Reflections

On the way from Church services this morning, my DH and I stopped to drop my Mother-in-law off at her home. I gave my father-in-law a big hug and told him Happy Fathers Day. As I pulled away, I realized that I had tears in my eyes. The truth is, as I was hugging my FIL, I began to think how wonderful it would be to be able to hug my own father and wish him the same thing. I cannot embrace him in the flesh, but I can embrace his precious memory and know that through the promise of God, I will embrace him again someday on the stairs of Heaven.

Happy Fathers Day, Dad! I am looking forward to the hug!

Special Chat at 3Scrapateers

This special chat is to celebrate the boys, guys & men in all of our lives and

is also a fund raiser for our very dear friend and design team member Kerri Horton,

whose husband passed away at the beginning of May.

She has 3 wonderful, handsome, charming and energetic boys at home to take care of.

All proceeds from the sale of "My 3 Sons" will be donated to Kerri during this time of need.

** Monday, June 9th at 1:30pm EST **

&

** Monday, June 9th at 9pm EST **

@ 3Scrapateers chat room

Both chats will be the same.

The My 3 Sons items will be in the store late Sunday evening or Monday.

http://www.3scrapateers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=92105

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My 3 Sons Mega Kit

You can't go wrong with this HUGE 597 MB mega kit created

to celebrate the all of the boys, guys & men in our lives!

*95 - 12x12 inch Papers * 21 Ribbons, bows & thin rope * 2 Arrows * 3 Laced eyelets * 1 Spiral notebook *

* 18 Word art * 2 Tag ties * 8 Tags * 5 Swirls & Flourishes * 14 Frames * 2 Film strips *

* 3 Fabric labels * 8 Ric Rac * 4 Flowers * 5 Rivets with words * 14 Fasteners * 10 Journal mats *

* 4 Journal strips * 13 Vignettes * 1 Pocket * 8 Word pebbles * 1 Torn paper bag * 1 Zipper *

* 4 Slide mounts * 2 Leather belts * 4 Foiled stars * 7 Buttons * 8 Paint swipes * 7 Leather labels *

* 2 Library pockets * 6 Stitching * 14 Misc elements *

* 1 Full Alpha Set (upper & lower case, numbers and symbols) *

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My 3 Sons 4x6 Brag Book

16 – 4x6 inch brag book pages *

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My 3 Sons Hybrid Projects

* 1 “Daddy” Album * 1 Accordion Album * 5 Cards * 1 Card Box *

* 2 Clock Faces (1 with word art & 1 without) * 1 Pillow Box * 2 Popcorn Boxes *

* 1 - 3x3 inch Album for 3 inch Board Books * 6 Bookmarkers *

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My 3 Sons Scraplets

* 5 - 8 ½ x 11 inch Scraplets * 19 - 12x12 inch Scraplets *

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Special thanks to the contributing team members:

Amanda Dunn, Amy Lindsay, Bannerwoman, Bonnie Beechler, Carla Ware, Carole Nordyke, Deanna Patterson,

DeDe Smith, Gail Cook, Laurie Ann Phinney, Heather Johnson, Ilona Havenaar, Jill Dohoho,

Karen Halgren, Kimberly Stewart, Lisa Majewski, Linda Walton, Monna Lainson, Neissa Byers, Pat Hardy, Stacey Kluczny

Can’t see the graphics? Click here: http://www.3scrapateers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=92105

We hope to see you there!!

I feel so helpless!

I am sitting here thinking that there must be something that I can do but I know that there is not. I am faced with the loss of someone very near and dear to my heart. Someone I love beyond words. Someone who did nothing but spread sunshine and love where ever she went. My brothers only daughter was much like a daughter to me and now she is gone. My heart hurts so badly and all I have done today is cry. My brother is so hurt and sad and it has only just begun.

I am trying to find comfort in my faith and the knowledge that she was a Christian. She believed in God and loved Jesus with all of her heart. I know that she is with him.

Her husband is making arrangements to bring her home so that she can be laid to rest near her family. I have given him the two extra plots that I have at the gardens. At least that is taken care of for him.

Please, if you are reading this, say a prayer for comfort and strength. Not for me, but for her husband, her son and for her mother and father.

Rest in peace, Princess and know that Aunt Carla will love you always.

Can you believe it?

I got home from work today and what did I see in my mailbox? Just this awesome little award from one of my best friends and fellow digital designers, Terrell S! Thank you, Terrell! It is an honor to accept this award and and a priveledge to be able to pass it on to 5 more AWESOME designers and friends! You can find Terrell's blog here: http://waititgetsbetter.blogspot.com/

For those of you receiving the Award, here are the rules:
1) You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language.
2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.
3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.
4) Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of "Arte y Pico" blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award. http://arteypico.blogspot.com/
Make sure you visit the link above. There are crafts of all kinds shown; you are bound to come away inspired!
5) Show these rules.

Here are my 5 pics!

Rene Bross - Rene' is one of my mentors. She has inspired me in ways that she doesn't even know. Take a look at her blog and check out her awesome creations at DSP! http://renebrossdesigns.blogspot.com/

Ignacio Gomez AKA Nicecrane Designs - Ignacio is a totally awesome designer. He has been a breathe of fresh air to me and an inspiration. If you are not familiar with him and his designs, just check out his blog! http://nicecranedesigns.blogspot.com/

Linda Walton AKA Bon Scrapatit Designs - Oh My Goodness! This is one AWESOME lady. She has the most incredible way with words!Her blog is so inspiring and this lady comments on every comment! LOL! http://bonscrapatitdesigns.blogspot.com/

Silvia Romeo - I am blessed to have Silvia as a friend and fellow designer at 3Scrapateers. She has the most beautiful style in designand sunlight just radiats from her. I love ya, my friend!
http://silviaromeo.blogspot.com/

Gloria Valverde - Another AWESOME friend and Designer. She offers up freebies straight from the heart and she manages to do itjust about everyday! Check out her designs at MooTwo Designs! http://gloriavalverde.blogspot.com/

Go check out their blogs and leave them some love!

National Scrapbook Day at 3Scrapateers!

Join us for all of the fun on National Scrapbook Day, Saturday, May 3rd! The fun begins with a kick-off chat Friday night at 8:00 PM EST, followed by the first "By the Book" Chat ever at 10:00 PM EST! There will be Sponsored chats and challenges all day Saturday that you won't want to miss! AND I just received a telegram from Fernelda, our very own "FREEBIE FAIRY"! She will be flying in to join in all of the fun with her famous bag of FREEBIES!

The fun starts Friday, May 2nd at 8:00 PM in the chat room!

3Scrapateers....Where scrapbooking is always in Season!

What a weekend!

Wow! Did I have a fantastic weekend! It didn't start out to well, but it got better! Friday evening started with rain...lots of rain, over 6 inches of rain by Saturday morning! Where is the little boat when you need it? Ha!

After the rain ended, hubby and I took the Grandkids over to Bellingrath Gardens in Mobile, Alabama. Sounds like a long way, but from my house it's about 30 miles. So close but yet so far! We really do not get over there enough. This home dates back to around 1939 and the gardens are just beautiful. There was a huge antique car show over there this weekend too, so that made it even better. Taylor LOVED seeing all of the "Fast Cars" (that is what he calls Mustangs, Corvettes, and other cars in that category). Both of the kids enjoyed the winding paths and flowers in the garden, but I think they liked "Mirror Lake" the best of all. Although the Oriental Garden ran a very close 2nd until Alana slipped and did an almost perfect split on one of the paths! Ouch! Skinned her knee but was a very big girl with no tears. Of course, no road trip would be complete without McDonalds right around the corner!

Sunday was awesome as well. The company that I work for had the company picnic at Gass Light Park, so we went for a fun day of food, games, awards and a Minor League Baseball at Hank Aaron Stadium! The Mobile Bay Bears played the Carolina Mudcats and broke a loosing streak by beating them 5 - 0! It was a great game and Taylor caught a baseball while watching the teams practice before the game!

I won a Gift Certificate for a one night stay at the famous Battlehouse Hotel in Mobile. This is really great because I have been wanting to get over there and take some photos since it was restored last year but just haven't had the time. Now I know I will get photos! We haven't decided when we will go yet, but, most likely for our 30th wedding anniversary in August.

It was a great weekend and after all of the walking on Saturday and the activities on Sunday, I feel really old but it was well worth it to see the kids have so much fun and to have won my prize!

Hope you all had a great weekend too! Catch you all next time!

New for April!

Oriental Tapestry is my newest kit coming to the store at 3Scrapateers! Join me for the Half-N-Half chat on April 22nd at 10:00PM EST to receive a freebie and hear how the Half-N-half works. This kit will be available in the store for just $2.00 beginning April 18th.

This is only half of the kit! The other half is the posting bonus!

Join me! April 22nd in the 3S chat room!

How to dance in the rain...

I recently received this in an e-mail at work and thought that I would share it with all of you. It made me stop and think!

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am. I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and re-dress his wound. While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, and that she had not recognized him in five years now. I was surprised, and asked him, "And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?" He smiled as he patted my hand and said, "She doesn't know who I am, but I still know who she is." True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be. The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have. "Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain ."

I hope you all have a blessed week!

March 26th SAD - Dog Bones!

Grab the camera and get the DOG! It's Dog Bones!! A fun new kit just for dogs and it's on sale now in the store at 3Scrapateers for just $2.00. Post your creation in the SAD gallery by midnight, Thursday, March 27th to receive the rest of the kit free as your posting bonus. But don't forget to come to the CHAT on WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26th at 10:00PM EST! We will talk about the kit and you will receive a great freebie just for coming!

A Blessed Friendship!

In my last post, I mentioned my new friend, Charlene and said that she deserved a post all of her own. Well, this is it! The question in my Blog Prompt at 3Scrapateers is, "Have you ever been somewhere that you were not sure that you wanted to be, and met someone that instantly became your friend? Are you now glad that you WERE there? Would you have become friends with this person under different circumstances?"

Ahhh....Such is the case with Charlene. Charlene and I met by chance when we both entered the "Last Scrapper Standing" compitition at Divine Digitals. I made a few comments on her first layout and she PM'd me to thank me for my kind words. She, at that time, had no idea that I was in the compitition too! This was the beginning of our wonderful and blessed friendship!

Now, I am going to tell you a little about Charlene and I know she is going to see this and want to choke me but maybe she won't mind to much. First and formost, Charlene is a horse breeder and trainer. "After Dark Farms" has breed and reared some of the most beautiful Champion horses that you will ever see! Most times when I hear from her, she has been to a show or has just returned from the stables where she has been tending to a few mares that are about to give birth. She is a lover of animals and animal rights and a very avid supporter of the "Toronto Police Mounted Unit". If you will visit her web site, you will see some of the horses that have been such a big part of her life. You can visit her web site here: http://www.afterdarkstallions.com/

Charlene is also a designer. Not in the aspect that I am a designer but, as you visit her web site, you will see what I mean. Charlene designed most all of the graphics that you will see there. She is also what I like to refer to as a "Graphic Layout Artist". In my business, which we all know is scrapbooking, that means that she creates digital layouts. Charlene has created some of the most beautiful layouts that I have ever had the pleasure of seeing And I would LOVE to show you some of them! Let's start with the layout that brought the two of us together!

To show how committed she is to the Toronto Police Mounted Unit, Charlene also created this tribute to a Police-Horse(if you will) named Brigadier. If you would like to learn more about Brigadier & the Toronto Mounted Unit, you can go to Anne De Haas' excellent blog at http://brigadiersmemory.blogspot.com/

Getting back to the question at the beginning of this post.... Am I glad that I was where I wan't sure I wanted to be? YES! I would not have met Charlene at this point in my life if I hadn't been there! Would we have become friends under different circumstances? Well, this is what I believe....Wherever you are at any given moment in time, is right where GOD wants you to be at that moment. EVERYTHING happens to us for a reason, though sometimes that reason is not clear, it will become more clear as time goes on. So...given that....YES, Charlene and I would have become friends no matter the circumstance. Our friendship is blessed and she has been a blessing to me. She has given me encouragement when I needed it the most. She has lifted my spirits when she didn't even know that I needed a lift and she has given me inspiration with her creative talents, her stories and her genuine love of life. Even though we live thousands of miles apart, it's as though we are right next door and there is a little bit of Northern Sunshine in South Mississippi.

Now, I will leave you with some more creations of my good friend, Charlene. Oh, and one more thing. Charlene rescued a baby skunk last week and made that little guy famous. He is now recorded as the first baby skunk rescue of the season! Perhaps soon, I will be able to share some photos of the little guy. She did send be a few but for the life of me I cannot find them anywhere! (I think my DH has been messing with my e-mail agian).

If you would like to see more of Charlene's beautiful creations, please visit her gallery at Divine Digitals located here: http://www.divinedigital.com/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/6743

Where have I been?

OK...I know that I am the worlds worst blogger! I always forget that I need to do this on a regular basis and now...I have been tagged! What in the world does that mean? LOL! Oh well, I will get back to that!

Where have I been? It has been so crazy around here that I am not sure if I am coming or going! BUT....for the past 4 ....YES 4...weeks, I have been in the most intense scrappers challenge that I think I have ever had the PLEASURE to scrap in! That's right! I LOVE IT!

Now, you all know that I am a 3Scrapateers girl...HEART and SOUL... but I just had to enter this contest at Divine Digital. The Last Scrapper Standing Challenge. Man...I am so glad that it is over with and I can get on with LIFE!!!

Here is the amazing part......I made it to round 4!!! You may not think that is the most wonderful thing in the world but in a competition of only 5 rounds....it's pretty amazing to me! More especially because I do not consider myself the best scrapper in the world and ...well...now I know that I am NOT the "Last Scrapper Standing"!! LOL! Those girls that I competed against were some pretty terrific scrappers!

Anyway, I posted all 4 of my layouts over in my gallery at 3Scrapateers tonight and I wanted to share them with you! So here they are!

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3
Week 4

Some folks do not like competitions and that alright too. I must be one crazy gal 'cause I don't enter them to win! I enter them to scrap! To see if I have what it takes AND to make friends.
Good friends are in rare form these days so when I see an opportunity to possibly make a few good friends, I jump on it! Did I make any friends during this competition? I made several, but one VERY good friend. Charlene. She and I became friends the very first week and we have been e-mailing each other since. She is a wonderful person with the best personality and she is an AWESOME .....DIGITAL ARTIST! I am so glad that I met her and I have to thank her so very much for all of the support that she has given me over the past few weeks. I hope that we will remain friends for a long time to come! As a matter of fact, Charlene is so special that she deserves a post all her own!

Later my friends!

February 1st Blog Prompt!

I have lots of photos that I use over and over! It just seems that these are some of the best photos and they go with EVERYTHING! My favorite people to scrap are my Grandson, My Grand-Daughter and my Husband. I did scrap quite a few pics of my Cat, Spider this past year and my mother.

I want to be able, in 2008, to scrap more of these same favorites but I would like to do it with different photos....Guess I had better start taking pictures! I also would like to scrap some more pages of my Dad. He was a very special person in my life and still influences allot of the things that I do. This year, I also want to start a "Book of Us" about me and my DH. This year we will celebrate 30 years of marriage and I think there is allot that needs to be said there.

Another project that I have planned, is a heritage album of all of my family and my husbands.
The story is rather long, but even though I was born and raised in a different part of the country, my husband family and my mothers family lived very close together and knew each other as children and teenagers. They even went to the same schools. Lots of history!

So...Lets get scrappin' !!

NEW in the 3S store!

I have three kits in the 3Scrapateers store that are NEW for the month of February!

FAITH

Krazy Love

Winter Romance


All of these kits are on sale right now through the end of February! Stop by and check them out!

Scrapping Goals!!!

Everyone always talks about setting goals and how you should set realistic goals in order to achieve them. Well, my blog prompt for this week is about setting goals. And so...I have set my scrapbooking goal for the year 2008...that is to say, how many pages do I plan to scrap during the year. I have set my goal at 180 pages for the year, which breaks down to about 15 per month. As of right now, I am right on target! One more day left in this month, and I have two mre to go to make my goal! WHOOHOOO!

Uptown Paisley- Scrap-A-Deal for January 30th!

Join me in the Chat room!

Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 at 10pm EST

for the Scrap-A-Deal

featuring

Uptown Paisley

Scrap A Deal Kit Includes:

6 background papers, 4 buttons, 2 flowers,

2 bows,2 ribbons, 1 binder clip, 1 fancy frame,

1 photo/journaling book, 1 strand of beads and

3 tags

How does the Scrap-A-Deal work?

1. Purchase the featured kit: Uptown Paisley

on sale right now for only $3.00

Here:

http://shop.3scrapateers.com/shopexd.asp?id=5293

2. Come to the chat on Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 at 10pm EST

for coordinating gifts and of course some fun!!!

3. Create your masterpiece and post it to the Scrap-A-Deal section in the gallery

at 3Scrapateers.

by midnight EST on Thursday, January 31st

to receive the 2nd part of the kit for free!

Thoughts for today - January 7, 2008

Have you ever wondered why we need to rest? What if we went on and on without ever sleeping, without ever lying down to rest? Would we eventually just fall over? Would we age dramatically faster from constant stress and worry? Imagine what it would be like if you had to tend your children 24 hours a day, non stop, or work, clean and cook 24 hours a day. WHEW!!! I am not sure that I want to even try!

Now look at the times your children are asleep in bed and you have a little quiet time before you turn in for the night. Have you ever just listened to the night? Crickets chirping, the sound of a slight breeze rustling throught the trees, or even, on a quiet night, no sound at all? Do your worries of the day seem to fade during this time? They often do for me.

Everyday that the sun goes down, it goes down on the problems and the mistakes that we may have made that day. Something WONDERFUL happens while we sleep----God gives us rest. We are revitalized to face a brand new day, physically, mentally and emotionally. Sure, we may wake with the same problems that the sun left behind the day before, but today, after rest and sleep, we can face them again and think, "I can face this again today and solve this problem".

God promises to renew our strength when we rest in Him. Some do not realize how important the morning is. "This is the day the Lord made; I will rejoice and be glad in it." As soon as you awake, look in the mirror and tell yourself, "Today is going to be a good day because Jesus loves me."

Have a WONDERFUL day!

Jan/Feb Ezine!

The new January/February EZINE will be coming out soon and I have a freebie for you there.

If you haven't seen my kit "Travel Mania" you need to hop on over to the store at 3Scrapateers and pick it up because the freebie in the EZINE goes with it! here is TRAVEL MANIA

And here is the Freebie that you will get in the EZINE:

So make sure you pick up a copy of the Jan/Feb EZINE available only at 3Scrapateers!

Blakelee

Blakelee is my newest kit and it will be released in the sote at 3Scrapateers on January 1st as the new Half N Half Scrapkit. So, as you know, you can get Half of the kit in the store for $2.00. When you upload a layout, card or whatever to the gallery before midnight on the 11th of January, you will get the rest of the kit as the Posting Bonus! And, of course, the only place you will see a preview of the kit before it is released is right here!

Blakelee was originally made for a friend at work. Her little girl is not so girly so Blakelee is a little bit girly and a little bit grunge. I hope that you will like Blakelee and find many used for her! Come to the chat on January 1st where you will see Kimberly Stewarts new kit and be introduced to Blakelee. Then come back to my chat on January 10th and pick up the matching freebie! See you there!

We are getting Closer!

OK...I don't know about all of you, but we are on the final countdown to SANTA CLAUS! I think the kids get more and more, shall we say...BOUNCY, as the big night gets closer! No matter how many time we tell them that they need to be good...the worse they get! Whats a grandmother to do?!!

I finished all of my shopping on Friday. I was going on Thursday but it was storming here and I din't feel like getting out in the wind and rain. Going to get my hair cut was enough for me! So..Alana and I went on Friday and I almost had to bring her back home...she was terrible! I didn't know a 7 year old could whine so much! Anyway, that's over with, the gifts are wrapped and now we just wait!

A not so Average Dog...

Ok...so I am not an everyday blogger! There are times that I have nothing to say and I am sure that there are some of you out there that are the same way. But today, I was sitting in the lunch room and for some unknown reason, Scotty popped into my head. I think of Scotty from time to time around the holidays but usually I am at home and one of the kids will have said something that sparks my memories of him.



Scotty was a Sheepdog and he was owned by the man who owned the local drycleaners about two block from where I lived. I passed by there everyday on my trek to and from school and never paid much attention to the "doggy in the window". This particular day was the same as any other day, there was snow piled up everywhere and it was COLD. I was walking home from school and was about to pass by the drycleaners when I saw something red bobbing in the window and heard the bark of a dog. Looking at the window, I remember letting out a laugh. There he was, sitting in the window with a big, red Santa hat tied to his head! Oh what a wonderful sight to see. Well, I walked up to the window and as I did he let out another loud bark, his tail began to wag back and forth and his face seemed to light up ... almost like the Christmas tree that was lit in the background behind him. "Where did this beautiful dog come from and is he really smiling at me?" I stood there for a moment and spoke a few words to him through the window and then decided that I should be on my way. As I turned to leave, he let out another loud bark and I saw the man that owned the drycleaners come into the room behind him. He began to laugh and motioned for me to come into the shop. When I stepped in the door, Scotty made a dash for me with a bound. "He won't bite! He won't bite!" the owner said, still laughing.
Scotty jumped up and put his front paws on my chest and started lapping at my face. I threw my arms around him and laughed in spite of the butterflys I felt. Mr. Trabeck introduced himself and Scotty to me and explained that he had never seen Scotty take to anyone just like that before. He invited me to stop by the shop anytime I wanted to visit with Scotty and share a coke with him.

After that day, I stopped in to see Scotty everyday on my way home from school. During the days while on Christmas vacation, I would even make the two block trek to see him in the afternoons. He always greeted me with that same sweet smile and a wagging tail.

I don't know what ever happened to Scotty. We moved during the next year and I lost contact with him and Mr. Trabeck. But I do know that he lives on. He lives on in the heart of a little girl that is not quite so little anymore.

Merry Christmas, Scotty!