The one about the altered book

I got a box of the Autumn Leaves' new book, The Foof-A-Life, earlier in the week! It was about time there was a book headed up by Teresa McFabulous! It was great working with her---hope we get to do it again! It was her idea to use seed packets to make a book.

Foof-A-Life is full of pretty things---even the cover is beautiful.

One of my favorite projects for the book was this small altered book that I made. Space was limited in Foof-A-Life and only one of the spreads, of like 24 spreads, was shown. So I am posting the whole altered book in my Flickr photostream. The pretty rubber stamp words and scrolls are from Purple Onion Designs. And who doesn't like showing pics of their kids??? That was the gratifying part of creating this altered book--using pics of my own. Now, I wasn't playing favorites by using more pics of my girls than my boys--it's just the girls are a lot more cooperative in the photo-taking department! My boys just run out of the room. LOL

The one about the kits for sale!!

So I never expected the kits to sell this fast! Thank you everyone who purchased one from me.

The one about my Arizona weekend

You know when you see pics of these kinds of events and wish you could be there? It was a dream come true for me this weekend! Kim Kwan was the master of arrangements for the event and the entire weekend the four of us enjoyed. I have yet to find anything Kim isn't good at. :) She was so on the ball I wasn't left wanting any of the time.

It
was
perfect.

I arrived Thursday around noon and Kim and I played all afternoon. Went to lunch at Sacks, searched through an antique mall until our eyes turned to mush, stopped by Domestic Bliss and Mystic Paper (love that name!!) and met Kim, one of the owners. Check out their store blog for a super-flattering photo of me!!! Woo hoo!!

Kim had arranged a meet and greet for Friday morning at Melrose Vintage.

I have a few photos of that cute store, but Teresa's are much more exciting. See hers here. I also got to meet Dina, Tena, and Lilia!!
We did a bunch more shopping at places I can only dream about, then off to lunch at My Florist Cafe.
We ended the day meeting Cori for dinner at Kim's favorite Mexican restaurant in Scottsdale, Los Sombreros. They have beautiful terrace dinning, that had Teresa and I looking at each other, balking at the thoughts of eating out in the heat. But the mist system they have set-up in the shade of their beautiful terrace made it ever so nice!

The one about Sparkle Bella!!!

I am home and I am alive. I am ready for another vacation already since my kids have made me cry today with their behavior. Argh!
I wanted to post all about the weekend, but my software won't let me download my pics. DH has my computer all programmed fancy and if something goes wrong, I have no idea how to adjust it.
I have treasures to post about, new friends, and stuff from the event, too.
and...

I have some extra kits for sale!

more info to come. Hopefully I'll have access to my pictures tonight. :)

The one about the banner

Leaving tomorrow morning for Sparkle Bella in Phoenix! Here's a little peek of the Victorian Bella Banner I will be teaching this Saturday.

See ya!

The one about the swap photos

The swap is now complete and all packages have been sent off!

Here are the piles of envelopes and boxes of all the paper that came in! I weighed each bundle of goodies as they came in so that I would be sure to return the same amount. I wanted this to be as fair as possible.

A shot of my family room during part of the sorting. I had a system down so I could divide up the booty and not give something back to its original owner. Wouldn't that have been a bummer to get a bunch of the same stuff you sent it? lol Only loose paper items were divided up. The few pretty packaged goodies that arrived were not divided up, but kept together as the sender arranged it. One participant sent in a pile of old b/w snapshots, so everyone got a few!

I carefully arranged and packed all the paper into neat bundles and tied them with a bow. At this point it was very hard to part with all this paper!

I love all the yellowed and age-bronzed book pages and sheet music.

Thanks to all who made this fun a fun successful swap by sending in those treasures!!

I even made a few new friends :)

The one about the grumpy post

I am down in the dumps today.
I don't like to put grumpy posts on my blog, but this time I feel like complaining. I am pretty sure I am doomed to be fat my entire life. Will I ever know what it is like to have narrow hips? No double chin? I know I have good things in my life but my weight problem brought me to tears again yesterday and today. So many times I have tried to get rid of my fat and my body just won't let me. That causes me to hate my body even more and that is not a good thing. This time this diet was working for me. Lost ten pounds in April, then it slowed down to four in May, and this month I have gained two pounds back. All with diet and exercise. I am not okay with the way I am and I am not okay with my lack of weight-loss. I am doing the work---why can't I have the reward?
I found this ad while sorting for the vintage paper swap. I thought it was humorous---the things manufacturers will say to sell their product, huh? I guarantee a woman with that figure does not drink full-calorie soda. And you won't get a figure like that by drinking full-calorie soda, either.

The one about the fabric

I read online a few weeks ago that Walmart will be phasing out their fabric departments! I don't like to sew, but I do buy an occasional piece of fabric now and then and would hate to see the fabric dept. go! ...and isn't it so easy to buy fabric while shopping for groceries at Walmart? Who wants to drag the kids to yet another store? (I know I don't.)

Today I signed a petition that is now going around, hoping to save the fabric departments.

Click HERE to sign the petition.

The one about Savannah's Big Day

Her funny little smile!
All kids have their good points, but this sweet girl has more than most.
(she takes after me.... :O )