Monday, July 14, 2008
Surprise!!
I have zero faith in my ability to keep up 2 blogs so from now on you can find me here! Be sure to update your blogreaders!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Want Me Wednesday 7/2
In honor of our Nation's Birthday, this week's Want Me Wednesday pug is Rocky. I can't think of a more all-American story of hard work and determination than that of Rocky Balboa! He is being fostered by Kentukiana Pug Rescue and this is what they have to say about him:
Rocky (# 619) is a 3-year-old 20-pound male who is full of life. This lively little guy loves to run and play in the yard and also likes to go on long walks. Rocky's foster mom says he is an excellent walker on the leash and when he walks, he holds his head up high and trots like the proud and happy fellow that he is. Rocky has been a perfect gentleman in his foster home; he has had no accidents in the house and does fine when taken out regularly. Before coming to KPR, Rocky spent most of the day in a crate and he now just wants to be the center of attention. He loves his new life and being part of a loving family. Rocky's foster home does not have cats or children, but they indicate he gets along well with the other pugs in the home. He loves to give kisses and will not hesitate to show you how much he loves you. When it comes to bedtime, he would prefer to cuddle up with you on the bed, but he will politely go into his crate when asked and sleep throughout the night without making a peep. Rocky is very good with baths and will stand in the bathtub very still until he is clean. He loves playing with toys and will be a great partner to play fetch with. Rocky is a beautiful pug and his new family and forever home will feel very lucky indeed for having him in their lives. Could that be you?
If you are the family that sweet Rocky has been waiting for, please fill out an application today!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
North Carolina - Part 2!
Whew! It's been almost a week since I last posted; things have just been crazy around here, but crazy GOOD! John and I have been busy taking lots of pictures as Lotus Blossom Photography is starting to really take off. And I have been even busier editing all the photos we've taken. I'm just about to wrap up the editing of a post-bridal I did last Sunday and then I'll be starting on an incredibly fun engagement session we did yesterday. But right now I'm taking a break and finishing my North Carolina blog post :)
After the winery we drove over to the Biltmore Gardens. The first plant we saw was a Castor Bean Plant and that had us in stitches! John and I have a running joke that we are going to kill each other with castor beans after we saw a show on TV where a wife tried to kill her husband with them. Apparently they are a really difficult poison to detect, LOL. Anyway, here's a picture of the plant. If you notice these growing in your garden, call the police!!
There were so many beautiful flowers, here are some pics of the gardens and the grounds:
After we finished with the garden we headed to our hotel. Since we were there for a conference for my job, we stayed at the resort where the conference was being held, The Grove Park Inn. It is a historic hotel with an incredible view of the mountains. The room we stayed in sucked, but I can't complain since work was footing the bill. Here are some pics we snapped around the hotel one night.
The rest of the week was spent with John exploring the area's golf courses and me sitting through a series of paper presentations. It's amazing how tired sitting and listening can make you, LOL!
That concludes our North Carolina edventure! I'll be back Wednesday for "Want Me Wednesday" that I have been neglecting and a suprise later in the week :)
After the winery we drove over to the Biltmore Gardens. The first plant we saw was a Castor Bean Plant and that had us in stitches! John and I have a running joke that we are going to kill each other with castor beans after we saw a show on TV where a wife tried to kill her husband with them. Apparently they are a really difficult poison to detect, LOL. Anyway, here's a picture of the plant. If you notice these growing in your garden, call the police!!
There were so many beautiful flowers, here are some pics of the gardens and the grounds:
After we finished with the garden we headed to our hotel. Since we were there for a conference for my job, we stayed at the resort where the conference was being held, The Grove Park Inn. It is a historic hotel with an incredible view of the mountains. The room we stayed in sucked, but I can't complain since work was footing the bill. Here are some pics we snapped around the hotel one night.
The rest of the week was spent with John exploring the area's golf courses and me sitting through a series of paper presentations. It's amazing how tired sitting and listening can make you, LOL!
That concludes our North Carolina edventure! I'll be back Wednesday for "Want Me Wednesday" that I have been neglecting and a suprise later in the week :)
Monday, June 23, 2008
North Carolina Pics!
I didn't make it back to the blog yesterday to post some of our North Carolina Pics so I made it a priority to get to it tonight! I'm in the middle of editing some post-bridals I did for my friend Amber yesterday so I didn't take a lot of time to edit these which means you'll just have to deal with the random people in the shots and my frizzy hair, LOL!
We drove down on Friday night after work so that we would have all day on Saturday to explore the Bitlmore. That place was truly amazing! It is just mind blowing to think how far ahead of the time it was when it was built. My favorite part was for sure the indoor swimming pool. How cool to have underwater electric lights when most of the country didn't even have electricity yet! Here are a few pics before we went inside(they don't allow photos in the house)
We made it inside just in time! As soon as we got in the house it started pouring down rain. While we weren't able to take pics of the inside, we snuck a few pics out on the back porch:
After the house tour we drove over to the winery to try and wait out the rain so we could visit the gardens. I have tried and tried to like wine, and I am happy to report I finally found a wine that I like during our wine tasting - Chenin Blanc. No suprise that it was a dessert wine. I think I'm just naturally inclined to like anything sweet!
Thankfully after we finished the winery tour and tasting the rain had stopped and we were able to walk around the gardens, but those pics are going to have to wait until tomorrow!! I've gotta get to bed!
We drove down on Friday night after work so that we would have all day on Saturday to explore the Bitlmore. That place was truly amazing! It is just mind blowing to think how far ahead of the time it was when it was built. My favorite part was for sure the indoor swimming pool. How cool to have underwater electric lights when most of the country didn't even have electricity yet! Here are a few pics before we went inside(they don't allow photos in the house)
We made it inside just in time! As soon as we got in the house it started pouring down rain. While we weren't able to take pics of the inside, we snuck a few pics out on the back porch:
After the house tour we drove over to the winery to try and wait out the rain so we could visit the gardens. I have tried and tried to like wine, and I am happy to report I finally found a wine that I like during our wine tasting - Chenin Blanc. No suprise that it was a dessert wine. I think I'm just naturally inclined to like anything sweet!
Thankfully after we finished the winery tour and tasting the rain had stopped and we were able to walk around the gardens, but those pics are going to have to wait until tomorrow!! I've gotta get to bed!
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Finally Home!
I've been "out of the office" for most of the week. I traveled to Asheville, NC for the ART Forum - a conference on Advanced Research Techniques for Marketers. The conference was really interesting and totally fed into my nerdy love of analysis. There were some less-than-friendly equations, but on the whole it was a good experience. I especially enjoyed it because John was able to join me. We traveled up a day early to tour the Biltmore and John kept himself entertained while I attended classes by golfing. It's always nice when you can turn work travel into a mini-vacation. I've got lots of pics from the week, but have just unloaded them from the camera tonight. I'll try to sort through them and hopefully have some to post tomorrow.
For now I wanted to share my major SCORE from the thrift store today!! I went ribbon shopping with Chasity and Lynette this morning and we got side tracked and ended up on a 6 hour thrifting excursion. We had a blast and I was so tickled to find this:
It's a Polaroid camera circa 1966! I admittedly paid too much for it as most Polaroids are only worth between $2 and $10 and I paid $12.99, but I believe my utility for old cool things such as this well exceeds $12.99 (said in my best economist voice!). I think it is going to look quite lovely sitting next to the old typewriter that I bought around this time last year and the same thrift store, LOL!
I'm off to bed as I have a trash the dress session in the morning with my friend Amber, but hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with some North Carolina pics!
For now I wanted to share my major SCORE from the thrift store today!! I went ribbon shopping with Chasity and Lynette this morning and we got side tracked and ended up on a 6 hour thrifting excursion. We had a blast and I was so tickled to find this:
It's a Polaroid camera circa 1966! I admittedly paid too much for it as most Polaroids are only worth between $2 and $10 and I paid $12.99, but I believe my utility for old cool things such as this well exceeds $12.99 (said in my best economist voice!). I think it is going to look quite lovely sitting next to the old typewriter that I bought around this time last year and the same thrift store, LOL!
I'm off to bed as I have a trash the dress session in the morning with my friend Amber, but hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with some North Carolina pics!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Want Me Wednesday 6/11
Oh my goodness, I can't believe a week has gone by already!! I've determined that I WILL finish my wedding scrapbook before our two year anniversary the end of next month so I've been busy working on that among other things. I did, however, take a break long enough to choose this week's want me Wednesday pug - Merry.
Merry is being fostered through Southeast Pug Rescue and Adoption and I actually had the pleasure of meeting her a few weekends ago. She is such a sweet girl I know she will brighten the lives of whoever her lucky forever family may be. Here's what Merry has to say:
Hello, my name is Merry and I am about 8 years old. If you think I look familiar you are right, I was adopted by a wonderful family but it just was not a good fit. Her pug did not bond with me so I was sad and the family decided that I deserve to have the perfect forever family. I think that I would prefer a family with a fenced yard and someone that will be willing to work on my housetraining. I am doing well but after years of no training I need some patience. I seem to bond well with male pugs more so than females but either way they need to be somewhat laid back like me! Mostly, all I have ever known is being a mama, however, now I am RETIRED! I have been spayed and had my teeth cleaned and some of my teeth removed. I am loving living inside with a family and get along great with my foster pug brother. This is all new to me and am so thankful for every day of my new life! I still very active, sweet, alert and happy. However, I am ready for my new forever home!
If you think you are the forever home Merry is looking for, please fill out an application today!!
Merry is being fostered through Southeast Pug Rescue and Adoption and I actually had the pleasure of meeting her a few weekends ago. She is such a sweet girl I know she will brighten the lives of whoever her lucky forever family may be. Here's what Merry has to say:
Hello, my name is Merry and I am about 8 years old. If you think I look familiar you are right, I was adopted by a wonderful family but it just was not a good fit. Her pug did not bond with me so I was sad and the family decided that I deserve to have the perfect forever family. I think that I would prefer a family with a fenced yard and someone that will be willing to work on my housetraining. I am doing well but after years of no training I need some patience. I seem to bond well with male pugs more so than females but either way they need to be somewhat laid back like me! Mostly, all I have ever known is being a mama, however, now I am RETIRED! I have been spayed and had my teeth cleaned and some of my teeth removed. I am loving living inside with a family and get along great with my foster pug brother. This is all new to me and am so thankful for every day of my new life! I still very active, sweet, alert and happy. However, I am ready for my new forever home!
If you think you are the forever home Merry is looking for, please fill out an application today!!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
RAK Winner and Want Me Wednesday
The RAK winner from the SATC weekend was........MELLY!! YAY! I'll get it to you next time I see you. Don't let me forget!
Now on to our Want Me Wednesday Pug!! Meet Ebony. She is being fostered by Southern Nevada Pug Rescue. Would you just look at the nose roll on this girl??? I'd just like to scoop her up and give her a squeeze! According the the website she is 8 years old, very calm, and loves other dogs, cats, and children. She sounds like the perfect dog!! If you are in the Southern Nevada Area and are interested in sweet Ebony please fill out an application today!
Now on to our Want Me Wednesday Pug!! Meet Ebony. She is being fostered by Southern Nevada Pug Rescue. Would you just look at the nose roll on this girl??? I'd just like to scoop her up and give her a squeeze! According the the website she is 8 years old, very calm, and loves other dogs, cats, and children. She sounds like the perfect dog!! If you are in the Southern Nevada Area and are interested in sweet Ebony please fill out an application today!
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Too Much Time on My Hands???
LOL! No I didn't just do that b/c I was bored, it's for my friend Tiffany's birthday card. These three are my oldest girlfriends - Melanie (Charlotte), Tiffany (Carrie), and Baljeet (Samantha). I'm getting all teary eyed again just thinking about them. We have all been through a lot together. We've even "broken up" and found our way back together. I'm not going to ruin it for anybody that hasn't seen the movie yet, but I do want to talk about one of the main themes of the movie - Forgiveness. This is something that I used to have a huge problem with. I could hold a grudge like no body's business. And I'm not going to lie, I suspect it's something I will have to work hard at NOT doing for the rest of my life.
I am so thankful that I finally have grown up enough to realize that by not forgiving and moving on, the person I was hurting the most was myself. Life is a constant series of changes. What is that phrase...the only thing constant is change? That is so true, but contrary to what some people think SATC is not really about sex. It's about friendship and the realization that no matter how much things in your life change your friendships don't have to.
Well now I'm a teary mess again, but I just wanted to get that out. To all my friends - You are all strong, amazing, beautiful women and I am so blessed to have you in my life. I love you!!
Friday, May 30, 2008
SATC the Movie
...was completely and uterly perfect. I laughed, I cried, and I cried some more. Off to bed, will be back with a full review tomorrow :)
Monday, May 26, 2008
4 More Days!!
...until Sex and the City The MOVIE! I can hardly wait! I finished up watching the last of the 6th season today with Melanie. I know I'm only how many years late?? LOL!! I had watched all the seasons except #6 until today. And now I am SO ready for the movie! If you haven't already you should to go the movie website and take the "Match Your Man" quiz. I'm happy to say my "match" was Smith. I was honestly just happy it didn't come up Big, because haven't we all had a Big and aren't we all so glad we've moved past that? And now I'm totally jonesing to go to NY. Like not just a vacation, like a full-on pack up and move to NY. I just keep reminding myself how much the 3 days I worked in NY a few years ago sucked. Walking for blocks and blocks in a business suit and heels in the pouring rain is no fun!!
Anyway, leave me a comment on who your favorite character is and after the movie premiers this weekend I'll send one of you a little RAK. My favorite is Samantha of course! :)
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Announcement and Want Me Wednesday!
Whew! I have been seriously neglecting the blog, but with good reason :) I've been working on the project I mentioned a few weeks ago...Lotus Blossom Photography! John and I have finally taken the plunge and taken the first steps in getting our photography business off the ground. I've been tirelessly teaching myself HTML after work at night in an effort to get a functioning website up. So far we have a landing page, a bridal gallery, and a pet gallery with the rest soon to come. I'm also very happy to report that I'm going to be working with my good friend Amber of Sweet Life Designs on creating and promoting a brand experience to go with our product. I am so excited I can hardly stand it! I'll be sure to post again when the website is complete, but for now be sure and spread the word to any of your engaged or soon to be engaged friends that John and I are looking to do more wedding photography!
Now onto matters of the pug-kind! Today's Want Me Wednesday Pug is Kayla and she is being fostered by Pug Savers of Northern California. Here's what they have to say about this cutie:
My name is Kayla and I am 6 1/2 years old. I suffered some abuse and neglect from former owners, so I can be a little skittish. But my foster Dad has been working with me and taking me all sorts of places. I love to go away and I am a well behaved little girl. Maybe I could be your little girl?
If you are the forever home that Kayla has been waiting for please fill out an application today!
Now onto matters of the pug-kind! Today's Want Me Wednesday Pug is Kayla and she is being fostered by Pug Savers of Northern California. Here's what they have to say about this cutie:
My name is Kayla and I am 6 1/2 years old. I suffered some abuse and neglect from former owners, so I can be a little skittish. But my foster Dad has been working with me and taking me all sorts of places. I love to go away and I am a well behaved little girl. Maybe I could be your little girl?
If you are the forever home that Kayla has been waiting for please fill out an application today!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Baby Girl Update
Just a quick post to let everyone know that Baby Girl made it through her surgery and is resting at home with Jana. Thank you all for the prayers!!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Happy Mother's Day!
I hope all the mothers out there had a wonderful day! John was kind enough to take mom and I out on a little photo shoot for the occasion. Here are a few of my favorites....isn't mom pretty??
Friday, May 9, 2008
Prayers for a Special Pug
Please be praying for Baby Girl over the weekend and especially on Monday. Baby Girl is a very special little pug that my friend Jana has been fostering for SEPRA after accepting her as an owner surrender. The owners mentioned that she had asthma when they handed her over, but Jana soon discovered that Baby Girl's health issues were much worse than that. Baby Girl had the worst teeth that the vet had ever seen, but thankfully made it through her dental like the trooper that she is. The vet also found that Baby Girl had a collapsing trachea. Jana had to take Baby Girl to the University of TN Knoxville small animal clinic for this condition and they were seen today for a scope procedure. During the scope they found that Baby Girl has not only a collapsed trachea but also collapsed bronchial tubes, as well as some pneumonia. She is going to remain as an "in-patient" in Knoxville over the weekend and on Monday she will be having a stint placed in her trachea, her pallet shortened, and her nostrils enlarged in hopes of making breathing easier for this sweet pug. This is a very serious procedure, especially for an older, smaller pug like Baby Girl. I received an update e-mail from Jana this afternoon that really touched my heart. Here is an excerpt from that e-mail:
...I am crying now as I write this. I am crying out of gratitude that I don't have to go through this alone. There are people from all across the country and all walks of life who are praying for Baby Girl. I am crying because I can't imagine a world without SEPRA who accepts all pugs regardless of their medical conditions. I am at complete peace with taking BG to UT; I and everyone else who supports pug rescue and who is a dog lover can rest a little easier knowing that everything is being done to help her condition. I am mostly upset because I have realized the magnitude of her collapse, and can't believe that she has lived as long as she has in this condition. How horrible it must be to struggle for each breath and not get enough oxygen to your brain, organs, and body. But in all of this, Baby Girl was her adorable little self this morning and rolled over to demand a belly rub before we left the hotel for UT.
Jana truly is one of the great unsung hero's of pug rescue. I have met her on transports numerous times and no matter what she has going on in her life she always makes time for pug rescue. Please please keep Jana and Baby Girl in your thoughts and prayers over the next few days as they are critical. I will update on Monday or Tuesday when I know something more.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Want Me Wednesday 5/7
Ever feel like there just aren't enough hours in the day?? LOL!! I've been feeling that way a lot lately. I am normally in bed every night by 9 or 10 but I've been staying up to 11, 12, and last night even 1am trying to get things done. I've got SO much that I want to do and so little time to do it. If any of you have any time maximization tips you'd like to share please feel free to leave them in the comments! Hopefully in a few days I will be able to share what has been keeping me so busy! Some of you know, but I'm not ready to reveal it to the whole bloggin' world just yet ;)
Anyway...it's Wednesday again and time for another Want Me Wednesday Pug! This week's pug is being fostered by Mid Atlantic Pug Rescue. Miss Bella reminds me so much of my Dora from her dark mask to the circumstances that brought her into rescue. Here is what Mid Atlantic has to say about this beauty:
Hi there! My name is Bella and I am the product of a broken home. My foster mom doesn't think I had much socialization or training so I have been experiencing lots of new things like walks, car rides, field trips, and RULES. I love the walks. I have LOTS of energy for a Pug. Unlike most Pugs, I can actually be a jogging partner! My foster mom says I am very smart and would do great with agility training. I can be a bit hyper but when I get my exercise, I am sooooo much better. Do you want to be my new workout partner?
I love attention and to be near a human as much as possible. If you are typing on your computer like my foster mom is doing now, I am happy to fall asleep under your chair. I also like to sit on laps, but foster mom is working on my "boundaries" so I must get an invitation first. Darn Rules!
I have lived with another Pug my age, but I would do best with a calmer Pug or as an only Pug-child. Unfortunately, I don't understand children or cats so it is best that I don't live with them. I am still nervous with new people who come to the house but I am getting much better! I am housebroken and I don't chew on anything. Oh, and I am about 5 years old. My foster mom says I will make a very loving PFF (Pug Friend Forever). I just need some more training and someone with enough energy to keep up with me!
If you have the forever home that Miss Bella has been waiting for please fill out an application today!
Anyway...it's Wednesday again and time for another Want Me Wednesday Pug! This week's pug is being fostered by Mid Atlantic Pug Rescue. Miss Bella reminds me so much of my Dora from her dark mask to the circumstances that brought her into rescue. Here is what Mid Atlantic has to say about this beauty:
Hi there! My name is Bella and I am the product of a broken home. My foster mom doesn't think I had much socialization or training so I have been experiencing lots of new things like walks, car rides, field trips, and RULES. I love the walks. I have LOTS of energy for a Pug. Unlike most Pugs, I can actually be a jogging partner! My foster mom says I am very smart and would do great with agility training. I can be a bit hyper but when I get my exercise, I am sooooo much better. Do you want to be my new workout partner?
I love attention and to be near a human as much as possible. If you are typing on your computer like my foster mom is doing now, I am happy to fall asleep under your chair. I also like to sit on laps, but foster mom is working on my "boundaries" so I must get an invitation first. Darn Rules!
I have lived with another Pug my age, but I would do best with a calmer Pug or as an only Pug-child. Unfortunately, I don't understand children or cats so it is best that I don't live with them. I am still nervous with new people who come to the house but I am getting much better! I am housebroken and I don't chew on anything. Oh, and I am about 5 years old. My foster mom says I will make a very loving PFF (Pug Friend Forever). I just need some more training and someone with enough energy to keep up with me!
If you have the forever home that Miss Bella has been waiting for please fill out an application today!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Want Me Wednesday 4/30
Today's Want Me Wednesday pug is actually a pair of pugs!! Everybody knows pugs are like potato chips - nobody can have just one, so why not get two right from the start?? Bubba and Roxie and being fostered with Music City Pug Rescue and here is what their website has to say about these cuties:
Bubba and Roxie are a sweet couple and well behaved. Both are affectionate. Roxie loves to sleep with people. Bubba is a bit more reserved but totally devoted to Roxie. These two pugs love children and would love to make your home complete. Bubba is 7 years & Roxie is 6.
If you think these cuties would be a great fit in your home please fill out an application today.
And while we are on the subject of Music City Pug Rescue, don't forget that their annual Pugnic is this Saturday from 10am-5pm. Be sure to visit their website for all the details. Hope to see you all there!!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
We did it (again)!
Another running of the Country Music Marathon came and went yesterday. John and Dad ran the full and John's friend Ira and I ran the half. John and Dad did awesome, completing the race just over their 5 hour goal. I had estimated that I would finish the half between 2 hrs and 2.5 hrs and I would have totally made that if not for a few minor issues I had on the way to the finish line, LOL. I have to say long distance running is one of the greatest teachers. I learn something new every time I run. This year I learned several things...
#1 - Eat breakfast. 13.1 may not be 26.2 but it's nothing to sneeze at.
#2 - Don't take Midol before a race. Ever.
#3 - If you don't eat breakfast and you do take Midol, you will thrown up.
#4 - If race officials see you throwing up they will try and convince you to stop running.
#5 - Just because you don't get blisters all over your feet from running 13.1 miles many, many times in training it doesn't mean that you won't get them come race day (what is with that?? )
Anyway, all in all it was a really fun day. I finished the race in 2 hrs and 41 minutes and I'm confident it would have been more like 2 hrs and 15 minutes if not for lesson #4. Here's a photo we took before the race. Dad's camera has the post race pics and I'll share them when he sends them over. Ohhh and on another exciting note, I FINALLY learned how to load actions into Photoshop 7!! So this photo has a Lomo action on it - whoo-hooo!!
#1 - Eat breakfast. 13.1 may not be 26.2 but it's nothing to sneeze at.
#2 - Don't take Midol before a race. Ever.
#3 - If you don't eat breakfast and you do take Midol, you will thrown up.
#4 - If race officials see you throwing up they will try and convince you to stop running.
#5 - Just because you don't get blisters all over your feet from running 13.1 miles many, many times in training it doesn't mean that you won't get them come race day (what is with that?? )
Anyway, all in all it was a really fun day. I finished the race in 2 hrs and 41 minutes and I'm confident it would have been more like 2 hrs and 15 minutes if not for lesson #4. Here's a photo we took before the race. Dad's camera has the post race pics and I'll share them when he sends them over. Ohhh and on another exciting note, I FINALLY learned how to load actions into Photoshop 7!! So this photo has a Lomo action on it - whoo-hooo!!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
This Saturday...
Is the Marathon!! I'm just running the 1/2, but Dad and John are going the full 26.2 miles. Please keep them in your prayers. I'll report back this weekend!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Back from Scrap Etc!
Well I am back and finally feeling rested up. I took yesterday off from work too and I am so glad I did. All that creativity is exhausting!! Ok no, really it was more the getting up at the crack of dawn, walking about a mile from the car to the ballrooms and a mile back, and the getting up early/going to bed late. I had a great weekend mostly b/c I got to spend a lot of time with two of my favorite people - Allie and Martha.
(Shamelessly stolen from Allie's blog)
I would first and foremost like to say that I was very, very disappointed that we were not being fed. I thought that for $400 we would at least be served lunch. However, I chalked that up to my not having read the details closely enough before I signed up - my fault! We were provided with snacks between the morning and afternoon classes, but you had to be quick b/c (1) there wasn't enough for everyone and (2) the hotel staff took the goodies away quickly. I went to the restroom one morning and came back to the staff wheeling away the cart. I learned my lesson after that and grabbed my snack before heading to the restroom.
As far as classes went, our first class of the event was taught by Jeni Bowlin. It was a great class where we learned some new techniques - like using rub-ons on velum to give them dimension, and making flowers out of paper. Jeni was a great teacher and I love how the project turned out. Here are mine:
Then we had the first of two classes with Heidi Swapp. Oh my did this ever stress me out!! The class moved very quickly and involved some of the infamous HS rub-ons. I opened the package and when I pulled up the sheet of rub-ons half the letters came off on the package backing. Eeeekk! Despite the rub-on debacle I was able to complete the project and I do really like the way it turned out, although I'm still trying to decide what to put in it. Here is a photo of the mini-book - if you can't tell the cover is a mirror.
And me with Heidi:
After Heidi's class we took a (much needed) lunch break. Allie and I opted to brown bag it for lunch to avoid the lines and expense of eating at the "Scrap Etc" food court and it's a good thing we did. We found out later that some of the carts ran out of food because they didn't think women would eat much rice. Yeah you read that right. Crazy!!
When we got back from lunch we took Angelia Wigginton's class. She taught a minibook class and was very personable and had the most soothing southern accent! It was one of those sipping-sweet-tea-in-Georgia southern accents. The subject of her class was "Between the Two." I made a really cute book about John and Dora's special bond. Here is my book that I was able to finish yesterday by adding the journaling and a few embellishments. My cover looks like Angelia's but I deviated on the inside:
I would also like to note that since Allie and I chose to brown bag our lunch we were not eligible for any door prizes after lunch because they required you to put your name on the back of your lunch receipt and put it into a basket for all the after lunch drawings. Not cool!
Gretchen McElveen was up next one the schedule. I LOVED her class. It was for sure in my top 2 for the weekend. We made a small album about the 10 people who had influenced our lives the most. Love, love, love that concept. She was a great teacher and I really love the simple little book we put together. Here is what my book looks like sans journaling - I really want to put some thought into it!
Then it was time for dinner. Allie and I hit up Cracker Barrel for some good old fashioned comfort food and over dinner decided to skip out on the last class. We were just exhausted from the day and decided our time would be better spent sleeping. Allie was kind enough to go and get our materials so that we can complete the project later.
Day two began on a really bad note. We arrived in our classroom (which was different than day 1) to find the only seats available to be the ones Martha had saved us (thank you so much Martha!!) We were jammed into that room like sardines - completely not ideal for trying to scrapbook! There were even people sitting in the floor! On top of that it was hot and dark. Just a really, really bad situation. The only thing that kept a bunch of angry scrapbookers from rioting that morning was the lovely Wilna Furstenberg. She is just a ray of sunshine! She was so nice, talented and creative! She presented a really innovative idea for a mini book using a Starbucks cup. I decided to make it into a Mother's Day gift. Here is my completed project and a photo of Allie, Wilna, and I:
The day pretty much went downhill from there. To their credit, they pulled in some extra tables and chairs so no one had to sit in the floor after the first class and several people with excellent foresight decided to leave, freeing up some much needed space. It remained dark and hot in the room, but again, to their credit they tried to make it up to us by giving us a 40% off coupon to the store (which I didn't use, the last thing I needed to be doing was spending more money) and extra giveaways during class. Also our group leader Brittany was great, she tried hard to meet our needs and keep the group in good spirits. I really liked her and felt bad that she was the one left to deal with our angry group. All that said, the planner in me is still really annoyed that we ever had to deal with issues such as these. It's not as if they didn't know how many people were in our group - they are the ones who assigned the people to the groups! Things happen, I understand that, but this is something that so easily could have been avoided with proper planning that in my mind it is completely inexcusable.
Up next was Monique McLean's class. We were held hostage in this class for 30-45 minutes because we had to listen to Monique "tell her story" before we could even get the kit with the materials for the class. And dang it I was going to get all my materials if it killed me - I paid enough for them. Monique tearfully told a story of her battle with Postpartum Depression and how it lead her into scrapbooking. While I did indeed feel bad for her there were three things that made this class completely horrible for me. #1 - I am not a mother and therefore cannot relate to Postpartum Depression at all. This was one of those points where I felt really isolated for not having children. Sadly, it is a feeling that a lot of us "sans children" scrapbookers can relate to. #2 - I have a personal issue with tears. I am not an emotional person and I do not like to be around strong emotions. For as long as I can remember I have always felt a strong urge to leave the room when someone is crying. It just makes me uncomfortable. And #3 - the project was fugly. Monique explained to us that the class was a filler due to one of her teachers backing out and I have to tell you it certainly felt that way. We were to make an acrylic sign to hang and help remind us to "tell our story." I cut up my pieces of acrylic to make a cute little clear mini book. I haven't decorated it yet, but I'll post it when I do.
Everyone broke for lunch at this point and thankfully (I'm guessing due to complaints) when we arrived back from lunch everyone was allowed to put their name in the basket for door prizes. Vanessa Hudson's "Everyday Us" class was up next. I was really excited to see what her project was since her homework assignments resulted in some of my favorite photos I took for the event. You can imagine my disappointment when I discovered that the class was about organizing and storing your photos in a photo album. We are scrapbookers. While we do also tend to keep photo albums, I did not come to this event and pay roughly $50 a class to be taught how to organize photos into an album. In the class we were taught to make 4x6 paper pieced "chapter separators" to separate the different photo subjects in the photo album - so not what I want to do with my photos. I ended up using the materials we were given + the packaging to the Scenic Route stickers to create a little mini book about our first house since one of the photo homework assignments was to take pictures of your home. Here's what I've got so far, I still have to print some photos, embellish further, and journal and then my little book will be complete:
For our final class of the day Heidi Swapp returned for the 2nd half of her class, "To Your Heart Be True." For the first hour we cut and pasted embellishments to the book we had made the day before and the 2nd half we sat and listened to Heidi's views on life and listening to your heart. Then came the folk singer. I have yet to mention her because I think maybe I was in denial of her existence. She was a cute girl and she had a nice voice, but she was singing songs about scrapbooking. It was beyond cheesy. It really kinda made me want to gauge out my eardrums with my craft knife. And hey, I'm sure there were some people there who enjoyed it - probably the same people who wanted to know what on earth I scrapbook when I don't have kids - but it certainly wasn't for me. After the singing stopped, Heidi tearfully (please see 2 paragraphs up if you are unclear on my dislike of tears) encouraged us to be true to our heart, to take a look in the mirror and see the women we have become, and to stop just dreaming and start doing. I get what she was saying, but this was yet another point in the weekend when I felt guilty about not having kids yet. When we got out of there Martha was kind enough to remind me that the reason I couldn't think of anything I wanted to start doing that I hadn't already done was because I'm not tied down by children. Now don't get me wrong, kids are something that I would love to have in the future and not all women are tied down by their children, but right now I need to be relishing this time in my life and not feel guilty for my lack of "fruitfulness."
Immediately after that class Allie and I made a B-line for the ballroom where Saturday Night Layouts were being held. This was a group event for all of the participants - kind of like a supersized make and take where the demonstrator was on a platform with an overhead projector. We had heard rumblings that there would be a very long line since we were being handed 7 different LO packages on our way in. Thankfully it wasn't bad at all. Since we were near the front of the line we walked right in and took a seat and just sat and waited while the packets were being handed out. As soon as we had received all of our materials we decided to head out. Allie had yet to see any of Nashville so I took her on a driving tour and then we went home, had a drink, laughed about our experiences, and crashed out hard.
Overall, I would say that I did enjoy my time at the event, but it's not something that I plan to do again. After the event was all wrapped up the local gals got together on Sunday for Amanda's birthday and a group crop with Allie. Here are a few of the pics from Sunday:
Alright I'm off to bed!!
(Shamelessly stolen from Allie's blog)
I would first and foremost like to say that I was very, very disappointed that we were not being fed. I thought that for $400 we would at least be served lunch. However, I chalked that up to my not having read the details closely enough before I signed up - my fault! We were provided with snacks between the morning and afternoon classes, but you had to be quick b/c (1) there wasn't enough for everyone and (2) the hotel staff took the goodies away quickly. I went to the restroom one morning and came back to the staff wheeling away the cart. I learned my lesson after that and grabbed my snack before heading to the restroom.
As far as classes went, our first class of the event was taught by Jeni Bowlin. It was a great class where we learned some new techniques - like using rub-ons on velum to give them dimension, and making flowers out of paper. Jeni was a great teacher and I love how the project turned out. Here are mine:
Then we had the first of two classes with Heidi Swapp. Oh my did this ever stress me out!! The class moved very quickly and involved some of the infamous HS rub-ons. I opened the package and when I pulled up the sheet of rub-ons half the letters came off on the package backing. Eeeekk! Despite the rub-on debacle I was able to complete the project and I do really like the way it turned out, although I'm still trying to decide what to put in it. Here is a photo of the mini-book - if you can't tell the cover is a mirror.
And me with Heidi:
After Heidi's class we took a (much needed) lunch break. Allie and I opted to brown bag it for lunch to avoid the lines and expense of eating at the "Scrap Etc" food court and it's a good thing we did. We found out later that some of the carts ran out of food because they didn't think women would eat much rice. Yeah you read that right. Crazy!!
When we got back from lunch we took Angelia Wigginton's class. She taught a minibook class and was very personable and had the most soothing southern accent! It was one of those sipping-sweet-tea-in-Georgia southern accents. The subject of her class was "Between the Two." I made a really cute book about John and Dora's special bond. Here is my book that I was able to finish yesterday by adding the journaling and a few embellishments. My cover looks like Angelia's but I deviated on the inside:
I would also like to note that since Allie and I chose to brown bag our lunch we were not eligible for any door prizes after lunch because they required you to put your name on the back of your lunch receipt and put it into a basket for all the after lunch drawings. Not cool!
Gretchen McElveen was up next one the schedule. I LOVED her class. It was for sure in my top 2 for the weekend. We made a small album about the 10 people who had influenced our lives the most. Love, love, love that concept. She was a great teacher and I really love the simple little book we put together. Here is what my book looks like sans journaling - I really want to put some thought into it!
Then it was time for dinner. Allie and I hit up Cracker Barrel for some good old fashioned comfort food and over dinner decided to skip out on the last class. We were just exhausted from the day and decided our time would be better spent sleeping. Allie was kind enough to go and get our materials so that we can complete the project later.
Day two began on a really bad note. We arrived in our classroom (which was different than day 1) to find the only seats available to be the ones Martha had saved us (thank you so much Martha!!) We were jammed into that room like sardines - completely not ideal for trying to scrapbook! There were even people sitting in the floor! On top of that it was hot and dark. Just a really, really bad situation. The only thing that kept a bunch of angry scrapbookers from rioting that morning was the lovely Wilna Furstenberg. She is just a ray of sunshine! She was so nice, talented and creative! She presented a really innovative idea for a mini book using a Starbucks cup. I decided to make it into a Mother's Day gift. Here is my completed project and a photo of Allie, Wilna, and I:
The day pretty much went downhill from there. To their credit, they pulled in some extra tables and chairs so no one had to sit in the floor after the first class and several people with excellent foresight decided to leave, freeing up some much needed space. It remained dark and hot in the room, but again, to their credit they tried to make it up to us by giving us a 40% off coupon to the store (which I didn't use, the last thing I needed to be doing was spending more money) and extra giveaways during class. Also our group leader Brittany was great, she tried hard to meet our needs and keep the group in good spirits. I really liked her and felt bad that she was the one left to deal with our angry group. All that said, the planner in me is still really annoyed that we ever had to deal with issues such as these. It's not as if they didn't know how many people were in our group - they are the ones who assigned the people to the groups! Things happen, I understand that, but this is something that so easily could have been avoided with proper planning that in my mind it is completely inexcusable.
Up next was Monique McLean's class. We were held hostage in this class for 30-45 minutes because we had to listen to Monique "tell her story" before we could even get the kit with the materials for the class. And dang it I was going to get all my materials if it killed me - I paid enough for them. Monique tearfully told a story of her battle with Postpartum Depression and how it lead her into scrapbooking. While I did indeed feel bad for her there were three things that made this class completely horrible for me. #1 - I am not a mother and therefore cannot relate to Postpartum Depression at all. This was one of those points where I felt really isolated for not having children. Sadly, it is a feeling that a lot of us "sans children" scrapbookers can relate to. #2 - I have a personal issue with tears. I am not an emotional person and I do not like to be around strong emotions. For as long as I can remember I have always felt a strong urge to leave the room when someone is crying. It just makes me uncomfortable. And #3 - the project was fugly. Monique explained to us that the class was a filler due to one of her teachers backing out and I have to tell you it certainly felt that way. We were to make an acrylic sign to hang and help remind us to "tell our story." I cut up my pieces of acrylic to make a cute little clear mini book. I haven't decorated it yet, but I'll post it when I do.
Everyone broke for lunch at this point and thankfully (I'm guessing due to complaints) when we arrived back from lunch everyone was allowed to put their name in the basket for door prizes. Vanessa Hudson's "Everyday Us" class was up next. I was really excited to see what her project was since her homework assignments resulted in some of my favorite photos I took for the event. You can imagine my disappointment when I discovered that the class was about organizing and storing your photos in a photo album. We are scrapbookers. While we do also tend to keep photo albums, I did not come to this event and pay roughly $50 a class to be taught how to organize photos into an album. In the class we were taught to make 4x6 paper pieced "chapter separators" to separate the different photo subjects in the photo album - so not what I want to do with my photos. I ended up using the materials we were given + the packaging to the Scenic Route stickers to create a little mini book about our first house since one of the photo homework assignments was to take pictures of your home. Here's what I've got so far, I still have to print some photos, embellish further, and journal and then my little book will be complete:
For our final class of the day Heidi Swapp returned for the 2nd half of her class, "To Your Heart Be True." For the first hour we cut and pasted embellishments to the book we had made the day before and the 2nd half we sat and listened to Heidi's views on life and listening to your heart. Then came the folk singer. I have yet to mention her because I think maybe I was in denial of her existence. She was a cute girl and she had a nice voice, but she was singing songs about scrapbooking. It was beyond cheesy. It really kinda made me want to gauge out my eardrums with my craft knife. And hey, I'm sure there were some people there who enjoyed it - probably the same people who wanted to know what on earth I scrapbook when I don't have kids - but it certainly wasn't for me. After the singing stopped, Heidi tearfully (please see 2 paragraphs up if you are unclear on my dislike of tears) encouraged us to be true to our heart, to take a look in the mirror and see the women we have become, and to stop just dreaming and start doing. I get what she was saying, but this was yet another point in the weekend when I felt guilty about not having kids yet. When we got out of there Martha was kind enough to remind me that the reason I couldn't think of anything I wanted to start doing that I hadn't already done was because I'm not tied down by children. Now don't get me wrong, kids are something that I would love to have in the future and not all women are tied down by their children, but right now I need to be relishing this time in my life and not feel guilty for my lack of "fruitfulness."
Immediately after that class Allie and I made a B-line for the ballroom where Saturday Night Layouts were being held. This was a group event for all of the participants - kind of like a supersized make and take where the demonstrator was on a platform with an overhead projector. We had heard rumblings that there would be a very long line since we were being handed 7 different LO packages on our way in. Thankfully it wasn't bad at all. Since we were near the front of the line we walked right in and took a seat and just sat and waited while the packets were being handed out. As soon as we had received all of our materials we decided to head out. Allie had yet to see any of Nashville so I took her on a driving tour and then we went home, had a drink, laughed about our experiences, and crashed out hard.
Overall, I would say that I did enjoy my time at the event, but it's not something that I plan to do again. After the event was all wrapped up the local gals got together on Sunday for Amanda's birthday and a group crop with Allie. Here are a few of the pics from Sunday:
Alright I'm off to bed!!
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