brushes with greatness

Last Saturday, I took a little jaunt to Connecticut, to meet up with Prachi and take a couple of classes with the famous Ali Edwards. My first class (and Prachi's second) was on Saturday night - Love: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. We made a little mini book (about 3.5 x 3.5)...I did mine about Brian, but its not finished because I didn't bring enough pictures. Prachi was exhausted having just come back the night before from a solid two weeks of business traveling, and she was missing Diva, so instead of spending the night at the hotel as we planned, she decided to drive home after our class. I kept myself busy though...I brought some scrappy stuff in my suitcase and the room at the Hampton Inn had an AWESOME desk/workstation, so I had papers and bottles of color wash and stuff spread all over that thing. I couldn't stay up and play too late, though, because hotel check-out was at 11, but my class started at 10. Favorite Photos was the class that I wanted to take as soon as I saw the description. I've been holding onto a bunch of 5x7s of some of my favorite pictures, assuming that I'd figure out something to do with them...so this class was perfect. And I was bound and determined to leave this class with a finished product, just because that is so often not the case when I take a class. So without further ado, here are some pictures of the book... I have to say that while I didn't learn any new techniques, per se, Ali really showed me how to think outside of the box. I have always had an issue with coordinating papers, which is why my favorite paper lines take that thought process away from me. Ali mixed papers that I never would have conceived of, and I walked away from her classes, anxious to get home and tear through my patterned papers and mix them up using Ali's style. One other bonus of the weekend was that I was finally able to meet Kristina Contes as well. She and Dawn were there on Sunday morning for the class. I have a pic of me and Dawn from the hotel, but stinky Blogger isn't cooperating with me to put it in here. =)

time flies

This is what I was doing seven years ago this afternoon. I can't believe that its been that long...it feels like it were only a year or two ago. I had so much fun planning my wedding. I can honestly say that the biggest "problem" in the whole process was finding out a couple of days before the wedding that my dad didn't like Frank Sinatra (I'd picked out "Young at Heart" for us to have our father-daughter dance to -- we're just not "daddy's little girl" kind of folk). But everything else worked in our favor that day. And I still have people tell me how much fun they had at our wedding. I remember snippets of the day, aside from what the pictures remember for me...my dad having to leave the room the first time he saw me because he started cry...standing at the end of Peggy's driveway, tapping my foot and waiting for my ride to the church...having the limo driver hit on my maid of honor...the "hidden" meaning behind the candelabra on the altar (its the glowing thing in the picture)...me helping the aforesaid maid of honor (by this time inebriated) out of her pantyhose at the reception (isn't the helping supposed to go the other way around? and where was the limo driver then?). But this is the most important memory. On that beautiful Saturday afternoon, I married an amazing man. I knew Brian was special from our first phone conversation...but he shows me a little more of that specialness every day. He makes me laugh, he takes care of me, he loves me...and though I'm sure he'd never admit it, he's just as crazy as I am. I love you, Murphy. Happy 7th.

Oh, by the way....

I had about 8 inches cut off my hair yesterday. I am donating my hair to the Pantene Beautiful Looks campaign. I haven't had my hair this short in over three years. No buzzing with the razor this time...but the back of my neck is actually visible. I don't have really great pictures, but I have to share anyway. I didn't realize just how dark my hair is without color treatment until I was holding my ponytail in my hands!

finally

Remember that layout I mentioned in my last post? The one that I had been working on for four weeks and still wasn't finished the way I liked it? Well, here it is. I finally got it to my liking, with the addition of some Making Memories metal mesh and a journaling circle made with the new Autumn Leaves journaling spot stamps. I have had these pictures for about 13 years. My dad's company used to have transmitters and antennas at the tippy-top of the North Tower. These pictures were taken when he went there with some co-workers to check on them.....a few months before the 1993 bombing. I never knew that his work took him into the city, let alone to the top of buildings, and I didn't find out about these pictures until after that first bombing. Needless to say, I was a little freaked out. These pictures have always been in the back of my mind, especially after 9/11. The 5th anniversary of 9/11 is what actually got me "inspired" (for lack of a better word) to do the layout. And because I had waited so long to even start it, I knew I wasn't going to be satisfied with the layout they way I left it. After hunting high and low to find a package of the Making Memories metal mesh sheets, I found them still in stock in AC Moore in New Jersey last weekend. Last night, I added the metal and re-did my journaling using the new stamps. And this is my finished product....just the way I envisioned it! =)

without a trace

I haven't been in blogland in a while...well, I've been reading them plenty, but I just haven't found any blogworthy topics. I didn't want to blog about how I have been hurt for four weeks (I've done drugs and xrays with no conclusive diagnosis, but I finally got an MRI earlier this week, so I have an appointment with the doctor to go over the results on Monday - at this point, I will just be happy to have some answers). Because I've been hurt, I haven't been of mind to scrapbook, so there goes topic #2. I've done one 8.5x11 page in four weeks, but its still not done to my liking. I went to a crop this weekend, though, and found my scrappiness renewed, so hopefully that means more posts coming on that front. I'm excited to say that I am taking a couple of classes with Ali Edwards in Connecticut next weekend. This is my first opportunity to take classes with "scrapping celebrity" (not counting the make and take I did with Robin Beam at the NJ Expo). I have to go prepared, which is something that I'm really bad at. I have to go there with pictures in hand for my two classes -- hopefully putting that tidbit in print will help me remember that I've got some photo processing to do before next Saturday morning. My last tidbit for today is to encourage some shopping on your part. Now anyone who knows me knows what a shopper I am, and that I frequently encourage others to shop. But today, this is about shopping with a purpose....shopping for a cause. This is the time of year when breast cancer is in the forefront, as October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I lost my mother to breast cancer almost 12 years ago...she was only 47. I don't know how to make breast cancer go away, but if my buying certain products can get some money to people who are trying to figure that out, I'm all for it. So I'm sharing with you all things pink, and encouraging you to shop til you drop. I'm not going to get into the legitimacy of these companies and their donations. I haven't done any in-depth checking on that front, but just know that if I found something that I thought was shady, I'm not including it on the list. And do self exams!! Feel yourself up!!! =) Get to know your breasts and how they normally feel, so that you'll be able to recognize when something is there that shouldn't be. Okay, I'm off my soapbox....on to the shopping. 1. Creating Keepsakes is offering the Lisa Bearnson All About Me album kit for $15 (plus S&H). I think this is the same kit that was offered on QVC. Anyway, for every kit ordered in the month of October, CK will donate $3 to support breast cancer initiatives. They are hoping to reach their goal of $100,000. Here is where you can order the kit. Here is where you can get a closer look at the kit

2. Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L has a special line of pink products that are only sold during the month of October. This year, they have added four more products to the pink line. 10% of every pink product they sell goes to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Here is a link to their store locator. 3. Bed Bath and Beyond has a "Support the Cure" section, containing items by KitchenAid, Lenox, Bialetti and Rowenta. Each company donates a portion of their sales to breast cancer charities, including the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Breast Cancer Research Foundation and breastcancer.org 4. I can't seem to get the picture to show up, but Stone Creek Creations donates $2 for each Passion Pink Krafter's Purse to breast cancer charities. 5. Avon sponsors their own breast cancer walks. They also have a selection of pink ribbon items and cosmetics where 100% of their proceeds go to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade. If you know of other legit places that are selling items in support of breast cancer, please link them up in the comments section.