Family Search Indexing Project

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!

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

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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.