Life has changed

I was reminded that I have a blog while recently visiting another blog. WOW...has my life changed. My scrapbooking hobby has been replaced by a stenography machine. I started attending The College of Court Reporting last fall! My days are consumed with speedbuilding, drills, and misc. homework. It is difficult to balance school with having a family, and I would encourage anyone to do it out of the way before you start a family.
I don't feel that I can be the best Mom I should be when my kids need me while I am doing homework or in class.
I don't have the time for a lot of the things I used to do. Casually shopping for groceries (or anything for that matter), meal planning, just hanging out with friends, doing "nothing", scrapbooking, reading, cleaning!!! It's all gone by the wayside and gets done when I can squeeze it in. My house is not dirty, but it is not as sparkly clean as it used to be. I have had to let go of things. I savor my "free time" now and try to make the most of it.
I have had some enlightenment in the form of certain classes at my school. In court reporting you also need to know how to be socially "able" and we have had a couple of classes that have helped us with that, but the instructor has gone far and above just social skills and has taught us critical thinking. It's done wonders for me. It helps me in all aspects of life...as long as I remember to apply it. Hopefully, I can keep this in mind the next time I feel the need to call the Sheriff to complain about my neighbors.

SUPER Scraplift Challenge for July! Angela Pietro!

Here is our July SUPER Scraplift Challenge from Chatty Scrappers! This month we are lifting Angela Pieto. She can be found at her blog http://angelaprieto-bluejeans7.blogspot.com/

Here is the layout by Angela that we are lifting!

June SUPER Scraplift of Kelly Goree is UP!

I just updated Chatty Scrappers website with the June scraplifts that we did of a Kelly Goree layout! Here is the layout we lifted:



and here are the layouts by a few of our members, including myself!

Carrie

Karen

Christine

Sandy

The {Stamps} of Life sponsoring Chatty Scrappers!

The {Stamps} of Life by Stephanie Barnard is sponsoring Chatty Scrappers during the month of June! We are super excited to work with these high-quality, made in the USA stamps! Tune in to Chatty Scrappers in the month of June to see what we've created with them! For now, you can visit both sites here:

http://chattyscrappers.net/
http://www.stephaniebarnardstamps.com/index.htm

SUPER Scraplift Challenge for May! Lifting Julie Bonner...

Over at Chatty Scrappers this month, we are scraplifting talented artist Julie Bonner for our SUPER Scraplift Challenge!

Here is Julie's layout that we are lifting:


And a link to Julie's Blog: http://julie-bonner.blogspot.com/ and her 2peas gallery: http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/userprofile.asp?user_id=429260

Click here for the link to the challenge! http://chattyscrappers.net/forum/index.php?topic=3889.0

Anyone can join in at anytime! When you are done with the lift, just PM me on Chatty Scrappers (username: ScrappyC) and I will send you my email address to send your version of the layout to! At the end of the month we will post all of the lifts at once!

National Scrapbook Day coming up!

It's that time of year again, a special day just to celebrate our favorite craft!! Come over to Chatty Scrappers for our challenge/tutorial filled crop from April 30- May 3rd!

www.chattyscrappers.net

Spring is Here?

I know I say this everytime, but TIME FLIES!! Lots of things have been changing around here. Sold a vehicle, bought a vehicle...bought a camper?? LOL! Looking forward to some camping this summer!! Thinking about returning to college also. FIL was diagnosed with lung cancer, has had part of his lung removed and is recovering. Mom was here for a visit, it was good.
I am realllllly looking forward to my brother's move, which will be much closer to us. For the first time, in a long time, he will be a 4 hour drive away, instead of a 3 day drive. The time is closing in, his departure will happen the 2nd week of April, but I'm not sure when I'll see him...but hopefully not too far after his arrival to Kentucky! I did just see him in January...but I am selfish when it comes to my "little" brother.

My baby is 7...

I am feeling the years are flying by toooo fast...my baby girl turned 7 today! She had a bowling party with 4 of her closest friends and her sister!

In scrapping news, we have been plugging away at the SUPER Scraplift Challenge over at Chatty Scrappers!! Here is the January layouts! We lifted a fabulous artist named Ginger Williams. Here is some info on Ginger:
I'm 29 years old and have been married to the love of my life (Marc) for 9 years now. We have 3 wonderful boys, Ty (7), Blake (4), and Spencer (2). We moved into our first "real" home here in Texas a few years ago and we love it here.

Besides scrapbooking I love to read, surf, swim, go camping, sew, quilt, eat chocolate, and I also love photography! My favorite subjects are my boys of course, but I also enjoy the opportunity to do photo shoots for friends and family.

As for scrapbooking I've been doing that now for about 12 years, but it has been the past 7 years where this hobby has really exploded for me. I have had the opportunity to work as a scrapbooking instructor, design for several wonderful companies (currently designing for Keeping Memories Alive, Queen and Company, & Melissa Frances), have layouts and projects published by most major scrapbook publishers, and best of all, I am having a great time recording those sweet (and sometimes not-so-sweet) moments of my life I never want to forget!

I also wanted to add a huge thank you to all of you sweet people here at scrapbook.com! You overwhelm me with all of your kind words about my work! Thank you all so much! Your kind and sweet comments mean so much to me! =)

You can check out her work here:

http://www.scrapbook.com/myplace/index.php?mod=galleries&u=167875

And here her blog: www.truekodakmoments.blogspot.com

Check out Chatty Scrappers for all of the completed scraplifts here:
http://chattyscrappers.net/forum/index.php?topic=3670.0

SUPER Scraplift Challenge layouts posted at Chatty Scrappers!

Our first Chatty Scrappers SUPER Scraplift Challenge is done! There were lots of great layouts, and our featured artist even scraplifted herself! You can find out more about KariAnn at her blog: http://nkbsweeney.blogspot.com And she says, "I currently design for Kraft Girl Kits and have been a Guest Designer at ScrapFreak and Paper Popsicles. I was recently laid off BUT on a happy note we are expecting #3 in Jan/Feb.!!"

Here are the layouts:

Original:


LIFTS:

Angela (scrappychick):


Sandy (gmathis):



Christine (SierraScrapper):


Janice (FidgetMarie):


Carrie (ScrappyC):


KariAnn Sweeney:


A big thank you to KariAnn Sweeney for allowing us to scraplift her, and to all of the participants at Chatty Scrappers!!

New Challenge at Chatty Scrappers

With the fall of Mojoholders Blog, I have now started a new challenge at Chatty Scrappers!! It will be somewhat of the same basis, only monthly instead of weekly! We will find a talented scrapper, scraplift them, and post all of the scraplifts at the end of the month. I am really excited about this endevour, as I was really sad to see Mojoholders go. (sniff sniff)

For our first "Super Scraplift Challenge" we are lifting a talented artist named KariAnn Sweeney! Check out the challenge, and the layout that we are lifting here http://chattyscrappers.net/forum/index.php?topic=2879.0.

Also, don't forget to check out the Chatty Scrapper September Sponsor, My Favorite Things stamps and the gallery! http://chattyscrappers.net/forum/index.php?topic=2905.0

On a personal note, I've not been well. Pneumonia hit me hard last week, but with the help of modern science I am back on my feet!!

Crop,Vacation and a Heart Attack!

It's been an interesting week. I dropped the girls off at my Mom's in Knoxville last weekend, hubby picked me up and we joined our group of friends for a 5 day tour of Tennessee and North Carolina's twistiest roads. We rode the "Tail of the Dragon" which is an 11 mile stretch of road with 318 curves...by the end we had ridden it 3 times. We even stopped to white water raft down the Nantahala River half-way through the trip! It was a great break from the riding and a lot of fun!! Here are a few pics!





On the last day of our trip, after dinner I got a voicemail from my Mom's best friend that she had a heart attack and was in the ICU. We left very early the next day and broke off from our friends to get back to Mom's. The neighbors watched our kids, and we were able to go and see her that morning. She had 100% blockage in one artery, and they installed 3 stents to unblock her. She is home now, and is feeling better. She has some new eating habits to learn, and needs to learn to relax a little more. We are all feeling very fortunate that the circumstances weren't worse and that we still have her here with us.

On a scrapping note, we are having a Christmas in July Crop at Be sure to stop by http://chattyscrappers.net/forum/index.php and participate in the challenges!


We are having fun over at Mojoholders, check out the fabulous Friday lifts by the fabulous artists that are out there in the scrapping world! http://mojoholder.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Summer is here!

Wow...today was a beautiful day here in my part of the Midwest...the storms that they were calling for didn't hit us!! They did, however, delay hubby on his way home! :-(

I haven't been doing a LOT of scrapping. There is so much to do outside this time of year! I have done a bit of gardening...filling in a "water feature" that the former owners left. Filling in other spots and planting some vegetables in pots.

I am going to a crop...so I'll be posting some new layouts soon! I have added my last few layouts from the Mojoholders Blog into my slideshow! You can check out everyone else's lifts at http://mojoholder.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Oh, I have a blog!!

How time flies when you have 2 young children to chase after!! I cannot believe that it's been months since my last post! We've done so much in that time...Disney, surgery, suppper clubs, and the school year is nearly over.

I am still participating in Mojoholders Blog, and at ChattyScrappers! I have started attending a monthly crop and a bi-monthly Stampin' Up card club. I am also taking a Wilton cake decorating class with my girlfriend!

We are ready for summer here in our house!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band...a marching band! LOL
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
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--tried but failed...oui'?
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
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Gone without food or water for 24 hours or longer
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris- okay...I only went 1/2 way...it was closed at the top!
51. Gone scuba diving
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. Stayed up for 24 hours with NO sleep at all
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies-with my kids!
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma-yep, then I passed out!
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-still have Panda!
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades-kindof?
75. Been fired from a job
76. Changed a light bulb
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. Mowed the lawn
84. Had your picture in the newspaper- and the society pages in England!
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. Have more than one college degree
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
100. Lived in a foreign country

New Favorite Site!

Check out this site for a great deal!

New Chatty Scrappers blog!

Check out the new Blog for Chatty Scrappers! Our resident techno-dude, Rick, has been busy updating the forums, gallery and the blog!

Click here for the blog: http://chattyscrappers.net/blog/
Or click here for the forum and then click on the link to the blog: http://chattyscrappers.net/forum/index.php

And don't forget to check out my Mojoholders 100th lift celebration! I have updated the prize!! A $25 gift certificate will be awarded to one lucky scrapper at random, the more you play...the better your chance to win! Here is the link to that: http://chattyscrappers.net/forum/index.php?topic=1330.0

Mojoholders 100th Lift Celebration!

I am part of the DT over at Mojoholders, this weekend we are celebrating the 100th lift! I am also co-owner of ChattyScrappers, so I am combining my resources by hosting a challenge!

Go to www.chattyscrappers.com and check out the challenge here:
http://chattyscrappers.com/forum/index.php?topic=1330.0 (If you are not registered, you will need to.)

Complete the challenge of scraplifting one of the past Mojoholders lifts, post it in the gallery and you will be entered to win a cool prize! I will be posting a picture of the prize this week. You can look through the past Mojoholders lifts here:
http://mojoholder.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Where have I been?

LOL...here!! I don't know why I don't update this more often, just busy I guess. Well, we've made it through all of the holidays. My brother was here from Arizona for Christmas, had lots of fun and finally beat him at Scrabble!
Had a wonderful time at New Years with our friends, I have to get those pics from dh's camera! I paid for my fun the next day, but was fortunate to have had the girls have a sleepover with a friend!
The weather has been absolutely brutal here, I figured that would happen for our first winter back in the area, but geeeez! This is ridiculous! -37 windchills and below freezing temps! Looking forward to Spring!
Things are back up and running after the holidays at Mojoholders! And ChattyScrappers is thriving! Come and visit them!

Here is the newest addition to our family, the girls have been begging for one since we moved back!

Thank goodness it's over...

Thanksgiving that is!! We hosted Turkey Day for hubby's family this year, and had record setting numbers...20 people at the table)s)! We were busting out of the dining room into the foyer of our home, but everyone seemed to enjoy the food and company!

Not much scrapping going on in my life, and I missed last weeks Mojoholders lift...I hate it when I do that...but I just had too much cooking, cleaning, and company last week.

Managed to get out on Black Friday, but not until about 7pm with hubby's niece! We hit Target, Kohl's and Payless Shoes! Most everything was picked over by that time, but we managed to find a few things...don't we always? I was nearly done with my Christmas shopping anyways...just a few more to go and I am in "wrapping" mode.

I also just recently celebrated a birthday, no milestones...but a year closer to 40...ugh!

Come and join our Kick-Off Crop

We are having a Kick-Off crop to celebrate our opening of Chatty Scrappers! There are lots of challenges and fun to be had.

here is the link:

http://chattyscrappers.com/phpBB2/index.php?c=4

now get over there and PLAY!!