Allowance???

Do your kids drive you crazy about getting an allowance every week? My son always did and he didn't want to do anything to get it! LOL! When I was a kid, I got 50 cents a week! Now, kids want dollars...lots of them!

My mom got allot for 50 cents when I was growing up. I had to clean my room...every day and help with the laundry and the dishes. I grew up in a rather large town in Eastern Pennsylvania, so when it snowed, I had to help sweep the snow off of the porch and the steps too! Not to mention taking the dog for his daily walk!

My Grand-daughter is so different from my son. She actually wants to help do things around the house. She loves standing on a stool to wash dishes...and I have a dishwasher! She also likes to help fold clothes. She is not real good at it, but I let her go ahead and fold them the best she can and I put them away just the same. Bless her little heart, she just wants to help!

Until recently, she never asked for anything in return, just a hug or a cuddle and a smooch on the cheek. Now, she asks me if I will give her some money if she washes the dishes or folds the basket of clothes! Can't imadgine where that came from...I think she has been talking to her Dad!

So what do you give a child to do all of these things? How much is too much or too little? I want to be able to teach her the value of the money she wants and how to spend it wisely but I want to do it without going broke in the process! I suppose I will figure it all out eventually, but then, I said that 20 years ago when my son was her age!

Changes??

Ok...Todays Blog prompt is to tell what I would change about myself, IF I could! This question was posed to me by my Grand Daughter. If I could change one thing about myself, I would be TALLER, hands down! Now, that may seem strange to most people and it sure was to her because it was followed with a million questions, like,"you wouldn't change your hair color?"..."No, because I already can!"...etc, etc... Here is the thing, I have always been shorter than everybody else in my family. When my son was 15, he was the same height as me. I have to stand on my tip toes to kiss my husband! I always need a stool or a chair to reach things on the upper shelf of the cabinet. If I ever have an accident in the car, the AIR BAG will kill me!
There is only one adult that I know personally that is shorter than me and that is my husbands aunt...is why I call HER shorty! It wouldn't have to be much taller, just a little bit....3 or 4 inches..then I would be 5'6" !!!

Oh well, this is the one thing that I CAN'T change so I guess I'll just have to stick to wearing heels and climbing up on stools a little while longer!

Have a great night everyone!

STRESS

What stresses me out? Mondays always stress me out at work because I have an overload of paperwork that must be done from Friday and the weekend. There really isn't much i can do about that because, just work at a steady pace and do as much as I can. When I leave work, i have about an hours drive to get home. Sometimes I can relax and calm the day in the drive but that depends on the traffic and how many other people decide they want to act like idots!!!I think you all know what I mean.

Saturday and Sunday were stressfull for me. Saturday, I took my Grand-Daughter to the Dollar store to get her school supplies...well, my grandson had to go along too! He was horrible while we were in the store!!! Thank goodness my husband was with me to help control, but I will think twice before I decide to take them both again at the same time. Then, I took my Grand-daughter shopping for school clothes on Sunday afternoon and being a typical 7 year old, she wanted everything under the sun except school clothes! Which made me angry because she would not listen to a thing I said and what made me even more angry was that the stores did not even have the shirts that I needed in her size! Everything was either too small or too large. When we finally got home, I was whipped! Will have to go back for shirts - ALONE!

Through all of this, I kept thinking to myself, had this been my Mom and Daddy, I would have had a red butt BEFORE I got to the car. Now I know why my mother always made my brother and I sit in the car with Daddy when we went to the grocery store. She was afraid that she would kill us both before she ever left the produce section!!!

Oh well...I grabbed a cup of Java and sat out on the deck for about an hour before my nerves calmed down and my head finally stopped pounding! What a weekend!

Happy Monday, ya'll!!!

By the Sea...

by the sea, by the beautiful sea! Here is a preview of only part of my newest kit! "By The Sea" is the new Scrap-A-Deal for August 1st. It will go on sale Wednesday, July 25th of $2.00.

Once you purchase the kit, create a layout and post it to the SAD gallery. You will then receive the rest of the kit as your Posting Bonus! I LOVE THIS KIT...even if I do have to say so myself!

From the archives...

Now, here is an old photo! This is me when I was about 4 years old! Christmas 1963, I can't remember much about it but this was the year the my Dear Aunty gave me a "Walking Doll".

Yeah, you hold her hand and move her arms and her legs will move...sometimes! But HEY! She was the best thing since sliced bread in those days! Anyway, If you can see it in the photo, I also got a nice little chalk board easel! I loved that thing!

OK..this is "Dolly"! I still have her and she is in the original box that she came in! My Mom wouldn't let me play with her so she sat in a closet somewhere for the longest time. Then, one day, my Mom thought I might actually be old enough to play with her and she let me have her. LOL! Gee, am I glad she kept her put away! Now, she lives with me and I get her out every now and then, like for this photo shoot! I also have about 4 dresses that my Mom made her and they are tucked away in the box with her too! Someday, my Grand-daughter will be able to play with her just like I did!

CHALLENGED!!

Well, Terrell has done it again! She has gone and challenged me to update my blog! So, here I am typing away at 1:15 am Sunday morning!

OK..I go to sign on and I can't remember my PASSWORD! It took me 15 minutes to figure out what my password was and then I had to change it! I really do need to get on here more often!

Anyway, I have a challenge for myself as well as one for Terrell! I started a new challenge at 3Scrapateers ... JUST FOR BLOGGERS! You can view it here: http://www.3scrapateers.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=586

Every day or so, I will post a little prompt for everyone in the hopes that they will update their blogs from the prompt. Now, you don't have to use the prompt, but I will post one just to give you guys something to post about, if you don't already have something! I just hope that I can follow it myself! I do know, however, that Terrell will be right beside me, pushing me onward!

Thanks Terrell! I REALLY don't know what I would do without you!

BTW...Be looking for the 3Scrapateers Birthday Bash Bonanza ads that will be coming out soon!
3Scrapateers will be turning 3 and we are planning a BIG BASH!!!

Layout of the week - July 8 - 14!

Holy Cow!! No pun intended! Once again I am blown away by having another of my layouts chosen for Layout of the Day and then chosen for layout of the week July 8 - 14! What a Wonderful Surprise! This is yet another of the layouts for my Freestyle layout class! Maybe I should stick to Freestyle! Thank You again for such a wonderful honor!

http://www.mootwodesigns.com/forum/

Layout of the week, July 1 - 7

I can not believe that I was chosen for Layout of the Day at Moo Two Designs, much less Layout of the week! I posted this layout from my Freestyle Layouts class and BAM! won for the week of July 1st - 7th! Thank You so much to all of the wonderful folks over at Moo Two Designs( http://www.mootwodesigns.com/forum/ ) for choosing my layout! I was definately shocked!

Ramblings

Well, my very good friend, Terrell, said that I needed to update my blog! LOL! I am terrible at this. I have a tendency to become very closed when it comes to writing. Something I am working on as I type this. I am laughing at myself because as I write these words, I am reminded that I am in the process of writing a JOURNALING class!!!

OK...I do have a few things to say here! I am EXTREMELY excited about a couple of things! First, I found out on Friday that another very good friend of mine, Stacey Jewell Stahl, will be designing and teaching again at the Digital Scrapbook Artician Guild!! Her six months no compete clause is up and she is FREE!!! She is in the preocess of moving this week but, will be online by the end of next week! For any of you that are interested, you can find the Guild here:

http://www.dsaguild.com/forums/

Second, I am SO EXCITED to be starting a new class tomorrow! It is a Freestyle Layout class at the Guild. I have been paitently waiting for someone to come up with a class so that I could learn this layout style and it finally paid off! Now all I need to do is find the time to actually sit and create some layouts!

OH...and I bested my sales for the month of May at 3S! YEAH!!!!! My Creative Team is really cranking out the BEST layouts and the exposure is fantastic for me! Now i need to come up with something special that I can do for all of them! The are truely the best bunchof ladies and so creative! They are truely GEMS! I haven't heard from Doreen though. She refuses to use the Yahoo group, mainly because she doesn't speak English very well and it is all very confusing to her. I sent her an e-mail yesterday but no response as of yet.

I didn't get to see Alana and Taylor this weekend. Tiffany is finally able to spend some time at home with them after spending so much time at the hospital with her mother and Greg finally seems to have something steady to earn much needed cash. Mama's bank is broke! My one prayer is that the two of them could work things out between themselves. The kids are stressed and confussed by their seperation and they just don't know where home is anymore. It just breaks my heart to see them in that state of mind.

I finally finished my Down Load A Day for 3S. It will be out July 1st. American Pride and boy is it HUGE. One of the largest kits that I have attempted so far. One download everyday for 31 days! WOW!

I also have the Half and Half again on the 14th. My kit, Sweet Dreams, goes on sale in the store on June 5th and the Chat is on the 14th. I can't post the preview until Tuesday...but it's almost like "Cherish" only it's in blue.

Well, I am off to finish up my journaling class. Thanks for stoping by and taking the time to read my off beat ramblings!

Here is one of my most recent laylouts! I made this one with a kit made by my Dear Sweet Freind, Kerri Horton at 3Scrapateers. Kerri's kit is just AWESOME with beautiful blues and yellows and OH these sunflowers are FANTASTIC! The name of the kit is "Sunflower Dreams" and it is on sale until April 25th for only $2.00 in the store at 3S. You can purchase it here: http://shop.3scrapateers.com/shopexd.asp?id=2940

It is the featured Scrap-A-Deal this week and the cool thing about the SAD at 3S is that you get the kit for $2.00, you get part of the kit. When you create a layout with it and post it to the gallery, you get the rest of the kit FREE! How cool is that? There is also a chat on April 25th at 10:00 PM EST. When you come to the chat, you get another MINI kit that matches FREE just for coming! Thats THREE items for $2.00...and let me tell ya...this kit is AWESOME!!! Thanks, Kerri, for such a WONDERFUL kit to work with!

Also, on the 25th, we will introduce the NEW Scrap-a-Deal kit for the week ending May 2. That kit is one that I have created ezpecially for the Scrap-a-Deal. The name of it is "The 70's Scene"

but you have to come to the chat on April 25th to see the preview!

Happy Scrappin', Ya'll!

That's Right! I am looking for a fun and imaginative Creative Team to help me

promote my kits at 3Scrapateers! If you think you would like to help me by creating layouts with my kits (you will get them free!), please e-mail me at the addy provided in the Ad!

Requirements: Honest, dependable, creative and willing to create at least 2 layouts per kit and post them to the 3scrapateers gallery + two other galleries of your choice.

This Call will end April 30th.

National Scrapbook Day

Chats all Day Long!!! Come join in the fun and get LOADS of freebies! I even hear that FRENELDA, 3scrapateers own Freebie Fairy will be spreading her fairy dust ALL OVER THE PLACE!!!!! Come one come all to the greatest Digi day event of all! It's National Scrapbook Day at 3scrapateers! I'll be there...Hope to see you there too!

New for the month of March at

www.3scrapateers.com is my Blue Bling Scrapkit!

You can purchase it here:

http://shop.3scrapateers.com/shopexd.asp?id=2819

I have it on SALE for $3.00 until the end of the month!

New for February at 3S!

WOW! What a month it has been already! I am very proud to say that I am the featured designer in the February newsletter at 3scrapateers! Make sure that you stop by the site and check out the issue when it is released. There are some great FREEBIES in this issue!

I am also the Designer of the Month in the Power Holidays forum! What a real surprize and pleasure! My newest kit, "Have a Heart" is the featured kit. The Freebie is a mini kit and the full size kit will hit the store on March 1st! "Have a Heart" is dedicated to my father, who died of a massive Heart attach 12 years ago. Since that time, I have been an avid supporter of the American Heart Association. You can view the kit here: http://http://www.3scrapateers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8685

and join in the fun of the "Power Holidays Challenge" to earn the Freebies! Then, On March 1st,
jump over to the shop and purchase the full size kit for a special into price of $3.00(reg. $5.00).
I will donate $1.00 of every purchase of this kit to the AHA in rememberance of my father.
Also during the month of March, you will be able to earn the add on overlays in my "Odds and Ends with Carla" Challenge. So make sure that you look for that as well.

The kit for the month of February is my "Music to my Ears" scrapkit. It is new in the store this month and can be purchased for a price of $4.00. Here is the preview:

This kit can be purchased here: http://shop.3scrapateers.com/shopexd.asp?id=2627

Well...Happy Valentines Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whats New for 2007

I have been working on a few things for the New Year and here is what I have come up with so far!

First, I have three kits in the store at 3Scrapateers. The newest of which is "Grandma's Love" that I uploaded just the other day! You can purchase any of these kits at the 3S Mall here:

http://shop.3scrapateers.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=202&cat=%2ACarla+Ware

And here is the preview of the newest one:

I have also started a new CHALLENGE at 3S. I would like for everyone to come on over and join in... there is always something free for following the prompt and posting a layout! You can find the challenge here: http://www.3scrapateers.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=497 This Challenge runs every two weeks. It's the Odds and Ends Challenge with Carla!
So jump on the train and come along!

Happy New Year!

WOW! What a blast starting out the New Year! I still can't believe that it is already 2007! I hope all of you have had a safe and happy one so far and that it will continue to be that way through out all of 2007.

Hubby and I spent New Year aboard the Carnival Holiday and we had such a great time! This was the first time in 28 years that we have not been home with our family for the big event. It was completely different than any thing we have ever ventured to do! Needless to say, the ship had a BIG celebration on the main deck...free champaign (not the cheap stuff) and all of the food that you possibly imagine. There was a live band and they were just fantastic! We danced and laughed with new friends, shared stories of friends and family, sang and just had a blast! At midnight, the ships captain blasted the horn several times and everyone went CRAZY!! An experience that I shall NEVER forget!

Reflections..... Kent and I are so very fortunate to have the life that we do and I thank God everyday that I have been able to share my life with such a wonderful, warm and caring man.
We have been many places and have seen many things but we have always been fortunate in those travels to have found someone along the way to share a cup of coffee with and tell a story or two!

On our last cruise, we met B and W from Dallas. They sat at our table at dinner every night of the cruise and became such wonderful friends to us. We keep in touch through e-mail and are planning another cruise with them soon.

On this New Years cruise, we met some wonderful young folks from North Alabama celebrating life and frienship, as well as a birthday or two!!! One is an artist, Dan, celebrating his 24th birthday! He was kind enought to share some his GORGEOUS sketches with us! Great group of kids just having a wonderful time!

We also met another couple from Mobile celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary on New Years Day! They sat at our table at dinner every night of the cruise and we were once again blessed with a warm and wonderful friendship! We are planning a dinner or two with them in the near future(they live just 45 minutes away!).

Happy New Year Everyone and may YOUR CUP be filled with all of the wonderful things that life has to offer!

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!