Pictures from today...

This is what two years of stuff looks like when it is put into a very large suitcase, he put his pillow on top of that and zipped it up. His bedsheets, towels, shoes, toiletries and clothing are all in there. Mind boggling to me really.

We took a few minutes to take some pictures before we left home and a few when we got to the airport. He checked in hugged us all once and then turned with a big smile on his face to head into the security check area, with not even a glance behind. We all stood there like lost pups watching him through the whole process and then had a silent car ride home. We miss his presence already.

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Our last evening with Tyler and some digi projects

I don't have much to say, just twelve hours before we take Tyler to the airport, so excited for him and have enjoyed spending loads of time with him and our family over the last few days. Yesterday we had his farewell at church and a day with the family and friends who wanted to wish him well. Today was spent at the temple and with our little family in a more private get together that was very special and wonderful in so many ways. Then we ate apple pie.

I have been keeping up for the most part with my assignments for my digi in deep class at Jessica Sprague's site. The layouts are all of

Laurel, it had been awhile since I had done any of her and she actually let me take a few pics of her this weekend!

I have really enjoyed working on my digi skills, this class has shown me so many new workflows, I am really enjoying it! I hope that it will also help me analyze my designs better and also give this old dog some new tricks!

Also a quick note for the tennis fans, the Indian Wells tournament is going, and it has been very good! (will be spending my time missing Tyler in front of the tv watching this...)

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Five days and I want to stop counting!

I know, I need to stop whining about Tyler leaving, you are all probably so sick of it!!!

The quote on this card is what I wish for him, and I know that by letting him go he can do anything that he imagines. (it really is so hard though!) They don't tell you that when you leave with them from the hospital to take them home for the first time. Seems that there should be some disclaimers of some kind dontcha think?

Dear Cath has given some wonderful words of advice and comfort and also excellent suggestions for reading that I have really appreciated.

We have a weekend of plans and activities that will allow us to spend extra time with Tyler and our extended family that want to spend time with him and wish him well.

Hang in there with me, I promise I will talk about something else soon!

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What a great day!!

I only have Tyler for one more week before he is on the plane to Sao Paolo, Brazil to serve in the Cuiaba Mission. So to get the most out of the time that we have, we have been doing lots of his favorite things! Today we went skiing up at Deer Valley. It was so beautiful, with almost two feet of new snow and cold clear skies, perfection if you are a skier! We came home and ran carpool, picked up some groceries and went to Mr. Mac to pick up his suits, shoes, slacks, shirts, socks and the suitcases to put it all in. (that was quite the alliteration wasn't it, quite proud of myself, LOL!)

So hard to let him go, but I am enjoying all of the time we are spending together, such a treat!

Off to get some rest, another long day tomorrow!

B-

Digi in Deep...

Submersed in this week's work, loads of exciting things going on at CHF, and up to my eyeballs with a course at Jessica Sprague's called Digi in Deep. This layout is the first week's assignment, and it took me more than a few hours to get through the videos to get it done. Honestly it wouldn't have taken me that long to make it using my current skill set, (if I could think like this) but it was great learning more tricks and shortcuts! I am picking up some very nice design ideas too, so it is a program that I highly recommend! It is really well organized, and I can tell that everything is very well thought out and her presentation is impeccable. It has been a great experience so far, but ask me in a few more weeks when I am feeling even more overwhelmed, LOL!

I am off to work on the second assignment for this week so that I don't get to far behind and watch the "Burn Notice" season finale!

Good stuff!

B-

Does anyone have any...

spare time that I could borrow for the next few weeks (month tops!) that I will give back after I am done with it!




Tyler is leaving on the 18th (yes, of this month!!) and I am not ready. He is prepping, and has a few things left to do, but while I am trying my hardest to bend my head around it, just can't seem to be able to get around not crying when I think about not seeing him for two years. I am totally excited about the adventure, the location, the reason and everything else! But man two years seems like forever right now.

This is a layout I made a few months ago with pictures from a trip to visit with Christina. I wrote myself some advice, and it seems really applicable right now for me and Tyler, so it seemed worth sharing.

Off to enjoy an evening with the family watching Chuck and snarfing down some lasagna that Tyler made for us this afternoon! We all went to the Draper Temple open house together earlier today, so beautiful, and now some quiet time together is just what I need!

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Hey You!

I have a lot of gratitude today for the amazing people I have had the pleasure of becoming friends with because of my love for crafting and memory keeping. The constant support, generousity and inspiration keeps this hobby so fresh for me, and keeps me playing and having fun, so lucky!!
Celeste is one of those people who is a wonderful friend, but also one of the most talented artists in the crafting community, her designs for Basic Grey are legendary, and her contributions to Paper Crafts magazine are gorgeous! Her latest release is Porcelain, and I can't wait to dig into it!
This little card was made with the Urban Prairie line, I LOVE that little bird, makes me so happy!!!
I had some more happy email from the absolutely darling Brandy! She is so CUTE, and her hubby is adorable too, Their children are going to be gorgeous for sure!
A note from Megan just to say hi, makes my heart melt, she doesn't know that I have a cold, her thoughtfulness is such a gift! My nose may be running and my trash can full of tissues, but my heart truly overflows from friendship and kindness!
A little back and forth with Cath to discuss a couple of details for some projects is such a treat, she knows how to say so much in the most succint of sentences, a gift.
Sweet Claudine is going through a rough time, her sweet Toby got some bad news today. It is so hard to know exactly what it is she is going through and to still not be able to do anything for her. Breaks my heart for them. She is such a wonderful friend, she does so much for so many, I wish I could do something more tangible to give her support.
The ever thoughtful and oh so considerate Julia. She is so talented, and brings so much inspiration to others lives, yet has time to share thoughts and ideas with me as a co-worker and as a friend, so lucky that we can comfortably blur those lines!
Lisa will call and listen to my goofy dog stories, and I hers, and along with that we get to look at beautiful art. Planning the future, adjusting to the current and re-hashing the past is always a challenge that I relish!
My adorable Kim she is that must have everyday phone call.
Then a note from Tim Holtz was the icing on my cake. Tim and I aren't technically friends (yet) but I got the thumbs up to go to Ranger U. There I hope to make many more friends and get to know happy crafters from all over!
Those were just a few of the AMAZING people that I had the opportunity to interact with today, I wish I had more time to write more about everyone that I feel immense gratitude for, but know that I think about and appreciate so much all that you do!

So when I say "Hey You", I mean YOU!!!

You all rock!!!
B-

A mini album for Monday!

I got a lot of projects done in the last few days, that is why there has been no time for blogging. I was also over at the CHF site for the big Thomas Kinkade blitz we had all weekend, that was fun and there are tons of gorgeous projects from the participants in the gallery!

One of the projects that I was most excited to get done was a mini-album from my trip to Colorado for the Crop for a Cure last fall. Used my February Studio Calico kit, and some very yummy American Craft papers and embellishments.

Here are a few pages from it:

There are quite a few more, but I don't want to bore you! Suffice it to say that making the mini was almost as much fun as the trip because I got to relive the moments, good times!!!

Hope you all had a very productive and pleasant Monday! Can't wait for Tuesday, Tyler and I are going skiing!

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Happy (e) Mail Day!!!

I am a lucky girl, evidence has been posted often enough that there is no arguing that point.

But today was one that really helped lighten my load and lift my spirits! This wonderful envelope arrived in my mailbox today, and I thought it would be fun to share how FAB a package from Cornish Heritage Farms is.

So the first thing to notice is that this is shipped priority, no waiting anxiously for days on end for your beloved treats, they are sent out and arrive in a few short days. Also, if your order is over $35.00, it is shipped for free!! Yes, free!!! And trust me getting to that point with all of the SUPER FUN art that is released each month, it is SUPER EASY!!! (okay, that is a little enabling, but saving money on shipping is a BIG DEAL!!!)

The next thing to notice is how beautifully packaged these stamps are! Liz and Tricia pack these babies with loads of love! They are neatly stacked, organized and then placed in a SUPER SOFT little bed of FUN bubble wrap! (man I still love playing with that stuff!!!)

The next thing to notice is how many FAB stamps can fit in that tiny envelope, impressive eh?

See, such a lucky girl! I am so proud to work with this company, everything CHF does is with

quality, workmanship and integrity.

And it is SUPER Fun to boot!

I got a few emails for projects today too, and even a phone call asking for a layout that had found its way to a publication a few weeks ago. That is such a wonderful boost to my energy level right now, gives me the mojo to go back to my craft room and make some more fun stuff!

A little more good news is that my dad is scheduled to go home Thursday! YAY!

It has been a very Happy (e) Mail Day!!

;o)

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Out with the old, In with the new...

Okay, I will admit, my tennis shoes were getting ready to go on my "B" list. They were getting close to having the sole worn through on the toe and of course they didn't smell so great. But it wasn't time for them to hit the bin. They had a little help getting to that place. And I am sure you can all guess who the helpers were...

Of course after the laces were chewed through, the sole destroyed (can you believe how powerful their jaws must be to do that? Remind me not to stick my head in the lion's mouth...) and the lace up support separated from the sole and laces. Retirement far too soon.

So they had to be replaced, I love this brand of shoes because a percentage of the purchase price is donated to the Susan G. Komen foundation. The perfect fitting shoe and a cause that is near and dear to me, good stuff. Unfortunately they are expensive, so hurts when this kind of thing happens, but what else to do, give up tennis? NEVER!!!!

hehehe!

Have I mentioned that I have an addiction to the CHF "Houndstooth" backgrounder? I used it on this picture frame that I made for this picture of Tyler. He is leaving in a few short weeks for two years to serve in the Cuiaba, Brazil mission. It is hard preparing his stuff to get him on his way, and I made this to remind me that I just wish the best for him. He can best attain that if I leave him to his own choices. He has changed and matured so much in the last few months, and I am so proud of his growth and decision making ability.

Also, my dad has improved a little each day. He is hoping to get back to his home in a few days, and I am proud of how courageous he has been, and how hard he has tried to stay on track. This is his Valentine that I made for him. He had needed some little things like citrus twist tic-tacs and cholula packets from 7-11 for his breakfast eggs. This was a little way to remind him that he was loved and to hold all of those little things that he had requested.

I am so grateful for everyone sending positive thoughts and for those who have remembered us in their prayers, thank you so much.

Anyway, hope everyone had a very lovely Valentine's Day and a restful and respectful President's Day today.

B-

Creativity Kit goodness!

I have been getting a few hits from Celeste's blog, and went back there to see what it is that might be interesting here...

I think I have it figured out, here is a link back to last year's freebie if you like that kind of thing ;o)

Also wanted to share my project that I had made for the Scrapbooker's Creativity Kit that was written by the super cute and Oh So very talented Claudine Hellmuth. This mini-album was so fun and easy to make! I used my bind-it-all after I had the pages made, and it was done in an evening! I will admit that the heavy lifting had been done before I sat down to create. Because I had my colors selected, and the concept to work around, all I had to do was find the pictures and the products that went along with what I had in mind. That is one of my biggest endorsement points for this kit! I sometimes get so bogged down

in what to make, in what color and what will my title/theme be...

Playing with this kit opens so many doors by cutting down on that wasted time thinking and leaving more time for the fun part, the creating!!!

Now all I need is more time in my day for all of the things I want to play with! Anyone have any suggestions on how to find some of that?

B-

Can you feel the love?

Man, I am so blessed!

Thanks so much to all of you who have left comments, sent positive thoughts and taken time to pray for us! It has been a long weekend and a lot of driving up and back to the hospital. Friday we had a great meeting with all of the staff that is involved with his care, and came up with a longer term plan. We explained it to him, and while he "understands" he isn't thrilled and asks when he will get to come home. I am emotionally exhausted, but relieved that we made it over a pretty rough road this last week. He looks soooooo much better than last week, and may be able to get home as early as Wednesday, so happy! I will be heading up again tonight, and it is my FAV tv night, so you know the dvr will be busy trying to catch it all!

I was out cruising a couple of my favorite blogs, and lucked into Celeste's post sharing a freebie and a great idea for valentine's day! She is such a super clever, and uber crafty girl! I loved how she used her digi papers from PcLayers, but decided to use some of those gorgeous scraps that I just can't bear to throw away! So in honor of Celeste I used my delish Basic Grey scraps for this little project!

I did download Celeste's freebie, and it rocks! When I was done putting those together, I got out my circle cutter and cut a bunch of circles.

To correspond with the pictures:

Step 1: What finished "fortune cookies" look like!

Step 2: Stamp on the backside of the patterned paper, now it can be the frontside if you wish!

Step 3: Stamp a sentiment on the inside if you don't want to print out fortunes.

Step 4: Poke hole for brad or use adhesive to get the opposite sides to stick, but don't crease or fold!

Step 5: Insert fortune

Step 6: Fold toward center, this takes a little practice. The backside folds down while the center meets in the middle, picture how a fortune cookie looks and the thinner the paper, the easier this is to accomplish.

Step 7: Use some adhesive between to get the two sides to stick

Step 8: I used a little bobby pin to just lightly hold so I wouldn't have to ;o)

Step 9: Use a die cut for a take out box, mine is from Accu-cut. Stamp one panel at a time and mask the others so that each one looks nice!

Step 10: Fold and apply adhesive to flaps.

Step 11: Put it all together, then use a fun piece of ribbon for the handle.

Step 12: Put valentines into box and deliver!!!

I edited the pics differently so the post wouldn't be so long. If you have any questions please let me know!!!

Hope you had a wonderful Monday...

and can find time to have a crafty week!

B-

Lots of stuff going on...

It has been an interesting week, some of it is hard to share. I rarely write about the tougher goings on because it is far more interesting to read about inspiring ideas or fun events. But this last week my dad has found himself in a tough depression combined with compulsive anxiety. I have spent time everyday going and visiting with him at the hospital he is in, and while it is tough to do, I feel that it is important to make sure that my dad knows how I feel about him and to keep my priorities in line. I am so grateful for my wonderful kids, my mom, who is really amazing, and the kind friends who have lent me their shoulders for support. Dave has been really strong and I am reminded about how lucky I am in this way with him.

Because of the way my time has been spent this week, I haven't had the opportunity to get into my craft room. So I thought I would share my altered notebook that I use to keep track of my work stuff for CHF. When I was prepping my Ranger house project, I painted a sheet of Claudine's Studio Line Sticky back canvas to create the shutters. I had a fairly large chunk of it left over and didn't want it to go to waste, so re-purposed it to cover a notebook that I had picked up at Target. Some American Craft Thickers, Creative Cafe buttons and a super cute Maya Road flower add those extra details that make me smile every time I pick it up to get some work done.

Taking time to appreciate the small things and letting the things go that I can't control is my plan for the weekend. And the gratitude attitude is my mantra.

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Cherish

It is that time of year where we think about how we can give gifts to let our loved ones know that we are thinking of them. The Saturday Evening Post release from January tells such a great story, so I thought it would be a very sweet image to use for a Valentine's card. The "Tulle Damask" Scrapblock was stamped onto black Prism cardstock and then embossed in white for extra texture, and then after stamping the "Casual Conversation" in black onto a smooth white cardstock, I put four layers of UTEE on to create that gorgeous cracked glass look. Easy to do and adds so much dimension. A couple of chipboard details from Making Memories and this card is ready to go.

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Home Sweet Ranger Home!

Claudine's Studio Line has been my favorite product of late to build my projects from, so when I was invited to create a house for the Ranger booth, I jumped at the chance! I had a long list of ideas that I was tempted to try, but the one that fit me best was a winter themed "Chalet". It is hard to tell by the pictures, but this bad boy took me nearly a month to conceptualize, engineer and execute. A detail that you can't see is the individually stamped shingles that were glued on with the multi-medium one piece at a time. And getting the roof to be bent, not easy! It took one evening to hand stitch the trees and the next to hand stitch the door and windows. It was definitely not the most artistic house there, but it was the most glitter covered, LOL! And remember the whole glittering with a headlamp incident? Yeah, that would be this project. If anyone is interested in how some of this was done, let me know and I will post more details.
Moxie Fab, the Paper Crafts blog is a wonderful resource for great pictures and inspiration from the CHA show. I saw so many products that I am itching to get my hands onto.
I even had to run to Heartland and pick up some of the new My Minds Eye, and if there had been more new releases already in stock, I would have brought them home too!
Looking to find some crafty time tommorrow, worked on a stamp concept today that I hope I can get figured out, I really like it.
B-

Becky's Bad Babies!

I made it home from the trade show in Anaheim exhausted, inspired and missing my family!
It was so fun! I got to catch up with fabulous friends, and made many more new ones along the way! The flight home was easy and wonderfully uneventful, just the way I like it!
I got to come home to this!!!!!
These are my bad babies, and I couldn't love them more (even if they didn't make as much trouble)! I met alot of people who didn't know what Borzois (Russian Wolfhounds) were, so here is a quick snap of me coming from tennis to be greeted by my big welcoming committee!

I wish I had the pictures or energy to do a big rundown of the show, but I don't, LOL! I recommend going to Scrapbook Update (see link below) for a lot of pictures, and a few online communities have great updates and pictures as well. I did haul my camera around, but had so much going on, kept forgetting to get it out.

A brand new package of the latest Cornish Heritage Farms stamps was waiting for me when I got home. I can't wait to get messy, so this will be a short post, I have some things to stamp, some kids to hug and some dogs to walk...

BEST!!!
B-

I am supposed to be packing...

But of course, I am goofing off on the computer and checking out Facebook. Darn that Facebook, it is so addictive! So while I am trapped in 'puter land, I thought it would be fun to share a sneak peek of the project I did for the Ranger booth. I can't share the whole thing yet, want it to be a surprise on Sunday, but a little sneak shouldn't hurt, right?

I leave first thing in the morning, so now, it really is time to go put a few things into a bag and kiss my kids goodbye!

If you are going to be at the show, please find me and give me a hug!

I hope you all have a very creative week, and please come back to visit, I promise I won't be gone too long!

B-

Big Love

I haven't shared a layout for awhile, so I thought it would be a good time to share a little layout love!
It is almost time to celebrate Valentine's day, but I celebrate everyday I get to spend with my FAB kids! So this layout was made with all kinds of red buttons that I stitched onto the Pink Paislee paper. Each of those buttons remind of all the big and small reasons that I love each of these wonderful people that have been sent to bless, enrich and strengthen my life. So for me, it is Valentine's everyday! I had to do the play on the title because the heart, and my kids are so big!
I am getting all of my final preparations done for a trip to California to attend the Craft and Hobby Associaiton trade show. It will be a wonderful week of seeing all the new products and trends, and catching up with dear friends that I have made through the years. I know I will be missing my peeps at home, but when I am gone, their dad lets them get away with a little more than usual, so I don't think that they miss me as much ;o)

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Historic day!

Watching all of the inaugural activities today has been very exciting and has me wishing that I could have been in Washington D.C. to witness this pivotal moment in U.S. history in person. Oh well, it will have to be enough that I was able to participate in my own small way through observation on our television.

Another memorable moment for me today was the release of the latest Rummage Bin collage stamp. It is special to me because I had the chance to design this one. The image was built around my oldest daughter who loves to play the piano, and some of her favorite pieces to play are from "Queen" so they are familiar to my husband and I. We love to hear her picking through a new piece to figure it out and have as much enthusiasm for a piece that she has mastered and can play through with meticulous beauty. This talent serves our whole family well as it spreads joy and good feeling through the house, but it also provides her with an outlet to express whatever she is experiencing in her life that she may not wish to vocally articulate. Music gives us wings to fly.

Prism smooth white and brown cardstock, Music Gives You Wings Rummage Bin, Aged Music Scrapblock, Saturday Evening Post Vintage Butterflies, Ranger distress inks and embossing powder, My Mind's Eye patterned paper and the guitar brad is from Creative Imaginations.

Have a wonderful, historic day!

B-

Need a pick me up?

I have been feeling a little blue lately, so I have been making projects with a lot of color and flowers to cheer me up, it totally works. Now I just need a little more creative time to keep up the artificial high, LOL!

This January stamp of the month is one of my favorites right now! It looks great in color and is super elegant for black and white projects. Check out the CHF Creative Blog to see how a few of the other gals used it, so inspiring! Anway, stamping this in my favorite green "lettuce" from Adirondack onto a Scenic Route B side and then stitching with that yummy orange red with my DMC floss in front of the tv one evening was such a calming way to spend a bit of time. The background paper is from the Greenhouse Paperie by Making Memories. A bright spot for a cold winter day!

Hope you are able to find a few bright spots to carry you over to spring. Just keep telling yourself that it is just around the corner, and it will be here before we know it!

Best!

B-

Big Flowery Post coming right up!

This post will be big on pics! I got busy with it! I used the new Shady Tree Studio images to create a card group to give to my mom for her birthday next week, I think she will love it!

Wanted to share it here before it goes to her house, and since she doesn't read my blog, I am not worried about the secret getting out!

I used Claudine Hellmuth's Studio Line gesso, acrylic paint, brushes and Sticky Back Canvas to paint these images, and I LOVE how they turned out! The green paint was brayered onto the Daisy Chain Scrapblock and then stamped that onto Prism cardstock for the card base. Then I embossed in white the "Polka Dots" Backgrounder onto My Minds Eye patterned paper, their "B" sides make me all melty inside! A few buttons and some Fancy Pants trim.

I am so excited about this new line, and Claudine's stuff is so easy to integrate into projects of all different kinds! My buddy Ellen will have a darling project on her CLASSroom blog with a really great tutorial!

Thanks for popping by!

Hope you have a happy, crafty and joy filled day!

B-

Purple Paisley!

Today is release day for a new Scrapblock! It is a beautiful paisley pattern, and I keep using it on everything!

This is also a sneak peek of Shady Tree Studios "Iris Bloom" that will be available Thursday the 15th. If you want to see what the rest of the previous image sneaks look like head on over to the CHF Creative blog, there are also some other reasons to check it out ;o)

Stamps are "Iris Bloom", MLM Friend Centers, and Paisley Scrapblock, Prism cardstock, Ranger clear embossing powder, October Afternoon green plaid paper, colored with Prismacolor pencils.

Everything on the home front is on cruise control. I am going to start getting preparations made for my trip to California in about a week and half to go to the Craft and Hobby Association trade show in Anaheim. I hope that they schedule some lovely weather for all of us embattled snow people!

Have a wonderful evening!

B-

Memory Makers article

I had the chance to contribute a project to the Scrapbookers Creativity Kit that was written by the wonderfully talented and super cute Claudine Hellmuth. It is so full of wonderful ideas, and the cards are so cool! Brilliant concept Claudine!!
Anyway, an article explaining it was written in the latest Memory Makers magazine, and I had the chance to contribute to that as well. It was very fun, and I was able to create a project that would not have been on the top of my mind to make. So inspiring!!!
Check it out!

B-

It was a Doozy!!!

The last 24 hours were quite the adventure for me! I have had a few fairly large projects that I have been working on for work and play. Of course it is Murphy's law that they would all cluster into the same time frame, isn't it? So I was "mostly" done with everything, and not actually done with anything, and they all had deadlines of today! I had chunked out a large section of time last night to finish a large project that needed shipped, and a few hours on the computer would get the banner ad done for Kim's big release tomorrow! I was even confident that I would be able to stamp for a few hours with those new Kim stamps, and therein lies my mistake. Interestingly enough, I needed electricity to be most effective and efficient in those goals. Safe to assume that would be available to me without a concern? Shouldn't have made that assumption.

At about 6:30 pm, right in the middle of dinner, the electricity went out. It was kind of fun to eat by candlelight as we huddled waiting for the lights, tv, and heater to pop back on. Didn't happen. The kids roasted mini-marshmallows on toothpicks over those same dinner candles for dessert ;o) they were quite cute, I of course had to snap some pics of that and even roast a few myself, no worries on time, the power would be back soon and the moment would be gone. Didn't happen.

These types of outages happen enough to not create worry or frustration at this point, but would the kind people who fix these little glitches please hurry along as I had things that were waiting for a little power! Well one hour turned into two, and then four and well, there was only so much that I could do with my limited resources to get my goals accomplished. So out came Tyler's hiking headlamp, the dinner candles stayed on duty and out came a couple of flashlights. One was suspended from the lamp overhead that had been rendered useless, and the other scotch taped onto a large pot with a kitchen towel wedged underneath to provide a usable angle of light. Don't you love the look on my tired face as Dave took this picture at about 12:30 this morning. The power was still not on, and the house was quite a crisp temperature. I was bound and determined that this project would make it the shipping deadline I had set for myself. So what you don't see in this picture are the 15 odd shaped snowflakes that I had glittered just a few minutes previously. After I was done with that step, I set the non-stick sheet aside and it was a little to close to one of the candles, luckily Tyler saw it smoking before it went into actual flames. I had glitter everywhere, on a more personal note, I went into the dark bathroom for a few private moments and even found glitter in there that I could see in the dark, ack! Woke up this morning to find it in my hair as I pulled it back into the ponytail that I typically wear for tennis. The lesson I wish to share from that is don't glitter in the dark my friends!

So by 1:45 am, I had done the best I could and called it good. The house was cold and dark, so I even wore my sweatshirt and shearling boots into bed. It took a while to get warm enough to relax and drift off to sleep, and wouldn't you know, as soon as we had made it into a reasonable restful state, the lights came on, the heater cranked up and the tv popped into life. 3:00 am. Yup, back to awake in the cold to get up and turn it all back off again.

Don't take your electricity for granted, keep flashlights handy, and be very careful when crafting by candlelight.

B-