The Res-Q-Challenge

What an awesome blog! My friend Beverly turned me on to this blog because of the You Tube video done by the extremely talented young Gia who shows a very well designed birthday card (scroll down to Challenge 10 and be prepared to be amazed). Gia must have started stamping before she learned to walk. I know I will watch her career with interest. And many thanks to her "peeps" at Res-Q who are so encouraging to a young artist!

Memorial Day Musings

Our family has been quite Blessed. WWII saw my father in the Coast Guard and my uncle in the Air Force and they both made it home. Korea skipped us entirely. Vietnam saw service from my cousin and my second husband and again, both came home.

Many families have not had that experience and their loved ones are scattered from Normandy to Midway; from Osan to the Nakdong River; from Dong Xoai to Khe Sanh.

This is the best country in the world, even with its faults and foibles. A return to sensible spending seems to be imminent. The reduction of blatant consumerism may follow so that it is not what I own but what I have to offer humanity that is recognized. (Our parents and grandparents knew the value of Reduce/Reuse/Recycle long before the "3 R's" term or triangle were born.) Many people seem to forget that our free enterprise system was based on hard work and dedication to duty.

Our soldiers never forgot that basic tenet. They also never forgot that certain core values are worth fighting for--they are not to be easily laid aside for expediency. Even in war, there are rules to follow and consequences result if those rules are broken.

We have entered a new age and new rebirth in America. January 2009 brought great change, and for many Americans, a sense of optimism not seen or felt since the Camelot days of JFK. Thanks to our fighting men and women deployed around the world in places and conditions not of their choosing, we can enjoy what has become the new Memorial Day tradition--a day off work (often paid) where we can barbecue and swim and go to the park or the movies and enjoy our families.

Please take a moment and reflect on your loved ones lost in the service of the greater good...I thank each and every one of them for providing me with a country as great as this where I have endless opportunities for success.

Stampin' Up! and Decor Elements

I love the Decor Elements! And since they are vinyl wall art, they are perfect for apartment dwellers (easily removable if moving and no need to re-paint to get your deposit back). Just check out the designs on my SU! website and if you have design ideas to suggest, I'll be happy to pass them along to the home office. I personally love the Manhattan Flower design. The Chocolate and Kraft sheets are on my wish list; I want to cut out coffee cups and saucers, then use the small Filigree with them to redecorate my kitchen and dining room in a coffee theme. Once it is done, I'll be sure to show it off!

Yet Another Reading Challenge

Just what I need for all my "free" time...another Reading Challenge! This one is from one of my Yahoo Groups, and since it is short and sweet (only four books in a year), I should be able to finish it off (imagine a wink and a grin here, dear reader).


1. Read a mystery with the word "murder" in the title
2. Read a mystery set in your region
3. Read a mystery that has been on your shelf for at least a year
4. Read a mystery from a "new to you" author

I love reading the blog this came from...and I admire greatly the amount of time the author devotes not only to her blog, but to her many Yahoo reading groups...please go enjoy yourself at http://anotherbookonthestack.blogspot.com/

New Links on the Sidebar

I'm still not conversant in HTML so I have not yet upgraded my background or title bar, but I am learning how to add clickable buttons to my sidebar, especially to advertise great blogs and interesting sites.

I love words. My lists of books and authors and sites won't go away completely. I also like clean lines where page layout is concerned, but clickable pictures have their place. Here's hoping I can strike an appropriate balance...

(P.S., the studio is 95% complete and a post will appear here soon)

It's Official! I Joined Stampin' Up!

I was a Stampin' Up! demonstrator years ago, but one of the many twists and turns along my life's journey made me give it up. Now they are 20 years old, and I have joined them once more.

Some of the colors and products remain from the old days and feel like trusted friends, but much is also different, fresh and new. I will admit to loving the die-cut stamp sets as much easier on my hands than trimming rubber. The new Decor Elements line is awesome and seems made for apartment dwellers who want wall decor but who are prohibited from painting. They have also been supporting the Ronald McDonald House Charities for several years--take a look at this year's supporting stamp set Say It With Scallops and fall in love with the versatility. A purchase of this set donates $2.00 to RMHC.

Come check out the website (and feel free to order--your product will be shipped direct to you promptly and professionally packed).

I'm very close to finishing my studio re-do and will be posting pictures soon. One of the inspirations I want to post on my wall is actually the biggest reason I re-joined Stampin' Up! It is our Statement of the Heart and it so very eloquently describes one of my life's aspirations:

To love what we do and share what we love,

as we help others enjoy creativity and worthwhile accomplishments...

in this we make a difference!