My daughter had some pretty outrageous requests on her Christmas wish
list this year...she is 13 after all...an ipod touch (no
way!)...concert tickets (again, no way!)...but one constant was that she
wanted to re-do her bedroom.  I had BIG problems with this. 
When she was 18 months old I had my mom paint a mural of dolphins (my
favorite) on her walls...it looks like something done by Wyland
call "A Dolphins Heaven"...personally, I love it & it was killing
me that she wanted to paint it.  Then she begged to move into the
guest room....she picked paint colors on the internet...really did her
research to make a case for moving...we told her no...about a hundred
times...then it came time for Christmas & we had this brilliant idea
that we would re-do the guest room & surprise her.  My husband
removed all of the wall paper in the guest room during some time off
& we kept the door locked.  She thought we were hiding
Christmas presents.  The Friday before Christmas we sent her to
spend the night with my brother & his family, which she does
often.  Saturday, she when to my mom's & Sunday she went to her
Aunt's.  While she was gone, the room was painted, the carpet
ripped out & wood put down, & mirror closet doors were put
up.  She had picked the bedding she wanted & we had the paint
made to match it.  Honestly, it was a much better room for
her...much more 13.  Finally, she came home on Christmas Eve &
we asked her to run up to her room & grab her camera...she ran past
the huge bow on the guest room door & looked into her old
room...which was filled with the stuff from the guest room...you can
only get so much done in 3 days....then she opened up the door to her
new room & started screaming (happy screams) and burst into
tears!  We were NOT prepared for that She totally didn't have any
clue what we were up to.  She cried for over an hour because she
was so happy!  My husband & I were thrilled that our plan
worked and the hard work of everyone involved was so appreciated....then
Kendall looked at me and said, "Mom, I didn't know you really loved
me!"  Well.  What do you say to that?  At least she finally
knows.  Can you sense my dry demeanor?  I know what she
meant, but wow!  I'm sure all you mother's of teenagers are just
shaking your head...and aren't the least bit surprised....I shouldn't
have been either...  We're just happy that she's so happy. 
And that she knows her mother loves her.  Definately a moment to
scrapbook!

Here's her cool new room:

It'll never be this clean again....

 

How Awesome!

How awesome is it that we live in the snowy mountians and 50 miles away you can visit this:

I'm a little jealous....

just stunning....

hmmm...zebra's in Arizona?

Ok, I love this lion's ruffled look....he looks like he was riding in a car with his head sticking out the window...

My family went to Out of Africa
today in Camp Verde.  It was 32 degrees there....just imagine how
cold Flagstaff was!  My daughter said it was awesome...and that's
saying a lot from a 13 year old!  They saw lions, tigers &
bears (oh, my!) & snakes (ick)...Kendall thought it was funny when I
jumped 10 feet when I saw the photo of the boa & anaconda...won't
be posting those here!  My husband had an equally great
time....sorry to have missed it.   

A little Friday inspiration....

My little friend Kim made this today for her parents....the photo is from December 3, 1967...amazing!

Resolutions

Resolutions are not my thing anymore.  When
I was a kid, my best friend & I would make all sorts of
resolutions…usually “I’ll lose _____ pounds”…and we’d shout
it out into the night hoping that would help our resolutions come true.  I know better now.  I can stick to a resolution for about 3 days & then I come up with some excuse to quit.  But this year is going to be different (I’ve said that about a million times, too!)  So my resolution isn’t to lose weight, although that would be splendid,
or to get organized (I’ve wished for that one right along with the
losing weight one)…no, my New Year’s Resolution for 2008:  be
more creative…for me, it means that I will scrapbook more….create
more projects that I love….learn how to take better pictures…spend
some time cooking….taking care of my house….relaxing…I know, you
probably think that’s silly for me to want to be more creative…but
sometimes creativity can be misplaced or set aside…it happens to
everyone now & again…and now it’s time to find that creativity
again…or me....for you....whatever creative means to you….embrace
it….make a quiche…or a scrapbook page…or decorate a cake…maybe
just read our blog or other creative blogs out there…whatever it
takes…embrace creativity.

With that said, the New Year brings changes….for the better! 

• Our store hours are changing a bit…we’ll be closed on Sundays & Mondays during the winter…for the first time in six years I’ll be able to have two days off in a row….it’ll make me a better store owner, which will make the store better for you.  Our hours will be:  Tuesday through Friday 10 am to 6 pm and Saturdays 10 am to 4 pm. 


• We’re expanding our class schedule.  There will be classes 4 days a week now…Tuesdays & Wednesdays start at 6 pm…Thursdays at noon…Saturdays in the am.  Classes
  will have a minimum of 3 students and maximum of 8 so make sure to sign
  up early & have your friends sign up with you! The class schedule will be available shortly…and projects are displayed in the store.


• Midnight
  Madness is scheduled for every Friday in 2008 and All Day Crops are
  scheduled for the last Saturday of each month (except November it’s
  the Saturday before…and December won’t have one).


• There’s a new page contest each month.  We’ll take entries between the 1^st & 20^th of each month & have customers vote on their favorites until the end of the month.  The
  winner will receive a $20 gift certificate to the store & be
  published in a calendar composed of contest winners available at the end
  of the year.  The themes are:

January:  Winter (1 winner) & Christmas (1 winner)

February:  Love

March:  Luck

April:  Spring

May:  Mother’s Day

June:  Father’s Day

July:  Summer

August:  Back to School

September:  Fall

October:  Halloween

November:  Thanksgiving

The rules are simple:  submit one 12x12 layout that represents the theme of the month.  That’s it!

• And we’ll be re-arranging the store shortly….it’s fun to freshen up!  See, change is fun!

Apparantly, the www.aboutmemoriesandmore.com
link has been experiencing some technical difficulties.  I hope
that it has been resolved...you never know in the cyber world!  If
you bookmark (put us in your favorites) at http://aboutmemoriesandmore.typepad.com (you can copy & paste this link) it should work every time...

Here's
the class schedule for January & descriptions...I'll post photos
asap...most of the actual projects are in the store & up on the
chalkboard in the classroom:

Class Descriptions:

A Year in My Life $40

Instructor:  Kirsten Mead

Ever feel like you just can’t get caught up on your photos?  Well, we have a solution for you!  You’ll learn how to create an album that highlights your life, by the month.  When your done, you’ll have an album completed for the year, freeing you up to work on other inspiring projects.  Cost of the class includes an 8 ½ x 11 landscape album.

All Day Crop $25

Instructor:  Varies

Join us for 12 hours of scrapbooking!  Work
on whatever projects you choose and we’ll take care of lunch &
snacks...you’ll get a goodie bag & cropper only discounts.  Its loads of fun...we promise!

Altered Art $30

Instructor:  Sharon Kennick

Sharon

is an amazingly talented artist & is here to teach her altered talents to you!  Projects vary each month & classes are loaded with techniques that you can apply in all your crafting areas.

Caught Up & Lovin’ It! $25

Instructor:  Kirsten Mead

After
many years of trying to get caught up...of changing the way she stores
her pictures...of pulling her hair out...Kirsten has come up with a
method of scrapbooking that frees up your time to work on other
projects, not just your chronically behind chronological album.

Challenges $25 to $40

Instructor:  Kirsten Mead

Each
month we’ll issue you a challenge & the following month we’ll
have a class on what to do with the challenge materials.  It’s sure to get your creativity flowing!

Clearly Fantastic $25 to $40

Instructor:  Kirsten Mead & Sherry Oien

Make just one clear album & you’ll be hooked!  They’re fun & they’re different, which is so cool!  This class is chock full of techniques...& best of all, you’ll tailor it to the photos you bring!

Fast & Easy Pages $25

Instructor:  Sherry Oien

Scrapbooking doesn’t have to be a chore.  Each
month Sherry will teach you 3 super easy 12x12 layouts that take no
time at all...& you’ll be able to apply what you learned to other
pages you’re working on.  And the best part?  You get to pick the paper to match your photos...use titles of your choosing...& have lots of fun doing it!

Gotta Love ‘em Mini’s $20 to $40

Instructors:  Kirsten Mead & Sherry Oien

Kirsten & Sherry are addicted to mini books!  They’re fun...they’re fast...& they make such good gifts!  Each class features a different book & they are full of great techniques...too many to list...you’ll learn so much!

Happy Hour $10

Instructors:  Kirsten Mead & Andi Kleinman

Join
us on Thursday at noon each week to make a quick page...takes 45
minutes or so...what a terrific way to spend your lunch hour!

Midnight Madness $10

Instructor:  Varies

Friday nights are hopping around here from 6 pm to midnight!  Grab
your projects & come on down for 6 hours of scrapbooking...you’re
sure to accomplish so much...whether chatting with your friends or
making new friends & creating beautiful projects.  Price includes snacks & a 10% discount on your purchases.

Pleased to Greet You $20

Instructor:  Kirsten Mead & Sherry Oien

Card making is all the rage & we’re here to show you how!  Using a variety of techniques we’ll make different cards each month that just about everyone can use.

Scrapbook Basics $15

Instructors:  Kirsten Mead, Sherry Oien & Andi Kleinman

Just getting started with scrapbooking?  This class is designed for the beginner scrapbooker with little to no experience.  You’ll learn how to use the tools, match paper to your photos & create layouts that you’ll love.  Students leave class with 2 scrapbook pages to slip into their albums & the confidence to create more!

Seasonal Celebrations $25

Instructor:  Kirsten Mead & Sherry Oien

Each
month we’ll create 3 different pages surrounding particular
holidays...slip them into your books & bam...your almost caught up!  Pages can be completed in both 12x12 or 8 ½ x 11 sizes.

Technique Tuesdays $10

Instructors:  Sharon Kennick & Kris Naylor

Each month Sharon & Kris will teach you super fun techniques...a new topic each month.  You’ll make a fun card & have an opportunity to participate in

Sharon

’s card contests.  These classes are fun & informative! 

Tool Time $10

Instructors:  Sharon Kennick & Kris Naylor

Let Sharon & Kris teach you how to get the most out of your scrapbooking tools.  Go way beyond the basics, exploring the creative possibilities!  These classes are fun & informative!

January 1     Closed Happy New Year!

Tuesday

January 1-20 Winter Page contest entries due; Christmas Page contest entries due

January 4     Midnight Madness

Friday        6 pm to Midnight $10

January 5     Seasonal Celebrations with Kirsten

Saturday      Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year’s

              11 am to 1:30 pm $25

January 8     Technique Tuesday with Sharon & Kris

Tuesday       Embossed Elegance

6 pm to 7 pm $10

January 9     Scrapbook Basics with Sherry

Wednesday     6 pm to 7:30 pm $15

January 10    Happy Hour with Kirsten & Andi

Thursday      12x12 Thanksgiving Layout

Noon to 1 pm $10

January 11    Midnight Madness

Friday        6 pm to Midnight $10

January 12    Altered Art with

Sharon

Saturday      Altered Star Book

              10 am to 1 pm $30

January 15    Caught Up & Lovin’ It! with Kirsten

Tuesday       6 pm to 9 pm $25

January 16    Gotta Love ‘em Mini’s with Kirsten

Wednesday     “Little things that bring me joy…”

              6 pm to 8:30 pm $20

January 17    Happy Hour with Kirsten & Andi

Thursday      12x12 Christmas Layout

              Noon to 1 pm $10

January 18    Midnight Madness

Friday        6 pm to Midnight $10

January 19    Gotta Love ‘em Mini’s with Sherry

Saturday      â€œTogether”

              11 am to 3 pm $35

January 22    Tool Time with Sharon & Kris

Tuesday       Fabulous Photos

              6 pm to 7 pm $10

January 23    Pleased to Greet You with Sherry

Wednesday     Valentine Cards

              6 pm to 8:30 pm $20

January 24    Happy Hour with Kirsten & Andi

Thursday      12x12 New Year’s Layout

              Noon to 1 pm $10

January 25    Midnight Madness

Friday        6 pm to midnight $10

January 26    All Day Crop

Saturday      8 am to 8 pm $25

January 29    A Year in Our Life Album with Kirsten

Tuesday       6 pm to 10 pm $40

January 30    Fast & Easy Pages with Sherry

Wednesday     Three 12x12 Layouts

              6 pm to 8:30 pm $25

January 31    Happy Hour with Kirsten & Andi

Thursday      â€œMe, today…”

              Noon to 1 pm $10

Merry Christmas

On the 12th day of Christmas my scrapbook store gave to me....

25% off pre-made gift packs

Sale valid Monday, December 24th only.  Cannot be combined with any other discount or offer.  Not valid on previous purchases.

On the 11th day of Christmas my scrapbook store gave to me....

20% off all tools

(paper trimmers, scissors, tape runners, crop-a-diles, oval cutters, punches, etc)

Sale valid Saturday, December 22nd only. 
Limited to stock on hand.  Cannot be combined with any other
discount or coupon.  Not valid on prior purchases.

On the 10th day of Christmas my scrapbook store gave to me...

20% off all gift certificates

Sale valid Friday, December 21st only.  Cannot be combined with any other discount or offer.  Not valid for previous purchases.

On the 9th day of Christmas my scrapbook store gave to me....

50% off all QuicKutz

Sale valid Thursday, December 20th only. 
Limited to stock on hand.  Cannot be combined with any other
discount or coupon.  Not valid on prior purchases.

Santa photos are here!

You're Santa photos are in & they are super cute!  Thank you
Colleen Timmons for taking such fantastic photos yet again!  Stop
by to pick up your photos & CD....just in time to make holiday
cards. 

Here's one of my favorites:

On the 8th day of Christmas my scrapbook store gave to me

20% off print paper

Sale valid Wednesday, December 19th only. 
Limited to stock on hand.  Cannot be combined with any other
discount or coupon.  Not valid on prior purchases.

On the 7th day of Christmas my scrapbook store gave to me....

30% off all scrapbooks

Sale valid Tuesday, December 18th only. 
Limited to stock on hand.  Cannot be combined with any other
discount or coupon.  Not valid on prior purchases.

On the 6th day of Christmas my scrapbook store gave to me....

25% off all idea books & magazines

Sale valid, Monday, December 17th only. 
Limited to stock on hand.  Cannot be combined with any other
discount or coupon.  Not valid of prior purchases.

Icicles

Cool icicles outside the back door of the store this morning...it's even bigger now...very, very cool.

On the 5th day of Christmas my scrapbook store gave to me

20% off all Christmas items

Sale valid Saturday, December 15th only. 
Limited to stock on hand.  Cannot be combined with any other
discount or coupon or on previous purchases. 

On the 4th day of Christmas my scrapbook store gave to me...

20% off all solid cardstock

Sale valid Friday 12/14/07 only.  Limited to stock on hand...cannot be combined with any other coupon or offer....cannot be applied to previous purchases.

Very Cool Purses for Everyone on Your List!

Elvis is in the house!  We have a new shipment of Little Earth purses...perfect for the bling lover in your life!

And these new purses from All My Memories are totally cool!  I'm
not sure if you can tell how big they are, but they hold tons of
stuff....and there are slots to hold your photos on the front.  You
don't have to be a scrapbooker to love 'em, that's for sure!

There's a phone pouch, card holders & even a pouch to hold a normal sized water bottle....

 

On the 3rd day of Christmas my scrapbook store gave to me...

40% off all calendars

Sale valid Thursday, December 13th only.  Limited to stock on hand & cannot be combined with any other coupon or discount.

On the 2nd day of Christmas my scrapbook store gave to me....

25% off all totes & storage.

Sale valid Wednesday, December 12th only & cannot be combined with any other discount or coupon.

On the first day of Christmas my scrapbook store gave to me....

30% off all card packs & card making idea books!

Sale valid Tuesday, December 11th only & cannot be combined with any other discount or coupon.

No School Today

My daughter has issues with Monday mornings.  She can't wake up
on Mondays....yet, today is a snow day & she's bouncing out of bed
without a care in the world & super early.  Go figure! 

Anyway, it occured to me that snow days are the PERFECT day for
crafting...making cards...scrapbooks...holiday
ornaments...presents...you can join us at the store & create til
your hearts content all day...for FREE...we'd love to see you! 
Bring your kids along & they can make some fun stuff,too! 

Take a little time to create beautiful gift tags or use our die cut
machine to make decorations for your tree or Christmas cards.  Or
take some time for yourself to work on a few scapbook pages.  Snap a
few photos of the snow.  Make a snow angle.  Be silly. 
Enjoy the extra time we've been given today.

Snow Day

I woke up this morning for my crazy early walk...4:50 is when we
leave...yes, I know....to lots of snow on the ground & more coming
down.  Audra & I were bundled up & our dogs ready to
go...mine (maggie) loves the snow...she was prancing around so much that
if you were to look at the tracks in the snow you'd think we were
drunk.  I really need to start taking my camera on these walks, but
typically it's so dark you can't see anything.  Here's what I
should have taken photos of today:  happy Maggie prancing
about...Kirsten falling in the snow when Maggie pulled too hard....the
six or so elk that crossed the trail...to join the 50 or so elk a little
further up....Kirsten falling down yet again....Audra lauging at
me....Hunter's turn at drunk dog walking...really, so much
material.  No camera.  So here's the view at 7:40 this
morning:

Love this little tree....it usually has blue Christmas lights on it & looks like this at night

The blue lights are a memorial to Jeff Moritz (something close to our
hearts) & they are so beautiful that someone stole them Saturday
night.  How sad that someone needed lights so bad that they stole
our tiny little strand.  I hope they enjoy them as much as we did.

Sedona Scrapbooking Retreats

We're back from our Sedona Scrapbooking Retreat and I have to say it was....FANTASTIC!  I felt pampered...catered to...at home. 

My mom & I arrived a little late...I'm a little late to lots of
things unfortunately...around 7 pm (you can come at 2 pm)...But we were
there in time for a fantastic dinner of white lightening chili and corn
chowder in fresh baked bread bowls...yum!  After dinner we were
treated to a card class with a Stampin Up demonstrator named
Carla.  The cards were super simple, yet really pretty.

That's Carla in the black...Dorothy from Prescott & Jean from Las Vegas...that's my mom by the lights.

Aren't these cards great?  They look even better in
person!  The Happy Holidays has a white snowflake stamp embossed in
a white tinsel embossing powder & then cut out & pop dotted on
top of a different snowflake that was stamped directly on the
card.  Carla taught us a little trick that I had no idea about...we
put a pop up glue dot in the center of the flower on the blue card
(before attaching it to the card) and dipped it in glitter...then we
pressed it into micro beads...it is so cool!  We'll be getting
micro beads shortly...super cute!

Then it was time to get busy.  There were only 6 of us so we
were treated to one full 6 foot table each...heaven if you ask me! 
When it's full two people share a table.  I had a table right in
front of a huge window...but it was dark so I didn't realize the good
fortune I had until the next morning...I only made it up until 11:30
before I had to go to bed (on the most fabulous mattress I have ever
slept on....first time in forever I didn't wake up with a sore back)
& the other ladies stayed up to all hours laughing & creating
& having a great time!

I was up around 7:30 am (which is sleeping in 3 hours for me...yes, Kim, it is crazy!) and this is the view I was greeted to:

My spot was the center one.  My mom sat next to me. 
There's a row of tables behind us & there was one table to my left.

I have more photos...click on the album to the right or here.

We had quiche & fresh fruit for breakfast...yum & lunch was a
Pampered Chef chicken & broccoli braided concoction that was beyond
yummy!  Oh, & I scrapbooked & created from 7:30 am until
11:00 pm Saturday...amazing! 

   

I mostly finished every project I took....I was relaxed, entertained
& focused.  And I LOVED every minute of it.  I was so
concentrated on my work that I failed to notice it had started
snowing...

And before we knew it, it was time for Chef Andrew
to make the most amazing appetizers (stuffed mushrooms & salmon
bruchetta) & dinner (chicken stuffed with goat cheese on a bed of
rice & vegetables)...all of which was finished off with a chocolate
fountain (I'm sure I gained 10 lbs!)

So here's what I LOVED:

1.  The amazing service from Jackie & Robin...simply unbeatable!

2.  The amazing leather chairs...I'll be researching how we can
get those in the store...they had to be expensive but not once was I
uncomfortable.   

3.  The wonderful food.  I've been to many retreats &
usually the food is cheap & abundant...quality? not so much. 
But the food here was really good!  And you weren't surrounded by
m&m's & crap.  The snack table was out all the time &
was filled with fresh fruit & some quality chocolate.

4.  The chance to get away & work on what I wanted to. 
I made a book for my sister in law's mother, my little nephew David, 3
two page layouts & I caught up my 2007 photo album.

5.  The mattresses are to die for!  Oh my....I thought at
first the plush pillow tops would kill my back but they were so comfy I
didn't want to get out of bed!

6.  The card class...it was a creativity starter & I enjoyed it immensely!

7.  The view...sorry to say it's number 7....but I kept forgetting to look.  When I did look...it was breathtaking.

8.  Really, there wasn't anything I didn't love!

So if you get a chance to get away you should try out the Sedona Scrapbooking Retreats.  I definitely plan on returning!

Holiday Shopping

Keep us in mind for all of your holiday shopping needs! 

We've put together some great gifts, too!

We're happy to help you pick out the perfect gift, too!

And don't forget, handmade gifts are always welcome! 

Stop by the store & check out our advent calendar made from die cut boxes...super cute! 

Don't forget that on Saturdays in December you can come &
scrapbook for FREE in the classroom during our regular hours....10 am-4
pm.  The gals will take good care of you, we promise!  And
while you're here, don't forget to take advantage of all the cool die
cuts for the Accu-Cut machine...lots of boxes, bags, tags, shapes &
MORE!  The machine is FREE to use when you buy your paper here.

On to other news...My mom & I are headed to the Sedona Scrapbooking Retreats this weekend for some much need R&R and some much needed scrapbooking.  I'll be making a couple books like the "little things that bring me joy"
book in a post below...one is for my little nephew who lives in
Oklahoma "People in Flagstaff Who Love Me" & the other is for my
brother's mother in law "Our Family".  I might even just
sleep....or read the new book
that my super friend Jeannie loaned me...I'm just VERY excited to be
going!  I'll post photos & give you the scoop when I get
back!  Did I mention that I'm TOTALLY excited?!! 
Ooohhh...we'll be stoping at the Wildflower Bread Company on the way
back....hopefully with oatmeal scotchie cookies & their fantasic tea
in tow!