updated photo ....still searching!

I think we might be getting closer!

Searching for missing boy.....

anyone seen him?
He turns 8 on Sunday and we are just wondering where he has gone!!

Feeling better

Oh that is just music to my ears.
I have been a bit sick.

I actually got rest and took care of myself on my 5 day Scrappin Weekend. S.A.V.E. was just awesome and I really thought I would come home all refreshed and ready to go, but somewhere along the way of being with close to 140 woman I got sick! But I can feel the end is near, and hopefully the use of tissues. Do have to put them on the shopping list for tomorrow!

Kate and Josh are doing ok. As Kate says...."no time to be sick!" So she got her round of antibiotics and they seemed to have done the trick. Can't wait to open the windows again...that has to be the worst part of the winter!

In Wrestling news...

Josh is 8-1 on the year with one more match next week. He should be seeded up in the top 4 for his weight bracket for the East Penn League tournament. It is pretty excited since in his first year last year he was ranked last. He has worked very hard this year and is really starting to mentally get more and more each week. They work so hard on learning all year, it is really exciting to see them put the moves together in a match and see their excitement when it actually works. We are so proud of him and are looking forward to a great tournament season!

So today I am working on the Coach's scrapbooks for Football. We have our banquet next tuesday and I have them about 1/2 done. It should go pretty quickly now that I have the intital patterns done. Hope to post some of the pictures soon.
Also gearing up for Chantilly in a couple weeks. I can't wait to go and have some fun with the girls. Also so excited to be taking a class with Stacy Julian. I am not sure if she is ready for all 11 of us in class...but I can guarantee it will be a hoot!
Also loving all the new things coming out at CHA(Craft & Hobby Assoc) This is the semi annual show where us retailers buy the new things for the year. I have already ordered many things and am not too upset to not be actually going to the show this year. The vendors are all making it so easy to order without going to the show that it is great to be saving the $1000.00 or so dollars it would cost to go and spend it on new inventory instead. More great things to get for the Corner Store. Tim Holtz is also doing some great little videos over at his blog, showing how to use his product...and it is a great idea! I have had a rush of orders for his new Design ruler, fragments and his scissors this week! You go Tim!

So I am loving life, it is so great to be home running my business, enjoying my friends, and cherishing my family. We have just finished up putting the final touches on our Alaska vacation in June and now just have to plan which excursions we want to do. My friend Deena has been giving me great websites to visit and look at all the things we can do. It is so exciting! 12 days of an unforgettable trip.

Josh is turning 8 in just a few more days.....

Hangover!

Yep, that is the right word...

Now this was not the typical hangover...it is a Scrappin Away Vacation Hangover!!!

Yep 4 great days of scrapbooking with 130 women!!! I have to say this was one of the BEST EVER weekends too.

There were 130 women there to have a great time. They were there to scrapbook! I saw alot of productivity. Met some new ladies, and loved it that they have already told me they would be back! Saw some old friends, and it is always great to see them return year after year. Saw som ladies that I haven't seen for a while, and was glad to get to see them again. I usually have alot of stress going on at my events. But I have to say this year it was different. The girls working in the Corner Store were just fantastic, and I am so BLESSED to have them in my life. Trish, Deena, Ruby, Kim , Steph , Julie , Dot and Linda...you all ROCK!!! I couldn't have had such a successful event without each of you! Thanks so much.

A big shout out too all the ladies that came to the event too. I know there are many choices out there for weekend events, and places to shop. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting my new adventure in the Corner Store and your compliments to me this weekend made me smile alot. I love bringing you the latest and greatest in scrapbooking. Can't wait to start getting more things in after we see what they come out with in Feb at CHA.

Now I am going to take a few days off from everything and get things organized for taxes and finish doing inventory. Josh is home today and we are going to go enjoy a movie and some lunch together. I missed him so much this weekend. My little guy is turning 8 in a couple weeks and I just want to soak in every minute with him. He wrestled on Sunday and he won both his matches, which makes his record 7-1 this year. 2 more weeks of wrestling for the league, and then we start the tournament season.

So I am nursing a sore throat this morning and feeling a little bit under the weather. But hopefully it will pass soon. I have so much scrapping momentum now I just want to get to it. Chantilly, VA for Scrapbowl 2008 is just around the corner and I can't wait to get down there and scrap the weekend away with 10 of my friends.

Last week I went over to my friends house, Julie. Her little one and I played the Wii , bowling was her game and she WON!!! I just love this girl for her silliness and excitement! Go Sydney GO!! You ROCK!

Still Rollie's Words....

Just hanging a new sign for this month.



The Corner Store sign was made by my great friend Julie and I wanted to hang it up here for this month. Since this month starts a new year and a new beginning. I love having this little store and this month I am vending for the first time at an event. Rosie is doing her Katrina Crop again this year. I am so happy to be a part of this. It has a special place in my heart. These families are still struggling to get their life's back, and so many have forgotten that there are so many still suffering so much from the horrific event. So we are going to raise some money to help families get back on their feet. Some great raffles and prizes are up for grabs!



It is hard to believe that one week from today I will be heading up to Split Rock to get ready for 4 days of cropping at S.A.V.E. . This is an annual event that I look forward to every year. This year promises to be even better then ever before! Great classes and great people to spend four days with!!



So in other news, We took our trip to NYC on Saturday. Kate had gotten the family tickets to see one of my favorite books/movies, "The Color Purple" and it was starring one of my favorite singers FANTASIA!!! So we headed up to the city on the train and headed over to "The Top of the Rock", It was a great day to see the city. We rode the subway, which seemed to be one of Josh's favorites. He liked being able to stand and hold on to the pole.

One of Josh's favorite bands...Green Day! I love this picture!
The Play was AWESOME, AMAZING and more AMAZING!!! I just love the story this book tells, it is a great love story. Learning to love yourself when no one else will. To come from a place where everyone is telling you that you are nothing, and becoming something. How one person caring about you can change your life....but most importantly you have to care about yourself. The music was just amazing! I love the song "HELL NO" and of course the line " God would be pissed off if you walk thru a field and didn't notice the color purple" I still find myself quoting the play. Bought the sound track at intermission, because I knew I wanted it on my ipod. I know that Fantasia is now done with her tour on this show, but I hope she does more, her voice is just amazing!
Josh is enjoying his Ipod Nano....(thanks Grandma) We watched Sponge bob episodes on the way back on the train. I love this picture as we are sharing the head phones with each other.
Then on Sunday it was off to a day of wrestling. We wrestled CB South, their one team has not been beat in 5 years, and our boys did great. We didn't win the Varsity team match, but we gave it a good try. Josh had 3 matches and he went 2-1 for the day. I have had a good time working on getting better wrestling pictures. I still have a long way to go but they are getting better. A lot less are blurs on the screen. We have started taping all his matches also. Kate is having a hard time taping but is getting better. It is hard to yell and hold the camera still. Besides you are doing the moves with them too.

So here we go...2008 is up and running....and I got thru my first session of exercise yesterday! Still don't like it...but did it! I will go back Thursday and continue...maybe one day I will like it. Doubt it tho!!

It is 2008! and 2 years of blogging.

I can't believe about 2 years ago I started blogging. I was reading some of my first post here. Boy what a difference 2 years will make in ones life.
What makes you happy in one moment can bring you nothing but pain in another. Now this doesn't happen over night, but with time and things not being as they seem, it sure can. It is a little like a relationship, say a marriage that goes bad. It starts out so wonderful, you are so in love and lust with someone , or something that it is all bliss. Then when you get down to the nitty gritty, true colors and all that come out. Only the strong survive, and you can only hope you see what is coming before it swipes you up against the head.
Al righty then...on to present day.
WOW 2008!!!
Josh will be 8 years old one month from today. I will be running a GREAT Scrapbooking event in about 14 days. It will be a bit different this year from last year, as we had Ali Edwards up here last year, it was a bit busy and crazy. This year it will be much calmer, and it will be so nice to have the ladies I have coming this year. Looking very forward to a great event with great people!!!
Then it is off to Chantily, VA for Scrapbowl 2008!! Will be seeing some great people, Donna Downey, Kristina Kontes and of course going with 12 of the best girlfriends ever!!!! We are in for so much fun, the stories I am sure will last for a long time.
In April, I am going to South Carolina....or is it North? To spend a great 3 days learning and expanding my art at Donna & Bill's Inspired Art workshop!!! Just had great news that my buddy Steph is going to be joining me too...which is just making it that much better. Working on one more to come with us too!
Then the creme de la creme...is ALASKA!!!! I just can't wait for our family to go on this trip...a trip of a lifetime, something we are looking forward to, and something we will cherish every minute of.
So those are the big things....all nice and easy and all have already been planned booked and we just have to get on the planes and we go.

So here we go into 2008, I have chosen a word for the year..."Simplify" I am going to journal about this this year, it will have many meanings I imagine. I have already begun to do this.

I am now home, working on my online store, running the retreat company. I love having the time to do what I want to do and be able to do it for myself and my family. It is so much better to be doing all the work and reaping all the rewards for it, rather then doing the work and having others reap it. It makes my life so much more simple to reach goals for myself, while not having to answer to anyone else. I love that I still get to see all my friends, and customers. I love going out to meet them with goodies or having them stop by the house. I love having little impromptu crops at the house, and having workshops. It is so great to keep living your dreams.

So 2008 is looking great. Kate will turn 50 this year, and I am sure we will celebrate in a great way! (I have a few ideas )!!

Well back to inventory....packing for S.A.V.E. and living life!