Sneak Preview of SU's new stampset!

I recently ordered Fresh Cuts stampset and have been having fun playing with it. This stampset will be in the 2008-09 catalog but Stampin' Up is giving you a chance to order it in advance!! I just did a simple card with it. To see this set and order it, check out the Stampin' Up website (Specials) for details. You can also order a set of notecards to go with the stamp set for $5!!

Getting everything packed to leave today for Spring Fling. I think I have all my cards done with labels on the back. If not ... too late now! I made a couple of water bottle tags today for my roomies, Marianne & Judy. Hope they enjoy! I also made an extra to take for "show and tell"! Have a wonderful weekend! It's expected to reach 90 here this weekend. Luckily, we turned on our A/C Wednesday!

Spring Fling cards

Well, I've been busy getting ready for the NC Spring Fling this weekend. It is being held in Kernersville and we will be doing a Shoebox Swap Friday night. Then Saturday, we will have a one-layer card swap and the talented ladies who are hosting the event, will be teaching us several projects. It will be a great girls outing since my neighbor and friend, Judy, will be going with me as well as my sister, Marianne. Here's a couple of the cards I will be swapping:

Secret Sister Always Card

I received the most gorgeous card ever from my Secret Sister today. It uses the stamp set "Always". I have seen so many pretty cards on Splitcoast using this stamp set. I really didn't think I needed it until I saw today's card!! Now .... just gotta have it! The card is actually made using a transparency sheet (like you buy at Staples). The Ruby Red piece is on the back of the acetate. The front of the card/acetate is sandwiched with the Vanilla and Chocolate Chip cardstock with the bird stamped and embossed in Ruby Red and cut out. Looks like she used White Staz-On ink to stamp the white flowers on the two corners. Isn't it wonderful?! I am so lucky - can't wait to find out who this talented North Carolina stamper is!!

Pause the iPods - Part 2

More excerpts from the Observer article.

"A bad boss will really make you miserable, even when you're not at work. Don't waste energy whining about it. Find a new one." I guess the worst boss I ever had was when I worked at the Coppell Library. I was secretary to the library director. Not only was she horrible, but she didn't use deodorant. She and her clothes reeked of B.O. We all would have to hold our breath when she was close to us!! I only lasted there a year.

"Practice patience. Sometimes March weather doesn't arrive until May." Well, I'll have to admit I do not have an overly amount of patience. My husband calls me (sarcastically) Miss Patience quite often. I want it done now - I don't want to wait! When we are at a restaurant, I am ready to leave when I finish eating. Saturday, we ate lunch at an Italian restaurant in town. I was so proud of myself .... I sat and waited until my husband asked if I was ready to go. It drives me crazy to have to sit and wait for others!!

"When I was your age, the fashion was checkered bell-bottom pants. Polyester. Wouldn't be caught dead in them now. Pause and ponder that before your next tattoo." Isn't that the truth? When I see people with these tattoos all over their body, I think to myself, what will they look like when they are 70 years old??? I had a friend when I lived in Texas who had his wife's name tattooed on his arm. After the rather sticky divorce, when he planned to remarry, he had to go through the expense to have his first wife's name removed from his arm. Remember that when you visit the tattoo parlor!

"Anybody who tells you they made money playing on-line poker is probably sizing you up for a loan."

"Your monetary worth to any organization is only calculated when you've got another offer"

"Tan now, wrinkle later" USE SUNSCREEN!!

"Like you, we were full of great ideas. We turned them into ozone. Here's your assignment: Fix the flippin' planet" Sooner rather than later please.

"Look up from the screen of your cell phone. That flash of color - that's a sunset." And they are God's gift to us. Enjoy!

"You know about Santa, you know about the Tooth Fairy. Now we can reveal the third and final secret of life: Bathrooms do not clean themselves." Or ... clothes hang themselves up by themselves; light switches turn off by themselves ....

And my favorite .... "I hate to tell you this, but that band you've been listening to - the Beatles ... We discovered them!

Fresh Cuts stamp

Just got this stamp set - a sneak preview of SU's catalog which will be released in August. I'm liking it a lot! I used some cardstock colors that I don't usually use, but thought I'd take a "walk on the wild side" and be different for a change! Hope you like it!!

Pause the iPods and listen

I recently read an article in the Charlotte Observer by Mark Washburn who was speaking to a graduation class. I really enjoyed his thoughts and comments and can relate to them. Here are excerpts from the "In My Opinion" article that I totally agree with! My comments are shown in blue.

"Your parents are officially as dumb as they will ever be. From this day forward, they will get smarter, just a little, day by day." Don't know that my kids would agree with this, especially my son!

"Always drive like there's a cop behind you" Lesson learned.... especially when driving through Virginia - it can be costly!!

"Pop the earphones out every so often and listen carefully. If you concentrate, you can still hear the original iPods. They're called birds!" I'm afraid one day all the young people of today are going to be deaf!

"Any worthwhile journey involves getting lost sometimes. Life is a worthwhile journey." My life continues to be a journey - never knowing what is around the bend. Sometimes good ....sometimes bad, but I guess you have to take the good with the bad.

"When lost, take time to poke around a little into the stuff you never would have seen otherwise. " I can't count the times I've been lost (just ask my children when they were younger!!) but there are shops and restaurants I've discovered when taking the other route that I wouldn't have know about if I hadn't been lost.

"You are what you drive. Keep it clean." Hope my husband doesn't read this. I keep my car anything but clean according to him. What can I say .... sometimes I'm a slob!

"Text and drive, you won't survive." Much less, talk on the cell phone and drive!! I'm guilty of this but I know I would not be able to text and drive!! Keep waiting for all states to have mandatory earphones for cars on the highway.

"After 30, skip the fries." But .... they're soooo good!! Especially at Poppa's Hot Dog Shop in Mooresville where I seen to gravitate to after attending my Weight Watchers meeting!!

"When you mess up, just "fess up. Astonishing fact: "I really screwed up" is actually a thing bosses like to hear. It means they don't need to point it out." I think that is one of the hardest things to do - to acknowledge when you've made a mistake. But more importantly, for the "injured party" to accept your apology and move on. Life is TOO SHORT to hold grudges!!

"Believe half of what you read on the Internet and a quarter of what you hear on Talk Radio. Do your own thinking." That goes for all these e-mails we continue to get that are "urban myths". Doesn't anyone ever check them out before mass sending them to everyone they know???

"Make a million mistakes, but get this one right: Marry the right person." Amen to this one! I have been married to the same wonderful man for 35 years. Yes, we've had our ups and downs, but we've always stood by each other and loved each other. Thank you, God, for helping me find this wonderful husband and father.


That's all for now. I will continue with this article tomorrow! Enjoy!

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

Glorious Summer Day!

Oh, what a glorious day it was today! My daylilies are starting to bloom and look beautiful...the weather is just perfect - in the low 80's... and we still haven't turned on our air conditioner!!! (gotta save that money for gas, ya know?) We open our windows at night and it is wonderful.

Today after taking our swim aerobics at the "Y", we visited a few nurseries in Mooresville and bought some plants. I am hoping to plant something on our small hill in front of the house that will take hold and spread. Last year, I planted a few things, but with the drought, nothing survived. Hopefully I will have better luck this year. After stopping for lunch at McAllister Deli (yum!), we headed home to work in the yard. I planted a few things on the hill and planted a few annuals in my wine barrel. When Ashley and I went to Napa Valley a few years ago, I brought back a half wine barrel. That was when I lived in Gig Harbor, Washington. When we moved to NC, the barrel made the trip with us! Sonny thinks we got it at one of the wineries we toured in California. Nope .... in reality, we were told that we could get them cheaper at the local WalMart but they were authentic barrels from the wineries!! Anyhoo .... it is out near the street in our front yard and now is planted with flowers.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day. Remember the brave men and women who are serving our country and who are putting their life on the line every day for our freedom. God Bless them!!

Note Pad Holder

I received the cutest Note Pad and Holder this week from my Secret Sister. Can't wait to find out who this talented gal is!! It is done in Bravo Burgundy cardstock. The front of it is stamped with Polka Dots & Paisleys stamp set in burgundy, Artichoke and Apricot inks. She says that she got the idea from Betsy Cypcar's Monday Mailer last year. The notepad that is on the inside matches our cardstock great!! It was purchased at A C Moore. I'll be checking these out next time I'm at A C Moore.

Thanks Secret Sister! You're "da bomb"!!

Sharon

And the winner is ...... DAVID COOK

David Cook wins! David Cook wins!

He’s truly overcome with emotion. Sweet!

“I started this season much to Simon’s chagrin as the ‘word nerd,’ ” he said. “I’m at a loss for words. Thank you guys. This is amazing.” Overall, it’s an emotionally satisfying ending with the top 12 standing on that stage behind the judge’s table with Cook. He has his arms around Archuleta. Class act, sharing the spotlight. And the brother who convinced him to audition joined him on stage earlier, too along with his mom. I loved that part! He allowed his Mom to be a part of this important event in his life.

I think for the show to continue to thrive, it needs more original, edgier contestants (though not to the extreme of, say, Sanjaya, thanks), and so I think the right guy -- in terms of the show's longterm benefits -- won. I also think that David C. is better-suited to handling the pressure that goes with winning, and David A. should have an easier time of it as runner-up, getting plenty of attention, a certain record deal, but a lower-pressure entree into showbiz and media attention. So, basically, everyone's a winner in this year's finale.

Some other notes on the final show .....Oh my goodness - does it get any worse than this? That guy who auditioned with his own song - the one who sang "You are my brother, best friends forever..." Remember him? Well they actually brought him to the stage - he's wearing the same outfit with the winged hat and everything - just beyond ridiculous. They even get USC's marching band to accompany him - seriously? He definately got his 5 minutes of fame.

I loved Brooke's singing with Graham Nash; David A's singing "Apologize"; ZZ Top with David C. (you know, that had to be a dream come true for him!); Carrie Underwood (looked gorgeous, by the way); George Michael (I'm still a big fan and obviously, so is Paula!!); Donna Summer singing "Last Dance" (didn't much care for her new one); and Michael Johns (still, my love!!). I could have done without the comedy routines - The Pips; Jimmy Kimmel; Jack Black, Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr, etc. Also, didn't have a clue who that young boy band (Jonas Brothers) was!! (My daughter filled me in later.)

We were recording the show so we wouldn't have to sit through all the commercials (and ended up missing the Guitar Hero one done by David C - saw David A's though - pretty funny!) But, luckily, we caught up with the recording and ended up watching the last 30 minutes or so live. If not, we would have missed the end!! Can't believe after sitting through 2 hours, they wait until one minute before the end to announce the winner and then have to go over. My daughter called and she was TiVo'ing it. Her TiVo cut off as soon as Ryan said "the winner is David Cook". She didn't get to see his reaction or hear the song at the end. I would be pissed!!!

Well, now I'll just have to wait for Idol to come on again NEXT YEAR!!!

In the meantime, I'll be watching Nashville Stars when it starts in June. It's pretty good.

David vs David

Well, it's finally here - the final night to hear the two David's "duke" it out! It is obvious that David A is the judges choice to win...and they made it clear. Although, Simon was on Letterman Monday night and on Ellen Tuesday (I didn't see it - just read about it) and predicted David C. to win. The reality is that both Davids are great singers. I thought they both gave good performances. Cook's seemed a little more varied, but that is the type singer he appears to be. And I thought it showed something that he chose to sing three new songs unlike David A. who chose to go with Imagine which was already a winner with him this season. Talk about playing it safe! That's where Cook has it over Arch - he is not afraid to take chances and stretch himself. I thought Simon's remarks and even Randy's at the end of the night were a bit derogatory ("this round goes to David A."). Let America decide (after all we're the ones who are paying the for the CD's and downloads). I agree David A. is talented but he is sadly predictable. He needs some time to hone his skill and get to know how he wants to approach his career...otherwise he will face the same issues as Lohan, Spears...etc. This much fame is tough when you haven't found your own way yet.

I do love David A's voice, but do not see him as THE American Idol. Although in the event David Cook doesn't win, we can hope he will become just as successful as Daughtry. Losing didn't hurt him at all. Who woud have thought he would be touring with bon Jovi? Personally, I still prefer Cook but it’s hard to be upset if Archuleta takes it home. He has earned this. And we can always rationalize that, like Daughtry, Cook doesn’t need this win to succeed.

Here's what I've discovered about Wednesday's results show:

* Tomorrow’s finale will reprise that Celine/Dion live/dead duet with another live/dead combo.

* Each David got to pick their favorite out of the top 10 vote-getting songs in the songwriting contest. Good idea!

* Carrie Underwood will perform her latest single “Last Name”

Oh and that cute little kid from Tennessee who was living in his car ... Josiah Leming just missed the top 24 and has signed a record and publishing deal with Warner Brothers.

Well .... stay tune - until tomorrow night!!

Sharon

Watching hockey and doing challenges!

While watching the Pittsburgh Penguins tear up the ice .... and the Philly Flyers for the Stanley Cup (right now it is 5- zero!!) The Flyers should be embarrassed. Anyway, I have been working on some challenges.

Here's a new site, Stamp Something, I discovered that is giving away Blog Candy for their challenge. I needed a thank you card anyway plus I am doing this card for a swap. So I am killing two birds with one stone. (Yes, Ashley, I got that saying right!!) I used my favorite background stamp from Stampin' Up - Riot of Petals, this time just highlighting one of the flowers. I "coluzzeled 2 circles - one in Soft Sky and the other in Chocolate Chip. I stamped the flower on the Soft Sky (In Color) circle in Chocolate Chip ink. Then I rubbed Groovy Guava around the edges and matted it on the Choc. Chip circle. The card is made from Choc. Chip and layered with Groovy Guava textured cardstock. Then on top of that is another piece of Choc. Chip with a piece of designer paper from our mini catalog - Tea Garden. This paper is just gorgeous! I used my Corner Rounder to round the corners. I stamped "thank you" (from All Holidays) onto G.Guava and used my oval punch to punch it out and mat onto a Choc Chip piece punched out with the large oval punch. In the bottom corner I stamped "Love ... Laugh" (from our Hostess set - Make It Count) and matted it onto a Choc Chip circle. To finish it off, I doodled all the edges with a white gel pen.
Sharon

Challenge Card

I was surfing last night - no, not on the lake, but on the computer. Found Sharon Johnson's blog and with a name like Sharon, had to check it out. I have admired her work for a long time on Splitcoast Stampers. She is very talented. Anyway, she had a challenge this week to create a trio of panels on a card and to keep it simple. So here is my take on the challenge.

I used the simple flower from Embrace Life (SU) which I think is one my favorite floral stamp sets. I watercolored the flowers and matted them with Regal Rose. The card uses Pretty in Pink and is embossed with one of my new Cuttlebug folders. Then I just weaved a ribbon - lime organdy - behind and on top of the flowers. Pretty simple!

Beautiful Days on the Lake

Well, it's finally warming up here. Enough for us to take a short ride on our boat Saturday. We took a short ride down the lake (Lake Norman) to enjoy lunch. There is a little restaurant that opened up last year and you can sit outside enjoying the view and the lunch. Plus .... they have the hard cider that I like (Woodchuck Amber). After lunch, we just took a little ride - me singing to my IPod and Sonny turning up the radio on the boat to drown me out!! What fun. We were only out a couple of hours but enough that my nose was red last night from the sun.

The dock where we keep our boat is just 2-3 blocks from our house There are some beautiful flowers blooming at the dock area. Last year we enjoyed watching the birds that had built a nest in the power pole. All summer, we were able to watch the momma bird protecting the nest. Then we heard the chirps of the baby birds. By mid-summer, the babies were sticking their head out and finally, took the leap and flew away. Well, this year, looks like we might be seeing it again. Yesterday I saw a bird up in the nest which I assume is the momma. Guess it's just a matter of time until we'll hear the babies chirping away. Good cheap entertainment!!

Watching the Sunrise

Speaking of Mother's Day, I received a unique gift from my son and daughter-in-law. It is a game called LIVING LIFE - The Game About YOU. Only one player is needed. What you do is play one card per day to "spice up your life" and add adventure. My daughter-in-law, Darcie, is great at finding unusual gifts and games for people. Unfortunately, I have not gotten far with this game this week. My first card is "Watch the Sunrise". Well, folks, I do not get up that early - there is just no need for it!! When you get to my age, it is my perogitive to sleep in (at least until 8:30!!) since I don't usually go to bed until after midnight. I hate it that my husband sets an alarm clock and I fuss about it at least once a week. I think when you are retired you should be able to sleep as long as you want. My body tells me when to get up and when I have had enough sleep. I like my 8 hours each night. Unfortunately, unless Sonny sets the alarm, he would sleep until noon so I put up with it. Truthfully, I usually get up right before the alarm goes off anyway. I agree with the card (from the game) that a sunrise is one of the most beautiful acts of nature and most people never see it because they are sound asleep. (yep, that's me!) Another drawback for me getting up to see the sunrise is that I would have to get in my car and drive somewhere. Our house is surrounded by trees and woods, but we are just a block away from the lake. Maybe this summer, I'll get up early and go out on the boat and view the sunrise. Until then .... I'll enjoy this picture.

Get up early and enjoy a sunrise and comment here to tell me about it!

Sharon

True Friend Mother's Day

I just received a great Mother's Day card from my daughter. She's a great stamper and creates some great cards. This card is such a change for her. She never uses pastel colors - a more Earth Elements and Bold Brights kind of gal! But this card is using Soft Subtles Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue and Certainly Celery. The stamp set she used is True Friend, which pretty much sums up our relationship. She is my best friend as well as my daughter. It is stunning! Thanks, Ashley!

Cards I've Received This Week

I've gotten a couple of really cute cards in the past few weeks. Thought I'd share - that's what good friends do, ya know???

These two are from my Secret Sister in my NCSU group. I don't know who she is but she is very talented!!

I've just joined a new Stampin' Up group, VC Rocks and received this card as a welcome to the group. The colors used are not what I would have used, but I really like how they look together!

And the winner is .... DAVID!

Well, one thing we know for sure. American Idol's winner will be named David! Now, which one??? What it will come down to will be the writers song that the producers choose. Last year for example, "This Is My Now" was definitely chosen for Jordin. Blake sounded ridiculous singing it. It will all boil down to the song that was chosen and right now the writer of that song already knows their song was chosen and they know who it will be best suited for. If a ballad was chosen or a pop style song, it will be David A's night. If it's a rock song it will be David C's night. They know who they want to win who will sell the most CD's. Hmmmm, let me see .... thousands of little girls asking their moms to buy David A's CD - they ought to make a mint on that bet. So we will all have to wait and see what happens. But I bet they already know who is going to win given the history of the past years! Just hope I am wrong!

I wasn't an Idol fan when Fantasia won but OMG what was she doing? I could not understand a single word! Thanks to Ashley for calling and telling me not to fast forward through her song (she knows us well!), I was able to see the judges reactions. After watching Fantasia's atrocious performance - not to mention the dress, hair, dancing, screaming, etc - I think this picture says it all!

Countdown for American Idol

Well, it's coming down to the nitty gritty! Last night's show was just O.K. to me. In case anyone missed it, these are the songs that the final three sang:

DAVID ARCHULETA
''And So It Goes,'' Billy Joel ''With You,'' Chris Brown ''Longer,'' Dan Fogelberg
SYESHA MERCADO
''If I Ain't Got You,'' Alicia Keys ' 'Fever,'' Peggy Lee ''Hit Me Up,'' Gia Farrell
DAVID COOK
''The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,'' Roberta Flack ''Dare You to Move,'' Switchfoot
''I Don't Want to Miss a Thing,'' Aerosmith

My take on it is that David Cook is "da bomb" as Randy loves to say!

In the first round of songs which the judges picked, I really liked all three about the same. None of them made me jump up and down. David A. still had the squinty eyes - maybe he thinks they are "bedroom eyes" but he is just too young to pull that off!! I thought Syesha looked fabulous. The stylists have really made her shine. David Cook's rendition of "The First Time Ever..." was good - that is one of my favorite songs. (Interesting choice that Simon would pick that for him though but maybe because his discovery, Leona Lewis, also recorded it.) So the first round was a tie for me.

The second round ... poor David A. is trying to be hip. The little Utah kid just doesn't pull it off, ya know "my boo"???? But the little teeney-boppers in the audience loved it (or just him!) I didn't think Syesha's rendition of Fever was as bad as the judges did. I think her niche is going to be Broadway and that is what she was trying for. But, again, she looked great - just glad she didn't try to sit in that chair - don't think her dress would have covered up all her parts, ya know?! The song David C. sang I had never heard of or the band. It was all right to me. So, again, no clear winner on round two for me.

Now, the third round ... David did a good job with Dan Fogelberg's ballad. (Actually when they said what had been picked for him, I thought they meant Dan Fogarty - I was waiting for the rock and roll to begin!!) If he would just open his eyes!! Poor Syesha - a song from Happy Feet??? I didn't know that song and I don't think she did either. Do you think the producers had already written her off and so didn't try too hard to find a good song for her? It sure got Simon's knickers in a twist! He thought she was singing about penguins!! Then, in my opinion, they saved the best for last. David Cook! He was great with Aerosmith's song. It just ended too quick. I could listen to him the whole show.

Let's hope next week they are given better material to work with. I think this week they did the best with what they were given, but the songs they were given weren't for their individual strengths. I'm wondering if David A. was purposely given some weak songs for him so he wouldn't shine - then the producers won't have to deal with his father if he is voted American Idol. Evidently, David's dad cost the show quite a bit of money in royalties when he switched up some lyrics last week after he was told not to. Daddy Dearest was booted off the set this week.

What will tonight bring? I'm sure it will just be a formality when Syesha will be packing her bags. She's had a good run and she will do fine on her own. She just needs to go to New York and get on Broadway. I think David Cook is the winner of American Idol but I don't know if I really want that. I almost think he would do better for himself as runner up and not have to get tied into the American Idol contract and lose his originality. Doesn't seem like those winners do well (except of course, Carrie Underwood and a few others). But, look at how well Daughtery has done on his own. I think that could be David Cook's future also. David A. could use the shelter of American Idol to groom him into a star. Right now, he's just a kid who has an amazing voice. But who knows what surprises may await us. Could David A. get voted off tonight??? That would be a shocker, for sure!!

Stay tuned!

Spam in Hawaii!!

Well, think I've recovered from my trip to Hawaii. It was fabulous. My daughter, Ashley, and I laid on the beautiful sands of Honolulu sipping Mai Tais and soaking up the rays!! My first day out I got a little burned (as usual, my hubbie would say). Ashley was at her convention and I ate a leisurely breakfast and went out to the beach about 11:00. I had some of that spray-on suntan lotion and thought I did a good job of spraying. But .... it's kinda hard to get your back by yourself. Plus, I had forgotten my Clinique face protection lotion so I sprayed the suntan lotion in my hands and rubbed it on my face. Thought that would do the trick. Well, not so good!! After a couple of hours, my back was feeling funny so I went inside to shower and get ready to meet Ashley for lunch. About the time I got out of the shower (reddness on my back and face!!), she called and was coming back to eat lunch and hit the beach!! Well .... she was not real happy with her Mom!! So, what's a girl to do??? Right .... go shopping!!! Never fear.

We got to Waikiki and what did we discover but a festival being set up. And not just any festival, but The Spam-Jam Waikiki Festival!! And I don't mean spam like you get in your internet inbox. This was the real stuff that comes in the little blue can. I don't know about you, but when I was growing up .... and when my kids were growing up .... it was a staple in our house!! We usually had fried spam with mac and cheese (of course, the Kraft boxed kind!!). Jeff and Ashley loved the stuff but I'm sure now they wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole. But, back in the "old days" it was great and cheap! (Can't you hear those arteries thanking us now?) If you are interested, Spam has a website and even a Fan Club!!! There is also a Spam Museum in Minnesota. When Ashley and I were driving cross country from Tacoma to D.C., she wanted to stop and visit the Spam Museum. We didn't - wonder what we missed!!

We did go out on the beach or the pool all the following days so we got plenty of sun. And, I bought more sunscreen - 50 SPF this time. My days of laying in the sun without any protection are long gone. I remember when I was a teenager and we lathered on the baby oil, sometimes mixing it with iodine (what was that all about???) Don't risk skin cancer - lather up!

Here's a picture of us on the beach.

Happy Mother's Day to all Moms

Happy Mother's Day to you and you and you. Today is a day to celebrate Mom's. It should be a day for Mom's to relax and enjoy their families. My plans for today are not much different from other Sundays since my children are far away. My husband and I will take my brother in law to the airport, probably stopping for lunch before we put him on the plane (Cheeseburger in Paradise is our planned destination hoping to avoid a crowd.) Then we will go to my Mom's house where one of my sisters is planning a spaghetti dinner for us all. So, at least I won't have to cook!! I waited this morning for my hubbie to fix me breakfast but finally gave up and made myself some toast. I should know better - he's always told me I'm not his mother. And after 35 years of marriage, it's too late to change him now. My daughter will be calling me later and I am hoping to also hear from my son. I just spent a week with my daughter in Hawaii and she bought me a gorgeous bracelet for Mother's Day to match the earrings and necklace that I hadbought at the International Marketplace in Waikiki. It's a silver version of the beautiful plumeria flower that is my favorite!

So .... here's to you Mom - HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

These were taken at a Luau the last time I was in Hawaii.

I'm coming home today - tired and happy (I hope)!!

Pearl Harbor

These were taken when Ashley and I were in Hawaii in 2006. Moving, aren't they?

Cards I've Made

Here are a couple of cards I've made using Stampin' Up's Wanted set. If you live in Texas, you have to have it (I used to live there). It is great for those cards for men when you don't want to use flowers!! (too girly for those macho men!)

Father's Day is Coming

Father's Day is June 15th. This is a cute tie holder for Dad!! HERE are the directions.

Sunset in Hawaii

I'm thinking about you!!

Spring Has Sprung - Journal It!

Want to create this darling Spring Journal? Click HERE for supplies and directions!

Hawaii Flowers

Aren't they gorgeous?

Hawaii picture

These are pictures from the last time I was in Hawaii!!

Stampin' Up Specials for May

Just wanted to let you know about the specials Stampin' Up is offering for the month of May. When you spend $35 on any Stampin' Up! products, you'll get 25% off all On Board chipboard products from pages 178-179 of the Spring-Summer Collection 2008! Stampin' Up!'s On Board chipboard collections offer a fun and easy way to embellish projects, create custom greetings, and decorate scrapbook pages. The exclusive, versatile, die-cut chipboard is designed to coordinate with many Stampin' Up! stamp sets and accessories

Also, another special - From May 1 through May 31, when you purchase a Cutting Mat (p. 184), you'll receive a FREE Hobby Blade with five refill blades (p. 184)--a $4.50 value! The Cutting Combo Pack is a great tool for cutting card stock and Designer Series paper to layer over Stampin' Up!'s On Board chipboard products. Use combo pack item number 113421 when placing your order to receive the free blade.

Contact me to place an order.

Sharon

Hawaii Bound

I am on my way to Hawaii as you are reading this!! My daughter is presenting a paper at a medical conference in Honolul and invited her Dad and I to join us. Doesn't take much to convince me to go anywhere, but especially to Hawaii!! My hubbie didn't want to go (I know, crazy, huh?) He says he has no desire to see Hawaii. That's ok with me - more girl time! He'll be ok though. My brother-in-law will be coming from Texas on Sunday to hang out with him. Don't want to think about the trouble they could get into! This will be good for both of them, though. My sister died in November and this is the first time he has come to see us since we moved to NC. They were both scheduled to come visit us for Thanksgiving, but she didn't make it that long.

Here's the hotel where we are staying. Pretty cool!

I won't return home until May 8 (Thursday) so no posts for a while!! I'll be thinking of you as I'm sipping my Mai Tai and soaking up the rays.

Sharon