Year in Review

So I got some good news via email this a.m. I made "Honorable Mention" in the Fancy Pants DT search. And I'm THRILLED! As I said, when I saw the amazing entries in online galleries, then browsed the galleries of the winners, I was FLOORED. Amazing entries. So to be recognized among the talent feels great. Some day I'll get there!

So I thought of what I have accomplished this year in the scrapping world. I am so proud of being a KI Memories "Celebrate Life" finalist. And for those of you who know me, you know I am a KI FREAK. Always have been, always will be. What I'm the most proud of though is that I finally FOLLOWED THROUGH and entered something. (And sorry for all of the ALL CAPS references. Too much java, I guess.) I created an album that I'm proud of. Using product that I'm passionate about. And ended up being a finalist, talking to Kim and Ira Sabel on the phone. That's big. REALLY BIG for me. At least one page of my album will be in their new idea book. That's too cool.

And then recently I was contacted by none other than the amazing Amy Howe to do a few projects for the BasicGrey newsletters. Now those of you who know me know how much I worship that line as well. HEAVY USER. And that somehow Amy (or someone close to her) noticed my work? Wow. I'm BEYOND HONORED.

A few other highlights:

~Even though ProvoCraft was only a one-year term, I was asked to return for another year. I've worked on some cool projects for PC that I will be able to reveal at a later date.
~Several pubs, including some contract work.
~I continue to teach for my LSS, and have a great relationship with them.
~I continue to design for Sassafras Lass, and just got some amazing stamps from their new designs. COOL STUFF.

So I say all of this not to brag, because that's not me. I say it because I think it's important to look at where you've been, to plan where you are going. And while I'm not on some of the teams I've mentioned, I am making some strides. And I need to remember the positives. Hopefully someday I'll be a good fit for another manufacturer, as that is my main goal at this stage. This is just a pep talk for me. Thanks for listening!

On a personal note, I got 90% of the Christmas stuff put away. Wow, that's a big job. When Bill dragged out the tree, I was amazed at the mess. But I do love a real tree! Now to put the house back in order for company tomorrow night. We have the neighbors over, and my sister is joining us as well.

Did the layout of the girls yesterday. Did you notice? I MIXED LINES! Now that is one big newsflash for me. I am so anal about sticking to one line, and I actually wanted to pick up the blues in Em's coat. Also, newsworthy with this layout . . . someone said it was nice to see ME in a layout. Should I tell her it's not me? Or let her believe I'm as beautiful, young, and thin as Emily? It'll be our little secret, OK? ;)

I think Jen is doing better today, and she slept well last night. Well, after she fell asleep at 11:30 p.m., that is! She has been sleeping in, and napping, so her schedule is shot. Today I'm going to have her skip her nap and try to get her back into some semblance of a routine. Going back to school is just around the corner. (Sad. Seriously sad.)

I sat down this morning and submitted about 40 layouts. It's been so dang long since I've had the time to do that. I'm not sure it's a great strategy regarding getting pubbed. Especially since mags are looking for summer layouts, rather than the winter/holiday stuff I've been working on. But that's the way I do it. I scrap for now, not for calls. So far it's worked well, and I'm not willing to do it any other way. I'm still in this to preserve memories, not as a career. I've got one of those already!

So have a great Saturday. And thanks for stopping by!

More illness . . .

in the Rogers household. Now Miss J and Miss Em are sick. Jen woke us up woth this horribly croupy cough. Scared me to death. So I hopped into bed with her and got about 3 hours of sleep. She's in good spirits, but definitely has the cold thing going on. Em has a sore throat, and a terrible headache. She went to work this morning, but since it was slow they sent her home.

I'm bummed because I was going out cropping tonight. But I can't leave Jen like this. I'd be way too distracted. Mommy guilt and all. And to be honest, my scrapping mojo is a tad on the low side right now. I'm sure some of that is due to being bummed that the Fancy Pants thing didn't work out. I love that line, and I was hoping. But once I saw who won, and their amazing work, well I get it. I would have chosen that team as well. And I'm OK with it. I believe when things are meant to be, they happen. And now is not my time with FP. Still love it, and will still snatch up and covet all things Fancy Pants.

Played with the new BasicGrey Blush line. I am teaching a class in February with these papers.

Have a great Friday!

The day after.

And all is well. I really wanted to take down all of the holiday decorations, but Em wouldn't let me. So instead I played with Jen's new toys, (including 3 of her new puzzles), and got a bit of scrapping done. It's been so long since I've scrapped that it takes a while for my mojo to kick in. I'm not sure if it has yet, but I did get a class done for my LSS, and 4 out of the five projects for Scrap Muse. That makes me feel less stressed about my deadlines. Tomorrow a.m. I hope to get the last SM project, and drop off my class to the LSS. Next is some work for ProvoCraft for CHA. I hope to crop on Friday some projects of my choosing. Need to do another class for my LSS using BasicGrey's "Blush" line. I can't wait to play with those papers! They rock!

So tomorrow I hope to post some pics of my decorations. Now that I know they are coming down, I felt the need to document our holiday traditions.

Enjoy your Tuesday. It's my first official day off from school, and I'M LOVING IT!

It's beginning to look a lot like . . .

SPRING! Not what you were expecting? Me neither. But there isn't a speck of snow on the ground, it's in the 40's (which is positively balmy for this time of year in Michigan), and the sun is just'a shining. WEIRD. And I'm one of those people who tells time of year by weather, so this is seriously messing with my head. Or headcold. You choose.

Last night we celebrated the holidays with our neighbors. And while I didn't feel so hot, I still had fun. We sipped hot, German spiced wine. I swear the stuff had medicinal properties. Or I got too tipsy to notice my nasty cold symptoms. No matter, it's all good!

Next it's off to Jami's for the big family dinner. Jen miraculously went down for a nap, so she should be bearable. Then tomorrow Bill's family arrives for a big dinner at our house. I've done this meal enough times that it's not stressful anymore. It's fun, and I'm looking forward to it. I love having people open the presents we bought them. It's my favorite part, despite all the hassle.

So I wanted to wish my four loyal blog viewers a very merry Christmas. I hope Santa is good to you!

My Girls, my gifts

Here is a layout I posted yesterday of my girls. It was using the BasicGrey sketch from the newsletter. These were pictures from the Christmas Card photo shoot. Those pictures turned out so great, and I cherish them. I took some more of them in front of the tree as well, and love them too. Where would I be without my girls?

So this is it. The mad rush to finish all things Christmas. For not feeling well yesterday I got some things done. I got to the grocery store (in the middle of a downpour no less) and made the dishes to pass for Christmas Eve. Plus one for the meal here on the big day. Just need to hit the grocery store AGAIN, and get to the mall for stocking stuffers. Wish me luck. It will get done, I know.

I wish I had some time to scrap. Seriously. I need the "me" time, and I haven't had that lately. Just got a box from ProvoCraft with assignments, and need to make some pages for a class for my LSS. Plus the SM kit. So I imagine my first foray back into the scrapping world will be assignments. No worries. It will get done!

Have a great day, and take a deep breath. It will get done!

Happy (cough cough) Holidays!

~Insert sound of me sneezing here.~ Yep. I'm feeling terrific. Really great. The non-stop running nose is an excellent touch. Good thing I have the next two days to rest and recover. I have nothing planned, except some food prep, and Em will be around to help me. So I'm not going to complain. I know I'm lucky. Our family is whole and healthy (I mean "Big Picture" healthy), and complaining about trivial stuff like a cold is petty.

Here are my last three layouts for KMA. I had a great year with them, and I'm grateful for the opportunity. Speaking of opportunity, I got an email from Amanda at ScrapMuse, and she's short designers for January, so I will be "guest" designing for SM for a month. I miss the kits, and the challenge of coming up with different projects from the same kit. I learned so much designing for them, and Leslie and the gang at SM, well, I love them all!

No word on Fancy Pants yet. Like a fool I have looked at the 2P's gallery at some of the people who have entered. I would hate to have to choose based on the amazing submissions I have seen. Wish me luck, because I'll need it!

Have a great Friday. And Happy (cough cough) Holidays!

Freedom. At last.

The holiday break is finally here. It has been one long, ugly week. The kids are sick, and sick and tired of school. I saw so many stupid behaviors that just frustrate the heck out of me. But this break will do us all good.

Well, my news (part I) is that I was contacted by none other than the fabulous Amy Howe to do a layout for the BasicGrey newsletter. Well, HECKS YEAH! I was so excited! So I sent it off, and you can see it here. It's no secret that I am a huge fan of all things BasicGrey, so this was a huge honor. I am also a huge fan of Amy's. Her little girl is so adorable, and her work is AMAZING. I'm not sure where she got my name, but I'm sure glad she did! Part II to be continued.

Em is having all of her girlfriends over for her annual Christmas party. They do a gift exchange, eat snacks, and laugh for hours. 12 girls in all. Jen has been a ROYAL HANDFUL the last few days, and I'm dreading how wound up she will get with a house full of people. We have told her she can hang with the girls for 15 minutes. THAT'S IT. Then I'm taking her upstairs away from the mayhem and trying to get her to settle down.

Yesterday was just ugly, trying to settle Jenna down for bed. BAD. Em decided they needed to make a gingerbread house together. So kept sampling the candy, which I'm sure didn't help the situation. Emily's friend Emily came over, and they had so much fun making the house. Pics above.

To top off the fun, I feel like I'm getting sick. Reminds me of being a kid, when I would get a crazy-bad cold every xmas. Looks like I'm going to revisit that wonderful tradition. The good news is I'm almost done with the shopping. And everything is wrapped. I just need stocking stuffer stuff. No biggie. Plus I need to do some grocery shopping for the parties/meals. But I did a lot of that last weekend.

Well, I'm off to drink some green tea, and feel sorry for myself. My ears are starting to ache. Good times!

It's getting closer . . .

to the big day! Here are a few layouts I did last night at a crop. Decided to go at the last minute, and didn't have a great plan of attack as to what to get done, so I only completed three things. But had fun nonetheless.

Did a little shopping today. All that I have left to do is a few presents to wrap, and stocking stuffers for the girls. I think this is the least stressful holiday season I have encountered thus far. HURRAY!

In the scrapping world, I have another little scrapping secret which I hope to be able to reveal soon. This is my last month with KMA, and they have just announced their new team. Looks like some incredible talent! Also ProvoCraft is looking at adding some new designers. They are super generous, and I encourage anyone to try for it! I've been asked to stay with PC for another year. If you want more info, look here.

I'm about at my wits end at school. The kids and I are all READY for the holiday break. Seriously ready. Four more days, and then glorious freedom. I can't wait!

Well, I'm off to get ready to go to dinner with some friends from my old school. Have a great weekend, and say hi if you visit my blog!

Happy Holidays!

I am really getting into the Christmas mood now. Em came home last night, and today we decorated the house, and got our tree. The people at the tree farm were so nice. And it was MUCH warmer today than the last few days. The house now smells like the tree. A few years ago my mom gave me some of the ornaments I had as a child. I have so many wonderful memories of Christmas growing up, and putting these ornaments on my tree brings them back. Plus to go to the tree farm we had to drive past the nursing home my dad was in a few years ago. I still have nightmares about the experience. But I took a moment to think about how very lucky we are. Our family hit a rough patch, but we're all doing well right now.

After Emily left today, I ran to the store and got some more gifts. I am 80% done with my shopping. That makes me happy. I also picked up my pictures for my Christmas cards. Had to sign a release again, which always makes me feel good. Professional photographer? It's our little secret.

So have a very happy holiday season. And remember what is important. I know I will!

It's me again!

Well, I've had a lot of time on my hands with Bill gone all weekend, so here are a few more pages. I stayed up really late last night after the power coffee I drank yesterday afternoon. Here is another Sassafras Lass page, and one for my LSS. I am almost done with all of my DT requirements for the month of December. It's nice to be ahead, especially this time of year! Maybe today I can get everything done. And how cool would that be?

Have a great Sunday! Peace out.

Snowy Hello

Well I made a huge dent in the laundry yesterday. Plus I did three layouts. The one I did for Sassafras Lass is shown. What a cool Christmas line! I hope to do another one with the line soon.

Only left the house yesterday to let Jen play in the snow. We got DRENCHED because the snow was coming down so hard. The first picture is a house at the end of my court, so you get an idea of the snowfall.

Jen was catching snowflakes, and it was funny because all of a sudden a blob of snow would hit her face! Good times!

Woke up this morning to no power. Man, what a drag. It was 65 degrees in the house. Turns out the outage only affected 4 houses on our court. It's amazing how many light switches I flipped on in the hopes that one would work. You just never realize how important power is! And Bill was out of town, so I was on my own. I'm so lucky to have great neighbors though. One shoveled the whole driveway, sidewalk, and entry last night. The other came over and helped me get my van out of the garage. I feel so fortunate! So I went to my mom's for coffee (AKA lifeblood), and had a great visit. Got a call that the power was back on. Then came home to do some online shopping. Thankfully I am almost done. Then Jen and I went to the mall and had lunch and did a little shopping. Didn't find anything, but ran into some of my students and we talked about the sweetness of the snow day. My kids know how much I love them. Shameless. That's me! Also ran to the coffeeshop for a white mocha. Life is good.

Took a few pics of my girl today. One inside, one outside. Isn't she just the cutest?


Have a great Saturday!

A Reprieve

in the form of a SNOW DAY! I am officially the snow day queen. There is nothing I love more. I explain to my students how much I love them, and I know they think I'm a freak. But I'm OK with that. Being able to sleep in (which honestly I can't do because I'm SO EXCITED!), and watching the weather out my window unfold, knowing I don't need to do a thing! Practically it allows me to catch up on the mountain of laundry that has mysteriously appeared in my laundry room, and maybe, dare I even dream it? Scrapbook. What a concept. It is supposed to be a nasty storm when it is all said and done. This after temperatures in the 60's earlier in the week. WEIRD.

I just finished my mountain of DT projects. Whew. That feels good to be done. And I was asked to stay on the ProvoCraft team for another year. I'm thrilled! We were originally told it was for one year, so I'm pumped! My term at KMA is over this month, and I'm sad about that. But I didn't choose to reapply. I can't keep up with the message board stuff at this time in my life. Too few hours in the day. Speaking of KMA, here are my three layouts for the month of November.



Have an excellent day! And if you are in this weird weather, stay safe!