How do things like this happen?

You get bombarded with decision making. I don't like making decisions...lol I like to try to do it all, but am very well aware that I would fail at that.

What is she talking about you are probably asking? Well, last week I take a leap and go out for a design team position on a new kit club. It looked exciting and I was needing some more push to fuel my scrappy creativity. The owner responded with just the nicest comment. I was hopeful.

A day later I walk in to my favorite LSS, Paper Tales, and Cass the owner asks me if I'd be interested in teaching. WHAT!!! I just had this premonition believe it or not! I swear, right before I went up there in my little old head I heard the offer. I just put that thought out of my head and laughed. Twenty minutes later it actually happened. That's freaky -- the premonition thing that is. Being asked to teach was flipping AWESOME!! I've secretly always wanted to do it, but just never felt the time was right or maybe that even I wasn't good enough to do it. This time I'm making myself fight that fear. I love reaching out to people especially when it comes to this fabulous hobby.

So now I need to think on it I say to myself....meanwhile I get an email from the new kit club owner just asking a couple questions. She's narrowed it down to six and would love me to be on her team. She just needed to know an answer to something.

I thought long and hard. I want to do it ALL! I LOVE being on Back Porch Memories' design team. Paula is the greatest and she's the one who gave me my first chance. Oh, yes, and in between all that thought Paula asked me to start doing some sketches for BPM. Now I'm thinking...sometimes that can be dangerous...lol I want to do it ALL!!!

However, reality hits me and I know know know I will never be able to give everyone my best. I have to be proud and satisfied with the things I create. The little voice in my head kept saying that over and over. The chat I had with my bestest scrappy buddy Cheri convinced me, too. I went with the teaching. It's a new venture for me that I want to explore. I'm excited, yet nervous. What if no one signs up for my class??? Gosh, that would be horrible! Okay, let's not go there right now. My mind has been working over time as it is

So if any of you live around me that read this blog, be on the look out for a new double-page layout class coming to Paper Tales. Good thing, too, is that the sketches I'll be making for Back Porch Memories can help me to create some double pagers for the class -- a twofer! You can't beat that!

Tagged

by sweet Deb!

THE FIVE TAG

10 years ago I:
1. married Dave.
2. was driving a new, dark green Ford Explorer
3. was working with my sister.
4. was attending court reporting school.
5. didn't have any children.

5 things on today's "to do" list:
1. Laundry
2. Feed the kids
3. Scrap
4. Start packing for camping
5. Do the dishes

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. Oatmeal cream pie
2. Lays and french onion dip
3. Peanut M&Ms
4. Twix candy bars
5. Doritos

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. Buy a new house
2. Help my mom, sister, and brothers financially.
3. Secure our kids' future and college educations.
4. Buy a cabin up north on a lake.
5. Travel to see my friends in Oklahoma once a month.

5 places I have lived:
1. Detroit, MI
2. Northville, MI
3. Westland, MI
4. Farmington Hills, MI
5. Warren, MI

5 jobs I have had:
1. Waitress
2. House cleaner
3. Cashier
4. Instructor
5. Mom

I am tagging:
Shoot, I can't think of who to tag at this moment. I'll get back to this part...lol

Rules: Each player answers the question themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person that tagged you know when you've answered the questions on your blog.

Birthday fun!!

Yesterday was Marisa's official birthday party. We had planned it at a local bead store and was it fun. I could soooo get in to beading, but I know it would be one more hobby that I would have to fund. Can't do it right now...lol

Marisa had so much fun with her cousins and friends from school. They made an awesome bracelet. Their instructor, Lindsey, was so good and patient.




And then there was the presents and cake! She got tons of Webkins...darn stuffed animals

...this was one delicious cake from Sam's Club!!


Listen to this fun tidbit! The gal who was teaching the class had her boyfriend along. Her parents own the store so it's casual. Well, the boyfriend comes up to Marisa and I and says, "I have to ask you a favor. Could you give this present to my girlfriend at the end. She'll think it's from you, but then she'll figure it out when she opens it."

I say, "Okay, is it what I think it is?" He says, "Yes," with a big smile. So at the very end we invite Lindsey in to get some cake and ice cream. Marisa gives her the gift and we say it's a little thank you.

She starts to open it and says, "Oh, checks. I need checks." Huh? So she continues to open it and says, "This is a gift from you?"

Looking really quizzical, she continues to open it. Then inside is a smaller box. She opens it and there's this GORGEOUS
engagement ring inside.

Have you ever seen a yellow canary diamond like this? It's the first for me.

They looked so happy!! Congrats to them! The girls were delighted to witness all this mushiness...lol


Of course I was happy to get photos for them. She even laughed and said, "Look, I have a professional photographer here, too!" Well I don't know about that, but I do love taking some photos...lol

WOO HOO!!

I got a little toot to blab about...lol I was chosen to be Creative Scrappers' October guest designer. I am so thrilled!!! Love those sketches!!

I love a good sketch

and this one was a perfect one that gave me the inspiration to pull out those new Urban Prairie papers from Basic Grey and start scrapping. It's a sketch posted over at Creative Scrappers to try out for the October Guest Designer spot. I figured I'd throw my hat in to it because I just loved that sketch. There are tons of other fantastic layouts entered by some real creative scrappers. You should check it out over there if you're looking for motivation to get you going.


And here's my creation of the bestest gals around!! I miss them and the fun times we had that weekend. Gotta do it again --- really soon!

I came through!!

Over a year ago my sis asked me to make a baby book for a relative of her's who was having a baby shower. I said sure and had went out and bought all the stuff with good intentions of making it. Did I? You guessed it - NO.

She didn't give me a lot of grief about it thankfully, but then she asked me to create a book for the baby who is now turning one. I said yes even though I had a bajillion things going on in the past week and a half. I was determined to get this thing done. I told her it wouldn't be a huge mini book, but just a few pages. It came down to Thursday and I took the whole day, on and off, to throw one together. I couldn't let her down again...lol I used the cute new cupcake chipboard album from Maya Road and took some inspiration from Katie Watson's awesome book!! How fitting they were both for one year old's. I used the beautiful Heather Bailey papers from the kit I won on the Work In Progress blog.

Anywho, I called my sister yesterday morning and told her I had a little something for her. She said, "You finished the book?! I didn't think you would." Ha, I proved her wrong...lol So here is my fastest mini book ever. I must say it's really hard for me to put together a book with no pictures. The pictures always give me inspiration. I just used my imaginationExcuse the bad pictures. I had to take them yesterday morning with a very cloudy/rainy overcast before giving the book away.




Hope her parents enjoy their little homemade gift

It's the 10th

and that means not one, but two things. First off it's my baby girl's 9th birthday today so HaPPy BirTHdaY Marisa!!!! We love ya!!


Secondly, it is the DT reveal for Back Porch Memories
Here are my layouts and projects for the month:



a card I made for Marisa's birthday. That SR Surprise paper couldn't be more perfect, I tell ya!


A little mini album I threw together for Dave using the pictures from his surprise party using the Surprise line from Scenic Route...lol There will be directions on how I made this "special little album" in September's newsletter which will be up on the 15th of this month. Make sure to go check it out!


Go check out the rest of the incredible creations here: September's DT Reveal

Good times...

good times, I tell ya!! I actually pulled it off -- the surprise party that is! That was incredibly too stressful trying to think before I spoke for over a month and get everything ready without being noticeable...yikes! Would I do it again? Sure would! The smile that was on my hubby's face was worth every new gray hair on my head

We literally had 3 1/2 hours to throw the entire thing together including the tent. We or maybe I went like mad and it couldn't have worked out more perfectly. Just after 4 pm he came home. I was hiding down by the front of my truck and I could here him telling his friend who had taken him to the casino, "What's my tent up for? Why is there balloons in the backyard?" His friend Brian just kept on responding with, "I don't know. Just keep going." Just about that time, I sprang up from behind the front of my truck with a "SURPRISE!" and this is the face I caught.



Then I said I'm throwing you a party, but no one is here yet. Meanwhile the gang was hiding behind the back of the house. You couldn't hear a peep which I'm surprised by...lol







Oh, and someone should point out to my dear brother that he shouldn't emphasize those spaces in his teeth by placing a cigarette between them Wide open spaces!!! He's crazy!


Then my sister, who is always running from the camera as you can see, decided to bring chocolate cupcakes with BLACK (yes, BLACK) frosting. Here was the outcome.
Hey, is this Grandpa Munster or is it Uncle Fester???


And here are the rest of the brave party goers who opted to try those black cupcakes!





We danced and ate and partied the night away! Look at this awesome cake that Travis' mom made for Dave!


Happy Birthday, old man! I hope you had as great of time as the rest of us!! XOXO

Preview