Operation Smile Update

$45 so far this month. I've got more opportunities for donations at my Open House this next week so hopefully it will be a whole lot more before the month is over! Please keep this endeavor in your prayers. I really really want to help these kids! Smiles to everyone!!!!

A Special Album

Recently I entered a contest (why, will be explained at the bottom) to create a scrapbook album for a family who had lost a 17 year old (daughter) to cancer (brain cancer, I think). I did not have any photos in hand, just a list of the things the family wanted to include in the album and a Youtube video that someone had created of her for the family. I knew basically that she was a preemie, her favorite color was orange and I got a sense of her "style" from the video. So here are the pages that I submitted. (And I apologize now for the way they are posted, having a hard time figuring out how to get them all straight!) If you click on the picture, you'll see a bigger, clearer version. Then hit your back space.

Okay, so why did I enter this contest and what was the prize (that I won!)???

Just my all time dream job!!! I get to teach scrapbooking classes on cruise ships. There are four different cruises that will be taking place over the course of the next year and 1/2 or so and I get first pick of any or all of them that I want!!! Here are some of my choices: A Western Mediterenean (sp?), a Northern European, a 15-day Hawiian Islands and one to Mexico. The Mexico one will be a repeat of one that I am definitely doing this coming January but hey, I could definitely go back!

Anyway, aside from the obvious delight that I have in winning the "audition" contest, I was truly honored to be able to create an album for this deserving family. I prayed that God would inspire me for each page that it would be just the right design for the pictures they would put on them.

Open House, Ya'll Come Now ya hear?

Yep, I'm having an Open House for my Close To My Heart business this coming week on Thursday and Friday (the 28th and 29th) from 4 - 8 p.m. I'm so excited about all the new products and lots of new changes that will beeffective Sept. 1st. So the O.H. is a sneak peak of everything (well almost everything)! Oh so much fun! There will be games, prizes, make 'n takes and lots more. I only do this once a year and I really try to do it up right so I hope those of you (the 3 or 4) that are reading this will spread the word for me. If any of you get one new person to come to the Open House, you will get a special prize from me. But to get the prize you have to post a reply to this message letting me know that you are bringing them. And, it can't be someone that I have already sent an invitation to, :-). Okay, I've got more to post but I think I need different headings so that's all for now. Hope to see you this week!

Aaaaack!!!!

This is what I was so afraid of . . . . life gets in the way and then no one wants to read my blog because there is nothing new there!!! This week, I was a bad, bad, bad mom, scrap booker, and photographer. Bad because I totally missed taking the First Day of School pictures!!! Why, well because, technically I had to go back to school too and I guess I just got caught up in all that I had to do to get ready and I have a lot of other stuff going on (more about all that in another post) and I totally just FORGOT!!! And N had the gosh darn cutest first day-back to school clothes on too. Dang it!!!! Then I was going to "fake it" this morning and just take a few shots while N and C were at the bus stop and I realized my battery was dead on my camera! How am I going to scrap the first day of school pictures now!! Whew!! Life!!!