2 great movies to see...

on december 23rd, j and i took the kids and my niece to see charlotte's web. my 8 year old son and i read the book the previous week and finished it that morning. for all of you who read it as a child, i recommend reading it again. so much happens in the book that doesn't appear in the movie or is slightly altered to make the movie shorter. of course, with a book that is 184 pages long, that is bound to happen to try and fit into an hour and a half. very cute story line. if you want to see dakota fanning though, she really isn't in the movie a whole lot. for us, if we know a movie is coming out, we read the book first. it really is a lot of fun to do that. we did it with charlie and the chocolate factory as well. this movie... i give it 3 kernels out of 5.

















yesterday, my sis and i took 4 kids to see night at the museum. okay, everyone this is a must see! i thoroughly enjoyed this movie. it is a movie for all ages. it brings light to history (okay american history - but it is interesting), is very funny, is cool in the way that it brings some "oldtimer" actors back onto the screen. mickey rooney and dick van dyke are in this flick. it is a great show. ben stiller is funny once again and his good pal owen wilson is in this one also. can't have a movie with ben stiller unless a wilson brother, vince vaughn or will ferrell is in it as well. this one gets 5 kernels out of 5! i would see it again!

soccer action...

well we have been playing soccer this week 3 different times in the polar cup tournament and i have thoroughly enjoyed watching all these boys that were on my son's team give it their all. it started wednesday. we played this team who we found out were a carded rep team from the city. they were a year behind our boys and they were amazing. you could tell by looking at the boys and the coaches that they were going to be good the minute they stepped on the field.... and they were! on friday we played another city team, the juventus which are known to be a great sports team. they did well also. today we played another local team we normally play and it was so exciting to watch this close game with all these kids (all 30 of them) that normally play each other, go to school with one another and are very equal in their game play. we came out and won 3-2. it was a close game. the 2 goals scored on us were somewhat fluky but heck we will take it! the game we had on wednesday i thought was really going to kill morale for the rest of the tournament but we got stronger in each game after. my son got a hard ball to the face in friday's game. he was pulled off the field. he was fine but a little shaken for today's game. going to have to get him back into it so he can be ready for the new year. we are no longer in exhibition for the season. our scores now matter so it is back to training for our team. as we are not a house league, so many people take this seriously. i just want to see my son develop some skills and see if this is something he wants to continue you on with.

i sure love watching kids this age doing what they love and playing their best. it is nice to see a change from kids sitting on their behinds playing video games 24/7. not only that... man it sure is a proud mommy moment!

what are we doing to ourselves?

i bought the other day the dvd an inconvenient truth. al gore is behind this dvd and all the scientific information on this dvd. he knows what he is talking about. i strongly urge and plead with everyone reading this blog to PLEASE either rent, buy or borrow this dvd and watch it for yourself. you don't have to like al gore (which i do) but you need to hear his message. here is a little about the dvd for anyone who has not heard about it... WHAT IS GLOBAL WARMING? Carbon dioxide and other gases warm the surface of the planet naturally by trapping solar heat in the atmosphere. This is a good thing because it keeps our planet habitable. However, by burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil and clearing forests we have dramatically increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere and temperatures are rising. The vast majority of scientists agree that global warming is real, it’s already happening and that it is the result of our activities and not a natural occurrence.1 The evidence is overwhelming and undeniable. We’re already seeing changes. Glaciers are melting, plants and animals are being forced from their habitat, and the number of severe storms and droughts is increasing.

• The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years.
• Malaria has spread to higher altitudes in places like the Colombian Andes, 7,000 feet above sea level.
• The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled over the past decade.
• At least 279 species of plants and animals are already responding to global warming, moving closer to the poles.
• If the warming continues, we can expect catastrophic consequences.
• Deaths from global warming will double in just 25 years -- to 300,000 people a year.
• Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and Antarctica, devastating coastal areas worldwide.
• Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense.
• Droughts and wildfires will occur more often.
• The Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050.
<>More than a million species worldwide could be driven to extinction by 2050.

There is no doubt we can solve this problem. In fact, we have a moral obligation to do so. Small changes to your daily routine can add up to big differences in helping to stop global warming. The time to come together to solve this problem is now – TAKE ACTION

What are some things you can do? Here are a few...
1. Conserve energy (turn off lights when not using them, change bulbs to the compat lourescent ones/curly cue ones that save energy and also $'s on your bills = save 300 lbs. of caron dioxide and $60 per year, have energy efficient washers, dryers, fridges, stoves and dishwashers, etc.)
2. Limit Water consumption (don't waste water, only water on odd days or even days (pick one), etc.)
3. Recycle (reduce, reuse and recycle all items you possibly can)
4. Vehicle Emissions (do not leave your vehicle idling - big problem now with command starts and drive-thru's, car pool or take public transportation, etc.)
5. Reduce Popluation (by the amount of babies being born) - did you know that in the last 100 years or so, that the population of the world has far exceeded the growth charts from the beginning of time until up to 1900. we need to limit the amount of people we are bringing into this world. our quality of life has been raised and people are dying at a much older age than ever before and the amount of people coming into this world has increased.
6. Inflate Your Tires - keep the tires on your car adequately inflated. Check them monthly. Save 250 lbs of carbon dioxide and $840 per year.
7. Change Your Air Filter - check your car's air filter monthly. Save 800 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $130 per year.
8. Fill the Dishwasher - run your dishwasher only with a full load. Save 100 lbs of carbon dioxide and $40 per year.
9. Use Recycled Paper - make sure your printer is 100% post consumer recycled paper. Save 5 lbs of carbon dioxide per ream of paper.
10. Adjust Your Thermostat - move your heater thermostat down 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in the summer. Save 2000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $98 per year.
11. Check Your Waterheater - keep your waterheater no higher than 120 degrees fahrenheit. Save 550 lbs of carbon dioxide and $30 per year.
12. Change the Air Conditioning Filter - clean or replace dirty air conditioner filters as recommended. Save 350 lbs of carbon dioxide and $150 per year.
13. Take Shorter Showers - showers account for 2/3 of all water heating vosts. Save 350 lbs of carbon dioxide and $99 per year.
14. Install a Low Flow Showerhead - using less water in the shower means less energy to heat the water. Save 350 lbs of carbon dioxide and $150.
15. Buy Products Locally - buy locally and reduce the amount of energy required to drive your products to your store.
16. Buy Minimally Packaged Goods - less packaging could reduce your garbage by about 10%. Save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide and $1,000 per year.
17. Buy a Hybrid Car - the average driver could save 16,000 lbs of CO2 and $3,750 per year driving a hybrid.
18. Buy a Fuel Efficient Car - getting a few extra miles per gallon makes a big difference. Save thousands of lbs of CO2 and a lot of money per year.
19. Carpool When You Can - own a big vehicle? carpooling with friends and co-workers saves fuel. Save 790 lbs of CO2 and hundreds of dollars per year.
20. Reduce Garbage - buy products with less packaging and recycle paper, plastic and glass. Save 1,000 lbs of CO2 per year.
21. Plant a Tree - trees suck up CO2 and make clean air for us to breath. Save 2,000 lbs of carbon dioxide per year.
22. Insulate Your Water Heater - keep your water heater insulated could save 1,000 lbs of CO2 and $40 per year.
23. Replace Old Appliances - Inefficient appliances waste energy. Sabe hundreds of lbs. of carbon dioxide and hundreds of dollars per year.
24. Weatherize Your Home - caulk and weather strip your doorways and windows. Save 1,700 lbs or carbon dioxide and $274 per year.
25. Use a Push Mower - use your muscles instead of fossil fuels and get some exercise. Save 80 lbs of CO2 and $ per year.
26. Unplug Unused Electronics - even when electronic devices are turned off, they use energy. Save over 1,000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $256 per year.
27. Put On A Sweater - instead of turning up the heat in your home, wear more clothes. Save 1,000 lbs of CO2 and $250 per year.
28. Insulate Your Home - make sure your walls and ceilings are insulated. Save 2,000 lbs of CO2 and $245 per year.
29. Air Dry Your Clothes - line-dry your clothes in the spring and summer instead of using the dryer. Save 700 lbs of CO2 and $75 per year.
30. Switch to a Tankless Water Heater - your water will be heated as you use it rather than keeping a tank of hot water. Save 300 lbs of CO2 and $390 per year.
31. Switch to Double Pane Windows - double pane windows keep more heat inside your home so you use less energy. Save 10,000 lbs of CO2 and $436 per year.
32. Buy Organic Food - the chemicals used in modern agriculture pollute the water supply and require energy to produce.
33. Bring Cloth Bags to the Market - Using your own cloth bag instead of plastic bags reduces the waste and requires no additional energy.
    

wow.... i got it!

well we had a great christmas here at our place. we spent christmas eve with j's family. it was fun. on christmas day, my sister, mom and niece as well as my mom's boyfriend came over and opened presents and had dinner. on boxing day, we went to my mom's and my family and extended family came over for more presents, dinner, games and fun! always a good time together. i look forward to it every year!

j out did himself this year. i am one lucky girl! we are going on a trip with some friends spring break so i did not expect anything big. at first, i opened up some perfume, ck summer which i really wanted, 2 pairs of jeans, a gift card for home depot and some odd's and ends. got lots of m&m's from everyone for christmas. i think i have a lifetime supply now. sad thing is, i am kind of getting sick of them now. anyways, later in the day, j surprised me with the biggest gift.... i got a trip to creative escape! he paid for the airfare, the hotel and when registration opens, that too! i am so excited! anyone else going here. i only know a few people i deal with going. i don't know any friends going. let me know if you are...


today was a busy day! b had a soccer game against a great rep team from the city. wow...got our butts kicked but it was great experience for the kids. very early though. it was kind of cool, nikki's son and b are on the same team for the tournament. we have games again friday and saturday. they sure are fun to watch but man does it ever get your adrenaline going. after soccer, we went to w.e.m. and shopped. kids got gift cards for build-a-bear so they went and spent those and had fun. crazy busy there! went to children's place to see crazy tammy but didn't see her there.

have another busy day tomorrow. back to work, spending time with kids and trying to get house back in order after company. i just want to take down my christmas stuff so bad right now.

look what janna made?

janna made this cool digi layout featuring my daughter.

a funny for the day... happy holidays.... oops i mean merry christmas!

For My Liberal Friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2007, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere . Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

By accepting these greetings, you are accepting the aforementioned terms as stated. This greeting is not subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for herself/himself/others, and is void where prohibited by law and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wish

For Everyone else:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

rebutal to some comments left...

i left a post back in november about flight attendants (f.a.'s). i had in the last day some comments which were rejected in regards to my post. this person who left 2 different messages told me that i was very paranoid and that all f.a.'s are not cheaters. i never said they were but i DO know that many do cheat. so do pilots. you wanted to know where i get my stories from?. well... whoever you are, who did not leave a name other than anonymous; my husband and all his friends are pilots as well as a ton of other people i know. i too used to work in aviation. this is not a faulty claim. i have a few friends who lost their husbands due to cheating with women at work who happened to be other pilots and f.a.'s. you may not be a cheater, but there are lots of them in that profession. you don't have to go on saying that this is not true because i know different. many of them lead double lives because they can. i am very confident in my marriage and one of the least worried wives i know. so no, i am not paranoid. i was merely stating what happened to my husband. you may not know of anyone yourself that is a cheater, but it is rampant in that industry. don't tell me i know nothing about this because trust me... i do! that is all i have to say about that.

candy cane lane

last night my sister, her daughter and my kids and i went to candy cane lane. it was about -8 out. we got some hot chocolate from second cup and went walking around. a yearly tradition! you sure get a lot more out of it by walking then driving. there are so many sounds to hear that you don't if you drive. highly recommend it this year!

the sweet smell of sugar

my cutie and i baked cookies after school last week. wow, did we have fun. we had a ton of cookie dough from school. we baked a bunch for christmas and upcoming company coming. she had a blast baking.

o' christmas tree...

i love my christmas tree. sure wish i could smell the amazing smell of a real tree but will have to settle with my glade pine air freshner to compensate for my plastic tree in my living room. my ornaments are so a part of who i am. i love country folk art, unusual, sparkly and ones with my family on them.








i made my mom, my sister and myself ornaments of us with my dad for our trees. we all have them front and centre on our trees. i tried to find photos of each of us with him or a moment that meant a lot. this ornament of my dad is a special one to me. it was in 1993 when i was a bridesmaid at my friends wedding. this was one of the only times i ever danced with my dad. i danced with him once at my wedding also. i love this photo because everytime i see it, it reminds me that i do look like him. the time of the year i miss him most is at christmas. this helps a bit.

want to make some amazing christmas ornaments? here are some ideas...


Paper Cones

In Victorian times, paper cones like these were filled with fruits and nuts. Made from patterned and textured paper, these modern versions are trimmed with rickrack and vintage silver tassels, and hung with ribbons and beaded wire. Brimming with sweets, the cones make wonderful little gifts or party favors.


Supplies:

• Decorative paper
• wire
• silver beads
• wired tinsel
• ric rac or other trim
• compass
• scissors or utility knife
• craft glue
• ribbon
• beads
• 1/8-inch hole punch
• needle and thread

Instructions:

• Cut paper into a 3-, 4-, or 5-inch square; place face down on a flat surface.
• Place compass point at one corner of the square; extend its arm to an adjacent corner.
• Drag the pencil across the square to form an arc; cut along arc with scissors or a utility knife.
• The result will be fan-shaped (below, center).
• Overlap the straight sides of the paper and attach them with a thin coat of craft glue. Use a paper clip to hold the seam together while the glue dries (below, right).
• Decorate the top with wired tinsel, silver ric rac, or other trim. Cut a length of trim long enough to fit around the top of the cone; glue it onto the inside or outside of rim, beginning at the seam.
  
• If using rickrack, position it halfway inside the rim so it has a scalloped effect from the outside.
• To fasten a bead at the point of the cone, pull a threaded needle (with thread knotted at end) through the bead and the hole in the bottom of the cone until the bead is positioned snugly at the point.
  
• Pull string taut inside the cone, tape string to inside wall, and trim.
• To attach a handle, punch holes with a 1/8-inch hole punch in opposite sides of the cone, approximately 3/8 inch from rim.
• String ribbon or beaded wire through holes.
  
• Secure ribbon ends with knots; curl wire ends.

for more great ideas check out martha stewart.com

martha stewart's christmas crafts use a lot of different scrapbook crafting products. great way to get rid of some extra supplies!

kit for a cause

i got my kit from janna last week. if you haven't bought the kit for the cure from lisa bearnson go to lisa bearnson.com now and check it out. this kit is an "all about me" album. most of the supplies are from heidi swapp and this kit is amazing. the kit is pre-cut and organized according to pages. all you do is assemble them with the instructions given to you. the album which is a beautiful sage green fit has a tie up closure and fits into this great sage green keepsake box. you get everything you see here. all you need is adhesive. it is an amazing kit. all lisa's kits are going to go towards a charitable organization. this is the first in a series of 4 kits coming out.

i have been having so much fun assembling the pages. i haven't got to adding anything about me on them yet. check it out!

the "it" girl in my opinion

well many of you know karla dudley. she is a talented new dt member at love 2 scrap. she (to me) is the new up and coming "it" girl. she has had her stuff on ali edwards' blog, has a great style and is quite colorful. if you haven't seen her before.... you will. here is a pic of her! she does amazing work. go to love 2 scrap's gallery and check out the whole design team. they are truly talented scrapbookers!

so what is on your list?

this christmas what is it that strikes your fancy? i don't really need much. just a lot of want! here is my list...

• trip to arizona to creative escapes
• zoom lens for my camera
• home sense gift certificate
• curtains for my bedroom
• my kitchen backsplash done
• wood venetians and drapes for my kitchen, dining room and family room
• ck summer perfume

that is about it!

don't need much... just stuff for our house.

i tag all you reading to post your want list on your blogs. i know it sounds greedy but really, your going to get something for christmas. so...what is it that you want?

c.b. tree...

well last year i saw the charlie brown tree at urban outfitters and wanted it so bad. still do! i can't fathom $24 though. i know i am so cheap about some things. i mean really... it is a twig with a christmas ornament. i love it though. any of you have one?

complain for the week...

we had at our last PAC meeting at school a parent that voiced a major copncern for parents who are coming to school and waiting for their kids in their idling vehicles. he thought it was terrible how all the vehicle emissions were so heavy at our school each day.

well after hearing that, i started thinking about it. he was so right. parents come to our school usually 30 minutes before the let out time and wait in their vehicles for their kids. cars running especially in this weather and most of those vehicles are suv's and vans. there are a lot! also, i noticed it in drive thrus. i was in one myself the other day getting a coffee. i try not to use drive thrus because they make us lazy, usually going in is way faster and you tend to eat more often at fast food if you use the drive thru. so i pretend like the drive thru is closed so i don't use it. you think twice if you have to go in. anyways... back to my story. my kids were sleeping in my vehicle so i used the drive thru. i was in line for about 20 minutes. i had 3 cars in front of me and about 5 behind me. most of these cars had just the driver in it. they saw how long the line up was. why didn't they go in. all those vehicles were idling that long in a drive thru and that was only one drive thru in one city. can you imagine?

we are killing our world. it is little things like this. if you just stop doing these kinds of things. you can help the environment.

did you know, just unplugging every item in your home that you are not using is a HUGE help?

now you do!

craziness....

i have been running non-stop back and forth trying to get the kids to places, getting christmas shopping done, going to crops, shoveling snow in our bitterly cold weather, computer has been intermittently down and fighting off the flu.

i am really ready for a break. this sunday i am vegging. i haven't had a break in a while!

f.a.'s what are they thinking?

my hubby and i went christmas shopping the other day and got to talking. i haven't seen him much lately because he has been busy working. he went on to tell me how a flight attendant at work hit on him the other day and propositioned him to come back to her room. i was not surprised because i know this happens with a lot of the pilots that work commercial flights. i have heard many stories of pilots cheating on their wives with the flight attendants. i know my hubby is not like that. he told me outright that she said she wanted to snuggle with him and he said "no thanks". what are these girls thinking? do they have no dignity? my husband is married. he always wears his wedding ring and is faithful. get a life ladies. get a single guy! it sure is a good thing i trust him. i know of some friends who have lost their marriage to this.

girl guides fun....

last night i went with 3 other guides leaders to this really neat adult only craft night that guides just started each month. we made some really cool crafts. they gave us each this mini storage box and it was filled with everything we would need. we were there for 2.5 hours and created:

• matchbox 12 days of christmas (just need to fill it with little trinkets)
• jar art (cool rustic country mason jar filled with candies)
• slide card (snow themed with a slide on it - very cool!)
• gift card (using stampin up products - holds 2 tea bags to give to someone on those cold winter nights)
• gift toppers (pipe cleaner wreath and a stocking)

it was a lot of fun. it was only $15 and we created all these neat projects. we came up with ideas for new projects for the sparks, brownies, guides and pathfinders. i have all these neat gifts to give this christmas now.

lots of fun! even got to listen to barenaked ladies holiday cd janna! (inside joke.... janna tried to play it on our last retreat and everytime she put it on, someone would take it off). so, i finally heard it (a few times!) and it is a good cd!

melody ross....

well i got my melody ross book today from her rak on her blog. it is very cool! you should check out "instant interviews ~ 2nd edition". can't wait to put it to use. you should really check it out!

fun on the weekend...

janna and her kids slept over at our house last weekend and we had such good, clean, innocent fun! we had a "parté"! we had a ton of snacks, sundaes, played board games, the kids all did makeup (looked like drag queens) , watched movies and then went to bed. janna and i scrapbooked when they went to bed. when we woke up in the morning, we had breakfast and then went tobaganning. my niece came with us. it was so much fun! we are going to do this more often! my hubby was gone and hers had plans so it worked out great! didn't need a sitter and everyone had so much fun!

funny quiz...

check this out...

You date like you are 29 years old. You are a dating pro. You've been around the block a few times and know exactly what you like and dislike in a partner. Usually you can tell after one date if you would date them again. Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

my faves.... tag from tammy

well here they are:

My Loves:

* I love bright colors and bold colors on my layouts but also lately love the kraft look

* I love hand written journaling

* I like to dibble and dabble into tons of products and not just one set line

* I love doing heritage pages

* I love to scrapbook good nd bad moments in life and make it real

*I am inspired by Ali Edwards, Elsie Flannigan, Karla Dudley, Jenni Bolwin & Rhonna Farrer

* I love seeing other scrapbookers scrapbook rooms

Not Loving So Much:

* spending so much time on my business that i don't have time to scrapbook myself

* don't like feeling pressured to create a layout when the love isn't in it

* don't like a layout without handwritten journaling. i need to write on it.

* dont love the competitive nature that this hobby can bring out in people

* feeling overwhelmed by the amount of stuff i want to scrapbook

* packing up for crops and hailing it in and out of the office

* negative criticism about fellow scrapbookers

Repeat Repeat Repeat:

* hand written journaling

* close up photos

* many pics on a page (shying away from the one photo per page-too expensive)

*rarely have a title

* bold and eye-catching colors


Scrapbook Lab:

* digital scrapbooking


Cant Live Without:

* computer

* camera

* stampin up inks and my white pen

* ink dauber

* cardstock-kraft and brown

* corner rounder


** tag to all of you that are reading this and not yet done this.

vicki boutin is coming to chat ....

come chat with the talented vicki boutin at love 2 scrap on wednesday, november 29th at 8 p.m. mst. ask vicki anything you want to know regarding the scrapbooking world. vicki has been a part of many manufacturer design teams and store design teams. she has been featured in many scrapbook publications as well.

L2S creative designers...

i just wanted to let everyone know about our l2s designers. we have a talented group here. i just wanted to introduce them to you....

corry heinricks (creative design leader)









maria gallardo-williams (maite) (creative designer)




















tammy brownlee (creative designer)





















jessica lute (creative designer)




















karla dudley (creative designer)












janna henke (special events coordinator)




















come join the love 2 scrap design team friday, november 17th and saturday, november 18th at love 2 scrap for our online crop. we have some great projects, challenges and give-aways planned. check out the love 2 scrap site for the itinerary of events for this weekend. it is going to be fun!

2 amazing books you should read...

i am reading a wonderful book right now. i highly recommend the five people you meet in heaven by mitch alborn. it is not a heavy read. here is a bit about the book... eddie is a grizzled war veteran who feels trapped in a meaningless life of fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. as the park has changed over the years -- from the loop-the-loop to the pipeline plunge -- so, too, has eddie changed, from optimistic youth to embittered old age. his days are a dull routine of work, loneliness, and regret. then, on his 83rd birthday, eddie dies in a tragic accident, trying to save a little girl from a falling cart. with his final breath, he feels two small hands in his -- and then nothing. he awakens in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a lush garden of eden, but a place where your earthly life is explained to you by five people who were in it. these people may have been loved ones or distant strangers. yet each of them changed your path forever. one by one, eddie's five people illuminate the unseen connections of his earthly life. As the story builds to its stunning conclusion, eddie desperately seeks redemption in the still-unknown last act of his life: was it a heroic success or a devastating failure? the answer, which comes from the most unlikely of sources, is as inspirational as a glimpse of heaven itself.



the other book i highly recommend is the lovely bones by alice sebold. this book is a heavier read but worth it. it is being made into a movie by director peter jackson. it should be released in 2007. here is a bit about the book....


our narrator susie salmon is already in heaven. murdered by a neighbor when she was only fourteen years old, susie tells us what it is like to be in her new place. "when i first entered heaven i thought everyone saw what i saw. that in everyone's heaven there were soccer goalposts in the distance and lumbering women throwing shot put and javelin. that all the buildings were like suburban northeast high schools built in the 1960s." later she learns that heaven is whatever you truly want it to be and, sometimes, other people's version of heaven intercepts with your own. read excerpt susie meets another girl, holly, on her third day in heaven and they end up sharing their ideal home --- a duplex. franny, their intake counselor, helps them adjust. as susie gets used to living in heaven, she watches her family and friends on earth as they come to the realization that she is gone forever.

there is so much more to this one. you will just have to read it. i know both books deal with death but they are truly wonderful.

christmas projects.... some great ideas for the holidays

at scrapfest, i decided to create the maya road bega bottlecaps like ali edwards did (shown here) and use them for christmas ornaments. mine are slightly different. i wasn't as festive. i will post a pic of mine this week. they were very cool! i loved them. just used some glossy accents and away you go. well, i have heard that everyone is having a hard time getting them. we just sold out of them but will be getting more in. so anyone who wants some let me know.


here are what they look like before being altered.

























on the november love 2 scrap retreat, one of the ladies there, sherrie from saskatchewan made this beautiful christmas card using a very cool folding technique. she had some very cool folding templates there. gorgeous cards! how many of you are making cards this year? would love to see them!

janna... the special angel in my life...

you know when you find a friend and you just know that they were meant to be in your life for a reason? i feel that so much with janna. she is such a wonderful person and friend. this past weekend at our retreat, she tried tricking me into going into our room. i was worried we had another mouse problem like the first retreat (that is another story) so i had tammy go with me. when i got into the room i looked into the bathroom and janna had it set up like a spa. she had spa music playing on her laptop under the counter, candles all over the place lit up, lights off, a face mask on the side of the tub, towels out and this note sitting there. after a day of setting up and worrying about the weather and if everyone would get there okay, it was so nice to take a load off. this is just one of the many nice things that janna does regularly. she is such a special person in my life. i love ya "jenke".

my babes....what sweeties!

my little ones are just so amazing. i love them to death. i couldn't ask for two better kids. here they are loving their mom.

vegetarianism.....vegan?

well i have read tons of information from peta and i really am starting to feel like i want to become a vegetarian. other than steak once in a blue moon i almost never eat meat. not trying to bash any of my farmer friends. i totally know that is the food chain and that is what we are supposed to do, eat meat. i just have a hard time doing it anymore. i don't know if i stnd alone on this or not. my girlfriend suzanne was a vegetarian for many years. she broke loose and started eating chicken wings again because she was going out after work.

any vegetarians or vegans here? i don't think i could go as hrd core as a vegan. i like eggs, cheese, butter and milk too much. what do you think?

what are you into as far as music goes?

list seven songs you are into right now. no matter what the genre, whether or not they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now. post these instructions in your blog along with your seven songs. then tag seven other people to see what they're listening to.

my seven songs:

1 your eyes open....keane
2 silence....sarah brightman
3 song from the o.c......beth orton & finley quay
4 sunrise....norah jones
5 don't look back....josh groban
6 when we were young...the killers
7 my town...montgomery gentry


now i tag...

1. janna
2. tammy
3. renee m.
4. elizabeth
5. karla
6. jessi
7. donna (peama)

the holidays

do they stress you out? not me... i can't wait for them. i love christmas so much. love puting out the decorations, decorating the tree, the christmas lights, sipping hot chocolate and apple cider around the fireplace watching old christmas t.v. shows and movies. listening to christmas music and the fun walking down candy cane lane here in town. all the festive baking and treats is a favorite as well. the top of it all is the fact that i finally get to see my entire family for one time during the year. i am extremely family oriented and it is the one time i get to see my aunts, uncles and cousins as well as my mom, sister and neice and my own family in one room together. i miss all the christmas's as a young girl spending it with my family. we used to have people with us that are now no longer with us like my dad, my maternal grandma and grandpa and my paternal grandpa. i miss them all so much.

my sister started a tradition about 6 or 7 years back and i am so glad she did. that year in about 1999 or 2000, she asked each of us to go into a room by ourself and grab a round christmas ornament (they were red shiny ones) and use the metallic felts she gave us as well as white glue and sparkles and decorate it however we wanted and write our name on it. we all did. she had a total of about 15 or so. last year when she set up her tree i was at her house and she put my dad's and my grandpa's ornaments on the tree front and centre. i saw my dad's writing and his drawing and i started to cry. it is like a piece of him lives on with us at the holidays. it is very comforting to see it there. it feels like they are there with us. i know the holidays are not easy for everyone. i challenge you to try this this year. make the effort. it is easy and very inexpensive and very fun to do. trust me, when you have them you will be glad you did when one year one of those people is no longer with you.

2nd retreat over...

well the 2nd retreat was over and wow i am tired. those girls were all so much fun. great meeting the calgary girls that came, the valleyview girls are always fun, great to see you ladies again. we had sherrie from saskatchewan and her sister-in-law lesley from drayton valley come. man those ladies were hyterical. so much fun! tammy, renee m. and ki were pretty funny as well.

janna brought her friend bobbi with us and bobbi is such a sweet lady.
great time had by all.

i am glad they are done now until the spring though. i need a break.

the color test...

RED
1. Closest red thing to you: box of xerox paper
2. Last thing to make you angry: miscommunications between friends
3. Do you have a temper: no but if you get me mad (takes a lot to do) i get really mad
4. Are you a fan of romance: no not really

ORANGE
1. Closest orange thing to you: my highlighter
2. Do you like to burn things: in a campfire but no not normally
3. Dress up for Halloween: always! i love it
4. Are you usually a warm-hearted person: very much so. i would give what i could if i can.
5. Do you have anything against redheaded people: no, someof my most favorite people are red-heads.
6. Are you usually full of energy: depends who i am around and what i am doing. i am a pretty relaxed person by nature.

YELLOW
1.Closet yellow thing: the walls in my office
2. The happiest time[s] of your life: between 1998-2002
3. Favorite holiday: christmas and halloween is a second
4. Are you a coward: not at all. i take risks.
5. Do you burn or tan: tan, tan, tan

GREEN
1. Closest green thing to you?: my big "r" that i got from janna
2. Do you care about the environment: YES
3. Are you jealous of anyone right now: i don't have a jealous bone in my body.
4. Are you a lucky person: yes, i have done well at some things.
5. Do you always want what you cant have: always! ask my hubby.
6. Do you like being outdoors: yes, love it. love being in the country.
7. Are you Irish: no, english, swedish and finnish.

BLUE
1. Closest blue thing to you : blue pencil
2. Are you good at calming people down: yes, usually. i just start making funnies and it usually works.
3. Do you like the sea: yes, but also slightly scared of its abilities as well.
4. What was the last thing that made you cry: toss-up, a few things, worrying about health, problem with friends and frustration.
5. Are you a logical thinker: yes but for somethings no.
6. Can you sleep easily: yes, i just don't ever sleep.

PURPLE
1. Last purple thing you saw: my sons old tinky-winky costume
2. Like being treated to expensive things: yes. i like some expensive things but i am also a very wal-mart kinda gal.
3. Do you like mysterious things: no. i don't like surprises.
4. Favorite type of chocolate: milk. anything that melts in your mouth.
5. Ever met anyone in royalty: not really met but was in quite a few living duke an duchesses castles in england that they were at
6. Are you creative: always have been. i was accepted to the alberta college of art in calgary when i was 18 an also grant macewan for the fine arts program when i was 18. my parents didn't allow me to go. i have kept up with my drawing and creating and now for the past 5 years, scrapbooking.

PINK
1. Closest pink thing to you: a birthday card
2. Do you like sweet things: pastries
3. Like play-fighting: not at all
4. Are you sensitive: yes, to some things.
5. Do you like music: love it a lot. i like some music though that i don't listen to with others as most people think it is weird.

WHITE
1. Closest white thing to you: papers on my desk
2. Would you say you're innocent: yes to some degree but totally not naive
3. Good at keeping the peace: yes to a degree and sometimes i stir it up without knowing it.
4. How do you imagine your wedding: had it and it was fancy
5. Do you like to play in the snow: love tobaganning with friends and my kids
6. Are you afraid of going to the doctors or dentist: doctor no (terrified of blood tests), dentist (depends what i am having done)

BLACK
1. Closest black thing to you: everything i am wearing
2. Ever enjoy hurting people: no, not at all. one of my greatest fears really.
3. Are you sophisticated or silly: a little bit of both. mostly silly.
4. Would you like to go to space: no, doesn't interest me at all.
5. Do you have a lot of secrets: yes, but i can be an open book too though. all my friends can attest to that.
6. What is your favorite color: lime green and light yellow
7. Does the color you wear affect your mood: yes, definately

did you hear about the camp croppin event in calgary?

here is the news i just received:

it is march 23-24, 2007 in calgary. they have the following people coming in:

• lisa bearnson
• heidi swapp design team
• cloud 9 design
• imagination project
• sandylion
• my sentiments exactly

don't know any costs yet but will let you know when i find out. registration starts december 18th.

i know i am going to here about this one and why would i tell people about another stores retreat/convention but you know, there is enough to go around. i won't be attending this event but for all you gals down south who can't maybe make our retreats or urbans here is one you may be able to attend.

shop love 2 scrap though (ha, ha)

identity theft update....

the police officer called me today and told me that there appears to have been a mistake with the bank. it looks like it was an internal problem. i don't know what happened. i have not been a victim of identity theft. i just wish he wouldn't have called me on my morning off at 6:27 a.m. to tell me that! ha,ha

dixie chicks.... wow! powerful women!

well, i went to one of the best concerts i have ever went to and i go to a fair bit. the dixie chicks rocked rexall on this week and they were amazing. those ladies are so amazingly talented that it is a shame about what has happened to them over the past few years. i know this may spark up controversy. their new movie shut up an sing opens tomorrow and for any dixie chicks fans you should go. click the link and you will see the write up as well as the trailer. itis pretty powerful. they said that when all the heat was going on that the red cross wouldn't take a million dollar donation from them (probably for the new orleans disaster relief), radio stations wouldn't play them, cd burning rallies were happening, death threats towards natalie maines. i think people forget that there is something called freedom of speech and she is entitled to it. so many celebrities have voiced their opinions and hard core opinions that have never been ostrasized. not until the dixie chicks made the statement "i am ashamed the president is from texas". one thing i heavily admire about these ladies is that they stick together and stand behind one another. they are an incredible trio. to juggle being a wife, a mother (to young kids), to being a musician and a talented one at that, to being on the road constantly and dealing with the crap that has been dished from the american public.... kudos to them. i highly respect them and admire them. god bless the dixie chicks!

retreat this weekend and adhesive...

just note to anyone coming on our retreat this weekend that we have tons of great supplies for sale at a discount this weekend but we are however out of 3L EZ-Runners if you need one i suggest picking oneup. don't shop a ton elsewhere. you want what we have (he,he) we do have the 3L great value packs that have an EZ-Runner in it.

just a reminder...

what now?...

i was out with my sister this morning. i saw some more dt stuff came and i had a pretty good day... until...... my hubby said "check the phone messages!". i thought what now? i had a call from a police officer in prince george, bc saying that i may have been part of identity theft. my jaw just dropped! what? how? i am pretty good at keeping things secure but how did this happen? so i have been going back and forth between this police officer, the credit bureau, equifax and my bank. i don't know what is going on. i guess i will find out tomorrow. have any of you had this happen before?

love 2 scrap spring retreat booked...

well, we decided against a winter (february) retreat. we tried doing a january one this year and it didn't fly so we have booked a spring one instead. it is not at the usual place. we are going to wind in the willows this time. we went there for our fall retreat back in 2003. it is a smaller place and a little further from edmonton (only half hour further). it is beautiful and quaint. there is a restaurant on site that had great food and a wide menu selection. at this retreat we will not be doing workshops as the space is limited for that in the meeting room. our meeting room is smaller so our sign up/attendees list is going to be smaller. we will start registering for this retreat november 8th. we have double rooms (2 people to one bed) and quad rooms (4 people to 2 beds). there is shopping at this retreat. i have been told the quaint little gift store is still there. this is a great secluded area that is absolutely beautiful in the summer. wind in the willows is on buck lake. our usualy spot we used is booked from march-july solid so it was not an option for retreats. donna (peama) if you know of some place out in your area please let me know. like i said, we are allowing fewer people on this one because our meeting room is smaller and i know how much stuff everyone brings. due to the fact that this is a smaller venue and not as swanky, the price is going to be a little cheaper on this retreat.

here is the meeting room without the tables in it. they set up this room with 2 rows of straight tables all the way down the room. there is natural lighting/windows all the way across the exterior wall (not shown).







at the resort there are the following available for rooms:

non-smoking: double (5 rooms)
non-smoking: quad (3 rooms)

smoking: double (2 rooms)
smoking: quad (2 rooms)


here is a view at one of the rooms


if you have any questions please email me at irememberwhen@shaw.ca



Donna.... we are looking at possibly another venue for another date. Do you know of anything in the Camrose area that would be nice?



The retreat is scheduled for April 13th-15th, 2007. We are looking at filling all the non-smoking rooms and possibly one smoking room. We are not allowing cots in the rooms to add more people to your room. If you want a cot just so you don't have to sleep together that is fine but there will be a small additional charge. Sorry. I hope to have the price listed by November 9th.

the L2S site....

our site i was told, will be up today. so sorry for the delay. i have so much to chat about. can't wait to chat when it gets back up.

talk with you all soon!

update...morning...november 7th:

okay..... here is the low down. i know you are all sick and tired of hearing me say "today is the day", but it is. i was assured it will be this morning that the site is up. our web guy told me he has ben working on it since 2 p.m. yesterday afternoon trying to get it up and forward information to the servers. he was amazed at how large our site is. that is what is taking the time. we have a lot of information on our web site. that is one of the great things about our site. it is one of the largest and we love our members for that.

i too am going through some major withdrawal. have to know that to say we are sorry for the delay in the site, there is going to be a little something special on the site when it is up and running today!


update...... evening....november 7th.....
i chatted with our new web guy and the files have been transferred to our new site but there are valuable pieces of info missing so we are waiting to have the co-operation from our old company. we are asking them to host our site temporarily until we can get the site up with those files. i guess behind the scenes our site was a huge mess. so... we are going to get it fixed. we are just waiting for the site to get up and we will be able to make changes while it is still active. please be patient. i want to say tomorrow is the day (i think it may be) but can't say for sure. one week is a long time and i want to yell..... but i won't.

update..... lunch time... november 9th.....
i spoke with the web guys and found out an integral part of our site was missing from the changes. what was that you asked? our main page! so they are adding that to the new server. i hve been guaranteed it will be up today and at the very latest tomorrow. i am guessing today with the way they explained it to me. so... remember to check again today. thanks for your patience.

update.....lunch time....november 10th.....yes, it is november 10th (10 days after this fiasco!)
well it is like this. both our web people aren't understanding each other it seems and all hell seems to have broke loose. so our site may be going back to the old web people for the next month and we might have to look at making some changes behind the scenes on the site as well as some physical changes like the main page to the site. so! having said that we are trying to get the site up over the weekend. if it is up please post lots and tell everyone you know. i will be checking in periodically and if i have any news i will put it on my blog over the weekend. thanks guys!

time for another r.a.k. ~ 80's trivia

here is another r.a.k. for you. have the answers to me via email at irememberwhen@shaw.ca please note email address change so please forward to this email address!

NOTE: I have not received anyone's answers yet due to the site being down and my renee@love2scrap.ca email not working. please forward your answers to irememberwhen@shaw.ca

you have until november 10th to get your answers in. please try not to use the net on this one. see how much you know yourself. the lucky winner will get some scrapbook goodies from me!

1. who played the uncle on family ties?
2. what does ALF stand for?
3. what is the connection between facts of life and er?
4. where was balki on perfect strangers from?
5. what was balki's last name?
6. what was the name of vanessa on the cosby show's last boyfriends name?
7. what was the name of the tv show with the theme song that began "believe it or not, i am walking on air..."?
8. what was the name of the woman on little house on the prairie that ran the blind school (besides mary)?
9. what was the name of murphy brown's news program?
10. what was the date in 1955 that marty mcfly flew back in time to?
11. what is the connection between growing pains and full house?
12. who played lauren miller on family ties (she was alex's girlfriend)?
13. what was the real name of the hospital on st. elsewhere?
14. what was the name of the short-lived spin-off from three's company?
15. the jefferson's was a spin-off from what show?
16. on dif'frent strokes, arnold kept a pet in this room. what was it? what was its name?
17. what was the name of the older brother on happy days?
18. what was the name of the principal on saved by the bell?
19. what was tori spellings charaters nam in beverly hills 90210?
20. what did archie bunker (all in the family) call his son-in-law mike?
21. name the connection between a-team and battlestar galactica
22. what was rosanna arquette's characters name in desperately seeking susan?
23. wht was the name of the robot on buck rogers?
24. what planet did alf come from?
25. who was ricky schroders best friend on silver spoons?
26. what were brothers simon & simons' first names?
27. what is the connection between dif'frent strokes and good times?
28. who were the 3 chipmunks?
29. who replaced bo and luke duke? what was their show name?
30. who played mama in mama's family?
31. who played henry rush on too close for comfort?
32. what 80's cartoon theme song did ricky martin and menudo sing?
33. what 80's cartoon was a showcase on saturdays for new wave music videos?
34. what cartoon featured a boy with a community of tiny people living in his wall?
35. who was mallory keaton's fiance?
36. which one of the a-team was a pilot?
37. what is the name of the cat in the smurfs?
38. what was angela's sons name in who's the boss?
39. what was michael jackson advertising when he was nearly killed?
40. who was the kid that dances with michael jackson in the commercial?
41. on three's company, hat was jack's restaurant called that he owned?
42. on three's company, what was the name of mr. furley's brother?
43. who was the bully who terrorized arnold on dif'frent strokes?
44. what was roscoe's dog's name on dukes of hazzard?
45. what was the name of the head mistress in facts of life?
46. what was the name of the bartender on love boat?
47. which star of the breakfast club was an original member on facts of life?
48. who shot j.r. ewing?
49. what was laura in little house on the prairie's horses name?
50. what were the daughters names on one day at a time?
51. who was the only person who could see jennifer on jennifer slept here?
52. who played mork from ork's son?
53. what method of transport did webster use to get from the upper level of the house to lower level?
54. heather o'rourke passed away in the 80's. she was the little blonde girl from poltergeist. what tv show was she on in the 80's?
55. what were the names of the 4 main girls in facts of life?
56. who were the main characters on fantasy island?
57. what was the first video played on mtv?
58. what was scott baio's name on happy days?
59. name 5 actors who starred in the movie the outsiders
60. what weekly show had top 40 bands perform their songs to their own dancers dancing to the music and also had a weekly countdown of the top songs in the us?