It's been a week already?

Really, wow?
How did that happen?

Oh that's right, life gets in the way. It's crazy. No matter how much I want to do a million different things there just isn't enough time in the day to do everything. No matter how much you want to do it.

This week has been especially crazy. John has been having some pain and waiting to hear the results from the doctor can be very stressful. But, one thing about the waiting is that I scrap like a loon to calm down. Really, that's what takes my mind off of it. This week, I did a whole bunch of layouts. So, I figured, that I would brag about that first - so here is my count:

Book 11
LO 519 - I raised a good man
LO 520/521 - just nuts
LO 522 flawless

Book 12
LO 523 love ya
LO 524/525 I am proud
LO 526 Crazy Cool
Lo 527 all grown up
Lo 528 Why?
LO 529 So long ago
LO 530 made up
LO 531 us
LO 532/533 40 - that's love
LO 534 slow down!
LO 535 birds of a feather flock together
LO 536 friend
LO 537 can buy me love - for a dollar
LO 538 field day
LO 539 universal
LO 540 Melody Ross
LO 541 Disney
LO 542 giddy up
LO 543 Time w/ Titi
LO 544 It's starting to look a lot like christmas
Lo 545 friends

So, with just 25 days left this month - I really don't know how far I will get. We will just have to wait and see.

Oh, and that doesn't include all the Prima samples I left at the store this weekend. There are about 10 from the designers and myself - some of it with their new paper as well as their flowers and some are just with their new embellishments and other papers available at Dee's. I must say, Prima just keeps outdoing themselves. I really am dying to see what else they will come up with next. Some items, are already sold out, but there is still plenty for you to choose from. The butterflies are my favorite. Check out my sample at the store titled close with the butterfly in it. My next favorites have to be the centers or maybe the medicci's or the fancy sheer lollipops. Oh, okay the truth is i love it all - they still managed to back order a whole bunch of stuff. But, it's all gorgeous - I thought my husband was going to have a meltdown when he saw all the things that I picked up to make samples - but it was all just too pretty - I needed it all. Plus, some of the items came in before and I didn't get any of them - that's how beautiful they were. You will love it! But, you'd better hurry - because I am not sure how long some of it will last - espcially after I went shopping. I made a dent!

But, I do plan to have a whole bunch of new samples available this weekend. So, if you haven't had a chance to drop by come in and check out what the girls and I did. Their talent is amazing.

But, yesterday was a little crazy. Since, I decided to play hookie on Friday and go to dinner with my husband. Yep, I was supposed to come in on Friday night and put out all the new paper out but my darling husband got my son to spend his Friday night watching the kiddos so that we could have some time alone. It was an ugly night out but we had dinner at Pagelli's again so I was happy. Then, we did a little christmas shopping. We had time alone and boy did we need that. Then, last night I got home and we watched Star Trek. Yes, Star Trek. I can not lie I am a huge trekie fan - but getting the clan to watch the movie with me just wasn't going to happen - so I had to wait for the video. But, my husband watched the entire movie with me and loved it - so I think I won him over. Plus, Tyler Perry was in it and John loves Tyler Perry. The movie was awesome. It was action packed and I cried. So, it had all the elements of a good one in my book.

Today, I worked on my classwork. I just wrapped up week 10 and I have 4 more weeeks to go. I can't wait!!!

So, now that I have caught you all up, I going to scrap with some of our new stuff - including the eskimo kisses from basic grey and the new crate paper. It's beautiful.

Check it out this weekend - I'll have it at the store with me. If not, stop by and enjoy our sales this week - tuesday we have a stack of paper for just to choose from at ten cents each and a special Limited Edition Double Dee from Ines for $12.95. Look out for the email. Lots of stuff going on this weekend. We also have our His/Her kits available with brand new kaiser paper - love it!

Write soon,
Dee

Black Friday Deals

Yep, we too have black friday sales:

Come in and pull a tag with your discount - upto 40% off your entire purchase!!!
Then, go shopping. No, surprises, no let downs - you know what you've got and your budget - shop your little heart out.
Today from 2 - 5 pm
Extended sale hours tomorrow from 11 am - 4 pm only.

Write soon,
Dee

P.S. We do not have enough croppers for tomorrow night's crop - so that is cancelled. But, we do have enough for next Saturday's prima crop - space is very limited. Remember this is a free crop! We only have 4 spots available. First come basis. 11 am - 7 pm.

As promised, the count...

drum roll please......

LO 487 it's s"no"w fun
LO 488 i will love you to infinity
LO 489 pool wars
lO 490 today:a clean room
lo 491 1 (one)
lo 492 fast friends
lo 493 summer fun
lo 494 pool pout
lo 495 girls
lo 496 Go!
lo 497 be loved
lo 498 us
lo 499 grandma gloria
lo 500 you together
lo 501 old jail shoot
lo 502 goofy
lo 503 happy birthday
lo 504 love
lo 505 you stole my heart
lo 506/507 it's cold outside
lo 508 the last time
lo 509 christmas magic
lo 510 it's my birthday
lo 511 celebrate
lo 512 40, 40, 40
lo 513 happy birthday
lo 514 your soul
lo 515 happy
lo 516 my girl
lo 517 i'm proud
lo 518 you two

Can you believe it??? and i've still got some more in me. I swear that if I didn't scrap I would probably be in a loony bin or a maximum security prison. Scrapbooking has truly saved my life. I guess you've probably realized that I must have a lot of issues that I need to scrap that often. And the answer is probably yes.

But, it is a safe alternative to all the other things out there!!! Especially lately, I've had to scrap to stay sane and work through a lot of stuff.

For the last few months I have been keeping a secret: This summer my husband called me early one morning in agony. He had this horrible pain in his left side and he just couldn't take it anymore. After several more macho calls I finally convinced him to go to the ER. Many hours later the verdict was in - he had passed a kidney stone on his left side. Unfortunately, that was not the end of that. We were so excited to hear that it was a kidney stone until the hospital rep let us know that that wasn't the real issue. There was something wrong with his right kidney. What??? His right kidney??? That can't be right? So, after several more visits to the specialist it turns out that he has cancer in his kidney. He is having an MRI and then we will see about surgery. The thing is because it's inside his kidney they can't tell me what can exactly happen until they open him up. But, we got a warning - a sign I truly believe. My husband hasn't been to an ER in the entire time we've been here. The fact that he went in for the kidney stone gave us the chance to catch it early. So, we are hopeful. I am damn adamant about him being okay. He has no choice.

I know it took me a long time to reveal this information. But, at this time, it seems quite likely that he will have surgery in the next few weeks and my time at the store will be even less while we work through this. I really didn't want to affect your visit to our store by dampening the mood. So, now that I have told everyone, I won't have to keep repeating it and crying all over again.

I hope that you will continue to support our store and keep us in business during this trying time. I promise to continue to provide quality products at great prices. Kicking it off with our prima crop on december 5th. So, if you have not signed up, give us a call or email me at dee@deescrapbookstore.com. Space is already very limited.

Thank you for all of your support in the last three years.

And don't forget to keep us in your prayers.

write soon,
dee

Why...

You probably are wondering what now...why what...are you still talking about why you scrap. Well, the answer is yes. I am still talking about it. But this will probably be my final installment on the subject - this is the hardest of all reasons to scrap. But, what the heck - this is supposed to be cathartic - it's supposed to make me feel better when I journal it out. So, here goes:
I've made a huge error - I have not met a goal - I have failed at something - yep, it's true. Many of you only hear about the great stuff in my life. I have been asked so many times how I do it - how can I have a day job, a business, and am still married with 5 kids. The truth is I am not even sure. I don't know how they put up with me. I am bossy, pushy, argumentative, difficult, demanding and so much more. But, who can live up to those standards all the time? I can't meet up to those standards.

You are all probably wondering what is this big thing that she failed at. What huge, big secret has Dee been keeping from us. Here it is: My birthday came and passed and I did not get my driver's licence. I know it doesn't sound so bad - most people are shocked or think it's weird that I don't drive. But, I can't help it. It really doesn't matter to me that I don't drive. What does, is my inability to bite the bullet and take the test. What could have caused me not to meet a goal - when I am such a Type A personality? Why haven't I done it? What is my excuse? All week long I have been thinking about this - how am I going to admit that I couldn't do it? How could that be? I had actually posted it on here to force me to do it - because after all I could lie to myself but not to you guys - I would get it done.

So, naturally, I was going to do it. OOPS! That didn't happen. I actually avoided it even more - everyday saying that today was the day until I had no more days left. I am 40 and drivers licenseless. But, never fear my type a personality got me to thinking how could I fail at this? what is it that is stopping me? After, much thought, I am sure that I am afraid. Really, I am scared. But, not only of failing as a driver but failing the test. What happens if I take that test and I fail. I can't fail a test.
For as long as I remember I have not failed a test - through middle school, high school, college, my masters, both of my endorsements - I truly can't remember once - my evaluations are always high - having won the map award the last two years as one of the best teachers in the county - even being the teacher of the year at alva last year. I am good at taking test because I love what I do, I love to excel, I love to get the A - (Don't worry - I know this is a sign of a much deeper psychological issue). But, still for all those things I know what is expected of me. I have the background knowledge, the degrees, the work ethic to know what is expected and I get it done. But, this type of test is not something you can study for - you don't know what someone else is thinking...what they had to drink...what's happening in their lives...you don't know. And that my friends is what truly scares me. The not knowing - I am AFRAID of the unknown, of what might happen because I don't have enough knowledge in the subject. I am not ready. So, my husband has bought me driving lessons for my birthday and I am going to face head on my demons. I will be afraid no longer (well, maybe I will still be afraid of the unknown - but not of driving). I will practice and practice and I will get it done. So, although I have failed at this - I don't plan to let it stop me. I am going to do it.

So, there you have it - it might seem odd that I said this is one of the reasons I scrap - but with everything in life - you must take the good with the bad. I think generations to come will be astounded by my fear of driving - who knows what they will be doing - flying perhaps. LOL. Journal and document your fears and worries because after all we are all human and our families get that. Give them a real glimpse of who you are real and raw.

Write soon,
Dee

40 and Fabulous

Yes, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Forty so far has been fantastic. I had a great weekend. Time with good friends, tons of gifts, starbucks, and new prima bling. How can that be wrong? I am so looking forward to the rest of this year. Although, I did hit 40 without a driver's license (oh well) I am planning on doing it. John has found a driving school for me and I just need to call for the first lesson. So, after 10 of those I am going to take the plunge. This has to be the year. I have no choice, it's not an option. If I can go to school and deal with 18 - 5 year olds I can do anything. Okay, do I sound convincing. I'm really trying.

As for everything else. My husband is just fantastic. Although he makes me crazy and I want to strangle him most of the time - he is truly amazing. I had the best birthday ever. I slept in, I got my favorite Seafood Barbecue Lunch/Dinner, I got to scrapbook, I had a photo shoot with my girls and my oldest came over and joined in as well. My other boys are acting Camera Shy and promise a photo shoot soon...

This weekend I spent using up all my giftcards. I hit Target, Walmart, Barnes & Nobles, LongHorn, and still have some gift card money left. Oh yeah. So, this was the birthday that kept on giving. Wish I could do it every week without having to get older of course.

Oh, well.

I am excited to say that I will get to celebrate a little more at our Prima Party on December 5th though. There new mid-year lines have already shipped and include some beautiful papers, flowers, and more. Plus, all those swirls that flew out of the store at the crop will also be back in the house - so if you missed out this will be the day to come in and get it before it's all gone. The crop is FREE from 11 am to 7 pm. So, email or call us to sign up. Space is limited. Croppers will get 10% off their entire purchase including prima products. The girls and I will be putting together some samples for you all to scraplift if you like. Instant ideas can it get better than that?

Well, I've got to go. I need to get my pages in my book so that I can update my count. I am sure that I have hit 500 already. Now, we are down to the wire - let's see how far I get.

Write soon,
Dee

A big deal...

okay don't get me wrong, scrappin the everyday moments is great but documenting those big milestones is just as important.

While I have photos/layouts of the kids just sleeping with books on their laps, of faces full of chocolate, and mani/pedi days w/ the girls, I also have photos/layouts for all the big deal stuff. You know what I mean, the photos of the kids in front of the christmas tree every year, the ones of every single bday party, every single cheer performance, every single holiday program, end of year awards, etc. Those are important. Those matter.

My little one is a "cheerleader." She loves it. It's in her blood. It's part of her personality - of her charm. It is who she is. So, every single performance is a major event - the hair, the socks, the sneakers, etc. Those are unforgetable moments for her. Moments that she will treasure forever. She truly is amazing. Luckily, I scrap, I scrap it all.

You should too - scrap all the big moments in your life, in your children's life, in your work life (yes, there is such a thing - right diana?). So, scrap those big moments!!!

Write soon,
Dee

Stress relief...

This weekend we are celebrating my 40th birthday and christmas in a big two day bash. Which is so awesome. But, like any party, it takes a lot of work to plan and execute these things - all the new product and the classes, and schedules, and challenges , etc. It's a lot of hard work by me and the entire team. But, there is always a silver lining.

Last weekend Amy M came in with a little cutout quote that she received and that I wanted to share with all of you:

Research indicates that scrapbook writing (or what we call journaling) can help to relieve stress, enhance your immune system, heal inner hurts, and help focus oneself in an empowering way.

Did you know that?

It makes sense. It is a stress reliever. It has literally saved my children's lives. I would probably be in a 6x10 cell screaming "I'm going to change my name" "or is a little peace and quiet too much to ask for" or "Did you hear me?" or even better "Because I said so". Any of these sound familiar? You know they do.

But, really it has helped me through so many things. Some layouts causing tears of happiness, while other tears of understanding. It has been a form of therapy - a lot more expensive form of therapy - but therapy none the less. LOL

So, there you have it - another reason to scrap: to stay sane. Choose sanity - scrap instead.

Write soon,
Dee