I'll let you in on a little secret...

about a couple of my employees: 

Sherry's having a boy!  And she's thrilled!  She thought it was a girl for sure, but nope it's a boy! 

And Stacey is having her tonsils out today.  Here's hoping for a speedy recovery Stacey!

One little word...

I was reading Ali Edwards blog post today about her 2009 One Little Word. 
She's done it for a few years & I thought it was cool, but never
did anything about it.  For some reason...lack of sleep...lack of
coffee, maybe?  It really struck me today.  So I've been on
dictionary.com all morning trying to come up with my word.  I have
several in the running & I'll share my word with you very soon
(right now I'm leaning towards delight or maybe balance and now maybe sparkle).  Anyone up for doing this with me?  Read Ali's post first
and enter a comment to win one of her cool prizes (I REALLY want one of
them!) and then come back here to post your word.  You can even
copy & paste what you post on Ali's blog here.  After the
coffee kicks in I'll let you know what we'll do with those words...words
are so powerful....I'll get back to you soon!

Moved.

Ok.   We're in the new spot.  We're open, too! 
There are quite a bit of piles & messes to still be put away, but
the new store is shaping up nicely.  I LOVE it!  So far, the
feedback from customers has been really positive...I hope you'll come by
to check it out soon!  We've managed to get out the new Valentine's papers & embellishments from Heidi Grace (dang cute!), Cloud 9 Designs, K & Company, and even Basic Grey. 
And we've gotten in a nice selection of QuicKutz 2x2 & 4x4
shapes.  Oooohhh, we've gotten in some of those lovely Ali Edwards stamps from Technique Tuesday, too!

We can't wait to see you!

PS
I need to thank the BEST family & friends a girl could ask
for!  Thank you to each & everyone of you who helped pack it
up, move it out & put it back together again.  I couldn't have
done it without you!

PSS  If you've tried to call the store
& we didn't answer, sorry for that.  Our phone lines should be
up & ready tomorrow...keep your fingers crossed! 

PSSS 
New class schedules are at at the store!  The January &
February calendar is packed full of great projects!  We have all
the completed projects, too...um, but we have to find them....I'll post a
schedule for you soon...

We've Moved!

Let the moving fun begin!

Christmas is done...and we're going to be moving the store Saturday
night...this picture of AJ says how we're feeling oh so well! 
Ahhhhhh!  But it's cool..we'll be open Friday & Saturday in the
old store (we're having a sale....don't want to move all that
stuff...would you?) & re-open Monday morning in the new store. 
It may not be perfect Monday morning, but it'll be ours!  Hope
you'll stop in to see us soon!

Merry Christmas!

Happy holidays from our family to yours!

Senior Tree

Every year our store participates in a tree decorating contest for
the NAU Gerontology Center.  They bring us a tree & we decorate
it.  Ok.  By "we" I mean my mom decorates it...in the
beginning it was me....but hers are way better!  We always win some
sort of prize, but really, it's not the prizes.  We do it because
they raise money for senior citizens and well, because they're so
cool!  Here's what my mom did this year (with a little help from my
sister...who incidently is NOT crafty but did a great job!)

My mom is so cool!  The trees were on display at the Peaks
(a senior living community) and mom's won 2nd place.  I didn't get
to see the other trees so I can't tell you what first place looked like,
but if this was a 2nd place tree, then first place had to have been
awesome!  (Because this one sure is!)

Jolly...back in stock!

The QuicKutz holiday gift set "Jolly" just came back in today! 
We have limited quantities of this amazing set...so hurry in to get
yours!  (it's only $89.99!)  You can view it here.  Or in the store, of course!

And Silhouette Digital Craft Cutters came, too!   (it's only $175!)

Updates

Feeling a little shut in from the snow?  8 more inches last
night according to my husband.  But today the sky looks clear &
hopefully we have a reprieve...it can snow all it wants on Christmas
day, but until then, I have things to do.

Before I start on my to
do list (which includes defrosting & cleaning a
refrigerator...jealous?) I thought I'd tell you what's going on at the
store & what the moving plans are.  Here goes!

• Tuesday (12/23) and Wednesday (12/24) for every $25 gift certificate you purchase, I'll add on an extra $5 (so
  $25 becomes $30, get it?).  If you purchase a $50 gift
  certificate, it becomes $60, a $75 one becomes $90, a $100 one becomes
  $120, etc.  Not a bad deal!


• We will officially be open at our new location on Monday, 12/29!  Can
  you believe it?  There will be no disruption to you, other than a
  change of location.  We'll be open at the Kachina Square location
  thru Saturday, 12/27.  When we close at 4 ish, we'll pack up the
  store & move it to our new location:  1500 E. Cedar Avenue, #66 in the Safeway Cedar shopping center, right next to Walgreens.


• With the snow comes a lot of "I'm bored!  There's nothing to
  do!".  Just so you know, we have an awesome selection of craft
  items for the kids to do.  Adults, too!  I figure with the
  weather being so cold & snowy it would be a good idea to have indoor
  stuff to do...like make Christmas ornaments....decorate little
  boxes....make thank you cards....start a scrapbook.  I have to tell
  you that kids of all ages love to scrapbook & do paper
  crafts!  Give them some scissors & a glue stick & some
  duplicate photos & let them go to town.  Don't want them to use
  your supplies?  Then stop by for a quick peek into our 75% off clearance paper bins....and
  the clearance area has been marked down yet again...perfect for the
  kids!  And while you're there, check out our holiday
  papers....they're just beautiful and you'll get a head start on your
  holiday scrapbooking!

Here's what I like to do with the kids:  I put out craft stuff
for them to do so I can work on my own.  Keeps them busy so I can
work on my own stuff.  And then I let them create; however it is
that they want to.  I don't try to help them position things or
tell them what to do, because honestly, it hinders their
creativity.  Just let them create & you'll be plesantly
surprised with the results! 

Ooohhh, I almost forgot!  There's a holiday card contest at Big Picture Scrapbooking. 
All you have to do is upload your holiday card to their gallery by
12/31 and you'll have a chance to win a FREE Life Well Crafted class
from them.  What a fabulous idea!  There is no reason for you
not to enter.  All you have to do is take a photo of your holiday
card & submit it to their site.  Honestly, I bet you'll
win!  And since you will have a photo of your card, email it to me
& I'll make a photo gallery of holiday cards here.  How fun is
that?

Salt Cakes

Our family has a tradition of making cookies called "Salt Cakes"
every year for Christmas.  They are fabulous cookies...that contain
no salt.  The ingredients are simple:  flour, brown sugar,
real butter & cinnamon.  That's it.

You toss it all in a huge bowl & combine it with your hands.

Then roll it out & make cool shapes.

.

And enjoy them with your friends.

Here are some funnies from the day:

• "Ray, where do you get all your money from?" (he's 3) "My dad's nightstand."


• Ray dropped some cookie dough on the floor, looked at it and said "that sucks!"


• Kendall texting a boy named Brooke all afternoon...right in front of us.


• Leah & Kendall smearing flour all over each other.


• When we dropped Ray off at his house, he tried to stuff my keys in
  the couch.  When I saw what he was doing he tried to throw them
  behind the couch.  I said we had to leave & he hid behind the
  Christmas tree.  Turns out he had so much fun he didn't want us to
  leave & thought if he didn't give hugs & kisses that we'd have
  to stay.  Melted my heart...

What are your family traditions?  Do you have them
documented?  Are they in your scrapbook?  Your photo
album?  I know, sometimes it's hard to remember to take photos of
those little things...but really, they're an awesome part of your life's
story! 

Contest Calendars

This year we had a page contest each month & the winners are
being printed in a calendar for 2009.  It's very cool!  If
you'd like to have one, they're $20.  They're 12x12 & we're
printing them on our Epson 1400 printer (which I LOVE).  You'll
need to pre-pay for it & we'll print them to order.  Takes 1-2
days.  You can pay over the phone (928-526-9292) or in
person.  Let us know if you want it spiral bound or left unbound
(you can slide it into your scrapbook that way). 

Cute Cards & QuicKutz Silhouette & a Cute Candle, too!

For those of you who think making holiday cards is hard...too time consuming...or "I'm not creative" check this one out from kwernerdDesignBlog

Man, that gal is awesome!  One of the things I love about
her blog is that she posts videos of how to do projects.  Not that
I've ever watched one, but I love that they're there if I need
them.  Another thing I love is that she posts about all sorts of
things, using all sorts of products.  She just did a post about the QuicKutz Silhouette,
which we have coming in any day now.  I'm pretty excited! 
All of my staff (did you read that girls, ALL of my staff) will be
taking an online course & getting certified on how to use the
Silhouette.  Not that it's hard.  I just want them to be able
to talk to you in an intelligent manner.  Thinking you might want
one?  Send your honey in for a gift certificate for Christmas...we
may even have them by 12/22.  And you want to know the best
part?  They'll be on sale for just $175!  It's a $360
machine....for $175.  Can you believe it?  What is a QuicKutz
Silhouette you might ask?  Well,
it's an amazing digital die cutter that you use with your
computer.  It does some truly amazing things and if you click here
you can read all about it.

And over on ISTAMP is this adorable candle that Nancy got from a friend of hers.  What a clever idea!

Holiday Hours

It's not too late to work on those last minute holiday gifts!  We have
all sorts of mini books, boxes, gift card holders, recipe boxes,
calendars, scrapbooks (and more) to get you started.  You can come
& work in the classroom all day through December 24th to get those
projects done.  It's free.  You'll have some help if you need it, maybe
even some inspiration!  Here's our holiday schedule:

Friday 12/19 10 am to 6 pm

Saturday 12/20 10 am to 4 pm

Sunday 12/21 closed

Monday 12/22 10 am to 6 pm

Tuesday 12/23 10 am to 6 pm

Wednesday 12/24 10 am to 4 pm
Closed Christmas
Friday 12/26 10 am to 6 pm
Saturday 12/27 10 am to 4 pm

Consider
making boxes on the die cut machine for those little gifts or even
place cards.  The die cut machine just takes seconds to use. 
Add a little glue & a ribbon & you have a beautiful
project!  You could wrap presents with your scrapbook paper,
too.  We have absolutely beautiful holiday papers for cards, boxes,
bags, tags, ornaments, really, whatever you can dream up!

Just spotted this clever idea on Jennifer Pebbles bog and we have the stuff to make it, too...cool!

Also, she had a great tip on storing rubber/acrylic/whatever stamps you have here.

Perspective

This is my kitty, Frisco.  He's 12, I think...he's been very
lovey dovey lately with the cold weather.  He really hates to be
cold & snuggles up right next to you.  If you dare to move, you
get claws in your hair, arm, face...whatever is handy...to keep you
right there.  This photo is a little blurry because I took it with
my left hand, like a self portrait.  Turned out pretty cool, don't
you think?  A change of perspective is sometimes all you
need.  You never know when you'll get something cool, so I
recommend you experiment.  If you're using digital it costs you
nothing & the results can sometimes be amazing.  And if they're
not, then just delete them. 

I was explaining to a new
scrapbooker the other day (Hi Vanessa!) that once you start scrapbooking
you start taking better photos.  What I mean by that is that you
start visually cropping your photos in the frame of the camera instead
of cropping them when they're printed.  It changes your
scrapbooking, too because you're working with full size 4x6 photos, not
odd shaped cropped down photos.  Something to think about....

Here's another from last night that was random:

My little dog, Mia, runs around like the speed of light.  Come night time, she crashes...hard.

Felted Ornaments

Isn't he beautiful?  This little felted bear ornament was a gift from my best pal Audra.  She found him on www.etsy.com (a site for handmade goodies).  I think she found him here. 
A lot of the items are one of a kind on etsy so this little guy wasn't
there, but his little friend may need to find a home with me, too! 

Oh, and when I searched for this little guy to find out who made him for you, I came across this one that I'd love to have.  Check out her farm animals, too!  And this one.  And this one.

When
I was little, my mom used to make ornaments out of felt that she
embroidered to hang on the tree.  I found many at etsy that
reminded me of those ornamnets (she has them on her tree...if my brother
is reading this, they're mine so don't even think about taking them
dude.)

If the links above don't work, it's because I decided I couldn't live without them...this is the most expensive blog post ever!

It may have snowed a whole bunch, but we're still open!

It may be a snow day, but we're still open!  Snow days have
always been an opportunity to get things done for me.  Before I
owned the store, it was a bonus day off.  Time to craft.  Time
to wrap presents.  Time to play in the snow with Kendall.  Or
make my most favorite cookies in the whole wide world.  (I'm a
little obsessed with them, sorry...) 

Why not check out these sites today for some major inspiration:

• Make a holiday card.  We have great ideas at
  the store, but if you have the time to surf the web today, one of my
  absolute favorite sites for card ideas is ISTAMP.  And this one is new for me but I really love her style (lovin' the clear acrylic gift tags!)!


• Need some ideas for your holiday parties?  Then check out Hostess with the Mostess.  Very cool stuff there!


• There's some serious holiday gift giving inspiration at Stacy Julian's blog. As a matter of fact, I think I just found a present for Ray & AJ...Tickle Monster Mits  and the companion book.  How cool is that?  Thanks Stacy!  Had never heard of them before....but they're perfect!


• Karen Russell is a source of photography inspiration for me.  She's the teacher of my online class.  I wish my photos were that great.  She's awesome!


• Need a scrapbook idea?  A page layout?  A mini book?  What about a handcrafted gift for someone?  I get much inspiration from Two Peas in a Bucket.  


• I also get much inspiration for tags, cards & more from Etsy.com.  Just type in what you're looking for....say holiday tags & see the goodness unfold.


• Just have some time on your hands?  Then check out The Pioneer Woman. 
  Great recipes (we've tried a bunch & they're so yummy!)  The
  photography & Photoshop tips are amazing.  And honestly, the love
  story "From High Heels to Tractor Wheels" is a fun read.


• Why not read our archives?  There are lots of projects to inspire you!

Anyway, whatever your plans, I hope to see you today! 

P.S. 
Don't forget, we have super inexpensive ornaments for your kids to
make...so bring them with you.  We'll set them up with some hot
cocoa, maybe put in a holiday movie & make an ornament.  Or,
maybe you need a break & we'll make the ornament with you!

Recipe for the best cookies in the whole wide world

The other day I posted about my favorite cookies in the whole wide world. 
I've been getting requests for the recipe.   My husband tried
another recipe that I found when I was cleaning out my craft (aka crap)
room and frankly, they were just not the same.  Never quite set
up.  But these ones?  Ahhhh, these ones are a little slice of
heaven!  And after getting the ok from Renae I'm posting it here
for you to enjoy.  Just remember me when you make them...as in, I
wouldn't be sad if you brought some to the store.  Really. 
Enjoy!

No Bakes

1/2 C. margarine/butter
2 C. sugar
2 T. cocoa powder
1/2 C. milk
3 C. quick oats
1/2 C. peanut butter
1 T. vanilla

Melt
the butter in a 2 quart saucepan.  Combine the sugar and cocoa and
add to the butter, add the milk.  Bring to a boil and boil 2 1/2
minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Quickly add
remaining ingredients.  Drop on a cookie sheet and cool.

Cleaning & cutting, oh my!

I spent quite a bit of time Sunday cleaning out my "craft"
room.  I use that term loosely.  At one point the room had all
my crafting items in it.  Then I bought the store (7 years ago)
and it became Kendall's play room.  I ended up taking ALL of my
crafting supplies to the store.  We were hard pressed to even find
scissors at the house.  Then last year I started my huge photo project. 
It took me months & months to do.  Mostly because I'd work on
it in 8 hour stretches & then not at all for a month.  (I had a
LOT of photos to deal with.)  But I got most of it done and was
left with a pile of miscellaneous enlargements, school photos,
cards...mementos.  That just sat in the middle of the craft room
floor....collecting dust & other debris. 


Recently we brought home a beautiful desk that I thought would
be perfect for crafting on.  So my husband added it to the pile in
the craft room.  Which then collected more debris.  Well, I'm
proud to say, I cleaned that whole room Sunday.  Actually, I wanted
to work on a custom order at home so I started cleaning it on Saturday
night.  Just enough so I could work.  One thing led to another
& the next thing I know, I'm up at 6:30 am cleaning the craft
room.  And it's wonderful!  So wonderful, in fact, I started
working on another project (one for my sweet employees).

Looks sparse, I know.  But it's clean & I love it! 
Likely it won't ever be this tidy again.  It has my favorite
scrapbook idea book of all time on it (Life Artist, by Ali Edwards), my
new Fiskars 24" cutting mat...loving that thing!  And my new Rock,
Paper, Trimmer iPod holder/paper trimmer.  Silly, I know.  And
those boxes are Martha Stewart boxes from Michaels. One is a photo box,
the other a paper box.  Still in their wrappers but I love
them. 

In my crafting adventures this weekend I tried out a new tool (to me...it's been around for a bit)

It's the Fiskars fingertip cutting knife.  Suprisingly, you
have more control with it.  I ended up really liking it...and I
really love my new self healing mat.  It's big enough to cover a
good sized work surface & has great measurements.  And it's
only $22 or so.  We have both of these in the store...they're bound
to make any crafter happy :)

They would have been great to have for this project

(These are Creative Imaginations tree ornaments.  They come
white & 2 to a package for $1.69.  I used the Accu Cut machine
(it's free to use at the store when you buy our paper) to cut scallop
border strips.  Then I layered them to make this cute tree. 
What a great kids project!  Actually, if we have a snow day (or
even just because), why not bring your kids in with you & while you
shop (at AM&M) I'll help them decorate ornaments (it'll just cost
the supplies, well under $3).  How fun!

Hope to see you all
soon!  Don't forget that our die cut machine has TERRIFIC boxes
& bags that are perfect for giving little holiday gifts in (tags,
too!).  And we have some great holiday gift bags that are 100%
recycled...so cute, I just love 'em!

Ooohhhh, and Santa photos
were a HUGE hit!  We should have them back soon.  I'll post a
few favorites as soon as I get them.  Thanks to everyone who
came!  We collected a LOT of great toys for the toy drive!

Santa Photos & a very cute calendar class this Saturday!

Santa will be here this Saturday 12/13 from 9 am to 11 am. 
Bring a new, unwrapped toy for the Law Enforcement/CASA Toy Drive &
have your photo taken by Colleen Timmons with Santa.  Next week
we'll have prints & cd's for you...and there's no extra
charge...your toys are your payment!  Santa loves dogs, so you're
welcome to bring them along, too!  Click here for the flyer.

And Saturday at 11 am we're having a calendar class. 
You'll make a cute 15x7 Making Memories calendar using beautiful Amy
Butler (for K & Co) paper that sparkles & shimmers...so very
cute!  Class is $40 and we have just a few spots left.  Call
now to reserve your spot!  928-526-9292.

Don't forget to add a gift certificate from About Memories and More to your holiday wish list!  Not only can you use them for fabulous scrapbooking supplies, you can use them for classes, crops, and midnight madness!

And before I forget, QuicKutz 12" platforms are back in stock! 
(so are the 4x8 alphabet dies, including Aquarius & Dragonfly...the
most popular...and Moonlight, Chemistry....my favorite...and
Chocolate)  These platforms work with your existing Revolution tool
and allow you to cut 12" border dies, 4x8 alphabet dies (which are my
most favorite!), as well as all of the QuicKutz dies you already
own.  You can cut 12 2x2 dies at a time on it.  Very cool!

Our new store!

Yesterday I took a tour of the new store & now that I see it
empty, I see SO many more possibilities!  I cannot wait to show you
all!  The classroom is beyond huge!  And the store is so
fresh & new!  But don't forget, we'll still be in our current location through the end of the year.  We'll keep you posted on moving dates.  We're planning on opening the new store on January 2nd. 

The new store has wonderful slat wall around the entire perimeter.  That
means we'll be selling some of our fixtures...peg boards, spinning
racks...things that would work well in your home craft room. 
I don't know which ones for sure yet, but if you come by the current
store, we can put your name on the items & let you know if they go
up for sale.  (Sorry, but we won't be selling paper racks.)  I
have 7 years worth of accumulated baskets, fixtures, and well, just
stuff, that we'll be selling too.  You just never know what
treasures you'll find!  I'm pretty certain there will be some
lockers for sale :)

With the new store comes a re-vamped class schedule.  It'll
be just 2 months at a time.  Some things will be pretty
consistent:  All Day Crops on the last Saturday of the month,
Midnight Madness every Friday, Saturday Crops the 2nd Saturday of the
month.  Other things will change for the better.  Classes will
be offered twice a month, usually a Saturday & a weekday. 
We're adding Tuesday morning classes and $1 make-n-takes on
Thursdays.  My mom will be teaching a paper crafting class (that's
what she loves to do!).  We've added a Teen Night & kids class,
too.  Can't attend a class?  You can still purchase the
kit.  Kits will include printed instructions with photos, as well
as the class materials.   I'll have a class calendar for January
& February at the end of next week.

Exciting News!

We've found a location that we love even more than the one we're in
now.  Check out our new space (formerly 4 Star Boot & Shoe) in
the Safeway Cedar Shopping Center.  We're so very excited! 
The building is newer, the space is cleaner, the carpet is fresh, the
bathroom is HUGE, and the best part is the classroom area!  No more
taking down tables...moving racks....hiding your tables behind
racks....the space was made for our store!  It's AWESOME! 

We'll still be in our current location until the end of the year...so
as we're cleaning out closets & making room for new stuff there are
sure to be some unexpected deals when you come in the store...so come
often!  We'll be moving after Christmas and starting 2009 in a new,
fresh space.  Did I mention that we're SO excited?  As a reminder, we're open Monday thru Friday 10 am to 6 pm and Saturdays 10 am to 4 pm.

If you have questions or concerns, don't hesitate to ask!  Email
me at aboutmemories@safeaccess.com, call the store at 928-526-9292 or
just post a comment here. 

My favorite cookies in the whole wide world

No Bake Cookies.  Boiled Cookies.  They have many
names.  I'm sure you've had them.  They are a delightful mix
of sugar, butter, cocoa powder, peanut butter & oatmeal.  Super
easy!  So yummy!  And best of all, they fall into the no
wheat category for me.  My friend Renae made them for our cookie
exchange this weekend & I (who has not had sugar in 2 months) ate
all 3 of them.  I gobbled up two & put the 3rd in my purse so
my husband couldn't find it...hey, he had 57 other cookies to eat. 
He could do without these.  Then I got invited to another cookie
exchange for Wednesday night.  So why not make my favorite cookies?


They look a little like cow pies.  But if it keeps you away
from my cookies because they look like cow pies, well then, that's ok by
me. 

Audra, are they making your mouth water yet?  I'm going to go eat 1/2 a dozen or so for breakfast & get to work. 

See you all today for the Wednesday 12/10/08 paper sale! 

Betty's Calendar Class

It was a success!  Thank you, Betty, for bringing your
co-workers to About Memories & More to make these fun calendar
pages!  I really enjoyed seeing all the different
variations....everyone's personality coming out on their pages...the
creativity! 

Betty, I posted photos to the flickr account on the right hand side of the page for you all to see.  (There are 40 or so).

These are a few of our favorite things...

Monday night I had a party with a few of my favorite people.  We
exchanged super cute gift tags (which you can see hanging up on the
tree branch at the store...it's in the front window).  And we
exchanged our favorite crafting item.  I'd like to share those with
you here. (oh, and we had the most fabulous Raspberry Smash cocktails
and the yummiest of appetizers, too!)

So here are a few of our favorite crafting things...

1.  Audra Coccocina
Glue Sticks.  These things smell like almonds and are just a
little slice of heaven! (She also gave us a bottle of champagne...makes
crafting so much more fun!)  We don't sell these (they're imported
from Italy) but you can get them here.

2.  Jeannie  Pop Dots. 
These little things make everything better!  When you're staring
at a card & just don't know what it needs, it's usually a little
dimension.  And they're cheap, too!  Only 2 bucks!

3.  Kelly  Pencils
& a ruler.  Honestly, who doesn't need this?  I know
we're always searching for one or the other...so very handy to have!

 

4.  Mickey  Tim Holtz
Distress Inks.  These little pads are very versatile!  You can
stamp with them, distress paper (among other things) but really for the
full spectrum of what they can do, you should check out Tim Holtz' blog here.  He's doing a 12 Tags of Christmas thing right now that is SO inspiring!

5.  Linda  Flowers with bling.  Now who doesn't love bling?

6.  Bridget A journaling pen & comfy socks.  These socks are SO soft!

7.  Lyn  A bone folder (if you can
call plastic bone, but you know what I mean) and a notebook.  The
bone folders are new from EK Success and are ergonomic.  She can't
say enough wonderful things about them!

8.  Renae  What better crafting item than a gift certificate to About Memories & More?  Genius! 

9.  Sherry  Scenic Route Paper.  Did you know that this company makes Sherry's most favorite paper?

10.  Kirsten  And me?  Well, I'm
sure you all know that We R Memory Keepers makes my favorite 12x12 ring
albums of all time.  So I gave them the mini versions (6x6). 
Did I take a photo?  Um, no, I forgot.  But I'd be happy to
show them to you at the store :)

Hey girls, the photos from the
party are on the flickr website.  Please excuse the horrid
color...I'm having some white balance issues. 

Oh, pooh!

I had plans for many great posts today.  For instance,  I
was going to tell you about my daughters robotics team taking 2nd place
at Saturdays Lego Robotics Event (they're headed to the State event this
weekend)

And I was going to tell you all about the City of Flagstaff
Winter Wonderland that we did the craft for (there were almost 300 kids
that did the project...wouldn't it be nice if I posted the photo of the
project?  Well, that'll have to wait a bit)  It was SO fun!

And I was going to show you photos of the pretty lights at Wheeler Park

But I'm afraid I spent my blogging time this morning giving a
bath to my very pissed off Westie, Mia.  See, she's VERY
needy.  The only time she's not jumping on you & begging for
attention is if she's poohed herself (it happens to the best of
us).  Yes, you read that right.  So this morning when we
couldn't find her I suspected the worst.  We finally found her
& she went & hid on her dog bed.  Really, that just doesn't
happen.  So I scooped her up & put her in the tub for a
bath.  Westies, if you don't know, are dirty little pigs.  So
she'd been needing a bath anyway.  I'll spare you the gory details,
but she had a huge wad of pooh stuck to her butt.  She sat in the
tub just shivering away because her mean dog mom was giving her a nice
warm bath, complete with conditioning treatment.  Followed by a
luxurious blow dry (which she LOVES).  Then I had the bright idea
that I'd give her a little bikini cut.  Normally, the groomer does
that but she hasn't been in a while.  So I grabbed my husbands hair
clippers (don't tell him I did this, please?) and proceeded to shave
her butt.  Now, when the groomer does it, it's this nice, straight
dainty little trim.  Um, I'm a MUCH better scrapbooker than
goomer....


Who knew she had freckles on her butt?  So much for a nice thin strip...bet it's cold outside now!

Here's how she felt about the whole experience


She's so mad she won't even look at me. 

Saturday's Classes

There's still a space or two in Saturday's classes...call today to reserve your spot! 928-526-9292

This one is at 11 am. 
Cost is $20.  Here's what we'll be making:

I can't wait to show you how to make that scalloped circle
card!  I love the other ones, too, but that circle card just rocks!

And
then there's the Holiday Decor class at 1 pm.  Cost is $25. 
We'll
be making a great Santa garland to hang wherever you like!  You'll
be all sparkly when you leave because we'll be playing with lots of
glitter (love that stuff!).  And we're using one of my favorite
products:  Jenni Bowlin Crepe Paper Ribbon!  Of course you'll
get to use other stuff too!

City of Flagstaff's Winter Wonderland

This is where we'll be Saturday night.  I'm doing a craft with
the kids (and I must say, it's adorable!) & my husband &
daughter will be volunteering as well.  I hear there will be a
Polar Express Train at City Hall, giving rides to the library where you
can listen to The Polar Express story.  And I also hear that this
year, they'll be lighting up all of Wheeler Park...not just one
tree.  I am SO excited!  I love this kind of stuff!  Hope
to see you there!

For Betty...

You'll need 2 4x6 photos, Art Institute Glue & a 2" square punch
(the purple one from McGill, if you have it...I have one...it'll make
class go a little faster).  See you Tuesday!

Photos & Observations

I've spent hours & hours trying to learn to take better
photos.  I give my camera to my 3 year old nephew, Ray & he
takes this.  It's the best photo of AJ we got the entire day. 
What's up with that?

But I can't hold a grudge...I love that kid!

Here's a silly
little observation I have.  When I break out the camera, I get a
lot of groans from people...a lot of "I don't want my picture
taken!"...when I give the camera to Ray, I get a lot of...
SMILES!

Ray's mom, Kris...


my mom's Bob-o


my sister Jessica (Bob's daughter)


my dad


my mom...

I might just have to get that boy a camera for Christmas...he has talent!