Inkin' & Thinkin'

Speed Scrap Tonight! It's going to be HOT!!!

Just thought I would remind everyone that I'm hosting a speed scrap tonight at 6 pm PST, 7pm MST, 8pm CST, 9pm EST at Pretty Scrappy.  You'll find us in the chat room or you can follow along in the challenge forum!  It's going to be HOT HOT HOT!!!

I'll give you a little hint...you're going to want to bring at least 4 pics of your celebrity crush with you tonight.  We're going to have a little fun!  It's time for a new hottie page to grace this blog so this is my perfect excuse and I've cooked up a very tasty treat for you if you play along!

So join us for a good time tonight!  See you there!

PS.  Farrah just emailed me and she is adding a $3.00 coupon to the participation package!  WOOHOO!!!  Thank you, Farrah! 

NSD Specials!!!

So as many of you may know, tomorrow is National Scrapbook Day...what does that mean?  SPECIALS GALORE!!!!  Here are a few that I'm aware of....I'll add more as I find them.

If you love word art...check this out!

A couple of new releases and a special deal from Trixie Scraps!

A new store and a special!

A Contest...

A Lottery...could you be the lucky winner?

Some new Challenges at Michelle's Angels

Digital Candy is starting a new daily download for May...a little sneak peak for you!

A Sale...

This next 50% off coupon is for Delicious Scraps.

That should give you something to do this weekend!  LOL!

I'm hosting a Lyric Challenge at Pretty Scrappy this weekend as well as a Speed Scrap Sunday night if you'd like to join me!

I'm So Excited!

So maybe you've noticed that I've pretty much switched my scrapbooking preference to digi scrapping....maybe.  LOL!  Well, as I've been creating there has been one nagging issue stuck in my head.  Every time I made a layout, I would wonder if I would like it when it was printed.

I worried that when I ordered my pages, I would get them back and they would be um...less than quality and too flat and boring for me to really be happy with them. 

I am so excited to announce that I had some pages printed and when I got home today they were at the post office waiting for me to pick them up.

I brought them home and put the box in my room...didn't want to open it in front of Andy in case they were as bad as I dreaded they would be and have him say, "I told you so!"  So I encouraged him to spend a little time outside playing catch with the girls  so I could check them out before I had to admit that he was right...just in case.

I carefully opened the box to find that they were packaged so very nicely in a plastic box inside the shipping box.  As I opened the box I was literally shaking....I was so afraid that I would open it and see lousy, grainy photo pages and that my new love for digi scrapping would be tossed out the window.  And that was a scary thought since I've created over 200 pages digitally in the last 4 months. 

So I made myself look and I let out a little squeal of excitement....they look fantastic!  I am so excited that they are beautiful and that they look just like I wanted them to.  I did a quick sort and then called Andy in to see them.  He agreed...they look awesome!    I am so incredibly happy that they turned out beautifully.  I can't even begin to tell you what a weight this has lifted off my shoulders...I have been so scared to order them.  LOL!  I know, I'm such a wimp sometimes!

So it is with a GIANT stamp of approval that I tell you that I had my pages printed at Scrapping Simply.  I placed the order just last week and they shipped within two days (and I ordered a lot of prints!).  I took advantage of the birthday sale they were offering to Pretty Scrappy customers and got my prints for $1.49 each....that's awesome!  However, their normal price for a 12x12 is just $1.99 so it's still a steal if you ask me!  And if you're an 8x8 scrapper...they're only $.99 per page! 

So if you're waiting to print them...stop!  Just load them to their website and open your box without a care because they are awesome!  And another thing that is awesome is that Scrapping Simply offers a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee so if for any reason you are unhappy with your prints (which you won't be!) you can return them for a refund or reprint. 

Week 4 Voting and at least 3 freebies!

Ok...so I've made it to the final week in the Pretty Scrappy Quick Page Team Challenge...OMG!  I'm so excited.  In case you didn't know it, Pretty Scrappy is my favorite digi store.  I think they have the best designers and I honestly just love seeing all the inspiration in the gallery.  So you know I'm so stinkin' thrilled to still be in the competition during the final week...so stinkin' thrilled!

So please take a minute before Thursday to place your vote.  I am giving away two bragbook pages and a quick page this week in the gallery so you'll have to go there to pick them up anyway, why not take a minute to register and vote (even if it's not for me...seriously!).  Everyone has made such amazing layouts this week and I'm sure you'll find several to download there.

This week we were able to work with the Treasure Hunt Collab made by the Pretty Scrappy Designers.   It's awesome!  I had a hard time choosing what I wanted to use but in the end...I got to work with a lot because we had to make a 12x12 Quick Page, 2 brag book QPs that were 4x6 and a layout.  Well, I tell you I was so stressed (I'm extremely competitive) and I made a few layouts before I made one that I thought was competition worthy. 

Wanna see what I made?

Here is the first layout I made....not competition worthy but I like it anyway.

My second layout ... not competition worthy either but it was fun!

And finally, the page I felt was competition worthy...

Then I made a Quick Page that I really liked until I saw what everyone else did...there is some great competition in there!

And lastly, I made these two brag book pages that I really like.  I don't use brag book pages so I really struggled with these but in the end I think they turned out okay.

So head over to the gallery and vote ... don't forget you'll need to register in the gallery before you can vote and then you simply go here and scroll down to the bottom half of the page to see this week's quick pages, brag books and layouts.  You can only vote once so be sure to check everything out and then place your vote.

You can download my Quick Page.  Sorry this link has expired.

You can download my Brag Book Pages.  Sorry this link has expired.

You can see my Layout here.

Thanks so much and please take a few minutes to vote (I only lost by 3 votes last week...now go vote!  LOL!).

My Soulmate

I met Andy when I was 15 years old.  I was at a party I wasn't supposed to be at and it was all because his room mate set up the party so that we could meet.  I had met his room mate the weekend before and I didn't like him at all and he didn't like me either.  But he went home and told Andy that he had met Andy's future wife (me). 

So he and a few mutual friends set up a party so that Andy could meet me  the next weekend.  I thought he was cute and a total smart alec.  We flirted and teased each other and by the end of the night we were "going out."  Within a week I knew he was meant for me.  I was only 15 and he was 19  but I knew that I would marry him someday.

Well, 3 months later he graduated college and left Missoula.  I was still in High School so I had to stay behind.  We saw each other twice in the next year and my young heart was broken so I broke it off.  He took it well and simply said, "The ball's in your court.  If you ever want to get together again, just let me know."

He continued to call and when he had to come to Missoula for his job, he would come and stay at our house.  He was already family...I just wasn't ready to admit that yet.  So I would disappear until after he had gone to bed and I would avoid him.  I was still so in love with him but I was also a young girl who didn't know what she wanted.

Well, about a year after we broke up he came to visit and when it was time for him to go, he kissed me on the forehead and I was so mad!  Why didn't he just kiss me and get it over with?!  We had this same goodbye several times and it always left me so mad at him and at myself. 

One night I was sitting and thinking and I decided that I was through partying and I was ready to settle down.  Why was I wasting my life?  I called Andy and simply said, "The ball is back in your court."  His reply was, "When are you coming to Libby?"

We talked for hours (we're talking $400.00 phone bills!) every night...I don't think either of us got much sleep all week.  Then I drove to Libby in the middle of winter, blew all 4 tires on my car, ran it into the ditch 3 times on Bull Lake Highway and limped it the rest of the way there.

He opened the door to his apartment and I kid you not, it was as if we had never spent a day apart.  I was so in love with him and it was perfect.  About a year and a half later we were married.  I could hardly say my vows.  I was so overcome with emotion and love for him. 

Now here we are on our 11th Anniversary with three beautiful daughters and a very good life.  Our love has changed and we are not the hot and heavy teens we once were.  But I think it's better.  We know each other.  We understand each other most of the time.  We have put up with each other's crap and we have made up.  We have yelled and we have fought.  We have cried and we have loved like crazy. 

And after all of these years, I know without a doubt that he is my soul mate.  He is my best friend.  He is my warrior.  He is my children's father.  He is my compass and I am so very blessed to be his wife.  He is everything and without him, I would be lost.

Credits: 
Midnight Silhouettes by Cathy Cher
Word Art by Inspired Mommie Designs

I Have Been Chosen!!!

Over at Digital Arts Cafe they have a weekly Gallery Jewel and my layout was chosen this week!  WAHOOOO!!!!  I'm so excited.  So if you feel like seeing me famous, this is your chance.  LOL!  Go login to the Gallery and see my layout spotlighted. 

Ok...I'm having a YILM (Yes, I Love Myself) moment so bear with me,  my head will shrink back to normal in no time and you'll hear no more of this from me.  LOL! 

But if you'd like to check it out you can.  And what's even cooler is that I have also added this layout to the Make & Take Quick Page Challenge so if you pick up the Kinda Funky Kit and create a QP with it, you'll get my award winning (LOL!) page for free too!  And to top it all off, there's a coupon for it here so you'll get it for the ridiculously low price of $1.50!  You'll have to register for the forum  to get the coupon but you'll have to register to check out my spotlighted page anyway so it's a win win!  LOL! 

Ok...shrinking head...back to your regularly scheduled broadcast.   

An Inkin' & Thinkin' Sign!

I have to show you this awesome sign my friend, Tyann, made for me...I think it's too cool and I can't believe she put that much time into making something for me. 

Notice how it matches my header!  How stinkin' cool is that?!

Wow! Over 1,000 Hits Yesterday & More Blog Candy!

Yesterday was a crazy day on my blog.  I had over 1,000 hits in one day...so of course, I'm curious!

Leave me a comment on this post telling me why you stopped by yesterday or why you are stopping by today...simple as that!

I will use Random.com to select  winner for more blog candy next Saturday! 

Good luck and THANK YOU!!!!!

Whew!!! That was so quick!

It's over!  We have a winner!

It was kind of a rush to do it that fast so maybe I'll have to do that again soon!  Be on the lookout!

Do you want to know who won?

Mary please email me with your address so I can get a little goodie out to you asap!

30978
favorite snack is anything sweet. love chocolate

Posted by: Mary Carrell | August 27, 2008 at 07:18 PM

Strange Numbers & Some Blog Candy!

So I have this superstitious thing...ok a few superstitious things...

• Never throw away Chinese Cookie fortunes...don't ask me why but I never do...I have probably thousands of them by now!
• Make a wish at 11:11 as it is the hour of the angels...don't know where I first heard this but I always seem to notice the time at that time and make a wish.
• When a number works for you, use it!

Well, I was just looking at my blog and there are 30,923 hits on the counter!  That probably doesn't mean a whole lot to anyone but me but I feel it's a reason to celebrate because it is 77 hits away from 31,000.  Probably still not a big deal to you but I'll explain why it's a big deal to me....

I was born in 1977 (77 hits away...)

I am 31 years old (31,000 hits)

So the numbers spoke to me and you are the beneficiary of my craziness....seriously, I'm not crazy ... just like to play with numbers! 

So I'll leave comments on this post open until my counter reaches 31,000 hits and then I'll use random integer to choose a comment ...whoever posted that comment will win a goodie!

I'm not sure what it will be yet but I'm sure it will be worth your while!

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me what my hit counter is at when you commented and what your favorite snack is.

Good luck and thank you so much for making my first year of blogging so awesome!