of my scrap room and so far have gotten about 4 boxes of stuff out including about 1000 sheets of paper, the sad part is it doesn't seem like I've even made a dent in my room.

Scrap Pink was this weekend and I would like to thank all who made it possible, the companies that donated, the workers who worked and the scrappers who scrapped. We raised about $1,500.00 for Susan G. Koman.

Here are some pictures of some up coming classes I have at the store http://www.papertales.com/

Ok I don't know what happened to the other pictures, this class is on Oct. 23.

So long for now lots to do per the meeting today.

Ok one quick post today, why because I'm lazy, yeah I know NOT a good trait. I'm working on it.

But a friend of mine TAGGED me so now I feel obligated to post and have been putting it off, I know another bad habit. But here are the rules.

You must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. (If you don't have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.) When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post and then choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don't' forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.


Am I glad I have a short middle name.

A- amusing

N- natural

N- nutty

Now I only have to come up with three people, thank goodness, I don't know that many, so here they are

[url=creative-ink.blogspot.com/]Deb[/url]

[url=scrappygirl.typepad.com/]Kate[/url]

[url=ritafuja.blogspot.com/]Rita[/url]


Now I will post later this weekend to tell all about my boring life, I promise, but my kids are hungry and my dogs are barking to get in so I must go.

Well I do beleive I have done well over the past few weeks at NOT killing anyone or going on some type of rampage. I spent some time with my Mother after her spinal surgery, which she is now mad at me because I read up on the surgery to know what was going on, because in the past she has said I didn't care enough about her to read up on her medical conditions, this time I read up on it and now she is still mad, it's a no win situation with her, now I know too much and she can't keep me in the dark about what she should be doing or not.

Then we are getting our floors redone it was suppose to be a three day job, lets just say three days would have been last Weds. they will be back tomorrow to finish what they were just going to leave. This was the place I would not recomend to anyone. My floors look nice but the lack of professionalism, and the lack of respect for my time. Lets just say once my appointment was for 9-11 am and they showed up at 5:30 pm just to get the color of the stain before they even started then when it came time to stain they didn't even have the right color, when I called about the waste of my time they were like you didn't have to go to work so what are you worried about. I'm seriuosly not looking forward to them being here tomorrow I don't even want them near me, whatch the news I might be on it.

I'm in great need of creating something but my room is trashed because of the floor situation, not only because we needed to put stuff in it but they felt it was necesary to open all the doors, for waht reason I don't know so dust is all over everything now. Stuff keeps coming in to the store by the truck loads, the fedex guy backs the truck up to the door and laughs at us everyday. I'm a fraaid to bring any of it home yet. I have sooooo many projects going on in my head I need to get them out. Some are for classes and some are for the Scrap Pink silent auction, and on that note, if anyone out there in the blogging world that would like to donate anything to the Scrap Pink Auction please feel free and let me know I will be glad to give you all the details.

Even tho I have not been creating Deb and Andrea have been busy coming up with some great classes you should check them out at www.papertales.com and I promise I will get some going as soon as I can sneeze my way through the dust. Did I mention that they start on my bathroom on Monday.

Well I really am not good at this blogging thing, it's been almost a month again, yes I've been busy but not that busy. I went to CHA had a blast as always, it's not all fun and games it's a lot of work but fun work. Met some really cool people and ofcourse had fun with Caroline and Deb from Maya Road, as always I could buy everything in their booth and think we just about did. The people from Tinkering Ink are the some of the nicest people I met, they have great customer service. Sat and talked to the owners of Basic Grey for a while after the show closed on Sunday. I did miss seeing Teresa there although I do understand her decision to spend time with the family, and from her blog it sounds like she has had a wonderful time.

I am getting new floors in my house soon, man I don't think I like contractors already, they had me sitting around for a 9 am appointment until 5:30 on day and have already told us they might be running behind for our job. Then in the next few weeks I should get a new tub, yay!!!!! ours is so old and nasty I've not had a good soak since we moved in here 8 years ago, I'm ready for a nice long bubble bath.

My mom is doing fine after her spinal surgery last week, I hope things continue to progress well.

Ok so why is it the more I try to clean the worse my room looks? I'm really trying to purge stuff and the more I purge the more I seem to find that needs to be gotten rid of, but the messier my room seems to get, what's up with that??? I'm totally frustrated and I've been grumpier than crap the past few weeks because of it, I just want to start throwing stuf away but it seems like such a waste but I have donated and given away so much I feel like people are saying crap here comes Laura again with more stuf for us, now where are we going to put it. Cass has even said I'm just trying to move my room into her store. Part of my problem is I can't pass up a good deal. I think I'm going to set small goals for me to accomplish right now I want to purge about 600 sheets of printed paper, that would be 3 cropper hopper plastic things full, let's see how that goes. After all I need to make room for the new stuff coming out at CHA right???? There are some really neat stuff coming out, I love what I'm seeing from Maya Road so far, but I always love their stuff. Junkitz has some wonderful stuff coming out. Paper Trunk is a new company people are really interested in. I can't wait to see it all in Chicago in a few weeks. Now I must get back to my mess. :( wish me luck

Ok twice in one week what's up with that????? Well I've been tagged by several people so now I have to come up with seven random facts, like I said I'm boring.

These are the rules…. each player starts with 7 random facts about themselves on their Blog. People who are tagged need to blog 7 facts about themselves and post the rules as well. At the end of their blog list 7 people you are tagging. Let them know that they are tagged by leaving them a comment.

Ok so the real hard part is going to be finding 7 people to tag.

1. My room is a mess, you all know that but did you know I can't seem to work with it clean or seem to be very creative outside the comfort of "my space" weird huh.

2. I mostly wear jeans and t-shirts no makeup and don't do much with my hair, but I love getting dolled up and would do it every day if I had the time.

3. I am a Coal Miners Daughter, and grew up as such in the mountains of Ky. (or as DH calls it deepest darkest Ky.) I've eaten squirrel, rabbit, snake and heaven only knows what else flew, walked, hopped or crawled across my grandparents place.

4. I have been proposed to by someone who played Patrick Swayzie's brother in the movie Next of Kin. I'll let your imagination go on that one.

5. My greatest fear is that I won't be here/there for my boys someday.

6. I have the worlds greatest husband, he lets me do what I want and supports me and kick's my ass when it needs to be, but always, always loves me, man am I glad I said no to #4.

7. When I was a teenager I was a stateside missionary every summer through our church, growing up I practicly lived in the church I was there so much.


Ok now the really tough part tagging 7 people I pick Cass, Kate, Caroline, Teresa, Heather, Brandy, and Kelly

Ok so maybe someday I'll actually do this regularlly and learn to spell. I would love to tell you I've been off doing fun exotic things that has kept me from blogging, but no, just laziness.

I have made a couple of wonderfulclasses but have not taken pictures of them to post, sorry. :( But I have taken pictures of the Tigers game I went to lastnight, even tho they didn't win I had fun with my camera. Ok I don't think they came out that bad since I was sitting up pretty high.

Ok I really don't have much more to say, maybe that's why I haven't blogged, I live a very borring life, nothing to blog about.

Boy where does the time go? It seems just like yesterday that I just blogged, but it's been too long not much has gone on in my life I'm really boring. But some of my bestfriends are starting up a new monthly kit club more on that to come as things get really started. I have finshed another class a recipe box.

I'm working on a trunk box too, just wait until you see it. There is also a class in the works using water slide decal paper, on glass jars. Now just to find the time I need to do all I want to do.

You should check out the store for all the wonderful classes going on www.papertales.com

Ok Cass this one is for you. While I have been gone for most of the weekend, I have had a little time to work on a class project for you, by the way I did bring her in one last week, It's a Dr. Suess Graduation book. But on to my other project, it has a little bit of a garden feel to it, but not really themed or titled so it could be used with anything. It has flowers, birds and butterflies and ofcourse my favorite ribbon and lace.

If this is not your style you should check out the other classes and www.papertales.com there is something sure to please everyone there.

Ok I have decided I am very bad at keeping up with this whole blobbing thing. I know some people that do it daily, I just have no time, and I have some friends that haven't blogged since November (you know who you are). Me I just have no time it seems like, but it seems like I never know what I do with my time, half the stuff on my list never seems to get done, maybe I need a shorter list.

Well here is one thing I can cross off my list, I finally got my CJ pages done, I only signed up for it about 6 months ago, and ofcourse waited until the last minute of the extended dated, no I didn't ask for the extention, but very happy for the extra time. Why I signed up for something you are suppose to journal on I have no idea, I am NOT a journaler, there for my journaling is hidden on my pages, and for all you smart a$$'s yes it is there I did not omit it, it is on the tag, you just have to be one of the privalage few to get one of the pages to see it.

Thanks to all who voted, but I already had this one printed so I just went with it, I think it got the most votes anyway, although #2 was a close second.

Jon's Grandmother does have lung cancer, and it doesn't look like there is much thet can do for her, they are running more test to see if it is anywhere else, right now I think they are looking at just making her comfortable, she is in her 80's, and she has lost the will to fight. In the last month she has lost her baby sister and one of her sons, she is ready to go home I think.

More sooner than later I hope.

Ok, I've been putting this off now for about 4 months, so I really need to get this done, the Due date has even been postponed to give me more time but did I take advantage of this?????? No I still waited until the last minute. I need to make 21 CJ pages and don't have a picture yet, ok I did take some photos, I finally had a day that I had to put on make up so I threw the camera at Jon and told him to take some but I don't take very good pictures, so I figured I'd let you guys chose the lesser of the evils and pick the picture to go on my pages.

Where does the time go?????? It seems just like just yesterday that I had Drew and now he's 17 yikes!!!!! I am so lucky he is such a good kid that has to face such adult issuse these days. I don't think I would survive in High School these days. Well here is my adorable son at 3 months olds.

Then here he is a few months ago.

Can you guess where I am????? Come on it's not that hard. Jon's head is in Colorado, so where am I standing??????

Ok, that's not a fair question 'cause I'm at home sick. He's fishing in New Mexico for the week and I'm at home with a cold and to finish the cold off I came down with a mild case of the Chicken Pox, ugh!!!! I get them way too often it is something in my genes, my Dad got them often too. It is my bodys way of handleing my immune systme being run down, they aren't bad and tthey don't last long, the Dr. doesn't even think I'm contagiuos when I get them, just my bodys way of saying stop and rest.

I haven't worked in two days which is driving me nuts because I know Prima is suppose to come in this week, we are very low on flower at the store. The sad part is I haven't felt very creative so I haven't done many class samples only one, I've slept most of the time. Got tons of ideas in my mind just no energy to do them :( But Deb has felt very creative and has brought in some awsome class samples so you should hope on over to www.papertales.com and see what she has come up with, even tho she told me that she was going to bring in some ugly sample she didn't, they are great, I have decided she really doesn't like me ;) (she knows what I mean).

Ok here's my public service. GO and GET your MAMMOGRAM!!!!!! Had my first on done today and it wasn't my favorite thing to do but I lived through it and truthfully I've had worse test done, you know the other yearly one we have done. I will be getting them done regularly now, my Grandmother is a ontime Breast Cancer survivor and didn't win the fight the second time around, so from now on they will be checking me regularly. Ok my lecture was short and sweet,but too the point now go get your booby squished.

I am really excited about stuff going on at the store www.papertalesinc.com we are going to be at CKU doing make and takes with Junkitz new line Extreme Boy, pluse we will be doing make and takes all weekend long during CKU at the store. We also have some wonderful classes coming up you should check out the site, including a Breast Cancer book for April 24th. Caroline from Maya Road will soon be teaching a class or two at the store, I can't wait to see her again and Noah is always a cutie you should check her blog out she is always giving stuff away and has many ideas http://mayaroadandme.blogspot.com/ Then once there check out there DT blog for wonderful ideas too.

I do beleive I have been neglecting my blogging duties, sorry, sad to say no one really reads it much any way but a few freinds that I much appreciate.

This week Caroline from Maya Road has posted a R.A.K. with a twist you need to do a project or LO using old stuff, well heck I have a ton of that lying around here, of course I had to move all the new stuff to get to it. But I felt I was up for the challenge it only took me all week to do it but here it is, it's a cigar box of my Dad. Some of the stuff beside being really old from the 1950's I've been collecting for years ok so for the past ten since his passing, the Bulldog paper is perfect for his school and the coal in the jar for the coal mining town in grew up in and moved back to, it all has meaning to something in his life. So I wanted to thank Caroline for pushing me to do this project.

By the way notice MR tiny crown stamp is perfect for the Prom King photo.

Well for those of you who read my blog and are doing the boodles 28 in 28 here is # 28 early. I couldn't decide on one challenge, I had a few picked out being so far in the month, a few of mine did get taken along the way but these two are still left so I combined them, you only have to do one but feel free to do both. The first one is easy you must use a die cut we all have them or have a machine that can make them, mine is the swirl ropy thing (tech. term) going down the side. The second one might take some thought,but those of you who know me know I'm not a journaler, so what I did I took song lyrics and changed them to fit but then HAND Journaled them on the page, now it doesn't have to be fancy but you must hand write your journaling on the page. It could be a poem or your favorite quote, or if you are good at being sappy wing it, I'm not an emotional person, or should I say it is very hard for me to put my feelings into words, I am a very emotional person.

Well I haven't posted in a while, I've been busy. I have managed to get some stuff done but have forgotten to take pictures to show you, I'll try to do that today. I did think that I would show you the Mess behind the "My Creative Mess" it's kinda scary that I get anything done in here, but here's a quick look at my room. I know I'm very lucky to have my own room to keep my stuff in and I should respect it more by keeping it clean, I just can't seem to function very well in an organized space, I thrive in caos.

Well for those of you who read my blog from KnK and want to get a head start on my challenge here it is, use up your swap stash. It doesn't matter to me what it is you have total freedom with that just something you swapped, I have tons of the stuff, just the other day I found my big bag of chip board from our last swap. :0 I used Fastenators, brads eyelets, ribbon, flowers, and chipboard all from swaps I have been in, I think I'm swapped out for a while. Here is my sample.

For those very few of you how read my blog that aren't a member of KnK, we are doing our own version of 28 in 28, and I am in charge of day 11. 28 layouts in 28 days, so far I haven't kept up but I am working on them, so I hope no one feels slided, if I don't get to their right away.

Well I know it has been a while since I have blogged, but I am not as bad as some of my friends (Kelly November really). I have been busy working at the store a lot while Cass has been away at CHA buy all kinds of new fun stuff for me to play with, now I can't wait for it to start coming in. Hopefully some will come in this week before I go cropping with some of my friends on Sunday. I'm hoping to catch up on my 28 in 28 at KnK we are doing our own version I think I'm on 4, but as of right now we are only on 6 I think so I'm not that far behind, wait no today is 7. I'm trying I really am but I also need to get some classes done, I have a Ragged Ann book on my desk now, my mind is going with so many ideas there just aren't enough hours in the day to do them all, then with Cass' Mother being ill I might be working more at the store, if she needs me I'll be there.
Well here are my Layouts so far for the 28 in 28. As some of you may or may not know I really do not like challenges so for me to do these is a real struggle, so if I do not do your challenge don't take it personally, I am trying to get to all of them in some form or another.

Well since I last posted I turned 39 yikes!!!!! And I am still waiting for DH to come home with a Birthday present, he did come home with a fishing pole for himself, thank goodness no boat. At this point and time I don't think I'm getting one wich is fine there is nothing I need, but I am have a wonderful time reminding him he still hasn't bought me one, yes I am evil. And to make things worse I know what I'm getting him for his birthday next week, no not a boat, although he is going fishing in Florida in Feb.-Mar. just to get in some practice before he goes to New Mexico in March. This is his hobby he has decided on, I'm waiting until he complains about me wanting to but some big scrapping product, at least I make money with my hobby not much but some.

Here is what I have been working on, it Teresa Collin's Tin book from Junkitz and Melissa Frances papers.









































































This is a layout I did of my Mother using Cosmo Cricket Wonderland.

Well I must say that todya has been a very good day for me, it will be even better if my husband (Jon) doesn't come home with a fishing boat. He's at a fishing show and wants a boat bad, I told him to wait until spring and buy a used one.

Had lunch with MIL today, of course she had them sing to me and bring balloons for my birthday tomorrow, no one has done that since I turned 21 (that was about 3years agao right?). We went shopping after that and I got some more stuff for organizing my scraproom, that's my dream to have a clean organized room someday. I told Jon that's what I wanted for Christmas and I didn't get it, but he said I wouldn't let him in it with the big black garbage bags :( Maybe I should call him and remind him NOT to come home with a boat :)


I need to be getting ready for the crop this weekend, don't have one thing packed yet, have no idea what I'm doing, actually I know what I want to do, I just have to find it all and throw it in a bag.

Well I have finally finished another class project, Yay me. This one drove me nuts, I don't know if I'm experincing some sort of block or maybe I just want to stop and clean my room, but have no time for that, don't know, maybe it's just that I was sick when I started it and nothing ever works right then. It is done with Creative Imagintions Puzzle pieces, Rusty Pickle paper, that I adore Lots of ribbon , primas and a little Maya Road, I'm really getting into cutting their swirls to fit my smaller projects, so fun. I can't wait until the store gets more MR sheers in to play with, those flew off the shelves realy fast, but here's my Puzzle Book.