Graduate

Josh's Sister just graduated from Adrian College on Sunday. Had her open house on Saturday. She graduated with a Bachelors in Religion. She is not real sure where this will take her. She is now thinking about going back to school for xray tech. Either way...I am very proud of this girl! Way to go Abigail Jordan! I love you! These are the siblings. Erin, Abby, Josh.

New Van

I will be the proud owner of a different van tonight. I have had the worst luck with my current one. My alternator went out in my van on Friday on my way to a crop. GRR....I can't begin to explain how upset I was. I was calling Bev to have to find the number of the crop online, calling Josh to figure out what to do, calling my mechanic to see if they could pick me up I didn't make it. It was insane. I had finally had it with this van so we went shopping Saturday for a different one and found it. It's the same year, same color. So no one will ever know I got a different one. But that's fine. I am the queen of white mini vans. This will be my 3 one in a row that I have owned! So it's become my signature vehicle. I will post pictures tonight of my weekend. My SIL graduated from COLLEGE! Yahoo...I am sooooo proud of her. I actually cried yesterday while I was telling her congratulations. I am one of those who cry when they are happy, sad, mad, etc. Pretty much anything goes when I cry.

Well, off to work. Then I will post photos later. Here's one to tide you over...it's William in the fish pond at my Inlaws.

Signs

I got my signs done at www.Shutterfly.com For both signs including shipping, my total was $32.19. I figure if I can get two recruits, I will have paid for the signs. This is my first step towards my shot at cancun. Crossing my fingers that I am able to complete my mission. Just wanted to share my signs. I just love them.

Stress

I am just a tad stressed right now. I have so much to do and no time to do it. I am taking all my inventory with me to work today so that during lunch hour I can sit in my van and pack my baskets for the crop. I take it all in the container that I showcase them in so I am not packing unpacking...just loading and unloading. One less step! Well, I have had it all packed away since I didn't have any TLC events since last Nov. So now I need to get back into the groove.

I need more hours in a day.

And less people breathing down my neck about certain things. I promise...the bags are being worked on. It takes time. And I sent her 4 party order in about 3 weeks. So she is terribly overloaded at the moment. This is NOT the norm. Promise. The bags will be worth the wait.

So if any of my family/friends here who are waiting...Keep your eye on the pie! It will be coming and you will forget that it was a week late!

Make n Takes

I have been cutting Make N Takes all day it seems. I only need to cut 27 more. But the problem is I am running out of supplies that coordinate well together. We are doing coasters. We are going to let them make two coasters out of our papers and add a sprinkle to it. Trying to figure out something that will use up the dreaded sprinkles. I seem to have a bunch STILL in my inventory and want to move them.

If I ever find the time, I will try to post a photo. It's nothing spectacular but it's free! And it gets them using our products. Plus it will allow us to tell 250 croppers about the awesome opportunity that TLC is offering right now with the Limited Edition Hybrid Starter Kit!

Did I mention it's only $90 for $375 worth of products??!!! If anyone remotely likes to scrapbook...this is the deal of the century. And you only have until May 31, 2007 to make it happen. When it's gone, it's gone.

ElisaLou Bags

Here is the latest batch to come in! These are from a party on St. Patricks's Day. We are running about 10 days behind schedule. So for those of you waiting for a bag, just please be patient with us! I kept her very busy for the month of March.

Finally posted

Put some of my layouts up on 2peas (www.twopeasinabucket.com) I hate to do this because my layouts are not meant to be designs for others enjoyment. They are for me and my family. I don't like to hear that others don't enjoy them as much as I do! LOL My fear of being judged is very strong! It's a huge weakness that I have. I want to please everyone all the time. No matter what. So for me to step out of my zone and post is a major deal. I just want others to see what LT has to offer them. And if I don't show them they are missing out! It was very hard for me to share my stuff here. And only a handful of my family, friends know about my blog. So it's a safe place for me!

I refuse to look to see if anyone commented. Again....for fear of rejection or displeasure. It's a rotten trait, huh.

Brothers

I worked this up as 8 x 10 base for a picture frame. I had a picture frame that I bought on clearance a while ago just sitting on my pew bench and was told to do something with it! LOL We've been house cleaning. Anyways, I got a newsletter from Scrapgirls and they had a tutorial there for making 8x10 frames(layouts) for actual frames. So I sat my butt down and figured it out. I use my PSCS2 program with the LifeTimez elements. But you could easily do this in LT as well. As long as you allow for the 1" cut off at the top and the .5" difference on the sides. I just printed it off at home and stuck it the frame. I will post a picture of the actual frame later. It's so NICE here today, I am heading outside NOW!

Student of the Month

PRIDE...It can make you cry. I found out today that Zander was Student of the Month for March! He was presented with an award from our State Rep. Tim Walburg today! Hand signed in INK!!! LOL (For those Christmas Story Movie fans out there! LOL)

I actually cried. I am not sure why they call it student of the month because they have not done it before that I am aware of. I need to ask about this and see what I can find out. I take our local paper and I don't remember seeing any Students of the Months before now? Anyways....Just very proud. No matter how often they do it!

Way to go Alexander! You are always my STUDENT of the month!

2 Wheeler time!

It's that time! William is ready to learn to ride a two wheeler. We bought this handle that attaches to the bike so DADDY, not MOMMY, could run with him while he learns! Notice the winter coat! Yes, we still needed it here in Michigan on Wednesday. And guess what todays high is going to be....69 degrees F. For you metric people...figure it out yourselves! LOL Teasin Shell!

We are supposed to hit 70+ this weekend with SUN!

WIN $50

As I was "surfing" tonight I found this:

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Two Peas is showcasing hybrid scrapbooking with exclusive new tutorials and challenges. Try these new techniques and submit a layout in each category for your chance to win a $50 gift certificate to shop on Two Peas!Follow these easy, step-by-step tutorials from our talented Garden Girl digital design team, and you’ll have the new skills you need to complete the challenges. Each layout you submit enters you into a drawing to win a $50 gift certificate in each challenge category.Digital Challenges:
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Click to see the gallery of postings in this category. Submit your layout here!
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Brushes
Loading and Using Brushes
Creating, Saving & Organizing Brushes in the Preset Manager
Click to see the gallery of postings in this category. Submit your layout here!
3: Use "Digi Kits."
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4: Use masking or change the color of elements.
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Join Garden Girls Rhonna Farrer, Sande Krieger and others and start using these exciting new scrapbooking techniques on your layouts.
Click here to shop Digi Kits.Want to learn more about digital scrapping?Click here for our entire library of tips and tutorials.Valid until 4/30/07. No purchase necessary. Click here for official rules.

Two in a row!

I have walked two nights in a row! I missed My Hero's Training last night because I was too tired to stay up. Boo hoo...I am bound and determined to get off some of this extra weight. I walk with my favorite little dog each night! I went farther tonight and faster. It was really cold but by the end I was very warm!

So Shell, you should be proud of me! I was moving and made my 30 minutes of exercise for two days in a row!

YEAH ME!

Guess who CALLED me!

I was so shocked to get a phone call from this person. We email regularly (well for the most part!) but we rarely talk on the phone. Just becuase we are both extremely busy with our family, jobs, etc... But the best part about our relationship is this...no matter how much time goes by when we don't see each other we still pick up right where we left off. That my friends, it TRUE FRIENDSHIP. I am very blessed to have so many friends in my life but I have really only had a few BEST FRIENDS. Most of you know my relationship with a woman named Bev. She is my TLC business partner and dearest friend. She is actually my mom's age but that will not get mentioned! LOL oops, I guess I just did mention it. I would do anything for this woman. Well, this is the other person who I would go that extra mile for. Her name is Amy. Just like my sister! It's fate. Rachel and Amy have gone hand in hand for the last 30 years! LOL But this Amy is not my blood sister. We met will attending college. We were both in the same science class together and discovered that we were both going into Dental Hygiene. Well, we have been bonded together ever since that fateful day back in 1989. We went thru sheer hell and back together so many times I am not going to count them. We have had the highest of highs together (wedding, child birth) and the lowest of lows (those will go unstated). But TOGETHER is were we always end up! It's such a blessing to have known this love and friendship. I am lucky enough to have this happen more than once. I also have a dear friend from my childhood named Connie. She was my next door neighbor growing up. In fact, I still live next door to her mom and dad! I bought the house I grew up in from my mom. But that's another topic!

So what I am trying to say is...THANK YOU AMY for the phone call! You made my night! I love you girlfriend!

This is Amy and Me! She came to help me work an expo when Bev was sick last year. She wasn't even a TLC consultant and she still came and worked with me. See...That is Friendship!

Gosh...I miss you!

Freaky Thing

Ok...My youngest has a couple pair of tennis shoes that light up when you walk. We have a Shoe tray that we put our shoes/boots on in the winter by the front door. Both pairs are sitting in this tray. One day last week I was standing near this tray waiting for Will to get his shoes on and I saw one of them light up. No one was near it. I asked William if he saw it...he said yeah. "why did it light up?" I answered, "I don't know." I never gave it another thought.

Today I was walking thru the french doors by which this tray of shoes sits. And it happened again. This time...two different ones did it. I told Josh and he said it was the vibration of me walking past that did it. So to prove him correct, I tried it on several times. Nothing. Even Zander got up and started jumping up and down right next to them to make them do it to prove that Daddy was right. NOTHING.

Then I was upstairs and one the toys that "plays music" goes off. No one was in the room. I haven't had the heart to tell Josh what happened with this toy. He might think I am going loco on him. But I have to wonder...

I have been having some very odd dreams lately also. I will not share what these are about for fear of freaking myself out again. But let me just say, I have to wonder if it isn't God's way of telling me what I want to know.

So with that... I am heading upstairs to go to bed. Up the long dark stairs and down the long dark hall.

Friday the 13th

So I went to Jackson on Friday 13th to have breakfast with Bev. We ate at Bob Evans and then sat and talked for about an hour trying to get our next expos planned. Well, my total was $6.66. WHAT? Are you kidding me?! On Friday the 13th no less. So that was the start of my day!

I got stuck in a terrible traffic jam on the way back home due to construction. I called a new groomer for Ginger and was really happy to hear that their fees are cheaper than by almost half of what I was paying! So the day was getting better!

I go to the school and do my volunteer work. One of the kids in the class was leaving and that was their last day. I felt so bad for the teacher. She was crying so hard. And this was a student who came to school just before Christmas. She didn't even have her for the whole year. So I asked her what she was going to do on the last day of school. She said bring an umbrella! It's truly amazing to see that form of love towards her students. This teacher is beyond the best. I think I will even cry on the last day. Not looking forward to leaving her behind. But the good news is I have one more going thru the school system!

I had an ElisaLou party to do later that night and decided that we would keep it open until Wednesday when I could come to the school system in which she works and take orders at lunch time. So that should be nice party for her.

Picked up my oldest from a friends house. He went for visit to see if he liked it well enough to possible spent the night sometime. Yes, my children are sheltered. They don't stay away from home without us. They have stayed with Grandparents once or twice and with their Aunts a couple of times and that is it.

So the end of my Friday the 13th was nice. I was a little worried by the way it started!

Out of service

I will be out of service for a day or so. I have a nasty infection on my head where I had a cyst removed a while back. It's very painful and I have to head to work today too. Ooohhh...my poor head. It hurts to have my hair pulled back and I can't work unless it is back...guess I will have to live with the pain.
I have some layouts I want to share but I need to be able to function first!

oh...can anyone log into TLC or is it just me?? That darn website always hates me.

Elisa Lou

So...is this just the cutest thing you have ever seen?! My dear friend, hero, Krystal Hartley made this template for me to upload my ElisaLou bags. I love it! I am now able to load twice as many bags at one time! YEAH! Why I never thought of this is beyond me. That's is why I say she is my hero. She saves me more times than I care to admit. I am so glad I color my hair blonde so I have an excuse for my DUH MOMENTS.

Also, take a peek at my REAL SLIDE...I added some photos of the autograph books I made for the kids with LT and TLC Pocket books. I covered them with contact paper so the design wouldn't get ruined if it got wet at the park. So that is the glare you see in the photos. The characters went crazy over the albums! Pinochio was playing it like an accordian and Stitch put it on his head. Each one of them let the album fall open and would fold it up and do it again. It was great! And I think they turned out cute.

Elisa Lou Bags

This is a Large Bucket in Party Stripe ext. and Party Dot int. This is a Mary Beth in Daisy delight ext. and Party Dot int.
This is a Lily in Kleo Hinz ext and black disco dot int.
This is a Boxy tote in Lime Stripe ext. and Lime Daisy int. and matching do-dad pouch in reverse.
This is a Mary Beth (single handle) in Daisy Dreams ext. and Black disco dot int.
These are bags from a party that held at the school in the teachers lounge. I have lots of other bags to post but we all know there is a limit on uploads with blogger. grrr.... So you will be able to enjoy these for awhile.

HOME

I am home! I am so tired. Had the best time overall. Weather was made to order. 80's + each day. HOT! I am proud to say that I really did NOT get burnt like normal. I was a very good girl and used my SPF 60! I am so prone to burning it's not even funny. I did get some sun though.
I have some pictures to post later. Need to finish weeding thru my 1100+ emails. I am sure they will mostly get deleted. I don't have time/energy to read them all. So if anyone has anything really important that I need to know...email me again!

I got Jan's email about her half off pick and I will address that fabric issue with you directly! I have lots of ideas~!

Ahhh....home sweet home! Oh...i got about 4 digi layouts done for the contest at convention. So I can't share them here! It's a surprise! Although, I don't know why I bothered. I know my hero, Krystal Hartley, will be the final winner. BUT, GOOD FOR HER! I might post a sneak peek if I can find the time!

More later! off to shower and get ready for the big EASTER DINNER!

HAPPY EASTER ALL!