JustaBlog

Hey everyone in blogland!

Actually going to blog a bit before bed. Had this list of things I wanted to talk about on the blog tonight but had an eventful day so I will start there. So Adric falls off the rocking chair, hits his head on the sliding glass door frame on the ground and splits his head open. Lovely. Cassie runs in to tell me Adric fell and got hurt. So I stand and listen for a minute. Usually if it's bad there's the silent cry... then the big cry comes. So I don't really hear anything, then a little whimper or two. So I go check, He looks fine. He's laying face down where he fell and is whining a little. SO I tell him he's fine and tell him to get up, as I start to help him up, yep... loads of blood everywhere. Thankfully I am cool when things happen like this so I tell him just to go to Nana's bathroom, no biggie, no change of normal tone. So we clean him up and.. he needs stitches. I call mom to come since hospitals with all three children is a mess. Now with Clay out of work we have no insurance LOVE THAT. And since they will just bill us I DREAD the day it comes. But man that kid is a trooper and a half. He was really really good. Better than ever. He was super cute and singing and talking to everyone who went by. He would say "Hi Sir" to every man that walked by and said "thank you Sir" to the doctor when he was done with the stitches which cracked the doctor up. He did cry the whole time they did the stitches saying "It's not funny" over and over. And he told me that when he got his head stitched up he was going to look like a monster. Don't know where he got that. Maybe his big brother told him he would look like Frankenstein. Who knows. But the doctor liked it. Now the doctor did rail me a bit about not vaccinating, but to each their own and he moved on. I REALLY wanted to take my camera but I decided that I would preserve his dignity a little bit and not lug the camera around the hospital. But will take some home pics to scrap his first stitches. He looks cute in his bandaid. And he LOVES bandaids so hopefully I can get him to keep it on for the two days he is supposed to. Poor baby.

Today was another challenge day. It was those things where you lay down and do the bicycle kicks - knee to chest, other knee to chest. You know the one. We had all day to do this one as opposed to 3 15 minute sessions. My total: 2313. Over 2300 of em. Crazy. I will be SO sore tomorrow. A little already tonight. But calories burned, more towards goal achieved. Rock on.

So yesterday we went to the CA State Fair. We had a great time. Last year it was over 100 degrees when we went so the lower temps here made it seem like heaven. Here's a few pics to check out (I never show just pics! I am trying hard to do it more)

LIttle CAssie girl was so scared of feeding the animals for the first half of being in the petting zoo but once she did she LOVED it. But she would only feed the baby animals.

This was so so funny. So this was the first year for Frankie to do a few of the more "big boy" rides. SO this one is like a mini free fall. BUt it falls a little goes back up a little falls a little, well you get the idea. So Frankie, every time it would fall screamed like a girl! I was crying I was laughing so hard. And come to realize that so is everyone else around us. All the grown ups just died laughing watching him do that. What a ham.

My proud Frank. He was called up to win a little prize at the Turkey races. He was so funny. So first he couldn't figure out how to get in the pen over the little fence. Causing a little chuckle. Then he is acting so silly, more chuckles. Then they ask his name and he yells into the mike "FRANKIE!!" more chuckles. Then he gives a hearty Gobble Gobble on his turn and wins the love of the crowd. He got the loudest cheer when they put the hands over their heads, etc. A proud Momma I was! Hey what is a turkey race? Or how do they get the dumbest animal ever to remember where to race longer than 5 seconds? Here's how:

They put feed in the back of that truck and they chase the truck around the track. Ah good ole fashioned entertainment. Makes me miss TN something fierce. IT was funny.

So then we go to the Creative Arts buildings. MAN the scrapbook pages. I don't know why I didn't get around to entering. Wanna see them? You know you do.
Second Place:

Tied for Second Place:

MAn I should have fixed these pics before posting them huh? Horrible.
And without further ado..............
The WINNER:

My sweet mom was so unimpressed she insisted I enter next year. I don't know that I think my style would be what they are looking for though if these are the winners this year. We'll see.

All in all the fair was a fabulous time.

Alright have more to mention but will save that for tomorrow. NIGHT.

Saturday night mumbo jumbo

Hey people. Late Saturday night. Been finishing up saving the pngs for my second scrapartist premier kits. You wanna see don't you? Let's get that out of the way and I will ramble on after. Though not sure I have loads to say. Time will tell huh?

A tad different than what I have been doing huh? These last two kits have been really fun. A little break from all the funky boy stuff from the recent months. I will be uploading these tonight and tomorrow to the store and hopefully I can convince Michelle and Nancie to get them up Monday. But I hate to really bother them on the weekend so we'll see. Sometime next week anyways.

Am I the only one that has been thorougly disappointed in the tv this summer? Honestly now so much has been garbage. The only thing I look forward to each week is the two Gilmore Girls on Tuesday nights. I have just been so sick of all the talk about the really bad reality shows this summer. Don't get me wrong I love reality shows. I just think these were all ICK this summer. All the dance ones, Big Brother, Blech. Now admittedly I watch Real World/Road Rules challenge on Monday nights and thank goodness that Project Runway started. But all this buzz about So You Think You Can Dance. Oy. The Stargates are a nice touch on Friday nights but they don't make me happy like Battlestar Gallactica. October for that. And by then all the Fall shows will have started anyways. (though remember BG is the best show ON tv)There are some days during the week that honestly have nothing on tv. And man that lame talent show with Brandy? What could have been worse? On a side note did you see the weird guy who like snapped and slapped himself Bobby Butterfingers or something lame like that? My mom and her friend know that guy and just were in shock to see him get so far. She said that he really is as greasy and weird as he seems. He sold my friend an rv and honestly it seems once a year they mention him and just die laughing at how totally bizarre he was. ANd here he is on that show. I mean it was bad enough when he was on stupid human tricks on Letterman.
Here he is, Bobby BadFingers. OY! Oh poor America if this is up there in the Finals or SemiFinals of the most talented people you have, I feel for ya girl. It's sad really. Sad.

Oh and it is so sad that there will be no new West Wing. Especially after us getting to know all of Santos's new team. We all want to see what happens. *cry* Funny how there are shows you never watch and think are SO not for you then you start watching them in reruns at an odd time of day when nothing is on and suddenly you realize they are some of the best shows ever. Gilmore Girls and West Wing are on my list of my best sleeper shows of mine. I have a feeling that Smallville could become one as well if I ever started watching the reruns but I haven't started yet so we'll see.

Went and saw Invincible last night (after I drove Clay to go get his car). It's that football movie with Marky Mark in it. The commercials make it seem like it has more actual football in it that it really does but it really is a great story and enjoyable as a movie. Not Rudy by any means but good. I still say that the most rockinest movie right now is Step Up that dance movie. LOVED that. Meredith saw it too and loved it. So now you know you have to see it huh?

Oh more tv talk. I do have some new obsessions. One is Miami Ink. LOVE those guys. I would never get a tatoo (well aside from the horrible one I have - does anyone know my tatoo?) but I just think the art they do is stunning and truly inspiring. Amazing really. And my other new obsession? Flip that house. I just love watching these house flipping shows. I wish I had the money to do that. I always wanted to for some reason. But alas I doubt I will ever have the time and money to flip a house. Fun stuff to watch though. Everyone goes past time and budget. They all overestimate what the job is going to be.

I know it has been everywhere but I wanted to do a HUGE shoutout to Gina for her new spot on the SS Digi mag creative board. SOOOOOOOOO AWESOME!!!!!!! Such amazing things happening for digital. You can feel it coming can't you?

OH and a minor, no slash that major change on what I wrote the other day. I put that after those 3 lbs I was down 9.something pounds. WRONG. Screwed my math up. That should have read 12.25 lbs. BIG difference. That 3 lbs is a whole week of hard work. And on that note, I haven't exercised yet and it's 12:59 AM. Must do a little something. 10 minutes at least a day no matter what 5 days a week so I need to bust out and at least do 10 minutes on the bike and my Pilates basic routine. Night peeps!

Sale and new page

Hey ladies! Did you see that the FABULOUS ladies at scrapartist are having a storewide sale to celebrate my coming over there?!

Isn't that so awesome!!! So shop shop!~! SO much gorgeous stuff in there to buy. How does one decide??

And... I did a PAPER PAGE the other night. It doesn't feel done to me yet but I find paper so much harder since I can't just do something and undo it if I hate it. So I'll show you where I'm at with it. And it may stay this way or may change. Now keep in mind I only have like 5 pieces of paper to work with so the colors I have are what I have lol. ANd I really want to do some journaing but haven't gotten brave enough to do it yet. So journaling will come soon. Man maybe I should just finish it and post it later? Nah here it is for now..

Hmm feels unfinished. Will have to tweak it some more.

Argh. Gotta go take Clay to fix his tire and get his car. It's far away. last night Clay called at like midnight that he had a flat in his spare (2 flats yesterday) and that I needed to come get him. Um.. I was mad at him and I didn't think he should have even been where he was... So I didn't wanna EEK. I mean it was right by his friend's house. I was home alone with the children and it was a long drive. Then I get a call from the police ARGH that he can't be loitering outside this gas station and that I needed to get in the car and come get him NOW. Thank God my mom came home from work right then so I didn't have to lug the children. And now here I am needing to drive all the way back there to get the car. ARgh again. Can you tell I am unhappy about the whole situation?

And... my weigh in was yesterday morning. Down 3 more lbs. That makes 9.25 lbs in the last 3 weeks. ROCK ON with my bad self! NOt too much longer until I can clink down a notch on my mom's scale. Having to clink the 200 lb weight SUCKS. I can't wait to be clinking the 150 lb weight hehe. Okay not THAT close to being able to but closer than I have been in a year :)

Okay gotta run!~

God is so cool.

SO the other day I was at my LSS (will show you the stuff I got later) and there were no rounded corner punches and I couldnt' have afforded one anyways. Well in my despair I kept saying, Cassie mom really wants a rounded corner punch. That was.. Saturday. This morning I am wiping the bathroom counter and it is totally empty except on the corner of the counter is......... a CM rounded corner punch (well they call it a maker but..). My mom has a friend who is a CM consultant, but my mom NEVER EEEEVER does anything crafty. She hates it. She doesn't even draw stick figures. SO why would she have a rounded corner punch? I just stood there and looked at this little gift from God sitting on my kitchen counter. God is cool. Really.

Lil' Peek

Oy had another weekly challenge for my BL thing today. Another 3 - 15 minute sessions again. Thank Goodness it was not anything involving my legs lol. After last week's squat challenge I thought I may never sit on the potty without pain again. So this time it was arm raises. Holding a 2lb weight in each hand,  raising my arms to the sides and back down. My totals? They scare me a bit since I am afraid of how I will feel tomorrow lol. Round 1: 451 Round 2: 574 Round 3: 654. Haven't totalled these up but A LOT of arm raises. Chances of being able to even move my arms tomorrow is pretty slim. Can't wait til my weekly weigh in to see how things are going. I weigh Thursday morning so I'll post it Thursday night.

SO.... I have two kits that will be going up at scrapartist soon as my SA premier kits. Wanna see one? Got a few things to finish like holes on my stitches, etc. but here's the previews. I am LOVING both the kits and can't wait til tomorrow to show you the second one :)

Okay off to finish my 7th quart of water for today and read before bed. Night all.

Just a few minutes.

WEll its late and need to do my daily exercise still but just poppin on for a few. Weight stuff is going good. Down a few more lbs this week which rocks. Will see how far down Thursday morning on weigh in day. Goodness. I just want to be able to clink down and not have to use the 200 weight anymore (my mom has one of those cool doctor's office scales where you slide the weights and get realy accurate weight). Just clink down below 200. Should take a few more weeks though *sigh*. This week's BL task is drinking as much water as you can so I swear I am living in the bathroom. Shooting for 200 oz a day.I'm at 192 now so... Should get there. Okay made the BEST yummiest healthy foods today.

Cut 2 large zucchini into french fry size and shapes.
Slightly whip 3 egg whites.
Mix half whole wheat flour and half parmesan cheese with whatever spices. I used Tabasco seasoning salt
Dip zucchini in egg white then flour mix, put on pan sprayed with Pam. Lightly spray top of fries with Pam and bake at 500 degrees until golden brown.

They really get crunchy on the outside like fries and taste just like fried zucchini. Really fabulous and satisfied my munchy carb craving and it was awesome! YUMMY.

Actually scrapped 90% of a page tonight and am done with my TWO new scrapartist DEBUT kits but am struggling with names. Hoping to get those in the store at SA on FRIDAY morning. Wish me luck. Also... am going to start brainstorming the new RAD Collection so if you have a special little boy outfit that needs a kit to go with it, send it my way as I will be gathering swatches the next couple weeks.

Okay off to drink and exercise. Night!

Hey peeps

Hey ladies. I know I don't post here as often as I used to. But I am trying *gasp* to live more in the real world. Part of me is scared that if I am less on the boards, less on the blogscene, etc. just less around it will hurt my sales. But yunno I need to live my real life. I don't want the first thing I think to do in the morning is check the boards. I don't want the last thing I do at night to be staying up late so I can blog. I want to be stretched out in bed reading a book or even better reading my Bible. So let's talk about this real life I am trying to live :)

Let's start with this whole weight loss thing. So on a Christian Mommy's board I am on (I know I mentioned this before) like a Biggest Loser thing. Tomorrow is my second weigh in. I am thinking I will be 9 lbs down tomorrow when I weigh. 2 weeks of doing a more low carb thing. Well doing South Beach. I hate all other diets. All of them. I love South Beach. LOVE. Does EVERYTHING I want and need to succeed. Here's why. You KNOW you want to know....

Okay so the first phase of South Beach is a standard super low carb thing for 2 weeks. Purpose being to eliminate most cravings, stabilize sugars, kick start the metabolism and for me, put me through withdrawls on my horrible, and I mean horrible sugar addiction. Thank GOD I don't drink soda or I'd be a gonner. This time I did a bit over a week on Phase 1 as I had done it what a month ago? But here is where I start to love South Beach... The goal of SB is to eat healthy in healthy portions. All the other diets don't seem to have this goal to me. WW focuses on portion control and in some ways healthier eating, but the concept of points allows you to eat things like ice cream every night if you have the points. Atkins doesn't distinguish carbs from other carbs. Most prepackaged meal diets focus more on calories than anything else IMO that is. Well so anyways... as Phase 2 approaches you start slowly adding in healthy fabulous carbs. Fruit first, then slowly healthy grains like steel cut oats, etc. The goal being to slowly add them until you see how your body reacts to different ones. So the goal being to work with your body, eating amazing healthy whole grains, protein and veggies and fruits in a balanced way that keeps your body happy :) So now here I am... I so far only eat steel cut oats and fruit on my carb list. I am a tad scared to move to rice or anything. The next thing I am adding are some sprouted wheat tortillas so I can have some wraps. And the bizarre thing is for the first time in my LIFE I find myself not feeling the need to eat constantly. I'm *gasp* struggling with not eating enough LOL! It's why I am afraid to add in easy to make things like rice. I may never go back to pasta as I don't know that I can ever control it. Bread scares me too. Maybe it's mostly a wheat thing? Cause I think I can control my eating with rice, other grains like steel cut oats, etc. fruit even, but not bread and wheat and whatnot. Will be interesting to see how it goes when I try and introduce them back.

But MAN so the challenge yesterday. Every week we have a physical challenge day. Yesterday was chair squats. So squatting until your bottom hits the chair and back up. We had to do "however many you can do in 15 minutes" sets three times - yes THREE times. So here's my results....
Round 1 - 268
Round 2 - 235
Round 3 - 321
So in total I did............ 824 squats. Now let me tell you, I am in POOR shape today. Sitting on the potty (yes I have a 2yo learning to use a potty so it's no longer a toilet) and stairs are horrible. So every time I had to take out the trash and go down the 4 stairs or whatever it is, i almost fell down. I looked like a FOOL. I can't begin to tell you how sore I am right now LOL! And I still have to do my 20 minutes of cardio and Pilates after tonight in a few minutes to get my point for the week this week. ARGH.

Okay more real life. So I am finally FINALLY getting the house in order. Really I can't tell you how happy it's making me. I have all these great plans about what I am going to do to get more organized but I have yet to institute them. This is what has gotten me thus far. THE LIST. Yes, the list. That's what I call it, that's what I write at the top of the paper when I write it out, THE LIST - Wednesday. Just says Kitchen - and under that - empty dishwasher, counters, sweep, etc. So the children and I go through and try and clear most of the list everyday. LOVE not living in a pigsty all the time. Love it.

Went and saw Step Up last weekend. LOVE those kinds of dance movies. LOVE em. AND the leads were actually fabulous dancers and in general I loved it. Those types of movies make me really happy. Wish I was watching it again right now. THOUGH... almost forgot a funny story. So.. doing this carb thing right? I hadn't eaten dinner yet when it was movie time. So not being able to grab carbs, I grabbed a chunk of spicy cheese, and a foil wrapped package of spicy sausages my mom BBQed. Sausages LOL. So.. I couldn't find my purse. So mom begrudgingly put them all in her purse. All the while saying how it's going to make her purse smell like sausage. And I of course told her we would take whatever out when the movie was over and it wouldnt' smell at all. So I enjoyed the fabulous sausage and cheese during the movie and felt good about myself. Low and behold we forgot to remove the sausage when we got home and she didn't notice until work and it made EVERYTHING stink HEHEHEHE.

RAD contest winners - I PMed you at SBB your coupon codes - quick use em TODAY! lol.

Okay ladies it's 12:15 AM and I still need to do my cardio and Pilates to get my weekly point., Argh. Off to exercise! NIGHT.

CONTEST WINNERS!!!!!

Okay I have come to terms with the fact that in some ways I really am lame. This whole moving stuff over to SA thing is taking me forever, and I still haven't announced the contest. I don't know why I have such a hard time following through with things. In fact, this whole scrapping and designing thing is the first thing in what seems to be my whole life that doesn't seem to want me to leave it by the wayside. First.. being that the things at SA are taking forever, I am extending my retirement sale and leaving of SBB until later on this week. So if you missed anything, you have a few more days to buy!

The time has come................to announce the winners of the contest. I can't believe all the amazing entries I got. Really you guys are all amazing. I started with just one winner getting $100, but I couldn't narrow it down to one, so here is the way it's going to go. Everyone who enters gets a $10 GC to my store just for entering. There is one winner, 2 Runners up that will get $50 a piece, and 5 Honorable Mentions that will get $25 GCs a piece. Yeah I am indecisive. It's a mental defect of mine. So I will work my way backwards. The Honorable Mentions first. They will win $25 GCs to my store at SBB. I hope you get inspired by all these incredible layouts to follow. It's like a mini fabulous idea book right here.

HMs:
Amy Martin - Man this girl rocks my world. She always does. This layout is so incredubly striking it is nuts. Just stunning. Notice the cool way her photo is almost centered which seems like a no no but her subject is following the rule of thirds making it just sooo pleasing to the eye? And that photo treatment? Just jaw dropping.

Wolfie: So many cool things about this. Not only does it use an older photo which can be so hard to do, has super cool composition with the circle, scalloped edges, and has just a down home handwritten feel to it, it just looks SOOOOOOOO paper! I mean honestly does this look digital in ANY way?? Cool.

Maybeyousee: I am obsessed lately with layouts that create movement. This one just draws you eye perfectly and feels like they are driving off the page. It's just fab.

Luckymomx7: This simple graphic album just blew me away. I wish I could scrap like that. Almost feels like the kit was made for that album of hers. I can't say enough about it I love it so much.

Jorgie5: This double layout spread just rocks. ALl that journaling, fabulous story, subtle circles, torn paper, everything about it is perfect. Should be in a magazine. Submit it chica! Awesome. Love a great story telling layout.

NOW.... the Runners Up. These two ladies layouts were SO different and I just adore em both.
Tali - OH the fabulous Tali. Everything she touches turns to gold. Do I even need to tell you why this is amazing? Beyond being more creative than I may ever have been, look at the amazing details of it all. the stiching all under the title, the arrows stiched going up, journaling strips just everything. Fabulous.

jak8396: There are three layouts that make up her entry. And it's the total of all of them that made me have to make them a runner up. Just a general style that makes me smile. Graphic yet unexpected photo placement. Just fabulous. With the contest being showing off the collection the best these layouts just did it for me. Made me want it. They rock.

OKay the winning layout is SO different than all these up so far. The WINNER IS............ Sarahbcmc!!!!!!!!!

Look at this!! Okay I created this collection to be a harder more boy and teen collection. Then I see this layout that uses all the elements and papers and creates a layout that feels so soft, so cute and sweet. And this is one of those layouts that makes you want to stare at it and stare at it. Look at the details. SO glad to see someone using those little notepaper frames, I just WUV em. All the details are wonderful. Dyno words, splash of orange (genious!) Circle element cluster (I'm a sucker for circles). All in all it is awesome and just a layout whose subject and topic were so unexpected that I feel deep in love with it.

I will PM all the coupons tomorrow so you all can use em in the next few days. CONGRATS to everyone. There were so many fabulous layouts I struggled (as you can tell since it's been a year since the contest - well it seems that long) with picking these winners. PHEW *wiping forehead* I am finally done with the contest thing and can annouce it and get the guilt of being always behind .. well behind me.

Lots to talk about tomorrow but will leave it here for now. Night guys!

Wanna Know?

So. Do you want to know where I am moving to? Do ya?

Do ya?

Huh?

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't begin to tell you how excited I am. Truly. This last year at SBB has just been amazing and I can't begin to thank Amy enough for having faith in me. I am at a place now where I think being in a high traffic fabulous site like SA that is smaller and more intimate will be better for me. Nancie and Michelle have just been AWESOME and I am SO honored for them to think me even worthy for SA of all places! ACK! Can you believe it?? SOOOOOOO COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL.

I'm shooting to start having stuff go in the store on Monday. But there is SO much and only so much time that it may be sometime next week before I am established. I do have a few things in the works that will be debuting at SA ASAP. Want a sneak peek?

Fun new things going on and it's so great. Scary too but great. Change can be hard to push through. But worth it. Until Later..........

Some great happenings!!

The last few weeks have been so crazy. Just CRAZY! From sickness to some crazy things career wise to general family issues, it has just seemed so hectic. I am all better now from my one day flu bug. My mom had it last week so that must have been the same thing. Must have been the incubation period since the big children and I got ill the same night. Thank ya'll for your prayers that little ADric didn't get it. So far, he seems good. But I do have a few wonderful things happening. One I hinted at at DST - can't tell that one yet, and not sure it will officially go through yet. The other..... well....

 

Yep, you saw it. I'm leaving SBB., I have had the most wonderful year there and Amy has been the biggest help and blessing to me. Thanks Amy for putting up with my nutty ways and believing in me.

The announcement of where I'm going is coming.............

Check out my thread announcement HERE AT DST  It has all the links to everything of mine on sale. I can't wait to share my news!

Well it's 2:35 AM and I still have to put all the meat my mom bought in ziplocs and in the outside freezer ARGH so.. should go. But I can't wait until the official announcement. I AM going to announce the contest winners also so that you guys can shop while the sale is going on.

Night!