I WANT TO QUIT!

*I want to quit!*

My health is bad. There are days I feel so terrible that I can barely move. My phone bills are outrageous, and I could have replaced my van with the funds I have spent these last 30 years---on animals that were not my own.



*I want to quit!*

I spend hours and hours emailing about dogs. There may be 500 messages when I start--and at 4 AM, when I finally shut down the computer, there are still 500 emails to be read.



*I want to quit!*

Gosh, I haven't the time left to email my friends. I can't remember the last book I read, and I gave up my subscription to my local newspaper---I used to enjoy reading it, cover to cover, but now it often ends up in the bottom of the squirrel's cage---unread.



*I want to quit!*

I've spent days emailing what seems like everyone---trying to find a foster home, help for a dog languishing in a shelter---but his time has run out, and the shelter has had to euthanize to make room for the next sad soul.



*I want to quit!*

I swear, I walk away from my computer to stretch my legs---let the dogs out---and come back to find another dog in desperate need. There are times I really dread checking my email. How will I find the funds, the help, to save yet another dog?



*I want to quit!*

I save one dog, and two more take its place. Now an owner who doesn't

want his dog---it won't stay in his unfenced yard. An intact male wanders... This bitch got pregnant by a stray... This 3-month-old pup killed baby chicks... The dog got too big... This person's moving and needs to give up his pet. I ask you, friends---what town, what city, what state doesn't allow you to own a pet?



*I want to quit!*

I just received another picture, another sad soul with tormented eyes that peer out of a malnourished body. I hear whimpering in my sleep, have nightmares for days...



*I want to quit!*

I just got off the phone. "Are you Pyr Rescue? We want to adopt a male to breed to our female." How many times do I have to explain? I have tried to explain about genetics, about health and pedigrees. I explain that rescue NEUTERS! I usually end up sobbing, as I explain about the vast numbers of animals dying in shelters across the country, as I describe the condition many of these animals are found in. I wonder if they really heard me...



*I want to quit!*

It is not like I don't have enough rescues of my own to worry about---but others have placed dogs improperly and aren't there to advise the new owners.



*I want to quit!*

I have trusted the wrong people--- had faith and heart broken...



*I want to quit! AND THEN...*

My dog, lays his head in my lap, he comforts me with his gentle presence---and the thought of his cousins suffering stirs my heart.



*I want to quit! AND THEN...*

One of those 500 emails is from an adopter. They are thanking me for the most wonderful dog on earth---they cannot imagine life with out their friend---their life is changed, and they are so grateful.



*I want to quit! AND THEN...*

One of my adopted Rescues has visited a nursing home. A patient that has spent the last few years unable to communicate, not connecting---Lifts his hand to pat the huge head in his lap, softly speaks his first words in ages--- to this gentle furchild.



*I want to quit! AND THEN...*

A Good Samaritan has found and vetted a lost baby, "I can't keep him, but I'll take care of him until you find his forever home."



*I want to quit! AND THEN...*

"Jamie took his first steps holding on to our Pyr."

"Joan, you should see this dog nursing this hurt kitten!"

“I was so sick, and this dog never left my side..."



*I want to quit! AND THEN...*

I get an email from a fellow rescuer, "Haven't heard from you in a while---you OK? You know I think of you..."



*AND THEN... *

A dozen rescuers step up to help, to transport, to pull, and to offer encouragement. I have friends I have never seen, but we share tears, joys, and everything in between. I am not alone. I am blessed with family of the heart, my fellow Rescuers.



Just days ago it was a friend who shared her wit and wisdom, whose late night email lifted my heart. Sometimes it is friends who only have time to forward you a smile. Often, it is my friends who forward me the notices of dogs in need.



There are Rescuers who see a flailing transport and do everything they can do find folks to pull it together for you. Rescuers who'll overnight or foster your dog while you seek transport. There are Rescuers not used to or comfortable with your breed, but who put aside their discomfort to help. There are Rescuers whose words play the music of our hearts. Foster homes that love your Rescue, and help to make them whole again---body and spirit. Foster homes that fit your baby in, though it may not be their breed. Rescuers whose talents and determination give us tools to help us. Rescuers we call on for help in a thousand ways, who answer us, who hear our pleas. Rescuers who are our family, our strength, our comrades in battle.



I know I cannot save every dog in need. I know my efforts are a mere drop in a sea. I know that if I take on just one more---those I have will suffer.



*I want to quit! But I won't. *

When I feel overwhelmed, I'll stroke my dogs head while reading my fellow Rescuers emails. I'll cry with them, I'll laugh with them---and they will help me find the strength to go on.



*I want to quit! But not today.*

There's another email, another dog needing Rescue.



This piece is dedicated, with love and gratitude, to all my fellow Rescuers.



The author is unknown

For Craft Sales, the Recession Is a Help

SAN FRANCISCO — Feeling the pinch of the economic downturn, some holiday gift-givers are saving money this year by making their own presents or — for those who lack the time or talent — buying handmade gifts from others.

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Peter DaSilva for The New York Times
Shoppers at a Michaels store in Pleasant Hill, Calif.

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Peter DaSilva for The New York Times
Dennis Anderson pouring soap into molds in his apartment in Citrus Heights, Calif.
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Craft stores, from giant chains like Michaels Stores to small scrapbook supply shops, are reporting that sales are higher compared with the last holiday season, and online marketplaces for handmade goods, like Etsy, are seeing a boom in listings and transactions.

Sales at Scrap, a craft supply store in Portland, Ore., were up 33 percent in November compared with the year before. The shop’s customers have made a menorah out of yellow plastic bottle caps, Christmas tree ornaments from wood samples and calendars from fabric and paper collages, according to Sarah Dyer, the manager.

“A lot of people are doing a do-it-yourself Christmas, because of the economic downturn but also wanting to make their lives more sustainable, making stuff as opposed to buying more stuff,” she said.

The boom in crafts and related supplies contrasts with poor results for traditional retailers, like electronics retailers and department stores. The nation’s overall retail sales in November fell 7.4 percent from the year before, according to the Commerce Department.

The craft sector, which has about $5.9 billion in annual revenue, is “operating in its own little niche,” said George Van Horn, a senior analyst at IBISWorld, a research firm. “The number of establishments is growing.”

Last year, 42 million households gave handmade gifts, according to the Craft & Hobby Association, a trade group, and that number is expected to increase greatly this year, its spokesman, Victor Domine, said.

“Across the country, people are crafting more,” he said. “With the recession, people are looking for ways to save money, and doctors are recommending it as a major form of stress relief.”

Elizabeth Ludington, a 25-year-old paralegal in Rochester, N.Y., is one of those who chose a do-it-yourself Christmas. She works for a nonprofit legal aid group that she fears could suffer from a downturn in grants. “I looked at my bank account and budget and realized I didn’t have a lot of cash,” she said.

She usually spends about $20 on each of 10 friends and relatives for stationery, bath products or spa gift certificates. This year, she is stitching cable-knit coffee sleeves to use instead of the cardboard ones at coffee shops. They will cost her $1 each to make and an hour of her time after work while she watches TV at night.

“I wanted something that was affordable but still meaningful and kind of fun,” she said.

Michaels Stores, the chain of craft retailers owned by the Blackstone Group and Bain Capital, hopes that a holiday spike in sales will make up for weak results earlier in the year. For the quarter that ended Nov. 1, the company reported a net loss of $20 million and a decrease of 6.5 percent in same-store sales. But in November and December, Michaels’ 1,014 stores have had sharp increases in traffic and transactions for small-ticket craft supplies, said Brian C. Cornell, the company’s chief executive.

Michaels does not release monthly sales data, and Mr. Cornell declined to discuss specific numbers. However, he said that premade holiday and home decorations, which tend to be more expensive, are not selling well. Less expensive craft supplies, which generally account for 41 percent of revenue, are moving briskly, and sales have been particularly strong for supplies used to make jewelry, baked goods, scrapbooks and decorated clothing.

Michaels has shifted its marketing strategy to take advantage of the trend. The company created an advertising campaign called “Endless Creativity, Endless Savings” to market craft supplies for handmade gifts. It started a Web site, Where Creativity Happens, with videos on how to make gifts like picture frames and candles, and it held free weekly in-store workshops.

“We’re certainly seeing much better results than we would have anticipated,” Mr. Cornell said. “There’s a much greater interest right now in how you decorate your home and create your own gifts yourself.”

Jo-Ann Stores, the craft supply leader with a 19 percent market share, has had a similar pattern. Though same-store sales fell 1.5 percent in the quarter ending Nov. 1, sales of sewing and craft supplies, which account for half of revenue, were stable that quarter and have climbed this quarter, said Lisa Greb, a Jo-Ann spokeswoman.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/23/business/23craft.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

A Great Cause to Donate To

Please Read All~I adopted YOUR dog today

I adopted your dog today... The one you left at the pound,
The one you had for nine years
and no longer wanted around.

I adopted your dog today...
Do you know that he’s lost weight?
Do you know that he’s scared and confused
and has lost all faith?

I adopted your dog today...
He had fleas and a cold,
but don’t you worry none -
You’ve unburdened your load.

I adopted your dog today...
Were you having a baby or moving away?
Did you suddenly develop allergies or was
there no reason he couldn’t stay?

I adopted your dog today...
He doesn’t play or eat much.
He’s very depressed now
but will learn again to trust.

I adopted your dog today...
And here he will stay.
He’s found his furever home
and a warm bed on which to lay.

I adopted your dog today...
I will give him all that he could need -
Patience, love, security, understanding.
Hopefully he forgets your selfish deed!

- Author Unknown

Christmas Cards

Simple this year, but because I send out over 40 I figured I was allowed to go more simple=)

The Kids Santa Picture

This years picture with Santa Clause!!

My homemade doggie biscuits

I just now got around to posting my pictures of my doggie buscuits I made last week for Christmas. I have wanted to make my own dogs some for a long time, but never got receipes or time, so I finally did...they are pretty easy to make, but it is hard to get whole weat flour at some stores, so I ran out and have not gotten more yet. The bags of dog bones are a dozen a bag, and the small shapes were 4 dozen per bag, so there was a LOT of dog cookie bakin' going on that day...
The tins I got at Michaels and decorated to give away as Christmas gifts to my animal family members=)

My Husband the band man

 
This is J Walkin' Band and their new singer playing 12/06/08 in Mt. Morris. That makes 3 Jays in the band now...the drummer (he is the original J for the band), my Jay the soundboard, and the singer Jay.

Nonprofit is dedicated to helping pit bulls Article

Nonprofit is dedicated to helping pit bulls
Shelah Moody, Chronicle Staff Writer

Sunday, November 23, 2008

As the founder of For Pits Sake, Kris Crawford is dedicated to improving the reputation of the much-maligned pit bull. Crawford, a retired search-and-rescue dog trainer and handler, is the proud owner of three pit bulls, Cheyenne, 13; Dakota, 12; and Tahoe, 8.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In 1997, she founded For Pits Sake, which includes programs in animal-assisted therapy, safety around dogs, search and rescue, and canine training and a campaign against dogfighting. Crawford's mission is to change public opinion about pit bulls, which are often perceived as aggressive, dangerous animals. "For every pit bull you hear of on the news that's bitten someone, if you look at the story behind it, it's been a dog that has been abused or was not raised by a responsible owner," said Crawford. "There are thousands of pit bulls across the country that are cherished family pets that you never hear about." Crawford described her dogs as funny clowns who adore adults and children. During her search-and-rescue career, Crawford and her dogs responded to more than 200 search missions for lost or missing people, including the high-profile search for murder victim Laci Peterson. In 2003, Crawford and Dakota were recruited by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and NASA for an elite team to search for the bodies of astronauts who died in the space shuttle Columbia crash. "Having a pit bull hand-picked to search for American heroes meant quite a bit to me," said Crawford. During that time, Crawford also started an animal-assisted therapy program, where she and her dogs provide comfort to abused and disabled children in hospitals and rehabilitation centers throughout the Bay Area. "Kids can learn so much from dogs," said Crawford. "They can learn unconditional love, trust and how to be nonjudgmental. When they work with children, my dogs can help them temporarily forget about their disability or teach a battered and abused child how to love again." Safety Around Dogs is a program that Crawford conducts in schools and community centers. "Eighty percent of all fatal dog attacks involve children under 9," said Crawford. "Contrary to popular belief, the majority of these attacks are not coming from a dog that's loose in the neighborhood. Half of all dog bites come from the family's own dog and another 40 percent from a friend or neighbor's dog. I decided that it's time to change these odds. Safety skills around dogs, to me, are just as important as fire safety or looking both ways before you cross the street. " For information, go to www.ForPitsSake. org, www.KnockOutDogFigh ting.org and www.SafetyAround Dogs.org. Each week, The Chronicle features a Bay Area resident who has won a Jefferson Award for making a difference in his or her community. The awards are administered by the American Institute for Public Service, a national foundation that honors community service. Bay Area residents profiled in The Chronicle are also featured on CBS 5-TV and KCBS-AM, which are Jefferson Award media partners, along with The Chronicle.
E-mail Shelah Moody at smoody@sfchronicle. com.

Going To The Dogs Website Helps Network!

http://goingtothedogs.ning.com/profile­/melissahenchen

This site is a great resource for those looking to rescue, foster, or adopt a dog.

Adopt Maggie

Maggie was a rescue from GA in a high kill shelter and she came up to foster with me in upstate NY. This pup should have been an easy adopted dog...she has the best temperment...she is great with my 2 toddlers, my 3 pitbulls love her and she loves to play with her plush toys and lounge on the couch most of the day...
She is about 7-8months old and looks to be dalmation/lab mix. She is 35lbs she is ready to go in the next 2-3days. She is UTD on all her shots/vaccinations/spayed and would be a great family first dog. She is crate trained and walks well on a lease but just needs more practice with it as she is only a puppy still. She is already potty trained and has only had 1-2 accidents which were because she was in a new environment after a 3 day car ride.

There will be a $100 adoption fee to try to forward costs back to the angel that paid to transport her here to NY for a chance at a good life! It cost well over $600 thus far to get her this opportunity.
email me if interested in filling out an application and coming to see this beautiful baby girl.

Pit Bullish on Wine

Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick was convicted in 2007 for his involvement in dog fighting, and now the abused pit bulls are getting some vintage vindication.

Pit bull lover and artist Cyrus Mejia was commissioned by the Dog Lovers Wine Club -- yes, there is such a thing -- to paint wine labels depicting the 22 dogs rescued from Vick. The labels are emblazoned on the Vicktory Dogs wine collection sold by the club, the proceeds of which will fund campaigns to end dog fighting and to "speak out against legislation designed to ban specific dog breeds." $40/bottle at the Dog Lover's Wine Club.
http://www.dogloverswineclub.com/vicktorydogs

in response to the uneducated

Friendship

"Friendship is like a bank account;
you cannot continue to draw on it
without making a deposit."
~ Nicole Beale

Real Friend

A simple friend, when visiting, acts like a guest.
A real friend opens your refrigerator and helps himself (and doesn't feel
even the least bit weird shutting your coke/Pepsi drawer with his foot!)

A simple friend has never seen you cry.
A real friend has shoulders soggy from your tears.

A simple friend doesn't know your parents' first names.
A real friend has their phone numbers in his address book.

A simple friend brings a bottle of wine to your party.
A real friend comes early to help you cook and stays late to help you clean.

A simple friend hates it when you call after they've gone to bed.
A real friend asks you why you took so long to call.

A simple friend seeks to talk with you about your problems.
A real friend seeks to help you with your problems.

A simple friend wonders about your romantic history.
A real friend could blackmail you with it.

A simple friend thinks the friendship is over when you have an argument.
A real friend calls you after you had a fight.

A simple friend expects you to always be there for them.
A real friend expects to always be there for you!



"False friends are like our shadow, keeping close to us while we walk in the sunshine, but leaving us when we cross into the shade."

"You cannot say you've lost a friend. If a friendship is capable of ending, it is because it never existed."
Mayza Blanco Martinez


"If a man does not make new acquaintances as he
advances through life, he will soon find himself left alone;
one should keep his friendships in constant repair."
~ Samuel Johnson

Click Here to Donate to Champ!

Champ is a 6 month old pup who has had a horrable start to life. He was tortured by his owners,starved and left to die on the steps of a high kill shelter. The staff at the shelter found him and by a miracle he was saved from being put to sleep. But Champ has severe medical problems due to torture he suffered from his human owners. Champ was hospitalized this week becasue he was suffering neurolgical problems as a side effect of his medication. This poor puu is fighting to survive, and I am fighting for him. I am raising donations for his vet care. I have volunteered to foster Champ, because I certainly feel he deserves it. Eventually Champ will be up for adoption, not anytime soon though-) Donations can be sent directly to the vet for Champ. This is to cover medications, vet stays, pending surgery, prescription dog food etc. If you have any questions please email me.If you would like to see Champ as well, I would love to meet anyone that has donated anything to his care and Champ needs socialization too! I am trying to put together a weekly email of his updates, if you want to be on the email list let me know as well..http://www. myspace. com/nychic77 for info and pictures on Champ!...we have just found out that a brother was brought into the same shelter with similar injuries and in the hospital...hopefully this allows authorities to catch the SICK person doing this...but if you could help donate even $1 towards Champs medical bills so he can recover...this paws are swollen, he has burns all over but his hair is finally starting to come back in...Just click on title of this post to donate...thanks!

Updates

Here is an updated photo (before & after) of

the kitchen side of our house...as you can see we are still not finished, but thanks to all of our best friends who came over to help (and family) they made it go by a lot faster. Jeremy, Jay, Josh...hummmm a J pattern here, but they all worked on this side=) I just worked on the window trim yesterday a bit, but Jay will have to reach up for the other 2 windows because I cannot see myself on the ladder that high up...

Flower City Stampers

Well I wanted to say that I went to the SCS 1st annual Rochester gathering, now named the Flower City Stampers gathering and it was awesome!
I will have to try to get some projects/cards uploaded today or tomorrow to show off...
Thank you Lauri & Dawn!!!! It was great!
**To my Pink table: your cards will be sent out shortly**

Help Casper!!!!!

----------------- Original Message -----------------From: sara /Only God Can JudgeDate: Sep 5, 2008 6:13 PMMy name is Casper. I was saved from euthanasia 10 months ago by a wonderful rescue group Marley's Pit Stop in Los Angeles. I spent the next 6 months learning things like Sit, stay, come and be calm. They also taught me that dogs could be my friends and that I should be nice to them. Even cats.Just when things were looking up me "the no hope staffie", an ultrasound revealed I had an obstruction in my intestine. After 2 months of visits to the vet's office (x-rays, blood work, overnight stays with IV's) trying to figure out what was wrong with me, the rescue is tapped out financially. For all of you who know and love me, you know I am a special dog. I am not that scared skinny dog who left the shelter. Just last week, I lost 12 pounds and could barely lift my head. Everyone at Marley's Pit Stop is heartbroken over this. The quote for the operation at City of Angels Animal Hospital in Culver City was between 3,500-4,500. So I had my surgery and they found a piece of Bully stick in my intestines that rotted most of it. They had to remove a good portion of my intestines. I am on my way home with my foster mom to heal.Bad news friends. The hospital released me Wednesday afternoon. Thank God my foster mom let me sleep in bed with her. She woke up at one in the morning to find me having a seizure on the floor. She rushed me to the hospital and through an ultrasound was told the sutures in my intestine had leaked a toxic fluid into his abdomen and that I needed emergency surgery, this time even more complicated and more expensive than the first procedure. An estimate of $6-12,000 was given in addition to the already $4,800 spent on the first procedure and aftercare. My rescuers decided to save me and do the surgery. I am now in the hospital with tubes everywhere, in lots of pain and fighting to stay alive.IF 6000 PEOPLE GIVE $1.00 I WILL HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY HALF OF MY MEDICAL BILLS. I HOPE ENOUGH PEOPLE READ MY STORY.....PLEASE CROSSPOST...MYSPACE PAGE
PLEASE DONATE HERE

Feeling a bit more accomplished

Well I feel like we have not worked on our house enough lately; however when I just looked at the picture taken about 1 month ago I do see a tad difference, so I guess it is progress...if only we could have it done before winter...haha

I am hoping I WIN my unemployment so we can hire someone to just finish the peak for us so we don't have to worry about rigging a ladder up on the roof...and the sides are not as difficult it is just a matter of having enough $$ to buy the paint needed at once...

This weekend is going to be busy for Jay helping the J Walkin' Band with sound, so we

probably won't have much opportunity to do more with the house, but who knows...just maybe we can get a few hours in...

Emerson's Baby Announcements

Unfortunately my photos just kept coming out blurry but here are some photos of the baby announcements I just finished for Crystal & Jon. I did 40 of them and alternated between 2 different pictures. Stampin' Up! sets used along with Chocolate Chip & Bashful Blue Card Stock.

Stressed

This is all I have done so far and less than 2 months to work on it=(

Stand Up 2 Cancer

I do not regularly get to watch Adult TV anymore because of the kids being home 24/7 but this morning I dropped them off at my moms so I could get some things done and I turned on The View (which I dislike more now with new cast since Star & Merideth left) but they had a blurb on Stand Up 2 Cancer which is being held by ALL the major networks ABC< NBC< CBS which is history making, but anyway my point is that you can purchase a star for as little as $1 for a family member effected by cancer which is GREAT plus others can support that same star and donate more if they want...you can start your own group fundraiser, or just tune in on September 5, 2008 8pm est/pt.
I have saved the link under my favorites if you are interested in checking it out or donating...if interested in adding to my stars, I purchased one for my grandmothers Maryann Bulow & Loris Carlin-Dixon who both passed away from cancer. You can add a donation onto those stars or you can add your very own for another loved one!

Joy Fold Birthday Card

I really enjoyed doing the first Joy Fold Card below, so I decided to make Blake's 2nd Birthday card for his party. I used SU Bold Brights colors, Real Red ink, and DCWV glitter paper in the background of the card.

A New Baby!!!

I made this Congratulations new baby card for a friend that is expecting. I am posting this before she receives it, but we shall see if she ever checks my website, lol...if so, Nicky write a comment on here for me, hehe...

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

*The card template came from SCS tutorial that was really easy to make. I used Choc. Chip CS, Bashful Blue CS & DSP from craft store. SU stamps.

A Pre-made scrapbooking page that I made a few months ago...I have not posted a whole lot of "crafty" things on my blog so I am trying to make up for it. The white paper is a shimmer paper that has a border that reads LOVE across it.

Weepeats.net

http://www.weepeats.net/FWThumbnails/webflierfall08.pdf

Home Work

Aside from my yard sale stuff all over my driveway, I am glad I was able to make a bit more progress on the house the last few days...I actually have updates since this pic and have the corner window's top trim painted & side wall painted underneath the windows=)

More on my House

Well I decided to give you a different shot today of the side of our house that we don't usually see...it is opposite of our driveway and there is no "yard" over there that is ours so we don't ever go over and see it until now that we are painting it. Our house shows just how HUGE it is from this side view, so it is just not seeming to be a quick project as you can tell. My husband told me that I should not have painted the trim on the driveway side just yet because he wanted to scrap/sand/torch more of the paint off before, but I just had NO patience and am sick of this project taking soooo long...it is mid July and we started months ago=( SOOOOOO I may end up redoing that side all over, but I am not going to bother with the "unknown" side of the house!

Note Cards

Well Nancy at the shop was requesting some Note Cards for her to give as Christmas gifts so this is the first set but I do not have the envelopes pictured here just the blank cards. She wanted something simple so I used my Stampin' Up! delight in life set that I LOVE. The 2 step stamping makes it look very complex but it is not at all.

Tile Coasters Stamped

I also have some floral and snowmen coasters made for Uniquely Elegant that will be sold there.

Once I stamped the image on 4 coasters I found the best way for the images to stick rather than baking is to emboss the tile with clear powder...takes a bit more time and mess, but worth it!

4th of July

Feelin' Guilty

For many reasons...#1 I have not posted many crafty things up, just photos of my house (I have another one today) but it has been soo hard to focus on making cards/scrapbooking when the house is moving along soo slowly and #2 I have been searching for a job=( which has not been going as well as I would like. #3 I feel guilty that my house inside is a MESS because of my other focuses lately...

I will post some coasters up later today once I get photos loaded, but for now here is a pic of the house updated as well as 4th of July pics=) Have a good one!!! The house is hard to tell but I finished the bottom of the columns Red and The top of the porch rail is painted now (we were going to replace it but I am not holding my breath for that to get done, lol)...I also sanded more on the steps to be stained.

I hate ladders

URGHHH I just typed a whole blog and it was deleted when I submitted...anyway I do not have a ladder to finish the front of the house on my own so I have to wait on that...As I was saying before when it was deleted, a guy drove by the other day and felt compelled to stop and critique me on why I was starting from bottom instead of top and I told him I was a stay at home mom and this is what I could get done when my hubby was not home because he is limited to when he can work on it (1-2 days a week). He was also "concerned" for my safety on the ladder when I was working on the peak to the porch. I normally hate ladders and will not get on them, but I was sooo eager to see what it would look like when I painted the colors on the trim work, so I attempted it. I was using the ladder the right way, he was just trying to "sell himself" and later handed me a flyer because he paints houses for a living...not kidding...

Do you think we should put red shudders on the 2nd and 3rd floor windows????

House Update

Well we are getting there slowly but surely...

Painting is taking all my energy

It is taking a VERY long time to get this done during the kids naptime...on my birthday I was able to get Douglas to come and help me=) but the rain is KILLING most of my opportunities to get this house done, lol. The porch has been the most difficult because on top of painting we had put a new floor on, and we have to brace it to straighten up the posts next. Well off to start the day with the kids.

Tile Magnets

I am going to quickly try to post up some of my recent projects...tile magnets. I have already sold a few at Uniquely Elegant, so I posted more up on ebay as well.

20% off Stampin' Up! Products

From Today until 06/15 (My Birthday=)) I am offering an additional 20% off all orders placed on top of the existing Fresh Cut Flowers promotion going on in the month of July! That is the best way I can show my appreciation for those who have supported my scrapbooking habit for the last 2 years, lol.

Thanks and please give me a call or email me your order by the 15th!

Christmas in July Prep

I started making these Christmas gift tags as part of the Christmas in July promotion at Uniquely Elegant. I love the color combinations and I had this pack of paper left over from last Christmas so why not use some up?

When I went out to get my camera from the car I noticed all of my Iris's are out so I also took a pic of those beautiful things...you can see the primer on my house in the background (This is not the permanent color). Enjoy the week!

Wedding Wishes

I was outside ALL day yesterday painting our house, and today comes and it is ok, but kinda chilly...so I stayed inside to clean today...clean inside one day, outside the other to be an even field?

This is a super easy card. I just love the shiny pearly paper I found at JoAnne's last month, so I have used it all up already. This is a Wedding card with SU paper, dcwv paper and a Stamp from ??(maybe michaels?) Embossed blue and used cotton balls to rub in some pink and blue ink around the pearly paper. Sounds technical huh, lol.

Graduation Card

Today I was able to accomplish my first card to post to the site! During the kids nap I recycled some paper from an old Wedding Invitation booklet that had RSVP cards, I cut out the beautiful frame to reuse. I inserted congratulations paper inside it and embossed the Class of stamp from Studio G. Have a good day!!! This card will be going to the store Uniquely Elegant in Byron, so I hope it sells, lol.

Beginning

I am officially starting my own blog because I have been staring at everyone elses for soo long wondering how they are able to manage such great sites on a regular basis.
Well, I manage Myspace just fine, so why not my own craft site to post all of my work=)
Well enjoy my site and hopefully I am able to inspire some projects just like those who have inspired me!