I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas…

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas Only a hippopotamus will do Don't want a doll, no dinky Tinker Toy I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy

I want the world to be at peace I want the earth to be well and for us to stop damaging it I want no more animals to rush to extinction due to our stupidity

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas I don't think Santa Claus will mind, do you? He won't have to use our dirty chimney flue Just bring him through the front door, that's the easy thing to do

I want there to be clean water for everyone to drink I want no child to be hungry, no adult for that matter I want medicine available to all who need it

I can see me now on Christmas morning, creeping down the stairs Oh what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes to see a hippo hero standing there

I want for folks to share with each other when they have more than they need I want the sense of entitlement rampant in America to go away I want people to be aware of the worth of their souls

and to appreciate their gifts

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas Only a hippopotamus will do No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses I only like hippopotamuses And hippopotamuses like me too

I want my family to be kind and to be at peace I want my family to never feel loneliness,

may they all have friends who they can call upon I want my family to appreciate each other

Mom says the hippo would eat me up, but then Teacher says a hippo is a vegetarian. (Short Music Interlude) There's lots of room for him in our two-car garage I'd feed him there and wash him there and give him his massage

I want my friends to know they can call on me no matter what I want my friends to feel loved I want my friends to have all that they need

I can see me now on Christmas morning, creeping down the stairs Oh what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes to see a hippo hero standing there

I want patience for myself I want to be complaint free I want to let go of anger

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas Only a hippopotamus will do No crocodiles or rhinoceroseses I only like hippopotamuseses And hippopotamuses like me too!

So now that you’re done delivering the toys,

could you get on these requests Santa!? Thanks for all your hard work ~ thank the elves and Mrs. Claus too!

Merry Christmas to One and All!

"Hippo Song" Words and Music by John Rox

Distractions...

This could be the view from Santa's back porch.... hope he and the elves are not too distracted to finish making the toys and pack the sleigh! 1. DSC04876.jpg, 2. Red Aurora, 3. Nothern Lights 7, 4. Northern Lights Easter 2006 II, 5. Þingvellir, 6. Rare red auroras., 7. aurora borealis, 8. Aurora in Fog, 9. Aurora Borealis_12, 10. Fireworks from God, 11. Aurora Borealis, 12. Aurora Borealis, 13. Stars and Aurora Borealis, 14. while waiting for winter, 15. glow, 16. It´s Written In The Stars Thank you to all the wonderful folks who captured these shots and thank you to Flickr.com for helping me share them with you. What a blessing to have been in the presence of such wonder! Please do enjoy the the photos ~ but shouldn't you be shopping or wrapping gifts or baking cookies or doing something constructive? Ah yes, I must tease! Remember to savor every moment of the Holidays. After all, even the "interesting" bits could give you something to blog about!

Solstice Greetings!

Lake Opeechee, Ontario, Canada ~ 2002

It has been a challenging time recently in my corner of the world and I am more than ready to celebrate the return of the Sun. It’s been a bit dark both literally and figuratively as of late. For centuries many peoples have anticipated the coming of the Solstice. It marks the end of Winter’s darkness, the rebirth of the Sun, and hope for the reawakening of the Earth which provides us our nourishment. Now while I’m not foolish enough to think that Winter is over in North East Ohio (trust me – wait for the rant on Ground Hog Day against the evil plot and empty promises brought by that untrustworthy rodent, and I’m hoping that Easter will not be white again this year!), I am ready to move into the light. So hang a wreath to symbolize the great cycle of the seasons and burn a Yule log to welcome back the Sun. Step out side, turn your face to the sky, and be thankful for the beauty and wonder that is our Mother Earth. If you can’t see the Sun through the snow clouds, just guess where it may be and remember that the clouds keep the heat in! Blessed Be!

2007 Blogging Scholarship

As I was wandering across Bloglandia the other day, I came across a post here directing me to the 2007 Blogging Scholarship award from College Scholarships.org . What a neat idea! There are 20 finalists in this process and you are encouraged to check out each page before you vote. I did go to each blog to see what they offered.

A very eclectic mix I must say! It was a wonderful diversion last night from the horrifying tragedy that was Game 6 of the ALCS (Yes, I am aware that I am blessed not to have a real frame of reference to what "horrifying tragedy" truly means...) I have added several of these to my already burgeoning GoogleReader so that I do not miss future posts. There is something for everyone in this lot: Political, Military, Mom/Cancer Fighter, Science, Sports, Religion, Personal Finance, Computers. The main requirement to qualify for the award is that you are a full-time post secondary student who blogs. The wining candidate will be selected based on voting by the public. (That's us!) I really do recommend checking them out!

It was difficult choosing a favorite - but I am a sucker for the Science Geek every time... We've got to stick together!

Enjoy!

Helicopters

Helicopters are all over Cleveland skies this week as the American League Championship Series between the Indians and the Boston Red Sox plays here. Glad they're up there doing something pleasant for a change. The sound pulls my eyes skyward. At least I don't have to petition the heavens on behalf of some poor soul being life flighted to a trauma center. Wonder what it's like to live in some areas of Los Angeles where I understand police helicopters are overhead constantly searching for folks and the news helicopters are there in case they find them. Constant whump-whump-whump of the blades must be irritating. Or maybe you only notice when they stop? I understand we have more helicopters in Iraq now than in any other "conflict" we've fought in. I understand that Al 'Qaeda in Iraq has a plan to target them all special like. Couldn't find the link to the recent NPR segment that spoke on that... Say a prayer for all the folks over there - but give a shout out to those in helicopters. What's up with "Helicopter Moms" in the news? Have you heard of these parents? I understand volunteering at your baby's preschool, baking cupcakes for the fourth grade winter festival party, and not missing the homecoming game... But I don't get the mom who plans to send out resumes and make phone calls to potential employers for her daughter once she graduates from College? Yeah right - "Let's do lunch - my mom will call you mom." That's a play date folks - not a career. Did you know that I have one of those totally cool hats with the propeller on top? Nerds rock.... I want to wear it again some day soon. Don't you love playing with the helicopter wings that come down from the maple trees? How many hours did you spend as a kid watching them fall and then throwing them in the air to watch them fall again? I should do that soon. Kind of like smelling the crayons. Have you done that lately? Takes you right back to getting new crayons for grade school in the fall. Fall is great - did I mention the Indian's are playing in the American League Championships Series? GO TRIBE!

A Visit to the Monastery

Since I began attending meetings and events with my Chi Omega Sorority Sisters of the Cleveland West I have visited some amazing places in my new home town. Last night was no exception! We attended a tea tasting at The Monastery in Ohio City. They refer to themselves as a restaurant and tea sanctuary.

This unique place is run by a man who must be more knowledgeable about tea than any other person I will ever possibly meet. He regaled us with stories about different teas: white tea, green tea, oolong tea, black tea, pu-erhs..... Did you know that there are teas aged for 30 years? Did you know that some of the best teas are picked by monkeys from the highest cliff elevations which humans just can't reach? Did you know that some teas are considered competition grade? Did you know that milk and sugar are not just a preference of some, but actually required to bring out the full flavor and aroma of some teas? (And do not ever under any circumstances place lemon in anything but iced tea! It will destroy the flavor profile!) Did you know that each tea must be prepared with very specific temperature and infusion time to bring out it's dimension properly? So much to learn!

Luckily, there was also so much to enjoy!

We had a three course meal accompanied by five tea courses...

First Apricot Passion Green Tea

First course: Old English fresh scones and date nut bread baked earlier in the day, served with cream cheese, lemon curd (totally scrumptious!), strawberry cream, and honey and lavender cream.

The next tea was Song Yang White Tea.

Our main food course was Grilled Chicken Salad with green tea marinade served with Wuyi Oolong tea.

Bangladesh Siloah Black Tea

And finally.... dessert! Dark Chocolate Truffle with Rum, Chocolate Strawberry Truffle, Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle. I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful these were! and a finish with Iron Silk Pu-erh tea.

Over all a delightful evening. And a bit overwhelming! I learned so many different things and was exposed to so many teas that I fear I cannot even discuss them intelligently! For one thing I am aware that my vocabulary doesn't even include sufficient words to articulate the sensory attributes of tea!

If you are ever in this neck of the woods... you must stop in here and experience their "culinary concoctions for the senses."

They also sell loose tea and all the paraphernalia to prepare it properly. I will be back there soon to make some selections!

(Excuse the photos here... I was not trying some fancy exposure settings or filters... Miss "I can't believe I'm lucky enough to go to a tea tasting, how totally cool!" was not awake enough in the morning to remember to bring the camera with her to work! Cell phone to the rescue!)

My Vote for Mr. October

How about Chief Wahoo? and how about the Tribe!

2007 American League Central Champions!

Now don't get me wrong.... I know virtually nothing about baseball. Although I have learned about the 'ground rule double,' and the 'infield fly rule,' and most recently what constitutes a 'save' for a pitcher. These and other important facts are really quite beside the point. The bottom line to winning the game is that our guys have to stop the other guys from scoring or even getting on base really, and the our guys need to score some.... Got that? (picked up that little tip from listening to the announcers!) When we do something that looks cool - clap. (Although I've been know to clap also when the other boys do something cool too - irritates the other fans, but I mean come on, if it really was cool....?)

My husband enjoys the game and I enjoy watching him watch the game. It really was a blast going to the game early in the year: eating hot dogs, having a beer, soaking up the atmosphere, fireworks after the game.... I honestly can not tell you for absolutely certain if we won or lost that night. I'm pretty sure we won though.... that's how I plan to remember it. It's a good bet we did since we had the best record in baseball as of the other day!

It's been a wild ride this year since our snowy season opener - but it's not over yet!

When we win: be happy. If we don't win: be happy that we live in a place where playing is even an option.

So... GO CLEVELAND INDIANS! Make us proud!

...picture above clearly is the property of The Cleveland Plain Dealer... it is the front page of today's paper...! I'm not stealing, I'm sharing! For lots of other neat Tribe stuff you can visit their website, or the team's website.

Afterglow

And so the ball is over.... What an awesome night! I danced and danced.... I visited dancers from all around the globe: of course our beautiful United States and her Sister Canada, and then Scotland, Australia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Turkey, England, Afghanistan.... Maybe further as not all had information on such details. It was a pleasure to dance and share with all of you! The world is so small these days yet holds so many things of wonder and beauty. So if it's not to late, I'll have one last glass of champagne as I look at my dancing shoes and toast to new friends, new blogs in my goggle reader, and new challenges and inspirations to keep me busy until the next time! ...wonder if there are any hors’doevers left?

The Bloglandia Ball!

I'm so excited to have an invitation to the Bloglandia Ball!

This wonderful event today under the light of the full chrysanthemum moon is being presented by Elizabeth Bunsen at Be... Dream... Play...

I do enjoy a party!

Please take the journey there and visit Bloglandia - many things to see and enjoy. Be certain to read the invocation to set the mood.

I learned of this event through ArtsyMama's Blog Her Artful Blogger Party was my very first post! She's already there... I'd better hurry up or I might miss some fun!

The only requirement for entrance? A gown. It could be made of any medium: fabric, paper, words, song... I put together the following ensemble - I hope no ones wearing the same thing! How embarrassing!

My piece is the first entry of my official new art journal. The base to my gown is made of some lovely blue paper flecked with white which reminded me of a starry night. Speaking of a starry night - the spectacular background stamp is a version of van Gogh's Starry Night. I water colored the image.

The bodice is adorned with jewels of peridot and amethyst. As I understand it, these are worn together to signify purity and morality... Peridot is considered a stone of lightness and beauty and a protector against negative emotions. It is also my birthstone. Amethyst is used in healing and to instill a focused sober mind for meditation. It is said to bring calmness and to remove negativity. (Sensing a purpose here?) Amethyst is the birthstone of both my sisters.

The skirt is decorated with peacock feathers. The peacock is associated with many Goddesses - often those of fertility. Appropriate for a harvest ball! Although they are often accused of vanity for their plumage, in reality we know that the male birds are only protecting the nest by drawing attention to themselves and away from those who could be harmed.

I have also added wings - why not fly?

The words present on the page are not my own - but rather a portion of those in a song by my favorite band, Tool, lyrics by Maynard James Kennan. The song is called Reflection and the lyrics in there entirety are below. It is a reminder to be that although we have a light to shine, it isn't only ours - we are a reflection of those who would teach us and those we would share with. The flame burns in all of us that is put there, and everywhere by our Mother.

I have come curiously close to the end, down Beneath my self-indulgent pitiful hole, Defeated, I concede and Move closer I may find comfort here I may find peace within the emptiness How pitiful It's calling me... And in my darkest moment, fetal and weeping The moon tells me a secret - my confidant As full and bright as I am This light is not my own and A million light reflections pass over me Its source is bright and endless She resuscitates the hopeless Without her, we are lifeless satellites drifting And as I pull my head out I am without one doubt Don't wanna be down here feeding my narcissism. I must crucify the ego before it's far too late I pray the light lifts me out Before I pine away. So crucify the ego, before it's far too late To leave behind this place so negative and blind and cynical, And you will come to find that we are all one mind Capable of all that's imagined and all conceivable. Just let the light touch you And let the words spill through And let them pass right through Bringing out our hope and reason ... before we pine away.

Are you still hear?! Get back to the Party!

blue and white paper - this was my first purchase at Hollo's the paper Mecca of North East Ohio; Starry Night - Stamp Camp; Stampin' Up! classic inks for water color; Jewels - Target and JoAnn Dollar spots; peacock feathers - never got to meet him, thanks and rest in peace.

Did you feel it?

Apparently, this morning, Sunday, September 23rd, at 5:51am, while I was fast asleep, Summer ended.

There should have been a shudder, or maybe a sonic boom. I am sorry - but no one asked me if this was okay. I had a long list of things to do this summer and I did not get to everything.

♠ I had some wonderful trips away with John: Windsor, Toronto, Milwaukee...

♠ I saw Roger Waters, John Fogerty, and Ian Hunter in concert...

♠ I stood in line with Barb to purchase the final installment of Harry Potter and read it in under 24 hours...

♠ I Walked for Wishes and went to the Cleveland Zoo....

♠ I saw the Indians play...

♠ I saw fireworks...

♠ I got to spend some time with my big sister Diana and her girls, even if it did mean that Breanna was in the hospital...

♠ I visited Denver and Minneapolis...

♠ I ate at Sonic...

♠ I went to the Geauga County Fair and John got to win me prizes at games of skill...

♠ I attended some fine Happy Owlers with my Chi Omega Sisters...

♠ We grew some peppers in the garden and cooked wonderful meals with them...

♠ I had some lovely chats with my new 'pretend online friends' and even hung out with them in person...

♠ I finally went to Hollo's...

♠ I rocked out to Custard Pie...

♠ I enjoyed the Summer television season, I love 'The Closer', and 'Monk', and 'Psych'...

♠ I started a blog...

But we were going to go fishing! And have some picnics! I was going to sit outside on the shaded patio in the warmth and the breezes and take advantage of my amazing wireless internet capability. I was going to visit my parents and my son more. I was going to read some good books. I wanted to create some art.

Do you have any idea how long and hard I had to look to find a changing leaf for the opening photo? I guess I'll put those things on the list for Fall. Plenty of time.

After all - It is harvest time right?

Did I mention....

...that I'm a demonstrator for Stampin' Up!

If you are not familiar, Stampin' Up! is a company which offers rubber stamps, paper, embellishments and tools for card making, scrapbooking, and other papercrafts. I enjoy the opportunity to share these products with others who want to express themselves through handmade art. You may visit my Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Business Website any time by clicking the link in my right side bar. But for now, I want to let you in on a few things happening in my business:

Fall Frenzy!:

September 1st - 30th

Celebrate Fall by receiving 30% on 6 of our popular sets for the season. Simply purchase $30 in regular priced merchandise and you can purchase one each of the following sets: Bitty Boos, Haunting Halloween, Thoroughly Thankful, Autumn Fest, Elementary Essentials, and Stem Silhouettes (from the 2007 Holiday Mini~Catalogue).

Choose Your Family: August 10th - September 30th

Who wouldn't want to do that?! If you've ever considered becoming a demonstrator - this is an excellent time to do so. In addition to the wonderful starter kit you would receive for signing on with Stampin' Up! you will also receive a set of 12 classic ink pads in the color family of your choice. Click the sub-title link above, or visit my web site in the right side bar to get more details.

World Card Making Day:

This is a new opportunity to share the creation of handmade cards with others. It will be held on October 6th, 2007. In honor of this event Stampin' Up! will offer their exclusive "Simply Sent" kits for 20% off from October 4th through the 8th. Click on the sub-title link above for more details from the Stampin' Up! website.

Click HERE to view our Fall Winter Collection 2007 Catalogue

Click HERE to view our Holiday Mini~Catalogue for 2007

Let me know if you'd like more details!

Scrapfest 2007 Second Helpings

I'm almost recovered now from our trip to Scrapfest at MOA. Back into the swing of things at home and work. Just wanted to share a few more things we saw and did while we were there! First I want to add that most all of the booths provided a "shopping list" of the products used so that you could march right up to Archiver's and buy them. Or at least know what the heck you did use when you got home and dumped everything out on the living room floor! This was a new practice this year (I think) and it was very well received, at least by me! Also, apparently I overlooked a few make 'n take booths that I really should point out in all fairness. When I looked back over my "I Scream for Scrapfest" entry , it occurred to me that I subconsciously purged all of those vendor stations which included competitor stamps! I really don't think I did it on purpose... but I'm not sure what Mr. Freud would have to say about that theory! Stampendous Here we made a clever little book using several funky stamps. The paper and acetate cover was pre-cut for us, but we got to use the bind it all to punch the holes for the ribbon binding. Project featured shiny dot sparklers and Hallowe'en phrase stickers. They also passed out "I Stamped with Stampendous" buttons - if you were caught wearing one, you won a prize of a groovy little paint can filled with goodies including stamps, stickers, and other fun stuff. I'd show you a picture.... but I never got caught! No fair - I even jumped up and down. Good thing I wasn't trying for a spot on the "What do ya know" quiz!

Hero Arts Unfortunately, we ran out of time and did not make a stop at this table. This made me especially sad when I found out that our new friend Tami had been working as an instructor at their booth and I missed her! However, up at Archiver's they were passing out really helpful idea sheets and they of course sell the stamps there too.

I found many sets I liked, but here is a set I think I'm going to have to purchase at my next trip to my local store! These little birds are everywhere lately and these are a nice compilation.

Stampers Anonymous & Ranger Ink Oh my. What can I say. They pretty much just gave us free reign here! Ton's of their cling mount stamp designs to play with anyway we wanted using Ranger's Distress Inks. I'd love to show you a picture of Tim Holtz hard at work demonstrating Ranger's new line of products Crackle Paint- but the area was always three people thick and I never got close enough! I find these stamps very unique and I'd grab up every single set if I could. I made a little montage with their "Anthology" set along with the sentiment from "Pattern Pieces". (Shhhhh..... Anthology may be coming home soon as well!)

This year we did some advance planning and signed up for some classes. From what we had head from the year before they were a lot of fun, the instructors are often some of the hottest freshest faces in the industry, you do terrific projects, and often a mind-blowing amount of freebies. Keep in mind, many of these classes sell out within the first 10 minutes of on-line registration! Back in July (the day I flew out for Stampin' Up! Convention as a matter of fact...) we began registering. All told, we signed up for three classes. Celebrate with 3M! (3M - Scotch Brand ®) You have to appreciate 3M products. Even though they don't have beautiful papers like Basic Grey or Daisy D's, have no impressive stamps like Stampers Anonymous, or any of the fibers or embellishments we go ga-ga over - they are one of the most critical part of our creative process! They hold stuff together! The class itself focused around using their templates to cut out shapes, and then applying glitter with their glues, and then laminating them the pieces to make cards. A really polished look in the end. But! The best part of this class was the free product give-away! We received a craft stick, scrapbookers glue, pop up foam squares, photo corners, and a roll of decorative tape. Due to an issue with supplies not being ready for Edwina - they graciously provided her with double product and an entire set of their shape templates as a consolation. Very unexpected. One lucky class member walked away with a laminating machine like the one used in the class - lucky her! Although the 45 minutes provided was not enough time to complete the projects - they gave us instructions in full color to make it simple to finish when we got home. It was extra nice to work with 3M - Scotch Brand® since we recently learned that they will have a partnership with Stampin' Up! and feature projects with our stamps, paper, and embellishments on their packaging. We love 3M! Hallowe'en Accordion Album (Doodlebug Designs & Xyron) What a charming little book we made! They provided us with a Doodlebug 3x3 black and white polka dot album, alphabet and tags & tabs sticker sheets, instructions and supplies to make a complete book. We had enough goodies left over to make maybe 3 more! We were able to use the Xyron design runner (very cool!), the 2" adhesive runner, and the create-a-sticker. (I already have a Xyron Creative Station 500 - love it!) Again - the 45 minutes for this class was not enough, so I worked on them as well at the hotel in the evening - didn't want us running around the town wild did you!? I was fortunate to win a 8x8 Doodlebug album and Edwina won a Xyron 2" adhesive runner - lucky us!

Bling Ring Book (Archivers) A glamorous girly project for sure! I knew it would be when I read the description for this class and the companion purse class offered separately. I had a plan to include pictures of the women in my family: me and my sisters, their daughters, my mom and her sisters, both of my grandmothers and their sisters, and even my great grandmother and her sisters! Can't show you a completed picture - because it's not quite done yet. Because of the unusual shape (which we didn't know before we got there exactly) I didn't have the perfect photo for some of the pages. Now my printer thinks it wants more ink! With luck you can get an idea of how it will go together. We used paper form Basic Grey's Phoebe line - a personal favorite! - as well as their Perhaps line. We got to paint, stamp, use a Crop-a-dile (still warming up to that creature...), and got lots and lots of embellishments, sparkle, and ribbon. Another 45 minute class. Are you getting the picture that you should be prepared to be awake, attentive, speedy, figure out which tools you must use before you leave the area, and be prepared to finish up at home? I must say though, that the instructions were nicely written, very detailed, and included color pictures once again.

We also heard that classes offered by Bazzil and Die Cuts With a View gave mega give-away stuff..... Next year! Are ya coming with us?!

I Scream for Scrapfest!

Wow what an adventure! Grab a glass of something and read on! Before I even begin - I want to say that one of the best things about this trip was meeting folks from all over. It is truly a small world and the crafting community includes some of the nicest, most helpful, generous, splendid women (and men) you will ever meet! A shout out to all the folks we met in line, on the shuttles, and at the hotel... especially Kristina and Tami! This is the second time I've been able to attend this remarkable event sponsored by Archiver's. Bright and early last Friday, I flew to Milwaukee from Cleveland to meet up with my pal Edwina and we continued on to Minneapolis, Minnesota and the Mall of America (MOA). If you've never been to MOA, it is the most ginormous mall you've ever seen: four levels, amusement park complete with giant ferris wheel and roller coaster, lego land, full size indoor aquarium, possibly secret chasms beneath where alien space ships are hidden like at Area 51.... getting the picture? Totally boffo!

<- Me & Edwina at the Archiver's make 'n take table There were 30 different scrapbooking and crafting vendors who were available for product information and make and takes. Word of this event seems to be spreading far and wide as more and more folks show up every year to participate. Lines were long, but over all very worth the wait. Even though we were there from Friday through Sunday, we did not make it to all the booths. Here are some highlights, some of my favorite projects, and possibly some suggestions for things you can't live without - so stop reading now if you don't want to have to get in your car and drive immediately to your favorite craft supply store! Creative Imaginations This booth was amazing. Creative Imaginations, in case you don't know, is a collection which contains many lines and artists. The display was great and showcased ideas from the 'bare elements' line as well as lots of paper and embellishments. They offered a different project each day and we completed the stations both Saturday and Sunday. Didn't quit finish my photo cube since I didn't have any pictures with me. They let me take a few items away to finish up with - they're swell! The girls here were very well organized, very helpful, and very positive - even though they had more challenging projects and the longest lines!

Kolo They offer some wonderful scrapbooking album products . This year they gave away a 4x6 album which they showed us how to embellish. This was a very popular stop as well! The books are very well designed, and include side loading page protectors. I'm not sure I've seen that on a 4x6 album. Totally cool.

Plano Have you seen this craft storage line they call 'creative options'? Oh my word, it is so nifty spiffo! Fresh colors, fun shapes, just delicious! I'm gonna have to get the 'make-up case,' embellishment tote, and ribbon holder at a minimum.... (by the way I couldn't find a website... but they were selling the goods at Archiver's!) And they gave away free tote bags!

SEI Same project as last year, but they showcased their iron-on embellishments. Love these!

K&Company They presented their Hallowe'en line by making a treat gift bag that could not have been cuter. Even without the treats inside I could eat it up! Reminisce More totally too cute Hallowe'en stuff - a Hallowe'en bag for collecting goodies! Their 10.31 paper is really fun and just a little wicked ...and the spider isn't scary because it only has six legs. That's what I'm telling myself anyway!

KI Memories & Love Elsie I just love the 'love Elsie' line that Elsie Flannigan has created for KI Memories - and may I just say that Elsie looks to be really a swell girl? If I needed a little sister instead of my two older ones - she could apply for the job! Even if she did steal my pen. She gave it back. It was an accident! We used some of the paper and embellishments to make a little playing card book. Neatest thing though is the adhesive fabric paper. Very easy to work with as evidenced by using it as a binding for the book. Also, according to Elsie, it makes a nice Band-Aid!

Die Cuts With a View These guys presented a very cute little die cut box made from their 'luxury stack' paper. A simple project, but their paper is so fabulous, I had to give them a shout out! Just buzzed over to the website and it says they have a new glitter stack out this year just in time for Hallowe'en? Didn't see it at Scrapfest - but I'm gonna need it!

Daisy D's The project didn't do their paper justice (just a simple card but cute) ....and Dudettes! Put your NAME on your booth! I know and absolutely love your paper, but other folks may not remember when they get home and look at the pictures! They also had small 4x4 idea squares for scrapbook page layouts. Very cute and helpful.

Me and My Big Ideas Cool new projects every day and they didn't skimp on the give-a-ways either! A whole pack of alphabet stickers! Sparkling rhinestone bling! What more could a girl ask for! Most especially the folks running the booth were fun people! (And we aren't gonna talk about the fact that I went to Archiver's and bought almost the entire 'sanctuary line.' Most marvelous!)

American Crafts They provided supplies to make a little birthday flip book. Paper, chipboard, and rub-ons. Very nice products to work with. Didn't quite finish mine because I wanted to actually keep it and add my own pictures! I give their rub-on's a high five.

Sandy Lion Known for thier stickers, their project was no exception. One again a very generous booth. They provided two whole stickers sheets to embellish a small metal box they designed as a photobox. The project was a back to school theme. Since Ian is like, um, old now? I decided to use the stickers in a different way later and retain the box for a special project you will hopefully see here soon! This booth got rave reviews from many folks we talked to. A++ to Sandy Lion!

So many more things to talk about! Many more vendors were represented and had very cool make-and-takes. Many tools like the Sizzix embossing and die-cutting lines, the Scraparatus by Karen Foster, the bind-it-all, the scor-it, too many to go into here.

Well worth getting up at 4:00 a.m. to go to the airport! I'll have another post soon about the classes we took!

I'd like to buy a vowel please, Vanna

"C _ l _ b r _ t _ Y _ _r L _ f _"

Since time immemorial, somewhere on the planet there have been those who fought to gain what was not theirs, those who would protect others from harm, and those caught in the crossfire of their passion.

Today is a day for reminding ourselves what a gift we have and what a gift others have given. Here are a few vowels to help you fill in the puzzle...

show your Appreciation for your many gifts

Educate yourself - take a class, read a book, watch the history channel - we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past if we do not study them

Inspire someone with your talent - what ever it is

Observe the world around you ... there is so much beauty, as well as pain - take it all in

seek Understanding... there are two sides to every story, find out what the other guy's is

June, 2ooo view from the World Trade Center Plaza New York, New York: the little church in the shadow of the towers.

Now most importantly, go show someone you love them.

Patriot Day 2007

Major Tom to Ground Control

Just to see if anyone might be listening, I thought I'd sent out a ping! Are you there? I really had planned to be a little more frequent with my posts. Out there floating in my tin can I suppose. Just in case you want to know whose shirts I wear, I thought I'd post a recent 6x6 scrapbook page I created to share in a swap with some of my wonderful online friends.

Paper is by Basic Grey - Phoebe Line

The A to Z of Me... (as listed inside the flap...) Adult Swim, South Park & Bump In The Night Books Are Awesome! Cheerleader in a Previous Millennium Devil’s Advocate in Any Discussion Energy Provided By Caffeine Full of Fascinating Info and Trivia Good Fast Food: Chipotle, Panera, Quizno’s, Roly Poly Hot Wheels Redlines! Ian is my Son - CCAD Student John is my Husband - March 16, 2002 Karma Baby - Everyone & Everything Is Connected Let’s Go Fishing! M&Ms, MalloCups & Snickers NPR Listener & Member Optimistic Puzzles, Brain Teasers, & Word Games Quality Assurance Chemist for Nestlé Rock and Roll, Baby! Bang Your Head! Stamping & Scrapbooking Traveling the World Is On My To Do List University of Toledo Graduate Violin and Piano Wild Child – Cocktails Anyone? X Ω Women’s Fraternity Youngest of Three Girls Zoom! Me and my Car Love to GO! Planet Earth is blue and there's something you can do... Hope your spaceship knows which way to go until next time! (...with sincere apologies to Mr. Bowie)

Millicent Bloomed

The resilience of nature is quite amazing – don’t you think? When I first moved to Cleveland and officially started my new job almost three years ago, it was the first time since 1994 that I had my own space at work with a door that locked. In the lands of prairie dogging this is a good thing. Only draw back? It is freezing in my corner of the world. On these recent days approaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit – my space heater has been cranking. (May karma forgive my carbon footprint) Did I mention no window? Home sweet Cave. Back then, I sheepishly asked the Plant Man if he might have something for me and my space. (His name is really Brian – but I call him “Plant Man” and he responds back with “Hey Food Lady”…) One of the interesting quirks of working in a food production plant is that all flora must be screened and tended to by a professional. Right on schedule, Plant Man brings me a lovely plant the very next week. Since then Plant and I have been spending time together. We chat, well I chat, he listens. I feared for his happiness though – you know, he was a PLANT and we were in a CAVE. A freezing cave with limited light… I listened during botany class and I was sore afraid. Week after week, Plant Man would come to water Plant. Amazingly, Plant began to grow bigger and bigger. Plant Man and I talked about this phenomenon a while back. He commented on the growth and I said, “He really seems to like it in here!” Plant man looked at me chuckling and said, “But no! He is a she! She will bloom.” I told him I couldn’t imagine that - her living where she was… Amazingly, last week, two days before my birthday, Millicent bloomed. I am still rather in awe of her. Despite everything against it, she bloomed. I had to give her a name at that point – it wouldn’t have been fair if I didn’t. After all, anyone with a child knows that no one knows your real name any more once you become a mother. So. Lesson for today? BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED. Until next time, Ian’s Mom

How do?

"How do?" "I'm finer than a frog hair and fitter than a fiddle!" That is an actual exchange I have heard more than one time in my family. My father would be the one giving the clever answer. I have now borrowed it from him. And now you know the story behind the name of my online journal. It is a good name, I think. Today is my birthday and seems a good day to start down this new path in my life. To be specific, this is my “second” twenty first birthday. I guess that means I’m coming of age yet again. I think I have discovered a lot the last two times through, but there is always more to learn and I am eager to get to it. I’m feeling pretty fine today myself. I’d like to use this space as a wide open gratitude journal. I am thankful for so many things. So many people. So many talents. Yes talents! We are taught from a young age not to be boastful – to the point of putting ourselves in a place where we are not allowed to show appreciation for our gifts. I would like to start taking some ownership. Hopefully, if you are taking the time to read this, you will support me in this endeavor. I’m certain that I will stray into the self deprecating humor area (it is just too easy and fun), but I will always try first to be positive. I hope to share many things with you, not the least of which will be some handmade artwork. I hope you enjoy it and that it will inspire you to create something of your own. The world we live in could not be more exquisite. I marvel at the Creator’s majesty on a daily basis. I will share some of the beauty I find with you here. Hopefully what you see will make you want to look for these things as well. With luck, they will make you feel finer than a frog hair too. Welcome and Enjoy!