Guardian Angels

Do you believe in guardian angels?  I do.  I have ever since I was little and I give them a workout, I assure you.  I drive between Rapid City and Sturgis several times a month.  That seem to be the time that I challenge my guardian angels the most.

For example, last night I was driving home from my monthly Club meeting in Sturgis and letting my mind wonder over all the fun we had had, and what pictures I wanted to put in my little Cruisin' book, now that it wouldn't be passed around so much, when I caught a movement in the road in front of me.  It is amazing how quickly your mind processes information when you are about to be in an accident.  I recognized that the  movement was a small deer.  Then that there were 2 small deer.  Then that there was blood on the highway so someone must have hit these babies mama. Then I realized that I was about to hit at least one of them and I braised for the impact. When I braised for the impact, I turned my wheel - slightly!  And went right between the two fawns!!

I couldn't believe it!  I missed them both!!  And my dad's truck remained unscathed!  Only through the intersession of my guardian angels.  I know I give them a work out, but I thank God every day that they are there.

I shook all the way home.  I thought about sharing this all night long, and I find it is something I must.  It is the only way I know to express how grateful I am for every day ..... C

September 2012: National Stamping Month

I am so excited to share this special with you!  I love this stamp set.  For NATIONAL STAMPING MONTH Close to my Heart has created a beautiful double stamp set that matches our DOTTY paper from National Scrap booking Month!  I am loving this set.  It will work not only with fabulous daily scrap book pages, but it is going to make some amazing cards too!  It touches on all the trends in the paper craft world right now and I couldn't be more thrilled.  If you would like this stamp set for just $5.00 please contact me at the email shown to the right of this post.  HAPPY STAMPIN EVERYONE!    C

And so Normal life begins ... Again

The rally is over , and even though I don't have kids in school any more, this seems to be the time of year that I start re-evaluating my schedule and seeing what I can do to get some control over my time and my activities.  I look forward to things slowing down and falling into a routine again. ( Has there ever really been a routine?  I'd like to think so.) And I start planning all the things I want to get done before the new year begins.  I could probably tell you how many day until the dreaded Christmas deadline, but that would be unkind, and I don't want to do that to you.

CLOSE TO MY HEART IS HAVING A SALE! It is While Supplies Last so you need to head over to my website and check out the great deals!!  $2.00 Albums!!  I am in shock.  If you are interested in any of these items, get your orders in now.  I don't know how long they will last.  I am hoping to catch some of the albums... but we will see.

And, I always think that I should have a picture in every post, so I am going to add a random picture from our Rally adventures this month!  Enjoy, and I hope you will hear from me again soon!  C

National Scrapbooking Month

This is my favorite month of the year!  Not only is it my birthday, which I start celebrating as early as I can, but it is National Scrapbooking Month!  That means I get to organize a full day crop and I plan to get a ton of my scrapbooking done!  Our Crop day is always the first Saturday of May, and I am STOKED to be headed to a full day of scrapbooking and no interruptions!

I have already pulled my pictures and put them with the B&T papers I want to use for Saturday.  That, for me, is half the battle.  Once I have that done, I just pull out my CTMH design books and start creating!  I am planning on pulling enough cardstock today to get through all those paper packs without bringing my whole scrapbooking room to the crop.  And, I have already decided that my mission (and I do choose to accept it) is to use chipboard and embellishments, brads and eyelets, waxy flax and sparkles on ALL my pages!  I am guilty of under embellishing, so, I am going to glitter and grunge all day Saturday!

I will start cooking on Friday and have everything ready for my friends that are coming to play with me on Saturday.  Crock-pot Fajitas and lots of munchies to get us through the day!  My car will be packed Friday night, and DH has already volunteered to come with my Saturday morning and get things unloaded and set up so we girls can play.  What a good guy!  I think that is my favorite birthday present.  He is so wonderful about helping me with my scrapbooking business and all of the fun events I have with my friends.  What more could a girl ask for?


Well, you know I hate to publish a blog without pictures, so I am posting the CLUB projects my little group of friends did last month!  We used the LUCY paper packet from CTMH and made these wonderful cards!  I love how soft and dreamy the papers are.

And I had an awful time finding pictures to use on the scrap book page for this paper.  I resorted to digging out my college pictures.  And these are them!!  ha ha   I don't have very many, so I had to make them work.   I must not have owned a camera in college, or I am nothing like my oldest son, who live in front of the camera!! The picture of me with the beer (probably the first one I drank in front of my parents) is one of my favorite pictures of myself.  I don't know why, but it is.  I am glad to see it in a book finally!  

So, there you have it.  My girly pages!  ha ha   The rest of my paper pack is going to be used for birthday and sympathy cards, and maybe some pictures for the book I keep of my clients at the salon.  A bunch of prom girls in that book!   Now, I am off to finish packing for NSD and get myself to work today!  

See you soon, c

Check out this month's special from Close to my Heart!  I just got mine and can't wait to play with it.  You can get one for yourself by placing an order from the Spring/Summer idea book for $35.00 or more in product between April 17 and May 31. You will get the 'Dotty for You' paper pack for only $5.00. That is a great deal considering the paper packet includes 24 coordinating B&T duos and an idea sheet!  Not bad for $5.

You could also have me come and do a gathering for you and your friends to earn this paper pack. Invite all of your friends to come and spend a fun afternoon making cards or a scrapbook page and if you gather $400 in sales, you can get the paper pack for FREE!  And you get to have a great time playing with friends.

One other way to get this paper pack for FREE, sign up to be a Close to my Heart demonstrator. This is the funnest job I have ever had and the cost is minimal.  Sign up this month and get the Dotty for You paper pack FREE!

Contact me if you are interested in any of these options!  I would love to hear from you.

What Happened to Winter?

I can't believe it is April already.  We had a long and painful last month or two.  We've managed to catch every single bug that has run through town.  I am tired of being sick!  It has also really put a damper on getting anything done not only around the house, but in my scrapbooking room.  I managed to get the Club projects done on time (barely) and managed to have a meeting with some of my new recruits just this last week, but things have really suffered.

Today, I am feeling much better and hoping to get on the road to accomplishment.  I spend most of the morning working on my taxes (something I am NEVER putting off this long again) and this afternoon, after maybe a quick nap, I am planning on getting started on my club projects for April.  We have a busy month, with a little trip to Denver in the mix, so I really want to get things started early.

I am starting to plan our wonderful FIFTH ANNUAL NATIONAL SCRAPBOOKING DAY!  On May 5, a bunch of us will be meeting at 8AM and scrapbooking our little hearts out until about midnight.  I am so excited!  I have already ordered my pictures and am planning my pages! I hope to get a ton of pages done and use up more paper!  I really need to whittle down my supplies.  I have a hard time buying new stuff when I know what is sitting at home.  What do you do to use up paper?  I am trying to budget more scrapping time in my week and hopefully use up paper not just on pages, but get some cards going again.  I have really fallen behind on that.  I think I may be putting some of my cards in the salon for sale this year.  We will see how that goes.

Well, I have probably rambled enough for now.  I am sorry no art went up today, I will make sure and have some next time I post.  See you soon - c

A New Addiction

I'm sure you all know that I have a small problem with SPIDER SOLITAIRE, and that I spend a LOT of time on the internet and in my scrapbooking room.  Well, add PANDORA radio, and PINTREST to those addictions, and I have a Very Serious Problem!  This is Crazy!

It all started when I sent my alarm clock to Denver with Will.  Well, that was my radio in the scraproom.  A few days ago, I remembered that a friend of Will's had put Pandora on my phone, and I loved it!!  I can tell it what artists I like, and it plays those artists and that style of music.  I can set it to shuffle, or just one artist. It is wonderful for when I am scrapping and I love that I can change it all depending on my mood.    So anyway, I remembered hearing that they had a version for the computer now.  I downloaded it to the computer in my room and it hasn't been turned off since.   I love spending time in my scraproom now as long as I have something to listen too.  Especially when DH is going to bed at 6PM, I need some company.  PANDORA is it!

And then there is PINTEREST.  WOW!  What an amazing product (or time waster!!) I love that I can pin 'stuff' to my 'boards' without it taking up room on my computer and I can refer to to any time I want.  I especially love it for the recipe ideas I have gotten.  Just this week I am planning on trying 2 that I found on pinterest.   So many times in the past I would see something and think I "might" use that someday and either write down a website on a slip of paper (you DO NOT want to know how many of these are all over my house) or I would hope I would remember where I saw it later when I needed it.  With PINTEREST, you have it!  Boom!  Just check your board.  And you can pin anything from any website, blog, or other internet location.  I spent one whole day surfing other pinners sites (I do not recommend this - nothing got done!) It can be a waste of time, but maybe with some self control (OK - stop laughing!!) it will be the best thing since sliced bread.  For me anyway.

Well, I'm off to continue getting ready for the retreat next weekend.  I am going to try not to bring everything I own, so I am starting to pack now.  I will chat with you all again soon!  c