Scrapbook Enthusiast

Blog is on the Move!

2010-01-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to keep you updated that this blog has now moved off of Blogger and on it's own domain. You can now read the lastest from this blog here:

Scrapbook Enthusiast

Name Change and More...

2010-01-20T18:25:00.001-07:00

Hey guys! I have been working on updating and freshening up this blog... It should be done in a few days.

Stay tuned...

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T08:32:00.001-07:00

Hi guys! I know I have been shamefully absent from this blog. We have finally moved and settled in our new home in Louisiana. We are headed to my parents for Christmas and will be back this weekend. After the holidays I hope to be back full force with all kinds of creative projects to post here. ;)

I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! I hope you all have a blessed holiday season and an even more blessed new year! :)

(((HUGS)))

Elena

New Seasonal Cricut Cartridges

2009-09-30T14:48:00.002-06:00

Man - I am always a sucker for limited edition items and these are going to be no exception I am afraid! :) I already pre-ordered these for my Birthday at a great bundle price from Memory Making Crafts, but I thought I would share them with you - they are so adorable! I can't wait to see the next Seasonal release (they are going to be released every quarter)!

Snow Friends

Cold Outside

Very Merry Tags

I hope to get them soon enough to start my Christmas cards/projects. They are supposed to be released in mid/late November... I hope it is more towards Mid than Late. :)

Get em while their hot though - once they're gone, they're gone...

Cards for Kate - Card Drive

2009-09-01T14:37:00.004-06:00

Hey all you cardmakers out there...

I thought I would share this card drive going on right now at Jennifer McGuire's Blog.

I know that when I am in a funk, creating cards gets my creativity flowing again. And what better reason to start creating cards than for this worthy cause.

So if you have a minute and want to create some cards for this family, please click here for all the details.

I know I am going to get some done! :)

Busy Summer

2009-08-10T08:28:00.003-06:00

I have been on hiatus for a while... We had a busy Summer (visited family, were in a wedding, did some traveling...) and now we are planning a move. The USAF is moving us back south in less than two months. I am going to miss my scraproom, but am going to enjoy setting it back up. Again.

Unfortunately this Summer has also brought some bad news. We lost our dear friend Chewy to cancer. He was a loyal canine companion for the last 10 years. We're missing him dearly:

My apologies for the long hiatus. I hope to be back and blogging (and scrapping!) on a regular basis soon...

Thanks!

Cricut Specials and News

2009-04-18T10:58:00.003-06:00

Hey guys!

I got this news over at one of my fave blogs: Just a Scrappin

First up: Cricut Cartridges are going on sale for $39.99 at Michael's next week - INCLUDING Lyrical Letters and Life's a Beach at some locations. Read about it here.

Also, Provocraft is offering an AWESOME special! You can preorder the ever elusive Home Decor and a new one named Jubilee Art for $99.

But wait! There's more! :)

You can pay in 3 easy payments of $33 and get a free set of Cricut Markers, BUT if you pay in full, you get a FREE Jukebox and markers.

You can see the details and the cartridges here. This is a great deal! I ordered mine today... :)

Peachy Cheap and the rise of the Quick Deal Sites

2009-04-15T13:32:00.003-06:00

I love this new concept in shopping. It reads like a blog, but instead of a daily blog post these sites have one product for sale. Really cheap. Every day. I have been checking in every day at Peachy Cheap to see what the deal of the day is. I just place my 2nd order today because I couldn't resist these:

Aren't they adorable?? I love this idea. I got these for .99 plus $4.99 in shipping. I know the shipping sounds intense. But the book itself retails at $10. So I still got myself a good deal. And that's what these sites are all about. :) Here are a few more. I haven't ordered from them (yet) but I have them on my "Check Daily" list.

Flowers to Flourishes

Crop Chocolate

Happy Shopping! :)

Jumbo Ribbon Tags Giveaway - WINNER

2009-03-16T15:40:00.003-06:00

Hey guys! We have a winner for that package of Ribbon Ring Jumbo Storage Tags...

Our winner is...

krystalp24!

Congrats Krystal! Email me at ebedner @ directsalesmoms.com (no spaces) with your address so I can get your prize out...

This was fun! I will try and get some more giveaways going here...

New JUMBO Ribbon Ring - Giveaway

2009-03-03T12:09:00.004-07:00

Hey guys,

I blogged a while back about a great way to store your ribbon using these cool Ribbon Ring Tags.
Now Ribbon Ring offers these tags in a new JUMBO size.

They accommodate ribbon up to 2 inches wide and right now they are ON SALE!

Even if you don't have a lot of really wide you can hang four or five pieces of 3/8 inch ribbon side by side on these new tags. You can sort them by color or manufacturer - or however you want! How cool is that:

Right now, the bundle of 30 and bundle of 90 are on sale till March 8th. You can order them here.

I am also giving away a pack! Just post a comment here on how you store your ribbon right now, or what you like about these ribbon rings. You will be entered in the drawing to receive one promo package from Ribbon Rings free! :)

Winner will be drawn on Thursday, March 12th. Good luck! :) Thanks so much to Ribbon Ring for your generosity in providing the prize!

Two New Cricut Cartridges Shipping in March

2009-02-26T19:24:00.006-07:00

Hey guys!

Just got an email from one of the online stores I shop from... There are two new cartridges set to be released NEXT MONTH. Woo hoo! Here is a peek:

Life's a Beach: This is perfect for those vacation photos you need to scrap...

Lyrical Letters: A really pretty font that would be great for cards. Don't know what the special features on this cart are yet though...

Both of these are full featured cartridges and will start shipping in the middle of next month. I am getting Life's a Beach (waiting on Lyrical Letters) through Memory Making Crafts. If you want them - order soon! She needs to put her order in by March 3rd for mid March shipping.

I can't wait to see this one in person! I have lots of cruise photos waiting... :)

Acrylic Heart Mini Album

2009-02-24T10:27:00.004-07:00

Here's the acrylic heart mini album I did as a gift for my husband this Valentine's Day. The pages contain photos of us at different stages of our marriage:

Cover:

Page 1 & 2:

Page 3 & 4:

Page 5 & 6:

Back Cover:

It was a fun album to do! It was my first acylic album, so there were definitely some challenges. But all in all I like how it turned out. I didn't realize we had so many photos of us together! :)

Thanks for your Kind Comments! :)

2009-02-16T12:29:00.002-07:00

Thanks so much for your kind comments on my Valentine's Day project everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day. We opened the box and read each other's notes. It was so sweet, and we enjoyed it so much we are going to do it again next year.

The blog post that featured the project was featured on the Valentine's Day Blog Carnival at Craft Critique - thanks so much guys! :) I just love their blog...

I finished an acrylic album that I will be posting very soon too. I gave it to my hubby on Valentine's Day... Here's a peek at the cover:

More photos to come! :)

Valentine's Day Project

2009-02-10T15:09:00.002-07:00

I have had this box for a while with an idea of what to do with it... I finally finished (right before my Child Development Class started - WHEW!) and am happy with how it came out...

I made a Twilight inspired box to hold little notes from my husband in. Right now, we are using it to write one thing we love about each other every day until Valentine's Day when we will open the box up and read them to each other... I am hoping this becomes a tradition! :)

The box was white, so I spray painted it black and then covered it with sealer. Here is the box:

The quote is from the book Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. The paper covering the top and the inside of the lid is by Making Memories (The Love Notes Collection). I seriously want to get more of this paper and cover everything in my office with it. :) LOL Here is a list of other supplies:

Bling: Prima
RubOns: Basic Grey & Tinkering Ink
Die Cuts: QuicKutz
Flowers: Prima
Cardstock: Bazzill

I wanted to plaster Edward's face on it somewhere, but I didn't want to get a strange look from my hubby. LOL

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

I am in love with the new Prima...

2009-01-30T23:49:00.002-07:00

I have been waiting to see Prima's sneak peeks for CHA 09 and let me tell you - I wasn't disappointed! The new stuff is just GORGEOUS. I wish I could see it all in person. Just look at this:

You can see the rest of the photos of some of their new products at Scrapbook.com. I can't wait to get my hands on some of this...

There are LOTS of sneak peeks at Scrapbook.com. You can see an index of all the company sneak peeks here.

The wait is always so hard! :)

New Slice Releases!

2009-01-27T14:15:00.004-07:00

I almost missed them! (Thanks Lisa!) They were up on the Making Memories Blog all along... LOL

Here's a peek at what they look like:

Fonts:

Just Chillin' Teen:

Sports:

Spring:

Studio Essentials:

Travel International:

Travel USA:

Wedding:

Words & Expressions:

There are three more, but I don't have photos of those just yet:

Big Kids
Calendar (Just makes me giddy even thinking about this one... LOL)
Tag Maker (To be used with a new Tag Maker Making Memories is coming out with)

Can't wait to see what those look like! :)

There is also a new Embossing Tip for the Slice. You can see it in action below:

Holy cow - I am so excited for all these cool new releases. I am gonna be so broke. :)

New Cricut Cartridge: Stamping Solutions

2009-01-27T09:19:00.003-07:00

This is a cool cartridge. Though you can use the cut outs traditionally like diecuts, they are specially designed to be used as acrylic stamps. You can buy the cartridge alone or in a kit so you can make stamps right out of the package (though I think you may obviously need to buy the deep cut blade and housing separately).

Here is a sample of the cartridge:

And here is the kit:

Fun!

New Cricut Cartridge: Spongebob

2009-01-27T09:16:00.001-07:00

Derek will freak out when he sees this. He will want a near life size Spongebob cut out for his room. Nuff said. LOL

New Cricut Cartridge: Kitchen and Bath Decor

2009-01-27T09:14:00.002-07:00

I WANT THIS ONE. LOL I preordered this one right off the bat. I can see decorating my kitchen and making plaques with vinyl with this cartridge. I can't wait to see all the images on it.

New Cricut Cartridge: Hannah Montana

2009-01-27T09:10:00.001-07:00

Holy cow... This one will be flying off the shelves. I don't have a daughter, so I probably won't be in the market for this one, but I know many friends who will be!

New Cricut Cartridge: European Decor

2009-01-27T09:06:00.002-07:00

This one is definitely one I am going to preorder. It reminds me of antique wallpaper. I love it just for the peacock!

New Cricut Cartridge: Ashlyn's Alphabet

2009-01-27T08:59:00.003-07:00

This is a really pretty one with European flair. This is great for those who use a foreign language in their scrapbook projects:

New Cricut Cartridge: A Child's Year

2009-01-27T08:53:00.002-07:00

This is a really cute one. Perfect for all those milestones and the day to day events of a child:

New Cricut Releases - CHA 09

2009-01-27T08:39:00.002-07:00

I finally got all the pictures for the new cartridges coming out... They are SO CUTE. But the wait will be agonizing. LOL They don't come out until sometime between April-June of this year...

Here's a list of what's coming out, with individual photos to come:

A Child's Year
Ashlyn's Alphabet
European Decor (Solutions)
Hannah Montana
Kitchen and Bath Decor (Solutions)
Spongebob (So going to have to get this for Derek)
Stamping Solutions (comes by itself or in a kit)

Posting the photos in separate posts here in a sec... :)

Making Memories at CHA & GIVEAWAYS!

2009-01-26T09:57:00.003-07:00

You guys have to check out the Making Memories Blog! They are doing Updates from CHA from Jan 25 - Jan 28th. They have some AWESOME giveaways every day too. Someone won a Slice yesterday - lucky gal! :)

Be sure to keep up with the blog as the giveaways are awesome and the new products are so cool! :)

Weekend Plans & Fave Photo of the Week

2009-01-23T17:18:00.003-07:00

I don't have anything at all planned this weekend. You know what that means? BLISS. And time to actually scrapbook. Oh I hope so! :)

The weekend after this one, me and some friends have a girls night out planned. I can't wait! We need a girl's night out like no one's business.

Project 365 is still going strong. I have been taking photos every day. This one is my fave this week. Shhh - don't tell Dave I am stealing photos of him while he naps:

So, hopefully I will have some new project to post at the end of this weekend... Hoping to have lots of time to create...

No More Simple Scrapbooks Magazine

2009-01-16T11:54:00.002-07:00

Heard this bit of news today and I was so surprised... I really like Simple Scrapbooks Magazine. It looks like they will cease publishing it after the May/June 09 issue.

Here's the Official Announcement

I am so sad... I liked this magazine. They are supposed to fold more of its content into Creating Keepsakes Magazine, so we'll see how these changes affect that magazine...

Project 365: Days 13-15

2009-01-15T15:45:00.002-07:00

I may rethink blogging all these photos and probably start posting only one favorite per week I think... So this may be the last daily update on my Project 365 progress. That being said, here are my photos for the last three days:

Day 13: My Font - I did my own free handwriting font at YourFonts.com - this was the worksheet you had to scan...

Day 14: Countertop - Another scene from my kitchen:

Day 15: Simple Things - This is the book that Stacy Julian mentions in the Glimpses class at Big Picture Scrapbooking is based on. It is a beautiful read so far...

CHA 2009: Sneak Peeks

2009-01-15T09:10:00.002-07:00

Want to see sneak peeks of the new stuff coming out at CHA this year?

Scrapbook Update has em!

My favorite so far? Everything Tattered Angels is coming out with - especially a great big PINK work mat for which part of the proceeds is going to breast cancer research. What could be better to Glimmer Mist on? This is on the top of my wish list for sure...

Project 365: Day 12

2009-01-12T17:06:00.002-07:00

This one is for 2009 Challenge #2: Spirals...

Project 365: Day 11

2009-01-11T15:33:00.001-07:00

Just a typical, lazy Sunday...

Project 365: Day 10

2009-01-10T18:33:00.002-07:00

Hey guys! I almost forgot to post today's photo... This is the ceiling fan in my living room. Exciting stuff I know... LOL I thought it cast some neat shadows though so... :) I know - I am easily amused... :)

Project 365: Day 9

2009-01-09T15:29:00.001-07:00

I am really enjoying taking my photos every day and sharing them. This was my photo for today:

This is another that came from my kitchen...

Project 365: Day 8

2009-01-08T17:37:00.002-07:00

Ok... So I literally took DOZENS of photos of my morning coffee... LOL This one was my fave:

My hubby gave me the coffee mug for Christmas (you have to know me and coffee mugs to appreciate this mug as a gift... LOL) and I have used it every morning since! :) I am on a total red kick...

Project 365: Day 7

2009-01-07T13:42:00.002-07:00

Here is today's photo. It also meets the first Challenge for 2009: "What's Cooking".

Scrambled eggs for my little man Derek this AM... :)

Project 365: Day 6

2009-01-06T15:57:00.003-07:00

Here is today's photo:

I have these grapes all over the kitchen. They remind me of Italy and the dream trip I want to take there one day... :)

Starting Project 365

2009-01-05T19:57:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year Everyone!

What are your goals this year? I like everyone else want to lose weight. I also am committing myself to Project 365 this year. What's that? That is taking one photo a day every day this year. I know, I know... Crazy. I think I can do it though! :)

Here are mine so far:

Jan 1:

Jan 2:

Jan 3:

Jan 4:

Jan 5:

I am going to try and keep up and post my photo here every day... Now I am not SCRAPPING each of these photos mind you. I know better than to think I would keep up with that goal... :)

Wish me luck! I am going to need it. Especially for the losing weight thing. LOL

Making Memories Slice Machine Review

2008-12-10T13:16:00.005-07:00

Making Memories Slice Machine came and after a couple days of playing with it I am really liking it! I will dive right into my review...

Pros:

Size and weight: This is a great little machine. Very portable. Cartridges are also small. This would definitely be a great tool to tote around with you to crops. Just be prepared to be asked about it. A lot. LOL People will want to see it in action and will want you to demo it. And it is CORDLESS. That in itself is pure genius. It only takes an hour to charge it up and get going.

Cost: This can be both a pro and a con. The cost of the machine is comparable to the Cricut. However, the Cricut has much more functionality. BUT the regular price of the design cartridges are much more affordable than the Cricut. Unless you wait a year and catch those Cricut Cartridges on Ebay like I do... :) The Slice retails for around $130 - $149. The cartridges retail for around $39.

Cost of Ownership: This is also a plus. Because the mat is glass, you do not have to replace it. The only consumables you need for this machine (besides your paper) are the repositionable adhesive ($5.99) and Blades ($9.99 for 5). I have not had the unit long enough to review blade life. But this cost of ownership is comparable to the Cricut (Mats = 9.99 for 2 Blades = 9.99 for 2). Cost of ownership may even be less than the Cricut depending on blade life/mat adhesive life.

Cartridges/Accessories: There are only a few design cartridges so far, but the ones that are out are very nice. They all have a wide array of shapes and one font per card. There's also already a wide array of accessories for this machine (tools, handbag case/ card storage/desktop storage).

Paper Saver: You can use the smallest of papers with the machine, BUT it does take practice on the placement. Since everything is manual as far as paper placement, you can really save paper with this machine. But it will take a little practice on where to place the paper in conjunction with where the blade starts in order to get efficient cuts. The measurements on the glass mat and the see-through panel on the bottom of the machine really help with this.

--------

Cons: Some of these Cons aren't really "Cons" per se, but just points I wanted to mention that could be negative for some...

Cutting Ability: Don't get me wrong, this thing cuts like a champ. However, it is a little cumbersome in the fact that you can only cut one letter/shape at a time. I guess I am just spoiled by my Cricut Expression. I can cut a whole slew of letters and shapes (the whole paper's worth if I want) while off doing something else. You also have to hold this cutter while it is working. It isn't too slow, but it isn't lightning fast either.

Mat Prep: I was highly against this aspect of the machine at first, but after doing it a couple times, this really isn't too much of a con. You have to apply your repositionable adhesive to the glass mat before using it. Then you have to let it dry for two minutes. This really isn't that big a deal. You can even keep the adhesive on to use at a later cutting session. I just keep my mat in a drawer so that dust and lint don't accumulate on it. If it loses its stickiness, just wash it off (with dishsoap and water), dry it off and reapply the adhesive. I thought this was going to be really inconvenient, but really it isn't. I have tried other repositionable adhesives on this mat (such as a spray quilt basting adhesive), but I really prefer the liquid adhesive that comes with the Slice. I just have to remember to always have some on hand.

Noise: This isn't eyelet hammer noisy, but it is noisy. Then again, what electronic die cutting machine isn't?

Blade Housing/Safety: I will admit I am a bit of a klutz. I put a deep gouge in the palm of my hand trying to get this thing out of the package. But then again I was in a hurry to get it out. And excited. LOL The bottom of the machine is totally open and the blade is SHARP. Not a good combo if you plan on leaving this thing on your desk and you have a small child around. You have to be careful how you hold this machine - and how you store it as that blade is out in the open. I would recommend keeping that hard plastic packaging piece that is on the bottom of the machine when you take it out of the box - and keeping it on the bottom of the machine when it is in storage. And store this FAR AWAY from small hands.

In a Nutshell:

This is a great machine for those wanting to put their toe in the water and try out an electronic die cutter, or for those looking for a secondary machine to take to crops or keep on their desk for quick die cutting projects. If your scrapbook space is very limited, this could be the diecutter for you. The price point for both the machine and the cartrudges makes it a nice beginner's machine.

However, if you are a high volume die cutter, or tend to want to multi-task while you are die cutting, you might feel yourself a little hindered by this machine, and you may be wanting a more "feature rich" machine that will grow with you.

I plan on keeping mine on the desktop (my kiddos are older), and using it for quick cards and layouts when I don't have the time (or space) to set up my Expressions machine. I also plan on keeping it handy for taking to Crops and get togethers as I really hate lugging my Expressions machine out of the house. So, my big bug will stay cozy at home, while her little sister can be out on the town... :)

This machine is super easy and fun to use. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Help Cosmo Cricket Help Kids

2008-12-02T09:14:00.002-07:00

Hey guys!

Cosmo Cricket has a great initiative going on at their blog... Just leave a comment on their blog and for every person that comments, they will donate $1 to the "Quarters for Christmas" - a nonprofit organization providing shoes for needy children.

Make sure and take a minute to do it today - the deadline is 5PM MST TODAY.

Happy Holidays - let's get posting! :)

Scraproom Update

2008-11-14T10:04:00.000-07:00

I ended up buying another row of cubes and did some more rearranging. Here's what it looks like now:

Scraproom Update Part 2

2008-11-14T10:01:00.001-07:00

Here are some more photos of the room....

This is a closeup of the Cricut Station/Pegboard:

And the cubes:

I think I FINALLY have it how I like it... :) Which means we'll probably have to move soon. LOL

Twilight Lover...

2008-10-30T13:52:00.002-06:00

Okay... I am going to confess. I am kinda obsessed with the The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer. I am on the last book of the saga and am trying to read it slowly to make it last.

That's not working.

The movie comes out next month - I can't wait! Dave does not know the depths of my Twi-session... LOL I love hoodies and couldn't resist picking this one up from Hot Topic:

Isn't it cute? I wanted to get a "Team Edward" shirt with his face on it. But I think that might give me away, yes? LOL

My oldest son (Junior High) saw my books and said:

"All the girls in school are reading those Mom."

I don't doubt it! I don't know why I love those books so much, they're just so hard to put down... I am so happy to have found a great group of Twittermoms that love them just as much as I do:

Twilight Twittermoms

See? It's not just me... :D

Snapfish Coupon Codes

2008-10-29T17:07:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to share these with you (especially since they expire soon)... I need to make a calendar for my hubby for Christmas so I have to be sure and order soon... Enjoy! :)

Snapfish Coupon Codes:

35% off all Cards, Books & Calendars – FALL35 – Exp Oct 31

30% off all Photo Gifts – COOL108 – Exp. Oct 31

20% off ALL Cards, Calendars & Photo Books – SNAPPYGIFT – Exp. Dec 12

Heidi's Gone Digi!

2008-10-21T07:19:00.002-06:00

Heidi Swapp is one of my fave scrapbookers on the face of the earth... I love her style, and her funky, happy go lucky personality... I got an email yesterday and have been reading her blog...

She's gone digi!

Not completely of course... She is still a paper scrapper. But she has forayed into digital scrapbooking and is now developing her own line of digital scrapbooking elements. They are so cute!

I will admit, I have bought my share of digi kits that I haven't used in the last couple of years... I couldn't resist buying some of her kits and elements. I really plan to try it out and use them though...

I will post the results here. Wish me luck! :)

Scrap and Stamp Hot Spot Guides

2008-09-25T08:04:00.002-06:00

Hey guys!

Scrapbooking Roads now has Scrap and Stamp Hot Spot Guides available for the following areas:

Arizona
Colorado
Michigan
Missouri
Ontario
Southern California
Washington

Plus:

Online Stores and Monthly Kit Clubs
Scrap and Stamp Retreats and Events

They have more areas to come as well. So stop by and download a free, full color guide.

I downloaded the one for Colorado and it will be super helpful in planning my scrapbook store visits there - there were some there I didn't even know existed!

So if you are planning an outing to one of these locations (or are looking for some great online sites, clubs, and events), stop by and download a free guide. They are super helpful...

New Cricut Releases - Part 3

2008-08-13T12:56:00.002-06:00

These are both TOO CUTE! I know a Hello Kitty fanatic that will snap up BOTH of these! :)

Hello Kitty Font

Hello Kitty Greeting

New Cricut Releases Part 2

2008-08-13T12:53:00.002-06:00

Disney Cars

Tinkerbell and Friends

Sesame Street Font

Sesame Street Friends

New Cricut Releases - Part 1

2008-08-13T12:39:00.003-06:00

As promised... Here are the photos on the new Cricut Cartridges coming soon...

Basketball

Blackletter

Christmas

Sans Serif

Wild Card

NEW Cricut Releases!

2008-07-25T10:37:00.002-06:00

Hey guys!

I just found out about the new cartridges and products Cricut is coming out with in the coming months (thanks Christi!!). HOLY COW I better start saving now... ;) Here's a list of what is to come (with tentative release dates). I will post a photo of each cartridge in separate posts...

October 29th:

Cricut Solutions Basketball
Cricut Solutions Black Letter (Font)
Cricut Solutions Christmas
Cricut Solutions Sans Serif (Font)
Shape Cartridge - Wild Card

October 30th:

Deep Cut Blade
Deep Cut Blade Housing (for chipboard - Yay!)
Cricut Emboss A2 Folder Kit
Cricut Emboss Refills
Cricut Heat Transfers (in various colors)
Cricut Machine Shoulder Bag (Fits the Expression too!)
Cricut Magnet Material (12x12)
Cricut Stamp Kit and Refills
Cricut Stencil Material

October 31st:

Shape Cartridge - Disney Cars
Shape Cartridge - Tinkerbell and Friends
Font Cartridge - Sesame Street Font
Shape Cartridge - Sesame Street Friends

November 30th:

GoBe Battery Pack
GoBe Solar Briefcase (Now you can take your cricut ANYWHERE).
Font Cartridge - Hello Kitty Font
Shape Cartridge - Hello Kitty Greeting

Holy cow! This Christmas Season is going to be CRAZY.

Scraproom Redo - Again! LOL

2008-07-23T16:10:00.004-06:00

My craft room was looking so cluttered and crazy, so I decided to clean house... I bought those cubes from Michael's (with coupons of course) and purged alot of stuff. What was left over I rearranged.

The rooms was definitely a catch all... I was challenged because this space is very narrow and comes to an angle (it is one side of my laundry room).

This is what it looks like now:

The cubes definitely make it more "clean" looking and less cluttered. I got rid of a table as I rarely used it to scrap on (I have a desk area that I mainly use). There was SO MUCH STUFF under it that I had forgotten about! :)

The center table is actually a microwave cart I got at a Thrift store and re-purposed:

I like how it turned out! Which means we'll probably get orders to move soon. LOL

Fiskars Rock, Paper, Trimmer

2008-07-16T09:45:00.002-06:00

Betsy posted this on our MemoryWorks blog and I LOVE it! Such a cool idea! I wonder if it is battery operated or has a plug? My Ipod speakers bit the dust so this is right up my alley. What will they think of next?? :)

Attention Cricut Fans:

2008-07-14T10:16:00.001-06:00

If you are interested in demonstrating your Cricut machine in your area, there may be an opening... This thread was posted on the Cricut Messageboard:

Attention Cricut Fans!

Have you ever thought about demonstrating the Cricut and all its fun and exciting capabilities. Have you ever watched a demonstrator in a store and thought, “Hey, I could do that”? Well, here’s your chance to show off all your Cricut knowledge. We are looking for Cricut fans who are energetic and passionate about their Cricut machines. We want to show everyone how the Cricut can impact their lives, there is so much you can do with this wonderful machine. If you are interested in demonstrating the Cricut and all the fun things you can do with it for stores like Wal-Mart, JoAnn’s, etc. Then please respond by going to this link and responding to this thread. http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=2486305

Some of the perks for being a demonstrator would be earning points that can be redeemed for ANY Provo Craft products, a special Cricut Demonstrators package, and the recognition of being a Cricut Demonstrator. If this is something you are seriously interested in, please vote and reply on the thread.

This demonstrator opportunity is for anyone here in the United States and in Canada so help spread the word we are looking for a SWARM Army and need over a 1,000 Demonstrators for this new program.

If you have already voted and signed up to be a Demonstrator on the thread then please excuse this e-mail, but please forward it on to your friends-
Thank you!

DemoKim

So reply to that post if you are interested... :)

MemoryWorks Express July Kit: Star Struck

2008-06-30T12:53:00.001-06:00

This month's kit is a wonderful collection of beautiful brights perfect for summer layouts and projects. You can see every wonderful thing included in this month's kit here.

You can subscribe here - hurry before these run out! :)

Photo Freedom - Stacy Julian

2008-06-30T07:41:00.002-06:00

So I have been meaning to get my photos more organized for a while now... Stacy Julian came to the MemoryWorks retreat (I couldn't go though DANG!) and did a talk on this subject and introduced her new book, "Photo Freedom"... The consultants were revved up about it, so I bought it to see what it was all about.

It is AWESOME. It is definitely not for the faint of heart as this system is about totally not sorting your photos chronologically. It is kinda hard to explain the whole system, but I started getting out ALL my photos this weekend and am going to put this system into place.

Already I have found inspiration for layouts for photos I hadn't seen in YEARS. I think it will definitely make me more productive in my scrapbooking...

I highly recomend the book to those needing a system for their photos. Even if you can't let go of the chronological system (I am kinda anal about knowing what photo is from what year), you can tailor the system to fit your needs...

I can't wait to see how it affects my scrapbooking...

You get can get it on Amazon.com and get started right away:

And here is the website for the book:

http://photofreedombook.com/

Two New Cricut Cartridges

2008-06-19T20:38:00.002-06:00

Provocraft is getting ready to release two new Cricut Cartridges... They look pretty cute!

Storybook reminds me of fairytales. I can see using this cartridge for little girl pages (crap I have no little girls) and wedding albums. I think I may get this cartridge for my wedding album... Check it out:

The 2nd new cartridge is called Graphically Speaking. This one is really cool too! I can see using this one for all kinds of cards, my boy layouts, and lots of other projects.

They come out in mid-July and many online stores are already taking pre-orders for them. I think I may wait until they come out so I can see all the images on each cartridge...

They look like lots of fun though! :)

Wednesday Hero: 6/4/08

2008-06-04T09:43:00.000-06:00

Petty Officer 2nd Class Adam F. Kenney

Petty Officer 2nd Class Adam F. Kinney, a Navy Corpsman with Company E, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, gives an Iraqi Child a shot during a routine patrol. Kinney is assigned to Echo Co. for their seven-month deployment and will return to his parent command, 4th Tank Battalion in Fort Knox, Ky., upon his arrival.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Wednesday Hero: 5/28/08

2008-05-28T15:18:00.000-06:00

Gen. Benjamin S. Griffin

General Benjamin S. Griffin, commanding general, U.S. Army Materiel Command, talks with Brig. Gen. Shallal Abdul Rasool Habeeb

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Wednesday Hero: 5/21/08

2008-05-21T15:18:00.001-06:00

Sgt. John F. Thomas(Right) & Sgt. Ronnie L. Shelley, Sr.(Left)
33 & 34 years old from Valdosta, Georgia
2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 48th Infantry Brigade, Georgia Army National Guard
July 24, 2005 & July 30, 2005

Sgt. Ronnie "Rod" Shelley and Sgt. John F. Thomas became best friends in the Georgia Army National Guard.

They both were ex-Marines, both about the same age, and both enjoyed searching for arrowheads and fishing together. As their friendship grew, Thomas often came over to Shelley’s house for steaks and ribs barbecued by his friend. And when their infantry unit was sent to Iraq in May of 2005, they went to war together.

When their unit was mobilized for combat duty in Iraq, Shelley promised to watch out for Thomas. "Ronnie said, 'Don't you worry, I'll bring him back safely,"' said Thomas' grandfather. But neither Sgt. Thomas or Sgt. Shelley made it back safely. Sgt. Thomas was killed July 24, 2005 by a roadside bomb near Baghdad. And Sgt. Shelley was killed six days later on July 30 by another roadside bomb, also near Baghdad.

Shelley was a family man, married with three children, who was obsessed with having a neat yard, his wife said. "The grass had to be two inches," she said. "If the neighbor mowed the grass, Rod had to mow. He also wanted the biggest, baddest lawn mower."

She said she fell in love with his "gorgeous blue ... eyes," and "he had a laid back attitude. I could not make him mad."

Thomas was married but had no children. His grandparents said he dreamed of becoming a forest ranger. "John wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail. Now the only trail he can walk is the trail in heaven," the grandfather said.

Mrs. Thomas, wiping back tears, said the soldier felt responsible for the others in his unit. "He cared for people," she said. "That's why he had so many friends. People cared for him."

Killed alongside Sgt. Shelley were Staff Sgt. David R. Jones Sr., Sgt. 1st Class Victor A. Anderson and Sgt. Jonathon C. Haggin and killed alongside Sgt. Thomas were Army Spc. Jacques E. Brunson, Army Staff Sgt. Carl R. Fuller and Army Sgt. James O. Kinlow.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Stamp Catalog

2008-05-21T08:47:00.006-06:00

Here is an altered project I just completed... I had this old metal index card tin FOREVER. I got it from a thrift store for $2. I have just been waiting for the right papers to come along... And then came the Basic Grey Boxer line... :)

I created the catalog to help me be able to look through my stamps and see what I have at a glance. The catalog holds regular index cards that I have stamped (or printed out and pasted) my stamp images on:

Here is a sample index card:

On the back is the name of the stamp, the maker, and the location of the stamp in my storage system (acrylic CD holders in shelving).

This is how they look filed:

I just thought I should share this project so you all could see the depths of my organization obsession (or as Christi calls it - my anal retentiveness LOL!)

You can see more photos of it here.

Wednesday Hero: 5/14/08

2008-05-14T15:01:00.001-06:00

This Weeks Hero Was Suggested By Cindy

Petty Officer 2nd Class Chris Davila
From Sierra Vista, Arizona

On the sixth anniversary of the terrorist attack on the United States, Petty Officer 2nd Class Chris Davila raised an American flag over Camp Korean Village, Iraq, he brought with him from Arizona.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008, Sierra Vista firefighter and emergency medical technician Chris Davila presented that flag to Fire Chief Randy Redmond as fellow firefighters looked on. Monday, May 5, 2008, was Davila’s first day back on the job with the department after being gone for nearly nine months, with seven of those months deployed as a Navy Reserve corpsman serving with a Marine unit near the Jordanian and Syrian border area in Iraq.

And, as luck would have it, on his first shift saw him responding to a blaze in Sierra Vista. "Right back to work," he said with a laugh.

You can read the rest of PO 2nd Class Davila's story here.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Wednesday Hero: 5/7/08

2008-05-07T14:29:00.001-06:00

CSM Robert Prosser and LTC Erik Kurilla
1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment (Deuce Four)

LTC. Erik Kurilla and CSM. Robert Prosser's story is an amazing one. One that Michael Yon has told far better than I ever could. Warning. The site contains very graphic images. Some may want to turn off images before viewing.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

MemoryWorks Express May 08 - Fabulous

2008-05-05T14:26:00.003-06:00

"Fabulous" May 2008 Kit

This month's kit is simply "FABULOUS"! With deep lavish colors of raspberries, browns, pinks and oranges and a divine altered project that will make you sigh.

Plus you'll be amazed by all of the truly delightful page enhancements and embellishments that will add class and sophistication to your Fabulous projects!

A girl should be two things classy and fabulous! - Coco Channel

Go here to subscribe and get yours:

http://scrapbookenthusiast.com/mwexpress.html

Signup Link

2008-05-05T13:55:00.002-06:00

I was so excited by our new kit being offered today that I totally forgot to post the signup link!

You can sign up as a new MemoryWorks consultant here:

http://elena.memory-works.com/index.mhtml?page=joinus1&cp=1

If you have any questions, you an read this FAQ:

http://www.memory-works.com/admin/index.mhtml?page=faq

Or contact me at any time...

Thanks guys! :)

Elena

Check Out Our New Kit!!

2008-05-05T13:52:00.001-06:00

This is a great time to be a consultant - we have exciting changes going on, including the release of our new 2008-2009 Product Catalog that will be abailable for purchase soon! Another change we're excited to announce is that effective Monday, May 5th we will be offering a brand new updated and upgraded New Consultant Kit!

The new consultant kit will consist of:

(1) Canvas Messenger Bag - This is one awesome bag! At 13x16x4 it's the perfect size to hold all of your business and scrapbooking supplies, including 12x12 albums, paper packs, catalogs, pens, business cards, and so much more! Plus, it displays the beautiful new MemoryWorks flourish logo - so it's the perfect MemoryWorks business tool!

(1) New Start-up Folder - This beautiful new full-color custom-printed folder with inserts includes information to help jump start your business and includes all of the information new consultants need to know to get started. It's convenient pockets and business card slot is also a great way to store your important MemoryWorks business materials.

(1) MemoryWorks Mouse Pad - This 7 ½ x 8 ½ soft custom-printed mouse pad is the key to keeping you connected with your MemoryWorks business...where all MemoryWorks business and correspondence is conducted via the internet and computer it's the perfect business tool.

(5) 2008-2009 Product Catalogs - Our new catalog beautifully displays the new product line, projects, and ideas featuring the most popular name-brand products available in the scrapbook industry. With trend-setting products that literally sell themselves, it's a consultants number one sales tool!

(20) Postcard Invitations - These 5x8 postcard invitations are the ideal way to promote your upcoming events and parties. Customize with your information and event details - and drop in the mail for quick and easy advertising!

(1) 3" MemoryWorks Button - What better way to show you're proud to be a consultant than with a 3" MemoryWorks button with a custom-printed flourish logo. Great to wear for your MemoryWorks events or attach to your messenger bag!

(15) Order Duplicate Forms - Keep track of your customer orders with these convenient 5 ½ x 8 ½ order forms. Includes a duplicate copy for your customers receipt and consultants keep their own copy for business records.

(5) MemoryWorks Pens - Let your customers fill out their orders in style with these cool logo pens!

Consultant Website/Online Business Manual Access - All newly registered consultants will have access to our newly redesigned My Account section - where you can access the Getting Started section to download the new online Business Manual, Policies and Procedures, Online Guide and more. As a new consultant you will have access to our website features that include the information and files that you need to begin your venture as a successful consultant!

Please note that as we've increased the contents of the kits, the new consultant registration fee has increased to $49.95, plus $10.00 shipping and applicable sales tax, which will go into effect Monday, May 5th!

We are excited about the changes that are happening - it's definitely an exciting time to be a part of the MemoryWorks family!

Wednesday Hero 4/30/08

2008-04-30T13:48:00.000-06:00

This Weeks Hero Was Suggested By Mary Ann

Wednesday Hero was started to put a face to the men and women of the American Armed Forces and what they do for us. Vary rarely has there been a member of a foreign military profiled. In fact, in the two years Wednesday Hero's been going on it's only been done once before. Here's the second.

Lance Corporal Matt Croucher
24 years old from Birmingham, England
40 Commando Royal Marines

L/Cpl Matt Croucher is not only one of the bravest men alive, he's also one of the luckiest men alive. On the morning of February 9, 2008 L/Cpl. and his unit were searching a compound near Sangin in Afghanistan that was suspected of being used to make bombs to be used in attacks on British and Afghan troops. Walking in the darkness among a group of four men, Croucher stepped into a tripwire that pulled the pin from a boobytrap grenade. His patrol commander, Corporal Adam Lesley, remembered Croucher shouting "Grenade!"

As others dived for cover, Croucher did something nobody expected. He lay down on the grenade to smother the blast. Lesley got on the ground, another man got behind a wall, but the last member of the patrol was still standing in the open when the grenade went off.

"My reaction was, 'My God this can't be real'," said Lesley. "Croucher had simply lain back and used his day sack to blunt the force of the explosion. You would expect nine out of 10 people to die in that situation." L/Cpl. Croucher was that 1/10. Not only did he survive, amazingly he only suffered shock from the blast and a bloody nose. He was saved by the special plating inside his Osprey body armor. The backpack he was wearing was thrown more than 30ft by the blast.

"I felt one of the lads giving me a top to toe check. My head was ringing. Blood was streaming from my nose. It took 30 seconds before I realized I was definitely not dead," said L/Cpl. Croucher.

For his actions that day, L/Cpl. Croucher was in line for the Victoria Cross, the highest award for a British Serviceman, but it has yet to be awarded.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

MemoryWorks National Scrapbook Day Promotion

2008-04-29T15:45:00.004-06:00

National Scrapbook Day is Saturday, May 3rd....

MemoryWorks is offering a groovy NSD promotion for you!

Mega "Groovy" Kit

MemoryWorks is offering customers and consultants a groovy value on this exclusive 396-piece Mega Groovy Kit from Three Bugs in a Rug! It's a fantastic price of only $20 - which is an unbeleivable savings as the regular retail price is well over $40! The 396-piece Mega Groovy kit includes the following items:

18 - 12x12 Patterned Cardstock Paper
12 - 12x12 Solid Color Cardstock Paper
52 - 3" Monogram Cardstick Die-Cut Letters
113 - Alphabet Cardstock Stickers (Pink)
113 - Alphabet Cardsto Stickers (Brown, Pink and Blue)
52 - Chit Chat Cardstock Stickers
36 - Die-cut Tags and Accents

Purchase Your Kit Today!

Promotional Disclaimer: Offer good only while supplies last. Promotional kit is limited to a first come, first serve basis. All sales are final, no refunds or exchanges accepted on promotional offer.

NEW MemoryWorks Catalog Sneak Peek:

2008-04-28T11:56:00.002-06:00

Hey guys!

Our new catalog is about ready to be released and oh BOY is there LOTS of wonderful stuff... Here's our new catalog - click on the photo below to see a sneak peek of the new things we have in store (some of which is already available!). It is a BIG file, so be patient while it loads - it is worth it! :)

Many things are already available! Take a look and order from my site.

Wednesday Hero: 4/23/08

2008-04-23T09:05:00.001-06:00

Click To Enlarge

Cpl. Markbradley Vincze gives students from al-Raqhaa School backpacks in the Monsouri area of Iraq. Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1-76th FA, 4th BCT, 3rd Inf. Div., delivered backpacks, soccer balls and notebooks.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Wednesday Hero: 4/16/08

2008-04-16T18:22:00.000-06:00

Maj. Mark E. Rosenberg
32 years old from Miami Lakes, Florida
3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division
April 8, 2008

Mark Rosenberg grew up in South Florida. "All boy," his aunt, Madelyn Rosenberg, remembers. "Very active, but very lovable." As long as she can recall, Maj. Rosenberg wanted a military career like his father, Burton Rosenberg, had.

He attended New Mexico Military Institute and entered the Army in 1996. Later, he met a woman, Julie, and they married one day after his sister's wedding. He and Julie had two boys, now 3 and 22 months. They settled in Colorado near Fort Carson, where he was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division.

Maj. Rosenberg was on his second tour of duty when the Humvee he was riding in was struck by an IED in Baghdad.

"He would say he's over there to do a job," Madelyn Rosenberg remembered. "He loved what he was doing."

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.Labels: Iraq, Un

Wednesday Hero: 4/9/08

2008-04-09T15:54:00.000-06:00

Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael T. Williams
(Click Image For Full Size)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael T. Williams, a kennel master with Task Force Military Police, 1st Battalion, 10th Marines, and his dog "Kitt", search for ordnance and firearms during a route reconnaissance operation through the western Anbar province of Iraq April 1. The dog handlers conduct operations in support of 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion to bring peace and stability to Iraq and its people.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Pet Photo Contest at Snapfish

2008-04-07T08:57:00.000-06:00

Hey guys!

I entered my doggies in a photo contest at Snapfish… There are three categories – if you have a minute would you mind voting for my furbabies? J

Barkley’s First Bath:

http://www.snapfish.com/viewsinglevote/contestname=funnypets/contestentryoid=1238754/a=7120704

Barkley’s Baby Photo:

http://www.snapfish.com/viewsinglevote/contestname=babypets/contestentryoid=1238756/a=7120704

Buddies:
http://www.snapfish.com/viewsinglevote/contestname=bestfriends/contestentryoid=1238755/a=7120704

Thanks so much – I appreciate it! :)

MW Express - April 2008 "Bloom"

2008-04-04T14:51:00.005-06:00

"Bloom" April 2008 Kit

The "Bloom" April 2008 kit will have you excited for the beautiful garden to come! Frolic in our elegant garden, with fresh, inviting spring colors, delicate flourishes and garden-inspired florals - your creativity will positively blossom! We're adding just a touch of elegance with new and exciting page enhancements and embellishments...laced with glimpses of black, sheer, glitter, and antique finishes that will let your memories bloom. Create your own beautiful bouquet of projects with the new "Bloom" April 2008 kit!

"Bloom" April 2008 Kit PDF

Let Your Creativity Bloom...

April Projects

Just like green grass, warm weather, sunny days and fragrant flowers, nothing says spring quite like our new "Bloom" kit! You'll love the elegant spring garden that awaits as you frolic in an array of spring-inspired products - including this months altered projects! Amber Crowell, MemoryWorks Founder, had some springtime fun of her own creating these delightful projects. Amber was inspired by the quotation "Dance like no one is watching..." (on the Antique Cream paper included in this month's kit) to create a darling home décor keepsake and 12x12 layout showcasing her daughters love for dance. "I love this kit! I loved using the elegant touches of the black accents to compliment the bright, spring colored paper and patterns!", states Amber. "My black-and-white photos of Katelyn combined with the black embellishments added the perfect touch to the project!"

Subscribe Today

Wednesday Hero: 4/2/08

2008-04-02T13:20:00.001-06:00

This Weeks Hero Was Suggested By Mary Ann

Spc. Jeffrey Jamaleldine
Company C, 1st Battalion, 77th Armor

"How can I say to my sons, stand up for something, fight for what you think is right, if I don't do anything myself?"

The Jeffrey Jamaleldine that you speak to today is a complete 180 from the Jeffrey Jamaleldine that you would have spoke to in the past. In 1991, Jamaleldin was living in Germany when he joined in anti-American protests on Berlin's Kurfürstendamm boulevard during Operation Desert Storm. "That was the way it was back then," he says. He was 15 and "America was simply the enemy." And today, Jeffery Jamaleldine is a wounded veteran of the U.S. Army. On June 6, 2005, after the terror bombing in Madrid, Spain, in the middle of the Iraq war, he showed up at the U.S. Army recruiting office in Little Rock, Arkansas, to enlist. His father, Bashir, told him at the time: "Son, this won't be a picnic."

On June 30, Jamaleldine was on patrol in Ramadi, Iraq. The patrol ahead of him had been ambushed by at least 70 combatants and were now under fire. During the fight, Spc. Jeffrey Jamaleldine was hit in the face by a bullet. In the end, the battle lasted into the next morning and the soldiers were able to stop the enemy from returning to Ramadi.

The article on Spc. Jeffrey Jamaleldine is five pages long, and I simply can not condense it down to only a few paragraphs. You can read the entire story here.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Matt Maupin Has Been Found

2008-04-02T10:44:00.002-06:00

I have been posting the Wednesday Hero posts for almost a year now, and Matt Maupin was one of my first posts... He has been missing since 2004. Sadly, his remains have been found.

Say a prayer for his family - may he rest in peace...

Wednesday Hero: 3/26/08

2008-03-26T13:33:00.000-06:00

This Weeks Hero Was Suggested by Kathi

Soldiers' Angels Living Legends Team
May No Soldier Go Unloved

Living Legends began in May 2005 with a very small team of seven dedicated angels. The team's mission was to let the families and friends of fallen heroes know that we were here to support them and to honor their loved one. At the same time, they had to make sure that they were sensitive to what the family was going through. While this team has grown tremendously, they have worked very hard to maintain that same level of dedication and sensitivity. This team is staffed with trained volunteers who carry out a very difficult mission for Soldiers' Angels. Due to their dedication, Soldiers' Angels is able to honor those heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation and to pay their respects and offer their deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones grieving the painful loss of their son or daughter; husband or wife; brother or sister; mom or dad; aunt or uncle; their friend.

For more information on the Soldiers' Angels Living Legends Team, you can visit their site.

TSometimes a hero is one who sacrifices everything in their life to help others. And sometimes a hero is one who sacrifices nothing more than their time.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

April MW Express Kit Speak Peek!

2008-03-21T08:32:00.003-06:00

April 2008 Kit Sneak Peek!

SPRING GARDEN...

Our April kit will have you excited for the beautiful garden to come! Frolic in our elegant garden, with fresh, inviting spring colors, delicate flourishes and garden-inspired florals - your creativity will positively blossom! We're adding just a touch of elegance with new and exciting page enhancements and embellishments that will let your memories bloom. Create your own beautiful bouquet of projects with the April 2008 kit!

April 2008 Sneak Peek PDF

Subscribe to MW Express Today - Receive the April 2008 Kit!*

Let your creativity bloom with MemoryWorks Express! Each MemoryWorks Express kit features six solid 12x12 textured cardstock; eight sheets of 12x12 designer patterned paper; five 5.5 x 8.5 matching cards and envelopes; and one fabulous altered project.

Plus, each kit is brimming with oodles of embellishments, enhancements and page elements to bring your creativity to life! Not only will you enjoy creating your own personalized projects, but our kits are so versatile that it's perfect for anyone who enjoys the paper crafting hobby, whether it's scrapbooking, stamping, card making or altered projects!

We invite you to step outside of the scrapbook box to sample new and innovative products, techniques and styles by subscribing to the MemoryWorks Express Scrapbook Kit Club.

Subscribe to MemoryWorks Express

Customers have until April 3 to subscribe - however there are a limited number of April subscriptions available. If you want to receive a April kit we encourage you to subscribe to MemoryWorks Express as soon as possible! Subscriptions are selling out fast - there are no guarantees that you'll qualify to receive this month's kit. If April subscriptions are already sold out, you will automatically be put on the waiting list for the next month's kit. Please see the MemoryWorks FAQ sheet for more details: MemoryWorks Express FAQ Sheet

Wednesday Hero: 3/19/08

2008-03-19T11:20:00.000-06:00

Spc. Monica Lin Brown
19 years old from Lake Jackson, Texas
4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team

Army Spc. Monica Lin Brown has done something only a very few female soldiers in American history have ever done. She's been awarded the Silver Star.

Brown saved the lives of fellow soldiers after a roadside bomb tore through a convoy of Humvees in the eastern Paktia province of Afghanistan in April 2007. "I did not really think about anything except for getting the guys to a safer location and getting them taken care of and getting them out of there."

"We stopped the convoy. I opened up my door and grabbed my aid bag," Brown said.

She started running toward the burning vehicle as insurgents opened fire. All five wounded soldiers had scrambled out.

"I assessed the patients to see how bad they were. We tried to move them to a safer location because we were still receiving incoming fire," Brown said. "So we dragged them for 100 or 200 meters, got them away from the Humvee a little bit," she said. "I was in a kind of a robot-mode, did not think about much but getting the guys taken care of."

For Brown, who knew all five wounded soldiers, it became a race to get them all to a safer location. Eventually, they moved the wounded some 500 yards away and treated them on site before putting them on a helicopter for evacuation.

"I did not really have time to be scared," Brown said. "Running back to the vehicle, I was nervous (since) I did not know how badly the guys were injured. That was scary."

The military said Brown's "bravery, unselfish actions and medical aid rendered under fire saved the lives of her comrades and represents the finest traditions of heroism in combat."

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

So I was reloading Sure Cuts Alot...

2008-03-13T11:18:00.002-06:00

You might remember my delight in finding out about Sure Cuts Alot...

Well I had to get a new laptop (my one year old Acer's Motherboard decided to give up on me), and I just reinstalled the program today. Lo and behold.

THE WELDING AND SHADOWING FEATURES HAVE BEEN ADDED!

Woo hoo! This make this piece of software awesome in my opinion. This feature was added on March 7th.

There is also a new forum for help, and support at:

http://forums.surecutsalot.com/

My new laptop is a Vista... Don't let the rumors of Vista incompatibility scare you...

I run this program in Windows XP mode since it runs smoother for me that way.

To do that is easy. Just install the program. Once installed, RIGHT click its icon (not left click as that will start the program).

Click Properties.

Click the Compatibility Tab.

Check the box next to "Run this Program in Compatibility Mode For"

And then choose Windows XP in the list below that.

(NOTE: I have not tried it under different platforms such as Windows 2000, etc.)

Click OK and you are done.

A great little program - I had a question on the install and got an answer a couple hours later. The company has been top notch so far!

They could make the cutting process a little faster and dare I say it, this program would be perfect....

Wednesday Hero: 3/12/08

2008-03-11T21:49:00.001-06:00

Sgt. Steve Morin Jr.
34 years old from Arlington, Texas
111th Engineer Battalion, 36th Infantry Division, Texas Army National Guard
September 28, 2005

From the time he finished high school, Sgt. Steve Morin Jr. made serving in the military his career.

"He always stood up for what he thought was right," Gwendolyn Michelle Morin, his wife, said. "He was a fighter. He would never give up." "He had called me to let me know what he was going to do that day," she said. He expected to be able to call her more often because of the missions he was being assigned. Sometimes they would go 11 or 12 days between calls.

Morin enlisted in the Navy after graduating high school in his hometown of Brownfield, Texas at 17. By 34, Morin had devoted 14 years to the Navy, served in the National Guard for two and planned to attend Officers Candidate School. Morin was still in the Navy when he met his wife. At the time, the two were working for a photo company; he was Santa Claus and she was an elf, she said. Both were attending Texas Tech University. "It was funny because we always kept running into each other. He would hang outside my classes and wait for me with a Diet Coke," recalled Gwendolyn. "He knew how to make me really happy."

Sgt. Morin died when an IED went off, overturning the vehicle he was riding in near Umm Qasr, Iraq.

"He's very strong willed, very determined. Humorous, a clown, but he was also very disciplined and very passionate about what he believed in," Gwendolyn Morin said. "He always wanted to serve his country."

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

March MemoryWorks Express Kit - Charmed

2008-03-06T11:18:00.004-07:00

If you haven't subscribed to the MemoryWorks Express program yet, this is a great month to do it! This month's kit is fresh and new and feels like Spring (even if it doesn't outside!)...

March 2008 - Charmed

I have already done some cute projects with this kit which will be uploaded in my gallery here soon. Click here for more info on MemoryWorks Express - it is a fabulous kit club! :)

Wednesday Hero: 3/5/08

2008-03-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

Pictured Left to Right
Chief Warrant Officer Mark O'Steen, 43 years old from Ozark, Alabama
Chief Warrant Officer Thomas Gibbons, 31 years old from Prince Frederick, Maryland
Staff Sgt. Daniel L. Kisling Jr., 31 years old from Neosho, Missouri
SSgt. Gregory M. Frampton, 37 years old from Fresno, California

1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regimen
January 30, 2003

"They succeeded where lesser men failed," said Chaplain Robert Glazener. "They proved themselves in ways that men out there who never served, never volunteered, never sacrificed, would never understand. They sought neither glory nor special recognition, but they gained both by their actions. They are the true American heroes today and deserve more honor than we can humbly bestow on them."

The helicopter carrying the men went down seven miles east of the Bagram Air Base while on a training mission.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Xyron is Going Green...

2008-03-03T10:23:00.002-07:00

Xyron has revamped their lineup of adhesive applicators this Spring. Remember those blue Xyron Runner Machines (250, 500, 510, 900)? Well they are now GREEN:

The 500 and 900 are now called "Creative Stations" and come in this cool color. I saw them on QVC last month and they just flew off the shelves there...

Xyron also has a contest running right now as well. They are doing a drawing to give away the whole new lineup of Xyron adhesive products plus $100. You can enter here.

Good luck! :)

Wednesday Hero: 2/27/08

2008-02-27T17:04:00.001-07:00

Navy Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Michael E. Koch
29 years old from State College, Pennsylvania
East Coast-based SEAL team
February 4, 2008

"There are only approximately 2,500 SEALs in the Navy and they really are a brotherhood," said Naval Special Warfare spokesman Lt. David Luckett. "This is another unfortunate reminder of the risks and sacrifices these amazing warriors and their families make on a daily basis."

Koch leaves behind his parents and a fiancee. He enlisted in July 1998 and entered SEAL training in January 1999, according to The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk. He received the Bronze Star, Joint Service Commendation Medal and three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.

Navy SEAL Michael E. Koch died Feb. 4 after being wounded by small-arms fire during combat operations in Iraq alongside fellow SEAL Nathan Hardy, who was profiled last week.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Wednesday Hero: 2/20/08

2008-02-20T15:20:00.001-07:00

Navy Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Nathan H. Hardy
29 years old from Durham, New Hampshire
East Coast-based SEAL team
February 4, 2008

It was Hardy's fourth deployment in Iraq, according to his father, Stephen Hardy, a professor of kinesiology a the University of New Hampshire. His mother, Donna Hardy, is an administrative assistant in UNH's psychology department.

Nathan Hardy grew up in Durham and was a 1997 graduate of Oyster River High School. He joined the Navy after graduation.

Other family members include his wife, Mindy, and their 7-month-old son, Parker; and a brother, Ben, of Middlebury, Vt.

Another brother, Josh, died in 1993 while a senior at Oyster River High School.

"Our hearts go out to Steve and Donna Hardy, and their son, Ben, at this incredibly difficult time," UNH President Mark Huddleston said in a statement. "We know it was Nate's dream to become a U.S. Navy SEAL when he graduated from high school, and he pursued that dream and excelled at it. His death has stunned all who knew him, and all who know his parents, who both are so much a part of the UNH community."

Navy SEAL Nathan Hardy died Feb. 4 after being wounded by small-arms fire during combat operations in Iraq.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Rumored New Cricut Cartridges

2008-02-06T13:41:00.000-07:00

So CHA is this weekend, and I can hardly wait to see what new cartridges that Provocraft is coming out with for the Cricut! I have been lurking on the Yahoo groups, and I heard that these are the rumored new Cartridges:

Camping - I am like the ONLY person I know who has never been camping before in her life... LOL Don't think I need this one.

Soccer - My boys are into sports, but do not play soccer - so don't need this one.

Baseball - A MUST. They play every year for the local league.

Indie Art - No idea what this one will be. But will probably be a must have... LOL

Home Accents - Again, no idea what will be on this one, but sounds like one I will want.

Wedding - This one will probably be a very useful one! But I have all the supplies for my wedding album (sitting in my studio with my photos, waiting for me!) and I don't foresee using diecuts other than title fonts (which I am al good on)... This would be great for cards, but I don't make too many wedding cards. So unless there is a an awesome bunch of shapes I want on this, I am going to pass.

Pooh and Friends - How frickin cute does this sound?? Not sure how much I will use this one, but I will probably get it anyway cause I love Pooh. LOL

Pooh Fonts - A maybe - definitely have to see what this looks like...

So it looks like I will probably want half of these. Hmmmm. Better start saving now! :)

Wednesday Hero: 2/6/08

2008-02-06T13:36:00.000-07:00

Robert Cone is the second Cousin of Wednesday Hero's partner in crime, Greta.

Robert S. Cone
85 years old from Delray Beach, Florida
506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division

Surrounded by family, feted by a U.S. congressman and a Veterans of Foreign Wars color guard, one of the few surviving members of the "Filthy Thirteen" was honored on October 8, 2006 in a backyard on Massapoag Avenue.

Robert S. Cone, 85, now of Delray Beach, Fla., finally received the 13 military medals he was due for his service on D-Day during World War II, including the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, POW medal and Presidential Unit Citation.

"To tell you the truth, I never expected it. I'm very honored to get it and really feel good about it," Cone said.

"He's finding it an honor, and he's a little embarrassed, to be honest," said Cone's son, Edward R. Cone, 45, who hosted the family barbecue that included a visit from U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch.

Only a few members remain of the 101st Airborne Division's famed "Filthy Thirteen," an elite parachute and demolition unit that volunteered for a suicide mission on June 5, 1944, the eve of the D-Day invasion of Normandy.

The Filthy Thirteen, who shared a Quonset Hut in England, were a group of "pretty bad boys," Edward Cone said, renowned for hard-living and fierce fighting. They are believed to be the inspiration for the 1967 movie "The Dirty Dozen," although none of the Filthy Thirteen was a convict.

The unit's mission was to parachute behind enemy lines on the night before D-Day to blow up bridges and impede the Nazis.

Many were killed on the drop. The survivors found it difficult to reunite on the ground because the pilots had panicked when the Germans opened fire.

Cone said he spent two days in a hedgerow battle and was shot in the right arm. When he escaped to a French farmhouse, the owner turned him over to the Nazis and he became a prisoner of war.

His unit and his family thought he was dead. His mother, in Roxbury, received a telegram from the War Department saying he had been killed in action.

Cone spent 11 months in three POW camps in Germany before being liberated by the Russians near the Polish border. He fought alongside the Russians as they made their escape, his son said.

Cone walked to freedom through Poland, Russia and Romania, journeyed by ship to Egypt and was eventually flow to Italy, finally making his way home.

All the medal ceremonies had taken place without him.

Cone married Ida, now his wife of 61 years; became a postal worker and plumber; raised three children in Hull; and spoke very little about the war, Edward Cone said.

About four years ago, Edward Cone decided to find out whether any of his father's Army colleagues were still alive.

He found the Filthy Thirteen's leader, Jake McNiece, in Oklahoma, and put his father in touch by telephone. Their conversation was recorded by the BBC and played on the anniversary of D-Day.

Later, the History Channel filmed its own segment on the pair, which still airs, Edward Cone said.

The group reunited in Taccoa, Ga., the home of their jump school.

"My Dad and I drove from here to Georgia. I heard everything on that trip," Edward Cone said. "Three were alive from the unit. They talked and drank and told stories for days."

Three years ago, McNiece published a book, "The Filthy Thirteen: From the Dustbowl to Hitler's Eagle's Nest: The 101st Airborne's Most Legendary Squad of Combat Paratroopers."

It was McNiece who mentioned that Cone was due a few medals. Edward Cone and his fiance, Kate Guthrie of Leominster, who works at the Statehouse, gathered documentation and contacted Lynch.

The result was the Sunday party, also attended by Cone's daughters, Ronna Townsend of Monroe Township, N.J., and Natalie Gaudet of Hampton, N.H., and most of his seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Cone admits he never talked much about the war before.

"I really didn't," Cone said. "But they insisted I tell the grandchildren and the great grandchildren. So I talk to them. I tell them stories. I tell them true stories. They all enjoy it."

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

More Sneak Peeks...

2008-02-04T14:54:00.001-07:00

Here are some more gorgeous finds that will be coming out soon:

American Crafts is featuring great new, and fun embellishments. There are lots of new ribbons, felt products, albums and so much more...

Cosmo Cricket has some beautiful new paper lines featuring many different themes and a new product called blackboard which looks like black chipboard... I wonder if you can chalk on it like a chalkboard?

And one of my fave companies K&Co is coming out with some BEAUTIFUL paper lines... I am always holding my breath before I see their new stuff - I love the papers they always some out with - this season was no exception...

Can't wait till all these things hit the stores! :)

Softcuts Sharing Blog

2008-02-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

I was surfing and discovered this wonderful blog for all those who have a Cricut and the Design Studio Software.

The Softcuts Sharing Blog shows LOTS of ideas and designs using the Cricut Design Studio Software and various cartridges.

You can also download the shared files to be cut on your own machine (as long as you have the necessary cartridges) - genius! I will definitely keep this blog in my faves! :)

So I Took the Plunge...

2008-01-31T13:54:00.000-07:00

... and bought Sure Cuts Alot to test it out on my Cricut Expressions... After a few minutes I was up and running!

The program is pretty simple and straightforward. You can see all your installed fonts and cut them. What you see it what you cut. Here were some of my experiences/concerns:

* Before starting you have to be sure your Cricut Firmware is updated (you can do this using Cricut Design Studio (Free Trial, or Full Retail Version). You need Firmware version 1.1 for Cricut, and 2.1 for the Expressions machine.

Here is a link for the Free Trial of Cricut Design Studio.

* You also need a program called libusb for this program to work. You can download it here:
http://craftedge.com/products/libusb.html

* Designing is pretty easy. You just click where you want the application to cut your design, choose your font, and type away. You can resize by dragging.

* NOTE: Welding and Shadowing are not yet available. Disappointing yes, but it is in the works as a future feature that will be available for free upgrade later. Free is good!

* It can also cut shapes and comes with a basic library of shapes. Looks like there may be future shape files available for download - fun!

* It will only cut installed fonts - so be sure they are installed before you open the program, or else they won't show up in the font list.

* You have to have a cartridge inserted for the machine to be able to advance the mat. Doesn't matter which cartridge, but there does need to be a cartridge inserted.

* I did a test cut using my fave basic font - Georgia. It cuts great BUT painfully slow. But a tradeoff I would make if it meant I didn't have to buy any more font cartridges (yeah right, but that's my reasoning anyway... LOL). Maybe this is another thing that will be worked on...

* From my experience, it looks like the pressure is still controlled by the dial itself. I will email customer support though to make sure that is the case... NOTE: I heard back from a VERY QUICK responding customer service. The pressure is controlled by the knob on your machine.

The only worry I have is Provocraft's reaction to this program. There is speculation that they could come out with a Firmware Update that will block this program. Not sure if that is possible (or even legal)... But time will tell I guess.

All in all I think as it is, it is worth the $69.95 special that it is selling for right now. Not sure that it is worth the $90 retail price though - at least not without the welding/shadow features... But it is a solid first effort and freeing all those TTF's that we have on our computers!

I will update this review as I use the program more, and as new features come out...

Cricut Cuts True Type Fonts - Sure Cuts Alot Software

2008-01-31T09:11:00.000-07:00

Wow - I was very surprised to hear it, but apparently a company has made software that allows the Cricut to cut fonts on your computer - SCORE!

http://www.craftedge.com/index.html

Looks like someone beat Provocraft to the punch... They really should have released the Design Studio Software with this capability... I am ***this**** close to buying it to try it out! If it works, my Wishblade is going to need a new home...

I wonder what Provocraft is going to do about it? Is there anything they can do? I doubt it right?

Or maybe this company has some sort of deal with Provocraft? Who knows - but I think this will be AWESOME if it works!

Cricut Buy Two Get One Free - WalMart Promo

2008-01-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

Provocraft is doing another "Buy Two Get One Free" promo, this time for WalMart only...

You buy the cartridges between Feb 1 - Feb 29 at Wal Mart, fill out the Rebate Request and send it off by March 31st with your $14.95 payment for shipping and handling.

You will get a free cartridge of your choice (from a selected list)...

I did this rebate when they did it in December and got Printing 101 for free - great deal!

Donate to Charity + Win Tim Holtz Art Piece

2008-01-30T11:35:00.000-07:00

Sounds like a win-win situation to me!

If you go to Tim Holtz's blog: http://timholtz.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/01/paying-it-forwa.html

He is having a contest to win a beautiful canvas mosaic mixed media piece he did. All you have to do it make a $10.00 donation to "A Place To Bark" www.aplacetobark.com, which is being run by Bernie Berlin. The contest is being based on the number of people who donate at least $10.00, not the amount of money.

To be entered in Tim's contest you have to type "Cooper" in the "dedication or gift" box.

How It Works:

The four charity badges with the most unique donations through America's Giving Challenge will get $50,000 for their cause.

BUT HURRY!

America's Giving Challenge runs only until January 31st.

Donate Via the Badge Below:

New Cherry Arte Lines

2008-01-30T08:26:00.000-07:00

As a Mom of boys, I am always excited to see new boy stuff... Cherry Arte has some new lines for both boys and girls - the boy line is too cool! Here are some samples of the "Boy Story" line:

I can't wait to see these in person! You can see the rest of the new lines here.

Lots of fun stuff there! :)

Wednesday Hero: 1/30/08

2008-01-30T08:17:00.000-07:00

SSgt. Justing R. Whiting
27 years old from Hancock, New York
3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
January 19, 2008

Staff Sgt. Justin R. Whiting, a Special Forces medical sergeant sustained fatal wounds when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive devise 16 kilometers south of Mosul, Iraq.

He is survived by his mother, Estelline, of Colorado Springs, Colo., father, Randall, of Hancock, N.Y., sister, Amanda, of DuPont, Wash., and brother Nathan of Dover, Tenn.

For more information on SSgt. Justin Whiting, you can download this PDF file.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Wednesday Hero: 1/23/08

2008-01-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

Airmen from the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at an air base in Southwest Asia prepare a C-17 Globemaster III for an airdrop mission Jan. 14 to deliver humanitarian supplies to coalition forces in Afghanistan

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Giants Make the Superbowl & We Made the Website!

2008-01-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

And we couldn't be more happy!

My DH was looking on the Giants' Website a couple weeks ago when they made the playoffs and saw a photo of a familiar scene.

He remembered those "Win and In" towels that everyone was waving and thought, "Hey! We were at that game..."... We bought season tickets off of Ebay in 2002 (we lived in Washington, DC then - SHUDDER) and had gone to this game... The kids stayed with Grandma and Papa John in CT, and we drove down to Jersey and froze our butts off - it was December 28, 2002. The playoff berth between the Giants and the Eagles...

Then he looked at the photo harder and said, "That's US!"... Yep! We made the very corner of the photo:

And then we sent it to pretty much everyone we knew... LOL It was a great game. We left early to beat the traffic and could have KICKED ourselves. We missed Matt Bryant's game winning 39 yard field goal in overtime (though we heard it on the radio and nearly wrecked the car)... But I guess had we stayed we still might have been waiting to get on the freeway right about now... :D

Can you believe they are in the SUPERBOWL?? Party at our house! Come on down! I have to get some good pictures... I was too excited to break out the camera this last weekend... LOL I will definitely get some good photos during the Superbowl though... Now to see if I have some Royal Blue paper... :)

GO BIG BLUE!

Got My Free Cricut Cartridge

2008-01-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

It shipped and I got it today! Woo hoo! This was the free cartridge rebate that was going on late last year where you buy two cartridges and get the 3rd free. I think I sent my form in around December 15th, and I just got it today - not bad!

I was kinda worried since out of all the offered cartridges, there was only one I didn't have - Printing 101. But I figured I could always sell or trade it for another if I got one I already had. I had heard about people getting their 2nd, 2rd, and LAST choice (RUH ROH), so I was happily surprised that I got my first choice:

I soooo want to play with it, but I have 4 papers due before next Friday. ((sigh)) So... playing will have to wait I guess... :)

Wow! More Old Geneva Dairy News

2008-01-18T10:47:00.000-07:00

I was looking around for more info and found this blog detailing experiences at the Old Geneva Dairy.

Yeowza! What a nightmare! Hopefully they will bring the guy to justice for this as well... Crazy.

Old Geneva Dairy

2008-01-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

This is a bit of interesting news... I had heard little bits of news here and there about this Scrapbooking Retreat. In a nutshell, scrapbookers were up in arms because they did not deliver the experience that is shown on their website.

The site says they are not taking reservations for 2008. Now I know why. This is the owner:
=======================================================
From the Shelbyville News Website

Bridgers ordered to serve year in prison

Bettina Puckett
Staff Writer

Olde Geneva Dairy owner Anson Craig Bridgers was sentenced to one year in jail on Wednesday during a probation revocation hearing in Shelby County Superior Court No. 1. In 2004, Bridgers was accused of failing to pay $52,419 in withholding tax.

"He withheld the tax, but did not forward it to the state, as is required," said Shelby County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Brad Land-werlen.

Bridgers, 43, made one payment of $695 in 2005, but paid "not a dime" in 2007, Landwerlen said. Bridgers is the former owner of Bridgers Manufacturing Corp. in Shelbyville.

An agent from the Indiana Department of Revenue's Criminal Investigation Di-vision interviewed Bridgers at his workplace on Nov. 12, 2004.

During the interview, Bridgers acknowledged that he signed tax vouchers but could not explain why the vouchers were sent with no accompanied sign check, according to court records.

He originally was charged with eight Class D felonies - four counts of failure to remit withholding taxes and four counts of theft, according to a May 29, 2004, report in The Shelbyville News. He was arrested on warrants for tax evasion after an investigation into his business practices by the Indiana Department of Revenue.

The case was held up for a year, but Bridgers finally filed paperwork saying he would plead guilty.

Although Bridgers actually owed two separate debts, Landwerlen said he only filed paperwork for Bridgers to pay the $52,419.

Landwerlen said Bridgers tried to take advantage of Indiana's tax amnesty law. But he has not paid any of the tax money he owes or received amnesty.

Finally, Bridgers was granted probation on Aug. 2, 2006. He was told not to consume alcohol as a condition of his probation, but on Feb. 18, 2007, he was arrested for resisting arrest and public intoxication.

"He went to trial in Superior Court No. 1 and was convicted," Landwerlen said.

At Wednesday's probation revocation hearing, Landwerlen asked Judge Jack Tandy to revoke the full three years of his probation.

"He's been skirting the system forever with this," Landwerlen said.

Although Bridger's most recent attorney, Mark Kamish of Franklin, asked Tandy for a continuation of the probation because Bridgers was taking remedial steps such as attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, Tandy ruled that Bridgers should serve one year of executed time with the Indiana Department of Correction.

Kamish could not be reached for comment Wednesday night.

When Bridgers gets out of jail in one year, he still will have to pay off the debt owed to the state, Landwerlen said.

Retreat controversies

Bridgers has been the focus of controversy over the past year among women scrapbookers in several states for running the Olde Geneva Dairy, an illegal scrapbooking retreat business at 2801 Vandalia Road. Before it was declared an illegal business because of zoning and health violations, hundreds of women - many of whom lived out of state - had come to the retreat to spend the weekend with friends and enjoy their hobby of scrapbooking.

In recent months, at least 17 of the women have filed complaints against Bridgers with Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter's office because they were led to believe they were going to spend the weekend at a quaint former dairy, only to be directed to a hotel. One woman called Bridgers' tactics a "bait and switch."

Before Shelby County officials ordered him to cease and desist further operation of the scrapbooking retreat, Bridgers operated a retail establishment and provided food service at the Olde Geneva Dairy. The dairy also serves as Bridgers' home.

In November, Bridgers was arrested again for fleeing, interfering with law enforcement and public intoxication after he had a confrontation with some of his Waldron neighbors. Bridgers was with Pamela A. Monroe, 56, a jail officer, who was charged with public intoxication. Monroe was dismissed from her job at Shelby County jail following the incident.

During the sentencing phase of Bridgers' recent court appearance, Landwerlen asked Bridgers if he still was selling women a glorious holiday over the Internet and then shipping them off to a hotel.

"He said, "I've never done that,'" Landwerlen said. "But we know a lot of women who say different. Either women from around the country have organized a wonderful conspiracy, or he lied."

Bridgers is scheduled to appear in Shelby Superior Court No. 2 on Jan. 30 for a final pretrial hearing in the zoning and health-code violation case Shelby County has against him.

The state attorney general's office has yet to rule on the many complaints against Bridgers and his scrapbooking retreat.

=======================================

Ouch!

Wednesday Hero: 1/16/08

2008-01-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

Cpl. Phillip E. Baucus
28 years old from Wolf Creek, Montana
3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force
July 29, 2006

Marine Cpl. Phillip E. Baucus was the nephew of Montana Senator Max Baucus. He joined the corps in 2002 and was sent to Iraq in March of 2005.

Cpl. Baucus was killed alongside fellow Marines Sgt. Christian Williams, 27 yrs old from Winter Haven, Fla. and Lance Cpl. Anthony E. Butterfield, 19 yrs old from Clovis, Calif. during combat operations in Al Anbar province.

"Phillip was an incredible person, a dedicated Marine, a loving son and husband, and a proud Montanan and American," Sen. Baucus said. "He heroically served the country he loved and he gave it his all."

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

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