The Motherload

I'VE MOVED

2009-10-11T01:48:00.000-05:00

You can find future posts at www.ashleykat.com

A few days off

2008-10-08T18:19:00.001-05:00

I've managed to take a couple of days off...kind of. Sunday and Monday were consumed with taxes. I am so lame. I put off turning everything in until the very last second. It's such a terrible habit. My brain hurt so badly by the time I was done.

Yesterday, we headed to the fair. It was $3 Dr. Pepper Tuesday and the rides were discounted too. We blew $200 on our day of fun...which I can only justify with the fact that we didn't have a summer vacation. We did more games and rides than ever before and really just lived it up! We all agree that it was our very best time ever at the fair.

We took Nolen's friend, Abby, with us. As he puts it, if there were a girl he liked, this would be the one. :)

My dad, mom, step-dad, brother and nephew were all at fair at some point so we got to see lots of family.

I love the fair. I can't even explain my deep love for it all. The food, the people watching, the corny dogs and cotton candy...the trashiness of it all! I'm sure my adoration for the tradition of the fair dates back to my childhood, and I have no doubt that I'm instilling that same love in my kids.

Apparently Ella over did it at the fair. At 2 am I was awoken with the horrible gagging sound of throw up. She threw up right on Gracie's bare belly. And then Gracie rolled over on top of it. I gave the girls a bath and put clean sheets on the bed. Then Ella threw up again, this time, sparing Gracie. She threw up for the last time at 4 am. It was a rough night. I stressed myself out so much with the thought of her having a virus that I gave myself a splitting headache. But she woke up happy and healthy...and hungry so all is okay.

This afternoon, I took the girls to a kid's art place called Pee Wee Picasso. They had a little toddler time where the girls heard a story and then did a little art project. It was a nice little adventure for a Wednesday afternoon.

Tomorrow is back to the grind. I'm to the point that I have so many projects in mid stage that I want pull the covers over my head. Does being stuck in a hospital bed ever sound good to you? It does to me. That's where I'm at.

Hopefully I'll actually finish a few things tomorrow and Friday. We'll see!

The hilarious things they say.

2008-09-30T22:16:00.000-05:00

I love it when the kids say funny things. I wish I had kept better track of the things Nolen had said. With the girls, Ben and I will email the funny things to each other and then file the emails in an "ism" folder.

Nolen was always the most delightful child. Strangers would walk up to him and say "how are you?" and he would always answer with an enthusiastic "great!" or, better yet... "perfect!" People would always be caught off guard with his positive answers.

My girls, on the other hand, just give people dirty looks.

My favorite Nolen-ism was when he would sing "you are my sunshine"..

You are my sunshine
My only sunshine
You make me happy,
You guys are great!
(instead of 'when skies are gray')

The other day I was at Sonic with the girls to get grilled cheese sandwiches. Gracie demanded a boycheese sandwich. Not understanding exactly what she said, I just replied, "Yes, sweetheart, I'll get you a grilled cheese sandwich". "No, Mommy! I don't want a "Girl" cheese sandwich, I want "Boy" cheese sandwich!!

Tonight, Nolen and I laughed ourselves sick with the latest "Ella-ism". Ella is forever hungry, well... claims to be, anyway. She could eat her weight in ding dongs and chips quite easily. Dead serious, every other sentence out of the child's mouth is "Mommy, can I have... {fill in whatever the most unhealthy food I currently have in the house}.

So tonight, Ella proudly announces she has learned a new verse at school...

"The Lord is my chef, I shall not want".

Love it!

September

2008-09-26T10:20:00.004-05:00

Has it really been a month? Where did the time go?

Life is in full swing! Between my mom and Mother's Day Out, I theoretically have 18 hours of child-free work hours every week... not that it always turns out that way. Unfortunately it's still not enough to feel caught up. Between awesome business opportunities and projects that keep popping up and my love for PTA and church volunteer work, I'm pretty darn busy. But, I really do love it.

Nolen and Gracie celebrated their birthdays this month. We are going to have Nolen's party in October but we still made it a special day for him. I decorated his locker and took Taco Bueno to him for lunch. It was a total blast.

Gracie doesn't have a party scheduled... but I'm hoping I'll still pull something together. We still had a special day on her birthday. She and I went to Build-a-Bear...alone...and spent some quality time at Firewheel Mall. In July, Gracie got a bear she named Moonie. Moonie was a girl when we bought her but a boy when she came home. And then Moonie went missing... (obviously he/she had issues so I can only assume she ran away to find her/himself.) So, Gracie was hellbent on buying another Moonie. This time Moonie started out as a boy, and is still a boy as far as I can tell.

Something fun - I created a Free with $5 purchase template this morning! Just spend $5 at Polka Dot Potato and it will be automatically added to your shopping cart! Enjoy!

I've received some emails about classes. I will start them up again pretty soon - just have to get a few big projects under control and I will schedule some. You can catch me at Gotta Scrap too! I'll work on some templates for those book covers - I should have thought before now.

Where do I begin...

2008-08-27T21:32:00.001-05:00

Here's my triumphant return to the world of blogging...

Summer is done. It was fairly uneventful. We managed to tackle some major home improvement projects, including sodding the backyard, painting the hall, stripping the bathroom wallpaper, painting, etc. I still need to add some finishing touches, but signs of the 70's & 80's in this house are almost gone.

So now that we're all caught up, let's talk about last night.

Nolen's assignment last night was to cover his books. I'm notorious for hijacking projects like this... Nolen has been known to hide projects from me so that I wouldn't get involved and make things ten times more complicated than they needed to be. When he told me his homework assignment, he could see the pure elation in my face. The poor thing preemptively looked at me "mom, I just want normal book covers". Ugh...normal. I tried. I swear it! Staples was all out of covers but Target had some, and on sale, only they wouldn't fit the books and we nearly busted the books trying to cover them.

Plan B. Mom gets her way. The next 2 1/2 hours were dedicated to creating 12" x 24" digital prints and using them as book covers. Cute, huh?

In other news, Ella can't wait to be a mommy with "big boobs".

Goodyear...Good Times...

2008-05-27T18:04:00.000-05:00

The girls are funny. They can even make a mundane task like getting the oil changed a most entertaining event!

My car has been begging for a oil change for quite some time, so I gave Ben & Nolen an hour of peace and quiet and took the girls to Goodyear. They have TV there...and a comfy couch. And since we don't have TV, this was some seriously simple entertainment. I started flipping through the channels and found Jon and Kate Plus 8. I had heard of this show, many times, and was thrilled to catch a minute of it. The girls were highly amused too. We saw Maddy get her ears pierced and Ella decided she now likes her ears "just the way they are". Time to channel surf some more.

I flipped to Discovery Health's Babies: Special Delivery. And quickly kept going. "Was that a baby being borned?" screamed Ella. "Yes, Ella"... "I want to see!!!!"..."No Ella, this isn't the place"..."NO MOMMMY!! I WANT TO SEE"...I glanced around and the only person in the vicinity was a lady laughing at us, so I flipped back and let Ella watch. "Mommy, I need to know how this works!" Seriously?? Oh my gosh, what an uncomfortable minute!

The baby came out and I got permission to switch the channel. Finally, I found the cartoon block of channels. And Little Bear was on. Gracie watched it for a second and exclaimed "Cat's don't talk!" (I guess bears and ducks do...) But neither was the least bit entertained by Little Bear and started throwing their shoes at each other.

Luckily, our name was called and our time was up. They really are funny girls. It's hard not to laugh all day!

Going Postal

2008-05-22T08:30:00.005-05:00

This is a typical scene in my house. Things have been wildly good...but busy. And when I have to work, this is just the sort of thing I discover after any length of time at my desk. There's been a lot of stuff like this around my house because there has been a lot of work! No complaints here. It just makes for packed days. My sister graduated from Flagler in Florida and since she's home and unemployed, she's been stopping by house and cleaning up a little bit for gas money. It's been such a huge help to me!!

We turned off Direct TV back in September which means I've saved at least 300 hours of TV watching so far! It's amazing how much time it is when you add it up. Thank goodness I've had those extra 300 hours. I've needed every one of them!

So much craziness has been going on. I taught at the Novi Mega Meet a couple of weeks ago. It was so much fun! The experience reignited my love for my craft. I feel like it was a vacation - my own hotel room and some serious me time. I even read a book - Raising Kids for True Greatness: Redefine Success for You and Your Child by Tim Kimmel.

Our church built a new building which is awesome...but a casualty in the moving process was that Mother's Day Out ended a little early. Luckily, my mom has been helping a few days a week. It's been HUGE for me to have those hours to get stuff done. Nolen just has a few weeks of school left - hard to believe. He has had such an incredible year. He just found out yesterday that he got "commended" on his science TAKS test which means he's commended on all three - reading, math & science. He decided to play the clarinet next year. I'm super excited about that b/c he'll be playing my clarinet from when I was in high school.

Tuesday was Nolen's piano recital. It was kind of funny. I really wish I had it on video. All of the kids had trouble with their pieces because it was the first time on this piano and on a new stage in the new church. He couldn't figure out his hand placement for the last note of his last piece. He just sat there with his head in his hand. And then he slumped off the stage. We had a long talk about the appropriate way to behave in a situation like that. In reality, he did a great job. But his dramatics were pretty funny. Here are a few pics from the night.

Off to try and knock out some more things off the never ending list of to-do's.

Life

2008-04-17T00:11:00.006-05:00

What a wild spring it's been! I wish I had some fabulous update, but really I don't. I've been very busy doing a few big volunteer projects. I completed Nolen's school yearbook last week which was a MAJOR task. You can take a peek here. And check out all that cool artwork. Wonder where that came from? I mostly used Laura Ping's kits but threw a litte Kim Crothers and Summer Simmons in there too. It was a monumental task but worth it.

The other thing I've been working on is the RBFC Women's Retreat. I was the publicity chair - another big job. The retreat is this weekend and I'm so looking forward to the time to renew. I'm going with my childhood friend, Tracy! We haven't been to "camp" together in many, many years. I can't believe we actually get to hangout together for the entire weekend!

I've been playing on Facebook over the last few days - and I'm "collecting" friends so I can beat my husband's number. But don't tell him. You can visit me here.

I also made a fan page for PDP. This is really cool because we'll be using Facebook to send out special announcements and coupon codes. Don't miss out - become a PDP fan! Check it out here!

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T07:29:00.003-05:00

I could watch this over and over. I love it!

I'll update with our crazy goings on soon...just couldn't let this day pass without a post. He is risen!

Hard Core Digi Class

2008-03-02T14:02:00.007-06:00

Saturday I taught a fast paced - cram as much as I can into 2 hours - intro to digi class at Gotta Scrap. It was AWESOME! Only thing was that I wore these huge 3" silver hoop earrings. After the class was over and all the students had left, I was horrified to realize that I had lost one of my earrings between the car and the class - so the whole time I was teaching I had just one earring in! So in case any of you thought that I was attempting a fashion statement...I was not!

In April I'm doing a photo class and another hybrid project at Gotta Scrap. I can't wait to get started on those.

Today is dedicated to making felt puppets with the kids, cleaning the house and catching up on a little work. I love Sundays!

He won!

2008-02-29T12:28:00.003-06:00

I'm so proud of Nolen. He won FIRST PLACE in the North Dallas Regional Science Fair for the 5th grade Physical Science category. He was so nervous and excited! He is so thrilled with his trophy. Yay Nolen!

In celebration of Leap Year, we have 29% off the entire site (minus prints and commercial use items) and our awesome grab bag promo going on. Be sure to take advantage of this deal! It's so rare that the entire site is on sale like this.

Because desperate times...

2008-02-26T18:05:00.011-06:00

call for desperate measures. Today was incredible. My friend Andy has been helping me all week to get control of my filthy pit I call a home. It's a total extreme home makeover kind of thing. Our laundry had gotten so out of control that we no longer wore our clothes - our clothes wore us. This was serious stuff. Out of control to the extreme. Yesterday was just a matter of figuring out what was what and folding clothes - some which I'm sure had been on my bedroom floor waiting for a hanger since October. Today we spent the afternoon at the laundromat doing FOURTEEN loads of laundry! Who knew we had so many clothes.

I am so thankful that Andy recognized I was at a breaking point and came to my rescue. I have learned so much about friendships in the last couple of years...what true friendship really looks like. And this is it! It's been an amazing show of total self sacrifice for DAYS just to get me normal!

Ella is most excited that she has so many outfit options. And I don't even know what it's like not to be on my hands and knees every morning wading through clothes looking for some similar looking socks - the notion of "matching" socks had long since left my realm of possibilities.

At one point today, Andy was organizing with such fury you would have thought that the President of the United States was about to pull up in a limo in front of my house. It was AWESOME!

My friend Sharee helped me get control of my kids' playroom before Christmas. And since I'm airing all of my dirty laundry (haha) I should show off these before and after pictures of that huge project.

I don't know where I would be without my friends. I don't deserve any of you!

In the Motherhood - Must Watch!

2008-02-25T21:36:00.006-06:00

My friend Melissa directed me to some funny stuff today. These hilarious little webisodes will make you laugh. Enjoy!

In the Motherhood

Catching Up

2008-02-18T21:41:00.008-06:00

Whew! I'm tired just thinking about the last week. I got home from CHA last Wednesday night. The trip was long and I missed my fam terribly. But overall, it was a successful time in CA and I'm feeling quite optimistic about the direction of PDP but overwhelmed at the same time. So much to do! Internet access was scarce so I didn't get near the work done that I wanted. That was the only real disappointment.

I went straight from travel mode to Valentine making mode when I got home. I walked in the house at 10pm and had 25 Valentine's done for Nolen by 11pm. They were hardly the production that I usually make them but they got done, and that's the important part. I also made it to Nolen's class party but the whole event really made me sad. Nolen only got 12 Valentines and there's 25 kids in his class. And one of his teachers declined his Valentine because she didn't want the lollipop attached. These are the moments I feel most like a mom. I got a big lump in my throat and wanted to scream "you suck" at the top of my lungs. I know...real mature. Don't worry - I refrained. Lucky for me Nolen handled it like a champ and it all just rolled off his back. He's an incredible kid. And nothing gets him down. He's so friendly and out-going. I'm really proud to be his mom.

When I was out of town, he emailed me. Does it get any better than this? He did the heart on his own, with no direction. So clever!

I'm ashamed to say that I did not take one pic at CHA. But Christine did! Thanks girl! I roomed with the awesome Debby Schuh and Christine Borgfeld came in for a couple of days. I also had a wonderful time visiting with Bobbie Wheeler, Cindy & Kristi (Scrapbook Dimensions) and Yvonne. And of course I totally enjoyed spending time with Patty - THE Digital Scrapbook Teacher! She also saved me from being computerless all week. Thanks!!!

Here's a pic and me, Christine and Bobbie.

And here's me in the CI booth.

Now, off to work - Tuesdays are sacred - I have just 5 hours without my girly girls.

Looks who's at PDP!

2008-02-08T09:52:00.000-06:00

Awesome news today! Donna Downey products are now available at PDP! That's right, Donna does digi! I just finished uploading all of her fonts as brushes and PNGs. Don't miss the complete collection for $14.99! It's like getting one of the sets FREE! Take a look here!

I'm leaving for CHA in a few hours and of course there's lots more I wanted to get done before I leave but I'm nearly out of time. Looks like Ben will be getting a "honey-do" email from me. I'll be exhibiting this show in the Creative Imaginations booth. I'm so excited! I'll be showing and talking about our Partner Program for independent scrapbook stores. So if you have a store, please stop by and talk to me. You seriously don't want to miss out - It's so awesome! I'll also be talking to about 100 store owners in a class sponsored by Scrapbook Dimensions Magazine. I can't wait to share the partner program and the hybrid class I taught recently at Gotta Scrap. It honestly went over better than I ever could have expected! It was perfect!

Such exciting stuff but I hate, hate, hate leaving my kids. Especially to go to every kid's dream place - Disneyland. I get so sad watching giggling preschoolers runny around Downtown Disney! Maybe someday the girls will get to come with. Jean and I took Nolen and Tessa way back when and it was wonderful! Who knows!?

Okay, off to drag the suitcase down from the attic. With a little luck, I'll have another fun announcement later today.

Last Call and an apology.

2008-01-30T14:51:00.001-06:00

That's right! The Potato Bar is closing! This is your last chance to grab up those goodies!

Also, I have to apologize to all of our newsletter subscribers. I sent the newsletter out just after midnight last night - and then Gracie, my 2 year old, decided to send it out again this morning. Sorry! I still don't know how those little fingers know just what to push to make catastrophic things happen to the computer!

In love with hybrid!

2008-01-26T13:48:00.000-06:00

I've been a hybrid scrapper forever. In fact, my I recently discovered that the first scrapbook page I used a computer generated title for was created in 1997. Of course today's hybrid scrapbooking is so much more fun!

Last night, I decided to finally print the little Winter Dreams pages I did for the girls and one thing led to another...next thing you know, the three of us were digging through the craft room to find matching embellishments. I was amazed at what we had on hand and how much fun we all had deciding what to put where. I started the project by painting the edges of (3) 4" x 6" pieces with Making Memories Pearl Glaze. Then I Mod-Podged the pages on and covered the top - Gloss-Lustre - my favorite. Then I sealed the front and back with a clear acrylic spray. Then the fun began! We used a variety of things - Prima swirly jewels, Making Memories jewels, random trimmings from Hancock, snow flake metal pieces from Hot Off the Press, a pink glitter flower from Doodlebug and a pink corduroy brad from Imaginisce. I love it! I think it's so fun. We put it all together while watching the 80's flick "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" which Ella just calls "The Dancing Movie".

In other hybrid news, I'm teaching my first Hybrid Class at Gotta Scrap and I have pictures to show you! We'll be making a wonderful 12 x 12 canvas featuring Canvas Concepts. You get to pick which quote you want to make in class but you get to have both of the prints. The project requires some drying time so I'll be showing you some digital demos during that time so you can see exactly how I created the quote in Photoshop Elements. The prints feature paper from Summer Simmons. Her papers really lend themselves for these quote canvases. The girls at Gotta Scrap decorated the canvases all up with products from their shelves. How you decorate the canvas is up to you. You can go crazy with rub-ons and bling or leave it as is. So, if you want to check out what digital scrapbooking is all about, this is the perfect class!

You can sign up for the class right here or call the store to reserve your spot - 972-772-5197.

No need to call the health department

2008-01-25T19:01:00.001-06:00

Whew! Isn't that better? I still have the other half to do but in honor of half a clean kitchen, a made some refrigerator art for myself. Matthew 6:25 - 27 are some of my favorite verses in the Bible, probably because I can be a pretty high stressed person. I jotted this verse down on a white erase board and have had it on the refrigerator for about a year. I really don't worry near as much as I used to and I really believe it's because I read these versus to myself all of the time. You can read the entire passage here.

I used one of Summer Simmons' Little Black Birdie papers. I've made it a download so if you like it, feel free to grab it and make your own fridge art. Just click on the picture below and you'll be taken to the download page.

The Potato Bar is still in full swing and designers are still adding product. Don't miss out because it's closing soon.

In other news, we recently added a new designer, melgendesigns. I LOVE her work! She's from Germany and has a really great style.

I'm settling in for a weekend at home. Ben is out of town this weekend and the girls have been sick - which has made them especially bratty - and not suitable for public consumption. I guess it's all the coddling that's brought out the devil in both of them. Everyone here has had the flu...I'm the final holdout and just praying I don't get it while Ben is gone. But so far, I'm feeling fine!

Reality

2008-01-23T11:58:00.001-06:00

Just a little pick-me up for anyone feeling down about their housework today. I'm sorry to say the picture doesn't do it justice.

Let the classes begin, again!

2008-01-21T01:11:00.000-06:00

It's time for me to start teaching again! Since the crazy summer and then the monumental shopping cart switch, the idea of teaching in my home was just too overwhelming! And my bright idea to do online classes was great until Adobe went off and released Photoshop Elements 6.0 and the computer with the recorded classes crashed. (Don't worry Amanda. The hard drive is safe and sound...we think...)

Despite these setbacks, we still plan to have online classes. And I decided putting a date on the calendar for a hands-on intro class in my home is just what this slacker needs to get back in gear.

So, you can read about all of the details HERE. The class will be February 2nd from 2:30 - 4:30.

I'll also be doing a super fun class that same morning at Gotta Scrap! It's more of a digital demo but you leave with an awesome completed canvas that we create in class. I hope to post pics soon.

Winter Dreams

2008-01-17T23:01:00.000-06:00

I just feel giddy with excitement about all of the fun things happening at Polka Dot Potato right now! There was so much energy and activity today, it just makes me happy.

First, the Potato Bar is open! I LOVE the Potato Bar! And somehow the PDP designers manage to outdo themselves every time we have one. If you're not familiar with the Potato Bar, you have to be sure and check it out. It's full of awesome (and I mean AWESOME) digital goodies, all for just 99 cents! It will blow you away!

On top of that fun sale, we have some HUGE news that our customers will really love! All of our products are now Scrap for Hire friendly! But really, it's even better than that. You can read all about the new License Agreement here, but bottom line, it gives tons of freedom and flexibility to our customers. We all worked very hard as a team to create the new terms and we're really proud of it.

But wait, there's more! We just added two new designers to PDP. Jeni Cantrill joined us last week and Kim Crothers officially joined us today. I've been drooling over Kim's work for nearly 2 years so I'm am just ecstatic she's with us.

We have another MAJOR scrapbook manufacturer joining PDP but you're going to have to wait to find out who it is! We'll unveil that next week.

We also have some very cool FREE WITH PURCHASE offers on the site that you don't want to miss out on. Spend $10 and get Winter Dreams 4 x 6 brag book free or spend $15 and get Winter Dreams plus a 2008 CD Quick Page Calendar by Creative Imaginations and Amanda Lee.

See why I'm so excited!?

I just scrapped some PJ pics of my girls with the Winter Dreams set. My plan is to Mod Podge these to some 4 x 6 chipboard and make a couple of little books for each of them. I think they will love them!

Is there anything more fun than new pajamas??

Wild Weekend

2008-01-13T13:40:00.000-06:00

My wild weekend is coming to a close. Friday was a serious "me" day. I was totally feeling guilty about it...especially the part about dumping my four year old off at a friends house even though she had great big alligator tears in her eyes and was crying "Mommy don't leave me!"... But Mama really, really needed a break. So selfishly I went with Virginia & D'Uan to pick up Donna Downey from the airport and do a little shopping at Sam Moon. What a blast we had at the "wall of hair". Emily met us there and all but D'Uan left Sam Moon's sporting about 2 pounds of extra hair and a scarf. I actually love my extra hair! It came in super duper handy this morning when I was running way late to church. I threw that sucker on and Ella couldn't have complimented me enough on the way to church. "Mama, I love your hair. Mama, you look so pretty today. Mama, you look just gorgeous." and my very favorite... "Mama, you are all pretty" Ella is very vocal about whether or not she approves of my clothes or hair. And more often than not, I hear "Mama, that doesn't look good on you." It all makes me laugh. She's the fashion police. I think I got about 10 compliments and church and totally wow'd the Jr. High kids with my secret hair.

Here's a video I snagged from Donna's blog so you can see all of us buying hair.

So my plan on Friday was to pick up the girls and head home for a break before I took Donna's Blue/Black Damask class. However, due to some class kit confusion, Virginia and I ended up back in the car racing around town to pick up some necessities to get the store through their weekend with Donna. I was actually so glad because I felt purposeful and no longer guilty for my "me" day. The class was great and I can't wait to finish the entire album.

Saturday was all a blur. Exhausted was an understatement to how I was feeling. You know that deep down tired...emotionally exhausted, physically exhausted, and any other kind of exhausted you could be... that was me. I thought I might shutdown any given second. Ben was gone for the day doing Group Dynamics with the other Jr. High leaders and I was taking care of 7 kids, ages 7 mos to 13. Ben thought he was going to be gone from 1 to 5 but it turned into noon to 8. When he hit the door with pizza, I stuffed 4 pieces down my mouth and went straight to bed. Ahhhhh, glorious sleep! I'm feeling great today.

Gracie must be growing something serious. She went to bed at 6pm yesterday and didn't get up until 9am this morning. And she's taking another nap right now!

Today is Ben's birthday! He doesn't know it, but he's getting a party at the skate rink in just a few hours. Of course, I'm not his favorite person right now. A friend asked if he could mountain bike today and he said yes. And when he told me his plan, I told him I didn't want him to go b/c I was afraid that would mean he wouldn't want to take me skating. "It's all about you, isn't it...even on my birthday". And then he went on to mention how he gets jipped every year for his birthday, blah, blah, blah. And I had to tell him how sorry I was for being so selfish, blah, blah, blah. He's riding after all, even though I've "ruined" it for him :) I did chat with the friend and he'll be sure to get Ben back in time for his surprise party. Now, off to Target to get 36 candles, the one thing I totally forgot. Here's a 36" banner (for his 36th birthday) I made yesterday to hang at the party.

Friday FUN!

2008-01-11T01:10:00.002-06:00

It's 1 am and I'm scheduled to get up at 6. But with one too many cups of late night coffee and a really exciting day tomorrow, I just can't sleep!

I've had the most amazing realizations over the last week or so...things that I've known in the back of my head but are now increasingly obvious...and things so important that I can't forget them. Last week, Ben and I started giving our "life stories" to our church community group. Ben and I come from opposite upbringings, both which would give us the right to pull the crazy card... but somehow God protected us. Looking back, I see just how fragile we were. And watching the struggles of friends makes me so much more appreciative of the type of struggles Ben and I have. We generally don't have problems with lack of communication. If anything, we over-communicate. Nothing makes me madder than when we get snippy with each other, and I hang up on him, (yes, I'm 5 years old) and then I'm dying to tell him something but can't call because I can't remember why I hung up on him just 5 minutes before.

Speaking of Ben, Sunday is his 36th birthday and I've ordered him the most fabulous balloon bouquet on the face of the earth to be delivered to work tomorrow. Which is another reason I can't sleep. The picture hardly does it justice. We used to be in the "balloon business" so one thing I know how to do is order balloons. And for you DFW people, Balloons Everyday is the only place to go. They do the best job in town.

The final reason I'm super excited about Friday is because I get to hang with the delightful Donna Downey in the morning! Not because she requested my presence or because we're great buds...only because I bogarted my way into Virginia's van to pick her from the airport. I'm not a scrapstalker or anything, but this girl is a hoot. I'm looking forward to the entertainment!

Tomorrow night, I'm going to take Donna's brand new class, Blue/Black Damask album. I can hardly wait! The class goes until 11pm and I have no idea how I'm going to stay up that late. A triple shot something or other from Starbucks will definitely be in order!

I've still got some work to do tonight. It's a Discovery Day at PDP, which means you get to "discover" a new designer! It's Rikki's turn in the spotlight! I really love these promotions. Not only do our customers get to know our designers better, I have a ton of fun putting the whole thing together and learning more about them myself. Be sure to take advantage of the 25% discount. Rikki is very talented and her papers are some of my favorites! You can read all about her here and pick up a freebie while you're at it!

'night!

Could I really do this?

2008-01-08T23:15:00.001-06:00

I have this crazy idea in my head that I can't seem to shake. And for me, it's not just crazy, but downright insane. I just might...and I really mean just might...have aspirations to run a 5k. I am not a runner. I repeat. I am not a runner. I don't like running AT ALL. I think I hate it, in fact. My over-sized bottom jiggling up and down for the world to see. Ugh! And my knees aren't that great. Ever since I lugged hundreds of pounds of Spot Pocket Bars (not all at once) up some stairs b/c I was stubborn and way too impatient to let the boys do it, I've had issues. Sometimes I think my left knee tells me when it's about to rain. Bad sign for my age. But the latest Experience Life Magazine, the free subscription we get from Lifetime Fitness, has this simple 3 month plan for training for a 5k. And it really does look pretty easy. Of course, I don't think I've ever run 1/4 of a mile at once and the first workout includes a 1/2 mile of running. But something is urging me, at age 35, to stretch way outside my box and just see if I can do something I think I might hate... and make it something I love. I've already picked out some shoes! I'm digging the idea of these Nike Free 7.0 that are supposed to be like you're running barefoot. I've never cared much for running shoes and I'm sure God knew what he was doing when he made our feet.

We'll see. Still toying with the whole idea.

Blog Binge

2008-01-04T01:16:00.000-06:00

Here it is...a mega post to catch up the last month of my life. My relaxing holiday season was anything but. With several store visits, 3 parties at my house, print jobs galore and my own handmade gifts to do for the family, things were kind of crazy! But it was really one of the nicest Christmases I can remember. Ben has been working from home during the break so we're all back to our bad habits of staying up until after midnight and sleeping in. Life is going to get tough next week.

The last month...where do I even begin....

First of all, I was out of a camera for about a week and a half. I was really stupid and hastily shoved the camera card into the camera breaking one of the pins on the inside of the camera...all b/c Ben was letting me take a pic of his thinning hair and I was so excited that he might be considering doing something about it. So, $250 later... Moral of the story: don't be so vain! He has been taking a multivitamin and kelp and it already seems to be improving!

So, one of the most fun things I did with the kids I didn't have my good camera for. Nolen is in choir and the 5th & 6th grade MST choir got to go to Stonebriar Mall to sing. The girls and I went out to watch. Then we all had lunch together in the food court, then headed over to the ice rink! None of us had ever ice skated so you can imagine what a sight it was to see me holding the girls hands...all three of us trying not to fall. I guess I have skated before, but I think I was like 10. I was sore for days afterward. But seriously, it was so much fun. I think the coolest thing was to see how much fun the big kids were having. They were kind of on their own at the mall and it was so neat! Nolen is so big now. He's not my baby anymore. He is still talking about the Cajun Chicken he got in the food court. They enticed him with a free sample.

These were the best shots we got with our point and shoot...kind of pathetic.

Here's some really exciting news! Nolen won the GRAND PRIZE in his school's science fair which means he moves on to Regionals next month! Isn't that the coolest!? Yet again, the project caused a little family strife. Mostly because Nolen came up with the experiment himself and it wasn't our first choice for projects. But he obviously knows best! Having access to the Noritsu printer probably helped his odds. Didn't the board turn out nice? I'm sure proud of my boy!

Ella turned 4 on the 18th of December. I managed to surprise her at Mother's Day Out with a giant Happy Birthday balloon and a cookie cake for her class to enjoy. Unfortunately I forgot the poor girl's lunch! Mother of the year I am not! The sweet thing was very understanding and was content with peanut butter pretzels that her teacher had in the cabinet...that she just sucked the peanut butter out of. After school I took Ella out for a special time together for her birthday. We went to Build a Bear, our first time there! She loved every single second of it. She picked a purple hippo and named her Rubbie. And decked her out in quite an outfit. We also went over to Old Navy where she loaded up on tights, her new favorite thing.

We had her party the weekend after with whatever sweet friends we could muster up who would be willing come to a birthday party just a few days before Christmas. It was a great gathering and she loved being in the limelight.

Our highlight of the holiday season was learning about the Ear Popper! Ella has constantly had fluid on her ears for the past year. We started noticing that her hearing was getting progressively worse. I took her to an ENT who looked in her ears for all of 2 seconds and decided she needed tubes and her adenoids out. We have an HSA and a high deductible insurance policy for our family which means we try to do our research before going forward with a high cost procedure like tubes. And the thought of even a common procedure like tubes made me scared...especially since she doesn't suffer from any ear infection symptoms, just fluid in her middle ear. So Ben's dad, who is super holistic suggested we do craniosacral therapy. Since he was paying, we went for it. Unfortunately, after the first session, she appeared to be more deaf than ever! I was so frustrated. I was Googling our dilemma...again...looking for a solution and came across information about this little device called the Ear Popper. I had to get a prescription and that took some phone calls and begging...but I figured it was worth a shot. $127 later I had it in my hands and after the very first use, my little Ella could hear! It's amazing. You can read all about the device here. It's so exciting because she's really become a different girl. She is so much more friendly. She makes friends now wherever she goes. I prayed that we would find a solution other than tubes and I'm so happy that it appears we did!

On the 21st, I took the girls down to the station so they could see where Ben works. It was their last show for the year so there was food and lots of activity. Poor Gracie had been sick for a good week before and had really gotten skinny. This was one of her first well days and she woofed down about 3 big sandwich halves. It was good to see her eating again! We went to the Kidd Kraddick Christmas party on the night of the 21st. It was so nice to get away for a night together. Kidd gave HD Digital Camcorders to the cast and production staff. We didn't have one so we were really thrilled to get it! Maybe I can do a video blog...but I don't know if I'll have enough guts to do that. Here we were before leaving for the party.

Christmas day was really, really nice. We normally totally overdo the Christmas gift giving to the point where I'm nauseated before we even start opening presents. But this year we were fairly frugal with the kids. It was so much better than going totally crazy! Nolen got Heely's which made him very happy, especially since he didn't even ask for them. Ben and I don't normally exchange gifts but we did this year...early...only because I didn't know he was in the house when I was on the phone with a friend telling her that I had just returned from Target with Ben's ipod nano. I was devastated when I heard "I'm here!" from the other room. Ben quickly came up with the solution of exchanging our gifts right then. He gave me a big Bamboo Fun Wacom tablet. I haven't had a chance to become one with my tablet yet, but I hope to soon. It's so pretty! Here are some pics from the morning including our annual PJ pic - this is our 11th consecutive PJ pic! Yay us for sticking with something!

My mom had her house decorated so pretty for Christmas morning. These pictures just make me happy!

It was a Christmas miracle! A pic of me and my siblings...which means we were civil with each other!

New Year's Eve we had some friends over...the only friends we have who are as irresponsible with their children's bedtimes as we are. And all of the kids stayed up easily past 1 am! Gracie slept until 3:30 in the afternoon on New Year's Day. I think she's now a foot taller! Ella and I did our 2nd annual trip to Collin Creek Mall on New Year's Day. I just loved it! I'm hoping Gracie will join us for our girl's day next year. We returned a few outfits and got a few new ones. Ella bought a $3.00 ring from Claire's...or rather...I bought her one. We ate in the food court and she played in the play area where she promptly picked up a 6 year old boy named Preston and showed him all of her new things. "Look at this cute shirt"...and then off they went climbing on something. She is the most girly tomboy I've ever known. New Year's evening was dedicated to girly movies. I introduced Ella & Gracie to Girls Just Want to have Fun and That Thing You Do. We danced the night away in the living room.

I have some New Year's Resolutions I'm working on. They're swirling around in my head right now. I really need to get them on paper. I just love this time of year - I love the idea of starting over! I do hate that school is starting back for Nolen and reality is about to set in again. But then again, it will be nice to get back into a routine. Whew! This was exhausting! Resolution #1 - Don't wait so long to blog!

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-03T05:27:00.000-06:00

I just love this time of year...from Thanksgiving to Christmas...it's such an amazing time! And when I think about where I was last year, with so much hanging in the balance and feeling so without direction, this year is just so much sweeter! God is really amazing. This year is shaping up to be one for the most wonderful yet. Just before Thanksgiving, Ben went on the Kidd's Kids trip which was just awesome for him. The stories about the families on the trip were really powerful. We made a scrapbook of the trip using the Magic Quickpages by Amanda Lee and Creative Imaginations.

Thanksgiving was wonderful. The cousins played really well together. And all of the kids are finally at the age where they can just run off and play. So nice as we planned our Black Friday morning. Here are a few pics from the day.

Nolen was no where to be found. He was running around with his cousins the entire day!

We managed to get our house decorated early. We were supposed to have a little party at our house right after Thanksgiving but the girls got a virus so there was a location change at the last minute. We bought some decorations from Target after Christmas last year, so it was so much fun having a few new pieces this year like the feather Christmas trees and new light bulbs for the doorways.

I just completed this layout highlighting our decor. I used one of Amanda's Photo Stacker Templates and Laura Ping's CurlyQ Kit and Tis the Season Add on. I love these kit!! It was so fun to actually be able to make a little time to decorate this year. Last year I think we pulled everything out at the last second and it was out until February! We're really try to make up for our lameness last year by doing it up this year!

This last weekend I had the best time! I visited Gotta Scrap in Rockwall and did a little Digital Show 'n Tell. They had the best set up for me and it was so great to get back into the swing of showing off what you can do with digital scrapbooking. Gotta Scrap has completely re-worked the store and it so cute! I love how hands-on and enthusiast D'Uan and Patty are. It's so refreshing to really witness the deep love for the craft and for their customers!

After Rockwall, Virginia drove us to Waco where we took an awesome class by Debby Schuh at Crop-Paper-Scissors...another cute store. The album we made was so fun and I was really, really impressed on how well the kits were put together in the exact order that we needed everything. Debby is really a great teacher!

To top the weekend off, we had a really fun get-together at my house Sunday evening in honor of Debby. A bunch of the old Magic Scraps crew came so it was like a mini-reunion! Everyone looked so good. Nicole was so cute and prego with baby #3. Kristy looked great...and Erica and Shannon didn't look one bit different. I love it that after all these years, we can all still laugh together.

What a great way to start the month of December!

Because I love to shock people...

2007-11-07T08:42:00.001-06:00

Emily Adams tagged me and then wrote in her blog: "Who would shock me if they do this??? Ashley & Debby"

So...just to shock her, I'm actually going to complete this tag. Here are the simple rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs

Here are my {not so shocking} random facts:

*I didn't vote yesterday. (This is more of an admission of guilt)
*I love to bargain shop.
*I love mushrooms.
*I adore Rockport, TX
*I don't own a dress.
*I desperately want to learn more about photography.
*I visit Target on a daily basis.

So, here's who I'm going to tag: Amanda, Laura, Nicole, Tammy, Ben, Yvonne, and Melissa.

So, with Ben's new job, I can't help but listen every morning. They are in the middle of a contest...Hannah "Man" Tana...where dads have to dress up like Hannah Montana and lip sync to one of her songs. My 2 favs did not get into the finals - I'm so bummed. There is an excellent one in the running, so you'll have to vote here for entry F: Hannah "Man"Tana Finalists

Here are my personal favorites:

And another chapter begins

2007-11-02T06:57:00.000-05:00

Well, there's been lots of crazy activity in my house. Big, huge, changes... exciting opportunities and some serious "must be God because they're simply too unbelievable" things going on.

Ben is an incredible husband, a totally fun dad and has been super flexible for years as we've done one venture or another...mostly in the scrapbook arena which is hardly a man's world. It all started in 2001 with 9/11, the internet crash, and subsequent loss of his job. He had spent years climbing the ladder as a software analyst and had finally landed just where he wanted to be. But things changed, the job market was tough and his mom was losing her battle with breast cancer so he required some flexibility in his life. I begged him to come help me launch Magic Scraps, which he graciously did. And we ran that company until the end of 2004 when it sold. I had just had Ella and became pregnant with Gracie shortly after so it just made the most sense for Ben to be a stay-at-home dad while I worked for the new company that purchased Magic Scraps. He sweetly embraced that role for the sake of our family. But again, things changed quickly. By March of '06 it was clear that the purchase didn't "take" and we found ourselves starting over again. We started Polka Dot Potato and our new journey began. Things have been tough...not knowing exactly where we were going with the company but we knew the direction was coming from God...just too many things falling perfectly into place. Ben started really learning the web from top to bottom. And he even started picking up web clients here and there for some extra money. It was clear that he had a gift. He jumped in with both feet and learned everything he needed to know to get our site to run smoothly.

A couple of weeks ago an opportunity presented itself and he just couldn't pass it up. We've listened to Kidd Kraddick since we were kids. I remember lying on my gray carpet in my pink bedroom of the Inwood house, doing my homework to Kidd on KEGL. I remember listening when Ben and I were first married in the early 90's...we went to school, both worked regular jobs and we threw papers for the Dallas Morning News. We looked so forward to 6 am rolling around so we could be entertained while doing such a grueling job. There's so much history for me with the show...I remember Kellie's first day, I remember laughing all through the OJ trial and I was listening when Kidd announced when the second plane hit the towers in NY.

Well, the opportunity that we couldn't pass up has come alive for Ben. He is now the "webguy" for the Kidd Kraddick in the Morning radio show. Ben and I have never ever fit into the "box". And this was about the most "out of the box" job he could ever get and it's really perfect for him! I'm so excited for him. He so deserves this! He's had to suffer for years doing what I wanted to do and now he gets to something he wants to do. We couldn't be more thrilled!

Now it's adjustment time. Last week it was completely normal for the girls to be up at midnight. Now it's more like 8 pm. And Ben and I often stayed up until 3 am working on the site. That's come to a screeching halt. We even actually made it to bed before 10 last night! I have to do a little more juggling with getting Nolen to school but they're small prices for some big fun.

Ben's life is officially way more exciting than mine. He saw Ashley Tisdale in the studio yesterday...He's going to Disney World with the Kidd's Kids trip in a couple of weeks...some seriously crazy stuff going on.

**Digital Scrapbooking Day**We have some really fun things going on for Digital Scrapbooking Day. Look for some really fun challenges all weekend, lots of random giveaways, new Creative Imaginations product and more! Stay tuned!

A month of adventure

2007-10-28T16:42:00.001-05:00

I'm finally updating my blog with Sept/Oct craziness! It's been such a wild, non-stop month that blogging had to take a back seat. But I'm going to do my best to get back into a blogging routine so that this fun thing doesn't become a chore. Here's what we've been up to in no particular order:

**GRACIE'S BIRTHDAY!**

Gracie turned 2 September 19th, the day I returned from Las Vegas. I can't believe my little baby is really 2! We couldn't pull off the big party this year so we just had a cake for her. We'll just put the money we saved toward her "3rd child therapy fund" that she'll no doubt need seeing as we didn't throw her a party.

**SOCCER SATURDAYS**

We've been spending Saturdays at the soccer field. Nolen has finally found his position! He's been doing great as goalie. He is the perfect size for it and has really been going after the ball. Go Griffins!

***THE STATE FAIR***

We did the State Fair this year and it was a total blast! I've only missed two years of the State Fair in my whole life and last year was one of them. So it was essential that we made a day of it this year. It was perfect because Nolen had Tuesday off from school and that's our favorite day to go...$3 entrance fee with a can of Dr. Pepper and the rides were all discounted. We got there around noon and totally gorged on Corny Dogs. We hit all the fun shows - dancing dogs, BMX bike show, the Human Cannonball (Ella's very favorite), the starlight parade, etc., etc. We caught up with my dad who was also out there. The highlight of the day was when Ella rode the Pirate Ship! Me, Ella & Nolen got on...Nolen quickly got off and asked for his tickets back...but Ella stayed on and had a blast! She is a total daredevil. Her goal in life is now to be the human cannonball herself. She can't wait to grow up so she too can be shot out of a cannon. I'm preparing myself now for some wild teenage years.

Here are some fun pics of the day:

**ARKANSAS CAMPING TRIP**

We went out of town for all of 47 hours in October. Ben's cousin, Joel, married a very sweet girl from Argentina. It was a very small wedding near Eureka Springs, AR on a Friday afternoon which meant we had to be kind of creative about getting there. We decided to camp out because the weather was perfect and the camping was cheap. We left around 1:15 in the morning on Friday morning, arrived to our campsite and set up our tents around 7:30 am, headed over to home base (Ben's other cousin's house) until around noon and then we drove and hour to Eureka Springs for the wedding. After the wedding, we drove back to home base, had dinner, visited with family, went back to our campsite, roasted marshmallows and went to bed. Woke up Saturday, went back to home base for breakfast, played in a park, packed up our tent, went back to Eureka Springs for shopping and then headed home. We pulled in about 4 minutes after midnight. Ben's sister went with us which was really fun and helpful. The kids haven't spent a lot time with their Aunt Arides so that made it really fun for them too.

**OWEN'S FARM**

Desiree Chapman with Just One Year Photography met us out at Owen's Farm to get some family photos! It was so much fun and I couldn't be more pleased with the great shots she got. Here are my favs:

**NOLEN'S BIG BIRTHDAY PARTY**

Nolen's 11th birthday was late as usual but we managed to pull it off. We started the party at Quiggly's Clayhouse. Nolen invited a few boys for pottery painting and then it was back to our house for an all-nighter. They watched movies, ate junk food, and watched more movies. His last friend didn't leave until late the next afternoon so it was 24 hours of fun.

**THE COUNTRY CARNIVAL**

Last night was the annual Country Carnival at our church. The girls were "Cowgirl Princesses" was was easy to pull together with $2 and a trip to the dollar store. Of course, shortly after we arrived, Ben became the hat and horse caretaker. Predictable. We stayed until after 10 because we were on cleanup duty. The girls crashed before we ever made it home.

So there it is. The last 30+ days in review. Now, I need to give my house about 2 hours of my attention even though it needs about 10 hours. My house is a pit with a capital P!

FoxNews Alert - Ashley was in Vegas!

2007-09-20T22:19:00.001-05:00

I met Greta in Vegas! Okay...call me a stalker...I don't care. I totally get a kick out of this kind of stuff. I went to Vegas for Memory Trends and dragged my dad along for company. I taught a class on Sunday to store owners about making their stores "digital destinations" and then pretty much had Monday off. We woke up, turned on the news, and realized that Greta Van Susteren's "On the Record" was going to be filming that evening from the jail where OJ Simpson was locked up. So, why the heck not, right? You have to understand my dad too. When I was a kid and we heard siren's in the vicinity of our house, my dad would get us to all jump in the car we we'd follow the sirens! We were total ambulance chasers...so this little stalking adventure was totally in the norm for us. Greta seemed a little cranky that I wanted my picture taken with her. But Jim Hammer, one of the members of her legal panel, couldn't have been any nicer.

Look how silly I look inching my way into the screen at the last second of the show...watch over to the left...good times :)

Back to the real reason I was in Vegas...the show. It was a bit of sobering reality that the traditional scrapbooking industry is changing and changing fast. There wasn't a lot to see or do at the show but I did have some great meetings and it was definitely worth my time and money to go. I'm even more excited than ever about the direction we are going with PDP!

Speaking of PDP, we just got through our shopping cart switch. There's still so much to do so back to work I go! We start recording our online classes on Monday and our retailer program launches next week too! Stay tuned for more details! :)

Back to a routine

2007-09-06T13:15:00.001-05:00

This week has been glorious so far! The girls started Mother's Day Out on Tuesday. This is Ella's third year but Gracie's first. She seemed a little confused when we dropped her off but she did well. Here are some pics from the first day.

Having these few hours twice a week has given me new energy! Bible study also started yesterday. I'm so excited about having this time again and studying the Bible. We're reading Isaiah which is very challenging but equally rewarding. I was so into my new weekly routine that I spontaneously became domestic! I made a new crock-pot chicken recipe which was good, but the very best part was this Greek Salsa that went on top. My friend Virginia came over and ate with us and the two of us ventured off to Ikea to grab some things for our home projects that we both are up to our ears in.

Back to the Greek Salsa. We decided that this would make the greatest dip with pita chips or just smear it on some bread and it's delicious!

Here's the recipe for the salsa:

Combine the following in a food processor or chopper and refrigerate.

1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup chopped cucumber
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted & chopped
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled.

It's yummmmmmmmy.

Just 25 minutes of child-free silence left today and still a million things on the to-do list!

Birthday Breakfast

2007-09-04T08:15:00.000-05:00

11 years ago today, I was a 24 year old girl in a hospital bed. Now I'm the mom of the most precious 11 year old boy in the world. My sweet Nolen.

Last night Ben bought some Mrs. Baird's Grab 'n Go Donuts for Nolen's breakfast this morning. We thought that would be a real treat for him. At about 2 am when we were both up and working on our Back to School Sale, we decided it would be fun to make a donut cake with candles and all. So, we that's what we did. And he was serenaded by his paparazzi mom.

I hope he has a great day today. He didn't realize that a packet was due today and 5th grade teachers are less than forgiving, even on your birthday, so he got out of the car with a great big tear in his eye. I'm praying for mercy.

In PDP news, today starts our Back to School, Back to Sanity Celebration! Be sure to check out the great deals on our Back to School items, pick up some freebies and spend $10 and get my word art kit free!

2007-09-01T13:00:00.001-05:00

I'm finally carving out some "me" time at home to blog. It's been a wild and crazy couple of weeks, so something had to give. Now, time to catch up.

Our vacation was...well...interesting. I'll spare you the gory details and leave it with the vow that family trips are out of the question for at least the next 15 years. What is it with grown adult siblings that just can't get along? My kids had a blast! We are already looking forward to another weekend trip with just us and our Suburban...San Antonio is calling our name.

We did have a ton of fun, the 5 of us. We went to Port Aransas Beach, took a sunset tour on the Scat Cat, did the Dolphin Connection, did some fishing, got burnt, etc. Here are some of my favorite pics from the week.

I did manage to get a scrapbook page done. One afternoon I decided that it would be cool to get a blow up boat for the girls, put them in it and drag them around in the bay from the pier. This proved to be great fun! The float was just $3.75 from Dollar General and was the best money spent the whole trip!

We hit the ground running when we got home. There was work stuff to do and back to school stuff to attend to. I was asked to take pictures at the RISD school fair where the poorest 200 families in the area are invited to learn about resources available. The kids got brand new backpacks full of school supplies. There were also stations set up for hair cutting. It was so precious to see the excitement in their faces as they admired their backpacks.

The next day was our annual teacher Meet 'n Greet where we meet our teachers, buy spirit wear, join the PTA, fill our kids lunch accounts with money and housekeeping things like that. I spent the entire day of making inserts for the various spirit items that we purchased and making signs for the event. It was worth the effort. We raised nearly $900 in just 2 hours! I was shocked and ecstatic at the end of the night.

Next, back to school for Nolen...5th grade! Where did the time go? I have a fifth grader!?!?! He had a great week. Got up with no problems at all and {gasp} showered every day! He even brushed his teeth and put deodorant on before I asked! It's a new year!

This weekend we're looking forward to giving the girls' room a much needed overhaul. Tuesday they start Mother's Day Out from 9:30 - 2:30 2 days a week...hallelujah, praise the Lord!! I start Bible Study on Wed. morning. We register Nolen for Soccer today so practice will start soon... Here comes life, ready or not!

In Polka Dot Potato news, I'm so excited that we have a date for the new shopping cart! Look for the new cart, a new gallery, and a new look to the message board on Sept. 10th! We have a lot of work still to do but it's nice to have the end in sight. From there, things can begin! I'm just so ecstatic to get through that whole process because with the new cart we'll be able to expand our business to places the digi world has yet to see! I'm so happy about how things are progressing. I know this is the hard part...working long hours and not getting to see the fruits of our labor yet. But it will happen. Long live PDP!

We're here!

2007-08-15T21:02:00.001-05:00

And Topical Storm Erin is heading straight for us....wouldn't you know it!

I woke up with the news that we can pretty much forget about sunshine until Sunday. That put a little damper on our plans but we'll get over it. Today was basically all about getting groceries, hanging out and getting some much needed sleep. I had the MOST fabulous nap on our huge porch overlooking the bay...listening the to sound of the lapping waves. We did a little fishing with not even a bite this afternoon and Ben cooked us burgers on the grill.

Tomorrow we're looking forward to playing games and watching the storm roll in at about 9 am.

I didn't get the camera out much at all. But Ben did spot a zoom lens at Walmart for $198 so I think we're going to treat ourselves to that sucker tonight or tomorrow.

Here are just a few pics... Note the super cute flower clips that my sweet friend Melody made for the girls! She brought over a bunch of cute bows she made the day before we left. Thanks again, Melody!!

We are so out of here!

2007-08-14T01:50:00.000-05:00

Well, not really. But maybe soon....

We're leaving for Rockport, TX in about...oh...5 hours or so.

Am I packed? No.

Are my kids packed? No.

Am I done working? Heck no!

Instead I'm blogging at 2 am and watching QVC on the computer. I've never personally bought anything off QVC...but my sweet friend Virginia has bought a purse (or 2) for me :) And she called tonight to tell me that a product that I developed with Magic Scraps was on the show! It sold out the first time and they brought it back. And while Magic Scraps is no longer and I have no "claim" to the product... I know it's mine and that's good enough for me!

Today was our 17th wedding anniversary! And August 18th is my 35th birthday! And before you finish doing the math and start jumping to conclusions, our oldest child is just 10 years old. We were just young, impatient and in love! And we're lucky enough to still be together to talk about it.

We decided to spend our special days at the coast, relaxing and enjoying our family. But my sisters will there so hopefully we can still have a good time. I'm kidding...kind of :) My poor sister Elizabeth is spending the night at the Atlanta airport. She's stuck...couldn't make the last flight to Dallas on her Delta Buddy Pass. Hopefully we'll see her shining face sooner or later.

Okay, I have about 6 print orders calling my name.

One last thing...in honor of our anniversary save 17% off everything you download from the site!

History...repeating itself.

2007-08-12T22:19:00.000-05:00

When I was 10 years old, I went to church camp. My parents dropped me off in a white 1977 Chevy Malibu Station Wagon with a strip of brown faux wood down the side and picked me up in a brand spanking new 1982 white Chevy Suburban. This was way before Suburbans were cool. Of course, my 2 year old sister, Elizabeth, had already managed to puke in it. I'll never forget my excitement that day. I kept asking "Daddy, is it ours? Are we going to keep it?"...just sure this was a practical joke. We kept it all right. I learned how to drive in it, backed into my first pole in it, took countless family trips to the coast in it with my Granny sitting in the second row, drove it on my first trip with my husband (since our Toyota didn't even make it to Waxahachie before the transmission fell out)...it was always there...toting our family of six all over God's creation when gas was just 99 cents a gallon.

Well, this was a crazy week. I went on an errand Monday morning, saw a Suburban with a 'for sale' sign on it, and now we own one! We don't own the first one I saw...that one needed some work...but we stumbled upon one in Ana, TX that is as close to perfection as a 2001 model with 106,000 miles can be.

Nolen is in love with our new ride. It came equipped with a VCR, a screen and three wireless earphones. We made the deal one night and met the owner at the bank the next day at noon. Nolen was so excited that he woke up at 4 am, got dressed and was just waiting for the hours to pass, for the Suburban to be ours. He later decided that that wasn't such a smart idea after all and he got back in bed and slept 4 more hours... but nonetheless, that kind of pure enthusiasm is priceless.

We're a one car family which is a little unheard of in this day and age, but it works for us. And having this new car is such a huge blessing. In one week we lessened our debt by $15,000 and are saving $350 a month! And we love this big honkin' gas guzzlin' road hog!

And the really cool thing about it is if we ever lose the house, we can alway live in the car! :)

All kinds of stuff...

2007-08-06T01:33:00.000-05:00

I promised myself that I would blog before the weekend was up...so in typical last minute fashion, here I am. We had a really relaxing but productive weekend at home. My hope was that my house would be spotless by now, but instead it's messier than ever. We cleaned out the middle bedroom that we've been ignoring since we moved out of the space in May...and you know when you're cleaning out something big it gets worse before it gets better? Well, I'm just praying that's what's going on here. It's a disaster!

Last week was so much fun! On Tuesday, we went to the Star Wars exhibit in Ft. Worth. It was great! We all got along the entire time except when Ben and I got in a little tiff about how to use the camera correctly...so stupid, I know. I scrapbooked the Star Wars portion of the trip today.

I used Christine's Blended Colorblock Templates along with a couple of pieces of paper from her Impressions kit to create it. I have been dying to use her templates and was so glad I found a reason! I was thrilled with the way it made my layout look. I love grunge, blended, blah, blah, blah...when other people do it. But when I do it, it always looks wrong. Taking a piece of sandpaper to something just does not work with me...of course, my friend Emily can do it and I think it looks amazing. So, for the blending to be already done for me is PERFECT!

On Thursday, I had the greatest visit with the Gotta Scrap girls in Rockwall. I'm going to start teaching digital classes there in October. Those girls have got it going on! They are going to be one of the 200 Creative Cafe stores. And they are completely redoing their whole store - new product, new fixtures, new everything! They're going to bring digital in too and are totally open to new thoughts, projects, etc. I'm so excited to be a part of what they are doing!

In other work related news, Ben and I are knee deep in templates and html code setting our new shopping cart up. It's going to be absolutely fabulous when it's all said and done.

And now back to CHA and Chicago. I was at CHA this year for two reasons, no...three reasons. One, to be a panel member on a discussion about making your retail store a digital destination. Two, to connect with store owners about a new program we're launching and to hear feedback. (All systems are go!) And three, to have a blast with my home girls:) And we did have a total blast! Amanda, Tanya & Christine are all designers from the site and dear friends. They were so fun and easy to get along with. I subjected them to the Untouchables Gangster tour on Saturday. I think this was like my 4th or 5th time to go on it. I love fresh blood! There's pretty much a standing joke from my old crew about 2 of my Chicago favs...the Gangster tour and Edelweiss, an awesome German food restaurant not far from the convention center. I pretty much drag people to these places kicking and screaming (and on public transportation) and force them to have fun. If I had been paying, you better believe we would have would have been eating wienerschnitzel while listening to the oompah band and lifting our dark beers to toast. But instead we went to Elliot's, a great little neighborhood restaurant, heavy on the beef. It was delicious! This was by far the most relaxing time I've had at a trade show in a long, long time. The first time I ever went to CHA Summer was in 1999. I co-owned Scrappy's at the time and Jean and I took my mother because Provo Craft was launching 20 different CDs designed to be used for computer crafting, and my mother's poems were one of the original HugWare titles! It's funny to look back on now, because those CDs were about 8 years too early. I remember thinking, crafters aren't going to use these... And now I was there this year with the self-appointed task of bridging the gap between traditional and digital. Crazy how life works.

Amanda did a really cool thing on her blog, so I decided to steal the idea...and present my Chicago pics through this cute online service. Amanda also detailed her recollection of the Genevieve from Trading Spaces chance encounter here...enjoy laughing at my expense:)

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

One very last story, and then I'm going to bed. This is funny, I promise. Nolen spent the night with a friend and went to our church with them this morning. He doesn't usually go to the service - he has a class instead - but Eli didn't know that so he made the boys sit through third service. I went to pick up Nolen at their house this evening and Sharee asks me if he's ever been to the service before...and yes, once with me... She just chuckled...and proceeded to relay a story. Apparently the pastor asked one of those rhetorical questions to the congregation and Nolen's hand went up...and stayed up...for like 45 seconds. My poor sweet boy! He had the answer, I'm sure of it! When we got in the car, I asked him when he figured out that he wasn't supposed to be raising his hand to answer a question in church...and he answered "when everyone started laughing at me". I was 1/2 heart-sick for him and 1/2 laughing hysterically inside. I spent the rest of the trip home telling him how much I love it that he's always so quick to answer questions and how glad I am that he's not timid or afraid to be wrong like I was when I was his age... And how people at church have told me how cool it is that they can count on him to lead in prayer, participate in singing and pay attention to the lessons. I love that boy! And if this is as embarrassing as it get for him, bring it on.

Home from Chicago

2007-07-25T15:32:00.001-05:00

...but the full recap will have to wait. Amanda, the official photographer, is off in the woods camping so I have no pics! I can't possibly tell the full story without my (I mean her) pictures! It was an awesome trip. The best I can remember. Everything is falling in place. God is awesome!

One of the things on my extensive to do list before I left for Chicago was to finish the t-shirt design for my son's school. Unfortunately I couldn't get it done in time, so it was first on the list when I returned home. So yesterday and today I cranked out some fun stuff! I'm so excited! I only hope the final product looks as good as these renderings!

Cinnamon Toast take 2

2007-07-14T12:47:00.000-05:00

**Note, I started writing this post on Tuesday but due to events detailed below, I was unable to complete it until today. :)

This morning I told Ella, "How 'bout I make cinnamon toast again this morning!" to which she replied, "No, mommy! I don't want the fire to come out of the oven" This is on the heels of Nolen telling me that I really need to learn how to use the TV. So my kids are giving me a vote of zero confidence today. I now know just how my mom felt all those times we gave her that doubtful look and rolled our eyes at what she did or said. Sorry 'bout that mama...

We've had a long-standing battle in my house about how to make cinnamon toast...a 17 year old battle to be exact. About 2 months ago I finally won the battle - Ben conceded that in fact my way was the best. Victory! We still haven't decided on the victor of the french toast battle, but I must say that odds are in his favor.

So, here's how I make cinnamon toast: slather on the butter, sprinkle sugar, sprinkle cinnamon and put in the oven, broiler setting, 400 degrees for about 3 minutes. Perfection! Crispy on top, soft on the bottom. It's heaven!

**End Tuesday's post

**Start Saturday's post

Okay, this has been a week. There were so many highlights, it's hard to pick one. There was the time Ella accidentally dropped her little wolf figurine in the flushing toilet...bye, bye wolf...hello plummer. And there was the all nighter I pulled to get our sale up and running and the day from hell that followed...which included a screaming match with my kids with Amanda on the phone followed by a sobbing meltdown. Luckily, Amanda had the cure...a trip to the dollar store and some fast food...worked like a charm. Oh, and then there was the all out war against the fruit flies, which occupied a good chunk of the week. After research and lots of traps, I'm happy to say that the war is nearly over. By the way, it's not normal for us to have a fruit-fly problem and I'm not really sure how it all started, but I sure know how to fix it! The trap of choice is a baby food jar with bananas cover in plastic wrap with holes poked in the top. We made trap making a family affair.

There definitely have been some fun times. Ella and Gracie have both changed so much in the last 8 days that I think Ben is going to freak out. I've enjoyed holding Gracie until she fell asleep in my arms, and getting the girls new dishes and food for their kitchen and watching them make food for me. Nolen and I have enjoyed brief moments together while the girls were asleep and we even got away together to go to kids improv show last night. And Gracie shocked us all by sitting down on her brand new potty about 30 seconds after I put it together and using it...correctly! She can't say the word "potty" so I don't think she's completely ready, but I'm cautiously optimistic that she will be my easiest yet. I wouldn't trade the week for anything but wow...it's been a struggle. Just 29 hours until Ben gets home!

Friday we started our first ever Potato Sack sale! It's really awesome. Our designers have loaded their sacks with about $10 worth of new goodies that you can buy for $2. The only catch is you have no idea what's inside, which is half the fun!

In addition, I've put together a mini kit that is yours free with the purchase $10. You'll find all the details on the front page of www.polkadotpotato.com

We're off today to go to a friends house so the kids can play and I can get a little 3 minute video edited for CHA. Should be fun!

2007-07-09T14:33:00.000-05:00

I received an email from an old friend with a link to a podcast that's a must listen! Melody Ross is an icon in the scrapbook industry. I first learned about Chatterbox when we opened Scrappy's in 1998. At that time, she had two little books of sayings for journaling and 3 journaling templates. All of the Chatterbox product that we bought for our grand opening sold out our first day of business in that 150 sq ft retail space.

Melody is gorgeous, one of those people that you wonder about...wonder 'what it's like to be her' kind of thoughts. I've always had so much respect the impact she's made in the industry and how nice of a person she is and what an awesome mother all while having a super cool air about her.

Well, she's been through some struggles and changes and is coming out on the other side of her journey. This is a long and amazing listen. But it comes with a WARNING! Listen when you have plenty of time to dedicate your mind to it. It's very compelling and you will want to really pay attention. And this warning comes from first hand experience. I started listening this morning and proceeded to burn the kids' cinnamon toast and the last 6 pieces of bread in the house. Then I started again after 1 pm and Gracie flooded the bathroom by sitting on the counter and turning the water on with the drain closed. So seriously, when you start listening, you won't want to stop.

Here's the link to the podcast.

Enjoy!

Ben is outta here!

2007-07-08T07:34:00.000-05:00

Scary. Ben is out of town for NINE days! He's a Jr. High leader at our church and is on a mission trip to Tennessee with 15 pubescent boys and girls. I'm not sure I'm jealous.

We have never been apart this long since my 6 week trip to Germany when I was 17 years old the summer before we got married. In fact, that time apart was so painful that it was while I was in Germany that Ben asked me to marry him - right over the telephone. This time apart will be painful, but not for the same reasons. I'll miss him, no doubt, but it's not that raging intense hormonally induced 'miss him' that I experienced 17 years ago...thank goodness. No, this is painful b/c I'm the sole responsible party for the 3 kids that those raging hormones eventually produced.

My first goal when he left was to clean out the gutters. Ben is a lot of things...caring husband, great dad, computer whiz, builder of websites. He is not, however, a mechanic or a yard man. Our gutters have been sprouting trees...that's how bad it's been. We've had so much rain and we have a huge oak tree that dropped its seeds and those suckers had seriously taken root...in the gutters! It was embarrassing but not one of those things you think about until you realize that someone is on their way over to your house. Knowing that if I tried to take it upon myself to empty the gutters in Ben's presence it would create strife... I have used that tactic in the past..."honey, where's the screwdriver?"..."why?"..."Oh, I was just going to take apart the xyz and figure out why it's not working"... At this point Ben jumps up and takes over b/c he knows I'm not at all mentally or physically equipped to fix xyz. But, knowing that that is a tactic and not a legitimate means of getting him to do something, I just let him leave town and decided to do it myself. Something I won't do again.

First of all, my whole body is sore. I had no idea I would be hurting this bad. Second, as a family, we pretty much were the neighborhood spectacle trying to get those suckers cleaned out. Just opening the ladder and maneuvering it was a sight to be seen! It all started out promising. I got the first part cleaned out on my own while the girls were asleep. Then came the higher gutters. I opened the ladder all the way up...started up the ladder and started to fall. With all the rain, the flower bed is riddled with sink holes. So, the next idea was to get on the roof and clean them out that way. At this point, the girls were up and dressed and in the front yard fighting over the $5 Little Tikes car that I just purchased at a garage sale on the way back from dropping Ben off at the church. Gracie would pull Ella out and then Ella would pull Gracie out and it was pretty much pure pandemonium. I climbed on the roof first, scared out of my mind...and realized that Nolen was much more suited for this job. So I decided to come down. I got to the ladder, ready to get down and then realized I had no idea how I was going to maneuver my body around the ladder to climb down. I sat for a minute wondering...what if I can't get down? What if the neighbors all come out and see the mother of these 3 kids stuck on the roof with her husband on his way to Tennessee. What if the fire department has to come get me... Will Child Protective Services take my children b/c their mother was so stupid to climb on the roof? Maybe I'll just jump...but what if I break something?? I finally figured a way, climbed down and vowed never to do that again. Instead, I sent my 10 year old son up there. Seriously though, he loves being on the roof and has been up there many times with Ben. Like his dad, he is also not a lover of yard work...or any manual labor of any sort, but he played along and went to work. He did great! But then he reached a breaking point..."This is too hard!"..."I can't do it"...the meltdown was coming. But by golly, we had gotten this far and I wasn't about to let that kid off the roof without finishing the tiny bit we had left. Knowing that getting the contents of the gutters into the trash bag was a hassle, I got a huge blue tarp from the garage, laid it out on the flowerbed and told Nolen just to throw the stuff down onto the tarp. This worked! But looked ridiculous and caused the neighbors to see what the heck we were doing. One neighbor walked over and the first thing out her mouth..."where's dad?" "Uh...gone for 9 days...and I couldn't take the trees growing out of the gutters any longer."...and her response..."You had trees growing out of your gutters? Crazy! You sure couldn't see them from across the street. I never noticed them"...this was not making me feel better about my decision to take on this task. We chatted for a bit, I cleaned the tarp off the best I could, the kids continued to oust each other from the car, Nolen recovered and celebrated with a strawberry pop and all was well. Of course, there's still one section of gutter that still needs to be cleaned but I just ran out of steam. Moral of the story... don't be an ass. Let your husband clean out the gutters when he's good and ready. :) And, Ben...when you get back, will you clean out that last section of gutter and you'll probably want to spray the tarp off with water. Love you!

Celebrate Nature

2007-07-06T06:08:00.000-05:00

It's the ungodly hour of 6 am. I've been up since 4:30. And normally I would be hating life, but since we're about to load up in the car and drive an hour to pick Nolen up from camp, I'm a-ok! I can't wait to get a hold of that boy!

The designers from the site have been working hard on some great nature kits that you don't want to miss. And they are 30% off this weekend. I personally can't wait to play with them! I went camping in May and haven't even started those pages, so this is perfect timing for me.

I hope everyone has a fantastic Friday. Here's a fun Word Art freebie that's yours for stopping by :) Download it here.

Happy 4th of July!

2007-07-04T12:40:00.000-05:00

We're about to leave to pick up Popeye's Fried Chicken and hang out at my mom's house for the day. It should be fun...but there's something big missing today. It's my son! He's at camp. His first "spend the night" camp. I miss him so much! He's always the first one up in the morning so to wake up every day in a quiet house is sad. I didn't even realize how precious our time is together in the morning before everyone else wakes up. Now I know.

I'm sure he's having a blast! I can't wait to hear all of the stories. We'll be picking him up on Friday. I can't wait!

Here's a page I just finished from dropping him off on Monday. He went with several boys from the church and his Sunday School teacher.

I used one of Amanda's Get'er done templates, her Funky Fourth kit (which is 40% off today), one of her travel rubons, and Emily Farnworth's tag from her Zuzu's Petals and the shoe lace from Chip.

Be sure to grab up the Freedom Freebies we're offering today!

My Target find!

2007-07-01T15:35:00.000-05:00

When I was at Target the other day, I came across one of those deals where it's so cheap you just can't help yourself. When I bought this magnetic collage set, I couldn't even tell exactly what it was. But for $2.50 (orig. price $9.99) I figured I could afford to find out. To my delight I found a 13 x 13 magnetic board with 3 stair-stepped frames with mighty magnets. Then I saw it - a 12 x 12 layout with the pics used on the layout popped up in the frames.

So I made this page and stuck it up on my fridge. I cheated and used one of the frames from another set. I actually went back to Target with my Boston Market friend Karen and bought all the white ones they had. They'll make awesome presents!

Since our retirement sale is in full swing...I decided to use one of the many awesome items being retired. For the "My Crew" page I used Saskia's Bubblegum kit. I added a few none retirement items: one of Luiza Garay's grunge overlays and Jana McCarthy's Grungy! stars.

I also had fun making this template, so if you like it, you can download it here.

Amanda made me do it

2007-06-29T15:45:00.001-05:00

Amanda has been at it again - making a TON of new templates. And since I live and die by them, this is good news for me. She just completed 3 more 2-pagers and needed a sample of one of them in use...perfect excuse for me to do some more scrapbooking. So when Ben walks by with his eyebrows raised and wondering why I'm "playing" again, I can explain to him that this is an important marketing function and I am working!

We didn't do a lot over Spring Break this year but we tried to do something fun and cheap every day. One day we went to Glen Rose, TX and met my cousins at Dinosaur Valley. We had such a great time and hiked as high as we could go. Wendy is my cousin's wife but they've been married forever. After we did the park thing, we went to my cousin's house in Stephenville. They have some property there and are renovating an old home. In the meantime they all FIVE live in a 400 square foot cabin. It's totally crazy but looks like so much fun. My cousin is an Aggie who hocks bull sperm, which just shows there's a job out there for everyone. I used Emily Farnworth's Zuzu's Petals and her Watercolor Alpha to create this layout.

Today I'm taking it easy. I should be cleaning the house...but I'll get to that eventually. We got 2 extra kids this morning because my friend is recovering from a medical thing and when I went to Target, I ended up bringing another child home - a girl that goes to school with Nolen who just loves my little girls...only I could leave with 2 kids and come back with 3. So now everyone is playing and we have built in babysitters for the day.

Retirement sale coming

2007-06-28T11:58:00.000-05:00

Many items are already there but there's still more coming...so you might wait to shop until tomorrow.

We're preparing for a big shopping cart switch but no drop dead date on that yet. Enjoy the deals while you can because they won't last!

Rain, rain, DON'T go away!

2007-06-25T20:08:00.000-05:00

Our weather has been crazy around here. Lots and lots of rain! I personally love the rain. I woke up to the sound of soft thunder this morning and I was immediately excited. It's like rain automatically gives you a license to sleep a little late, curl up on the couch and watch the tube...or if you're my kids, run up and down the sidewalk like wild banshees. The second they see the rain falling all three run outside and play in God's sprinkler. It's really an awesome thing. Such pure and simple pleasure. Nevermind a bathing suit. Fully clothed is much more fun. So tonight I scrapbooked their adventures. Nolen runs too fast for me to catch him on camera, so it became a Gracie and Ella page.

I used another one of Emily's Plug 'n Play templates, and Rikki's If it Bends it's Funny kit.

Summer Fun

2007-06-20T21:55:00.000-05:00

The girls and I ran up to my local public pool and played in the splash area today. You just can't beat it - $1.50 and unlimited fun! I'm really trying to do something every day with the kids, even if it's a walk around the neighborhood. To heck with the dishes!

So...the Potato Bar is still going and here's what I did with $1.98 tonight! I used one of Amanda's Templates and Tamra Burwick's Paper Packs to create this page. These items are here just for the Potato Bar, so if you want them, better hurry:)

Gracie loved the pool today! I'm so glad I went. Now, off to make Rice Krispy treats with the Ella:)

Potato Bar Sneak Peek!

2007-06-17T23:36:00.001-05:00

Just 24 hours until the Potato Bar opens! We'll have nearly 200 items at 99 cents each!!! And the free with purchase is incredible...but you'll have to come back on Tuesday to see it. Remember, the Potato Bar will only be open for 3 days, so you're going to have to hurry.

If you are not already on our email list, be sure to sign up. We'll be sending out a special gift to those who sign up between now and Thursday. And it's a great way to get special coupons and learn about sales, freebies, etc.

So...here are some of the items that will be just 99 cents from Tuesday - Thursday. There will be even more on Tuesday, so be sure to check back.

Habitat

2007-06-16T15:12:00.001-05:00

Today was supposed to be an all-day sweat-fest...but the weather was not on our side. I'm part of a group at church called Disciples at Heart. It's a mentoring program that has given me the awesome opportunity to mentor a very cool high school girl named Laynie. As one of our all group get-togethers, we volunteered to help finish a Dallas Habitat for Humanity home. Unfortunately, it rained. We couldn't paint like we had planned so we just caulked and spackled and called it a day. Even though the day was cut short, we had a great time and it was definitely a team building exercise.

I wasn't really very familiar with Habitat - I knew of it - but not much more than that. I always thought the houses were built by volunteers and just given away. But in fact, the houses are sold (not for a profit) to the homeowner. AND the homeowner becomes a partner in the building project and invests 400 hours of their own time - with the help of family & friends. The homeowner to be, Camesha, was there the entire time, working right along side us. She was so excited and proud of her home. It was just so cool to be a small part of such a big thing for someone.

I came home and put the pictures from today in another one of Amanda Lee's Photo Stacker Templates - this one has 30 pictures on it! I just love them because they really tell the story. One of Summer's papers is used as the background - from the Tea Party for Two Paper Pack.

Tonight we have a babysitter for the kids. We're going to a good-bye diner for a friend of ours, Albin, who is moving to Atlanta. I hate goodbyes!

Paul Jagger Beach

2007-06-13T21:47:00.000-05:00

In May, I became an aunt for the very first time! It was very exciting but scary because little Paul was born premature. He spent a couple of weeks in the NICU. I made this page for them to hang in their room using Amanda's Photo Stackers ~ Fill 'er Up! I told you I'm addicted to her templates! This collage really told the story of those first days. I've never seen my brother so happy. And I think the baby has the coolest name!

The girls finally met their cousin on Sunday. We left straight from church, picked up my mom, stopped by Sonic for corn dogs and limeades and drove to the Casa View area of Dallas where John and Autumn live. It was a beautiful day! John had Tejano music playing on the back porch while the girls played on their jungle gym and their dog pranced around with a log in his mouth. You know you're Texan when there's not an ounce of Mexican heritage in your family but you still listen to Tejano music! We stayed for a couple of hours, then went home and all took naps. I just scrapped the day. Emily Farnworth's stuff was perfect for the pages. I used her Plug n’ Play Templates-Collection 1. I really just love two-page spreads. And I used one of her My Three Son's kits - this one was Chip.

I'm Back!

2007-06-10T18:56:00.000-05:00

Wow! It's been a crazy 6 month journey that has left me stronger, happier, more focused...better. And I'm finally ready to blog again! I officially lost my job January 1st and without an income to speak of, the ongoing expense of a 7,000 square foot space and an overall attitude of resentment...full of fear and anxiety...well...I just wasn't in a good place. But God is faithful! And when I gave up and truly let God step in and take over, amazing things happened. I feel healed. We have enough work to keep us busy and enough money to get by. But what's even more wonderful than meeting our financial needs is how we've grown as a family. For the first time in my life, I have my priorities right. And I feel it from my head to my toes. God first, family & others second, and everything else will fall into place.

I think there were several turning points during this time but one that really stands out is when this dear friend of mine (and she knows who she is) asked me if I could remember a time that I wasn't stressed out. Well, I was stumped. There have been times when maybe I wasn't as stressed out as other times...but completely not stressed? Probably not.

So I printed this scripture out and pasted it up on the fridge:

I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Matt 6:25

The last part grabs me..."who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" And they didn't even have blood pressure monitors back then!

My friend who asked me about my stress history is the same person who really walked with me through this whole process...who prayed for me, and who really invested herself in my problems. She was an amazing example. And not only did she get me through it all but she showed me what I want to be for others. She was completely selfless, completely patient.

It's great to be on the other side of my journey but I don't want to forget where I've been. I don't want to slide back into the stressed out, workaholic life I was living. My work is important. I get great joy out of growing the business and completing projects. But I have to remember that my Gracie is only 21 months old once in her life. And one day Ella won't want me to play with her. And Nolen is at the precious, precious age - where we see a glimpse of the man he's going to be one day. We need to be here for him...listening to him, directing him and nurturing him. His wife will thank us later.

So, this blog is going to be a mix - mostly personal fun stuff with a little Polka Dot Potato sprinkled on top. And I'm going to try and blog through my personal scrapbook pages. As usual I'm behind and I'm hoping that will help me catch up.

I'm focusing on the little details of life and just enjoying every second of the summer. Last Thursday we had a great evening together as a family. Sonic was giving away FREE root beer floats from 8 pm to midnight. So we all walked up to Sonic together and enjoyed our ice cream. Afterward, we walked to Target and grabbed some groceries. There was no room for the toilet paper so the girls used it as a great big pillow. It's was a great night!

Here's a two page spread that I just finished about the evening. I used one of Amanda's awesome Photo Stacker templates. This one is from the 2pagers pack 1. I'm completely addicted to them. I used the Adorable Leonardo kit by Nandinha Menezes. I love the colors and there are so many papers and elements to choose from! She did a great job on this kit!

He's a married man!

2006-12-11T21:38:00.000-06:00

My brother John got married over the weekend! I'm so happy for him. The wedding was small and sweet. They truly seem happy together.

It seems I have some security issues on my blog b/c the Magic Scraps security certificate has not been renewed. I need to spend some time updating the location of my graphics. I really need to spend some time blogging. There's so much I want to write...but I'm in between lives at the moment... It's a painful, exciting and scary all at the same time. And with all that I need to get accomplished in these last weeks of December, blogging has just not been the priority...

But I'll definitely get back into the swing of things soon!

Weekend Excitement!

2006-11-17T11:35:00.000-06:00

I am so dang excited about this weekend that I can't STAND IT!!

I should preface this by saying that there's a lot of work involved...but, that's okay. We're having another one of our FAMOUS scrapbooking supply garage sales! PLUS, there will be a crop going on, Desiree of Tater Tots Studios will be doing photo shoots all day...just tons of activity!

Normally I completely stress about these situations. But not this time. Nevermind I haven't even started organizing my "stuff". Why am I not stressing?? Two things. First of all, last week, Ben and I went to Super Suppers. This was the most AWESOME experience. In just under 2 hours, Ben and I had prepared 12 meals for the month. And really, they last a dinner and a lunch so it wasn't just 12 meals. Plus we drank sangria and enjoyed each other's company! So, no stressing about food and I can look forward to delicious and healthy meals with no thought involved. I'm dying to go back! Emily has promised to try it with me.

Why else am I not stressing? Well... we have our "regular" babysitter, Michelle, staying with us over the weekend to help with the kids. So for once, Ben can help me prepare for the day and I won't have to pull an all-nighter! It was such a win-win. Her family is camping for the weekend but she really needed to stay home and work on a project so it all worked out! Ben and I are a little nervous about getting the taste of what it's like to have a nanny...so I hope we don't get too spoiled.

Emily called and is in the mood for a payday celebration, so she's picking up Pei Wei and coming over to have lunch with me at the office!

So, don't forget...

AMAZING SCRAPBOOKING GARAGE SALE
1232 Exchange Dr
Richardson, TX 75081

Saturday, 11/18
9 am - 3 pm

Be there or be square!

Mega Post!

2006-10-31T10:08:00.000-06:00

Okay...it's time. This will be the mother of all blog posts. I feel just the slightest bit caught up. It's an illusion, I'm sure. But it feels good, nonetheless.

This last weekend was such a blur. Got back from Utah, worked, late night digi crop at the lounge (1 am), double header soccer game on Saturday and in between I went racing around for Halloween garb, made 3 Halloween costumes from scratch, dropped Ben off to do country carnival setup at the church, fed the girls at Sonic and then attended the country carnival! Whew! I'm exhausted just writing about it! I was literally making the costumes on the soccer field. Insane! Here are some pics of the day though...made all the running around so worth it.

Can you tell what the girls are? Well, Polka Dot Potatoes of course! It's clear that I have no balance between family life and work life, isn't it.

Emily and I got back from Utah on Friday where we both taped classes for CKU Home Study. I'm still on a high from it. 3 days looking at the mountains. In reality, I only needed to be there for about 3 hours b/c that's how long the taping took but I managed to plop myself in a cube at the CK offices and continue working just like I was at home...only with a much prettier view. It was kind of fun to see what a day of office work would be like at CK. Here is a pic from the set. I'll be sure to go into more detail on the project on my PDP blog.

While in Utah, we went over to Theresa Collins' house. Way fun just sitting around and chatting. Love her...how real she is. Cool chick.

I never posted much about Memory Trends...shame on me! We really, really had some fun. It was so good to meet some of the girls from DST and really get to hang out. I missed the kids so much! I haven't seen my mom much since she took care of them. I think she got her fill. Can you tell that my mom doesn't read my blog? :)

I really loved hanging out with the FX Foto girls {Susan & Mary} and Christine {all pictured above with our caramel apple martinis} and Angie Pederson. And it was just lovely being with Ben. It was nice to know that we in fact still do get along...and least when the children aren't around. It really did bring to light just how much stress the kids put on our interaction with eachother. 5 years and counting 'til Gracie goes to Kindergarten:)

Before Memory Trends, Emily and I went to CKU Houston...but again...I failed to blog it. What an amazing event it was! First of all, Em and I road tripped it...in a Jeep Grand Cherokee. We found the greatest candy store on the way with all the old fashioned candies and what I call WT candies...Chick o Stick, Bit o'Honey, Rocky Road...all my favs. And if you don't know what WT stands for...too bad. I'm not telling you. It was such a surreal event for us. Neither really knows what our future holds...well...Em actually just got great news yesterday so read all about it...But it was great b/c we were there with other Texans...girls that were there from the beginning. It dawned on us while we were there that we've supported every CKU since they took the show on the road. We started in Texas (San Antonio) and ended in Texas (Houston). 5 solid years of being at every event...Amazing! I'm so incredibly happy that Emily will be at all of the events next year but with an equally amazing company as Magic Scraps...Imagination Project. Congrats Em!!

While in Houston, I did something very, very random. The Philadelphia Phillies were in town playing the Houston Astros and the Phillies were staying at our hotel. So this boy that I went to elementary school through high school with is an announcer for the Phillies. His name is Scott Franzke. Being the totally unashamed person that I am, I called down to the front desk and asked for his room. Long story short, we met for drinks on Saturday night. I really don't think we had spoken to eachother since 8th grade...I was a very awkward kid...oh wait, I'm still awkward...nevermind. Here's a pic from our chance encounter: me, Scott and his wife. {pic coming soon}

Somewhere in between Houston and Memory Trends...I think...we celebrated 2 birthdays. Nolen turned 10 and Gracie turned 1!

For Nolen's birthday party, we had a campout at the office. Five 4th grade boys with indoor tents and 7,000 square feet at their disposal. Does it get any better than that? They had so much fun.

Gracie's birthday party was a little less planned and not so well executed but it at least occured. The decision to even have her party was very last minute...like 24 hours before. About an hour before the party I was running around trying to fine "the" cake. You know..the cake I should have ordered from somewhere but didn't. I hit Super Target, Minyards, and then Tom Thumb...and found something at Tom Thumb that I could "live with". One big cake with a matching smaller cake. I had Happy Birthday written on one and Gracie on the other. The loser behind the counter unfortunately had TERRIBLE handwriting and the word birthday didn't quite fit on the cake...it's like when a 1st grader runs out of room when writing and just goes up the side of the paper...same thing here. It was horrible. So...I'm standing in line lamenting about this hidious cake and talking with Emily on the phone. I get the register and I don't have my card. Like hell I'm not at least getting the card price for these cakes. I ask him to look up my # using my telephone number. He can't find it. I give him 2 more numbers it could be under...no luck. I think to myself...this is it...his my way out of this thing!! I look at the poor teenage cashier and just say "nevermind...forget it!..." and do a terrible thing...I leave the 2 cakes there and literally run out of the store...all the while with poor Emily on the phone still chatting away. I raced out of the parking lot fearing the manager migh come chasing after me. Now I still had no cake for daughter's first birthday and 30 minutes until the party started. I ran by Albertson's...no luck... My last stop was Kroger and I hit the jackpot. It was cute and perfect! Whew! That was a close one. Here's a pic of the prize cake!

Finally, Emily promised a long time ago that I would post the youtube of Gracie's first steps at Kate's open house. I uploaded it ages ago but never did post it. So if I haven't completely bored you by now, this should do the trick. And...if you've acutally read this all the way through, please comment. I would like to know that this was all not in vain :)

One final thought...many people ask me "how do you do it all?" Well...it's very simple. I DON'T! Here's a perfect example...last Friday night I had a Pampered Chef Party. {It's not closing for a few more days so if you need anything, order here} The house was superficially clean thanks to Ben but our bedroom housed the MOUNTAIN of clean clothes that never seem to find their way to the closet. I had thoroughly threatened the children's lives to keep the bedroom door closed which had worked most of the night...until someone was wondering what came of Ella and started looking for her. Well, she was discovered and so was my big secret. I had had two glasses of wine so it didn't seem so bad at the time...I snapped a pic...we all had a good laugh...and the clothes to date are still there.

So I thought this was the perfect scary picture to end my Halloween post. Have a great day!

Fun Quiz - How nerdy are you?

2006-10-16T00:24:00.000-05:00

Just found this quiz on my friend Laura's blog. Take it and let me know where you come in.

Oh, and I didn't score non-nerdy b/c I'm not really nerdy. The truth is, I'm just not that smart :)

Memory Trends

2006-10-11T14:26:00.000-05:00

We're here! Me and Ben ALONE! In Las Vegas! What a dream come true. Thanks mama for taking care of the kids!

I do miss the kids a ton. I'm so worried about Gracie's hand. It looks aweful but she doesn't seem to be bothered by it.

Nolen worked 5 hours last night on a social studies project that was due today... I'm so proud of him that he finished it. Not real proud that he waited until the last minute...but at least he won't have another trip to the principal's office.

I'm so bummed...there's an event tomorrow evening with my high school class - Class of '90 - that I'm missing b/c I'll be on a plane. I hope everyone has a blast and we do it again. I would so be there if it was at all possible...

Here's a pic of me and Ben in the booth:

Not an "official" blog entry

2006-10-03T21:29:00.000-05:00

Okay, I know how pathetic of a blogger I am and I really will give a full account of the last few weeks...soon. I'm a binge blog reader and becoming a binge blog writer...I'll get better.

But here's a glimpse into my last 72 hours:

I've slept just 8 hours
Finished a major portion of my 2005 taxes for my accountant {I hate taxes and have procrastinated 'til the last minute...and the most ridiculous part is that we're owed a return}
Nearly finished my CKU Home Study Album - Count your Blessings
Turned my son into the principal for not doing his homework...again! He's now grounded from EVERYTHING but books and physical exercise...and he's still hasn't finished his homework tonight.
Did some major first aid on Gracie b/c the poor thing got a hold of the hot water spigot on the water cooler and majorly scalded her hand. She cried for well over 2 hours straight and now has great big blisters popping up.
Spent time with my sister and step sister who surprised my mom with a visit from Florida this week.
...And this is in addition to the regular day to day family and Magic Scraps stuff

See why I don't blog more? Coffee is finished brewing so I have to go. It's never a good sign when I start a pot of coffee at 10 pm.

My sister - Mary Massacre

2006-09-06T21:03:00.000-05:00

No, she's not a serial killer...she's a roller girl! Last weekend my mom and I went to the Dallas Derby Devils championship bout to watch her skate for the last time this year. OH MY GOSH was it fun!! I want to be a roller girl! I want to be SMASHLEY! I've been day dreaming about it.

My sister has been skating for about a year now. She's really, really good! Put all your preconceptions of what you think roller derby is out of your mind. Okay, I'll admit that it's not my usual crowd and there's definitely some minor dramatics going on but it's not fake! My sister is a jammer...which means she's basically the quarterback. She scores all the points by skating past her opponents as they attempt to body slam her off the rink. This is serious stuff! I loved watching these huge girls just bounce off my sisters trim 120 pound, all muscle frame. It was awesome! She's awesome!

I also learned important things like what a beeramid is... it's a pyramid made from discarded beer cans. The skaters often slide into them in between periods.

Jim Heath (the Reverend in Reverend Horton Heat and Reverend Organ Drum) played during 1/2 time. It was such a fun night. I'm so glad we made the trip out there. Oh, and her team, the High Seas Hotties, WON!!

Here are some pictures:

Mary in action!

Check out LOTS more pics here at the league photographer's website, who is coincidentally my sister's boyfriend.

So, if there's any local girls brave enough to give it a try, my sister will do a private clinic for us so we can try it out:) Just let me know!

Boston in review

2006-08-29T22:52:00.000-05:00

CKU Boston

Wow! Boston is an amazing city!! We had such a good time at CKU Masters and taking Nolen was a truly awesome experience! He had such a great time...learned SO much about our country's history. We walked and walked and walked. I really loved being able to give Nolen my undivided attention...no baby sisters to interrupt his thoughts or mess with his stuff. Just the two of us hanging out. And being there with Emily was a blast too. Luckily Nolen and Emily both remembered their PJs. It was a big concern of Nolen's that one of them might forget. Here are some fun pics from the trip.

Dinner at No Name was great! Nolen and I got boiled lobsters and worked a little for our dinner.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the trip.

One of the really cool things we got to do was visit the Body world exhibit at the Museum of Science. It was really incredible. After he got a look at a real smoker's lung compared to a non-smoker's lung, I really don't have to worry about a thing. It's all he could talk about for days.

The memories we made together last weekend were amazing. I'm so glad we went together. It was also neat for Nolen to see what I do when I go to CKUs and what it's all about it. I love how comfortable he feels in the crazy make and take setting and in the classroom. He's so easy going and really gets interested in what I do. He's a really cool kid.

CKU Home Study

I got great news this week. I'll definitely be doing some CKU Home Study classes. These are going to be so much fun! I love it b/c everyone can take it, no matter where you live! My classes are a little bit digital and a little bit traditional and a LOT of fun!! So be on the lookout for them soon. More details to come...

Labor Day Crop

We decided to have a crop at the Magic Scraps office on Monday - Labor Day. I can't wait to get caught up on some layouts and projects! The crop is just $5 which covers lunch. EVERYONE gets a goody bag, so come one and all...digi or traditional...it's open for all!! Just let me know you're coming! e-mail: ashley@polkadotpotato.com

Big week...bigger weekend

2006-08-24T03:01:00.000-05:00

It's about 3 am and I'm desperately trying not to fall asleep. We leave for Boston in just 3 1/2 hours! Yippee! Never been to Boston so I'm really excited. It took me quite a while to get packed tonight...so no sleep for me! I'm too scared of falling asleep and not waking up in time so it's best for to suffer through and then crash on the plane. I don't really like sleeping on the plane b/c it never fails that I wake up with my mouth wide open...so embarrassing.

I'm really, really excited about this trip because my son is coming with me! I used miles to get him a ticket so he's taking a couple of days off school. I really wanted to take him somewhere special this summer - just the two of us - because he did really well on his 3rd grade testing and I wanted to reward him. Chicago came to mind but unfortunately the funds just weren't there. This is actually so much better b/c there's so much more history involved with Boston. Plus, I've never been there so it's fun for me, too!!

This week was fun but busy. On Monday, a bunch of us girls got together to celebrate my birthday and Kate's birthday which is Friday...Happy Birthday, Kate!! Emily, Pam, Jen, and Kandice treated us to a lovely evening! We went to Grand Lux which I adore b/c of the beignets. I could eat those things all day long!

Ben's sister came over last night to visit. She's very single and pretty much looking for a man...so we looked at match.com. Wow! What a bunch of losers! I got so sick of reading "I'm seeking a woman who values personal fitness as much as I do" C'mon...just say it...You want some skinny chic! You don't care if she's fit! Anyway, most of the guys wanted to make me vomit so we took that off our list of ways for Arides to meet a man. Now Ben is trying to drag her to the singles group at church. He's a sweet brother.

While I'm on a rant and rave...I have a comment about the whole layered look that's in. I really love it...very cute...long shirts help hide people's cracks...good things:) But...then again...is it just a plot to make us buy more clothes? So, one top isn't good enough...has to be two? three? I'm cheap. I don't like buying 2 shirts for one outfit. Makes no sense to me! Another thing...I was so happy to have the big shirt thing back. It's comforting to me. Takes me back to my teenage years in the 80's...minor problem...my hips are huge!!! 3 births later, a shirt pulled tight around my ass is just not a pretty thing! Oh well...Debby Schuh recently told me that once you've worn a style, if/when it comes back in, you're too old to wear it again. That's some sound advice...nay...fact. So no Cyndi Lauper and early Mondonna outfits are in my future...darn it all!

Thank goodness for Schwans!

2006-08-18T09:30:00.000-05:00

Last night Ben and I worked late at the office...like 7:30. We've gotten in a terrible habit of driving through for dinner...Boston Market, Taco Cabana, Chili's to Go...ch-ching, ch-ching!! We couldn't bare to spend another $25 on dinner even though that $25 also bought a little bit of sanity with it...nevertheless, it had to stop. So we went home determined to scrounge together something that resembled dinner.

Ben remembered that it was our Schwan's delivery day but since it was now nearly 8 pm we thought we were out of luck...driver gone home. Ben paged him anyway, just in case... Well, he came flying by the house in his big yellow truck and terrified that he would keep going, I flew out of the house to chase him down! Of course, at that point he was just backing up to park in front of the house. Ben and the driver got a good laugh at my behavior, but who cares...we have a freezer full of food! It's not the cheapest thing in town but when compared to dough we've been shelling out for dinner, you can't beat it. It tastes good too! Love the veggies, meatballs, tortellini, pork chops, french bread, breaded mushrooms...just to name a few.

We have a babysitter booked tonight b/c it's my birthday and Ben and I are going to Saltgrass for dinner...yes, the big THREE-FOUR! How did that happen? I just graduated from high school the other day :)

I hope Ben stays awake during dinner tonight. We have been desperate for him to repair our office network so he went to bed a little early last night (if 10 pm is considered early) and woke up at 2:30 am to go back to work. Isn't that crazy!? He's wonderful...everything is working! Yay! More intro to digital scrapbooking classes tomorrow. I'm so excited!!

Just my non-stop crazy life...

2006-08-15T23:12:00.000-05:00

Okay, where on earth does time go? We have about 15 functioning hours in an average day and I swear it feels like I only get to use about 1 of them....and yet I'm always doing something...at least I'm out of breath a lot...probably b/c I desperately need to get to the gym...but anyway...

Monday was back to school for Nolen. It's actually getting harder now than it was when he was in Kindergarten **FOURTH GRADE** I can't believe it! He was so excited he could barely stand it. As we got in the car, he asked "You do have your camera, right mom!?" What a great kid! I think I'm having such a hard time just because he is getting so big...and before I know it, he won't need me anymore! What if he has a crush on some cute girl this year? How am I going to deal with that?? This is the year when those "will you go with me" notes get passed around. I'm just not ready!! He's started being self conscious about random things...like his teeth. He's been using White Strips. And the first day of school he brushed once with whitening toothpaste and one with breath strips toothpaste. Who's he trying to have good breathe for?? He won't tell...

The relationships he forms now very well may alter his life forever. Example: the summer before 4th grade I met Tracy Adams, one of my closest and dearest friends to this day. Just before my senior year of high school, Tracy's boyfriend Jeff Jacobs introduced Ben and I to each other...and today we celebrate that meeting...we met August 16, 1989...married August 13, 1990 and the rest his history. Tracy and I just found out last week that Jeff passed away in March from a boating accident. It was sobering to see my 3 kids running around the house and know that if he hadn't made that one phone call to an old friend from junior high, Nolen, Ella & Gracie wouldn't be here. Heavy...

It was back to class for more than just kids this week! On Saturday, Polka Dot Potato had its very first intro to scrapbooking class taught by yours truly. It was exciting to see people learn and have fun! Here's a pic of the second class. I'm a TOTAL dork and forgot to snap a pic of the first one. You can see some more pics of the lounge here. Polka Dot Potato, Rehashed.

On Sunday, I got another bad case of baby fever when our friends Joel & Melody came with their son Grant and 3 week old baby, Kate. Isn't she beautiful?! There's nothing like the feeling of a house with a newborn in it. So comforting! While they were here, I snapped this cute picture of my girls sitting on the fireplace.

We switched internet hosts for the potato site which was loads of fun...we were down for about 2 days and still have some kinks to work out... But on the other hand, I've really been able to catch some odds and ends up at the office and feel like there is an end in sight to the chaos.

Over the summer, I worked on the logos for the spirit shirts for Nolen's school. I've prepared the art for the shirts over the last several years but this year's shirts really turned out cool! I actually didn't come up with the idea for the boys shirts...the cute PTA moms in the pic did that...but I am so pleased with how they turned out and I really can't believe I did the art! We decided to use the Dallas Mavericks logo as a guideline for ours...since we same oh so close to winning the championship...

We even had basketball shirts made for the boys. We sold over $2,000 worth of spirit items which is HUGE as we are not a wealthy school. Wahoo for the MST PTA!!

Ok, I have a confession to make and hopefully when Wendy reads this she'll laugh...I really, really thought that the 14th of August was a Tuesday. I knew that I had to speak to the Dallas Moms of Twins on the 14th...but when you don't realize until about 40 minutes before the event that in fact Monday is the 14th, there is cause for complete panic and pandemonium! Especially when the event is about 40 minutes away and you planned to spend that evening preparing the one hour talk the next day. I have no idea how it all came together...but miracles do happen because my computer didn't crash even once during the presentation! Thank you so much for having me, Wendy! I hope everyone enjoyed it! I had to laugh because in the middle of the realization of where I should be, Ben said, 'honey, can't you just call and tell them that you screwed up?' and I snapped back 'NO! I told Wendy I'd be there with bells on!'...yes, I actually wrote that in an e-mail so I was not about to disappoint! Really, it was probably so much better that I didn't prepare... I have a horrible habit of way over-preparing for events like this. It was a real blast I just love to see the wheels turning!!

Something Fun...

2006-08-07T22:20:00.000-05:00

Well, I don't know what came over me tonight...but I confessed to my husband that I'd like to have another baby. What is wrong with me!? Not now...no...more like 3 years from now. And it all depends on getting this new business up and running. Let's put it this way...if God presents the opportunity again, I'll take it. There's just something about all these rug rats running around that I love! ...the giggles and goofiness...we'll see.

My computer has a power supply issue and it likes to overheat and shut down in the middle of saving important documents. I have this problem daily...my fault...I bought the generic power supply and you get what you pay for. Well, it happened just now and while I wanted to scream profanity from the top of my lungs, I refrained and picked up the American Baby magazine that just came in the mail. I'm glad I did because I got a good laugh out of this door hanger for a baby's room.

Cute site! Check it out here: www.mimiscollection.com

True Confessions

2006-08-06T01:34:00.001-05:00

Ok, really, I don't have any...but isn't it a great title!? Pam & I are sitting here at my kitchen table...two empty bottles of wine...laughing about ridiculous things.

Have you read this? www.truewifeconfessions.blogspot.com ? You must read :) We've entertained ourselves for hours with the fun stuff here. Think Desperate Housewives x 10....must read to believe!

Looks like Pam will be crashing at my house tonight... I think she's going to sleep in Ella's room... like old times again:)

Little known fact...I'm a BeautiControl Consultant...this is my TRUE CONFESSION... I only buy for myself.... Anyway, off to do some facials :)

I'm on the radio!

2006-08-02T20:18:00.000-05:00

So Fun!! This was my second time to be on the show and wow...what a difference a year makes! I was so much more nervous last year but this time it was fun...I really enjoyed it! You can listen here: http://www.worldtalkradio.com/archive.asp?aid=7544 Hee, hee... you can even dowload the MP3 :)

Well...my world has been non-stop...as usual! It seems I feel out of breathe most of the day...

I really had a great time in Atlanta! Just loved it! We had a little mix up with some of the kits for the class and I was just AMAZED at how Emily handled it...with such ease! She's so good at turning something bad into something so good! The rest of our week is surely to be consumed with come some serious kit packing...but it's all for good reason! I'm just so pleased with the understanding of all those CKU attendees. The Atlanta folks were really, really happy people...THANK YOU!! I was particularly sad that I didn't have more hang time with ScrappyGuy...I haven't forgotten about you!!

I have mountains of work to complete tonight...more than would fit in a single day...but Ben just got back from Starbucks so that should help me:)

On the road again...

2006-07-26T18:10:00.000-05:00

I just got back from Chicago it seems and now I'm off to Atlanta for CKU. Traveling takes everything out of me these days. I want a day to dedicate to my kids...to hold them, play with them, kiss them 'til there are no more kisses left. I really just need one of those days...

But no...I have to pack instead....and clean the house...and make dinner...and finish up some stuff on the website... Wow, I sound very depressing....sorry about that!

I had a great time in Chicago but missed seeing about half of the people I wanted to see. Everything was so rushed and I failed to go with a list and a concrete plan. I have no excuse whatsoever. I even had 8 hours of uninterrupted time in Tulsa OK that I could have used...but I did some other work instead.

I did find some great stuff to add to www.polkadotpotato.com. We finally figured out some crucial e-commerce stuff so we'll be shipping worldwide before you know it! I can't wait for Christmas time. I have so many fun gift ideas to add to the site. It's going to be a blast!

Every so often I get hit upside the head with the panic bug. I know there is a reason that I'm changing business directions from Magic Scraps to Polka Dot Potato and I'm constantly giving it all up to God b/c it's only with His help that I'm going to get through this. I know that all the pieces of the puzzle will come together. I thank new friends like Des that give me encouragement at just the right time.

Here's some fun pics from Chicago! It was so awesome meeting up with Lynda and walking the show with her - she's my Studio D friend and will be doing the chat tonight about Photoshop Elements. I can't wait. I have lots of questions of my own! Also, being with Pam was just like old times...LOVE HER!! And Jen and Brandy were a blast, too! All in all, it was the most fun I've had at CHA in years!! I loved not having to exhibit and being able to just take it all in!

My beautiful kids were featured on the Noritsu booth signage. It was easy for Emily to tell people what I had been up to that way :)

By the way, if anyone hasn't seen Emily's makeover, you must take a look: www.emilyhadams.blogspot.com
People had a hard time recognizing her at the show!

Here's Lynda, Elvis and me...thank you very much.

Me & Pam at a tapas bar...not a topless bar :)

What do you do when...

2006-07-17T19:20:00.000-05:00

Question: What do you do with the squirt toys that were in the bathtub when your baby girl takes the biggest BM of her life?

My daughters were taking a bath together when all of a sudden, Ella, my 2.5 year old, jumps out screaming at the top of her lungs. Gracie, oblivious to what the hubbub was all about, was happily splashing the now brown tinted water. Of course they had every toy know to mankind in the bathtub with them. So I guess I need to go bathtub toy shopping soon...

I've been a little MIA lately, mostly b/c I've dedicated every waking hour to work of some sort. If it's not Magic Scraps, it's Polka Dot Potato. But God is doing something fun in our lives and we remain faithful that this hard work will pay off.

We had an unbelievable vacation. It was so great that I cried when we drove away. I love the Texas coast. The bay breeze, the palm trees...everything. It rained a lot but it didn't bring us down in the least bit. It was great just hanging out. Here are some of my favorite pics from the trip:

The beautiful sunset from the cottage pier

a self-take of me and Nolen hanging out together on the pier...the only picture of me from the whole trip. :)

We were met with some rain...okay, a LOT of rain...during the dolphin show at the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi.

Here are my cutie girls, Gracie & Ella

Now it's off to Chicago for CHA Summer. I'll be doing some Spud Club buying and if you want to know what the Spud Club is, then stay tuned to the Potato to learn more.

Out for now.

Life and times of a workaholic

2006-06-29T10:37:00.000-05:00

Are You - or Someone You Know - a Workaholic?
by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.

Does this scenario sound familiar to you? You love your work and are responsible for multiple projects and tasks that continue to be assigned to you or your group. You actually thrive on the multiple deadline pressures. Or perhaps you hold multiple jobs or own your own business. Your work hours are long, your at-home hours short, and your sleep hours few. Vacations and social visits with friends are a distant memory. Your only hobby is your job.

_________________

I admit it...this is me. I can't help it! I try oh so hard but I just get too dang passionate about stuff! The summer has been wilder than the school year...hard to believe, but true. I've been a terrible blogger most because I've been trying to keep up with TWO blogs - check out my new PDP blog. But luckily I have friends that do a great job with their blogs so I can easily tell my stories through them.

After the wildly successful garage sale two weeks ago, I went to my friend Lisa's house for a Jr. High / High School get-together with old friends. Read all about the "Good Times: here: Jen's Blog

Last week, Emily and I were off the CKU San Jose. We had a fabulous time!! Even got a pedicure! Emily's recap is here: Emily's Blog.

While I am back into my workaholic mode, I have had the fun of bringing the kids up to the office a lot more. Either Nolen or Ella come up and hang with me every day. Yesterday I had all THREE here together...that was a little much... I'm just so thrilled that they want to come up here. They actually beg to, and if I sneak out of the house without one of them I inevitably get a phone call that asks that I drive back to get them.

I remember going with my dad to work as a child. Those are really some of my best memories and no doubt the beginnings of my workaholic tendencies. My dad supported our very middle class family of 4 kids with a "roach coach"...one of those silver catering trucks that feed offices and construction sites. Needless to say, we were the most popular house on the street. Every childs dream come true...a silver truck with chips, cokes, candy and crap! I had to get up at about 5 am to go with my dad to work. We loaded the truck at a central place where all the catering trucks loaded up. It was still dark outside and I'll never forget all the hurried people running around, getting ready for the day. I loved eating a fresh warm glazed donut and drinking hot chocolate while waiting in the truck cab for my dad to finish. Then off to the first stop. My dad would blare his horn to the theme of the lone ranger and out came scads of people. I would accesorize with my very own changer on my waist. I desperately wanted to be involved in selling so I would make a sign: "Pay me for cigarettes". The cigs were kept on a large tray on the passenger side of the truck, so I would just open the door and stand there and try to get customers to pay me as they chose from Marlboro Lights or Kool 100s Menthol. Oh, those were the days...8 years old, hawking cigarrettes. Seriously though, I loved every second of it.

Nolen has spent a considerable time up here packaging things for the next garage sale on July 8th. He fully intends to have his own booth and tells me he'll split the money he makes with me. So generous considering it's all my stuff anyway:)

I'm off to a short family vacation in Rockport, TX ...not a place most would consider their first choice as a vacation spot but for me and my family it's perfect! A little sun, fishing, and relaxing is just what this workaholic needs.

I hope every one has a fantastic 4th of July. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!

Scrapbookers DREAM Garage Sale!!

2006-06-16T14:27:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness, have we accumulated some stuff!!! We're having a garage sale on Saturday, 9 - 5 at the Magic Scraps office. COME - you will NOT be disappointed!! As many of you know, I'm pretty much a digital gal now so I've got some really awesome stuff I'm selling for cheap, cheap, cheap! LOTS of 4/$1.00 stuff. Plus Emily and Virginia are digging out lots more goodies from their homes. Teachers, crafters, scrapbookers, kids...all should come b/c there's something for everyone! Don't worry, if you can't come tomorrow, we're going to do it again on the 8th of July - different stuff!

Check here if you need a map: www.magicscraps.com/garagesale

We look forward to seeing you there!

PS - Cash only so hit the ATM on the way here:)

It's True!

2006-06-12T15:26:00.000-05:00

Yes, the news is real...Magic Scraps is coming to an end...but not for a few more months so STOCK UP! Everything is truly a collectors item now :)

It's sad news but when one door closes, another always opens. I have no regrets and am really looking forward to the road ahead.

A few months ago, I caught the digital bug. This is not to say that I don't still love paper scrapping - I really do! But my #1 concern is documenting my family's history and since I have not yet discovered how to live without sleep, going digital was my only option. Once I was hooked, I knew I needed to spread the word and that's exactly what I hope to with Polka Dot Potato. We've started www.polkadotpotato.com as a starting place for a far reaching idea. We are interested in teaching hands-on digital classes so in the DFW area so if you are local, please e-mail me. (ashley@polkadotpotato.com)

If you haven't heard the news, here's the press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Advantus Corporation
Phone: 904.482.0091
Fax: 904.482.0099
http://www.advantus.com/

Advantus to discontinue Magic Scraps

Jacksonville, Florida, June 12, 2006 – Advantus Corporation and Ashley Smith have announced that they will be discontinuing the Magic Scraps line of products beginning January 1, 2007. This was a mutual decision by both Ashley Smith, founder of Magic Scraps, and Kevin Carpenter, President of Advantus Corp.

Advantus will continue to sell Magic Scraps Scrappy Glue and Scrappy Tape on a go forward basis. The remaining Magic Scraps inventory will be available for sale while supplies last.

When asked about the decision to discontinue the Magic Scraps line of products, Kevin Carpenter said, “Advantus is committed to our craft and hobby division. At this time we find it necessary to focus our resources on the Cropper Hopper and Heidi Swapp brands. With the pending addition of two new major brands to be revealed at CHA Winter 2007, we made the difficult decision to discontinue Magic Scraps.”

Ashley Smith added, “I’m thankful for the experience that Advantus has given me, but I’m an entrepreneur at heart and happiest when I’m running my own business.”

Ashley and her husband Ben will be launching a new venture in digital scrapbooking, Polka Dot Potato (http://www.polkadotpotato.com/).

Adorn Magazine

2006-06-02T23:40:00.000-05:00

Today was a GOOD day...one of the days where life just makes sense. I worked from home today. The kids behaved. I got a great workout in. Ben got a problem solved on the website. It seemed like every time the phone rang it was someone giving us good news.

I stopped by the office tonight to pick up some things, went through the mail and found a copy of the coolest new mag. It's called Adorn and it's basically a hip chick's craft magazine. It's full of really fun and usable ideas. This is the premiere issue and it doesn't hit the stands until the 13th so be on the lookout. The first thing I noticed about the magazine is it's totally cute size. It's petite and fun to hold and flip through. It just feels cool.

I love what the editor writes in the front: "What does it mean to be crafty?...mostly, I think it's an attitude, a willingness to try something new and improvise when need be. Finally, it's about trusting that there's no "right" way to do things...just what's right for you." Amen, sista!

There were several projects that really stuck out to me. One was this clock made from a record album. SO very cool. I want to do a bunch and line them up with a sign under each: New York, London, Tokyo, Sidney, etc. Wouldn't that be cute? They would be perfect in my kitchen.

Another project that I thought was rockin' was the frosted coasters. These would make awesome gifts for people. And the Heidi Swapp masks would be perfect for this. Another must do soon.

I also loved the Fiesta Mexicana article - the painted paper lanterns are fun. I LOVE paper lanterns. I decorated a paper lantern with silk flowers and use it as a decoration over my baby Gracie's bed. She has a vintage Hawiian theme going on in her room so the lantern seemed right (and cheap.) It's totally gaudy and I totally love it that way. I must give credit to my friend Virginia - she gave me the idea. I used Magic Scraps' gemstone fasteners to secure the flowers to the lantern. Ella's room is painted irridescent pearl, has a chandelier and black and pink accents. At Target's after Halloween sale I snagged some black paper lanterns to make her one full of pink flowers for over her bed...have yet to do it but I think this magazine might have inspired me to get to work on that project. Finally, there's a great article about cool vintage shops in Austin and since I just reconnected today with a childhood friend who lives in Austin, I think a roadtrip might be in my near future.

I love to see the cool side of crafting. I noticed that the publisher is SoHo Publishing - the same publisher of Scrap City where yours truly has a layout about my house. It's a well put together book. I gave a copy to my mom for Mother's Day b/c the journaling on my layout is about how much my mom influenced my love for decorating.

The magazine is a real winner, so if you see it, BUY IT!

Blog Overdue

2006-05-30T20:26:00.000-05:00

Happy belated Memorial Day! The long weekend went by way too fast. It was fun-filled but not too crazy.

Friday night, Nolen had an impromptu sleepover with two friends - Garrett & John. Ben took all of the boys and Ella to see Over the Hedge. We'd had some free movie coupons on the fridge for ages so it turned out to be a pretty affordable night. After Ella went to bed, the 3 boys played the soundtrack to High School Musical, a disney channel original movie, and danced around the living room. I'm not sure Nolen was real keen about the dancing around but his friends were very entertained.

Side note - remember Kids Incorporated - 1984? What a great show that was:)

On Saturday we (*gasp*) got a babysitter and went to a party. My friend Jen celebrated her 34th birthday and the passing of her comps - the test she needed to pass to go forward with her Doctorate in Psychology. Several high school friends were there which made it really cool.

I find high school so completely amusing. After the party, I drove the babysitter home and boy did she have some drama going on in her life to share... and she's just 14! She hadn't even been born yet when we all graduated from high school. I think it's funny how everything seemed so monumental back then. Why was that? Hormones? Boredom? Just plain immaturity? Whatever it was, I'm so glad those days are behind me. It's fun to get to know people you knew in high school that you didn't really know at all.

Sunday & Monday we mostly just worked. We're still fine tuning our new website: www.polkadotpotato.com There's so much I want to add but I'm really pleased about how it's coming along.

Mohawks are fun!

2006-05-24T21:16:00.000-05:00

Aren't mohawks a blast? Today was the closing ceremony at Nolen's school. So much fun! Our awesome principals had a little bet with the 5th graders - they promised to get mohawks if 100% of the kids passed the science TAKS test (the TX standardized test for 3rd - 11th grades). Well, they got so close - 97% passed which was enough for the principals to make good on their bet...so they had their wives come to the ceremony and give them mohawks in front of the kids. It was great! I don't think this was Mr. Gibbins first mohawk. His wife appeared highly skilled. Mr. Forsyth, on the other hand, ended up with a fauxhawk. And he came very prepared with his own smock.

Included in the festivities were some musical acts: Root Canal sung "Sweet Home MST" and Ms. Patterson belted "We are Family".

We've had such a wonderful year. Every teacher Nolen has had at MST has been fantastic! Nolen's teacher this year, Mrs. Yeager, is wonderful - exactly what Nolen needed - that perfect balance between patience and firmness. She was dancing to the music today. She looks about 12 in this picture I snapped. She's so fun and cute.

Tomorrow is the last day of school. I'm sure I'll cry. I get way emotional about these things.

Tiffany Tillman, Provo update and the Potato

2006-05-20T05:17:00.000-05:00

Well, it's 4 am in Provo, UT and I can't sleep to save my life. I had some crazy dream about trying to teach with roaches and rats running around our feet and now I can't seem to get those visions out of my head. Just lovely. Perfect time to update the blog...

On Tuesday, I had the most awesome visit with Tiffany Tillman, a new 2006 CK Hall of Fame winner. We're totally kindred spirits. We swapped fun ideas and visions for the future. Our daughters are just 4 days apart, too. How cute are these girls together? And Lita is the sweetest thing ever.

I left for Provo on Wednesday and have had a really enjoyable trip. 8 years in the scrapbooking industry and this is my first time to Utah. Crazy! The mountains are gorgeous, the air is clean, it's just amazing.

Emily is on fire! She feels great and is rockin' the house as usual.

We had several hours to hang out so we went to the mall which sounds really lame but when you rarely get to shop without kids running around, this is a real treat. Ella is now the proud owner of SIX pair of flip flops! I also bought these cute matching t-shirts for my little monkeys. Can't wait to do a photo shoot.

Our newest project is [say a little prayer] just hours from going live. We had one little glitch to get past last night...not sure if it was resolved yet...but it should be... So take a look when you get a chance - www.polkadotpotato.com - and be sure to sign up for the newsletter so you can find out about the grand opening and all the fun things we're doing.

Better try to get more zzzzzz's. 8 am is right around the corner.

Living in the present

2006-05-12T08:13:00.000-05:00

Life in general is pretty darn good. I'm excited about the future but having a good time in the present. One of my favorite quotes is by Charles Dickens - "Live in the past, the present & the future." It even resides as a magnet on my fridge. For me, it's easiest to live in the future...I'm always thinking about what's next. Living in the past isn't hard for me. I learn from past mistakes and try not to dwell on things I can't change. Living in the present is the toughest for me but I'm getting better every day.

Those that know me well, know that my scrapbooking is pretty personal to me. I put so much of myself into my craft that I feel vulnerable when I share it. I've sent pages in to be published twice in my life and was lucky enough to see them in print... A Kaleidoscope page in Memory Makers in 2000 and the Scrap City book that was just published. I'm very proud of both creations and honored to have been published but I don't think I get the rush that others do from having their pages in print. For me, it's so scary. But in an attempt to grow as a person and a scrapbooker, I've decided to put myself out there a little more... It's so weird, because I'm really a risk taker at heart. But I like to take risks that have some control over. I don't like to jump out of planes or anything...I guess I can't control other people's tastes or opinions and that's my hangup. A few weeks ago I signed up for the Ultimate Digi Scrapper contest from DigiScrappin.biz. I just completed my week 2 assignment. I'm actually very pleased with the outcome and win or lose, I'm happy with my work. I know it's out there and others may think I'm weird but this is me on paper and I like it. And really that's all that counts because I scrapbook for me.

So, here's the page: Spirit of a Girl

I'll find out on Sunday if it's good enough to go to the next round. But even if it's not, it was great doing the challenge. This was the very first page I've done about myself.

Sunday is also Mother's Day. Gracie is going to be dedicated at church which I'm super excited about. After the service we're going to my mom's house to celebrate the day. Hopefully my siblings and I will all get along for the 2 hours or so that we'll be together. That one {unlikely} event would be the best present my mom could have for Mother's Day.

Here's the pic we took of Gracie that will show up on the screen during the dedication. I think it turned out cute.

It's Greek to me

2006-05-01T01:11:00.000-05:00

Okay, I should have known better, but nonetheless...

This evening I decided to be domestic. Ben wanted a vegetarian dinner so I decided to be ambitious and make a Greek salad. I didn't have a recipe but I have eaten my fair share of Greek salads in the past so I felt equipped enough.

I took Ella with me to SuperTarget which always makes for an interesting trip. She took her Barbie cell phone with her. She's amazingly popular for a 2 year old. We had to stop several times while shopping so she could take a "call". I couldn't really understand the conversation but I'm sure it was work-related :) I had to "talk her down" a few times - mostly about chocolate chip cookies and some multi-colored soybeans that she insisted were yummy candy. I always have such a different experience when I take Grace v. Ella to the store. When I take Grace, people just smile and say how cute she is. With Ella, if people smile at me it's one of those "you poor thing" smiles. I get more eye-rolling and obvious fleeing than anything else. Therefore, I've just stopped making eye-contact with people when I'm with Ella. Don't get me wrong about my Ella...she's an amazing child...she just has an opinion about EVERYTHING! I would be frustrated if I wasn't so personally responsible, genetically speaking.

I spent about $20 on the ingredients for the salad - 2 kinds of olives, feta cheese, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. etc. Got home, spent about 25 minutes peeling, chopping, tossing and voila...as my husband put it...it was a valiant effort. It sucked, tasted gross and no one would eat it including myself. So if anyone has a good recipe for a Greek Salad I could certainly use it.

Cool looks

2006-04-27T11:22:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I came across a couple of designs that I thought were cool.

Random design no. 1: The Container Store's "Glorious Gift Wrap" brochure was mailed to my house and I think this wrapping paper is truly glorious. I love the mostly white look with the spots of color thrown in and the use of black...just stunning. It makes me want to go get one of those crazy design coloring books from Michael's, just color in some of the design and hang them all over my refrigerator.

Random design no. 2: The girls watch Noggin in the morning which turns into The N later in the day...a pre-teen station that is pretty much wrong. Regardless, there is a show starting in a few days called Summerland which Nolen will under no circumstances be allowed to watch...but the logo is really cool so I took a pic.

Do you think I can write off my Tivo since I have to have it in order to take random pictures like these?

Enough of the randomness. I have a lunch date at Saltgrass...yum!

Catching Up...

2006-04-23T16:38:00.000-05:00

Catching up on life. This pretty much sums up what I've been doing this month. It's really been a good thing.

Sleep:
Ben and I have been working hard on getting to bed say before 2 am, which is huge for us. It's amazing what 8 hours of sleep can do for a person! We did okay except for Thursday night when we fell off the bandwagon big time by staying up until 4 am... but it was all for a good "cause" which brings me to the next place where I've caught up...

Friends:
Wow, I have them! I don't mean this like "oh, I've got so many friends". It's more of a statement of amazement because I don't really deserve any of them. Sometimes I feel like the world's worst friend...not intentionally...but because I let life get in the ways of those important relationships. But over the last few months I've realized that there's no such thing as being too busy for friends. We've started having a lot more friends over just to hang out and we've worked hard to juggle our schedules to be sure we're at those important birthday parties and gatherings that we're invited to. I have some unbelievable people surrounding me that have really invested time and energy in my life. I'm completely undeserving! They're such a blessing and I want to make sure I'm there for them when they need me.

Church:
We go to Richland Bible Fellowship Church. We love it! It's great for the kids and it's great for us. We've been going to this church for about 2 1/2 years and have finally started to get involved. Ben and I recently started to volunteer our time in the learning center. We definitely wanted to give back to that which has done so much for our kids, but we also wanted to make a serious commitment to get ourselves to church every Sunday no matter what. It's been fun and we've really enjoyed the kids. I also love getting to know the other parents in the church. Catching up with God has been the most rewarding catching up I've done!

Scrapbooking:
A few months ago, I succumbed to digital scrapbooking. I dragged my feet because it's a bit blasphemous for a paper scrapbook designer to scrapbook digitally...and it's not that I've given up on paper scrapbooking...I still love every second of it...but it's time I catch up my memories and the only way I can do it is by going digi. I think I'm the slowest paper scrapbooker in the whole world - that could definitely be part of the problem. Regardless, I've embraced digital and am loving it. One of my dearest friends, Virginia, didn't think she was capable of digital scrapbooking. Just to prove her wrong, I coerced her into taking the Big Picture Scrapbooking class "Doing it Digi" with me. Mind you, Virginia works on a $100,000+ piece of sonogram equipment everyday and is amazing at her job but she's scared to death of doing something wrong on the computer. I think she's getting over the fear. She did great on her first page and I'm totally impressed that she's putting up with me right now...at least she hasn't started ignoring my phone calls as of yet. She might after this post. But anyway, here is the first page I completed for the class.
This brings me to the next area of my life where I'm playing catch up...

My Kids:
Recently, my son (who is brutally honest) told me that he thinks he and is dad have a "better" relationship because I'm always at work. Ouch! That hurt! But it's important for me to hear it no matter how painful. It made me realize that I better do one of two things: start saving for his therapy fund or shape up. I decided on the latter. I've made some very simple commitments that are helping me invest more of myself in my kids. For example, I've started taking Nolen to his piano lesson every Tuesday. It's perfect because I can still get wireless internet while I'm sitting in the car and I actually can get a lot of work done in that 30 minutes...but the conversation in the car on the way to and from the lesson is priceless. One day Ella, Gracie & I walked up to Target to exchange some clothes. We walked because this gave us time to have idle conversation...and I got some exercise and we still got an errand done. These little changes will matter in the long run. I just have to be creative and look for the opportunities to connect. My kids are the most important thing in my life and I can't take a second of their childhood for granted.

Easter Sunday

The Office:
For the last year and a half I have successfully ignored the tremendous amount of clutter at the office. There's simply so much stuff it's hard to know where on earth to start...but we we've been making some progress and just maybe...pretty soon...we'll get to hold some amazing crops! I know we're going to have a huge scrapbook supply garage sale that Virginia is heading up this summer! I hate cleaning but I love the results!

PTA:
I'm the Historian for the MST PTA. This is my third time to do the job and I admittedly failed miserably the last time I did it. I was pregnant with Ella, completely exhausted and totally shirked my responsibility. Shame on me. Luckily, I didn't make the same mistake this year. I did however realize on Monday that it was due on Friday, but thanks to the miracles of digital scrapbooking, it was a breeze to complete on time. My son goes to the most amazing school. It's the Math/Science/Technology Magnet in Richardson, TX. The population of the school is incredibly diverse but the kids all get along great and completely thrive in their differences. I love it that my son gets to have this experience. It's really a beautiful thing. It's a total "I have a dream" school. Anyway, the principals are wonderful! They're funny and cool and completely connect with the kids. They even dress up as rockers and sing an MST spirit song to Guns & Roses music. Here are some of the layouts from the album:

This was made using the Space Boy kit from The Shabby Shoppe.
You can buy it here.

This layout was made using the piece-of-cake page from the Shabby Princess' free kit, Moody Blues. You can download it here.

More catching up to do:
There are still areas of my life in total disarray. The laundry in our house for example is a mess! We have no problem washing our clothes but putting them up is somehow beyond our capabilities. It's totally out of control. Ben and I could definitely use some kid-free time together. I still need to finish painting my hall. I need to workout. etc., etc...Slowly but surely, we're getting all caught up. Of course, the trick is staying that way. One day at a time...

Now that my blog is caught up I'm off to teach my son how to create an animated .gif and how to put a slide show on his blog. He's so dang smart!

Classes, Crops, Crocs and Caribou

2006-04-01T02:43:00.000-06:00

Less than 18 hours left in Chicago…but we had an AWESOME time! Kate & I are here for CKU and while we totally over-booked ourselves, we still made time for some fun. Tonight was a total highlight for me. We visited this really awesome concept store called Studio D – tons of cool electronics, i-pods, trendy office stuff supplies, albums, journals and a digital classroom where they teach digital scrapbooking! It was so much fun!!!! Kate and I digi-cropped our time here in Chicago.

I was amazingly lucky tonight – I won Photoshop Elements 4.0! I was really wanting it but knew there was no way I could justify the $100 expense. I’m just thrilled and can’t wait to get home and play. I met Lynda tonight who is a total kindred spirit. She’s super cool and I can’t wait to get to know her better. Another completely fun thing about tonight is that 2 of the other girls in the class are from Dallas too! What are the odds???

We are now in love with Crocs and Caribou coffee which you can read about more here: Kate’s Blog

Potty Talk

2006-03-27T15:51:00.000-06:00

I know I've been an awful blogger for the last 19 days. I promise to stay a little more up to date. I've been spending an unprecedented amount of time with friends lately. It's really been wonderful to catch up with a lot of old friends and spend some quality time with new ones.

Well, Ben and I finally tackled something we'd been dreading for a long time...potty training Ella. She's been ready since she was probably about 18 months old, but as parents, we were still suffering from flash backs of potty training our son who is now 9. That whole multi-year episode nearly put us into family counseling.

Friday night we got the wild hair to train her. I went to Big Lots and bought some presents, wrapped them up and made a lovely display to bribe...I mean 'encourage'...her to go potty. She had no success Friday night but it didn't help that we had friends over and weren't really paying attention. On Saturday I went to Target on my scooter because it was the most beautiful day ever and bought Ella an arsenal of potty training paraphernalia - Pull-Ups, pretty little underwear, new sippy cups for the constant juice drinking she needed to do...still no success.

Underwear does not excite me in the least but I must admit I was really taken by these with Hello Kitty on a scooter. Those simply had to come home with me.

On Sunday night I had just given up. I told Ella we were going back to diapers...no big deal...we'd try again in a month or so...but she insisted on keeping her Kitty Cat pants on so I gave her one more chance. Well hallelujah! It was like the flood gates opened and she became a peeing on the potty fool! Ben and I were high-fiving each other like we actually had something to do with it.

Here's a little commentary about a product I picked up last week (with a coupon I might add, because I really wouldn't have bought this item otherwise.) It's Kids Toilet Paper from Cottonelle. Here's how it works: little paws lead to a doggy where the child is supposed to tear. This is to teach children how much toilet paper to use. Yeah, right. Ella's one and only objective on the toilet was to find the next doggy on the roll. I'm sure this is exactly what the genius who thought of this product was hoping for.

One final potty story and I promise I'm done. My friend Laura e-mailed me this great link to a very entertaining song. Ella actually sings the chorus and we found it to be a very effective potty training tool. Most normal families might find it quite inappropriate to teach to their 2 year old...but we're not most families and we're certainly not normal, so here it is: Poop Goes in the Potty

And the survey says...

2006-03-08T14:51:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I went a little overboard on the prize package...oh well. It was fun! Thanks to the 700+ people that responded to the scrapbooking survey on my blog. Here are the highlights:

Most scrabookers have been scrapbooking over 6 years! (48.4%) 30.2% have been scrapbooking b/w 3 & 6 years.
Scrapbookers buy most of their supplies from their LSS (39%) followed closely by the online scrapbook store (32.5%)
Message boards are the major source for new products - 60%! Magazine ads account for 25%.
Style and Price are the most important factors in choosing scrapbook product.
Most scrapbookers buy scrapbook supplies once every 2 weeks but scrapbook several times a week.
79% of those responding use a computer in their scrapbooking.
56.6% only use a digital camera and 35% use both film and digital. Only 8% only have a film camera.

Now the fun part...AND THE WINNER IS..Lacey Buchorn of Florida. Congratulations!! Your package is on the way!

Thanks to everyone who participated. That was a really neat!!

New Pajamas

2006-03-01T21:49:00.000-06:00

What is it about new pajamas that makes you feel so good? Tonight I came across these PJs for the girls at Old Navy and couldn't help but buy them. I'm so glad I did because I did a little photo shoot tonight and got the best pics ever of Ella and Gracie together.

Back in the game...

2006-02-28T21:09:00.000-06:00

the grocery game, that is. After a 3 month hiatus from shopping with coupons I'm back in the game! I subscribe to this phenomenal list that gives me weekly updates of what to buy where at all the area grocery stores. (www.grocerygame.com) Unfortunately I have not been getting the Sunday paper which leaves me completely couponless. No coupons...this makes coupon shopping very difficult. Tracy to the rescue! Tracy and I have been friends since the summer after 3rd grade. We've done plenty of crazy things together - mostly during our teens - like the time we dressed her up like a 30 year old and sent her into the liquor store to buy beer. Unfortunately we didn't figure out what year a 30 year old should have been born in and she accidentally told the attendant she was 12. Oh well...we just went home and sipped Dr. Pepper. Anyway, this time it was her idea, I swear it! She recently discovered a wealth of coupons available in the paper recycling bin at our kids' school. So yes, we did the unthinkable Monday night...with a lone flashlight in hand, we did some dumpster diving for coupons. My biggest fear was getting caught by the principal. Can you imagine?! Two respectable PTA moms caught in the dumpster sifting through people's old papers for coupons? We were found out by the janitor but oddly enough, she didn't seem phased.

The end result was great - tons of coupons from Jan & Feb and I saved over $70 dollars tonight at Tom Thumb! Thanks Tracy!!

At least we're not in Baghdad

2006-02-23T20:15:00.000-06:00

When I was a little girl, my mom used to tell me she was going to send me to Terrell. This was her way of saying that I needed to go to the funny farm. You see, the state mental hospital was located in Terrell, TX…it’s not there anymore but she still says it. Sometimes I think it would have been a good thing to have been institutionalized years ago.

I have a saying of my own. When Nolen is complaining because he has to do homework or crying because I’m not buying him that $50 Star Wars X Wing fighter, I just tell him “At least you’re not in Baghdad”. This is how I teach him to put his life in perspective…it can always be worse. And when you think it can’t get any worse, God comes along to remind you of who’s really in control.

My life feels like chaos in slow motion. It doesn’t make sense right now. But this is when I have to sit back and just live. And know that whatever happens, at least I’m not in Baghdad. I’m in the good ol’ U.S. of A. where it would be hard to starve even if I tried.

Thanks to Kate and her wealth of American Airline upgrade points, we traveled to and from Jacksonville in first class. Wow. What fun! I have a perplexing question…what exactly is the deal with the warm towel? It’s just weird if you ask me. Do you wipe your face and then your hands? Just your hands? Your hands, then face? Gross. I just don’t get it. I do however fully and completely grasp the free alcohol.

On another completely different note, look at the super cool find in the Target dollar spot! They have all these great big letter magnets. I found every letter I needed to spell SMITH on my refrigerator. I just love it!

Another Date Night

2006-02-18T10:57:00.000-06:00

Nolen was very jealous when I took Ella out last Friday night. I didn't dare pass on the chance for a few hours alone with him so we had our own date night last night. I took him to see 8 Below and go to 1/2 Price Books. The movie was sweet...he LOVED it! It always shocks me how much food is at the theatre. 2 hot dogs, 1 drink, 1 very small popcorn and some Reeses Pieces - over $20! I seriously contemplated smuggling food in but didn't think it I would be setting the best example. One time my dad smuggled microwave popcorn into the theatre. I'm so sure that no one noticed the popcorn smell or steam coming from the inside of his winter jacket...so embarrassing...so I coughed up the money so my son wouldn't feel like we were cheating or anything. He was already so stressed that I was taking pictures of us in the seats before the moving started b/c one of the screens they show before the previews said no video or still cameras allowed during the movie. One thing about Nolen, he's very unlikely to be a hell-raiser in his teenage years. He's so much like my husband...by the book. He freaks out if we start pulling out of a parking lot before he has his seatbelt on because he's afraid he'll get in trouble with the law. At 1/2 Price, he found just the book he was looking for - a huge DK book about animals. He has been enthralled since the moment he opened it.

I have so much to do this weekend. I have a load of PTA work, regular work stuff to do and I'm off to Jacksonville on Tuesday, so I guess I need to unpack from Vegas. I desperately need to take Nolen to get his hair cut today. This is the first time in his life he doesn't have super short hair and I really don't know what to do with it. It's just sticking out everywhere!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2006-02-13T21:35:00.000-06:00

Here are the Valentine cards Nolen and I made together.

Today is going to be fun! Ben and I are the room parent's for Nolen's 3rd grade class so that means we're in charge of the class party. We've got a great game planned. We're taping a blank piece of paper of each child's back. All of the kids are to anonymously write something they like about their classmates on the paper... whatever... I like your laugh... I like your shoes... I like how smart you are... Then I'm going to have the kids go around the room and share what the other kids wrote. I think that will be the perfect Valentine's Day game. I hope they all go home feeling great about themselves.

Having a case of the Mondays...

2006-02-13T08:49:00.000-06:00

I'm totally suffering from a "case of the Mondays" today. Do I really have to get up out of bed?? Unfortunately, the answer is yes...and after my 4th cup of coffee I'm sure it will be easier to get going. One down, three to go.

I had such a pleasant weekend at home. Nolen and I worked on his classmates' Valentines. This is something I look forward to every year. We had a really good time working on them and this year he actually helped:)

Sunday night we had one of my oldest and dearest friends over to visit along with her husband and daughter. Jen and I became friends FOREVER ago...I remember walking over to her house during the summer of '87 to watch the Iran-Contra hearings because...this is so embarrassing...we had a crush on Ollie North. Her family moved to a different school district but we remained friends all through high school, listening to New Order & Erasure, hanging out at Denny's, nearly getting into some serious trouble...I'll spare you the details. So last night we just hung out as 30+ year olds while the kids played. Jen and John are a totally cool couple. She's working on her Doctorate in Psychology and he's a local actor. Their daughter Kaleigh is a precious little girl. I can't believe I forgot to snap a picture of me and Jen! Where was my head? We've promised to not lose touch again so I'll have to get a pic the next time we get together.

Okay, must get serious about today. Big week ahead.

Date night with Ella

2006-02-10T20:30:00.000-06:00

Tonight was our first ever "Girls' night out"...Curious George and a trip to 1/2 Price Books. We had a fantastic time! Ella was hilarious. She laughed out loud at the funny parts and insisted that I take her socks and shoes off half way through the movie. She ate the entire time - popcorn and a $4 bag of plain M & M's. After the movie, we went to 1/2 Price Books, one of my FAVORITE places. Unfortunately I didn't get to look at anything - it was all about Ella tonight. She walked away with Curious George Visits the City, two Franklin books and a tummy ache she acquired during the movie. She hates having her pictures taken as you can see. Doesn't she know how paparazzi-like I am? Of course she does - that's why she hides her face. I'm scared of what age 16 will bring me...Right now Ella is singing from the top of her lungs in the bed. She's totally wired from her soda and candy.

The movie was much more enjoyable than I expected. Lots of music from Jack Johnson which was nice. Big weekend ahead - lots of work to do, Nolen's Valentine cards to work on, clothes shopping for the kids, grocery shopping, Olympics watching...

Home at last!

2006-02-03T22:16:00.000-06:00

Well, the show was great! A ton of incredibly smart retailers picked up our new Route 99 line. So many people also took notice of all the other things we'd been up to for the last year. The company has been through so many changes and our booth took a lot of people by surprise. Vegas was a healing time for me - rekindling old friendships...visiting with old customers...it was cool.

Coming home was really awesome. Kate and I caught the red-eye home so I got home at 5 am instead of 10 am. I surprised Ben and the kids with my early arrival. Ben is a total superman! I came home to a spotless house, a fridge full of leftovers like pork loin, pesto pasta, chili and homemade banana pudding, and some happy & healthy kids. He's so incredible!

This trip was really good for me and my son's relationship. {absence makes the heart grow fonder} I wrote a note for him to read everyday I was gone. According to Ben, he really loved the notes and looked forward to reading them every day. Every time I called home he was super chatty. He talked more than anytime I can remember. He's really growing up. I'm looking forward to watching him continue to mature. We're able to have such fun conversations these days. He's also very creative. I love to ask him what he thinks of a design that I've created. His feedback is priceless.

It's so wonderful to be home. A quiet Friday night that consists of giving the girls a bath and watching Shark Boy and Lava Girl with Nolen beats a night watching Frankie Moreno at the Las Vegas Hilton any old night...but that was a blast, too:) I'd post a pic of us crazy girls with Frankie but the picture was erased. I'm so bummed!

CHA - Day 1

2006-01-31T02:48:00.000-06:00

The first day went great! Products were well received and I think we're going to have a great show! We went straight to the bar after the show...it was definitely Miller {light} Time. Me, Kate & Stephanie went to the Grand Lux for dinner. I was so bummed - the Las Vegas Grand Lux doesn't have beignets...what's that about?? So we got chocolate martinis instead - not a bad consolation prize. Once we were all liquored up, we went jewelry shopping and bought some great gaudy earrings and rings to wear tomorrow. It will look great with our scooter scarves (I think)...

Music soothes the soul

2006-01-29T10:10:00.000-06:00

I love music but I never let myself slow down enough to enjoy it. But I decided that since I was on a Saturday flight and had a long week of hard work ahead of me, I would treat myself to a laptop-free plane ride. Good thing since Kate & I were practically snuggling in our non-exit row seats.

My sweet husband stayed up until 2 am filling his MP3 player with some of my favorites: The BoDeans, Ella Fitzgerald , The Police, Cyndi Lauper, Elvis Costello. I love the emotions that music evokes - a song can you back in time like no photograph can.

Here's an example: I was listening to R.O.C.K. in the USA by John Cougar Mellancamp. It immediately took me back in time - when on a whim, I decided to meet up with Kate & Emily in Indianapolis, IN for CKU. After my connecting flight was cancelled, I ended up on a bus from Chicago to Indianpolis. I finally got my rental car, started out on the highway, turned on the radio and lo and behold, what is blaring from the car radio? ROCK in the USA! What a perfect Midwest song from a quintessential Midwest rocker! That trip turned out to be one of the best trips ever. It was the very next day that I met Kristi Sikora Blankenship, Cropper Hopper queen herself, who later introduced me to Advantus which brings me to now...My CHA launch is just 9 hours away...a launch that wouldn't have happened if it weren't for Advantus! And all these memories came to me because I listened to a song on the plane.

So if this show goes well, I'm rewarding myself (and my husband for putting up with me) some I-pods. I never really understood the whole music phenomenon until recently but now I get it. So if you haven't taken some time alone and listened to some of your favorite tunes, do it soon. You'll be glad you did.

Oh, and here's another CHA preview: PREVIEW

What a scooteriffic weekend!

2006-01-22T22:23:00.000-06:00

At last, my Stella arrived! Isn't she pretty? I really got the hang of driving it today, even though it was rainy and cold. My first time on the scooter the I had a...how shall I put it...an "altercation" with the mailbox - the mailbox won - leaving me and my new bike a bit scuffed up...bummer. Nothing ice and an ace bandage (and a bit of touch up paint) can't fix. It's really not smart to leap from a moving bike even if you are heading uncontrollably into a mailbox. I'm really glad the mini-windshield was backordered because I probably would have shattered it. Oh well; at least I got it over with. Now I'm sore all over. Good thing I found the perfect helmet and was wearing it. It's white with pink flames. So very cute! I had Ben follow me to the office this evening for a trial run. The shifting is a bit tricky, but I'm getting the hang of it. Rain is in the forecast tomorrow so I'm not sure I'm going to have the guts to go on my own. We'll see...

Exciting CHA Stuff

2006-01-19T17:15:00.000-06:00

Well, the biggest trade show of the year is upon us. I don't think I've ever been as calm before a show as I am now. There's a few odds and ends I need to do, but there are no all-nighters in my near future.

At the show, we're launching a new line of products called Route 99 - great product all designed to retail for just a dollar! We designed a new icon, Scooter Girl, to represent the feel of the collection. She's hip, stylish and fun; and she races through her busy day on the most affordable wheels out there. We're even giving a scooter away at the show. Can't wait!

There's been an energy around the office lately that has been indescribable...good energy...great energy. I'm not sure what it is - maybe we just feel ahead of the game for once. We all feel like this will be the most exciting CHA yet! So here's a sneak peek at two of our new items - Clear Accents and Flat Paper Clips. There's more to come in the next few days...

Promises

2006-01-18T00:26:00.000-06:00

Did you know that dark chocolate is good for you? Well, my husband tells me it's good for his blood pressure. Since I want to support him in his desire for good health, we often share a handful of Dove chocolates after dinner. I usually ignore the little messages inside the wrappers, but tonight I read them. Here's what they said:

Smile at yourself in the mirror (no thanks)
There's no excuse not to dream (agreed)
Get your feet massaged (yeah, right)
When two hearts race, both win (another agreed)
Naughty can be nice (I'm scared)
Hey, why not? (Why not what? Could prison be involved? That's why not!)

Weekend Warrior

2006-01-15T21:54:00.000-06:00

What a weekend! I was in motorcycle training course all day Saturday and until 3 pm on Sunday. I'm absolutely exhausted from it. But it was fun and I passed both the tests so I can get my M class license.

Saturday night Ben and I were supposed to go to a comedy club in Ft. Worth but Ben didn't feel well so we lamed out. I'm so glad b/c I don't know that I could have done it. Since we already had the babysitter lined up, we decided to go out nearby. I never thought that Barnes & Nobles, Pei Wei and a trip to Walmart could equal a good date night but it was perfect! I picked up some real winners at the bookstore. [Kate - too bad you're not coming to work tomorrow 'cause you are going to flip. Guess Emily will get to enjoy my finds:)] I came across a really cool book that I found very inspiring - Where Women Create: Inspiring Work Spaces of Extraordinary Women. Loved it! Makes me want to move my girls into a room together so I can have a work space at home. Selfish mother I am. Maybe in a year or so.

Tonight Ben and I had another date night but this time we took Nolen with us. It was Ben's birthday on Friday and since I totally forgot his birthday last year, he deserved two nights of my undivided attention. We went to see Glory Road. What a cool movie! It was really important for me to have Nolen see it. I don't want to hide from the injustices of the past even though it's hard to stomach - especially since the movie takes place in Tx in '65 - the same year my mother was a college Freshman. Nolen loved the movie. He was so funny. About half way through the movie he moved over one seat from me. I see that desire for independence coming out in him. Ben and I laughed that before long we'd be bringing him with a girl and they'd sit apart from us, just like his parents did when Ben and I were dating. But we'll be sure to sit behind them - no funny business.

More about the movie. Great MLK Day movie. LOVE Josh Lucas. What a cute man!

Almost as cute as my husband.

Hooker Hall no more

2006-01-14T00:42:00.000-06:00

About 2 1/2 years ago, Ben and I had the brilliant idea to paint our hall a nearly black, green. On top of that, we decided to paint the hall doors so that they looked like red stained wood. I called it "Hooker Hall" because it kind of had a red light district feel. (Just the kind of feelings you want to evoke as you enter each of your kids' rooms) I knew it was awful when I did it - I blamed hormones from being pregnant, don't know what Ben excuse was - but I haven't been motivated to change it until now. Thank goodness for sweet friends! Laura came over tonight and helped me knock a bunch of it out. She likes to paint...bless her! The color I chose for the hall is a little extreme for my house, especially on the wall...Hooker Hall is now so white and bright that you have to squint to look at it and you hear a little "ahhhhhh" like you're before the pearly gates...yes, it's true...I used white on a wall! Tracy, you can stop laughing now.

Let's put this little decorating mishap behind us and move on. Goodbye Hooker Hall. Can't say I'll miss you.

Mad Science Layout

2006-01-12T20:56:00.000-06:00

I'm so dang behind in my scrapbooking it's ridiculous but I'm working diligently to catch up. I'm working on all of Nolen's birthday parties...one year at a time. This was one of my favorite birthdays. It was his Kindergarten party. We had a "Mad Scientist" come to the Magic Scraps office and put on a fantastic show for the kids. The colors for the party were lime and silver.

I loved using the Birthday Clear Details on this layout. I can't believe they're discontinued. I love them so much. (Get them while you can!) I also loved using our Virtual Metal letter stickers. These are awesome - so intricately cut. I especially love the star shape and the asterisk. I also got to use some of our newest product from our Route 99 line - our cool dollar line that I'm really excited about. The green boomerang and the blue bubbles are from the new Clear Accents. These little sheets have 10 colored transparency shapes that pot out and include 6 fasteners. You can layer the pieces like on the bubbles or just use them by themselves like the boomerang. Best part? NINETY-NINE CENTS! Yahoo! It's such an incredible value! Here are all of the designs that will be available - Stars, Gears, Retro, Trinkets, Flowers, Circles.

Motorcycle Lessons

2006-01-12T00:19:00.000-06:00

I am patiently waiting for my Tangerine Stella scooter to come in. I signed up to take the class for my M Class license quite a while ago, assuming that I would have already gotten my scooter and would have been able to have plenty of practice before the class. But no such luck. My class starts on Saturday and I realized today that I had never even been on a motorcycle. Daddy to the rescue. It felt a little like I was 16 again...Daddy teaches Ashley to drive.

It definitely takes some getting used to. It was actually a lot harder than I expected. Ben came up to the office with the kids so Nolen got a chance to ride, too. Ben wasn't in the best mood because he accidentally hit the ordering station at Sonic when he pulled out and put a nice little dent in the car - but having a ride on the motorcycle certainly lifted his mood. Thanks Em for taking the pics. That was a great idea!

A Facial with Smirnoff

2006-01-10T20:54:00.000-06:00

Ahhhh...what an excellent day! A little creativity goes a long way. Kate and I worked on new product today. It was wonderful to have the ideas flowing and getting so many details nailed down. We really didn't get working on anything until 2:30 and I left her house at 5:30 but dang those were some productive 3 hours. The exciting part is that we have a ton more ideas to work through! I'm celebrating the fun with a night of facial masks and a Black Cherry Smirnoff Twisted - it's the only one I have so I better enjoy it. My two year old daughter is begging for a sip...tempting...but better not. I'm hoping my face doesn't go up in flames tonight. I started with a cleanser, followed by a scrub, then a cleansing mask, a moisturizing mask, Microderm Abrasion scrub and finally a super-moisturizing mask. That's about 2 weeks worth of skincare shoved into an hour. I'll tell you if it does any good.

I have to get back to work after the kids go to bed...press release to review and some other writing to do. And I really, really need to take the Christmas decorations down. It's infinitely depressing to still have the house decorated for Christmas on the 10th of January. I'm sure the neighbors are talking.