My Thoughts, My Opinions, My Life

Come Visit Me On My New Blog

2011-05-16T06:44:00.000-04:00

This will be my last post on this blog. Several weeks ago, I decided to move to WordPress and host my own blog. My new home is Scribbles and Musings. I hope to see you there.

Am I the only one??

2011-04-18T20:36:00.000-04:00

Tell me I am not the only one who has this problem. I have so many ideas for things I want to blog about that I can't decide what to do next and so I do nothing. Surely I am not the only one with this problem.

For instance, I have a couple of followup blogs posts I want do do as far as podcasts and the Roku Box goes. I also really want to share with you how I feel about Walmart photo printing. lol I did manage to successfully complete Project 52 last week, but I have yet to post the photos. I have new stuff from Merkeley Designs that I want to share with you. And a new layout that I really like how it came out, so I need to share it. But it's been several days since I've posted anything.

So, am I the only one with this issue? Am I the only with so many ideas on what they want to do next that they do nothing? Let me know if I am the only one with this issue.

Adventure is Out There - New from Michelle Batton

2011-04-14T09:30:00.003-04:00

Once again, it is time for another Playgroup at FunkyPlaygroundDesigns. This month, the Playgroup is inspired by the Academy Awards. And Michelle Batton has created an amazing collection of products for this Playgroup called Adventure is Out There. If you have any travel adventures to document, or just want to create some All About Me layouts regarding trips you wish to take, then this is the collection for you.

Michelle has create a full kit, two sets of word strips, an extra alpha and a set of lists that you can use to create some wonderful layouts. I have to tell you that Michelle was really inspired when she was working on this.

And until April 18th, each of these products is available for 50% off. I don't know about you, but I love a 50% off sale. (My Paypal account can confirm that. lol) But that is not the end of the deals Michelle has for you.

Michelle also has an Adventure Is Out There Collection that contains all of the above products, plus an extra set of cardstocks that is only available in the collection. Through April 18th, you can get the entire collection for $9.50. That is 57% off the regular sale price. If that's not a screaming deal, I don't know what is.

And as always, I have a layout to share with you. I have to admit that I don't think this layout really does this collection justice. But here is my travel bucket list.documented for all to see. :O)

And here is another layout using the Adventure Is Out There Collection. And this one is not travel related. This kit can definitely be used for all types of layouts.

I highly recommend heading straight to FunkyPlaygroundDesigns to check out Michelle's Adventure is Out There collection and all of the kits that are a part of this month's Academy Awards Inspired Playgroup.

Layout Share: Love to See You Smile

2011-04-13T20:18:00.000-04:00

When David and I were out at 10 Mile Creek on Saturday, I actually managed to get a photo of David where he is smiling and his eyes are actually open. If you look at the photos I scrap of him, you'll know that this is a rare fete. Needless to say, I had to scrap it.

The layout was created using On The Go and Scatter It Templates from Merkeley Designs. I used the Scatter It Templates to create the cutouts in the top paper. The font I used is Boring Showers.

Using paper cutouts is an idea I was introduced to during ADSR 6 and I love it. Expect to see a lot more paper cutouts in the future. And as a Gimp user, templates like Scatter It make using cutouts much easier. (As Gimp is an image manipulation program, it does not contain all the shapes that you'll find in Photoshop Eleements.)

I have to say that I have found On The Go to be a very versatile kit. This is the second layout I've created in the last month using this kit and I've created others as well. On The Go is considered a mini kit, but I have gotten more than a little use out of it.

Hope you enjoyed looking at my layout. I always enjoy creating layouts that feature my sweetie, David. Until next time, don't forget to take a picture.

Butterfly Kisses - FunkyPlaygroundDesigns Collab

2011-04-12T17:00:00.015-04:00

Have you seen the latest collab from FunkyPlaygroundDesigns? It is absolutely gorgeous. Butterfly Kisses is perfect for all those Spring layouts and those layouts that just need a more feminine touch.

And this kit is just packed with goodness. Here is what you can find in the kit.

[1] alpha
[37] 12"x12" papers
[77] unique elements
[1] layout template

And normally, Butterfly Kisses costs $7.00. And at $7.00 it is a great value. But through today, you can pick up Butterfly Kisses for only $3.50. Now that is a good deal.

This month, Butterfly Kisses is also available as part of a collection that contains 12 quickpages and 4 page starters. So if you are creating layouts on the run, this is the collection for you.

Of course, you can also pickup the page starters and the quickpages separately.

I created one of the Butterfly Kisses quickpages. Here is my layout using that quickpage.

I hope you'll stop by the store and check this kit out. You can also head on over to the FunkyPlaygroundDesigns gallery to see some fabulous layouts created using Butterfly Kisses.

Do you know how David and I met?

2011-04-12T09:30:00.003-04:00

Well, for those who don't know, I am here to tell you. David and I met in an IRC chatroom on Dalnet. That's right David and I met on the Internet.

It was the Summer of 2000. I was watching the Democratic National Convention (yes, I do things like that) and chatting in #mormon-friends with Randy (wolffarmer) about what was being said. David was in the same chatroom, but he and I really hadn't met. (At the time, #mormon-friends was a very active chatroom.) However, he was very impressed by my discussion with wolffarmer, so he decided to send me a private chat. And that is when I began chatting with David.

After David and had chatted for a couple of weeks, we began talking on the phone. The whole time we were saying we just wanted to be friends that is all. And then we started planning a visit for David (who lived in Florida) to fly out to Texas to meet me. David flew in to DFW airport on Thursday, October 12, 2000 and we met in person for the first time. It was a short visit as he had to go get his car and our first date wasn't until the next night. While it was a short visit, it is a very important date as it is the day I met David in real life.

Here is a layout I created about David and I meeting in an IRC chatroom. The layout was created using Funky Club Vol 2, Week 14 by Amanda Carlson.

(fonts used: SNF Mellow Moxie, Annoying Kettle Serif Bold Italic)

I'll be back another day to tell you about our first date. Then you'll know why our meeting on 10/12 ended up being so crucial.

Why I no longer love Buzz Out Loud

2011-04-11T21:19:00.000-04:00

If you read the My Favorite Podcasts post that I did back in September of 2009, then you know I love listening to podcasts in the car. And one of my favorite podcasts, up until recently, has always been Buzz Out Loud. I could keep up with the latest tech news, one of my obsessions, with a podcast that was not only relevant but funny. I thought the podcast team of Tom Merritt, Molly Wood and Jason Howell (aka JaMoTo) was just about perfect. I started every weekday listening to the Buzz Out Loud podcast from the previous day.

But change happens and about a year ago Tom Merritt moved from CNET to TWiT. Tom was replaced by Rafe Needleman. Rafe was no Tom but it was still my favorite podcast. Within two or three months of Tom Merritt moving to TWiT, Jason Howell made the same move in order to produce Tech News Today for Tom. I hated to see him make that move because that put an end to the last vestiges of JaMoTo. But even with that change, I still considered Buzz Out Loud my favorite podcast.

And then the change happened that broke Buzz Out Loud, Rafe was replaced by Brian Tong. I'd love to know why that change was made, because it ruined my favorite podcast. I love Molly Wood. Brian Tong, with a host other than Molly, I can handle. But I do not like the combination of Molly and Brian.

Since Molly and Brian became co-hosts, Buzz Out Loud has become some weird combination of the old Gadgettes show and Buzz Out Loud. And it's not that I didn't love Gadgettes. I absolutely hated to see that show come to an end. I loved the silliness of it and how it could be over-the-top. But you know what, Gadgettes was definitely not a family friendly show. That doesn't mean I didn't love the show, but I won't pretend that it was family friendly either. However, Buzz Out Loud was up until recently.

Since Molly and Brian began hosting Buzz Out Loud the show has gone from being humorous to just silly. And Brian brings a level of raunchy to the show that I just do not enjoy. I find myself wishing for the days when either Molly or Brian, preferably Brian, will be away from the show. Cause then I know Buzz Out Loud will be more like the show I used to love. (For instance, I know Brian is on vacation all this week and I cannot wait to listen to today's episode.)

If it wasn't for the fact that I am a fan of Molly Wood, I would have given up on Buzz Out Loud long ago. And if I didn't ride to work with my husband, who prefers Buzz Out Loud, Tech News Today would now be my first podcast of the day. I would only listen to Buzz Out Loud when I had extra time.

I know that Buzz Out Loud is not going to return to being hosted by Tom, Molly and Jason. But if someone at CNET could find a new co-host for Molly I would really appreciate it.

New Templates from Recherche by KH Designs

2011-04-11T10:15:00.001-04:00

If you are like me, you will have times when you are just scrapbooking like crazy. You are just putting out a layout or two every day or so. And then *boom* the mojo monster strikes and yours is gone. When that happens to me, and it happens a little too often, then I start looking for ideas to get myself going again. I am on four creative teams, so I can't afford for my mojo to be gone for too long. One of the places I turn when I need a little extra help is templates.

Templates are such a great way to help you get started with a new layout. Plus they are so versatile. You can use a template "as is" or you can can rework it to fit the photos or your personal style. You can really make a template "yours". And Recherche by KH Designs has some new templates that I think you are really gonna like. Her latest templates are Tempting Starts Volume 1 and what makes them really cool is that each template comes with a glitter element that you can save to use on other layouts.

I've already created one layout using these templates. And I have at least one more planned, maybe two. Just depends on how this coming week goes. My first layout features my sweet dog Sazume. She is such a sweetheart that she deserves lots of layout featuring her cute face.

Layout Credits: Spring Bouquet from Daybreak Scraps and Recherche by KH Designs, Mud Puddles from Recherche by KH Designs and Tempting Starts Vol. 1 also from Recherche by KH Designs

I know a lot of us are working like made on ADSR 6, but I still recommend taking a breather and heading over to FunkyPlaygroundDesigns to checkout these templates.

Project 52: April 3 - 9, 2011 (Week 1)

2011-04-10T23:10:00.000-04:00

I actually took way more than one photo this week. I took plenty on our hike yesterday. But I will be sharing those later. My official photos for this week were taken during our lunchtime trip to a local park. These have not been edited at all because I wanted to get them up this evening.

To save money and calories, we've been eating out a lot less. When the weather is nice, we like to spend our lunch at a park near our office. The park is right on the water. There are benches on a little walkway near the water plus some eating areas in the park itself. I'll read a book on my Kindle while David plays on his phone.

While at the park, I took the two photos of the boats docked near the park. I also grabbed a shot of David. As far as I am concerned I can never have too many of those.

Favorite Conference Talks - Ensign to the Nations - Jeffrey R. Holland

2011-04-10T08:50:00.001-04:00

Last weekend was General Conference for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). If you follow me on Twitter and are not LDS, I may have driven you a little nuts last week. I watched eight hours of conference last weekend and was busy twittering the highlights for all eight hours. And it was a wonderful conference, so there were lots of highlights.

In recent years, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has become one of my favorite speakers. His recent conference addresses have been wonderful and so inspiring. In April 2009, he gave a talk on Christ that has become one of my favorite talks of all time. I am certain I shared it on this blog last Easter. It was entitled None Were With Him. And in October 2009, he shared a stirring testimony of the Book of Mormon (Safety for the Soul). His talks are truly something I have come to eagerly await.

Last weekend, he did not disappoint. His talk, An Ensign to the Nations, did not disappoint. His talk was actually about General Conference itself. And I think he did a wonderful job of explaining why we have General Conference and why it is so important that people attend and really listen. I think this quote from Elder Holland really sums up why it is important.

If we teach by the Spirit and you listen by the Spirit, some one of us will touch on your circumstance, sending a personal prophetic epistle just to you.

I know that there were several points made in last week's Conference that I really need to work on. And there were also several messages that just really moved me. I am so glad I took the time to listen to all four general sessions.

Here is another one of my favorite points from Elder Holland's talk.

Brothers and sisters, this general conference and the other annual and semiannual versions of it are the continuation of that early declaration to the world. I testify that the proceedings of the past two days are yet one more evidence that, as our hymn says, “Lo, Zion’s standard is unfurled”

Truly General Conference is not just for members of the LDS church but really is for the whole world. It has messages that are important to everyone, regardless of church membership.

And here is one final quote from Elder Holland regarding General Conference.

We testify to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people that God not only lives but also that He speaks, that for our time and in our day the counsel you have heard is, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, “the will of the Lord, … the word of the Lord, … the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation.”

If you missed Elder Holland's talk last week, I highly recommend taking the time to read it or listen to it now. And if you did here his talk, And even if you did listen, his talk is worth reviewing. Below, are links to read and to listen to the talk Elder Holland gave.

I am truly grateful for the opportunity I had to listen to conference last weekend. It was a great experience for me and I am glad I can take a moment to share it with you.

Digiscrap Apprentice Program

2011-04-06T06:45:00.001-04:00

When I got started digiscrapping, I was pretty much on my own figuring everything out. There wasn't a whole lot of help to get you started. And if you've been a paper scrapper, it is a less expensive hobby but it still has it's costs. So you want to get started, but are afraid you won't be able to figure out and then have wasted a bunch of money on supplies. Well, Kiki Halbert has a program just for you.

Kiki is once again accepting people in to her Digiscrap Apprentice program. As part of the program, which lasts three month, you will receive mentoring from Kiki and members of her creative team. You will receive help in learning to create layouts and constructive criticism to help you improve.

As part of the apprentice program, you are a member of Kik's creative team and will receive free product to complete your requirements as part of the team. At the end of the three months, if you've completed all your requirements each month, you will receive your choice of three kits from either of Kiki's stores. (Scrapbook Elements and FunkyPlaygroundDesigns).

Think you might be interested. Then head on over to FunkyPlaygroundDesigns announcement forum and checkout the post from Kiki Halbert to get all the details.

I sure wish there had been something like this when I started digiscrapping in 2006. If you think you'd like to try digiscrapping, then don't miss this opportunity.

Profile of a Prophet - Hugh B. Brown

2011-04-03T18:09:00.001-04:00

It was my original intention to talk about General Conference today. But I quickly realized that I would never be able to sum up the last two days without some serious reviewing of my own Twitters as well as those of others who twittered Conference. So that will have to wait until another day.

But during General Conference, Elder Hugh B. Brown was mentioned which made me think of one of the greatest talks I've ever heard. So I immediately headed to YouTube to see if video was available and it was. So I am sharing ii with you today.

If you are not LDS, I still recommend giving the talk a listen. It will help you understand why we consider Joseph Smith to be a Prophet of the Lord. (You will need to listen to all three parts to hear the entire talk, but it is well worth it.)

Sundays are a time when I try to make my blog posts more uplifting. I truly hope you enjoyed listening Elder Brown's talk. It really is a favorite of mine.

And if you follow me on Twitter, and are not LDS, I truly appreciate your patience over the last two days as I went Twitter crazy. :O)

Giving Up Digital Scrapbooking

2011-04-01T07:49:00.001-04:00

I've been thinking about this for awhile and I've decided to give up digiscrapping. To be honest, this used to be one of my favorite hobbies. Opening up Gimp and scrapping was a great stress reliever. Now I just dread opening the program.

I don't know what happened. Maybe I got on too many CTs. Maybe all the unused kits on my EHD is part of the problem. It could be the fact that we don't have children and no one in the future will care about the layouts I've made. I don't really know. I just know that I am no longer enjoying digiscrapping.

I haven't made this decision lightly. I've been thinking about this for awhile. But the time has come to say goodbye to digiscrapping. I am going to finish the ADSR, because I don't want to leave my partner and friend hanging. But when the race is done, I will be moving on to a different hobby.

I've made lots of friends in the digiscrapping world. And I still want to be friends. I hope to still see y'all on Facebook or Twitter. I just won't be hanging around the forums anymore.

Maybe one day I'll be back. Maybe, I just need a rest. But for now, this is goodbye.

One last thing...April Fools!!

Kiki Halbert CT Call

2011-03-28T18:53:00.001-04:00

As y'all probably already know, I am on Kiki Halbert's CT. I've only been on her team for a few months, but I've been a fan for longer. Now, you may be wondering is there a reason why I am bringing this up or am I just talking to hear myself talk. Well, there is a reason. I am here to share with you a chance to join me on Kiki Halbert's CT. That's right Kiki Halbert is having a call for layout artists.

The call runs through April 10th. And the requirements are simple. One layout per kit or element/paper pack that you download and post to three galleries. You also need to create one blog gift for month, but you aren't actually required to create the blog post.

Kiki has two lines of scrapping products. At Scrapbook Elements, she designs under her own name, Kiki Halbert. She also has a line of digiscrapping product at FunkyPlaygroundDesigns under the name Recherche by KH Designs.

Both lines are super easy to work with. And her kits are very versatile, so that you can work with them no matter who your favorite scrapping subject may be.

Do you think you are ready to apply. Then go ahead and send an email to kikihalbertctcall@gmail.com. The subject line should read "CT Call" and please include the following info in your application.

Your Name
A short bio
Your Current Creative Teams
Best Gallery
A little note about why you want to join Kiki's team

I sure hope some of y'all decided to apply. I'd love to work with you on the team.

Project 52 - Giving it a Try

2011-03-24T09:04:00.000-04:00

In both 2009 and 2010, I attempted to do Project 365. With both attempts, I gave up by the end of February. I was just not successful at snapping a photo every single day.

As 2011 approached, I planned to do a Project 52 with a goal to take at least one photo a week. That seemed imminently doable. But 2011 got off to a very rocky start and the project never got underway. I'll have to admit that 2011 is still not a banner year, but it is time for me to get my project underway.

I am going to begin my project on April 3, 2011 (cause it's a Sunday). I'd really like to see myself get a picture a day. But if I set that as my goal and I miss a day (which I would), then I know I will give up completely. So, my official goal is a photo a week.

Of course, I will be sharing my photos and layouts (cause you know there will be both) right here on my blog. I'm really looking forward to getting back in the swing of taking lots of photos. In fact, I decided to get some practice in at grabbing a shot whenever I can by taking some photos during lunch at the park on Tuesday. Here is my favorite.

So does anyone want to join me on April 4th and get started on Project 52? If so, let me know in the comments. Please include the location where you are sharing your photos so that I can follow your new project.

Kiki Halbert - Designer of the Month

2011-03-21T07:11:00.001-04:00

Did you know that Kiki Halbert is currently the Designer of the Month at Scrapbook Elements? You didn't? Well, I was afraid that might be the case, so I am here to make sure you heard about it.

Because Kiki is designer of the month, she is celebrating with a 30% off sale on selected kits (you can find the kits in the Designer of the Month section). In addition, if you stop by her blog, the CT is celebrating by giving out freebies this week to all of Kiki's fans.

Did you know that Kiki Halbert also has a Facebook fan page? Became a fan you can know when the next blog freebie becomes available.

I'd also recommend adding Kiki Halbert's blog to your favorite blog reader. It's regularly updated with recipe cards, tutorials, new product announcements and the occasional freebie.

Are you like me and cannot get enough of Twitter? Then following Kiki Halbert on Twitter is another great way to see what she is up to now.

Are you ready to come celebrate with Kiki? Then head on over to the blog because the first freebie is already available.

Music for a Sunday

2011-03-20T21:28:00.000-04:00

First, let me say that I love listening to music. I love how you can choose songs that really match your feelings or songs to help you forget why feel the way you do. Music really has such power. And that is never more true than it is on Sunday. Which is why I wanted to share some of my favorite music for a Sunday.

If I was allowed to redo Sacrament meeting, we would probably have speakers once a month. The rest of the time, it would be all about the music. Music really helps me to feel the Spirit. And I know that is not true of just myself, but many people. So for today, I thought I would just share some of my favorite spiritually uplifting songs.

This first song is one of my favorite hymns, even though it is not found in the LDS hymnal (although I wish it were). It is Amazing Grace. This is such a beautiful song and the Celtic Women did such a good job with it (not surprisingly, they have such beautiful voices).

Another favorite of mine is O Divine Redeemer. Now I know why this is not in any hymnal. It is a beautiful song, but not easy to sing. (When I was in the MTC, I was part of a choir that sang this song (yes, anybody could be in the choir lol) when the MTC president's term was over and it was his favorite song and I can tell you this is a hard song to sing. (Although the MTC choir did a beautiful job that day.) Here it is being sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and as always, the choir does a wonderful job.

The final song that I am sharing today is Beautiful Savior. I wish I had a recording of our Junior Primary singing this today during music time. I would just play that cause they sang so beautifully. Since I don't, I am using the performance by a children's choir during General Conference.

Honestly, I could sit here all day and share favorite pieces. Alas, I don't have time and y'all would quit listening before I got to the end. So, to wrap up I just want to share some of my favorite groups/artists for uplifting music.

Kenneth Cope
Dallyn Vail Bayles
Jars of Clay
Mercy River

Tell me, who are your "go to" artists/groups when you are looking for uplifting music? I'm always looking for new music, so I'd love to hear your recommendations.

Come Scrap with Me

2011-03-20T07:27:00.001-04:00

Right now, I am currently hosting two challenges at FunkyPlaygroundDesigns. I have a template challenge going on until 3/25 and a scraplift challenge going on until 3/31.

For the template challenge, we are using this wonderful template created by Michelle Batton Designs.

And here's my layout using the template.

The layout was created using Mother Nature, which is one of the FunkyPlaygroundDesigns collabs.

For the scraplift challenge, we are lifting Easter Goofball from SmallMoments. Remember when scraplifting, you don't have to duplicate the entire layout. Just use what inspires you. Is it the colors? Then use those colors. Do you like picture placement? Then use the same placement. Remember, it's your scraplift.

Here is my take on her layout.

I created this layout using Well Suited by Trixie Scraps and Spinkydink Scraps.

I hope to see y'all come join me in at least one of the challenges. Of course, I'd love to see y'all participate in both. Remember, you can win a coupon for $5.00 to FunkyPlaygroundDesigns collab store.

I hope the rest of your weekend is full of peace, relaxation and a chance to scrap.

The Healer's Art - Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi

2011-03-13T20:23:00.001-04:00

This morning before church, I read a wonderful talk on the healing power of Christ's Atonement from Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi of the Seventy and knew I wanted to share it. This talk was the perfect way to begin my Sunday. I am now going to make it my goal to begin every Sunday by heading over to LDS.org and reading a new talk. It really helped prepare me for church.

The talk speaks for itself, so I am not going to spend a lot of time discussing the contents of the talk. However, I have highlighted some of my favorite parts. I hope you enjoy the talk as much as I did.

The Healer's Art

"The Savior can heal wounded hearts, misunderstanding, and hatred if we look to His word and His Atonement.

In August 1978 I received an assignment to attend a stake conference in Seoul, South Korea. After priesthood leadership meeting, I was in the hallway when a sister about 60 years old whispered in my ear in Japanese, “I don’t like Japanese people.”

I was shocked and surprised. I turned around and responded in Japanese, “I’m sorry you feel that way.” I wondered what she had experienced in her life that caused her to feel that way. What damage had my people done to her people?

In my talk during the evening session of stake conference, I spoke of the Savior’s Atonement and His great sacrifice. I shared with stake members the story of Nephi and how the Spirit of the Lord took him to a high mountain. There he saw the tree of life, which his father, Lehi, had seen, and there he saw the baby Jesus (see 1 Nephi 11:1–20). Then an angel asked him if he knew the meaning of the tree his father had seen in vision.

Nephi answered, “Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.” The angel added, “Yea, and the most joyous to the soul” (1 Nephi 11:22–23).

The love of God can help us overcome all prejudice and misunderstanding. We are truly God’s children, and we can take His love into our souls if we will.

Savior, may I learn to love thee,
Walk the path that thou hast shown,
Pause to help and lift another,
Finding strength beyond my own.

Who Am I to Judge Another?

Without planning to, I began to share my connection with the Korean people. I told the congregation that I had grown up with nine Korean cousins. They came to our home, and my siblings and I often went to their homes. I ate Korean food and learned Korean songs. My aunt married a wonderful Korean man. They raised their children in Japan, in the same town where I grew up.

In the middle of my talk, I asked someone to play the piano as I sang a Korean folk song with President Ho Nam Rhee, the first stake president in South Korea. Then I asked President Rhee to help me sing the Korean national anthem, though I hadn’t sung it since my boyhood. It had been a long time since I had learned it from my Korean uncle, but the words came back to me. I then asked the congregation to sing it with me. They all stood and sang their beautiful national anthem. Many tears were shed, and it was hard for me to sing. A wonderful and sweet spirit prevailed.

I told the members of the stake that just as I loved my Korean cousins, I also loved them—because we are all God’s children, because we are all brothers and sisters in the gospel, and because of the love of God (see 1 Nephi 11:22, 25). We all felt that eternal love, and almost everyone in the congregation wept. I told them, “I love you as my brothers and sisters in the gospel.”

After the evening session had ended, stake members made a long line to greet me. The last person in line was the 60-year-old Korean sister, who came to me with tears in her eyes and apologized. The Spirit of the Lord was strong. The Savior’s healing wings carried all of us, and the spirit of peace spoke to the congregation. I felt as one with them.

Who am I to judge another
When I walk imperfectly?
In the quiet heart is hidden
Sorrow that the eye can’t see.

Your Message Changed My Thinking

I was called as a member of the Seventy in 1977. Since then I have had the privilege of visiting hundreds of stakes. After one priesthood leadership meeting in Taylorsville, Utah, a large man approached me and whispered that his brother had been killed during World War II and that he hated Japanese people. Following the stake conference, however, this same man approached me with tears in his eyes. Crying for joy, he gave me a hug because I had shared my conversion story and my love for Americans and it had touched him.

On another occasion a sister approached me at a stake conference in Georgia, USA, and said she had lost her father in World War II. But after the meeting she said to me, “I have to apologize to you. Because my father was killed by Japanese people, I have harbored hatred in my heart.” Then she said, “You told us that your father was also killed during the war, but later you accepted the gospel, which changed your life. And now you are telling us that you love us. I am ashamed of myself. Though I was born in the Church, I have felt hatred toward your people even to this day. But your message has changed my thinking.”

I have had so many similar experiences. I have been able to meet many people, and because of the gospel, we are able to love and understand each other.

All of My Guilt Has Been Taken Away

A few years later at a devotional held following a visit to Adam-ondi-Ahman, the supervisor of service missionaries in the area asked me to share the story of my conversion. I did so and then thanked the couples attending the devotional for preparing their children to serve missions and for figuratively sending them to my door.

As I shook hands and prepared to leave, the supervisor spoke up. “Before we dismiss this meeting,” he said, “I have a personal confession to make.” I don’t remember his exact words, but in essence he said:

“As you know, I served my country as a U.S. Marine while I was a young man. While serving, I killed many Japanese soldiers. I thought I had served my country faithfully, but for many years, whenever I saw Orientals, particularly Japanese people, I experienced great depression. Sometimes I could not even function. I visited with Church authorities and discussed my feelings with professional counselors.

“Today, when I faced Elder and Sister Kikuchi and their son, a flash of memory returned. But then I listened to Elder Kikuchi share his testimony and conversion story, his love for the Lord and the gospel, and his love for each of us. He said he had hated Americans and American soldiers but that the gospel had changed his life through the Lord’s healing power. When I heard this, I also seemed to hear a voice from the Lord saying, ‘It is finished. It is OK.’”

He put his hands outward, raised them, and said, with tears in his eyes, “All of my guilt has been taken away. My burden is lifted!”

He came to me and hugged me. Then our wives approached, and we all hugged each other and wept.

I have learned that the Savior can heal wounded hearts, misunderstanding, and hatred if we look to His word and His Atonement. He heals us the same way He healed the Israelites of serpent bites (see Numbers 21:8–9; 1 Nephi 17:41; Alma 33:19–21). It is “the pleasing word of God … which healeth the wounded soul” (Jacob 2:8), and it is “with his stripes [that] we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5; Mosiah 14:5).

I would be my brother’s keeper;
I would learn the healer’s art.
To the wounded and the weary
I would show a gentle heart.

I’ll Give You 10 Minutes

I was born in a small community on the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan. When I was five years old, my father was killed by an attack from an American submarine. As a little boy I became bitter toward Americans. I grew up that way, not really knowing what had happened to cause the war.

When I graduated from junior high school, we were so poor. My mother could not afford to send me to senior high school, so I decided to go to work in order to fund my continued education. There was no work in our small village, but I found a job producing tofu (bean curd) nine hours away from home in Muroran, where my mother was raised.

Every day in Muroran I got up by 4:30 a.m., made tofu until noon, and then delivered it to various stores until 6:00 p.m. After work I washed, changed, ate, and ran to night school. I returned home about 10:30 p.m. and jumped into bed at 11:00 p.m. Because of my exhausting schedule, I soon lost all of my energy and became ill.

I was staying in the tofu shop owner’s home, but I quit my job and asked my uncle to take me in so I could finish my first year of high school. Despite medication, I remained sick. I didn’t know what to do, and I became desperate and felt that I might be dying. I prayed hard, saying, “If there is a God, wilt Thou bless me that I might be able to get well.” Then I prayed something somewhat presumptuous: “If I am cured, I want to repay Thee.”

While I was at my uncle’s home, two foreigners knocked at the door early one evening. They were missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. One, Elder Law—the senior companion—had been a farmer in St. Anthony, Idaho, USA; the other, Elder Porter—a new elder—was from Salt Lake City. It was cold, rainy, and nearly dark, and they were ready to go home. But for some reason they persisted in knocking on doors.

When they knocked on my door, I was alone. I answered the door and said, “No, thank you.”

These young men were humble and persistent, but I said again, “No, thank you.” Then I added, “You folks killed my father.” I was still bitter.

Undeterred, the elder from Idaho asked my age. I said, “What does my age matter? Please go.”

He replied, “I want to tell you a story about a boy your age who saw your Heavenly Father and your Savior, Jesus Christ. We want to share that story.” I almost froze at the door.

I said, “I’ll give you 10 minutes.”

Those 10 minutes touched me deeply and changed my life. The story the missionaries shared was so profound and beautiful. I found out that I am a child of God and that I came from Him.

The elders came every day because I was sick. During their discussions with me, the missionaries taught me the beautiful gospel of the Restoration. I found my Savior. The gospel gave me hope and the will to live. A few weeks after the missionaries knocked on my door, I was baptized.

Savior, may I love my brother
As I know thou lovest me,
Find in thee my strength, my beacon,
For thy servant I would be.
Savior, may I love my brother—
Lord, I would follow thee.

The healing power of God is magnificent, profound, and beautiful. I thank Him for His mercy, His love, and His miraculous heavenly healing. I thank Him for the reality of the Savior’s Atonement, which by His grace “provides the power to wash away sins, to heal, and to grant eternal life.” 2

I testify that Alma’s words to Zeezrom in the Book of Mormon are true: “If thou believest in the redemption of Christ thou canst be healed” (Alma 15:8).

To Be True Disciples

“I am told that racial slurs and denigrating remarks are sometimes heard among us. I remind you that no [one] who makes disparaging remarks concerning those of another race can consider himself a true disciple of Christ. Nor can he consider himself to be in harmony with the teachings of the Church of Christ. …

“We are members of the Church of our Lord. We have an obligation to Him as well as to ourselves and others.”

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008), “The Need for Greater Kindness,” Liahona and Ensign, May 2006, 58, 60.

Love One Another

“Mother Teresa, a Catholic nun who worked among the poor in India most of her life, spoke this profound truth: ‘If you judge people, you have no time to love them.’ The Savior has admonished, ‘This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.’ I ask: can we love one another, as the Savior commanded, if we judge each other? And I answer—with Mother Teresa: no, we cannot.”

President Thomas S. Monson, “Charity Never Faileth,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2010, 124.

He heals us the same way He healed the Israelites of serpent bites. It is “the pleasing word of God … which healeth the wounded soul,” and it is “with his stripes [that] we are healed.”

The healing power of God is magnificent, profound, and beautiful. I thank Him for His mercy, His love, and His miraculous heavenly healing."

I hope you enjoyed this talk as much as I did. I hope this was a wonderful Sunday and that you have a great week ahead of you.

Roku Box

2011-03-09T22:11:00.002-05:00

My deepest desire is to go Over the Air (OTA) and Over The Top (OTT) for watching television. In other words, I want to cut the Comcast cord. The problem is that I live pretty far from all of the network towers, except for ABC. I wish that wasn't the case, because the ABC HD channel looks so good OTA because it is not being compressed before being sent to me.

About a week and half ago, received my Roku XDS box from Amazon. I was pumped when it finally arrived because I've been wanting one for some time. And my initial impression was positive. I loved the small size. It's just so cute.

Getting it hooked to the TV was easy. Getting all the channels chosen was time consuming. (Click here to see a list of available channels.) That took most of the evening. But we did have time to watch a little television once we were done.

One thing I really liked on that first evening was the fact that once a show gets buffered, it doesn't have to keep re-buffering. That was a nice change of pace. And the wifi is strong. We have the Roku box in our bedroom and it can be hard to pickup the wifi signal in that room. The Roku box hasn't had any problems.

We've installed more channels than we have had a chance to use. But so far I have been very impressed. The video looks good and it is easy to use.

I only have two complaints. One, I wish there were more channels. But I know that Roku is adding channels at a pretty good clip so I can be patient. My other problem is that I wish there was some sort of guide telling me what was available to watch on the different channels rather than having to go to each channel to see what is available.

I am very glad we finally got the Roku Box. We have used it every day since we received it and it has been well worth the money.

Dumplin - My Lovebird

2011-03-08T10:00:00.004-05:00

I post layouts about my dogs a lot. But I'm afraid you don't get many layouts about my feathered kids. Mostly cause they are uncooperative picture takers. But I do have a layout for you today that features my lovebird Dumplin. Isn't she a cutie?

Dumplin is actually my second lovebird. My first lovebird was named Valentine. I got her shortly after David and I married. We had to wait a couple of weeks from the time I chose her to come pick her up. We picked her up on the Friday before October 2001 General Conference. We had a blast that weekend, she sang along with all the music. We spent as much time together as possible. On Monday morning she died. I have no idea why. Having talked to some breeders, I suspect she was sick when we picked her up. I was devastated. And it was months before I would find another lovebird.

In February 2002, Dumplin came in to my life. She actually reverted to needing to be handfed when we first brought her home. I did it for about two weeks and I think that is why we are so close. In my layout, it says almost nine years but I guess it has been a little over nine years. I love Dumplin very much and I am so glad to have her in my life.

This layout was created using It's a Lovely Day from Merkeley Designs. You can find It's a Lovely Day at OScraps and MerkeleyDesigns.com. I think this is a beautiful kit for scrapping your spring photos. And I know there are a lot of you out there more than ready for Spring.

I want to thank you for stopping by my blog. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead of you.

Come Join the Playground Peeps

2011-03-07T10:00:00.003-05:00

Over at FunkyPlaygroundDesigns, we are having a call for one of our site CTs, the Playground Peeps.

(And if you can't read the image, here are the requirements for the Playground Peeps.)

FUNKY PLAYGROUND DESIGNS

we're looking for a few creative, outgoing individuals to join the Playground Peeps from April 1 through June 30

.....the requirements.....
create one layout with our store collab each month
host one forum challenge each month
co-host one speed scrap/chat during the three-month period
advertise our storewide sales and promotions
be active in our community on a weekly basis

.....to apply.....
send an email to funkyplaygroundcalls@gmail.com
please include the following information:
your real name
your forum username
other creative teams you are on
links to your blog, twitter and facebook accounts
a bit about yourself & why you want to join the Peeps

CALL ENDS MARCH 15

I've been on the FunkyPlaygroundDesigns team for a year now. And let me tell you, I have really enjoyed being part of the site. Michelle Batton, the owner, is a sweetheart (and one of the great designers selling at FPD). The forums are busy. The gallery is filled with inspiring layouts. And there are some amazing designers selling in the store.

We are looking to put together a team that wants to have fun, promote all the activities and sales going on at FPD, be active in the forums and help FunkyPlaygroundDesigns continue to be an awesome place to hang out and shop. If you are ready to give us hand, then please send us an email and apply. (Yes, I know that is the scary part. lol)

Charity - Pure Love of Christ

2011-03-06T20:26:00.001-05:00

This afternoon I've been thinking about what it means to be a Christian. To truly act as a follower of Christ would act. Because there are some self professed Christians that do not seem to understand this concept.

Due to my own lack of perfection, I am not even going to begin to tell anyone how a true follower of Christ should act. However, I have been studying this topic today and just wanted to share a a bit of what I have been reading this afternoon.

1 Corinthians 13

¹Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
²And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
³And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
⁴Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
⁵Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
⁶Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
⁷Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
⁸Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
⁹For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
¹⁰But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
¹¹When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
¹²For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
¹³And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Moroni 7:47

But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

The Great Commandment by Joseph B. Wirthlin
This was my favorite talk from my study this afternoon. It is one of the most amazing talks on Charity that I have every read/heard. I highly recommend taking the time to read it.

Here's one quote from the talk.

The edit edit gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of transformation. It takes us as men and women of the earth and refines us into men and women for the eternities.

The means of this refinement is our Christlike love. There is no pain it cannot soften, no bitterness it cannot remove, no hatred it cannot alter. The Greek playwright Sophocles wrote: “One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love.”

The most cherished and sacred moments of our lives are those filled with the spirit of love. The greater the measure of our love, the greater is our joy. In the end, the development of such love is the true measure of success in life.

Charity Never Faileth by Thomas S. Monson

This is my favorite quote from the talk.

Rather than being judgmental and critical of each other, may we have the pure love of Christ for our fellow travelers in this journey through life.

Love of Christ by C. Max Caldwell

I like this talk because it addresses three different aspects of "Love of Christ". I still remember how much I liked this talk back when it was given.

Love for Christ
Love from Christ
Love like Christ

This is just something that has really been on my mind this evening. Thank you for taking a moment to read my post. I hope you had a wonderful Sunday and will have an even better week.

Another Wedding Layout

2011-03-05T21:30:00.001-05:00

Anyone who looks at my layout gallery knows that I love to scrap my wedding photos. And I am particularly lucky, because I own the negatives, which allows me to post layouts using the photos that were taken on my wedding day by Bee Creative Photography. And yes, I've been at it again. Here is my most recent layout using one of my wedding photos.

The kit I used for this layout is Sophistication from the designers at FunkyPlaygroundDesigns. I think this kit just has such a great romantic feel to it.

And right now, through March 9th, you can get Sophistication for 50% off the regular price. I don't know about you, but I love a great 50% off deal. So don't pass this one up.

Kiss me, I'm Irish

2011-03-03T06:10:00.003-05:00

March is always a great time to brag about your Irish heritage. And that is exactly what I did in this layout using Happy Go Lucky from Amanda Carlson, Michelle Batton and Misty O'Brien.

Want to celebrate your Irish heritage? Or just celebrate St. Patrick's Day? Then Happy Go Lucky is the perfect kit for scrapping photos of all the fun.

Looking for a good deal? Happy Go Lucky is the March FWP kit. Spend $12 at FunkyPlaygroundDesigns and receive Happy Go Lucky for free.

Collab Grab Bag Layouts

2011-02-28T00:01:00.029-05:00

On Friday, six of the fantastic designers at FunkyPlaygroundDesigns released a collab grab bag with six mini kits and six add-ons all in the same color palette. I'll have to say that I have really been enjoying myself with this grab bag. I've already created three layouts with the bag.

Here's my layout with Michelle Batton's portion of the collab. It uses both her mini and her add-on.

This layout was created with Girl Boy Girl Designs mini kit.

And last, but by no means least, here is the layout I created with Pixie Perfect Designs mini kit.

Are you ready for a little preview of the collab grab bag?

At only $6.00, I think this is a bargain that should not be missed. I recommend heading over to the store, picking up the grab bag and then scrapping some fabulous layouts. BTW, if you leave a link to a layout you created with the grab bag in the comments, I will definitely stop by and give you some love. :O)

What do Mormons believe?

2011-02-27T17:10:00.002-05:00

Have you ever wondered what Mormons actually believe? Joseph Smith actually created a document called the 13 Articles of Faith that summarize the beliefs of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I wanted to post them here in case anyone was curious about what members of the church believe.

We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression.
We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Hosting a Template Challenge.

2011-02-11T21:07:00.000-05:00

I am hosting a template challenge at FunkyPlaygroundDesigns for the next two weeks. Here is the template I created for the challenge.

You are not required to use FPD products to participate in our challenges. One random person who participates in the challenge will win a $5.00 coupon to the FunkyPlaygroundDesigns collab store.

Template challenges are a fun way to get a layout together quickly. Which isn't that our number one goal? And as a bonus you might win something. :O) Hope to see you there.

Scrapping My Sweetie

2011-02-06T18:53:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite scrapping subjects is my husband David. I swear I could scrap pictures of him every day and it would make me happy. Alas, he won't pose for that many pics. lol However, I manage to scrap as much as I can with the photos I get.

The last couple of weekends, I've done layouts about David for challenges at OScraps. I had a lot of fun with both of these layouts and decided to share them with all of y'all.

This first layout, which is a two-pager, was created for Fei Fei's Designer Spotlight Challenge at the end of January. Not a lot of elements on this one. I wanted to make sure that the focus was on the photo and the letter. But I really like the way this layout turned out. Even a week later. :O)

You can find the credits for the left side of Love Letter to You here and here for the right side.

I created this layout for the current Designer Spotlight Challenge for Paislee Press and One Little Bird. To be honest when I first started working with the template, I was having a hard time creating something I really liked. But as I kept going, I found that I began to create something I really liked.

You can find full credits for The Man I Love here.

I hope you enjoyed looking at some of my latest creations.

Until Next time.

In 2010, South Florida Let Me Down

2011-01-22T19:26:00.000-05:00

I have to admit that I love living in South Florida. When I first moved here, I used to hate that sweaters were really a non-starter here. But now I love that I can wear sandals all year long. (My feet like to be free.) I own very few pairs of socks cause I just don't need them.

Well in 2010, South Florida let me down. It was actually cold here both in January and December. And I am not talking about "oh it's in the 50s so I think I am freezing and everyone else wants to kill me". I am talking ice here people Kill off all my beautiful plants type of weather and I have proof. Cause being a good scrapper, I have pages documenting said cold. Here are two separate pages from January 2010.

This first layouts contains my favorite photo of the three. David put out a bucket of water near our hibiscus to draw the cold in to the water. He managed to lift the sheet of ice directly out of the bucket and I think it is a great photo.

(Created using It's Wintry, Foil It - Frames 1 and Cut It from Merkeley Designs)

Just ignore the February mentioned in the journaling on this layout. This picture was actually from January 6th.

(Layout created using We Can Build A Snowman by Michelle Batton and Elise's Pieces and Clustered Frames - The Messy Files by 4 Shades of Blue Designs (now retired))

But no, the cold couldn't just stay away for the rest of the year. December brought plenty of cold weather of it's own. In fact, we are still waiting to see if some of our plants are going to make it.

Here's my layout with my December 2010 ice photos. (Trust me, I am not happy to have this many ice photos. Would much rather have sunny, warm photos to share.)

(Layout created using Feelin Frosty and

12x12 Scalloped Mats from Shanmomto4 Designs)

It's now 2011 and we've had some days that have been colder than I like. But at least we haven't seen any more ice...yet.

Life is Definitely Not Fair

2011-01-14T11:13:00.000-05:00

I am pretty sure that today has provided me with absolute proof that life is not fair. Tomorrow, we will be scattering the ashes of my mother-in-law who lost her battle with cancer last week. That alone has gotten 2011 off to a pretty bad start. It got worse today.

This morning at around 6 a.m., I was playing games on my phone when a voice mail message from my mom popped up. That is 5 a.m. for my mom, so not good. The message was all static. When I called my mom back, I couldn't understand a thing she was saying. I then called my sister's cell phone and she was already on her way to my mom's house and had called an ambulance cause she couldn't move. We now know this is because she has had a stroke.

It doesn't appear to be life threatening. But she cannot move the right side of her body and they don't know if the movement will come back or not. According to my sister, the CT scan showed a small stroke but the doctor seems to think something bigger is being hidden. I don't like the sound of that. I wish I was closer, but I am going out next week.

In my perfect world, my mom would not have had a stroke and David's mom would not have died last week. Period. But I realize that this life is not perfect. I don't expect it to be. However, I do think it should be a little more fair than to have my mom have a stroke the day before we have a funeral for David's mom. That is just a little too unfair.

Goodbye...For Now

2011-01-08T21:11:00.000-05:00

My mother-in-law, Joni Talbert, lost her battle with breast cancer yesterday. Today, I was reading her obituary and I realized how little that tells you about the person who died. It tells you that she had children and grandchildren. That she worked. That she was married. But there is so much it doesn't tell you.

It doesn't tell you how much her husband loved her and is going to miss. It doesn't tell you of her sacrifice to help raise her autistic grandson. There is no mention of how she was so sick, but still wanted to make Christmas dinner rather than buying it. It doesn't tell you that she was co-captain of the cheerleading squad in high school. The reality is that the obituary tells you so little about the person that just passed.

I wish I knew David's mom better. Family circumstances made that almost impossible. But I do know that she raised the wonderful man that is my son and for that I will be eternally grateful.

Right now, it is still odd that she is gone. But I know that there is life beyond this one. And I know that we will see her again someday. Until then, she will be missed by her entire family.

Funky Club Vol 2

2011-01-03T00:01:00.030-05:00

If you are like me, you are always looking for a good value. And if you are a digiscrapper, I have one for you. The Funky Club vol 2 begins January 5th. And for only $10 you will receive 16 mini-kits. (One per week from January 5th - April 20th, 2011.)

The mini-kits in volume one were excellent. Here is a layout I made using several of the mini's from volume one. (Only the alpha used in the layout was not part of one of the minis.)

(You can see the full credits here.)

And if you join before January 5th, you will receive a $5 coupon from each of the contributing designers. Now that is a deal.

Quote of the Week: January 2nd - January 8th

2011-01-02T16:47:00.000-05:00

The quote I want to share with you this week comes from Bruce R. McConkie, a former member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears.

But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way.

This has been one of my favorite quotes since I heard it for the first time almost 20 years ago and I wanted to share it with you today.

Welcome to 2011

2011-01-01T20:28:00.000-05:00

If anyone missed it, a new year began today. It is officially 2011. Did you make any resolutions? I did. These really aren't new resolutions for me. I just hope 2011 will be the year I am finally able to make good on them. (No, I am not good at keeping my resolutions.)

For 2011, my resolution are:

--To exercise my faith more. Read my scriptures more. Pray more.
--Live a healthier lifestyle. Eat better and exercise more.
--Focus on what is important and worry less about the things that don't matter.

Of course, I did do a layout about my resolutions. I can't include it here, because it has been published. If you want to see the layout, you will need to check out the digital magazine. You can see my layout on page seven of the January 2011 issue of GingerScraps Street Magazine.

I also have one smaller resolution for 2011 and that is to be a better blogger. For 2011 I am going to find a schedule that allows me to keep up with my blog and enjoy doing it.

I hope everyone has a great 2011!! And good luck with your resolutions!

A Christmas Message

2010-12-05T19:30:00.000-05:00

Each Sunday from now until the Sunday after Christmas, I want to share with you quotes, music, etc to help remind all of us the true meaning of Christmas. This week's quote comes from a talk given by Gordon B. Hinckley back in 1983. I am sharing only a portion of the talk here, but there is a link to read the entire message.

"He whose birth we commemorate this season is more than the symbol of a holiday. He is the Son of God, the Creator of the earth, the Jehovah of the Old Testament, the fulfillment of the Law of Moses, the Redeemer of mankind, the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace. . . .

" 'And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

" 'For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father--

" 'That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.' (D&C 76:22-24)."

"This is our testimony to all mankind. It is our gift and blessing to the world. He is our joy and our salvation, and we will find Christmas of greater meaning in our own lives as we share these truths with others.

Gordon B. Hinckley, "What Shall I Do Then with Jesus Which Is Called Christ?," Ensign, Dec. 1983,

Thank you for taking a few moments to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.

New CT - Kiki Halbert

2010-12-04T09:07:00.002-05:00

I was on the CT for 4 Shades of Blue, but she retired as of December 1st. :O( So, I decided I had time to add another creative team. I am now a member of the blog team for Kiki Halbert Designs. I am excited to be part of the team.

Kiki sells at two stores, Funky Playground Designs (under the name Recherche by KH Designs) and Scrapbook Elements. You will find links to both stores on the sidebar.

I recently did a layout for Funky Playground Designs using Masks He's Wearing and Grass Stains by Recherche.

(Also uses Every Day Alpha and Waves by Michelle Batton. The fonts is DJB Boy v Girl by Darcy Baldwin. Photo by Happy Astorga)

I am excited to be a part of Kiki's team. You can see my first blog post for Kiki here.

Thanks for stopping by my blog, I truly hope to be more faithful in updating my blog..

Billion Points Video Contest

2010-09-02T22:02:00.001-04:00

I created a video for the "Shop Your Way" billion points contest. If I win, my points will be split with Habitat for Humanity and St. Jude's Research Hospital. To help me win, all you have to do is click on the link below and vote for my video.

My Billion Points Video

I appreciate your help with this!!

Happy 9th Anniversary!!

2010-08-18T00:01:00.022-04:00

Today, David and I will celebrate nine years of marriage. And I want to let David know how glad I am that he came into my life and that we are able to spend not only this life together, but all of eternity. I cannot imagine my life without David. He is my best friend and I love him more than I can ever hope to express in my blog.

I recently created this layout for the August Got It challenge at OScraps. I haven't shared any layouts on my blog in a long time. Today I wanted to share this one with you.


This day I married my best friend...

(Created using Merkeley Designs products.

The photo is from Roger Bee photography.

You can get full credits here.)

David, I love you very much and look forward to many more years together!!

Scrappers Choice Awards 2010

2010-05-08T07:41:00.001-04:00

Okay, in a moment of pure insanity, I've decided to enter three layouts in the Scrappers Choice Awards 2010 at DigiShopTalk. I'm not nuts enough to enter any in the best overall layout categroy, but I did enter layouts in three different categories. Below are the layouts I entered. If you could look at them and if you like the layout, there is a link below the layout to vote for it. You do have to create an account to vote and you can vote once a day in each category (through May 25).

This layout is entered in the "Best AAM (all about me) Layout" category. You can see full credits for the layout here.

And here is the link to vote for this layout: http://www.digishoptalk.com/awards/entry/1214

This next layout has been entered in the "Best Nature/Scenery Layout" category. You can see full credit here.

And here is the link to vote for this layout: http://www.digishoptalk.com/awards/entry/1215

And finally,I have entered this layout in the "Best Journaling" category. You can see full credits here.

And here's the link to vote for this layout: http://www.digishoptalk.com/awards/entry/1216

Thanks for checking out my layouts!! Your vote would be truly appreciated!!

Challenge Time - What Changed It?

2010-04-03T10:13:00.002-04:00

The April Got It challenge is now up at OScraps. For this month's challenge, you are asked to scrap about the date that changed things for you.

For my layout, I scrapped about my decision to meet David at the airport when he flew out to meet me rather than wait until the next night when we were supposed to have our first date at the Olive Garden. Here's my layout.

Everything used in the layout is from Merkeley Designs. You can see the full credits here.

My New Gig

2010-04-01T00:01:00.016-04:00

I've got a new CT gig to tell y'all about. No, I haven't left any of my teams. I am still with Michelle Batton, Merkeley Designs and 4 Shades of Blue. However, I am now on the CT for the new Funky Playground Designs.

And guess what? Today is the grand opening of the store under new ownership. And you are definitely gonna want to stop by cause there is a sale going on.

And don't forget to stop by the Chat Room tomorrow night. You might even find me hanging out in there. :O)

Layout - Week One Pics

2010-02-20T08:13:00.000-05:00

Here is the layout I created of my week one pics. (It's a two-page layout.) As you can see from the pics, it was a very cold week in Florida.

Left Page

Right Page

Everything I used is from Michelle Batton. You can find the full credits for the left page here. Credits for the right page are here.

Here is the journaling for those who would like to read it.

Day 1: Got the new year started off right with a sushi dinner at Ankai. I do love my sushi.

Day 2: Got some work done in the backyard. David took down some Florida Holly and I helped haul it to the curb.

Day 3: Sazume is now under the blanket. It's the start of a very cold couple of weeks.

Day 4: This tree was the last of the Chrsitmas decorations still up in my office at work.

Day 5: It is 37 degrees in South Florida. That is so rare.

Day 6: Yes, that is ice on one of our cars. Brrr!

Day 7: I think this was my fourth cup of hot chocolate. There were many more cups to come.

Weekly Recap - February 8 - February 14, 2010

2010-02-15T21:21:00.000-05:00

I can't believe another week has past. Time seems to be flying by. (Yet moving so slowly some days. lol)

I'll admit the first part of the week was very slow. I spent a good part of the week working on the first two challenges for ADSR5. You can see how they turned out on my ADSR5 blog.

Our Friday night "date night" was spent watching Beverly Hills Chihuahua together. We didn't do much, cause Saturday night was our big night.

On Saturday, David went with a friend of ours to pick up a "new to us" washer and dryer. We haven't had a working dryer in years, so I was very excited about that. After he got home, we both spent some time working on the garage, so we could get it in. We then headed to a local Thai and Sushi restaurant where we celebrated Valentine's Day.

Sunday was officially Valentine's Day. I gave David a subscription to Motorcycle Classics magazine. I received a tin of Godiva's chocolates and a stuffed animal. We also took a very long nap after church. :O)

That's about it for last week. Not a lot going on. I think this coming week will be much bigger.

I do want to close with another layout to share.

The picture was taken at Christmas time. And yes, that is me. The layout was created using Just Love and Borders in a Snap #7 by Merkeley Designs.

Weekly Recap: February 1 - February 7, 2010

2010-02-08T07:11:00.001-05:00

Yes, this was supposed to go up yesterday. But I'll be honest, I was too tired to remember. lol You'll know why in a minute.

Well, the week started out uneventul enough. Then on Tuesday, one of our dogs, Sanosuke, got sick while we were at work. He's fine now, but it was a lovely way to be greeted upon arriving home.

On Friday, we started celebrating David's birthday early. AT work, there was a cake for him. And then for dinner it was all you can eat steak at the Golden Corral.

Saturday morning, we started the day with another trip to Golden Corral. This time for breakfast. Then we headed to the Savannas to spend a little time in the sun. After a quick trip to Best Buy, we were off to Cowboys in Ft. Pierce for lunch/dinner. If you live anywhere near a Cowboys (there are three: Ft. Pierce, Okeechobee and Sebring) then you have to go. The BBQ is wonderful.

Our Sunday began at 1:30 a.m. so we could attempt to see the last night launch of the Shuttle. The shuttle launches about 2.5 hours north of us. Alas, it was canceled nine minutes prior to takeoff due to low clouds. The roads were so busy after the launch ended that it took like two hours to get to I-95. Needless to say, after we got home it was off to bed for us. And the day included an afternoon nap.

The layout I did yesterday will be going up on my ADSR5 blog. However, here is one that I finished on Saturday. Yes, this is another one of our wedding pics.

This layout was created using Winter Wonderland, an OScraps collab.

That was out week. I'll be back again on Sunday with another update. And who knows, maybe you'll see me before then. lol

Busy Layout Week

2010-02-05T20:45:00.025-05:00

It's been a busy week for me layout wise. I shared a couple of my layouts with you yesterday. I am working on one more layout that I hope to be able to share with you on Sunday. Of course, I have a couple of layouts to share with you today.

The pictures for this first layout were taken when we went out to Lake Okeechobee on the day after Christmas. Alas, my camera was having issues that necessitated it being sent to Canon, so a lot of the photos I took that day can't be saved. But I did get a few I could use.

I created this layout for the February Got It challenge at OScraps. If you are looking for a challenge to get your juices flowing, this one is always fun.

This layout was created using Hey Lady by Merkeley Designs (the ribbon and the flower were recolored) and Frippery Flowers by Tracy Ann Digital Art. The font is MT Script Bold.

This next photo is David and I leaving the Dallas Temple on our wedding day. I know I scrap my wedding photos a lot, but I just love working with them. One day I hope to scrap an entire album.

This layout was created using Hope and Paper Hearts both from Merkeley Designs.

Grab Bags Are Here

2010-02-04T22:05:00.000-05:00

I tried to have a new post for y'all up last night. But I had nothing but problems with it. It is currently saved as a draft. Hopefully I will be back in a couple of day with that post.

For now though, it is Grab Bag time at The Digichick. And I have two I want to share with you.

This first grab bag is from Michelle Batton. Here is the preview.

And here is my layout using the grab bag. Everything on this page came from the grab bag, (And yss, that cute little baby is me. :O) )

The second grab bag is from 4 Shades of Blue Designs. Here is the preview for her grab bag.

Here is my layout using the grab bag. Everything on the layout, except for the alpha, comes from the grab bag. The alpha is My Acrylic Alpha also by 4 Shades of Blue Designs.

That's all I have for today. Hope everyone has a wonderful Friday!!

Recap of Week - January 25 - January 31, 2010

2010-01-31T16:59:00.000-05:00

Well, there was just not a whole lot happen this week. I've been thinking about it for a couple of days and just nothing much happened this week other than going to work and coming home again.

On Friday night, we did manage to agree on not returning to a restaurant. Usually, one of us doesn't want to return but the other one liked it. Not this time. We went to a new Japanese restaurant on Friday night and we were very disappointed. Would much rather have gone down the street to the new Thai and Sushi restaurant where the food is excellent.

On Saturday, David spent some time working on the backyard and I worked on straightening up the computer room. We then headed to Cowboys in Ft. Pierce for lunch. They just opened and the BBQ was awesome. I am not usually a pulled pork fan, but there's is excellent. I would highly recommend them. Can't wait to go back.

Last night, we watched Meet The Robinsons. I really enjoyed. It has a happy ending for just about everyone. My kind of movie. I'd seen parts of it before, but this was the first time I saw the whole movie.

Church today was shorter than usual. Shorter than it was planned to be. We were watching a broadcast to the Southeast region (South Carolina, Georgia and Florida) of the church when our satellite system at church decided to have issues and we couldn't finish the broadcast. So, church was over by 11:30 a.m. I have to admit, I could get used to that. lol

Yes, I skipped Monday - Thursday. But really, nothing happened worth mentioning.

Before I go, I just finished this layout for the Eye Pop Template Challenge at Scrappers Online. The kit I used is Naughty or Nice by Karrah Fredericks.

Have You Been to MScraps?

2010-01-30T00:01:00.036-05:00

To start,I have another layout to share. This is a picture of my sweetie Sazume. She recently celebrated her 6th birthday (as determined by The Humane Society). She's been with us for a little over five years. She is such a sweetheart.

This layout was created using Spring Memories by 4 Shades of Blue Designs, Cindy's Ribbon Stash by Michelle Batton and The One I Love alpha also by Michelle Batton.

I suspect y'all are wondering why my title mention's MScraps. Well here's why.

The store will include fabulous designers like Bren Boone, Kelly Mickus, Lauraskathi and one of my favorites, 4 Shades of Blue Designs.

And Spring Memories is the first kit that 4 Shades of Blue will offer in her new store.

And for those of you wondering, 4 Shades of Blue Designs will continue to have her store at The Digichick and the products at the the stores will be different.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I hope to be back tomorrow with a recap of my week. (I saw this on another blog and thought it was a great idea.)

Sharing Layouts Again

2010-01-28T20:41:00.002-05:00

It's been a long time since I've shared any of my layouts on my blog. But I am going to start doing that again. I love creating layouts, so I want to share them with my friends.

This layout is about David's motorcycle and I think the title says it all. I will have to admit that I also enjoy the motorcycle. Would never have believed it, but I do.

This layout was created using From Boy to Man by Michelle Batton and Captivated Visions and From Boy to Man Stacked Papers by Captivated Visions. The Font is HM - The Pato by Heather Manning.

This next layout contains a photo taken right after my most recent haircut. No big story behind this photo, just a pic of me.

This layout was created using She's So Krafty and My Acrylic Alpha both by 4 Shades of Blue Designs. Also uses Photo Holders - Bone from Merkeley Designs.

That's it for now. However, I will be working on more layouts this weekend, so I should have more to share early next week. (And I might just have a layout to share on Saturday morning.)

Day 11 - Day 16 (January 11 - 16, 2010)

2010-01-17T18:18:00.000-05:00

Day 11: The Golden Corral Finally Opened

Yes, I know that doesn't sound too exciting. But it's been more than five years since they originally erected the "coming soon" sign. They really redefined that phrase. This is my desert, chocolate volcano cake..

Day 12: Tennis Shoes For Too Long

I rarely wear anything but sandals. Yet I wore tennis shoes or boots for almost two weeks straight. Boy was I glad to return to sandals.

Day 13: Return of My Camera

On the 4th, my Canon XS started making its way to Virginia for warranty repairs. It returned to me on the 13th. Kudos to Canon for the quick repair work.

Day 14: Helping with the Children at Church

My husband and I helped out by watching the children while the women had their monthly "Chicks in Aprons" class. This is my husband playing ball with one of the kids.

Day 15: Date Night

From this point on, I resolve to take a picture related to our weekly "date night". This week we went out for sushi, because we had a gift card. Boy was it yummy.

Day 16: Lorenzo

This is our cat Lorenzo. I needed to take a picture and she definitely needs to be in my "year of pics". (Yes, Lorenzo is a girl.)

Day 7 - Day 10 (January 7 - 10, 2010)

2010-01-10T11:11:00.000-05:00

Day 7: Hot Chocolate

This is a photo of just one of the many cups of hot chocolate I've purchased lately. And here is my rating for the places from which I've gotten said hot chocolate. Number one is Dunkin' Donuts. Number two is McDonalds. Number three is Starbucks.

Day 8: Mafia Wars

Yes, I have become obsessed with Mafia Wars on Facebook. So, I thought it only fair that it make it into this year's pics. If only my IRL bank account had the kind of money my Mafia Wars account has.

Day 9: Cleaning the meetinghouse

In my church, the members take turns coming and doing light cleaning at the meetinghouse. Yesterday it was our turn. This is a picture of David mopping one of the bathrooms.

Day 10: Ice from the water bucket.

When David went outside this morning, he found this layer of ice in a bucket of water. This should not exist in South Florida. lol

Day 3 - Day 6 (January 3 - 6, 2010)

2010-01-06T15:37:00.000-05:00

Day 3: Doesn't Sazume look so cute under the covers? And trust me, she did not want to leave. Way too cold around here for her liking.

Day 4: All the Christmas decorations have been removed from my office at work with the exception of this lone little tree. I need to find someplace safe to keep it until next year.

Day 5: This is the temperature our car was showing when we arrived home at 7 p.m. last night. Talk about cold!

Day 6: Yes, that is ice on my car. No, I haven't left South Florida. At 7 a.m. there was ice on both of our cars. Not frost, but ice. That is just wrong.

With the exception of today's "ice" picture, all of my photos so far have been taken with the camera on my Palm Pre. It's really a pretty good little camera.

Infinite Power of Hope

2010-01-03T18:50:00.001-05:00

I watched this video today and I was struck by what an appropriate message the video shared. So, I wanted to share it with you. It's only a little over two minutes long, so please take a moment to watch. I don't think you'll regret it.

Day 2 - January 2, 2010

2010-01-03T18:39:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, David cut down a bunch of Florida Holly that was in our backyard. I then helped him haul it to the curb. This is a picture of some of the holly branches waiting to be picked up. (It looks pretty, but it's not native and it will kill out any other plant.)

It's 2010 and I am back.

2010-01-02T09:28:00.000-05:00

Okay, I gave out early in 2009. However, I am starting a anew in 2010. And here is my first pic. It's of my first sushi of 2010. :O)

Welcome to 2010

2010-01-01T17:09:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!! I'll admit it, we were boring last night. I fell asleep early. Now David, he did make it until after Midnight. And I did wake up to give him a kiss at 12:01 a.m., but truly not an an exciting night. lol

I have already completed my first layout of the year. It's a look back at 2009. The layout was completed for the Year in Review challenge at Scrappers Online.

You can see the full credits here.

Now I am off to see if David wants to go eat Sushi. I know I do. :O)

Old Fashioned Cookie Swap (sort of)

2009-12-10T00:01:00.003-05:00

This time of the year is all about giving and the member's of Michelle Batton's creative team want to give a little something to you. We've decided to have an old fashioned cookie swap, Internet style, and share the results with you via a blog train. At each stop, you will find two printable recipe cards that you can use to create yummy goodies any time of the year. The best part, the recipes have zero calories and are fat-free (okay, that's a lie, but it sounds good lol).

Here is my offering.

You can download it here.

Here are all the stops on the blog train. Please remember that we are all in different time zones, so if someone's recipes aren't up yet, please try back again later!

1. Cindy http://scribler.blogspot.com/ <--You Are Here
2. Jane http://4shadesofbluedesigns.blogspot.com/
3. Jamie http://www.jamie-cupcake.blogspot.com
4. Sherly http://nyempluk.blogspot.com/
5. Tara http://geekchicscraps.blogspot.com/
6. Beth http://sweetmesquite.blogspot.com/

7. Michelle http://www.mellowbutterfly.com

November Got It Challenge at Oscraps

2009-11-01T20:58:00.000-05:00

If you love a good scrapping challenge, then head on over to OScraps for this month's Got It challenge. Everyone who participates will receive a a wonderful freebie from Merkeley Designs.

And of course, I did a layout for this challenge. This is my sister and I when we were little girls. So, what do you think, do we look alike?

Everything used to create the layout is from Merkeley Designs.

You can see full credits here.

And if anyone is wondering, no I have not given up on including the spiritual thoughts in my blog. But I wasn't coming up with one every Sunday and wasn't blogging at all when I had something else I wanted to put here on Sundays, simply because I had declared that on Sundays I would have a spiritual thought. But rest assured, I will still have them from time to time.

Coach Of The Year

2009-10-28T12:44:00.001-04:00

New CT Gig

2009-10-27T07:05:00.002-04:00

I recently joined a new creative team and it's about time I come and share with y'all. I am now on the creative team for 4 Shades of Blue and you can find all of her latest designs at The Digichick. 4 Shades of Blue is a fairly new designer, but she does great work and highly recommend checking her out.

Here are some recent layouts using 4 Shades of Blue's designs.

This layout uses Frame Clusters, Hoot Do You Love?

and Would You Like Some Colour?

This layout uses Drivin and My Acrylic Alpha

plus a paper tear from Stephanie Krush.

Everything is from The Weekend Get-A-Way.

Thanks to Jane for letting me be part of the team!

Raur-O-Saurus-Rex from Michelle Batton

2009-10-22T00:01:00.004-04:00

Make sure you read my entire post. It'll be worth your while. :O)

Do you love scrapping with bright colors? Do your children love dinosaurs? Anyone turning 50 in your family and you have birthday pics to scrap? Then I have the kit for you. It's from Michelle Batton and the name of the kit is Raur-O-Saurus-Rex. This kit is filled with brightly colored papers, dinosaurs and other fun elements. Just looking at layouts scrapped with this kit makes me happy, because it is such a brightly colored, fun kit.

Guess what? You don't need pictures of children to make good use of this kit. Here is my layout using Rawr-O-Saurus Rex and it features my cockatiel Mr. Sunny Tiel.

Everything from Rawr-O-Saurus-Rex by Michelle Batton
except for the paper shaper from Merkeley Designs

I know I am on Michelle's creative team, but I am being honest when I say how much I love the colors in this kit. The layouts I've seen have just put a smile on my face.

I have a bit of good news. Rawr-O-Saurus-Rex will be on sale today and tomorrow for 20% off. Don't miss this chance to get Rawr-O-Saurus-Rex while it is on sale. You won't regret it.

Now that you've made it all the way to the bottom of my post. I have a little something for you. Angie (Jeepmama) from Michelle's CT has made a set of quickpages using Rawr-O-Saurus-Rex. And the quick pages are yours for free, all you need to do is follow our little blog train. Here's the quick page that is available from me.

You can download it here.If that link doesn't work, you can download it here.

The next stop, and there are seven stops including this one, on the blog train is Meredith's blog. Have fun on your quest for freebies. And remember, not everyone is on the same time zone, so if a freebie isn't up, please check back again later.

Fun Challenge at OScraps

2009-10-05T06:28:00.002-04:00

Every once in awhile I just have a lot of fun creating a layout. (I always love digiscrapping, but sometimes creating a layout is just a lot of fun. This was especially true of the layout I created for the October Got It challenge at Oscraps. This month's challenge is to create a layout that is "all about you". In the challenge, there a 10 pieces of information that must be included in the layout. And there is even free wordart from Merkeley Designs to help you with the challenge. I really enjoyed this challenge and I highly recommend it to all my scrapping friends, digi and paper, cause this is a challenge that fits any style of scrapping. We all need to include ourselves more in our scrapping and here is your chance.

Now, without further ado, here is the layout I created.

(Everything, except for the fonts, is from Merkeley Designs.

You can see the full credits here.)

If you create a layout for the challenge and post it in an online gallery, leave a link in the comments and I'll go leave your layout some love. :O)

What Manner of Men Ought Ye to Be?

2009-10-04T19:55:00.001-04:00

I became a member of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Prophet at the time was Ezra Taft Benson. However, he was already in bad health by the time I joined the church and I never actually heard him speak in Conference. So, when Howard W. Hunter became prophet, because I would actually be able to hear a living Prophet speak. I still remember the excitement of listening to his first address as Prophet. President Hunter often spoke about the Savior and his talks were wonderful. This Sunday, I want to share with you his address from April 1994 General Conferece. The talk is entitled What Manner of Men Ought Ye to Be? The address isn't very long, but the message is still wonderful. I highly recommend taking a few minutes to read it.

My Favorite Podcasts

2009-09-29T06:54:00.002-04:00

Since the beginning of the year, I have really gotten into podcasts. David has loved listening to them forever, but I have always been more of a "music in the car" person. However, podcasts are about all we listen to in the car these days. There are a number of podcasts we listen to and I'll list them all for you at the end of the post.

My absolute favorite podcast is Buzz Out Loud from CNET. There are daily episodes of Buzz Out Loud available Monday through Friday. There is a rotating cast with Tom Merritt and Jason Howell hosting the show daily. There are two reasons that it scores as my favorite. One, it is about tech news, one of my favorite topics. Two, it is funny. I am always well entertained by this podcast. Subscribing to this podcast is very easy, as there are links for subscribing on their homepage.

My second favorite is the podcast from Engadget. (I'd really like to be saying the podcast from EngadgetMobile, but I can't. I will explain why in just a bit.) The topic for this broadcast is gadgets and consumer electronics, so very similar to Buzz Out Loud in what is covered.. The hosts for the podcast are Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel and Paul Miller. This is a weekly podcast that tends to be longer than Buzz Out Loud and fewer topics are covered. However, they do go more in-depth on each topic. Joshua, Nilay and Paul can be entertaining, but not as much as the crew from Buzz Out Loud. Engadget doesn't make subscribing quite as easy as CNET, but you can do so here.

Last, but by no means least, on my list of favorites is also from CNET. This podcast is called Gadgettes. This podcast is also about gadgets, but not just electronic gadgets. They discuss everything from blingy espresso machines to gadgets that claim to be able to tell you what your baby's cries means. The hosts for Gadgettes are Molly Wood, Kelly Morrison and the aforementioned Jason Howell. There are a wide variety of topics covered, but Molly, Kelly and Jason are always very entertaining. Like Buzz Out Loud, you can subscribe to the Gadgettes podcast from their homepage.

Now to explain why the podcast from EngadgetMobile is not among my favorites. When David and I first started listening to podcasts together, this was my absolute favorite. I just love learning more about the new mobile phones coming out. It was a weekly podcast and I looked forward to each episode. Then, starting this summer, the podcasts became more sporadic. Actually, for three months there were no podcasts. Then, at the end of August they returned. With promises of podcasts appearing on a regular basis. Two weeks in a row we had podcasts. I was really hoping, although doubtful, that this would be the return of my beloved EngadgetMobile podcast. My hope does not seem to have been well placed. It has now been over three weeks since there was a podcast. However, I have not given up, as I still love the show, so I check weekly for a new podcast. If you are interested in subscribing to the EngadgetMobile podcast, so that you will be ready when they finally do another episode, you can do so here.

Before I give you a list of the other podcasts that I listen to, I wanted to point out a new podcast to which I just started listening. It's the Sword and Laser podcast with Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont.This podcast focuses on another love of mine, reading. This is a monthly podcast on Science Fiction and Fantasy books. I've just started listening to this one, so have only heard a couple of episodes. However, so far, I really like it. They also make it really easy to subscribe by putting a subscription link on their homepage.

Here are a list of the other podcasts I listen to. If you have any other suggestions, just post in the comments. I'd love to have a few more listening options.

The Real Deal - Tom Merritt and Raif Needleman
Reporters' Round Table (new) - Raif Needleman
Dialed In - Bonnie Cha, Kent German and Nicole Lee
The Buzz Report - Molly Wood
Loaded - Natalie Del Conte (the subscription button is right below the video)
Geek Brief - Callie Lewis (to subscribe, click here)
Car Tech - Brian Cooley, Wayne Cunningham and Antoin Goodwin

What Matters Most

2009-09-27T16:28:00.006-04:00

For today, I have a video I want to share with you. It is only two minutes long, so please take a moment to watch it, because the message is important. (The video doesn't quite fit on my blog, but nothing important is missing.)

Finally Found Some Scrapping Mojo

2009-09-24T20:46:00.005-04:00

For awhile, I was extremely frustrated. I think I went a whole month without scrapping a single page. I was extremely frustrated and utterly uninspired. However, over the last week and a half, I've managed to create four layouts. So, it seems my scrapping mojo has returned. Thankfully! (And it's a good think I CT for awesome designers, Merkeley Designs and Michelle Batton, who understand lost mojo.)

Without further ado, here are my four most recent layouts.

The photo in this layout was taken when David and I went to a Halloween fundraiser at a Montessori school where our friends' children attended. David and I love having the opportunity to dress up for a change. Normally, when you don't have children, all you do for Halloween is pass out candy (which I actually love doing) and it's fun to do something different.

Everything in this layout created using This is Halloween
a collab kit from Michelle Batton and 4 Shades of Blue.

A couple of weeks ago, on a Sunday afternoon, I was getting ready to let our dogs out when I saw these two cardinals flying around our screened in porch. (Needless to say the dogs had to return to our bedroom.) And they did not seem to remember how they got in, cause they were just freaking out. I propped the screen door open and went inside, but they still didn't leave. They finally left when I went outside, stood at the back of the porch and hit on the screen a few times.

The scrapper in me could not let this moment pass without a few pics. So, before propping open the door, I grabbed my camera and took a few shots.

Almost everything used on this layout,
including the template, is from Merkeley Designs.
You can see a full list of credits here.

This layout is the one that really helped bring back my mojo. I was reading Michelle Batton's instructions on using her blenders, trying to figure out where I had gone wrong, and the layout she used as her example just totally inspired me and I knew exactly what I wanted to do for my next layout. I am very proud of the way this layout came out. The two pics were taken when David and I went to the Ocala National Forest last year.

This layout created using Beth's Basic Blenders
and September Days Revamped.
Both from Michelle Batton.

This is the last of my four recent layout (but not the last layout). I created this layout to try and force my mojo to return. It was another week before my mojo returned, so I am not sure how successful I was. However, I do like the layout. This picture was taken in front of Jamba Juice when David and I drown his mother down south to take a test for work.

Everything used in this layout is from Tracy Ann Digital Art.
You can see a full list of credits here.

Okay, I have one final layout to share. It's not as recent as the others, but I still had to share. This layout was created for Merkee to help her create an album about her new puppy, Ginger. Well, I think my fur babies are the cutest things ever. However, I can readily admit that Ginger is one of the cutest dogs I have ever seen. In fact, I'll be doing one more layout of her cute self eventually.

Everything used on this layout
comes from Ginger Snap by Merkeley Designs.

If you made it this far, I am impressed. I am just happy that I got some layouts scrapped and I wanted to share them with y'all.

The Touch of the Master's Hand

2009-09-20T18:34:00.003-04:00

For today, have a wonderful poem I want to share with you called The Touch of the Master's Hand by Myra B. Welch. I've loved this poem ever since I heard it the first time, more than a dozen years ago.

"Twas battered and scared, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But he held it up with a smile.
"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
"Who'll start bidding for me?
A dollar, a dollar - now who"ll make it two _
Two dollars, and who"ll make it three?

"Three dollars once, three dollars twice,
Going for three". . . but no!
From the room far back a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody,pure and sweet,
As sweet as an angel sings.

The music ceased and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said: "What am I bidden for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow;
"A thousand dollars - and who'll make it two?
Two thousand - and who'll make it three?
Three thousand once, three thousand twice
And going - and gone," said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand -
What changed its worth?" The man replied:
"The touch of the masters hand."

And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and torn with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd.
Much like the old violin.

A "mess of pottage," a glass of wine,
A game and he travels on,
He's going once, and going twice -
He's going - and almost gone!
But the MASTER comes, and the foolish crowd,
Never can quite understand,
The worth of a soul, and the change that's wrought
By the touch of the MASTER'S hand.

Apostles Testify of Christ

2009-09-13T17:05:00.005-04:00

My plan, and with my blog these plans tend to go awry, is to share something on my blog of a spiritual nature each Sunday. Last Sunday, I shared a favorite talk of mine from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. (If you haven't read it, click here to jump to that post.) This morning, when thinking about my blog post, I had thought to go the same route and share a talk from President Howard W. Hunter. However, I then decided to go a different route and share with you a layout I made back in April that contained one of my favorite quotes. Then it dawned on my that I shared the layout with y'all back when I originally created it. (If you are interested in seeing the layout, you can click here.)

What I have finally decided to share requires a little explanation. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) we believe that we are led by a Prophet and Apostles. Almost 10 years ago, the Apostles shared their testimony of the Living Christ with the world. It is a beautiful testimony and I hope you take the time to read it.

And one other thing. If you are looking for a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon, the LDS church has created a website dedicated to Christ and it is definitely worth checking out.

Memories of 9/11

2009-09-11T20:54:00.003-04:00

I couldn't let this day pass without sharing my memories of that day eight years ago when four planes were hijacked by terrorists. It's a day I remember so vividly and I usually do not have that kind of memory.

I had been married for less than a month and in Florida for less than two weeks. So, I did not yet have a job. Shortly after 9:00 a.m. Eastern time, after David left for work, I got on the Internet (we only had dial-up) to chat with a friend, Randy Phillips, on IRC. It was Randy who told me what had happened. Initially, I misunderstood. I thought two planes had crashed into each other. Then, for a brief moment, I thought he had to be lying. Once I knew what was going on, I disconnected from the Internet and called my mom to make sure she knew what was happening (she had not yet heard when I called). I also called my husband to see if he knew what had happened and he did.

We didn't have cable TV, so I tried in vain to watch something on CNN's website, but I couldn't even get the site to open. When I couldn't take just hearing about it on the radio, I drove to Kmart in Stuart and purchased a small antennae. I remember that everyone in the store was in the electronics department watching as the towers burned. After watching for awhile, I purchased the antennae and drove back home. After setting up the antennae, I could watch one blurry station. I believe it was ABC. I did nothing but watch that station for hours, days really.

In the afternoon, David sent a friend of his over to see if I wanted to go with her and her daughter to visit her mother-in-law. David worried I would be panicked. But for some reason I was very calm. I chose to stay home, because I didn't really know them very well at that point and didn't want to be with strangers.

When David came home, we did go to his friend's house and we watched TV and I was able to learn more about what had happened. I didn't contribute much to the conversation going on around me cause I was focused on the news.

That night, after a day of calm, as my husband and I lay in bed, I cried. I just bawled. Not for myself, but for all the lives lost that day. Even now, just thinking of all the lives lost, I want to cry when I think of that day.

On September 11, 2001, two planes went into the twin towers at the World Trade Center, one went into the Pentagon and one went down in a Pennsylvania field when the people on the airliner attempted to wrest control away from the hijackers. In total, 2,993 people died that day. That night, Pres. George W. Bush gave a speech to the nation and I want to share it with you, because I think these words should be remembered. And they say a lot about how we responded to the attack upon our nation.

Good evening. Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes, or in their offices; secretaries, businessmen and women, military and federal workers; moms and dads, friends and neighbours. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror.
The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing, have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed; our country is strong.

A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.

America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining.
Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature. And we responded with the best of America -- with the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers and neighbours who came to give blood and help in any way they could.
Immediately following the first attack, I implemented our government's emergency response plans. Our military is powerful, and it's prepared. Our emergency teams are working in New York City and Washington, D.C. to help with local rescue efforts.
Our first priority is to get help to those who have been injured, and to take every precaution to protect our citizens at home and around the world from further attacks.

The functions of our government continue without interruption. Federal agencies in Washington which had to be evacuated today are reopening for essential personnel tonight, and will be open for business tomorrow. Our financial institutions remain strong, and the American economy will be open for business, as well.

The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts. I've directed the full resources of our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and to bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbour them.
I appreciate so very much the members of Congress who have joined me in strongly condemning these attacks. And on behalf of the American people, I thank the many world leaders who have called to offer their condolences and assistance.

America and our friends and allies join with all those who want peace and security in the world, and we stand together to win the war against terrorism. Tonight, I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a power greater than any of us, spoken through the ages in Psalm 23: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me."

This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day. Yet, we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world.

It is a day that I will never forget. It is a day that the world will not soon forget. I suspect you feel the same.

This song is by Alan Jackson and was written about that day. It is called "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning" and I wanted to share it with you to close this post.

(photo of World Trade Center courtesy of Free Stock Photos)

Wonderful Message on Christ

2009-09-06T17:14:00.002-04:00

My post today will not be very long. But it is Sunday and I wanted to take a moment to share one of the greatest talks on Christ I have ever heard. The title of the talk is "None Were With Him" by Jeffrey R. Holland. It is an amazing talk, and I recommend everyone take a moment to read it. I guarantee you'll be touched. You can read it here or watch it here.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day! Enjoy this amazing talk!

Michelle Batton is Somewhere New

2009-09-01T13:00:00.002-04:00

That's right, you heard it here first. Michelle Batton is moving to a new store. And this is the only store where you will find her. She has even closed her own store. Michelle has been working on it for awhile now and we, Michelle and her CT, are all pretty excited about it. Now, the question is should I continue blabbering about or should I tell you where she is going? I guess the time has come to tell you. Michelle is headed to the Digichick. (Were those screams of excitement I heard?)

Now that you know that Michelle will be at the Digichick, I have more good news for you. And what good news is that you may ask? It's called a sale. (And who does't love a sale?)

At the grand opening of her new store, the Ladybug Picnic collection will be making it's debut. Such a great kit for those summer picnic or getaway photos. It's also great for those back to school shots. Here is a layout I created using the collection.

And now that I've hopefully tempted you enough, head on over to Michelle's new store and take advantage of her 30% off sale. I know you won't regret it. (Whether or not your husband does is a whole other subject. lol)

Family Search Indexing Project

2009-08-23T20:54:00.002-04:00

Early last year, I used to be regularly involved in the Family Search Indexing Project. But then time kind of got away from me and I quit doing it. Tonight, I was supposed to be digiscrapping. However, I was feeling uninspired, so I was just hanging out on Facebook. However, an email from Ancestry led to me deciding to do some indexing again this evening. And what a great way to spend 30 minutes. There is no requirement that you be LDS to be involved in the project. So, if there is anyone looking for a valuable way to spend 30 minutes a week, or day, I highly recommend getting involved. It is definitely worth your time.

Happy Anniversary Sweetie!

2009-08-18T06:23:00.003-04:00

On August 18, 2001, I was blessed to be able to marry my husband. Eight years ago, David and I were married for all eternity in the Dallas temple. And I am so glad that we have a marriage that will last an eternity, because a lifetime would not give em enough time to spend with my sweetie.

I truly feel that David is the perfect husband for me. I didn't get married until I was 30, but being able to marry such a wonderful person made it worth the wait. David is kind, sweet and loving. Plus we just enjoy being together. (Which is good, since we work together. lol)

David, happy anniversary sweetie! I am so glad I've been able to spend the last eight years with you. I love you!!

Hate waiting

2009-08-17T17:23:00.001-04:00

I hate it when I have nothong to do, but sit and wait. I'm waiting for my hubby @ his doctor's appt. Right now, I am seriously thinking my Pre needs more apps. But I just heard ny hubby's voice, so I think my wait is finally over.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

And the winner is...

2009-08-13T07:10:00.003-04:00

I am finally back! And the winner is Melissa. Here is the list as given me by Random.org.

And the second winner is Zeee. Here is the second list. (I can get better screen shots at work. Sorry!)

I want to thank everyone who came to my blog and participated in my contest! I really wish I had something to give everyone.

Melissa and Zeee, I will be contacting you later today with your code.

Technical glich

2009-08-12T22:04:00.003-04:00

This is supposed to be the moment for which all of y'all have been waiting. Earlier today, I used Random.org to choose a winner and created a screen shot that I emailed myself from work. Now, I can't log on to Gmail to access it. Obviously, I could go to Random.org and just choose another winner, but that doesn't seem fair to the person that was chosen originally. So, there is going to be a bit of delay in the announcement of the winner. But I will make it up to you.

Once I announce the first winner, I will put the other names into Random.org and choose a second winner. So, just a little more patience and you will be rewarded. (Hopeuflly, Gmail will have resolved their issue by the time I awaken tomorrow.)

A Little Contest for You

2009-08-07T00:01:00.000-04:00

A Little Contest for You

I am on the CT for Michelle Batton. Michelle is a wonderful designer and at least one lucky reader of my blog is going to have the opportunity to win the kit of their choice from Michelle's shop at Mellowbutterfly.com. Here is just a hint of what you'll find in her shop.

Ladybug Picnic

Lets Ride

Buttefly Dreams

So, I bet y'all are wondering what you have to do to win. Head on over to Michelle's shop and find your favorite product in her store. Then come back her and leave me a comment, letting me know what you like. I will then pick a person at random to receive a coupon to her shop that will let you buy the kit of your choice (or papers or elements). And to encourage you to spread the word, the more that play, the more chances to win. If I get more than 10 people to play, I will give out two coupons. And if I get more than 20 (a girl can dream lol), I will give out three coupons (and then I will have no more).

Contest closes @ 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, on Tuesday, August 11th. Winners will be announced on Wednesday, August 12th.

Hope to see lots of y'all playing along.

Blog Train

2009-07-27T00:01:00.002-04:00

Welcome to the Merkeley Designs CT blog train!

What are we celebrating? Merkeley Designs' Designer Spotlight at Oscraps of course! Check out this link to see what a great challenge and freebie she has in store for you.

We, proud members of Merkeley Design's Creative Team, have LOADS of surprises and goodies waiting for you at each station - and all are FREE, no strings attached!!! You don't want to miss a single stop! All the freebies coordinate with her new kit "Get Together" which is on sale this week.

Without further ado, here is a preview of my freebie.

You can download my quickpage by clicking here. The password is "zume04".

Here is the list of all the blog train stops where you can find all of our fabulous freebies:
Merkee
Mrsaboyer (Andrea)
Hondachicc (Linda)
Macsgal (Gina)
snappy2003 (Dawn)
Bao
JenDavey
Jhawkeye (Kate)
Madi (Diane)
Madigirl (Maya)
Nadine
Scribler (me)
Twinsies (Carrin)
Zeee

Have fun with the hunt and happy scrapping!

Alternate Layout

2009-07-26T17:32:00.003-04:00

Earlier today, I uploaded my layout for Round 2 of Battle of the Creative Teams at DigiScrapAddicts. For round one, my layout came together for me quite easily. I cannot say the same about this week's layout. Our challenge for this week was to pick a musical theme for all of our layouts. My team, Merkee's Menagerie, chose Disney Songs. I chose "A Dream is a Wish a Heart Makes" from "Cinderella". I ended up having the hardest time coming up with a layout that I liked and met all the elements we had chosen as a team. Here is what I finally came up with.

(You can see full credits here.)

After I finished this layout, I created a second to see if my team liked it better. I ended up not even submitting it to them, because it lacked some of the agreed upon elements (and adding on one of them would not have worked at all with the new layout). However, I really did like the layout, even though it is simple, so I am sharing it with my blog readers.

(You can see full credits here.)

I'll have to admit that the second layout is probably my favorite of the two. Probably cause I think it really reflects how I feel about my sweetie. Next month we will be celebrating eight years of marriage and I feel so blessed to be married to my hubby. I really couldn't have asked for more in a man and I love him more than I can possible express on my blog. I think this layout does offer a glimpse in to how much I love him.

Come Back Monday

2009-07-21T19:42:00.003-04:00

That's right. I just want to let y'all know that you definitely want to stop by my blog on Monday and here's why.

My blog is a part of the blog train and there are going to be a lot of great goodies available on the train. So, stop by Monday and see what you can get.

Voting Has Commenced

2009-07-20T06:03:00.002-04:00

The voting for round one of Battle of the Creative Teams. Voting will take place until 11:59 pm EST on Tuesday, July 21. I would love it if you would vote for the team I am on, Merkee's Menagerie. You can vote here. The Merkee's Menagerie link will take you to a thread showing all of our layouts. Remember you don't have to be a digiscrapper to vote.

Battle of the Creative Teams Week 1

2009-07-18T07:18:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, I uploaded my first layout for the Battle of the Creative Teams over at DigiScrapAddicts. My team is Merkee's Menagerie and I think we really worked well together in picking a theme for our layouts. I hope the next three weeks go as well as this one.

For week one, we had to create a white space layout. Each team also had to choose a color theme. Our team chose a brown with blue color theme. White space isn't an easy thing for me, but I think I did a pretty good job anyway. You can judge for yourself. Here is the layout I created.

(Credits can be found here.)

I highly recommend you take a moment and checkout the gallery for the Battle of the Creative teams. It's an opportunity to see some amazing layouts from some very talented people.

Battle of the Creative Teams.

2009-07-12T18:54:00.002-04:00

The Battle of the Creative Teams begins this week over at DigiScrapAddicts. I am playing on Merkeley Designs team. The contest runs from July 15 - August 12. Each week, each member of a team creates a layout using products from their designer. In other words, all of my layouts will be using products from Merkeley Designs. Since Merkeley has such great products, it won't be a problem. And the other girls on the team create such great layouts, that I know we are going to do well. :O)

Each week, I hope to come back here and post my layout for the week. I have kind of gotten out of the habit of sharing my layouts here, so hopefully this will get me back on track.

Blogging from my Palm Pre

2009-07-08T21:46:00.002-04:00

This is just an experiment in the feasibility of blogging via my Pre. The biggest problem is the need to keep scrolling over to see what I've typed. On the plus side it provides me with another means of entertaining myself.

Now I have a question I want to pose for my readers. Am I the only one who ends up with followers doing marketing via twitter every time I do a retweet?

Sale from Michelle Batton

2009-07-03T21:11:00.004-04:00

Anyone looking for a sale? Michelle Batton has just had a baby girl, so she just does not have the time to maintain three stores. Michelle's designs will still be available at MellowButterfly.com and Faith Sisters, but she is closing her store at Sunshine Studio Scraps. And that is good news for you, because she is having a sale until her store closes on July 15th.

Don't let this great opportunity to save on Michelle's wonderful designs pass you by.

So You Think You Can Scrap Layouts (part 1)

2009-06-07T20:10:00.003-04:00

I spent six weeks competing in "So You Think You Can Scrap" where I competed in the Advanced category. The competition was sponsored by After5Designs and Shabby Pickle Designs. Each week I did two layouts. One layout each week was judged by a panel of judges. The panel rotated each week with the exception of the store owners who helped judge each week. The second layout was submitted for a bonus round. One layout each week was randomly chosen and given a $25 gift certificate to each store. The competition ended about three weeks ago, but we recently got our points so I decided to go ahead and post the layouts on my blog to share with others. (These were not posted in any of my regular galleries, because we were to be anonymous.)

These first six layouts are the layouts I submitted to be judged each week.

Week One:
The theme for week one Was "It's So Me." And here is the information we were given about the theme for this week: Not for an all-about-me page persay, it is about the thing that people know you for. When they see this, they think of you: something that could describe you. You always wear fab shoes, or sprout the coolest hair styles. You're obsessed with a color and everyone knows it. You always say a certain word... things like that.

I decided to do a layout about one of my babies, because my love for animals is a big part of who I am. I chose to scrap my lovebird Dumplin', because she hasn't appeared in near as many layouts as my dogs. And I'll have to admit that her coloring fit the color scheme for the week perfectly.

Here is the layout I created. The journaling is a quote from Anatole France: "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." (I include the text of the journaling, because while readable at 3600x3600 not really so readable at the 600x600 size I use for blogs and galleries.)

Credits: It's So Me - SOUTUCS Week 1, Crystal Cranberry - Ah! Designs, Berry Me in the Sand - Ah! Designs, All Things Grow With Love - New Life Dreams, Word Art Masks - Birgit Kerr, Font: Scrap Rhapsody

Week Two:
This weeks theme is "flashback." Bring us back a while. maybe to your younger years, maybe a great old picture from the attic. or even from grandmas attic!

For week two, I scrapped a photo of my maternal great-grandmother. The original photo was color, but I thought that B&W worked much better for the layout. I was really happy with the journaling for this layout.

Journaling: "It's interesting the things I remember from visiting "Gangy's" house as a child. I remember the Roman Meal toast The big wooden swing on her porch. Her big picture living room that gave her a great view of everything going on in town. The time our Great-Aunt made spaghetti sauce with deer meat. I remember spending a lot of time at my cousin's house who lived two houses away. I remember driving out to visit Uncle Noland and Aunt Betty. I remember eating fried chicken at Uncle Neal and Aunt Nancy's house. (Everyone was so surprised, cause I actually ate what they considered to be a good amount of food.) The trips to Mesa Verde. And I remember the Methodist church at the end of the block, even though we never went inside. At least not that I remember anyway. I also remember wondering why she wasn't more like my other Great-Grandmother. It seemed to me that since they were almost the same age, they should be exactly alike. However, they were very different people. Those aren't all of my memories from visiting Gangy in Mancos, but I just find it interesting the things I do remember."

Credits: Bombay Flower - Ah! Designs, Summer Evenings - Catherine Designs, Asian Artistry - Emiko Designs, Flashback - SUTUCS Week 2, Merkeley Designs: Bone Photo Holders (enlarged), Alpha: Scrap Rhapsody

Week Three:
The theme for week 3 -- 'A Moment in Time'. Scrap a picture that you can't believe your luck in capturing the moment. Whether it is just the sweetest thing to look at, a completely candid shot of a child or friend, or it is an touching photo that stirs emotions. Let us see your moment in time!

I took this picture at the Morikami Japanese Museum and Gardens. I absolutely love this photo and am amazed that I actually got the picture at the perfect moment (and that I didn't have to turn away cause I really am not into "circle of life" moments).

Credits: A Moment In Time - SUTUCS Week 3, It's So Me - SUTUCS Week 1, Asian Artistry - Emiko Designs (frame altered using paper from A Moment in Time kit and Stardust papers), Diamond Rain - Jofia Devoe, Flower Mania - Jofia Devoe, Stardust - Jofia Devoe

Week Four:
This weeks theme is "Sing Sing a Song." Base this one around a song. Wether the picture totally fits the song, and thats why you have chosen it, or its just a song you love, a song you hate, your all time fave song, or just one you can never get out of your head!

The song I chose is "Standing Right Next to Me" by Karla Bonoff. It's in the movie "8 Seconds". This was the song to which we danced our first dance at our wedding reception.

Here are the lyrics: Love is like the wind, Sometimes it blows your way, And until now it missed me somehow. But when I turned around I saw you standing there. The sound of your voice - I had no choice. I used to have a wish one day I'd feel like this. Now I know love exists cause it's standing right next to me. Beneath the moon tonight I see it in your eyes - No more false starts, no more broken hearts. I used to have a wish one day I'd feel like this. Now I know love exists cause it's standing right next to me. Even in the dark, even when you're gone I feel you in my heart. I used to have a wish one day I'd feel like this. Now I know love exists cause it's standing right next to me Standing right next to me. Standing right next to me.

Credits: Woodland Retreat - Catherine Designs, Spring Snippet Essentials Cut Ups - Gina Cabrera, Font: Partridge

Week Five:
The theme for week 5 -- 'Color My World'. Alter your photo! Make it black & white (maybe even with color accents) or sepia, give it a vintage or aged look, or use a 70's effect or duo tones... Put the color focus on your papers and elements, and let the photo speak for itself!

This is a picture of my brother-in-law and his wife that I took when we went up to Orlando in March.

Credits: Girls Retreat - Catherine Designs, Summer Evenings - Catherine Designs, Flashback - SUTUCS Week 2, It's So Me - SUTUCS Week 1, A Moment In Time - SUTUCS Week 3, Ephemerals - Jofia Devoe, Frayed Templates - Birgit Kerr

Week Six:
This weeks theme is "It's a Bird...It's a Plane." Let the focus of this one be on an object or 'thing' not a person. Scrap nature, or a book, your kids toy... be original, think outside the box. Wow us with youre amazing creativity!

This photo is of the Orlando Temple. It was also taken when we were up in Orlando. This was probably the hardest one for me to come up with a photo, but I finally settled on a photo of the temple.

Credits: New Life Dreams: All Things Grow With Love, It's A Bird, It's A Plane - SUTUCS Week 6, Jofia Devoe: Light Breeze, Jofia Devoe: Ephemerals, Jofia Devoe: Diamond Rain, Merkeley Designs: Photo Holders - Bone (enlarged)

If you made it this far, I am impressed. I will be back later this week with the six layouts I created for the bonus rounds. My original intent was to do all 12 layouts in one post. But I soon realized that was going to be way too much for any one person to read in a sitting. Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at what I did.

A Layout to Share

2009-05-24T16:16:00.006-04:00

Yes, I am back. I have a recent layout I want to share with y'all. This layout is the first dance of David and I as a married couple. (Heck it might be our very first dance altogether.) I thought the colors in Merkeley Designs' "Hey Lady' kit were perfect for scrapping wedding pics. And I love any excuse to scrap our wedding pics. I will say that I am happy with the way this turned out.

Everything I used is from Merkeley Designs.

You can find complete credits for the layout here.

Speaking of Merkeley, she is hosting a Got It challenge in June at Oscraps. The challenge starts June 1st and I recommend all of y'all participate. I don't know exactly what they are doing, but with Jen involved it is bound to be a great challenge. Worried about not having any of Merkeley's "It" products? Well don't be. She has created a sampler of her products to use for the challenge. It's free and can be found at Merkeley Designs or Oscraps.

I am really going to try and better about keeping my blog updated. I feel guilty when I know it is not getting the love it deserves. For now, this is the end, but I really do hope to return soon. :O)

Egg-cited about this Layout

2009-04-29T21:42:00.003-04:00

I am pretty excited about this layout. I am actually really happy with the way it turned out. (David not so much. lol) It was a little more work than normal, but I think it was worth it.

(full credits here)

For me, it's pretty rare that the image I have in my head actually works once I get started on the project. This time it did. I am very happy about that.

I've also not been very motivated to scrap lately. It was nice to finally get a layout done. I am working on another right now. Hopefully this is a new trend and not just a shot in the dark. :O)

Regretting Taking Part in So You Think You Can Scrap

2009-04-17T21:20:00.002-04:00

When I took part in ADSR 4 (Amazing Digi Scrap Race), I loved it. I loved working with my partner Ginger and it was a wonderful experience for me. So, I decided to take part in So You Think You Can Scrap contest. It's a solo endeavor, but I still thought I would enjoy it. I knew I would win, but I thought it was another chance to stretch my creativity. But now, I am obsessed with how many fewer visits my layout gets than another layout posted about the same time. So the wrong way to look at it, but I can't seem to help myself. And now, I think it is affecting my desire to scrap anything, cause I am behind on my CT projects and before this, I was actually ahead of the game. In the future, I will still compete in future ADSR's, cause it was such a great experience, but think I will avoid more competitive competitions like the one I am in now. They are just not good for me.

Productive Evening

2009-04-14T21:29:00.002-04:00

My day seemed like a Monday rather than a Tuesday, but I have had a good evening. After work, I headed to the gym. I was short on time, cause I had to get home to do my taxes, but I still did 30 minutes of cardio. So far, I am really enjoying going to the gym. Who'd have thought. Won't be going tomorrow night, because I have to be at the church @ 7:00 p.m. But I'll be back on Thursday.

After returning from the gym, I did my taxes. Yes, I know I should procrastinate less. lol The good news is that I am getting a refund. Can't complain about that. But I sure don't think I got any credit from the bill Obama signed back in February. Oh well!

I need to work on my layout for So You Think You Can Scrap. But I think I'll do that in the morning and go spend some time with my sweetie!

Joined the Gym

2009-04-13T21:46:00.002-04:00

Okay, no one needs to die of shock over this one. The gym near where David and I work had a special for $10 a month each. We decided to go for it. Tonight was our first visit and I really glad we went. Hope to do more cardio tomorrow. Regardless, can't wait to go back.

Celebrating Easter

2009-04-12T07:25:00.004-04:00

This is going to be a short post! I just want to share with you a layout I created to celebrate Easter

(Full credits can be seen here.)

I am so grateful that Christ willingly came to this Earth, because of his love for each of us, to pay the price so that I, and everyone, could have the opportunity to return to live with him. What an amazing gift given to all of mankind. We have all been truly blessed.

May everyone have a great day. He is risen!!

I forgot that I do have something tp share

2009-04-04T22:16:00.001-04:00

I forgot, I do have something to share with y'all. I was chosen to be a member of the digi creative team for FaithSisters.com. If you're interested, you can see the announcement here. I am pretty excited about this. Anyway, you can see a copy of my Faith Sister's profile here. This weekend, I hope to be creating my first layouts for Faith Sisters. I'll come back and share them when they are completed.

My Life too Boring

2009-04-04T21:43:00.002-04:00

I think my life is too boring for a blog! I'm sitting here trying to decide what to blog and I am coming up with squat. Maybe I should make my life more interesting.

I'm still in the So You Think You Can Scrap contest. But I can't show you my layouts, cause it's supposed to be anonymous and there could another scrapper who reads my blog. Otherwise, I'd love to show you what I've done so far.

I have decided that Charlie from Twilight doesn't get enough credit. He is one of the better characters in the movie. I also think Jacob should keep his hair down. The long hair really suits him.

Well, I think I've bored y'all enough for the day. I'll be back later with more.

A New Layout from Me

2009-03-22T20:40:00.005-04:00

Y'all might remember the quickpage I created awhile back. Well, I decided someone might as well use it, so I created a page with it. The photo is from when David and I went to Morikami Gardens in February 2008.

I used Michelle Batton's My Little Goldfish kit, alpha and add-on to create the layout.

I've also decided to tryout for the Faith Sister's Digital Creative Team. As part of the application process, we had to create a layout using the kits being submitted for their design team contest. Here is my submission.

Because of their contest to choose some new designers for the store, there are a number of great kits available for free. You can find them at Faith Sisters.

Well, I am off to go spend some time with David. Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday evening!

Romanza by Cinzia Loosemore

2009-03-21T20:27:00.005-04:00

I am in love with this new kit, Romanza, from Cinzia Loosemore.

It would be a great kit for scrapping pics of David and I together. Or even just David (which are my fav to scrap). This is just such a perfect kit for those romnatic photos that I thought y'all might want to check it out as well.

My LIttle Goldfish Freebie

2009-03-06T07:04:00.004-05:00

One of the designers for whom I am a creative team member, Michelle Batton, has released a new kit called My Little Goldfish. It is an awesome kit. There are a number of new products associated with the kit. You can see them all at the blog for her personal store, MellowButterfly.

As part of this new release, she is putting together a quickpage team and I am trying out. Here is the quickpage I created using My Little Goldfish.

Part of what will determine if I make the team is how many people download my quickpage. So, if you like my page, head on over to MellowButterfly and pickup my quickpage. It's free.

Please note, you can add it to your cart or there is a direct download link on the page at Michelle's shop, if you want to go that route. :O)

The People of Australia Need Your Help

2009-02-10T06:50:00.000-05:00

I am taking a break from the pictures that I normally post to ask for your help.

The last count I saw, the death toll from the bush fires stood at over 170. The fires that have erupted are devastating Australia and they need our help. Please take a moment to donate via The Salvation Army or The Australian Red Cross. If everyone who read this gave even $5.00 it could make such a difference. So, if you have even a little to spare, please consider donating.

I suspect you are wondering why I am interested in this. In the digi scrapping community I have "met" so many wonderful people from Australia and they are asking for our help. I feel this is an extremely worthy cause, so wanted to ask my blog readers to join me in donating a few dollars to help those in need.

Thank you!

The People of Australia Need Your Help

2009-02-10T06:44:00.004-05:00

The last count I saw, the death toll from the bush fires stood at over 170. The fires that have erupted are devastating Australia and they need our help. Please take a moment to donate via The Salvation Army or The Australian Red Cross. If everyone who read this gave even $5.00 it could make such a difference. So, if you have even a little to spare, please consider donating.

I suspect you are wondering why I am interested in this. In the digi scrapping community I have "met" so many wonderful people from Australia and they are asking for our help. I feel this is an extremely worthy cause, so wanted to ask my blog readers to join me in donating a few dollars to help those in need.

Thank you!