TheScrapbookExchange

Lilly needs a friend!

2009-06-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

If you wouldn't mind... my Lilly bear needs a buddy and I'm not sure what to name him! I am going to stick with an "L" name- so please, if you have a bit of time would you vote in the poll to the right and let me know your choice? Thank you so much!

TheScrapbookExchange IDEA COLLECTION HOW TO CD Release!

2009-05-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

If you are stumped for new and fresh layout ideas, this is the CD for you! 100 of my favorite layouts, with detailed descriptions- product lists- tips and tricks- variations and page formulas! Ideas are categorized by difficulty- for the new scrapbook artist, to the veteran paper piecing artist!

Available now on eBay!

2009-05-18T12:19:00.000-07:00

Ok... I'm launching a new Bear Campaign and need help naming my little girl bear :) So if you wouldn't mind voting in my poll choosing what name you think would be the CUTEST for a dressed up little girl bear, it would be greatly appreciated! This little girl bear will be featured in all of my upcoming paper pieicing auctions and layouts!

Little Red Dress...

2009-05-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

I'm having so much fun creating these little dressed up girl bears!!! Being a mother of 2 boys... who says I can't have fun playing dress-up. I'm on a mission, tons more to make tonight- for Monday's listing!

New! Tear Bears wearing pieced fabric clothing!

2009-05-12T15:44:00.000-07:00

Well, after battling ribbon and paper scraps to dress the tear bears I make- I decided to try out real fabric. This took entirely WAY TO LONG to create, but I think now that I have the hang of working with tiny pieces of fabric- I should be able to create a variety of bears with dresses, shirts, jammies etc. out of fabric instead of paper. This bear measures roughly 4.5" tall, and is 3 dimensional! Currently listed on ebay!

Inspiration... Finally.

2009-03-27T16:43:00.001-07:00

Starting a new job has seriously hindered my ability to create lately. I find myself spending my scrapping time recreated layouts I've already made for custom orders and albums, so I never have enough time to create something NEW. So, here I am on Spring Break - spending time in AZ with my mom and sis, and decided to create something new, with NEW paperlines! Here they are!!!

Masterpiece Monday Layout!

2009-01-27T19:55:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Janny for the song choice on this layout - George Strait "I Cross My Heart". I have been experimenting with my tear bear eyes- trying to utilize my cricut expression. These are designed with tiny upside-down layered hearts... also, I ran out of chalk for the bears - so these are sporting Mary Kay cosmetics!!! A great way to use up that old eye shadow...

BTDL Masterpiece Mondays are BACK!

2009-01-19T22:25:00.001-08:00

Well, after the holiday rush has left us all REELING from activity and overworkedness... (is that a word?) the girls of BTDL have resumed our Masterpiece Monday listings! Be sure to search BTDL on eBay to see what we've been cooking up these past weeks! Happy New Year a little bit late!

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=btdl&category0=

Twilight Collection Layout #2

2008-12-15T16:29:00.000-08:00

Will be launching this evening - I will continue with this theme each Monday so if you have any suggestions let me know!

My Tribute to the Twilight Premiere...

2008-12-09T16:20:00.000-08:00

One of my Gazebo Theme layouts... with a twist! This layout is currently available on ebay, with the option of adding or removing the Edward and Bella Bears!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130274733659&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

Hippie Hippie Love Love

2008-10-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

Dan won best costume for the 2nd year in a row... I didn't even have to bribe him to wear this!!! Of course, I should get all of the credit - I came up with this costume about 3 hours before the Halloween Party!

Twilight Junkies :)

2008-10-14T21:31:00.000-07:00

OK. I admit. I am one of those crazy ladies in their 30's that LOVE the Twilight Series!!!! I just cannot get enough of these books- I have them downloaded via Audible and I have the actual books too and I'm going to start reading them for a 2nd time to keep myself occupied until the MOVIE comes out in November. Never thought I could read 4 books in 2 weeks but these just aren't ordinary books are they? Never thought I'd ever contemplate swapping my hubbie for a vampire named Edward either... who would of thunk it? ;) Hopefully Dan, my mortal husband, doesn't read this post or he'd think I've really flipped my lid this time.

Anyway, here is the latest movie trailer!
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/final_twilight_trailer_is_here_20081009

Have you read her "draft" copy of "Midnight Sun" which is basically Twilight rewritten from Edwards perspective? If not, here you go:

http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/midnightsun.html

Evidently, while in the writing process she gave some rough drafts out for input- and someone ended up leaking one on the internet. Now she has decided NOT to finish it which thoroughly TICKS ME OFF. But, the rough draft is well worth reading - and it makes you want to re-read the whole series over again. If you don't have time to read... like me, who should be working creating scrapbook layouts all day for all of my wonderful customers, you can download the unabridged versions from Audible.com. I look forward to any comments you all have on this subject. Do not be afraid - join the realm of thousands of 30, 40 & 50 somethings who LOVE THIS SERIES!!

BTDLBoutique's TOP OF THE LINE Contest!

2008-10-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

If you'd like to enter for a chance to win great prizes, click below for more information!

A Word About eBay's DSR/ SELLER RATINGS for all buyers to read!

2008-09-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

HELP KEEP YOUR FAVORITE SELLERS ON EBAY!! PLEASE READ!

I have been selling on ebay for years now... what started out as an enjoyable venue to participate in has turned in to a convoluted mess of change- changes made by eBay executives out to line their pockets in an economic down turn. For you buyers out there, this doesn't affect you. Well, I guess it does- because as eBay begins to hike our fees and suspend us for low DSR's - it does affect the buyers because the cost of the products they shop for will go up, and sooner or later there will be fewer and fewer sellers to do business with.

The most recent eBay debacle is the suspension rule for low DSR's or "Detailed Seller Ratings". You- the buyers are given the option of leaving 1-5 stars as a way to rate the transaction between yourself and the seller. According to eBay, leaving a 4 for an for the description is "accurate", leaving a 4 for communication is "satisfied", leaving a 4 for shipping quickly is "quickly" and leaving a 4 for shipping/handling charges is "reasonable". Sound good to you? Well, not according to eBay. Starting November 1st 2008, all sellers with a lower than 4.3 DSR on ANY of the above categories will be suspended from eBay. So those sellers who have "Satisfied" customers, ship "quickly", describe their product "accurately" and have "reasonable" shipping & handling charges will no longer be able to sell to you, me or anyone else. So basically, giving any seller less than a 5 star rating can put that seller out of business.

If nothing else, this has all of us (sellers) in a panic. Ebay does NOT educate the buyer on the feedback system, or their rules for DSR's - I buy on eBay all the time, and I've left 4's and 5's when I've been perfectly happy with a transaction, not realizing that I'm helping put this seller out of business. It's sad- it makes no sense- if receiving 4's means you are a bad seller, then the buyers need to be made aware of this when they leave the feedback instead of being mislead by the ratings labeled as "accurate, satisfied, and reasonable" which ultimately translates to SUSPENSION.

Check out this link...
http://leavingfeedback.com/page2.html

"Unfortunately, the reality is that any rating lower than 5 's can have a significant negative impact on sellers and the eBay community as a whole because eBay has structured the system to reward sellers with over a 4.5 average, and to penalize sellers with under a 4.5 average."

I urge each of you, if you buy on eBay - please please please try to communicate with the seller if there are problems with a transaction before leaving your feedback and ratings. Keep in mind, that often times problems can be resolved and if the seller is unaware of an issue, and hasn't had the chance to refund or correct an error- your DSR rating can put them out of business.

The Scrapbook Exchange WEBSITE IS LAUNCHED!

2008-08-23T21:26:00.000-07:00

Finally! WHOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO!!!

I'm so excited! It is so much fun to add new things :) Anyway, if you have a minute - check out our new website!

THESCRAPBOOKEXCHANGE

Will You Vote for Me :)

2008-08-22T16:53:00.000-07:00

Our local Scrapbook Store- the Craft Warehouse is having a "SCRAPBOOK QUEEN CONTEST" and I have submitted one of my favorite layouts of my little boy. Here is my submission:

If you like my layout :) Would you vote for me? You can go to the contest and vote here:

http://72.3.135.178/index.php?option=com_ponygallery&Itemid=102&func=viewcategory&catid=22

My layout is located under the "MEDFORD" location. You do have to register to vote, but you don't have to give them a lot of info to register - so if you go through the selections... and like mine, I'd be so happy if you would support me in becoming Medford's SCRAPBOOK QUEEN!!!

How to Make a Redneck Blizzard

2008-07-15T20:43:00.000-07:00

While my husband and boys were watching the All Star Game tonight - Dan decided that he was going to make Blizzards for the boys. I couldn't figure out why they were all running around trying to find a hammer. Well- here you go. Dan, Kasey in the Daniel Boone Hat, and Brady- creating their very own Redneck Blizzards. Please note that I was NOT allowed to give suggestions so what you see is what you get! Who needs Dairy Queen when you have an Oregonian, a hammer, ice cream, M&M's and a Daniel Boone Hat.

Heart Attack on a Platter... or Rolled Hot Dogs

2008-07-15T20:40:00.000-07:00

A recipe for you all to try :)

Rolled Hot Dogs
aka...
Heart Attack on a Platter

All Beef Hot Dogs
Dill Pickles Sliced lengthwise same length as hot dog
Velvetta Cheese - sliced into long strips same length as hot dog
Bacon Srips
Dijon Mustard
Tooth Picks

Ok, slice the hotdog lengthwise but not all the way through. Layer some Dijon Mustard in the slice, then layer the cheese and then the pickle. Take one piece of Bacon and secure one end with a toothpick to the hotdog, and wrap the entire dog with the bacon, securing the other end with another tooth pick. They look like this when they are assembled.

Place on a broilder pan, and broil until bacon is crisp. You will need to turn the dogs so all sides of the bacon are cooked completely. Please note that you will loose some cheese :)

Here is what they look like cooked:

I DARE YOU TO TRY THIS. You think you won't like it... but you will. I have made these for many many skeptics and all end up asking me for the recipe. It's my Dad's FAVORITE dinner - his mom used to make it for him when he was little.

MelonHead

2008-07-14T23:56:00.000-07:00

Brady ate half of those mini seedless watermelons all by himself tonight :) We'll see who wakes up with a tummy ache tonight.

Bass Boyz

2008-07-14T23:45:00.000-07:00

Time for FISHING! Oh to be young again with no responsabilities. Or to be a husband I guess, with no responsabilities :) hee hee.

This what they called a "quad catch"...

I have my very own large mouth bass :)

Once again, Kasey is too cool to smile...

The last catch of the day- Brady's LUNKER. I think he was asleep when he caught this one.

Never Ending Vacation!

2008-07-14T22:15:00.000-07:00

Wow. What a whirl wind month this has been for my little family. Plus extended family :) I have lots of pictures to share so I'll go by "event".

First... the dreaded Camp Trip to the Coast. Beautiful, Sunny, BUT NOT WARM Florence Oregon. My poor parents came early this year from Arizona so they could see my boys play in their last baseball games, they didn't know they were going to get to go camping with the Oregon branch of the Clampetts.

You know you're a redneck when.... Your tent is larger than the dining room in your house. Here it is folks! I call this the Taj Mahal of tents. I believe it is 12x16 or something like that- complete with cots for each guest, a wood stove so mommy doesn't freeze her arse off at night and make daddy wish he never suggested a camping trip in the first place...

Grandma Judy supervised the set up job from her camp chair.

Complete with hanging lights and mini ceiling fan to force the warm air down :)

And now you have the trip to the beach... normal people go to sandy beaches where it is warm and sunny and you can wear your bathing suit, maybe get a tan and the only downer is getting some sand where the sun don't shine. Well in Oregon- we go to beaches so we can freeze, get wind burn, end up with ear aches and STILL end up with sand where the sun don't shine just to top off all the other positives.

I'm the gal with the hat. Grandma Judy is in the middle (my boys called her Grandma Doody for a while) and then my SIL is next to her. Can you tell how much FUN Grandma Doody is having??? I did tell her to bring a warm coat but she didn't listen. :)

Papa Bill - keeping warm by the fire.

This is me trying to act chipper and happy so Grandma Doody doesn't shoot me for making her go camping.

Brady... had sand everywhere. I expected no less of him!

Dan had to carry all our stuff from the truck, up the sand dunes and down to the beach. He looks like a refugee... I shouldn't even post this picture it's embarrassing! Way to match honey!

The "hoods".

This would be a pocket full of shells :)

This would be all those shells emptied onto the ground...

Regardless of how cold all the adults were, the boys still had the best time EVER and for that I don't mind freezing my toosh off.

----
So... one day we freeze the next day we go to the lake right by the camp ground and it's warm enough to swim. Or at least our boys thought so...

Wow, what muscles. Kasey trying really hard to look "buff".

Kasey & his cousin Matt - double the buffness :)

To heck with buffness, gimme some sand to roll around in. Marcus... Matt's lil' bro.

A laundry nightmare... talk about sand where the sun don't shine!

UP NEXT - CROOKED RIVER RANCH
Okay, with the name Crooked River Ranch... you are probably thinking, where are the Oregon Clampetts off to this time? Well- I have to say this is one of my most favorite places to be in Oregon. I LOVE IT. It is located up by Redmond in Eastern OR which is more like a high desert area. You'd never know this place was there unless you end up on the wrong road going into a canyon. Take a peek :)

When you turn in to go down into the Ranch - there is this look-out spot which gives you an entire view looking into the resort.

Wow... looky there- a golf course in the middle of a canyon. :) This is looking down from the look-out spot.

Those little cabins are where we stay. There is an area to tent camp, RV camp, or there is the Sunview where we stay which is right on the grounds. It's all within walking distance! A restaurant, saloon, day spa, church- and a salt water pool where we stay ALL DAY LONG while the guys golf.

A zoom in to the pool from the look-out spot. That is where me and the boys spend our days.

Taken from our little cabin...

Brady... Goggleman. Notice the protective film STILL on the goggles...

"Look Mom... SHARK".

Kasey - at almost 10, starting to think that hanging out at the pool all day just isn't that cool.

Until Daddy gets done golfing of course... then the pool is cool again.

Whata stud muffin.

Well there you have it... tons of family fun! Our Vacation isn't over... more later!

Ok :) Here it is!!

2008-06-18T19:45:00.000-07:00

The Poll Winner "Grow Old Along with Me" - listed tonight!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130232074033&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

I am still working on the Concert in the Park layout and will have that ready for Monday :)

Just Being Silly

2008-06-17T07:52:00.000-07:00

My parents are here for the summer... that means my boys get pretty much anything they want or ask for! We went shopping at Harry & David for a father's day present for my dad and they were selling these GINORMOUS jaw breakers. Brady picked out a blue one- and picked out a red one for his brother. They have been working on these for 3 days now and I'm beginning to think they are just like the Ever Lasting Gobstoppers on Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Here are the results after a couple minutes of enjoying their treat...

Toe Pain...

2008-06-10T02:02:00.000-07:00

Yes. You read it correctly... toe pain. It is the worst pain on earth aside from labor. Ok wait, I cannot really say that truthfully because I delivered both of my boys by C-Section... so I'd have to say that toe pain is the worst pain on earth aside from.... cramps. :) But then again, that kind of pain went away when I had my hysterectomy - so now you can understand why toe pain is SO bad for me, I must have forgot what real pain feels like.

Anyway, I digress. I wore flip flops to Brady's baseball game tonight... which lead to my big toe's ultimate demise. My nephew, Matthew is 10 years old and weighs as much as I do (and also has FEET bigger than mine I might add), and has a problem with "personal space". He is the kind of kid that will sit down on the bleachers next to people he's never met, and sit as close as humanly possible to them. Practically on top of them. He is completely oblivious to a stranger's need for "personal space". Of course... I have taken care of this boy since he was 10 months old, so I love him as much as I love my own boys; he might as well be my very own son so he is quite comfortable with me and often does plop down right on top of my lap as he would his own mother. I digress-ed again, sorry - it's late and I'm in pain. As I was chatting with his mom, my sister-in-law, he waltzed right up to me to squeeze past us onto the bleachers so he could sit on my blanket. As he did this, his man size foot kicked my bare toe and broke the nail backward halfway down the nail bed. I felt like someone cut off my big toe. I looked down to see my nail broken, and blood starting to seep out of the top of the nail. Now I am definitely a squeamish person. I faint at the sight of my own blood. Poor Matthew looked horrified at the sight of my poor bloody toe - and ran off to get a band aid for me at the concession stand. Then... as always when I see blood- I start feeling light headed and queasy... and sit down on the bench. Thank Heaven there was a place for me to sit down or I would have passed out next to the dug out at my son's baseball game. How embarrassing would that be? Matthew soon returned with a bandaid and napkins feeling SO BAD I had to pretend that it didn't hurt at all, that I wasn't going to get sick all over the place and that it was no big deal that I would now have to miss my birthday present pedicure appointment that my best friend got me to use prior to our golf vacation. :) I wonder if there is a way to paint a band aid to look like a pretty pink toe nail?

So... I'm afraid to take off the band aid now to see the damage. It hurts and I know I cannot wear a shoe and it's amazing how many times you can stub your toe when it is already in horrible pain. I need a toe guard!

Oh and Matthew... if you read this, you know I love you :) xoxoxo auntie.

And the Votes are In............. :)

2008-06-06T22:29:00.000-07:00

For my next gazebo series layout- it looks like "Concert in the Park" was the popular choice... and for my next Song Series layout for Masterpiece Monday "Grow Old Along with Me" won by a large margin. I have so many ideas in my little brain for this layout so I'm excited to move forward. I am not as enthused about a Concert in the Park theme because I'm not sure if I want to use many little bears enjoying the concert... or maybe instead of a huge bear audience, just a couple enjoying the concert on a blanket with a basket and a bucket with champagne or wine? Oh man... I gotta think about this one! Holy Crap what kind of instruments do I use? Would one bear playing a violin work :) Oh man you guys are really challenging me with this theme!! I won't sleep tonight now! Maybe I will do a trio of bears singing... like the 3 tenor bears. My brain already hurts.

Remember, I'm taking requests!

2008-06-03T15:52:00.000-07:00

If you have a suggestion for a gazebo themed layout- or even a favorite song you'd like to see featured in one of my layouts- drop me a line here below. If I choose your theme, you are entitled to 25% one purchase from thescrapbookexchange!

Ok, here is a sneak peak...

2008-06-02T16:26:00.000-07:00

a clue for Monday... and some POLLS!

2008-06-01T17:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'll give you a "clue" for tomorrows gazebo listing - the clue is BRIDGE. Hee Hee.

I have had MANY MANY suggestions as to what my next gazebo layout should be, and I have to say I love them all. Have you ever had so many ideas swarming in your head on what to create next that you can't sit down to create any of them for fear of them not turning out how you planned? Why am I my own worst critic??? Who is scared of creating for fear that the idea won't translate correctly and you will end up with a 5 lb mess in front of you and hours of your time wasted as well as costly product? Well... that is me right now.

I'm creating two polls, vote on the next gazebo theme to be listed next Monday! And vote on the next song I should use in my next Song Series Layout! Hurry quick, it takes me at least 2-3 days to create these pages!

Next Gazebo Layout, scheduled for MONDAY :) woo hoo!

2008-05-30T20:28:00.001-07:00

Ok. Now that life is getting back to normal here - I am bound and determined to get my next unfinished gazebo layout completed to list on Monday. I kinda mixed up my "series" and am doing a gazebo + song series layout... do you want to know which song? :) Can't tell ya. It's a surprise...

Back to work I go - HI Ho HI Ho.

Out of bad comes a little good?

2008-05-16T23:53:00.000-07:00

Well, these past couple weeks have been a struggle. Trying desperately to compile everything I can for memorial scrapbooks for the two families of Gale and John. This has been SO MUCH harder than I would have thought! I've created well over 150 albums for people all over the world, some with pictures- some with only themes for me to work by. This time, it's so much different. I've never lost a family member... or someone close to me yet. Working with pictures, and stories relating to these two lives cut SO SHORT has been heart breaking. The thing that is helping me the most is knowing that the children will have these to look through as they grow up. One is only 5 years old. Do you have memories of your life at 5? I sure don't. Will she remember her father, and all the wonderful things he did for her, for his family, for his community? Well, hopefully with this album- it will help her to remember, and to know what a great man and great friend he was to our family and to the Fire Department and that is a "good thing". So I'm blessed in a way to get to create these. It's stressful, I want them to be perfect... so wish me luck.

The WORST week of our lives...

2008-05-01T16:20:00.001-07:00

Well, I have to say that the past week of my life has been more stressful than anything I've ever been through before. On Thursday of last week, two of our Medford Firefighters went missing. My husband was on duty that night, I received an email Friday morning that the all night search effort that involved our off duty firefighters and those who volunteered to help from all over Southern Oregon, as well as Search and Rescue had not solved the mystery of the 2 missing men.

Gale and John were best friends, and often went to a place outside of Medford called John's Peak with the rest of the guys to ride ATV's, motorcycles- and this time, John's new Polaris Razor Side by Side. They left Thursday afternoon, were supposed to be home by 5 - and never returned. With the help of 5 helicopters scanning the area Friday morning, the vehicle was found and the search for the 2 men became a recovery mission. They were found, still strapped in to the vehicle, down a 2000 ft. embankment. Evidently after making the climb up the embankment in the ATV and trying to pass the ridge at the top, the vehicle got hung up and flipped over- which resulted in the two men rolling end to end all the way back down to their death.

They were recovered by men and friends from their department, one of them my neighbor and close friend to my husband Battalion Chief Rohrbough. The recovery took the rest of the day while hundreds of off duty firefighters from around Southern Oregon stood by at the command post on John's Peak.

Gale was an engineer and was hired at the same time as my husband. He has a wife, also named Melissa and two little girls- aged 5 and 7. Melissa and I had our 7 year olds one month apart and often saw each other at our well baby checks. John Wells worked with my husband for 2 years at station 6 before Dan was promoted to engineer - and he was one of the most friendly helpful men I've ever known. My two boys loved him, every time we visited daddy at the station- John was there to show them the engines. It didn't matter if we were there the day before, he went through the motions with my boys, lights on, sirens on- lets flip all the switches. You know, spending time showing little boys what it means to be a real life hero.

I have never in my life seen men grieve this way. It has truly broken my heart to see them this way. It sounds cliche- the "brotherhood" of firefighters- however they eat, sleep and breathe together day in and day out. We are family. We watch each other's kids, we go on vacations together, we support each other through difficult times, we help build each others homes, we grow old together...

In a few short days, we had to prepare for the largest Firefighter Memorial Service the state of Oregon has ever seen. Never has the city of Medford Fire. Dept lost 2 men in one day and we are one of the larger departments in Oregon. The family and firefighters pulled together, we worked day and night to accommodate the families and their requests.

The Memorial Service took place Wednesday- proceeded by a procession through town to the reception, which consisted of 80 engines from all over the state of Oregon. This was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. My husband is responsible for the Arial Ladder Truck at Medford's Station 4. He was responsible for hanging the American Flag from his engine, and another from Central Point for the procession to pass through on it's way to the reception. Again, one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. The progression began as the families got into their escorted vehicles, while the bagpipers played Amazing Grace.

Below are photographs of our day... the service was spectacular, and honored greatly the 2 men that served their community, saved lives, and risked their own on a daily basis. I am so proud to be a part of this department as a wife. I'm so proud of my husband and the other men who pulled this whole thing together. You are all heroes. You are all role models for our children to look up too and deserve our respect, our gratitude and our honor.

Here are the pictures:

walking to the service for family and dept. members

view from the back of the church

Picture Gale

Folding of the flags

Hanging of the flag

beneath the flag

Dan's engine is on the left

As the procession began, we had 8 SAS helicopters fly over in man rescue formation, with one flying with a flag

People waiting to get in, to no avail

Introducing... BTDL's Masterpiece Monday!

2008-04-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

The artists of BTDL (Better Than Doing Laundry) are constantly supporting and challenging each other to creating art that will be treasured and cherished for ages to come. While each and every piece we make is a work of "heart", we thought it would be fun to challenge each other to create a piece that pulls out all the stops! Goes beyond the distance, raises the bar so high a giant could limbo under it, detailed to the last drop-dead-gorgeous... and as a result, "Masterpiece Mondays" were born. This is the night where BTDL artists list a piece they have dreamed of for months,sweated over all week, and held nothing back in the attempt to knock you off your seat!

Here is my First Masterpiece for our Monday Promotions- 5th in my Gazebo Collection!

GRAND OPENING OF BTDL BOUTIQUE!

2008-04-14T23:52:00.000-07:00

GRAND OPENING OF BTDL DESIGNS WEBSITE!
April 15th - 30th

http://www.shoppalstores.com/BTDLDesigns/

Please register for an account and sign up for our newsletter! Anyone who signs up during our GRAND OPENING (April 15th-30th 2008) or who makes a purchase during this time will be entered into a drawing for a fabulous prize.
2 prizes will be given. Combined value greater than 150.00. Winners will be posted on the home page!

BTDL Featured Artist of the Week... JAX0127

2008-04-11T03:39:00.000-07:00

This week I am featuring a SUPER cute layout created by BTDL's very own JAX0127. I chose this layout because it is truly original, in my favorite pastel brights. Check out these amazing details!

Hand pieced bugs wearing stylish sneakers, wading around in creamy, yummy PINK frosting on top of a birthday cake. This layout is perfect for those girly girl birthday photos. I love Jackie's originality and attention to detail!

Jackie's Ebay Auctions:

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZjax0127

#4 in my Gazebo Collection Series

2008-04-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, I decided to switch my Gazebo Collection launch dates to Mondays... Sundays are typically family days for me so this will make it easier for me to get these out on time! Here it is - a new twist on a gazebo... Park Play Style!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130212947415&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

Introducing my first BTDL FEATURED ARTIST OF THE WEEK

2008-04-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

I am blessed to be a part of BTDL - Better Than Doing Laundry Design Team... This week, I am featuring a stunning layout created by coleman1963. Shannon is one of eBay's premiere Tear Bear Artists and I fell in love with this layout from the moment I saw it!

Sweet Little Mermaid

This layout features a multitude of tiny details! The Mermaid's tail is constructed from a shimmery green fabric, flower petals and mixed glass beads, I can only imagine how this must look in real life as I am sure the pictures do not do it justice! The seahorse was handmade from cardstock using rhinestones and glitter - and as you can see across the bottom, tons of tiny shells and beads. Please check out Shannon's auctions below - you won't be disappointed!

Ebay Auctions:
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZcoleman1963

Ok! Here it is- listing for tonight!

2008-03-30T13:05:00.000-07:00

SNEAK PEAK FOR SUNDAY...

2008-03-29T03:00:00.000-07:00

My latest Gazebo Collection Layout featuring my very first Unicorn!

Created with my MOST FAVORITE K&CO line EVER, the Wild Saffron Collection- be sure to check out my auctions Sunday night to view the finished piece! I'm so happy with how it turned out!!!

Back to the reality... of Snow for Spring Break

2008-03-28T15:33:00.001-07:00

Well... we have been gone for a couple of weeks celebrating Spring Break with my family. We just got back to beautiful Southern Oregon thinking that finally we would have some nice weather... and low and behold it is snowing today. Once again, what ever happened to Global Warming because it sure hasn't affected my neck of the woods.

My next gazebo layout will be listed on Sunday - I tried to finish before I left however time just ran out on me. I even tried shipping a box containing the layout and other things to work on - I scheduled a pickup and waited and waited for it to deliver at my mom's house only to find out that it was still sitting on my front porch in the rain :) Evidently my postal carrier didn't want to make the trek up to my front doorstep to pick up my packages!

I am so ready for school to start again! With the bad weather the boys are stuck inside, running amok and causing chaos!

My Gazebo Collection...

2008-03-11T21:11:00.000-07:00

Ok- this is FUN. Time consuming... but fun. Before I became ( I know bad grammar) a full time stay at home scrapper... I worked for Gazebo MFG company here in Oregon that specialized in Redwood Gazebos. I had a lot of fun helping to pick out the collection names, and even got to help in the design of our brochures. For trade shows... my job was to make the displays look beautiful. Needless to say, I know a lot about gazebos after 10 years of selling them, servicing them, etc. So- I decided to translate this knowledge into a paper pieced version of one of our most popular gazebos called the La Linda... above is the result, I love how it turned out! After listing this one on ebay, I had many requests for a wedding layout with the same gazebo concept so you will see my attempt at this above too! Keep your eye out for more of these little paper pieced structures... I have so many ideas for these!

Ok. Scratch the Feb. 20th date... Obviously!

2008-02-26T22:03:00.001-08:00

Ok, well the ebay boycott is over. Did it accomplish anything? Not sure. Doesn't look like it- it might when the feedback changes go into effect though in a couple months!

Anyway- by then I will have my website set up, that is if we can make it past all these hurdles! What a pain in the @$$ it has been! So... new launch date of March 1st! STAY TUNED...

Etsy... or is it Artsy?

2008-02-08T19:38:00.000-08:00

Well, if you haven't heard yet - for all those crafty kinda gals, we are setting up new shops on ETSY! Etsy is the place to find all sorts of Artsty Fartsy kind of work- and the BTDL gals are making the move along with the majority of the craft sellers on Ebay! You can now find me at:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5384940

And soon... very very soon (February 20th to be exact) I will have my new website finally ready! YAY ME!

A Sad Day for Ebay Sellers... or should I say, days to come

2008-02-05T15:33:00.000-08:00

Well... finally it happened. Ebay's greed has taken over and they have unleashed a multitude of changes and fee increases that will eventually usher in their down fall in my opinion. If there wasn't competition for Ebay- there will be now. Petitions to Google are in the hundreds of thousands with signatures daily...

Last week Ebay released their new fee structure going into effect on Feb. 20th and their new feedback policy that will go into effect in May. With the outrage going on worldwide, which has now reached world wide news - CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and a host of others- sellers are praying that Ebay will come to it's senses.

In 5 years of selling on ebay, I never thought that anything like this would happen. Sure there is grumbling when Ebay raises it's fees periodically but this time around they are trying so hard to masque the increases with accentuating what they deem as "positive" changes.

They are taking away the gallery fee... they are reducing the initial listing fees somewhat but the kicker is this... a 67% hike in the final value fees. So, anyway you look at it- and crunch the numbers- your fees will go up even with the removal of the piddly gallery fee and some change on the initial listing fee especially if your product sells for a higher amount. They tout "you asked and we answered" - what? I cannot afford to sell on ebay now!

I think what is even worse- is the feedback changes. Sellers will no longer be able to leave a buyer a negative or neutral feedback. They are giving paypal the power to withould payment to a seller until the seller leaves positive feedback for the buyer, and can hold payment up to 21 days. So, for buyers who bid and don't pay- a seller has no options. We can not reflect this any longer with feedback. Now, a buyer doesn't have to pay in a timely fashion, they don't have to comply with terms of auction- they can pretty much do as they please because the seller has no way to protect themselves or let other buyers know when a transaction has gone bad. This makes no sense. It is just plain crazy to me! Oh- get this, they have raised the number of blocked bidders a seller can have from 1,000 to 5,000. However, if a seller can not leave appropriate feedback, then how do other sellers know who to block?

Ebay fails to realize... that it is the sellers on ebay that line their pockets with gold. We pay 20% and more in fees just to sell on ebay and use paypal. We can no longer protect ourselves from feedback left that is unwarranted if we don't comply to a buyers demands- so why sell on ebay? Why not find a place to sell where the seller is offered more protection against non payers and people who bid just to bid with no intention to pay but can leave nasty feedback regardless? It's not a game for us, this is our livlihood- and this is how I stay home with my kids and still manage to earn a living.

Sellers have staged a week long boycott that will go into effect from Feb. 18-Feb 25th. This is to send ebay a message. Change the changes, or I'm going elsewhere along with a lot of others.

I am checking in to "Etsy" which is an online site much like ebay but craft oriented. A number of us are setting up shop there- so, I will post where you can find me just as soon as I'm set up. I'm also in the process of developing my website which will launch within the next month. If these changes do go into effect, and ebay doesn't listen to the sellers that support their company- then I am gone. It's just not worth it to me anymore!

If you have questions on the changes ebay is implementing- please email me. I'd be happy to send you all the of the documentation. If you are a seller- do your research. Ebay has sugar coated these changes to make it look like they are helping you out... it is so so so not the case...

It goes by so quickly...

2008-01-24T22:39:00.000-08:00

Have you ever noticed that life seems to pass by so quickly that you barely noticed the changing seasons... dates... events. It was just Christmas- and in the blink of an eye I'm signing my boys up for Spring Baseball, tryouts are in February- we just got done with Football! I was combing my 9 year olds' hair the other morning before school and realized that he is getting so tall I no longer am able to do this so easily with him staring me straight in the face almost!! I am not a tall person :) But still, when your 9 year old is almost staring you eye to eye- you have to ask yourself, where did the time go? Ok Ok Ok, I know why am I combing his hair? BECAUSE it is a pitiful long mess and I can't stand it when it looks as if he rolled out of bed to go to school with a rats nest on his noggin. It's like a flashback of Bad News Bears Hair. UGH.

I realized also while laying in bed the other night... sleep eluding me as usual... that in 3 short years, I will be attending my 20 year high school reunion. UGH. Then I realized, I'd better go on a diet now because it will take me that long to look decent before I head home for the big event.

I am so glad I scrapbook. I'm so glad that in my busy busy crazy frantic life - that I take the time to make sure my memories last, will I remember their first loose tooth? What about the big ole' space in their smile when they have NO front teeth at all. What about the first fish caught with no help from dad? Or the world's largest bull frog on the back porch that daddy was WAY to afraid to pick up? All of these events mean nothing if they aren't remembered - preserved, so that one day when I realize my boys are all grown up I will have proof of their innocence. Proof that life was once fun for them, easy, carefree- and mommy and daddy knew everything there is to know about everything in life. It all goes by so fast!

Oh the sadness......

2008-01-18T23:50:00.000-08:00

I have an extreme case of cabin fever. My little one has been home ALL WEEK with the flu, and now Strep Throat. He will be missing his FIRST basketball game tomorrow and I've been experiencing the wrath of Brady ever since I broke the news to him. There has to be a special award given somewhere for moms of sick children... oh how I need a Calgon Moment!

What Ever Happened to Global Warming?

2008-01-11T08:43:00.000-08:00

Well- it's nice tropical breezy weather here in Southern Oregon... NOT!! What a wet snowy mess we have had here on the West Coast! I love the holidays but not the weather that comes with it- they closed schools here with an inch of snow on the ground!

Living in the Rogue Valley is nice- unless you have to get in or out of the valley during the winter... after travel delays, rediculous weather and way to much snow, (and too many page views of "tripcheck.com") I'm ready for SPRING! Anyway- after my LOOOOONG absence I'm ready to get going, creativity is finally flowing again!

Hunting for the Perfect Tree...

2007-12-11T19:41:00.000-08:00

Nothing like driving 2 hours to find some snow for the kids to play in! Not to mention, hunt for the perfect tree... the perfect kind that daddy has to drag a mile uphill back to the truck!

Calgon Moment Please...

2007-12-02T20:52:00.000-08:00

Remember that term? Those commercials from the 80's with a lady lounging in a bubble bath soaking away the stresses of the day, well- I am in desperate need of a Calgon Moment. I have been wrapped up in our Church's Christmas production since Thanksgiving- a big thank you to my mom & sister for helping me in my absence! I now have about 4,000 emails to read- problems to solve - and fires to put out, so back to reality for me.

http://www.medfordfirstnaz.org/narnia2007/index.htm

This year, we are putting on a Narnia production and I've had the pleasure of painting some of the props. As you walk into the foyer- the whole room has been re-set to look like a train station entrance and ticket counter. You then move through the different areas of the church that are all set as different scenes throughout the Narnia movie- the White Witches throne... the Lamp Post... the Wardrobe... and then the production commences in the gym with food & beverages. What a production - I think it will be a huge hit this week. We are completely sold out for the 3 day event!

I will post pictures on Wednesday when everything is set up- right now it's all in parts and pieces hidden from everyone not involved so it will be a HUGE surprise for the congregation and attendees. Anyway- I must go- I might be MIA for another week just trying to get through my email

Can you gain 10 pounds in a day?

2007-11-23T18:34:00.000-08:00

Well... I think I might have. Yesterday was a whirl wind time of nothing but cooking and doing dishes. Get up- feed kids, clean up dishes. Make stuffing, prepare 25 lb bird for oven, and lunch time appetizers and finger foods to be ready by noon. Family arrives at noon- hungry. Bird goes in oven- and first grub session begins leaving trays of half eaten goodies and a mess of dishes. 1/2 hour is spent trying to cram all the left over goodies into an already stuffed refrigerator. Another round of dish cleaning begins and commences. Take time to eat a couple of the left over appetizers (all the ones that didn't find placement in the fridge) and read the paper to find out where all the sales are the next day that I won't be able to go to because husband has to work and this mom refuses to drag two little boys out in to a shopping frenzy. Can one shop the sales via phone? Doubt it- that is why I shop online. Anyway- brief break is over- back to the kitchen, honey is the coffee hot? No. Make more coffee - now it's on to all the sides that need to be prepared to go along with the turkey that is cooking too quickly. Hmmmm... Create another large disaster in the kitchen trying to get sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing and salad all done at the same time the turkey is supposed to come out of the oven. Does anyone ever really achieve this? Martha maybe? Anyway- bird comes out of the oven with the thermometer reading perfectly cooked. We begin carving - and realize that the under portion is a little too "pink" to be considered fully cooked. :( But the chicken bubbles (bubbles is what my 7 year old calls breasts) are fully cooked and beautiful so we hack into that and decide to put the rest of the bird back in the oven just to make sure no one dies of food poisoning. Grub session number two begins and ends in about 1/2 hour. Next round of cleaning begins and commences... with another 1/2 hour spent trying to re-arrange the refrigerator to accommodate mass amounts of left overs. In the time it takes to clean up- men sitting on couch have time to process everything they ate at dinner- and decide that as soon as mom sits down- they want dessert. So- back to the kitchen I go to set out a selection of pies, apple, pecan and pumpkin courtesy of mother-in- law. Dessert is served - or should I say grub session number three, another pot of coffee gone... and more dishes left for me to clean up. We decide to watch a movie, put the kids to bed- guests gone by midnight.

I'm going to go back now and lay on the couch :)

Turkey Time - rapidly approaching!

2007-11-21T08:47:00.000-08:00

Turkey Day is tomorrow! I spent 2 hours at the grocery store yesterday battling ladies pushing carts while chatting on cell phones! I swear that is worse than talking on the phone while you drive :( The whole grocery isle traffic is held up because some gal is chatting on the cell phone while staring at the shelves of canned goods - no one can pass by. One guy managed to maneuver around and grunted at her, it was hilarious- and she was quite oblivious to it all. My cell phone was buried in my purse, which was buried under $150 worth of groceries so I couldn't have chatted if I wanted to!

Today is scrap and clean day. Clean a little- scrap a little... probably more scrapping than cleaning, but oh well! Tomorrow I will be cooking all day long- which I LOVE!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

BTDL's Pick a Paper Line Challenge

2007-11-17T15:35:00.000-08:00

The BTDL girls have a new challenge auction launching on ebay on Monday! As a group, we have selected the "Wild Saffron" Collection from K&Company to kick off our first Pick A Paper Line Challenge where each of us will use the same supplies to create something in our own unique style! I LOVE THIS PAPER LINE! Here is a sneak peak at my layout, I will be listing two!

Tis' the Season...

2007-11-16T08:09:00.000-08:00

Turkey Day is rapidly approaching. While channel surfing the other day- I landed on the Martha Stewart show- she was helping her guest get a turkey ready for roasting. Talk about WOW. She used so much butter- I almost had a heart attack from watching. My husband's mouth was hanging open and I think I saw him drool. He thinks that this year should try the MS version with 14 pounds of butter and cheese cloth. :) So, I will be spending some time online today researching the MS method, with butter, twine and cheese cloth and hope that somewhere on her website they the demonstration to tie up the bird like she did! This could be an event worthy for America's Funniest Home Videos!

Anywhoooo - my last weekend went GREAT. The Mitey Might Raiders made it to Autzen stadium, had dinner with the entire Pop Warner crew- had their pictures taken with Dennis Dixson and proceeded to CRUSH the Lions the next morning! It was AWESOME - they performed great as a team, were completing their passes, and scored a touch down on the very first play of the game. Kasey had a great game, with 6 tackles - which exceeded his personal goal for that game. Afterwards they all received little trophys :) Final Score = 30-12

Now... it's all over. I can't tell if I'm happy to be done with it- or bummed that all the excitement is done and over with. Next year, I will have two in football- and will have to figure out how to clone myself so I can have them at two different locations for practice at the same time! Starting Aug. 1st it will be 5 days a week, every evening until school starts. Lord help me, I'm going to need it!

Kasey, right before he tackled the QB :)

Little Man - big stadium

The 3 of us with our little champion.

My latest endeaver...

2007-11-07T23:05:00.001-08:00

Custom Keepsake ~ Shadowbox pages - for baby names :) My sister in law saw a couple of prints with the baby name origin/meanings at one of our local bazaars - and told me I ought to create pages with this theme... so voila - here is my first attempt. I picked the name Ella as an example because I love what it means. I picked K&Company Sparkly Sweet Collection because the paper is beautiful and SPARKLY which is right up my alley. I have quite a few K&Co sparkly layouts under my belt :)

So... often people ask me what I "do". I reply, I am a full time SCRAPPER. They just don't get it. I stay home - with my kids. And while they are at school- I create pages for other people that I've never even met before. People from all over the world :) The UK, Australia, Canada, France- it's been FUN. Have I ever submitted my work for publication? No. I'm not that confident- and I fear rejection :) Also- my work doesn't exactly fit into the common scrapbook magazine norm of what is "popular". I don't like to create pages about what I "like" - I don't like taking pictures of my favorite book and then journaling for an entire page about why I liked it. I like taking pictures of the everyday things in life, and then doing what comes naturally. I think the judges eye's would pop out of their head with the amount of stuff that I put on my pages, and the sheer weight of them would surely cause a seizure I'm sure! HA! I could be the highlight of Lisa Bearnson's "what not to do on a page" articles. No really... what I create for myself is nothing like what I create for my clients. I like to focus on the pictures- and less on the froof. I tire easily of the one pic wonders that grace the covers of all the popular mags right now. Who takes just one picture of their kid in their Halloween custome? Are you kidding me? The world has gone digital people, I can take up to 250 high resolution pictures before I run out of space, and that is typically what I take of an event just so I can assure myself that I have at least THREE good pics out of the whole lot!! Hee Hee. Guess I need photography classes. But who has the time? Oh, and on the note of the one pic wonders... if I did that for all of my favorite pictures I would have no space left for ANYTHING in my house because it would be full of albums. Just not reasonable folks. I save the one pic wonder pages when I have a single photo of my child that belongs with nothing else. Those moments when you just snap a picture- no "event" taking place, just pick up the camera and catch a moment. Those are few and far between for me... I like to click click click away!
Anyway- I digress. Back to common questions I get asked... when do you scrap pages for yourself? My answer to that is quite sad. I haven't scrapped for myself in months! However, I do like to tease all my close friends that I'm still further along in the "caught up" phase then they are :) What do my personal layouts look like? Well..... here ya go, take a peek. And don't laugh because I'm including one pic wonder pages!

Flu Season Strikes Again...

2007-11-04T15:04:00.000-08:00

So the season starts... boys go to school. School is full of sick kids with nasty coughs, green oozing crud- and GERMS. One kid gets sick, then the other kid gets sick, and they pass it back and forth until Spring. In between- mom is just basically SICK of sick kids, and never has time for herself to be sick. Dad gets sick too- and then mom has three sick kids to take care of. Mom doesn't thing Dad is really sick, he just decides he needs a "Tivo" day and PLAYS sick.

It's a vicious cycle.

However, all is not lost. I have tremendous news to share with the millions who might be reading this very blog right now. (okay maybe I have 3 people reading this beside myself)

Kasey is going to the Championship Game at Autzen Stadium next Sunday! (that is if he isn't sick) They made it, they had the best record for Rogue Valley Mighty Mites and are going to show their stuff at the big stadium!!! WOO HOOOOOOO! I'm so excited!! So... oh faithful blog readers, please keep him in your prayers- that he is well enough to go to practice this week and stays well through out the next weekend. My luck- it will be MY turn to get the flu- on lets say, Friday. So, keep me in your prayers too. I'm taking every preventative flu medication on the market and if I have to sit there in the stadium with a bucket I WILL!

Saturday...

2007-10-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

Well, this has been a positively uneventful week. I guess that says a lot about my life? Uneventful? I'm looking forward to football being OVER. It is SO COLD here right now, and sitting through 2 hour practices in the rain is starting to grate on my nerves. Two more weeks- two more games... and then we will know if the boys will move on to the Championship game which is less than a month away.

I just remembered that I will be turning 34 this week. Wow do birthdays ever creep up on you! I was asked last night what I want for my birthday... I replied with more time and more motivation. Wouldn't that be a nice gift? More hours in the day- a nice healthy dose of motivation to get things done? That is what I'm lacking on lately - I don't know that my life is "uneventful" but rather I just lack the motivation to have an "eventful" life. I'd rather just curl up with a good book and my heating blanket and be cozy!

However... I have customs that need completion. So off I go to my little corner of the world to create more pages for people all over the US. I have had my share of shipping problems - some my own issues, some that of USPS and UPS - it seems that if something bad is going to happen with shipping, it will happen to me!

Monday Monday - go AWAY Monday

2007-10-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

What a tragic weekend... for all you DUCK Fans out there, what a pathetic game on Saturday!!! Talk about giving a win away! Bummer.

Of course... a much more important game went on this weekend too, our little Raiders team is now 5-0 and I continue to be a very proud mommy! I will only post one of my pictures this time, as I'm sure you are all getting tired of my non-stop bragging :) OK I lied, I posted 2!!!

I don't have too much to say today - I'm kind of in a bad mood, I seem to have nothing but problems with both UPS and USPS lately with packages going all over Timbuktu- or not arriving at all :( I was talking to one of my clients who works as a postal carrier about my shipping woes, and she said if I were to take a tour of some of the major USPS dispatch centers I would understand why packages sometimes go MIA. Anyway- I ended up having to refund a good customer today due to her package not showing up, and now I have to wrestle with USPS to file a claim, which is NEVER a quick and easy process- not to mention she won one of my most "difficult to make" layouts. Someone needs to come up with a fool proof postal system!!!

Anyway, here is to another night of new fall season programming :) That should cheer me up- Dancing with the Stars... Heroes... oh wait. There is baseball playoffs and football on tonight so what am getting my hopes up for? Thank the Lord for TiVo!

TGIF.

2007-09-21T22:26:00.001-07:00

I remember one time in college - I asked my boyfriend's sister what TGIF meant. Boy did she ever look at me like I was the most stupid person on earth. I kinda FELT like the stupid-ist person on earth (I know that isn't a word). Looking back on my 33 years of existence, I have said some really ridiculous things, but don't mind sharing them because it is just WHO I am. My husband calls my wacky statements "Melississms". Here are a few:

"Look Dan there is an airhead flying over plane"

What does your boyfriend do for a job? "He pulls chainmail at the mill here in town."

"Oh he won't hurt you, he's all bark and no growl"

While on a girls shopping trip up north - Melissa asks her SIL "How far is it from Wodburn to Medford".... she answers about 4 hours... Melissa then asks her SIL "How far is it from Medford to Woodburn then?"

I could go on and on. I did graduate college with honors BTW - things just don't verbalize well with me sometimes!

While driving home from college with best friend- we pull into the gas station to fill up. I'm sitting in the passenger seat, and a huge Volkswagen pulls up facing us to get gas. The woman driving is wearing HUGE black sunglasses and there is a German Shepherd dog sitting in the passenger seat. I say to Tammy... "She must be blind..." YES. I said that! And you know what is worse... for a minute she agreed with me until we both realized what a STUPID statement that was!

Ohhhhh I could go on and on. But won't- because I've thoroughly embarrassed myself enough as it is. Good thing there are probably not a lot of people reading this blog :)

Thursday... AKA SURVIVOR THURSDAY!

2007-09-20T22:51:00.000-07:00

Oh how I LIVE for Survivor :) I'm so crazy I can't help it. I'm a self proclaimed reality T.V. junkie. There. Now you have it - I've fessed up!

Here is my assessment of the Survivor Castaways:
Aaron the Surfer Dude... HUBBA HUBBA. He is totally my kinda guy- seems to be relatively intelligent, and a natural leader type guy with humility instead of bravado

Amanda - no real opinion yet... they haven't shown enough of her yet

Ashley the large breasted WWF gal - she definitely rubs me the wrong way. I understand she was sick but she should have went home.

Chicken - was completely right in stating that if the group didn't pull together to reach the common goal of building a shelter they'd be seeing Jeff frequently after loosing all the challenges. There is basically NO work ethic in that tribe at all.

Courtney- the gal from New York... she is the bad seed of the tribe. Nothing but negativity and intolerance for anyone that is different from her, complete LACK of respect for others

Dave the model/bartender dude - no real assessment yet, hasn't done much that they've shown

Denise the lunch lady- will be gone early due to her lack of athleticism. She will weigh them down and will be an easy first cast off from that tribe if they ever loose a challenge

Erik- I think is just lookin' out for the ladies at this point. No work ethic, trying to lay low and be rico suave.

Frosti- will be an asset due to his athleticism

Jaimie- doesn't have a bra so she's in big trouble GOOD GRIEF. Typical dumb blond. Don't get me wrong... I'm not dissin' blonds because I AM ONE - but she gives us a bad name.

James - AKA eye candy (gravedigger) I like him. He is strong, and humble, shows no outward bravado which I find quite endearing. He's my favorite so far.

Jean-Robert- is a flat out idiot. I don't care if he's a pro at anything, people are going to get really tired of him and his obvious attempts at trying to "read" people and strategize.

Leslie- she won brownie points in my book for standing up for her beliefs on national TV when she knows that 99% of the tribe would probably black mark her for it. She states she's a Christian, Christians do not bow down to idols or Buddha in this case- she had to stand for that or she'd be a hypocrite, so I have to commend her for that. As for game play- I think she was wise in befriending James but needs to not rub people the wrong way with her belief system. Actions speak louder than words in the realm of reality TV.

PG - needs to tone it down or she's going to be like that architect chick from last season and get the boot for being bossy. I DO understand her frustration because she's the only one beside Chicken who realized that they were going down in a big hurry.

Sherea - good grief. She's on Survivor - the "this is nasty, dirty" comment about her surrounding just BUGS me - what did she think it would be like? Red velvet carpet? Stu-Pid.

Todd- The Gay Mormon Flight Attendant. ("are you really a flight attendant") DUH. Crafty. Very crafty - if he plays his cards right and lays low he probably has a good chance because he's pretty likable but very perceptive too.

Well anyway - now that I've wasted 20 minutes typing this up, I'd better get back to work :) Night all!

More Proud Mama Pictures

2007-09-19T20:46:00.000-07:00

Well... today was a rainy rainy day. Kasey had practice and one of the other players grandfather's was nice enough to give me a CD of the pictures he took of the last game :) He and my father hung out a bit at practices and the first few games while my parents were here for the summer, talking camera talk- and of course the joys of watching their grandson's kick butt on the football field. So, now each Wednesday after a game I'm presented with at least 200 pictures on CD of the previous game to send to my dad!

So far, our little Raider team is 4-0. If they continue to win they will get to play in the championship game at Autzen Stadium in October. I'm SO praying that this happens for my little man - his father played in a highschool championship game his Senior Year in highschool at Autzen and it was one of the best memories of his young life. Oh just think of the scrapbook pages I can create - with pictures of both my son and my husband (at a young age of course) a legacy kind of thing. I'm so very very excited!! Another added bonus, if they go to Autzen - my parents will be flying back to see him play. Kasey prays for this every night before bed (and so do I so he won't be disappointed).

Kasey is a defensive end. The team we played last Saturday lost 40-0, and their quarterback happened to be Kasey's closest school friend. Poor poor Eli!

My latest creation...

2007-09-18T20:36:00.001-07:00

Ok, this is one of my more recent custom orders for a gal in Canada :) I also created a layout for her with a "Cowardly Lion" theme that I will post later. My camera batteries DIED - see... I need a new camera!! Off I go to drink more "Rock Star" and work work work. I might have to take a little break and watch BB8 to see which of the dastardly Dinato's win....

Just Another Manic Mon-Day Woah - Woah

2007-09-17T14:32:00.001-07:00

You know the song by the Bangle's right? That was my attempt at singing to you all. Anyway- WOW what a weekend. My oldest son had a football game and managed to make 6 tackles (2 of which were sacs) Can you tell I'm proud? He's all of 60 lbs soaking wet - but man does he like to run people over! There is nothing better than watching your children's athletic endeavors - I am SO loud and obnoxious I totally embarrass my husband, but heck I spent 6 years of my life cheerleading my little heart out so it comes naturally. I do remind him that he should bring duct tape and a bungee cord if he decides he wants to set next to me!!!

The above picture is of course, my Kasey- number 24. Why is it that you snap the shot right before the big tackle? Oh how I would LOVE to wake up to a nice brand new Canon Rebel Digital Camera all wrapped up with a pretty bow on top... maybe for Christmas if I can figure out how to bribe my husband!

Well... I am off - SEACREST OUT - have to go work work work to get caught up on customs. I will post some pictures here later of my latest creations for my clients!

A Sad Day in History...

2007-09-11T12:54:00.001-07:00

My husband on duty :)

Well, it's September 11th once again. Happens every year doesn't it? I don't like this day. Do you remember what you were doing when the planes crashed into the World Trade Center? I remember... vividly. I just had surgery, my mother was here to help me take care of my boys. A gal I worked with called me and woke me up; I was scared because usually I don't get phone calls that early in the AM and my husband was on duty so I figured something was up. (He's a firefighter/engineer here in Medford) I was told to turn on Fox News NOW which I did, just in time to see the second plane hit the building. By then, my mom was up and walking into my bedroom. My husband called immediately after that and told me as well to turn on the TV. My mom and I sat on my bed watching the TV- we were scared, speechless, and very teary eyed.

My husband was off duty that morning at 8AM. He came home, and we watched the news as the buildings came crashing down, as the news broke about the Pentagon... as President Bush was notified in a classroom that war had been declared on a nation he had only just began to preside over. The look on his face is burned into my memory. The tearful speech he gave that evening, was hard to watch - he's supposed to be strong right?

My husband, a week prior to this event decided that he would apply for the Fire Department's HazMat team- thinking it would look good on his resume within the department for future promotions. The department at that time was only looking to fill one position and Dan knew the person who would likely get this position- it wasn't that big of a deal to him if he wasn't number one on the list. The day after 9/11 the department decided to take on 3 new HazMat Technicians, Dan was #2 on the list. Had 9/11 not happened he wouldn't be walking around in a moon suit every time there is white powder left somewhere. Anyway... we got the call the day after, all Emergency First Responders had to attend meetings - Departments everywhere were now realizing how badly they needed plans in place in case something like this were to happen again. New immunizations were next :) All sorts of scary things to prepare those who respond first to tragedy... this was such an awful time for me.

I think the worst part of 9/11 was my incessant need to have the NEWS on at all times. Like if something were to happen I'd see it there first and be ready for anything right! Well... I had a 1 year old and a 3 year old at the time. They were very used to seeing their daddy in his turn outs- and loved all things Firefighter related... after all their daddy was a hero in their eyes. So- while watching the news, seeing all the firefighters on TV- my oldest boy said to me "look mommy, daddy is on TV!" I raised my voice to him and startled him and myself - "that is NOT YOUR DADDY!" Then I realized that I was having some real issues with this whole thing. Never before had I been scared for my husband and his choice of profession - he could just as easily walk out the door one day and be hit by a bus right? Well... now I'm scared. 7 years later and I'm still scared.

If you want a good cry... check this out:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-4OeYvOdL8o

If you want to support a great cause, check out my charity auction on ebay with proceeds supporting the Courage & Valor Foundation for Fallen Firefighters of 9/11.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130152525731&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

Now- WHAT is BTDL anyway?

2007-09-10T19:35:00.000-07:00

BTDL is "Better Than Doing Laundry" Design Team on eBay.... yes, eBay, FeeBay - whatever you want to call it, selling my scrapbook creations online allows me the priviledge of staying home with my kids! BTDL is currently one of the most frequently searched Design Teams on eBay. The group consists of 14 women who have one thing in common - a love of creating unique works of "art" with paper, glue, scissors and some glitter here and there. (I tend to use more glitter than anything else!) Anyway... I digress. I am more than proud to call myself a member and to be in the company on a daily basis of such TALENTED women! I love these ladies, they are my true friends even though I've never actually met them face to face. If I have a weird issue going on at home, something up with one of my children, a wacky client that I need advice on how to handle, or if I want to vent about my husband... I know I can talk to any one of them and they will give me straight up honest answers and advice - morning, noon or night. And soe times the wee hours of the morning after I've had to much RockStar to drink!

If you are interested in checking out what this group has to offer by way of all things "scrapbooking" click here:

So... how did I do with my LIST?

2007-09-09T21:54:00.000-07:00

Hmmmmm...

Clean boys rooms check
Sugar cookies check
Hand Pieced Characters check
Grocery Store check
Memory Game- I winged it. :)
Titles on custom album - NOPE.

What time did I go to bed last night? 2AM. Ugh. I'm pooped.

Anyway-
My son had his 2nd football game of the year. He just turned 9- this is his 2nd year and it is amazing how talented some of these little guys are! He weighs 60 lbs soaking wet and made 4 tackles today- I am SO STINKING PROUD OF HIM!!!

I did mention yesterday that I will clue you all in on BTDL - or "Better Than Doing Laundry" - I'm to tired today so I will have to keep you all in suspense and enlighten you tomorrow. I have a busy busy week ahead of me, have to get caught up on custom orders. I will post some of my completed works here in a few days just as soon as I figure out how to do this here. I know just enough about computers to be dangerous ;)

2007-09-08T17:07:00.001-07:00

Happy Happy Saturday to you all. I don't exactly know if I have any people actually reading my blog yet (Highly doubt it) but it sure is fun to just sit here and type out my thoughts :)

Do you ever have so much on your plate - that you just would rather go take a nap instead of getting your list of to-do's done? This is my to do list today:

1.) Clean both boys rooms - mom & dad just left after staying for the summer, have to get things back where they belong. CHECK MARK - done :) woo hoo.
2.) Make 40 sugar cookies in Creation themes to be painted by my quizzing class tomorrow at church. HALF DONE. Batter made (and taste tested a couple times :) and is now chilling in the fridge.
3.) Create 2 large pieced characters out of colored butcher paper to be hung on the wall tomorrow before class. This would be Dr. Digalot and his trusty camel named Canteen :) How I'm going to accomplish this is yet to be determined.
4.) Need to go to grocery store to buy MORE laundry soap... yes yes yes, there is many more things in life that are BETTER THAN DOING LAUNDRY. More on "BTDL" later... tee hee.
5.) Need to come up with a memory game for class tomorrow, so the kids can learn their first memory verse.
6.) Need to finish putting the titles on a 20 page album so I can photograph the pages and email a copy to my client for approval...
7.) Oh I forgot! At the store, need supplies for tomorrow for my own child who is finally old enough to come to my class tomorrow :) Gotta love those 3rd graders!

So- that's it. That is what I have to accomplish before bed tonight and it is now 5:15pm. Think I can do it? Tune in tomorrow and find out :)

Thursday morning blues...

2007-09-06T08:08:00.001-07:00

Oh man, I stayed up WAY to late last night trying to figure out this "blogging" business. I'm going to try and create a location to view my latest creations so come back and check to see if I've accomplished my goal :) Wish me luck!

Welcome, and WOW - this is kinda fun!

2007-09-06T01:57:00.000-07:00

Just what I need- a new internet thing to play with when I should be scrapping away now that the kids are finally in school! Welcome to my blog- I will be posting my latest creations here, some new techniques that I pick up, random thoughts on scrapbooking and products...