Simply Rachel - uncensored

On the boat .....

2009-02-28T21:12:00.001-05:00

Beyonce who???

2009-01-08T22:24:00.002-05:00

Apparently my little girl is quite the boogie machine :)
Beyonce ain't got nothing on her ;)

Stole this --- but I don't care - It's cute!

2009-01-07T22:23:00.002-05:00

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (at the lake)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted (does those silly ones they do at Disney count?)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

PROJECT 395

2009-01-02T00:25:00.001-05:00

I decided, by having someone twist my arm -- to do Project 365 this year. Here is the link to that blog - 2009 In Photographs.

Christie is doing one, and so since I am a mega-follower - I decided to roll that way too :) Thanks C :)

http://2009inphotographs.blogspot.com

Hopefully I will keep up with it... I would love some comments and cheering. This will be hard for me... I rarely keep up with this sort of thing, but I really want to be able to look back on it at the end of the year :)

Holy Moly - it's been awhile

2008-12-18T11:39:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the scatterbrained me! No posting in a very long time is a no-no --- I am not going to bore you with excuses, only will say that it has been a whirlwind of a few months!

Beginning after Christmas break my stay as Kindergarten teacher will end. The permanent teacher is returning, and so that means I am back on the day-to-day sub list. That is fine with me actually. I really miss the kids, and I miss the flexibility I have with day-to-day. I know that my internal 'teacher' will be disappointed in NOT having the permanent job anymore, not have MY kids anymore, but the 'mommy' in me is so happy to have my time with my girls back.

I also have SO missed some TIME WITH MY HUSBAND! With Mike working 2-10 most days, me working 8-4 isn't jiving! We see each other for about an hour a day and that's when I stay up at night to see him.

I have been spending some 'healing' time with my family who was devastated this month with the passing of my aunt. I need to cling to my family right now - we all need it.

Here is the Christmas card I will be sending out in the next few days --- YES, Last minute as usual!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday. I will be back to post some scrap book pages for you :)
Have a wonderful Christmas !!

Some pages and an update

2008-10-22T17:33:00.003-04:00

I don't have a ton to update you on. My life is very hectic, full of so many things and overall just exhausting right now. I think alot of people schluf Kindergarten teachers off as if that is the easiest job to have. Well, if you are one of those people, I have news for you! Teaching Kindergarten has to be the most tiring, complicated, underrated, busy and yet rewarding job you could possibly have. It definitely is not something you can walk away from at 3:30pm on the nose every day. I come home alot of the time with funny stories that people can't believe, but I always come home with sad stories too. It is a whirlwind: I love some my co-workers, I love most of my kids, I admire some of my colleaugues (notice I don't call ALL of them colleaugues) -- there are just so many things that are holding us back educationally as a staff, as a city, as a country --- the beaurocracy of it, the 'too many chiefs, not enough indians', the 'it's not my job' -- it is hard to deal with.

I am still teaching computers at night on Mondays--- which makes for a very long day and sometimes I don't really get to see the girls in the middle because of naps. That is so difficult.

Lauren is growing up so quickly, I can't believe it. She is so funny and full of her own personality now! She says some words very clearly, especially 'thank you' and 'pap pap', 'achoo' and 'wwweeee'. She also loves to blow kisses and give really sloppy open mouth kisses :)

Madelyn is in nursery school and is quite the social butterfly -- now there's a shocker! She comes home with these awesome songs, crafts (all which I steal and do with my Kindergarten!) and she loves going there! She goes three half days a week !

Other than that-- we have been hanging with family and friends and enjoying our time off tremendously!

Here are some scrap pages I have done in the past few weeks.

First, I am an October guest for Franziska over at Sunshine Studio (hello... hell yea I am lucky). These are the first two layouts I created with her fabulous kit called Free Spirit! And you don't believe these two layouts came from the same kit --- believe it !

Next, I have been attending Duchess Designs' speed scrap every Saturday night (because I am a loser, but love speed scrappin) - and here are the layouts I have made so far!

So, it's official --- everyone I know is addicting to the speed scrap. It's a ton of fun, if you have never done it before, you should totally try it! Can be a little stressful at first, but once you realize no one is trying to trick you -- and they are flexible, it can be a complete blast!

Christie and I hosted one at Digital Candy this past Sunday and gave away a fabulous freebie mini to everyone who participated! Here is the layout I did for that using my own colaborative kit with Christie Lemmon called In Dreams.

Check this out

2008-09-01T10:48:00.001-04:00

Created using Wordle ---

News from the land of chaos

2008-08-31T13:54:00.003-04:00

I say chaos, because that is how I feel my life is right now. I guess I will just go down the list and update you.

I have been asked to teach Kindergarten at a school I had never been to before. I accepted the position, and we aren't sure if the current teacher will be returning mid-year or if she will be out the full year. This leaves me with so many doubts. How much time, effort, energy, money etc., should I pour into this classroom knowing that I may only be there for a short time. Well, after mulling it over a few days, I decided that I am putting my all into it. At the worst, they will tell me at the end of September that she is coming back. Then I will pack up my belongings, and motor on. But until then, I am proceeding as though this is my classroom. I have already moved the furniture around, decorated and started to meet with the kids and parents. So for right now, it's my room. If she returns, I will have at least given these kids my all for the time I was there, and that is what they need (especially after having met some of them).

So, I am very excited... school officially starts for Kindergarten on Thursday! I have meetings with parents until then.

Madelyn will be starting pre-school this year. We really pondered whether or not she was ready, but we are going for it. She needs to be with kids her own age more, and that was the driving force behind the final decision. It is only three half days a week, but I know she will love it and is already very excited about it!

Lauren decided to get sick my first week of working at the school. She has been running a fever for two days now, and although I am glad it happened on the weekend, it has really worn me out. She is very clingy and just wants to lay on you all day and all night. Poor baby. You can see it in her face, she just doesn't feel good :( There is no feeling like the helplessness you feel when your baby is sick. I remember it all too well from Madelyn. Luckily, my kids don't get sick too often.

I am blessed that way, and hoping it stays that way.

We were supposed to go to a concert last night and didn't make it because I just couldn't bear to leave her. I told Mike to take the tickets and go, but he didn't want to go without me... so here we both sat with our sick baby and poor MJ watching Peter Pan! It sucks because now that Mike's schedule has adjusted and he is off Fridays and Saturdays, he is finally able to do stuff! Concerts, weddings, parties, cookouts.... fairs, carnivals, get togethers with our friends! They all happen on the weekends, and we weren't able to go for so long! This was the first time in a LONG time Mike and I were going to a concert together, and it just wasn't meant to be. We got Wendy's and Dairy Queen instead :)

I am designing two new kits right now, and I am very excited about them. Still have news about my designs up my sleeve that will be let out soon, but I need to keep it under wraps for a little while longer. Hoping to do some scrapping of my own tonite, to kind of wind down from the sickness.

Madelyn's playground is finally finished! We have a deck to build still, but that is the last of it. Here is a picture of how it turned out. Lots of blood and sweat went into the preparation of this baby... but soooo worth it. She loves it !!! Today we erected her PIRATE GIRL flag! You can see it in the second picture!

So, that's the news from the land of chaos.... trying to hold it all together until everything winds down. It will... it always does!

Closing my Divine Shop and some layouts

2008-08-20T09:02:00.005-04:00

Well, I have decided to close up my Divine shop, and I have put my resignation in over there. I just don't frequent the site as often as I should, and I know that I need to do that to make my shop as successful as I want it to be.

I have something new up my sleeve but I can't really talk about it yet.

So, for now I am going through my kits one-by-one and revamping then , adding elements and papers, or retiring them. It is hard to go through your older work because you see things as your tastes change that you don't like anymore, or as you learn new techniques, the old ones don't look as good as they once did.

So, keep your eyes pealed for some new and improved stuff from me :) I will be releasing some blog freebies soon too over on the Steel City Scraps blog. I will miss being at Divine for the Ingredients Challenge (which I may still do on my design blog) -- and being with the wonderful friends I have over there.

I have a new Creative Team that is kicking bootie -- some girls have stuck with me from the jump and I ADORE THEM both for their layouts, but moreso for their friendship and support. I also have some new girls who are busting out some incredible layouts - and I would love for you to drop over the CT blog and leave them some love! You can check it out here: CITY GIRLS BLOG.

But, ah, what the future holds...............

On that note: you guys know I am on a few CT's now -- and loving it because it forces me to allot some scrap time in my life --- which I so desperately need!!

So here are some of my latest layouts ---

I created this self-portrait for a Duchess Designs blog challenge last week - I used her Girlfriends: Kathryne kit for this one. Take a good look because you won't see me scrapping a picture of myself for awhile.

SELF-PORTRAIT

The next one was also for the Duchess -- her latest Girlfriends: Peyton -- I love these peach colors!

SUGAR AND SPICE

I did these next two for Danielle Corbitt's featured kit of the week Just a Lil Flirt - this is huge! and it is such a very cute kit! I could have made more layouts with it -- and probably will.

TREAT THAT'S SWEET

For this one I also used her Wrapped in Floral Frames -- really cute !

DADDY AND LAUREN

Lastly, I did two more for Danielle Corbitt using her Backyard Blast kit. This one has a ton of summery elements!

LAZY DAYS OF SUMMER

PUPPET SHOW

Thanks for looking :) Feel free to drop over to my Digital Candy gallery and leave me some lovin :)

The Wiggles Live

2008-08-19T23:20:00.000-04:00

Well, I haven't posted here in a while and I have to apologize. I know I need to make time to put my ridiculous ramblings back on here even if only a few people read them. I still think I am funny, and I love looking back at all the old posts.

So, for my first post back I will tell you about our trip last week to the Wiggles Live. I get pre-sale tickets for all the kids shows in Pittsburgh, so we had 10th row seats for this puppy! It was great, but I should tell you...... I love the stinkin Wiggles. I sing their songs, I do the dances.... if you know me in real life you know that its not a stretch to say that I am a ham. I don't embarrass easily (that comes from falling constantly --- you just get over the embarrassment when people laugh at you and learn to embrace it as a good thing).

So, back to the Wiggles Live.... we didn't take Lauren because we were fearful that one of us would end up standing outside. These shows can be a little intimidating for kids --- the people in costumes are huge and its dark and loud ! So, we decided to leave her with her Auntie Dawn for the show!

MJ loved it, she did all the dances and sang all the songs she knew!
But the best part of the show --- and any Mom who has kids who watch this show will tell you --- is ANTHONY -- purrrrrrrrrrrrr. This man is a goof, but HELLO~ he is a hottie ! Now, I don't know if he is really hot or I have been forced to watch this show so much that I have just found the least hideous of the crew to drool over. But over time, I have built Anthony up to be quite the hottie in my mind --- so whichever it is, works for me !

Overall, a very entertaining show.... they throw in alot of humor for the adults which I love! Like things you know weren't supposed to happen but they did just to mess with each other.

I don't know if MJ will be too old for the Wiggles next time they come or not, but I know I will get to see that Anthony Wiggle at least one more time with Lauren --- WHOO HOOO for me :)

Christie Lemmon Designs at Digital Candy

2008-08-18T09:11:00.001-04:00

Christie has a had a dream for awhile now, and that was to get into the shop at Digital Candy. Well that dream came true this week !! I am so happy to tell you that Christie's shop is now open for bisnass! You can check it out here.

Over at Digital Candy they have some amazing challenges, friendly people and it is just an all around warm and welcoming site. It isn't overwhelmingly large, but still a nice crew! NEVER BORING!

Thought I would share some layouts with you I did for both Digital Candy challenges or for my creative teams over there.

First, THE SPEED SCRAP hosted by JenLin!! HELLO! I loved this challenge. You get one hour to scrap your page, instructions are given every few minutes and you have to follow them to finish your layout. It was incredible, and I wish there was another one this week. I am really, really looking forward to the next one. I used Christie's SIMPLY ADORABLE kit for this layout - except the stitiching which came from her Cherry Lemonade kit.

MADELYN'S BOO BOO

Next, I did two layouts with Christie's new kit called Mud Puddles. This is a sneak peek because it isn't even in the store yet! It will be released tomorrow, and I am here to tell you -- even though it's boy colors -- you can definitely go in alot of different directions with this kit. Very versatile, and I loved working with it.

LIL DIVA

BUDDIES

Thanks for looking :) Head over to Christie's new design blog and leave her some love!

Crazy busy ...

2008-08-07T08:50:00.003-04:00

I am not complaining at all --- we have just been so busy this summer. We have had a ton of fun in the meantime, and so it was all worth it. I am not making excuses for my posts being, well, non-personal --- but I will try to do better from now.

So, if you remember correctly, last summer I was basically pregnant and miserable for the first two/thirds of the summer. I pretty much prayed the entire summer away so that I would be done being pregnant. For those who don't know --- it's hard being pregnant in the summer with a two year old wanting to do everything!!! Then, when I had Lauren I was a recluse just loving on her and getting used to being a mommy of two.

By the time I woke up from that daze, summer was over and we had done basically nothing. I was so angry all winter that I felt like I was jipped out of summer --- I whined alot about it truly!

So, this summer it was ON!

Not intentionally, but alot of things came up this summer. My good friend got married in Hilton Head.... and so we went down for that. Long drive, but an amazing time with my amazing friends. We had so much fun. We learned Madelyn was a fish in a former life, and has NO fear of water!

Then, we took our trek to our normal summertime hang - Geneva on the Lake. I was there for a few weeks, and got to meet up with Heather a few times. It was so nice to spend time with another mommy with a baby Lauren's age. Rhiannon was so sweet to MJ and I just had a ball with them!

My in laws were then gracious enough to invite us to go to Myrtle Beach with them, and we gladly took them up on it. We had an amazing condo overlooking the beautiful waters, and we had an incredible time. Very relaxing, and laid back --- just like we like it!

Then I went back to the lake for a few days --- it wasn't long enough, but it was nice to have the closure of going back to pack up the cottage. I miss the cottage so much in the winter, if it had a furnace I would probably go there and just sit --- because there is nothing to do there in the winter at all! I would still love it. I just like being there!

We are getting ready to close the summer out by heading up to Erie to spend some time with some buds who have babes the same age as MJ. We have known each other (most) since they were born and so we try to travel each year to visit. We are from all over the states and Canada, so its not possible for everyone to make it every year, but we sure try. I didn't get to go last year because Lauren was only a few days old when they left to meet up in Niagara Falls. This year it is in my homestate -- so you couldn't keep me away. Even though I will only be there for a day or two, it will still be nice to catch up with my buds and see all the kids together. I love that part!

Then, it will be getting ready for the school year to start!

So, here are some kid recaps :

Lauren is walking, wobbly but walking --- she says daddy and only daddy. She loves her mama but just WILL NOT say it! She is such a delight, has a wonderful personality and is really cute with her big ol' gap between her two front teeth! I later I will be cursing it, but for now it is just adorable !!!

Madelyn is FINALLY potty trained --- PRAISE JESUS!!! She is just as bubbly, social and talkative as ever. She never stops from the time she wakes until she is sleeping in her bed... talking, talking, talking. She loves everyone --- and just wants to be everyone's best friend! So funny!

Mike has finally moved to a schedule that allows him off Friday and Saturday each week --- so we finally HAVE A LIFE! We can go to weddings, go out and have a drink on a Friday night--- we couldn't be more excited about this! We can go catch a movie and get a sitter (not a school night). Wow, I better make a list of things we are going to do !

As for me, I am getting ready to sub again in the Fall. Hopeful that something long term will come my way early on, and I can complete a school year in one classroom. I am still teaching computers at the community college -- and I really love that. Also, I am supposed to go back to coaching the dance team this fall. My sister and I coached together for two years until I started having kids. Then she did it by herself. Now that she has moved to Texas, they needed a coach and asked me. Well, I am not sure ASKED is the right word to use. I am not sure how I feel about that yet. I guess it depends on how that falls in with everything else I have going on--- it will either be awesome or a pain. Not sure about that yet.

So I will post some pics from Erie after the weekend is over. Sorry for the catch up post. I hate that I had to do that... but I also don't want a blog just of pictures and no stories!

Here are some layouts I did yesterday for The Duchess using her new Girlfriends: Makenzie mini kit! I love these mini's --- they are very inexpensive and have enough inside for a few adorable layouts!!!

Some news..........

2008-07-31T14:18:00.004-04:00

No, no, no.... I am not pregnant!

I have been invited to be a CT member for Duchess Designs, and an August guest for Danielle

Corbitt!!! How exciting!

I am working on some layouts today for both of them :)

It occured to me that I haven't posted many layouts lately, and I so here are a few!
Birthday pictures later, I promise!!!

(Credits) Sadie's Garden by Beckie Wallace

(Credits) - Amy Sumrall's Over the Grungy Rainbow Kit

(Credits) - Corina Neilsen - Live Out Loud

(Credits) Danielle Corbitt's Starz Kit

(Credits) - Brownie Scraps' Sun Kissed

Funky Playground rocks!

2008-07-29T13:54:00.003-04:00

So, Beckie is participating in a fabulous program over at Funky Playground called 'Teacher's Pet'! It's kind of like a designer bootcamp but the great part is that all the assignments they create are FREE!

To get the free kits, you have to subscribe to the Funky Playground newsletter (which you should anyway)... but subscribing will get you the code to unlock the freebies! There will be over 100 free mini's available throughout!

You can CLICK HERE to subscribe to the Funky Playground Newsletter!

Then you should go to the FuNkY pLaYgRoUnD GaLLeRy's TEACHER'S PET section and download to your little hearts content!!

This is Beckie's Free kit that is up there now! I love the frame and the bracket mat~ but then again I am in love with brackets right now!! Grab Beckie's kit here.

Here is a layout I did with it --- HARD AT WORK!

Beckie is going in to have her new baby girl tomorrow morning super early so if everyone could just send their thoughts and prayers for an easy surgery and recovery for Beckie and super healthy baby vibes for the little one, I would appreciate it. BIG HUGS BECKIE!!! Can't wait to see the pictures of your sweet pea :)

IF YOU GUYS ARE INTERESTED I AM HOSTING ANOTHER CT CALL FOR STEEL CITY SCRAPS --- YOU CAN READ ABOUT IT HERE!

A New Shop for Beckie Wallace !!

2008-07-18T21:44:00.002-04:00

Well, I was saddened about two weeks ago to find out that Beckie was closing up shop for awhile so that she could prepare for the birth of her third daughter. How quickly things change to brighten my day!

SHE HAS A NEW SHOP!!!

BECKIE IS A SUNSHINE GIRL!!!

I couldn't be happier. I have long been a fan of Sunshine Studio, so this is just a new reason to hang out at one of my favorite spots! Now, I would follow Beckie to just about anywhere--- but I am really glad its Sunshine Studio.

To celebrate--- there is a GRAND OPENING SALE!!Be sure to check it out! And don't forget to snag all the freebies on her blog too!

LIVE from MYRTLE BEACH---- it's us!

2008-07-16T23:10:00.003-04:00

Hey there, hi there, ho there---- thought I would upload some pics from our Myrtle Beach VAY KAY!!! Enjoy!

Kyle giving MJ a Skim board lesson--- she didn't do too bad!

Ripley's Aquarium! Look out!

Lauren and MJ enjoying the fishies :)

Lauren watching MJ on the Merry-go-Round!

MJ went CRAZY for these little cars, and begged to ride them twice :)

So much.......

2008-07-11T19:37:00.004-04:00

I have so much to blog about... but no time at all.

This summer has been just an incredible whirl-wind so far---- a good one, but busy to say the least. I am not complaining, because I have had so much fun, got to hang with my closest buds on the beaches of Hilton Head, finally got to meet Heather at the lake, hung out with my mom, sis and Aunt Candy (or the Candy Girl as MJ calls her), and now on my way to Myrtle Beach!!!

WOW!

I have pictures upon pictures to post-- but for now I have to go pack and clean the house so I don't come home to craziness!

Packing and such

2008-06-17T14:44:00.002-04:00

So, I have spent the last week of my life doing laundry, doing laundry and ummmmm did I mention the LAUNDRY. One thing I may have told you before is........... I HATE LAUNDRY.

Ok, I don't hate the actual laundry or the clothes (in fact if they were a few sizes smaller--- I would be in love with clothes). What I actually loathe is the PUTTING AWAY. Maybe its because we definitely do not have enough space to put all our stuff, what can I say - I am a shopper!

But alas, it must be done because we leave in two days for a HILTON HEAD mini vacation. My good friend Chrissy is getting married, and I am so excited to be going down to witness the long awaited event! All my college buds will be there with the families so it should be a hoot!

We leave Thursday morning, and we will come home on Tuesday. Then, I have my last two tutoring sessions, then I will be heading to the lake! My home away from home--- my comfort zone, my true relaxation spot --- where my extended family will be! I can't wait to see Candy!
Beaching here we come!

Then we come back to go to Myrtle Beach with my in laws for a week in mid July --- then I HOPE HOPE HOPE my mom is still at the lake so that I can go back for a second round of rest and relaxation! But we shall see!

In the midst of all this my sister is moving to Texas - BOOO HISSSSSS!

Maddie misses her Jo Jo

2008-06-14T23:36:00.003-04:00

My aunt was in from Indiana for part of the week. Sadly it was to mourn a close member of her family that passed away (quite suddenly) -- but we did get to spend some time with her yesterday. Maddie Jo LOOOOVES her Jo Jo (hence the middle name Jo!) - and asks for her constantly. She doesn't yet understand the 'distance' factor between here and Indiana!

But anyway -- it was a short but sweet visit with Jo Jo-- and MJ misses her already!

Gettin all proud and stuff

2008-06-14T23:33:00.002-04:00

Ok, I took this picture the other morning. I woke during a lightning storm, and I just stood on my porch watching the sky light up in amazement. Then I thought, "I wonder if I can snap a picture of this!"

Sure enough --- this is what I caught. It only took me about twenty pictures to get it!

And, yes... I am quite proud!

Gangster!

2008-06-06T22:31:00.001-04:00

Yea, one of the designers over at Digital Candy had this as her AVATAR. I told her I was totally stealing it because it made me laugh out loud!

Some Layouts ....

2008-06-05T17:22:00.003-04:00

Here is the first scrapping I did in a LONG LONG TIME. It was so fun, and it really is my first true love. I do love taking the time out of designing to scrap ! I need to do it more :)

The good news is that Christie and I partnered up for the Birthday Race over at Digital Candy, so my scrapping fix will be met ;)

This one is called Forever Sisters and it is made with Beckie Wallace's AWESOME kit called At the Ballet - it is available now EXCLUSIVELY at Digital Candy - ELEMENTS and PAPERS.

Here is one I did for the Candy Jar Challenge over at Digital Candy!

It's done with an old pic of MJ and you can see the CREDITS HERE.
Here is one I did for the Scraplift Challenge over at Sunshine Studio!

It's called - SWEETHEART and you can see the CREDITS HERE Last is one where Christie forwarded me a blog featuring this free template! It is amazing ;)

You can check out Lauren and the CREDITS HERE.
SOOO FUN!

How Nerdy are you???

2008-06-05T17:17:00.002-04:00

Ok, I got sucked into this one because in my courses I often joke that I am somewhat 'geeky' in that I do love computers in a big time way :)

So I took the test --- How Nerdy Are You?

Overall, I scored as follows:

44% scored higher (more nerdy),
2% scored the same,
and 54% scored lower (less nerdy).

What does this mean?

Your nerdiness is:

Somewhat nerdy. I mean face it, you are nerdier than about half the test takers.

Does it say something that I am slightly proud of it????

Happy Birthday Madelyn!

2008-05-18T23:26:00.004-04:00

Well, today was my girl's third birthday. I truly can not believe three years has past since I had her; it seems like just yesterday. I know that is very cliche, but it is so true. I will never forget what it was like to have her, and bringing her home for the first time. She is so grown now... so helpful with Lauren --- a wonderful sense of humor and her mommy's clumsiness --- her Daddy's eyes -- and oh, that curly hair!

I know I am so lucky to have Madelyn -- I don't remember too much of what life was like without her. I know I was a totally different person, and she has changed me for the better. Anyway, I know she was given to me for a number of reasons.

A little story, when we found out that my Gram had cancer... I prayed and prayed. I am typically not an overly religious person, but I do pray. I prayed that my Gram would live long enough to see me graduate and to have a baby. Now, at this time having babies was actually the furthest thing from my mind. I was in college, working a few jobs to get by and just really focused on 'my' future career.

A few months later, I got pregnant with Madelyn. It was unexpected, and I really didn't know how this would affect my schooling - yes, that was my first thought. Once it all sunk in, both Mike and I were super ecstatic and very eager to move on to this phase in our lives together.

Unbelieveably it fit in perfect time-wise with my schooling. I ended up having my last final on a Friday afternoon, and giving birth to Madelyn the following Wednesday. We had set up 'back up plans', but it ended up working out perfectly.

So, when I had Madelyn my Gram was undergoing treatments so she was unable to come to the hospital to see us. We left the hospital and drove directly to her house. She met little Madelyn, and I will never forget how she held her and just talked about how 'perfect' she was. She stared at her for a long time, and just fell in love with her instantly.

That was in May, and my Gram passed away in September.

She didn't get to see me graduate the following May -- a difference of a mere few months.

I didn't understand why I had made that wish; that prayer for my Gram to see me graduate. I mean, I was proud of myself and I knew she was proud of me. But this wasn't my first degree, and it was never really a topic of conversation other than in passing. So, why was it so important to me that my Gram be there.

Well, I didn't realize a few things until after they were over.

First, my prayers really WERE answered in a way. God knew my Gram wasn't going to make it to my graduation -- that is why I got pregnant. It was His way of saying, ok then -- we are going to have to mix things up here.

Secondly, it was important to me that my Gram see me graduate because I was selected to be the speaker, although I didn't know it yet when I made the wish/prayer.

So, she didn't make it to see me graduate but, see, I know she was there. I am sure of this, and only 'some' could see -- she was actually standing behind me with her hand on my shoulder the whole time. Otherwise, I am not sure I would have made it through my speech with how scared I really was.

So, Madelyn may not remember her Great Gram but BOY oh BOY do I have stories for her ;)

My City Girls

2008-05-17T16:48:00.003-04:00

Here is the official announcement of those selected to be on my CT. I had an amazing number of people apply ! Thank you to everyone who applied ! Keep your eyes peeled for my City Girls rocking their blinkie all over. If they catch you wearing my FAN OF STEEL CITY SCRAPS blinkie, you may just get a RAK from me :)

Wondering where I've been?

2008-05-16T13:55:00.002-04:00

I have been like a chicken with it's head cut off! I now have an amazing Creative Team in the works, and my boutique at Divine Digital is up and running.

I have another store in the works - more information to follow on that :)

Other than that, the girls' had their appointments this morning. Still have the vaginal adhesions which make me want to jump off a cliff. We are going to be more proactive though about opening them now. We begin a topical antibiotic with an estrogen creat twice a day. Hopefully this will work because if there is no change, I have to take them both back in six weeks, and possibly to go a specialist :( Luckily, we have an AMAZING doctor whom I trust !

Both girls are in the 90th percentile for height and the 50th for weight- growing great !!

I have been subbing, and I just finished up the job corps orientation, which was amazing as usual. So, I have alot going on right now.

We are starting to gear up for Mike to NOT WORK MIDNIGHTS !!! I am so tired of midnights. But luckily, he is looking at a really great schedule as soon as the new guy is trained. He will FINALLY BE OFF FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS! That means we can finally have a real life :) He can go to weddings, birthdays and we won't have to worry about his schedule interferring with our weekend plans anymore. I am SOOOOOO looking forward to this.

We also have a few vacations this summer that we are looking forward to. A friend is getting married in Hilton Head in a few short weeks, and we are SO STOKED!

That's about all for now... will check it later :)

Creative Team Call for Steel City Scraps

2008-05-08T22:23:00.004-04:00

I am hosting a creative team call through May 18th. I highly encourage all interested readers of my blog to apply! After all, without you guys, I wouldn't have designs in my boutique right now :)

Please browse my previews on my design blog - or here, and if you are interested in being a part of a fun team, you should definitely apply! I appreciate 'real' people, fun personalities and all levels of scrap experience!

I don't have much in my boutique yet. I am still prepping, and designing new items. But there are even more announcements to come in the upcoming week - so I wanted to get this out there as soon as possible :)

Hope to hear from you !

Call reads:

Looking for a few good scrappers! Is it you?

Newbies or Veterans - Open call !

Requirements:

1-2 layouts per kit posted to 3-4 galleries:

Divine Digital, DST, Color Line Designs

and one more of your choice

Participation and presence in forum events

and help in advertising my sales and promos.

To Apply please send:

* Brief introduction *

* Why you would be a great part of my team *

* A link to your best gallery *

* Any current and former CT's you were on *

to rachnmaddie@yahoo.com

***** DEADLINE: May 18th *****

An Announcement :)

2008-05-04T20:39:00.002-04:00

Well, some of you have asked, emailed and/or commented about what my scoop is. Well, I can now officially tell you that I can hang my designer wings at DIVINE DIGITAL!!!

That's right, you are looking at .... well, not really.... you are reading (?!?) the newest designer at Divine! I am so excited. It took me all of NSD weekend to get set up and get some product in the shoppe, but I have. I put in three of my faves: Millie's Garden, Sentimental and Soft Whisper. I have some new kits in the works this week to put up. It was truly a lot to learn, but now that I have done it once, it will be a lot easier from now on. I did my homework, read the manuals and everything :)

I am really excited. So you can visit my shoppe here, or you can click my new little blinkie on the side that my Christie made for me :) Thanks Christie!!!

I hope you guys will still come by, I will still have freebies, giveaways, contests and will be hosting challenges and such at Divine! So stay tuned..... a new chapter is just beginning!

Selective Coloring Challenge

2008-04-25T16:10:00.004-04:00

Over on the IVillage Digi Scrapping board, there was a selective coloring challenge.... well, you know I don't pass up a challenge!!!

Here is My Cookie!!!!

The selective coloring is that her cookie remained pink but the pic is B&W - jazzy huh???

I made this with Beckie Wallace's INCREDIBLE (my favorite kit of all time) Boy Meets Girl Kit!. You can grab it at SAS or Digital Candy !!!!

Beckie also has a SHITLOAD (that's right - its uncensored, remember?) of freebies on her blog. So head on over there and check them out! And check out our Creative Team Blog --- and see our kick ass layouts!

Leave me some love at SAS!

A new layout with my RAK

2008-04-25T16:05:00.003-04:00

Over on my design blog, I am giving out a RAK (random act of kindness) to those readers/downloaders/whatever that comment or send me layouts etc.

I did a layout today with it, and I love how it turned out. I did it for the IVillage Digital Scrapbooking boards Friday challenge. Today was a quote challenge!

This is Madelyn, and it was taken 1-4-2006!!! Can you believe my MJ is almost THREE!

Hop on over to SAS and leave me some love !!!

Maddie-ism -part who knows what

2008-04-25T16:00:00.002-04:00

So my mom stopped over for lunch today and brought us some burgers and fries. We are all sitting at the kitchen table eatting and MJ knows something is amiss. My mom typically doesn't come over for lunch because she is working. We usually go shopping and then eat out somewhere. MJ always knows eatting comes after the shopping.

So we are sitting at the table, and she is quizzing my mom as to why she is at the house, are we going shopping... a million questions. Finally, my mom says, "Mimi is working today, honey. We aren't doing the shopping today -- so, Mimi brought you the eatting".

MJ looked at her, shook her head and said 'So, Mimi, what is it with this job and our shopping?"

My mom said, "I am so sorry that my job is interferring with our shopping."

MJ said, "thats ok, Mimi".

So, I guess Mimi will be quitting her jobby job for some more shopping time with MJ because apparently she doesn't get enough :)

Two new layouts!

2008-04-24T15:39:00.004-04:00

I guess everyone has that one favorite kit that they go back to because they love it so much! Beckie has this incredible kit called Boy meets Girl! I love it so much, honestly - I can't get enough of it.

Here are two more layouts I did with it today :)

Leave me some love at my galleries - images and titles are clickable :)

MY COOKIE!

YOUR SONG

Designing .... the scoop

2008-04-19T17:01:00.002-04:00

Ok, so I am really digging this designing thing. I am constantly looking now for cool color combinations and themes even when I am just doing every day things. For those who have asked here is the breakdown of how many times each kit has been downloaded so far.... I say so
far because it seriously is still going up every day !

Coffee Talk: 373

Summer Cottage: 570

Millie's Garden: 579
Under My Pillow elements: 472
Under My Pillow papers: 517
First Tooth elements: 288
Sentimental: 632
On the Go: 454
Spring's Bliss: 495

Seriously! Can you believe that? I can't!!! I love it - but now you understand why I had to seperate the blogs... that's a whole lotta somebodies checking out my shit! So, I didn't want all the Maddie-isms and Lauren's milestones among the people who are just out for a freebie, KWIM?

Maddie's outdoor adventure :)

2008-04-19T16:52:00.003-04:00

We had a little picnic in our backyard today. I can't wait to scrap the photos, and I am so excited for this warm weather because Maddie is finally at an age where she can enjoy it. She has this little playhouse that was given to us that she never really played with and Mike wanted to dump it this year, and I said, "Wait, she is going to really want that this year"... boy, was I ever right! She was running in and out, shutting the doors and windows - playing pretend (which I love that she is old enough to do that now) - just having a blast.

We kept cracking up though because she kept running in and bursting open the shuts to sing 'AHHHHH, AHHHH, AHHHHHHH' like Giselle does on ENCHANTED. I got it on video - thank goodness rodents didn't come to call :)

Lauren finds her shadow

2008-04-19T10:05:00.000-04:00

Well, I don't know about you but I am LOOOOVIN this beautiful weather we are having right now. It truly couldn't be more perfect! I started opening the door to let the spring air in and Lauren loves to sit in my full length glass door and watch cars, people, birds and mostly the school buses (there is a school on my street).

LOL, how funny! Anyway - we are outside enjoying ourselves. Will post more later ;)

Spring's Bliss

2008-04-12T23:51:00.003-04:00

Be sure to check out my new kit, created for the SAS color challenge.

It is called Spring's Bliss, and here is a preview.

Check out my new design blog - STEEL CITY SCRAPS for the freebie download!

Thank you Beckie

2008-04-12T23:42:00.003-04:00

For those who don't know - I LOVE BECKIE WALLACE!

She gave Steel City Scraps a big ol' shout out on her blog ! I am so thankful to her for so many things - I can't even begin to list them. Above all else, she is such a great mom and mentor - incredible designer - just a sweet friend! I love being on her team, and look forward to whatever she has in the works! Thanks Beckie!

You can check out her design blog here, but be sure to stop at the Creative Team blog to see what we got rolling too! Her designs can be found in her shoppes at SAS and Digital Candy !

YOU ROCK !!!!!

One last picture

2008-04-12T21:11:00.005-04:00

I have one last picture of the girls' from when we had our outting last weekend. Kelly and I inadvertantly switched our pictures, so for a week now I have had pictures of Roman and Kailey here and she had pictures of Madelyn and Lauren.

Yesterday, we switched back. So, now I can share this little gem!

I have been pretty busy. We are trying to get our house in order (ROFL, ROFL) so that we can switch the bedrooms. Mike is busy cleaning out my mess in the basement. I am busy cleaning upstairs - basically our third bedroom (which used to be my office) is now a storage room. I am such a packrat, but mostly I am afraid to let go of things. I don't know where it comes from but seriously, I probably have clothes here that would NEVER fit me now. Mike is the same way. Most of his stuff is sentimental - notebooks from school, baseball cards, trophies. Some of mine is sentimental, but some of it is not and it just needs to go. We have some of our crap stored up at my sister in laws because we didn't have enough room to store it here when we moved. ... that's how much crap we have!

Well, we are doing an amazing job cleaning this stuff out - I can't wait to get the girls' moved up into their new room! Then they can have a little play room down here, and some of the shit can get the hell out of my living room! It's just so time consuming. I get frustrated that it's taking so long - but progress is a good thing!

How fast do you type?

2008-04-09T23:51:00.000-04:00

76 words

http://speedtest.10-fast-fingers.com">Speed test

Me and My Gang!

2008-04-08T17:03:00.006-04:00

Check out Lauren's face - she's like why am I here with these wackos?

Some good times with good friends :)

Need I say more????

What WAS for Dinner!

2008-04-08T13:18:00.003-04:00

My mom saw this awesome recipe in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sometime last week, so we made it on Sunday and I am still eatting it!

Easy PotRoast FrenchDips:

In the CROCKPOT combine:

two cans of FRENCH ONION SOUP and two cans of water
one package of Good Seasons Dry Italian Dressing Mix
one package of Onion Soup Mix
pepper and garlic powder to taste (no salt though, the french onion soup is very salty)
in the center place a 2-4 pound beef roast (I used sirloin)

Cook all day on low 7-8 hours or on high 4-5 hours.

At about the 6 hour mark - take out the meat and shred or cut into VERY thin slivers and put back in for the remaining time.

I baked two loaves of Pillsbury Italian Bread (in the cylanders like crescent rolls) and cut them open like hoagie buns then cut them each into three buns. I did this all when they were still warm, but not hot.

Spoon some meat and some onion onto the bread.

I served the sandwiches with egg noodles, and poured some of the remaining sauce over top and OH MY WORD, was it good!

ENJOY!

Steel City Scraps Blog

2008-04-07T16:33:00.002-04:00

Ok, I did it.

The new blog for the scrap stuff can be found here!

Now, I can keep my shit seperate. Swear (a/k/a be uncensored) on this blog, and not on that one :)

This way I don't have to worry about offending the visitors, and I can just go back to being me.

Ahhh, I feel much better now, and more organized!

Hope this doesn't jack some of you up!

Thinking....

2008-04-06T10:21:00.003-04:00

I am thinking of creating two different blogs.

One for me personally: with my rantings, and my personal pictures, layouts.
One for the STEEL CITY SCRAPS stuff - layouts done with the kits and my freebies.

That way, things will be more divided and easier to keep track of.

Any thoughts????

First Tooth Goodies

2008-04-03T23:09:00.004-04:00

I have some first tooth tags and wordart that I made for my friend Heather when her little one's first tooth broke through. I originally made them blue, since her little bug is a boy :) But I just made some pink ones too.

Grab this freebie here if you can use em !!!

New Freebie kit - Millie's Garden

2008-04-03T13:53:00.006-04:00

Again this is a cottage reference! I can tell Spring is here because I am starting to get anxious for summer and warmer weather - which means 'LAKE TIME' to me. I love being there. Just relaxing on the beach all day, no TV - limited phone, (some computer - via wireless from the main house), but really reading all day, spending time with my family, playing cards, cooking, eating, beaching, drinking - all things that make a 'city girl' like me happy!

So, when I was growing up Millie lived in the main house. She was like a third grandmother to me. She taught me to cook, how to entertain guests, and more importantly how to be a good friend, mentor and role model to other people. She had a zest for life that if I could bottle, would make me a gazillionaire. This freebie is inspired by her garden. She had a wonderful green thumb, and had this incredible garden that bordered the sidewalk for a good thirty feet. It was her mother's garden before that - and my earliest memories of the lake were of having to walk off of the sidewalk to avoid the bees hidden in the flower bed.

So I present to you my latest freebie kit, Millie's Garden: jam packed with bright colors, doodle flowers, frames, some sheer tissue papers and an alpha. I hope you will check it out.
Grab this freebie here : MILLIE'S GARDEN KIT

But please leave me some feedback somewhere - you know I am just learning and would love to hear how I am doing. I would also love to post any layouts you create with this kit.

Tag your it!!!

2008-03-31T14:34:00.005-04:00

I have been tagged from a fellow scrapbookin pal Barbara a/k/a digimom! This is my first time being tagged, so I hope I am doing this right! Thanks for tagging me - and I am sure my tagee's appreciate it too :) By the way, I had no idea what a meme was, so I wiki'd it.

A meme (pronounced /miːm or mɛm/) consists of any unit of cultural information, such as a practice or idea, that gets transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.

Ok - makes sense to me !

ALL are invited to join in the Links fun!

PLEASE just follow the rules!

Just copy paste THIS and everything below up until my Five links:

I thought it would be cool to have a meme where we post links. We can post up to five. Then we tell five more people to share their links. If we all share who tagged us, our links are sure to be seen!

They can be business links, favorite sites, affiliate links, whatever you want…

There are Five Rules:
1. MUST be clean. No R rated sites.

2. Only FIVE links.

3. MUST tell 5 people.

4. A link back to the person who tagged you

5. Lara’s Place is the meme originator. (an active link is appreciated)

------------------end copy and paste-------------------------------

My links:

I thought I would link to things I can't do without !

1. Beckie Wallace Designs: this woman is a true inspiration with the amount of stuff she is able to get done! She has two little ones and one on the way and still manages to put out the most amazing designs. It is an absolute honor to work for her!!! Also check out the Beckie Wallace Creative Team Blog - jam packed with awesome layouts using Beckie's kits :)

2. Tribes! Ok, for those not in education this is a learning system you implement in your room to create a comfortable, safe environment and helps to create cooperative learning groups.

3. Bare Escentuals make up - well, its just awesome - you hardly feel like you are wearing make up at all ! Love it!

4. NetVibes - I just got this from a friend and you can organize your own homepage. It has a great feature that you can enter your favorite blog addresses, and everytime you log in the page will check your blogs and let you know who posted something new! Saves me a ton of time :)

5. Stone Accents Studio - My new home away from home for the digi-scrapper in me. I love the group there and they have really great challenges. You should check it out :)

6. Snippy - Here is an extra - this little program allows you to literally cut out photos on your screen. A small crayon pops up and you are able to circle whatever image or text you want to capture and then paste it into whatever document you are creating. AWESOME find!

Here is an example of what I just did with Snippy. I used it to show you a small screenshot of my NETVIBES!

7. Unzip Them All - For those digiscrappers who download billions (exhaggerating - - or, am I???) of freebies and new kits daily. This program will unzip them all for you in literally seconds! What used to take me days to extract now takes minutes! It also extracts those blasted .rar files !!! Check it out, honestly. I couldn't live without it!

OK Thats it - I promise.

I am tagging the following ladies - sorry guys ! Had to be done ;)

Just me

2008-03-30T16:02:00.002-04:00

I did this page as part of the Sunshine girls challenge! You can read about it here.

Yes, that is a spoon on my nose - JEALOUS????

Credits: Walking on Sunshine Mega by the Sunshine girls.

Some cousins

2008-03-30T14:09:00.003-04:00

My mom has a very large family. She has five sisters and four brothers - and so that leaves me with a lot of cousins. Some are closer than others, some I rarely see, some I never see! Some were more like sisters and friends while I was growing up, still are, and some I even babysat! But, here is a layout I did with some of the cousins. One of the cousins in the picture is my little sister! These pictures were taken on Easter ! What fun we have together!!!

Credits: Walking on Sunshine Mega by the Sunshine Girls (and guy)!!

Lauren on Easter

2008-03-29T10:25:00.002-04:00

Maddie put these bunny ears on Lauren and I kept waiting for the wailing to come - but it didn't. She actually liked having them on.

You know I have a camera permanently attached to my hand, so check out the faces!

Credits: Beckie Wallace's Burst of Spring kit. Font: CK Toehead

Missing my hubby

2008-03-29T10:08:00.006-04:00

Well, my hubby has been away at an EMSI conference since Wednesday and, man, do I miss him! He isn't far - just at a ski resort about an hour and a half East of us. The thing is that typically it is me and the kids who go away, and leave him home, like when we go to the cottage. Well, I know how he feels now.

So, last night he called to see how everyone was doing and it turned out that he hadn't made dinner plans with the guys. I decided to take a drive! So, I left the kiddos with my mom and I drove up to see him and have dinner on a whim. I decided all of this at like 3pm. Of course, he is at the resort that has the ALL YOU CAN EAT SEAFOOD BUFFET on Fridays. But to be honest, we could have sat in his hotel room and had pizza for all I cared.

Sidenote: we did have the buffet and it was kick a$$ as usual.

Here is a layout I did of Lauren and Mike while he was gone :(

Credits: Beckie Wallace Boy Meets Girl kit.

Creative team news :(

2008-03-29T09:50:00.004-04:00

I decided (begrudgingly) to step down from two of the Creative Teams that I am on, at least for now. I needed to make some adjustment in my life and it was just time. It is a necessary change right now, but perhaps I will be able to come back in the summer when school has let out. We shall see!

In the meantime, I am still scrapping and still learning to design. I have so much wonderful feedback from everyone on the kits I have created so far, and I really like it. This might be that creative outlet I have been searching for. I am working on an idea that is a spin off from UNDER MY PILLOW, but totally different. That is what I am doing today.

A few people have already suggested to me that I may be able to sell the kits, which is very complimentary since I am not sure they are 'worthy' yet. I am nervous about that, because I have heard of some designers getting flack when they turn from freebies to $$$ kits. By flack I mean, people actually telling them their kits are good enough to download for free, but not good enough to pay for. I would like to sell eventually. I have a group of people around me who I trust, and they will not steer me wrong. We will see how it plays out down the road.

On that note and going back to the whole - you are good enough for a freebie but not to buy, I have to say how much easier to be blunt like that and hurt someones feelings on the net. I think people wouldn't say HALF of the things they say if they were face to face! If you really feel that way, don't download it and go away to the many other people giving shit away. I am pretty outspoken actually, but I would NEVER intentionally hurt someone. I think most people are like that in real life, but online - that's another whole ball game. People type anonymous comments and just think they can hide behind their computers. It hasn't happened to me yet, but I am sure it will!

Impromptu Challenge - Unconditional

2008-03-27T23:06:00.003-04:00

I don't know if I am just a sap lately, or if it is because Mike is away at a conference right now. But I couldn't help but do this impromptu challenge over at Stone Accents Studios. The challenge was to create a layout about what unconditional means to you, using the dictionary definition.

Now here is a testament to Beckie's kit - I am not a big fan of orange, but - honestly, check out the florals in this kit! The orange one is so unique in color and it just seems classy to me.

Well, anyway- here is what I came up with.

The foil hearts are kick a$$ too - hey, don't say a word - I said it was uncensored!

New Beckie Wallace kit - KISMET

2008-03-26T16:35:00.004-04:00

Gotta love this new kit by Beckie Wallace who, by the way, has TWO NEW STORES! She has her shoppe at Stone Accents Studio, and we are currently celebrating her Grand Opening over at Digital Candy as well!

Kismet is brand new, and in both stores so check it out now! It is currently on sale at both stores so be sure to hustle to get it if you are interested.

Here is my new layout using the kit - called DREAMS. Which I just love this picture, well for many reasons. I had just gotten them bathed and dressed for bed. I put Lauren next to MJ on the chair and MJ immediately went for her hand. They were watching Backyardigans, so they were in their regular trance - they just held their hands up in the air. So long, in fact, I had time to run and get the camera - and there they still were holding their hands up like they were doing some kind of Renaissance dance! Love it!

Under My Pillow

2008-03-23T10:25:00.002-04:00

The response to Under My Pillow has been indescribable ! I can't believe how many people have downloaded it in less than 24 hours. I really enjoy designing - but I hope I don't displace my love for making my own layouts!

Here is the first creation using Under My Pillow! The very photo the entire kit was designed around is in this layout! Thank you again, Heather :)

Presenting: Under My Pillow

2008-03-22T18:25:00.007-04:00

I asked my friend Heather what kind of kit she would like me to try to design next. I was in need of some direction to go. I started three or four kits but none had a theme yet. She had a great plan, and I ran with it. I was trying not to be too cheezy - but here is my latest freebie!

So, I present to you : Under My Pillow

Enjoy! Please don't forget to leave me some feedback or even send me your layout. I love posting them on my blog!!

Grab the UNDER MY PILLOW papers here.

Grab the UNDER MY PILLOW elements here.

Christie's Two-pager with Summer Cottage

2008-03-22T17:00:00.000-04:00

I am so excited to show you this one, mostly because the pictures are so amazing - but, of course, the use of the kit is awesome too. I love how some of my papers suddenly look like water in her layout!

Thank you so much for sharing these with me Christie :)

Another Summer Cottage Layout !!!

2008-03-22T08:40:00.003-04:00

Sorry I have been scarce, I have been working on a new kit :) It will have a extra element pack of first lost tooth items. I really like how its turning out - so I hope everyone will too :)

Here is another Summer Cottage Layout that I got from another fellow July momma, Leslie. Thank you Leslie for sending me your layout. It is amazing!

Beckie Wallace - freebies!

2008-03-19T20:25:00.004-04:00

Beckie Wallace has some freebies up on her design blog! Check them out! This is just a sample!

A GLOSSY ALPHA: Some cool metallic hearts and flowers:In the Woods paper pack :

Go snag them here at Beckie Wallace Designs!

For my peeps!

2008-03-19T20:23:00.002-04:00

Summer Cottage Layout

2008-03-19T18:57:00.003-04:00

I received another Summer Cottage Layout today from a fellow July mommy, Hillary! I can't possibly describe the boost I get when I see these layouts. This one is incredible - I just adore it, plus the boys are so precious! Thank you so much for sharing it with me, Hillary.

Won't you wear a sweater day?

2008-03-19T15:38:00.002-04:00

In honor of Mr. Rogers', who would be eighty tomorrow, please join me and participate in

WON'T YOU WEAR A SWEATER DAY?

Excited - and a new layout with Coffee Talk!

2008-03-18T11:55:00.007-04:00

So, I am thrilled to report that within the past few days I have had over 300 hits on my blog and about 130 downloads of the Summer Cottage kit. That is way more than I expected, and I couldn't be more stoked than I am right now.

Here is a layout created by my friend Heather - she used the Coffee Talk kit to scrap her two pooches! How adorable are they, all cuddling up in the bottom photo! The alpha she used is from The Promise kit by Shabby Princess.

I love this !

2008-03-16T23:58:00.005-04:00

It is so incredible to see amazing layouts that people can make with something you put together. Thank you again to Christie for sending me over another amazing (and adorable) layout. This time, she used Summer Cottage to scrap her daughter - isn't she just an adorable little bug!

Keep 'em comin!

Summer Cottage

2008-03-16T18:55:00.004-04:00

Here is my second kit... I am really attached to this one. It was inspired by my family's summer cottage on Lake Erie. Please enjoy and send me any layouts you create with this kit, I would love to see them!

Click here for my new freebie - SUMMER COTTAGE.

Coffee Talk Layout

2008-03-16T14:22:00.005-04:00

I got another layout made from my first kit COFFEE TALK. It really is extremely exciting to see the layouts made with a kit I made. I am so tickled. This amazing one came from my friend Angiee! She took these pictures from inside and used enhancements to get rid of that 'inside glass' look of the picture. She is extremely talented, and I am so proud to post something she made on my blog! Thanks A! You can check out her blog here!

I still hope to get more. So, if you downloaded my kit - please, please send me a link so I can see what wonderful things you did with it!

I did it!

2008-03-14T15:44:00.007-04:00

Ok, you guys know me. I don't do anything half way. There is nothing more annoying to me than not knowing how to do something. So, I have taken on the task of learning how to design my own kits. I have thrown myself at the mercy of some women I trust to steer me in the right direction !

Just for sh**s and giggles - I took a whack at making my own kit. Realize before you go scrolling down to check it out that IT IS MY FIRST KIT EVER! I bought some commercial use items, and went for it. I hope it isn't too amateur, but then again - I am, so I guess I should probably be ok with that. I am giving this away, but only only if you promise to share with me anything you made with it.

I understand that it's a small kit, but I was truly just messing around. I hope to have more in the future to share with you.

Also, since I used commercial use items to make this kit please check out my TOU, so that credit can truly be given to those designers: specifically Kim B, SAAB and Atomic Cupcake.

This is my new mini- COFFEE TALK (and if you are an SNL fan like me - you get it !)

I gave this kit to my partner-in-scrap (LOL - I totally made that up, feel free to steal it) Christie, and she made this layout. I can't even begin to describe to you how it felt to see it used. I was on cloud 9 nine all night - Thanks Christie !

Thanks for checking it out! Enjoy :) You can grab the freebie here !

Change can be a good thing

2008-03-12T18:33:00.004-04:00

Well, my favorite designer, Beckie Wallace, has some new digs over at Stone Accents Studio. What does that mean for you, well it means big savings until the 15th - see the sale sign below and click here to go to her new shoppe!

Congrats Beckie on the new digs! I said it before, and I will say it again - you are stuck with me, mama - to the ends of the Earth!

Considering the candidates this year - this is poetic justice

2008-03-09T09:59:00.001-04:00

http://www.hbo.com/films/ironjawedangels/

This story was forwarded to me and felt I needed to pass it on. It is about an HBO movie (titled above) that hopefully everyone will get a chance to see.

This is the story of our Grandmothers, and Great-grandmothers, as they lived only 90 years ago. It was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote
A reminder on the importance of using our voice!

The women were innocent and defenseless. And by the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of "obstructing sidewalk traffic."

They beat Lucy Burn, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air. They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.

Thus unfolded the "Night of Terror" on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote.
For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms. When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.
So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year because--why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?

Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO's new movie "Iron Jawed Angels." It is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder.

All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote. Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege. Sometimes it was inconvenient.

My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women's history, saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped by my desk to talk about it, she looked angry. She was--with herself. "One thought kept coming back to me as I watched that movie," she said. "What would those women think of the way I use--or don't use--my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now, not just younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn." The right to vote, she said, had become valuable to her "all over again."

HBO released the movie on video and DVD. I wish all history, social studies and government teachers would include the movie in their curriculum. I want it shown on Bunco night, too, and anywhere else women gather. I realize this isn't our usual idea of socializing, but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think a little shock therapy is in order.

It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy.
The doctor admonished the men: "Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity."

Please, if you are so inclined, pass this on to all the women you know.

We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you vote democratic, republican or independent party - remember to vote.

History is being made.

My baby's blues

2008-03-08T15:41:00.002-05:00

We all have hazel eyes: me, Mike and MJ. I am really hoping that Lauren keeps this incredible shade of blue eyes that she is sporting! I suppose I could go to some genetics probablility website and it will tell me that its not likely - but I ain't hearing it right now :)

Here is a layout I did today to showcase these amazing baby blues! I used Blueberry Cream kit by Sophisticated Scraps. Fonts are LD Charlie Clown and LD Italic.

New layout

2008-03-08T10:13:00.002-05:00

Here is a layout I did late last night with Beckie's new kit called BURST OF SPRING! - I should mention now that I really need a burst of Spring because we are supposed to get another snow blast today!

Other than that - just another Saturday :)

Tales from third grade...

2008-03-06T21:56:00.003-05:00

Some days when I sub it is truly comic relief! That was today :) I love subbing in third grade specifically one class - they are always 'with it', ready to go, actively participate and are truly a class that visually represents why I love being a teacher. I do mean that!

While part of me felt bad for this kid, but I had to get that in check - he brought it on himself for thinking he was smarter than me. Bad plan: I take it personal!

So here is the scene: we have read a really great non-fiction article comparing and contrasting East Coast and West Coast spartina! Have I lost you yet? Truly, that is unimportant, I just thought I would throw it in there :) After the article, there is a practice book page that needed to be completed. It was a grammar worksheet practicing placing quotations in the correct spots of a sentence. There was probably six or seven of them - not trying or time consuming by any means. I assigned the class the page 111 in the practice book, and said I would give them some time then we would go over it as a class.

Next, I see a hand fly up in the air - the boy says, "That page is ripped out of my practice book". Now, I remember the last time I was there hearing this same sob story from this same kid. Last time, I had him look on with a neighbor and work together on it.

Fool me once, shame on me - Fool me twice, uh.... yea, that's not gonna happen! Shame on you!

This time, I asked him how that happened and probed further as to where the page could have possibly gone since they are not allowed to take these books home. He gave me a bunch of random answers about being suspending and taking the book home and it was probably his brother. I reminded him of the last time I was there, and how it was a strange coincidence that BOTH those pages seem to be missing. I asked him point blank, "Did you tear it out and put it in your desk?" - he looked me square in the face and told me no.

I assumed, incorrectly as I later found out, that he wouldn't pull this on his regular teacher whom I was subbing for.

So, I checked the book - sure enough, it was ripped out. I handed him a blank sheet of writing paper and an extra copy of the book, and told him to copy his answers on the paper. He was livid. So, I all this time the students were working on this page, and I am going back and forth with this kid. I gave him his final instructions to get to work, and walked away to prepare for the next part of the lesson while they were finishing up.

He didn't want to work so he spent the next few minutes scratching his arm until it appeared as though he had a rash. He raised his hand and said with a smirk, "I have a rash.", so I told him to go to the nurse.

The second he was out the door, I checked his desk and sure enough, I found it! It was crumbled in the back of the desk, behind all the books, in the very far corner - the practice book page. So, I took it out, uncrumbled it and placed neatly on his desk.

When he came back, I told him that it was too late for him to do it now. It seems as though he would have to come back during recess to complete it. How sad for him!

Lunch time came and I informed the teacher on duty that I wanted him in my class as soon as he was done eating, but he somehow ended up outside for recess anyway. So, you know I took my butt out there and hauled his little butt back into my room and made him do that work.

I also gave him the ol' " I am very disappointed, not because you tore the page out, but because you lied to me" line - he did apologize for lying.

Maybe other teachers would have been annoyed by this entire escapade, but I thought it was somewhat humorous! It's a fact that the kids who are challenging (notice I didn't say bad) - are my favorites! I do like kids when they have a distinct personality - even if its a challenge for me!

Kindergarten tomorrow - can't wait :) You all know how I love Kindergarten!!!

Thursday Scrappin update

2008-03-06T21:21:00.005-05:00

Here are two layouts I did in the past few days. They are for my teams, which I can't tell you how much I am enjoying them. If you ever have a chance to be on a creative team - jump at the chance! There is so much more to it than getting their designs for free (although thats awesome). The secret is that there is such a wonderful network of women who are supportive, nurturing and inspirational out there who share your interests.

The first one was created using Amy Leigh Fennell's Fresh and Funky kit! Fonts used: Zirkon and Willing Race.

I used Beckie Wallace's new Sea Spray kit for the next one. I love the combination of golds, brown, creams and blues in this kit. It really reminds me of the beach! This is Madelyn from the summer of 2006 at the cabin. How much she has grown! I think she will really love it this year - its going to be tough chasing two down there :) Font used: CK Letter home.

My rambling...

2008-03-04T11:48:00.005-05:00

Ok, well it has been an eventful week in our house. First off, Lauren now has FOUR - yes, you read correctly - FOUR teeth. Two on the bottom and two on the top ! Holy crap. She is pretty pleasant but slobbering like crazy! She is also up on all fours and rocking. I think its absolutely hysterical that she doesn't sit on her own unassisted for more than a minute, but she is going to be crawling around within the next few weeks. She really gets going! I will see if I can get a video of it today, but here is a picture :)

On to Madelyn... well, we had a visitor on Sunday night - the 'dinky' fairy came to take her 'dinkies' away. We left the dinkies for her on the table and she took them, and left a present for MJ! She was excited for the present, but cried for the dinkies for over an hour. She actually said to me at one point, "Call her and tell her to BRING THEM BACK!" - then random waking up in the night crying and screaming for them!

Talk about a trauma! If you know me in real life, you know I DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE HER A PACIFIER FROM THE JUMP. But my doctor told me it has benefits, blah - blah - blah! I knew I should have tried to take it away before she turned two, but honestly - being pregnant, I was thinking about other things. I also thought how can I take it away, then introduce a new baby with one into our home. So, I put it off - mistake !!!! I should have just taken the damn thing away before she could tell me how much she loves it!

So the last few nights in our house have been ****H E L L**** Last night was a little better, but I think its because she took NO nap yesterday. Eh, lesson learned! Here are her last moments with the dinkies :)

Mike and I got to go out to dinner by ourselves Sunday night -which rarely happens. My mom watched the girls' and we got to eat a nice hot meal :)

Now the week has started and I am just trying to patiently wait for the QOTC winners to be announced :) I am working two days this week in addition to my evening classes ! So getting things prepared is taking some time also. But I am keeping busy, and thats a good thing :)

Queen of the Crop - Day three

2008-03-03T10:37:00.000-05:00

Well I was able to finish - although I didn't see it happening. I will explain that in tomorrow's post.

And so I present my last of the QOTC layouts! Honestly, I can't believe I finished this challenge this weekend. 10 layouts??? That's insane! I also was able to keep the house in order, and get some shopping done - go out to dinner, and that is a feat! I am really proud!

Here they are:

The first layout was a scraplift challenge. That means you check out someone's gallery, find a layout that you like, and use it for inspiration to make your own layout. Sometimes these come really easily, and other times you get stuck. In this layout I used Shabby Princess's Vintage Florals, NewLife Dreams 2 Hearts kit and the alpha is from GoodBye to Summer by Mydigistyle.

The next one was to scrap a smile. I used Just for You Kit by NewLife Dreams, and a pink alpha by flergs.

The theme for the next one was 'Splish spash', make a layout with water! I decided to use Heather Roselli's Oceania kit and the frame is from Beckie Wallace's Snips and Snails kit.

The last one was themed 'Interview', in which I tried to actually interview Madelyn. Well, that was a joke. So I made a list of all her favorite things right now. In case your wondering, "Chocolate Bunny kind" refers to Nestle Chocolate milk with the bunny on the carton! I used Robin Carlton's Fancy Pants for this one.

Queen of the Crop - Day two

2008-03-02T01:02:00.005-05:00

Unproductive day - the kids were nutso today. I just didn't have the energy to deal with them and find time to get more done. I did one layout this morning before they woke up, and two after they went to bed! I did finish the laundry that I started yesterday. Eh, just a day.

The first layout wasn't even for the challenge. I just wanted to use this new kit I bought from Dani Mogstad called 'The Land of Nod' - its so cute! Font used: CK Twilight.

The second layout was for the challenge. The prompt was to scraplift one of the layouts from the designer who is giving the challenge. It was tough! I used Dani Mogstad's Sassy Pants kit (sensing a pattern here?), star embellishments by Ellie Lash and the word art by K. Pertiet.

The third and final layout of the day was also part of the challenge. The prompt was to scrap a picture of your kid smiling and use the quote, "Whenever I see you smile, I smile myself because I love you". I used the Just for you kit by NewLife Dreams, and the WWpinkalpha by Flergs. Font used: CK Happiness.

I think I have one other to post, but I just have no energy left~! I am off to bed.

Queen of the Crop - Day one

2008-02-29T22:07:00.007-05:00

My partner in scrapping Christie and I decided we were going take on a challenge this weekend. So we are participating in the Queen of the Crop challenge at GDS! I got a little behind with a late start, but I got more done today than I thought I would !!

First layout challenge was a prompt "Kids say the darndest things", I actually copied and pasted one of my Maddieisms right onto the journaling. I used Amy Leigh's Brilliant Blossoms for this one! Fonts: 2Peas Crazy Pooch, 2Peas Rubber Ducky.

Second layout challenge was to scrap a kid goofing off (easy enough considering the goof I live with!). I used a kit from the Sweet Shoppe by Kristin Cronin-Barrow called Paradise Bound. Alphatendress2 by Petit Moinaux, font: gigi.Third layout challenge was to scrap what I consider to be my own personal masterpiece in life.

I used Sea Spray by Beckie Wallace for this one. I really love this kit's soft warm colors. It reminds me of being at our cabin on Lake Erie! Font used was called Amura.

Fourth layout challenge was to scrap someone's favorite thing. This is Doreen Stolz's Daydreams kit, the laundry label is by Tracy Reed from the Sweet Shoppe and the font: as bold as brass.

These are the four I got done today. I may get one more done tonite- we shall see. Mike is on his way home, and I begged him to stop and get me a Wendy's cheeseburger - shame on me for eating this late, and a cheeseburger at that!

100th post was a sad one :(

2008-02-28T09:59:00.006-05:00

Well, my last post was my 100th post on my blog and I really was wanting it to be funny, quirky and just all 'me-like' ROFL. But, unfortuntately the entire City of Pittsburgh is mourning the loss of the legendary Myron Cope today.

Steeler season will never be the same without him being here. His voice was unique, and when you heard it you knew you were in Steeler Country. I often would put the TV on, and turn the sound down and listen to Myron Cope on the radio.

As you may have read in my previous post, Myron is also the inventor of the TERRIBLE TOWEL. This iconic representation for Steelers fan is a must have at a game, party or any Steeler event. There are people who still have the originals (man, would I love to have one of those) ! They still sell THOUSANDS of them every year - Myron has awarded the rights of the towel to a home where his autistic son lives. So for years to come, they will reap the monetary benefits of this fan must-have. How amazing!

The reason we loved him so, was because he wasn't glitz and glamour, he didn't become a 'pseudo celebrity' - he was just an average normal every day guy with hysterical expressions, a dynamic personality, an irritating and obnoxious radio voice, but so truley loveable, true to life, a true Steeler fan, true Pittsburgher at heart - just true. He definitely called it like he saw it! A real person - a real fan calling the game.

We all knew this day would come - he wasn't a young man, but I am glad it happened during the off -season. It would be so painful for many to watch the Steelers right now.

So, Steelers have a daunting season next year - they will be expected to bring it on for Myron. And I can guarantee that a sea of yellow, the likes of which has never been seen, will sweep over Heinz field at EVERY home game in honor of our own legendary broadcaster.

Rest In Peace - Myron Cope

History of the Terrible Towel

2008-02-28T09:38:00.002-05:00

RIP Myron Cope

The Terrible Towel
Towels and Points Delight
By Myron Cope

Not long ago, Dan Rooney the president of the Pittsburgh Steelers handed me a copy of the
Sports Business- The Management Newsletter for Sports Money Makers. He pointed to an item he knew would interest me. Under the Advisory for Fans, Sports Business confided
to the Moguls who subscribe to it: "Special, almost Unclassifiable gimmick like the Steelers' Terrible Towel are a fan turn-on. The keys to the most successful of these devices seem to be 1)Color, and 2)Motion.

Crowds dressed in the same color clothing can make an impact, but it is passive. Color plus motion in the stands creates a kind of framework for the content itself,
making the entire experience more memorable for the spectator. We suggest a look at the Japanese and British sports crowds for examples of dynamic display of color and motion."

I, as creator of the Terrible Towel, and instrument with which Steelers fans had flogged their team to victories in Super Bowls X and XIII (the Steelers won Super Bowl IX without it), could not decide which impressed me ore - Sports Business' expertise in determining that color plus motion had made the towel a success, or my audacity in creating the towel while ignorant of the fact that I was mixing a precise formula that would produce a "special almost unclassifiable
gimmick."

During the NBC telecast of Super Bowl XIII, Curt Gowdy had referred to the towel as the "dirty towel" an allusion that had not especially annoy me inasmuch as Gowdy had botched the names of the legions of professional football players. Let him know that Sports business, which gets $60 for 24 issues from, sports moneymakers, perceives the impact of the Terrible Towel, which, dirty or laundered is held to be good reason for the moneymakers to take a close look at Japanese and British crowds. Lord, that I had known all that at the beginning.

"Your ideas was pure genius," said Rooney. "But you were too stupid to know what you were doing."

Here I should explain that I'm a Pittsburgh radio/television sports commentator and an anlayst of Steeler games on the radio. Late in November of 1975, I received a call from the secretary to the vice president and general manager of WTAE Radio who said, "Can you step over to Ted's office?"

Crossing the hall, I found the burly figure of Ted J. Atkins. He was huddled with the vice president for sales, Larry Garrett. Atkins said, "The Steelers are going to the playoffs. As you know the first game will be here in Pittsburgh. As the Steelers flagship radio station, we think we should come up with some sort of gimmick that will involve the people." Then Atkins barked, "Come up with a gimmick!"

"I'm not a gimmick guy," I replied. "Never have been a gimmick guy."

"You don't understand," said Garrett.

He explained that were I to promote some kind of object that the fans would wave or wear at the playoffs, advertisers would be so impressed by my hold on the public that they would clamor to sponsor my various shows.

"Besides," said Garrett, "your contract with us expires in three months."
"I'm a gimmick guy," I shrugged.

Advertising salesmen were hurriedly summoned to Atkins' office. Brainstorms erupted. "I've got it!" cried a salesman. "Chuck Noll's motto is 'Whatever it takes,' right?" Totally sober the salesman proposed that we dress the 50,000 fans entering Three Rivers Stadium in
black costume masks upon which Noll's motto would be painted in gold lettering. A phone call to a supplier of novelties revealed that 50,000 black masks could be obtained at a cost of 50 cents apiece, $25,000, vice presidents Atkins and Garrett incisively concluded that black masks were not the crowd pleaser we were looking for.

"What we need here," I said, "Is something that's lightweight and portable and already is owned by just about every fan."
"How about towels?" Garrett said.
"A towel?" It had possibilities.
"We could call it the Terrible Towel," I said. "Yes, and I can go on radio and television proclaiming, 'The Terrible Towel is poised to strike!'"
"Gold and black towels, the colors of the Steelers," someone piped.
"No," I said, "Black won't provide color. We'll tell them to bring gold or yellow towels."
"Yellow and gold will fly," cried a sales voice. "Tell 'em if they don't have one, buy one, and if they don't want to buy one, dye one!"
"I'll tell 'em they can use the towel to wipe their seats clean," I said, "They can use it as a muffleragainst the cold. They can drape it over their heads if it rains."

Another great concept in broadcasting having being born, Ted J. Atkins sent out for champagne.
Later, when the Terrible Towel advanced for final approval to Franklin C. Snyder, vice president and general manager of the Hearst Broadcasting System, he ordered only one change: "We must have black towels too," he said gravely. "If we exclude black, we'll be asking for trouble from the Human Relations Commission and the FCC."

A few days later, on the heavily watched Sunday night 11 o'clock television news, I introduced Pittsburgh to the Terrible Towel, making a dammed fool of myself by hurling towels at the anchorman, the weatherman, and everyone else. Public response was instant and pleasantly flabbergasting. One of the few resisters was a co-captain of the Steelers, linebacker Andy Russell.
"What's this crap about a towel?" he growled at me in the locker room several days later. We're not a gimmick team. We've never been a gimmick team."

His words had the ring of familiarity. But I fell back upon bravado. "Russell," I said, "You're sick."
Mind you, I did not see the Terrible Towel as witchcraft to hex the enemy. It would be a positive force, driving the Steelers to superhuman performance. Unsure of my own sanity, almost daily I intoned on radio and television, "The Terrible Towel is poised to strike!"

The very morning of the playoff game, against Baltimore, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette warned that I was trying to turn Three Rivers Stadium into a tenement neighborhood, yet at least 30,000 spectators turned up for the game waving Terrible Towels. It was a fine start.

In foul, wet weather, wide receiver Frank Lewis wiped his hands with a Terrible Towel, then made a scarcely believable one-handed catch of a Terry Bradshaw bullet. Later, Bradshaw went down, his leg injured, and did not emerge from the locker room tunnel when his teammates took the field for the second half. Only seconds before play resumed, the crowd exploded, filling the air with towels, for Bradshaw had reappeared.

Could Russell remain a nonbeliever? A young woman named Lisa Benz beheld the towel's effect upon him (Russell scooped up a Colts fumble and, through playing on an injured leg, lumbered 93 yards to a touchdown) and later mailed me the following verse:

He ran ninety-three
like a bat out of hell,
And no one could see
How he rambled so well.
"It was easy," said Andy,
And he flashed a cooked smile,
"I was snapped on the fanny
By the Terrible Towel!"

Yea, verily did infidels cast aside their skepticism as the Steelers and the Terrible Towel whipped their way through the Oakland Raiders to the American Conference title, and through the Dallas Cowboys to victory in Super Bowl X, Last year Pittsburgh again earned home-field advantage for the playoffs. That dictated the Terrible Towel's resurrection, its use being reserved exclusively for post-season games. And if I say so, this set a standard of commotion worthy of the Beatles and Elvis. The Denver Broncos came out on the field at Three Rivers and found hemselves trapped in a vortex of yellow, gold and black terry cloth whirling against the
bitter December sky like the swords of 50,000 Cossacks.

Lynn Swann, answering his introduction by the P.A. announcer, loped out to the goal line, leaped 4 feet into the air and snapped a Terrible Towel overhead, whereupon from the crowd there came a thunderclap of a roar such as I had never heard at an athletic event. Swann then presented his towel to his fellow wide receiver, John Stallworth, who proceeded to catch not three or four passes (a good day's work) but 10. Later as the Steelers put the finishing touches to a 33 - 10 trashing of the Broncos, an eavesdropping NFL Films microphone caught Swann and Stallworth on the sideline taking inventory of their prospects for going all the way.

"We've got the offense," said Swann. "We've got the defense. We've got the QB. We've got Franco. We've got Joe Greene. We've got Chuck Noll." Slapping hands mightily with Stallworth, Swann concluded, "And we've got the Terrible Towel."

Next, Earl Campbell and the Houston Oilers came to town for the AFC Championship game. Multitudes of Western Pennsylvanians who had been unable to get ticket to the gsme draped towels over their television sets and radios, even over their dogs, cats and children. Towels hung from windows, lampposts and roofs. A department store chain that offered Terrible Towels at
$6.50 each, with a charity earmarked as the beneficiary, had run out of them in four hours; it then ordered another shipment and had run out in two hours.

As the Steelers and the Oilers lined up for the opening kickoff, a yellow towel suddenly descended
from the deck above the WTAE broadcasting booth, and as if by magic, jerked to a halt in midair 15 feet in front of the booth.

My binoculars revealed that painstaking Steelers fans had strung fishing line from the top deck clear down to the end zone to our left, their plan having been to release the towel at kickoff and let it slide by means of a pulley to the end zone. But then fishing line, so fine it had been invisible to the naked eye, had become coated with ice in the freezing rain that whipped the stadium, and that arrested the towel before our very eyes.

"What is that dammed towel doing out there?" cried my broadcast partner, Jack Fleming. A large
deep-voiced man and a football purist who from the outset had been hostile to my Terrible Towel. Fleming now found that the one before him removed half the gridiron from his vision as he was about to begin his play-by-play.

"Somebody get that towel out of here," he bellowed. Minutes later, the roof above Fleming sprang a leak, and in an instant he was soaked.
"Give me one of those damned things," he yelled reaching into an assortment of Terrible Towels at my elbow. While he mopped his spotter boards, I wondered. "Is the towel punishing an unbeliever?" I sat less than 3 feet from Flemming's left, yet no water fell on me. Meanwhile, our
producer produced an umbrella, Fleming, livid, clutched it in a white-knuckled fist throughout the first quarter, craning to follow ballcarriers and receivers as they disappeared behind the yellow towel suspended before us, and roaring during every timeout for workmen to cut down the infernal rag.

That done at last, Fleming settled into a mood of controlled churlishness striving to find enjoyment in the fact that the Steelers were thundering toward a 34 - 5 win. Without warning, however, a Steelers fan named Larry Opperman, a one time unsuccessful candidate for the State Legislature, leaped from the stands across the field as the Oilers deployed to receive a kickoff.
Opperman wore two Terrible Towels over a bathing suit, and he twirled another towel overhead. He raced past the Oilers' bench to the 50-yard line. He then zigzagged his way downfield through the entire Houston team, whooping like a madman.

The crowd roared "Idiot,"snapped Fleming.

Two days later, Opperman popped into my office unannounced. "I thought you might like to have this," hesaid. He handed me the towel he had worn. It was still slightly damp but was obviously a memento to be cherished. "How kind of you," I said.

But the impending Super Bowl showdown against the Dallas Cowboys at Miami troubled me. "The Terrible Towel does not like to travel," I cautioned the faithful in my radio and television commentaries. "The towel breathes life from the support it gets from the fans in the stadium, but Steelers fans are finding Super Bowl tickets hard to come by." Those fans, I had forgotten, had
demonstrated at two previous Super Bowls involving their team that when it came to procuring tickets, John D. Rockefeller was no more adept at unearthing oil.

They showed up in the Orange Bowl at least 20,000 strong, flying their Terrible Towels, and at
game time, the towel gave a sign to the nation that it was ready.

On the Steelers' first play from scrimmage, center Mike Webster hunkered over the ball wearing a yellow Terrible Towel tucked into his wristband. "I believe," said Bradshaw as he lined up over Webster. He touched the towel and proceeded to bombard the Cowboys dizzy firing four touchdown passes. The Steelers were ahead by 18 points, with some seven minutes remaining,
whine I trotted down from our booth to the Pittsburgh bench to be nearer to the locker room, where I would conduct postgame radio interviews.

"Here," Webster said to me. He handed me the game towel, soggy by now. "I guess we don't need this anymore." I stuffed the towel into my briefcase and zipped it closed. With that, the Cowboys awakened. They rallied for a quick touchdown to draw within 11 points. Steelers fans having had to lay 4 1/2 points and more, because uneasy. The towel, I was to realize later, cried out to be turned loose from my briefcase, but I did not hear its plaints above the din that filled the Orange Bowl. As the Cowboys drove to yet another score to reduce the final margin to a calamitous four points, the towel shrieked till its fibers popped, but it went unheard.

"How could you suffocate the towel when we needed it most? a fan demanded afterward. "I'm laughing for the Super Steelers but I'm crying inside to the tune of a hundred and a half."

Still the Steelers' triumph prompted the information of the Terrible Towel bandwagons. From Ohio State, Purdue and the University of Iowa, reports came to me of basketball crowds twirling towels. The pro bowling tour stopped near Dallas where a transplanted Pittsburgh woman approached her favorite bowler, Marshall Holman, and handed him a Terrible Towel.

Using it to wipe the perspiration from his hands, Holman won the $15,000 first prize. A distraught woman sent me a check for $6.50, beseeching me to send her a towel; the department store had been sold out when she tried to buy one. She explained that her nephew, injured in an auto accident weeks earlier, lay in a coma. "He's a Steelers fan," she wrote. "When he wakes up,
the firstthing we want him to see at his bedside is the Terrible Towel."

Mind you, being high priest of a towel does not turn my head. I have published four books and, before that, learned to play the clarinet, saxophone and piano. Yet it now appears certain that when my time comes, they will say to me in Pittsburgh, my longtime hometown, "Oh, he was the fellow who had that towel." Indeed in the aftermath of Super Bowl XIII, I received notification from the Pro Football Hall of Fame at Canton, Ohio, that a set of three Terrible Towels was to be enshrined there for all to behold. I must remember to visit the Hall of Fame to see if the towels hang along side the busts of Bronko Nagurski and Sammy Baugh, or in a lavatory. Either
way, I still remain composed.

***You will be missed Myron :(

ROFLMAO!

2008-02-24T17:36:00.002-05:00

I can't believe I forgot to blog this the other day - OK, a little background first. So, I have a lot of scrap people that I talk to on a pretty regular basis and there are some that I am closer to than others. One that I am becoming pretty tight with is a pal I met through an online message board for mom's with babies born in the month of July. She and I both shared the digital scrapbook addiction, and thus began talking. I stopped frequenting that website, and she noticed I was gone. She asked where I was, and a girl who is from my area let me know. I sent her an email, and we have been chatting it up almost daily since then.

The reason for the background is to tell you that she and I instant message often when we are scrapping, sending each other photobucket links to say "What do you think?" and get some feedback.

She was checking out my blog one day last week, and she was looking at the layouts from our snow day. She pointed out to me that in the Layout called "Playing with daddy" the ends of the y's look like little peters! Now, everytime I see that layout... I just think of little peters! ROFLMAO!

You want to go look now don't you? What is the most funny is that is SOOOOO my sense of humor, and I am not sure she even knew that when she sent me the IM! Hysterical.

I meet the best people online, I swear!

Hot Chocolate

2008-02-24T10:55:00.003-05:00

A while back, some designers from Moo Too Designs did a blog train give away and the theme was hot chocolate. I remember thinking at the time that I might have any use for the kits, but they were so cute I couldn't resist downloading them.

Well, when we had our snow day last Tuesday - I got the perfect pictures to use with the kits. I did a little 'pick and choose' between the kits, but they coordinated so well it was easy to mix and match what I wanted !

See credits below:

Credits: Kim's Chocolate Alpha - Kim's Scrappin

Got marshmallow sign -from Hot Chocolate kit by Terrell Sanzone

Cup paper- from Hot Chocolate Kit by Gloria ValVerde

Background paper, hot chocolate mug and swirl, and cardboard from Nancy Wilkins Scrappy Cats Hot Chocolate Kit.

Swirl pushpin- by Coralee Evans

Font used: Thumping

Just in time for the weekend...

2008-02-22T22:08:00.003-05:00

Ok, my friend Kelly started a blog and immediately told her readers that she is guilty of the ... between sentence fragments. I AM SO GUILTY OF THAT TOO! I also use the occassional - instead of a comma! Why? Who the hell knows? It's actually ridiculous, as it's not like it takes less energy to make a , instead of an - . Ah, well, anyway... guess I ought to apologize as well, then.

Apparently, I am a blog pusher! A couple of my friends started blogs this week. I did strongly suggest that they blog, since I like the therapy - I thought they would do (damn, theres that - again). But hey, I guess it's cool to be a pusher now, because I love reading whats up with my buds! And their blogs look fabulous too - check them out on my BLOGS list on the right side of your screen !

So, just in time for the weekend, my sinuses are kicking my ass! I just took some nyquil sinus nighttime so I may start rambling any time now! Because I feel increasingly worse as the night wears on, I don't see any scrappin' happenin' tonite! Tomorrow perhaps!

Sorry that I don't have anything too exciting for you to look at tonite - let me see if I can come up with a funny video of Lauren or Madelyn for you .... hang on (damn, there are those ... !)

Snow Day pictures finally scrapped!

2008-02-21T14:41:00.005-05:00

I know I promised these pictures a week ago, but I couldn't find just the right kit to scrap them! Finally, I got an email. It turns out that one of the designers I create for made the perfect kit for me to use, and this morning - I put them to use :)

Title: Playing with my Daddy

Credits: Karla Marano's Wintry Wonders available at Karla's Kaleidoscope Designs

Font used: POP

This one is done with the same kit - not necessarily as a Page two - but it could work !

Title: Snow Much Fun

Fonts: goofball, lovitz

Snips N Snails

2008-02-21T00:01:00.003-05:00

I realize I have no boys (yet - well, maybe ever!). But when Beckie Wallace showed us this new kit, and asked for some name suggestions... SNIPS N SNAILS came to mind. I was shocked and flattered that she liked it too! She actually had already started making some little critters to add as elements when I submitted my suggestion. We must be on the same wavelength, she and I!

So, I was stressing how I was going to use the kit because it was focused for a boy. It was like writers' block, except with scrapping. I was desperate to use it because I love the color pallette, but I didn't think I could scrap my girls with the elements.

Well, later that week she forwarded us a blank glue patch and that was all I needed. I knew that I could make a layout with the title in the glue and that would tie the whole thing together. I love the staple, and the paper bag elements in this kit. Really original and just fun to scrap with. So, without further adeiu - TUCKERED OUT!

Trying to catch up...

2008-02-20T21:44:00.003-05:00

I have about five hundred things going through my head right now. I think I may go nuts! I am behind on everything: scrapping, laundry, housework, shopping ! Did you notice that scrapping came first? Well, to be honest, it doesn't really come first - I do need to feed and cloth my husband and children first! And, although I am not as much of a neat freak as some people I know, I do have a little 'issue' with things being out of place. Even if its clutter, my clutter all has its place! The first thing I do when the kids go to bed is put everything back in its respective spot!

I hate disorder, and that is not to say that my house isn't a cluttered mess at times- but I do know where EVERYTHING is at all times. I also really hate folding laundry - which I know I have covered before, so I put laundry off at all costs! I know some people swear by doing one load a day, but that would be cruel and unusual punishment in my book. I would rather spend an entire day, once a week doing it than drag it out like that! I understand the logic behind their decision to do it that way, but its not my gig - that's for sure!

So, I did get the house cleaned, specifically the kitchen and bathroom. I finagled my hubby into getting Chinese for me for dinner under the rouse of 'We didn't go out for Valentine's Day'. It actually was a rouse, we just haven't had time - but I did get Chinese out of the deal, so you won't hear me complaining.

We also bought our Backyardigans LIVE tickets today - and I think Mike and I are more freakin excited about this show than Madelyn. Actually, I don't think it I KNOW IT! We both saw the commercial, looked at each other, and I dove towards the computer with credit card in hand! He was like GET AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN! Honestly, I think we would go without Madelyn, but we would look ridiculous - so, she can come too! ROFL!

Here is the lone layout I did today! It is from a new kit from Amy Leigh called 'BRILLIANT BLOSSOMS'. The colors in this kit are fabulous and vibrant. It just made me think of summertime, and when I think of summertime - I think of being at the Lake. So, thus came the layout entitled "Afternoon Nap".

This is my sister trying to get MJ to nap, I remember that it was way too hot to ask her to go up into her room in her pack and play for a nap, but there was no way she was willingly going to stay on the couch either. So, my sister just held her until she fell asleep :) What a nice Aunt Bee!

My goal was to scrap three pages today ! I may still get one more down by bedtime, since I took a wee-nap today ! But, I had to because both kids got up in the night last night and I didn't even lay down until 2am, then MJ was up at 3:30am, and Lauren was up twice - once at 2:15am and once at 4:30am. YIKES! What is going on? I think they get all out of whack when I work.

Quickie post

2008-02-18T23:42:00.004-05:00

Things here are super busy for a few days. I just wanted to jump on to say the purse party was KICK A$$! I got three purses (Chanel, D&G and a Coach) and didn't spend a dime ! Loved it! Meanwhile, I find out the purse lady lives like a half mile from my house. She said that she gets her shipments on Fridays, and I can stop by whenever! AWESOME! So there, freaking purse ladies from November trying to be the BE ALL END ALL of South Hills purse ladies! Screw you guys, I got my own purse lady, yo!

It was crazy at my sister in laws. There had to be at least fifty people coming through there, no kidding! Just about everyone who was invited came, and brought a friend! Exactly what I wanted, and why I didn't have to spend any money! I think we had a $2000 show! I am glad - worked out for me :)

So today, I busted my butt to get everything ready for my CCAC courses which start tonite and tomorrow night. I am ready for them to start, because I really this ! Tonite's class was great, and hopefully tomorrows will be just as good.

So tomorrow will be busy. Because in addition to a CCAC course starting, I am teaching third grade during the day! Should be fun! Luckily, nothing going on Wednesday and Thursday and I can get the housework caught up. I am hella -behind there!

I am also behind on my scrapping - in case you haven't noticed - its been a few days since I posted! Talk about an addiction! I think I am in a little withdrawl, and if I weren't so tired right now, I would totally stay up to do a layout!

Instead, I am hitting the hay! Above is Lauren blowing raspberries at you :)

Purse Party day!

2008-02-17T11:09:00.002-05:00

So, the purse party is today and I couldn't be more excited. The only issue is that Mike is working a quick shift, so I have no help. Luckily, my father in law offered to keep Madelyn and my nephew James while Dawn (my sister in law) and I host the party. My other nephews are in New York with my brother in law skiing. James is still a bit too young to go on this trip, and in light of his being sick this week with the same stomach bug we had, she decided it was best for him to hang here in the 'Burgh.

So MJ and James will be next door for the afternoon, and I will have the little bug with me :)

I will post later and let you know how it went. In case you don't know, I love to entertain, but my house is simply too small to have a number of people over so we are having the shin-dig at my sister in laws (who lives about three blocks from me).

So, if you are keeping track... my in laws live NEXT DOOR and my sister in law lives THREE BLOCKS away. The truth is that it really isn't that bad living next door to my mother in law. In fact, it is kind of alot of help. They aren't nosey or pushy - but I do occassionally have a random irritation. That's for another post though.

So when the party has commenced, and I am home, I will blog and let you all know how it was. I remember one of my first blogs was about having a purse party, so I am sure you are on the edge of your seats ((sarcasm)) waiting to find out how it goes!!

I didn't get any scrapping done this weekend because I was cooking for the party, and getting ready for my CCAC courses to begin.

Both are going to roll, I have ten students in one class so far, and nine in the other. So, my Monday and Tuesday evenings are booked for awhile beginning this week. I am exciting to get back into that role! I really love teaching computers, and specifically to adults. It is challenging, yet rewarding ! I do think I am good at it, and have alot to offer my students. In that way, it's not like a job, because I enjoy it. But it does pay well.

Will post more later, gotta go get ready :)

Saturday's rant-o-rama

2008-02-16T15:31:00.002-05:00

Well, yesterday was Madelyn's 2 and a half year appointment, and Lauren's six month appointment. Both have past those milestones already, but this is when we could get the appointments.

Let me start by explaining that from her very first appointment, Madelyn was diagnosed with having vaginal adhesions. This where the vagina is fused closed by a thin layer of skin.

Well, its genetic, and I had hoped that we would escape it with Lauren, but alas - she has them too. Actually even more so than Madelyn. Can I catch a break?

I questioned for a long time if this was somehow my fault, or something that I was doing wrong, but the doctors always assured me that it was, in fact, genetic. So again, with my questioning yesterday came the answer - it is genetic. I guess I just want reassured.

So, since Maddie was born we have seen a host of different physicians, all within the same practice, all who give us different things to do about it. The first doctor said it would correct itself, the second doctor - who is kind of old school, told us to let her soak every night in a warm bath and try to manually seperate it. Ok, we did - and and it closed back up.

The next doctor told us to use Premarin cream on it, and that the hormones would open it, but that we needed to be careful with how much we use because she could grow little boobs! Uh, right - her dad would never go for that one! I would put it on her, and I was always using so little out of fear her starting to bloom early, if you know what I mean? So, I don't think it did anything.

The next doctor told us we didn't have to use that, it would open on its own and that we were worrying needlessly.

Finally, last visit, the doctor told us to continue to use the Premarin. That it could cause infection.

Can you see why I am freaking out now that my second daughter also has it? To add insult to injury the doctor says that Lauren's are actually worse than Madelyn's.

During yesterday's appointment, I saw the new doctor in the practice. She is young and vibrant. I liked her immediately, and I began with my normal barrage of questions about why this is happening to them, and if there is something that I am doing to cause this. Again - it's genetic !

So, she said that I can just leave it alone! She said that since the girls' are not producing estrogen this early in life, because they have no need for it, they will just continue to close. This should correct itself, and that I don't need to worry about it at all. ((deep sigh of relief))

Ultimately it comes down to this... I hate putting creams on my daughters that might make them develop early. I know this drives my husband bananas... he hates talking about it, thinking about it or anything about it. As far as he is concerned, his is NEVER putting the cream on them and is probably hoping that they will stay closed until they are married !

So, my answer - I am going to stop agreeing to see whatever doctor is available when I need my appointment, and see ONE DOCTOR! I want ONE ANSWER, and them to stick to it!

Whew! Ok - glad that is out!

Karla's Divine Digital Sale

2008-02-15T09:15:00.004-05:00

Karla's Kaleidoscope Designs is having a huge sale - 50% off or more on all products in her boutique over - at DIVINE DIGITAL ! You must come over and check it out!

Here is the promo:

Karla also has some freebies over on her blog! I made some brag book pages for Valentine's Day as a promo for her ! So go snag em ! Be sure to scroll down so you get all four of them !!

Sweet Dreams layout

2008-02-14T23:53:00.004-05:00

I don't mind paying for my kits! Ask my pocketbook!

But, oh, do I love freebies! I get freebies notifications from many places, and I love it when something totally unique comes along. I get really bored of the same commercial templates being used, just recolored. So when I see something new, I get really excited.

I downloaded the moon and stars in the following layout today. They are by Barb Derkson and available on her blog ! How amazing are they. I honestly couldn't wait to use them! Then by a stroke of good luck, I happened upon the most perfect alpha to use with this layout, Silver Alpha by Flergs! Honestly, this is my favorite layout I have made in a while, and its so simple!

Thanks for the freebies you guys!

Happy Valentine's Day !

2008-02-14T11:58:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day to the readers of my blog :) I hope you had a marvelous day.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Here is a picture of Madelyn enjoying her Valentine's Day cookie from Eat n Park!

And one of Lauren, although she can't enjoy the cookie she received, she was all bundled up to go to Eat n Park! But doesn't she look adorable in her Future Steeler's Cheerleader hat!

Today's layout

2008-02-13T23:02:00.002-05:00

Today I made a layout using Amy Leigh Fennell's A Riot of Color! Its an old picture of Maddie Jo from the summer of 2006. We were at our annual trip to Kennywood for Alcoa's picnic. This was her first time at the Fish Pond, which is a huge tradition for us! All the kids get to go to the fish pond just before we leave, and this was her first time!

Lauren's new trick

2008-02-13T22:51:00.003-05:00

You have to watch the video the entire way through or you will miss it!

The Lion King

2008-02-13T14:14:00.002-05:00

Wow, how amazing is this show, you ask?

It was absolutely incredible. This was my first time seeing this show, and you know I love a musical but this knocked my socks off.

Ok, is it me? I get so overly emotionally at shows. I teared up several times during this one. Of course at the appropriate parts, like when Mufasa died, but also at inappropriate times like the opening number. It was so electrifying and it just swept me up in the momentum!

I thought perhaps it was that I really miss being onstage. Although that is hard to admit. I know I am not my former, young, entertaining self, and probably would fall on my face either metaphorically or literally! But a few times during the show I found myself thinking back to times when it was either Becky or myself perfoming in one show or another.

But alas, I must simply get to the theater more often. Hairspray is coming - I am desperate to see it!

One sided friendships

2008-02-13T12:37:00.002-05:00

I just want to put this down in writing - I am through with one sided friendships. I am not sure what it is in my personality that makes me this way, but I feel obliged to nurture a relationship. I value my friends, and the memories that go along with them. So, why is it that it seems so often I am the only one doing this?

Just for the record, I am not going to nurture and value a friendshiop on my own. I am so tired of placing my trust and value in a friendship when the other person doesn't. If we are acquaintances, thats fine too. But then say that, don't 'neeeeed me' when you need me and then disappear when you don't.

I want to say here that I am not the type of friend that needs to talk to you daily, weekly or even monthly. My closest friends know that. I like to catch up with my friends when they have time. Just like me, they have jobs and families and are very busy at times. But I want to know what is going on with you, not just continually call, email and text you to get no response whatsoever. On a side note, I realize that people go through times that they are super-ridiculously busy, or have something new in their lives and need time. I am not talking about that either, I understand that. I do that too!

So, if I call and leave you a message, at least text me back and say that you got it, and that you'll call me when you get a minute. Send me a card at Christmas!

Let me just put it this way; I am no longer going out of my way for people who wouldn't go out of their way for me. I am not calling if you don't return phone calls. I am not going to nurture our friendship for the sake of the friendship. I have enough friends that I don't need to do that.

I had a friend, who I thought was one of my best friends, ost because I didn't continue to track her butt down, call her, email her, text her every few months. Sadly, when I stopped, so did our friendship. She has seen Madelyn once, and probably doesn't even know I have Lauren. It disgusts me because she continued a sharade of a 'best friend' for so long, that I feel a loss. Unfortunately, I don't think she does.

So, at this point, I have to value my pride and my time more than the friendships. If these people truly cared about me, they would be in my life.

Nuff said about that!

Snow Day !

2008-02-12T14:38:00.000-05:00

So, we all get a snow day today!!!

WHOOOO HOOOOOOO!

Ok, I love snow days. No matter how old I get, I still get excited to wake up, turn on the news and watch for cancellations and delays. Now, today is different because I actually have somewhere fun and exciting to go !

THE LION KING IS TONITE!

Of course, the snow would come today! The only day I have plans; the plans I have been waiting for three months now. The snow comes today. I should have guessed this would happen. You all know my luck, right?

So anyway - thats my scoop for today.

We took MJ out to play in the snow, because who knows when we will see anymore. Don't tell me there is no such thing as global warming - we had a 65º day in the past ten days ! IT'S FREAKIN FEBRUARY! Then today we get snow - of course.

And when I was young there was a good chance we would get a blizzard on Halloween - this is our first REAL snow fall this year. We have had mild winters here for too long for it to be coincidence! Sorry, but I am with Al Gore on this one !!! Of course, when I was younger they would have never cancelled school for a day like today - we would have been out at the dang bus-stop shivering our tookus'es off waiting as slush was sprayed onto us by passing cars, I am just sayin!

I will post some pics of MJ playing in the snow in a bit!

Too much...

2008-02-10T00:17:00.000-05:00

Too much has gone on to write about now. It has been a rough few days, and I just want to put it behind me. I will get personall tomorrow, and I will have a cute video of Lauren to show you too! I will leave you with the two layouts I made this week.

The first one was created using Beckie Wallace's brand new LOVE LETTERS kit. It has some really unique papers and elements in it. I love that :)

This next one I made tonite with Amy Leigh Fennell's new A RIOT OF COLOR kit. This is actually the second layout I made with the kit, because I lost the first one due to a power outage. It sucks living on a hill when its windy yo! My fault for not saving early, and often. I know better!!

Both kits are available exclusively at GDS!

New layout --- and an update

2008-02-05T23:04:00.001-05:00

So I found out within the past few days that my cousin Deana is pregnant - I am so stinking excited I could pee my pants! I can't wait to find out all the scoop tomorrow. We are going to see her at her restaurant for dinner - the whole gang. With all the family disruption / parting of ways / basically written people off / dead to me stuff, we aren't taking the ones we have left for granted. We are all going to celebrate for Deana - and I just can't wait!

I made a layout tonite with Beckie Wallace's new Fairywings - which are beautiful. I just am not a master extractor yet - I am getting better, but I am still not great. Therefore, I am not sure if I really like how this turned out. I don't hate it, but I wish it were different. To be honest, I don't even know what I would change about it ! I guess I just wish I were better at extracting, but I will improve with time and practice!

Maddie is slowly getting better, she definitely is still on the mend - but is improving everyday. Thanks to all for your well wishes for her :)

Spoke too soon...

2008-02-03T23:49:00.001-05:00

Well, I guess I jumped the gun on the 'all on the mend' call from yesterday! Mike had to work daylight today, so I woke up to Maddie's usually knock, knock on her door to let me know she is up. I sat up and hollered for her to come on in and climb in bed with me (we snuggle while I wake up). . . . Nothing! I holler again, trying not to awaken the other bug. . . . Nothing!

So, I get up and go to her door, I turn the knob, open the door, and it hits her. She is laying on the floor. I said, "what's wrong baby?" and she said, "I need a drink of water".

I get her a drink and she climbs in my bed, and is just about asleep when the little bug wakes up (figures, right?). So, we all get up and come into the living room. She climbs on the couch and asks for a pillow and blanket and her cow!?! I felt her head, and she seemed ok, just very tired and lethargic. I asked her if she wanted waffles and she said sure... so I thought that she must just still be tired.

We have breakfast, and the morning progresses and she still doesn't wake up, doesn't want to play, just wants to lay on the couch and watch the super sleuths.

I had some laundry to fold, so I went into our bedroom and I turn around and she is laying on the floor outside my door! I asked her repeatedly if she felt ok, and her response continued to be, "Can I hold you, mommy?" - well, of course she could :( She had no fever, thank goodness.

She took a nap about 1pm and woke about 4pm - and she seemed to have a little hop in her step then. So maybe she was just tired, who knows.

We are still having the poop issues - I have to call the doc tomorrow. This seems to be dragging on a little long for my liking. I know she has an appointment coming up, but I can't watch her struggle the way she does. Plus its only putting a stigma for her on pooping on the potty... which I can't have - she is so close to being potty trained. I don't want her to regress because of this.

So, anywho the Giants won the Superbowl - whoo hooo! Well, I guess if it couldn't be the Steelers, the Giants will do. Plaxico got the game winning TD - hmmm. Not sure how I feel about that. He did shed a few tears during the post-game. So as a chick, I gotta appreciate the fact that he was sentimental about it and didn't mind showing it. We'll just say he earned a couple points back in my tally book - but he has some serious deficits to overcome before he can get back in my good graces.

Either way, I definitely didn't want to see Tom Brady up there getting that trophy AGAIN! I just don't like him. I don't know why... I just don't. Not to mention that I think the NFL swept the entire 'cheating' incident under the rug, why? Thats what I want to know... I hope Congress does decide to do some investigation as to why the NFL decided destroying evidence would be ok in this case. That doesn't even begin to touch on my feelings about this - why was the NFL so quick to be like 'its over.... we penalized the guilty - now move on' - uh, not really. And for them to say that the Pat's had no real advantage - well thats bullshit too! If there was no real advantage, they wouldn't have been penalized at all. They just didn't want any additional negative publicity for the NFL, especially after the barrage of bad press players and teams have been getting lately (i.e. the bagillion pending lawsuits and criminal charges against NFL players). I think the entire Cincinnati Bengals team is on parole, probation, doing community service or awaiting trials for one thing or another. Ah, but I digress....

If it couldn't be the Steelers... I am ok with the Giants.

By the way - the Steelers were voted, by the fans, the best decade dynasty for the 1970's team led by Terry Bradshaw... so put that in your pipe and smoke it :)

Here is a layout I did tonite using Karla's Kaleidoscope Designs' Heartfelts. There are 20 hearts in the kit, and they are so realistic. Really fun to use :) I love this layout. I was able to make my own alpha using a paper from Karla's Cupids Crush kit - then I used a painted wood action from atomic cupcake on it.

On the mend.....

2008-02-02T23:13:00.000-05:00

Well, my house is on the mend! Thank heavens. Last night MJ had one last sick hurrah before bed... all the way from the recliner in the living room to the bathroom. Poor kid. So, I spent the day on a MAJOR disinfecting mission in the house. I love it when my house is clean - it is such a feeling of accomplishment!

So, nothing else going on! I was able to get a layout done during naptime today - thought I would share.

Credits: Amy Leigh Fennell's Metro Springtime available at GDS.

When terrible gets worse ... it looks like this.

2008-02-01T19:29:00.000-05:00

Again, TMI Warning:

Well, I was supposed to go in to work today as the librarian, but that didn't happen. At about 2:30am, MJ woke me and climbed in my bed. She seemed ok, but I quickly heard her stomach make an unusual noise, then she started crying and said, "Mama, I have the hiccups" - I sat straight up, but it was already too late. She got sick in our bed, I rushed her into the bathroom and she was sick again. This went on ALL NIGHT. She was a mess. This was the first time as a 'little girl' that she was sick. She doesn't remember the last time she threw up because she was a baby.

So, we got about forty minutes sleep here and there because about every twenty minutes she would heave again. I felt so bad for her, she was so upset because we had to change her clothes three times and she would just cry, "I got it on my foot" or "Its on my shirt again!" She was horrified at the messes she was making even though I keep reassuring her that it was ok, and that I would take care of it.

So, this morning we had an ice storm and the school issued a two hour delay - I knew at that point that as the LIBRARIAN, it was truly no big deal that I wasn' t there for four periods of school. I called in and said that I couldn't come in because my daughter was very ill.

They were cool about it, but I still hate to leave them hanging. Unfortunately, they get the short end of the stick there.

As the day progressed, MJ refused to eat anything... her fever started to spike. We took a short nap together and my MIL kept Lauren. When she woke her fever was 103.2. I was able to get it down with some medicine drops, and she ate a bit. She seems to be perking up now, but what a mentally exhausting day.

I have been really blessed that neither of my kids have gotten really ill. Maddie has only had one emergency visit to the doctor, and one ear infection that they caught at a well-baby visit. KNOCK ON WOOD. So we really aren't used to 'sickness' in the house. I feel a little guilty because I can't help but think I brought this home last week from the Kindergarten (see previous post about Kindergarten and the little girl who got sick everywhere) and it was just laying dormant until MJ picked it up.

So, I have a layout that I did a few days ago, but was waiting for Amy Leigh's new kits to go into the store to post. Here is it.......

Credits: Amy Leigh Fennell's Metro Springtime kit available at GDS.