Where do I start?

Maybe with the BEST news?! I'm thrilled and honored to be a part of BHG Scrapbooks, Etc. Creative Team 2007!!!!!!!! They announced at CHA, and I'm still having problems believing it's real. I'm looking forward to working with BHG!!
My fellow 2007 team members:
Mellette Berezoski
Melissa Chapman
Rhonna Farrer
Irma Gabbard
Jlyne Hanback
Amy Howe
Amy Licht
Janna Wilson
Shannon Zickel

I just returned from CHA. I worked 4+ hours a day doing make & takes for K&Co (designed by the mega talented Tracey NieHues), but the rest of the time I was free to walk the show. So, I saw all the new stuff (or most of it), and met some wonderful new friends, as well as hanging out with old friends. Did I mention that I didn't get much sleep? lol And my eyes were reacting to something, so I had very, very red eyes the whole trip. In fact, by Sunday, I was walking around with only one contact lens in. If you saw me with one eye closed and one open, it was because I was trying to read the signs, lol. Driving home the 2 hours from the aiport wasn't fun either, but I made it. Next time I'll remember to throw in the extra pair of contacts.
I met a fellow K&Co dt member, Terri Ginter. We shared a room, and I'm gonna blame my lack of sleep on her ;) Just teasing you, Terri. I love to talk as much as you, I think. My prayers are with you and your family.
My dear friend, Valerie Salmon, drove over from Indiana and waited patiently for me in my room while I had a meeting with BHG. It had been almost 2 years since we had seen each other. I'm so glad I got to spend time with her!
The Mustard Moon girls AND GUY were having a great show (and their papers and rub ons were HOT). Karen McGary, Bill and Vicki Harvey, and Donna Garza, you know I had the BEST time with you all. Thank you for allowing me to work with your products!
My HOFer girls - Kelly, Tiffany, Greta, Jen, Jessica, Marla, Heather, Brittany, Vicki, Laura, Nisa, Jen, and Angi - not enough time, but meeting you all was a highlight of my trip.
New BHG team - Amy, Amy, Jlyne, Rhonna, Janna, and Shannon - It was great to meet you all, and I look forward to working with you this year. Sorry I had to skip out early. I know I missed some fun :)
My favorite new things? You really think I can name just a few?! No way! I am a bit impatient for the new goodies though. Maybe I'll manage to get my house painted before they arrive in my mailbox. I really want to accomplish that task in August. We've lived here for 9 years, and it's due for an update. If I get started, I just know Rich will help me :D
I hope to get some photos up later. My presence is required at a picnic....

CHA bound

I'm excited and nervous all rolled into one. I always dread leaving my family...it's that sick feeling that I have to push past, as I drive to the airport and board a plane. I like to travel. Really, I do, but I'm also a home-loving girl.
I'll be helping K&Company with their Mega Class on Thursday night, and teaching make and takes Fri - Sun. If you are there, be sure to stop by and say hello. Their projects never disappoint and the new products are bound to be yummy.
I'm looking forward to seeing some old friends, and making some new friends. The products are always fun, and I enjoy seeing the sample layouts up close and personal. So much better than online, I think.
It's been a busy week. Lots of deadlines to wrap up and family stuff to get ready for my absence. I think I'll take the girls swimming tomorrow, and stretch out with a book.
Here is wishing you all a safe and happy week!

altered lunchbox tin

That red paisley Mustard Moon paper was calling my name. And, I had these die cut flowers (Cricut) that needed a home. This is what I came up with! I was inspired by Mindy Bush to put a ribbon around the side of the box (isn't she awesome?!)

design team news

I'm so very pleased and honored to have been asked to work with Sharon Soneff and her beautiful designs. She has several lines. Among them is her Sonnets line with Creative Imaginations. I just got a peek at the new Anthology series debuting at CHA Summer, and I can't wait to have it in my hands (be patient, Ang, it's gonna be a little while, lol). As soon as Sharon gets the images loaded, I'll link you to her sneak peek. In the meantime, other design team members, Jaime Harper and Suzy Plantamura, have uploaded some wonderful designs into the gallery at 2 Peas. Jaime also designed the make & take (a darling purse) for CHA Summer, so if you are going to be at the show, be sure to stop by the CI booth and check it out.

One More

Mustard Moon CHA Peek

Just one for now. What fun to work with brand spanking new papers! Thanks to Karen and Vicki for these great designs! Be sure to check out their website www.mustardmoon.com for all the new designs :D

Girls Day Out

My girls and I usually spend a whole day together right before school starts back...shopping, eating lunch, seeing a movie, or whatever we decide to do. But, with my CHA trip (more about that later), and a family vacation looming, it won't leave us much time before school starts on the 3rd of August. So, today we did our thing :) They bought new purses, plastic cell phones with lip gloss inside, and several pairs of sandals on clearance at The Shoe Dept. I bought a few t-shirts, some white capris, and some inkjet iron-on transfer paper (more about that later too). Now I'm off to finish some scrapbooking assignments. I'm excited because my friends, Karen and Vicki, are telling me that my Mustard Moon papers will be in my hands by the weekend!! I hope to do a few layouts for their booth at CHA, so if you are going to the show, be sure to stop by and say hello to Karen and Vicki - and BILL (Vicki's hubby). He is working the booth, too, and I'm looking forward to meeting him.

wild eggs and Jack

I needed boy photos for an assignment (August MM Masters challenge), and my friend, Karen Towery, helped me out with photos of Jack getting new glasses. Thank you, Karen and Jack! The yellow layout makes me smile because Michaela loved making her eggs :D Those photos were hard to scrap, until I discovered that yellow made them pop (as seen in The Amazing Page by MM). Rubs by Deja Views and ghost alphas by Heidi Swapp added the right amount of fun. My little girl loves flashy.

Monday all day

But not a bad Monday. A lazy kind of Monday. The kids swam again - in the rain, even. No thunder, and no lightning - just the soft plop plop of raindrops. I worked on some CHA assignments, and read part of a book. Not sure I'm going to like it yet. It' s a new author for me. Rich is reading it in the other room, so I'll have to post the info later. Austin (my nephew) is in town for a visit, and the girls are loving that.

This is another one of my nephews, Joseph. He isn't much for having his photo taken, and in this instance, I was interrupting his egg counting. It's okay, JoJo, I took the shot anyway. This layout is on the CK site somewhere as part of a challenge to gather inspiration from an older layout. I really like how this one turned out. How often can I use ribbon on a boy layout and get away with it? lol And I'm in love with the BasicGrey green papers - there are several...one with Color Me Silly, and one with Oh Baby Boy. I've bought the same 2 papers several times now.

And I'm posting a layout of my husband - he's a dear to put up with me for 17 years now. WOW, it sounds like a long time when I say it or type it. This layout appeared in The Amazing Page by Memory Makers.

Have a great week, and leave me a comment if you pop in :D

finally

See, I knew you were tired of swim photos, so here is a layout, lol.

Seems like a long time ago that I received that HOF call. My favorite entry layout (well, it tied for favorite) is in August CK, on your newstands and in your mailbox now. It can't hurt to post it here, since this isn't Grand Central Station or anything ;) Can you go wrong with Scenic Route paper? I don't think so! If you haven't seen the magazine, it's a good one! (But then again, I would say that, lol.) The other half of the HOF crew will be showcased in October, I think. Stay tuned for those - you don't want to miss them!

And in contest news: About a month ago, I placed in the top 20 in a big contest at Scrapbook.com. My 3 entry layouts are posted here:
http://www.scrapbook.com/scrapbook_layouts/showphoto.php/photo/209904/cat/500/ppuser/95771
http://www.scrapbook.com/scrapbook_layouts/showphoto.php/photo/209874/cat/500/ppuser/95771
http://www.scrapbook.com/scrapbook_layouts/showphoto.php/photo/209869/cat/500/ppuser/95771

Dots & Stripes is my favorite from this whole year, I do believe.

tired of swim photos?

I sure hope not :D I'm trying to get better at shooting in full sun. The girls and I spent the day with Debbie and the kids. Shooting 5 is a challenge, lol. Especially a wiggly 5. I'm loving the contrast of sizes in the group shot. And getting a great shot of Rissa makes me feel good. Going to have to chase after her more often ;)

sharing

I did these in the spring. The boy is my cutie nephew (I've got 4 of those, and 1 niece on my side of the family, and they all have huge blue eyes). It's fun to scrap boy stuff. In fact, my friend, Sherri, just sent me some boy camping photos that I'm excited about using. She's a talented photographer, AND scrapper :D Thank you, Sherri!! (http://www.sherriwinsteadphotography.com)

great day

Hope your holiday was as good as our's. After dinner at my mom's, we walked uptown for some pictures, and this was their idea of a great pose, lol. I know, I know - busy background. But, they were having fun being silly. Rich says it makes him think of Gene Kelly in "Singing in the Rain", except we haven't had much rain lately. Rich didn't do his usual fireworks show - we are saving for our vacation in a few weeks. We drove over to the Tenn Tom Waterway for a show there, and it wasn't great. On the way home, Rich says "next year I'm doing a HUMONGOUS show" :) What can I say? He likes to blow things up.

Any scrappy plans this week? I've got a few assignments to finish up. I'm teaching the card portion of K&Company's mega class at CHA, but that is designed and ready to go. Maybe I'll be designing with some new stuff next week. I'm excited about the trip to Chicago!! If you are going to be there, be sure to come by the K&Co booth and say hello.

Less than 2 weeks to get those Art for Alex photos in. See my earlier blog post for details.

lovely ladies

I drove to the not-so-local scrapbook store on Saturday, and met up with some new friends. 5 ladies who also read/post on twopeasinabucket.com message board. Scrapbooks and More had created little Kit Kat candy bars, nametags, and a special welcome sign for us. Wasn't that a nice surprise?! I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and hubby wasn't even mad that I was an hour late getting home, lol. Thank you, Tammy, Susan, Barb, Erin, and Gwen, for a great day!