What's Been Up, Down and All Around...

As usual, it has been a while since my last post so, I figured I would touch bases with you all and let you know what has been going on with yours truly.  


Well, as you know, we said good-bye to our beloved sweet dog Frizbee in October and, we still miss him.  I have moments where I feel my heart shatter again, just a little, at the thought of him no longer wandering this globe and sniffing his favorite spots in our yard and on walks around the neighborhood.  My worst shatter comes when I remember his last night with us.  Sometime in the late day, early evening, he started begging to go outside.  Not because he had to go to the bathroom but, because he was ready to leave us and he wanted to do that under our dogwood tree in our backyard.  I don't know why he chose that spot other than what I have been told.  I have learned that pack animals, like Frizbee, will leave the pack when they are dying, and they will chose a spot a good distance from the pack to die alone.  So, it is our understanding that that was the spot that he wanted to breath his last breathes.  It was cold that day, really windy and a little miserable and, I didn't want him to die alone there.  I had to wait until my husband got home to get him back into the house because he literally wouldn't walk anymore.  The hubby picked him up and carried him back into the house. Sometime later, Frizbee did it again, the hubby brought him back in again and, this continued throughout the night.  We chose to sleep downstairs with Frizbee on his last night and, sometime around 2 AM, he started whining to go out again.  I mistakenly let him out and, I couldn't get him back in.  The hubby tried to reason with me and get me to understand that Frizbee wanted to go his way and his way was outside under the dogwood.  But, I just couldn't handle that thought.  However, I had actually resolved myself to giving into what Frizbee wanted.  I knew it was what was best for him, even though I hated the idea of going outside in the morning to find him deceased back there.  I didn't want to have to look at that spot every time I went in my backyard, and start mourning our loss all over again.  I didn't want that spot to become something hard for me to look at.  But, I was giving in when the hubby decided to go get him back in here anyway.  So, it was a tough night.  Frizbee whined all night long and no one got much sleep.  We got up and took him to the vet first thing.  We couldn't stay in the room with him when they sent him to Heaven so, someone came out to our car and carried him away and we left.  I swear that that was one of the hardest trips we have ever had to make.  It flat out sucked.  That afternoon, we took a walk on our local Greenway and reminisced.  It was tough and we both almost broke down a few times throughout that walk but, it was cathartic and we both felt a little better after the walk.  We know we did the right thing by Frizbee.  We only wish that we knew a month sooner, when we found out that he had cancer, just how bad it was going to get for him exactly one month later.  His decline was steady literally minute by minute in the last 2 weeks of his life.  If we had known what we learned only one month later, we would have sent him to Heaven within that week.  It was hard to watch our sweet happy boy become so sad and so obviously ready to let go of his life.  We will always miss him but, it has gotten easier.


Next up...my sister.  She is cancer free.  It was only a tiny little cell of it on a giant mass and she was fortunate that she found it as early as she did because it was a very aggressive cancer that could very quickly and very easily have become something potentially deadly.  She has to go every 6 months for Mammograms and will always have to be mindful that it can come back but, for now, she is healthy.  Whew!


I told you all about a friend of mine that was in Afghanistan.  I am pretty certain he is home now but, I haven't heard from him for a very long time so, I am worried about him and, I really hope to hear from him again soon.  I think he was due back in the states in October but, I haven't heard from him since the end of July.  Sheesh!  Please keep your fingers crossed that he is well and that maybe I'll hear from him again.


I have been busy with my greeting cards and my Stamp Club.  I am up to somewhere around 20 customers now.  They aren't all regular but, I have about 14 girls that come on a fairly regular basis to our monthly clubs.  And, over the past 2 months, I grew my customer base by 3 ladies.  How great is that?  I truly love my "job".  I feel like I was born to do it.  I am usually a pretty shy girl so, for me to feel as comfortable as I do teaching my ladies how to make cards and gift boxes, you just know it is the perfect fit for me.  


Well, at least for now, that is about all I have to tell you.  Until next time...  :)

CLUMSY LADYBUG...

Anyone who knows me, knows that I hate bugs. I mean, I REALLY hate bugs. Particularly spiders, centipedes, roaches, bees and I'm not that fond of ants either.  However, there are two kinds of bugs that I not only tolerate but, I actually like them.  Of course, one is a dead giveaway given the title of this entry and the other is the butterfly.  
Anyway, there is a reason for this post.  Due to the extremely wonky weather we have been having in my area, we have been visited by several ladybugs this winter.  At least every other day, I see a new one somewhere in my house.  Again, I like ladybugs so, unlike those hairy eight-legged freaky weirdos I would rather not discuss, ladybugs are welcome in my home.
So, as I showered yesterday, I spotted a ladybug on the ceiling about 2 feet from the immediate danger zone of the shower.  I was worried she would come closer and have a typical clumsy ladybug moment and drop into the shower to be washed down the drain. So, I kept an eye on her.  As predicted, she worked her way into the danger zone and, despite my frantic warnings of "No Ladybug! No!", she continued to wander around the danger zone above my head and, WOOPS!  She got in touch with her clumsiness and fell.  She stretched out her wings and fluttered her heart out to try to get somewhere safer but, she was felled by a wayward drop.  Fortunately, she managed to fall upside down and stick, on her back, to the wet tile wall of the shower.  I offered my finger for her to grab ahold and hitch a ride and she gladly accepted.  I put her on the top of the shower door, fully knowing that that was nowhere near far enough from danger for Clumsy LB.  But, what could I do?  I wasn't in a great position to be extending myself beyond the confines of my shower to set her to safety so, I kept an eye out for her again and, sure enough...there she was.  She walked the edge of where the tile and the wall meet and, despite my pleas of "No Ladybug! No!" she fell again.  This time, she fell to my shower floor and I did the dance of keeping an eye on her while reaching up behind me to shift the shower head over as far from her direction as I could, until I could give her an assist again and offer her another ride on my finger.  Again, she accepted my help.  Only, this time, I made sure she would be farther away.  I gave my hand a good shake and flicked her further into the bathroom.  
When I got out of the shower, I couldn't find her immediately but, I saw her eventually.  And, once her wings dried out, she flew up into the light.  Not that light!  The light fixture in our bathroom.  


I haven't seen her since but, I learned that I will do all that is humanly possible to rescue the cute ladybugs of our globe.  Aren't the spiders jealous?  ;)

44 Homemade Christmas Cards and Coordinating Envelopes

I have been an incredibly busy Card Maker.  I made a total of 57 cards for Christmas this year.  And, by made, I mean...I handmade each and every one of them.  I only sent out 44.  But, I also made 57 handmade envelopes.  The one above is actually not exactly like the ones I sent out but, it is the only picture I took of them...for now.  And, that is only one of the 2 styles of cards that I made.  I made these for my friends and family.  The other style was for my Stamp Club ladies because I taught them how to make this card for October or November's Stamp Club.   So, I will try to snap a picture of one that is a better representation of this style.  And, I'll snap a picture of the one I made for my Stamp Club girls and make a new post with both...eventually.  I'm still not done with my Holiday Crafting.  I now have 8 more gift card holders, in the shape of a Beanie that has a movable part...oh so stinking cute...that I have to make to fit gift cards in and send off to my family members as their Christmas gifts.  And, I still have 2 projects to put together for January's Stamp Club.  So, add all that to running my household, blah, blah, blah...I am just a smidgen busy.  


Anyway, I just wanted to share what I have been up to.  Do you think I could skip Birthday cards for a few months after this whirlwind of card making for the holidays?  Do you think anyone would care?  Hee hee!

Stampin' Up! Online Extravaganza Sale

Stampin' Up! is kicking off the holiday season with a sale on select items from 20% to 60% off. To take advantage of this fantabulous sale, visit my website at www.cortneyk.stampinup.net click on the "Shop Now" link below my contact information in the upper right hand corner, click on "Online Extravaganza" in the menu to the left and browse through the sale items! Happy Crafting!

Saying Goodbye To My Dear Sweet Dog

This is my dear sweet gentle giant Frizbee.  The cat is his tough sister Martini.  This picture speaks volumes about Frizbee.  He is the sweetest, most gentle being I have ever had the pleasure of sharing my home with.  He is 10 years and 5 months old.  And, this Saturday, October 22, 2011 my hubby and I will be saying Goodbye to him and sending him to Heaven.  Over the past nearly 2 years, his health has started failing.  On New Years Eve of 2009 we took him to the Vet because he had lost a lot of weight and was sick repeatedly throughout the day.  We were told that his liver values were off the charts (literally...their machine couldn't register a number).  They gave us medicine to help heal his liver and, while it has never been great, it did get a lot better.  And, a few months ago, we started noticing blood on our carpets left behind when he would stand back up.  Not terribly often so, we weren't entirely alarmed at first.  About a month ago, we started noticing something was wrong with his rear end.  I don't want to be vulgar so, I will do my best to explain things as well as I can without turning stomachs.  


He has an aggressive form of cancer.  There are 2 that his doctor suggested he might have.  One is Lymphoma and, for the life of me, I can't remember the other one.  She discussed options but, flat out said that, if he were her boy, she wouldn't put him through surgery.  Backing up a bit, he had FHO surgery for his hip on June 1st.  That was the second hip surgery he has had throughout his 10 years on this planet.  His first was when he was under 1 year.  His left hip went all kinds of wonky.  What we were told, back then, was that he grew so big so fast that the ball of his hip bone wore the socket down flat.  So, the doctor either removed the ball or filed it down.  They were never clear and, we were just so happy that he was going to be ok that, we didn't ask for any more specifics.  Basically, his right hip did the same thing so, he needed that one operated on this past June. The difference is that he is much older so, it has been a struggle for him to recover from that surgery.  He has a really hard time walking on slick surfaces, such as our hardwood floors in our kitchen and foyer.  He has a hard time getting up to a standing position anywhere in the house but, especially on the harder surfaces.  And, since about a month before his surgery, he has not been upstairs in our house because he can no longer get up the steps.


Ok...so back to the present.  Three weeks ago, his doctor diagnosed him with cancer.  She drained the tumor and gave us meds to help try to keep the cancer under control and hopefully shrink it.  We opted not to do surgery because his doctor said that it could do more harm than good.


Last Saturday, we took him to the Vet again to have the tumor drained, once again.  Since then, things have gotten worse.  He is constantly bleeding from the site of his tumor.  He is having an even harder time getting up and moving around.  And, because of the amount of blood that I am having to clean up, we have no choice but to keep him in the kitchen where it is easier for me to clean up with a mop.  But, that has him depressed because he can't move around the rest of the house.  I am doing everything I can to keep him comfortable and at least a little less depressed.  I have basically moved myself into the kitchen with him.  I do my work in the kitchen, I watch TV from the kitchen.  I do everything but sleep in the kitchen.  And, when I do take a moment, other than sleep, out of the kitchen, he whines and cries for me.  He is breaking my heart and, my spirit has taken a huge hit over this entire situation as well.  


Last night, I had the difficult conversation with my hubby about sending Frizbee to Heaven.  I will miss him but, I can't bare watching him, day in and day out, like this anymore.  I can't take the abuse to my heart and my spirit anymore.  And, I feel like Frizbee is ready to say goodbye and go hang out with other fur babies up there.  


I feel like, as much as it is going to hurt, and as many tears as I am preparing myself to shed this weekend, I will also be relieved when he is gone.  I bare a heavy weight in my heart because of the pain I think he must be in.  I bare the spirit breaking pain each time I mop up his blood.  I bare a physical weight when I have to help lift his 100 pound body up off the floor and hold him steady while he gets his feet planted so that he can walk outside or get a drink of water.  He can't take this life anymore and I don't have anymore big pieces of my heart to break.


Please say a prayer for my sweet dog, Frizbee.  And please say a prayer to give me the strength to let him go.

Growing My Business

This is my "Advertisement"!  In an attempt to grow my Stampin' Up! business, I will be making a few of these cards to put, along with my business cards, in my local Starbucks, craft stores, hair salon, and other local businesses of my choosing.  They're perfect for the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday season.  I have something on the inside of this card that tells people that I can help teach them how to make their own greeting cards and help them with their scrapbooking supplies.  The card has my contact information so, hopefully I'll be growing my business very soon!


And, for any of you who are in need of crafting supplies for either scrapbooking or making your own beautiful greeting cards, please feel free to browse my website at www.cortneyk.stampinup.net  You can purchase supplies directly from there, or use my contact information to get in touch with me directly.


Wish me luck!

Some New Templates

Ok folks...Blogspot has given us bloggers some new options for templates.  Right now, I like the simple, clean look of something colorful so, I'll stick with this one until I decide how much I like the new options they have somewhat overwhelmed me with.


But, should you come back one day and see my blog all kinds of wonky...have no fear!  It's still me!  


Until the next time, enjoy this pretty summery view!

Cancer

So, today I got the news that you never want to hear. My sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. I don't even know what to say. I'd like to be verbose and insightful. I would love to be uplifting for her, my family and myself but, I am not feeling very uplifted right now. I don't have the words to say by which to comfort her. What do you say to someone who has just been diagnosed with one of the world's biggest killers? I've never really understood what people meant by the feeling of "numb" when it comes to getting bad news. But, I get it now. She went in somewhere close to 2 months ago to have a lump the size of a pea checked out in her left breast. My Mom told me and I stayed strong until I got off the phone, and then I cried. Partially because I was already really beaten down what with trying to be strong for my parents only about a month before that as they grieved over the loss of one of their best friends. And, on the same day that I found out about my sister, my Mom also told me that my Uncle had maybe only about a month left to live because of all the cancer in his body. Don't get me wrong, I don't have any good feelings about my Uncle, for very deeply personal reasons, but I did feel bad for my Dad who was about to lose the last of the portion of his family that he grew up with. So, once I got off the phone with my Mom, I broke down. I can be the strongest person you will ever meet when I have to be. But, what you won't see is how I build myself up for that strength and process it behind a closed door. After my sister's surgery, my Mom called to let me know that it was worse than they thought and a lot of their cautious optimism had evaporated. I was strong again, until I got off the phone.

Today is different. I haven't shed a tear. And, this is where that numb comes in. I don't know how to process this one. I don't know what to say to anyone. I don't even know how to feel about it myself. I want my sister to beat Cancer's ass, put it down on the floor, tell it to stay there and call it her Bitch. But then what? She's been told that she has to go for either semi-annual or annual Mammograms. And, since we are only 3 years apart in age...guess where yours truly will be going. My Maternal Grandmother had breast cancer but, it didn't show up until she was maybe 87 years old. And, while it was bad, it wasn't what killed her in the end. She was a breast cancer survivor. I can hope that my sister will be also. Her Cancer is in the early stages. She caught it quickly. Will I be so lucky? Will I be even luckier and just never have to deal with it myself? Right...guess who's starting to process it now? But, I still don't know where to put it all. I'm scared. I'm terrified for my sister. I'm scared for my own ta-tas. I'm worried for my Mom. I'm pissed off that this disease still exists. And, as for now...I'm done. My goose is cooked. I'm fried. I think I just want to crawl into a ball in a corner and cry it out for a little while, with the door shut and be ready for the strength that I will need to have while my family gets through this.

When Lies Prevail, Justice Fails

Well, this sucks. I have been completely riveted over the Casey Anthony trial. Today, July 5, 2011 a jury of Casey's peers gave their verdict and she was found "Not Guilty" of any charges involving the death of her daughter, Caylee Marie Anthony. She was found guilty of the 4 charges of providing false information to law enforcement. I can not tell you how upset I am. I never thought that I would get this interested in this case, or any other. I was never interested in the O.J. Simpson trial. I was interested in the facts of the Scott Peterson case but, did not watch the trial. But, I sort of stumbled on the Casey Anthony trial when I saw an hour long blow by blow of the case just one week before the trial started. Then, I caught the Opening Statements on HLN when the trial started in May, and I was hooked. I have paid close attention. I have learned a ton about court law and our legal system from this case. I don't pretend to have a great attention span. But, this case kept me glued to my TV and I am forever touched by Caylee's death.

So, when the verdict was read today, I literally broke down into tears. I am so distraught over the fact that Casey Anthony killed her daughter, tossed her into 2 garbage bags and a laundry bag, and tossed her into a swamp less than a quarter of a mile from her house. I am distraught that 12 people could possibly think that she wasn't just innocent of 1st degree murder or aggravated manslaughter of a child but, of all charges of the death of her daughter. Not even accidental manslaughter. Are you kidding me? What the heck trial were those 12 people watching? Because, the freaking trial that I watched was one of proof that she killed her daughter. What mother goes out to Blockbuster with her boyfriend, rents two videos, and spends the entire next day in bed with her boyfriend, with absolutely zero emotions the very night and next day that her daughter goes missing? What mother goes to bars and does hot body contests, moves in with her boyfriend the day after her daughter goes missing, and gets a tattoo that says "La Bella Vitta" meaning "The Beautiful Life" weeks after her daughter goes missing? What mother says, "all anyone wants to talk about is Caylee" in a jailhouse conversation with her family when she is frustrated because no one will give her her boyfriend's phone number as she is in jail? Really? What else is there to talk about when a 2 and a half year old toddler has been missing for 2 months? What mother enjoys herself, doing whatever she wants to do, smiling, laughing and partying for 31 days before she finally announces that her daughter has been missing? I'll tell you what mother does that: ONLY CASEY MARIE ANTHONY! Only a mother who purposely, willfully killed her daughter so that she could live "La Bella Vitta". Only a mother who could poison her daughter with chloroform and wrap 3 pieces of duct tape around her nose and mouth to make sure she never breathes another breath of air again.

I am overwhelmed with emotion about this. I am so shocked that I could crap lightening bolts. I'm devastated. I feel like the legal system that I have grown up with has failed Caylee Anthony. I literally felt sick when that verdict was read.

And, as if the wounds aren't fresh enough, it is very likely that Casey will walk out of jail a free woman on Thursday. She has served 3 years in jail on suspicion of murder and, each charge that she faces for the 4 counts of providing false information carries a year in jail which the Defense team has already said they will ask for her to serve consecutively which means only 1 year. With her 3 years served for something that a jury has now found her innocent of, and 98% of time that would be removed from sentencing for good behavior...that murderer may be set free. Free to party. Free to do hot body contests. Free to find another man who will knock her up. Free to be inconvenienced by another son or daughter. Free to...

As if all of that isn't enough, Chenney Mason did the equivalent of a "nah nah nah nah poo poo, stick your head in doo doo" over the Defense's win. Grow the F up! This is not a school yard confrontation. This isn't kickball. This is a case where a 2 and a half year old toddler was murdered by her mother. Your win means that that little girl did not get justice.

Smart Phone Acting Stupid

I think I have mentioned how much I love modern technology. I really do. I love that it is pretty much impossible not to stay connected everywhere all the time.

Except when your modern technology fails you. I love my phone. I have a Droid. It is, for the most part, a fantastic piece of technology. But, that's not to say that I haven't wanted to throw it across the room against something hard and see it shatter into a zillion...or more...pieces. Today is one of those days. I noticed that I had new emails that hadn't come into my phone. I was on my laptop at the time so, I refreshed my email on my phone and still...nothing. Now, I don't tend to get a boat load of important emails so, that isn't even my biggest problem. What I might get is the occasional important phone call. Right now, due to some really horrible family health issues, I really need my phone to be working. THE PHONE...not the other extra bells and whistles that come with my phone. And, by PHONE I also mean texting. I have had times when I won't receive a text and, I have learned that there have been a few times when I haven't received a phone call as well. So, upon realizing that my email wasn't working, I tested my phone by calling it from my home phone line. The fedging thing didn't ring. I got voicemail. I should have left a message but didn't. I promptly hung up and rebooted my cell. Since rebooting, there is no indication that I received a phone call. Not even the "missed call" icon. I tested it again from my home phone and it rang. So, we are back in business...for now. But, if I received any calls while it wasn't working, I will never fedging know and that pisses me off. Same with texts. If the damn phone isn't working, I won't get any functionality out of it at all. It really pisses me off as I rely on that little piece of technology to keep me connected to people from all over the globe. If it doesn't work, what good is it really?

So...I guess I just need to let everyone know...if you call me and I don't answer, and if you leave a message and I don't return the call, I likely never got the message because my lovely piece of highly intelligent technology isn't working. Don't despair. I haven't suddenly decided that I don't care about you or don't want to hear from you. I simply don't have a phone that works 100% of the time. Perhaps not even 50% of the time. Just keep trying. I probably really want to hear from you.

What's Going On?

It has been a while since the last time I posted anything so, I thought I would just sort of cram everything that has been going on, into one post to get you all up to speed. So...here goes.

Let's see, I haven't heard from my friend who is deployed in Afghanistan for quite some time now so, I am pretty much constantly worried about him. But, hopefully he is ok. Hopefully he got the letter and card I sent him. Hopefully I'll hear from him soon. Hopefully, hopefully, hopefully. Ugh...I hate worrying about friends and not being able to do a darn thing about it. But, boo for me.

Next...I have another blog. This one is for my softer side. It is dedicated to my creative crafty side. I started making YouTube videos of my cards and, while I am behind on that one too, I have posted a few of those videos, along with little descriptive entries. You can find that blog here: http://iamastamper.blogspot.com/ I intend to get moving on updating that blog either tonight or tomorrow. It is actually kind of late now so, it will likely be tomorrow. And, as I mentioned my YouTube videos, I have a YouTube Channel which you can find here: http://www.youtube.com/user/JustBloggin1 I am kind of proud of my YouTube Channel. I have actually learned a ton of stuff and, while editing takes some time and the occasional boat load of patience, I love it. I love sharing my passion for crafting with others.

And...I guess the last thing I want to talk about is my obsession with the Casey Anthony Murder Trial. I am hooked on it. I have never been one to watch any court cases in the past. I like the bite sized People's Court and, the hour long true crime type shows like you would find on ID...or whatever that channel is called. But, for some reason, I started watching the Casey Anthony trial since their opening statements, and I have been glued ever since. I want her to be found guilty. And, while I didn't agree with the death penalty when I was a kid, I grew to appreciate it as I got older and, now...I believe that it couldn't happen to a nicer person. She is despicable. I have watched her pretend to cry for her daughter. I have watched her dab at tears that weren't there, wipe her nose and blow it into a tissue that never gets wet, ripped or replaced. I have seen the same tissue hold up to hours and hours of nose, eye and cheek rubbing and have only seen it somewhat crumpled or neatly folded. She's a fake. I think she fancies herself an actress but, other than her remarkable ability to spin believable stories and lies, she is a horrible actress. Hell, Lindsay Lohan could probably show her a thing or two and, for those of you who know me, you all know how very much I dislike everything about Lindsay Lohan. So...take that for what it is worth. Anyway, I want to see Casey Anthony get the death penalty and, I wish that I could have a "Casey Cam" on her when she meets El Diablo in Hell. I'd love to see if she could drum up some real tears than. Not that they would last long as they burned up in the flames of Hell. But, truly...her future position is down there right behind Osama Bin Laden waiting in line to get through the gates of Hell...or whatever the truly deserving have to do when they first arrive where they belong.

So...that's about all for tonight. :)

A New Crafting Room

I am so excited! Eventually I'll edit this and add a picture or two. But, for now...I just wanted to share my excitement. I have a crafting room! Since I started making my greeting cards and gift boxes almost a year ago, I have been working in my living room. It cramped things a little and really always annoyed me that I didn't have a better space to designate as My Crafting Room. Today, after sort of an impromptu conversation with my hubby, we decided that one of our spare bedrooms would get a lot more use if I turned it into a crafting room. So...I did. I disassembled the queen sized bed and I moved this and that behind that and this. Then I started the arduous task of moving all of my crafting supplies, table and just general stuff, up the stairs and into "My Crafting Room"! It is fantastic. I do want to add to it in the future. I would like to add some shelving and some more storage but...it is, at last, my room for all things crafty! I think I will eventually replace my crafting table too. The one that I have is ok but, frankly, if I had the crafting room when I first bought it, I would have gotten something different. The one I have has wheels. I bought it because my plan was to be able to close it up and move it into a little space off of my foyer when I wasn't using it. Eventually, my supplies got so cumbersome that moving it wasn't really an option anymore so, I moved the Sofa Table from one wall in my living room, to another one and crammed my crafting table against that wall, allowing me some 4 feet (if not less) of room in my living room with which to work. I have a really pretty living room. I'm not bragging. I just like it. It is cozy and it makes me feel like home. But, when you add my crafting table, it becomes something less. Even though he never said it, I found out today, after a sigh of relief from both of us once my crap was all in my "Crafting Room", that both the hubby and I were not at all happy with my crafting stuff being in our living room. It...and this is my quote..."crapped it up", and the hubby agreed.

So...now I have a cozy place to chill and watch some TV. And I have a cozy place to craft...and make as Craftacular as I want! Yay!

Ready, Set...Take Off!

I am so excited! About 2 weeks ago, the woman who got me interested in being a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator and making my own greeting cards and gift boxes, emailed me to ask me if I wanted to take over her clientele. She has a full time job and is a very busy woman because she lives a very social life. She hosts and demonstrates for a Stamp Club once a month and she asked me if I wanted to take it over. She is exhausted and has been thinking about retiring her Stampin' Up! business. I am thrilled! I have had a few of my friends buy Stampin' Up! products from me. I also taught one woman and her daughter how to make a card a few months ago. I've also had a few orders from people of cards and crafts that I make. But, it has been a bit slow. So, taking over for my friend is just what I needed! My friend asked me to demonstrate for her last Stamp Club in about 3 weeks. I already have one project I will be doing and am going to be meeting with her to hammer out the details on a second one. The card above is the one I will be demonstrating at Stamp Club using Stampin' Up! products. I designed it myself. There are similarities to another Demonstrator's card but, there are enough of my own ideas to call it at least half my own.

Then today, I got another email from another friend asking me to do a demonstration for her, her daughter and 3 of her daughter's friends for her daughter's birthday. She's the same woman I mentioned above. I taught her how to make a card which she now makes several of to send to her Father-in-law to give as Thank You cards. It was so fun when she and I worked together on that project a few months ago. I find that I kind of like to teach people. Not that I would ever want to be a teacher. But, I do like to help people. And, with something I am so passionate about, I really do love it! I can't wait!

So...that is what I've got going on right now! Wish me luck!

Bruno Mars - The Lazy Song [Official Video]

It's been a little while...or a long one...since I posted anything fun so...without further ado, here is something so fun that I have watched it 3 times in the past hour or so! Seriously...this is my new favorite music video of all time! I love Bruno Mars! Love his music, his sort of outside of the box style and...because I happen to think that a good sense of humor is an outrageously sexy trait...I love his sexy!

Enjoy! I know I did, have and will!

If You Get Away With It...

I don't know why the show Sister Wives bothers me so much. Well, I guess I do. But, the thing is, I do pride myself on being pretty open-minded. But, there are just some things that are so rooted in my knowledge of right from wrong and, I think that plural marriage is morally wrong...and illegal. So, when I watch that show and I see Kody Brown boo hooing and trying to garner sympathy from his viewers because he might go to jail for breaking the law, and his family might be separated, I can't feel sorry for him. Where does it stop? If you get away with breaking the law, shouldn't other people get away with it too? If someone kills someone else, they broke the law so, shouldn't they get away with it if you can get away with breaking marital laws? I know that is a pretty extreme comparison but, it is how I see it. So, let's go a little less extreme. Kody breaks marital laws, gets caught and gets away with it. I break into someone's house and get caught having broken the law of Breaking and Entering. It is just as much of a law as the one against plural marriage. But, if Kody can get away with breaking that law, why can't I get away with having broken into someone's house? We have laws for a reason. They protect the innocent. They maintain balance in society. By breaking the law of singular marriage, Kody has caused pain to his children...a.k.a. "The innocent". They are hurting and struggling with the fact that their father might go to jail and that they may be separated from the kids that they have grown up with as siblings. It's simple...don't break the law to satisfy your junk, have some 18 or whatever kids, brag about it on TV and just assume that you can get away with shitting all over the laws that are the foundation of this country, and you won't go to jail. And for God's sake...don't cry about the results of the bad, law breaking choices that you have made and look for me to feel sorry for you.

Yes...I know this is judgmental as Heck but, I obey the simple laws of this country so, I feel justified in passing judgment on this particular case.

Kody, either love the ONE you are with or dump them and start over.