I'm still on a Nick high...

Cost of Gas to Taft Theatre - $5.00
Parking in private garage - Free thanks to Barb's husband
2 T-Shirts and a pair of Nick Panties - $65
4th row tickets for two - $250

Seeing Nick Lachey within INCHES - PRICELESS

Barb and I had a MAGNIFICENT time. I can't even talk about it without getting giddy and nearly freaking out like a screaming teenager. I uploaded a few things to You Tube so you can see when Nick comes DOWN to the AISLE WHERE I WAS and starts singing to the girl on the other side of the aisle. (I'm on the right - she's on the left) Made me wish I were gorgeous. But, alas I got some great photos. You can sort of hear me and Barb screaming (as well as some girls behind us) Sorry for the poor quality. I took it with my camera phone.



Here he is in full blown singing mode...



Then, I got this snapshot on my camera phone.



Finally, here's one Barb took after Nick found out that I'm happily married to Scott. (Ok - so I added that last part in - but he looks so distraught. That's what we kept telling ourselves)



It was a night well worth it!

Things I neglect:

House plants, paying bills, and obviously my blog. All things that I neglect and for the last one, I am SO sorry! It's just been a crazy week with getting ready for the show, etc.

First things first (and stay for this blog post - it's a LONG one but well worth it!) Sunday was Scott's birthday. So, happy 31 to Scottie 2 Hottie! When I first met him, he was NINETEEN! Can you believe we've been together that long? No wonder he has more grey hair now. :) Love you sweetie!

Secondly - Addie had her 6 month appointment. She's apparently tall and skinny according to the doctor. Still weighs in at a whopping 12 lbs, 8 oz. That's 5th percentile people! How this kid came from me, the Amazon Woman, is beyond anyone's imagination. But, she did. She's 25.5" long - 25th percentile. The doctor said that her body type lends to be tall and thin, even though she's below height right now. She thinks she'll catch up. It's not like she doesn't eat, either. She eats two FULL Stage 2 meals per day plus her bottles plus cereal. She's just SO cute! I'll post some new photos of her soon!

Third - Guess where I'll be in about 7 hours??? That's right!



We're taking a camera. Can we? We don't know. But by golly, we are! Barb's my date for a hot night with Nick! We'll be the two oldest people there and quite frankly - we don't care! Good times to be had by all!

Finally - Here's the part you've hopefully been waiting for. Sneak peeks!!!!

Know this movie??? I used to watch it over and OVER again in middle school. (Showing my age here!)



This one is one of those that defined the life of so many "yuppies". The name is actually a translation of the title. Would love to know if anyone has any idea which one it is! :)



I know that I've sort of done things differently for this show but I really hope that you like them!

New IP Newsletter

Just an FYI - our IP Newsletter went out. Check here to view it:

http://www.imaginationproject.com/Newsletter/IPConsumerNews0906.pdf

If you're not on our mailing list - e-mail Barb Hogan at barb@imaginationproject.com and we'll get you added immediately. Please don't send us spam for home mortgages, pharmacies, cialis, viagara, or any other products. We get enough of those. LOL!

Hi - I'm Ginger and I have a Boy Band Obsession...

Alright - so it's not an ENTIRE boy band, but it's with Nick Lachey - in case you haven't been following my blog. (Which, I wouldn't blame you because quite frankly I've been HORRIBLE about updating it) For the record, I absolutely adore and love my husband, Scott, but I have this little schoolgirl crush on Nick Lachey. (And I'm sure that he's really excited to have a fat, 30-year-old housewife wanting him.)

Guess who I get to see next week????



He's coming to Cincinnati and Barb and I have 6th row. That's right girls - I get to drool 6 rows from the stage... I told the guy that I bought the tickets off of that we'd be the two oldest people there. Probably a thousand screaming teenagers and then us. Should be interesting. Another funny thing is that I bought Addie a onesie that says "My daddy is a rock star." Wonder who it refers to... ;) Just kidding - Scott's a TOTAL rock star, but I thought it was funny.

In other Rohlfs news, Maggie and Scott passed their Tae Kwon Do tests, so Maggie is officially a green belt and Scott is a yellow belt. Maggie thinks it's a pretty good time that she outranks her dad. He has to call her m'aam at school. It's only because he started three months after her, but it's still funny. I give it two more testings before he catches up or passes her. But, for now she thinks it's a riot.

Addie turned 6 months on Sunday. I can't believe how fast the time is flying. She's getting so big. (If you want to call 12 lbs, 8 oz. big!) Seriously - just her actions, how she moves, etc. are getting more advanced and I can tell that things are making sense to her. She recognizes certain items, does certain things, and now has become a little "mommy attached". I'm enjoying it!

Lastly - I have been getting some AWESOME entries for the contest and cannot wait to make a lot of people happy! I can't say who or when but there are a few entries that we are SERIOUSLY considering for our DT. We've got some great stuff! I am still so excited about it. It's so fun to open e-mail every day and have these awesome projects from everybody. I LOVE it!

Well...I'm off to work on a class. I've added two class dates to my teaching - I'll announce both of them soon. They'll be in New Regal and Dayton, OH. Can't wait!

Just a few pics from this weekend...

This is SO Maggie...



The three of us...



Addie - she's getting so big!

Monday...September 11th

In an effort not to compound the depressing thoughts of what happened 5 years ago, I'm just simply going to make one statement: take a moment today to think about everyone involved in this horrible tragedy. I spent a few moments this morning in a moment of silence thinking about everyone involved. It's heartbreaking. Something we should all never forget.

Now - back to my regularly scheduled blog. I had a SUPER busy weekend. We taught at the MWSA in Indy and it was AWESOME. The students were great!!! I had a great time, even though I was sick and am still sick today. I also came home to a sick baby. Poor little Addie has a small cold and she's teething - BAD. Poor little thing chews on everything she can get her hands on. She got up in the middle of the night for about two hours so I'm ready to take a nap. I'm working at home and trying to finish up some stuff. I swear, it's a never-ending cycle. LOL!

I had to post this photo of Addie. She's enjoying her squash. This kid LOVES squash! How odd is that? LOL!



I also just had to mention all of the super cool layouts we've been receiving. Projects, too!!! You girls are ROCKING it! I am still SO excited!

Well, back to work and hopefull a small nap.

Busy Weekend & Contest Update

First off - WOW! The entries that are coming in for the contest are AWESOME! I am SO excited about this! :) You just have no idea. Keep them coming because we LOVE looking at them!

I'll put a link on the side of the blog that will reference back to the rules. Don't forget - you have until September 30th and you can submit as MANY as you want!

Well - back to my regularly scheduled blog. We had a pretty busy weekend - don't I sound like "Frank the tank" from Old School? LOL! Anyway, mainly just family stuff although on Saturday I scrapped with some of my friends and it was awesome! I really miss that! I hope we all do it more often. The only thing is - I need to buy a table. I borrowed one from Scott's parents and it was the perfect size for four of us. Plus, we had Mexican food. And if you're wondering - NO - I didn't count the points...

Sunday was a nice day with Scott's family. We had a good time. Plus, more good food. I've got a lot of redeeming to do this week. Sadly - I ordered Winsor Pilates on Sunday. Hope that stuff helps me. LOL! It worked for Daisy Fuentes, Mare Winningham and Lisa Rinna - I'm sure it can work for me! (Hopefully you can pick up on my total sarcasm) It was only $9.95 plus shipping/handling. I figure I'll give it a try since I like yoga.

Yesterday we took the girls to the Zoo. I didn't realize how busy that place would be. I figured everyone would be recouping from their weekend, but it was a madhouse! Maggie brought Shannon along (Barb's daughter) and they had a great time. By the time we went home, all of us were totally pooped. We saw everything we could! Addison was even worn out! Here's the girls at the Kangaroo Exhibit. They were cracking me up!



Maggie went back to school today. She'll be there two weeks on Wednesday. She's loving it - which is awesome! I hope it always stays that way. Here she is on her first day - I just can't believe how big she's getting.



Then of course Addie's hair just keeps getting longer. This photo is of her in her Bumbo playing in her crib. I was reorganizing her closet (she's FINALLY in 3-6 month clothes!) so she sat and played. I put her hair in a little pony - she makes all these funny faces whenever I get out the camera. She's going to be my fireball!



Scott's doing well...doing his Tae Kwon Do. He snapped this photo of Addison the other day. He's really into the UFC and of course his favorite fighter is Tito Ortiz, so he took this photo of her to upload to Tito's My Space. I don't know what I'm going to do with that boy!



Later!

The RULES!!!

Ok - seems like we've got some interest here! :) I'm pretty excited since this is the first time that I've done anything like this. It's not a "Design Team" call - we don't do those, but I would like to see the work of everyone and who knows - we might extend an invitation. HOWEVER, it IS a little mini-contest and there will be five categories and it will be judged - I'll assemble a panel of "experts" from our design team as well as some of my other friends in the industry to pick the winners. (I usually never pick because I want EVERYONE to win! - I'm one of those people. LOL!)

Anyway - here are the five categories:
1) Most Unique Project
2) Coasters (Use them however you want)
3) Cotton Art Tape - We want to see how YOU would use it!
4) Use of Patterned Paper
5) Best Overall

There are FIVE LARGE prize packages to give out and the deadline is SEPTEMBER 30th! (Midnight EST) You'll need to e-mail your project/layout, etc. to ginger@imaginationproject.com with your name, any story behind your project, products used, and anything else you want me to know. You can mix Gin-X lines, you can use products from other manufacturers with your Gin-X, other IP product, etc. I do ask that entries are predominantly Gin-X. (By the way - if you check out our Imagination Project blog - link on the side of my blog - we'll be posting ongoing contests in the coming months.) If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me with those, too. Also - you can enter as many times as you'd like! That's right - if you want to enter once you can. If you want to enter 900 times, you can! :)

We may ask if we can use your project for either our blog or newsletter. If you are asked, you will be compensated with a goodie box. We will ALWAYS ASK before using your projects, so rest assured that we're not going to use anything and not contact or compensate you.

I look forward to seeing everyone's entries. I'll keep them "Secret" until the winners are posted. If you want to share your entry online - by all means, feel free to do so. So, please don't feel like we'll penalize you for that.

Lastly - if you're having a hard time finding our products, visit our website at www.imaginationproject.com. There is a list of local and online retailers who carry our stuff. If you still cannot locate products, please e-mail me and I will get you in contact with a retailer that can get you product.

Thanks & Happy Scrapping! I'm so excited about this!!!

Ginger

3 lbs and STILL Hungry...

Ok - so I went to weigh-in on Monday night and I lost 3 pounds, which I was surprisingly happy with. I hope to be down another 2-3 lbs next week, but I'm sure that won't be the case. However, who knows, right? I mean, I'm following the points and working out (not as much as I should I'm sure). So, hopefully I will see SOME result. The only thing is - I'm STILL hungry. That's the hardest part that the three of us here are finding. We're still hungry sometimes in the afternoon. Good thing I have sugar free Fudgesicles. That usually holds me over until dinner.

We had two members of the IP Design Team resign this week. I will miss them dearly, but completely understand when things get hectic. So, I've been thinking about things. Right now, our team is heavy - we have a lot of members. As much as I love seeing the work of everyone on the IP team, sometimes I enjoy looking at the work of everyone else, too. With that being said, I am thinking of posting a little "mini-contest" on my blog. Nothing major, or rule-filled, etc. Just something simple. I've got a HUGE goodie box that I'm thinking of sending out to someone who does a magnificient project with Gin-X stuff. Who knows - if you enter, you might find yourself with a nice little note from Barb Hogan asking if you'd like to be on the team.

Would anyone be interested? If I hear of interest, I might post something tomorrow with a little more structure, etc. Just remember that this isn't a "DT Call" but rather a "what can you do with Gin-X?" Plus, we're always looking for projects, etc. for our newsletter & blog and that also will get you a compensation box. :)

Let me know!!!

Neglectful...

I've been neglectful of my blog and for that I am sorry. Neglecting my blog means that I've been doing other things which can be both good and bad. Right now I'm putting all the final touches on show artwork and trying to meet deadlines. Plus, I've been spending time with my family - it's been nice to have a weekend with nothing to do! (Except, we helped cater an event this weekend - fed about 450 people. I'm still trying to recoup!)

Anyway - today's blog was going to be about how you SHOULDN'T act when you're at an event and are being served dinner, but it's done and over and I don't feel like griping about it today. Although, I will say - if you are vegetarian (which there is NOTHING wrong with!) and you know that they're serving Filet and Chicken, make sure to preorder your vegetarian selection! Ok - had to get that off of my chest!

Back to things at hand. Well...no real photos to update. They're sitting on my Rebel which is sitting at home on my scanner. A lot of good that does me for the blog. I do have this photo of my great niece, Ryan. She'll be 9 months tomorrow. Little stinker!



Both my niece and my brother got new cars this weekend. That's something that Scott and I won't see for a long time. I am bound and determined to pay off a car one day. I've got a year left on my 626, and it's only got 26,000 miles on it (it's 4 years old) so I'm thinking that we've still got a long time with that car. At least, I hope so. I keep telling Maggie that it will be hers one day. She's excited about it now, but wait until she's 16. I'm sure that excitement will turn to begging for something different. I'm hoping by then, it will resemble the car John Candy drove in Uncle Buck and we can just have fun with it. Good times I tell ya!

Well, I better get going. I have Weight Watchers in an hour and need to finish up and get out of here. The dreaded scale is calling my name. I hate that damn thing. I think it laughs at me when I step on it, or maybe that noise is the scale choking from my utter size. Either way - I don't like it! LOL!

3.2 lbs down - More to go...

Well, I had weigh-in last night and I was slightly disappointed. I know that a loss is a loss, but I was really hoping for just a bit more - especially since my home scale had me closer to 7 lbs. Oh well...that's 3.2 lbs I hope to never see again!

Maggie starts school tomorrow. She'll be a BIG 1st grader and we met her teacher tonight. I'm sure that Scott is enjoying the new teach - she's about 25, tall, blonde and super cute. Maggie loves her. She was a Kindergarten teacher last year so Maggie had some interaction with her already. Funny thing is - this girl must know my Maggie because she sat her boy, Jacob, next to her. LOL!

Scott had his court date today. I haven't really blogged about it but on August 3rd, he had an accident. He was turning right at an intersection and a kid was riding his bike the wrong way on the street and they collided. The kid was totally fine but it has upset Scott to no end. Plus, he was cited and after he got home, he realized that the citation should have been given to the bicyclist because he was the one that violated the law, so we had traffic court today. His "trial" is on the 19th of September. I just pray that it all goes well. He doesn't deserve this. The kid wanted to leave and Scott wouldn't let him because he was worried that he was hurt. There is a lot more to the story (with the kid) but it boils down to the fact that Scott shouldn't pay for a kid's mistake. The most important thing is that the kid is ok- which he is, so now we have to settle this ticket issue, etc. Fortunately, our insurance company has been COMPLETELY supportive.

That's all for now. I need to get of here and get Maggie ready for School. Have a good Tuesday!

Check out my little munchkin...

Even though I can't eat much (although I'm sure baby foods are low in points), Addison seems to really be catching on!



Here she is eating carrots. Silly little girl. She cracks me up - every time she eats her baby food (which she totally loves more than her bottle) she sucks on the spoon and then blows a bit -so there is usually food everywhere. It ends up in her hair and everything. Of course, with that mane, we're going to have those issues. LOL! (It's aleady long enough that it's down the middle of her back) But, back to the food. She LOVES it. Can't get enough. Maybe I'll finally get my peanut to grow!

Maggie is gearing up for back to school. She's going to miss her sister during the day. She stayed with my mom last night because "it's the last time I'll be able to for a LONG time". She said this as she was pleading her case. Girl is good at pleading. Might make a great attorney one day! Plus, she doesn't like to lose. Ha!

Here she is with Addison. She's a great big sister!



Tonight is Friday - normally we have pizza but now that Scott and I are both doing points, it's filet mignon. Yum!!!! Can't complain there. He used to be a butcher, so steak night at the Rohlfs' is a good time!

Back to Fat Lady Camp

As I write this, my stomach is growling. But, it's ok. I'm making a lifestyle change. At least, that's what I tell myself every time it growls at me. What type of lifestyle change, do you ask? Well...Fatty McFat here signed up for Weight Watchers. I did it back in 2001 and lost 40 pounds in about 4 months. I could stand to do that again (plus some). The good thing is - this time two of my friends are going with me so it will be more motivation. I'm actually looking forward to it - I just have to keep telling myself that Don Pablo is NOT my friend.



This morning my alarm went off. I had set it early so that I could get up and work out. I hit the snooze button. I just couldn't do it the first time. BUT - I laid there and said to myself "Get your fat ass out of bed and get on the treadmill." So I did. And, it actually feels good. I did a mile on the treadmill at a fast walk pace. Well - 3/4 of it was at fast walk and I jogged the last 1/4 mile. It felt GOOD when I was done. Another cool thing was that I got to watch "I LOST IT" on Discovery Health while working out. Nothing like watching people with successful weight loss stories while you're working out. Good times...

I ran to the grocery and overhauled our fridge once again. Another positive is that Scott is on board with me. We counted out our points last night and packed our lunches. We've got dinner planned and I'm pretty happy about it. He also signed up for Tae Kwon Do as his workout. That's his gig - mine is treadmill and sweating with Richard Simmons. I'm really looking forward to our lifestyle change together. The last time I did weight watchers, Scott would eat regularly, so I'd sit with my chicken and he'd be having a Big Mac. Not this time. I'm so glad that he's in it with me.

Well...back to work. The workout this morning put me on an adrenaline rush and I have a million things I want to get done. I hope that by next week, I'm reporting a weight loss in my Tuesday blog entry!

Ok - so I like these little quiz things but this is out of control!

My niece sent me this one. Who in the world cares to know that much stuff? Anyway - since I'm a dork that likes quizzes (too bad it's not on a scantron) here you go! By the way - I noticed a bunch of numbers missing....Oh well...

200. My middle name is: Elizabeth
199. I was born on: June 27th
198. Your sign: Cancer (can't you look that up based on my birthday?)
197. My cell phone company: Verizon - are you in?
196. My eye color: Hazel
195. My shoe size is: 10 - that's right - I have BOATS for feet!
194. My ring size is: 8?
193. My height is: 5'9
192. I am allergic to: exercise
191. I was born in: Good Sam
190. I live in: the ghetto
189. The last book I read: 52 Scrapbooking Challenges by Elsie Flanningan
188. My bed is: not big enough - I wish I had room for a King
187. One thing I know for sure about the opposite sex: Heck...I have NO idea
186. I am glad I'm my sex because: women rule the world!
179. My favorite Holiday is: Halloween
178. The perfect kiss is: from Scott
177. The last three cd's I bought are: Nick Lachey, Dixie Chicks (didn't care for it as much) and Booty Shakin' Hits (At Target)
176. Last song that made me cry was: Five for Fighting - 100 Years
172. My most treasured possessions are: Maggie & Addison
170. What did you do last night?: Went to Applebees with Scott
167. My skin's reaction to the sun is (tan/burn): Burn, then go back to pale white

I Do (YES)/Do Not (NO) Believe In
143. Santa? Not in the literal since but believe in giving
142. Love at first sight? Have you SEEN Nick Lachey?
141. Luck? Yes
140. Fate? Yep - how I met Scott was PURE fate!
138. Aliens? Actually - I do think there is something out there
137. Heaven? Yes!
136. Hell? Yes - but I don't like to talk about it - scary place!
135. Ghosts? Yes- but I don't want to see one. Ever seen a grown woman tinkle herself? I'm petrified of that stuff!
134. Horoscopes? Eh...I enjoy reading them.
133. Soulmates? Of course!

Which is Better?
129. Hugs or Kisses: In Hershey land - Kisses. In real life - depends on who it's coming from. :)
126. Red heads or Dark Brown hair: Well...DUH! I'm a red-head most of the time.
125. Blondes or Brunettes: I don't care
124. Hot or cold: Neither - I have about a 3 degree window where I'm comfortable and that's what I like.
123. Summer or winter: Fall
122. Coffee or tea: Neither - water all the way
121. Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate or vanilla covered in chocolate
120. Night or Day: Night
119. Oranges or Apples: Neither - I don't like to taint my junk food with healthy things.
118. Curly or Straight hair: I keep mine straight right now

First Thing That Comes To Mind
115. Backstabbers: I think of high school
114. Parents: Mine were AWESOME
110. School: I was the geek that enjoyed it

Last time I
103. Showered: this morning - goodness, isn't this personal?
102. Last time I hugged someone: this morning
101. Saw someone I haven't seen in a while: probably last week

People
90. Who's the ditziest person I know: Oh goodness...I know a lot of them.
89. Who makes me laugh the most: Scott or Laura
87. One thing I'm mad about right now is: all the hate in the world. Come on people - we're all human!
83. The last movie I saw in the theater was: Hoodwinked. I fell asleep.
82. The thing I don't understand is: how the rich get richer and the poor get poorer
80. The most unsatisfactory answer I've ever received is: I guess
76. This summer I am: traveling more than I'd like to
75. Something I will really miss when I leave home is: my kids
74. The thing that I'm looking forward to the most: raising our kids with Scott
72. Today: has been a long day
70. Next Week: got a lot to do
71. Next Summer: there is another trade show...
67. People call me: Ginger, Ging, Gin-Dog, G, etc.
62. The person who knows the most about me is: Scott
61. The person that can read me the best is: Scott
60. The most difficult thing to do is: Say goodbye to a loved one forever
59. I have gotten a speeding ticket: once and I SWEAR it wasn't me they clocked!
53. The one person who i can't hide things from: my mom
51. Right now I am talking to: nobody
48. I work at: Imagination Project
47. I have these pets: None - had to get rid of them due to Maggie's allergies
45. The worst sound in the world: car crash
35. Florida or hawaii: Neither...I prefer relaxing in the south.
33. My favorite piece of clothing is: jeans
32. My favorite sport to watch is: football
31. Last time I cried: I'm always crying over something
27. Last person who hurt you: feelings wise? Probably some stupid stranger...
22. The all-time best movie is: The Wedding Singer (Ok - it's probably a sappy movie but I like movies that make me laugh more than ones that make me cry - I already cry too much)
21. The all-time best thing in the world is: my girls
20. the all-time best person you know is: Scott and My mom
19. The most annoying thing ever is: I've got a list
18. The most annoying person you know is: got a list for that, too!
17. I lose all respect for people who: are dishonest, whether it be lying, stealing or cheating. It's just WRONG
16. The movies I have cried at are: The Notebook, The Green Mile, The Color Purple, Steel Magnolias, the list goes on and on.
15. Closest friends Names: I have a bunch of tight friends!
14. tv show ur watching? No tv here. :( But if I had a choice - GREY'S ANATOMY
13. Favorite web site: ebay
12. I want to be: financially stable
11. Something you want most?: my family to be safe
10. My favorite phrase: seriously...
9. My room is: lavendar
8. My favorite celebrities are: Nick Lachey, Nick Lachey and Nick Lachey
7. The hottest celebrity is: Nick Lachey - if you don't know who he is - see above
6. Your strongest physical feature is: I don't have one.
5. My weakness is: chocolate
4. If you could be anyone in the world, who would it be? Me...just with some tweaks. :)
2. I filled out 200 questions because? My niece sent it to me and there weren't 200 questions - what's up with that?
1. What do you want? Security

WOW! Well...that's intense. LOL!

8 Years Ago...

I married a wonderful guy. We were just kids at the time, but I knew he was the one for me. Little did I know that one day we'd have to be "adults" and we'd be parents of two beautiful girls. God has been good to me. He gave me Scott and then Maggie & Addie. On my anniversary today I appreciate it. I'm glad that I'm married to a guy that makes me crack up and takes wonderful care of our kids. He keeps saying his contract was only for 7 1/2 years, but he must obviously enjoy it because it expired over 6 months ago and he hasn't bothered to run. LOL! Plus, he has my name tattooed on his shoulder. Good luck covering that up!

Here's our little family...

Friends don't let friends fly through ORD or ATL...

Ok - so, I'm sitting in OHare for the umpteenth time this month. Maybe I'm exaggerating a little but I calcuated it this evening (because BOTH of my flights were delayed) and over 80% of the flights that I have taken during this four-week travel excursion of mine have been either delayed or cancelled. That's not at ALL annoying... (pick up the sarcasm there?)

Here is me two minutes ago: NEVERMIND - Blogger won't load the flippin' photo.

I was rolling my eyes. I don't know what's more annoying. The people around me or being delayed and not getting into CVG until after Midnight. Ms. Thang at Starbucks was less than stellar. I love it when you ask a question and instead of a simple "yes", you get that mumbled "uhm hum" and that look like you've got three heads. Or, Ms. Primpy who has to spray God knows what into her hair two seats away from me at the gate. Whatever it was, it left a cloud around her head. Pretty foul.... Plus, Blogger is being janky and it takes forever and a day to upload a photo. Can't a fat girl catch a break? My friends always tell me that I make these faces that let you know when I'm not amused. I'm sure I have that look right now. I think I'm just tired and my level of patience has definitely worn thin. Ha!

I do have to talk about the awesome Scrapbook Tour for just a minute. Ladies in St. Louis are absolutely AWESOME and VERY welcoming! SO, if any of you St. Louis ladies are reading this - THANK YOU! Especially Pat and Kathy who were amazing volunteer TA's! Big hugs to you girls!

Alright - well, I better quit my gripe fest - I hate feeling negative. Ok - I'm lying. I get a kick out of it. Ha! Just kidding. I'm trying to find some light in this flight delay crap. Maybe Nick Lachey will somehow walk up and be on the same plane. I'm sure THAT will really happen....

I just miss my family. Scott had a slight mishap that I will blog about later and I'm looking forward to taking Maggie school shopping and just cuddling with my peanut, Addie. Plus, there is nothing like being home with Scott and the kids. Hope to have a lazy Sunday with all of them.

Gotta run - flight MIGHT board in five minutes...

It's been a few days...

When you're literally living out of a suitcase, it can be very difficult to update the blog. I apologize for that- trust me- I enjoy talking about myself and miss my online journal. I'm almost done with all of my traveling. This week I'm in St. Louis and then next week I'm back home for a few weeks. Ah yes...my own bed and some sleep! (Not to mention - time with my precious girls!)

CKU was a blast. The girls in Atlanta were FUN and we had a good time. Check us out...



This was dinner on Saturday night. We were WORN OUT! Of course, I go to leave the next morning and my flight was cancelled. I have to be honest - that's the SECOND time in about a week and a half that I've been stuck in the ATL airport. Quite frankly - I'm sick of looking at the place. But, I did get home and Laura and I got some hilarious shots while on the plane. Check out her blog sometime - she's deathly afraid of flying but we make it a good time. We even managed to plan her wedding on the way from ATL to DAY. (Yea - they flew me to Dayton and then down to Cincinnati. Made sense to me...)

I have to say, I am SO GLAD that I have a few days with my girls. Addie is growing like crazy and is talking constantly. Just baby babble, but it's so cute to hear her. She went to the doc last week for her shots and she's weighing in at a whopping 11 lbs, 4 oz. Talk about a TEENY TINY! LOL! But, they said she's growing just fine - her growth curve is perfect - she's just in the 10th percentile. It's an adjustment for me considering Maggie hovered in the 95th percentile and still does.

I'll post more photos soon. I have to get back to packing kits. I also wanted to mention that I've added some teaching dates in September - I'll be at the Midwest Scrapbook Convention in Indianapolis. Looking forward to it! :)

In Atlanta

Well...as you might be able to tell, I'm trying to recover from all of my traveling. I've seen my house a day and a half basically since the 7th of July. I think I still live there. I'm not sure. LOL! I miss my husband and kids terribly, but I know that this is part of the job and my husband is AMAZING with the kids, so it's all good. (My mom even told me last night that I have the best husband - he had the kids bathed and ready for bed when he dropped them off with her - Good guy!)

Anyway - we're in Atlanta now and it's TOO EARLY to really think. (Although, I don't know why I'm complaining because I'm up this early all the time) Laura and I had the flight from You Know Where - well, actually the flight wasn't so bad - it was the getting to the airport. It was like Murphy's Law - anything and everything that COULD happen - did. We made a list and plan on doing a layout about it. Some highlights:

1) My paycheck wasn't signed (thanks Morris) so I couldn't deposit it. Fortunately, got that worked out.
2) Laura lost her credit card. Luckily - she found it.
3) Laura dropped her cell phone in the toilet. (I can't even talk about it without laughing so hard my face turns blue)

But, we're in Atlanta and in one piece. All is good. The hotel is really nice and the staff seems friendly. Plus, they have this peppermint shampoo and conditioner (I always bring my own but sometimes will try intriguing stuff) and my scalp is STILL tingling - pretty cool stuff. :)

Anyway - I'm off. Gotta get breakfast and get the boxes over to the room. If anyone thinks working CKU is glamourous - well - it's not. LOL! Lots of toting boxes, etc. But - you meet some of the COOLEST people. LOVE the students!

Oh - before I leave - photos of my cuties!





Miss them!

Just a few more days...

You know... in all honesty - my vacation really hasn't been that relaxing. As a matter of fact, right now I'm sitting at a Barnes & Noble connected to the net just so I can take care of a few work related things. Addison is in her stroller right next to me (she's smiling btw!) and I'm praying she stays happy long enough for me to be able to get a few things done. Today is Maggie's 6th birthday and she wanted to swim at the pool all day so Scott is with her for now and I have Addie. Tonight we're going out to celebrate her birthday and I'm going to take some photos on the beach. I can't believe my first "baby" is now six! My second baby is 4 months today. Where does the time go?

Anyway, in a few days I'll be in Chicago and I'll probably post more often if we can get a good connection in the hotel. Here's hoping! In the meantime, a few more photos of my girls!

Greetings from Madeira Beach!!!

Hey Everyone! Just taking a few quick moments to post online and say "hey" and I can't wait to see a bunch of you at CHA! My family and I are on vacation in Florida and I'm taking a few online moments to get some work done, etc.

Thought I'd post a few photos! :)







Be back soon!

Got a few more things...

You know - I really shouldn't show EVERYTHING that we're doing at CHA. But, I can't help myself. I have to show a few things. Although, I'm feeling a little sad because there aren't many comments. :( So - if you look at it and like it - let me know! Trust me - I worry myself SICK before a show about whether or not people will like things plus I'm going on vacation on the 8th, so you may or may not hear from me before the show and I'd love to know if you liked things or not.

Anyway, here is my personal favorite of my three new lines - Party On!!!!



I also have to post these! We're doing a lot with coasters for this show and a LOT of new things are coming! These are die-cut stars - LOVE them! SUPER easy to use! Also - some of my new coasters have TRIVIA in the negative space - so you can play trivia AND scrapbook!



So - what do ya think?

For those wanting PINK!

I'm too swamped to say a lot but I did want to post the pink line! :)

Any ideas on the movie? It's not 80's but it's one of my faves.

Sneak Peek Time!!!!

Well... the show is only a few weeks away and I'll be heading out for vacation on Saturday, so I thought I'd post a sneak peek of one of my lines. Just to see if people like it. I did something different this time - I drew BUGS! They're little cootie bugs and they make me happy! Cute little guys! This line is geared for boys, but don't worry - I think a lot of it can be applied to just about anything and I have something pink up my sleeve!

So, I present to you - Scientifically Weird. (Got the movie figured out yet?)



I would LOVE to hear your thoughts!!! :)

Do I have a boogie?

Ok - so I'm 30, but I refuse to grow up. LOL! We were definitely playing in the office for a few minutes today. We're talking full-blown laughing and snorting we were laughing so hard!

So, I ask - Do I have a boogie?



Is there something in my teeth?



You WILL LOVE THE NEW GIN-X CHA STUFF...



Finally...

Does this shirt make me look fat????



Ha ha ha ha!!!!

Thirty Things...

Ok - so I turned thirty today. When I was 15, thirty seemed SO FAR AWAY. Well, it's here. It's staring me in the face and I am no longer in my 20's. I wonder if that means that I've changed demographics. LOL! (Always thinking from a marketing standpoint) Seriously, now I have to check a DIFFERENT box on surveys and I have to relate to those women that are "Fabulous in their 30's". I'm still trying to embrace it. By the way - I'm wearing all black. Saying "goodbye" to my 20's. My friend, Karin, asked me today if I was going to a funeral. I laughed and did the Johnny Cash "well...maybe I am".

So, as an ode to the big 3-0, here are thirty things that my thirty-year-old self would tell my twenty-year-old self.

1) That boy that you just met - you'll marry him. You'll have two babies with him and you'll love him even more.
2) You're going to have two girls. So, work on picking out names. Even though all of your brothers had boys, you're going to have girls.
3) Marriages in your family aren't what you think they are. The older you get, the more you will realize that things aren't what they seem. Two of them will end in divorce.
4) The grandkids will grow up and you'll be like their big sister. Except, they won't listen to all of your advice, so don't waste your breath.
5) You'll get the dream job at P&G but it won't be the dream you thought it was. However, it will pay well.
6) Keep your focus with what you want to accomplish in a career. You actually CAN do something artistic.
7) Using Elmer's Glue in your scrapbooks is not a good thing. Put that stuff away and get the good kind.
8) Buy a better camera. Something fancy with lots of buttons and learn how to use it. (Ok - so I STILL need to learn how to use it)
9) Designer clothes aren't necessary. Besides, you'll gain weight and just be glad to find things that fit well in the first place. Who cares what label is on them.
10) Thank God for your mom every day. You will need her more and more the older you get. You also need to listen to her parenting advice.
11) Stand by your man. He'll stand by you.
12) You'll eventually stop thinking MTV is cool and start watching VH-1. No, seriously... you'll relate more to VH-1.
13) Quit buying new cars. They're a waste of money. You just need something to get you from point A to point B.
14) Don't buy that house that you're going to look at when you get married. It's too small and you'll have to put too much into it. Wait it out. The apartment isn't THAT bad.
15) Oh - you won't be in the medical field. You'll change majors again. Probably two more times actually. You'll finally graduate in Law but not do law school because you hate it.
16) The Mount was a good place to go to school.
17) The neighborhood where you grew up will not be the same. It will go downhill fast. But, you can never forget where you came from.
18) You'll still miss your dad. The pain will never go away and you'll have a lot of hard times when you would wish he were there, but just know that he probably thinks of you often.
19) Don't let the infertility get you down. It will end happily.
20) You'll never have enough money for everything you want to do, so just deal with it and be happy with what you have.
21) You'll spend your 30th birthday in a sales meeting. Such is life.
22) Mexican food is pretty tasty. You should try it.
23) Don't spend a lot of money on a wedding. There really is no purpose in doing that. Save it and put a large down payment on a house. All you need is each other and a marriage license. Total = $30. Doesn't that sound better than $15,000?
24) Concerts are SO much better in the first five rows. Even if it is an NSYNC concert and you're the oldest person (at 23) in the front row. Your niece will never forget that you took her.
25) Giving birth isn't that difficult. Don't be afraid of it. It's a wonderful thing.
26) Don't remodel everything you can on the house right away. You've got time. Besides, it just drains you financially and then you're still left unsatisfied.
27) You get more with honey than you do vinegar. Don't always speak your mind. Sometimes you'll get yourself in trouble that way. (Ok - so I STILL do that, too!)
28) You won't have won the lotto by the time you're 30. Face it - you'll have to work.
29) That boy you love so much will want to go to Florida EVERY YEAR to the SAME PLACE. Enjoy it. You'll actually start to look forward to it. So, don't complain too much.
30) You'll actually be a great-aunt by 30. I know they're too young to have kids but you weren't much older when you had your first. Quit thinking like an old lady.

Well...that's it. My 30 random thoughts I'd tell my 20 year old self. Hope it wasn't too boring for you. :)

Stressful Day

It's a stressful day - and will probably be a stressful two weeks. I'm leaving for vacation on July 8th and honestly - I just don't have enough time to finish everything and I'm freaking out a bit. With that being said - I'm not going to vent on the blog because it doesn't do me any good. I just want to focus and get stuff done but with my attention span being so short, sometimes I have to take a quick break. So, here I am!

Took some photos of the girls this weekend. Addison is getting SO BIG (finally 10 pounds!) and Maggie is definitely Ms. Moody Britches. She cracks me up!

Here's my Addie:



Sorry it's a bit dark. I haven't photoshopped it, yet.

Here she is again:



Finally, one of Maggie with Addison and my great niece, Ryan. :)



LOVE my girls! :)

Oh by the way....I turn 30 tomorrow. Boo!

Friday Updates

Just a few things to update. I'm doing a list because quite frankly I like lists. Don't know why but they make me feel like I've actually accomplished something. (Just call me Earl) Anyway, here's what's going on:

1) Check the side of my blog. I've updated it with some upcoming classes and where I'll be teaching. I'll be doing some stuff in Ohio and Kentucky soon. If you're a store and are interested, e-mail me. I'm pretty easygoing and promise that I won't be like Mariah Carey and demand that I only have blue M&M's in my dressing room. I'll eat ANY M&M....

2) Be on the lookout on here and the IP blog. We're going to start posting sneak peeks of stuff on July 3rd. Hopefully you're excited about that. If not, I'm sorry...

3) Addison is 3 months old (was last Saturday) and she's getting so big. Here we are last night after her bath. I FINALLY got my glasses fixed - Scott's friend's girlfriend (following that?) fixed them for me. She rocks. Anyway- here's Ms. Addie. Her face is cracking me up here. She's so expressive!



And, since I like blogs with photos, here she is after her bath.



Finally, the three of us. These are our hands: Mine, Maggie's and Addie's. Don't know why I took it. I thought it was kinda cool.



4) Nothing else really to update. Just wanted to add another number to my list. Later!

Ok...

So, nobody has any questions? LOL! I must be a LOSER, then. (OK - don't answer that!) In any event, I still don't have a lot to talk about. I always feel like I should have some words of wisdom or something funny for the blog. The truth is that I don't have much going on. I'm just sitting here at work doing some art for a new product - a FUN product at that! And, eating some ice cream because that's what Fatty McPhat's do. I'm also listening to Rascal Flatts and trying to figure out how I can go to their concert in August. I really, REALLY want to see them perform. Beyond that, I just have a 25 item to-do list.

Last night we took Maggie swimming. Scott is teaching her how to swim and I pretty much just hang out with Addison. She's not ready for the pool AND they don't make any Little Swimmers in her size. All of them (all brands) start out at 16 lbs+. This poor kid won't be 16 pounds until 2 if she keeps going at the current rate. I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do when we go to Florida next month because I would LOVE for her to at least get a few minutes in the pool with me. (During the evening of course - it's too hot and sunny during the day for my poor peanut)

I did get some great shots of Maggie. Five going on fifteen is what I always say about her.



Then being sweet on the back deck catching bubbles. Why can't she be like this all the time? LOL!



Love that girl!

Coming soon....pictures of Ms. Addison. She's 3 months now. Giggles for me and totally melts my heart. Life is good! Being a mom is good!

Questions

Ok - so I don't have much to say today - I guess because there is really nothing going on. Just plugging away trying to get some stuff done for the show next month. I am pretty excited about some upcoming classes and I'll be posting my schedule on the side bar here soon. (If I can ever figure out this stupid HTML stuff!)

Anyway - I thought I'd play a fun game here. Since there are days when I don't have much to say and I enjoy answering questions, I thought I'd answer questions that my blog readers post in the comments. I'm not shy so I'll probably answer just about anything - and Scott - don't post some crazy question trying to get a response! (That's for my husband - he's the infamous anonymous poster on here sometimes) I think it might be fun.

And, since I haven't posted a photo on here for a few days, I figured I'd put one up.

Last fall I was shooting my nephew's senior pictures at a local cemetary. Sounds morbid but they actually have some really cool architexture there that's perfect for photos. Maggie was pouting because I didn't take her picture, so I snapped this photo. What's really funny is the thing about the "Children's Home". Ha!



Later!

Fun stuff!!!!

Saw this on Deb Perry's blog. LOVE Deb's stuff! Anyway, I'm a geek that likes questions, so here goes:

I AM: Scott's wife, Maggie and Addie's mom, Celestine's daughter, and a bit crazy.

I WANT: to be financially stable.

I HAVE: a great family, lots of friends and a pretty cool job.

I WISH: that Scott didn't have to work so hard and that I had a better metabolism.

I HATE: being wet. I'm like an old cat. Oh, and I'm not fond of Brangelina, either.

I MISS: my dad.

I HEAR: people in my office talking right now. Lots of banter. Sort of fun.

I WONDER: how Maggie and Addie will be as teenagers. What in the world will I be doing five years from now.

I REGRET: a lot of things I did as a teenager.

I AM NOT: very good at sticking to diets. Went to the grocery this morning and bought turkey. Ate fettucine alfredo for lunch. That worked....

I DANCE: All the time. Didn't you see my reality tv stint?

I SING: and it's horrible. I can't carry a tune in a bucket. Even my 5 year old told me I suck.

I CRY: when my feelings are hurt or when I'm really angry.

I AM NOT ALWAYS: patient. It's a virtue I don't necessarily possess.

I MAKE WITH MY HANDS: Addie's bottles, Gin-X artwork, Ponytails in Maggie's hair.

I WRITE: in my blog and on My Space.

I CONFUSE: pretty much everything. I live in that state.

I NEED: constant reassurance. No kidding. Poor Scott must be sick of me by now.

I SHOULD: be more forgiving. I hold grudges way too long.

I START: talking really fast when I get nervous. I also don't like awkward situations so I just filibuster.

I FINISH: chocolate cake. Ha!

I ADMIRE: my husband, my kids and my mom. I also think God is pretty cool.

By the way - if you made it through all of this, be sure to check out the Imagination Project blog. (Link to the side) It's got a really nice RAK listed in there right now! :)

Father's Day...

You know, it's been almost 12 years since I lost my dad and every Father's Day is the same - lonely. I miss him. Even though today I was with my husband and his family, I felt like there was something huge missing and that was my own dad. He passed away when I was 18 - heck, I was BARELY 18. He was diagnosed with cancer in April of my senior year of high school and died by the end of October. Three days before Halloween which was always Dad's favorite holiday. I came home from his funeral and passed out candy. That's what my dad always did. He loved to pass out candy.

Today I looked at my girls and wondered what he thinks of them. I often wonder that. For Maggie's first year, I had a hard time whenever Scott's dad would call himself "Papaw". That was what my dad was to the other grandkids. But, he wasn't here for my girls to call him that. I didn't want him to be replaced. But, I guess you can't replace something you never had. They never had him. That still hurts.

I really don't know the purpose behind my post. I guess it's just to tell you that if you still have your dad here, be sure to thank God for that. And, tell your dad how much he means to you. I don't have many photos of myself with my dad - so take a picture with him. Tell him how much you love him. I wish I would have done that more often.

Let my regret be your lesson...

I am a Sith Lord!

Ok - I'm just kidding. But, I really liked Star Wars Episode I because I thought that Darth Maul kicked major rear. He was tough, fought with a double-edged light saber and let's face it - the horns don't necessarily make him look like Ronald McDonald. When my cousin's son gave me this shirt, I was pretty excited. I thought it was fun. So...

I walk into my mom's today to drop off the girls and I have it on. She looks at me and nearly yelps and steps back. Then, she lectured me on my "evil shirt". LOL! I was trying to explain to her who Darth Maul is. She's not having it. Even Maggie chimed in and was like "He fights with a sword with TWO sides!" My girl is hip - she knows the deal. I think she's probably still trying to explain it to my mom. Of course, she's wearing her "The Killers" shirt today. It's her favorite band. Like I said, my girl is hip!

Then I get to work and my co-worker, Karin, yelps when she sees it. I guess I must be walking around scaring everyone on the planet today. I thought I should take a picture and show you:



Once again - ignore the mess. Creative minds are messy!

My kid has STYLE!

In case you don't know Vicki Boutin, the girl has STYLE. She's an amazing scrapper and has FAB-O hair. Hair that I'm quite frankly jealous of because I can never concoct such an awesome looking "do". However, my kid has it down to a science. That's right - my not-quite-three-months-old baby has fabulous hair.

Exhibit 1:


Then we have Vicki Boutin:


It's like straight out of a hairstyle guide! LOVE that hair!

Finally, Addison with another pose and her "do". She doesn't even need gel!


Jealous I tell ya....completely jealous!

My crazy friend!

One of the greatest blessings God has given me other than Scott and my girls is my friends. I have a lot of them and they're all amazingly wonderful and magnificent. Honestly, I don't know what I'd do without them and whenever I need something, they're always there. (When I say I have a lot of friends, I literally mean A LOT - and I adore them all!)

Anyway - we went to the Reds game on Saturday night with Laura and her boyfriend, Chad. It's always cool because the guys can hang out and of course Laura and I had to have a good time. It was their first baseball game (they're not from Cincinnati) and we had GREAT seats. (7 rows from the field) It started raining in the 7th inning but we were determined to have a good time. And a good time we HAD!

Here's me and Laura at the start of the game. We were photo fiends. I think I shot 130 photos at the game. Of what - I don't know.



Here we are being goofy - when I say goofy, we were in full-blown dork mode but SO FUN! (Ignore the chin - I'm saving up to have it sucked out one day- HA!)



What's great is that we were at a Reds game and I was wearing a Florida GATORS rain poncho. No - I'm not sticking out like a sore thumb. I was hoping that you could see me on Fox Sports Ohio. I still think we were on TV and my husband's dad just didn't want to admit it. Oh well.

Good times....Good times!

Been a while...

Since I've updated. I'm sorry. I've just been swamped and I also wanted to leave that warm family photo on my blog for a week. Ha! I had to laugh at how many comments there were about my brother and his family and their "happy photo". I do have some better photos but that was was my favorite. It was like "Yea...we're so happy". LOL!

Let me upload a photo of my new eyebrows. Got them waxed two weeks ago - this was right after my day at the spa. Had freshly straightened hair, some make-up and of course nicely groomed brows. Check out the crack in my glasses. Lens Crafters refuses to fix them. They've already had to replace my glasses TWICE for their mishaps (cracked them before and rolled the frame, which means they melted it). In the office we call them "Lens Crackers". They want to charge me to fix them this time. So much for customer service, huh? Basically when they put the lens in, they don't grind it down enough and it's still too big for the frame and the stress cracks the lens. Twice now but this time it's MY fault they say. Well, Lens Crackers can stick it because I have been wearing glasses for 20 years and KNOW how to take care of them. I'll just wear my cracked glasses and when people ask, I'll say "Got them at Lens Crackers". Not a problem...



By the way, the photos of Shiloh Jolie-Pitt are out. I have to be honest. If I were Jennifer Aniston, I think I'd be heartbroken again to see my ex-husband with his homewrecker and their new baby. I looked at it and had a pang in my stomach for her. What's ironic is that Jolie apparently isn't speaking to her father (John Voight) because he cheated on her mother some 20 years ago. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't splitting up a marriage sort of the same thing? What's good for the Goose is obviously not good for the Gander, eh? Don't get me started...

Finally, got my A/C back this week. Addison and Maggie are two happy kids. We had to have the unit completely replaced because it was struck by lightning. My wallet thanks Mother Nature for that one! At least I have air conditioning, though. When you're a Fatty McPhat, it's not good to have no A/C in 90 degree weather and my kids definitely were getting cranky. It was bothering Maggie's asthma and Addison being so tiny was not really into being hot. Poor little peanut. But, now we have A/C and we're all one big happy family with regulated body temperatures. Life is good!

Pretty soon I'm gonna post photos of my smiling little peanut! I LOVE how she wakes up every morning with a grin. Makes me melt! Makes me forget about my cracked eye-glasses! Motherhood ROCKS!