Goodbye, my friend.
As I write this, it is Friday, February 5, 2010.
Anita left this world today at 10 a.m. I received an e-mail from her friend Becky, who is the reason I met Anita in the first place. I am beyond shocked.
I am in a state of disbelief.
I can’t stop crying. Mostly because I just finished the little mini scrapbook for her children that I showed here about a week or so ago and it’s still sitting in the box on my desk waiting to be mailed. The title “Remember” that I chose for the cover really strikes a chord with me now. I thought of her for days while I made that little book. Along with the journal that I made last October for Anita to write in. Sitting here in the box. There’s a card in the box that I wrote to Anita and a worry stone that I had bought her a long time ago. And the 2-page layout made by Mandy Douglass from the Creating Keepsakes magazine article about us in February of last year. I always felt that she should have it instead of me, so it was in the box also. I regret that I never sent it.
Meeting her was a huge experience in my life, and so many people who read this blog (and who don’t) helped me to make the trip to Canada and make my dream to meet Anita and deliver her scrapbooks that we made for her a reality. I have always been so grateful for each one of you, but now even more so. You will never ever know what it meant to me, to see all of you strangers to me (and some not) come together and donate your money and bid on my auctions so that I could make the trip happen. Making those scrapbooks for Anita and making that trip and meeting her in person and corresponding with her via e-mail and phone before and after that trip…..the whole experience……is something that changed me as a person inside. It’s impossible to explain. I will never ever forget all of you doing that.
I will never forget HER. I am so saddened by the loss of her, I can’t even tell you. There are no words.
Anita, you will always be a part of my story.
Filed under Life | Comments (2)Thinking of you card.
If you’ve been around a while, you may have heard me talk about Creek Bank Creations, my semi-local scrapbook store (45 minutes away). I really like the owner Julie and could “talk shop” with her all day long. She’s been going through a rough period lately and is at Mayo Clinic with her teenage son while he goes through surgery, so I made her this card and sent it to the place where they’re staying.
Of course you know I had to add my Stickles….
See the sparkles? I love me some sparkles….
In case you’re wondering, that’s my handwriting.
Fall bridal shower decorations.
I photographed my step-granddaughter’s wedding back in November (and her engagement photos before that), and also took photos of the bridal shower done at my step-daughter’s home. She incorporated the fall wedding theme into the shower also and I was thrilled to see that she decorated the tables with these:
(imagine it prettier BEFORE everyone left their cups sitting on it!)
Those are the engagement shots I took. Very cool! We had gone to a pumpkin patch a few days earlier that was at the end of its season and was giving away the rest of the pumpkins for FREE so my step-daughter used them in the decorating.
punkins stacked up in a lovely glass vase (I’d love to have one just like this–without the punkins of course)
punkins stacked in the corner…
My step-daughter made these centerpieces and they sat on the windowsills of the church windows during the wedding.
punkins stacked up outside on the deck…
this is in a vase now, but it’s actually one of the bridesmaid’s bouquets…
table centerpiece…
Cliff.
I came across this video from somewhere else and instantly fell in love with this young man. His name is Cliff. What he is done is overwhelmingly wonderful. What a huge heart he has. He makes this world a better place in which to live. He made me cry without saying ONE word.
Filed under Life | Comment (1)I Won!
In the couple of months I’ve been notified that I’ve won something 3 times…. and it’s so exciting because I never win anything!
First, I won a $30 gift certificate through the blog We Are That Family to Eden Home, which I had never heard of and was interested to check out. I’m not the eco-friendliest person you’ll ever meet, I’m sorry to say, but I’ve been wanting to find some nice water bottles for myself and my daughter because we try to drink a lot and I stopped buying plastic water bottles from the grocery store (my daughter IS the eco-friendly type). So I got these great brushed stainless steel colored water bottles with a sports cap, pink for me and blue for her.
Look how they packaged up each bottle all nice and personal.
And then the added in a free reusable grocery tote bag, which is WAY sturdier than the Target and Walgreen’s ones that I own now. I don’t know what this thing is made out of, but it’s NICE.
Then, a month ago I got an e-mail from Elizabeth Kartchner, who I adore, saying that I had won a set of tags from Shabby Chic Crafts (who I also adore)! Yay! I absolutely love this company and their tags and have purchased from them before, so I am very excited about winning these and can’t wait to receive them in the mail!
THEN, when I was still riding on the happy wave of winning that, I got an e-mail from Thrifty Mama B saying that I had won an 18×24 poster from UPrinting. Now, THIS was exciting. Cause if you know me…..then you know I love to take photos. And I love to display my photos all over my house. So I ordered my very favorite photo of my daughter as my free poster and it just arrived and is so beautiful. I need to buy a frame for it and find just the spot to display it.
I ordered this one:
My first project for Practical Scrappers!
Come on over to Practical Scrappers and check out my first project for the design team! Yay! This week’s theme is to use your diecut machine. Go here to see my contribution and make your own layout and link it up!
Here’s a sneak peek:
My husband is a comedian.
Found this taped to my dresser last Sunday.
It says, “Why lose weight when you can redistribute it?”
Now, I’m not sure why he thought of ME when he read this, because this has NEVER happened to ME.
I told my husband he’s so funny he should take his act to Hollywood…..
Filed under Life | Comment (1)Oh, The Places She’ll Go….
Back in December 2007 (as I write that I can’t believe it’s been that long!) an online friend of mine was getting married and invited 6 or 7 other women (all on the same yahoo scrapbooking group) to the wedding, figuring none of us would come, of course. But 4 of us managed it! It was sooo much fun, my first airplane ride (NOT the fun part!!). And 1 of the girls wanted to come but couldn’t due to surgery a few weeks before and was still recuperating, so she actually made a paper doll of herself and Fed-Exed it to Texas so she could “attend” the wedding too! We had so much fun with that doll (and lots of embarrassment to go along with that) and took bunches of photos. Finally last summer I got around to making a scrapbook for my friend and I’ll share it with you below. I based it on the Dr. Seuss book “Oh The Places You’ll Go” and had a lot of fun making it. I used a scrapbook kit from SEI but didn’t use the actual album that came with it. This one is an American Crafts album (my favorite).
So take a look and tell me what you think in the comments!
I shared this project here:
Filed under Projects | Comments (10)
Twilight.
I have been hearing about this book (and this movie) for ages now and just wasn’t interested. I felt like the only person on the planet who hadn’t read the book! Then I saw the trailer for the movie New Moon and it got me a bit interested. So the other day I finally got my hands on the book Twilight at the library and started reading it……
Oh. My. Lord. Now I FINALLY know what all the hype is about. I couldn’t put it down. I was up until 1:00 this morning reading the stupid thing because I couldn’t go to sleep until I finished it. And now I’m like person #30 in a waiting list to check out the next book (New Moon) at my local library!!!! I can’t stand the suspense, people!!!! I think I may lose my mind before the book gets here. Ack.
A friend told me the movie totally sucks compared to the book and not to bother renting it because I’ll be disappointed. But I can’t stand that either and I want to go rent it to see for myself.
Have you seen the movie?
Have you read it? Did you love it?
Filed under Life | Comment (1)
Practical Scrappers.
Yay! I was chosen for the new design team at Practical Scrappers. There’s a new theme every week with each day showcasing a different design team member’s projects. Mine will be on Tuesdays and I’m the 8.5×11 layout girl! Woo hoo!
There’s also a forum where you can chat and post your own projects, so all you scrapbookers and cardmakers go on over and join, why doncha? My new term starts next week and I can’t wait to get started!
