Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Two paper companys to keep your eye on...




My friend Gail and I hit two lss in Sarasota today and, being the paper addict and collector that I am, I had to scoop up some of the papers I've been reading about on-line and two I had heard little or nothing about but think are going to be HOT!

The first company, Tinkering Ink, I had read a couple of posts about on a big on-line mb. The reviewer liked the papers but nothing she or others said enticed me to look at them on-line. Despite the fact the logo looks a bit like a Cosmo Cricket label knock off, the line has lots of merit on its own. It is bright, colorful, double sided and fun fun fun! I got several sheets of Perfectly Posh (very tropical colors in limes, hot pinks and turquoise with reds and browns thrown in and Westminster is done in lots of rich browns and pretty blues. I bought a sheet of the coordinated tags but just noticed that they were priced at 4.29 a sheet. I'm not sure if that was the store mark up or the company's suggested price but far too steep for what you get...even if they are too cute for words. The tags etc. also come in felt. This company with its cool papers has potential. (www.tineringink.com)

This brings me to the second company, rouge de garance (which means red of something...pardon moi! I took Spanish! lol). The colors are vibrant, the designs fun and the paper slick and double sided and the company produces a whole line of 6x6 papers along with the 12x12s! This is what convinced me to get almost one of every 6x6 the store carried. I got home only to discover that I did not pick up a single one of the 12x12s...I must have been stunned by the economy sized papers which make far too much sense! Love them and can't wait to play with these. (www.rougedegarance.com)

While I'll always be a Cosmo gal to the bone, one should branch out from time to time, don't you agree!

These boots aren't made for walkin'....



We saw these boot planters on Bokeelia in the garden of an art gallery when we took our friends to Pine Island. I love the blue of the boots against the colors of the begonias.

This morning I am driving to Sarasota to meet my on-line friend of many years, Gail. Despite having shared our lives on-line on a couple of different scrap message boards, we have never met in real life. She and I are going to meet at K-2, a scrap store, head down the road to another and then have lunch. I'll head back south and hope to avoid too much traffic. This will be good practice for my road trip to the other coast to teach at Stamping Memories at the end of March.

The bank readily admitted their error and made amends to the extent of calling the one store where a check of ours was refused to make sure the store knew the error was the bank's and not ours. This is a load off my mind for sure and having all those fees restored to my account sure makes life easier!

E is packing like a mad man. I am starting on the guest room soon as I have lots of stuff stored in the closet up there. I'll be sorting things out for a garage sale that Kristen and Chris want to have at their house. We start our house search this coming Monday. Last night we went back over the print outs of the houses sent to us by the realtor and elliminated about 6 or 7 for a variety of reasons: location, size, price etc.

Have a great day!

Monday, February 26, 2007

Off and running

This morning starts the first of many that I have lists lists lists of 'must dos' staring me in the face.

I leave Wed. afternoon for the scrap expo in Orlando. Before then, I have to pack both clothes and projects for our evening cropping in the hotel room plus all my displays for Kim's booth, Scrapbooks N Stickers. Before then,E and I are taking on the big bad bank that messed up my account, getting a bunch of boxes for packing up the house, paying my bills for March, taking my sister to her bank and carve out some time with my honey. And on Tues, meeting my pal, Gail, in Sarasota for some scrap shopping and lunch.

I get home Sunday and do a turn around back to Tampa the same day to start our house hunting adventure.

I'll be taking Minnie, my laptop, to Orlando so can hopefully blog from there. I get to see one of the Smoochie Girls, Roz and our friend, Kelsey, in Orlando so am looking forward to meeting up with these two wild and crazed women. I have not seen them since the Paradise Lost Retreat.

Don't forget to go to www.hilltopmemories.com on March 1 to see the new Hang Ten Paper Arts kit. This is Di's debut and she did an incredible job. This kit is a 'must have'.

Taking a deep breath and heading into the fray....

Sunday, February 25, 2007

The Little House






When Kip, Barb, Gerry-anne and I went to Oleano State Park for Hilltop Memories Winter Retreat, we stopped at Hobby Lobby on the way. We went nuts in the paper mache/raw wood objects section and, almost everyone bought one of these cute little houses. Kip went right to work on hers at the crop with the new Salsa Celebration papers by Junkitz and hers turned out way too cute.

I finished mine yesterday and had enough of the GinX papers left to make a 6x6 album that fits snugly inside the little house. I plan on putting pics of my cabin mates for the retreat into the book. I have a great one of us for the cover! This and other layouts are on display at www.scrapbooksnstickers.com.

The new Hang Ten kit designed by Di is just a few ways away from being revealed. Be sure to watch at our new home, Hilltop Memories (www.hilltopmemories.com) on March 1st...you are going to love this kit!

Saturday, February 24, 2007

My love of doors




Most of my friends are well aware of my love of unusual doors but this place goes far beyond the ones I have scrapped. This is the outside of Widdens Marina on Boca Grande. This is where the Tarpon contest with the huge prize purses traditionally start. Widdens has been in existence since 1926 and is on the historical record. It more resembles an antique or flea market than it does a marina although nautical items permeate the exterior and interior of the place. When you first arrive, you are greeted by the bleating of a baby goat and his/her brother/sister. Across from them dwells 2 pot belly pigs and their cage mates, the huge white ducks. There are also rabbits and other creatures in a sort of petting zoo. These are the places I love to photograph and then scrap. One of these photos will find its way onto paper and end up in my coffee table album of doors!

Friday, February 23, 2007

Count down to the big move....

no, not to a new house for us...yet! But for the HANG TEN PAPER ART KITS...

We're moving to Hilltop Memories (www.hilltopmemories.com) and would appreciate those of you who have us linked to please change the link to our new home.

I have eliminated Jules'Creations blog and will now be posting the new kit news, my classes, upcoming conventions and retreats where you can find me all on this one blog because no matter where E and I end up in our new home, I'll always be

POSTING FROM PARADISE!

Thursday, February 22, 2007

I LOVE shoes!



I must have a shoe fetish or something because I love shoes...and the cuter, the better. I found these on Matlacha and could not resist them! They are the coolest FMR shoes I have seen in eons. All they lack is a big rhinestone in the middle of each of the flowers.

My honey had the audacity to ask what I'd wear them with....well, the new outfit I'll find to go with them, of course! I am heading out on a cruise in May with Hilltop (www.hilltopmemories.com) and don't you think that these very, very cool FMR shoes would look divine with either white crop pants and an off the shoulder long and loose fuscia top or a sun dress of the same colors?

And now to shop for the rest of the shoes for the cruise...lol!

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

We've found our new house...




and it is ready for immediate occupancy! Isn't it cute. We just love the rustic and "olde Florida" look about it. It is airy and even has a lanai. What more could we want. I think I'll put my scrap room in the front where I will get the best sun. What do you think? and the price was right too!

We are off kayaking today off Pine Island. We'd like to stop in Matlacha to visit some of the art galleries and then to Bokelia for lunch at a place on the very tip of the island that has the best crunchy grouper I've ever tasted. More pics later!

Monday, February 19, 2007

Not much new here

...except that we are signing a contract to sell our house in about one hour.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLyyyyyyy!

Will post pics from our adventures with our friends, Chuck and Linda (Edison Light Parade, Lighthouses on Boca Grande, etc etc.) in a bit. Have a great one.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Happy Mardi Gras




One of the things we miss about home (St. Louis) is the Mardi Gras celebration in Soulard. We have been going for years with the same group of people. We'd meet at Nick's and have a standard New Orleans breakfast and then car pool to the Farmer's Market. We'd spend the day bar hopping, watching the parade and listening to the fine music. It was tradition we'd lose Nick and find him at Clementine's. As we all got a tad older and got tired of fighting the growing crowds, we started celebrating the weekend before. We could still bar hop and listen to live music everywhere but the crowds were cut by half. And we still lost Nick every time and always found him in the same place. Last weekend the gang went, but as we had just been home before Christmas, we couldn't make the trip again so soon. They had a good time as always. They went to the wine and food tasting and could see all the wonderful decorations for the House contest. I miss this!

In honor of Mardi Gras, this is my "shrine" to the beads, the colors, the food and the music! and to all our Mardi Gras pals!

Friday, February 16, 2007

Stamping Memories Class





This is one of the two classes I will be teaching on March 24 in Cooper City Florida on March 24th. I'll be doing a fun make n take at Josie's crop the night before and teaching an altered storage tower in the morning and this fun mini album in the afternoon. I love all the bright citrus-y colors. You can reach Josie through stampingmemories@hotmail.com or by phone to reserve your spot (954-318-6850) Tell her Jules sent you!

Don't forget to come by the Scrapbooks N Stickers booth at the SB Expo in Orlando the first weekend in March. I'll be co-teaching a two hour class with Kim and am looking forward to working with both her and my pal, Barb! Look out Orlando! I'll also get to see my new pals, Kelsey and Roz. Roz is also a Smoochie Girl so you know great fun is in store! Kim has a new web site and on-line store with a mb and a gallery at www.scrapbooksnstickers.com . Come on over.

Hilltop Memories (www.hilltopmemories.com) has a great crop tomorrow in Sarasota. If I were not expecting company for the weekend, I would be there in a flash. I am hoping to get to several upcoming retreats and crops as these gals do it up right!

Happy Weekend All,

Thursday, February 15, 2007

The Big Evening Out







As most of my friends know, we don't eat out very often. My husband is such a wonderful cook that eating in is often superior to any restaurant around. We do make special days like Valentine's and our anniversary even more special with an evening out. Last night we met friends, Dewey and Karen and Dewey's brother and his wife at our favorite restaurant, Vencenzo's in Bonita Beach. From the front, the restaurant does not look like anything speical. You have to watch carefully on the right side of the road or you will drive right by it. It sits down off the road and has that "olde Floria" look (ie rundown, slanting a bit towards the water and little parking). But once inside the doors....ooh la la! The main dining room offers an amazing view of the back bay and we once watched a gator cruise by during pre dinner drinks.

We were seated on the screened in veranda area and the weather was perfect. There was a light breeze off the Gulf but not so cool we needed jackets. E bought me the very pretty blouse you see in the picture when we went shopping for essentials earlier in the day. This is not what I would have selected for myself but I do love the pattern and the colors.

I had the grouper with all sorts of goodies on it, and started supper with bruchetta and one of the freshest salads I've had in eons. E had the lobster and crab bisque and almost licked his bowl. He had the lamb dish for a main course. Karen and I split the almond and white chocolate confection for our final course. I'd have a pic of that too but we ate it before I thought.

We keep talking about trying a new place with Dewey and Karen but the four of us end up back here at least four times a year.

I am scrapping later today and hope to have something new to post. There is an idea swirling around in my head just screaming for me to get it down on paper!

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Valentines Day Two (2-13-07)






Last night's super supper was divine. It is a rare thing when E does not do an exceptional job with any of our meals, but he outdid himself this time. The coconut shrimp were crisp and juicy, the steak tender and its sauce so good, we were mopping it up with the rustic bread. The spinach dish was so creamy and rich, we didn't even have to chew...it just melted in our mouths. And then there was dessert...oh my, can you say, Heavenly? I can. The tiny berries on the top are actually pomegranet seeds and were the perfect topping.

I woke this morning after a bad sleep night to chocolates and a beautiful card. It was twelve years ago today that E dropped to one knee and proposed. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Three days of Valentine's




Day One started yesterday when I picked E up from work around 2:30. He had this wonderful bouquet of flowers for me. He has always been a romantic kind of guy and does things in a big way. He is off work today and this is our menu for Day Two of Valentine's:

Coconut shrimp for a teaser
Seared Beef Tenderloin Filets w/Bearnaise Sauce
Boursin Creamed Spinach
White Chocolate Mousse with Pomegranate Sauce

I'll take pics of this for sure. He started cooking about an hour ago for the meal which will not even be served until six this evening. I think he is working on the dessert!

Tomorrow, the actual Valentine's Day, we have a date with our friends, Dewey and Karen, at our favorite restaurant, Vencenzio's on the bay in Bonita Springs...I love this place and the food is even better, if possible, than the view! I'll need to wear something with an elastic waist, of that I am certain!

Have a great day!

Monday, February 12, 2007

Last call for "Beautiful"/Hang Ten's Feb. kit





We still have a few kits left and you are not going to want to miss this one! Originally we said we'd be including 5 12x12 My Mind's Eye Bohemia papers but we increased this by 1 so you get 6 of those plus one piece of 12x12 cardstock, 2 chalk cat's eyes, on rub on, a foam brush with paint, the amazingly cute Biscuit book by Delish, a gauzy drawstring bag for carrying your project and much much more for $25.00 plus shipping. You can still order this through www.scrapbookshack.com or you may contact me directly at eeickmeier@hotmail.com

As of March 1, we will be calling Hilltop Memories (www.hilltopmemories.com)our new home so watch the site for something wonderful from Hang Ten Paper Arts.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Yes, my house is for sale...




and NO, I will not

1. find you a maid or a gardener. That is what the yellow pages are for.

2. "throw in" my bedroom furniture and my Italian imported couch

3. give you my grandmother's walnut pull chest that was part of her dowry

4. take down all the wall paper and repaint to see if you like the house better

5. remove the hot tub and enlarge the lanai

6. get you a permit to put in a pool on the side of the house

7. tear up the carpet in 2 rooms because you don't like the color

8. give you a lighting allowance

9. offer you a second beer out of my fridge (I didn't offer you the first one!)

10. accept your insulting offer for my house of 70,000 less than the listed price

11. replace the washer and dryer (we are offering you a year warrenty on the appliances and the house as is)

12. install the storm shutters...we'll give you our video

13. pick up the association dues for your first year (you are getting a steal on the house as it is...don't push your luck).

14. take the word of your stock broker that you have the money instead of you coming up with earnest money.

15. take the tiles out of alcove because you don't like lighthouses

Biker Babes....not!





Here are Barb (one of the best roomies a gal can have on the sb convention circuit!) and me atop some awesome Harley bikes. Did we crank up these beauties and head on down the highway..looking for adventure? Ah, no. We posed and postured but I gotta tell you, had I known what I was doing, I think we would have. A friend of ours who owns a hot pink Harley took us to the HD store in Ft. Worth Tx and Barb and I took turns taking pictures of us on the bikes. We even got a couple of "backside" shots of two hot guys in leathers! and, if I remember correctly, later that evening we also got some shots of some 'not so hot' cowboys on their horses outside of Cattleman's where we had dinner.

Now I need to examine my obvious fixation with backsides...I'll keep you posted on my findings!

Friday, February 09, 2007

Busy Busy Busy! and lovin' it!

I just finished trying to update my calendar and wow! is there a lot going on!

FEB:
* 17-? our good friend, Chuck and Linda are coming and we hope to go kayaking off Pine
Island and visit the artists' colony of Matlacha
*24-35 our last open house here. If we don't get any hits, we'll be taking the house
off the market.
* 25 On-line crop at www.littlescrapbox.com


MARCH:
* 1-3 Orlando scrap Expo: I'll be teaching with Kim Hodges of Scrapbooks N Stickers
(www.scrapbooksnstickers.com)
* 13 St. Louis Cardinals play the Twins here in Ft. Myers (love those Spring
Training games)...many thanks to Kim!
*23-24 teaching at Stamping Memories in Cooper City Fl (stampingmemories@hotmail.com)
*26-28 Key West w/the kids

I think I need a side bar to help me keep track of where I am suppose to be and when...lol

Plus, there are tons of fun stuff coming up with an Expo in St. Louis in April, a bunch of crop opportunities with Hilltop Memories (www.hilltopmemories.com), a big even with Scrapbooks N Stickers on Marco Island in Sept....and Creative Escape!

And then there is the move for the Hang Ten Paper Art kits on March 1st to Hilltop Memories!

Off to take a nap...I've made myself tired!

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Tagged by the Kipster!

1. What time did you get up this morning?
AWAKE AT 3:30 AM AND GOT UP AT 5

2. Diamonds or Pearls? DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? NO CLUE...WE RENT MOVIES

4. What is your favorite TV show? SURVIVOR, GREY'S, CSI, BONES, ETC.

5. What did you have for breakfast? TOASTED CHEESE SANDWICH

6. What is your middle name? KAY

7. What is your favorite cuisine? ITALIAN


hat foods do you dislike? LIVER, ANY FATTY MEAT, PEPPERS

9. Your favorite Potato chip? RUFFLES HAVE RIDGES

10. Favorite CD you've been listening to lately? BOCELLI

11. What kind of car do you drive? MINI VAN W/128.000 MILES PLUS

12. Favorite sandwich? TURKEY ON WHEAT W/MAYO

13. What characteristics do you despise? PEOPLE WHO DON'T TAKE CREDIT FOR THE WORDS/WORK OF OTHERS, POUTERS.

14 What are your favorite clothes? MY CARGO SHORTS AND A WHITE BASS TEE

15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where WOULDN'T you go?

ANYWHERE IN THE MID EAST OR THE FAR EAST...NO INTEREST AT ALL

16. Favorite brand of clothing? CHICOS, BASS, JJILL

17. Where would you want to retire? I AM RETIRED AND HAPPY IN PARADISE

18. Favorite time of day? DAWN VIEWED FROM THE HOT TUB W/MY HONEY

19. Where were you born? WATERLOO, IOWA



20. What is your favorite sport to watch? DON'T WATCH SPORTS

21. Who do you think will not send this back? NO CLUE BUT I AM TAGGING TWINKS, SHAR AND JAYNE

22. Person you expect to send it back first? ANY OF THOSE 3

23. Pepsi or Coke? DIET COKE

24. Cougars or Huskies? NEITHER

25. Are you a morning person or night owl? MORNING

Pedicure or Manicure? DO I HAVE TO PICK?

27. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? THANKS TO KAREN, I WILL BE JOINING THE GANG AT CREATIVE ESCAPE IN AZ. COME SEPT.




28. What did you want to be when you were little? I WANTED TO BE A TEACHER SINCE I CAN REMEMBER. I RETIRED FROM TEACHING HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH AFTER 30 YEARS AND HAVE CONTINUED TO TEACH BUT NOW I TEACH SCRAP BOOKING TO ADULTS.

29. What is your best childhood memory? SUMMERS AT MY GRANDMOTHER'S IN IOWA

30. Piercing? YES, EARS ONLY

31. Ever been to AFRICA? NO




32. Ever been toilet papering? YES

33. Been in a car accident? YES

34. Favorite restaurants? VINCENZOS IN BONITA SPRINGS

35. Favorite flower? HYDRENGIA (SP?)

36. Favorite ice cream? COOKIE DOUGH...NOT A BIG ICE CREAM FAN

37. Favorite fast food restaurant? JUICY LUCY'S

38. How many times did you fail your drivers test? PASSED FIRST TIME

39. From whom did you get your last e-mail? KIPPER

40. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? POTTERY BARN

41.

Mountains
or Ocean? AGAIN, WHY PICK...I LIVE NEAR THE GULF AND USE TO SNOW SKI

42. Who are you most curious about their responses to this? ANYONE

43. Last person you went to dinner with? MY HONEY

44. How many tattoos do you have? NONE BUT MAY GET ONE THIS JUNE TO CELEBRATE MY 60TH B'DAY

45. How many people are you sending this to? 3

46. What time did you finish this e-mail?

ABOUT A QUARTER OF 8 PM

47. Favorite magazine? SOMMERSET STUDIO

48. If you could meet any famous person, who would it be? COLIN POWELL

49. If you could choose another first name, what would it be? NO CLUE

50. If you could choose another profession right now, what would it be? I HAVE AND I DID....I AM PART OWNER OF A PAPER ARTS KIT COMPANY AND TEACH SB'ING.

Morning faithful blog readers,

It is cool and damp here in Paradise. I always feel so sorry for the tourists who come down expecting warm days and balmy nights and we get this crappy no sun, and highs in the 60s. And it seems like the planes are arriving about every 5 minutes these days. Hopefully the weather will clear soon. I always feel much more light hearted and able to deal with annoyances better when the sun is out and the surf is up!

We're off to the cemetery today to change the decorations on my folks and aunt and uncle's grave sites. My sister and I try to do this about once a month and then take our selves out to eat. Today my niece and great niece are joining us. We are armed with coupons to craft and scrapbook stores and I have a shopping list for one of the kits for Hang Ten....ribbon is on sale and I always have ribbon in my kits...lots and lots of ribbon!

I did manage to get a layout done that I am doing for commission and two or three more planned out. A friend who is a photographer has offered photos and I am very excited to be working with her...Robin Gibbons is an amazing photographer. I'll be putting up a link soon to her work so you can see for yourself.

I also had one of my layouts accepted by Basic Gray for display in their gallery. It has been eons since I have submitted anywhere for publication so this response was nice.

Have a great day all!

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

It is going to be one of "those" days

I didn't sleep well to begin with thinking about the discrepancy in a paper order for my kits and trying to figure it out. Then, we got an upsetting phone call from a dear friend followed by too much coffee!

I know that most things that appear out of our control are not worth the worry, but it seems that is what I do best. My mother was a worrier and I seem to have inherited this trait from her.

I am off for some much needed scrap therapy. I might as well try to accomplish something over which I do have some control.

I need some cheese with my whine!

Monday, February 05, 2007

Super Bowl Sunday at our house




We had our neighbors, Ed and Deb and Kathy and Lyman, over for Super Bowl. We played more cards and talked than we did watch the game. None of us really had a favorite team but, since my pal, Maria, is from Chicago, I rooted for the Bears. Oh well...that is how my luck affects sports teams. For the past few years, every time the Rams played and I put out our Rams flag, they lost and usually by a large margin. I kept thinking that eventually, the owners of the Rams would contact me and offer pay if I did NOT fly the flag!

E went all out on the food: he had little sausages in a cherry bbq sauce, a wonderful dip made with cottage cheese with 4 kinds of crackers, wings from our favorite wing joint, Buffalo Chips, potato salad and a huge baked ham just to mention a few of the items. I ate far too much as usual. I hope everyone had as much fun as I did. Usually Super Bowl parties hold little interest for me as I do not understand football despite years of coaching cheer squads. This was a nice mix of good neighbors, good food and a good time.

Sunday, February 04, 2007

Take Time to Smell the Roses




Yesterday was a bit of a disjointed day...the kind where you just 'can't get there from here' in many ways. I was on a search for E for a medium sized crock pot, getting a birthday gift for a one year old, and ink for my traveling printer. Only when I got to stop number 1 did I realize I did not have my driver's i.d....I went into panic mode for a bit, bought the baby gift w/the cash E had given me for the crock pot and tried to remember where I had used my driver's ID last. It turned up in my shorts pocket from when I had biked up to the grocery store the other day, and is now nice and clean as it went through both the washer and dryer. I raced back out to fax an application to teach and the UPS store had closed ten minutes before...no crock pots in sight but I found my ink at Wally World (who had the right sized crock pot, but no cord for it!).

On my way out, there it was. The sweetest miniature rose bush. The inside buds are a soft pink and the outside petals are a lovely yellow. Rob had given me 3 miniature rose bushes in a lovely planter for Mother's Day a year or so ago but a cold spell had divested them of blooms, and life. Now I can replace one of them!

When I was taking the pictures for the blog, Goofy came up to the plant and I thought he was just going to sniff the buds. Oh , no...he bit one off completely. I must have been yelling at him and he moved when I took the shot! You get the idea. (Back to my digi photography book and the section of taking pic of pets!)

Happy Super Bowl to all

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Fun day with my niece...



Yesterday, my niece Jen, came over to scrap her Disney album while I played with some new papers. We took a break when E got home and headed up to Mullock Creek Marina for a cold brew and to get some great veggies from the Veggie Man who shows up every Friday there. We headed back to the house and had some of E's great Gumbo!

Jen got a great new haircut. She had seven inches, at least, whacked off and had a color update to boot. I loved the stacked haircut on her and it made her look even more slender than she already is. Of course, Aunt Julie just had to snap her picture and commemorate the occasion with a layout! The Romani papers by Basic Grey were perfect for this!

Friday, February 02, 2007

Making a list and checking it two/three/four times...

I have tons of little pieces of paper here on the counter where I sit with Minnie, my lap top. Every morning I add to the stack with more things to do and to remember and, by evening, the papers are everywhere.

This morning, in an effort to become that more efficient person I know I am capable of being, I gathered all the little scraps, the memos, the notes written on the edges of coupons and put them on one manageable sheet of lined notebook paper.

Step two consisted of actually doing something with this list. I refused to put more than ten things on it which meant dealing with some of the others 'have to do's' before I could attend to The List as I have taken to calling it.

I combined a couple of the 1-10 items by riding my bike up to Curves, asking to have my membership dropped (I have not gone in about 3 mo.) and stopping at the UPS store on my way home for stamps. I paid my bills, put the stamps on the envelopes and they are winging their way as I type.

I am down to 3 items remaining: use my gc from a girlfriend from last Christmas for bike tags, order Harry Potter (never got that done after all last night) and locate an address for a lss where I am teaching in March (sent e-mail requesting help from a pal on that coast).

Sat. morning, I will repeat the same procedure of listing only ten must do items and actually doing them. I've read that it takes about 3-6wks. to form a new habit when you break an old one. Wish me luck!

Oh, and I'll post the picture of the lovely amyrilis sp?) that is blooming on my front porch but you may have to wait for tomorrow's list! lol

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Did you ever have one of those days where....

everything came together? This is my day (record it please!)! So many pluses (or Smiles as I post in a couple of places!)
1. I am going to be teaching at an expo in my old home town ...St. Louis! Look out Old Towne St Charles...mama is coming home!

2. the Hang Ten Feb kits are selling well.

3. My honey has Jadee's Dad's Ribs on our grill (you would die for these: marinated in spices and a mustard sauce overnight and then fired on the grill)!

4.We are having weather that the Snow Birds come here for....balmy breezes off the Gulf, warm sun and that tang of salt air.

5. We are finalizing our plans for the kids's Spring Break so we can do Key West for 3 days! Look out Key West.

6. No new bills in the mail and my cost of living increase on my pension was 2.00 more than my increased house payment....

Tell me good things about you and your life!

"Beautiful" on sale now!



In less than half an hour, the Hang Ten Paper Arts kit for Feb. goes on sale at www.scrapbookshack.com. We have a limited number available so don't loiter! This kit is packed full of lovelies and is designed for wallet sized pics or cropped 4x6 photos. What a great Valentine's present this would make!

I have added St. Louis (April 13th and 14th) to my Orlando and Tampa teaching gigs. I'll be teaching for Scrapbooks N Stickers, who carry tons of must have items in the vendor's booth and in the on-line store (www.scrapbooksnstickers.com) for the Orlando and St. Louis Conventions and am teaching for Hang Ten Paper Arts in Tampa.

We have a few clock kits left and a couple of Winter Wishes kits in our Moving Sale at www.scrapbookshack.com. So check these out!

Off to run a gaz'zillion errands today so have a good one. It is down right balmy here in Paradise!