Sincerely

Yesterday was simply fabulous! I have to extend a big (((HUG))) and Thank You to Jeannie Jones and all her staff at The Scrapbook Pad in Colleyville, Texas. I had the amazing opportunity yesterday to meet some fabulous new gals and see some familiar faces during the book signing at The Scrapbook Pad. They went all out, with silver platters of goodies, a huge bowl of punch, and a gorgeous vase of flowers in "Scrapbook Pad" colors. I was really touched by all the support and love that was there. My friend Julie was on hand to help me out and take pictures, which made the day even more supergreat. And of course Paula, Cindy and Lisa were fabulous to come by and show their support. You guys mean a lot to me! Thanks so much for taking the time to show up. Enjoy the pictures. And, Julie- if you're reading this- YOU ROCK!!!

Then, last night Cindy, Paula, Julie and I had a great dinner before the crop. It was the first time all week I had actually felt good. But guessing by the way I feel this morning, it was probably more the company that kept my mind off of it than anything. Does anybody know if earaches actually ever do go away?!?!

Today is going to be a combination of cleaning house, playing on the computer and resting. The boys are enjoying their new "Meet the Robinson's" video game and destroying the living room. That's just as it should be for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Paul is basking in the sunshine and adult beverages out at the Byron Nelson today. What a great day for it!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend! Thanks for stopping by...

Amanda D

Candy Clouds

Just wanted to share today's kit creation. It'll hopefully be posted to NDISB tonight or tomorrow morning. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think. :-)

And don't forget to come to the book signing on Saturday!

Thanks!

Amanda D

Early ramblings

Good morning all! It's just after 6am, which for me, is unGodly early. Still feeling lousy with this cold, or allergies, or whatever it is. I think my thermometer is broken because I'm pretty sure I don't have a fever of 94.6 degrees. Gotta get a new one. Anyway, woke up at 5:15am having a coughing fit, and didn't want to wake up Paul, so I just got up. Should make for an interesting day. I've been on antibiotics since Monday...so I'm hoping this crud will pass soon. Geezzzz. I really shouldn't complain, though...other than a tummy bug here and there I haven't been sick for several months. I guess it was about time.

On a lighter note, if you're in the DFW area, please don't forget to come see me tomorrow (Saturday) at The Scrapbook Pad in Colleyville from 12n-2pm. I'm so excited about my release party/book signing. I KNOW I'll be feeling better by then- if by shear will power!

Completely off topic- my cat is having a heart attack that I'm up! She's walking around the office just meowing her little head off and looking at me like "Hey! This is MY turf this early! What are you thinking, Woman!" She's very noisy. I'm glad we are on the other end of the house from everyone else! lol

Call me superstisious (can't spell...too lazy to open Word for the spellcheck option)... but I have a theory that all things..good, bad, weird, etc...come in sets of three. For me, anyways, it always happens like that. The last two days have brought on some strange, happy and funny things. Two random people from my past have gotten in touch with me! One, from over 15 YEARS ago sent me an Email (mainly looking for my brother...but still- WOW), and then yesterday, a lady whom I knew a few years back was trying to call Airtram, when she misdialed and got ME. I recognized her name on caller ID. She said "I think I have the wrong number", and I asked her if it was the same Debbie I knew from years ago.. and it was! We both laughed and talked for a few minutes. The whole thing was just hilarious. So, that was TWO- in TWO days! So, I'm wondering who'll I'll hear from today, and kind of excited to find out.

Well, I'm starting to get tired again, and it's almost time for Nicholas to get up...so I'll sign off for now. But, since it's so early, I'll probably post later. Can't wait to show you all what I worked on yesterday.

Hugs!
Amanda

Good Charlotte

Okay guys and gals... Got my first full paper set finished and posted to the NSID site today! Here's a sample, but I was quite proud of it. I love the color pallete, and had to name it after my hometown. I'm off to Paula's Pampered Chef party!!!

Hugs,

Amanda

In a FOG

Such a week! Sunday night the world started to close in on my head and a cold knocked me clear on my backside. Along with it came- of all things- an EAR INFECTION! Ugh! Yuck and more yuck. Today I am finally back in the world of the living, if not a little foggy-headed. I am, of course, on a deadline... so I have been working. Here's the layout I did today, thanks to Elsie Flannigan. She was gracious enough to grant me a couple pictures of herself for the upcoming book. She's such a doll! It makes me smaile to open my Email and have her address waving at me. But, here it is.... it's not as cute as something SHE would do, but I like it.

Now that I'm feeling a little better I'm ready for a full night of scrapbooking and- of course- American Idol (go Jordin!).

And- I want to congratulate my friend Bobbie Jackson on becoming a grandma today! I swear, you're too young to be anybody's granny, but I'm so happy for you! Can't wait to see the new little doll.

Hugs! Amanda

POSTED!

I'm excited to debut my store at NDISB! It's up and running for all of you to see. I've been under the weather today so I've been quite the geek, and creating between naps and getting the store posted. Be ready for some fun new things this week. Is everyone ready for National Scrapbooking Day on May 5th? I'm SOOO ready! It's going to be a blast. Paula, Julie, Cindy and I are spending the day at The Scrapbook Pad. I don't know what they have planned, but I know it'll be a blast.

Starting to feel cruddy, so I'm off to bed. The link is at the top of "A Few Good Places To Go" listed to the right. Have fun!

Amanda

Roller Coaster

Ups, downs and everything in between. That's what the last two days have been. After the confusion at PDW, I was offered a spot on the design team at www.ndisb.com, otherwise known as Natural Designs in Scrapbooking. I am excited to be a part of this team, and thrilled about some of the events they have coming up. Stay tuned! It should be a wild ride. I hope to have my store up and posted tonight.

Everyone who knows me is aware of the issues I have had over the last year with the mighty 11-store chain of "Recollections". I only mention it now because it seems as if I have a fan over there. One who creeps in and posts mean things in forums and comments on my blog. If you are reading, fan, which I am quite sure you are.... I am done with it. I have put up with this since October, and I am finished. Should you choose to keep it up, there will be a price to pay. My retainer has been made, if you get my drift. And, that's all I'm going to say about it. I'm sorry to the rest of you who had to put up with that.

On a lighter note, I couldn't be more excited about happenings in the coming week- and don't forget about the Release Party and Book Signing at The Scrapbook Pad next Saturday!

Hugs~ Amanda D

Clearing Things Up

Some of you may have noticed that my store at PlainDigitalWrapper is gone. And, it is. I want to clear up what happened for the record.

In three of my kits I used doodles that were "inspired by" Paper Salon. I contacted Paper Salon about doing this and received permission, as long as I made the required changes. I had permission from the stamp company, and not the artist who drew them for the stamp company. This resulted in my losing my spot as a guest designer at PlainDigitalWrapper. I understand their point of view, and thank them for the opportunity they gave me.

Just to avoid any confusion whatsoever, I've taken the kits out of my collection. It's not worth it to me, even if I did have the permission I thought I needed. It's a sad day.

I just got a really nice letter from the owner of Paper Salon apologizing for all the confusion. It's all good. For now, you'll notice I have taken the slide of my kits off. I am moving forward and creating more kits to post for sale at my site, PurplePaperFlowers.com which is due to launch in a couple short months. I will not stop designing.

Thanks to those of you who have sent me notes about this. I really appreciate your encouragement.

Hugs,
Amanda

Amanda D

Waiting

It's Thursday afternoon, and after much trial and error, my store at PlainDigitalWrapper is up! Yay! I can't wait to do some more kits to post, but I also have much writing to do and layouts for that book deadline that is quickly approaching. Paul and I are taking the early evening, though, and are actually going to have date night tonight! Wahoo! It's dinner and a movie, and then home early for a good nights sleep. After last night, I sure need the beauty sleep... We're just waiting for the sitter to get here now.

It was a late night getting the store in order. I'm just so honored to be a part of it! And, before you know it, PurplePaperFlowers.com will be up and running and I'll have my hands REALLY full! Should be fun. I can't wait....but that's exactly what I'll keep doing...waiting...

More soon,
Amanda

Doing the Happy Jig

I'm so excited! It seems the team at PlainDigitalWrapper.com has invited me to be a guest designer for the months of April and May! What an honor to be a part of! You can see (and purchase) my designs on www.plaindigitalwrapper.com starting later tonight! My "Pop Goes The World" minikit is my debut article. I'm so happy! Please, please, please...go check it out!

Hugs to all!
Amanda D

Easy Like Monday Morning

Today I'm a lucky girl. Paul is home from the races and off work. Last night I had a major attack of the tummy flu. Thank God Paul came home when he did. I was off to bed at 9p, and didn't get up until 11a today. And, as silly as it sounds- I could go back to bed! I've eaten and everything seems to be okay so far...

We are booked for Friday night at "The Pad", and next Saturday night as well. There's still space, so please come join us if you can! Don't forget...that's the day of the Release Party/Book Signing and Garage Sale at The Scrapbook Pad. It should be an event-filled day.

Speaking of garage sale... it finally hit yesterday. I've decided to sell all my paper and do-dads for traditional scrapbooking. I have all these beautiful papers and elements that are sitting there, taunting me because I haven't had time to use them. Some of it, like inks, paints, etc.. are perishable. I don't want them to dry up before I get a chance to use them. So, I'm putting it all on the market. It makes me very sad to do so, but I know I just don't have time to do it anymore. I think about all the thousands of dollars I've spent, and my tummy gets a little ill again. I really hate to get rid of it all....any thoughts?

Okay, enough for now. More soon... ~ A

Midnight

It's late and I can't sleep- again...so here I am. NASCAR is in town so I'm a widow for the weekend. The boys have taken over my bed, and they look so peaceful I'm quite sure I'll be sleeping on the couch tonight. There's always the guest room, but I just know they'd freak out if they woke up and didn't see me right there with them. lol... funny thought... can't have that, though.

Paula and I took an odd Saturday and spent it at The Scrapbook Pad today. So many familiar faces I hadn't seen in a while came in. We also met some new faces... a couple new aspiring digi-scrappers. That's always fun. Paula learned some new tricks and I actually finished a couple pages. It was a brisk 55 degrees most of the day. When I spoke to my mother this afternoon she was basking in the sunshine in Cocoa Beach, Florida...in a wonderful 80-something degrees. I almost wanted to tell her to "bite me"... But, she's my mother, so I didn't... :-)

I have to say, though, I really missed my kids all day! I've been spending every waking moment with them since Paul and I got back from Vegas a few weeks ago. Other than Friday nights, one or both of them is really always within arms reach. So, last night I went scrapbooking, and then again today! I guess I'm getting used to it. You'd think that, by being around them so much, I'd really want the vacation. I really looked forward to today, and had a great time. Paula and I always have such fun, and there's never a lack of conversation...(ha ha)... but at 9:30p I packed up and went to pick up the little ones. I just couldn't stand it anymore! You should have seen the faces of the women in the crop room. "What- somebody's leaving!!!" Nothing personal, gals... just had to hug my boys.

So, I'm off to spend some more time surfing before the Sandman offers to come take me away.

More soon~ A

We're not in Kansas Anymore

Friday night, come Hell or high water, is SCRAPBOOKING NIGHT!!! Good Lord up in Heaven, don't you realize that sending us floods or tornados is not going to stop the insanity of scrapbooking!!!!

That's what my husband said, anyway. Paula and I piled up in the car and headed into the hazy evening to our friend Julie's house. We laughed on the way, talking about just that thing. It was all fun and games until the winds began to howl outside the upstairs window. The rain pelted down and brought the hail with it. We turned on the AM station radio and listened to reports of tornadoes touch down all around us, including right down the street from our homes. I was so grateful that we had left the children with our husbands for the evening- instead of sitters. The kids apparently enjoyed huddling in the bathroom floor with the big boxer dog and little bitty kitty cat... All was fine, Thank God. The storm passed in ten minutes. Paula rushed down the stairs to stick some pieces of hail into the freezer for her insurance adjuster husband.

Before we knew it we were laughing and scrapbooking as if nothing had ever happened. It was overall a fantastic night. We had a blast. Nothing like a little life-threatening storm to get the ol' adrenaline flowing.

More soon~ Amanda

A Blog About Nothing...a lot of it...

Sometimes in my bed at night I have trouble sleeping. So, I lie there thinking of what I will blog about the next day. I know, that's strange and silly and shows that I probably have no life...but there it is. Sometimes I think of some really cool things. But, since I don't write them down, the really cool thoughts are often gone by morning. Don't know why that's of any relevance, but I had to share. Maybe I should start keeping a notepad on the bedside table to give you guys something a little more juicy to read.

I also realized this morning that my days are a little backward. Let me explain. Twice this week Paula and I have gotten out to run errands, once with kids in tow and once without. It's so great to have her closeby so we can do these things together. However, as some of you know, I really like my sleep. Often times I drop Nicholas off at school and come home where Ben and I retreat for our morning "snuggle time". I'll make him breakfast and stay up long enough to check Email and make sure there's nothing pressing for me to take care of. Then, around 8am he and I retreat for the big soft snuggly bed where I have amazingly high thread counted sheets. We turn on something like Sprout or Noggin, get warm and cozy, and I drift on and off to dreamland until about 10am. Then, on any average day I get up, take a shower, put on make-up and make myself presentable to the world. He and I, after that, spend our day together in the house, where I've gotten all made up for nobody but the kids and my husband, who will be home much, much later in the day or evening. Then, ironically, there are those days when at 10am, Paula shows up to pick me up for errands. These, oddly enough, are the days when I litterally throw on something that's not too wrinkled, brush the hair and throw it into a clip, brush my teeth, wash my face and call it good. Ironically, the days I look my worst are the days I go out into public for all to see. What is wrong with me!

What strikes me funny about all that is this... when I was younger (say, a teenager until about last year- age 30) I refused to go anywhere until I was completely ready. That meant hair done, makeup on, lips pink or red, clean and pressed, ready to show the world. Heck, I wouldn't even stay home and clean house until I atleast looked cute enough on the off chance that someone of importance (meaning anyone) would knock on the door while I was home. I had to look my best all the time. It drove my mother crazy! So much so that, when I was 18, we went to DisneyWorld. While we were there she didn't allow me to wear make-up at all. So, now we have these horrible pictures of white, pastey Amanda on all the rides- hair slicked back with stark white skin and freckles to boot. I was mortified! But, now, that's really how most of the world sees me during the week. Once again, I don't know what relevance that holds except to tell those of you that have seen me on these trussled days, that I do actually know how to make myself look nice- and NOT be a perfect canditate for the What Not To Wear show. Maybe I should work on fixing that....

All that aside... I have to say a hefty hearty THANK YOU to the gals at The Scrapbook Pad! I got their Email newsletter today, and there I was, all in it! I'm so excited to come do the book signing for you! That makes me a happy girl. I just hope somebody shows up for it! And, I do promise to put on make-up that day!!!

Hugs, kisses, smiles.... Amanda

Another Monday...

Today has been a conglomoration of frustration and anxiety so far. Little Zachary, Paula's little boy, fell and knocked the back of his noggin on a chair. After a frazzled morning in the ER, both mom and baby boy are home resting. Ben and I headed out to take care of random errands to get him ready for Kindergarten Round-Up tommorow. After the first stop, our plans were stumped because of a simple mix up... we had to go to three different places to fix it. So, really I've gotten nothing accomplished that I needed to today, and it's almost time to go get Nicholas.

Old Man Winter is still breathing his cold air on us, and the day is grizzly and gloomy. I'm hoping the sun will peak out tomorrow and give us some relief from all this drab.

On a lighter note, though, I've sent out invitations to the "Digi-Scrappin' 101" release party and book signing! It will be on Saturday, April 28th from 12p-2p at The Scrapbook Pad in Colleyville, Texas. Please come and show your support! I'd love to see you all. I know I haven't talked to a lot of you in a while. Hopefully you'll come by and say hello. That's the same day as their garage sale, so it promises to be a fun day all around. And hey- there'll be petit fours and punch! You can't beat that, right? Cake is always good. If nothing else, come to get some cake!
:-)

Hugs to all- stay warm out there.

~Amanda

Hazy Shade of Winter?!?

It's just after 1p on Easter Eve, and I'm having a hard time believing what I'm seeing today. I took the boys to an Easter egg hunt at Paula's church.. and it SNOWED on us the whole time! SNOW! In TEXAS! On April 7th! It is truly a strange phenominon. It'll make for some interesting scrapbook pages, though.

Last night we had a wonderful time at our faithful new home- The Scrapbook Pad. I was excited to see two new computers in the corner. And, they told us that they'll be receiving their big Noritsu printer in a few weeks, so we'll be able to print out our pages there. Life is good. They also had so many pretty new things I could hardly take everything in. And, best of all--- they had "Digi-Scrappin' 101"!!! Yay! Whahooooo! Yep, that felt good to see that there.

But, something else happened that I have to wonder about. A woman who I won't identify asked one of the employees if "those girls with computers" would be allowed to crop on National Scrapbook Day. I have to wonder why that would be a problem! I know that digital scrapbooking is a fairly new phenominon, and that it is, for the most part, just being embraced. But, why discriminate against us? We come in and crop just like everyone else. We spend money... just on different things. Last night I bought a book and a new album. Paula spent about $30. I know Cindy spent about that too. I spent over $50. So, what's the big deal? Heaven forbid we may teach the traditional scrappers a thing or two. Our pages are just as pretty as theirs. And, if the store had a bunch of kits on discs- I would buy them! Heaven knows I buy enough from the digital sites...why would the store be any different? Do those ladies think that "those girls with computers" don't have feelings? Are we not Mothers, Wives, Daughters, Sisters and Friends, just like they are? It's a different form of discrimination. It's hypocritical, especially when those same women santer up beside us and ask us how we do what we're doing. And, we are glad to answer. We are glad to help. We are happy to be there and to be a part of the environment. But, don't ask for our help and then ask that we be excluded. It's not fair.

So, that's my rant for today. Sorry if I offended anyone....

~Amanda

Oh What a Night (or Day)

Today was a wonderful mid-60's outside. It was a crazy, hectic day. But now dinner is in the oven. Paul and the kids are vegging out and I finally have some time to myself. I'm excited to tell you that the Design Originals website is being re-vamped and about to be done! My sources tell me that it will go live in a little over a week. Then, you'll be able to purchase the "Oodles of Doodles" book digital scrapbooking kits! I'm excited about that in particular because it was my boggle-eyes that stayed up all those hours putting the kits together for your wonder! Thanks to the girls at DigiShopTalk when I had my panic attack about brush sizes. You guys (gals) rock!! So, as soon as I can figure out how to post the previews on here I will. They are very, very cute. The designers over there really out-did themselves. Scroll down to the bottom to see the previews.

Friday is approaching, which means crop night! Yay!! After a flat tire this week, and pulling out my hair over several things I won't mention here, I'm ready for the break and the night out with the girls.

On a lighter note, I received my latest issue of "Memory Makers" magazine yesterday. In the very back in a tiny lower corner of one of the last pages is an ad for the "Digi-Scrappin' 101" book ad. Yay!! It was really exciting to see that. It'll be even more thrilling to walk into a store and see it on the shelves. So, come on, those of you with stores- please buy it up!! :-)

The next books are in the works. I'll keep you posted on their progress and when they'll be released. Enough rambling for tonight.... more later.... Amanda

Monday, Monday

Oh, it's the end of a long day here in Fort Worth. Did no scrapping today, but I did get the grocery shopping done. Yet, the house is still a mess... I didn't get dinner cooked, and I have a headache bigger than the entire state of Texas. I have a feeling it'll be an early night tonight. I haven't seen television in a few days, so I'm looking forward to nestling in and catching up on some Tivo. Thank the good Lord above for Tivo! lol...

So, hopefully more work will be done tommorow, and I'll have more to post. Until then... goodnight...

Amanda