Odds and Ends Challenge with Carla

Here is my new Challenge that starts on January 2, 2007 at 3scapateers! A new challenge every 2 weeks (1st and 15th of the month) with a posting bonus for following the prompts!

This is the link to the forum thread: http://www.3scrapateers.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=497 and here is the link to my ALL NEW gallery: http://www.3scrapateers.com/gallerypp/showgallery.php/cat/1157



So... I would like to invite all of my friends to come over to www.3scrapateers.com and join in my challenge on January 2, 2007. Start the new year out right by starting a new challenge!





Speaking of starting the New Year out right....Kent and I are off on yet another journey to theWestern Carribbean! I am so excited! We will be on the ship for New Years Eve!

And while packing for the trip, Spider decided that he wanted to go too and here is what he did!!!!

What a crazy Cat! His note on the right reads, "Dear Mom, I am going with Dad, You stay here! Spider" Yea...just for that...he's not going!

Awh...I hate to leave him at home but he will be alright. My son will be here with him!


Happy New Year Everybody and Bon Voyage!

Who is the hardest person to buy for?

UGH..... This question only brings one person to mind! She is absolutely the HARDEST person on my Christmas list and I always tend to wait until the last minute to purchase her gift. Oh..I start looking three months in advance, I just wait until the last moment to purchase! MY MOTHER!!!! Why? We are totally opposite in EVERYTHING! Our taste is different, our style is different...totally opposite. She has everything! She sits at my kitchen bar drinking coffee looking through catalogs and tells me all of the things that she likes and then says "But what would I need with any of that? I don't ever go anywhere to wear it!" So, now the question is... do I buy it anyway and listen to her tell me I shouldn't have because she will never wear it; and she never does OR should I not get it and listen to her tell me a million times, "I showed you all kinds of things you could get me in that book!" (bang-head) What to do...what to do...

Yes...my Mother is the hardest on my list!!! In more ways than one! :)

Journaling

For the longest time, journaling on my scrapbook pages scared me to death! I knew all of the information...you know..the Who, What, When and Where and even the Why, but I was always at a loss for exactly how to say what I wanted to say! I am sure that everyone, who is not a journalist, that does any scrapbooking at all has had this problem. I haven't felt that way in a very long time thanks to a class that I took at DSP. Unfortunately, that class is no longer offered at DSP, but do NOT dispair! There is a place on the web that can help you open your mind and your pen to the joys of journaling. http://www.journalforyou.com/ This web site is full of
very helpful information about journaling how to's, whether you are journaling in a daily journal or on a scrapbook page or even in one of those Art Journals that are so popular right now.

So, I ask all of my BUDS that need a little journaling help or inspiration to hop on over to http://www.journalforyou.com/ and check out all of the goodies they have there. You might become inspired to do some journaling you never thought you could!

ATC Challenge at 3Scrapateers

Brenda, over at 3S has this realy fantastic Artistic Trading Card Challenge goin on through December of 2007! I would like to encourage all of my BUDS to come on over and check it
out! There is a small freebie with every challenge to help you make your card!

Here is the thread for all of the information and sign ups. Please sign up so that you will be put on the e-mail list to have all of the cards sent to you at the end of each challenge...

http://www.3scrapateers.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=418


If your not familiar with ATC's, here are some sites you may want to check out!

http://www.cedarseed.com/air/atc.html

http://www.outsidethemargins.com/atcs.html

http://www.ruthannzaroff.com/mirkwooddesigns/atc.htm

http://www.artist-trading-cards.ch/

And if you need some templates, you can find some here...
http://www.ruthannzaroff.com/mirkwooddesigns/atcenvelope.htm
http://www.ruthannzaroff.com/mirkwooddesigns/tcdiag.htm

I'll be looking for Your card at the swap!

Something new for the New Year

Wow!! December has turned out to be a wild and crazy month! I have been busy for the past few weeks trying to get my second (FUN) job up and running, Stacey resigned from DSP, Christmas is right around the corner and I am off on another cruise on the 28th!

Thank God for friends! Stacey, even though she has left the ranks of DSP, has been my teacher, friend and confidant for the past few weeks while I have been working on a few kits to submit with my application to 3Scrapateers. I just don't know what I would do without her! Well, I found out Thursday that I was accepted and I am now a new Exclusive Designer at 3Scrapateers! WHOOOO HOOOOO! Yea! I can scream! (happy dance going on here). Of course, Irene is at 3Scrapateers and it is going to be great working with her as a designer. So far I have only had the pleasure of working with her kits while on her design team.

Soo, I have two new kits going up in the store at 3S within the next week or so and I am working on another for after the first of January. Check it out!

This is Loves Letters and is one of the kits that will be in the store before the end of the Month. I am hoping sometime this next week before Christmas.

This one is Garden Rhapsody. The second one to go into the 3S store by Christmas! So come on over to www.3scrapateers.com and check out the store!

A curise for New Years! I was blasted away when my DH told me we were really going to go! I mean, my goodness, we just went on a 7 day cruise in May and now a 4 day cruise in December! I guess it's a little Christmas/New Years gift to ourselves! I am shaking at the thought of being on the ship New Years Eve! I just know we are going to have a blast!

Bon Voyage and see you all next year!

communicating with others

Blog prompt for the weekend at DSP. I am so much more myself when talking to my WEB friends! Most of the folks at DSP, I have known and loved for over a year now and they probobly know me better through my layouts and my journaling than my family sometimes does! Hey..well..they are my family! I have a few other scrapbook sites that I visit and I also have a few things that I have designed in the scrap shop at digiscrap central, but I am not as close to any of those folks like I am the folks at DSP. DSP is where I first got into digital and it will ALWAYS be my first choice for good chat, close friends, and family time on the web!

What a rotten weekend!

Well, everyone has them but you hope that you don't ever see one...a horrible weekend! My mom came over on Saturday morning as she usually does and boy did we get into an argument! Not anything that I want to spill over to a blog page but it really wasn't nice at all. When she left, it wasn't on a very good note and for the rest of the day I was feeling pretty rotten. I called her later in the evening and we talked for about an hour and everything is alright now(thank goodness) but the rotten feelings that I had most of the day carried on over into Sunday. They were much better after talking to mom but still there and tha other bad thing about that is that I had the Grandkids for the night. I am afraid I wasn't the most wonderful Grandmother!

On the up side of the past week, I finally decided to join the SNL team. I have been batting this around for several months and finally came to the decision that it would be a good thing for me. So far, I have contributed with an October kit and a November kit with an Add-on. Immediately after posting it to the galley, I received a pm from one of the DSP members telling how much she loved the kit! That really made my day and, of course, I gave it to her! I hope that she enjoys it as much as I enjoyed making it for the SNL team.

Designing, Creating and Learning!

While I was waiting for my Monthly Club Digital and my DSU information for October, I created a little Alpha to go along with my Flutterfly Page Kit. Learning how to make these little patches, I think, was a great venture. I am not sure when I will put them in the store, but I have them made! My first Alpha!

Whats happening!!!

Things are moving on! I caught up with Tracy Rivera this weekend over at DST and landed a position on her Creative Team. She is a fantastic designer over at Scrapbook-Bytes and I have been eyeing her kits for a long time. I have already posted two layouts for her and I can see that I am really going to enjoy being part of her team. She has 7 other AWESOME CT members. Here are the two that I did today using her "Justine" kit available in the store at Scrapbook-Bytes:

I will sleep good tonight because...

I KNOW I won't have to worry about my DH jumping on the bed with a machette! OH, Tink! That was a wonderful story!

Seriously, I'll sleep good tonight knowing that my Mom is finally seeing some happiness in her life. She moved out of the house she was living in with her "friend" and is now living with my Aunt (one of her younger sisters). She seems to be happy for the moment, but I know that in time she will miss being right around the corner from my brother and me.

I will also sleep better knowing that my son finally cleaned out the storage unit that he had been using and I won't have to worry about paying the *&$% bill every month!

Cowboy Dreams!!

Cowboy Dreams is my newest kit to
hit the store at www.digiscrapcentral.com !

I am really excited about this one because it really got me out of my comfort box. I have learned how to do so many new things of late and this one has some of them in it!

If your interested in purchasing this
kit... it is $3.99 here:
http://www.digiscrapcentral.com/scrapshop/index.php?main_page=product_info&manufacturers_id=18&products_id=241

And, if you need word art to go along with the Cowboy theme, You can find some awesome Cowboy Word Art at DSP by Tina Chambers.
Find it here:
http://store.digitalscrapbookplace.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1965

I would do the word art myself, but Tina is the Best of the Best for Word Art. You won't find any that compares anywhere else on the web!

Happy Labor Day everyone!

Mr Personality!

This is my newest kit up in the store at www.digiscrapcentral.com Mr Personality is fashioned with my Newphew, Chris, in mind. He has such a funny little smile that I burst out laughing everytime I open an e-mail from my neice. I can't wait to see him on Labor Day! I am camera ready!

Look another new kit coming soon....Cowboy dreams.... a kit all about a little boys dreams to ride the big range of the old West!

Until then...happy scrapping!

Reflections...

Boy.. has it been a busy summer and it went so FAST! I am in a stupper that it is already the end of August. This year, the end of August brings about a melancholy time for allot of folks here on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. It is the 1 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and there are still many people who have not been able to rebuild...they are still in FEMA trailers!

All along the Coast, you can see the signs of rebuilding. This always makes me smile to know that the folks here have taken such a pounding but most have managed to get up on their feet and keep on going. The wonderful thing is that even the folks that are still in FEMA trailers are smiling and they are not leaving. This is their home. Most of them have lived here all of their lives and even though most everything that they owned was taken away by the storm, they won't leave...they want to live here and I can't blame them! I love the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I honestly, can't think of any other place that I would want to live.

My mother and I had this conversation on Saturday. She was feeling down and out thinking about my Dad and the sacrifices that we, my brother and I, had to make to move here from Pennsylvania so many years ago, I was 11. She said she thought that my brother and I had always held that move against her and my Dad.

This got me to thinking about my life. Where would I be had my Dad NOT made the decision to move here in 1970? Would I have gone to college? Would I be married and have children? WHO would I be married too? What would my life be like right now? Of course, there are no answers to any of these questions.... I think I would be safe to say that I probobly would not be married to the man that I am married to now. Thinking of that makes me shiver...I simply cannot imagine my life without him! Saturday was our 28th wedding anniversary and when I look back at the past 28 years, I thank God and my DAD that I have been here in South Mississippi for the past 36 years. That I met my husband right here in Mississippi, this is where my son was born and this is where my Grandchildren were born. That I had the chance to see life in another way and experience all of the wonderful things, and not so wonderful things, that I have over that period of time. All of these things have made me who I am today and I like who I am!

So... NO, Mom... I have NEVER held that move against my Dad or you. I have, if anything, LOVED your both more for it !

God Bless...

A Digiscrap Sale!

Here is a preview of my newest kit in the scrapshop at www.digiscrapcentral.com

and it's on sale right now for $1.99, but only until July 31st.

I really had fun making this kit. Inspired by my Grand Daughter, Alana and her love for pink, purple, and butterflies!

Friday, July 21st prompt

What is the best advice I have ever gotten.....My dads oldest sister, who was very much like a grandmother to me, had come from Pennsylvania to visit one summer not long after Kent and I had gotten married. She was staying at my mom and dads but would walk over to my trailer every morning to drink coffee with me on the back porch. On this particular day, we were talking about my mother and how she loves to know what is going on in every aspect of your life and is always ready with advice. (another one of my sayings, "I could just scream!") My aunt told me something then that made me almost ROTF, but it was good advice and I have tried to follow it ever since... "Listen to your mother, agree with her every word because she is your mother...then go home and do as you damn well please!" Her point was...don't let your mother run your household. Very well put and promptly taken advice!

Thursday, July 20th promt

I wouldn't say that I was proposed to... My aunt had a birthday party for my uncle that Kent and I popped in at about half way through. My cousin, who is about 5 year yonger than I am was just head over heals for Kent and, of course, latched onto us the minute we walked in the door. After we had been there for about an hour, she finally asked,"so..when are you two getting married?" and my response truely surprised all of us, "December 15th"! Needless to say, we started planning a wedding and went to get rings the next week. We ended up getting married in August, which is another story all its own!

until next time!

Wednesday July 19th prompt

This should be easy because I took DSU 295 and had to do a layout about this! My layout was about My Grandma Voice. The to words that I say the most around the house are "Tater" and "Punkin"! That's my names for my grandchildren. Other around the house words are, Hun, Ya'll, Awesome, Can't think of a thing, Oh my goodnes, Stupid cat, and I don't think so. When I am at work I am apt to say, You make me laugh or It ain't happen'. I have also been known to say a few choice words that I won't repeat here but they are something like, @!*? and ?!*#!! Ha!

Until next time!

IMO Dad

Here is a layout that I just completed using my newest kit "IMO Dad".

I love how the flower and the stripe paper look using the curve and the curley ribbon adds the perfect touch to compliment the tag and tie it down.

I did a similar layout of my husband using Lisa Carters curves and Kim Liddard's Raspberries and cream kit. I absolutely love the effect of the curves in a llayout. Everything seems to just flow so much nicer. It's a change for me because I am so use to doing everything in squares and circles!

My newest kit

This is my newest kit! This time of the year, I start thinking strongly about my father who will be gone 12 years in August. This one is done in memory of him and that's why I have named it "IMO Dad". It is made with his favorite colors, navy and sage and I added a flower with curly ribbon. I had to put the curley ribbon in this one because it took so long to get JUST right and I know he would have been proud of it.

Word Art Preview

This is my first try at word art. It should be in the scrap shop sometime this weekend. I am very pleased with how it turned out! The next one will be for Dog Lovers!

www.digiscrapcentral.com

Come check it out!

My newest kit in the scrapshop!

This is my newest kit in the scrap shop at digiscrap central. I had fun doing this one and plan to do one or two add-ons for it, as well. I will be starting a challenge on Sunday, I hope, using this kit. I am really excited!! I plan to have the first add-on ready for the challenge as a posting bonus. Too bad I can't do this over at DSP...that would be GREAT!!!

Weird Pets!

Todays prompt is: What kind of wierd pet would you like to own? I don't know that it is wierd but I have always been fascinated with Unicorns. So I think that I would like to own one. If for nothing but the sheer enjoyment of waking up every morning to see it in the yard!

The way my cat has been acting lately, I'd say that he is just a little wierd!
This afternoon when I got home from work, he was chasing chickens in the sife yard! The crazy fool thinks that he can catch them...my question to him is, "Since you don't have any front claws, what are you going to do with it if you do!?"

I am now a DESIGNER!!!

I have had the most wonderful week! I was accepted as a designer at Digi Scrap Central and I now have my first kit up for sale at the scrapshop! This is a preview of it! My Tropical Breeze paper pack! I invite all of my friends to stop by the store and take a look around and around the forum at www.digiscrapcentral.com .

I will have another new kit in the store by the end of the week. It is one of which I am very proud. Strawberry-Chocolate Swirl!! It is an ice cream theme page kit with papers, ribbons, frames, ribbon buckles and ice cream cones! I plan to host a challenge using the kit sometime next week and have an add on kit as well. I am so excited!

The end of June!

WOW! I can't believe that it is the end of June already! My birthday is in TWO days! I'm not sure that I want to be considered another year older..47 is not old but somedays I feel like I am 47 and old! LOL!
Today would be one of those days...

Yesterday morning, while cleaning out the cat liter box (yea...its nasty but somebody has to do it!) I moved the wrong way when I was getting up and did something to my back. I went to work and did my best to keep my mind on what I was suppose to be doing, not an easy task. This morning, I couldn't get up! I just could not get out of the bed! Thank goodness my DH was at home! I am feeling much better and my back is not hurting nearly as bad but it's time to go to bed again! Scarry thought!

I had a great day here at the house...Not often that I get to stay at home ( I am not the 'call in sick' type of person) on Friday and have a super long weekend! But I am on vacation for Monday and we are closed for the 4th. Anyway, I did quite a bit of work on the computer. I made a new digital scrapbook kit. Something I have been only dreaming about and finally decided that I needed to get that Dream into motion. I say new but it is actually the third one that I have made. I just did not go public with the first one and the second one I posted as a layout for the Inspiration Class that I was taking.

Well....my new kit will now be part of the June Mega kit at "Digi scrap Central". (Though I did give it to a few of my bestest friends tonight in the DSP chat room.) I am very excited about this! I can't believe that they are going to put it in the mega kit! AWESOME!!!

Designing? Like I said...something I have only dreamed of doing. Its possible! I mean anything is possible! I don't know that I could ever make some of the things that I have seen out there. Several designers come to mind...Lauren, Meryl, Theresa, Irene and Sandy ( did I mention that I am on their creative team?). But I guess everyone has their own specialty, I just need to find mine! I have thought about doing word art, but I could never be as good as Tina! She is Awesome!Ah, well, I'll find it...somewhere! I do have to thank Meg for the inspiration though. I would have never made a kit if I hadn't taken her class. Well, I guess I would have gotten around to it eventually but just not as soon as I have.
Meg is awesome! I admire her allot! Her class was really great and I truely hate that its over.

I am starting a new class on the 7th. Filters and Plugins over at Scrapgirls. I am looking forward to taking the class but I don't know those folks over there as well as I know the gals at DSP. Geeze...I hope I fit in! Tkaing classes was one of my goals when I started digital scrapbooking. I promised myself that I was going to learn my program and that I would take 1 class every month to do that. So far I have...which remind me...I told Meg I had taken 4 classes but I have taken 5. All of them at DSU. This one that I start on the 7th will be my first away from HOME! I know that sounds crazy, but I really do think of DSP as my home. DSP is where I learned to Digital Scrapbook! As a matter of fact, DSP is the reason that I purchased my PSE program! Anyway, I am not moving away, I actually have signed up to be a mentor at DSP. That starts tomorrow and I am sitting here wondering if I know my program well enough to be a mentor! I think so...I HOPE so!

Oh..yes.. The creative team! I am on the creative team of Sandy Drieschner and Irene O'Niell. This has been since the first of June. When I tried out for DET at DSP and did not make it, I decided to try ut for a Creative Team at 3Scrapateers. Made it! Sandy and Irene are great and the both have some awesome kits. I post layouts for them at pixel-expressions, 3S and at DSP. Irene just made a new kit last week and I really need to get busy making her second layout. Guess I will start on that tomorrow after I get my nails done....for my birthday ..... on Sunday!

Well, I did not expect to write a novel when I came to the blog, but that is what it has turned out to be!

Everyone out there in digi land have a safe and wonderful 4th of July.
Don't drink and Drive and be safe with the fire crackers!

Until next time.....

Friday, May 19th Prompt

When I was a kid living in Pennsylvania, I lived in the city and there was any number of kids to play with on my block but I remember several of us getting together on the front porch and setting up our Barbie Doll houses and playing for hours. I had a case that held my Barbie and all of her clothes. There were hangers and drawers and my doll was somewhat like me, she had PLENTY of shoes!!! My mother made all of my Barbie clothes on the sewing machine. I remember watching her carefully stitch them and she would ask me about personal choice of colors and fabric, which made it really great. I guess you could say that she was my personal seamstress for Barbie and myself! Mom was also my furniture department...she made my Barbie furniture! I never have figured out how she attached the fabric to the lid of that oatmeal box...?

Our Barbie play would last hours at a time until my brother would come along when no one was looking and totally destroy the Barbie house. I have lived through hurricanes but poor Barbie!!!! Hurricane Danny was the worst!

After that, we would clean up the mess and get out our bikes. I loved to ride my bike. There were days when no one was around that I would take off on my bike and be gone for an hour or more. That would make my mother mad because she would be afraid that something had happened to me. (This was when I was 8 and 9) Kids can't do that now a days for simple fear that they will come up missing...and that's sad, thats so so sad!

Good night!

First Stop...Jamaica!!!

We arrived here on Wednesday, May 10th after two full days at sea. Jamaica is a small but beautiful mountainous country filled with Bananas, Mango and some of the most beautiful flowers you will ever see. I have a Bouglavelia plant that I keep in a hanging basket, here the Bouglavelia are not in hanging baskets, they are TREES and they bloom all year 'round. There are also millions of Hibiscus in every color under the sun! When we arived, we boarded a tour bus and headed out for our excursion of fun. It took two hours of riding to get where we were going, but along the way our tour guide pointed out all of the places of interest and we were able to see these plants and flowers in virtually every yard along the way! Fields of Banana trees...what can you do with that many bananas? Everything, they even boil them...no kidding...Kent bought a plate of boiled banana with cabbage and fish at the rest stop along the way. At any rate, the country was gorgeous. Next stop...Dunn's River Falls, Dolphin Cove and the Nature trail!

Dunn's River Falls

OK...This looks easy! Please do not be fooled! I have to admit that I thought we would take a few photos of the falls and be able to lounge around in the water and enjoy the scenery...NOT...as you can see by the postcard (yes, it's a postcard. We did not have a water proof camera with us) we actually climbed the falls. The part shown here was the easy part. When you get up a little farther, the falls get higher. We had to plant our feet onto the flat rocks and grasp the larger rocks to pull ourselves up. At times, it was very slick and I took a few falls (no pun intended!). Knocked my shin on the first one and thought I broke my bumm on the other but we made it to the top after about an hour of climbing! WOW...what a rush! It was great and even with the falls that I took, I would do it again! Yeamon, No Problem!

Dolphin Cove

Dolphin Cove was wonderful. We enjoyed a leisurly lunch of jerked chicken, rice and salad, then did a little shopping in a few of the shops there. These Dolphins are residence at the cove. If you would like to meet and greet them it cost a little extra but would be well worth it if you have never actually met a Dolphin! I think this one was trying to wave at me! There was also a small pool of Stingrays to photograph, but they were being very evasive. After a little while to relax from the climb up the falls, we hit the nature trail.

The Nature Trail

The nature trail at Dolphin Cove was wonderful. It wasn't very long but we met a friendly group of parrots along the way and stopped to get a photo with one of them. There were also Iguana, snakes and a few chickens. We took photos of the Iguana, but there was no way I was going to hold one of them! UMMMM....Yeamon, No problem!

What a wonderful vacation!

This is what I was doing Saturday night! Sitting on the balcony of my cabin aboard ship, watching the beautiful sunset before dinner. We were headed home from our vacation in Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. This was taken somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico heading for Galveston. It was the most beautiful sunset by far and I could not resist getting at least 5 or 6 photos!

We had the absolute best time on our vacation and I have sooo many stories to tell that I don't know where to begin! So...in honor of the Monday journaling prompt and the weekend...I started at the end with this photo!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend and to all of you moms...Happy belated Mothers Day!

April 27, 28,29 and 30

This week has been very Hectic! Usually my life is pretty laid back but when things start happening, everything seems to happen all at once. Like this week, back and forth to the hospital, my boss decided to move me to the office on the other side of the river so I had to pack my stuff and move office, Lunch with the boss on Friday(argh - but he's a nice guy), I have to go New Orleans on Tuesday to pick up my mom at the airport, pack for our Cruise, drive to Galveston on the 6th and be on the ship on the 7th, AND...all of this falls at the end of the month at work. I am very surprised that I am not a nervous wreck! COFFEE...where is my coffee cup? I should have plenty, Kent brought me back 3 from Maine and 2 from Atlanta this week! LOL!!

I believe in small miracles...I believe in the POWER of prayer...I believe that no more will be put any one person than they can handle... I believe in angels... and I believe in devine intervention.

With most of these things in mind, Kent and I went to the hospital to see Taylor on Saturday and spend most of the day with him. He is doing great and was so excited to see both of us! Maybe will get to go home on Monday, but Tiffany was not sure and would find out sometime this evening when the doctor came in for the weekend visit.

This is a photo of my little man that I took on Saturday. I haven't gotten around to doing a layout with it yet but intend to soon; Maybe inbetween all of the other things going on!

It can make you or break you...

This has been the most horrible week!!! ACK!!! There are soooo many stories to tell here and none of them are good stories at all. The one thing that really makes my day is my COFFEE in the morning and in the afternoon. It is totally not uncommon for me to drink two cups before I leave for work, fill a thermos to drink at work(nice place to be but don't drink the water), and fill a to-go cup to drink on the way. I LOVE COFFEE!! I am a COFFEE ADDICT!!!

This week, I have been getting up at 3:30 in the morning, going through the routine of getting ready for work, driving 26 miles to my sons apartment to be there by 5:15 so that I can take care of my Granddaughter so he can go to work. Get her up, dressed, breakfast, teeth brushed, hair brushed and then take her to the hospital to her mom who is staying there with my grandson and then try to get to work too! I take her to the hospital because the school system in Mississippi SUCKS and they (my son and daughter-in-law) have had my grandson in the hospital and haven't been able to get her in school in Alabama because they require a number of things that we can not get our hands on at the moment.

OK...deep breathe...with all of this ripping and snorting to get here and there and be at work too. My coffee has escaped me! My son does NOT have a COFFEE POT because HE does NOT drink it! Can you imagine that? Doesn't drink coffee? What's up with that!!!! Anyway, so by 10:00 my day is ruined because I am falling asleep at my desk for lack of JAVA JOE!!!! So there you have it...It can make you or break you!

Did I hear you ask why my grandson is in the hospital? Well, I won't give the details, but, he got burned on his foot and hand Sunday at my house(a freak accident) and had to go to the burn center in Mobile. They admitted him so that they could sedate him to clean the wounds and he has been there since Monday. This is not good for my HEART STRINGS PEOPLE. That little guy is the light of my life and this happened while he was in my care! So how much do you think I have cried this week?

There is a bright side to all of this..!!!!...He is doing fine, the burns were not deep so no skin graphs or anything like that and when I walked into the hospital yesterday morning, he had the biggest smile on his face and was sooo happy to see me. Needless to say, when he asked me to stay with him, I called in sick!

Where is my husband through all of this? His job sent him back to Maine on Monday! That's alright...he will be home tomorrow!

Goodnight all!

Let your light shine on...

"All that the father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out" John 6:37

I LOVE lighthouses. I can't explain it but there is just something about them that draws me in. My husband was kind enough to think of my love for them while on one of his trips to Maine a few weeks ago. Bringing these post cards home was the best gift he could have given to me from his trip. This layout is what became of them! I felt so inspired by the beauty of them and I can only hope that I have done them proud.

I used a sketch that I found in Simple Scrapbooks Magazine. One that I had torn out of an old book and was just waiting for the right opportunity to use it. Funny how we tend to hold onto things, sometimes for no real rhyme or reason. I remember almost throwing it away several times but something just told me to keep it a while longer. It turned out to be the perfect little sketch and now that I have used it, I just know I will use it again, soon.

If you need a closer view, you can view it in my gallery at DSP here:
http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=90953&cat=500&ppuser=38829

A daughter is a gift of love

This is one of the layouts that I have been working on this morning. I started out just rummaging through some old photos I have in a shoe box trying to get some inspiration going and this is what I ended up with. Greg and Alana at this time of the year about 4 years ago.

I haven't shared this layout with anyone. I have become so critical of my own work that I am actually afraid to post it at DSP. I guess everyone has their good days and their bad days but it seems that when I enter a contest or challenge, my work stinks (well, at least I think it does). The only time I feel like I truely do anything worth sharing is when I just sit down and do it for no reason at all except self satisfaction.

Poor Alana!!!

Ok...time for me to vent...My son and the whole family have been living with me for the past 2 years. Two weeks ago, they moved into an apartment. Yesterday, the school that my grand daughter had been attending Kindergarten at kicked her out of school!!!! She cannot finish the school year there(only 6 more weeks) because she no longer lives in the school district!! I am fumming!!!!!! They packed up all of her things and sent them home with her. She was sooooo
upset! My son and daughter in law are in total shock that they would do this without even a phone call. Well...what to do? Guess we will have to make a call to the new school that she will be attending to see if she is required to finish the 6 weeks there. I am soooooo angry that I just don't know what to say or do at this point. What kind of an impression is this going to make on my sweet, sweet 6 year old baby girl? But.....life goes on! ARGH!!!!!

My Grandparents

This is another of my special layouts. When I was a child, I only saw my mothers parents once a year on vacation, so the time I did spend with them became very special to me. After we moved from Pennsylvania to the Mississippi Coast, I was able to see them more often but it never seemed enough. Both of my grandparents passed in 1977 just 6months apart. Many times I have thought how I would love to be able to tell them of all of things that have gone on in my life, but then, I am sure they already know.

My Sweet Mother

This is one of the layouts that I completed for a class I am taking at DSP.
I am so very proud of my mother. She has been through quite a bit over the past years. With all that has happened, she has never lost her sense of humor or her love for life. I could not have chosen a better mother or friend. I am thankful every day for the love and warmth that she shares with me and my brother; I also thank God for what he has given me through her.

The Carla Funnies!!!

Sunday afternoon my GD asked if the cat could join her in the back yard. What could it hurt? The cat loves to go out into the yard. So away they went. A little while later, my GD came running in the door yelling for me. "Mawmaw, the cat climbed the tree and he can't get down!"
So, here I go, out the back door to see what I can do to get the cat out of the tree. I ended up climbing halfway up the tree to get the cat...consider that I am 47 and climbing a tree. The whole time my GD and GS are standing on the ground with eyes as big as moons and my GS is in total awe that Mawmaw is climbing a tree. Mawmaw's just don't do things like that! Well, I grabbed the cat and told my GD to go into the house and get her dad (my intention was to hand the cat to him so that I could climb back down without the cat clinging to me like a scardy CAT!)
She goes running to the house yelling, "Daddy!! Mawmaw climbed the tree and can't get down!"


My GD is sitting on the couch pouting over something that she wants to do but knows that she can't. Whine, Whine, Whine...anyone with children can relate...my GS walks into the kitchen with the fly swatter in his hand and says to me, "Mawmaw, you need to give her a good swattin' cause I don't want to listen to that!" My GS is three.

Easter Dinner

Since I was a child, Easter Dinner has always been very special to me. After Church on Easter Sunday, My mother would always make the most fantastic dinner for everyone. Ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, peas, rolls, coleslaw. The whole house would be smelling so wonderful! AHH..Well, mom doesn't cook Easter Dinner much any mor, but I have made it a tradition in my family that we have the same Easter Dinner as I had when I was a kid and Mom is always there. Except for this year, Mom decided to visit her sister in Florida this year and she will not be here with us for Easter. I will still cook the Ham and all of the fixings, and the kids will hunt easter eggs in the yard, but mom won't be here and my heart is sad. Guess I'll have to give her a call to chat awhile and see if she can smell tha Ham cooking!