Take a Deep Breath

Have you ever wanted something really badly, but were a little bit afraid to go for it? I'm not sure the afraid portion was any part of Tannon's psyche last night, but it was mine! I took a deep breath and settled in to watch.

Last night was a biggie win! Lone Peak has only lost 3 basketball games this season (14-3), two of them in overtime, and all three against region foes. NOT GOOD! If it helps to put a little perspective on things, 5 of the 7 teams in our region are in the top 10 in the state. Our region is like the SEC of college football or the ACC of college basketball. Ugh!

But, last night we beat the #1 team in our region and the #2 team in the state; the Brighton High School Bengals. I was sooooooo excited! Tannon led all scorers with 22 points. These awesome photos of the T-Man were take by Mark Johnston of The Daily Herald. You can read the story here, and another one here.

So back to taking a deep breath. I can think of another thing I really wanted once but was a little bit afraid. I signed up with Close To My Heart just over 17 years ago. At the time I was 26 years old, just a babe (and yes, now you know how old I am getting). I REALLY wanted to enter the Mrs. Utah pageant. The entry fee was $600. We were young and our finances were not at a point that I could just take $600 (plus all of the other expenses I would have...gown, shoes, etc.) out of our family budget. I had recently attended a Close To My Heart party and thought to myself, "Self, you could do this!" I took a deep breath and signed up with the intent of earning my money for the Mrs. Utah pageant and then quitting. As you know, here I am 17 years later!

Well, I was a little afraid at those first few gatherings, but I muddled through and lo and behold, I earned $600 in my first month of teaching card making and scrapbooking!

I did go on to win the Mrs. Utah pageant and even placed 6th at Mrs. USA. That was a GREAT feeling. I enjoyed a year of promoting my platform (Community Involvement in Education), doing lots of speaking and appearances, and having the time of my life. The funny thing is that all of that is over and a fun memory in my past. Close To My Heart is the thing that endured from that adventure. I LOVE what I do! I was a little bit afraid, but I took a deep breath and did it. YOU CAN TOO!


Tomorrow (January 31) is the last day to take advantage of Close To My Heart's National Papercrafting Month (Felicity) sign up bonus. If you sign up to be a Close To My Heart Consultant before midnight (Mountain Time) on January 31, you will also get a FREE Felicity Stamp and Paper Pack as a bonus ($34.95 value...see photo).

The basic Consultant Kit is only $99 (before shipping and tax) and is full of over $350 in products. On top of all of that, you get ME! What I mean by that is that I will be your upline, I will train you and help you make a success of this Close To My Heart adventure. In addition to being able to contact me with questions any time, you will have the benefits of my weekly training emails, my quarterly team meetings, and various other activities that I offer my team throughout the year. To sign up, click here. Come on, you KNOW you want to. Just take a deep breath and take the plunge. You will not regret this awesome decision. I NEVER have!

There are two add-on kits that are available in addition to the $99 kit. I have shown all three here. (click on any photo to see it larger).

Consultant Kit ($99 plus shipping and tax..but worth over $350!):

Cardmaking Bonus Kit ($50 plus shipping and tax...but worth over $150):

Scrapbooking Bonus Kit ($60 plus shipping and tax.. but worth over $160!):

K

I told you yesterday how much I LOVE the Mojo Monday sketches this week, and I also told you I hoped to try out the square one today. I was true to my word.

Today I made Kori's Valentine. Voila!

Close To My Heart products used: Silhouette Creative Basics Paper Pack (retired), Silhouette Level 2 Paper Pack (X7090B), 12" x 12" Basic Antique Textured Cardstock Combo Pack (X5747), Dimensional Elements Monograms-"K" (Z1065), Dimensional Elements Hearts (Z1278), Dimensional Elements Fresh Shapes (Z1019), Black Organdy Ribbon (Retired. To make the ruffle on the heart I just did a large basting stitch on one edge of the ribbon, gathered and glued it down on the back side of the dimensional element heart), Black Stamp Pad (Z2105), Round Sponge (Z697), Holiday Craft Buttons (Z1285), Bamboo Waxy Flax (Z906), Clear Sparkles (Z1104...just color them with a read sharpie marker to make the red ones on my card!). Click here to order from my website 24/7...especially during the last 2 days of the Felicity Campaign (don't miss it!).

Non-CTMH products used: Offray Ribbon

E

My Valentine card making has officially begun. I chose to make Easton's first.

I LOVE the sketch from Mojo Monday this week. Looooooooove it! I hope to make another card tomorrow with the square one.

Close To My Heart products used: Silhouette Creative Basics Paper Pack (retired), Black Cardstock (1386), 12" x 12" Basic Antique Textured Cardstock Combo Pack (X5747), Dimensional Elements Simple Alphabet Uppercase (Z1047), Dimensional Elements Hearts (Z1278), Black Stamp Pad (Z2105), Round Sponge (Z697), Holiday Craft Buttons (Z1285), Bamboo Waxy Flax (Z906), Clear Sparkles (Z1104...just color them with a read sharpie marker to make the red ones on my card!).

Click here to order from my website 24/7...especially when you are stocking up for Valentine making.

By the way, don't forget that the National Papercrafting Month (Felicity) special only lasts a couple more days. Email me with any questions. You can take advantage of this special on my website.

'Originals' Baby Shower

My beautiful daughter, Kori and I volunteered to make the baby shower invitations for her best friend's shower. Tricia is a sweetheart and I love her almost like one of my own kiddos. The two of them have been best buds since Junior High. She got married a year before Kori and will be having her 2nd baby in a couple of weeks (Love, you Trish!). You know how a mother hopes and prays that her children will be blessed with wonderful friends who will be uplifting to their children, who will be loyal and kind? Well, Tricia is an answer to those prayers for me. She and Kori should have been sisters.

With all of the excitement of getting ready for Easton to come home, I have to admit that we kind of let the little responsibility of getting these invitations made sit on the back burner. They really needed to be sent out yesterday so we got some serious busy going on and got all 40 done yesterday morning. Kori addressed and sent them all out yesterday afternoon while Easton and I went shopping for shoes so we could make it back in time for Tannons game (lost in overtime. DARN!). Whew! Hope you like them, Trish!

We chose to use the color combo from this week's Color Me Monday over at Jeanette Lynton's blog (blush, hollyhock, chocolate and parchment. All CTMH colors). Gorgeous! It was perfect for a baby girl.

We also pulled out one of Close To My Heart's 'how-to' books, Originals (9032). This is one of our two card making books. We chose the 'Balance it Out' pattern (see photo here). We also have three scrapbooking pattern books. I thought it was quite perfect that we made Tricia's invitations with one of these books since Trish is one of the BIGGEST fans of these books that I know. She just recently created a breath-taking scrapbook as a gift for her cousin totally using patterns from Imagine. Tricia is one of my Play Group members. Here she is last month (with several other Play Groupies) working on her pages. Sidenote: I'd LOVE to have you come and try out Play Group. Just check out the details on the left side of my blog.

Close To My Heart products used: Spot On Backgrounds Stamp Set (D1280), Sweet Baby Stamp Set (C1359), Blush Cardstock (X5640), Chocolate Cardstock (X5643), Parchment Cardstock (X5645), Chocolate Stamp Pad (Z2111), Just Blooms Autumn Daisy Paper Flowers (Z817), Basic Brads Assortment (Z1218), Shades of Chocolate Mini- Medley Collection (Z1037),Blush Collection Designer Ribbon Rounds (Z1138), Corner Rounder (Z578), 3D Foam Tape (Z1151), Round Sponge (Z697). Click here to order from my website 24/7...especially when creating baby shower invitations!

Non-CTMH products used: Martha Stewart Border Punch.

So, anyhoo, I thought I'd share this little labor of love with all of you today. I can't wait for your shower, Tricia...and I'm even more excited about getting that little baby here! I love ya!

The Reunion (lots of photos)

I find myself with time to post this morning. Easton had people coming and going last night until after 4 a.m. so he is still tucked snuggly in bed and probably will be for hours. That gives me time to share our excitement from yesterday with all of you before we head out to find E some shoes without holes in them today.

FUNNY STORY from the airport (at least it is now. Not so funny at the time): We decided just to take the family to the airport. I had tons of his friends, cousins, etc. who asked to go and, being the mean mom that I am, I told them to wait and come over later that night. I wanted some time just with immediate family before we were bombarded with people coming over to see him (which was fun by the way, but I'm so glad it was just us at the airport). So it was Dan and I, Tannon, (Dawson had a league basketball game his coach didn't want him to miss, so he was waiting at the door when we got home), Rick, Kori, Daci, and my parents. Dan's dad is a missionary at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and didn't get off until 9 pm so he drove down to the house after that.

Back to the story...we got to the airport and got us all in and ready. We were holding our signs and couldn't wait to see him come down the elevator. There were 5 other missionaries on E's flight. We watched all of them come down the escalator and reunite with their families. But, still no E. What the heck? We asked one of them where he was and they said, "No worries. He stopped at the bathroom and he'll be here in a sec." K. 20 minutes later....still no Easton. We are getting worried. I am now considering running up the down escalator, risking being shot by security, and finding my long, lost son. Right about this time one of us (can't remember who at this point) shouts, "There he is!" We see him walking down the hall from a whole different terminal toward us, not even coming down the escalators where he was supposed to be. I guess he had come out of the bathroom and accidentally gone to the baggage claim in terminal one instead of terminal two, which was the one for his flight. He went to the terminal one claim and wondered why his family wasn't there to meet him. He finally went up to an airport worker and explained his situation. After hearing what flight he had come in on, he was able to direct him our way.

When I saw him sauntering up the hall, I dropped my sign and sprinted. I jumped in his arms. Silly boy! Nothing like a dramatic entrance, right?

Last night has to be one of my favorite experiences in life this far. Reuniting with a son I haven't seen for 2 years was pure heaven. Thanks to all of you for sharing this wonderful moment with my family and me!

Tannon (so happy his bro is about to appear, or so he thinks):

l-r: Grandma O (holding e sign), Me, Grandpa O (behind Tannon), Tannon, Rick, Daci, Dan. WAITING!
(Kori took the photo)
Rick showing Daci where Uncle Easton will appear (or so we thought):
Grandma O, Daci, Rick and Me (where the heck is he?). As you can see I am now beginning to feel very bugged. My mom, on the other other, is still standing there with a smile on her face feeling optimistic.:
Rick, Daci and Kori. Daci praciticed her wave all week for Uncle E. She performed like a champ.:
Dan. "Here's your sign!" (think Bill Engvall. lol):
Easton reunites with his daddy. Bliss!
After the hug:
Since Easton has been gone, Dawson has grown 7 inches. This is the scene at home when we got here and they reunited. Easton could NOT believe his baby brother had begun to look like a man!:

Nervous Energy

This is my 2nd post today so be sure to scroll down.

Everything is done for Easton's return except for the ribbons on the trees and bushes, and I'm waiting on that since it is currently snowing. Now I am full of nervous energy and trying to find some way to channel it before I lose my mind and it's time to go to the airport. So back to the computer I came.

These photos are also from Butchardt Gardens. I love the one my mom took of Easton and I arm in arm walking down the path!

I thought I'd share a little exerpt from Easton's letter home last week:

"I don't like saying goodbye. I have never been good at it and will never like it. I don't see how it is so easy for some people to just accept that they will never see someone they love again (at least in this life). I have tried my whole mission to become accustomed to saying goodbye as I have changed areas each time, but I can't seem to accomplish that task. Saying goodbye is by far the worst part of going on mission and the worst part about leaving it."

"I look forward to a week from today when I can see your faces, but I ask that you understand that my heart is being ripped out of my chest at the same time. The mission has changed my life. I don't know who or where I would be without this experience. Thank you for the support. I love you more than anything. You are in my prayers and thoughts constantly. Thank you for everything!"

TODAY

Today is the day that Easton returns. TODAY! That means no more counting down. Lucky you! I'll post in the next few days sometime with photos of the big arrival. It might be a day or two, depending on whether or not I can leave his side for long enough to post.

I love this photo of E. It was taken at Butchardt Gardens in Victoria, Canada on a family vacation about 6 months before his mission. What a cutie patootie! I'm kind of excited that I will be able to look at the real guy for a few months (before he heads off to college) and won't have to be continually going through my photos to see him!

Thanks to all of you for joining in my excitement as I counted down the days. My blog readers are the absolute BEST! I have been so touched by all of your messages and comments. Several of you have even referenced my excitement on your blogs. What a fun surprise for me!

By the way, I'm not sure if I have mentioned this to all of you or not. My next son, Tannon will also be going on a mission. He will send in his papers the end of March and probably find out around mid-April where he will be going. We are guessing he will leave in June or July. Can you believe this? ANOTHER missionary gone for 2 years. How is a mother to cope? And as you know, I have another son after Tannon (Dawson) who also plans to serve a 2 year mission at 19. I will be a missionary mom for many years to come.

Once Tannon sends his papers in, I will have a little contest here on my blog to guess where in the world he might be going. We had the same contest when Easton went but I didn't have a blog then. We had over 60 guesses, all over the world, but the winner actually guessed Houston, Texas speaking Spanish. WOW! I'll have a really GREAT (scrappin' related) prize for the winner! So stay tuned over the next few months for more missionary excitement. The return today is not the end of the missionary madness at this house!

I'm off to finish a few signs to hold up at the airport, tie some yellow ribbons on the bushes and trees outside, frost the cake and set a beautiful table for tonight. I'm so glad I got everything else done ahead of time and that today can just be last minute details.

Thanks

ONE MORE DAY! Tomorrow our Easton returns from his mission! WOO HOO!

This 'thanks' card was inspired by sketch 48 at Card Patterns. All materials are Close To My Heart. Most of what I have used are Boom-di-Ada papers from the Level 2 Paper Pack (X7095B) and flowers from the Perennials Dimensional Elements (Z1139), which I have covered in paper. I also used inks and round sponges to add some color and depth around the edges of things. Colors you see on this card: Sweet Leaf, Buttercup, Hollyhock, Barn Red and Autumn Terracotta. The darling 'thanks' stamp came from the Thank You stamp set (D1361). I LOVE this stamp set. I use it multiple times per week.

Click here to order from my website, 24/7...even the day before a big event!

Have a great day! I'm off to finish up last minute details for tomorrow.

It Takes Two

It takes two people to build a life and family together. And its just 2 more days until Easton comes home. WOO HOO! The countdown continues.

I made this one page layout last night. After cleaning from 10 am to 6:30 pm (I mean REALLY cleaning) I needed a serious creative break. So, this is what I came up with.

I fell in love with the sketch 96 at Got Sketch. I had to improvise a tiny bit because my main photo was vertical, not horizontal. But I think it turned out fine anyway. Feel free to click on any of the photos to see them larger.

I DIED when I found these photos as Kori and I were cleaning and organizing this week. This was Dan the Man's 10 year high school reunion. We had been married for five years at this point. WOW, were we skinny or what? This was many moons and many lbs. ago! I'll never forget this night. We had such a nice time and came home and were talking about how happy we were in our marriage and with our two children (Kori had just turned 4 and Easton was 1 1/2). We decided we wanted to have another one. One month later we were pregnant with Tannon. I can't believe that was 20 years ago. Where did the time and skinny bodies go? And now, here we are anticipating the return of our 21 year old son, Easton from his mission (Did I mention he gets home in 2 more days? Oh yeah. I did). At the age and point in our lives that we are in these photos, I would NEVER have imagined how quick this time would come.

Close To My Heart products used: Notebook Level 2 Paper Pack (X7102B), Notebook Level 2 MyStickease (X7102C), Silhouette Level 2 Paper Pack (X7090B), Black Stamp Pad (Z2105), Round Sponge (Z697), 3D Foam Tape (Z1151). Click here to shop on my website 24/7...especially when you are in serious need of a creative break!

Non CTMH products used: Marvy 2 1/2" circle punch, Marvy 3" scalloped circle punch, Cricut Plantin Schoolbook cartridge.

Thirteen Threes

3. 3. 3. 3. 3. 3. 3. 3. 3. 3. 3. 3. And 3. There are thirteen reasons that I love "3" today.

1. Easton gets home from his mission in 3 days. The countdown continues! Here he is. I can't wait to see him in person!
2. Tannon hit one three in his game last night.
3. Tannon hit two threes in his game last night
4. Tannon hit three threes in his game last night.
5. Tannon hit four threes in his game last night.
6. Tannon hit five threes in his game last night.
7. Tannon hit six threes in his game last night.
8. Tannon hit seven threes in his game last night. Yep, no joke! Seven three pointers! He finished with 23 points to aid Lone Peak in their victory against Hillcrest High School. The Knights are now 12-2. Here he is working his magic.
9. Dawson hit one three in his game.
10. Dawson hit two threes in his game.
11. Dawson hit three threes in his game.
12. Dawson hit four threes in his game.
13. Dawson hit five threes in his game. Yep, no joke! Five three pointers! He finished with 22 points to aid Mt. Ridge Jr. High in their victory against Westlake. They are now 13-1 in league play. Woo hoo. Unfortunately I don't have any great pictures of Dawson shooting (Jr. High gyms are notorious for terrible lighting) but here is one of him trying to look as macho as possible.

Three is definitely a good number today. I hope to continue the good 'three' vibe by finishing up deep cleaning the final three rooms of the house (guest room, Dawson's room, basement family room). I'm off to clean!

Oh wait! Before I do, I thought I'd answer a question from yesterday's post. The cubes that house my papers in my office are made by a company called Crop in Style. I bought mine a few years ago at Roberts (a craft store here in Utah) but I they are also carried by the Oriental Trading scrapbooking division online. Just go to orientaltrading.com and do a search for crop in style or scrapbooking storage. You will want the cube and the cube dividers.

I also got an email asking me how I choose to store my papers. Since I am a Close To My Heart die hard, I store them by the Close To My Heart seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter and Basic) and then I store my scrapbooking kits alphabetically by kit name (i.e. Silhouette, Topstitch, Veranda, etc.). Close To My Heart has some great storage options of their own (many of which you saw in the photos of my craft room yesterday). To see some of them, click here to go to the Online Idea Book, then go to page 99. If you find something you like, click here to order from my website. Hope this helps!

Where the Creating Happens and FOUR!

This is where all the creating happens for me; my scrap room. It's simple and pretty basic, but it works for me.My customers (Play Groupies) ask me all the time if they can see it. "Well," I say. " I would be more than happy to show you if you could actually walk in there. But, it is like a minefield right now." How embarrassing that it is like that 90% of the time. Today is one of the 10% that it is actually clean, everything is put away, and it is semi-presentable. So I thought I'd take some photos to remind myself how it really can look if I am disciplined and clean up after myself each time I create.

There is something about having a son come home from a 2 year mission that makes a girl want to make sure that the WHOLE STINKIN' HOUSE is perfect for him. Dan-the-Man thinks I have lost it. I have made him clean out every drawer in his desk, his hunting storage closet, the garage, his clothes closet. He is beginning to feel like Cinderella. Tannon is currently asleep on his bed at 3:30 in the afternoon. He didn't have classes this morning so I put him to work hauling out all kinds of things to the trash and to storage. I have exhausted him. Dawson has been lucky enough to not have had a spare second this week to help me, what with school, basketball, and choir. But, he is in for a day of workin' until he drops tomorrow. Lucky boys! I think I have them wishing that Easton was not really coming home in FOUR DAYS ( The countdown continues...)! Kori has been an angel and spent so much time helping me WILLINGLY! Everyone needs one daughter!

Anyhoo, back to the scrap room. It's CLEAN!

Things I Love about my Scrap Room:

• my little cubby hole closet
• my ikea bookshelf full of stamps and dimensional elements
• my wall of paper!
• my iMac
  

Things I Would Change about my Scrap Room:

• It would be bigger (of course!) for more goodies and would have more wall space for current projects and photos of the people I love
  
• I would paint the walls a color that is more inspiring to me than the current golden color on the walls. I LOVE this color for a family room where I want to feel all cozy...but not for a scrap room where I need to feel energetic and inspired. I think I would paint it a color like Close To My Heart's delicious Sweet Leaf.
• I would take out the black furniture and accents and stick with all white
• I would do hardwood floors and a large area rug instead of wall to wall carpeting

Well, I'm off to get ready to go and watch Tannon play a basketball game. GO KNIGHTS! Dawson's team played three games this week and won them all! Dawson scored 22 points yesterday! WOO HOO! Tannon and the Knights played our cross town rival on Wednesday night (American Fork High School) and won (67-47. Tannon had 18.). I'm crossing my fingers for another big win tonight.