Heidi Swapp is in the house! I have been waiting for this book to come in ( seems like forever, but actually it was probably delayed because of the holidays ). It dawned on me recently that most of the clients I would come into contact with will probably write on their layouts versus using the computer like I do. My aunt and my cousin who started out with me in Creative Memories still journal by hand. I on the other hand have rarely picked up pen to paper ( I am more a computer key to cardstock kind of gal....lol ), so I felt it was time for a change..time to embrace my own handwriting. So hopefully in the next few weeks I will be able to copy the homework assignments and learn to love my handwriting. And Heidi if you can do that you will be one bad women....because this old girl in not convinced yet.


The one thing I am already loving about this book is the fact that it came with a pen, ruler, eraser and mechanical pencil ( no excuses not to start...their is even a handbook ). And just from the little bit I have read I can see why people are so inspired by Heidi Swapp. She really does make you think. I have a feeling a lot of us will be kicking ourselves for not signing up for her Big Picture Scrapbooking Class ( would have loved it if I had $400 upfront just laying around ). But I am thinking the Scrap Etc event will turn out to be a better investment.


Speaking of Big Picture.......I signed up for a class. I am really trying to get in the holiday spirit especially now that Marc has a new job ( thank you Lord , and to those of you who have been praying for us ) I feel as if I really have something to celebrate. So as a treat to myself for being really good on Black Friday ( I only brought a few stamps, a ink pad and two packages of HS chipboard letters ) I am taking my first BPS class. I am taking "Ornamental Memories" with Becky Thompson. I may do my favorite Christmas decorations rather then just ornaments. Now I just need to start gathering up supplies ( and substitutions ) before class begins....which is in two days. Will keep you posted on how it is going.

Happy Thanksgiving

The pictures are from a few years back. But the memories are still with me. Thanksgiving is such a special time of the year. And we have so much to be thankful for. What am I most grateful for today ? The love of family and friends ( old and new ) and the fact that despite trials and tribulations my family has stayed together and continues to support each other through good times and bad. My husband said to me the other night that he was so impressed with the way my family supports and stands by one another. This made me very proud, but mostly I am grateful to belong to a family that took my husband in and loved him like one of their very own ( and not just because he is my husband ). And now as we go through difficult times I am so thankful for God's grace and mercy that has kept us thus far. I know that because I have a personal relationship with God that everything is going to be ok. This month has been very tough for my family. Starting with Marc's job loss not once but twice in the last 90 days. The van fire, and even this past weekend with the accident in our front yard. But despite all of this I have so many other good things that have happened that outweigh the bad things that I can't complain ( and yes, that is a song ). My family still has a roof over our head, food on the table and limbs that will enable us to work. So many other people have suffered way more then we have. So many more carry burdens that I will never understand or can comprehend. So who am I to grumble. I am very blessed and that is what I am most thankful for today.

Lots of Creativity Going On

I'm busy working on my friends album and today my copy of Stacy Julian's "Big Picture Book" came in. It will make for good reading for my trip home tomorrow to see my mom. Also my aunt and I spoke this morning about our Mary Kay lady ( who is a family friend ) who apparently has been chatting to her about me needing to start teaching scrapbooking (lol). Guess I need to send her a brochure and let her know about "Treasured Creations". This also means I need to start working on the website ( January will be here before I know it ). I thought I would panic once I got my first paying client, but I am enjoying working on the pages and I can't wait for my girlfriend to see it. Well, gotta get back to it....I start directing the Christmas drama production at church tonight. I have always been an assistant director, so this should be interesting being the one in charge. Will be gone until late Sunday so have a great weekend.

YAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Emmitt and Cheryl Rock !!!!!!

Who Am I ?


Ok, for the last week or so I have been doubting myself. Who am I to want to do something with this thing we call scrapbooking beyond a few pages in an album? Its probably mixed up in all of the excitement of meeting some great scrapbook speakers and teachers next year. Seeing the work that they do makes me feel very inadequate. I don't have any desire to be where they are, I'm really just wanting to share my passion for scrapping with women in my community. Especially with some of my African American sisters who seem to think we shouldn't be preserving memories and moments for our future generations ( don't even get me started on that one ). Anyway, God must be tired of my whining because in the last two days I have read this one quote in like four different places. It's from the movie about the girl in the spelling bee contest ( even my girls have been trying to get me to watch the movie ).

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and famous?Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And when we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."~Marianne Williamson

Makes you think doesn't it? So what's holding you back? What's holding me back?

Go Emmitt and Cheryl

Eden

This is one ( we took nearly 2000 pics ) of my favorite pictures from our trip to Hawaii. I took the picture early one morning before we went out for the day. I am soo glad we had the new camera at the time because this place is breathtaking and my old camera would not have done it justice at all. I still can't believe I went to Hawaii for nearly two weeks. Its been over 8 months but it was a life changing trip and one I shall remember forever. This trip opened me up to the possibility that dreams can and do come true. Hawaii had been a dream of Marc's for many years, and the fact that he planned the whole trip without my knowledge ( I found out two days before the trip ) still shocks me. But mostly I know God planted us in Hawaii to prepare us for the troubles ahead. When I am having a rough day I think about Hawaii, about sitting on the beach overlooking the blue water and I am at peace. I'm telling you Eden must be located in Hawaii.

Setting Goals

How scary is this ( my checklist seems to be getting smaller and smaller ): 2007 Goals

Seems as if a few of my goals ( DREAMS ) are coming true!

1) I am going to the Scrap Etc. Event 2007 ( I came close to meeting Ali, but I am soo excited about meeting Stacy Julian. How can a girl complain about that ? )

2) Treasured Creations seems to be getting off the ground.

3) I was a Guest Designer on Loveisinthedetails.

4) I am hoping that the Scrap Etc. classes will give me the confidence to move forward with my teaching.

5) Hopefully next month I can start work on a website, my goal is to have it up by the first of the year.

6) After checking out cafe press I have decided to go in a different direction with merchandise. Marc has been doing custom shirts and stuff for years. I'm thinking the quality he offers would be more suited to what I have in mind. Plus there will be no overhead cost for using hubby (smile). Also I loved making the bags for our Drama Workshop and I am looking for a way to incorporate that into the business.

7) My mind is racing all of the time with new ideas. I'm thinking "inspirational trips" are the way to go to keep things fresh. Wonder if a trip to Disney would count ? Hey Monique did it !

Ok, enough excitement for the day this girl is tired. Will post more stuff tommorrow.

Breaking News!!!!!!!!!!

Remember I said I had something exciting to share? Well here it is . I am headed to Alabama in March !!!! But that's not the best part...I get to spend 4 days with my bestfriend Cass. But that's not the best part (sorry Cass). The best part is that I get to meet Stacy Julian and take 2 classes by her. I also get to take a class by Heidi Swapp's photographer friend Allison Tyler Jones. The other speakers include Jenny Bowlin, Kristina Contes, Heather Preckel and Robin Johnson. I'm soo excited I can't stand myself. That old saying about how one door closes and another one opens is soo true. Last week I was bummed out because I would not be able to go to the event in Virginia hosted by GetCroppin. Then yesterday the opportunity to go to Birmingham for the Scrap Etc event fell in my lap ( thanks hubby ) and after I confirmed with Cass I could stay with her in Alabama....well the rest was history. I am also excited about finally getting to visit Scrap Etc. Monique has the best store around ( and I have never even been in it...lol).

The other good news in my life is that I picked up my first official album making client yesterday. So for the next two weeks I will be working on my friends album ( plan to have it finished by the time she gets back from her trip ). She is soo excited about my business that if I am not careful she will have everyone she knows calling me about doing an album for them. She handed my brochure to a lady while we were meeting yesterday , so here's hoping. Also Cass sent me her stuff for Kyra's Disney album, but she forgot one thing.......the pictures (lol). I am very blessed to have such supportive friends and family ( I say family because my mom doesn't know it yet...but she may be taking her first trip to Alabama in March...love yah mom ).

Roses are Red

Its been a rough week, so hubby decided to be a wonderful partner and brought home the most beautiful dozen red roses I have ever seen. Gotta love that man! Also there is a possibility I have another surprise in store to share. Will know for sure tommorrow night. Here's hoping. If it happens I will post. Have a great night , this girl has been on a roller coaster ride today and lets just say her body is ready to get off of it. I have a breakfast meeting in the morning and in the afternoon I meet with my friend about her album ( no that is not the surprise ). Oh, and tommorrow I will post pictures of my new hair color. This jet black girl went brown (shh...hubby hasn't even seen it yet ) !!!!! I decided to be spontaneous....who figured at 42 I would get this bold (lol).

Mail Call

I love receiving packages in the mail , especially ones you were not expecting. Yesterday I received my official Fiskateers welcome pack. They had this really cute mini album, chipboard coasters ( at least that's what I think they are ) and some cool fiskars scissors in its own bag. I signed up to be a Fiskateer a while back but never thought they would send me anything. I love the mini album, as a matter of fact I think it will make a great prototype for a mini album class. Will have to give it further investigation later. Not sure what I will do with the coasters yet...I feel a "altered" project in my future (lol). The scissors went straight to my M's bag and the bag is waiting for ideas to come to my head as to what to do with it. I have several fiskers products and I love the quality of them, so getting something from them for free is just an added bonus.

I'm sooo excited.......

Heidi Swapp is coming to QVC !!!! Read more about it here ( ok this is not the first time I have posted this...blogger has been eating up my post, so who knows what will happen when I post this. This time though I copied the one before this in case I lose it..its a good one ). Anyway, I can't wait to see HS on QVC ( it will be like having a free class with her ...lol ).

ItS aLL AbOut YOu

I have been trying really hard lately to include myself in my albums. So I am starting a new "ALL About YOu" Album. The first one I did mostly had pictures about the family and friends in my life and very little about "ME". I have almost finished reading Cathy Z's book "Clean and Simple" and I realized that the first album was lacking...so my challenge this time is to make it "All About Me". There are so many aspects of my personality that my girls ( and my son ) don't even know about. This was crystal clear a few days ago when my daughter Nicki was shocked by the fact that "I" her mother actually knew how to put salt on a Magarita drink ( of all things ). I don't drink ( tried it maybe twice and new it wasn't for me...lol ) but you would have thought I had grown horns in my head by her response ( I can still see the shocked look on her face ) and then to make matters worse she had the nerve to ask me what I knew about such stuff ! But, the one that got me was the next statement...."You never did anything when you were my age " ( like turning 21 is something new under the sun ). So this time around I will talk about things only related to me and maybe finally my girls ( especially ) will see their mom in a new light and maybe , just maybe they will listen the next time I give advice ( well maybe not, but a girl can dream ).

Melody Ross

You all know how much I admire Melody Ross, her words have helped me through some tough patches in the last few months. Anyway, I was one of 100 people who was picked to receive a book by Melody called "Instant Interviews" from her weblog. Well today it came in the mail and is even signed by her. I can't wait to dive into it. I have been really enjoying books about scrapbooking that are more then just pictures on a page ( I am still in the process of reading Cathy Z's book and Stacy Julian's "Big Picture book is on my wishlist for Christmas ) and that's saying a lot from a visual person. Melody's book is about interviewing the people in your life and hopefully giving you a little history outline about family and friends. I am hoping it will help strengthen my journaling. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Still Here

I have not blogged in a few days ( how appropriate that Ali blogged about taking a break sometimes ). Life has been way to busy this month, first with the drama workshop, then with a twenty one year old birthday party ( Happy Birthday Nicki...I still can't believe my baby is 21 ! ). We just wrapped up Fall Harvest at our church ( over 100 men, women and children came out October 31st for our alternative to Halloween ) where we had games, prizes and food a plenty. Not to mention more candy then you can shake a stick at. As the coordinator of this event for the last few years I can truly say its been a experience of trial and error. But I love it and it gave me the confidence booster I needed to try my hand at a few new things including the possibility of organizing a crop next year ( watch out local scrapshare ladies).

So today I am trying to get back on track, plan to scrap a little and then if all goes well I plan to be up bright and early tomorrow morning to sign up for classes at the GetCroppin event. I will know by this evening if we can spring the cost. I have my Minister's Wives and Widows Alliance meeting tonight, a women's workshop Saturday afternoon ( for once I get to sit and be feed ) and Marc preaches on Sunday morning ( please pray for him...this will be his first official sermon as a candidate for Pastor at our church ) and then we have our Church Anniversary in the afternoon. Next week I plan to spend time cleaning house which has been on the back burner for sometime.

By the way check these out. Its a group of camera bags that Donna Downey will be selling soon. Are they not the cutest camera bags you have ever seen? I can't decide which one I like more. I don't know what the cost for them will be but keep cecking Donna's website for updates. And if you have not signed up for her newsletter you should. This one lady did an awesome job altering toilet paper rolls as napkin rings and they turned out really elegant ( who would have thought it ). Donna has some great challenges in each newsletter. Now if I could just get the time to try a few. I am really excited at the possibility of meeting her and the other instructors in February. I know I can learn a lot from them.